by Jordan Ervin
“Okay,” she said, wiping the tears away, only to cry again as she looked back down at her brother. Eric started to speak again, but Alexandra held up a hand and nodded, leaning down and whispering her final words to her brother. “I love you.” She took a deep breath and exhaled, holding the radio out in front of her and quickly navigating to the root menu. “Alright, I can type the codes as we walk.”
“No,” Eric said as he unholstered his sidearm, picked up his bulging bag, and began to lead the way back to the entry door. “You’ll type as we run.”
Sarah Reinhart stirred from her slumber and slowly opened her reddened eyes. The glowing horizon glistened upon the unforgiving tears that swelled beneath both her irises. She quietly regarded Fort Bragg through the large window; the military base itself was the source of the night’s illumination, lighting the sky with the fires that burned within its borders. The occasional explosion brightened the darkness, followed a few seconds later by a muted rumble.
Sarah twirled Eva and Grace’s hair around and around in circles, both their heads resting quietly on her lap. Despite the shock of their perilous flight, the girls had fallen asleep shortly after Eric had charged back out into the dark. She looked away from the glass window and glanced at the others in the room. It was silent, save Rick and Judi’s quiet conversation by the office entrance. Rick held a rifle at the ready—his eyes on the entrance should anyone save Eric attempt to enter their temporary safe haven. Eric had radioed a while back, telling them that he was about to enter a mall. Sarah had fallen asleep shortly after, though her mind drifted to eye-opening nightmares the moment it descended into the dream world. Even with all the problems that faced her in the here and now, Sarah couldn’t stop thinking about Adam. They had no idea what had actually transpired in DC—or Fort Bragg, for that matter. All Sarah knew was that she was hopelessly lost without knowing what happened to her husband.
A battery-powered fan oscillated on the desk next to her, drying the damp pages of her leather-bound Bible. It seemed a lifetime since Adam had given it to her. While others typically replaced a Bible every so often for something new and different, Sarah had held on to the book for nearly eighteen years—caring for it and treating it as her greatest earthly possession. She knew and loved its pages like she knew and loved her family. For years she had prayed for Adam to return to God, never letting her frustration get in the way of loving him. For Sarah, her husband’s transition over the previous months had been a monumental answer to prayer. Still, she couldn’t help but feel anxiety as she sat there—staring at the old book as she thought of him. Despite everything Adam had committed himself to since Joe’s death, the foundation of his priorities had always been rooted in the safety of his family.
Only one thing would keep him from coming back, she thought silently as her mind began to float again. Only one thing…
She fought down the suffocating knot that began to climb in her throat, pulling one hand away from Grace’s head so she could wipe the new tears away and grab the Bible. Its pages were now dry, though a bit stiff compared to before. She held the Bible as though it were the one thing within a few hundred miles that could soothe her. She had always rested comfortably in the fact that she could count on Adam to look out for her. Twenty-four hours earlier—an eternity with everything that had occurred—Sarah had awakened with the hopes that Adam would finally win out over Lukas and finish his quest to save America. Now, as the sun was on the verge of rising and casting shadows across a dark new world, she found herself stranded with her children, her in-laws, Elizabeth, and Eric—a rag-tag group of refugees fleeing what had nearly become their smoldering tombs.
“Can’t sleep?”
Elizabeth’s voice drew Sarah’s eyes. She looked up at Elizabeth and smiled, shaking her head to answer the older woman. Elizabeth stood there quietly, smiling down at Sarah for a moment as she held two mugs with steam rising from the top.
“How long was I out?” Sarah asked.
“A couple hours,” Elizabeth said. “Not long enough, if you ask me.”
“I’ll be fine,” Sarah said softly, stifling a yawn as she did so.
“You’re a terrible liar, Mrs. Reinhart,” Elizabeth said as she held out one of the mugs. “Just like that husband of yours. I can’t quite understand how a man as honest and innocent as Adam Reinhart ever managed to make a life in politics.”
“Some people still prefer an honest politician,” Sarah said, slowly lowering the girls to the floor. She set her Bible back on the table and leaned up against the desk before taking the mug.
“If you say so,” Elizabeth replied kindly, adjusting a snowy scarf that hung from her neck. “Well, I suppose tonight isn’t really the sort of night that rest comes easily.”
“No,” Sarah began, “it sure isn’t.”
“I couldn’t find coffee,” Elizabeth began, “but I did find some blueberry pomegranate tea stashed in the back of a desk, and lucky for us, the backup generators haven’t quit on us yet. I’m quite partial to the drink of queens myself. I might even sneak some of those adrenaline shots Eric has to give it a little extra kick.”
“Thanks Elizabeth,” Sarah said quietly. “You’re pretty good at this.”
“Good at what, darling?”
“Brightening a dark room.” Sarah lifted the mug, holding it tightly and fighting a quiver at her lip as she sipped. “Taking my mind off the fact that my kids and I might very well die tomorrow.”
“Well honey, anyone might very well die on any given tomorrow,” Elizabeth said, glancing down at the two girls who slept peacefully. “Doesn’t take a war to make that true. But you’re tough; you’ll make it and so will your children. Those kids sure were troopers tonight.”
“Yes they were,” Sarah said as she looked down at her daughters with a smile. “Yes they were.”
“Care if we join?” Rick asked as he and Judi approached silently. “Judah said he wanted to watch the door until Eric gets back.”
“You think that’s wise?” Sarah asked, failing to suppress the concern in her voice.
“He’s not a kid anymore,” Rick replied as he grabbed chairs for Elizabeth and Judi. “He’s more than capable to keep a good eye out for us. Besides, I highly doubt we’ll have anyone climbing that many flights of stairs just to knock on our door after a night like last night.”
“I agree,” Elizabeth said. “I must say, that Judah of yours sure was lookin’ out for his girls tonight. You raised a strong kid, Sarah Reinhart.”
Sarah glanced over at the door near the far side of the room where Judah sat quietly. He held his rifle in front of him—lowered though clearly ready to raise if needed. It was strange, seeing him sit there quietly with a weapon of death. He looked every bit a grown soldier. Judah had watched over Eva and Grace like a hawk from the moment they climbed out of that pool to the minute they had closed their eyes on the top floor of the small tower in downtown Fayetteville.
“He’s too eager for his own good,” Sarah said. “He practically begged Eric to let him go and help.”
“It’s only natural for him to want to go,” Rick said. “I’m sure this is still somewhat of an adventure to him. Teenagers his age should be sneaking out after dark, wrappin’ their neighbor’s trees and bushes with a dozen rolls of toilet paper. Hell, men my age should be giving him pointers on nonsense like that, not instructing him on the schools of thought between burst shot and automatic fire.” Rick took off his hat and shook his head, anger lining his face as he hesitated. “I’m…sorry, Sarah.”
“For what?”
“For a shitty legacy,” Rick replied angrily. “This is what we leave them: nothing but a worthless contribution that his generation will remember us by. We were given every opportunity to make this world a better place; instead, we filled our days with bigger houses and newer things. Now, that’s all gone and we have nothin’ to give them but a war on the home front. I’m sorry, but it makes me sick. Truly does.”
“That’s still no excu
se for him to want to run off and join that war,” Sarah replied. “He doesn’t need to prove anything. He’s still just a boy.”
“And I’m just a simple man, trying to enjoy retirement on the road” Rick replied with a frown.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that boy isn’t a boy anymore, just like I’m no simple man,” Rick said. “I hate to say it, but times like these make us all grow old real fast.”
“Well, he’s still our Judah, war or no war,” Judi said with a loving smile as she massaged the makeshift shoes they had constructed out of duct tape, leather, and cloth to cover her blackened, blistering feet. “And they’re still our little girls. Whatever happens, they’ll always be our babies. I’d die to save them.”
“As would I,” Rick replied gravely. “As would I.”
“Regardless, he’s a strong young man,” Elizabeth said. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“He’ll be fine when we find more inhalers,” Sarah said. “The doctors said he’d be over his asthma by the time he was a teenager, but he just turned seventeen and it still creeps up on him every now and then. We only have one and I hate having to ration his medication.”
“Well, he did alright tonight,” Elizabeth said.
“And thank God for that,” Sarah replied.
“I already have,” Elizabeth replied with a smile. “Seventeen, you say? You must have had him young.”
“That’s quite the understatement,” Sarah said with a chuckle as she glanced at Rick and Judi. She took another sip of tea before setting the mug aside. “Adam and I married young. I say young, though I should say really young.”
“I still remember the night you two met,” Judi said. “He came home one night singing Ave Maria and going on about how he’d met the girl of his dreams. It only took five or six months for him to propose, if I remember correctly.”
“Well I remember you telling him not to mess it up,” Sarah said, a smile touching her weary eyes. “You two were pretty enthusiastic about us. Now my parents…not so much. They were pretty against the idea of marrying while in college.”
“Are your parents still alive?” Elizabeth asked.
“No. They died in a wreck about ten years ago,” Sarah replied.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s fine,” Sarah said, turning to her in-laws. “Rick and Judi have always been there for me. I was married, pregnant with a honeymoon baby, and had Judah all before I was twenty.” Sarah paused, fighting back another urge to begin crying. “You know, I’m only thirty five. I’ve known life with Adam almost as long as I’ve known life without him.” Sarah fought back the tears that formed again, their saltiness stinging her tender cheeks. She took a deep breath and a long drink. “I can’t imagine going on without him.”
Judi sat down next to Sarah and held her hand as she struggled against the impulse to weep.
“Well I for one pray that man is still with us,” Elizabeth said with a grin, a warm and loving smile that somewhat soothed Sarah. Eventually, the older woman raised her eyebrows and stared down into her mug with a devious look on her face. “After all, he is a mighty fine lookin’ man if I do say so myself.”
“I beg your pardon,” Judi said with a playful chuckle. “My son is a married man.”
“Oh, I know he’s off the market,” Elizabeth said with a wry smirk. “Besides, my heart belongs to another.”
“And who might that be?” Judi asked.
“None of your business,” Elizabeth replied with a grin before turning back to Sarah. “You know, when I first met Adam Reinhart, I could tell he was a passionate man. He had a fire for justice in his heart, but I won’t lie—I could tell there was a little something else besides that flame. Yes, I could see he loved his family, but I also saw a darkness in him. Not a created creation of his, mind you. Rather, it was an absence of light, like a void of some sorts. He was lost and needed what he had let go of long ago. As great of a man as he may have been, I’ve noticed a shift in him during the little time I’ve known him.”
“What do you mean?” Sarah asked.
“I mean your husband isn’t just a great man anymore. He’s on the verge of becoming a good man. Now whatever has happened to your husband, know that he will always be a good man in my eyes, and for a man like that to have won your heart speaks volumes to your character as a woman.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Judi agreed.
“Thank you,” Sarah said quietly. “All of you.”
Elizabeth paused, looking over at Rick and Judi, before glancing back down at Sarah. “But I want you to know that if…something has happened to him, it’ll still be okay. I know there is strength in the Reinhart family because I know God is in the Reinhart family. Remember that, no matter what happens. Remember that you all can and will continue life without him.”
Sarah smiled back at the older woman, thankful for her words of encouragement, before looking back out the window at the burning base. She thought about Adam; she thought about nearly eighteen years of love and joy. She reminisced about the time they had spent with each other, even on the run over the past few months. She had cherished every moment with him and loved watching him grow as a man, especially during those past few weeks while she witnessed her husband rekindling his love for God.
God, please, she prayed quietly to herself. Let him be alive. Bring him home to me.
The soft knocking on the door immediately pulled her attention away from her prayer. Rick stood up quickly, raising the rifle and pointing it at the door. Judah was already on his feet, raising his gun as well.
“It’s Eric,” a muffled voice said through the door.
Sarah rose as quickly as she could without waking the girls. Judah grabbed the knob and twisted, opening the door. Sarah’s eyes widened as a girl entered the room beside Eric. He held his arm around the teenage girl in a very fatherly manner, introducing her to the others.
“Alexandra, these are my friends. This is Sarah and her son, Judah. These two are Rick and Judi and that’s the sweet old lady I told you about, Elizabeth. You’re safe now. We won’t let anything else happen to you.” Eric looked up from the girl, a look of pain on his face that instructed all to remain silent. “Everyone, this is Alexandra. We’re going to help her out for a while. Elizabeth, why don’t you take Alexandra? Get her something to eat from our supplies. I’ll be right there.”
Elizabeth nodded and guided the young girl across the room. Eric’s gaze followed the girl for a few seconds until she was out of earshot.
“Her dad was at the base tonight,” Eric said, shifting his eyes back to Sarah and the others. “He was a security contractor. There’s no way he made it.”
“Why bring her here?” Rick asked coldly.
“Rick!” Judi said quickly. “How can you be so callous?”
“It’s the way things are, Judi,” Rick said defensively. “I don’t like it, but it is what it is. We can’t take everyone that might need help.”
“But you saw her,” Judi argued, “She would—”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Reinhart, but Rick’s right,” Eric said. “If we take every scared kid we find, we’ll likely have a school of them within a few days. And Rick, I didn’t want to bring her, but I couldn’t just leave her there by herself.”
“What happened?” Sarah asked.
“Her twin brother had just been murdered by a few men,” Eric replied. “And by murdered I mean shot dead, right in front of her.”
“My God,” Sarah whispered, fighting back a flood of emotion that swept over her as she thought about the girl. “Does she…is there any other family nearby?”
“Her mom is in Europe,” Eric replied. “She says she has family out in Arkansas, but she hasn’t said much else. I had no choice. A girl that young, that desperate, and that attractive wouldn’t—”
“You did the right thing,” Sarah interjected. Eric nodded his head, though he continued to avoid eye contact. After a few moments of
silence, he slowly pulled out a radio from his bag and cleared his throat.
“While we jogged, I managed to get some news about what’s going on.” His eyes finally rose to look at Sarah, Judah, Rick, and Judi. “You all might want to have a seat.”
Sarah sat back and held her son’s hand in silence, this time failing to fight back the tears that came with Eric’s news. Eric had listened in on military chatter for about ten minutes before tuning into a station called the Imperium Radio Network. Though the news was still trickling in, a few things had been made clear by whomever it was broadcasting from New York. Lukas Chambers was still in charge. The reports said he had dissolved the United States and a battle had taken place in DC, a battle that the news network claimed had been a triumphant victory for the new Imperium. Lukas’ forces had repelled the American army and removed every politician who didn’t kneel to him after the speech. Though they had yet to reveal an entire list of the dead, the two names they had disclosed were David Malcovich and Adam Reinhart.
“No,” Sarah mumbled. “You’re wrong. He can’t be—”
“I’m sorry, Sarah,” Eric said, putting his hand on Sarah’s shoulder. “I know they’ve got to be spinning everything for Lukas, but there were even sporadic reports from HAM radio operators out of Norfolk that a battle had been fought up in DC. Whoever invaded DC to stop Lukas lost everything and everyone up there.”
Sarah tried to argue through the sobs that Adam could have lived, but Eric powered on the tiny LED screen and revealed the images that had been broadcast of DC. The Capitol Building was completely in ruins and the city itself burned as brightly and hotly as Fort Bragg.
“We’ll stay here through today and leave in eight hours,” Eric said after a pause. “I’ll go find Elizabeth and tell her the news. I’m sorry. I really am. He was a good man and…I just wish I could have been there for him.”
