The Irrevocable Series Boxed Set

by Samantha Jacobey

  Arriving at the township a few minutes later, the lead vehicle made a right turn onto a side street, heading for their target. Following the line of cars in their pickup, the girl observed aloud, “If they got any kind of warning, shouldn’t they be moving around, getting ready for us?”

  “Obviously, they didn’ get the word. CB radio’s not like a cell phone,” Caleb explained. “You gotta have a good signal on both ends, or you don’ get through.”

  Bailey nodded, “I guess so.” Hearing gunshots ahead of them, she could not tear her eyes away, watching the bodies fall in front of a house, “Oh God!”

  “Don’t watch, little bit,” he warned in a shaky voice, “This is a day we won’t ever forget.”

  Unable to heed his advice, the girl continued to glare as the rest of their group executed their plan without a hitch. Seeing the flames on the sides of several structures, she wiped at her tears, “We go now?”

  “Yeah,” he agreed, making the turn and following the road that led to the outskirts of the community.

  In the distance, Bailey could see a farm house, with several people moving around in front of it. “Jess!” she screamed uncontrollably, her flow coming on full blast, “Holy shit, they’re alive!” Her cry taking her partner by surprise, he surmised she had actually expected to find that the twins had died or been killed at some point since their disappearance.

  The truck stopping next to the barn, Bailey exited and paused to watch the forms moving in the distance, headed towards their small plane that would carry them to safety, “Thank you, Jesus!”

  “The’re fine, little bit,” Caleb interrupted her thoughts, “We need t’ move fast an’ get what we can.”

  Amanda took charge of selecting the animals, “We need two roosters and at least six hens.” Opening the cages, she claimed them from their pen, skillfully collecting the beasts. “Caleb, you two go get us some hogs. Remember t’ get a couple o’ males, an’ the rest females.”

  Following him, Bailey tried not to let her worry over the others distract her. Entering the barn, she blinked into the dim light, “Which way?”

  Hearing the noise around him, the man made his best guess within the massive structure, “Come on.” Making his way through the maze of pens, he quickly realized that the greedy bastards had not needed what they had taken from The Ranch. “They had tons o’ animals! There’s no way all o’ this came from what we had,” he concluded.

  “So which ones do we take?”

  Locating a pen full of young males, he opened the gate, “Run a few o’ these into the trailer an’ drop that divider we put in there t’ shut ‘em in. Let the rest go, an’ let them worry about gettin’ their stock back.”

  Doing as he instructed, the girl managed to get three of the pigs cornered and sealed in, deciding three was better than trying for two and ending up with less. Returning to him when her task had been completed, she noted that Amanda had joined him as well, “Chickens all set?”

  “Yeah,” the taller girl nodded, “All caged, ready t’ load. I like the looks o’ that sow an’ her piglets,” she extended a long finger to point. “Can you toss down a hay bale in the trailer an’ le’s load them next?”

  “Sure,” Caleb agreed, grabbing a set of hooks off the wall and doing as she instructed.

  Running the mother hog out when their bed was ready, the trio gathered the babes, placing them in their new nest, and using the next piece of plywood to create the small stall. “Room for a few more females,” Caleb approved of their work.

  Making their selection, the cages of fowl went in last and the massive tailgate closed with a clang. “Nice work, ladies,” he praised, waving them towards the cab of their ride. A few minutes later, they cleared the tiny burrow, and the rest of their comrades fell in line behind them, leaving what was left of Pouty to smolder in the late afternoon sun.

  Can't Stop the Tide

  The road back to The Ranch seemed twice as long as the way over. Bailey glared out the window, watching the sun move towards the west, beating down on them through the window of their transport. Her mind racing, she sighed, “You know, we can’t stop the tide. I have a bad feeling this battle will ebb and flow for many months and maybe even years to come.”

  “Let’s hope not,” Caleb countered, reaching for her hand, “Le’s hope they got the message an’ we can leave each other alone.”

  Arriving at the cattle guard, he eased his load through the turn, then worked his way around the vehicles that continued to emit a fine wisp of black smoke, “Man, a lot of people died today.”

  “How many o’ ours, do ya think?” Amanda voiced from the back seat, breaking her extended silence.

  “Hopefully not any,” Bailey replied firmly, “We already lost too many. More than we should have,” her tear spilled over at the thought of Connie, Martha, and the others. “We should all still be here, and would be if it hadn’t been for them wanting what we had.”

  “You can’t really blame them,” Caleb countered, causing both females to glare at him, so he clarified. “We coulda been a threat. We knew a great deal about them, but they didn’t really know anything about us. I don’t think they wanted our stuff, as much as they wanted...” he searched for the right words, “They didn’t wanna worry about us coming up short, an’ goin’ after them.”

  “That’s not true,” Bailey accused, “They had Don, Luis, and Devon pretending to join them and feeding them information. They weren’t afraid of us.”

  “False information,” Amanda clarified. “Jus’ wanna keep the record straight,” she adjusted herself in her seat uncomfortably.

  “Well, false, but they didn’t know that,” Bailey continued. “For all they knew, they had the truth, and should have known we weren’t going to be aggressive. All we wanted was to be left alone.”

  Caleb flicked his eyes to meet Amanda’s in the rear view mirror. The girl did not smile while she glared at him, aware that his new woman was very naive. Eventually breaking the connection, she turned her attention to the gate they had arrived at, heaving a sigh of relief when they pulled up outside the barn to unload their haul.

  Once the animals had all been returned to their pens, the group made their way down into Lawson, where a good meal awaited them. Entering the great hall, Bailey’s eyes scanned the tables, chairs and heads, looking for the two that mattered the most.

  Spying the identical brown tops, she shrieked, “Boys!” Dodging around the pit, she reached them, grabbing them both the best she could. Her cry a loud wail, “You guys are ok!”

  “Yes,” they answered in unison, clinging to the girl and blubbering loudly, “It was so horrible!” Jess elaborated.

  “I’m sure it was,” his sister sobbed, “I was so scared I was going to lose you!” Holding them for several minutes, they wept openly, while the remainder of the community left them alone, watching from their chairs as they dined.

  Soon, the trio released one another and took their seats. Caleb had fixed a plate for the girl, and grinned broadly when she sat down to devour her first food since their planning session the night before.

  “Is everyone here?” she asked nervously, ready to survey the group and hear about their losses.

  “Everyone who went over has returned,” Peter supplied, “With our last group that is. We lost four, as we can only assume that Chris and Martha are in fact gone,” he cut Caleb a doleful glance, “I’m really sorry about that.”

  “I know,” the younger male placed his elbows on the table, leaning on clenched fists under his chin, “She will be missed by everyone, I think.”

  Running her fingers firmly down his back, Bailey could feel the tension in his muscles. “Yes, she will,” she agreed in a quiet voice. “But we gained one,” she indicated the young woman who sat alone at the moment. “I assume she’s one of us now.”

  Pete watched the girl thoughtfully, “Yeah, I reckon she is.”

  Exhausted, the group made their way to bed early that night, only briefly discussi
ng if they should set a guard. “I doubt they would be stupid enough to attack us, especially this soon,” Peter reassured everyone. “Maybe in a day, or a week, or some time down the line, they will get bold enough to try, but for right now, they are deeply wounded. It’ll be a while before they do anything, I’m pretty certain.”

  As if in agreement, Caleb slipped his hand into hers, leading Bailey to the tiny room that they shared, before he realized their household had grown. Putting a sheet on the couch, she made it into a makeshift bed for one of the boys, pointing out, “I guess we’ll have to rearrange the sleeping quarters again.”

  “Not tonight,” Peter coughed, “We’re all beat. Everyone get down an’ get quiet.” Within fifteen minutes, the only sound in the entire structure was that of snores while the small, close-knit community slept.

  To the Victor

  The following morning came late in Lawson. The sun had been up for hours when Amanda led her crew, under armed escort, to the surface inside the barn. To everyone’s relief, the animals were safe, and eager to be fed, a dog and her wriggly pups included.

  Leaving the girls to their duty, Don and Devon scaled the wall to survey the area in front of their compound. The seven vehicles that stood in the pasture and dotted the blacktop served as a dim reminder of how close they had come to losing everything they had worked for.

  The women had gathered the bodies the previous afternoon, while the attacking group had made their move against Pouty. A hole had been dug not far from the wreckage, there they had been placed, and covered unceremoniously. What once had been the leaders of a small community now lay in an unmarked grave that would remain so; their very existence to be forgotten in time.

  “To the victors go the spoils,” Don laughed, shaking his head while he glanced across the streets and structures beneath them. “O’ course, we only have a few more rides comin’ at most, before we’re out o’ fuel.”

  “Yeah,” Devon agreed, “But we made it. An’ I got my wife an’ baby girl. An’ yurs’ll be here soon enough!”

  “Yeah, I guess I’ll marry that girl. She seems alright,” he laughed loudly. “Caleb’s the one I think got the short end o’ the stick. That little red-headed bitch… not sure how long she’s gonna hold out here.”

  Devon’s deep round rumble joined with his, “I think dat li’l girl jus’ might surprise you!” Climbing down, he moved to return to his wife to help out if he could.

  Back inside for a late lunch, a meeting was called, and the chairs were assembled around the pit. On the cushions below sat the new menfolk, which included Caleb, Don, Devon, and Nung. Standing in the center of the gathering, John coughed loudly, ready to bring the proceedings to order.

  “Well, we made it,” he huffed, broken hearted at the loss of his spouse. “You all know I wasn’t the best husband,” he admitted, his words laden with sorrow, “But she was a damned fine wife. I didn’ appreciate her near enough, or tell her as much as I shoulda…” his voice trailed away and he cleared his throat loudly.

  “So things are changed,” he continued, wringing his hands. “We gots t’ go on, here. We gots new families formin’,” he cut his eyes over at his son, “An’ we got a bright future, despite the turmoil that has overtaken the world at large.”

  Seeing a few of the women fidget, he grinned wryly, “I know you all wonder what’s happened out there. We all do. An’ maybe someday we’ll find out who has survived, an’ where they are. But we made this place so’s we could do without ‘em, an’ I think after what happened with Pouty, stayin’ away from the rest o’ humanity, at least for the time bein’, is a smart move.”

  “Amen,” a female voice agreed.

  “With that bein’ said,” he continued, “We also need t’ get more into a normal routine. Get outta this hole for one thing. An’ get back to the houses an’ the surface. Clean all this up an’ keep it ready, in case we ever need t’ take refuge down here in th’ future. If our winters have been changed for th’ permanent, this may be where we wait ‘em out, schoolin’ the young an’ keepin’ our energy usage down.”

  Several of the community members were nodding their agreement while Bailey surveyed the lot, her mind turning. “What about the houses?” she spoke up, unafraid of interrupting him, “Will we be able to construct any new ones?”

  “Naw, little bit,” he turned so he could see her. “But don’ you worry. We’ll be rearranging the households so that all o’ the buildin’s are put to good use.” He grinned when he spoke, giving the girl a fit of crawling agitation in her gut. “Anyone else got a question?”

  When no one else spoke up, he began his conclusion. “We’ll hold a little conference this afternoon. Decide who’s gonna be occupying what now, an’ lay out those plans. Then we’ll begin our return to the surface tomorrow.” Leaving it at that, he climbed out of the circle and made his way to his quarters, where he could be alone for a bit before they faced the task of dividing up what had once belonged to him and his wife, and the life it had taken them over twenty years to build.

  Caleb rose from his seat slowly, his eyes meeting Bailey’s squarely. His palms sweaty, he had only been half listening while his father spoke. Climbing out of the pit, he moved to stand before the tall, auburn haired beauty, arriving face to face and stopping only inches from her. Exhaling loudly, a slow grin covered his features, “Are you ready?”

  “Ready for what?” she smiled up at him, the worms in her guts growing wings, taking flight inside her belly.

  “To be my wife,” he reached for her hand, “I wish I had a ring to offer you, but I’m afraid th’ jewelry store never made it t’ completion.”

  The girl giggled at his silliness, “Oh, so I don’t get a ring?”

  “I guess not,” he shook his head slightly, “Do I need a ring or can we get by without it?”

  She nodded slowly, stepping towards him, her arms finding their way around his neck, “I love you, Caleb Cross. And I will always be yours; ring or no ring, so long as I live.”

  “So long as we both shall live,” he corrected, his hands on her hips, giving them a squeeze.

  “You see it your way, and I’ll see it mine,” she pressed her lips to his, happy that he had finally taken the plunge.

  Sunshine and Daisies

  “Come on, Bailey,” the tall blonde’s voice whined slightly, “We don’ have all day.”

  “I know,” the shorter girl grinned, “I just want a few more,” she clipped the long stems. “There, that’ll be enough.” Getting to her feet, she followed her best friend across the field. Her mind tracing the time that she had known the young woman, and what all they had endured before Amanda had earned that distinction.

  Arriving at the house, they began cleaning, going over the entire duplex. Putting the flowers in a large vase in the center of the table, she grinned at the arrangement, “Do you think Jen will like them?”

  “She’s gonna love them,” Amanda tossed at her while freshening the cushions on the couch and folding the short stack of blankets next to the crib. “It was pretty lucky she had a boy, although that means sharin’ clothes with her’ll be tougher, since Hope’s a girl.” She cut her eyes over warily, “Whadda ya suppose you’re gonna have?”

  Bailey’s green eye’s shot up to look at her companion, a daisy resting between her fingers, “Uh, what do you mean?” she replied coyly.

  “Oh, come on, Bail,” the older girl moaned, “You’ve been showin’ signs fur weeks; even before yur weddin’. I thought by now you woulda made the announcement.”

  Her cheeks flaming, she dropped the delicate petals, “I didn’t think anyone knew!”

  Laughing loudly, her friend moved to give her a hug, “Everyone knows, Bailey-girl. You’ve waited almost four months, an’ your belly’s gonna pop out any time now. It’s alright though. We’re all happy for you!” Leading her to the exit, they crossed the street with the warm south Texas sun shining down on their scalps.

  Climbing the steps to her own duplex, Bailey
sighed loudly, “Ok, yes, Caleb and I are expecting. Probably about the time the worst part of winter is on us again,” she shook her head ruefully.

  “It’s all good,” Amanda indicated the far side of the compound through the wall, where her mother now ran the ranch house, “Mom’s been enjoyin’ her role as designated nanny, so I’m sure she won’ mind addin’ your little one t’ the brood.”

  “Yes, but Jen’s will still be a baby, too. Besides, I think Kathy was a bit upset we didn’t wait.” They left the structure, ready to go and see the other girl home with her new infant. Pausing to give Blackie fresh water, she patted her pup firmly on the ribs. “Man he’s getting big,” she commented to herself before continuing the discussion, “But she estimates the due date as Christmas, so I think that’s a good omen.”

  “That’s cool, Hope’ll be nearly a year old by then,” the blonde replied as they strolled down the road. “How’re things over in the greenhouse, anyways? Will we be ready fur winter?”

  “Oh, yes,” Bailey grinned, “Running smooth, and putting out a bumper crop. I assume everything is good in the barn?” her mind briefly flashed to the hog they had butchered her first summer there, “I’m really glad you got that part. I don’t think I could stomach all that blood and guts.”

  “It’s not s’ bad. The new division o’ labor is workin’ well, an’ we’re back up t’ speed on the animal populations. We’ll be butcherin’ a few in the fall an’ things’ll be back t’ normal. Even if we get snowed on again like last year, we got it covered.” Amanda reached for the door to enter the med center, “Anyone home?” she called loudly.

  “Not yet,” Jennifer replied with a giggle, “Are you here t’ get me there?”

  “Sure are,” she helped gather her things. “Bailey, you ready t’ go get the cart?”

  “Yes, I can do that,” she left the two young women and jogged down the dirt path alone. Arriving at the small garage where the golf cart was stored behind the Cross house, she discovered her husband out back, messing with the tools in the shed. Pausing, she called out playfully, “And what are you up to, Mr. Cross?”