by Joel Baker
Chapter 11
Sarah awoke with a start. The temperature had dropped during the night and the cab windows were fogged over. She rubbed the passenger window with the back of her hand, but it did little good. Heavy dew covered the outside of the window as well. She opened the door to the cab.
The dogs were gone. She felt oddly disappointed. They were scary, but not threatening. They made her feel secure for some strange reason, in spite of their appearance. And yet the dogs were a little too aware, a little too smart. Their actions seemed coordinated. She hoped there was an explanation back at the lab.
Jesse and the kids woke up a short time later. Except for Cole, Sarah thought they too were genuinely disappointed that the dogs had vanished. Lily seemed to be affected most of all. Sarah explained to her that the dogs liked living in the woods, and probably didn’t like to ride in trucks. Lily wasn’t buying any of it.
“What should we do now?” Jesse asked.
Sarah thought for a few moments. They could just leave and assume the dogs wouldn’t follow them. But she felt certain they would see them again.
“We go back to the compound,” Sarah said. “I can’t explain it Jesse, but I need to find out about those dogs. Call me crazy, but I miss them.”
“Me too,” Lily added.
“Okay, crazy. Let’s eat,” Jesse said.
After breakfast, Jesse asked the boys to clean all their weapons, and reload the ammo clips. He put Cole in charge of the operation. He and Sarah went for a short walk. They went a short distance before Sarah said she wanted to sit for a while and enjoy the morning. It was warming up rapidly.
“Jesse,” Sarah said. “I’m not positive at this point, but I don’t think that dog Daisy is the only one who’s pregnant. I think we’re going to have a baby.”
“That’s wonderful, Sarah!” Jesse said. “When will you know for sure?”
“Women react differently to stress, and this whole trip may have just thrown me out of kilter. I won’t be sure for another week or so. But I’m worried.”
“Oh, sweetheart, it will be fine,” Jesse said. “Once we get to Haven. We’ll find a doctor or midwife to help you and everything will be alright.”
“It’s not that, Jesse” Sarah said. “Women have been having babies naturally for thousands of years. It’s just that I’m not exactly in my prime. Women my age aren’t supposed to have babies. I’m a little old to be going through this. Everything’s so uncertain right now.”
“Sarah, I love you,” Jesse said. “We’ll see this through just like everything else.”
Jesse put his arms around her and held her gently for a while and Sarah started to feel better. The sun rose higher and the two walked back toward the truck holding hands. Everything was packed and Jesse and Sarah climbed in the cab. Jesse looked around, started the engine, and headed back towards the compound.
The truck stopped in front of the high gate and fences. Jesse honked the truck’s horn several times, but nothing moved. Sarah noticed the surveillance cameras on the top of each gate post weren’t pointed in their direction, and seemed fixed in place. They got out of the truck and walked to the fence.
“What do you think?” Jesse asked.
“This fence makes it looks like Jurassic Park,” Sarah said. “It looks abandoned. Can you push the gate in with the truck?”
“I think so,” Jesse said. “This place is really creepy. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Just do it, Jesse,” Sarah said.
Jesse told everyone to get out of the truck. He nudged the front bumper against the center of the gate. The truck engine roared as the gate bowed. With the sound of breaking metal, the gates sprung open and the truck lurched into the compound. Jesse climbed out with his shotgun. Sarah joined him, followed by Lily and the boys. All headed towards a windowless single-story brick building, sitting at the end of a long circular drive.
As Sarah walked up the front walk, she saw leaves and twigs piled in the front portico. The front door stood slightly ajar. Jesse went into the building first, followed by Mark and Cole, guns ready.
“Hello? Is anybody home?” Jesse yelled, his voice echoing in the empty building.
Sarah heard the echoes die as she and Lily walked into what appeared to be a reception area. Dust and dirt covered chrome end tables, mildewed leather chairs, and the counter top. Jesse and the boys disappeared through a heavy door standing slightly ajar at the far end of the room.
“Hey, wait for us,” Sarah yelled as she and Lily stepped through the door.
Large skylights filtered light through the roof of the building and lit up the floating dust motes hovering in the air. Jesse and the boys stood just inside the door of what appeared to be a massive laboratory. At the far end were rows of large cages. The cage doors were open and the cages empty. A line of offices ran down the left hand side of the laboratory, each door labeled with a name plate. The first office was labeled in plain block letters ‘Dr. Daniel Frank, Director’.
“What now?” Jesse asked.
“Let’s see if Doctor Frankenstein’s in,” Sarah said.
Jesse went over and tried the door. It was locked. Several kicks later, the door sill cracked and the door slammed open. Jesse stuck his head in and looked around.
“Nobody’s home,” Jesse said.
A small skylight lit the windowless room in somber shadows. Sarah stepped into the office and began going through the metal desk. In the lower right hand drawer she found four unlabeled binders. She pulled the first one out of the drawer and read for a while in silence.
“Jesse, you were right,” Sarah said. “Those dogs came from here. Take the kids back to the truck. This could take me a while”.
Jesse, the boys, and Lily headed back to the truck. Sarah joined them after an hour or so. She carried the four binders under her arm and handed them to Mark.
“Put the binders in the back of the truck will you?” Sarah asked. “You’ll all need to hear this.”
The family sat in a circle on the ground. Jesse finished fixing some lunch and they ate while Sarah related what she had learned about the dogs.
“Let’s begin with the fact you were right, Jesse,” Sarah said. “Those dogs came from here. And yes, it’s a government research facility specializing in genetic engineering. Four years ago, the military started a program to create the perfect guard dog. The dogs were to be used to combat terrorism. They thought they could come up with a dog to stop terrorists before they acted.”
“Before they acted?” Jesse asked.
“Yes,” Sarah said. “The scientists proved that anyone under a great deal of stress could be detected by a subtle difference in smell, heart rate, and other biological feedback by a trained, genetically altered dog. So they altered the genetics of the dogs for size, intelligence, disposition, and enhanced sensory perception. They didn’t want to have to spend a lot of time training the dogs, so they genetically programmed the dogs. The results walked into our camp last night.”
“Did they succeed?” Mark asked.
“Yes and no,” Sarah said. “They may have succeeded too well. It appears from his notes that even before the Go-Back, things started to get strange. Certain lab workers and researchers were singled out by the dogs. Each of the workers was subsequently proven to be masking some deviant qualities. One beat his wife and kids. Another liked little boys too much. It was that sort of thing. The dogs didn’t initially attack the workers. They simply didn’t let them into the building. The dogs could not only spot bad intentions, but they could identify bad people.”
“How could they?” Jesse asked. “What basis would the dogs use to make that sort of judgment?”
“It isn’t judgment, Jesse,” Sarah said. “It’s instinct. Dr. Frank used a lot of paper and ink towards the end writing down his thoughts. He felt there was a natural order to things. A balance if you will. The dogs are sensitive to that natural balance.”
“I’m not sure I follow,” Jesse said.
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sp; “He had some ideas on how the dogs could do it,” Sarah said. “Dr. Franks speculated that people, like all living things, give off a detectable aura of light. Doctors already used this aura for diagnosis. He believed the dogs could detect the presence of this light.”
“You’re kidding,” Jesse said.
“It’s not that far-fetched, Jesse,” Sarah said. “We talk about how some people make bad first impressions, that sort of thing. We’ve all heard about people that animals just flat don’t like. It’s like that with the dogs. Except when the dogs don’t like you, it’s for a reason.”
“What happens if the dogs don’t like you?” Jesse asked.
“The good doctor suggested that if the dogs don’t like you,” Sarah said. “You should probably make sure you’re somewhere else.”
“What else did he say?” Jesse asked.
"At the end, it was all very disjointed,” Sarah said. “His handwriting was shaky and you could tell he was under tremendous pressure. The researchers killed all but the five adult dogs. Somehow they got loose and no one could get close enough to them to put them down. Then after the Go-Back, the government closed down all of the compounds. Dr. Frank confessed at the end of the last book that he was the one that had released the five remaining dogs.”
“Is there anything else we should know?” Mark asked.
“Well, just some minor things,” Sarah said.
“Like what?” Jesse asked.
“They only eat food they catch in the wild,” Sarah said. “Apparently they could detect the chemicals farmers put into livestock. The researchers couldn’t get them to eat it.”
“Did this doctor happen to mention which food group people belonged to?” Cole asked, smiling.
“Domesticated, Cole,” Sarah said. “The doctor was very specific about that. They’ll kill you, but they won’t eat you."
“Good news everybody,” Jesse said. “We’re not on the menu! Is there anything else?”
“Yes,” Sarah said. “They tend to travel in pairs. They don’t like being all at the same place at the same time. Dr. Frank felt this was some survival of the species instinct. He also said they’re very territorial, and tend to patrol the perimeter of what they consider to be their territory just like wolves do.”
“Wolves,” Cole muttered under his breath. “This just gets better and better.”
“They mostly breed true,” Sarah continued, “but occasionally some of their pups may be genetic throwbacks. If they are, the dogs let them die. Oh, and they kill all other dogs coming anywhere near their territory. The Doctor was very emphatic about this. No exceptions. They just don’t tolerate other dogs. The researchers thought it was also some sort of species protection thing.”
“Cole is right,” Jesse said. “These dogs are full of surprises. The question is what do you think we should do?”
Sarah sat and thought for a while. She looked up finally and saw everyone looking expectantly, waiting for her answer.
“I can’t explain it,” Sarah said. “Dr. Frank trusted those dogs and so do I. He said they appeared to have a strong need for human companionship. I think that’s why they came into our camp last night. Jesse, I think those dogs chose us for a reason. I just feel it.”
“Well if you’re right,” Jesse said. “And I still have my doubts, the dogs are probably watching us right now.”
Everyone looked around and studied the trees outside the compound. Jesse stood up.
“It’s too late to make any real distance today,” Jesse said. “Let’s go back to where we camped last night and see if they come back.”
They drove slowly to the spot where they’d camped the previous night. Jesse built a campfire, and when the dogs failed to appear, everyone went to bed.
Sarah was the first up the next day. There was still no sign of the dogs. Jesse announced they would make Tennessee today and that they were getting much closer to Haven. Sarah thought everyone’s spirits picked up a little, although she still felt a sense of loss, when the dogs failed to return.
Chapter 12
As the truck lumbered away from the camp site, Sarah found herself examining the woods for any sign of the dogs. A steep grade ran uphill for almost two miles. When the truck reached the top of the ridge, the road made a sharp left, then right. As they came around the last turn, Jesse slowed the truck. All five dogs sat on the right-hand shoulder of the road, side by side, in a straight row.
“Will you look at that?” Jesse asked. “If they pick up their paws and try thumbing a ride, I’m going to flip out. What do you suggest we do?”
“Pull up, and I want to get out,” Sarah said.
“Are you sure?” Jesse asked.
“Yes,” Sarah said. “All my intuitions are screaming these dogs are important to us. I don’t know why, but I’m not going anywhere without them. I know you may think this is a needless risk. I just know these dogs must go with us. Now stop the damn truck!”
“Gee’s, you don’t have to…,” Jesse said, shaking his head.
Sarah got out of the truck and slammed the door. The dogs trotted single-file over to where she stood. Boss stood on the far right. Next to him was Daisy. The rest appeared to be ordered by size. Sarah estimated that Boss stood over three feet to the top of his head. He weighed easily a hundred and eighty pounds. His head looked to be a foot wide, his jaws were massive.
There was an oddly intelligent gleam in all their eyes, as they repositioned themselves in a semicircle around Sarah at a respectful distance. She stood with her back to the cab door. Sarah got the distinct impression they were in some sort of formation. It was as if they wanted to reassure her, they were not a threat. They all stared up at her.
“What do you want?” Sarah asked, half expecting them to answer.
Instead, Boss walked over to the side of the truck, jumped up and put his front paws on the door. He stared back at Sarah.
“That seems clear enough,” Sarah said. “Kids, come out here. We’re going to have to do some rearranging.”
Boss jumped down and rejoined the semicircle as the truck door opened. Cole finally peered over the edge of the roof at the commotion below.
“Wow! They’re back,” Paul said as he and the others jumped out.
“Mark, you and Paul climb up on top with Cole,” Sarah said. “Lily, you ride up front with your Dad and me.”
“Can’t I ride in back with Daisy?” Lily asked.
“I don’t think so, Lily,” Sarah said. “Maybe you can later.”
Lily climbed into the cab, as the boys scurried up the rope ladder to join Cole on the roof of the truck. Sarah watched the dogs file over to the door. Boss waited as Daisy and the rest jumped into the truck before he followed. She closed the door and climbed back into the cab. When Jesse looked at her, Sarah just shrugged.
“Did Dr. Frank happened to mention who taught them close order drill?” Jesse asked.
“Just drive,” Sarah said, looking out the side window.
The road ran smooth with no more driveways or surprises. Sarah was kept busy stopping Lily from sticking her head through the opening from the cab into the back to see what the dogs were doing.
Boss ended the contest by wedging his huge head into the cab. Jesse almost lost control when he looked over and Boss gave him a blast of dog breath in the face. Lily was delighted and patted Boss’s head.
“It must look like we have a bear riding between us,” Jesse said
“Believe it or not,” Sarah said. “I think Boss just wants to see where we’re going.”
By midday, the concrete road came to a dead-end at what used to be a major highway. Jesse headed southeast, straight for the Tennessee border.
The highway rapidly narrowed with disabled and abandoned vehicles on both shoulders. Jesse slowed to a crawl to make his way through the burned out cars and trucks littering the road. At several spots, twisted wreckage blocked the road entirely. Jesse plowed through the vehicles to clear a path. They came to a ‘Welcome to Tenne
ssee’ sign extending high above the road. The sign was riddled with bullet holes and covered with graffiti. One of the messages scrawled;
‘Now go back home, Tennessee don’t want you either’.
A mile into Tennessee another sign read ‘Welcome Center’ and someone hand painted ‘is closed’ underneath. The Welcome Center was burnt to the ground. Cars continued to litter the road. Jesse pressed on, and asked Sarah to study the map again for a place to stop.
“The map shows an entrance to a wilderness camping area up ahead about five miles,” Sarah said. “I don’t see any marked roads though. It might be a good place to get off and stop. Do you want to try?”
“That sounds like what we’re looking for,” Jesse said.
Sarah noticed that many of the cars sitting at all angles on the shoulder of the road were riddled with bullet holes. She’d also peered into some of the cars as they crept slowly by. Inside were disturbingly lumpy piles of clothing. Sarah figured the cars must have been here for a while, but she was getting less enthused about this road with every mile.
The cut off to the wilderness area was unmarked. Jesse drove by it the first time and was forced to back up to find it. Cars and a single pickup truck blocked much of the entrance. Sarah suggested that Jesse squeeze between them, without moving anything. She saw no point in advertising they’d gone this way.
Once they’d gone about two miles inside the park, the abandoned cars thinned out and disappeared. Jesse drove until they found a fire break. When they were out of sight, he shut the engine off, climbed out, and opened the door to the truck. The dogs came out in the same order as they went in. Boss emerged last. Immediately all the dogs but Daisy disappeared into the brush. Each dog headed in a different direction. Daisy rested by the edge of the firebreak.
