The McClane Apocalypse Book Three (66 page)

"Yes, it has, Mary," Herb answers
gravely.

He knows the reason for her unhappiness. He
knows because he's a doctor, and he's been working tirelessly in
his office for months on the real reason for her melancholy. His
Maryanne is sick. She has sworn him to secrecy so as not to upset
the family. They'll eventually figure it out as she continues to
lose weight and become sicker with time. He'd like nothing better
than to consult with Reagan about it, but he knows there will be no
cure for this. Life sometimes throws these obstacles at a person,
and he will treasure and cherish whatever time he gets with his
beloved.

"Are you ever going to tell me what the "B"
on those jars stood for?" he asks his wife who is kissing Isaac's
fair neck, making him giggle.

"Oh, that. Well, those peaches and green
beans were from last year, and the jars didn't seal right. So I
marked them with a "B" because they could have botulism. I figured
that we could set them out for the coyotes and raccoons that had
been getting into our chicken coop," his dear wife explains so
calmly.

"Botulism would kill those people,
Maryanne," he says with surprise.

"Yes, it would, Herb. But the way I figured
it is that there's no way that none of them didn't know about how
abusive Frank was with his twins. And they had to know that the
woman, your patient who died, was a prisoner of my brother and most
importantly that Samantha was being abused or raped. They got what
they deserved for that alone."

Maryanne says this as if she's just rattling
off the nightly news report to him. He's grossly underestimated his
wife's ability to do something so cold and calculated against
another human being. But he supposes when children were involved,
his Maryanne could be a mother lion. She is right about one thing,
though. They had indeed given the spoiled canned goods to coyotes
and predators.

"I'll not tell the children this, as well,
love," he tells her, and she smiles gently at him before going back
to blowing raspberries on her great-grandson's neck.

He watches Derek disappear into the
greenhouse and a minute later, Sue's squeal of surprise follows.
These men have kept him and the family that he so greatly cherishes
safe and given them a sense of security they might not have ever
known in these strange new times in which they all live.

Maryanne lightly grasps his hand while she
sits beside him and they hold the newest, precious babies in the
family. Herb smiles gently at her. Perhaps God has seen fit to
forgive some of his past sins and grant him and Maryanne with the
children they'd wanted after all. And then again, perhaps he is an
old fool who wants to believe in forgiveness and absolution because
he isn't getting any younger.

For now their farm is safe. For now they
have a roof over their heads, food to eat, medicine for the sick,
the protection of the men and all of their grandchildren and
great-grandchildren with them. Herb knows it may not always be this
way. But for now they have each other, simple small blessings and
the love and comfort of holding their family together, and in the
end that's all that matters anyway.

Please visit Ranger Up.com or their blog
site, The Rhino Den.com. It's a great organization founded by
either current or former active duty soldiers. There are
comprehensive articles there about the dangers of PTSD, soldier
suicides and true stories to inspire. You can also make a
difference by donating to their causes, all of which benefit
soldiers or their families. Please encourage friends and family to
check out this great organization, too. Twenty-two veteran suicides
a day need to stop. We can make a difference. It's our duty to help
in any small way that we can. After all, they ensure our freedoms
that we hold so dear as Americans.

Ranger-Up.com

Rhino Den.com