The Changing Earth Series (Book 2): Without Land

by Hathaway, Sara F.

  “Nope,” Erika said confidently.

  Erika and Kim walked over to the farther animal and Erika grabbed it by its tail. She was surprised at the rodent’s weight and the softness of its brownish-gray fur.

  “What is it?” Kim asked eying it curiously.

  “It’s a yellow-bellied marmot, I think,” Erika replied. Sergeant Bennett had told her about the animal but she had never seen one herself before now.

  “They are actually pretty cute,” Kim said with a sad look in her eyes.

  “Well, they are dinner now,” Erika replied, not allowing the emotions of killing another animal to interfere with the task of getting food for the group.

  They took the marmot over to the other one and set them together.

  “Look,” Kim urged Erika, “There’s their burrow, over there in those rocks.”

  “Oh yeah…” Erika replied, her eyes looking to the direction of a pile of boulders.

  The two walked over to investigate. The rock that the burrow was built under was big but not large enough to prevent the two women from moving it. They heaved the rock off, and Erika’s rifle was back up in a flash to blast another one as it tried to run deeper into the burrow for cover. They added that one to the pile as well. The two women had to wonder how many more were down there, and Kim soon found a flat rock that she could use to dig the burrow further. Erika shot five more of them as Kim uncovered their hiding spots, and by the time they were done gutting the animals, the two women were a bloody mess.

  They decided to head back to the camp along the meadow’s edge that skirted the road. Erika found a mesquite tree that had shed a branch a few years ago and took some of the wood to add to the fire to flavor the meat. They also found a juniper bush and picked some of its bluish-green berries to add for flavoring. Their load was heavy as they walked along. They were eager to get home and share the good news. Just before they got back to camp, Erika eyed a patch of prickly pears. Their fruit was red and ready to pick. The women donned their gloves and went to work in the prickly cactuses. The fruit was picky as well but, once stripped of its thorns, it would be a welcome treat.

  Erika and Kim, weighed down by their big load, bounced into the camp nonetheless full of the good feelings they had from their successful day.

  CHAPTER 35

  THE CAMP WAS alight with a heated discussion that hushed as soon as Erika walked up. Erika could feel the tension thick in the air.

  “What?” she asked them.

  “How was your day?” Vince asked, trying to sidestep the subject.

  “We did great!” Kim chimed up. “You should have seen Erika with that rifle. We got seven of these marmot things and they have to be at least ten pounds apiece!’

  “Nice job, guys,” Harold interjected but Erika could tell they were all hiding something.

  Erika’s eyes were fixed on Vince’s. “What’s up?’ she asked him again.

  “Dexter went with Greg and Rob this morning and they are still not back,” he admitted, spilling the beans.

  “What?” Erika replied angrily.

  “I didn’t know ’til I met everyone at the river today and by then it was too late to do anything about it. They were already gone. You were already gone and there was work to be done,” Vince said defensively.

  “Okay…” Erika stammered for a minute, shocked by this information. “What are we going to do?”

  “I don’t know what we can do except wait,” Harold explained.

  “We are all worried, Erika,” Penni chimed in, reminding Erika that she wasn’t the only one with loved ones in danger.

  “I guess you’re right, Penni,” Erika admitted, hugging her friend and hoping for the best.

  “So what about this food you guys brought?” Nancy interjected. Knowing her daughter would be furious with her grandson, she wanted to focus on something positive. “Let’s get it cooking so when they get home, they’ll have something to fill those tummies.”

  Vince came over and hugged Erika tight. She could feel his tension and knew he was deeply concerned as well. Erika reminded herself that she was still the leader and had to keep the unit together no matter what.

  “Check this out…” She revealed one of the marmots from the bag.

  “Ahhh, it’s so cute,” Roxy said.

  “Can you eat it?” Nancy asked.

  “I think so,” Erika replied, “we are sure gonna try. Plus we got some prickly pear fruit, stone crop greens and…” Erika hesitated for a moment, holding them in suspense, “raspberries!”

  The crowd ooh’d and ahh’d.

  “Real raspberries…nice,” Nancy said, “but what the heck is stonecrop?”

  “It’s a little wild rock plant but I’ve heard the greens taste like cucumbers, so we might as well add it to a stew. I also got mesquite chips and juniper berries to flavor the meat. I figure we can do some over the fire and do everything else in a stew.”

  “Sounds like yum, yum, yum to me,” Jen said in a cheery voice. She wasn’t the loudest woman on the planet, but Erika knew she had a lot going on behind those eyes. Erika figured she must have worked hard today to be so hungry.

  “How did you guys do with water?” Thinking of Jen’s hard work reminded Erika of the river dilemma.

  “We did alright,” Harold replied.

  “All the jugs and containers we could fill are full,” Vince added.

  “But…” Erika could sense a “but” coming.

  “But, I don’t know why the river has suddenly gone bone dry. We won’t be getting any more water from down there anytime soon,” Harold admitted.

  “Well, we’ll just have to keep rationing and hope that help will get here soon,” Erika mused.

  “Help is on the way!” Greg boomed spiritedly, entering the light of the fire.

  Rob walked proudly beside him and Erika could see Dexter’s silhouette slowly walk into the firelight. He was holding a rifle and his head was held low.

  The group was too excited to have their loved ones back to care about a scolding right now. They welcomed the men back and hugged one another tightly.

  Erika embraced her boy and squeezed his body, so thankful he had come back to her. She held him at arms’ distance and then hugged him again. Vince surrounded them both and held them. When they broke up the circle, Erika declared to the boy, “Don’t you ever…ever do that again. Do you hear me?”

  “Yes, Mom, but you wouldn’t trust me and I…” Dexter tried to defend himself.

  “No ‘but mom,’ I am your mother and your superior in this situation.”

  “She’s right, Dex,” Vince agreed, supporting his wife. “We have to work as a unit out here, and we had to haul a lot more water because you weren’t out there.”

  “I know, Dad, I’m sorry,” Dexter said defeated.

  “Don’t be too hard on him,” Greg interjected. Obviously Dexter had told him that he didn’t ask to come. “He was a stealth ninja out there. Did you see the gun?”

  “Where did that come from?” Erika wondered.

  “Dexter was right. There is a group of about seven guys perched up there. We snuck up so we could overhear their conversation. They are planning to attack before the sun comes up to catch us while we’re sleeping. Their sniper guy had been drinking and was all fired up about how he was going to pick us off one by one. They went to sleep early because of their plan. Ninja boy over there snuck into their camp and stole the dude’s rifle right out from under his nose…It was awesome!” Greg rubbed the boy’s head vigorously, and his brown hair fluffed unorderly on top of his head.

  Erika couldn’t believe the danger he had put himself into, but in his shoes she would have done the same, so couldn’t blame him for his brazen move. She just looked at him and he sheepishly looked back.

  “Way to go, Dex,” Vince said, delighted by his boy’s brave move.

  “Good job, Dex,” Erika agreed, thankful the rifle was now with them rather than with those men across the valley.

  “So what
are we gonna do?” Rob asked. “Should we move camp?”

  “We can’t,” Penni explained. “What about Sergeant Walker?”

  “You’re right, Penni. We can’t move but we can’t sit and do nothing either. Let’s go with the plan we formulated last night. Let’s get as many of those big boulders into place in front of the camp before morning.”

  “Terrance is a sitting duck in that tent.” Harold exposed an obvious weakness.

  “You’re right but it makes a great target,” Erika replied.

  “What?” Penni was shocked. “We can’t just leave him.”

  “I’m not suggesting that. Let’s move Terrance into the cave, but leave the tent where it is so it looks like someone is still in there. It will give them a big target besides us, and we might be able to determine their location better that way.”

  “Right…right.” Vince was following along. “I think we could have Nancy cook up some of that food, at least we’ll eat well tonight, right? But the rest of us should get to boulder pushing. We only have a few hours ’til those guys will be at our doorstep.”

  CHAPTER 36

  THE TEAM WORKED through the setting sun, long into the evening, rolling every boulder they could find into place as a wall in front of their little corner. They stopped only when the marmot was roasted and ready to eat. Kim had helped Nancy prepare the food and beamed when the group devoured every last bite. They marveled at the wonderful flavors she had imparted into the meat. The raspberries and prickly pear berries added a juicy, sweet flavor that filled their mouths with water. The night moved into twilight and the group settled down behind the boulders to wait for their attackers’ arrival.

  The night sky brightened a little, indicating the sun would soon be making an appearance over the mountainside. Vince tapped Erika’s shoulders and used two fingers to point at his eyes and then motioned toward the edge of the mountain that would eventually lead to their corner. There was a man there, creeping his way along the edge. Erika looked back to Dexter, who was perched on a ledge with a boulder in front of him. He was distracted and daydreaming. She snapped her fingers softly, gaining the attention of both Dexter and the group. She pointed out to the edge where the man was still stalking along, trying to stay hidden in the shadows.

  Dexter raised up the sniper rifle he had stolen. He had gotten the gun but only a few rounds of ammo that were nearby in his rush to escape. He would have to make every shot count. He took a deep breath, and as he exhaled, the shot rang out in the night. The man in the distance looked up. Erika feared that Dexter had missed his mark but then he fell to his knees and lay motionless.

  A heavily armored vehicle rounded the side of the mountain next. There would be no shooting through the side of it. The vehicle rolled to a stop thirty yards in front of their wall and a shooting barrage ensued. The group hid desperately behind the large stones as bullets ricocheted off in every direction. Chips from the rocks tore through the air and they wedged into any small corner they could find to hide from the chaos. Jen yelled a little, freaked out by the massive fire they were taking. Greg wrapped his arm tightly around her and she quieted. Erika glanced back at the cave. They had placed boulders to protect it as well, but Erika knew her mother was in there panicking.

  Erika looked back across the makeshift wall and saw Jen’s eyes fixed on her. She had regained her composure and was at the ready with the automatic weapon they had taken from Sergeant Walker. Erika had the .22 rifle ready. She would have to aim carefully and would be a lot slower shot, but at least it was another firearm. Rob had a club with some nails poking out of it that he was wielding, but he stood patiently behind Erika, ready to reload her weapon as needed. Harold had Sergeant Walker’s sidearm and was tucked on the other side of Jen. Vince and Greg were hidden behind the rocks between Erika and Jen. Greg wielded a makeshift spear and Vince carried a club like Rob’s. They both had knives to back them up. If anyone tried to breach that wall, they would be ready. She motioned for Harold and Jen to return fire. They fired at the truck, hoping they would hit one of the shooters. The sound of gunfire pierced their ears then all of a sudden it was quiet.

  “So, you are the ones who stole my rifle,” Erika heard a man from the vehicle stating.

  “We sure did, asshole!” Dexter yelled from his hiding spot and fired a shot from the rifle at the man.

  The bullet whizzed through the air and hit the armor of the vehicle next to the man. It ricocheted at an angle and grazed him across his cheek.

  “Oh, ow…son of a bitch!” the man cursed and his group responded with another massive barrage of bullets.

  Erika’s group fired back to give the appearance that they were well protected but Erika’s pile of bullets was growing smaller and smaller. She signaled for them to stop and all was quiet again.

  “Looks like we’re in a standoff…” the man declared.

  “Looks like it,” Erika replied.

  “Your food sure does smell good, woman!” the man yelled back.

  “And I could sure use me a woman,” another man from the group interjected. He received a swift smack from the man that was apparently in charge.

  “Why don’t you put down your guns and come have a bowl,” Erika responded cockily.

  “Sure and then we’ll all dance around the fire and sing a song,” the man countered. “How about I come take that food?”

  “Come and take it, then,” Erika replied.

  Her comment was followed by another barrage of shooting. The dust hung heavy in the air as more rock chips flew by. Erika hoped that everyone was alright.

  As the noise of the shooting calmed the man said, “We are going to take it anyway, so why don’t you just give up?”

  “Nah…that idea doesn’t really work for us,” Erika yelled out.

  “Fine, then sit there in your little hole. Eventually you have to move. Eventually you’ll need more food and water and we’ll be right here waiting for you.”

  The guy was right. Erika knew the food and water they had collected would only last a few days. Not the week they needed until help would arrive. She felt trapped, lost, and didn’t know what to do next.

  They sat for the rest of the day, barely moving at all. They ate from a communal bowl of marmot soup that was passed around so everyone could stay nourished. Day faded into night and still they sat, standing off with this group of jerks that was not going to budge.

  The sunrise did not bring a change to the situation. The attacking men were growing impatient. Every now and then a new burst of bullets would assault their camp. The boulders got smaller and smaller as the bullets chewed away at them. Jen screamed out in pain as a huge piece of boulder exploded. Shards of the rock embedded into her arm. Dexter had picked off one more of the shooters who had peeked his head a little too far around the corner when he heard the commotion.

  Suddenly Erika knew the men were up to something. They had started their vehicle and were aiming right for their boulders. They were going to ram the wall! Rob led his sister back to the cave where Betsy and Penni could take care of her. He stayed posted there behind a rock at the cave entrance, ready to be a last line of defense if it came down to it. The vehicle’s engine revved and the front of it smashed through.

  Ten men poured out but they were hardly shooting anymore. Erika figured their ammo must be low as well, especially since they were making this desperate advance. They rushed at the wall as Dexter’s rifle and hers fired in unison. They hit their mark and two of the attackers fell dead but that was the last of their bullets. Two more men hit the ground as Harold’s handgun fired but Erika could hear the click, click of his gun running out of ammo. The attackers heard the clicking as well and climbed over the boulders. They were upon them now. Erika saw a guy come flying through the air. He jumped off a boulder and knocked Greg to the ground. Vince had his back and the attacker’s head exploded as Vince’s club smashed it like a melon. Greg stood up to face the next attacker with brain particles dripping from his chin. Knives flashed in
the air as more men poured over the rocks. It was chaos now. Erika dodged one guy only to be grabbed by another. She quickly threw him over her should to face the next one when she heard another vehicle in the distance. She dodged a blow from another guy and looked up to see an American flag on the front. It was their rescue!

  The bus rolled to a screeching halt next to the other vehicle. Sergeant Bennett was the first out of the bus and tears came to Erika’s eyes when she saw him. There was no time to think though; the fight raged on. She dodged another knife-wielding man and worked her way toward Sergeant Bennett. He had brought another five soldiers with him as well as Sergeant Pontever, Star and Mitchell. Before long they had the marauders rounded up and on their knees in front of the canyon wall.

  “Sergeant Bennett!” Erika yelled. “How good it is to see you!”

  “Recruit Moore,” he acknowledged her. “Looks like you’ve had your hands full here.”

  “Yes sir, I have,” she replied, relieved by his presence.

  In a matter of tick-tocks they had the camp packed up and Sergeant Walker loaded for transport. When they were all on the bus ready to leave, Erika heard gunshots. The marauders had been executed. Erika watched their limp bodies fall to the ground.

  “Dam scum, always lurking around,” Sergeant Bennett told her, watching her pity the men.

  “Maybe they were just hungry,” Erika said sadly.

  “Or horny.” Sergeant Bennett laughed. “Glad to see you again, Recruit. You really had me worried there.”

  “How did you get here so fast?” Erika wondered, as the bus’s engine roared and they left for Las Vegas.

  “We saw the other bus come down the river. We wondered what happened to your team so I was sent to find you. We met Sergeant Pontever, Star and Mitchell on the way and brought them along for the ride. The Ogallala Aquifer caved in, in the last earthquake, Recruit; the country is in chaos again.”

  “The oga..la..what?” Erika was confused.

  “It’s a reservoir that stretches from South Dakota into the panhandle of Texas. It’s just a huge lake now. We have refugees pouring in from everywhere. It’s like going back to square one after the Great Quake. Gonna be a lot of work to do. You up for it?” Sergeant Bennett questioned her.