War Dogs No One Left Behind Read online

  ☆

  War Dogs

  No One Left Behind

  Book 2

  Wounded Warriors of the Apocalypse:

  Post-Apocalyptic Survival Fiction

  AJ Newman

  .

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  Acknowledgments

  This book is dedicated to Patsy, my beautiful wife of thirty-six years, who assists with everything from Beta reading to censor duties. She enables me to write, golf, and enjoy my life with her and our mob of Shih Tzu’s.

  Thanks to Patsy, Wes, Richard S, David, and Richard C, who are Beta readers for this novel. They gave many suggestions that helped improve the cover and readability of my book.

  Thanks to Sabrina Jean at Fasttrackediting for proofreading and editing this novel.

  Thanks to WMHCheryl at http://wmhcheryl.com/services-for-authors/ for the great final proofreading and suggestions on improving the accuracy and helping me to tell a better story.

  Thanks to Christian at Covers by Christian for the fantastic cover.

  AJ Newman

  Copyright © 2019 Anthony J Newman. All rights reserved.

  This book is a work of fiction. All events, names, characters, and places are the product of the author’s imagination or are used as a fictitious event. That means that I thought up this whole book from my imagination, and nothing in it is true.

  All rights reserved. None of this publication may be copied or reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher.

  Published by Newalk LLC.

  Owensboro, Kentucky

  Main Characters

  Jason Walker – The main character of this story. Jason was 28 years old when the world collapsed. He joined the Army after high school. He decided to re-enlist when the Army offered to make him a Patrol Explosive Detector Dog (PEDD) Handler. He was assigned to an Army K9 unit in Europe when the SHTF. He is a bit socially backward and awkward around women. He can kill the enemy but can’t deal with crying ladies.

  MMax – Pronounced Max. MMax was a black and tan Belgian Malinois K9 born at Lackland AFB and assigned to Jason. He is Jason’s best friend, and they’ve been together for two years. MMax was trained to find explosives, spot ambushes, and to neutralize enemy threats. His abilities are exaggerated a bit in this story.

  Michelle Walker – Jason’s wayward sister who needs to redeem herself with her family. She was an ex-drug addict and neer-do-well who began changing her life for the better when TSHTF.

  SGT Maria McGill – A short, feisty Latin / Irish soldier. She was in charge of the squad Jason was assigned to in London. She and Jason had a short-lived affair. She and Jason were separated in book 1 due to the plane crash.

  CPL Billy Murphy – Jason’s friend and fellow soldier. He was wounded in the same explosion as Maria and Jason. “Murph” is a happy go lucky young man who is very outgoing and friendly but is an excellent warfighter.

  Karen Martin – Jason saved her two daughters and her from an evil thug. She was a Biology teacher at a local high school. She became close to Jason and joined his group of survivors.

  Jan Walker – Jason’s mom and one of his heroes. She was a nurse and an avid gardener. She loved to run and participated in 13 and 26k marathons. Not bad for a 55-year-old woman.

  Zack Walker – Jason’s dad. He was a lot like Jason in appearance and demeanor. He is a prepper and competent mechanic. He disappeared before Jason returned home from the war after the lights went out but returned safely toward the end of Book 1.

  Billie Johnson – Jason’s mom’s new friend and fellow survivor. She was a very disciplined and strict momma bear - type who is protective of her bratty kid. She is an attractive blonde-haired lady who is very defensive and hard to approach.

  Katherine “Kat” Gold Kat was a small young woman who was stuck in Nashville when the SHTF. A feisty, strong-willed lady who learned how to survive and had a short fuse. Jason saved Kat from some bad men and couldn’t get rid of her.

  Tina – She was a liver and white Springer Spaniel who also helped save Jason’s life on many occasions. She has been by Jason’s side since TSHTF. Jason left her with his mom when he went to find his sister.

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  Chapter 1

  Southeast of Pleasant View, Tennessee on Highway 41.

  “No. Hell, no! It’s none of my damned business. MMax, I won’t interfere. Why risk my life for strangers? Nope, not gonna do it.” I said.

  MMax just stared at me as though I’d lost my mind. Yes, I had seen the men kicking the poor man as he lay on the ground. A woman and young boy watched in terror. Then, I saw the boy jump on the man’s back to save his dad. The man threw the kid to the ground and kicked him. MMax growled when the man threw the boy to the ground.

  “MMax, stay!”

  My eyes squinted, and my blood ran hot. I said to myself, “Why’d that bastard have to kick the kid?. This ain’t none of my business. I need to move on and find my sister.”

  The man kicked the kid again, and I lost my temper. “That son of a bitch!” I raised my rifle, took aim, and squeezed off a round. The bullet hit the man’s nose, and his head exploded in blood and gore. I fired twice more, and all three of the SOBs were dead or dying on the ground as their blood pooled around them.

  MMax and I ran down the hill, intent on finishing off the asshats. A small limb whipped against my face drawing blood. In my haste, I didn’t see a man hiding in the bushes, but MMax smelled him. MMax growled just in time for me to see the movement out of the corner of my eye. “MMax, get him!”

  MMax leaped into the bushes at a full run. I heard the scream of a man who had a Belgian Malinois clamped to his arm. I yelled, “Hold him!”

  The man screamed again as MMax’s teeth punctured deep into his flesh. I chuckled to myself as I ran to MMax’s side. The man couldn’t reach his pistol with his left hand, and every time he tried, MMax shook his strong neck and set his teeth deeper into the man’s arm.

  I asked, “What did you plan to do with the family?”

  Even in severe pain, the man remained defiant. “What the hell do you think we were going to do with them? You can have them. The young girl is prime stuff and the mom ain’t half bad.”

  “That’s what I thought,” I said before I drew my knife and sliced the man’s femoral artery. The asshat screamed in pain like the coward he was. I took his pistol and commanded, “MMax, out!”

  “You’ve got a couple of minutes before you are dead. Now would be the time to pray to your God for forgiveness.”

  “Screw you.”

  I made sure the man didn’t have any weapons and left him to die.

  The woman tended to her husband’s wounds as I walked over to them. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  She looked up and said, “No. We’ll be fine once my husband catches his wind. He’ll be sore and bruised, but he’ll live. If you’re heading north, watch for those FEMA assholes. They’re rounding everyone up and placing them in camps.”

  I shook my head. “What if people don’t need help?”

  She said, “It doesn’t matter. Their orders are to round up every living soul and put them to work rebuilding America.”

  That didn’t sound right to me. As an afterthought, I asked, “Do you know what caused the apocalypse?”

  “I don’t know about any apocalypse, but the lights, gas, and water stopped because God wanted it to stop. He is purging the evil people from the world.”

  I smiled at her. “I’m leaving now. Try to avoid any more bad people.”

  She said, “Oh, we can’t do that. The Lord wants us to spread the gospel to everyone we meet.”

  I caught my head shaking in disbelief. “You do know that you and your kids will be k
illed or taken captive if you keep walking up to strangers and telling them they’re evil, don’t you?”

  She laughed. “It’s God’s work, and we must do it.”

  Looking back, a week had passed, and we had only made it just over halfway to Clarksville. Remember, that was less than a two-hour drive before the crap hit the fan. I got sick the first night from swallowing some water in a creek when I bathed. I threw up for the entire next day. It took three days to get over the bug, and then I was too weak to travel. MMax had never seen me this sick before, and I could tell he was perplexed by the entire situation. He stayed very close to me and whimpered a lot. I had to order him to go get him a rabbit because he wouldn’t leave my side.

  The next delay was caused by me sticking my nose into something I knew nothing about. We drove my dad’s old truck along on Highway 41 when suddenly, a young boy jumped out in the middle of the road and blocked our progress. At first, I thought he was setting us up for an ambush. Then he yelled, “My mom’s having a baby!”

  I said, “What?”

  “Mom’s having a baby and needs your help.”

  “Oh, shit, I thought.” They didn’t cover delivering puppies during my veterinary training. I said, “Take me to your mom.”

  The boy led MMax and me to an SUV that had been hidden in the bushes along the road. The rear driver’s side door was open, and I saw legs. “Ma’am, your son said you need help.”

  She yelled, “Thank God! Come here, wash your hands with that bottled water, and then rinse with the rubbing alcohol. I’m a nurse, and I’ll give you directions. Have you ever delivered a baby?”

  “No, but I’ve had first aid and some veterinary training. Just tell me what to do.”

  The lady laughed and then calmly told me what to do, and it was a piece of cake once the head popped out. She screamed so much I was afraid people miles away could hear her. I cut the cord and tied it off as instructed, then I cleaned the baby as much as possible and laid the tiny boy on her chest. I looked at her and then at her boy. “Ma’am, where is your husband?”

  She choked up a bit. “Joey, please go down to the creek and bring back a pail of water.”

  The small boy picked up a pail and ran into the brush. He quickly disappeared. She said, “Robert left us to find help when the car died. He never returned. I started to walk home to Smyrna, but some men killed a family not far from here. I covered Joey’s eyes, but he heard the screams. The men left, and I tried to help the woman. She was dying, and there was nothing I could do to help her. She told me about the nuclear war and that the whole world was without electricity or transportation. Joey helped me push the truck into the bushes, and we’ve been here since the car died. I decided to wait here until after my baby was born.”

  I interrupted, “Could you deliver a baby by yourself?”

  She replied, “I kept hoping some Good Samaritan would stop and help us. I tried to stop several families, but since I wasn’t in labor, they went on their way. A Good Samaritan did stop. You are a good person.”

  “Sorry, I’m Jason Walker, and this is MMax. Can I take you with me toward Clarksville?”

  She looked dismayed. “No, but if you could take us about ten miles south, we can stay at my cousin's home.”

  I took her down to her cousins, chopped some firewood, and killed a deer so they would have some meat. I was back on the road a few days later. Now you know why I need to mind my own business and get my ass up to Clarksville to find my sister.

  Okay, I didn’t mind helping the woman, and it was kinda neat delivering a baby. Perhaps God will remember this good deed come judgment day.

  MMax and I were on a mission to find my wayward sister and take her back to the family farm. I was mission focused and didn’t notice how much the earth had changed due to the grid being down and most electronics being fried. The air was crisp and clean. You could actually smell flowers and evergreens without the smell of civilization overpowering the beautiful odors. I knew this wouldn’t last long, as the hint of wood fires increased every morning. Mankind would soon be deforesting the planet and choking the air with smoke from wood and coal fires. People would die from pneumonia by the droves, and lung cancer would kill many more.

  MMax and I were about a mile down the road when I said, “MMax, there were some crazy assed people in this world before the crap hit the fan. Now, I think most of the sane ones must have died off.”

  MMax cocked his head and then licked my hand as if to say, “I’ve got your back, buddy.” Well, that was my interpretation. MMax and I communicated very well. We both knew what the other was thinking and were best friends. I know I sound crazy, but MMax was a special dog and an even better friend. Yeah, I know, everyone loves their mutt and thinks theirs is unique. Mine is special.

  I scratched behind his ears, and we drove on up toward Clarksville on Highway 41A North. The last known address for my sister was an apartment complex on the east side of Highway 41A in the middle of the city. This meant MMax and I would be exposed to the hazards posed by a crumbling city and its surviving population. My old truck would stand out like a diamond in a goat’s ass. Thugs and police both would try to commandeer it for their own use. I decide to get as close as possible, hide the truck, and walk the last few miles to Michelle’s apartment.

  The area southeast of Clarksville along Highway 41A was built up with businesses and subdivisions. To avoid any potential conflict, I stopped about ten miles from Michelle’s apartment and hid the truck in a barn for the night. I planned to drive further in toward her place after midnight when everyone should be asleep.

  MMax and I made a cold camp and shared some Beenee Weenees, Spam, and a few crackers. MMax didn’t eat much as usual since he’d gone rabbit hunting while I’d hidden the truck. He brought one back for me too, but I didn’t want to start a fire. I didn’t want to take the chance that someone would smell the smoke or see the flames. We settled down after supper. MMax lay on his back next to me and used his paw to move my hand to his belly. He was reminding me that I hadn’t scratched his stomach for a long time. I scratched it for a while and then rubbed his belly. He moaned and wiggled in delight. A little later, I lay there with MMax’s head across my stomach. I tried to think calm thoughts to help me sleep.

  I tried to fall asleep but laid there thinking Maria and Murph might be in danger. I finally fell asleep but woke up dreaming about Karen. Thanks to my overactive brain and then my vivid dreams, I only caught a couple hours of shuteye but was ready to travel by one o’clock in the morning. I slid the barn doors open and stepped out into the darkness. The sheer lack of noise and the pitch-black night astounded me. There weren’t any clouds, and the moon was only a sliver in the sky. The stars were breathtaking with their brilliance and shown like diamonds on a black cloth. I gazed upward for a few minutes and then prepared to leave the safety of the barn.

  We were only ten miles from Clarksville, and the old truck hadn’t broken down once. The truck’s door opened, and I was blasted by light from the dome light. I quickly covered the light with my hand and then removed the bulb. That reminded me to take the bulbs out of the brake lights. Now, I could travel in a stealthier mode. I pulled back out on 41A and drove as slowly as I could, dodging stalled cars and debris while I watched for lights.

  Again, I was amazed at how few lights there were in this suburban area. I only saw the flickering of a candle or perhaps a kerosene lamp in the distance a couple of times. I had traveled a couple of miles when I saw headlights behind me closing in quickly. I sped up to try to outrun the lights when I came around a bend and saw a fire in the middle of the road. It was a blockade.

  I steered quickly off the highway into what appeared to be an industrial complex and hid behind a couple of large semi-trucks. The lights flashed by me and disappeared close to the barricade. My best guess was that we were about six miles from Michelle’s apartment.

  I scratched MMax just above his tail. “Well old boy, we’ll have to walk on in from here.”

>   The closest building had a street-level garage door, so I broke the window of the nearest man door and cautiously sent MMax in to check things out. He didn’t alert. I followed behind him with my small flashlight enabling me to steer around pallets of boxes. I checked several of the pallets, and to my surprise; the warehouse was a paper products storage building. There were mountains of paper towels and more importantly, toilet paper.

  I walked around the warehouse and didn’t find anyone or any dangers. The employee breakroom was intact, so I pilfered several of the candy and food machines. The sandwich machine stunk to high heaven, but the canned soup and snack machines were half-full of edible food. I pulled the tab off a can of orange soda pop and washed down two bags of Chili-Cheese Fritos. A Hershey bar was my dessert. MMax enjoyed a can of beef stew and a bottle of water.

  After eating, I brought the truck into the building and rolled the overhead door down to avoid inviting thieves. Well, maybe to keep other thieves from fighting with me to steal the food. I didn’t think of MMax and myself as thieves.

  “MMax, did you like the beef stew?” I asked as I held up the empty can.

  MMax barked twice and wagged his tail, which usually meant yes. I loaded all the candy, chips, and canned food into the truck, along with several bundles of toilet paper. Then, as an afterthought, I filled my backpack with candy and canned food. A frown came over my face when I thought the truck could be gone when I got back with my sister.

  It was now two o’clock in the morning, and everyone should be asleep. MMax and I snuck out the back door to the warehouse and cut across a field to get on a side road leading into town. We walked close to the houses and stayed in the shadows as much as possible. A cat howling in the distance was the only sound in the night until a pack of dogs joined the cat in serenading the neighborhood. There weren’t any flickering candles or bonfires, other than the glow behind me from the fire at the roadblock.