by Ryan King
*******
Nathan looked down at the camp in the hollow. The site was well chosen for concealment. The natural bowl in the earth, and the thick trees on the edges, masked the firelight and sounds. David’s description was true. There looked to be a fairly large stockpile of food under several tarps. Wild-looking women were still going through the food pile and it appeared that their previous searches weren't conducted with patience. There was also a line of about two dozen stakes hammered into the ground. Each of these stakes connected to a length of metal wire attached to a now empty dog collar. Nathan could almost smell the evil and desperation of the place. He felt another moment of hesitation, but then turned and gave Bethany the signal.
Bethany stood slowly and walked down the path between the trees to the edge of the hollow. She stopped hesitantly, taking a few deep breaths at the shadowy edge while Nathan said a quick prayer. What his wife was getting ready to do was probably one of the most courageous things he had witnessed and he had witnessed plenty. Why in the hell am I letting her do this? Nathan decided he was going to stop her and stood to get her attention.
Bethany took three long steps forward and down into the hollow. She was totally exposed. Nathan expected shouting and confusion and maybe fighting…but nothing. The women and children were preoccupied with eating or trying to help each other with their injuries. She just stood there staring at the pitiful figures shoving food into their mouths. What finally gave her away was the dog.
The big silver and black shepherd was sleeping on its paws near a group of children. Its ears were up, but its eyes were closed. Something made the dog’s ears twitch and it slowly opened its eyes and gazed directly at Bethany. For a moment nothing happened. It was almost as if the dog thought she were one of their pack. Then with sudden understanding, the dog let its protective instinct take over.
The dog jumped to its feet with hair standing on end and gave a quick series of barks before charging forward, teeth bared and snarling. Bethany’s eyes opened wide in sudden fear. The dog was running flat out at her and was less than twenty yards away.
Nathan cursed silently as he brought his rifle on the dog, but he knew it would be a difficult shot. The dog was running fast and laterally to his position. There’s no reasoning with a dog protecting its own.
Nathan was preparing to fire a series of shots in the dog’s path when it suddenly jerked up short with its back end flipping forward under its front legs, the chain on its neck going taunt.
Bethany put her hand over her heart and laughed nervously. “Oh dear goodness,” she gasped smiling in relief. “I thought he was going-”
She didn’t finish because a wild-looking woman standing to Bethany’s left moved as quick as a snake, pulling what looked like a rusty screwdriver from somewhere and slapping Bethany backhanded across the face with the butt of the tool. The wild woman jumped on Bethany as she slumped to the ground and straddled her, bringing the point of the screwdriver to Bethany’s neck. Even in the dim firelight, Nathan could see the woman smile through her long filthy hair.
Bethany was dazed with blood on her face, but looked over at Nathan who stood, leaned against a nearby tree ready to take a shot. She raised a hand palm out towards her husband and mouthed faintly, “Wait.”
The wild woman spun her head around without taking the screwdriver from Bethany’s neck and met Nathan’s tense gaze. She smiled impishly.
Nathan noted with dismay that the woman’s eyes didn’t appear to hold any shred of sanity. She laughed suddenly, turned back to Bethany, and pressed down on her neck.
