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flung open the door on her brand new Sienna XLE minivan she’d recently purchased down at O’Leary’s Automotive, most likely paying a couple grand more than it was worth due to Lucky’s shady dealings. She’d wanted something to accommodate Jacob and that’s exactly what she’d ended up with.
    “You’re going up to that lodge you go to every year in Washington State, aren’t you?” Maxie demanded, looking nothing like she had earlier. Her chin length black hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and her face was void of any make-up—not that she needed any with her natural girl next-door looks. She was a beautiful woman and one he’d steered cleared from ever since he’d settled here after his semi-retirement for a variety of reasons. Pretty women in his experience made for poor wives. He’d seen it a million times during his years in the Corps. He also noticed that she’d changed clothes and into apparel that would be more suitable for an extended trip east with her group. She carried her service weapon in her duty belt rig, which looked a bit out of place with her jeans. At least she was playing it smart. “Why?”
    “That’s where my team is. That’s where I need to be,” Berke answered vaguely, palming his keys as he struggled for patience. He would normally give anyone as much time as they wanted to say their piece about something, but these weren’t the average conditions and time was of the essence. He couldn’t help but glance up at the clear blue sky to the northwest, wondering just how long that view would remain or how long it would be before anyone in these parts saw another clear day. “Maxie, why aren’t you at the town’s square forming up into groups?”
    “Because I don’t just have myself to think about anymore, now do I?” Maxie stood with her hands on the waist of a pair of faded denim jeans and a loose fitting, short-sleeved pullover shirt that let everyone know she lived in the Lone Star State. “I have a little boy who’s counting on me and I want to do what’s best for him.”
    “That would be going to the East Coast with everyone else, as you’ve been instructed to do by our government,” Berke directed in warning, knowing exactly where Maxie was going with this. There wasn’t a chance in hell he was taking her with him to Washington when he wasn’t one hundred percent sure it was the right decision even for himself. Had it only been Tank and the team, the bunker could have easily sustained them for a period of ten years or more. Taking responsibility of an entire town—regardless that the population was only about fifty—wasn’t the wisest course of action, but it was the most humane given their particular ethical dilemma. Adding more people to the mix would only put more lives in jeopardy. “Maxie, go back into town and listen to what your boss has to say. I’m sure he’s been given instructions and is monitoring the emergency channels for more information to share with you.”
    “Why is your team opting to stay in Washington?” Maxie asked, not letting up in her typical hard-headed manner. She did glance back inside the minivan, alerting Berke to the fact that she had Jacob in the back seat. The windows were tinted, making it hard to confirm that fact, but it didn’t matter. She needed to stop wasting their time and head out of town before traffic became congested to the point where traveling to the east was impossible. “What’s up there that would keep them from going to a place where FEMA is establishing shelters for those in need?”
    Berke wasn’t going to explain his reasoning, because it wouldn’t matter. He wasn’t about to take responsibility for a woman and a small, helpless child, whose best option was to listen to the government officials and stay with the town’s inhabitants. They’d already wasted a couple of hours that they couldn’t afford to lose. He’d already been to his house and gathered his go-bags, along with the