Behind The Curve-The Farm | Book 1 | The Farm Read online

  Behind The Curve

  The Farm Book 1

  Boyd Craven III

  Copyright © 2020 Boyd Craven III

  Behind The Curve, The Farm Book 1

  By Boyd Craven III

  Many thanks to friends and family for keeping me writing!

  All rights reserved.

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  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  About the Author

  Prologue

  The Group. An anonymous name for three couples. Preppers, acquaintances, and best friends. They didn’t have any one specific fear, rather they simply knew something bad was going to happen. It was mathematically impossible that the system in the USA would keep functioning as it had been. They had all seen the horrors of Katrina and its aftermath and watched as a mini pandemic nearly wiped out Asia, sending the stock markets tumbling momentarily. They figured if they prepared for zombies or an EMP, they would have almost every scenario covered. As it turned out, they were wrong.

  Curtis Mallory flipped his cell phone closed, smiling. This was the third house he had sold this week alone. His real estate firm was small and new, but he had built his name and reputation for over two decades working for his mother’s friend, Gloria. When Gloria had retired, she had offered every agent there the opportunity to buy the business, but Curtis, or Curt to his friends and associates, had declined. Instead, he had hung his own shingle out and never looked back.

  Picking up his phone, he sent his wife Andrea a message.

  I’ve got two closings tomorrow and a verbal for a third house.

  !!!What the what?!

  I know. Business has picked up since the market is coming back. Buyer’s market right now.

  Do you have enough properties to sell?

  Never have enough.

  Hahahahahahhahaha gotta run. We headed to look at the farm this weekend?

  You know it.

  “Hey, did you get a chance to look over… Oh!” Gary said, poking his head into Curt’s office. He watched him putting his suit jacket on, exposing his shoulder holster under one arm and two spare magazines on the other.

  “Chance to look at what?” Curt asked him, frowning as he realized the other man’s wide-eyed look was on his Baby Desert Eagle.

  “Oh, uh … the contract for the Andersons?” Gary stammered.

  “Gary, it’s a gun, not a rattler,” he said, putting his jacket on quickly. “And yes. Looks good to me. You think they’re going to counter?”

  “No, my buyers were worried that there was going to be a bidding war. There would have been, and still might be, so that’s why my buyers offered 10k over asking.”

  “Call the sellers and see if you can get them to sign before the other agents hit them with an offer,” Curt said with a grin.

  “Sounds good to me.” Gary smiled back.

  Mentally, both of them were calculating what that sale might get them. In this case, Gary had listed the house and done the legwork to find the seller. He would get both sides of the fees and Curt, as the broker, would get his cut as well. Business was going good. Almost too good.

  Andrea Mallory tossed her phone into the pocket of her coat, hung her stethoscope around her neck, and stepped out of her office into the busy chaos that the ER was on any day before, during, and after the full moon.

  After two and a half hours of nonstop action, she found herself washing down next to her best friend Leah and her husband Dante.

  “That GSW in three was wild,” Dante said, smiling.

  “Just another day in paradise,” Andrea agreed. “I thought your car crash in nine was kind of hairy.”

  “It was bad, but the mom pulled through. Her husband almost had to be sedated when he got up here and saw how banged up his kids were and found out his wife ate an airbag.”

  Nodding, they finished up at the same time and headed to the locker rooms. Before heading in, Dante asked, “Are we going to look at the property this weekend still?”

  “The plan is full steam ahead,” Andrea assured him.

  “That’s good. I’m so excited I’m practically bouncing,” Leah said, the enthusiasm in her voice almost infectious.

  “Do you think Steven and Anna are still coming?” Andrea asked.

  “They’re even more excited than I am,” Leah answered.

  “Ok, guys, that’s it for the day,” Steven called, turning off the generator and killing the radio.

  The construction crew cheered and started lining up. Steven was excited. The day before yesterday, Anna’s best friend Leah had called to say the farm they were looking at was ready for the group to view. It was currently in operation with most of the 240 acres planted in corn, soybean, and alfalfa, with the last third of it fenced off for cattle and pigs. It also had a long chicken barn, an equipment barn, a farmhouse, and small fueling station for the big machinery.

  Steven’s crew lined up, some playing grab ass while he handed out paychecks. “Luis,” Steven said as the last man in line came forward. “I may need you to be foreman Monday and Tuesday.”

  “Sure,” the old carpenter said with a grin. “You going to look at more property?”

  “Yep, it’s going to be a long drive. Hopefully, it’s not too out of our price range,” he said.

  Luis had worked with Steven’s father before he had passed on suddenly. Steven had grown up with Luis working on his father’s crew and considered him an uncle of sorts.

  “But you’re not moving?” he asked.

  “No, it’s an investment property; maybe a hunting spot.”

  “What’s an old man got to do to get an invite?” Luis loved venison.

  “We haven’t bought nothing yet. The main one Anna and I are looking at is near the Texas border, outside of Texarkana,” he said, hating to lie to the man. “The other is north, near the Missouri border.”

  “You know, you’re right, that is a long drive. You write down your routes for me in case you need a hand with something?” Luis asked, a habit he had done since he had been a kid.

  “Not this time, but I’ll have Anna’s girlfriend Leah and her husband following us.”

  “The doctors?” he asked, shaking his head.

  “Yup,” he said with a grin. “Hey, you mind taking the covered trailer and tools with you in case I don’t make it back and am gone through Tuesday?”

  “Had the Garcia brothers hitch it up an hour ago. You know, your father would be proud. Fancy custom homes like this?” he motioned at the dried in house that was now ready for the interior work to start while their other crew did the siding.

  “I hope so. I always worried…”

  “Listen, son,” Luis said, putting his hand on Steven’s shoulder. “I’m telling ya, your fa
ther would be damned proud of you. You can take that to the bank. Speaking of…” He held out his hand.

  With a laugh, Steven passed him the last check. The two said goodbye, and Steven hopped in his truck and dialed up Anna.

  “Hey, babe,” Anna said as soon as she hit talk.

  “Hey, sexy. I’m headed to the house. You all packed?”

  “I’ve been packed and ready. I have the Suburban ready to go and the small trailer waiting. I even have your Yeti packed.”

  “Damn, girl, you get out of work early?”

  “Sure did. The photo shoot didn’t last that long, but I did get a new toy to demo if we find someplace to stop and do some shooting.”

  “What did you get?” he asked, almost drooling.

  “Kahr’s new precision rifle. It is so new, it doesn’t have a name yet. I told them what I thought, but I can’t wait to get it to a range.”

  “What’s it chambered in?” he asked her.

  “.338 Lapua, but it looks like an AR had a love baby with a Barrett. You’re going to love it.”

  “Ok, I’ll be home in half an hour. Since you are already there, do you want to call the others and figure out where we’ll meet up?”

  “Already handled, hot stuff, just get your cute ass home and let’s go for a ride.”

  Steven loved having married a gun girl. Not only did she shoot competitively, her modeling career in all things gun related had also skyrocketed.

  One

  Dewayne Langtry, or Dewey to his friends, watched in awe as matching Suburbans, all pulling enclosed trailers, pulled into his half-mile long driveway.

  “Roscoe,” he said, patting the big dog’s head gently, “this here might be what we’ve been looking for. Maybe get me a nice little spot, a rocking chair, and hopefully I’ll be alive long enough to see you get a good home.”

  The hound dog’s tail thumped as the farmer put the binoculars on the railing. He rocked a bit and then got up, spitting his dip out as the trucks got closer. He waved when he knew he was in sight and got his cane, then headed down the stairs.

  “Roscoe, stay,” he commanded.

  The mixed breed dog who looked like a hound, lifted his head for a moment, then put it back down, content to let the old man meet the new humans.

  ‘The Group’ as they called themselves, pulled into a long, circular driveway after driving down a dusty two track from the dirt road. All of them were excited at the prospect of having a compound of their own. Curt had gotten a tip that a farmer in western Arkansas had a unique idea and a real estate deal for the right buyer. Time was a big factor in the deal, though the price sounded pretty steep. Curt had been interested enough still to make the phone call and get the group ready to go look.

  “Hello!” Dewey called, walking their way, a limp in his step.

  “Hi, I’m Curt,” he said, out of his vehicle first, his hand outstretched.

  As they shook, he made introductions, Dewayne’s eyes opened wide as he realized there were six men and women here. He had known they were all interested and had them checked out ahead of time, but they had all shown up. They were all in their late thirties and fit.

  “This is my wife Andrea,” he said, then pointed to the others. “Anna and Steven, Leah and Dante.”

  “I didn’t realize this was a group thing. You guys some kind of commune hippies or something?” he asked, one eye closing as he stared hard at them.

  “No.” Anna laughed, walking up to shake his hand. “We’re all friends. We are looking for a place to retire to. With the acreage here, we were hoping…”

  “To have enough room to homestead, raise a bunch of kids…” Dante picked up where his wife left off.

  “And to get away from the city,” Leah finished.

  Dewey just looked at them all and snorted, then started laughing. “You sound like you shared the same womb. How’d you all meet?”

  “Andrea, Leah, and Dante all went to medical school together. Steven and I were buddies growing up, and Leah and Anna were in high school together,” he said, hoping he’d explained that well enough. “We’ve all been friends for a good long time.”

  “Ain’t you getting a little old to be having kids?” Dewayne asked Curt, earning him a stink eye from Andrea.

  “No, we’re not.”

  Dewayne laughed harder, pointing until he had both hands on his cane holding himself up. When he started wheezing, the docs all converged until he waved them off.

  “I’m just yanking your johnsons,” he said with a grin. “So, you're really interested in buying a farm?”

  They all nodded.

  “Good, I got two buggies in the barn ready. Let’s go for a ride.”

  They followed the old man toward the large barn. He stopped and whistled, and a big hound dog the size of a Great Dane got up and lumbered over to them. Leah almost climbed onto Dante’s back as the dog stopped, then headed straight to her.

  “Roscoe, down boy,” Dewayne called to him.

  “Is he … mean?” she asked.

  “Oh no, but if he gets a mind to ride your leg, best to just let him finish his business. Gets cranky otherwise.”

  “Dante,” Leah said, jumping into his arms, “run!”

  “Oh, and call me Dewey,” Dewayne said. “Roscoe, come.”

  The hound dog opened his mouth, giving them all a doggie grin, and followed his cackling master.

  “Will you carry me?” Curt asked Andrea. “That dog scares me too.”

  She belted him in the chest, and he took off in a jog to catch up. After a moment, the group followed.

  In the barn, they found two UTVs that seated four each. Roscoe was already in the passenger seat of the first buggy. Not fearing dogs, Steven and Anna got in behind him. Curt got in the driver’s seat, and they fired them up. For the next two hours they drove all over the farm. He showed them literally everything there was to see, from the livestock to the ponds that had been dug to water them and house his catfish. He saved the big barn second to last. It was full of equipment that only Steven had used before, and not all of it. Lastly, he showed them the farmhouse.

  It had been Dewayne’s parents’ place, and he had inherited it from them. Being a widower without kids, a lot of the house that he did not use had fallen into disrepair. He said he had not even been on the second floor in years since he had broken his hip and leg. He mostly stayed in the downstairs bedroom but admitted he often fell asleep watching the pretty ladies on Fox News most nights. Fearing disaster, Steven led the group upstairs and found four bedrooms and two bathrooms. There was old water damage to two of the ceilings, and some warping on the floor, but they had seen a new metal roof on the main house.

  Old wallpaper hung everywhere, and layers of dust covered all the furniture. Steven took mental notes and then went to the bathrooms and tried the faucets, flushed the toilets, and then ran water in the old cast iron bathtubs. Everything worked, but it hadn’t been used in a long time. Maybe even decades. They headed back downstairs where the main floor consisted of two bedrooms, a living room, a dining area off of a small kitchen, and one full bathroom. Sitting at the kitchen table petting Roscoe, Dewayne waited, watching their faces.

  “The house ain’t much,” Dewey said, “but it’ll work until y’all build up your own.”

  “It’s not bad, not bad at all,” Steven said with a smile. “Mind if we head outside and talk for a minute?”

  “Oh, go ahead,” Dewey said with a grin and watched as they filed out, but not before noticing all of them had side arms tucked into inside-the-waistband holsters.

  “What do you guys think so far?” Curt asked, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

  “This place is a dream, but I thought you said the equipment and the livestock weren’t included?” Dante asked.

  “It isn’t. A local realtor from the area saw my note on the message board and told me there was an unusual deal to be had here, for sale by owner. I know the asking price is a good one, but is it out of our reac
h?” Curt asked.

  The obvious power couple with the money was Leah and Dante, with both of their paychecks totally killing the others, but not by much. They had decided to form a corporation and make a group purchase, so everything would be split equally. With the parcel the house sat on listed at $150,000, $5,000 an acre on 240 acres meant the land alone was 1.2 million dollars. With each having almost two decades of savings, if they pooled their money, they could do it, but that wouldn’t leave them much money for projects and improvements.

  “What do we want to offer?” Anna asked.

  “Look at you, Miss Eagerness,” Curt said, grinning.

  “So, you guys all are interested?” Andrea asked, hopping and clapping.

  “Yes,” everyone chorused, then chuckled.

  “Want to go back in and see what Dewey’s unusual offer is first, instead of starting off with the cash price?” Curt asked.

  They discussed that a moment and decided they did before they started talking numbers.

  Two

  “Kids, here’s the deal. I’m an old man who has had one bypass already and I’ve a bum leg and hip. Got no family left, my wife passed on a decade ago and old Roscoe here is all I have left.” The dog heard his name, lifted his tail, and made a rude noise. Waving their hands in front of their faces as the stench hit, Dewey continued. “See, here’s what I’m thinking… If I take the cash price, which is fair I’m told, I could probably live out the rest of my life in one of those little retirement condos and have enough in savings to try to keep my ticker running for the next few years.