“Still singing the same old tune, I see. Thinking you’re all that.”
“Hey, you started it. Don’t blame me.”
“Kids! Can we just get down to business?” the old man said.
“Who’s this clown?” Wyatt asked his sister, “Where’d you dig him up? Some retirement home?”
Tally didn’t answer his question. Typical when she was pissed. “You’re obviously not here to chat, Wyatt. Tell me what you really want.”
“I came to talk some sense into you.”
“Then what’s with all the guns? You don’t need guns to talk to your sister.”
“Guns are essential to ensure an individual’s life, liberty, and property. What’s the matter? You scared of a few guns all of a sudden?”
“Of course not. Guns don’t scare me and neither do you. Don’t forget, I’m a much better shot than you.”
“That was once and a long time ago. Plus, the sun was in my eyes, remember?”
She rolled her eyes. “Nothing ever changes with you. Oh, and don’t waste your time quoting Grandpa at me. He schooled me about liberty long before you were old enough,” she snapped, looking past him at the four other men. “Who are these guys?”
“Backup.”
“For what?”
“For whatever. Look around. See anything unusual?” he said, trying to make a point.
“You mean the rain? You afraid of a little harmless rain, Stretch?”
“Harmless? If this keeps up for much longer, Earth’s gonna look like Mars. Who knows what this shit is.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Looks to me like you’re the one who’s scared. You had to bring a posse just to talk to your big sis? Why should I be surprised—always trying to be macho. It never ends with you.”
“Those guys,” he glanced over his shoulder, “are my soldiers.”
“So what, you have an army now? Is there a war somewhere?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. The war started this afternoon, in case you hadn’t noticed. Just watch YouTube. It’s everywhere.”
“So what am I, your enemy?”
“No, you’re family, Tally. That’s why I’m here. And as long as we’re playing twenty questions, who’s your friend? I thought you didn’t like hanging with old people. Let’s face it, you’ve got serious trust issues.”
“Yeah, you should talk, bro.”
“Yes, I am talking but you’re not listening, or answering. Who is this chump?”
She paused, obviously thinking it over. “Simon Redfall.”
Wyatt recognized the name immediately; he’d seen the execution that afternoon live on pay-per-view when he was in town for supplies. He was shocked. “As in Tessa Redfall?”
She nodded, tilting her head like women do when they’re annoyed with a man. “You got it.”
“Then what, this is her old man?”
“Yep.”
Wyatt looked Redfall up and down, taking stock of his visible injures. “Looks like someone got a little payback today. I’m guessing the families of the victims?”
“Pleased to meet you, too,” Simon answered with a sharp tongue.
Wyatt could see the pain in his eyes. Both the physical pain from the beating and the emotional pain from what his wife had done. “Just to set the record straight, I view your wife as a hero and a patriot, not an enemy of the state. Standing up to tyranny like that and taking out a busload of government scientists took some serious guts.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, son.”
“I’m not your son, old man.”
“Maybe not, but it wasn’t like that at all.”
“Sure it was—a tactical strike aimed squarely at the government. Pure genius, if you ask me. And she carried it out on worldwide TV. Now that’s how you make a statement. Any time you can take away their ability to create more technology, control is weakened. Job well done, I say.”
“Let’s cut to the chase,” Tally said. “What’s with the roadblock? I’ve had a long day and I want to get home. Tell me what you want, or get out of my way. Or do you like standing around in this messed-up rain?”
“What I want, Tally, is for you to listen to reason. This rain is what I’m talking about. It’s the end of days, little sis. They finally did it. The government made this rain, and you know what’s going to happen next? They’re going to come for us. They’re going to take our guns, our supplies, and then they’re going to take our property. They’re going to take everything we’ve worked our whole lives to build. It’s happening right now, just like Grandpa said it would.”
“You’re as paranoid as ever. You haven’t changed one bit.”
“And neither have you. But none of that’s important right now. Look, the only way we survive this is to join together, sis. Bring your people and supplies to my camp. You’ve got the brainpower and the technology. I’ve got the weapons and the muscle. My place is set up far better than yours. If we team up now, we can do this—as a family. If we don’t, we’re done. You know what they say: United we stand, divided we fall. It’s as simple as that. All I want is what’s best for you.”
“There’s no way I’m joining with you. Sure, this red rain might be some type of secret attack, but it could also be—”
Wyatt knew where she was going. “Ah, enough of the bullshit already. It’s time to face the facts. There’s no doubt what this is, sis.”
“The answer is no!”
“Damn it, Tally!” Wyatt snapped, feeling his anger growing. He’d hoped Tally would listen to him. He’d hoped she’d see the red rain for what it was—the beginning of the end. Or maybe the end of the beginning; it was all a matter of perspective.
He didn’t want to fight with his sister; he loved her and wanted to protect her. But the way the conversation was going, he knew he was going to need to be more persuasive.
She needed to see things his way—the better way—the right way. Everything he wanted was for her own good, and the good of her people.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Tally was amused when her little brother lost his temper; it reminded her of when they were little. He’d spin out and throw childish tantrums when he didn’t get his way. There was no chance he was getting his way now. All he wanted was to be in control and play general. She didn’t trust him, and she didn’t know his crew. She needed to protect her people at all costs, and protect what she’d built. It was the best course of action for everyone on her side of the ledger.
She needed to be careful though. At the moment, she was outmanned and outgunned, and she didn’t want to push her brother or his men too far. Their heated conversation was proving that Wyatt was his same old self. Today was simply a rehash of the same argument they had several years earlier. The same verbal spat that led to their eventual split.
In the end, she knew there was only one way to deal with Wyatt, just like you deal with any other bully: head on with a show of strength and determination.
Tally gazed at Simon, who thus far hadn’t said much. He was standing patiently, looking past Wyatt, studying his four soldiers or whatever they were.
There was a hint of a sneer on Simon’s lips. She could tell what he thought about Wyatt’s people. Despite the fact they were carrying ARs and had them outnumbered, Simon didn’t look the least bit intimidated.
“Don’t test me, Wyatt,” she said, returning her focus to her brother. “You know we disagree about this stuff. I want to use my resources to help people and to better the world. I want to set things right and free the truth. We both know there are things happening that most of the population has no clue about. The government is trying to manipulate us and control us—that much is true. They lie at every turn, and everything is about spin control. We can’t believe anything we hear. At this point, it looks like Grandpa may have been right when he preached to us about their desire for weather control, and their plan to lord it over us at every turn.”
“May have been right?” Wyatt shot back, throwing hi
s arms out and pointing in several directions. “Look at this stuff, Tally. This red sludge, it’s everywhere. Like some disease waiting to strike. Then there’s that fact that it’s been coming down at exactly the same rate for hours. You can’t think any of this is natural. It’s obviously engineered and controlled. Who do you think has that kind of power and control?”
“Weren’t you listening? I said I agreed with you about the rain. No need to convince me. But back to my point: what I disagree with you about is what we should do and how we should do it. You want to stand toe-to-toe with everything and everyone. Shoot first and ask questions later. There’s no way that will ever work. It’s stupid and frankly, it’s suicide.”
“No it’s not, Tally. My camp is well fortified. And I have the weapons and the muscle.”
“Are you insane? The government and its military will always have overwhelming force and firepower. We can’t win. We can’t fight tyranny that way. What about tanks and a thousand troops charging your compound all at once? Could you defend yourself against any of that? Of course not. Now ask yourself this. What about air power or the use of chemicals or biologicals? Let’s face it, all it would take is exactly one bombing run to completely obliterate everything you have in about five minutes. Hell, an eight-man Special Ops team could probably infiltrate your camp in less than ten minutes. We’re all amateurs compared to them. If they really wanted to, they could take us out in a heartbeat and never break a sweat. Get a clue, little brother. You’re not what you think you are. You need to step back and think this through. Fighting is not the answer.”
“Wow, sis. Looks like you’re scared of the big bad government.”
“No, I’m not scared. It’s called being realistic.”
“How can you say that? This is America and we must defend ourselves against all threats, foreign and domestic. It’s our duty and our right!”
She sighed, her energy running low. “Listen: we have fundamentally different viewpoints, and neither of us will ever agree with the other. We’ve been over and over this, and nothing’s ever going to change, Stretch. Our grandparents set us up to be self-sufficient. They taught us to prepare for the collapse of civilization, and I am prepared. I’ve worked my ass off to do things the right way ever since you left—and there’s no way in the world I’m going to give it all up and let you take over. You just want to play dictator and blow shit up. Family or not, I don’t trust you for a second. I won’t join with you. Especially not when you show up like this,” she said, pointing at his men, “trying to intimidate me.”
“Are you sure this is what you really want?”
She nodded. “Positive. Now get those trucks out of my way. I’m going home.”
Tally turned to Simon and gestured to the van. He nodded and followed her, but didn’t say a word.
Wyatt’s voice cut through the rain, reaching her ears from behind.
“You’re making a big mistake, sis! Mark my words—Pandora and Jericho will be forced to join forces, whether you like it or not. It’s coming and you’re gonna need my help! Mark my words! It’s coming!”
As Tally sat in the van, she looked in the back and made eye contact with G. Her second-in-command looked concerned, and she didn’t blame him after G’s first encounter with her brother in town a year ago. Yet G said nothing, letting his fingers pound away at the keyboard of the computer.
Tally turned in the seat to face forward, staring out the windshield. The anger inside was building, something that seemed to happen every time she and her brother talked. Wyatt always knew exactly what buttons to push with her, turning her into a crazy, emotional person.
“Ahhhhhhh!” she screamed, hitting the steering wheel with both fists, hoping to rid her heart of the frustration that was her little brother. It worked, allowing her to relax a bit.
“Feel better now?” Simon asked in a fatherly tone.
“Sorry you had to see that.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. We’re all under a lot of stress and everything gets magnified once family gets involved. Trust me, I know. Nothing cuts deeper than a family member who lets you down. But I’m impressed with the way you handled yourself. It took real moxie to face armed men and not back down. Not many would’ve, and I admire that. I truly do.”
“I swear, sometimes I can’t believe Wyatt and I are related. I’ve always had the sneaking suspicion there was a mix-up at the hospital when he was a born, and they replaced him with a paranoid megalomaniac. He carries around so much rage and mistrust for everyone. Always looking for the next fight. It’s totally exhausting.”
“Well, you handled the situation like a champ. And for what it’s worth, your assessment is correct. Standing toe-to-toe with the government and its military is not the answer. They’re trained to win that fight every time. It’s a no-win scenario, on every level.”
She gave him a half smile, not quite ready to pat herself on the back. “Thanks for agreeing with me. It means a lot coming from a man like you. Sometimes though, I wonder if I’m doing the right thing. It’s hard, Simon. It really is. I’m trying, but—”
“You are doing the right thing,” he said in a firm, confident tone.
“Still, I know there are times when you must fight back. We were brought up to never back down and to defend what’s rightfully ours. I want to make room for some of his ideas, but there has to be balance. You can’t just grab your guns every time there’s a problem and start emptying magazines at someone. That’s why I need your help, Simon. For balance. I just don’t have the skills you do.”
“With age comes experience and then hopefully a little wisdom. But even then, you’re always working the dark without a net. There are never any guarantees, Tally.”
“You’re right. I just wish it didn’t have to be this way. Wyatt and I used to get along great, and I miss those days. I know some of the problem is me, but when he pushes me like that, I react. I’m not proud of it. I want to be a better person, but sometimes I just lose control.”
“All you can do is your best.”
She appreciated his support, but still hated herself for showing weakness. “Grandpa used to tell me that when you lose your cool in front of your team, it makes you appear weak, and you lose their respect.”
“Bullshit!” G yelled from the back. “It’s Wyatt’s problem, Tally. Not yours! Me and the rest of the group would follow you anywhere. You’re a great leader and we all trust you with our lives.”
Simon touched her shoulder, rubbing it gently. But his words were silent.
She exhaled, holding back tears. “Grandma and Grandpa must be turning over in their graves right now, watching me and Wyatt fight like third-graders. It breaks my heart, Simon.”
Simon pointed through the windshield. “Check it out.”
Wyatt and his men slid into their trucks and closed the doors. A few seconds later, they sped past the van with engines roaring and rock music blaring.
“How far away is his compound? Jericho, I think he called it?”
“Forty-four miles due west, exactly,” she said, putting the van into drive and hitting the gas. A few minutes later, she made a right onto a small dirt road.
“Finally, almost home. I’m soooo looking forward to a hot bath right now.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
General Nate Rawlings sat at his desk in the Pentagon, thumbing through the intelligence files spread across his desk while talking on the old-fashioned telephone glued to his ear. His list of problems was growing, but his first priority was finding Jeffrey Hansen—the man President Cooper targeted as the perpetrator of the red rain event currently sweeping the planet.
His rant continued, focusing his frustration at the unfortunate lieutenant on the other end of the line.
“I don’t care if he’s not answering his phone. I don’t care if everyone in his office is on vacation, lost, or dead. Hansen has research facilities everywhere. He has to be at one of them. Use everything you’ve got. Pull every string you can. Turn over ever
y rock. Shake every tree. Sell your firstborn. I don’t care what you have to do, find me Jeffrey Hansen!”
Rawlings slammed the handset down on its cradle, hard enough to make his wrist hurt. He was shocked the phone didn’t shatter, but it held together like a champ.
The General hated cell phones, video calls, and especially holo-conferencing. Mainly because he couldn’t slam a cell phone to make his point, and he’d learned over the years that anger and intimidation didn’t translate well across the digital divide. Old school was his preference, not only for communications, but in all things. Technology just got in the way.
None of his team had been able to locate Hansen, and they’d been scrambling and searching everywhere. Rawlings knew it wouldn’t be long before he ran out of options with President Cooper crawling up his ass, demanding answers—the same leader who seemed a little more agitated and restless than usual during the NSC meeting. Some of it could be attributed to the current state of affairs across the country, but there were other oddities as well. Something seemed off with Cooper, but it wasn’t his place to question.
It’s easy to second-guess a leader’s decisions and emotional state from the shadows, but until you’ve lived a day in his shoes, worry and conjecture were best left for the President’s family and for the media.
A knock came at the door.
“Enter.”
His aide, a nervous looking twenty-six-year-old woman from north Las Vegas, appeared in the doorway.
“What do you have for me, Wilks?” Rawlings asked, thankful she hadn’t used that infernal intercom device.
“Matheson just called. He and Thompson are on their way with the latest intelligence on Redfall, sir.”
“Send them in the minute they arrive.”
“Yes, General,” she said, still standing in the doorway. Her face looked puzzled.
“Is there something else, Wilks?”
“Permission to speak freely, sir?” Sally asked.
“Granted.”
“Why Simon Redfall? I watched the execution of his homicidal wife, and I can’t help but think he was involved somehow. A man with his skills and reputation in the intelligence community would’ve known she was up to something and stopped it. Since that didn’t happen, it seems logical to assume he was involved. If so, why risk bringing someone like him in on this?”
Redfall: Fight for Survival (American Prepper Series Book 1) Page 10