The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  “What did you do, Angie?”

  She met Marc’s eye without guilt showing, but inside, there was enough to drown her. “I gave up two of Safe Haven’s useless members and a few of the cowards who will slip off into the night while we prepare. I triggered the fight.”

  “You did what?”

  “I gave them Mitch and Matt,” Angela repeated tonelessly. “And I manipulated you into helping.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  Angela sighed grimly, but didn’t apologize. “Matt was going to hit us, either way. I delayed that hit, and then used it for our greater good.”

  “What?”

  “An attack, Brady, like with the balloon fumes. He was going to try to kill us all, including himself. The only way I could have stopped it was to have him removed.”

  “And you couldn’t do that.”

  “No. He had to prove the future. I had to know for sure that he was such a threat. When I understood he wasn’t going to be changed, I made plans based around it.

  “And Mitch?”

  “He was never going to quit, Marc. We delayed it so that Matt wouldn’t be alone in the end,” she explained.

  “You set it all up!”

  “Yes. I chose to sacrifice them to keep the camp alive and strong.”

  “But they’re coming in force now, Angie!” Marc argued lowly. “Matt told them we were gearing up for a war and they’re coming in force to wipe us out. What have you done?”

  “I gave us a chance,” she stated harshly. “We’ll get one shot where there wasn’t any before.”

  “They’ll come in force,” he repeated.

  “Yes, instead of tormenting us for the next decade or trapping us in the mountains when we’re unprepared. One fight for our freedom, one long, bloody battle instead of hundreds.”

  There was silence for a moment where all of them realized she was right.

  “What matters, is how they’ll come. Air or ground?”

  Marc’s military mind was dragged into that against his will. He sighed heavily. “Give me a minute.”

  Marc went to the far corner of the tent, staring at a corner in concentration, and Angela breathed a small sigh of relief. She’d expected this scene to be worse, but none of it mattered if he gave the wrong answer.

  8

  When Marc started to speak, all low conversations stopped.

  “With all the extra bodies from the draft, they would have been short on space, which means short on standard equipment. Planes and tanks outside, under canopies. Those are now useless due to looting, weather, fuel and parts shortages. A full battalion after they hear Matt’s details on the Eagles and people here…”

  Marc turned to the tense faces.

  “Ground. They can’t transport that many men to an unsecured airstrip. Too much gas and too many unknown factors. Those planes are notorious for not being dependable. They’ll roll down 25 and take 40 straight in.”

  Angela allowed herself to breathe. “Then we’ve got a chance to win. If they come by air, we lose unless we go underground and that will change Safe Haven in ways we can’t imagine.”

  Marc stared at her for a long minute, judging, putting pieces together. When he finally spoke, it rang through the tent.

  “I want Adrian’s approval on all of this.”

  Angela sucked in a wounded breath. “Adrian’s out of the loop now. He can’t know our strategy. He plans to give himself up when they come, to save the rest of us.”

  “He should!” Marc swore angrily.

  “But it won’t save us,” Angela insisted. “What happens to the rest of the herd when one cow is diagnosed with a dangerous disease?”

  Marc refused to give that answer.

  “They would have killed everyone here. By letting Matt give them details, I’ve changed the rules of this game. They won’t try to kill us in one hit.”

  “They’ll want to protect what they’re coming for,” Kenn guessed. “They may even try to negotiate.”

  “Which is why you have to let me give myself up.”

  Adrian limped into the meeting tent amid the protests.

  Kenn went to his side, automatically shoving his shoulder under Adrian’s arm for support.

  “What’s the benefit?” Angela asked, drawing more protests. She had no intentions of it, but their leader needed to feel like he’d done everything he could before the dying started.

  “I can buy you time,” he stated, only looking at Angela. “And maybe I can even get close enough to throw their entire chain of command into disarray.”

  “So you want to be our assassin?” She asked coolly.

  “That and more,” Adrian confided. “And I’m not on a suicide trip. You’ve made sure it won’t work.”

  “Yes, I have,” Angela responded vehemently. “I won’t give you up!”

  Adrian’s eyes lit with need.

  “Son of a...” Marc swore.

  The Eagles shifted restlessly.

  “Is this a bad time?”

  They all turned to find Theo in the flap.

  Angela sighed. “Come in. We can use the break.”

  Theo held the flap for the others and the five men gathered in front of Angela, each with a folder in hand.

  “We came up with a few things,” Theo explained. “We didn’t know if you might want to go over them before you finalize your plans.”

  Nowhere near that, Angela waved a hand. “Let’s see it.”

  “It’s more of a demonstration, but we didn’t think you’d want that type of noise right now.” He opened his folder and held out a paper. “How do you feel about using solar weapons?”

  Angela studied the diagram eagerly, able to keep up with most of the scribbled notes thanks to Adrian’s training. She tilted the paper, noting the value and the downside. It was…

  “Good. What else?”

  Theo and his group spent time on the folders, but only gave her the details she needed the most. When they left the tent, all five were in Marc’s possession.

  Angela glanced around the tent, feeling the power, the magic coming to her, to them all. “It will take them a month to reach us on their own, but we have to double that. If we’re working on them the entire time, that can happen. I want teams set up along their routes, waiting.”

  “Like traps?”

  “Like ghosts,” Marc interrupted, admiring her plan even as he hated it. “They leave the bunker with a thousand, but are minus hundreds by the time they get here.”

  “And you can do that by yourself, can’t you Marine?” Angela demanded ruthlessly.

  Marc frowned deeper, mind already a queasy blur of how. “Yes. Maybe half of them, if I had enough help.”

  “That’s what we need, Marc. Half, by the time they reach the base or it won’t matter.”

  Marc stared at her, holding his emotions in check. “I’ll handle it. Personally.”

  Angela waved a hand at her top men as tears came to prick her lids. “The Eagles are at your disposal. Pick a team.”

  She stared at him until he vanished from sight, then turned toward the main camp. American Waves was currently soothing people to sleep, Kevin’s calm voice reading them the bedtime story she’d chosen, and Angela paused to listen to one of her favorite parts.

  “But I’m hungry, Mother. I really am.”

  Soft chuckles floated through the camp and Angela continued on her rounds. One Hundred and One Dalmatians was amusing, easy going, but when the whirlwinds started, it would almost be a guide. It was yet another of Adrian’s techniques that she was using to manipulate them into the right places–movies and literature–but she was already sure it wouldn’t be enough. They needed a real miracle, the kind that was beyond even the descendants.

  9

  As Kevin continued reading, Angela went into the training tent for a few minutes alone to think. When he finished for the night, a call had to go out and she wasn’t anticipating an easy time of it.

  “Neither am I.”

  Angela j
umped, but stopped herself from drawing. “What are you doing here?”

  Adrian didn’t answer.

  Angela spotted the table and chairs, the cooler and kit, and understood Kenn had moved Adrian here while they settled the camp.

  Adrian took a small box from his pocket and set it on the table. “This is yours.”

  Angela reluctantly took the chair across from him. Time alone with Adrian was dangerous right now. That awful, selfish part of her female heart was already asking what would happen if Marc didn’t return. Angela hated herself for it, but couldn’t stop her eyes from going to Adrian. Guilt flooded, hot and heavy and she snatched the box from the table.

  Angela opened it and yanked the chain out. When she realized it was her own set of dog tags, inscribed, the emotion was almost palpable.

  Adrian didn’t break it, instead, allowing the heat to build. It was the time he’d been waiting for and hoping wouldn’t come.

  Angela stared at the tags, at the name and rank details. The dog tags meant more to her than if he’d given her a medal.

  “Thank you.”

  Adrian was on his feet and behind her in an instant. He took the tags and carefully slid them over. “You’re doing well.”

  Angela closed her lids as he placed a kiss to the top of her head. “It hurts.”

  Adrian stroked her soft curls, feeding, drawing. “I know. I gave you a hard duty. You’re handling it.”

  Angela let the tears slip, but only a few of them. The feel of Adrian’s warmth on her skin was stunning in its perfection.

  Adrian felt her shudder, hardened. “I meant it when I said I wasn’t hiding anymore. You should send me away from here before I wreck it all.”

  Angela trembled with the stress, the fear, the anger. None of this was right.

  “No, but it’s what we’ve been given,” Adrian whispered, reaching out to touch her skin. “It’s what you’ve been given.”

  Angela pulled away, resisting his draw. “Marc was who I asked for, who came when I needed him. He’ll always be first.”

  Adrian groaned bitterly. “It doesn’t matter to me anymore. Sharing, splitting you two up, my death. One of those has to happen for there to be any peace. The easiest is to remove me.”

  Angela couldn’t stand the thought. “I could make you hate me, maybe…”

  Adrian snorted. “Not unless you turn into Tonya and even she came around in this light. It wouldn’t work.”

  “I could tell Marc and the Eagles.”

  Adrian snorted. “They know. They’ve always known.”

  Outside the tent, Kenn paused at their voices. Realizing who was inside, the Marine thought of his plans to help Adrian and took up a nearby post to direct people away.

  “What do you want from me?”

  Angela’s question was met with silence as the conversation became mental to account for their audience. Angela hadn’t noticed yet, but Adrian had.

  I can’t give that.

  Send me away.

  I won’t do that...

  I can make you, Adrian warned.

  Yes, but not without tearing this camp apart. You have to take it.

  Adrian grabbed Angela’s arm and pulled her up from the chair. He stopped himself from kissing her by mere inches.

  Angela stared into his blazing eyes, hating him for forcing her to accept these feelings, for the witch whispering that his kiss would be like nothing she’d ever felt.

  “You need me. They all know that, too.”

  Angela wanted to deny the claim and jerked out of his hold. She stomped toward the flap, determined to hold out, to remain loyal to Marc.

  “Get to the com truck and make the call. Kevin’s waiting.”

  “No.”

  Angela stopped, turning angrily. “What?”

  Adrian flipped a thumb at the portable radio on the table. “I’ll do it from here.”

  Angela understood how Adrian felt. She’d spent a decade pining for the one she loved. It was awful and ugly, but life did go on. So would Adrian.

  “You think so?” he asked, picking up the mic, turning the system on.

  He’d never felt this way before and for their kind, to be denied what they were craving so strongly was dangerous. It sent them into a number of emotional states, and all of them were hard to handle. Normally a substitute was found. Humans almost always reacted that way, but Adrian hadn’t found one that would satisfy him.

  She’s coming, the witch whispered suddenly. The island woman is near.

  Angela couldn’t control the waves of jealousy, but she did keep the information to herself when she realized Adrian hadn’t caught it.

  “Make the call.”

  Adrian keyed the mic in misery. He hated the order, even though it had been pulled straight from his notebooks.

  “This is Safe Haven refugee camp. We are closing to new arrivals, due to the upcoming battle for our freedom. The government has crawled from its hole and demanded we surrender ourselves. We’ve refused. Go to ground for a while, my friends, and listen for our calls to resume.”

  Adrian paused to gather the magic, to send out those powerful waves. “If you can fight, if you want to learn to fight, if you just want help take care of those who do the fighting, please, we need you… I need you.”

  Angela found herself leaning closer, unable to fight the pull of so much power.

  “Come stand with me,” Adrian seduced. “I’ll fight to the death for our country, and for our freedom–for you.”

  Angela saw her hand rise toward his face.

  Adrian’s eyes locked onto hers, drawing the desire, but also the duty.

  “We have survived for this moment in time. The future of everyone rests with this battle. If we fall, they’ll hunt down everyone else.”

  Adrian leaned back when Angela’s hand would have touched his jaw, fighting his own battles.

  “In five days, Safe Haven’s walls will go up. If you want to be with us, get here before then. This is Where We Stand, America, or where we fall.”

  Adrian hung up the radio and strange voices lit up the night.

  “We’re coming in! Don’t shoot.”

  “We’re still on the way.”

  “I’ll be there in time!”

  “You can send people to us until it’s over.”

  The waves became garbled from all the offers of help and support, and tears ran down Angela’s face. Some were from the magic, from the power of experiencing it in person, but most of it was remorse. He’d broken her with just one call. If he took her into his arms right now, she would betray Marc and herself.

  Adrian stood up, wanting, needing, feeling her surrender.

  “Get out of here!”

  Angela fled.

  10

  Angela climbed into the camper with a sad heart. Fate had decreed one to live and one to die. The tiny infant in the incubator wouldn’t have long. The glowing and growing baby in its mother lap would thrive. Which one was evil?

  Angela held her arms out.

  The young mother immediately flinched back.

  Kyle took in Angela’s calm face and gently pried the baby from Jennifer’s terrified arms. “We can trust her. I promise.”

  Angela braced for what she might find.

  Kyle put the baby into Angela’s embrace, but couldn’t make himself step away. The urge to protect was already driving his reactions.

  Angela turned her back to the nervous parents and gawked at Safe Haven’s first successful birth. For all they knew, it may even be the first live birth of the new world.

  She saw the problem right away. The baby was perfect. Angela took in the shining skin, the glow of being freshly fed and cared for, and that wonderful scent that clean babies give off, but it was those red orbs she lingered on. This baby was one of them, no doubt there, and it already had their draw.

  “Name?”

  Kyle answered, sounding angry. “She said we’re not allowed to give one yet.”

  Angela gave her approval,
saying, “Wise to start off that way. You’ll talk to Adrian about it?”

  “Yes, tonight.”

  Angela smiled at the baby and was rewarded by a feeling of peace and calm. She let the mother inside come forward and hugged the infant close. “Welcome to Safe Haven, baby. May it become your home.”

  Angela handed the newborn to Kyle and took Jennifer’s hand. She didn’t say anything, but the girl stiffened.

  Kyle understood they were talking and reluctantly took the baby to the rocker. He had a good idea of what Angela was telling Jennifer. It was the same thing he’d been unable to force out right after the second baby came.

  “I already know. I saw it during the delivery.”

  Angela patted her hand. “You’ll have one. It is better than nothing.”

  Jennifer didn’t care for Angela’s past and pain, only her future. “Can’t you do anything?”

  “They were both supposed to die. I’ve saved one and have been banned from interfering with the other. I’d hoped it would be…quicker.”

  Jennifer began crying and Angela let Kyle through. He didn’t scold, but she felt his anguish. Their pain was heavy and Angela asked again.

  What would it take?

  The witch tried to answer with compassion. Death surrounds one, while life flourishes in the other. This is the nature of our existence.

  And if I do it anyway? Arrange for someone to help?

  You’ll be damned for interfering with fate too many times. You’d have to give up this camp.

  I won’t ever do that.

  Angela left the camper without looking at the doomed infant in the incubator.

  “What? What did she see?”

  Angela didn’t pause to listen to Kyle telling more lies to the teenager. It likely wouldn’t be the last that he uttered.

  “Kyle?”

  Kyle viewed Jennifer with a blank expression. “This is the good one. Relax, breathe.”

  Jennifer couldn’t trust him. She knew that in her heart without any voices whispering, but it didn’t matter. She needed to believe the baby was good, because if it wasn’t, the Eagles would kill it. She’d already heard the rumors and threats. She was sure Kyle had, too, which gave him another reason to lie.

  Jennifer glared, picking out the flaring nostril and the pulse pounding in his jaw. He is lying. He doesn’t know what she saw.