CALINE - Part 3 (Rewrite)

Michelle was getting ready to leave our room when I walked in. Ginger was lounging on what was supposed to be my bed that she claimed as her own. Gray was on Michelle's and her bed tail wagging, hoping for some scratches and petting. Michelle conceded to Gray's pleading scratching her rump making the tail hit the bed faster and harder. "I'm going to go up to the roof to look at the solar installation. I hope they're salvageable to get them finally in use, even for just a little bit of charge to power emergency lights until I can find panels to replace any that don't work." She eases herself up from Gray who whines with the scratching and petting stopped. Michelle gets her flashlight I left on the table after walking Ginger when it was still dark earlier before going to breakfast.

I wondered if Michelle would be back before I left. "How long will you be up on the roof? I have no idea what you need to look at checking to see if we can use what's up there. Nina told me that Susan will be stopping by here in about an hour and that I need to be in the lobby to meet here. So, I may not be here when you're finished and back down from the roof." Michelle stood for a moment, I guess thinking through what she had to do to figure out which items she should look at first. She turned to her bag, reached in to find a pad of paper and something to write with to make a list of things needed to be replaced.

"I don't know Caline. It's been over a year since I watched and try to remember the people who knew what they were doing about setting up the solar panel installation. They never finished getting the installation up and charging. It'll take me a while too. figure out if I can make it work. Don't worry, I'll find you after I'm done one way or the other. Good luck with Susan. We'll catch up later before going back for dinner. See you." Michelle turns to head out with her flashlight, pad of paper, a pen, opens the door, and leaves, closing it behind her. I flopped down next to Ginger on a small space she left for me to fit into on our bed with less than an hour until Susan arrived.

Oh hell. I'm too wired and worried I'll drift off, fall asleep, and not wake up in time. Anyway, Ginger was twitching her paws from some phantom dream movements and had grunted in between snores making my decision to get up and throw some water on my face. Gray was fast asleep on Michelle's bed. They would both be fine for the next hour or so. I had their bowls I brought with us from Placitas to fill with water and leave on the bathroom floor if they woke and were thirsty while I was gone until Michelle or I returned.

Ginger and Gray must have heard me running water to rinse out and refill their bowls. They had both woken up, quietly hopped down off the beds, outside the bathroom door startling me as I turned, seeing them standing next to each other staring at their water bowls, then me. "Oh girls! You two sneaks. Don't do that." My sisters looked at each other, then back to their bowls, softly padded in to lap up a drink. I had moved away from the bowls to let them quench their thirst, stood in the doorway watching until they were done. I stepped back out of the bathroom to let Ginger and Gray return to lounging on the beds. Neither went back. They just stood staring at me. "I guess you two want to go out with me. Is that right my sisters?" They once again looked at each other, nearly making me laugh. "Okay, let's go. I hope Susan doesn't mind the two of you tagging along as she takes stock from her survey of the bowling alley." I swivel toward our room's door, take a few steps to open it for us to depart and take the stairs down one flight to the second-floor concourse, casino, and cats we haven't met yet. My sisters would probably stop again to check before we reached the escalator to walk one more flight down to the lobby.

The lobby was empty when we entered. There was time for us to continue through and go outside the hotel for me to let Ginger and Gray take care of any business if they needed to. We walked over the front entrance and exited through. The girls made a beeline to the left this time to another dirt patch we had been passing back and forth from parking the Aptera around the building. "Hi Caline!" I heard Cristian calling out behind me as I followed my sisters to the new spot where they wanted to sniff. I turned and saw him walking over with his rifle slung over his shoulder. He seemed happy to see another face outside after pulling watch duty since early this morning. "Missed you when you and the rest of the group returned from breakfast just a while ago. I'll be glad when George takes over for me later. I guess you'll be joining him, me, Alex, Lily and whoever else Nona adds to our watch duties in a couple of weeks after Susan finishes training you." My sisters were a bit too far away making me feel uncomfortable without them. I pointed in their direction and started walking. Cristian saw my anxiousness. "Wait up, thankfully, it's been quiet ever since we moved into the hotel. No one's been seen. I'll walk with you to catch up with Ginger and Gray."

I let Cristian catch up with me. Then we both continued to catch up with Ginger and Gray at their new dirt patch. We reached the edge and stopped as both my sisters were sniffing, pacing, and poking the ground looking for their spots to relieve themselves. Cristian was happy to have company, listening to me. "How do you think Susan will react to seeing a full-size cougar and coyote accompanying her as she surveys the grounds for the best place to set up her training? I hope she's okay with them. I can't wait for Susan to begin training us, so I can learn, finish up, and be ready if any of those assholes decide to return and start any trouble." The sounds of dirt being kicked up got both me and Cristian watching Ginger and Gray done. Ginger was scratching dirt with her front paws and Gray was kicking back dirt with her back legs. "I guess we're ready to head back inside the hotel and wait for Susan." As if on cue, an Aptera pulled in off 550 making Cristian tense up then relaxed. "Wow, talk about timing. That must be her driving here now." The four of us rushed back to the hotel's front entrance. We got there just as the Aptera pulled up and stopped.

Nina walked out from the hotel's front entrance as Susan's driver side door opened and swung up. Susan climbed out, stood, Shut the door to her Aptera, turned and waved at us. She must have been told the story of me and my sisters from Cheryl, not at all bothered with Ginger and Gray in our welcoming party. Nina waved back and beckoned Susan to come over, join us to be introduced. "Cristian, stay by Susan's Aptera and keep watch to see and be ready if anyone followed her here from the station." Cristian unslung his rifle and walked away to a spot between the Aptera and 550 to continue his shift. Susan had walked over from her Aptera as Cristian left us. "Hi Susan. Thanks so much for helping us out training our new community here. This is Caline and her sisters Ginger and Gray. I wasn't expecting to introduce all three, just Caline with your visit today. Caline is eager to get started to learn whatever she needs to learn to protect her new home." Susan walks carefully next to Ginger and Gary, crouches down slowly, extending her hand in front to let them sniff, then gives Gray a few scratches on her head before moving her hand over to Ginger to give her a few. Smiles and stands.

"I'm impressed. They're both such sweet girls and will be a great help securing your new home here Caline. I'm sure they've always been and will be protective of you and everyone you care about. I don't think anyone would want to make them angry by threatening you." Susan addresses Nina's welcoming thanks. "You don't have to thank me. I, Cheryl, and Doris should be thanking you for giving us an opportunity to hopefully build up our staff with possibly recruiting at least a couple of new trainees to join us at the station and our patrols." Susan then asks Nina to direct us to the Starlight Bowling Center with all introductions made. "So, are we ready to see our training facility? I went there once years ago with some of my Guard unit to celebrate something when off duty. I vaguely remember drinking too much beer. Please lead the way, Nina."

Nina surprised me. She wasn't taking us back to the front entrance into the hotel. Instead, she has us walking around the building in the same direction past where Ginger and Gray had led me and Cristian to a new bathroom spot for them to use. Ginger and Gray thankfully didn't stop and continued following around the building to where our vehicles were parked out of sight from 550. Susan took notice, nodding to Nina in approval. "Next time, I'll drive here to park my Aptera when I start training Caline and everyone else. I didn't think of my Aptera being in full view of the highway. I'm glad you have someone posted by it while we go check out the casino's Starlight Bowling Center. It won't take long to see if the lanes will work. I'll make my visit short. How much further?" We left our parked vehicles behind as my sisters and I were trailed closely behind the two. Nina points ahead and makes a sweeping gesture with her arm then pointing to the left as we neared the building's corner.

My sisters were doing well. They even seemed to be enjoying strolling along with us. Both Nina and Susan had been observing them while making our way to the parking lot outside the north entrance to the casino and bowling alley. Nina takes us around the building's corner to the parking lot adjacent to the north entrance. "Here's the north entrance to the casino and the Starlite Bowling Alley up on the third floor." Nina turns to Susan, me, Ginger, and Gray. "We heard cats in the building when we walked across the concourse. They must be the strays we didn't take with us when we abandoned this place after the sickness. There might be some up in the bowling alley." Nina then focuses on me. "Caline, your sisters did really well to stay with us all the way around the building. I think Susan is right about those two ladies helping us out in securing our new home here. You think they would like to do a shift or two outside patrolling the grounds?" Susan looked at Nina as she inserted a key to the door, unlocked and opened it for us.

Nina stood with the door opened with her and Susan turned back watching and waiting for me in the entryway vestibule to answer. Ginger and Gray seemed to understand and liked Nina's question with Ginger grunting slowly and leisurely waving her tail while Gray yipped wagging her tail with a couple of quick swigs. I proudly pointed to them. "I think that's your answer." I then shooed the girls in through the first set of double doors before following and going in myself. "Wow, it's pretty dark in here." My voices echoed in what felt like a large space between the exterior set of doors and the next set of doors into the casino. We passed through the second set of doors into the casino with a back of elevators immediately to our left and stairs behind leading up one flight to the bowling alley. A few shadows darted low and fast across the casino floor. Yup, the cats were here today.

Nina led our group up the stairs with her flashlight lighting the steps out and up in front of us. I followed Nina and Susan with Ginger and Gray trotting ahead of me. I caught up on the landing with everyone seeing and saw a large shaft of light suddenly illuminate the huge space. There it was. 36 lanes and the Bowling Center's small Bar & Grill. Both Nina's and Susan's flashlights were switched on, dancing a bit of brightness over, up, and down, and to the back of the lanes. No sign of cats up here. Susan walked over and stepped onto the closest lane, taking, and running her flashlight to pins still set for a bowling ball. I heard her towards the end of the lane. "Yes, this will do." Ginger and Gray had followed her in their natural curiosity while Nina and I stayed back off the lane where Susan had stepped on to make her survey.

It was comical to watch a full-grown cougar and coyote happily tailing behind Susan like two puppy dogs. Nina cracked a smile standing next to me as the three of them returned to where we were waiting. She teases Susan. "I see you have two new, eager recruits ready to go on patrol. You better be careful. They might just decide to jump in your Aptera and ride with you back to the station." Nina uncharacteristically jokes, then astonishes me by bumping my shoulder. "Caline, I thought I would never say it of a cougar and a coyote. But your sisters are adorable."

I smiled in agreement, reaching down to Ginger and Gray as they stepped off the lane, immediately closing in on either side of me rubbing against their heads underneath my hands as I scratched them both. Nina sees us all together again, calls on us to start moving to head down the stairs to exit through the two sets of doors we came in through. "Come on everyone. Susan's got what she needed. Caline, you, Ginger and Gray probably would like to get some rest before we go back to the settlement for dinner. I need to track down Michelle and see if she's had any luck with the solar panels up on the casino's roof. We need light to check out setting up our own dining area in the hotel, so we don't have to keep going back to the settlement for meals. Hopefully Michelle can get that old solar installation finished and running to generate enough electricity for coolers to store food, light to prepare and see what we're eating, and be able to find places to sit for our meals. If not, we'll have to rig something else with lanterns and other ways to store food. We might be able to find another Lightship self-charging solar powered trailer at another RV lot that we can set up outside out of view from 550 as a mobile kitchen."

Cristian greeted us as we walked Susan to her Aptera. "Thanks for keeping an eye on my Aptera. Next trip, I'll park it with the rest of your vehicles around on the east side around the building out of view from the highway out there. It'll take me a few days to gather and put everything together of what I need to start training folks. I'm going to take a trip out to my old National Guard base to get some of the things we need. I also have to talk with and get three girls from the Pueblo, two other girls who have held together and protected surviving children at an apartment complex the last year west of our station."

"I'll radio ahead and make arrangements with you Nina, for you to help me with drivers and vehicles to go collect and bring them here to settle in before I can start training. That's going to be Ann and Joanne from the apartment complex. They've been watching over and taking care of a dozen toddlers and young kids." Then Susan added looking at Ginger and Gray. "They'll be bringing cats they adopted and have been taking care of who lost their elder humans to the sickness. Your sisters will have more company." She continued. "They found the children still alive in the senior apartment complex after losing their grandparents they were visiting." Ann had Joanne take & drive the grandparent's car a few blocks to check on their older siblings and parents. Joanne returned shortly traumatized finding all four had succumbed to the sickness. We'll be moving Ann, Joanne, the children they've been taking care of, and I think four cats. They'll feel so much better and safer bringing the children here. I'll let them share their stories of finding, and having to leave so many babies left stranded, alone, uncared for in the neighborhood where their parents had died."

I shuddered, remembering our morbid search for survivors back in Placitas. I turned to Nina, then back to Susan. "Ann, Joanne, and the children will be welcomed here. The hotel is our new home. It hopefully will be a new home for my friends from Placitas. And it will become a new home for them as well." Nina solemnly nodded in agreement. I added. "That goes for anyone back on the Pueblo, or any other place you, Cheryl, and Doris are in touch with as long as we have rooms for folks to move in." Ginger and Gray were sitting at my feet listening. "Dogs and cats are welcomed as well. My sisters love being and playing with their canine and feline cousins. They'll be fine with new furry friends Ann, Joanne, and the children are bringing. The same goes for our resident cats once we meet them. The children will love Ginger and Gray, and whatever cats are living here with us now."

Susan acknowledged both Nina's and my acceptance of her adding more people and cats to our new home as she drove off. Cristian had wandered off to another vantage point to watch for any unwelcome visitors. Nina, Ginger, Gray, and I returned to the hotel lobby. Nina stayed behind in the lobby going over some notes before tracking down Michelle. I wanted to rest as I hurried with Ginger and gray to get back to our room. Apparently, my sisters wanted to rest too, rushing up the stairs, into the hallway on our floor, down the hall, into the room and onto their beds as soon as I opened the door. Gray slowly circled around once she jumped on Michelle's bed until she felt comfortable enough to finally plopped down, curled up and tucked her tail into sleep. Ginger simply just collapsed, curled herself right away on our bed. I closed the door to our room, walked over, sat on the edge of the bed where Ginger was already falling asleep, healed, and kicked off my sneakers, carefully leaning back in the small space Ginger left for me to lay down in.

“Wake up, Caline, please wake up.” Michelle’s worried pleads, Ginger’s soft growls, and Gray’s nervous yipping finally had me open my eyes. I caught my breath, relieved to be pulled out of a darkened dream.

Disoriented with where I was and who was with me, I asked. “What are you doing here? Why are you all looking at me?” I was rattled, drained, scared, and angry Ginger stopped growling to lick and scrape my cheek with her raspy tongue, purring. Gray licked me a few times on my other cheek.

Michelle looked worried. “I walked in, finally down from the casino's roof and back here to the hotel. I finished checking out the solar installation up there. Ginger, Gray were on the bed trying to wake you. You were tossing and turning, moaning in your sleep. They saw me come into the room. Jumped off the bed, fan over to me at the door. They nipped, grabbed, and held onto my shirt, tugging on it to pull me to you on the bed. They must have been going crazy with you moaning, crying, shouting in your sleep before I returned. We're all here now. Are you okay?”

I rubbed my eyes trying to shake off the last of my nightmare. “Yeah. Thanks, I’m okay now that I’m awake with all of you. Bad dream. Bad memories.” I was still trembling from the pain, rage, shame, and horror. I was reliving the attack on me back in Placitas, remembering the body of one my attackers mauled by Ginger and Gray protecting me. The body was left torn, shredded, and bloodied, even though the attacker was an asshole with one dream. Another dream had me walking away from my friends with questioning looks on their faces as my two attackers were laughing at them. Then the last one I was gratefully woken up from had me in a room filled with dead babies, toddlers, and mothers. I could still hear the babies, toddlers crying, with the mothers crying, I'm sorry, I'm sorry again and again as they were all dead and motionless. Their eyes turned to and stared at me, they started moving. I was screaming, then woke up."

Michelle's eyes shined back with sisterly compassion as I breathed in slowly trying to distance myself away from sounds of the crying fading away now thankfully. I felt compelled to share everything with Michelle now that we were roommates. I took another breath in slowly and exhaled. “Gracie and Joy know my whole story. I told them the first night I arrived. It’s painful to talk about. But I'll share all the details now since we’re sharing and living in this tiny room together.”

Michelle waited patiently. Ginger and Gray had put their paws, then their heads on my lap helping me to ease out my story. I played soccer on our school's team, the Panthers. You remember that we had recognized each other. Our teams played against each other. Your team beat our team. My mom played and loved soccer in her younger days. She helped start that team and then handed off the coaching to one of our school's teachers. The coach's name was Renee. She made me captain seeing how well my mom passed on her love of, and soccer skills to me with constant training. The girls on the team became my closest friends."

I looked down to my hands and simply said “I was attacked as two assholes I knew back in Placitas tried to rape me. I had been at the house of one of my soccer teammates who lived next door to my house. Ginger and Gray were with me and a half dozen of us when I realized I left the brownies I had made for us back in my house. I told my friends I would go get them and be right back. The two assholes had been following me around. They had come to the neighborhood, must have seen me leave my friend's house, and waited for me at my house, where they attacked me as soon as I opened my door. Ginger and Gray had followed me when I left to go home. They heard me fighting off my attackers, jumped on, pulled one off, and mauled him to death while the other one got away. I left the morning with Ginger and Gray and found you guy.

A gasp escaped from Michelle reacting as I described the stark details of my dreams. She stayed sitting on a small sliver of the bed's edge next to me and my sisters inching close to wrap her arms around me. “I’m so sorry Caline. I knew something awful had you driving here with your sisters away from your only home in Placitas. I didn't think about what it was since you seemed so strong, self-confident, and content with yourself and all of us in just the few days that you've become family to us. I had no idea what you went through when the sickness hit being one in your village to have to go house to house searching for surviving children, discovering so many innocents who didn't. Then being attacked like you were a year later. I had it a little better with so fewer people here in the hotel and not being on my Pueblo when the sickness came. We dealt with a lot less deaths than you did back in Placitas and what Joy and Nina had to do back on my Pueblo. Well, I’m here for you. I’m sure Gracie, Joy, now George and everyone else in your new family will always be there for you.” I leaned my head against Michelle as she finished consoling me, let myself relax, with a few tears leaking out in relief.

I quickly recovered with the help of Michelle, Ginger, and Gray pressing all their love on me. “I've been feeling the shame of leaving behind, abandoning my soccer teammates, my girlfriends to the that surviving asshole who attack and tried to rape me back in Placitas. I left without saying anything to them and left a bloodied corpse of my other attacker for them to find. They don’t know what had happened to me or why the body was laying there in my house. I can't imagine what they thought of why I disappeared, or if I’m even okay. I don’t know if they'll be okay with my sisters mauling one of our community's people to death and me leaving his dead body on the floor. That's why I asked, "I need to go back to make sure they’re alright and bring them here so they’re safe with us.

Michelle gave me a reassuring hug. “We've already agreed and are getting ourselves ready to do just that. Gracie and Joy had us move, settle you in with everyone back here in the hotel. They've talked and planned with you, George, Gracie's sister Cheryl, everyone on how and when to go rescue your friends in Placitas” A few tears began again, I thanked Michelle. I shook and wiped them away. I was okay now. I turned my attention away from my dreams, the past back to all the things that needed to be done to get us settled in the hotel. “Nina was going to look for you after we came back from the bowling alley with Susan. She wanted to know the status of the solar panels on the casino's roof and if they could generate some electricity to light and set up our own dining area in the casino's old Mesa Grille."

Michelle had stood up from the sitting precariously on the bed's edge after she saw I was okay and released from her hug. Ginger and Gray still had their paws and snouts on me looking up into my face making sure I was okay. They were so devoted and looked so cute right now. I smiled at them to ease their concerns and turned to Michelle. "So, Caline, if you're ready, we can go down to the lobby to see if Nina's there for me to give her my report." Michelle then directed herself to Ginger and Gray. "Do you two want to go for another walk or stay and just laze away the day in bed?" They both got up from me and hopped down to the floor. Michelle and I laughed. "Well, Caline, I guess that answers that."

I got up to go throw some water on my face. Michelle, Ginger, and Gray had followed me and were outside the opened bathroom door waiting for me to exit with them from our room. "Thanks guys. I love each one of my sisters. Three lines of an old song popped in my head, repeatedly that I and my friends on the Panthers soccer team used to sing to psyche our team up before matches. It was becoming an annoying earworm finally forcing me to sing it out loud. "We are family. I got all my sisters with me. We are family." Ginger and Gray stopped, swiveled their heads to stare at me, seemed to shake them left and right, then turned ahead to continue walking with a grunt and a yip. Michelle watched them and started singing with me a few times until we were both laughing at Ginger's and Gray's reaction to my singing. We were approaching the spot where Ginger and Gray had been stopping to sniff the presence of our mysterious yet to be seen casino cats when two kittens came running out from the dining area. My sisters immediately sank to the floor facing the two kittens in the same non-threatening way they did when we first entered the settlement.

Michelle turned to me. I just smiled, tapped her shoulder for us to watch knowing how gentle Ginger and Gray would be. Then we heard more mewling from several more kittens racing to catch up with two siblings, followed by an angry sounding meow. Oh my, we're finally going to see our first casino feline family. I softly whisper to Michelle as the first two kittens fearlessly and comically attack a full-grown mountain lion's adopted coyote sister. "Here's comes mama." Ginger is lying beside and leans over gently nudges the feisty kittens with her nose as they nip at, crawling on top of Gray. Four more kittens scamper into the scene, climbing up to tumble upon Gray joining the siege. A gray adult cat cautiously ends chasing to gather her kittens just a few feet from Michelle and I. She lets out a brief hiss, then immediately seems mesmerized watching Ginger tenderly grooming her six young harmlessly playing on Gray. Ginger gives an inviting look to the kittens' mom with her big tongue sticking out. The mom slowly starts walking again towards her kittens now on both Gray and Ginger. Ginger eases up her head away from the kittens to let them rush their mom to play with them. Ginger leans back to nudge one of the kittens to their mom.

A low guttural growling meow gets louder as a shadow grows larger closing in fast from the dark casino floor. The mama cat hears and turns away from her kittens, Gray, Ginger, Michelle, and me to face it. Suddenly, there's another full-grown casino cat, tawny colored and larger standing tense, facing the mama cat. She surprisedly lets out a soft reassuring purr walking and closing the distance between the two, nuzzles and licks the bigger cat, nips it to follow her to the kittens. She gently picks up one of the kittens with her mouth, looks at the tawny colored cat as if saying to do the same. It does. The two bolt away way with kittens swinging towards the dining area darkness. They quickly returned, grabbing two more of the kittens. They returned once more for the last two leaving Michelle, me, my sisters to ourselves for a few moments taking in what we just experienced before the mama cat came back out by herself. She boldly walked straight to Ginger's face, purring with her tail slowly waving side to side. Ginger stayed still waiting patiently for whatever the mama was going to do. Gray looked on with curiosity. The mama cat leaned into Ginger, rubbed her head against Ginger's head, and licked her. She looked at Gray, went over and did the same with her. Then she left, retreating into the darkness where she and the other adult cat had taken the kittens.

My sisters seemed satisfied, turning their gaze from the dining area's rear dark to me and Michelle with I swear, smug smiles. Michelle and I looked at each other wide eyed. "Wow. I guess that other cat was he kitten's dad." Michelle simply nodded yes. "And I guess we better get a move on down to the lobby." I turned my attention down back to my sisters. "Hey, you two, don't look so smug!" They turned to each other as if smirking. "I saw that! Come on girls. Let's get downstairs." Michelle laughed as we all began to continue walking to the escalator. She began singing, we are Family...I got all my sisters with me. I gave her a quick bop on the head for putting an earworm back in my head. Dang it!

Nina was at the VIP Desk writing and working on something when the four of us reached the lobby. Ginger and Gray trotted in, and each jumped onto one of their own lobby couches. "Girls, what are you doing? Get off those couches. If you two wanted to lounge, you should have stayed back in our room. Come on, get off." They finally listened. Both slinked off and trotted back to me and Michelle where we had stopped at the VIP Desk to talk with Nina. "So sorry Nina, my sisters know better. They just met the kittens and parents of one of our resident casino cat families on our way down. They're pretty smug about it." I turned and frowned down to my sisters now laying down between me and Michelle. Ginger commenced to leisurely groom herself as if nothing happened. Gray's tail thumped as she grinned with her tongue hanging out with a 'aren't just a cutie' act.

The three of us stood there watching their performance until Michelle redirected her attention to me and Nina. "They're quite some characters, Caline. You'll have to fill me in later about the cat family." I shook my head, then simply nodded in agreement. Michelle then began her report to Nina. "The installed solar panels degraded as any panel would after a year. Not much. They are still in pretty good condition after I cleaned off whatever collected on them since they were installed. We don't have to worry about disconnecting the breaker box from the grid since it was offline when the last heat wave killed and knocked it out right before the sickness leaving no one to bring it back online. Each solar panel has their own small inverter. I traced the cables installed with the panels. They had been and are connected to a charge controller and storage batteries installed up on the casino's roof but have not been connected yet to the main breaker box. I just need to finish connecting everything, ground any open wires, check, and reinstall fuses, then turn the controller on. I have to get my mom's tools from the maintenance shed to find a multimeter to make sure the circuit has the correct voltage and current."

Nina turned to me with a big, bewildered look. "So, Michelle. All that technical talk means basically, you can get the solar panels working and we can have electricity? Good. Will there be enough electricity and a way to use it all the way over at the Mesa Grille? I was going to take Mai, Malia, and Shilah with me to check out the restaurant's kitchen before we left for dinner at the settlement. We need to get it ready to make it into a dining area to begin preparing, making, and having our meals here." She stopped to look at Ginger and Gray, then me. "Maybe you and your sisters should come with us to find where the cat family is nesting, making sure we don't excite and disturb them. I also need to change our watch schedule into three 8-hour shifts, instead of the two long 12 hour shifts I started Cristian, Alex, George, and Lily on. I was working adding more of us to cover the additional shift when the four of you walked in. I'll have to take one of those shifts myself until Susan trains more of us how to safely use firearms."

Michelle was glad she never took to learning how to shoot, nor did she want to. Nina knew that from working with Michelle's mom and her friend, Aiyani, was lost to the sickness. Michelle could and would just focus on what else their new home needed to be self-sufficient. "Yes, and yes. I'll just make sure the fuses are good, check to see which breakers to switch on for the Mesa Grille for us to have electricity there. I should be able to do all that if everything works in just a day or two." Michelle smiled satisfied that she will be able to help make our new home more livable once it has some electrical power. "I should go with you to look at the kitchen grills, oven, stove top burners, coolers, microwaves. Everything was converted to electrical appliances except for the grill for the steaks. The grill was left using gas before the sickness. We won't be able to use it since the gas lines haven't been maintained since all the people serviced them were lost with the sickness. And I want to see our resident cat family again. Their kittens were adorable!"

"Oh good, almost the whole gang is here. George and Alex must still be resting." Nina called out Mai, Malia, and Shilah first to let them know they would be accompanying her, Michelle, me, and my sisters into the casino to check out the Mesa Grille restaurant before turning, informing, and giving Lily, Jordan, Tauri, Lonan, and Kai their watch duty schedule. Nina stopped them before they made their way through the lobby. I guess they wanted to take a walk outside. "Hold up guys. I've assignments for everyone. Come on back here." They all reluctantly stopped, turned slowly, and walked over to us at the VIP Desk. It was getting crowded. I motioned to Nina, then to Ginger and Gray, pointed to the hotel entrance. Nina waved me off to go ahead and take my sisters outside. "Come and meet us upstairs with your sisters outside the Mesa Grille. We'll wait for the three of you before going into the dining area. Ginger and Gray can help find and reassure the cat family there." I heard her give marching orders as I walked away with Ginger and Gray. "Mai, Malia, Shilah, the three of you are going with me and Michelle. We'll wait for Caline and her sisters before we enter the dining area. First, we'll find and accommodate the current tenants there. Then I want to see what needs to be done to make the Mesa Grille as our new home's dining area so we can prepare and eat our meals here from now on. We'll leave in just a moment." I barely heard her then turning to the rest standing back there, giving them their unwelcomed watch duty shifts as we exited the hotel lobby.

Cristian looked tired as I was walking Ginger and Gray to their new dirt spot they had christened earlier in the afternoon before meeting Susan. Christian was just a bit over 8 hours into his 12-hour shift. He still had nearly 4 hours left for him to stay awake and alert. Selfishly, I was glad that Nina will have those shifts reduced to 8-hours before I would be trained and ready to work one. Cristian saw and stood waiting for us to pass him. "Hi Christian. How are you holding up? I think this will be your last 12-hour shift of watch duty. Nina's inside with a new schedule giving out assignments for 8-hour shifts. She's going to being pulling some of those shifts herself until Susan is able to train enough folks to cover them, including me." He gave me a thumbs up. His silent answer emphasized to me how tired he was. I returned his thumbs up as I left him standing to follow my sisters.

I didn't see Cristian when I headed back with my sisters to the hotel lobby. He was probably in the area that Ginger and Gray first used right after we moved here. We went in and saw Felipe in the lobby joining up with Lily, Jordan, Tauri, Lonan, and Kai getting ready to exit where I just walked in from returning with my girls. Nina hadn't come back yet with Michelle and the rest of the group she took to look over and begin to turn the Mesa Grille into our new home's communal place to stock up our food, prepare meals for us to dine together. There was no point in taking Ginger and Gray back up to the room with everyone leaving the hotel in less than an hour or so to have an early dinner back at the settlement. Ginger and Gray were waiting for me to either take them to our room or do something else. "Okay girls, we'll stay put and wait here until it's time to go eat." I sat down at the nearest couch where Ginger had jumped. "No Ginger. you can sit down here in front of me." I bent down and patted the carpet at my feet. Gray took my cue and sat down on the floor by the couch.

The group rushed out and just waved at me while passing by us on their way outside. Apparently, they still wanted to get their walk in before it was time to drive over to eat. I sat back, comfortable, relaxed, contented with Ginger and Gray resting with me in the empty lobby. The quiet time had me thinking that our new home needed more people to be secured without wearing ourselves out, keeping watch and alert to a constant threat of attack. I wondered if Nina came to that same realization when she scheduled herself and changed the shifts from 12 hours to 8. The settlement had more teens who could relocate to our new home and be trained to help keep watch. The same was true for Placitas. There must be at least 200 rooms here in the hotel. "We're back." Michelle had returned unnoticed from the casino while I was deep in thought. Ginger, Gray, and I all looked up to see Michelle walking back into the lobby with Nina closely behind her, followed by Mai, Malia, and Shilah. The group, except Nina, were smiling, mission accomplished filing in one by one. Nina had her usual stoic look but seemed pleased.

Nina saw Michelle had walked to where I was sitting with my sisters and continued over to me, Ginger, Gray in the middle of the lobby. All three of us rose. I stood next to Michelle to greet Nina as she approached. Michelle stepped to the side when Nina reached us. "Michelle's going to stay working to get the solar installation finished so we can have electricity to set up our new dining area. Felipe is going to stay with her. We're going to make this a short trip to and back to the settlement. I already radioed ahead to Gracie to let her know we'll be coming early, eat, fix up food for four back here. That's so Cristian can eat after getting some sleep when he wakes up from pulling a 12-hour shift and George can have his dinner during the last 12-hour shift. Michelle and Felipe hopefully will have brought our power online, finishing connecting what needs to be connected on the casino's roof for us to eventually have some electricity. The solar panels can start charging sun energy to turn some lights on and store in the batteries. I want to have that as soon as possible so Susan can set up training for you and everyone else in the bowling alley."

Nina looked down to Ginger and Gray sitting comfortably at my feet. "And we met our Mesa Grille cat family in the kitchen. There were some very old mouse droppings in the food pantry. Nothing fresh. Our residents must have taken care of the vermin catching and eating all of them. There's probably lots of vermin with such a large building, abandoned food stations to find and keep themselves fed. They could be getting water from the restroom’s stalls. I think we can find a nice, safe place for our exterminators near their current home that's away from the kitchen food storage and preparation. I bet we'll come across more strays as we settle in. Our settlement cats were strays here. A couple of them have become attached to and want to return back here with whichever canine adoptees we bring to the hotel to visibly beef up outside security during watch shifts."

I smiled, reassured with Nina's acceptance of the cats upstairs and of the thought we would be getting more cats joining us from the settlement. Visions my new home with lots of happy, playful animals reminded me of my mom's and dad's love and caring for so many animals. I reached down to scratch Ginger and Gray on either side of me. "Felipe just went outside with your watch duty folks right before the two of you returned from checking out the Mesa Grille in the casino with Mai, Malia, Shilah. They should be back soon. It looked like they just wanted and were eager to stretch their legs with a short walk outside. I just got a silent wave, watching them quickly pass by me, Ginger, and Gray on their way out. We're ready to go anytime. I figured we just stay here in the lobby relaxing until then." Then I asked Nina my questions about needing more people for the watch shifts. "The hotel has over 200 rooms. We could have a lot more people move in here. That would help a lot with covering three shifts a day. And I don't think there's enough of us to have two people on per shift if need comes to that. Are there people from the settlement, Pueblo, anywhere else that you think would relocate here with us?"

Michelle and Nina looked at each other, then at me. Michelle was waiting for Felipe to come back from his walk before taking him over to the casino and up to the roof with her to the maintenance shed to get what was needed to work on and get the solar panel installation up and running. Nina gave me an appraising and approving tilt of her head responding. "I actually have been thinking the same thoughts after seeing Alex finish the first 12-hour shift. I mentioned to Michelle that I already spoke with Gracie, Joy, and Susan about needing more people living with us to secure the hotel so close, and so visible to the highway. They've already started reaching out, talking with, and finding more people to move in and join us at the hotel here. We should be getting at least a couple dozen new people here, plus the dozen or so children from the apartment complex that Ann and Joanne will be bringing with them when they start training with you. We'll leave as soon as everyone returns from their walk outside."

Ginger and Gray sat back down on their haunches, then both lower and stretched themselves out on the floor while waiting to see me take off walking somewhere. I told them, Nina, and Michelle. "I'm going to sit back down while we wait. It may be at least a few minutes since no one thought we would be leaving early." I took my seat again on the couch behind me as Nina walked over to the VIP Desk to work on planning and coordinating what she thought we needed. Michelle took a seat beside me where Gray was laying in front of. She reached down to scratch behind her ears, petted and smoothed out fur on her head, running her hand along Gray's back resulting in happy tail thumps. I reminded her of my curiosity how and why she, Felipe, and Cristian built the adobe home that Gracie, Joy, and Tiger now shared. I also wanted to know what was going on between her and Gustalvo, more about anything she could share with George. "Can you ask Felipe and Cristian to sit with you and me tomorrow if the three of you go to the settlement for breakfast? George will be staying, sleeping after doing tonight's overnight shift."

Michelle said. "Sure, I think I can finish connecting the panels up over on the casino's roof today. There's nothing more to do until the panels have time to charge up during tomorrow from and while the sun's out and shining its energy. I guess you want to hear our story of why we built the two adobe structures. Joy already told you part of it. I'll let the guys tell you the rest when we go for breakfast at the settlement tomorrow, get our food, sit, and eat." I wasn't going to let our conversation end with just that. I mirrored Michelle's scratching and petting Gray with me now scratching and petting Ginger so she wouldn't be jealous of her canine sister.

I faced Michelle hunched over beside me as we both gave my sisters loving attention. "Can you share what you know of George with me tonight in our room?" I smiled and winked. "Also, what's going on with you and Gustalvo? The two of you seem really cozy with each other. You most definitely must be an item the way you cling to each other like everyone says George and I have been doing." Loud chatter interrupted Michelle before she could respond as folks noisily returned from their walk outside. Nina leaves the VIP Desk hearing and sees them entering the lobby to intercept Felipe and tell him he'll be staying and going up on the roof with Michelle so she can get the solar panels working. Gray whines as Michelle stops scratching and petting her to sit up as Nina walks over to the group. Michelle stands up to join Nina and Felipe as he and the rest of the group enter the lobby. Michelle" looks back at me and gives me an apologetic shrug. Our conversations can wait. "I guess we'll talk later Michelle."

Nina had stopped and stood near me, Ginger, and Gray in the middle of the hotel lobby gesturing to everyone who just walked and Michelle to gather around her. "Felipe, you're going to stay and go up on the roof with Michelle. You'll be up there to help Michelle to clean off and work on the solar panels so she can get them collecting energy to charge up electricity for us to have some light and run enough power over to the Mesa Grille to use as our own dining area here at the hotel instead of having to go for every meal at the settlement. We'll bring back food to you and Michelle." Nina points to Michelle and Felipe." You two can go and get started. Go on." She then instructs all of us to head out to the vehicles. "The rest of us are leaving now for the settlement. We're going to eat, put food together to bring right back for Michelle, Felipe, Christian, and George. We can start working on cleaning up our new dining area to store food for our meals, find, have a place to store kibble for your sisters, our resident population of cats, and future dogs we're going to bring from the settlement once Michelle gets us electricity there. We'll bring lanterns to light and see what we're cleaning when we go over there. Okay, let's go."

Ginger and Gray see me getting up and everyone moving back to the hotel's front entrance to leave. They rose, shook themselves, waited to walk with me to follow Nina and the group outside. My sisters rub up against either side of me eager to get going. "Oh, you girls are hungry. You know we're heading out for breakfast. Hey, stop pushing me. We'll get there." The three of us pass Nina. Ginger and Gray set the pace walking around the building, passing others on their way to the parked vehicles. My sisters take off when they see my Aptera as we arrive first. They scoot straight to and wait for me at its rear hatch. Nina catches up, walks over to us while I'm knocking on the hatch for it to open. I see and turn to Nina as Ginger and Gray jump in the back. "You want a lift" I ask obviously knowing she walked over to ride with me. She gives me a look like, 'are you kidding' and walks around to the passenger side, knocks on its door, climbs in after it swings up. I get in my side, buckle up, and wait until all the vehicles are loaded up and ready to head over to pull out.

Once again, our drive from the hotel was thankfully uneventful and quick. We pulled in and parked at our usual spot. Gracie, Joy, several teens, and about a dozen children were there waiting for us. I was wondering why the teens were there. The children and settlement dogs were always waiting, happily eager, and ready to smother Ginger and Gray with their love when we pulled in from the hotel. We both climbed out from the Aptera and walked to the rear hatch to let Ginger and Gray out. We had to squeeze through all the children crowded around the back waiting to visit with my sisters. Nina was watching them as she explained who and why the teens were waiting for us. "Joy already spoke to and got several enthusiastic volunteers to move in with us at the hotel. Those teens waiting here must be our new residents." She sees packed bags, boxes in a pile behind them. "Look over there" Nina points to a patch. "They already packed and brought their things to move when we're ready to head back. Can you help them get rooms and settle in when we get back to the hotel?" I said of course.

Kai and Jordan went to direct and help the teens load their stuff in the back of the two Telo trucks. A stack of large plastic trays with another two large bags were tossed in afterwards. Kai and Jordan now done, then walk with them to the dining area. Hmm, I think the last items were for the cats I saw the teens holding. Thanks Gracie. She must have had someone get cat litter on a recent run to Walmart to bring with the teens' cats now that they're becoming indoor companions at the hotel. I didn't want to keep smelling anything coming from the casino floor. Ginger and Gray were long gone, taken by Lisa and the children. The dogs were running around and through the kids trying to get my sisters to play. They were totally focused on eating dinner, unable to be distracted in their forward march to food. Gracie and Joy joined me and Nina in our walk to the dining area. "Nina asked me to get our new hotel residents settled in once they return back with us." They look younger than the first group who moved in with me. Are they all from the Pueblo? What are their names? I asked both Gracie and Joy. I counted five girls and three boys, eight total. Two of the of girls were holding, petting, and soothing cats closely against them. One of the boys also was doing the same with another cat.

Joy answered. "Yes, they all relocated from the Pueblo with me a year ago." Joy saw me looking at those in the group holding a cat. "The cats came from the Pueblo with their humans Bly, Sakari, and Jaaidi." We walked over to where the food was to fix ourselves plates. There were clam shell containers for us to use and fill after we finished eating to fix plates for the four back in the hotel. Joy continued answering as she took a plate for her meal and started putting food on it. She pointed to the teens with her chin as hands were holding a serving spoon and plate. They had squeezed in and taken over one table sitting by themselves. "The girls are Ajei, Bly, Istas, Sakari, and Tayen. The three boys are Naichi, Jaaidi, and Atsa. I also radioed and reached out to the Pueblo. Two of the women and seven more teens will in a few days, join the eight moving in with you tonight."

The four of us found an empty table to sit at and eat. Gracie was happy that Michelle was able to and would be getting a long unused solar installation up, running, and charging power for us to have electricity in the hotel. She glanced across at the unused solar farm when speaking about Michelle. "Nina shared that Michelle checked and saw that she would be able to get solar panel roof installation up and running so you can have electricity in both the casino and hotel where we need it. That's great. Especially with so many more people moving in. We would love for Michelle to see what she could do for the solar farm here when the hotel can spare her." Joy looked over at the solar farm and nodded in agreement.

Nina shared that we would be using and setting up the Mesa Grille as the hotel's communal dining area and would arrange pick-up and delivery of fresh produce and food directly from the Pueblo once there was electricity to power cold storage and cook meals. Nina's uncharacteristic short laugh and smile surprised me as she responded. "Please, give us a little time to keep Michelle working to get everything running in our new home, and keep her around for a bit more time to keep things running smoothly. We need her to get the bowling center powered up for Susan to begin training as soon as possible. There's no way the hotel won't be getting unwanted notice and start getting unwanted attempts from someone to find an opportunity to attack and take if we aren't ready to protect our home." Nina pauses, watching Gracie's reaction, then concedes. "You'll get Michelle to work on the solar farm and whoever she brings to help as soon as Susan gets a week of training done so we can start adding people to our watch shifts."

We were all pretty much finished eating. I stood and grabbed my plate to carry over to bus containers, trash, and compost bins for cleaning after meals. "I'll fix four to go plates to take back with us then introduce myself to Ajei, Bly, Istas, Sakari, Tayen, Naichi, Jaaidi, and Atsa before I get my sisters and they find a spot in the vehicles to ride over in." I walk, scrape uneaten food off my plate into the compost trash can, then drop my plate and silverware into the bus bin. I go to the table with plates, silverware, to go containers and plasticware also there for settlement folks to fix themselves plates and take with them having to go off site. Nina walked over to me after getting rid of her plate and offered to take the food with her to the Aptera so I wouldn't have to worry about dropping anything while carrying them to quickly introduce myself to the teens and retrieve my sisters. "Thanks Nina!" I ran over to the table where the teens had gone back to hang out, talk, and wait to walk over to the vehicles after dropping off their plates. I wanted to catch them before they got up to join everyone walking over.

The teens were getting up to leave, then stood waiting when they saw me running over to them. I slowed down to a walk the last few steps to quickly introduce myself. There were a few faces I thought I recognized playing soccer on the first day my sisters and I walked into the settlement. "Hi, thank all of you for becoming part of my new home. I think I saw some of you playing soccer the first day me and my sisters became part of the community here." I pointed to the area where a bunch of children were surrounding a cougar and a coyote with dogs running around. A warm afternoon wind kicked up some dust over the field. The teens with cats held them closer as they looked up seeing several hawks circling with the late Spring updrafts. They turned back to me when I started filling them in. "I'll be helping you, and your cats get your rooms and settle in when we all get back to the hotel. We'll also be trained together by Susan once the bowling alley in the casino is ready for us to begin. I wanted to say hi before getting, taking, and loading Ginger and Gray over there in the Aptera to drive back with all of you to your new home. We'll see you at the vehicles in a few minutes. Thanks again." I turned to rush off for my sisters.

Laughing children, dogs barking surrounded a contented cougar and coyote leisurely laying on the ground, fully finishing eating. There were even more cats remaining on the settlement in addition to the three the teens were taking coming back with us to the hotel. Two of them had cozied up and laying against both my sisters trying to steal attention from the children. Ginger was comfortably nonchalantly grooming herself while being assaulted by multiple, petting little hands as Gray licked her paws happy being treated in a similar assault. Dogs were trying their best to get either one to get up, chase and play with them. I hated that I had to tell the children there would be no soccer practice until we were all moved in and settled at the hotel. They also wouldn't be happy taking my sisters away from their after-meal nirvana, but it was time to go. "There will be no soccer practice beginning tomorrow morning until all of us are moved in and settled over at the hotel. I'll be doing my own practice for about two weeks learning how to keep us safe at the hotel. We're also setting up our own dining area to have meals there. So, Ginger and Gray also won't be coming here. We'll get soccer practice going as soon as possible. I'll bring Ginger and Gray to visit so we can kick the ball around and see Tiger. Sorry kids. It's time to go, girls. Sorry, you need to get up. Come on. People are waiting for us." The children were upset about not having soccer, seeing Ginger and Gray and begged me to let them stay as I was trying to get my girls to disengage and follow me. 'Can't Ginger stay? We'll take care of Gray. I don't want them to go....' Dogs, unsuccessful in getting a cougar and a coyote to chase them, were now running up to, around my legs, trying to get me to play with them. Ginger and Gray finally stood to leave, follow me, to head back. Everyone followed us to the vehicles including the dogs and even the cats.

Nina was sitting inside the Aptera when I reached the rear hatch. She saw the mob that had followed us, got out, and walked around to the rear where I was trying to open the hatch for my sisters to jump in. "Please children, we have to get back to the hotel. You'll see your friends again. We'll be back. Now shoo! Take the dogs" The cats were slinking around and rubbing against me and my sisters. "And please, come pick up these cats. Take them too. Let Caline get Ginger and Gray in the back." Our party was loaded in their vehicles, ready to move, waiting for me to get in and drive. Ginger and Gray quickly jumped in as soon as I had the hatch up. I closed it and made my way to the driver side door, opened, climbed in, pulled down, shut my door, bucked up. and eased away from our parking spot. "Thanks, Caline for getting the teens settled in when we get back. They all know a bit about you, your story, love soccer, and look forward to what waits ahead for them with you and the rest of us at the hotel. They can help us with our current resident cat family. Their cats probably knew the mama cat before they moved to the settlement with us from the hotel. Michelle should have enough power collected by the solar panels charging up over on the casino's roof to light the bowling alley with electricity so Susan can get firearm training started. I'm worried that we're running out of time before our hotel becomes a target. We've been lucky so far without any encounters since we moved in." I felt uneasy on my own. Each day had been passing too quietly since the disappearance of the two murdering punks left unconscious at WalMart.

"It's the least I can do for taking me, Ginger, and Gray in with so much love and support. I should be thanking all of you. I've had the same underlying unease with everything moving ahead so smoothly and quietly. Sometimes it feels like I'm walking on eggshells about to hear them crunch under my feet. I want to get trained as soon as possible once Susan gets us started. We also should get and bring back more vehicles for us to use from the lot next door, maybe even move all of them to keep unsavory folks having the opportunity to take, drive, and get away in them attacking, terrorizing people." I paused thinking about my friends, the home I left, and the community back in Placitas. "When do you think Cheryl can visit Placitas? It's driving me crazy not knowing how they're doing and for them not knowing what happened to me and how I'm doing." I stopped talking, focusing my attention on the path ahead literally and figuratively. Anyway, our parking spot was already in sight.

The vehicles pulled in one by one into our alcove hidden from the highway. It won't be much that much longer if prying eyes were and are able to see our commuting from and back to this side of the building. There'll be no reason not to park out front once there's plenty of people doubling up and pulling watch duty. We'll surely be known as new hotel occupants by then. It might also be necessary to have future fast access to our vehicles in case of emergencies. Plus, those on watch shifts could easily keep an eye on vehicles parked on the lots in front of the hotel entrance. Nina opens her door, reaches in to grab the meals for Michelle, Felipe, George, and Cristian. I get out, walked to open the rear hatch, and let Ginger and Gray out. The three of us walk around to Nina and join the group heading into the hotel. My sisters look over at the group with interest to the teens carrying cats. "Nina, I think we should return next door to get more vehicles from the lot with all the new people. I was also thinking that maybe we should even take all the working vehicles off the lot or disabled them so they can't be used by anyone who wants to do harm."

Nina turns, takes a serious look at me. "Goodness Caline. Were you reading my mind? I was thinking the same thing, waiting to get our new people settled and Susan to get training going before talking with you to coordinate that project. I agree that there's no point hiding our vehicles with so many trips that could have been or eventually will be seen by anyone from 550. I'll let folks know that we'll be parking up front with our next return trip from the settlement." Cristian sees our group coming around the building's corner, waves from the front of the hotel, and waits to reach the entrance. "Caline, can you catch up with Ajei, Bly, Istas, Sakari, Tayen, Naichi, Jaaidi, Atsa and show them empty rooms to move into? I'm going to give the dinners to Cristian. I'll cover for him outside so he can go inside and eat, and put aside for Michelle's, Felipe's, and George to eat when they're ready. Do you think Ginger and Gray would like to stay out here with me? I'm interested to see if the two could and would be agreeable to help with watch duty?"

My sisters heard their names spoken by Nina turned to me, then her, then me again. "They were fine with the children for several hours the first time I left them at the settlement to check out the hotel and afterwards go to Wal-Mart. I've left them with Michelle. They know you. I think they'll be fine while I get our new tenants settled. It shouldn't take Cristian that long to finish eating so he can return outside for you to come inside the lobby with Ginger and Gray. I'll bring our new people back to the lobby after they throw their things into the rooms that they pick for themselves. You probably want to give them an orientation, then take the lanterns that were brought back to head over to the restaurant and start working on it. The teens who brought their cats and bring them along to the Mesa Grille. Their cats might help us with the cat family there when we find a good place to move them away from any storage or prep area for food." I crouched down to my sisters, putting my head to their heads one at a time. "I'm going to leave you with Susan out here. You be good and just stay close to her. She'll bring you inside when Cristian is done eating and comes back outside. I'll be gone just a short time and will meet you two in the lobby. Okay?" They both looked at me, then at Nina and walked over to her. "I guess that answers you. I'll see you all in a bit. Bye ladies."

The eight new settlement teens were gathered inside the lobby with their cats. Those with the three cats were nervously petting them. The rest were also nervous, talking, and anxiously waiting with their life possessions. Lily, Mae, Jordan, Malia, Tauri, Lonan, Shilah, and Kai had continued onto their rooms after dropping off lanterns and other items they brought from the settlement to begin work on setting up the Mesa Grille restaurant as our new home's dining area, Cristian was finishing up his dinner at the VIP Desk. He looked up, then waved to me when I entered the lobby. I gestured my hand on my chest then to them to the teens that I would be right there as I walked over to Cristian. "I hope there's enough food for you. I fixed everyone's plate." Cristian bobbed his head up and down while chewing. "Nina has Ginger and Gray outside with her. She's seeing how they'll do if they're added onto shifts with people doing watch. Doesn't hurt to have a full-size cougar and coyote visible to folks scurrying up and down 550 with bad intentions discouraging them from getting too close." Cristian nearly choked laughing, imaging reactions of someone trying to sneak onto the hotel property. The teens stopped chattering as I patted Cristian on the back. "Are you okay?" He swallowed, held up his hand, indicating he was fine. The teens resumed talking.

That was Cristian's last bite as he emptied and closed the container. "I'm fine. I'm fine. I was just picturing those goons running into your sisters. The looks on their faces would have been priceless. I also would have loved for Ginger and Gray to have been able to sink their teeth and claws into them for what they did to Cindy" Cristian angrily added remembering Cindy's brutal murder. "And thanks. That was so good. I was starving and needed a break. You guys came back just in time. I'm so glad this is the last 12-hour shift. Thank goodness more people are moving in." Cristian motioned to the teens waiting for me. "There are a good bunch over there. You'll enjoy playing soccer with the girls and two of the boys once we're all settled in here. Those cats already know your sisters meeting them back at the settlement. Well, I better get back outside. Thanks again for the food." Cristian leaves the empty container to be discarded later. We'll have to figure where and what to do with all our trash here along with everything else.

I follow Cristian as he takes off for the hotel entrance. I stopped in the middle of the lobby where all the teens had grouped. They stopped chattering seeing me walking over. "Thank you all for volunteering, joining, and becoming part of my new home, your new home, our new home. Most of you will be training how to use firearms with me once Susan gets the bowling alley set up for us to start in the next few days. Nina will go over all that back here in the lobby once I help you pick out your rooms, out and leave your stuff in them. So, are you guys ready for your new home? I'll be taking you to the hotel's east wing of rooms." I point to the escalator. "We'll walk up that escalator to the second floor, across concourse to a stairwell door to walk one more flight up to your rooms. You'll be passing our future dining area, the Mesa Grille. Nina's going to take you and your cats there after everyone gets settled in. We have a cat family living there now." I look at the teens with cats. "Nina's hoping their presence will help ease, making it easier to move the cat family into a new home away from any food storage and preparation." Eager smiles lit up everyone's face as they all stood and grabbed their stuff. "Well, let's go!" I take off with our newest additions to the first walk and carry their stuff up a non-working escalator, then up one flight of stairs to their rooms. I lead my group up the first set of steps, then onto the concourse level, then another set of steps, finally out into the hallway to more empty rooms. There's plenty and enough rooms for them to choose from. I wait as each head to and claim one room after another bringing in and leaving their possessions. Lots of excited oohs, aahs, YES!!! filtered back to me. I smiled remembering how happy George was with his new digs

The eight teens, with three cats rushed out their new rooms into the hallway, hurrying to where I was waiting. "I think you guys are happy with your accommodations from what I heard just a few moments ago. Are you going to like your new home?" I jokingly asked and was answered with 'Hell Yes!' by most everyone as I took them back into the stairway down to the lobby where Nina would give her orientation and marching orders to our new additions to the hotel. "Okay, who loves soccer as much as I do? How many of you play the game? I know I saw you, you, and you playing with my roommate Michelle the first day I arrived. Please forgive me, I haven't remembered everyone's name yet even though Joy and Nina mentioned them to me." Everyone's hands went up except for one of the guys. Nina had indicated that one of the boys didn't play soccer. We reached the hotel lobby before we had a chance to introduce ourselves again with our walk being such a short one. Lily, Mae, Jordan, Malia, Tauri, Lonan, Shilah, and Kai were entering the lobby the same time we arrived back from their rooms.

My sisters were laying on the couches I had shooed them off from earlier. Hmmm, Nina was either not that strict or just didn't want to argue with Ginger and Gray. She was back at the VIP Desk, I guess prepping to talk to the new arrivals and figure out what needed to be done first getting the restaurant set up as our new dining area. Ginger and Gray looked up, saw, hopped down from the couches, and trotted over to me as I was walking over to tell them to get off again. They must have known I would be doing that or were just happy to see me. It was getting loud in the lobby with everyone congregating, chatting, getting reacquainted, waiting for Nina. My sisters were indeed happy to be reunited with their younger one as they rubbed against both legs while I headed us to Nina at the VIP Desk. "How were Ginger and Gray with you while I was gone? I told Cristian they were outside with you on watch while he ate his food. He laughed at the images of anyone seeing a full-grown cougar and coyote running away after trying to sneak onto the premises."

Voices distracted Nina from responding as George entered the lobby with Michelle and Felipe. Nina waved them over, reached down to where she had the three remaining fixed containers of food ready for them to eat. Michelle leads the three over smiling to Nina. "The solar panels have been connected and are charging. I'll check tomorrow afternoon how much they charged. I found the circuit breakers in the main box for our rooms' floor hallway, the Mesa Grille, and bowling alley. I'm hoping its works and we have enough power for our new dining area's lights, cool storage, stove top burners, and microwave ovens in a few days, then the bowling alley for Susan to start her training." George, Felipe, and George see the three containers of food Nina had put up on the counter. Michelle claps her hands together. "Are those for us? Great! We were just saying how hungry we were walking here." The three bumped into each other reaching over to take a container, then ran off to find an empty place to sit and eat.

Nina was interrupted by the hungry trio before she had a chance to respond to how Ginger and Gray were. She turned back to me, looked at my sisters sitting patiently next to me, then back to me smiling. "They did great. George was going to take over for Cristian with a long 12-hour overnight shift. I'll have him pull just a short 4-hour shift, then have Lily start our first 8-hour shift, taking over at 10 tonight. Would you like to take Ginger and Gray and join George for the four hours he's keeping watch? I like to see how your sisters will do on a long stretch of time outside. I'm going to get one of the new teens to stay with Lily outside on her shift tonight." That sounded great to me. I couldn't wait to have and spend four full hours with George. Ginger and Gray will love being outside for that whole time. Although, they'll probably want and will find a place to lay down during most of those four hours.

Nina's ready to give her evening instructions. She yells out loudly to get everyone's attention. "Alright folks. Settle down. We have a lot to go over. Assignments to be given out. A bit of news update for our new home. And a welcome for those loud teens there, joining us with three cats to join Caline's sisters in their new home with us." Nina points over and starts welcoming each one with their name, thankfully one by one so I wouldn't have to ask them again. I just had to remember their names when Nina said them for me to hear out loud again.

Nina started reintroducing and welcomed the new teens again. "This is for Caline. The rest of you know each other from living on the Pueblo and then the settlement. First the ladies. Ajei please stand. Thank you. Bly? I think Bly's cat is named Spots." Bly smiles and nods yes. "Thank you. Istas? Thank you. Sakari?" Nina pauses once again. "Sakari brought her cat Mosi. Thank you. "Tayen, Thank you, ladies. Now the boys." The girls laughed. The "boys" gave them dirty looks in mock anger being called boys and not gentlemen. "Naichi, please stand" Naichi gives an over-emphasized gentlemanly bow in response to being called a boy. Nina laughs. "Our one non-soccer player Jaaidi, with his cat." Nina looks at me. "Striker. please stand." Jaaidi, takes a second bow for the boys. " And last, but not least, Atsa, Thank you guys." Atsa finishes off with a flourishing bow.

Nina sees Felipe off to the side. "Oh wait. I'm so sorry Felipe. Please, don't get up. Finish your dinner. Felipe joined us yesterday. He stayed here this afternoon to help Michelle with the solar panels up on the casino's roof." Felipe had followed and sat next to George when they got their food. He saw and let Michelle take her food, walk over to Gustalvo so she could sit next to him while eating. "Speaking of solar panels. Michelle just told me she was able to finish connecting what was needed to get them to start charging us some electricity. Let's give our thanks everyone."

Michelle looked up between bits, a bit of red on her face embarrassed. I smiled to myself, clapping with everyone else. Good, serves her right for always making me turn red with her teasing. Nina continued. "Michelle thinks we may have enough charge in a couple of days to see how much power we can get to Mesa Grille to use it as our dining area here at the hotel, so we don't have to go back and forth to the settlement for our meals. We'll use the lanterns to begin work on getting our new dining place ready to eat in for now. We brought plenty over from the settlement today to give us plenty of light to see what we're doing while cleaning and organizing the next few days."

"Lily, Atsa, you two will be taking the 10pm to 6am overnight watch as we shift to 8-hour shifts. George and Caline will take over for Cristian who's still on watch outside. Ginger and Gray will be joining George and Caline this evening. They were fine with me while I covered for Cristian as he ate and took a short break. I think they would be a nice deterrent for anyone trying to see what's going on here from off property, thinking of paying us an unwelcome visit. So, Lily, go get some rest. Atsa, go get yourself moved, settled in, and rested for tonight. Everyone else who just moved in today can go and get settled into your new rooms, then come back with your cats to the lobby and wait for me to return to have you join us cleaning and setting up where we'll be eating."

Nina points to boxes by the VIP Desk. "I need a few of you to pick up and bring the lanterns that were dropped off over there." Then turns to ask Gustalvo. "Gustalvo, do you remember where the laundry and housekeeping room was when you worked here before the sickness?" Gustalvo nodded yes. "Good, go there, pick up, and bring cleaning materials to the restaurant that we can get started with. Everyone, first follow Gustalvo to help him pick up and carry everything we need to clean with, then follow him up the escalator to the restaurant on the second-floor concourse. I'll wait here for our new residents to return from settling into their rooms and walk over with them to join all of you." George is done with his food, closes his empty container, walks to the VIP Desk, and puts it on the counter. Nina sees him looking around where to put his trash. "Gustalvo, get trash bags. We need to set up our waste disposal later when we get back from the restaurant."

Ginger, Gray, and I got up and waited for George to walk back to us before and go outside to relieve Cristian. We left Nina in the lobby while everyone else went with her up the escalator steps to start cleaning the restaurant. Cristian was ecstatic seeing us, sensing his shift was ending a couple of hours early. He walks up. "My shift doesn't end for a couple of hours from now. Are you here to take over for me early? Because, if you are. I absolutely love you guys! I'm so tired and bored." George and I looked at each other, then down to Ginger and Gray, letting Cristian stand there waiting. "Come on guys. George, you're taking over, right?" George finally acquiesces, smiling. We both nod yes. Cristian unstraps his rifle off his shoulder to hand over to George. "Here. I know you have a handgun. But this has more range for you to warn off someone far enough away you think doesn't belong here and shouldn't come any closer." George takes the rifle from Cristian and slings it over his shoulder. "Thanks guys" Cristian rushes off into the hotel.

It was still light out with sunset not for another two hours or so. Although it was turning darker sooner as days got shorter in the last days of summer. The night sky would still be bright under a late September full harvest moon. A refreshing coolness would be welcomed as evening closed in. George quietly took my hand to follow him as he began walking west away from under the hotel's front entrance canopy. Ginger and Gray kept pace walking on either side of us as we made our way around the building. We stepped into the parking lot, paused for Ginger and Gray continuing to their first dirt spot. George and I just stood content in our moment until my sisters were done. George tugged on my hand to walk back where we started from. There were two benches in a center island where people had sat waiting for their cars that valets were bringing back or for a ride with an uber to pick them up when the hotel was still open with guests. "Let's sit here for a while. I can watch the highway from here, whenever I'm not watching you." George unstraps his rifle, sets it down on the ground under the bench and sits, gently pulling me to sit next to him. Ginger and Gray watch George with a canny like approval in their gaze then move off together across the vehicle lanes to sit between us and the highway.

I'm swooning, feeling the warmth of George's presence, his closeness, softly clasping one hand on mine charging my connection to him with an electrifying jolt as we sit. Seconds pass in silence that are more like an eternity until finding courage to accept, act on, turn to gaze upon and into George's eyes, now turned to mine with a sweet intensity. My sisters watch and wait from where they moved to and sat to give us space. "Um, well, we're here." Oh my god. How stupid! I can't believe I said that. "I mean. It's nice, just you and me." Ugh. I guess that's a bit better. He is smiling. Phew. It's such a nice smile. "Wow, look at that moon. It's so big, so bright." Oh my god. Not again. I wish I would just shut up. Come on George, say something so I can stop saying stupid stuff. Better yet. Just kiss me already. My first real kiss. "Four more hours?" George starts laughing. I feel so embarrassed. Then he reaches out with his arms, encircling, to pull me into a comfortable embrace. An arm lets go of its hold to move a hand under my chin, lifting and drawing my face to his. We kiss.

My eyes close, taking in, breathing in, tasting my George, his kiss, our kiss, my first real kiss. That kiss was too short. He backs away for a moment as I open my eyes to see his eyes gazing into mine before moving in for a second kiss. This one was a bit longer and lingered as he sat back to let me take a breath. "I think we'll do fine for the next few hours out here. I'm glad we have a big, bright full moon. It's the harvest moon and gives us lots of light when the sun sets to see how bright and beautiful you are, Caline." I was going to melt into him next time he pulled into another kiss. "And I do have to keep an eye out there and listen for any unusual sounds, unwanted visitors when I'm not totally entranced by you." Is this real? He's mine. Really mine! We are a couple. "Come on. Let's get up and walk a bit. I'm sure Ginger and Gray would also like to stretch their legs a bit. Okay?" I nod yes. Push myself off the bench to stand. George reaches down to pick up and sling his rifle back on. My sisters see George and I now standing, get up to walk over and join us.

George leads the four of us out from under the canopy, east away from the hotel's front entrance. The girls trotted ahead as we moved to their new dirt spot. They go straight there and start sniffing for a place to do their business. George and I stop to wait until they're finished. There's a sudden distant faint flash of light. George grabs and yanks me to the ground. "BAM!!!" I hear whistling racing and passing nearby. A second faint, brief flash. Then "BAM!!!" George rolls to his side and unslings his rifle, lay back down on his stomach with his rifle out on his arm on the ground. He takes aim at where, what were muzzle flashes, had come from and fires. "BAM!!!" The deafening noise of George's rifle right there, startles me. My body jumps in response. George fires off another shot. "BAM!!!" I didn't notice that my sisters had come to my side, now crouching, lying next to me. Ginger grumbled a low growl while Gray whined a couple of soft yips. The four of us laid there for several minutes not moving. George finally slowly pushed up with his hands to rise onto his knees scanning and trying to see any movement from the highway. "Stay down, Wait here."

Ginger and gray inched closer, nudging against either side pressing me in protective comfort from the sudden gun fire. George carefully stood looking towards the highway. There was still enough light left from the day's sinking sun for him to barely see someone running away from where he aimed his rifle at. He walked to the dirt area that my sisters had used and stopped for a few moments standing there. I saw him turn away from the highway, then began walking back to me and my two sisters beside me. I was wondering if Nina had heard the shots after taking our new arrivals up the escalator into the concourse of shops and the casino to help clean the restaurant. George returned to where I had stayed laying on the ground. He gestured it was okay to stand up and shared that it was all clear. "I saw our shooter run to others holding a bike between them as they were holding onto theirs. The three got on their bikes and rode off. Let's walk back to the hotel entrance. I'm pretty sure those gunshots could be heard from inside."

Sure enough, Nina and Alex were outside the hotel entrance, out from under the canopy's edge on the highway side, standing alert and holding rifles ready. They relaxed and lowered their rifles but stayed alert seeing the four of us walking towards them noticing that George's rifle was slung over his shoulder. We're just steps away still approaching Nina and Alex as George begins reporting on the shooting. "Obviously, You guys heard shots fired from inside. You got out here fast. Where were you inside? I know Caline and I left you in the lobby Nina. We'll have to wait and see if we can hear our firearm training outside here, and out there on 550 once Susan is ready to start it in the bowling alley." George points to the highway. "There was only one shooter. But the shooter had two people waiting with bikes nearby on 550, ready to take off. I got up after my last shot to where I saw the last muzzle flash and saw the shooting running to the two holding the bikes, hop on and ride off."

Nina shook her head acknowledging George's report. "Damn, I thought we would have more time to get everyone trained that was needed to beef up protecting our new home. I'll radio Cheryl and Gracie as soon as I'm back inside. We'll need to get more walkie talkies for the watch shifts to carry with them to call on future incidents. Alex and I had backtracked with Michelle, Gustalvo and Felipe to the housekeeping laundry room helping folks still there to get more supplies to clean the restaurant. So, I guess we were much closer with the gunshots louder for us to hear, than if we had been inside the casino where the restaurant is. I told everyone to stay where they were, grabbed Alex to rush out here. We picked up the rifles from behind the VIP Desk on our way to make sure you two were okay. I'm relieved you both are and glad you so easily drove them away. They probably were from the same gang of kids on bikes that Cheryl had called us about. This will help me plan our defense better."

Nina taps Alex on his shoulder and gestures for him to go back inside before continuing. "We'll need more people now that we're a target. I'm glad Michelle got our solar connected and charging. Hopefully, it'll be enough charge to power electricity for emergency lighting on additional floors in the hotel. I want to fill our rooms up with plenty of new folks from the Pueblo." Nina turns to me. "I want to go with you to Placitas, try to convince and recruit as many there to relocate here with you. I'm going to keep Susan busy training how to use firearms as much as she can the next couple of weeks. Cheryl, Doris, and her deputies can take some of our people to visit, recruit, and convince small groups of survivors they've found and stayed in touch with since the sickness over the last year in nearby apartment complexes, neighborhoods. They can share what we're trying to build here in your new home Caline. It might be best if you went with them to share why and what we're doing yourself." I nodded, feeling the heaviness of what I started. George sensed a change in me, put his arms around my shoulders and gave a squeeze. "I'm going back inside. I think you scared off our friends for a while and the two, excuse me, the four of you, will be okay. I'll get and bring Lily and Felipe out from their rooms at 10 so I can fill them both in." Nina pats us both on our shoulders, looks at Ginger and Gray, smiles, and walks away back to the hotel.

George steers me back to the bench we sat at before. The sun would be leaving us soon with night approaching. The last bits of daylight were falling below the western horizon. Ginger and Gray went back across the edge of the lanes out from under the canopy and the bench where George and I returned to sit. A hint of later chill, and maybe some from what I now felt responsible for, made me shiver slightly for just a moment. George felt me shudder, having him put his arm tighter and tenderly around with a settling, comforting warmth. I sank into his hold not worrying about tomorrow, the days ahead, and what would become expected of me. Night was here now, lit only with the full harvest moon. My future both scared and filled me with excitement able to have someone to share it with. Words were not needed nor said while we sat under the stars next to each other in a loving embrace.

Howling suddenly pierced the silence, followed by several more not too far off. Gray's ear Twitched as she rose, sniffing the air with the approaching sounds closing the distance. George and I listened, tensed, then stood when Gray stopped searching for a scent, lifting her head and joined the howls. Ginger was now standing, paced a few steps before purposely and quickly moved to my side from where she and Gray had been sitting watching me. "Coyotes are on their way. Gray just greeted them. I think we'll be okay if we let Gray engage them and just stay away where we are." Nervous of the Coyotes approach yet secured with my sisters and George presence. A chorus of yipping erupted, grew louder from beyond the east side of the hotel in the direction towards the settlement and Rio Grande bosque. I turned to George. "Maybe it would be better, just to be safe, to move ourselves just in front of the hotel entrance. Just in case Gray's not able to get the pack to keep moving on their way." George nodded in agreement. Ginger was on high alert. I reached down to my sister, scratched the top of her head. "Ginger, let's go over there." The three of us moved briskly to the hotel entrance, stopped, faced Gray and waited.

Nina and Alex startled us from behind as they both came out from the hotel lobby. Even Ginger turned to look back as they silently exited through the door to where we stood waiting for the coyote pack. "Sorry guys. I went to the restaurant; everyone was doing fine with the cleaning. So, I pulled Alex for us to both return to the lobby, for him to relax and rest before taking one of the shifts tomorrow, while I went over with who I could add doubling up on scheduling. I also wanted to be in earshot to hear and back the two of you up on any more incidents. The coyotes are a nice change." George and I looked at each other, turned to Nina and Alex. The four of us shared that moment before all laughing. Ginger stared at me with her eyes, tilting her head as if saying, 'What a bunch of silly humans' then faced back to yipping almost in an eyeshot in a 'harrumph!' statement ignoring us. Gray stayed rooted standing, giving a few yips from where we left her. We heard responding yips and saw a half dozen pairs of glowing eyes emerge out of the darkness. Trailing behind were three more sets of eyes reflecting the moon's light smaller and lower to the ground. One set was struggling to keep up.

George whispers. "Here they come. They're going straight to Gray. Looks like there are three juveniles in the pack. The one trying to keep up in the back is having trouble walking like it's injured." Ginger gives a low, rumbling, growl, but stands firm beside me. Five of us watch and wait to see how the pack and Gray react to each other. Renewed howls grew louder as the pack came into clear view under the bright full moon closing near Gray. Gray answered, joyously greeting with her own howls, jumping into a dancing frolic among the visiting pack. Two of the trailing juveniles finally caught up and joined in the dance.

The last juvenile saw the five of us. Curiosity of us and maybe not feeling part of the pack had the juvenile veer off and limp to where we were. Ginger laid down in a non-threatening posture watching the pup slowly approach, tentatively reach Ginger laying at my feet and sniffed her. Surprisedly, Ginger sounded a deep, gentle purr and began licking the pup. I carefully squatted down and stroked the pup, looking to see why it was limping. I whispered, careful not to frighten our new friend. "I can't believe this. Look at them." It looked like we had just been adopted, comforting our new arrival enough to fall asleep while nestled next to and being groomed by Ginger. The small coyote juvenile was awkward in between the age of pup and juvenile. I checked. She has one more sister to join our hotel pack. There was crusted blood on her lower right leg and paw. I pointed towards it to Nina and quietly asked. "Nina, you were a MP and first responder in the military. Can you treat and dress this for what appears to be a new addition for our home here?"

Nina, Alex, and George were alternately watching both the quiet exchange of Ginger, my, and the little coyote, along with the noisy, happy dance of Gray with the pack. My request now has Nina focused on me petting the sleeping coyote. "Of course. I'll go inside, get our first kit from the VIP Desk and be right back. Alex, stay here with George and Caline." Alex's expression, says, 'of course, why would I leave them with the pack still here?' Nina, turns and walks back into the lobby. The pack starts to leave one by one, running back from where they came from, still howling and yipping as if saying goodbye friend. The last coyote was staring in our direction, then nuzzled Gray, nipped her, and stared at us again, before running off to reunite with the pack. Gray stood quiet watching until all were out of sight, then trotted over to our group, stopping, laying down next to Ginger, me and the sleeping, little coyote. Ginger gave Gray one lick then turned to lick the coyote. Gray joined Ginger by beginning to lick the crusty blood off the coyote's lower right leg as Nina returned with the first aid kit.

I stood, leaving Gray and Ginger to tend to their adoptee. "It seems Gray didn't want to wait and started cleaning the wound before you could return with the first aid kit." I gestured Nina to a space for Nina to kneeled between Gray and our new addition to treat and dress her injured leg. "I'm sure the three of them will be fine with you helping. My sisters are already comfortable with you. Our little friend is still sleeping. Her body is so thin. She fell asleep right away. She hasn't been eating and resting enough. I still have some kibble back in my room I packed away and brought for my sisters from Placitas. We'll have to get some more from the settlement tomorrow." I stepped aside for Nina so she could move closer to treat and dress our little girl. It was going to be crowded in my room with Michelle, Ginger, Gray, and now, another roommate. Maybe time to find a suite with more room. We could move in an extra bed for either me or Michelle to have instead of a pullout couch the suites offered. There might be a need to set up a separate room as a kennel when new arrivals bring their dogs moving into the hotel with us

Gray and Ginger let Nina gently scrub away the remaining blood from the injured leg of what seems to have been a bite wound. Nina tells Alex to head back inside while she's cleaning the wound. "We're good here Alex. The coyote pack has left except for this little one. I don't think she's going to give us much trouble. Although, we might get overwhelmed by her cuteness" Alex smiles in agreement, turns, and leaves. Eyes sleepily open just a bit with Nina wiping down the coyote's leg with disinfectant before applying and wrapping a gauze bandage around the leg. "We're going to have to give this little girl a name now that she's adopted us, don't you think Caline? Especially since Ginger and Gray have likewise adopted her. Do you have any names that come to mind for her?" Nina finishes wrapping the leg and stands. I shake my head no. Nina pats me on my shoulder, then leaves to go back inside the hotel.

I look at George. He shrugs. I respond with my own shrug. "I haven't even begun to think of a name." I glance down at Ginger and Gray protectively cuddling with their sleeping little girl. "I wish I could ask and have my sisters name her. They seem to have taken the little girl in as their own. I don't want to disturb our little sleeping beauty here. It's probably been a while since she's felt comfortable enough to rest being injured, exhausted, and malnourished. That bite could have come from being bullied with her so much smaller than the other two juveniles. I'll stay with them until the shift's over. It's going to be crowded on either my bed with Ginger or Michelle's bed with Gray depending on who this little girl feels more comfortable with. You're going to see a very groggy me tomorrow morning. No way will I be getting a good night's sleep later."

George leans over and puts an arm around me. "We have less than two hours left before Lily and Felipe take over for us. Nina said she would get and bring them both outside for their shift so she can fill them in on all the activity tonight. It's been a wild one with a lot for her to share with them. You can take the girls inside whenever this little one wakes up. You may want to grab lots of towels from a housekeeping cart to put on the floor in your room. I don't think this little one is housebroken." George smiles and adds while looking down at the young coyote. "I'm going to walk and patrol a bit to make sure no one has returned to 550 out there. I'll be able to hear if you need me." He then leans in to give me a quick kiss, squeezes me with his arm wrapped around me, he lets go, and walks off. I'm left with the girls. I ease myself down to the ground next to them and sit. A flash of a memory filled me doing the same as a little girl with Ginger and Gray still a cub and a pup. My hands caress, smooth the fur of surrounding beauty in slow, gentle strokes. Ginger's deep purring pulls me to lay my head down on her to listen, feel, and relive a memory of much younger, innocent days before my parents left me.

"Caline...Caline..." Hmmmm.... " Caline." A soft voice calling wakes me out from my sleep. My eyes slowly open. George is kneeling next to me, my sisters, and a small, young coyote, all snoring. "There you are, Nina will be out here soon with Lily and Felipe. The shift's over. You fell asleep before I was able to check back in on all of you after finishing walking my watch. You looked and sounded so cute snoring in harmony with your sisters with your head on Ginger. I didn't want to wake you, returning three times while walking, searching, and listening for any intruders. Come on. Let's get everyone up and ready to go inside. You or I may want to carry our little one here." I inched away from Ginger to push myself up, stood, rubbed my eyes, did a quick arm, hands, and body shake to get fully awake. George was watching and smiling at me. I couldn't resist, stepped over, hugged, and buried my face in him. "Whoa...I haven't been away that long sweetie. But I like and will take your hug any time, Caline." I didn't want to move from his arms wrapped around and holding me with his own hug. "Okay, let's get the girls up." Damn, he lets go, putting a hand under my chin, pointing to the sleeping bunch at our feet with his chin.

My fur family was snuggled together in such an adorable collection. They looked so at peace and comfortable. I didn't want to disturb them. Nina would be out soon with our replacements Lily and Felipe. So, I reached down to begin waking my sisters first scratching each of the top of their heads with both hands. "Time to wake up and get up so you can go inside and go back to sleep, girls." George laughed as both turned their heads away from my hands and voice grunting. I continued scratching, now just a little harder and faster. "Come on girls, time to get up. You know you like those nice softer beds. They're so much better. Yeah, you like them so much you barely give me or Michelle any space to sleep in them. Jeez!" They both turned their heads and looked at me almost with grins on their faces. What brats! Both carefully rise gently letting their new little stay asleep, while each stand and shake off their lingering sleep. They leave it for me to reach down, pick up, cradle, and carry the youngster in my arms to her new home with her new family. I sighed feeling how light, too light, our poor baby was. "George, she's way too light. We'll have to take good care nursing her to a healthier weight." George was about to agree when our relief walked outside.

George unstraps his rifle and hands it over to Lily. Nina and Felipe see me holding the sleeping little coyote in my arms. Nina moves close and lightly runs her hand over her fur. "The poor thing is lucky to have you Caline, your sisters Ginger and Gray, for its new family, its new pack. Go ahead inside all of you and get some rest. I kicked everyone out of their restaurant cleaning duties and to rest when I went back in after the pack left. You can stay with the pup tomorrow when we go back to the settlement in the morning for breakfast. We'll bring back food for you and her. Michelle will also be staying here to check on how much and if there's enough charge to run electricity into the restaurant. I want to get that up and running as soon as possible. Then I want to have Michelle try to get electricity to the bowling alley for Susan to start training people soon. Alright. Get going!" George had already started for the door with Ginger and Gray following him. I caught up with the little girl still sleeping in my arms. The three of them slowed down hearing me trying to catch up from behind.

The little coyote stirred in my arms after we passed through the lobby to the escalator, up it's one flight, across the concourse. I was too tired to notice if any of the Mesa Grille cat family came out as we passed by on our way to the staircase door. I don't remember going up the steps, onto the landing in the hallway, walking to our rooms. I finally became aware of Ginger and Gray in front of me. They had trotted ahead of George and me carrying the little coyote, now waiting by the door on the left. George and I took the last steps to reach them and our rooms. I looked at the small, undersized coyote, then George as he stopped, watched us both. "I'm going to call her Little Bit." George's eyes opened a bit wider, surprised by the name, and of me finding one so soon. He glanced down to Little Bit, then smiled and nodded. "It's a good, fitting name Caline" He responded back and then leaned in, kissed me goodnight, Stroked Little Bit still sleeping in my arms. George whispered. "Goodnight sweet girls." He stepped back, turned to his room, then back to me before going in. "I'll ask Nina if I can stay with the four of you tomorrow to help settle Little Bit in and the watch shifts during the day." Those words warmed me inside, knowing and making me look forward to spending more time with him. "That would be great. Little Bit needs a lot of loving care." I gave him an impish, mischievous smile. "So do I." He beamed, turned, and went into his room. I turned to Ginger and Gray for us to go into ours.

Michelle was up, sitting on her bed, with one of the lanterns on that she brought back for our room. She was awake after hearing everyone arriving, saying our goodnights outside in the hallway. Ginger and Gray were bumping me as I walked in with Little Bit. Gray lightly nipped me to follow her and Gray to a spot in the room's far corner where they both laid down. Wow, I was going to have the bed all to myself. I laid down Little Bit between my sisters, then remembered George's suggestion to grab extra towels when Little Bit had to go, not being house broken. "Michelle, I'll be right back. I'm going back out to the hallway to get some towels from the housekeeping cart for Little Bit to pee on until we get her housebroken. I hope taking her with us outside with Ginger and Gray when nature calls for them will help Little Bit learn from seeing what, when, and where they do their business become housebroken soon."

My sisters and Little Bit were now all sleeping and snoring together. I start to head out of the room. "Wait, I'll come with you." Michelle gets up off her bed to walk with me. "The teens who moved in this morning took the housekeeping cart to grab towels for their rooms. Their rooms are way down on the other side of and after the bend in the hallway." That's why our hallway in front of our room was empty. "We can catch up walking there and back. I'll also be staying tomorrow to work on getting some electricity for the restaurant so we can do more catching up while we're both here at the hotel." I'll be glad when we have enough electricity for emergency lights in the hallways, so we don't have to carry our flashlights anymore. I didn't have one on me or could use one when carrying Little Bit to our room. George had taken one from the VIP Desk and had one before we took over Cristian's watch shift. Earlier, I had just followed him and my sisters from the light of his flashlight shining ahead of them.

Michelle was wide awake now. "How and why did you come up with a name like Little Bit for our new roommate?" That was easy for me to answer as we walked. "You saw how she was just a small, little bit in my arms when we walked into the room. How thin and tiny Little Bit was, when I laid her down to snuggle in with my full-sized sisters. Little Bit will fill out after lots of loving care, but I don't think it will grow to a full-size coyote. I don't know if you noticed her back leg wrapped. Little Bit was bitten and wounded from a bite most likely from another coyote in her pack. Thank goodness, it was not a big bite, just a little one. So, Little Bit came to me as I was holding her outside our room." We walked slowly down the hallway, around the bend, to the other end where the teen had taken over and settled into their rooms. The housekeeping cart was waiting there at the other end of our hallway for us to grab a bunch of towels, thankfully still available for us to take for Little Bit. Nina will have to set up and get a group laundry going along with our new dining area and the bowling alley for training. I was getting tired of doing sink washing with so little space for me and Michelle to hang and dry our clothes.

Felipe and Lily walked into the hallway as we returned walking from the teens side of the hallway back to our room. Felipe groaned, rushing to his room having to use the bathroom. He saw us with questioning looks on our faces. " It's been quiet and boring outside. I need to use the bathroom badly, and not just to pee. I didn't want to have an accident outside. Whatever I ate earlier did a number on me." Felipe ran off to his room.

Lily stayed and talked with us as we continued walking down the hall to our room. "I'm not looking forward to being up all night doing nothing. As Felipe said, it's been quiet outside and we won't be long away from our watch." Lisa added. "Felipe told me you wanted to hear how and why he..." Lily looked at Michelle. "You, and Cristian built adobe homes in the settlement. He said that he would help tell the story once we're all settled in, sharing, and eating the first meal in our own dining area here at the hotel." Michelle and I reached our room just as Felipe burst out of his room back into the hall 5 rooms down. Before Lily turned to walk over to Felipe, she said good night. "So glad we ran into you two running in here. It was nice for a change in scenery from our shift outside." Lily walked away, caught up and tugged Felipe to get back to their shift. "Got to get back outside. Let's go." Felipe reluctantly walks away with Lily back outside.

Michelle and I went back into our rooms quickly. We were both tired. I had to pee. The three were still the way we left them all sweetly snuggled together sound asleep. I laid out towels around them for Little Bit hoping Ginger and Gray would guide her on top to use them when needed. Michelle immediately crashed to lay back down on her bed from being woken up earlier. I hurried to the bathroom to pee, wash up, rinse out and refill Ginger's and Gray's water bowls. I finished up, exited the bathroom after putting down 2 water bowls, ready to climb in an empty bed all by myself for a nice, comfortable sleep. Then I remembered how scrawny our Little Bit was and went to find the kibble I brought from Placitas to put out for her when she woke up hungry. I dug out two extra bowls I had packed for Ginger's and Gray's food for Little Bit's food and water. She would find them where I just filled and left them next to my sisters' bowls in the bathroom. Now, I can go to sleep.

"What?" A wet nose was nudging me awake. My eyes cracked open with Gray staring, pleadingly at me. "Ugh, okay girl, you have to go. I'm getting up." My bed felt so good. I didn't want to get up, resisting to move, finally swung my body sideways, then legs to the side, letting my feet drop to the floor. Michelle heard me, was doing the same, seeming more awake than me. "Michelle, you don't have to get up. Gray needs to go outside." Then I heard stirring in the corner where Ginger and Little had been still asleep. They were both up now. "Never mind Michelle. Your company is welcomed with all three of our roommates now up and ready to go for a middle of the night walk." Ginger takes Little Bit into the bathroom when I hear her showing Little Bit the water bowls by lapping up a drink for herself. Michelle and I are both up, grabbed flashlights and headed to the door. Gray followed closely behind us as Michelle opened the door into the hallway. Ginger and Little Bit exited the bathroom tailing after Gray for our walk.

Little Bit was wide awake, walking on her own beside Ginger and Gray. Footsteps sounded off the walls in the hall outside our room as we made our way to take the stairs down one flight to the concourse, then the escalator to and out to the lobby. Neither Michelle nor I felt compelled to converse or say anything. Ginger and Gray kept their walking at a slower pace with both eyeing Little Bit on either side from time to time making sure she was okay. Little Bit was doing fine. Nina's cleaning, bandaging of Little Bit's leg, plus her long rest seemed to energize our new addition. Michelle and I couldn't resist anymore the need to talk and share how cute Little Bit was with Ginger and Gray. Michelle broke the silence just as we entered the lobby. "Look how Ginger and Gray are watching over Little Bit like she is their own pup. A huge mountain lion, a full-grown coyote. They're an unusual pair to share parenthood. But they're great together. Little Bit is lucky to have your sisters as her new parents. She's so comfortable, enjoying herself with them both." I nodded my agreement, still too sleepy to verbally respond. Before I knew it, we had walked down the stairs, across the casino floor to the concourse, past the dining area with its cat family to the escalator, down the last flight of steps into the lobby. The full moon must have set. It was darker outside as we went through the lobby towards the hotel exit to take all our girls outside.

Lily and Felipe must have heard Michelle. We saw them get up from the bench where George and I had sat during the last shift. They were happy to see us, breaking the monotony of their watch shift once again. Ginger, Gray veered left as we stepped outside, leading Little Bit to their spot to take care of business. I hoped this would help begin training Little Bit to be housebroken. I raised my arms as my show of surrender to Lily and Felipe and followed my sisters. Lily and Felipe walked over and joined us to the dirt area where our first exchange of gunfire took place. I was wary of returning here. So were Lily and Felipe hearing of the incident from Nina sharing everything to prepare them before starting their shift.

We're standing together watching Little Bit with Ginger and Gray as they sniff the ground looking for their spot to relieve themselves. Little Bit begins copying them, finally squatting to pee. I'm happy to see Little Bit following how my sisters took care of business, then saw the concerned, anxious faces of Lily and Felipe hyper alert at where we were. "Michelle, George and I will be staying here at the hotel during breakfast at the settlement. Michelle is going to try getting electricity running in the Mesa Grille, so we eat all our meals here. Then she's going to work getting some power to light the bowling alley so Susan can begin training me and everyone else who will be learning how to safely use firearms. We'll soon have plenty of people, including myself, to keep watch and defend our home."

Little Bit was done, went over to Ginger and Gray as they were scratching dirt to finish covering up what they're leaving on their dirt patch. My sisters raise their heads to face, travel towards me with Little Bit following. They stopped when Little Bit rushed off after a Roadrunner that fearlessly had run right up, then stood still, cocking its head side to side in a stare from just a short two feet away taunting. I swear it look like it had stuck its tongue out laughing. Ginger and Gray looked at each other and shook their feline and canine heads in unison, then slowly went after to try and get Little Bit's attention. Michelle and I saw what had transpired. She turned to me with an incredulous look and started laughing sputtering out. "Oh my God. This is like one of those a Saturday morning cartoons. Unbelievable and what a clique!" Fortunately, Little Bit passed by Gray close enough for her to nip and get the attention of the smaller coyote juvenile. Ginger quickly zeroed in to corral Little Bit. My two sisters then walked Little Bit to me and Michelle so we could continue our walk together.

I could now say my goodbyes to Lily and Felipe with the three girls joining us once again finally approaching the wo. "We'll see you guys later. We're heading back inside to finish sleeping. Let's go Michelle. Come on girls" Little Bit runs up to me, stops at my legs, stares up waiting with a chagrin look on her face. Michelle laughs and shrugs her shoulders. Ginger and Gray watch as I bend down to Little Bit. "What Little Bit?" She waits. Then I begin to pet the top of her head. "It's okay girl. Yes, you did run off. But you did good with Ginger and Gray back taking care of business. We're so happy you're feeling better. We love you. Is that better? Is that what you want Little Bit" Little Bit's tail is wagging faster and faster as I continue to talk and pet her. She licks my hand in confirmation, ready to go back inside. I stand up seeing Michelle smile. "Hmmm, pretty smart little coyote. But still a kid that needs looking after. She's lucky. I mean, we're lucky she and we have my sisters to help us babysit. I guess we're ready to head back inside now. Let's go."

Our trip back to the room was interrupted trying to pass our future dining area. Its kittens came running out from the kitchen to meet us again. They raced straight to Ginger and Gray as Little Bit stood still looking befuddled. The kittens immediately restarted their playful attack on my sisters as both lower themselves to the concourse floor. Ginger and Gray graciously accepted being conquered and under siege from the ferocious imps licking them in between being nipped. It didn't take long for Little Bit to move, step over to join in the fun. Mama cat soon appeared. She looked at her kittens playing, turned to me and Michelle watching, then back to stare at the mayhem seeming to almost be shaking her head side to side. Our presence must have become familiar to her with us walking back and forth from our rooms. She calmly sat down at our feet waiting for their dad to take the back into the kitchen. Sure, enough the papa cat ran out soon after. He went up to and licked the mom, turned, walked over to the kittens, growled as if scolding, and snatched one to take back to the kitchen. Mama cat followed suit getting up upon being licked to grab another kitten. Both came right back out grabbing the other two. Little Bit had stepped away off to the side as soon as the mama cat had come out. She walked to me and Michelle now that we were alone once again, ready to continue onto our room.

The girls went back to their new spot in the room's far corner opposite my bed. They padded around, poking, sniffing, dropping one by one until all three were tightly snuggled together, fast asleep, and snoring. Michelle and I both turned off & dropped our flashlights back where we grabbed them from, sat heavy on sides of mattresses, kicked off sneakers, slippers, crashed down onto nice empty beds all to ourselves, and fell back to sleep immediately. Morning came and woke us with a knock on our door. My eyes open to the sounds, have me rub the sleep out of them, then push myself up on my elbows. Michelle's doing the same. We face each other with sleepy questions until we hear George's and Gustalvo's voices from the hallway. "Rise and shine up ladies...time to get up...lots of stuff happening today...people are waiting..." Both of us are now up, sitting on the edge of our beds with feet on the floor and arms up in the air, 'what the hell'. We stand to rush to the door, almost stumbling over Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit woken up, curious and running to the door. Michelle reaches our room's door and opens it. We both yell as our furred roommates explode out into the hallway bumping into, sniffing, and rubbing against George and Gustalvo.

"What!?!" The guys are taken slightly aback with our grumpy greeting, a bit overwhelmed trying to stay upright as Little Bit mimics and joins Ginger and Gray pressing in on the boys with their morning greeting. It's such a wonderful, loving, comical moment melting me and Michelle. We start laughing at the helplessness of George and Gustalvo confronted by 5 females. We're now enjoying and having a bit of fun with their discomfort. I look at Michelle. We smile and nod agreeing to let the boys off and find out what's up. "Okay, what's so urgent to have you guys banging on our door? Who's waiting? What's all this stuff we're supposed to be doing today? You know what? Michelle and I are going back inside, throw some water on our face, brush our teeth, put something on our feet and come back out. You guys can wait here with the girls." I grabbed Michelle to go back inside.

We hurried inside, did everything we told the boys we do, and we're back out in the hallway to see the boys on the floor with Little Bit in George's lap as both scratched and rubbed her tummy. Little Bit was happily yipping and wiggling as Ginger and Gray stood watching them. They turned to face us hearing our exit from the room with proud, contented, parental approval of Little Bit's glees of delights having her belly rubbed. "Looks like Ginger and Gray found themselves two babysitters for their new care. Alright guys. You woke and got us up. Come on. Let's go. We want to hear what today has in store for us." George gently rolls Little Bit off his lap. She unhappily gets all four paws under her, takes two steps to Ginger and Gary, nudges them. Both Ginger and Gray give her a lick. Little Bit's tail wags. We all start walking to take the stairs down to the second-floor escalator from the concourse into the lobby. I'm glad we're on our way to hear Nina's morning schedule for the day and curious what in it that brought George and Gustalvo to our door. I didn't want to wait to hear what Nina had in store for us. I shared Little Bit's first encountered with our cat family with George and Gustalvo as we all began walking. " Good, we're off. Oh, Little Bit met our cat family coming back from her first bathroom call last night. It looks like the mom is going to be fine with us. She walked over and sat down at Michelle's and my feet waiting for the kitten's father to take them off playing on top of my sisters back into the kitchen. So, George, Gustalvo, what's going on?"

George started as we trekked down the hall. "Nina came to Gustalvo's and my room early this morning after she radioed, finished talking with and shared what happened here yesterday with Susan. Susan's on her way over and will be at the morning meeting Nina has for us. Nina also wants you to take Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit to breakfast this morning in your Aptera. She wants Little Bit to meet, get acquainted with the settlement dogs and cats. Gustalvo is going with you. He'll be driving one of the Telo trucks. there. It looks like we'll have even more cats later. Nina wants me to take the other Telo truck and go with Susan to pick up and start bringing the children with their cats from the apartment complex that Ann and Joanne are taking care of and have been living in since the sickness took their parents. Nina will lay out everything and who's staying to get ready for everyone's arrival later." I heard chattering get louder as we neared the bottom of the escalator into the lobby.

Nina saw the seven of us entering. It looked like she had gone early to wake and get everyone here early to give us a full slate of news updates and tasks for the day. She waved us over next to the side of the VIP Desk she was standing in front of. She begins her morning report and instructions. "Susan will be here soon. I radioed her yesterday and again early this morning about our visitors late yesterday. You've all probably already heard and shared with each other what happened. I'll let George give you a brief recap, and then I'll go over what we'll be doing to protect ourselves from any future encounters." Nina gestures for George to step over and move to where she was talking from.

George waits for the room's buzz to quiet and begins. "Nina asked Caline for her, Ginger and Gray to join me on my shift late yesterday afternoon. Nina wants Ginger and Gray outside during our watch to help discourage, deter, and frighten away any onlookers once seeing them prowl around outside the hotel. Nature called for both. We walked to a dirt area east of the hotel entrance for them, about an hour before sunset with it starting to get dark. Caline and I were standing about twenty feet back, watching, talking, waiting for them to finish. We saw a dim flash in the distance from the highway. I recognized it as a muzzle flash, grabbed Caline, pulling us both to the ground as we heard a rifle shot being fired. Caline heard the bullet whiz pass her as she dropped with me to the ground. Another shot was fired. I told Caline to stay down. I was able to rise and fire back twice to where I saw the muzzle flash. Ginger and Gray had rushed to Caline after the first shot. I carefully ran just beyond where they had run from just in time to barely see a person in the dim light run from where the shots came from. That person ran to where two others were holding up a bike between them while straddling their own. All three rode quickly away."

Nina was back at front with George and took over. "Thank you, George. I was inside with Alex getting cleaning supplies when I heard the shots. We came out, saw that George, Caline, Ginger, and Gray were all okay walking back to where we had just come out of the hotel. I radioed Susan as soon as I went back inside. We talked again this morning. She'll be here shortly to go over what we shared and begin helping us to prepare." Nina then turned and gestured for me to take George's place up front. "It was a busy shift yesterday. We had a second incident last night. This one turned out to be a much nicer one. Caline will share that with you. I did ask Caline one question last night after the incident." She turned to me again. "Did you come up with a name for our new addition?" Little Bit was doing so good in a crowded room of strangers and three cats being held by their newly arrived teens. She was staying close to me with Ginger and Gray pushing her to me with their snouts as if knowing I was about to introduce her. I crouched down to ruffle Little Bit's fur on the top of her head, then stood up again

The room and Nina anxiously waited for me to begin. I pointed to the small juvenile coyote with both arms. "This is Little Bit." Little Bit's tail started wagging recognizing her new name. "My sister Gray had a visit last night." Gray's ears perked up hearing her name. "George and I heard distant howling of a coyote pack while we were standing watch from under the hotel's front entrance canopy. Gray began answering with her own howls with it growing louder as the pack got closer. George moved away from Gray as she continued to wait for the pack with her howls. Ginger followed us far enough away, next to the hotel's entrance." Now Ginger's ears perked up hearing her name mentioned. My roommate, Michelle, asked me how I came up with Little Bit's name. Well, you can see she's just a little bit of a coyote. Her pack went straight to Gray."

I paused to take in and catch my breath. "We watch her pack and Gray greet each other in happy yips, dancing and frolicking with each other, while Little Bit limped far behind, abandoned, veering straight to us. She chose us as her new pack, most likely being bullied and bitten by one her own bigger siblings." Nina had come back out with Alex for the second time hearing all the noise the pack and Gray were making. Nina and Alex had come out of the hotel behind me, George, and Ginger, startling us where we had gone back to standing, watching Gray with the coyote pack. She immediately sent Alex back, seeing no threat. We all saw the first two sets of juvenile eyes trailing the pack hurrying to catch up. Then we saw the last pair of eyes reflecting the moon's light slowly following before they turned, focused on, closing in our direction, getting larger."

I finished Little Bit's adoption story. I motioned to Ginger. "Ginger had laid down in a non-threatening posture, spotting Little Bit struggling to reach us. Little Bit collapsed right at Ginger, who then proceeded to lick Little Bit's wound. Little Bit fell asleep being comforted. The pack left. Gray walked over, laid down next to Ginger, joined her licking Little Bit's wound. I asked Nina if she could help clean and dress the wound. Nina went inside and came back out with a first aid kit, cleaned, and wrapped Little Bit's wound. She stood with us afterwards for a while with our new addition before going back inside."

Then I shared a little bit, (no pun intended) of me and my adopted sisters. "My mom was a veterinarian where Ginger and Gray were both brought in orphaned as a cub and a pup. She took them home with her during one of the many power grid blackouts. I was just a toddler then. We immediately fell in love with each other and became inseparable cuddling together to sleep. Caline is not my given name. Caroline is. My mom gave me that nickname seeing me as just another canine pup or feline cub to my adopted sisters Ginger and Gray. home during one. George left me with the girls to finish his shift. George returned a couple of times to find me sleeping with my head on Ginger. I must have laid down and fallen asleep with Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit when he took off. He woke and reminded me that Nina would be returning with Lily and Felipe to take over. I got up carefully not to wake Little Bit, reached down, picked up Little Bit to carry her inside while she slept. And now here she is. She's already even met and played with our dining area kittens upstairs."

Nina took that as her que to step in and take over again. "Ginger and Gray were comfortable when they stayed outside with me covering a break for Cristian. They were good to have during both incidents while George was covering his shift with Caline. So, I like to try having more of the same, bringing settlement dogs here to add to a visible, bigger presence of protection on our watch shifts. I'm having Caline and Gustalvo both going to breakfast today. They'll be bringing back a couple of the settlement’s dogs to the hotel. They’ll all help folks put together food supplies when first arriving to bring back to begin stocking our own dining area to begin eating meals here. The supplies will also include food for settlement dogs and a few cats we're bringing back to live in the hotel with us." Nina saw that Susan had just walked into the lobby and waved her up to the VIP Desk. "Susan's here. I'll have her go over what we discussed earlier on beefing up our security here. Thanks Susan." Nina moves to the side as Susan reaches her.

Susan faces everyone and begins. "Good morning, everyone." She turns to Nina. "We'll be joined shortly by Cheryl and Doris. They went to the settlement to pick up and bring Gracie and Joy here to share our plans to create a safe home for you. I'm just going to address the firearms training we'll be starting up in the bowling alley as soon as we get all the equipment here to set it up. Nina told me that Michelle was able to connect the casino's roof solar panels that were installed just before the sickness for us to have some electricity. We'll need that for people to be able to see targets they're shooting at." Nervous laughter trickled through the lobby. "I'll be recruiting as many people as possible to handle firearms for both here and to hopefully add to Cheryl deputies. But first I'll need volunteers to go with me next door to the Aptera and Telo Truck lots and bring back all the vehicles we can get started." Susan points to me and Nina.

"Caline, rightfully shared concerns with Nina, that unsavory elements from the street could take and use any vehicle to return to attack the hotel and terrorize good people elsewhere. Nina in turn passed that onto Gracie and Cheryl. Both agreed, said go ahead and retrieve the vehicles. So, we'll be doing that today before the next thing I'm here for today. I'll need volunteers using some of those vehicles to follow and go with me to my old National Guard post. You'll help me gather, bring back to the hotel what's needed to set up the bowling alley to train everyone. That's it for me now. Folks can volunteer with me after the briefing to get the vehicles from next door. We'll need to get and bring all the portable battery chargers that were used last time you went to get vehicles." Four people walked into the lobby as Susan finished

Susan moved off to the side as Nina returned up front. "Thanks for getting Gracie and Joy. I didn't know all of you were joining us this morning until Susan told us just a few minutes ago. We look forward to hearing what you have planned for us here. Come on up Cheryl, Doris. You too, Gracie and Joy." Nina waits for the four to reach her, then steps aside and hands off the morning report to Cheryl, Doris, Gracie, and Joy. George and I had moved back away with Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit to make room for everyone now up in front of the VIP Desk. George took my arm, held it against his chest, squeezing it with a gentle, loving assurance of his presence. Little Bit had plopped down on top of my feet, feeling safe and comfortable there in the crowded room of new faces for her.

Gracie takes center stage between Cheryl, Doris, and Joy. "Good morning people. It's good to see all of you. I wish it was under better circumstances. But you know? We can and will use this as an opportunity to move forward, reach out to the less fortunate and scattered beyond our settlement, offer a home for everyone to grow and become part of a stronger community together. We're thankful Caline came into our lives when she did. She's been a catalyst for us to move from the past, from the pain of our loss, from fear of leaving the comfort we forged to change into creating something more. What you're building here is testament to that change. And we're going to do all we can, what's needed to protect, encourage, continue building on it, and see it succeed." The room is silent. Gracie pauses, turns to Cheryl. "Cheryl, Joy and I spoke last night and this morning on what we should have done much sooner. Cheryl will share that conversation with you. Then we have a lot of work to do afterwards in the weeks ahead. Cheryl?"

Gracie slides over for Cheryl. Cheryl nods to Gracie, takes a deep breath and begins. "Gracie's right on both the work we have to do and that it should have been done long ago. There Are too many people struggling in too many scattered places, trying to survive, unable to protect themselves if anyone decides to take what they have or just shoot at, attack, even murder like they did here with your community. Me and my small group of deputies can't adequately cover everywhere and everyone." Cheryl stops to face me. "Caline, I drove up to Placitas yesterday, met Nancy and a couple of your soccer teammates, your friends. They were so relieved to hear you were okay. They'll be able to communicate now with both the HAM radio and walkie talkies I left them. And your friends want to move and be with you here. Nancy is overwhelmed, stressed, and exhausted trying to manage the Placitas community. They were fortunately not to have any outsiders attack them. Unfortunately, the boy who attacked Caline, tried again just days after you disappeared and the found his accomplished dead in your house., He stalked one of your friends, followed her to the community garden, waited until she was alone, tried grabbing, pulling her to a secluded spot, trying to repeat what he and his friend attempted on you. Luckily, several others nearby the garden heard her yell. They found, surrounded, fought off the attack, consequently resulting in the boy tripping, backwards to the ground. His head and neck fell on and was pierced by an upturned metal rake. He bled to death there."

Cheryl pauses seeing both the horror and relief on my face. "I suggested we help her relocate whoever wants to join us to the Pueblo and hotel close to Gloria at the Circle K, the health clinic and our station's deputies in the same building. She happily and gratefully seized on the suggestion and accepted. Their relocation is going to be a major undertaking to prepare for, moving dozens maybe a hundred or more from Placitas, and then settling all those children, teens, with just a few surviving adults, here in the hotel, and on the Pueblo. I spoke with Joy on speaking with, preparing the adults and older teens to help with transitioning and taking over some of the care for the new arrivals. We'll use this relocation as an opportunity, offer the same to all the small groups of survivors we've discovered, scattered in the 6 apartment complexes, the KOA RV Park by the 25. Those are only the ones we've managed to find and stay in touch with since the sickness. There's most likely more we could reach, find, and don't know about. Caline's insistence to move into the hotel was and has become the catalyst to begin again as Gracie mentioned. We should have already begun doing this over a year ago."

The room waited as Cheryl lined up Nina with Susan, Joy with Doris, motions George, Kai, and Jordan over to her, and finally Gustalvo, Michelle, Cristian, and me to Gracie. Cheryl had us spread out in front of the VIP Desk. Just 6 of those now living in the hotel were left facing me, ready to be called by Cheryl to join the rest of us. Lily and Felipe were outside on their watch shift. Doris picked up a box she had carried in with her and put it up on the VIP Desk counter. Cheryl then started calling names of the rest of us in the lobby directing them to either Susan, Joy, Doris, Gracie, and herself. "You're with Susan, Alex. Please let Lily know that she's also to check in with Susan when Nina has you taking over her shift outside." She turns to Nina. "Nina, please tell Felipe to connect with Joy and Doris after he's relieved from his shift outside." Cheryl finally called on and waved Mae, Malia, Tauri, Lonan, Shilah over to Susan's and Nina's group. Questions sounded a growing buzz of chatter, had my sisters and Little Bit curiously looking at me with their own questions. 'What's with these people?' They had followed and stayed by my side throughout the morning briefing. Michelle and Gustalvo noticed their bewilderment of our gathering, reached down, to scratch, pet, and reassure each one. I saw and joined my friends comforting Ginger, Gray and Little Bit and did the same.

Cheryl shushed everyone before continuing. "Okay folks. Settle down. Shush!" Cheryl waits a few seconds for quiet. "As I said, I talked with Gracie and Joy last night and this morning before today's meeting. We then spoke with both Nina and Doris figuring out and deciding how to begin organizing to accomplish what we're about to take on. We created four, then splitting one of those groups to having five initial groups, eventually, we'll have 6 groups, one for each of us to facilitate with your help, that will add to as we bring more people in from the Pueblo, Placitas, and other scattered survivors in small communities that we can recruit. Susan and Nina will first use their group to retrieve the remaining, working vehicles from the Aptera and Telo Truck lot next door and have her group relocate them to a secure spot here at the hotel. Susan will then refocus all her efforts on setting up and beginning firearms training. That includes using the retrieved vehicles to travel and get training materials, firearms, ammunition from her National Guard post. Nina will redirect those not working with Susan on firearms training to get the dining area stocked and ready to begin having meals there. Susan, Nina, hold off with your group to listen and hear what the other groups will be doing before you go ahead and start working with your group. Gracie, Joy, and Doris. The three of you can explain your two groups, which will then become three."

Gracie raised her hand. "I'll explain our group next. Caline, Michelle will be key to it. Their role will be essential relocating, transitioning, getting everyone moved in and settled into our growing community. Their first job will be working with Nina, me, and Joy to prepare and get both the hotel and the settlement ready to receive a massive influx of people moving in from Placitas and the Pueblo. That is going to be a major undertaking requiring extra bodies to help check all the rooms on both wings, each floor of the hotel here. This will include seeing if there's enough electricity to minimally light the hallways, make sure there's running water, recruit people to get our laundry room ready to use and wash linens for all the new arrivals. They will also be putting together, coordinating Susan to secure scavenging shopping trips to send out and gather supplies such as lanterns, candles, flashlights, batteries, canned and dry foods for both people and our animals to supplement what's being stocked in the dining area. The hotel will not only be getting more people, but also dogs, cats that they'll be bringing with them joining, growing our current cat population. Caline's experience with animals from her mom and with her sisters will have her oversee setting up a food storage, feeding area for our animals, as well as a kennel for strays Susan and Nina wants us to train and visibly add to our outside patrols."

Gracie reaches down to Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit to warmly pet them while talking about me. "Then, Michelle will go with Joy to the Pueblo and recruit help for the hotel, willing, wanting to relocate here to the hotel. Michelle will also work with the Pueblo to get them ready to receive folks relocating from Placitas that the hotel is unable to house. Once Caline gets the hotel set, she'll go with my sister Cheryl and a group they'll put together, to Placitas, get them packed and prepared to relocate here and the Pueblo. I'll be taking George, Kai, and Jordan with me to all the scattered communities, talk with, and try to convince them to move in with us here at the hotel and on the Pueblo. I like to add and include Caline and others from here later to help convince people to become part of a greater, more secured, and growing community. Does anyone have any questions?" No one responds to ask a question. I raised my hand a few moments before Gracie or Cheryl could continue.

I had a couple. I've been wondering what was happening and if any contact had been made with anyone else beyond the scattered and isolated communities, we've been able to connect and interact with. I also remembered seeing and wondered if we could use the huge trailer with lights the settlement had sitting in the middle of the field to spot any unwanted visitors trying to sneak up on us from the highway in front of the hotel. All eyes turned to me as I raised my hand. "I have a couple of questions. First, I noticed a huge trailer with solar panels and lights sitting on the field back in the settlement. Have the solar panels been able to power up the lights to use? If so, can we move it to the front of the hotel, point the lights to 550 to spot any unwanted visitors trying to sneak up on us from the highway?" Gracie, Cheryl, Joy, and Susan turned to each other and opened their mouths, with a 'Why didn't we think of that' look. I asked my second question before anyone could respond. "Secondly, we lived in Placitas in isolation with no way to contact the outside world, no longer able to use phones or the Internet after the sickness. Now that I'm here, I have heard about, seen so many people who survived and found ways to keep living after the sickness. So, now I'm starting to wonder what's happening and if any contact had been made with anyone else beyond the scattered and isolated communities you've been able to connect and interact with during the last year I lived in Placitas."

Cheryl and Susan stepped closer to Gracie by me. Joy walked over and joined in a brief quiet conversation. Then all turned to me shaking their heads and smiling. Susan spoke for them. "Of course, Yes, Caline. That's brilliant, and we were all shaking our heads to why Nina hadn't thought of that sooner or how to beef up security here other than just putting more people on shifts. Did your dad have any military background, training that he passed down to you? If not, you have a keen eye to finding solutions. Thanks, Caline. You made Nina's job securing your new home that much easier. As for your other question, we've been limited in range with our HAM radios without enough power to boost the signal to reach or hear anyone. Cheryl and I haven't ventured out to find other surviving communities beyond the ones we've discovered and stay in limited contact with having such a small staff. But I hope and will work to change that with what you started by moving here. Then Gracie insisted on having other people move with you for your safety. Nina needed and began getting others to secure the hotel. Finally, requesting me to conduct firearms training after recent attacks so there would be people available to double up shifts."

Lily and Felipe walk into the lobby as Cheryl jumps in. "Susan's firearms training will also help us recruit and increase the size of our staff. A bigger staff will give us an opportunity and ability to venture out beyond the boundaries we've been confined and restricted to in finding answers to your second question. Also, Michelle getting the solar array finally up and charging at the settlement could provide electricity to boost enough power, increasing a signal's range to reach other communities. So, let's take it one bit at a time. Get your home set up here. Let's relocate all the folks we can and need to move. Secure everyone. Build a strong and healthy community. Play some of that soccer you love, Caline."

Cheryl winks at Gracie and Joy. "And then, after all that, we can try to make those calls, hope anyone answering is friendly for us to connect with, ultimately, explore to see who they are and what's out there. How's that Caline?" I extended my hand out and gave a thumbs up. "Good! Folks going to the settlement for breakfast, collect and bring back supplies, get going. The rest of you know your assignments. George, you're heading out with me to begin picking up and bringing Ann, Joanne, and the children they've been taking care of. Lily, Felipe, can you check with Nina on getting seven rooms ready for the guests that George and I will be moving here? Michelle, you're going to stay with Nina this morning to see if you can get the electricity on in the restaurant, then check on what you need to do to get electricity in the Bowling alley." Cheryl finishes with Susan. "Mae, Malia, Tauri, Lonan, Shilah, you guys get the portable battery chargers and take Susan next door to begin moving any vehicle here to the hotel that you can get started. I think that's everything for now. Doris, George, let's go."

Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit pressed closer to me as people started moving and headed off. I felt and looked at the three rubbing against me. "It's okay girls. We're heading out ourselves. Ginger, Gray, you can introduce Little Bit to your friends on the settlement. They're going to love her." I started walking them to the exit out to my Aptera. Alex was outside starting a new shift. He waved to the three of us from just beyond the valet lane under the canopy. I waved back, then looked down to check on my three companions. This will be Little Bit's first time inside a moving vehicle. I'm glad she'll be packed snug, tight, and comfortable in the back with my sisters on her first ride. "You girls can help me and the folks at the settlement begin to pick which friends you want to bring back and live with us here. How does that sound?" Ginger lets out a low, deep, grunt. Gray follows with a couple of yips. Little Bit copies Gray with a few of her own.

It was only a short walk to my Aptera, now that we started parking our vehicles in the parking lot where I had left it on my first day leaving Placitas. We stepped out from under the canopy onto the open, uncovered lanes to where all the Apteras were parked in sunlight charging. We reached mine, where I took Little Bit around to the rear hatch and opened it for her and my sisters. Little Bit shrank away from the back, dropping to the pavement, wary as Ginger and Gray were about to jump in. They both stopped sensing Lit Bit's wariness, turned back, licking, then nudging her to the back before resuming their jump into the Aptera. Little Bit took their que and attempted her first jump into the back. She couldn't quite make it. I picked up and placed her in the back between and on Ginger and Gray. They all looked comfortable, snuggled together as I shut the rear hatch. George had taken off in one of the Telo Trucks following Cheryl and Doris with their Apteras. Gustalvo was waiting for me, sitting in the other truck with Gracie and Joy riding with him ready to go. We were all that would be going to the settlement for breakfast this morning. That meant we would have to fix, bring back food for everyone staying behind starting the work needed to relocate dozens of people to the hotel.

Gustalvo hurried off, driving as soon as I shut my door and belted myself in. There was no need to rush and follow him. It was just a short trip to the settlement. We wouldn't be spending that much time there. Just time needed to fix over two dozen “to go” containers of food for everyone including our new arrivals Ann, Joanne, and a dozen children they were taking care of. Cheryl, Doris, and George would be picking up and bringing them to the hotel throughout the day. I'm hoping Michelle gets enough electricity to light the Mesa Grille for us to see what we're eating. We'll need a large dining area for all the new people moving into the hotel if we start having our meals there. Placitas had over a hundred mostly children, teens, and a dozen women who survived of over four thousand who perished from the sickness. But a hundred or so was a lot to relocate, house, and feed. People from my past home would have to be split up between the hotel and the Pueblo. Thinking about moving Placitas distracted me while driving. I didn't remember my trip from the hotel as I pulled in behind where Gustalvo had parked.

Lots of children and settlement dogs were already gathered by Gustalvo's truck, standing with Gracie and Joy waiting for me to open the door of my Aptera I just pulled in with. They rushed over excited and eager to see and play with Ginger and Gray as soon as I stepped and shut the door. Gracie, Joy, and Gustalvo came over to help me calm and let me tell them about Little Bit before I opened the rear hatch. Little Bit had been okay so far with being with the people back in the hotel, even being in a room crowded with several talking. But this would be the first time Little Bit would be with loud, curious children and lots of chasing dogs wanting to play. I didn't want Little Bit to be overwhelmed, scared, and react in any way that could harm a curious child or a playful puppy. Little Lisa danced through the bunch to me standing by the back of my Aptera. I smiled at her. The children and dogs were getting restless, waiting for me to open the hatch.

"Good morning, Lisa. Hi everyone. Ginger and Gray have a new daughter with them. Her name is Little Bit. They just adopted Little Bit last night when she came to the hotel with her pack. She was hurt, limping far behind, saw Ginger and went right to her. The pack left her with us. Little Bit is still getting used to people. She's never met children or dogs." I turned to Lisa. "So, Lisa, can you make sure Little Bit feels welcomed?" I looked around to everyone else. "That goes for all of you. Be gentle. Go slow. Let Little Bit get used to you. Okay?" Everyone nodded and grew quiet. "Alright, children, I'm going to open the hatch. Step back a little and give Little Bit some room. Let Lisa come up to meet and pet her first. We want Little Bit to feel comfortable. Wait for Little Bit's tail to wag. Then the rest of you can slowly meet and pet Little Bit one at a time."

Lisa was ready. I opened the hatch. Ginger and Gray hopped out, down behind the Aptera and were instantly met by several settlement dogs wanting them to run off and play. My sisters instead, turned to look back to and encourage Little Bit to jump out from back of the Aptera to join them. I noticed Little Bit's reluctance seeing all the children waiting with several dogs running at Ginger and Gray. "Lisa, come closer. I want you to meet Little Bit. You can pet her with me." Gracie, Joy, and Gustalvo had walked over in front of the children, crouched down with Ginger and Gray, to add some recent familiar faces to help ease Little Bit some. Lisa was happy to make a new fried with Little Bit. Little Bit watched as Lisa climbed into the back to sit beside her. Little Bit sniffed her, then laid her head on Lisa's legs. Lisa patted, petted, and scratched the top of the small coyote's head until its tail starts wagging. I was encouraged with Little Bit's acceptance and asked Lisa to help coax her out of the Aptera. "Little Bit likes you, Lisa. Now, let's get her out to meet everyone else. Let's see if she'll follow you out of the back."

Lisa gently slid her leg out from under Little Bit and climbed out to me, Ginger, Gray, Gracie, Joy, and Gustalvo. Little Bit immediately jumped down following her, going directly to Ginger and Gray. My sisters licked her a few times as Lisa knelt next to them to continue petting and scratching Little Bit. A couple kids couldn't wait, threaded forward, past me, Gracie, Joy, and Gustalvo to join Lisa in petting Little Bit. Ginger and Gray watched with approving looks to Little Bit's tail wagging. The dogs trying to get my sisters to chase and play with them, turned their attention to Little Bit, prompting Ginger and Gray to finally start walking as a distraction to the rest of the children crowded around towards the settlement. Lisa wrapped Little Bit's head in her arms to hug her, then stood up to follow my sisters, the settlement's dogs, and lots of children to the animals' feeding area. Lisa turned back to Little Bit to make sure she would follow her. Little Bit got up and did. Gracie and I stood with Joy and Gustalvo watching the entourage of children, dogs, coyotes, and a cougar traipse away. "That went well. Let's go eat and fix up a bunch of food for you and Gustalvo to bring back for everyone at the hotel. We already loaded up both of the Telo trucks with food to feed both people and animals for a couple of days." Gracie shared while walking us to the dining area.

We ate quickly. Gracie and Joy went to the dog feeding area to see which dogs had been chosen to go back to the hotel with Ginger, Gray, Little Bit. Gustalvo and I returned to the food serving table where we fixed a couple dozen of “to go” containers to take back to the hotel. We were grateful that someone from the settlement had left a couple of empty boxes for us to put the packed containers of food in. Gustalvo and I picked them up after we packed in the containers and carried them to the two trucks that already had the hotel's food supply loaded in the back of both. Gustalvo would be taking several of the settlement's dog back to the hotel in the bed of the truck he drove this morning. Gray would be riding with them to ease and acclimate their move to a new home. Ginger would be riding with Little Bit in my Aptera. Gustalvo introduced me to the drivers while we put our two boxes with the rest of the food, they would be delivering for us at the hotel. "Thank you, guys. Caline, this is Isabel, and this is Terry. They're both survivors from the hotel who came here with Gracie. They lost their parents during the sickness while vacationing. They'll be moving in and joining us in the hotel after we get everyone else relocated from your old community in Placitas."

They gave me a thumbs up. I could barely tell them apart. "Umm. Are you two twins?" They laughed, nodding yes. I wanted to ask them more until I was distracted by children's laughter, dogs barking, and a couple of yips reminding me of my sisters and Little Bit. I saw the girls turn to what had distracted me. "We have to go. Yes, those are my sisters and our new adoptee, Little Bit. Can you girls stay a bit." I realized my little pun and laughed. "I mean, hang around the hotel after you bring our food, talk and get to know each other?" They both nodded yes. "You guys don't say much, do you? See you later." They laughed as Gustalvo and I ran over to where the children, Ginger, Gray, Little Bit, Gracie, Joy, and some other folks were waiting.

Lisa saw us coming, ruffled the fur on the back of Little Bit's head, stood and waved to me. She greeted me with a big smile. "Little Bit likes me. I love her. Can I visit Little Bit and Ginger and Gray at the hotel? Please, please!" Other children heard Lisa and began shouting wanting to visit my sisters and Little Bit with Lisa. Gracie and Joy both smiled, shrugged, and raised their hands up in a surrender to the children's pleas. One of the kids then asked. "When can we play soccer again?" Another joined in. "Can we play soccer at the hotel when we visit?" Gustalvo gave me a helpless look, anxious to get back to the hotel. I laughed seeing his face, Gracie and Joy surrendering at hearing the children demand to visit, play soccer again, then glancing at Ginger and Gray patiently waiting for me to take them to the Aptera for their ride back to the hotel. I unconsciously started thinking about where soccer could be played near the hotel hearing the children's pleas to visit us in our new home. Then I remembered walking by, near and seeing the long unused golf course next to the hotel.

I reached Lisa, bent down to hug my sisters and Little Bit, turned up to her still standing and waiting for me to answer. "Thanks for taking such good care of my girls here. And yes, you and your friends must and will visit us at the hotel once all the people who are moving in with Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit are settled in. You know what?" Lisa shook her head no. "We have cats living in the hotel. You'll get to meet them too!" I nodded to three contented animals receiving and enjoying rubs of fur and several dogs looking jealous. "Some of Ginger's and Gray's friends here will also be moving in with them too." I stand up. Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit nudge me to keep petting them. "We have to go now. You can walk us to our vehicles over there. Gustalvo will be driving some of Ginger's and Gray's friends in his truck to move in the hotel with them." Gracie, Joy was rounding up three of the settlement dogs with help from three other people and Gustalvo to walk to and be loaded up onto his truck. Our group arrived at the vehicle. Two of the settlement cats were following and stayed close to the dogs being rounded up. Isabel and Terry had brought over and parked the two Telo Trucks loaded with food supplies behind my Aptera. Gracie and Joy stopped me, Ginger, Gray, and Little Bit at my Aptera before I could bring them around to the back. I remembered and realized that they wanted Gray to ride with the three dogs being sent with us to the hotel.

The animals, both the three dogs and two cats, were patiently waiting, wondering what was happening, but happy to be with my sisters. Gray should be okay for the short ride while being separated from me, Ginger and Little Bit. Three dogs, and I guess the two cats who seem inseparable were coming with us. Gray's escorting them riding in the back of Gustalvo's truck. That should help distract her until we get to the hotel. Little Bit will be okay riding alone with Ginger when I drive them both back to her new home. I gave Gracie and Joy an understanding shake of my head, then walked around to the back of the Aptera. "Lisa, can you help me while I walk Gray over to Gustalvo's truck? She's going to ride with three lucky dogs and their two cat friends moving in with us at the hotel. I need you to sit with Ginger and Little bit in the back of the Aptera until I get back, getting Gray settled in Gustalvo's truck in front of us. Will that be okay with you?" Lisa gave me a big smile, excited to be able to spend more time with Ginger and Little Bit, but also being asked to help. I let her feel more important when I asked and showed her how to open the rear hatch.

"Lisa, you see this spot right here?" I pointed to where she should knock twice to open the hatch. "Knock here two times. Knock hard." Ginger, Gray, Little Bit, and the three dogs that were going back with us watched as Lisa knocked. Gustalvo, Gracie, Joy looked at her, then me smiling. Lisa beamed when the hatch swung open. "Okay Lisa, go ahead and climb in. I'm going to hold and keep Gray with me and see if Little can jump in by herself." I scratched the top of Ginger's and Little Bit's heads. "Okay girls, you two hop in." Ginger gave Little Bit a little push encouraging her to jump up and into the back. Little Bit lifted her paws up on the edge, kicked off with her legs, and successfully got into the back of the Aptera to sit with Lisa. Ginger looked back to me, turned frontwards to Lisa and Little Bit in the Aptera, jumped up and joined them. "Good girl Little Bit." I reached in and petted her. "Thanks Lisa, stay here with them until I get back from walking Gray over to Gustalvo's truck up there with these three dogs and the cats." Gracie stayed behind the Aptera keeping Lisa company, keeping an eye on all three making sure they would be okay. Joy walked with me and Gustalvo to make sure Gray, three dogs, and two cats would all be right in the back of the truck taking them to the hotel.