PART II OF THE PROLOGUE - DAWN RISES - THE BLUE PRINT - BOOK 3 OF THE DIVIDE BY MARTA MORAN BISHOP

The crowded chamber glistened with color, from the opening in the ceiling above. “Ben, Jamie, Jewell, it is nearly time for me to leave. Mother, Father is waiting, give them our letters please.”
 
“Yes, Ana said, as leaned more heavily on Jewell. I wish we’d had more time together my darling girl. But the world changed to quickly, and we both had our work to do. Remember I love you, and always will.” She said as she handed a stack of papers to Jewell.
 
The shadow of Kinard’s hand could be seen on her shoulder, as her spirit left her body, and joined his, the two of them young once more, walked away into the light.
 
“Ben my dearest, you must not remain alone for the rest of this lifetime. You still have much to do and need a partner to do it with.”
 
“No Rebecca!”
 
“Yes Ben, it must be. I will be waiting for you on the other side when your time has come. Hurry all of you, make your decisions, there is little time before the army regains control in the city.” She said as her spirit faded away in the dawns light.
 

Ben and Jamie looked at each other, and out into the crowded room. “Who among you will stay and fight, and which of you will come with us to rebuild?”

Nathan stepped forward from the shadows of the cavern walls, “before I entered the sewers, I was first among the Oath Keepers, I still have my old uniform, and can blend in. I will go and fight.” He appeared an unshaven, unclean, underfed, skeleton of a man, yet he pulled himself up to his full height, and appeared tall and strong in the morning light. “I was one of them before I realized what and who they were, and disavowed them, running for quite a while, until I found the sewers. I am ashamed of what I once believed, and I will fight them. Who will join me?”

 “I will.” Carlos said quietly. I want my children to see the beauties of the ancients that are in the museums. Ben, will you watch over Maria and our children? I love them dearly, I don’t know if I will make it back to them or you, but I will try.”

 “No, not you Carlos!” Ben stated plaintively.

 “I must Ben, it is my destiny. Oh, I know being a Hispanic I won’t fit in, but I’m small, and strong. I can hide in the shadows, doing all that is necessary for the cause.”

There was about a hundred or more, who stood along with Carlos and Nathan, vowing to fight for the city, or to at least create a diversion so that the others could escape. And perhaps save just a bit of the history of the city.

 “So be it!’ said Jamie. ‘You will all have the hardest road to follow. Go through the sewers, and out into the city that way. You cannot know where or how the rest of us leave this cavern. May God bless you all. Don’t forget to hug those you hold dear before you leave, but hurry. We must move out, and close off the cavern, leaving no trace of it for those who will try to find us.”

“Carlos, I will take care of Maria and your children, or die trying. I will treat them as my own.’ Ben said as he hugged his friend, not knowing if it would be for the last time. ‘What you do may save them, with luck we will all be together again.”

Ben, Jamie, Jewell, and Carolyn stood together, looking at the men leaving the cavern, headed into the old sewer lines. They had given them what ammunition and weapons they could, but it would be up to those men to find what they needed when they got into the city.

Carolyn and Ben moved close to Maria, tears streaming down her face, her five children looking lost and alone. "Come Maria, bring the children, you will ride with me.' Carolyn said with one arm around Maria, the other with the smallest child clinging to her. 'He will make it back to you. I just know it."