Days of Want Series (Book 4): Uprising

by Payne, T. L.

  Uprising

  Days of Want Series Book Four

  Copyright © T. L. Payne 2019

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover design by Deranged Doctor Design

  Edited by Kitty Carpenter

  Proofreading by Kristin Masbaum

  This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

  www.tlpayne.com

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  Chapter 1

  The Farm

  Evening Shade, Missouri

  Event + 19 Days

  Roger Miller winced slightly as he pushed the four-wheeler out of the machine shed attached to Ron's barn. Unlike Ryan, Roger refused to take anything for the pain caused by the gunshot wound to his left shoulder. Maddie's mother, Beth, had tried to convince him to go easy for a while, but from what Maddie knew of her dad's best friend, he didn't know the meaning of the phrase, “go easy.”

  Zach pulled the trailer over and slid the hitch down over the ball of Roger's ATV. Her brother wore an ear-to-ear grin as he threw his leg over the seat of his Yamaha WR250R motorcycle.

  "Shouldn't you take an extra can of fuel—just in case?" Maddie asked, walking up beside Roger.

  "Good idea.”

  Roger winked at Zach as he headed back to the shed to retrieve the can. Maddie wasn't sure what that was about.

  "I agree with Mom. You should take the wheeler, Zach. You aren't experienced enough with that bike yet to make a trip that far," Maddie said.

  Zack adjusted himself on the seat and pulled his helmet down over his head.

  "It's only twenty miles or so.”

  His sandy-blonde hair stuck out all around the bottom of the helmet.

  We really need to add a barber to the group.

  "But it's mostly gravel roads over to Spring Creek. Even dirt bikes are super dangerous on gravel roads.”

  "What—you’re now suddenly a motorcycle expert? Don’t worry. I'll be careful."

  "He'll do fine," Roger said as he hoisted the gas can over the side of the trailer.

  Maddie shook her head and walked away as Roger strapped it down.

  Harmony handed Roger a small box filled with tiny, fuzzy peepers.

  "Are you sure we should trade the baby chicks? We have so many mouths to feed.”

  Roger nodded.

  "Did you see how many eggs those hens laid yesterday? I think we can spare a few chicks. These things are valuable currency now. We want to make sure we have something that Dave is guaranteed to want to take in trade. We need the knives, arrows, and traps to hunt for food this winter.”

  Roger placed the box in the trailer and strapped it down with bungee cords before straddling the four-wheeler and heading off toward the road.

  As Maddie watched Roger and Zach pull down the drive and turn onto Slabtown Road, her gut clenched. She trusted Roger. He'd been her dad's best friend. He'd no doubt give his life to protect Zach, but there were so many new dangers now.

  "Did you water the pigs?" Krista called from the barn door.

  Harmony turned to face her.

  "No. I told you, I’m not going anywhere near those beasts."

  Krista chuckled, picked up the empty water bucket, and walked back inside the barn.

  Krista McKenzie was strong for a twelve-year-old girl. Having grown up around farm animals, she was a real asset to the group. Considering she’d survived being kidnapped by the cult and nearly sacrificed to their alien gods, Krista was handling things much better than Maddie imagined a girl her age could. Krista and Harmony had become fast friends—they were both essentially orphans.

  Maddie giggled.

  "I think we should have the guys water the hogs.”

  "When Jacob and I get back from Houston, I'll talk to Jason about taking over feeding the hogs."

  "He's doing more guard duty now that everyone is running off all the time," Harmony said.

  "Lugnut and Rank will be back from their trip to Fort Leonard Wood tomorrow. They should have Todd and his family moved onto the base by then."

  "Do you think Todd is overreacting—about the prison, I mean?” Harmony asked.

  "No. I don't. He worked there. He knows how dangerous it is. He has a great setup at his place, and he was prepared for the shit to hit the fan. If he's willing to uproot his family over this threat, it must be serious. That's why I agreed to go to Houston with Jacob today. Someone has to do something, and if he thinks the judge can convince enough people to step up to guard the prison, it's worth a shot."

  Harmony wiped her brow with the hem of her apron and pushed honey-colored strands of hair behind her ears.

  "Still, that isn't a long-term solution."

  "I know. But it's the best we have at the moment," Maddie said.

  Maddie stepped onto the pea gravel path that led from the barn to Ron's house. The white-clad siding was in need of a coat of paint, and the railing around the porch was missing a baluster. All were projects that would’ve been on Ron's autumn to-do list, Maddie was sure.

  Her stomach tightened with each step. Although she knew they needed to maintain Ron's place and take care of the animals, she hated coming here now that he was gone. A lump formed in her throat, and tears welled in her eyes as her hand touched the handle of the screen door. She drew in a deep breath and pulled on the knob.

  "You have a choice, Maddie, wallow in grief and guilt, or suck it up and do what needs to be done," she could hear her dad say.

  Maddie hesitated in the doorway. Twelve other people were living at their cabin. Why did she feel responsible for everything?

  I'm only eighteen.

  But she was Greg Langston's daughter and she couldn't let her dad down.

  "Are you ready to go?" a voice called from behind her.

  Maddie jumped and spun around to come face-to-face with Jacob. Jacob Rawlings was only two years older than Maddie but had been forced to take on the role of county sheriff after the elected sheriff and the rest of his deputies were killed by the Jewell family. Judge Farley and the Texas County Commission were supposed to meet to appoint a new sheriff, but that hadn't happened yet.

  Maddie felt her face flush and quickly turned to walk inside.

  "Ryan said we should take your mom's Jeep instead of my dirt bike," Jacob called, following after her.

  Grief pricked her heart. The last thing she ever wanted to do was get back in that Jeep. The memory of holding Ron as he drew his last breath was overwhelming. Her heart raced. She felt sweat bead on her forehead.

  Not now. Not in front of Jacob.

  Maddie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn't have time for PTSD, or panic attacks, or grief. She had shit to do. Important shit. Her dad hadn't let it stop him, and she was determined that she wouldn't either.

  Maddie took another deep breath, let it out and said, "We should ask Maria to go, then. That way, my mom would feel better about the whole thing."

  "We could do that. But she should wait outside. She’s…um…a little blunt, and we don't want to take the chance that she might offend the judge," Jacob said.

  Maddie opened the door to Ron's basement, pulled a flashlight from the side pocket of her tactical pants, flicked it on, and descended the stairs. At the bottom, she turned and looked up at Jacob, who stood in the doorway.

  "I like her. She just tells it like it is. She doesn't ca
re what people think," Maddie said.

  Jacob shrugged, his dark brown hair nearly touching his shoulders.

  At least he shaved.

  After rummaging through boxes, she found what she was searching for in the last carton. She grabbed two pairs of work boots and a handful of socks, then ascended the stairs. Shoving them into Jacob's chest, she said, "Hold these."

  Jacob followed her down the short hall, through the living room and kitchen, to a small utility room at the back of the house. From a shelf, Maddie grabbed four pairs of thick leather work gloves and handed those to Jacob as well. Back in the kitchen, she opened a small pantry-cabinet door and took out two vacuum-sealed bags containing deer jerky.

  "For Ryan," Maddie said, holding the bags in the air.

  Jacob scowled.

  "Both of them?"

  Maddie smiled and walked toward the door.

  "No. One's for us."

  Chapter 2

  The Farm

  Evening Shade, Missouri

  Event + 19 Days

  Beth slowly closed the driver’s door to the Jeep and took a step back. Maddie had seen that look in her mom’s eyes a million times. The memory of the first time she’d gotten behind the wheel of this same Jeep two-and-a-half years ago and backed out of the driveway came to mind. She’d been so excited about her newfound freedom, she hadn’t really given much thought about how her mother must have felt watching her baby girl pull away—physically and emotionally.

  “Don’t take any detours. Don’t stop for anything. Straight there and straight back, okay?” Beth said.

  “Yes, Mom,” Maddie said, in a typical teenager tone.

  Maddie wasn’t sure how living under the same roof with her mother was going to work. Beth was overprotective—even more-so since her dad had died. Since the shit hit the fan, Maddie had struggled for the others to see her as an adult—an equal. Now, she felt like she had to start all over again.

  “We’ve got this,” Maria called from the back seat.

  Beth turned to face her.

  “Thank you, Maria.”

  Maddie rolled her eyes and put the Jeep into gear. As she placed her hand on the seat to look over her shoulder to back up, her fingers brushed Jacob’s shoulder. A shot of electricity went through her. She yanked her hand away and used her side mirrors to back out of the shed instead.

  Maddie thought leaving the Jeep at Ron’s was too risky, but in the end, it did make sense. Crossing the creek and the eventually muddy field to reach the road was going to become too difficult as the water swelled and the ground softened this winter. The ground didn’t really freeze until January, and even then, it would thaw when the temperatures were above freezing. Winter in Missouri was always a muddy mess.

  Maria had performed the standard PMCS, or Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services, on the vehicle. She'd made sure they carried extra supplies and fuel. They were as ready as they could be. But, from the look on her mom’s face, she wasn’t convinced. Of course, at first, she’d insisted on coming, but Jason had talked her out of it. She was still recovering from the truck accident and the beating she had received from the cult leaders. She wasn’t up to a fight if they encountered trouble.

  “She’ll be fine,” Maria said as Maddie pulled the Jeep on to Slabtown Road and headed east.

  “I hope so. She’s gonna give herself an ulcer, and I don’t think we have meds for that.”

  As Maddie turned on to the highway, she rehearsed the speech she wanted to give the judge and the community, if he allowed her.

  Maybe it should come from Jacob. I’m an outsider.

  Maddie glanced over at Jacob. He turned and their eyes met. Maddie’s heart leaped, and she quickly turned back to face the road.

  Why did I agree to let him stay with us? He’s got a home, doesn’t he?

  She had opposed the idea when Lugnut had suggested it. Of course, they needed an extra person for guard duty, and the threats the Jewell family had made against his life were concerning, but she still didn’t think it was a good idea. It seemed their group was collecting strays at an exponentially high rate.

  They didn’t really know Jacob, Harmony, Maria, Dawn, or Krista. In the end, she had conceded that it was a risk they needed to take. How the young sheriff was going to do his law enforcement duties while hiding out at their cabin, she didn’t know. She supposed there wasn’t really much he could do to enforce the law under the current circumstances. In less than three weeks, they’d become a lawless society. It was the survival of the fittest, or the most well-armed, at least.

  As Maddie drove the Jeep south toward Highway 32, she tried not to think about her last trip away from the cabin. At the junction with Highway N, Maddie spotted a figure in the tree line.

  She pointed in that direction.

  “Look.”

  Jacob’s hand dropped to his holster. Maddie looked in the rear-view mirror. Maria had her pistol drawn and ready.

  Maddie turned to face Jacob.

  “You know them?”

  “He’s Mark Jewell’s uncle,” Jacob said.

  Maddie’s eyes widened.

  “Crap. I didn’t know they lived so close.”

  The man stared them down as they slowly made the turn onto Highway N. A chill went down Maddie's spine.

  No one spoke again until they reached the outskirts of the city of Houston, Missouri. Jacob was the first to spot the roadblock.

  Jacob pointed to the line of cars, trucks, and tractors blocking both lanes of Highway 17.

  Maddie slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop about a quarter-mile from the checkpoint.

  “What the hell?”

  Maddie turned in her seat as Maria immediately jumped out of the Jeep. With the rifle to her shoulder, Maria peered through the scope.

  “It could be locals. The county commission might have pulled their heads out of their asses and ordered the town secured,” Jacob said.

  “Maybe. There’s only one way to find out,” Maria said, coming around to the passenger side of the Jeep.

  Maria reached in and pulled a monocular from her pack and handed it to Jacob.

  “I see two men. See if you recognize them.”

  Jacob placed the monocular to his eye and scanned the roadblock.

  “Yes, that guy in the overalls, that’s Jesse Campbell. And the shorter one, that’s his brother. They’re related to the judge.”

  “All right. I’ll cover you from that building there,” Maria said, pointing to the industrial building about twenty-five yards from the roadblock. "Give me one minute, then pull forward. Slowly."

  One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three…

  Maddie's heart raced as she counted. She wasn’t prepared for a shootout.

  When she reached the count of sixty, Maddie placed the Jeep into drive and pulled forward—slowly, as she'd been instructed. As she approached the roadblock, the two men pointed their rifles at the Jeep. Jacob stuck his head out and called out to the men.

  “Hey, Jess. It’s me, Jacob Rawlings.”

  “Oh. Hey, Jacob. I mean, Sheriff Rawlings,” the man called back, drawing out Jacob’s last name.

  Maddie stopped the Jeep twenty feet from the cars that blocked the road.

  Jacob opened the passenger door and stepped out.

  “Hi, Quinton.”

  Maddie put the Jeep into reverse and kept her foot on the brake. She wanted to be ready to back out of there quickly, if need be.

  “We need to see the judge,” Jacob said as he approached the men.

  “Oh, yeah. Okay,” Jess said, before jumping into an old GMC pickup and backing it away, clearing a spot for them to drive through.

  Jacob returned to the Jeep. He picked up the radio from the seat and said, “Maria, I think we’re good. I know and trust these guys. Over.”

  Two clicks sounded from the radio. A moment later, the passenger door opened, and Maria hopped into the vehicle.

  “Pull forward, slow and steady,” Mar
ia barked from the back seat.

  Maddie pulled forward as instructed.

  There were old pickups, ATVs, tractors, and even a horse and buggy parked out in front of the old courthouse. The judge had moved his office from the Justice Center to the older courthouse. The windows were all open, and Maddie could hear voices coming from the top floor as she placed the Jeep into park.

  Maria was the first to exit the vehicle. Jacob turned to Maddie. She shrugged, threw open the driver’s door, and joined Maria at the front of the Jeep.

  Two men stood on the steps of the two-story red-brick building.

  “Wayland,” Jacob said as they passed the men.

  “Jacob,” the younger of the two replied.

  The older man opened a set of double doors and held it as Maddie, Maria, and Jacob walked through. People sat on benches that lined a long hall running the length of the building. Jacob opened a door, and the trio climbed the stairs to the second floor.

  At the top of the stairs, men huddled around, leaning against the walls. Jacob addressed each one by name and shook their hands. Maddie could tell from their expressions and demeanor that Jacob had a level of respect among these men. She hoped it was enough.

  Down the hall, a line formed outside the judge's office. Again, Jacob greeted each person by name before introducing Maddie and Maria. One man looked Maria up and down, eliciting a growl from Maria. Maddie reached down, took hold of her hand, leaned in, and whispered, “I know you want to rip his head off, but please don’t. We need to get out of here in one piece.”

  Maria grunted and sighed heavily before nodding.

  About an hour later, Jacob, Maddie, and Maria stepped into the judge's office. The crowd reluctantly stepped back as Jacob pulled the door closed.

  “Sheriff Rawlings. Who are these lovely ladies in your company today?” Judge Farley asked, looking over his wire-rimmed reading glasses.

  “Judge, this is Maddie Langston and Maria—um…”

  “Maria Garcia-Gonzales, Your Honor,” Maria said, stepping forward with her right hand extended.