America's Sunset: A Post Apocalyptic Fight for Survival (2 page)

Chapter 1 ~ Not His First Rodeo

September, 2012

Dawson breathed the smells in deep. Hay, leather tack, popcorn and horse dung created a unique stench you could find in few other places. Before every event, he liked to walk the stalls, taking in the atmosphere, and watching the horses. They were so peaceful and content before the event. It had a calming effect on him. He remembered being here as a kid, going to the rodeos with his dad. He loved being around the animals. They were so magnificent. Rodeo life was in his blood. He couldn't understand why everyone didn't want to live this way. Traveling to rodeos, they’d often pass through big cities, and they always seemed like such strange places. Some of his friends dreamed of moving to the big city some day, but not Dawson.

Today’s rodeo was special for a few reasons. He wasn’t a little kid anymore. Today was his first rodeo as a senior competitor. The crowds were bigger, the prizes were bigger, the horses were bigger, and the bulls especially were bigger. Not scary bigger; Dawson had yet to meet an animal that scared him. Even when he was a kid, and the bigger horses threw him, he’d get right back in the saddle. It always amazed his dad, how fearless he was. Dawson used to tell his dad, "It’s not about fear, Dad. We just don’t understand each other yet. Once I convince the horse what good friends we are, we’ll get along fine. C'mon, Dad, you know how that works."

His dad would push the brim of his hat back. Dawson always remembered his dad doing that before he had something important to say to him. "There may come a day, son, when you are scared of an animal. And that's okay. That's just your instincts trying to protect you. Nothing wrong with that. Only a fool would ignore it. Learn to listen to your instincts, Dawson, not just the animal. The best advice a man ever gets is from his gut."

Then Dawson would say something like, "Sure, Dad, I get it. Me and the horse … we’re one."

Today was different for another reason. It was his first rodeo as a senior rider, and his first rodeo without his dad around. He’d passed suddenly, from an existing heart condition. There was no great drama leading up to his death from any prolonged sickness. At least not for those around him. Just one day he was there, and then the next he wasn’t.

Today, he'd make his dad proud. Dawson had every intention of winning all the events today. He’d been a rising star in the junior ranks for years, but now was his first shot at the big boy’s title.
This is going to be a perfect day. Dad may be gone, but I'm jumping back in the saddle, just like he’d want me to.

As Dawson exited the end of the stables, a big smile lit his face. Young Chase had spotted him, and was running through the packed dirt trail leading towards the grandstands.

"You gonna ride the big horse today, Dad?" Chase asked.

"You bet, buddy. I’m gonna ride the big horse, rope some calf, and ride that big ole bull. That'll be the best part. That poor ole bull is gonna have the ride of his life when I get on," Dawson said.

Dawson's wife Lisa joined them, and hugged them both. "Sorry, hon, I told him to let you be, but he kept asking for you. I know you want to be focused, especially today."

Dawson kissed her as he passed Chase into her arms. "It's no problem. It's his first real rodeo, and he's excited to see his daddy ride. Aren’t ya, buddy?" Dawson tickled Chase in the ribs, and the boy squealed in delight.

"He'd be happy to be anywhere near you, Dawson. Rodeo or not. He's his daddy's boy from top to bottom."

"You gonna be a cowboy someday, son?" Dawson asked.

"Yep, just like you, Daddy. One day I'm going to ride the big horses."

"I bet you will. But today, we’ll leave the big horse riding to me. OK?"

"Yes sir Daddy-O."

Dawson spotted his agent Maxwell Trainor making his way down the path towards them.

Dawson motioned towards Maxwell, and said, "Looks like it's time to get down to business. I'll see you both after my first ride."

Lisa wasn't a big fan of Maxwell, but understood the need for a young and up-and-coming rodeo star to have someone to represent him.

Lisa’s family lost their farm when she was only fifteen. They’d been struggling for years, and while their soybean crops did well, they just didn’t have enough acreage to make a go of it financially. The big corporations moving in and pressuring the smaller farms to sell made it tougher still. Eventually, her family had no choice but to cave in to the larger pressures and sell the farm. Lisa and Dawson had been friends for as long as they could remember. Their farms were close, and Lisa loved watching Dawson ride his horses. She’d always wanted to ride, but her family could barely keep their cash crops going. Raising horses was out of the question, no matter how much Lisa pleaded. Dawson used to tease her that she wasn’t really coming to play with him. She just wanted to be near the horses. Not that it bothered him. There weren’t a ton of kids to hang out with in the country, and any opportunity to play with a friend in lieu of chores was welcome.

“Hello, Chambers family,” Maxwell said as he approached the group. “Nice to see everyone’s here for the big day. Are you looking forward to seeing your daddy shine like a star today?” He asked Chase, reaching to pinch a cheek.

Chase grunted disapprovingly, and hid his face in his mother’s shoulder.

“Ah, Chase, don’t be so shy,” Lisa kidded him. “You know Maxwell. He’s one of Daddy’s best friends. He’s invited us all to come and see the horses today. That’s pretty nice of him, isn’t it?”

Chase’s muffled whine indicated he had no intention of playing nice with Maxwell.

“Don’t worry about it,” Maxwell said, smiling. “Kids take a while to warm up to me.” Maxwell looked up. “It’s going to be a great day for a rodeo, hey, Dawson?”

“You know me, Max. It’s always a great day for a rodeo,” Dawson said. “Did you find out which horse I’ll be riding today?”

“They haven’t released the lists yet, but there’s a managers meeting in half an hour, and we should have everything then. You going to join me?”

“Ah, no. You know me. I like to stay down here till the last possible moment. Helps me prepare. I trust you to make sure there aren’t any problems.”

“Absolutely, that’s what I’m here for. I’m sure they’ll have things all sorted out.”

“You just make sure my star here gets a shot at getting some good rides in today. Everyone’s going to be watching to see how the wonder kid makes out in his debut performance,” Lisa said.

“You betcha. He’s my star performer as well. I’ve been waiting a long time for this day. How long have we been together now, Dawson?”

“You know very well how long, Max. Ever since you spotted me at my first ten-year-old rodeo.”

“Yeah, I remember, I just like to hear you say it. It’s endearing to know how much I mean to you after all this time.” Maxwell gave a sly grin.

“We know why you’re really excited today, Maxwell,” Lisa piped up. “Now that Dawson is officially a senior, you finally start making a commission.”

“Now come on, Lisa,” Dawson said. “Max is like family, no need to talk like that.”

“You guys are all like family to me,” Max added. “Not just you, Dawson. Little Chase too, even though he doesn’t know it yet.” Maxwell tried unsuccessfully to tickle Chase again.

“I think Chase here had his eyes on some cotton candy back there. We’re gonna go see if there’s any left before the show starts,” Lisa said.

She leaned in along with Chase to give Dawson a hug and kiss. “Do us proud today, hon. We’ll be cheering you on.” Touching Maxwell on the shoulder, she said, “You make sure our star here is well taken care of today. Nothing but the best horses for my man.”

Maxwell smiled back. “I’ll do everything I can. You can count on me.”

They both watched Lisa set Chase down as they made their way back to the concession booths. Maxwell gave Dawson a nervous smile, and said, “I need to talk with you about the events today.”

“Sure thing. What’s up?”

“There were some late additions yesterday to the bulls scheduled. A few got sick, and they had transport problems with replacements from the Missouri rodeo last weekend.”

“OK. No big deal, right? The job is still the same.”

“Yeah, I just wanted to give you a heads up. We’d picked this rodeo because it was small. Not a lot of big animals, and a pretty easy start for your senior career. We wanted some challenging rides for you, but nothing too crazy.”

“I’m always up for a challenge. Besides, the animals love me. You know that. What could possibly go wrong at a rodeo?”

“I figured you’d be fine with it. I didn’t want to say anything in front of Lisa, but there are some pretty strong animals coming in today. Some of the bulls have a reputation on the circuit.”

“Lisa’s a trooper, you don’t have to worry about her. Whatever gets me up on that winner’s podium sooner.”

“Oh yeah. I know. She’s your biggest cheerleader. Look, though. I wouldn’t have picked these animals for your first time with the big boys, but now that they’re coming, I think we should make the most of it. Which animals you get is the luck of the draw. I’m not worried about the horses, but the bulls are not your strongest event.”

“You’re not doubting me now, are you? Lisa wouldn’t approve,” Dawson added with a grin.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I have no doubt about your abilities, but Lisa isn’t the one out there. You are. I just want you to be fully aware of what you’re getting yourself into.”

“I do, and I thank you. I wouldn’t be here without everything you’ve done.”

“All right. No need to get all mushy on me now. You need to cowboy up, son. Today is the start of a great career. I can feel it. And, it’s not just about all that big prize money for me.”

“Of course, I know that. Don’t mind Lisa, she was just joking.”

“You don’t actually believe that, do you?” Maxwell smiled. “You know that girl decided she was going to be the wife of a rodeo star when she was twelve years old.”

“Ah, c’mon. Little girls don’t think like that.”

“Cowboy, you may know a lot about horses, but you still got a lot to learn about women. And life in general. I’m gonna head over to the managers meeting, to keep an eye on things. Good luck today, and I’ll see you on the winner’s podium.”

Dawson flashed a smile as he walked back to the stables.

Senior rodeos were far tougher than Dawson thought. The judges were reluctant to hand out big numbers to the new kid, no matter how good he was. Dawson had a great day of riding, and was looking forward to the last ride of the day. To crack the big prize money today was still within reach, but it would take a flawless last ride. He’d never admit it to anyone, but the bulls made him a bit nervous. The horses he loved. He always felt like he had a connection with them. There was something behind the eyes of a horse that he could relate to. A kindred spirit. They had an understanding. The bulls though, not so much. Behind those eyes, it was empty. They always seemed just a little pissed off. Dawson made his way to the bull staging area. The bull in the first stall had a blanket draped over it with tattered lettering that read
Apocalypso
.
Great name
Dawson thought, as he walked past.

Chapter 2 ~ Isolation

The house on the edge of the desert only looked like it had been deserted a long time ago. The front porch was sinking into the sands and pulling the front of the house with it. Someone’s idea of nouveau exterior decorating had been to place the old passenger seat from a 1972 Ford Pinto on the porch to give the house an eclectic but not too trendy appearance. The seat was complete with armrests, headrest, faux-leather sides, and striped upholstery with alternating desert shading. At least the decorator had the sense to try and keep the color scheme in tune with the environment. The porch roof had rotted and blown away years ago, while the sun hadn’t done the seat any favors. There were a pair of matching tires lying against the foundations of the house, and one had to wonder if they were there by happenstance, or if the original decorator was paying lip service to his aesthetic attraction of automotive themes; perhaps with a sense of irony, because the tires were
not
from a 1972 Ford Pinto. Realistically though, they were probably just dumped there because the garage was full.

The rest of the house barely fared much better, though at least the main roof was still intact. It didn’t look inhabitable, except for the one brand new window and frame in the upper level. The window was conspicuous with its startling white vinyl frame that shone in the sun. The rest of the window frames and house were made of wood that matched the rusted brown color of the sand. The harsh environment had done its best to blend the home into the landscape, as if trying to merge them into one.

There was a gate at the beginning of the pathway leading up to the house. It seemed ridiculous, standing all alone with no fence to go with it. Just a gate swinging haphazardly on the canted post that still held it up. Had the fence blown away with the porch roof, or was it never built? It looked abandoned. Should one observe proper etiquette and open the gate before walking down the path, or just walk around it? Not many people walked the path, but those who did rarely gave it much thought—they simply walked around. It’s human nature after all to take shortcuts. It’s not lazy, not really; it’s simple efficiency. Most people have better things to do than walk through mysterious, abandoned gates.

Ahmed walked out the front door, and stood on the porch for a moment. He paid no heed to the 1972 Ford Pinto seat, or the unmatched tires. His sense of aesthetics was utterly absent. He walked off the porch and down the path and paused at the gate. It squeaked in the wind, and each time it did Ahmed winced. He made a mental note to find the oil can when he returned home. Looking around, he had a sense that the storm would strengthen as the day went on, and smiled. Mother Earth was on his side again. He opened the gate, and walked through, then carefully secured the gate in a locked position, lessening the squeaking. Ahmed then proceeded along the imaginary property line where the fence should have been to the tarp-covered motorcycle. He placed his helmet on, knowing he’d need the face visor to protect him from the approaching storm. After checking his provisions, he mounted the bike and headed into the desert. He was aware of the distant vehicles following him, but gave them little consideration.