"Putting the chair at the end of the table, the Sheriff sat down and said, "Howdy folks."Harry Howard, the man he had been seeking, glared at his intr...sion and asked, "What in the hell is this?"The Sheriff looked around the table. The silvered lenses of his sunglasses hid eyes. He wore them with the purpose of intimidating the criminal element of his domain. In his experience, so many angry people were a sure sign of trouble brewing. If not now, then one day in the near future. He didn't like. For the rest of the evening I was given a treat by way of a rest. He allowed me to nap on the cot until we got to the rest station that night. . . . When I woke, James was not in the truck. I wiggled into a sitting position, my arms still tied behind me and the shirt allowing minimal coverage. It was dark, and we were parked at a rest area. Through the windshield I could see James talking to two other men by another truck. They were smoking cigarettes and having an animated conversation with. The land that Jack informally controlled through those of his people that were in elective and appointive office encompassed the entire North American continent and Central America. Most of the old British Commonwealth was closely aligned with his group as was Germany. Laws and regulations were now in place based on looser Imperial laws in most of the worlds nations. These laws actually helped the population and protected the people from those that would take advantage of them.Jack moved to a. ” Alice paused and repeated her call, “Liberty Base this is Hunter One, come in, please. Over.”It was useless. A granite slab a mile thick stood between our location and the base’s radio receiver, effectively blocking out our signal. The steady hiss of static ruled the airwaves. Alice handed me the radio’s microphone and instructed me to repeat the call to base every five minutes.Backing up the steep slope was a royal pain in the ass. Reverse gears are slow, and the best speed our Mule could.