by Newman, AJ
Jackie climbed down the front of the trailer to the semi and jumped to the ground, followed by Tom. Tom looked around and walked west into the first neighborhood between them and the town center. Tom’s stomach growled when he smelled something cooking. “Is that bacon?”
“No, it’s beef.”
Tom’s belly signaled it was time to eat. “That’s cruel to be eating steak while we’re eating Granny B’s weeds and granola bars. I wonder where they’re getting the beef.”
Tom hadn’t liked the food they’d been scrounging on the road, but the smell of the beef cooking reminded him that there was still good food left in the world. “Well, I’m full. I guess we should see if we can find someone who will talk with us.”
Jackie looked around the garage they’d been hiding in and said, “A good start would be to not have that rifle in your hands and maybe stick that pistol under your shirt.”
Tom heard a commotion out on the street, and someone yelled a block away. Tom saw a man running toward the open garage door and called out to Jackie. “Hide in the back of the garage!”
Tom joined her behind a Jeep and watched as a young man ran in and slid under the Jeep to hide from the ones following him. The man’s feet were only a few inches from Jackie. She cringed when the men chasing the young man ran by the garage with only a quick look. The man started crawling his way backward to keep the Jeep between him and the open door. Tom saw the guy was unarmed, so he stood up and placed a foot on the man’s back. “Hey buddy, slowly stand up, and I won’t blow a hole in your side. Keep your hands in the air.”
Tom removed his foot and backed a couple of steps away. With Jackie beside him, they watched the man stand up, facing the Jeep. Tom barked an order. “Now, turn toward me.”
The man was startled. “Who are you? You’re not with Jock’s gang. She’s way too pretty to be a biker bitch.”
Jackie tried not to smile but couldn’t help herself. “The question really is … who are you, and why were those men chasing you?”
“I’m Rick Grimes, and I work at a ranch up in the hills north of town. The damned gang took over our ranch and made us supply them with beef. They have most of the farms and ranches locked up. You either do what they say, or they kill the men, and … well, you know what happens to the women.”
Tom lowered his pistol. “I’m Tom, and this is my wife, Jackie.”
Jackie gave Tom a stern look. “Where were you trying to go? Is your wife or family nearby?”
“Just away from here. They killed my dad and girlfriend during their initial attack on our ranch. The dumb bastards just take everything and don’t think about needing to raise cattle for the future.”
Jackie asked several questions before Rick asked, “Where you from, and what are you doing here?”
Tom answered before Jackie had a chance. “We own a ranch southeast of here and just got back in the area from California. We wanted to see what Ashland was like before going on to the ranch.”
“The gang might have already taken your ranch. What’s the ranch’s name?”
“The Rocking T is the name, and the brand is a rocking T.”
“I don’t remember hearing that name, and no cattle have been driven down here with that brand. Could I go with you to your ranch? I’m a good hand, and I’ll work hard for grub and a place to lay my head.”
Jackie asked, “Can you handle a gun?”
“I was a grunt in the Army and was proficient with a 9-mm pistol, an M4, and a SAW. I saw enough action in Iran and Turkey for a lifetime. I was drafted, but done my best to keep America free of those terrorists.”
Jackie looked at Tom with what are best called ‘puppy dog eyes.’ Tom saw the gleam in Jackie’s eyes and went against his first inclination. “We’ll take you back to the group and take a vote. We’re cautious about who knows where our ranch is located. Our grandpa kept the ranch’s business away from the Ashland – Medford area, so we could hide the ranch for the reason we face now.”
Rick looked at Jackie. “I thought you two were married.”
Tom replied, “Heavens, no! I said that just in case you were a man without honor.”
Rick smiled at Jackie. “So, your grandfather was a doomsday prepper? I guess a lot of people wish they’d done that.”
“He was a prepper and trained us for years to be survivalists and preppers. We need to get back to our camp. You can fill us in on the way,” Tom said and motioned for Jackie and Rick to follow.
They walked the two and a half miles to the airport, where the truck was parked in a hangar. Rick saw the truck. “You have a running vehicle! The gang has a few ATVs but no cars or trucks. Nothing runs. How did you …?”
Tom filled him in on why older vehicles would run, and then Jackie and Rick talked while Tom kept watching to make sure no one had followed them. Tom interrupted their conversation. “We only drive from midnight to just before sunrise to avoid running into people like the ones who’ve taken over Ashland. We’ll take turns at guard duty and rest most of the day.”
Rick said, “Sounds good. I’m beat.”
Tom and Jackie took all of the guard duty so Rick could catch up on his rest. The truth was they didn’t know if they could trust him yet. They discussed how to handle letting him down if Granny B objected. Rick was sound asleep most of the day and didn’t wake up until evening.
Jackie saw him stir. “Hey, sleeping beauty, it’s wakey wakey time. You hungry? We dined on Granny B’s greens, dried fish, and a granola bar.”
Rick laughed. “I’d give about anything for a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate malt. Having said that, pass the weeds and fish.”
They left the hangar around midnight and drove the backroads to Emigrant Lake. Tom stopped a half-mile from their camp in a clump of woods to check if anyone had followed them. No one had, so after waiting a while, Tom drove on over to their camp. As usual, no one greeted them until Granny B was sure the vehicle's occupants were friendly. Rick stepped out of the truck and walked between Jackie and Tom.
Brenda saw Rick and ran to him, jumping into his arms. She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. “Rick, you’re alive! I was afraid I’d never see you again.”
Tom and Jackie were dumbfounded. Jackie glared at Brenda. “I see you know each other. Rick wants to join our group. Can you vouch for him?”
Brenda gave Rick another kiss on the cheek while Greta joined in hugging Rick. “Of course, I can vouch for my baby brother. This is Rick Grimes, my brother.”
Jackie smiled and felt relieved. “He didn’t tell us he had a sister, but then we only met him yesterday.”
Rick turned to Jackie. “And you had a husband when we met. Actually, Brenda and I have a baby sister and a brother somewhere around Boston. I guess it’ll be a while before we see them again.”
Tom interrupted the chatter. “Granny B, this is Rick, and he’s been a captive of the gang controlling Ashland.”
Brenda gasped. “Did they take over my home?”
“Yes, that was one of their targets after they learned the lay of the land. Their leader, Jock, set up his headquarters and home there. The place is a shi … “ he looked around and said, “it’s been used and abused. You’ll have a hissy fit when you see it.”
Rick filled everyone in on what he knew about the gang and the events since the lights went out over the next hour. The situation was worse than they’d thought.
*
Chapter 17
Southern Oregon – East of Ashland
Tom looked over Granny B’s shoulder at Jackie, talking with Rick down by the lake. Granny B didn’t want to add more people to the group. “I think Rick is a good man, but where do we draw the line? Tom, are you listening?”
“Yes, and I agree on limiting the size of the group. We’ll be home tomorrow and won’t be in contact with outsiders, but we have to face it that some of our new friends have relatives that might want to join us. Besides, Jackie appears to be smitten with Rick.”
“Let’s
add Rick, but I’ll balk at adding anyone else. Rick will be a big help if we get into a fight. Thank God, we have better weapons over at the ranch. Let’s go tell the others.”
The day quickly passed as they packed up their supplies and camping gear to prepare for the short trip to the ranch. Tom gave Rick a tactical vest, a 9mm pistol, and a Ruger 10/22 rifle. “Sorry about the dinky .22 rifle. That’s all we have until we get to the ranch. We’ll also have to scavenge the area and find some ARs and AKs. There has to be plenty of them in abandoned homes and shops.”
Rick disagreed. “The gang has been methodically taking all weapons, even .22s. They don’t want to take a chance on an uprising.”
“I hope we can stay below their radar and not worry about them,” Tom replied.
Before they drove away, Granny B gave Rick her .308 rifle and took his .22. “I want you to ride in the back watching for that gang you told us about. This rifle will reach out and touch them.”
Tom sat down beside Granny B. “I’m going to take 66 to Corral Creek Road and then drive cross-country as Grandpa showed me to get to the back of the ranch. This old Dodge is a four-wheel drive. It should be a piece of cake.”
Jackie exclaimed. “In the dark?”
“Sis, you’ll have to up your game, or we’ll get wrapped around a tree.”
The drive over to the ranch was similar to the one on Dead Indian Road. There were few houses, and the road was like a rollercoaster with its ups and downs and lefts and rights. Tom drove with Granny B and Jackie in the cab. His sister used the night vision scope to assist, but the moon was three-quarters full, and Tom could see well enough to drive without it. Jackie concentrated on looking in front and behind the truck to see any vehicle lights a long way off.
Tom drove at thirty miles per hour and was only a short distance to their left turn up into the mountains and their ranch when Rick beat on the cab. “Lights are coming from the front.”
Tom knew there were several driveways up ahead and watched for one. He saw the lights dancing in the trees above the hill in front of them when he braked and made the turn on two wheels. The passengers in the back had braced themselves for the turn and were okay but a bit scared when the truck tipped over a bit. Tom hit the brakes and stopped, barely off the driveway.
Several trucks thundered past them and were soon out of sight. Tom looked at Granny B. “I hope they didn’t come from our ranch.”
“Let’s drive on up and approach the ranch from the backside, as you suggested. We can stay in the old cabin out by the creek until we can scout the ranch.” Granny B patted the dash and said, “Old girl, don’t fail us now.”
“I’m glad I filled it up while taking Bill and Betty to Medford.”
The road ended, and a dirt trail continued up the hillside into the woods. The road hadn’t been used by anyone but a few hunters and Tom’s grandpa over the years, so it was overgrown with grass in places and covered in pine straw the rest of the way. Tom stopped and turned the wheel over to Jackie. “I’ll walk and lead you on up to the cabin. It’s maybe a mile or so.”
“Brother, I’ve been up this cow path a time or two. Let’s go.”
Tom was tired from walking uphill the entire way but wouldn’t give his sister the pleasure of hearing him complain. Just when his calves were burning, the old cabin appeared through the branches of the pine trees up ahead. His thoughts went back to the home's history and how much it meant to him over the years.
The old cabin was the original home built on the property dating back to the 1870s. A farmer who wanted to raise apples on the hilly land had built it. The farmer had cleared several acres of trees and planted apple trees in the rich soil. The last of the family died during a cholera outbreak. The homestead had been abandoned until Tom’s great-grandpa had bought the land and built the ranch. There were still apple trees all over the place. The cabin had been added onto as the family had grown and was now a three-bedroom home with a large room for the kitchen and a living room. The bathroom was behind the house and was a two holer. Baths were taken in front of the fireplace in a big galvanized tub in the winter and the creek during warm weather. The cabin was at the far end of the eight-hundred-acre ranch, and no one besides Grandpa and Granny B knew about the rustic cabin high up in the woods.
Tom could barely make out the cabin through the branches as his mind drifted back to stolen nights with Gwen making love in the house to get away from the others at the ranch. The rough-hewn logs looked just as solid as they did a hundred some odd years ago. The faded green shutters were closed except for one that had fallen to the ground, and the pine straw had piled up on the front porch. The additions made over the years for the growing family weren’t well planned and made the home look lopsided and ill-conceived. Yet, Tom loved the old building and had spent many hunting seasons camped out there with his grandpa and Jackie, hunting and, more importantly, learning skills and life lessons from the old man.
“There’s the cabin. Park behind it in case someone drives by from the ranch.”
“Tom, you act like you know our home has been captured by some thugs.”
Tom was worried. “Rick said the gang has taken several ranches and farms. We also saw a caravan of trucks on Highway 66. I ain’t optimistic.”
Granny B and Jackie laughed at Tom. “Your grandfather kept the place a secret for over thirty years. He only told his closest Army buddy about the ranch. It’ll be just like we left it, and Jack and June will greet us when they see us.”
Tom tried to be upbeat. “I hope so. Let’s grab a bite, and then I’ll take Rick down to the ranch house to scout the area.”
Granny B hadn’t been up to the cabin since before her husband had died. Tom opened the door with a gun in hand, and they heard the scurrying of little feet across the floor. Granny B jumped backward. “Get rid of those critters before I go in there.”
Jackie had a smirk on her face. “Granny B, you’re not afraid of any man and can throw a calf to the ground. Why are you afraid of a few rodents?”
“Just get rid of the bastards!”
The inside of the cabin was decorated in used and abused cast-off furniture from the ranch. The couch had several patches sewn on to keep the stuffing contained. The chairs were a mixture of 1950s and 1970s styling—nothing matched as one would expect at a hunter’s cabin. The fireplace had an oak mantle and still had the large andirons and various hooks and iron rods to hold cooking kettles.
Jackie gasped when she started cleaning the kitchen. An old Coleman cooler still had several cans of beer and moldy sandwiches, which stank to high heaven when she lifted the lid. “Tom, you said you took care of this over a year ago!”
“Oops!”
Tom and Rick chased and killed mice while Jackie, Brenda, and Sam swept the floors and dusted the furniture. The kitchen countertops had been hewn from a single cedar tree and then smoothed with a hand adze ax. Even after over a hundred years, the surface was still rough as the dirt roads covering the mountains after a spring shower. The cabinets were made from the same logs, and rustic didn’t do them justice, but they weren’t fashion statements back then. They just had to hold food and dishes. The bedrooms were filthy with dust and mice droppings. Sam made the men take the featherbed mattresses outside to shake the dust, and mice poop off them. She swept, mopped, and cleaned the cedar plank floors.
Granny B and Jackie placed Tyvek over the windows, so she could light a couple of the kerosene lamps stored at the cabin. “Tom, you and Rick need to go on down the hill before sun up. The ladies and I will clean this place up a bit in case we need it for company.” Granny B was always impatient and didn’t know how to rest.
“As soon as I swallow this last bite of rabbit stew, we’ll be gone. I want to savor the wonderful taste of rabbit.”
“Follow me around the pasture to the ranch house. I want to approach the house from the west, so we can keep the barn between us and the house when we get closer.”
Tom led the way through the woods and o
nly stopped a couple of times to listen for other people. He was eager to see Jack and June to find out what they knew about the area and what had happened when the lights went out.
Jack and June were a young couple Granny B hired several years back to work on the ranch. Jack was the grandson of Tom’s Grandpa’s best friend and wandered onto the property one day, asking for a job. They had a small cabin on the property and took care of many of the chores. They had become close to the family and volunteered to stay at the ranch and take care of things while Tom took everyone to Hawaii. Tom was to make up for it by sending them to Hawaii for a very late honeymoon. Tom knew the two couldn’t handle all the work if he and his family were too late getting back to the ranch.
Tom had his .308 with the night vision scope mounted, and Rick packed Granny B’s .308 rifle. They didn’t talk and moved silently through the woods toward their objective. The early morning temperature was in the low forties, and their breath made clouds that trailed behind them. The smoke from a fireplace hung heavy in the air, and Tom was surprised to see smoke billowing from Jack’s cabin and the main house. Tom abruptly stopped. “Who in the hell invited all those people to the ranch?”
Tom referred to the half dozen pickups and SUVs parked in front of the house. Rick said, “Does your ranch hand have a large extended family?”
Tom’s heart sank when he saw his new Jeep Rubicon and the new 2038 Dodge pickups. “What a waste of money. Those vehicles will never run again.”
Tom was enraged that so many people were occupying his home. “Not that I know of. He was the grandson of my grandfather’s best friend. I see Jack’s F250 over by the garage, but I never saw the others before. Let’s move in a bit closer.”
