“You really think all of that’s necessary?”
“I’m not going to let it happen any other way,” Joshua insisted. “I do have a few other questions, though. First, I’m assuming there are no houses on any of this property, no infrastructure, no power, and so forth?”
“Not exactly. My cabin is pretty much ready, and I’ve had enough interest that I already built two cabins to use as spec houses. I’ve also cleared several lots, and my equipment is still there. I’ve run electricity to all of the spots where I was planning to sell lots. And I’ve got some guys up there drilling wells and putting in septic tanks today and tomorrow.”
“Wow. I had no idea you had all of this going on.”
“Man, you know I keep things pretty close to the vest.” Thomas grinned. “So what do ya think?”
“I think it sounds good,” Joshua answered.
“I do have one rule I will enforce though.” Thomas leaned forward, taking the toothpick out of his mouth and gripping it tightly between his fingers.
“What is it?”
“One of those two cabins is for you and Rebecca.”
“You don’t need to--”
Thomas waved his hand. “It ain’t negotiable, buddy. You’re going out of your way to help all of the folks you’re bringing with you. If y’all are going to stay on my land, one of these cabins is yours. And don’t try to change my mind. It ain’t changing.”
“If you insist.”
“Good. Done deal.”
“What are you doing tomorrow night?” Joshua asked. “You need to meet some folks I’ve got coming over to talk about our plans.”
“Thanks, man, but I can’t make it tomorrow. Me and Kim are headed to the mountains in the morning to take a load of stuff. If you think they’re good people I’m sure they are.”
“I still think you need to meet them. How about Friday?”
“Friday is good. What time?”
“5:00?”
“All right, man.” As Thomas nodded his float disappeared beneath the surface of the water. He frowned as he removed the catfish from his hook and threw it back. “Let’s let him get a little bigger.”
“Another question,” Joshua added. “If we all show up at one time there will only be room for so many people in the cabins. Some of the folks we’ll bring along have campers and RVs. Will those work?”
“Man, we can make ‘em work.”
Thomas was a talker who was known for making a short story long. The pitch-black sky was dotted with innumerable stars, and the Big Dipper was clearly visible between several wispy clouds. Joshua felt the temperature dropping as their conversation veered off into a wide range of less-serious topics. Several hours later Thomas’ phone rang. “I bet that’s Kim wondering where I’m at.”
Thomas hung up the phone and they pulled their lines out of the water. Joshua nudged Reagan, asleep on the ground near the end of the bench, and they returned to the house.
***
The next afternoon Joshua sat down on the couch, leaned back and closed his eyes, hoping for a few restful moments after a long day of preparation. The gravity of the situation weighed on him like an anchor around his neck. He was jarred out of his brief moment of peace when Reagan started barking and ran to the window. Joshua let out a frustrated sigh as he spotted Drew’s Corvette coming down the driveway. So much for a few minutes of peace and quiet, he thought.
“Drew’s here.” Joshua looked at his watch. “Quarter till five. Always on time, if not early.”
“Sometimes he seems a bit too eager,” Rebecca said.
Drew had barely gotten out of his car when his phone rang. “Sorry, but I need to take this.” He walked away from the house, immediately diving into a deep conversation.
“Always busy, too,” Rebecca said quietly, but loud enough that Joshua could hear. “Or at least trying to look busy.”
“Give him a chance, Becca. He’s a good kid, but he’s young.”
Rebecca shook her head. “A bit too ambitious for my taste.”
“You didn’t know me then, but I wasn’t so different when I was his age.” Joshua had been 37 when he married Rebecca and they had recently celebrated their eighth anniversary.
“Well it’s a good thing you grew up before I met you or both of our lives might be different today. Just keep an eye on him.”
Joshua heaved a heavy sigh. Reagan started barking again as the Edwards’ Ram pickup made its way down the driveway.
“Good to see you guys.” Rebecca invited them in. “You didn’t bring Charlie and Allie?”
“No,” Caroline answered. “My parents are watching them tonight so that we can focus on what we need to discuss. They’re going out for pizza in downtown Raleigh.”
An old, beige Jeep Grand Cherokee turned into the driveway as they were talking. Jim Davidson, a country guy who had served on the pastoral staff at a church in Raleigh, had arrived. Jim had introduced Joshua to Rebecca in 2007. Sunday, December 16, 2007, to be exact. They both attended a Christmas program at the church where he worked, and Jim had a hunch they should meet. His hunch was on point, and he had officiated their wedding on April 25, 2009.
“How are y’all doing?” Jim’s thick Georgia accent echoed as he got out of the jeep and walked toward the house. He was a slender man, just under six feet tall with thinning brown hair. Reagan ran to greet Jim as though he’d known him for years.
“Thanks for coming.” Joshua pointed at Reagan. “You’re the first stranger he hasn’t growled at. I hope he’s not getting soft on me.”
“He’s just a smart dog.” Jim scratched the pup behind the ears. Reagan nuzzled his snout against Jim’s jeans.
Joshua chuckled. “Crazy dog.” He motioned for Jim to follow him. “I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts, but first, let’s fire up the grill. We can’t plan the future of the free world on an empty stomach.”
Joshua waved for Drew to join them. Drew hurriedly ended his phone call and quickly followed them inside. After Joshua introduced Jim to Drew everyone migrated to the back deck. Perry helped Joshua man the grill while Reagan sat nearby, fixated on the food. Rebecca and Caroline huddled in a corner, shielding themselves from the brisk wind. Joshua felt his stomach growl as the aroma of sizzling burgers and hot dogs enveloped the deck.
Jim and Drew set up camp in two folding chairs on the corner of the deck and dived headfirst into a conversation, tuning out everything around them.
“That’s interesting,” Joshua muttered quietly.
“What?” Perry asked.
Joshua nodded in the direction of Drew and Jim. “Those two just met tonight and they seem to have hit it off. I thought they’d be like oil and water.”
“Hopefully your friend Drew will learn something from Jim.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing specific. Just have a funny feeling about Drew. Can’t put my finger on it.”
Joshua also secretly hoped they would connect. Even though Jim was only a couple of years older than Joshua he had been a mentor to him and many other men at the church. Maybe Jim can be mentor for Drew like he was for me.
After a few minutes the burgers and hot dogs were ready, along with a veggie burger for Caroline. Rebecca always went out of her way to accommodate their friend’s quite finicky dietary preferences.
Jim blessed the food. As Joshua enjoyed his hamburger, he pondered what he would say to the group. His instincts told him that the worst was yet to come, that the attacks on America were not over. His gut said the future attacks would hit close to home. He and Rebecca and their friends needed a plan if they were going to survive. He was working on his plan, but it was still coming together. We need the right people involved, and we need to be prepared to leave if this conflict comes to our back yard. Joshua shuddered. What if my plan fails? He shook off the worry. I just have to have faith.
After the meal Joshua got down to business. “Thank you guys for coming. Some of you know Thomas Page. He came by for a w
hile yesterday, but couldn’t make it tonight. Let’s get to the point -- we all know why we’re here. America changed Tuesday. The world changed Tuesday. We need to have a plan for the worst-case scenario.”
“Worse than what’s already happened?” Perry asked.
Joshua pursed his lips. “Unfortunately and frighteningly, yes. My gut tells me this thing isn’t over. We need to be ready.”
“What are you proposing?” Jim inquired.
“I haven’t worked out the details yet, but if there are more attacks that cause the situation to deteriorate further we have a better chance of getting through it if we work as a group and have a plan. We need to know where we will go and who we will take with us. And we need to set some ground rules.”
“What do you mean ‘go’?” Rebecca asked. “You’ve mentioned the possibility of leaving a couple of times. Why couldn’t we stay here? Our farm is pretty out-of-the-way.”
“Not far enough. We’re too close to Raleigh, and we’re too close to major highways like US 1 and 64, not to mention the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant. If it hits the fan we need to be as far ‘off-the-grid’ as possible, away from population centers.”
“You mentioned ground rules,” Rebecca followed up. “What kind of ground rules, Josh?”
“For starters, no freeloaders,” he answered. “Everyone has to pull their weight, unless they are simply unable to contribute.”
“I agree that everyone needs to pull their weight in some way,” Jim said. “With that said, we need to realize that not everyone will contribute in the same way. And we need to have compassion for those who cannot help themselves.”
“Agreed,” Joshua said, “But we have to differentiate between people who cannot take care of themselves and those who just won’t do anything.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
“Again, my instincts tell me that these attacks aren’t over,” Joshua continued. “This ‘AIS’ group selected an ominous name, ‘American Islamic State,’ which tells me that they plan on putting boots on the ground here in the United States. I just think this thing is going to hit close to home.”
“And what do you think about the acting president?” Perry baited him.
Joshua took the bait. “Not a lot. I don’t think he’s anywhere near qualified or ready to take on the job that’s now in his lap, and I fear he will handle it very poorly.”
“He’s not that bad,” said Drew, who had been unusually quiet thus far. “Let’s give him a chance. And he’s not ‘acting’ – he is POTUS.”
“POTUS?” Perry asked.
Drew pushed his glasses tightly against his face. “It’s an acronym for ‘President of the United States’.”
“Oh, okay.” Perry rolled his eyes. “Political insider jargon, I guess.”
“Drew, I hope you’re right about Armando not being that bad, but I’m not holding my breath,” Joshua said before changing the subject. “Seconds, anyone?” He started making another hamburger. “We’ll get back to business in a few.”
Without warning the deck shook so violently that Joshua nearly lost his balance. A deathly chill overcame him as a bright flash illuminated the dark sky like the middle of a clear summer day. A deep, echoing boom consumed his ears. Reagan let out a yelp, vaulted off the steps and disappeared into the darkness underneath the deck.
“What the…?” Perry exclaimed.
Joshua dropped his plate onto the deck and stared in horror at a mushroom cloud reaching for the sky over the distant horizon. Here. In North Carolina. His heart pounded violently.
“Oh my God!” Caroline cried out.
Rebecca moved over and tightly gripped Joshua’s arm with both hands, a tear streaming down her cheek. Everyone was speechless. Silent for what seemed like an eternity, staring as the glowing ball of deadly heat and toxic radiation expanded toward the heavens. What do we do now? Joshua thought. We’re far enough away that there is no immediate threat to us here, but--
Perry broke the silence. “What direction is that?”
Joshua’s heart sank as Perry asked the question. He looked at Rebecca in stunned silence. “Ummm….”
“What direction?”
“Umm, the deck faces south... umm... so that is east – maybe slightly north of east.”
The blood drained from Perry’s face as he looked at Caroline and then Joshua. “Raleigh?”
Joshua’s chest tightened. “I… probably so.”
Perry turned ghost white. “Charlie and Allie…”
Caroline screamed and fell to her knees on the deck. “My babies… and my parents… NO!” She leaned back against the guardrail, shaking violently and sobbing uncontrollably. Perry sat beside her and put his arms around her, tears streaming down his face. A lump formed in Joshua’s throat as he turned away from the mushroom cloud and stared off into the darkness. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Joshua opened his eyes and looked at Jim, silently asking for advice. None was forthcoming. Drew still stood motionless, staring at the mushroom cloud off in the distance. Trembling, Reagan made his way back onto the porch and planted himself next to Joshua.
Perry rose to his feet, his eyes watery and his jaw clenched. “I have to go to Raleigh.” He took his keys out of his pocket. “I have to find my children.”
“Perry!” Joshua implored. “You can’t go into a nuclear blast zone. You’ll wind up dead yourself!”
“You’re not the one whose two children are there.” Perry walked down the steps. “I have to go.” He turned and pointed at Joshua. “And don’t try to stop me!”
“Then I’m going with you,” Caroline said in a choked voice, standing up.
“Perry… Caroline--” Joshua’s voice quaked as he took a step to follow them. Jim reached out and silently blocked his path, shaking his head. Joshua swallowed hard as he heeded Jim’s unspoken advice and stopped pursuing his heartbroken friends.
Perry turned and looked down at the much-shorter Caroline, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Honey, you need to stay here where it’s safe. I’ll handle this.”
Caroline’s face flushed red and she poked Perry in the chest. “No! They’re my children too! And my parents were with them. I’m going!”
Jim whispered under his breath as Perry and Caroline argued. “Joshua, you’d go if those were your children. And I know you well enough to know that no one would stop you without a fight.” Joshua knew Jim was right. He teared up as he nodded.
Rebecca stepped off the deck and grabbed Joshua’s hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. Perry and Caroline, who had apparently come to an agreement, silently walked to their truck. Always the gentleman, Perry opened Caroline’s door before walking around to the driver’s side.
Joshua gulped and called out. “I’ll pray for you guys. If you can, be here Saturday morning at 8:00 with everything you want to take with you.”
Rebecca and Jim looked at Joshua quizzically. Perry continued walking as asked, “Where are we going?”
“I’m not sure yet, but I’m working on it. I’ll hammer that out between now and then. You just be careful and get back here. And call me if you are able and let me know about Charlie and Allie.”
Joshua’s eyes filled with tears as Perry gave a thumbs-up and slammed his truck door. The Ram kicked up gravel as it sped down the driveway toward the road. Joshua’s pounding heart felt as heavy as lead. He sat on the steps and planted his face in his palms. How can this be happening? Rebecca sat beside him and put her arm around him, speechless. Reagan wedged himself between them, still trembling. Jim sat silently facing Joshua and Rebecca.
After a few long minutes Joshua lifted his head up to reveal red, watery eyes. He sighed heavily as he grabbed Rebecca’s hand and squeezed it tightly. What do we do? Where do we even start? He looked at Jim, then Rebecca, then back at Jim.
“I… I cannot imagine what Perry and Caroline are going through,” Joshua said, his voice trembling. “Jim, you’re right that if my children were in Raleigh
tonight I would go, but I hate to see Perry and Caroline put themselves at risk. We’ve already lost a lot today, and I don’t want to lose my best friend too.”
Jim nodded and spoke in an even, reassuring voice. “I understand, but he has to make that decision for himself. And I think you’ll see them here Saturday morning.”
“How can you be so calm?” Joshua asked.
“Appearances can be deceiving. But I know that God is in control, even when things seem out of control.”
“Speaking of Saturday, what’s your plan, Josh?” Rebecca asked.
“Let’s go inside and talk about it.” As Joshua rose from the steps he realized Drew was still standing motionless, fixated on the mushroom cloud glowing on the eastern horizon. He had not spoken a word since the blast. “Drew?”
Drew jumped as though suddenly snapped out of a trance. He silently looked at Joshua and Rebecca, white as a ghost.
“Are you okay?” Jim asked.
“Umm, yeah,” Drew stammered. He looked in the direction of the mushroom cloud for another moment, and then staggered toward the door in a manner reminiscent of a drunkard.
“My apartment is… was… in downtown Raleigh.” Drew pointed toward the mushroom cloud. “If I had been home, that would’ve killed me. I can’t imagine what your friend Perry and his wife must be feeling now. That should have been me, not their children.”
“Drew, you can’t let yourself feel guilty because you were here instead of there,” Joshua said. “You couldn’t predict that.”
“I… um…” Drew paused for a moment, appearing to search for the right words. “My boss. The House and Senate leadership. I was supposed to be with them. The governor and his cabinet. All dead--.”
“But we don’t know for sure that the blast was in downtown Raleigh,” Rebecca said.
“Where else would it be?” Drew shot back. “That’s where I’d put it.”
“Are you saying you believe our state’s leadership was taken out by what we just saw?”
Drew shook his head and looked down at the floor. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. I told them to meet off-site, away from Raleigh, but they wouldn’t listen. I told them I was sick and couldn’t come. I just had a feeling I shouldn’t be there.” Drew paused and then started toward the bathroom. “I think I am going to be sick.” The closed bathroom door didn’t completely muffle the sound of him violently vomiting.
After the Republic Page 4