The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  “Yes, I’ll stay, but give me real work, something that matters,” she said, unknowingly echoing her son’s words to him. “Make me feel needed, wanted, and then maybe I can also follow where you lead.”

  7

  “I’d like to talk, if you have a minute.”

  Samantha jumped and spun to find Adrian standing by the camper she’d come from. She had been hoping the intimidating leader would have other fish to fry right now.

  “Sorry. Busy?”

  Flinching again at a trio of loud, curious members moving by, Samantha quickly shook her head.

  “Good.” Adrian motioned toward his tent. “Let’s chat.”

  Sam went slowly, thinking she wasn’t ready to have this conversation with frayed nerves and a sleep hangover from the sedatives. When they walked in silence, she was glad for the moment to collect her thoughts.

  Adrian left the flap open, but she was still reminded of her time in Cesar’s camp–of José’s attack–and Samantha’s stomach twisted painfully.

  Feeling her tension, Adrian gestured to the small table and chairs. “Have a seat while I get us a drink. Soda, water, or tea?”

  Picking the one hardest to tamper with came easily to her as she sat in the chair closest to the doorway. “Soda.”

  Adrian subtly observed as he poured himself a cup of tea. She was worried. Too worried for someone who’d just found safety?

  He joined her at the table, hating her flinch when he set his cup down a bit too hard. He suspected she and Angela had a lot in common, but where Marc had been there to help Angie, this woman had been alone and had survived as best she could.

  “There are rules here, and you’ll learn them, but one is more important than any of the others. We have no violence against women and children. The penalties are too high. I know you’ll feel better with this, but you don’t need it.”

  Butt first and slowly, Adrian extended the .45 from his boot.

  Sam took it reluctantly, not wanting to offend him, but eager for the comfort it would provide her tonight while she was sleeping alone. No one could take away what the boss had given her.

  “Keep it close until you feel you don’t need it anymore, and then give it back for the next abused woman who comes here.”

  She was clearly surprised, and he inquired casually, “What did you do before the war?”

  His unexpected change of subject caught Sam by surprise, and she froze.

  “Your career? What did you contribute to society?”

  Cesar hadn’t recognized her value. Would this man? “I was a storm tracker.”

  “What does that mean, exactly?”

  “I chased the wind, played with the equipment, and tried not to get myself killed.”

  Adrian’s tone cooled a little. “If you have a gift, Samantha, now’s the time for using it. We need you.”

  His chiding tone sank into her loneliness, and some of the truth was out before she knew she was going to tell him. “I can sometimes predict them, from the data. I had a pass to the Essex compound. My chopper crashed.”

  Hiding his pleasure, Adrian leaned forward. “We would have a place for you even if you only babysit. What matters right now is one question. Are you a spy?”

  “No. Never.”

  “What about the man you came in with?”

  She looked away. “I don’t know…maybe.”

  Adrian was surprised, had expected a firm denial. They were both already under watch.

  “Can I have a smoke?”

  Adrian slid his lighter and mostly full pack toward her.

  “Keep those. Why don’t you think he’s good, like you and me?” he asked.

  Sam felt better, as he had intended. She recognized the ploy, but it still succeeded.

  “Because he was a slave, and we never should have been able to ride out. I think it was too easy, like he was waiting for me to suggest escaping.” She drew in a lungful of smoke that shot out as she spoke. “I told Kenn everything I could remember, and that Rick got me out, but I wonder what he used to buy our freedom. There’s no way we escaped, and the only currency Cesar takes is blood. I have no proof…but I think Rick risking his life as the man on the inside is what’s going on. They made a deal, and I fell for it.”

  “We have good security here. He’s already being watched.” Adrian’s words betrayed none of his increasing worry. “We’ll catch him in the act if he is a spy, but for now, we wait. Myself and the Eagles, not you. It’s my job.”

  Sam knew she was being manipulated, but agreed without hesitation. It would keep her from being responsible, and she felt a heavy weight leave her shoulders. She was giving that chore up. To this man.

  “Will you have me watched too?” she asked suddenly.

  “Do I need to?” Adrian shot back.

  “No, of course not, but I know I would if I were you.”

  The calm, reasonable tone made Adrian crack a real smile, and he changed the subject again without giving her an answer.

  “Tell me more about your job, Sam. What exactly is a storm tracker and why did it earn you a pass?”

  8

  Back in her tent a bit later, Samantha lay on her sleeping bag, tired but unable to drift off. The sedative the dark-haired woman (Angel?) had given her hadn’t faded until her shower, and now she was wide-awake. The shrewd doctor or his sweet wife would have given her a pill, but she hadn’t asked, knowing there were things going on in Safe Haven that she would need a clear head for.

  Sam still thought this could be a slaver camp, with prettier edges. Some of the people here were bad, like Kenn. He beat on his woman. She and Marc had been in the medical tent together for a while, Rick separated from her, and while she recognized Marc for what he was, she suspected Kenn was a lot like Cesar on the inside. It was only after witnessing from the tent flap that she had realized these people didn’t know that side of him existed. Or at least they hadn’t until his woman had shown up. There was no way they could have known, because there was no fear, no one avoiding him–the opposite in fact. Kenn was everywhere, respected and high up. Adrian’s right hand.

  Sam frowned at that thought. There was something familiar about the leader, something that made her think of Washington. Had she seen him there? A flash of a man getting out of a cab in the rain? It didn’t matter to her who he’d been before, so long as he was a good man now, but she was curious.

  Sam curled her arm over her cheek, other hand caressing the gun under the blanket. She did feel better with its cold comfort, and she was glad to have found people that were decent, but Rick was dangerous. She knew it and wished she had more experience with guns, other than knowing too clearly that they were the difference between being free and being a slave.

  The worrying was in her nature, and it nauseated Sam that her body was yearning for Rick’s warmth. They’d traveled hard and fast, and he hadn’t talked to her at all unless he had to, hadn’t answered any of her questions, not even about where he was from or what he had done for a living before the war. He’d kept moving them northeast by day and crawling between her legs at night.

  The fact that they hadn’t made a single detour told her that Rick had known these people were here. He had wanted Angela too, but if he’d noticed the men with her before it was too late, he would have kept going. His weren’t the actions of someone searching for good people to join. Rick was infiltrating.

  Has, she corrected herself. There was no proof of that, but she knew it anyway and was glad Adrian was a strong leader, freeing her from the heavy chore of watching Rick’s every move. Now she had to distance herself from him, (preferably publicly, so it would get back to Adrian), and then pull herself together. Rick had taken advantage of her, and she never wanted him to touch her again.

  Really? her body challenged. What a liar.

  She was hit with erotic images of them on the way here: bent over the hood of a limo, pushing frantically against each other in his sleeping bag, straddling him on the horse as it thundered under them.
His touch had been like fire to her, and she felt her body responding to thoughts, followed by that familiar ache that eased her mind a bit. At least she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Samantha had worried over it a little in the last week, not quite sure if she was late or not, and it was a relief to know she wasn’t about to have Rick’s or José’s child.

  Sam rolled over, cradling the gun. He hadn’t forced her, hadn’t abused her, and deep down, she hoped she was wrong.

  I’ll rebuild my life, either way, Sam insisted firmly. I will survive.

  She was finally able to sleep, but in her dreams, the voices whispered that she and everyone else was now in danger because of her lover’s loyalty to a vicious killer.

  9

  Rick paced the floor of his tent, nervous and confused. He had spent all day in here.

  It was well into the evening now, and he was still being quarantined by the elderly doctor who had taken his time coming and then had left as fast as he could. The disapproving healer had given only evasive answers to even normal questions, and Rick was tense. He hadn’t handled this level of alertness before, but he knew something wasn’t right. Someone should have been by to talk to him, wanting information Samantha wouldn’t have. He’d expected her, some guards, Kenn, and their leader (knowing instinctively that the blond man was the most dangerous one here), but no one had come.

  Why not? A trick? Unlikely. Just didn’t recognize the threat, even with all the alertness? Maybe. Most of the people he had viewed so far were the prey. The fear was obvious to Rick after existing with the slavers for all this time, but there were also men here who were as dangerous as Cesar. Rick didn’t like how many armed, uniformed sentries there were. He already had an idea of how their shift changes worked, but gathering more information would have to wait. Suspicious glares returned to him repeatedly whenever he opened the flap.

  He would have to be more careful here than in the other places he’d helped Cesar gain control of, and there was no way he would be able to contact the Mexican on time. He would have to lie low for a while and blend in, try to be forgotten. This was a large, well-organized group, and judging from the almost constant gunfire, they were learning to defend themselves. He would have to find their weakest point, or Cesar and his nasty men might not be enough for these people.

  These people might be good, Rick. We have to warn them about Cesar.

  Samantha had told him that from the passenger seat of the Blazer, saying she knew he’d made a deal with the slavers, but that it wasn’t too late to do the right thing. It was, of course. Rick didn’t like fearing for his life because of the color of his skin (oh my, how the world had changed), but he did like Cesar’s way of life and had no intentions of backing out.

  He would give the Mexican this camp, and then he and Samantha would go away for a while. She was never far from his thoughts now, body crying out to him from two tents over, and he cautioned himself to be patient. Even if she reneged on their deal–and he already knew she would–he’d have her in the end. If he could tread lightly. The leader here had a warden’s gaze, the coolness that watched and waited, knowing his convicts would offend again if given the opportunity. Rick planned to stay out of Adrian’s line of sight for the duration of his stay. He had received a copy of the rules within his first hour of being here and understood the warning. He was suspected of being the enemy. If caught in the act, he would pay with his life.

  10

  Adrian began his rounds with the small sea of sleeping tents that surrounded his and frowned when he saw that one hadn’t been put up for Angela. Kenn’s doing? Probably. His unease stayed with him as he went to the perimeter.

  His stops were brief and full of comments about Kenn’s behavior. The only place he lingered was the QZ, where Neil was pulling extra hours to cover the doubled sentry posts. Tomorrow night Neil would sleep like a baby, but tonight the trooper was their eyes and ears, and Adrian went to him for information. He’d witnessed the cop ducking into Marc’s tent, and since Neil wasn’t one to break his rules lightly, Adrian wanted to know what had happened, what he had missed.

  Adrian advanced through the darkness beyond the perimeter tape and realized that Neil’s post was the one without a second man. That explains the extra man two stops back, he thought as he stopped near him. “What happened to your help?”

  “He got on my nerves.”

  Adrian was almost certain Zack’s words about unfaithful women had almost caused a fight. Zack was a notorious woman hater, didn’t matter who she was. Makes sense now, Adrian thought. Perfect right hand for Kenn.

  “Broadcasting again when he should have been tuning in?”

  Neil chuckled as he swept the dark and deadly landscape around their sleeping people. “Been one of those days.”

  “Yes, it has. Put a twenty-four-hour on Danny. He’s our thief.”

  There was total confidence, and Neil’s thoughts went straight to Angela. Had she told him that? Did it matter?

  “I’d love to be the guard on him at the trial.”

  Adrian knew there wouldn’t be one if the thief were caught in the act. Another problem with the clogged legal system, fixed. If there was absolute proof, then why have a trial? Guilty didn’t change because someone forgot to sign a paper or read them their rights. They were the criminals. They didn’t have any.

  The cold wind gusted by, bringing drizzle, and Neil carefully swept the dark landscape again, satisfied for the moment. He drew in a breath. “What’s our penalty for hitting a woman?”

  Adrian chose his words carefully. This was definitely Neil’s chance to get rid of Kenn, but it would destroy Safe Haven. “A trial, and if found guilty, the camp votes on a second chance with harsh punishments or for the person being branded and banished.”

  “What if it’s one of your circle doing the hitting?” Neil asked angrily. “Do the same rules apply?”

  “Yes. Our laws are for all of us. Is there something I should know?” Adrian asked, stomach twisting into a hard knot. Had Neil seen something? What else had Kenn done?

  “Just suspicions.”

  Clearly, Neil didn’t want to say more, and Adrian pinned one of his most trusted men with a hard look. “Your instincts are part of why you’re here, Neil. If you know something, especially if it concerns a woman, I expect you to tell me. Even when you know I don’t want to hear it.”

  Neil sighed, torn. He understood what was at stake. “I didn’t witness it, don’t know those who say they did, but I believe it.”

  He gave Adrian a brief run-through of the encounters he’d had today, lingering on the scene between her and Marc.

  “He does love her, and he’ll let her go if that’s what she wants, I’m sure of it. He’s already following our rules, and he doesn’t even know what they are! Then, there’s Kenn, trying to force her back into a relationship she doesn’t want. He didn’t even give her a tent–told Charlie not to put it up, that she would spend her nights in his bed where she belongs. He plans to put her in all of his classes and activities–so he can keep an eye on her is my guess–and he’s telling people that Charlie is his biological kid.”

  Adrian remembered Kenn’s words to him when they’d first met. He had asked if that was his son, and Kenn had said…“He might as well be.”

  They had all assumed he was caring for a child that wasn’t his, and it had impressed them.

  As he knew it would, Adrian realized. More than the Eagles would be pissed over this. Either Kenn had lied then to get closer to the camp, or he was lying now to hold onto Angela.

  “We’re gonna give them a chance to settle in, but I won’t let either of them force her into anything,” Adrian stated, ignoring his own guilt. He was about to herd her, in a way, and while it was for the greater good, that didn’t make it right.

  Neil kept his voice low. “Good, because I don’t think there are many left like her.”

  “Pretty, isn’t she?”

  “Beautiful, but it’s more than that,” Neil stated, thinking of
the way she had read his mind to start their conversation. “She’s special, and more than because she’s a doctor. You know?”

  Adrian did and wasn’t surprised the trooper had noticed too. Neil wasn’t as quick as Kyle was on most areas of their training, but about people, he was quicker.

  “I’m going to look after her when I can, maybe ask a couple of the Eagles to quietly do the same,” Neil said, not needing to see Adrian’s frown to know it was there.

  “Got hopes, Neil?” Adrian asked. He was relieved when the cop shook his head.

  “No. Marc asked me to, but I had already decided I would before I talked with him. She’s got a strong pull, a gift we need, and a lot of men will want her, not just those two.”

  Adrian didn’t betray how much those words pleased and bothered him, because they were true. He was glad Neil was planning to take Marc under his wing. He hadn’t said so, but Adrian had spent months getting to know Neil, and it was encouraging that at least one of his own was willing to give the man and his wolf a chance. Almost everyone else was talking of making Marc’s life rough if he got between Kenn and his wife. With Marc now cleared, but told not to roam until morning, the tension would increase.

  These people wouldn’t accept him easily. To stay and have a chance at rebuilding his life, Marc would have to prove himself. Neil could definitely help him with that. The auburn-haired guard was popular, and there would have been serious trouble if he had taken a stand against Kenn in the beginning and made the people choose.

  “You’ll let me know how your day with him goes?”

  It hit Neil again how grateful he was for Adrian. Anyone else would be using it all to their advantage, and things would have to be spelled out. With the blond man, he saw it before it was a problem, handled it quickly and quietly, and knew his people well. Considering what they had done to the old world, what others had been allowed to do, Neil thought Adrian was more than they deserved.