Sanctuary: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series) by G. Michael Hopf

road.”
    “Nice,” Rubio said.
    Gordon took a closer look at the vehicle, taking note of an empty car seat inside. “You have children?”
    “Yeah, a daughter. She’s back with her uncle,” the woman answered.
    Gordon looked at them. They were dressed normally. Slightly dirty jeans, thick jackets, and beanie hats.
    “So, Marines? Where are the rest of your guys?” she asked curiously.
    “Most are back in Coos Bay; we’re out on a patrol.” Rubio motioned with his hand to the vehicle.
    “Coos Bay?” she asked.
    Gordon looked at her oddly, then eyed Rubio.
    “It’s a small town along the coast, a few hundred miles away,” Rubio answered.
    “So it’s just you?” the man asked referring to Rubio and the group.
    “Just us out here,” Rubio answered.
    Gordon shot back, “There are others not too far away though, just a short radio call away.”
    “Sorry, fellas, if you don’t mind me ducking out for a second, I’m going to try and start this up again,” he said quickly, looking at the woman. Then he stepped away and got back inside the car.
    Rubio and Gordon watched him quizzically. Gordon took a few steps so he could see him clearly sitting in the seat.
    The woman, appearing nervous, started to ramble on about the weather. Rubio was peering through the rear window at the man, looking for anything unusual. The woman reached over and touched Rubio gently and said, “Ah, I’m Laura.”
    Her touch distracted Rubio, who looked at her and said, “Oh, I’m Corporal Rubio, nice to meet you.”
    These people looked innocent but Gordon was very skeptical. He kept scanning the area for a sign of anyone else. His instincts kept taking him back to a large grove of trees.
    The slam of a door on the Humvee startled Gordon. He turned to see Lexi stomping over to them. She seemed focused and intent. He looked at her face. Her gaze was past him, toward the car. He followed it to see if she was seeing something he didn’t.
    Lexi brushed by Gordon, moving quickly toward the front of the car with her pistol drawn at her side. She walked up to the driver’s door, opened it, and put her gun to the man’s head. “Remember me?”
    Not saying another word, she pulled the trigger.
    Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado
    “Mr. President, the chopper is ready to take you,” Baxter said.
    Conner finished loading his belongings into a few boxes. He was finally ready to leave the bunker fortress of Cheyenne Mountain. The place held nothing for him anymore. While the bunker did have luxuries others didn’t have on the outside, every time he walked the hallways, he was only reminded of Julia.
    Those first few days after his return had changed him. At his lowest moment, he found himself holding a gun to his head. But something stopped him from pulling the trigger. He couldn’t explain, but he figured God had some other plan for him. He needed to return to his duties. That’s what Julia would have wanted. That moment was when he decided to come out of his self-imposed isolation. Being back on the outside would offer challenges, but he was ready for them. It was freeing, in a way.
    “I’ll be right there. General, please make sure these boxes get on the next bird out,” he said to Baxter. Baxter had personally made all the arrangements with Governor Richard Laney of Wyoming.
    Baxter proved himself trustworthy during his absence. He could have taken the presidency then and Conner probably would have welcomed it. Knowing that Baxter was a man loyal to his country and capable meant a lot to him. He kept note of those he could trust, specifically after the ordeal with Griswald.
    Governor Laney was excited to hear that his state would house the new capital. He promised to give President Conner and the federal authorities all the support they could muster. Like most of the country, everything was down in Cheyenne and around Wyoming. The local power grid was still down, and not having electrical power had a cascading effect across the state.