Untitled Agenda 21 Sequel (9781476746852) Read Online Free PDF Page A

“We’ll be sloppy. Leave a trail. Drop things. Break off branches. Make it easy for them to track us. Let’s go.”
    â€œIt’s still pretty dark and hard to see. How soon till dawn?”
    â€œMoon’s bright enough. And dawn’s not far off.”
    He started along the edge of the stream and Joan followed. He stopped abruptly. “Give me the bucket.” She handed it over and he rummaged through it until he felt the clipboard. Ripping off a piece of paper, he crumpled it and tossed it where it could easily be seen.
    They walked on a little farther. The paper, lifted by a small breeze, rolled into a stand of high weeds, partially hidden.
    â€œAnd if they do follow us, what can we do?”
    â€œWe have two guns. We can protect ourselves. Emmeline and David most likely can’t.” He broke off a small branch overhanging the stream. It dangled there, useless as a broken crutch.
    They walked slowly through the darkness.
    Dawn came. They walked faster.
    When the sun was directly overhead, they sat briefly in the woods beside the stream.
    â€œIt’s not going to take them very long to figure out we’re missing,” Joan said.
    He thought for a moment. “I don’t know about that. They didn’t have any control of the situation, from what I saw. Things broke down pretty quickly. But, yes, eventually they’ll know we’re gone. It’s inevitable. I just think it might take some time.”
    John stared at the water, watching it ripple, bits and pieces of leaves and twigs floating past them. “Strange, isn’t it,” he said after a moment. “They had total control over us for so long. And we let them.”
    â€œYou’re right. But why talk about that now?” Joan said. She lookedaround at the wilderness surrounding them, the trees that towered over them, and the deep shadows of the forest. “What difference does it make?”
    â€œNone, I guess. Time to get moving again.”
    â€œHow far do you plan on us going?” Joan asked. She stood and brushed leaves off her uniform.
    John thought for a moment. “We’ve already walked maybe eight to ten miles. The further upstream we go, the farther downstream David can go. We’ll keep dropping clues.” He took the shed key from his pocket and pushed it deep into the underbelly of a rotten log. Then he took her hand, and squeezed it briefly, his large hand wrapped around her smaller one.
    â€œThen what?”
    â€œPray that Earth Protectors will follow us. Pray that Emmeline and David have time to find a safe hiding place downstream. Pray.”
    A fish splashed in the stream, a silvery image that disappeared under the water. John broke off another branch, dropped another small bit of paper. They walked on.
    â€œAnd if the Earth Protectors do follow us, then what?” Joan asked.
    â€œThen we’ll do what we have to do.” John’s voice was firm. “Whatever it takes, by whatever means necessary.”
    They walked until dusk without stopping. After sharing one of the nourishment bottles from the bucket, Joan fell asleep on a mossy patch of ground. John stayed awake listening to the sound of the stream alongside them, the scurrying of animals in the underbrush, and Joan’s rhythmic breathing. In the distance, animals howled long, mournful crescendos that cut through the night like knives. Pinpoint lights appeared, white against the dark sky. The full moon looked swollen, as though it could burst and pour its soul out onto the Earth.
    This was no longer a false freedom. It was now a real but fragile one. John lay on his back staring at the tree branches above him and the faraway heavens beyond.

CHAPTER FIVE
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EMMELINE
Day 1
    E lsa’s soft whimpers woke me. How long had I slept? It was still daylight, not yet time to move on. David was awake and looked flushed, his face and forehead red and damp with sweat. Using his left hand, David