by Kurt Winans
Making their way back along the column, Ross provided encouragement as he said both loudly and often, “You are all doing great so far, just keep moving as best as you can.”
Colt looked over his shoulder to gauge how far they had traveled from the relative safety of the trees, and reported, “Sir, I can see that a few fires have already been lit.”
Dusk was close at hand as the sun was dipping behind the mountains when they reached the last of the column, and they immediately handed a tree branch to two of the younger men nearby. Colt guessed they were more than half a mile from the now more distinct line of welcoming campfires. He honestly didn’t know if everyone in the group of stragglers could cover the distance. They probably numbered at least two hundred, and had become separated from the main column by a gap of at least one hundred yards. That coupled with the crawl of their current pace made them all extremely vulnerable.
Within a few moments, the initial attack came. For the first time, Ross saw one of the huge beasts. The description provided earlier that day had been correct with regard to overall size. The beast was as large as an adult rhinoceros, and it did resemble a wolf with short fur. On the positive side, it seemed to lack the overall agility that the woman had claimed. Perhaps that would be an exploitable trait.
As the animal approached, the people began to panic. Some broke formation by dropping their belongings and moving at a quicker pace toward the wooded area ahead. Others scattered as they ran directly away from the incoming direction of the attacker. Ross’ concern that the animals behaved with a pack like mentality was then confirmed when he turned around. He could see four other predators waiting for those who had broken from the column. The first animal had driven some of the intended prey toward the pack, and those few people were probably not savable.
The chase began, and it wouldn’t be pretty. Each of the four large animals had selected a target. Suddenly it occurred to Ross that the beasts were intelligent, because they only chased after those who were older and slower. He also noticed that they did not deviate from their original targets, even when another source of food ran close by in a panic. Ross and others yelled for the non-targeted people to return to the group, but their current state of emotion made comprehension difficult.
Spinning in the opposite direction, Ross noticed that the initial attacking animal was now very close to the column of people. It would have a choice of targets, as the people were simply grouped too tightly together to attempt an escape. A young man swung a tree branch at the hind quarter of the animal just as it lunged toward an elderly woman. She was pinned down instantly by the force of the animal’s momentum, and screamed with pain as it sunk its teeth into her leg. The man continued to swing his tree branch at the animal, but it was having little effect. From the other side of the beast, two men began an attack of their own. One was relentlessly pounding away at the head and shoulder area of the huge wolf with a grapefruit sized rock. The other repeatedly plunged a knife into the thick hindquarters of the animal. Attempting to spin around toward the persistent and pesky attackers, the animal raised its head as the old woman’s screams fell silent. Suddenly another man jumped into the fray. He began slashing away at a front leg of the beast with a small hatchet, and was rewarded for his efforts. Deep growls of pain could be heard from the animal, as it attempted to move away from the motionless body below. The old woman was probably already dead, but the group of men continued their attack on the animal in a fit of rage.
Ross turned quickly to insure that none of the other animals were advancing from his side of the column. Each of those four animals had caught up with their prey, and screams of pain could be heard.
He yelled instructions for those people nearby, “Stay together and run toward the fires as fast as you can.”
Fortunately they didn’t hesitate, but the animals were all too busy with their respective prizes to care about chasing anything else. Ross also noticed a weakness in the animals pack like structure, as they didn’t seem to care that one of their own was under attack. Soon there were very few people left in the vicinity of the initial attack, and that animal was now in obvious distress. With severe damage to the left front leg, right hind quarter, and head, the wolf attempted a retreat. The four attacking men would not yield, and Colt leapt onto the back of the beast to finish it off. With one swift move, he plunged a knife deep into the back of the animal’s neck and twisted. With a horrific yelp of pain and then sudden silence, the beast fell to the ground with a mighty thud while exhaling its final gasp of life. Colt was in no mood to take any chances, so he drew his blade across the throat of the wolf in a manner that nearly caused decapitation. Those that had taken part in the effort of the kill now stood triumphantly over the dead beast, but there was little time to celebrate.
Roughly fifty yards away, three more of the creatures moved about in slow circles. Positioned on the initial attacking side, they were intended to be the second wave. Surprisingly, they did not advance during the next few anxious moments. Having seen one of their own die at the hands of their intended prey had perhaps scared them into brief passivity, but no one could be sure. Ross spun around to locate the other four beasts. They were all dragging their kills into the distance, so he reversed his pivot. He realized that the previous night had been easy for the animals. Motionless and totally exposed, their intended prey had no defense during that surprise attack. It seemed logical that each of the eight beasts had made a single kill and then dragged it away into the night. They had now discovered that it would no longer be quite so easy.
Meanwhile, the attention of the triumphant men had turned to the old woman. As was feared, she had been killed by the now dead beast. The young man who had bravely taken the first swing at the beast was now crying over his dead mother’s body. Two other men picked up the limp woman and carried her body toward the safety of the trees.
Taking up a position next to Colt at the tail end of the stragglers, Ross asked, “Where did you learn to use a knife with such expertise?”
He knew that Colt had been superbly trained in hand to hand combat and the proper use of small firearms as a secret service agent, but the knife was something different.
Colt replied, “I did a great deal of hunting and fishing with my father and others while growing up in northeastern Nevada. The Ruby Mountains near my home town of Spring Creek were like a playground for me when I was a young man. Learning to skin and dress out a deer with a large blade after it had been shot was just part of the program.”
He also admitted to Ross that the Wolf like creature was significantly larger than any other animal he had ever shot or worked on with a knife, but had learned from his grandfather that the back of the neck was vulnerable for most animals.
Ross nodded and replied, “I learned several important things from my grandfather as well.”
Nearly a dozen men emerged from the trees with lit branches to assist with the last of the column, as dusk had now completely turned to darkness. Once all were safely within the wooded area and ring of campfires, Ross asked that the word be spread to quiet down as soon as possible. The people along the outer edge with weapons who were manning the fires would need to be able to hear if more animals were coming. In that regard, silence was vital. Five more lives had been lost during the late stages of the days march, and that was tragic, but he hoped no more would be lost before daybreak.
Everyone huddled closely together within the grove of trees in fear of what the coming night would bring. Ross felt the close proximity would create a measure of warmth and security for many, but it would also make sleeping difficult. Those who wished to lay flat quickly learned that they would need to do so along the outer perimeter, as many were beginning to defend their small patch of ground with determination. Ross wondered how those people who had complained about their sleeping and living quarters aboard the transport vessels felt now.
Ross located Jessica and the rest of his group along the outer edge near one of the fires, and informed the man
placing wood on the fire that he would relieve him in an hour. He then asked if he could do anything for those around him, but Janet and Aurora informed him that they would tend to those needs.
Aurora said, “We are perfectly capable of relieving the man tending to the fire when the time comes.”
Janet added, “Ross, you have already done more than your share of the work throughout the day.”
As a former nurse she knew that it was imperative he get some sleep. The entire population would be much better served in the coming days and weeks if Ross didn’t collapse from exhaustion.
Ross opened his eyes and bolted upright to see the first hint of dawn casting its light over the tired and scared human population. Still somewhat groggy from his lengthy slumber, he spun around to locate Jessica. She motioned to the ground around him so that he could see his entire group was resting, and quietly informed him that he had slept through the night.
Jessica told Ross that there had been no further attacks throughout the long silence of the night, and regardless of the reason, that came as a welcome relief. For Ross, the reason for no attacks was less important at the moment than the fact that there had been no attacks. The men and women who had been guarding the outer perimeter and tending to the fires were also beginning to breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed unlikely that the wolf like beasts would never return, and they could now see if one was actually approaching.
After walking the entire perimeter to thank those who had stood as sentinels of defense, Ross met with some of the representatives who had been chosen to voice the interests of the main population. The consensus was that many could not take another day like the previous one without some additional rest, but Ross wasn’t sure if that was the best course of action. He was reminded that the majority of the population had not slept well the previous two nights. Additionally, the column had walked a distance of roughly six miles from the unprotected elevated plain, and it looked as if a nearly equal distance would need to be covered in order to reach the intended shoreline. Those factors, added to the fatigue associated with the thin air and lack of substantial amounts of food or water, could create a problem. A large portion of the population wouldn’t be able to advance at the same quick pace that had been set the previous day. Many needed to rest for an entire day before moving on. Otherwise, there was a risk that the column would become divided more significantly than it had been the previous day.
There were other factors to consider as well. A small percentage of the people would need to backtrack a short distance in order to collect their personal belongings. Left behind out of necessity during the dusk attacks of the animal pack, they could now be safely retrieved. Additionally, a few people wanted to provide a funeral service for the thirteen victims of the wolf like beasts, and bury the body of the dead woman that had been carried into camp.
Ross considered those factors, and a few others. He realized that he had been lucky to actually sleep for several hours, and agreed that more rest might be needed by many within the general population. The tasks that had been mentioned were both necessary and time consuming, which would delay their advancement during the short daylight hours significantly.
With that in mind, he asked the representatives, “How do you feel about splitting up the column?”
He knew that perhaps a few thousand were strong enough to push forward, and they would move much faster than the main column. They could probably reach the water’s edge before nightfall, set up a new camp, and begin foraging for food and firewood. A separate smaller group of people would be needed to provide some protection for those who were backtracking in order to retrieve their personal belongings. There were two benefits to that. First, it would undoubtedly provide safety during the return to the site of the most recent attack. Second, there would be an opportunity to get a closer look at the dead animal. If the huge carcass had not already been eaten by other predators, then perhaps it could be carved into small enough sections to be carried back to this camp as a much needed food source. That would provide a wonderful psychological boost, because the rhinoceros sized body could provide a scrap of meat for a great many people to munch on. Unfortunately, the funeral service for the fallen was a different matter. Ross believed that would have a negative psychological effect, and was probably not the most efficient use of energy at the present time. A service would eventually be an appropriate measure without a doubt, but the overall safety and relocation of the entire surviving population took precedence.
The representative group of men and women agreed that Ross’ plan made sense for the greater good. They were also glad to hear that he planned on remaining in the current camp with the larger segment of the population. Word of the multi-faceted plan spread quickly, and those who felt they could venture forward began to muster. Ross and Colt were part of the small group that would backtrack the necessary distance to inspect the wolf carcass. They would determine if carving it up was feasible, while others retrieved their belongings.
Within a few hours, they had safely returned to the confines of the trees. Most of the people who had remained at the camp were either sleeping or resting quietly. Jessica and Aurora reported that they, along with a few other women, had attempted to get an accurate count of those who had moved on ahead. Each woman counted a line of people as they exited the grove of trees, and the total was slightly less than twenty-three hundred.
Jessica said, “If our count is close to accurate, roughly seventy-five hundred people have remained at this campsite for another night. It’s probably a good idea to gather whatever provisions we can find.”
Ross replied, “Please give my thanks to the ladies for their help with the count, and your right about the provisions.”
Meanwhile, well hidden on a high ridge top a few miles away, several pairs of eyes were watching the actions of the population quite intently. A hunting party had been working an area on the far side of the ridge the previous night, and had noticed something rather peculiar. Against the clear star filled night sky, the cumulative glow created by several dozen raging campfires was visible to the naked eye along the ridge top.
Thinking that the glow in the sky was a message from the Gods, the hunters quickly climbed the last few feet toward the summit in order to pay respectful homage. They soon realized that the commotion in the valley below was not caused by the Gods at all. It was something entirely different, so they hid themselves in order to study the actions of the people they had discovered.
They observed minimal movement throughout the camp during the remainder of the night, and that movement had been mostly near the ring of fires. The daylight hours however, were a different story. A large group had emerged from the trees that housed the ring of fires, and moved toward the distant water. They also noticed a much smaller group had moved in the opposite direction. Among other things, the hunters could inform their King that this new group of people possessed the skills needed to hunt animals, because they had returned to the trees with the remains of a large kill.
The distance to the shoreline from the grove of trees was slightly shorter than the previous days trek, and the group that had gone ahead of the main body reached their intended destination shortly after midday. Spreading out along an ever increasing line at the shore, the mass of people began to wade in and drink the refreshingly cold water. They all needed to cool down from the long march in the hot sun, and fight back the symptoms of dehydration and exhaustion. What they had all endured had still not fully sunk in, but eventually some would need to begin the all-important search for food and firewood. That in turn would hopefully prompt the remainder of the group to get busy as well. There was limited hours of daylight at their disposal, and much needed to be done before nightfall.
At the camp of the main column, meat from the carcass had been cleaned, cooked, and carved into bite sized chunks. Although the portions were small, the supply provided a large percentage of the population with a much needed shot of protein. The women, and any children, were the first
to eat. They formed single file lines leading to various campfires, and they each received a precious scrap of meat. When those lines were taken care of, the men followed suit. Considering how long it had been since their last substantial meal aboard the alien transports, Ross was amazed at how smoothly the process had gone. With the lingering aroma wafting through the grove, he noticed that the spirits of many had visibly been lifted.
Word was passed that the people now had an option to consider. They could work now, or later, but the remainder of their time in camp couldn’t be treated like a holiday. Additional sources of food needed to be foraged, and firewood collected, before the coming nightfall.
Ross spoke in plain terms again when he said, “We all need additional wood and food if we can find any. Whoever doesn’t help with collecting those valuable resources now, will be responsible for manning the perimeter fires and defensive positions throughout the night.”
Not long after first light, Ross led the large column of people from the grove of trees toward the distant shoreline. The general mood of the group was better than the previous morning, and Ross realized that the additional rest and a scrap of food had indeed served them well. He also knew that the advance group had successfully made it to the shoreline the previous day. That confirmation had come courtesy of a young man who had climbed the sturdiest of the short trees the previous evening. He reported seeing a line of flickering small fires in the distance. It was unknown if the body of water had provided protection as one aspect of a required defensible perimeter, but the fires would have been in a circular pattern if the group had fallen short of their intended goal.