“Nope,” said James flatly. “I don’t want them coming out here; there is too much to lose. I can’t have my family or Jason’s in harm’s way. We will show up for work right on time tomorrow, right Jason?”
“Uh…uh…I mean, yeah, if it’s the only way.”
“It sounds like it is,” said James. “At least they are planning on letting us get lunch first!”
“That’s not funny,” said Janice, with her arms crossed in front of her. “Deputy?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered.
“I’m holding you personally responsible for the safety of these two family men, and I want your word right now that if things go sideways, you will flip over to our side—and I mean like that!” she said, snapping her fingers loudly.
“Yes, ma’am. That I can promise you, even if it means my job.”
“You’ve been a good friend to us over the years,” said James. “I trust your word, and you have done me more than a few solids recently. So, I have one for you. I will be Sheriff by the end of the week, if not sooner. David here will be Mayor, and Jason will retain his current position as Deputy Mayor, with all of us appointed by the United States Military. You will remain my lead deputy, if you’re up for it.”
“You’re joking, of course—right?” he asked in disbelief.
“He’s not,” said Janice, smiling. “It was supposed to play out over the next few months, but it appears to be accelerated now. However, the endgame hasn’t changed.”
“But why…I mean, why now?” asked the deputy.
“Because,” replied James, “our little town will play a big part in rebuilding this great country. I need loyal deputies I can count on. How about the others? Any deputies you think are bad or need to be purged from the roster?”
“I’ll think on it, if that’s all right?”
“Sure thing. But you have until tomorrow to let me know.”
* * * * * * *
Chapter Twenty-five
Second Chances Ranch
Weston, Colorado
David and Mel said good-bye, vowing to be in town tomorrow before lunch. Jason lost his appetite for dinner, and James spent a quiet night with his family.
“We’re okay,” James told Jason, finding him outside, wandering. “We will be in there a night, maybe two, and this will all be over.”
“This is bad, real bad,” he responded—“the worst.”
“You forget the position you were in when we met, my friend,” James responded. “We are not facing what you were, heading up the mountain road that day. Our families will be fed and safe. We will be inside together, with the lead deputy on our side. The Colonel is a radio call away, and Janice is trying to reach him now. Also, David is reaching out to Lance. The word will get out, and we will recover from this. The gang I was a part of a lifetime ago had a saying that every member learned. ‘If you are detained by the police or any other law group, don’t say shi...’ Well, you know the rest. That holds true tomorrow. Whatever happens, don’t say anything, not a word. I was always two steps ahead of Sheriff Johnson and Judge Lowry; I’ll be ahead of her as well. Just let me do the talking and I’ll get us out of this, one way or the other. At the very least, it will buy us time; and at best, they will let us go before someone else needs to get us out. We know what they did, and now they know it as well. And the last thing—get something to eat tonight, breakfast tomorrow, and lunch after that. You will need your strength, and sleep as much as you can tonight.”
* * * *
James was up early the next morning, not sleeping great but apparently better than Jason, in half-zombie mode.
“Let’s get some coffee in us,” said James. “We’ve got a long day ahead.”
“Can’t you two just show up around lunch?” asked Lauren, with agreement from her husband.
“Sorry, we can’t do that today,” James replied, looking at his old-school wind-up clock, the only one still running in the house. It ticked all night in the Great Room downstairs, so anyone needing to know the time could check without bothering someone else. “Besides, we have to show up early and eat both breakfast and lunch at the Weston Grill and Tavern. Jason, we need to talk to as many people as we can today before…well, you know.”
“What do we tell them?” asked Jason. “The truth?”
“No, not that, unfortunately—not that. We just engage in polite conversation and let them know we have big plans for the town in our current positions. Who knows what lies the Sheriff and Judge have been dishing around town about us lately? We need to show the citizens we are on their side, and when we do get taken in, I hope it’s in front of the whole town. If that happens, we need to hold our heads high in defiance and let the citizens choose who to believe. They are good, hardworking, honest people, and besides fearing the Judge—and maybe even the Sheriff now—they know you and me as good people. When we take over, the town will already be behind us.”
“Okay, that makes sense,” said Jason. “Show our faces and remain confident… Show our faces and remain confident,” he repeated.
“That’s all we can do,” said James. “I told you before—we’re not going
