Glimmer of Hope (Land of Tomorrow Book 1)

Part II, Chapter 2

They could have driven to Mayfield, but Nathan declined, choosing to ride the mountain bikes they'd found. Now that he was so close to home, he felt an irrational fear of the unknown. He needed a little more time.

So they took their time and were on their fourth day of the fifty mile journey. After months of walking from Maryland, the bikes were heavenly and the weather was spectacular. Unlike most of the areas they walked through getting to the JP, here the people they saw waved, and they also witnessed farmers in the fields clearing and preparing for planting, sometimes with tractors and sometimes with teams of horses.

Although Nathan didn’t use the offered fuel to drive home, he hadn’t hesitated to use the telephone.

Emotions running high, Nathan and Bethany called their parents. "Mom, it's me...Nathan." They were the only words spoken while his mother cried over the phone for several minutes. With Bethany and her folks the line was choked with outright sobbing.

The reunion with the Hancock crew was almost as emotional. Cujo led the way across the bridge and many hugs and back slaps were exchanged. Dry eyes were hard to find as the large group crossed the bridge together into the Jackson Purchase. Although they wouldn’t say it to Nathan, he sensed that all of them had likely thought that he had abandoned them. It was a validation of sorts to see them safe in the JP.

They got their party settled down in cabins near the Taylor family. The dinner with Generals Anderson and Matthews turned into a larger affair, nearly a full fledged party. Nathan almost felt sorry for the harried Captain Johns.

The next day, Nathan, Harold Buchannan and Jim Meeks met with Butch Matthews. General Anderson left the previous evening and Nathan was glad. Butch was easier to get along with and less pretentious than Anderson.

Nathan declared Harold Buchannan his deputy commander with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and tasked him to help with the defensive planning they were working on.

"Well, how long do you need?" asked Butch rushing to the heart of the matter.

Nathan glared at the map and list of figures on the chalkboard. "To take control of security for the dam, the Land Between the Lakes Park, the refugee camps, and the whole damn eastern border of the JP? For that, we probably need to at least wait until after lunch. Best to start on a full stomach, don't you think?"

"Seriously," pressed Butch, "we need the Guard unit in Paducah. They've got troubles there with some gangs."

"Gangs?" asked Harold. "I wouldn't think you would need soldiers to deal with gangs."

"These are no ordinary gangs," explained Butch. "Their leader Brazen is smart and has unified all the gangs under his cause. They've taken over a large portion of the city and police aren't even allowing entry into their areas. It's only a matter of time before things blow up."

"Sir," said Nathan slowly, "I understand your position and the need, but we just got here. We're going to need some time to get our feet under us. I don't know how long it will take, but I'll go as fast as I can in order to free the Guard troops up."

Butch didn't say anything for several long seconds. "I guess that will have to be good enough. I'll try to be as patient as I can, but if the shit hits the fan in Paducah, I'll have to pull them whether you're ready or not."

"I understand, sir," answered Nathan. "Are you giving us any troops to keep permanently?"

"Actually, you'll inherit former Lieutenant, now Captain, Jason Green and his men from Fort Campbell. We initially gave them the nearly impossible task of policing the entire Land Between the Lakes area, but we changed all of that last week," explained Butch.