“Are you willing to die, Bear? That’s what will happen. You will go out there and die and leave your wife and kids here, all alone.”
It was Clancy and not her husband who responded to Lucille’s words, her pretty, girl-next-door features flashing a warning that Lucille had gone too far.
“That’s enough, Lucille. You’re scaring my kids. And we won’t be alone. We are all in this thing together. All of us. You included.”
Lucille’s face was overcome with guilt as she saw Bear and Clancy’s children beginning to cry. This in turn led to Lucille’s own tears running down her cheeks.
Mac’s eyes looked to the sunlit sky above them.
“Awww, hell. C’mon now, Lucille, none of that. I’m gonna be fine. You know me…toughest son-of-a-bitch you ever met. That’s what you call me. And that’s what I am. I can still throw down when the need is there. Bear’s right, they’ll be coming back. And there won’t be any mercy for any of us when they do. We thought they came at us hard back in Dominatus – this time it’ll be worse. A whole lot more of us will be dead. There could be a hundred drones flying over our heads any day now. We don’t have the defenses to stop that kind of attack. Not yet. My gut tells me we won’t, either. Not before it’s too late. So honey, I got to do this. I got to try. It’s all I know how to do. It’s….it’s what I need to do.”
Lucille wiped yet more tears from her face as she looked into the face of Mac.
“I still say you’re a stubborn old fool, Mackenzie Walker.”
Mac smiled, and shrugged his shoulders.
“You won’t get an argument from me on that one, Lucille. Can’t believe you’ve put up with me for this long.”
Lucille put her arms around Mac and squeezed him tightly, kissing his neck before whispering into his left ear.
“I’m going to wait right here for you, Mac. You come back to me. Please…do what you say you have to do, and then you come back to me. Promise?”
“Mac gently took Lucille’s face into his hands and kissed her lips.
“I promise, I’ll do everything I can to make sure you and me ain’t done with each other just yet.”
Mac felt a pang of guilt as he said the words, knowing it would be very difficult to prove them right to Lucille.
Bear took both of his children into his arms and hugged them, his eyes shut tight as he did so. He then stood and silently held Clancy, whose body shook with her own sobs. Dublin took Reese’s right hand and squeezed it tightly, grateful in knowing she would be sharing this journey with the man she had come to call her friend and lover.
Finally, the group of four former residents of Dominatus began walking down the road that led to the eastern outskirts of Juneau and eventually led to the Wyse farm. Bear looked back several times to wave goodbye. Mac did not – he looked straight ahead, his jaw set with determination.
The journey to the priest and the hopeful weapon of the New United Nations’ destruction had begun.
IV.
It took much of the day for the four to reach the beginning of the long drive that marked the entrance to Cooper Wyse’s property. A single hand made sign nailed to the side of a fence post that simply read WYSE was the only welcome they received.
The hours of walking had taken a toll on Mac, though he had said nothing in complaint, he was unable to mask his increasingly labored breathing, and as morning turned to afternoon, his steps grew noticeably slower. He stopped in front of the sign and placed both of his arms over the top rail of the fence, leaning on it for support.
“I still don’t know why in the hell he made us walk all the way out here. Got my ass dragging, that’s for damn sure.”
Bear stood next to Mac and clapped him on the shoulder.
“For what it’s worth, I’m more than a little tired myself, Mac. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this Cooper was testing us to make sure we were up for the trip.”
Dublin was staring down the long narrow drive, a smile spreading across her face.
“This is a beautiful place Reese. The trees, grasses – it all looks and smells so amazing.”
Reese, who had spent most of his life in more urban areas, found the vast open space of the Wyse ranch somewhat overwhelming.
“A nice place to visit Dublin, but I don’t know if I would want to live way out here. It seems so…solitary.”
Dublin shook her head at Reese.
“City boy.”
Mac interrupted the conversation by walking past both of them as he made his way down the drive with a slight limp, covering his mouth as he coughed several times.
“Let’s go. Want to get to Coop before we run out of daylight.”
The fenced road to the Wyse ranch house was nearly a mile long. Halfway to the house a group of five horses running in the vast fenced field stopped and came up to them, the largest of the horses looking at them cautiously. They were beautiful animals – powerful and graceful, with clear intelligent eyes that seemed to question who these unknown visitors were who now walked the property that was their home.
Finally the ranch house came into view, a long single story structure with a covered porch that ran the length of the front of the home. On that porch could be seen Cooper Wyse, occupying what appeared to be a handmade rocking chair, the brim of his cowboy hat tilted downward just above his green eyes as he sat drinking from a simple white coffee cup. To Cooper’s right sat a large, red-colored dog, whose own brown eyes watched the approach of the arriving four with a careful intensity. Cooper’s right hand reached out to scratch the dog’s ear as a way of letting it know all was well.
As the four guests stood directly in front of the covered porch, Cooper stood up and tipped his hat in greeting.
“Hope the walk didn’t prove too much trouble for you. Since we’re not so far from the border between Alaska and the Canadian province out here, there’s regular drone surveillance just over the hills there. Anything mechanical sets them off, and I figure it would be best if we start this trip off sight unseen if possible.”
Reese was the first to take a step onto the porch.
“Bear said he figured you were testing us to see if we could handle the trip.”
Cooper gave a small smile and the slightest of shrugs.
“I won’t say that wasn’t a possibility. So tell me, you all up for the trip?”
Now Mac also stepped onto the first step of the porch.
“I’m getting tired of people asking me that question. Yeah, we’re up for the damn trip. We’re riding horses, right?”
Cooper nodded.
“That’s right, for some of the trip anyways. You ever sit in a saddle for any length of time, Mr. Walker? Or you, Mr. Neeson? Bear? Dublin?”
Bear snorted, waiving a dismissive hand in Cooper’s direction.
“I played football for a living. Don’t think sitting myself on top of a horse is gonna be any harder than that. No disrespect, but seems to me the horse is doing most the work.”
Cooper lightly scratched the unshaven stubble on his left cheek as a knowing smile revealed itself to Bear.
“Talk to me in a few days about that, Mr. Tedlow. I’m not a gambling man, but if I were, I’m pretty certain you’ll be singing a different tune by then.”
Bear took a step onto the porch as he raised both his hands upward and shrugged. Cooper’s dog let out a low growl at the big man, its eyes glaring toward Bear warning him not to come any closer.
Cooper issued a sharp whistle that instantly quieted the dog, his right hand resting gently on its neck.
Dublin pointed at the dog.
“What kind of dog is that, Mr. Wyse?”
Though Dublin had spoken, the dog’s eyes remained fixed on Bear.
“He’s a red Doberman. My grandparents used to breed them years ago. His name is Brando. Last of his family…like me. He just turned seven a few months back. He’s eyeing you, Mr. Tedlow, because you’re the biggest one of the four of you. Figures you to be the most potential threat. He’ll
come to trust you in time, but for now, I wouldn’t make any sudden gestures around him. Brando is about the smartest dog I’ve ever known, but he’s damn protective of me too. Kinda funny people call you Bear. Brando here chased one out from behind the barn just last summer. Tore into that big old bear and didn’t let up until the poor bastard was running back up into the hills. Seems like Brando wants to do the same to you about now.”
Mac leaned down and slowly reached his hand out to pat the dog’s head. Brando sniffed his hand briefly before giving it a lick.
“Not too common a dog for Alaska. Short haired and all, must not handle the winter months too well.”
Cooper smiled down at Brando.
“Oh, he does all right. He prefers a good fire for sure, but if we have to be outside during a cold spell, he puts up with it. Seems to like you well enough, Mac.”
Mac shook his head slightly.
“Guess that makes him a piss-poor judge of character then.”
Mac stood back up and looked from one end of the covered farmhouse porch to the other, before his eyes settled back onto the still seated Cooper Wyse.
“So, we heading out first thing in the morning, I suppose? You told me you had all the supplies we would need for the trip. Mind if I confirm that about now? I like to be prepared.”
Cooper stood up and pointed toward the large dilapidated barn that sat nearly a hundred yards from the ranch house. It had been painted red at one time, but only remnants of that paint remained. Most of the wood was fully exposed and weather aged a dull grey color.
“Supplies are in the barn. Like I said, everything we’ll need. And then some. C’mon, let’s go take a look then.”
The four Dominatus survivors followed behind Cooper Wyse as he made the walk to the barn structure with Brando following closely on Cooper’s right side. The barn’s entrance was a large wooden sliding door that had single metallic lock to keep it secured. Cooper removed a key from a coat pocket and turned the locking mechanism and then slid the door open. Inside were six stables likely used to house the horses during the cold Alaskan winter. A single light above the middle of those stables offered faint illumination. On both sides of the barn large bales of hay were stacked nearly to the ceiling some twenty feet above their heads.
Mac turned to Cooper while pointing toward the six horse stables.
“Which one is the access, Coop? One on the far right?
Cooper Wyse’s eyes widened slightly at the question.
“Access?”
Mac gave a sly smile.
“Yeah – c’mon now, did you think someone like me wouldn’t do their homework on you? That I’d spend all day making my way here without having some idea what you’re about?”
Cooper remained silent, looking back at Mac without expression.
Mac walked to the stable farthest to the right of the barn.
“The wood is hardly worn. The straw on the ground is too uniform. Hasn’t been a horse in here for a long time. Look how the wall in the back, it’s slightly different color than the other stables’ back wall. Guessing it’s a bit more substantial than the other walls, right? And notice how that one light up above isn’t actually centered above the six stables – it’s right of center. You wanted more light on that particular stable.”
Cooper Wyse again ran his fingers across the stubble on his face.
“Well, Mac, I see you’re already living up to your reputation. C’mon then, let me show you what we got.”
Dublin and Reese looked at one another, silently communicating their confusion over what was just said. Bear was focused on that sixth stable, trying to figure out what Mac was seeing that remained unknown to him. The three of them followed behind Mac, who in turn was following Cooper.
Once inside the stable, Cooper Wyse brushed away some straw from the floor of the stable and then leaned down and pulled a barely noticeable rope that was colored to match the look of straw. Instantly a panel just large enough for a man to walk through opened up in the back wall.
Mac turned to Bear, Reese, and Dublin, a wide smile breaking across his weathered face and extended his right hand toward the panel space.
“And there you have it boys and girls. Now, Coop, you care to tell them what you’re all about? Seems to be a bit more than just raising some horses and hanging out with that dog.”
Cooper Wyse stood back up and folded his arms across his chest as Brando took a position to Cooper’s right.
“Sure thing, Mac…I’m among friends. Right?”
Mac shrugged.
“I’d like to think so, Coop.”
Cooper removed his cowboy hat and held it in both hands in front of him as he gathered his thoughts.
“This here ranch of mine has been an access point for the black market between Alaska and the provinces for…hell, been almost ten years now. Don’t do it for profit, do it to help people out. Get them supplies, medicines…things like that. Got a few paths in the hills behind here, take a horse and cross the border into Canada and then back again. Done it hundreds of times. Know the drone patterns, their surveillance cycles. Store it up in here and then bring it into the city where they get sent off to wherever. Guessing some of the stuff made its way to Dominatus from time to time. Yoti, your Eskimo friend, he made a few requests for things over the years.”
Bear stepped forward, causing Brando to issue yet another low warning growl.
“So, you’re a smuggler. Is that it?”
Cooper placed his hat back atop his head, pulling the brim down so it rested just above his eyes.
“Suppose that’s one way of putting it. Don’t much care what you call me. I know I’m helping people get things they need, or want, and that’s fine by me. Kept me occupied since my wife and kids, since they…since they were gone.”
Mac tipped his head in the direction of the panel.
“Can we see what you have in there? What we can take with us for the trip?”
Cooper Wyse made his way to the panel and then disappeared into it, his voice following behind him.
“C’mon then. Let me show you what we got.”
The other four followed Cooper through the opening and then stood in complete darkness. The air was slightly cooler inside the dark space, and cleaner smelling than the musty hay and horse odors of the main barn area.
Bear’s low voice grumbled for some light.
“Can’t see a damn thing in front of me, Cooper.”
Two loud hand claps followed Bear’s complaint, followed by three large lights instantly turning on above their heads.
Mac gave Cooper Wyse a quizzical look, then glanced upward again at the now illuminated lights.
“What the hell was that, Coop?”
Cooper gave two more claps and room was again dark. Two more claps and the light returned.
“Clap on. Clap off. My mom was crazy about this thing. Kept it in her room inside the house. She’d be in there laughing and clapping every night before bed. I wired it up for the lighting out here when I was completing the room.”
The four Dominatus residents began to note all of the various supplies and materials that were neatly organized in the room. It was nearly twenty feet long and almost as wide, with a ceiling that appeared to be nearly ten feet high. The walls were painted a light silver color, and in the far right corner was a small air circulation unit.
Cooper’s pride in his construction was noticeable as he began to tell them the history of the hidden room.
“I made this place myself. The walls are fully insulated, got a temperature control unit over there that keeps the room sixty five degrees 24/7. Power comes from a battery bank I keep under the floor. That battery bank is powered by the solar panels I have across the barn’s roof. The New United Nations approves of solar power, but I use it to keep this room which I store all kinds of things outlawed by those bastards. Guns, ammunition, medicines, electronic devices, those little coal powered generator units I know you used up in Dominatus…all the things that peo
ple can’t get anymore unless they have someone like me to help them out.”
Tumultus Page 3
