Without law 9, p.1
Without Law 9, page 1
Eric Vall
Chapter 1
The morning was cold and wet, and ice and slush were all over the ground since the sun had begun to melt the snow. Now our small college campus looked like it had won the battle with winter. Small patches of green came up around the slush, and spring was nearly upon us.
We had survived the worst of the winter, and I was ready for the warmer months to arrive. Our preparedness had paid off and we still had some food in the pantry, clean water, and even electricity.
Some of the winter nights had been dreadfully cold, and we had spent those nights as a group in the common area since it was warmer next to the wood stove. It had been a strange but wonderful bonding experience, and I was proud of each of the civilians, farmers, and especially my girls.
After we had blown the bridge there hadn’t been much trouble with Canadians. There were a few instances where someone tried to make it across the water, but mostly we watched as desperate people drowned in the river, or made their way through the snow and freezing cold toward the promise of warmth in the south. Part of me hoped that some of them had made it. Not all of those people could have been bad, they were only trying to survive like the rest of us.
Most of winter had been spent doing chores, hunting, or hanging out inside playing games. It had been far easier than some winters I had experienced in the Army, but I knew that would mean nothing. Now that winter was at its end we had to head back out into the world, for better or worse. And there was no telling which way it had gone.
It was just after dawn as I walked the cows toward the river. The cold air felt good on my face, and the sky was lit with the colors of the early morning.
“You know,” Anna, my second in command said. “I think Bailey’s right. Cows are pretty cute.”
“Wait till you see the babies,” Jenny, one of the civilians, snickered. The cows belonged to her family, and she had volunteered to come along to help get the cows some water and exercise.
“The babies are pretty cute,” I agreed.
The two redheads walked on either side of me and assisted with herding the cows toward the water supply.
I could tell that some of the animals were pregnant, and with the spring would come the birth of more livestock.
Winchester, the community dog, barked happily as he nipped at the ankles of the herd and kept them going at a steady pace while we made our way through the trees and down the small hill toward the river. I could hear the rushing water when we got closer, and the air smelled amazingly fresh.
The snow melt had run off into the river and it was particularly high. As we reached the water everyone settled in. Winchester came to sit by me, Anna and Jenny stood and watched as the cows guzzled down the cold liquid, and I scanned the area to be sure there were no threats around.
Spring time was the season for bears, and I didn’t want another run in with one of those beasts.
“You see anything?” Anna asked when she saw me looking around.
“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “But it’s bear season.”
“Right,” Jenny agreed. “They’ll be waking up from hibernation any day now.”
“Yes,” I said. “And they’ll be thirsty, so we need to be careful and keep an eye out.”
“Well, Bailey isn’t with us,” Anna laughed, in reference to the two separate occasions that Bailey had been attacked by a bear.
“Aw,” Jenny said. “Poor Bailey, that must have been terrifying.”
“It was,” I said. “But she handled herself very well.”
“She always does,” Anna said.
“And I bet Winchester was a big help, too,” Jenny said, and the black headed dog ran toward her for pets.
“He was,” I agreed. “He let us know that the bear was there.”
“You know,” Anna said. “I never understood why bears were so cranky in the spring.”
“Right?” Jenny blurted. “I mean they just slept for like three months.”
“Right!” Anna laughed. “If I slept that long I would be in the greatest mood ever.”
“It’s not really that they’re cranky,” I chuckled. “But they have babies to think about.”
“Yeah,” Anna said. “But people don’t really hunt babies, do they?”
“Not typically,” I answered. “But it’s not unheard of.”
“I guess if I was a mom I’d be pretty cranky if some stranger came into my home with a gun,” Jenny said with a slight frown.
“Exactly,” I agreed.
The cows had all gotten a drink, and now a couple of them ventured a few feet into the water to splash and play.
“They seem so happy,” Anna laughed.
“They love spring time,” Jenny said with a smile. “They’ve been cooped up for months. It’s nice to get out.”
“They aren’t the only ones,” Anna said. “I’m so glad winter is almost over.”
“It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be,” Jenny said. “A lot better than the first winter.”
“That’s because we prepared,” I said.
“That did make it a lot easier,” Jenny said.
One of the cows fell into the water and called out with a strained voice as it struggled to stand up.
“Shit,” Anna breathed, and she rushed toward the river.
“She’s okay,” Jenny assured her, and Anna stopped in her tracks.
The cow pulled itself up and made its way back to shore.
“See,” Jenny said with a smile.
“Okay,” Anna agreed. “I’m not sure how I was going to pull her out anyway.”
“You would have figured something out,” I told her. “You always do.”
“With no help from you,” the redhead teased.
“Hey,” Jenny said, and I turned to her. “Winchester seems upset.”
I followed her eye line to see that the black headed dog stared directly into the trees. The fur on his back stood up and he let out a low, threatening growl.
“What is--” Jenny started to ask, but I cut her off with a raised fist.
I quickly scanned the area. The trees were dense and difficult to see through, but I followed Winchester’s lead and finally spotted the beast in the trees.
“Fuck,” I said.
“What?” Jenny asked with a panicked voice.
“Wolf,” Anna said grimly, and she pointed through the trees.
About twenty yards away sat a large gray wolf. I could just see his head through the trees, but he had his lips pulled back into a snarl, and he walked slowly back and forth, stalking his prey.
“What do we do?” Jenny asked. “Do we shoot it?”
“Yes,” I answered. “But if there’s one, there are others as well.”
“Get your gun ready,” Anna told the other redhead.
The women readied their side arms as I pulled my own handgun and searched the trees for any signs of the pack.
Winchester continued to growl and snarl as he watched the gray wolf pace around us. The cows had grown uncomfortable, and a few of them tried to run but were pushed back to the group by myself or one of the girls.
“There,” Anna said, and she pointed to my right.
“And there,” I said with a point to my left where Anna stood.
“Fuck,” the redhead breathed.
I took one final scan through the trees. I spotted six members of the pack, including the alpha that Winchester continued to watch.
The cows were obviously upset, and if one of them ran that would be an easy dinner for the wolves. I couldn’t risk letting one of them get away.
“Alright,” I said in a calm tone. “They have us surrounded.”
“What?” Jenny asked with wide eyes.
“Don’t panic,” Anna told her. “We’re going to be fine.”
“I want you both to slowly turn around and face the trees,” I said.
“Alright,” Jenny agreed, and she made a sloppy half circle and stared at the tree line.
“Line up your shots,” I commanded as I set my own sights on the alpha that Winchester continued to growl at.
“I can’t see you,” Anna said. “Tell us when to shoot.”
“Steady,” I said as I lined up the perfect kill shot.
The large gray wolf looked at me, and there was no fear in his eyes, so I took a long breath to steady my hand.
“Now!” I shouted, and we all fired in unison.
The gray wolf I had my sights on went down with a shot between the eyes, and the cows screeched in terror and splashed into the water for safety as the large beast crumpled to the forest floor.
“Got it!” Jenny yelled excitedly.
I knew Anna had eliminated her target as well, but she said nothing. We had managed to take out the first three, but there were still three more.
Suddenly, Winchester started to go berserk. The hair on his back stood up even further, and he began to snarl and bark and bounce back and forth like he was a boxer in the ring.
I looked to the trees to see that the remaining wolves had begun to dart around, occasionally jumping through the trees to snap their jaws at us. I also noticed that there were three more to replace the three we had taken out, so the one I had gotten before couldn’t have been the alpha.
A new wolf had taken its place, it was larger than all the others, and instead of darting around like its pack, it held steady and waited to give the order to attack.
“What do we do?” Jenny asked as she pointed her gun at the trees and swung it back and forth as the wolves ran around h er.
“Stay calm,” I told her.
If we started to shoot wildly, the wolves would definitely take the opportunity to catch us off guard and attack from the side. I wasn’t worried about Anna, but Jenny wasn’t used to being in situations like this, and wolves could be particularly tricky.
The cows were already upset from the wolves and gunshots, and they continued to moo like crazy. It was somewhat distracting, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and focused on the task at hand.
“Line up a target,” I commanded.
“They’re running around!” Jenny cried.
“Pick one and stick with it!” Anna told her as she kept her gun locked on one of the females.
“Do not move your feet,” I directed. “You stay there and hold your ground.”
“Whatever you do,” Anna said. “Don’t run!”
“Alright,” Jenny said with a nervous voice.
I lined up my shot at the alpha, but I knew he’d be difficult to get since he had used a decoy earlier. Wolves were notoriously smart, which meant we had to be smarter.
“Now!” I shouted as I pulled my trigger.
The alpha darted just as my shot went off and for a second he disappeared into the trees, only to spring forward and make a run toward me.
The large gray wolf was intercepted by Winchester, who pounced into his side and knocked him off course.
“Keep shooting!” I commanded as I lined up another shot on the alpha.
I heard the girls’ guns go off, but I kept my focus on the alpha.
He and Winchester circled each other with bared teeth. It would be impossible to get a shot on the wolf without injuring the dog as well, so I waited for my opportunity.
Winchester was a large dog, but he paled in comparison to the massive gray wolf. The alpha had to be almost two hundred pounds of pure muscle, with a head double the size of Winchester’s.
“Fuck!” Jenny cried. “I keep missing!”
“Hold your ground,” I told her without taking my eye off the alpha. “Keep steady and don’t move.”
While Jenny unloaded her magazine carelessly, trying to take any shot she could, Anna shot far less frequently, but with a much better payoff, I was sure.
I still didn’t have a shot on the wolf, and in a split second he made the decision to attack.
The alpha wolf snarled, lunged at Winchester, hooked his teeth around the black-headed dog’s throat, and then tossed him to the ground.
I knew the dog was in trouble.
“Fuck,” I muttered, and I ran toward the two.
“Tav!” Anna yelled.
“Keep your position!” I yelled back as I ran toward where the alpha had Winchester in his grasp.
I needed an upward angle so my shot didn’t hit Winchester.
I ran until I was only ten feet from the two of them and slid onto the ground with my pistol extended out and pointed up.
I took the shot before the wolf could look in my direction, and the massive beast crumpled on top of Winchester.
“They’re retreating!” Anna called out.
“Hold your ground!” I yelled back. I knew they wouldn’t stay without their alpha, but I couldn’t risk one of them attacking when we thought they were gone.
I stood up, pointed my gun at the trees, and waited until I was sure the pack was gone.
“They’re gone!” I hollered.
“Winchester!” Anna cried, and she ran toward me.
Chapter 2
“Is he okay?” Anna breathed as she crouched down next to me.
I slowly hefted the alpha’s body away from Winchester.
“You okay, boy?” I cooed as I finished pushing the beast off him.
The black-headed dog whined low and stared up at me with sad and scared eyes.
“He’s hurt,” Anna said.
“Yeah,” I whispered as I looked over the dog.
“We need to get him to Marla,” Jenny said quickly.
“You two need to get the cows back to the courtyard,” I told them. “Can you handle that?”
“Of course,” Anna said with a nod.
“Keep your weapons drawn,” I said. “They could come back.”
“We got this,” Anna said. “Now go.”
“Come on, buddy.” I scooped up Winchester quickly and ignored his feeble attempt to bite me. I knew he was in pain, it was a natural response, but once I had him in my arms, he sighed heavily and leaned his head against my chest.
I ran through the woods as quickly as I could while Winchester continued to whine. As I reached the break in the trees by campus, I looked down to see that he had bled all over my shirt.
“It’s okay, boy,” I told him. “We’re gonna get you some help. You are a good boy.”
I came to the front door of the dorm building and kicked the bottom to get somebody’s attention.
“Oh, my God!” Paige said, and she rushed to the door and opened it for me. “What happened?”
“Wolves,” I said quickly as I made my way inside. “I need Marla.”
“Get Marla!” Paige screeched at Tara.
The platinum blonde jumped up quickly and ran upstairs while Paige looked over Winchester.
“His neck is covered with blood,” the brunette breathed.
“He took on a gray wolf,” I said solemnly.
“It doesn’t exactly look like he won,” Paige said with a frown.
“No,” I said. “It doesn’t.”
Winchester’s eyes were big and scared when I looked down at him, and his breath was ragged from his injury.
“Let me through,” I heard Marla say behind me, and Paige and I stepped aside for her.
“Is Winchester alright?” Bailey asked as she rushed down the stairs.
“I need to examine him,” Marla said.
“Oh, Winchester,” Bailey said, and she ran to crouch by his head and stroke him.
The blonde started to cry as she petted the black headed dog. Her hand made slow strokes on his head and her mouth fell open as her sobs became more fierce.
“Bailey,” Marla said gently. “He’s going to be okay, but I need you to calm down while I work on him.”
“You’re right,” Bailey said as she wiped a tear away. “I’m sorry.”
I reached over and pulled Bailey into me, and she turned and sobbed against my chest for a moment before wiping her tears away.
“I’m okay,” the blonde said. “Thank you.”
“It’ll be alright,” I told her with a kiss to her forehead.
Outside, I heard the cows, so I stepped out into the cold air to see Anna and Jenny bringing the livestock into the courtyard.
“How is he?” Anna asked when she saw me.
“I’m not sure yet,” I said. “Marla’s giving him a look over now.”
“Bailey hasn’t seen yet, has she?” the redhead asked.
“I’m afraid so,” I sighed.
“She must be distraught,” Anna said with a frown.
“She is,” I agreed. “But I think he’ll be okay.”
“Hey,” Tara said as she stepped out of the dorm building with Dan.
“Is Bailey doing okay?” Jenny asked the platinum blonde.
“She’s still blubbering,” Tara said. “But a bit quieter since Marla told her to calm down.”
“How are the cows?” I asked. “They were a bit out of sorts back there.”
“They seem to have calmed down a bit,” Jenny said.
“I figured I’d come help Jenny out,” Dan said. “That way you guys can get back in there.”
“Thanks,” I said. “The cows can hang out here for a while and graze if there’s enough grass.”
“They’ll get a nice snack out of it,” Dan agreed.
“You all should get inside,” Jenny said softly. “Bailey and Winchester need you.”
“Thank you,” I said and I led my girls back into the dorm building.
Winchester was still laid out on the coffee table and Marla and Paige stood over him and poked and prodded at him. Bailey still sat by his head, her forehead against his as she rubbed his ear.
“How’s it lookin’, doc?” I asked.
“Well,” Marla sighed. “He’s got a few good puncture wounds, but he’ll make it.”
“Thank God,” Anna exhaled.
“He’s going to be sore as hell for a while though,” Marla said. “And I don’t want him running around until he heals.”
“Understood,” I said. “Is there anything that we can do?”
“Not right now,” Marla said. “I rubbed some ointment into the wounds and cleaned him up, but he’s not going to want to move for a couple days I bet.”
