The Ranch

by Sean Liscom

  “Actually, I think he’s warming up to the idea of having sisters. He’s just been really busy.”

  “Okay. We will give him time then. Does he need help with this work he is doing? Isabella and I are very handy when it comes to making things.”

  “It’s not really like that. He’s working on some coded documents and it’s driving him nuts.”

  “I did not know he was a cryptographer. I thought he was a farmer.”

  “He is a farmer at heart, but he got roped into the coding thing because he’s the one who was able to break the original cypher.”

  “Then, perhaps, Isabella and I may be of service. Both of us have been taught the art of cryptography since we were very young. Jack,” she smiled a little, “Insisted on it as a part of our studies,” I pulled my horse to a stop and stared at her when she stopped too. “Did I say something wrong?” she asked.

  “You’re shittin’ me, right?”

  “I’m what?”

  “You know about codes and cyphers and all that?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Yes. Is something wrong?”

  “The ranch you came from, did it have a set of handwritten journals?” I asked nudging my horse’s sides to get her going again. Kari did the same.

  “We did have a set, yes.”

  “Did you ever decode them?”

  “Isabella and I were not allowed to even open them until after the EMP, but to answer your question, we did decode them,” she answered like it was no big deal.

  “We have a set of journals too and we’ve been fighting with them for months. We’ve barely made a dent in ‘em.”

  “We would be more than happy to help you. Had we known you were having a problem; we would have offered sooner.”

  “It’s all good, Kari. You’ve offered it now and we’ll gladly take any help you can give us,” I replied. “If you don’t mind me changing the subject, can I ask you a question?”

  “Please do!”

  “Well, can I ask what it was like growing up with Jack? I grew up with my grandparents, so I don’t really know.”

  “Oh boy,” she rolled her almond colored eyes. “Don’t get me wrong. He was a very good father, when he was around. He was very kind and generous to us, but he was also very strict.”

  “How so?”

  “Our schoolwork always came before anything else. He insisted that we get a good education. Even when the school wouldn’t send us home with homework, we had lessons at home. Every night, even on weekends, we would have a two-hour lesson.”

  “Is that how you learned cryptography?”

  “Amongst other things,” she laughed but there was very little mirth behind it. “While other girls our age were playing with dolls, we were learning to strip and re-assemble an AR-15 in less than a minute. He would take us on camping trips but instead of roasting marshmallows, we were learning land navigation and how to purify water.”

  “Do you resent him for it?” I asked.

  “To be honest; I used to. Now, not so much. He taught us everything that we would need to survive in this world. For that I’m thankful,” she shrugged her shoulders a little. “Do you resent him for not being around for you?”

  “Since we’re being honest? Yeah, I do resent him. The weirdest part is that I resent him more now than when I thought he was dead. Does that seem crazy to you?”

  “Is it because of Isabella and me?”

  “No, it’s not. He just seems like a totally different person than the one I remember.”

  “He has changed a lot since my mother died,” she said quietly. I could tell that the memory was still painful for her.

  “Can you tell me what she was like? I never knew my mother.”

  “She was so kind, so sweet and gentle. She would scold us if we were doing something wrong, but she would do it in a way only a loving mother could. She was our mentor; our rock and she was our best friend....” her voice cracked a little. “It still feels like it was just yesterday that I talked to her. I miss her.”

  “I’m sorry, Kari. I didn’t mean to dredge up memories,” I said weakly.

  “It is okay, Jason. It’s one of those things I try to keep locked away but every once in a while it sneaks up on me. All of it is still pretty fresh.”

  “It was cancer?”

  “Yes. It was five different cancers, actually. Brain, bone, lung, kidney and liver, all at once. Thankfully, she went fast and didn’t suffer. The doctors in Los Angeles said it was very rare to see such a condition.”

  “You guys took her to a hospital in L.A.?”

  “Yes. She complained of feeling very ill on a Sunday, so dad flew her up there on Monday. She passed away the following Saturday.”

  “He didn’t take you?”

  “No. We were left at the ranch. At first, they thought it was nothing more than a stomach virus. By Wednesday, the doctors determined it was cancer. Dad was going to fly her home, but she deteriorated so fast that became impossible. Isabella and I rented a plane and flew to be by her side, we barely made it.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “She went to be with God on Saturday, June 25th, 2016.”

  “I’m so sorry, Kari. It must have been pure hell dealing with such a loss and then you add the end of civilization.... I can’t imagine what that must have been like.”

  “In some ways, as sad as it makes me to say this, I’m glad that she is in a better place. She always believed the best about people and I feel they would have let her down. I’m also glad that she has not had to witness the change in dad.”

  “It’s been that dramatic?”

  “Oh yes. His temper has become very short. He’s angry all the time. Having him stomp out of the room during dinner two nights in a row is a prime example. That’s not like him, like the old him,” she answered.

  “Was he like that when you went back home, or did it start after that?”

  “He didn’t come home with us. You see, there was a mix up regarding her remains.”

  “What kind of mix up?

  “The three of us were going to fly home in the same plane with my mother’s body, but the mortuary accidentally cremated her. My father was livid,” she recalled.

  “I bet. I would have been.”

  “He had us fly her cremated remains back home and he followed a few days later. Together, we scattered her ashes at the most beautiful waterfall on the property. Our world ended in more than one way that day.”

  “Pardon?”

  “We were standing at the top of the falls and had just emptied her urn when we saw the flash of the EMP. That’s what I meant.”

  “Oh….” was all I could say.

  We rode in silence for a few more minutes when I decided to change the subject to something a little more upbeat.

  “You said you rented a plane, are you a pilot?” I asked.

  “Yes! Isabella and I both have our licenses.”

  “That’s pretty cool. I wanted to do it, just never had the time.”

  “It’s an amazing experience, Jason.”

  “I bet it is!”

  Over the course of the next five hours, Kari and I talked about everything under the sun. The small talk made the trip to the lookout tower go so much faster. I was thankful that we actually had things to talk about. The one subject she was cautious about broaching was the relationship between her and Melissa Lange. Dan had told me about it when he briefed me before leaving Vegas. While I was a little shocked about it, I didn’t really care.

  I was a little angry that Melissa had gone off-mission when I’d given her instructions to go back to the ranch, but as it turns out, she made the right call. It all worked out and we DO impress on our students the need to adapt to developing situations. There would be no reprimand and as far as who she chose to love, that was between the two of them.

  Kari and Melissa were smart, competent fighters and they were people I wanted on my side of things. Period, end of story. Kari seemed to relax a little more when I�
��d told her that. She also told me that Jack had shown his disapproval and voiced it on more than one occasion. She was pleased to learn they would get no such opposition from me or any member of the ranch. Bigotry, of any kind, was not tolerated. At all.

  By the time we climbed out of the saddles at the base of the tower, I felt like I’d known her most of my life. I didn’t know that was possible, but she made me feel at ease and she was easy to talk to.

  We spent an hour at the lookout eating lunch and enjoying the views it had to offer. It was a much-needed break from my father and the ranch. It was also a good chance for me to digest everything Kari and I had talked about. Jill and I ended up leaning against the rail at the top, much as we had done the first time she brought me here.

  “Remember this?” she asked me.

  “Like it was yesterday.”

  “We should bring Luke and Tara with us next time. I think they would enjoy it,” she mused.

  “Can we talk about Jack some more? You helped me sort things out last night and I need you again,” I blurted out.

  “Of course!” she moved to lean on the railing next to me.

  “The first night, at the dinner table, Jack referred to his wife in the present tense, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She died nine days before the EMP, but he didn’t tell me when she passed away, only that she did….”

  “I’m not following you. What are you saying?”

  “The first night he was here, he referred to Olivia in the present tense. Last night, when we were talking on the steps, he told me she had died from cancer. Today, I learned from Kari that she passed away nine days before the EMP and it was five different kinds of cancer. She felt sick on a Sunday and was dead by Saturday. That’s nuts, right?”

  “I’d think it would be extremely rare.”

  “Yeah, you wanna hear the kicker?” I asked. She simply nodded. “They scattered her ashes on the night of July 4th, 2016!”

  “The night of the EMP?”

  “Yes!”

  “Jason, that can’t be anything more than a coincidence….”

  “Jill, he was in Los Angeles for two weeks! He didn’t come home until the day of the 4th! I mean…. What the hell was he doing for the nine days after she died?”

  “I would say he was mourning her loss. He probably just needed to be alone for a little while,” she sighed and then continued. “You have to remember, hon, Olivia would have been the second woman he loved to die prematurely. That had to be pure torture for him. He’s....”

  “Wait! What did you just say?” I asked, Jill looked annoyed.

  “I said that he had just lost his second wife. He probably needed….”

  “Son-of-a-bitch,” I muttered

  “What?”

  “He had just lost his second wife....”

  “That’s what I said! Are you even listening to me?”

  “Yeah, I heard every word.”

  “Then....”

  “That’s NOT Jack Sterling down there!” I pointed in the direction of The Ranch.

  “Huh?”

  “That’s Jack Kenshaw. That’s not my father and he’s not their father. That’s Jack Kenshaw,” I repeated.

  “You’re not making any sense, Jason. Jack Kenshaw and Jack Sterling are the same person!”

  “The night my mother was murdered he became Jack Kenshaw! He said it himself; it was like having multiple personalities, remember? Kari told me he’s been acting all crazy since Olivia died. That’s why he’s been such a dick since he got here!”

  “You think he’s mentally unbalanced?”

  “It would make sense. Think about it!”

  “You don’t think he’s a danger to us, do you?

  “No, I don’t. I do think he’s getting ready to do something monumentally stupid though,” I started to pace the platform while I tried to collect my thoughts. Jill just watched. Like her, sometimes I thought best on my feet.

  “Okay,” I started again. “My mother died, and he became Jack Kenshaw. Who, according to all accounts, was a lying, thieving, murderous bastard. After he had avenged her death, he came back and settled into a semi-normal life. Save for the fact that he was still stealing from the bad guys. With me so far?” I looked at her and she replied with a nod.

  “I think Kenshaw has never been that far below the surface of Jack’s persona, he’s always lurking. Jack Sterling managed to maintain the separation of the two for years, decades even. That would allow him to be a father, husband and co-worker without too much difficulty. It would have enabled him to lead a fairly normal life. Except, something caused the veil between the two personalities to slip….”

  “Olivia’s death,” Jill interjected

  “Yes! He’s returned to the personality that got him through some of the darkest times in his life. He’s gone off the reservation again and he’s headhunting.”

  . “Okay, but that doesn’t explain why he wants the ARK so badly.”

  “Maybe it does. Braden told me that the ARK’s were working with the pharmaceutical companies on various cures for cancer and any number of other fatal diseases. Thing is, and this is in Jack’s own words in the journals, having the population sick was a huge business. Billions, if not trillions of dollars were spent combating the same diseases they were feeding with bad food, water and medications.”

  “The companies made more money....” Jill said barely above a whisper.

  “Yes! He knew all of this because he worked for them.”

  “Do you think they gave Olivia cancer on purpose?”

  “Not directly, at least I wouldn’t think, but more than likely, indirectly.”

  “And Jack blames them for not curing cancer? How’s that work?”

  “He blames them because they probably could have cured it but chose not to. They chose profit over human lives. They were using illness and death to make themselves rich and fund their entire operation!”

  “I still don’t understand why the ARK’s wanted to destroy the population. If they were making so much money, they had to be living like kings and queens. What more could they possibly want? What more is there?”

  “Babe, they WERE living like royalty, but they wanted to be gods! It wasn’t about money and it hadn’t been for a very long time. This was about ultimate power and control; it’s always been their endgame. They viewed the general population as nothing more than a commodity to be controlled and exploited.”

  “And that commodity had outlived its usefulness....”

  “Yeah. They wanted the planet for themselves except for the few that would serve them. They’d never have to lift a finger again. They would have their own army to deal with those that refused to fall in line. They would live as pampered gods in their ivory towers and rule the planet……”

  “You do realize just how crazy all this sounds, right?” she asked seriously.

  “I know, but it’s the only thing that makes any sense.”

  “Not just this, babe. I’m talking about the whole conspiracy theory about some super-secret cabal that wanted to rule the earth. I’m talking about the tainted food and water. I’m talking about the drugs that were actually making people sick instead of curing them. It all seems so far-fetched. I mean, who in their right mind would believe you?”

  “I know, right? I don’t even believe half of the crap I’m spewing right now,” I chuckled. “I wouldn’t blame you if you had Doc sedate me until you could find me some professional help!”

  “It’s not that, Jason. I’m serious, how can you get the proof you need? How can you get to the bottom of what happened and what’s about to happen?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  “Well, mind if I make a suggestion?”

  “I’d love one.”

  “At dinner tonight, confront your father. Ask him to prove everything he has talked about. Just come right out and ask for the proof you need. What’s the worst that could happen? He walks away from the table again? We’ve had two dinn
ers with him, and he hasn’t finished either one.”

  “He must be getting hungry by now,” I laughed.

  “I’m serious! Don’t beat around the bush, just get to the point. Tell him that you’ll go to L.A., but you want the absolute truth about everything. You want the proof up front.”

  “You really think that’ll work?”

  “The Jack I knew would want you to ask the questions. You said he’s been leaving clues for you to find and I think if you confront him with your theory, he’ll fill in the blanks for you and I think he’ll give you what you need.”

  “That....” I stopped pacing and locked eyes with her. “That just might be the best idea I’ve heard in the past couple of days!”

  “No matter which Jack is sitting at that table, you’ll have some answers.”

  CHAPTER 9

  Saturday, September 2nd, 2017

  The ride back to the ranch was an enjoyable experience, to say the least. Kari, Isabella, Jill, Megan and I spent the entire time telling stories about our lives. There were funny stories, serious stories and sad stories but most of all, we learned a lot about each other. By the time we rode through the gate, it was pushing 6pm. Kalin and Allison took care of the horses while the rest of us went to the house to prepare dinner. I split from the group and found Braden in the study. Journals were arrayed around him and a legal pad was in front of him.

  “How was the ride?” he asked, sitting upright and stretching.

  “It was great! Kari and Isabella are good people, Braden. You really should take the time to get to know them. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

  “I should have gone with you today. This crap is gonna be the death of me!” he waved his hand toward the stacks of journals.

  “How would you like the help of someone who has already decoded their journals?” I asked with an uncontainable grin.

  “Kari and Isabella?”

  “Yep, they decoded the journals from the Fortuna ranch, and they’ve offered their services to help decode ours.”

  “Their services?”

  “Both of them were taught by Jack in the art of cryptography. Kari said it took the two of them a day and a half and they also had 44 journals.”