by Ricky Sides
He was about to give up his morning vigilance when he saw the cats running from the nearby woods. They stopped near his bait, eyeing it warily. Soon, their hunger overcame their suspicion and one of the cats jumped up onto the bed of the cart. The animal began to devour the dead chicks. The other two cats joined the first as Tom reached for his shotgun.
His first shot killed two of the felines, and his second killed the third. Tom grunted in pain as he sat down the shotgun. The recoil had caused his injured hand and wrist to throb painfully, but the unpleasant task had been accomplished and the three predators were no longer a threat to his livestock.
Tom threw their bodies in the incinerator with the remaining dead loss, but he wouldn’t be reporting it to law enforcement for fear of prosecution.
When Tom walked into the house and locked his shotgun in the gun cabinet, his wife Martha asked, “Did you have to do that, dear?”
“I know I did the right thing,” he responded without a moment’s hesitation. “You saw what just one of those animals did to me. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if they’d attacked one of the kids.”
“I understand that, but it just seems wrong to kill a cat.”
“It is wrong. You know I’ve never done anything like this before, and I took no pleasure in it, but I couldn’t stand by and do nothing while they slaughter our livelihood and menace our family.”
***
Jerry and his team climbed back into the van after spending two hours searching the area where Mildred Grummer had been killed the previous day. “Well that was a waste of time, but we had to try,” Jerry stated.
“Where do we go from here, Lieutenant?” asked Sergeant Haskell.
“Now we go to see Charlie. We’ll drop off the food and blankets, and then I want to get a good look at the terrain. It’s possible the cat he encountered is bedding down in the area,” Jerry explained.
Glancing at his watch, Jerry turned on the radio in the van to listen to the news as the sergeant drove out to Highway 31. “Take a left on 31. We’ll take Forrest Street across town. Just past the railroad trestle is a large parking lot on the left. We’ll park near the woods around back of the building.”
The sergeant acknowledged the directions, and then Jerry turned up the news. “In breaking news, the body found in a local motel room earlier today has now been positively identified as that of Clarisse Woods of Athens. The police are not releasing any information regarding the death, which they are listing as a homicide.”
“Talbot again?” asked the sergeant.
“That’s a possibility. She may have known too much for her own good. I need to report this,” Jerry stated. He turned off the radio and called in the latest development to his contact man who handled such emergency intelligence reports.
“Do you want to go to the motel?” the sergeant asked when Jerry closed his phone and put it in his pocket.
“No. Apparently, the city police department notified intelligence an hour ago because they found evidence that linked Talbot to the scene. We are to leave Talbot to another team that is actively hunting the man and focus all of our attention on the termination of the remaining threats to the civilian population,” Jerry explained.
“Another team is in pursuit, or are they referring to intelligence gathering only?” asked the sergeant.
“I wasn’t told,” Jerry said with a shrug. “Don’t miss our turn,” he added as the van passed beneath the railroad trestle.
It took the three men a few minutes to equip all their gear, but soon they were walking through the narrow band of forest that bordered the railroad tracks. Once they were well inside the trees, Jerry told the sergeant to turn to the south and be looking for the campsite that Charlie Ritter utilized.
As they moved quietly through the woods, the three men maintained a wary vigil. They had learned from experience just how deadly the cats could be when they opted to go on the attack, and Corporal Evans had the stitches to prove it. Jerry had offered to let the corporal sit out the day’s activities, but the man had adamantly insisted on seeing the mission through to the end.
“That you, Jerry?” a voice called from ahead of the sergeant.
“I’m here,” Jerry promptly answered.
“You boys come on into camp,” Charlie said as he stepped into view. He’d been standing behind a large tree.
Jerry and his team followed Charlie a short distance through the woods to his small encampment. “We didn’t come empty handed,” Jerry stated as he removed his backpack and set it on the ground. At a gesture from him, his men did the same.
“What’s this?” asked Charlie.
“It’s your pay for consulting with us, but before we begin, I want my men to scout the area to look for signs of the approach the animal uses.”
“They won’t find anything, but I know they need to try,” the old man said with a shrug. He added, “And you don’t have to pay me. I’m happy to help. Hell, it’s in my best interest to help you get that critter.”
“It’s not much in the way of pay,” Jerry explained. Shrugging, he added, “It makes me feel better because I know we’re going to annoy you with some of our questions.”
Jerry turned to his men and added, “Do a quick search and then get back here. I want you present for the debriefing.”
The sergeant nodded his understanding and left the camp with the corporal.
“We’ll need the packs back, but the contents are yours,” Jerry said.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Charlie asked, “What’s in the packs?”
“Thirty-six assorted MREs. Twelve are breakfast and the rest are dinner packs. There’s also a wool blanket in each and a good winter sleeping bag tied to mine.”
“I don’t know what to say. Those supplies could mean the difference between making it through the winter for me. I won’t pretend I don’t need them, so I guess I’ll just say thank you.”
“You’re welcome. They have the heaters in the packages. I’ll give you a hand getting them squared away if you like.”
When the two men completed that task, they sat down to talk. Charlie sat on his five-gallon bucket while Jerry opted to take a seat on an old fallen log situated about seven feet from Charlie. “Do you mind if I ask why you live out here like this?” Jerry asked.
The old man frowned in consternation, and then he said, “I’m sixty-six years old. I was laid off when the economy turned sour. The company was polite enough to explain that they needed to keep the younger, faster employees.”
Shrugging, Charlie continued, “I looked for work, while I drew unemployment, but no one really wants to hire a man my age. I could have filed the paperwork for my social security, but the government moved the goal post on me. If I want full benefits, I have to wait until I’m sixty-seven.”
Charlie grinned, and then he said, “By the time I ran out of money I had eleven months to go. I moved out of the house I was renting and liquidated my assets, which took all of two days. There wasn’t much worth selling, but I raised a few thousand dollars. The only way I could make it was to rough it until my birthday.” Shrugging, he added, “This is just temporary.”
“Do you ever regret your decision to wait?” Jerry asked curiously.
“I have to admit that I did regret it when the cats found me. But that’s my money and I want it all. I’ve been paying into the social security system my entire working career. I’m not going to take a loss of hundreds of dollars a month just to live easier now. Not when I’m this close. If I can make it until spring, I’ll be able to file for full benefits, and that’s what I aim to do.”
“I admire a man who stands by his convictions,” Jerry stated. “It speaks to your character. But tell me, Charlie, will you make it, or will you run out of money before reaching your goal?”
The old man shrugged and said, “That’s a good question. I’ve been careful. I think I can make it.” The old man grinned and added, “But as God is my witness, when this is over, I�
��ll never eat rice again.”
Jerry nodded soberly. He had seen most of the old man’s food stores as they had placed the MREs in his shelter. His food consisted of rice, a few cans of beans and another few cans of mixed vegetables, but it was easy for him to see that the primary staple for the man was rice. He felt troubled by the old man’s plight. A part of him wanted to reach out and help the man. He was tempted to offer to let the man live with him until he could get his finances worked out, but Jerry liked his privacy. For all he knew, the two of them might not get along well enough to share each other’s company to that extent. And he had plans for the future that didn’t include having a houseguest. He wasn’t even sure he’d end up buying the house.
The old man saw the emotions flitting across the special ops leader’s face and accurately guessed his thoughts. “Don’t worry about me, son. You’ve already done too much for me as it is. I’m not one for taking charity, or I could apply for all sorts of help. Really, the food you brought today will make a big difference for me, and those wool blankets and the sleeping bag are godsends.”
“I’ll tell you what I can do,” Jerry stated. “If you can show me the bodies of the cats you killed, I’ll get you a bounty for each. I’m sure the brass would be willing to pay that bounty to a man who’d keep it quiet.”
“No,” Charlie said adamantly. “I don’t want a bounty for killing them. I’m not proud of it. I always liked cats. Killing them brought me no pleasure. It was me or them, so I did what I had to do, but I’ll be damned to hell before I take a dime for doing it.”
Jerry nodded his acceptance of the man’s decision, but made up his mind to bring more food to the old veteran.
When the rest of the team arrived back at the campsite, they reported no signs of the feline they were hoping to neutralize.
The men listened attentively as old Charlie detailed his encounters with the three cats that had visited his camp.
Charlie told them almost everything, but he didn’t tell them what happened after the big male left his camp. The veteran would never reveal to anyone that he’d approached the mortally wounded female with the intentions of putting her out of her misery. By then, she was too weak to be a serious threat to him, but she was suffering, so he had approached her and she knelt down to finish her off. The cat had lifted her head, laid back her ears, and closed her eyes in anticipation of his blow. He had paused then; the old man’s gentle heart was touched by the cat’s acceptance of her fate. Without any thought to do so, he reached out and caressed the side of the cat’s face.
She opened her eyes in surprise and rubbed her head against Charlie’s trembling hand. For a moment, the cat’s gentler instincts held sway. Then the animal tried to bite the man’s hand. Charlie snatched it from the danger and the cat meowed almost apologetically. She rubbed her head against the man’s leg and then she died.
Charlie had sat beside the cat for several minutes, oblivious to the cold and his bleeding face. As he sat there, he thought of the other cats he had encountered during his life and wondered why these cats were so savage. A yowling sound had then erupted from the darkness near his camp, and that had roused Charlie from his introspection.
“With the information you’ve provided, I think we may be able to deal with the remaining cat,” Jerry stated confidently.
“Do we have to kill it?” Charlie asked.
“Witnesses have verified that all of the attacks in and around the city trace back to that animal,” Jerry stated. He went on to describe the attack on the dog in Patricia’s neighborhood and the attack on the deputy. “We have reason to suspect that the pair of cats also attacked and killed the Grummer woman yesterday morning at the walking track across town. Because of this, my superiors have ordered the animal terminated on sight to prevent further harm to the citizens of the city,” Jerry explained.
“I didn’t know about the other attacks,” Charlie said in surprise. “I thought I was the only victim they’d attacked.”
Jerry belatedly remembered a computer printout he had folded in his jacket pocket. He dug it out of his coat and unfolded it, and then he passed it to Charlie for the man to see. “That was taken in the aftermath of an attack on a dog. I think the cat was stalking the woman who took the photo. She was out running and the dog chased her. On her next lap around the block, she found it clawed to pieces in the street. Thinking that the attacker was still in the area, she took this photo.”
“That’s him,” Charlie confirmed. “And you say he also attacked a deputy?”
Jerry nodded his assent, and then he said, “It’s too dangerous to handle any other way. We have to terminate that animal on sight. If we try to capture him and he escapes, then we’d have a moral responsibility for any further harm he does to the civilians.”
“I understand. I’ll do my best to help you get him,” Charlie promised. Then he asked, “How do you want to do this?”
“Sergeant, you scouted the area. What do you think?” Jerry asked.
The sergeant pointed to the grade leading up to the railroad tracks. “We take the high ground overlooking the camp. About three quarters of the way up the hill is a good level spot. It’s beside that small tree with the broken branch,” he explained, shifting his pointing finger to the tree he was referencing. “It’s a natural perch, and it’s big enough for the three of us. From there, we’ll have a good view of the terrain in and around the campsite.”
“You brought the night vision gear from the base that I requested?” asked Jerry.
“Yes, it’s in the van in the lock box. I’ll go get it if you like,” the sergeant volunteered.
“Alright, Sergeant, you do that. Take the corporal with you. It’ll be dark soon, so we’ll have to be ready for a long vigil. Burger King is just a mile down Jefferson Street. You two make a food run and grab a sack of sandwiches and fries, and then get back here as soon as possible with the equipment. We’ll eat, and then get into position,” Jerry explained as he handed the sergeant the money to buy the food.
“Right, sir,” the sergeant responded. “Whoppers and fries all around sound good?” he inquired.
“It sounds great to me,” Charlie said. He started reaching in his pocket to get some money. “I can pay for mine. You guys saved me a lot of money on food already.”
“I feed the men in my command, soldier,” the lieutenant stated authoritatively.
“I’m not in your command,” Charlie stated with a grin.
“You are this afternoon,” Jerry insisted.
Charlie shrugged and gave up the argument. He enjoyed feeling a part of the brotherhood of soldiers again. He had been away from it for so many years that he had almost forgotten the way such men did things for each other without expecting anything in return.
When the two men left to get the gear and food, Jerry and Charlie went to work gathering the wood the old veteran would need for the night. The fire would be small by necessity because they would be using night vision equipment, and a large fire would make it difficult for that equipment to function properly. However, it was bitterly cold, and Jerry wanted to make certain Charlie had sufficient wood on hand to build up a bonfire in the wake of the mission if he wanted to exercise that option.
***
Patricia stared at the section of the report she had just completed. As it turned out, her discussion with Jerry had only touched the tip of the iceberg. The problem was significantly worse than she had described it during that conversation. She had thoroughly researched the matter, and cited multiple sources for her conclusions, providing internet links to the documents she quoted in her detailed report.
Her conclusions were solid. If an enemy managed to taint even a fraction of the pet food product supply for just one species, the results would be devastating. Tens of thousands of animals would be affected. Compounding that problem was the first generation of offspring. They would mimic the aggressive behavior exhibited by the parents, grow significantly larger due to the concentrated exposure to the compo
und in the mother’s milk, and number in the hundreds of thousands with a ten to twenty year life span. Cross contamination of other species would likely occur.
If an enemy managed to contaminate up to half of the pet food product supply for both cats and dogs, the results would be catastrophic. Approximately eighty million animals would be affected. The first generation offspring would bring that total into the hundreds of millions with a ten to twenty year life span. Cross contamination of other species was a certainty, due to the sheer volume of the food supply.
If an enemy contaminated three quarters of the pet food product supply for both cats and dogs, the results would be apocalyptic. Approximately one hundred thirteen million of the targeted animals would be affected. The first generation offspring could bring that total to around a quarter of a billion with a ten to twenty year life span. Cross contamination of other species would be impossible to avoid.
If the cross contamination affected rats, that would lead to further hundreds of millions of rodents affected. The first generation offspring would bring that number to very nearly a billion. The good news was that rats, average only a one-year lifespan. The bad news was that by the end of that year, humans might well be extinct in the United States.
As bad as her projections were, Patricia knew that she had yet to reference the insect and avian factors, and that omission could have deadly consequences. With a sigh, she went back to work.
Two hours later, the scientist had added dozens of further source quotes that dealt with insect and avian cross contamination. The results of her research shook up Patricia. If her findings proved true, then humanity in the affected country would face the likely possibility of extinction.
Her worst-case scenario report now included descriptions of foot long ants whose exoskeletons were so tough that they would be difficult for a grown man to kill without a weapon. Their venom would be administered in massive doses as the ants stung the victim multiple times. A single ant would be capable of killing a grown man with that venom, which would lead to anaphylactic shock. She pointed out that ants seldom attacked alone, thus an encounter with these insects would have deadly consequences. Patricia reminded the reader that the ants would be subject to the same intensified aggression, and that such a theoretical colony would make fire ants seem harmless in comparison.
