Chapter 3
Evaline’s hoofs smashed powerfully into the rocky terrain as Vin continued to push her as hard and fast as she could go.
“Come on, girl,” Vin whispered down to her, patting her on the side of the neck. “You can do it.”
He knew he was asking a lot from his trusty companion, but this was an emergency, and Vin knew exactly how much Evaline could take.
He could still scarcely believe the day had finally arrived. He had long known that the day someone managed to set off an EMP this large was coming. It was only a matter of time. They had come so close so many times, with many plots to unsettle society being thwarted at the very last minute.
Vin had often believed that if the general population knew how many times they’ve come so close to the complete and utter collapse of American society, they might never sleep easy again. Ignorance was truly bliss in this situation, but Vin didn’t have the luxury of ignorance.
He had seen too much in his time with special forces. Hell, he had done too much. It was one thing to know about these things or to suspect that they were happening behind the scenes, but it was another altogether to actually participate in them.
Vin wasn’t concerned for his own safety.
He lived more or less off the grid already.
However, Vin also didn’t have the luxury of worrying solely about himself.
Deb and Jimmy would need protection. They’d need guidance.
He was sure Sean was capable, perhaps just as capable as he was; however, he didn’t want to leave that to chance.
He needed to get to his ex-wife and son and make sure they were all right.
He needed to tell them what he knew and ensure they were prepared.
Deb’s father had never understood the threats that sat just outside his fence. He had been a big-hearted man who trusted just about everyone. Vin had loved the man as though he were his own father, but he had also tried to get him to see the reality of the world.
Unfortunately, the old man either didn’t see it or didn’t want to.
As such, the ranch was never truly prepared for such an event.
After the old man had died and he and Deb had inherited the ranch, he had done what he could to prepare for such an eventuality.
He had hoped Sean continued to do so after he’d left.
He was sure Sean had done so.
But still, he needed to see these things with his own eyes. He had to know the people he loved were protected and cared for. Then he could fade back into his hole and live out his days in peace.
But there were so many variables to think of.
Without electricity, society would collapse fast. The looting would start quickly, and lawlessness would rule the land.
While that was horrifying to imagine, the relative seclusion enjoyed by the ranch would keep his loved ones safe.
However, after that, Uncle Sam would undoubtedly start to regroup and tighten his hold around the land and all the people on it.
That was the true danger here. Freedom itself was going to be at stake, and freedom was something Vin was not willing to gamble with.
He could see the gates of the ranch approaching quickly, and he gave Evaline another pat on the neck as they barreled toward the property. “Good job, girl,” he said, rearing back to slow her up a bit.
As Vin moved in closer, he saw something he was not expecting. The gates to the ranch were wide open. He cursed under his breath. Sean would not have just left the property open to whoever wanted to waltz in after a friggin’ EMP had gone off.
That meant one of two things, either Sean wasn’t currently here, or something bad had happened already.
Vin spurred Evaline back to full speed, silently apologetic at having to push her again. But this was an emergency, and speed was of the essence here.
He passed through the gate unmolested and looked around the mostly empty space. The animals were out grazing in their respective pens, but there didn’t seem to be anyone working the fields.
Vin continued onto the property, racing toward the house, which sat on the far end of the farmland.
As he got closer to his former home, he started to see people gathered around in a large clump.
There were roughly forty farmhands all standing around, and as Vin neared, they turned at his approach.
He recognized most of them. Many had been there for years, some even long before he had arrived on the property as a boy.
“Vin!” a woman cried out, waving her arms and trying to flag him down.
He pulled Evaline to a stop and hopped down off the saddle, landing on both feet and rushing forward. “Rose,” he called out to the woman who had been like the ranch mother for decades now.
She was an experienced worker who ran the household and was the defacto leader of the ranch when a member of the owning family wasn’t around.
“Where’s Deb? Where’s Jimmy?”
“Not here,” Rose said, with a shake of her head. “She and Sean took the baby into Phoenix for a sale.”
Vin’s blood ran cold at the thought. In a situation like this, where people would be panicking, there were bound to be violent mobs forming, looters, and government forces attempting to restore order.
It wouldn’t take long for bullets to start flying, and when that happened, there was going to be a lot of civilian collateral damage.
“Dammit,” he swore, looking out toward the horizon. The city was a long way from here, and a lot could happen
“Vin, what’s going on?” Rose asked, accompanied by a murmur of agreement from the entire staff.
Vin turned back to look at them all. There was a lot of confusion on their faces, and it was heartbreaking to see. As much as Vin wanted to just ride off in a blur of speed to rush to the sides of the people who most needed him, he still felt a duty to these people.
When he ran the ranch along with Deb, these people were his responsibility. It was just as much his job to ensure their safety as it was to ensure the quality of their work. While he had left that life behind and struck out on his own, that responsibility wasn’t something he let go of easily.
Vin walked through the crowd, which parted for him as he approached. He moved toward the ranch house and climbed up onto the porch as though he still owned it. Turning to face the gathered assemblage, he took a deep breath, keeping his composure as he spoke.
“Folks, I ain’t gonna lie to you,” he said with a long slow shake of his head. “This ain’t no blackout, and it ain’t temporary.”
There was a murmur of shock that passed through the crowd, but Vin held one hand up to stop them from panicking.
“What happened here was the detonation of an electromagnetic pulse. It’s also known as an EMP, and it fries any and all electricity in its path.
That means anything electrical or anything battery-operated is gonna get toasted.
Now, I don’t have to tell you folks that people rely on technology for a helluva lotta things in this world.
Well, those days are over now, and we’ve all gotta accept that. ”
There was another terrified murmur, and Vin could tell that the severity of his message was sinking in.
“Look, I’ve seen a lot of things like this in my time,” he said, “and I’d like to be able to tell you this is gonna be fine and we’re all gonna be safe.
But I can’t do that. What I can tell you is that a place like this with its own food and water sources is gonna be one of the safest places for ya.
So, I think I speak on behalf of Deb and Sean when I say if you’re not already living on the property, bring your loved ones here.
You’re also gonna wanna lock up the cages and arm yourselves.
If trouble comes knocking, make sure they find it. ”
“Right on,” he heard someone say, though he couldn’t see who. Vin wasn’t one for making big speeches, so he started to walk down the steps, content that he had made his point and delivered all of the pertinent information.
He made a beeline back toward Evaline.
“Wait, Vin,” Rose called out, running up behind him.
He turned to look down at the older woman.
“You’re not staying? It’s dangerous out there. You said it yourself.”
“That it is, Miss Rose,” he replied with a tip of his hat. He looked back out toward the horizon in the direction of the city. “And that’s why I’m heading out there to bring our people home.”