Overthrown the Death of America...Book Two

"What do you mean they got him?" Scott shouted at him.

"Come on. I'll tell you on the way. We've got to move." Thomas turned and ran back to the car.

Scott started off the porch to follow. He noticed Ashley was on his heels, and rapidly gaining his side. He stopped to tell her she didn't have to come, and she passed him on the way to the car.

"What are you waiting for?" She called over her shoulder.

Scott shook his head and followed her. Once the doors closed, Thomas didn't wait for anyone to put on their seat belts. He just shifted into first and floored it.

"Okay. What are you talking about? We saw the missile go over a few minutes ago. Did that have anything to do with it?"

"Yeah. I was just down the street from the station when the missile came in. It looked like it hit the front door, or close to it. The Sheriff had just parked out front and gone inside. It must have hit him. it wasn't five seconds between the two."

"You mean you don't know what happened to him?"

"Scott, you haven't seen the damage. This is bad. REAL bad. You have to take over and make up your mind about what to do."

"Whoa! Wait a minute. What do you mean 'take over'? Seems to me you are the second in command."

"Only in law enforcement issues." He glanced at Scott out of the corner of his eye, and continued. "You mean the Sheriff still didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?

"Scott, we are militia, not regular army. We kind of make up the rules as we go along. Officers are elected to their position. The Sheriff was approved of by the people around here to run the militia. But he knew there was always the possibility he could get hit. He held a little informal election without telling you. He was going to surprise you this weekend with a promotion party. The people around here have elected you to be Captain of the militia, in case anything happened to him."

Scott was stunned. "Wait a minute. You're better qualified to do that than I am. Why don't you take over?"

"I wasn't elected, Captain."

Scott sat back in his seat. He felt as if the weight of the world had just been placed on his shoulders. He felt Ashley's hand rest on his shoulder comfortingly, from the back seat where she was sitting.

"You can do it, Scott. I know you can." She told him.

"I wish I did. I might get everybody killed."

"You won't. Honey, God blesses everything you do. I know. I've seen it. He wouldn't let something like this happen unless He knew you could do it."

He looked over his shoulder at her. She smiled at him, and he knew he would have to try. He couldn't let her down.

"We're here. The smoke has cleared out some. Now we can get a better idea of how bad it is...Whoa!"

Thomas shouted out as the car he was driving suddenly dropped a wheel into a large deep hole that hadn't been there before. It lurched to a stop, and the three of them climbed out on the passenger side, since the drivers side of the front end of the car seem to be hanging in mid air. Scott and Ashley moved towards the office, as Thomas moved around the car to see about getting it out of the hole. It was blocking traffic, and they would need the room to take any injured to Dr. Turner.

While a large amount of the smoke had cleared, it was still necessary to move carefully. As they skirted the hole, both Scott and Ashley nearly tripped over something laying on the sidewalk. It took a long second look for Scott to realize it was part of a car. Looking up, he could see where it had it the wall of the office, and badly damaged its' outer wall. He also saw there was no glass remaining in the windows of the building. He was getting a bad feeling about this. Groping their way through the dust in the air inside the office, Scott quickly found a flash light he knew was kept near the front door in case of power failures. Turning it on, he told Ashley;

"Be careful. There's broken glass everywhere in here." He paused when he saw what looked like the first body he expected to find, on the floor not three feet away. "Ashley, this isn't going to be pretty. Why don't you wait outside?"

"Scott, they are my friends too. If I can help, then I need to be here. I'll leave if you insist, but I want to stay."

"Alright. Just remember, you asked for this." He pointed to the wall mounted box where he had gotten the flashlight. "Grab another one of these and see if you can find a first aid kit somewhere."

The man on the floor groaned and began to stir. Scott moved to his side. "Don't move. You've been hurt. You don't want to make things worse."

The man continued to groan, but stopped trying to move.

"What happened? There was a loud noise and then everything blew up?" He asked.

"We don't know yet. It just happened. Stay still until Dr. Turner gets here." He called over his shoulder. "Ashley! Any luck with the first aid kit?"

Before she could answer another voice cut through the dust darkened room.

"It's on the wall, next to my office door."

"Sheriff? Is that you?" Ashley shouted.

"Yeah. It's me. Find that kit, will you? I think I'm going to need it."

But this time Scott had tracked him down by his voice. He looked down at him. He was shocked. The Sheriffs legs were bent in opposite directions at the mid thigh, and the back of his shirt was red with blood. The stain was rapidly spreading.

"Ashley! We need that kit, NOW!"

"Got it!" She called back. and began to move to the men.

"That doesn't sound good." The Sheriff said quietly.

Ashley arrived with the kit. After taking it from her, Scott opened it and found a pair of scissors and cut the Sheriffs shirt open. His back was riddled with pieces of glass from the windows, and small bit and pieces of various objects in the room. Scott wanted to remove the ball point pen from his side, but decided that since he could make things worse, he left it where it was. What objects he could easily remove he began to do so. Soon he could hear others in the office calling out for help. He made up his mind. As the newly appointed Captain of the militia he gave his first command.

"Ashley. Go outside. Find Lieutenant Thomas and the two of you grab as many people as you can and get something to use as stretchers. Lots of them." She nodded without a word and turned to leave. "And send someone for Dr. Turner and his people. We're going to need all the help we can get."

"Barry is already bringing them." Thomas said from the area near the door where he had just come in. "They should be here soon."

"Alright. Go with Ashley. I've told her what to do."


It was much later that evening that Scott, Ashley, Thomas, Barry and Curtis tiredly sat down to talk.

"Okay. We got hit with a missile today. So what else do we know about what happened?" Scott asked of nobody in particular.

"We sure got lucky for one thing. It appears the missile hit the Sheriffs car as it was parked in the street. Most of the blast went into the ground. It sure left one heck of a hole, I know that." Thomas started.

"What I don't understand was how the Russians knew where to hit. I mean they haven't made it this far from the coast yet. So how did they get a bead on the Sheriff?" Barry asked.

"I don't think it was the Russians." Scott answered. "Ashley and me were sitting on the porch of Mrs. Campbell's place when it came over. She is west of the office. The Russians are still to our east. I think that thing came from someone else."

"Who would do something like that?" Again, Barry questioned.

"Director Claire." Ashley said. The men looked at disbelievingly. "Don't look at me like that. Everyone here knows that the Sheriff didn't trust him or Commander Robins. And everyone knows those two have been putting their noses into everything they can. Remember Brett? He came from Robins, I'm sure."

Scott looked at her. "He's a good candidate for it. But what makes you say so?"

"Brett wasn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer. Yes he was sneaky, but sometimes he didn't know when to shut up. He liked to prove to everyone just how important he was. When he talked about doing that beef for gas deal, he always spoke about helping 'his friend' in the city. Claire doesn't live anywhere around here. So it had to be Robins. And as far as the missile goes, Robins wouldn't be able to get his hands on that kind of thing. So it had to be Claire."

"But why? With the Sheriff running things we've been able to almost stop the Russians from getting any further than they have. Seems to me Claire would what him to stay healthy." Barry said.

"Barry, he might not have told you, but the Sheriff told me that he is convinced that Claire is working against us, not for us." Thomas offered. "I can't tell you how many times we had to work around Claire's orders, because if we had followed them, we wouldn't be here now. We'd all be dead or prisoners." He paused for a moment. "The question is what do we do now?"

"Same thing we've been doing I guess. Ignore Claire, keep fighting the Russians, and pray a whole lot." Scott said.

"How is the Sheriff? Is he going to make it?" Ashley wanted to know.

"Dr. Turner says he will recover. But it's going to be a long time before he is up and around again."

"Two things I don't get." Curtis spoke up for the first time. "If the Sheriff was being targeted by whoever, why did the missile hit his car, instead of the building? And for that matter, why wasn't the building more severely damaged. The thing left a huge hole in the ground."

"Someone must have put a bug of some kind on the car. The missile homed in on that." Thomas said. "If it had hit the building, I don't think that all of the reinforcement that the Sheriff had put into it would have done any good at all. But the question remains. What do we do now?" He looked at Scott.

Scott turned to Curtis. "Have you heard of anything like this happening anywhere else?"

Curtis thought for a moment. "Not like this. There have been attempts to kill militia leaders in other places, according to what the refugees are telling me, but nothing like this."

"Alright. Then we have to assume that Claire or somebody has us in their sights. That means we can expect attacks from any direction at any time. But besides that, have the Russians made any moves to attack around the same time the Sheriff got hit? Does anyone know? Lieutenant?"

Thomas straightened a bit in his chair. "Not that I'm aware of, Sir. My men have orders to report any movement at once. They haven't said anything."

"Then that ties it. If the Russians had done this, they would have moved their troops around the same time. If they are sitting tight, then they knew nothing about it." Scott looked around the table at the others. It was clear, each one was having their own dark thoughts on the matter. "Okay. Here is what we do. Since it seems the Russians weren't involved with this, nothing has changed there. Lieutenant, I want to discuss some ideas I have about that with you about that later. But for right now, no one is to obey any order given by anyone outside of this community. No one is to provide any kind of information to any governmental agency. We are on our own. Curtis, I'd like you to see what you can do about arranging a link up between us and militia groups to our north and south. Holding the enemy is one thing. But I want to push them back into the ocean. I'm sure others feel the same way. See what you can do."

"Sure thing, Scott. But what about our military? I'm sure not all of them are working with the other side. What happens when they want to join the party?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, concentrate on just average folks like us."

"Will do." Curtis stopped for a minute and then smiled at Scott. "You know, I always wondered how this whole end times thing would work out. I guess we're going to find out. But at least it will keep life interesting."

In the weeks following the missile strike, Commander Robins found life much more interesting than he wanted. In his state of over confidence in his plan, he had assured Director Claire that the most successful militia leader would be taken down. Once it was learned that the Sheriff had in fact survived the strike, the Director was far from pleased. It was only some quick talking that saved his life, though he didn't know it. He pointed out that the leader had indeed been taken out of the picture due to his critical injures. There was even the possibility that he could still die. There was also the fact that the militia in that area was now being led by a man with no military experience at all. Surely it was only a matter of time before the Russians would be able to break through the lines and get beyond the foothills and into the mountains. Once that happened, they would be able to link up with the Cuban and Mexican forces that were making their way up the Mississippi River and take the entire eastern portion of the country out of the fight.

It helped pacify the Director, but he was warned that further failure would not be tolerated. The punishment for failing would be both swift and final. Now he sat in his office going over reports he had received about this new leader. He must have a weakness somewhere. Robins only needed to find it.

During the same time, Scott had his own adjustments to make, and problems to solve. The Russian forces actually made it easier for him. Since they had been beaten back out of the valley so many times, they were having a hard time getting their men to try it again. In the mean time the few probes they did send either came back with heavy losses, or not at all. They had to find a way to get into the mountains. A new plan was needed. As they worked on it, Scott used the time to read everything he could find about military tactics and strategy. When he wasn't doing that, he was picking the brains of the Sheriff and Officer Thomas, learning all he could from them as well. It was at the end of the fourth week that Pastor David came to see him late one Saturday afternoon at Mrs. Campbell's place.

"Pastor. What brings you here?"

"Hello Scott. I needed to have a word with you. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. Please, pull up a chair. What can I do for you?"

"I'm afraid you've got that backwards. I'm here to help you."

"How so?"

Pastor David looked around after he had taken a seat, and then spoke in a low tone. "Brother Scott, I have to ask you something and I don't want you to take it the wrong way. Tell me, how is your faith?"

Scott was surprised by the question and showed it. "Well, I believe in The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What else do you want to know?"

"I know you believe Scott. Your entire life is proof of that. But how strong is your faith? Are you ready to do whatever The Lord asks of you? And I mean WHATEVER He asks. No matter how strange it might be?"

"Pastor, if The Lord asks me, I'll do it. No matter what."

"I hope so, son. I had, well I guess you could call it a vision last night. I was told some things, and was told to tell you some things as well."

"I'm all ears." He answered seriously.

"First, let me tell you what happened. I had prayed for all of us, just before going to bed. I didn't even have a chance to get to sleep, before there was an angel standing at the foot of my bed. My wife was already asleep, and she never stirred, but the angel told me to get up and follow him. Needless to say, I did. He took me to the headquarters of the Russian forces. Scott, I don't know how to even speak Russian, let alone read it, but somehow I could read all of the maps and charts they had stuck up on the walls. Do you know that between you and the Sheriff, you have reduced their forces by over thirty percent? They are absolutely terrified of coming up the valley that leads to this town. That's how many men they've lost in the attempt. Now they have a new plan. Can I borrow your map?"

Scott turned it so that the Pastor could read it upside right, and pushed it across the table to him. Pastor David leaned forward and looked at it carefully.

"Right here." He pointed to a section a little south of the town. It was right in the border area between their militia group and the one south of them. There was a somewhat narrow valley that twisted and turned it's entire length, but came out into a plateau between two of the mountain ranges. "They plan on holding your men right where they are with an attack, but it is only a diversion. Their main force is going to try to make it up the Serpentine Valley and come up behind you. That would trap you between two of their units with no chance to escape."

Scott leaned over and looked at the map. "That's kind of risky for them. It takes twice as long to get through that valley as it does just coming straight at us. But if what you say is true, then we would be distracted long enough for them to possibly make it. I'm going to have to find a way to stop that."

"No. You don't. The Lord has other plans. He knows what evil they want to do, and has decided that it will not happen. I can't tell you exactly what they have planned, I wasn't shown that. But they are very confident. I know that much." He paused for a moment. "Brother Scott, here is where you have to have faith. You must do as The Lord commands."

Scott looked at Pastor David. He knew that from time to time he had said that The Lord had spoken to him. Some might question that claim. But the Pastor had never been wrong when he said such things. Scott had only one question.

"What does The Lord want me to do?"

"It's more like what He doesn't want you to do. You see, He has chosen this valley as a place of refuge for His people. But He knows how men have their doubts and fears. He wants to prove to them that He is still here and in charge. You are to leave only a token force at the main approach to this town. The rest of your men are to be assembled here," He pointed to a certain hill top on the map. "And nobody is to bring anything bigger than a handgun with them. We are to be like the Children of Israel when they were being led by Moses. We must stand still and watch the salvation of The Lord. And we stand right there. I know it is a lot to ask, but you must do it, to be faithful to Him. I will be making an announcement tomorrow during church, but I wanted you to know about it first."


Three days after the conversation, Scott had his men on the hill top. Many of them would have thought him crazy if it hadn't been for the announcement made by the Pastor. Even so, Scott almost had to forcibly disarm some of the men who showed up to join him on the rise. Once them had arrived, they were directed by the Pastor to stand on the edge of the cliff, where they were in full view of the oncoming Russians.

It was a pleasant morning. The wind was in their faces as they watched the enemy come up the valley. When they were spotted the Russians came to a halt, expecting to be attacked. When nothing happened the Russian commander decided to teach these Americans a lesson. He called for mortars to be brought up and prepared for use. This time, however, it wasn't going to be the usual barrage. He ordered chemical weapons to be used. He would sweep them off their hill with no possible resistance. The Americans saw them set up the mortars. Many of them became very uneasy. They knew just how accurate and deadly those mortar crews were. They weren't happy. But The Pastor and Scott had both said to remain where they were, and do nothing against the enemy. Nervously they waited. Before long, the mortars began to fire. Suddenly, the wind shifted. The light breeze that had been in their faces changed one hundred and eighty degrees, and became a wind of seemingly hurricane force coming from behind them. The mortar rounds in the air were pushed back, and fell well short of their target. The clouds of ugly gray or yellow vapor they released immediately blew right back down the slope and into the Russian military. Not expecting such a sudden change in the winds, they weren't ready for the poison gases that soon enveloped them. Most of them died on the spot, by their own weapons. The attack was called off.

It took a little while, but Commander Robins felt sure he had the answer. Everyone had their own weakness. You just had to find it and exploit it properly. According to the reports he had gotten, he just knew he'd found this mans weakness. A man alone was always easier to get at. They were always looking for companionship, and even that might be resuming an old relationship under the right circumstances. He put the plan into immediate action.


When everything first started the Sheriff had commandeered the main street cafe as a place for feeding the men who served under him in the militia. A week after the failed Russian gas attack, Scott and Ashley were sitting there sharing a meal together. Scott had decided that it was time to get some things clear between them, and this seemed to him to be the place and time to do it for some reason.

"Ashley, I hope you don't mind, but there are a couple of things I'd like to ask you about."

"Ask anything you want. I don't have anything to hide."

"It's not like that." He answered. "I'm not accusing you of anything, but I'd kind of like to have an answer to some things."

Not really understanding what he was getting at she told him. "Whatever it is, ask away. I'll tell you."

"Well, when you first got here you were running for your life. I was wondering what you might have planned for the future. I mean do you plan on staying around here, or were you thinking of moving on?"

"Oh, that. Scott, I don't have any family left that I know of. I've got an uncle on my fathers side that lives in California, but after the earthquakes and the invasion, I don't have a clue if he is even still alive or not. Let alone his family. To tell you the truth, I can't think of any place I'd rather be right now than right here."

"I have to tell you that's mighty good to hear." Unseen by Ashley, Scott had reached into his pocket. There was something he had on his mind, and now seemed like the time.

While Scott had been speaking, Ashley noticed that a woman had entered the cafe and was looking around. Soon the woman seemed to fix her eyes on her. She didn't look happy, which confused her. Ashley had never seen her before, that she could remember. There was no reason for her to have anything against her. Still, she seemed upset with Ashley, just by her looks. She felt uncomfortable, and as she watched, the woman turned and walked towards her and Scott.

"Ashley, there's something I've been wanting to ask you." Scott was saying as she came up behind him, unseen by him.

"Hello, Scott." Was all she said.

It seemed venom was dripping from her words to Ashley. At the sound of her voice, Scott rolled his eyes upwards, and closed them. As he opened them again he answered.

"Hello, Susan. When did you get back into town?" He didn't even turn to look at her. At the same time he pulled his hand out of his pocket, leaving the small box there, where it was.

"Today." She glared at Ashley with undisguised contempt. "Who's your little friend?"

"She's a good friend of mine."

"You used to say that about me."

Something about this woman made Ashley feel like she should wash her hands as soon as she could. She decided that Scott could use a hand. She reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a badge that the Sheriff had given her before the attack that had eliminated the gangs. Slapping it down on the table between herself and Scott she said;

"I'm a cop. Is there a problem here?"

Scott looked at her and smiled, unseen by Susan. For her part, Susan now seemed to become a little uncertain, but continued. "Sorry, officer. But this is a personal matter. Would you mind leaving us alone?"

"It seems to me that you have an attitude problem. I think I should stay."

Scott was now the one who was uncomfortable. "Susan, this is Ashley. She is a sheriffs deputy. Ashley, I think maybe this is something I should take care of. Do you mind?"

She didn't like it, but Ashley agreed to give them some space. "Alright. But I'll be close by if you need me." She said. With that she stood, picked up the badge which she slipped back into her pocket and walked away from the two of them, only to sit down at a nearby table, just out of earshot.

Susan moved around the table and sat in the chair so recently emptied by Ashley.

"We need to talk." She said.

"I don't see why. Seems to me you already had your say." He answered.

"That was then, this is now."

"So? Nothing has changed."

"Yes it has. Everything has changed, in case you didn't notice. We are at war."

"I noticed. What does that have to do with us?"

"I need you to help me. I've got nothing and nobody left."

"You should have thought of that before you left."

"I didn't leave. You forced me out with all of that 'God' stuff you were always talking about. If it wasn't for that, we would still be together."

"Susan, I never forced you out. You are the one that wanted me to make a choice between you and God. You left when you found out that I will always serve The Lord. I still don't see what you are complaining about. 'George' should have taken care of you."

"'George' would have been fine, if all of this hadn't happened. But now there is nothing left. You HAVE to take care of me. It is all your fault. So it is your responsibility to help me."

Ashley didn't know what the two of them were talking about, but she knew that she wasn't happy about what she was seeing. Whoever this woman was, she was clearly upsetting Scott. That was more disturbing than anything else. She briefly considered breaking in on the conversation, but Scott had said that he wanted to handle it on his own, so what could she do? It seemed to her that the conversation went on for far too long, but she honored Scott's wishes and stayed out of it. Eventually, Susan stood up and stormed out of the cafe. Ashley waited for a couple of minutes before returning to him.

"Hi there. Is everything okay?" She asked when she came back to the table.

"I'm not sure. Ashley, I have to tell you, Susan is my ex-wife."

"Oh." She looked him in the eye before continuing. "Scott, you don't owe me any explanations. But since you brought it up, has she decided to come back?"

"No. But she thinks that given everything that is going on, it is my responsibility to take care of her."

"Why would she think that? Didn't she leave you?"

"Yeah, she did. And I don't know why she thinks I have to care for her well being now. I guess she doesn't have anywhere else to go."

"So what are you going to do?"

Scott paused. Then taking a deep breathe and slowly letting it out again, then he said, "About her, I don't know. But I know one thing. I am going to do what I've been thinking of for some time now."

"What is that?"

Again he reached into his pocket and his hand closed around the box there. Pulling it out, he opened it and held it out to her, speaking all the while.

"Ashley, this might not be the best time or place, and I know I wish things were different, but will you marry me?"

Ashley looked into his hand and saw the ring in the open box.

"What about Susan?"

"She is no longer a part of my life. I had no idea she as even back in town. Yes, I once cared for her, but she left by her own choice. As far as I'm concerned she burned her bridges behind her. There is no going back. Now I've seen how you've changed since you got here. And I know you won't try to make me make the same choice she did. So will you?"

She answered him by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him in such a way that there was no doubt about her answer.

Neither of them noticed, or cared about the whistles and calls of 'Get a room' coming from the other smiling faces in the cafe. Right then and there they were the only two people in the world.


As Susan left the cafe blocks behind her, she knew she would make Scott do the right thing. If he had been reasonable none of these things would have happened. He WOULD take care of her. She would see to that. He owed it to her. Even that nice Commander Robins told her that. He'd said that as the militia leader of that area, Scott needed a good woman to help him. Someone to care for him. And after all, she had gotten him to marry her once before. She could do it again. And this time it would be without all of that religious nonsense.


Yes, it was true Commander Robins knew. It wasn't good for a man to be alone in times like these. And all he had to do was control the woman who was going to control that man. No one would ever suspect he had anything to do with it. And then Claire would be off of his back. Come to think of it, he might even be grateful. Now instead of getting rid of the resistors, they would have full control over them. That could be even more beneficial.

With Scott now in charge of the militia, Ashley had to have someone else to drive her car. Curtis volunteered for the job, and they spent a good deal of time together over the next few days doing as she and Scott had done before. They would deliver supplies to men in the field, or escort other vehicles as they carried the larger loads. Word had spread about the car, and they almost never had a problem any longer. As they were returning from one such trip, Curtis spoke up smiling at her.

"So, I hear that congratulations are in order. Have you and Scott set a date yet?"

"Not yet. Soon we hope, but um...something came up." A frown crossed her face.

Curtis also stopped smiling and said, "Let me guess. Susan."

"I'm afraid so. I don't know what is going on, but it seems every time I turn around she is either with Scott, or looking for him. And he doesn't want her company. I just don't understand it. She left him. They are divorced. And now she is all over him. When I first met her, she didn't seem like a very nice person. But now she is as sweet as she can be to him, and I think she is really trying to get him back. Can you tell me anything about her?"

"Not much. You've got to remember that it was the missions trip where Scott brought me to The Lord that caused the divorce in the first place. I never got to know her very well. I can tell you that she doesn't care for me, because of that." He waited for a minute and went on. "I always got the impression that she is one of those people that believe they are always right, and nothing is ever her fault. Especially when it is."

"That is something that has made me wonder. I mean Scott has never made it a secret that he's a Christian. What was so difficult for her to accept Jesus? If she had, I think they would still be together."

"That much I can tell you for certain. Before she left, we had a...well let's say a loud discussion about it. She just can't believe that a virgin became pregnant and had a child. It makes no sense to her. Which is something I could never understand about how she thinks. I mean, God created the world, the sun, the moon, the stars, and everything. That means He created us as well. So if He created us, and in this case women, then what is to stop Him from fertilizing an egg in the ovary of a woman since He created the woman AND her ovaries? Susan could never make the connection. Since she didn't understand it, then it had to be wrong. And from what I've seen so far, she hasn't changed."

Ashley thought about it for a little while and asked Curtis about something that had been worrying her.

"Curtis, I'm sure Scott was a good husband to her. And he did everything possible for her, because that's just the way he is. And I've heard that Christians marry for life. So what do you think this means for us?"

"That's almost correct, but not quite. You see in 1 Corinthians Chapter 7 it does say that Christians are supposed to remain married for life. But if they divorce then they should remain single for the rest of their lives, or reconcile with one another. It also says that if a believer and an unbeliever are married, the believer is not to divorce their spouse because of of their unbelief."

"That doesn't sound good for me."

"Slow down. Wait for the rest of it. It goes on to say that if the unbeliever decides to either leave, or throw the believer out, then the believer is under no obligation to either stay single, or to take the unbelieving spouse back. They are free to remarry if they choose to do that."

Ashley was surprised by that. Then a smile came to her face as she said, "You know, I haven't read that part yet, but it sure sounds to me that God has covered every base imaginable."

"I've always found that to be the case. But then again, this is His world and we are His people. Even the unbelieving ones. So I guess He has thought of everything."

The rest of the trip into town, and most of the rest of the day passed quietly. Ashley had picked up her Bible and as Curtis had said, the passage talking about the do's and don'ts of marriage were right where he said they were. As well as a couple of things he hadn't mentioned. She was sitting in the cafe studying her bible when a shadow fell across the book. Looking up she found herself looking at Susan.

"Hello Officer. May I sit down? I think we need to talk."

"It's a free country. Or at least this part of it still is, you can sit wherever you want." Ashley answered curtly. "But I don't see where we have anything to talk about."

"Thank you." Susan said and sat opposite her. "And we need to talk about my husband."

"Scott isn't your husband any longer."

"That's just temporary. We'll be together again. I thought I should just tell you that you might as well walk away now. He WILL come back to me, you know."

"I don't know any such thing. It seems to me that you are overestimating your importance to Scott. After all, you are the one who left him from what I've been told."

"You don't understand. All married couples fight. We just had a big one that took some time for everything to cool down. Now I'm back and I won't have you getting in my way."

Ashley decided that her first impression of Susan had been the correct one. Once again she was getting the feeling that as soon as possible she would have to wash herself.

"In YOUR way? I think you've got that backwards. You are getting in mine."

Susan smiled at her in a way that somehow made Ashley feel even more irritated than before.

"We spent years together, he hardly knows you. We were even talking about children before all this happened. You don't really believe you have a chance against that, do you?"

Instead of answering immediately, Ashley closed the still open Bible, and rested her chin on her left hand. Her ring was clearly visible.

"Yeah, I do think I have a chance. And a better one than you do."

Susan spotted the ring and lost what composure she had. She started to go through the roof. All pretense of friendliness left her.

"What do you think you are doing? He's MINE! Do you hear me? You aren't going to get your claws into him. I won't let you." With that she stood and for a moment, Ashley thought she was going to come across the table at her. Susan stopped and breathing heavily she almost screamed. "I know your game. You think you can just use him to get your hands on 'George' and live in luxury the rest of your life. It's not going to happen! I'll make sure of that. You can bet on it. Good thing for you, that you are a cop. Otherwise I'd slap your face off."

With that Susan left the table in a huff and made a straight line for the door, leaving a slightly bewildered Ashley behind. She could understand how this woman would want to resume a relationship with Scott. But who was 'George'? She'd never heard of him before. She decided to ask Scott when she saw him later that evening.

As Ashley pulled up to Scott's home in her car, he came out to meet her. Before she could say a word, he had is arms tightly around her, and once again for a moment, they were the only two people in the world. He finally let her go, and pushing her to arms length said;

"Come with me. I've got something to show you."

They entered the home, and Scott moved to a section of blank wall, where he opened a concealed panel to reveal a couple of buttons. Turning to her he smiled and said;

"Let me introduce you to 'George'."

He pushed one of the buttons and another section of the wall popped open slightly. He reached out and pulled it open wide for her to see. Ashley looked in and couldn't believe her eyes. Neatly stacked in a hidden chubby hole were a number of what looked like bars of solid gold. She was stunned.

"Is that what it looks like?"

"Yeah, it is. And since we are getting married, I figured it was time you knew about it. I didn't want you to worry about how I was going to be able to take care of you."

"Scott, I don't know what to say. How did you ever get ahold of that? How much is there? Do you think it's safe to keep it here in the house? And why do you call it 'George'?"

He smiled at her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Give me a minute and I'll explain everything. But I think maybe you should sit down first."

They both moved to nearby chairs and did. Ashley's mind whirling with questions.

"Ashley, we are getting married. It is time I shared everything with you. You see, a long while back I had a friend named George. He was a scuba diver. And he was really into it. One day he came to me and he swore he knew where an old Spanish ship went down. Problem was he needed investors to get a boat and other stuff he needed to bring it up. I loaned him some money. Long story short, he was right. My share came out to about two hundred and fifty pounds of gold. So that's why I call this stuff 'George'."

He stopped for a moment, and then went on. "After I got this stuff, I really didn't know what to do with it. I mean I could have bought anything I wanted. But The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all evil. I didn't want to be evil. So I decided to just use it when and how it was needed. Like a few years ago when the church caught fire and burned down. I contacted the Pastor, and he sold some of it and had the church rebuilt. When the Sheriff wanted to re-enforce his office, I asked the Pastor to lend a hand and we got it paid for." He looked in the eye. "To tell you the truth, the only people who know about this is Pastor David, Susan, the judge who divorced us, and now you. So, I think it's safe here. Nobody is going to come looking for something they don't know is there."

"So this is what she meant. You're rich."

"Who meant?"

"Susan. She came to see me earlier today. She said she wasn't going to let me get my hands on either you or 'George'. I didn't know who she was talking about."

"I see. Ashley, when we divorced, the judge gave her half of this. When she showed up again at first, she said she didn't have any of her share left. I'm guessing that is why she came back. She sure hasn't changed any. Sweet as can be when she wants something. But if she can't get it, or is told no, then she's very different. I'm sorry you've gotten mixed up in all of this, but you make sure you watch your back when she is around. Okay?"

"I already do, Scott."

"One other thing. You made a mistake. WE are rich. I just don't like being a show off."

"Scott, I have to ask you. With all of this, why do you live in a trailer? You could have anything you wanted. A big house, a fancy car, anything. So why live like this?" Ashley asked.

"I've got everything I want. Think about it. I've got a roof over my head. I have work to do that is important to the people that I help. And that means I have their respect. I won't go hungry, even if I run out of money. Why would I want all that other stuff? I mean if you really think about it, you always hear about how people that have all the fancy stuff have to take pills just to go to sleep at night. I don't, and I sleep like a baby. How many times have you heard about famous people getting into some kind of trouble just because they think they are better than everyone else because they have money? Why should I want that?" He stopped for a moment thinking of the past, and then went on. "I'll be honest with you. Susan wanted all that kind of thing. When we were married we had a big house in town. She had all the best clothes, a nice car, and all of that. It didn't stop us from splitting up. We had it all, except one thing. A mutual faith in God. But because of the faith issue, we divorced. Well, she divorced me anyway. I tried to keep it together, but I learned the truth of The Bible the hard way."

"What was that?"

"'Amo 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?' We weren't agreed about God." He frowned. "That was the problem. It was only a matter of time before we split. I just didn't see that at the time."

"Oh Scott. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

"It's okay. That's all in the past." He smiled at her and pulled her close. "I learned from my mistakes, and The Lord brought me someone better. I'm not upset about that at all."

She hugged him tightly for a long moment, and then looked up at him. "Scott, I promise. I'll live where you live, and how you live. I don't want the house, the cars or any of those things. I want you. I don't care where we live, as long as it is together. The two of us, with The Lord watching over us is all anyone can ask." She suddenly laughed. "I sound like Ruth."

He smiled even more broadly. "So, what do you think about this Saturday for doing it?"

"I think that's great."


Word of the upcoming marriage spread quickly through the town and county. It didn't take long before Pastor David realized he would have to have the ceremony outside of the church because there simply wasn't enough room inside. But he did still insist that it be held on the church grounds. Before long shelters were being set up and folding chairs gathered for the day. Nearly everyone was happily waiting for the event, and considering what gifts to bring for the couple. So many people felt indebted to Scott for his many services to the community, and most of them had either heard of Ashley and how she had helped drive out the gang, or had met her and grown fond of her, just because of who she was.

Nearly everyone. Susan was furious. She couldn't believe that her former husband could so casually ignore her. More than once she tried to see him at the Sheriffs office, only to be turned away at the door by armed men who didn't bother with even asking Scott about it. They knew who she was and how she had hurt Scott before. They didn't want her to interfere with the wedding in any way. Since she had kept their house after the divorce, until she sold it and moved out of town, so she didn't know where he lived now, and nobody felt like telling her.

It was in the afternoon two days before the wedding that Scott paid a visit to the recovering Sheriff.

"How are you doing, Sheriff?" He asked as he came into the room.

"Physically, Dr. Turner tells me I'm doing alright. But I think I'm going to go crazy if I have to keep looking at these walls everyday. How about you and Ashley? Have you two got everything set?"

"Pretty much. By Saturday night, we should have it all over with. Do you think you'll be able to make it?"

"Try and stop me. I don't care what Dr. Turner says. I'll be there even if I have to crawl." He got a serious expression on his face and then asked the question that was bothering him. "So how goes the war?"

Scott also turned serious and told him. "Well, I hate to say it, but they are making progress. Not much, but it is still progress. And just like you told me, Claire and Robins are no help. Every time I ask for supplies either we get the wrong thing, nothing at all, or it arrives late and isn't as much or exactly what we needed. Still The Lord has been very gracious to us. We've made them pay a steep price for what ground they have taken, without losing too many men ourselves. But it still has me concerned. We are going to need a miracle to drive them out of the country."

"I know what you mean. Just keep trusting in The Lord, Scott. Miracles are His stock in trade you know."

"I know. But the Cubans and Mexicans are starting to make some real advances up the Mississippi I hear. If they get much further, we are going to be between a rock and a hard place with no where to go and no help coming."

As the conversation continued, Susan decided that she simply had no other choice. If Scott wouldn't see her, then she would just have to crash the wedding. But that didn't bother her. Especially if it meant getting her hands on what was left of 'George'. When she did, she would make Scott pay for causing her so much embarrassment. But that stupid girl Ashley would be the one who would really pay. How dare she try to do something like this. Susan was convinced that she was the one responsible for Scott refusing to see or even talk to her. Cop or not, once she got Scott back, Ashley would find life had taken a very unpleasant turn.

Despite her plans, on Saturday morning the wedding began right on schedule. Anyone who could be there, was. Unknown to Scott, the men serving under him in the militia knew there was a good chance that Susan would try something. When she arrived at the scene, they wouldn't even let her get out of her car. She was informed that she wouldn't be allowed to attend the wedding, and they didn't care what she had to say. They were acting on their own without Scott's knowledge and if she want to start trouble, she would have to get past them first. Left with no other choice, she turned around and left town. She still had one option left. She would go to see Commander Robins. Once he found out how badly she had been treated he would do something. Annul the marriage maybe, and then order Scott to marry her instead. Since he was Scott's commanding officer, he would have no choice but to obey him. She might even offer him a piece of 'George' to help him decide to help her.

Susan heard the noise before she felt the ground moving under the car. Not wanting to possibly run off the road and get hurt, she stopped the car on the bridge that crossed a small river which fed into the Mississippi, and waited for it to stop. She knew next to nothing about earthquakes, which she was certain this was. So she didn't understand why after the shaking had stopped there was a noise that continued to get louder. It grew in volume until the roar was almost deafening. It wasn't until she saw the wall of water that towered over the road coming straight for her that she knew just how much trouble she was in. She didn't have long to worry about it. Once the water had passed, the bridge, the road, and the car with her in it were no longer there.


Scott sat listening to reports coming over the radio. It was terrible. There was simply no way to know how many people had been killed when the New Madrid fault had let go and the Great Lakes started to drain down into the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi. The water had gone quite far inland on both sides of the river. Some of the early reports said that the river was now nearly a mile wide in places. The death toll would never be known. As far as he could see the only good thing that happened was the invading forces coming up the river were washed away along with everything else. Finally he decided that there was nothing that anyone could do. Those closest to the disaster would have to help any survivors. He and his men were still busy with the invading Russians and couldn't spare anyone to help.

It sure wasn't the way he had planned on spending his honeymoon. He had hoped for at least a day or two alone with his brand new bride, but that wasn't going to happen now. The Russians had tried to take advantage of the situation and launched a major assault along most of the line. He wasn't going anywhere for awhile. Still, his wife was at home, waiting for him to arrive. There was no reason to make her wait any longer. Turning off the radio, he stood and left the office. He couldn't wait to get home. He never even realized that any thought of Susan had been wiped from his mind.

Commander Robins didn't like it. Since the earthquake everything had changed. It was bad enough that the damage was so wide spread. Not to mention the southern invaders had been completely wiped out. But when he had made it to Director Claire's office to report on his problems, he wasn't to be found. Robins had asked the office staff where he was, they couldn't tell him. What he did learn was that Claire had run out of the building like everyone else when the quake started. After that he was seen sitting on the sidewalk cursing someone he called 'the Nazarene' with a hatred no one had ever seen before. He had gone back to his office afterward. The few members of the staff that had also re-entered the building. They heard noises coming from his office soon after that. Noises that they could only describe as the most unearthly sounds any of them had ever heard. Then all became quiet. Nobody dared to enter the office to find out what it was all about until the first damage reports came in. Even then there was a near fist fight before one man was forced to enter the office with the reports. Everyone was surprised when came out moments later saying that Claire wasn't there. There was no sign of what had happened to him. Robins couldn't help but notice that the people who were telling him all of this were almost joyful over the situation.

Within hours of that Robins had gotten the word that he was to report in, in person. He worried what might happen to him. In spite of his best efforts to crack the militia issue, the people remained unbelievably strong in the face of overwhelming force.

He had heard some things about the new man taking over. His name was Ives. And Robins considered him even more dangerous than Claire had been. Claire had always been short tempered and would turn violent in a heartbeat. But this guy Ives was a different matter altogether. There was story told how he had invited a person he was unhappy with to dinner one evening. Supposedly to get things straightened out. They had a pleasant meal, and then Ives beat him to death with a baseball bat. And he had been smiling the entire time. You could never tell where you stood with a man like that. And that scared him.

Soon enough, too soon for his liking, he was called into the office to meet his new boss.

"Commander Robins. Come in and have a seat." Ives said without even looking up from the folder in front of him.

Robins did so while trying to make sure there was a clear path between him and the door. He remained seated in silence for an uncomfortable period of time before Ives finally looked up from the folder and smiled at him. It didn't make him any more comfortable.

"Commander, I've been going over the records of the people who are now working for me. This is yours. I must say that you do seem to have at least some idea of what is going on, and have been working on ways to accomplish the goals set out for you. Records indicate that you actually have have given some degree of thought on how best to accomplish these things. I notice here that you have been using the idea of things improving in the cities in order to get people to come back into them so they can be more closely guarded. Tell me, have you given the thought any more attention? It seems there are certain religious groups that aren't listening."

"Sir, the only religious groups that seem to be ignoring us are the Christians." Commander Robins had risen as far as he had partly because he always noticed details. Now he couldn't help but see that Director Ives actually flinched at the mention of the word.

"Now Commander. We don't want to be seen as targeting any particular group. So let's not mention that name, or anything about them, again shall we?" His voice was oily smooth, but his meaning clear.

"Yes Sir. Of course. My mistake, I'm sorry. Let me say that you are right, certain religious groups are ignoring us. Director Claire came up with an answer to that, but it didn't work as well has he had hoped. You see, there is one group that prides it's self on forgiveness, peace, love and all that sort of thing. He used that by finding one of their preachers to plead with the people to come back into the cities for protection from the hoards of gangs that had fled the cities. He assured them that their deity would help and protect them. It worked, but only minimally. I'd say no more than twenty percent of them came in. Those who worked out and still working to support the war effort in the camps. Those who didn't won't be a problem to anyone, any longer. However that man was killed by a Russian missile strike. Since not enough of those people came in, he changed tactics. He found another preacher that went the entirely opposite direction. He used parts of The Bi....er, their holy book to shame them into coming in to fight against the invading armies. That one worked out too well. Most of them didn't come to the cities, they went to the smaller towns and took up arms in the country's defense by joining militia groups. It's those groups that are giving us so much trouble now."

"I understand all of that. The question is, what do you intend to do about it?"

"So far I have done all I can to make sure those militias are under supplied. That has helped, but somehow they keep managing to keep the Russians mostly at bay. They are making small advances, but the militias are putting up more of a fight than we expected, and they don't trust anyone outside of their communities. I've tried sending in infiltrators, but something always seems to happen to them. They are exposed, or they just disappear. For example, I recently sent a woman to work on one of the militia leaders. She hasn't reported in since the earthquake. I think she must have been killed or injured by it." He stopped for a moment to gather his nerve and present his plan. "Sir, if I may say so, these people seem to get their strength from their religious beliefs. Now I know a lot of them believe in whatever because that is what everyone else believes. You are aware there is strength in numbers. However if we could find a way to make their faith illegal, then a lot of them will fall right into our camp. They wouldn't want to break the law. They would be too afraid that they will get into trouble."

Ives leaned back in his chair and steepled his hands.

"Commander, I had my doubts about you. You seemed to be trying, but ineffectual. Now I see that you are in fact a forward thinking man. And one of some intelligence. I like that." He leaned across the desk and spoke quietly in an almost conspiratorial voice. "What I'm going to tell you is not to leave this office. There are already plans in the works to make that happen. The fact you realized what it will take shows you just might have a place in the new order. If you succeed, the rewards will be great. But if you fail, the punishment will be equally as great. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Sir."

"Very well. Continue with your efforts in penetrating these groups, and be prepared for a surprise announcement in the future. When that time comes, you must be ready to take full advantage of it."

"Yes Sir. May I ask what the announcement will be?"

"All I will tell you is that it will be stunning. Nobody will be able to miss it, and it will prove once and for all that all the religions of the world are wrong. Return to your duties."

Commander Robins wondered at the cryptic remark all the way back to his office. What could prove all religions wrong? He stopped worrying about it when he arrived there and discovered that the Russians had finally managed to gain control of one of the hilltops that had been giving them so much trouble. The day was looking up. The Russians had made gains, and he had survived his first meeting with Director Ives. A good day indeed.


It had been a long night, the night before. So Scott woke slowly. He turned his head to find Ashley in bed next to him, smiling.

"Good morning, sleepyhead." She said. "Has anyone ever told you that you are cute even when you snore?"

"I don't snore."

"Yes you do. That's alright. I kind of like it. You remind me of my father."

He smiled at her. "So how are you doing? Did I keep you awake?"

"Yes, but not by doing that. Honey, it may take awhile to really get used to it but so far, I'm liking being married."

"I'll try to make sure you still feel that way in thirty or forty years."

"Well, you stay here. I'm going to fix breakfast."

"You mean you can cook too? Boy, did I get lucky."

She laughed at his words and got out of bed, heading for the kitchen. It wasn't long before Scott could smell the food and hunger spurred him to get up as well. They sat together having their first meal as husband and wife making plans for the future. All the time both of them realizing those plans could be changed by the war at any time. Finally, Ashley brought up something near to her heart.

"Scott, what do you think about children?"

"I like them."

"No silly. I mean us having them."

"I like that idea as well. But I hope you don't mind if we wait for a little while. I'd kind of like spending time as a couple before we become a family."

"I was thinking the same thing. Besides, I said that I'd live where and how you live. But I really don't think an underground trailer is the best place to raise them."

"I agree. That is why when Susan sold the house and left town, I had a friend of mine buy it for me. I knew she'd never sell it to me at any price. So we do have another place for when the time comes."

She just smiled at him. "I'm glad to hear that. But there is one thing we could use right now. I noticed the stove isn't exactly working right. Do you think you could fix it?"

Scott smiled to himself. She had said 'I'll live like you do.' and he would try to fix something before he got rid of it. She didn't ask for a new stove. She really meant what she had promised.

"I'll check into it right after breakfast."

They both were startled when a quiet gentle knock came from the front door.

"Come in." They said together. Then they just looked at each other and laughed.

The door opened and Curtis entered slowly. He looked around and seeing them he smiled and said, "Sorry. I really didn't want to disturb you. But some things have come up. Scott, the Russians have taken the hill that we've been using as a fire base."

"Did our people get out in time?"

"Yeah, they did. But now that gives them a high point overlooking the valley beyond that. We've pulled back to the next hill top, which is even higher than the one they took, but we can't control the valley anymore."

"Neither can they as long as we hold the higher ground. But we do need to do something about it. Thanks for letting me know. You said 'things'. What else is going on?"

"Have you ever heard about someone called Director Ives?"

"Director Ives? Yeah, I think I've heard of him. And it wasn't good."

"Scott, where are your manners." Ashley scolded. "Curtis, have you had breakfast? I can whip up something real quick if you haven't."

He grinned at her. "Ashley, that's why I didn't want to disturb you two. It's a little after eleven thirty. I thought the two of you would want some alone time."

She flushed red as she understood what he meant. "Eleven thirty?" She suddenly became distracted by something, then continued. " Oh my, I didn't mean to keep Scott from his duties that long. We've got to get moving."

With that she quickly left the table and headed for the bedroom. The men watched her leave, then Curtis took a vacant seat next to Scott and they began to discuss the latest turn of events.

"Curtis, I try to keep my nose out of your business, but what happened to Claire, and how did you find out about it so quickly? I mean, Claire was still in charge yesterday. How could he have been replaced that fast?"

"Nobody knows what happened to him, he's just gone. Then this morning this new guy Ives shows up and takes over. And get this. Ives is more than a Regional Director. He's just about in control of the entire country. He only answers to the President. And from what I've learned not even the President tells him no."

"So how did you find out so quick about it?"

"Oh, that. Brother, not everyone that has left this area was sent away. We've had a number of former police officers and ex-military guys volunteer to work for me. I warned them that they would be taking their life in their own hands, but to a man they insisted on doing it. Especially after we, well I, promised that their families would be looked after while they were gone. If they didn't come back I promised that we would continue to do all we could for them."

"Sounds like a good idea to me. So that's how you found out."

"Yeah. I got a couple of reports from different ones of them this morning."

"I hope they don't take too many risks in sending reports to you."

"Me too. I told them all to be very careful about it. That there wasn't any need for them to report too often, but try to do it as soon as they could without getting caught if they got something important."

"I like that idea. Well, I guess we'd better....."

At this point Ashley returned to the room and looked at the men. "What are you waiting for? We've already wasted half of the day already. Come on, let's go."

She had already changed from a simple shirt and skirt into pants and a more durable shirt. Without waiting she rushed out the door to the barn.
Curtis watched her go and turned to Scott.

"Brother, that's quite a woman you've got there. Looks like she can't wait to go out there and get them."

Scott grinned at him and answered. "Not only that, but judging by this mornings breakfast she can cook pretty good too. I guess we better get going before she comes back in here and drags us out."

Chuckling the men followed Ashley to the barn. When they arrived, they found the barn doors open, the car's engine running and Ashley sitting at the weapons console. Scott shook his head and sat behind the wheel. Ashley leaned out the window and asked Curtis,

"Could you please get the doors behind us?"

"Sure thing." He answered.

"Ashley. What is going on? I thought you didn't want to have any more to do with the war than you had too."

"You didn't hear it?"

"Hear what?"

More to herself than to Scott she said, "That must be what she was talking about." As he began to back out of the barn she turned to Scott and spoke like she had never done before. "Scott, one time when Rachel and I were talking, she told me that sometimes God speaks to a person in a still small voice. I didn't know what she meant until now. When Curtis came in and started talking about the time, I heard it. God spoke to me."

He looked at her and knew she wasn't kidding. "What did He say?"

"Not much. Just that you are needed at the front. As in right now! Once you get there you will be told more of what He wants you to do. And as a sign to you that He has really spoken to me, your informant will be on horseback."

With the car now outside and pointed towards the road, he simply said, "Why didn't you say so? We've got to go now."

"I WAS telling you that."

"Then let's go." He started to hit the gas, and she shouted at him. "Wait a minute. Don't leave yet."

He took his foot off the gas and asked, "Has God told you something else?"

"No. But do want Curtis to walk?"

"Oh. Yeah, you're right."

When Curtis got into the car, Scott pulled out as fast as he could go, causing Curtis to wonder what was going on.

"Anyone feel like telling me what the rush is all about?"

On the trip to the front, Ashley told him what she had heard. He took it in stride and never questioned her about it. His only comment was to Scott when he said;

"Take the north fork up ahead. You'll cut a good five minutes off the drive time on the main road."

Scott did. Soon they had arrived at the new hill top where the militia was finishing up digging in to fight off any attempted Russian advance. Scott asked for and was given a pair of binoculars to look down on what the enemy was doing at their previous positions. It was clear they were taking advantage of the holes the militia had left behind, and they were also digging circular pits on both sides of the hill top, as well as two more closer to the center of the position. The shape of the holes and the distance between them told Scott all he needed to know. They were preparing mortar positions. From where they were, nothing could move in the valley below without coming into their range. And from that height, whoever tried would be under direct observation. Not only that but the place where his men were setting up would also be in range and under at least partial observation on the near side of the hill. This was clearly not a good thing.

As he thought about how to handle this new situation, he heard someone call his name. Turning he saw Pastor David approaching, on a horse. He looked over at Ashley, to find her looking back at him.

"I told you what He said." She commented.

The Pastor dismounted and walked up to him. Before he could speak Scott said, "I didn't know you could ride."

"I'm not much of a horseman. I learned when I was a kid, but I haven't had the time in years. Honestly, I'm lucky I didn't fall off and break my neck on the way up here. Scott I need to talk with you, and all of your men. I had another visitor from The Lord last night."

"Pastor, it wouldn't be a good idea to get everyone together on this hill with the Russians right over there." He pointed at them. "They could drop a few mortar rounds on us and take out everyone."

"I'm not asking for that. I need to tell you something, and then I want to walk from one end of the line to the other and tell all of your men what I was told and pray for all of you."

"What does The Lord have for you to tell us?"

"Just this. Don't be dismayed by what has happened. It is all part of His plan. You and your men must stand here, and not allow the enemy one more inch of ground. You must trust in Him, and he will deliver all of us from them."

"Did He say how, or when?"

"No. He didn't say anything about that. Only that while He will deliver us, it won't happen right away. That is why you must stand here and wait for Him to move."

"You know we are outnumbered and they have better weapons, don't you?"

"Yes. And so does The Lord. Remember how many times in scripture Israel was in the same kind of spot? But they placed their faith in The Lord and won every time they did what He told them to do. It is the same thing this time. Outnumbered or not, you must stand here. Not one more inch backwards, and wait on Him."

Scott shook his head. It made no sense. But then again, marching around the walls of Jericho blowing on trumpets didn't make any sense either. But look at what happened.

"Pastor, not one more inch will be given to the enemy while I'm in charge." He promised. "Not one. If you will wait a minute, I'll get someone to help you walk down the line and talk to the men."

"Thank you." Pastor David was impressed. Scott had made a good choice this time. Ashley never left his side. And as Scott left to find an escort for him, she put her arm around his waist and walked with him, never questioning what had been said and not complaining either. They made a good match. Too bad they would soon be forced to seperate, but it couldn't be any other way. Neither one of them would allow it to be any other way.

Scott and the militia did stand their ground. Even with fewer men and inferior weapons they held the line. This was due to two things. First of all, they did hold the higher ground. As a result any attacks made against the had to struggle uphill while men in covered positions on top of the hill fired down on them. The Russian armor and artillery was of little help because the men would get deep in their holes knowing that the fire from these two would have to stop before the enemy ground troops could advance. As the barrage lifted, they would pop up out of their holes and drive them back, with heavy losses every time.

The second thing that worked in their favor was that it was the Russians who kept resupplying the men. After an attack, the militia would move down the hill and gather weapons and explosives from those who would never have need of them again. At the insistence of both Pastor David and Scott, any wounded they found would be taken to the center of the valley between the two sides, under a white flag. They would be left for the Russians to retrieve and then care for. Soon, as they moved into the valley, Russian trucks would come out to meet them under another white flag. The militiamen didn't realize at first just how demoralizing their actions were to their foe. Finally, on one such occasion a Russian officer stopped Lee, who was now on the front and asked him why they were doing this.

"In the Russian Army, we just kill any left behind. Why do you do this?" He asked.

Lee never really understood why he said it, but he answered simply. "It's the Christian thing to do."

The officer shook his head, and ordered his men to finish loading the wounded and then they went back to their lines. Unknown to both of them, several of the Russian troops heard Lee's answer. They talked about it later amongst themselves.

One other thing that the Russians could not understand is why their aircraft were having such a hard time. They would swoop in on the militia positions and drop their bombs. Without fail every one that came even close to the militia positions hit with a thud, instead of a boom. During one combined attack the planes came in and many of the incendiary bombs they dropped worked perfectly. The only problem was they had fallen short of their targets and exploded on the advancing Russian forces. For the militias part, any such unexploded weapons were disassembled and then the incendiary material or explosives inside were used against the advancing enemy in future attacks. The only exception to this was the enemies chemical weapons. Scott refused to use these against the enemy. He had people render the materials inert and then disposed of them.

One afternoon as Scott was sitting in a tent going over maps trying to anticipate where the next attack might come from Barry suddenly came charging into the tent calling for him.

"Captain. Something funny is going on in the Russian camp."

Together they ran to an observation point where they could see the enemy encampment.

"What's going on?"

"We're not sure, Captain. We heard shooting down there, but it isn't pointed at us. Do we have anybody doing a recon or something?"

"Not that I know of. What is that?"

They looked down into the valley at the narrowest point between the two sides. Five trucks had come charging out of the brush on the Russian side and were racing for the American lines. Two of them were flying white flags. As they continued to run, Russian mortars opened up on them. The trucks began to zig zag in a random manner and totally independent of each other. Mortar rounds dropped all around them as well as in front and behind them. Scott found himself hoping that they would make it. Only four of them did, as one lucky shot landed on top of one of the vehicles. He turned to Barry.

"Get on the radio. If those guys surrender, have someone hold them until I get there."

When Scott arrived at the scene, he could tell the four remaining trucks had not escaped their dash across the valley unscathed. Holes from the shrapnel of exploding rounds were numerous and plain to see. He also saw that while most of the men were sitting on the ground, with their hands on their heads, some of them were lying down, bleeding from their wounds. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Turner was bent over one of them treating him.

"Anybody got an idea of what's going on here?" He asked of no one in-particular.

"Sir all we've gotten from them so far is something they keep saying in Russian. They keep on saying 'tovarich', whatever that means."

"It's Russian for friend." Dr. Turner offered.

"Are you sure?" Scott wanted to know.

"What? You think you are the only one that ever watched documentaries or movies about the Second World War? Tovarich means friend. Trust me."

One of the men sitting in front of him spoke up.

"Da, da. Doctor is speak right. Means friend. We are friend to you."

"You speak English?"

"Da. A little."

"Come here."

He stood and walked to where Scott was standing.

"How do I know you want to be friends?"

Two days back. We hear one your men say to give wounded back is Christian thing to do. We are Christian. Everyone know America is Christian country. We no kill Christian brothers. We want to be with you."

As he was speaking Pastor David walked up behind Scott and was listening. When the man claimed to be Christian it got his attention. He stepped up next to Scott without a word. Seeing the Pastor's collar the man looked at Scott and asked,

"Please Sir. This man, he is priest?"

"We call him Pastor, but yeah, I guess you could call him that."

The man turned and called out to the rest of them in Russian, and then removed his hat and went to one knee before him. The men behind him moved from sitting to follow his example. Even the wounded made an attempt to do the same.

"What on earth are they doing?" Pastor David asked.

"Sir. Is our way. We show respect to God by respect for preist."

"Get up, son. The Bible says you only kneel before God, and I'm not Him."

Reluctantly he stood and again spoke to Scott. "Sir, please, we are Christian. We not shoot our brothers. Please not to send us back. They kill us for this."

"You've sure don't seem like Christians. I mean you've been fighting against us for a long time now."

"Not us, Sir. We miss, on purpose." A brief smile crossed his face. "Our officers think we most bad shooters ever. They find out that not true when we leave them. How do you say? They find out hard way. Was one time I had what you call easy shot. A man not ten meters from me. I have AK-47. I miss by kilometer, on purpose. He shoot me and run away."

At this Lee looked closely at the Russian. Stepping up next to Scott, he whispered to him. "Sir? Can I have a minute with this guy?"

Wondering what it was about, Scott waved his hand towards the prisoner. Lee looked at him again, carefully. He bent over and picked up one of the discarded helmets. Holding it out he said. "Put this on."

The man did so. Lee reached out and pulled it lower over his face until the edge was just above his eyes. Speaking to himself at first he was heard to say, "I don't know. Maybe." Then to the man he asked, "Where were you shot?"

"Was here." He answered and pulled down his collar until a scar became visible just above his collarbone.

Lee nodded and turned to Scott. "Sir I don't know about the rest of it, but that last part is true. I'm the one who shot him."

"You? I'm thanking God you not better shot. I almost die that day."

"Maybe you are Christian and God saved you for this day. Lord knows, I was trying to kill you."

"Is true, is true. I can prove." He suddenly reached for his jacket pocket, only to freeze when he saw the Americans around him point their weapons at him to protect Scott.

"Whatever you do, do it slowly if you want to live." He was told.

"Da. I sorry. I do slow." His hand came out of the pocket with a much folded piece of paper in his hand. "Is present for you. Maybe you use." He offered it to Scott.

Taking it, Scott looked at it closely. It was a map. It clearly showed every position of the American forces for miles to their right and left. More importantly, it also showed the enemy positions as well. Folding it he looked at the man and asked,

"What is your name?"

"Vladamir."

"Alright. Vladimir, we can't just welcome you with open arms. For all I know this map is a fake. You and your men will be taken to a place where you can be held until we have a chance to check this out. If you are telling the truth, we'll give you a chance. If not, it won't be so easy for you. Understand me?"

"Da. This we understand. American Army, Russian Army, is same. Thank you Sir."

"Tell your men what is going on." He turned to Dr. Turner. "How are they doing Doc? Can they be moved?"

"Looks like it. None have any really serious injures so far as I can tell. But I want to keep an eye on them for awhile, just to make sure. Where are you sending them?"

"Well, they are prisoners for now at least. So, I'm thinking send them to jail. Barry, can you handle this many all at the same time?"

"It'll be a bit tight, but I think so."

"Then they are all yours."

It was nearly two weeks later when Scott was sitting at home looking over reports that had been sent to him by teams that had been sent behind enemy lines to verify the map that had been given to them. Each of the three teams reported back that the map was indeed accurate, down to the last detail. Now Scott had decided it was time to make the Russians suffer from a few shortages. Finally he spoke to Ashley.

"Honey, I think I have a way to really put a hurting on those people. But I'm going to need your help." He showed her the map before him. "I'm going to send some people in to make attacks on all three of these storage depots at the same time. When they are on the way back I want you and Curtis to be waiting with the car right about here."

Ashley looked at him strangely and said. "I can't go sweetheart."

Surprised he questioned. "Why not? Aren't you feeling better?" He knew that recently she hadn't been feeling well, and now he was even more concerned.

She looked at the floor for a moment. Sighed heavily and told him.

"Scott, I can't go because Dr. Turner says that in about seven and a half months, you're going to be a father."

"Are you serious?" Scott said as he felt like he needed to pick his jaw up from the table in front of him.

Ashley looked down as if she were ashamed of what she had said.

"I'm afraid so. Look Scott, I know we didn't plan it this way. And I don't know what happened. I mean we took precautions, didn't we?"

"Every time."

"Then I don't understand it." She shook her head. "I don't even understand myself right now. I mean I'm excited by the thought we are having a baby. But the Sheriff isn't well enough to take over again. That means you have to go back to the war. But I can't be there with you. And I can't stand the thought of being separated from you. Especially now."

As she had been speaking, Ashley had begun to pace. Without realizing it she had stopped next to Scott. "I hope you know I didn't mean for this to happen. Not now. It scares me that we might have a baby that would grow up with the Russians in control."

Scott stood and put his arms around her. "I know. Neither one of us did. And I don't like the idea either. But hey, sweetheart, it's alright. In a way I'm glad. I know you don't like the war. None of us do. But now I don't have to worry about you. As far as how it happened, well all I can say is that this proves it doesn't matter what we think or plan, God is still in control and things are going to happen just the way He says it will."

Ashley held him tightly. His words comforted her. She noticed that as he had paused for a moment, and a new look of concern came over his face. Seeing it Ashley had to ask.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh. I'm just thinking that there isn't a nursery at the house in town. Not so much as a crib. I'm going to have to do something about that."

Startled, she looked up at him. He was serious she could see. She couldn't help it. She began to laugh.


Commander Robins was feeling good himself. He knew he had to come up with some way to cripple the militias. Time after time infiltrators he had sent out had failed or disappeared. It was when he was trying to find a reasonable excuse to deny another militia request for all of the supplies they wanted, that it came to him. From the beginning he had said that he didn't have the men or vehicles to send supplies to the militias. If they wanted supplies, they had to come get them. That way he knew they would have to use up their own limited supply of fuel and take men off of the front lines to get them. If they lost men or vehicles to the people who preyed on anything moving on the roads, it wasn't his fault. Now with more men coming in almost every day because of Claire's last preacher, he couldn't use that excuse any more.

However now that he did have the men, he would send trucks out with supplies, and by doing so he would have to be told where the militias supply depots were located. Once he had the supply points identified, he could pass that information along to the Russian forces and Director Ives. After that it would be a simple matter to blow them up and thereby disarm the pesky militias. Both Ives and the Russians would then have to admit his usefulness to them. There might even be a promotion in it for him.


Thanks to both a wheel chair and crutches, The sheriff was finally starting to get around a little. It was a relief to be able to see something besides the inside of his room. And he was beginning to believe that his wife was really getting sick and tired of him 'being underfoot' as she called it. Lovely woman that she was, he knew she had a point. He had always been an active man and a terrible patient. Being stuck in one place wasn't his style. When he announced that he was leaving home for the second time since he was injured, she commented.

"About time." She answered him, then walking over to where he was sitting, she put her arms around him from behind, and continued. "Seriously Harry. You need to get out and around. Folks need to know you are on the mend. Gives them some hope. Besides, if you spend much more time on your back around here and you'll drive us both crazy."

He reached up and held onto her arm for a moment and said, "I know, I know. I hate being cooped up like this. It makes me unbearable to live with. And I know it's been hard on you too. I'm sorry for being such a bother."

"Harry, I promised for better or worse, in sickness and in health. I guess this qualifies. But you be careful out there. It's looking like snow and the last thing we need is for you to go and hurt yourself worse."

"I promise."

Barry had picked him up at his home and driven him to the office. The hole in the ground outside the front door had been filled, but with the lack of materials and equipment, it hadn't been paved over. He saw that the windows had been replaced and the walls painted to cover the blast marks. As he entered the building he was surprised to find out that Scott had seen to it that his office had been cleaned and returned to it's former state, and then closed. He had simply taken over one corner of the building as his headquarters. There was a desk cluttered with papers and well marked maps pinned to the walls. Looking around The Sheriff couldn't tell just how bad the damage had been. There was simply no sign of the explosion that had nearly ended his life. As Barry pushed his chair into the office, everyone there stopped what they were doing and came to greet him. He accepted all of the back slapping and cheerful greetings before he asked what was on his
mind.

"Does anyone know where Scott is at?"

"He usually shows up before now." Thomas told him. "I guess he has something to do."

"I hope everything is alright." The Sheriff said.

"Looks like you're going to have a chance to ask him. Here he comes." Another man said and pointed out of the window at him.

Scott entered the building, seemingly distracted by something. He had almost reached his desk before anyone spoke.

"Scott. Are you alright?"

"What? Oh, hi Sheriff. Good to see you up and around again. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing as well as I can be. What about you? You almost walked into a desk on your way in. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Everything is fine, I just got some news that has me thinking, that's all."

"Don't tell me the Russians have made another advance in our lines."

"No. No. Nothing like that." He waited a moment and then broke the news. "It's just that Ashley told me I'm going to be a father."

At this the entire room broke out in well wishes and congratulations for the couple. After several minutes of it The Sheriff called out to everyone.

"Alright, alright. Give the man some air. Don't you people have work to do?"

While the Sheriff didn't really have the authority to give orders while on sick leave, people realized that what he said was true and soon they had all returned to work, leaving Scott and the Sheriff alone.

"Well Daddy, didn't I tell you she was a keeper?" The Sheriff asked jokingly.

"Yeah, you did. I'm glad I listened to you."

"So? Are you going to name the baby in my honor?"

"What if it is a girl? I don't think 'Harry' would go over very well with Ashley."

"That's true. Oh well. It was a thought. So how are things going with the Russians?"

"I promised Pastor David that we wouldn't give them one more inch, and so far I'm keeping my word. But they haven't made it easy. But I am pretty sure they are having problems among themselves. Did you hear about the deserters that came over to us?"

"I caught something about it. They are Christians that refused to fight against other Christians. Isn't that it?"

"Yeah. I've had Pastor David talking to them to make sure of their story. But it's kind of hard when only one of them speaks any English at all. They seem to be happy to be here. Officer Thomas told me he's never seen prisoners like them. They say that they are thankful for such comfortable mattresses and good food."

"Comfortable mattresses and good food in JAIL? I can't believe that."

"It's true. Makes me wonder what it must be like for the common soldier on their side. They also have been happy to supply any information about what is going on, on their side of the line. We've checked it as best we can and it all checks out."

"You haven't turned over that information to Robins, have you?"

"Not a chance. I don't trust him as far as I can throw my truck."

"I'm glad to hear that. So what are your plans for that information?"

Before Scott could answer, a man came hurriedly into the office and called to him.

"Captain Scott! I think you better see this."

Scott moved quickly outside, as The Sheriff got Barry to push him in his chair outside as well. They found four large military trucks sitting in the street.

"What is all of this?" Scott wanted to know.

The man who was apparently the head man of the convoy spoke to him.

"Are you the leader here?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Sir." His voice held more of a sneer than a sound of respect. "We are here to resupply you. We are from Commander Robins."

"Commander Robins? Since when is he making deliveries?" Scott asked.

"Since we got more people in. Sir." Again the contempt was obvious. "A lot of people have decided to help with the fight, but they are doing it the right way. They signed up and have been trained. Not like you guys. We even got enough mechanics to rebuilt a lot of these old trucks so we can actually do something. Now, where is your supply depot? We've got other places to be besides here."

For the first time in more years than he could remember, Scott felt himself getting angry. They had been holding the Russians here at a virtual stand still for months. Who was this guy to speak to him like this? He started to rise to the bait, when he felt a hand grabbing his arm. Looking around he found The Sheriff holding on to him.

"Let me." Was all he said. Scott nodded and stepped aside for the wheelchair to pass.

"I'm the Sheriff. That makes me your superior. What's your name and rank?"

The man looked at him silently for a moment before answering. "Lewis. I'm Lieutenant Lewis. If you are in charge, Why am I talking to this guy? Sir." His voice had taken on a different tone Scott noticed. He wondered why.

"He is in command while I'm recovering from my wounds. And you WILL show him the respect he has earned. Who do you think has been fending off the Russians while I've been laid up? Now he asked you a question. Answer him."

"Sir, it's..." Lewis started to speak, still clearly addressing The Sheriff.

"I SAID, answer him." The Sheriff nearly shouted.

"Yes Sir. Sorry Sir." Lewis turned and addressed Scott, looking him squarely in the eye. "Sir. This is the first supply convoy to this sector. We have orders from Commander Robins to do everything possible to ensure this delivery and those that will follow in the days to come." He halted for a few seconds and spoke again. "I apologize Sir. I didn't realize your position. There are a lot of pretenders out there who would love to get their hands on these trucks. I hope you understand. I have to be careful."

"Yeah. I'm sure. Why don't you take these things arid back and unload them in the garage. We'll handle it from there."

"I'm sorry Sir. I can't do that. I have my orders. I have to unload at the supply depot."

"Now why would you want to do that?"

"That way we will know where to take future deliveries, in case I'm somewhere else when they are made."

Scott thought about it. Under different circumstances he wouldn't have a problem with such a request. But these were Robins people. He didn't think he could trust them. It just didn't feel right.

"Wait here a minute."

He turned and signaled Barry to push The Sheriff ahead of him. When they were out of earshot of the men in the trucks, he asked The Sheriff,

"What do you think?"

"I don't like it. Not coming from Robins, Claire, or even this new guy, Ives. Once they know where we have our supplies located, who's to say they won't show up and demand some or all of them to be used someplace else? The bad part is if we don't show them, they might refuse to deliver anything until we do."

"Well, we've got to do something. I guess for right now we don't have a choice. Except maybe put a lot of guards on the place to make sure everything stays there. I'll have to think about it."

"Think quickly."

They returned to Lewis and Scott told officer Thomas to take the trucks to their hidden supply depot. After they had left, Thomas returned with even more unpleasant news.

"Captain, I don't care for this at all. While we unloading the trucks that Lewis guy pulled out one of those devices designed to get the exact G.P.S. location. I asked him why he was doing it, and he just gave the same story he told you before."

It was later that evening as he spoke with Ashley about his misgivings that she handed him the answer.

"Honey, do you remember when you told me about 'George' and I asked if it was safe to keep it at the house? You told me that it was okay because nobody knew it was there, right?"

"Yeah. But that doesn't help now. They know where we have our supplies stored."

"What if they only thought they knew?"

"What do you mean?"

"Move them to someplace else. Then they can't get their hands on them."

"That won't work. Next time they make a delivery they will see that everything is gone, and want to know where it was moved."

"What if they didn't see that it was moved?"

"How do you mean?"

"Everything is in boxes or other containers, right?" He nodded. "What if you move everything and just leave the empty boxes there? All closed up so they look normal, I mean. Everything would look the same, but the supplies would be safe."

He smiled at her. "I knew marrying you was the right idea."


Commander Robins was pleased with his new plan. These stupid local yocals couldn't see what was happening right in front of them. Another week or two and he would be able to provide all of the hidden locations to Ives. He was startled when a secretary came in hurriedly and placed a dispatch in his hand. As he read it two things happened. He was taken completely off guard by the announcement that some kind of space craft, flying saucers or something were landing in various places around not only the country, but the world. The second thing that went through his mind was what Director Ives had said to him. This was something so big nobody could miss it. But how this was supposed to aid in getting rid of the Christians didn't immediately become clear to him. It took another week before the 'space brothers' came out with the announcement that they had created the human race.

They claimed that at some point in the distant past earth was a much different place. They said that the reason the dinosaurs had died out all at the same time was because they knew that their new creation, mankind, would never be able to compete with them and survive. So they had guided an asteroid into the earths atmosphere and allowed it to hit. The resulting dust cloud had covered the earths surface and all life was extinguished. After that they had seeded the earth with their new creation and also the plant and animal life which were needed to support that creation. Once the new life forms had taken hold, they went in search of other planets to repeat the experiment. Earth was one of the few planets where their plan had worked. They were very sorry that it had taken so many eons to return, and that their absence had resulted in so much death and destruction. But now they were back and they wanted everyone to know it.

Having been warned by Director Ives to be ready to take advantage of the situation he sat down at once and began to formulate a message to be broadcast all over his sector proclaiming that since it was obvious the 'space brothers' were indeed the ones who created the human race any religion which failed to acknowledge that fact would be immediately outlawed. In his generosity, he gave them a week to comply.

Pastor David expected to lose a few of his congregation due to the announcement that had been made. He never would have believed how few would return to church on the following Sunday morning. He preached to the ones who did show up from his heart, forgetting his prepared sermon. He spoke out about how in the last days there would be a great falling away. A great deception would cause it. He could see that his words struck home with most of them. It was after the service when he was speaking to some of the people who did show up that he learned the truth.

"Pastor, it's not like everyone believes what the government is saying. A lot of them don't. They just don't want to get into trouble with the government and lose what little they either have or are expecting to get from them." One parishioner told him. "I guess you can't really blame them. I mean people have so little now a days. How can you honestly expect them to give up what the have?"

"I would expect them to count on The Lord to keep His promises. This is His world, He owns everything. Do people really think He would desert us now? How can they trust men more than God?"

"They are scared Pastor. They are afraid of losing everything, including their lives." The man stopped speaking and looked around as if he expected the police to show up and arrest them all at any moment. "Pastor, I do believe. And the way I see it, you had better be very careful from now on. Those people have already turned against God. It's only a matter of time before they turn on you."

"Son, that much I already knew. I just hoped I'd never live to see it."

"Me too, Pastor. But I guess we have."

"Scott, this whole thing can't be true, can it?" Ashley asked, after the two of them returned home from church.

"You heard the Pastor. He's right. This is all part of the great deception spoken of in The Bible. We just have to trust in The Lord." He paused and then said, "Make no mistake though. Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better."

Director Ives was very pleased. The so-called followers of that Nazarene where leaving Him in droves. The Master would win this final battle. Then he and ones like Ives would have their revenge for being thrown out of the Heavenly places. Who knew? Maybe they would even lock Him away for a few thousand eons. Let Him see how He liked that.

In the days that followed Commander Robins proclamation disappointment was the only way to describe what many people were feeling. Pastor David was disappointed that so few people seemed to actually trust The Lord. Only about ten percent of his flock returned time after time to hear what he had to say. The rest would even avoid him when they would happen to meet in the street. Of the few that would speak with him, it soon became clear that what he had been told at first was the truth. People were afraid of losing what little they had and wouldn't risk being seen entering a church that didn't approve of the 'space brothers' and what they had to say.

Scott had his own problems. He found that some of the men who once served because they believed that America was a land blessed by God were having second thoughts. To them, if there was no God, then why risk their lives so needlessly? Men who once would be the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments now would hang back and let others step forward for the task. When they were asked about it they wouldn't answer, or if they did they would say something like, "I've already stuck my neck out plenty of times. Let someone else do it this time".

To be sure, all of those who served under him were willing to fight to preserve their freedom and way of life. It was just that many of them weren't quite as willing as before. To them, if God wasn't there to be on their side, then what could they count on? Scott knew that something had to be done before those men lost all hope that they had.

He spent much time in prayer over the matter, and then he woke in the middle of the night with the answer clearly imprinted in his mind. This wasn't the first time people who claimed to believe had, had their faith tested. So he took a lesson for the story of Gideon. He talked it over with Ashley, and she agreed with him.

"Scott, if these men doubt now, what will they think later? When you win, they will credit luck or something else. They won't give God any of the glory. I don't see where you have any choice. Go ahead and do it. Then they will find their faith again and follow The Lord, because of you."

It was the next morning when he went to the jail and spoke to Vladimir.

"You know that if this fails, you will most certainly die. The Russians aren't going to forgive you for helping us."

"Da, Sir. I will help you. I know God is with you. My men, they know this too. Any of us will do as we can for God. It be my goodness,...no wait...my pleasure."

"Your English is improving."

"Da. I mean, yes. The Pastor spends much time with us. We have learned much...I mean, a lot of English from him. We also learn more about God. Not like back in Russia. There the priests teach us, but not like he do..does. We are grateful. We want to help. If we die, then we know that God will accept us into heaven. That is good reason enough, no?"

"That's the best reason of all. Yes."

It took another day to put the operation together. But the next night Scott watched as an even two dozen men, including Vladimir and two other Russian men moved out towards the enemy lines. It seemed to him that it was taking forever for the men to accomplish their tasks. His mind went back to the address he had given his own men before the volunteers had left.

"Some of you think that these so called 'space brothers' just might be telling you the truth. I'm here to tell you they aren't. The Lord has given me a plan, and told me who to send on this operation. Tonight you will know, by their success, that God is STILL on the side of those who believe in Him. That is why only men whose' faith is unshaken have been chosen for this mission. Tonight, The Lord, Himself, will prove who is God, and who isn't."

That had been two hours ago. He looked at his watch and realized it was closer to four hours. Still Scott knew he had done the right thing. It was Barry and the men with him and Vladimir that really knew it first.

As they drew near the Russian supply depot it was clear that the spot had been chosen carefully. It could not be approached without being spotted at least fifty yards from the gate. And the entire area around the compound was well lighted by both flood lights and the edge of the woods probed by powerful spotlights mounted in the guard towers around it's outer edge. Barry was getting nervous.

"Vlad, my friend. Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Da. Yes Mr. Barry, my friend. It will work. In Russian Army, no one questions orders from superior officer. Trust me. We will have easy time. Just make sure no one speaks. After, we how do you say? We run like hell."

"Alright. We're in your hands."

The militiamen found a place in the shadows along the road and formed up into a column. All of them were wearing captured Russian uniforms. Vladimir 'took command' of them and soon had them marching smartly down the road towards their target. As expected, as soon as they broke out of the shadows spotlights turned on them and lit them up like the Fourth of July. They still followed Vladimir's orders and continued to march straight towards the front gate, as if this was nothing new to them. Vladimir brought them to a halt some twenty yards from the gate, and then proceeded on his own to the guard shack just outside the fenced in enclosure. At the command to stop, Barry assumed, Vladimir did so. A guard came out to meet him. There was some talk, of which Barry understood nothing, and Vladimir handed over his forged documents. It seemed to Barry that it was taking forever for the guard to make up his mind about them, and he wondered if they would have to fight their way out of the spot they were in.

However the guard turned and shouted something in Russian and the spot lights were turned off. He handed the documents back to Vladimir and called to the men at the gate. They moved quickly to open them even as Vladimir signaled the militiamen to move forward. They did so, and did their best to look as if this were nothing more than boring everyday routine. Soon they were inside the compound and began to move to different bunkers within the fence. They actually did begin to stack up crates of ammunition, like they were getting ready to take them back to their unit. But at the same time they were also placing explosive charges made from the unexploded bombs that had been dropped on them in the past. Barry thought how it seemed appropriate that the unexploded Russian bomb material be returned to them. He almost smiled at the thought. But Vladimir made sure that he never had the chance. While he and the rest of the men had piled up the ammo they would be
taking with them, Vladimir had been cursing them in Russian and urging them to move faster. After all there were still a lot of Americans to kill out there. If they ever wanted to see Mother Russia again, they had better get a move on, or he would shoot them himself. Of course, Barry and the other men understood none of this.

Before long there were two crates of ammo and other weapons being carried between two men each. They headed for the front gate expecting to be allowed to leave, straight away. It didn't happen. When they reached the gate they were ordered to halt by the guard there. With a flashlight in one hand and a clipboard in the other he went from one pair of men to the next. First looking to see what they had taken, and then marking it down on the board. Once he finished, he handed the board to Vladimir and spoke to him. Vladimir scowled, Looked at the list under the flashlight, and then signed it. The guard, now satisfied shouted to the men at the gate. They opened it up and the militiamen with Vladimir calmly walked out and continued on their way. Vladimir had them march a full half a mile past the point where they had first formed up before calling a halt.

"Mr. Barry, Sir. They see us no more. Is time?"

Barry looked at his watch. "Actually it is a couple of minutes past time. I hope the other teams haven't..."

In the distance an explosion was first heard, and then the night sky seemed to light up. This was followed by another explosion from the opposite direction with similar results.

"Well, I guess they didn't have any problems." He finished. "Vlad, my friend. Would you care to do the honors?" He held out a small box with a red light which glowed brightly in the dark, and a small switch.

"Da. Yes, thank you, Tovarich." Vladimir took the box and flipped the switch. The storage depot they had just left suddenly started to explode. From one bunker to the next the explosions continued until there was nothing left to blow up.

In the days that followed Commander Robins proclamation disappointment was the only way to describe what many people were feeling. Pastor David was disappointed that so few people seemed to actually trust The Lord. Only about ten percent of his flock returned time after time to hear what he had to say. The rest would even avoid him when they would happen to meet in the street. Of the few that would speak with him, it soon became clear that what he had been told at first was the truth. People were afraid of losing what little they had and wouldn't risk being seen entering a church that didn't approve of the 'space brothers' and what they had to say.

Scott had his own problems. He found that some of the men who once served because they believed that America was a land blessed by God were having second thoughts. To them, if there was no God, then why risk their lives so needlessly? Men who once would be the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments now would hang back and let others step forward for the task. When they were asked about it they wouldn't answer, or if they did they would say something like, "I've already stuck my neck out plenty of times. Let someone else do it this time".

To be sure, all of those who served under him were willing to fight to preserve their freedom and way of life. It was just that many of them weren't quite as willing as before. To them, if God wasn't there to be on their side, then what could they count on? Scott knew that something had to be done before those men lost all hope that they had.

He spent much time in prayer over the matter, and then he woke in the middle of the night with the answer clearly imprinted in his mind. This wasn't the first time people who claimed to believe had, had their faith tested. So he took a lesson for the story of Gideon. He talked it over with Ashley, and she agreed with him.

"Scott, if these men doubt now, what will they think later? When you win, they will credit luck or something else. They won't give God any of the glory. I don't see where you have any choice. Go ahead and do it. Then they will find their faith again and follow The Lord, because of you."

It was the next morning when he went to the jail and spoke to Vladimir.

"You know that if this fails, you will most certainly die. The Russians aren't going to forgive you for helping us."

"Da, Sir. I will help you. I know God is with you. My men, they know this too. Any of us will do as we can for God. It be my goodness,...no wait...my pleasure."

"Your English is improving."

"Da. I mean, yes. The Pastor spends much time with us. We have learned much...I mean, a lot of English from him. We also learn more about God. Not like back in Russia. There the priests teach us, but not like he do..does. We are grateful. We want to help. If we die, then we know that God will accept us into heaven. That is good reason enough, no?"

"That's the best reason of all. Yes."

It took another day to put the operation together. But the next night Scott watched as an even two dozen men, including Vladimir and two other Russian men moved out towards the enemy lines. It seemed to him that it was taking forever for the men to accomplish their tasks. His mind went back to the address he had given his own men before the volunteers had left.

"Some of you think that these so called 'space brothers' just might be telling you the truth. I'm here to tell you they aren't. The Lord has given me a plan, and told me who to send on this operation. Tonight you will know, by their success, that God is STILL on the side of those who believe in Him. That is why only men whose' faith is unshaken have been chosen for this mission. Tonight, The Lord, Himself, will prove who is God, and who isn't."

That had been two hours ago. He looked at his watch and realized it was closer to four hours. Still Scott knew he had done the right thing. It was Barry and the men with him and Vladimir that really knew it first.

As they drew near the Russian supply depot it was clear that the spot had been chosen carefully. It could not be approached without being spotted at least fifty yards from the gate. And the entire area around the compound was well lighted by both flood lights and the edge of the woods probed by powerful spotlights mounted in the guard towers around it's outer edge. Barry was getting nervous.

"Vlad, my friend. Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Da. Yes Mr. Barry, my friend. It will work. In Russian Army, no one questions orders from superior officer. Trust me. We will have easy time. Just make sure no one speaks. After, we how do you say? We run like hell."

"Alright. We're in your hands."

The militiamen found a place in the shadows along the road and formed up into a column. All of them were wearing captured Russian uniforms. Vladimir 'took command' of them and soon had them marching smartly down the road towards their target. As expected, as soon as they broke out of the shadows spotlights turned on them and lit them up like the Fourth of July. They still followed Vladimir's orders and continued to march straight towards the front gate, as if this was nothing new to them. Vladimir brought them to a halt some twenty yards from the gate, and then proceeded on his own to the guard shack just outside the fenced in enclosure. At the command to stop, Barry assumed, Vladimir did so. A guard came out to meet him. There was some talk, of which Barry understood nothing, and Vladimir handed over his forged documents. It seemed to Barry that it was taking forever for the guard to make up his mind about them, and he wondered if they would have to
fight their way out of the spot they were in.

However the guard turned and shouted something in Russian and the spot lights were turned off. He handed the documents back to Vladimir and called to the men at the gate. They moved quickly to open them even as Vladimir signaled the militiamen to move forward. They did so, and did their best to look as if this were nothing more than boring everyday routine. Soon they were inside the compound and began to move to different bunkers within the fence. They actually did begin to stack up crates of ammunition, like they were getting ready to take them back to their unit. But at the same time they were also placing explosive charges made from the unexploded bombs that had been dropped on them in the past. Barry thought how it seemed appropriate that the unexploded Russian bomb material be returned to them. He almost smiled at the thought. But Vladimir made sure that he never had the chance. While he and the rest of the men had piled up the ammo they would be
taking with them, Vladimir had been cursing them in Russian and urging them to move faster. After all there were still a lot of Americans to kill out there. If they ever wanted to see Mother Russia again, they had better get a move on, or he would shoot them himself. Of course, Barry and the other men understood none of this.

Before long there were two crates of ammo and other weapons being carried between two men each. They headed for the front gate expecting to b allowed to leave, straight away. It didn't happen. When they reached the gate they were ordered to halt by the guard there. With a flashlight in one hand and a clipboard in the other he went from one pair of men to the next. First looking to see what they had taken, and then marking it down on the board. Once he finished, he handed the board to Vladimir and spoke to him. Vladimir scowled, Looked at the list under the flashlight, and then signed it. The guard, now satisfied shouted to the men at the gate. They opened it up and the militiamen with Vladimir calmly walked out and continued on their way. Vladimir had them march a full half a mile past the point where they had first formed up before calling a halt.

"Mr. Barry, Sir. They see us no more. Is time?"

Barry looked at his watch. "Actually it is a couple of minutes past time. I hope the other teams haven't..."

In the distance an explosion was first heard, and then the night sky seemed to light up. This was followed by another explosion from the opposite direction with similar results.

"Well, I guess they didn't have any problems." He finished. "Vlad, my friend. Would you care to do the honors?" He held out a small box with a red light which glowed brightly in the dark, and a small switch.

"Da. Yes, thank you, Tovarich." Vladimir took the box and flipped the switch. The storage depot they had just left suddenly started to explode. From one bunker to the next the explosions continued until there was nothing left to blow up.


The explosions that night were only the beginning of bad news for the invaders. Within weeks similar events happened all up and down the line in the eastern part of the country, inspired by what had been done already. The Russian advance which had been slow, but steady came to a grinding halt without the vital war supplies. In a few places the American defenders even managed to push the Russian army back a few miles. To make matters even worse for them, the attempted flanking maneuver through Montana had been discovered before it even started and it became a total disaster for the Russians. Thousands upon thousands of troops had been wiped out along with every manner of vehicle that they had. They had been forced to retreat into Canada and were now just barely holding their own against the emboldened Americas.

Director Ives wasn't pleased by the turn of events and was scrambling to find another way into the country for the invaders. The last thing he wanted was to fail his master. That thought was much to unpleasant to consider. So he did one of the few things he could do. Certain regional commanders were simply shot and replaced outright. Others were called to report to him and explain why they were having so much trouble with the American apes. Most of them were never seen again, and they were also replaced. The only reason Commander Robins survived his encounter with Ives was because he had a plan and was actually making progress towards his goal. But he was made aware that if he failed in it, things would not go well for him.

"Mr. Director. I've almost completed the initial steps of this plan. Once I'm done, we will be more than able to handle this problem. That is as long as the Russians get resupplied in time. I've already got the exact G.P.S. co-ordinates of more than half of the militia supply depots in the eastern sector. A couple more weeks is all we need. Then we will do to the militias what they did to our allies. The difference will be you and I will be the ones controlling the militia's resupply. If they don't have anything to fight with, they will fold up like a house of cards."

The argument saved his life, even though he didn't know it. Considering the number of men who never left the building as he did, he began to once again think of the possibly of promotion.

Director Ives saw things differently. The fact there was a plan that would help forward the master's plans he knew would help to keep him from being replaced. When he presented it to the messenger from the master, he didn't bother to mention anything about Commander Robins. Saving himself seemed more important than promoting that ape, no matter how useful he might prove to be.

"The main problem is making certain the Russian forces have everything they need when these American apes are suddenly cut off from their supplies." He had told the messenger.

"Are you so foolish as to think this is the first time the Master has faced these problems? He and the Nazarene have been battling for a long time. You may not think that far ahead, but he does. The supplies were on their way before the Americans made the attacks. Be ready to take advantage of it when they get here." For a moment he looked like he was ready to leave, but he stopped and quizzed Ives further. "Have you come up with anything to recover from your losses in Montana?"

"Yes, I have. The operation will begin before the end of the week."

For their part, the 'space brothers' had announced that while they didn't want to interfere with the war and other goings on with 'our children' it clear to them that the losses of men in America had been heavy, due to the war. Women outnumbered men by over two to one. So in order to help with the repopulating of America they were willing to assist with the impregnation of the women of America and would even help with the development of the child by accelerating it, first in the womb and then even after birth. And that any woman so inclined would receive rewards in the way of food and other things, such as medical help for their families.

In desperation, many women and girls stepped forward to volunteer. Many others did so because they believed in the thrill of being mother to one of the very first 'star children' as they were being called. Still others believed what had been told to them. And if there was no God, why not? It would certainly give their future offspring a head start over those children born in the usual way. Some few even believed it was their duty for the sake of the country.

In town people were rejoicing over the recent victories over the Russian Army. The offer of the 'space brothers' wasn't as well received. While a few women left town for the purpose of impregnation, not many people were buying it. Most simply didn't want to take the chance that they would end up being the mother to some kind of monstrosity called a child.

Mrs. Campbell had become a frequent visitor to the home of Scott and Ashley. Not only was she there to lend motherly advice to the first time mother, she actually managed to convince Scott she was knowledgeable about other things as well.

"Now Scott. Think about it for a minute. Yes, after a time you will want to move the baby into a room of it's own, but not right away. Not unless you want to give up sleeping with your darling bride. Do you really believe that Ashley is going to let that child very far out of her sight for a while? If you do, you're not going to be nearly the father I thought you would be."

"Well, I hadn't really thought about it like that. My experience with babies is kind of limited, you know."

"I know sweetheart. And I'm not criticizing you. The is the first one for both of you, and Ashley doesn't have the benefit of a mother to help her. That's why I'm here. Just to lend a hand, if I can." She smiled and patted his cheek, lovingly. "I think the first thing you are going to have to do is rearrange your bed room so there is room for the crib and a changing table."

One adjustment for both Scott and Ashley was a change in his attitude. Even though she wasn't even showing her condition yet, Ashley found that if he was anywhere around, Scott insisted that she let him do any lifting of over five pounds. He was rapidly become quite over protective.

"Scott! Believe it or not, I'm not an invalid. I can water these flowers very easily. You don't need to be carrying the water can all the time. I can even still walk up and down the stairs without any help. Take it easy or you're going to blow a gasket."

"I know. I just don't want you taking any chances."

"You are taking bigger chances than I am." She reminded him. "I'm safe at home. People are still shooting at you."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"You know I am. Now settle down. I don't want to be a widow before you're a father."

Were it not for the war, life would have almost seemed normal. The Sheriff had begun to assume more of his responsibilities as a law officer. But still wasn't set to take over the job of keeping the Russians from getting any further inland. He had also found that Vladimir and the men with him, were more than willing to help in any way they could. He had put them to work in an office listening to radios for Russian broadcasts. Anything they felt was important was reported to the Sheriff, who in turn passed the information along to Scott. That was how they got their first clue of Director Ives' plan.

"Sir. Is something important I need speak to you."

"Slow down Vladimir. When you get excited your English gets hard to understand. Now, slowly tell me, what is it?"

"Yes Sir. You are correct. I am sorry. We have heard transmissions from Russian ships. They bring more men and supplies to this country. Many of them."

"That doesn't sound good. Do you have any idea when they will arrive?"

"They do not say exactly when. But they have talk about something else soon to happen. It is not clear, but it sounds like another attack, somewhere called Fargo. Is such a place?"

"Yes there is. It's northwest of here by a few hundred miles. This doesn't sound good at all. We could get trapped between two armies."

"No. You are right. Is not good."

It didn't take long for the Sheriff's worries to start to materialize. Russian forces near Fargo did indeed break through the American lines, because of men and weapons taken from there to engage them in Montana. Within days they had reached the place were the Great Lakes now drained into the Mississippi River. Once there, they were joined by more Russian forces coming down though the Lakes, with boats to make their advance even faster. Soon people from the mid western states were heading south to get out of the fighting. They brought with them tales of absolute horror about what the enemy was doing. With the losses they had suffered in the Battle for Montana, the Russians were not taking any chances, and had a thirst for revenge. Any who got in their way were shot on sight. It seemed that there was nothing to stop them and they would make it all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. That is when Scott was informed that things had gone from bad to worse.

The Cuban and Mexican forces had rebuilt themselves since they were so badly damaged by the flood that came down the river during the New Madrid earthquake. Once again they were trying to make their way up the Mississippi River. The first time American forces had been taken off guard. This time they were waiting. Still, it was a fierce battle with no clear victor as yet.

It only took a very short time for the now advancing Russians to make serious advances down the Mississippi. Before long they were becoming far too close for any ones comfort. Scott was at his field desk going over the reports on the hill top, when Pastor David came to see him. That wasn't so unusual. What took Scott by surprise was the fact Ashley was with him.

"Hello Scott. Got a minute?"

"Any time Pastor." He looked at Ashley. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't come back up here, because of the baby."

"We did, but Pastor David insisted I come with him."

"I did Scott. Don't be mad at her."

"I'm not mad, just surprised. I mean given the choice, none of us would be here."

"That's true enough. Scott, that also gets into why we are here. I've been told that The Lord has decided the day everything changes is tomorrow. That's why Ashley is here. She has earned the right to be here for this and she and the baby are in absolutely no danger. By morning all of this will stop and we won't have to worry about the Russians on this front again."

Soon. It would all pay off, soon. Ives knew it. He had waited almost impatiently for Commander Robins arrival. The Russians had been moving down the 'Greater Mississippi' as the river was now known, for nearly a week. Once they had broken through the lines, there was little to stop them. American men and weapons were still in a state of confusion. The ones being brought back from Montana, had been sent to wrong direction. Then the men were trapped, because there was no way to move everyone and everything that had to be moved, fast enough. Stuck in a bottle neck behind their own lines, all they could do was wait until the road ahead was clear, and hope that their orders hadn't been changed sending them into an entirely new direction. They simply weren't getting men and material to the Russian western flank fast enough to do anything about stopping the advance.

And Robins had called to inform him that he now had all of the exact coordinates to the militia supply points. It was time to move to the next phase. He greeted Robins with a cheerful 'Hello. Come in good sir.' at his arrival. Then he ushered Robins to a chair and began to shower him with praise on how well he had preformed. It was after that, that he dropped the other shoe.

"I still can not believe how quickly you got all of these points locked down. Most efficient. It's a shame I'm going to have to do without you for a little while."

"What do you mean, Sir. Haven't I preformed well? You were just saying so."

Ives smiled broadly at him. "It's not like that, my good Commander. You've done admirably. You are being sent on a mission for a short time. And it is one that only you can do."

"I see. I thought that missions were things I sent others on."

"This time it's different. You really are the only one for the job. You see, once these pathetic militias are no long supplied, our allies will come in on them from the east and west. Their only choice will be surrender, or die. Once that is accomplished, we can drive westward and meet our Chinese allies somewhere in the middle. But first, there is something you must do." Robins didn't care for the way Ives looked at him now. But the Director was still speaking. "Before any of that can happen, these militias must be dealt with. When their supplies are gone, the forces coming in from the east will need someone locally that knows who is who and so forth. Someone they can trust. That's where you come in. I've already made the arrangements, you will leave at once. You will be taken to a place not far from here, and then smuggled through the lines and meet face to face with your Russian counterpart. He speaks English, so you should have no trouble there. This is just what you might call a 'meet and greet' kind of thing. But one that will be very important to you in the future. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Sir. Meet and get to know my counterpart. And I assume be ready to lend any assistance I can in the future." He waited for just a fraction of a second before going on. "But I don't understand why I have to go. Couldn't this be handled by a regular courier?"

Ives picked up his copy of the militia supply points from his desk, where Robins had left it.

"You and I are the only ones with this list. You surely don't expect me to deliver it to them, do you?"

"Oh no Sir. But a messenger could carry it with no problem."

"But a messenger isn't you, and you are the one they will have to deal with in the future. It's a matter of trust. If they can't trust you now, with this show of good faith, then why should they trust you later?"

"I understand, Sir. very well. I'm ready to go."

All of that had been eight hours ago. Ives waited for a brief transmission on the radio in his office. Just a short code sign to let him know of Robins presence.

Unknown to him, far away a rumble began to come from under the earth. It was in a place called 'La Palma' in the Canary Islands. The volcano known as 'Cumbre Vieja' was coming to life. Many of the inhabitants had noticed the warning signs as much as a week before this night. They had already fled the island. Others paid it no mind at all. They paid for that mistake.

It was a small earthquake as those things go. Barely a 4.0. But it was enough. A massive section of the volcano's side sheared off and plunged into the ocean. The cold sea water poured into the newly formed carter and when it came into contact with the magma the result was more than any had ever imagined. The cold water hitting the molten lava simply caused the island to cease to exist. As a result of the explosion a tsunami of unbelievable size and power began to speed across the Atlantic Ocean.

Due to the way it happened, the devastation was more than anyone could have predicted. The state of Florida at it's highest point was still under two hundred feet above sea level. Only the central most portions survived inundation. The destruction continued unabated all the way up the east coast and across the Gulf region. The Cuban and Mexican troops trying to invade disappeared. Unfortunately many of the defenders along the Gulf coast died as well. They refused to pull back. They wanted to be sure the invading military didn't get a chance to put anyone on shore at the last moment.

In days gone by, it would have been easy for almost anyone and everyone who might be effected by the tsunami to be warned ahead of time. While this type of thing would cause loss of life, at least many of the people would be able to get out of the way in time. With the war, and damage already done to radio transmission receiving stations by other disasters, the eastern seaboard of the United States didn't stand a chance. It took nearly six hours for the tsunami to reach the east coast. As it happened it was high tide at the time when it hit, just after dawn.

Nobody ever believed that a wall of water hundreds feet high and traveling at about two hundred miles an hour, could possibly hit America. Even if something like that did happen, what could be done? Nothing man could build would be able to withstand such a force. Nothing did. Anything caught in the path of the tsunami ended up being either destroyed or washed out to sea as the water later receded.

The Russians had gotten a warning at nearly the last moment. They did what they could. Any cargo that would not enhance chances at survival, was dumped over the side to make room for more men and supplies. It took very little time for the men on the front to find out the truth. At first they were told their ships were only pulling out far enough to be safe, and then they would return later. As they picked up reports of the damage done in Africa and Europe, they doubted the ships would ever return. And in that case, why be left on a line that couldn't be held? Better to find a way to hop on board a ship. Even if someone else had to be thrown over to make room. Even as the men left the line, the first of the ships was already pulling out. Even if they had a chance of arriving before the last ones left, there wouldn't be room for them. As it was, with so many ships in a hurry to leave at the same time, the situation was made for accidents. In some cases ships never made it out of the harbor without hitting another ship. In others, they had waited just a little too long before leaving, and were capsized as the tsunami hit.

The result of men realizing they would be left behind, was nothing short of pure chaos. So many men were so close to the coast and it's ports that it was realized the only chance to survive was to head inland and up hill. Into the hands of their enemies, after they had abandoned all heavy weapons such as tanks and artillery, and many of the smaller ones. Men fleeing the wave were held back by those trying to make the outgoing ships. Many of them died still trying to find a way out of the tangle of men and machines. Many did make it at least part way inland and uphill. But by the time they tried to return they found the Americans had moved into the former Russian positions, and even beyond that. Given the way they had treated the Americans under their control, none of them believed that they could ever surrender. Units of men banded together and did their best to survive until they could work out a way north and out of the country. The fight would go on for a long time after Russia gave up on it's plan of conquest and pulled out what men they could. The losses just weren't worth it.

It was some where on the first day that Ives thought of Robins for the last time. He had gotten the signal that Robins had gotten through the lines and was soon to meet with his counterpart. That was half an hour before he heard of the incoming tsunami. Whatever happened to him, no longer mattered. The Russians wouldn't take him and leave one of their own behind. Since he was already behind their lines, the chances of him getting out alive weren't even measurable.

Ashley, Scott, Curtis and many others were quietly sitting on the ridge overlooking the Russian position, at the direction of Pastor David much as he had done on the day of the aborted gas attack. It became clear very shortly that the enemy was pulling out. And they were in a BIG hurry. Equipment was left sitting where it was. They weren't even posting any kind of rear guard against the Americans. They were simply leaving. At Scott's command the word went down the line. "Advance. And remember, only take high ground." Was all that was needed to be said. The line moved forward not only in their sector, but all along the front. The lines had shifted many miles to the east by the time the Russian forces started to return. The fight went on long into the night. With nowhere to go, and nothing to loose, most of the Russians fought to the last man. Many of the Americans wouldn't have it any other way. It was only a small number of units of men that managed to slip away from the fight. Without resupply and far from home, they wouldn't last long.

With the war all but over on the eastern boarder and the southeast gulf coast, once again everything changed. With the Russian threat all but gone, many of the people in the militias wanted nothing more than to return to their homes and start over again. Yet minds were changed almost at once when a surviving Russians attacked a small town and did just anything they wanted for hours, before packing up what they could carry and fading away into the wilderness. There was also the continuing concern of those who had taken to nothing short of highway banditry. The degree of lawlessness was worse than the days of the old west, with the Russians playing the part of the American outlaws. Scott and the militia stepped into the role of the cavalry nicely. He soon had the men running regular patrols throughout the area.

The shortages continued, and uncountable numbers of people were on the move. It soon fell to Scott to be able to provide safe passage for some, or provide for the defense of the area at the same time. On top of everything if he didn't allow passage, sooner or later it would be forced on him. He wasn't ready to start a civil war when the last war wasn't finished yet. The Chinese still controlled large areas in the west. He did the next best thing. He announced that because the area had been so close to the fighting and there was still a need for security, passage thought the area would be allowed on only two roads which passed from one side to the other side of the area. Anyone caught off those roads was subject the use of any force necessary, up and including the use of deadly force, in defense of the area.

Curtis was greatly overworked. People had heard how in some areas, things weren't quite as bad as in most of the country. In desperation, or just in search of something close to their old life, people were starting to migrate towards these areas. With many of them it wasn't hard to turn them away. Followers of any supremacy group were turned back. It didn't matter who they were. There were those who believed a person had to be a certain color to be saved. Curtis remembered one incident. The leader of one group was demanding entry into the area with the intent to remain permanently.

"So just who do you think you are, denying entry to one of God's chosen?"

"I'm the one charged with making the choice of who gets in, and who doesn't. And you haven't shown me any proof you are something special."

"Boy! I've got more right to be here than you do."

"Meaning what? Considering my parents are buried here and you just arrived, what gives you more right to be here than me?"

"Boy. Don't you argue with me. I'm one of God's chosen. And I will not be denied."

The man reached out and started to grab Curtis by the collar. Two things happened. First Curtis took hold of the mans arm and wrist and spun himself in a circle while holding on to it. The man went to his knees in pain, and it would have taken only one blow by Curtis to shatter his elbow. Curtis stopped before doing it.

"Son of Cain! Release me or feel the wrath of God."

"Son of Cain? What are you talking about?"

"You bare the mark of Cain in the color of your flesh. You are eternally lost. Now release me and let the true chosen people of God pass."

Curtis was having a hard time believing his ears.

The second thing that happened was that a number of those people with him started to move to help their leader. They found themselves looking down the barrels of several Russian AK-47 rifles, which had been left behind by the fleeing invaders.

"What are you doing?" One of them shouted. "You can't let that little ****** hurt him like that."

Lee smiled at the man. "You know what? You're right. He shouldn't hurt him like that." He looked over his shoulder. "Hey Curtis. Why don't you just go ahead and break his arm? I'll help if you want."

Curtis had run into many different types of people in his mission trips. He had met ones like this before.

"I wish you really knew what you were talking about."

"I do know what I'm talking about."

"You wish. Hasn't it ever occurred to you that all of Cains descendants died in the flood? If what you say is right, then what about Moses and his children? Remember this?

Num 12:1 ¶ And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

Ethiopians are black. If what you say is true, then none of Moses' descendants could be saved. Besides haven't you read?

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

1Ti 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

The Bible says 'all men'. Not just the ones you choose."

The group was turned away before anything else could happen. But they weren't the last to try to enter the area. Curtis would have laughed at another time, but he just felt too sorry for the people following that leader.

"Brother. I am the prophet of God." He had begun. "I know there are Christians here. That is why I've been led here. To welcome all of you into the family of God."

"Most of us have been in His family for a long time now."

"That's right. That is why He has sent me here. To show you all how to truly live according to His will. All you have to do is what everyone here has already done. Sign over all of your property to the ministry. We all live with all things in common as they did in the beginning of the church. God will bless you for supporting His work so generously in these evil times."

Pastor David happened to be there at that time and touched Curtis on the arm. Looking around and seeing the Pastor, Curtis stood aside, with a wave of his arm.

"Friend, what do you mean by 'THE profit of God'?"

"Exactly that. The Lord tells me what he wants his people to do, and I tell them. Just as Moses did."

"And you say you are the only one?"

"That's right."

"I see. Tell me if you share everything in common, who decides what goes where or to whom?"

"As the prophet, that is my responsibility."

"Friend, can God lie?"

"Of course not."

"Then how do you explain that God Himself says there are multiple prophets?

Amo 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

That is plural, not singular. If you believe you are the only one that God talks to, then your place is not here. And by the way, The Bible doesn't say the first word against having your own property. It's just when that property becomes too important that it becomes something else. Remember Job? He was loved by The Lord, and yet scripture says he was rich. There isn't anything wrong with private ownership of things. It's just how you use them that is important."


It was later in the evening, just before sun set, when Ashley, Scott, Curtis and some others were talking about it at Mrs. Campbell's home.

"I will never understand why so many people out there think that they are the only ones hearing from God. Especially when you listen to them long enough, and you realize they aren't following what The Bible teaches at all. They just pick and choose parts to believe in, instead of believing the whole book." Curtis was saying.

"Curtis, I've been preaching for thirty years, and I have never found a satisfactory answer to that question." Pastor David shook his head. " I guess I'll never know why some people believe that The God of justice is really The God of 'just us'."

Ashley was sitting to one side and resting her hands on her continually swelling abdomen. She wasn't being ignored, she had chosen that chair for the sake of her own comfort. Scott sat beside her.

"It would have to be because of ego, wouldn't it?"

"How do you mean?"

"I guess everyone wants to feel special. Like they are one of a kind, or part of a special group. So they pick the parts of The Bible that support their position and down play the rest. That way they can feel special to themselves. Don't you think?"

"I think that is about the best answer I've ever heard. Especially when you remember that self-inflated ego is what caused the fall of Satan." David looked over at Scott. "So have you got any ideas about what to do now that being a Christian is illegal? I mean what about the defense of this area?"

"Well, so far it has been just a matter of putting out a perimeter and keeping non-Christians out. But Ives is arming everyone he can and sending them into the areas the Russians used to control salvaging whatever they can find. They all seem to want to pass though here."

The Sheriff, who was almost ready to give up his crutches and resume most of his duties, spoke up.

"What about the non-Christians who show up and want to stay around for a while?"

"They aren't too much of a problem. Mainly they just want to get into the former Russian camps and grab whatever they can before someone else does. They don't have any interest in hanging around here. They just want to get what they can and get home with it. I imagine it is pretty much the same way out west, now that the Chinese have left to avoid the same thing happening to them as it did to the Russians."

Scott glanced over at Ashley, and saw that once again, she had that far-away look in her eye, and didn't even seem to be in the same room.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"What? Oh. Help me up, Honey. I need to show all of you something."

She really didn't need the help, but Scott was happy to provide it anyway.

"Come with me." Was all she said, and walked out the front door. The men and Mrs. Campbell joined her outside on the front porch. "Pastor, do you remember saying that The Lord has chosen this valley as a place of refuge?"

"Yes. Of course."

"Take a look and tell me what you see." She pointed towards the horizon. Everyone joined him as he looked. They couldn't believe their eyes. On a ridge line several miles away they saw what had to be an angel. He was standing with his back to them, but he stood taller than the trees all around him. Belted to his waist was a sword.

"Sweetheart. I think your job just got a lot easier." Ashley put her arms around him, and her belly pressed against his back.

"So, I guess it's all but over then." He said.

"No. It's not. The Lord said that we are going to be a place of refuge, but not everyone who needs a place to stay is here yet. We have to be watching for them." She answered.

"Yeah. I reacon that makes sense. But it sure is comforting to see him standing there."

"I know what you mean. I guess...oh." Ashley stopped as the baby within her started to move. To her it was as if even the child was cheered by the sight.

Scott felt the baby move against his back. He turned and smiled at her. "Maybe we should get you back inside and sitting down."

She didn't protest as he took her arm and walked her back into the house. As they sat down she spoke to him again. "You know what I want?"

"What's that?"

"Tomorrow, I'd like to go back to the place we first met. Do you think we could?"

"Sure. There isn't any danger of the Russians shooting at us. And with our friend out there on the ridge, I don't think we'll have any trouble from anyone else. Why don't we do it first thing in the morning?"

"I'd like that. We met in the morning anyway."


The next morning the two of them were in Ashley's car driving up the road that led to the camping spot where she and her parents had spent time together, what seemed like a lifetime ago. They stopped just down the road from it, because while the car had momentum going down hill, Scott was afraid it wouldn't make it all the way up the hill, over the sandy road. It was cool, but pleasent as they walked towards the spot. They talked about the future and what they might expect in the days ahead. Scott was the first one to see the car parked in almost the identical spot where he had first met Ashley.

"You stay here, and I'll check it out." He told her.

"Scott, didn't you say that with the angels out there watching out for us we didn't have anything to worry about?"

"Well, yeah I did."

"Then I'm going with you." With that announcement, she took his arm and together they walked to the car.

As they got close, they could see there was a young woman inside, with the windows rolled up. She was sleeping.

Scott smiled. "Now this looks familiar."

Ashley rubbed her hand over her stomach and grinned back at him. "Maybe so, but all things considered, I think this time I'll do the knocking on the window."