Reclaiming The Homestead: An EMP Survival story (BEYOND THE GRID Book 3)

by Connor Mccoy

  Or any gunshots, he thought grimly.

  He picked up his boot. By now it had gathered dirt and mud all the way up over the heel and toe. The luster of the leather was no doubt gone, even if he washed off the boots. The smell of this forest also was getting to him.

  God, with the prints I’ve been leaving in the dirt, I wonder if those yokels can track me. Maybe they have some sixth sense or something from living out here. Oh, get a grip, Jimmy. Don’t get superstitious. They’re no different than you. They’re human. That means they can goddamn bleed.

  He would love to see them bleed too, if he could find their house and get the drop on them, and right now that appeared to be a remote possibility. He didn’t know where the hell he was. He could wander this forest for days and not find any sign of civilization.

  No. Sykes vowed he would get out of here. He just had to use his head. That, and hope for a little luck.

  It seemed he had both on his side as he peered down onto the grass. He discovered a boot print, but not one of his. It was pressed into the soil near a tree. Someone else had been around here.

  The print was pointing to the west. Sykes approached it. He had a plan. Assuming the print belonged to the homesteader or one of his kin, Sykes could follow the trail of prints, assuming there was more of them, all the way back to the homestead.

  C’mon, let there be more of these beauties.

  Sykes located another print not far in front of the first one. It was a little faded. Sykes vowed to be cautious. He couldn’t afford to miss one, or it might throw him off the trail.

  Farther on, the ground sank a little. Part of a print was visible. The trail still led west.

  He didn’t locate another print, but he did find a crunched set of branches. Following the trail was sharpening his senses. He vowed to look for any disturbances in the ground that could have been made by human beings.

  See that, homesteader? I’m playing your game now.

  For the first time since his truck was firebombed, a smile crossed his lips.

  The smile on Sykes’s face grew wider the moment he discovered the metal fence that cut across his path.

  The trail of prints actually had petered out some paces ago, but Sykes felt confident he could discover the homestead if he followed the general direction of the prints, which, except for curving around earlier, proceeded in a straight line.

  The space before Sykes mostly was obscured by trees, but there were enough gaps to see the homestead and its crops at a distance. It didn’t seem likely that anyone from the property could spot him.

  Sykes followed along the trees as he studied the fence. It was taller than him, but not much taller. Perhaps he could climb up the metal mesh and get over the fence that way.

  He grabbed onto the mesh. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to get a grip on it. He wasn’t sure he could fit the points of his boots into the mesh to create footholds.

  How the hell do I get over this fence?

  Sykes studied the nearby trees. While overshadowing the fence, none of them appeared close enough to hang over the fence. A person could climb higher than the fence, but then they would have to jump over the fence’s top to get onto the homesteader’s land. But at that height, a person could break a leg upon hitting the ground, if not worse.

  Sykes kept hiking along the fence. There had to be a way over it.

  His boot crunched on something. It didn’t sound like a twig. Sykes looked down. His left boot had stepped on a small shaft, just missing a sharp point. It was an arrow.

  Sykes picked it up. Where did this little beauty come from? Someone obviously had dropped it. If it was shot from a bow, it likely would have impaled one of these trees. There was no debris on the arrowhead, no dirt, no mud, no sign that it had hit a solid surface and fell off. It appeared to be new and unused.

  He backed up. Something smacked him in the back of the head. Spinning around, Sykes came face to face with a tree branch. He muttered a profanity, but upon looking up, he found the tree to be a blessing in disguise. The trunk leaned very close to the fence, close enough that a person could climb up it and get over the fence.

  “Well, how about that?” Sykes asked. Life was throwing him good fortune left and right. He decided he’d hold onto this arrow, too. It might come in handy.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Jacob looked at the faces of the people seated at the dinner table. Almost all of them were tired, except for Arnie, who anticipated the serving of dinner with a happy expression. Still, in the spite of their fatigue, Jacob could detect the relief in their faces and possibly some pride. They successfully had beaten back Sykes and his men, no mere feat considering how deadly their enemies had proven to be.

  Domino was the only person still on her feet. She was working in the kitchen. The hot blend of chicken meat and vegetables was about ready. Jacob, however, felt he should say something first in light of today’s events.

  “I’m not saying I know things would turn out this good for all of us, but I had a feeling we could persevere if we all hung together and did our parts,” Jacob said as he looked from person to person at the table.

  Brandon sighed. “All I did was sit on my butt most of the day.”

  “But it was important that you kept Courtney and Arnie safe,” Jacob said as he turned toward his son. “Since I knew you all were out of the fight, I could focus on handling Sykes and his men without worrying about you. That was a very big deal.”

  Jacob next focused on Sheryl. “I’m sure it wasn’t easy for you, either, your first gunfight. But you really came through out there.”

  Sheryl’s cheeks turned red. “It was definitely a new experience for me. I’m just glad we’re all safe. That’s all that matters.”

  Jacob next turned to Courtney. “And I heard you and Arnie did okay up in the attic, too.”

  Courtney smiled a little awkwardly. Jacob and Domino had been told about Arnie’s outburst, but neither of them expressed a lot of concern, perhaps because Courtney had handled it so well. “It was no big deal. I mean, we just sat up there, read books, played games, stuff like that.”

  “I know you didn’t get the most exciting part of this whole thing, but it was important that we knew you were safe,” Jacob added.

  Courtney, nodding, said, “Thank you for thinking that much of me. Not too many people have. You guys really are a lot nicer than a lot of people I’ve known.” Fidgeting, she asked, “How long do you think I can stay here? I mean, I’m sure I’m a pain in the butt and you probably want to get on with your lives.”

  Domino, sticking her head out of the door, replied with some surprise. “Good Lord, Courtney, we wouldn’t throw you or Arnie out the door. We don’t even know the state of the towns close by. Where would you go?”

  “Don’t be nervous about staying here,” Jacob added. “Actually, I could use more farmhands. I think you could be a great help to us here.”

  Courtney rubbed her hands together. “Wow. Thanks. I don’t know what to say.”

  Jacob leaned a little closer to his sister. “I guess, in a way, you were right. We didn’t come back to the same home we left. It’s going to be a lot livelier from now on.”

  “I guess you’ll be begging me to stay, too.” Sheryl chuckled.

  “I already told you that you could stay,” Jacob said.

  “I’m just funning with you.” Sheryl tapped Jacob on his shoulder. “You’ve got two extra kids under your roof, counting that big kid over there.” Sheryl nodded at Arnie, who just smiled and waved to her in return.

  “Alright, alright, enough with the speeches.” Domino emerged from the kitchen wearing oven mitts, holding a steaming plate of chicken and vegetables. “Time for the conquering heroes to feast!”

  “Yeah!” crowed Brandon and Jubilee.

  And so, the Avery household ate, feeling good about the outcome of their fight and not giving another thought to any further dangers that might lurk outside their home.

  Sykes tried to stop grumbling as
his hand grasped the nearest branch. He had been in a sour mood for the past few hours, not helped by his growling stomach. He had decided to wait until night approached before climbing up the tree. However, he had to mill around in the woods while waiting, until he had to relieve himself. But with no restroom or other facilities available, Sykes had to do his business out here among nature.

  I hate this. I hate all of this. I was going to be the king of this goddamn state. I planned it all. How did everything go so wrong?

  He hoisted himself onto the branch that rested higher than the fence. The light was fading. Sykes doubted he would be easy to spot. The fence was within easy range. All he had to do was jump down and catch the fence’s mesh. He might make it the full distance down to the ground, but he wasn’t going to chance it.

  So, he made the leap.

  He caught the mesh as he expected, but he slammed up against the metal a little harder than he expected. He banged his privates a little. “Shit!” This little maneuver looked easier in his mind than in execution. After taking a few breaths, he started his descent.

  The climb didn’t take long. Once Sykes’s boots touched the soil, he brushed some leaves and twigs off his clothing.

  He scoped out his destination. Sykes had arrived close to a row of carrot crops. The homestead lay beyond, mostly obscured by the rows of crops.

  The thought of the nearby crops overwhelmed Sykes. He had to eat something. He looked for the nearest tuff of green leaves and yanked on it.

  He ripped off a handful of grass. No carrot. “Shit,” he whispered. What did he do wrong? Was there even a carrot in there at all?

  Maybe the thing is stuck in there. He tried clawing through the dirt, but he only could dig away some of the soil. He couldn’t dig deep enough to locate the carrot.

  Frustrated, he gave up and started following the crop row to the homestead. There would be food in the house anyway.

  By the time he closed in on the house, night was almost fully upon the scene. Sykes, kneeling, kept close to a stalk of corn. There were lights on in the windows, created by candlelight.

  Those jokers have to be getting to bed soon. I’m no expert on farm life, but farmers generally are early risers, and if you’re getting up early, you got to hit the hay early.

  Still, how would he break inside without making noise? He could try shooting out the lock on the back door, but the folks inside definitely would hear that. No, there would be no sneaking inside.

  Sykes watched the lights flicker in the windows. Maybe he couldn’t sneak in, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do some damage from out here.

  He pulled out his firearm. He hadn’t shot a single round since reloading. He had six bullets to work with.

  That homesteader and his woman are the big problems. I bet they share a room. Both of them in the same place.

  His stomach rumbled again. Damn them both. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

  Jacob pushed the bedroom door fully open. With the sun having set hours ago, a set of candles on the dresser provided the room’s light.

  Domino, seated on the bed wearing night clothes, looked out the window. “It’s amazing,” she said. “It doesn’t look any different. Before, when all the lights were on, we’d always look outside, and it would be as dark as it is now. For a moment it had taken my thoughts back to the way things used to be.”

  Jacob concurred. Their bedroom window looked out to the western part of their property and the forest beyond. There were no outside lights in that area, so when night fell, the view was always dark, a mass of shadowy shapes amid the stars.

  “Sometimes it’s easy to forget how things have changed around here,” Jacob said as he parked himself by the candlelight, which flickered as a soft breeze blew in through the open window.

  “How’s Sheryl doing?” Jacob asked.

  “She’s okay. She’s actually with Arnie.” Jacob smiled. “I think those two are getting along. It’s almost like…” His smile grew bigger. “I want to say it’s like a mother-son deal.”

  Domino chuckled. “I can see that.” After pausing, she added, “I was thinking about how she’s coping with having to fight her first gun battle. I know we were all cheery at the dinner table, but you know how people can hide their true feelings.”

  “I think she’s handling it,” Jacob replied. “I talked to her about it before. She was uneasy about it, but I think she knows she had to pull the trigger to protect us and our home.” Casting a glance at Domino, he added, “I’m just glad you two are getting along better. And I promised I wouldn’t push her on the subject any longer.”

  “Thanks. I am definitely grateful that she is here. She’s going to be a big help with the kids and Arnie.” Domino settled into bed, resting against the pillows. “Say, you want to keep the window open again like last night?”

  Jacob checked out the window. With the glass slid down, only the window screen provided a barrier to the outside. He pressed on the screen. Tight and sturdy as always. Mosquitoes and other insects wouldn’t stand a chance of getting inside.

  “Let’s keep it open,” Jacob said as he blew out the candles.

  Sheryl fanned herself. Even after a few nights at the Avery house, it was hard to get to sleep amid the warm air, although thankfully the den had a window that could stay open during the night to funnel out the hotter air. Still, she felt a little more comfortable than the last few evenings, maybe because they had taken out Sykes’s invading force.

  At least she had a bed to sleep on now. There were nights during her flight to Jacob’s house when she had to sleep outside in patches of leaves under the boughs of trees. She never got much sleep. The only reason she did fall asleep was due to pure exhaustion. Her body wouldn’t let her go on unless she rested.

  Arnie lay in a folded-out bed from an old sofa. He seemed very content in his slumber. He easily would drop off to sleep after Sheryl sang to him.

  I know he looks scary, but he’s really sweet. However, Sheryl’s thoughts drifted to what Courtney and Brandon had told her. This man might have had a bad past. Arnie had his outbursts, to be sure. Could he be deadly? Courtney confessed it was impossible to tell rumor and fact apart.

  He would wander the streets, alone. He’s killed people, left their bodies out in the open. Sheryl repeated Courtney’s words. She shivered. No, it couldn’t be. Sykes’s men were hardly the most trustworthy sort. They must have been bullshitting.

  A rustling sound cut into Sheryl’s thoughts. Sheryl spun around, facing the window. The sound came from outside. Those were footsteps. They had to be.

  The noise roused Arnie from his sleep. He sprang up, his eyes fixed on the window. “Who’s that?” He sounded frightened.

  “I don’t know.” Sheryl was certain she wasn’t hearing things, not if Arnie heard it, too. Who could be out there? Jacob? Domino? One of the kids? No, the den lay on the way to the back door, and the den’s window was pointed toward the backyard. Unless Jacob or Domino went out the front and looped around the side, someone would have to walk past the den to take the back door, and Sheryl would have heard them.

  Sheryl reached for her gun and belt.

  However, Arnie was up and at the door before Sheryl could secure her belt latch. His eyes were focused on the window even as he backed toward the door.

  “Arnie?” Sheryl approached him.

  “Outside,” Arnie said softly, “in the dark. I want to…I want to look.”

  “Sweetie, it’s very dark out there. And if it is a person, somebody we don’t know, we need to get Mister Jacob and Mrs. Domino.”

  Arnie’s eyes looked distant. What was he responding to? A memory? Did something about the noise outside trigger him?

  “Arnie…” Sheryl began.

  But Arnie turned and fled out the door and into the hall before Sheryl could finish.

  “Arnie! Wait!” Sheryl gave chase. She hoped that she and Arnie had misheard what could be out there.

  A poisonous grin crossed Sykes�
��s features. That window had to belong to the homesteader and his gun-toting woman. He watched from a distance until the small candlelight visible through the window flickered out. The pair must be in bed now. And with the candlelight gone and all the other windows dark, now was the time for Sykes to make his move.

  So, he stole along the house, walking slowly on the patches of dirt that ran across the grassy land near the homestead, although every now and then his boots would crunch on tall, dry grass.

  The windows remained dark even by the time he got to the window. No one detected his approach. The people in this house must be sound asleep.

  Sykes raised his gun and squinted, trying to make out human shapes through the window. It wasn’t easy to see from this distance. He walked in a little closer. Still nothing. He approached all the way to the window screen.

  Peering inside, he spotted the backs of two heads. No doubt about it. This was the homesteader and his wife. The pair lay still. They did not turn around.

  The window screen did not appear thick enough to deflect a bullet. From this range, the deed appeared so simple. Two shots, one for each of them, into the backs of their skulls. He might even be able to shoot open the screen, break inside, and steal their firearms. They ought to have some in that room. From there, Sykes could take the rest of the house.

  His stomach rumbled again. Anger flooded into his feeling of triumph. He had to get into the house, feed himself, and recuperate after today’s debacle. And it would start by taking out these two.

  He aimed his pistol. His trigger finger twitched.

  Sheryl pursued Arnie out the back door. “Arnie, wait! If we’re going to do this let’s get Jacob and Domino—”

  The moment she spotted Sykes she stopped talking. Arnie let out a yelp, followed immediately by an “Oh my God!” from Sheryl.