The Ranch

by Sean Liscom

  “Interesting information, isn’t it? Jack asked from behind her. The sound of his voice startled her. She spun her head around and he was less than five feet away.

  “Uh, yeah.”

  “You learning anything?” he stepped closer and put a backpack on the table next to her.

  “What’s that?” she sidestepped the question.

  “That would be the vaccine you’re taking to the ranch.”

  “Does this mean I’m free to leave?”

  “Not just yet. I need your help destroying those missiles first. After that, you’re on your own,” he sat behind his laptop. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “I’m learning a lot, Jack. The information on this laptop will prove invaluable. Thank you.”

  “You’ve had that laptop for a while now. You’re a smart girl, got any questions for me?”

  “I do, but I’m not sure I’m ready to ask them yet....”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means a couple of things; can I trust you to give me truthful answers? Can I trust you won’t view me as a threat if I know the truth?”

  “I’ll give you the truth, Mel, and you don’t have to worry about me hurting you. In fact, you’re probably the only person on the planet that will be able to get the truth out there. I tried; nobody would ever listen. So, ask me your questions, while I’m still in the mood to talk,” he leaned back in the chair and put his feet up on the desk.

  “Alright,” she turned her chair to face him. “The EMP attack didn’t come from the ships, did it?”

  “No, it didn’t,” he said flatly.

  “So, if it didn’t come from them, how did it happen? Who was behind it?”

  “In 2001, Congress put together the EMP commission. Their job was to assess the threat of an EMP strike on the United States. In 2004, the commission came out with a fairly vague, rushed report that said, yes, there was a threat and this and that could happen. Like I said, it was kinda vague. Fast forward to 2008 and they released an updated version that was cleaner and more defined.”

  “Both reports detailed aggressors around the globe that had the ability and the will to make such an attack happen. Even with such knowledge, our government moved at a snail’s pace to try and build in some protections from such an attack. Progress was slow on some fronts, non-existent on others. Some of our Congress critters fought hard, and lost I might add, to get the American people some protection.”

  “Infrastructure upgrades crawled along. Military upgrades came but not much faster. The majority of congress was more worried about their pet projects than protecting anyone. For them, it was all about the mighty dollar. However, there was a very small group that could see even bigger dollar signs just falling into their deep pockets if an EMP ever happened.”

  “It was those very same people who were in bed with Allied Research Kollective and Ashton Blake. They were bought and paid for. It didn’t take them long to come up with a plan to use the Russian container missile system to launch such an attack. Problem was, the cruise missiles couldn’t get the altitude to set off the EMP they needed. That’s when they came up with the alternative plan.”

  “Everybody watched as North Korea put a satellite into space and the conspiracy theory folks went nuts’ they lost their ever-loving minds. Under their shiny tinfoil hats, they were positive it was an EMP weapon. The folks here, at the ARK, played that theory out. That’s when they started putting weapons aboard civilian satellites and launching them out of India. Believe it or not, when you got enough money, getting your hands on the tech and the weapons wasn’t that hard.”

  “They were disguised as GPS satellites and so on. While the congress critters were told that a “limited” EMP strike would be used, gotta promise them truckloads of money, right? The real agenda of the ARK was to detonate all 20 satellites and wipe out any and all technology that remained AFTER they unleashed the biological weapons. After all, it’s easier to control the remnants of civilization if they can’t communicate, travel and they are dire for help.”

  “Their projected date of the biological attack was supposed to be April 1st, 2017. Except they made a mistake that proved to be fatal for them. They killed my wife.”

  “You lost me. What happened to the 2017 date?”

  “Mel, I was number five in the ARK hierarchy. I knew everything they were planning.”

  “Okay?”

  “After I left the ARK, I let them think they killed me, but I should have been more diligent. I would have been content to live out my days as a nobody. I had been vaccinated and I’d left the ARK with enough vaccine to take care of all my people. At the time, I didn’t care about anybody else. They could take their chances for all I cared. Yet, somehow, they found me in Costa Rica. I don’t know if it was just dumb luck on their part or a screw up on mine, but the end result was the same. Olivia paid the price.”

  “What are you saying, Jack?”

  “After Olivia was murdered, I sent the girls home and I came out of retirement for one last mission; kill every one of these bastards. I came to the ARK when I knew Nate was on duty at the garage entrance. I told him he had 12 hours to get his people to safety, I was locking the place down. I slipped inside and set the timer to close the doors and not open again. I then walked right back out.”

  “One thing I will say; in my service to this country and in the service of the ARK, I made a lot of interesting friends. Two of those, a husband and wife hacking team, helped me with the next part of my plan. Dolus and Apate got me access to the satellites and I set a timer on them too. July 4th, 2016 was the day. Nine PM was the time....” his voice trailed off. Melissa stared, wide eyed and mouth open.

  “You.... Oh my God.... Jack…….” she stammered trying to catch her breath. “You....”

  “Yes, Melissa. I am responsible for the EMP attack that killed millions, billions, of people,” he admitted.

  “Why?” she whispered.

  “I warned them, I warned everyone for years that something like that could happen. I warned them and I warned them, but it always fell on deaf ears. People in every level of government all around the world were bought and paid for. As long as the money was coming in, they couldn’t give a crap about anyone or anything,” he sat up and pulled his feet from the desk. “It took me a lot of time to come to the conclusion that the only way a decent man could get a break was if all that evil were erased, eradicated.”

  “When they killed Olivia, I was blinded by rage. It was the only thing worth living for anymore. Rage and vengeance, that’s all that mattered. The night the EMP went off, we were scattering her ashes up at the falls. Her spirit had already been freed and we were freeing her mortal remains. That night, I too was freed from the weight I had been carrying around for a lifetime.”

  “All the angst and anticipation of when was gone. I pulled the trigger and gave the human race the reset it so severely needed. I faced two choices leading up to that night. Let Ashton Blake rule the world or give the real people back the reins. In my state of mind, there was only one choice that was acceptable. I’ll be honest, Mel. If I were faced with the choice today, I’d do it again.”

  “Do you have any idea how many people you killed!” she finally found her voice.

  “I do. The question is; how many more did I save?”

  “How.... HOW THE HELL CAN YOU SAY THAT!” she shouted as she came out of her chair.

  “I can ask that question because if I hadn’t done what I did, humanity would have been nearly choked to the point of extinction five months ago. Those that remained would be forced into eternal servitude to the elite, the ruling class. What I did saved lives, Mel!”

  “Jesus, Jack! You’ve lost your mind! You’ve.... You damn near killed your own sons!”

  “You can’t understand this, and I wouldn’t expect you to. Braden and Jason have only gotten stronger since the EMP! They have proven they have what it takes to survive, to thrive! They have earned their place in the
human race! Just as you have, Mel,” he argued. She began to pace the floor and then suddenly stopped.

  “Those people in the dossiers, they were the ones I wanted to bring to justice,” she pointed to the laptop. “When the entire time it’s you that needs to be brought in!”

  “Sit down, Mel. There is more that you need to know before you go off on some half-cocked plan,” he pointed to the chair. She defiantly crossed her arms and glared at him.

  “I should just get Captain Boone in here and have him arrest you!”

  “You won’t do that,” he glanced to the main screen. It was showing the ETA’s of the ships to their final destinations. “The last ship will arrive in 28 hours. Once all of them are in position, we will fire the missiles and then destroy them. That will end the existential threat. You will be on your way back to the ranch, Nate and his men will be on their way to their destinations, and I will be sealed inside this ARK. The air circulation pumps will be reversed, and all of the oxygen will be sucked out, much as it was the last time.”

  “You will have everything you need to go after the other ARK’s, and I will be free of this tormented life. You’ll have your justice on all fronts, and you won’t have to live with yourself for killing your ole uncle Jack. My son’s and my daughters will be free to live their lives without me breathing down their necks or looking over their shoulders for me.”

  “Oh, HELL NO, Jack! You ain’t getting off that easy! You don’t get the luxury of crawling into a hole to die peacefully! Not after all the people who’ve died because of you! You have to answer for this!”

  “There’s only one power I must answer to, Mel and that justice will be much swifter than anything you can arrange.”

  “Goddamn you, Jack!” Melissa spit the words out with venom.

  “More than likely,” he pushed himself out of the chair and headed for the door. Melissa pulled the gun from her waist and pointed it at his back.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” she demanded. He stopped and half turned to look at her.

  “I’m going to find some food and coffee. You gonna shoot me for that? Not exactly the brightest plan,” he turned and left the room. She stared at the closed door, her whole-body trembling. She sagged into the chair behind her, set the gun on the desk and began to cry like a small child. A child who’d just seen the boogeyman face to face.

  CHAPTER 23

  Tuesday, September 5th, 2017

  The Ranch.

  “It’s your call, Dan. You’re the boots on the ground in the city, you got a feel on how the locals are feeling, so it’s up to you,” I said into the microphone.

  “Like I said, the natives are restless, Jason. The crowd has been steadily growing all day and I’m starting to get worried. We’ve hauled damn near everything out of here and there ain’t a whole lot left. It’s my opinion that we just call it a day and let them have it,” Dan said from the warehouse in Elko.

  “Alright, Dan. Let me know when you’re pulling out and I’ll give Calvert a heads up. If he wants to send security people over there to secure the place, he can,” I sighed. Governor Jim Calvert had briefed the people of Elko about a possible pandemic at 8am, it was now 6pm and the panic was beginning to set in. I had the feeling Jim was going to have his hands full until he could reassert some calmness into the city.

  “Jason, we’re ready to roll out now, go ahead and make that call. Once we’re out of here, what’s left in the warehouse will be gone in minutes.”

  “Don’t leave just yet. Let me call Jim and I’ll get back to ya. Gimme five minutes,” I reached up and changed frequencies on the radio. “Governor Calvert, Sterling ranch. How copy?”

  “Sterling ranch, we’ve got you loud and clear. How can we help you?” a woman answered.

  “Is Jim close by? I need to talk to him.”

  “Hold one,” she instructed. I waited.

  “What’s up, Jason. I’m a bit busy,” Jim’s voice came from the speaker.

  “Jim, we’ve gotten just about everything out of the warehouse and the train depot. Whatever is left, belongs to you now. Thing is, you might want to get some people over to the warehouse. Dan’s telling me that a good size crowd has gathered, and they are starting to lose the warm fuzzy feeling, know what I mean?”

  “Great,” I could hear the sarcasm loud and clear. “I’ll see what I can do. My deputies are stretched thin cuz this kinda crap is happening all over the city. Can Dan give me 20, maybe 30 minutes to get someone over there?”

  “Let me see, hold on,” I switched channels again. “Dan, Jim wants to know if you can give him 30 minutes to get someone over there?”

  “We’ll stay as long as we can, no promises on 30 minutes.”

  “Okay, I’ll pass it along. If it turns hostile, get out. That’s an order, Major. If you have to bug out, contact Jim directly.”

  “Roger that, Colonel,” he responded, and I switched channels again.

  “Jim, Dan says he’ll stay as long as possible. I told him to leave if it goes south. That work?” I asked.

  Yeah, that works. Oh, Bill said you wanted to get together tonight?”

  “I think we need to get together with the other city and town leaders from the region and get a plan in play, don’t you?” I asked.

  “Yeah, we do. Any idea where we’re going to meet yet? What time?”

  “I don’t have an answer for either of those questions yet, Jim. As soon as I know, I’ll get you in the loop.”

  “Alright, Jason. Let’s pray we can hold all this shit together long enough to live through the end of the world, again. Calvert, out,” he signed off. I shook my head and sank back in my chair. I was in the middle of rubbing my eyes when I heard the door open behind me. I turned slightly to see Jill coming through it. She had a plate of food in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. After kicking the door closed, she set both on the desk.

  “Megan said you haven’t been in to get anything to eat all day,” she said matter-of-factly. “She also said; if ya don’t eat it all, she’d come over here and nag you until you did.”

  “Thank you, babe. I’m starving!” I slid my chair closer and picked a baked chicken breast off the plate.

  “Dan almost done?” she stepped around the desk, behind my chair and began to rub the tops of my shoulders and base of my neck.

  “Yeah, they should be pulling out with the last load in the next half hour. I hope it’s enough to get us through.”

  “We’ll make it work. The warehouse is bursting at the seams, ya can’t hardly get through the hallways underground and the cave is still packed with stuff from the last go-round. If we can’t make that last, we got bigger problems. You’ve done everything possible to get us ready for a long lockdown,” she reassured me.

  “I know, babe. Listen, I’ve been meaning to talk to you but just haven’t had the time,” I turned the chair so I could see her. “I talked to Tyler Banks this morning after I talked to Cory about his idea.”

  “And?”

  “Let’s just say that Banks isn’t too keen on the Sterling family name right now. I guess, Jack burned him somehow.”

  “He won’t let anyone come up there?” she asked.

  “He didn’t say no, but he didn’t say yes either. What I wanted to talk to you about was Cory’s idea of sending people, teams probably, out to some of the abandoned towns or towns with minimal populations.”

  “They’d be at a higher risk outside of these walls.”

  “I told him that. He seems to think that the risk would be acceptable. I mean, really, we don’t know if anybody will have a chance against this thing. He might be right to suggest that we split our forces. It might give us better odds.”

  “Kind of a crap shoot, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You thinking about doing it?”

  “I am and I’m going to bring it up when we get all of the regional leaders together, hopefully tonight. I think that if we spread our people out and they spread theirs out,
maybe we can get a higher survival rate,” I told her, she looked at me for a moment before giving her thoughts.

  “The only problem I see is that if one group gets in trouble, their backup will be too far away, or maybe too scared to give an assist.”

  “That’s a real possibility. One that I....” I was cut off by the radio.

  “Sterling ranch, Cessna 172, do you copy,” Jill and I exchanged a confused look.

  “Did he say Cessna 172? Isn’t that an airplane?” she asked.

  “Yeah, it is,” I picked up the mic. “Cessna 172, Sterling ranch, we’ve got you loud and clear. How can I help you?”

  “Jason, it’s Tyler, you got somewhere I can set this bird down out there or am I going to be landing in Elko?”

  “Uh, we’ve got a nice long flat driveway. Not sure what you need in the way of a runway....”

  “That’ll work. E.T.A. 12 minutes. Tell your knuckle draggers not to shoot at the little flying thingy. Cessna 172, out,” he signed off.

  “Knuckle draggers? He sounds like a real charmer,” Jill muttered as she shook her head.

  “He’s direct, I’ll give him that,” I said and picked up the mic for compound communications. “All hands, heads up, small aircraft inbound. He’s friendly, I repeat, he’s friendly. Break, Isabella, would you take a squad from Wraith and greet our guest?”

  “Will do,” she replied immediately.

  “Thanks. He will be putting down on the road to the ranch,” I hung the mic back up and looked at my wife. “I didn’t know we were having visitors this evening, sorry.”

  “Sorry, ‘bout what?”

  “If I’d known he was coming, maybe we could’ve put on some nice clothes and cleaned the place up a little,” I said with a grin.

  “Hey, I’ve got my best fatigues on and if he doesn’t like it, I don’t care,” she smiled back.