Forsaken World | Book 6 | Redemption

by Watson, Thomas A.

  When Jennifer went to get in the bed to help Lilly, Lance stopped her. “No, you’re driving,” Lance told her and then turned to the seats, looking for the Ladybugs but didn’t see them. Again, panic filled his being but Lance heard the steady huff of suppressed shots and looked at the front of the track. Allie, Carrie, and Jodi were crouched behind the front of the buggy. One would aim around the front across the valley and squeeze off rapid single shots. When the gun went dry, they would eject and move so the next Ladybug could move up and shoot. Even in his grief, Lance was proud of the Ladybugs.

  “Ladybugs,” he called out, and they looked at him. “Carrie, in the right front. Jodi, left front and put George in behind you. Keep alert and call out contacts, but you engage,” Lance stopped and turned to Rhonda. “Allie, swap out with Rhonda. Rhonda, swap out with Denny and tell him to get in the driver’s spot.”

  Lance jumped off the track and kicked the bar the gun bot had used to be towed off the hitch on the track. He looked up to see Lilly already starting an IV on Dino. Walking to the front of the track, Lance grabbed his laptop. He turned to see Ian had pulled the satchel of magazines from the track.

  “Go,” Lance told Jennifer, and Jennifer left. The track pivoted around but stopped from a complete one eighty because the gun bot was in the way. Jennifer shoved the handles forward and the track took off.

  When the track was a hundred yards away, the tears in Lance’s eyes dried up. Lifting the laptop up and opening it, Lance didn’t even notice his blood-soaked gloves. No sooner than the screen came on, Lance was stabbing the keyboard with his finger.

  The gun bot he’d unhooked woke up and started rolling forward toward the clearing. “Soon, you will know fear and pain,” Lance vowed, and turned to see Ian pouring a barrel of bearings into the hopper of the centrifugal gun. Using the thermal image from the gun bot, Lance scanned the valley below and didn’t see any human hot spots, but did see a few stinkers and deer.

  Shifting his eyes back to the screen, Lance punched the keys hard and the gun bot pivoted broadside across the valley. The four legs extended out and when they touched the ground, the bot lifted up. Seven feet off the ground and level, Lance stared at the thermal image from the gun bot on the screen, using the trackball to mark the area where Rhonda was shooting, then activated the gun bot.

  “Stop firing, Rhonda,” Lance called out and Rhonda stopped. No sooner than she did, Lance saw a hot spot across the valley where Rhonda had been shooting. Two and a half seconds later, he heard the sonic crack as the gun bot engaged said hot spot. “Peek out again, bitch,” Lance challenged, watching the hot spot vanish into a mist.

  Walking over to the track, Lance held out the laptop to Denny. “When we leave, activate the second bot to watch behind you,” Lance told him, then felt his plate carrier shift. Glancing down, he saw Ian shoving magazines into his empty holsters. “Shit,” Lance gasped, seeing all eight magazine holsters on his chest had been empty.

  Looking at the laptop, Denny saw Lance had marked the area the attackers were at as ‘Priority’ so the gun bot would engage them first over other targets. Wiping tears away, Denny looked back out to see Ian and Lance shoving long skinny grenades in their vests. When they were done, Lance and Ian just looked into each other’s eyes saying nothing.

  “They’ll see us that way,” Ian said shaking his head, but not taking his eyes from Lance’s.

  After a few minutes, “That will work,” Lance nodded, then headed out into the clearing as Ian took off his small pack. When Lance returned with his pack, Ian already had his ghillie pants on.

  “Guys, I want to get their asses too, but let’s wait until we get some more people,” Rhonda told them. Both stopped and turned to her, and Rhonda wished she had just kept her mouth shut. There wasn’t hate or anger in their eyes. In fact, Rhonda couldn’t really tell any emotion from them, and that terrified her more than anything. “Be careful,” Rhonda finally got out, and the boys went back to pulling on ghillie suits.

  As Lance checked over his weapon, “If anyone does show up, make sure they have their phone on,” Ian told them. “Rhonda, at odd sixty and ninety second intervals, let loose a ten second burst to let them know we’re keeping their heads down while we move into position.”

  It was the fact Ian wanted their attackers to know they were coming was what worried Rhonda. Lance and Ian never hit anything when it was expected. They always stayed in the shadows, hitting when and where the enemy least expected. Even with all they had admitted to, the boys had never attacked hard head on. Their strength was intelligence and violence of action. Rhonda knew they had the violence part, but was really doubting the intelligence right now.

  Lance turned to Ian as he cradled his AR. “How much are you willing to risk?” Lance asked.

  Adjusting his mask, “I’m willing to eat a bullet,” Ian answered, and Lance agreed with a nod. Hearing that, Rhonda nearly fainted and fought the urge to bring up her gun and hold them at gunpoint until Lilly and Jennifer could get back there.

  Lance held out his fist and Ian bumped it. “There comes a time when every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats,” Lance quoted H.L. Mencken. “Let this be our day,” he added, then tightened his helmet down.

  “The start of our journey,” Ian offered. “Because you can be sure, damn sure, they have friends. Friends who could’ve stopped them but chose not to, so they will face the same,” Ian replied.

  “Then the black flag must stay hoisted and we leave the Federation.”

  Taking off his glove, Ian held out his hand. “The Federation was good while it lasted but constrained us too much,” Ian said.

  Nodding as he took off his glove, Lance clasped Ian’s in a shake, holding it. “No quarter, no forgiveness, and let the blood flow. I came into this world covered in someone else’s blood, I have no problem dying the same way,” Lance said. When they let the handshake go, Rhonda wanted to speak but just couldn’t find the words.

  Putting their gloves back on and saying nothing else Lance and Ian moved off, skirting around the clearing and heading into the valley. “The valley of death,” Rhonda whispered.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Jennifer, slow down,” Lilly called over the intercom as she hung up a bag of saline. “I want to get there fast, but you’re jarring Dino too much.”

  “Sorry,” Jennifer replied.

  Reaching down and flipping to radio, “Cabin, this is away team,” Lilly called out, then started hooking Dino up to the monitor. Each track had one in the medical bag that had been taken from ambulances in Barbourville.

  “This is the cabin,” Mary answered.

  “I need the litter brought to the back door. Dino has been shot and I’ll need everyone there to help carry him in,” Lilly said.

  “What?! HOW?!” Mary screamed over the radio.

  “I can’t go into that right now,” Lilly snapped. “Make sure the bunker care area is cleared because I’m going to have to operate.”

  “Okay, we’ll be ready,” Mary called back with a breaking voice.

  “Clubhouse, this is cabin away team,” Jennifer called over the radio.

  “Clubhouse,” a panicked voice called back.

  “I trust you heard our transmission. Notify all groups to move back to their locations, stop all work, and get ready for an attack,” Jennifer said and Lilly gave a shiver, then pulled out drugs to ease Dino’s pain before assessing him again.

  “Copy,” the voice replied with the panic now through the roof.

  “Jennifer, it’s Bear Trap work crew,” Heath called out. “Where were you attacked?”

  “The valley we got the lumber from,” Jennifer answered. “Lance, Ian, Rhonda, and Denny are still there. I’d appreciate it if you would go and see if they need help. You have patrolled with them, so they won’t mind if you go. Just make sure you have your phones and they are on because I’m sure the gun bots are active now.”

 
With his voice trembling, “Don’t leave the house without the phone,” Heath told her. “I have Patrick and David here and they patrolled with them. We’re loading up and heading to them.”

  “Heath, you call Rhonda and let her know when you get close,” Jennifer said quickly.

  Breathing hard, “Copy, we will,” Heath answered as he ran to his side by side.

  “Jennifer, it’s the cabin!” Sandy cried out. “Are the others okay?”

  “Momma Sandy, we wouldn’t be coming back without them if they weren’t!” Jennifer shouted.

  “Sorry, we have the litter by the door and the medical area is clear,” Sandy replied.

  “Cabin away team, this is clubhouse air patrol,” Amie called out over the radio. “I’m moving a hover drone north to stay over them.”

  “Copy,” Jennifer answered. “If you relay information, you relay to Rhonda. Lance and Ian can hear you, but I don’t want them using a radio. I swear, if I hear one motherfucker call for Lance or Ian, I’ll beat them to death with my bare hands!”

  After Amie called back that she understood, Lilly reinforced the entry wound with another dressing. “Oh, Jennifer knows them well,” Lilly said, and Lori looked up at her. “She knows Lance and Ian are going to get close before doing anything. My guess is they’ll try to take some alive.”

  “They have the gun bots. They can just wait them out because they can’t leave,” Lori pointed out.

  “Oh, you have much to learn about Lance and Ian,” Lilly said as Dino let out whimper. In the back left seat, George looked through the wire mesh and whined in sympathy for Dino.

  When they reached the clubhouse, Heath and the others passed them heading out and Lilly was sure they were doing close to fifty miles an hour. “Jennifer,” Lilly called over the intercom. “What made you think to put the coalition on alert for an attack?”

  “Um, because that’s when Lance and Ian would attack someone. They wouldn’t attack right away, you know. They’d hold back, waiting for everyone to relax and go back to normal so maybe even wait a few days, but they would use something like this to attack.”

  Lilly wasn’t going to tell Jennifer what she thought. That Lance and Ian were attacking right now. Something in Lance had changed and Lilly damn sure didn’t like it, but she pushed that out of her mind because Lance had asked her to take care of Dino. “Is Dino going to make it?” Jennifer asked meekly.

  “I won’t know until I operate,” Lilly admitted, fighting the apprehension down. She had done minor surgeries on dogs before and had even assisted on a police dog that had gotten shot. Until now, she’d always had instructors near her offering support and that had just given her a sense of confidence. Taking care of humans, Lilly was nearly always petrified. The first baby she’d delivered, Lilly had only admitted to Lance she’d nearly passed out. The C-section had gone smoother because she’d had Stanley there and both of their knowledge base had put her at ease.

  Dino was looked at like family by everyone, but to Lance, Ian, Jennifer, and the Ladybugs, Dino was a canine god. Not a week went by when the boys didn’t tell someone that the only reason they were alive was because of Dino. Lilly just prayed she could save Dino.

  Reaching the road on the valley floor, Lilly saw a line of side by sides, golf carts, and ATVs loaded with members of the Geek Squad heading to their area and another line carrying others to the Bear Trap home. The lines of traffic paused, letting Jennifer turn off the road and up the driveway to the build house.

  “I see ya at ta build house,” Holly called over the radio. Hearing Holly’s drawl, Lilly couldn’t help but grin. After Holly had her baby, Lilly was certain she would be another girl the boys would treat as a guy. Holly hadn’t wrestled in two months, well, practiced wrestling because if she pissed Rhonda off, Rhonda would take Holly down. Despite her size, Holly was strong as hell. Lilly had wrestled her a few times and didn’t like sparring with Holly, but she still preferred Holly to spar with than Rhonda.

  When Jennifer entered the trees, she slowed to their customary speed which was still twenty miles an hour but they had traveled this path so many times, Lilly was certain most could do it blindfolded. The only time Jennifer slowed faster than a sprint was in the diversion chute and it had a gate now that could be opened and closed from the cabin.

  Clearing the chute, Jennifer started down the slope but not fast because she didn’t want to jar Dino. “I’m talking to Ian about making the path to the cabin smoother,” Jennifer called over the intercom. Thinking that was a good idea but would just add more for them to do, Lilly saw the morphine was working and Dino seemed comfortable.

  Driving along the fence, Lilly glanced out at the back of the cabin and saw them waiting by the back door. Before Jennifer reached the gate, it was opened and Jennifer sped through, rounding the cabin. “Lori, you take the monitor and saline,” Lilly said, standing up when Jennifer stopped.

  Looking out, she saw Sandy, Mary, Tyler, and Chris running and carrying the litter. Lilly could feel the anxiety from them. “Calm down!” she shouted, and they froze. “Move gently and with purpose,” Lilly instructed. “We’ve practiced this for a person but not a dog, and Dino weighs more than anyone at the cabin.”

  “Ladybugs, go hold the door open and make sure the path to the bunker is clear. Jennifer, you help me get Dino to the back and hand off to Sandy and Mary,” Lilly instructed. When she and Jennifer picked Dino up, Lilly had never been so grateful for the workouts. They all had to tell Dino to be still, but the drugs had taken Dino’s coordination so all he could do was shift his body. Since his body was nearly two hundred and fifty pounds, that threw everyone off a little.

  When Dino was on the stretcher, Lilly jumped out of the bed. “Sandy, Mary, Jennifer, and Tyler, carry. Lori has the saline and monitor so move with her,” Lilly said, then headed inside to let them follow. Entering the back door, Lilly started undoing her vest and gear. When she reached the basement she started shucking her gear off, tossing it in a corner and heard the others upstairs carrying Dino inside.

  Entering the bunker, Lilly moved over to the table and grabbed a surgical drape to cover it. It still amazed her that Johnathan had put this setup together before the meteor. Moving to the cabinets, she grabbed a surgical tray and supplies. The only thing Johnathan hadn’t had was a ventilator but they had gotten two from Barbourville with cylinders of oxygen. Turning the ventilator on and putting in the settings, Lilly ran through her mental checklist again.

  Hearing the group starting down the stairs, Lilly ripped her shirt and bite suit top off and then grabbed a scrub top, pulling it on. Then she grabbed intubation supplies, getting them ready. When the group reached the bunker, Lilly pondered how to get Dino on the table without setting the litter down and then noticed someone had put a draw sheet on the litter. “Someone gets bonus points for remembering the draw sheet on the litter,” Lilly said, grabbing the sheet.

  Pulling the sheet by herself, Lilly slid Dino off the litter and onto the table, and Dino didn’t seem to mind. “You told us that was the best way to move someone off the litter,” Sandy commented, and Lilly just gave a nod as she ran through what she had to do. Reaching up and grabbing the surgical lights overhead, Lilly turned them on and pointed them at the table as she went to work. The others stepped back, but still got in the way.

  “You’re in my way!” Lilly barked, but saw everyone wanted to help. “Sandy, you and Holly get the med bag from the track and replace what we used, in case we have to go out fast. Mary, get the track cleaned up and replace the barrel of bearings the boys used. Ladybugs, you get at control and don’t leave,” Lilly said, turning to Jennifer and Lori. “Get your gear off, but don’t drop it in here.”

  Everyone went to do their tasks as Lilly patted Dino’s head and he gave a groan. “I know, Dino. I’m going to do my best and then some,” she swore, then started drawing up medication. She had started training Jennifer and Lori to do this but they were changing, and Lilly wasn’t going to risk a mistake on D
ino.

  Taking a deep breath, Lilly sedated Dino and then grabbed the intubation gear to put the ET tube in. “Dogs are much easier than people,” Lilly admitted. She had only intubated cadavers so far and wasn’t looking forward to her first real one.

  Grabbing the sedation drip, Lilly hooked it to Dino’s IV and then started prepping for surgery. “Jennifer,” Lilly called and Jennifer stepped up to the table. “You remember how to draw blood from a dog?” Lilly asked. Because of all the wild dogs they had killed, Jennifer and Lori had gotten some practice on canines.

  With her eyes getting wide, “Yeah,” Jennifer answered hesitantly.

  Opening the surgical tray, “Get the supplies and take Allie,” Lilly said, pulling on gloves. “I need you to get two hundred cc’s off George, and another two hundred from Judy.”

  One thing Jennifer did remember was there were more than a dozen different blood types in dogs and different negative factors. “You know their blood type?” Jennifer asked in shock. Dino’s blood type was on his collar. Ian had told her most owners of attack trained dogs did that.

  “Yes, they’re the closest a dog can be to a universal donor,” Lilly said, setting up the instruments. “It’s still a risk without cross matching, but Dino is going to need blood to help recover. He needs more, but that’s all George and Judy can give.”

  Turning to the cabinets and getting what she needed, “We need to blood type the other dogs in the coalition,” Jennifer said, then groaned because she’d just added more they needed to do. Grabbing Allie, Jennifer headed upstairs.

  “Lori, get a box of sutures and open them up. Then grab three boxes of gauze and pull the suction over,” Lilly said, looking at the mass of hard QuikClot over the wound. Pulling on a surgical gown, Lilly took a deep breath and went to work.

  ***

  Speeding over the cleared path for the electric fence, Heath drove along the ridge heading north. “You need to slow down some so I can scan,” Dwain told Heath as he scanned the woods around them. “We can’t help if we get ambushed.”