Families First: A Post Apocalyptic Next-World Series Volume 4 Hard Roads

by Lance K Ewing

He paused as the husband and wife walked through the door.

  “It’s all right, Mac,” said Mr. MacDonald. “I think what’s he means to say is that the wife and I have stashed plenty of supplies for a situation just like we find ourselves in now, with no more power.

  “Anyway, we’ve got enough food, guns and ammo for more than we could ever need ourselves, and if it gets into the wrong hands up there, we all are going to have even bigger problems. I’ve got a few canisters of tear gas that would have come in handy, but the whole thing happened so fast that I couldn’t get to them.”

  “Yes, he’s right,” Mac continued. “And lastly, whether they are armed like they are now or they find the extras, we can’t have hostile people living so close to us.”

  “It’s only a matter of time before this escalates into something much bigger than it already is,” chimed in Cory.

  “How do we play this?” asked one of the security men.

  “Thank you all for being here, gentlemen,” said John, ending the conversation for now. “It looks to be about breakfast time. Let’s meet back here in, let’s say, two hours.”

  * * * *

  All broke for breakfast, and John asked Mac, Cory, Patty and Rico to stay back.

  “Now would be a good time to meet with the council on this before we get any further,” he stated.

  “I’ll work on breakfast for everyone if you would like to meet in the private dining room,” suggested Rico.

  He was referring to the soundproof meeting room underground in the Pavilion, which also doubled as an eating area when needed.

  “Yes, and I’ll help,” called out Patty. “I need something to do besides just worrying.”

  “Breakfast for ten will be served in exactly one hour,” stated Rico.

  * * * *

  The council was contacted and assembled in the cozy room with a single boardroom-style table in the middle and 15 chairs tucked in neatly around it. Every chaired was identical, with neither end having one, and there were never assigned or assumed seating arrangements.

  John waited until the last person sat before taking the closest open chair. He stated what he knew to the council with Samuel, the only member of The West’s community present.

  He gave Mac the floor to tell what he and Cory knew firsthand, and then it was open for questions and discussion.

  A woman in her late 60s, and one of the most respected on the council for peacemaking, asked the obvious question.

  “Is there a chance, once we get the boy back of course, that our groups can peacefully coincide with theirs without resorting to violence?”

  “That’s up to them,” replied Bill. “Sure, I believe that’s what we all here want, but the leader of their outfit, Ralph, has shown a history of violent acts, with little to no remorse, against not only our group but Samuel’s as well.”

  Samuel nodded his head yes without saying a word.

  “Now I’m not saying,” Bill continued, “that we can’t try to be diplomatic and talk things out. It’s always worth a try,” he added, being careful not to compare this situation with the one recently, involving Drake and his family.

  “So, the Miller boy, he’s on our side now, right?” asked another member.

  “Yes, that’s correct,” interjected Cory. “We were able to come to a mutual understanding of sorts, but not before blood was spilled on both sides. The difference here is that we have many more people to worry about, and that includes women and children.”

  “Anyone who remembers the incident just outside of Waco, Texas, that had the ATF, FBI and US military with the Texas Rangers, involving the Branch Davidians led by David Koresh, back in 1993, knows how quickly things can get out of hand,” said Mac. “Twenty children died on the last day of the almost two-month standoff. It gets complicated when the leader hides amongst women and children.”

  “The bottom line for their leader, Ralph, is that he says he wants Patty back, and we can’t let that happen,” said John. “It would go against everything we stand for here in this valley.”

  Samuel once again nodded his head in agreement without speaking.

  Mac and Cory both got the idea that John was prepping the council for the right decision to be voted on.

  “Mac and Cory, if you will please excuse us for a few minutes?” asked John.

  “Sure, we will be down the hall if you need us,” replied Mac, happy to be out of the stuffy room and eager to move things forward.

  John, Bill and Samuel continued talking to the council and secured a unanimous vote on the next steps.

  * * * *

  Mac and Cory met Patty outside in the hall, getting breakfast ready.

  “Thank you, Mac,” she said, “for trying to rescue my son. No mother should ever have to worry about her child being with his father.”

  “I can assure you,” replied Mac in a low voice, “that he is my top priority, and I will move heaven and earth to get him back.”

  “I know you will,” she replied tearfully.

  “It’s going to be bad, isn’t it?” asked Cory once she was gone.

  “Unless Ralph dies from his injuries, I’m afraid it will be. And it might be me who has to do it.”

  John invited them both back in the room, asking once again if any council members had additional questions or concerns.

  “All concerns, but no additional questions,” remarked one, getting a head nod from the others.

  “Okay, gentleman,” John continued. “As the leads in our security team, we are asking that you come up with a few plans, based on possible hypothetical circumstances, by the end of today. We all want the boy back quickly, but we can’t risk going in like a swarm of locusts, destroying everything in our path.”

  Mac resisted the urge to try and calm their nerves. “Thank you,” he said, and grabbed Cory’s shoulder to leave.

  “I guess we’re done in there?” asked Cory once they were both outside.

  “Yes, the longer we stay, the more complicated it gets,” replied Mac. “Right now, we just need a few good plans.”

  * * * *

  Meeting back with the security team, Mac picked out six men to meet in another location. Two were Cory’s former officers, one male and one female. Drake was chosen for his knowledge of the area, and Cameron just because he wanted him close to his dad. The last two were from Samuel’s team, as observation and report-only positions.

  Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald were invited to attend, with only him showing. “Sorry about the Mrs.,” he explained. “She’s a bit unsettled at the moment, and these sorts of plans don’t help any.”

  Cory had a large white marker board, similar to the one he had used for so many years at the precinct, standing in the middle of the room lit only by sunlight through the windows on either side.

  “All right, Security Team,” said Mac. “Cory and I have handpicked this group for a very important mission.”

  He got lost for a minute during his flawless speech to rally the troops, and he was reminded of the speeches his coaches would give on his little league team as a kid.

  It’s pretty much the same thing, he thought, except we’re not going to have fun and miss a pitch here, and you don’t go home.

  I asked Drake to draw a detailed map of the area of concern… “Mr. MacDonald, is there anything missing?”

  “Well, now let me see,” he replied, coming closer. He mumbled to himself. “Got that…there’s that, right over there,” as he was pointing to various structures and landmarks.

  Pausing to look at Drake, Mr. MacDonald asked, “How did you know all that?”

  “Well, sir, Mac and Cory had me watch out over the property for nearly a whole day. Plus, I got some more information when I tried to save the boy.”

  Truth be told, Drake and his brother had observed the property for hours on end some days, testing their skills at being undetected. Hoping it would be the end of the questioning, he asked Mac if there were any other landmarks he wanted on the board.

  “Sh
ow us what we’ve got so far,” Mac replied.

  Drake ran through the map, starting at Saddle Ranch, including roads, deer trails, streams, and open meadows.

  Mr. MacDonald reached for a green marker.

  “This one works good,” said Drake, holding out a black one.

  “I see,” said Mr. MacDonald. “It’s the black marker for the black guy, huh?”

  “No, sir. I…umm…I didn’t mean anything by it. It just writes better is all.”

  “Willie Reginald MacDonald,” came a stern voice from behind. “You had better knock that off right this instant.”

  “I was just playing around a bit, Mama,” he said to Mrs. MacDonald.

  “Don’t you ‘Mama’ me!”

  “Yes. Yes, ma’am,” he replied quietly.

  “These fine folks here are trying to help us get our home back, and your sarcasm is not welcome, I’m sure,” said Mrs. MacDonald. “Isn’t that right, Mac and Officer Lerner?”

  “Well, ma’am…” said Cory, fumbling.

  “There’s no need to reply. Now let’s get down to business here,” she commanded.

  Mac looked at Cory and realized he had never seen Mrs. MacDonald outside of her home and had only spoken with Mr. MacDonald on the occasions he was up the mountain and found him sitting on his front porch.

  She’s a real firecracker, he thought. I like her.

  “What have we got so far?” she continued.

  “Well, Mrs. MacDonald, we...”

  “Drake, please call me ‘ma’am.’ It’s quicker, and we’ll get along just fine.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied nervously.

  He showed her the board, and Mr. MacDonald drew in the underground basement with the extra supplies.

  “Don’t forget my cellar,” she added, grabbing the marker out of her husband’s hand.

  “It’s right about here,” she said, drawing a quick square. “I swear to the good Lord above, if those folks up there get into my vegetable cellar, they are going to wish they had kept on moving.”

  It dawned on Cory why Mr. MacDonald might try to keep his wife away from this meeting. She was taking charge, and he was pretty sure she ran their home in the same way.

  Hearing for the first time about Joshua, she wanted to know everything.

  “Mac, Cory, let’s get that boy back to his mother first, before anything else.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” they both replied. “We are working on that very thing.”

  “Thank you,” she replied. “Let’s go, Willie, and leave these folks to their work.”

  “Whoa!” mouthed Cory as they walked out the door.

  “Can we add her to the security team?” asked Cameron, getting some laughs and a thoughtful look from both his dad and Mac.

  “I’ll bet she would pass the training,” replied Mac, with a straight face. “Let’s get back to the plans, everyone.”

  Three plans were made, with all assuming Ralph was still alive.

  Mac and Cory called Bill to ask for a meeting with the council right after lunch.

  * * * *

  “Thank you for coming back so soon with plans, gentlemen,” said John, as they gathered with the council.

  “Have we heard any news from the group on the hill?” asked a member.

  “No, not so far,” replied Mac.

  “Plan number one is for me and Cory to approach the compound unarmed, but covered from the cliff, and try to negotiate for Joshua and see what we are dealing with.

  “Plan number two is more aggressive but still not deadly. Tear gas from Willie’s, I mean Mr. MacDonald’s, basement. It’s probably enough to drive them all outside, but not enough to make them leave entirely.

  “Plan number three is a worst-case scenario at best. It requires a forceful removal of all persons on the premises, with clear instructions of the consequences if they return anywhere in this valley. This plan could quite easily end up looking like the Waco incident, even if we are careful. Are there any questions?” asked Mac.

  Nobody raised their hand or spoke up.

  “Okay, then Cory and I will be right outside when you’re ready.”

  * * * *

  They stepped out of the room and waited in the front grassy area. The smell of marijuana was in the air, but they couldn’t tell where it was originating from.

  “Smoke travels,” said Cory. “That’s why we never bothered busting anyone for smoking it in public when I was Chief, as long as they were discreet and not around children. Walk around outside in Denver before the day, and you can’t get the smell off of you. Secondhand smoke was always a concern down there with officers I spoke to when random drug tests were administered.”

  “I bet,” replied Mac, “and I’m sure John is not going to be happy smelling this—Samuel either.”

  “I’ll stick to the occasional Scotch and whisky any day,” said Cory.

  Twenty minutes later, they were asked to return inside.

  * * * *

  “We have discussed the three options with the council and opened the discussion for any more,” said John. “None of the additionally proposed options were feasible overall, and we have decided on option one, to start, with some mild to moderate changes. We can’t have our number one and number two security men both in harm’s way at the same time. It’s not fair to everyone else, including Samuel’s group. It’s your decision who goes, Mac, but considering your history with Ralph, we’re not sure you are right for the job.

  “Next, Samuel has a woman down at the West who worked with the FBI for many years across the East Coast in hostage negotiations. She came to this valley five or so years ago after losing a child during tense negotiations with a crazed man. After that, she chose to retire and get away from her former life. Samuel has informed me she has no aspirations of joining the security team, but she does know both Patty and Joshua and has offered her expertise, only if absolutely needed. We feel unanimous that her experience is needed in this situation.

  “Lastly, Drake knows the area better than anybody else, we’re told, and we would like him to be involved as well. I know we’ve come a long way with him in a short amount of time, and we here are not all on the same page with this, but enough of us want him involved, including Bill and me.”

  “I’ll do it!” spoke up Cory. “Drake and I can take the former agent from Samuel’s group, and Mac with a few others can cover us from the cliff.”

  “What if they recognize the Miller boy from the rescue attempt?” asked a councilwoman.

  “It doesn’t matter,” responded Mac respectfully. “The situation is still the same. We want the boy back and for them to move on down the road. We will get everyone together and on the same page for initial contact, late tomorrow morning,” he added.

  * * * * * * *

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Saddle Ranch

  Loveland, Colorado

  Mac and Cory went to work on the idea, meeting with the former agent later in the afternoon. She was pleasant but direct.

  “My name is, or was, Agent Lee, but everybody just calls me Yin, since they can’t pronounce my first name. I was born and raised in South Korea, first coming to America on a visa at age 17. I became a citizen officially when I was 19 and attended Boston College, graduating with a communications degree at 25. I applied for the FBI’s special-agent program at age 27 and served more than my 20-year requirement for retirement.

  “My last case was negotiating for a boy, not much older than Joshua, being held by a man with nothing to lose, who had a history of violence with children. We did everything by the book, no mistakes, and couldn’t save him. I still remember everything about that day, like it was yesterday.

  “It was my last case on the job. I just couldn’t do it anymore. So, I’m not here to join your security team or anything like that, but I will help you get my new friend’s son back. I will instruct you on the very basics of negotiating with a hostile person; but remember, it’s just the basics because time is not on our s
ide. And lastly, I will not be heading up the mountain with you.”

  “We appreciate the help,” said Mac, “and we can head up there first thing tomorrow morning…”

  “What?” Cory asked, as he got a look from Yin.

  “The longer we wait,” she said, “the more likely we are of not bringing him back alive.” Cory nodded his head in agreement. “She’s right,” he concurred. “It has to be now.”

  “Okay,” said Mac, thinking he should radio Sarah first.