A Creature of War, Book 4, CH08 (Patreon)

They reached Houston under a month, even with taking the time to search every city and town on the way for supplies. Unfortunately, they had nothing edible left, or people.

Houston was well populated, and patrolled, but was exclusively a human city. Still, Vee and his people were treated well, if with wariness. In exchange for some of the extra bows and arrows, they got dried meats, and a place with a roof to spend the night. In the morning, they were moving again.

Not long after leaving Houston, the ground fell away on the right side of the road, a cliff leading to the water below. This wasn’t new. The cliff was smooth with time, and in places where the ground had fallen out from under the road pylons had been erected to support it, and those were showing signs of erosion.

LRK tried to sense if the erosion was caused due to the change, but he couldn’t sense anything from them. Concrete hadn’t been an easy thing to sense. The process that made it changed it into something that wasn’t earth anymore, but there had been enough left that he had been able to sense it. Now, it was as if it wasn’t there.

Without being able to confirm how solid they were, Vee had them detour and follow the cliff rather than risk the road and old pylons.

The humidity of spring gave way to the dry heat of summer. The cities were still empty of supplies, but now they were into forested land so they could hunt, and by now they had done enough of it, all the way through South America, that they’d even taught themselves how to tan hides. Their new additions picked up on how quickly.

So they were hopeful they’d have plenty to trade when they came to a sign announcing they were reaching the city of Lake Charles, and they could see ramparts in the distance. What they didn’t expect was for the wall to run over the road and for there to be a gate guarded by a dozen men armed with bows.

Vee stopped when one of them shot an arrow at his feet.

“That’s far enough,” the man called.

“My designation is VDK, of the First Speci—”

“I don’t care.”

“I am a representative of the US military,” Vee said. “We’re on our way to—”

“I said I don’t give a damn who you are. Maybe you missed the message, but there isn’t a United States anymore. It’s every city for itself now, and as far as I’m concerned, your kind is the reason for it. You’re not natural, if they hadn’t made the lot of you, we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

Vee ground his teeth. “My kind has been fighting wars for your kind for over five hundred years. We’ve served our human officers without questions. We’ve died for your kind.”

“Yeah,” the man sounded bored, “Unless you’re looking to join all the others who’ve died for us, you’re going to put your weapons and packs down. You’re going to leave your carts and walk around the wall and continue on your way.”

El looked at where the ground gave way and the sound of water hitting it came. He could sense further that the water extended under the road, making the pylons supporting it, also the only thing supporting the wall there.

The man followed the lynx’s gaze. “You can swim if you want. I don’t care. I just want you out of here.”

“We’re not leaving you our supplies, but we’re willing to trade you some of our weapons and tanned hides for food, then we’ll leave.”

The man raised his bow and let an arrow loose.

El had expected something like this and had been focusing on the surrounding air. With a muttered “No” under his breath he had the wind divert the arrow so it hit the ground a few meters before them. He kept focusing and closed his hands into fists to keep them from shaking.

“We don’t want to fight you,” Vee said as if he hadn’t been shot at. “But if you attack us again, I will designate you an enemy combatant and respond in kind.” He took the bow off his back and strung it. Those behind them did the same. “El, how long can you keep their arrows off us?”

“I can agitate the air between them and us for a while, but I don’t have the precision I used to. I can’t promise I won’t knock your arrows off too.”

Vee notched an arrow, but kept it pointed at the ground. “I repeat, we are only looking to trade and pass through. Do not force my hand.”

“You think we’re scared of you?” the man had another arrow in his bow, and the others on the wall were ready to shoot. “That was a warning shot. The next one goes through your heart.”

“Soldiers!” Vee called. “If they attack, respond with wounding shots only! You are to avoid enemy casualties whenever possible, as misguided as they are they are still American citizens, is that understood!”

“Yes, Sir!” They responded as one.

Arrows came at them before the air was done reverberating. With a mental push the air exploded, sending them tumbling.

“Fire!” Vee ordered while the men reached for another arrow. And the arrows the soldiers let loose found their targets. For a moment there was no one standing on the wall, then more came to replace the fallen men.

El wasn’t able to keep all enemy arrows from reaching them, and a few times he disrupted his side’s arrows, but with Vee there to heal their injuries almost as soon as they occurred they remained standing, while the men on the wall kept falling, until fewer and fewer of them came, and eventually a white flag was waved.

Vee motioned, and the soldiers lowered their bows, keeping the arrows notched.

“Please stop,” a woman called.

“Show yourself.”

She stood, holding the flag. She was older, her hair gray, her face wrinkled.

“Do you surrender?” Vee asked.

“Promise me you won’t hurt anyone else.” She kept her fear under control, her voice barely trembling.

“You have my word that we won’t fire on anyone who doesn’t attack us first.”

After a slight hesitation, she nodded. “We surrender.”

“Open your gate and let us in. Anyone holding a weapon when we enter will be considered hostile and treated accordingly. I tried being friendly. Your people opened the hostility. I will not take any chances. Is that understood?”

“We have—”

“No.” Vee tone was hard. “Anyone holding any kind of weapons will be considered an enemy. If you need time to ensure everyone is disarmed, I’ll give you until sunset. But take heed. If you use the time to try to mount a surprise attack, I will raze this city to the ground with everyone in it. Am I making myself clear?”

She nodded, then said, “yes sir. The gates will open before the sun sets.” She disappeared behind the wall.

Vee turned. “Mary, get as many people as you need and collect the arrows. Don’t worry about them being broken. We’ll go through them later. Stay on your guard. I don’t trust them. El, how—?”

“I have about three hundred meters in range. No fine control, but I can keep anything off us.”

Vee smiled. “I was going to ask how are you holding up?”

“It’s way more tiring than it used to. Moving this little air feels like I’m trying to shift the entire state’s air pattern.”

The statement got him surprised looks from the others as they passed to get the arrows.

“I can’t keep focused on you, so if they attack again and you need me to take away the exhaustion, call out.”

“I will, don’t worry.”

“Sidney! When the gate opens, I want four guards on it. It doesn’t close until everyone and the carts are inside. Anyone trying to close them before that is to be considered hostile.”

“Yes, Sir.”

They’d collected all the arrows, and the sun wasn’t quite touching the horizon when the gate opened. The woman, holding the white flag, stepped out.

Immediately, Sidney and three others stood at the gate. Vee, with El, DHC, RSM and IGJ went in. The injured men were against the wall, being tended to by women.

“Are you going to do anything for them?” El asked.

“I’m not healing the enemy.” Vee turned to the woman. “What’s your name?”

“Barbara.”

“Are you in charge?”

She looked in the men’s direction.

“I’m not dealing with them,” Vee said. “If you’re not in charge, take me to whoever is.”

“I—I guess I am then. Richard is my husband.”

“Take me to your food stores.”

“Sir, we—”

The bull fixed his gaze on her. “You attacked us. By the rule of engagement I live under when I’m at war, I’m within my rights to take everything you have, right down to the buildings. Right now, all I’m interested in is seeing what you have so I can resupply my unit. Don’t push me, Barbara. I can do much worse to this city than what I’ve had to do at this point.”

She looked at the ground and sounded meek. “Yes, sir.”

The building she took them to was a grocery store. One large enough it should be capable of serving the entire city, but it was almost empty.

“This is all you have left?” Vee couldn’t keep all the dismay from his voice.

“Yes, sir.” She didn’t look up.

He looked around. “Okay, you can leave. If I need you, I’ll find you.”

She hurried outside.

“RSM, I need you to do a run around the city, see if they have another cache of food.”

The cheetah ran off.

“DHC, IGJ. Do a quick count of what’s here.”

Vee saw on one of the tables near the empty deli counter. “I expected them to have more. 

“Do you really think they have some hidden elsewhere?”

The bull shook his head. “That would mean they expected not to be able to repel an ‘invasion.’ They were too confident, and if not for you and me, they would have taken us down. It’s just that all the cities have been emptied.” He motioned to the cavernous space. “Where's the stuff they farmed? Back in South America, there were fields of farmland being tended to.”

“Back there, the people were used to farming. Here? I’m not sure we have anyone who knows how. It’s all machines now. Well, was. As for the cities, the residents would have brought that with them, so more people to feed. What do you want to do?”

“I don’t want them to starve, but we need to resupply. We can count on hunting, and maybe we’ll find canned food in some cities.” He paused. “Any idea what’s the next city that will be inhabited?”

“You’re the one familiar with the area. I’ve never been this far south in Louisiana before. But according to the map that was in San Antonio, Baton Rouge is the next large city on this road.”

Vee nodded. “Two hundred kilometers from here, according to that sign we saw before here. Two weeks, if we push hard, but that will leave us exhausted and in no state to deal with whatever will wait for us there.”

“Is there a point in rushing? Even pushing ourselves, we can’t make Vermont before winter, so we’re better off staying south until the next spring.”

“Then we need to make sure we have enough food to reach Baton Rouge, which leaves them with very little.”

“They have to have grazing animals. Even if that was automated, it’s easy enough to release them and watch over them.”

“Let’s see what they have, and then we’ll decide what to do.”

The cheetah returned moments after the count of the store was done. She shook her head before digging in her pack and devouring the dry meat she had.

When Vee left the building, in a pensive mood, it was dark outside. The little light was provided by oil lanterns hung by the door. El took one and followed.

The gate was closed, their carts lining the wall next to them, where the injured men had been tended to. Four soldiers were guarding them. Women were clearing the area by lantern light, using brooms and being careful not to pick up any of the arrows.

“Where’s everyone else?” Vee asked.

The otter pointed to a building across the gate. “They said we could sleep in there.”

“Did someone check it out?”

“Sydney, Sir. Before letting anyone in.”

Vee nodded. “What’s the rotation arrangement?”

The otter indicated a tall building. “The moon’s behind it. Once it’s visible at the top, we’ll get replaced.”

“Stay vigilant. I don’t trust them.”

“Yes, Sir.”

As they entered the building a badger blocked their way, letting them through once he’d seen them in the light. The building had been another store, by the large open space, which had been divided using sheets.

The sound of sex came from behind many of the sheets. Vee shook his head and looked at El. “You are a bad influence on them.”

“Hey, don’t look at me. Most of the guys already knew all about it from that woman in San Antonio, so they were bound to show the rest. Anyway, after that fight, they are entitled to get some relief.” He smiled at the bull. “Just like you are. So how about we find an unoccupied spot and show them how it’s really done?”

Vee rolled his eyes. “You are a bad influence on me.” But he let the lynx lead him to a quiet space, and they added the sound of their lovemaking to the others.