“We as a community will continue as always to put our faith in God. We must defend our Ranch and our Valley against any outsiders who would do us harm. We must defend our community and our Valley from being overrun by well-intentioned good-hearted people who may have been here before. We have a limit that we can accept and still maintain our integrity and viability. So we will carefully evaluate anyone we may add to our group.
“Mac was able to get one of the three generators back online and is working on the other two, as well as the water treatment pump.
“Our mechanics have a fair number of trucks and cars up and running, including our fire truck. They are working on a few more, as well as some four-wheel ATVs. All of the vehicles will be used for the purpose of securing and protecting this Valley. Our fire truck will remain full with water at all times. Its capacity will no doubt be tested here at some point.
“We must all work hard and efficiently to preserve the food and water we now have, and to secure more in the coming days.
“Security for our Valley will be at the forefront of our meetings from here on out. We will start with ten men at each end of the Valley for the next week. Samuel will provide the same number, so we can secure both the north and south ends. After a week we will each provide four to seven men per end, rotated out each week for the foreseeable future.
“We do not expect people coming over Green Ridge from the west or Rimrock to the east, although nothing can be ruled out at this time.
“All here will have a job duty by the end of today. It may be similar to what you were doing before this all started, or very different. Rest assured, it’s for the betterment of our community.
“Let us pray:
O Lord, thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon us for many years. We are entering trying times, the likes of which we have not seen before.
We pray that you will guide us and keep us safe and strong, always helping to fulfill your glory here on earth.
In your name, O Lord, we pray. Amen.
“Please remain here after lunch while we get you paired with a job. These will be reviewed and redefined as needed over the next days and weeks.”
Over the next two hours all of the members were paired with a role. Some were happy about their jobs and others were not.
Samuel showed up with his twenty men around 3 that afternoon. John introduced his men to Samuel’s and they went over the details of securing the borders.
“Gentleman,” announced John, “you have all been chosen for a most important assignment. You will all spend a week at either the north or south end of our Valley, setting up a security perimeter that will need to last for a while.
“You will have no distractions during this time. Tents and any gear needed, including food and water, will be provided to you.
“We are counting on all of you to work hard and give our Valley a fighting chance against all outsiders who may seek to take advantage of us or do us harm.
“Our tractor trailers will bring loads from the North Forty to assist the projects.”
The men headed out to their assignments on foot.
At the Pavilion, jobs were handed out, including security, night watch, food preservation and preparation, water detail, sanitation and hygiene, laundry, gardening, farming, and care of the livestock.
The Ranch had always had one night watchman who walked the main perimeter every hour each night. The job was rotated between enough people to ensure a once-a-month shift. When Lance was a kid they would play tricks on the night watchman by throwing snowballs on tin roofs in the winter, creating a large bang, as well as setting off handheld bottle rocket fireworks in the summer. Thankfully the nightwatchmen didn’t carry anything more than a flashlight at that time. Now it would take a few more people, and they would all be armed.
A few hours later, the tractors reached both ends of the Valley with their trailers loaded from the Ranch’s North Forty. Over the next two days, old cars from The West would be trailered there as well.
John and Bill, along with Samuel, inspected both ends of the Valley that afternoon. Two men from each security crew were designated as supervisors, reporting only to John, Bill and Samuel every other day.
It would end up taking a full eight days to secure both perimeters satisfactorily. John, Samuel and Bill met with the supervisors on the last day for a final security tour.
The south end was wider and took nearly three times the amount of cars to block the road and partial fields on both sides. It had an advantage over the north point in its visibility. The men here could see 500 yards from the end of the blockade.
There were smaller blockades farther out from the main one, fanning out in all directions. Anyone planning on driving in would have to zigzag wildly at a very slow pace to navigate the outer perimeters, giving the men more than enough time to mount an effective defense at the main blockade.
On the north end, the road was flanked on both sides by a 150-foot rock cliff, with a narrow opening for the main road and last house on the street. The advantage was not needing many cars to block the road. They were at a disadvantage in that the visibility beyond the barrier was no more than 100 yards.
Both barriers were formidable but could be breached with enough force. “As long as our government doesn’t come in with tanks, I think it just might hold,” said Samuel. “They will have to have 24-hour monitoring from now on,” added John.
* * * * * * *
Chapter Eleven ~ McKinney, Texas
Lonnie, Jake and I sat on the back patio. It was completely silent. No car sounds or pool motors... No air conditioners or dogs barking… Just silence…
“This won’t last long,” I uttered out loud. “What won’t?” asked Jake.
“The silence. It can’t last.”
“Let’s get down to business,” urged Lonnie.
“I want to write down a list of priorities for today and the next few days,” I interjected.
“1. We need to secure working transportation to get us all halfway across the country.
“2. We will need to visit Lonnie’s buddy, who has the gun shop, and try to trade or make him a member of our group.
“3. Twenty-four-hour outdoor perimeter security is needed for this house, starting today. The radio will also be monitored twenty-four hours for any news or updates from the government or other people who may be able to broadcast. We have three shortwave radios between us.
“4. Any extra food and supplies we can gather will be needed.”
“Don’t forget the coffee!” added Jake.
“5. We will delegate jobs for every adult in our group.
“6. Let’s try to let the kids be kids just a little while longer. All agreed?” I asked. “Yep,” replied Jake. “Me too,” said Lonnie.
“I better check on Mike,” I advised, “and see if he’s playing nice.”
I found Mike in the garage with a much more cooperative captive. Mike laughed when he saw me.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“This man,” replied Mike, “has found Jesus in just a couple hours. Now he loves dogs and wants to join our group.”
“That’s the funniest shit I’ve ever heard!” I was laughing now too. “Let me just grab Ringo, so he can apologize in person,” I added.
“No, no…please,” begged the man. “Just let me go.”
“You done with him?” I asked Mike. “Sure, he knows what will happen if he ever comes back here. Right?” Mike asked the guy. “Yes,” he stated. “You won’t ever see me again.”
“Let’s get some breakfast, Mike,” I added. “I’ll get someone to take the next shift.”
Joy, Tina and Nancy had eggs cooking on the stove and opened six large cans of corned beef hash. Hash out of a can looks just like wet dog food but tastes awesome! It was sinking in about how much food it was going to take to keep our group fed.
I took a break to sneak into my boys’ room. There were now other children sharing the room with them. Jax, Huds
on and Hendrix were all sharing one bed. They were up early and talking about the best superhero. Superman, Spider-Man, Batman and Hulk Smash were all featured and discussed as only 4- and 2-year-olds can do. I laid down on the bed with them and just listened to their conversation. It made me sad that they would grow up in this new world and miss out on most of the things I did as a kid. I said a prayer for their safety and the safety of our group.
“Guess what, guys?” I asked.
“What, Daddy?” they all said together.
“We have corned beef hash!”
“Yay, yay!” they yelled.
After a great breakfast we reviewed our group plan.
“Things are only going to get worse,” I began, addressing the adults in our group. We have to be on our way as soon as possible.
“Thank you for working together this far. I know it’s a challenge sharing this house with everyone else. We have had it pretty good thus far.
“Thanks to our pool water we have been able to keep the toilets working with just a little effort. We still have drinking water left, but that will only last another week or two. Beyond that, we will have to boil or filter it before drinking. For anyone who is not sure, it is not safe to drink the pool water under any circumstances. It is salt and can only be distilled to make it safe. We do not have that capability yet.
“All of the men here will rotate on a three-hour perimeter patrol of the house twenty-four hours.
“You are welcome to take Ringo with you, as long as he is on his leash. If you have pets still at your house, get with me later today and we will discuss a plan for them.
“We will search for working vehicles over the next couple days. Does anyone know of a person with a working, or maybe a stored, vehicle in a garage that was made before 1978?” (A few raised their hands.) “Great! Get with me when we are done and we will try to take a look at them and make a fair trade with their owners. When we have our first vehicle a few of us will pay a visit to a friend of Lonnie’s, who owns a gun store in Plano.
“From now on, all of our children will need to play inside or in the backyard for their safety.”
Steve, one of our new group members, caught me after the meeting. “I’ve got an old ’65 Ford pickup in my garage. I didn’t even think to try and start it, since my other cars wouldn’t start. It drove fine a few weeks ago when I last took her out.”
This got me excited. I called Lonnie, Mike and Jake over to hear the news. “Where is it?” asked Mike. “Just down the block,” I told him, as he was already headed for the front door.
In five minutes we were at Steve’s house. He rolled up the garage door by hand, as was the new norm. Inside the garage was a beautifully restored 1965 Ford truck in hunter green. “She has 362 original miles,” boasted Steve, “and all original parts. I’ve even got a spare set of new tires in the bed.”
“Let’s see if she starts up,” I said.
Steve got the keys from the house and put them in the ignition. The truck started right up like it was brand-new. We all cheered and high-fived each other.
“You up for a trip to Plano?” I asked Lonnie. “Sure, buddy,” he agreed. “But we had better have a plan and be armed to the teeth. It’s only ten miles, but it’s all hostile territory now.”
“The girls aren’t going to like it,” Mike added. “I know, but it has to be done,” I stated. “All those agreed?” They all were.
It was 9:35 a.m. according to Jake, who had the only watch that worked. “Let’s leave out by 11 a.m.,” suggested Lonnie. “I want to be back by dark, either way.”
We drove back to my house in the truck, creating quite a few looks from neighbors standing at their front doors or peering out from their blinds.
It took a bit to explain to the ladies why we had to go and what it would mean for the safety of our group if it was a successful trip.
It was decided that Lonnie, Mike, Jake, Steve and I would go. We debated bringing Ringo but decided it was best if he stayed here and helped with the perimeter watches.
Joy pulled me aside before we were to head out. “Do you really have to go?” she asked? “You could get killed, and then what would me and the kids do?”
“Honey,” I told her, taking her hand. “I’ll be fine. We have to do this and we have a good group of guys. Besides, we have to know what’s happening outside of our neighborhood. Pretty soon we will be making the long trip to Colorado and I want to be armed as best we can and have an idea of what we are going to be up against.”
* * * * * * *
Chapter Twelve ~ Loveland, Colorado
Sharon awoke in the early morning with the sound of talking downstairs. Bill, John and Samuel were in deep conversation.
“We are seeing large numbers of people from town heading towards the mountains. Most pass right by the southern end of our Valley. The atmosphere is getting tense there and I’m not sure how long it will remain peaceful,” said Bill.
“Can we give the starving people just a little food and water?” asked Samuel.
“We must be careful,” warned John, “for they may seek to take advantage of our generosity.”
“I think we can safely supply them with small amounts of water if we can get our well up and running or purify the water from the Big Thompson River at the southern choke point,” added Bill.
Sharon had a flashback of the July 31, 1976, Big Thompson River flood that killed 144 people and injured nearly 150 more. Unusual weather allowed a flash storm to stall over the canyon, dumping water and creating frequent lightning strikes. Fourteen inches of rain fell in the canyon in just four hours. A 20-foot wall of water careened down the canyon, taking stores, houses, cars, livestock and people. Most of the reported 4,000 people in the canyon (mostly camping tourists) were able to evacuate or climb to safety. Others were swept away in their cars, never to be heard from again. There were bodies recovered up to 25 miles down river.
Her son Lance and his friends found everything imaginable in that river over the next couple years. This river that took so many lives may now be able to help save even more.
As she focused on their conversation again, it was clear that things were getting tough outside this Valley. She thought of Lance, Joy and her grandsons, praying they were OK and coming home sometime soon.
Shots rang out in the distance from the south, and Sharon counted 17 in all.
“Did you hear that?!” she called downstairs to Bill.
“Yes, Honey. We’re headed down now!”
“Please be careful,” she called, as the front door closed.
Bill, John and Samuel headed down the Valley in the fire truck. John was on the walkie-talkie. And it didn’t sound good.
Ten minutes later they were at the southern checkpoint, with multiple bodies strewn about the ground. Several motorcycles lay on their sides in the dirt, one with the back wheel spinning rapidly as the rider lay motionless on the handlebars.
It was becoming clear to Bill, as he looked around, that the dead were both bikers and men from John’s and Samuel’s groups. Just beyond the perimeter was a group of bikers, at least 50 strong. “How did they get so many bikes to work?” asked John, to no one in particular.
There was a silence, tense and understood, on the perimeter of the barricade. This was the first blood.
A sound erupted from across the barricade. It was loud, a sound that could only be made by many motorcycles starting at once. Bill, John and Samuel looked on as they rode away.
There were eight men killed and three injured—two killed and one injured from Samuel’s group and one killed from John’s.
“My men are not armed,” reported Samuel sternly. “How are they in the front line, John? he added.
“I don’t know, Samuel,” he replied. “Let’s get all of the facts first.”
Dave, one of John’s most trusted men, pulled him aside. “John, I’m sorry about this. It all happened too fast.”
“Tell me everything,” instructed John.
“We were on the perimeter, watching all the people go by peacefully, when the bikers showed up. They wanted some food and water. I told them that we were sorry but we didn’t have any to spare.
“This upset the head guy and he drew a pistol, pointing it towards us. He was demanding food for his group. Our guys were positioned for a fight but didn’t start this.
“I told them again we had none to spare and asked them to move on down the road.
“One of Samuel’s guys ran out to the middle of the barricade with what looked like a bag of food, but it was all too quick. The bikers just started firing and we had no choice but to shoot back. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but I want to go home to my family…we all do.”
Next World Series (Vol. 1): Families First Page 13