She contemplated the vastness above with its celestial gem stones winking sparks of light. A shriek screeched from the deep shadows, fading into silence followed by vicious barking. The noise came from afar.
Moraine lifted her binoculars, directing them at the scream. Magnified darkness graced her vision. She lowered the glasses and resumed her watch. By morning her and Jenny planned on heading south. She hoped to catch glimpses of the army and find an opening for her to rescue Casey.
54
Black pulled himself from slumber after three hours of rough sleep. The prior events sharpened his awareness and boosted his urgency in completing the trip to Los Angeles.
He tramped from the army with his pit bull duo trailing him at a distance. He found a hill overlooking a town and climbed to the peak. Below him, feint campfires glowed in the darkness along with generator and battery powered lamps.
Black closed his eyes, and a map formed behind his shut lids. He traced a route from where he sat, traveling south, skirting Highway 101, and edging a mountainous stretch of land. The passage swept by Bakersfield, Fresno, and onto the Grapevine for Los Angeles.
The entire trek by foot, and with human help, stretched close to five days. He searched the Damascus Chips for a simpler journey, but a dark blob filled in the valley near Salinas.
Black, satisfied of his assigned task, returned to camp. He summoned Molly who appeared from the shadows.
“Wake the army.”
Molly dashed away yipping, followed by other lapdogs scattering throughout the camp. The sleeping army woke in sluggish waves.
Black approached White who lifted his head, still groggy and stiff from the fight and from being handled by Moraine Baxter. “Are you ready, White?
White blinked. “I am, Black. I saw our directions.”
“The Chips created them, no doubt sharing it with you.”
“A link,” White said while climbing to his four paws. For a second White swayed as if to fall.
Black maintained himself, wanting to leap forward and aid his friend. “White...”
“I must manage,” he said.
Black eased closer to the Canine. “I wish to apologize.”
“No apologies. Power is strange. Never in my life have I experienced such control over myself and those under me.”
“This thing called power is corrupting if not used by the right Canine.”
White nodded. “I want to free the Canines. They need to be better than the humans.”
“This dream is possible.”
White contemplated the masses. Canines assembled on one side, humans on the other, both gathering themselves for a decision.
Black huffed. “We take the children. Any adult who tries to stop us, incapacitate.”
Molly trotted up to her bosses. “The Canines are prepared to march.”
Black tapped his right paw upon Molly’s moist snout. “Gather the teenagers, the ones with the strongest hormones. The adults will stay.”
Molly turned halfway to deliver the order.
“Molly,” Black said.
“Sir?”
“No killing.”
Molly offered Black a slight nod and ran off barking. In minutes several hundred dogs circled the captives. The smaller dogs weaved their way into the crowd, nudging their wet noses against the arms of teens and toddlers. Parents wailed in protest. German shepherds stepped into the circle, threatening to check the grownups.
Akiko hovered outside the Canine ring, her powerful voice rising above the barks and screams, entreating everyone to obey and not get hurt.
A knot of adults and kids parted with ease, others sought to resist. The German shepherds remained true to their directives. The dogs nipped at hands and elbows, forcing the offenders to release their bawling offspring. Akiko continued her urging amongst the wails and high-pitched cries.
Black neared the contained chaos and stood next to Akiko with White on her left. Her sharp warnings carried across the mass of bustling bodies. For a moment Black wanted to hug the girl if he owned arms, but refused to show any sign the human elicited an emotional response from him.
The filthy urchins poured through an opening made by the Canines. Other Canine workers guided the distraught slaves from their grieving parents. Molly's team led the new group up a path with Dobermans following as security.
Black yipped, delighted at the work his Canines performed. “Molly.”
Molly arrived. “Yes?”
“Your troops have done well, keep the German shepherds in position. Follow an hour of our departure. Understood?”
Molly acknowledged the orders with a tail swish and set off to do her duty.
Black gazed south as Akiko departed, seeing to her fresh platoon of servants. He desired to maintain their health. A diabolical whisper in his mind suggested they may come in use later.
White stared at the unnerving scene before him. The humans within the Canine corral cried worse than babies. “Their suffering does not bother me.”
Black barked. “Noisome. Let’s leave while we can White.”
“Yes,” White said. “But first I'll see to Akiko.”
55
Akiko finished her warning to the distraught parents. Her throat burned after an hour of yelling at the grown-ups not to pursue them.
The teenage girl steadied her nerves while facing the crowd who displayed their hatred through gestures or stares. Several shouted curses as pit bulls dragged the crying children from the Canine corral.
She stayed protected by a wall of dog flesh. German shepherds capable of shredding skin with the ease of biting into a tender filet minion surrounded her.
Gladys neared Akiko, aware of the German shepherds growling low in their throats at the black woman’s appearance.
Akiko frowned. “What Gladys?”
Gladys dropped to her knees before Akiko, her fingers steepled in pleading. Water sprang to her eyes as other dogs gathered around to witness the humans interact with each other.
“I'm a nurse. The babies need an experienced hand.”
Akiko kept silent. She sensed a strange thing happen inside her mind. She wanted to punch and beat Gladys, hurt her and make her writher and scream. Akiko dismissed the disturbing thoughts away, took a breath as White joined her.
Akiko acknowledged White by nodding. “Her name is Gladys, and she wants to help look after the children. I’m not sure if I trust her enough after Private Oliver.”
White gazed at the kneeling woman. He approached her, circled her plump frame, sniffed Gladys’s bottom and licked the salt off her chin. He stood next to Akiko and gave his version of a human nod.
Akiko delivered White a slight bow, displaying respect for her betters. “White says yes, Gladys.”
Gladys lowered her hands and stood. “Thank you.”
Akiko shook an index finger, a throwback from her dead mother. “Not yet, Gladys. Kneel. All fours mind you.”
Gladys's lips twitched in annoyance but she complied. “Okay.”
White trundled over, raised his right leg, letting loose a dark yellow stream. The hot liquid splashed onto Gladys’s short dredds, seeming to last forever.
Akiko folded her arms, inhaling White’s powerful musk, a mixture akin to an old skunk with sweaty armpits. Runnels of piss descended Gladys’s shiny face. She bent into a more humbled position until White stopped peeing.
Akiko fought a smile creeping to her mouth. “It’s not over, Gladys.”
Gladys shivered and cried with her hair and face drenched in White’s urine. “Okay.”
White shot Akiko a quick glimpse. His tongue lolled, a grin of sorts. He straddled Gladys’s head and gyrated his slender hips.
Akiko observed White’s act with as much detachment as possible. She disliked her trying to threaten her closeness with Black and White. She admitted the necessity of needing extra help. But, Gladys disrespected her once already.
White completed his task. Gladys remained on her fours with her forehead to
the ground. Her shoulders shuddered as a muffled cry crept from her trembling lips.
Akiko watched White pad off to handle more important matters. She squatted before the humiliated woman. “Now you know who’s the boss. Do what I tell you.”
Gladys lifted her head, revealing a brown face slick with tears and foul urine. Crumbs of dirt stuck against her forehead. Random strands of dog hair clung to her braided coif. “I understand.”
Akiko nodded. “Grab those bags.”
Gladys rose, slow. With slumped shoulders she turned to retrieve the bags she carried.
Akiko faced the baggage train starting to move as the German shepherds maintained their watch over the hostages.
She waited for Gladys, who eased herself between two German shepherds. The woman clutched Erik’s bags to her chest.
Akiko grabbed Gladys’s meaty right tricep, her nose twisting at the sour funk of pee rising off the woman’s body. “Don’t forget, one word from me and the dogs will kill you.”
Gladys’s bobbed her head with a hurried motion as she walked fast to catch the baggage train dragging Bucky Brown wagons loaded with supplies for the army.
Akiko stole a glance behind her. She caught the abandoned faces twisted in anguish. She found serving the dogs easier than being ripped apart and used for filling their bellies.
56
Moraine rubbed her sore eyes as the sun eased up from the east foothills. The early morning chill burned off and her stomach growled from lack of food. Throughout the evening, not one dog came to harass her. They knew not to test her and she wondered who put such thoughts into their little doggy minds.
The Unimog cargo door opened and closed with a heavy thump. Jenny peeked over the Unimog’s rooftop railing. She grunted, hauling herself up with a bulging green military pack in hand. She huffed and sat besides Moraine.
“Breakfast,” Jenny said and unloaded her things to cook.
“Are those Vietnamese coffee filters?”
“Yes,” she said. Within minutes Jenny got the tiny butane burner working and water bubbling inside a tin cup. Her fingers worked fast, she produced two short glasses and filled them a quarter of condensed milk. She added coffee to the filters, placed them on top of the glasses and poured piping water over the dark grounds. The slow dripping began. A hot double toned beverage formed.
“Why are you perky, Jenny?”
“Because I’m alive, and I have to keep upbeat, or I’ll lose my fucking mind, Moraine.”
“My four-legged friends didn't visit last night.”
“Imagine that.” Jenny set out MREs.
Moraine breathed in the coffee’s strong aroma. She missed drinking Vietnamese coffee in the morning before work. “A new day without my hubby, Jenny. I’m missing a part of me.”
Jenny unfolded a blanket, draping it over Moraine's shoulders. “I can’t reach my parents in San Francisco. I know the city is underwater,” she said. “But I’ll mourn them after we end this madness.”
Moraine stared off at the whitening sky, the garlic scent dispersed hours ago. “Where is everybody?”
“South I guess.” Jenny handed Moraine a glass. “Drink, Moraine.”
Moraine took the glass and sipped the sweet delicious mixture. She sprinkled the contents of her MRE with Sriracha sauce. With patience she consumed her dried eggs, potatoes, and a brown disk, something akin to dehydrated sausage. The fare settled on her tongue, peppery and sweet.
“Thanks, Jenny,” Moraine said after inhaling her meal. The coffee she savored in gentle sips. The others emerged from the Unimog’s cargo hold.
Jacob and Davin ambled out first, both stretching and yawning. Davin barked and bounded around Jacob as they walked to the gas station. He returned a few moments later carrying a bag of potato chips he bought from the attendant.
Pete and Alice crawled out next with Ray and Joseph in tow. It amazed Moraine how so many people, including a dog, crammed into the big armored truck.
Moraine stood and stretched, at the same time surveying her surroundings. “We leave in an hour, Jenny.”
Jenny gathered the breakfast trash as everyone else grouped behind the Unimog. “Sounds good. What about those guys?”
Moraine climbed down the truck and faced the five. She focused on Jacob who pulled on his black beard with Davin sitting near him panting. The college kids gave her expectant gazes.
“I’ll take you on, Jacob. Whatever plans these folks have I’m willing to join.”
Jacob nodded. “Ok, Moraine.”
“And you guys?”
Pete gazed at his pals for a moment. “We'll follow you, Moraine.”
“Are you positive? Don’t make this choice with a light heart.”
Alice lifted her head. “We’re sure, Moraine,” she said with a shaky voice, tears streamed her face. “I lost my Christian brothers and sisters back there. And yesterday, dogs, they shouldn’t be able to do that.”
Pete linked arms with Alice as she cried. “We agreed to go, Moraine. We discussed our decision yesterday.”
“Hey,” Jenny called while standing on the Unimog’s roof, pointing at the hills. “Moraine, look at this.”
Moraine stepped out the semi circle and turned to where Jenny pointed. “We’ll I’ll be.”
57
Moraine shaded her vibrant browns against the sun’s glare with her right hand. Three unwashed forms stumbled from the woodline resembling zombies.
Everyone behind her grabbed a weapon and approached the newcomers with caution. “Where you guys from,” Moraine called out.
A heavy man, crusted with what Moraine thought as dried feces, staggered by her headed for the gas station bathroom. A pair of stragglers threw wary gazes at the armed folks. One, with sagging skin stretching over his ribs, shuffled toward Moraine.
“The dogs are gone,” said the skinny stranger. “And they kidnapped the children.”
Moraine lowered her hand. “You were with the dogs?”
“Yes.”
Moraine’s lips twisted as she urged herself into a mental calm. Despite her efforts, rage burned from her sternum to stomach in a hot trickle. “Where did the dogs go?”
“South. It was awful.” He sank to his knees and cried.
Moraine returned to the Unimog and retrieved her rifle. “Jenny, come with me. Pete, you’re in charge until I return.”
Moraine didn’t wait for Pete’s answer. “And give them food.” She sprinted for the hills thick with trees and soon plunged into the foliage. She rushed passed Erik’s grave, fearing if she stole a glance the delicate power she conjured up might fail.
The two women climbed the steep incline carpeted in green grass and three leaf clovers. They crossed the spot where the standoff occurred a day earlier. The small clearing stayed cool, the dirt remained disturbed by their presence. Moraine crashed through another layer of bushes and saplings.
Upon cresting the hill, they found thousands of refugees stumbling in confusion. Many sprawled amongst the filth, or huddled in sobbing clusters.
Moraine confronted the terrible scene and hardened her heart. Orange sunlight mixed with the fog, turning their world sepia from the steam rising from both earth and mortals. Jenny’s mouth opened. Urking sounds came from her throat until she vomited up her breakfast.
Moraine inhaled the stink brought over by the breeze. Her eyes watered and nose ran clear liquid.
The able bodied helped their fellow captives. A few trundled up a road, returning home. A good portion lay crying, exhausted and defeated.
Moraine moved ahead, walking through the suffering humanity both bloodied and ruined. No trauma teams arrived to comfort and support the destroyed souls. They either figured out how to survive on their own or they died.
Moraine searched for Casey, holding on to the slight hope they forgot the girl. She scoured the camp, her boots sucking into brown goop slurring the once hard-packed soil.
“Where are the children,” Moraine asked random survivors.
&nb
sp; A woman covered in scratches, her arms bloody from several dog bites shouted. “They took my baby, they took the teenagers and tykes.”
Moraine knelt before the shattered victim. She fought not to stare at her open sores weeping blood and puss. “Teenagers too?”
“Huh Huh.”
“But, a few teenagers are here.” Moraine watched the smaller teens trying their best to help their elders.
“They snatched the strong ones.”
“Did any adults leave with them?”
“Gladys did. She’s a nurse.”
Moraine stood. “Take care of your wounds.”
The lady gave Moraine an absent nod and pointed. “They marched south. The German shepherds forced us sit for hours before they chased after their army.”
Moraine paused at this bit of information. She looked south where the ground beaten by feet and paws stretched into the mountains. She focused on the path the army traveled and as expected nothing of significance graced her view.
The sun hit its zenith, spiking the afternoon temperature and heating the Canine and human droppings into a poisonous fume.
Moraine, completing her search for Casey, sought to leave the camp. She seized Jenny’s arm after finding her sitting underneath a tree. The doctor appeared more shocked than when she first discovered the dog’s abilities to inflict so much pain.
Moraine strengthened her resolve as she guided Jenny from the loathsome scene to their camp. “Get mad, Jenny. Time to kick ass. Fight with me, Jenny.”
Jenny made a grunting noise. “The people.”
“We head for Bakersfield and prepare for battle. Understand?”
Jenny gazed up at Moraine. “I understand.”
“Dig deep and control that anger and focus it. Do it now.”
Jenny swallowed a few breaths. “Okay.”
Moraine broke from the brush to face Pete and the others waiting. “Pete, board the trucks. We’re going to Bakersfield.”
Baxter’s War Page 20