by Newman, AJ
They walked back to Jack. Tom looked at Rick and said, “Jack, do you want to escape to a safe place or stay with these people?”
“I want to get away from here. My wife and friends want to leave, but we don’t know of a safe place to go to, or we would have already left.”
Tom tapped Rick on the back. “Okay, here’s the plan. When will you be on guard duty again?”
“Tomorrow at one am.”
Tom was pleased. “Tell June and your friends to be ready tomorrow at about two o’clock. Bring as many of the fancy ARs as possible, then leave the house and head east to the old Miller shack. You can walk under the electrical transmission lines to the bottom where we’ll meet you. Our temporary place is about a mile east of there. We’ll watch for anyone following you before joining you at the shack.”
Jack had a smile on his face. “I’m glad your family survived. June will be glad to see Jackie.”
Tom shook Jack’s hand. “We’ll leave now, and whatever you do, don’t let the thugs know about our plans.”
***
Tom led the other two back to their observation location and watched Jack until his turn was up at daybreak. Jack had completed his guard duty and hadn’t gone inside the house. Tom was pleased when Jack didn’t immediately run into the house and warn the intruders. “I think we need to keep an eye on them for a few more hours and then head back to the cabin. Jack has passed the test so far. If he’d told them, I think we would have seen an increase in guards at a minimum.”
Rick asked, “I would like to know what happens after we run off these squatters. Where will all of us live?”
Tom had been thinking the same thing. “I’ve given that some thought. There are seven of us and four of Jack’s people to house. Jack and his people can stay in Jack’s cabin. Our ranch house has four bedrooms. Granny B can keep her room, and Jackie can share a room with Brenda. Sam and Lucy will share a room, and Rick and I can share a room until we figure things out.”
Jackie blurted out. “What about the basement? It’s warm in winter and cool in the summer.”
Tom was upset but kept calm. “I guess the horse is out of the barn. We have a large basement and can easily make some bedrooms down there. Grandpa always preached, keeping everything secret, so I have a hard time giving up information.”
Rick said, “I don’t know if I have a vote, but I think we should stop adding people for a while until we figure out where we stand.”
Tom wanted to tell them that only Jackie, Granny B, and he had a vote in what happened at the ranch. Instead, he said, “I agree. I’m glad all of you joined us and will welcome Bill and Betty if they show up. We need to find out what our resources are and determine how many as yet unknown threats are out there waiting to smack us in the face.”
Everyone agreed, and Tom had finessed the matter of voting.
Tom and Rick snuck back down to their vantage point after lunch and watched the ranch for a short time. Both men noticed the group’s operational security was lax, and the guards took long breaks. The dumbasses even set up targets and shot their weapons a couple of times a day. The gunfire was bound to attract attention. Someone could sneak up close and attack them without much effort. There was nothing unusual happening, so Tom started to leave. Rick motioned for Tom to sit down with him. “Tom, this might be a bit quick on my part, but I’d like to see more of Jackie.”
Tom laughed, which bothered Rick. “I’m laughing because I think you mean to ask her on a date. I have no idea what a date would be these days. The answer is Jackie is a grown woman, and you need to ask her.”
Rick’s face was crimson, and he felt hot. “I kinda meant - are you going to shoot me?”
“Not if you treat her right and don’t do anything stupid.”
Rick breathed deep. “I would never do anything to hurt her. I don’t have a clue what a date is either, but I’ll start by asking her to go up to the creek with me to catch some fish for supper.”
“I think that’s a good start. My wife died over two years ago, and I need to think about this kind of stuff one day. I guess riding horses, picking flowers, and long walks in the woods will have to do until movies, restaurants, and beaches open back up.”
Rick stood up and extended his hand. “Those activities sound pretty good right now to me. I always heard that an EMP attack would take us back a hundred and fifty years. Did you know that Brenda likes you?”
Tom took his hand and stood beside him. “Hey, there’s a small lake about two hundred yards northeast of here. The creek flows into it, and then the lake has a waterfall on the other end. The creek flows on down to the ranch on the east side. The lake is a great place to swim and fish. It’ll be a bit cold this time of the year.”
“Tom, that’s nice, but you changed the subject. I said Brenda likes you.”
Tom was tired of wannabe cupids pushing women at him but bit his tongue. “I like Brenda. Sorry, but I ain’t ready for a relationship.”
Rick slapped him on the back. “I wasn’t either until I saw Jackie.”
*
Chapter 20
Southern Oregon – The Clark ranch.
Sam ran to meet Tom when she saw him come out of the woods. “What was all the gunfire about? We were torn about whether we should go to help you or stay put. I was worried about you.”
“The ones who took our ranch are target practicing,” Tom answered.
Sam braided Lucy’s hair while listening. She shook her head. “Isn’t that stupid? Won’t other people wonder what’s going on and come to see?”
Granny B walked over to them. “Yes, we need to stop them before they attract too much attention.”
Tom made the timeout sign. “Whoa down, ladies. Let’s get Jack and James up here before we make plans to attack. Several of those ARs will come in handy. Right now, I plan to head up to the lake and take a bath.”
Rick looked at Tom and then went to find Jackie.
“Granny B, there won’t be any tomfoolery up at the lake. I’ll keep Rick’s eyes under control, and I’m thinking the ladies will act like ladies. We all kinda stink and need a bath.”
Granny B huffed, “I’ll stay here at the cabin and warm up some water for a whore’s bath. You young folks enjoy the water. Remember to keep a guard posted at all times. Never forget to watch for critters, also.”
Tom left Granny B and found Rick and Jackie on the back porch laughing. He quickly turned and bumped into Brenda. She almost fell, but Tom caught her. “I see my brother hasn’t wasted any time with your sister.”
Tom sat down on a log by the fire, and Brenda sat down beside him. “I’m going to walk up to the lake with you. My foot feels better, but I might need a bit of help.”
“Glad to help a damsel in distress. Oh, Rick asked me if I minded him seeing Jackie. I told him she was grown and could make her own decisions. I like your brother. He appears to be a straight shooter and can be trusted.”
She nodded and then said, “Jim is dead. He was a big jerk, and I was leaving him when we got back from Hawaii.”
She went on to tell Tom what an asshat Jim had been. Tom was focused on getting out of the conversation. He thought, I know where this is going.
“I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. My wife died, and I miss her so much,” Tom said as he changed the topic to how much he and his wife had been in love. Brenda finally gave up and went into the cabin to get some towels.
Jackie and Rick walked together up the hill to the lake while Tom walked between Brenda and Sam. Both women talked much more than Tom liked, so he tuned them out. He watched the path while thinking about their trip down the hillside to meet Jack and his crew later that night. Then he heard, “Tom! Tom!”
He turned to Sam. “What?”
“You were off in a world of your own. I guess you have to be constantly thinking about threats and how to help us survive. I’m glad we have you and now, Rick.”
Tom nodded and kept on walking.
They arrived a
t the lake, and Tom said, “This is the best place to swim or bathe. You ladies go first, and I promise to keep Rick from peeking.”
Jackie laughed. “And who’s going to keep you from peeking?”
Rick turned to Jackie and smiled. “That would be my job.”
The baths were much quicker than the ladies planned since the cold mountain lake was fed by streams from the snowmelt higher up. The men kept their backs to the lake and were surprised when the women walked back up to them in fresh jeans and T-shirts. Tom looked up and smiled when the girls stopped in front of him. Brenda said, “Well, at least we cleaned up enough to put a smile on Tom’s face.”
Tom wisecracked. “Ladies, I just noticed how much better you smell.”
Jackie tersely replied. “And you two smell like sweat, stale beer, and rotten potatoes. Go bathe, and we’ll burn your clothes.”
Brenda noticed how her brother looked at Jackie before he turned to leave. “Jackie, I believe you’ve smitten my brother. He can barely walk and talk when you’re around. I used to have that effect on men.”
Sam joined in but had a frown. “I wasn’t looking to hook up with another man after being able to ditch my boyfriend, but I think Jackie just scooped up the only available man.”
Jackie shook her head. “Tom will come around one day. He’s worth waiting on.”
Brenda looked at Sam, and Sam said, “Maybe we need to change our minds about letting some nice young men into our group. A girl could wither away around here.”
Brenda and Sam high-fived and then sat quietly, waiting on the men to finish bathing. Sam didn’t notice that Lucy wasn’t sitting with them when Sam heard the loud growl. “What was that? Where’s Lucy? Oh, my God! We have to find her.”
A crashing noise came from the lake and went on toward where the growl had originated. Sam took off running with Jackie and Brenda close behind. Jackie was the only one of them who’d taken her rifle. She closed the gap and then passed Sam just as they saw Lucy cowering against a tree.
Tom and Rick heard the ferocious growl just as they’d started getting dressed. Tom had his pants on and had just buckled his belt with his holster and hunting knife attached. He grabbed his rifle and ran through the woods barefooted and bare-chested. He broke through a stand of saplings and saw Lucy screaming at something across from her. Tom slowed to see what the danger was when he saw the young female cougar and her kittens. Tom ran toward Lucy at the same time the cat ran and sprang through the air. Tom lunged forward and hit the big cat in the side with his shoulder, knocking it to the ground. The cougar lashed out as it fell and raked Tom’s back. Tom rolled once and landed on his feet, staring at the cougar.
The dazed lion hissed and growled at the young girl before moving toward Tom. Tom faced the cougar with only his knife. “Lucy, get behind me and walk slowly back to your mother.”
Tom backed up a step with his blade in hand and eyes fixed on the cat. “That’s it, girl. Keep moving back away from the kittens. The momma just wants us to leave.”
He heard Sam gasp when she saw Lucy and the lion. Tom calmly called out as he continued to back away from the beast. “Sam, stay where you are. We’re backing away from momma cat. Lucy is scared but safe.”
Tom and Lucy were now twenty feet away, and the cougar and kittens ran into the woods and disappeared. Tom was relieved and picked Lucy up. He ran to Sam and placed her in Sam’s arms. Lucy cried but then said, “Tom saved me from that tiger."
Tom blushed. “That was a young momma cougar, and she was probably just as scared as we were. We’ll have to run her away when we get rid of the squatters. Cougars like to kill calves.”
Sam reached out and held Tom and her daughter. “Thanks for saving Lucy’s life. I owe you big time.”
“It was nothing. The momma cat just wanted to be left alone.”
Brenda saw the blood running down Tom’s back. “Tom, the cat’s claws cut your back. Sit down, so I can look at the cuts.”
Only one of the claws had cut deep, and Brenda pressed a clean T-shirt against the wound until the bleeding stopped.
Granny B heard the story and said, “You faced down a momma mountain lion with kittens. That’s the dumbest and bravest thing I’ve heard in a long time. Most folks would have shot the monster.”
“I didn’t want to shoot and give away our position.” Tom gulped and then wondered if he was as stupid as he thought he was after hearing Granny B.
“Granny B, you should have seen Tom back that killer cat down and then calm Lucy down so she could back away from the beast,” Sam said and then added, “He’s our hero.”
Granny applied anti-biotic salve to Tom’s scratches and the wound. “If you keep this crap up, we’ll need a pickup load of antibiotics.”
Tom, Jackie, and Rick went back down to their post above the ranch house just after dark to watch for anyone leaving before Jack and his crew. Several men sat on the front porch, smoking, and drinking until about eleven that night. They were loud, and Tom could make out most of what they said to each other. He looked at his sister. “I hope you didn’t hear what that jerk said.”
She snickered. “He thinks he’s God’s gift to women, but I think he’s overcompensating for other issues.”
Tom laughed. “Well, they’re all in the house, except the guard. We’ll wait for another couple of hours, and it’ll be show time. You two get some rest, and I’ll watch it until Jack comes out.”
Jackie looked at Tom’s back. “How’s your back doing?”
“It reminds me that a cougar clawed it every time I move my arm.”
The next two hours slowly passed while Tom watched the guard take more smoke breaks than guard the ranch. He wondered what the asshats would do when there weren’t any more cigarettes. Then his mind drifted to Sam and Lucy. He really liked them but also liked Brenda. Tom saw them as friends but not as someone to get involved with now. His grandfather had instilled in him a sense of urgency to stay focused on the task at hand and not let other issues break his focus.
*
Chapter 21
Southern Oregon – The Clark ranch.
Tom was deep in thought when he saw the two figures sprint across the yard to the barn. They crouched in the dark beside the barn, and then two more people ran to meet them. The four took off in the direction Tom had told Jack to go. He was happy they each had a rifle until he wondered if they were the bad guys and not Jack’s people.
Tom nudged his sister and woke her. “Wake your boyfriend and get ready to travel. Four people just left the ranch house heading southeast to the powerline tree break.”
Rick woke and was on his feet quickly. “Do you think it’s Jack and his folks or a trap?”
Tom kept watching the ranch, and there wasn’t a guard or any movement. “We’ll know soon enough. Let’s go so we can get ahead of them.”
Thirty minutes later, Jackie huffed and puffed, trying to catch her breath. “Can we stop for a minute? Running up and down these steep hills is killing me.”
They were halfway to the meeting place, so Tom said. “We’ll take a break at the top.”
“Crap,” Jackie muttered and kept her tired legs forging forward. They made the top of the hill, and all of them lay on the ground breathing hard. Jackie said, “You know darn well, Jack and his crew are walking to the meeting. Why do we need to run?”
Tom shook his head. “Sister dear, we want to get ahead of them so we can verify who they are, and then watch behind them to see if they’ve been followed.”
“Oh, I see now. That makes sense. Can you and Rick come back and get me once you make sure all is okay?”
“That’s enough rest. We’ll walk down to the dry creek bed at the bottom and wait for them to pass. Sister, it’s all downhill from here.”
“Oh, my aching calves. Downhill kills my calves and butt,” Jackie lamented.
Tom punched Rick on the arm. “Don’t say what you’re thinking.”
Rick laughed, then went to offer a hand to Jackie
. “Come on, beautiful. We need to race down the hill.”
“Nope, I’d trip, fall, and roll all the way down, hitting every tree on the way.”
Tom led the way, with Jackie and Rick flirting a few steps behind him. Tom stopped abruptly. “Can you two keep your pants on until we get back to the cabin?”
Jackie’s eyes flew open, and her face flushed in the dark. Her brother had never talked to her like that. Then Tom said, “Well, that’s what Granny B would say. I’m going to say, talk less and walk more. There’ll be time for kissy-face later. Rick, the girl, is in love with you. Don’t make me have to shoot you for breaking her heart.”
Tom walked off, leaving the other two speechless. Jackie wrapped her arms around Rick, and they kissed. “That’s all for now. You heard my brother.”
Jackie got after Tom when they had to wait twenty minutes for Jack’s crew to make it down the hillside. Jackie recognized June walking beside Jack. “Tom, that’s James and Alice with them.”
Tom had to think for a minute. “Aren’t they the ones who ran the second-hand bookstore in Ashland?”
“Yes, she’s June’s best friend. They’re good people.”
Rick watched them pass and whispered, “How long do you think we should wait before joining them?”
“Offhand, I’d say about fifteen minutes. If I were worried about them setting a trap for us, I’d watch them a lot longer. I don’t think Jack spilled the beans, or he wouldn’t have brought June with him. He would have changed the story to protect her.”
No one passed by them, so they walked on to the meeting place where they saw Jack and three others sitting on the old homestead’s porch. Tom whispered to the other two to keep hidden and observe their friends while he went around the cabin. Tom left them and went deep into the tree line until he was behind the house. Tom snuck up to a window and couldn’t see anyone, so he used the night vision scope, and no one was in the small place. He then opened the back door and walked through the kitchen to the front door.