Prepper's Apocalypse | Book 2 | Prepper's Collapse
him about spending a couple of days up there. Do we want to work on him a bit?”Tom frowned, and his new fiancée noticed. “That’s a worried look on your face. Have we done something wrong, dear?”
“Oh! No! I was just thinking about the gang in Ashland and Carlos. Everything keeps getting between me and killing the SOB.”
“Jacob, do you think you can take on feeding the goats and rabbits every day?” Tom asked as he watched the boy scoop the feed for the rabbits from the bin.
“Can I?”
Tom smiled at the boy who couldn’t take his eyes off the rabbits. “Yes, but you will have to feed them every day before breakfast and school.”
“School? There ain’t no school anymore. I promise to take good care of the rabbits and goats.”
“Jacob, we’ll get school started for you and Lucy as soon as possible. Granny B, Jackie, and Kate will help your mom with your education. We even have all of Jackie’s and my books in the library for you to use.”
Kate said, “Follow me over to the other side of the barn. James found a poor mother dog who was about to whelp and brought her home to the barn. She had six puppies a few weeks ago. If your parents are okay with it, would you like one of the pups? We think they’re some kind of labrador and collie mixed breed.”
Jacob quickly abandoned the rabbits and jumped at the chance to go see the puppies. “I had some dogs at home, but we had to leave them when we moved here.”
Tom timidly said, “Tell me about your dogs and your home.”
Jacob’s eyes were fixed on a male brown pup. “I had Duke, Sammy, and Benny. They’re all Shih Tzus, and my papaw didn’t like them. He called them rats and ankle biters. Mom always hides them when Papaw Luke comes around. My Papaw Jake likes my dogs, and he’s real nice. Papaw Luke is mean and sometimes scares Mom.”
Kate said, “My Papaw Walker was also nice to us kids, and everyone loved him.” She crossed her fingers. “My Papaw Smith was mean and creepy. My mom wouldn’t let me be alone with him.”
“Papaw Jake takes me fishing and stuff, but Mom won’t let Papaw Luke take me anywhere. I don’t care because I don’t like him or Nana Sue. They’re creepy and real religious, Mom says.”
Tom started to ask a question, but Jacob interrupted him. “Granny B must know my Papaw, Luke. She has his picture in her room.”
Tom forced a smile. “Did you mention the picture of Papaw Luke to your mom?”
“Yes, she saw it and told Dad. They wouldn’t let me hear what they said.”
Kate asked, “Well, have you picked out your favorite puppy?”
“Yes, this one. Can I take him with me?”
“Not yet. The pup still needs his mom, but you can see him every time you come out to feed the rabbits and goats.”
Jacob asked, “Do I have to wear that silly blindfold every time.”
Tom answered. “Yes, for now. We’ll see about removing it in a week or so.”
Granny B took a deep breath and sat down on the bench. “Crap, he saw your grandpa’s picture. They’re twins. This means they know that we have something to do with the Clark family or are the Clark family. I guess it’s time to rip the Band-Aid off.”
*
Chapter 7
The Clark Ranch – The Bunker
Tom, Jackie, and Granny B had a short meeting in the library before Jackie fetched Jerry. Granny B saw him enter the room and welcomed him. “Come on in and sit a spell. We’re checking in with you to see how things are going from your side and plan to let you know what we’re thinking.”
Tom sat next to Jerry. “Tell us what you think so far. The good about being here and of course, the bad.”
Jerry fidgeted and then tapped his fingers on the table. “Of course, we like the safety and food even though the kids aren’t too fond of all the wild salads. You people are nice and friendly and have made us feel at home. I’d be lying to you if I didn’t want things to go back to normal so we could go back to our home.”
Jackie said, “We all feel that way about getting back to normal.”
Tom’s nostrils flared. “Tell us how you came to be up here in the hills away from the main road that would have taken you to your uncle.”
Jerry gulped and looked down at the table. “I … we …uh … were trying to hide from someone following us.”
“It seems strange that a family named Clark was trying to hide from bad guys and ended up on the Clark ranch that has been hidden for over forty years.”
Tom glared at Jerry before he said, “We know who you are. Now, tell the truth.”
Jerry was now sweating profusely. “Jacob saw the picture of Jonas on the wall, and it scared him. He ran to his mom and told her that his great-grandpa Luke was here. I knew Grandpa Luke had a twin brother, so I put two and two together and knew we’d found our long lost relatives. When the shit hit the fan, we had no place to run to. My dad had told me where he believed the Clark ranch was, and we drove up here trying to find you.”
Tom wasn’t satisfied. “Then why did you let us think you didn’t know who we are?”
Jerry laughed. “Because we only know you’re the Clarks. We didn’t know if you were good people. Grandpa Luke always told us that Jonas’s side of the family was rotten to the core, and Jonas was an evil man. We needed to find out if you were