After the Republic by Frank L. Williams Read Free Book Online

him.
    Joshua took the bait. “Not a lot. I don’t think he’s anywhere near qualified or ready to take on the job that’s now in his lap, and I fear he will handle it very poorly.”
    “He’s not that bad,” said Drew, who had been unusually quiet thus far. “Let’s give him a chance. And he’s not ‘acting’ – he is POTUS.”
    “POTUS?” Perry asked.
    Drew pushed his glasses tightly against his face. “It’s an acronym for ‘President of the United States’.”
    “Oh, okay.” Perry rolled his eyes. “Political insider jargon, I guess.”
    “Drew, I hope you’re right about Armando not being that bad, but I’m not holding my breath,” Joshua said before changing the subject. “Seconds, anyone?” He started making another hamburger. “We’ll get back to business in a few.”
    Without warning the deck shook so violently that Joshua nearly lost his balance. A deathly chill overcame him as a bright flash illuminated the dark sky like the middle of a clear summer day. A deep, echoing boom consumed his ears. Reagan let out a yelp, vaulted off the steps and disappeared into the darkness underneath the deck.
    “What the…?” Perry exclaimed.
    Joshua dropped his plate onto the deck and stared in horror at a mushroom cloud reaching for the sky over the distant horizon. Here. In North Carolina. His heart pounded violently.
    “Oh my God!” Caroline cried out.
    Rebecca moved over and tightly gripped Joshua’s arm with both hands, a tear streaming down her cheek. Everyone was speechless. Silent for what seemed like an eternity, staring as the glowing ball of deadly heat and toxic radiation expanded toward the heavens. What do we do now? Joshua thought. We’re far enough away that there is no immediate threat to us here, but--
    Perry broke the silence. “What direction is that?”
    Joshua’s heart sank as Perry asked the question. He looked at Rebecca in stunned silence. “Ummm….”
    “What direction?”
    “Umm, the deck faces south... umm... so that is east – maybe slightly north of east.”
    The blood drained from Perry’s face as he looked at Caroline and then Joshua. “Raleigh?”
    Joshua’s chest tightened. “I… probably so.”
    Perry turned ghost white. “Charlie and Allie…”
    Caroline screamed and fell to her knees on the deck. “My babies… and my parents… NO!” She leaned back against the guardrail, shaking violently and sobbing uncontrollably. Perry sat beside her and put his arms around her, tears streaming down his face. A lump formed in Joshua’s throat as he turned away from the mushroom cloud and stared off into the darkness. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
    Joshua opened his eyes and looked at Jim, silently asking for advice. None was forthcoming. Drew still stood motionless, staring at the mushroom cloud off in the distance. Trembling, Reagan made his way back onto the porch and planted himself next to Joshua.
    Perry rose to his feet, his eyes watery and his jaw clenched. “I have to go to Raleigh.” He took his keys out of his pocket. “I have to find my children.”
    “Perry!” Joshua implored. “You can’t go into a nuclear blast zone. You’ll wind up dead yourself!”
    “You’re not the one whose two children are there.” Perry walked down the steps. “I have to go.” He turned and pointed at Joshua. “And don’t try to stop me!”
    “Then I’m going with you,” Caroline said in a choked voice, standing up.
    “Perry… Caroline--” Joshua’s voice quaked as he took a step to follow them. Jim reached out and silently blocked his path, shaking his head. Joshua swallowed hard as he heeded Jim’s unspoken advice and stopped pursuing his heartbroken friends.
    Perry turned and looked down at the much-shorter Caroline, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Honey, you need to stay here where it’s safe. I’ll handle this .”
    Caroline’s face flushed red and she poked Perry in the chest. “No! They’re my children too! And my