JAA Ch. 01: Aftermath

A roar from inside the stadium brought their attention back to the task. Cappy slowly squeezed through the doorway and stepped to the side. Michelle followed him in stepping to the other side. What they saw on the stadium floor shocked and angered them. A polar bear stood, sniffing the air, as two children huddled at the top of the bleachers.

Cappy raised his rifle to his shoulder and fired a burst at the bear. It went down without a sound. Another roar rose from the far end of the stadium as another white bear rose on its haunches looking toward Cappy. Cappy fired another burst. The bear dropped to its feet and started to charge.

Michelle raised her rifle and put a long burst into the animals head. It went down not ten feet away.

"There's two more in here somewhere," a woman's voice called from above them.

Cappy and Michelle slowly started to move forward alert for any movement. They could hear the bears grunting about something but could not see them. There was a mass of beds and cots in the middle of the stadium floor and vision was limited.

A roar came from Michelle's side of the stadium. Cappy spun in the direction of the roar and saw Michelle fall backward as the bear rose to its hind feet not two feet from her. Cappy fired a burst into the animal's chest knocking it over backward. Michelle scrambled to her feet just as another bear came charging through the beds and cots. Michelle raised her rifle and pulled the trigger several times. Round after round hit the bear, yet it kept charging. Cappy raised his rifle and fired a long burst that stitched down the animal's side. It slid to a halt at Michelle's feet.

Michelle pressed the clip release and let it drop to the floor as she slammed a new one home. Cappy did the same. They cautiously moved farther into the stadium watching all sides, people started to come out of hiding. One woman ran past Cappy to kneel at the body by the door. Another ran up the bleachers to the two children. Other's came out to greet Michelle and Cappy. Some limped out, with scratches and deep gouges in their arms and legs.

"All of you that are hurt come out here a let me take a look at you. I'm a doctor and we're here to help." A sigh went through the crowd now slowly coming toward Michelle and Cappy.

"You," Cappy spotted a man slowly walking toward them, "go open another door and air this foul smelling place out."

"That will let the cold air in here."

"Better that than choking on the stench in here. Now go do as I say. You go help him." Cappy told another man.

As Michelle worked, Cappy stood watching. He enlisted several women to help her. Soon there was a chill in the air but the smell had subsided. The men and women who were not hurt started to put their little community back together. A pretty but, dirt-encrusted woman strode up to Cappy.

"When is the government going to get us out of here?" Cappy laughed in her face.

"There is no government anymore."

"Aren't you from the government?"

"No."

"You're not in the Army?"

"No."

"Then what are doing with Army weapons?"

"Helping you, now why don't you go take a bath? You stink to high heaven."

"We have no water to bathe, just to drink."

"Well then stand back from me. Go over there until I call for you."

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" She asked pointing her chin at Cappy.

"I'm the man with the gun," Cappy said calmly.

Michelle looked up from what she was doing to glare at the woman before Cappy. She glared back at Michelle, which in Cappy's opinion was a mistake. Michelle rose from her kneeling position and walked to the woman. Michelle put a hand in the middle of her chest and pushed, hard. The woman fell over backward.

"Now, the next time he or I tell you to do something, you do it. Is that clear?" Michelle yelled at her.

"Yes," the woman answered.

Michelle calmly walked back to her patients. Cappy just stared at the woman until she climbed to her feet and moved to a cot some distance from Cappy and Michelle and sat glaring at the both of them.

It was an hour later that Michelle finished sewing up and bandaging those mauled by the bears. She packed her things and hoisted her pack to her shoulder.

"Let's have a look around before we do anything else for these people," Cappy told her.

Michelle nodded her head as they both started walking toward what should be the locker rooms.

"It's getting a little cold in here, should we have them close the doors?"

"Not until they have all showered."

"I agree."

Cappy and Michelle walked into the men's locker rooms. The stench was almost unbearable. Cappy jumped up on a bench and opened a window. The stench was out the open window replaced by the chill air of the stadium. Walking to the showers Cappy turned one on. A stream of cold water shot out of the showerhead.

"No water for bathing. That bitch was just too lazy. Or she doesn't like to take cold showers." Michelle said.

"I should be able to get the water heaters working again," Cappy replied.

The two stayed together as they looked for the equipment room. They found it with a large padlock on the door. Cappy hit it with the butt of his rifle, smashing it open. He entered the room and found the gas line cut and the valve closed.

"Son of a bitch, why would someone do this?"

Michelle stepped in and looked.

"That was done just recently and with a hacksaw. I have some surgical rubber in my kit. Could we fix it with that?"

"We might. Let's see it."

Michelle backed out of the small room and opened her pack. She pulled out three pouches and handed them to Cappy. She then pulled out three rolls of surgical tape. The surgical rubber was in tube form. Michelle had given Cappy three of the biggest tubes she carried.

She watched as he tried the first tube. It almost stretched enough to slip onto the pipe but caught on the rough edge and tore.

"I was afraid of that," Cappy said, pulling his multi-tool out and flipping the file out for use.

He went to work on easing the edges of the cuts so the tube easily slid by the smooth edges. It took him a half an hour to do both sides of the cut.

"Do you have any KY in your kit?"

"Yes, hold on a second," Michelle smiled.

Rummaging around in her pack, she found the tube of KY and handed it to Cappy. He squeezed some out onto the pipe and inside the tube. He then stretched the tube over the end of the pipe and slipped it on easily. He did the same with the other end. Cappy pushed the two ends of the pipe together. The gap between them was small. He wound the tape around the tubing as tight as he could pull it without tearing. Once both sides of the tube were secure, he cut the tubing away on the off side of the tape.

"Alcohol?" Cappy asked.

Michelle handed him a bottle of alcohol and a cloth, which he used to clean the pipe and the tape. He then wound the tape around the pipe and the taped end of the tube he had just cleaned.

"That should do it," he said to himself.

Cappy reached for the valve and turned it on. He pulled his lighter from a pocket on his vest and flicked it to life. The gas pilot light lit instantly. The main burner puffed to life a few seconds after that. Cappy put his lighter away and stood, admiring his handy work.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Screamed the woman Michelle had pushed. Michelle spun around to face the charging woman. As the woman got close enough, Michelle planted her foot and kicked her in the stomach sidestepping her as she fell.

"You did this?" Michelle asked. "You bitch."

Three men stood at the end of the hallway keeping back the others.

Cappy raised his rifle pointing it at the men.

"Let them pass," Cappy called out.

The three men stopped trying to hold the crowd back. The crowd of people surged forward to stop just in front of Cappy.

"You cut the gas line and put a lock on this door so no one could fix it?"

The woman on the floor just scowled at her. Michelle stepped over to her and kicked her in the ass.

"Well did you?"

"Fuck you bitch," she screamed at Michelle.

Michelle squatted down next to her head and slapped her hard across the face. The woman just glared at Michelle, so she hit her repeatedly until the fire in the woman's eyes went out.

"Yes, yes, I did it, all right?"

"Why?" Michelle asked softly.

"To control them, why else?"

Michelle stood with a disgusted look on her face.

"Give her to them," Michelle said without pity in her voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there will be hot water shortly. I have made a temporary repair to your boiler. When you get a chance, you should make a permanent repair. When the water is hot, I want you all to take a good long shower. Then, I want you to clean this pigsty up. Is that clear?"

Everyone shook their heads yes. The three men who had held them back were now in arm locks by other men in the crowd. The woman who stood before Cappy was glaring at the woman on the floor.

Cappy signaled the women and they surged forward grabbing the woman on the floor by her hair and dragging her, kicking a screaming back to the stadium floor. Cappy and Michelle waited by the boiler room while the rest of the crowd hurried to the stadium floor.

Michelle started to move toward the door and Cappy thought to stop her but, instead, he followed. The people had put the four up on the bleachers. There was a woman talking to the rest of the crowd.

"We are not like them and I never want to be like them. I say we kick their ass out into the snow. Let them fend for themselves out there."

The rest of the crowd agreed somewhat. Another woman jumped up on the bleachers.

"This asshole," she said kicking the man in the crotch and watching him fall to the floor, "raped me. He raped me repeatedly. I think we should cut his balls off."

"No! Exile him with them. We are not killers and he would surely die from his wounds. Exile, exile, exile," the woman chanted repeatedly until the crowd was in total agreement.

Three other women came up to the man lying on the floor and kicked him several times. Michelle ran over and stopped them. Pushing the women away, she turned to the three still standing on the bleachers.

"Grab him and get your asses out of here. And if you ever come back I will shoot you myself." She leaned over the man on the floor. "If you come back or I see you out there, I will castrate you myself. I'm a doctor and you won't die if I do it and you'll be pissing out a plastic tube the rest of your life." She turned and walked away.

The four of them gathered some of their things, those that the others would let them take, and headed for the door. Cappy preceded them as he stood by the SUV.

"You have vehicles that work! You son of a bitch," the woman screamed at him.

Cappy just smiled at her as he waved at them all. Opening the door, he reached in and pulled the keys from the ignition stuffing them in his pocket. He locked all the doors and turned to watch the four struggling to walk down the street.

Cappy went back into the stadium and stood next to Michelle as she watched the four out the door.

"Mister?" a shy voice behind them asked.

"You can call me Cappy," he told the young woman.

"Cappy, will we ever get any help?"

"I'm afraid not. You and the others here will have to help yourselves. Staying here will not be wise."

"Then where shall we go?"

"South," Michelle chimed in.

"How?"

"Walk," Michelle, told her.

"Or ride. Find some buses that haven't been ruined yet and drive them down south."

"I guess we could do that," she looked at them sheepishly.

"Now go take a shower and get this place cleaned up," Michelle told her, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders and turning her, then giving her a gentle push toward the showers.

A man was standing in the doorway watching them.

"You, you look capable, before you get cleaned up help me drag these bears out in the hall here so we can dress them and freeze the meat for you."

His eyes lit up at the mention of meat. His thought processes had not connected the bears with eating until Cappy mentioned the possibility. He turned and went back into the stadium. He appeared a few seconds later dragging a bear by its feet. The smooth stadium floor made it possible for him to drag the thousand-pound animal.

While Cappy and the man dressed the bears, the rest of the people had taken their showers under the strict supervision of Michelle. They had then cleaned the stadium, garbage burned outside in a dumpster. Michelle had found some washing machines and a generator. She had one of the men start the generator and then had the women gather the clothes and linen to wash.

Cappy and the man helping him wrapped the bear meat in some newsprint Cappy had found stacked in a corner of the stadium and placed in boxes outside to freeze. They placed some just inside the main door to keep chilled. The population of the stadium had been washed and their home cleaned when Cappy stood inside the locker room undressing. Michelle sat there to guard not only his clothes but also his weapons.

After his shower, Cappy redressed and walked to the main door with Michelle. As they walked through the stadium the people inside thanked them profusely. A committee of three was waiting for them at the main entrance.

"Sir, Ma'am... Doctor, we want to express our deepest thanks."

"You are welcome," Cappy replied. Michelle smiled at the three.

"How long do you think we have before we have to move on?"

"I don't know. Our group will be leaving in a couple of weeks. If you like, you can join us as we travel south. You have enough bear meat to last you until then. There are several grocery stores around here from which, you should be able to scavenge canned goods. Do watch out for the bears, they have been traveling farther south than is their usual habitat.

"We will send someone to let you know where we are when we are ready to go. You have a couple of weeks to get ready, gather as many vehicles as you can or think you will need."

"We will and thank you again."

"Take care," Michelle, told them turning and stepping through the door.

Cappy nodded to them and followed her out to the truck. Cappy got in the driver's seat and started the truck. He put it in gear and drove away.

An hour later Cappy and Michelle were sitting in the truck as Cappy tried to start it after it stalled. Nevertheless, the truck was dead. The battery was okay, the motor just would not catch.

"Crap, it looks like we walk back. It's too late now, so I suggest we stay in the truck for the night."

"It is getting dark and I'm exhausted," Michelle said climbing in the backseat.

Cappy waited while she put the back seat down, then climbed in back with her. They spread a rolled up pad that had been stowed in the truck and pulled out their sleeping bags. Cappy unzipped them all the way and then attached them to each other so that they were one double bag.

Michelle and Cappy climbed in the bag, snuggled up to each other, and went to sleep.

Chapter 9

The tundra stretched for miles in every direction. Barren and devoid of life, this part of a once great country lay wasting away. Here and there, a jumble of concrete and glass lay where a once proud building stood. Off to the right was the dry lakebed of a once magnificent body of water. The chill in the air froze the breath as it came out of your nose, dropping to the ground as little ice crystals.

The two figures, wrapped in dark clothing from head to foot, stood back to back searching the horizon. Weapons at the ready, they were prepared to defend themselves. The expanding ice cap on the Arctic Ocean had forced the Polar Bears further south than they usually roamed. Two lay dead not far from the two people, patches of bloodied fur the only mark on them.

A single head peeked over the rise looking at the two people, from the lakebed. It hesitated a second before it slowly climbed up onto the bank. The two people slowly moved away from the lakebed and the two dead bears. They started off, carefully walking backward as two more bears climbed up onto the shore. The bears had found their meal for today and were no longer interested in the two humans who receded into the distance.

Once they were one hundred meters away, the two turned and walked speedily away from the bears. Roars startled them to a halt, both looking over their shoulders. They could just make out the forms of the bears as they fought over their dead fellows.

"Why have they come this far south?" The voice was that of a female.

"I guess the pickin's are slim further north." A male voice answered the question.

They continued their way occasionally glancing over their shoulders. Even though they were well armed, a bear was nothing to be trifled with. They could be laying not fifty feet from you. You could walk right by one and never know you had been in danger.

"Start curving to the north, Michelle, we need to avoid the little branch of the north river."

"Okay," she replied turning to her right.

The two continued in silence, the only sound the crunch of the snow under their boots. As long as they kept walking, they would not freeze. The cold was numbing on any exposed parts of their skin. They both wore goggles and ski hats under their parka's that covered most of their face. All the parts except those covered by the goggles were covered with layers of cloth.

Their destination was one of the last enclaves of mankind this far north. An enclave that was preparing to move further south now that all of those who had survived in the frigid north had moved to temperate climates to the south. Michelle and Cappy had been to see one of those places people took refuge after the eruption. What they had found revolted them.

Michelle stopped suddenly as she topped a rise. Just as suddenly, she dropped to the ground on her belly. Cappy halted just short of the rise, stepping to the right five paces and dropping to his belly. He crawled to the top to peer over a rock just below him. Five people were coming up the hill right toward them. Yet they evidently had not spotted Michelle, who slowly backed down the hill.

As Cappy watched, the group slowed and turned to their left, to go around the rise they had started climbing. Cappy noticed the insignia on their sleeve as they turned. They were soldiers of the Socialist Freedom Reform Movement. This was a laugh because they were communist Chinese and members of the PLA. What they were doing this far north was anybody's guess. Not wanting a fight, Cappy too, slowly moved down the rise. Turning to Michelle, he signaled her to move to her left around the rise.

Michelle nodded, got up and started walking to her left, staying well below the top of the rise. Cappy followed suit and walking backward the last ten meters witnessed the group of soldiers rounding the rise. They appeared not to notice Cappy as he backed out of sight. Nevertheless, it was a sure chance that they would spot the footprints in the snow once they crossed Michelle and Cappy's path.

As Cappy walked, he pulled his white coat out of his pack. Michelle did the same. Once they had donned their coats, they would be invisible to the naked eye the only telltale being their clouds of breath. They quickened their pace to put as much distance between them and the soldiers. Now, though, the white would reflect the sun's meager heat rather than absorb it as the dark cloth had.

Michelle came upon the soldier's footprints in the snow and turned to follow them, as they were going in the direction Michelle and Cappy were headed. Cappy was walking backward as the soldiers came running around the rise. He halted dropping slowly to his knee. Michelle just kept on walking not realizing that Cappy had stopped and un-slung his rifle. The soldiers kept coming, following the footsteps until they joined the beaten path of their passage.