Firebase Freedom by William W. Johnstone

just fishing. Did you see the way he looked at me when he said that everyone got away? He was waiting for me to say something about the three who didn’t.”
    â€œI’m scared,” Tim said. Tim O’Leary was the youngest one of the group.
    â€œEveryone, just keep your wits about you,” Eddie said. “If you do that, I think we’ll all be all right.”
    â€œYou think .”
    â€œYeah, I think.”
    â€œWhere did all these people come from? I mean, how did the whole country turn Muslim all of a sudden?” Burt asked.
    â€œI doubt that most of them are really Muslims,” Eddie said. “I expect most of ’em are like my mom and dad. They turned Muslim to get the ID cards.”
    â€œThat’s what my mom and dad did,” Carl Edwards said. “My dad said he had to do that to keep his job, and be able to buy food and gas.”
    â€œI’m not ever goin’ to turn Muslim,” Burt said.
    â€œWe may not have any choice. I mean, I don’t want to be Muslim either, but if it’s ‘turn Muslim or don’t eat,’ I’ll turn Muslim,” Eddie said.
    â€œTurn Muslim and have some barbequed ribs,” Burt Rowe said, and all laughed.

    The next morning the residents of Mobile woke up to loudspeaker-equipped trucks driving through all the residential areas of the city. On both sides of the truck, so that it could be seen from either side of the street, was a single command, written in large letters:

    OBEY OHMSHIDI

    The letter “O” in the word Obey, duplicated the national symbol.
    â€œAttention, parents of children from six to seventeen. All children from six to seventeen must be brought to Ladd Stadium by four o’clock today. They must be registered in order for your identity card to be valid.”
    The residents of the city asked each other what that meant, and if they had heard anything about it. A few went into the street to try and stop the trucks to inquire as to what that meant, but the trucks refused to stop. They continued cruising throughout the city for the entire morning, repeating the same message.
    â€œAttention, parents of children from six to seventeen. All children from six to seventeen must be brought to Ladd Stadium by four o’clock today. They must be registered in order for your identity card to be valid.”
    In addition to the loudspeaker-equipped truck, flyers were posted about town.

    ATTENTION PARENTS
ALL CHILDREN FROM SIX TO SEVENTEEN
MUST BE BROUGHT TO LADD STADIUM BY
FOUR O’CLOCK TODAY
FOR IDENTITY REGISTRATION
THOSE WHO REFUSE
WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED

    â€œAre you going to take Eddie to Ladd Stadium?” Clara Poindexter asked Edna Manning.
    â€œIt looks like we don’t have any choice, so, yes, I will be taking him. Aren’t you going to take Jane?”
    â€œI suppose so. But what is it about, do you know?”
    â€œIt says for identity registration. I fear if we don’t, we may lose our ID cards, then what would we do for food, electricity, water, and gasoline? You can’t even work without identity cards.”
    â€œThat’s probably true. But I don’t mind telling you, this bothers me,” Clara said.
    â€œWhat bothers me more is the warning that anyone who refuses will be severely punished. We’ve seen some of the severe punishment, and I’ve no wish to have anything to do with it, thank you very much.”
    â€œYou’re right, we don’t have any choice. Would it be all right if Jane and I ride with you, when you take Eddie down today?”
    â€œOf course,” Edna said.
    â€œOh, we’d better not go without this,” Clara said, and she held her hand over the bottom half of her face, indicating that they should wear a veil over their faces.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Edna replied. “I’ve already received one warning for not wearing a veil. I don’t want to risk a second.”
    When Paul