Strengthen What Remains (Book 2): A Time to Endure Read Free

in the lead, the three of them headed out. “Stay low along this fence. The
tall grass will hide us.”
    As
they neared the stream bed two army jeeps, followed by a flatbed truck, rumbled
down the highway. Zach watched through gaps in the grass as they slowed and
turned down the little road toward the farm. “Head for the gully and hide,” he
whispered.   
    Maria
raced ahead and disappeared down the bank. Moments later Zach climbed down the
rocky embankment to the water and looked for Maria, but couldn’t find her. The
man was the last to reach the stream. The rising ground on both sides
restricted their view but, hopefully, also concealed them. As the vehicles
approached, the two males splashed across the creek and crouched against the
bank nearest the road.
    When
only the sound of the distant battle disturbed the quiet, they relaxed. For the
first time since leaving the house they were free to stand erect. Zach looked
downstream wondering where Maria was when he heard splashes behind him. Turning
he saw her, soaked up to her hips, coming out of the dark culvert upstream.
    As
she came toward them, the man stood and stretched to his full height, wincing
as he did.
    Zach
grinned at the sight. “I overheard Maria’s name when you were talking back at
the house. What’s your name?” He resisted the urge to end the sentence with,
‘old guy.’
    The
man caught his smile and said flatly, “Westmore.” Then he seemed to look more
intently at the young man, as if evaluating him. “Trevor Westmore.”
    The
boy smiled. “I’m Zach Brennon.”
    Trevor
nodded. “I’ve seen you and your sister fishing this stream and trading in the
town market.”
    He
stomach grumbled. He hadn’t eaten today. “There’s been no food in the stores
for weeks. We catch, eat and trade fish to get by.”
    “I
know,” Trevor said. “We’re all just trying to get by.”
    Maria
hurried along the muddy bank toward the site of the shooting. The two men
followed as gunfire echoed across the valley.
    After
walking several hundred yards in silence, Zach turned to Trevor. “I heard Maria
mention two guys, Caden and David. Who are they?”
    “Caden
is my son and the commander of the National Guard armory in Hansen. Maria is
his…friend…good friend. David is the XO.”
    Zach
watched Maria trudge through the mud and freezing water twenty yards ahead of
them and picked up his own pace.
    “So
why is the army shooting at the Guard?”
    The
old guy sighed deeply and seemed to consider the question as they walked on.
Finally he said, “People in our own government and other countries are using
the terrorist attacks to seize political and economic power.”
    Zach
wasn’t sure what economic power was, but said, “And your son is trying to stop
them?”
    “As
best he can, yes, along with others.”
    The
boy mulled it over. It seemed to him the old man was saying people at the other
end of the country and foreigners were trying to tell them what to do. He
didn’t like that idea, but he wasn’t even old enough to vote. As he walked
along the stream bank he wondered what he could do to help, but nothing came to
mind.  
    As
they rounded the next bend in the stream the culvert under the highway came
into view. He tensed as he remembered the shooting. Then his gut wrenched tight
as the growl of many trucks filled the air.
    The
three hid side-by-side in the bramble and weeds as the roar reached a crescendo
on the road just a couple of feet above them.

 

Chapter Four
    The trucks rumbled by in a seemingly endless
procession. The noise made it difficult to talk, Zach scooted close to Maria. “The
two were shot just on the other side of the culvert.”
    “I’ve got to see them. I’ve got to know….” Slowly
she moved forward.
    Watching her, Trevor nodded and then followed her
into the darkness of the tunnel.
    Zach held his breath. The soldiers were just a few
feet from them on the road. With an inward sigh he eased from the concealment
of the