New Frontier 2: Wild Lands, page 1
part #2 of New Frontier Series
CONTENTS
Recap of New Frontier Book 1: Wild Fire
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More Trackers
-About the Authors-
Afterword
WILD LANDS
©2022 Nicholas Sansbury Smith and Anthony J. Melchiorri
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To the readers of the Trackers and New Frontier universe. Thank you for continuing to track and hunt with Raven and Creek. We are thrilled so many of you are enjoying their adventures!
“It was a hard land, and it bred hard men to hard ways.” – Louis L’Amour
RECAP OF NEW FRONTIER BOOK 1: WILD FIRE
Over two years have passed since North Korea launched an EMP attack that crippled the United States of America. While much of the country has been on the long road to recovery, the land stretching between the Rocky Mountains to Sierra Nevada has been mired in chaos. Gangs and militias rule veritable fiefdoms where the law of the US Federal Government is nearly impossible to enforce. This stretch of dangerous terrain has been dubbed the New Frontier.
Marine Recon veteran and professional tracker Raven Spears deployed extensively in the New Frontier to track down missing people. Colorado Rangers Sheriff Lindsey Plymouth reorganized the previously all-volunteer Rangers into a formidable defensive force with the task of securing Colorado’s shaky borders. And Steel Runner Iron Team Lead Calvin Jackson has been running ramped-up security for the armored trains that deliver vital goods across the country.
Raven, Calvin, and Lindsey worked together to protect an important shipment of medical supplies through Colorado.
Unfortunately, the train was attacked and derailed in Utah. The cargo was stolen and most of the security forces defending it killed, but the raiders responsible weren’t the only danger plaguing the New Frontier. A new bioengineered disease called Wild Fire emerged. USAMRIID was sent at the behest of Secretary of Defense Charlize Montgomery to help contain the rapidly spreading epidemic.
While dealing with this biological threat, Raven and Calvin worked with the Colorado Rangers to track down the criminals behind the train attack. Intel from USAMRIID and Lindsey led them to discover a terrorist cell known as the Reapers. These evil men were responsible for orchestrating violence and deploying Wild Fire across the New Frontier.
In their quest to stop this rogue group, Calvin and Raven were taken prisoner by a disgruntled man running a vigilante group from the Navajo Nation named Eddy Nez. They barely escaped, but not before severely wounding Eddy.
All of these events occurred during a turbulent election year. With President Diego doing what he can to maintain a sense of stability, firebrand challenger Senator Patrick Shelby seeks to take his place in the Oval Office. The ongoing campaign season tied Diego’s hands and restricted some of his aid to the New Frontier for fears of compromising electoral optics. Despite a lack of support, the Colorado Rangers and their allies managed to stop the Reapers. But even with the splinter group of Iranian extremist terrorists eradicated, new enemies arise in the vacuum of power. Between these new hostile groups and Wild Fire still raging through the region, the New Frontier has become more wild and dangerous than ever before. Raven, Lindsey, and Calvin will be faced with more tough decisions to try and save their homes from bloodshed.
Welcome back to the New Frontier ... war is on the horizon.
-1-
The warm late afternoon sun blanketed Raven Spears in a comforting embrace as he stepped out into the front yard of his cabin. He breathed in the scent of sunbaked ponderosa pines and crisp mountain air. The fragrant aromas were joined by the gaminess of soil from a fresh rain and the smoky hint of a nearby campfire.
A nearby stream burbled with the whisper of wind through leaves in a quiet natural symphony. His bare feet crushed the gentle leaves of grass poking up from the twigs and pebbles.
Today was the epitome of peaceful.
He felt relaxed, but there was always the lingering horror of the past two years in the back of his mind. The death and losses had piled up.
For that reason, he was glad he wasn’t alone. His sister, Sandra, was with him staring at a small fire burning next to the sweat lodge adjacent to his cabin. Her dark hair was swept back in a ponytail, and she wore a mask of concentration as if deep in thought.
Skinny eight-year-old Allie bent down next to the orange flames, stoking a burning log heating a hanging pot. She was a miniature spitting image of her mother.
Raven’s one-eyed Akita, Creek, wagged his tail, tongue hanging out. He looked happily back and forth between his human family members.
“Careful!” Sandra chided Allie as Raven approached. “Don’t burn yourself.”
“I’m fine, Mom,” Allie said. “Geez.”
Sandra looked to Raven. “You know she’s stubborn as a wild horse. I blame you for that.”
Raven held up his hands in a mock defensive gesture. “She’s your daughter, Sis.”
“Yeah, but I think she’s spent too much time with you.”
“Yup,” Allie said with a chuckle. “I’m stubborn like Raven.”
Raven gave Allie a mischievous grin as he knelt next to her. “I’m really stubborn?”
He watched her use a large ladle to stir the wohanpi soup while raising a brow.
“Are you seriously asking me that?” she asked. “Mom says you’re more stubborn than an angry mule on a hot summer day.”
Raven laughed and then took in a whiff of the salty aroma from the meat and vegetables. “Smells great.”
His stomach growled again in hunger.
“You fasted, didn’t you?” Sandra looked at him with concern.
“It’s part of the ceremony, Sis. Relax.”
“Relax? I know it’s been a few weeks, but your body is still recovering from… all of that. You need to eat.”
She gestured toward the mountains. Clearly, she was referring to Raven’s last mission in the New Frontier with Steel Runner Calvin Jackson. But she didn’t want to go into details in front of Allie.
Creek whined next to him as if he agreed with Sandra.
“As soon as we finish the ceremony, I’ll eat,” Raven promised. “Besides, I’m good now. I’m feeling healthy. Shoot, even Calvin looks like he’s ready to join the SEALs again. And you saw him after his stint in the hospital.”
Sandra huffed. “Look, you both took a beating. Calvin’s lucky he’s had time to do physical therapy. And his lungs… you know I’m not supposed to be telling you this stuff anyway.”
“Eh, Calvin already told me. He’s almost back to normal. Point is, I can handle some fasting.” Then he gave Allie a sideways glance. “Just so you know... fasting is better than what people used to do.”
“What’s that?” Allie asked.
Sandra eyed Raven.
“You don’t want me to tell her?” he asked.
Sandra scoffed. “Ah, fine. Go on. She’s seen worse.”
Allie leaned toward him, intrigue painted over her features.
“They—” Raven began.
Before he could continue, the sound of tires biting over gravel interrupted them. He stood, reaching instinctively for the hatchet sheathed on his utility belt.
His world was one of danger, especially with the collapse of the United States. It was impossible to shake the instincts he’d honed to keep himself alive and protect those he loved.
Sandra seemed to notice and put a hand on his shoulder. “Just our guests.”
“Yeah...” Raven said.
Creek ran toward the rust-pocked red Buick parking on the drive. Out from the driver’s seat came gray-haired, leather-skinned Joanne Lithgow, beaming. Every wrinkle in her face seemed to smile. Her happiness was contagious.
The passenger door opened, and Joanne’s sixteen-year-old granddaughter, Lara, got out. Her skin was a shade darker than Joanne’s and she had a nearly black ponytail, imbued by her half-Sioux heritage.
Allie ran up to Lara and hugged her.
“She’s looking so much healthier,” Sandra said quietly to Raven. “Her spirit is glowing.”
Raven smiled.
They exchanged greetings and embraces with Lara and Joanne.
Sandra, Allie, and Raven had known them for almost a month now. So much had happened since, it felt like a lifetime.
When Joanne gave Raven a hug, she looked up at him with crystal blue eyes.
“Lara told me all about the Sun Dance Ceremony,” Joanne said. “I understand that non-Native American individuals usually don’t—or aren’t allowed to attend these ceremonies—so I’m honored to be here.”
“You’re Lara’s family,” Raven said. “We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Sandra gave Joanne’s hand a light squeeze. “For that matter, you’re practically our family now. We’re all just happy to celebrate this with some good people.”
Raven had the group gather around a twelve-foot wooden pole he’d planted in his yard.
“This is the central pole,” he explained. “I didn’t exactly have time to construct the whole lodge that should go with it.”
Lara shrugged. “Not every tribe did anyway.”
“You’ve been reading up on the ceremony?” Raven asked.
“As much as I can. The Estes Park Library has a lot of good books to borrow.”
Raven looked up at the pole. “Then maybe you can tell Allie what people did around the pole.”
Lara took a step back, her foot breaking a twig. “We’re not going to actually do it, are we?”
Raven gave her a comforting smile. “No, we’re not.”
“What? What aren’t we going to do?” Allie glanced between the two of them.
Joanne appeared just as confused.
“Just tell us already!” Allie said, throwing her hands up dramatically in the air.
Sandra rolled her eyes. “Might as well explain all the gruesome details. I’ll go light the sage.”
As Raven motioned for the others to gather closer to the pole, Sandra gathered a few smudge pots and began setting them out around a circular perimeter.
“The traditional Sun Ceremony varies between tribes,” Raven said. “One similarity between many is self-mortification.”
“What’s that mean?” Allie asked.
Sandra started lighting the smudge pots. Creek followed her, sniffing at each. The air filled with the aroma of sage.
“It means they used to hurt themselves,” Lara said. “People would put skewers through their chest or back.” She pointed to the pole. “Then they’d tie themselves to the pole with leather strips and move or dance around it until they were exhausted.”
Allie had a hand over her mouth.
“The US government made the Sun Ceremony illegal for a while because of it,” Lara continued. “But people kept practicing it anyway. Right, Raven?”
“Indeed we did,” he replied.
Allie folded her arms over her chest. “Lots of stubborn people like you, Uncle Raven. See?”
“Our culture would never have survived if we weren’t stubborn.” Raven looked to Sandra. “We’re stubborn because we’re fighters.”
His sister gave a prideful nod.
“I apologize, but why would people want to hurt themselves like this?” Joanne asked.
“Well, today, a lot of people simply fast, like I did,” Raven said. “We make small sacrifices like that to remind ourselves of how lucky we are to be alive. It also shows that we can and will heal from that temporary pain.”
“Sacrifice is necessary for healing,” Sandra said. “At least, that’s the idea.”
Raven nodded. “Normally, the Sun Dance Ceremony is conducted at the beginning of the summer. It welcomes a new season, and it also shows gratitude for everything that allows us to survive, from food to shelter.”
“It seems very fitting for these times,” Joanne said.
Sandra returned to their circle after lighting the last smudge pot. Creek settled on his haunches next to her.
“Sister, you want to lead us?” Raven asked.
“Sure.” Sandra kicked off the ceremony using a drum she’d brought from her home. Then Raven led Allie and Lara in a series of songs and dances with a chant. Their voices carried as the afternoon slowly turned to evening. The first threads of orange sky simmered up from the western mountains as the sun set. Sandra joined Raven, Allie, and Lara as they danced in circles around the central pole.
Joanne watched with a respectful gaze, quiet and observant.
While they danced, Raven’s thoughts swirled to Colorado Rangers Larry Yoon, Juan Molina, and all the others that had lost their lives to stop the Reapers and the spread of the Wild Fire plague. The only good news was that the Reapers appeared to have acted alone as a rogue group of terrorists hailing from Iran.
There was no evidence any of them were left in the United States. The international community had acted swiftly to investigate the matter on the diplomatic stage to ensure Iran wasn’t actually culpable.
Whatever those investigations amounted to be, it didn’t matter.
The Wild Fire was still in the New Frontier killing people. Raven had a feeling many, many more lives would fall before Wild Fire was stopped. Those thoughts were why a day or so without food seemed like a needed sacrifice. One he could easily afford when so many others had already paid the ultimate price.
This ceremony was for the deceased as much as for the living.
He concluded the ceremony with a whistle, motioning for them all to find seats back near the fire. The flames had long since settled into the gentle glow of orange embers.
A few bubbles popped in the soup.
Raven took a large ladle and pulled a sample of the soup up to his nose. He took in a big whiff. “I think it’s ready.”
“Great,” Joanne said. “I’ll go get all the extra bowls. Lara, can you help?”
“I will too,” Allie said.
The three of them made their way to Joanne’s Buick.
Raven and Sandra watched them go.
“It feels good to have a little normalcy like this,” she said. “Working in the clinics all day, with all these Wild Fire patients, it still feels like the apocalypse.”
“You think things are getting any better since we at least have a cure?” Raven asked.
“It’s going to be a while before we can really tell,” Sandra replied. “And we still need more of that cure. Just like you said about the ceremony, this is the beginning of our healing process. We’ve been told the government is working on producing enough of the cure to stop Wild Fire.”
The girls and Joanne returned with stacks of big plastic bowls with lids and boxes to carry them. Raven and Sandra helped, forming a human assembly line. They put lids on the bowls and stacked them in larger boxes.
It took a good fifteen minutes to finish dishing out the soup.
Creek licked his lips as he stared at the pot.
“Sorry, boy, first things first,” Raven said.
He gave Lara an especially wide smile. During some particularly dark times, she had brought him a bowl of the soup before to thank him for saving her from the New Frontier.
Now they would be serving it to dozens of people who had been displaced from the violent Badlands and were staying at the Estes Park Refugee Center
