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The Ranch

Page 5

by Sean Liscom


  “I destroyed the physical virus that they had on site and I killed all of the top scientists that were involved with the project. Again, I just bought time. All they did was rebuild, bring in some new help and start over.”

  “So, a pandemic virus is still on the table?” Braden asked in disbelief.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “How can they distribute it with all modes of transportation stopped?”

  “The container ships that were outfitted with the missiles for the EMP, they’re still out there and they still have missiles onboard that are equipped with chemical dispersing warheads. Hundreds of them. They’re just waiting for the signal to deliver their payloads.”

  “How many ships?” I asked.

  “More than enough. Of the 24 that put to sea, 23 are left. One was scuttled in the Gulf of Mexico.”

  “Do you know their locations?”

  “No, I don’t. After they launched their initial payload, they repositioned, and I don’t know where they went. That’s why I must get into the ARK before they can unlock the computer systems and the doors. Once I’m inside, I can locate those ships.”

  “Then what?”

  “Then? Maybe someone in the government will listen to me. Maybe they can launch an attack against them and put them on the bottom of the ocean. If they can’t or won’t, then I’ll launch the missiles myself and destroy them in flight.”

  “What about the vaccine? You said they developed a vaccine.”

  “The people of the ARK’s were vaccinated before they ever went inside. I’m sure they would have stockpiled some but not nearly enough for everyone,” Jack said. I shook my head and let out a long sigh.

  “Shit!” I muttered under my breath.

  “Jason, I can put an end to this! I just have to get to the ARK and take it over. Join forces with me and let’s end this once and for all!”

  “I need time to process this,” I sighed again. “How long do we have before they are in a position to initiate phase two?

  “Honestly? I don’t know but, the sooner we make a play, the sooner we can end it.”

  “Okay, how long until your rigs are ready to go?”

  “That all depends on what magic your Major Jackson can work when it comes to getting parts.”

  “Fine, I’ll have an answer for you by then,” I started to turn away but remembered what Jill had told me that morning. I stopped and turned back to face him again.

  “Something else?” he asked.

  “Yeah, one more question. Last night, you said you knew that some guy named Wesson put the bomb on your plane, right?”

  “Yeah, Paul Wesson.”

  “It just struck me, that name sounds familiar.... Any relation to Marvin Wesson?”

  “The asshole deputy that lived in Elko? Yeah, they were brothers. Why?”

  “Oh, nothing. It’s just a small world sometimes. That Paul guy sounds like he was an asshole too,” I chuckled.

  “Eh, he and ole Marvin weren’t really that much alike. Well, two different kinds of assholes at least. Paul was a lot like you. Hell, if you’d have met the guy, you probably would have gotten along just fine,” he said with a smile.

  “Whatever became of the feud between him and Ray?”

  “I heard Ray took him out a couple of weeks before he came here. Rumor really.”

  “So, how did it end up that Ray and Paul got locked out of the ARK the night of the EMP?”

  “Luck, I guess. Both were on the security forces and they were probably doing a patrol of the grounds when it went down. Only thing I can think of anyway,” he shrugged.

  “Well, at least we don’t have to worry about them anymore. That’s good news, I suppose,” I answered and turned to head back to the house. I was doing everything I could to stay calm on the outside. However, my guts had just been twisted into knots. The son-of-a-bitch just lied to me.

  CHAPTER 4

  Friday, September 1st, 2017

  Braden and I walked back to the house in silence. It’s a good thing too. I’m not sure I could have controlled what I wanted to say and keep my calm demeanor. As we rounded the corner of the house and stepped up on the deck, we could see the column of all three of our Teams plus Major Dennis Jackson’s Team turning off the main road. Eighteen armored vehicles were about to take over our parking lot. We watched until the lead Hummer got to the gate when I turned to Braden.

  “Would you mind seeing them in?”

  “I can do that. Where are you going?”

  “I need to find Bill,” I replied and started into the house. I went in and straight downstairs. The entrance to the underground wasn’t locked, so I slipped in and pulled the locker shut behind me.

  My father-in-law, Bill Butler, had been spending an inordinate amount of time in the underground security office. When I asked him about it a few weeks ago, he told me that he did some of his best thinking while he was down here. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but, whatever. I strode through the hallway into the sleeping area. Through the common area and into another corridor. The hatch on the right was open so I stepped into the medical bay. A few more steps and I was standing in the security office.

  I had to clear my throat before he even realized I was there. He jumped a little and looked away from the laptop screen he had been intently studying. I couldn’t see what he was looking at, but he pulled the screen closed as he turned to look at me. This was the closest I’d ever seen Bill to jumpy.

  “You okay?” I asked him.

  “Ah, yeah. I’m fine.”

  “Mind if I sit down and bother you for a little bit?”

  “Please, sit,” he motioned toward the chair closest to me. “What’s on your mind?”

  “My father is what’s on my mind,” I pulled the chair a little closer and sat in it.

  “Oh?”

  “Bill, you’re probably the only person here who really knows Jack. I don’t, that’s for sure. I....” I started but had to stop to collect my racing thoughts. “It’s been a few years since I’ve seen him, granted, but that guy up there isn’t the man I remember. That guy, up there, in the warehouse, is an asshole.” I stated bluntly. That caused Bill to crack a smile.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “He’s bossy, domineering, and mean. I think he gets his jollies from getting under my skin! That’s what makes me say that!

  “You’ve probably been told this before, but you are a lot like him, Jason. Although, I would also go so far as to say your inner asshole is kept in check by your mother’s temperament. Thank God!”

  “It’s not just that though. There’s something sketchy going on and I can’t nail it down. I don’t know if he’s suicidal in his attempt to go after the ARK or if he’s just plain nuts. More than that, he’s putting the mission to L.A. above his people up in North Dakota. I can’t figure out why.”

  “I’ll see if I can shed a little light on this for you,” he leaned back in the chair. “Your father was consumed by his work at the ARK. By that, I mean his intent to destroy them consumed him AND confused him. It was kind of a catch 22 for him. While he had a healthy disdain for people in general and the government in particular, he still felt duty bound to try and stop them.”

  “The day before he disappeared, he admitted to me that he understood the mission of the ARK’s. He told me that his only hang up about it was the way they wanted to carry it out. Jason, that scared the holy hell out of me! Shook me clear to the core.”

  “Wait! You mean to tell me that he actually condoned what they were doing?”

  “In some ways, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. He’d had enough of the government basically throwing his evidence in the trash can. He was sick and tired of all the leeches in society, useless eaters are what he called them. He had seen the worst of mankind and I think he was actually sitting on the fence about what the ARK wanted to do. You also have to remember; in some ways he also blamed the governments’ failures for your mom’s death. Had they, we done our jobs
and protected her, we might not even be sitting here right now.”

  “You think he blames you for that?”

  “I don’t think he’d ever admit to it, but in some ways I’m sure that thought has crossed his mind.”

  “Wow, okay. What kept him on our side of the fence? What kept him from throwing in with the ARK?”

  “If it hadn’t been for Gary Wesson about to blow his cover wide open, he probably would have stayed on. Gary was the reason he got let go from his job, that’s when they turned him out.”

  “But Gary didn’t completely rat him out?”

  “No, Gary and your father went back a long, long way. He knew everything Jack was up to and he threatened to turn his evidence over to the board. You see, Gary had become a true believer in the ARK’s mission. Problem was, Jack couldn’t have him spilling the beans because he’d have never left the ARK alive. Instead, he killed Gary to buy himself some time. He went to the board meeting, pissed everyone off and they fired him. Sent him packing.”

  “He knew how this sort of thing worked. They fired a person and sent them on their way. A day or two later that person would jump off a bridge or put a pistol to their head. That’s why he had to disappear, that’s why he had plans to fake his own death. If he didn’t, they would have made sure he was dead.”

  “Why go back now? Why not just let the military handle it?”

  “He doesn’t trust them to do the job. He told me that he tried to enlist their help, but the bigwigs blew him off as a crazy old man. He’s got it in his head that he’s the only one who can finish them.”

  “If he condoned what they were doing, why bother?”

  “It’s personal for him. And Jason, he was sick and tired of all the bullshit. He wanted a simpler life and this ranch was supposed to be his getaway from all that. He understood what they were doing but he did try to stop them. Jack was never one to leave a mission unfinished and that’s why he has to go back.”

  “It just doesn’t make sense to me, Bill. Why risk everything? Why not build support with the military? I could understand it if he were going to go gather the proof they needed, but not this.”

  “Like I said, it’s personal now. After all he did to try and stop them before the EMP, after having to kill his longtime friend to keep his cover, after trying to kill him.... After…. Well, it’s personal,” he said. I had to sit and ponder that for a minute before I spoke again.

  “You’ve been his friend for a very long time, does he seem to be in control?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Is he in control of his mental faculties or has he let his quest for revenge cloud his judgment?”

  “Oh. Well, I’d say he’s quite in control. He’s always been a very calculating person. Pros versus cons, payoff versus cost.... He wouldn’t be undertaking this if he didn’t have it all planned out.”

  “So, you’re saying that he’s got it all figured out and he’s sure he can win against the ARK?”

  “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  “I see.”

  “Mind if I ask you something?” Bill asked.

  “What?”

  “Are you thinking about changing your mind and committing to this mission with him?”

  “After the conversation I had with him, I don’t know what the hell to do.”

  “Can I ask what he told you?”

  “He said that once the doors and computers are unlocked, the ARK’s will begin the second phase of their operation.”

  “What’s the second phase?” Bill asked. This appeared to be news to him too. I spent the next 20 minutes telling him what I had learned. The look of exasperation on his face was genuine.

  “Holy shit!” he finally muttered.

  “There’s more though.... He lied to me.”

  “That’s quite the accusation, Jason. Are you sure?”

  “I straight up asked him how it came to be that Paul Wesson and Ray Judge were locked out of the ARK the night of the EMP. He told me it was nothing more than dumb luck.”

  “It’s possible that....”

  “That’s not what Paul told me. He told me that Jack had sent him a thumb drive. The message on the drive told him exactly when to be out of the ARK. He told Paul there was going to be an EMP attack and he should get the hell out of there!”

  “That doesn’t make any sense! Why would he warn the guy that tried and almost succeeded in killing him? Are you also insinuating that Ray knew when to be out too?”

  “No. Paul told me that Ray and his team were out on a patrol when it happened. That really was a case of luck,” I said.

  “You’ve been lied to, but I doubt that Jack is the one who was lying. It wouldn’t make any sense!”

  “Alright, then tell me why Paul would make up a story like that? What purpose would it serve?” I demanded.

  “I don’t know!” Bill grumbled.

  “Fine, you don’t know. Did the rest of Jack’s story jive with how you remember it? The case in L.A., the director of the agency ordering you to pull them from the case. Does all that jive? Does it match up with what was put in the journals?”

  “Yeah it does. There were some details I didn’t know, like the second phase, but yeah, it matches up.”

  “Did you know about him stealing money?”

  “Yeah. I knew where he was getting his money,” he admitted.

  “You didn’t feel the need to put an end to it?”

  “No, no I didn’t. Before you ask me anything else, Jason, I want you to remember one thing. I”VE NEVER LIED TO YOU, NEVER,” he said very slowly with emphasis on every word. “I have, however, withheld information that you didn’t need to know at the time. Big difference! Remember that before you ask your next question.”

  “Fair enough. Did you know the he remarried and had two more kids?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why’d you withhold that little tidbit of information?”

  “Would it have made any difference in anything you did, any of your actions?”

  “No, I guess not.”

  “All it would have done is distract you from the task at hand; running this ranch. As far as I knew, Jack was dead, and I assumed that he didn’t tell them about you and Braden. Again, it would have made no difference in anything they did. It was a subject that could be addressed if it ever became an issue. Until such time, it was better left alone,” he pushed his chair back, leaned further back and put his feet on the corner of the desk. “You would have found out on your own, in time.”

  “The journals?” I asked.

  “Yes, the journals. I’ll tell you this too; there are other things I’ve been told to withhold from you. You and your brother really need to finish your decoding if you want to know everything.”

  “Jesus, Bill. Just tell me!”

  “I can’t. I swore to take the secrets in those pages to my grave. I’m pushing the limits by telling you to get your ass moving,” he smiled a genuine smile.

  “Okay, I’ll have Braden get on that.”

  “Please do. I’m curious as to what the last few pages will tell you.”

  “You mean you don’t know?”

  “No, I wasn’t allowed to be in the room when your father coded them nor was I allowed to read what he wrote. I did most of the coding for the 44th journal but was told to leave the room when he did the last few pages. Whatever’s in there has to be important.”

  “You mean you didn’t go look after he was gone?”

  “Oh, I looked but he used a different cipher. One I’ve never been able to crack.”

  “Hmmm, that’s interesting.”

  “Jason, I was the one guy that Jack told almost everything to. Over the years, I was sure there were details being left out, so it’s safe to say that I don’t know it all. There were things he told me to withhold, things that you would discover on your own, in your own time….”

  “Like my sisters?” I interrupted.

  “Yes, like your sisters. Can I give yo
u a little insight into my thoughts?”

  “Please do! I’m driving blind here.”

  “It’s like this; if the world had moved along without the EMP, there were three instances in which you would have learned about the ranch. First, when you reached the age of 40. Your father felt that you would have been, well, mature enough to handle its existence and all of its secrets. The second instance would have been in the event of his death. He wanted another Sterling to continue what he started. And third, in the event of a disaster. Had you not been here the night of the EMP, Jill would have come and snatched you out of your apartment, at gunpoint if necessary.”

  “He left those journals as a way to communicate his intentions with you and your brother. He wanted you to have a history as to how and why this place came to be. He wanted you to know everything about this place but didn’t want to dump it all on you at one time.”

  “Face it, if you had learned everything that first day, you probably would have turned tail and run back to Reno and your old life. Doing it the way he did, it gave you some time to settle in. He eased you into it, so to speak. Granted, once the world went to hell, you had some pretty big shoes to fill and you had to do it in a hurry.”

  “I know he’ll never tell you this to your face, but I think you can be proud of what you’ve done here and how you have handled yourself. He will surely give you small compliments, if he hasn’t already, but I don’t think he will ever look you in the eye and tell you what a fantastic job you’ve done. I don’t think he’s that kind of person anymore.

  “What’s more; he wanted you to know what kind of people he was involved with. His work changed him as much as your mother’s death did. The Jack Sterling I knew has been dead for nearly 40 years. Somehow, and I don’t know how, he knew that the day would come when the ARK’s fulfilled their mission. That’s why he spent so much time telling you about them in the journals. He wanted you to know what he was dealing with and how to combat them. He wanted to give you every edge that he could,” Bill finished.

  I looked down at my boots and thought about what he had just said. I almost felt bad for thinking that my father had lied to me. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so critical of Jack. The man had seen and done things that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Is it possible that the memory of giving the thumb drive to Paul had slipped his mind? I guess it could have. Maybe his memory wasn’t as sharp as it used to be. I mean, he was pushing 70 and I had a hard time remembering some details at 40. Maybe Paul really had lied to me and Jack was telling the truth.

 

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