Captives: Shade Valley Cabin, #2

By Andrea Perez

Life will never be the same. Their homes, schools, friends, families, and cities are gone. America has been reduced to sparse population centers and those daring to survive in the wilderness. Grant and Lindsey were doing fine until the pressures of the world separated them. Surviving alone isn't safe, and Grant is desperate to get Lindsey back home to the cabin. He may need to give up the comforts of the cabin to save her. The wilderness is a dangerous place, but so is a sanctuary city. The mark of the beast and beheadings have put Christians and non-conformists into the spotlight in the cities. Is escape possible? Will Jayvion meet the same fate when every choice is a matter of life and death?

This is the second book of the Shade Valley Cabin series, a post-rapture Christian dystopian apocalyptic novel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrea Perez
• Release date: Sep 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201385699

Andrea Perez

Andrea lives in Ohio on a nine-acre homestead with her husband and two children.  She loves hanging out around the house with her family, homeschooling her kids, writing, reading, doing puzzles, and studying the Bible.  She's a Holy Spirit filled believer in Jesus Christ who died and rose again to take away our sins.  It is Jesus who set her on her writing journey and navigates the pages of her stories.

Book preview

Dedication

To those who have always supported me. You keep me going when life gets hard.

Captive

Shabah: to take captive

World News Update

"Welcome to World News from Berlin. There is a lot to report on tonight. First, we have an update on the new world capitol in Jerusalem. We’re told the exterior walls to the new capitol and temple building are nearing completion. The next phase will be the expansion that will turn the Al Aqsa Mosque into a rectangular temple for all to worship in.

Currently several countries have contributed to supplies and assistance on the project. It is a community effort after all, so we can live as one people. We are told the two troublemakers are still causing delays, but hopefully they'll be arrested soon and put on trial. The news anchor chuckled to her co-anchor.

"In other news, the meteor showers we've been experiencing seems to be calming down. There were only two reports last night of visible meteors including this photo captured in Bangladesh.

New reports have been coming in of strange sounds in the sky. Some say it sounds like a high pitch whine where others say it's more reminiscent of a horn, Mike, she said smiling conspiratorially to her co-anchor. "All reports confirm the sound seems to resonate out of the Middle East, however, it's not heard there.

"Staying in the sky; there is still the strange and unexplainable swirl of clouds over Jerusalem. Russia hasn't seen the sky in a month due to constant cloud cover, and China is complaining it hasn't seen rain in weeks. Reports indicate drought conditions scattered worldwide.

"Finally, the president of the new world government gave us an update on the situation in the Americas. They are happy to report most major US cities were destroyed. California movie makers have agreed to make informative documentaries for the new government. The people who survived are still being rounded up into sanctuary cities. And finally, they are sending the new nano-vaccine to the Americas, so they can join in our new system of world living. And the Americas are where they will be testing it.

As always, we praise the work our new president is doing. If it weren't for him, we'd all be dead. Please have a wonderful evening people of Earth.

Chapter 1

Jayvion

I climbed the stairs to the top of my building. I just needed a moment to process the new information given to us. I felt so stupid for getting myself locked in here. Roanoke had sounded like a great refuge when I left Georgia. Now, it felt like a prison with the walls closing in on me, and I helped fence myself in!

It began with little things like the ID cards, assigned jobs, and limited access to certain areas of the city. But then it grew, no weapons, tight food rationing due to destroyed farms and pillaged supplies, and instant executions. Long gone were the laws of America. The Unified World Government laws are strict and harsh. Escape attempts were a daily issue, and each one ended in death.

So far, myself and the small group of friends I’ve made have been able to continue meeting for Bible study. We are not required to do the Salat morning prayers yet, so we meet to do our own prayers. I’ve become the worship leader. We choose a song, and I lead them. We sing softly because Jesus is banned, but we still aim to praise him. This group is the only ray of hope here.

I stood at the top of the stairs in the dark pinching the bridge of my nose. I sucked in a deep breath trying to rid myself of the bubbling frustration and anxiety inside my chest. Opening my eyes, I looked around in the very dim light.  A door, welded shut, was the only thing at the top of the staircase. There’s a sign, but it’s too dark to read. I assume it’s the roof’s access door as I sit down on the stairs.

By order of the President of the Unified World Government, no one shall gather privately in groups of more than ten. Of course, this was the next step. Rumors were spreading from Europe that groups of dissidents were gathering and conspiring against their captors. The new law affected our group though. We had twenty-seven believers on good days and at least fifteen regulars.

My mind tried to figure out how we could still meet without giving ourselves away. We could enter through different doors and stagger our entry and exit times. Or we might have to split into two or three groups. I didn’t mind spending my free time with them, and this would give me more to do instead of sitting around doing nothing.

Oh, Lord, what should we do? I’m afraid a split might push away those barely hanging on. The noose is tightening. I know you have me here for a reason. I guess I’m just asking for clarity. I prayed quietly.

Jayvion? You up there?

Yeah, Walt. I stood and descended the stairs. How’d you find me? I asked as I rounded the first landing.

Someone saw you heading up. Look, we’re needed. I know you just got back. Harper said he needed a quick fix on the South gate.

Okay. Let’s go. I followed Walt to the bus. The driver already knew our location, and we were the only ones riding in this late hour. Curfew is strictly enforced, and the only people permitted to be out are specific workers with specific orders. I’m one of the few who can come and go at all hours since I’m the maintenance team leader.

We followed Colonial Avenue south. It’s very dark. Roanoke has power, but it’s limited and only used at night by government officials. We followed Colonial Avenue to Ogden Road where the fence line is. The bus pulled into a bus station where Walt and I disembark. During the day, the bus would pull away, but tonight it waited for us.

There were four guards straddling the opening because the gate is bent and jammed on itself. I approached with Walt a step behind me carrying our tool bag.

Jayvion? another guard asked who stood waiting for us.

Yep. I flash him my ID.

Follow me. He led us to the gate. We had a man ram it with a four-wheeler. He bent it all up. Now we can’t close it.

Walt and I will get started then.

Make it quick. General Patel wants it done before morning. I nodded and squatted down to take a good look at the bent framework. Walt set the bag down and squatted next to me. We agreed the job seemed fairly easy as long as we didn’t compromise the bottom bar more than it already was.

I told Walt what tools we needed as I stepped back deciding where to begin. I heard my feet slosh in a puddle, and I stepped to the side to avoid my feet getting too messy. Shoes were hard to come by, and you would have to do a lot of extra work to afford a new pair.

We worked by flashlight. It wasn’t easy to juggle our tools and hold our lights, but we wouldn’t dare ask a guard. That would get us hit or denied a meal. Neither were high on my priority list, so we dealt with the situation as best as we could. Occasionally, I looked out into the darkened ruined part of the city beyond the fence. It called to me, Leave. I ignored it though and continued working as Walt told some story about a woman named Enid who liked him. He couldn’t stand her. Walt always had stories, and it made the time pass more quickly.

It took us four hours of pushing, pulling, cutting, clamping, and plenty of grunts before we got it good enough to close and lock. My cot was calling my name as Walt closed the tool bag.

Let’s go. Maybe we’ll get some sleep before we have to do it all again. Walt clamped a hand on my shoulder nodding with an exhausted smile. I let him take the lead back to the bus. Every time I work on a gate, I leave feeling disappointed. It’s only a small piece of metal keeping me here, and when the gate’s open I wish I could make a run for it. Something holds me back though. I’d like to think it’s the bullets that would penetrate my back if I ran, but that isn’t it. That doesn’t frighten me anymore. Deep inside, I know Jesus wants me here. Where would the church members be if I didn’t encourage them to continue? Who would lead the services? No, I must stay until I’m released from this bondage whether that’s escape or death. God has his timing, so I wait for it.

I sat down and let my head fall back on the seat. My eyes slowly adjusted to the lights on the bus. What’s this? the driver asked. What are you tracking onto my bus? Walt and I looked down. His shoes were clean, mine were bloody.

I gasped. The puddle! They must’ve killed the man, I said trying to remain calm as we pulled away. Comfort must wait, now I needed to clean my precious shoes before going to bed.

That’s nasty. They could’ve at least warned us, Walt said disgusted."

Chapter 2

Grant

Lindsey was gone, and it was my fault. Temptation took hold of me, and she left. I had no idea when she left or where she was going. I seriously messed up, but I just can’t let her leave my life this way. I need to tell her how sorry I am. I was unaware of my behavior and seemed indifferent toward her. It was never my intention. I won’t go back until she is with me again. I decided to head in the direction of our houses. I figured it would be a familiar area that would be comfortable to her. If she’s not there, I’ll head to Cleveland where her friend Brittan said she was going. Otherwise, I’ll wander the Earth for her. She’s the only thing I truly love here.

I walked as far as I could yesterday and nearly to exhaustion. The sun was setting early now, and I travelled by moonlight. I found a shed that was opened and took shelter in it for the night. I ate a can of peaches and a slice of bread that barely filled my stomach. After dinner, I looked over my map with my flashlight to plan my direction for the morning. I tried to think like Lindsey and plan a way she would’ve gone. She rarely left the cabin. I figured the route would be the easiest and least likely for her to get lost. I prayed I was going in the right direction too before praying for her safety.

I fell asleep quickly and woke up when the sun shone right in my eyes through the small window. I ate and rummaged through the nearby house that the shed belonged to. Had I seen it last night, I would’ve slept there. I found very little since it had been ransacked already. I did find a nice leather jacket though and stuffed it into my bag. The air was crisp when I left the house around seven in the morning. The neighborhood was empty and quiet. Not a single bird peeped. The only noise I heard was my footfall echoing off the walls. Eventually, I was back in the trees for a majority of the twenty-five miles. The further I got from Shade Valley and our home, the more desolate the landscape became. It looked as though the trees just dropped their green leaves and skipped autumn altogether. The grass was brown, dry, and crunchy under my feet, and the air was heavy. It was marred by the smell of death as breezes off the towns wafted by.

That evening, I was so tired my feet felt like cement and scraped the ground as I shuffled onward. I nearly cried when I found a furniture store. It had a notice posted on the door, World Peace Finally Established! It mentioned a man I had heard of running something called the Unified World Government. It said he brought light to the darkness giving me chills.

I know who you are, I said to the poster. This area was another partially deserted town although some bodies still riddled the street. Suspiciously, I looked around before entering the store. Inside looked as if they could open for business in the morning, but no one had been there in a while. I crashed on a display bed and fell asleep instantly. It wasn’t until my stomach growled around daybreak that I woke up. I opened a can of corn and ate it for breakfast while I made a plan for the day. I hoped my late nights and early mornings were enough to get caught up to her.

As I left the store, I saw a scruffy old man and whistled to him. He ducked down toward the ground at the noise before turning and speaking.

What do you need? he yelled cautiously.

I just have a question, I hollered back. Have you seen a teenage girl around here? She has dark brown hair and eyes, kind of tan, and a little shorter than me.

There is a girl that I saw going into a house last night, he replied standing back up.

Can you show me? She’s my girlfriend, and we got separated.

Sure. He walked over to me. It’s about a mile down the road. Where are you headed?

Camden Heights.

Oh, I’m sorry. That place is in the fallout zone. He stopped sympathetically.

What do you mean?

Here. He dug in his bag. I have a new map of the fallout radiation zones. He handed me the map, and I was shocked by how extensive it was.

Where did you get this?

I listen. I’ve run into many people, although east of here has been mostly cleared and gathered, so I haven’t seen many people for the last month. Just stragglers like you. Look, he said rubbing his beard, I’d go back to where you were. There’s not much left east of here or anything you can access. We made small talk while I followed him. Have you gotten your chip yet?

No. I heard about it on the radio. I’m not getting one. I answered.

"Good. They