by Eric Vall
“These girls are really starting to get the hang of all this stuff aren't they?” Rolly asked
“Yeah,” I replied. “Without them I might not have made it back today. The cat was on top of me before I could put a bullet in it. It had me pinned before Tara stepped up and speared the beast.”
“Well good for her,” Rolly said.
I nodded and grabbed an armful of firewood.
Rolly waited for me to finish before we started to walk back towards the smoker together.
“Now that the cougar is out of the way things should go back to normal around here,” I said as we walked.
“I hope so,” the handyman said. “I feel like we have had no end to the excitement of these past few weeks.”
“At least it was nothing we couldn’t handle,” I pointed out.
“With any luck it will stay that way,” Rolly said. “But I think it’s only a matter of time before we have another run in with those bikers.”
“Agreed,” I said. “But I don’t think it will be more than scouting parties until they can figure out where we are.”
We reached the smoker, and Rolly pulled it open to reveal several wire racks, and a couple hooks attached to a 2x4 rafter at the top.
“This is fancy,” I said with an impressed nod.
“Like I said, just spent a little more time with this one was all,” Rolly replied as he knelt and started to fill the pit dug under the smoker with wood. The greying handyman had already put down a bed of paper, dry grass, and small twigs that would light easily.
“You know, we might need to find some more kitchen thermometers,” I said as I started to add my wood to the pit as well. “We can get better results if we can control the temperature.”
“It will mean more work though,” Rolly said. “We would need to try to check it every hour or two.”
“Once everything is set up that shouldn’t be a problem,” I said. “Not between five of us anyway. Already our workload is getting a bit smaller.”
“Tav, we’re ready for you,” Anna called out.
I pulled my head out of the smoker and looked over to see her and Bailey sitting next to the nicely skinned cougar.
“I got it from here,” Rolly said. “Seems like overkill for two of us to start a fire anyway.”
“Good point,” I said with a smile. Then I clapped him on the back, stood, and joined the girls.
“How’s it look?” Bailey asked.
“It looks nicely done,” I said after I knelt down and inspected the meat. It was clear they hadn’t been sloppy with their cuts and there was no excess hair embedded into the meat from improper skinning.
“So how do we cut this thing up?” Anna asked.
“Let me show you,” I said with a smile.
We waited for the other two to join us then, and then over the next half an hour I went through my process for butchering the animal. It was a little sloppy due to my lack of experience with mountain lions, but we pulled out a lot of meat.
“This,” I said as I ran my knife along the top of the spine seperating a long strip of meat from the bone, “is my favorite cut of meat. It’s called the backstrap.”
“What’s so good about it?” Bailey asked.
“Because of where this muscle sits on the body it tends to be very tender and very lean,” I explained. “I haven't found bad backstrap yet, and I have eaten a lot of different animals.”
“Does it make good jerky?” Paige asked.
“Oh yeah,” I said. “But this is dinner tonight. I haven't had mountain lion before and I think the best way to try it is to start with the best part.”
“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Anna said with a large grin. She looked at the pink meat we had piled around us and licked her lips. “I never thought raw meat would ever get me so hungry.”
“Let’s throw some in the salt shed, and slice some up for jerky then,” I said. “Once that’s done we can get dinner going.”
“Well, smokers all ready for some meat,” Rolly called over to us.
“Let’s make jerky already!” Tara exclaimed.
“Alright,” I said as I chuckled and grabbed one of the flanks carved from the kitty. I took it over to one of our benches, set it down, and pulled out my knife. “This is real complicated so pay attention.”
The girls gathered around as I started to cut the flank into thin steaks. Once the flank had been filleted into steaks, I cut those steaks into two inch strips.
“We should make a simple cutting board,” Bailey mused as she watched me work.
“Yeah, because now we need to clean our seat,” Paige agreed with a nod.
“I bet we have some wood we can turn into a basic cutting board,” Rolly said. “I’ll look into it.”
“It can wait until tomorrow,” I said as I finished making strips of mountain lion flank. “This is about it. Now we just need to season this stuff and put it in the smoker.”
“Wait, really?” Anna asked. “That’s so simple though.”
“I know, jerky is pretty easy,” I said. “We will just need to watch it so that it does not dry out more than we want it to.”
“How long before we can eat it?” Tara asked.
“Probably six to eight hours. I cut it nice and thin so that it will dry out quickly.”
“Can I grab the spices?” Bailey asked excitedly.
“Sure,” I said as I smiled at her. “If it helps, I hear that mountain lion tastes a lot like pork.”
“Yeah, that means nothing to me,” she said as she raised an eyebrow. “Thanks though.”
“If you’re okay with it, I could go along and help you pick out spices,” Tara offered.
“That would be cool,” Bailey said with a smile. “Thanks.”
The two girls headed off towards the dining hall while I took the meat strips and headed for the smoker. I set them on the racks in an organized and evenly spaced fashion.
“Until the jerky is done, we probably don’t want to smoke anything else in here,” I said.
“How come?” Paige asked.
“Airflow,” Rolly answered. “You pack these things too full and nothing will get the proper amount of heat and smoke. We don’t wanna ruin our first batch of jerky by putting too much around it.”
“What he said,” I said with a smirk as I pointed at the old handyman. “Though we do need something to clean up with. The one problem with some raw meat is we need to sanitize after using it. Paige can we borrow some alcohol pads?”
She nodded as her messy brunette bun bounced on her head and pulled her medical supplies out again. She got a handful of the desired item and handed them to me. “Here you go.”
“Thank you,” I said as I ripped one open and started to clean my hands. The rabbit, deer, and fish we caught so far were not exactly clean but I knew for a fact that a simple wash with soap would keep me from getting sick after handling them. Though with something unknown like mountain lion I did not want to take my chances. Once I was done, I tossed the dirty wipes into the fire where they sizzled and burned.
“I’m gonna get the rest of this stuff put away and check the temp in the shed,” Anna said before she took the rest of the cougar meat, except for the backstrap, and carried it off to the salt shed.
“That means we can start dinner, right?” Paige asked.
“Yeah,” I said with a nod before I grabbed a cast iron pan that sat in the grass and tossed it on top of the fire. “Should be just about dark by the time it’s ready to eat.”
“What are we going to do with the rest of our evening then?” Paige asked as she took a seat and repacked her bag.
“Well I don’t know about the rest of you but I think I’m going to go to bed early,” I said. “Turns out wrestling a wild animal really takes it outta you.”
“Don’t forget to take a bath,” Paige instructed. “You need to keep that shoulder clean.”
“Yes doctor,” I said with a grin.
Then Bailey and Tara returned with a
small selection of spices.
“Oooh, are we getting food started?” Tara asked.
“Seems we got back just in time,” Bailey added.
“Yeah,” I said with a nod. “What spices did you get?”
“Cumin and cayenne pepper,” Tara said. “We have done a lot of lighter spices lately, and I thought a blend of the two would, like, work really well on jerky.”
“That sounds really good,” Paige said.
“Agreed,” Rolly added. “Though at the moment almost anything sounds good.”
“Don’t worry,” I said as I placed the backstrap into the hot pan. “Dinner will be ready soon enough. I think some beans and alcohol might go well with our victory meal. Don’t you guys think so?”
“Hell yeah,” Anna said as she emerged from the salt shack. “We hunted a fucking mountain lion, of course we drink and celebrate!”
“Well I better go get my whiskey then,” Rolly said with a grin. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring back some stuff for the rest of ya too.”
“You’re the best, Rolly,” Bailey said with a large smile.
“Yeah, in case we have not said it in a while, thanks for everything Rolly,” Anna said.
“Aw come on, don’t get all sappy on me,” The handyman said with a chuckle.
“Hey, we just want you to know you are appreciated,” Paige said.
“Thanks, but it’s not necessary,” Rolly said as he quickly turned in an attempt to hide his red cheeks. “I’ll be right back.” He quickly shuffled off before anyone could say anything else.
“I think you embarrassed the poor guy,” I said with a chuckle.
“We meant what we said though,” Paige said with a shrug.
“I know, but I have a feeling that the man is not used to such overt kindness,” I said.
“That’s kinda sad,” Bailey mused. “Well, I better spice this jerky. Anyone want to help?”
“I think you’ve got this,” Anna said as she looked at me. “Have any tips for her?”
“Not really,” I confessed. “Try not to go crazy with the spices. We want the flavor but if you add too much it kinda just makes the meat a salt lick.”
“Good to know,” Bailey said as she moved to the smoker. She opened it and used her spices to season the strips of cougar drying on the racks.
Rolly came back with alcohol, and beans as I finished cooking the cat. We gathered around as the sky grew orange, passed around the bottles, and started to eat. By the time our food was gone it was the light blue of early evening.
“So what did you think?” I asked.
“That was pretty good,” Tara said. “But it could have used some sauce. It was a little dry.”
“Yeah, this stuff was way leaner than it usually would be,” I said with a nod. “What’d you think of it, Bailey?”
“Yeah, it was really good,” The blonde hippie said. “Really tender, just like you said.”
“Good,” I said with a nod. “Well, I'm gonna go grab a late bath before turning in for the night. I trust that you all can take care of the fire.”
“Of course, you go take care of yourself,” Rolly said as he sat there with his bottle of bourbon.
“You think you’ll be safe out there alone?” Tara asked.
“Yeah, we took care of our biggest danger in the woods for now,” I said as I stood. “If I’m gone too long, you can send someone in after me.”
“Well then don’t be gone too long,” Anna said with a grin. “I want to sleep, not chase your lost ass around a forest.”
“Well then I'll watch my step,” I said with a laugh, waved, and headed for my room.
I gathered a change of clothes, a lantern, and an extra bandage, and disappeared into the woods. The night was peaceful and reminded me of why I had decided to go off the grid in the first place.
I arrived at the stream, and lit the lantern before I stripped, and stepped into the chilly water. It was still soothing despite the water temperature and it felt nice to scrub off all the blood I had been covered in from the fight. My shoulder stung as I scrubbed out my wound, but I gritted my teeth and really dug in there to ensure no dirt was left in my flesh.
Once I was clean, I took a seat on the edge of the stream and let myself air dry as I stared at the stars where they could be seen through the trees. For the first time in several days the area felt peaceful, but there was still a lot of work to do, so I soon got up, put my clothes back on, and headed back.
Tomorrow would be a new day, with more survival tasks to do.
Chapter 8
By the time I got up the next morning the sun was already well into the sky, and my room was bright with light. My shoulder was sore and felt stiff as I pushed myself upright. There was a good chance I would be feeling this one for the next several days. I was surprised that no one had come to get me, and quickly got up, got dressed, stuffed my daily gear into my pack, and headed out into the hall. No one was in the common room when I got there, and after I knocked on Rolly’s door it became clear that he was up as well.
I swore to myself, hurried down the stairs, and sprinted across campus and into the library. I was greeted by the smell of fresh cooked meat and hot coffee.
“Morning sleeping beauty,” Tara teased from where she sat on the edge of the table.
The others sat around her dressed for another day of work, and on the table was a large breakfast spread and a steaming pot of coffee.
“Sorry I was late,” I said. “I guess yesterday took more out of me than I thought.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Bailey said with her usual bright smile.
“Yeah, it let us sneak down here and make you breakfast,” Anna said.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said as I took a seat at the table with the rest of them. “Plus, I am setting a bad example.”
“Relax,” Rolly said. “You wrestled a wild animal yesterday. You are allowed to sleep in a little.”
“Yeah,” Paige said. “How’s that shoulder doing?”
“Stiff,” I said as I rolled it. “Though you did a good job, and I think it’s gonna heal up just fine. It’s really nice of you guys to do all this for me.” I pulled over a plate of hot meat and nuts.
“Honestly, this is sorta the least we can do,” Anna said. “You have done so much for us, and we thought now was the perfect time to do something for you in return.”
“Don't expect us to make a habit of this though,” Tara said. “We still expect you to be the first one up most mornings.”
“Yeah, and you should probably eat quickly since there is always so much to do,” Paige teased.
“Duly, noted,” I said with a laugh as I poured myself a cup of coffee. “Thanks guys.” My tone was soft and sincere, and I really hoped they understood how much this meant to me. It was a simple gesture, sure, but it really showed how much they really cared. It was one of the first moments they had really gone out of their way to do something just for me, and they gave up extra sleep to do it too.
“How was the stream at night?” Bailey asked. “I bet it was beautiful.”
“It was rather peaceful,” I agreed with a nod. “I sat there a while and enjoyed the sight of the stars while I dried off.”
“Man I love the outdoors,” the blonde hippie mused with a smile and a distant look in her eye.
“Yeah, the forest is nice, but I'm still glad we have actual buildings to sleep in,” Rolly said. “The older I get the more I appreciate even a crappy bed to sleep on at night.”
“If you know how to do it right, you can make a pretty comfortable bed almost anywhere,” I commented.
“Well that's a skill I don't have,” the handyman replied with a chuckle. “Maybe you can show me sometime.”
“Maybe you can show all of us sometimes,” Paige said.
“Sounds fun,” I said. “Maybe once we have everything in place, we can take a group camping trip. I could teach you skills more specific to wilderness survival, and we could enjoy a night out
under the stars.”
“That sounds perfect,” Bailey said with a sigh.
“It might if there were not, like, so many bugs out there,” Tara said.
“Ah come on, bugs aren't so bad,” Paige said. “There are a couple great books on different bug species here in the library. I can get them for you if you want.”
“Why would I want that?” Tara asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“Oh, sorry, I should explain,” Paige said. “When something weirds me out, like bugs or whatever, the way I get over it is by learning about it. The world is a lot less scary once you explore it a little deeper.”
“Man I wish it worked that way for me,” Anna said. “I feel like my brain takes that same information and applies it in the opposite way. Once I start learning the facts they only serve to validate my fears.”
“Huh,” Tara said. “Maybe I will have to try it sometime and see how it works for me.” The platinum blonde shrugged. “Thanks for the idea, Paige.”
We ate, drank coffee, and laughed for longer than we did any other morning. It felt right considering all we had been through recently, and our needs were met well enough that a lazy morning now and again would not kill us. However, after I finished my food, I stood and headed for the whiteboard.
“This place is starting to look really nice,” I said as I looked over the plans written out. “We have a lot of fundamentals in place, and in a couple of days I think we will have the start of a beautiful garden and a sheltered gun range. This is just the start though, because until common concerns such as water, food, and safety become as mundane as they were before the EMP, we are not finished.”
“What do you mean?” Tara asked
“I mean we still need to find a way to store our clean water, and a filtration system would be nice so that we could always have some water being prepared even when we don't want to start a fire,” I explained. “Things are obviously better, but we can’t rest yet.”
“So what's the plan now then?” Rolly asked.
“Because of the mountain lion we got a little lax on our traps. So Tara, you and Bailey go out and take care of that,” I ordered. “Don't forget to bring some wire because several of the sites need a brand new trap. It also wouldn't hurt to scout for new trails around the area too. Moving our traps around every week or two will probably lead to better results as long as we can keep finding fresh signs of game.
