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

be invited back, should your new experience out on the road not suit you. Sure, some will bounce from community to community, and I suppose they will do so undetected, just like protecting our borders before the day. But in general, my advice is to stick with it unless you’re sure you have somewhere else to be.”

I lightly elbowed Joy and nodded towards Nancy.

“Okay, folks. Any last questions before I invite our two guest speakers—Mike and Jessup—for short speeches?”

Joy and I were shocked and excited to hear that Jessup was actually here in the Valley! My hand stayed down. But honestly, I was looking forward to Jessup’s speech, having already heard Mike’s.

Mike started his soon-to-be-short speech, thanking everyone for supporting Sheila and Javi while giving them a safe place to grow.

Safe, unless you’re trapped underneath a school bus, some thought, or maybe it was just me being cynical.

He went on to say that Vlad and Anna would assume care of Javi indefinitely, and he was asked to join a special assignment for the good of this country and all those in it.

He ended with a glassless toast. “To Jake,” he said, raising his empty hand. “The man we all wish we were. A tough and principled man I once was at odds with but recently counted as a friend. And Lord knows, I don’t have many of those.”

“Hear! Hear!” we all said, raising our pretend glasses.

I caught a glimpse of Nancy…crying tears of joy, maybe, but I couldn’t be sure.

“Lastly,” Mike added. “Nancy, I know he wanted you all home in Boulder and, with the Colonel’s permission, I will see personally that you and your son are there by the end of the day tomorrow.”

Now she was crying tears, and it didn’t matter which ones. The Colonel spoke up, informing her she would be home on a chopper flight tonight, with both her boys.

I was pleased and relieved, as I had vowed to Joy to take the three home, however I had to. Now she was getting first-class tickets on the safest transportation around.

“I now introduce you,” said the Colonel, “to Texas’ toughest cowboy and a straight shooter, if there ever was one—Jessup!”

“Howdy folks,” he said, walking out in the same overalls and big hat he was wearing when we first met him in Plano. He told his story much the same as we heard it before, including the good-for-nothing son-in-law who was probably destroying the place as we spoke, and even a few stories about the young boy he and his wife adopted when we were there. Unfortunately, his parents never made it back.

A few days after we left our home in McKinney, the Colonel looked him up at Samuel’s request. “He’s a good man,” Samuel told him…“married my sister; and besides, you need a stronghold north of Dallas. Pay him a visit, if you will, and see if you can help.”

“Well, here I am, thanks to the Colonel. And the missus couldn’t be better,” he added, tipping his hat to Samuel. “As you heard, we were the first Chapter to be recognized and, as he already said, I ain’t typically fond of the Government. We had one hell of a fight on our hands, though, and after you all came through,” he added—pointing at me, Vlad and Lonnie—“well, we were at a pretty low point. A man and his family alone cannot hold back a herd of cattle—good people, I’m sure, but now desperate and wild, running right through our land and burning everything they saw.

“Of course, with the Colonel and his friends, we protected a boundary around the property, similar in size to this Valley but flat as a pancake. Like an invisible shield in one of those comics-turned-movies, they went around all sides and kept going on up to Frisco and McKinney—up north, for those not familiar. I’m sorry to say that your house, Lance, is probably not standing anymore.”

“It’s okay,” I replied. “I didn’t even lock the door when we left.”

“Now that’s the spirit we’ve been missing in this country! By the way, you owe me a Scotch!” he said, pointing me out once again.

“I do?” I questioned but with a smile.

“Yep, just because I’m here,” he replied, with a laugh. “As for the rest of you, congratulations on a good fight for your freedom. Anybody concerned about your rights as a free citizen need not worry under this commander. I’ll be around for a couple of days to answer questions about how it all works and give a few classes on what we can all expect in the future.”

Jake would have liked seeing him again, I thought. Strange coincidence, if it could even be called that—the two would miss each other by only one day.

“I’ll be staying with my brother-in-law while I’m here, but I have an open-door policy. Bend my ear all you want for a glass of Scotch or lemonade and some good conversation.”

* * * *

“Let’s all break for lunch and meet at the cemetery in two hours,” said John.

Joy and I weren’t the first ones to arrive, but somewhere towards the front at least.

The Ranch would hold their service first, followed by The West, with separate cemeteries even though both would be united as one soon enough.

Gravesites were prepared just this morning, with the exception of Jake’s. Various ones I had not met, from both communities, spoke about those lost.

Nancy asked both Joy and me to speak about Jake. I told a few stories, mostly the ones that had been floating around in my brain lately. Joy gave a sweet account that only a woman could about his more caring side, including stories about Nancy, his son, Suzie, Veronica, Tina, and others in the group, and watching out for our boys.

The service ended as Jake’s casket was placed inside a