Families First: A Post-Apocalyptic Next-World Series Volume 6 Battle Grounds by Lance Ewing (ereader for comics .txt) 📕

what route they are taking and what they told us would happen when they got here. In return, I want to walk out of here, a free man. Not left here to be executed by Baker’s men for treason, but let go to leave another direction with my pack, what I can get off of these other guys you sent to an early grave, and a head start before they arrive.”

“Hmm,” said Sergio, “it sounds like an interesting proposition. But this one is up to my new friend Hanson here,” he added, pointing to him. “You see, we watched you and your coward friends force an innocent farmer and landowner of more than 50 years play a game of Russian Roulette with this here pistol,” he said, picking it up. “It looks like you have a Colt Single Action Army here, so six rounds. Now I believe the game was two rounds out of six in the cylinder. How many rounds did he make it?”

The man mumbled.

“How many?” screamed Hanson, bringing his knee to the plump man’s midsection, dropping him face-first into the rocky river bank.

“Three,” he said groaning. “Almost three full rounds,” he clarified.

“Almost three, huh? That sounds more like two, so I’ll make you a deal,” said Hanson. “Before you consider, you should know it’s all or none, with no more negotiations. You sign on the dotted line, or I’ll shoot you where you stand. Is that understood?”

The man shook his head yes, without speaking.

“You gave that hard-working man and friendly neighbor of mine lying there two rounds of the game. You will get two, not two pulls of the trigger, but two rounds. Two trigger pulls, then a spin is one round. But not before answering every question we have without hesitation. Pass those two requirements, and you’re free to go. Well, what say you?”

“I guess I don’t have a choice,” he replied.

“You always have a choice,” said Hanson, “but only one gives you a chance at seeing another day.”

“Okay, what do you want to know?”

Thirty minutes passed, with mostly known information shared.

* * * * * * *

Chapter Fifteen

The Valley ~ Colorado

“Yesterday, I minded my own business,” said Hanson, “and my only concern was feeding my family. Today it looks pretty certain that I’ll be caught up in a war, one way or another.”

“Absolutely certain,” said his captive.

“No more words out of you!” he snapped. “Not one word unless I ask you a question. Am I clear?”

The man only nodded his head yes.

“Now I’ve got an idea that may help…don’t know,” said Hanson, pulling Mike and Sergio aside.

“I can dam this river on my property for maybe a week—not all of it, but I’ll get the flow down to a trickle. It leaves a thousand people without a water source, or I may get enough backed up to flood this end of the valley at a key point.”

“You know they will come upstream your way to see what the problem is, right?” asked Sergio.

“Yep, I know. It doesn’t matter much either way, though. If they win, they will take my ranch without a second thought.”

“And your wife and daughter,” pointed out Mike.

“Yes, them too, sounds like. So, as I see it, the only hope for me and the others upstream is to run or stay and fight with you. And I don’t run, never have.”

“I’m sure the groups in the next valley over won’t bother you—assuming we win, of course,” added Sergio.

“Oh, I’m not worried about that. I’ve known Samuel and John for quite a while now. They’re good men and we all help each other out from time to time. I’ll get a few of my neighbors together and get to work on the dam first thing in the morning.”

“Are you sure you want to let this one go?” asked Sergio, pointing to their captive.

“No, I am not,” said Hanson, “but a deal is a deal.”

The man took his two pulls of the pistol quickly with a click, click, and only a passing thought of pointing the pistol outward.

“One more round,” said Hanson, spinning the cylinder with two quick clicks soon to follow and a heavy sigh when it was done.

“I did it!” the man exclaimed. “Now you have to let me go,” he argued, as if he was still bargaining.

“A deal is a deal. If I see you back here or hear anything from my neighbors about you, there won’t be a warning shot,” said Hanson. “Now git!”

The man scrambled, nearly tripping over his feet once untied, and didn’t ask to bring anything with him.

“I’ll lock up the house and take care of the body. I owe him that much,” said Hanson. “Check back on us in a few days, if you will,” he told Mike and Sergio.

“We will,” replied Sergio. “And now that we know you’re one of the good guys, I’ll tell you John and Samuel already have a few scouts up on the Rimrock, with a view of the entire Valley. So, we’ll let you know if we see anything before then.”

“I do appreciate that,” said Hanson. “And so will the missus, I’m sure.”

* * * *

Mike and Sergio walked back the short way, straight across the field to the county road, and were followed in by Drake and his crew through their binoculars. Drake had called Mac on the radio after hearing the first gunshot and promised a follow-up, but didn’t after seeing their faces.

“They’re ours,” he announced into the radio and to his little group, wondering what the two men were up to.

Back at the Ranch, Mac had a schedule for everyone, starting after lunch. Mike and Sergio would fall into place early afternoon as a two-man fix-it team working on perimeter breach points for the next few days.