The Last Good Day, стр. 1

THE

LAST GOOD DAY

THE

LAST GOOD DAY

JOHN L. LANSDALE

BOOKVOICE PUBLISHING 2021

This book is a work of fiction. All incidents and all characters are fictionalized, with the exception that well-known historical and public figures are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Where real-life historical figures appear, the situations and dialogues concerning those persons are fictional and are not intended to depict actual events within the fictional confines of the story. In all other respects, any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

by John L. Lansdale

by Dirk Berger

by BookVoice Publishing

ISBN

978-1-949381-24-5 Hardcover

978-1-949381-27-6 eBook

BookVoice Publishing

PO Box 1528

Chandler, TX 75758

www.bookvoicepublishing.com

THE MECANA SERIES by John L. Lansdale

#1 - Horse of a Different Color

#2 - When the Night Bird Sings

#3 - Twisted Justice

#4 – The Box

OTHER WORKS BY JOHN L. LANSDALE

Slow Bullet

Long Walk Home

Zombie Gold

The Last Good Day

Broken Moon

Kissing the Devil

Shadows West (with Joe R. Lansdale)

Hell’s Bounty (with Joe R. Lansdale)

Boy and Hog (Short Story)

Boy and Hog Return (Short Story)

Emergency Christmas (Short Story)

Tales from the Crypt (Comic Series)

That Hellbound Train (Graphic Novel)

Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper (Graphic Novel)

Shadow Warrior (Graphic Novel)

Justin Case (Graphic Novel)

What Others are Saying about John L. Lansdale

"Mickey Spillane fans will welcome this page-turner...Lansdale effectively delays revealing the novel’s big secret until the end. Those who like their thrillers with a heavy dose of violent action will be satisfied." - Publishers Weekly review of Slow Bullet

"This is an entertaining, science fiction-historical-horror blend with resourceful protagonists and a solid cast of secondary characters."

- Booklist review of Zombie Gold

"Slow Bullet is a straight-ahead thriller...it's about action, and there's plenty of that. Check it out." - Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine

"...the author’s innate ability to spin a complex tale painted with vivid characters and intense suspense provides readers with a well-paced book that they may find difficult to set down...a worthwhile suspenseful ride." - Amazing Stories review of Horse of a Different Color

"Has something for everyone… It's exciting, entertaining and educational. A fun ride." – legendary TV personality/actress/author Joan Hallmark, review of Zombie Gold

"...something unique and comfortable and difficult to put down. Highly recommended." – Cemetery Dance review of Hell’s Bounty

"True to Lansdale tradition, John L. Lansdale has compiled a piece of work that should appeal to a wide range of readers."

– Amazing Stories review of Zombie Gold

“Long Walk Home really touched and gripped me. A great bittersweet story of light and shadow about growing up in a time gone by. I loved it.” – author Joe R. Lansdale

The good thing about the future is it comes one day at a time.

Abraham Lincoln

To leave footprints you have to be willing to back track occasionally.

Author

For Mason

And my long distance friend Bob for our sunset watching.

The bullet shattered his arm and made its exit out the back of his uniform’s coat sleeve. He dropped his rifle and fell from his horse to the ground. The sound of hoof beats shook the earth.

He knew the enemy was upon him. He turned his head into the soft green grass that smelled of urine and waited for that final fatal bullet to rip into his body.

Moments later, soldiers’ horses jumped over him, avoiding his crumpled form as they charged up the hill toward his regiment. He rolled over on his back, tore the front of his shirt off and wrapped his bleeding arm with his one hand. He saw the remains of his severed arm on the ground and threw up. He pulled himself to his feet with his rifle and staggered behind a nearby rock and collapsed.

That was the last thing he remembered until he woke up and realized he was in a Yankee field hospital – in a large tent with other patients missing arms and legs.

A tired-looking man with shaggy gray hair and a matching beard with a stethoscope around his neck was coming his way. He stopped at the bed and picked up the left arm stub.

“What happened to my men?” The patient said, propping himself up on his good arm.

“Hello, Major Rance Allison, you’ve been in and out of consciousness for three days now. As for your men, some dead and wounded, some captured. I’m Colonel Jennings, the one who treated your arm and sewed it off. You lost a lot of blood, you’re lucky to be alive.”

“I’m not sure I want to be,” Rance said.

“The war is over, major. General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox two days ago. Here’s a cable you can read if you think I’m lying.”

He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to his patient. He looked at it and dropped it on the ground.

“You can go home,” Jennings said.

“I don’t have a home,” Rance said. “You Yankees destroyed it and murdered my wife and daughter. By now the rest of my family is probably dead, too.”

“I’m sorry. War is war.”

“Killing women and children is murder, Colonel. When can I get out of here?”

“It would be best to stay for three or four more days to make sure you don’t get that arm infected.”

“I’d like to go now.”

“Not a good idea but if that’s what you want to do I’ll release you.”

“That’s what I want.”

“I’ll give you some medical supplies and a bottle of whiskey to numb the pain. Bathe your arm twice a day and keep it clean and dry. I can get you some clean clothes if you don’t mind wearing blue.”

“I’ll keep what I got for now.”

“Expected that, they’re giving officers a horse. The Provost Marshal’s tent is right over there,” he pointed at a nearby tent. “They will process you out, give you back your personal things. The physical pain will go away in time, the memories won’t. Take care of that arm,” Jennings said and walked away.

Rance sat