So the complexity of it all would then start to multiply. Water going out meant bringing sewerage filtration back online, setting up some kind of public hot showers and laundry facilities, and then…
“John? You still with me?” It was Makala on the other end of the phone.
“Oh yeah. Ah, Becka said they’ll run to midnight. Can you come down for a few minutes? Something of a celebration kicking up.”
“Be right down, and I’m bringing someone with me.” She hung up.
It was indeed turning into something of a celebration. The students had rigged up a small stage with a CD player and speakers. One of the kids, who again for this moment appeared to be “just” a college kid, was up on the stage, shouting for requests. Then held up his hands in acknowledgment and rifled through a stack of old CDs, but he first turned on the player and ran the volume up, and the crowd fell silent for a moment. It was “God Bless America,” and within seconds, all had joined in, more than a few with tears streaming down their faces.
He saw Makala approaching him through the crowd with Doc Weiderman by her side, carrying his medical bag. He tried not to blanch at the sight of the dentist.
“Yeah, John, let’s get it done. It’ll only take a minute.”
John gulped and then nodded in submission to fate. It was time to get the tooth out. “Give me a minute. Okay?”
“Yeah, but no escaping this time.”
He smiled, nodding to where Lee Robinson, arm in a sling, was standing behind him, ready to snag John if he tried to slip away. Then he felt a reassuring hand slip into his. It was Makala, and she was in tears, standing silent, looking up at the lights and listening to the chorus singing.
“We got to get you fixed up proper, John,” she whispered, drawing in close to his side.
They stood in silence, listening as the chorus sang the last refrain of the song, and then the party started, dancing beneath the brilliant array of lights, the cares of what tomorrow would bring—or what John had to face in a few minutes—forgotten.
“We’re still America. We’ll always be America,” Makala whispered, drawing in closer by his side.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
WILLIAM R. FORSTCHEN is the New York Times bestselling author of One Second After. He also collaborates on New York Times bestselling novels with Newt Gingrich. Forstchen holds a Ph.D. in history from Purdue University, with specializations in military history and the history of technology. He is currently a faculty fellow and professor of history at Montreat College, near Asheville, North Carolina. You can sign up for email updates here.
BOOKS BY WILLIAM R. FORSTCHEN
FROM TOM DOHERTY ASSOCIATES
Sign Up for Tom Doherty Associates Newsletters
Thank you for buying this Tom Doherty Associates ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content, and info on new releases and other great reads, sign up for our newsletters.
For email updates on the author, click here.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
ONE YEAR AFTER
Copyright © 2015 by William R. Forstchen
All rights reserved.
Cover photograph by Thinkstock
Cover design by Faceoutstudio
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-7653-7670-1 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-5189-4 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466851894
First Edition: September 2015
The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied so that you can enjoy reading it on your personal devices. This e-book is for your personal use only. You may not print or post this e-book, or make this e-book publicly available in any way. You may not copy, reproduce, or upload this e-book, other than to read it on one of your personal devices.
Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the author’s copyright, please notify the publisher at: us.macmillanusa.com/piracy.