I’Ll Meet You There

By Miki Scott Cutler

How much time do we have left on this over-populated orb we call home? Can the Earth and its inhabitants be saved from humanities plundering of its resources? Its wanton disregard for the environment and sanctity of life? Is it too late? Do enough people care? Has technology surpassed humanity?

In this rousing adventure of friendship and hope, Cutler tackles these questions head on as people come together to find answers and offer help on a dying planet. They will do all they can to help Mother Nature restore balance to her apocalyptic world. If they succeed, there is hope – for a cleaner, kinder planet – for two-leggeds, four-leggeds and things that fly……..

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Nov 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781663211101

Miki Scott Cutler

Miki Scott Cutler is the author of six previous books, including the Lorna Long Mystery series. She lives with her biologist husband in El Paso, Texas. When not writing, she is hiking and being bossed around by her fiesty border collie and a jack russell mix.

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Copyright © 2020 Miki Scott Cutler.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced

by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage

retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in

the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web

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not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the

publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Cover and author photo by Scott M. Cutler

ISBN: 978-1-6632-1109-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-1110-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020923369

iUniverse rev. date:   11/28/2020

CONTENTS

Runnin’ Out

Prologue

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

Two Years Later

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

One Year Later

33

AFTERWORD

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This book is dedicated to

The Water Protectors

Mni Wiconi

When we try to pick out anything by itself,

we find it hitched to everything else

in the Universe.

John Muir

Runnin’ Out

We’re runnin’ out of habitat, we’re runnin’ out of land

We’re runnin’ out of water, but not runnin’ out of man.

We’re losin’ all the animals, As one by one they die

And there’s just one reason, It’s because of you and I.

We’re runnin’ out of prairie, we’re runnin’ out of love

We’re runnin’ out of mountains, and clear sky above.

We’re losin’ all our dignity, And places to be free

And there’s just one reason, It’s because of you and me.

And where will we go? And what will we do?

When faced with the choice – Will it be me or you?

I wonder if we’ll wake up – In time to save ourselves

To protect what we destroyed – Put it all back on the shelf…

We’re runnin’ out of music, we’re runnin’ out of time

We’re runnin’ out of things to do, ways to make a dime.

We’re losin’ our perspective Of

Mother Earth and Father Sky

We’re lookin’ for a dollar, And don’t

know the reason why.

We’re runnin’ out of forests, we’re runnin’ out of trees

We’re runnin’ out of places where

souls can be appeased.

Will we realize our freedom is in loving all the same

Not looking for a conquest and someone else to blame.

(music and lyrics by Miki Scott Cutler)

Prologue

Colonel David Turner smiled to himself as he left his lab in Seattle. He finally got a formula that would work. Everyone necessary had been inoculated and was under his control. He’d been assured it would work efficiently for at least one year, at which time everyone could be re-vaccinated should it be necessary.

Those idiot doctors will believe anything I tell them. They did before, but now it’s a sure thing. I’ve got the best and the brightest working only for me. Now I can take over operations in all parts of the world. First stop: Madagascar, then Myanmar and Kazakhstan. I got a million back doors I can go through. No high and mighty governments are going to keep me out. Once I get everything in place, and test my satellites, I’ll aim them right at that bitch in the White House. She’ll soon find out who is really in charge.

Two weeks later the Colonel landed in Madagascar with his troops under the pretense of being from the United States military coming to help the poor people of Madagascar set up militias, which were fast rising all over the globe. This was due to every country in the world experiencing shortages of food, clean water, and fuel.

What the people of Madagascar did not know, could not know, was that David Turner was no longer with the U.S. military. He was also no longer vice-president of the United States. Everything he did, had always done, was for his own gain. He was all about taking over vast quantities of land, murdering, pillaging, taking control of water, food and precious metals used to make his advanced weaponry. So far, no one had stopped him. No one could. Yet.

The unsuspecting people who welcomed him and his troops to their tiny village went to bed that night after helping his men set up their tents in a picturesque field above their homes. They thought they would begin training in the morning, learning how to protect their small area of land, its resources and their water supply.

In the middle of the night, with everyone in the village asleep behind their unlocked doors, David Turner ordered his men to move out. None of them hesitated. Why would they? They had all been programmed to obey his orders without question. No matter the cost. No matter the immorality of the order. They had been doing his bidding for years, never questioning. Earning their big salaries. For what, they didn’t know and didn’t care. It was a job. A job with benefits of pillage and plunder, if they were so inclined.

The men crept into the village while the inhabitants were still in their beds. Two men had cased it beforehand, silently killing any sentry or straggler out and about. Then the men went door to door stealthily, eliminating each individual one by one. Brutally. Leaving them bleeding in their beds. The highly skilled men were good at their jobs. The babies never woke either. Silence ruled the night.

Once the killing was done, the village decimated, bodies burned and buried to hide the carnage, they took possession of the mine and began extracting the rare earth minerals they knew were underground. They brought in slaves to accomplish Colonel David Turner’s goals. One of his many goals.

The Colonel closely guarded his operation for a few days before turning it over to a small trusted force, assured things would run smoothly once he was gone. They would stay there, overseeing operations for the Colonel, reporting daily.

Completing their mission, the rest returned to base, a base he had complete command over. He smiled at how well this latest raid had worked. He had two more trials to complete before he was ready for his next takeover.

He reorganized, calling up more troops to meet his force in Myanmar, then Kazakhstan, right on the border with Russia.

That Commie isn’t going to stop me. Can’t believe he’s working with the United States now. Ridiculous. But it won’t keep me from launching my satellites. I’ll just circumvent, like I always do. Then back to the U.S. Hopefully they’ll have the next formula ready. They better anyway. I won’t take no for an answer. And if that stupid woman is re-elected president, I’ll take her out. I’m tired of her getting in my way. Now I can take over – everything. Everywhere.

In the last decade, the world had become a very dangerous and less inhabitable place. Overpopulation was destroying the planet. It was running out of natural resources: clean drinkable water, untainted natural food and breathable air. The amount of industrial waste, chemicals, pharma, and plain old sewage flowing into the rivers and soaking into the ground, contaminated not only the soil, but the water resources underneath. This polluted the oceans, the seas. Plastics became microparticles in the air, land and water, infecting everything.

This in turn contributed to accelerated global warming, wiping out species of whales, polar bears, elephants, rhinos, monkeys, many beneficial plants and insects. Mankind was killing the planet, and not slowly anymore.

The world was dying. But human populations continued to rise globally despite plagues, new and dangerous diseases and viruses, pandemics, wars, climate catastrophes of epic proportions and human suffering.

Because of overpopulation, fights over natural resources became the norm. Neighbor against neighbor, city against city, state against state, country against country. It wasn’t about a god anymore, it was about fighting to survive. Fighting for a world that was no longer clean. Fast becoming uninhabitable. Humans had become parasitic, multiplying still faster than they were being killed off.

Powerful militaries or militias were trying to take over everywhere, using advanced weapons like heat rays, laser beams and other deadly weapons to secure water supplies, oil, topsoil, seed, and other resources for themselves. Africa, Asia, North and South America, Australia, Europe, even the oceans and seas were being fought over for control. Technology was causing further damage to the earth by powerful electromagnetic waves and radiation hitting the planet.

The future was questionable. The only subject agreed upon by all the major powers was regarding the devastation that nuclear war would cause. All agreed this could not happen. Nothing would be gained and the earth would become uninhabitable permanently for everyone, every living thing.

Each country had dismantled their nuclear power plants and their bombs voluntarily, in a rare show of solidarity. They policed each other in disarming their warheads, stabilizing and dismantling slowly the few power plants that were still in operation. The three big power players on the planet: Russia, China and the United States, had helped other countries find alternative methods for energy. The one holdout had been North Korea. It was soon taken over by a coalition of world powers and brought in line with the rest of the world. People could still kill each other, just not with nuclear proliferation. Mankind was scared, scared for their children, for the uncertain future they had brought upon themselves by their greed and consumption. They realized too late that there was no such thing as renewable resources.

Some of those in powerful positions, like David Turner, smiled. They knew there was another way for them to take control without sacrificing any area to a nuclear holocaust. There was always a way to get MORE.

But while some factions like Turner’s still longed for more power and control for themselves alone, another group longed for a better, kinder world, a peaceful world, a clean world. A world where money didn’t rule the day, and kindness was their religion.

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1

The woman had been in the woods for hours, running at first, then slowing as she reached steeper parts of the trail. She stopped to catch her breath. Climbing the first mountain had taken a lot of her strength. It wasn’t the altitude, it wasn’t that high yet, she knew. It was the change in altitude that was bothering her, and her bleeding hand. She stopped on the high side of a large boulder, out of sight, catching her breath.

Oh god, if I die out here no one will find me……maybe that would be best, maybe I should just let go. Oh, dumbass, keep going. You’re better than this!

She kept chiding herself as she inhaled the cold air. It was getting colder the higher she went. This was a little unexpected, even though it was May. She knew freak storms could pop up anytime, especially in Montana. She shivered under her stolen down jacket that didn’t quite fit. Neither did the gloves, hat and hiking boots, everything was too big.

I’ve got to be strong. I have to find my parents. If I can get to Canada, I can get the word out somehow. Come on, Kara, you can do this!

She struggled and began to climb on all fours, grabbing at trees, bushes, rock outcroppings, whatever helped her up the steep incline. It had started to snow, which was good and bad for her. The helicopters wouldn’t be out if a storm was coming, and if it snowed enough, it would cover her tracks. The bad news was it was getting colder by the minute and she wasn’t used to it. It would make it harder to breath and she was weakened after she had removed the chip from her hand and lost more blood than she had intended. She had sewed it up with fishing line from the stolen truck, and wrapped it well, though she could see her use of the hand had caused it to seep through the bandage. She stopped long enough to rewrap it and stop the bleeding again.

She crested the mountain and looked out over the forest. Taller mountains and deep valleys awaited. She descended, which was much easier. When she got into the next valley, in the shelter of pine and fir, she stopped again. She unshouldered her pack and got out a water bottle, taking a big swig. She found a granola bar, unwrapped it, took a bite, then wrapped the rest up carefully. The forest was quiet – too quiet. Feeling better, she pressed on, up and down, making good time over hills, valleys, mountains. She crossed several streams, chipping ice if she had to, refilling her water bottle.

She checked her hand. It had bled again through the bandage.

I need to redo this. Don’t know when that’s going to happen but I don’t want it to get infected. I’ll go another hour and find a place for the night. It’ll be dark soon. Maybe he doesn’t even know I’m gone yet. I could get lucky. Be the first time….. first time for everything……yeah, right.

She hiked another hour but finding no place to rest, she continued until almost dark. She finally found an outcropping of boulders and squeezed between them. They provided some protection from the snow. She got situated as best she could and pulled a space blanket from the daypack, throwing it between the boulders where her bed would be.

She couldn’t let the wound go so she got out a sock and more gauze to wrap it. She removed the wet bandage and cleaned the wound with cold water. Her hand was tender and red.

Wish I had some antiseptic. This is starting to look pretty bad. I don’t even know where the hell I am. I’ll just keep going until I find a cabin or something, maybe a town. I can make it. I can. For Mom and Dad’s sake. I have to.

Curled up, half burying herself in detritus and exhausted, she fell into a deep sleep.

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2

The wolf had been away from the Indian for several days when she returned, bringing a rabbit as a present.

Well, my friend, said the Indian, opening the door and accepting the gift, thanks. I’ll cook my half and let you eat yours inside by the fire. It’s getting pretty cold out there, eh.

The wolf sauntered in, dropped the rabbit at his feet and made her way over to the fire. He chuckled at his furry friend as she made herself at home, sprawling in front of the fireplace.

Snowstorm coming. I think it will be a blowing one. That’s why you came, eh. Getting soft in your old age, like me, though, come to think of it, we really aren’t that old, the Indian laughed.

His one room cabin was solid. He’d built it himself, many years ago. He had everything he’d ever need here, including solitude. The few times he’d gone to town for supplies were enough social interaction for him. That – and visiting family on the reservation, though it had been a while since he’d seen his mother and sisters, his aunts and uncles. He worried about them, especially his nephews. The world was getting crazier, harder to survive, especially on a reservation.

It wasn’t that he didn’t get along with people. Everyone loved him and he liked most people well enough. Since the army he’d done a lot of reflection and felt he’d gotten his soul back, even his life back. But he also knew he was waiting to be called again, and that bothered him, the waiting and uncertainty of it all. In the meantime, he preferred the company of the wolf. He kept a close watch on his corner of the world. The bear, elk, deer, fox and wolf were becoming fewer and fewer in number, yet he protected who was left as best he could.

The wind started to pick up, blowing snow piled against the side of the cabin. The wolf pricked her ears.

See, told you we were in for a cold night, he told the wolf as he put his half of the rabbit on the spit and into the fire. No worries, eh, you are welcome and this will blow over tomorrow. Maybe a good day for a hunt. We could use some and I can smoke it, mix it with some berries. What do you think?

The wolf was busy with her half of the rabbit and didn’t answer. The Indian had carefully pulled the hide off, halved the rabbit equally and given the wolf her part raw. He stirred the fire and checked his meal as she enthusiastically finished hers.

Afterward he cleaned up, putting his few dishes in the sink and pouring water on them. It was too cold to go to the stream to wash them tonight. The wolf licked her paws and settled in, content to be with her friend. He wasn’t her master, nor was she his wolf. They had a symbiotic relationship, based on friendship. She watched as he cleaned his rifle, loaded it again and set it by his small bed. He kept the fire going, making sure he’d have enough embers to start it up quickly in the morning. The wind was howling now and he was glad the wolf had come in to keep him company.

Sleep well, friend, he said, pulling the blanket over him and immediately going to sleep.

The wolf rose and moved closer to the bed. She appreciated the fact that he saw no need to touch her. It wasn’t in her nature, though she loved the man. He had saved her life when she was a pup. He had raised her, never confined her and she trusted him completely. They communicated without words most of the time.

She noticed he had gotten more talkative lately. Was he lonely? Tired of the silence of the high country? No matter, he still didn’t invade her thoughts or try to confine her. Except for last year when she had hurt her leg. She came to him for help, knowing he would fix it. She could not hunt with three legs.

And he did fix it, though it took a long time before she was back to normal. She’d tried to find a mate but every year it became less urgent. Wolf packs were few and far between up here. Man had killed so many and manmade pollution was evident, even here.

She only met stray males, males kicked out of their own pack and looking to find an alpha female and start their own. She never dared venture into an existing pack, she instinctively knew that could get her killed. She stayed far away from alpha females and whole packs but tried to sniff out lone males traveling through the area. So far, none were interested and they moved on quickly. She was still young, but her desire to mate waned with each passing year.

The Indian got up early as he always did. He renewed the fire and walked out his door barefooted to greet the day.

It was cold but he didn’t flinch as he walked down his wooden icy steps and into the snow. Facing the upcoming sun, he said a prayer and offered the earth a pinch of tobacco, then spoke to the four directions and gave thanks.

The wolf sat in the doorway, watching as he came back up the steps smiling at her.

Well, girl, I need a little coffee, he said, moving past her and putting water in a pan to heat on the fire. The wolf headed down the steps and into the forest but came back in a minute and pushed the door open, as he knew she would.

Now if I could just teach her to shut the door….

He took some pemmican from a tin on the shelf and bit off a piece for her, then one for himself.

If you’d like to go with me to hunt, I’d appreciate it, he said, looking at the wolf content by the fire. Figured to get a deer, eh. It snowed just enough last night, should be easy to track.

He poured hot water into his cup of instant coffee, added some sugar and stirred.

It’ll warm up today, full sun, he continued. "I’ll smoke some and do some jerky.