Full Circle, Chapter Twenty Nine

They came into the house quietly. He should have heard them breaking through the front door, but he must have been sleeping deeply, or perhaps the pain of his injuries was getting to him, dulling his senses and reaction time. He was the man of the house now, the one in charge of listening for those creaks in the middle of the night, staying awake wondering if every door had been locked, and worrying about his mother and now Heather who needed him to protect them.

Quietly, the men in black carrying assault rifles fanned out inside the Green house, checking every room with military precision. A team ascended the stairs. Their leader silently flagged them with a hand wave giving the "go" signal.

The bedroom doors slammed opened simultaneously with echoing bangs.

The soldiers yelled fiercely and loudly as they blinded the rooms with bright flashlights. "Don't move! Hands up! Mother fuckers, move an iota and you're dead!" echoed from the hallway and in Jake's room.

Jake sat bolt up in bed reaching for his gun, suddenly awake. Terror resonated throughout his body. The bedding tightened around his legs, keeping him from slipping out of bed.

He couldn't move fast enough. His body was still stiff with pain, slowing his movement. Blinded by the bright lights, he couldn't see what to aim at. His gun was yanked forcefully from his hand. He heard it clatter as it skidded across the floor.

In the hallway, he heard the cries of his mother and Heather being dragged out of their beds and into the hallway. He had failed them, he hadn't been able to protect them.

Shock and terror gripped his body. Jake couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move, paralyzed by fear, pain and perhaps something else, he wasn't sure. All he knew was his body wasn't working.

A sinister voice called from the bedroom doorway. "Where's the package, Johnston Jacob Green?"

Johnston Green was his father. His father was dead. Wait, that was his name. No one ever called him that except his mother when she was mad.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Jake replied, his voice hoarse. He couldn't quite open his eyes, but wasn't sure if it was because he was so tired or because of the blinding searchlights.

The package. The nuclear bomb, now hidden just outside of Jericho. Only two people knew where it was at and only one that knew that he knew. Had someone seen them? Had they gotten to Robert Hawkins? Had the military finally figured out that he knew more than he was letting on? Panic hit his gut.

"Encourage him to talk." The voice ordered.

Jake saw sparks as a rifle butt cracked across his face. His head was wrenched to the side and his cheek felt like it had been broken. Blinding pain filled his head and his skull and jaw ached fiercely. But the pain was stronger in his chest. A tightening of his chest made it hard to breathe. Had he been shot? Memories of falling backward and down into the mud drifted across his mind, blue eyes full of surprise and horror meeting his.

"Just tell them, Jake." Another familiar voice said. This one he did recognize.

Jake looked up and saw Jonah being held between two of the soldiers, barely able to stand, his leg bandaged, blood, both new and dried, covering his leg.

"Jonah?" Jake asked, shocked. Jonah was dead, wasn't he?

"Tell them and protect my little girl. You gotta take care of her. You can't if you're dead." Jonah cried.

"Where's the bomb?" called the voice again. It sounded vaguely familiar. "We know you know where it is."

He clutched at the mattress with his hands. He now had a better view of the men. They wore uniforms that looked vaguely familiar. But it was the badge on the front of their vests that gave them away. Ravenwood.

"Think of Emily, Jake." Jonah pleaded, regaining his attention.

Emily's tear-filled face flashed in his mind, but was quickly replaced by visage of Heather. Heather needed him. He had to protect her, his mother and all of Jericho. But he had promised Hawkins as well. He gambled, his hoarse voice betraying his fear, something Rob had been trying to teach him to hide. "I don't know!"

It was suddenly very hot in his room and he couldn't breathe. But he could see the breath of the soldiers in the room as if it were freezing. He couldn't tell them where it is, no matter what Robert Hawkins had told him, not even if his life depended on it. They had killed everyone who knew about the plot and bombs thus far, including their families. That's what Hawkins had told him and he had taken his own family out of reach to protect them. Had Jake been naive in thinking his own family, his mother, brother and now, Heather, would be safe despite all the things he was up to, despite all the things he and Hawkins were planning?

"Lies." The voice echoed. "Kill the mother."

"NO!" Jake screamed. He tried to get off the bed but the bedding was still tangled around his legs. Three rifles were thrust in his face, stopping him from moving.

"No, please!" he heard his mother out in the hallway.

"Mom!" he yelled, struggling to get out of the bed. Cold hands pushed him back.

Hawkins had shown him the pictures of the murders of the families who knew about the terrorist plot. Was this how they had done it? In the dead of night?

Gunshots rang out from the hall followed by a loud thump. His mother's body hitting the floor. Heather screamed and began crying loudly. "Oh my God, oh my God! Let me go, please!"

He had never heard Heather so anguished before He could hear her sobs. His heart broke and Jake still couldn't breathe.

"God, please, I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Jake pleaded. How could they shoot his mother? She had never hurt anyone.

"We know you do. You're going to tell us or the other one dies too. She's important to you, isn't she? Rather pretty." Jake looked up and instantly recognized the face of the man who had been talking. Beard, piercing blue eyes. It was Goetz, the one who killed those people at the hospital and had come to Jericho to steal their food and fuel. The one who had threatened that he would be back.

Jake glanced over and saw Heather huddled in the doorway, being held by two soldiers, their gloved hands holding her pale arms left bare by her summer nightgown. His Heather, normally calm and so sweet and innocent. He had worked so hard to protect and shelter her but it hadn't been enough. Somehow, the military had found out about how much she meant to him. Tears streamed down her face and there was a look of absolute terror on her pale face. No, she's not important, he wanted to say. That's what I've been telling you all this time. She's just a friend. But he knew that was a lie. Heather had become the world to him, Jericho and the love of his life all tied up in one. His heart pounded.

"Maybe I'll let my men have some fun with her first." Goetz sneered. There was a cough and a couple chuckles about the room.

One of the soldiers holding Heather held a handgun, the barrel aimed at Heather's head. He heard the click of the handgun being made ready to shoot. It echoed menacingly around the room.

"Jake, please!" Heather pleaded, sobbing and shaking. Somehow, he didn't think Heather would break down that easy and it terrified him. She was so innocent to violence. She had always been so strong. "Just tell them what they want. God, I don't want to die."

"Tell them, Jake!" Jonah begged. His leg wound was bleeding through his bandage, his face pale, blue eyes dark and sad as they stared at him. He looked like he could collapse any moment, yet two soldiers were doing their best to keep him upright.

But Jonah was dead, Jake reminded himself. Jake closed his eyes.

The fate of the country rested in his answer. If they got the bomb, they could use it anywhere. They could cover their tracks of what they had done and who may have been responsible. They would get away with the biggest crime in the world. Then all the work he and Hawkins were doing would be for nothing. All those who had died.. .their deaths would be meaningless. But the look in Heather's eyes stirred his heart. Maybe he could stop them, delay them somehow, give him some time to think and plan, wasn't that what Hawkins was trying to teach him? Patience, watch, listen, learn, look for alternatives...

"All right, all right," he relented, opening his eyes. "I'll tell-"

"You took too long." Goetz interrupted him. He nodded at the soldiers holding Heather. "Shoot her!"

The soldier holding Heather didn't even hesitate as he pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing loudly with a bang. Too many guns lately, too much blood, too many deaths...

"Heather!" Jake screamed scrambling toward her as he saw her body crumple. But his legs were tangled in the bed sheets and bright lights blazed in his face, rifles prodding him hard in the chest. The look of surprise and terror left her face as she dropped to the floor, eyes closing forever...


Light flooded his bedroom, soft warm light from overhead. Jake sat straight up, eyes whipping around the room, looking for the soldiers and Goetz, his hands clenching in fear and rage.

"Jake?" Heather was beside him, her arms going around his shoulders as he sat up in his bed, shaking.

The sheet on his bed was wrapped around his legs and his body was soaked with sweat, including the bandages still snugly wrapped around his chest. The windows of his bedroom were still open letting in the cool, summer night air. He could hear the sounds of the crickets chirping, but no other sounds other than the pounding of his heart and his staggered breathing. The quiet of the room, the still of the night, the emptiness hit him all at once. Reality began to take hold around him.

"Heather?" Jake whispered, glancing up at her, blinking at the brightness of the overhead light. His pulse was racing and he struggled to breathe. Images from his nightmare pounded through his mind. He grabbed her arm where it crossed in front of his chest, feeling the solidness of her flesh, gripping it hard as he tried to convince himself that she was indeed real. The image of her body hitting the floor flashed before his eyes. "God, they killed you!"

Heather looked and felt alive and well, but her face was lined with worry. Her voice was soft and strong. "Sssh, Jake, I'm here. It was just a bad dream."

He was gripping her arm hard enough to leave marks, so he slowly released it, closing his eyes as images from the nightmare continued to flash through his mind. Goetz's sinister, unrelenting voice, the sound of his mother's body dropping to the floor, Jonah pleading with him, Heather crying...

Breathe in, breathe out, Jake told himself, willing away the lingering panic from his body and mind. His ribs throbbed with pain with every heartbeat and every breath. His head pounded with a fierce headache, his jaw almost aching from the imagined blow from the rifle. It was just a nightmare, he reminded himself. Just a dream. With the charter, the meetings and rapid training sessions with Hawkins, the raid on Jonah's, Jonah dying, Emily angry with him, and all the secrets he was learning about and keeping from the Cheyenne government, he realized he had been holding it so tightly up inside him that it should be no surprise that the stress was getting to him. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain it caused, then let it out slowly.

Heather's soft hands stroked his hair as she knelt beside him on the bed. He leaned into her, relishing her familiar softness and the warmth of her body from sleep. They had shot her in his dream, killed her for how much she meant to him, for him knowing about the bomb and more. The nuclear bomb was still hidden. Only he and and Hawkins knew where it was. And for that, they were going to kill his mother... and Heather.

Jake scooped Heather up into his arms, pulling her across his lap, holding her tight against him, not caring that he was hot and sweaty, nor that his injured ribs were throbbing and protesting at the abuse. He needed to feel her familiar softness, to feel the strong beat of her heart, the steadiness of her breathing. He buried his face into her hair, inhaling her soft scent, smelling and feeling her warmth, the smell and feel of sleep still lingering around her. He felt her body tense in reaction to the suddenness of his move but slowly relax against him, her arms wrapping around his neck, her lips kissing his brow. Jake closed his eyes and she kissed his eyelids and down to his mouth and he kissed her for all he was worth, harder than he should have, but he needed to taste her, to feel her, to know that she was alive.

Reality came back as he felt a shiver run through Heather's body and he felt the coolness of the room around them and against his skin, suddenly aware that it wasn't exactly a warm summer night and all his windows were still open. She was above the sheet only wearing her nightgown, her bare shapely legs across his lap, though her body was warm against him. He wondered if she was cold or just responding to him. Unsure, he broke off the kiss,. Jake looked at Heather, meeting her eyes. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Are you all right?" She laid her head against his shoulder. Her hand softly stroked his chest right over his heart and just above his bandage.

"I am now." Jake replied, his heart still pounding, but now not just from his nightmare.

"Want to talk about it?" Heather asked, her breath warm against his neck.

Stroking her hair, Jake shook his head as he murmured. "No."

But he couldn't tell her, not now, if ever. He needed to protect her, and his mother and brother and all of Jericho from what he knew; the dangers, the horrors, the way this Cheyenne government was overtaking the West. That a group of people who may be involved in this current government was likely involved in the overall terrorist plot to destroy the United States was terrifying. They were people with power, too much power, that could heartlessly kill millions of people and bring a country to its knees like they already had. They had likely launched nuclear bombs against other countries. What more damage could they do with another nuclear bomb in their hands? They could easily snuff out the Eastern government. They could demand access to the rest of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and use it against other countries. The importance of what he and Hawkins were doing hit him anew, and made him realize that just knowing what he did was dangerous enough. People had died for what he now knew. They were after Rob Hawkins now.

The small matters and problems of Jericho seemed minute compared to the bigger picture of what had happened to the United States and finding those responsible for it. But he also needed to know that his hometown was safe and taken care of, especially when they couldn't count on anyone else to help them. Rob had already told him that this government was using its power and influence to take over towns and farms with the excuse of restoring power and order, then starting to recruit people for their new government and army, those who wouldn't ask too many questions but just be glad to have order restored. Control the food and utilities, maintain order and limit information and people were more likely to not worry abut the bigger picture of what you were doing. Or if they did, soon it would be too late, as the news from the Underground was telling them. The Cheyenne government was moving fast to reinforce bases and set up new ones along the Mississippi River to keep the Eastern government out. The pubic news was still calling the Eastern government, the former government of the United States, responsible for the bombs and telling everyone that they were going to do better protecting those in the West who were a part of this new government. It was quickly turning into a propaganda war, though there had been little actual skirmishes thus far, but Rob was sure it was only a matter of time before real battles broke out, the scale of which the world hadn't seen, that the United States hadn't seen, since the Civil War, since World War Two, or if ever if one considered the modern technologies and devices of warfare that each side now had access to. Now, they were also working on recruiting men for their military and contracting companies, a move that left him cold with worry.

He need to make sure Jericho was back on his feet and a big part of that was the charter. Jake had spent long hours yesterday going over the charter proposal and rules, making sure there hadn't been anything else they had missed. He had been afraid to think what would happen if the charter didn't pass. It was something he had talked to Eric about, his pessimism often getting the best of him. They would have to hope and pray that they would be able to keep order, plant crops and get them harvested, and set up some sort of trade with other towns and manage the demands the Cheyenne government was asking of them while more people left town with the promises of jobs in Cheyenne and with the new government. It had to pass, that was all there was to it. His pessimism was worrying him however. Jericho had been through a lot in the past months. Could they come through to pass the charter?

"It must have been bad, Jake." The tone of Heather's voice was still questioning, silently asking him to talk more. It broke him out of his reverie of worry.

He nuzzled her hair, inhaling the soft lingering scent of her homemade shampoo. He had had nightmares before, usually about the night Chris died, his time in Iraq and when he had killed the Iraqi girl, but it had been a long time since he had had one. Usually he was the one comforting Heather after her nightmares. But he didn't want to scare her with what it had been about. So he lied, glad that she was still tucked against him and couldn't see his face and how terrified he still was. "I don't remember most of it now."

"Nightmares can be funny like that." Heather replied, though he wasn't sure she sounded convinced.

He decided to not dwell on it for now and opted for his usual tactic of changing the subject. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay. I owe you a few." Heather ran a hand down his arm and he felt the slickness from his sweat at her touch.

"Now we'll both need a shower." He chuckled, feeling the stickiness from their bodies being pressed together. The idea that this would be what it felt like if they had just had sex flashed through his mind. He liked the feel of her body against him in his bed. And his body did too.

"You've been under a lot of stress lately. The charter vote tomorrow and what happened with Jonah and getting shot probably made it worse." Heather tried to explain his nightmare away for him.

"That's probably what it is." Though Jake didn't want to think about the dream and how close to reality it could come. He had a feeling that keeping all the secrets was also tearing him up inside. He tried to not think about them too much, but his sub-conscious was trying to remind him, no doubt.

Heather glanced up at him, studying his face. She still looked worried, so he bent his head down to kiss her softly, letting his hand stroke down her shoulder and back while the other explored up her thigh, feeling warm, silky skin beneath his touch. She was so light and small in his lap, fitting perfectly against him, his body responding and reminding him that there were barely any layers between them. He wanted her right there, wanted to bury himself within her and hear the sound of her passion as he took them both to the brink and past it. But the image of her crumpling body and pale, horrified face wouldn't leave his mind. His heart still unsettled, Jake slowly broke off the kiss. With his ribs restricting his movement, he needed a distraction other than Heather.

"I need to take a shower." Jake decided, staring at her with hooded eyes.

"Want company?" Heather suggested in a husky voice.

He laughed, wondering if she had just read his mind, thinking about how it would feel to shower together. He longed to see her without clothes, though he had seen the top half already and loved every inch that he had seen. Her nightgown barely covered enough and made his imagination run wild, especially when he could feel all her wonderful curves and soft warmth against him. He smirked down at her. "I don't think showering would be all we would do."

"True." They were still taking it slow, but he loved this little game they played in the meantime. It kept him interested and looking forward to when they actually were ready for the final act. "And at least one of us is supposed to work tomorrow."

She gave him a quizzical look, a classic Heather look where she tilted her head and had a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. Heather added. "But maybe I'll play hooky again."

Jake had been ordered to take a week off to let his ribs heal but with the charter vote tomorrow, he knew he couldn't stay at home for long, despite being forced to for the past couple of days. Heather had stayed with him yesterday, babying him and making sure he stayed in bed and was not bothered much except for when Emily had stopped by. After that, Heather had been aloof with him even while they watched movies together late into the night, but he figured it was because he had been a terrible patient, driving her nuts all day. He hated sitting still and being useless, even for a day. There was too much to be done with the charter vote tomorrow but he had been overruled from leaving his room until after dinner by both his mother and Heather. Maybe he could stay home again tomorrow and spend time with Heather, something he hadn't much time for lately.

"Go take a shower and I'll remake your bed for you." Heather affectionately rumpled his hair. "Then we'll fix those bandages of yours."

Jake sighed as Heather slid off his lap. He felt the loss from her moving away from. Slowly, he staggered to his feet to head to the bathroom. It was a painful process with his chest hurting so bad. He felt the pain and tension throughout his body. He gritted his teeth and wish he had some pain pills.

He paused at the door to look back at Heather. She looked beautiful and right at home sitting in the middle of his bed. Her hair was mussed from sleep, her nightgown barely covering her, her legs tucked up beneath her, her blue gray eyes sparkling up at him. Heather was alive and well. He locked the image in his mind.

As he headed into the bathroom , he was reminded that now more than ever, he needed to protect Heather. The nightmare was a harsh reminder. Those who knew about the bomb had been killed, their family members murdered along with them. He had told Lt. Robbins and others at the outpost that he didn't have any romantic ties. It was difficult, especially when he saw the way that other men looked at Heather, the way the soldiers talked about the women of Jericho, the way Dr. Kenshy had teased him about Heather. It was getting harder and harder to keep their relationship quiet and he knew that Heather wasn't happy about it either. He saw the looks of disappointment and confusion from her more and more lately, as hard as he tried to ignore them. But he also needed her trust that he was doing this for her own protection.

Even now that Jonah was taken care of, his stress level was far from decreasing. All the things he had been avoiding thinking about for the past week suddenly came flooding back... his distrust of this federal government, the ongoing crime in and around Jericho, the news Emily had brought today about the military movements, the fact that he had a nuclear bomb just outside of Jericho...

Clean from his shower, Heather expertly rewrapped his bandages before kissing him softly, wishing him sweet dreams and heading off to her own bed. Despite the clean bed Heather had prepared for him, it was a long time before Jake fell back asleep.


"Johnston Jacob Green, Junior, just where do you think you're going?" Gail Green called from kitchen doorway as Jake reached for the front door. Hearing his full name from his mother was enough to make him stop in his tracks, but it also reminded him of his nightmare from last night. He groaned and put on his best 'I am being a good boy' look for his mother as he turned toward her.

"The horses need checked." He replied, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. It had taken him nearly twenty minutes to get himself dressed. Putting on his shoes had taken most of that time, as bending over was agonizing. He had taken the time to shave at least, wanting to be presentable today of all days. It was nearly nine o'clock and Heather was already up and gone. He figured she had gone to work at the turbine plant after all. He had heard his mother working in the kitchen and was hoping to slip out the front door before she noticed. He wanted to check the horses and make sure there wasn't any signal from Hawkins. They were overdue for another meeting and his nightmare last night had increased his anxiety ten-fold about what they were up to. Then he planned to head to City Hall and stop in at a few of the local gathering spots in town to talk about the charter and encourage people to vote. He couldn't let his injuries slow him down, not today, not after spending the last two days at home.

Drying her hands on a towel, Gail walked up to him and put a hand on his arm, pulling him away from the door. "Heather and Eric already went and should be back in time for breakfast."

"And I need to go and talk to people about the charter before they vote-" he added, shrugging out of his mother's grasp.

"You've done more than enough. If people haven't made up their minds on how they are going to vote by now, you're not going to convince them."

Memories from his past assaulted him, stabbing his chest with renewed grief. It was something Jake had heard his mother tell his father every election day. It was eerie hearing it aimed at him. As he often did, he wondered what his father would have thought about the charter and what Jake was doing to save Jericho.

"And you're in no shape to be out walking around yet." Gail gave him a cursory look and he attempted to stand up a bit straighter to prove her wrong,. Jake inhaled sharply as his ribs protested with pain. His entire body was stiff and he hadn't wanted to take the time to shower again, even to help him loosen up some, especially since he had taken a shower just a few hours ago.

"And I still need to go and cast my vote." He was running out of excuses. He hated sitting around in bed when there was so much work to be done. His body still throbbed with pain and his head pounded from a headache. But they had opened City Hall for voting at seven o'clock and he might still have time to talk to people before they voted, be there to answer any last minute questions and be a positive influence while they voted.

"You can do it later when we all go together." His mother said. "And if you don't go sit down at the table right now, I won't vote for this charter of yours."

Jake had to chuckle at that, but even that caused him pain. Sighing, he knew he wouldn't talk his way out of this one. He relented. "All right. But we go as soon as Heather is back."

"After breakfast," Gail corrected.

"What's for breakfast?" Jake asked.

"The usual."

Which meant eggs. Always more and more eggs.

"And pancakes." She added with a twisted smile. It was good to see his mother smile again.

Now that got his attention. They must have gotten some of the winter wheat harvested and milled finally. They had been running low on flour for the last couple of weeks, but fortunately they had fruit and vegetables coming into season as well as some chicken to help make up for it. Though they usually ate a light lunch and dinner, his mother tried to make sure they usually had a good breakfast, especially when Eric came to join them. Mary was an even worse morning person than he was and only joined them for breakfast on Sundays for brunch.

He was halfway through his second stack of pancakes when Heather and Eric walked in the front door. Heather was laughing at something his brother said and he felt a stab of jealousy. He should have been the one walking with her out to the ranch and back.

"Hey you!" Heather kissed him on the cheek as she walked passed on the way to the kitchen, smiling in her bubbly-personality way. She was slightly out of breath and looked adorable in jeans and a low cut summer top. That was one thing he loved about Heather. She dressed in comfortable yet often cute clothes and didn't obsess about how she looked or what she was wearing. But she could easily look sexy and beautiful in a dress like her bridesmaid dress at Stanley's wedding or the dresses she wore to church each Sunday. "Feeling better?"

Though after eating, he was feeling a little better. He found her good mood addictive . "Little bit."

He heard Eric and Heather grabbing dishes in the kitchen and making small talk with his mother. A minute later, both came into the dining room to join him at the table. Gail trailed behind them carrying a big plate of pancakes, another of eggs and small bowl of cherries and strawberries. Heather sat down to next to him, giving his leg an affectionate squeeze under the table and he nearly dropped his fork, all too aware of what her touch did to him.

"We found this tied to the barn door." Eric pulled a red handkerchief from his jeans pocket and dropped it on the table as he sat down across from him. He gave Jake a hard, questioning look. "Any idea why it was there?"

Jake froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. Usually Jake was the one going out to take care of the horses for this very reason. He knew what the handkerchief meant. Good, Hawkins wanted to meet, but bad, this wasn't exactly a good time.

"Yeah." He reluctantly confessed. Eric, Heather and Gail now were all staring curiously at him. They had to find out sometime. He couldn't always be the one out taking care of the horses as he had for the past several months. Usually, he walked Heather to the plant and went out to the ranch before heading out to the military outpost. Sometimes Heather joined him, but not always. His schedule had been thrown off by being laid up in bed today. Jake ran a hand down his face, not daring to look at any of them. "It means I have to go tomorrow."

"One of your trips?" Eric asked, serving himself several of the pancakes, glancing at Jake suspiciously.

"So that's why it's been there." Heather commented. She had been with him the last time he had come across the handkerchief and he had tried to act like it meant nothing.

Jake glanced up and saw the disappointed look on Heather's face. His heart ached at the sight. But his nightmare came back to him, reinforcing his need to protect her and not get her involved with what he was up to. She was watching him carefully as if wanting to ask him something, but then glanced down at her food instead. He wondered if he was asking too much from her to keep trusting him. Their relationship was the single best part of his life right now. Her innocence and goodness were his strength. They were usually so open about what was going on, but this was too much. It was his problem and his mission and part of that was protecting her, especially from the evil and truth of what was really going on and had happened.

Eric reached for the syrup and paused to glare at him. "Want to tell me what's this about? Like who is leaving this on the door-"

"No, I don't." Jake interrupted his brother and feigned an intense interest in his food, feeling the awkwardness that he had just caused. It was a lot harder to not tell your own family what you were up to. But he had to, for their own protection. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"But you are meeting with someone on these trips? Not just looking for Hawkins as you're telling the military?" Eric continued.

"Yeah." Jake saw Heather eying him oddly but she didn't say anything. His mother finally sat down at the table and served herself some food at last. She looked concerned as well. Jake didn't like having all the attention on him. So he added belatedly, not daring to look at any of them. "Contacts for gangs."

Eric sighed at him. "Jake, they are getting suspicious. Lt. Brady has been asking a lot of questions, especially about anyone acting strange and Gray mentioned that you were taking these trips out of town and wondered what work you were doing for the military still and-"

"Is everything set up for the vote today?" Jake interrupted again, deliberately changing the subject but eying their mother so that Eric hopefully got the hint. He wondered when Eric and Lt. Brady and Gray had been talking about him. Maybe in last Friday's meeting which he had missed while working at the outpost preparing for the raid. He had been missing a number of the meetings lately. They met every Tuesday and Friday morning with the military liaison, though they had canceled today's meeting due to the charter vote today. He knew the military was still trying to follow the trail of Hawkins, even searching neighboring towns. But they had recently turned back to asking residents of Jericho again for more details about Hawkins, and Jake's name kept coming up as someone who had worked with Robert Hawkins more than others.

"Yeah, we're good." Eric caught his glance and answered. "There was already a line when I went by City Hall this morning. Most of the farm families getting an early start."

"Good, let's hope that a good turnout works in our favor." Jake said, not missing a beat. He had missed being able to help set up yesterday for the vote today due to his injuries. This was his baby and he should have been there. But Dr. Kenshy had ordered bed rest and his mother had taken that literally. And he had been outnumbered when Heather had sided with his mother.

The rest of breakfast, he was successful in keeping the conversation about the charter and what their next steps would be if it did indeed pass. Eric offered to take Mary and a few others who had been supporting the charter to go out and talk to people to encourage them to vote. It reminded Jake of the days when their father had been running for mayor and he and Eric had gone out early on election day morning to plant a hundred 'Green for Mayor' signs all over the routes to the polling places.

Eric waited until Heather and Gail took the dishes back to the kitchen. Jake heard the sound of running water and the two women talking, enough to cover up the sound of Eric's lowered voice. "So you have to go tomorrow? This really isn't a good time with the vote today. And you're still hurt."

"I know, but I don't really have a choice." He really didn't want to go either. Hours on horseback didn't sound too appealing with his aching ribs. Maybe Hawkins would still have some morphine or other pain medication on him. He would have to take along extra bandages and learn how to wrap up his injuries himself. Despite his eagerness to talk to Hawkins, especially after what had happened with Jonah, this really wasn't a good time. He was hoping to have another week to see the charter voted on and complete his debriefing on what had happened with Jonah and maybe see if he could press Colonel Hoffman on that promised job with the government.

"Still not going to tell me what you're really up to?"

Jake shook his head.

His brother stared at him. "All right, but just be careful. They are going be suspicious, especially now that Jonah is gone and most of the other gangs have been taken care of."

"Just tell them I'm tracking down a few more gangs, people who used to trade with Jonah." Jake requested. "And, that I have a solid lead on Hawkins."

"And do you?"

"I have a pretty good idea on where I can find him. He seems to always keep a few steps ahead of me, like he knows I'm looking for him." Jake hoped to slip this passed his brother.

"If you really are looking for him." Eric raised his eyebrows in a way that suggested that his lying might not be working. "You know, everyone's talking about how you took out Jonah now that Gray passed on the news officially. The firemen have been telling some wild tales about what they saw and what the soldiers said how you saved one of them. I think you've regained your hero status again."

Knowing Jonah died, Jake didn't feel like he earned that status, especially since he hadn't been able to keep any of the Jericho men from being sent away. Jonah Prowse was the villain of Jericho, even more-so since the bombs had gone off and people were still convinced that he had been the once that killed Gracie Leigh. He worried about what kind of impact this would have on Emily, however.

"Might even help with the vote." Eric added.

Jake sighed. The loss of Jonah was hitting him hard. Not quite as bad as his own father, but Jonah had been like a father to him in many ways, helping him build his confidence in himself, teaching him to fight, to work on cars and other things that his own father had never had time to. The grief in Emily's eyes was a brutal reminder that maybe he was pushing for this too hard. How heavy of a price would he and others pay in his attempt to stop this government and find those responsible for the bombs?

An hour later, all of them walked to City Hall to cast their votes together. When they arrived, the place was packed, but the line for voting was moving quickly. It was pretty easy to vote Yes, No, or No Vote. Mary was already up and working at the end of the line, giving people instructions and answering questions. She greeted Eric with a kiss and gave Jake a gentle hug and agreed to go out and talk to people with Eric after he voted. Jake saw Dale Turner and Skylar Stevens in line ahead of them.

Several people stopped to talk to him while they were waiting, commenting about the charter and whether the rumor that Jonah Prowse was really dead was true and that Jake had been shot. He answered their questions as best as he could until his mother started giving people a look when they tried to come up to him. Heather stood near him, giving him a shoulder to lean on when his ribs started to ache from trying to not look like he was in pain. They paused only to talk to Stanley and Mimi as they left City Hall. He couldn't ever remember seeing his friend Stanley so happy. Marriage was obviously treating him well. It made him realize that he was still missing something from his life, but as he glanced at Heather as she chatted with Mimi, he had a good feeling that he was on the right track to fixing that.

It was late that night when the knock came on the front door. Gail had made Jake come straight home after voting and wouldn't let him out of the house. Heather had decided to stay home and keep him company for the rest of the day and they had spent most of the day trying to distract themselves with board games, crossword puzzles and watching Titanic for the fifth time. Jake had been on the couch, with Heather beside him, both pretending to read their books. Gail was in the nearby recliner working on mending one of his father's old shirts to be donated to the redistribution center at the church. Gail and Heather looked at each other as if debating who was going to get up to answer the door. But the door opened instead and Eric entered.

Eric just stared at them from the foyer. Jake couldn't figure out his expression.

The suspense hung in the air. How many times in the past had they waited here in the living room together for their father's election results to come in?

"Well?" Gail asked at last.

They all stared at Eric. Jake held his breath.

"It passed!" Eric exclaimed, a joyous expression breaking over his face. He waved a piece of paper on the air before reading off it. "72 percent for, 26 percent against, and 2 percent no votes."

"Yes!" Heather turned and gave Jake a big hug, knocking the air of his lungs as his ribs protested.

Jake hugged her gently back before pushing her away enough to ease the pain in his ribs. But the thrill in his heart made the pain seem minimal. His charter had passed! All their hard work was finally paying off. Hope swelled up in his chest. Heather kissed him softly in congratulations.

"Thank God." Gail stood up to give Eric a big hug. This had been Eric's project as much as Jake's. Eric looked more pleased than Jake had seen him in a long time.

"There was a pretty big crowd there to hear the results." Eric reported as he took a seat in the recliner Gail had been sitting in. Their mother sat on the arm of the chair next to him. "And a lot of cheers when Gray read off the results. A big crowd is at Bailey's celebrating. Drinks on the house, of course, but soon that will be changing."

"So we'll need to have everyone sign the agreement then?" Heather asked as she settled back down next to Jake.

"Yeah," Eric replied, but he glanced at his piece of paper. Jake could see hastily scribbled notes on it that looked like his brother's handwriting. "But Dale Turner and a list of others here have said they aren't going to sign."

"Do they know what that means?" Jake asked, suddenly worrying. He sat up a bit straighter, concerned.

"Yeah, we have that form all ready to sign." Eric answered, looking disappointed.

They weren't sure of all the legalities in what they were doing, but Eric had done a bit of research into it and drafted up a reasonable document that would hopefully protect the government of Jericho from those not participating in the charter. Anyone not agreeing with the charter would have to sign a form declining their participation in the charter and accepting the responsibilities that entailed. Jake wasn't sure it would stand up in court, but they didn't really have any working courts other than in Cheyenne that he knew of. But at least it was something that might protect them from being held accountable if they had to deny services for those who didn't participate. Basically, any services that those not signing the charter wanted, they would have to pay at the going rate that the trading council decided on, which was likely to be quite costly. And that included emergency services, fuel, power, gas, medical care, and food. They wouldn't be denied emergency care and would have to pay later but emergency services would be prioritized for those in the charter.

"But won't Skylar be required to sign the charter because of the mine? And Dale because of the store?" Heather inquired.

Shareholders in businesses had to go with with the majority decision or had to vote on it. Though Dale owned Gracie Leighs, it would be hard to be such a vital part of the town, still used for for trading, and not be part of the charter. Dale hadn't been running the store lately since he was spending most of his time out on his farms.

Eric answered. "Skylar, yes since she only owns part of the mine. But Dale said he was going to turn over the running of Gracie Leigh's to the refugee, Dale Hanson, that's been running it for him."

Jake hated that he had to miss everything today. He may have been able to talk some sense into Dale and the others. "Who else didn't sign?"

Eric rattled off a list of names from his paper. Most of them were farmers just outside of Jericho, though there were a few business owners in town as well. None of them were any of the biggest farms in Jericho, however. The loss of the farms and businesses was a disappointment. Most of them were the smaller farms and businesses who probably had more to gain from trading outside. He noticed that a few of the farmers were ones located near Dale Turner's farms. He wondered if that had had any part in their decision. But the important farms, the big wheat and grain farms, the egg and poultry farm, several livestock farms, the dairy farms and the larger vegetable and fruit farms were not on the list. Nor were many of the major businesses in town, including the mine, sawmill, quarry and the plant, which Heather and Ted had been given temporary ownership of but had let their workers vote as if shareholders. Relief and elation flooded through Jake. They would now have a better chance of getting the labor they needed to help with the farms as well as keep the town services up and running. They could remain independent and not as reliant on the government.

"And Heather, a few people were asking about working in the plant, especially once we posted the rates." Eric told Heather. The rates for working in the plant were quite good, especially since Heather and Ted had promised to start producing metal products in addition to the wind turbines and windmill generators. They had even got some questions from other towns on what kind of goods they could provide, in addition to wind turbines.

"That would be good. We can definitely use the help." Heather held Jake's hand and he could feel her trembling with excitement next to him. She was just as happy as he was and this had been his baby.

Jake knew that were pretty close to finishing their first wind turbine at the plant. They could have made them quickly, but had wanted to try and get their assembly line up and working enough to be able to keep manufacturing working over the long term. They were also starting to produce the wind mill generators for the farms and had promised them on a first come, first serve basis to anyone signing the charter. But progress in the plant was slow as they had been hurting for manpower since they weren't getting paid for the work. Maybe now that would change.

The charter had passed. He was thrilled and had the people here that shared in his pride, except for one person. Jake struggled to his feet, not an easy task when your ribs were killing you. "I need to go."

"Go where?" Heather asked as she climbed to her feet next to him. She helped him stand the rest of the way up. His mother was also giving him that look. Even Eric looked worried.

"I want to go tell Dad the news." Jake said, looking at his mother.

Gail smiled.

He had gone to his father's grave several times in recent weeks to talk to him. Just the thought of knowing his father might be out there listening had brought him comfort. With everything that had been going on in the past months, he had found himself missing his father more than he had ever imagined. He was talking to his father more now than he ever did when he was alive.

"Can't that wait until tomorrow?" Eric asked, checking his watch. "It's nearly ten."

"I gotta leave early tomorrow." Jake replied, but quickly added,. "Besides, I've been cooped up all day and could use the fresh air."

"I'll come with you." Heather offered, but she hesitated. "If you want, that is."

Jake nodded and smiled at her, glad to have her company. Heather and his mother had come with him to the cemetery several times, bringing flowers. He knew his mother came up at least once a week to visit his father's and April's graves.

"Then at least take flashlights." His mother said, thankfully not objecting. "And walk slow. You really should be taking it easy with those ribs of yours." Gail looked at Heather expectantly, no doubt trusting Heather to help keep him in check.

As he stood hand in hand with Heather in front of his father's grave, Jake looked out into the distance. They had turned off their flashlights, using starlight and moonlight to guide their way, just as Hawkins had been trying to teach him. His eyes had long ago adjusted to the dark as soon as they left the outskirts of town. The sliver of a moon was setting in the west and the sky was full of stars. There were a handful of visible lights coming from Jericho at this hour. It looked so different now without so many lights. They only lit the bare minimum of streetlights in order to save power. It looked peaceful and calm, but the gun tucked into the back of his jeans was a cold reminder that things were far from peaceful nowadays.

He had talked to his father as Heather placed silk flowers from his mother in the pot at the headstone. Johnston Jacob Green Senior, it read. It was the name he shared with his father and he had never felt more honored to share that name than he was now. He could barely make out the lettering in the dark. There were several United States flags still planted on either side of the grave, fluttering gently in the light breeze. Grass had started to grow over the grave reminding him that it had been months since his father had died. He missed his father, now more than ever. As tangible as the pain in his bruised ribs, the loss of his father was equally painful. They could have used Johnston Green's wisdom and leadership in the past several months. Though they were still getting by in Jericho, Jake knew that it was just barely. Hopefully the charter would change that. He wondered what his father would have thought about the charter. He could almost hear his father's words again. 'I'm proud of you,' his father had said as he lay dying. Years ago, his father had said that one day, Jake would be the man his father knew he could be. The words came back to him and he felt a shiver run through him as if his father's spirit was touching him again. Could he be that man, he wondered to himself? Had his father really known him that well? Or would Jake just screw everything up again. He sighed heavily, feeling the immensity of everything he was doing; the secrets he was keeping and the challenges still yet ahead.

"Holding up okay?" Heather whispered as she stood next to him. Why people talked quietly in a cemetery, Jake wasn't sure other than the superstition of not wanting to wake the dead, especially at this hour of night.

"Yeah," But he felt a twinge of pain as he inhaled, feeling the pain and anguish not just from his injuries, but from the tangible emptiness in his heart at missing his father.

Heather must have heard his sharp intake of breath and moved underneath his arm to lend him her support. He wrapped his arm around her. "Thanks, baby."

As they walked slowly home, Heather got him to finally talk about the attack on the compound and Jake found himself telling her more details than he probably should have, but it felt good to have someone to talk to. Heather only asked the occasional question and added a supportive comment or constructive criticism as needed, chiding him and teasing him about being a loose cannon and not being more careful. He knew she was right and he had been trying to be more careful, though it wasn't always working out. Having gunshot wounds was a blunt and painful reminder. He could have died and instead, Trace Winters and Jonah had. The two soldiers injured by the grenade blast were going to make it, but would have crippling injuries for their rest of their lives.

When he got to the part where Jonah warned him about the government and asked him to not let them get away with what they are up to then asked him take care of Emily, his voice broke and he found himself near tears again. Heather fell silent after that but squeezed his hand in quiet support. They often talked about this Cheyenne government over dinner or with Eric, Mary, Stanley and Mimi based on what each heard, but with them, Jake knew they were only touching the surface of concerns and Jake tried to steer them away from wondering or worrying too much. He had a feeling that Heather was more perceptive than he thought, as she often had an opinion on what news they did talk about. He often found himself second guessing his decision to not tell her more. But the news from the Underground and what he heard from Hawkins was far more scary. Jake was often walking a fine line in not telling Heather and his friends too much, not wanting to worry them. He needed to protect them, in whatever way he could, and a big part of that would be uncovering what had really happened with the bombs.

Between bringing in Jonah Prowse and the charter passing, Jake was hoping for a good, peaceful summer, one spent alongside Heather and maybe making some progress toward getting inside the Cheyenne government and finding those responsible for the bombs. These things took time Hawkins was always telling him. Maybe taking out Jonah would finally get him a leg up with the Cheyenne government, especially if he had gotten noticed by the President. He wasn't looking forward to the long horse ride tomorrow, but he was eager to share all that had happened with Hawkins. Maybe they could figure out what to do now that he'd have more time on his hands. But he glanced at Heather and knew how he wanted to spend some of his time this summer.

(To be continued...)