The Army Comes Calling (16 page)

     “Her name was Sue. Sue Gallup. She was the manager of a Sam’s Club in San Antonio. She said that a week before Saris 7 hit the earth, they barricaded themselves within the store. She and her husband and their two teenaged boys, and a couple of her favorite employees. And two German shepherds.

     She said for the first few months, it was hell. People kept trying to break in to steal food or water. They barricaded the front of the store with stacks and stacks of pallets and other bulky items, and anytime somebody tried to dismantle their wall they fired a few warning shots to scare them away.

     She said about three or four months after the meteorite crashed, everything went eerily silent. People were running south, looking for warmer climates. Or they were committing suicide in droves. But they stopped coming around and trying to break into the Sam’s Club.

     She said there was plenty of food to keep them fed, plenty of wood to burn for heat. Even plenty of dry dog food for the dogs.

     “Long story short, she and her husband bred the dogs. They were inbred, of course. She said that occasionally a couple of the puppies were stillborn, and they had to put a couple of them down because they were just vicious. But now there are enough of them to allow them to pick and choose who they breed the dogs with. And she says that seems to help.”

     Mark was as excited as Hannah.

     “Do they sell them? How can we get one?”

     “That’s just it, Mark. She’s got the corner on the market, and she can pick and choose who she deals with and what she gets.”

     “Okay. So?”

     “As I said a minute ago, there aren’t many people who are able to pay her price. But you guys can.”

     “How much does she want?”

     “She doesn’t want money. She says money is worthless. So are gold and jewelry and every other thing most people consider valuable.

     “But… there is something more valuable than silver or gold. And you guys have it.

     “She’s willing to share one young male and one young female, both healthy and proven breeders. For a rooster and a hen.”

Chapter 27

     Mark wanted to make a decision on the spot.

     “Heck, yeah! Let’s go for it. It’ll be nice to have dogs again.”

     But Hannah took a more reasoned approach.

     “But this is something that will affect everybody. It should be brought before the council and voted on.”

     “But why, honey? I mean, not to sound crass or anything. But after all, they’re technically
our
chickens. I mean, we’re the ones who bought all the livestock for the mine before Saris 7 hit. Including all the chickens.”

     “No. Maybe that once was the case, but when we created this little society of ours we told everybody that there was no more ‘ours.’ We said that everyone who came in with us, and all of their offspring, would be an equal partner in everything that was in the mine. And that carried over into the compound after we broke free from the mine. Remember?”

     Mark gave her a sheepish look, but didn’t say anything.

     “And we also told everyone that anything which affected others would be debated and voted upon. There may be people in the group who are allergic to dogs, or some of the kids may be afraid of them. It wouldn’t be fair to them to make such a decision without letting everyone voice their concerns.”

     “We had a couple of dogs and cats when we entered the mine, remember? Nobody was allergic to them then.”

     “Nobody said they were. But remember in the early days many of our guests were too timid to make waves, or were in semi-shock because of the meteorite. Maybe they were allergic but didn’t want to voice it.”

     “Well, I
guess
you might be right.”

     “Ain’t no guessing about it, sailor. And I’m always right. When are you going to learn that?

     “And besides, this is just a formality, and a courtesy to everyone else. I imagine that everyone else will be just as excited as we are to get dogs again.”

     Mark said glumly, “I hope so. Because if you put it up to a vote and it fails, you’ll be sleeping on the couch for a very long time.”

     She looked at Mark like he’d lost his mind.

     “Excuse me?”

     “Oh. I meant to say
me. I
would be sleeping on the couch for a very long time.”

     “That’s better.”

     “Sheesh…”

     Hannah was right. Everyone else in the group was excited about the prospect of seeing dogs again.

     The only valid concern raised was about the dog food that would be required to feed them.

     “That’s not a problem,” Hannah assured everyone. “Marty said he knows of a trailer that is full of nothing but dry dog food. He said it’ll be enough to last us for at least ten years.

     “And he said he’d deliver it the same time he brought the dogs.”

     The vote, of course, was unanimous. Even David’s dad, Simon, who claimed to hate dogs and who was by far the grumpiest of the mine’s residents, seemed to have a soft spot when it came to German shepherds.

     And little Markie?

     He was happy beyond belief.

     “Oh, boy! A gerbil shepherd! For the reals, Daddy?”

     “Yes, sir. For the reals. A
German
shepherd.”

     “Wow! Mommy, that’s just like Lassie, on the TV. I can’t wait.”

     Mark interjected.

     “Well, actually, little man, I think Lassie was a…”

     Hannah put a finger to Mark’s lips to shush him.

     Markie went on.

     “And I want a boy puppy, just like Lassie was. And I want to name him Lassie.”

     This time it was Hannah who stepped in to correct her young son.

     “Lassie was a girl doggie, honey.”

     Mark said, “Actually, babe, I think I read somewhere that Lassie was actually a male dog that they presented as a female. The directors said that males were less temperamental and much easier to work with.”

     He looked at Hannah and smirked.

     “No surprise there, huh?”

     Hannah leaned over and whispered in Mark’s ear: “If you don’t hush I’m going to break every bone in your body. And then I’ll break some of them again, just for good measure.”

     She smiled sweetly and blew him a kiss.

     Mark got up from his chair and said, “I’ll see you guys later. I need to go do something.”

     Markie, always wanting to tag along and help, said, “All right! Where are you going, Daddy?”

     “I don’t know yet, son. Somewhere safe.”

Chapter 28

     On the day Marty was scheduled to bring the two dogs and the trailer of dog food, the compound also had another, unexpected, visitor.

     The United States Army has always been big on spit and polish, dating back to its days on horseback. It’s a tradition that a little thing like a meteorite colliding with the earth could never change. So even in a post apocalyptic world, Army staff cars still had to be washed and shined to perfection.

     It was just the Army way.

     The driver of the spiffy green car pulled apprehensively up to the perimeter fence and sat there, as though he’d never been there before and wasn’t sure he had the right place.

     And that was, in fact, the case.

     The sole occupant, a Staff Sergeant named Smith, was using directions scribbled on a piece of paper he’d obtained from one of the truck drivers who’d carried cattle back to Kelly Air Force Base.

     Sergeant Smith looked sharp in his dress uniform. That’s why he was chosen as Colonel Montgomery’s personal courier. He presented a positive impression of the Army he and Montgomery shared a common love for. Not like so many other non-coms whose slovenly appearance reflected discredit and dishonor upon the military.

     Another reason Montgomery favored the services of Sergeant Smith was that “Smitty” never failed to complete an assigned mission. Today, for example, he’d followed vague instructions directing him to a mysterious place with a black wall, where he was to park outside the wall and wait to be contacted. It was the stuff of James Bond movies, but the kind of mission Smitty relished.

     And even though he’d taken several wrong turns trying to make some sense of the cryptic directions, here he was. He’d finally found his mysterious black wall. As instructed, he would wait until contacted, deliver his message, and be on his way.

     And he’d maintain his reputation as a top-flight courier who always accomplished his mission.

     No matter what the obstacles.

     He sat in the car with the engine idling, wishing that Army vehicles came with entertainment systems. The only radio station currently operating in the area was the Armed Forces Network. And AFN was about twenty percent music and eighty percent propaganda. But it was still better than nothing. He hoped it wouldn’t take long for his contact to show. In the meantime, he contemplated the tall black wall in front of him and pondered what might be on the other side.

     On the inside of the compound, people were scrambling.

     Hannah, on the control desk, had spotted the vehicle fifteen minutes before, as it turned off of Highway 83 onto the wrong road.

     “John, Frank, Mark, there’s something fishy going on here,” she’d said on the radio. “Please come to the control center.”

     When the security team assembled at the control center, Hannah explained to them what she saw.

     “It turned down that dirt road a quarter mile north of us. Anybody know what’s on that road?”

     “It’s a utility service road,” Mark offered. “It leads to a cell tower about two miles in. That’s all. He’s probably looking for us, unless he’s scouting out someplace for the Army to play war games or something. My guess is he’ll realize his mistake and come back out any time now.”

     At that exact moment, the staff car had come back into view and turned back onto Highway 83.

     So by the time Smitty had found the correct road and had made it to the black wall, the people in the compound had plenty of time to send out the alarm, get all its noncombatants to shelter, and post its combatants at their battle stations, ready to go to war if things need be.

     Smitty was a great courier. But stealthy he wasn’t.

     “I’ll go out and see what he wants,” John offered.

     Frank said, “I’ll go with you.”

     Smitty was debating about whether to get out and stretch his legs when two figures came around the corner of the black wall and approached him.

     Perfect timing.

     He opened the car door and exited, standing next to it at parade rest. Nestled in his hands, folded neatly behind him, was the sealed message he’d been tasked to deliver.

     “Good afternoon, Sergeant,” John called out as he and Frank drew nearer.

     “Good afternoon, sirs. I’m looking for a man named John, or a man named Frank.”

     “Well, today’s your lucky day, young man. It’s two for one day. You’ve found both of us.”

     “I am Colonel Travis Montgomery’s personal courier. I have been asked to give you this, and to stand by for your response.”

     He handed Frank an official letter, folded in thirds, on light green Army stationary. A thick sheet of Army green paper provided a cover, and the message was stapled on both ends. Colonel Montgomery had signed his name across the seal.

     Frank removed the staples with his thumbnail and opened the communiqué, holding it out slightly so John could read it at the same time.

     John smiled as he read it. Frank showed no emotion at all.

     Frank addressed Smitty.

     “You say you’ve been told to stand by for our response?”

     “Yes, sir.”

     “Very well. Let us take the colonel’s proposal and consult with the rest of our group. We’ll try not to keep you waiting long. Are you in a hurry to get back?”

     “No, sir. Not at all.”

     “Very well. We’ll be back soon.”

     As they walked back and approached the gate, John called in.

     “We’re coming in. Can someone open the gate for us?”

     Hannah said, “It’s all clear, Brad. Go ahead and let them in.”

     Brad opened the gate and stepped aside as his friends walked past.