Chapter 25
It was another two weeks before Vin felt well enough to sit up in bed.
His stitches had been removed, and the medical staff who worked along with Adriel ensured infection wasn’t setting in.
He knew there would be a lot of physical therapy needed before he was able to walk again, let alone set out on a mission to reclaim the ranch from Chainz and Sean.
But Vin kept a hawk-like focus on his goals throughout his recovery.
He was going to get better, he was going to walk again, and he was going to fight for his home and his family.
Thankfully, none of Sean’s shots had hit or in any way damaged his spinal cord, so his inability to stand had nothing to do with further nerve damage and everything to do with atrophied muscles.
That wasn’t to say that physical therapy was going to be easy.
It was going to be grueling, and Vin would also have to work his body back into fighting shape.
But from what he had been hearing from the medical staff who would give him information, the ranch had become something of a fortress in the desert, filled with Chain Gang thugs who mercilessly patrolled the area.
A knock at his door drew Vin’s attention. Adriel walked in with a gentle smile on his face. Behind him walked an older man, long gray hair cascading down his head, some strands folded into elaborate-looking braids.
He looked familiar to Vin, and he realized that this was one of the elders he had often done business with as a bounty hunter.
“Good morning, Vin,” Adriel said. He had stopped with the “Mr. Jackson” stuff after Vin had given him permission to use his real name.
“Howdy, Doc,” Vin said, nodding to his medical savior. His voice had fully returned, and he was feeling stronger than ever in a lot of ways. He looked beyond Adriel to the older man standing behind him. “Now, you look familiar, sir.”
The old man gave Vin a warm smile, which looked an awful lot like Adriel’s. The doctor cleared his throat, preparing to make an introduction.
“Vin Jackson, may I introduce my father, Elder Kaga Tilzilani,” Adriel said, gesturing to the old man.
He was dressed simply, in brown and light-tan garments.
Around his neck were several official-looking necklaces composed of carious materials from beads to bones, the meanings of which were utterly foreign to Vin.
“Elder,” Vin said, nodding to the man. “I’m really grateful for everything the tribe here has done for me. Especially your son.”
“He’s a good boy,” the elder responded. “But please, call me Uncle. Everyone does.”
Vin was surprised at the gracious request. That seemed very familial, like something an outsider like himself ought not do. But Vin also didn’t want to disrespect Kaga by not honoring his request.
“Thanks, Uncle,” he replied, giving the man a smile.
“I hope you are feeling better,” Uncle said, moving toward Vin’s bed. “Our doctors worked together with our spiritual medicine men to keep you alive throughout your ordeal.”
“Well,” Vin said with a sigh, “I’m afraid my ordeal is just beginning.”
“Yes, I believe so,” Uncle said with a sigh. He walked over and motioned to the chair beside Vin’s bed. “Do you mind if I sit? Old bones, you see.”
“Go right ahead,” Vin said, nodding to the chair. Uncle slowly lowered himself into the seat, groaning as he settled in.
“Mr. Jackson,” he said, looking up at Vin.
“You can call me Vin,” he replied, wanting to return the man’s kindness.
“Thank you, Vin,” he said. “You know, my people once called this entire region home before our land was stolen from us.”
“I do know about that,” Vin said, suddenly feeling very sad for them. “I’ve always believed your people were dealt a raw deal by the government.”
“Many of us believe this as well, and before the great blackout, we were trying desperately to get some of our land returned to us,” Uncle said, holding up a weathered and gesturing emphatically to show off his point.
“It seemed as though we might have even been getting somewhere. We had many allies in Congress, even a few Native elected officials. It seemed to many of us that there was hope for the future again, for the first time in hundreds of years.”
“But then the EMP went off,” Vin said, nodding in understanding.
“Yes,” Uncle said, sighing sadly. “And now, there’s a new threat on the horizon. One that seeks to unseat our people yet again, taking even this pittance of land from us in a wild quest for power.”
“You mean Chainz,” Vin said, understanding where the conversation was going.
“Yes,” Uncle replied once more. “The man you call Chainz has ousted the government forces who attempted to take control of the city. He is using what I believe to be your family’s ranch as his base of operations.
His expansion efforts have caused him to increase his numbers several times over.
And now he pushes on the boundaries of the reservation, and we’re not sure how to stop him. ”
“Yeah,” Vin said. “That ain’t easy to do. He’s a lot smarter than he looks.”
“I was wondering,” Uncle asked, the hope in his voice utterly heartbreaking, “since you seem to know this man, is there any insight you can offer us? Anything we can say or do to appeal to him or appease him? This land isn’t much.
It was literally the least that the United States government could do for us.
But it’s our home, and we desperately don’t want to lose it. ”
Vin looked long and hard at the old man seated beside him. He wanted too badly to give him some magical advice that would help him push Chainz back and away from the reservation. Something to make Chainz see the light and leave these kind people in peace.
But Vin knew no such advice existed. Chainz was a sociopath who cared only about expanding his wealth and power.
And now, in this world where money was meaningless, power was the only currency.
He knew Chainz would be gobbling up any and all territory he could get his hands on, no matter who laid claim to the land.
Vin took a long deep breath and sighed audibly.
“Uncle,” Vin said slowly, “I wish I knew what to tell you here. I wish I knew how to answer your question. But unfortunately, the man you’re dealing with here doesn’t have an ounce of the humanity and kindness I’ve seen here from your people.
He’s a different breed. He’s… Well, if a man could become a monster, that’s what it’d be. ”
“I see,” Uncle replied, sadly looking down. “We have nowhere to go, Vin. We have many elderly and children who will not be able to travel these distances. If he tries to displace us, he will literally be condemning us to death.”
“I’m afraid he don’t care nothin’ bout that,” Vin said, sitting up a little more in bed to reach out and touch Uncle on the shoulder. “But I promise you, once I’m out of this bed and mobile again, I think your goals and mine are gonna cross with one another.”
Uncle looked up at him in surprise. “You mean to oppose this man?” he asked, his face a grave mask of concern. “None who have stood against him have survived.”
“I know,” Vin replied. “But you’re trying to protect your people while I’m trying to protect mine. Maybe we can help each other out.”
“Oh,” Uncle said, realizing what Vin was suggesting. “We’re not soldiers, Vin. We have many young and able-bodied men and women, but they are not a military force.”
“I know,” Vin said. “And I know that the odds of beating back a force like the Chain Gang isn’t gonna be easy.
But they can be beaten. They might seem like monsters, but they ain’t.
They’re flesh and blood. They’re vicious bastards, the lot of them.
But they’re mortal, and they bleed, and they die. ”
“That may be, Vin,” Uncle said, with a sad, slow shake of his head, “but we would prefer a peaceful resolution to this. We don’t have the people to stand against an army. Every life within our tribe is precious, and we won’t needlessly throw them away.”
Vin wanted to argue the point, to plead with the old man and tell him they needed to fight if they were going to keep what was most precious to them.
Diplomacy was a great tool in civilized situations, but Chainz was not a civilized man.
He would never come to the table to negotiate unless he was faced with an unwinnable situation.
And even in that case, Vin doubted he would have the humility to admit he couldn’t win a battle.
Chainz was a monster, a devil, a demon made flesh. He couldn’t be negotiated with. He would plow over this entire area, taking what he wanted and displacing or destroying these people without a second thought.
But Vin wasn’t going to argue with Uncle. Not after everything the tribe had done for him. He simply nodded at the old man and leaned back, closing his eyes momentarily through a fresh stab of soreness. He was getting worked up, and as a result, his injuries were flaring with fresh bursts of agony.
“Unfortunately, Uncle,” he said, trying to be delicate with his words, “I don’t think any of that is gonna be possible. You basically have two options here, and neither of them is gonna be appealing. You either gotta fight, or you gotta run. There is no third choice.”