by Angela White
“Will he be good to you?” Charlie blurted.
He hadn’t meant to ask, but Conner’s words had struck a nerve. Charlie hadn’t had Marc long enough to be so blinded that he couldn’t recognize the sparks between her and Adrian. As a son, he wanted her to be happy. She’d sacrificed too much for him over the years for Charlie to ignore her needs.
“You’ve grown up.”
He flushed under her motherly approval, but didn’t deny it. The time he spent on lessons and training was helping, as was studying of his own mind and heart, but it was the need to be perfect for Tracy that was shoving him into these new levels of maturity.
“You didn’t answer me.”
Angela forced herself to say, “He would love me as much as your dad does.”
“Would you be...happy with him?”
“Never,” Angela stated. “The guilt would never give me any peace. I’ve made my choice.” She looked over. “What about you? Have you made yours?”
Charlie’s teenage face lit up with a man’s hunger that made Angela sure she wouldn’t like his answer.
“October is only a couple months away now. By then, we’ll both be ready to make the choice.”
Angela let herself breathe. She’d been expecting worse.
“I’m not saying we won’t cross lines before then,” Charlie added. “But we’ll go public later.”
Angela groaned, “I should have sent you with your father. He’d know how to handle this shit.”
Charlie laughed, leaning on her shoulder.
Angela let his happiness flow over her stretched nerves. He was a wonderful boy…son, she amended. Any woman would be lucky to have him.
“Why are you avoiding Dog?”
Angela closed that door. “He’s pissed that I sent your dad out to fight. I’m pissed he didn’t tell me who healed him. At some point, we’ll work it out.”
Charlie didn’t push further on that part of his curiosity.
“Why isn’t he doing rounds or anything?”
“He said he was given a job by Marc, to leave him alone. So I am.”
They both heard the footsteps, and Angela faded into the shadows to resume her rounds.
2
“I didn’t mean to piss you off.”
Charlie grinned at Conner’s hopeful face. “We’re all good. Sit down.”
Charlie started carving with his knife, chores done for the night.
Conner stared at him curiously. “You seem so even all the time, so…”
“Content?” Charlie supplied, narrowing the point on a wooden clasp.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Charlie paused to blow the shaving clear to view the progress he’d made. “I am, for the most part. Why aren’t you?”
Conner’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not sure. It’s great here.”
“I think you need to quit hiding. Let them know you’re like your dad.”
Conner stared at having his secret exposed.
“We know already. Accept it. When you’re doing work for this place, your mind will give you a break,” Charlie informed him.
“You think so?”
“I know it.”
Charlie folded his blade and shoved it into his pocket. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What was it like to have Adrian for a dad?”
Conner was quiet for so long that Charlie almost withdrew the question. When the teenager finally spoke, Charlie wasn’t surprised by the answer, only more confused.
“I only got to be with him once. My mom and I were supposed to be on vacation. We stayed with him until the soldiers found us. He had to run and we couldn’t go.”
“But you wanted to,” Charlie assumed. The flashes he was picking up were of a loving family.
“Oh, yes. We never wanted to be away from him.” Conner’s head dropped. “I’ve hated him for so long. I don’t know how to be his son.”
Charlie understood. He’d hated Marc for years before finding out that what he’d been told, and the truth, were worlds apart.
“He’s waiting for me to open up, to let him in, but I don’t think I can trust him.”
Charlie also understood that. “He’s your dad. If anyone can trust him, it’s you.”
“But he left me there while he took care of all these people, and look what he’s doing to your mom. He’s not one of the good guys.”
“Sure he is,” Charlie snorted uneasily. “He’s weak, is all. When you find someone you care for the way he does my…”
Charlie snapped his mouth shut and left. He didn’t like being slapped with the truth. It didn’t matter that Conner hadn’t meant to remind him of the bond that existed.
“You wait until my dad gets back!” Charlie swore under his breath. “He won’t stand for this.”
3
“Today we’ll make everyone a BOB,” Jeff stated. “That’s a bug out bag. If we lose and have to run, we need to be covered for survival on our own.”
Jeff indicated a tray of chalk sticks. “Each person should add two things to the list I’ve already started on the board. Angela, start us off.”
Angela had asked to go first because of her schedule, but she didn’t take the easy answers. Instead, she set the bar for them to try harder to cover the more elusive items. “How about…a medication stock…and a two way or CB radio.”
She quickly wrote them and delivered a challenge to the group. “Beat those!”
Chuckles followed her out of the canopy and into the next area, where Daryl was busy instructing a large group of camp women on their plan.
“You have to know where you’re going and how to get there. With a group or by yourself, not having a path planned out is a mistake. You’ve seen how Adrian and Angela have the Eagles scout ahead. Do that when you can and be careful about leaving tracks.”
Daryl gestured at the shallow mud and grass patches they had constructed. “When you finish today, you’ll be able to cross both of those without leaving prints behind.”
Angela waited in line behind higher-level Eagles for this one. It was a lesson she hadn’t received yet and she was eager to have it in her arsenal.
“Watch where he puts his feet. He picks the place where it’s already got a part of the shape of a boot.”
Doug walked across the grass and didn’t disturb enough of it to be noticeable.
“How did he do that?” Tracy wondered, moving closer.
Daryl waved at the big man to repeat it.
Doug being so delicate with the blades was fascinating. When Daryl began to explain, it became easier to pinpoint the moments where he had to make a choice on where to place the next step.
“He searches for spots that are already bent, blown, damaged, or otherwise able to cover for what he might leave. But that’s not the secret. The magic is to plant your feet evenly.”
Daryl demonstrated by walking through the sloppy mud in a quick stride that left only a faint trail.
“I keep my feet even, and close, and the ground cushions them more. It takes practice. The easiest way used ta be walking across a creaky floor until you couldn’t hear yourself anymore. Now, you’ll have to use grass, mud, sand, thick carpets when ya hit towns,” he instructed.
“Also practice not drawing the attention of the Eagles when you walk by,” Daryl offered. “If you can get by them, you’re making real progress.”
Angela stayed at that booth, taking turns, until she felt she’d mastered the basics of it. She’d already learned to be stealthy, so she had an advantage. When she switched to the next training area, the females behind her weren’t nearly as pleased with their own progress.
5
Unloading the supplies was the responsibility of crew that brought them in. It was a long-standing rule that Kenn refused to break. He sent the new arrivals to a QZ tent, gave an update to a guard, and got the team busy sorting the medical supplies into crates that they would distribute to various area of the camp, including the reserve tr
ucks. It was hot, sweaty work.
Kenn lifted the lid on the empty crate, taking a quick search inside for bugs, and then hefted it toward the tailgate. Tonya came over to help and they managed to get it close enough to work with. The deep crates were the sturdiest they’d found for moving things around, though it was a lot of work. Boxes and bags ripped and broke, but the crates took a beating and kept on carrying. It was hard for even rookies to ruin a crate of supplies and Kenn didn’t find any harm in letting the team do work in small groups. All they had to do was sort the bags and help transport the crates. Easy.
Tonya and Tracy weren’t friends. Tracy didn’t want to take the chance on earning Tonya’s reputation through friendship and Tonya was worried about losing Kenn to Tracy. If it was good enough for Adrian, Kenn would want it and with the secret she was keeping, Tonya didn’t need Kenn to have any reason to be around the other woman. It made for a very quiet pair of sorters in their group. The two males, Allan and Jeff, were also a bit tense at being placed with their leader and XO’s relief sources, alone. They worked in silence unless the women had a question.
The other two groups talked lightly about the run, the supplies, and occasionally cackled at something, as rookies often do. It made Tonya feel like an outsider again, each time their happiness rang over the bags and crates. She now loathed that feeling. It was the only time she regretted coming to the light.
Emotions unstable, Tonya bit her lip to keep from starting a conversation. Tracy was so much like her that she would have been a logical choice for a friend, but Tonya’s self-esteem hadn’t recovered enough to take that risk with Kenn.
Tracy could feel Tonya’s quick looks at her and sensed the redhead was lonely. Tracy understood why there wouldn’t be a gesture of friendship, but it still stank. It was a constant reminder that she wasn’t good enough because of the way she chose to live her personal life. Not supposed to feel that way here, she thought, tossing bottles of some type of powder into the crate. She tossed too hard, however, and punctured one of them. Dark blue crystals began spilling out and Tracy groaned. “Damn. I broke one.”
The group helped clean up the mess, assuring her she wouldn’t be in trouble.
“Kenn says things always get broken on runs. That’s why we take a few extra.”
Tracy grabbed a rag to wipe her hands on. They were stained blue.
“I look like a Smurf,” she stated, holding her hands up.
“It wears off,” Allan stated quietly, darting a quick look at Kenn. “Let’s get this crate over to the supply trucks and be done.”
The five of them carried the crate slowly, earning only a quick approving nod from Kenn as they went by.
Kenn hefted his end of a nailed crate and directed his group toward the reserve trucks. He’d be glad when this was done. He needed a shower.
The reserve truck ration was healthy. It took Kenn’s group two trips to get all of it there. The Eagles would list and sort it later.
“Let me help,” Allan offered, grabbing a sagging end of the last crate.
“Thanks,” Kenn grunted, able to walk faster with the other end covered.
“My pleasure,” Allan stated, meaning it. “We found a second box of wound seal. Do you want it in here or at the medical tent?”
Kenn sat his end down by the truck, missing how the other carriers quickly exited the area. “In here.”
Allan sat the bag on the crate and walked away. He met Zack’s glittering gaze without smiling and kept walking away from the trucks. He had another supply run to go on. The team had been waiting for him to return so they could leave.
Dripping sweat, Kenn yanked the bag up and lifted the lid, eager to be finished. He dropped the bag inside, re-nailed the lid, then went to the showers. If he didn’t get clean soon, his attitude would get ugly.
Kenn stripped down and went into the stall, glad to have it to himself. After he washed, maybe he’d spend a few minutes stroking and building up that good attitude.
Kenn turned the handle and frowned when nothing came out. This camper wasn’t under maintenance or about to be emptied, was it?
He tried the second lever, but got the same.
“Plumbing issue?” he mused, switching stalls. The water worked in it, but there was only a bare trickle. Kenn sighed, resigned to having a rough day. The run had gone well. He’d try to be happy with that.
Kenn went to the third stall and turned the handle.
Poofff!
Kenn froze as powder sprayed over his hands and face instead of water. Have I been poisoned?
He opened his lids slowly, coated in fine, blue crystals. He allowed his tongue to touch his lips for a bare instant.
Koolaid.
Another prank.
It wasn’t Matt, Kenn realized. My prankster is still here.
He wiped his face down his arm and was dismayed to find the color smearing across his skin like paint.
“It stains,” he growled, realizing what this joke would do to him for the next few days. “Son of a bitch!”
Kenn had no choice but to walk through the camp in a towel, stained, to get to the other shower camper. By the time he got there, the powder had soaked into a fine blue tint.
Kenn glowered at the snickers and laughs. At least he could rule out the team he’d been with. They wouldn’t have had time to set this up.
Kenn stomped into the stall and dropped the towel, ears burning from the amusement. He would try to resign himself to hearing it for a while. As much as he had scrubbed, the stain wasn’t leaving.
“I’m a 6’ Smurf,” Kenn growled as he left the camper, glaring. “Take a damn picture!”
His words were remembered.
6
“I’d like to go on the run with Kyle after the camp is settled tonight. He told me you’re sending him out on a recon.”
Angela was surprised by the request. “Peggy’s sitting?”
Jennifer was dressed in full Eagle gear. “She’s got four day’s milk put up. We’ll be back in half that.”
Angela studied the girl, thinking she was finally starting to look tired instead of furious. “Why?”
Jennifer didn’t try to lie. “I’m restless. I keep thinking about leaving. I need to get out there again for a little while and be reminded of why it’s better here.”
“Okay.”
Jennifer didn’t smile as she left.
“We’re all set for tomorrow.”
Angela paused to let Kevin give her an update. It had already been a long day.
“We’re gassed, loaded except for what we’ll use tonight, and schedules are in all the glove boxes.”
“Kenn is supervising the move?”
“Yes. He and Adrian have it covered.” he answered, snickering.
“Good. We roll out at 7am. Make sure there’s soothing morning music and periodic reminders from 530am.”
“No problem. I’ll be on it myself, with a rookie trainee.”
Cynthia wasn’t talking to him, hadn’t since Matt’s death. It hadn’t taken Kevin long to figure out that she was carrying the weight of it. He’d tried to talk to her, to explain that Matt would have hit them hard if he’d been allowed to live, but the reporter had refused to listen.
Angela wondered if the rookie trainee would be there long, but didn’t ask. Kevin was her personal assistant. He was putting in time training another radio crew, but he was also overworking himself to be the one covering it on third shifts. As a result, he was snappy and strict. Three of their camp women had bowed out of the training in the last week.
“No word from Marc or the lookouts.”
Angela didn’t remind him that it was too soon. The pain was crushing.
“Supply crews will meet up with us around noon. No problems reported.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“No.”
Angela felt the pause and kept the pain from her tone. “How many?”
“Looks like five so far. We’re doing a count now.”
/> Angela left him standing there, unable to speak for fear of screaming. At the rate they were losing people, there wouldn’t be anything left to defend. Every day brought a new group of people fleeing, choosing to skip the fight.
“Cowards!” she growled under her breath. But she understood. She still wasn’t having the Eagles chase them down. Freedom was Adrian’s base foundation for this camp. If she changed that, it was sure to fall.
“How do I stop them from leaving?” she asked again, and received the same answer from the witch.
Bring them together in anger or hope. Nothing else conquers fear.
And she still didn’t know how to do that. Adrian had offered a few suggestions, but none of them felt right. If people wouldn’t stay and fight for their lives, what else was worth more to them? Everyone in camp was angry. It was faith that they were running light on.
Loud laughter and talking drew her toward the field area where the teenagers were doing lessons with the ants. The amount of progress there had been encouraging, giving hope that the insects could be trained to help.
A quick consideration said there was little to lose at this point. She waved Kyle over.
“Get them walking through the camp with the ants, show people what they’ve accomplished.”
Kyle stared at her for a long minute before giving her what she needed. “You want a mock battle set up.”
“In place of the real thing, yes. Let the sheep know that we have outside help,” she instructed. “Start with the formation walk, then work your way up.”
“What about Dog?” Charlie suggested, joining them. “He can get the ants to do a lot of stuff just by looking at them.”
“Yes, and any other animals you’ve been working with.”
Angela made a quick note in her book as she spoke. “I want Theo and his team in the open from now on. Tell them this is demonstration week.”
She thought of Jennifer’s words.
“I’m restless. I keep thinking about leaving. I need to get out there again for a little while and be reminded of why it’s better here.”
“And that’s exactly what I’ll do,” Angela stated, waving Lee and Zack over. “Let’s have a fun night gentlemen. Cancel the classes and work. After the ant walk, set up the entertainment and remind our people how much Americans love a good time.”