Forsaken World (Book 3): Rite of Passage

by Watson, Thomas A.

  Retrieving his arrow, Ian saw part of a shirt and used the arrow to move it around and spread it out. “Found the other Nazi group,” he mumbled, seeing the Nazi flag. “Should’ve found a bigger tree.”

  Moving back up to the ridge, Ian told Lance as he climbed in. They barely moved ten yards and Ian was climbing out again. Seeing five stinkers standing still directly ahead, Ian pulled back the bow, releasing the arrow and pulled another as the first one dropped.

  The four left had started to turn when the next one dropped. The dead eyes scanned the dark forest for Ian as he released another arrow, dropping the third. Raising their arms, the stinkers started moving toward him as he released his arrow, knocking number four down and number five tripped over the body.

  Ian grinned, watching the stinker smack his face into the ground hard. As the stinker moved to get up, Ian released the arrow to pin the stinker’s head to the ground. Glancing around as he walked up to the bodies, Ian shook his head. “You and your friends just had to come here and fuck up our good thing,” he complained, pulling the arrows out.

  It was mid-morning when they reached the last camera and both just looked down into the valley below. A wide trampled path heading north filled the valley. A few cars had been stalled on the tiny road below, but were now pushed up the valley to the base of the slopes.

  “There were a lot of stinkers,” Lance mumbled, climbing out of the buggy.

  Moving down the slope with Lance, Ian kept watch as Lance downloaded the camera. “I don’t think they would’ve gotten into the cabin, but they damn sure would’ve knocked our fences down. Any fence that crossed their path was destroyed. But any that ran with the slope of the land stood.”

  Remembering the two bent metal fence post tubes that they’d cemented for the fence they’d put in the valley, “Just glad I listened to you about using those metal pipes, instead of poles and cementing them in,” Lance said.

  Swiveling his head and keeping watch, “We are welding supports on those poles,” Ian said as Lance finished. “Ready to head back?”

  “We’ve been out for twelve hours, yeah, I’m ready to head back,” Lance said and followed Ian back to the buggy.

  When they reached the diversion fence, both boys’ arms were exhausted. “Let’s skip patrol for a few days,” Ian suggested, driving through the twisting chute. “There are too many stinkers roaming around.”

  “Depends on what we find on the cameras,” Lance replied as Ian sped up, heading home. Grabbing his PTT, “Away team returning,” Lance called over the radio.

  “Copy,” Allie’s small voice came back.

  Weaving through the trees, “Hope Lilly is all right,” Ian said, glancing over at Lance.

  “She will be,” Lance said confidently. “I think she was holding it in, trying to be tough.”

  “Brah, she killed dozens of stinkers with her hands. Had to hide in a car that was being pushed down the road by a river of stinkers and then, fight off men trying to rape her, I think she’s handled it rather great. I would’ve gone crazy in the car,” Ian admitted, driving over the rise.

  Seeing Lilly outside with Jennifer, Lance smiled. “Yeah, she’s tough,” he sighed as Lilly opened the outer gate.

  After Ian pulled in and the gates were closed, Jennifer and Lilly jumped in. Ian stomped the accelerator, pinning everyone in their seat and speeding to the back of the house. When he stopped, Dino came trotting up after them. “See, Dino? It can go fast,” Ian said, getting out.

  “Ian, Dino wasn’t making fun of the buggy,” Lance chuckled, getting out.

  Shouldering his AR, “On the way home, he kept running ahead and waiting on us just to tease me,” Ian said.

  “He stopped and waited for us every time a stinker was near” Lance chuckled, reaching back and grabbing Lilly’s hand.

  Walking over, Ian patted Dino’s head, “You did good, Dino, but my buggy isn’t slow,” Ian said as Jennifer opened the door.

  Turning Lilly to him, “Are you all right?” Lance asked softly.

  “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again,” Lilly answered in a breaking voice, looking down. “I panicked, and on patrol. I could’ve gotten people killed.”

  “Hey,” Lance snapped, lifting her chin up. “Each one of us has had a breakdown, and we didn’t go through a tenth of what you did. Just remember, you are with us and we won’t go down without a fight.”

  Forcing a small smile, “Thank you,” Lilly said. “I won’t let any of you down again.”

  “That’s all that matters,” Lance said, brushing her hair back behind her right ear. “I knew you should’ve taken more time off to adapt, but you’re like everyone here; obstinate. Besides, you’ve never let us down.”

  Giving a genuine laugh, “Yes, on that, I fit in perfectly,” Lilly agreed. “Please don’t go out like that again. You and Ian need backup.”

  “Lilly, even if you would’ve been okay, nobody would’ve gone with us. Trust me when I say, Ian and I have practiced sneaking around. Granted, it was in town and the dark in town isn’t spooky. The plus side is, we can eliminate anything dangerous that sees us,” Lance said, then cocked his head to the side. “Except the tigers. To be honest, I want a really big gun so I don’t make them mad.”

  Pulling Lance to the cabin, “You and Ian have fed them two deer that you shot, they should see us as providers,” Lilly said, pulling out her key.

  “I was sick and tired of that doe tripping the damn sensors,” Lance grumbled. “As long as the kittens don’t become a problem, we will leave them alone. They are great for killing any stinker that comes in. But they’ve killed more deer for themselves than we’ve fed them.”

  Opening the door, “Lance, I talked to Jennifer and we want to help more on yours and Ian’s projects,” Lilly said as Lance walked in. He stopped inside and turned around as Lilly closed the door. “I know we’ve helped. Watching the ladybugs with a plasma cutter will always be one of the highlights of my life. What I’m saying, one of the projects you two are working on, that we can do, let us continue it while you two move on to other things.”

  Seeing the intense, pleading look, Lance turned away from Lilly to see Jennifer looking at Ian and Ian was turning to Lance. “I take it, Jennifer just asked Ian the same thing?” Lance asked, turning back to Lilly.

  “Yes, you are teaching us welding and how to use a CNC and machining. Ian is teaching us engines and chemistry. Remember, I have four years of chemistry and he’s teaching me shit every day out there in that lab you two put up,” Lilly chuckled.

  Turning back to Ian, “I don’t have a problem, you?” Lance asked.

  “I know they’re not stupid, but what project could we turn over that they wouldn’t need us full time?” Ian asked and Lance thought for several seconds.

  “Got it!” Lance said, throwing up his hand. Handing Lilly his AR, Lance walked over to his desk and opened the top drawer, pulling out several notebooks. Putting one on the table, Lance headed to the backdoor and left.

  “I hate to ask, but is there any food ready?” Ian almost whined.

  “Go pull off your gear,” Jennifer smiled and when Ian headed to the bathroom, she added, “Ian, just leave them in the basket. Your 3D hunting suit stinks to high hell.”

  When Lance came back in, Ian was at the table, eating. Walking to the table, Lance sat down and laid some stuff on the table. “You can make the stinker armor,” Lance told them, holding up a two-inch-long piece of plastic, shaped like a tear drop. Then, he held up a piece of cloth that had three rows sewn on, overlapping each other.

  “Cool, they can’t bite us,” Allie said, beaming.

  “No, Allie,” Lance snapped, making Allie jump. “Even if we went out in full suits of armor like knights, it would only take two stinkers to get us. Remember, their grip is much stronger and the only way to make them let go is to kill them or chop off the hand. If two grabbed your arms, you’re done. Even if one took you down, they could work their way around plate armor like the knights wo
re. This is just to buy time, if one bites.”

  With a sad face, Allie nodded and Lance got up. Taking off his vest, Lance dropped it to the floor. “Ladybug, they are always dangerous,” Lance said, picking her up. “I just want an extra safety level to buy us a few seconds.”

  Hugging Lance and putting her face in his neck, “Okay,” Allie mumbled. Putting Allie back in her chair, Lance sat back down.

  “Dino can’t bite through this in one bite, but it would still crush where the bite was. Dino’s jaws could get through chewing, and so could a stinker,” Lance said, grabbing a plate and filling it up.

  “Why haven’t you and Ian devoted more time to this then?” Jennifer asked. “I’m not complaining, but it seems important.”

  Seeing Lance had his mouth full, Ian answered. “We can’t figure out how to sew the scales on without doing each one by hand. The face guards are easy, but we wanted stinker eradication started first.”

  Grabbing the notebook, Lilly opened it and saw drawings and notes. “We can do this,” Lilly said.

  “Sewing on each scale will take forever,” Lance said, emptying his mouth.

  Leaning over and looking at the drawings, Jennifer shook her head. “I think I can figure out a way but even if we don’t, we can do the monotonous work like this,” she said.

  “What about the monotonous work of helping us assemble stuff, grinding metal, cutting stone, separating what we bring in, and stuff like that?” Lance asked and Ian nodded vigorously.

  Lilly chuckled, flipping through the notebook. “Lance, trust us. We can still do that, but we can do this as well,” Lilly replied, not looking up.

  “Lance, take your gear off and leave it in the bathroom, so we can clean it,” Jennifer said, leaning over and looking at the notebook with Lilly. “Then you and Ian go get some sleep and that means, after a shower. The ladybugs and I changed your sheets.”

  Taking a breath to argue, Lance stopped at seeing Ian shaking his head slowly. Guided by Ian’s wisdom, the boys were soon in bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  June 2

  Throwing his legs out of bed, Lance looked at the clock and saw it was 0115. Glancing back and seeing Ian’s bed empty, Lance got up and headed downstairs, hearing talking and sewing machines running. “I hope they aren’t trying to sew through that hard plastic,” Lance mumbled, walking down the stairs.

  Reaching the bottom, Lance stopped and saw Lilly and Jennifer sitting at two folding tables, working sewing machines. On the sectional, Allie and Carrie were asleep. Sighing, Lance walked over and carried them one at a time upstairs to their bed.

  Coming back down, Lance moved behind the two. Lilly was folding foot long piece of cloth in half and sewing it at each end, then sewing it every two inches to make pockets. Looking over at Jennifer, he saw her putting a disk in each pocket, then sewing the bottom up to trap the teardrop.

  Nodding and very impressed, Lance bent down and kissed Lilly on the cheek. “Brush your teeth and give me a real kiss,” Lilly told him, never stopping her sewing.

  Darting to the bathroom, Lance brushed his teeth in record time and ran back. Lilly hugged him and kissed him, then pulled back smiling. “Go eat, hon,” she smiled and gave him another kiss. Letting Lance go, Lilly returned to sewing.

  Walking around them, Lance saw a cardboard box half full of the disks. “You two sewed and cut disks?” Lance asked, very impressed.

  “No, Lilly and Allie did that with that pneumatic machine that you and Ian made. Carrie and I started cutting the cloth for the strips,” Jennifer answered, not looking up.

  Walking over to the table, Lance found Ian eating while making notes. “How long you been up?” Lance asked, sitting down.

  “Not even an hour,” Ian answered, not looking up but pushing something over to Lance. “This is what the strips will look like when they are done.”

  Holding the foot-long strip, Lance saw one of the girls had gone back to sew around the six scales. “I never would’ve thought of that,” Lance admitted, putting it down and grabbing a plate.

  “The Nazis are still there,” Ian said, still making notes.

  Pouring a glass of tea, “The damn stinkers could do something for us,” Lance groaned.

  “Guess I should tell you, the Devil Lords are back in Pineville. The stinkers left and their walls held,” Ian said.

  “Because their walls form a circle and the stinkers marched around the west side, away from the river,” Lance said.

  “Well, the little dicks are expanding their wall,” Ian said, finally looking up. “How did you like sleeping without the cellphone waking you up when the tigers moved?”

  “Loved it,” Lance said, eating. “One of the reasons I don’t like them.”

  “Let’s work on projects since our routine is blown for today,” Ian suggested.

  Grabbing his glass, “Sounds good,” Lance said.

  After they ate, the boys dressed and stopped beside Jennifer and Lilly. “Guys, get some sleep,” Lance told them.

  “We napped,” Lilly said, never stopping.

  “Don’t worry, we will sleep,” Jennifer said, tossing a completed strip in the box.

  They headed out to the shop, working until 0900. When they came back in, they found Allie and Carrie at their desks watching the flat screen as a man taught a lesson on algebra. Walking over, Lance hugged both and saw Lilly and Jennifer sleeping on the couch.

  “They wouldn’t get in the bed,” Allie said, copying what the man did on the screen. “Food is in the oven.”

  Nuzzling into Allie’s neck and making her squeal, “Thank you,” Lance said, then moved over and did the same to Carrie. Turning around, Lance saw Ian putting the food on the table.

  “Allie, Carrie, thank you for the food,” Ian said, sitting down.

  “You’re welcome,” they replied in unison.

  Jennifer and Lilly walked in, moving behind the boys. “Hey,” Lilly smiled, leaning over Lance’s shoulder. “I brushed my teeth.”

  Grinning, Lance pulled her into a kiss and let her go as Ian kissed Jennifer. As the two sat down, everyone’s phones buzzed and the large flat screen blinked.

  Seeing what motion detector it was, Lance groaned. “I’m going to turn that motion detector off like I did the camera monitoring program for the camera watching the tigers.”

  Everyone silenced their phones when the alarms went off again and Lance lifted his phone as motion detectors went off from the west side to the east. Lance bolted from his chair in a dead run for the basement.

  “The tigers were just running,” Carrie called out as the others followed Lance.

  “What are they running from?” Lance yelled, halfway down the stairs.

  Silencing his phone, Lance dropped in the control chair and grabbed the mouse. He saw the tigers on a camera a hundred yards back from the field and both tigers were crouched low, looking to the southeast. “Think a pack of dogs got in because the tigers have never moved that fast for stinkers,” Ian said, sitting down.

  “Have no idea, but the kitty cats don’t like something,” Lance said, watching the tigers split up to slink up the slope. “Seeing a big cat sneaking up on something is rather terrifying.”

  In seconds, the tigers were gone from the screen and Lance looked at another monitor showing a map of the area around the cabin. A few minutes later, a motion detector was going off on the map, then another further down the slope. “They are sneaking slow,” Ian noted as the ladybugs ran in.

  “Grab your gear,” Lance said, getting up.

  “I’m good to go,” Lilly said and Lance stopped.

  “That’s good, because only Ian and I are going out,” Lance said and Jennifer bowed up to unleash. “Jennifer, I’m not in the mood. You and Lilly will stay here on the buggy, ready to come get us if we see shit we don’t like.”

  “That’s stupid as shit!” Lilly shouted.

  “Look where the tigers are heading!” Lance shouted. “That’s where the southeast opening f
or the buggy is in the diversion fence!”

  Everyone turned and looked at the map screen. “If it’s stinkers trying to figure the zig-zag of the chute out, Ian and I can take them out and fill the chute up. If it’s a pack of dogs, we will call you to come get us and let the kitty cats play,” Lance said.

  “If it is dogs, you need to be mobile,” Lilly cried out.

  “Babe, Lance and I can kill some dogs. Besides, if it was dogs, they would be tripping sensors by now,” Lance said, turning around and running out.

  Lilly looked at Jennifer, “It sounds stupid, but Ian didn’t argue,” Jennifer said, taking off and running out of the bunker.

  Ten minutes later, Lance and Ian were walking out the front gates with Dino. “You realize, this is stupid as shit,” Ian mumbled behind Lance.

  “Ian, if stinkers are in, I don’t want them surrounding the buggy as we shoot those coming in,” Lance said, moving quickly but silently through the trees. “If it’s dogs, you and I will have a running gun battle back to the cabin. I can’t cover your side and mine, moving through the trees. The dogs would overtake us but moving back on foot, we can keep them driven back until we reach the cabin.”

  Thinking as he followed Lance, “Okay, that is sound reasoning, so why tell the girls otherwise?” Ian asked, glancing around.

  “To make them shut up, so we could leave and if the stinkers start breaching, we will call them to get our ass,” Lance snapped, ducking under a limb.

  Glancing at Dino, Ian saw Dino’s fur standing up and his body taut. “You forgot about the tigers,” Ian said.

  “If the tigers start shit, they die today. Just remember to use your entire magazine,” Lance said, looking up at the camera that he’d seen the tigers sneak away from. Grabbing his PTT, “Any movement?” Lance asked, since they’d left their phones.

  “No,” Allie called back, watching the boys walk out of the camera’s view.

  Moving up the slope for a hundred yards, Ian grabbed Lance’s shoulder and put his mouth next to Lance’s ear. “This is our buggy trail. Stinkers would be funneled into the field, following the land,” Ian said, pointing at a tiger paw print in the dirt.