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

your boys were involved in it, or another sister agency. They wanted me to play ball with them, and tried to recruit me,” Rob said flatly.

Dante had been quiet until this point, and of the original group, he was usually the one closer to violence than any of the others, but he’d watched as Rob had handled the situation. The agent was right, at this point they could probably arrest both Curt and Rob for what had just happened, but it’d be so ugly it’d make history. He didn’t want that for any of them.

“Listen Agents Korey and Gorman, we’re all on edge here and we’ve seen everything from local law enforcement, state police and federal agents all abuse their power, or break the laws themselves to get whatever it is they want from us. We don’t want to continue the hostilities if you’re truly just looking for our help, but don’t think for one fucking second that you’re going to walk into our compound and start pushing us the around. My big friend is right, it won’t be pretty. Now, I’m Doctor Dante Weaver. What the fuck do you want to ask of us doctors? This is the last time we’re going to ask you, THE VERY LAST TIME.”

Korey was brushing his coat off and staring at Curt with an angry glare. “All medical professionals have been requested to report to the nearest processing facility to assist in the immunization efforts of—”

“I’m retired,” Andrea told him.

“Ditto,” Leah shot back.

“As it happens, I’m retired as well, but I’m keeping my license current, for a little bit.”

“Besides,” Curt broke in, “we’ve already heard this bit, and after agents of the government kidnapped one of ours and put them in a detainment facility like you’re describing, I’m willing to bet nobody here willingly wants to go back to them.”

“I do,” Rob said quietly, “so I can find the son of bitches who kidnapped my wife, drugged her and knocked her out.”

The agents looked at each other. “Then I suppose I have no other choice.” Agent Parker reached slowly for an inner pocket, making everyone tense up. With two fingers he pulled out an envelope.

“Under the orders of the governor, and the Emergency Powers the president signed, you’re being pressed into service.”

“Unless you’re prepared to kill to enforce those orders, I wouldn’t recommend you pressing your luck,” Leah advised.

“You know we’re going to be losing lives because of you three dragging your feet, right?” Agent Gorman asked.

“It doesn’t take emergency room doctors and a cardiologist to give vaccines. Hell, any pharmacist, or pharmacy tech can do it. With a minimum of training, you could teach anybody how to do that,” Andrea told them. “But I’m guessing your stated purpose for pulling us out of here really isn’t to help administer and oversee vaccinations. What is it?”

“That’s all we’ve been told,” Agent Parker replied.

“Somebody is lying to you if you really believe that. Besides, I was on medical leave of absence and wasn’t cleared to go back fully. That’s why I quit and retired. I’m too busted up,” Andrea told them.

“You’re—”

“The doctor that was almost killed in the riots near West Memphis,” Curt interrupted, “where some stupid son of a bitch threw a cinder block through her windshield and the crowd tried to lynch her. To top off the multitude of broken bones she’s recovering from, she’s got PTSD and is pregnant. As her husband, I feel pretty safe in telling you guys to just fuck off.”

“Pretty much exactly that,” Dante said, grinning at Curt.

Bailey heard it all through the radio the group had let her use. She gasped so loud, she drew Angelica’s attention. She was glad she didn’t have the throat mic on like the others.

“What?” Angelica asked her.

“When this is done… we need to talk. About Andrea’s incident,” Bailey said softly.

Thirty-One

Curt quickly scanned through the document and then handed it to Steven. The others were arguing with the agents, their threats not even subtle. Steven looked at Curt and shrugged.

“Who signed that?” Rob asked suddenly.

“The Lt. Governor,” Curt said, “and some FEMA dude I’ve never heard of.”

“Then it isn’t a valid order,” Rob said, turning back to both agents.

“What do you mean?” Agent Korey asked.

Rob ignored Angelica hissing in his ear. “Because Governor Tom Christian is still the governor of Arkansas, as far as I know, making the order of the Lt. Governor invalid.”

“Governor Christian was killed in a gunfight with federal agents a while ago,” Agent Gorman said.

“That ruckus at the Kelso Detention facility yesterday?” Rob said to the agents. “Governor Tom Christian made his escape from federal custody, and is securing his family before getting in contact with the president. The news of his death is highly over played. The same type of group who snatched my wife tried to snatch him. Some of them died, and he was drugged and detained with other political prisoners. How many escaped from that camp by the way?”

Gorman’s snarl wasn’t quite silent, but he didn’t speak.

“I’m guessing that the governor won’t be a big fan of this plan you’ve been pushing,” Andrea told the agents, realizing who the Tom was, who had joined them at dinner the night before. “And seriously… Give us a legitimate reason why we should help you, and maybe we all can come to a compromise?”

“Medical care is becoming critical right now,” Agent Korey said. “We don’t have enough doctors to handle those who got sick. People are just disappearing.”

“Maybe you should check some of the detainment camps in this FEMA district, like Kelso,” Rob said soberly, the anger gone from his voice.

“You keep mentioning Kelso, but we don’t know anything about it other than what’s on the news.”

Rob held up a hand to stop everyone from talking, and pushed his hand to his earwig. “In Building Six at the Kelso detainment facility, the kids and families of medical professionals were kept separate. No-one had a choice whether or not they