Free Sunburn (Book 1, The Events Trilogy) by Samuel Gorvine

with his younger son, Aaron.
    “ You really want us to come?” Jack queried the nervous Aaron.
    “Actually we do. You need not fear. We are not people of violence, even though we have many new guns, and we would never harm a guest.”
    “It’s not so much that,” Jack said. “We just wouldn’t want to be the skunk at the garden party, so to speak.”
    Aaron had never been to a garden party or any other kind of party except weddings, but knowing for sure what a skunk was, he got Jack’s meaning.
    “Well,” he said, sniffing th e aroma of the bikers, “Maybe you could bathe before you come over. The feast is just starting. The meat is not even done yet.”
    The other bikers hooted and laughed.
    “Jack, the boy thinks you stink! He thinks we all stink! There will be two skunks at the garden party!”
    “Well, we do kind of have a pungent aspect to us,” Jack grinned. We have plenty of well water. Why not take a quick bath?”
    How they all stared—a bath—
    “Jack,” Tom said, “Maybe you’ve noticed the world crisis? Most folks don’t have water for drinking let alone bathing!”
    “That’s true, Tom. Not that we were ever that much for baths when there was plenty of water. But the wells on the farms here give plenty of water. I’ll just pull up a bucket, soap up, and whoosh!   By the way, you said y’all had new guns. Did that fellow on the Honda bring them?”
    “The English, Frederick, he brought some, and my brother, William brought a special one for making war. My father wanted him to get rid of it but—“
    “But what?” Jack asked.
    Aaron became flustered and said nothing more. He was too naïve to know what he should say and what not.
    “They think they might need it, that’s why,” answered Tom.
    “They called it a ‘ bee aye are ,’” blurted Aaron.
    The Bikers looked at each other.
    “If they have a BAR now,” Jack said to Tom, “Maybe we ought to go talk things over. A gun like that in the right hands could really mess us up.”
     
    The smell of the fatted calf wafted over early in the evening and Tom and Jack washed their faces and took off their shirts to take at least half a bath. Jack put on a clean white shirt that had been in his saddle bag since forever and put it on. The rest of the group looked on in astonishment as Jack was transformed into a real person.
    “What?” Jack snarled at their slack-jawed faces.
    No one answered. What was happening here? What was actually going to be negotiated over there?
    They walked across the fields to the fire blazing near the church. All the Amish Community was there and they watched them approach with open curiosity.
     
    As an Old Order Amish Community, Samuel’s people would have a glass of schnapps or even beer or wine from time to time. But this celebration brought out all the good stuff from all the cabinets. There was a table full of bottles and clean glasses, and after tense introductions Tom and Jack headed to familiar territory.
    Fred was there with his wife and children and Will and Mary as well.
    Bishop Samuel, Will and Fred and several of the elders joined them there. The bikers were suprised to hear what the Bishop had to say.
    “There is no desire on our part to harm you or to expel you from the farms you already occupy. Will has told us of some experiences he had getting here and we are concerned that something may be coming far worse than you.”
    Jack and Tom looked at each other.
    “Worse than us?” Jack quipped. “Is such a thing even possible?”
    They all smiled, the whisky making them a little more amiable.
    Will told him about the five men who had attacked the house.
    “ So, you killed them?” Tom asked.
    “Yes. There’s no reasoning with such –“
    He didn’t really want to say “people” as he had convinced himself they were something less than that.
    “And you think there may be more of them—?” Tom asked.
     
    15.
     
    Many in the cities had died of hunger and thirst after all the food