Options Are Good

by Jerry D. Young

  Colin screamed again, facing the house. “You just signed your family’s death warrant, Longhammer! Just like this punk that talked me into giving you my stuff. And that boy of yours will get the same thing! You hear me! The same thing for talking him into it! But that girl of yours! I’ve got special plans for her! Yes, I do! She’ll live a long time, while you watch what I do to her! Only then will you die. Nice and slow, too.”

  Pointing the pistol toward the house, even though it was out of sight, Colin emptied the magazine of 9mmP rounds in that direction.

  Angus, Bob, Junior, Bandy, and Ana-Bella watched the monitor as Colin marched toward his truck, his men scurrying before him. Colin paused only once, to swing another kick at the dead Boots, before getting into the truck, firing it up, and pulling away, his men holding on tightly in the back of the truck.

  “He’s gone totally over the edge,” Ana-Bella managed to whisper, struggling to hold back the bile that was trying to rise in her throat.

  “And no telling what he might do next,” Angus said. “What if he does that to someone else?” He was looking at Junior. “Out of spite for what I’ve done?”

  Junior murmured a shaken “Excuse me,” and ran for a bathroom to throw up. The other’s heard the retching before the door swung closed.

  “You can’t blame yourself for Colin’s actions,” Bandy said.

  “He’s right, Angus.” Bob added his words to Bandy’s, trying to get Angus to put the thought that he was responsible for what had happened, or might happen to others. “That man is totally nuts. There is no telling what he will do. But you can’t let yourself take on the responsibility of what he might do. It will drive you nuts.”

  “Or,” Bandy said softly, “cause you to do something that will endanger your family or others in trying to avoid that guilt. It isn’t your fault. Colin would have found someone to do what he wanted.

  “Someone not as capable as you and your family to see and understand what he was and is and prevent him from doing the worst he could do. It could be ten times worse right now if he had snookered someone else into doing what he tried to get you to do.”

  June, Magdalene and Desiree came back into the main room of the shelter. Desiree was still shaking as if she was cold. Angus moved over and put an arm around her. “Is it over?” Desiree whispered.

  “Yes,” Ana-Bella said gently. “Why don’t you and I go get something ready for supper?”

  “I’m not very hungry,” Desiree said.

  “Nor am I,” a pale faced Junior added as he stepped back into the room, too.

  “Perhaps not, but doing something is better than not doing anything,” June said. “We all need to be doing something right now. Not dwelling on what happened.”

  “Yeah,” Junior said. “I think I’ll try to do some homework. I don’t want to get too far behind on my studies.”

  “I’ll help you with that,” June said. She’d started the two youngest members of the group on a home schooling program early on in the shelter stay.

  “And I think I’ll help in the kitchen,” Magdalene added as the group began to break up.

  “If you will excuse me,” said Bandy, “I’m going to see what else I can find out on the Amateur bands.”

  Angus and Bob eyed one another. “I think we need to discuss a few things,” Bob said quietly. The two moved over to one corner of the room and sat down, almost knee to knee, while Bandy took a seat at the Longhammer shelter communications desk.

  The first thing Bandy did was warn the employees at the Sheridan Ranch that Colin might be out and about, with murder on his mind. Bob had put Brewster Amhurst in charge of the place for whenever the family was not there to take command of any situation that came up.

  Amhurst was ex-US military. Retired as a Captain in the Quartermaster Corps, after years of front line combat duties, and an acknowledged expert on working horses, Brewster pretty much ran the place for Bob, anyway. But Bob did oversee everything with a close eye.

  Easy going most of the time, those that worked at the Sheridan Ranch knew that Amhurst could exhibit the hard nose command abilities required when needed, and respected him for that. And he was a major part of the reason almost all of the employees continued to work for the Ranch. Not only was he a good boss, but he knew what was needed to handle the current situation, using the personnel at the Ranch to the best of their abilities.

  So Bandy was secure in the knowledge that if Colin did show up at the Sheridan Ranch the way he had here at the Longhammer’s, that things would be handled well.

  Bandy was still trying to gather information from the Amateur Network that was operating when Bob came over, with Angus, and told Bandy, “Bandy, Magdalene, Ana-Bella, and I are headed back over to the Ranch. What are your plans?”

  Bandy waivered for a moment. He felt a responsibility to Angus and the Longhammer family. But Colin had already been here, and the Longhammer’s were well ensconced in the shelter. As long as they stayed where they were, they would be all right.

  It wasn’t all that far between the two ranches, but with Colin in the mood he was in, Bandy wasn’t going to take a chance on the Sheridan’s being ambushed on the way home.

  He caught the relieved look on Bob’s face when Bandy said, “I’m going to escort you guys over. Then I’ll decide what to do after that. I’m thinking…” He let his words trail off when the others joined the three of them.

  “Well, I’m not sure about what I’ll do, but we can get going any time you’re ready, Bob.” Bandy caught the look that Ana-Bella gave him. She, like her father, looked a bit relieved, but it was tempered with some anxiety, as well. For him, not herself or her family.

  “I will check the monitors while you all get ready,” Angus said, moving over to the chair that Bandy had just left.

  Bandy looked at Ana-Bella for a moment, then over at Bob. “I’m going out to scout around and get my truck ready.”

  Ana-Bella was about to protest, but Junior asked, “What do you have to do to get your truck ready? It’s even parked on the garage apron, headed down the drive.”

  The others all saw the look that went over Bandy’s face for a fraction of a second. It was a look that Angus had seen before. A feral look.

  Bandy didn’t go into details, but did respond to Junior’s question, more to make sure none of the families every tried to use his truck for something without making arrangements with him, first. “I have a few surprises for anyone trying anything with the truck. It does take me a minute or so to disarm… well, deactivate what is activated and reactivate what is inactivated.”

  Junior obviously wanted to know more. And Ana-Bella was curious. But Bandy was already over at the inner blast door of the shelter. “I will radio when I’m ready.” He looked over at Angus.

  “Looks all clear, Hawkins,” Angus said. “But I am discovering a couple of holes in the surveillance we need to address.”

  “Okay,” Bandy said. He un-dogged the blast door and went through. As they’d all been taught, Junior immediately closed and dogged it shut again before Bandy opened the outer blast door.

  Ana-Bella hurriedly got her things together and went over to stand behind Angus to watch the security monitors. She could see Bandy almost the entire time he was moving around the house, checking things out. She wished he would draw his gun and have it ready, but he was simply moving cautiously, obviously ready to draw if needed.

  Then Bandy disappeared. He left the view of one camera and didn’t show up on the next in line.

  “I think he found one of the holes,” Angus said quietly.

  “Where is he?” Ana-Bella asked, leaning forward now, studying each monitor in turn.

  “Well, if he stayed in the blind spot, he’s right here,” Angus said, pointing to a spot on the map of the grounds that was on the wall over the monitors with all the cameras and sensors marked on it.

  “Wait! There he is! How did he get over there?” Ana-Bella asked.

  “That boy is good,” Bob said
.

  Angus agreed. “He scoped the vulnerable spots out in just a couple of minutes. I definitely have to fix that.”

  Everyone jumped when the short range radio broke squelch. They hadn’t seen Bandy lift his radio up.

  “Good to go. Give me thirty seconds to get into position and then come on out.”

  “Let’s go, Sweetheart,” Bob said, taking the canvas bag from his wife that had a few things she’d brought over for the Sheriff to use. She was closer in size to her than June was. The bag was now partially filled with some things the Longhammer’s would use if they had to come to the Sheridan shelter.

  Ana-Bella took a long last look at the monitor, losing sight of Bandy again, before she hurried over to the shelter main entrance. Junior was right there to operate the door for them.

  They were in Bob’s pickup, Ana-Bella in the front passenger seat of the big crew cab one-ton four by four, with Magdalene buckled in the rear seat. The truck was inside the garage. Just as the Longhammer’s had access to the Sheridan home, the Sheridan’s had access to the Longhammer’s. Bob pressed the button to open the garage door, drove out, and pressed it again to close the new, much heavier door.

  Looking frantically around, Ana-Bella couldn’t spot Bandy until he suddenly rose up from beside his truck, got in and took off ahead of them. Apparently he’d already had the truck running, for he was in it and on the way before Bob could react.

  Once on the road, Bandy cautioned Bob to have Magdalene and Ana-Bella keep an eye on the road behind them, and to the right side. And to drop back far enough so they could just see his truck.

  Ana-Bella didn’t like it much, but Bob thought it was a good idea and did as Bandy suggested. They made it to the Sheridan Ranch without incident.

  Brewster was waiting for them, squatted down at the corner of the garage so he could watch the driveway for them to come up. Bandy smiled when he saw the rifle Brewster had in his hands when he stood up as Bandy turned his truck around on the garage apron. It was a rifle capable of stopping a vehicle at more than a thousand yards, and taking out a person at twice that distance. Bandy had one similar.

  Bandy made a snap decision. Ana-Bella, he knew, would probably want to skin him alive, but he decided he would be more effective at the Longhammer Dealership than at either home. So he headed back down the drive.

  He barely had the microphone in his hand to explain when Ana-Bella’s annoyed voice came over the radio. “Where are you going?”

  “The Dealership,” Bandy replied. “I’ll be in a better position to do something from there than if I’m in one of the shelters at the homes. Probably should have been there before. This might all have been over by now.”

  “Bandy!” Ana-Bella protested.

  Bandy heard Bob cut her off just before she un-keyed the microphone. Bandy sighed in relief. Let Bob take the brunt of her anger. And he was pretty sure Bob would not let her follow Bandy towards town, using the same arguments as before.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Making sure those in the Dealership knew he was coming, Bandy broke radio protocols by intentionally staying on longer and giving more information than was needed to get the message across. Ana-Bella wasn’t the only one that thought it strange.

  Colin didn’t think it was strange. He just assumed Bandy was stupid. Which was good. For now Colin knew just exactly where Bandy was. Everything had gone downhill from the time that he saw Bandy Hawkins at the Longhammer place. And it was now obvious the only business he had in the area was to interfere with Colin’s plans. He would pay for that. Dearly, Colin vowed.

  When he arrived, Bandy was satisfied with the security arrangements. He did not get into the shelter until the occupants made sure it was him, and that he was alone.

  As Bob had done at the Sheridan Ranch, Angus had placed his top manager in charge. She too was ex-military, though her branch had been the US Coast Guard. And she had seen plenty of action in Florida as team commander of a boarding team.

  She had returned to town the day after Colin had attacked the first time. Louella Hastings had been on a buying trip when the computer Intelligence took over. Something of a prepper from way back, she had enough gear with her to make it back and take on the responsibilities of keeping the Farm Supply and Implement Dealership safe and sound.

  Also like the Sheridan Ranch, almost all of the employees had decided to stay at the business after going home to get a few things, including their families. The risk of Colin’s Militia taking one or more of them as hostages had prompted Angus to make the offer. It had been one of Bandy’s suggestions. Both to have the shelter large enough and equipped properly for it, and to make the offer for safe haven for the employees.

  The three that chose not to stay had not stayed locally, either. All three families had packed up and headed for other places, so were in no danger from Colin.

  It was two days before Colin made his move. This time it was a concerted attack at the Sheridan Ranch just before dark. As soon as the Dealership shelter got the news, Bandy headed for the door.

  But before he left he talked quietly, but urgently, to Louella. After she acknowledged his words with a nod of her head, Bandy was gone. Rather reluctantly, Louella made the radio call to the Sheridan’s that Bandy was on his way. With a large fighting force. They would come up behind the Militia and hit them from there.

  Angus was livid and got on the radio to lambast Louella for broadcasting in the clear that information.

  Louella smiled and transmitted one word. Angus did not respond, as she and Bandy knew he wouldn’t, upon hearing that code word. The word was Sherlock, referencing Sherlock Holmes statement that ‘things were afoot’, meaning that Bandy was up to something.

  Bob, Magdalene, and Ana-Bella all heard the set of transmissions. Bob from the fighting position he was in facing the driveway and Magdalene from the bunker communications and monitoring desk in the shelter.

  Ana-Bella asked out loud, from the new armored cupola on top of the ranch house, “What is he up to now?”

  She heard shots and swung the binoculars around in that direction.

  Brewster Amhurst had his handpicked team out, taking on the Militia over a slight rise, where they had cut through one of the pipe and wire fences to gain entry.

  Brewster’s quiet, powerful voice came over the different frequency they were using for tactical situations close in. “They are withdrawing. Permission to pursue? There are only a few of them.”

  “Negative,” Bob said immediately. “Don’t want us firing at the Cavalry coming.”

  Brewster smiled. He’d heard all the same transmissions Bob had. There was no Cavalry coming. Bandy was up to something. So he’d play it out with Bandy’s plan, whatever it was. He called for a maintenance team to come out to repair the fence while his team held their positions to protect them.

  Ana-Bella met her father at the entrance to the shelter. “What is Bandy doing?” she asked Bob.

  “I have no idea. I’m not even sure he has anyone with him. Or the whole fighting force that Angus has at the dealership. They might be setting up an ambush, knowing we would be able to drive the Militia off.”

  Bob shrugged his shoulders and opened the shelter outer door after Magdalene unlocked it when Bob stated the ‘okay’ word for the trip.

  “Wait a minute,” Ana-Bella said, stopping just inside the inner door of the shelter. “It looked and sounded like a major attack. But Amhurst said there were just a few of the Militia.”

  She looked at her father for a second, alarm obvious on her. “I’m going out there to see what is going on!”

  “No, Sweetheart,” Bob said, dogging down the door latches. “Same reasons as before. You are certainly a good shot, and sharp as a tack, but whatever it is that Hawkins is doing, he is counting on you to be here, safe and sound, so he doesn’t have to worry about you being taken as a hostage. Or worse. And it is going to be full dark in just a few minutes. And you know how dark it is outside now.”

  “That e
xcuse is getting really old,” Ana-Bella said her annoyance more than a little obvious. Bob sighed quietly in relief when Ana-Bella headed for the communications desk. Apparently she blamed Bandy and not him. Which was good.

  Rather cheerfully, considering the circumstances, Bob headed for the kitchen area of the shelter to get something for a snack. He’d learned that there was more to Bandy Hawkins than surface appearances.

  Bandy didn’t head for the Sheridan’s Ranch at all. He drove out of sight of the Dealership and stopped. It was only the matter of a few minutes and Bandy had his radio direction finding antenna rigged and was back in the truck.

  He waited for an hour, until he heard one of Colin’s men radio, “He ain’t coming, Cousin. What you want us to do?”

  “Come on back. The coward is probably hiding in the bathroom of that weasel’s shelter.” Colin actually sounded disappointed.