“You know what I mean,” he told her.
“What I do know,” she responded, “is if you were the one pregnant,” she whispered, while the kids talked amongst themselves, “I would totally be having a glass of Chardonnay.”
She made his drink, not giving him a choice in the matter.
“What did I ever do to deserve you?” he asked.
“Everything,” she replied.
* * * *
Mac dropped Whitney off at her grandparents’ temporary apartment before 9 p.m. and headed home. He made a quick stop at the kitchen, finding Rico’s young chefs cleaning up the last of dinner.
“Are they here, Rico and Patty?”
“No, he’s gone for the night,” said one young man, adding in a lower voice, “he’s spending the night down the road.”
“Oh, I see. Better keep that to yourself, though,” replied Mac.
“Just tell him I stopped by to thank them when you see them.”
* * * *
Mac walked out of the Pavilion at nearly full dark when he heard it—a rumbling coming from the south end of the Valley, heading north.
“What in the world is that?” asked one of the cooks, stepping outside behind Mac.
“I don’t know,” he replied, “but you may want to stay inside for a bit.”
Mac was at a full run across the Ranch, not having to knock on Cory’s door.
“Is that what I think it is?” asked Cory, still not seeing anything in the dark sky.
They walked out onto the lawn, straining their eyes to see something matching the sound. Whoosh! came the first helicopter over the reservoir, followed closely by another, and one more after that, with lights illuminating the Valley walls.
They flew low, fanning the Valley from east to west.
“Those are Blackhawks, right?” asked Cory.
“Yep,” replied Mac. “I haven’t seen one since it went dark, but they were kind of a regular thing before that, chasing around the silver discs.”
“Do you mean UFOs?”
“All I know is I don’t know what they are, but they’re fast and quiet as a Prius. So, unidentified and flying? Absolutely.”
The three passed overhead in succession, hovering less than a minute later over the West’s property.
“The only problem with the helicopters is I’ve never seen one land,” said Mac.
Two helicopters hovered over the West’s property, with one lowering to the ground, as best they could guess.
“What are they doing here?” asked Mac aloud, running now with Cory towards his truck.
“Easy now, Mac. We don’t know if they’re friend or foe yet; and either way, we need to be careful. One wrong move, and that’s a wrap.”
“Yeah, I know. But Sarah is there, and I need to get a message to Samuel.”
“Unless he’s dead asleep, I think he already knows,” Cory replied.
Ranch citizens popped out of their homes, one after another, talking amongst themselves.
* * * * * * *
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Saddle Ranch
Loveland, Colorado
Mac drove the truck on the back canal road, with lights off. He could have done it in his sleep, but the moon and clear skies helped visibility to at least 20 feet ahead to the west end of the property. His night-vision goggles gave him a basic idea of the situation.
“Stay here, Cory, and radio me if you see anything.”
“Wait a minute! Where are you going?”
“To check on Sarah. She’s at the hospital tonight.”
Mac crept towards the backside of the hospital, climbing through the middle of the barbed wire fence, staying clear of the light beams shone down by the two hovering choppers.
Sarah peered out the window at a figure coming from the direction of Samuel’s house. The figure looked like him, but she couldn’t be sure.
Three soldiers exited the landed helicopter that shut off its propeller.
“What’s going on?” asked Mac, sneaking up on Sarah through the back door, scaring the daylights out of her.
“Please don’t ever do that again!” she said.
“You should really lock the back door,” he replied.
“I think I know what this is,” Sarah said. “I’ve seen it before, but it’s been a while.”
“What’s that? Wait! Is that Samuel?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m pretty sure, and one of those men is the Colonel.”
“The one Lance and his group were talking about?”
“Yes, that’s the one. My father had been something of a mentor to him in earlier days. Here they come. Mac, please don’t do anything that could get you hurt. Stand behind me.”
Sarah opened the front door, with a reluctant Mac behind her and Drake sleeping right through it.
“Sarah, how are you?”
“Couldn’t be better, Colonel,” she said, hugging him.
“How’s Bradley, right?”
“He’s passed on, sir. This is my boyfriend, Mac,” she answered, trying to avoid the obvious next question.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that about Bradley. Good to meet you, Mac,” he said, shaking his hand.
“Likewise, Colonel.”
“Do you know why I’m here, Samuel?”
“Yes, I’m guessing it’s about the Battle for the Valley business. Am I right?”
“That you are. Sorry for the late-night arrival, but we travel better after dark.”
“I understand. It’s no problem,” said Samuel.
“Are there some people you trust, those in a decision-making role you could get together in, let’s say, 30 minutes?”
“Sure, of course!” Samuel replied. “Mac, where’s your truck?”
“Just around the corner, sir.”
“Great, can you get John, Bill, Cory, and any of the Council who want to hear this firsthand? I’ll get mine together, and we’ll meet at my house in 30 or so.”
“I’m on it,” said Mac, nearly sprinting towards the back door.
“Hold on there,” said the Colonel. “Let’s call it 45 minutes. My guys out there,” he said, pointing up towards the ceiling, don’t play nice with people running on the ground. Walk slow and drive slow. We’ll be here if it takes a little longer.”
“Sure thing. And thank you, sir,” Mac replied, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to a walking pace.
“Just out for a night stroll,” he said to himself. “Nothing to see here.”
* * * *
Cory was standing outside the truck when he arrived.
“Nice and slow,” said Mac. “They’re friendly but not too. We need to pick up John and Bill and any of the Council if they want to come down here.”
Cory radioed Bill, who had always been the easiest to reach. They picked him up, waiting outside his house, and John the same. Only one Council member was ready to leave their home at this hour, and she wanted to hear the information firsthand. They returned to the West’s property, pulling up to Samuel’s place under the Womp! Womp! of the two helicopters overhead.
“Are they going to stay up there the whole time?” the Council woman asked.
“You can count on it,” replied Bill. “They have their commander down here.”
* * * *
Samuel caught up with his old friend while waiting for the others. They hadn’t seen each other for quite a while but reunited like a father and son. He introduced the Colonel around once the group had arrived and made night coffee for everyone, with most accepting.
“We have many things at play here,” said the Colonel, taking center stage, “and I’ll tell you what I can. Even now, some things are still highly confidential and won’t be discussed here. So, I’ll tell you the why, the what, where, and when. Try to wait until the end before asking any questions. I’m told we have about an hour.
“I am here tonight because this man, Samuel, helped me become a man and mentored me at an early age, with my father not being around. I hav
e always vowed to pay him back in some way, and now may be that time.
“The what and where is an idea by a self-proclaimed fanatic leader and ‘Colonel,’ as he refers to himself, named Baker. Their idea they call the Great Battle for the Valley. This is that valley, just as you have it blocked with the northern and southern barricades. Baker wants it all, both this West property and Saddle Ranch, and they are not looking to share it with any of you.
“Why here? It’s protected, fertile with more than one water source, and can hold an army-sized base for their future agendas. I don’t know how they found this Valley, and the timeline is not confirmed at this point, but my best guess is that in three to six weeks from now they will be at your door. Questions?”
“Are you the same Colonel who spoke with my son Lance?” asked Bill.
“Yes, several times in the past month. I’m not sure how much he’s told you over the radio, but he has a group of maybe 20 to 25 men, women and children. They teamed up with a Russian former gun shop owner—funny guy, that Vlad. Anyway, they are headed here through the mountains and should be up near Steamboat about now. I’m guessing they will be here in a few days. They have a fair number of weapons and ammo that I know, Samuel, your group will not pick up, but the rest of you should seriously consider it.
“Yes, John. You have a question?”
“Colonel, if you know there is a bad group heading our way, and you are close with Samuel, why not just persuade them to end up somewhere else?”
“That’s a fair question. I don’t have that jurisdiction at the moment. There are other things at play here on a much larger scale, and others who share my rank have different agendas. I do have a group, although smaller than theirs, running a day behind them. This one I run, and it gives me a general idea of what they are up to.”
“Where are they now?” asked Bill—“I mean Baker’s group.”
“They are held up on I-25, south of Loveland, at a place called St. Vrain State Park. The place off the highway with all of the ponds.”
“I know it,” said Bill.
“Me too,” added John, “but what do you mean ‘held up’?”
“Their first base of operations was to be in Fort Collins—Horsetooth Lake, exactly—and it’s possible there was an accident at their camp, delaying the arrival of such a large group. It’s both good and bad for you, as it delays them long enough for Lance and his group to arrive first, but it also might just drive the whole Baker camp straight here, bypassing Horsetooth Lake altogether… I have to head out in a few minutes,” said the Colonel, checking his watch, “but the bottom line is you will need to fight to keep the Valley. And as Lance can tell you, we will support you in your defense. My men can’t just take them out before they get here, for reasons already discussed, but we can assist in your defense as long as they attack first.”
“Sir,” said Mac. “It’s off-topic, I know, but your choppers out there look like the same ones I’ve seen chasing the metal discs around here for years.”
“Is that so?” he replied. “Do you think ETs are real, Mac?”
“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“They are,” replied the Colonel. “Ask Samuel about the ones we know of.”
“How do we keep in touch?” asked John.
“I’ll get hold of you, so keep radio channels monitored at all times, if you don’t already. I talk with my friend Vlad on a semi-regular basis, and rest assured when Baker’s group is on the move again, you will hear from me!”
The Colonel spent a few more minutes talking with Samuel in another room before flying out. “Are you going to tell me the truth?” asked Samuel, once they were alone.
“You and only you,” he replied. “The short of it is that North Korea dropped the EMP on us officially but not off of a satellite, as reported. It was launched from a tanker ship off the coast of southwest Louisiana, sold to them by China only weeks before the day. China runs them and many others in the region, besides South Korea and a few select more that are helping us behind the scenes.
“The Baker guy is not a plant, but he is somehow in direct communication with Beijing. The working theory is they are using him, and others like him, to amass large groups of people who will eventually farm this great land of ours. China has a population problem, and has for a long time. This ensures more food for their citizens, and according to my intel they will be dropping ten thousand workers a day in our ports to work the land that Baker’s group has already left vacant. Think of it as a soft takeover, where Chinese farmers face no conflicts, only virgin land for plowing. And the kicker is, all the equipment to farm is still on-site; it just needs some electrical work, and they have teams for that also. They aren’t pouring seasoned combat troops inside our borders looking for a fight, but instead families—men, women and children only striving for a new and better life, as we once did moving here from England. We can’t just wipe them out.”
“You’re right,” replied Samuel. “They should have a chance to work the jobs and become families known in the community, to prosper for years to come. And at the same time, they have been planted by a tyrannical government whose only desire is to take down our great country and pillage it from within. I can see how your hands are tied. It’s good that you have Ronna, a man you can trust, following just behind the Baker fellow.”
Once the Colonel left, Samuel rejoined the rest of the group. “I propose we all sleep on this and discuss it at length tomorrow, to include your Council, of course, John. Let’s say noon at your Pavilion for lunch? I can send Patty up to help Rico prepare.”
“Sure, that’s fine by me. Noon tomorrow it is,” said John. Sarah hung back, asking her father if everything would turn out okay.
“We have God and the United States Military, led by a man I trust unconditionally. So yes, my dear, we will be okay in the end,” answered Samuel.
* * * *
Mac woke early, wanting to bring Sarah breakfast. Drake would be released this afternoon but would be on modified duty for a few weeks.
“You can go home today, but take it easy,” Dr. Melton told him.
“Long as I can ride my four-wheeler and feed my dogs. I just hope I can keep my job,” he said, as Mac walked in carrying breakfast for them both.
“What did I miss?” Mac asked.
“Drake will be discharged this afternoon, and I think you should modify his four-wheeler so he can ride it up to his house. I don’t want him using that right arm yet.”
“Sure thing, I’ll figure something out.”
“I also want him on light duty for two to three weeks, and I told him his job was safe,” Sarah added.
“Of course. You did good up there, Drake—real good. You are becoming a trusted part of the team. Now, I brought breakfast for you both, and it is getting cold. I’ll check back on you later,” said Mac, kissing Sarah on the forehead.
* * * *
The meeting was held at noon, as planned, in the Pavilion basement. Rico and Patty would not disappoint today, serving a charcuterie board with various meats, cheeses, pickles, crackers, fruits and jams, all originating in the Valley. Besides one council member calling in sick, all showed for the most important meeting of their careers. John led off with the best-case scenario, asking Bill to give its opposite.
“We will pray daily for His guidance and know He is steering us in the direction that is His will,” said John. “The best-case scenario could take many forms, including but not limited to the group having a change of heart. Maybe they will decide they like where they are at now, at the ponds. It’s not easy to move a large group over and over. Maybe something or someone steers them in a different direction, heading to the East Coast or back to the Midwest, where they started. Without direct involvement of the Colonel and his team before they reach us, I can’t think of any other scenario that is at least reasonable to consider. Over to you, Bill.”
“Thank you, John. As the Colonel said, Lance and his group will be here in a few days, God willing. I think he and
that Vlad fellow the Colonel mentioned will have a better idea, having come up against Baker’s group just a week or two ago. With that being said, I stayed up late last night thinking about this very question. We have a man going by the name of Baker, apparently posing as a Colonel to his people. We have had thousands of guests here over the years. He may have been one of them or just heard about it from someone who has been here. Either way, we should assume 100% that they will be at our door in three—I should say two—but between two and six weeks. With the Ralph situation hopefully at an end, we have the resources and personnel to start preparing as soon as tomorrow. Mac, I think you and Cory should take the lead, if that’s okay with everyone?”
Most agreed, with no one disagreeing out loud, at least.
Bill continued: “We need likely entry points, preparedness for firepower we can’t be sure of yet, and a safe place for anyone not on the front lines. As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing more important, starting tomorrow, than preparing for this assault on everything we have worked so hard to build for more than seventy-five years. In the off chance that they are dissuaded or make other plans, we will be that much more prepared moving forward, and that’s never a bad thing.”
“That sounds like a plan,” said Samuel, with John agreeing.
“I have some ideas I’ll jot down.” Bill continued. “Mac, do you think you, Cory and your team could give us some defense options by breakfast tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” he replied. “We will have three plans, and the Council can choose.”
“That sounds perfect,” said Bill, getting an approving nod from all in the room.
* * * * * * *
Chapter Twenty-four
Saddle Ranch
Loveland, Colorado
Mac and Cory spent the afternoon brainstorming—from the most likely scenario to the most far-out ones they could come up with. The word from the MacDonalds’ place was no new sightings of anybody, and the upstairs window was replaced.
“Let’s start with likely weapons to unlikely,” said Mac. “Deer rifles, maybe a few ARs or AKs. Hopefully nothing automatic, unless their contact in the Military supplies them.”
Next World Series | Vol. 5 | Families First [Homecoming] Page 20
