by Mark Church
“Hop in with us. We’ll take you there and then you can follow us.”
The group retreats to the waiting trucks. After driving the short distance to Main and Pine, Jake jumps down from the backseat of the truck along with John and Kate.
Stepping to the passenger side window, Jake tells Tim, “We won’t be long.”
It only takes a couple of minutes to retrieve the truck. When they pull out onto Main Street they can see the two trucks waiting for them half a block away. As they approach, John reaches his hand out of the driver side window and motions for them to proceed. The two trucks pull out and head west through town with John following close behind.
✽✽✽
Cole spends the morning showing Kayla around their new communication outpost. Shadow is on their heels the whole time. Her mate is nowhere to be seen but they know it is likely that he is close by.
The excitement of it all causes them to completely lose track of time. Rumbling bellies finally remind them that it is time to break for lunch.
“I have one more thing to show you.” Cole’s enthusiasm brings a smile to Kayla’s face.
“And what is that?”
Taking Kayla by the hand, Cole tugs her along, “Come with me.”
He guides her to the hidden storm cellar, stopping before the door comes into view and announces with a great flourish, “Surprise!”
A confused Kayla looks at Cole and glances around in puzzlement, “Surprise…what surprise?”
“Keep going.” Cole nudges Kayla forward a few more feet until she can see the access door behind the brush.
Her eyes widen when she sees the door. “What’s is it?”
“Look for yourself!” Ever the gentleman, Cole pulls open the door and gestures her in.
Kayla cautiously enters the storm cellar. Cole follows. Shadow, uncertain about this strange hole in the side of the hill, remains outside and quietly whimpers.
Kala investigates the room slowly, “Wow! This is incredible!”
“My thoughts exactly. There’s food, medical supplies and all kinds of other important stuff.”
“Is it still good?” Kayla asks in surprise.
“You bet! It’s all packaged and stored to insure a long shelf-life.”
“I can’t believe it’s still here.”
“That’s what I thought when we first found it.” Cole begins to rummage around the shelves. “Here…help me pick out lunch.”
Cole and Kayla select several food items and exit the storm cellar, making sure to shut and secure the door behind them.
“Let’s take the food to the cabin,” Cole proposes. “We can heat it up on the propane stove.”
“What about water?”
“The well isn’t functional yet so we’ll have to use some of the water we carried up here.”
“Do we have enough?” Kayla worries.
“Plenty. Come on.”
Cole and Kayla make themselves at home in the cabin and prepare their lunch while a very content Shadow lies sleeping on the front porch. Less than an hour later, they emerge with some leftovers for Shadow. Her tail wags happily as she gulps down their offerings and then she rolls over for a belly rub. It’s really not clear if they’ve adopted Shadow, or she’s adopted them.
“She is getting big,” observes Cole.
“Yeah, I think she’s pretty close to having her puppies.”
“It’ll be fun having a bunch of puppies running around.”
“For sure. I can’t wait.” But Kayla is clearly distracted by something.
Cole can feel Kayla’s hesitancy as they scratch Shadow’s tummy. He doesn’t want to push her until she is ready to confide in him. He always appreciated the way his parents allowed him to work through issues on his own and talk with them when he was ready. He hopes he has the patience to do that for Kayla.
Finally, Kayla asks, “Do you want kids some day?”
Caught off guard, Cole blushes before saying, “Maybe.”
“So, you’re not sure?” Kayla’s tone turns a bit testy.
“No.”
“No, you don’t want to have kids, or no you’re not sure?” Kayla pushes for clarification.
“I guess I just haven’t given it that much thought.”
“That might be something that you might want to think about. At least if you want to be with me.”
Kayla flounces off the porch in a bit of a huff. Shadow scrambles to her feet and follows along behind her. Cole watches her walk away wondering what the hell just happened. He recalls his dad telling him that women were complicated beings. He supposes this little exchange is one of his first lessons.
Cole goes after Kayla. She has stopped by the well. He approaches her from behind and gently turns her around to face him.
“Hey, hey, don’t be mad.” Cole pleads.
“I’m not mad.”
“Well, you’re not happy,” Cole decides to try the rational route.
“It’s just that it’s hard to hear someone you love say that they don’t want to have children with you.”
“Hold up now, I never said that I didn’t want…. hey, wait a minute, did you just say that you love me?” Like many men before him, Cole gets lost in the complexity of a woman’s logic. It is the first time that either of them utters the word ‘love’.
“Maybe,” Kayla grudgingly admits. As her emotions swirl about inside her, she realizes exactly what she has said and begins to feel embarrassed.
A huge smile forms on Cole’s face before he responds enthusiastically, “Good!”
“Good? Why is that good?”
Looking directly into Kayla’s eyes Cole admits, “Because I love you too – pretty much from the first time that I laid eyes on you.”
Cradling her face in his hands, he kisses her gently on the lips. He pulls back, and again looks at her steadily, before saying, “I love you now and forever, and all that comes with that, including children - someday. You just caught me off guard. I mean we’re still so young and the world is kind of messed up right now.”
‘I’m not asking you if you want kids right now, doofus. I’m talking about, someday.” The storm in Kayla is settling down as she watches Cole promise her the world.
“Then mark me down for a definite yes,” concedes Cole. “And someday, I want them with you.”
Kayla’s eyes well up from too much emotion in too short a time frame. Cole wraps his arms around her and hugs her tightly. She nestles her head into his shoulder. She can hear his heartbeat keeping time with hers. No words are spoken. Their embrace says everything that needs to be said.
It’s true that the evolution of their relationship has progressed rapidly. It’s also true that in more traditional times, their whirlwind courtship, as well as their age, would be frowned upon. However, considering the world in which they now find themselves, traditional societal rules don’t apply.
Kayla considers the conversation that she recently had with her mother. She tips her head back and looks up into Cole’s face, “Have patience with me. These feelings are all new to me. I’m confused. Not about my feelings for you, but about what to do next. I’m sorry…”
Knowing where she is heading, Cole interrupts her and says, “Ssshhh…. no apologies or explanations are needed. We are in no hurry to do anything. I’ve never had a serious girlfriend before, nor do I pretend to be worldly. I’m just as nervous as you. Just being close to you is all that I need right now. When things are right, we’ll know it.”
Relief washes over Kayla. She looks Cole in the eyes and repeats, “I love you.”
Cole responds with, “I love you more.”
They share one last kiss and hug before Cole shifts back to an everyday tone, “We should probably start back. We only have a couple hours of daylight left. Let me check to make sure that everything is secure and then we’ll be on our way.”
Kayla watches Cole walk towards the cabin. She flushes as she surveys his masculine features and athletic build. As of late, the th
oughts associated with her body’s reaction to him seem to be coming more frequently. She giggles to herself because it wasn’t long ago that these very same thoughts were foreign to her. While she knows that it’s prudent for them to be patient, she’s teased by the possibilities. Before she does something rash, she interrupts her thoughts by playing with Shadow. The physical activity does the trick as her innocence once again takes its traditional place, front and center.
Cole finishes his task and rejoins Kayla. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Ready, Freddie!”
Cole takes the lead as they begin their journey back down the mountain. Shadow, busy exploring, lags behind before disappearing from view. Kayla assumes that she has rejoined her mate who is likely still nearby.
The hike down proves to be easier than the hike up. They are making good progress since they don’t need to stop and rest.
At about the halfway point, they come upon a large, fallen tree that they hadn’t noticed on their way up. The tree still has dead leaves hanging from its branches, cloaking it like a papier-mâché cape.
Cole senses something ominous about the fallen tree. He proceeds with caution and waves Kayla to follow closely behind.
Dark recesses between its leaf-covered branches cause his hackles to raise a bit more with each step. Eventually, the uneasiness overwhelms him. He motions for Kayla to stop. He knows something isn’t right.
As Cole begins backing away from the fallen tree, a mountain lion springs from one of its hidden recesses and lunges at him.
Reflexively, Cole throws up his left forearm to prevent the cat’s lethal fangs from reaching his throat. The momentum and weight of the big cat drive him onto his back. He hears Kayla scream and stumble back from the tangle of boy and cat. He struggles to hold the cat at bay. He can’t allow it to turn on Kayla, who is frantically searching for a rock or limb or anything to throw at the cat.
In spite of the excruciating pain in his left arm, Cole uses his right hand to reach for his pistol. He manages to extract it from its holster before losing his grip and dropping it to the ground. Distracted by the sound, the marauding cat releases its hold on Cole’s forearm and once again lunges for his neck. Before it can administer its fatal bite, a black blur hits the cat’s right side. The blow knocks the large animal off Cole. Deep growls and grumbles from two fighting animals ring through the woods.
Cole rolls away from the hissing, spitting, growling mass. When he gets to his feet, he sees that it is the black Pit Bull, Shadow’s mate, that’s wrestling with the cat.
While the muscular dog is likely no match for the cat in a protracted fight, he seems to be holding his own. Moments later, Shadow charges in to join the fray, evening the odds. Now the cat is more evenly matched.
Cole searches for his pistol in the dust. He quickly realizes that Kayla has scrambled through the leaves and retrieved the gun, and has it trained it on the mass of fur and fangs.
“Don’t shoot,” yells Cole, “you might hit one of the dogs. Shoot it in the air.”
Following Cole’s direction, Kayla points the gun skyward and fires a round.
The loud bang from the .45 echoes across the mountainside.
The sound startles the cat into disengaging from the dogs and making a run for it. The dogs pursue the fleeing feline.
“Shadow,” yells Kayla, “No!”
As if the she understands, Shadow stops. The male continues chasing the cat for another hundred feet before stopping and returning to Shadow. Both dogs turn and trot back to Cole and Kayla.
Kayla reaches for Cole arm. He winces as she gently cradles it. “You’re bleeding badly”.
Cole removes his coat so they can better see the extent of the damage. They see that it’s pretty torn up and the wounds are deep, but he’s lucky since it doesn’t appear that the mountain lion hit an artery.
“It could have been worse.” Cole is still breathless from wrestling with the cat and just a bit lightheaded from the scare.
“Here, let me wrap it, it’ll slow the bleeding.” Kayla removes her coat and taking off her shirt, tears it to strips to use as a bandage.
“That’s one way to get your shirt off,” jokes Cole to lighten the mood.
“Real funny, smart guy.” Kayla flashes a mock smile.
She retrieves the first aid kit that Cole packed, “Give me your arm.”
Cole presents his wounded appendage to Kayla. She applies some antiseptic from the first aid kit before wrapping the arm. The bleeding stops almost immediately.
Kayla removes her belt and fashions a sling. She secures it in place before retrieving Cole’s coat and draping it over his shoulders.
Once Cole is situated, she retrieves her own coat and puts it on. Hypothermia is a complication that they just don’t need right now.
Kayla feels Shadow nuzzle her hand. She looks down at her furry companion and sees blood on her fur. A preliminary inspection reveals that she has a few superficial puncture wounds and scratches but overall seems to be in pretty good shape.
Kayla looks for the male dog. He’s lying about twenty feet away watching them intently. Kayla and Cole approach him slowly.
As they near him, Kayla begins talking to him in a soothing tone. She can see that he is injured but he’s showing no sign of distress. When they get close, he offers a few wags of his tail but doesn’t try to stand. They take his gesture as a good sign and ease down onto their knees beside him. Kayla extends her arm and offers him the back of her hand. He sniffs her hand before giving it a gentle lick. This gives her the confidence to stroke his head. He responds by grinning as only Pit Bulls can and offers a few more wags of his tail.
While Kayla distracts the male, Cole inspects his injuries. He finds that the dog’s wounds are quite a bit more extensive that Shadow’s. His external injuries are severe enough but the blood coming from his mouth is the most concerning.
“I’m most worried that he’s bleeding from the mouth. That can mean internal injuries.” Cole gently strokes the animal’s flank to keep him calm.
“Maybe it’s the mountain lion blood.” suggests Kayla.
“I don’t think so. There’s too much and it’s still flowing.”
“What do we do?”
“I’m going to look in his mouth. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Kayla exaggerates her praise, which prompts the dog to smile even wider. With some hesitation, Cole gently lifts the dog’s upper left lip. Other than the blood, his teeth and gums appear healthy. Cole moves to the right side and repeats the process. He immediately sees the problem. The dog’s upper, right canine is missing and the hole it left behind is bleeding pretty steadily.
“There’s the problem. He knocked out a tooth in the fight.”
Kayla positions herself so she can see the wound before asking, “Can we stop the bleeding?
“Not really. My guess is that it’ll stop on its own.”
“Can we rule out internal injuries?”
“Probably. The blood doesn’t seem to be coming out of his throat.”
The dog shakes his head from side to side slinging blood everywhere. His lips serve as mini catapults launching the droplets in every direction. Kayla and Cole unsuccessfully attempt to avoid the splatter but end up looking like measles victims.
Shadow steps forward and licks her mate’s muzzle. He closes his eyes and allows her to cleanse him.
Kayla sits back on her heels. “Thank goodness for him or you wouldn’t be here.”
“I know! He saved my life.” Cole acknowledges gratefully.
“With no concern for his own safety,” recalls Kayla, “he plowed into that mountain lion like a raging bull.”
“Hey, that’d be a good name for him,” suggest Cole.
“What?”
“Raging Bull. We can call him, ‘Bull’ for short. It’s perfect!”
“It certainly fits,” agrees Kayla.
Cole scratches the dog’s head, “What do you think, boy? How do you like t
he name Bull?” The dog, oblivious to what he is being asked, still responds with hearty tail wags. “It’s settled then, from now on your name is Bull.”
The two youngsters return to their feet. Cole’s arm is throbbing, but he tries not to show it. Shadow takes Kayla’s cue and coaxes Bull to his feet. While he’s limping pretty badly, they’re hopeful he’ll be able make it the rest of the way down the mountain. With Cole’s arm injured there is no way Kayla could carry the large dog on her own.
The walking wounded set out for the Refuge. Shadow takes the lead but doesn’t get too far ahead of ‘the pack.’
This time, the male dog, Bull, stays close to the group as they make their way down the mountain. He’s still limping badly but he doesn’t fall behind.
Dogs and humans alike keep their eyes out for the mountain lion. If it decides to try them again, they’ll be ready. They are sticking together and this time, they’re prepared for a fight.
9 new recruit
Hannah is startled awake by her alarm. Sleeping straight through the night is a bit unusual since her normal routine typically includes a 2:00 am trip to the bathroom.
She hits the snooze button, still tired after a seemingly good night’s sleep. Her head drops back onto the pillow. As the cobwebs slowly clear, her mind returns to yesterday’s clandestine meeting with the self-described ‘resistance’. While she wishes these memories were the fading scenes of some late-night movie, she admits that their authenticity is all too real. Her mind is awash with questions that jockey for equal time while answers prove evasive.
Finally dragging herself out of bed, she makes coffee. The first few sips provide the pick-me-up she needs to face the rest of the day.
Hannah operates on autopilot as she absentmindedly goes through her morning routine. While contemplating the question posed by Eva, will she join the resistance, she scoffs at the very idea. She’s not a spy nor is she particularly tough. She’s just an average woman who has dedicated her life to helping others. Even if she wanted to, making the leap to resistance fighter doesn’t seem possible. Plausible or not, she has a decision to make, and she needs to make it by tonight.