by Brian Quest
The Ranch: Mischief And Mayhem
The Ranch Series Book 2
Brian Quest
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Part Two
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter One
Things on the ranch continued as normal…well, as normal as things can be after an EMP blows out power to the entire world. No electricity, no technology, no modern conveniences of any kind meant extra work for Andrew, the owner of the ranch, and his four daughters, Debbie, Connie, Beth and Amy. Keith and Stewart, twin ranch hands, and Thomas, the ranch manager, all continued to do their jobs to the best of their ability. It wasn’t always easy to keep such a large chunk of land safe from intruders, considering that taking care of cattle, horses and chickens was almost a full-time job in and of itself.
On top of multiple safety checks around all of the ranch’s buildings, they had to do regular perimeter checks as well. It used to be to make sure that the animals didn’t get out, but now it was all about keeping everyone on the ranch safe. They already had lost one ranch hand to the evils of the new world, and they didn’t want that to happen again. That’s why they were so concerned when they discovered that someone had been coming onto the property, not to steal, and not to harm them…at least not yet…but to move the rocks at the front gate.
Stewart ran into Andrew on his way to the barn and took the opportunity to give him an update on the mysteriously moving rocks. “Hey, the rocks were moved again.”
“Again? This could be a major problem. I’m not feeling good about it. I kind of hoped that with James gone that would end.”
“Well it hasn’t. This time they were actually in the shape of the letter H.”
“That’s weird.” Andrew thought for a moment and then said, “We need to keep an eye on it and maybe make more of an effort to check that area.”
Stewart replied, “You got it, Boss. If you want, I can make a couple of extra passes at night.”
“That would be great. Thanks, Stewart.”
Stewart continued to the barn to feed and water the horses and Andrew went back to the house to check on the girls. Since everything that had happened with James, they had been cooped up in the house, and Andrew had been somewhat of a helicopter, hovering over them. He wished the circumstances were better, and hoped the winter would bring less drama and more time for the girls to have a little fun.
Before going inside, Andrew stopped on the porch and looked out over the ranch. With his hands on the railing in front of him, he leaned his head out and looked up at the sky. In the distance he could see huge black clouds rolling in and knew it would be a big storm. Knowing the storm’s potential, it was an intimidating one, he still found himself chuckling…not realizing he actually had laughed out loud.
“What’s so funny, Dad?” Beth asked, startling her father.
With his heart pounding, Andrew responded, “Oh, there is a storm coming and I was laughing about the fact that at least we won’t have to worry about losing power.”
Giggling, “Daddy!”
Thomas stepped outside and said, “Come on, Beth, let’s get back inside.”
“Can’t I stay out here with you?” Beth asked Andrew.
“Go on inside. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Pouting like her younger sister would, Beth relented and went inside. “Looks like a storm is rolling in, Boss,” Thomas declared.
“Yeah, I saw that. It could be a whopper. We probably should secure the house and barn and make sure there isn’t anything that could get too blown around.”
“Sure thing. I’ll get the guys together and we can get started.”
“I’ll have the girls ring the bell when lunch is ready,” Andrew said, patting Thomas on the back.
“We’ll be ready!” Thomas chuckled and then head off in the direction of the barn, knowing that Stewart was already out there.
Before going back inside, Andrew took a moment in the quiet of the morning to look to the sky one more time. He took a deep breath of fresh morning air and turned to go into the house. He knew Debbie and Connie would be thrilled that a storm was coming, but he didn’t know how Amy would feel about it. Amy didn’t like thunder and she was even more afraid of lightning. Still worried about leaving his girls alone for too long, Andrew took one last look at the dark clouds that already had moved closer, and went inside.
“Girls, can you come here please?” Andrew yelled out.
“What happened, Daddy?” Amy asked, concerned with the tone in his voice.
“Can you please go get your sisters, Princess?”
“Yes, Sir.” Amy ran up the stairs and started banging on the bedroom doors as she ran down the hallway. “Come on guys, Dad wants us downstairs.”
“What’s going on?” Debbie asked.
“I don’t know. He just sent me to get you. Come on.”
The four girls made their way down the old squeaky steps, not really knowing if what they were about to hear would be good or bad. They all sat down on the couch, squeezing in tightly. They looked at their dad, and couldn’t tell by the look on his face what he was going to say.
“Well, we’re all here now. What happened?” Connie said. She had a tendency to be emotional and a bit moody, and Andrew could tell it was one of those days for her.
“A storm is coming.”
Instantly, Connie’s face lit up. “A big one?”
“It looks like it might be.” Andrew pulled the curtain back, exposing the large window and the clouds moving quickly their way.
“Yes!” Connie’s funk was replaced with happiness and excitement.
“You all know what that means, though.” Andrew said, looking at each of his daughters.
“I’ll close up the shutters upstairs,” Beth said, not even waiting to be told what to do.
Pleased with her initiative, Andrew had a thought that he knew would make all the girls happy. “Hey, before you do that, why don’t you all throw on your jackets? I have an idea.”
“Are we going somewhere?” Amy asked.
“We all are going to help get stuff ready outside. We have a lot of stuff laying around that we need to put away and pick up in case it gets really windy.”
Almost before he finished his thought, all four girls were on their feet and moving toward the coat hooks on the hall wall that leads to the kitchen. Before they went outside, Debbie even placed a few new logs in the fireplace to make sure it was good and warm inside when they returned to make lunch. Andrew laughed at how quickly they all moved when it meant they could go outside. Then he felt bad that going outside to clean up the property was fun for them. He hoped that soon they would have a little more freedom.
Outside, Beth and Amy began picking up the larger branches that had fallen at the base of the big tree, and then moved onto picking up the toys they hadn’t played with in more than a week. Connie and Debbie went to work making sure the chairs on the patio were stacked neatly and placed in the corner and that all of the flower pots were moved up against the house. Then they brought a bunch of firewood into the house, not knowing how long the storm would last.
As they worked, the wind picked up and the clouds rolled over them, casting a darkness that made them feel like they s
hould be getting ready to make dinner, and not lunch. Each gust of wind excited Amy more and more and she was laughing and running around. Sure, she wasn’t really getting much done, but Andrew let her be, enjoying the joy she was getting out of something simple as wind.
When things seemed to be buttoned up around the house, Andrew gathered the girls. “Okay, it looks great around here. Thank you for all your hard work.”
“Thank you for letting us play outside, Daddy,” Amy said, cheeks red from the cold wind.
“Let’s get inside and make something warm for lunch and then get the house ready. It looks and feels like it is gonna rain any minute.”
The girls hugged their dad, one by one, and then headed inside. He watched them run to the front porch and file inside, a big smile on his face. Just then a gust of wind blew through the yard, almost knocking Andrew off his feet. He hurried to the house, making sure the girls were getting started with lunch.
“What are we having, girls?”
Debbie said, “I thought I would make chicken pot pies.”
“Mmmm. That sounds perfect. Connie, do you think you could make some corn bread?”
Connie smiled and said, “Of course I can!”
“Okay, you guys get started and I am going to run to the barn and make sure the horses have everything they need. Ring the bell when lunch is ready, okay?”
Surprised that their dad was willing to leave them alone for more than a few minutes, Connie eagerly answered, “Okay, Dad. Don’t worry, we will be fine.” She knew a little reassurance would make him feel better.
“Let your sisters help make lunch. They love it when you let them help.”
“Okay, okay. We will find something for them to do.”
“Thank you, Connie. You’re my girl!”
Connie smiled and then got to work gathering the ingredients they would need to prepare lunch. Andrew grabbed his raincoat and then headed out onto the porch. The rain was barely a drizzle at that point, but the wind really was gusting. He ran to the barn to shutter up the windows and make sure the horses had plenty of hay and water. He even threw them a few extra treats hoping to calm them down.
As Andrew was walking out of the barn he saw Thomas and headed his way. “How’s it going? What still needs to be done?”
“Well, Keith and Stewart are out on the four-wheelers making sure the fence line is okay and are forcing the cattle to the back end of the pasture to close them off and keep them together. I think everything else is done.”
“Excellent. Let’s go check the gate and make sure the rocks haven’t moved right under our noses.”
While they walked to the gate, the rain started picking up and the wind continued its relentless assault on the land. They quickened their pace so they could get back to the warmth of the house and eat some amazing comfort food. After seeing that the “H” was still there and no other rocks were moved, they hurried back to the house. Keith and Stewart could be seen in the distance heading their way, so Andrew let the girls know.
“The guys will be here soon…lunch almost ready?”
“About twenty minutes, Dad,” Debbie replied.
“Sounds good. That will give the guys time to warm up a little bit before they eat.”
When Stewart and Keith walked into the house, they hung up their raincoats and took off their boots. Then they went into the living room to talk to Andrew while the girls finished making lunch. “Everything looks good, Boss. The cattle are fenced in and the fence line is clear. I also checked the gate, and the rocks are just as you left them…in the shape of an H,” Keith said.
“Great. Thanks Keith.”
Debbie poked her head around the corner and announced, “Lunch is ready! Come and get it!”
As they sat around the table, Connie noticed all of the men were eating their food really quickly. “What’s the rush guys? Slow down!”
“Sorry,” Thomas said. “We just want to be ready for the storm.”
The second Thomas finished his sentence, a bolt of lightning lit up the sky and there was a cracking noise followed by a boom of thunder that sent frightened Amy. She climbed onto her father’s lap and buried her head in his shoulder. She always was acting so grown up that sometimes he would forget she was only ten years old, but at times like this, as he held her close, he remembered her as his baby girl.
With lunch finished, the girls set to cleaning the kitchen and the guys got ready to weather the storm and do their normal security check. With the weather getting so bad, they knew getting around would be a cold and daunting task, so they bundled up, thankful that it was rain and not snow. With a storm this wicked, it would surely be a torrential rainstorm, and they weren’t quite ready for that yet.
Andrew wanted Thomas to stay with the girls. He was coming down with a cold, and Andrew knew he needed his help healthy. So Andrew took watch that day, and really didn’t mind. He loved storms, and knew Amy was very comfortable with Thomas, so she would be fine. He kissed the girls and headed out in the opposite direction that Keith and Stewart went. The girls and Thomas made sure that all the shutters upstairs were closed and locked and brought their lanterns downstairs with them. It was dark and cold in the bedrooms, but light and warm downstairs where it mattered.
Chapter Two
“I was thinking maybe we should make rounds together.” Keith said to Stewart.
“Aww…, does the storm have my baby brother scared?” Stewart teased.
“Dude, you are only three minutes older than me, quit with the baby brother stuff! Besides, the wind is blowing so hard, and along with not being able to see through the rain blowing sideways, if a branch or something snaps off and hits one of us, the other won’t know if we are clear across the ranch from each other.”
“Yeah, that probably would be a good idea.” Stewart knew listening to his more sensible brother would be the best plan.
The amount of rain that already had fallen meant they would have to walk to avoid the four-wheelers getting stuck in the mud. They headed toward the front of the property and instantly the rain and darkness of the afternoon reminded them of the night after the world changed.
“Man, remember that first night?” Stewart asked. Keith knew what night his brother was talking about, and as much as he preferred to not think about it, it happened, and talking about it helped get through the feelings the storm brought out.
“How could I forget? It was so dark.”
Before the EMP, Keith and Stewart lived in a house in town when they worked on the ranch. They had lived together since their parents passed away in a car accident when they were twenty-five. Their home was large, and Stewart had a live-in girlfriend who left him to go live with her parents on the other side of the state after the catastrophe. She couldn’t handle the new lifestyle and wanted to be with her family.
“Things got so bad, bro. The hardest part was seeing what the residents in town were doing!” Keith said.
“I know. Who would have thought the town would turn on itself? The looting was absolutely crazy! I get it that people want to have everything they need, but to start destroying the town…that was nuts!”
Keith was silent for a minute, and Stewart knew exactly why. After the looting was done, things got even uglier for the town. To break the silence Keith finally spoke, “Then the outsiders came.”
“Yeah, and just when we thought things couldn’t get worse.”
Once the shelves in the stores were all but empty, the townspeople began to draw in and hide themselves. The streets were empty and the stores were boarded up. It gave anyone who came through an eerie feeling, and nobody wanted to be out there. For a while, Stewart and Keith seemed to be the only ones going up the road to go to work. They lived on the outskirts of town, and each had a horse in the small barn in their backyard. So they took to horseback each day to get to the ranch.
One day, on their trek to the ranch, they saw people in the distance. Some were walking, and some were on horses. They were heading toward them
and, not sure what to expect, the guys thought it best to tuck themselves into the tree line to keep from being seen.
“They were so loud! Yelling out to each other and shouting obscenities. It reminded me of the desert pirates we saw in the movies.”
“Yeah, and just as mean!”
Rather than continuing on to the ranch, Keith and Stewart backtracked and tried to keep an eye on what the newcomers were up to. Only moments later, they regretted that plan. Trying to stay as hidden as possible, they rode around the back side of town and headed toward the town center.
“It seemed like they were killing anyone in their way,” Keith said, the sound of dread and horror in his voice.
“And for no good reason. It was bad enough the people in town had destroyed everything, but then to have these people just go in and kill so many of the residents and set fire to the old historic buildings, that was just horrible.”
It was a day they would never forget. That was the day Stewart’s girlfriend left and never returned. He couldn’t talk her out of it, and instead of trying, he just made sure she got out of town in one piece and was headed in the right direction. Two others traveled with her, so he knew she would be as safe as he would have been able to keep her. Together, Keith and Stewart went to the ranch and told Andrew what had happened.
“Thank God that Andrew invited us to stay on the ranch!” Stewart knew that his brother was thinking the same exact thing.
“Yeah. Going back to our house was not fun, but once we got some of our things and got back to the ranch, I definitely felt safer.”
“What was more amazing than the safety was the fact that he made us feel like part of the family!”
“I don’t think he knows how to be any other way,” Keith said. “And it’s nice being able to help out with the girls. They are the greatest.”
They didn’t see any reason to say any more about the subject, so they walked in silence for a little while. The storm was really blowing hard and it was obvious there definitely would be some cleanup after it was all over. Small pieces of trees blew past them almost non-stop, and the wind whipped the rain so hard it felt like tiny needles hitting them in the face. While most people would think that that type of weather would ward off any thieves or wrongdoers, Keith and Stewart knew that it was the best weather for that type of activity. So while they tried to hurry, they also made it a point to be thorough, not wanting to miss a thing.