Free Revenge in the Homeland by A. J. Newman

town because a Cabra had tried to rape her. Her son hit the man with a baseball bat, kept beating him until he was not recognizable and fed him to the pigs. They fled to escape retribution and since no one witnessed the event, the Cabras thought that they had another deserter and didn’t follow up.
    They were home in bed for the night with the kids sound asleep when Mita asked, “Lucio, you ask me many questions about what I hear from the people who trade with us. Why do you want this information? You want to know everything that the Cabras do or say.”
    He had been waiting for this question for some time and replied, “I am very afraid of them and want to stay two steps ahead of them to keep us all safe. I want to know what they are doing around the area because when we get enough silver, gold and some items that we need to survive we are heading away from here to live in a place free from the Chupacabras. You can’t tell anyone, not even the kids. We must be smart about this and get out of here with all of our possessions.”
    “I like getting away from here, but is it better anywhere else?”
    “Yes, there are several places where we can move and have a good and safe life. Trust me.”
    “Darling, I trust you with all of our lives and need you so much.”
    They made love and then fell asleep. Lucio dreamed about his wife and kids back in Matamoros. His dreams told him that they were dead.
     
    “Mita, I have to make a short trip to see some equipment that a guy wants to trade for that water pump. I will back before dark.”
    “What if the Cabras want their payment today?”
    “I’ll tell Bill and Jesus to stay at the store today to make sure that no one bothers you. You will be okay.”
     
    Lucio walked the three miles to the abandoned farm house and got his truck out of the barn and headed north on a back road. He drove for thirty miles before he pulled off on the road to the meeting place.
    “Lucio, long time no see!”
    “Ensign Teller, it has been a long time. This hiding out and living among the Cabras has just about driven me to drinking.”
    “That was a short drive knowing you. What have you got for us today?”
    Lucio showed him some maps with markings and another stack of papers with notes. Teller quickly reviewed the information and said, “Looks like just what we need. How much time do you need to get out of town before we attack?”
    “I have some more info for Mr. McCoy that might complicate things. I have found all of his daughters. They have been living a few blocks away all of the time that I have been operating the store. Two trade with me at my little store. I think that Gus would want to get them out of the city as well. It’s not all good news. One of his grandkids died from diphtheria, one of his son-in-laws is dead and his middle daughter has been kidnapped by an officer in the Cabras and she and her kid live with him.”
    “Well, won’t that just fry Gus’ ass.”
    “We will get back to you and give you some instructions and probably some help getting Gus’ family out of here.”
    “I need two favors.”
    “Nothing is too big for my friend. Shoot.”
    “I need to know if my wife and kids are still alive and I want to bring my cover family out of here with me before the attack.”
    “I’ll do the best I can on the info on your family. We already planned to bring your cover family with you, so no problem there. See you in a couple of days.”
     
    ***
     
    Gail Smith only lived two blocks from the little store and went there twice a week to trade vegetables from her garden for powdered milk and canned meat when they had it in stock. She had lived in a nice house on the bay before TSHTF. It was comfortable; they had plenty to eat and were safe.
    She now hated that she had talked her two sisters into moving to Corpus Christie, but Bill’s company was hiring and he got them on with the company in good paying jobs. She never thought that their world would end and this hell