After the Republic by Frank L. Williams

make sure they’re ready.”
    “Thanks. And can you go ahead and put Reagan in the Explorer? He seems a little spooked.”
    She nodded. Joshua worked the crowd and spoke to those who had arrived, then found Bob. “Are you ready to give everyone their marching orders?”
    “Affirmative,” Bob answered. “I will execute on your signal.”
    Rebecca frowned as she rejoined Joshua. “No luck.”
    A feeling of hopelessness enveloped Joshua. “I guess there’s nothing we can do but hope and pray.” He looked down and shook his head, a tear in his eye. “Regardless, it’s time to get this show on the road.”
    Joshua climbed onto the Silverado’s tailgate and addressed the crowd. “Good morning everyone. It’s 8:00 and we’ve got a long trip ahead of us, so let’s get organized. I’d like to begin by introducing a couple of people. First, this is Thomas Page. Thomas owns the land where we are going.” Thomas waved and smiled. Joshua continued, “As I’ve communicated to each of you, you should compensate Thomas in some way for the use of his land. Whatever arrangement you work out is between you and him, but I will not stand idly by and let anyone freeload off of him. Thomas, do you want to say anything?”
    Thomas took the toothpick out of his mouth and rolled it between his fingers. “How are y’all doing? Glad we’re able to help you folks. I only gave Joshua one rule. One of the cabins goes to him and Rebecca. We owe ‘em that since he’s taking the lead on this. Look forward to getting to know y’all better.”
    “Thomas does have another cabin that is up for grabs, so talk with him if you are interested in that.”
    “Actually, that one is taken,” Thomas said. “Drew and I have an arrangement.”
    Joshua looked at Thomas and Drew, puzzled. “Okay.” He cleared his throat. “Next, I’d like to introduce Bob Kendall. Bob and I met when I was in the legislature. He worked there as a sergeant at arms for a couple of years. Before that he was in the Army for 30 years and reached the rank of Command Sergeant Major, which proves he knows a little something about leadership and getting things done. Bob has agreed to handle logistics for our trip to ensure that we get there safely and will oversee security once we arrive. Please listen to him carefully and follow his instructions. He knows what he’s doing.”
    Bob effortlessly jumped onto the tailgate as Joshua climbed down. “Good morning, patriots! Today you will embark on a journey through unknown conditions to a strange place that will be your home for the foreseeable future. There are reports of violence and unrest in urban areas, including larger cities here in North Carolina. We do not know if there will be a hostile presence on our routes, so we must assume that there will be and prepare accordingly. We will avoid major highway routes and major cities. You must always be on the lookout for potential threats and must be prepared to defend yourselves with force if necessary.”
    “We will travel in groups of two or three vehicles,” he continued. “Every convoy should have at least one weapon held by someone who knows how to use it. Deactivate the GPS functions on your phones and in your cars before we leave. You will be provided with maps outlining your route. If you do not know how to navigate without your GPS, now is the time to man up and learn. Every vehicle will be given an encrypted radio to communicate with others in the group. Our objective is to travel in a way that avoids drawing unwanted attention. Is this clear?” He blew a puff of cigar smoke as he looked over the crowd. “Do you have any questions?”
    Jim raised his hand.
    “What is your question?”
    “What should we do if we encounter law enforcement at a checkpoint or otherwise?”
    “First, you will alert other groups using the radios provided. Second, tell them you are delivering items to a family member in Athens, Tennessee. That is all they need to know. At this