Diana stared across the room, her shoulders jerking with tension. “Sarah—”
Artem reacted instantly, raising his handgun toward the strangers. He crossed the space between them in long-legged strides, the tattoos on his shaved head highlighting his brutish features and menacing glare.
Beside Sarah, metal clicked as the newcomers raised their weapons in a split second reaction.
“No. No!” Sarah stepped in front of the grizzled men, shielding them with her body. She waved her hands over the top of her head. “They’re with me. Listen.”
“Riley.” Diana was at her daughter’s side in a split second. Her instruction was gruff. “Get behind me. Now.” Riley scowled but pulled herself out the chair and slunk behind Diana. Twelve going on thirty.
A gruff mumble came from behind Sarah. “Kid looks half-starved.”
Diana cut across the room in less time than it took Sarah to blink, fury burning through her features. Sarah’s stomach lurched. Already this was going worse than she could have imagined. She’d hoped to get Diana alone. Instead she was going to have to plead her case to them all at the same time.
Zoe trailed Diana, twisting her watch strap around her wrist, offering Sarah a tentative smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Sarah cursed inwardly. She should have asked Jacob or Artem to come with her to collect the backpack. Then she would have had a witness to the men saving her life. Proof they meant well.
Diana halted a few feet away, her pulse rifle high on her shoulder, her eye to the sights. As she spoke Jacob slunk out of the shadows, fiddling with his glasses before taking them off to wipe them on his worn lab coat. He fitted them back on his round face, his small eyes magnified by the thick lenses.
“This better be good.” Diana’s tone was razor-sharp.
“I have an explanation.” Sarah held her hands palms face out, but she remained in front of the strangers. If she moved Diana might do something she’d regret. “Please put the guns down. I brought them here.”
“What kind of stupid idea is that?” Artem took a wide-stepped stance at Diana’s side, his gaze snapping left to right as he took in the intruders. Sarah couldn’t blame him. The three men looked like beaten up super soldiers from the future with their matte black body armor and dirty faces.
“They saved my life. I’m returning the favor.”
Artem’s face twisted with disbelief. Sarah’s knuckles itched to punch him, to hear the crunch of his nose succumbing under her fist. It was long overdue.
“We’re not here to fight.” Mabe stepped forward, drawing level with her. She sucked in a breath, drawing strength from his rugged presence.
He held his weapon high in one hand in a gesture of peace, then bent and laid it on the ground. “Everyone.”
There was a long drawn out pause while Foster and Sawyer considered his words. Then leather creaked and metal ticked as weapons were laid on the concrete floor to a symphony of muttered expletives.
“Everything.” Mabe never broke eye contact with Diana or Artem. “Foster.”
More swearing. The chink of more metal hitting the hard floor. “Fuckers.”
“They saved my life.” Sarah repeated, breathless. Anxiety thrummed through her, upping her pulse and putting her nerves on edge. She pushed her tongue against her teeth, forcing herself to concentrate. “They saved me. They killed the Chittrix that came at me when I went back out to get my backpack. I dropped it when I returned with Zoe this afternoon.” There. She blew out a breath and widened her eyes in Zoe’s direction. Say something.
Zoe sidestepped Diana, her hands clutching each other. “It was an accident. Chittrix followed us from the hive.”
Diana ignored Zoe. “You dropped your backpack?”
Sarah drew a breath and released it before trusting herself to speak. “Yes, I did.”
“That was sloppy.” Diana’s mouth puckered.
“Diana—” Zoe placed a restraining hand on Diana’s forearm, but Diana shook her off, her eyes fierce.
“I was running for my life.” Sarah ran out of words. “There was a swarm coming. I couldn’t just leave them out there to die.”
Zoe paled. “A swarm?”
Artem snorted, the barrel of his gun still in her face, rock solid. “Actually, that is exactly what you should have done. This isn’t a charity stop for waifs and strays you find hanging around. Or have you forgotten about the bone yard?”
Sarah glared and advanced till the nose of his gun bumped her breastbone. Her mouth was cotton wool dry, and her heart bumped her ribs. She willed her knees not to buckle. “No. I haven’t forgotten about the bone yard, but I refuse to lose my humanity. They helped me, and I helped them. Deal with it.” She waited, forcing herself to uncurl her fingers before she cut her palms. “Put your gun down.”
“No.” Artem said, not budging an inch.
Sarah exhaled, speaking as if to a child. “Artem, you’re not security anymore.” She lowered her voice. “Let it go.”
Diana’s eyes narrowed. “You should have helped them escape, not brought them here.”
Sarah worked the muscles in her jaw and dropped her hands to her hips. “They needed my help, and I wasn’t going to turn my back on them. We’re supposed to be on the same side. I did help them escape—to here.”
“Maybe she has a point.” Jacob joined them, fiddling with a pen in his shirt pocket. He blinked from behind his thick lenses under Diana’s scorching scrutiny.
“Jacob’s right.” Sarah agreed, drawing Diana’s attention back to herself. God, what would it take to convince her? “They’re people just like us. Just surviving.”
“We understand you’re spooked. We have no fight with you.” Mabe touched his chest. “I’m Mabe.” Then he pointed at his companions. “Sawyer. Foster.”
Diana’s lips thinned, questions flitting across her gaze.
Sarah shot Mabe a grateful glance. Giving their names was a clever step. So much harder to kill someone with a name.
Diana blinked and then with the smallest jerk of her head, she lowered her pulse rifle and took her finger off the trigger.
Sarah exhaled shakily as Artem followed suit. Thank God. Her legs were like noodles and sweat dampened the small of her back. She’d be rubbish at hostage negotiation.
“What do you want?” Diana’s voice was gruff.
Sarah chewed her lips, remonstrations on the tip of her tongue. She’d already told Diana these men had saved her life. Would it kill her to at least pretend to be civil?
“We’re here because we’re running short on medical supplies.” Mabe was unruffled by Diana’s blatant hostility. “Local hospital has been cleared out.”
Diana gave a small derisory snort. “We have nothing to spare.”
Sarah stared at Diana’s lie. The British army had stockpiled supplies at Carven. There was limited food, but their medical supplies were substantial.
“Diana is in charge, from before. She was our scientific lead in genetics.” Sarah forced an uncertain smile as she faced Mabe and the others. She’d speak to Diana about sharing supplies later. “We’ve been holed up here pretty much since the beginning. We had military protection from Magdon Down…” She ran out of words. These men didn’t need to know their messy history. “We were lucky to escape with our lives.”
She was acutely aware of Diana and Artem’s gaze burning her skin, as she fought to keep exhaustion out of her voice. “As you can tell, I talk a lot when I’m a bit nervous.” She attempted a smile, but there were no takers.
Mabe cleared his throat. “Some of our people are from Magdon Down, from the weapons development lab—”
“You can leave in the morning.” Diana cut right across him.
Sarah fought the urge to scream. “Diana—”
Diana’s gaze was cold and unblinking. “They leave at dawn. Not a moment after.” She turned on her heel, turning her back to the men. The conversation was over, apparently.
Or not.
Sarah grabbed Diana’s arm a
nd lowered her voice as she guided Diana to the far side of the room.
“Diana. Look at these men. They’re organized. Nothing like the scavengers we’ve encountered so far. Maybe we can learn something from them. They have people from Magdon Down for God’s sake. Scientists, just like us.”
“You brought them here. They’re your responsibility. Make sure I don’t regret my leniency.” Diana’s face was blank. Sarah’s toes curled inside her crappy boots. What the hell was wrong with her?
“They’re not lying about Magdon Down. Outside. I saw them use a strange weapon…”
“Strange weapon?”
Sarah ignored the lash of sarcasm with a deep breath. “I’m not sure. The air hummed and then the Chittrix. It just came apart.”
“Came apart?”
“Well…” She racked her brain. The damn thing looked like it melted. Was that even possible? “It wasn’t a pulse rifle.”
Artem bumped against Sarah, forcing himself into the conversation. “Imaginary weapons. What next?”
Sarah bit down a sharp retort. “I’m not imagining anything. We can’t just hide on our own here forever. Supplies are running low. Our research—” She checked over her shoulder. Mabe was watching her with an intensity that made her stomach somersault.
Diana sighed. “Yes?”
Sarah scrubbed a hand across the top of her head. “Right now we have Jacob’s Devil acid, the Pyrethrin works too at a pinch, but that’s it apart from pulse rifles and handguns.”
“And?” Diana’s tone was icy.
“Maybe we could benefit from fresh blood. New weapons. New thinking.” She kept her focus on Diana. Looking at Mabe made her thoughts skittish.
Jacob gave an inarticulate grunt. “They don’t look like they do much thinking.” He eyed the muscled men who made the lab feel too small, rubbing the back of his neck in obvious discomfort.
Sarah spoke through clenched teeth. “We could give them a chance.”
“They can sleep in the gym.” Diana turned away and snapped her fingers at Riley. “Riley. Time for bed.”
“What?” Riley’s face was aghast. “This is the most excitement there’s been in months. I’m not going to bed.”
“Yes. You are.”
Sarah let out an exasperated gasp. This was too important. She grabbed Diana’s elbow. “Is that all you have to say? The first normal looking people we’ve seen in months and you want to turn them out tomorrow without a by-your leave?”
Diana’s eyes were icy blue slivers as she looked at Sarah’s offending hand.
“I think I’ve made myself clear.” She wrenched her arm free. “Don’t let them out of your sight. They leave first thing. You can feed them, but that’s it.”
Before Sarah could respond, Diana stormed from the room, dragging a protesting Riley with her, the door slamming shut behind her.
Sarah tented her fingers at her temples, gathering herself. She might have won this time, but something told her the battle was just beginning.
11
Mabe took the lead, following Sarah down a narrow unlit corridor. On the way she stopped at a small storage room from which she collected a pile of threadbare blankets.
She tucked them under arm, her cheeks flushing pink. “Sorry, this is all we have to spare.” Then she hurried on, not waiting for an answer.
At the end of the corridor, she held a door open for him. A faded sign read Gym. He turned to thank her, their bodies only inches apart. This close, speckles of gold gleamed in her hazel eyes, a hint of the quiet fire he suspected burned deep within her. Their fingers brushed, and she stiffened before she snatched her hand away, leaving him to hold it open as Sawyer and Foster entered the room.
Mabe tightened his hold on the wooden door. He was noticing far too much about her. The way her chest rose with a sharp intake of breath. The darkness that lingered in her gaze, suggesting shadows from her past. He gave himself a mental shake and followed the others into the room.
Keep it casual, Mabe. Keep it together.
Foster was shaking out the blankets Sarah had brought, while Sawyer pushed some dusty rowing machines into a dim corner. No one had time for getting fit during an alien invasion it would seem. Mabe slid the beam of his flashlight over the equipment.
Foster snorted. “Not much need for this kind of crap nowadays.”
“No.” Mabe killed his flashlight as feeble overhead lighting clicked on. Fatigue sank deep into his bones. These people were still alive, but only just.
Sarah pointed at gym mats in the corner. “You can use those for mattresses. I’ll bring you pillows in a minute.” She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving a streak of dirt, and her smile wavered. She hadn’t had five seconds to catch her breath since the Chittrix attack. No wonder she looked wiped out. And her arm, he hadn’t asked to take a look at it yet. As if sensing his scrutiny, she lifted her chin and admiration lanced through him. She was in a corner. They were all in a fucking corner courtesy of the Chittrix, but still she exuded fire.
Mabe helped her shunt gym mats out of the pile and onto the floor in a row. Every muscle ached in his body after the violence of the afternoon, and he couldn’t wait to lie down and close his eyes, even though he knew sleep would evade him, just as it did every night. “These will be great thanks.”
She avoided his gaze. “You’re welcome.”
Foster threw himself on a mat, landing on his back in a star shape. He groaned with pleasure. “Brilliant.” He propped himself up on one elbow, his expression unusually serious. “I don’t think your esteemed leader likes us.”
Sarah straightened. “Like all of us, she’s had a lot to deal with. And she has to think of Riley, her daughter.”
“The girl?” Foster raised an eyebrow.
Sarah threw a blanket onto the mat. Dust puffed and made her splutter. She pressed a hand to her throat, drawing Mabe’s attention to the elegant arch of her neck. “Yes. Diana took on the reins when everything fell apart. She’s prickly, but…” She shrugged. “No one else volunteered for the job.” Her shoulders dipped as if remembering the past took something out of her physically. She wiped her forehead again.
“She’s under pressure. It’s been extra difficult the last six months. But she’s kept us together and alive. That’s not a job that breeds cozy friendship.”
Sawyer glanced at Mabe, his expression sharp. “It’s not been easy for anyone.”
“Okay, that’s beds sorted.” Sarah pointed, changing the subject. She had folded a blanket and left it in a neat pile at the end of each of the mats, as she might have done in a guest room.
An image of Sarah lying on clean white sheets waiting for him, her hair spilled out behind her, sprang unbidden across his mind.
“You must be starving.” She headed for the door. “I’ll bring some food with the pillows.” She stalled at the threshold, her gaze seeking his. Or did he imagine that? “Please don’t leave this room. Diana’s annoyed enough already.”
When she returned, she was carrying a cardboard box of provisions. Riley, the kid, was on her heels, hiding behind her but peeping out at the strange men.
Mabe tried a smile, but he reckoned he was doing a poor job of it as she ignored him, but shot Foster a huge grin when he approached and relieved Sarah of the box.
“It’s not much. We’re reduced to MREs the troops abandoned here. We’ve eaten all the macaroni.” She gave Mabe a lopsided smile.
Foster took the food from her and squinted at the labels. “Chicken noodles and vegetables. You’re spoiling us.” He winked, and Riley beamed.
“This is kind of you.” Sawyer lifted a packet of crackers out of the box. “I’m starving.”
Foster inclined his head at Riley. “I thought Diana had sent you to bed?”
Riley pulled a face. “It’s not like I have school in the morning.”
Sarah pinked. “Diana doesn’t know she’s here… I don’t know.” She looked at Riley with affection. “Kids, what can you do?”
Foster stared at the contents of the box. “Riley, want to help me unpack this?”
“You bet.” Riley followed him to the gym bench where he unpacked the box to Riley’s loud oohs and aahs.
Sarah watched them go. “Well.” She caught Mabe’s eye, the corners of her mouth rising, and tilted her head. “Riley’s at that age. You know. Spreading her wings. Wants to do the opposite of what her mother wants. She begged me to bring her.”
“Foster had a daughter. Before.” Mabe scratched his ear.
Sarah glanced back at Foster, taking in his hard edges, the storied ink on his skin. Sympathy softened her features. “Oh.” She pulled back her shoulders. “I’m sorry.”
Mabe shook his head. “Don’t be.” They’d all lost family.
She rubbed her upper arms, knocking his elbow and sending a delicious shiver down his spine.
God, she was injured and all he could think about was the way she made him feel. He ripped his gaze away and stared at the cobwebbed ceiling, giving his pulse the chance to slow.
He breathed out. Back in control.
“How’s your arm?” He motioned to her blood stained sleeve.
“This?” She tugged her cuff lower, covering her knuckles. “Looks worse than it is. I cleaned it up. It’s fine.”
Foster waved a foil packet in the air. “Mabe, you want something to eat, better hustle over here before it’s all gone.”
Mabe swept a hand in Foster’s direction. “Shall we?”
Foster had created four piles. He shoved one toward Riley and her thin face lit up with surprise as he took her hand and placed it on top before pulling a small package out from his body armor. He waved it under Riley’s nose before she caught it with a squeal of delight.
“Dairy Milk!” Riley stuffed the bar of chocolate in her pocket and scooped up her share of the food. “Thank you.”
Foster grinned. “Few enough treats these days.” He ripped open a foil sachet of chicken noodles and dug in with a plastic spoon.
Sarah produced a flask from the bag slung over her shoulder. “Zoe made root coffee. It’s not too lethal.” She poured the steaming brew into tin cups and handed them around.
Mabe (Earth Resistance Book 5) Page 6