The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  Kyle swerved to miss the incoming grenade, and it flew by to hit the UPV full of Eagles behind them.

  It lifted the front end into the air and then slammed it down. The UPV rolled onto its side, flames shooting outward.

  Kyle immediately began to circle their vehicle. His team was in that truck!

  “Watch out!”

  From the trees, armed men in full battle gear rushed toward the flaming vehicle, preparing to open fire.

  Angela shoved at Adrian, getting him low enough to be protected by the steel plated-doors.

  Kyle brought them to a dust-billowing stop by the rear of Kenn’s vehicle.

  “Men down! We have men down!” Kenn blared through the sparking radio, before getting out ahead of the next shot.

  He rolled to the ground and under the burning truck as bullets flew. He looked out and quickly began scrambling toward the rear.

  Booommmm!

  The second grenade rattled the UPV and sent Kenn’s knees and hands into high speed.

  Eagles poured out of the destroyed vehicle, helping the wounded as they went.

  Angela heard their door go up but didn’t get out to help. She wasn’t leaving Adrian.

  She and Kyle opened fire on the men close enough to interfere with the transfer of passengers, leaning over Adrian as bullets slammed into the cab.

  “Get down!” Kyle shouted.

  The man with the grenade launcher had reloaded.

  “Go!” Kenn shouted from the rear, slapping the metal.

  Everyone held on as the truck rolled forward, leaving Kenn’s UPV exposed to another shot. It exploded in their mirrors and their hearts.

  “Eat this!” Kyle hit the gas, leaning into the ride.

  He plowed into the man who’d been about to fire again, and then swung wide to chase two others.

  Angela leaned out the window, shooting them down as they fled.

  Kyle turned the UPV again as more gunfire echoed from the rear. He charged the biggest part of the group, making sure that he and Angela had plenty of targets. He continued circling their fallen truck, keeping the enemy away while the Eagles jumped into the back on his wild passes and threw others inside.

  The rear door slammed down, and Kyle rolled by the burning wreckage.

  Bullets slammed into the truck as he brought the UPV around for another sweep of gunfire and crushing wheels, and, saw the second grenade launcher.

  “Shoot him!” Kyle ordered.

  “He’s too–”

  “Your rifle!”

  Angela grabbed it from behind the seat and tried to remember how to breathe and think as terror settled onto her shoulders.

  “Push it back. Lock it down.” Adrian’s bleary voice from the floorboard gave comfort and more pressure.

  When Angela fired, she made sure it was good.

  Bang! Thump.

  They ran over the body, taking bitter satisfaction.

  “Straight to camp?”

  “Might be more of them there already. We’ll finish these first,” Angela ordered.

  The hatred was clear, and Kyle slowed them down a bit, now that they were out of range of the scavenging enemy. “You have a plan.”

  Angela reloaded her gun and then did Kyle’s for him. She also made sure Adrian’s weapons were loaded, and put one in his chilly grip.

  She motioned toward a thick grove of trees. “Pull us in there and find a place to hide. We’re going to treat them way we did the wolves in Nebraska. These animals deserve no less.” As he stopped, Angela keyed her radio. “If you can fight, we need you.”

  Angela looked at Kyle. “I’m not leaving the vehicle.” Meaning Adrian.

  Kyle reached over and locked his door, indicating he wasn’t, either. “What’s the plan?”

  Angela gestured towards the wounded, furious Eagles coming up to surround the front of the truck. “We count on his army.”

  4

  Garret’s men had taken a hit. Only twenty of them walked into the woods, following the tracks of the truck.

  The sight of the UPV wedged behind thick clusters of trees had each of the hunters rushing closer, eager to claim leadership.

  They surrounded the vehicle, not picking out any movement. Edging closer, many of them started searching for tracks to determine which way their prey had fled on foot.

  The Major’s men reached the trees.

  “Now!”

  The female shout was unexpected. It drew them to the cab, where Angela began pulling the trigger without mercy.

  The Eagles opened fire from the trees above them a second later.

  Angela and Kyle used the mirrors as they hunkered down. With their vests covering the windshield and sharp-eyed guards determined to take out those closest, it was a rough place to ride out the attack, guaranteed to take the most gunfire.

  Angela hit the mike. “Kill them all! No mercy!”

  5

  “Do we help them?”

  “Do you think it’s wise?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  The conversation came from a different group of men lurking nearby.

  The top bounty hunter among the group shrugged. “Show of hands. Challenge them now or stick to the Major’s plan?”

  Boyd offered a third option. “What if we fell back to make a new one? Maybe the Major missed a few things.”

  Vince didn’t need to count to know what his men wanted. “Agreed. Fall back.”

  The two dozen men slid quietly into the woods and resumed their march toward Mitchel’s home base. Behind them, bounty hunters screamed for help that wasn’t coming.

  6

  When the gunfire stopped, Angela started to rise, and Kyle put a hand on her arm. “Not until the call comes.”

  Bang!

  “All clear.”

  Kyle let go of her wrist, staring at his idol’s slumped body. “Now, it’s your ship. Make him proud.”

  Angela lowered the vest, very glad to find Eagles standing outside her door. She and Kyle had both run out of bullets. “We all will.”

  “All accounted for,” Lee reported tiredly through Kyle’s shattered window. “We count twenty eight.”

  Kyle couldn’t deepen the obvious displeasure already on his face. “Garret had them running 6-man teams. That doesn’t add up.”

  Angela looked at Lee.

  “Still not answering,” Lee stated before she could ask. “We’ll keep trying.”

  Just making it up to the front, Kenn saw Adrian, and Angela locked him down firmly. “Not dead. Doesn’t want them to know. We need to go ASAP.”

  “Not so fassst.”

  Angela looked through the shattered window frame, staring in the side mirror as Nuna stepped from the rear of their UPV. In her merciless grip, was Ray.

  Kyle was also watching in her mirror, and Angela spent exactly three seconds considering a different option. She didn’t find one.

  “What is it that you want?” Angela called loudly, motioning to Kenn. She’s not alone.

  Nuna pulled Ray closer, arm around his neck, knife to his throat. “You.”

  That one word had the Eagles moving closer.

  “Stay back!” Nuna shouted, looking like she was prepared to kill Ray. Her eyes were full of it.

  Kenn glanced to where Adrian should have been and found Angela’s cold blue eyes giving the expected order.

  “Company,” Kyle muttered lowly.

  Dozens of Snake women moved into view, surrounding the entire team with guns, knives, and hatred.

  “We will be paid for our servicesss,” Nuna stated harshly, dragging Ray into the protection of her girls. “We helped you and lost our leader. You will take her place.”

  Kyle started to motion the Eagles to open fire, not sure if they would, and heard Angela give the order.

  “Do it now!”

  Kenn was in motion as she spoke, unslinging his rifle, grabbing a bare aim and popping off the shot before there was even time to think.

  Bang!

  Nuna
teetered unsteadily in astonishment, letting go of Ray, who slumped to the ground. “You shot him!”

  The snake woman sank to her knees, blood bleeding through her scale-covered chest. “You shot...”

  As Nuna’s body fell over, the small army of snake women fled.

  “Let them go.” Angela ordered, not looking away from the Marine that she had finally made peace with. Kenn was now hers to command.

  Kenn lowered the rifle reluctantly. He wasn’t sure letting them go was the best idea, but the other Eagles weren’t going to open fire on females. Not after all their time in Safe Haven. Every one of them had hesitated.

  Kyle stared at Kenn with a horrible, peace-delivering realization. He now completely understood why Adrian had chosen and then kept the abusive man. None of them would have been able to do that unless the women had fired first.

  And that’s why Angela chose Jennifer for her XO, Kyle thought.

  The Eagles had rushed to Ray as soon as they knew the women weren’t going to continue the fight. Two of them tried to stem the flow of blood from his arm as the others helped to load him into the UPV.

  “Straight through!” Lee called. “He’ll live.”

  “What’s up with the camp?”

  Angela couldn’t get a clear read on anything. She was too tired. She ignored Kenn’s question. “You have to convince the men that the bunker was a lie, that it was personal.”

  Kenn started to argue, but saw the V in her chin.

  “That won’t be easy.”

  Angela locked eyes with him. For this to work, he had to get onboard. “Adrian wants his herd to stay together. If they find out the government is coming for him, they’ll split. You have to make this happen.”

  Kenn didn’t need to look at those around them to know their expressions were demanding that he give her what she was asking for. “I’ll do my best to cover it.”

  Satisfied, she bent down to check on Adrian. “Let’s roll.”

  The bullet-ridden UPV was moving toward the still silent camp less than two minutes later.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Mergers and Mayhem

  5 Miles Southwest of Little Rock

  1

  The sight of Eagles standing in that familiar formation in front of Safe Haven was enough to make Angela smile despite the fear for Adrian. “They’re okay,” she stated, close enough to read them through the exhaustion. “Marc and Charlie were releasing some tension last night and blew the radios.”

  Kyle flipped the headlights and their men rushed to greet them. Lack of contact had worried everyone.

  “Marc stays in charge.” Adrian’s weak words came as camp members rushed toward the caution tape.

  “You’ll have to deflect as many of them as you can,” Angela told Kyle, shoving against the dented door as alertness began coming into Adrian’s face.

  “Once I’m out, put your arm around my shoulders and stay still for a minute, give yourself time to get your legs.”

  ”I will.” Adrian carefully pulled into a sitting position and slid out of the UPV with a low grunt, doing as she instructed.

  “What is it?”

  “Are you okay?”

  Neil and Zack were instantly concerned and full of questions as they neared the UPV.

  Adrian raised his hand, struggling to appear normal as he leaned against the truck. “I’m shot. Marc stays in charge over there. Code Raven over here.”

  “How bad is it?”

  “Won’t Marc need help?”

  Only Kyle didn’t question, and Adrian stepped stiffly towards him, face a wall of stone. “We are Code Raven. You see to it, no matter what.”

  “You know it, Boss.”

  Doug paralleled Adrian’s determined stride as he headed for the nearest QZ tent.

  Kenn kept quiet, hoping to hear that as soon as he was cleared, he would be in charge of the herd.

  “You have to go back,” Adrian ordered.

  “What?”

  “What?”

  Adrian grunted lowly at Kenn and Angela’s simultaneous question.

  When it became a grimace of pain, they both glanced away in respect.

  Adrian kept moving, concentrating on keeping his feet moving and not on the fire in his side and gut. He stopped outside the tent. “Do a perimeter setup, wait for survivors. Handle them as they deserve.”

  Adrian ducked determinedly into the comforting privacy of the dark tent.

  Out of sight, his legs folded up to his knees and he slumped forward, thumping against the canvas floor. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye as Angela came in, and he fell over gratefully as the darkness swarmed him. He’d rescued Conner and brought Angela home alive. He’d done his duty.

  2

  Still recovering from the alcohol, Marc took in the situation slower than he normally would have, but came to the correct conclusion. Adrian was down, Angie was in charge, and the returning men were too jumpy for it to be over.

  Marc had known when to expect the team, thanks to Angie, and he’d prepared things for it. The QZ, with far too many tents, was fully stocked. There was a shift of guards and gophers standing by, and Li Sing was about to start fresh, hot food. That was something most mission teams went without on these runs. Marc had also tried to clear the schedules of those who would greet their returning men. After all the noises Safe Haven had listened to in growing concern, Marc was sure each member of the team could use some extra care.

  Marc didn’t join them or even wave as Angela stood outside Adrian’s tent for a sitrep from the guards. He could see that she was okay, but in this moment, he had a choice to make.

  “Only a plan,” he corrected. Angela didn’t know what he was going to do, so she couldn’t protest. From the look of her and the team, he wasn’t positive she would anyway, but Marc wasn’t taking the chance. They would never have another Dean and Dillan situation, not while he was here.

  Marc caught Neil’s eye, and the trooper understood to come quietly.

  The two men met behind the mess trucks, and though Marc was nervous about bringing in someone so loyal to following the chain of command, he filled Neil in on his plan.

  Neil, who was delighted to be useful to Marc for anything, listened with admiration.

  When Marc finished talking, they spent another minute on the details and then went to put the few pieces in place. It required only a schedule switch that would be expected anyway, considering the circumstances. The way they set things up, the two men would be the only ones involved.

  3

  “Welcome back,” Jennifer said, smiling a bit when Kyle’s eyes widened at her Eagle gear. Marc had personally delivered it this morning.

  “You look nice,” Kyle responded warmly. And happier, he thought, curious. He hadn’t had time to gather stories and details yet.

  “You look beat.”

  Kyle didn’t lie. “I could use some rest.”

  Jennifer leaned her head against his arm contentedly. “Me, too.”

  Kyle immediately began making plans, and Jennifer allowed herself to curl an arm through his. “When you’re able, I’m there.”

  Kyle’s heart pounded heavily. “You can have my back.”

  Jennifer nodded, relaxing the rest of the way. “Deal.”

  Kyle shoved away the tempting images and returned to his duty. The QZ was alive with activity.

  Near the medical tent, Doug and Peggy were talking lightly and Kyle thought that might become a regular ritual after a run. Those two had made their choice, as well.

  So has Kenn, the mobster thought, aware of how happy Tonya appeared as she walked into the QZ to meet her man. In another time, they would have had to wait for a secret reunion, but the guards didn’t blink an eye at having the redhead in here now. Things had certainly changed.

  Kenn slowed down as he and Tonya neared Kyle, grinning cheerfully. “Nice job, Reece.”

  Kyle surprised them all by saying, “Not bad yourself, Mr. Harrison.”

  Kenn laughed,
voice lowering. “Guess we know who the real hero was, though, don’t we?”

  “Yes,” Kyle answered. “We all do. Without Conner’s games and run-arounds, we would have been killed in the first few hours. Garret had a great trap laid out.”

  Kenn directed Tonya out of the path of vehicles being re-parked, but lingered to chat.

  Kyle allowed it. All grievances were on hold.

  4

  “I hear you’re settling in.”

  Candy and Hilda found Lee in the flap and tension sparked.

  He’d told her there had to be a separation, that until she proved her worth to the camp, she would be an outcast because of his big mouth telling people she’d cheated. It had now been long enough that Candy was sure he didn’t want her anymore.

  Lee stared. During the fire, she’d been one of the last vehicles into the water, and he’d hated that. She needed to be protected. After some thought, Lee had realized he held the power to provide it. He had all along.

  Hilda quietly took the little boy from the tent, clucking over the hair-covered lollipop that he was trying to put into his mouth.

  Candy brushed at herself nervously. Her newly striped hair glared out as a mistake–the chartreuse curls were hanging over her face–and she let out a tired sigh. “Hi, Lee.”

  He caught the note of fear in those two words, and all the female worries that went along with it.

  “Hi, baby.”

  Lee limped into the tent, thinking she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. I still love her, he thought, a bit surprised. He’d thought her affair had killed that rare emotion.

  Candy waited for him to speak, not certain of his mood. She wasn’t scared of him, but he held the power to hurt her in many ways.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  His words made her lips curve. “Really?”

  Lee moved close enough to slide a hand behind her neck. “Yeah, baby.”

  Candy let him pull her close, surprised and grateful. He didn’t kiss her, but she had the sense that he wanted to.

  Candy ran her hands through his shaggy black hair as they hugged. “I’ve got time to trim it before we leave. If you like?”

  Lee nodded, surprised again. She’d refused to handle male clients before, and that had included him.