FIRE FROM
THE SKY:
ASHES
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FIRE FROM THE SKY: BOOK 11: ASHES
by N.C. REED
Published by Creative Texts Publishers
PO Box 50
Barto, PA 19504
www.creativetexts.com
Copyright 2020 by N.C. REED
All rights reserved
Cover photos used by license.
Design copyright 2020 Creative Texts Publishers, LLC
The Fire From the Sky Logo is a trademark of Creative Texts Publishers, LLC
This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.
The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual names, persons, businesses, and incidents is strictly coincidental. Locations are used only in the general sense and do not represent the real place in actuality.
Kindle Edition
FIRE FROM
THE SKY:
ASHES
N.C. Reed
For those gone ahead.
Until we see you again.
FOREWORD
There are always many people to thank who will never see their names on the cover of a book like this. People who have helped me make a book better, or more accurately, people who helped shape me from boyhood, and fostered the imagination that allows me to do this.
One man I think I have neglected is an English Lit teacher at Memphis State University that I had the privilege to learn from many, many years ago (yeah, I’m that old). William Robert Williams was an incredible teacher who fostered a student’s writing abilities like no other teacher I ever encountered, anywhere. While I had already started writing before I met him, the impression he left on me was such that I would go out of my way after that first semester to take any class he taught, or just to run in to him so I could speak with him. That’s odd behavior for me, to say the least. That was how much of an impression he left on me, and on many other students that he taught over the years. I doubt I will ever forget one day in class when I heard him calling my name rather loudly and snapped to attention only to find out that I had fallen asleep in class. He apologized for waking me but explained that my snoring was interfering with his ability to teach the class. (I had worked thirty-six hours of the past forty-eight and was at the end of my endurance. I was still in uniform, in fact, having come to class straight from work at the state prison in Memphis. Fun times, fun times.) Even when he had to embarrass me, he did it with a class and a style that no teacher I have had before or since managed to match. He taught me not only that I could write, but that I could do well at it. All I had to do was apply myself, and bleed on the page. To write as I lived.
Thank you, Mister Williams, wherever you may be now.
NC Reed
FIRE FROM THE SKY
Dramatis personae
The Sanders Family and Farm
Gordon Sanders – current patriarch of the Sanders family
Angela Sanders- wife of Gordon Sanders, mother of their three children
Robert Sanders – oldest son of Gordon and Angela
Patricia Sanders- wife of Robert Sanders, mother of their two children
Abigail Sanders – oldest child of Robert and Patricia
Samantha Walters – Abigail’s best friend, currently living with the Sanders
Gordy Sanders – youngest child of Robert and Patricia
Alicia Tillman – only daughter of Gordon and Angela, second child
Ronny Tillman – husband of Alicia Tillman, father of their three children
Leanne Tillman – oldest of twins by two minutes
Leon Tillman – youngest of twins by two minutes
Clayton ‘Fussy’ Tillman – newborn addition to the Tillman family
Clayton Sanders – youngest son and child of Gordon and Angela
Lainie Harper – Clayton’s girlfriend
Greg Holloway – childhood best friend of Clayton and Jake Sidell. Deputy Sheriff of Calhoun County, now lives with Gordon and Angela
Jake Sidell – childhood best friend of Clayton and Greg Holloway. Mechanic and business owner, now lives on the Sanders’ farm with his seven-year-old daughter Jacqueline (Jac)
Jacqueline Sidell – daughter of Jake Sidell with his late wife, Kaitlin
Members of Clay’s old unit
Jose Juarez – current second in command of Clayton’s security duties for the farm
Martina Sanchez – Jose’s fiancé
Roberto Sanchez – Son of Martina Sanchez, 8
Rae Sanchez – daughter of Martina Sanchez, 6
Jody Thompson – sniper for the group
Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Caudell – scout for the group
Cristina Caudell – Nate’s wife
Baby John Caudell – Nate and Cristina’s newborn son, less than a year old
Kaitlin Caudell – Nate’s older sister, and Registered Nurse
Nathan Caudell – Kaitlin’s son, 16
Stacy Pryor
Kevin Bodee
Tandi Maseo – medic
Ellen Kargay – Tandi’s girlfriend
Mitchell Nolan
Beverly Jackson – Mitchell’s girlfriend
Jonathon ‘JJ’ Jackson, Beverly’s son, 14
Xavier Adair
Friends of Gordy’s worked into the unit
Zach Willis
Titus Terry
Heath Kelly
Corey Reynard
Kurtis Montana (newly arrived with Shane’s group, but normally fitted with the other teens)
Amazon Squad (but don’t call them that)
Talia Gray
Kim Powers
Amanda Lowery
Danica Bennet
Freda Fletcher
Devon Knowles
Petra Shannon
Heather Patton
Eve Albert
Jena Waller
Mikki Reeves
Gail Knight
Savannah Hale
Carrie Jarrett
Eunice Maynard
Carol Kennard
Janessa Haynes
ORIGINAL HILLTOP COMMUNITY and other newcomers
Gary Meecham – gunsmith, sharpshooter, one of the group leaders
Dixie Jerrolds – schoolteacher
Ashton Jerrolds – Dixie Jerrold’s son, 7
Marcy George – ‘emancipated teenager’ 17
Samuel Webb – current ‘patriarch’ of the surviving Webb family members
Luke Webb – brother to Samuel
Seth Webb – Brother to Samuel – 16
Lila Webb – Sister to Samuel – 15
Daisy Webb – Widow of Micah Webb
Jasmine Webb – Widow of Matt Webb
Darrell Goodrum – blacksmith
Carlene Goodrum – wife of Darrell and mother of their three children
Anthony Goodrum – son, 16
Jamey Goodrum – son, 10
Cara Goodrum - daughter, 8
Victoria Tully – former National Guard member, EOD specialist
Byron ‘Brick’ House – friend of Leon the Elder w
ith murky past
Terri Hartwell – veterinarian student caught by the Storm, now part of the Sanders’ Farm
Olivia Haley – 17, classmate of Gordy’s, orphaned by Storm, now living with Gordon and Angela
Caroline – sister, 7
Libby – sister, 5
Amy Mitchell – rescued from attack soon after Storm
Lisa – daughter,9
Janice Hardy – 18, came with Lainie Harper, has an eidetic memory
Callie Weston – rescued from attack on the farm
Carl – son, 4
Tammy Denmark – rescued from attack on the farm
Diane – daughter, 3
New Members of Hilltop Community
Kandi Ledford – former 2nd Lt., U.S. Army
Sienna Newell – former 1st Lt., U.S. Army
Virgil Wilcox – former SSG, U.S. Army
Jaylyn Thatcher – surgeon, former Capt., U.S. Army
Roddy Thatcher – husband of Jaylyn, truck driver
Clifford Laramie – fuel truck driver
Moses Brown – butcher/meat cutter
Trudy Leighton – Shane Golden’s cousin
Gwen Paige – Trudy’s girlfriend
Millie Long – teen picked up by Shane’s group on the way east, now Leon Sanders girlfriend
Dottie Greer – husband James, truck driver, working when Storm hit, invited to live at farm
Helena – daughter,8
Quentin – son,7
Evelyn Lacey – soap maker
Jordan
Clem Pickett – Newly elected Mayor
Clint Dawson – Militia leader
Ben Draper – economic leader
Doreen Milligan – economic leader
Lewiston
Van Bronson – Deputy Sheriff
Marvin Seward – Mayor
Walter Goggin – Deputy Sheriff
National Guard Contingent
Major Andrew Whitten
Captain Lake Adcock
1st Lieutenant Triana Flores
2nd Lieutenant Faron Gillis
1st Sergeant Hewie Maxwell
Sergeant First Class Shaun Gleason
Staff Sergeant Lowell Martinson
Sergeant Ted Deering
Author’s Note: Those listed as part of the Hilltop Community may or may not actually be staying on the Hilltop at any given moment. All are listed with them as either those who arrived at the farm just before the disaster struck, or were invited to stay afterward, and are not part of the Sanders’ family group or extended family (or part of Clay’s old outfit at the Troy Farm). For instance, Brick and Janice live in Leon’s old house due to their connection to Leon but were not a part of the Sanders’ group beforehand.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
“Roy Lee, nobody cares about you making shine,” Greg Holloway said for the fifth time.
“Then why are you threatening me?” Roy Lee Fitz demanded.
“Nobody cares anymore that you make shine, Roy Lee,” Greg said patiently. “Nobody even cares anymore if you sell or trade the shit away. Feel free to open your little bar and sell good shine. No license or anything right now. Don’t know about the future, but I don’t make those sorts of decisions.”
“But this,” he indicated the setup that Fitz had running, “I care about. You know damn good and well you can’t run this through a radiator! You’ll be poisoning half the people in Calhoun within a week!”
“It ain’t killed nobody yet,” Fitz replied sourly.
“That you know about,” Greg amended. “There’s only one reason for you to have these strung together, and we both know it. You’re running whiskey through them because it’s faster than using a worm. You want to do that? Go right ahead. But if I hear of you selling one drop of it for anything but fuel, I will come back here and blow this barn, and you, clear up to Murfreesboro. You get that?”
“Fuel?” Fitz looked confused. “You mean like gas?”
“No, moron, like lighter fluid,” Greg shot back. “Of course, like gas, you idiot! Even if it’s poison to drink, it will still mix with gas or even diesel and make it stretch further. For that matter, I’ll buy it for the Sheriff’s Department to use in our vehicles, provided you want something I can give you in return. We can use it to stretch our fuel supply and keep you from blinding half the people in Juniper while we’re at it.”
“I ain’t never blinded nobody, neither,” Fitz said, just short of surly.
“That you know about,” Greg amended once again. “You’d never have done this when Leon was alive.”
“No, cause then he’d send that crazy ass grandson o’ his down here to beat me half to death and blow my shit up,” Fitz growled. “But ain’t he dead now?” he asked, less surly than before.
“Yeah, he is,” Greg sighed. “Died earlier this year. Hated to see it.”
“Me too,” Fitz agreed. “He was hard to deal with, but Leon was a good old man, and his word was as good as a bar o’ gold. We’ll miss him for sure.”
“Well, you can honor his memory by making sure no one drinks this shit,” Greg told him flatly. “I’m serious as a heart attack here, Roy. I got more than enough trouble on my plate without finding ten dead drunks killed by drinking lead laced moonshine. You want to open a bar and sell shine, you make it the right way or not at all. Hear?”
“I hear ya,” Roy nodded. “Just can’t make as much that way is all.”
“Then you’ll be able to charge more because there’s not much of it, right?” Greg smiled. “As for this,” he waved to the barn around them, “figure out what you want to keep making however much of this you can. So long as it’s high enough proof to burn in an engine, and again assuming we can make a deal, either I’ll buy it for myself, or let the Guard commander know that he can try to make a deal for it. You won’t lose anything that way. But remember what I said, because I’m not playing. I see one shot of this radiator fluid sold for whiskey and I’ve got a pound of C4 with your name on it. Now do we have an understanding, or do I need to go ahead and start laying explosives?”
“No, no, no,” Fitz raised his hands in supplication. “I can live with that. But I can’t make much more for right now. I don’t have the materials for it. Maybe we can work out some kind of a deal for that?” he scratched his jaw, whiskers bending under the pressure.
“Maybe we can,” Greg nodded. “Let me know what you need, and I’ll see if I can get it, but only for fuel. And then only if it will burn. Don’t try to sell me water or make me look bad by selling the Guard water, either.”
“I wouldn’t do that, man,” Fitz sounded hurt. “If I tell you I’ll do something, then I’ll do it. Just ‘cause I don’t like it don’t mean I won’t do it, Greg.”
“I’m counting on that, too,” Greg agreed. “Cause if I thought you’d lie to me I’d be setting charges in here right now. As it is, I’m taking a huge gamble on you. Don’t make me regret it.”
“I won’t, I swear,” Fitz raised a hand. “I didn’t think about trying to sell you high grain alcohol for fuel supplements. But what are we using for money nowadays?”
“Still working on that,” Greg admitted. “That’s why I asked about what you’d want in trade. I’m sure there’s something that you need or want, right? If
I can in good conscience give it to you, then I’ll make a deal with you for it. It looks like you’re right at a hundred gallons here.”
“Give or take,” Fitz nodded. “I don’t have exactly proper measurements until I bottle it up.”
“Well, save your bottles for the good stuff and just pump this into a tank,” Greg ordered. “Use an old farm tank for it, should be fine. I’ll get up here as soon as I can to get it, or else send someone else. Meanwhile you be thinking on what you need for it. And don’t make me come back up here because you’re selling this garbage like it’s the straight goods.”
“I already said I won’t, man,” Fitz sounded put upon. “I said it, then I’ll do it. Besides, you done gave me a whole new set of ideas,” the man grinned crookedly.
“I don’t know whether to be proud, or be scared,” Greg sighed, shaking his head as he walked back to his Hummer.
“You’ve had this trouble before?” Amanda Lowery asked, walking beside and a half-step behind him.
“Not like this,” Greg shook his head. “The Old Man used to ride herd on this kind of thing. With him gone, people like Roy Lee want to start cutting corners. Leon would never have stood for that.”
“We’re talking about Leon Sanders here, right?” Amanda wanted to verify that. “By which we are not referring to that cute kid in the radio room. Right?”
“Right,” Greg opened his door to step into the Hummer. Amanda climbed behind the wheel, having drawn the ‘official driver’ duty for the day.
“So, the elder Sanders was some kind of criminal tycoon, then?” Amanda asked, starting the Hummer even as Greg motioned to the MRAP behind them that they were leaving.
“Tycoon is stretching it I’d imagine,” Greg shrugged. “More of a godfather type. Made sure people toed the line and didn’t do anything stupid. Like, you know, running shine through old car radiators strung together on a barn wall.”
“And the ‘crazy ass grandson o’ his’ that our budding distillery owner mentioned?” Amanda asked once she had backed out of the drive and put them on the road.
“Now who do you think that would be?” Greg snorted.