Story so far
Married to Barbara and father to nine-year-old Emily, John has participated in war and murder, including work as a sniper’s spotter, unintended killings, and preparing a ricin-laced letter for an imam in Istanbul. He and Tracy once worked near each other at the Pentagon and had an affair in Milan a year before the catastrophe. For a year he studies instructions for the end of the world. His alarm when Tracy reads The Order prompts her secret investigation. He believes a treatment presented as care for Emily’s lungs inoculated the entire family.
Fearing that joining the underground survivors would permanently separate him from his wife and daughter, John burns the tickets for Atlanta and Colorado and claims they are going camping. At the expected catastrophe, he shelters his family behind a billboard beside Interstate 80. They survive the initial deaths, and he and Emily leave the Explorer just before a van strikes it.
John takes a dead driver’s Lexus, frees a surviving dog from another vehicle, and privately admits going along with the catastrophe. He leaves The Order behind and wonders whether other participants also stayed out of the bunkers. At the cabin, his nose begins bleeding. When he fails to arrive at the mountain shelter, Tracy believes he chose Atlanta.
Role
A participant in the catastrophe’s preparations who chooses an independent refuge for his family.
Relationships
Emily — Emily is his nine-year-old daughter, whose lung treatment he believes protected the family.
Tracy — John had an affair with Tracy and declines the refuge she offers.
Sources — 24 recorded facts, by chapter
Chapter 260
- John is married to Barbara and has a nine-year-old daughter named Emily.
- John pulls off Interstate 80 to shelter his family behind a billboard before the expected catastrophe.
- John has participated in war and murder.
- John has spent a year repeatedly reading instructions for the end of the world.
- John had an affair with Tracy in Milan a year before the catastrophe.
- John and Tracy formerly worked near each other in the Pentagon without knowing each other’s assignments.
- John previously prepared a ricin-laced letter addressed to an imam in Istanbul.
- John has worked as a sniper’s spotter.
- John remembers helping kill unintended targets.
- John believes the treatment presented as care for Emily’s lungs inoculated all three family members against harmful machines.
- John expects a security assignment if he joins the underground survivors.
- John fears that going to Atlanta would permanently separate him from his wife and daughter.
- John burns both sets of plane tickets rather than choosing Atlanta or Colorado.
- John tells Barbara they are going camping instead of revealing the planned catastrophe.
- John survives the initial mass deaths and believes himself inoculated.
- John and Emily escape their vehicle just before a van strikes it.
- John removes a dead driver from a Lexus to obtain replacement transportation.
- John opens a station wagon to free a surviving dog.
- John admits to himself that he went along with the catastrophe.
- John refuses to take The Order when Emily finds it among their scattered possessions.
- John wonders whether other participants also avoided the bunkers.
- John develops a bleeding nose at the cabin.
Chapter 261
- Tracy believes John chose Atlanta when he does not arrive at the mountain shelter.
- John’s alarm at Tracy reading The Order prompted her to investigate it secretly.