by Bobby Akart
Everyone sat silently for a moment as they ate their dinner. Living in a remote area of West Texas, the challenges facing big cities during the apocalypse were unknown to them.
Duncan had seen firsthand what kind of chaos could be achieved by organized opportunists hell-bent on destruction or looting. “Dad, if you look at the city of Houston as a whole, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the geographic size and the two million population.”
“You’re right, son. The problem is the lack of geographic boundaries. There’s no logical way to approach the problem. We can’t box them in or even force them into a corner geographically. We don’t have enough troops to encircle them and drive them to the middle of an area. Remember, we’ve still got a few of the personnel assigned to defend our borders.”
“Has that settled down?” asked Lucy.
“Somewhat,” replied Major. “Through attrition, refugees have sadly died waiting to get into Texas. Others have given up and gone home. Washington has finally taken the steps to provide relief supplies in areas nearby as well as promises of transportation, using Texas school buses, to take folks back to where they came from.”
“Is that working?” asked Palmer.
“Not as well as we hoped, honey. It’s a terrible humanitarian problem, but things are turning around in that regard. The UN is now airlifting supplies into the United States and dropping them at remote airfields. Hopefully, the refugees attempting to enter Texas will move to the new refugee centers being established by FEMA in the States.”
Dinner was almost over, and the subject turned to the power grid. Cooper raised the issue first. “How’s ERCOT coming along?”
“Now that the threat has been eliminated, thanks to Duncan,” Major began to reply, nodding to Duncan, who sat at the other end of the table, “ERCOT workers have felt comfortable to systematically repair the substations. What I’m most proud of is the response of our fellow Texans.”
“In what way?” asked Cooper.
“Son, the response to my address the other day has been nothing short of remarkable. Folks began to seek out work sites and were standing in line to do anything they could. They cleared debris. Near Waco, they toted heavy transmission lines by hand. There was supposedly a line of a hundred people threading the lines down the side of a hill so it could be hoisted up to a tower.”
“That’s great, dear,” added Lucy. “It sounds like your speech had a real impact.”
“I think so. I met with church leaders from around the country yesterday. They’ve offered up their sanctuaries as temporary medical facilities to replace those that have been looted or damaged in their communities. High school administrators came up with the idea of using their football stadiums for the new marketplaces I’ve suggested. Texans have begun to adopt that sense of pride and community we’ve been known for. It’s gonna make a real difference.”
Lucy leaned over and kissed Major. “You’ve provided Texas the spark necessary to move forward.”
“Thank you, dear.” Major stood and reached for her empty plate. “The thought of rebuilding Texas was beyond my comprehension until I realized that we can only do it one brick at a time.”
“Well said, Dad,” said Duncan, who also stood to gather plates.
“Hey, y’all, it’s really a beautiful afternoon outside,” started Lucy. “Whadya think about a ride around the ranch together? I feel like we should go pay our respects at the cemetery and then remind ourselves of what we’ve fought so hard for. Who’s in?”
The vote of approval was unanimous.
Chapter 55
February 9
The Armstrong Ranch
Borden County, Texas
While Major and Duncan joined Lucy in the kitchen to clean the dishes, the rest of the group made their way to the barn to ready the horses. It was an unseasonably warm afternoon in which the temperatures had risen into the low sixties. Espy radioed his men and advised them that the group would be riding the perimeter of the ranch on horseback. He told his men to be aware of the family riding through their security areas. He also ordered mobile patrols to exit the ranch at both the north and south gates to look for any approaching vehicles. The Armstrong family had earned its place in Texas on a par with the founders of any new nation. Espy took his job of protecting each of them very seriously. The fact that he’d fallen in love with their youngest member was just added incentive for him to do his job well.
While they waited for the last three riders, Cooper and Riley discussed ranch operations. Any sibling rivalry they might have had in the past was left behind with Preacher’s death. They had both been thrust into roles of great responsibility at the ranch. Riley was not in the least resentful of Cooper’s rise to the head of ranch operations. He was quite content taking care of the cattle and the other livestock located at the barnyard.
Likewise, Palmer and Sook immediately took to their new roles assisting Lucy with the all-important task of organizing their food and medical supplies. While Lucy was proud of her husband’s initial accomplishments as vice president on a national level, it would still be some time before all of North America was on solid footing. She planned on continuing their self-reliant lifestyle that didn’t count on additional provisions from Austin.
She also planned on marshalling their assets with an eye toward long-term sustainability. The spring would look a lot different around Armstrong Ranch with a new emphasis on expanding their gardening operations.
Lucy used to say that the ability to grow your own food was like growing your own money. In a post-apocalyptic world, the ability to plant and harvest crops simply allowed you to live longer. The concept of gardening took on a whole new meaning when your life depended on it.
Major, Lucy, and Duncan joined the group, and they mounted their horses for a leisurely ride around the ranch. Their first stop was the cemetery.
Everyone dismounted and found a spot to tie off their horses. They paid their respects to the hands who had given their lives in the defense of Armstrong Ranch. Major and Lucy pledged to take care of their families for so long as they wanted to remain on the ranch.
They made their way to the grave of Pops, who had been laid to rest years ago next to Major’s mother under an oak tree.
Major spoke from the heart. “Pops, we all miss you. I don’t think you have any idea the mark you made on this family. I swell up with pride when I hear the kids, your grandchildren, make reference to the things you taught them. I’m amazed at how much Miss Lucy learned from you, which encouraged her to get prepared for these frightening times.
“You were a success in so many ways. You raised your family well. You taught us to laugh and love. You had the respect of your fellow ranchers. Pops, you always looked for the best in others and gave the best you had to offer. There is no doubt in my mind that you left this world in a better place than how you entered it. God bless you.”
Major bowed his head and said a prayer in silence. His sniffling caused Lucy to join him and rub his shoulders.
She whispered into his ear, “Dear, know this. You are your father’s son. You should be proud.”
Major nodded and gathered himself before standing. As they walked toward Dallas’s grave, Duncan joined him and patted him on the shoulder.
“Mom, Dad, may I speak about Dallas?”
“Of course, son,” replied Lucy. She gave him a smile of encouragement and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Duncan led the group to the grave and dropped down to one knee. “Dallas, you were a true hero and a patriot. You made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of your country, and I want you to know we will forever remember what you’ve done for us.
“I’ll never forget the phone conversation we had when I was deployed in one part of Afghanistan while you were in another. Your words were simple. Duncan, what the heck are we doin’ here? And I replied, Dang good question.”
The group chuckled a little at Duncan’s recollection of the conversation.
“Dallas, you and I
both had a desire to fight for our country. When the national anthem was sung at a football game, we joined in loud and proud despite the fact we couldn’t sing a lick. I remember walking around the ranch with you as teenagers, talking about what was happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“Do you remember how many movies we’d watch together, like Red Dawn? We’d shout at the TV don’t do this or go that way! Remember? It was in our blood from somewhere, and going into the service was our calling.
“Dallas, I’ve carried a lot of guilt for not discouraging you from enlisting. I knew what war was really like. It wasn’t anything like the movies you and I watched.”
Duncan began to get emotional as he teared up. Cooper joined his side and offered him encouragement, so Duncan continued.
“When I heard that you’d died, something changed inside me. Suddenly, every time I was deployed, every hostile was the one that caused your death. I lost part of myself as I tried to ease my own guilt for not stopping you.
“I carried that guilt until recently when Cooper forgave me. He proved to me that families can set aside differences through love. I’ve applied that same let it go and move on principle in the last few days, and I’m a better man for it.
“You’re a true hero, Dallas. You will always be in our prayers and missed.”
At this point, Sook and Palmer were crying. Riley was sniffling in the background as he pulled his hat down over his eyes. The Armstrong family had seen loss. Some was from natural causes, others from the throes of war both abroad and at home. But they were alive and together because of the heroics of a man who had his own cross to bear.
The group moved along to the final stop. Major dropped to both knees at Preacher’s grave. “Old friend, I don’t know what else to say that hasn’t been said already. Your presence is still everywhere around this ranch and in my soul. When I’m in Austin, dealing with the president or cabinet members or military leaders, your words echo in my ears more than anyone realizes.
“We’ve had so many conversations over the years. Our talks ranged from pigs to politics and what does the end of the world as we know it look like. We experienced it all, old friend. It is because of your bravery and sacrifice that our family is still alive. No amount of words or deeds could ever express my eternal gratitude for that.
“Just know this. I will continue to love and protect them as you did. I will never take for granted what you did for us, and I promise that I will make every effort to fill your shoes. God bless, my friend.”
“Very nice, Daddy,” said Palmer as she moved to help him stand. The trip had been very emotional for Major, and he found himself a little weak as a result.
“Come on, y’all,” said Riley cheerfully. “Let’s ride and let the horses do the heavy liftin’ for a little while.”
Major kissed the top of Palmer’s head and thanked her for helping him to his feet. He smiled in Riley’s direction. “I agree, son.”
The guys helped Lucy and the girls onto their horses, and then the entourage rode along the river and past the windmill and the busy beavers, who were getting ready for the spring floods. Major quipped that the beavers didn’t need The Weather Channel or a calendar app to know when it was time to shore up the dam.
The sun was beginning to drop on the horizon, and the sky slowly turned from blue to a combination of purple and orange. The clouds began to throw interesting shadows, which even produced a pink tint at times.
As they reached the top of a rise at the westernmost end of the ranch, Major brought his horse to a stop.
Lucy was the first to comment on the sky. “This is amazing, isn’t it? If you look back toward the ranch house, the sun is reflecting across the fields, turning them almost pink. Over toward the Rockies, it’s bright orange.”
After they admired the sunset for a moment, Palmer asked, “Daddy, what happens next? I mean, I don’t want to get too comfortable, but it seems like now that we’re all together, life might get back to normal.”
Major adjusted his seat in the saddle, removed his hat, and ran his hands through his thinning hair. His silhouette was darkened against the backdrop of the setting sun. “I have to say I feel more at peace today than at any time since this whole thing started last year. It’s time to live our lives based upon this new normal. We’ll focus on the ranch and do our part to help Texas.”
“I agree, Dad,” said Duncan. “Texas will be challenged as a nation, and it’s possible that our family will be as well. We’ve managed to persevere through times of trouble, and I believe we’ve gathered strength from the distress we’ve endured.”
Major nodded. “Son, when bad things happen in life, we have a few choices. We can let them define us and change who we are. We can let them destroy us. Or as I believe has happened in the last few months to this family, it can make us all stronger.”
“Texas Strong,” added Lucy proudly.
“That’s right, Miss Lucy.”
Everyone joined in and yelled, “Texas Strong!”
THANK YOU FOR READING SUICIDE SIX!
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And before you go …
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If you enjoyed the EMP aspect of The Lone Star Series, I invite you to try The Blackout Series which portrays a grid down scenario as a result of a massive solar flare.
READ ON FOR A BONUS EXCERPT from 36 HOURS, book one in THE BLACKOUT SERIES.
Excerpt from 36 Hours
About The Blackout Series
WHAT WOULD YOU DO
if a voice was screaming in your head – GET READY . . .
for a catastrophic event of epic proportions . . .
with no idea where to start . . .
or how, or when?
This is a true story, it just hasn't happened yet.
This is a new dystopian, post-apocalyptic fiction series from the author of over twenty international bestselling novels, Bobby Akart (The Lone Star Series, The Pandemic Series, The Blackout Series, The Boston Brahmin series, and the Prepping for Tomorrow series).
The characters depicted in The Blackout Series are fictional. The events, however, are based upon fact.
This is not the story of preppers with stockpiles of food, weapons, and a hidden bunker. This is the story of Colton Ryman, his stay-at-home wife, Madison, and their teenage daughter, Alex. In 36 Hours, the Ryman family and the rest of the world will be thrust into the darkness of a post-apocalyptic world.
A catastrophic solar flare, an EMP—a threat from above to America's soft underbelly below—is hurtling toward our planet.
The Rymans have never heard of preppers and have no concept of what prepping entails. But they're learning, while they run out of time. Their faith will be tested, their freedom will be threatened, but their family will survive.
An EMP, naturally generated from our sun in the form of a solar flare, has happened before, and it will happen again, in only 36 Hours.
This is a story about how our sun, the planet's source of life, can also devastate our modern world. It’s a story about panic, chaos, and the final straws that shattered an already thin veneer of civility. It is a warning to us all ...
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never underestimate the depravity of man.
What would you do when the clock strikes zero?
Midnight is forever.
Note: This book does not contain strong language. It is intended to entertain and inform audiences of all ages, including teen and young adults. Although some scenes depict the realistic threat our nation faces from a devastating solar flare, and the societal collapse which will result in the aftermath, it does not contain graphic scenes typical of other books in the post-apocalyptic genre.
Epigraph
Here comes the sun. Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s all right.
~ the quiet Beatle
*****
Civilization is hideously fragile.
There’s not much between us & the horrors underneath, just about a coat of varnish.
~ CP Snow
*****
TEOTWAWKI—The End of The World As We Know It
It is not, however, the end of the world.
*****
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
~ Benjamin Franklin
*****
I would rather be wrong and alive, than oblivious and dead.
~ Bobby Akart
*****
Because you never know when the day before
is the day before.
Prepare for tomorrow!
Prologue
10:00 p.m., September 8, Thursday
MISSION CONTROL CENTER
Houston, Texas
From the ground, space looks like a pristine void—fascinating, miraculous, serene. But the Earth’s orbit is actually a very crowded place inhabited by twenty-four hundred satellites and many thousands of pieces of space junk.
The altitude above the planet containing the vast majority of this debris, and some of mankind’s most used spacecraft, is between one hundred miles and twelve hundred miles above the Earth’s surface. This is known as the low Earth orbit, and it’s home to the International Space Station.