The Ranch (Book 1): Troubled Times

C
opyright
© 2016 by Brian Quest

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

A
year had passed
since the EMP. Life with electricity was over, and the electronic devices everyone had grown to depend on no longer were considered lifelines. In fact, unless electronic devices had been placed in Faraday boxes, they were rendered useless. People began looting stores and even houses, and many people died trying to protect what little they had left. Others died because the medical attention they had been getting before the EMP was no longer available.

Not everyone had prepared for a catastrophe of any type, let alone an apocalyptic event, and some who had prepared only were able to sustain life for a short time. That didn’t mean human life was over, but what it did mean was life went back to the basics. It was as if the Industrial Revolution never had taken place, and those who survived were once again dependent on the land. Cars were no longer functional, but for the lucky ones who had horses, travel was still possible. Mothers began teaching their children at home, and fathers protected what the family had.

Andrew Smith was a strong, tall man. He had dark hair and even darker eyes. Before the EMP, he was a husband, but because medication was in short supply, his wife of twenty years passed away only a month afterward, when she ran out of the insulin that kept her alive. Andrew was now a single father of four daughters: Amy, who was ten years old; Beth, who was thirteen; Connie, who was fifteen; and Debbie, who was seventeen years old. Life became a daily struggle to keep his children safe.

The Smith family owned the largest ranch in northern Montana, and now he was faced with the task of keeping his cattle alive and his team of ranch hands loyal. He had a stock of guns, at one time for hunting, but now for protection. Luckily, he was a firm believer in preparing for the worst. His “prepping” was once the butt of many jokes, but now he was thankful he had gone to the extremes he had. Not only did he have an ample supply of food and water, but he also had an underground shelter large enough for all on his ranch, and had enough sustainable resources to live for many, many years, even in the world’s current state.

Amy, Beth, Connie and Debbie Smith were the perfect combination of both their mother and their father. They were feminine and loved “girlie things”, as their father would say, but they were also strong and sturdy and loved life on the ranch. Losing their mother was difficult, naturally, and when the sting dulled, they turned their attention to helping their father keep the ranch intact. They knew their father needed them to be strong, so they never let him see they were scared; scared of losing the security of the ranch, and scared of losing him.

Thomas Nelson had been living on the ranch for twelve years. He was a dedicated ranch hand who, at one time, was in charge of fifteen other ranch hands. Now, he was responsible for keeping control of the three that remained. The only thing that was more important to him than the ranch was helping Andrew keep the girls safe. To Thomas, they were family. They were all he had left in the world, and he was ready to do whatever he needed to make sure they were taken care of. He worried that the three men he was in charge of would turn against the ranch like the other twelve did, and he didn’t want that to happen. They needed everyone they had left so life on the ranch could continue in the manner necessary to sustain life.

James Tomlin was the youngest ranch hand left. He was twenty-three years old and very impressionable. He found life after the apocalypse to be difficult and scary, and looked for any excuse to leave the ranch. That wouldn’t have been a problem except he wanted to bring Debbie with him. He had been smitten with her since he arrived on the ranch two years before. He had asked Andrew if he could date her, but Andrew insisted he was too old and that his daughter was off-limits. Andrew had considered, at one time, asking James to leave the ranch, but decided against it because he was a good, hard worker. Besides, Debbie didn’t even like James. Even so, that didn’t stop him from wanting her; in fact, it made him want her even more. Since the EMP, James was the only ranch hand that Andrew wouldn’t mind losing if it came down to it.

Keith and Stewart Green were twins. At thirty-four years old, they were the strongest men Andrew had ever known. Physically, they could do things others relied on machinery to do, and their strength was put to good use when the world changed. Andrew not only considered them his best ranch hands, but family. He knew how dedicated they were. They often were found chopping wood for the fires required to keep warm, and also were in charge of security on the ranch. Their strength saved the family from intruders many times in the months since the EMP. Perhaps the most significant quality about Keith and Stewart was their readiness to protect the girls. Their strength afforded them the ability to fear very little, and that was a necessary trait during the current state of the world.

For about a week, it was obvious to Andrew and the ranch hands that someone was lurking nearby, possibly in the trees just outside the property line. One night, during their normal perimeter check, Keith and Stewart found the rocks at the ranch entrance had been moved. They weren’t gone, but had been piled neatly on one side of the gate. It was odd to them that someone would go to the trouble of moving the rocks, and they decided to arrange the rocks back on both sides of the road that led onto the property. They alerted Andrew to the situation and the following night came across something just as odd. The dirt outside of the shed in the back of the main house had been disturbed. It was Stewart who noticed the set of footprints that came from and then went back toward the stream at the back of the property.

Before assuming someone had trespassed on the property, Andrew decided to talk to his girls. He knew they sometimes would head down toward the back of the property to pick berries and go fishing, but were supposed to do so with either Thomas or one of the other ranch hands. He didn’t want to make a huge deal about it because he didn’t want to scare the girls. He also didn’t want to keep a secret from the girls because they always could tell when he was keeping something from them. He decided to make light of it but also make sure they stayed at the house for the time being.

“Girls, we need to have a talk,” Andrew said at dinner that night.

Debbie knew it was never good when her father said that. “What’s wrong, Dad?” she asked.

“Have you girls been going to the stream alone?”

It was Amy who chimed in, “We’re not allowed.”

“I know you’re not allowed, but did you go anyway?”

“No, Daddy,” she answered, sounding even younger than her ten years.

“Dad, we know better than to wander that far without having someone with us. What’s going on?” Debbie asked; concern obvious in her voice.

“Someone was behind the shed. Stewart found footprints in the dirt that came from the area that leads to the stream. He and Keith also noticed the rocks by the gate had been moved.” As soon as he finished talking, he saw the look of fear on Connie’s face. “It’s important that you stay inside for now. At least until we figure out who was here.”

“Can we still go fishing with Thomas?” Beth asked. Fishing with Thomas was one of her favorite things to do.

“For now, I just want you to stay in the house. Can you girls promise me you will?” Andrew asked, looking across the table at his four girls.

The girls all nodded, frustrated that they couldn’t go outside. It was hard enough for them to be without electricity and the fun that goes along with it, so to take away their outside privileges really stung. They finished their dinner in silence, and Andrew felt bad for them. After dinner, he decided they all deserved a special treat, and let each of the girls pick a candy bar from the cellar below the kitchen. While it didn’t make them completely happy about having to stay in the house, it did help their mood. They enjoyed their candy while sitting near the fire.

Stewart, Keith and James said their goodnights and headed out to their bunk houses. The small buildings were spread out, surrounding the main house on three sides, leaving the front of the house open. Keith and Stewart lived together in the larger of the bunk houses in the back, while James lived in the smallest one off to the west of the main house. Thomas, who at one time lived in the bunk house to the east of the house, now lived in the main house to help Andrew keep an eye on the girls. There were a handful of bunk houses that sat empty, now that the rest of the hands had left. Before turning in for the night, the three hands set out on their nightly rounds, checking the fence line and the barn that housed the ranch’s horses. It was a task that took about four hours, and once they were done, they lowered the lights in their oil lamps and slept.

Beth and Amy had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace, so when Andrew headed up to bed, he carried Amy and Thomas carried Beth. Once they were tucked in, Andrew stuck his head in and checked on Debbie and Connie. Debbie lay on her bed, oil lamp on the night stand. She was reading one of her favorite books and promised to go to sleep in a little while. Connie was fast asleep, hugging the cloth doll her mother had made for her when she was about five. It was something she did when she thought nobody could see; she didn’t want people to think she was a baby, but it made her feel close to her mother.

Thomas went down to the living room, put another log on the fire and laid his blankets out on the couch. The family felt bad that he slept there, but he assured them many times that it was more comfortable than the bed he used to sleep in, and Andrew knew that on the couch, Thomas was always at the ready whenever he heard a noise outside. Thomas laid his head back on the pillow, crossed his feet at the other end of the couch and gazed at the flames. He drifted off to sleep, one hand at his side, and the other hanging down toward the floor, inches away from the gun that lay hidden under the couch.

For the next few days, things were pretty quiet at the ranch, except for the moving rocks. Each morning, Stewart and Keith would find the rocks had been moved again. It wasn’t a serious offense, but it meant someone either was messing around, or was sending the family a message. Whatever the case, Thomas decided he and the other hands would begin keeping watch at the ranch’s perimeter until sunrise and then would get a few hours of sleep, when the culprit couldn’t hide under the cover of night. The girls were getting a little stir-crazy being cooped up in the house, and knew it wouldn’t be long until winter arrived. Once that happened, they would have no choice but to stay indoors where they would be warm. They hoped that soon they would get to go outside and at least go fishing.

S
ince they weren’t allowed
to go outside, they weren’t able to go for the traditional final fishing trip of the year, leaving all four girls a bit irritated. Each fall, for as long as they could remember, they would go on a two-day fishing trip down at the stream. They would sleep under the stars next to a campfire, and would catch more fish than they knew what to do with. The fish would last all winter, and each time they would eat one, they would talk about the silly things that happened while they were out catching it. This year, the fishing honors were placed on James. While the girls were more than just a little annoyed with that fact, Andrew was more than happy to have James away from Debbie for a couple of days.

“I know you aren’t happy that you don’t get to go on the fishing trip. I just want you to be safe,” Andrew said, looking across the table at his four disappointed daughters.

“We get it, Dad, but we wouldn’t have been alone,” Debbie said.

“Yeah, and we know how to defend ourselves,” Beth chimed in.

“Look, I know you think you can handle anything, but after everything that has happened in the last year, I just feel better knowing exactly where you are and what you’re doing. Give your old man a break.” Andrew wanted so badly to be able to let the girls just go and be free; like they had been their whole lives. He just didn’t trust the world to be kind to them anymore.

“I tell you what,” he said, starting to dig deep to find something that would make the girls smile. “Get breakfast ready and then once you clean up afterward, you girls can spend the day on the porch. It’s chilly out, but it is sunny, and it looks to be a pretty day. Bring out your books, or do each other’s hair, whatever you want, as long as you stay on the porch.”

They knew he was trying, so they decided to smile and enjoy the fact that they would at least get to be outside in the fresh air. Debbie looked at her father and said, “We are almost out of eggs. Can I go check the chicken coop and see how many more we have waiting for us?” She hoped he wouldn’t think before he answered, but he didn’t fall for it.

“I’ll go check the coop. Can you please get the coffee on?”

“Yes, Dad.”

The chicken coop was something of a marvel to the average man. Andrew had spent a lot of time designing it, and even more time building it. It was big enough for a family of three to live in comfortably, and insulated well enough for the chickens to stay warm even in the coldest of winter days. The egg trap, however, was his favorite and most ingenious part. When the eggs were laid, they rolled slowly down a slightly sloped run and lined up, ready to be removed every few days. Sometimes the others would joke that the chickens lived better than the humans on the ranch because of how well Andrew built the coop. It was no mistake that he built it as well as he did. It also served as the home to chicks, and he needed to make sure they were safe from predators such as wolves and the occasional bear.

When he went to the coop this time, he realized the chicks had grown so big that room was running out. So he not only gathered the eggs, he also chose a chicken to bring to Debbie so she could make a special dinner. She loved chicken and he hoped it would put a smile on her face.

When he got back to the house, he shouted, “Debbie, I have a surprise for you!”

Debbie ran to meet him in the entrance to the kitchen and grinned from ear to ear when she saw the chicken in his hand. She was also thankful that she didn’t have to be the one to kill it. She loved cooking chicken, and she loved eating chicken, but she really hated killing chicken; it creeped her out when they would run around with no head.

“Thank you, Dad. I know exactly what I’m going to make!”

Since Debbie was the oldest, she had got to spend the most time helping her mom in the kitchen. Sandra would have been proud of the way Debbie stepped into the role of “mother figure” to her sisters. She cooked with the same joy that her mother had, and sometimes he laughed when he thought of the competition Sandra would have had; Debbie really was a great cook.

Debbie took the basket of eggs from her father and went back to the kitchen counter to begin making breakfast. Andrew made himself a thermos of coffee and then went out to check the barn and feed the horses. Thomas, Keith and Stewart already had begun their rounds an hour before, when they saw James off. James was torn between being happy with the responsibility of providing the fish for the winter and being frustrated about having to be away from Debbie for even an hour. He hoped that if he could impress Andrew with his ability to provide for the entire group, maybe he would be allowed to “court” Debbie.

An hour later, breakfast was on the table. Andrew was so glad he decided to add a wood burning stove and oven to the kitchen a couple of years before, because it allowed them to have things like fresh bread and the occasional birthday cake. After the group was done eating their scrambled eggs, fresh baked bread and oatmeal, the men went back out to the pasture to make sure the fence was still intact and the cattle were where they needed to be, and the girls cleaned up and grabbed what they wanted to bring to the porch.

While Connie and Beth read, Amy colored in one of her coloring books and Debbie planned what she would be making for dinner. They worked slowly, savoring the cool breeze, not wanting the day to end. They only wished that Thomas didn’t have to stay behind and make sure they were safe. It felt as though they had a babysitter, and that was something they hadn’t needed since Debbie was twelve. Now, after five years, they were once again forced to be “watched” by someone.

* * *

T
he time passed
in much the same way for the next few days. On the fourth day, Andrew was worried because James still hadn’t returned from his two-day fishing trip. The day before, he had found himself hoping the fishing was just that good and that he would be back soon with more fish than they knew what to do with. However, when the fourth day came and went with an unusual quickness, he went from hopeful to almost horrified. His thoughts were all over the place. First he wondered if James simply had walked away from the ranch, never to return. Then he worried that maybe whoever was messing with the rocks at the ranch entrance had killed James, hoping to have an easier time taking over the ranch with one of the men gone.

Days ago, he had told the girls they couldn’t go outside alone, but didn’t scare them with his concern that someone had entered the ranch unwelcomed. Today he knew he would have to talk to them again, and this time, he would have to put some fear into them. Something wasn’t right, and he wasn’t sure things would end well.

While Debbie was making dinner, Andrew slipped into the kitchen and said, “Once we all are at the table, we need to have a talk.”

“It’s about James, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I figured we would have had the talk last night, but him not coming home today has me worried.”

“You really are something else, Deb. You are so much like your mother.” Andrew looked at his oldest daughter with love and pride.

“She taught me well, Dad.” Then, changing the subject, she said, “Dinner is done, can you call the girls and I’ll ring the bell?” She loved ringing the bell on the back end of the porch. She found it amusing how, no matter how hard the guys were working, the second they heard the bell, they would be there, as if they snapped their fingers and appeared.

Andrew had brought another chicken to Debbie that morning, so she was delighted to make chicken pot pie for dinner; it was one of her father’s favorites. As they happily ate their dinner, Debbie wondered when her father was going to begin his “talk”. Just as she finished her thought, her dad began to talk.

“Girls, I think it’s obvious James still hasn’t returned from his fishing trip. Obviously, this is a problem.”

“Aw, Dad, you aren’t going to say we have to stay confined in our rooms now?” Beth said, pouting.

“No, I’m not going to say that, smarty pants. What I am going to say is we have to be extra vigilant. Something is not right, and it worries me. I don’t want anything to happen to anyone in this room.”

“What is migilant?” Amy asked, causing everyone at the table to laugh. They all found her cute and funny, and at times like these, she definitely could get people to forget their troubles.

“Vigilant, Amy,” Andrew said.

“Okay, what is vigilant?”

“It just means we need to stay on our toes. You know, pay really, really close attention.”

With eyes wide, Amy said, “Oooohh. Why didn’t you just say that?”

“You’re right, it would have been better for me to say that.” Andrew couldn’t help but chuckle at the conversation. Kids were such simple creatures at times, and he really knew he could learn something from this little one.

“Don’t worry, Dad,” Debbie started, “I will make sure the girls and I stick together. You guys just make sure you stay safe when you go on your safety checks.”

Again, Andrew found himself filling with pride at how grown up his daughters had become. Then his youngest spoke, “Does this mean we won’t have fish for winter?” With all that was going on, and when he figured Amy would be most frightened, she surprised him with her worry over not having enough food for everyone for the winter. “We will make it work. We still have a little time to get fish.”

While they finished their meal, they went over safety strategies. None of the men noticed the small amounts of whispering the girls had been doing. After the dinner dishes had been done, Debbie and Connie decided to take Beth and Amy upstairs to get ready for bed and leave the men to talk downstairs. Debbie made sure to put some coffee on before going up, something her dad was thankful for; he knew they wouldn’t be getting much sleep until they figured out what happened to James.

Upstairs, out of earshot of her father and the other men, Debbie and Connie ushered their younger sisters into Debbie’s room. “Come on, we have a lot to plan,” Connie whispered.

“What are you talking about?” Beth asked.

“We are going to figure out who is moving the rocks, and we’re going to find out what happened to James,” Connie answered.

“Um, Dad isn’t going to like that,” Amy said, almost too loudly.

“Shhhh! He isn’t going to know!” Connie said in a sharp whisper.

The girls spent the better part of an hour hatching their plan. It wouldn’t be easy, but they all had their jobs to do, and it made them feel important to be doing something that ultimately would help the entire ranch. They all turned in, excited about the coming days, and each dreamt of the events that possibly could unfold.