by Connor Mccoy
“No, I don’t think that’ll happen. You see, a lot of people have this thing called a self-preservation instinct. If you find out that about twenty guys with guns got their asses handed to them, odds are you’re going to cross that place off as your next vacation spot.” Conrad pushed down his finger as if he was crossing off an imaginary list. “You get my drift?”
“Yeah, don’t mess with Conrad Drake.” Liam chuckled. “I can’t believe you actually put land mines in the front of the house.”
“Well, the tank was in the shop, so what’s an old rancher to do?” Conrad asked. Then he drank some more bourbon without skipping a beat. “Still, there’s no way we can have the homestead be that exposed again. I had to work fast before Kurt showed up, so I couldn’t put up all the barriers around the house that I wanted. But now that we have some time, I can fall some trees onto the driveway. It won’t matter if some lunatic shows up with trucks again, they won’t get near the house.”
Liam sighed. “Amazing we have to do all this just to stay alive. Do you think it’s ever going to get better? I guess what I’m trying to ask is, you think the country’s ever going to be put back together?”
Conrad drank again before answering. “It’ll never be like it was. Right now, we’re in a state of anarchy. No one’s calling the shots. But I could see that changing.” The old rancher wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “That’s what I’m worried about. Without the rule of law, power can flow into the hands of people who just have more guns than everyone else. Too many times, people like that are only out for their own interests. If you can’t defend yourself, you become a serf.”
Liam took a swig of his own glass. “That’s, that’s real comforting.”
Conrad chuckled. “No kidding. But, who knows? The future’s not written in stone. Sometimes we can be better than what we are. Don’t forget that Maggiano, Derrick and Kurt are all dead, and we’re still here. Sometimes the bad guys don’t actually win after all.”
The conversation continued for a short while. Speaking with his son helped lift Conrad’s spirits. Still, even as they shared a final drink before Liam left to go back inside, that question of the future still nagged at him. Conrad knew he was going to be even busier than usual for the next few days.
As Liam left his father, he thought back to all the effort his dad had put into protecting the homestead. It was astonishing. The way his dad had devised the placement of the bombs in the gravel before Kurt’s men showed up seemed like something out of an action movie. The strategy of boxing in most of Kurt’s strike force inside the house was also a marvel. Instead of allowing the invaders to fan out across the property, where they could conceal themselves behind trees or in tall grass, Conrad decided to let Kurt’s men get what they came for, and let the home be their tomb.
But despite Liam’s amazement, just looking at his dad sitting in that chair reminded the younger man of his dad’s years of isolation. He should have spent the past few decades with his family, not cooped up here preparing for whatever catastrophe he feared would come. It was like his father was serving a long prison sentence. True, his dad now would spend his last years with his family, but it never could make up for lost time. To Liam’s great disappointment, he almost never would recall his father as a younger man, never remember what it was like to grow up with him, and to see him grow older gradually with the years.
He wandered through the open doorway to the bedroom he shared with Carla, creeping quietly, so as to not disturb his lady. She was lying in bed, her head tilted away from him, exposing her head of short brown hair with curls at the ends. Liam was about to step back out when she suddenly turned toward him, fully awake.
“Hey,” she said with a soft smile.
“Hey,” Liam repeated, “So, how’s it going?”
“Aches.” Carla raised her left arm and gestured to her bullet wound. “But better. It’s not as bad anymore.”
“That’s great.” Liam let out a long sigh. “Look, if you need anything to drink or eat, just call me.”
“Liam, don’t worry. Doctor Ron is keeping watch. You need to get some rest.”
Liam rubbed his face. “I know I should. I feel like I’m going to collapse.” He turned to the door. “I got to use the bathroom. I’ll check back on you one more time before I crash on the couch.”
He turned, but Carla’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “Liam?”
Liam pivoted back to Carla. “Yeah?”
“Are you…” Carla shifted a little in the bed. “Are you mad that I broke out of the basement, came after you and all?”
Liam’s eyes widened a little. “Mad at you? No.”
“I know you wanted to protect me. I’m sure the last thing you wanted was me showing up in the middle of a gunfight.”
“Yeah, but Dad was right. You did save my life. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here at all. I guess I feel bad that I couldn’t guard the house and keep you from getting hurt.”
“I don’t think it’ll ever be that easy for us. Maybe we’re always going to put our necks on the line just to keep the world working,” Carla said.
Liam yawned. “Yeah.” It wasn’t a comforting thought, but after today Liam figured they may always have moments like this. He just hoped Dad was right and the next one wouldn’t arrive for a long time.
Conrad eyed the tree with a wolfish grin. He just had finished untying the rope from the top of the tree. Thanks to Kurt’s truck, he didn’t have to cut down a tree only from his own property. Instead, he spent the morning scouting out the nearby woods, found a particularly thick one, cut it down, and drove the truck back with the tree trunk in tow. With some additional cutting, he could divide it in two and place one behind the other.
As Conrad walked past the tree trunk to return to his home for additional cutting tools, he spotted a familiar figure pedaling down the road on a bicycle. The thin man with balding brown hair quickly slid to a stop as he approached the driveway’s edge. Nigel Crane then parked his bike before rushing over to Conrad.
“Well, look at you. I apologize if I didn’t get your canned supply ready, but as you may have noticed, I was unexpectedly occupied,” Conrad said.
Nigel looked at the homestead. “So I had heard.”
Conrad craned his neck to see around Nigel. “I guess the posse stopped off the side of the road for a piss, right?”
“No, I came alone. We had our problems in town thanks to Kurt and his men. I apologize for not bringing help…”
Conrad shook his head. “I was just ribbing you. I wouldn’t ask for help, you know that. I told you, this was all on me. Fortunately, I didn’t lose anybody.”
“Thank God.” Nigel let out a loud breath. “What happened to Kurt?”
“Dead. Actually, he killed himself. He saw he was pretty much done for unless he surrendered to my tender mercies. But he decided not to take the chance, I suppose.”
“Damn.” Nigel looked at the tree across the driveway. “So, I guess this is your next line of defense?”
“Can’t take any more chances. Kurt had two working trucks at his disposal. I don’t know what anyone else will be packing. This will block off my house, at least make it harder for anyone to approach it. They’ll have to come at me on foot, and when that happens.” Conrad chuckled. “Well, there’s about a dozen places where I and my family can hide and pick them off.”
Nigel nodded. “It’s scary how well you can think of these things, but whatever can keep you going in this day and age. It seems as though I’m thinking just as much about arming my town as I am about feeding it.”
“Still got problems with crop thieves?” Conrad asked.
Nigel rubbed the right side of his forehead. “Not since Kurt pulled out.”
“You said some of Derrick’s men were coming around and causing trouble. Ever figure on going back to his place and checking it out? With him dead, that place could be a viper’s nest for bandits.”
Nigel sighed. “About Derrick’s me
n. There is something I should share with you. I figured you have a right to know, and keeping secrets from friends isn’t my forte.”
Conrad nodded. “Go on, tell me.”
“One of Derrick’s men showed up in Hooper City, but he didn’t come to steal anything. Actually, he was caught up with Kurt’s men, but escaped. In fact, he wants to turn over a new leaf.”
Conrad turned and looked at him. “So that fella who ran from Kurt? He was here not too long ago trying to shoot my son, Carla and Cammie.”
“Yeah. That’s the deal,” Nigel said, “He claimed he was just looking for work and didn’t expect things to go down as badly as they did. He’s young, probably barely out of high school. I think he regrets what he did and wants to start a new life.”
“What’s his name?” Conrad asked.
“Sorry, but I’m keeping that under wraps.” Nigel folded his arms. “I can tell you we have him, but I’m not spilling his name or what he looks like.”
Conrad frowned. “Who knew Hooper City had a witness protection program? I guess you don’t want anybody paying him a house call, if you know what I mean.”
“Kurt and his men set one of our restaurants on fire. He helped us save some lives. I can’t ignore that. At the very least, he’s earned himself a chance.” Nigel stepped a little closer to Conrad. “I owe it to you to let you know. I also owe it to him to give him sanctuary. What you do with that, well, it’s up to you.”
Conrad swallowed. Not exactly what he expected to hear today. He was a bit peeved, but not very much. He could understand if Derrick Wellinger had seduced some ignorant chaps with talk of prime real estate where they could live out their days. However, this fool Nigel spoke of did try to murder his son, Carla, their pregnant child, and Camilla. This would take a little time to process.
Nigel seemed to assume this was the end of the conversation, so he walked back to his bike and pulled up the kickstand. However, Conrad cut in by saying, “Nigel!”
Nigel looked over his shoulder.
“Thanks for being honest with me,” Conrad said, “I appreciate that.”
Nigel nodded. “Sure,” he said.
Chapter Three
Sarah rubbed her right hand as she looked at the stacks of jars in the pantry. Beside her, Camilla reached out and took a jar from the top of the stack. “It makes my hands hurt just looking at them,” Sarah said with a soft laugh. “I can’t believe I canned all these jars.”
Camilla eyed the jar of meat near her face. “Damn fine job, too.” Then she gazed at Sarah rubbing her right hand. “Are you really hurting?”
“Yeah, a little bit.” Sarah winced a little. “I’ve been getting slight pains since fall started.”
Camilla nodded. “Yeah, age will do that to you. Soon as it gets cold, you start feeling aches and pains in your bones. Let’s hope Carla cranks us out some kids soon so they can take over.”
Sarah laughed. “The poor things. I thought when I got some grandkids that I’d be taking them out for movies and pizza, not showing them how to work a farm.” She stepped back and then grasped the pantry door. “What a change this all has been.”
“I’m just glad no one’s showed up at our door to try killing us. Summer’s been quiet. Hot as hell, but quiet. And even now, still nothing.” Camilla stepped out of the way, so Sarah could shut the door. “It’s a bit unnerving, actually.”
“Not to me.” Sarah backed up to join Camilla. “If the whole world just disappears and doesn’t bother us, I don’t care.”
Camilla started her march down the hall with the jar in hand. “Well, thanks to your man, we have enough wood to keep us toasty even if Mother Nature shows up with a blizzard.” Then she waved the jar in Sarah’s face. “And, of course, we have all the fire we want to cook us some nice ham. Bacon! Pork!” She cackled.
“You love anything that comes out of a pig, don’t you?” Sarah asked with a chuckle. “Me, I was a vegetarian in my early forties. I thought it was the best way to lose weight.”
Camilla looked at her. “So, what happened?”
Sarah pushed on the kitchen door. “One day I said, ‘What the hell’ and bought myself a fat, greasy cheeseburger. I had to go up another jean size, but it was worth it.”
Camilla laughed. “You know, I think you do have an wild woman inside you,” she said as the pair strolled into the kitchen.
As Camilla set the jar on the counter, Sarah looked out the window. Tom was bringing the latest load of chopped wood to the wood pile next to the house.
Camilla leaned next to her. “Somebody’s buffed up over the years,” she said.
Sarah nodded. Tom was wearing a checkered buttoned-up shirt. When he first put it on months ago, it hung loose from his body. Now the fabric clung more tightly to his chest and arms as his muscles grew and bulged. Months of hard work had changed Tom from the slender man that Sarah once knew from their days in Redmond. His dark hair, once short, had grown out long, now dangling from the back and sides of his head.
“You think he’s smoking hot, aren’t you?” Camilla asked.
“Yes,” Sarah said dreamily, before she snapped out of it. “I mean, what? Camilla!”
Camilla slapped Sarah on the back. “Admit it, Tom the farmhand is looking pretty appetizing, isn’t he?”
Sarah playfully batted Camilla away. “Well, he wasn’t a slouch before.” She leaned against the kitchen sink. “But, he does look nice.” Her grin showed through her lips.
“So, are you two going to make it official?” Camilla asked.
“Official?” Sarah frowned. “We’re already together.”
“I mean the ‘m’ word. Are you going to marry him?”
Sarah’s cheeks turned red. “Well, do you think that’s necessary? I don’t know how much more together we can be. And it’s not like the local chapel is open.”
“Are you kidding? I’m sure there’s something available in Hooper City. Just drag out any pastor and have him say the words. I don’t think God gives a damn if the pastor isn’t licensed by the state to do marriages.”
Sarah shuffled two steps back and forth. “Well, we never really talked about it lately. I don’t know. Maybe we should.” Then she cleared her throat. “Anyway, what about you and Conrad? Why don’t you two tie the knot?”
Camilla crossed her arms. “What? You’re finally ready to let him loose? Frolic with other ladies?”
Sarah frowned again. “Camilla…”
“Yeah, I know you two long ago went your separate ways.” Camilla blew a strand of her dirty blonde hair out of her face. “Well, you know Conrad. Getting him to open up is like clawing open a can of tuna with a paper clip.”
“But things are fine between you, right?” Sarah asked.
“Sure. I think they’re very good.” Camilla then walked over to the window. Conrad stopped to chat with Tom. “But I’d be lying if I said I’ll fully understand the man.”
Sarah leaned against Camilla. “I think if he has any brains, he’ll know how lucky he is to have you,” Sarah said. “We’ve got so much life behind us. I don’t think we can afford to wait too much longer for things to happen.”
Camilla watched Conrad leave Tom and go back into the fields. “Yeah,” she said softly.
Liam stuck his head in Carla’s bedroom. “Hey,” he said, “Just checking in to see if you need anything.”
Carla, seated in a chair by the bed, looked up at her man with a smile, even though her eyes were narrowed. “Except for my feet, again, I’m fine, unless you want to take me on an expensive cruise when this is over.”
Darber stood beside Carla. “She’s unchanged since the last four times you checked in.” He exhaled, then finished with, “this past hour.”
“Oh.” Liam slowly backed away. “Okay. Well, you know where I am.” He pointed his thumb behind him. “If you need me.”
“Get out!” Carla quipped.
Liam obeyed and fled down the hall. Carla gazed down at the tub of water that soaked her feet. “N
ot that I have a problem with him waiting on me, but it does get a little annoying at times.”
Darber chuckled. “Well, at least he is spared the drive to the hospital. Otherwise he’d be in here dangling the car keys every time you complained about some pain.” The doctor gazed down at the bulge under Carla’s red shirt. “When your little one arrives, it’ll all be done right here under this roof.”
“Oh boy.” Carla bit her lip. “I’m crazy ready to pop but I’m also scared out of my wits. I mean, I’ve never done this before.” She laughed. “Yeah, of course, I haven’t. I just never thought I’d have my first baby on a farm.”
“That’s the way it used to be done.” Darber stood over her. “We got everything we need in the bathroom. I don’t think there’s anything more we can do except await the arrival.” The doctor then raised his forefinger. “Say, have you come up with a name?”
“Oh, I’ve thought about it. Kristin would be perfect for a girl. But for a boy?” Carla looked at the ceiling. “Liam is terrified of making his son Liam Junior. He just does not want his son to be called ‘Junior.’” She laughed. “I’d love to name him after his dad, but maybe that’s not the time now.”
“Well, perhaps there’s another male in your life that you admire, someone whose name you’d like to pass on,” Darber said.
“There is my foster dad, Riley Emmet. I don’t know.” Carla grazed her swollen belly. “So, tell me, who do you want to be?” she asked.
Conrad closed the goat pen as Liam walked away with the latest bucket of milk. “That’ll be the last milking for a while,” Conrad said.
Liam’s boots crunched on the snow-covered ground. “I’m sure those goats are thinking they’re glad they have long thick hair while we have to bundle up to handle the cold.”
Conrad caught up with Liam, then walked with his son past the sheep pens on the way back to the home. “You remember the Pattersons next door? During winter they’d always dress up their chihuahua in a little black coat. He’d look up at us with those big eyes as if he was screaming for help. I think almost every animal now is wandering around naked, as God intended.”
