Jonah brought Emily and Roger to his base of operations. It was an abandoned farm well off the beaten track. One of the outbuildings had been converted into a bunkhouse. Jonah led them to one end of the room that had been divided from the rest of the space. He grabbed a few things and then said, "You can put your stuff here. It'll be safe. Chow's in half an hour; follow the crowd." He disappeared.

Emily sat cross-legged on the bed. "I'd normally say let's go exploring, but I don't think that's such a good idea here. I don't know what we might find."

Roger nodded and settled down next to Emily. "So, are you gonna tell me why you aren't on good terms with your father?"

Emily sighed. "Yeah." She clasped her hands together. "They separated when I was four, just after my brother Chris was born. My mom didn't want Jonah around. He's always been into bad stuff. Chris went through a rebellious phase and followed Jake out to Jonah's compound one night and after that, neither Mom nor I could get him to stop going out there. After he finished college he came back and he and Jake spent most of their time there. Eventually, Jonah wanted Jake to do a job for him and Jake wouldn't do it, so he got Chris to go instead. Chris was killed." Emily's voice broke and silent tears fell. Roger took her in his arms and stroked her head, gently rocking back and forth. Emily finally spoke again. "I'm sorry I never told you the truth. I just wanted a fresh start." She snorted. "And then I insisted on staying in Jericho where I would be constantly facing reminders of everything I wanted to forget."

Roger smiled. "I told you that you were too stubborn for your own good." Emily leaned against his shoulder.

After they'd eaten, they returned to the bunkhouse. Jonah came in a few minutes later. "I'll take you to Black Jack in the morning," he said.

"You could just give us a car," Emily pointed out.

"I could, but I want to make sure you get there."

After Jonah left, Roger said, "He seems like a decent guy, for a thief."

"Yeah, every so often," Emily replied.

Jonah dropped Emily and Roger off at the gates of Black Jack Fairgrounds. "Meet me back here at dark," he said before disappearing.

Emily and Roger exchanged glances before diving into the crowd. Roger took the lead, firmly grasping Emily's hand. As he looked around, he noticed a few changes-rather than guards, soldiers were scattered throughout the area. They sported A.S.A. labels and an unusual looking flag on their uniforms. The tents that had once openly housed brothels now dealt in more savory trade.

Roger didn't stop until they had made it the center of the fairgrounds. This was the hub, where one found news and what items were in demand for trade. The first thing he did was find the display dealing with the state of the country. He and Emily studied the map for a few moments. It was divided into two sections-east and west of the Mississippi River, which was now referred to as the Blue Line. The west side was label A.S.A.-Allied States of America, and color coding indicated which states were allied with the capital located in Cheyenne, Wyoming and which were supporting the rival capital in Columbus, Ohio.

A man walked by and stopped briefly just behind Roger. "I wouldn't stand looking too long. They might get the wrong idea," he said in a barely audible whisper before melting into the crowd again. Roger casually turned away and gently but firmly pulled Emily to another display containing headlines. Stories were told in greater detail in stacks of papers laid out on a table. "This is new," Roger commented. "Newspapers are out again."

A man with a bushy black beard had been staring at the couple for a few minutes. He wandered over and spoke. "Roger."

Roger turned and a welcoming smile appeared on his face. "Bo! Good to see you!" The men enthusiastically shook hands.

"I thought you were heading to Kansas," Bo said.

"Most of us made it, too," Roger replied.

"What brings you back here?"

"I had a…disagreement with the mayor of my town. I took off on my own, and this woman just followed me," he said with a playful smile at Emily. "Emily, this is Bo Richardson. Bo, this is my fiancée Emily. He helped us out a lot when we were trying to get to Jericho."

"Nice to meet you," Emily said, "and thank you for helping him make it safely."

Bo pulled Roger a little ways away. "You had a disagreement with the mayor and only had to leave town?"

"What do you mean only? It was a pretty big deal."

Bo shook his head. "I've heard about a town in Kansas where if you go up against the mayor, you get shot…if you're lucky."

"I haven't heard anything about that. What town?"

Bo frowned in thought. "Now let's see…Newton. No. Newberg-"

"New Bern?" Emily suggested. She'd overheard.

"That's it! New Bern." Bo shook his head. "From what I hear, New Bern's turned into a dictatorship."

At dusk, Emily and Roger made their way back to the entrance. They waited a few minutes until Jonah appeared. "I got accommodations for the night," he said. "This way."

"I thought you were going to leave," Emily said, confused.

"Change of plans," Jonah said. "I'm not letting the two of you wander off on your own. I know you're not going to stay with me, so I'm coming with you to keep you out of trouble."

"No." Emily emphatically shook her head. "No."

"Emily," said Roger, "you don't know what it's like out here. There's safety in numbers. Even more safety if one of your number is a crook who knows how to avoid other crooks."

An amused expression crossed Jonah's face. "Not how I would've put it, but true enough."