by A J Newman
Callie said, “I need to take Duke out to do his business. I’ll be back in a minute. Let’s stay up late playing cards.”
“Darn, I need to let our dogs out.”
“Me, too.”
“Let’s take a break and then start a gin rummy marathon.”
The ones with dogs went home to let them out and came back after their dogs had finished. Callie and I had Labs from the same litter that we found in a warehouse. Sally and Lynn had German Shepherds and the others had a variety of dogs. Sadly, most small dogs seem to have disappeared over the last year. Then again, large dogs were a distinctly coveted addition to the family.
We were having a ball playing cards and the time passed quickly when Ally said,” The poor dogs must be ready to go out again. Susie would you and Kate, please go let the dogs out.”
Susie was playing checkers with Ben’s daughter Kate when she heard the request.
“What do I get for going out in the cold to take care of the dogs?”
I replied, “My dad would have said something like, you won’t get your ass busted, but I’m sure your mom has a better answer.”
Ally went over to Susie and whispered in Susie and Kate’s ears. They jumped up, put their coats and gloves on and went to tend to the dogs.
“What did you tell them,” asked Lynn?
“I told them the mean old man would make snow cream for them tomorrow.”
“When you find a mean old man, you’d better order him to make snow cream.”
***
The wolves came up our new drainage channel from the creek. The icy footing was very slick, but their claws made the trek passable.
We had unknowingly solved their transportation problem. The wolves were searching the areas around the houses when two humans and a large dog came out of one of the houses.
Several of the wolves followed the dog while the two humans opened the door to another house and let another large dog out. The two humans travelled house to house letting more dogs and a few cats out.
The pack would kill and eat tonight because the humans had cleared a path to the creek and the wolves could drag their prey back to a safe place to eat.
Several of the dogs sniffed the air and caught the scent of dangerous animals, the fur along their back stood on end and they began to bark aggressively.
There were 10 wolves watching the dogs, and humans from above the snow walls down to the paths. Another 15 waited down by the houses.
Suddenly, several wolves jumped down from the top of the snow walls and attacked the dogs. The fight was fierce, but shortened by the number of wolves. The struggle was quickly over. The smaller dogs didn’t stand a chance. They were killed in short order, and the wolves dragged them back to their den.
Susie saw the wolves, screamed and then yelled for Duke and Gus to come to her. She wanted to protect the two Labs.
Susie and Kate were backed into a corner in Callie’s back yard just 10 feet from the kitchen door. Several of the wolves were between them and the door. Duke and Gus were between them and the wolves, they snarled, and gnashed their teeth at the wolves. The wolves were moving in for the kill when the two German Shepherds attacked them from behind.
Susie and Kate were crying and screaming as loud as they could, but the snow walls muffled the sound.
***
We were playing cards when Ally said, “Susie and Kate should have been back by now. Zack, come with me to make sure everything is okay.”
“Yes dear.”
Ally opened the door and there was Jacob’s smaller dog trying to fight off a wolf. Ally reached for her pistol and sadly found that she had failed to strap on her gun belt before leaving the house. I drew mine and shot the wolf. The others ran to the door as I yelled for them to get their guns.
“Come on we must get to the girls. Ally, go back in and get your gun.”
Mike, Ben, Paul, Callie and I charged out the door and only got 30 feet from the house when wolves jumped down on us from above.
They were actually after three of the dogs who had run to us for safety. We were in the middle of dogs and wolves fighting and couldn’t shoot for fear of hitting one another.
“Shoot when you have a clear shot.”
I drew my bayonet with my left hand and stabbed the nearest wolf. His head came around and he bit my forearm as he died. Mike stabbed another, got him against the snow wall and shot him. Ben shot another that was on top of Callie and Paul was wrestling with one on the ground until he stabbed it in the side.
I shot the nasty beast, turned and stabbed another that had jumped down from the top of the wall.
Callie shot two more; suddenly dead wolves were piled around us. The others headed to Callie’s house.
I waved towards Callie’s house and yelled, “The girls, let’s go!”
Several more of our clan had joined us to save the girls from the wolves. We ran towards Callie’s house when we heard snarling and screaming up ahead. Mike and I were in the lead when we rounded a corner and came face to face with a large group of wolves that had the girls, and our dogs surrounded.
One German Shepherd was down, but still trying to fight even with his terrible wounds. A wolf was on top of Kate. She was bravely hitting the wolf with her small fists. The other German Shepherd had a wolf by the throat, but two more wolves were ripping him apart from behind. Duke and Gus were blocking the wolves from getting to Susie.
The wolves saw us. They turned to attack as we approached. I started shooting when I had a clear shot and killed two. We had to kill more of these vicious beasts to get out into the open.
The wolves charged and we were fighting them hand to muzzle. I was ripping and stabbing while the wolves were biting all of us.
Mike emptied his magazine and a wolf grabbed his free hand before he could reload. Paul stabbed the bastard and started shooting his 9mm into the beasts.
I looked up, saw a wolf ripping Kate’s throat open and shot him. I kept shooting until the three remaining wolves ran on out towards Mike’s house.
I checked Kate and found her to be dead, and then picked Suzie up and headed back towards my house. Ben held his dead daughter and wept.
I yelled at Mike, “Kill every wolf you find.”
I headed back while the rest went wolf hunting. The trail was easy to follow.
I ran into Ally on the way and handed Suzie to her as I said, “Kate didn’t make it. I have to tell Ben’s wife.”
I walked in to the kitchen and Ben’s wife saw the sorrow in my eyes and fell to her knees.
“Oh God, no, my baby is dead.”
“I’m sorry Cathy, but we couldn’t save her.”
Ally walked in carrying Suzie, set her down at the table and tended to her wounds.
I thought Susie is alive. Why did Kate die and God spare Susie?
Susie yelled to me, “Go save Gus and Duke. They saved me.”
I went back and found Duke guarding Gus who had died from his wounds. I picked Duke up and carried him back to the house. He had suffered numerous bites, but nothing life threatening.
I tried to help Ally with Susie, but Susie just clung to her mom and all I could do is to fetch water and keep Ally company. Joan helped me patch Duke up, and then I went back out to gather the bodies of our dead dogs. I placed them in my garage so the wolves couldn’t come back and carry them off. We held a burial service for them the same day we buried Kate.
***
“Mike, slow down. The wolves are trapped by the slick ice walls. They know they are trapped and will fight to the death. They have to go through us to get out of this maze to the creek.”
“Damn. Paul you’re right. Let’s slow down and pick them off as we herd them toward Sam’s place.”
The wolves tried several times to break through and escape, but they had people shooting every time. They kept thinning them down, until they were finally cornered at Sam’s place. There were only four left and they had drug several dead dogs with them in hopes of getting back to their pack.
***
We were very thankful that we still had antibiotic creams and capsules, our wounds slowly healed without anyone developing a serious infection.
The weather got better and the temperatures slowly rose until we were in the mid-forties in the daytime and barely above freezing at night.
The snow began to melt and we had a steady stream of water all day long running from Sam’s on down past my house. We had to keep an eye out for wall collapses as the snow melted. One night a wall between Callie and Mike’s house fell and dammed up the drainage. We ended up with a foot of water before our guard was able to fire up the tractor and bust the dam open.
It got up into the fifties the following week and began raining. The water was six inches deep flowing down the path all week long. By the end of that week, winter was over. We killed several more wolves, but none ever tried to attack us again.
✪✪✪
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Chapter 13
State of the Union
Rolling Hills
Everyone was trying to put the wolf attack behind them as winter turned into spring. The weather was wonderful and we were able to stay outdoors again, hunting and fishing. I was very lucky to have my dog Duke to help us hunt. Only a few dogs, and no cats, survived the attack.
We licked our wounds and were pleasantly surprised that no one got rabies from the bites. Life got back to some semblance of normal. Well, as normal as it could be in this post-apocalyptic world.
***
The President of the United States was to give the State of the Union Address to the country by radio in two hours. The problem was she didn’t know if she should give the feel good canned political speech, or the one from her heart that laid out the bad with the good.
POTUS sat down with her four most trusted advisors, Jill Rayburn her Chief of Staff, Gen John Keene the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, LT Colonel Roger McNabb the Director of Homeland Security and Gen. Joe Phillips the Secretary of State.
“Jill, what are you hearing from your contacts about canning my cabinet and replacing most of them?”
“Our friends love the move and our opposition hates it. There are rumblings about a power grab. As I told you yesterday, the ex-Director of Homeland Security wants your job.”
Gen. Keene spoke up, “Madam President, the threat has been neutralized. The NSA had a plant in his meeting with the other traitors and we caught them with their hands in the cookie jar. The asshole even tried to get one of the Joint Chiefs to use his command to forcibly throw you out of office and install him as interim president. The CIA took care of all of those treasonous bastards.”
“Damn, a trial at this time will be a major distraction.”
“Ma’am, thanks to the CIA there will be no trial. A most tragic accident happened as their plane went down on the way to St. Louis. I am deeply saddened to inform you that there were no survivors. The press will hear about their engine trouble. It’s tragic, simply tragic.”
“John, really, you are just so transparent you are almost giddy. Oh, well, I guess it’s for the best.
Jill, please bring the new Cabinet on board, not too quickly, take a week to get them all installed.”
“Yes ma’am. I will have a press conference, announce the tragedy and have you say a short prayer for the deceased and their families. Consider it done,” replied a seemingly somber Chief of Staff.
Smiling, the President said, “Oh, Jill, well done.”
“Yes ma’am, I have to be convincing for the 5th estate.”
POTUS said, “God help me, I’m in the hands of mad men.”
Gen. Keene, please update me on the situation in Florida and California.”
“I hate to keep bearing bad news, but the Cubans have landed a large contingent of soldiers outside of Miami and the Chinese have landed over 5,000 men, tanks and artillery north of San Francisco. Both intend to carve their piece of our pie before the Russians and Mexicans take the whole country.
The Chinese are taking prisoners and starting work camps. They currently have almost no opposition. The good news from Florida is that our Naval and Marine forces have the Cubans pinned down in one area. Mop up to begin in the next 48 hours.
I’m rather amazed that the Chinese have such poor intelligence sources. They apparently feel the Russians are winning. We’ll have them erased in a matter of weeks. Even without a major military push, the Ruskies have no resupply train. They are toast.
However, unfortunately, as the Chinese have landed, we need to eliminate the Russians to take on their comrades. I simply cannot understand how anyone would begin such an enterprise without a plan to resupply.”
“So they perceive me as weak and the USA as unable to defend itself?”
“Yes, they think we are on our heels and a couple of blows could knock us out?”
“Our plan is to take out the Cuban command and control in Havana and most of their military with two nuclear devices. We are still developing a plan for the Chinese. I DO NOT encourage you to use Nukes on American soil, besides it would invite in kind retaliation.”
“You have authority to take out the Cubans as per your plan. Can you wipe out their men on our soil?”
“Yes Ma’am. Without resupply, air or naval support, they are doomed.”
“Do it. I want before and after pictures to show anyone else who decides to fuck with us. Would nuclear bombs work against the Mexican Cartels inside Mexico?”
“No ma’am, the Cartels are spread out over too much territory.”
POTUS replied, “But, you are sure about the Mexican government backing them with men, supplies and weapons?”
“Yes, we have definitive proof.”
“We can’t fight four or five wars. I say we get their president on the line and nuke their largest two military installations while I talk with him. I will nuke his sorry ass if he doesn’t fall into line after the second detonation.”
The Chief of Staff spoke up, “That would mean that five to six million civilians would perish.”
The Director of DHS replied, “The bastards have killed thousands of Americans in Texas and Arizona. I don’t feel we should back off from eliminating any and all threats.
The entire Mexican power structure is in Mexico City. With their military neutralized and the command vaporized, we only have drug lords to contend with, and we will begin to take out their boss men with drone strikes. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, we’ll eventually have to move into Mexico to take them out.”
Shocked, the Chief of Staff said, “Laura, we can’t kill millions of innocent people. We’re the good guys.”
“Jill, the good guys will be overrun, and we won’t have a country if we don’t eliminate these threats. Gen. Keene, doesn’t the military have a code word for when a base is going to be overrun. Isn’t it something like Broken Arrow?”
“No ma’am, a Broken Arrow is a lost nuclear weapon. We’re usually a little more definitive about being overrun. It’s, button up, the fuckers are comin’ through the wire, or words to that effect. If used, all available military assets must come to the base’s defense.”
“Jill, we are months, if not days from that scenario and damned few assets to come to our rescue. John, I want a Button up scenario used now for all of these known attacks on our country. Can this be done without using nukes?”
General Keene straightened in his chair and said, “Madam President, we have the mechanical resources to end the current incursions onto our country, but we are beginning to run short of human assets. Basically, we need grunts.”
“I will prep the country to let our people know that we are under attack and we need volunteers to fight.”
“Ma’am, don’t scare them too much. I’d mention the cartels and the rogue Russian Forces, but not the Chinese.”
<
br /> “General, I have promised to tell our people the truth. I have pledged not to sugarcoat the national situation. If, as you say, we need grunts, we need to let them know why.
I have faith in our American will, and they need to know why we need grunts. Clear.”
Every attendee felt pride in their POTUS, and knew she was right. No more bull shit. Tell the truth, and get ‘er done!
Smiling, General Keene said, “Madam President, in retrospect, I must agree. I guess we are just not, yet, used to an honest politician. No, that’s not exactly what I meant. I think I meant a true and honest leader of this once great nation. One that will, because of you, become great again.”
“Thank you, General, but let’s not put the cart before the horse. You know as well as I do, that we, as a nation, may still dissolve.”
There was no response from anyone.
***
Jacob and Sam worked on several City dump trucks fitted for snow blades. They got them up, and running in record time, but too late for the snow.
Jacob and Sam also built several small generators from tiller engines and generators to light up the police station, city hall and the hospital.
They were scrounging to find parts to get more powerful AC generators in operation.
They also gave lessons on how to make the bicycle generators for the single household. Callie and Paul joined in on that effort.
We changed our last names to help keep the town folk from figuring out who we were. Naturally, Callie was now Mrs. Paul Stone and I became Mr. Zack Stone. Mike and Joan changed to Newman for their last names.
Only Jacob, Sam, Callie and Paul mixed with the citizens while we kept hidden away from anyone except Jake and a couple of his deputies, the Mayor and two of town council members. There was little chance of us being outed unless a member of our inner circle ratted us out.