Fire From the Sky: Firestorm

by N. C. Reed

  “Our patrols might work to keep that down, but it also makes the patrols a target,” Jose mused. “I hate to say it but there's really no way for us to insure something like that doesn't happen,” he admitted.

  “If we can't, then we can't,” Clay sighed. “Once the dogs are a little older and start roaming more, they will be a decent deterrent, but for now they're more interested in playing with the kids than watching the cattle.”

  “I don't mind that,” Jose said. “Those dogs will tear anything that threatens the kids to shreds.”

  “So, they will,” Clay agreed. “Anything else?”

  “Rain today will help prevent a fire but remember that we managed to save this place from the wild fire,” Tandi spoke for the first time. “If conditions are right, they could try to set fire to the grass or some other area and use that to hurt us.”

  “Good point,” Clay nodded. “Makes us appreciate you guys grabbing that fire truck all the more.”

  “Let’s not forget in all this that they might just try and smash us flat with numbers,” Gordy mentioned. He had been quiet up to now other than to ask questions, and usually didn't offer anything, but something had occurred to him that he felt was worth mentioning.

  “They don't have to use the road,” he pointed out, moving to the map. “They can hit us from any direction by walking in,” his hand circled the ranch on the map. “There are few if any natural barriers that would stop them, too. So, we can't focus on the road and decide because it's clear we're okay.”

  Clay gave his nephew an approving look, nodding in agreement.

  “Good point, and one we need to address,” he said. “Any ideas?”

  “One,” Gordy nodded, “but it's long term and won't help right now. We create our own natural barriers. There's a thicket right here,” he pointed to a place on the western edge of the ranch. “We keep it cut back usually, but if it's allowed to grow wild, it's so thick that getting through it is close to impossible. It wouldn't stop someone with a machete and the strength and patience to hack his way through, but it would definitely slow them down.”

  “How does that help us?” Nate asked, looking at the map.

  “We take cuttings from this thicket and plant them all around the edge of the farm,” Gordy told him. “Like I said, won't be of any immediate help, but in the future it will be.”

  “We might can do one better than that,” Tandi said slowly, his mind working over something. “Your mom has several Golden Rod around her place,” he looked at Clay.

  “Yeah,” Clay nodded. It took a minute for him to catch up.

  “Hedgerows!” he almost shouted.

  “What good will that do?” Zach Willis asked. “I mean a hedge might stop a dog or something, and maybe keep kids away, but I don't see how it would stop someone from attacking. They'd walk through it as easily as a thicket!”

  “No, they wouldn't,” Tandi was shaking his head.

  “He's right, Zach,” Clay was nodding. “Golden Rods, I don't know the science name, they grow fairly quickly, and stretch into trees if left unchecked. We plant sprigs, spacing them about four feet apart or so, and let them grow uncut. After a year or so we start bending the branches and tying them into one another. The branches will keep growing, winding around one another and locking together. In World War Two the German Army used the vineyard hedgerows in Normandy and the surrounding area as defensive fortifications.”

  “That's not going to help us right now,” Jose looked at the map, “but in a year, two years at most, it would begin to be a major impediment to anyone trying to infiltrate the ranch. Add in Gordy's bramble idea and you create a natural barrier, almost a fence really, and one that getting through or even over would be damn hard work.”

  “Like Ghost and the Darkness,” Kade said suddenly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. “What?” he looked around.

  “The what and the who now?” Mitchell asked.

  “Ghost and the Darkness,” Kade repeated. “One of my favorite movies, even if it is old. Back when England was still a power in Africa, they were building a railroad bridge at a place called Tsavo. Two male lions, probably litter mates, began to attack the workers, killing at random. In the movie, one of the ideas was to create a bramble fence with these brier bushes, tying them together like what you were talking about. They left only a few spots the lions could get in and tried to set a trap for them.”

  “Did it work?” Mitchell seemed fascinated by this.

  “Well, no,” Kade admitted. “I mean, the trap didn't work. The fence worked fine, it was just that the lions were smarter than average. But the idea was a good one.”

  “I like it,” Clay said. “I say we do both, and we start as soon as we can. Since we can't plant for the next couple days, that's what I'm going to work on tomorrow. We’ll start cutting sprigs in the morning.”

  “Grandpa will have a fit when he finds out we're deliberately spreading those briers,” Gordy chuckled.

  “He’ll get over it.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  -

  Work on the 'natural fence' started the next day, with mixed results.

  “Are you kidding me with this mud?” Samuel Webb complained as he tried to get his foot unstuck from the mire he had stepped in.

  “Hey, makes planting easier,” Kade pointed out. “That's something, anyway.”

  “Oh, it's something all right,” the older man grumbled. “Still, it should work,” he admitted a moment later.

  “Hope so,” Kade nodded. “It worked in the movie,” he said without thinking.

  “Movie?” Webb stopped short even as his foot came lose with a loud sucking sound. “Are you telling me that we're doing all this because someone saw it in a movie?” He looked stunned at the news.

  “Nah, I just saw something like it once,” Kade waved his complaint off. “The idea came from military history. Clay was talking about how the Germans used this stuff to help slow us down during World War Two. In France.”

  “Great,” Webb snorted. “France.”

  –

  Two days were spent waiting for the ground to dry enough to resume planting, during which the group did manage to make strides in placing the start of the natural barriers. Great, muddy strides, but they were moving ahead.

  “Are you kidding me?” Leanne almost howled as she saw the mud-spattered clothing being brought to the laundry. She had reported for laundry duty because it was Tandi's turn.

  “I don't hear anyone laughing,” Beverly Jackson sighed as she started trying to clear away some of the mud and dirt before placing the clothes in a washer. “And it's not like you're out here doing this alone you know,” the older woman reminded her.

  “I shouldn't be out here at all,” Leanne muttered darkly. “I had to trade Tandi's laundry duty for sword lessons.”

  “How's that working out?” Beverly asked, amused despite her own disgust at the situation.

  “I'm not sure I want to know how to use a sword,” was the only answer.

  –

  “Better,” Tandi nodded as Leanne finished another form. “Your form is much better. You need to concentrate more on keeping your point level and be careful about your grip. Maybe we need to have you wear gloves, or something like the stick 'em the NFL used to use. That would keep your grip from slipping. But overall, you're doing much better than I would have thought possible in so short a time. At this rate you’ll be a regular Onna-bugeisha in no time!”

  “Female Samurai?” Leanne's eyes widened. “Really?”

  “I'm surprised you know what that means,” Tandi eyed her carefully.

  “I told you I was studying this even before you got here,” she shrugged. “Am I really doing good?”

  “You really are,” he nodded. “I'm proud of you, Leanne. You're an excellent student.”

  “Thank you, sensei,” she bowed deeply.

  “You really have been studying, haven't you,” Tandi smiled. “Okay, let’s do it again, from the star
t. Position.”

  “Yes, sensei.”

  –

  It took a total of twenty days for the crop to be put in the ground, allowing three days for the weather and the mud it had brought with it. Gordon met his sons and son-in-law at the shed where they were using the pressure washer to clean the machines.

  “All done?”

  “Done and done,” Ronny nodded, waiting his turn at the hose. “Everything is in the ground other than the garden plot we talked about. I cut in about fifteen acres just this side of the cabins, on the other side of the road. Should do the job just fine, I think.”

  “What job?” Clay asked, bringing the hose around and handing off to Ronny. “And I cut up the other garden plots, here and at the cabins,” he reported.

  “We're going to plant a big truck patch style garden to try and give food to folks that are hungry,” Gordon told him. He explained Ronny's original idea and how they reached their final plan.

  “How are you planning to deliver this food?” Clay asked uneasily.

  “I guess with a truck,” Gordon shrugged absently. “Hadn't thought about it.”

  “Dad, surely you realize that's going to make you a target,” Clay said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

  “I think people will be so glad to see fresh food they won't care about us one way or another,” Gordon replied.

  “You mean like the folks at the church last year?” Clay reminded him. “Where are you planning on delivering this food to?”

  “Well, we can check at the church again, now that you mention it,” Gordon mused. “There are probably still people there. But we can take food around and distribute it. Not too far, mind you, but here in our own area where people are doing without.”

  “And you think everyone will just be so glad to see you, being all benevolent, that they won't try to take the truck, hijack the food, nothing like that,” Clay fought to keep sarcasm from his voice.

  “Well, I figure you can do something about that, can't you?” Gordon asked.

  Clay just shook his head as he went to put the tractor he'd been using away. It was a long time ‘til that garden would bear fruit since it wasn't even planted yet. He was too tired to argue about the danger of this plan to feed the locals. It wasn't that he was against helping, he was just against putting an even larger target on their back.

  But harvest was a long time off. He didn't have to fight this battle today and wouldn't. It would come soon enough.

  –

  For two days after the planting was finished it was quiet. Clay, Ronny and Robert in particular rested, doing as little as they could get by with as they recovered from nearly three straight weeks of late nights and early mornings with nothing but hard work in between.

  Samantha, Teri and Gordy looked over the herds, cutting out a few cattle here and there that the girls decided didn't belong in the breeding pool. By the end of the third day the herds had been completely reorganized with the most important breeding stock having been moved close to the barn. Another herd with good stock for the future was moved to the pastures immediately behind the Troy buildings. The rest were divided into three groups and spread among the other pastures that were beginning to show grass.

  “Are we not gonna breed them when the time comes?” Gordy asked.

  “I don't know yet,” Samantha admitted. “It's not that they aren't good stock, because they are. It's just that we have only so much pasture, and there's only so many head we can handle. I need to talk to Clay and your grandfather about what they want to do. If we want to start giving cattle away to be slaughtered then we need to let them be bred so we can hand those calves off when the time comes. That way we reserve the best stock to breed replacements for the breeding stock in the other herds. And we need a lot of beef ourselves with so many people to feed and so many dogs to feed. We can't get dog food off the shelf so we have to mix beef and vegetables to make our own.”

  “We do have a lot of mouths to feed,” Gordy admitted. “We need to set up a way to smoke the meat we slaughter before we get too carried away with trying to feed other people,” he added.

  “Why?” Teri Hartwell asked, then slapped her forehead. “Duh,” she added.

  “Yeah,” Samantha nodded. “No other way to keep the meat for most people. We're fortunate to still have the walk-in your grandparents have in that smaller barn, but I doubt anyone else around can claim one. And one day that one will stop. If we're set up for that day already then it will just be a hassle instead of a problem.” She stopped talking as Gawain, her chosen Kangal that followed her literally everywhere, growled softly at the heels of Samantha's horse.

  “What is it boy?” she asked softly. Gordy reached down and pulled a rifle from the boot of his own saddle, levering a round into the heavy hunting rifle.

  “Look,” Teri pointed as a group of cattle began to move away from where they had been grazing peacefully until that moment. “Something spooked them.” Samantha pulled a small but powerful set of binoculars from her saddlebags and began to scan the area behind the cattle. Movement caught her eye almost at once.

  “Dogs,” she said softly. “A lot of them.”

  Gordy took one look through the scope of his rifle and made a decision.

  “Take Gawain and get out of here,” he ordered at once, dismounting and grabbing the large pup before he could charge the dog pack. His tail was already quivering as he continued to growl. He sat the dog on the saddle horn in front of Samantha before she could complain or object, then grabbed his radio.

  “I need some help out here in Pasture Eight,” he said quietly. “I've got a pack of over a dozen dogs trying to prey on the cattle here.”

  “On the way!” Kade Ramsey replied at once.

  “On the double then,” Gordy acknowledged. He returned the heavy lever action rifle to the boot on his saddle and pulled his M-4 from the other, retrieving his combat harness from behind the saddle. He handed the reins of his horse to Teri Hartwell. “Take him with you. He won't be still with all those dogs after him.”

  “I can help, you know,” Samantha said quietly and he could tell by her voice she was bordering on angry at being sent away.

  “You could, but Gawain will probably get hurt in the meantime,” he replied as he quickly pulled his harness on and slung his rifle. “He's still a puppy regardless of how big he is. And we can't spare a horse to a broken leg or a pack of dogs. None of these horses are steady enough to stand gunfire and predators at the same time. You two get back to the barn and make sure the breeding herd is safe. Call for help if you have to, but if any of these dogs get by me then make sure they can't get to the rest of the cattle.”

  Realizing that Gordy was right on all counts, Samantha nodded and reined her horse around. She didn't like it but was also too mature to argue when she knew he was right. She and Teri started back without further argument, though Teri hadn't intended to argue at all. She knew how dangerous a dog pack could be. Gordy watched them go and turned back to face the dogs, who had seen him and were now headed his way.

  “Now why come at me when the cattle are right there?” he asked himself, raising his rifle and flipping the cover off the optics. As he took aim, a thought hit him;

  They're coming for me because they've already had a taste of human flesh. The idea made him shiver as the thought of being torn apart and eaten by dogs ran through his head. Worse, they would chase Sam, now running away on horseback with the pup over the saddle. There was no way she and Teri would outrun those dogs in the short run and then the same thing would happen to them. He had to stop that. No matter what, he had to stop these dogs.

  Now even more determined, he took aim at the closest dog and opened fire.

  –

  Hearing Gordy's rifle fire made Samantha twitch as she and Teri made for the barn. There were over a dozen dogs in that pack and she was under no illusions as to how vicious they would be at this point. It had been over six months since the lights went out and society had crumbled. That w
as a long time for them not to be fed on a regular basis. And any dogs that had made it this far were sure to be particularly dangerous, having lived through the winter without the food that would normally have been available.

  The sound of an ATV came to her ears as she fought to hold her horse and Gawain, who was struggling mightily to get away from her grip. He clearly did not care for riding across the horn of a saddle and didn't hesitate to let her know that.

  “That way!” Teri shouted as the ATV came by them, Kade already standing behind the seat and Victoria Tully driving. “There are a lot of them too!”

  Kade waved to acknowledge her as Tully hit the gas once more, tearing the soft ground up when the tires spun, trying to catch traction. Samantha hoped they would get there before Gordy was in trouble. She couldn't imagine what she would do, how she would cope, if something happened to him just when things between them had started to grow into something far greater than just 'like'.

  She forced the thought away as she made for the barn. He had given her a job and she meant to do it.

  –

  Gordy opened fire, amazed at how calm he felt. Over half the dogs were charging at him while the rest continued to chase the cattle. The first dog he targeted looked like Bruce, the large German Shepherd that Jake Sidell had brought to the farm with him. While this dog wasn't as large as Bruce he was still a large animal. The round took the dog in the chest and sent him tumbling into the dirt. Even as Gordy regretted the need to kill the dog, he switched his aim and fired again. A pit bull mix spun around as the bullet grazed his chest and ran down his left side, showering the dog next to it with blood.

  The next dog was some kind of long haired canine that Gordy wasn't familiar with, a large, loping animal with a pointed nose and a long tail. It was close enough that Gordy could see a bit of foam flecking at his mouth and wondered if the dog was rabid or if the foam was just from running. Gordy shot and missed, seeing the bullet kick up dirt behind and to the right of the charging hound. The dog was tall and long but Gordy realized that a lot of the dog's apparent bulk was actually hair. Aiming more for the charging animal's chest, he squeezed off another shot and saw the dog rear onto his hind feet, yelping in pain. Gordy shifted his aim again, knowing that the long-haired dog was no longer an immediate threat even if the wound wasn't life threatening.