by Liscom, Sean
“That's fine, Jill.”
“How soon were you planning on transitioning the Teams to our control?” I asked.
“Team 3 will be yours tomorrow afternoon. The other two within the next 45 days.”
“So soon?” Jill asked as we started walking again.
“Yeah. The grand plan is for us to be on the road within 60 days. I've got a couple more things to do for you guys and Jim Calvert. Loose ends to tie up, so to speak,” he said with a smile. I'd seen that smile before and I knew better than to ask what he was up to. Instead, I changed the subject.
“How is Jim doing? He hasn’t been out here since the wedding,” I asked.
“He has his hands full down there. He's been dealing with cattle disputes, property disputes and trade agreements. The poor guy's in his office 18 hours a day.”
“I’m sure he’s been grumbling about it the whole time too,” I said. The Major laughed a little.
“Yeah he has. I’ve even heard him cuss you out a time or two for talking him into taking the job!”
“He could have told me no,” I chuckled.
“You and I both know that wasn’t going to happen. He's back in his element and he'll never admit it, but I think he secretly loves every minute it,” Jill quipped. That got all of us to chuckling a little. When we reached the sidewalk that led to our house we stopped and the Major extended his hand to me. I took it and gave him a quick handshake. After he let go, he extended it to Jill with a knowing smile on his face. She pushed his hand aside and gave him a big hug. Ever since he was credited with saving my life the night the ranch was attacked, he had earned a special place in her heart that she would forever hold dear. After the hug, he stepped back.
“I'll give it till 10:00 and then I and my men will pull out. That will give your security people a chance to get back in position. Good night to both of you and thank you again for everything you've done,” he said
“It’s our pleasure,” Jill said.
“You guys be safe out there,” I told him and we took our leave.
Jill and I went in the house and went straight upstairs. It was late and we were both pretty tired but that melted away with a passionate kiss behind our closed door. It would be much later before we actually went to sleep.
CHAPTER 4
Wednesday, August 2nd, 2017
Jill and I were both up at 3am and in the gym by 3:30. While it had been about 10 months since the attack that almost left me dead, most of my injuries had healed just fine. The one that was still giving me trouble was the damage that had been done to my right leg.
The .44 magnum bullet that had been fired by Marvin had done extensive damage to the muscle in that thigh. Jill’s physical therapy sessions had done a lot to help me regain what I had lost but I had to accept the fact that my right leg would never be the same. Eight months ago, Doc was sure that I was going to need a cane for the rest of my life. Five months ago, I proved him wrong. Two months ago, I started running again and today I was pressing twice my body weight with that leg alone. It was an extremely painful process to be sure but it was one that I was willing to see through to the end. It wasn’t so much that the muscle was missing or totally destroyed, it was the scar tissue that was hampering my efforts.
Any blow to that thigh could be excruciating. A couple of days before, I had clipped the corner of a desk and ended up on the floor in agony. It had become my Achilles heel. During our sparring sessions, Jill had taught me to protect that side at all costs. She would deliberately attack from my weak side and force
me to not only defend, but attack from that side too. One good hit in the right place could leave me practically defenseless on the floor.
After our physical therapy session, Jill and I returned home at 5am and got ready for our day. Major Jackson was due back at noon to officially recognize Team 3 and give them their assignment. It would be interesting to see how it played out when they found out that WE were their assignment.
Jill, Dan, Mark and myself had already been planning a trip into Elko today to look at the old college campus. With the news that Dennis had given us the night before, it seemed even more of a priority now.
After a shower and breakfast, I left the house and went to the security shack. I walked in and closed the door behind me. It always gave me pause when I didn’t see Allan sitting behind the desk. I never got used to it. Today, my brother, Braden was sitting there.
“Morning,” he said, holding up his coffee mug in a mock toast.
“Morning,” I replied as I walked across the room and retrieved my mug. I filled it with coffee, then I returned and sat in the chair across from him. “Quiet night?” I asked.
“Yep. Absolutely nothing happening around here.”
“I’ve said it before and I'll say it again…. Thank God for the quiet spell,” I mused as I took a sip from my cup. He nodded and raised his cup again.
“Amen to that one brother! You guys still going to
town this afternoon?”
“That’s the plan, why?” I asked.
“Megan wanted to know if you could swing by the trading post and see about picking up some fabrics. I guess she wants to make the girls some new clothes. She gave me a list,” he said as he pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve pocket. He handed it over to me and I glanced at it.
“I don’t see why we couldn’t swing through there. Tell her we will get whatever we can.”
“Cool, I know she would really appreciate that,” he said as he leaned forward and put his elbows on the desk. “Can I ask you a serious question now?”
“Of course.”
“Kalin is 17 and she asked me last night if I would let her join the next class of recruits….” he paused like he was struggling for the right words. “I didn’t know what to tell her, Jason.”
“If she joined, you know we would take care of her, right?” I asked.
“Yeah, I know that. That’s not the problem.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Me, I’m the problem!” again he paused. “With the pure hell we went through out there on the road, I feel like I failed her, like I failed both girls and Megan in so many different ways. If I had my shit together, we could have made it here in just a few days or we would have already been here and we would've never had to go through that.”
“Braden, you did not fail those girls! You got them
here alive. You did the best you could with the hand that you were dealt. Hell, I don’t think I could have done it!”
“Jason, if she joins up she might be put in a position where she has to kill, again! She is 17 years old and she already has blood on her hands. I don’t want to put her in a position to have to do that again.”
“She killed that man to defend her life and the life of her sister. It’s sad to say but that is the world we live in now. It was no fault of hers and it most certainly wasn’t your fault. Ask her why she wants to join, I bet I know what her answer will be,” I said. Braden leaned back in his chair again.
“What do you think she'll say?” he asked.
“Knowing the way you raised those girls, knowing the way we were raised by our grandparents, I can tell you that she probably wants to join so that she can help other people to never have to live through that. She will want to make sure that the scumbags that would do that sort of thing are brought to justice. She would want to join so that she can make a difference,” I answered. He stared at me for the longest time before he spoke again.
“Okay, I will ask her but only if we can do it at your place over dinner tonight.”
“Deal! It'll work out good because Jill can talk to her too if the need arises,” I said. He liked that answer and left it at that. He opted to change the conversation to a subject that had been plaguing both of us since his arrival at the ranch. The journals that my father had
left.
“Have you had a chance to look at the journals and our notes lately?” he asked.
“Honestly? No. I
had to step away from all of them for a little while. I was so frustrated that it was beginning to drive me mad,” I said with a chuckle. He laughed a little too.
“There is something important that dad wanted to tell us but I think that we are still missing a piece of the puzzle.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well…. There are 43 journals and all of them have the code in the margins. Almost every damn page has it but the cipher that we used to decode our personal journals isn’t working. He either used a different cipher, which I doubt, or we are missing something.”
“Yeah, but what is it we could be missing?”
“My best guess?” he paused. “I think we are missing one of the journals.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Hear me out for a minute,” he paused again, this time to sit up straight and put his coffee cup on the desk. “It’s nothing more than a hunch at this point but it goes back to the way he split everything into pairs as far as the ranch goes. My theory is that there are actually two sets of journals, 22 in each set. If you remember, it was journal #23 where the actual building of the ranch started to take place. As far as the timeline goes, there was a two year break between #22 and
#23,” he took a deep breath before beginning again.
“The writing from #1 to #22 was pretty consistent. There was the break and then #23 thru #43 were consistent. The first 22 were all about his life and his regrets and all of that personal kind of stuff. Starting in 23, it’s almost like reading a technical manual of how the ranch was built and the people he surrounded himself with. It’s all very dry reading. Why the change in the tone of his writing and why the two year break?” he finished. I had never thought of it from the angle that he was. All I could do was stare at him.
“We're missing something, Jason. I’m sure there has to be another journal. It’s the only possible explanation.”
“If we go with your theory, where is the missing journal?” I asked.
“That is the mystery but I have a theory about that too,” he grinned. “At the end of #43, the ranch is finished. All of the supplies are laid in and that’s where the story should stop, right?” he asked. I gave him a nod. “Yet there is the very last paragraph where he talks about finding the miners cross up in the meadow. You told me that the miner was actually a guy he helped out and that’s also the place you found the flash drive with the message and coordinates to the weapons stashes. What if there is something else hidden up there?” he finished with a smile.
“You think he buried the 44th journal up there?”
“It makes sense. As soon as this shift is over, me and Megan are going to take one of the Jeeps up there
and have a look around,” he said. I could see the excitement in his eyes.
We chatted for a few more minutes before Alex Perez and Mike Taylor came through the door. They were followed by Dan and Jeff. The shift pass down was given and Braden, Alex and Mike left the shack, two of them were going to go get some sleep and Braden was off on his treasure hunt. I kind of wished that I was going with him.
I settled in behind the desk and let my thoughts wander a little. I thought about the possibility of a 44th journal and what secrets the journals could hold but I also thought about my niece, Kalin, and their journey from Kansas to the ranch. Braden wasn’t lying when he talked about the hell that they had to go through to get here. I could also understand why he was so hesitant
about letting her join the Teams.
Major Jackson was as punctual as ever and pulled through the gate of the ranch at noon. He parked in the parking area in front of medical and the assembled squads of Team 3. Jill, Dan, Mark and the rest of the instructors were standing directly in front of the new troops. When Major Jackson stepped from the Hummer, Jill called them all to attention. They all held their salutes until the Major stood directly in front of Jill and returned the gesture and told them to stand at ease. Jill took one step forward and stood ramrod straight.
“Major Jackson, I present to you Team 3 of the Elko Defense Force!” she shouted.
“Mrs. Sterling, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Butler….. With your permission, I will relieve you of your unit,” he said.
“Major Jackson, we stand relieved. Take charge of your unit!” she shouted again as she extended her hand. The Major shook it. Jill took a step back and called the instructors to attention. They did a smart right face and left the parking area. I joined them on the sidelines and watched the proceedings. Dennis called the five squad leaders forward and they stood at attention in front of him.
“Squad 3-1, 3-3, 3-4, and 3-5. All of you will share in one single mission. You are to ensure the security of this facility and all of its inhabitants. You will report directly to the leadership of the ranch and look to them for assignments. Do you understand?”
“YES SIR!” four of the five squad leaders shouted.
“That leaves me with you, Lange, and squad 3-2.”
“YES SIR!” the young woman shouted.
“Squad 3-2 will be responsible for the safety and well-being of the senior ranch leadership. You just became the secret service for the first couple. Do you understand?” Dennis asked loudly. Jill and I looked at each other and the surprise was evident on both of our faces.
“First couple?” she asked quietly. I heard Dan stifle a laugh from behind me. Jill shook her head and went back to watching the end of the ceremony. If any of the Team members were disappointed with their assignments, they never let it show. After the ceremony had concluded, Major Jackson made his way
to where Jill and I were standing.
“Well, they're all yours,” he said as he got closer.
“First couple?” Jill asked him. “You really went there, didn't you?” He couldn't keep a straight face any longer and burst out in a hearty laugh.
“That was Mayor Calvert's idea!” he finally said. “He thought you'd be flattered!” That comment caused Dan to finally lose it and start laughing loudly.
“Oh, shut up Dan!” she said. That only earned her more laughter as Jeff and Mark started laughing too. It was infectious because even I joined in. After a few seconds, Jill cracked a smile and started to giggle. “You guys suck!”
Her comment only caused everyone to laugh harder. It had been a long time since any of us had laughed that hard. I don't know if it was Jim Calvert's intention, but his little joke had turned into the highlight of our day. Everyone began to settle down when the five squad leaders started moving in our direction. Jill took a step toward them as they approached.
“I bet you guys are looking for an assignment, right?” she asked as they stopped in front of her.
“Yes, ma'am!” they said in unison.
“Okay, these are only temporary assignments until I have a chance to put together something more long term. 3-1, you will work the graveyard security shift tonight. 3-3, you have days and 3-4, you have the afternoon shift. 3-5, I want you on a standby to act as a quick response unit. I should have some real
assignments for you within the next 24 hours, be ready to change it up. Understood?”
“Yes ma'am!” the four squad leaders said in unison.
“Good, dismissed. 3-2, Lange..... It appears that Major Jackson has already given you your assignment, execute it as you see fit.”
“Ma’am, permission to speak freely?” Melissa Lange asked.
“Of course, Melissa, what’s on your mind?” Jill replied.
“Ma’am, our orders state that we are to act as personal protection for the ranch senior leadership, you, Mr. Sterling and Mr. Hawkins. I'd like to assign Mike and Ben Butler, your nephews, to your detail. I and Rex Foster will take responsibility for Mr. Sterling and Seth Hill will be assigned to Mr. Hawkins. Would you find that acceptable?” the young woman asked.
“First things first Melissa, you have earned the right to refer to us by our names,” Jill said with a smile. “Next, how you handle your mission is your choice. I'll give you fair warning thou
gh, you probably drew the hardest assignment of the lot.”
“How's that ma'am?”
“Basically, we can be hard to keep up with. Melissa, Jason and I are usually up around 3 in the morning and we don't go to bed until 9 or 10 at night. You are going to have to keep pace when we are on the move and when we ain't moving, you are going to be doing a lot of standing around. I hope you understand
that.” Jill said.
“No worries, ma'am. Squad 3-2 is up for the task. We got your backs,” she said proudly.
“Alright then,” Jill paused and looked back at me. “Are we still planning on going to town this afternoon?” she asked.
“As far as I know, probably 3 or 4 this afternoon,” I answered. Jill turned back to Melissa.
“The two of us, along with Dan and Mark, will be going to town this afternoon to look at a new training center. Please make arrangements for transportation and brief your people,” Jill ordered.
“Yes ma'am!” she replied sharply.
“One more thing, Melissa.”
“Yes, ma'am?”
“Okay, two more things. First, my name is Jill. You can use our names. Second, we don't want to put off the impression that we are special in any way. I'm going to need you to tone it down a little when we are in public. Just blend in,” Jill said with a smile.
“Yes, ma...... Jill,” she corrected herself. Jill nodded her approval and Melissa took her leave. She walked back to the parking lot where her squad was still waiting.
“You said she was a firecracker, I believe you,” I told Jill. She just smiled a knowing smile.
“She has five older brothers. Two are firefighters in Chicago. One is a beat cop in Miami, Florida. One is an Army Ranger and the fifth one is Air Force Para-rescue. She is one tough cookie!” she laughed.
“I can see why you wanted her.”
“Honestly, the first time I saw her, I thought she might be our first washout. She surprised all of us,” Jill said. The two of us turned and started walking back to our house. We were going to get lunch before we went to town.
“Remind me to give Jim a ration of shit about the whole first couple thing,” I said as we walked.