Epilogue
It didn’t take long for the Natives to make their way to the farmhouse. They had suffered losses, with nearly half of the young men and women who had heroically charged through the gates of the ranch now dead.
But they had fought bravely for the future, for a free society that they’d all be able to call their own.
They had driven the Chain Gang away and quickly captured the ranch.
No stragglers from the reservation battle had returned other than Sean, and Vin ended the day in pain but content that they had won.
Deb helped organize their surviving allies while Vin was immediately put on bed rest to nurse his horrible injuries. While he was laid up, Adriel had arrived and was taken directly to the farmhouse to begin administering treatment.
He had several broken ribs which needed to be taped and wrapped. Additionally, the stab wound on his shoulder needed to be closed. He also had a mid-grade concussion, and Adriel warned him that he needed to take it easy and report any headaches or lapses in memory as soon as they popped up.
Jolon and the elders arrived two days later after a convoy had ventured out to Vin’s bunker to collect them.
Vin had arrived to greet them, and Jolon gasped at the state of his friend and mentor. Vin had assured them all that he was fine. He also reassured the elders that his land was theirs now, and they were welcome to join him here, and they could build their ideal community together.
The arrangement had been struck on a handshake, and it was upheld with honor and friendship at its core.
The dead were accounted for, and the Natives who had fallen in defense of their freedom had been laid to rest according to the customs of the tribe.
Vin and Deb buried Sean and Legion on the ranch property, in the same area where Deb’s parents and grandparents laid in rest. It was perhaps more than Sean deserved, but Vin and Deb had decided to remember the man he had been before the EMP rather than what he had become after it.
Over the following months, Vin had healed and worked alongside the Natives and ranch hands to repair the damaged gates and get the ranch back to working order.
Scouts had also ventured out to let the people know that Chainz and his ilk were dead, and there would be no more issues with them. They established a free and fair society, governed by an elected council that was kept in check by a series of checks and balances that couldn’t be abused.
Vin was not willing to repeat the steps of the past.
Of course, there were still remnant forces out there, but Vin was content to bide their time and build up their strength should the need to defend this new society of theirs ever arise.
“Let ‘em come,” Vin had said to Adriel one afternoon when the doctor had raised concern over whether outside remnant forces might try to come one day to take what they had worked so hard to build. “We’re gonna be ready.”
Vin and Deb settled back into the farmhouse, repairing the damage Chainz had done and trying to start over where they’d left off. Of course, there were some issues to overcome, such as lingering resentment on Deb’s part, but they worked through it with open and honest communication.
Vin found a new purpose in leading the ranching community, extending an offer of freedom and acceptance to all who sought it.
He found an even deeper purpose in his family.
He had taken to fatherhood well and treasured every moment he spent with Jimmy.
It wasn’t long before Jimmy was rightfully calling him Daddy, and Vin thought he could never grow tired of hearing that from his son’s mouth.
“This feels too good to be true,” Deb said to Vin one day as they sat on the back porch of the farmhouse, watching as the sunset turned the sky a reddish pink. “I sometimes can’t believe it’s real.”
Vin reached over to his wife, taking her hand in his and rubbing at her fingers with his rough thumb.
“Believe it,” he said. “Because this is life now.” He smiled, watching Jimmy run through the yard chasing after some butterflies with a happy smile and giggle on his face. “And this life is always gonna be worth fighting for.”
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