Trepidation | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

Ten

Mother was with them in the basement, as they rifled through years of boxed-up belongings, and bins of old athletic gear. Danjel had explained it as best he could, and quickly. Russia was invading, and it was safer for everyone if he was gone. Father Kit would be staying, and Mother knew to go to him in real emergency. Wendy and Leon wanted to leave, but Danjel had convinced them, with Claudia's help, that they had to be the new resistence cell and do whatever Mother and Father Kit told them as if it w erea matter of life or death.

      One by one, Danjel took bags or boxes of his things upstairs and out to his newer car. It was a hovercar, large, American and purchased used. It held a good amount of people or luggage. Right now, it was parked on its underwheels, with eight horses tethered to trees nearby and feeding from bags.

      Leon came from the house. "News?" asked Claudia.

      "Just that those that were camped here are active all over the city and others of unknown number are not a long march east of here."

      Claudia nodded and hurried back into the house. Danjel looked over the car. It was a convertible with its top up now, because he thought that looked slightly less suspicious. He had about as much as he was going to find from the house.

      Danjel walked his mother into the house. "Wendy has money, did she tell you. It's for emergencies, Dad sent it. Let her give it to you if you need it. Wendy and Leon will stay with you, and Alicja of course. Leon has means to contact Claudia over the net if there is an important message. Rudy's good, he's fighting for our people. Wendy will watch over him if she can. Is there anything else?"

      Mother shook her head. "I only wish none of this had happened."

      "I know," Danjel said. "I love you. Take care of Jozef." Danjel kissed his mother either side of her face. Claudia came from the front door.

      "I think we have everything," she said. She came down the steps, almost happily. Maybe she was happy.

      "Are you sure you have enough clothes?" Mother asked.

      Danjel embraced her a last time. "Don't worry. Take care of yourself." He could hear her sniffle. 

      Claudia stood still at mother's side for a moment and then she also embraced her. She whispered something and Mother kissed her for it.

      "Take care of each other, please," Mother cried.

      Danjel smiled for her as he hitched the horses to the car. He figured it was the best way to keep pace with them, if they pulled the car along on its underwheels. Claudia stroked Cloud's neck while she waited. Then, they got in the car, put down the roof, and laughed all the way to the church.

     

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      The group gathered within and just outside the ruins of St. Casimir was larger than Danjel had expected.  Kit was there, and Father Zilla along with him, both inside the old stone walls, where the large doors had once stood. As Danjel walked to the portal, he saw others he knew. Wendy and Leo were there and Rudy had managed to show up.  Karina and Elzbieta were together with Karl and Merideth some distance back. Danjel noted a few more local kids who had been at the coffee shop or the church before.

      A new group was centered about a black, Japanese sedan and had a certain aloofness about them. "Here is our leader, John," Karl said and he was addressing the new group of kids. "And our lovely Lady Claudia."