“Someone must be pretty sick,” she had remarked.
Forrest smiled. “I’m an obsessive compulsive. I have to buy every bottle of vitamins I see.”
Andie laughed. “May I ask what they’re really for?”
“You wouldn’t believe if me I told you.”
“I might,” she said. “I’m a kindergarten teacher. I hear a lot of creative stories.”
She had not been wearing a wedding band, and at that point Forrest sensed that she found him attractive. “I deal in black-market vitamins.”
“No, really,” she said, laughing. “There’s has to be an interesting explanation.”
“To be completely honest,” he said, suddenly serious, “it’s a secret.”
With that, the conversation trailed off, but Forrest had written her license plate number down in the parking lot. Hers was the last name he added to the roster, aside from Veronica’s.
Andie answered the door, and though she was at first confused by his uniform, she did recognize him, putting her hand on her hip and shifting her weight to one leg. “You’re the vitamin guy.”
“Yes, ma’am, that’s me,” he said with a smile. “My name’s Jack Forrest. And you’re Andie Tatum, correct? Widowed mother of a six-year-old daughter named Trinity Marie Tatum?”
“Yeah,” she said, a little intimidated. “What’s the Army want from me now?”
“I’m actually U.S. Army, retired. The uniform is just to instill some confidence.”
“Confidence in what?”
“In the offer I’ve come to make you. May I come in?”
She stood thinking it over. “I suppose.”
He stepped inside and took the green beret from his head. “This won’t take long.”
“Have a seat.”
They sat across from one another in the living room.
“Is Trinity home?”
“She’s at my sister’s playing with her cousins,” Andie said. “This has something to do with the asteroid, doesn’t it… and all those damn vitamins?”
“It does,” he replied. “Myself and four friends have prepared a large underground shelter here in Nebraska and stocked it with enough food for at least eighteen months, depending on how many people decide to join us. We’ve accommodations for a maximum of fifty.”
“And you’re asking me?”
“I am.”
“Well… why?”
“Because I liked you immediately,” he said frankly. “Aside from a few friends and family, everyone else we’re asking has been selected according to certain criteria. The location is a complete secret, so you’ll have to accept the offer sight unseen, should you choose to join us.”
Andie sat back in the sofa. “You’re serious?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m as legitimate as the asteroid itself.”
“But I don’t understand why anybody would… people don’t just do this for strangers out of the kindness of their hearts.”
Forrest shrugged. “We do.”
“Well… how do I know that this is for real? I mean, you could be anyone.”
“That’s true,” he said. “You’d be taking a complete leap of faith. But if you do decide to take it, you’ll be taking it for your daughter. She’s the future.”
“So there will be other children?”
“Yes. A couple of single mothers have accepted our offer so far, but most have declined—as expected. There are only a few women left to visit.”
“And the government has nothing to do with this?”
“Nothing at all. If they knew, I’m sure they’d try to shut us down. Hoarding food is a federal offense now, as I’m sure you’ve heard.”
“But you started hoarding a long time ago, didn’t you? Buying all those vitamins. That was months before anyone else even knew… which means you’re connected.”
“After a fashion, yes.”
“So you don’t think NASA can stop it?”
“The shoot-down hasn’t a chance in hell of working,” he said. “That’s just propaganda to try and preserve law and order.”
“Can I bring my sister and her family?”
“No, ma’am. Yours was the last name I added to the list.”
“But you just said some have refused your offer.”
“I made a long list because I knew most wouldn’t accept. It is a hard story to swallow.”
He went on to explain the setup in the silo in greater detail, and at length Andie got up from the sofa and slowly paced the room. “I don’t have any idea what to do,” she admitted finally. “How long do I have to decide?”
He looked at his watch. “What time will Trinity be home?”
“You mean I have to decide right now?”
“No, but before sunset would be helpful.”
“You said your name is Jack?”
“Right.”
“Jack, I can’t just leave my sister and my nephews. My brother-in-law’s a goof but he’s a nice guy. He wouldn’t cause you any trouble.”
“If you decide to stay with them,” he said, getting to his feet, “you’re going to die with them… but I understand that some would prefer it that way.” He took a slip of paper from his pocket. “This is my number. Call me if you decide to accept our offer. Again, sooner would be better.”
“But wait. That’s it? I can’t bargain?”
He looked at her, his face set. “Your husband was a soldier. What would he want you to do?”
“That’s not fair,” she said. “You know all about me and I know nothing about you, about any of you.”
“You know we’ve got plenty of vitamins.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “You know, I was trying to flirt with you that day, and you were rude to me. I never flirt with men in front of my daughter—ever.”
“Would you have believed me had I told you the truth?”
She pushed her dark hair away from her eyes and looked at him. “No, I’d have thought you were being a smartass—and you are a smartass. That uniform doesn’t hide anything from me. I was a camp follower for too long.”
“One suitcase for each of you,” he said, turning for the door. “No more. A bag of Trinity’s favorite toys if she likes—but that’s it. We’ve toiletries aplenty.”
“Did you know Kevin?” she asked suddenly. “Is that why you’re really here? Did he ask you to look after us?”
“I would love for that to be so,” he said with a sad smile. “That would be a beautiful story. But I never had the honor of meeting your husband. I do know, however, that Sergeant Tatum was killed three years ago in Afghanistan and that he was a brave man. I would be honored to save his family from what is coming.”
The unholy image of her daughter dying of starvation flashed through her mind, and she recalled the deep timbre of her husband’s voice. This man Forrest’s voice had that same quality.
“Don’t give our place to anyone else,” she said, her eyes abruptly filling with tears. “I just don’t know what to tell my sister.”
“Some aren’t saying anything,” he offered by way of suggestion.
“I can’t do it that way,” she said. “Don’t take this wrong, but I think I wish you hadn’t come.”
“We’ve heard that from others,” he said gently. “But I think that Trinity should make your final decision something of a no-brainer. At least she would for me.”
“But what happens in two years?”
“Ask me in two years.” He grinned. “I’ll wait to hear from you, Andie.”
“Are you married?” she blurted. “Are you bringing anyone?”