by Jeremy Lock
“Where did you get this tea, it’s amazing.” She continued.
“It was in a backpacking meal I had a while back. I’m not really a tea guy but I figured you would enjoy it.” He replied.
“It’s wonderful, thank you.” She replied as she watched him work.
“Not a problem, but that’s the only one I had. Maybe I can come up with some more, or maybe some coffee.” He continued.
“Coffee would be amazing.” Miranda replied with a smile.
“I guess we will have to plan a trip, but first I have to get some real food for us. Venison would be wonderful right now.” James replied.
“I’ve never eaten venison, but right now anything sounds good.” Miranda replied with her amazing smile.
Seeing the smile sent a shiver through James and he quickly turned away before he allowed Miranda to see his childish smile. He felt like a teenager with his first crush. He had to get a hold of himself.
“I’ll head out in a little while. I’ll heat up some food and gather some more firewood before I head out.” He said looking through his pack for what food he had left. He pulled out a can of stew and showed it to Miranda looking for approval.
“Sure, I’m starving.” She replied with another smile.
As James turned away he thought he heard a slight giggle from Miranda but wasn’t sure.
Chapter 79
Jason awoke with the sun and stretched. He was adjusting to the early mornings and the hard work and was pretty sure he had already lost a few of the frustrating extra pounds he always had fought off. He started the coffee, stoked the woodstove and carried in a large armful of wood for the fire. As he awaited his morning coffee from the percolator he walked outside and lit up a cigarette and enjoyed the sunrise. He had cut his smoking back to around 4 cigarettes a day and while part of him wanted to just quit, another part of him still enjoyed the very unhealthy vice.
Jason grabbed a cup of black coffee, something he was still adjusting to, and headed out to look at the tractor they had gotten the previous day. He grabbed some tools and electrical parts and began diagnosing the tractors issues. It was an old tractor, which was good, and it was very well maintained. He started with the ignition system and had been working for about half an hour when Sean came out with his own cup of coffee.
“Morning.” Sean said as he approached.
“Good morning.” Jason replied pulling his head out from under the tractor.
“Need a hand?” Sean asked.
“Ummm… if you want. Right now I’m just poking around.” Jason replied.
“Well I was thinking Jeff and I would get some hunting in. We need the meat.” Sean continued.
“That sounds like a good idea. I can keep an eye on things here. What time do you want to drive back to the Walters place for the load of hay?”
“Maybe after lunch? Let’s see how the hunt goes. We need food more than the animals do.”
“Alright. Good luck.” Jason said.
“You too.” Sean said pointing towards the tractor.
“I’ll need it.” Jason replied with a chuckle.
Sean walked back to the trailer and then came out with Jeff a few minutes later, rifles in hand. Jason watched them walk into the woods and then continued with the tractor.
Chapter 80
James quietly walked through the woods following a clear deer trail in the snow. The snow was a few days old and there were several sets of tracks, but this set was pretty fresh. He was able to move relatively quickly in the snow and still stay quiet. He moved down river several hundred yards but the deer tracks crossed to the other side. James did not want to wade through the ice cold water but found a large tree fallen across the river and was able to get across while staying dry. He picked up the trail again which moved up and into the next valley. He climbed the ridge and at the crest he pulled out his binoculars to get a better look into the valley.
The earsplitting sound in the near silently wilderness caused James to startle and the roll for cover. He quickly replaced the binoculars with a Remington 700 .308 hunting rifle with a 9x scope. As he edged back up to the ridge again he looked and quickly observed 2 men moving down the opposite ridge down into the valley. He looked to the bottom of the valley and saw where the men were heading. Two deer lay dead at the bottom. The men must have timed their shots precisely and appeared to have easily put the deer down at a range of around 300 yds. Not the hardest shot, but a certainly not the skill set of your average hunter.
James watched as the two men dressed and quartered the deer and then hung the meat off a large branch which they carried on each end over their shoulder. As they headed up the opposite ridge James worked his way down. He was only a couple miles away from his cabin, and these people were too close for his comfort. He moved slowly, keeping behind cover until the men crested the ridge. After that he picked up his pace to try and watch the men from the next ridge. He set up his perch and watched the men from over 600 yds. away as they entered their camp. It wasn’t a house; there were two travel trailers and a large tent set up along with a few vehicles. James watched the men and tried to get a count on the group. Two men and four women the best he could figure, they were all armed and they all kept quite busy. One appeared to be working on a vehicle while the rest spent their time between the animals, the venison and the firewood. It appeared that it was two couples and maybe two teenage girls. James got the impression that they seemed like a peaceful group just trying to get by just like him. Maybe they would even be useful. They appeared well trained and fairly well prepared. Maybe they even had some coffee to trade for. The thought perked James up a bit. Coffee and Tea for Miranda. That would make her happy.
James thought process was broken by a completely unwelcome sound. The cocking of a 1911 pistol was a sound he was all too familiar with. James let the rifle go and placed his hands out to his sides.
“Stand up.” Said the voice.
James complied and turned to face the unknown man.
“Turn around, face away and put your hands on your head.” The man ordered.
James complied and the man used his free hand to grab James hands and the he pushed him against a tree keeping James off balance. The man then started searching James and pulled out the .357 revolver and James’ knife. James waited for the man to make a mistake, but one never came. The guy had to be a cop or something. James thought. The man then stepped back out of James reach and withdrew his gun again. He then ordered James to turn around and face him. James recognized the man.
“What are you doing here?” Asked the man.
“I followed you and your partner after you shot the 2 deer. I live just over the river and didn’t think anyone lived this close to me.” James replied.
“What’s your name?”
“James.”
“Well James, do you live by yourself?”
“No, I live with a woman.”
“Is she your wife?”
“No, I met her during this mess and helped her out.”
“Is she there by her own choice?”
“Of course.”
The next thing James knew, he was in an arm bar being pressed face first into the tree. James tried to counter the move but the man had very good training and James stopped resisting when the barrel of the man’s gun was pressed against his head.
‘Tell me the truth.” The man hissed.
James stared at the gun and that is when he noticed it. The very bottom of the Force Recon tattoo. The skull in the crosshairs of a rifle.
“I am telling the truth, Marine.” James said in as steady a voice as he could muster.
The man just stared at him.
“Your tattoo, not the first one I’ve seen.” James replied.
The man looked down at his arm and then back at the man, indecision in his eyes.
“Kabul? Hindu Kush? Fallujah? “ James asked the man.
“What do you know?” was the man’s reply.
“Air Force Para Rescue.
I was stationed and ran op’s in all 3, plus a few others. I pulled a few of you guys out of the shit over there.” James replied, figuring comradary and honesty were his best option.
“Unit designation?”
“I was attached to the 160 SOAR. Special OP’s rescue.” James replied.
The man let go of James arm and turned him around but kept him at gun point.
‘Special op’s commander 2008 in Fallujah?”
James had to think for a moment.
“Col. “Bull” Watson. Army Delta Force.” James replied with near certainty.
“Did you know him?”
“Not well. Ran a few operations with his men but never really talked to the man. From what I understand he’s was a real hard ass.”
“He was an asshole, but a good commander.”
“Scout Sniper?” James asked.
The man nodded.
“Can I put my hands down now?” James asked.
“Yeah, but don’t do anything stupid.”
The two men talked for a while longer. The man finally relaxed and introduced himself as Sean. They talked a little about their situation and preparedness. Sean explained their journey from New Jersey and James told his story about waking up in the hospital and how he met Miranda. Sean invited James back to meet the group and have some lunch, and James agreed but only a quick bite. He really wanted to get back and check on Miranda.
James was introduced to the group and after a quick bowl of soup and some talk about trade James headed back home to get Miranda and to return for dinner and some trading. James loaded up the cigarettes and a bottle of whiskey that he had gotten off the group had attacked them a couple days earlier. Miranda seemed excited at the prospect of seeing new people and to have some female friends to talk to. Once James assured her that they were good people she could barely contain the excitement and wanted to leave immediately. As soon as James was packed they both grabbed their weapons and headed out.
Chapter 81
James and Miranda squeezed in around the already crowded table as they sat down for dinner. The bottle of whiskey was their contribution as their food supply was desperately short. The dinner was venison with canned mixed vegetables and homemade biscuits and everyone ate hungrily, especially Miranda who ate like a person twice her size. James watched in amazement. It was amazing that everything she did James found to be gorgeous and attractive. James couldn’t ever remember feeling like this before. Everyone also partook in the whiskey, except for Allie. There was a lot of story swapping and laughter and once the meal was finished they got down to a little trading. James pulled out the cigarettes and traded all 12 packs for a box of tea and an extra-large can of coffee. Everyone was pretty happy with the trade. Jason was the only steady smoker of the group, but Sean and Jeff also enjoyed an occasional cigar but the cigarettes were a fair substitute. The men went outside with a glass of whiskey and they all smoked while they discussed recent events and future plans, while the girls talked inside.
James and Miranda left a short time later and made the hike through the moonlight. As they returned back to the cabin they were both very tired. Miranda went to bed while James stoked the fire in preparation for the night. He looked over and Miranda and smiled to himself. She was so beautiful while she slept. The thought brought him back to his old life. He poured himself another drink of whiskey and quietly watched Miranda peacefully sleeping as his thoughts went back to his wife and children. He looked at Miranda again to be sure she was asleep and then pulled a picture out of his pocket. His wife and two children were in the picture and as James stared at the photo the tears started. Three months after returning to the States after his last deployment his wife and children were killed in a terrible car accident. James had been having a hard time dealing with the loss of his crew and he and his wife had separated. James had been drinking too much and she didn’t want it around the kids. James found out two days later when a police officer found him passed out in his vehicle and took him to the hospital. It had been more than James could take and he had attempted suicide twice, but couldn’t go through with it. Eventually the local hospital made an inquiry to the VA and they in turn looked at his military record and contacted Maj. Jacobs. The Major pulled some strings and was able to keep James out of a mental hospital and got him into and exclusive rehab and psychological facility reserved for only the very most elite. James spent 60 days there and was able to get sober, answer the questions the way the shrinks wanted to hear them answered, and was able to get released. Maj. Jacobs had also gotten him a few government contracts to teach survival training for smaller units in order to keep James busy and his mind occupied. This picture was all he had left of his family. He had gotten rid of everything else hoping he would be able to move on and forget them. James was actually shocked for a moment. This was the first time he had really thought of his family since he had woken up in the hospital. He felt like she was telling him it was ok and he was able to move on with his life now. He looked up at Miranda peacefully sleeping and sighed. His eyes welled up again and he really started to cry. He looked to the photograph again. “I love you” he said with a whisper and set the photograph down and whipped his eyes. He never noticed Miranda awake and looking at the picture.
Chapter 82
It was another early morning for Jason and the rest of his group. The physical demands of collecting, boiling and bottling water, splitting and hauling firewood, working on the tractor and other small projects kept everyone pretty busy throughout the day. Jason spent the morning attempting to patch the holes in the pick-ups radiator so they would be able to load up a few more bales of hay back to the compound. Sean, Teddy and Jeff would be heading out in a few hours to visit the Walters and bring back as much hay as they were able to load for the animals. They were also bringing over some venison and a couple hygiene products that they could spare. The Watson’s were good people and they were going to have a difficult time surviving the winter without any help now that nearly all their animals had be taken and/or killed by the bikers. Being that they were in their 60’s the topic of inviting them to come stay with the group had been discussed but quickly abandoned since they didn’t have enough housing for themselves at the time. Jason filled the radiator and reservoir up with water and started the pickup. He checked the radiator several times for leaks as the truck idled and after 5 minutes he was satisfied. He didn’t want to waste too much gas just letting the truck run or they would be forced to try and collect more, which could be dangerous. He hooked up the trailer and had everything ready for the group to head out. Hugs were exchanged and everyone was told to be careful. Sean and Cassidy even kissed before they parted ways and everyone was happy to see them both moving on from their tragedies and finding happiness. After they left Jason decided he was going to hook up the shortwave/ ham radio and after dinner they would try to find some music or news to listen to. He also thought about setting up the security system but that thought was again left behind. He just had so much to do and they truly were in the middle of nowhere.
Chapter 82
James woke up before daylight and headed out with his bow with hopes to return with some venison. He left a short note for Miranda before he headed out so she wouldn’t worry. He felt like he had an extra spring in his step as he walked through the near silent forest and headed to a rock outcrop he had seen on an earlier trip and looked to be a good place to hunt. The area overlooked the edge of the small pond area near the cabin and he had seen deer frequent the area in the past. He set an extra coat on the rock outcrop to insulate himself from the cold and started to get comfortable for the next few hours of sitting perfectly still. It wasn’t very comfortable but within a couple minutes he figured it was as good as it would get. The wind was blowing into his face, which was good for hunting but it certainly bit at his exposed skin and he just hoped he didn’t have to be out here too long. Before the thought had even left his mind James saw movement to his right and moving towards the pond. James slowed all
his movements as he turned his head to get a look. Deer have an amazing ability to see movement along with an amazing sense of smell. It was a group of 8 deer, all doe (female) and they were moving slowly as the bit at branches and twigs to get what little sustenance was left during the harsh winter months. James eyed the group and found what looked to be the largest and therefore most likely the oldest deer of the group. While it would have the strongest gamey flavor it would also provide the most meat and was the most intelligent choice to maintain the integrity of the herd. James took controlled breaths and waited for the deer to pass. He wanted the deer either completely broadside or slightly turned away from him as it would provide the largest target area for the vital areas of the deer and therefore result in the most ethical and painless kill for the deer. As the deer passed James breathed deeply and drew back the compound bow. With the bow back he viewed through the peep sight and momentarily recalled the last thing to be in his bow sight had been a man and not an animal. He pushed the thought back, slowly exhaled and then released the trigger of the mechanical release. James watched the moment in near slow motion as the arrow struck the deer just behind her front shoulder blade and penetrated completely through the deer and into the snow behind. The group of deer then burst into a sprint as James watched. As the deer passed around another rock outcropping and out of view James took a deep breath and relaxed. No matter how many times he had done this in his life, he still got the slight adrenaline rush, followed by the slight disappointment of killing such a beautiful creature. But the meat was a necessity and the thought that the deer had lived freely and he had killed it cleanly made him feel better. He resisted the desire to immediately track the deer. Even though it had been a clean kill he had been taught be his father many years before to wait at least 30 minutes before tracking the deer. In the case of a less than perfect hit the deer would become tired and lie down and hopefully die as peacefully as possible. To track the deer too early could spook it would cause the deer to run, which was not a good thing. First it would extend the suffering of the deer, second it made tracking more difficult and losing the animal more likely and finally it would make the meat much tougher a gamier by dumping adrenaline into the blood stream. James packed up his gear and retrieved his arrow which he cleaned in the snow and placed back in his bow mounted quiver. James had estimated he had waited at least 20 minutes and decided he would slowly begin to track the deer. With the snow on the ground tracking was a matter of just looking ahead. The amount of blood was a good sign that the kill was clean and as he passed the outcropping he came upon the dead deer. It had run less than 50 yds. which meant its death had truly taken a matter of a couple seconds. James took the time to quickly clean the innards of the deer keeping the heart and liver to be eaten. Then he used a short length of rope which he wrapped around the deer’s neck and front legs and began dragging the deer back to the cabin. When he arrived back at the cabin he hung the deer from a high branch and began to skin the deer. After that was completed he laid the skin out hair side down in the sun and also left the deer to hang after pulling it high up into the tree out of the reach of any predators. Allowing the deer to hang for at least a day would help tenderize the meat. Before hanging the deer he removed the ribcages with a handsaw which he then cut down and placed in his stewpot. He would boil the bones and small scraps of meat, add the heart and liver chopped up and a can of mixed vegetables to make a stew. It would be a fairly bland stew but it would be filling and nutritious. After adding the ribs and covering with water he added a small amount of spices from a small backpacking spice holder, he covered the pot and left it to cook for the day. It was now a couple hours after sunrise and he was surprised to find Miranda still sleeping. He heated water for coffee or some tea and then went and woke Miranda. Her eyes were bloodshot and it looked as if she had not slept well.