by Lee West
“In a day or so. She has been through a lot and just needs some time to rest.”
“I have no problem with that. A few days in a storage locker never hurt anyone.” Jane smiled.
“That’s something I thought I’d never hear in my lifetime,” said Sam. “Or want to hear.”
They both laughed softly before Sam gently kissed the side of Jane’s head.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Doris raced through her house, grabbing the last of the supplies she could fit in one of her son’s old camping backpacks. The thought of the New Order thugs coming up the trailhead had galvanized her into action. Charlie had warned her that this day might come. Despite his repeated warnings, Doris had felt relatively safe at the homestead. Her place seemed too remote for the New Order men to find, and she’d never actually seen the men in action. The whole thing seemed like a dream to her. A far removed nightmare at worst. Now the whole mess was headed her way.
She’d briefly considered heading north on the trail immediately after Marta’s warning, hoping to put as much distance between herself and the house as possible, but dismissed the idea after checking on the conditions.
Without the aid of a flashlight, she couldn’t see the ground in front of her, and one wrong step in the dark with a heavy backpack could put a sudden end to her trip. Then what? Crawl off the trail and hope nobody discovered her path? And there was no way she could risk using a flashlight. She’d be an obvious target fumbling around with a flashlight in the dark. She was better off staying put for now and leaving at first light, when she’d still have a sizable head start on the New Order posse. Plus, she had plenty of things to take care of before she left.
Doris tried to hide as many things as she could. She stuffed the rafters in the barn with tools, gas cans and oil for the machinery. The root cellar became a secret hiding spot for jars of canned foods, dried foods and anything else from the kitchen she thought might be helpful later if she was able to return to the house. The root cellar’s location was not obvious from the house, and she hoped they might not find it.
After spending a number of hours putting the house in order, she gathered up her son’s items from the mantel and headed upstairs to her bedroom. The wooden planks in her closet lifted out of place to reveal a small, hidden nook beneath. Doris stuffed the nook with sentimental objects that she knew the New Order would likely destroy. Pictures of her son, his ribbons, burial flag and uniforms were neatly packed away for safekeeping. She had no intention of allowing the New Order to dishonor her son.
Taking one last look at her quiet bedroom, Doris went downstairs with a heavy heart. She knew that once she left the house, she might never come back. Once she finished these chores, Doris lifted the heavy pack onto her shoulders and took a last look at the beautiful farmhouse. The thin light-blue line peeking over the eastern tree line told her it was time to get moving.
On the front porch, Doris picked up the blue flowerpot, her signal to Charlie and any runners that the house was safe to enter. The flowerpot had represented a beacon of hope in a chaotic world. She threw it high into the center of the lawn, hearing it smash to pieces. Maybe hope was lost. Shaking the grim thought, Doris headed north to the edge of the clearing, taking her first steps toward the refuge that hopefully awaited her.
THE END
Click Here to Join LEE WEST’S NEWSLETTER for periodic news about Lee West’s work and updates about new releases.
Resist and Evade, Book Two in the Blue Lives Apocalypse series, will be available in the late spring of 2017.
You can contact Lee West at [email protected]
About the Author
Lee West is the pen name for a well-known constitutional scholar and liberty advocate. Lee resides in the heart of “fly-over” country, balancing a professional career, with the joys of a hectic family life, two tireless dogs, and a community of friends. Lee particularly enjoys spending time outdoors with family, regardless of the weather! From snowshoeing to kayaking, cross-country skiing to hiking, mountain biking to recreational shooting, Lee brings (drags!) the entire crew along—even if the dogs are the only willing participants.
As a military veteran, Lee has spent countless hours advocating on behalf of veterans for increased benefits, better representation and more equitable treatment by employers and the government. Lee stands proud with the millions of veterans who have sacrificed in the past to preserve liberty at home and abroad—and all of those who carry that torch forward today.
Lee has also spent a significant amount of time working closely with the selfless professionals comprising our justice system—from law enforcement agencies to our courts. The Blue Lives Apocalypse series is dedicated to the “men and women in blue,” who show up without fail or question.
Lee encourages you to reach out with questions about the series at [email protected].