Alpha Farm: The Beginning (Prepper Chick Series Book 1)

by Annie Berdel

  “Ben,” Tom said addressing his guest.

  “I was wondering if you had forgotten about me,” Ben said looking directly at Nina, ignoring Tom’s acknowledgement of his presence.

  “Oh! No, not at all sheriff. We just ran into a bit of an issue outside. Please, give me a few moments to get cleaned up and wipe this dirt off of me and we can begin,” she said to Ben.

  Turning towards Tom, Nina laid her hand on his cheek. “Thank you, Chulo” she said before she turned away.

  Well isn’t that just cozy, Ben thought to himself. Pet names and everything. Ben’s blood was boiling within his veins. This just would not do at all. Not at all.

  112

  Ben shut the door as the last man walked through. Walking between the other two men, Ben moved to his desk and sat down. Opening a drawer, he pulled a map from within and spread it out on his desk. “Here’s what we have, boys. And know one thing before we begin,” holding his hand up, Ben made a motion like he was cupping something “Your balls are here, I won’t hesitate to remove them and shove them straight up your ass if you fuck this up.”

  Ben motioned to the two men to come closer as they looked at a topographical map of the county. Ben already had lines drawn on it for the men to follow. Ben threw each a pack that had a ghillie suit inside. “You get caught, I don’t know you,” Ben told them.

  Ben then threw several photos on the table. “Gentlemen, your target.”

  Lying on the table were pictures of the only man who had ever held Emma’s heart.

  113

  Michael looked at Chloe and then back at Megan. “I don’t know what to say. You sure you want to do this?”

  “I’ve been up all night thinking about what Chloe told me. Yes. I have never been surer of anything in my life. My home is not here anymore. It’s over and I need to do everything I can to protect my children.”

  Chloe just stood there with her arms folded across her chest, which was pissing Michael off even more. While the hell doesn’t she chime in here and help him out!?

  “It’s a long drive to get to Ohio, you sure your kids could handle that? I’m not even sure if we will be able to find supplies along the way,” Michael asked.

  “I have a medical background. My mother is an excellent cook and caregiver. We can take care of my kids. I don’t need your help there. All I need is for someone to drive that RV. It scares the heck out of me.”

  Michael let out a forced breath of exasperation. Well, this definitely wasn’t in the plan, he thought. Wonder how his sister would react to extra guests. Who was he kidding? He knew exactly what she would do because that’s just the kind of person she was.

  “Think the motorcycle would fit on the back somewhere?” Chloe finally asked. “We are going to need to measure it. Megan, do you have a tape measure somewhere we could use?”

  “Yes, let me get it for you.”

  Megan got up and left the room, feeling concerned that they might not take her family with them. She knew in her heart, though, that they needed to leave and as quickly as possible. She had felt it for a while now but the feeling was so intense last night that it kept her awake.

  “Thanks” Michael said to Meagan as she handed him the tape measure. Chloe followed Michael out the door and down to the motorcycle

  “What the fuck was all of that about?” he finally spurted out.

  “Keep your voice down,” she snapped back.

  “You leave me hanging like that and you don’t expect me to be slightly pissed?” he shot back.

  “Listen, I’m not convinced it’s such a bad idea. She had medical training, something neither of us have. She could come in handy. Mama feeds us and all we have to worry about is driving that thing,” at which time she pointed at the back of the house with her chin. “Over those mountains and BAM, we got it made.”

  “Really, little miss I hate kids? Do you know how long this is going to take? At best 3 days.”

  “Listen, something in my gut is saying take them. I’m sorry…” she stammered. “I just think we need to keep an open mind about this.”

  Michael put both hands over his face and let out a loud exhale. He knew she was right

  “OK, but if anything goes wrong, it’s on you,” he said.

  “Deal, Bandit” she said with a smirk.

  “Bandit?”

  “Ya, like Smokey and the Bandit. You can play the lookout guy on your motorcycle while I drive the bus.”

  Michael’s face brightened a bit. “I like how you think lady,” he said as he swatted her nose with his finger.

  Chloe was glad that Michael turned around to start measuring the bike. He missed her face turning bright red as her pulse quickened once again around him.

  114

  Chloe walked back into the house and found Megan in the kitchen. She walked over and poured herself a cup of coffee and leaned her back against the counter.

  “Are you positive you want to leave here?” Chloe asked.

  “I am, Chloe. More positive about this than anything that has been going on. Listen, I don’t want to cause a kink in your plans, but my gut is telling me to leave and go with you.”

  “What about Robbie? This trip is going to be really hard on him.”

  “Well, quite honestly, I think this place is the reason Robbie is so sick to begin with.”

  Chloe shot Megan a confused look.

  “Coffee?” Megan asked Chloe as she poured herself a cup.

  “Um, sure. Why do you think this place is the reason Robbie is sick?” Chloe asked.

  “It started right after he had his first shots, his vaccinations,” Megan started to explain. “He had abnormal symptoms. A low grade fever and tenderness at the site of the injection are kinda normal but Robbie had it four times as bad. He wouldn’t eat for weeks and I’ve noticed a distance in him. Almost like he isn’t there. I started doing some research and the information I discovered scared me to death, Chloe. I cried for days after I found out what was in those shots! How could I do that to my child? The doctor has been throwing around the word autism. Autism, for crying out loud! All because I couldn’t take the time to find out what was in those damn shots!” Megan cried out as tears stained her face. “One rabbit trail after another and next thing you know, I am outside looking at the planes flying overhead. Have you ever heard of chemtrails?” Not waiting for an answer, Megan continued on almost as if purging her soul, “Chemtrails. Those marks across the sky from the airplanes. They should disappear pretty darn fast if they are regular contrails. Chemtrails are what they sound like…trails of chemicals across the sky. They are floating chemicals down on us, for whatever reason, to make us sick or weather manipulation, geo-engineering or whatever, but fact is one of those chemicals is aluminum. There’s also aluminum in vaccinations. Now add in the fluoride in our drinking water. Harmless enough right? Fluoride facilitates the movement of soft metals across the blood/brain barrier to infiltrate our brain tissue. Fluoride increases bone and other cancer rates. Cancer is a $500 billion a year medical industry. Don’t get me started on the manipulation involved there. It’s all interconnected and we don’t even know that it’s going on! Listen, I need to heal my son and get the rest of my kids safe. I can’t do that here. Please, Chloe, let us go with you. I won’t even let you pay for the RV if you take us with you.”

  Chloe looked Megan in the eyes, “We were going to take you before any of this.”

  “Thank you! Thank you,” Megan whispered out through the tears. Jumping up, Megan grabbed Chloe by the hand. “Come on, I have something to show you”

  Megan dragged Chloe outside and into the camper. “Check this out,” Megan said as she started to open cubby after cubby. “Megan! Where did you get all of this?” Chloe asked in excitement.

  Chloe opened several overhead hatches and container after container of dehydrated and freeze dried food containers were neatly arranged by color. Green vegetable cans were all perfectly aligned and facing forward as were all the red cans of dried frui
ts. “It looks like a fricken grocery store in here!” Chloe exclaimed.

  “Medical is all back here,” Megan pointed to another cabinet and opened drawer after drawer of any kind of hospital supplies you could think of, all neatly arranged by someone who may have had way too much time on their hands.

  “You come out here a lot?” Chloe asked.

  “Sometimes, just to escape and cry while my mother was watching the kids. I really had no other place to go,” Megan responded.

  “You’ll need to know about this, too,” Megan said as she pulled the cushions off of the long bench that ran the side of the RV. Once inside Chloe noticed some kind of safe that Megan was punching a combination into. Swinging the door upward, Chloe gasped.

  “I am quite aware of how dangerous things could get. Be prepared, not scared is the motto, right?” Megan asked with a slight grin on her face.

  “Hell, ya!” Chloe squealed out in laughter.

  “There should be both a pistol and a rifle for all the adults with a couple spares. Ammo is all under the other seat,” she explained pointing to the other side of the RV.

  “Remember those rabbit trails,” Megan began. “They led from one trail to another. It’s scary out there in the world when you realize everything that goes on. I wanted to make sure my family might stand a chance.”

  “I know some people that would just love you,” Chloe laughed out.

  “By my calculations, we should be able to get over the mountains and pretty close to where you want to go without any reason to stop except for gas for refueling,” Megan added with a look of pleading in her eyes.

  “Relax girly. We are all going together,” Chloe said as she gave Megan a hug. Chloe could feel the tension in Megan’s muscles through her jacket. “Seriously, Megan. You need a break before you do break. You have to de-stress a bit or you are going to make yourself sick.”

  “It’s been a rough time since Robert’s death. Longer than that, if I actually admit it. Let me get my family out of here and I’ll take a deep breath. Until then, well…. It just won’t happen until I know they are safe.”

  “Well then, we have some work to do. Get your lists going because we leave in the morning,” Chloe told her as she gave her another hug.

  115

  “You did what?!” Emma asked with a bit more enthusiasm than she had wanted.

  “She wanted to go talk to some of her crew and I never thought about the cabin,” Tommy replied.

  “That’s odd. Her staff isn’t even out there. They have all moved in closer to the house being they are all city folks and not liking being in the woods. Did she tell you that? That she had people out there still?”

  “Yes, why? You might as well cough it up because I can see the wheels spinning in that pretty head of yours,” Tommy said to Emma.

  “Something is telling me to be very cautious when it comes to her. Things aren’t as they seem. You might want to think about that yourself there…what is it… Oh, Chulo,” Emma said with a snicker.

  Tommy took Emma in his arms, “I think you might be just a tad jealous Senora Montalvo,” Tommy said with a smile.

  “You need to be worried if I’m not,” Emma returned as she wrapped her arms around her husband, nuzzling her face into the side of his neck.

  “She saw the blood on the floor,” Tommy said.

  “I could care less.”

  “You really aren’t feeling all rainbows and unicorns for this woman are you?” Tommy asked, a bit surprised. Emma never had a problem with anyone but the sheriff, so it was a concern when she did. Her intuition had never been wrong in the past. In the past though, none of those people lived under his roof.

  “Something is just gnawing at me and I can’t pinpoint it yet. Just be very careful around her and her people…which by the way, are not in any of the cabins,” Emma said.

  “Maybe it’s time for them to move on,” Tom said, feeling uneasy about his guests.

  “Been thinking about that. Not going to be that easy. They have set up base camp here. They aren’t going to be in a hurry to leave anytime soon.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. What if we could get her to move in town?” Tom asked.

  “Not sure why she would even consider it. She has it made out here.”

  “I need to go talk with Ben tomorrow. Maybe invite him out for dinner and get him more involved in what’s going on out here,” Ed said with a smile. He had an idea and for once, it was his idea and not Emma’s!

  “Ugh. You know how much I loathe that man!” Emma replied. “But I like your train of thought Mr. Montalvo,” she said as she nuzzled the tender area of his neck right below his ear.

  “I aim to please ma’am,” Tommy quipped, feeling his insides puddle into a mess of hot lust.

  “Oh really? Let’s see about that,” Emma smirked as she backed him up until his legs hit the side of their bed and he fell backwards.

  116

  Ben was sitting at his desk when he saw the back end of a horse stroll by his window. “What the heck?” he murmured to himself.

  Rolling his chair to the window, he looked out and the horse was now tied up in the front of the building sans rider. Since the grid had gone down, he had seen bicycles in use more than anything, first time for a horse though. Made sense, though. Maybe he could use this somehow in his plans. There was only so much gasoline to go around for the motorbikes without the semis running. All big rigs had stopped delivering immediately. There were only two vehicles that were able to run in town and that was it. Joey, the local mechanic, was trying to figure out the problem but without parts to order he was limited in what he could do. Horses, on the other hand, could be a big help with his deputies.

  “Susan!” he yelled out.

  “Yes sir,” Susan sang out as she entered the room.

  “Can you find out who owns horses in and around town?”

  “Sir?”

  “We may be able to get the deputies up and around to keep an eye on things better in town if we can get them more mobile. Consider it a return to the wild west,” he said.

  “Yes sir. I will see what I can do,” she said leaving his office.

  Ben left his office and made his way towards the front door. Walking into where the duty desk was, he glanced out into the lobby to see Tom Montalvo standing there.

  Raising an eyebrow, Ben was surprised to see him there. As a matter of fact, he couldn’t remember Tom ever being at the station before.

  Curiosity getting the better of him, Ben opened the door to the common room where Tom was standing

  “Everything OK out at the farm?”

  “Oh, hey Ben. Came in looking for you, actually.”

  “How can I help you?” Ben asked.

  “Well, Nina. I mean Ms. Varga and I were talking about what’s going on. This goes way above my pay scale. I mentioned that you should be involved in future discussions and she agreed.”

  “Oh really?” Ben slid out with a smile.

  “How about you come out to the farm later this afternoon. Emma is fixing for a sit down around two. Would be great if you could make it.”

  “Sounds good. I could actually head out now as it’s almost one now. Need a lift?” Ben asked.

  “Thanks but I rode in on one of the horses.”

  “Oh! That was you? I thought I saw a horse stroll past the window. Might have to check them out while I am at your house. See what you have.”

  “Ya, that you will have to take up with Emma,” Tom said “And I can tell you hell would freeze over before Emma would part from any of her herd.”

  “That could be arranged,” Ben thought to himself as he showed Tom out.

  117

  The black Jaguar looked remarkably out of place driving up the dirt drive. Nina’s men stopped it as soon as it had pulled off the main road and after a brief but vibrant conversation with the contents of the vehicle, let it pass to the main house.

  Emma turned as she heard the car approach and watched as it stopped in front of
the garage, dwarfed by the military trucks parked there also. The passenger side door opened and a spiked heel emerged followed closely behind by an exorbitantly attired black woman.

  “Oh Lordy,” Emma giggled as she set down the basket of eggs and started walking towards the car.

  “Hey boss lady!” Emma heard from behind the car.

  “Jay! Tiffany! I am so glad you are here! I will admit, though, with all the excitement, I forgot when you were coming exactly.”

  “Everything OK, Boss?” Jay asked.

  “Oh, we have a lot to talk about,” Emma said, giving Jay a quick wink.

  “Maybe we should find a hotel in town,” Tiffany quickly added.

  “Not sure that’s a good idea. How did you guys get here? Which route?”

  “We came down from Cleveland. We made an unscheduled trip to Niagara Falls before we headed down here and took 90 along the lake. Why?”

  “Let’s get you both settled and then we can talk. Come on into the house, you both must be famished,” Emma said.

  “You cooking, Miss Emma?” Tiffany asked “Do you have any of that cornbread you made before?”

  “I think I can make that happen!” Emma returned with a smile.

  118

  They had been walking for over two hours, back towards the direction they had previously driven, when Angie sat Scott down on the side of the road propping him up to sit against a tree. This wasn’t going to work at all. It was taking too long for Scott to make any real distance in his condition. He was in too bad of shape to do any walking, let alone another couple miles.

  “Drink this,” she said handing him his canteen. “I need you to stay here while I go back to the trailer, can you do that without an argument?”

  Scott had no energy for a fight left in him. He could barely comprehend what she was saying to him. “Ya, whatever,” was all he could muster as a reply.