Nomad's Fury

by Craig Martelle

Charlie stopped speaking as he sniffled and tried to gather himself. He and Boris had been best friends. Now he was the squad leader, having taken Boris’s place, and was trying to be strong for the others. He didn’t look comfortable with his appointment. Terry made a mental note to talk with the man.

  “For Boris, for anyone here, know that we leave no one behind. We protect those who can’t protect themselves. Our job is to bring humanity back to civilization and what we saw out there yesterday…two shining examples of how people used their power for the wrong reasons. Well, the Force de Guerre is here to stay. Those people can go fuck themselves!” Terry yelled, angry but proud.

  “Boris died to give humanity a chance to be human,” Terry continued. “Any one of us could be in that box, so we will train harder, we will work harder to be that much better than our enemies, because the people we protect deserve our best. Akio said he may have a few more jobs that need doing, and there is no one better to do them than us. Take the rest of the day off, go fishing, go for a walk, play a game, do something where you revel in life. Tomorrow, we start training again. Sergeant, take charge of the platoon and carry out the plan of the day.”

  Mark brought the platoon to attention and saluted.

  Charlie led a detail to drop the casket into the hole and then fill it. They didn’t have a headstone, only a wooden plank. Mark said he’d take care of that since the Force deserved better.

  Terry agreed.

  Terry shook hands with everyone there. These were his people. He’d made them what they were, and then he put them in harm’s way.

  And he’d do it again, because that was why the Force de Guerre existed.

  Akio had hinted that there was more work to do, a lot more. Terry already had a plan in mind, where they’d train and that they’d help in the power plant, or the fields, or with fishing. Full days stretched out before them like an endless plain.

  A busy Marine is a happy Marine, Terry thought. Or, a bored Marine is a liberty risk, taking their time off and wreaking havoc on the local town.

  He didn’t know why he thought that, but he was always worried when his people weren’t training or in combat.

  Char waited for him to finish before approaching him and taking his hand. He spoke first. “They’re not Marines, but they are.”

  She didn’t know what he wanted from her, so she talked about what she wanted to talk about. “Nice ceremony. No wailing or gnashing of teeth, just the loyalty and dedication you give them and demand back. They’re proud of what they’ve done, TH. You made that happen. Yesterday was a great day. It validated the FDG as a global force for good.” She paused a moment, a smile playing on her lips, “As hokey as that sounds.”

  “It did, didn’t it?” Terry forced a smile. “Bringing humanity back to civilization has its challenges, doesn’t it?”

  “It started with Sawyer Brown. He needed to go. Once he was gone, look what happened? The people flourished,” Char said, looking intensely at Terry. Her purple eyes sparkled as the morning sun shone on her face. The silver in her hair glittered. “No, TH, this is exactly where you need to be and doing what you need to do. People are going to die. Where in the hell did they get armor-piercing ammunition, and how were we supposed to plan for that?”

  Terry drank in her beauty and wisdom.

  “I think we’ll call them warriors, not Marines, not soldiers, but warriors. Who else would serve in the Force of War?”

  “Do you even hear anything I’m saying to you, Terry Henry Walton?” Char said, smiling. She knew her husband. She knew he heard it all. And she knew that he knew that she was right. “You are such a man.”

  ***

  Autumn Dawn was sick again. Her age and the journey had taken its toll. She seemed to always be cold. Rapids and Winter Rain were worried. Kiwi started spending more time with her grandmother. Geronimo was there too, not missing training but being relieved of the work details during the time that his family needed him.

  Which meant that he was there for his wife. Terry had seen those who weren’t there for their spouses in times of need. He saw a lot of divorces and too many broken men.

  He wouldn’t let that happen. Gerry said that he could work every other day and the colonel flatly refused as he played the age and wisdom card, saying, “You may not think this is the best use of your time right now, but trust me in that later, you’ll know that it was the best thing you could have done. Your marriage will be stronger, and you will be a better man for it.”

  Sometimes Terry had to lecture. He’d hate to waste all the lessons he’d learned the hard way.

  When Terry, Char, Kaeden, and Kimber stopped by, Autumn Dawn was sitting up, bundled into a cocoon of blankets, one of which was a buffalo hide. Terry could only smile. He and Char had killed the buffalo, but lost their blankets with the fire they’d started. They had to trade the hide for new blankets, which they continued to use to this day.

  “You look great,” Terry said with a smile, offering Charumati the chair next to the old woman.

  “You lie poorly,” the old woman croaked. Terry wanted to laugh, but the whole situation reminded him of Black Feather. Terry and Char had been there when he took his last breath.

  Autumn Dawn knew what he was thinking and said reassuringly, “I’m not ready to go just yet.”

  “We only wanted to stop by and see how you were doing,” Char said softly. “Is there anything you need from us?”

  “Only your continued support and encouragement of my granddaughter. She is a fine young woman,” the old woman said slowly. Gerry stood against a wall, hugging Kiwi from behind as she rested her hands on his.

  “I’m sorry, but we also wanted to introduce Kaeden’s sister, Kimber,” Terry offered, thrusting the little girl forward. She started to struggle and Autumn Dawn laughed.

  “That tells me how I really look,” she managed to say through heavy breaths, trying to smile and lifting a shriveled hand to pat the girl’s head. “Welcome to our family, little one.”

  The old lady’s eyes closed and she seemed to drift off to sleep. Terry and Char excused themselves and it took no urging for the kids to run outside.

  Terry stopped and looked at Gerry and Kiwi. “Hold on to what you have with everything you’ve got,” he told them as he gently rested a hand on Gerry’s shoulder. With a quick nod, Terry left.

  ***

  “We need more food, Billy,” Sue said without looking at any of the papers in front of her.

  “Tell me something I don’t know?” Billy snapped back.

  “You love Clyde,” Sue replied without hesitation. The dog had been lying beneath the table and stood when he heard his name, expecting a treat or to go outside.

  He was good with either.

  “That dog! He’d let me starve. Honestly, how much can one dog eat?”

  Sue shrugged, unsure that Clyde had ever reached his limit.

  “We have too many people and not enough good ideas,” Billy conceded.

  “You know what that means, Billy dear,” Felicity said from her seat on the couch. Marcie was fast asleep next to her.

  “I don’t,” Billy replied, turning to look at her. She’d been losing weight, as had he. The rigors of the office, too much work to do with too little was taking its toll on both of them.

  Felicity looked at him and chuckled. “Why, Billy dear, you need to ask for help.” It seemed simple to her, but not to a man like Billy Spires.

  His eyebrows flicked up at the revelation. He turned to Sue. “Please gather the people who I need to ask for help, so I can ask them for help.”

  “What do you think they’re going to tell you?” Sue asked.

  “That we need to fish more, that we need to go on a major hunt, harvest buffalo or whatever else is big and huntable. Send a foraging group out to find wild vegetables. Maybe use the vehicles to transport these groups beyond our normal reach,” the mayor stated succinctly.

  “There’s the Billy I fell in love with!” Felicity exclaimed.


  “So what do you need me to do?” Sue asked.

  “Get the people who need to be in charge of each of those things so I can tell them what we need from them and they can tell me how they’re going to accomplish those things. I’ll need Terry and Char, and then Blevin, too, from the motor pool,” Billy said with a small shake of his head.

  He was amazed at how simple it was once all the distractions were removed, the noise silenced. The way ahead was revealed.

  “Thanks, you two,” Billy said, looking from one to the other. “For everything.”

  ***

  Maria and Pepe drove the dune buggy. They would have preferred their cart, but it was with the group driving the cattle.

  They’d been busy working the soil, preparing for the spring planting and once they got their first seeds into the ground in their ad hoc greenhouse, they were tasked with going north and finding the other farmers who seemed to be little more than ghosts.

  They wouldn’t ride the horses, but when Terry offered the dune buggy, Pepe perked up. Maria wasn’t so sure, but after a few practice drives, Terry turned them loose. Coordinating with farms that were already producing was critical for immediate viability. They didn’t have years to wait in order to produce something in the quantities they needed.

  James squeezed into the dune buggy on their first couple trips, having to stand between the seats as if manning the machinegun. He guided them to the corner where he and Lacy had left various gifts for the farmers. They stopped the dune buggy there and James pointed out where he thought the farmers were hiding.

  Pepe and Maria looked at the field as if they were kids seeing a playground. Without waiting for permission, they got out of the vehicle and worked their way through a broken fence, heading into the cultivated soil. Pepe took a handful of the rich black dirt and sniffed it. He held it out to Maria but she politely declined.

  James stayed with the dune buggy while the two farmers continued into the field, just like James and Lacy had done how many times before. When they reached a small building, someone stepped out and blocked their way.

  “Hi, I’m Pepe and this is Maria. My compliments to you on the quality of your soil. This really is magnificent. What do you grow?” Pepe asked innocently, disregarding the way the man held his shovel as if it was a weapon.

  The man didn’t answer.

  “We brought seed packs from our place out in Colorado. The weather got too hot, so here we are. I think our tomatoes would grow magnificently, be bursting full in this soil and with the longer growing season. I didn’t catch your answer, what do you grow?” Pepe pressed. Maria stood by patiently and watched.

  “We grow beans and peppers. Lost our tomato seeds a few years back. You got tomato seeds?” the man asked.

  Pepe stuck out his hand. “Yes, we do, and we’d love to share and trade…”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  The next two months were a blur, until Chief Foxtail’s scouts rode up to the power plant. Terry had the platoon spread out grinding and banging away refurbishing piping as Timmons directed.

  They’d had to dismantle a quarter of the old plant in order to build a stock of supplies to work on the system that Timmons was trying to bring back to life.

  The riders waved when they saw Terry. He thrust a fist in the air and yelled a mighty oorah. The others working nearby joined him to greet the new arrivals.

  “They are not far behind us, Terry Henry Walton,” the first scout reported.

  “I can’t tell you how great it is to see you and hear the news. We can bring some trucks out if people are tired of walking?” Terry offered. The two on horseback conferred for a moment.

  “That would be greatly appreciated. The people are tired, for the journey has been long,” the man said in a tired voice.

  “Rally up!” Terry bellowed, then issued orders to his men, who took off running toward the base where First Sergeant Blevin’s motor pool was located.

  Ten minutes later, the buses and three trucks rolled up. The scouts waved at them to follow and rode away.

  Terry yelled at the drivers to take the people to the base. The first sergeant gave the thumbs up and led the small convoy away.

  “Corporal Lacy!” the colonel called as he entered the plant. She yelled back and waved from three catwalks up. “The rest of our people and the cattle are here! You keep things running and then wrap up early. I’m sure we’ll have a big party tonight. Be there or be square!”

  Lacy didn’t get the odd phrase, but she understood what she needed to do—be in charge and wrap early. She could do that. Corporal Lacy saluted quickly and then ran off to let the warriors know.

  Terry headed for the base, running fast like only an enhanced human could. He covered the mile in less than three minutes.

  Not bad for a senior citizen, he thought. He hadn’t even broken a sweat. He slowed as he ran through the base so he wouldn’t alarm the civilians. If someone had seen him running, they could think there was an emergency.

  He ran straight into Billy’s office. “They’re here, Billy, our people, Chief Foxtail, his people, and the cattle. They made it, Billy!”

  The mayor smiled broadly, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head.

  “Why do you sound surprised, TH?” Billy asked.

  “I was going for pleasantly surprised and delighted with a dash of oorah on top,” Terry countered.

  “I’d say you accomplished some of that,” Sue offered.

  “Come on, Clyde. Let’s greet some new people,” Terry said, bending down. Clyde’s nails slid on the marble as he ran from under the table and headed for the door. Billy, Felicity, and Marcie packed up to walk out as well. Sue decided there was no sense in staying.

  When they got outside, Kaeden and Kimber were running across the open area, yelling something unintelligible. Terry bolted for them, sliding to a stop and taking a knee.

  “Come on, Dad. Mom says it’s time,” Kae said, grabbing Terry’s hand and trying to pull him.

  “It’s time!” he yelled, looking back at Sue. “Take Clyde. I have to go.”

  He picked up both kids and ran for his home. Char was there alone and the baby was coming.

  ***

  The scouts led the vehicles to the conglomeration of people walking with the herd of cattle. Blevin popped the door open and offered a ride to anyone who was tired of walking. The buses and trucks filled quickly, leaving only those riding horses or driving carts.

  The scouts told the Weathers boys and Eli’s family to catch the bus. The riders would use the horses to bring the cattle the rest of the way.

  It took no time to cover the five miles back to the base.

  The small convoy pulled through the main gate and maneuvered to drop the newcomers off at the main building, where Billy and Felicity greeted them. Sue had taken Clyde, but then she and the dog followed Terry to be with Char.

  Chief Foxtail was first off the bus, taking a moment to thank Blevin for coming for them.

  “Mayor Billy Spires, I am so happy to see you and this wonderful place,” the chief said in way of greeting.

  “We have food, we have shelter, and soon, we’ll have power, too. For your people, we have plenty of work that needs to be done. Farming, ranching, fishing, exploring, ironwork. There’s so much to do, but I could talk about that until the cows come home.” Billy chuckled at his own joke, then he shook himself.

  “You need to go see Autumn Dawn. She’s been sick lately.” Billy didn’t elaborate. He waved at the chief to follow him as he walked away, leaving Felicity to greet the new arrivals and get them going in the direction of the quarters they’d be getting.

  Billy and the chief walked quickly to see Autumn Dawn, who was barely able to lift her eyelids. Foxtail crouched next to her. “Mother, I’ve made it home,” he told her.

  Her eyelids fluttered, but she didn’t open her eyes. Her lips worked and finally she was able to whisper, “I waited for this. One comes and one goes.”

 
She relaxed into her recliner-turned-bed and with a smile on her old face, she passed into Mother Earth’s arms.

  Gerry and Kiwi ran up, out of breath. Kiwi hung her head. “I saw Metaguas and knew it was time, Father,” Kiwi said as she sought comfort in his arms. Geronimo stood close by, waiting patiently. Foxtail gave him a questioning look.

  Gerry pointed to Kiwi and then grasped one of his own wrists in each hand in the sign of a partnership. Foxtail understood, smiling easily as he held his daughter.

  A throat-rending scream came from far off. With a nod, the chief sent Gerry running. He followed the sound and slowed when he realized it was coming from the colonel’s quarters.

  ***

  Char had the death grip on Terry’s arm as Sue tried to talk Char through it. The contractions were gut-wrenching, forcing Char to flex as if every muscle in her body cramped at the same time. She unloaded with a scream of pain as each new wave flowed through her.

  She dug her nails into Terry’s arm, drawing blood. He grinned and bore it. “You did this to me!” she growled in a surreal voice.

  “It’ll be over soon, honey, and our little girl will be with us!” Terry tried to console her. Char’s purple eyes were on fire, her face contorted.

  “I’ll fucking rip your fucking face off, you fuck!” Char hissed.

  Terry maintained a usual sense of fear of his wife, but at that moment, it was beyond that.

  He was very afraid.

  Char let out another ear-piercing scream that would have shattered glass had there been any.

  “I see the head,” Sue said excitedly. It was everyone’s first except for Margie Rose, who stood nearby with her hands over her ears. She gave Sue direction, but was afraid of getting punched or kicked or gouged. She was appalled at Char’s language, admitting that she’d never seen anyone turn into one of hell’s demons before.

  Char gritted her teeth and grabbed Terry’s arm in both her hands. He grunted in pain, but knew he had best not say anything.

  With one final push, the baby was born. The little girl belted out a piercing cry, reminiscent of her mother from only moments before, then the baby huffed and shivered. Sue swaddled her in an old shirt. It was all they had.