The Resolution Read Free Page B

for you from some villainous scumbags. We don’t know where they got them. All we know is they were using them against innocent people and we stopped them, as any good citizen should. I’m starting to feel like we need to see a lawyer to protect our constitutional rights.”
    “Rights? Under the Insurrection Act contained in Title 10 U.S.C. 331-335, we are acting entirely within our authority, granted to us by the president and by law.”
    “That’s bull. There is no insurgency, just Americans trying to hold on to what is left of their own country.”
    “It’s a new world, my friend. You are what we say you are. Now, I’ll give you two a little time to think about how you want to proceed. You can cooperate with our investigation or face indefinite detention until some point in the future, when you can be prosecuted formally. The path you take from here is your choice.” Turning to leave, Mr. Robbins stopped just short of the door, turned back to Ed and Nate, and said, “We’ll be seeing you soon. Think about what I said and proceed carefully.”
    The two soldiers followed Mr. Robbins out the door, slamming and locking it from the outside behind them.
    “What in the hell is happening here?” asked Nate, confused at how their lives had taken such a turn.
    “I don’t know,” Ed said softly, in case there were listening devices in the room. “But whatever they do, they aren’t just going to let us go for cooperating. And on top of that, we don’t even have anything to cooperate with. We told them the truth already.”
    Nate whispered, “Whatever we do or say, we can’t give anything away about where our homes are. We don’t want them paying a visit to our families.”
    Ed nodded in reply and leaned back against the wall. “We are from Knoxville. We stayed in a tent city near Newport with other refugees before moving on,” he said with a whisper.
    Nate nodded. “I doubt that will match up with what Evan and Jason said if they were interrogated, but we will try.”
    “We barely knew those guys. We were hitchhikers.”
    “Roger that.”
    “Speaking of them, I just hope they are okay. I hope that even if we don’t make it back, they do. It was stupid for so many of us to go on a supply run and leave the homesteads shorthanded. We should have stayed put and simply done without.”
    “Hindsight is twenty-twenty, my friend. We thought we were doing the right thing at the time. You’re damned if you take action and damned if you don’t. All we can do now is keep up the fight for home.”
    “Amen, brother. Amen.”

Chapter Five: Fugate Road
     
     
    Feeling something bump his foot, Evan was startled awake; he grabbed his rifle lying next to him.
    “Whoa… throttle back, man. It’s just me. It’s your turn to stand watch,” Jason said, holding his hands in the air in jest.
    Regaining a grasp of his surroundings, Evan said, “Sorry, man. My nerves are getting shot. A man can act as calm and collected as he wants on the outside, but if this stuff doesn’t get to him on the inside after a while, something is wrong.”
    “Yeah, this world is only fitting for a psychopath or a scoundrel,” replied Jason. “I feel the same way. Every time I hear so much as a twig snap, I flinch and expect all hell to break loose.”
    “What time is it?”
    “Four o’clock. Just wake me when the sun goes down.”
    “Damn, man, you should have got me up to relieve you sooner.”
    “Nah, man; you were sleeping well. Besides, I probably can’t sleep, anyway. I can’t stop worrying about Charlie and Jimmy, Ed and Nate, and the folks back home. We don’t know anything about anyone but ourselves at this point, and that’s not okay.”
    Standing to stretch, Evan yawned and said, “Well, give it a try at least. I’ll wake you at sunset if nothing comes up between now and then.”
    Jason begrudgingly complied as Evan used a Sterno can and a stainless camping mug to warm a cup of instant coffee given to them by the Blue