Amazing Grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch
Like meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I once was lost
but now am found
was blind, but now
I seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
The 2 couples stood in awe as they heard the voices of all their friends and saw them all standing by the barn waiting to send them on their way. Emily starting crying as she watched Julie come running toward her. "I feel like I'm losing my baby sister." exclaimed Julie, her eyes swollen from crying half the night away. She had spent the night in one of the dorms in the main building to give the newlyweds the cabin to themselves. She would be back their tonight all by herself and just the thought of not having Emily by her side anymore had torn at her heart. She had sat up with Lisa all night talking about Emily and all that they had been through before coming to the compound.Lisa had told Julie it was a good thing the Lord had put Emily in her path or Emily might not be were she was today and Julie had agreed saying she hadnt thought of it that way. With all the blessings anf good wished exchanged by all the 4 entered the SUV and headed for the main gate. They saw in the rearview mirror the people following them as far as they gate. They knew they couldnt go any further than the gate unless the Lord allowed and they all hung back as the gate was opened by the Rabbi. The angels of the Lord stood around the compound in the pre-dawn morning watching all the activities filled with compassion for Gods people. The SUV drove through the gate and the Rabbi waved as they passed. All their friends waved as Rabbi closed the gate behind them. Emily blew her nose and dried the last of her tears from her face. Kevin pulled her close to him and she laid her head on his shoulders in the backseat as Daniel took the first turn in the drivers seat.
- Renee
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Julie stood staring after the Suv as it turned the corner and disappeared from view. Terry walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. " You okay?" "Oh I will be." she said as she looked up at him wiping the last tear from her cheek. " All I know is that cabin is going to be very lonely now." He looked sympothetically at her and then spoke as if a light bulb had just gone off in his head. " Why dont you ask Lisa if she would like to move in with you? You both are working for the Rabbi and shes been living in the dorm. She would probably love to have a room of her own and be able to work at night with you."Julies spirit suddenly felt lifted and she reached up and gave Terry a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thats a great idea." she smiled as she looked up to see Terrys red face. "Sarah will enjoy the company as well." she said.
- Renee
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Abby lit the lantern in the basement of her home. Ever since LA had been hit with that nuke she had sealed herself along with her dog Happy in the basement. Three weeks had now passed and she was ready to venture out. The basement was starting to smell really bad. Happy had been given a small area of the basement to take care of his business and as hard as she tried to keep the smell down she was now running out of lysol spray to keep the odor at bay. She had moved here a year ago after her parents had passed away and her brother Peter still remained in St Louis the last she had heard a month ago. The battery operated TV had been her way of keeping up with the outside world but the batteries had stopped working early this morning and she knew she had to chance coming out. She had to figure out a way now to get her and Happy safely back to St. Louis to her brothers house. She peeled the duct tape back from the side of the door and a slither of light came through. Happy pounced on the light shining on the floor and began to bark at it. She tried to quite Happy but it was too late. She heard the boards in her floor creaking above her head as foot steps approached the basement door.
- Renee
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She wrapped her hands around Happys muzzle trying to quite him. The sounds of the floor above stopped as if someone was listening. She held her breath. She must have stayed this way for a good ten minutes until Happy started to whimper. She let go and hugged him. He had been her only friend for the past 3 weeks and she hadnt intended to squeeze so tight.
She suddenly heard the sound of more of the duct tape ripping as the door flew open. She gasped as she saw the shadow of a man sillouteed in the light of the door. "Whos down there?" he asked as he took a step down. She had been holding her breath and suddenly Happy broke loose and ran for the stairs. "No Happy! Come back!" she whispered. Happy had knocked the man over and was happily licking his face and sniffing him all over. The man began to laugh and called Happy by name. Hearing the sound of her brothers voice she asked out loud, "Peter?"
- Renee
)She wrapped her hands around Happys muzzle trying to quite him. The sounds of the floor above stopped as if someone was listening. She held her breath. She must have stayed this way for a good ten minutes until Happy started to whimper. She let go and hugged him. He had been her only friend for the past 3 weeks and she hadnt intended to squeeze so tight.
She suddenly heard the sound of more of the duct tape ripping as the door flew open. She gasped as she saw the shadow of a man sillouteed in the light of the door. "Whos down there?" he asked as he took a step down. She had been holding her breath and suddenly Happy broke loose and ran for the stairs. "No Happy! Come back!" she whispered. Happy had knocked the man over and was happily licking his face and sniffing him all over. The man began to laugh and called Happy by name. Hearing the sound of her brothers voice she asked out loud, "Peter?"
- Renee
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Daniel pulled over to the shoulder just outside of Oakland and pulled the note out of his pocket. "Guys, just before we left Lisa handed me a note. She said she had lived in Oakland all her life and knew every side road, and dirt road, and backroad in and out of the city. She drew me a map that she said the feds wouldnt even block these roads because they probably wouldnt find them. Lets hope shes right." They all knew it was time to get off the main road because they could see further up the road the first checkpoint. Everyone got out of the SUV to stretch their legs and spread the map out on the hood.
Abby sat in the passenger seat as Peter drove. Happy lay stretched out across the backseat with no room to spare. St. Bernards tended to need alot of room. Abby couldnt believe that Peter had found her. He hadnt visited her since her move from St Louis a year ago. He had been a local DJ in St louis and didnt visit the family much. She had been surprised to see him at their parents funeral. They both had been brought up athiest and their parents had always encouraged them to get the most out of life, because you only go around once. Peter had changed so much since the vanishings she hadly knew him. He had become one of those believers being sought after by the government. He told her he was now a traveling DJ. He would stop in any little small town he came to and somehow managed to rig the airways for 5 minutes to tell the people listening all about Jesus being the way. She couldnt believe he hadnt been caught yet. He told her this Jesus had told him to go to Oakland because it was a main hub of communications and the airways would reach more people. She felt like her brother had lost a few marbles along the way to think he could pull this off and then move on again. She felt it would only be a matter of time until he got caught, but she loved him and he was all she had left in this crazy world so she had told him she would travel with him to keep him out of trouble. There was nothing left for her in LA now.
Emily and Sarah spread out a picnic lunch on the ground and called the guys to come eat. Kevin and Daniel had been studying the map that Lisa had drawn for them and hurried over to talk to the girls about it. They had planned their way into the city, then the route to the detention center which use to be the collisium and then the best way out of the city hopefully undetected. All they needed now was the Lord to show them how they would get their fellow believers out of the collisium.
- Renee
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Meanwhile back at the compound
The Messenger of the Lord had again appeared to the The Rabbi. "Pick up your pen and write down all that I tell you. Afterwords it must be e-mailed to the newlyweds so that they can PREPARE." The Rabbi, pen in hand, began to write furiously as the angel directed him.
Daniel drove carefully back onto a paved road inside the city limits. Traffic was pretty heavy with military vehicles all around them. Video feed was somehow being channeled to all the billboards around the city with believers faces renouncing their faith. Black SUVs were traveling the roads in every direction going who knows where. "I was worried at first about driving my old assigned SUV but now I can see why God planned this. The windows are darkened so know one can see us in here and we blend in perfectly with our surroundings here in Oakland. Wow! Our God is an Awesome God." Daniel told the group smiling. "Amen Brother." Kevin chimed in. He could feel the tension leave Emily as they continued to drive and check out the layout of the town.
The Rabbi stepped into the inner office in search of Lisa. Finding her doing more research on the web he handed her his notes. "Lisa, please type these notes in e-mail to the newlyweds. Its the Plan for the collisium." "Right away Rabbi. They will be checking in shortly."
- Renee
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Daniel pulled up to a gas station and parked on the side nearest the restrooms. The girls each took a turn as did Kevin. When they all got back in the SUV Daniel turned to them and told them to stay in the vehicle and wait for him. Taking his suitcase from the back he entered the restroom. Sarah gasped as she watched him come out dressed in his federal agent uniform and put his suitcase back in the back. As he climbed back in everyone looked at him stunned. "Why are you dressed like this?" Sarah asked. "Its the only way we continue to get around to buy gas, food and lodging." he told them all. Kevin smiled at Daniel and said, "YOu are a genious!" Oh no I'm not, but the Lord is. Now lets pull around and fill up with gas and check out the rest of this town for dinner.Then we can check our e-mail and plan the rest of our evening." Sarah reached over and put her arms around her husbands neck and whispered in his ear, "I love you."
Abby and Peter pulled into the parking lot of The Ramada Inn in downtown Oakland. "You stay in the car, I'll get us a room."Abby told him. She had heard on the news in the past week in her basement home that people every where had to give their allegience to the government before they could recieve any services across the country. She assumed Oakland would be no different. She came back out, keys jingling in her hand. "Ok, we're all set. Drive around to the back. We're in room 201." She had never mingled with christians in her life so she didnt know now how to deal with her brother. "Someday sweetie you and Jesus will meet and I cant wait to see your face when you finally know the real truth of life." Shrugging him off, she grabbed her bag and headed into the room. What she wanted most of all was to take the hottest shower ever.
"Hey look." Emily pointed. They all looked in the direction she was pointing. "How convienent." said Kevin. Daniel steared the SUV into a parking place. They had found a Denny's attached to The Ramada Inn in downtown Oakland.
- Renee
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The 4 settled into a booth by the window as a waiter walked over and handed them each a menu. "Guess I dont have to ask about your allegience at this table." she remarked glancing at Daniel whom she assumed was a federal agent. Daniel looked up from the menu and told her, " No you dont need to ask us. We all have the same allegience." She smiled brightly at Daniel and told them she would be back in a moment to take their order. Daniel reminded them not to pray over their meal for safety sake and they all agreed to give thanks when they checked into their rooms. Emily laid her head on Kevins shoulder. "You tired honey?" he asked her. Sarah replied, I think we all are. The last 24 hours have been really busy for all of us. I think an early evening if the Lord is willing will refresh all of us until tomorrow. What do you think?" Daniel pulled her close as he glanced over at Emily who had dozed off on Kevins shoulder,"I think He is willing." he smiled at Kevin as the waittress came back to take their order.
Peter was on his knees praying as Abby took her shower. He was asking the Lord to show him how he could break into the live feed that was all over the city. He knew he could rig the airwaves of one of the local radio stations but he didnt feel God had brought him here for such a small task. This city was bigger than any he had been in as a DJ and he felt the Lord had led him here for something much bigger and he knew he needed to stay close to the Lord to get his answer, however it might come.
They finished their meal and walked back to the SUV. Daniel told them to wait while he went to see about rooms for them. The Inn keeper looked up at Daniel as he came in. "Dont have to ask you for your allegience sir." "No you sure dont." Daniel barked at him. "I need 2 rooms side by side with adjoining inner doors if you have them." "Ok, lets see. I have room 202 and 203 on the ground if thats ok?" "Thats fine." Daniel paid the man in the new argos and took the keys and told the man to have a nice night. He walked back to the SUV jingling the keys as he walked. They drove around to the back and parked next to the car parked in 201s slot. Daniel handed Kevin his room key for 203 and then picked up Sarah who had fallen asleep and carried her in and gently laid her on their bed.
- Renee
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Abby stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and clean. Three weeks in her basement had left her feeling filthy even after cleaning up before leaving LA. The city had taken a major hit and she wondered how many people like herself survived. The smell of death had been every where as they had drove out of the city. She slipped into clean clothes, brushed her hair and teeth and opened the bathroom door to find Happy laying right there. He was looking up at her with eyes that said Please. She glanced across the room to see Peter watching the latest news bullitin. "Hey Peter, help me out here." Happy ran to the front door running in circles. "Would you take him out on the leash so he can do his business before we go to sleep?" "Oh sure sis, guess I wasnt payng attention to him." he laughed. Slipping the leash on Happy he headed out the door. Walking behind his car heading for the nearest bushes he noticed the black SUV parked next to his car.
Daniel and Kevin finished reading the messages from the Rabbi. "Wow, Gods plan is awesome, we should be able to accomplish this easily." "Yes we should, but timing is everything." Daniel told Kevin. "Before I change out of this uniform I need to get the gun out of the secret compartment to have in here for the night." Kevin finished shutting the laptop down as Daniel went out the door.
Peter stopped dead in his tracks as he watched Daniel (the federal agent) emerge from the room right next to his. "Dear God," he thought, "How am I going to get around the allegience question? Why did Abby have to send him out with Happy."He tried to make himself unnoticeable but with a big saint bernard there wasnt much chance of that as Happy started barking at the stranger. Daniel looked towards the sound of the barking dog and said, "Who's out there?"
- Renee
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