The McClane Apocalypse Book Two

By Kate Morris

Having survived the first few months of the apocalypse, the McClane family forges on through turmoil and strife. John and Reagan make a fateful trip on horseback through the dense Tennessee forest to the nearest city. However, this will prove more dangerous than they could have ever anticipated, and they quickly learn just how far humanity has plummeted into a well of darkness and despair. And Reagan will discover just how far John will go to keep her safe.

The family’s own humanity is tested as they aid those less fortunate from lawless hordes that are raping, pillaging and murdering anyone who gets in their way. Just when Kelly’s demons seem to be quieting, a new threat ascends the farm, one that he can’t simply frighten off with suppressive fire.

The tough-as nails Army Rangers living on the farm will do whatever it takes to keep this family safe and hold onto the McClane compound at any cost. Fraught with human emotion, complex relationships, and the continued fight for survival, book two takes the reader on a thrill ride that doesn’t let up- not even after the last page has been turned.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kate Morris
• Release date: Jul 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311174628

Kate Morris

Kate lives in Ohio on a small farm with "John" and is a huge advocate for the U.S. military and promotes the rights of gun owners everywhere.

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The McClane Apocalypse

Book Two

Kate Morris

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2014 by Ranger Publishing

All rights reserved; including the right to reproduce this book or portions of thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, email: [e-mail].

First softcover edition, July 2014

Ranger Publishing and design thereof are registered trademarks of and only for Ranger Publishing.

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Author photo provided by Julie Ann Wayble

Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file

ISBN 13: 978-0692214442

ISBN 10: 0692214445

Note to Readers: This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is not intended to provide helpful or informative material on the subjects addressed in the publication. The author and publisher specifically disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk personal or otherwise.

Acknowledgement

I'd like to thank all of the fans who read book one of The McClane Apocalypse. This series would not be the success it is without your words of encouragement and support. Thank you for your dedication and for telling a friend.

Kate

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-two

Chapter Twenty-three

Chapter Twenty-four

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-eight

Epilogue

Chapter One

Reagan

They've been riding since before dawn so that they can make the hunting cabin before nightfall, but storm clouds peeking through the crowded forest ceiling hint that they might not. The horses are antsy, nervous as if they sense something is wrong. Reagan's own mount, Harry, sidesteps and prances with anxiety which in turn puts her on high alert.

This trip to the city of Clarksville is all-important as they are almost completely out of medical supplies, especially anesthetics back at the farm. The long horseback ride is back breaking and fatiguing, however.

Something's up, Reagan calls behind her to John, her traveling companion for whom she has so many confused feelings.

He's lived at their farm for the last four months, but this Army Ranger frequently puzzles Reagan. He's also her brother-in-law's brother, which is why she can't demand that he leave their farm. Derek is too dear to her as a much beloved brother-in-law and her sister is insanely in love with him. But John bothers her on a daily basis, in many different ways.

What's wrong with them? he asks as he pulls his horse in beside her, along with the pack horse he trails behind his own mare.

They are also both nervous and agitated. However, John is calm just like he always is. He's ex-military, but he's definitely not as experienced in picking up on the signs of unspoken horse language as she has become in all her years of being around them.

I'm not sure. Could be a deer or something, she tells him, though Reagan is not entirely convinced since this has gone on for some time, and her horse is not quite this easily spooked.

Noises in the forest off to their left about thirty or so yards away alerts them both at the same time. It sounds like men's voices and the rustling of underbrush. His horse actually spooks with a forward jolt, almost unseating him. John quickly pushes his mare to Reagan's side, concealing and protecting her from harm. He is literally putting himself between her and whatever potential danger could be lurking in those bushes.

Dismount! he orders in a hurried whisper and urges his horse even closer to hers, forcing her to go to the right of their path into thicker foliage. Get down, Reagan.

She does as he says because he has more experience with this sort of thing being ex-military, but she'd like to tell him to piss off. It isn't in her nature to follow orders from John. He annoys the hell out of her most of the time with his brazenness, bossiness and, in general, way too self-assured personality. However, as reluctant as she feels about it, she does hop down smoothly by flinging one leg over Harry's neck and landing on her feet beside him. John's instantly at her side, his height and physique looming over her.

Take my horse and the other, he further orders, his sapphire eyes flashing, to which she complies and takes both sets of reins. The pack horse is tied to his saddle so it is also securely kept still. I'll be back. Don't follow me.

And with that he's gone, left her, abandoned her- or at least that's how it feels. She's scared shitless that he won't come back or that he'll be killed and she'll be alone out here in the middle of the Tennessee wilderness with three horses and potential dangers, dangers like the men who'd attacked her at the college. Reagan watches him move like a panther farther away from her. His golden blonde hair catches flitting sunlight through the forest ceiling and his tight, black t-shirt strains against the musculature beneath it. His brother Derek is slightly shorter than John, but John is also bulkier and more heavily built than him. For his size, though, John is fairly silent, even with the crunching of leaves and twigs under his combat boots. If it weren't for his brother and their friend, Kelly- all Rangers- her family would probably be dead. They could've been overrun and murdered at their farm like their neighbor's father, mother and brother had been.

The mare she holds snorts and puffs air impatiently through her nose, probably wanting to be turned loose to graze or to flee to the farm for safety. They've ridden approximately ten miles through mountainous and wooded terrain. It's too far to turn back now. Also, her companion is not a turn back kind of guy, she's learned.

Shouting comes from the area of the original noise which she assumes is John confronting someone or more than one someone. A shiver shimmies down her spine, followed by a bead of chilling sweat. It seems like she should go over there and join him. If there is a band of renegades up to no good like the same ones that the post-apocalyptic world keeps spewing into this new society, then he might need her help. He could be shot, killed. The thought sends a different shiver down her spine. It's uncomfortable and makes Reagan feel things that she pushes to the back of her mind. It's so much easier to write these feelings off as mild concern for her brother-in-law's brother. It would upset her beloved sister, Sue, should John be killed. Right. That's why she's upset at the thought of him being killed.

Two shots ring out, further scaring her. Reagan's breathing becomes shallow and short as she waits impatiently with the horses. She tries to lick her lips, but her mouth is too dry with fear to do any good. This fear is almost as bad as when she'd been attacked at her university the night the country fell apart following the tsunamis and the fight for her life. The need to go to him, to go over to the location of the noise and the gunshots is almost overwhelming her natural flight instincts. This standing still doing nothing is killing her. Standing still and doing nothing for any reason is not exactly her forte.

She holds the restless horses another ten minutes before she realizes that he might not be coming back. John might be dead, after all. Reagan ties his horse, which also effectively holds the pack horse, as well, to a maple tree's branch. She loops Harry's reins around a fallen oak's branch so that she can go and investigate. Her hands sweat. They even shake a little. Going over there might not be the smartest idea she's ever had, but she has to know if he's dead and if she's on her own now. If so, she will have to return to the farm and explain it all to the family. Everyone would be devastated. John has had a prominent presence in her family since he came to live with them. Everyone loves him. Well, everyone except her. She can't stand him. Sort of.

John bursts through the underbrush near her, startling her enough to make her squeak out a choked off scream. His hands are covered in blood. Even his jeans have a few blotches on them. A dark red smear marks one cheek.

Oh my God! she blurts frantically and goes to him.

It's cool. We're ok, he tells her so calmly. Damn him! She'd like to punch him.

What the hell was it?

It was two young guys, maybe teenagers. They'd hunted a deer and only winged it, he explains, but like a typical man, doesn't really explain much at all. She gives him an impatient look. It's the same look she gives him so often. He grins his stupid grin at her. It wasn't anything, Reagan. They didn't have the heart to finish it off, so I did it for them.

Like a banshee Reagan attacks him. She rushes at him and strikes him with both fists flat against his chest three or four times before he ensnares her wrists in vice-like grips.

You scared the shit outta me! she hisses angrily.

Sorry, babe, he tries but she slugs again even with her wrist captured by his. I'm sorry, Reagan. I didn't really want to call you over there. I told them I was alone.

Why are you covered in blood? Jesus, John! she accuses with disgust and jerks free from him, stumbling back two paces, as well. She doesn't like closeness to anyone, especially not John. The men at her college who tried to rape and kill her left her with more than the visible scars she carries on her body.

They didn't know how to gut it, either, so I showed them. Sorry I scared you, he apologizes again but averts his gaze, something he's never done. It does nothing to cool her temper. Instead, she turns away and begins unfastening the horses from their secure locations. Her hands shake even more than they did earlier.

Where were they from? Around here? she asks without turning. She doesn't want to see him or his blood-soaked hands.

Yeah, said they live about ten or so miles from here to the south. But they live outside of the city in the suburbs, and their dad's dead. So now they have the responsibility of feeding their mom and little sisters. It was the least I could do. They'll be ok. I told them it gets easier, he explains.

When Reagan turns back, he's wiped some of the blood from his hands and arms with a rag from his saddle bag. Before he stashes it again, Reagan stops him.

Horses don't like the smell of blood. You'd better just leave that here on the ground. It'll make them antsy, she explains to which he scowls and tosses it to the ground. John takes a moment to cover it with leaves and debris. He's nothing if not fastidious about security and probably feels like someone could track them with that simple rag.

Before she mounts, she startles. John grips her slim forearm. She stares at that large hand with the long, tenuous fingers. It easily encompasses her entire arm, his thumb and fingers meeting underneath. His touch is gentle but firm. She doesn't like it anyways and pulls free.

Sorry, he says when she finally meets his gaze. She knew he wouldn't say anything until she looked directly at him. It's an annoying habit he has, one of so many in her opinion. His dark eyes are genuinely pleading her forgiveness. Frown lines pucker at his downturned mouth and pinch at the corners of his eyes.

Whatever, she mumbles and turns away again. Reagan doesn't like him standing so close. The heat of him literally permeates into her side. He doesn't move or back up which is preventing her from mounting. This is another reason she hates John. He's a big huge bully. Well, he is over six feet tall which is much taller than her, so he isn't exactly huge. His friend Kelly is huge. That freak is massive like a bull. John is lanky, yet very strong. It isn't exactly hard to be bigger than her, but he still likes to bug her.

Tell ya' what. You can gut the next deer, 'kay, babe? he says like a smartass.

Reagan turns full on to him and rolls her eyes with irritation. Don't be an idiot, she verbally jabs.

Well, you don't like it when I leave you to do things like that, so maybe you should do the next one, he remarks which further pisses her off.

I don't care where you go. But if you get yourself killed like an asshole, then Sue and Derek are gonna be pissed at me, she lies. There are other reasons, reasons she doesn't like to explore, as to why it would be bad if John were killed.

Yeah, right, he returns with a chuckle before he pivots to leave. Reagan glances over her shoulder at him. He's grinning as he re-tightens his mare's cinch strap around her belly. It's something they do when they take long trail rides to ensure that their saddles don't get too loose. His grin also pisses her off.

After another moment they are back on the trail, and Reagan doesn't have to think any more on why it would bother her so much if John were killed. There are plenty of distractions like keeping their horses on the correct path, monitoring the horizon for dangers and keeping their asses in their saddles when they go down steep inclines. There will also be plenty more to worry about tomorrow when they go into the city. It's bound to be dangerous, possibly life-threatening. The family needs tractor parts and medical items that they just don't have at the farm. She and John are to bring back these much-needed supplies. They are the best chance of getting these items. Driving a car into a city of death and destruction is out of the question. Nobody moves around by vehicle anymore. It just isn't safe, and most people are just plain out of gas. Horses are the easiest way to get around, even if it takes ten times longer to travel where they need to go. They are luckily armed to the hilt with weapons and a satellite radio to call for backup from the farm. She also has John, who seems to keep her safe. She's just not sure if she can keep herself safe from John.

There is no getting away from him. He'd moved into her damn bedroom back at the farm under the pretense of needing to help her keep watch on the front of the property at night from her balcony. It irritates her that he'd so easily managed to convince her family that it was a good move. And pretty much anything she did or anywhere she went he was her constant freagin' shadow. She can't shake him- not even when she went on her morning run or rode her horse on a morning patrol of the farm's perimeter. Since the country fell apart so many months ago, security is all that seems to matter anymore.

Storm's coming, he says as they cross a gentle meadow dotted with white daisies and tiny yellow flowers of late summer.

Soon they'll come across oil well properties owned by the government. Then it will be another ten miles before they hit the hunting cabin for the night's shelter.

Scared of getting wet, tough guy? she asks with a snarky attitude and a sneer. His hand tightens its grip on the reins, and Reagan takes note of the blood still staining them.

Are you? he drawls with more sexual implication than she cares to hear from him.

Her cheeks burn, forcing her to turn her face away in order to hide from him and his brilliant, mega-watt smile. Damn him!

Don't be an ass, Reagan mumbles after a moment of calm collection. His response is an obnoxious laugh. Damn him again.

Want me to help you test whether or not you're afraid to? he asks, but this time she shoots him an angry glare to which he grins arrogantly. Of course. Nothing she ever does seems to intimidate him. It definitely never puts him off bothering her, either.

The first low murmur of thunder rumbles many miles off in the distance as a sharp wind gust spirits through the ravine and ricochets against the ancient layers of sedimentary rock which are covered with green moss and jutting out of the hillside. This does nothing to ease her apprehension from earlier or from the nerves she feels over going to the city tomorrow. They could both be killed tomorrow. She could possibly never see her family again, and this scares her more than having to spend the damn night with John in the hunting cabin together. Alone.

Chapter Two

Kelly

Kelly had awakened before dawn to do the morning chores and milking, and John and Reagan were long gone as he knew they would be. Derek was hitting the hay for an hour or two or for whatever he and his wife did after his watch shift ended. He could pretty much guess on that one. He'd unfortunately run into Hannah and her grandfather before heading to the barn. Hannah usually awakens right after him, so he'd rushed to get out of the house lest he run into her in the kitchen. But apparently nobody could sleep and were too filled with anxiety over Reagan and John leaving.

He always figures it's best to steer clear of Hannah or he'll get himself into more trouble than he needs. Eventually her grandfather is going to figure something out, and Kelly and the kids will be looking to move into the Johnson's abandoned farmhouse whether they want to or not. He wouldn't blame Doc, though, because he sure as hell wouldn't let his daughter or granddaughter be with someone like him. Moving away was something he'd been considering lately anyways. If he could put enough space between himself and Hannah McClane, then maybe he could forget about her, move on and just concentrate on his siblings who need him. Maybe he could forget her strange, different-colored eyes. Maybe he could forget her bare feet that always stick out below her ridiculously long dresses. Maybe he could forget how just looking at her made his blood stir with lust. And then again, maybe he'd wake up tomorrow and all this shit will have just been a dream and he and John will still be in Syria getting ready to invade North Korea for setting off that first nuke that had led to all of this shit.

It's also the only reason he's squatting on the McClane farm in the first place. His unit disbanded; he, Derek and John had deserted; and he is now the sole guardian of his much younger siblings. Cory and Em are too young to fend for themselves with their parents having been murdered. The country had fallen apart so fast that there really wasn't much of an option other than to stay with Derek and John on the McClane farm. At least Derek belongs here, though, since he's married to a McClane. He and John don't exactly belong, but the family has welcomed them with open arms.

The first place Kelly hit was the water troughs, making sure none of them needed topped off. Next, he'd fed the chickens and pigs, mostly slop and crap from the compost pile for the pigs. The horses are pretty self-sufficient as long as they have pasture grass to munch. They only get grain in the evening if they are ridden on patrols that morning. The grain is stored in massive, metal containers to prevent rodents from getting into it. The men rotate the animals about once a week to ensure the proper usage of the fields, grazing of the animals, and fertilizing of the farm. The cows are always the biggest burden of work, and he'd shoveled silage into a long, narrow feed bin of scarred old oak for them to push and shove their heads into. The smell of their feed has a pleasant, sweet tinge to it, and they are always grateful to be getting it. And now he's sitting on the tiny stool milking a black and white Holstein in the cow barn. Sometimes it's surreal how much his life has changed overnight, going from soldier to glorified farmer. He actually knows the different breeds of cows, horses and pigs on this farm. Before this he knew more about tanks, weapons and tactical gear. It's not the most unpleasant change-up. There's a certain amount of peace he feels here on this farm and in the simple act of keeping it functioning. It's the problem with Hannah that is slightly less peaceful, mostly to his nerves.

After about a half an hour, Cory joins him in the next milking stall over and starts with the Jersey.

Nice of you to show up, Kelly says good-humoredly as he pumps away at his own heifer.

Sorry, bro, Cory laughs. These hours are kinda' weird. I mean I used to get up for school but not before it was even light out. About the time we sit down and eat breakfast here is when I used to get up. And forget it on the weekends. Mom would let me sleep in. Me and my friends would stay up and play video games or go out to a movie and hang out. It was so different then. Feels like a long time ago.

It's cool. I was just giving you a hard time. And yeah it feels more like a hundred years ago if you ask me. Seems like yesterday me and John were trekking it out of the mountains of Turkey and then kicking ass in Syria, Kelly tells the younger man. Somebody always needed a good, solid ass kicking.

Wish I could've went, too, like I planned on when I graduated, Cory says quietly after he finishes laughing. The regret he feels is evident. For Kelly, there had never been any other options. He'd been born for the life of a military man just like John and not just because of his size. His ability to shut down his feelings and emotions to get the job done was a skill set that he excelled at and something for which he could thank his worthless real mother. When you were constantly disappointed in the one person who should never disappoint you, you get really good at closing off your feelings. But Cory is going to be a lot like Derek as he gets older because of his love of electronics and engineering. Kelly had hoped that his brother would go to college and forgo the military career altogether and just be a computer geek or run his own business somewhere nice and quiet and safe. Now, they'll never know.

Man, I'm glad you didn't, Cory. There's a lot of nasty shit out there, kid. People can be cruel sons a' bitches when they wanna' be, he tells his impressionable brother. What he says is true. He's seen it all, literally.

Of course everywhere in the world, including their own damned country is a mountain of pure evil filled with hatred and devoid of humanity. If his little brother can avoid any small amount of the dehumanization of people, then Kelly will be happy. But in the end, Kelly's a realist and he's glad that his dad taught Cory how to shoot, hunt and fish. Living on the farm is the best place for the kids, and it is sure as hell the safest for the time being. They've adjusted about as well as anyone could expect for losing both of their parents in one night, surviving on their own for days, being uprooted from their home, losing their way of life, their youth and coming to live in a strange place with unknown people. Em still worries him, though. She interacts great with Derek's kids, but she hardly speaks to any of the adults. She clings to Cory as if her life depends on it. Wherever he goes, she usually follows. She'd not dealt with him moving to the second floor to his own bedroom very well, either. Em had even cried, and Kelly had had to console her and talk to her in private about the fact that her brother was only going to be two floors up. He'd patiently explained that he'd still be right in the next bedroom and that Cory was much older than her at seventeen and needed more privacy. He knows that most of what he lectured her about went over like a lead balloon, but in the end she'd relented and become even more withdrawn, lost. The three youngest kids are still sharing a bedroom in the basement, but she just hadn't been ready to give up her big brother. He'd been the one to keep her alive when their parents were killed. She was his little shadow; he was her great big protector.

Many times, Cory has told Kelly how much he likes it in the cow barn and helping with the milking duties and Kelly is more than glad to have his assistance. John isn't wild about the cows, though, and is vocal in giving his opinion about them and his opinion on the milking of them, more specifically. And Derek is better suited to working on the tractors with Doc McClane and doing the field work with them than he is around any of the animals. He doesn't much care for the horses, either, and had only taken a few of Reagan's drill sergeant style riding classes. In short, he just isn't an animal person and much prefers something with a motor. Kelly can ride almost as well as John, but he'd not wanted to leave the farm for the city in his friend's place because of the responsibility of the kids, and John knew it. His friend knows him better than anyone and had approached Kelly first about not taking the risk of traveling with him to which Kelly had objected and then seen the reasoning behind it.

Yeah, I know. I got to see some of that shit first hand, Cory says over the back of his cow. The men all allow Cory to swear because it gives him a sense of belonging with them, and he's smart enough not to do it around the kids or, most importantly, Grams. Doc may be the man of the house, but his wife is in charge of it.

I know, bro. You shouldn't have had to deal with that alone, Kelly tells him, referring to the murder of their parents. I should've been there. Regret is just something that everyone who is still alive is gonna have to swallow hard these days. It could eat a person alive, or it could be a useful tool from which to learn to never again let their guard down for any reason.

Nah, you didn't know that was gonna happen, Kelly. None of us did. It was like they overran our neighborhood in one night, ya' know? One minute I was hanging with my friends at the park where we'd meet and talk about how screwed up the world had gotten and how we all wished we could enlist that same day, and then two days later it was like the whole town had just gotten taken over, he explains.

Kelly is quiet, pretending to still milk his cow, which he'd finished a few minutes earlier, because he knows Cory needs to get this shit off his back, unload his burden onto him. It's ok with Kelly. God had seen fit to give him these wide shoulders for a reason. It is like a heavy load the kid has been carrying around, weighing him down, and he'd not opened up to anyone about that night as far as Kelly knows.

After that first night when I hid with Em till they were gone, I called you and you told me to go and hide in the woods with her. I did and the next morning I went back and got us some supplies so we wouldn't starve out there, and she was real scared. I mean real scared, kept crying and all. I went over to my best friend's house to check on him. I didn't go out in the open, though, Kelly. I did like you told me and snuck around, tried to use the woods as much as possible. And I took Em with me, too. Don't worry. I didn't leave her behind. We crossed back through Grant Park and came out to the neighborhood that Mike lived in. It looked worse than ours, man. I hid Em in a bunch of bushes and went to Mike's house, thinking we could stay there till you came for us. But they were gone. They packed up their shit and split sometime in the middle of the night.

A lot of people did that when it first hit. They just picked up and left. Guess they felt safer being away from the cities, which is probably smart, Kelly tells him

It was weird. I just saw him the day before, and he was tellin' me how he'd always had a crush on Allison Daniels at school and that he wished he would've asked her out before all this shit happened 'cuz her and her family went to live in Indiana with her grandparents. Everybody had a crush on her. She was a typical cheerleader type. You know- blonde, pretty, dumb- the kind of girl you'd want to stick on your arm just for a day or two but that dumb-blonde crap would get old real quick? I remember when I got home that day, Dad got mad when he found out I'd sneaked out my window to go and meet up with my friends. We kind of had an argument. He said it was stupid and not safe to do that kind of crap anymore- that we had to be more careful. Little did I know. Guess Dad knew, though. I knew he'd been talking to you, getting updates on what it was like out there, but I think he was trying to protect me and Em. I just thought he was being a pain in my ass. Now I wish he could be a pain in my ass again, Cory says quietly.

Yeah, he was good for that; protecting people from the bad, the negative, Kelly tells his brother and finally stands, taking the bucket full of milk with him. He unhooks his cow, leads her back to the corral in the barn and frees her. She immediately joins up with the rest of the herd and her own baby. He stands next to Cory while he finishes with his own cow and lets him talk a while longer.

So after I couldn't find Mike I tried a couple of my other friends' houses, but they were the same or worse. Some of them were gone and a couple were..., he says and doesn't go any further. He doesn't need to. Kelly knows it's painful to remember this nightmare. He's gotten pretty good at suppressing disturbing memories over the years. Men couldn't be in the military during one of the most war torn times in history and not get into some situations that left them with lifelong nightmares.

Anyways, I took Em back to the hiding spot behind our house to wait for you like you said to. We'd see headlights driving real slow at night, and I kept hoping it was you and John. But they'd keep on going or sometimes they'd stop and people would run in to the houses real quick and run right back out like they were just lookin' for something, Cory says with confusion.

Probably drugs, Cory. We ran into a lot of that, too, when we were on missions here in the states after the shit hit. I'm just glad we weren't deployed overseas still. I had a couple friends who weren't able to catch a flight out and now they're stuck. But we saw a lot of junkies trying to scavenge for drugs. The drug addicts in our country literally ran out of drugs in about a week and were in a real bad detox. Having California and some of the other big drug importing states gone into the ocean, they ran out of their suppliers, so they were getting desperate and resorting to ransacking drug stores and people's houses for drugs, Kelly explains.

We sure were glad when you guys showed up, though. Man, I just kept thinking: what the hell am I gonna do with Em if Kelly doesn't show? I sure as shit didn't know. I mean I think I could've taken care of myself- you know, just kept on the move and stolen food and crap I'd need. But Em's another situation altogether. She's just a little girl, my little sister, Cory reflects, showing the maturity that Kelly knew his brother possessed.

Sure, when they all lived their normal lives, he and Em would argue and fight over kid issues, especially with Cory being so much older than Em. He didn't like her in his room; he didn't like her bugging him when his friends were over, that kind of thing. Kelly remembers going home on leave and those two would be at each other and his stepmom would be pulling out her hair. She used to lecture them about how they'd come to appreciate and take care of each other someday. Someday came a lot sooner than anyone had ever anticipated. Now Cory is fiercely protective of Em.

A few minutes later, Cory finishes and turns out his cow, and they walk toward the house for the morning meal.

Cory? Kelly asks.

Yeah? Cory looks up at Kelly, and Kelly realizes that his brother has grown at least an inch taller this summer. Time flies and it's hard to notice the little things when you're just trying to stay alive. If Cory has a growth spurt like some boys have at the age of eighteen, like Kelly had, along with all the other ones, then he might just end up being taller than him. It's hard for Kelly to think of his kid brother being taller than him someday. He'd been deployed so much, missed so much of him growing up.

Do you wanna' stay here, man?

What do you mean? I thought we were. I don't wanna' go anywhere, Kelly. I like it here, and so does Em, his brother says in an agitated, defensive tone, which instantly makes Kelly feel like shit.

I just thought maybe we'd take up at the Johnson farm. And me and you and Em could start over there, make a new life for ourselves, Kelly says, which makes Cory stop in his tracks and put his arm out to his brother to stop him, too.

No way, Kel. We don't want that, man. If you feel like you don't want to stay here, then we could build one of those cabins like you and Derek were talking about, but I don't want to leave this place. Why would you even want to move? Cory asks disbelievingly. His words come out in a rush as if he's panicked. His dark eyes narrow with worry and concern over the idea of leaving the farm, and he runs a hand through his shaggy mop of black hair.

It's just an idea, bro. Don't worry about it. I was thinking more in the spring or something anyways, Kelly lies smoothly. There's no sense in going on with this conversation if it causes his brother so much anxiety. The kid has been through enough already.

Ok, yeah, later or something. Not yet, ok? Em likes it here, and she likes hangin' with the other kids. And, besides, she needs to hang on to being a kid as long as she can, Kelly. She'd be stuck with just me and you if we moved, Cory reflects as they walk up the back porch steps, and Kelly is once again reminded of how much his kid brother feels a strong sense of responsibility toward their young sister.

Em just having the two of them is something Kelly hadn't considered at all when he thought of setting up a life outside of the farm for him and the kids. Em needs to be around the other children, even if Derek and Sue's kids are younger than her. They do all seem to get along despite their age difference, which is refreshing, and Kelly has even seen Cory pushing the kids on the swings, walking them around patiently on the horses and chasing them through the barn aisles. When there aren't any other kids to choose from with whom to play or hang out, then they tend to work things out on their own. Plus, Em needs to be around women. It is Kelly who doesn't need or want that inconvenience, especially when it comes to one woman in particular. And he can hear her humming in the kitchen as he removes his dirty boots, leaving them on the wide, covered back porch.

Good morning, Miss Hannah, Cory says as he goes ahead of him through the door.

Good morning, Cory, comes her sing-song, airy greeting. It's like a knife to the gut, and he groans.

You ok, man? Cory asks as Kelly walks into the kitchen.

What? Oh yeah... um, just a sore back muscle is all, he lies to cover for the real reason behind the groan, which he thought nobody would hear.

Oh? We have a good liniment for that, Kelly. Hannah can rub it in after breakfast, Grams says/demands. My Hannah has some magic in her hands, she does.

Yeah? Sounds good huh, Kelly? Cory razzes, knowing how he feels about Hannah. His brother is a lot more observant than he gave him credit for, and Kelly has been trying to be more reserved, less heart on the sleeve around Hannah because of it. Cory is just fueling the fire and being a pain in the ass.

No, I'm fine. I don't need any, he replies tersely. Hopefully they'll leave him alone.

Wouldn't be a problem for me, Kelly, Hannah jabs. She's a sly thing, he's learned, and likes to get at him when and where she can. As he sets the pail of milk in the pantry, where she is measuring out ingredients, probably flour or something, he can see just her profile and that she has a foxlike grin on her mouth.

I'm fine, thank-you. Don't need your liniment crap, he grinds the last sentence out quietly through his teeth, trying to dissuade her.

Oh, don't be silly, son. Herb said there's a downed tree laying on the horse fence that needs dragged away after breakfast, and you're going to have even more sore muscles if you don't do something about it, Grams admonishes. Hannah isn't the only woman on the farm with supersonic hearing abilities.

Yeah, Kelly, Hannah whispers mischievously. He'd like to take her with her rebellious smile over his knee. He's never felt the need to spank anyone before, not even Em when she'd gone through her bratty toddler stage, but Hannah McClane is sure bringing out a barbarous need in him to do so.

Shush, he whispers sternly as he bends over. You aren't rubbing anything on me.

Hey guys, what's going on? Who needs liniment? Sue asks. I have it up in my room if you need it. Had to use some on Derek the other night. These old war horses have a lot of sore scar tissue. Oh, and Derek's just getting old.

She's a major pain in his ass, too, when she pokes her nose in where it doesn't belong. She's the oldest of the three McClane sisters and seems to take that role very seriously. She's extremely protective of her younger sisters.

Hey! comes Derek's protest from the other room. Getting old? That was kinda' harsh. I'll show you old. They are in full jest mode in the kitchen, and Sue is squealing like Derek's grabbed her.

I mean it, Hannah. Drop it, he whispers and leans in to smell her hair. If she knows he's doing it, she gives no indication of it. Why the hell is he even doing it? Why can he not stop? God, does she smell sexy. It's a good thing she's blind or she might actually be fearful of the intensity in his eyes.

What are you going to do for me if I do? she asks haughtily. What the hell? Is she bribing him?

Wh... what do you want? he asks and hates the helplessness he hears in his voice. He doesn't take well to sounding impotent, even if it is over a beautiful woman.

Take me with you on the morning patrol. I heard you tell Cory yesterday that you and he would do the morning patrols over the back of the property until John and Reagan come back. So let me go, too, she speaks in hushed tones.

Of course she'd heard. What doesn't she hear? The family in the other room has moved on to the topic of chicken butchering and replenishing the hens who aren't laying eggs anymore.

How do you... I mean, how would that work? Can you ride? he asks uncomfortably.

Sure, Kelly, I could run a horse right into the broad side of a barn. Silly! I ride behind you! she makes fun and laughs heartily. She's the only one who makes light of her blindness. Well, other than Reagan, of course. He'd almost torn into Reagan for it once, but then realized that it was simply the way they were, their sibling hazing. Hannah gets at her rotten sister just as much, maybe more.

I'm hungry, Mommy! yells Arianna as she, Justin and Em race into the kitchen in their usual flurry of noise. The rugrat beasts have risen at last.

Hannah, I don't think that's a good idea, he tells her complacently. Her eyes take on a sadness which is almost more than Kelly can stomach.

Reagan used to take me rather frequently, but she's always too busy now and I don't like to be a burden to anyone. I love riding, she murmurs and shakes her head. It's ok; you don't have to take me. Great, now he feels like a bigger piece of shit.

Take you where, honey? Sue noses from the doorway. Kelly glares over Hannah's head at her annoying sister. Her brown hair is pulled back in a ponytail that swishes when she walks.

Nowhere. It doesn't matter, Hannah

Reviews for The McClane Apocalypse Book Two

[Robert Grigas · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good storyline would recommend it to all the people in this app