The Rabid Mind

by Bruce Buckshot Hemming

  On their last trip returning to the cabin, they ran into the raider/traders, just as they were turning into the dirt road. The tall leader with the leather jacket stepped out of his truck, hands open to show he didn’t have a weapon. Jim said to Matt, “You keep an eye on the rest of them.”

  “Howdy folks. We were just coming to see if you needed anything or not.”

  Jim stepped out of the truck and walked over to him, keeping about 10 feet back, and said, “No, we’re in good shape. Don’t need a thing.”

  The man arched his eyebrows and said, “Really. Nothing? We could bring you women or some booze, or maybe some ammo or medical supplies. What do you need? We can find something you want.”

  Jim smiled, but not in a pleasant way, saying, “The Major said to tell you clowns that if you showed up again, just move on and don’t ever come back here.”

  The man was obviously startled but tried not to show it. “Major? You have military support?”

  Jim took on a relaxed pose. “Not exactly, but our group has a retired Marine corps Major and a few of his men. We are quite capable of taking care of ourselves.”

  The man laughed and then said, “Sure...and we have a retired General running our group. Let’s stop playing around here. There’s, what, three of you total?”

  Jim smiled and said, “If you have a General running your group, you’d know it isn’t wise to announce your strengths to strangers. You’d like to know how big our group is, but that’s all of the information you get. We have nothing more to talk about and if we see you up near our cabin again, it’s no longer going to be a friendly chat. Do you catch my drift?”

  The man held his hands up and said, “No problem. We’re not looking for trouble, just trying to trade with folks.”

  Jim crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s nice. Now just keep moving on. We don’t need anything.” With that he turned around and climbed back into the truck.

  The other man returned to his truck and they turned around and left.

  Jim continued to stare at the truck as it drove away, saying, “I see what you mean. I get bad vibes from them too.”

  “If they do come back, we need to show some force. I’m not sure if I want to start shooting them yet, but some hot lead near them might convince them to move on and leave us alone.”

  Over dinner that night, they made their plans. Jim said, “Debbie and I are heading back out to check this line cabin. Hopefully the Hive has moved on from the ranch. I have no idea how long we will be gone, but it’ll be at least four days, maybe as much as ten days. If you two can finish the fencing, that would be great.”

  Matt said, “We should have it finished in four or five days. I plan on drilling holes in the fence posts and sticking the rebar in, then we’ll bend it down. The posts are spread 5-feet apart and the middle post is for support, so it should take quite a hit without coming down.”

  Jim pulled on his beard and said, “That’s good thinking. Get it all set up and put your pike spears up, then string the barbwire like we talked about. You have the SKS rifle with 500 rounds and we are going to take the other SKS with 500 rounds. You should be good if trouble comes this way.”

  Debbie turned to Jim and said, “Do you really think it’s going to take ten days?”

  Jim replied, “I figure one day driving, spend the night at the ranch if the Hive has cleared out, and in the morning we hike to the line cabin, which will take all day. We’ll have to spend the night there. If we get the children without any problems, we’ll hike back the next day, spend the night again and then drive back. If everything were perfect, that would be four days. But we both know there’s a Hive roaming the area and we might have to hide, run, detour, or countless other things, so who knows? Ten days could pass pretty easily.”

  Sandra interjected, “Maybe after you get the children, you could take them to the fancy house you stayed at for a few of days. You could relax and get to know each other again, before coming back here.”

  Debbie had a defensive look. “Why? You don’t want them here?”

  Sandra looked surprised and said, “No, that’s not it at all. I was just thinking that if the children come here first and see the spears and fencing, they might get scared and think you’re bringing them into a prison area. Besides, we’re all strangers to them and it would be another big adjustment for them.”

  Debbie relaxed. “Oh. I didn’t think of that. Maybe you’re right. A couple of days in a peaceful spot might be what they need most of all.”

  Jim had listened to both of them, nodding his agreement, and said, “Okay, let’s figure seven to ten days then. Either way, when we return I want to see the fencing done.”

  Matt gave him his best salute and said, “Yes sir. Always the slave driver.”

  Chapter 30

  Jim and Debbie left early the next morning, driving back towards the ranch. It was a beautiful warm spring day and everything was turning green. It was a great day to be alive. It took most of the day and they decided to return to the same house they’d stayed at before. In the morning it would be a simple drive to the ranch to check for the Hive and, if it was clear, they’d make the hike to the Line cabin.

  They made hot, passionate love that night. There was a need inside her, a hungry desire for him. Maybe it was because it might be the last time they could be together without the children around.

  In the morning, they got an early start and headed to the ranch. As they drove in, they kept their eyes open and guns at the ready, just in case the Hive hadn’t moved on. They carefully approached the barn and she backed the SUV up. He opened the door, leaving it open for a quick getaway, if needed. The plan was simple; he was going to check it out and, if there was any problem, he would run back to the car and they would take off.

  Jim kept the shotgun pointing in front of him and crept up to the open barn door. He paused, listening for any sound that would tip him off. Silence was all that met him. Cautiously, and as quietly as he could, he walked into the barn. He let his eyes adjust to the light that was filtering in through the cracks in the barn’s wooden sides. There were slaughtered cows and horses everywhere. They had been fed on, right down to the bones. It looked like the Hive had moved on once the food was gone. He crept up the stairs to the loft. It was all clear. Lucky for them, the Hive had left the area.

  He went back down and out of the barn, returning to the car, “It’s all clear. Let’s park the car out of sight and grab our packs. We have plenty of daylight and miles to travel. Make sure you bring all of the bottled water you can.”

  Jim switched the shotgun for the SKS, locking the shotgun in the car. He was carrying 200 rounds on stripper clips for the SKS. Debbie carried her .357 Rossi rifle and on her hip was her revolver. They had pre-packed their Backpacks, setting them up with a tent, sleeping bag, food for 3 days and a change of clothes, just in case they had trouble finding the Line camp. Like the ranch hand said, going up the mountain was the hard part. They stopped five times for a break before they reached the top.

  Once on top, they sat down to drink water and rest. As he looked out over the valley, he said, “That was kind of like work, or something. All the sitting around last winter sure did get me out of shape.”

  She nodded her head. “Yes, and all that smoking didn’t help either.”

  “Yes. Of course there’s that too.” He laughed. “In a few more months the cigarettes are going to be gone and I’ll have to quit.”

  Changing the subject, she said, “Come on, let’s go. We still have miles to cover.”

  He managed to hoist himself up from the rock he was sitting on. “You’re starting to sound like a wife or something.”

  She turned, looked at him and said, “You’re right. I’m sorry. I never even gave it a thought. I’m so comfortable around you, it feels like we’re married.”

  He thought for second and smiled, “You’re right. I feel that way too.”

  She walked over, caressed his face and gave him a kiss. “Than
k you for helping me. I know it’s a lot to ask from someone.”

  He reached up, taking hold of her hand and looking into her eyes. “You have to stop that, or we are going to get distracted and never get moving.”

  She jokingly pushed him away. “You’re right. Come on, let’s go.” They headed off down the trail, which was much easier than the climb they had just completed.

  Once they reached the valley floor, it opened up and there was a creek flowing through a beautiful meadow. The green grass and wild flowers waved in the breeze.

  “Wow.” Jim said, “This is beautiful. No wonder they liked to bring the cattle up here.”

  Debbie was drinking in the surroundings. “I agree. This is breath taking, in a good way.” They walked along the stream and Jim spotted two trout swimming in the shallow waters. He pointed them out to Debbie and she said, “Too bad we didn’t bring a fishing pole.”

  Jim slowly stooped down. “Actually, we don’t need one. I saw this on video once . . .” and his voice trailed off. “Let’s see if it works.” He pulled off his pack and, setting it down, he opened a pouch. “This is an emergency snare kit. You take a snare and attach it to a long pole, sneak up behind the fish and slowly move the noose down over its head and then yank it up. The snare is self-locking, so he can’t get away.”

  Debbie said, “I would love some fresh trout for lunch.”

  Jim rigged up the snare with about a 6-inch loop and found a 10-foot pole to attach it to. He slowly and carefully snuck up on the fish. He eased the snare loop around the biggest one. As soon as the loop had passed over the two front fins, he yanked it up, pulling the fish out of the water. He walked up to the top of the bank and, beaming at Debbie, he said; “Now that’s how you catch a fish without a fishing pole.” It was a beautiful big rainbow trout, around 4 pounds. He drove his knife into the head of the fish to kill it quickly and then removed the snare from around its body.

  Debbie asked, “What is that called?”

  Jim responded, “It’s a rainbow trout. Look at the colors on it.”

  She smiled and said, “Time for lunch. You clean the fish and I’ll get a fire going.”

  Jim put on a fake frown and said, “There you go again, bossing me around like you’re my wife.”

  “Oh. Well we were sure acting like husband and wife last night and if you want more of those good times, you might want to keep me happy.”

  Jim relented. “Oh, so that’s how this works? Okay, you build the fire and I’ll clean the fish.” He walked down to the creek and began cleaning the fish. Placing a stick through the gills, he left the fish in the water to keep it fresh. He took his hatchet and split a wide piece of wood, making two small planks. She had the fire going, so he retrieved the fish and split it down the middle, placing it on the wood. He handed it to Debbie. “Now take this and put it next to the fire. I saw some strawberries back a little bit, so I’ll grab them and we can put that on for a little flavoring.”

  She boiled some water in the mess cups for tea while he was gone. He returned with just eight tiny strawberries. Debbie looked at him. “What are you going to do with so few?”

  He smiled at her. “The secret to cooking is to enhance the flavor, not overpower it.”

  She smirked. “So you’re a chef too? How in the world did I get so lucky?”

  Jim carefully sliced open each strawberry and squeezed the juice out, using four strawberries for each. The fish was done in about 20 minutes and they both finished it, down to the bones.

  Debbie sat back, leaning against an old log. “Oh my God, you’re a wonderful cook.” She said with surprise in her eyes.

  He laughed and said, “Once in a great while I can do that. Maybe it was the hike up the mountain that made it taste better.”

  “Either way, you’re cooking the fish for us from now on. That was superb.”

  Jim bent down and kissed her on the forehead. “Come on, let’s get going.”

  Just before dark they found the Line cabin. It was empty, but there was a note. Jim read it out loud to Debbie. “Killed 3 infected - not safe for the children - taking the horses and riding them to your uncle’s place.” There wasn’t any more.

  Debbie broke down crying. In between her sobs, she said, “We are too damn late again. Where the hell is the Uncle’s place and how are we going to figure it out?”

  He held her, whispering in her ear, “It is going to be okay. We’ll find them. Look at the bright side - the kids are still alive.”

  She stopped sobbing and pulled back from his embrace. “Oh my God, you’re right. That means they’re still alive. Now how are we going to find them, Jim?”

  “We’ll head back down and talk to Kevin again. At least he might know a last name so we’d have something to look up in a phone book.”

  They spend the night in the Line cabin and early the next morning they hiked back to the SUV.

  Chapter 31

  As they drove back to the house Kevin was staying at, Debbie asked Jim, “What are we going to do now?”

  Jim, keeping his eyes on the road, said, “Well first we have to find where to look next and then we’ll take it from there. I just hope Kevin knows who this uncle is.”

  Debbie was exhausted and on the verge of crying again, but held it back. She said, “It feels like we are chasing our tail. Every time we go someplace, it increases our chances of running into a Hive. Sooner or later our luck is going to run out.”

  Jim shook his head. “You’re not thinking very positively, are you?”

  She was also watching the road and surrounding area and stated, “Well, I’m just trying to be realistic. Granted we have more firepower now, but if a Hive of 500 gets us trapped somewhere, we’re in serious trouble.”

  Jim thought for a few minutes. “You know what we need? Some hand grenades, so we could always clear a path.”

  She laughed and said, “While you’re at it, order us some machine guns and a tank too.”

  “No. I’m dead serious. We need to figure out a way to make some hand grenades. That propane bottle worked last time. I think if we take some of those small 1-pound cylinders, we could rig something up.”

  Debbie turned towards him. “You mean like the wheel weights again?”

  Jim nodded his head, “Yeah, something like that, but I’m thinking more of melting lead wheel weights and forming them into a shape, like the old hand grenades of WW II, so they fragment better and throw shrapnel all over the place.”

  She asked with some surprise in her voice, “Do you know how to do that?”

  “Well, sort of. We’d have to make some type of mold, place the bottle inside and pour the lead like ½ or ¾ of an inch thick all the way around it. The mold would have two halves and after the lead cools you’d break it open. The top and bottom wouldn’t be covered with lead, so we could toss them out and shoot them.”

  Debbie absorbed what he had said and then asked, “Toss? Don’t you mean heave them? That sounds like a lot of weight.”

  Jim glanced at her and then back to the road, “Look, I’ve never made one of these before, so we would have to run some tests and see what we get. You’re right. They would be heavy and I don’t think we could toss, or heave, them far enough to be safe from the blast range. I’m thinking maybe 30-feet and anything inside that circle would be a dead zone, hell maybe even 30-yards.”

  She stifled a laugh and said, “You used to play with matches when you were a kid, didn’t you?”

  He laughed and said, “Something like that. All boys love blowing stuff up.”

  “Good, then put that devilish side to good use now, you bad boy.”

  Before they knew it, they’d arrived at Kevin’s place. A couple of them were outside working in the yard. Kevin looked up, saw just the two of them and said, “No luck?”

  Debbie answered. “We got there and no one was around, but there was a note,” She handed it to him to read, “It said infected were out there, so they moved the children to his uncle’s ranch. At least
the good news is that the children are alive. Do you know where the uncle’s ranch is?”

  He was still looking at the note and said, “Sorry Ma’am. No idea, but let me ask everyone.” He walked into the house and they waited for him. A few minutes later he returned, saying, “The good news is that I found out where the ranch is, or at least the town it’s near. It’s near Meeker, which is straight north about 200 miles.”

  In an almost panicked voice, Debbie said, “Two hundred miles? How are they going to sneak past the Hives? That’s almost a suicide run.”

  Kevin saw her expression. “No Ma’am. If the ranch hand I’m thinking of is with them, they’re safe. He’s in his 40’s and grew up riding. He knows the back trails and logging routes and the safest areas to travel all that way, without hitting a major town or city. He’s one hell of a shot and the best guy you could ever ask to have protecting your children.”

  She smiled weakly at him and said, “Thank you. What’s the name of the ranch?”

  “It’s called the Double K. No one here knows for sure where it is, but I’m sure that once you get in the area someone should be able to help you find it, or you can check at the county building for a plat map.”

  “Thank you.” Jim said as he shook his hand. “By the way, the Hive that was at the ranch moved on and they might be heading this way. We didn’t see them, but you’d better get sealed up and be extra careful.”

  Kevin smiled. “We’re working on another death bomb, like the one you made, so we’ll be ready for the next Hive. Don’t you worry; we’re going to make it.”

  Jim and Deb drove to the house they had stayed at before and spent the night, heading back to their cabin in the morning.

  Chapter 32

  At the cabin, Matt and Sandra were just getting up. That morning Sandra got up and stayed naked as she cooked breakfast. Matt came stumbling out and sat down at the kitchen table. She turned around, bringing him his coffee. She was so beautiful. He felt a stirring in his loins and said, “Sandra, would you please get dressed? We have work to do and you know I lose control when I see you naked.”