by AJ Newman
Karen smiled at me. “Jason, I know, but I hate to think of what will become of those ladies. I just remembered one of the men was very tall compared to the others. I hope that helps.”
“Where were they heading?”
“The leader said they were going to Franklin first and then on to Clarksville. I heard him say the gang has traded in women for years but thought the collapse might open up a business in trading men. I think he was talking about sex trafficking and slavery.”
“Thanks, Karen. That was a big help. If Dad and Mom are okay, I’m going to look for my friends,” I replied.
I was anxious about Maria now more than ever. Maria would die fighting before any man could force her to have sex. She had been a hand-to-hand instructor once in her career and could handle herself very well. I had received several bruises from her just horsing around. She said she was five-foot-four, but if she stretched a bit, she might make it to five-foot-two and one hundred and fifteen pounds of pure dynamite. I’d rather kick a wildcat in the balls in a phone booth than mess with that lady. Maria wasn’t needy, emotional, or kissed and hugged a lot.
The apocalypse was only a few days old, and I had met several bad people and two very strong-willed women who could take care of themselves. I knew I wasn’t one of those misogynists, but I had been raised to be polite and respectful toward women. I think that somehow I had taken that to mean I should always protect them from danger. Hell, either of these two could watch my back anytime, and I’d be glad to watch theirs. I caught the double meaning and laughed at what I’d thought.
“Ladies, take a bottle of water and let’s hit the road.”
This was really the first time I dwelled on what had happened to the rest of the world and me. My mind shot to the worst-case scenario that always happened in those apocalyptic books. There would be no electricity, no food, and people trying to kill me for my food. Food, guns, and ammunition traded for life’s necessities. Crap, they might be so hungry they might try to eat MMax. I’d kill to save my best friend.
MMax seemed to know what I was thinking and licked my hand when I tried to rub his ears. MMax and I communicated without speaking most of the time. I always knew what he wanted, and he was always there when I needed him. We had been together for almost two years straight. We’d slept side by side, fought together, and played together. Several of my friends had even started calling me JJason and pronounced both Js, just to point out that I spent all my time with MMax and hadn’t had a steady girlfriend since MMax had come into my life. Meeting Karen and the other lady made me think more about needing a female companion in my life. Even MMax had Tina. I could have had Maria, if I hadn’t been such an ass to her when she mentioned the L word. I’m a coward when it comes to women. There, I said it.
There were only a few people on the highway, and this time, no one bothered to talk to us or ask for help. Several eyed my horse and cart, but saw the dogs and thought better of whatever cockeyed plan they had to take my cart. One man started to cross the highway, but abruptly stopped, gave us the middle finger, and walked back to his friends. What I didn’t know at the time was that Karen had pulled her pistol out several times to scare people away. I was about to sniff my armpits later that day, but when I complained that no one wanted to talk to us, Karen waved her gun. “Jason, I’m sorry, but I don’t want anyone close to my girls. I’ve been scaring everyone away.”
I laughed. “You’re probably right about being overly cautious. I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
I’m glad I didn’t sniff my armpits to see why people were avoiding us because it had been several days since I had a bath, and the ladies didn’t smell much better. Of course, I didn’t tell them they smelled. After all, my momma didn’t raise no fool. I’d rather kiss a skunk in a phone booth than say to a lady she stunk. Yeah, I know there aren’t any phone booths anymore, but you get the picture. Yeah, I know I changed that one up a bit for you. I have hundreds of old sayings like that, but most aren’t fit for polite company and usually mention having sex with yourself or too many cuss words.
Four hours later, we were just outside of Lebanon. I stopped the horse where Spring Creek Lane ran parallel to I-40 and said, “I need some help. We’re going to get off Highway 40 and get on some back roads to go around Lebanon and over to Murfreesboro Road. Take these wire cutters and cut the small fence wires in the middle, and I’ll cut the thick ones at the top and bottom.”
Karen took the pliers and cut the wires while Missy and Chrissy stood watch to make sure no one snuck up on us. Karen cut the bottom wire, but the top one was thicker, and she only made a dent in it. I climbed out of the cart and made it to the fence using only one of my crutches. I quickly cut the wire, and we now had a path down to the road below. I steered the horse through the brush and trees down to Spring Creek Lane, and we were quickly on the street below.
It was time to stretch our legs and take a bio-break. MMax ran straight to a tree and then stood watch over the rest of us while we found privacy. I hadn’t taken a pain pill so far that day, and was amazed at how low the pain in my foot was. I walked with the crutches around the cart a few times, and the pain increased. I popped a pill in my mouth and downed it with a swig of water.
Karen watched when I almost fell due to the pain. “I don’t think you actually told me how you were injured. MMax appears to be a service dog. Are you Police or Army?”
“I don’t like to talk about that part of my life. I’m in the Army, and MMax and I were headed to military hospitals to recover from injuries received in action in London. Our plane crashed on the way to Nashville.”
Karen moved closer to me. “Oh my, that’s horrible. I can’t imagine the terror you experienced knowing your plane was about to crash. Did you hurt your mouth in the crash?”
“I was sleeping like a baby with all those painkillers in me. I was in a medical pod … Sorry; the medivac units place the injured or wounded in a carbon fiber clamshell to protect them during transportation. Each pod has everything the soldier needs during transportation. I woke up on the ground and opened my pod after the crash. I’m beaten and bruised, but didn’t receive any more injuries. My jaw was broken during the explosion on the battlefield,” I replied.
“Were we winning when you left?”
“The politicians wouldn’t let us win. Every time we were about to wipe them out, they called for a truce and talks broke out at the Hague. Then they would recover and start fighting again without warning. The U.S. Command stopped falling for that crap, and we were annihilating the bastards when I left. I think that’s why they nuked us. Anyway, I think they nuked us. Hell, it could have been a huge solar flare, but that would have been a big coincidence.”
“So you were heading to the new VA hospital in Nashville. Does your wife or parents live nearby?”
I answered, “No, wife. I haven’t met a lady that would have me so far. Frankly, I’m not very good at socializing or dating. I’ve had a few girlfriends, but none hung around long because I was deployed so much. My parents live in Walter Hill east of Smyrna where you’re from. I’m on my way there now.”
Karen smiled at me. “Isn’t it funny that we’re in the middle of a disaster, and I find a soldier heading toward my home town? You probably saved our lives, and definitely saved us from a horrible situation. I can’t thank you enough. Is there anything we can do to help make you comfortable or tend to your wounds? I’m not a nurse, but I have had first aid training.”
I said, “I just did what any decent person would do. What about you? Your husband must be worried to death about you and the girls.”
Karen laughed and said, “He’s more concerned about that twenty-year-old Administrative Assistant he left us for. The bastard is in New York with her and hasn’t talked to the girls in months. They hate him. At least he sends the support checks, but they don’t go far with my teacher’s salary.”
“I’m sorry for your troubles. I think your ex-husband probably knows by now what a big mistake he ma
de.”
“That was very kind. The jerk apparently liked her assets better than mine,” Karen said, and then chortled so much that she made a weird snorting sound.
We both laughed for a few seconds, with her making a sound kind of like a pig snorting. She said, “I’m sorry, but I make a weird sound when I burst out laughing.”
I replied, “I hadn’t noticed,” and couldn’t hold my laughter.
Karen laughed and snorted along with me. “You’re a liar. Thanks for not making fun of my laugh.”
I replied, “Thanks for not making fun of my speech.”
The girls ran over. Chrissy said, “Momma, I haven’t heard you laugh since … well, in several months. What made you laugh?”
She grinned at her daughters. “Jason reminded me of something in my past that was very funny. Now go back to what you were doing.”
The girls left, and I quickly changed the subject. “What did you teach?”
She smiled. “I taught junior grade science. That’s all I could get even with my Masters in Biochemistry. I teach science at Smyrna High School.”
I said, “I always loved science in high school. Biology was my favorite subject.”
I didn’t tell her, but I knew her husband was in deep crap. New York City would soon be in chaos and on fire when the food ran out. By 2035, twenty-one million people were living in New York City with most living in squalor since the city and state went bankrupt in 2033. The lax criminal justice system had allowed gangs to grow stronger, and the police to become weaker. His life wasn’t worth a plugged nickel.
Karen was different from the other women in my life. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but she was very easy to talk with. Her kids were well-behaved and not at all, like my brother's bratty kids. I endured his kids and tried not to yell at them.
Karen took the bandages from my foot and examined the wound. She was amazed that no stitches were showing. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask. How do they hold the edges of the wound together? No stitches or staples are showing.”
I answered, “The Doc told me there were some stitches on the inside, but they mainly use a biosynthetic glue to patch things up today. He told me that except for the pain, my foot could be walked on after a week, and it’s been almost two weeks. I guess the only good thing that’s come from the constant wars in Europe is the rapid advance in surgical techniques and wound healing. They now have a genetically engineered liquid they inject into a wounded area, and the healing rate is cut down by two thirds. My jaw and foot should be completely healed in about two to three weeks.”
Karen patted my leg as she finished wrapping new bandages on my foot. “You’re doing very well, talking with your jaw wired, but it will be nice to speak to you after the wire is removed.”
I laughed. “Tell me about it. It seems creepy to me, so I imagine it’s really creepy to you.”
“A little bit, but I’m getting used to it. How do you eat?”
“I have to make a broth or pulverize my food into a paste. I can’t chew, so I make the best of it.”
We watched the girls play with Tina and the goat while we rested. MMax never played with anyone but me. Chrissy approached him with a stick, and he did his low growl that said, “This is your warning not to mess with me. I’m a working dog, not a puppy.”
Anyway, that’s what his growl said to me. MMax and I would play fetch and roll on the floor at least once a day when we weren’t working. As I said before, we were best friends. MMax was always by my side, and we slept side by side.
Chrissy asked, “What’s wrong with MMax? He won’t play and growled at me.”
I limped over to Chrissy and MMax. “MMax is a Military Service Dog who’s trained to sniff out bombs and ambushes. He’s also trained to capture or subdue any person who’s a threat. He has been trained to be a War Dog since he was a puppy. I’m MMax’s handler, and I’m the only one he can play with. Tina is very friendly, so play with her. Don’t try to play with MMax, please.”
I limped over to my cart and strained to get in. Karen ran over and helped me into the cart. She was strong for a slender built woman. “Thanks for helping me.”
“I’m glad to help any way that I can,” she said.
MMax jumped into the cart and laid his head on my leg. He looked up at me, and I rubbed his ears. As usual, he returned the affection by licking my hand.
Karen gave me praise for not scolding Chrissy. “Jason, you handled that very well. You’re a kind and gentle person. My girls haven’t been around many dogs since we moved to Smyrna.”
Kind and gentle. She was wrong.
☆
Chapter 8
About 15 miles west of Cookeville, TN
We worked our way around Lebanon on the backroads and made camp for the night where Lindsley Road crossed Highway 266. I found some woods on the northwest side of the crossing, and we set up camp. I placed my duffel bag on the ground for the girls to sit on and then had them help me gather some wood for a campfire. They were very polite and eager to help me.
I saw movement in the bushes, and there was a rabbit minding its own business and chewing on something. I pointed to the rabbit and said, “MMax, watch rabbit.”
MMax saw the rabbit, and I could tell he wanted to get it. I thought about another MRE supper and said, “MMax, fetch rabbit.”
MMax suddenly, took off into the woods chasing the rabbit. MMax took off so fast; I was worried he might hurt himself. Tina followed behind him barking.
I moved the wood to the base of a tall pine tree and built a small Tepee of smaller sticks with some dried grass and twigs in the middle. It was then that I knew I was in trouble. I couldn’t find matches or a lighter to light the fire. The magnesium fire starter rod and steel I’d found in the lifeboat didn’t start the fire. I banged away, sending sparks into the dried grass without any success.
Karen saw my predicament and asked for one of my .22 rounds from the AR-7 and the wire cutters. She took the shell and soon removed the lead bullet to expose the gunpowder. She poured the powder on a small clump of the grass and poked it under the Tepee of sticks. Then she hit the magnesium rod with the steel by the gunpowder, and the sparks set the gunpowder on fire in a big flash. The twigs caught on fire, and soon the larger sticks were blazing. I added some logs, and we had a campfire.
Karen nudged me. “What are you going to cook for supper? I’m hungrier than a fox in a hen house.”
“I think we’re having BBQ rabbit. If MMax and Tina don’t bring a rabbit back, we’re having those two cans of stew with some MRE food and beef jerky added to make a delicious soup.”
Karen laughed again with her snort at the end, which I noticed was cute this time instead of annoying. She spoke, “And you said the part about the soup being delicious with a straight face.”
“The jerky and beef stew has a good chance of hiding the wet dog taste of the pork in the MREs. Darn, we need some spices.”
Karen said, “I can find some spices,” and walked back toward the road by herself.
I called out, “Be careful.”
***
The dogs bounded through the woods, and Tina was in a playful mood. MMax enjoyed Tina’s company but knew he had to protect Jason and his friends. Playing with Tina would have to wait until they were safe. The odor of another evil one was in the wind and getting stronger as they searched for rabbits. MMax let Tina sniff the rabbit’s trail while he kept watch from behind.
There was a slight shift in the wind, and MMax knew the evil one was behind them, and the smell grew stronger by the minute. MMax slunk down in the brush and waited as Tina pounced on a rabbit about fifty yards away. Then MMax saw the evil one hiding behind a tree. He had one of those things that belched fire and made people die. MMax couldn’t let him hurt Tina.
MMax moved silently through the woods and came up behind the man in the camouflage pants and shirt with the rifle. MMax was only a few feet from the man when the man raised the gun to shoot. MMax bounded through the air and
landed on the man with his jaws clamped on the man’s neck. MMax clamped down as tight as he could, and the man tried to shake MMax loose. MMax’s weight forced him to swing around the man, causing his teeth to dig in deeper. The man’s jugular was severed. Blood poured out, covering MMax’s mouth.
Tina saw MMax attack the man and ran to help her new friend. She arrived in time to bite the man’s hand that was holding a knife. She hung on as the man fought. The man finally flung her free, but was too late to save himself. He slumped to the ground dead, but not before the knife struck MMax on the back.
MMax sniffed around the man and knew he was no longer a threat. Jason would say Good Boy several times if he were there. MMax was proud of himself for making sure the evil one would never hurt his human. MMax wanted to kill the other evil man, but he hadn’t caught his smell again.
MMax and Tina licked each other clean, and Tina licked the shallow wound on her new friend’s back.
***
A few minutes after Karen walked away, the dogs came back, and both had plump rabbits in their mouths. They dropped the rabbits at my feet, and I gave both of them a piece of beef jerky as a treat. I said, “Go, fetch rabbit,” and they bounded off again into the woods.
I sharpened my knife on a piece of sandstone I’d found and was now ready to clean the rabbits. I removed the rabbit’s fur first and hung it in a tree, and then I slit the rabbit’s belly and pitched the entrails into the fire, so their smell wouldn’t attract other animals. I saved the heart, lungs, and liver for the dogs. The girls had been watching until I slit the rabbit’s belly. I heard some gagging, and they high-tailed it away from the camp.
