by Angela White
Marc knew that to be a lie. He spun from the mess, mind chaotic again. He hated this shit. When did it end?
Jennifer looked at Missy. “Ready to finish it?”
“Yes.” Missy sighed, sounding so old and tired that people moved away from her table. “I’ve had enough of secrets.”
Shawn, pulled by her unhappiness, went to the now empty mess lines and began making her a cup of hot chocolate.
“Tell us the rest,” Jennifer stated, allowing her gift to come forward. “Tell the truth and be accepted into this camp in the ways that Tara never could be.”
Missy shuddered. “They’re coming. Tara’s killers are coming.” Allowed to say it, Missy’s fear bubbled over. “They’ll kill you all! They’re coming! They’re coming!”
Shawn was there to pull the girl into his arms, hoping to forestall her screams. When she got wound up, it got ugly.
Missy curled against Shawn, shaking. Her pitch lowered to an uneasy whisper. “They’re almost here. They want my friend Angie.”
Shawn comforted the child, glaring at those closest. She’d only been out of the medical bay for one full day.
It was clear that he wouldn’t let the conversation continue, but it didn’t need to. The truth was out.
Before it could cause more chaos, Jennifer told Kyle, “The boss has it covered.”
“You’re sure?” he replied on cue, thinking he was lucky and cursed to have a mate who was so smart. She could outdistance him so easily.
“Yes. I trust her with my life.”
“So do I,” Kyle stated. “What can we do?”
Jennifer stood up. “Keep this camp together, follow the rules, help the new arrivals…survive. That’s all she wants for us.”
Kyle smiled as Jennifer came to him and slid under his big arm, forcing him to embrace her publicly.
Eased, some of the camp went back to eating, while others went to spread the word about what they’d all learned. None of them were terrified despite Missy’s chilling warning. They’d been reminded of Angela’s wisdom and her goals–their survival. There was no need to panic as long as she was still looking out for them.
“Does she?” Kyle asked quietly, using a quick hug to disguise the question.
“Yes.” Jennifer didn’t elaborate. What she’d picked up from their leader’s mind was so bad that it was almost unforgivable. It was also perfect and Jennifer wasn’t going to risk anyone interfering, not even Kyle.
3
“Good morning, Safe Haven,” Kenn called over the radio, eager to have the daily address finished so that he could prepare for the list of work Marc had assigned. “I have two short announcements for you. The first is that we have extra clothing in the shelter rooms now. You can take three full outfits, plus blankets and sheets. Isn’t it great to have to make your bed again?” Kenn waited a moment for any chuckles to die out before continuing. “The last notice is the reminder that gardens are mandatory for every family and couple. Stop by the garden area to pick up a small dome with your choice of fruit or vegetable. As you know, the small domes have venting holes and can be opened and closed to retain warmth. Please remember to sit them under the grow lights that are being installed along the shelves. We need to do our share, especially since we all like to eat our share.” Kenn waited again, judging the mood, before adding, “That’s it for now, folks. Have a Safe Haven day!”
Listening from the small research room she’d convinced Angela to add before they entered the cave, Tonya rolled her eyes. Some days Kenn was great on the air and then there were days like this, when it was obvious that he didn’t want to be doing it.
Tonya smiled politely at the man who appeared in the doorway. John Green was shy but fast with his fists when in the cage. “Was the doctor in?”
“Yeah,” Green replied bitterly. “He said no.”
“He said what?”
“No,” Green repeated, waiting for the explosion.
“Why?” Tonya demanded.
Green lowered his voice as he said, “The doctor refuses to turn this camp into a bunch of potheads.”
Tonya’s rage lit up her entire face. “Did he even read the research that I sent?”
“No.”
Tonya snatched the folder from his hand. “Get somebody on my post for a little while, will you?”
She stormed from the radio chamber before Green could answer. He sat down in her chair without resentment. Being a level two was easier than being a level one and it was definitely better than being a rookie. He didn’t mind running messages and working duty slots. That was easy. Dealing with fiery redheads who didn’t know when to quit? That was hard.
Passing fans and various detectors, Tonya stormed through the damp, chilly cave. She didn’t whine about the lack of warmth. She also didn’t grumble about the dim lights or the bugs slithering along dank walls that never seemed to dry up. She had bigger complaints. The research she’d been doing was conclusive enough to be tested, and someone was going to do it or she was going to raise enough hell to bring these stone walls down.
Everyone who saw her got out of the way. Tonya didn’t have descendant powers, but she had a nasty temper and a quick punch. That was usually enough for most people. Add in the fact that the only time she acted this way was if there was a serious problem, and the result was instant alertness in every area that she passed through. Guards snapped to attention and began sweeping for trouble.
Tonya shoved her way through the medical tunnel, where half of the doctor’s little assistants were busy running back and forth. She jerked the curtain open into the main area, not caring who was in there or what was going on.
“I want to talk to you!”
The doctor didn’t glance up from the blood pressure dial he was monitoring. “Get out of here.”
Furious that the man refused to follow orders, Tonya marched over to the table. She shoved Millie out of the way, using the camp name for the doctor’s students. “Move aside, duck!”
She leaned over Angela’s unconscious form, trying to ignore how awful the woman looked. “She gave you an order before all of this happened. She told you to follow John’s plan for the cancer treatments. How dare you disobey her when she’s not able to enforce the rules!”
The doctor unfastened the cuff and recorded the numbers on the chart.
His refusal to discuss the matter infuriated Tonya further but unlike in the past, she was able to handle it in a way that got her point across. “She’s hearing everything that’s happening, doctor. You may not understand how it works with her, but I do. When she wakes up, the first thing she’s gonna ask is how the treatments are going. If you don’t have an answer, you might be tossed out.”
“Unlikely,” the doctor snorted. “I’m much too valuable to be pitched out like a common refugee.”
All around the room, little ducks pursed their lips in disapproval.
“We’ll see what the boss thinks when she wakes up,” Tonya insisted.
“That may be,” the doctor consented, not scared of the bobbed redhead. “But for now, get the hell out of here.”
Tonya had little choice but to do as ordered. She exited the cave, muttering under her breath.
Millie went to the doctor. “She’s right. Angela will be very upset.”
The doctor stared down at Angela’s pale, bruised features. “She’s not a leader here anymore. She doesn’t make the rules.”
“We have a fight on level one! I repeat, fight on level one!”
Tonya didn’t click the radio, but she did hurry that way. There were too many others doing the same for her to be able to get through. With Marc out of camp on the food run, trying to get Safe Haven stocked up before the next winter storm hit, things were tense.
As she reached the stairs, Tonya nodded to the Eagle on duty and hurried up to the next level. It would take her a minute to get there, but she had no doubt that her authority would be able to calm things down with the rookies-especially if it was who she suspected. Angel
a’s order to have the soldiers integrated as Eagles wasn’t going over well.
Tonya rounded the corner and found a small crowd already trying to get to the stairs for level one. A hard hand grabbed her as she stumbled, keeping her from falling.
“Thanks,” Tonya told the ugly-dressed male as she hurried on her way. Was he wearing a gunnysack?
Tonya hurried up the stairs and shoved herself in the middle of the struggling Eagles and soldiers.
Behind her, the ugly-dressed man continued on his way. Philip, who had been a social service worker before the war, moved down the stairs without drawing attention from the guards. He had been brought into Safe Haven not long after they had reached the mountains. He had been cleared and vetted by the leadership, though not Angela herself. The teenager, Jennifer, had given him his pass with a warning that whatever he was hiding behind his wall would have to eventually come out for him to become an Eagle.
Philip ignored the other bored sentry on duty at the bottom of the stairs and then walked toward the medical bay. The walls in his mind had been up for many reasons. He’d been surprised when Jennifer hadn’t dug deeper, but also relieved. It had allowed him to spend the last five weeks blending in and laboring hard, just to have these two minutes.
Philip slid aside as the doctor and all of his little ducks, as they were being called by the camp, filed out of the medical bay and waddled towards the testing lab on the floor below them. The only one in the bay was Hilda and she would be sleeping in the chair next to Angela, the way she had been for the last three afternoons. Philip had made note of the schedule.
Fanatical attention centered on the unconscious woman in the cot at the far end of the room. Next to her, Hilda was dozing in a chair with her cheek against a stone ledge that held medical supplies. Philip moved closer without making any noise. He wasn’t here on behalf of the government. He hadn’t come for revenge or payment. He wanted power.
Angela didn’t stir as Philip placed his hands around her throat. Neither did Hilda.
It worked in Firestarter. It worked in Firestarter.
Angela came awake to that reasoning, struggling against the hazy darkness of drugs and pain. She opened her mouth, gasping for air and realized death had come for her.
Angela stopped fighting.
In a hurry to grab what he had forgotten, the doctor almost didn’t understand what was going on as he rushed into the medical bay. The sight of the stranger’s hands wrapped around his patient’s neck was an immediate shock. The doctor had never witnessed violence before the war and he still hadn’t adjusted to how much of it happened inside Safe Haven’s gates.
Hilda, woken by the sound of the doctor’s footsteps, jumped up to shove the man off Angela.
Without pausing, Philip lunged forward and slammed his head into Hilda’s chin, knocking her out.
Her big body slid to the floor.
Philip continued to strangle Angela, eyes locked onto hers. It worked in Firestarter. It worked in Firestarter.
The doctor rushed forward, grabbing a fire extinguisher from the wall. He slammed it into the man’s skull as hard as he could, not thinking, just reacting.
Phillip dropped heavily. He slumped across Angela’s legs, blood trickling from his nose.
Angela drew in air sullenly as the doctor came over, staring in horror at what he had done.
The doctor realized Angela had been awake the entire time, that she had been allowing it. “Why?”
“I could have been at peace.” She shut her lids as tears began to roll down.
Drawn against his will, the doctor reached out and brushed one of them away. “Please stop. I can’t stand it when you cry. It hurts me.”
It made her cry harder.
“What’s going on here?!”
Eagles rushed into the medical bay, forcing the doctor to step back and explain what happened.
Angela pretended that she hadn’t woken up at all.
Chapter Two
Deals with the Devil
1
Adrian dropped his heavy kit and other gear with a loud grunt that alerted the sentry to his presence. They were in a narrow tunnel on the fifth level. Hidden under a rocky ledge, few inhabitants knew this area existed. The four rotating troops on it were being kept the same to limit public knowledge, but after hiking from the bottom of the mountain, Adrian had his doubts about Angela being able to use it for a camp bugout. Not only was it narrow and uneven, it was also extremely dangerous. All those holes in the floor would have to be repaired.
Shawn, doing FND for his involvement with Tara, nodded casually to his former boss and then resumed his post. Eagles here were stationary, but the boss wanted them away from the actual tunnel entrance to provide more concealment. The duty log said Shawn had 5th floor garbage sentry duty, a chore no one wanted because of the smell. They were close to where the camp waste was falling. When the composting heap was going full tilt, the odors down here would be unbearable.
Adrian leaned against the rough wall of the tunnel, taking a minute to get his breath. His recovery was going well, his body strengthening with each excursion. He felt like he might die sometimes, but without pain, there honestly was no gain. It often brought memories of his rookie days. Until the heart attack, Adrian hadn’t realized how out of shape he’d gotten. Even before the war, he’d been enjoying the benefits of leadership.
Before the past could drag him into hell, Adrian forced himself to set up camp. The notebook from Angela had been littered with warnings and orders. One of those had been to stay in this tunnel, not outside of Safe Haven’s boundaries as he’d been doing. Shortly after the avalanche, his men had been taken into Safe Haven’s inner Quarantine Zone, but he was banished to the sewer tunnels like a troll. Adrian didn’t mind that yet. Technically, he was with his precious herd. It was already more than he could have hoped for when he chose to follow his mother’s dangerous schemes all those decades ago. They’d both assumed he would be killed as soon as his secret was discovered.
“Marc wanted it,” Adrian muttered, contemplating how ruthless the Ghost had been after Donner’s death. Adrian would always have the experience of being shot to fall back on when he got sympathetic towards Marc.
Adrian used his striker to light the tinder that he’d placed under a cup for protection, glad he’d gotten it ready before he left this morning. He certainly didn’t feel like doing it now. While carrying out his instructions, he had also scavenged. The extra labor and weight had worn him out, but it was worth it to have wood for his fire and canned goods to pull a meal from. With all the explosives he had set off today, hunting was out of the question, though he had set up snares anyway. However, he had plenty of water from melting snow to boil. He also had a natural freezer for anything that he might catch later. The temperature around the mountain was single digit. This tunnel was open, but the twists and turns blocked most of the stiff winds to provide him with a comfortable environment.
“Yep,” Adrian cracked, “if I ever meet an arctic wolf or a polar bear, I know where to tell them to come for a vacation.”
Chuckling at himself, Adrian carefully coaxed the fire into a roaring blaze, enjoying the burning heat on his hands and face. He had begun stripping gear and shoving it into his kit as soon as he hit the bottom of the tunnel, hoping to help his body adapt faster. Completely on his own, the last thing he needed was to get ill. He doubted Marc would bring him into the medical bay, even if Angela wanted it. There was finally room there, though. Debra had been released into Theo’s custody for her probationary period as a new camp member. Those from Jayson’s cave-in were already out of bed after three days–except for those who’d died. The bodies were being buried on the mountainside now by Zack and a few others, while Greg and a team worked on getting a new gate up to replace the one that had been destroyed in the avalanche. Adrian was grateful not to have that chore. There were still dozens of bodies mixed in with that snow and wood. The surviving refugees were gathering below in the towns and citi
es, along with those who were still coming in from the west in large groups of lawless desperation. Adrian hoped Marc continued Angela’s refusal of new people right now. Safe Haven couldn’t sustain more mouths to feed yet.
Adrian quickly finished setting up camp, happy that the motions were becoming routine again. Unless his orders changed, he would spend the afternoon making sure the larger livestock, still up top, were fed and cared for. The building they were in had small heaters and lights, but it wouldn’t be enough if another storm came. Adrian was still working on those plans and warming a pot of Dinty Moore stew over his fire when boot steps echoed, coming from Safe Haven.
Adrian moved the pot to the smoldering wood to prevent it from burning, then poured himself a cup of the nasty coffee that he’d managed to brew by straining the grounds through a piece of shirt that he’d cut with his knife. Luxuries like coffee filters were for the herd. The molding box that he’d found would be delivered to Li Sing.
As steps came, alertness surged through Adrian’s aging body. He’d had company down here since the chaos, but Kenn had only been verifying things for Angela or Marc and hadn’t spoken to him beyond camp business. His banishment hadn’t been lifted. Kenn wasn’t going to break the rules for him. Adrian wasn’t bitter over that either. He’d earned this treatment from all of them.
“Yes, you have.”
Marc was unexpected. Adrian quickly stood up, wondering if he was being evicted despite Angela’s orders.
“Yeah, like I’d cross her now.”
Adrian didn’t respond to the slightly angry words. He poured Marc a cup of coffee instead.
Marc liked being treated as a boss. He smirked, and then barely managed to choke down the first swallow without gagging. He took in Adrian’s singed fingers and haphazard tent with a silent gloat. The man wasn’t doing well alone.
“You have an army and you still look like shit,” Adrian pointed out. He waved toward the other flat boulder that he’d rolled over during his first day here in case anyone did stop by. “Cop a squat.”