The Ranch

by Sean Liscom

“Thank you.”

  “One more thing.”

  “Yes?”

  “I want a tour of your ranch before the sun sets,” she glanced at her watch. “Two hours, think we can make that happen too?”

  “It’d be an honor,” I replied. “I just have one condition; you stay for dinner. No sense in going all that way without some good old-fashioned home cookin,” she smiled and graciously accepted the offer. That quick, she turned her attention back to Jim.

  “What do ya say, Jim? You in or out?” she put him on the spot. He examined his hands for a moment, let out a heavy sigh and answered.

  “I’m in.... Dammit!”

  “Excellent! Thank you!” Jane replied and reached across the desk to shake his hand.

  “Jane? I have a question,” Jill said from beside me.

  “Yes?”

  “You told Major Jackson that he would fall under the command of, and I quote, the Sterling ranch…. You also said that you wouldn’t tell me how to run my unit....”

  “That’s right,” the President smirked.

  “How…. Well, how’s that going to work? We’re civilians, we can’t order a military unit around....” her voice faded.

  “You can if you outrank them,” the smirk turned into a full smile

  “Huh?” I said. I was just as confused as my wife.

  “Jason, Jill, first of all, you had a contract with the military before the world took a shit, remember?” Jill and I nodded. “While it is highly un-orthodox for a civilian unit to assume full military responsibilities, I think it will be the perfect solution to the problem you just presented, don’t you?”

  “I’m not understanding,” Jill said.

  “Have you read the full contract that was enacted by Bill Butler and Jack Sterling?”

  “I’ve glanced at it, why?” she responded.

  “You should probably go home and read it, just sayin. In the meantime, by my authority, your unit is now fully active with all of the ranks and privileges that come with it,” she took two steps towards me and extended her hand. Not knowing what else to do, I took it. “Colonel Jason Sterling, welcome aboard!” she released my hand and reached out to an open-mouthed Jill. “Lieutenant Colonel Jill Sterling, welcome aboard,” she then extended her hand to Braden. “Lieutenant Colonel Braden Sterling, welcome aboard.”

  Do I even need to say it? If this day gets any weirder……

  CHAPTER 13

  Sunday, September 3rd, 2017

  “What happened to the real Air Force One, I mean, the big jet?” I asked Jane as we were driving past the airport on our way to the ranch. Thank God the bench seat in the front of my truck was fairly wide seeing as how she had squeezed between me and Braden.

  “I heard it and the secondary were both destroyed when the nuke went off in DC. Fine with me though. I don’t need no fancy airplane to get around in,” she replied.

  “DC was really nuked?” Braden asked.

  “Well, it was a dirty bomb. Pretty damn big one too. Place is going to be a hot zone for a very long time. Worse than it was before.” I glanced at my side mirror and could see two of her escort vehicles riding side by side and right on my ass. The third Suburban was directly in front of us.

  Before we had left the Mayors, well, Governor’s office, she had a few heated words with her security team leader about the riding arrangements. He insisted that she ride with him. He lost that argument.

  “Forgive me for saying so, Jane, but you’re not what I expected in a President,” I said looking forward again.

  “How so?”

  “Well.... You blew off your security detachment. You’re flying around in a plane that has to be, at the very least, 40 years old, you cuss, and you shoot straight from the hip. I didn’t know a President could do some of the things you’ve done today....”

  “Jason, we live in a world now where the old rules don’t apply anymore. You, of all people, should know that by now!” she chided me. “I cuss and tell I like it is because that’s who I am and always have been. I’m not going to change because of some damn title. I don’t care if it’s a 40-year-old plane or a 150-year-old, horse drawn wagon. If I got somewhere to be, I’ll use whatever mode of transportation is available,” she scooted toward Braden a little so I could shift into fifth gear.

  “I give my security guys, Greg in particular, nightmares. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate everything they do, but I don’t need a mother hen hovering over me all the damn time. I was a cop and a damn good one too. Greg and his boys can cover my six all day long, but I’ll be damned if they are going to keep me from doing what I got to do!” she resettled into the seat and continued.

  “You and I both know that the political system was broken long before the EMP, right? When we first started talking about putting together a working government in Austin, the first thing we did was throw out the old political playbook. We also threw out all the old politicians and we told the ones that were on the east side of the Mississippi to stay there. We neither wanted nor needed their help.”

  “Yes, I make deals and I do things without the approval of my cabinet. The good Lord knows I don’t have time to run everything I do past a boatload of advisors and legal staff. If I screw something up, and I have, they will come through behind me and fix it. I don’t travel with an entourage because they are too damn busy trying to right this ship.”

  “They knew I was coming to Nevada to appoint an interim Governor. It was going to be Jim Calvert or Wayne Martin from Winnemucca. I chose Jim because he is the leader of the biggest and most stable region in this state.”

  “I re-assigned Dennis Jackson and his men as a field expedient move to accommodate you and your training program. I activated your unit, according to YOUR contract, because it was also the expedient route. We don’t have the manpower to secure every little enclave of prosperity in this country, so I rely on people like you.”

  “You’re not the first and you won’t be the last to receive the Presidential nod to do the job you’re doing. There is a militia leader up in North Dakota, Tyler Banks, and they have taken pages from YOUR playbook and put together a working community. He is now a Colonel in the United States Army, just like you.”

  “Where at in North Dakota?” Braden beat me to the question.

  “Little town called Ambrose. Almost to the Canadian line,” she replied. Braden and I shared a quick look and I could tell that both of us were thinking the same thing. It had to be the ranch up there, or at least personnel from it. It couldn’t be a coincidence.

  “Its people like you, people that took the initiative on day one, that are going to be the basis for putting this country back together. You’ve got a much, much bigger stake in the game now. Its people like you and Tyler that will be there when we begin the process of fixing our constitution, you’ll be the new founding fathers!”

  “Wait.... What do you mean, fix the constitution?” I asked.

  “Settle down big guy, we’re simply updating the language to include modern or future terms. We will be convening a constitutional convention after the governors are seated and they will select 5 members for their panel. Once that is done, we’ll get everyone together, in Austin, and we’ll fix the original document along with all of the amendments so there is zero doubt about what it says.”

  “We will be adding a 28th amendment so that current and future lawmakers can’t exempt themselves from the laws they pass. There will also be a 29th amendment putting in place term limits for said lawmakers.”

  “I see....” I muttered.

  “Jason, I know that messing with the constitution is a frightful thing, I’m with you on that. Thing is, we’ve got a golden opportunity to correct the language so that there’s no longer any question as to what it means. We’ve got an opportunity to rein in and limit the power of the future government. We have the chance to return the power to the people, not as a democracy, but as a true Republic,” she explained.

  “That’s a dangerous game you’re p
laying, don’t ya think?” I asked.

  “What do ya mean?”

  “You’re running around, putting people who fit your mold into positions of power. My guess is that they are strongly conservative. There is, or at least was, a more liberal section of America that won’t have representation in this government or at the convention. I find that a bit troubling.”

  “If it helps to ease your fear, I’m choosing people that can, and have been, doing the job. You and I could probably agree that any form of extremism, right OR left leaning, is bad. I’m not basing my picks on which political party you adhere to; I’m basing my picks on how good of a job you’ve been doing.”

  “That may be, but I still think it’s a dangerous road to be on.”

  “In the end, it’s going to be up to people like you to do the right thing. Yes, there are a lot of different variants of the right thing but we’re going to have to meet in the middle so that we can give the people the best possible government they can get. Don’t ya think?” she asked as we pulled up to the gate of The Ranch.

  Sunday, September 3rd, 2017

  Tonopah, Nevada.

  “Ughhhhh,” Melissa groaned from the passenger seat of the Jeep. Her hand went to the lump on the back of her head, she grimaced when her fingers touched it.

  “Sorry about that,” Jack said from the driver’s seat. Melissa looked at him and tried to focus.

  “What the hell happened?” she asked.

  “You put up quite a fight, young lady. It was the only way to get you to go quietly. Again, sorry.”

  “Where are we? What are you doing?”

  “We are in the lovely crap town of Tonopah. We’re taking on fuel at the moment,” Jack remarked flippantly. She looked around and realized they were sitting between two long rows of storage lockers. The roll up door next the Jeep was open and there were four 55-gallon drums sitting just inside the storage unit. There was a hose from one of the drums to the Jeep. The sound of the small 12-volt pump reached her ears.

  “What’s going on?” she demanded as the fog began to clear from her memory. Again, she rubbed the lump on her head.

  “Here’s the deal, Mel,” Jack began. “Me, you, Ruiz and Wilcox are making a little trip to Los Angeles. Once we’re there, you’re going to help me complete my portion of the mission and then you’ll receive a package that must be returned to the ranch without delay. That package MUST be delivered to Doc Williams. With me so far?”

  “Yeah, but….”

  “No, you’ll do this without question and you’ll execute my every order. You have unwittingly ended up playing in the big leagues, Melissa. The time for questions is long past. Simply do what you’re told to do, when you’re told to do it and you’ll live through this. Am I clear? Yes or no?”

  “Yes.”

  “Excellent. Now, allow me to get the disclaimer out of the way. If you should fail this mission, you’ll not only be dead but so will everyone you care about. Seems pretty straight forward. Failure is not an option,” he locked eyes with her for a brief moment before he continued. “I have very little faith or trust in humanity anymore. When I say this, you can judge its weight for yourself; I am trusting you with everything I hold dear in this life. If that trust is misplaced, please tell me now so that I may make other arrangements,” he paused, waiting for her answer.

  “You know you can count on me,” she heard herself say.

  “That-a-girl,” he said with a smile. Ruiz and Wilcox had finished fueling the Jeep and closed the storage locker before climbing back into the rig. Ruiz leaned between the front seats and handed Melissa the key to the unit.

  “Don’t lose that, you’ll need it later,” he said and slid back into his seat.

  Sunday, September 3rd, 2017

  The Ranch.

  Jill and I had just finished giving President Dixon the tour of the ranch, the above ground portion anyway. Some things were always better left unsaid. After our arrival 90 minutes earlier, Kari, Braden and Isabella had excused themselves to go work on the journals. That left Jill and I to escort the President, well, her and her security detail.

  Those guys were very serious about their job and it showed in everything they did. From the way they walked in a semi-circle around her to the way their eyes took in every detail. They weren’t overtly threatening but you could just tell, they were ready for anything. We arrived at the deck for to my house and Jill also excused herself to go check on Tara and Luke. I knew she’d felt bad for leaving them in Megan’s care all day.

  “I didn’t know you two had kids,” Jane said.

  “I first met them and their parents when I was on the run from Ray Judge and his enforcers. Their father had been shot and there was nothing we could do for him except keep him comfortable until, you know,” I shrugged. “Four of the enforcers returned a couple hours after we got there. They didn’t leave in the upright position either.”

  “Knowing their deaths would draw the attention of even more enforcers, I sent the kids and their mother, Monica, to their family’s hunting grounds with the promise I’d find them after the trip to Vegas. Well, I did but Monica had been killed by a mountain lion before we could rescue them. So, Jill and I decided to take them in. She loves kids, I’m cool with it, so it all works out,” I grinned.

  “That’s a noble thing, Jason. You could have just taken them to Elko and dropped them in someone else’s lap, but you didn’t. I can admire that,” I motioned her into the house and pointed her in the direction of the dining room. Whatever Megan was whipping up for dinner instantly made my mouth water. After introducing the two, I grabbed two cold beers from the fridge and sat at the table.

  “Hey, Jason?”

  “Yeah, Megan?”

  “I’m going to leave this corn on the cob to simmer for a while and the roast is in the oven on low, could you keep an eye on it? I’m gonna help Jill get the kids ready for dinner.”

  “No problem,” I replied and turned my attention back to Jane. “What do you think of our little operation here?” I popped the bottle caps off and handed her one of the beers.

  “I can see why you fight so hard to keep it. It’s almost like the EMP never happened here.”

  “I suppose, as long as you don’t look at the guard towers, the armed patrols and whatnot, you’re right,” I chuckled.

  “More than that though, this is what life should have been like before the EMP.”

  “Meaning?”

  “There’s over a hundred people here, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “During our tour, I saw men and women, of every ethnic background, working together. That group that was working on the Hummer, the woman that was with them was right in the middle with the men. Black, White, Hispanic, male, female.... They’re working together for a common goal. That’s what life should have been like,” her tone was almost wistful.

  “You’re right, it should have been like that. I guess, for the most part, it was. Except there were always hateful, spiteful people trying to undermine that and we will NOT tolerate that sort of behavior here. When we put together our training classes, we screen for that sort of thing. We all bleed the same color and if a person can’t understand that, we don’t want them inside these walls. It’s that simple.”

  “Ya know, Jane, I guess one of the best things to come out of the pulse was the destruction of the 24hour news and social media. Now, people have to actually talk to each other if they want to communicate. We don’t have the TV news anchors telling us who to hate constantly. People are learning that if you want to live, your friends will come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. If someone has your back, they have your back. The color of their skin doesn’t matter.”

  “That’s almost poetic, Jason,” she smiled and took a long, hard pull from her beer. Jill slipped in behind me and put her arms around my neck.

  “Megan says about 20 minutes till dinners ready. I’m gonna run over to medical and see Samantha,” she said.

  “Alright
, babe. Thank you,” I replied and kissed her forearm.

  “Everything alright?” Jane asked.

  “Yeah, just been overdoing it and over stressed,” Jill answered. She kissed me on the top of the head and headed out the front door.

  “You two are a good pair, a good team,” Jane remarked.

  “We’re doin’ alright. It’s been a hell of a rough start, ya know, what with the world ending and all,” that earned me a chuckle. “Seriously though, what we were just talking about; is that your vision of what you want the United States to look like or is it just some fantasy you have?”

  “I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly side of humanity, Jason. I’ve seen good guys lose and bad guys win. I’ve seen the ugly side of what we humans are capable of.... In the end, I want good to win. If there is any chance I can pull the nation together into something like what you have here and what Tyler has in North Dakota, if I could get even half of that, I’d die a happy woman,” she said. I leaned forward and put my elbows on the table.

  “Madame President, if you can stick to that tenant, if you can hold on to those beliefs through everything, my ranch stands ready to assist you....”

  “Thank you,” I waved her silent with my hand.

  “Let me finish. If you waiver and fold on any of your values, not only will you lose an ally, you’ll gain an enemy,” she held my eye contact.

  “Colonel Sterling, you have my word that I will die defending these values.”

  “That’s good to hear,” I smiled and leaned back again.

  “You and Colonel Banks sharing notes already?”

  “Pardon?”

  “When I was sitting at his dinner table, with a cold beer in my hand, he told me almost the same exact thing, nearly verbatim.”

  “He sounds like a pretty sharp guy.”

  “He’s very much like you. That’s probably why I picked him and his group. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of similarities between his place and yours. Kinda spooky now that I think about it.”