The Ranch

by Sean Liscom

  “Thank you, Nate,” she stuck out her hand and he took it.

  “It didn’t seem right to send you back all that way by yourself so, I took the liberty of finding a volunteer to drive you,” he looked across the hood of the Jeep at a hulk of a man who was saying goodbye to a group of children.

  “I don’t need a driver. I’ll be fine.”

  “He insisted and would you want to tell a man that large no? Me neither. Marcus!” he called out. When the man turned around, he was all smiles. “You ready to take her home?”

  “Yes, sir!” he exclaimed rounding the front of the rig. He stuck his hand out and Melissa took it.

  “Melissa Lange.”

  “Marcus Thompson. Happy to meet you ma’am.”

  Tuesday, September 6th, 2017

  The Ranch.

  I was seated at the head of the table looking longingly at the empty seat at the far end. Braden hadn’t been gone but six hours and I already found myself missing him. Megan was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the last meal she would prepare for us. That stung a little too. She was going to be leaving with Specter and Wolf teams in about an hour. Kari’s best estimate put them at the Ambrose ranch within five days and only then could I relax a little knowing they were safe.

  Megan had made the decision to leave Kalin with us. Without Braden’s input, I knew it was a very hard decision for her to make. Definitely not one I’d want to make. I reassured her numerous times that we’d take care of her and she could use the radio anytime she wanted. While Kalin was excited at the prospect of staying here, I could see the anguish in Megan’s eyes. I was beginning to feel bad about even putting the option on the table in the first place.

  I was jarred from my thoughts when Isabella and Kari came into the room. Both sat in the chairs they had occupied when my father was here. The empty chair between them suddenly became very obvious. Judging by the way they looked at the void, they felt it too. I barely knew these girls and I was about to tell them our father was dead. No sense in putting off the inevitable I thought as I cleared my throat.

  “Jack’s dead,” I heard myself say coldly.

  “Melissa?” Kari asked instantly.

  “I don’t know. There is hope but I don’t know how much. In his last transmission, he said he hoped she made it out in time. He didn’t know if she did or not. That’s all I can tell you. I’m sorry.”

  “What happened to the ARK?” Isabella asked.

  “Ya know, I could sit here and try to explain it, but I think it’d be best if you went down and had Bill play the video back. At least then you’ll know exactly what I know,” I offered. Neither moved from their chairs. Kari wiped a single tear from her eye and took a deep breath. After blowing it out slowly, she spoke.

  “I’ll take you at your word, brother. I shall also hold the hope close to my heart and fan the tiny flame with my breath. I have to believe she made it and she is on her way here, as we speak,” she took another deep breath. “As far as our father goes.... I can only hope he was at peace with his maker and was prepared to answer for the things he had done. It’s not our place to judge him nor should we even try.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you any more than I already do. The longer we spend trying to figure him out, the longer we reside in the past. None of us have time for that now. All we can do is play the hand we’ve been dealt,” I said.

  “And play the shit out of it we shall,” she smiled and stood. “We’re jumping off at 1730 hours. Will you be there to see us off?”

  “I will. I’m pretty sure all of us will be there.”

  “Make me one promise, brother.”

  “What?”

  “Should Melissa return here after our departure, please keep her safe.”

  “I will. I promise. Can you make me a promise?” she greeted my question with a smile.

  “Yes. I will keep our brother and his family safe. Megan, Allison and Braden will be my mission priority.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, I have a mission to finish preparing for, so please excuse me,” she turned sharply and strode out of the room. I turned my attention to Isabella.

  “We will be having some visitors for this early dinner. Could you do me the honor of assuming Braden’s seat?”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m 100% positive. You are the one who will be the yin to my yang. You will need to say what’s on your mind, even if contradicts what I say or think. You are my counterbalance just as I will be yours. We’re a team that way. This is your chance to shine and make yourself heard for who you are.”

  “Jason, I don’t know if I can be all of that....”

  “I know you can. I have faith in you,” I finished as I heard the front door open. I stood and motioned her to her place. I turned toward the doorway as Cowboy and his men filed into the room. All of them were clean shaven and wearing the same uniforms. They were the old desert storm era fatigues Major Jackson had scrounged up from somewhere.

  “Quite the place you have, Mr. Sterling,” Cowboy commented.

  “Thanks. Won’t you all sit at my table and join me, my wife and my sister for a meal?” totally unplanned but right on que, Jill came down the stairs. She moved to her seat next to mine and shot Isabella a small smile. The 11 men took their seats just as Megan was bringing out the platter of baked chicken. Their eyes were wide as if they hadn’t seen this much food in a long while. She followed the chicken up with corn on the cob, green beans and baked potatoes.

  “Why are you being so nice to us?” one man spoke up.

  “Eat first, then we will get down to business. Okay?” I saw the furtive glance from Cowboy and the man who asked the question just nodded.

  We ate in near silence. There was the occasional clank from a glass or the scrape of a fork on a dish, but no words were spoken. Every once in a while, I’d catch a glance from Jill as she was still trying to figure out what was going on. When I finished the last bite from my plate, I stood, picked up my dishes and offered to take her empty plate. She looked at me curiously but handed it and her fork over. Taking them into the kitchen, I washed them off and put them in the dish drainer. Moments later, the others did the same. I poured my self a cup of coffee from the decanter and leaned back in my chair when the last dish had been washed.

  “Was that so hard?” I asked loudly and was met with blank stares.

  “Was what so hard?” Cowboy asked, confused.

  “You all just sat here and had what was probably the best meal you’ve had in a long time. When you were done, you did the respectful thing and washed your own dishes. Now you are enjoying my coffee. Was it so hard to sit here and be civilized? Was it so hard to act like human beings?”

  “I…. We....” he stammered.

  “Look at yourselves. You’re clean, you’re fed, and you were all invited into my house. If I had to guess, I’d be willing to say you have found that this experience has bordered on pleasurable. Probably a little tense but pleasurable none the less,” I could see heads starting to nod on either side of the table. “Now you’re a little nervous waiting for the other boot to drop, aren’t ya,” more nods.

  “Here’s the game,” I began after taking a sip of coffee. “None of you will be allowed to stay here. You will be allowed to return from time to time but living here is not an option and being able to return is dependent on the decisions you make outside of these walls. When I told you earlier that I was tired of all the bullshit, I was serious. What I want you to do is spread the word.”

  “What do you mean?” a lean, red-haired man asked.

  “I mean that in your travels, you will tell anyone that may have any inclination of attacking the ranch that they will be met with overwhelming and deadly force. No questions asked. We will simply kill them and let the coyotes feed on their carcasses. Anyone that feels the need to be anything other than civilized, will be hunted down and destroyed. That doesn’t just go for this ranch. If any other bastion of civili
zation is attacked, we will be there to eliminate the aggressors. Am I clear?”

  “So, you want us to find other coalition forces and spread the word, right?” Cowboy asked.

  “Yes, but there’s more. When you come across peaceful settlements, you will behave just as you’ve behaved this afternoon. If word gets back to me that one of you has stepped out of line, you will be made an example of. Trust me when I say; you don’t want that to happen. Anyway, when you come across the peaceful settlements, you will let them know that we will stand with them. Should they call us, we’ll be there to assist.”

  “There is also another option available to you. Should you leave here this afternoon and decide you want nothing to do with any of that, you can always hunt a place to hold up and call it home. There are abandoned homes, farms and ranches as far as the eye can see out there. You can decide to work for a living and make something of yourselves. Either way, I don’t really care what you do as long as you don’t cross me.”

  “You said something about returning here every so often, what’s that about?” this was cowboy again.

  “Should you choose the option of spreading the word, you will be allowed to return here every so often to resupply. Again, living here ain’t gonna happen.”

  “I see. So, our options are that we can take our chances with the outlaws, turn a piece of dirt into our own or just leave and never come back? On top of all that, we have to worry about getting the plague or some crap like it?”

  “You’ll be vaccinated against the plague, as you called it, before you walk out of that gate, but I think you pretty much summed it up,” I took another sip of coffee. “There are 11 packs and the weapons you had on you when you came here today. You’ll have food, water, shelter and spare ammo for your weapons. You’ll be given a second chance, an opportunity to do the right thing for once. What you did in the past, it no longer matters. Right here, right now, the slate is being wiped clean for you. What you choose to do with that is entirely up to you.”

  “Will we get our cars back?”

  “No, you won’t. You’ll leave here on foot. In each pack you will find 10 silver pieces. You can trade those plus some labor for a horse or whatever your preferred mode of transportation is. Or, you could save them for something more important,” I glanced at my watch. “Whatever you choose to do is up to you. Either way, you’ll be asked to leave here in the next thirty minutes. You have your second chance, the rest is up to you,” I signaled the meeting was over when I stood up. Everyone else rose from their chairs and the men began to file out of my house. I started to follow but Jill stopped me when she grabbed my arm.

  “Thank you,” she hugged me tightly when she said it. I returned the embrace just as firmly.

  “You’re welcome. I hope it was enough to get them pointed in the right direction.”

  “Maybe, maybe not but you gave them the chance. That’s all I wanted. You stepped away from the edge and that means even more to me than everything else.”

  CHAPTER 31

  Tuesday, September 6th, 2017

  The Ranch.

  By the time Jill and I followed the men out of the house, Doc Williams, the senior, was nearly done administering their vaccinations. One by one, the men walked toward the front gate where they retrieved their pack and weapons. One by one they walked out, each taking a slightly different direction. Cowboy was the last to leave but not before thanking me. After a hearty handshake, he started to turn away.

  “Hey.”

  “Yes?” he stopped and turned back to me. I removed his hat from my head and handed it to him.

  “That belongs to you,” he took it from me and set it atop his head.

  “I can’t speak for those guys, but I’ll do everything I can to make the most of what you’ve given me. If it weren’t for your honor, I’d be out there at room temperature right about now. Thank you,” he tipped his hat and walked away. After collecting his things at the gate, he walked out without looking back.

  I could see everyone from the teams loading into their vehicles, so Jill and I made our way to the lead vehicle. Kari was sitting in the passenger seat giving her map another look. When she saw us approaching, she opened the door and got out. I spent the next five minutes saying good bye to her. It ended with a hug and a few eye rubs from all of us. I’d just met the woman, but I felt like I’d known her forever.

  When Jill and I moved to the next rig, Isabella said her goodbyes to her sister. The process was repeated over and over until Jill and I had said our personal goodbyes to every man and woman who was leaving. When the doors on the last vehicle closed, Jill and I were standing on the sidewalk in front of the medical building. It was such a pleasant afternoon for such a somber event. Kalin, Luke and Tara joined us as we watched the trucks drive away. Deep down, I knew I’d never see some of those people again.

  There was a slight breeze and the only sound to be heard was the clanking of the clips that held the American flag on the pole behind us. Even it quieted as the last rig pulled through the gate. I put my hand on Tara’s shoulder as the gate began to close. You could have heard a pin drop at that very moment. So much activity, so much strife and it was all silenced in anticipation. When the loud, metallic clank reached my ears, I wanted to do nothing but collapse in defeat right where I stood. I forced the lump in my throat down and knelt in front of Tara and Luke.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop this from happening,” I had to stop before I let my voice crack in front of them. Clearing my throat, I started again. “There is only one thing that matters to me, you’re alive. You will survive when many others won’t. I’ve kept you safe and I’ll continue to keep you safe. I’m sorry it had to be like this though,” I started to choke up again. Instead of trying to talk, I gave both kids a big hug. It was as much for them as it was for me. A moment later, Jill joined in and we just stayed like that for a few minutes.

  After the crowd dispersed and Jill had taken the kids back to the house, I made my way to the above ground security shack. Dan was sitting behind the desk just kinda zoned out and staring at the ceiling. I sat across from him and our eyes met. It was as if there was an entire, silent conversation taking place. It was a full minute before either of us spoke a word. I was the one to put a voice to what we were both thinking.

  “We did the right thing.”

  “I know. I’ve just never taken kindly to getting my ass kicked,” he absentmindedly rubbed his black and blue face.

  “What we’re doing is going to save lives.”

  “You do know that we’ll lose a few of our own in the process, right?”

  “Yeah, I know. I can already tell you; this week will be filled with nightmares about it. Who’s gonna make it home and who won’t....” my voice trailed off.

  “That and who will we lose here. Even if we don’t get attacked, even if there are no big glorious battles, there’s no resupply coming. Who’s going to die because of a stupid accident? What happens when we run out of medications and fuel? What happens when the propane runs out and all the wood is gone for the fireplaces?”

  “This is going to make the EMP look like a stroll at the park, ain’t it?”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “Then we need to start figuring it out now.”

  “Where to start though?” Dan asked.

  “I figure it’s like eating an elephant.”

  “One bite at a time?”

  “One bite at a time my friend. One bite at a time....”

  Wednesday, September 7th, 2017

  I’d relieved Isabella of the night watch at seven that morning. After getting my coffee and plopping down at the desk, I opened my notebook and began to build on the notes I’d made the night before. After my talk with Dan, I realized just how vulnerable we were. All of our successes, all of our preparations and all of our technology could very well be our downfall. Everything we had was a finite resource and we needed to start treating it as such.

  I’d already had one me
eting this morning with my brother-in-law, Dale. That happened at 5am and we discussed what it would take to feed everyone solely off what we were able to harvest. I was told that it would be possible, but we would need to go nearly all in with our current seed supply. Wheat would be our biggest crop and we’d still come up short that first year, possibly even the second year. God forbid we have a bad harvest.

  After discussing the crops, we turned to the livestock. Our meat consumption would need to slow for at least a year while our breeding program was kicked into overdrive. That wasn’t just for the meat animals. Our horse herd would need to grow exponentially too. As fuel and parts began to run out, we would rely on horses more and more. A quick fix to that would to begin rounding up some of the wild horses that called eastern Nevada home. Then we’d have to find someone to domesticate them. I sure as hell wasn’t going to. I’d leave that to the professional cowboys.

  “Rogue, Wraith 2-1,” the radio squawked from behind me. I leaned back and picked up the mic.

  “Go, 2-1.”

  “Single vehicle approaching on the main driveway. Looks to be one of our Jeeps with two occupants.”

  “Copy, on my way,” I set the mic down, took a quick swig of coffee and headed out the door. I was throwing my body armor on as I approached the guard shack. If that wasn’t one of our Jeeps coming up the drive, it was sure a good imposter. I glanced back to the parking lot to see both of ours still parked there.

  The Jeep sputtered to a stop 30 or 40 feet shy of the gate and both doors opened. Melissa Lange stepped from the passenger side. She was all bandaged up and she looked like hell, but it was her. I reached into the guard shack and hit the button to open the gate. When I looked back out, I froze when the second person climbed out from the driver’s seat. His was a face I believed I’d never lay eyes on again. Marcus Thompson was standing there larger than life. He looked over at Melissa and I heard him say “I told ya we had enough gas!” both of them chuckled a little. Melissa greeted me with a one-armed hug. When she stepped back, she was looking at the ground.