Free United States Of Apocalypse by Mark Tufo, Armand Rosamilia

same way. Pheebz was sitting in the kitchen in the dark, clutching a small firearm in her hand. If it wasn’t for the soft glow of the clock over the stove, Darlene would’ve missed her completely.
    Darlene crawled back into bed but knew there was no way she would fall asleep. Her mind was racing and she cradled the Desert Eagle in her hand before placing it within reach on the nightstand again.
    She stared at the ceiling for half an hour before giving up and going to the window, looking out at the vast property. She could see one of the barns from her room. There were so many shadows where an army could hide, and she wouldn’t see them coming.
    The Sawyer family probably knew the area and this farm pretty well, and they would use it to their advantage when they came back for a fight.
    Now more than ever, Darlene wished she’d never left Maine. Why had she been so selfish and impulsive? Right now, she’d be safe in her own bed and in her own home.
    She hoped.
    What if this craziness was happening in New England? Pheebz had watched the news on and off but didn’t offer a play by play to Herbert. It was all so depressing, and they had their own problems close to home right now. No use in worrying about Los Angeles or New York when they were in danger right here.
    Darlene went back to the bed, but she couldn’t get comfortable, She was restless. She felt like she was being watched and found herself at the window again.
    She decided she’d slip to the kitchen and get something to drink. Maybe take over guarding the house or walk the property in case they came back. She needed something to do besides stare at the ceiling. Her mind was racing with so many thoughts.
    When she opened the bedroom door, she wasn’t surprised to hear the television on and the couple talking quietly in the living room with the lights out.
    Darlene made sure she made enough noise as she walked through the hall so Herbert didn’t shoot her. When she cleared her throat and walked into the living room, both Herbert and Pheebz had pistols drawn.
    “Am I interrupting?” she asked.
    “Turn it off,” Herbert said to Pheebz.
    Darlene looked at the television but only caught a brief glimpse of something burning before the picture blinked off.
    Only the small nightlight near the end table gave them anything to see by now.
    “We need to tell her,” Pheebz said, then turned on the lamp next to her. She looked at Darlene and frowned. “Come sit down.”
    “This is not a good idea,” Herbert said.
    “Tell me what’s going on,” Darlene said as she sat down on the couch. She was exhausted but knew she’d get no sleep tonight. Especially if there was more bad news. “You can’t keep bad news from me.”
    Herbert nodded. “I’m sorry, Darlene. It’s just...I consider you like our daughter. I want to protect you, even though we just met. I know you’re good people, and to be honest, I don’t want you to break down when you see what we’ve been watching. Can you understand that?”
    Darlene smiled. “I thank you for the concern. I’m quite fond of both of you, and it isn’t just the situation we’re in right now. But I’m not a little girl, and I’m really not happy to know you’re keeping stuff from me.” She remained calm because she was really pissed off right now. Who did they think they were? She wasn’t their daughter. She had a dad—well, she’d had one—and now she wanted to leave. Maybe she’d take off at first light and try to get back to Maine. She didn’t want to feel like a prisoner or have them keep information from her like she was a child.
    “I told you,” Pheebz yelled. She waved a finger at her husband. “She’s not a little kid. She isn’t Susie.” Pheebz began to cry and rushed out of the room.
    Darlene stared at Herbert as she heard a bedroom door slam.
    Herbert looked like he was going to cry. He picked up the rifle near his chair and pointed at the couch with his free hand. “There’s the remote