RUNAWAY MOON

by Howard Brian Edgar

  He wonders about the community at Emerald Bay North. What resources do they have? Two teenage boys, a college student and an aging professor of astrophysics hardly seem a formidable defense even with someone named Hannibal in the mix. How much military survival training do they have?

  The more Alex ponders it, the more he realizes it could ultimately be up to him, Matias and Diego to deal with the potential threat from the North. Alex has had more than his share of military Special Forces training. Matias served four years in the Mexican Army, and Diego can shoot the eye out of a rabbit from one hundred yards.

  Alex knows that human hunters are never satisfied with just one catch or kill. Driven by the thrill of the hunt and their basest human instincts, they will continue relentlessly like a giant snake searching for fresh prey. Better to cut off the snake’s head long before it reaches his family.

  “I’m going up north to meet the professor, Jess.” Alex cannot tell her his real reasons for visiting Emerald Bay North, intelligence and reconnaissance. He also wants to hear Hannibal’s story straight from Hannibal. Meeting Professor Hayden is merely icing on the cake.

  “You come back later?”

  “I’ll be back before Dark.”

  Alex winks at Meg as he passes. She puts her hands together as if praying and mouths the words, ‘thank you.’ Samson follows Alex, wagging his tail happily. Meg frowns at him.

  “No, Samson, you stay here like a good boy.”

  Alex waves back at Meg. “It’s okay, he wants to protect me. Let him go.”

  Meg wishes she could go, too. She misses the comfort and privacy of her own shelter, but the last thing she wants is to risk exposing Lily and Mia to any violence that might erupt in the North. So she is grateful for Alex’s insistence on going solo and watches him leave her and his own family behind.

  She spends the morning teaching Mia and Lily how to read and write using sticks and a makeshift sandbox she built alongside the shelter. The sand is their medium and the sticks are their writing instruments.

  “You’re my favorite teacher,” says Mia.

  “I’m your only teacher.”

  “Well, technically, Dr. Sam is our teacher, too. But, you’re still our favorite,” says Lily.

  “Well, you’re both my favorites.” Meg tickles them until they giggle.

  Forty minutes later, Alex and Samson arrive to a hero’s welcome in Emerald Bay North. Ankur, Eric, Donnie, Julia and Sam Hayden greet them excitedly. Alex picks out Hannibal and Satin immediately from what little description the boys had given him. Hannibal is clearly the alpha male in the group and their leader. Satin is every bit as dark and sultry as Alex imagined.

  Ankur, Donnie and Eric are immediately drawn to Samson, the first four-legged furry mammal they’ve seen since The Crash.

  “Dude, a German shepherd,” says Donnie.

  “I love German shepherds,” says Eric. “Police dogs, Army dogs.”

  “I’ll bet he’s the last of the canines,” says Ankur.

  Samson quickly becomes the focus of everyone’s attention. Their collective spirits are higher than they have been since hearing about the four Jakes, as they fawn over the dog. Julia introduces Alex to her dad.

  “Julia tells me you’re an astronomy buff,” says Sam Hayden.

  “My wife tells me my head is in the stars,” says Alex. “It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Dr. Hayden.”

  “No need for titles anymore, Alex. Just call me Sam.”

  “Okay, Sam. Part of the reason I came here is to learn more about Hannibal’s run-in with the Jakes. I hope you and I can talk some astronomy later but right now, I need to speak with Hannibal privately.”

  “Be our guest,” says Sam.

  Alex excuses himself and finds Hannibal sitting alone on a nearby rock, whittling away at the head of a handmade spear while Satin is off helping Julia collect pine nuts and other edibles.

  “So you’re Alex Jacks,” says Hannibal, barely looking up.

  “Tell me about Jake.” Alex has no time for niceties.

  Hannibal relates the entire incident from the time he first spotted the distant campfire up north to the encounter with Jake and his sons. Hannibal’s sincerity and conviction convince Alex that they face a real, serious threat, one that must be neutralized sooner rather than later.

  “These people aren’t trained for fighting. We need help,” pleads Hannibal.

  “That’s why I’m here.” Alex describes his plan to return the next Day with reinforcements and weapons.

  Later that afternoon, Alex, Matias and Diego gather their families. Alex describes the imminent threat up north and his basic plan to deal with it.

  “We leave tomorrow at Dusk. If the enemy does come, it will be late, after Dark when they think everyone’s sleeping. It could be tomorrow night, or three nights from now, but it’s likely they will come soon. I need you to sit tight because we’re not coming home until this is over.”

  “Mateo and Deuce, you’ll be in charge here until we return,” says Matias. “We’ll leave the long spears with you. If you get bored, practice holding and throwing them at a target.”

  “Don’t anyone wander off by yourself for anything, not even to pee or poop,” says Diego. “Use the buddy system and stay close until we return.”

  Mariana is visibly upset. “Why are you doing this, Matias? This is not your fight. Why take such a risk for total strangers?”

  “Because if what they say is true, these men will not stop at Emerald Bay North. They’ll eventually come here and threaten you and Isabella and our daughters. I cannot let that happen.”

  Mariana and Isabella hug their daughters, Sofia and Mia, and weep at the possibility of never seeing their husbands, fathers of their children, again.

  Jake Three creeps slowly and silently along the high ridge above Lake Tahoe like a predatory cat that knows every inch of the terrain. He’s been a hunter since he learned to walk. Now, at sixteen, he already has well over a decade of hunting experience and more than one hundred kills under his belt. He can nail a jackrabbit from one hundred yards with a bow or a homemade dart-gun, but his greatest skill is tracking prey. Since he never figured out how to make himself invisible, he learned to make himself virtually invisible using stealth.

  One of his greatest pleasures in life has always been sneaking up on his brothers or Jake and startling them. By age five, he had successfully and repeatedly stalked his father and brothers. His unrivaled tracking skills made Jake Three the perfect choice for a spy mission.

  Three carries his bow and a quiver full of arrows for self-protection or any game he might stumble upon. Since most wildlife perished after The Crash, Jake and his boys ranged farther and farther from home in search of meat. Otherwise, they made do with pinyon nuts, fish and russet potatoes, which they grew themselves. They had little taste for fish. They were accustomed to eating meat and there was precious little of it available anymore.

  Jake Three picks his way carefully along the ridge until he is directly above the survivors’ camp. He crouches low among the rocks and brush and looks down toward the lake with a pair of infrared night-vision binoculars. He locates the community campfire burning itself out while the half-dozen adult males remain huddled around it. No signs of Hannibal or Satin or any other females.

  Three identifies several man-made structures and shelters along that section of the lake. He figures there are a dozen adults at most with no signs of any women or children. He lowers the binoculars, considers his next move. He knows he has to get eyes on the target, but the target is nowhere in sight. He raises the binoculars again and scans the hills directly below his position. If they have posted a lookout, he will likely be somewhere in these hills directly above the compound.

  The quick splash of a large trout hitting the surface of the lake jolts Hannibal’s attention. He scans the lake as it falls silent again, then shifts to find a more comfortable position. He checks on his own shelter against the hill below him just as Satin emerges rubb
ing the sleep from her eyes. She climbs to his position. When she reaches him, she plops down and leans against him.

  “I can’t sleep,” she whispers. “I’m afraid I’ll see another fucking horse and it’ll be red this time and I’ll never be able to sleep again.”

  “Geez, you’re still stuck on that? It’s just a story.”

  “What can I say? I’m Catholic, brainwashed. It’s the freaking Bible.”

  “It’s still just a story. Probably written by a guy who was high on peyote mushrooms or weed. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it,” whispers Hannibal. “Now go back to bed. You shouldn’t be out here, anyway.”

  “Well, I can’t sleep, Hannibal. Can I just sit here with you for a while?” Satin snuggles closer to him.

  “You’re acting careless right now. You shouldn’t be here at all.”

  Jake Three has seen everything he needs to see. Now that he knows both the target’s location and the lookout’s location, he gathers himself and his bow and silently picks his way back along the ridge toward home, hoping to find some meat along the way. A fat squirrel or a pine marten would be a treat, though he hasn’t seen one in weeks. There could be mountain beavers close to the lake, but it’s too risky for Three to hunt them in the Dark so he continues home.

  When he arrives back at their cave, he tells Jake and his brothers about the survivors’ compound. Using a stick, he draws the compound’s layout in the dirt, marking Hannibal’s location with an “X” and Satin’s location with two “X’s.”

  “I saw six other men by their campfire.” Jake Three is proud of himself for completing his mission, getting in and out undetected.

  “Good work, boy, like taking candy from a baby,” says Jake grinning.

  “I can’t wait,” says Jake One licking his lips. “When can we go?”

  “We’ll wait three more nights then make our move.”

  “Three nights! That’s bullshit,” complains Jake One. “Why don’t we just go now and get it done? They’re not expecting us.”

  “Really? They have a night watch and they’re not expecting us? I knew they was afraid soon as they seen me. It was all over their faces. For sure they went back and told the others about us. Why else would the boyfriend be pulling night watch? Dumb shit, of course they’re expecting us. We waited a long time for this. A few more days don’t mean a thing.” Jake paces and waits for the next protest. Jake Three gives it to him.

  “They’re not ready for us. I didn’t see any weapons.”

  “That don’t mean they don’t have `em. You just didn’t see `em.”

  “Three days, might as well be three years,” says Jake Three. Jakes One and Two grunt in agreement. It doesn’t matter. Papa Jake is the pack leader. His word is law.

  “Stop your bitching. You boys need to learn patience. You got three nights to get right-minded for this.”

  December 9

  Alex, Diego and Matias leave their families near Dusk and head north on foot carrying all of their weapons, one handgun, two spear guns, one flare pistol and a few meager supplies to offer as gifts. They carry salt for their hosts’ fish, a solar flashlight and a few spare nanotech towels. Nanotech towels are made from the same material as most of the clothing. It never needs washing. A daily rinse and the occasional wring are more than sufficient. Nanotech can absorb ten times its weight in liquid yet repels stains, bacteria and discoloration.

  When Alex, Matias and Diego arrive, they’re greeted by a palpable sense of relief, along with smiles and applause. All activities cease. One by one, each member of the community shows up. They gather to meet the three heavily armed men by the lake who have come to help them, fight for them, if necessary.

  “Welcome, welcome.” Hannibal is first to greet the newcomers, but focuses on Alex and shakes his hand. “You kept your word.”

  “This isn’t necessary, you know,” says Alex waving toward the others.

  “We can’t thank you enough,” Sam says. “Julia told me about you and your families and the small miracles that got you here alive. After all we’ve been through, there are too few of us left to be fighting each other.”

  “We agree.” Alex addresses everyone. “Matias, Diego and I are here to train you and fight with you. Has anyone here had any military training?”

  His question is met by nine blank stares.

  Finally, Marcus steps forward and offers his services.

  “I’m Marcus and I’ve had a year of ROTC, so I’ll serve any way I can.” He makes a big show of volunteering first. Neither Alex nor Rachel looks impressed. The other males – Hannibal, Ankur, Donnie, Eric and Sam – fall in, offering their services, as well.

  “Ooh, a whole year of ROTC,” says Ankur under his breath to Eric.

  “That makes four of them against six of us,” says Hannibal. “Four experienced hunters without morals or conscience against six peace-loving survivors just trying to get by on what’s left of this godforsaken world.”

  “That’s about to change,” says Alex. “You are now warriors in training.”

  “Tell us about your skills” says Matias.

  Eric volunteers, “I can throw a ninety-mile-an-hour fastball, and my friend, Donnie, can pulverize anything with skin on it using a baseball bat.”

  “I’m a geologist with a rock-hard spirit,” says Ankur facetiously. For one fleeting moment, he remembers there was once greatness ahead of him, a life of fame behind his momentous lava cave discovery near Olympic Village. He recalls being filled with the hope of starting his dream career and making his first-generation Indian parents proud. Now, he has nothing left to protect except himself and this tiny rag-tag community. He knows that greatness can manifest itself in many ways. So he volunteers to help prepare the camp for an attack, as the resident geologist.

  “You will lead the rock collecting,” says Matias. “Find us hardball-sized rocks and Eric will teach everyone, including the women and children, how to throw them at targets with accuracy.”

  “Perhaps I can help with strategy,” offers Sam. At sixty-nine, Sam Hayden is the oldest member of the Emerald Bay community. “My rock throwing days aren’t over yet,” he adds, winking at Julia.

  “That gives us nine men against four, plus Satin, Julia and Rachel to help us carve spears and set booby traps around the perimeter, the hill and the ridge,” says Alex. “Matias and Diego will show you how to set the traps. Dr. Hayden and Ankur will show you where.”

  Matias and Diego had spent years setting traps around their Mexican property to dissuade the poachers who came to steal their goats and pigs. They show Marcus, Eric and Donnie how to dig the foot-deep holes in the dirt. They show the women how to camouflage the traps using twigs, branches and dead leaves.

  “They’ll likely come down from the ridge, so we need to focus there and these hills leading down to the beach,” says Hannibal. “I doubt they’ll come from the North lakeside beach but we’ll prepare for that, too.”

  “I agree. They’re hunters. They’ll likely split up and attack from the high ground.” Alex is almost certain.

  “Traps are our first line of defense,” says Diego, digging the first one. “If these men are planning an attack, they’ve probably been watching you at night.” He points to a spot along the mountain ridge not far from where Jake Three had been the previous night.

  “They might already know where Satin sleeps, so we need to move her every night. She can’t sleep in the same place twice,” says Alex.

  “She needs to stay inside at night, too, even if she can’t sleep.” Hannibal shoots her a warning ‘I told-you-so’ look.

  Satin ignores the look. “I just got my bed right and you’re moving me around like a jumping bean!”

  “It’s only temporary,” says Hannibal.

  “Unlike my insomnia,” says Satin.

  They spend their last hour until Dark falls collecting rocks the size of baseballs, weapons suitable for throwing. They store the collected ammunition in neat piles near the entrances to their shel
ters where they can grab them on a moment’s notice.

  “Just for the record, I’m not enjoying any of this,” says Satin.

  “Neither am I.” Hannibal holds her protectively.

  As Dark falls, Alex, Matias and Diego attend their first Emerald Bay North communal campfire meeting. They avoid discussing their defense plans or strategies in case they are being eavesdropped on. Instead, at Alex’s insistence, they play astronomy question-and-answer with Dr. Hayden.

  “How will Earth survive without the moon?” asks Donnie.

  “We’re still here, aren’t we?” Marcus sits fireside opposite Rachel. She barely manages a frown at his wisecrack.

  “I can see we’re still here, Marcus,” snaps Donnie. “I meant long-term.”

  “Long-term, we’ll probably survive without a moon,” says Hayden. “Spoiler alert for surfers: The tides will shrink by about seventy percent. Then Earth’s tilt and wobble will slowly destabilize over the next few hundred thousand years.”

  “See. We have nothing to worry about,” says Ankur.

  “Who says I’m worried?” asks Marcus, “We’re all going to die anyway.”

  “Did The Crash make you like this, Marcus, or have you always been a tool?” Donnie has suppressed his extreme dislike for Marcus long enough, lets it finally erupt into the open.

  Rachel nearly chokes on her tea. Donnie has disliked Marcus since that first startling bear hug on the trail. He was wary of him from the beginning, and Marcus has done nothing to change his first impression. Donnie glances toward Rachel for a reaction and she winks back at him approvingly.

  Marcus glares at him. “Dude, what’s your problem?”

  “Dude, you’re my problem. You’re everybody’s problem. All’s you do is argue and call us names. Are you really that dumb or do you just like being contrary?”

  Sam clears his throat before Marcus can answer. “Gentlemen, let’s stay on topic and travel back in time about sixty-five million years. An asteroid six miles wide slams into the Gulf of Mexico, sets off massive earthquakes and wipes out virtually all large land animals, including the dinosaurs. It kills most plant life and three-quarters of our tropical marine life. Earth warms by forty degrees and sea levels rise over a thousand feet, flooding half the continents.”