Nellie's story

This story is set in the not too distant future. It is a time in our country when your beliefs are scrutinized by the government. You can be persecuted for those beliefs.

Prologue

I met Mary Yoder on a fishing trip to Lake Tobin. She ran a small diner and a boarding house in a small town near the lake. I would frequent the diner for Mary’s home-cooked meals and her wonderful cinnamon rolls. The meals in her diner were served buffet style. You could nearly always find her sitting at her table, which was situated close to the buffet line. Most evenings, the diner was quiet with the guests sporadically showing up for their dinner meal or a family dropping in from the street for a night out.

I was sitting at a table enjoying a large cinnamon roll and a cup of coffee one evening when Mary invited me to join her at her table. While we were visiting, a young mother and her children descended the staircase and helped themselves to the buffet. The woman and her daughter wore long dresses, and each wore a small bonnet. The boy was dressed in dark trousers and a dark jacket that covered his white shirt. Mary placed her hand on my arm and said, “They are travelers.” “Travelers, what do you mean?” I asked.

This is a story she shared with me that evening. This story is about a remarkable woman who… Well, listen to the story, and you can decide for yourself. Mary Yoder’s boarding house was in Prairie Province near Ravendale, Canada. She was welcoming seven refugees who had just arrived from the US. She noticed a young woman who seemed out of place. A young child clung to her side, and she carried a baby as she entered the diner. They weren’t dressed like the other refugees from the United States, and she didn’t have the lost, unsettled look on her face that the others had. She was wearing a long dark green dress and bonnet. The dress she was wearing looked new, and she was well kept. She didn’t look like someone who had just traveled hundreds of miles.

Marry called to the young woman, and she gracefully walked over with the two kids in tow, “Yes, Ma’am?” Marry smiled and introduced herself. The woman stretched out her hand and shook Mary’s hand. She noticed that the woman’s hands were callused and strong. She had the hands of a farmer. The woman smiled at Mary and said, “My name is Nelly; I wanted to speak with the person in charge. Mary smiled, “That would be me. I have been helping travelers for some time now.” Nellie said, “I always wondered how they faired once they arrived in Canada. I run a safe house in southern Indiana. Lately, however, we have been receiving messages indicating that Canada is no longer taking in travelers. Is this true?” “I can’t speak for the entire country of Canada, but of course, it isn’t true for us.” Mary was intrigued by this young woman. She was dressed like an Anabaptist woman, but she didn’t speak or have the mannerisms of one. She invited Nellie into her office and poured her a cup of coffee. “Now, why don’t you tell me your story? I want to know how you came to run a safe house and why you would travel this far to check on the people whom you have helped. Because we both know that isn't really why you are here. Isn’t it?” Nellie was hesitant at first to tell her story, but Mary insisted. 

Chapter 1

After starting her new job in the city, Nellie would spend her weekends with her parents and her younger sister. She had moved from her parent’s farm to a small apartment in the city. It was close to her job so that she could walk to work. Nellie’s new house often felt lonely and empty, so she enjoyed her weekend visits with her parents. She was teaching three English classes and a Literature class at the college. So grading papers in her office and preparing for classes took up most of her evenings. This was her first semester as a teacher and her first time living away from her parent’s home.

During her interview for the position at the college, she had to face a panel of professors who each asked her several questions. One of the questions she was asked was whether she could teach a religiously diverse group of students, even though their beliefs were different than her Christian beliefs.

After the interview was over, the Dean shook her hand and smiled. She couldn’t tell from his demeanor whether she had a chance at getting hired or not. She was nervous the whole time, and she felt like she had completely blown her interview.

Later that week, however, she got the phone call she had been waiting on. She was offered a full-time position with the English department. After she finished the call, she ran to her mother and excitedly shared the news.

That weekend her mother took her shopping. She needed sensible clothing and shoes now that she was a professor at a college. They spent hours at the stores trying on different outfits. After settling on several blouses and slacks, they found a pair of shoes that would go with just about anything. Afterward, when they were satisfied with the clothing, they went to the salon so Nellie could get her hair cut in a sensible style. She had always worn her auburn hair in a long ponytail. She would have to get used to a businesswoman bob cut.

Her first day at the college was exciting. The English department was in the oldest building on campus. It was a three-story building built of gray stone blocks. The stone had weathered, and it had dark streaks running down the facade. The windows were at least ten feet tall. The window ledges were made of light gray marble. The grand entrance had a wide staircase that narrowed as it reached the large double doors. The doors were heavy dark oak. Each door had etched glass windows that ran down their center.

She started up the staircase, and a young woman met her at the door. “You must be Nellie. Follow me; we have a lot of paperwork to fill out. The young lady guided her to the business office and asked her to sit in a chair next to a desk. After the young lady was seated, she began pulling papers out of a file drawer next to her desk. “We have a butt load of papers for you to sign.” Nellie smiled at the young girl. “And you are?” Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Jamie, and I am the department secretary.

After a full morning of signing papers and then being briefed on things about internet usage and how much it would cost if she lost her keys as well as the fraternization policy, she was more than ready to leave that office.

Just as she had finished with her paperwork, the Dean met with her and then took her around to meet the other professors in her department. Nearly everyone was welcoming and friendly. Several of them joined her for lunch. Some of them gave her advice, others just visited. However, one of the Professors stopped her in the hall and told her, “I know you go to Church, I don’t like churchgoers, and I don’t like you.” Then he said. “You people represent everything that’s wrong with this country. Don’t plan on being here long.”

Nellie told the head of her department, Professor Amanda Rain, about the incident. Amanda told her not to worry. She said, “He is just a grouchy old man. He has been there for years, and he likes to intimidate the new staff.”

She had only been working at the college for a few months when she received a note in her mailbox at the college. The note read, ‘They are coming for you.’ That evening Nellie called her father and told him about the note. He asked, “Have you been watching the news? Our politicians are calling Christians enemies of the state. The President has asked Homeland Security to investigate all Evangelical Churches. So you need to be careful.” Nellie said quietly, “We are Evangelical Christians.” He said, “I know Hun; that’s why you need to be careful.”

That evening when she was watching the local news, the reporter was talking about the Evangelical threat. The reporter accused the Christians of election fraud and using social media to influence the US election outcomes.

A few nights later, she watched the news when the President announced that he was creating a new cabinet post. He was appointed a Religious Czar to look into the widespread dissent among religious groups in the U.S.”

She looked up at the television when she heard the reporter talking about a breaking news story. The reporter was saying that war had broken out in the Middle East. Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon had attacked Israel. In response, Israel had bombed Damascus. The city was in ruins. Israel had also bombed the Syrian President's palace killing the President and members of his family. In response to Israel’s attack, Muslim protests had spread across Europe and the U.S. There was a video of Muslims smashing Church windows and attacking Christians on the street.

Early the next morning, she jumped out of bed and started her morning routine. After getting ready for work, she rushed out the door. As she walked to work, she had the feeling someone was following her. Suddenly two police officers stepped in front of her. One of the officers asked to see her identification. Then he said, “This is her.” The officer arrested her. While they were handcuffing her, she tried to ask them why she was being arrested; they would only say it was for her protection.

They drove her to a jail compound, and she was taken to the front desk. One of the officers simply said, “We have another one.” Then an officer came through a door and lead Nellie down a hallway, into the jailhouse.

She left her with an angry-looking man who was carrying a bundle of clothing. He escorted her to a jail cell. He pushed her into the jail cell and then dropped the bundle on the floor. He said, “Strip down.” As she started to undress the officer stressed: “remove everything including your undergarments, and place them in this bag”. He tossed a brown paper bag on the floor and then watched her as she got undressed. When she put the last of her clothing in the brown paper bag, he took it from her. The man said, “Lift your hair.” He shined his flashlight at the sides of her head. He looked in her mouth and told her to lift her tongue. He looked at her armpits and her breasts. Then he shined his flashlight in her most private areas and he ordered to spread them open. After he looked at the bottom of her bare feet he said, “Get dressed.” He pointed to the bundle of clothing on the floor.

As he left he shut the heavy metal cell door. She lifted the orange jumpsuit and an ugly brown pair of flip-flops out of the bag and looked at them. A stern voice came through the door. “I said get dressed.” “I need my underclothes.” She replied. “Where the hell do you think you are…The Hilton? Get your nasty a*s dressed now.” Nellie put on the jumpsuit and zipped it up, then slid her feet into the hard rubber flip-flops.

Every day now for nearly a week Nellie awoke in the same dark gray room. Twice a day she watched as the tray slot as it opened. She swung her legs over the side of the bunk and stepped over to the door to take the tray from the officer, and then she thanked him. He never answered, but continued on his way.

She sat on her bunk and opened the cover to her tray. The tray held a pale yellowish clump of beans and rice with a few small diced vegetables mixed in a watery sauce, and next to that was a dry cube of bread. Every meal had been the same the entire week. Her jail cell was small, maybe eight feet wide and ten feet long. Her only view outside of her cell was a long slender window on the door, which the officers used to peer in occasionally. The walls, floor, and ceiling were unpainted concrete. The only light was a single bulb in the ceiling. In one corner of her cell was a metal toilet with a small sink. Her bunk was a three-foot by eight-foot slab of concrete in the back of her cell. The concrete slab had a thin gray mattress with a fitted sheet and a wool blanket. She had a small pillow that was covered with the same gray vinyl as the mattress.

After she finished her meal she set the tray on the floor. Silence filled her cell. Then, once again two police officers charged through her cell door and grabbed her. They handcuffed her wrists together so tight that it felt like the metal was cutting into her wrist. Then one stood behind her and held her arms while others stood in front of her and then once again, the man in front of her slapped Nellie so hard that she almost lost consciousness.

The man behind her grabbed her by the hair and pulled her face up so the other man could slap her again. She felt like her knees were going to buckle. The man behind her jabbed his fist into her spine. “Stand your a*s up.” He said.

She tried to speak when the man in front of her grabbed her throat and squeezed. Her face felt like it was burning, and she felt her blood rushing to her head. He let go of her neck and grinned, then said. “We don’t want anything from you.” He said, “We were told to question you. I keep telling them that you are being uncooperative.”

After they left she pulled her blanket off of the bed and pulled it over her shoulders so that it hung around her like a cape. She stood in the middle of her cell and cried for a while. This attack was more brutal than before. Finally, she sat on the edge of her bunk. Her stomach was cramping now so she laid down in the fetal position.

She was awoken to the sounds of screams from somewhere close by. Her face felt numb and swollen and her head ached as she tried to sit up. She heard loud distorted voices and more screaming. Nellie covered her ears. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. The screams were even louder than ever before and the loud voices sounded cruel. Finally, it all stopped, and then a heavy metal door slammed. The muffled voices and footsteps faded with their harsh laughter.

She could hear someone weeping in the distance. She looked out of the window on her door, into the dark hallway. She couldn’t see very far down the hall in either direction. She didn’t see anyone in the hall so she called out to the person crying. As soon as she did an officer came toward her door. He hit the door hard and the sound echoed through her cell.

Nellie sat on her bunk and listened to the crying. Her stomach cramped so much that it made her ball up a little as she sat. Then she heard the cell door open. The same two officers entered her cell. One of them grabbed her and shoved her against the wall. “You stand when I enter the room. Nellie was shaking as she stood. One of the men handed her a tablet and pen. He said, “They want you to write the names of everyone in your church.”

As the two men left the room she curled up on her bunk. She cried softly as she tried to picture the faces of the people in her Church. “The jokes on them, I never could remember people’s names.” She said quietly. She must have fallen asleep because she awoke to an angry voice. “Get up!” he ordered. She rolled to the edge of the bed and tried to sit. “You look like s**t,” the officer said just before slapping her across her face.

She was lying on her bed, in pain when the two officers stood over her. “Just tell us who you were meeting with? Where did you meet for Church? Sit up!” The taller officer grabbed her by her hair and pulled her to her feet. He punched her stomach and a sickening pain shot through her body. As she doubled over in pain, the two officers began kicking her. She went limp and could no longer protect herself from their attack�"then everything went black.

Through a haze, she remembered a soldier rolled a gurney next to her. Then he and another soldier carefully lifted her onto a backboard and lifted it onto the gurney. They hurried her out of the cell and into the hallway. They turned down the hall and rushed past the cell doors that lined the hall.

They reached a door at the end of the hall and paused for a moment. No one spoke as the door made a loud metallic popping sound. They hurried through the door, down a hall, through another door. They finally reached a double door and hurried her into an ambulance.

When she awoke again there was medical staff standing on both sides of her. A man in a white lab coat spoke urgently, giving orders to the other people in the room. The only thing she could remember was someone saying “Prep her right away.” The woman on her left cut off the jumpsuit. Then everything went black again.

Nellie awoke to the sound of someone moving around near her. She tried to open her eyes but could only open one partway. She saw a young girl soldier adjusting the drip of the IV next to her bed. She tried to speak but her throat was so dry that her words were more of a croak.

The Soldier left for a moment, then returned with a cup filled with water. “Sip this slowly.” After she swallowed a little bit of water her throat felt better. “Where am I?” She asked. The Soldier pulled the sheet back and looked at her tummy than said, “In recovery. My name is Dianna; I’ll be your Nurse while you are here.”

The Soldier left her side and went to the Nurse’s station. She seemed busy so Nellie didn’t bother her with any more questions. She looked around the room and noticed that she wasn’t in the jail compound.

She tried to sit up a little but it hurt too much and she felt weak. The Soldier saw her and the helper adjust her pillow. “Relax a little while. You need to let the anesthesia wear off before you try to move.” Nellie didn’t remember falling back to sleep but the next time she awoke; she was back in her cell. She was still in her hospital gown but she was on her bunk and now she had a real pillow. She slowly sat up and slid her legs over the side of her bunk. As she sat her feet on the floor she noticed a bag next to her bunk.

She tried to lean over and reach for it but she still hurt too much. She leaned back slowly and opened her gown. Looking down at the bruises that covered her body, and then at the wound on her belly. She saw that several stitches were holding the cut closed. Slowly and gently she scooted back on her bunk and laid her head on her pillow. She curled up on her side and before long drifted back to sleep.

She was awakened by Dianna, the Nurse. She wasn’t sure how long she had slept but she felt weak and tired. The Nurse took her temperature and checked her pulse, then looked at her bruises and wound. Then Dianna sat down next to her and smiled. You seem to be doing ok. Nellie tried to smile, but her swollen face felt funny.

She reached over and placed her hand on Nellie’s shoulder. “They won’t be back. The Military took this installation from Home Land Security. Nellie leaned toward her and in a hoarse voice asked. “What happened to the girl down the hall? I heard her screaming. It sounded like she was being killed.” Dianna’s expression changed, she almost looked angry. “We took custody of this installation. The situation with that girl is under control.

“Were they torturing her?” she asked. The Nurse didn’t answer. “So why was she screaming and crying?” Dianna looked irritated at Nellie but still didn’t answer. “Will the Army torture me?” “No, we don’t torture people. Nellie paused for a moment. “Can I ever get out of here?” “Yes.” Dianna smiled. “You are being transferred as soon as you are well enough to travel.”

“So you aren’t letting me go, are you sending me to another prison?” Dianna looked into Nellie’s eyes but didn’t answer. Finally, she said, “These are difficult times. They have gathered all of you up and are housing you in camps for your protection.” Nellie asked, “How is locking me in a prison and beating me supposed to be for my protection? And, who gets to decide if someone needs this kind of protection?” “You won’t stay in jail; you are being moved to a relocation camp. No one will hurt you anymore.”

Nellie was still angry; it felt good to have someone to release her anger on. Nellie asked, “How can you round us up and throw us in prison-like this? “We haven’t done anything wrong.” Dianna said, “You have done nothing wrong? You and your people refuse to abandon your archaic religion even after the President orders it. ” Nellie was angry and asked, “What happened to our constitutional rights? Besides the fact that Christians started this country and it was Christians who formed our Military. And now you guys took everything I owned. You took me from a life that I had just begun, and stuck me in here and tortured me.” Nellie’s eyes felt hot and she could feel her tears welling up but she didn’t want to cry.

Dianna was angry as she stood up and faced Nellie. “Your people are the reason you are here. Our country joined the rest of the world and you Christians refused to join us. When our country joined the ‘One World Peace Plan’ you Christians protested and clung to your ancient cult. You and your people are not going to stand in the way of that peace.” Then she said. “Well, I guess we both know why you’re here.” Dianna started to leave then paused. “I might be able to help you, but you have to agree to denounce your religion.” Nellie looked away from the Nurse, toward the wall. “Be sensible you can lie. Later when you have your hearing; you’ll have the chance to make all of this go away. Just tell them that you are no longer a Christian.”

The Nurse walked out and shut the heavy steel door and locked it. Once more Nellie was alone. Nellie was wondering what she meant when the Nurse said that she was going to have a hearing. Then she remembered something she had read in the Bible. Something about not being afraid when they bring you before a judge. She couldn’t remember where it was in the Bible, but she remembered reading it. God would give her the words to say.

The next morning Dianna, the Nurse came to check on Nellie. The stitches were red and swollen and a little irritating. She had asked the Nurse if the cut was infected but she didn’t answer. After she was finished, she gave Nellie a shot to help her fight off the infection.

Every morning and every evening the Nurse came in and checked on her. She would stay and visit a little while before leaving. Nellie figured it must have been five or six days; the Nurse had just finished removing the stitches, two more soldiers entered her cell. “Get dressed. You are coming with us,” one of the soldiers said, tossing a bag on the floor. She pulled on the orange jumpsuit and slipped her feet into the ugly rubber slippers. Then a soldier handcuffed her wrists behind her back and led her out of her cell.

They led her down the long halls and out into the sunlight. She hadn’t seen the sun for over a week and the light hurt her eyes. It seemed so bright now and the air smells so fresh.

Two soldiers led her across the compound to a parking lot. As she was walking to the bus she noticed that the compound was fenced in by a tall fence topped with razor wire. They led her toward a group of prisoners who were waiting to board a bus. When they reached the group, one of the soldiers told her to turn and face away from him so he could remove her handcuffs. After taking off her handcuffs, one of the soldiers ordered them all to get on the bus.

In the line of people waiting to board the bus, she was behind a man who was tall and athletic. He stood with his shoulders slumped and looking down; he looked completely defeated. She asked him where he thought they were going. He said in a soft voice, “We are being taken to a judge who will sentence us I suppose.” “Sentence us? For what?” she asked. He didn’t answer.

 

Chapter 2

When she was on the bus she saw a young girl who looked so frail and weak. Her face was healing from bruises. She had chestnut-colored hair that would have been pretty if it was cared for. She had an orange jumpsuit that was too large for her. Her hands were small and slender. She should have been a ballerina Nellie thought. She sat next to her on the bus and asked if she was ok. The girl didn’t answer; she didn’t acknowledge Nellie at all. She took the girl's hand and leaned down to look into the girl’s face. The girl looked at Nellie with wide frightened eyes.

“Don’t be afraid; I’ll stay with you. “ The girl almost smiled and then asked, “Do you know where we are going? We are going to court! The police officers told me that we are going to be executed.” Nellie hugged the young girl for a moment then asked her, “Why would they have saved my life if they were just going to kill us? They operated on me and saved my life.”

The bus started to move toward the large gate. Nellie sat back in her seat, then introduced herself. The young girl answered, “My name is Rebecca, but everyone calls me Reba.” “Reba?” She repeated and then asked, “when I was in my cell, I could hear someone being tortured. That wasn’t you, was it Reba?”

Reba looked down at the floor. “I wouldn’t tell them where the people from my church are hiding.” Then she looked at Nellie with a painful look and said, “I almost told them. I almost turned in my own family. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

The bus had left the prison and was heading down the highway. Nellie was watching out the window as the bus pulled onto the highway. When Reba had stopped crying and was able to talk some more, Nellie asked her why she thought they were going to be executed. She explained that the police officers would peak in her cell window and tell her that if she gave them the information they wanted, then she wouldn’t have to be executed like the rest of the Christians.

Nellie sat quietly for a while. She wasn’t sure where they were going or why they were being moved. No one had told her anything except for the Nurse. Finally, Nellie said. “The Nurse told me that we are going to a military camp. I think we’ll be ok; when we get there, I’ll make sure you stay with me.”

Reba leaned back and closed her eyes. She was quiet for a long time before she said anything. “My Mom and Dad still don’t know where I am. I didn’t believe Dad when he said that it wasn’t safe. My parents moved us to a house out in the middle of nowhere. They didn’t let us have a phone or tv or anything. They tried to keep us safe.”

She paused again, and then she said, “It’s my fault. I snuck away and walked to my best friend’s house. I just wanted to hang out. Not long after I got there, the police showed up. Someone must have called them as soon as I showed up at their house.”

“Did they hurt you,” Nellie asked? “They beat me. But they never raped me if that’s what you mean.” Then she continued. “We were in my friend’s bedroom when the police showed up. Her dad brought the police officer in and pointed at me and said: “That’s her.”

She paused for a moment and then said. “The police officer grabbed my shoulder and then handcuffed me. While he led me out of the house, he was telling me that I was being arrested because I was an enemy of the state. He also told me that if I would cooperate with them that I wouldn’t be hurt. They kept asking where my family was. They threatened me a lot, and when I was at the police station, they wouldn’t let me use the restroom or even get a drink of water.”

She fought back the tears for a moment, then continued. “Once I was at the jail, they would come in and ask me questions. There was a lady who would stand and watch through the window. They would ask where my family was hiding; they would ask for a list of names of the other Christians in my Church. Because I refused to answer, they would poke the shocking thing in my ribs and shock me. They would do that over and over until the lady told them to stop.”

Tears were running down her cheek, and her voice broke. “They did that every day. I begged them to stop, but they would laugh at me then slap me really hard. The lady in the window never laughed, though. She just watched, and she would tap on the window and motion for them to shock me again.”

Nellie didn’t know what to say. She wrapped her arm around the young girl and held her. She looked at the faces of the other prisoners. Reba and a young man’s faces were badly bruised. The rest of the people looked tired and hollowed eyed, but they had few bruises. She noticed that no one was talking. No one was looking at anyone else. It felt like the barge of the damned.

She wondered why the young man and Reba had been treated so much worst than the rest of the passengers. Then she looked toward the front of the bus and noticed the Soldier standing next to the driver. He was a tall man with broad soldiers. He was looking out the window, not paying attention to the passengers.

Nellie stood and started walking toward the front of the bus. When the Soldier noticed her, he turned quickly and asked, “What are you doing? Take your seat.” “I just wanted to know where we are being taken,” Nellie said. The Soldier looked at Nellie then at the rest of the passengers, who by now were all looking at the Soldier for an answer. “No one told you? You are going to Camp Thomas. We are taking you there for your safety.”

Nellie returned to her seat and started to sit back, but then she looked defiant and asked the Soldier, “Why did they tell me that they were sending me to be executed?” The Soldier looked taken aback. “I don’t know why anyone would have told you that, Ma’am. I assure you that you are going to Camp Thomas. No one is being executed; I can assure you of that, Ma’am.”

“So why are we being rounded up and treated like criminals?” Nellie asked. “We’re doing this for your protection, Ma’am.” “It seems to me that we need protecting from you.” The Soldier looked confused, as though his answer should be satisfactory. Then he answered, “The President ordered your protection; we are carrying out those orders.” Nellie looked at the Soldier for a moment then asked, “How do you justify beating us, and what is so dangerous that we need this sort of protection? “ “That information is above my pay grade, Ma’am.”

The two girls sat back in their seat, and Nellie watched out the window of the bus as they passed by farms and rolling hills. In the distance, she could see groves of trees and houses sparsely dotting the land. She was looking at the clouds in the sky and remembered thinking that she would never see such things again.

The two girls drifted off to sleep and slept most of the trip. The rest of the passengers were asleep when the bus finally reached Camp Thomas. Nellie sat up as the large fence came into view. Just beyond the fence were rows of buildings. The bus pulled up to a gate where several soldiers were waiting.

When the bus stopped, the driver opened the door. A tall young soldier boarded the bus and greeted everyone. “Welcome to Camp Thomas. This will be your home for the duration of your stay. You will be expected to follow the rules and guidelines that we have in place for you. My bus will take you to our processing center. You will disembark my bus in an orderly fashion. You will do exactly as you are asked at all times. Are there any questions?” and before anyone had the opportunity to ask a question, he said, “Thank you for your time?” Then he turned and left the bus.

The bus driver closed the door and drove slowly forward into the compound. As she looked out the window, Nellie noticed how well kept the lawns were. All of the grass seemed to be freshly mowed. The sidewalks and curbs were all clean as well. It reminded her of a college campus.

The bus finally stopped in front of a large office building. The Soldier at the front of the bus stood and said in a loud voice, “Ok, listen up. You are going to exit my bus in an orderly fashion. You will follow me into that building. I will lead you to the conference room, where you will sit quietly and wait for further instructions.”

Nellie raised her hand and cleared her throat loudly. “I think we all could use a bathroom break.” The Soldier didn’t answer at first. He stood silently, looking at Nellie. Finally, he said, “As I was saying, follow me into the building. I will take you to a conference room where you will wait quietly. If anyone needs to use the latrine, it will be located just down the hall from the conference room.

Just then, the bus door opened, and the Soldier turned; leaving the bus, he walked toward the building. The bus driver stood and said, “Well, you heard the Sergeant. Get off of my bus and follow him. So everyone stood and started down the aisle toward the bus doors. Nellie took Reba’s hand and whispered in her ear. “Stay with me.”

As they entered the building, the Sergeant led them down a hallway, and then he stopped in front of a double door. Holding it opened, he said. “In here.” Almost everyone ignored him and walking a litter farther down the hall to the bathrooms.

While they were in the woman’s restroom, Nellie told Reba to stay close. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but she would do her best to keep herself and Reba safe.

When the two girls were finished, they hurried to the conference room. The room was large. Down the center of the room were a long dark wood table and large over-stuffed leather office chairs that encircled it. The group sat quietly, waiting to see what was going to happen next. After waiting for nearly a half-hour, the door opened. A nicely dressed woman entered the room. She sat at the far end, at the head of the table. She laid a briefcase in front of her and opened it. Then she looked up. “Can everyone hear me, ok? My name is Ms. Roberts. You have been brought here for processing; this is your hearing of sorts.”

Then she said. “I am going to hand out questioners to each of you. I want you to fill them out completely and accurately. After you have them filled, output them neatly on the table here in front of my briefcase.

She pulled a stack of papers and a box of pens out of the briefcase and handed each person a packet and a pen. When she was through, she left the room. Everyone in the room started leafing through their packet.

Nellie began to read through her packet. The first section asked to list the skills she had. The next section asked for medical information, and the last was religious beliefs.

She began filling out the forms. With each question, she answered she tried to figure out what they would need with the information. She came to the question ‘Highest grade completed.’ and looked over at Reba’s answer. Reba wrote the ninth grade on her paper. Ninth grade Nellie thought. How old was I when I was in ninth grade? She thought fifteen, maybe.

When Nellie came to the question of religion, she knew that this was the reason they were here. They had arrested her for being a Christian. She was sure that it was the grouchy old professor who had something to do with it. The next few questions were about the Church members. Nellie left that section blank.

She looked to see what Reba was writing. She had written Christian on her form. Nellie reached over and stopped her. “Don’t tell them any more than that, she whispered.” After skipping that section, they continued filling out the paperwork, then placed it by the briefcase. Afterward, everyone sat and visited quietly.

Finally, a soldier came into the room and began looking through the packets. He placed most of them in one pile and then picked up that stack. “If I call off your name, I want you to follow me.

One at a time, he called out names and finally led the group out of the room. When they had left the room, Nellie and Reba looked over at the young man who had remained with them. He was looking down at the table at first when he looked up and saw the two girls watching him. “What?” he asked.

Ryan was a tall thin young man. He had reddish-brown hair that needed cut. He was probably a handsome man, but they had worked his face over the same as they had Nellie and Reba. He wore the same color jumpsuit that Nellie wore. Even though he had endured the same torture as the rest of the people, he looked healthy and strong. When he talked, Nellie couldn’t believe how upbeat and happy he seemed to be.

Ryan slipped into the chair next to Reba. He lends down a little to be closer to her level. “You ok?” He asked. She shook her head, yes. “We’re going to be ok, I promise.” She smiled a little. “How would you know that we are going to be ok?” Nellie asked. “I’ll make sure we are. Don’t be afraid.” He said.

The door opened again, and the young woman entered the room and took her place at the head of the table once more. She read through each of the packets before saying anything. After a few moments, she looked at Nellie. “You are a college professor; you teach school?” “Yes,” said Nellie. The woman wrote a note on the packet in front of her.

Next, she looked at Ryan. She seemed to be studying him. Finally, she asked, “What type of work can I do? You answered that part of your survey rather vague.” “I’m a farmer and rancher; what’s vague about that?” She looked annoyed and wrote something on his packet. “You also have a degree in agriculture. I think we can put your skills to use.”

Next, she took out a laptop; she opened it and started typing. Without looking up she said, “I am going to put you in a dorm that is located near our schoolhouse. We may put you to work in our school. After we get you settled in your room, I’ll have someone take you on a tour of the schoolhouse. We have had some of the parents teaching classes for now. I think they would be happy to have a full-time teacher working there.”

Still not looking up she asked, “Do you mind if I put the girl…she pulled the packets out and studied one of them for a second. Reba. Can I put Reba in your care?” Nellie nodded and said, yes. She looked at Ryan with a frown. Your college degree required quite a bit of Math and Science didn’t it? We might try you out as our math and science teacher for now. Then the woman stood to leave the room. Nellie quickly asked, “What happened to the rest of the people who came here with us?” “They aren’t any concern of yours. If you must know, they were more forthcoming than you three.

Ms. Roberts left the room and shut the door. Nellie thought that she heard the lock snap closed. She hurried to check the door. Sure enough, the door was locked. Ryan looked at Nellie and said. “I don’t know anything about teaching. Just then, they heard footsteps outside of the door. Everyone in the room watched as the door was pulled open. A young woman dressed in a military uniform was standing on the threshold of the door.

“Follow me,” the young woman said. She turned and left as the group followed after her. She led them out of the building and to a van that was waiting for them. The young Soldier drove them across the compound to an area lined with long three-story barracks. She stopped in front of one of the buildings. This is your stop, Ma’am, yours too, young lady. If you’ll go inside they’ll show you to your rooms.

After Nellie and Reba climbed out, the van left them in front of a long white three-story dormitory. Nellie and Reba stood looking at the building for a moment; then they slowly walked up the sidewalk to the front door. Nellie pulled the door open and followed Reba in. Nellie let the door shut behind her. The two girls walked through the lobby toward an office door in front of them. Before she had the chance to open the door, she heard a voice from behind the door say, “Come in.”

Behind the desk in the office was a young woman in a military uniform. Smiling, she said welcome to my barracks. She was horrified by the two girls' bruised and tired faces, but she tried not to show any emotion. She introduced herself as Sergeant Allen. She asked each of them to sign some paperwork and explained the housekeeping rules that were in place for the dorm.

Nellie interrupted her. “I want to keep Reba with me.” The young Soldier looked at Reba, then at Nellie, then asked, “You want her housed with you?” She scooted back from her chair and opened a cabinet door behind her desk. The cabinet door counseled keys hanging on neat rows of hooks. She took two keys off the hook and then opened a ledger sitting on her desk. After writing the key number next to each girl's name, she stood and said. “Follow me.”

They left the office and walked down a hallway to a staircase. Nellie and Reba followed her up the stairs. On the second floor, they followed Sergeant Allen as she walked down a hall to the room that matched the number on the keys. “This is your new home, ladies. After you freshen up, I’ll take you over to the supply room, and we’ll get your linen and some clothing. Just come back down to my office when you are ready.”

Reba unzipped her orange jumpsuit and pulled her arms out of the sleeves. Sergeant Allen’s face flushed as she saw the bruising and swelling all over the young girl’s body. She unconsciously stared in horror at the bruises in different stages of healing that covered her back.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a phone. Nellie heard her say, “I need a medic to come to my barracks right away.” When she was finished with her call, she looked at Reba. “Let me check you over; are you hurt badly” Reba stood with her unzipped orange jumpsuit covering her waist. She started sobbing as she began to lift the jumpsuit back on her shoulders. She held the jumpsuit closed. Nellie spoke to her softly and said, “She needs to see how bad you are hurt; she wants to help you.” Then she helped Reba take the jumpsuit off.

Her body was even more bruised than her face. The skin was all various shades of blue and sickly yellowish-green. Her skin had been torn in several places, and the blood had dried and stuck to the jumpsuit. Sergeant Allen was horrified at what she saw. Nellie closed the door to the room as Sergeant Allen led Reba to the bathroom and turned on the shower. When the water was just warm enough, she helped Reba wash the blood off of her back; then she let Reba finish showering. The Sergeant hurried downstairs to meet the Medic.

As soon as he arrived, she led the Medic to the room where the girls were staying. She knocked on the door and then asked the Medic to wait in the hall as she pulled the door open and went into the room. Nellie and Reba were wrapped in towels; both girls had finished with their shower. Sergeant Allen hurried the Medic into the room.

The Medic was a young man who had just finished his training at Fort Sam Huston a few months earlier. Nellie noticed the look on the young man’s face. She knew that the bruising on her face must have horrified him.

The Medic looked at Sergeant Allen and, in an angry voice, asked. “Did we do this to these women?” “No, we took them from Homeland Security,” She said. He turned to Reba and started to examine her wounds. “Why did they do this to you?” He asked.

He began examining the bruising on her head. In a soft voice, he explained to Reba that he would press on her tummy, and he wanted to know if it hurt. As he was working, he was alarmed by the amount of bruising. He looked at Sergeant Allen, and with anger in his voice, he said, with this amount of bruising, she could have died. “Why did they do this to you?” He asked again. Reba smiled and said. “I wouldn’t tell them where my Mom and Dad are.” He helped Reba wrap herself up in the towel then he turned to Nellie.

The Medic examined the scar on Nellie’s tummy. He looked at Nellie for a second. “This incision is only a week or so old.” He looked at the bruises and contusions that were beginning to heal. “That looks like an appendix scar. And your bruises have healed about the same as your incision.” “It was the Army who operated on me,” she said.

Just then, they heard a knock on the door. Sergeant Allen opened the door just a little and then took a bag from the person in the hallway. Nellie heard a voice say, “You owe me big time.” Sergeant Allen said, “I’ll call you.” As she shut the door and sat the bag on the bed, then she untied the drawstrings emptied the contents on the bed.

When he was finished, the Medic was closing up his aid bag when Nellie put her hand on his shoulder. There is one more person who came in with us, like Reba and me. I don’t know where they took him. His name is Ryan.” “They took him to build four,” Sergeant Allen said. The Medic took his bag and hurried out of the room.

“I had them bring over some clothes for you,” Sergeant Allen said. She motioned to the clothing on the bed. “I guessed at your size; I hope they fit.” Then she headed out the door. Nellie quickly said. “Thank you.” She paused and smiled, then left the room.

Reba was looking through the new clothing that Sergeant Allen had brought. Nellie watched her as she lifted clothing and inspected them, and then she walked into the bathroom.

Nellie sat on the edge of the bed and looked around the room. On the hallway side of the room next to the door was a light switch. And along the same wall was a small single bed. Adjacent to the head of the bed was a large double door wardrobe. Mirroring this on the opposite side of the room was another wardrobe and bed. The far wall had two windows with blinds. The walls were undecorated. They were painted a dull white. The floors were all grey.

Nellie got dressed in the clothing that Sergeant Allen had brought. Then she and Reba quietly slipped out of the room and went back to the office and found Sergeant Allen at her desk. They sat in the chairs opposite the desk and waited while she finished a phone call. “You asked me to come and see you when I was finished.” “Yes, we are going to take you to supply and get your bedding and more clothing. Are you ready?”

Nellie changed the subject and asked. “Where did they take the other people that were on the bus with us?” “The other people aren’t your concern,” Nellie asked in an angry voice. “Are they safe?” Sergeant Allen said. “The other people had…well; I don’t quite know how to explain any other way. You two and your friend Ryan wouldn’t give them information that Home Land Security wanted. Therefore you three are detained here on this part of the compound for further processing. The others are being housed in regular barracks, and they are being assigned to regular work crews. You do know that you aren’t allowed to travel outside of the secured compound without an escort, don’t you?”

Nellie asked. “So, the other people are being held here, but because they turned in their church family, they can wander around without a guard watching them?” ”No, they are waiting for the final decision.” Nellie looked puzzled then asked. “The final decision; what is that?” Sergeant Allen didn’t answer.

“Mrs. Roberts said that they were more forthcoming than we were.” “So, they are being rewarded for turning in other Christians?” “Look,” said Sergeant Allen. “I didn’t want to say anything, but you and Reba could make all of this go away. If you would have given them the information about your Church and agreed to denounce your religion, you might have more freedom like the others. You didn’t need to suffer like this.”

Nellie listened to her and thought about all of the people who would be rounded up if she didn’t have God’s strength to protect them. Then she thought of all of the people who were suffering now because of Christians giving up information. She silently thanked God for seeing her through this far.

Come with me; we’ll go and get your things. As they walked between the buildings, Sergeant Allen looked at her watch. “Hay! It’s time for Chow; let’s go get something to eat first.” They walked past a few more barracks to a large single-story building. The Soldier pointed to the building. “This is our chow hall.”

As they walked through the dining hall, they passed by rows of tables. They reached the opposite end of the building where the food was served cafeteria-style. She followed the Soldier through the line and chose the food that was placed on her plate. The young man behind the serving line looked horrified at her battered and bruised face.

Sergeant Allen chose a table, and motioned Reba and Nellie joined her. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she was allowed to eat. Nellie began eating, not noticing the people around her. She was nearly halfway finished with her meal before she looked up to see Sergeant Allen was watching her. “How long has it been since your last meal?” Nellie explained to her that they were fed the same meal every day, and it was a meal of watery beans and a small piece of dried bread.

They finished their meal while Nellie told her more about life in the jail cell. Nellie didn’t trust the Military, and she didn’t want to trust Sergeant Allen. But Sergeant Allen seemed to be upfront and honest about everything. After a while, she stood and took her tray to the dish room window, so Nellie and Reba followed her.

They left the Chow Hall and walked a few blocks to a building that reminded Nellie of a warehouse. A large black woman dressed in a starched uniform met them at the counter. She looked at Reba and Nellie for a moment. “I already know your clothing sizes. What size shoes do you wear?” After she scribbled the sizes on a paper, she left them standing in front of the counter. She returned a few minutes later with a stack of beading, then left again. When she returned the second time, she had a large bundle of clothing. She left again but was only gone a minute or so; she had two pairs of shoes and two bags of black socks. She sat in front of a computer and started typing. After a few minutes, she pulled a paper out of the printer and handed it to Sergeant Allen. Nellie and Reba stood looking at the piles of bedding and the stacks of clothing. Then the Soldier reached under the counter and placed two large duffle bags on the counter.

Nellie and Reba packed their new bedding and clothing into the duffle bags and followed Sergeant Allen back to their barracks. Sergeant Allen told the two girls to get their things put away and their bunks made. Then she told them to be back downstairs at 6:00 pm.

That evening Reba and Nellie met Sergeant Allen for dinner. After they slid their trays into the returned slot, Sergeant Allen led the girls into the kitchen. The kitchen had large grills and steam tables, a large row of ovens, and a few work tables. Off to one side was a large dishwasher, and on the opposite end of the kitchen was a pots and pans area with large sinks. At the back of the kitchen were large double doors. Next to the doors was a storage room, and across from the doors were two big refrigerator doors, one for frozen goods and the other for refrigerated goods.

After Sergeant Allen gave Nellie a tour of the kitchen, she introduced her to some of the cooks who were busy preparing the next meal. Then she turned to Nellie and said. This is where you will be working. I can give you some time to heal from your surgery, but it will only be a few days. It will be up to you two to get yourself up and make it to your job assignments on time. Nellie looked puzzled and then told Sergeant Allen that the woman, Mrs. Roberts, had suggested that I would be teaching school. “I don’t know about all of that; all I know is that the First Sergeant told me that you two were to work as KP’s. You can ask him about teaching school when you meet with him later this week.

They walked back to the barracks and headed upstairs to their room. She sat on the edge of her bed and thought about all that had happened to her. Still, none of it made sense. She lay back on the pillow and drifted off to sleep.

When Nellie awoke the next morning, she slowly climbed out of bed because her body still ached from her time in jail, and the incision on her abdomen wasn’t completely healed. She stretched her stiff muscles and slowly stood on her feet. She looked over to see Reba, still sleeping. She walked over and gently put her hand on the young girls’ shoulder. Reba jerked and pulled herself into a ball. She was shaking and looked horrified at Nellie for a few seconds.

Nellie sat on the bed next to Reba and gently rubbed her shoulder. Reba scooted up next to Nellie; she was still shaking. “I’m sorry.” She said. Nellie patted her shoulder and smiled. “Let’s get dressed and find something to eat. We don’t want to miss breakfast.”

The two girls got ready for their day. They hurried down the stairs and out the door. By the time they got to the dining facility, the kitchen workers had started to clean up the serving line. The man serving breakfast said, “The grill is closed, but I can fix you a plate off the mainline.” Then he filled two trays with scrambled eggs and creamed beef over potatoes.

The two girls took their trays and went to find a seat. Nellie saw Ryan sitting at a table with a soldier, so the girls joined them. Ryan was dressed in a blue work shirt and blue work pants. “I see you got the same clothes that we did,” Reba said. “They gave you those clothes so we can identify you as detainees.” The Soldier said. Then he asked. “Who escorted you two over here?” “We came on our own; we didn’t think it would be a problem.”

They began eating their meal when Ryan said. “I was listening in on a conversation that a couple of the soldiers were having about us. We were supposed to be held at that jail for two more weeks. But some of the Home Land Security guards got too aggressive with us. Now they are worried that the news media will find out and make them look bad.” Reba asked the Soldier. “So, were the guards really in trouble for beating us?” The Soldier said. “I don’t know. But what I do know is that you shouldn’t go anywhere without an escort. When we leave here, I’ll walk all of you back to your barracks, is that understood?”

After they finished with their meal, they walked back to their barracks. All of the buildings looked the same. They were all long, three-story buildings. Each was divided into two. They all had an entrance with a lobby at both ends. Inside, each floor had a hallway running the building's length with rooms on both sides of the hallway. Ryan lived in a building next to the two women, so the Soldier made them wait until he entered his building before they continued to Nellie’s barracks. When they got inside, Sergeant Allen stopped them. “Where have you been?” She asked. “The Commander wanted to talk with you this morning. We need to head over right now.”

Nellie, Reba, and Sergeant Allen walked briskly down the sidewalk past the rows of buildings to an office complex, and Nellie and Reba were struggling to keep up with Sergeant Allen. As they entered the lobby, there were two office desks. Behind one of the desks was a young woman soldier. She didn’t acknowledge either of them. Before Sergeant Allen had a chance to knock on the door, a large, gruff-looking man opened it and said. “Allen. In here now.” She was saying yes to the First Sergeant as she rushed across the room into his office, and Nellie and Reba followed behind her. Sergeant Allen was standing stiff-looking straight ahead. The First Sergeant said. “At Ease.”

Sergeant Allen stood with her hands behind her back like a statue, still looking straight forward. The First Sergeant was a gruff looking man with leathery skin. He looked at Nellie, and a chill ran up her spine. Standing behind his desk he stared at Nellie for a long awkward moment. Finally, he asked. “Are you comfortable with your new accommodations?” Nellie answered, yes. He gave a sarcastic smile and then said. “Good. Would you like to keep these accommodations?” Nellie answered yes again. The First Sergeant leaned forward at his desk and said. “So, how about giving me something in exchange for your a*s living in my barracks; tell me what I want to know, and you can continue staying with us.”

Nellie stared at the man before answering. Finally, just before he began to speak, she said. “Or what; you’ll send me back to the people you climbed to have rescued us from? I don’t think you will because that would make you complicit with them, not to mention a coward and liar.” He abruptly leaned toward her with both hands on his desk. “Young lady, I have the authority to have you executed right now. My Commander in Chief has suspended all of your constitutional rites as a citizen of the United States. And he has ordered you detained or even executed as I see fit...and he has the backing of the Supreme Court.”

Nellie wasn’t sure if the man was lying or not. She had a knot in her stomach when she said. “Sir, I will never give you that information. I would gladly face your execution rather than give up even one of my family or friend’s names.” The First Sergeant leaned farther forward with his palms flat on his desk, his face red, and said. You filthy little Christian b***h I should shoot you myself. Then looked at Sergeant Allen and yelled. “Get her out of my office.”

Sergeant Allen rushed Nellie and Reba out into the lobby then said. “Wait here.” She hurried over to another office and lightly knocked. She opened the door and rushed in. A short time later, she came out and told Nellie that the Captain would see her now.

When Nellie walked into the office, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She was surprised to find a friendly man standing in front of his desk. He met her as she entered the room and asked her to sit at the chair in front of her desk. He looked at Sergeant Allen and asked her to wait in the lobby. Then instead of sitting behind his desk, he sat in the chair next to her. He shook her hand and introduced himself, then asked. “How was your meeting with my First Sergeant?” Nellie smiled and then said. “It was much better than my meeting with Home Land Security.” He said in a gravelly voice. “Well, all of this business is a bit disturbing and distasteful. I don’t believe that you pose a threat to National Security. However, having said that, I want you to know that some of the people that you are protecting would bring harm to our Democracy or at least are funding those who would.”

Nellie knew that none of this was true. She asked. “How is refusing to join the one world religion bringing harm to our Democracy? I watched the news I know that the people who are being imprisoned are the ones who refuse to convert to the World religion.” The Captain answered in a pleasant fatherly voice. “It’s much more than that young lady. I have seen the reports about the trouble that you Christian have been involved in. Even now, after being cut off financially, they continue to disregard the new laws that our country has put in place, the same laws that have brought about peace throughout the Middle East and Europe. Even Israel has begun peace talks with the Arab states and the European Union. Yet you Christians with your ancient backward beliefs refuse to join the rest of the world.”

Nellie thought for a moment, and then she asked. “So, I am here because I attended Church?” “No! It is because you support your Church, and your Church sponsors illegal activities, you are as guilty as the rest of the people in your Church.”

As he talked with her, he spoke with a friendly voice. Yet Nellie was still uneasy; she knew that her life was still in danger. The First Sergeant had made that clear. As she listened to him, she wondered about the other people that had been brought to the compound with her. She had asked others about them, but no one gave her a clear answer. She leaned forward in her chair and asked. “Sir, I was brought here with a busload of people. Three of us were separated from the others. What happens to all of the other people?”

She watched him closely and saw his expression change for just a split second. His expression gave her as much information as to his answer. “You don’t need to concern yourself with them. They are on the other side of this compound. They are living in barracks, much like the barracks that you are living in. They are all doing meaningful work during their stay here.” “Can I go and see them?” She asked. The Captain lowered his gaze to the floor and said. “No. We are keeping you and the other two secluded from the others. You do realize that you are a great security risk, and I can’t have you influencing those other people.”

Nellie knew that his answer was only partly right, but she accepted it. So she changed the subject. “Sir, I know that you don’t plan to keep us here indefinitely. I also know that you answer to and represent the people who give you orders. I’m not concerned for me, but I want a promise from you. I want you to promise me that no harm will ever come to Reba.”

The Captain didn’t answer but instead reached over to his desk and picked up a folder. He pulled a packet of paper out of the folder and started looking through it. After finding the page, he was looking for, he handed it to Nellie and asked her to read a paragraph on the page. As she read, she began to understand. She wasn’t rescued from the prison. This was to be her final destination. The orders came from the President of the United States. The only thing keeping her alive was the hearing with the Adjutant General.

“Are they all dead? The others from the bus.” Nellie asked. “No,” he said, “they aren’t dead.” Then he looked at her with a look of sadness in his eyes. “You and Reba and a young man that came here with you, you are detainees who pose a threat to our nation. The others will be screened, and most will be returned to their homes. Now, I want you to understand that because you refuse to cooperate with us, I have no choice but to punish you further or possibly execute all three of you. But, if you would give me a list right now of those who were attending your church group, then I can promise to keep you here, and eventually, I may be able to release you.”

Nellie didn’t know what to say. She sat and listened, but she couldn’t believe what he was saying. She wasn’t sure how she felt. Finally, she looked him in the eye and asked once more. “What about Reba? Will you promise me that she will be taken care of and left unharmed?” The Captain leaned forward and said. “Tell her to come in here and denounce her religion and give us the information we want. Have her bring a list of all of the people she associated with as a Christian, and then I can promise that no harm will come to her.”

Nellie sat in silence for a moment and then asked. “So why did you bring me here? You knew that I would refuse to give the information that you were asked for. Or is this your sad strategy to make me talk?” No young lady. I brought you here to inform you of your situation and standing. I wanted you to know that this is your last chance to improve your circumstances.”

“So why did they bother to operate on me and save my life? Didn’t you just indicate that I am basically on death row?” He answered with genuine regret in his voice. “You were never supposed to be injured. The men who beat you were punished for their crimes. We now have one of our best men overseeing that operation.”

Suddenly she heard shouting coming from the other room. She looked at the Captain. “Well, that must be my First Sergeant talking with the young gentleman that came here with you…or maybe your young friend Reba. So why don’t we wrap things up here so I can visit with them.” Nellie looked at him for a moment then asked in a sarcastic tone. “How will we be executed?” When he looked at her, she could tell he was shocked by her question. Then in a quiet voice said, “It will be a firing squad.” Then he said. “It has been nice talking with you; I want you to wait in the lobby with the Sergeant. You will not go anywhere without an escort, not even to breakfast. Understood?”

As she left the office and entered the lobby, she saw Reba sitting in a chair next to Sergeant Allen. They were quietly visiting as the shouting continued in the next room. Finally, the loud voices ended, and the door opened. Ryan walked out, followed by a young soldier. Sergeant Allen stood and motioned for Nellie to sit. “I’ll be back in a little while. Wait here for me.” Reba followed her into the First Sergeants office. Then Ryan was led into the Commander's office, leaving Nellie alone with a young soldier sitting behind her desk.

Nellie was waiting for the shouting to come from the First Sergeants office, but instead, everything was quiet. Finally, the young Soldier that escorted Ryan into the Commander's office came out and sat in the chair next to Nellie. “You got Sergeant Allen’s a*s chewed, you know. You better watch yourself; we like her, and we don’t like you.” Nellie didn’t answer.

Finally, Reba walked out of the First Sergeants office. Her face was red, and she had been crying. After the door closed behind them, Reba walked over and gave Nellie a long hug. After a long while, Ryan came out of the Commander's office. And Reba stood and walked into the Commander’s office. She was only in his office for a few minutes before coming out again.

After they had finished with the meetings, the group headed back to the barracks. During their walk back to the barracks, Sergeant Allen explained that they would be working at the dining facility as soon as the medic checked them over and cleared them for duty. They would be expected to be at the dining facility at five in the morning. They would be given assignments from the “First Cook” when they arrived at work.

Chapter 3

It had been three weeks since her meeting with the Commander. Once again, Nellie was up at four in the morning, and Reba was in the shower. She and Reba were getting ready for work in the kitchen. Nearly three weeks earlier, they had met with the Sergeant in charge of the kitchen, and he had assigned them to their jobs. When they arrive in the kitchen, they help on the serving line. Once the soldiers finished eating and their trays start piling up, Nellie and Reba start the dishwasher.

Ryan was assigned to what the Sergeant called The Pit. He washed the pots and pans, so he was busy all day with the giant sinks of scalding hot water.

After breakfast was finished and the dining facility was closed, the cooks would take time to eat their breakfast. Nellie Ryan and Reba would also get to take their break during this time as well. They were allowed a thirty-minute break, though they soon learned that sometimes it lasted a little longer.

The noon meal followed the same procedure, with the two girls working on the serving line until the dishes started to pile up. The dinner meal started the same but never ended with a break; instead, everyone joined in and cleaned the entire kitchen. Nellie and Reba had to clean the ovens until they shined like new.

They worked without a single day off, and most evenings, the girls didn’t get back to their room until after eight o’clock. They didn’t have any personal time for themselves. The girls had to hand wash their clothing and their sheets and hang them to dry in their room. Through it all, the kitchen staff was always pleasant and respectful. The cooks treated them with respect and even helped with some of the cleanings. Nellie and Reba had finished another day at the dining facility and finished their evening routine. They had both went to bed, knowing tomorrow would bring the same routine.

After nearly six months of living on the compound, she had a dream that seemed so real that when she awoke the next morning, she could remember every detail. She dreamed that She, Reba, and Ryan had escaped the compound and were on the run. They had to evade the Military and the Police. The only people they could trust were other Christians who were living nearby.

That day Nellie told her two friends all about the dream. For the first time since they had been taken into custody, Nellie felt hopeful. They knew that they would have to prepare for their escape if they were going to try.

That night Nellie dreamed the same dream, and the route they took was the same as the night before. In her dream, she was escorted to the dining facility, just like always. As soon as her escort left, she and her two friends headed out the back door of the building. They rushed across the parking lot, the road, and then across a field to the fence. Once there, they followed the fence until they came to a drainage ditch where they could slip under the chain-link fence.

In her dream, she saw a dirt roadthat ran along the fence, and beyond that was a meadow then beyond that are woods. She ran to the wooded area, then turned east and hurried through the trees. After a while, they reached a small town. They headed down a street and found a house with a sign on the mailbox that said “safe house.” She woke up as Reba was shaking her shoulder. “Wake up, sleepyhead.” Nellie looked at the clock; once again, it was four in the morning.

She climbed out of bed and started another day. That morning while she sat and ate breakfast with Reba and Ryan, she told them that she had the same dream as the night before. Ryan thought for a moment, then said. “I think we should do it. After all, they made it clear to all of us that they plan on killing us when they are ready.” Reba agreed and said. “The sooner, the better; I am tired of being tired all the time.”

Nellie got up from the table and went to the chow line, and mixed up a large bowl of granola. Ryan and Reba followed her lead. They took the bowls back to their table and continued as though they were eating breakfast. When it was time to clean the chow line, Nellie took the three large bowls of granola into the kitchen, poured them in a small trash sack, and tied it off. She and Reba cleaned the serving line as unusual. When they had everything cleaned, they began hauling the trash out to the large dumpsters. Ryan always emptied the heavy slop containers after he finished with the pots and pans, so Reba and Nellie made sure they had trash that needed to be taken out at that same time.

Once all three were outside, Nellie grabbed the sack of granola and headed toward the fence. She sprinted across the parking lot, then across the street just like she had in her dream. Once she reached the fence, she led her friends to where she thought she would find the drainage ditch. Instead of a drainage ditch, the fence continued, so they followed it, searching to find an easy way across.

Finally, they came to some thick shrubbery that grew between the road and the fence. The shrubs gave them enough concealment so that they could figure out a way through the fence. Ryan lay on his back and kicked the bottom of the fence loose from the posts. He pushed the fencing out enough for Nellie and Reba to squeeze under. Once on the other side, the two girls pulled on the fence so that Ryan could slide under. After getting hung up on the wire, he was through.

Once they were past the fence, they rushed to the cover of the trees. After they made it safely to the concealment of the trees, they walked the same direction that Nellie had dreamed. “This is nothing like my dream.” She said. Ryan looked amused at Nellie and then asked. “Did you expect it to? Were you looking for a mailbox with a neon sign saying Nellie, this is your safe house?” Nellie admitted that that part did seem a little silly.

They walked for nearly a half-hour before they came to the edge of the tree line to a perimeter fence. As they looked out across the field, Nellie could see that they were still inside a fence. Still, they were on the compound. They turned north to follow the tree line with the fence to their right. The trees had been cleared next to the fence so that they would have to cross an open field to reach it.

They were still hurrying because they knew that by now they would be missed by the kitchen staff. They had walked for about fifteen more minutes. They en saw a large clearing with rows of large tents. They stopped and hid in the tree line and watched. They saw other detainees dressed in the same blue clothing.

Nellie whispered, “I wonder what they’re doing out here?” Then she noticed one of the people who had been on the bus with them. The woman still had the same tired, worried look on her face. They stayed watching for a few minutes before deciding to try to skirt the clearing so they could continue on their journey.

They backed away from the clearing far enough to be concealed from anyone who might notice them. They traveled through the trees, making their way around the clearing. Finally, they had to stop because a road came into view just ahead of them. They watched as a truck passed by in front of them and turned into the area with the tents.

They decided to backtrack and try to escape across the fence that they had been following earlier. Suddenly they heard a loud voice speaking over an intercom. “Attention on the compound. I need the accountability of all detainees. I repeat the accountability of all detainees.”

Nellie looked at Ryan, then at Reba. “Let’s get a closer look.” She said. They quietly worked their way toward the clearing. Now they could see across the clearing between two rows of tents. They could see people moving around, but they couldn’t tell what was happening.

They moved back into the trees and then headed toward the fence they had been following. As they hurried through the trees, they heard voices coming from somewhere deep in the trees. “Someone is trying to track us, I think,” Reba whispered. They quietly slipped deeper into the tall brush and hid within a raspberry bramble. After a little while, they could see several soldiers walked past, laughing and joking with one another.

They stayed in the cover of the raspberry bramble for hours, waiting for the chance to head back to the perimeter fence. More soldiers were searching for the tree line. Nellie was getting worried that they may notice their tracks leading to a raspberry bramble. She saw an animal path that formed a sort of tunnel into the thickest part of the bramble. She signaled to the others and then scooted into the thick thorny brush.

She found an area that looked like it was big enough to conceal all three of them and allow them to sit up. When Ryan finally sat up next to her, he looked angry. “Why are we crawling through this thorny thicket?” He whispered. She looked above her head at the thorny tangle of branches. “I knew no one would look for us here.” “Well, I’m a lot bigger than you are. Now I’m scratched up and full of thorns.

They could hear voices off in the distance, but they couldn’t see out of the thicket, so they sat quietly and waited. As the light started to fade, the three companions drifted off to sleep. It was completely dark when Nellie awoke. Her, Ryan, and Reba were leaning on one another on the ground. It was too dark for her to see much at all in the little cave of brambles.

The next time Nellie awoke, Ryan was pushing her off of his shoulder. “You put my arm to sleep.” He whispered. Nellie sat up and could see a little bit of sunlight filtered through the leaves. I think it's morning, she whispered.

Ryan opened up the bag of granola and set it between himself and Nellie. Reba was still asleep, snuggled next to Ryan. She was using him as a pillow. Nellie ate a handful of granola and then took a swig of water. They couldn’t hear anyone talking, so they decided it must be safe.

Nellie slowly crawled toward the edge of the thicket to where she could look out into the trees. She didn’t see the soldiers, so she moved a little farther. She saw some of the detainees walking in a line.  They were walking through the trees as though they were searching for something. As she watched, she noticed that there were soldiers with them. They would have to hide a little longer.

Nellie had scooted farther back under the brambles by the time the others reached her hiding place. She could hear them talking as they walked around the thorny patch. She could hear a man say. “I’ll bet they are long gone by now.”

They stayed in the bramble thicket for several hours. Finally, Ryan said, “We better wait here until dusk.” So they made themselves as comfortable as they could. They sipped on their water and ate some granola to keep up their energy.

Finally, the sun started to set, and Ryan crawled toward the little opening in the thorny patch and peaked out. He didn’t see any movement, so he climbed out of the patch and quickly walked to the cover of a large tree. When Nellie and Reba joined him, they headed toward the fence. The light from the clearing filtered through the trees, so Ryan led them deeper into the small forest. They retraced their route back to the perimeter fence. When they finally reached the tree line, they knelt in the tall grass and looked out at the fence. Ryan whispered, “Stay here.” Then he hurried across the clearing and then the dirt road to the fence. Because the posts were on the outside of the fencing, he couldn’t kick the fencing loose from the post. He waved for the girls to come across and then took off his shirt. He climbed up the tall fence and laid his shirt across the top so that they could climb over without getting scratched.

Reba scampered over first, and then Ryan climbed over. Nellie was a little slower, but she made it over and retrieved the shirt. They hurried away and didn’t stop until early in the morning. They had no idea where they were. They had been staying in the trees just off of a highway, and they had only seen a couple of houses.

Chapter 4

They found a little clearing in the trees and sat to rest. Ryan opened the bag and pulled out a bottle of water. “This is the last of our water. Be conservative with it.” Then he took out the bag of granola. “You better fill up on this stuff. We probably won’t have a decent meal for a while.”

“Where are we heading, or do we even have a plan?” Reba asked. The other two didn’t answer her and just continued eating. “Well, I think we should at least have a plan.” She protested. “She’s right; we should have a plan or at least an idea of what we’re doing,” Nellie agreed.

After they finished their breakfast, the three companions took a nap. It wasn’t long before sunlight, and the bugs woke them. They walked toward the road until they were close enough to see the highway. They could see a group of detainees walking along and picking up trash. Nellie and the others stayed hidden and watched as they worked their way past. One of the women in the group said, “Boss, I need to go relieve myself.” The soldier who was supervising them said. “Go ahead.” Nellie watched as she climbed the bank and then walked right toward her. She stopped and stood next to where Nellie was hiding.

“Don’t be alarmed; I’m not going to let them know you are here. They are searching for you. You won’t be safe anywhere you go.” “How did you know I was here?” Nellie asked. “I saw you at the same time you saw us. You need to be more careful. You three are on the news, and they say you are armed and dangerous. They are accusing all three of you of being terrorists. They are saying that you escaped from a high-security prison.” Nellie asked, “Which way do you think we should go?” “I would head to the Wabash River and try to follow it north toward Canada. Get far away from here.” “Thank you,” Nellie said.

The woman walked back toward the highway. Nellie and the other two stayed hidden in the clearing and watched the people work their way farther up the lane. When they were out of her view, Ryan said, “If we are close enough to walk to the river, we must be near Indiana.” They started walking again, but slower this time. None of them knew which way to go, so they walked through the hot and muggy woods following the road.

Later that day, they came to a graveled road that leads away from the highway. They followed it for nearly a half-hour when a large farmhouse with several large wooden barns came into view. They decided that it looked safe enough continued past the house, but as they approached, they heard a woman’s voice calling to them. They stopped and saw her waving to them from the porch. She was wearing a long brown dress that almost hid her feet. She had a matching brown bonnet on her head. Her salt and pepper hair was mostly covered, and she had fair, freckled skin.

Nellie didn’t trust her, so she scanned the farm to ensure no one else was near. “Keep a sharp eye out, you two,” She said. As they walked up to greet the woman, Nellie couldn’t see anything that looked out of place. The house curtains weren’t disturbed, and she didn’t see anyone in the tree line.

As soon as they neared the porch, she hurried them in and the closed indoor. They entered a large screened porch with a table and chairs off to one side and a porch swing on the other. The porch stretched the width of the house. The floor and ceiling were made of untreated wood. The walls were painted white, and the screen door was wooden and painted green; it had a long spring that held it shut.

She invited them to sit at the table, then went into the house. She returned with a pitcher of iced tea and plastic cups. After she poured each of them a cup, she sat and joined them.

“You three need to be much more cautious if you are going to survive. I have been following your progress through the news. They are searching for you with those flying drones, and I am told that they have your photos on television.”

“Why are you helping us?” Nellie asked. “Because, young lady, not all of us Christians have been rounded up. For the most part, the government has left the Amish and Mennonite communities alone. That is until you escaped. The Sheriff and the Military have been here several times, asking if we have seen you. They have searched our buildings and the house several times.” Then she paused for a moment. “So now I need to know your plan. Where are you three heading? How do you plan on getting there?”

Nellie looked at the woman for a moment before answering. “We don’t have a plan.” “We aren’t even sure of where we are,” Ryan said. “So why don’t you tell me your story, and I’ll see if we can help you.” One by one, each of them told how they ended up in their predicament. The woman politely sat and listened. She looked shocked and angry when Reba talked about the torture she endured.

After all three told their story, the woman stood. She reached out her hand and shook each of their hands individually, and then formally introduced herself. “My name is Meagan Miller. My husband is one of the elders in our community, so you are under our protection for now. He and the other elders will have to decide how much we can and are willing to help each of you.

As she talked, a young man came through the screen door; he walked up and whispered something to Mrs. Miller. She said. “Yes, tell them they are here.” Then he hurried off. “Can you three wait here for a while? I need to make some preparations.” Then she went into her house. As they sit waiting, Nellie couldn’t help wondering if they had made a mistake trusting this woman.

They had been sitting for nearly an hour when a young woman walked through the screen door carrying a bundle in her arms. Ryan jumped up and opened the front door to the house for her. A few moments later, Mrs. Miller came back out on the porch and asked Reba if she could join them in the house. Reba looked questioning at Nellie, and Nellie said. “Go ahead.” Reba followed the woman into the house.

Nellie and Ryan sat, enjoying the breeze coming through the screened windows as they sipped their cups of tea. Nellie was watching the road, still not trusting these people. At any moment, she expected the military to come charging up the road. Besides that, it seemed Reba was gone much too long, and Nellie had said several times that they should go in and check on her. Nellie was ready to charge into the house when a young girl wearing a brown and a tan dress and bonnet came out and sat at the table. She looked at Nellie and said. “You’re next, Nellie.” Ryan and Nellie were a little shocked. Ryan said. “Nice disguise Reba.” She lifted the long dress, and she was wearing a pair of heavy ankle-high boots.

Nellie got up and went into the house. The front door led to a large living room. On the left wall was an oak staircase that led upstairs. In the back of the room was a large stone fireplace with a hand-honed mantle. The furniture all looked new, even though it wasn’t in a modern style. The lights, the furnishings, everything was skillfully made and looked to be from at least a hundred years ago.

Mrs. Miller introduced a younger woman as her daughter Crystal. Then she led Nellie down a hill and into a large bathroom. She pulled back the shower door and adjusted the water. “Please remove your clothes and put them in the hamper. I’ll get you some fresh clothes to change into.

Nellie waited for the woman to leave then took off the clothes that she had been wearing since they escaped. She stepped into the shower and enjoyed the feel of the warm water washing off the worries of the last few days.

After she showered, Nellie found a large towel hanging on a towel rack. After she dried off, she reached for the bundle of clothes sitting on the small table. She held up the dress and looked at it. The blue dress was in the style that the two women were wearing. She held up the granny underwear and looked at it, then put it on. Then she tried it on the dress and it almost fit, though it felt just a little large on her.

She walked back into the living room, and both women were watching her; then, the younger woman shook her head and said. No, take that dress off. Then she went upstairs and returned with another dress and bonnet. “I wore this dress when I was younger, but it looks like it will fit you.” It was a pink checkered dress; Nellie didn’t like pink. Nellie tried on the dress, and it fit. She held up the white bonnet and looked at the women. Mrs. Miller helped her put it on properly; then, she smiled.

“We can’t leave her barefoot,” Crystal said. She was a thin woman with pale skin and light brown hair, and blue eyes. Nellie put on the socks and shoes that they provided her. The shoes looked heavy; they were brown leather high top with thick hard souls. And the socks were thick knitted wool. After she put the socks and shoes on, she went back out to the porch.

Ryan stood to look at Nellie for a long moment. She felt uncomfortable with him, staring, and asked. “What?” Ryan smiled and said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. That’s a perfect look for you.” Nellie gave him a disgusted look and then sat down.

Ryan was gone for nearly thirty minutes before he came back out and at the table. Ryan was dressed in a white shirt and black britches that buttoned-up, suspenders instead of a belt, and a straw hat.

After a few minutes, the two Mennonite women came and joined them at the table. They brought a fresh pitcher of tea and a plate of small cookies. Crystal said. “We are waiting for a word from our elders. Do you mind waiting a while?”

They sat and visited for the rest of the afternoon and nearly into the early evening. Mrs. Miller had coached them on how to act so that they would fit in with her community. She explained one of the most important things to remember was that whenever they encountered an outsider that they should remain quiet and let the most senior person in their group speak for them. Oh, and try not to make eye contact, but don’t be obvious about it.

Finally, a black carriage pulled by two beautiful horses pulled up. Several older men with full beards climbed out of the carriage and walked over to the barn. Nellie and Reba looked at one another. Reba leaned over and whispered. “Did you see their outfits? What is this, ‘little house on the prairie’?”

The two women smiled at Reba. “No, this isn’t ‘little house.’ We are a Mennonite and Amish community. Those men that you saw are going to meet with you in a few minutes.” Just then, the big barn door opened, and a man waved at them. Mrs. Miller stood and asked them to follow her to the barn. Once they were inside, the two women walked over to a wood panel that was sitting on a sawhorse and started sanding on it. One of the older men was measuring some wood planks and asked Ryan to help him. Before long, they were all busy building a wagon. Nellie was puzzled; why are we working on this….what are we working on? No one answered her at first; they just kept working.

Finally, as they worked on the wagon, one of the older men questioned them about how each of them ended up in jail and then how they ended up in the custody of the military. After they each told their story to the old man, another man asked more questions. Then everyone was quiet, and it felt awkward to Nellie.

Nellie and Reba were helping the other women sand the wooden planks when they noticed a Sheriff’s car drives up to the house. Everyone ignored it and kept working.

When the Sheriff and a soldier climbed out of the car, one of the older men looked up. He walked toward the Sheriff and greeted him warmly.

The Sheriff and the old man stood talking, but the soldier walked into the barn. Nellie glanced at him but kept working. She recognized him. She had seen him day after day on the military post on the chow line. The soldier watched the women working and asked. “What are you guys building? One of the men stopped working and walked over to him, then explained that they are building the wagon for a young couple who are about to be married.

The soldier watched them work while he and the old man visited. A few minutes later, the sheriff called for him, and he left the barn. The Sheriff, the soldier, and the Elder Mennonite got in the Sheriff’s car and drove away.

Nellie watched as the car disappeared down the road. She looked at Ryan and said. “I recognized him. He came to the chow hall every day.” “I know, I remember him too. He wasn’t very nice either.” They continued working. The Mennonites seemed to be waiting for something but Nellie didn’t know what it was.

They saw more police vehicles go by as well as some military vehicles. Finally, in the evening, a car pulled up to the barn. A woman got out and opened the trunk. Mrs. Miller walked out to meet her and said. “We’ll set it up in the barn.” Crystal put her hand on Nellie’s shoulder said. “Let’s go give them a hand.” They carried several picnic baskets to the barn and set up a food buffet that reminded Nellie of thanksgiving dinner at her parent’s house.

After the food and the dishes were all set up, Crystal called for the people still working to join them in prayer. Then, after the prayer was finished, Nellie and Crystal helped serve everyone before dishing themselves up.

Nellie joined Ryan sitting on the porch steps and leaned over and said. You look pretty handsome in your pioneer outfit. He ignored her comment and continued eating. One of the elders sat next to them and said. “It’s bad enough that two grown adults are out here on the run. But that young girl shouldn’t have to be here at all.

Nellie agreed and said. “They kidnapped her and then tortured her for weeks before handing her over to the military. She is holding up surprisingly well for someone who went through all of that. I tried to make the soldiers promise me that she wouldn’t be hurt anymore.” He interrupted. “I know she told us as much. I have offered to let her stay with us as part of my family. I have a daughter who is about her age, and they favor each other in looks. She would be safe, for now at least.” “What did Reba say?” Nellie asked. “She said that I have to ask you. She really will be safe with us. If circumstances were reversed, I would like to think that someone would do the same for my daughter.”

Before Nellie could answer, a police car stopped along the road and dropped off the elderly Mennonite man. He walked up to the house as the car drove away. He stood in front of Nellie and said. Well, they found the clothing of those escaped fugitives. It seems that they took some clothing from a house down by the river. The woman reported trying to stop them, but they took the clothes and then ran. They probably caught a ride out of town and are long gone.

“Thank you,” Nellie said. She stood and hugged the old man. “So, what will we do now?” “That’s not for me to say. You aren’t a part of our community. We can only offer our help. It is up to you to accept or reject the help offered to you.”

Nellie thought for a moment, then asked. “What do you think we should do?” He thought for a while and then said. “Maybe we should give you three some time to talk, make a plan, and then we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

That night the tree was invited to sleep at the elder's home, a man who introduced himself as Mr. Amman. His kids were all grown, and so he had several empty bedrooms. They traveled down a gravel road with the old man in his buggy. Because the sun was setting, they had to travel by lantern light.

After riding for what seemed like several miles, Nellie could see the lights of a house shining through the trees. The old man said, “That’s my home.” He guided the wagon through the opened doors of a large barn. “Now, you two girls go in and introduce yourselves to Mrs. Amman while we take care of the horses.” They all climbed down, and the old man went to work unhooking his horses. As he un-harnessed them, he was teaching Ryan how the harness worked. He had Ryan repeat the names of the different parts of the harness. After he uncoupled the doubletree, he had Ryan hang the yoke, harness, and bridles neatly on the pegs protruding from the wall. Then he handed Ryan a curry comb, and they combed out the horses.

Meanwhile, Nellie and Reba walked up to the large house and stood on the porch. Nellie still felt uneasy. She didn’t want to trust these people. They were all too nice, and they seemed disingenuous. Before she could reach to knock, the front door opened. A tiny woman looked out the door at the two girls. “You must be the girls I am expecting.” She smiled pleasantly and gestured for the girls to come in.

As they entered the house, Mrs. Amman led them to the huge kitchen. She asked them to sit at the table. The table was big enough to seat twelve people. It was solid oak with heavy hand-turned legs. Nellie was looking around, amazed at the beautiful house. The old woman sat a bowl of tiny cookies on the table and then asked. “Would you girls like a glass of milk?”

She poured the glasses of milk and sat next to Nellie, and then smiled pleasantly. She slid the bowl of cookies closer to the girls and said. “Try them.” Then she asked, “Do we frighten you? I promise you’ll be safe here.” Reba looked at her glass of milk and said. “We thought we were safe once. Then they started rounding us up like we were criminals.” She looked at the older woman and continued, “You have a false sense of security, ma’am. None of us are safe here.” The woman sat silent for a moment as she looked into Nellie’s eyes. “You are safe, at least for now.”

Reba took a drink of milk and said. “They’ll come after us, and you. They don’t want anyone to know how bad they tortured us. We are the secret they are trying to hide.” The woman looked at Reba then at Nellie. Finally, she said. “We’ll hide you from them for now anyway.” Nellie and Reba looked at one another but didn’t answer.

After a few minutes, Ryan and Mr. Amman came into the kitchen. Mrs. Amman looked at her husband with a worried look. He smiled and said, “Welcome to our home.” Ryan and the older man joined the others at the table.

As they sat visiting, a young couple came into the kitchen, the young man sat next to Ryan, and the young woman took two more glasses from a cupboard and poured them full of milk. While she was busy pouring milk, Mr. Amman introduced the couple. “This is my son Caleb and his wife, Sarah Ellen.

They visited late into the evening when finally Caleb stood and said, “I have a long day tomorrow; It has been nice to meet you; good night.” Everyone said goodnight, and then Sarah Ellen asked their three guests to follow her. She led them upstairs and showed each of them to a bedroom.

Nellie was surprised to find that her room was furnished with a large feather bed covered with soft sheets and a thick handmade quilt. The big window that was hidden by heavy curtains, and the walls were plaster, painted with dark cream paint. Along the wall was a large dark oak chest of drawers. A closet was built at an angle cutting across one corner of the room. The wooden floor had a thick wool rug that almost covered the entire floor. When she snuffed out the lamp, the room was nearly pitch-black. Nellie got ready for bed in the darkened room and climbed under the sheets. She must have fallen to sleep right away.

Nellie was awakened by Sarah Ellen. She was standing next to the bed with a horrified look on her face. Ryan and Reba were both standing by the bed. “Are you all right? You were screaming?” Reba asked. Nellie was confused; she didn’t know where she was at first. Reba patted Sarah Ellen on the shoulder. “I’ll take care of her. She’ll be ok.” Sarah Ellen and Ryan left Reba with Nellie. Reba climbed into the bad and stayed with Nellie for the rest of the night.

In the morning, Nellie awoke to a thin stream of light shining through a gap in the curtains. Reba was awake and peaking outside. Nellie got out of bed, and the girls readied themselves for the day. Then she and Reba went downstairs to the kitchen. When they walked into the kitchen, the family was already seated at the table. When they sat to join the family, everyone was quiet. Finally, Nellie asked. “Is something wrong?” No one answered at first. Finally, Mr. Amman cleared his throat and, without looking up, said. “We’re not accustomed to people walking around our house in a state of undress. Last night Reba was in her unmentionables walking about.”

Nellie and Reba looked at one another, and then Nellie apologized. Reba didn’t say anything. Everyone began eating her breakfast again. Ryan still hadn’t come down for breakfast, and Nellie was a little concerned. “I’m going to see what’s keeping Ryan.” She said. “He has been up and had his fill. He is out attending to the chores.” Everyone finished eating in silence. Nellie felt awkward and uneasy. She felt like she was intruding on this family rather than being a guest.

After breakfast, she asked if she could help clean the dishes, but the old woman said, “No, thank you, dear.” So Nellie followed the rest of the family out toward the barn. As they were walking, Sarah Ellen put her hand on Nellie’s shoulder. Nellie slowed and walked with the young woman. “Don’t be bothered by Mrs. Amman; that is her kitchen. If she needed our help, she would say so. I’ll tell you this; I had to learn my place with her; she can be stern.

Nellie helped Sarah Ellen with her chores. She learned to milk a cow and how to gather eggs even from an angry hen. She learned how to flip the chickens’ water container full of water without spilling it all over the ground. She was drenched by the time she got the hang of it. Each time she dumped the two-gallon container on herself, Sarah Ellen would laugh harder.

Finally, all of the chores were finished. Sarah Ellen and Reba were sitting on the porch talking. Nellie walked up and joined them. Reba reached over and took Nellie’s hand and asked. “Would you be all right if I stayed with a family here? They have asked me to join them as one of their family members. And maybe I can find out if my parents are ok.” Nellie smiled at her friend. I’m glad for you.

Reba looked in Nellie’s eyes and asked, “Really.” Nellie looked serious and said, “Really. I have been worried about you. What if we’re caught again? You deserve a better life than this. Go and be a part of your new family.” Reba threw her arms around Nellie and hugged her tight. Then she asked, “What is going to happen with you?” Nellie didn’t answer; she hugged Reba again.

Nellie looked down the road and saw a car. “Follow me.” Sarah Ellen whispered to Reba. The three girls walked around behind the big barn and then headed down the path toward the pond.

Ryan was walking out of the barn into the corral when he saw the girls hurrying past. He continued doing the chores. He looked out toward the house and saw the Sheriff’s car pull up. The Sheriff and a soldier climbed out and were speaking with Mrs. Amman. She was looking angry as the Sheriff was speaking in a loud voice. Mr. Amman, Sarah Ellen’s husband, quickly left the barn and joined the conversation. Ryan couldn’t quite hear what the Sheriff was upset about, but he had an idea that it must have something to do with him and the girls.

As he watched, he saw the soldier reach over and grab Mr. Amman’s arm. Just then, the Sheriff grabbed the soldier and slammed him to the ground. Then he said in a loud stern voice. “You keep your hands off of these people. They are under my protection. Do you understand?” The soldier jumped back to his feet and was pointing at the sheriff with a bladed hand, and he was speaking in an angry voice. They stood face to face arguing for several minutes. Finally, both men got into the police car and drove off.

Ryan walked over to Mr. Amman and asked if he was ok. He looked at Ryan and then said. I’ll be ok, but I’m not so sure that we can keep you three safe. They are determined to find you. I think that a soldier could be a dangerous man; you have to be careful…you and your two friends.

Later that morning, the Sheriff returned to the farm, alone this time. He walked up and knocked on the door of the house. Mrs. Amman answered the door. She gave the Sheriff a stern look. “May I help you?” “I came to apologies to you and your family.” Mrs. Amman said. “We’ll be fine.” Then the sheriff in a quiet voice, “I need you to understand this; right now, I am the only thing keeping you and your people from being rounded up like the rest of the Christians.”

The Sheriff and Mrs. Amman continued their conversation. Meanwhile, Ryan was finished with the morning chores, so he busied himself with work around the barn and corrals. Mr. Amman and his son had left to work the field. Ryan was keeping watch on what was happening with Mrs. Amman when he saw another car with dark windows pulled up next to the Sheriff’s car. He watched as the driver got out of the car and opened the passenger door and standing stiff, saluted the soldier who climbed out.

The driver was a baby-faced young man. He stood next to the vehicle with his hands folded at his back. The other soldier was an older man. He was tall and walked with authority toward the Sheriff. He reached out and shook the Sheriff’s hand and then shook Mrs. Amman’s hand.

Ryan couldn’t hear what was being said, but he could tell by the expressions on the faces that it was a serious conversation. He continued working, not knowing what else to do. The conversation continued for nearly a half an hour before the Sheriff, and the soldier once again shook hands and then left.

Once they were gone, Ryan hurried over to Mrs. Amman’s side. “Is everything ok? Ryan asked. No, everything isn’t ok, does it look ok? Ryan looked irritated at the older woman but didn’t answer at first. Then he said. “I understand; the girls and I will be gone today.”

He turned and started to walk away when she called to him. “There are things that you don’t know.” Ryan stopped and turned to face Mrs. Amman. “The Military took our farms. We have been working for them. They have a paper that says they have the right to take our land because the President has declared a national emergency. Just when they began to load us up on busses, the Sheriff stopped them and convinced the Soldiers to meet with our Elders first; before rounding us up like criminals.” She paused and then said. “Our elders convinced the Military that because we can farm and live without the resources that the other farms require, it would be more advantageous if we continued working on our farms.

Ryan thought for a moment, and then asked, “So… Are we jeopardizing all of that? We’ll leave today. I don’t want anyone to go through what they put us through.” Mrs. Amman interrupted Ryan and said. “There is a farm that my husband and son went to work belongs to a Methodist family named Dillon; they have been our friends for years. The military took them about a month ago. They were never released, so we have been looking after their place ever since. But it’s too much work for us to keep up with.”

Nellie, Reba, and Sarah Ellen walked to the house to check on Mrs. Amman. She walked up and silently waited for Ryan and Mrs. Amman to finish talking. Finally, Mrs. Amman turned and looked at the younger woman and said. “Follow us, it’s close to lunch, and the men will be returning soon.”

As they were walking into the kitchen, Mr. Amman and his Son were returning from the field. They all sat around the kitchen table. Mrs. Amman sat a platter of cheese and lunch meat on the table, and then she sat splatter of sliced bread next to the platter of cheese.

While they ate their lunch, Mr. Amman explained that he and the other elders would like Ryan to work the Dillon farm. He started to tell Ryan more, but Mrs. Amman interrupted and said. “I have already told him all about it.”

Ryan thought for a moment and said, “I don’t know how many acres you want me to farm, and I don’t know what type of equipment you want me to use, but I do know farming and ranching. I’ll be glad to help out as much as I can.” Mr. Amman said, “My son will take you and Nellie over to the farm after lunch.”

Nellie sat and listened while they talked. Finally, she asked. “When we first arrived here, you mentioned that Reba could stay with a family. Is that still the case?”

Mr. Amman looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking. Then he looked at Reba and said. “We have offered you the opportunity to live with a family here. If you do, you will have to become part of that family. You will have to live as one of us; you will have to become one of us.” Reba looked at Nellie. Then Mr. Amman gently said, “The choice has to be yours.” Then Reba smiled at the old man and nodded her head.

Nellie leaned over and said to Ryan. “I don’t know anything about farming. I’m a city girl. This is the first time I’ve even been on a farm.” Mrs. Amman leaned forward, looking at Nellie with a stern look, and said. “Then you better get good at it. As far as I can see, this is your best hope of surviving. Those soldiers plan on killing you if they catch you.”

They finished with a quick lunch, then Caleb and Sarah Ellen stood. Caleb asked Ryan and Nellie. “Are you coming?” Then they headed out the door. Nellie, Reba, and Ryan followed. They went out to the corral and harnessed the horses and hitched up a buggy. Caleb drove them down a dirt road past some fields and pastures and along a tree line past a meadow then to a cornfield. Finally, he pulled to a stop. “This is it. This is the farm that we need you to take over.”

Caleb took a notepad out of his shirt pocket and started writing on it. Then he tore off the sheet and handed it to Ryan. He pointed to the map he had drawn and said. “We’re here, and that square is this field. Then he pointed to two other squares he had drawn. “Now that is the farmhouse and barn, and over here across the road is the pasture for the livestock. And, your neighbors on the Southside are the Yoder family. They’ll send their kids to help you out as much as they can. They live about a quarter-mile away.” Then he drew several squares and said. “Your other fields are here, here and here.” He handed Ryan the paper.

Ryan looked it over, then asked, “So, you are leaving us here? I thought you would give us a tour of the farm.” He looked a little hesitant, and then they continued down the road. “Here on your right is the sorghum field. It’s about half grown.” They came upon a path that divided two fields, and Caleb turned left and followed the path. “You’ll be working both of these fields. Finally, they reached the end of the field. The dirt path they had followed covered the full length of the field and was as straight as the rows of crops in the field. It ended at the top of the field, where the farm equipment was neatly parked under a long open shed. Caleb turned the wagon following the path that led them in front of the equipment shed and then past two big fuel tanks. They stopped in front of the large empty shed and climbed off of the wagon.

Ryan and the girls followed Caleb toward a big barn. “This was where you would store the bales of sorghum. Some of the crops will have to be shared with others in our community. You will keep enough of the crops to keep your livestock through the winter. What isn’t used for livestock will be sold by our co-op. We expect you to produce most of your food. It’s late in the year, but you can still plant a garden and raise some vegetables, and you will need to pick out one of the steers to butcher. I’ll help you with that if you would like. We will arrange the delivery of any supplies that you require to get started, things like flour and salt for you and Nellie. Oh, and clothing. We will bring both of you some more clothing for work and Church service.”

Sarah Ellen and Nellie headed to the house and left Caleb and Ryan to talk about the farm and the cattle. As they entered the house, Nellie looked around at the family's belongings. She looked over the photos on the wall; they were photos of a hard-working family. Nellie turned to Sarah Ellen and asked, “Will they be coming back?” “We don’t know; we have tried to find out what has happened to them.”

Nellie walked through the living room and then into the dining room. The house looked lived in, as though the family would return at any moment. “I can’t live here. I can’t take all of this from these people. It’s not right.” Sarah Ellen put her hand on Nellie’s shoulder and said in a soft voice. “The military has already taken everything from them. We have chosen you and Ryan to be the stewards of this family’s belongings.” Nellie thought for a moment, then asked. “Why weren’t they allowed to remain on their farm?” Sarah Ellen looked down at the floor and said. “They chose to fight back when the military came to take them. The military had to force them onto the bus.” She stopped talking and looked at Nellie, and her eyes began to tear.

Nellie hugged the young woman, but she stiffened her body and didn’t return the hug. Then they continued their progress through the home. After they had explored the house, they walked out the back door to some small sheds and the chicken coop. Sarah Ellen and Nellie fed and watered the chickens, and then they gathered the eggs. They fed and watered the sheep and goats before Sarah Ellen took Nellie on a walk around the rest of the property. Finally, they met back up with Ryan and Caleb.

Finally, it was time for Sarah Ellen and Caleb to leave. Everyone said their goodbyes and Nellie gave Reba a hug, and the two girls stood looking at one another for a few moments. Reba finally said, “I know… I’ll be fine. Mr. Zwingli promised to take me in as one of his family. Besides, his daughter Anna is the same age I am. She and I can hang out.”

Ryan and Nellie stood watching the wagon disappear down the road. Nellie turned to Ryan and said. “We have to do something about this. We can’t just accept that this is the way things are.” “So, what are we supposed to do? Attack the military?” Ryan asked.

For the next few days, Nellie and Ryan developed a routine to maintain the farm. Nellie took care of the animals while Ryan did the farm work. Thorough out the week, the Amish and Mennonite families stopped in with gifts and supplies to help Ryan and Nellie. They brought dinner for them every evening for the first week. Some of the families brought clothing. Others brought fruits and vegetables or canned goods.

It had been nearly a week since Nellie had seen Reba, but the families who came to visit had assured her that Reba was well.

Several of the men had come with horse-drawn farm equipment so that they could train Ryan to work a team of horses. They had explained to Ryan that when the fuel on this farm was gone, he would have to use the horse-drawn equipment for all of the work.

Chapter 5

It was Early November when Nellie and Ryan had brought the last of the crops in. They were busy doing the needed maintenance on the farm equipment. Nellie had settled into the farm life enough so that she was starting to enjoy the work.

Every Sunday, they would make the trip to the Mennonite church for Sunday Warship. Her first Sunday, Nellie was glad to see that Reba was there as well. After the Church services, the two girls visited for a few minutes. Reba was happy with her new family. She did her part on the farm well enough, but more importantly, the family truly made her feel welcome.

It was nearly five months since they had started attending Church. Nellie and Ryan always sat in the back of the church, where they were most comfortable. One cold November Sunday, Nellie noticed a young man sitting with one of the families a few pews in front of her. The young man looked extremely uncomfortable. As she studied him, she noticed a tattoo on the side of his neck. She watched him through the rest of the service, and when they were dismissed, she made her way over to him.

Nellie grabbed the young man’s arm, and he turned and faced her. “Who are you?” She asked. He looked startled and asked. “Are you one of them? Are you here to arrest me?” “No. Nellie said. “I thought you were one of them.” He looked a little more relaxed and said, “I am a Christian like you. I have been traveling for months. I have been at a safe house near town.” “Safe House, There is a safe house?” Nellie said. She looked at Ryan then said. “And you made fun of me and my dream.” The man looked troubled. Mr. Amman stepped up and shook Ryan’s hand. He smiled and greeted Ryan and Nellie, then he turned to the young man and said. “Matt, I see you have met Ryan and Nellie Hostetler. This is the couple that we were telling you about.” They were in prison before coming here. They might have the information you wanted” Ryan and Nellie looked at one another. “What information?” Nellie asked. “Did you meet anyone with the last name of Pruitt while you were there? No, Nellie said?”

Reba and her foster sister were standing nearby, listening to the conversation. Reba stepped forward and said, “Pruitt.” They all looked at her, so she said, “That was the older couple on the bus.” “Do you know what happened to them?” Mat asked. Ryan said in a low voice, “We don’t know for sure. They separated us from the rest of the people on the bus.”

The man reached out his hand to Ryan and shook his hand. “My name is Matt. Matt Pruitt, I came here from Alton, Missouri. I was hiding out when the police came and took the rest of my family. Since then, I have been following the signs, you know, the ones that guide you to the next safe house.” Then he looked at the floor and said, “Anyway, I hope my parents are ok. I’ll be headed to the safe house near Griffin, Indiana. If my parents escape, please send them that way.”

Nellie and Ryan looked at one another then at Reba. “What signs are you talking about?” Ryan Asked. Reba and Matt looked at him. Then Matt answered, “You don’t know.” Mr. Amman cleared his throat and then said with a stern voice, “There are a time and place for discussions like this. And then he put his hand on Matt’s shoulder and said, “I think your transportation is ready.” Matt and Mr. Amman headed out of the church to a horse-drawn carriage that was waiting. Matt shook Mr. Amman’s hand and then climbed on to the seat, and then the buggy jerked forward.

Because it was a potluck, Sunday, Nellie had prepared a large Tex-Mex casserole for her contribution. She had discovered that the Mennonites weren’t used to hot and spicy food, so she enjoyed watching them try the dishes she would bring.

She and Ryan hurried downstairs to the Church basement along with the rest of the congregation. Ryan and Nellie always sat with Reba and her foster family on potluck Sundays for their meal. The couple who took her in had five children, so with Reba, Ryan, and Nellie, there wasn’t room for anyone else to sit at the table.

As they stood behind their chairs, Mr. Amman said in a loud voice, “Everyone, bow your head as we give thanks for our meal.” After he had finished with the prayer, he led them in a song. After they were through singing, he asked, “Are there any birthdays this month?” After several people raised their hand, in unison, the congregation said, “Happy Birthday.” Then he invited everyone with a birthday to start filling their plates for Potluck, and then everyone else formed a line behind them.

Nellie and Ryan moved down the buffet table while filling their plates from the selection of homemade dishes and various salads that the families had brought. After they were seated at the table, Nellie asked, “That man, Matt mentioned signs that he following that would lead him to the safe house. What are those signs?” Mr. Zwingli looked at Nellie with a stern look and said. This isn’t the time to discuss such things.

Mr. Zwingli was a short man with a slender build. His wife Amanda was about his height, but she appeared to be a sought woman. Her kids favored her in looks, but they must have inherited their slight build from their father. Reba fit in with the family; however, she was short and slender. He and Ryan had become friends and would laugh and joke with one another.

Nellie and Ryan always left the potluck early. Ryan still had work that he needed to do on the farm. Even on Sundays, Nellie would have searched the farm to find him to tell him when it was time to get ready for Church. He would always grumble to himself as he headed to the house to get cleaned up.

On Sundays, Ryan and Nellie would catch a ride to Church with the Yoder family. Mr. Yoder and his wife had three kids who would help Ryan on the farm. Mr. and Mrs. Yoder was healthy, stocky people, and their kids were hard working. They were friendly and outgoing, and Nellie enjoyed their company.

After Potluck, Ryan and Nellie would walk back to the farm. They would take their time walking and enjoy one another’s company. The church was several miles away from the farm. The air was cold and crisp, so Nellie pulled her scarf up to cover her mouth and nose.  They walked past meadows and rolling hills.  Nellie felt that this must be a perfect day.

Ryan said, “Nellie, remember that first Sunday when they introduced us at Church?” “Yes,” Nellie answered. “Did you know they were going to introduce us as Mr. and Mrs. Hostetler?” “No, if I did, I would have chosen a prettier name.” Ryan looked at her for a moment. “How about the husband and wife part? Did you know about that?” “Yes, I knew about that. I told Sarah Ellen that you knew how to work a farm. I told her that having you work Dillon’s farm was the best way I could think of to save your life.” Nellie paused for a moment. “It was Mr. Amman who insisted that I stay and help you. I told him that I didn’t know anything about farm life, but that didn’t seem to matter.”

Ryan was quiet for a moment and then asked, “What about the married part?”  Nellie answered, “I told him that we weren’t married, that I had only known you for the time we were being held.  He gave me a stern look and then said that he would take care of that.  He said that what God had already put together, no man could come between.”

Nellie and Ryan walked for a while in silence. Finally, Ryan said, “I’m glad you stayed.” Nellie smiled. Then she said, “They were going to send us to the next safe house, just like that guy, Matt, who they sent off earlier today.  Mr. Amman was against us staying at first. He didn’t think that we could blend in with this community. Sarah Ellen was the one who argued for us.”

Ryan was quiet for a while. Finally, he looked at Nellie and said, “These people may call us the Hostetler’s’, but we will always be McGregor’s.” Nellie smirked at Ryan and then said, “We?” Ryan’s face turned red. He didn’t answer her at first. “Well, um,” he stammered. She slapped him on the shoulder and said. “They did introduce us to the congregation as a married couple, and I didn’t hear you deny it. So I guess you are stuck with me. Misses McGregor, I like that.” 

Ryan was quiet for a few minutes, then said. It is troubling, you know… We are living a pretend life on a farm that doesn’t belong to us. I wish I could have bought a farm and the equipment. I wish I could have met you, dated you and properly got engaged, then married.” He paused then said, “I don’t even own these clothes. None of this is ours.”

Nellie grabbed his hand and stopped him, and turned to face him. “Neither of us chose this life; we were thrown into it together. But I am glad that I stayed to help you. If you would have met me as a teacher, would you have asked me out? Would I have accepted it? Maybe so, but we can never say for sure. You and I were on different paths before we were grabbed up. But I am not going to worry about what may have been. I am going to thank God for giving me a safe home with a partner who will provide for me and protect me.”

Ryan looked at Nellie and then said, “I’m sorry, none of that was directed at you. I’m happy to be stuck with you. As a matter of fact, there is no other person in this world I would rather be stuck with.” “You better believe you’re stuck with me,” Nellie said.

Ryan smiled, “Nellie McGregor, it does have a nice sound, doesn’t it?” “God has put us here for a reason, Ryan,’ and I think that reason is to help people like that guy we met at church today. I want to find out as much as we can about this safe house business. I want to help with that.”

Ryan frowned, and then he said, “I know something about the safe the houses. Before I was arrested, I would help out at my church. Our church was a stop on the Christian Underground Railroad. We had sheltered in the church basement because it had a cache of supplies to help people who were trying to make their way out of the country. Then, of course, Home Land Security moved in and started rounding us up.”

Nellie thought for a moment and then asked, “Do you know how they knew to come to your church?” “No,” He said. But I think our Mennonite neighbors know more than they are telling us. I was watching when Matt left. He left on a buggy driven by Caleb; they didn’t just send him on his way. They are taking him to the next safe house.

Nellie and Ryan continued walking toward the farm. It was a cold day, and the wind made it seem even colder. When they finally reached the house, they were chilled to the bone. Nellie put the tea kettle on the stove, while Ryan added some wood to the hot coals in the fireplace. It was late afternoon, and the sun was going to set soon, so Ryan went out to do the evening chores.

By the time he was done with chores, the sun had set, and the temperature had begun to drop. Nellie had a hot mug of tea waiting for him sitting on the table. She joked, “This is your payment for taking care of the chickens for me.” He sat at the table and warmed his hands on the hot mug. Nellie sat next to him and quietly sipped her hot tea. The sound of the wind was blowing against the house made it feel even colder. Nellie was watching the hurricane lamp flicker its light on the table.

Nellie got up from the table and walked to the window. She looked out into the dark. Without the convenience of electricity, she couldn’t look at a porch light to see if it was snowing. Ryan came up next to her and looked out. “The ground will be covered by morning, you know.” “Yup, and the chicken's water will be frozen solid again. By spring, I’ll have enough ice to make an igloo.”

Nellie put another chunk of wood on the fire and poked the coals. She sat on the couch and covered herself with a quilt. Ryan sat at the other end of the couch and propped his feet up. Nellie watched as the wood started to catch fire, and the glow of the flames danced on the floor. She looked over at Ryan, and he was already asleep. She pulled her quilt over him and placed a pillow near his head.

The next morning Nellie awoke to the wind blowing through the front door. Ryan pushed the door shut hard behind him as he went out into the winter storm. He had built a fire in the fireplace and had the coffee pot on the burner before heading out to do chores. Nellie sat up on the couch and wiped the sleep from her eyes. It had been hard to get used to life without instant everything. The one thing she disliked most was the sponge bath rather than a shower.

Nellie went to the kitchen and poured water into a large pot. She hefted it onto the stove and lit the burner under it. Then she began preparing her and Ryan’s breakfast. Ryan had insisted on doing all of the chores since the weather had turned bitter cold. She had started to object, but he insisted.

Nellie had found an enameled metal bowl that was large enough for her to stand in. She poured the steaming hot water in it, then took a pitcher of cold water and poured enough to cool it down to where it was the right temperature for a sponge bath. After she washed up, she would have to wash her hair in the sink.

When she was finished washing up, she filled the pot with water and lifted it onto the stove once again. After getting dressed, she started preparing breakfast. By the time Ryan returned from his chores, Nellie had breakfast on the table.

When Ryan walked through the door, he was cold and wet, so Nellie helped him out of his coat and then handed him a hot mug of coffee. He said, “The snow is about a foot deep, it’s  heavy, wet, and it looks like we’re going to be snowed in for a while.”

Earlier in the summer, when Ryan and Nellie had first taken over the farm, they had decided only to occupy as much of the house as they would need. Nellie spent the first few weeks storing the owner’s belongings in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Ryan prepared the automobiles and the machinery that he wasn’t going to need for farming. He put the cars and trucks up on blocks, and then he drained the gas tanks. He mixed some oil and brake fluid and squirted it into the engine cylinders. After Nellie had boxed up the family’s belongings in the downstairs bedroom and the living room, she helped Ryan winterize the house.

Mr. Amman had asked the county to turn off the utilities to the house. He and his son had helped Ryan and Nellie get settled into a life without electricity or natural gas. They learned how to fetch water for use in the house. Several of the Mennonite men came and replaced the gas range with a wood cookstove. Sarah Ellen taught Nellie how to cook and bake with wood heat.

The rest of the summer and throughout the fall, they had to can or dry food and prepare meat to have groceries through the winter. Nellie had never worked so hard in her life. She had to help Ryan cut and stack firewood in a shed to the ceiling. The shed was the size of a two-car garage.

The job Nellie liked the least was carrying water. She would always slop some on her pant leg. She used a plastic bucket to haul the water, so it wasn’t heavy. It seemed to her that she was always carrying water. She kept a bucket full for cooking and a bucket next to the toilet for flushing. It took several buckets of water just to bathe.

Another challenge she was learning to overcome was cooking. She had to plan meals for her and Ryan. She couldn’t pull food out of the package and microwave it. All of the food was Home-canned, dehydrated, or cured.

Sarah Ellen had spent a week teaching her how to preserve food, and when the time came to butcher their steer, Sarah Ellen and her husband came and helped process the meat and cure it so that it would keep unspoiled in the root cellar.

Nellie was surprised at the amount of food that she and the others stored away. She didn’t realize that it would take so much food just to get through the winter. She and Ryan had worked every evening for several months processing and preserving food.

Chapter 6

The snow continued falling through the day, so Nellie and Ryan worked to keep a path open to the animals and the woodshed and root cellar. Nellie found the chicken feeders and water containers in the chickenhouse where Ryan had placed them.

After checking on the chickens, sheep, and goats, Nellie headed back toward the house. As she walked around the corner of the barn, she saw a horse-drawn sleigh heading up the driveway toward the house. It was Caleb and Sarah Ellen all bundled in heavy coats and hats. She and Ryan hurried over to greet them. Sarah Ellen bounced off of the sled and hurried over to Nellie. “Isn’t this magical?” she asked.

Caleb leaned over and said, “Come on; let’s go for a ride.” So everyone climbed onto the sleigh, and Sarah Ellen handed them a heavy quilt to cover their laps. The horse jerked the sleigh forward, and they were headed down between the barns and then out across the field. Caleb guided the sleigh to the end of the field and then out on the road. They laughed and visited as the horses pulled them through the winter flurry.

The ride lasted nearly a half-hour before they made it back to the farmhouse. As they were climbing off, Nellie invited Caleb and Sarah Ellen in for tea. Caleb explained that the horses were hot and sweaty; He needed to get them into the barn so that they will be out of the weather. Ryan climbed back onto the sleigh, and the two men took the team of horses to the barn and unhitched them. After brushing them out and locking them into the stalls, they fed them each a bucket of grain.

When they got back to the house, they found Nellie and Sarah Ellen sitting in the kitchen. Nellie had a platter of cheese, smoked meat, and crackers along with mugs of hot tea waiting for them. Ryan and Caleb joined the two women. Caleb looked at Ryan and Nellie and leaning forward and said, “I need you two to help with something. We have been waiting to ask because you two have been learning our life, and any interruptions to that might have been too much for you two.”

Nellie looked at Ryan and then back at Caleb, “What is it; what do you need us to do?” “We need your help hiding people. We help people who are trying to get out of the country. When you two came to us, we were going to help you along your way, the way we help everyone else. Honestly, if it weren’t for your farming skills, we would have taken you two on to the next safe house.” Nellie sat and listened as Caleb explained how the Christians would show up, sometimes in large groups, and need food and shelter. The Mennonites would carry them to the next safe house because the military in this area made it completely unsafe to travel any other way.

Caleb explained, “The police departments and the National Guard across the United States are all under the control of Homeland Security now. An Army General has been put in charge of homeland security. He ordered that checkpoints be set up at all of the major roads leading out of all towns. You can’t leave one town for another without a travel permit. There isn’t any way to avoid them.”

“So,” Nellie asked, “How do you take people from here to the next safe house?” Caleb leaned back in his chair and looked at his wife. Sarah Ellen put her hand on his and said, “Tell them, we need their help.” Then he looked back at Nellie, “We have an agreement with the military here. We haul supplies back and forth to the Amish community in Griffin, Indiana. Ryan picked up his cup of tea and took a sip, then asked, “So what part do we need to help with?”

Sarah Ellen sat up straight in her chair and said, “So, when we get travelers from one of the safe houses who are headed to Canada, we have to either hide them or disguise them as Mennonites. We have a safe house that we have been using, but lately, the military has been searching for it regularly. We need an alternative; we need a new safe house. We need you two to turn this place into a safe house. We want you to hide the people who can’t be disguised as Mennonites.” Nellie and Ryan sat quietly for a few minutes.

Caleb finally said, “This house has a basement, doesn’t it? We could disguise the entrance to the basement. We could house people here long enough to arrange transportation for them to the next safe house.” How would we disguise it? Nellie asked. We would take it completely out. We would remodel the house so that it looked as though the basement doesn’t exist. There wouldn’t be stairs to the basement in the house. We could tunnel from one of the sheds to the basement; at any rate, we will have to make an entrance that is concealed from anyone searching for it.

Caleb stood up; let’s take a look. Ryan stood and followed Caleb to the basement. The entrance to the basement was on the back porch. The door opened to a stairwell that was dark and cold. Ryan lit a lantern and led Caleb down the stairs and into the basement. The room was the size of the entire house. It had concrete walls that served as the foundation to the house, and down the center of the large room were four columns supporting a large beam. Along the back wall were wooden shelves that held canning jars. The jars were all labeled with the date. Along the wall nearest the stairs were a bunch of boxes stacked, and some were taped shut. Caleb looked around and then smiled, “This is perfect.” He kicked at the floor and pointed to the dirt, “We can dig under that wall and bring water in, and we might tunnel an entrance in from the shed. He smiled and slapped Ryan on the shoulder.

The two men walked back up the stairs to the porch, and then Caleb turned and looked at the wall and the door to the basement. “We’ll have to patch over the door and make it blend in with the rest of the wall. We can match this siding; we may have to replace all of it along this wall. Let’s go look at the stairwell from the inside.” Once inside the house, they found that the stairwell was along the wall in the downstairs bedroom. A closet concealed the stairwell on the inside of the house. Caleb opened the closet door and looked inside. On the right side of the closet, the wall went at a slant to the ceiling. “This is the stairwell.” Caleb turned to Ryan and smiled. “This will be easy to hide. We’ll build the door here.”

Caleb said, “It will be dark soon.” So they headed out to the barn to hitch up the horses. Caleb led the horses over to the sleigh. After the horses were hitched up, they guided them out of the barn and over to the house.

Nellie and Ryan watched the couple as they drove off through the snow. Ryan patted her on her shoulder; we have a lot of work to do.” And then they walked to the house. Once inside, Nellie put the tea kettle on and then stood in front of the stove to warm up. The hem of her long dress was soaking wet where it had dragged in the snow. Ryan added some wood to the firebox and then sat on the couch and looked amused at Nellie. “They still didn’t answer your question about the signs for the safe house.” He smiled.

That night the snow had quit falling. Nellie and Ryan cleared the path to the barns one last time before bed. Nellie had a pot of stew heating on the stove, so they each dished up a bowl and sat at the kitchen table.

After dinner, the couple sat on the couch and read for a while. Nellie was reading a book she had found on the upstairs bookshelf; the book was called ‘The Education of Henry Adams.’

She and Ryan fell asleep once again on the couch in front of the fireplace. The living room and kitchen were the warmest rooms in the house, so they had shut off the rest of the house to conserve the heat.

The next morning after chores were done, Nellie and Ryan were finishing their breakfast. Nellie asked, “When people show up, and we hide them in the basement, how are they supposed to cook meals or use the restroom or shower?” Ryan explained. “We will start on that today. We’ll build bunk beds along the front wall, and when that is done, we will put that large water tank against the west side of the house. We’ll rig it up to collect rainwater. We can run a hose from the bung on the bottom of the tank into the basement. That way, we can hide the hose well enough so that no one can find it. I’m still working on an idea for cooking and bathroom facilities.”

Over the next few days, Nellie and Ryan worked on the shelter. They built simple bunks made of two by four frames with plywood platforms. They weren’t sure where they were going to find mattresses or blankets for the bunks. They built four bunks in all, with the bottom bunks being full-size beds and the top bunks twin size.

Ryan brought a parlor stove and helped Nellie vent it into the house's chimney. They had worked to build a counter with shelves to hold cooking utensils. Nellie built a divider so that the kitchen was separate from the sleeping area. They had also made a small room so Caleb and Ryan could build a bathroom. When they were done working Nellie, turned to Ryan, and smiled. “It’s all coming to gather, isn’t it.”

Nellie woke up early the next morning. She hurried to the kitchen and started the fire in the stove. The house was cold, and the floor was nearly too cold for bare feet. She filled the tea kettle with water and then placed it on the stove. Then she brushed her teeth and washed up with cold water. Today was laundry day; she had to hand-wash the clothing, and it took nearly all day. Ryan always helped Nellie by hauling the buckets of water. Heating water on a wood stove took a while, so Nellie set up her laundry tubs and sorted clothing while the water was heating.

After getting ready for laundry day, Nellie started fixing breakfast. Ryan was out doing chores, so Nelly tried to have breakfast prepared for him when he came in from the cold. She was getting better at slicing nice even slices of cured meat. At first, her bread and meat slices looked more like chunks rather than slices, and the uneven slices of meat wouldn’t cook evenly in the skillet. Now she had even learned to cook eggs without breaking the yolk.

She was dishing the food on the plates when Ryan came in from doing chores. He was carrying two large buckets of water. She was amazed that he never slopped it as she did. He poured water into the pot and set it on the stove before joining Nellie at the table.

They were finishing their breakfast when they heard noises on the back porch. Ryan hurried to find four men starting to work on the siding; they greeted him but kept working. Then one of the men turned to Ryan and said, “You two have been busy. I couldn’t have built better bunks myself. I think that that we might have straw mattresses for the top bunks. We’ll have to make them for the bottoms.” Ryan stood for a moment, not knowing what to do. Then he joined them, pulling siding off of the wall.

Nellie kept a plate of cookies on the table and a tea kettle on the stove for the workers. She was cleaning up the kitchen as the workers came in and out of the house. When it was near lunchtime, she put a platter of sliced meat and cheese on the table. She peaked into the closet where one man was working. He had taken out the stairwell roof, which made the slanted wall in the closet. He was busy building the floor-door over the opening. Nelly began hauling scraps out of the house to the trash pit. By the time she was done, the lunchmeat and cheese and the loaf of bread were gone. Nelly sliced up more cheese and lunchmeat; then she took out her last loaf of bread

By the end of the day, all of the work was finished, and the mess was cleaned up. Ryan and Nellie were impressed by the carpentry skills of the neighbors. Inside the closet, they had built a hidden door. When it was closed, the door was nearly impossible to distinguish from the rest of the floor. The workers textured and then painted the walls dull light green so that the new paint blended in with the rest of the bedroom.

Nellie walked out onto the back porch, and the entire wall had been rebuilt so that she couldn’t tell where the basement door had been. The porch wall had been painted the same off-white color as the rest of the house was painted. When she walked back into the house, one of the young men was showing Ryan how to open the door to the basement. Because the door had to be concealed, they left the mopboard off of the wall. Ryan had to use a hanger to grab the edge of the door along the wall and pull it open. The door opened along the seam of the floor tiles and rested on the back wall of the closet.

That afternoon, Nellie was still working on the laundry while everyone worked on the shelter. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. When Nellie opened the door, she was surprised to find several of her friends from the church. They had brought supplies for the new shelter. Nellie was a little concerned. If these many people were aware of the shelter, then how could it be a secret?

All of the supplies were carried into the back bedroom into the closet. They had to fit everything through the closet door and dropped down to the basement. Nellie helped pass supplies along to others who twisted and maneuvered them through the opening.

It didn’t take long until the basement was fully stalked with enough groceries to keep a family of eight for at least a month. Several of the women had run a clothesline between two pillars and hung Amish clothing of all sizes, ages, and both sexes. By the time they were finished setting everything up, they had a kitchen area complete with a table and six chairs. The shelving with the canned goods was clean and organized, and a lot more food was added. All of the bunks had mattresses and blankets.

That evening, when they finished saying their goodbyes, everyone left just as quickly as they had arrived. Nellie walked into the kitchen and poured herself a mug of hot tea. Then leaning against the counter, she looked at Ryan thoughtfully. “You said that your church was helping people escape to Canada; why didn’t you go with them? Why did you stay when it became clear that they were going to arrest you?

That evening Mr. and Mrs. Amman came with Caleb and Sarah Ellen for a visit. They all wanted to see the shelter. They inspected the beds and the bathroom. They were surprised to find that there was running water in the kitchen. Finally, Mr. Amman shook Ryan, and Nellie’s had. “You two have done well. I can see that you two are ready. Do you have any questions before we bring the travelers?” Nellie said, “I was concerned because everyone seems to know that this is the safe house. How can it be a secret if everyone knows about it? ”

Mr. Amman smiled. “Everyone knows that my house is a safe-house. I have been taking in people and moving them through the checkpoints for quite a while now. Your neighbors will help you in ways that you can’t imagine. They have accepted you as one of their own.” Then Mrs. Amman added, “Besides earning their trust and respect, they are counting on you two not to get caught. If you two were to get caught, we would all be brought in with you.” Then everyone was quiet.

Finally, Nellie asked, “What are the signs that they follow so that they can find us?” Mr. Amman smiled, “Right at the beginning of this, they started arresting Evangelical Christians. The small town Churches began taking people in and eventually started smuggling them out of the US into Mexico and Canada. When the Government began to target them, they had to move their operation to houses, mostly rural houses. So the people along the way developed a sign for Christians to follow. They put an amber or white reflector, followed by one green and one blue reflector on their mailbox. Inside the safe-house, they leave a note that tells where the next safe house will be.

Nellie looked puzzled and asked, “So if it was discovered, then what would keep Home Land Security from following the instructions and closing us down? Mr. Amman smiled and said, “It isn’t that simple. We use Bible verses, song lyrics, or pictures to guide people. They have to be able to follow the clues for everyone’s safety.

Then Mrs. Amman said, “We thought you were travelers from one of the safe houses south of us, that is until you told us your story. Let’s head back up to your kitchen; by the way, I agree, you two have done just fine here.”

They sat around the kitchen table, and Nellie served a platter of cold cuts and cheese. She had learned that most of the Mennonites buttered their bread rather than using Mayonnaise, but she had just made a batch, so she put the bowl of it out as well. She had baked several loaves of bread, so she sliced one and put it on the table. Everyone sat and waited for her to finish setting everything out before dishing up.

Caleb said, “We are bringing guests tomorrow. They are from one of the safe houses in Illinois. We would like them to dress as we do. It just makes it easier to move them to the next house.” Nellie smiled, “We’ll be ready.” Ryan had been quiet through the meal. Finally, he asked, “Why didn’t you send us on to Canada like you do everyone else?” The guests were all quiet for a while before anyone answered. Finally, Caleb answered. We would get you three out of the country as quickly as we could, but our contact with HOMELAND SECURITY warned us against that. We were told that every checkpoint has your photos with a full description of how you might look in disguise.

Nellie and Ryan sat quietly for several minutes before saying anything. Finally, Nellie said, “Thank you for taking us in; it must be difficult. Sarah Ellen took Nellie’s hand and said, “No, you don’t understand; do you. God sent all three of you to us. We needed you three as much as you need us. You two were truly an answer to our prayers.”

That evening, after the Amman family left, the couple cleaned up after the meal and then sat at the kitchen table. Ryan looked at Nellie thoughtfully and said, “It really could be a lot worse; we could have been killed in that prison or executed by the military.” Nelly looked at Ryan with a tear in her eye and asked, “I wonder what happened to our families. I hope they are safe. It’s time for bed; we’ll need to be ready for our guests in the morning.”

Chapter 7

Nellie didn’t sleep well, and when she did sleep, she had troubling dreams. Finally, she gave up and climbed out of bed. She quietly got dressed and slipped outside. It was a clear night, and the moon was shining, so she didn’t need a lantern to see her way as she did the chores. After feeding and watering all of the animals and milking the cow, she stopped to look at the stars. She was amazed by the bright, beautiful stars were. As she gazed at Orion’s Belt, something caught her eye; she noticed that something was moving across the sky. As she watched it she realized that it was moving above her, but it moved too slowly to be an aircraft.

Ryan walked up behind her, and when we reached to put his arm around her, she was startled. “What are you doing out here? It’s too early even for me to be awake.” Nelly turned and hugged him, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t sleep. I want to show you something.” She pointed above them to the slow-moving object in the sky. Ryan looked at it for a moment then said, “I know what that is; we are probably being watched.” “How…What is it that’s watching us?” “It’s a blimp. The military uses them over battlefields for reconnaissance.” As the thought of being watched sent a shiver up Nellie’s spine, she became aware of how cold she felt. She shivered and then picked up the bucket of milk, “The chores are done. Let’s go eat breakfast.”

Nellie lit the firebox on the stove then put the skillet on the burner. She took the slab of cured meat out and unwrapped it from the paper.  After slicing several thin strips, she fried the meat and eggs while Ryan completed his morning routine in the bathroom. Nellie poured two steaming mugs and then dished up two plates of food, and then sat down to breakfast.

The couple was nearly finished with their meal when someone knocked on the front door. Nelly hurried over and answering the door and found a woman with two young children waiting on the porch. She invited them in and led them to the fireplace. While they warmed themselves, she fixed them breakfast. Ryan visited with the woman and found out she and her children had been traveling for over a week. They walked from Greenford, Illinois all the way to Indiana and then to this farm.

Nellie and Ryan sat in the living room and let the little family take their time eating. They looked frightened and worried. After they were finished with their breakfast, Ryan took them to the shelter in the basement. He showed them how to work the stove. He explained that the water came from a tank and had to be conserved. After they were settled in, Nellie and Ryan returned upstairs.

The sun was just starting to come up when a black Suburban pulled into the driveway. Three soldiers climbed out of the vehicle and came to the front door. One of them knocked loudly. Ryan answered the door, and one of the soldiers tried to push past him. Ryan held him back with an open hand on his chest and said, “I don’t know where you come from Sir, but around here, we wait to be invited in.”

Nellie was standing behind Ryan and looking past the soldier, and she saw Sergeant Allen’s face. She felt the blood rush from her face. It was too late to run, and Nellie wasn’t prepared for a fight. Just then, Sergeant Allen said with authority, “At Ease Specialist.” Then she looked at Nellie and asked, “Mrs. Hostetler, may we come in?” Ryan and Nellie stood aside and let the soldiers in the house. Then Sergeant Allen said in a stern voice, “Search the place.”

Sergeant Allen sat at the kitchen table and asked, “Would you two, please join me? The reason we’re here is that there has been quite a bit of traffic coming through here the last week or so.” She pulled a notebook from her pocket and began writing while she explained that they had been monitoring the neighborhood, and things just looked a little suspicious. When she quit writing and pulled the page out of her notebook and slipped it to Ryan, he peaked at the note then passed it to Nellie.

Nellie looked at the note and then looked at Sergeant Allen. The message said, “Don’t worry; your secret is safe with me.” Nellie looked at Ryan; he was clearly afraid. Nellie didn’t know whether he was scared for the woman and her kids or worried about her or himself.

After the two soldiers were finished searching the house, Sergeant Allen told them, “Go search the outbuildings. I’ll finish up with this interview, and then I’ll join you.”

Once the two young men left, Sergeant Allen turned and grinned. “I never dreamed I would see you two again. I’m glad that you are doing well.” Nellie smiled and then asked, “Why are you helping us?” Sergeant Allen looked Nellie in the eye and said, “Because of you. I want what you have.” Nellie looked puzzled then asked, “What do you mean, what I have?” She answered, “You stood up to Home Land Security, hell. You stood up to the United States Army for what you believe in. I want to have something to believe in so strong that I would give up everything for it.”

Ryan answered, “We are Christians,” She asked, “How do I get what you have?” Ryan said, “Just ask. That’s all, just ask. Ask Jesus our Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Tell him that you want to know him personally.” Sergeant Allen looked at Ryan and said. “I already have. But, I don’t feel that much different. I mean not like you two; I can see the fire you two have in your life. I want that.” Nellie said, “Keep praying, and keep helping others; that’s all.” “You know, a month ago, I would have arrested you two, even knowing that you would be executed once I brought you back.”

Sergeant Allen stood up and then said, “I didn’t ask about Reba, and I don’t want to know where she is.” Nellie said, “She’s safe.” Sergeant Allen walked to the front door and started to turn the knob but stopped. “Oh, take that woman and her children out during the day, it will look less suspicious.” Then she left.

Nellie and Ryan sat quietly while the soldiers searched the barns and sheds. When they were through searching, one of the young men once again knocked on the front door. When Ryan answered the door, the soldier asked, “Where are the woman and the kids?” Ryan asked, “You mean the neighbors? They came for a jug of milk. They left right after they got here.” The soldier looked at Ryan and then turned and looked at Sergeant Allen. He looked at Ryan again and, pointing his finger at Ryan’s chest, started to say something, but Sergeant Allen interrupted. “Specialist; let's go!”

Once they were gone, Nellie slipped downstairs and talked with the young woman. She told her about the soldiers searching the house; and thanked the children for keeping quiet. “Yes,” said the woman, “We could hear people talking; I was afraid it was something like that.”

Nellie and the woman sat at the table and visited. Neither of the women exchanged names. Using real names weren’t allowed for the safety of the travelers. But the young woman seemed to need to talk, so Nellie sat and listened.

The woman explained that her husband had been taken by the police. He was charged as a Dissident and taken by Homeland Security. She and their kids were on their way home when the police came for him. Her neighbor hid her and the kids for several days while the police searched for them. Nellie looked sympathetic, “What happened to your husband after that? “I don’t know; they took him. The community gave us supplies and sent us to find you; on foot. They said it was our best chance of surviving. Don’t you realize? They are rounding up the Christians there. I lived in a Drunkard Mennonite community. Those people are some of the best people I know of.” She began crying and hid her face in her hands.

Nellie put her arm around her and hugged her; they sat quietly for a while. Then the woman looked at Nellie and said, “You need to know that they are suffering out there. You people have it well here, and none of you can even imagine how bad it is. Nellie sat and listened, and as the woman continued.

After a while, the young woman seemed less distressed, so Nellie excused herself and went back up into the house. She and Ryan sat quietly at the kitchen table for a long while. Finally, Nellie said, “I’m going to visit Sarah Ellen today and tell her about the soldiers.” Ryan agreed, “I’ll come with you. I don’t think you should travel alone.”

They were getting ready to go when someone knocked on the front door. It was Sarah Ellen and Caleb, along with two people that Nelly had never met. Nellie invited them in and then told Sarah Ellen all about the events that took place that morning. She sat and listened quietly until Nellie had finished with her story, then asked, “These blimps, they can watch us even at night? “Yes,” Nellie answered. “What do they look like?” “At night, they look like a slow-moving white spot in the sky. Only, they are hard to see because they don’t reflect light well. I don’t think you’ll be able to see them during the day. They blend in with the sky well.” Then she said, “We were wondering how they seemed to know our every movement. I’ll have Caleb call a meeting and let the Elders know.”

Meanwhile, Caleb took the two visitors to the shelter. He was surprised to meet the woman and her children. He spent nearly an hour in the basement visiting with the travelers. After he was finished and came up stars, they sat with Nellie and Ryan, explaining their plans to get all travelers to the next safe house.

Caleb and Sarah Ellen decided they should leave and give the news about the blimp and the woman with her children to the Elders. Caleb said, “We knew that travelers were going to be showing up here, but we meant to warn you first. I just moved the sign to your mailbox yesterday evening.” Then the couple said their goodbyes and left.

That afternoon two of the neighbor kids came to visit. Ryan and the two boys spent several hours working on the fences and animal pens. When Nellie had all of the household chores finished, she joined them. It was good to be out in the fresh air for a change. She had learned to work in the long Mennonite dresses; even building a fence no longer felt like a daunting challenge.

That evening Nellie searched the upstairs for binoculars. If the military was watching them, then she was going to know when they were watching. She searched the bedrooms and the closets, and she was about to give up, but then she found a large gun safe in the back of the walk-in closet in the master bedroom. She stood looking at the safe and wondered where someone would keep the combination to a safe. She remembered seeing a fireproof box in the small office down the hall. She hurried to the office and found the fireproof box. She opened it and searched the stack of papers for the combination. She found the paperwork that came with the safe, and handwritten on the paperwork she found the combination.

Nellie turned the combination to the safe and tried the handle. Nothing happened. So she spun the knob then tried it again, this time it opened. Inside the safe, she found a nice hunting rifle and an older .22 rifle, and two shotguns. On the shelf were several boxes of ammunition and a case that held binoculars, and a rifle scope was sitting next to the ammunition. Two pistols were hanging on the door. Nellie picked up the rifle scope and walked over to the window. She looked through the lens of the scope and smiled.

She hurried and shut the door to the safe and then took the combination back to the little office. After putting the paperwork back where she had found it, she rushed downstairs and then out the back door. She took the rifle scope and searched the sky under cover of the trees. She searched the sky for nearly a half-hour before she was content that no drone was watching her home.

She went back into the house and then sat at the table. Ryan was sitting on the couch near the fireplace and reading a book. He looked up from his book at Nellie. “What have you got there?” He asked. She took the rifle scope to him and told him about the gun safe. He studied the riflescope for a few seconds then said, “The binoculars might be better for finding those darned things. Riflescopes are better for looking at something you have already found.

Nellie would slip downstairs to visit with their guests and make sure they had plenty of supplies every day. Sarah Ellen had warned her not to develop a relationship with the travelers for everyone’s safety, but Nellie was having difficulty with that part of her job. The two new guests were from her home, the city, and she knew not to ask questions that would give away who she was.

It was Saturday morning, and Nellie was up and wide awake before Ryan. She slipped out and had most of the chores done before he joined her. He filled two large buckets with water and carried them into the house, and Nellie followed him with a bucket of fresh milk. By this time, the sun was painting a sunrise across the sky.

The couple fixed breakfast and did their morning routine getting ready for the day. Once she had bathed and dressed, she combed her hair out. Nellie slipped downstairs to let the visitors know that they would be moved to the next safe house. Nellie helped them pack provisions for the next leg of the trip.  She helped them to get dressed in the plain clothing of the Mennonites.

Everyone was ready to go when Ryan signaled that their ride was here. One by one, they climbed out and huddled in the living room. Nellie looked out the front door at the wagon that would take them to the next town. There were six beautiful horses hitched up to a large wagon. The wheels were taller than Nellie, and the sideboards were at least that tall.

Nellie hurried out the back door and searched the sky through the binoculars. She wanted to be sure no one was watching as the travelers climbed on the wagon. By the time she made it to the front of the house, the travelers were loading onto the wagon. Before long, they were headed down the driveway and onto the road.

Nellie and Ryan went back into the house and then down to the basement. They cleaned their shelter and made it ready for the next group of travelers. By the end of the day, Nellie was exhausted. Her chores seemed to be a burden this evening, and she wasn’t sure why. That evening Nellie fell asleep early.

By December, five more people had traveled through the shelter. Nellie and Ryan were going to spend their first Christmas as a couple. Nellie searched the house for decorations and found some in a box in the basement. At first, she thought of decorating the house, but then she thought about the travelers, so she decorated the shelter.

Christmas Eve services were not what Nellie had expected. Instead of the sermon, the congregation sang Christmas songs, and the youth group put on a play. Afterward, they had refreshments and more singing.

Christmas morning, Nellie woke up and started her routine. Ryan was already awake and was out doing chores. She started water heating on the stove and then took her sponge bath. Afterward, she started cooking. Breakfast was almost made when Ryan came in with two buckets of water. He sat at the table where Nellie had a cup of hot coffee waiting.

Nellie dished up two plates and sat one in front of him. She sat next to him and began to eat her breakfast. This morning it just didn’t taste good. She poked at it with her fork and then pushed the plate away.

Ryan was nearly finished with his plate when he looked at Nellie, “Are you feeling ok?” Nellie frowned, “My stomach is a little queasy. I’ll be ok.” “Can I get you something?” “No, I drank a cup of mint tea that seemed to help.” Ryan reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small cardboard box and handed it to Nellie. She held the box and looked at him. He sipped his coffee and then said, “Well, open it.” She pulled the box open and found a simple silver ring wrapped in tissue. She started to put it on her finger, but he reached out his hand and taking the ring from her, he put it on her finger.

She started to say something, but he interrupted. I know that we didn’t plan on giving each other gifts, but this is important to me. She smiled and said, “Thank you.” She held her hand out and looked at the ring and smiled. I’m proud to be Mrs. McGregor.

Then she said, “But you aren’t as smart as you think you are.” She reached in her pocket and took out a piece of paper, and handed it to him. “I have a very special gift for you.” He unfolded it and read the note. Then he frowned and looked at her, and then suddenly he realized what the note meant. “Mrs. Amman has agreed to be my midwife. She has delivered several kids around the neighborhood.

Ryan sat quietly for a few minutes. Finally, he asked, “How long have you known?” For about two weeks now. “I wasn’t sure at first, so I talked to Mrs. Amman about my symptoms. And in her usual tactful way, she said, ‘Silly girl, you’re pregnant.’ So I asked her if they had a doctor that I could see, and she asked me, ‘Why are you sick?’ I guess these people don’t see a doctor unless they need it here.”

Nellie was starting to become annoyed with Ryan; since she told him that she was pregnant, he had treated her as though she was delicate or breakable. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but…

That spring Nellie and Ryan began a new season of farming. Nellie had talked Ryan into letting her guide the horses down the field. Most of the farm and ranch work was fun for Nellie. After a while, Nellie was working a team of horses disking the fields while Ryan worked a second-team planting.

Travelers continued coming through the safe house, sometimes in small groups but mostly one or two at a time. Throughout the spring and summer, as the young couple worked the farm, neighbors would show up to help Ryan with the heavy work. Toward the end of summer, Ryan was doing most of the farm work. He insisted that Nellie only do light work and rest when she needed to rest her back.

When harvest came around, Reba came to stay with Nellie. They were busy most days drying and canning fruits and vegetables. Reba helped Ryan in the field as well. Ryan was impressed at how hard she could work.

By late September, Mrs. Amman would show up daily to check on Nellie. She brought gifts that the people from the community would send for the baby. Some of the neighbors would also stop by to see the new baby.

A few days before the baby was due, Mrs. Amman and Reba set up a birthing room. That same evening Nellie started cramping, just a little at first. By midnight she was in labor. Reba stayed by her side and let Nellie squeeze her hand during contractions. Mrs. Amman came in and took over, teaching Reba the duties of a Midwife.

Baby Milo came in the early morning. After cleaning the baby and new mother, Mrs. Amman, slipped out of the house. Before leaving, she told Ryan that she would be back soon to check on Nellie and the baby boy.

That morning Ryan and Reba did the chores and prepared breakfast while Nellie and the baby slept. Later that morning, Mrs. Amman had arrived to check on the new mother. She taught Nellie how to swaddle the baby, fold diapers, and all of the other things she needed to know.

By early October, it was time for Reba to head home. She would return to visit every few weeks, and she spent most of her visits playing with the baby. Nellie always enjoyed Reba’s visits. She had become a happy, cheerful young lady.

One early November evening, two travelers knocked on the door. Nellie introduced herself and invited them in. She knew the young couple; they were from her home church. As she guided them to the shelter, the young man stopped her and said, “I know you, Nellie. You used to go to our church. Then Nellie explained, “You can never mention that to anyone. We don’t have the luxury of knowing one another.” Then the young lady said, “We understand, and your secret is safe with us. Nellie smiled and then helped them to get settled in the shelter. Then she excused herself and hurried back upstairs. She told Ryan about the couple then asked, “What do I do? I want to know if my parents are ok. Besides, I have a lot of friends back there that I have been praying for.  Ryan gave her a stern look and said, “You know the rules.”

That evening Nellie went to the shelter and helped them prepare for the next leg of their journey. Nellie said, “I apologize for being short with you earlier. These are difficult times. Could you tell me how my parents and younger sister are doing?” The young woman smiled and said, “I understand. Your family should be in Canada by now. They left right after you were taken. They were at the store shopping when the police raided their home, so your neighbors hid them until we could get them out of town.

Nellie smiled and then asked, “What about the rest of the church?” The young woman looked flushed and then looked at the floor, “It’s not good. Most of them were arrested.” Then she looked up and asked Nellie, “How about you? How did you end up here?” “We escaped three of us. We were on the run, and we ended up here. The Mennonites took us in. They asked my husband and me to work on this farm. And then they helped us to set up this shelter. They keep us supplied with clothing and food. We all owe them a great deal of gratitude as well as our lives.”  Then she excused herself.

Nellie had just closed the shelter door, and she was pushing the closet door shut when she heard the front door open. He heard Ryan say in a loud voice, “What is going on here?” Nellie rushed into the living room in time to see two soldiers facing Ryan. “She yelled, “Stop, right now.” The two soldiers looked at Nellie, then at Ryan. One soldier said in an angry voice, “We were watching your house; we know you’re hiding people here. Where are they?”

Nellie walked toward the two soldiers, and in the most authoritative voice she could manage, she said, “You two go right back out that door, and you knock first, then when I have invited you in, you can politely ask your questions.” The two soldiers and Ryan stood looking at Nellie in disbelief. She put her hands on her hips and said, “Well, get moving.”

One of the soldiers said in a sarcastic voice, Ok, I’ll play your silly a*s game. But you better be ready to answer some questions.” Then the soldier turned and walked out the door, and then the other followed.

Nellie looked at Ryan; his face was red with anger. She smiled and surged her shoulders, then she walked over and let the soldiers back in. She said, “Ok, what is this all about?” They walked in, and the taller one stood too close to Nellie, and being much taller than her, looked down and asked, “Where are you hiding the people that you let in here. Nellie looked him in the eye and said. “Several people have been here today. Can you describe the person you are looking for?”

The soldier shoved past Nellie and then told the other soldier, “Let’s search the place.  What’s back here, Lady?”  Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door. Ryan walked over and let Sergeant Allen in. She asked in a stern voice, “What is going on here?”  The tall soldier started to speak, but Sergeant Allen interrupted, “I was speaking to Misses Hostetler.  Nellie answered they are accusing us of sheltering someone here in our home.  

“Is that right, Specialist?  Did you see them bringing someone in here?”  He answered, “Yes, Sergeant.”  She looked at Nellie, “Do you mind if we quickly look through your house?”  Nellie answered, “No, I don’t mind, we don’t have anything to hide.”

Sergeant Allen and the two soldiers quickly searched through the house.  She didn’t allow them enough time for a thorough search.  The shorter man peeked into the closet but moved on to the next room.  Nellies' secret was safe for now.

After only fifteen minutes, the three soldiers had completed their hasty search.  Sargent Allen sent the two soldiers on their way.

Sergeant Allen waited till the two other soldiers left.  She said in an angry voice, “How in the hell am I supposed to keep your two asses safe when you pull a stunt like this?  Nellie looked her in the eye and said, “You know us Mennonites, we are always helping one another out with small things like the dozen eggs I just gave the Yoders’.

Sergeant Allen looked at Nellie for a moment, “I suppose they came and left on foot.”  Nellie smiled and said, “Mennonites  aren’t slothful.”

A few days later, they said their goodbyes and then continued their trip toward Canada. It troubled Nellie that most of her friends had been captured, and she wished that she could let her parents know she was ok.

That night Ryan fixed dinner and let Nellie have her time to grieve for her friends. While they were eating dinner, Nellie looked at Ryan. “Your family and friends were also taken, and here I am feeling sorry for myself. Ryan hugged her and then said. “Your parents are in Canada. I think we should figure out how to travel there and see them.

The following morning Nellie woke up early, and after doing her chores, she cleaned the shelter. She wanted to be ready for the next travelers. When she was finished, she went back upstairs and was surprised to find that Reba and a young man from church had stopped by to visit.

Reba was on the floor with the baby on her lap while the young man was visiting with Ryan. Nellie hurried into the kitchen to fix refreshments for everyone. While she was preparing refreshments, she listened to Ryan and the young man as they talked. The young man’s name was Daniel.

His family owned one of the oldest farms in the county. The original farmhouse had been a log cabin, but the family had added on to the original house over the generations so that the oldest part of the house blended into the newer additions. Now only the bedrooms in the back of the house had the original log walls.

Daniel was a few years older than Reba and a lot taller. He was over six feet tall, and he already had the body of a farmer. His hair was light brown, and he needed a haircut. He was dressed like all of the other Mennonite boys. His clothing was faded from working in the sun. Ryan seemed to like him right away.

When the refreshments were ready, everyone gathered around the table visiting. Ryan told Reba about the last visitors and what they had said about Nellie’s family. He mentioned that he would like to take Nellie to find her parents in Canada someday. Daniel listened as they were talking. Finally, he said, “We still trade with the Mennonite communities in Canada. I could send a message along to some of my relatives there, and ask if they find news of your parents.

A few weeks later, Reba and Daniel stopped by to visit. Reba was helping Nellie with the baby, and Ryan was visiting with Daniel when he, “I sent a message to my family in Westfall. They might know where to find your family. I don’t want you to get your hopes up just to find out that we can’t locate anyone.”

Chapter 8

It was nearly a year before Nellie got a message about her family. The news was even more exciting than Nellie or Ryan had dreamed. Daniel’s family had located both Ryan and Nellie’s families. The families in Canada sent several letters.

In her letter from her father, she found out that they had stayed just down the road with the Amman family during their travel to Canada. Now they were staying in a little village where her father had found a job.

Nellie and Ryan shared the news with Mr. Amman. He was a little hesitant to answer, but finally, he said, “If you can wait till after harvest, we have scheduled a couple of wagons to make the trip to Westfall. The trip will be long and hard, but you are welcome to go along. You Ryan can drive one of the wagons.”

By midsummer, Nellie was pregnant with her second baby. Once again, it was hot, and she had her share of work to do. Milo was walking now, so it made working the garden a little easier.

By fall, Reba came by daily to check on Nellie and help Ryan with the harvest.  Mrs. Amman came by about once as well. She brought gifts that the community had sent for the new baby.

On Milo’s birthday, Nellie was starting to feel contractions. She told Reba that she was sure the baby would come any day now.