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

to go to growing up,” Korey said, following Rob to the back of the market area. “But the first time we came in here, we didn’t see any of this.”

“They do setup and tear down every time we have a market day. We had some Antifa goons try firebombing us, so anything left between the two gates and these fences could get severely damaged if and when they come back.”

“I’ve read about what happened here. It seems trouble seems to follow your… group? Farm? I’m still not sure how everyone relates to everyone,” Gorman said.

“I’ll let the owners fill you in more,” Rob said. “Agents Gorman and Korey, this is my mother Goldie. She’s the boss of the main house, and I believe the rest of the owners are headed this way through the crowd.”

“Appreciate it. Mrs… Goldie?”

“It’s Little, Goldie Little. Nice to meet you agents. Would you like some lemonade?”

“I… yeah, actually. If it’s no problem,” Korey said aloud.

“It’s no problem at all. I just mixed a batch up. Let me warn you, it’s got some punch.”

Korey took a cup, and when she looked quizzically at Gorman, he nodded and said please. She poured him one as well. The agents both took a drink at the same time and Korey almost spit it out, but managed to swallow it and cough.

“What kind of lemonade is this?” he asked, setting the cup down on the table.

“It’s a vodka mix. ⅔ Country Time lemonade and ⅓ vodka. I heard on the radio y'all were at the gate, and mixed up a batch and came up here. It’s a cool day, but I figure we could all use some pick me up. I take it you checked out the info the family gave you?”

“We did,” Gorman said, taking a long swallow, finishing off the little Dixie cup. “That’s good stuff.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at him.

“Agents,” Curt called as the second gate started opening, “didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

The side by side was full of people. It was almost overloaded with Roscoe on the back end.

“Howdy,” Agent Gorman said, giving a small wave.

The crowd parted as the rest of the group minus Angel, Harry and Luis converged at the table.

Steven and Anna got off the side by side. Andrea whistled and Roscoe bounded over and flopped down on her feet. He lifted a leg and proved to the world that beans, in fact, are the musical fruit. Andrea yanked her foot back, laughing. The agents took note that everyone, like before, was heavily armed. Much better than anybody else there. Pistols, carbines, knives. Anna walked up to the table and poured herself a cup of lemonade.

“Hey Grandma Goldie, this the good stuff?” she asked.

“It sure is. You know I only bring the good stuff in my little cooler.”

“Mmmmmm,” she purred as she took a swallow.

“So, um… do you want to discuss this here, or should we go somewhere more private?” Agent Korey asked, “I figured you all heard from Kerry and Rob why we’re here. Your radios… quite impressive.”

“We have our own repeating tower,” Curt said, “with plans for more, so we have perfect coverage around the farm. Now, how can we help you?”

Korey sighed, then spoke. “You were right. Our orders to enlist your aid weren’t as straightforward as we were led to believe. When I tried running those orders you gave us up the chain of command, our field office got a call from the deputy director himself…”

“He wanted to know where you got them?” Andrea asked.

“Not only that, but wanted us to quit asking questions pertaining to those orders. We told them the orders were found on a body that had been killed by one bull named…” Gorman pulled a notebook from an inner pocket, “Big Red. When asked why the orders weren’t found before then, we told them that due to the massive confusion with the sheriff’s murder and the law enforcement mess out here, we were just now getting our hands on stuff.”

“I’m surprised you’re not here investigating the bones,” Dante piped up. “We last heard the FBI was getting involved in that.”

“I was told those weren’t a priority right now,” Korey said picking his cup back up and taking a sip.

“So now what?” Steven asked.

“Well, we were told our orders hadn’t changed, even though the reason for pressing you into service was bullshit. We were told to get your aide, or bring you in under the national emergency declaration, blah blah blah…” Korey explained.

“And you’re obviously not doing that,” Leah said. “So why are you really here?”

“The governor,” Agent Korey said. “To put it simply, many folks up at the top believe he was killed. When we took those coveralls in to be tested, we put a rush on it. We would have been out sooner, but DNA testing takes time. I’ll admit, I was skeptical that we’d get a match, but we did. So, the governor of the state got into a shootout and didn’t die. The newspapers said the FBI arrested him, but we didn’t. I know news agencies get us alphabet boys mixed up all the time, but now I wonder. If it wasn’t us, who did he shoot and kill, and who was it that took him?”

“Why would we know? We’re simple farmers,” Curt spoke up.

“You’re the folks who kicked a hornet’s nest when the hornets tried to take over your lives, and then you lit them on fire and poured gasoline on the whole mess,” Korey answered. “We were hoping to talk to some folks who may or may not have been inside Kelso. I suspect, as does Gorman, that Rob’s wife Angelica Little is also here. We’d like to speak to her and her friend.”

“I’m good with that,” Rob said. “Angel, Bailey, would you two ladies like to join us?”

“You got it Big Daddy,” Angel’s voice came out of the radio. “And please ask Anna to leave me some lemonade.”

Anna had been in the process of pouring herself another