by Angela White
Dog, who was sure telling Adrian those forbidden things had caused his near-death, made his choice quickly.
I won’t answer in any way that would imply I was healed.
“Can she...” Marc sighed, unhappily. “Could she pry it out of your mind?”
She won’t need to. If I refuse to answer, she’ll know it’s to protect someone.
“She won’t think of me,” Marc offered miserably. He hated keeping secrets from her.
What happens when she finds out?
Not if, but when. Marc stood up and left the tent without answering.
When Angela found out that he was like her and had been all along, that he’d left her to be different alone because he’d feared the same treatment; when she finally realized that he’d been lying to her for the entire time they’d known each other, it would be the beginning of the end for them. That was a pain she would never be able to forgive.
As Marc came from the tent, he spotted Cynthia herding a small group of reluctant, bleary shadows through the fog. At least he didn’t have Cynthia’s duty. Between Angela and that teenage mess, Marc wasn’t sure he had the worst end of the whipping stick.
6
“Why us? We’re not trained for this.”
Cynthia didn’t answer. None of the teenagers had liked being dragged from their warm cots.
“Can’t we at least have a few minutes to wake up?”
Even Charlie was grouchy. He was missing his morning time with Tracy. This was the only ten minutes he could steal with her. Later, the camp would be too active.
Cynthia still didn’t respond. She wouldn’t until one of them asked a question that mattered.
“Isn’t this a job for the Eagles or Angela?” Jennifer asked, moving slower than the others were. Her back was aching.
Cynthia’s continued silence annoyed the sullen kids and the complaints began to fly uncensored. When it got loud enough to draw attention, Cynthia stopped and turned around. The only one she viewed was Charlie, but each of them felt her silent scold.
Charlie didn’t cave. “Well, we won’t be doing anything! After all the fighting here yesterday, any groups that were around took off.”
Cynthia gestured toward a rising cloud of trail dust coming from the west. “Just the opposite. Because we’ve proven repeatedly that we can defend ourselves, they’ll come in heavier now. And your mom wants you here, officially. If it goes well, this might be a regular post.”
Charlie caught the hint. “You mean we’ll pick who gets in and who doesn’t?”
Cynthia agreed, forgetting how Angela had told her to handle it. “Yes. We need you to do your duty here.”
Understanding that it wasn’t make-work, the group stopped complaining.
Cynthia went on. “The front desk is where you’ll sit. The guards will let in one carload at a time for you to do paperwork on. Make us proud.”
Charlie turned to Jennifer. “You and I will dig while Matt and Becca distract them. Between the two of us, we’ll ferret out every little secret.”
Jennifer was all for it. “We should have a code or something, for the ones we decide to refuse.”
“What about a code like the Eagles use?” Matt suggested. “That way our men can get rid of them.”
Cynthia listened to them for a minute, hearing the self-importance, the too-strict laws emerging. It wasn’t what they needed. When the teenagers began openly discussing life and death, Cynthia remembered her instructions and understood why Angela hadn’t wanted it handled this way.
“Stop it!” The reporter was angry. “Your first thought, when you find something you don’t like, is to ask yourself what Adrian would do.”
Cynthia held up a curt finger against the protests. “You guys haven’t been made leader. You don’t decide life and death, or who stays and goes. Only Angela and Adrian do that! You’ll fill out their paperwork, send them to a QZ tent, and let an Eagle know if there’s problem. You will not directly confront anyone about anything you pick up or Angela will send you back to the training tent.”
Complete silence, layered in hostile glowers.
Cynthia didn’t know what to do. “Fine. You know what? I’m going to go tell her that I screwed up by telling you this job mattered, and then I’m going to tell her that I think it’s a bad idea.”
Cynthia stomped away and protests began to echo behind her.
“Hang on!”
“Don’t do that!”
She stopped, but didn’t face them. “Angela knew you guys weren’t ready. I thought you were. It’s no big deal. You’ll train for another six months before you get the next chance and you’ll do great on it.”
She resumed her steps, fully prepared to report exactly that.
Charlie waved the others toward the QZ desk with a low whisper. “Wait for me there.”
He hurried to Cynthia’s side and the reporter tried to block her thoughts by thinking of the brick wall from Village of the Damned.
“That doesn’t work on me. Cool idea, though, to hide the bomb that way. We might know something was there, but until enough brick crumbled, you’d have the advantage.”
Cynthia glanced over in mild surprise. Not only did Charlie make it a habit to never talk to her, he also didn’t talk openly about magic with anyone but his mom. Even in the kid’s lessons, which were being called the Jr. Eagles, he was very careful.
“Thank you.”
Cynthia stopped to give him a searching look. “For your mom, right?”
Charlie nodded. “I was reading you just then and I realized I hadn’t said that.”
Only two other people giving her those words had meant more. Cynthia felt her heart expand and shoved away the teary emotions. “You have to lead them. If you want the things I think you do, the legal bonds with certain people, then work for it and for them.”
Charlie knew she meant Tracy and for that bond, he would work their team into the ground.
Cynthia knew she’d gotten to him and turned to glare at the other kids over the distance. “Each of them has triggers inside those intelligent minds. When you hit one, remember and use it ruthlessly. They’ve been complete strangers to you, fellow refugees, and even friends. Now, make them your team.”
“I need to think,” Charlie confided lowly. “Can I stand here and do it, or should I put them to work and do it during?”
Cynthia leaned against the water tanker. “Which way would be more effective?”
Charlie considered. “If I could at least plan out this first day, I could work on tomorrow’s setup after the shift.”
“Good. Why not send your team to the mess for trays to bring with them and buy planning time?”
Charlie liked it that his first order would be well received. “Thanks, Cyn.”
Cynthia froze at the nickname, and then quickly turned around before she started crying. Being accepted still felt so odd.
Chapter Two
Honest Lies
1
Kenn pulled into the QZ parking lot just before lunch, annoyed and worried about more than just Adrian. He’d already checked in with the perimeter men over the radio. Everyone knew he’d returned, but no one was here to update him. He peered around in confusion. Where was everyone?
Crack!
Thunder had the camp scurrying. Kenn saw Eagles racing to secure things. Tarps were going up, animals were being brought in, and the perimeter shift was still doubled. It appeared normal for the situation, but Kenn knew it wasn’t.
He’d been sent away. Why? Because Brady was in charge? Kenn was braced to accept it, so long as he was still the XO when this was all over. Adrian had promised.
Kenn left his gear in the truck, not sure that he wouldn’t be ordered right out on another meaningless run. He headed for the medical tent, but before he got there, Angela came through the QZ with Kevin and Samantha on her heels. Kenn strained to hear them.
“Yes, to all of those and shut down the QZ desk half an hour before dark. From now on, we’ll pa
ss out food and water, get a sheet on any medical issues they have that can’t wait, and tell them we’ll open at 8am.”
“Do you want security on those who wait overnight?” Kevin asked.
Angela paused to consider, then made the choice. “Yes, but light. I don’t want to scare even one of them away.”
As Kevin left, Samantha took over the questioning. “Neil said to tell you he needs an answer on the first three things you were given.”
“Tell Neil to cool them all off–send the music players out and dig up some pre-holiday fireworks. That’ll buy us more time. They have to have contact with Adrian before they get the official word on who he gave command to. If they think we’re hiding his death, they might riot.”
Angela moved out of sight and this time, Kenn immediately noticed how much quiet protection she had, including Adrian’s personal sniper.
Realizing what that meant, his mouth dropped open.
“He gave it to her!”
Mocking laughter came from nearby.
“After all the training lessons, did you really think he wouldn’t gift her that way? Weren’t you watching her soak it up like she was born a Mitchel?”
Kenn turned slowly to find Marc lounging casually against the water truck. Kenn prepared to fight for his place if it was needed.
Marc threw in a bit of explanation, hoping to be sure of Kenn’s intentions, but also his cooperation. Now wasn’t the time for battling each other. “You lost your chance at leadership a while ago. So have most of the top men along the way. Other than rookie teams, she’s the only Eagle left who might hesitate to pull a trigger, to kill.”
Kenn didn’t respond and Marc straightened up. “The man I served with would have known this was coming.”
Kenn’s face darkened. “I assumed it would be you in charge, asshole.”
Marc smirked, moving off. “You were wrong. On a lot of things.”
Kenn saw Daryl fall into the shadows, staying even with Marc, and understood what hadn’t been said. Daryl, on the few occasions they’d seen fit to protect him, had been Kenn’s sniper.
Safe Haven’s leader and XO were only protected by the top teams. Angela and Marc were in control. It was his nightmares come true.
Kenn stayed still, running it through the filters, trying to accept. It was only until Adrian recovered...
When the Marine finally moved, it was to find a line of Eagles waiting.
Kenn rolled his eyes. “I don’t need another intervention.”
“That would be a nice change,” Angela observed.
She came from behind him, looking tired and glorious under stress. Kenn hated her.
“How was the trip?”
Kenn grunted. “Make-work.”
Angela stayed alert. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Adrian thought it was best that you were away when everything happened.”
“Adrian?” Kenn questioned snidely.
Angela lit a cigarette. She’d only been awake four hours and she was already beat. How did Adrian do this day-in and day-out?
“Adrian made the calls on placement. And he made it clear that I can change them if I’m unhappy.”
“You and asshole running it all–why would you protest that?” Kenn snorted rudely.
“Because I need this camp to run even smoother than it did under Adrian, and the only way that happens is through you.”
Kenn considered it. “You’ll bump Brady somewhere else? Somewhere below me?”
“Yes,” Angela answered coolly. “Do I need to?”
“If I say yes, what happens?”
“You get the XO slot, Brady gets something a lot further down, and the camp and Eagles spend the rest of Adrian’s recovery making your life as miserable as they possibly can.”
Kenn had known, but hearing it, being sure he had no choice, helped. “And if I say no?”
“You stay on Adrian’s right through his recovery and top off a steady reform with bonus points.”
“Meaning I’m forgiven?”
Angela had bigger things to spar over. “For me? Yes. And that means for most of the Eagles, as well.”
Kenn didn’t have to spend time thinking about it, but he still loathed the idea. Some days would be hard, but if he got to stay with Adrian, he would determine his own future.
“Should I bump him?”
“No.”
Satisfied, Angela turned away without adding anything. A man’s pride was a hard thing to replace. Destroying it was almost always lethal, but even wounds could be deadly. Kenn was willing to keep trying to change. So long as he was, the past might really be over for her.
Angela gave a positive motion to the waiting Eagles and they disappeared.
“Hey!” Kenn called.
Angela didn’t face the accusing tone. She knew what was coming.
“Why didn’t I rate a constant shadow?”
“Because you were the threat.”
2
Lunchtime for Safe Haven found both sides of the QZ tape calm.
Angela keyed her new mic. “I need the top people at the little mess.”
There were garbled rogers and she keyed the mic again. “Five minutes.”
Angela lit a cigarette, steadying herself.
Kenn was first, striding briskly and she only nodded her thanks as she took a steaming cup of tea from his hand. Like he’d been expecting the call.
Angela smoked and sipped, eager to see who would be next.
Kyle rounded the corner of the medical tent and Neil showed up behind him. Jeremy and Doug appeared next, arm in a sling. With her, it was first come, first to serve. If you didn’t know your place by now, odds were good that you didn’t have one.
Angela went into the little mess and they followed. She leaned on an end of a table, too restless to sit.
“You guys know who handles what and I feel no need to disrupt Adrian’s routines. Yet,” she warned. “I’m going to tell you what I know has to be done. You then tell me who handles each item and hit me with anything that I missed.”
Kenn took out his notebook, surveying the area. “Where’s the new XO?”
Angela concentrated for only an instant. She didn’t need as much time now to use her gifts. “Close by, perimeter check. It makes him nervous to have all of us in one place.”
“Same here,” Neil stated.
Angela got them going. “The rain is first. Sam says we’re in for a downpour over a couple days. Make whatever preparations Adrian normally has you do, but be low-key about it. The camp can’t know that we knew.”
Neil raised a finger. “That’s mine.”
Marc came through the flap and took the open seat on Angela’s right without a comment, but his face was tight.
“We’ll have to switch our parking area. Getting stuck in the mud isn’t a big deal until Adrian says let’s roll,” Angela continued.
“I’ll take care of it,” Kenn stated tonelessly.
“We also need to move tents and animals. You and Neil will work together?”
Both men agreed, neither as reluctantly as she might have expected. Kenn missing XO this time around had settled a lot of Neil’s remaining animosity.
“Adrian’s pet projects. I know he has a lot of things going on. Someone needs to get me a list with updates.”
Kenn wrote it in his book.
“Adrian needs things–his brown box, clothes that are loose, his poncho and boots. Also, the bottle in his bedroll, but when he wants a third shot, tell him no because of the medication mix.”
Angela registered the calming atmosphere, but was too busy settling into settling things down to figure out what it meant. “Schedules and shift changes will be handled daily for now. The watch stays doubled until Adrian says otherwise, and no one goes in or out without my say-so.”
“I’ve got all that,” Marc spoke up firmly.
No one argued.
“I want entertainment set up, too, but not just anything. I need people well occupied. If he’s been savi
ng something good, now is a good time to bring it out.”
“Mine and Jax,” Jeremy told her, writing notes.
“Good. The QZ has to have two volunteer gophers and a burning crew. Tell Li Sing all hot meals for the next week.”
Angela stubbed out her cig as she waited for them to catch up and sort the jobs, then she continued. “How are we on water and fuel?”
“Low, but okay for roughly two hundred miles and one camp stop of four days,” Kenn answered, thumbing through his worn book for the information.
“So we have two day’s reserves and four days stock on both?”
“Maybe five, if we start rationing now.”
“No. We’ll collect what we need for cleaning and toilets. John will give numbers on how much bleach to use and what all can be done with the rain water.”
Angela switched topics. “Have there been any reports of lurkers or anything out of place from the teens on the gate or the guards?”
Everyone indicated things were fine and she was relieved. She wasn’t sure how to handle it yet when the answer came back different.
“What about the camp?”
“Appears to be calm,” Neil offered hesitantly.
Clearly, none of them was sure.
“We’ll need a confirmation on it. I want a complete weapons inventory in the next 48 hours and Sam needs a basic aquaponics setup. She provided a list of the supplies to make our own.”
Angela held it out and Jeremy didn’t protest when Neil took it.
“What about the other kids inside the complex? The ones like Conner?” Kyle asked.
Kenn glanced at Angela. “They took off the second we escaped.”
Neither of them said that would be how the government bunker found out what happened. They didn’t need to.
“That’s it from me. What did I miss?”
Kenn closed his book after making a final note. “Other than the ants, I’m good.”
There was an impressed note to his voice that she didn’t put stock in. “Leave the ants for now. The rain will buy some time there. Anything else?”
Nothing came and she looked around. “Surely I missed something?”
“Not that I noticed,” Marc stated sharply. “You’ll be almost as good at this as Adrian is.”