Mike knew whatever words left his mouth now would have a deciding factor in the type of life his daughter would have moving forward. He knew the guilt she was feeling. It was a guilt that could consume her life, send her into a spiral that she wouldn’t be able to come out of.
“You came here because of what these people did. You stood up to those who tried to hurt you and the people you care about,” Mike said.
“Your dad’s right,” Mary said.
Mike hadn’t seen her when he entered. He couldn’t make out the features on her face, but the tone of her voice made her sound older than she was.
“Whatever we lost today, we gained more by not having that gang here anymore. All of them deserved to die,” Mary said.
“When someone pushes you to the brink of killing, when it comes down to your survival or the survival of your family, then you do what you have to do,” Mike said. “No repentance.”
Kalen nodded and leaned into his chest. He hoped the words reached her. It would take time, he knew that, for her to accept it, but he wanted it to be sooner rather than later.
Sam helped patch them up as best he could. Most of the injuries would heal over time. When Sam checked Mike out he agreed that one of the ribs punctured a lung, but only time would tell how bad it really was.
Jung was still on the sidewalk, his children on either side of him. His kids were crying, but he wasn’t.
Mike wanted to hurt him, even more than the pain he was going through right now. All of those talks Mike had with Jung about trusting people, about having faith, were all erased by what he did.
Ulysses always taught Mike that he needed to have something to stand for; he needed a line in the sand. Every man did. That value was your guiding path, and no matter what, you never went back on it.
And that was exactly what Jung did. The line in the sand he so proudly towed, all of it was a lie.
“Mike,” Jung said, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Mike said nothing. He simply turned his back and started the long walk back to the cabin.
“You’re just going to leave them here?” Sam asked.
“Yes.”
“What about the kids?”
Mike knew what type of fate he would be leaving them to, but that was his line in the sand. He wouldn’t sacrifice the safety of his family for the well-being of others.
“It’s a father’s job to protect his children. That’s his responsibility. Not mine,” Mike said.
Before Mike left, he wanted to bury Ulysses. He grabbed some shovels from the hardware store and picked a spot on the edge of town by the tall grass. Sam helped him dig the grave, and once they were six feet down, he wrapped his father’s body in a tarp and carried him to the spot. This was as close to a funeral as there was going to be.
“My father was a good man. He loved his family, his work, and the Pittsburgh Pirates,” Mike said.
Everyone gave a slight smile.
“He was a man who always stood up for what he believed in, no matter the cost. He couldn’t be bribed, threatened, or beaten into anything he didn’t want to do. In his last moments on Earth, he held true to that belief that he was in control of everything he did. He had a choice, and he made the choice to keep his family safe,” Mike said.
The tears started to flow now. All of the memories of his childhood, being with his father, collided with the reality that he’d never see his dad again. He would no longer be able to ask him for advice, to hear his words of comfort and wisdom when he needed them most. A pillar in Mike’s life was struck down, and for the first time he wondered whether he would be able to go on.
“I never knew, or will ever know, a better man, husband, or father than my dad,” Mike said.
The first tear that hit the dirt was followed by a rain that Mike couldn’t stop. He’d never cried like this before. Each sob was a stab digging into his heart.
Kalen came over and wrapped her arms around him. Mike clutched his daughter and held her tight. Just as he had held her earlier, she was holding him now.
Sam began shoveling the dirt back into the hole. After Mike composed himself, he picked up the other shovel and helped.
They packed the dirt tight. Mary picked some flowers she found along the side of the road and arranged a small bouquet. She laid them down on the fresh mound of dirt.
“Okay,” Mike said. “Let’s gather up any weapons and ammo we can find. Grab anything that’s high quality or in good condition. Sam, do you know how to ride a motorcycle?”
“I had one when I was in the Rangers.”
“Good. If we can’t get the Jeep running, we’ll take the bikes back to the cabin.”
“Nelson?” Sam asked.
Mike turned around and saw a man running down the highway toward them. His arms flailed wildly at his sides, and his legs wobbled.
Nelson collapsed in Mike’s arms when he made it to him and brought the two of them to the ground. Nelson could barely speak he was so out of breath.
“Ken… took… supplies,” Nelson said.
“What?”
“Katie… Anne… Sean, Freddy… they’re in trouble.”
Mike closed his eyes. Jung wasn’t the only one going back on his word.
Night of Day 13 (the Farm)
It took Ken twice as long to bring the supplies back to the farm than when he left. Beth was still awake when he got home. She helped him unload the supplies and bring them in the house.
“What happened to him?” Beth asked.
“He got away,” Mike said.
“You didn’t kill him?”
“No, but I killed the friend they had at the cabin.”
“He’s going to come back, Ken.”
“Only if Mike’s still alive, which I doubt. Besides, even if he does come back, we have his guns, ammo, and supplies.”
“And his family.”
Ken stopped. He set the case of 9mm bullets on the kitchen counter and turned to his wife.
“You didn’t kill them?” Ken asked.
Beth said nothing. When she turned to pick up the rest of the supplies, Ken grabbed her arm.
“Where are they?” Ken asked.
“I put them in the storm cellar.”
“Goddamn it, Beth, we talked about this. You weren’t supposed to keep them alive.”
“And you weren’t supposed to let one of them get away, but it happened.”
There was viciousness in her words as she jerked her arm out of Ken’s grip and stormed outside to the cart. Ken followed her.
“What happened?” Ken asked.
“I know why we’re doing this, Ken. I do,” Beth said, turning around to face him. “You’ve been responsible for keeping this family safe, but… what if we don’t have to hurt people like we have? What if there’s another way?”
“Did they talk to you? Get in your head?”
“No, but we can’t keep going on like this forever, can we?”
“Of course we can! The moment we let guilt slip into our minds is the moment we start digging our own graves.”
Ken grabbed one of the rifles out of the back of his cart along with a box of ammo. He started loading bullets into the rifle’s magazine.
“What are you doing?” Beth asked.
“Your job.”
“Ken, the boys, they’re no older than Joey. You ca—”
“It’s them or us, Beth. There can’t be both.”
“What if they come back? What if they managed to kill the bikers? We’ll need a bargaining chip.”
Ken stopped. On the slim chance that Mike did manage to kill the bikers, he would come looking for his family. Mike didn’t strike him as someone who forgave easily, and with the knowledge of how prepared he was, Ken figured that Mike knew how to handle himself in a fight. He set the rifle back down on the cart and grabbed a box with first aid supplies.