“Where are we headin’, Ben?” Ike asked.
“Back to Louisiana, Ike. Once there, we’ll start gearing up for the building of outposts across the nation.”
“Not far, now, Father,” Buddy radioed. “I have the Mississippi River bridge at Vicksburg in sight.”
“Ten-four, son.” Ben replaced the mike in its hook.
Denise looked at nun, noting the expression on his face. “Odd look on your face, Ben.”
“This is where it all began, Denise. I woke up one morning, and the whole world had gone crazy.”
“Are you going to live in your old house? If it’s still standing, that is.”
“No. Too many memories there.”
“The mental faces of old girlfriends?” she teased.
He smiled. “Well, yes. That, too.”
“There will probably be Night People all around us.”
“Yes. We’ll have to deal with them. And Khamsin isn’t going to forget or forgive. He’ll be along, bet on that.”
“And Ashley.”
“Him, too. And more Jakes and warlords and outlaws. We’ll just take it as it comes.”
The long column rolled westward, through Vicksburg. Buddy was waiting in the center of the big bridge.
“Post guards on the bridge, boy,” Ben told him. “But we’ll deny no person the right to enter our territory to live free.”
“Yes, sir.”
Ben looked at the handsome young man for a long moment. Then he smiled. “When you get the guards mounted, you and Judy come on in. I’ll be set up by then. We’ll have supper . . . my son.”
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1987 by William W. Johnstone
Cover design by Open Road Integrated Media
ISBN 978-1-4976-3035-2
This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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Smoke from the Ashes Page 27