Free Firebase Freedom by William W. Johnstone

ROTC obligation with the army. He went to Afghanistan, and they put the wedding off until he got back. Postponing the marriage had been Sam’s idea, because he didn’t want to leave a wife behind in case something happened to him. They were married as soon as he returned from Afghanistan twelve years ago.
    Sam began working for Sarah’s father, Nat Goren, at Mid-American Trucking. He worked first as a driver, then as a manager, then he bought half the business, and when Nat Goren retired, Sam bought the entire business from him. It had been an extremely profitable operation until the total collapse of the nation, which closed banks and rendered money useless. The collapse had cost Sam over four million dollars.
    When Sam went back inside he could smell the aroma of roast chicken with carrots and zucchini.
    â€œMmm, it smells delicious. What are we celebrating?”
    Sarah chuckled. “We are celebrating that we have chicken,” she said.
    â€œReason enough for celebration,” Sam agreed.
    â€œDoes it look like rain?” Sarah asked.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œToo bad, the garden could use a little rain. Dinner’s about ready.”
    â€œGood, I’m starved.”
    â€œTell me when you aren’t starved,” Sarah teased.
    Sarah filled two plates, then sat down to the table with her husband. He reached across the table and took her hand. “I love you,” he said.
    â€œI love you too.”
    â€œI can’t imagine my life without you.”
    â€œWhy would you have to imagine it? I haven’t found any new boyfriends,” Sarah teased.
    â€œYou just try, I’ll tell them how much you snore,” Sam said, smiling back at her.
    â€œI do not snore.”
    â€œAnd lemons aren’t sour.”
    They ate their dinner before Sam gathered enough nerve to tell her what had happened today.
    â€œSarah, I’ve something I want to talk to you about,” he said.
    â€œWhat?”
    Sam showed Sarah the decree.
    â€œWhat? What does this mean?” she asked, her voice weak.
    â€œIt means we no longer own the company,” he said.
    â€œThey can’t just make you sell out to them, can they?”
    Again, Sam reached across the table to take Sarah’s hand. “My love, I wish they were buying us out. They aren’t. They’re just taking the company, lock, stock, and barrel.”
    â€œNo!” Sarah said, as her eyes welled with tears.
    â€œThere is an alternative,” Sam suggested. “Another path we could take if you are willing to do it.”
    â€œWhat is that?”
    Sam showed Sarah the relocation document. “I want you to read this, and tell me what you think of it.”
    She looked at it for a moment, then glanced up at him, her eyes showing some hope. “Sam, do you think this is for real? I mean is there really a place where we can go and start all over, away from . . . from all this?” She made a motion with her hand to encompass “all this.”
    â€œYes, I do think it is for real.”
    â€œWell, what’s the catch? There must be some catch to it.”
    â€œThe only catch I’ve been able to learn about, is that we will be signing over not only our business, but all our property—house, furniture, and cars. Also, when we report for transport, we can each carry only one suitcase.”
    â€œWell, if we’re leaving Dallas, what good is our property to us? We may as well sell it.”
    â€œUh-uh,” Sam said, shaking his head. “The truth is, Sarah, whether we take this offer or not, we are going to have to give up our house, and we won’t be paid for it.”
    â€œYou mean it’s not just our business? They’re going to take our home as well?”
    Sam shook his head. “No, they are taking our house, not our home. We are our home.”
    Sarah paused for a moment, then nodded. “All right,” she said. “Yes, let’s do