by Mark Goodwin
Everett wasn’t totally convinced. “Okay, I’ll be back shortly.”
Within seconds of going outside, the bitter cold shot through all the layers of his clothes. He shivered at the unpleasantness of the frigid temperatures. Everett began to tie one end of the fishing line, just under knee-high, to the tree at the end of the drive. He strung it along to the next tree to form a perimeter, which ran on the outside of the cars. He continued the string of line and cans around the back of the house. Twenty minutes later he was finished, and his nose, fingers, and toes were as cold as ice. He sprinted to the door and quickly went back in the house. Courtney had a roaring fire going by the time he returned, and the cabin felt warm. What was more, the light of the burning logs created a comforting glow in the house.
“It is absolutely freezing out there!”
“Well, you’re safe now. We’ve got venison and rice soup for lunch. That will warm you right up.”
“You are awesome. I can’t wait to get something warm in my stomach.”
Courtney brought two bowls of soup into the living room on a tray, since the kitchen was so cold. “Careful, it’s super-hot.”
Everett picked up his bowl from the coffee table where Courtney had set the tray. “Smells fantastic.”
Courtney tried to eat a spoonful, but it was too hot. “Have you thought about your stance on the Global Republic ID number? Still committed to turning it down?”
“Absolutely. Why? Are you reconsidering?”
“No . . . I don’t know.”
“Listen, you’re free to do what you want. I just want no part of this global government. It’s evil to the core.”
“So you believe what Ken and Lisa say about taking the pledge? You think it’s tantamount to selling your soul to Satan?”
“No. You know I don’t buy all of that mark-of-the-beast baloney.”
“Our supplies will run out someday. This place is great, but I’m not sure about long-term sustainability. We can get a small garden going, but it will take a lot of work to clear out a big enough area. Then we’ll have to figure out how to get it level enough so the rain doesn’t wash off our soil and crops. The Incas used to build terrace gardens to provide a level area for planting. Do you think we could get something like that going before we run out of food?”
“I don’t know. Sounds like a big project.” Everett blew on his soup and took a bite.
“What if just one of us took a Mark implant. We wouldn’t have to go along with the corruption of the Global Republic. It would be the first step in infiltrating it.”
“But you, or whoever the person happens to be, would have to take the pledge of allegiance to the Global Republic.”
“And people who immigrated to become citizens of America before, they had to take the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. I’m sure some meant it, but most were probably just saying what they had to say to get along. When you sign credit card agreements, email usage agreements, or a car loan, you sign it because you want what the other party is offering. You didn’t write those agreements, and they have nothing to do with how you feel, but you didn’t have any say in the wording, so you just sign and forget about it. It’s the same thing. We haven’t even seen the pledge yet. It might not be so bad.”
The insidious nature of the conditioning suddenly occurred to Everett. Was every pledge, document, or online agreement he’d ever taken, signed, or clicked part of the conditioning to make him think nothing of taking the Mark? These Christians are starting to cloud my reasoning, he thought. “But you’ll have a twenty-four-hour monitoring device embedded in your skin. You don’t have to believe in Ken and Lisa’s hocus pocus to understand that you’re nothing more than a slave if you accept that.”
“I could get the smartphone version. Then it wouldn’t be implanted.” Courtney’s soup had finally cooled enough to eat, so she took a bite.
“How do you expect to earn SDRs to spend? Are you planning to go back to H and M? Are you even sure the new government will honor or extend their contract?”
“Everyone who worked in the intelligence community is guaranteed a job. Whether it was a government agency or private contractor doesn’t matter. The last text I got from work before the power went out was practically begging people to come back. Everyone is being offered positions to be trainers for new offices all over the world.”
Everett dropped his head. “Do you think they’d let you go back to H and M and just use the smartphone app? I guarantee the implant will be mandatory for anyone working for the new government. Why do you think they want trainers for offices around the world? They are building an absolute police state. I feel bad enough for being part of the machine that existed before. This system, this global prison, this horrific control mechanism that is being put into place; I want nothing to do with it. You have to make your own decision, but if you choose to go back, we probably won’t be able to see each other anymore.”
Courtney put her spoon back in her bowl and sat quietly for several seconds. She looked at Everett for a while, then took his hand. Tears began to stream down her face, and she wiped them away with the sleeve of her sweater; still, she was silent.
Everett could see that she was contemplating her decision. He knew it wasn’t easy, so he remained quiet while she thought it over. He hadn’t told her, but he loved her deeply. Neither of them had said the word since the day of the attacks when he picked her up on the 495 beltway. Now, with the thought of losing her, the emotion was even more pronounced. What if she decides to leave? She’s right; it’s going to be tough to get by up here. It will be tough enough if she stays. I’m not sure if I can do it alone. I’m not sure I want to if she leaves. Everett could feel the knot forming in his throat.
Suddenly, Courtney broke down into loud sobs. She placed both arms around Everett’s neck. Through the crying, she said, “I love you, Everett. I’ve loved you ever since you came to rescue me when I was stranded on the highway. I don’t care what happens to me. I just want to be where you are. If you go back, I’ll go with you. If you stay up here in the mountains, I’ll stay with you.”
Everett sighed a deep sigh of relief. “And I love you. I love you so much. I don’t know what I would do if you left.”
Courtney leaned back on the couch and smiled at Everett. Then, she leaned back in to kiss him. The two of them held each other and kissed for a good long while. Afterwards, they just held each other close.
Courtney combed her fingers through Everett’s hair as he embraced her. “Your soup is cold.”
Everett smiled deeply as he hugged her tight. “I don’t care.”
CHAPTER 13
Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?
Job 2:10b
On the Friday after the men had returned to Sevierville, Noah placed a concrete block in the bed of his truck. It sunk into the snow just as the other five had. “Think that will keep us from sliding off the road?”
Elliot was bundled up in a heavy coat with a scarf and gloves. “It will help. Did you get that tow strap?”
Noah’s breath looked like smoke pouring from the mouth of a great dragon in the cold air. “It’s in the floorboard of the back seat, but I don’t know who’s going to pull us out if we get stuck.”
“We’ll have David’s farm truck on the way back. If one of the vehicles gets stranded, the other can pull it out.”
Noah closed the bed of the truck. “An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure in this particular instance. Our best bet is to take it nice and slow and not get stuck in the first place.”
Elliot snickered. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. I’ve got several blankets and some supplies if the worst happens.”
“Good.” Noah bent down to pet Danger, who had come out of the house for natural purposes. After completing his necessary task, Danger had come by as if to wish Noah and Elliot good-bye. “You take care. When we come back, you’ll have all the attention you can handle. Of course, you’ll have to get used to So
x, who may or may not get used to you.”
Danger wagged his tail as if he understood.
Sarah opened the door. “Cupcake! In the house! Now! You guys have a good trip. If you’re not back by sundown tomorrow, we’ll be out looking for you.”
Danger happily responded to his alternative name. He trotted up the stairs, in the door, and, as was becoming his custom, shook the snow off after he came in the house.
“Thanks. We appreciate it.” Noah waved and got in the truck.
Elliot brushed the snow off of the roof on his side before opening the door and getting in. “Let’s get some heat going. I’m freezing.”
Noah turned the key. “You got it.”
Once on the road, Elliot removed his glove and stuck his hand by the air vent. “Think the girls will be surprised to see us so soon?”
Noah shrugged. “Benny told Sharon that we’d come early if they lost power and we couldn’t maintain contact. If we get more snow, the roads could be worse than they are now.”
“It’s not likely to melt off anytime soon. I think it was a good call to get them early. How bad was your house when you went to look at it yesterday?”
Noah sighed. “It could have been worse. Whoever broke in just busted out one back window to gain access. They made a mess looking through everything but didn’t purposely tear anything up. We didn’t leave anything of real value when we left; at least not anything anyone could find. But you still feel violated when someone comes in your home.”
“I understand. Did you get the glass cleaned up?”
“Yeah. And I boarded the window up from the inside.”
“How do you feel about your place being transformed into a sheriff’s station outpost?”
“Until yesterday, it could have been burned to the ground for all I knew. I’m grateful that it’s still there. It’s a good solution to the problem. David’s place isn’t going to be able to house everyone, especially with Cliff Atkins’s family staying there now. With my place being so close to Knoxville, we couldn’t stay out there by ourselves. I’m happy to have you and Caroline staying with us. Kevin and Sarah too; if we get in trouble, they’re both good to have around.”
“It won’t be that crowded because two of us will be working the roadblock coming into town most of the time. Jim is right; it will save a ton of gas by having us commute that short distance from your place to the roadblock on sixty-six. How far do you think it is?”
“Maybe a mile and a half. If the folks at the roadblock need backup, it won’t take us long to get there. That’s another big plus.” Noah glanced down at the speedometer. He was traveling at roughly fifteen miles an hour. At this rate, it would take them all day to get to the cabin. But better to get there slow than not at all.
“Lacy will hate not living with Lynette anymore.”
Noah nodded. “She’s going to stay at David’s until we see how things go with the roadblock, so they’ll have a few extra days together.”
“I can’t see too many people hoofing it up the highway in the snow. Since most folks don’t have access to gas, the roadblock should be fairly uneventful.
The men tried to keep the conversation going to pass the time. Four houses later, Elliot asked, “How far have we come?”
Noah glanced down at the speedometer. “About halfway. We’ll be doing good if we make it before dark. I can’t believe a one-hour trip is taking us all day in the snow. I’d go faster, but there are some places that are slicker than a peeled onion. They look like patches where the snow melted, then refroze.”
Elliot shook his head. “No hurry at all. We’ve got all day. Keep doing what you’re doing, slow and steady. Let me know if you want me to drive.”
Noah took a deep breath. “It is getting a little monotonous. If you don’t mind switching, I could use a break.”
“Pull over wherever you see a good spot.”
Noah stopped the truck, and the two men changed seats. Soon, they were back on the road. They made steady progress for the next three hours; then they hit the hair-pin turns going up the mountain on Butterfly Gap Road.
Elliot tried to keep the truck moving forward, but he hit a patch of ice and started veering to the side. “Hang on; I’m sliding!”
Noah gripped the handle just above his window. “We’re going backward!”
Elliot gunned the gas, but the tires just spun. “Stuck!”
Noah looked over at the fuel gage. “We’ve barely used any gas going so slow. Worst case scenario, we can keep the engine going so we won’t freeze.”
Elliot looked around. “I don’t think we’re that far away from the cabin. I’m sure we can walk.”
Noah looked around as well, but with the snow cover, everything just looked white. Then, he looked at the mileage. “According to the odometer, we should only be about a mile. We can definitely walk. We’ve still got some daylight.”
Elliot shut the engine off and got out of the truck. He walked to the back and looked at the snow drift they’d slid into.
Noah also got out to examine the issue. “Looks like the snow is up under the back and keeping the tires from getting traction.”
Elliot nodded. “We might be able to dig out.”
Noah looked at the sky. The sun was low above the mountain. “Okay, let’s hurry. If we can’t, we’ll be stuck out here in the dark.”
Elliot took the shovel out of the bed of the truck and started trying to scoop the snow out from beneath the back of the truck. “A garden hoe would have been better for raking the snow out from the bottom.”
Noah picked through his emergency bag to look for something that would work better. He located his metal canteen cup and showed it to Elliot. “This might work.”
He had to lay in the snow to reach under the truck, but he was able to slowly dig out the snow that was elevating the truck and preventing the tires from having enough traction to get out of the drift.
Elliot got back in the truck while Noah stood behind the truck to push. He yelled out to Elliot, “Once you get out, keep going to the top of this section of the road. Wait for me up there, and I’ll walk up. If you slow down to let me in, you might start sliding backward again.”
Elliot yelled back, “Got it.”
Noah pushed and Elliot hit the gas. The vehicle lurched out of the drift and quickly ascended the steep part of the road. Noah brushed the snow off the front of his jacket and jeans and began walking up the incline.
Once in the truck, he smiled at Elliot. “We made it!”
Elliot kept driving. “Not yet, but almost.”
Five minutes later, they were at the cabin and safe for the night.
The next morning, everyone loaded their essentials into the two trucks. Noah would be driving his truck, and Elliot would be driving David’s farm truck, which had been left at the cabin for the girls.
Noah kicked the snow off of his shoes before coming back into the house. “Sharon, where are your things? It’s going to be slow going because of all the snow and ice. We need to get on the road pretty soon.”
Sharon looked around as if she wanted to be sure no one else was listening. “Noah, I think I’ll just stay out here. I’m not ready to go back. It will be too painful for me.”
Noah put his hands on her arms. “Sharon, you can’t stay out here by yourself. You’ve done a lot of healing out here, but a lot of that has been because you’ve had friends around. The last thing you need right now is to be holed up with no one else around. It might sound like a good idea right now, but trust me, it ain’t.”
Sharon turned away and sighed. “I’ve really felt the presence of God out here lately, comforting me in my grief. I can’t explain it.”
Noah hugged her. “I understand, but God is not restricted to this cabin. Paul said in Acts 17, ‘in him we live and move and have our being.’ He’s everywhere, holding you in the palm of his hand.”
Sharon shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m so confused.”
Noah firmly placed a hand
on each of her shoulders and said firmly but gracefully, “Then let me make it easy for you. You’re coming with us. We need you.”
Sharon seemed to understand. “Then I’ll go get packed.”
Noah smiled deeply. “Good. Try to hurry if you can.”
Minutes later, they were loaded and ready to get moving. Noah walked back to the truck Elliot was driving. “Keep a little distance so you’ll have time to react if I get in trouble. Give me a shout on the radio if you get stuck. I’ll be watching in the rearview, but I might miss it if you’re around a turn.”
Elliot nodded. “Drive safe.”
Noah returned to his truck and led the way back.
Becky Ray rode shotgun, with Cassie up front in the middle. Lacy and Lynette sat in the back with Sharon. Lacy certainly would have been a better fit for the middle seat in the front, but there was no separating the two best friends.
“We haven’t heard any news since the power went out. What’s going on around the country?” Cassie put one arm around Noah.
Noah shrugged. “We haven’t heard much. Some hams were operating on solar, but most were running on electricity. All the power in the country has been shut off. The hams that do have solar capabilities also have other things they have to allocate power to. With these gray, snowy skies, a lot of them have had to shut down. But the little that Benny has been able to pick up ain’t good. The UN shut down the power to the remaining areas at the worst possible time. Many of the holdouts are dying from lack of heat.”
Cassie rolled her eyes. “The worst possible time or the best possible time, depending on the perspective and what they are trying to accomplish.”
Becky looked over. “You’ve been saying their plan was to reduce the population and kill off Americans for years, Cassie. I guess I believed you, but I’m still shocked at the level of success they’re achieving.”
“I didn’t,” Sharon said from the back.