Chapter 22: Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandkids

Two Names, White Eagle, and most of the chiefs along with all the wives sat to discuss the training that the Nation was doing. I was the best of just about anything related to survival, hunting, fighting, medical, concealment, and just thinking outside of the box.

This was similar to Special Forces training but more intense and specialized, think Delta or such.

Several generations had passed since Two Names was sent by the spirits.

The United States bordered ‘The Nation’ to the east, south, and west. Canada bordered to the north. Our land went from the Great Lakes to our northeast, southward along the Mississippi River. Everything east of the Rocky Mountains along the Continental Divide, with southern border stretching along Colorado, Kansas and Missouri all the way back to the Mississippi was our land.

There were border guard posts space only as far as one post could see the next, in some cases they were only a few hundred yards away and others were miles apart. Every post had a 15 people assigned as men and women were treated as equals in all things among the Nation.

There was a lieutenant, sergeant, three corporals, a medic, and nine soldiers. There was always a corporal and three soldiers on duty watching the border from the post to their left all the way to the post on their right. Every 50 miles instead of a guard post there was a garrison which was were the soldiers were based. The garrison also housed two quick response forces which were made up of a captain, sergeant first class, two lieutenants, two sergeants, four corporals, four medics, and sixteen soldiers. There was a major, first sergeant, doctor, two nurses, engineer squad, and cooking crew also assigned to each garrison.

The Nation also had helicopters and planes flying patrols along all the borders as well.

There had been only one major war involving multiple countries including the United States and as allies our Nation too. This was most likely due to a Shaman (Two Names) from the Nation that foretold of possible fighting between other nations that could draw both the United States and our Nation into the fighting.

There were the best of the best among the soldiers of ‘The Nation’ given the designation “ALPHA” Alpha teams are those who excel in all forms of military training along with two or more civilian skills.

To recognize the TOP best of the best, a competition was started by Two Names called “The Alpha Challenge” and was designed to highlight the best male and female from the Nation in four individual events and a two-person sniper challenge as the fifth event.

This year the team going to the ‘Combined Countries Alpha Challenge’ happened to be only two people. The male called Eagle and the female called Hawk, happened to be twins which added to the shock. Both are 23 years old and members of the local Alpha team. Hawk also is a surgeon and chemist, Eagle an engineer, linguist, and survival instructor.

The Combined Countries shooting competition which included Canada, Mexico, the United States, and our Nation. It was being held in Austin, Texas this year. The best male and female in each event along with the best sniper team would compete in this competition. There were five events the 3-gun shoot, quick-draw, distance shoot, move and shoot, and finally the sniper hunt.

This competition was started by the Nation and as such a rule was put in place that stated champions could not complete for five years after winning to allow more individuals to prove their abilities. It was believed that instead of one individual dominating for several years it would be more beneficial to the Nation to see the best each year. This also prevented individuals from being discouraged and of course from becoming too proud or full of themselves.

Everyone was shocked but not surprised when Eagle and Hawk both won the individual titles for all the events, the first time a single male or female won all the competitions. Usually there was a champion for each event, occasionally someone might win two but this was the first time anyone had claimed all of the titles and they both claimed all four and together also won the sniper hunt.

It was a given that they would win the sniper competition as they were the top team in the Nation for the last few years. But this was the first year they competed, two years ago Hawk was unable to compete because she was sick and last year Eagle had a concussion from getting thrown from a horse.

The 3-gun shoot was simply that shooting three guns: a pistol, rifle, and shotgun. Originally starting with a revolver and two silhouette body targets with 2-inch center circle bullseye, and 1-inch ring around the center circle and a final 1-inch circle around the inter two. The bullseye is worth 3 points the next circle worth 2 points and the outer circle worth 1 point. A miss is minus 5 points. Yes you could have a negative score, but everyone competing at this level would not miss, well maybe once. You fired two shots at the chest circle and one at the head circle with a target to your right and left.

At the sound of the horn you drew and fired all six shots as fast as you could since this is a timed and scored event. Holstering and running forward to your shotgun and as soon as you picked it up from the table two clay targets would be sent flying in opposite directions. You could try and reload and fire again if you missed as long as the targets were still in the air but this is also a timed and scored event, a hit is worth 3 points a miss is minus 5 points.

Setting the shotgun back down, you didn’t want to drop it because if it fell off the table you would have to go back and set it on the table, remember this is timed and scored. Running forward to the next table you picked up your rifle shooting targets at 30 35 40 45 50 yards away. They had the same circles as the pistol targets and if you hit the chest bullseye it was worth 4 points with each outer ring one point less, hitting the target was worth one point just for knocking it down. However if you hit the head circle bullseye it was worth 5 points and each outer ring worth one point less just as the chest.

Your score from hits and misses was marked with your total time.

You could have a fast time but low score and still lose. The time it took from the horn sounding and a shooter drawing and firing six shots, running while holstering the revolver, picking up the shotgun and fire twice setting it back on the table and running to the rifle picking it up and firing five times set the base time. Yeah, they didn’t even shoot at a target just fired into the air. Every ten seconds rounding time down, past the base time was one point deduction from your score and no misses or fewest misses was the first tie breaker, then the fastest time.