Read Online After the Republic by Frank L. Williams - Free Book Online

for other things we may need.”
    Joshua furiously scribbled every item Bob mentioned onto a piece of scrap paper he found in the barn. “Anything else?”
    “Every bit of cash you can get your hands on, although it may not be worth anything soon. Let’s take a look around your barn and see if we need to take anything else you have.”
    The sound of frantic cackling filled the barn as they approached a small, caged area near the back. Bob pointed at the chickens. “They go, and we’ll need wire to build a coop.”
    “I’m assuming we should we take the cows, too?” Joshua asked.
    “Yes. Correct. And we’ll need fencing for them.”
    Joshua scribbled on his list as Bob went into to the next room. Kane silently followed them while Reagan explored the barn.
    “What are these?” Bob pointed at small, dust-covered paper pouches stacked on shelving along the wall.
    “Seeds,” Joshua answered. “Sweet corn. Cucumbers. Tomatoes. Watermelon. Green beans. Peas--”
    “They all go,” Bob said. “And if you have it, we’ll need a way to preserve food, even if we do not have electricity.”
    “You mean like canning supplies?”
    “Affirmative. How do you plan to transport all of this?”
    “That’s a good question,” Joshua answered. “We’ll be stuffing our personal items into Rebecca’s SUV and pulling our trailer behind it. We could take my old farm truck if I had someone to drive it, but I’m not leaving Rebecca alone in the SUV.”
    Bob turned to Kane. “Martin, you’re driving Mr. Winston’s farm truck and pulling his cattle trailer. Get started loading the truck.”
    “Yes, sir!” Kane immediately began loading the truck, not muttering a word as he worked.
    “Let’s talk logistics,” Bob said. “We need to get from here to there undetected. And once we get there, we need to stay off the grid. The fewer people who know where we are, the better. Speaking of people, who is going with us?”
    “Six families and one individual in addition to you, Kane, Rebecca and me.”
    “How do you know these people?”
    “Some through work, some through politics, others through church. And some indirectly through others who are going.”
    “Who are they?”
    “Thomas, who owns the property, and his wife and kids.”
    “What does he do?”
    “A little bit of everything. He grew up on a farm and has been involved in everything from construction to real estate to land development.”
    “Who else?”
    “Jim Davidson. He was a pastor at a church I once attended and works for a non-profit ministry. He’s an outdoorsman who hunts and fishes.”
    “Who else?”
    “Drew Thompson. Drew worked at the legislature for the Speaker of the House.”
    Bob cocked an eyebrow. “What does he bring to the table?”
    Joshua cringed. “I’m not going to leave him out to dry. Hopefully, my best friend Perry and his wife will be joining us.”
    “Hopefully?”
    Joshua fought back a tear. “They were here Thursday night when the bomb went off in Raleigh. Unfortunately, their two children were supposed to be in downtown Raleigh. Perry and Caroline left to go look for their kids, and we have not seen or heard from them since.”
    “Hmmm. Who else?”
    “Let’s see. We have a Marine veteran who makes his living as a firearms instructor--”
    “Excellent!” Bob grinned broadly.
    “Assuming Perry and Caroline make it we have someone who works in finance, a computer software engineer, a nurse, a teacher, a business consultant, someone who works in IT and a former deputy sheriff.”
    “How well do you know these people?”
    “Some better than others, but I believe everyone on the list is trustworthy and will do their part. There will be some kids in the group as well.”
    Bob audibly groaned at Joshua’s mention of children. “Everyone in the group needs to have clear instructions tomorrow. We don’t need to draw attention to ourselves. We must get from here to the mountains as quietly as possible. And when we get