The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  “You’ll all be in Zone C or you can leave,” Angela stated coldly, ready to dive for cover if it was needed. Since being shot, she could no longer depend on her own gun to save her life. The arm worked, but not always the way she needed it to.

  “Wait.”

  The leader of the men, tall and lean, stepped forward with a pathetic grin. His long coat was tacky with dried fluids that Angela didn’t want to identify.

  “Are you sure? We’re good at what we do.”

  Angela shook her head, denying him. “Zone C or go. We have no room for you.”

  The man scanned Zone C, where an unruly mob was lining the fences to observe the guards instead of going out to scavenge for their needs like Angela and Jennifer had advised everyone to do. “Maybe we’ll stay a bit. See if you change your mind.”

  The group left slowly, arrogantly. Refugees scrambled out of their way before the fourteen killers reached them, but Angela didn’t notice. A blond man with furious blue eyes had just appeared in the tree line across the mob of refugees and she couldn’t look away.

  4

  Adrian stared in shock at the scene. The noise and cold weather had brought him in early, and now he wished he hadn’t left at all. Angela was outside the gate, without Marc. There were hundreds of possible threats here and all that stood between her and them was a few dozen Eagles and some flimsy fencing.

  Furious, Adrian whistled. Around him, the remaining soldiers came from the trees to take his flank. Glowering, Adrian marched his men through the mob toward Angela.

  Angela tried to look away then, realizing what Adrian meant to do. She couldn’t and she swept him miserably instead. She didn’t reach out or even smile, fighting to control herself. She’d missed him in so many ways over the last month.

  Adrian knew. It was the mirror of his soul, the other half that was almost close enough to complete him. The struggle she was going through was only easier for Adrian because of his fury at her being out here.

  “You don’t belong here!” Morgan growled from his place by Angela as Adrian approached the gate.

  “Neither does she,” Adrian replied firmly.

  “We don’t need you!” Kyle insisted from her other side, though he certainly didn’t feel that way.

  “I’ll go when she does!” Adrian barked, stopping in front of Angela. He wanted to say a hundred things, to touch her hand and tell her not to blame herself for the coming unhappiness. Instead, he took a sentry position between her and the crowd. His men lined up on either side of them, and Angela immediately felt better. So did the Eagles, though they wouldn’t have admitted it. Traitor or not, Adrian was a force that commanded respect. When he only stood with his back to them, the Eagles stopped protesting.

  Angela beckoned the next group forward, heart thumping. She was outside the gate. The bubble wasn’t between them out here. If she wanted to talk with him, she could.

  Adrian felt it. He wanted to lock gazes and fall in love all over again, but he resisted those urges. She was in danger. He had to stay alert.

  Angela felt his attention shift from her and return to evaluating the new arrivals. She understood this wasn’t a good time, but as the afternoon wore on, she began to sting a bit from his lack of communication attempts. If he doesn’t care anymore, it’s for the best. I’ll walk this line forever before I betray Marc. I’m not bad.

  Adrian winced at that blow, stomach churning. As soon as he’d seen her outside the gate, he’d shoved into her mind. Hearing her doubt his need actually hurt.

  Adrian swept the remaining people, not liking many of them. He listened to their stories and picked out the details they hadn’t wanted to speak, but so far, there were few good apples here. It was exactly as he’d suspected it would be after the war, when he’d started keeping notebooks. The worst of humanity was tough–enough to survive for almost a year now, and most of it had come upon the backs of others. Adrian was certain there were good people left all over the country, but they weren’t going to come here yet. Safe Haven had defeated the government, but they had also replaced them in ways. Patriots were leery of that type of control. In time, they might realize that Safe Haven was good, but for now, only those who were either desperate or hoping for a free ride would continue to flock. Adrian knew Angela wouldn’t let many of the bad apples in, but he had no idea what she planned to do about the others. He hadn’t covered this in his notebooks because he didn’t have a solution. Truly bad people didn’t leave because you told them to, but Safe Haven wasn’t ready to see their army gunning down hundreds of survivors. Nor was Angela, though he assumed he would be busy later. None of those she’d assigned to Zone C had chosen to leave and there were several ongoing fights there now for control. There was no way he could pick them all off, but he would try to get the worst of the lot.

  No.

  She must have a plan, he thought. Good! Adrian’s pulse leapt as he realized she was also in his mind, listening. Okay.

  Angela didn’t send more.

  Neither did Adrian. It was enough that they knew they were connected. The feeling was as incredible as they remembered.

  Angela winced at fresh screams from Zone C, but she didn’t order her army to interfere. Only the worst of the worst were being sent there. Even slightly innocent people were being loaded into and around Zone A. Those Angela wanted were going into Zone B, which was next to the main gate. The mob had noticed the placement quickly. It was clear by examining the zones what type of people were in them. Zone B was quiet and happy, cleared for entry. Zone A was nervous, but also quiet, hoping to be found worthy. Zone C was chaos as those who’d been denied refused to leave. Angela had only mentioned the chance of reform to a few of those rough souls and Adrian approved. None of them deserved to enter.

  Gunshots rang out from Zone C.

  Adrian retreated a bit, providing a better shield for the cage. He gave Kyle a harsh glare that the Eagle responded to with a curt nod. It was time to go in.

  When Kyle sent a signal to the men on the rafters, Angela didn’t interfere. The sun was setting, which meant she would have only had time for a few more evaluations anyway. Once the crowd realized the day’s assigning was over, it would get unruly–more so than what it already had been. Angela made a note for the Eagles to remind people over the speakers to lock their gates and doors, and to post patrols against the crowd of men and women in and around Zone C. Eagles were not coming back out here. Neither was she.

  Another gunshot echoed, drawing attention and fear.

  Adrian raised his rifle and took aim. He no longer had to worry over his herd’s approval or wait for orders. He opened fire at the group charging toward the gate and the soldiers around him did the same.

  The Eagles followed Marc’s strict instructions for a possible moment like this. They tackled the boss and waited for him to arrive.

  Angela was yanked from the cage and shoved down, then covered with heavy bodies. As they piled on top of her, all the vests provided layers of protection that she accepted gratefully as more gunfire echoed. Even muffled, she recognized the sound and stayed still under her guards, as that distinctive noise grew louder. Her arm was curled over her stomach bump and she smiled. Daddy’s coming.

  5

  “Leave it open and watch your line of fire!” Marc ordered as he and Kenn hurried through the gate.

  Marc did a fast scan and found a body-pile of firing Eagles, with Adrian and his men surrounding them. Marc went that way, shooting at the advancing group of refugees he assumed had been refused entry. He shot the closest man and then did the same to the woman behind him. The bodies fell together as Marc aimed for another charging, shooting, screaming target.

  “Get inside!” Kenn shouted, and fired at two women aiming for Adrian. He got them both, but missed the man behind them who fired. The bullet tore into Daryl’s shoulder and punched through to slam into the gate.

  “Son of a bitch!” Marc’s face was splattered with Daryl’s blood and he shot the offender in the thr
oat as the man charged forward.

  “Get inside!” Kenn and the Eagles on the gate shouted.

  Their outside team did as they were told, rising from the body pile as Eagles on the inside helped Daryl down from the rafters.

  Angela was yanked up and shoved into arms she had never thought to feel again. Even in the din, her skin came to life at the contact, trying to draw from him.

  Adrian held her tightly, spinning so that he was between her and the gunfire that continued to blast across the area. Another large group that she’d denied had chosen to join the battle and more were doing the same. The other two zones had locked their gates, but tents were little protection from bullets.

  Adrian stepped inside the gates and put Angela on her feet. His hand clutched hers in a jolt of energy that soaked in for a brief second and then he was gone.

  “Hey! He can’t go back out–”

  Adrian slid out as the gate was slamming shut, ending Kenn’s protest.

  Gunfire continued to echo as Angela hurried Daryl toward the medical bay. She hadn’t expected things to go so crazy so quickly. She was very glad Jennifer had already been inside.

  “Nice!” Kenn exclaimed, watching from the rafters. “They’re leaving!”

  The Eagles cheered as Adrian and his men continued to pick off the people who had started the fight. Others who had considered joining the fray now cowered at Adrian’s fury. He was astounded that Marc had let her outside the gate and he took his anger out on anyone he considered a threat, ‘accidentally’ firing into Zone C to lessen that remaining population as well. He wasn’t a member of Safe Haven. He didn’t have to play by the rules.

  The Eagles observed the slaughter in admiration that would have bothered Adrian and Angela had they been aware of it. The war had changed everything.

  Angela led Daryl to an empty cot to sit down while she and the doctor worked on his arm, expecting Marc’s reprimand at any point. He’d been on her heels since Adrian set her down in the bloody slush. She could have let one of their medical supervisors handle Daryl, but her guilt wouldn’t allow that. She’d known having people outside the gate wasn’t a good idea, but she couldn’t refuse everyone who came. Some of those sheep are mine!

  “Angie.”

  Marc’s tone said he was livid. She lowered her head as she cleaned Daryl’s wound. “I’m sorry.”

  “You told me you wouldn’t be out there long. You said the Eagles would keep everyone away. You said you’d viewed the entire day and nothing happened.” He glared. “So what happened?”

  “I needed a good reason to bar our doors to new people for a little while,” she confessed. “I didn’t see the shootout, though. I also didn’t see him coming back early. Darian must have been an easy target.”

  A few cots over, Chauncey began laughing. He had been brought here, under guard, until Angela decided what to do with him. She hadn’t had time to go over Jennifer’s report–she was dreading it– but spending time in the drafty brig wasn’t healthy. She hadn’t decided what would happen to him yet.

  “What’s so funny?” Marc demanded of the Keeper, noting the books near his side. The man liked to read about the ocean or he’d heard of Angela’s plans and assumed he would be along.

  “It’s amusing that she trusts the one who is out there killing so many, but not the one he was assigned.”

  “Are you saying Darian isn’t dead?” Marc demanded when Angela froze.

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Chauncey taunted, chuckling. “I have him on my radar, bright and hot.”

  Angela’s rage swarmed over the man, effectively shutting down his mirth. He went still and quiet as she pinned him with a harsh glare.

  Where are they? Tell me right now! she demanded silently, needing the confirmation of Darian’s location.

  Suddenly terrified that he wasn’t going to survive this captivity, Chauncey spilled his guts without more prompting. Safe Haven people were truly ruthless. It was too bad they insisted on being the good guys. They excelled at many of the skills the other side required.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Population Boom

  1

  Safe Haven wasn’t happy.

  There was a mob on their doorstep. It was cold, but they were afraid to go back into the cave. The Mickey Mouse boots and fleece layering was protection, but not comfort or security. Daryl had been shot. They’d had a cave-in. Their gate had been attacked repeatedly. It wasn’t the peaceful mountain living that they had envisioned and with every negative thing that happened, the herd grew more uneasy. They’d been waiting for Angela to take care of things the way she had been since assuming the mantle of command, but now, the camp had had enough. As soon as they stepped from the medical bay, Marc and Angela were surrounded by angry members demanding that she do something.

  Angela knew what they wanted, but denied the renewed requests to use magic. “Some of those people belong here. We have to try to get a few more.”

  “I say we take a vote!” Li called from the rear of the small crowd. “Let camp decide.”

  Yes! Angela gloated inwardly. Outwardly, she shrugged coolly. “That’s the right of every person here. During lunch mess okay for you?”

  Surprised by her acceptance, Li tried to apologize, by saying, “It’s just, there’s so many! You know? Barely have enough to feed those here.”

  It was a pivotal point for any refugee camp–reaching a population limit–but it was also heartbreaking to realize there wasn’t enough of everything to go around for that many people. Not until a true settlement could be built, anyway. Once that happened, Angela planned to expand their numbers as much as she could, but the masses outside their gates right now were almost useless. From constant killing to procure food and ammunition, to rapes and fanatical control–they were trouble she couldn’t allow in. Tonight’s meeting would cover it.

  And more, Angela thought tiredly. I have yet another bombshell to drop.

  Marc led Angela toward the cave, knowing that’s where she wanted everyone to be tonight. So did he. If the gates were overwhelmed, the cave was where they would make a stand. Marc agreed wholeheartedly with closing their gates to more people. They’d already taken in over two hundred refugees since coming to these mountains, and each day, the food portions had shrunk. Things were tight and it would get worse.

  As they went to the cave, a few people followed, including guards. They also knew the camp needed to get below and they began telling members to collect their things and come along. It wasn’t a hard choice for most of the people to make when they saw Marc and Angela heading down. The sounds from the zones were loud and ugly and before long, there was a steady stream of people going into the cave with their gear.

  “There will be an emergency meeting during lunch mess,” Tonya informed everyone over the radio. “Attendance is mandatory. Those on duty will turn radios off to keep this meeting private. You will be filled in at the end of your shifts. Use the alarms if there’s a problem. Everyone else is required to attend.”

  Tonya’s words had a calming effect on Safe Haven’s people–one that Angela knew would allow them time to consider what they wanted to say. She already had her own lines picked, but there was always the chance of a wildcard being tossed in. That had been one of Adrian’s most common notes in his books.

  Watch out for the wildcard. You can’t plan for it, but it can destroy everything.

  Angela had taken that to heart and developed secondary plans for the meeting. She was controlling hundreds of people now, manipulating them into doing what they should have already known to do and it was exhilarating. It was also exhausting. She was anticipating a long boat ride where she might have time to straighten out her personal life. She was tired of being avoided and as soon as this mountain farce was over, she would try to repair her relationship with Charlie. She’d come across this country for him and that love hadn’t diminished with her leadership. In fact, it had made her more determined to take these people to a place where
he could finish growing up in peace. That wouldn’t happen here. The United States was now a death trap that few would escape unharmed.

  2

  “You’re up.” Angela gestured for Kenn to go to the front of the meeting area that now held the majority of their herd. The tables had been traded for holding plates in hand as they all stood around listening to the angry refugees shouting and fighting above them.

  Kenn scowled. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

  Angela stared coolly. She was assuming Adrian had given him details, but she didn’t think it mattered. Kenn was the mouthpiece of Safe Haven. He knew what she needed.

  Kenn slowly walked to the front of the wary crowd, able to hear his steps echoing on the rocky ground. He had limited information, but he knew he didn’t want to be the one up there taking the heat.

  “That was mean.”

  Angela shrugged at Jennifer’s comment. With Kenn, she preferred to use what did work, not what might. He wasn’t someone you could give leniency to most days.

  Kenn took the microphone from the stand and the softly muttering people quieted expectantly. He cleared his throat, thinking the acoustics down here were awful for being a cave. He’d always thought they echoed no matter where you stood, but that wasn’t the case.

  “This is an emergency meeting. We have more trouble coming our way and the boss has insisted that everyone be informed and have time to make their own choices.”

  “Must be something big,” Peggy called out, not glancing at Doug as he stood security duty near the Marine. She was still avoiding him. She would until the next step in her plans with Hilda had been taken.

  Kenn nodded, sighing. “That’s what I figured too, when I heard emergency meeting. Seems like we can’t ever get a break, you know?”

  Some of Angela’s council frowned, but she approved. Kenn knew how to get them venting before his boss took center stage. That was what a mouthpiece did–manipulated the crowd into the right mood to hear the news, whatever it was.