Wanderer (Book 1): Wanderer

broadcasted dead air, like some host ran out of things to say.
I actually left it on by accident and I nearly had a heart attack when the voice came through. He was jovial and upbeat.
That’s when I first heard about the scavengers, as he called them. He obviously wasn’t speaking to me directly, more like a wide audience. In case someone was listening I suppose. He also went on to say that they were a search and rescue group, whose main mission was to seek out survivors and bring them to one of their compounds and hopefully live out this mess. They had food, medical supplies, and beds. Roaming parties were sent out periodically to look for survivors.
Judging by the clarity of the broadcast I thought he might be close, although I had never seen any rescue party roaming through these parts. Then again I didn’t venture out much. I didn’t want to turn into one of them. I wonder if he broadcasts from the radio tower on top of the mountain behind the house?
Maybe one day when we started running out of food I might set out to find one of these compounds, but right now, this is all I need.
He closed the broadcast with his usual message to watch out for their symbol, a symbol of hope, a red shield outlined in gold with a gold hammer in the center.
After I was finished reading I lowered the magazine and saw Mandy was lying in front of me, starring me in the face. Her tail was wagging incessantly. She was more than excited to go to bed.

Entry 10
It was a full moon. The light filtered through the gaps in the blinds down onto my face. I couldn’t sleep. It was one of my nightmares again. This one was about my sister, so I came out into the den to be with my thoughts. Mandy came out not long after me and was now lying by my side.
I was somewhat glad I had the nightmare, otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here listening to what’s going on outside. There was something prowling against the perimeter fence. I couldn’t tell what it is because of the foliage, but it was fast, running back and forth. I wonder if whatever is out there is what has been destroying the fence.
I first thought it might give up and move along, but then the first attack came on the gate as the thing tested for weak points. Mandy’s ears pricked up and she was over at the window ready to attack whatever it was.
Then there were two simultaneous attacks at opposite ends of the fence. This confirmed my fears that there was more than one. They were too fast to be one of them, and if they were human they could just hop the fence. And coyotes never attack, they always dig.
The attacks were increasing in frequency. I wonder what they were after?
I slid open the window so I could hear better. I listened to the low thudding on the ground as they ran back and forth, and what seemed liked panting followed by a sharp growl. They were too big for dogs, too organized.
Mandy was now pawing at the screen to get at them. I called at her to stop, but she just continued to whine and paw, with the occasional bark. That just made whatever was on the other side even more aggressive.
Suddenly one of them stopped behind the gate and let out a deafening howl. And I knew at once they were wolves.
They looked bigger than I remember. I had only seen a wolf once, at the zoo. I didn’t know if they were after the garden, or maybe even us. No doubt they had smelled the deer, wolves aren’t scavengers like the coyotes. They hunt.
The first pop of the fence being pulled away scared us both. Their powerful jaws were ripping the fence away from its post. The rest of the fence followed rapidly behind it and then the wolves flooded in, like a like water rushing through a broken dam.
One stayed atop the third tier and headed toward the north side of the property. The second moved the same way only to the south side. I thought I saw a third come in, but I didn’t see it anywhere, maybe my eyes were just deceiving me.
Mandy was too fast for me. She ripped open the screen and was out before I could even react.
I got up and rushed into my bedroom and threw open the closet door searching for my handgun. The growls and yelps forced their way into my ears. I tried not to imagine what was going on out there, that not all the yelps were from her.
I found the box that contained the handgun under a pile of sweaters. I opened the box and the chrome of the gun illuminated in the moon light. I snatched it out of the box and sprinted for the backyard.
When I reached the sliding glass door I could see I wasn’t a moment too late. Mandy was on the ground and one of the wolves was on top of her. Their growls and barks had grown in intensity. The wolf was just toying with her.
I ripped open the sliding glass door with such force that the glass pane cracked when it hit the metal frame. In the sun room I could see the second wolf perched on the south brick wall of the second tier watching over the fight like a boxing coach. I fired once. The report was deafening and anyone within a few miles would surely know my location. The bullet hit the wolf in the upper left shoulder blowing it into the back wall and leaving its left leg behind. It was dead before it hit the back wall.
I turned left and saw the other wolf on top of Mandy. Both of their fangs were bared and they were biting and gnashing their teeth. The wolf