Crashed: The Death Of The Dollar (15 page)

“
Well, then maybe the best thing to do for now is nothing. If they want to leave, they can, and if not they can stay.”

Mike simply nodded his head, agreeing with her.

Everyone, including Amy and her kids, all went down for the food drop the next day, as Bishop Christensen had asked them to. He had his grandsons and five other families with him for a grill-out and social gathering. Mike wasn't particularly happy to be there, but he was glad the ladies and kids all enjoyed talking and playing.

While the Bishop cooked up BBQ pork from a hog he'd been given, he had the other five men trying cautiously to get Mike warmed up to the idea of training them. Taylor stayed by his side to try and help him stay calm. She did her best to answer most of their questions about long distance shooting, since she'd been training since her early teens, and she loaned them the book
The Ultimate Sniper,
by John Plaster.
Mike barely said a word, feeling like he'd been tricked and cornered by the Bishop. 

As they were finishing eating, Bishop Christensen called out to Mike and Taylor. “Hey, can you two walk over here with me for a minute. I've got a present for you,” he said with his usual big goofy smile, as he headed over to his own truck.

They followed him around as he opened his camper shell. “Holy shit!” Mike yelled at the top of his voice, getting everyone's attention. “You guys did it? I... I didn't hear anything on their radio this morning about it.”

“This is all yours,” the bishop said with a big smile and a sense of pride.

Sitting there in the bed of his truck were two Barrett M107A1 rifles sitting on top of several tightly packed boxes full of .50BMG  rounds.

“
That bag in the back is full of extra magazines too,” he said. He was holding his head high, proud that he had apparently impressed Mike. “I'm not going to stop asking you to join the fight, but even if you don't, these should do a lot to help keep the Paine Clan safe up there.”

“Bishop, this is an awesome gift. But don't you think you and your men need it more if you're going to fight the Guard?”

“
Don't worry about that. We kept six of these, and this is only about a tenth of the ammo for them we got. We got a few dozen M4's with over a hundred cases of 5.56mm rounds as well.”

“
Wow! You guys really did score,” Mike said.

“
Saint George was only one stop on the truck's run. We got it's manifest, and this shipment was intended to supply ten different stations around the southern half of the state.”

Taylor finally broke her silence, after staring in awe at the guns. “So, so this is mine?” she asked, picking up one of the rifles.

“That's yours young lady,” the Bishop affirmed, patting her on the shoulder.

Taylor held on to her rifle the rest of the day, absolutely giddy over knowing it was hers. When they got home, they unloaded a few boxes of ammo into the barn, then Mike told the others he wanted a few days to himself and would be up at the cave. Finding himself in such a social setting, and so unexpectedly, was mentally hard on him. Especially on top of everything else that was going on.

Chapter 13

Death & Life

Mike returned home from the cave three days later. All the kids were out playing a game they'd made up, similar to baseball. The ladies were all sitting on the porch watching the kids, talking and laughing.

“
Hey!” Taylor almost squealed as she ran up to give him a hug.

“
We were starting to wonder if you were ever going to come back,” Stacy quipped.

“
Of course I was coming back. It's my home isn't it,” he replied with a smirk.

“
Sure, Mike, you keep telling yourself that,” Jessica said as she wrapped her arms around him.

“Hey, um, we've got something we were wanting to talk to you about,” Amy cut in. “I've been thinking about me and the kids. And we'd like to stay up here at the ranch with you all if you're okay with it.”

“
I already told her to consider that house hers,” Jessica added.

“
Welcome to the family then, I guess,” Mike said.

“Well, we want to stay, but we'd really like to at least go visit Bethany's parents and my brother, just once. I guess to try and find some closure finally,” Amy continued. “Stacy said she'd be willing to drive us over there for maybe a two or three day visit.”

“Well, okay. I guess so,” Mike replied. “We'd need to put a small transfer tank in the back so you've got enough gas for the trip. And I want both you ladies, Jason and Steve all armed, just in case.”

“
We've already got that done. Everything is ready to go,” Stacy said. “We wanted to leave immediately so we could be back in time for her to help Taylor deliver the baby.”

“
Wow, okay. Um -”

“
They'll be fine, Mike,” Jessica said, grabbing his hand. “They need this to help them really move on.”

“
Okay, then I guess you all better get going soon so you can make the most of the time,” he said.

“
Mike, Brad wanted to go too,” Jessica added. “Amy said she'd love to have him along. I'm a little hesitant, but I think it'd be good for him to get out a little bit.”

He nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I guess. I think it'd be good for him too. Plus, the boy's a hell of a shot. Tell him he can go if he takes the little .22 pistol and his .223.”

Amy didn't care much for the idea of sending Brad with his guns. “You want to send a ten-year-old out armed like that?” she asked.

“Damn right I do. If you do encounter a problem, that boy is at least as good of a shot as any of you, if not better than all of you put together.”

So they all piled in to Stacy's Suburban and headed off to visit Amy's family. Mike, Jessica and Taylor saw them off. The three of them stood watching, slightly nervously, as the others disappeared behind a trail of dust.

“
So what are we going to do for three days with no kids around?” Taylor asked.

Jessica had already been thinking about that. “It's warm enough to enjoy being outside, so my big ass is going to strip down and burn under the sun.”

Taylor liked the idea of getting a tan and said she was going to join her.

“
I've got new toys waiting to be played with!” Mike said with a big grin.

He had enjoyed his makeshift .50 caliber rifle for years, but it never had the consistency that a high end rifle would. His .300 Win Mag and his .270 were both exceptionally consistent rifles that he had spent a good deal of money on. But he never could make himself spend the money that a Barrett would have cost him. He was eager to test them out and see if they were as well built as he'd dreamed of.

After a few hours of firing off rounds, Mike was both happy and sore. The recoil on these was a lot softer than his old .50 caliber, but after two hours of shooting, his shoulder was really feeling it. He wasn't going to go back out the next day. But he was extremely pleased with the performance of the new rifles, and his own steadiness aiming a full mile down the canyon.

He got back to the house to find Taylor standing at the grill, pulling three large steaks off onto plates. The afternoon breeze had certainly cooled things down a lot from the warm afternoon they'd enjoyed. Taylor had done a terrific job on dinner, with fried cabbage and some peas on the sides. They then laid blankets out on the floor to play a game of Monopoly. Mike insisted they were cheating, but didn't care. He was enjoying watching them be silly, like girls having a slumber party.

“
I hope it stays warm the whole time they're gone,” Taylor said as she laid there staring at the ceiling.

“
I hope it just stays warm, period. I'm sick of the cold,” Mike remarked.

A hundred miles west, Steve, Jacob and Stephanie were getting to see their grandparents for the first time since their parents had died. Dale Westen had called Scott to let him know his sister was down from the mountain, and Scott invited them all to come stay at his place just outside Modena.

Scott Burdick had a little five acre farm that he lived on with his wife Gerri. They couldn't have kids themselves, and adored their nieces and nephews. Amy used to visit frequently before the crash, and Bethany almost always came with her kids too so they could visit her parents as well. So Dale and Scott knew each other well, and both had always been as much a part of the kids lives as they could be from so far away.

There was a lot of sadness that first night at Scott's house. They took turns to, one at a time, each tell the others about a happy memory they had with those who had died. Stacy was able to answer a lot of questions Dale and Scott both had about their final moments, and about the ranch they were living at, though she did avoid Dale's several attempts to find out where it was located.

The next day was mostly happier for everyone. Trisha and Gerri were excited to fix everyone a big breakfast. The previous evening had seemed to really bring them all the closure they were seeking. They spent the day playing games of croquet and badminton and generally having a good time.

Dale and Trisha both made numerous remarks throughout the day about their grandkids coming to live with them, and not going back with the others to the ranch. Scott was still thrilled to know that his sister and the kids were safely hidden at the “Paine Ranch,” as he called it. They all mostly ignored Dale's and Trisha's comments, but as it came closer to dinner time, Steve decided someone needed to say something.

“
Will you two please stop?” he said, raising his voice and making his annoyance clear.

“
Excuse me?” Trisha seemed surprised by her grandson's comment.

“
Stop. We're not coming to live with you. We just came down to visit, and all this talk is making the trip not as fun.”

Dale reacted angrily, as he'd been planning for months to take in the kids the first chance he got. “Steven Hepworth Jr.! Don't you talk to your grandmother like that.” He calmed himself down slightly and continued. “Son, I know you've been through a lot. I can't imagine losing both your parents and your little brother like you did. But you're still a kid, and you don't get to make this decision.”

“
Grandpa, I love you. But the decision is already made. We're going back. And if you want us to come visit again, you'll stop.”

“
Boy, I'm not letting you go back up with those strangers on the mountain. You're family, and you're staying with family.”

“
That's right. I am staying with family,” the young man replied firmly. “Aunt Amy, and Jason, and Anna, plus Jacob and Stephanie. We're all family. We've all lived together our whole lives. We all went through this together. And we're all going back tomorrow together.”

Dale looked to Scott, hoping that he would help try to make them all stay.

Scott tried not to grin as he took Steve's side. “You don't want to look at me in this Dale. I agree with Steve. As much as I want to have them all here, I love them enough to want what's best for them. And if Amy, Steve, and Jason say going back is what's best, then I support them.”

Dale was fuming mad, and Trisha was crying as if they'd all just died. Dale turned his anger on Stacy. “You better tell me how to come up there to visit my grandkids!”

“Sir, I'm so sorry for all you've been through, but I cannot do that. You wouldn't -”

Dale jumped out of his chair in a rage. “Listen here you little bitch! Tell me -”

“Sit down and shut the hell up!” Brad stood and said in the loudest, most stern voice he could. Dale looked at Brad angrily, but calmed down immediately seeing the young boy pointing a pistol straight at his head.

It was dead silent, and the tension in the room was thick. “Brad. Look at me, Brad. He's not going to hurt me. Everyone's calmed down now,” Stacy said, putting her hand on the gun to lower it.

Seeing the gun lowered, Dale began sobbing. Brad was strangely calm and poised. Stacy put her arm around the old man. “We'll do the best we can to keep you in touch with the kids, and make arrangements to visit whenever possible. No one wants to hurt your relationship with them.”

“Why can we not come see them?” Trisha begged. “We'll just follow you home.”

“
Ma'am -” Stacy started to say before Brad bluntly cut her off.

“
Lady, if you try that, I'll shoot out your tires so my daddy doesn't shoot you for following us.”

“
It's just like the Bishop told us when they came to tell us about the others not making it,” Scott reminded Dale. “Thomas Paine is going to shoot first, and identify later.”

Everyone was again quiet for a while. Amy and Gerri ushered the kids outside to play some more until the sun went down. The rest of the adults all sat at the table, wondering who would break the silence first.

Stacy spoke up. “Scott, the Bishop who came up here to tell you about... um. Anyways, do you know how to get a hold of him?”

Dale answered before Scott could. “I'm sure I can get a number for him from our Bishop. They know each other.”

“
Good. Okay, Bishop Christensen is one of the few people we trust much. He doesn't even know where we live, but he can get messages to us. I know it's not ideal, but that's one way we can try to keep you all in touch better from now on.”

“
Well our Bishop's father-in-law knows where you live,” Dale said back with a snide tone.

“
Who - oh, Phillip?” Stacy said as Dale nodded. “Phillip wouldn't dare tell you where we live,” she laughed. “He respects our privacy more than that. Stick with sending messages through Bishop Christensen for now, and I'll talk with my husband to see what better arrangements we can make, alright?”

The next afternoon, Mike, Jessica and Taylor were all enjoying the last afternoon of quiet. He was on the verge of taking a nap while they were taking advantage of their last chance to lay out without kids around.

“
What the hell... Is that... Oh, shit! Taylor go grab my rifle! Y'all get your robes on. Stacy's driving back like a bat out out hell.”

“
Oh my God! I hope she doesn't wreck. What the hell is she doing going that fast?” Jessica said, as Taylor ran as fast as she could.

Mike was quickly setting up his new Barrett on it's bi-pod and found the Suburban in his sights. “Oh no! No, no, no, no. They've been shot at. Do you see anyone following them?” Mike yelled.

“
It's hard to tell in her dust trail. I can't tell. I don't think there's anyone behind them,” Jessica answered.

“
Dammit, Stacy, slow down,” Taylor mumbled softly as she watched the speeding truck.

Mike had stopped watching the Suburban and was focused on the clearing dirt road, eager to empty his magazine into anyone that was following. Taylor ran back over to where the Suburban would soon be coming up the hill, and Jessica went inside to start getting towels, water and first-aid supplies ready in case anyone was hurt.

The Suburban came up the hill by their house full speed, and skidded to a stop, hitting one of their trailers. Jason jumped out of the driver's seat screaming for help. Taylor was running as fast as she could barefoot, falling to the ground screaming as she got there.

“Is anyone following you?” Mike yelled at the top of his lungs. No one heard him over all the screaming and crying.

Jessica came out with her arms full and set everything down, putting her hands over her mouth in horror. She looked over to Mike as he was yelling again, trying to watch the road below. She heard him, but no one else did. So she hurried as best she could manage, shaking Jason by the shoulders to get an answer. He couldn't speak. Jessica leaned into the door and yelled at Brad, who she saw in the back on top of the fuel tank with his gun in hand.