Justin

Kayla didn’t like going to Mama June’s. Mama was a bit creepy, and there were always some men at the outpost. She was tempted to stay in her home, safe with her friends, but she’d recently made a good haul, that she knew would earn her some nice things. Mama June paid really well for glass or mirrors, and things like that. Kayla had found a house with several whole sheets in the doors and windows. Not only that, but she also found some fresh fruits and vegetables. She knew Mama couldn’t pass those up. She packed a wagon full of goodies scavenged from the old farm, including the pieces of glass, wrapped in blankets to keep them from breaking. While most of the canning jars she’d come across, were filled with preserved food, she did include several empty jars, with perfect lids, those would fetch a good price too.

She hooked her bicycle to the wagon and whistled to her good boys to come along. The dogs were excited to go out, cause after each trip, they received one of the priceless biscuits she kept hoarded. She gave them the look that meant all business, and they all settled into their spots. One of the reasons she disliked going to Mama June’s, was that her dogs were not allowed. She normally didn’t go anywhere that her boys couldn’t follow, but Mama’s was the closest outpost, and the one likely to give her the best price. She left before sun up, hoping to avoid meeting other travelers; you never knew when they might try to take your stuff, or worse. It took the better part of 8 hours of hard riding, along with a few stops to eat lunch, shared of course, and use her new varmint rifle to shoot some squirrels she spotted, for the boys to eat later. It was a bit after noon when she saw the outpost. Bad people sometime hid amongst the derelict cars, so they could jump out at you. Now that she was past the dangerous part of the road, she hid away her guns. The rifle had to go into the wagon, but the big pistol she’d found recently, so big it barely fit her hands, she put into the hidden place under her bicycle seat, just in case.

She pedaled up to the gate to Mama’s, and shouted to be let inside. The gateman was kinda creepy too, all greasy, and the way he watched her butt when she rode away from him. She gave him the look that settled her dogs, hoping it’d work on him too. She whistled the special commands to her boys, and they all went to different hiding spots outside the gate. Justin, the oldest of her dogs, and her very special boy, did not like leaving her side, and he let her know with a small whine. She scratched him behind the ears to let him know it would be ok, and sent him with the others. As she pedaled the rest of the way to Mama’s place, she heard the gate slam shut behind her. While she was uncomfortable without her friends along, she had been to Mama’s before, and was sure it would be ok.

Mama was a tall skinny woman almost 2m tall, and she had a comforting smile, that helped put her to ease. Kayla had been coming to Mama’s for her entire thirteen-year life, even before her mom had been killed, they had used Mama’s almost like a base. “Well, look who’s here, it’s been an age since you were here last, Kayla girl. How you been child?” Kayla smiled in return.

“I found some treasures, Mama, I know you’ll love ‘em. You’ll be so geeked when you see.” All of her tension left her, when she thought, about the coming deal. “Come see what I found.” Mama followed her out, and marveled at the whole panes of glass, the intact mirrors, she looked interested in the canning jars and some other items, but Kayla knew she had her hooked with the fresh vegetables and the small box of strawberries.

“Very nice, child. I haven’t seen fresh berries in a while. Let’s talk over some tea, I’m sure we can make a good deal.” They haggled for a half-hour, finally agreeing to nearly everything Kayla wanted. Probably the best trade, was maintenance for her bike as well as a new tire pump. Twice this week she had to walk her bike and the wagon due to some problem. After loading her wagon with all of her trades, she sat with Mama waiting for the mechanic to finish her bike. She started to feel sick and sleepy. “Are you ok child…” and she heard nothing for some time.

She felt like she was floating, and could barely open her eyes. From slitted eyes she saw that she was naked in a bathtub. She felt someone scrubbing her hair, and tried to ask, “Whaa…”

“Just making you look pretty for your new husband sweety,” Mama June said from behind her. She tried to fight to stay awake, or even to just move her hands, but found herself fading again. When she woke again, the sleepy feeling was replaced with pain and nausea. She was laying on her side in a moving box, with her hands tied behind her. Her nausea became too much, with added motion sickness. As she started to retch, there was nowhere for her to turn, so she was forced to vomit where she lay, with some of it splashing on her, and of course she had to lay in it. As soon as it started, she heard a man cursing.

“Damn it, don’t throw up in the wagon!” The gruff angry voice was replaced with an ugly face scowling at her. He grabbed her from where she lay, which she now recognized as a buckboard wagon pulled behind some animal. As he manhandled her, she realized she had no clothes. Her stomach was rumbling and upset, and she gagged again. “Oh no you don’t,” he said, as he forced her to her knees on the side of the road. “You’re not tossing yer cookies on me. I don’t get paid enough fer that crap.” As she finished throwing up, the pain from her stomach was joined by pain lower down, and she saw blood and some nasty fluid coating her thighs. She started to cry from confusion and pain. She was startled by rapid movement from the corner of her eye, and a surprised yelp coming from behind her. Her head was becoming clearer after eliminating the drugs from her belly. She started turning around, and saw her boys worrying at the squirming man that hurt her. Justin had his jaws closed on the man’s throat, while two more of her babies were holding down his arms. After several minutes, he stopped squirming, and all she felt was relief.

No matter how many times someone said that dogs don’t really think, Justin was the proof they were wrong. Somehow, he managed to figure out she was in the wagon, got the rest of the dogs, and followed along until he had an opportunity to save her. “Justin, good boy, good boy. Come here baby, help me out.” With help from her dogs, she was able to remove the rope tied around her arms. She found some clothes that fit in the wagon along with some trade goods. She cleaned herself up, turned the horse around, headed the way they came. It took some time to completely clear the cobwebs from her head, but she finally figured out where they were. Somehow, she lost the rest of the day, drugged by Mama June. It would be dark soon, and they were still several hours from Mama June’s. She intended to get her things back, all that was owed her, and maybe some more.

The time flew by as they headed back to the outpost. She was in an angry state, and was not thinking clearly, or perhaps she’d have run and hidden rather than face her betrayer. Instead, filled with righteous anger that only exists in a teenager that has been terribly wronged. Whether smart or not, by the time the moon was high, she came in sight of the walls of Mama June’s. There were still lights on and the sound of a generator running inside the enclosure. With the noise of machinery, and some raised voices, no one heard the small noise she made climbing over the fence, and opening the gate for her boys to come in. She went first to find her bike and her wagon. Everything had been taken from her wagon, including her rifle. Fortunately, the secret under her seat had not been found. She first wheeled her wagon and bike out of the outpost. Her initial plan was to point the gun at June and get her things, but from the sounds coming from her place, there were several men inside with her, and Kayla couldn’t face them all. As she was trying to decide what to do next, one man came out alone stumbling for the outhouse. She grabbed a metal bar laying nearby, and waited behind the building for him to emerge. She hit him as hard as she could in the back of the head, it was the creepy man from the gate earlier. He dropped without a word. She swung the bar at his head again, and again, and a few more times until her arms grew tired, and he stopped twitching.

A few minutes later, someone else came out looking for the first man. She was not as lucky the second time. There was blood everywhere, and this man not as drunk as the first. He started to yell for help, when Kayla whistled Justin and her boys into action. The man tried to pull some weapon from his pants, but was just too slow. The screaming started almost instantly, and almost drowned out the snarling of eight dogs that were shredding him like a squirrel. While they made fairly quick work of him, it was not quite fast enough to be ready for June and her men to run out of the trading post door. June was first out the door, took one look at the huge cannon, too big for the teenager’s hands pointing at her head. With survival skills honed by years of larceny and deceit; she dove for the ground instantly. Kayla had never fired a handgun before, and certainly nothing with the recoil of a .45. Fortunately for her, she did not know enough to unchamber the round that was in the pistol when she found it. Even more fortunately, she didn’t shoot herself handling the weapon. Unfortunate for the two men following June out the door, the lucky shot hit the mechanic center of mass. The young girl stood only 1.5 meters tall, mostly from poor nutrition during her formative years, so the round entered his chest at an upward angle, with an exit wound the size of a baseball, which then struck out the handyman behind him. The recoil of the heavy weapon held sprained her wrist, and she nearly dropped it. She advanced on Mama, whistling for Justin. The sight of the dog covered in blood cowed her completely. Setting Justin to guard the treacherous woman, Kayla went into the building and grabbed everything she was owed, and more besides. Ignoring Mama talking to her, she simply packed up her gear and stuff. As they were leaving, Justin ripped the heart-shaped golden locket from Mama’s hands, and brought it to his person. She pedaled out of the trade post, and never looked back.

She learned that Mama was killed soon after, and of course one of her acquisitions was a new box of dog biscuits. When they got home, each of her boys got one with her thanks.