The three newcomers arrived at the Mission gate just before dusk, each one conspicuously carrying a small package wrapped in newsprint. Jacob escorted them into the main house, and although the one table was too small to allow everyone to sit comfortably, Mason sat off to the side, happy enough to listen passively as the others exchanged greetings. Jacob waited until everyone was settled before he spoke.

“Thank you all for coming, and welcome to the Mission, my friends. No doubt you are all as curious about us as we are about you, so let me tell you something about myself and how we all came to be here.”

Having everyone’s attention, Jacob commanded the table for the next quarter hour, introducing Sara and Mason and detailing the events that had brought them to the Mission. The visitors asked only a few questions, and when he was finally finished, Jacob allowed Rebekah to share their own tale.

According to the young woman, it was during the first voluntary evacuations that she and Benjamin were initially routed through Camp Pendleton, and it was there that they were first identified as carrying a potential immunity to the virus. Along with a small group of others, including Edward, they were forcibly quarantined in hopes of developing a vaccine from the antibodies in their blood. However, in the end, time was not on their side. Within days of the blackout, and without any warning, the military evacuated all personnel, abandoning the remaining survivors with nothing more than a few weeks’ worth of supplies. Rebekah shook her head as she finished her story.

“With most of the other immune survivors choosing to leave the base, it was just the three of us left at Pendleton. We did our best to scavenge what we could, but we never had enough food or water. We had talked about leaving the base many times, but then we saw the plume of smoke rising into the air, and, with God as our guide, we decided unanimously to follow the smoke signal wherever it might lead. And, praise the Lord, here we are.”

Rebekah’s eyes welled with tears as she continued, but her voice remained clear.

“It was by God’s hand that we came here. Thank the Lord for you, Jacob. And for your family as well.”

Rebekah reached out and put her palm over the top of Jacob’s hand. Her black hair was pulled back in a single braid, her full lips slightly parted. Jacob could feel Sara watching his face, and he pulled his hand away.

“Thank you so much, Rebekah. As I have said, the pleasure is all mine. Now if you will excuse me for one moment, dinner is nearly ready to be served.”

Jacob motioned for Mason to help him bring out the food while Sara and Sawyer sat staring at each other, neither one sure what to say. Sara knew her father well enough to see that he was trying not to show how much he enjoyed Rebekah’s flattery, but even she could see that the young woman possessed a certain presence that was difficult to ignore. When he returned, Jacob stood at the end of the table and addressed the group once again.

“It appears that we have all been through remarkably trying times, but from here on out, I see blue skies ahead. And now, before we enjoy this meal, let us give thanks.”

Jacob lowered his head and closed his eyes.

“First and foremost, let us give thanks to the Lord above for giving us the precious gift of life. Thank you also for the food on our plates, and for those that share our table with us tonight. May you guide us and forgive us of our sins. In the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.”

At the word “Amen,” Sara’s jaw nearly fell to the floor. She was dumbstruck. The words pouring out of her father’s mouth were unlike any she had ever heard him say before. Not only had she rarely heard him thank anyone for anything in the sixteen years she had been alive, she had always known him to be an outspoken critic and unabashed disbeliever of Christianity, using the Lord’s name in vain almost as often as he breathed. She was speechless, and she sat stunned as Rebekah took her cue from Jacob and continued giving thanks.

“Lord above, thank you for this bounty before us, and thank you for delivering us to this Mission, for delivering us to Jacob. We are eternally grateful and forever in your debt. Amen.”

Jacob opened his eyes and smiled broadly, clasping his hands together as he spoke.

“Wonderful. Thank you, Rebekah. Now let us enjoy this fantastic meal that my daughter and Sawyer have provided for us.”

Everyone besides Sara began eating. The girl looked at her father with bewilderment, knowing his newfound faith was absolutely counterfeit, his gratitude hollow and empty. She looked over at Sawyer, and she saw in one look from him that he knew exactly what she was thinking: her father was a fake, and he always had been. She was deep in thought when Rebekah suddenly spoke, her words snapping Sara back to the dinner table.

“Sara, this soup is delicious. Did you prepare this? What is in it?”

Sara was caught off guard.

“Oh, uh, nothing much. Just some rabbit and squirrel, a few vegetables, and some herbs from the garden.”

“Well, it is quite good. We never had much luck catching the few skinny rabbits on the base. I don’t recall even seeing a squirrel.”

Rebekah turned to Sawyer.

“And the roasted duck is excellent as well, Sawyer. Thank you.”

The boy had recently killed a pair of mallards, and he looked up from his plate and nodded, dipping his spoon back into the soup without saying a word. She ignored his somewhat rude response and continued speaking.

“So, Jacob told us all about his life and how he came to be here, but what about you, Sawyer? Have you been on your own all this time? I can only imagine that must have been difficult for you. How did you survive?”

Sawyer pushed out his bottom lip and set his fork and knife down on the table.

“I guess on luck, mostly.”

Rebekah smiled knowingly.

“Oh, somehow I doubt that, considering that there is no such thing as ‘luck.’ The Lord was clearly looking out for you, Sawyer. It was only by the grace of God that you have survived. Don’t you agree?”

Sawyer was not one to wear his beliefs like a badge, and he shrugged.

“Luck, the grace of God, a good shotgun—whatever you want to call it, I guess I’m still here.”

The young woman sighed.

“Well, I consider it nothing less than a miracle that we are all alive, and I for one am thankful for that. Without God, not a single one of us would be here at this table. What do you think, Sara? Do you think it was just ‘luck’ that brought us all together today? Would you call it ‘luck’ that brought you and Sawyer together?”

Sara stared over at the young woman and frowned. Jacob had raised her to question everything, especially religion, and if anything at all, her experiences had only confirmed her belief that there was no omnipotent architect guiding the world. In her mind, even if one such entity did exist, he was far from the benevolent miracle-maker that Rebekah seemed to hold in mind, and Sara did not sugarcoat her reply.

“I don’t know what I would call it, but as far as I’m concerned, God hasn’t had a single thing to do with it.”

Rebekah looked shocked, but before she could say a single word, Sara looked over at Jacob. She smiled.

“Isn’t that right, father? Or do you think it was God that brought us here to the Mission?”

Jacob tried not to overreact, a fake smile drawn across his mouth, his face instantly flushed with embarrassment by Sara’s question.

“What Sara means to say is that we have all survived with a lot of hard work, self-sacrifice, and perseverance, but I think we would all agree that nothing short of a miracle has brought us all together this evening.”

Rebekah did not reply and slowly raised another spoonful of soup to her lips, an uneasy silence falling over the table, the clinking of silverware and quiet chewing the only noises in the room. Jacob broke the silence again with small talk, engaging both Benjamin and Edward in superficial chatter, but the conversations were awkward at best. Sawyer ate quickly, and as he rose to leave the table, Rebekah looked over at Jacob, the woman obviously expecting him to say something. Jacob fumbled for the right words, trying not to provoke either Sawyer or Rebekah.

“Excusing yourself from the table so soon, Sawyer? It looks like our guests have come bearing gifts. Maybe now is a good time, Rebekah?”

Rebekah smiled.

“Of course. I think we are all nearly finished. We have one gift for each of you. Please excuse the wrapping paper; newsprint was the best we could offer.”

Sawyer set his plate on the counter and returned to the table, choosing to stand rather than sit. Rebekah leaned over and slid a small package in his direction. Benjamin and Edward did the same for Jacob, Sara, and Mason. Sawyer stared down at the gift. He could feel Rebekah watching him.

“Please, Sawyer, take it. It’s but a small token of our appreciation.”

Sawyer slowly picked up the package, immediately struck by the sheer weight of the item. Slowly, he peeled back the newsprint, the edges tearing easily as he let the paper fall away. When it was finally unwrapped, he held the gift up above the table and frowned in confusion.

“A gold bar?”

Rebekah’s eyes fastened on Sawyer’s face as she answered.

“Yes. One-thousand grams and 99.9 percent pure. So beautiful, almost perfect. A bar that size was once worth tens of thousands of dollars. We have carried it with us for many miles, and now we give it to you as a gift. What do you think?”

Sawyer ran his finger along the smooth, yellow metal.

“I don’t know what to think. Where did you find this?”

Rebekah looked over at Edward.

“I didn’t find them. Edward found them.”

All eyes drifted to Edward, his weathered face and deep-set eyes betraying nothing. He smiled and gave a wink.

“Just came across them, that’s all. Not much good they can do for anyone now, but they are nice to look at, and they are yours to keep. Maybe someday they will be worth something. Doubt it, but who knows?”

Sawyer set the gold back down on the table and slid it over toward Rebekah.

“Thanks for the thought, but I don’t really have a need for a gold bar around here. Maybe it would be better if you kept it.”

The dining room was dead quiet. Sawyer looked over at Sara and then to the door. He tilted his hat to the table and waved goodbye.

“I hope you enjoyed the food. You all have a good night.”

Sawyer left the house and walked into the warm evening air, the door barely shutting behind him before Sara followed him out. She was not sure what to say, so Sawyer said it for her.

“That went well, huh? Since when did your father become such a good Christian soldier?”

Sara frowned.

“I know. He is so full of it. But you didn’t have to give the gold back—I think that made everyone pretty upset. Rebekah looked like she was about to explode.”

“Well, you lit the fuse in the first place. And honestly, what the hell do I want with a bar of gold? And why would a group of starving people carry around gold bars in the first place? It makes no sense, if you ask me. Nothing about them makes any sense. Where are their weapons? They were on a military base, and they couldn’t find a single gun? That guy Edward is a professional soldier—there’s no chance he walks in here unarmed. I know my father wouldn’t. I know I wouldn’t.”

“I thought the same thing. But now what? My father is going to be really pissed off.”

“Who cares? He’s always pissed off. What’s the difference? Come on—let’s go. I’m not sure I trust a single person here.”

Sara grabbed him by the waist and pulled him close. The moonlight was reflecting in her eyes, and she pressed her body against his.

“What? You don’t even trust me, Sawyer?”

Sawyer was not necessarily in the mood for romance, but he was still nearly helpless against her charms. He playfully pushed her away.

“All right, you’re right. I trust you—and the Mossberg, but that’s about it.”

Sara shoved him backward and put her hands on her hips.

“So, what you’re saying is that I’m running neck and neck with your shotgun for who you trust most in the world? Thanks so much for the vote of confidence, Hero.”

Sawyer’s eyes went wide, and he bit his lip, trying not to smile.

“Hey, you promised not to call me that anymore. Now you’re in trouble.”

Sawyer reached out to grab her, but the door to the house suddenly opened, and the three newcomers came filing out. Rebekah said goodbye to Jacob and walked past the two teens without a word, Benjamin trailing silently behind her. Edward was the last to leave, and unlike the others, he stopped for a moment and shook both of their hands.

“It was nice to meet you both. Thanks again for the chow. Have a good night.”

Edward quickly caught up to Rebekah and Benjamin, and Jacob waited until they had left the compound before he turned to his daughter.

“I hope the next time we meet with our guests that they are treated in a friendlier manner. I expected this from Sawyer, but not from you, Sara.”

Sara laughed.

“Oh really? You didn’t expect this from me? What about you? Next time you have a complete religious conversion before dinner, please feel free to let me know, Pastor Jacob.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about, Sara.”

“Neither do you. You’re nothing but a fake, and they’ll see through you just like we do. And just so you know, you don’t have to worry about what I am going to say or do anymore; Sawyer and I will keep to ourselves from now on. Feel free to pretend to be whoever you want with your new friends, Jacob. Just be sure to leave us out of it.”