Options Are Good

by Jerry D. Young

  “Fill us in on whole thing, Angus. Where we stand and what we are going to do about it.”

  Rather haltingly Angus began to go over the discussion that the four men had engaged in just minutes ago. Junior added a couple of clarifications.

  Ana-Bella was watching Bandy out of the corners of her eyes as he watched Angus do the explanation. She could see the small cheek motions and the way his eyes changed ever so slightly as Angus spoke of the different things. She looked over at Angus as he wrapped the explanation up.

  “And with Bob and Magdalene and Ana-Bella’s help, plus this young man’s,” Angus nodded at Bandy, “They… We… are sure we can deal with this and get us out of the spot I’ve put us in with the smallest amount of damage as possible.”

  June studied Bandy for a moment before she spoke. “And just how are we going to go about this? Not for one second will I entertain any suggestion for me to leave the area. Desiree, perhaps…”

  “I’m staying, too!” Mother, Father, and Brother all saw the expression on Desiree’s face and realized that they would have a literal fight on their hands if they tried to convince Desiree to leave.

  Junior smiled slightly, but both Angus and June frowned slightly. But already in their minds they accepted the fact that the family would face it all together.

  “I’ll leave those decisions up to the families,” Bandy said diplomatically. “For the moment, as I’ve told Mr. Longhammer, Mr. Sheridan, and Junior, I need a bit more information and a day or so to develop and present a plan that I think will make sure that the Militia will not be a threat to any of you, or anyone else, for that matter.

  “I know everyone is anxious, but I want to make sure I’ve covered all the bases before I lay things out completely. And I guess I should bring this up, since it didn’t come up earlier… There will be some expenses involved, and even some lifestyle changes to make the plan I’m working on effective.”

  Angus waved a hand. “I will put up whatever it takes to see to it that this group stays safe and sound.”

  “Oh no you don’t, Angus!” Bob chuckled slightly. “No check grabbing this time. You and I will split the costs. Everything that young Hawkins here has shown and told me makes me believe there are many things I need to do to ensure a safe future, regardless of this Colin and his militia.

  “I realize now that some of the uncomfortable feelings I’ve had lately are due to the situation in this country… The whole world, actually. Time for me to stand up and take care of business I should have already seen coming.”

  It was Ana-Bella that spoke first. “This affects all of us. We’re in this together and will deal with it together. Our two families have been working together for five generations, all the way back to Georgia.”

  “Well said, Ana-Bella,” said June. “I agree totally. We might have started the process, and brought your family into it, but we will do everything we can to make sure everyone in both families gets through this unscathed.”

  Ana-Bella noticed the look on Bandy’s face at June’s last statement. He obviously believed that getting through unscathed might not be possible. She felt a shiver go down her back.

  “I agree totally,” Magdalene said. She stood up gracefully and headed for the door of the study. “Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes.”

  That broke up the meeting, as such, and the other women left to see to the dinner. Bob took Angus and Junior out to see one of the new stud horses he’d just acquired.

  Bandy declined to go with them and opened up his laptop and began typing. A few minutes later Ana-Bella stepped into the room and simply stayed silent and watched him work for several seconds.

  He suddenly looked up and saw her watching him. Bandy turned slightly red. “I guess I should wash up. Get ready for that wonderful smelling Thanksgiving dinner.”

  “Still a few minutes,” Ana-Bella said, stepping the rest of the way into the study. “You are worried about some of us getting hurt, aren’t you, Bandy?”

  Bandy knew there was no point in lying. Ana-Bella would see right through it. “Yes. Yes, I am. This will get dangerous at some point. I aim to see that no one does get hurt, but I can’t guarantee it.”

  “No one will ask you to, Bandy. And I’ll make sure the others do understand your concerns.”

  “I can…”

  “Better if I do it,” Ana-Bella said, interrupting Bandy. “I think it will hit home better if I let my fears be known to them. Coming from you they might think you are just being cautious. Don’t worry about that part of it.”

  “If you really think so…”

  “I do.” Ana-Bella turned around when her name was called. As she moved back to the door of the study she told Bandy, “About five more minutes.”

  Bandy nodded and began to shut down his computer.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Everyone was able to put the Militia out of their minds and enjoy the dinner. Despite Ana-Bella’s attempts to dissuade her parents, and even Angus and June, when the four rather keyed on Bandy and finding out all they could about him. And his interest in Ana-Bella.

  Bandy was able to sidestep the one question that came up about his time in the service, but Ana-Bella and Magdalene both saw the way his eyes changed slightly and the momentary pinched look on his face. But Magdalene quickly changed the subject and Bandy was right back in the flow of conversation, handling the parents and family friends of the woman he knew he was already in love with smoothly, and with great patience.

  This time, apparently a tradition in the household, the males cleared the table, put away the left overs, and loaded up the dishwasher while the ladies retired to the living room for a few minutes to rest up before they tackled the rest of the cleanup.

  The men and women switched places, with the large entertainment center TV now on with a football game on screen. Ana-Bella and the other ladies found seats when the last tasks were done in the kitchen and they joined the guys in the living room.

  Bandy was amused at the ferocity of the antics of the group during the hotly contested game. He watched sports, but wasn’t really what one would call a big sports fan. But both the Longhammer and Shepard families were die hard sports fans, especially of football, and each one seemed to have a different favorite team that they rooted for quite vocally.

  Bandy excused himself shortly after the light supper and went up to his room early to work on the plan, while the others stayed up and visited until late. The Longhammer’s had all brought overnight bags and stayed the night, as they often did alternately on various holidays.

  But all were up on Friday morning, getting ready for the big shopping day for some, with Bandy to go with Angus for the morning to look over his properties, as they’d arranged to do the night before.

  Apparently another tradition the two families had was the guys fixed the breakfast while the ladies got things ready for the shopping run into the city.

  Not used to so much activity, Bandy was a bit relieved when he and Angus left, just shortly before the rest headed out. They were in Bandy’s truck, and other than Angus giving Bandy directions to the Longhammer Ranch, the discussion centered on the truck.

  Bandy was proud of the vehicle and answered all of Angus’ questions about the whats and whys Bandy had done with it. “You are really into this survival stuff, aren’t you?” Angus asked as they drove up the long drive to the Longhammer Ranch main house.

  Much like the Shepard place, the Longhammer Ranch, though much smaller, was a beautiful sight to behold in the crisp, cool air of the morning after Thanksgiving.

  And like Bob was with his, Angus was proud of his place and eagerly showed Bandy around. He was as curious as he could be as Bandy took extensive notes during the tour. But he held his tongue. He’d agreed to wait for Bandy’s full report and plan presentation the next evening at the Shepard’s.

  Bandy saw Angus suddenly stiffen as they walked back around to the front of the house. There was a pickup truck pulling up the long drive. It was raucous
loud, the exhaust barely muffled, with loud music coming from speakers through the open windows of the cab of the truck.

  “That’s Colin’s truck,” Angus muttered quietly when the truck slid to a stop on the concrete pad between the garage proper and the gravel driveway. “And Colin,” he added when a man climbed out of the highly lifted truck.

  Colin jumped down from the large side step of the truck, hitched up his camo pants, and turned to face Angus and Bandy.

  Bandy felt the hair on the back of his neck lift as soon as Colin turned and their eyes met. There was instant animosity that Bandy tried to control on his part.

  Colin didn’t even try. “Who is this, Longhammer? What is he doing here? I want him off the property. Right now. We have some things to discuss.”

  Colin cut his eyes to Angus, but they went right back to Bandy. Bandy held his gaze steady, but even, making sure to keep Colin’s right hand, down by the holstered gun on his right hip, in his peripheral vision.

  Bandy knew just how fast he could get to his own gun, in an inside the waistband holster in the small of his back. It would be close. Very close. If Colin made the move. Bandy was ready to end it all right here, right now. Colin was a rabid animal, and he needed to be put down.

  But Colin blinked. And that was enough. His gaze shifted back to Angus, but before he could speak, Bandy said, “I’ll be on my way. I know you need to meet your family in a few minutes.”

  Bandy stressed that just slightly. Both to give Angus an excuse to leave quickly, and as a not quite stated warning to Colin that Angus better show up soon. Or else.

  Walking wide around his own truck, so he could keep his eyes on Colin, Bandy went past the tailgate and up to the driver’s side door. He used his left hand to open the door, and slid onto the seat, his right hand going to the gun under his jacket. He held it beside his right thigh, reaching through the steering wheel with his left hand to press the engine start button.

  Only when he was ready did Bandy release the handgun and reach for the gearshift. He was gone quickly, making a wide circle on the paved area in front of the garage, his eyes still on Colin. He watched in the rearview mirror as Colin angrily stomped up to Longhammer.

  Bandy stopped at the end of the driveway, pulling over on the shoulder of the road, behind some construction equipment parked nearby for some roadwork in the area.

  He stopped there and waited. He was becoming a bit worried until he saw Colin’s fancy rig come barreling down the driveway, make a sliding turn onto the highway, headed the other direction. A quick look up the driveway and Bandy spotted another vehicle coming along much more sedately.

  Pulling back out onto the shoulder of the road, Bandy waited until Angus drove up and stopped next to him. The windows went down on both vehicles. “You okay?” Bandy asked Angus.

  Angus, despite the deep tan, was pale. “He is going to kill you, Hawkins. He said so right to my face. Told me that I’d better start working on some of the projects he has set for me, that you wouldn’t be the only one dead. He was talking about my family, Hawkins. My family! Not me. My family!”

  “Easy, Angus,” Bandy said quietly. “I am not going to let that psychopath kill me, or anyone else. Which projects did he insist that you start on?”

  “The shelter, for one. And more ammunition. And start a recall effort against Sheriff Broadhearst. He wants Julie-Anne out of office and discredited.”

  “Well, give him some of what he wants. Start on the shelter. You’ve shown me what you had in mind and what Colin wanted changed. Which were actually some ideas I would have incorporated into a shelter like that anyway. I’ll have some additional recommendations tomorrow evening.

  “As to the ammunition, just start trickling it in. You have the very good excuse that large quantities are hard to come by. And I honestly believe that you should meet with the Sheriff and explain what is going on. You… We… are going to need her informed and on our side when this all breaks open.”

  “I’m not sure I can face her…” Angus said sadly. “I’ve really let her down.”

  “Talk to her, Angus. I have a feeling, from what everyone has said about her, that she will understand. And to be willing to help, to the limit she can as an officer of the law.

  “Now, are you okay to join the families?”

  “Yeah. Yeah. And I’ll fill them in on what happened. If we’re going to do this together, I am going to have to stop keeping things to myself.”

  “That is good, Angus. I’ll see you later, at the Sheridan’s.”

  The two put their trucks into gear and drove off, Angus pulling away as Bandy kept a much slower pace, keeping his eyes peeled for a possible ambush by Colin. He didn’t think it would happen, but Bandy wasn’t one to ignore possibilities. Bandy went back to the Sheridan Ranch and let himself in with the secondary security code that Ana-Bella had insisted he take. He worked the rest of the afternoon on the plan, working more and more quickly as things jelled in his mind.

  Dinner was a bit subdued at first, Angus having told the others what had happened. Bandy caught Ana-Bella looking at him with concern several times. He decided that Angus had probably told all of them what Colin had said about killing him. And from the initial subdued talk, he had also told them the threat made against June, Junior, and Desiree.

  Bandy excused himself as quickly after the dinner as was polite and went upstairs again. Bandy didn’t see Ana-Bella watch him go up the stair case, just as she didn’t see the others watching her. Fortunately for everyone’s sake, the little group all headed for the living room before Ana-Bella could turn around and see them watching. Ana-Bella brushed away the tears that had blurred her vision before Bandy had reached the top of the stairs.

  Bandy worked late into the night, not turning in until almost one in the morning. But he was up at his usual time, and not even Ana-Bella could tell he hadn’t slept much. He talked quietly to the others about the news that all had seen while getting up and getting ready for the day.

  Yet another terrorist attack. Only there were some loud accusations that it was not an independent terrorist group, but a state sponsored and state executed operation. It came right on the heels of the announcement the previous day by China that they would be drastically reducing their financial holdings in United States Dollars.

  Less than twenty-four hours later and three major refineries on the Gulf and West Coasts were burning out of control. There was a group claiming responsibility, but they were considered very small time, and some in the DHS were admitting that they didn’t think the group did it. No one in authority openly pointed a finger at China, but more than a few ‘unnamed, highly placed sources’ in Washington were implying it, if not outright saying it.

  “What do they hope to accomplish, if it is the Chinese?” June asked, looking more angry than sad about the damage and loss of life.

  “Same thing as always, Mrs. Longhammer,” Bandy said when none of the other spoke up. “Power. Control. The weaker the US is, and the more turmoil there is in the country, the more likely they are to be able to take advantage of the situation and get even more control than they already have here.”

  “What do you mean, Mr. Hawkins?” asked Desiree. “How can China ever hope to control us? My Current Affairs teacher says it is all just a group of right wing religious conservatives that are saying things about China because they don’t like their religion.”

  Bandy had tried his best to get her to call him Bandy, the way Junior did, but her manners had been drilled into her for fifteen years, and Bandy was a lot older than she, so he got a Mister and last name. Not Bandy. Besides. She had a tendency to giggle every time she did try to say it.

  Not about to get started on the liberal educational system, Bandy kept his remarks strictly about the question Desiree asked.

  “Well, I believe, based on many factors that I have researched in depth, that China has designs on the entire world. They have started maneuvering in the western Pacific and Indochina already. They do not
want interference in their plans. I believe those plans include taking over India, Indochina, Southeast Asia, the entire western Pacific, including Japan and Korea, and eventually Australia.

  “Once those goals are accomplished, they will reconsolidate, resettle much of their population to assume leadership positions in the countries, and pull resources out of all the newly conquered nations. With the final intention of taking first all of Africa, and then South America.”

  “But we won’t let them do that!” Desiree exclaimed. “I mean… Maybe… Maybe some of the Indonesian countries. Even Mr. Brathers says they are overstepping the bounds there, but that the UN will make them stop. But not Australia!”