“Alright, lets coordinate that. Over” Bob said, ending the conversation with his son.
Adam handed the radio back to Ian.
“Thank you, sir. He wants to talk to you now.”
“Bob, this Ian. Over.”
“Ian, this is Bob. Thank you for rescuing the boys. Now, I have something for you.”
Mary noticed that Bob didn’t say ‘over.’ She shrugged at Ian.
“Dad?” Grace’s voice came across the radio.
Ian’s mouth opened at the sound of his daughter’s voice. “Grace! Grace! Is that you? Over”
“Yes Dad, it’s me. I’m okay. Anna is with me. We’re at Bob’s”
Ian tried to push down the grapefruit sized lump in his throat. He fought to keep his composure at the sound of his daughter’s voice.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. How did you get there? Is your Mom with you? Over,” he fired off two questions at once. A tear formed at his eyes.
There was a pause on the transmission.
“Dad, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you later. And, no, she’s still at home. We have been in a bunker over night and this is the first two-way call we’ve made or heard. She can hear me on the two-way; we talked briefly yesterday. Over.”
“But, do you know if she’s okay? I mean, the last time you talked to her, she was okay, right? Over.”
“Yeah, she was. But, Dad, something has changed. She told me she was changing the plan. Dad, she’s coming to find me. Over.”
CHAPTER 15
Leah Burrows enjoyed her last cup of tea on her back deck while watching the sunrise. She was saying goodbye to the things in her life that used to matter.
She and Ian had built this house, doing a lot of the work themselves. But, she knew that it was more important to get to Grace, and hopefully Ian, if she went to find them.
Leah and Amy had heard a conversation on the short-wave radio between Dukes and Birmingham Bob that Ian was alive and that Grace was with Bob. She had been lucky to talk to her daughter briefly the day before, but Grace had been pulled into a bunker at Bob’s and she had not heard from her since.
That is, until she took her last sip of tea. Leah’s two-way radio had been on scan. She would pick up pieces of conversations and then the radio would scan to the next channel, looking for an active broadcast. She had almost dismissed the scanning as background white noise, that is until she heard Grace’s voice and that she said the word, ‘Dad.’
Leah waited for the conversation between Grace and Ian to finish. She couldn’t hear Ian’s side of the transmission since he was so much further away, but she could hear all of Grace’s side.
“Tardis Blue, this is Momma B, over,” she said, keying the microphone.
“Momma B! Thank God! This is Tardis Blue, I just talked to Dad! Over,” the excitement in Grace’s voice brought tears to Leah’s eyes.
“I heard your side of the conversation, Tardis Blue, but he is too far for me to receive his transmission. Over.”
“Are you still changing the plan? Are you still coming to get me? Over,” Grace asked, she needed clarification as to what to do next.
“Tardis Blue, that is affirmative. Over.” Leah had the Rover packed and just needed to know where to go to find her daughter.
“Momma B, hold. Bull’s-Eye can hear me and wants to talk with Bob, and then have me relay a message to you. Over.” She used the code name for her father.
Leah smiled that her husband was now involved. “Affirmative. Over.” She had no idea what he could orchestrate for her or how he could help. She didn’t even know how he got to where he was physically. She had been amazed at his ability to do things, and secretly felt that if anyone could survive what was happening, it would be her husband.
Grace keyed her radio. “Momma B, Bull’s-Eye wants to know if you are being threated by Freakers? Over.”
Leah had not expected that question, but it was her husband way caring for her the only way he could. “Tardis Blue, affirmative. Had to eliminated three yesterday. Over,” she said, sadness rung in her voice.
Grace thought about what her mother had just said. She had shot people as well. This new world sucks! Grace relayed the message to her father and waited on a response.
“He agrees that you should change the plan, Momma B. He’s changing course to meet us here, at Bob’s. He thinks you should come here, too. He also says that you should not use the Rover, it will make you a target. Over,” she said, not believing that her parents were deviating from what they had prepared for all of these years. She also couldn’t believe that her father was advising that her mother go out alone.
“Tardis Blue, tell Bob I just need to know where to go. Over.” She never flinched at the idea of going out alone and without the Rover. Even though she could make it, the roads were most likely blocked and an operating car would draw attention to herself. She could move quickly on foot and would take Daisy for extra protection. She agreed with her husband.
“Momma B. do you remember my first barn,” Grace spoke code that only she and her mother would know. The reference was to the first barn where Grace took horseback riding lessons; it was about 10 miles from their house and over 30 miles away from Birmingham.
“Affirmative, over.”
“Bob’s oldest son, Joshua will meet you there at noon tomorrow to take you the next rest of the way. Over.”
There was a pause while Grace knew that her mother was formulating a response. Grace knew what her mother’s next question would be, and she also knew how she was going to answer the question. Finally, she knew that both of her parents could hear her…and they would not agree with what she was about to say.
“Tardis Blue, how will I know Joshua? Over.”
“Momma B, you will know Joshua because I’m going with him.”
CHAPTER 16
This is a broadcast of the Emergency Alert System and an official broadcast from the Government of the United States of America. Broadcasting on all frequencies and all bands. Please stand by for an announcement from the President of the United States of America.
“My fellow Americans, this is the President of the United States. Two days ago, forces from the People’s Republic of China deliberately attacked the United States and the country of Canada.
At 5:45 PM Eastern Standard Time, two Chinese satellites, illegally harboring nuclear weapons, detonated at approximately 250 miles above US and Canadian airspace. The two resulting explosions in our atmosphere created what is known as an EMP, or Electromagnetic Pulse. This weapon effectively crippled a majority of the domestic power grid and rendered useless most commercial, industrial and many military electronic devices. The radius of the EMP covered most populated areas of Canada, the USA and northern parts of Mexico and plunged us all into chaos.
Approximately five minutes after the detonation of the two EMP devices, the government of the PRC crossed all moral, human and legal boundaries by detonating two atomic weapons on the grounds of a country that was in a state of peace. These two detonations destroyed the great American cities of Chicago and Atlanta. This willing and overtly heinous act of evil ended the lives of over twelve million American wives, husbands, sons and daughters.
Thankfully, our intelligence community was able to find and render useless two other atomic weapons intended for use in the cities of New York and Washington, DC. These acts saved tens of millions of American lives, and I am eternally grateful for the service provided by these brave men and women.”
Unfortunately, this was a short-lived victory, as I am angry to report that today, forces from China have begun a systematic and immoral invasion of our homeland. They are concentrating their forces through major port cities and are deploying the use of Sarin gas to eradicate Americans that stand in their way.
Effective immediately, I am ordering an evacuation of all citizens from the cities of: Mobile, Alabama. New Orleans, Louisiana. Galveston, Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas, San Diego, California, Los Angeles, California and Se
attle, Washington.
If you are located in these cities, for your own safety, leave now and head further inland. American forces are engaging the invaders at these port cities. I repeat, leave these cities, now!
Let me be very clear with what I am about to say. The United States of America will not back down from these acts of unprovoked, illegal, and evil acts of aggression. As the President of the United States, now acting with full Congressional support, I have signed a declaration of war against the country of the People’s Republic of China and any countries that stand with China.
Effective immediately, I have declared a State of Emergency for the entire United States. I have also ordered the armed forces of the United States into a defensive position against these invaders. Make no mistake, these forces are on your side, but, during a State of Emergency, these forces have incredible leeway and authority to bring about order and stability by using powers at their discretion.
The USA is a great country that leads the world in achievements, ideas, technology, social order and good will. We will push back these aggressors that choose to challenge our God given right to be a free society, and we will rise again as the best country in the world!
We are Americans, children of God and this is our homeland. We will survive this unprovoked attack and we will prevail in this war. History will know this time in our lives as the greatest challenge that has ever faced our nation. We will show history, and those that doubt our resolve, that Americans are tough, full of tenacity and willing to do what is necessary to defend the American Way.
As your leader and your fellow citizen of this great country, I am asking that if you have the ability to defend against these invaders, I urge you to rise up and fight…fight with every fiber of your being. Fight them with your intelligence. Fight them with your freedoms. Fight them with your ability to choose liberty. Fight them until no American remains to fight!
My fellow Americans, we will win! We will make our stand right here and right now! Our enemies have awoken a mighty warrior with flaming swords that burn with fervor and resilience. I say again…we…will…win!
May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.”
This has been a broadcast of the Emergency Alert System and an official broadcast from the Government of the United States of America. Broadcasting on all frequencies and all bands. Please stay tuned to learn how to receive local information about your area or state.
Dukes slid away from the radio speaker and looked at his wife and daughter. Clay, the Fire Chief’s son, and Penny’s boyfriend, had joined them after getting into a firefight with a roving gang of looters; where the Chief was shot and killed.
“What does all that mean?” Penny asked her father.
“Well, under a State of Emergency the President and Congress are granted broader powers to implement decisions quickly. Once the State of Emergency is enacted, the states of the US enact their own State of Emergency. Unfortunately, citizens lose Constitutional rights during the State of Emergency.”
“Is that why the President warned us about our own military?” Clay asked.
“I think so, yes,” he answered timidly.
“So,” June ventured, “we are now a military state?”
Dukes shook his head at what they were all saying. “Yeah, we are. For all intents and purposes, the military will be the police, the judge and the executioner if necessary. Our rules of law have been taken away from us. The President is a dictator as far as everyone is concerned.”
“It’s not supposed to be like that, is it Daddy?” Penny asked.
“No, it’s not, honey. I fear that the United States of America may never be the same again!”
To be continued…
The Worst Case Scenario Series
Book 3: Invasion
Acknowledgments
Family and my relationship with God are the two most important things in my life. I would like to acknowledge that without the beauty and insight that my family brings, I would not have the inspiration to write.
Also, as I have mentioned in all of my other books, I know that my talent and passion to write is derived from a source that does not wholly belong to me. It belongs to God, and I hope that I am using it to His glory.
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More books by G. Allen Mercer
Underlying Grace Series
Have you ever questioned what God might have in store for your life? In this work of fiction, Neil Abrams and his family find themselves in the crossroads of this very question. The Underlying Grace series is action, questions and belief all rolled into compelling stories about the will to survive…and thrive!
Book 1: Underlying Grace
Book 2: Mighty To Save
Worst Case Scenario Series:
This brand new action adventure series follows Ian, Leah and Grace Burrows after the unthinkable has happened; a foreign country has detonated nuclear bombs on US soil in and has launched an invasion force.
Their family is prepared for almost any emergency, but they never imagined that they would actually face their worst case scenario; a massive attack on America while the family is spread apart from each other.
Worst Case Scenario: Book 1
Worst Case Scenario: Book 2 Bug Out
Worst Case Scenario: Book 3 Invasion
Justin Flowers and the Orb of Time: (Re-release Summer 2015) – Young Adult
Justin descends from a family of time travelers, but he has no idea of his talents or of his family tree. But, with the chance discovery of a time key and a well-timed wish, Justin is thrust into a world where evil is plotting to change time, and he is the only person that can stop it!
Bug Out Page 7