When A Plan Comes Together Read Free Page A

Roxie was staying at school to help set up for school sponsored activity. She’d go get them if the weather looked bad.
     
    She never really checked the weather. Instead, she got involved in watching one program after another about many of the things the world was going through now and had gone through in the past. Kathy suddenly wondered what the kids’ Dr. Thompson would say was likely to become ‘Future History.’
     
    Roxie and Rex showed up at the same time and startled Kathy. She was engrossed in another program that was just finishing up.
     
    “Hi, Mom,” Rex said, setting his backpack out of the way. “What’s for supper?”
     
    “I’m starving,” Roxie said, dropping her pack on top of Rex’s. “Something good, I hope.”
     
    “Aw! Mom’s stuff is always good,” Rex said.
     
    “Suck up,” replied Roxie good naturedly.
     
    “I didn’t realize it was this late!” Kathy said, lifting her arm to look at her watch.
     
    “What were you watching?” Roxie asked. “I know you don’t watch the soap operas.”
     
    “No. It was… The Learning Channel and the History Channel. Let me check and see what I can whip up in a hurry.”
     
    “How about we go out for pizza?” Rex asked. Then he looked a bit chagrinned. “Oh. Never mind, Mom. I forgot for a minute you’re not working. Cereal is okay for me.”
     
    “Me, too, Mom,” Roxie quickly added.
     
    Kathy almost cried. When she could speak, she said, firmly, “We can still afford a pizza from time to time. Let me get my purse and jacket.”
     
    Rather than eating the pizza at the restaurant, as they usually did, Rex asked if they could take it home. He wanted to watch the news. He was doing an extra credit report, he told his mother, about China. “I want to see what’s happened today.”
     
    To Kathy’s surprise, Roxie said almost the same thing. “I want some more ammunition for tomorrow, too. Some of the other kids are giving Dr. Thompson a hard time over his views. I’m only one of three people that agree with him.”
     
    Halfway through one of the special reports on a news channel, Rex said. “I wish Dad was coming back sooner.”
     
    “Yeah. Me, too,” whispered Roxie.
     
    Kathy, already having seen some of the reports, was sort of wishing the same thing. She couldn’t quite see it the way the children, and apparently Dr. Thompson did. Things were tense, but she just couldn’t picture a war breaking out. Even if it did, certainly it would not happen soon. Surely not.
     
    Rex and Roxie went to their rooms to do their homework after watching the early news. Kathy stayed where she was and found another program going over the world situation. She watched late into the night, long after the children had gone to bed. When she went to bed herself, she felt shivers go up and down her back when her eyes went to Jay’s prep manuals.
     

CHAPTER ONE
     
    Kathy had the news on while she was preparing breakfast three days later. Her hand stilled, the pancake batter forgotten as the kitchen TV screen showing a commercial cut back to the newsroom before the commercial was over. The ashen looking news anchor’s hand were shaking the piece of paper he held in one hand. Kathy could hear the crackle of the paper he was shaking so hard.
     
    Rex and Roxie came into the kitchen and saw Kathy motionless, staring at the TV.
     
    “Mom?” asked Rex.
     
    “Something is wrong, children. Come here.”
     
    Both moved around to stand beside her as she put down the bowl and wooden spoon. She put an arm around each of them and the three watched the news anchor finally start reading the statement.
     
    This just came in from the White House. ‘Communist China has declared war on Australia and warned the United States and the United Nations to not interfere in any way. They will retaliate with nuclear HEMP… that is high altitude electromagnetic pulse… weapons if any attempt is made to interfere with the invasion. They will be detonated