"Bob I think you're making a mistake." Anna said. "I've known a lot of people like Mrs. Molton. Once these kind of people get their teeth into something, they don't let go. She will be a thorn in your side from now on."
"What would you have me do, Anna? Banish her because she chooses to be unpleasant?"
"She won't get any better you know."
"I know. Still, there is little I can do about it, without proving what she is most likely saying. I'd bet she is playing herself up as the victim. Talking about how I didn't avail myself of the benefit of her sage advice. So, obviously I must be some kind of evil person, because I didn't give you the heave-ho. Unfortunately to do anything, without a real cause, will play into her hands, and gain her allies. We don't need that kind of trouble."
"Would it help if I moved out, and into a place of my own?"
"It might, it might not. As you know, she has already made up her mind about you, and about me as well. You move out when you're ready, and don't let her push you into anything."
"You could move in with me." Major Ferguson said.
"No, Gerald. I don't think I should. Who knows what she would say then, and anyway, it wouldn't be right. Not without being married."
"I thought I would offer. Alright. Have it your way."
It was later that night that Alex and Lieutenant Busby were on patrol on the outskirts of town. It was getting cold, and the first flurries of snow were starting to work their way south, after the blizzard that had cost the Russians so dearly. They were taking a break, as Alex quietly told Busby about what his father had said.
"Seven to one, you say. I can't imagine it. I mean there are some nice women around here, but I can't believe that any of them would be willing to go in for that kind of thing."
"Yeah, I know. Mike didn't seem too happy with the idea."
"Well, I'm not going to worry about it, until it happens. Guess it's a good thing I haven't found someone special yet." Suddenly his head turned towards the darkness outside of town. Listening intently for a moment, he signaled Alex to get down.
"Something's moving out there." he whispered.
They looked down into the valley. A horse drawn wagon was moving down the road towards them. Shortly they heard a voice softly call, "Whoa." and with a pull on the reins, the horse stopped. Three men got out of the wagon. Silently Busby signed Alex to move to the right, as he moved to the left, to put the strangers in a crossfire position. Then He and Alex waited in the dark. After a long period of time, as Busby looked out on the black landscape, he saw the three people moving towards them. They didn't seem to know that the two of them were there since, while they moved quietly, they made no effort to try to conceal their presence.
Busby signaled Alex to remain quiet and low, and as they came close, he challenged them.
"Halt." His voice suddenly seemed loud in the dark. The trio stopped in their tracks. Alex could see them trying to figure out where the voice came from. One of them slowly reached for a pistol.
"Don't! You'll never make it." Busby called out.
The last man in line hesitated. Then started to reach for it again, and Alex wracked the action of his shotgun.
"The man said don't. It would be a good idea to listen to him."
This time the man stopped, and raised his hands above his head.
"Drop the weapons, and step away from them." Busby ordered. Three gun belts hit the ground, and the men backed away from them slowly.
"That's far enough. Anyone care to tell me what you're doing out here?"
"We were sent here."
"By whom, and why?"
There was a brief whispered conversation between the three, and at last the one who seemed to be the leader said,
"There's only one way to find out." He looked in Busbys' direction and replied, "We were sent by Michael. We are looking for someone named Bob."
Busby thought how that sounded good, but how to be sure?
"What does this Bob person look like?"
"I don't know, we've never met."
Alex spoke next. "What about that Michael guy you mentioned?"
"Um, He's an angel. Big fellow, white robes, commanding personality, you don't tell him no, that's for sure."
Director Ives was less and less pleased as each day passed. His plans were going well, and that was what made him uneasy, after the defeat he suffered in Montana. When things seemed to be all going his way, it had to mean the Nazarene was up to something. But what, he couldn't figure. He was especially disturbed by the loss on satellite communications that had recently happened. He couldn't prove it was the Nazarenes' doing, but the timing was suspect. Then again, satellites were known to fail, for any number of reasons. Still it made him uncomfortable.
One thing that had brought a few smiles to his face, was the fact the Russian break through had gone better than expected. They had almost reached Dubuque. It was about time to have they turn east, and then attack the stubborn resistors in the Appalachian Mountains from behind. Doubtless they would know the Russians were on their way, but they would be caught between two armies and have to either retreat, or die.
It was also encouraging that the Mexican and Cuban Armies had refilled their ranks, and even now were in the process of launching waterborne landings along the Gulf coast. Soon they would once again be in position to move up the Mississippi River, and eventually meet up with the Russians coming down the river, according to the original plan. And this time, there wouldn't be anyone to take the credit, as Claire would have.
First thing in the morning, he would order the Russian forces on the coast to begin to move inland again, and prepare for the advance.
Unknown to Ives, far across the Atlantic, there was a deep rumbling coming from underneath the island of La Palma. The locals knew what it meant. They had started leaving the island, and other nearby islands, en masse, when it became clear that it wasn't going to stop. Tremors had shaken the islands for a couple of days now, and there were an increasing number of rock slides coming from the volcano, called Cumbre Vieja.
Once they hit the shores of Africa, they continued to move inland, many, many, miles. They knew they didn't want to be anywhere near the shore, when the volcano blew.
Just before nightfall, it did blow. A fault line on which the volcano was sitting let go at the same time. The resulting earthquake shook loose a massive section of the island. It was over a mile long. It slid into the Atlantic and and the displacement of water started a chain of events that no one could stop. The landslide from the eruption traveled over 35 miles from La Palma's coast, causing the formation and then collapse of a dome of water 3,000ft high and miles wide.
The tsunami that resulted hit the African coast within an hour. It had a height of over 300ft from crest to trough when it crashed into the shores of nearby north-west Africa.
Within five hours it would reach southern England and within 12 it hit America's east coast. What was left of New York, Washington DC, Boston and Miami and most of the eastern seaboard, were almost wiped out by the tsunami generated by the insecure rock falling into the Atlantic.
Since it had traveled at night, and with the satellite out of service, the Russian forces on the coast were largely wiped out, along with the cities. The island of Cuba was devastated. The wave that slammed into it was large enough to inundate all but the highest areas on the island nation. Florida was all but completely washed away. The Mexican Gulf coast was hit almost as hard as Florida.
Nobody ever found any trace of the invasion fleets. It was, of course, far too late to do anything about saving any of the men along the coasts, or in the Gulf of Mexico, by the time Director Ives woke in the morning. Within a half of an hour, he found himself in need of a new secretary. The old one didn't stand up very well to his wrath.
Bob, Major Ferguson, and an even half dozen men, carefully climbed down the slope towards Lieutenant Busby, and Alex. They had called in the three strangers after they made certain that they weren't hiding any further weapons. They hated to wake him, but it was standard procedure not to allow anyone to just waltz into town before checking them out.
By mutual agreement between them, once they reached the spot, Major Ferguson began the questioning, and let these men believe whatever they wanted.
"Who wants to tell me who you are, and what you're doing here?" Ferguson asked.
One man stepped forward and spoke. "You're not Bob."
"I know that, now tell me something I don't know."
"We were instructed to speak with Bob."
"And those instructions came from where, exactly."
"I think I'll save my words for the one I was told to speak with."
"Fine. You don't want to talk to me, head on down the road. I've got better things to do than stand out here in the middle of the night. Sleeping for example." Ferguson turned on his heel, and started to walk away. Bob started to say something, but the Major caught his eye, and gave his head a slight shake. Bob remained silent.
"Alright." The leader called to him. "I guess I can give you the basics.'
Ferguson turned back to face the man and said, "That's all I asked for. We don't disturb Bob for things that aren't important."
"I'm Dennis Heath. These are my brothers, Barry, and James. We come from southern Montana. We were driven out by the Russians. We were told to come here by the angel Michael, and talk to the leader here. We need a place to stay, along with the others that have come with us."
"Well, Dennis. It is my understanding that the Russians were beaten back into Canada. So how could you be driven out by them?"
"Most of them were. Some of the survivors from the battle were cut off, and have banded together and are raiding farms and homes in the mountains."
Ferguson thought about how it sounded plausible, and carried on with his questioning.
"What was this about others with you?"
"We were living in a small town in the southern portion of Montana, in the mountains. When the Russians showed up they were demanding food, drink, and women. We managed to hide the women from them, for a day or two. Then on the second evening, Michael showed up to each of us and told us to get out of town. He said we were to head south and find Bob. After that, we do what he says."
"That's not exactly an answer to my question. What others?"
"We are fourteen men, and twenty seven women."
"I see three."
"We left the others about a half mile back up the road. We didn't want to take a risk with everyone."
Ferguson thought about it for a moment. "Why didn't you fight off the Russians? Or for that matter, why didn't you report them to the authorities?"
"There were too many to fight off. I'd guess about a company of them, with automatic weapons. And we couldn't exactly go to the authorities. We're Christians."
"Stay here." Ferguson ordered. He turned once again and started to walk away. He pointed at Bob and ordered, "You. Come with me."
They walked to the top of the hill, before either spoke.
"What do you think?" He asked Bob.
"I think we should keep them here until daylight, and then check out their story. It shouldn't be too hard to find almost forty people out here in the middle of nowhere. We'll try to check them, by having someone join them." He shook his head. "Twenty seven more women. I can hear Mrs. Molton now."
BW, Vietnam Vet