Two Wolves and a Sheep:
Minus America
Book 4
E.E. Isherwood
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Copyright © 2020 by E.E. Isherwood
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Cover Illustration by Covers by Christian
Editing services provided by Mia at LKJ Books
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
CHAPTER 1
Westby, MT
“Good morning, beautiful.” Ted stood at the window of the house where he and the others had spent part of the night. After escaping from the Minot Air Force base and surviving a few hours of darkness hunkered down in the marsh, they’d hiked through tree cover until reaching a remote homestead. More importantly, they’d found a working SUV. He’d driven them north until reaching the Canadian border, then he turned west. Two hours later, they were in Westby, Montana, which sidled up to the North Dakota state line.
“Ah, Ted, you’re too kind,” Emily said with an amusing I-see-a-cute-puppy tone of voice.
He turned to face her, staying serious. “I was talking to the beautiful state of Montana out there. It’s sunny, probably sixty degrees, and absolutely gorgeously free of men wearing black who want to kill us.”
“Aw shucks.” Emily feigned being hurt as she slapped a pillow on the pull-out bed. He’d let her take the sofa sleeper while he’d alternately kept guard and slept in a recliner chair nearby. “Is it because I’m not looking my best? Running through airports and swimming in swamps has gotten me too far in front of my presidential makeup artists.”
The hard miles had not been kind to either of them, which was why they’d all taken showers when they broke into the abandoned house. Her hair was frizzy and unkempt from the night’s sleep, though he was extremely curious if she was in or out of her stolen uniform. He stood there only wearing his borrowed black trousers. “These black clothes aren’t too flattering, huh,” he said, to keep from dwelling too long on her attire. Then, realizing there was no point in holding back his feelings while in private, he added in a quieter voice, “I might have been also talking to you when I said good morning.”
Her smile radiated brighter than the sun. “Thanks. You’re not too shabby yourself.”
“Should we wake up the kids?” he asked, meaning Kyla and Meechum. The two young women had taken the bedrooms at the rear of the house, giving them privacy.
“Us kids are already up, thanks,” Meechum said from the kitchen, not sounding pleased to be compared to kids, even as a joke.
Kyla laughed. “Good morning, gorgeous people!”
He and Emily shared a humorous “oops” look with each other, then he finished getting dressed. Once he had his shirt on, he strode out the door and didn’t look back. Emily was getting out of her covers, and while confirming her sleeping attire, or lack thereof, was of keen importance to his male brain, it was critical he keep his head on the survival of his niece.
“Hey, Kyla.” Her smiling face made him forget about their desperate situation for a few moments. It reminded him of the times he’d been at Rebecca’s kitchen table. For many years, Kyla greeted him with that smile, though there were some rough patches in those middle teen years. Today, she was the old Kyla, without her warrior face of the recent past.
“Heya, Unk. We made breakfast.” She pointed to a box of nacho cheese-flavored Pop-Tarts on the table.
“Yuck. Who thought up such a hideous combination? What’s in the water up here in Montana?” He eyed the open cupboard and pulled out some beef jerky. “Now, here’s a meal.”
Neither woman seemed bothered by their injuries. “You two doing all right?” he asked.
Meechum had been shot through the shoulder, though she’d toughed out a motorcycle ride and a long night in the marsh. It impressed him to no end. She barely bothered to look at him to reply. “I found a first aid kit in this house. It wasn’t much, but Kyla helped me clean my wounds and bandage ‘em up. I did the same for her.”
Kyla wore a bandage on her neck where she’d been nicked. Both were lucky to be alive.
“Good work,” he said. “If you need us to stop to rest today, let me know.”
“We won’t,” Meechum replied, remaining serious.
He looked at Kyla, evoking a smile in reply. “I’ll be fine, too, Unk. You worry about the prez.” After making sure Meechum wasn’t watching, she winked at him. The girl had it in her mind to play matchmaker between him and Emily and was thoroughly enjoying the effort. He figured it was innocent fun, especially if it took her mind off the wound.
He was done eating by the time Emily entered the kitchen. In the few minutes since he’d seen her, she’d brushed out her brown hair, so it no longer looked like a wild animal mane. When she came in, Ted stood up. “All rise for the honored president of the United States of America, Emily Williams.”
She waved them off. “Please. Are we going to do this for the whole trip? As your leader, I should be able to change the rules of decorum for the office of the president. As my first act, please stop with the pomp and circumstance.” Her eyes betrayed her words. He figured there was some appreciation of the recognition given by him and the others. No one could deny being the leader of the free world was a big deal, even if her nation’s citizens could fit around an old Formica table.
She plopped into an empty seat, grabbed one of the Pop-Tarts, and chowed down. “Tanager would have never given up the regal nature of the office. He loved this stand-for-me crap. I think he would have dialed it up if he could.”
Ted knew a little about the
