Holding Their Own: The Toymaker (15 page)

“Why? It doesn’t seem like such a big deal to me,” she responded. “Having to carry identification seems like a reasonable trade for not having to watch your back every moment of every day. Answering some nosey cop’s questions sure beats having a shootout every ten minutes on Main Street. There are trade-offs for progress, my love. Always has been, always will be.”

“I suppose, but you have to admit that over-regulation and dependence played a substantial role in the downfall. I know there was a combination of facilitators that landed us where we are. But if every citizen had been like that guy from the gun store, would we have fallen so quickly and landed so hard?”

“Oh, believe me, I understand where you’re coming from. When I was on the council, it seemed like we faced this issue every single day. But… we’re social animals, my love. We need interaction with others of our kind. Even the pioneers depicted in your romantic movies had goals… destinations… better places they were trying to reach. It’s only human nature. Complete anarchy doesn’t work. The physically strong will always prey on the weak. Doesn’t the man with the slightly slower gun deserve the right to live as much as the quickest draw? Maybe he’s a physician and is more interested in healing than fighting. Don’t we need his kind to make it all work? Should he be subservient to a lesser intellect just because of physical strength or slower reflexes? Which of our two fictional characters, the doctor or the gunfighter, is going to improve everyone’s quality of life?”

Bishop shook his head, admiring how skillfully his wife had just framed the debate. But she was taking his remarks out of context, and he couldn’t let it go. “By my way of thinking, people would naturally protect the doctor from the gunslinger out of common sense. I don’t see why we need government rules and regulations to enforce core values on society. It leads to a slippery slope… one we just traveled, and I don’t know about you, but I didn’t like the journey.”

Terri stopped walking, turning to face her husband, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes, “And that is why I love you so much, my husband. If everyone was like you, then governance could be a much less intrusive exercise. If there were nothing but clear-thinking, well-intended people on the planet, we probably wouldn’t need authority or elections. But that’s not the case, and you know it.”

She then softened, balancing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I’m sorry you’re feeling like a fish out of water. All of us are going to have to make painful adjustments as the recovery moves forward. We really have no choice, though. There’s no stopping it.”

“I suppose. As usual, you’re right. I’ll do my best to stop being an old hermit-grouch.”

They continued their stroll, eventually ending at the Manor’s pool.

Again, Bishop felt the pangs of disappointment. There were a dozen people splashing and lounging around the crystal clear oasis. The chorus of laughter and low conversations made it obvious that any submerged romantic encounter was out of the question. So was any public display of Terri’s new swimwear.

“See what I mean?” Bishop protested. “This recovery thing is entirely overrated. We had to sit at the bar in Pete’s because there were no empty tables. I couldn’t even find a parking spot on the street. We couldn’t get a king-size bed. I had to use money. And now the pool is crowded. Is there any way we can initiate another collapse?”

Terri smiled and then lowered her voice to a sultry tone. “How about I go shoo away the babysitter and change into my new PJs? I’m sure I can take your mind far, far away from the troubles of this nasty, old world.”

“Can I have my five bucks back?”

The comment drew a playful swat, and then she was strutting toward their room with an exaggerated swagger of her hips. Casting a coy glance over her shoulder, she said, “Only if you’re good. Really good.”

With Hunter on his arm, Bishop headed to the market early, the Texan in a much better mental place.

Determined to have a good day, he left the carbine in the hotel room, opting to tuck a .45 caliber pistol inside his belt. He even left his shirt out to cover the iron’s beefy grip.

One on one time with Hunter was always a joy. That… and the opportunity to let Terri sleep in had made shopping for the windmill’s replacement bolt all the more palatable. But the highlight of the morning was having his five dollars back.

By noon, they were checked-out and driving back to the ranch. Terri had found a second-hand potty training book, spending most of the trip reading the work to Hunter in the backseat.

“He’s just now wanting to walk, isn’t it a bit early for potty training?”

“Yes, but they aren’t printing books anymore, so I wanted to pick it up while I could,” she replied. “Besides that acorn might not fall from your tree, dear. He might be the sort of lad who benefits from hearing something more than once,” Terri teased.

Bishop was just about to turn into the ranch’s long lane when he abruptly stopped the truck. “What the hell?” he groaned.

Terri followed his gaze to a small cloud of dust rising in the distance. Whatever it was, it was on their property. “Is someone at the camper?” she asked.

“Sure looks like a car is driving on our lane. Were you expecting company?” he asked, reaching for the carbine.

“No. I have no idea who it could be.”

Recalling their recent experience with having a pickup shot out from under them, Terri reacted immediately. Unstrapping Hunter, she was out of the cab and slinging her rifle just a few seconds slower than Bishop.

“At least we won’t have to walk very far if they shoot up the truck,” Bishop said, his eyes never leaving the approaching billow of dust. “But our insurance is going to skyrocket if we have another claim,” he added sarcastically.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Terri actually smiled. “I’m glad to hear you’re back with that delightful cornball sense of humor, my love. I was worried there for a while.”

A dark colored SUV soon came into view, the vehicle slowly meandering along the ranch’s crooked, unpaved lane. “At worst, there’s only one carload of them,” Bishop commented. “Hardly seems like a fair fight.”

“Why are you assuming there’s going to be a gunfight?” Terri asked. “That seems a bit pessimistic.”

“Why did you grab your rifle, Little Miss Optimist?”

“Good point.”

“It’s probably just Avon calling, or some guy trying to sell us a satellite dish,” Bishop commented, glancing at their surroundings in case a retreat became necessary.

“If it’s a salesman, I want to do the shooting,” Terri replied with a smirk.

Bishop was scanning the approaching vehicle through his optic when it suddenly stopped 200 meters away. He exhaled with relief when Nick exited the driver’s door and waved.

“Shit,” Bishop sighed. “So much for a running gun battle with rustlers or looters. It’s only Nick.”

“And Diana,” Terri added, nodding as the Alliance’s leader climbed out of the passenger side. “You almost shot our friends who apparently dropped in for a spot of tea.”

A short time later, everyone was gathered in the camper’s main saloon. “So you guys have been off partying in Meraton?” Nick teased. “So much for all of this, ‘I can’t leave the ranch, there’s too much work to be done,’ bellyaching I’ve been hearing.”

“So who’s running the show in Alpha since your fiancé is out here in the middle of nowhere?” Bishop countered with a grin.

Terri sensed right away it wasn’t a social call, Diana’s attempt to mask her stress just a little too transparent. Interrupting the boy’s playful banter, she asked, “What’s wrong, girlfriend?”

Diana produced a folder almost an inch thick. “We’ve got a problem,” came the worried response. “While I’ve tried to respect your retirement and leave Bishop and you alone to start anew, we became aware of a situation yesterday that threatens everything we’ve worked for. I hate to do it, but I need advice… from both of you.”

After exchanging troubled glances with her husband, Terri responded, “What’s going on, Diana? You know Bishop and I would do anything for Nick and you… and the Alliance as well.”

Thirty minutes later, the two visitors had relayed what they knew of the activity in New Mexico, as well as the conversation with the president.

Bishop grunted, “That sounds about like the Colonel… err, I mean the president. He’s not going to do squat until he knows who the players are. Back when I worked with him at HBR, he always played it the exact same way.”

“There’s a certain amount of wisdom in that,” Nick agreed. “On the other hand, we can’t just sit back and let someone cut off our water or nuke our territory.”

Terri looked at her husband, “How much do you think the involvement of the Colonel’s son has to do with this?”

“I’m not quite sure. I never met any of his family other than David and Samantha after their plane crashed. I knew the guy was an operator… a PJ… but other than that, the Colonel didn’t talk about personal matters at all.”

“It has to play a role,” Diana added. “There’s no way it can’t impact his decision-making.”

Nick looked at his hosts, the big man’s expression growing dark. “Diana and I have come to the conclusion that we need to send in a SAINT team to gather information.”

“Risky,” Bishop said immediately. “If that team is discovered, it may light the fuse for a nuclear event. Like you both said, the U.S. would blame us for that and who knows where it all goes from there.”

“But we don’t have any choice,” Diana countered. “We can’t just sit around and twiddle our thumbs. The U.S. has very little motivation to address what’s being done to the rivers, and with the president’s son potentially being held, that just adds to the conundrum.” 

“We wanted our independence, and now we’ve got it,” Terri added. “Is there any other option?”

“Even if you discount the nuclear threat, a military campaign is the last resort,” Nick stated. “The manpower that we inherited is being stretched to the limit as it is. While we’ve made significant progress in the recovery, people are still anxious and jittery. The general population wouldn’t take an invasion of New Mexico lightly.”

“Terri and you were on the run the last time war threatened our fledgling little democracy. The people got so keyed up, the Alliance was on the verge of revolt. We may be stronger now, but so are they, and every citizen knows it,” Diana added.

“Pick your best team and send them in,” Bishop concluded. “You’re both right. We can’t wait for the Colonel to take action. Besides, he’s going to be looking out for his best interests, not ours.”

Nick nodded, “I hate to ask, but would you be willing to lead a team?”

Bishop’s response was fast and sure, “Of course I would, but we both know I’m not the right man for this job. There’s too much riding on this. It has to be you in command and making the judgment calls in the field. You’re the only one who can make decisions that will impact the entire Alliance.”

Looking at Diana, Nick shrugged his shoulders. “See, I told you he’d say that. And he’s right.”

Diana didn’t like it but wasn’t going to reopen what had evidently been a long debate with her fiancé. “Would you at least go with him?” she asked Bishop, almost pleading.

Again, Bishop answered from his heart. “Yes, I would go if he asks me. You know I’d follow Nick through the gates of hell… but I’m not the best option for him or the team. We both are used to running our own show. There could be too many cooks in the kitchen if things got rough. Besides, I’ve been away for a long time now. It would take me a while to get back up to speed with all of the latest tactics and equipment. I’d just get in the way and slow the team down.”

Terri, sensing her friend’s discomfort at the prospect of Nick going into the field, reached across to place a comforting hand on Diana’s arm. “I could come up to Alpha and stay with you while he’s gone.”

Nick tried to lighten the mood, “It’s only a scouting mission. It’s not like we’re going over there with guns blazing. I’ll have Grim and Kevin along. They’re the best we have.”

Diana looked at her future husband and said, “You’re still short a man. Cory’s leg won’t be healed for another month or more.”

“What about Butter?” Bishop asked. “You won’t find anyone stronger this side of the Pecos. And he’s got the right mindset for this type of mission.”

Nick nodded. “I was going to wait another few weeks before assigning him to a team, but you’re right. He’s ready.”

As their guests stood to leave, Bishop hugged Diana and shook Nick’s hand. “Good luck, brother. In a way, I wish I was going with you. But Grim and Kevin are the best. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

“Will do.”

And then they were gone, Bishop and Terri standing in front of the camper and waving goodbye to their friends.

Once Nick’s SUV was out of sight, Terri turned to her husband and said, “I thought I’d never hear myself say this, but in a way, I wish you were going with Nick. It doesn’t get any more critical than this.”

Bishop nodded his agreement, “I know, but I’m no spring chicken anymore, hun. I’d just slow them down or get in the way. There are better men in the Alliance for this type of job.”

Terri turned to enter the camper, but a change in Bishop’s voice stopped her.

“Hey… wait a minute… I just realized what you said about wishing I’d go with Nick. Are you trying to get rid of me? Time to trade me in for a newer model? Well, let me tell you something, young lady. There were plenty of girls at the Meraton market that were giving me the eye. A couple of them were hotties!”

Terri spun quickly, swooping low to pick up a handful of small rocks. “Let’s see how fast you can run, Mr. Spring Chicken,” she ordered, doing a pretty good job of pretending to be mad while cocking her arm to launch a projectile.

“Oh shit,” Bishop said, ducking under the first missile.

Terri already had another round locked and loaded. “Go on now… let’s see how well you hobble around, old man.”

Bishop tried the traditional hands-up, don’t shoot position, but it was clear from the mischievous look on his wife’s face that she wasn’t going to hold her fire. He started backing away.

Again, Terri’s arm let loose with a stone. It missed, but Bishop decided it was way too close.

Unable to hold it any longer, Terri started laughing. “You look like you still move pretty well to me, my love. And no, I don’t have any plans to trade you in. Hunter is way, way too attached to you.”

But Bishop didn’t come any closer. Terri was still holding the rocks.

“Oh, no, I’m not suckering for that tactic,” he said, pointing at the projectiles. “Your weapon is still loaded.”

Snapping her finger in an “aww shucks,” motion, she said, “Dang it, you caught me,” and dropped the rocks.

Before they hit the ground, Bishop was moving. In a blur, Terri was over his shoulder, laughing, kicking, and hitting his back while filling the air with pretend protests. “You cad! Scoundrel! Scalawag! Put me down this instant!”

Bishop carried her to the pool formed by the natural spring and held her over the water, threatening to dump her in. Terri, in an effort to avoid a dunking, wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on for dear life. “Don’t you dare,” she threatened, trying to keep a straight face.

“Or what?” he grinned.

“Or I’ll… I’ll… I’ll…”

Bishop jumped in.

The drive to White Sands Missile Range passed without event, nor were there any surprises once Hack’s party entered the now-abandoned facility.

Hack and his Apache bodyguards hadn’t been overly concerned. Multiple teams of Locusts had raided the base long ago.

Several months after the collapse, rumors had circulated that the contract and military personnel assigned to the remote facility were pulling up stakes and relocating to nearby Fort Bliss. National Guard armories had provided excellent booty for the scavengers, so a recently uninhibited Army base was a natural draw.

Before retiring from the Skunk Works, Hack had worked at the nation’s largest military installation on two occasions. White Sands was absolutely the best place to test anything that flew, exploded, or used a guidance system to accomplish the mission. At the time, he’d been like a kid in a candy shop, anxious to see and learn everything.