Challenged

By Ben Rolphe

In the second Dan Branson novel, Dan flies to South America to assist a fellow Christian cattle rancher against a deadly drug cartel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carpenter's Son Publishing
• Release date: Aug 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780983557135

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Prologue

Previously, Dan Branson had been hired as the head wrangler for the Triple Peaks Ranch, located near Sisters, Oregon. Six years later, through a multitude of different circumstances, he became the owner of the spread.

A native of Montana, he was born and raised just north of the area between Bozeman and Livingston, on a small farm/ranch still owned by his parents. Their property consisted of a quarter section of land, half open pasture and half native timber.

Dan, now thirty-three, has kept himself in top condition. His obsession for physical fitness has caused him to keep his weight at 197 pounds, which he has maintained since his early twenties. There is a conspicuous absence of excess fat on his well-proportioned body. He bares a strong resemblance to his dad, Robert, now in his mid-sixties. His dad has worked nearly forty years as a district representative for the New Holland Farm Machinery Company.

The senior Branson is not quite as tall as Dan, who has grown to a height of six-foot, two. Robert slouches over slightly as a result of an accidental fall that occurred when he was a young boy. Nearly everyone who ever observed either of the Branson men commented about the strong resemblance between father and son.

Margaret, Dan’s mom, bares some of the wrinkles and weathered appearance of having been a rancher’s wife for nearly forty years. She is still, however, a very attractive, middle-aged woman. It is obvious, that in her younger years, she had been a real beauty. Now, considered a very community oriented, gracious lady, she spends nine months of the year working as a volunteer at the local elementary school serving hot lunches.

Dan and his twin sisters, Mary and Molly, five years younger than Dan, helped with the farming and livestock. As a teenager, Dan spent every summer in the saddle as a wrangler and guide for the area’s most popular dude ranch. His designated job and primary responsibility, which he actually enjoyed the most, was teaching young kids how to ride.

He spent the majority of his leisure time alone, concentrating on his studies, ultimately graduating number two in his class. Following graduation, he was granted a full scholarship to Montana State.

Dan took advantage of the scholarship and enrolled at the University located in Bozeman just twenty-five miles from his home, choosing to major in animal husbandry and forestry.

During his second year at the University, he was encouraged by a good friend, to sign up for the Air Force ROTC Program. Dan soon realized that he was fascinated with aeronautics and totally enamored with the idea of becoming a pilot.

He graduated with honors from Montana State at age twenty-two, receiving two degrees, one in animal husbandry and the other in aeronautics. He joined the Air Force a month after graduation and spent the next year in pilot training at Sheppard Air Force Base located at Wichita Falls, Texas. Early in his year of pilot training, Dan met Abby Trenton, a second lieutenant registered nurse. The two had met at a USO dance being held on the air base just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Abby was a stunningly, beautiful woman. She was five-foot, seven and was clearly obsessed with maintaining her physical condition. She worked-out and ran cross-country on a daily basis. She had short-cropped, naturally blond hair and wore very little makeup. She radiated a wholesome appearance as well as a striking beauty that caused people to stop and admire her.

It became obvious to both of them that they were quickly falling deeply in love. The two were never far apart and, thus, had become inseparable. Following two months of passionate romance, they were married by an Air Force Chaplain.

The couple had been married for nearly five months when Dan graduated from pilot training. Following his graduation, Dan was ordered to report to a KC135 tanker squadron based in Turkey. He would be making daily flights refueling UN aircraft involved in the prevailing mid-east war. Abby remained in Wichita Falls, continuing to work at the base hospital. Dan had been assigned to duty in Turkey for only a month when he was called home to be with his wife.

His bride of only five months had been involved in a tragic, traffic accident. A large cement truck lost its brakes and careened through an intersection, broadsiding her car. Abby, four months pregnant, died an hour after Dan’s arrival as he held her hand in the intensive care unit of the base hospital.

During the weeks following Abby’s tragic accident, he appeared to be walking around in a constant daze. Surprisingly, he made the decision to return to his base in Turkey only six weeks after Abby’s death. He spent little time dwelling on the past and tried very hard to blot out the tragic events that had taken away his new bride.

Following a grueling mission, in extremely unstable air, Dan’s aircraft was diverted to Baghdad where he was also advised that he would not be flying until late the following day.

He made the decision to visit a college friend located at a base 70 kilometers from Baghdad. While on his way to meet his buddy, his Humvee was struck by a rocket-propelled, grenade. Although there were five people in the Humvee, Dan was the one that survived the attack.

The head and back injuries Dan received as a result of the attack actually ended his piloting career with the Air Force. Following several months of intensive medical treatment, physical therapy, and counseling at an Air Force hospital located in Germany, he was pronounced completely healed, but not qualified for flying.

As a result of the recent tragic loss of his wife, as well as his own injuries, his superiors presented him with two options. He could either continue in the Air Force performing ground-based duties or, if he desired, he could resign his commission and go back to civilian life. Dan quickly accepted the option to resign from the Air Force. Dan’s statement was that his dream was to fly airplanes, not sit behind a desk.

The liability pertaining to Abby’s untimely death was never questioned or challenged. There was never a doubt that the failure of the cement truck’s brakes was responsible for her death. Dan received one and a half million dollars from the cement truck’s insurance company, plus the funds from a life insurance policy that each of them had taken out immediately following their marriage. He deposited the money in a bank in Texas and traveled home to Montana.

Dan had no plans for spending the money. He tried to give some to Abby’s parents, but they declined his offer, as did his parents. Dan did pre-pay the complete college tuition for both of his younger sisters who were preparing to enter college about the same time as Abby’s death.

After having spent nearly six years as general manager and head wrangler for the ranch, a life-changing incident impacted his life. He was walking to his cabin from the ranches’ corral when a bright light, flashing between two snow-capped peaks high in the mountains, drew his attention. He couldn’t get the flashing light out of his mind and decided to investigate the source.

The very next day, he rode into a remote area of the Cascade Mountains. After settling into his campsite, he was approached by a beautiful woman who claimed to have come from up above. The woman, who Dan assumed to be an extraterrestrial, stated that she had sent the light signals directly to Dan expecting him to search out the source.

The woman, named Angie, encouraged Dan to describe his beliefs and philosophy pertaining to the entire world and its population. Dan expounded for hours, describing what he believed. He proclaimed that the world’s population was doomed to self-destruction as a result of greed and immorality.

Dan, believing the woman to be an extraterrestrial, was cautious and suspicious of her presence. She claimed she was on a mission to share long-forgotten laws of physics to the leaders of the world. She adamantly stated that there were adverse forces that wanted to keep her from fulfilling her mission. She challenged him to join her. Following very little deliberation, he agreed.

After experiencing several close calls and numerous challenges, he discovered that the woman he thought to be an extraterrestrial had transformed into one of God’s Angels. She, who actually turned out to be a he, stated that his true name was Angelo. He had taken on the body and appearance of an actual woman living in southern Oregon. He stated that he, along with Michael, the Archangel, had been sent to seek Dan’s assistance in accomplishing their goal.

Once the mission was completed and Dan had returned home, he was startled when a woman, appearing to be the identical twin of Angie, came to him to seek his help in training her young daughter, Mattie, to ride a horse.

This woman, calling herself Jessie, lived in southern Oregon. She presented Dan with an un-opened letter from a gentleman, who had identified himself as Angelo. Dan knew instantly, that this was the same Angelo, God’s Angel, who he had met in the mountains. The woman explained that she didn’t know the man; however, he had appeared to be very sincere and advised her to present the letter to Dan.

When Dan read the letter, he discovered that the woman was none other than the former wife of the Marine lieutenant that had been killed by the rocket-propelled grenade that had struck Dan’s Humvee in Iraq. It turned out to be no surprise to Dan that the letter had indeed, been written by Angelo.

Within a short time, Dan and Jessie were convinced that they were destined to be together. A few months later they were married. Dan withdrew the money deposited in the bank in Texas and purchased the Triple Peaks Ranch. The Hendersons, who had owned the ranch for thirty years, had made the decision to retire and move to the Spanish Riviera following the sale of their ranch.

Almost a year to the day following their wedding, Jessie gave birth to their son Danny. The time that had passed had been good to the Branson family and the Triple Peaks Ranch had prospered.

Danny, now five years old, is aspiring to become a fisherman just like his father. The young boy dresses like a cowboy. He wears a straw cowboy-style hat, a red-gingham neckerchief around his neck, and a denim jacket. He dons the same attire daily.

Danny’s puppy, which he has named Barney, is a mixed-breed with white with brown spots. The pup, which was quickly becoming the boy’s shadow, never leaves his side. The two have become inseparable.

Mattie, now nearing the age of thirteen has become an excellent rider and desires to participate as one of the wranglers when the cows and calves are moved to the summer pasture. She has grown substantially since becoming Dan’s adopted daughter and is beginning to mature. Not unlike most young girls her age, she is constantly on the phone with her friends.

Mattie, as she proclaims, nearly a teen, has requested to have her own cell phone. Dan was reluctant to provide his twelve-year-old daughter with a phone, but Jessie, her mom, quickly pointed out that cell phones, for young girls Mattie’s age, is an absolute necessity in the current era. Young people Mattie’s age, don’t talk on the small phones as much as they text each other on an ongoing basis.

The fact that both Dan and Jessie carry a small cell phone on their person virtually everywhere they go provided strong support for the decision to provide Mattie with her very own cell phone.

1

It was late afternoon when Dan Branson drove under the huge log arch that stood at the entrance to the Triple Peaks Ranch. It, being the first few days of April, there were still patches of snow around the bases of the giant ponderosas that lined the winding drive into the ranch. Winter had seemed to drag on. There had been several snowstorms through most of March. Dan looked across the fields spreading to the west of the ranch’s main house. There, jutting up into the crystal clear, blue sky, were the snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains.

He smiled, as he smelled the newness in his brand new GMC pickup truck. The color, picked out by his daughter Mattie, was a royal blue. He looked at the odometer and noted that he had already managed to drive four hundred miles since the truck was purchased, two weeks earlier.

He had taken the whole family on several rides in the new pickup that boasted an oversized crew-cab. Actually the interior was quite roomy and boasted four separate doors similar to a full-sized sedan. On the back seat, behind the driver’s seat, Dan had strapped in a child’s car seat for his son, Danny, who was just a little over five years old. The back end of the pickup provided a large cargo area. He had thought of ordering a canopy for the pickup, but hadn’t, as yet, made a final decision.

Dan slowed the pickup to a stop along side of the fence that surrounded the back area of the old farmhouse that had now been their home for over six years.

Just two years ago, the exterior of the house had been completely refurbished by Dan and Jessie. He looked over to the left and stared at the small log cabin that had previously been his home for nearly six years. He just sat there for a moment, recalling his early days at the ranch when he had been hired as the general manager and head wrangler for the Henderson’s spread. He had been out of the military for a couple of months and was trying to work through some of the heartache that he had experienced during his brief tour as an Air Force Pilot.

Dan purchased the ranch from the Hendersons, Pete and Gracie, who had owned the Triple Peaks Ranch for over thirty years. The ranch had been in the same family for three generations. Pete Henderson took over the ownership and management of the ranch when his dad passed away in the late 1970s. When Pete and Gracie made the decision to retire and leave the ranch, they said their emotional goodbyes and left for the Spain, immediately after the sale.

Triple Peaks Ranch is located just to the southwest of the small town of Sisters, Oregon. The large picture windows on the west side of the house provide a spectacular view of the Three Sisters Mountains; the most dominate of the majestic peaks. Two other peaks, Mt. Bachelor and Broken Top, occupy the skyline just to the south of the Three Sisters.

The entire ranch consists of two sections of deeded land representing twelve hundred and eighty acres. There are five hundred acres of alfalfa and three hundred acres of peppermint. Both are good cash crops and have always managed to keep the ranch in a profitable position. There are several outbuildings, including four barns, the workshop, equipment sheds, the foreman’s house, a small bunkhouse, and the head wrangler’s log cabin.

In addition to the two sections of deeded land that comprises the main ranch, there are an additional sixty-four hundred acres of grazing land that are allotted to the ranch by the Bureau of Land Management.

The ranch has been a cow-calf operation since its inception in the early 1900s. The calves are sold annually in the fall, following round up, to the cattle feeders. The sale of a portion of the alfalfa, as well as peppermint oil, manages to keep the operation in the black.

Shortly after purchasing the ranch, Dan married Jessica Hart and adopted her six year-old daughter. Mattie, now nearly a teenager, has grown much taller in six years, although not nearly as tall as her mom, at 5'7." She has grown several inches in height, but hasn’t gained much weight. She complains constantly that she looks like a ‘bean-pole.’ Jessie continually reminds her that in just a few years, she will be fighting to maintain her figure without gaining weight. It is obvious to everyone that she will soon become a beauty, just like her mom, Jessie.

Their son, which they named Danny after Dan, was born almost a year to the day after their marriage. Ironically, He was born just one day before Mattie’s seventh birthday, which provides for a combined birthday celebration each year, generally including grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

The main house, now commonly known in the community as the Branson House, is a grand old ranchstyle home, constructed in the early 1900s by Stanley Henderson. The house contains nearly 7,000 square feet of living area, boasting five bedrooms and a total of seven fireplaces. The house itself has been remodeled and updated to current, modern standards without taking away from the grandeur of its early history. The bathrooms and kitchen boast the latest in fixtures and appliances. A stand-by generator provides emergency power to the big house in the event of a power outage.

Dan and Jessie quickly became community-oriented and have subsequently hosted numerous dinners, meetings, and functions in their home. Both enjoy cooking and entertaining. Dan currently serves as a director for a small local community bank and Jessie is the current chairperson for the home and school club.

Dan was still sitting in his new truck when Ron Morton, the ranch’s resident farming manager drove up in another one of the ranch’s pickups. His pickup, also a dark blue, is last year’s model. Ron walked over to Dan’s new pickup, banged the side with his hand and said hello to Dan. Ron, a stout man in his early fifties, always seems to have a smile on his face. Despite his overweight appearance, he’s known to be as strong as an ox. He has kept himself in top physical condition over the years. His thick brown hair hangs down over his collar in the back. Dan had told Jessie that Ron always looked like he avoided a barbershop. No one ever said a word to him about his long hair, as he appeared to wear it with pride. He never wore a western style hat. However, Dan had never seen him without his Chicago Cubs baseball hat, pulled down tightly, with the brim positioned straight ahead.

Howdy boss, I see you’re out putting miles on this brand new rig. I noticed that there was a heavy freeze last night. How does she handle on the icy roads?

"Actually Ron, I didn’t feel her slip around at all. I don’t really know if I went over any icy spots. I guess only time will tell how she handles.

What’s up? I don’t usually see you looking for me unless there is something in the wind. Do we have a problem that I don’t know about?

Well, Garrett has been talking to me about the herd. He’s trying to figure out when we should turn them up into the mountains. I know it’s a little early to be worrying about that, with snow still on the ground, and calving just a few weeks away, but he is figuring on hiring a couple of wranglers to help him and wants to get started. What do you think?

Garrett Sounders had now been with the ranch for a little over eight years. When Dan bought the ranch from the Hendersons, he advised Garrett that he was now the head wrangler, a position previously held by Dan, prior to the purchase.

Ron, I haven’t even given it any thought. All I know at this point is that Mattie has been bugging me about wanting to work the herd this summer. She says that she wants to learn the operation and that she can handle anything a guy can, Dan said with a shrug of his shoulders and a resolute tone to his voice. What do you think, Ron?

"Dan, that little gal has spunk. You know she rides that horse she named Snickers nearly every day, even in the snow, and most of the time she