out of the line of fire while we can.”
“Okay, Josh,” she said unconvincingly. “But I don’t like it.”
Joshua bit his lip. “Me either, but I need you to trust my judgment on this.”
“I do, but I still don’t like it.”
“Thank you, Becca. That means a lot. Especially now.”
CHAPTER 3
Perry gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands. He drove in silence down the winding, pitch-black road toward the mushroom cloud billowing over Raleigh. Caroline sat in the passenger seat, bawling like a baby. He fought back a tear as he reached over and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back for a moment, then withdrew her hand and turned away, silently staring out the window.
Flashing blue lights overcame the darkness as they rounded a curve and approached a roadblock. An officer approached Perry’s truck. “Sir, you’re going to have to turn around. We can’t allow any vehicles beyond this point.”
“I understand, but our children are there. Please let us go look for them. I realize we’ll be on our own if we go in, but we have to find them.”
Caroline looked up at the officer through tear-filled eyes, her lower lip quivering. “Please…”
The officer pursed his lips. “Hold on a moment, I’ll be right back.” He walked toward a vehicle surrounded by several men in suits and uniforms. Perry cocked an eyebrow as he noticed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security logo on the vehicle. They sure didn’t waste any time getting here.
While Perry was waiting two of the officers approached the car in line ahead of him. He leaned out the window to hear what was said. He clenched his teeth as one of the officers barked out a command. “Give us your gun.”
The driver objected loudly enough for Perry to hear. “But I have a concealed carry permit, and concealed weapons are allowed in this area.”
“President Armando has imposed martial law and we need your gun.”
“I am not giving it to you.”
Perry’s heart leapt as one of the officers drew his Glock .40 on the man, who put his hands in the air and surrendered his pistol. He glanced at Caroline, who was fixated on the officers. “Honey, we have to cooperate with them or this could get ugly fast.” She sniffled and nodded.
The officer returned to Perry’s window, accompanied by a man in a dark suit and a uniformed Homeland Security police officer. The man in the suit spoke sternly. “You need to turn around, now. We cannot allow you to enter this area.”
“I understand, sir,” Perry calmly responded. “We’re just trying to find our children. They were supposed to be in Raleigh.”
“Did you hear me? You need to turn around, NOW .”
“Yes, sir.” Perry said. “We will do so.”
“And we need your cell phones.”
Perry’s brow furrowed. “Our cell phones?”
“You heard me. Hand ‘em over.”
“Why do you need our phones?”
“You ask too many questions. Hand them over now .”
Perry bit his lip as he looked at Caroline and handed their phones to the agent. Caroline began sobbing loudly.
“Do you have any weapons in the vehicle?”
“No, sir.” Perry swallowed hard.
“Turn around and get out of here.”
“Yes, sir.” Perry did a quick three-point turn and drove away from the roadblock. He exhaled a sigh of relief as the blue lights disappeared from his rear view mirror. “We’ll try again tomorrow, but there was no getting past those guys.”
Caroline wiped a tear from her cheek. “Why did you tell him we don’t have any weapons?”
Perry squeezed her hand. “The pistol is hidden, and I feel safer having it with us. I took a chance they wouldn’t do a thorough search.”
***
A thick, haunting fog hung over the farm the next morning. Joshua was on the front porch with his cup of coffee perched precariously on the rail and his Bible in his lap when Rebecca finally made her way outside. She leaned over and kissed him. “Good morning. You’re up early.”
“Hey,” he responded in a
“Okay, Josh,” she said unconvincingly. “But I don’t like it.”
Joshua bit his lip. “Me either, but I need you to trust my judgment on this.”
“I do, but I still don’t like it.”
“Thank you, Becca. That means a lot. Especially now.”
CHAPTER 3
Perry gripped the steering wheel tightly with both hands. He drove in silence down the winding, pitch-black road toward the mushroom cloud billowing over Raleigh. Caroline sat in the passenger seat, bawling like a baby. He fought back a tear as he reached over and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back for a moment, then withdrew her hand and turned away, silently staring out the window.
Flashing blue lights overcame the darkness as they rounded a curve and approached a roadblock. An officer approached Perry’s truck. “Sir, you’re going to have to turn around. We can’t allow any vehicles beyond this point.”
“I understand, but our children are there. Please let us go look for them. I realize we’ll be on our own if we go in, but we have to find them.”
Caroline looked up at the officer through tear-filled eyes, her lower lip quivering. “Please…”
The officer pursed his lips. “Hold on a moment, I’ll be right back.” He walked toward a vehicle surrounded by several men in suits and uniforms. Perry cocked an eyebrow as he noticed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security logo on the vehicle. They sure didn’t waste any time getting here.
While Perry was waiting two of the officers approached the car in line ahead of him. He leaned out the window to hear what was said. He clenched his teeth as one of the officers barked out a command. “Give us your gun.”
The driver objected loudly enough for Perry to hear. “But I have a concealed carry permit, and concealed weapons are allowed in this area.”
“President Armando has imposed martial law and we need your gun.”
“I am not giving it to you.”
Perry’s heart leapt as one of the officers drew his Glock .40 on the man, who put his hands in the air and surrendered his pistol. He glanced at Caroline, who was fixated on the officers. “Honey, we have to cooperate with them or this could get ugly fast.” She sniffled and nodded.
The officer returned to Perry’s window, accompanied by a man in a dark suit and a uniformed Homeland Security police officer. The man in the suit spoke sternly. “You need to turn around, now. We cannot allow you to enter this area.”
“I understand, sir,” Perry calmly responded. “We’re just trying to find our children. They were supposed to be in Raleigh.”
“Did you hear me? You need to turn around, NOW .”
“Yes, sir.” Perry said. “We will do so.”
“And we need your cell phones.”
Perry’s brow furrowed. “Our cell phones?”
“You heard me. Hand ‘em over.”
“Why do you need our phones?”
“You ask too many questions. Hand them over now .”
Perry bit his lip as he looked at Caroline and handed their phones to the agent. Caroline began sobbing loudly.
“Do you have any weapons in the vehicle?”
“No, sir.” Perry swallowed hard.
“Turn around and get out of here.”
“Yes, sir.” Perry did a quick three-point turn and drove away from the roadblock. He exhaled a sigh of relief as the blue lights disappeared from his rear view mirror. “We’ll try again tomorrow, but there was no getting past those guys.”
Caroline wiped a tear from her cheek. “Why did you tell him we don’t have any weapons?”
Perry squeezed her hand. “The pistol is hidden, and I feel safer having it with us. I took a chance they wouldn’t do a thorough search.”
***
A thick, haunting fog hung over the farm the next morning. Joshua was on the front porch with his cup of coffee perched precariously on the rail and his Bible in his lap when Rebecca finally made her way outside. She leaned over and kissed him. “Good morning. You’re up early.”
“Hey,” he responded in a
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