The Eastern Base of Erik the Red
As the evening’s shadows grew longer near the same location where she first met Ukkiville’s leaders, Vra waved her arm. “Over here, by those large pines.”
Proto worked his magic, while his wife, Teerha, also pitched in to soothe the denamods as the cages were moved. Nearby, their pet polar bear kept watch with a wary eye. Whenever a mutant acted up, Ice bared her teeth and growled.
Vra didn’t understand how the Uke could possibly communicate with animals through his mind, but it seemed to calm most of them. She proceeded to instruct Ukes and Skalags working side by side while they talked with each other. I never thought I’d see such a day.
After several warriors guided wagons filled with a myriad of mutant creatures toward a cluster of trees, she approached a Skalag commander. “Salty will be delivering more cages by drones. When they’re in place under the cover of the pines, make sure to keep them warm throughout the night.”
“Consider it done.” The burly man returned to his tasks and barked orders.
Within a few minutes, two transport drones drifted lower from the clouds. Strong winds whipped Vra around as the chill of dusk settled across the area. She looked up toward the deafening whir of the enormous propellers.
Salty’s deep voice boomed from one of the airships. “Here’s part of the delivery. Where would you like the cages dropped?”
She pointed. “Over by those wagons.”
The admiral continued. “How about the others coming in a few minutes?”
“Take them to Gno. He’s setting up half of the denamods along the base of the mountain further north.” She motioned with her arm.
“Will do.” The massive drones flew toward the pines and settled onto the ground, nearby.
Several minutes later, Vra heard a softer hum, and a smaller drone descended from the darkness. It hovered overhead for a moment, then slowly landed beside her. “Good evening, Vra.”
She widened her eyes. “Teli? Is that you?”
“Sure is. I’ve been watching to make sure you weren’t bothered by any snatchers.”
“That’s nice, but you didn’t have to. I’ve got lots of warriors and denamods at my disposal.”
“I know, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious; besides, I’ve got a little present for you.”
Puzzled, she stared at the drone. What is he up to?
A metal arm extended upward from the side of the craft, and a small flap popped open at the top of the outer shell. Startled, she leapt back and squinted. The mechanical arm plucked a little box from the hollow.
Intrigued, Vra inched closer. “What is that?”
“Open it and see what’s inside.”
She gingerly grabbed the mysterious present, wrapped in a colorful cloth and red bow. Cradling it in her palm, she tried to guess its contents. She couldn’t imagine what the handsome Uke would be giving her after such a short visit in the cave, but she wouldn’t dare complain.
His friendly voice nudged her. “Go ahead, open it.”
Vra slowly untied the bow and drew back the covering. She stared at the white, rectangular box before lifting the lid.
Stunned, she stood motionless. No Skalag man had ever given her anything nearly as nice. Her eyes watered.
“Well, what do you think? Do you know what it is?”
“Of course, it’s a Halo Watch, like Hoot’s! I love it!”
“Yeah, but this one’s special. Push the recessed button on the side.” When she did, the screen lit up with a few unrecognizable items.
Her new friend urged her further. “See that red icon on the screen labeled ‘Teli?’”
She had no earthly idea what an icon was but saw an image that looked like the young man with his name across his face. “Here it is.”
“Good. If you ever have an emergency, just push it, and I’ll come to your rescue in a flash.”
She chuckled. “But I could whoop you with one arm tied behind my back if I wanted to.”
He laughed. “Not with the controls in my hand. My drone’s pretty powerful.”
Vra peered at the camera lens. “Thank you so much. You’re sweet, but I really must get back to work. We’ve still got tons to do before the aliens attack.”
“I know, but I wanted you to have the watch. I’ll keep a lookout overhead while you’re busy. I won’t let anything near you.”
“You promise?”
“With all my heart.”
She forced a smile. Though she loved the reprieve with her new friend, the dazzling moletrans brightening the higher elevations pricked her heart with a fear she had never known.
Early the Next Morning on November 7
Behind a Herd of Sheep
Caru leaned back in her saddle and stretched as the morning’s orange glow melted through the broken clouds. Brilliant flashes along the mountain range kept her awake throughout the night. Can’t imagine how many aliens must be up there.
She shook her head. Horrific memories from the Skalag Battle of 2093 still lingered, but she expected much worse from the snatchers in the coming hours.
To her side, the soft pounding of hooves kept her company. Tradulka and Bartuk rode their steeds to her right with Woody and his dog, Bullseye, keeping a large herd of sheep headed toward the mountains.
A myriad of thoughts flooded her mind. What’s Zo going to do now that Kree’s dead? Will he live through the battle?
She watched the jagged horizon as more brightly colored moletrans streamed from the sky. Blazes, am I going to survive?
Placing her palm against her chest, she drew a deep breath. Her heart raced. Get a grip, girl. That extra dose of awgful has my mind spinning.
Even though she volunteered to help her friends, their plans still seemed vague. She nudged her horse between Tradulka and Bartuk. “You guys worried? I’m not sure what to expect from those aliens.”
Tradulka’s weathered face kept looking straight ahead as he spoke in a hushed tone. “That makes three of us.”
His buddy nodded. “We’ve done about all the planning we can do. It’s time to face whatever they throw at us.”
Caru grinned. “I suppose. Speaking of plans, what are we doing with these sheep? Are they all yours?”
Tradulka sat stiff in his saddle. “Mine and Woody’s. We’re taking them to the wheat field I harvested a couple months ago. It’s in a clearing not far from where you met the Skalags near the base of the mountains.”
“Why way out there?”
“Bait. It’s the best we could come up with to draw the snatchers in the open. Better to fight ‘em on solid ground than in the mountains.”
“Makes sense, I think.” From what she heard of how the aliens attacked their prey, she had her doubts.
Bartuk turned toward her. “So, tell us about these toxins we’re supposed to use with our arrows. We’re kinda skeptical, you might say. After talking with Queasy, we sorta understand how the mushroom spores and venom might help, but peppers and that mystery stuff, how do they work?”
“I know more about peppers than the other thing. According to Drew, after Tiger took a lunch break and went back to dissect the snatcher, she forgot to wash her hands. When she lifted a piece of its flesh, it started bubbling where her gloves touched it. She immediately analyzed a sample and found that pepper juice caused the chemical reaction. Tiger had been eating jalapenos with her meal and must have gotten some on the gloves when she put them on. With more analysis, she found that several varieties of peppers dissolved the flesh in the same manner.”
Tradulka huffed. “How does that help? I don’t know anybody that grows those things.”
She smiled. “Fortunately, Texas has a slew of robots harvesting thousands of acres of every kind of pepper imaginable. Drew says anything a mushroom can do, pepper can do a hundred times better.”
Bartuk chuckled. “Imagine that, peppers of all things. Okay, but tell us more about that other stuff?”
Caru shrugged. “All I know is
the cover on the container had a skull and bones with a label ‘HNO3’ below it — whatever that means. We had to use special gloves and masks to handle it. Hoot said Tiger was all hyped up about it and claimed it could be better than any of the other stuff. As I explained before, each of the colored fletchings marks the different substances in the spring-loaded arrowheads. Keep track and let us know what works best against these snatchers.”
He grabbed a reaper from his quiver and inspected it. “Blazes, even if some of this stuff doesn’t kill the aliens, we can make sure their visit on Earth is as miserable as possible!”
She handed Bartuk a colorful headband like hers. “Wear this communicator around your noggin. The rest of us using these things will be able to hear everything you say.”
“Everything?”
“Yep, so if you don’t want the world to know your true feelings, just press this button to shut it off.”
After they reached their destination and erected a temporary boundary around the sheep, Woody approached Caru. “Let me help you with your packs. We’re setting up behind that brush.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m headed over there.” She pointed.
“My father and half of the archers will be stationed to one side of the herd to help protect them. Hoot and Mercy will be leading the rest on the other side.”
Woody gently grabbed her wrist. “I wanted to talk about Hoot. I haven’t seen her lately.”
Caru peered into his eyes. “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, Woody, but that ship has sailed. She and Hound Dog have been seeing each other.”
He lowered his gaze to the ground and frowned.
The poor guy. What a time to find out. She lifted his chin with her finger. “Hey, when this thing is over, let’s talk. There’s been a couple of newbies from another village who’ve been asking about you. In the meantime, don’t look so sad. It’s gonna be okay.”
Even as the words escaped her mouth, she knew nothing was guaranteed with what they were about to face.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Predator Bait
Shortly After Dawn
Next to Terminator
Hoot helped her friend load the last of the supplies into the armored vehicle. For the first time in years, her heart ached, not out of fear of the battle she was about to face but from the thought of being separated from Hound Dog during the fight.
Her whole morning seemed like a first in many respects. She woke up rested and in good spirits for the first time in several nights. The only dream she remembered didn’t roil her as usual, though it did seem odd. How could Fox and Doggy Breath be buddies? They barely knew each other before Big Brother died.
After packing Terminator, Hound Dog stuck his hands deep in his pant pockets and kicked a stone. “Do I have the worst luck of any man in the world, or what?”
Hoot crinkled her nose. ‘What are you moping about?”
“Well, think about it. I’ve been eying you for a few years, and you barely gave me the time of day. I wasn’t sure if you liked Woody or some other guy the way you always seemed to ignore me.”
“That’s not true. I really didn’t think much about any particular man. I just like having fun with whoever I’m with, but you know I like you now, right?”
“Sorta. At least you’re spending a lot more time with me lately, but that’s what I mean. Things just started going good with us a couple of weeks ago, and what happens?”
She stared at him. “I don’t know. You tell me.”
“It’s those blazing aliens. Just when we’re hitting it off, the stupid snatchers show up and ruin everything. That’s what I mean. My luck couldn’t be any worse!”
Hoot rolled her eyes. “I swear, men can be so stupid sometimes. No aliens are going to get in our way.”
“You don’t know that. Didn’t you see the sky light up from those moletrans all night long? It was like the worst thunderstorm ever!”
Concern shrouded his face. “One of us could get hurt, or worse. Today’s the day. There ain’t no looking back. Either we defeat them, or we die. I don’t see how it ends any other way.”
“Seriously? What kind of thinking is that? We’re going to kick butt, no two ways about it. They don’t have a chance, and don’t you think otherwise! Now stop pouting and hop up there. Terminator’s waiting for you to do your stuff. Show them ugly monsters what you’re really made of, you big oaf.”
She smiled. “Do it! I mean it. Don’t you start thinking stupid stuff, you hear me?”
He bit off a piece of his fingernail and spat it on the ground. “I hear you, and I’ll kill as many of those suckers as I can…,” he peered into her eyes, “…but you gotta promise me….”
Before he finished, she stepped forward and placed her finger on his lips. “Don’t worry. I won’t be looking at anybody else but you. Now get up there.”
“Wait! I’ve got something for you.” He ran to the side of Terminator and opened a storage bin.
As she approached, her friend pulled out a coat. Her eyes practically exploded from their sockets. “That’s way too much. What did you have to trade for it?”
His sheepish stare shifted to one side. “Just that old bow with the denamod etchings.”
“You loved that thing.”
“Nah, it’s about time for a new one. By the way, our Texas friends insisted on pitching in to cover the difference.”
“They did?” Hoot lifted the fashionable coat with her pinkie. “Wicked, it’s so light. How am I going to keep warm in this? It’s cold out.”
“Don’t worry. You’re gonna love it. The lining is very thin, but with insulation properties to keep people warm even in the Arctic. Better yet, Tiger helped pick it out. It’s the latest in women’s armored wear down in Texas. The exterior is made of a stretchable titanium mesh, so strong Tiger said even you couldn’t penetrate it with one of your reapers.”
Hoot chuckled. “Sure.” She twirled it around. “It does look blazing!”
As she slipped it on, Hound Dog leaned back and gawked. “You’re stunning!”
“Aw, you’re just trying to get on my good side. Keep it up; it’s working.”
While admiring her new treasure, her gaze stopped at her arms. “Hmm, the sleeves are pretty unusual.”
“Ah, you noticed. They’ve been altered to include leather vambraces. I wouldn’t let Slasher down.”
She could no longer contain her smile as it spread wide. “Maybe I’ve underestimated you.”
He shot a wry grin. “Yeah, I’m sure of it.” He grabbed the handle beside the steps to the deck. “I do have to run. I hope you like it.”
Just as he was about to jump, Hoot hopped and kissed him on the cheek. “I love it!”
He spun around and grabbed her tight to his chest. Without hesitations, he planted the juiciest kiss she ever had the pleasure of tasting.
After locking lips for what seemed like forever, he finally peeled back and peered into her eyes. “I love you. I always will.”
A steamy heat flashed her body like lighting. Her legs trembled so much she struggled to stand.
Her father’s voice startled her. “Doggy, what’s taking so long? We’ve gotta get rolling!”
Hound Dog leapt onto Terminator’s deck and smiled. “I’ll be back for you when we finish them off.”
Slasher’s screech pierced the air. When she looked up, she remembered her dream. That’s what Fox was telling me. He also likes Doggy Brea….
She stopped mid-thought. Guess I better stop calling him that. He’s my Puppy Eyes now.
In her heart, she knew he was dead-on with his earlier comment. There’s no telling how this battle’s gonna turn out for sure.
Tears welled as Hoot waved at her friend and mouthed. “I love you, too.”
Southwest of the Sheep Herd
Energized with her heart filled with love, Hoot helped distribute reapers with different colored fletchings among a mix of Uke and Skalag archers. She waved her arm. “Hurry
it up! It’s getting light out.”
She pointed toward a row of pines. “Hide along those trees over there and stick to your groups.”
Mercy approached. “How’s it going and where’d you get that coat?”
“Like herding cats, but we should be ready in about 10 minutes. I’m just glad we inserted the toxins behind the arrowheads the other day. It saved a lot of time. Oh, and the coat is a gift from Hound Dog.”
Mercy’s eyes grew to the size of a plum. “Ooowee, that’s some present!”
Hoot’s neck warmed. “Yeah, I think he likes me a little.”
“A little? That man must be in love.”
Yep, all doubts vanished, and the cat had escaped. Hoot sighed. I just wish he was here.
Her mentor slung a couple of quivers over her back. “Hey, I’ve been watching the team of archers on the other side of the sheep. Caru just joined them, and it looks like they’ll be positioned soon. Can I help you?”
“How about making sure our groups are separated: the reds with the mushrooms and peppers to the west, greens with the mystery stuff further east, and the yellows with their venom in the middle.”
“I’ll get on it right away and hook up with you in the center when we’re all ready. Then, you can tell me more about your Hound Dog.” She winked.
“Sounds good. See ya in a few.” Hoot’s mind raced as she continued to hand out the rest of the tainted arrows. I hope we’re not too close to those denamods.
She sneaked a quick peek over her shoulders at the cages. I sure don’t want to get eaten by one of those things.
After handing out the last of the quivers, she looked out over the clearing. She spotted Terminator, tucked behind a massive oak. Wonder what Puppy Eyes is thinking about?
She strolled to a maple tree and extended her arm. Slasher stepped onto Hoot’s new vambrace and stared at the pouch strapped to her belt. “You hungry, boy?”
Grabbing a choice morsel, she lifted it in front of the raptor’s beak. The pet eagle snatched the fresh meat and swallowed it.
Hoot peered into her protector’s eyes. “Let me know if you see any snatchers in the mountains. Now, sky high and stay out of the reach of the reapers.”
The New World: Crimson Winter Page 20
