An Undeclared War (Countdown to Armageddon Book 4) by Darrell Maloney

grizzled old Texas rancher. The last of a dying breed. He wasn’t fazed by much, and was afraid of nothing.
         But he’d rather walk through hot coals than have to answer Scott’s plaintive query.
         Tom’s hesitation gave Scott his answer before he ever heard the words. By the time the words came, he was so numb they barely registered.
         “I’m sorry, Scott. She’s gone.”
         John and Randy, walking toward them, had no idea what happened. They were still forty yards away, and broke into a full run when they saw Scott fall to his knees and scream at the sky.
         The three of them- John, Robbie and Randy, gathered around their friend and tried to comfort him.
         But they were pretty much helpless. They were men, and men are never as good at providing love and comfort to each other as women are. They clumsily tried. But the sad fact was, Scott had just lost the woman he loved. And nothing they could say or do would bring her back.
         Robbie fell to his knees in front of Scott and pulled Scott’s head into his shoulder. As Scott sobbed and soaked Robbie’s shirt, though, Robbie didn’t know how else he could help. He’d stay there as long as it took for Scott to finish sobbing and then listen to whatever he had to say. Robbie would nod occasionally and try to find some sympathetic words. He knew it wouldn’t be enough to fix the situation. But it was all he knew to do.
         John had his own question to answer. As much as he agonized over Scott’s loss, he had to know that his own family was okay.
         He picked up the radio from where Scott had thrown it onto the ground.
         “Hannah, please, tell me you and the girls are okay.”
         Hannah heard her husband’s voice and almost lost it. She choked up and was quite literally unable to talk for several seconds.
         It was an almost unbearable few seconds for John.
         Finally, Hannah answered.
         “The girls and I are fine, John. Joyce is the only one we lost. Linda is banged up pretty bad, and Tom has some cuts on his face. But we’ll all be okay. How is Scott doing?”
         “He’s in bad shape.”
         “Linda wants to know, if we open up the gate to the compound, can you come in?”
         “We’d love to, honey. But it wouldn’t be worth the risk. The plague is a respiratory infection. It’s spread just like the flu or the measles. If any of you get too close to any of us, it could take over your compound and make some of you very sick. It could even kill some of you.”
         “I thought since you had the plague and survived, that you were immune to it.”
         “I am immune to it. I’ll never catch it again. But I can still carry the virus. And I can pass it on to others. You all have been through enough. We can wait a few more months until the CDC issues the all clear.”
         Hannah’s heart was breaking, and she wasn’t afraid to show it.
         “It’s just so unfair, John. This whole thing. This whole miserable world, and all the pain it shovels out. It’s just not fair.”
         In the basement, standing behind Sara, were John and Hannah’s two daughters.
         Rachel, the oldest, reached for the microphone and pressed the microphone.
         “I love you, Daddy.”
         Now John lost it too.
         Through tears, he blubbered, “I love you too, sweetheart.”
         Tom got on the radio. He’d heard enough.
         “Bull. You guys came all the way here to save our butts. We’re not letting you leave empty handed.
         “I’m coming downstairs to unlock the gate. Then I’ll back away. You guys come in and secure the gate behind you. Then hang out in the feed barn while we get everything ready.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    -12-
     
         Before Tom opened up the gate, he took a thermos of iced tea and a few plastic cups to the feed barn.
         He