Desert Heat

by T J Reeder

  Community breakfast, decided by the women while they were peeling off the soaked clothes and wringing them out. While nudity isn’t a practice here in the canyon, working on ones all over tan is accepted and everybody has seen everybody else in their skin suit so it’s not a big deal. Plus, from all the changes in our life style we all looked pretty good so! Just saying.

  Now that that little note is settled the ladies trooped off to find dry clothes and started getting breakfast ready.

  After they were gone us guys sat down on the rocks and were soon talking about the coming battle, I went over my plan again to air it out and get input to fill the blank places. If everybody is involved in the decision making it makes it better.

  One very valid question was why I was restricting the snipers to bolt guns? It being pointed out that we have enough very good auto loaders to do the job just as well and have much better fire power. Good point!

  I get stuck in my old Marine head on the subject because I was trained to believe the bolt guns our snipers used were the cats ass, but in truth my AR 10 was just as good as my bolt gun. So we changed that right there, everybody could use what they wanted.

  One of the guys pointed out that his lady was a damn good shot with her AR 15 because it didn’t beat the shit out of her. And 300 yards wasn’t much of a shot at a human size target.

  So I was getting good feedback and all valid points leading to a change in the tactics I was planning. One of the men asked why we were doing it this way and I reminded them how well the canyon ambush went and that this guy wasn’t going to get caught again so what better plan then to hit him in the open, the last way and place he would expect?

  All this gave me more ideas and were going to involve a road trip to recon for the right place to meet the dude.

  Breakfast was calling so we trooped off for that. My ladies were helping by doing the pancakes which with eggs is their idea of heaven only made better with bacon which we have. It’s canned which is fine but we will need to be thinking about that in the future since we can’t live off a dead country forever. One of the really good things was some jelly made from a cactus by one of the ladies and when heated it turned back to thick syrup! Awesome! Have I mentioned life is good here in the canyon?

  After breakfast we headed to the hobbit hole to clean up after the “swim.” Then I took the girls and Beth to the range for some rifle work.

  The girls needed rifle practice like a duck needs to practice swimming but it was their chance to have fun and of course compete against each other. Beth, the other lady, like most of the ladies in our bunch had been involved in our little wars and showed her stuff real fast. After punching the five hundred yard target eight out of ten shots I told her to go make a cake or something, she laughed but said she was gonna get involved in the on. going match between “them” When she got into the equation they settled down and quit screwing off. I’d have to say they were all about even so that was settled, Beth asked to shoot the 1911’s so I wandered off to tell the loading crew to step up production of 45 acp since I could see a new rising star.

  The funny thing about hand guns is that most people seem to think the “plastic” guns like Glock and the Springfield XD series are the cats ass. Now I’ve owned several of them in 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP and I like them, they are very good weapons. But I believe if you’re out of ammo you should be able to beat the bastards to death with a solid chunk of steel. But that’s just me. The girls just followed along with me I guess, I never really asked.

  I know Sandy grabs every 1911 she sees unless it’s some off breed type. She does love them, May, I think just went with Sandy because.

  Beth I don’t know really, I think she’s about the same age as the girls with long light brown hair and green eyes, she’s really good looking and I wonder why she lives alone, but it’s her business. She may be one we rescued from the slavers and don’t want anything to do with a man. That’s fine, can’t blame her a bit.

  I wandered over to the loading trailer and put in my order for more 45’s and the two old boys laughed and said they had already started because they could hear the bark of the 45’s going pretty steady, These two ol boys had loaded every round of ammo ever fired by mankind I believe, if it used powder and a primer they had loaded it and they were a couple of interesting old coots. One asked me if we needed some 45-70 rounds for Wyatts 1886 she got from old man Jones, I laughed and said, “Nope, they each fired it 5 shots and cleaned it and hung it on the cabin wall by my hundred year old Swedish Mauser. “Both laughed and said they would load some rounds the girls could handle just so they could shoot the rifle without breaking a shoulder. And a light bulb went off! I asked them if they had any 10mm’s? They laughed and said, “Shit John, we got ammo for stuff that ain’t seen the light of day for a hundred years.

  I took a couple of boxes and headed for the cave where I found that STI and hauled it to the range where they were taking a break. I laid it and the boxes of ammo down and they were both up grabbing.

  Sandy said, “I’m first coz I went back for it!” May said, “Big deal, I killed the fucker!!”

  Beth asked to see it and asked if she could shoot it.

  Both of the girls said sure with smiles, then went to fighting over who was next, I sat in the shade and waited for the fun. I felt sorry for Beth but she would soon know.

  I watched Beth load the mag and call out, “Fire in the hole,” which stopped the cat fight since they had to put ear plugs in as did I. Beth took a good stance and in one move brought the gun up and dumped 10 rounds into the 25 yard steel target that could be covered with my hand, now I was interested. The girls were busy both trying to load the mag and I settled it by flipping a coin, May won, she took a good grip and fired a shot and looked a bit surprised then another, after a total of five she handed it to Sandy without a word. Sandy let fly and almost lost it! She looked at me then May who was smiling a

  “Gotcha” smile, so Sandy fired four more and laid it down and kind of shook her hand. I loaded it and fired 10 rounds off fast and when I looked I had to admit Beth’s target had a bit tighter group then mine! I took another look at her and saw her eyes kind of sparkling a bit so I reloaded the mag with 10 more and handed her the gun and mag, she loaded it and took her time aiming and I noticed she was aiming high, she fired and the 100 yard steel rang out then she did it nine more times. Doc and Wyatt were kind of stunned and I was pretty impressed myself.

  She laid the gun on the bench and smiled a big smile and said, “Did I pass the test?” I said, “What test?” But she was looking at the girls, both smiled real big and said, “OH Hell yes!!!” Sandy picked the gun up and handed it to Beth and said, “Welcome to the club babe!!” And they all three laughed out loud.

  I was slow I’ll admit. But I had to ask how in the hell she learned to shoot like that. She said her husband had one and she used to shoot it a lot with him. He was killed in the raid that took her as a slave.

  I told her I was impressed and that I’d work on finding extra mags for the gun if she wanted, she did, so I put that on my list, looked like Old Bear wasn’t getting this one.

  I told the girls we were leaving in the morning to see Charley and we might be gone a few days on a scout to the west, I headed back leaving them collecting brass and chattering away like old friends. They could become best friends with somebody in a heartbeat, or kill them in the same time span.

  I’m afraid I somehow raised them wrong. I went by the vehicle storage area and was checking the Dodge out and the mechanics wandered over and after hearing what I had in mind said they would look it over for me, well I was feeling pretty useless so I went off to the ridge and took a nap.

  Morning came and I started hauling our gear to the truck and found it all cleaned up and looking new, the guys said they were bored. I thanked them and headed back for more gear, I passed the girls who said they had it and I should look around to make sure I hadn’t missed anything. I hadn’t and joined them and found Walker sitting
on top of the canvas covered load like he owned the damn truck.

  I just mumbled and climbed in, fired it up and was rolling before I noticed somebody sitting right behind me. I turned the mirror and saw Beth sitting there. Sandy and May had small smiles on their faces and I had a funny feeling something was going on that I didn’t know about (Voice in head “no shit Sherlock!”) I refused to bite, I just took off and we were on the road again, Sandy turned on the radio and there was Willy singing it! What a crew.

  I figured I’d be informed in time what was going on but I think I already knew, I think I just got another orphan. How they work this out is beyond me and I’m not gonna ask, maybe it’s just they’re taking Beth under their wings as a friend (Laughter in my head) Shit! (Stop cussing!)

  We rolled into Shiprock and there stood Charley waiting with a smile. I love this man like the brother I never had. He makes my life complete family wise.

  We unloaded and the girls headed right to him with Beth in tow and Sandy did the introductions. He greeted Beth with a smile and offered his hand which she took, he didn’t shake it he just held it then nodded and said something to Sandy who smiled real big and they were off to see Old Woman who was waiting on the front porch. They disappeared inside and it was quiet again

  We sat in the shade and time passed and finally Charley did the little polite cough that was his notice he was about to speak.

  He looked at me and said, “How do you get into this much trouble?” “What trouble,” I asked ? “Beth”? he said, “Oh she’s a friend of the girls and they brought her along because she’s lonely.” He just shook his head and sighed and after a bit said “You are without doubt the dumbest white man I ever met!”

  Well I was a bit shocked at that so I had to ask why he said that. He shook his head again and said, “Remember when Sandy brought May into your family? I said you were gonna do well in Utah?” I just looked at him and then started stuttering and said, “Oh no!! No way!” He sat a while and I pondered what was going on. He sighed again which he does a lot around me and said, “Are your eyes open yet?”

  I just sighed back and said, “Maybe you’re wrong?” He almost smiled at that and shook his head slowly. I could feel a door closing behind me and didn’t know why.

  At last I had to set this aside and asked him about his thoughts on a scouting trip along the likely route of march of our enemy. He said it was a good idea and he wanted to show me something so we went inside to find the ladies ready to serve lunch so we sat and ate.

  Beth was paying way more attention to the girls talk then was needed with quick glances at me. Finally I took the reins in my hand and said.

  “Welcome to the family Beth, if you want to be.” The sneaky pair jumped up and took turns hugging me and then Beth,” and the Old Woman was actually laughing out loud, kinda.

  Beth had tears in her eyes and I stood up and offered my hand which she took and I hugged her for a long time while she cried quietly. When she was back under control we finished lunch, I asked the girls how they felt about waiting here while Charley and I took a trip to look at something, and they surprised me by saying fine.

  Charley took a black hat off the pegs by the door and handed it to me saying with my dark tan and the hat and riding in his old truck I would look like one of The People, several more men were already in the back of the truck along with a couple of women.

  We looked like any one of the trucks you see in this area full of people heading someplace where it seems there ain’t a place.

  We were all armed which was normal so off we went, the old truck was old on the outside but whatever was under the hood wasn’t old! But we just poked along like all the people do, never in a rush, that’s reserved for the white man.

  We drove for a good ways on highway 64 until it turned into the junction of 160 and 91, from there we headed West on 160 and then it was off the pavement and over back dirt roads and goat paths and no paths and eventually we slowed down and stopped, when we all got out, the women stayed by the truck and the men and I headed up a small hill. Near the top they dropped down on their belly’s so I did too, when in Rome and all that jazz!

  When I saw Charley ease up behind a bush and take his hat off I did the same and crawled up beside him. We were looking down on the small town of Kayenta which was on state road 163 and below us about half a mile from the road was a small camp. With binoculars I could count four men in the camp and one up on a hill doing just what we were doing except we were higher and could see the small town over the hill they were on.

  Now I will admit I was a bit puzzled and after looking at Charley he eased back down the hill leaving a couple of the others watching. Back at the truck he said he had all along figured this junction was the one the enemy would use instead of the big interstate 40 to come at us because the Interstate had a lot of people around it and word would leak out ahead of him.

  Charley said he figured the man was going to come at us with hit teams leading the way quietly killing everybody in their path. While I know it’s cold and not something I would ever be a part of I knew where he was coming from.

  He wanted us dead, me dead, and he wanted to take no chances. But this wise warrior was leagues ahead of him and had people in the hills just waiting to see who might show up. Now we were forewarned, and could prepare for the fight.

  I told Charley about the idea of using long range firepower to chew them up and with the mortar units and the tracks we could rule the battlefield from a distance reducing our chances of losses. He nodded and said he just might know of a place that would work perfectly but we also needed to wave some bait under his nose, something to make him come when we wanted him to. That was something to work on.

  We headed back and arrived at dusk to find the ladies chewing their nails, they thought we were going away for an hour or so.

  I credit the presence of Old Woman and several of the other women in calming them down so I didn’t get beat to death. We all sat and ate a nice rabbit stew and what’s called fry bread, filling and tasty.

  Afterwards we sat outside and watched the night gather and the stars, listening to the night birds. We didn’t talk about the day or the coming battle, that was for the daylight, now was the quiet time to just breathe and feel Mother Earth. While we were gone the girls had set up the big tent. I had no idea what was on the evening agenda but I was tired, Charles’s old truck may have a wild assed motor but the suspension was rough on my ass.

  I told Charley I was heading to bed and got a chuckle in return, he headed inside where the girls and Old Woman were doing whatever, maybe stirring a caldron full of bat wings.

  I smiled at that thought and went to the tent where I found the bed all made up and looking bigger then usual, also I found a glass of JW sitting there so I tossed that back, undressed and slid into my usual spot. I don’t even remember my head hitting the pillow, I do remember waking up rested and alone then not alone, left side? May, so I gently pulled her over and curled up like spoons and went back to sleep.

  At some point my mind woke up to the fact that May felt different somehow, I checked and all the parts were where they belonged but different. And her hair was tickling my nose so I blew it away like always and opened one eye and found that overnight her hair had changed color! I did another inventory and realized I had been ambushed…again.

  I gave up without a fight, weak sorry example of a man that I am. Later, I’d like to say much later but maybe not that much later, Beth and I made our way to the café and found the girls helping make lunch and they grabbed Beth and away they went.

  I went looking for Charley and said, “Ok, what did they put in the booze?” He looked at me and said,

  “Beats the shit out of me! They don’t talk to me either.” Now this was so out of character for Charley I just busted out laughing, then he joined in. After a bit he said he really didn’t know what I was talking about but asked if I woke up refreshed and feeling good? I said, “Oh yeah,” he nodded and said, “Don’
t ask, you really don’t want to know.” Now I was really worried but WTF, I was alive and felt good even if I did feel like I had been put out to stud.

  But somehow I figured it was more then that and I would be informed when it was time. Ours wasn’t the only “extended” family in the settlement. One lady had two husbands and another was three women and two men, all were happy as could be and nobody thought anything about it. Several of the ladies we rescued lived together and nobody asked or cared what was what. It just wasn’t our business

  I know some might say how about the kids? Well a lot of the kids there with us are orphans and were saved by us and had a sad lesson in growing up fast and we as a whole were raising them with all the love we could give, they were happy, safe, warm and fed and cared for, they didn’t care who slept with who, just being there and with us was all they cared about and every person in our family, clan, group, tribe whatever, would fight thru hell for those kids and in most cases had in fact done so. Nuff said.

  The kids pretty much lived where they wanted, here one night there another, they were with family no matter where they laid their head down.

  I love our clan and life is good in the canyon, have I mentioned that? I should wonder about how it looks to the others but I don’t care nor will they.