Behind The Curve-The Farm | Book 3 | The Farm Craven Boyd (the reading list book .txt) 📖

“The Lt. Governor will never stand for this. He’ll raise so much noise that—”

“He also works for us,” Agent White informed him, “or at least, we own him.”

“Tell me something,” Governor Christian said, “are you two even FBI agents?”

Both agents looked at each other and shrugged. Chuckling, Agent Black asked, “Does it even matter?”

Both had started drawing pistols from their shoulder holsters. Governor Christian started firing, even as he was pushing himself back from the desk, falling backwards.

“What happened?” Brenda asked, as the capital building became a hive of activity as two men were taken out on stretchers, red bloodstains on their white shirts.

She recognized them as the supposed agents who had gone in to question the governor. What she hadn’t recognized was the formless shape in the black body bag that came out on a third stretcher.

“Apparently your boss killed himself when confronted with his crimes,” the Marshall told her simply.

“How would you know that? You haven’t been in touch with them.”

She had paid attention to him as she had been ‘arrested’. He hadn’t been wearing an earwig, and his radio hadn’t mentioned anything other than cleanup.

“Oh, charges of child pornography, cyber crimes, felony murder and weapons charges were all on the table. You’re going to be facing much of the same, as well as accessory to murder charges.”

“I… you… this…”

“Or you can just shut up,” he told her simply.

If her hands weren’t cuffed behind her back, Brenda would have made the sign of the cross. She prayed for herself, and for the governor, who had taken her in as first his personal aide and assistant, and as family. She worried what the governor’s family would think, say.

“Cat’s got your tongue? Good. You’re going to need that, or you’ll be in for one rough ride.”

Nine

The market was busier than normal. The members of the farm were mostly present to act as security and to watch for trouble. Eggs had sold out, and Eva, who had the milk cow, was almost sold out as well. Leah and Dante were helping her transport her raw milk to market, and trading it for eggs and milk. She and her granddaughter were now eating good again. Rumors that the local grocery stores were closing had been broadcast far and wide. No shipments of food were coming, the rumors stated.

Then, the night before, the TV had started playing a commercial on every channel. The pandemic was getting worse, and people were being asked to check in with their local FEMA coordinators. They had food and medicine, and the safe zones would be the first place the vaccines would be handed out. The big drug companies had had breakthroughs, and the president’s plan of fast tracking the approval process had worked. But go, go little people. To the FEMA safe zones. They had food, medicine and… It was laughable at first, but soon everyone at the farm, each in their own residences, turned off the TVs in disgust.

Which was how they found the market so full. Everybody there was commenting on the rumors and the bizarre commercials. The only thing they didn’t interrupt were the presidential debates. With the election coming a month and a half away, the propaganda machines on both parties' sides had been pumping out information that nearly drowned out the mass riots and civil unrest.

“Did you hear that the governor committed suicide last night?” Angelica asked Rob, as they stood near the front gate.

“No, I didn’t. It wasn’t on the news, was it?” he asked her.

“I guess it came on later. Ella May told me about it. Something about the FBI trying to arrest him on child porn charges and cyber crimes?”

“That’s crazy,” Rob muttered.

“I know, I also heard that he shot a government FEMA guy, and released the raw video. When I went looking for it this morning, I couldn’t find it, even with Harry looking. He said he found something that said it was a hoax and would load your phone and computer up with viruses.”

“I betcha they hacked the governor’s devices,” Kerry told them.

They’d drifted near her table at the entrance where she and LeBaron were vetting new members. It was a small community, so they were able to do things quickly.

“It’s crazy,” Rob told her. “If they can do something like that? I mean, the news is full of the presidential crap and the riots. You would think if the governor killed a man it would be prime time news.”

“I never heard of it, if he did,” one of the members said, paying his dollar to get in.

“I saw it on the news, while late night news was on. It flashed by on the bottom of the screen,” Kerry told them.

“The world has gone nuts.” Angel said by way of agreement.

Luis had elected to work on the new greenhouse and was being helped by Curt, Harry, and Goldie. The plan had been to stretch plastic and get the plumbing installed in the buckets. Before sunup, Rob had seen that Luis and Goldie were already out there, putting buckets down on the pad the ladies had scraped clean.

“Ranger, heel on me,” Anna told the shepherd.

Ranger came to her side, his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. He liked working with the lady with the colors all over her arms.

“I sort of forget who the dogs belong to sometimes,” Steven told her, giving the pup a nod.

“I know. He’s Rob’s battle buddy from the war, but he’s been in the shit with me too.” Anna pet him on top of his head, making the pup lean into the loving.

“I know. I just wish…” Steven’s words drifted off.

He was dressed in what Rob and Anna would call his heavy loadout. He had everything on, strapped, and had backups in his vest and pockets. He hadn’t been pulling a lot of security work and wanted to make sure he was