by Sean Liscom
“It would have scared me too!” I laughed. It was time to draw the second card. “That brings another question to mind, Jack. Can I ask why you brought my sisters here? Surely, they would have been safer had they stayed in Fortuna. Not that I mind having the chance to meet them, I’m just curious.” I locked eyes with Jack.
“True, they probably would have been safer, but I wanted my best people with me to make the journey. Kari and Isabella, well, they are the best I have, and they have proven that over and over again,” he shoved another bite onto his mouth and chewed it. “If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t you want your best and brightest with you? When you were out there, roaming around the desert, wouldn’t you have rather had Jill or Dan with you instead of a rookie?”
I had to bite my tongue to keep from biting his hook. It took me a second to answer. “Actually, having Melissa out there, with me, was probably the best thing that could have happened. If Jill had been with me, I might have been too distracted to complete the mission. If Dan were with me, I might have been too aggressive. I made a calculated risk by taking Melissa with me and it paid off.”
“Jill was able to retake the ranch. Dan kept the Teams out of danger and Melissa gave me enough of an edge to do what I had to do. Even if she was working for you in secret. She still finished the mission and did what had to be done. So, I would say, it’s not always the best call to have those that mean the most to you so close at all times. I’d go as far as to say; it could actually cloud your judgement.”
“My judgement is hardly clouded, Jason.”
“I didn’t say it was. I’m just saying that it could be if things went sideways on you. What was it you said earlier? We can’t always win the day, right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said but I was referring to you and this ranch. You have been through two major engagements and managed to get by both times. How much of a role did luck play?” he asked, still holding my gaze. I gently set my fork down and picked up my coffee cup.
“One thing I’ve learned is that luck will always play a part in any combat engagement. Lord knows, whatever elaborate plan you’ve worked out ahead of time very rarely makes it past the first couple of minutes. I think that’s true of nearly every operation. What do you think?” I asked.
“I think if you rely on luck, you’re gonna get burned. I think that if you take your time and learn about your foe, you can defeat them and leave lady luck swinging in the wind,” here comes the third card, I thought.
“Would you say you know your foe where the ARK is concerned?” this got a chuckle from him.
“What the hell kind of question is that? Of course, I know them! I used to work for them, remember? I know all their deepest, darkest secrets. I know their fears and what drives them. I know their moves before they make them. I know their defenses and I know my way around each one of them. It’s not luck that is going to win the day. It’s stone cold facts that are going to lead us to victory!” he said with resolve. I risked a peek at my cards. I was holding three aces.
First, he was hesitating on the coordinates of the ranch at Ambrose. Second, were my sisters with him because he didn’t feel they would be safe at Fortuna? Third, I was getting the impression he didn’t think the ARK was going to be a challenge, why? Let’s see if I could draw the fourth ace out of the pile.
“So, you’re sure you can defeat the ARK?” I asked.
“I’m positive of it.”
“Okay, let’s say you do, what then?”
“I.... Once we are in control of the ARK, we will also be in control of all their assets. Food, water, guns, ammunition and plenty of it. Once their computers are brought back online, we will have access to satellite reconnaissance and we’ll never have to worry about another enemy getting the drop on the ranch. Since you have no desire to go to L.A., we’ll make sure you are taken care of. Well taken care of. You will never have to worry about anything, ever again. This ranch will not have an enemy left that can even attempt a strike on you. Not a bad gift considering you’re getting it off the sweat of someone else,” he snapped. I guess I’d hit a nerve while pulling that last ace.
“What about the weapons on the ships?”
“If nobody else wants to lend a hand, I’ll launch ‘em and destroy ‘em. I’m not about to let those warheads fall into the wrong hands. In fact, the more I think about it, I may just do that anyway.”
“That’s a risky plan.”
“There is always an inherent risk. This one is manageable. It’s better than letting them hold the world hostage with them or letting someone else do the same thing. No, I think it’s high time to end them and their plans.”
“There will always be somebody bigger, meaner and stronger, Jack. You can’t take away all the evil in the world. It has always existed, and it always will.”
“When I’m done, you can mop up whatever is left,” he pushed himself away from the table, stood and walked out of the house. His parting words froze the blood in my veins. What the hell was he planning? I looked around the table and was greeted by wide eyes and open mouths.
I had drawn the fourth ace and gotten under Jack's skin. Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure that’s where I wanted to be. I was pushing for a reaction and had gotten far more than I had planned on. What had started as a high stake’s poker game, in my mind, had turned into a game of 52 pickup.
“If you’ll excuse me,” I said and pushed back from the table. I stood and followed Jack out the front door. I was mildly surprised to find him sitting on the steps of the deck. Without turning to look at me, he spoke.
“You come out here to question me like a criminal some more?”
“Actually, no. I came out here to see if I could understand the man that is my father,” I sat next to him on the stairs.
“I’m a pretty complex guy, Jason. I don’t know that we have enough time for you to truly understand me. So, why don’t you quit beating around the bush and just ask me what you want to know.”
“Alright. Why don’t you just tell me why you came here? You obviously had other options, why did you choose this one?”
“I came here because I needed your help. My rigs are busted, my people and resources are exhausted, and I needed your help. Above that, I wanted to offer you the safety the ARK could provide.”
“You could have gotten what you needed in Vegas. Adolpha has pledged her support and you could have taken advantage of that,” I pointed out.
“I could have, yes. The other part of it is; I wanted to get to know the men who I call my sons. I’ve never gotten along with Braden, but you and I have always been, well, cordial. Like many, I’ve heard the legend of Jason and Jill Sterling and the little ranch outside of Elko, Nevada. I needed to see it first-hand.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I needed to know you boys were doing alright. I needed to know this ranch had kept you safe, as it was intended.”
“But?”
“Let me be frank, Jason. But first, can you keep a secret?”
“Of course,” I answered hesitantly. He turned slightly so he could make eye contact with me.
“I didn’t think the ranch in Costa Rica was safe enough for my daughters, your sisters. I wanted to bring them somewhere that was safe.”
“What? Why wouldn’t it be safe?”
“The government of Costa Rica has started to get rolling again and not in a good way. Their new dictator-in-chief has quickly gotten out of hand and his troops were seizing anything of value. Livestock, crops, land. Nothing was safe from his reach. It was either fall in line or get dead.”
“So, you abandoned the ranch?”
“Sorta. Much like you, we’d taken in a lot of people since the EMP. Unfortunately, a lot of those people didn’t have a problem with what their new President was doing. I took the people who wanted to come with me and the equipment I needed. We weren’t about to sit around and be ruled by some two-bit dictator,” he explained.
“What about your wife, Olivia?”
“She passed away. Cancer took her life. The only thing left for me there was Kari and Isabella. I asked them if they wanted to come here and they said yes. Don’t think for a minute that I forced this journey on them!”
“I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t know….”
“Don’t be. She’s free now.”
“Why did you refer to her as if she were still alive at dinner last night?”
“Habit, I guess.”
“Am I right to assume that you are going to leave Kari and Isabella here when you go to Los Angeles? I mean, that’s what it sounds like you’re saying.”
“Yes, but don’t tell them that. Not yet anyway. They are fiercely protective of me and they would have none of it,” he smiled. “I’ll tell them when the time is right,” A few seconds passed before I asked my next question.
“At the dinner table, you said that after you defeat the ARK, we will be well taken care of. What did you mean by that?”
“There are enough supplies in that ARK alone to supply this ranch and your people for nearly a decade. Not just food, but the seeds to grow food. There is enough fuel stored in that place to keep your rigs running for years. It’s all treated and been stored in zero oxygen tanks. It’s a complex system but the fuel in those tanks should be good for decades.”
“Jason, you could double the size of this compound and still not have enough room for all of the equipment down there. Hell, their aquaponics system could cover this entire 20 acres and produce enough food to keep you all fat and happy for a very, very long time.”
“They have access to the communications and reconnaissance satellites. Having those on your side will prove invaluable for any future engagements you may find yourself in. Your eyes and ears would match those of any government on the planet!”
“Is that what this is about? Stealing their supplies?” I asked.
“No, it’s more than that. It’s about putting an end to the one thing they are holding over our heads.”
“The biological weapons?”
“No. That’s just the tip of the sword they wield. I’m talking about ending their siege of humanity. Even now, after the EMP has brought every government on the planet to its knees, they still seek to control those who remain.”
“If they are locked in the ARK with no communications or contact with the outside world, how is that possible?”
“You still don’t get it, do you?” he asked.
“Help me understand.”
“Jason, those people are like a biblical plague of locusts. They consume and destroy and then they move on to do it again and again. It will never end, unless I stop them. You see, it’s not just the people that were in the ARK’s. They didn’t send everyone into hiding when the trigger on the EMP was pulled. They still have agents above ground, and they have infiltrated every level of every government around the globe.”
“The dictator in Costa Rica, The President of the Eastern states, high ranking members of President Dixons own cabinet, they’re everywhere. They want one thing and that is to subjugate every living member of the human race. They have sold their souls to Lucifer himself, and I plan on giving them a one-way ticket to meet him.”
“The really sad thing is; most people will willingly take a knee so they can get the handouts promised to them. Hunger and disease can make most sane people do some really insane things. They lack the willpower to survive on their own. Well, the willpower and the knowledge, but the end result is the same; they are willing to live as slaves instead of free men. I think it has become human nature to not accept responsibility for yourself. It’s easier to have an existence handed to you.”
“You’re one man, Jack. You can’t possibly hope to change the way the human race has evolved. Might I remind you, not everyone fits into your mold. Look around you. Look at the people of the ranch, look at the people of Elko and some of the surrounding towns. There are a lot of good people who are dusting themselves off and taking care of business,” I said.
“That’s true, but what if the government in Texas decided that they needed your cattle to feed the masses, would you hand them over? What if they said they would put a platoon of soldiers here to protect you so that you could turn over your guns, would you?”
“C’mon, Jack. That’s not gonna happen.”
“It already did, Jason. That’s the point. They were trying to invade the core of the constitution and they were doing it under the guise of safety. You can’t own an AR-15 because they are weapons of war. Don’t eat the hamburger or buy the big soda, it’s bad for you. If you say something against the President, you’re a racist. If you say something for the President, you’re a racist.”
“It went on and on and on right up until the EMP happened. Personally, I kinda hoped that would end all the bullshit, but it didn’t. They are still hard at work and I’m not going to stand for it anymore. I can put an end to it, once and for all, but it will be up to people like you and your brother to pick up the pieces and make damn sure it never happens again.”
“I don’t….”
“You don’t understand how I think I can pull it off, right? Is that what you were going to say?”
“Well, yeah.”
“Let me be clear about something, son. I’m an evil man. I’ve spent a lifetime being evil and doing evil things to other evil men. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve, and I can guarantee you, they are evil tricks. You, on the other hand, are one of the good guys and I know you will never understand nor condone the things I’ve done or am about to do. Rest assured, good will triumph in the end because of men like you and the men you have surrounded yourself with,” he stood and leaned against the rail before continuing. “Good will also triumph because of evil men like me. Men who are willing to fight evil with evil.”
“Always remember that what you have done here will be the foundation for future generations. The two of us are from very different ends of the spectrum but because of us, good WILL win in the end.”
“If what you’re telling me is true, the part about the agents from the ARK’s being everywhere, how can you stop them?”
“It’s quite true. Don’t doubt that for a minute. How can I stop them? The key to that lies in the ARK. I need to get in there and I need to get into their computers. Everything I need to expose them is there. I mean everything. Without that, I’m nothing more than a crazy old man spreading rumors.”
“Okay, say you get in and you get whatever it is you need, what then?”
“Once I get what I need, I’ll transmit it worldwide. There will be no safe haven left for these people to hide in. I’ll shine the light of truth into the very darkest corners of their enclaves.”
“That simple?”
“Yes, it’s that simple.”
“And you’ll destroy the missiles?”
“I will,” he reached out and put his hand on my shoulder. “Son, pack it in here and come with me. Please. It’s the only way I can guarantee your safety.”
“No. The answer was, is and will always be no. I can’t walk away from this, none of us can. This is our home,” I replied. He let out a long, even sigh.
“There’s a darkness coming. A darkness that will last for a long time. The elite of the world, the other ARK’s, none of them will go down without a fight, of that you can be sure. If you must stay here, you will have to be the lighthouse in that darkness. You will have to do things that you never imagined yourself doing to keep the light blazing in the night. If you must stay, I’ll honor that and not ask again, but know this; you’re choosing a path that will be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. To this point, nothing you’ve done will compare to what you’ll have to do in the future,” he pulled his hand back and stood straight.
“I really hope your honor and character can get you through the longest, darkest hours. Draw on the strength of your wife, of your brother and your sisters. You’re going to need all of it. Above all; never, ever lose your way. Never step back from the things and the people who have
made you who you are. Embrace them, keep them close. When the time comes for you to stare into the abyss, you’ll need them to pull you back. Don’t make the mistake that I made. I thought I could handle it on my own and that mistake was my undoing. That’s what killed the man you knew as Jack Sterling,” the words had no sooner left his mouth when he walked away. I stared, open mouthed, at the man’s back as his form diminished into the shadows of the night.
CHAPTER 7
Saturday, September 2nd, 2017
It was a little after 1am when I heard the door behind me open. The sliver of light that spilled from it engulfed me. I turned to see Jill standing in the doorway. The concern in her eyes was undeniable.
“Everything okay out here?” she asked quietly.
“Yes.... No…… Oh hell, I don’t know,” I muttered. She moved from the doorway and sat beside me on the stairs.
“Want to talk about it?”
“I don’t know what to talk about, babe. No idea where to even start.”
“Your sisters slipped out the back door a while ago and I put the kids to bed. Braden said he would be in the study if you needed him,” she reported. “Kari and Isabella are really nice, Jason. They’re very sweet.”
“They seem like it,” I said, glad for the diversion. “Did you get a chance to talk to them after I stepped out?”
“Yes.”
“Has Braden started to warm up to them?”
“He has. I think he was pleasantly surprised to find out they are nothing like your father. He’s even pondering going with us to the lookout tomorrow, well, today,” she corrected herself.
“That’s good....” my voice trailed off. Jill continued to sit next to me, patiently waiting. “I’m in over my head, babe.”
“Talk to me. If nothing else, I’m here to listen,” she moved a little closer until our arms and shoulders touched.
