"Tired, but other than that I'm good," he replied. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost three a.m. "d.a.m.n, eighteen hours," he mumbled.

Casey put a bottle of water in his hand. "Drink this," she commanded.

Seeing the stern look on her little face, Nathan drained the bottle and handed it back. "Thank you, little one." John handed him some food. Not even asking what it was, Nathan shoved it in his mouth. "Thank you," he mumbled with a full mouth.

"You're sure you're okay?" Jasmine asked as Amanda came back with Emma. Emma jumped out of Amanda's arms and ran to Nathan. He picked her up, nuzzling her.

"Much better now," Nathan a.s.sured her. "How are the horses?" he asked, sitting back down on his woobie.

The others joined him. "They need more rest but they are fine for now," Jasmine replied.

"Have you heard or seen anything since I was asleep?" he asked.

"A chopper flew over from where you came from and we heard an explosion," John said.

They saw Nathan chuckle. "I left a grenade under one of the bodies."

"Well it p.i.s.sed them off, it flew around for an hour and shot a bunch of bullets to our south," Jasmine told him.

"Did it come near here?" Nathan asked.

"It just flew over us, never slowing down. The canopy is pretty thick here so unless they land in the field they can't see us," Jasmine said.

"That's good," Nathan said, looking up seeing what Jasmine said was true. "Where are the two I brought back?"

"Tied up like you said," John answered.

"They give you any trouble?" Nathan asked.

"Not unless you mean the smell of them p.i.s.sing and s.h.i.tting on themselves," John replied.

Setting Emma down, Nathan set Emma down, stood up, and dug in his bag for more clothes. He dressed as everyone just watched. "At daybreak I'm taking those two away from here and they are going to answer some questions I have." He looked around for his vest.

"I cleaned your vest. It's hanging up," Amanda said, pointing behind him.

"Thank you," Nathan said. He took it off the line as Jasmine handed him his rifle and he nodded at her. "I hope you got some sleep."

"Yes, we all slept," Jasmine replied. "What are you going to do to them?"

"Question them. Make them give me answers," Nathan said.

"The major is in intelligence and the other is a regional director for Homeland," Jasmine said.

"How the h.e.l.l did you find that out? n.o.body was to go near them," Nathan asked.

"You have their IDs in you tote bag," Jasmine answered. "Please don't do anything you're going to regret," she added.

Ignoring her Nathan looked at his group, "Let's eat," he said. They all followed and started breakfast. They asked Nathan about what happened and he told them. Ares moved over and informed Nathan, he wanted some of his food. The group sat and talked until the sky started to lighten.

When Nathan could see the two tied up to trees in the dawn light, he stood up pulled his Tomahawk off his pack. Amanda ran over to him, "What are you going to do?"

"Going to get some answers," he said, rubbing her head.

Looking down at his hand, she asked, "With a Tomahawk?"

"It's up to them. They can answer without it or with it," he said. "John and Tom, help me move them away from here."

Everyone followed Nathan to the two, who were sleeping. Even Nathan was impressed with how John had tied them to the trees. He untied the major and pulled him to the other side of the meadow, then he brought the Homeland Boy over. John retied them to trees sitting down. Nathan brought over two feed bags and placed them over their heads.

"Guys, go back to camp," Nathan ordered. Reluctantly the group left as Nathan spread out other stuff he brought over. The two were tied up ten yards apart. "Gentlemen, I'm going to ask you questions. It's up to you if you can walk away when I let you go. If your answers don't fit each other's story it won't go good for you," Nathan said. Grabbing his headphones, Nathan put them on the major and turned up the volume so he couldn't hear what the other man said. Pulling out his camera, he set it to video and started recording.

Taking the bag off Homeland Boy, Nathan dragged a log in front of the major. Then Nathan put one in front of him. Grabbing Homeland Boy's legs, Nathan tied his ankles to the log. Homeland Boy didn't fight him. Nathan pulled out a water bottle and ripped the tape off the man's mouth.

"First name?" Nathan asked, holding up the water bottle.

"Keith," he answered. Nodding, Nathan let Keith drink the bottle down.

"Why are there so many helicopter insertions here?" Nathan asked.

"Three companies of the Arkansas National Guard went rogue four days ago. We were trying to contain them before they reached other units that have gone rogue," Keith replied.

"What do you mean by going rogue?" Nathan asked.

"They killed a platoon of U.N. troops that opened fire on citizens in Little Rock. They shot down two Homeland choppers and freed over a thousand people from a detention center," he answered.

Nathan smiled. "Keep answering like this and you will walk out of here just fine," Nathan a.s.sured him. "What were all the explosions we heard?"

"Some were choppers that found the Guard and others were large groups of civilians moving," Keith answered, watching Nathan twirl the Tomahawk.

"What is Operation Dark t.i.tan?'" Nathan asked.

The color drained from Keith's face as his eyes got big. "I don't know where you heard that, but you need to forget it," he said.

"If I ask again, you lose your left foot," Nathan said, standing up.

"Okay, okay! Six months ago, NSA said there was a ninety-eight percent probability of a ma.s.sive solar flare hitting the earth. It was projected to be much bigger than the Carrington Event. They gave a four-day window. We got orders that told us to be ready to corral the ma.s.ses. The government was taking control. Operation Dark t.i.tan was set in motion over a year ago for an event like this when the NSA found out they could predict solar flares reliably," Keith answered.

"What about the EMPs?"

Closing his eyes, Homeland Boy took a deep breath. "The Air Force and CIA had killer satellites in orbit around the globe. When the flare hit, they detonated them worldwide."

"How far up the chain?" Nathan asked.

"The top," he answered, watching the Tomahawk.

"What other countries?" Nathan asked.

"Eighty percent of the U.N.," he replied. "Seven other nations had killer satellites up with ours to make sure the ma.s.ses could be contained."

"Any uprising of the military?" Nathan asked.

Keith looked at him nervously. "Yes."

After five minutes, Keith had offered no more new information. Nathan sighed. "How much of the military?"

"Almost all of SOCOM and forty percent of the active force. Seventy percent of the reserves and Guard units," Keith answered.

Nathan was pleased with that answer. "How many U.N. troops are on U.S. soil now?"

"Last week there were one point two million here, with more coming, I don't have current numbers," Keith answered.

"How many can be expected?" Nathan asked.

Keith looked up helplessly. "Up to nine million."

"Thank you," Nathan said. He took the headphones off the major taking and put them on Keith, then put the feed bag over Keith's head.

Grabbing the major's legs he kicked at Nathan. "Boy, do that again and a foot comes off. It's up to you how you answer. Keith did well and got water. Put your feet on the log or I start chopping," Nathan commanded.

Slowly the major put his legs on the log. Nathan tied them down and held up another bottle of water. "First name?" he asked.

"Rusty," he answered.

Nathan let him drink the bottle. Nathan asked the same questions and the answers were close till he got to numbers of U.N. troops expected. "What do you mean, ten million?" Nathan asked.

"That's what I was told would be on the ground here in six months," he answered.

"Who will be the main forces?" Nathan asked.

"China and Russia," Rusty said.

"How are you handling the Midwest?" Nathan asked.

"We are only keeping the large population centers under control. Large farms are put under state control," Rusty told him.

"Why did Keith tell me twenty million U.N. troops?" Nathan lied.

"s.h.i.t, he wouldn't know. He would be able to tell you how many agents are in an area, but the military is working with the foreign units," Rusty said.

"What did Arkansas's governor think about his rogue troops?" Nathan asked.

"I don't know. He was executed seven days ago, along with every other red state's governor," Rusty replied with a smirk.

"Wipe the smirk off or I'll do it for you," Nathan warned, twirling the tomahawk.

"Come on, we won. Cut me lose and we can work something out," Rusty promised.

"I will cut you lose after I get answers. Keep up the answers and you can be back in your world in a few days. It shouldn't take them too long to find you," Nathan said standing up walking over to Keith taking the bag and headphones off Keith. He then put them on Rusty and continued the questions.

At noon, Nathan walked back to his group and told them all he found out. It was late afternoon when he finished. John summed it up the best. "We're f.u.c.ked."

"Yeah, it's fixing to go to h.e.l.l in a hand basket," Nathan agreed.

"What the h.e.l.l do we do?" Jasmine asked.

He reached over and grabbed her hand. "Get home and start the fight."

"What are you going to do with them?" she asked, motioning toward the prisoners.

"Can the horses leave tonight?" he asked.

"Yes but we have to go easy on them," she said.

"When we leave I'll cut them lose like I promised," he said.

Amanda jumped up. "Like h.e.l.l! Leave them tied to the tree. They knew about this and could've warned people. They killed my momma!"

Shaking his head, Nathan held up his hand. "I told them I would cut them lose," he repeated. "Now that each of you knows what's coming and what they are doing, do you want to turn yourselves in? If you are caught with me, we will be shot. Any soldier or law enforcement officer not reporting, is a deserter and considered a hostile."

They all looked at each other and Jasmine looked at him. "We stay with you. Better to die on ground of our choosing on our feet than starving on our back," Jasmine said.

Smiling at her, "Together then," Nathan said holding out his arms. They all group hugged. "Get the horses ready," Nathan said.

As the sun set Nathan led Smoke to the prisoners. "Gentlemen, I'm a man of my word." Nathan said, walking over and cutting the ropes holding them to the trees. They moved over to Nathan and turned around so he could cut their hands lose.

Nathan took a step back and pulled his pistol out with the suppressor attached, placed the suppressor against Keith's head, and pulled the trigger. Then Nathan shot Rusty before he even moved. Leaning down over the bodies, he cut the zip-ties off. "See you're free, you pieces of s.h.i.t, you can go now," Nathan said. He turned and climbed up on Smoke.

Ares walked over to the two bodies and lifted his leg. "That's telling them, Ares," Nathan chuckled. He led Smoke to the others, who had watched. "I let em go," he said, moving past them. Looking at the bodies across the meadow, the others fell in behind Nathan.

Hearing the others behind him, Nathan took a deep breath, "I will keep them safe," he vowed. Weaving through the trees, Nathan led them northwest, toward home. He didn't like the odds, but he would do his best to get them home safe and sound.

About the Author.

Thomas A. Watson lives in Northwestern Montana, but grew up in Doyline, Louisiana and Grenada, Mississippi. He moved to Shreveport, Louisiana to start a family. He graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelors in Science. Watson's love of reading, which was instilled in him at a young age by his parents, inspired him to begin his writing career.

Working currently as an RN in an emergency room in Missoula, Watson loves the outdoors and taking time off of work.

Acknowledgments.