Anthony Newman - American Survivor

He approached the cabin and Bennie greeted him even though the dog was tied to the side of the porch with his muzzle around his snout. He stopped long enough to rub Bennie’s ears and noticed Bennie had several cuts on his head and side. The dog was okay, so he walked up on the porch, set his gear down, and knocked on the door.

“Hey, it’s me, Joe. Can I come in?”

The door opened, and both Cobie and Cloe almost knocked him down trying to hug him. They were both scared and clung to him as he tried to set his bags down on the floor.

“Girls, what happened to scare you, fearless women?”

“This morning Cloe went outside to see why Bennie was barking and walked into a group of hungry Coyotes. They were trying to eat Bennie, and Cloe scared them off with two shots from her pistol. Poor Bennie got some bites and scratches but will be okay,” said Cobie.

“When I get back from town, I’ll hunt them down and thin them out. Coyotes usually don’t attack humans but will eat a dog or rabbits. They will raid our traps, and we’ll never have game to eat,” said Joe.

“Do you have to go to town? Those little monsters scared the crap out of Cloe and me. We were afraid that they would get in the cabin and eat us,” replied Cobie.

“Hey, throw Cloe outside next time they show up. One bite off that sour girl will run the Coyotes over to Idaho,” he laughed.

“Joe we are scared. Why aren’t you taking this seriously,” asked Cobie?

“Hey, I’m sorry, but it was weird to see the little girl who killed a terrorist and stuck a gun in my face afraid of a few wild dogs. I promise I’ll get rid of them when I get back from town. I’m going to break out my bow and hunt them down silently,” Joe said.

Cloe asked, “Do you have a bow and arrows?”

“Yes, they are on the porch. I’ve never used one much and want to learn how to hunt with one. Bows are silent and will never run out of ammunition,” replied Joe.

“Could you teach me how to shoot one,” the young girl asked?”

“I will, but you have to do something first,” Joe said as he pulled a small book out of his backpack then said, “Read this book on how to bow hunt and be ready for lessons when I get back.”

Cloe took the book and sat down by the fire to read the book. Joe and Cobie went into the kitchen with the bags and began to unload them so Cobie could put them away.

“Joe, I can’t thank you enough for bringing the spices and food back to us. You were right about all of us needing the vegetables. Oh, look a bottle of vitamins,” Cobie said as she placed the items in their proper place.

“I got them when I went into town. I kept a bottle at my place, so you and Cloe take them. I will get more tomorrow. I’m glad to help out and can’t wait for more home cooking.”

Cobie dug down in the last bag and was delighted to find women’s makeup, more feminine hygiene products, and shampoo. She gave Joe a hug and said, “I guess you were tired of looking at us old hags with dirty faces and no makeup.”

“Cobie, you are a beautiful woman and don’t need makeup. I just got it because women like that sort of stuff,” he replied.

Cobie brought him close and kissed him on the cheek then said, “Joe, you are a good man, and I thank God every day that he brought you into our lives.”

This caught Joe off guard, and he quickly backed away and said, “Well, I have to go back to the cabin and get some rest before heading out to the city tonight. You and Cloe need to stay in the cabin if possible until I get back. Goodbye,” he said as he headed out the door.

Cobie watched as he patted Cloe on the back and said goodbye to her as he walked away. She was sad until he turned to look back at her and he smiled before walking away. She didn’t know what was going on in this man’s mind but she knew someone had hurt him deeply and he was guarding himself against further pain by avoiding women as much as possible. The thought struck her that they were very much alike.

Joe slept all afternoon and didn’t wake up until 6:00 pm when the old windup alarm clock rang out. It was dark outside, and by leaving early, he could scavenge for several more hours. He felt rested and ready to go as he slipped into his clothes and shouldered his gear. He would hike down to the quarry and drive the Jeep down the mountain to a hiding spot then hike into town. He would use the Jeep to store his loot until it was full, and then return to the cabin. He planned to hide the Jeep in a storage unit by the Airport and use it as his base of operation. Joe took the bulbs from the brake lights on the Jeep to make sure he didn’t draw unwanted attention to his drive and checked the vehicle for anything that rattled.

Joe pulled away from the quarry with no headlights to decrease the chance of being seen. This time he took back roads and ATV paths down the hills to the town. He had a few scary moments when he struck a small tree stump and was stuck in a ravine for a few minutes but otherwise made it safely down the hill.

He stopped to look over the storage sheds and the area around it for movement and other dangers. He watched while he ate a small can of chicken and then drove into the storage complex. He found an empty shed on the end facing the street and backed the Jeep into the shed. Joe took his empty backpack and a duffel bag with him as he moved to an abandoned house across the street that had a good view of the unit he left the Jeep inside. He waited for half an hour waiting to see if anyone followed him before he felt safe enough to move on.

After making sure all of his equipment was well hidden, he moved out toward the houses. He cut through the subdivision to reach the Highway 5 overpass and noticed there were no lights on in any direction he looked. There was some sporadic gunfire off in the distance, which made him very nervous. Joe saw many signs of intense firefights with bullet holes in houses and shell casings everywhere. The second week after the lights went out saw neighbor killing neighbor to steal food. Then the gangs took over and killed anyone who wouldn’t join them or just for grins and giggles. There was no law, but the gun in your hand and the guns were used liberally.

He walked under the Highway 5 overpass and saw several dead men and women. The women had their clothes torn off, and the men had been executed. Someone had spray painted the Star of David on their chests. These animals had also mutilated their bodies. The scene deeply angered Joe, and he vomited several times as he continued to move on into town. The depravity of mankind had been unchained by the EMP blasts, and it appeared that morality and law enforcement was a thing of the past.

Joe now knew that he was right about hiding in the woods and becoming self-sufficient to stay away from this mess in the cities. He wished he didn’t have to make the runs into the town and vowed that once his crops came in, he would never go into the city again. He also knew that if he were discovered, he would probably have to kill or be killed.

Highway 66 was strewn with wrecked and burned cars, but he saw no signs of life as he walked along in the shadows heading west. Joe saw a small sporting goods store on the left side in a strip mall. He cautiously entered the store and saw it had been looted. Every gun and knife had been taken, but he noticed a small display of bows in the back. He found a lighter pull bow for Cloe and attached it to his backpack. He added a quiver and filled it with arrows, and then moved on up the street staying close to the buildings.

There was an animal clinic on the right up ahead, and Joe remembered that many animal drugs were the same as human medicines. He slid in behind the building and saw the door had been broken off the hinges. That wasn’t a good sign, but he hoped the looters were looking for prescription painkillers and not medicine.