The Ranch_Mischief And Mayhem

by Brian Quest

  “Can you believe what he was saying?” Stewart asked.

  “The world has gone to hell in a hand basket. I knew it would happen, but to kill little kids?”

  “I know. It’s horrible. It makes me worry for his kids.” Stewart then said, “You know, sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves, not having all the comforts that come with electricity. We miss the internet, and we miss watching DVDs and the evening news. Then we hear a story like the one the man just told us and it puts things into perspective.”

  “Yeah, as if the world wasn’t already a scary place, now it’s even worse. But, at least we know a little more about what has been going on out there. Thank God we are where we are.”

  The guys finished their check while the girls made breakfast, and soon they all were gathered around the table. “I heard what that man said, Dad. Is it really that bad out there?” Debbie said, surprising everyone.

  “You were listening? I didn’t think you even were awake,” Andrew said.

  “I heard the guys yelling so I looked out my window. I can’t believe some of the things he was saying!”

  Amy looked up from her breakfast and asked, “What was he saying?”

  Before Debbie got a chance to answer the question, Thomas jumped in and said, “He was just talking about how unsafe the big city is. There are a lot of people there going through the same thing we are, only they aren’t as lucky as we are to have as much as we do.”

  Thankful for Thomas’ quick thinking, Andrew added, “So, because of how they have to live, the big city is a very scary place.”

  “That’s sad,” Amy said.

  “Yes, Sweetheart, it is. But, we are lucky, like Thomas said. We have each other, and while sometimes danger may find us, we have far more better days than others do. So, let’s be happy and enjoy today.”

  “Can we play outside again, Daddy?”

  “After we get our chores done, I think there will be a little time for play.” Andrew hated keeping the girls cooped up in the house, and knew that if they stayed close, they would be just fine.

  The girls hurried to get their chores done, making sure not to skip a thing. They wanted to make sure there would be no reason to be called in from outside, where the sun would be hitting their faces. They smiled and sang as they swept the floors and made the beds and cleaned up the kitchen.

  Andrew gave them a hand in the kitchen; happy to spend some time with his daughters. Soon they all were outside. To most kids, chopping wood, gathering food from the garden, picking up branches and raking the lawn would seem like chores, but to Debbie, Connie, Beth and Amy, it was fun, and they all did those things happily.

  The only break anyone took all day was to have a quick lunch on the porch before getting back to work and fun. Between trips to the woodpile and trips to the garden that gave them their last bits of vegetables before winter, the girls would kick the soccer ball around or take a quick ride on the tire swing hanging in the big old oak tree in front of the house.

  Chapter Eight

  As the sun began setting in the west, Debbie and Connie brought their younger sisters inside to begin preparing dinner. They struggled deciding upon what to make. Back before the EMP, there was nothing they couldn’t make, but since that time, they were limited. So Debbie tried so hard to change things up as much as possible. She wanted the kitchen to be an “apocalypse free zone.” So she decided to try making a casserole for dinner…well, actually, two casseroles. One was chicken noodle with cream sauce, and the other was a noodle vegetable combination. She was quite proud of her creations and hoped the guys would like them.

  Andrew sent Keith and Stewart out to check the gate and the back end of the ranch while he and Thomas checked the front end and the barn. The girls had enjoyed their day of relative freedom, and he didn’t want to ruin it by having a keeper there for them. So he trusted Debbie and Connie could take care of them in the event that something happened.

  Keith walked ahead of his brother, eager to see if the rocks had been moved. “Hey! Wait for me!” Stewart yelled. He laughed, knowing he was just as curious and only had walked more slowly so his brother wouldn’t know.

  “Hurry up, slowpoke!”

  “What’s the rush?” Stewart asked.

  “Well, judging by the looks of this,” Keith said, pointing at the rocks, “our friend was back. Look.”

  Stewart looked down as he walked to the gate, and it was obvious that, again, the rocks had been moved. This time they were in the shape of an “L”. He looked at his brother and said, “They’re spelling HELP. But, why?”

  “Who knows? Come on, let’s finish the check and then get back to the house to let Andrew know about the rocks.”

  While Keith and Stewart finished their safety check, Thomas and Andrew were having a conversation of their own. “I feel like we could help,” Andrew said.

  “I’m going to take a stab at it and guess you are talking about the man on the horse?”

  “Yes. He has kids.”

  “Yes, he says he does. Look, you know as well as I do people can and will say anything to get what they want, and more times than not nowadays, what people want is an in.”

  “You’re right.”

  “Besides, you did help. You gave them enough food for a couple of days. That’s a lot.” Thomas looked at his friend and then said, “You can’t save the world, Andrew. You can help where you can and you can take care of the people you love. Sometimes you’re too hard on yourself. You did a good thing today, be happy about it.”

  Smiling, Andrew replied, “You are turning into a ball of mush! Listen to you talking to me like this. Are you going soft on me?”

  “I’m getting old on you, Andrew. I’m tired of being the tough guy. It’s time for me to see the world for what it is, and it’s time to start making some real connections. You and your girls are the closest thing to family I have, and it’s time I started acting like it.”

  “Well, we appreciate you, and to us, you ARE family. Come on, let’s get this ranch cleared and then get inside for dinner. I have a feeling Debbie is giving something new a try with the food. So I’m curious to see how it turned out.”

  “I don’t know if I should be curious or excited to try something new.”

  “Well, however it turns out, do me a favor?”

  “Don’t worry, Andrew. I will make sure she knows how wonderful I think it is.” Thomas smiled and said, “You know, she’s more like her mother every day.”

  “Yes,” Andrew said, looking up to the sky, “she is.”

  “Okay, now who’s being mushy? Come on, let’s get this done.”

  After all of the men were back at the house, they sat in the living room, warming up. The girls were putting the finishing touches on dinner. Beth and Amy had picked the last of the wild flowers and put them in a vase along with some greens from the garden, and placed it on the table. Connie set the table with their best dishes, hoping to make the table look nice. It wasn’t a traditional special occasion, but every once in a while it was nice to make it feel like it was. Debbie was nervous about the new recipe, and hoped it wouldn’t be disgusting. She laughed out loud when she thought about the faces the guys would make if it was.

  With everyone seated around the table, Debbie began serving the casseroles. She put a scoop of each on the plates and handed them out. Nobody took a bite until she was seated, and then she watched their faces. She was happy to see there were no bad reactions. In fact, they all eagerly scooped up their food and finished their plates before she even could take a second bite.

  “This is amazing, Debbie,” Keith said, winking.

  “You’re paid to say that,” Debbie replied.

  After a bit of laughter he said, “No, I’m paid to take care of the ranch, not compliment your cooking. It really is good.”

  “Thank you.”

  While everybody enjoyed their second helping of dinner, a new conversation started. “So, Andrew, it seems The Rock Bandit has returned.” Stewart was eag
er to hear what Andrew thought. “This time the letter was ‘L’.”

  Andrew only took a second to reply, “HELP. That’s what they’re spelling.”

  “That’s what we thought, too, but who?”

  “Stewart, your guess is as good as mine.”

  “Well,” Connie started, “I think we need to figure it out and help them.”

  “In theory, that is a great idea, but you know that can be dangerous.”

  “I know, but Dad, they are reaching out for help.”

  “Connie, I know you want to help people. We all do. You also know that if we let people in we risk losing everything.”

  “Well, we need to do something. If they keep coming back, and we do nothing, doesn’t that mean we are leaving ourselves open to danger?”

  Thomas spoke next, “You know, Andrew, she does have a point. We really need to do something. The longer we let it go on, the worse it could get.”

  “Yeah, Dad. We have to do something now, not later,” Debbie said.

  “Well, it seems like I have only one choice.”

  “What’s that?” Beth asked.

  “It looks like we have to do something…NOW.” He paused and then said, “But what? Any ideas? We can’t just sit here all day waiting.”

  “Why not?” Keith asked. “We could sit in shifts.”

  While the men sorted out the details of how they would catch The Rock Bandit, the girls had their own powwow going. They were stumped. “Do you think it’s a kid?” Beth asked.

  “I don’t know about that,” Debbie said. “I don’t know how a kid would get all the way over here, move the rocks without being seen and get back to where they live. Besides, sometimes the rocks were moved over night. Who do you know that would go out in the middle of the night alone like that?”

  “I would.”

  “You would not! You’d make it four steps from the door and then turn and run back into the house. It is really dark out there at night.”

  “Okay. So what? I don’t like being out in the dark. That doesn’t mean another kid wouldn’t like it. If you’re so sure it isn’t a kid, who do you think it is?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe the man who was here this morning. Maybe he is trying to catch us all off guard so he finally can come back and steal from us.”

  Debbie spoke up. “Come on, girls. It’s no use trying to guess who it is. Whoever it might be, does it really matter? The fact is they are coming onto our property, messing with our minds, and possibly could do harm to the ranch or to us.”

  “Well,” Amy said, “I don’t know who it is, but it sure is fun trying to figure it out!”

  “Fun?” Debbie asked. “Aren’t you worried?”

  “Worried about what?”

  “Worried that someone is coming onto our property that doesn’t belong here.”

  “No.”

  “You’re not? Why? We all are.”

  “Because I know Daddy and the guys will protect us.”

  Andrew was standing in the doorway to the living room listening to his daughters and said, smiling warmly, “That’s right, little one, we will. Why don’t you go up and get in your jammies, and then come back down for hot chocolate?”

  “Yes!” Amy grabbed her lantern and hurried up the stairs to do as she was told.

  “Debbie, are you guys really worried?” Andrew valued his daughter’s opinion on situations in their lives. She was very insightful and strong, and had a way of taking things in stride. So if she was worried, then Andrew knew there really was a problem.

  “Sure, Dad. There’s someone coming onto our property without our permission. We don’t know who they are. I know it could be someone just needing help, but it also could be someone trying to hurt us. That worries me.”

  Andrew hugged his daughter and said, “Please don’t worry. We will take care of this problem…tonight.”

  “What if they don’t come back tonight?”

  “Then we’ll get them tomorrow…or the next day. There will be someone at the rocks until we get them.”

  “Please be careful, Dad. I don’t like this. I don’t like not being able to do anything.”

  “You will be doing plenty just by taking care of your sisters.”

  “You know I will, Dad.”

  “There will be someone at the house at all times, but outside; I know you can take care of things inside the house.”

  Happy that her dad trusted her so much, she hugged him and said, “Just be careful, Dad. All of you. When is your shift?”

  I will go out there after you girls go up to bed. We had a nice day today, and I want more of that before I go out there.”

  “I’ll go make sure the girls are getting changed.”

  Andrew was frustrated. He hated when his daughters worried. He hated when he worried. He sat on the couch, coffee in hand and watched as his daughters came back down from changing. They sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, trying to decide what they wanted to do for the rest of the night. It didn’t take long for them to decide on playing a short game of charades. It was a silly game, and most people made fun of it, but they loved it. It was a time that allowed them to be goofy and let out a little energy before bed.

  Time flew by, and soon it was time for the girls to head up to bed and the guys to go out to do their safety check and Andrew to set up shop near the gate to watch for The Rock Bandit. Debbie decided she would stay downstairs in the living room while the guys were out, and maybe even make a batch of cornbread for when the guys got back. She really was beginning to love the job of taking care of her father and the other men. She had watched her mother do it for so long that she was ready to take on the task.

  Chapter Nine

  “You know what, guys? I’m gonna take this ‘Operation Catch The Rock Bandit’ project on myself,” Andrew announced once the girls had gone upstairs.

  “I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” Thomas asked, confused. “Aren’t we all in this together?”

  “We absolutely are, but this is something I feel I need to do myself. I have relied on you guys for so much since my Sarah died. I’m starting to feel like one of four Daddies. I need to know I am doing something more for my family.”

  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand what Andrew was saying, and while the guys didn’t really like it, they knew there would be no talking the man out of it. “You know,” Stewart said, “it could be days before you catch them. How will that work? Will you never sleep?”

  “I don’t think it will take that long. I think they will be back within a day. It’s just a hunch, but they are only one letter short of their goal, so I think it will happen soon.”

  “I think you’re nuts, but hey, whatever floats your boat. Just stay safe and warm. It is definitely freezing outside!” Stewart was bundling up, getting ready to check the barn.

  “Well, this nut wants the whole situation done and over.”

  “You’re not really going to do this on your own, are you Dad?”

  “Connie, what are you doing up?”

  “Dad, come on, it’s 9 p.m. Besides, that’s not an answer. Why do you have to do this alone?”

  “It’s just something I want to do. I don’t expect you to understand it, or to like it, but I want to be the one to catch them.”

  She looked at her father and then asked, “What will you do to them when you catch them?”

  Andrew hadn’t even reached that point in his thought process. Leave it to one of the kids to think of the big things for him! “Well, Con, I hadn’t thought about it.”

  “Well, before you go out there, you probably should.”

  Andrew could hear the irritation in her voice. “Is something else bothering you?”

  “No, Dad. I just think you are being stubborn about this. You should be doing this in teams, not all alone.”

  “Well, I will be fine. I will have my rifle, and a handgun. I will be bundled up and warm, and I will bring coffee with me to stay awake.”
/>   “And when you catch them? Then what?”

  “Then I will deal with them.”

  “But how?”

  It was obvious Connie was not going to drop the subject, so he thought long and hard about what he would do in the event that he did encounter The Rock Bandit. When he figured out what to say to his daughter, he looked into her eyes and said, “I will do whatever I need to do to keep our family safe. I also will do as much as possible to keep the other person safe. Who knows? Maybe they do actually just need help. But, until they show themselves, all I can do is plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

  Connie kissed her father on the cheek and said, “Very diplomatic, Dad. Just promise you will be careful.”

  “I will be careful.”

  “Promise!”

  “Okay, okay. I promise I will be careful.”

  Then she pulled something out from behind her back and held it out for her dad. “Take these. They may help.”

  He looked at the large zip ties in her hand. “Where did you get those?”

  “In the cellar. I noticed them when I was going through a box looking for more pencils for Amy. Use them to tie up The Rock Bandit. Then you can take them far away and let them go.” She held out her other hand and in it was a knit hat. “Put this on them and pull it over their face. Then they can’t see where you took them.”

  Laughing, Andrew responded, “Well, you have this all planned out! Okay, I’ll keep them with me. I will try to use them if the situation allows.” He didn’t want to promise her he would keep the person moving the rocks safe, because he didn’t know who it was or if he would be able to keep a promise like that.

  “Thank you, Daddy. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Sweetheart.”

  “Thomas, you make sure he’s okay.”