Chapter 10

[Preservation – In Missouri]

She pulled sideways and, as she stopped, I began to shoot. The lions not hit in our initial shots ran off quickly leaving the area clear. "Darryl, open the door." I then said, "Protection Force, come around the Bradley and enter with the Humvee's. Tractors, turn around, close up, and run inside. Pam, we will be last."

As those in the tractors ran for the entrance, lions came out and Melissa and I cut them down. The lions quickly gave up the attack. We drove into the armory, the door came down, and Pam shut down the engine.

We opened the rear door and exited the Bradley. I shouted, "Is anyone hurt?" I heard "no" from a number of people. Darryl met me and shook my hand. While Cindy hugged me, Pam and Melissa hugged Darryl. Then, Cindy hugged my wives.

I introduced the Protection Force to the ones still in the armory. George said a few words and then turned the proceedings back to me as the expedition's leader. I started on what I thought might be the tough part.

"Folks, I don't think we can wipe out the lions even with the extra firepower from Protection. What I propose is that you leave here with your animals and possessions and come to Protection. It is my intention to blow bridges on the way back to make things difficult for any lions pursuing us. Even with the additional people here to help, we can't stop the lions but can hurt them enough to probably make the move in safety and keep the lions from following us.

"Now, my question is, 'Should we check on those who left?' I noticed that a Bradley is missing."

Darryl said, "I think we should to know though I have no optimism. We might need the Bradley, too." A couple of others nodded.

"Okay." I said, "After we refuel it, I will take the Bradley with Darryl and Jim Bob and search the area. The lions are becoming both more aggressive and more wary. We'll have to be on our guard." I saw Pam and Melissa bristle and added, "Pam will drive and Melissa will handle the turret machine gun." They smiled back at me approvingly.

I asked George to talk to the people in the armory while the Bradley crew went out to check on the two groups who had left the armory. We found the remains of the second group to leave just beyond our incoming road. They were using a pickup truck that wasn't even enclosed. You could see where the lions attacked those riding in the back of the truck. When the driver and passenger jumped out to fight, they were killed quickly. I couldn't tell that a shot had been fired by any of them. Their partially eaten bodies were still there and we didn't disturb them at this point. We followed the directions of Darryl toward the farm of the Kessels who had taken the Bradley. They had pulled the Bradley into their barn. It appeared that they got out to shut the doors. Lions must have already been in the barn and they wiped them out. Only one rifle looked like it had been fired. All were dead and accounted for by Darryl.

He looked at me and said, "This is why you told us to stay at the armory. You knew that the lions would ambush anyone who didn't have your skills in leadership and fighting."

"I didn't think it would be that bad. I just knew that these were efficient predators. If I were in a war, they did what I would have done.

"Do we bury them or leave them? There has been feeding which tells me that the lions are hunting for food as well as fighting for the territory they've claimed."

Darryl said, "I think we must leave them. They might provide a diversion, they brought it on themselves, and we shouldn't risk our lives to dig graves. We could wind up in a fight and good people might die trying to do the 'right' thing." He emphasized the word, "right," with some distaste.

I nodded in agreement and we headed back to the armory with the two Bradley's. When we arrived, we shot some more lions. Melissa said, "Where do they keep coming from? We've shot so many." Pam nodded.

I said, "I really don't know but lions can lay litters and, without any animals to stop them, there might be hundreds fairly quickly. I would have to ask George but that's my guess."

Jim Bob said, "I believed you but it's easier to see and understand than just believe. That's a lot of lions around here."

Melissa shot a number of lions and then we asked for the door to be rolled up. It was and we entered. George met us and he quietly said, "You are right about people here. Cindy is good people and Darryl is also according to you. There is only one other couple that seems to be promising. We will let the rest come but I won't care if they don't."

"I'm guessing that Alan agrees with you."

"He's more pessimistic than I am about any but the two couples."

"Oh. Well, we'll see who wants to go and make our determinations. I know Darryl is ready to leave. Do you want to call a meeting with them all and set out some expectations for them and see who will or won't go. They could leave in other directions and maybe get away from the lions. We can set them up with some vehicles."

George nodded. Pam had been listening and went to talk with Darryl and Cindy to get a meeting going quickly. I think she and Melissa felt the same as I. I didn't want to stay around any longer than necessary. There were bad memories here.

After hearing about Protection, only Darryl and Cindy and one other couple, Mark and Eve, wanted to join Protection. George told me in a whisper that Mark and Eve were the other couple who were approved by Alan and him. The other three families were not willing to leave the area and wanted us to wipe out the lions. George explained, again, that this wasn't Protection territory and that we had neither the people nor the arms to "wipe out" the lions. Our plan was to drop bridges and hope to discourage the lions from coming our way. George then asked the three families what they planned to do.

One of the men, Malcolm, said, "Tonya and I are going back home with the kids. The government will sort these problems out and get it all straightened out." My wives and I popped our heads up in shock at that statement.

George looked a little shocked. He said, "I hope, for your sake, that happens. However, I was at the White House with my wife, Jane, who was on the staff when all this started. I know of no government nor of anyone trying to make the old central government work in these new times. There are too few people left to make our former government and former situation viable. I wish you good luck. It is my intent to leave you in the best condition we can. However, we cannot and will not put more of our citizens in danger to try to do something that we haven't the ability to do. I personally think you have made a bad decision but it's yours to make." Malcolm sat down with a look of surprise on his face.