What I told Tonya about attacking was not braggadocio, because attacking the gaggle of Juicers before they could organize themselves was about the only choice I had. The odds were stacked against me as far as shear numbers were concerned, but I hoped my experience as a soldier and lawman would even the deck some. I had a thought and turned around to catch Tonya before she slipped out the back door.
"Tonya, see if you can free any more of the normal women while you are out there. Peek in the back doors of these next two buildings to your right. Gather up all you can find and circle counter clockwise around the camp until you get to the road. Whatever you do, don't take any unnecessary chances, if you see a Juicer, shoot first and ask questions later."
Tonya gave me a crooked little grin and a snappy salute.
"Aye-aye Captain," she said.
I rolled my eyes but returned her salute.
"One last thing before you go: Do you know about how many of these creatures are here?"
Tonya made a face and nodded.
"I counted eight men and twenty four of the women. Four of the women aren't fully changed yet. Most all of them have one of the beam rifles, but many of the power supply magazines are questionable. A few of them carry bows and arrows as a back up. Be careful honey, because these abominations are cunningly insane."
I told her, "yes dear," then watched as she moved out the back door. As soon as she was gone, I stooped low and rushed out of the building. I moved as fast as my legs would carry me for about ten yards, then I dropped to my belly and opened fire. I think the Juicers did not comprehend the threat I posed, until I started cutting them down with that second cylinder, because even after the two I'd shot earlier, they all sort of stood in a group and tried to return my fire. With them so close together, only the Juicers in the front of the mob had an unmasked shot at me. Of course those were the very muscle bound monsters I was duck shooting.
I fired three times, sprang to my feet and dashed toward the wood line near where I dropped the guard. I like my chances much better with some cover and concealment. Plus, by moving into the woods, I was diverting the Juicers' attention away from where Tonya was hopefully busy collecting the other normal women. Now all I had to do was keep their attention on me. I dropped to one knee a few feet from the wood line.
"Hey Juicers," I yelled. "Can't deal with a real man, can you? Throw down your weapons and surrender if you want to live."
As soon as I finished hollering, I dove for the ground. It was a good thing I did, as a couple of energy bolts cut up the leaves above my head. I grinned that my ploy exposed two more Juicers with functioning beam rifles. I returned them a well aimed piece of nineteenth century lead for their trouble. I sprang to my feet and took a couple of quick steps into the underbrush. At the end of the second step, I heard a crackling noise and someone shoved a white hot poker into the calf of my left leg. I yelped most unmanfully and pitched forward, face first into the underbrush.
When I fell, my pistol flew out of my hands and landed somewhere in the thicket. Somehow I composed myself enough to roll over and pull my stage gun from behind my back. My left leg was refusing to hold my weight, so I low-crawled forward to a break in the brush. I did not like what I saw even a little, as the Juicers were forming a ragged skirmish line. Directing the Juicers was a huge muscular mountain of a man with a bald head and a cruelly handsome face.
"Nice shot Farrell," the big man bellowed in a deep basso voice.
Then he hailed me.
"You there in the bushes, if we have to come get you, we'll kill you most gruesomely."
When I didn't answer, he cut loose with a couple of curses and turned his attention back to his people.
"Stay spread out and let's go get him, he can only fire single shots, so when you see that flash, everyone fire at it."
His instructions were good enough to cook my goose if I did not do something decisive. The head man was standing slightly behind the center of his line and partially screened from my view by two big women. I took a shot at him anyway. I steadied the shotgun, pulled back the rabbit ear hammers and fired both barrels towards the juicer leader. I rolled hard to my left as soon as I fired, ending up on my back about four feet away. I broke open the action of the shotgun and dug two fresh rounds out of my pouch as a stream of blasts from the beam rifles chewed up the woods from where I last fired.
The blast from the shotgun had stopped the advance in its tracks. Two more Juicers were down, but neither of them were Mister Big. He, in fact, was cursing and haranguing his cohorts to move forward once again.
I was in a bad situation, because my leg was still not cooperating holding my weight and I did not have nearly enough ammunition. I sighed, pulled back one hammer and sighted towards the big man again. The Juicers' leader must have figured out I was gunning for him, because he was crouched low behind some of his minions. With no clear shot at the leader, I took out another one of his soldiers that had a functioning weapon. The entire exercise reminded me of the Union Army's fruitless charges at our dug in troop at Fredericksburg. The difference here, though, was that I didn't have the ammunition to repulse all of them.
I was set to start worming my way deeper into the small thicket, when suddenly a beam rifle bolt hissed by me, headed in the opposite direction. One of the juicers cried out, grabbed his thigh and pitched forward. I jerked my head around and there was Lucy, kneeling about three paces away, her rifle humming as it recharged. She smiled wanly when I caught her eye. I tried to calm and reassure her to keep her in the fight.
"Good shooting, Lucy. We can treat the ones you wound, but no one can bring us back if they kill us."
Lucy gave me a curt nod. It was obvious that she found shooting someone distasteful, but was resigned to doing whatever was necessary.
"The long black mesh garment on some of them is a diffusion vest. You'll have to take care of those," she said, her voice only quavering slightly.
I nodded and did just that. The ranks in front of us had thinned somewhat, but we still had more than a dozen of the creatures in two ranks not thirty yards from us. I broke open my action as Lucy fired, and stuffed two more shells in the breach. It was small comfort that I was down to my last six shots. I drew a quick bead on my next target, just as one of the Juicers in the back rank pitched forward with an agonizing scream. Two second later, another crumpled. Tonya was obviously behind them at the corner of the building. I had seen enough killing for one night.
"Cease fire, cease fire," I yelled.
Everyone sort of froze when I started yelling, so I motioned Lucy over to me.
"Help me stand up Lucy, I am going to offer them terms."
She was by my side in a flash, concern written on her face. I answered her question before she could ask it.
"It's only a flesh wound in my calf, but it has numbed my leg."
Between us, we propped me up on my good leg. I called out again.
"We have you surrounded and in our crossfire. We aren't Valley Dwellers with stunners, and you have seen that we won't hesitate to kill you, so this is your one chance to surrender. Lay your weapons on the ground at your feet, back up three paces and sit down if you want to live."
Only the leader and one other Juicer chose the second option. I was prepared for the big man to put up an argument, and had my stage gun trained on him while I talked. As soon as he started yelling, I yanked back on both triggers. At almost the same instant, a Juicer in the front rank crumpled to the ground, his beam rifle harmlessly discharging into the dirt.
When the final accounting was completed, we had nineteen Juicer prisoners, five of them wounded. Thirteen were dead, including their gruesome leader and the large woman that was his second in command. We freed nine normal women, including Sonja and Tonya.
I was exceedingly happy when Lucy finally raised the militia unit on her radio and directed them to our location. They arrived shortly before sun up. The militia was commanded by Sheriff Greer's chief deputy, an older, taciturn man born and raised in the Outlands. He took one look around and pulled out his communication device.
"I'm going to need a lot more help out here, including medical personnel and more militia and a bunch of vehicles," he explained to Lucy.
Chief Deputy Thatcher could communicate back to New London, because he and his troops had placed some device he called a repeater every seven miles between where we were and the town.
I was bone-weary and my leg throbbed achingly, but I still stayed awake. As I sat with my leg propped up in front of the building full of trussed up Juicers, I reloaded my other two cylinders with powder packets, balls and primers, and mounted one in my Colt.
Tonya came over and sat by me. For all she'd been through, she appeared remarkably unfazed by her harrowing experience. The only indication that the ordeal affected her was the beam rifle she refused to part with.
"You saved my bacon, Tonya, but you were disobeying my order when you did it. Protecting those innocent civilians was more important than saving my worthless hell-bound hide," I said in mild reproach.
"I did exactly as you said, up to the point of leaving you by yourself. The other women were in a safe place and I was between them and the Juicers. What you are forgetting Mister Mule-headed, is that the highest member of our government ordered me to protect you. Not to mention, nowhere in my oath did I swear to follow the orders of a maniac with more courage than common sense," she replied tartly.
Then she leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips.
"I did not doubt for a second you coming to get us, Jeremiah, and neither did Sonja. When you burst through that door, my heart almost jumped from my chest at the sight of you," she said.
I did not know how Sonja felt about matters, because she and the other normal women were sedated and sleeping peacefully in one of the buildings. Lucy and the militia medical sergeant decided to sedate them, because they were all seriously distressed. They were to stay sedated until better qualified medical personnel were available to treat them. I asked Tonya why she was taking her abuse at the hands of the Juicers so much better than the other women. She shrugged and thought for a few seconds before she answered.
"I think one reason is that I was only a captive for a few hours. I'd also like to think that I am mentally and physically tougher than those women, but maybe I'm just more vindictive. Whatever the reason, I had no qualms about vaporizing those Juicers, and I don't feel an ounce of regret or guilt for it even now," she said defiantly.
I quickly told her that to me, killing one of those monsters was no worse than dispatching a rabid dog. The way I figured it, the Juicers gave up the right to be treated humanely when they voluntarily gave up their humanity.
The medical sawbones finally made it to me after treating all the seriously wounded Juicers. I did not begrudge him holding me out to last, because I hoped it meant my injuries were not that severe. I know it certainly didn't look bad, as it was just a thirty-two caliber sized hole in the front and back of my lower left leg, just to the right of my shin bone. There was only a small trickle of blood from either hole. I did have persistent burning pain deep in my leg, but I had been stepped on by mules that hurt worse. Somehow the injury to my calf translated to my foot not acting as it should. I could not feel my big toe, and my foot refused to bend at the ankle. The medical sergeant made the pain go away with one swift jab of a needle into my thigh. In fewer than ten minutes, I felt good enough to dance.
Around noon, the arrival of a couple of large, boxcar shaped vehicles rolling into the Juicers' compound woke me from a well deserved siesta. As soon as they lurched to a stop, a door on the side of the lead unit opened, and Liz Smith jumped to the ground. Lucy walked over to her and the two women talked privately for a few minutes before heading toward Tonya and me. Liz stopped in front of me and tried to prevent me from getting to my feet.
"You are wounded, Mister Brock. We can dispense with the formalities," she said.
I felt as if I had swilled down half a dozen shots of Tequila, so as soon as I was standing, I attempted my best dancehall bow.
"Tis but a scratch, Your Loveliness," I slurred gallantly.
Tonya grabbed me as I rocked forward and kept me from falling on my face. At a look from Liz, Tonya shrugged and explained.
"Synthomorph. I think the medic went overboard with the dosage, because Jeremiah is so big."
Liz laughed and took my hand.
"The least we can do is let you nap in peace after all you've done," she said.
With that, Tonya and Lucy helped me into the building and onto a bed with a comfortable mattress. I was sawing logs within seconds of them kissing my cheek goodnight.
I awoke from sawing logs to feeling as if someone was sawing off my leg. The injection I had been given must have run its course, and the pain had awakened me. I stifled a moan and sat up in the bed. As soon as I was upright, a woman I had never seen before materialized beside the bed with a cup in her hand. She handed me a couple of pea sized pellets and the cup.
"Swallow these two pills, Citizen Brock, and drink the contents of the cup. The pills are for pain and infection, and the liquid will promote tissue regeneration. As soon as you drink the liquid, I'll go find the doctor so she can explain the nature of your wound to you."
I nodded, gulped down the pellets and swigged on the thick green liquid. I handed the empty cup to the woman and lay back on the mattress. The woman spun on her heels without a by-your-leave and skedaddled out the door.
The pill for pain was fast acting enough that when the doctor walked in ten minutes later, I was much more comfortable. The doctor was a diminutive Asian woman with a pleasant face and a quick smile. She introduced herself and put me at ease immediately.
"Hello, Mister Brock, I'm Doctor Darla Wong. No jokes about my name please," she said.
She had a sweet gentle voice to go along with her very pleasing looks. I liked her immediately so I gave her a smile and a bad pun.
"If you think I would tease you about your name, then you are all Wong," I said straight-faced.
She groaned and rolled her eyes heavenward, but her cheeks dimpled as she tried to hide her grin.
"Just for that, I'm not going to renew your pain medication," she said. Then her expression changed to all business, and she told me about my injury.
"We did a field mediscan on you while you slept. The concentrated energy beam that went through your calf, nicked your fibula and took a small chunk out of it, but the major damage was the severing of the deep peroneal or fibular nerve. The reason you have foot drop, the inability to raise your foot at the ankle, is because the deep fibular nerve controls motor function to that part of the foot..."
I didn't wait for her to say anything else. I knew that foot dragging gait from seeing it on numerous victims of the war.
"So I'm a cripple now," I interjected.
The tiny doctor looked startled for a moment then seemed to realize something. She shook her head negatively.
"Not at all. The problem is easily rectified now by a fairly simple surgical procedure that we'll perform as soon as we get you back to civilization. You'll be off your feet for a few days, but you should be as good as new in a week."
That was a load off my mind! I grabbed her hand and kissed it as I told her thank you. As soon as we touched, her eyes blinked and she wobbled unsteadily on her feet. She gasped and snatched her hand back, looking at me in shock.
"I have to go," she mumbled dazedly and left as abruptly as the other woman had.
I was more than a little bewildered by Doctor Wong's sudden departure, when Lucy walked in with Tonya and Sonja. Tonya looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but Sonja was quiet and subdued. Sonja was quick to come into my arms when I held them out to her, though, and before you know it, she was stretched out beside me in the bed, hanging on to me for dear life. I gave the other women a quizzical look and Lucy cleared things up for me.
"Doctor Wong gave her a mild sedative to help keep her emotions in check until we can get her some treatment. Liz thought a few minutes with you might help more than more medication."
I guess Liz was right, because once Sonja snuggled in my arms against my uninjured side, she visibly relaxed.
We spent the night in the Juicer compound and departed for New London the following morning. I rode in one of the vehicles Liz called a bus, sitting in a comfortable seat between Lucy and Liz. Tonya and Sonja occupied the seat behind us.
As soon as we were moving, I asked Liz the question that had been on my mind since the first Juicer attack.
"What in the world are those creatures, where did they come from, and are there any more of them wandering around?" I asked.
Liz had some answers for me.
"From questioning the ones you captured, we know this was the only Juicer enclave. By the way, they call themselves Wolves, not Juicers. There were plans for splitting the group up and establishing another of what they called a 'pack' closer to Casadega. From chemical interrogation, we also discovered where they found the beam rifles. They happened on a late twenty-first century underground weapons depot that somehow survived intact all these years. We have a team there now, securing the place.
"As to what they are, that's a complicated question. Complicated, because they started off as normally altered men and women from the valley, and in a short time they will be that again. Right at this minute, though, they are pumped full of chemicals and hormones that have the effect of making them stronger, faster and better coordinated than any other humans. Unfortunately, it also makes them irrational and hostile. The changes they went through are the result of research done by the man you identified as their leader and dispatched last night.
"His name was Joshua Ballard. He was a brilliant molecular biologist doing research at the university. Ballard revived some long forgotten steroid and hormonal experiments and used himself as an experimental subject. He recruited his wife and some dissatisfied colleagues as well. Ballard and the others were dissatisfied with the status quo in Paradise Valley, but instead of joining us, he created what he called the Cult of the Wolf.
"Ballard's regime of steroids and human growth hormones was especially appealing to the altered women of Paradise Valley, because it set them apart in physical appearance and ability from the ninety-five percent of women who have the same general characteristics. The women underwent massive personality changes, too. The huge doses of testosterone that made them so muscular and strong also caused them to be aggressively attracted to feminine appearing women.
"Doctor Wong found a reference to similar cases from the twentieth Century among certain steroid enhanced Eastern European female athletes. Those females also became sexual predators against their own gender.
"This whole sorry, sad episode is just another indication that the traditional social and political order is in serious decline. A sizeable segment of the citizenry is starting to realize that there is no future in the path their leaders have them on."
Even though it was what I vowed not to do, I did end up going back to Paradise Valley with Sonja. This time, we used the southern trade gate, a wider, less steep and well guarded pass that led into the valley from the southeast. Liz had sent advanced notification of our arrival, so there were a couple of the big coaches waiting for us at the single bar gate. A compliment of medical personnel was with the coaches, including Sarah Hunnicutt and Coleen.
Doctor Wong filled Sarah and Coleen in on the medical situation for everyone as we transferred from Liz's buses to the Pleiad's much nicer coaches. Liz and Lucy both hugged me goodbye and smiled when I said they would be seeing me again soon. I was not much surprised that Tonya made the same promise. I could not help but think that Tonya would be the perfect replacement for Sheriff Greer.
I insisted on moving between conveyances under my own power. No way was I going to make someone carry me when I could walk well enough to move fifty feet or less, utilizing the sturdy staff I had Tonya cut for me. My stubbornness resulted in me having a doctor in each ear telling me what a fool I was with every step I took. I kept my mouth shut until I reached the Pleiad's coach. I carefully leaned my staff against the smooth skin of the coach and grabbed tiny Doctor Wong around the waist. She squeaked in surprise, but shut up soon enough when I kissed her soundly.
"Thanks for everything, Doc. I'll see you as soon as I'm walking again," I said cheerily when I broke the kiss.
Wong stepped back and absently touched her lips with her dainty fingertips. She gave me this unreadable look, nodded and walked away.
It took the better part of an hour and a half to make the trip back to the central building at the university. It shocked me to realize that it had only been six days ago that I arrived there from the past. One thing I had to say about my visit is that there had not been a dull moment to it so far.
Chief Councilor Bearclaw and the other members of the Pleiad met us when we arrived. I now knew that two of the councilors were women sympathetic with Liz's cause. Coleen took charge of the female patients and hustled them into the building. Over Sarah's strenuous objections, I hobbled along with the politicos to a private room where Tonya and I briefed them on what had happened. Unbelievably, Bearclaw was irritated at Tonya and me for not bringing Liz back with us, even though she was obviously not guilty of the crimes in the original warrant. Bearclaw's reaction caused some raise eyebrows among the other councilors.
The council finally trundled off to their chambers to discuss the matter in private. Tonya also departed. She had instructions to raid Ballard's laboratory here at the university. Questioning of the Juicers revealed that Ballard had helpers there that were smuggling him materials and supplies.
A visibly unhappy Sarah was waiting outside the door with a couple of orderlies and a cot on wheels. Before I could say a word, she brandished one of those needle-vials.
"Get on the gurney, Jeremiah, or I am going to sedate you," she threatened.
I held up a placating hand and gave her my best boyish smile.
"Gee Doctor, no need to be so testy. All you had to do was ask," I said appeasingly.
The orderlies rolled me on the gurney-bed thing right back to Mediscan Unit Two. The cramped room filled with strange and frightening machines was fast becoming my home-away-from-home. Sarah had me hop off the gurney and sit on the big table affair that dominated the center of the room. As soon as the orderlies departed, she told me to strip. She had to help me with my boots, but I was soon naked and supine on the table. Sarah held my hand and carefully explained what was about to happen. I sure appreciated that.
Sarah moved back and sat behind the half counter desk. She gave me a smile and activated the containment field around the bed. In seconds I was in dreamland.