The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  “She only sent one thing,” Tommy told them in a gruff whisper. “No DOC stuff, at all, in any form.”

  “There must be a good reason for it,” Ryan offered. He was choosing to have faith. Kendle hadn’t run. That was enough for him.

  Now glad they’d been careful about it, the team fell into silent contemplation of what it could mean.

  Outside the cage, Bossy wrote down everything he heard, including Yuri’s words of a private wager and Renda not taking proper care of the slaves. His boss paid well for information like that.

  “What happens next?” Kendle asked as they left the crowded gym and all the surprised stares. They clearly weren’t used to anyone challenging the masters.

  “They’re meeting to discuss bids right now,” Rice told her nervously. “Normally, it would be Renda sorting them, but the offer you made will involve the entire market, so she’ll have to include them in on the decision. We should have action soon.”

  Kendle settled in to wait. If this didn’t succeed, she would get mean. She wasn’t leaving without her team. They would have to kill her first.

  Chapter Seven

  Baiting and Waiting

  1

  Kendle leaned against the wall, hoping Conner was settling in without trouble. She hadn’t wanted to abandon him to Renda’s care, but Yuri was the best shot at having a master sponsor her. The Russian proprietor hadn’t agreed to that yet, but he would after the first fight, Kendle was certain. It had been even harder to walk away and leave her team in that carnival freak show. She would get them back and finish her mission. Then, Angela would make these individuals sorry they’d ever targeted her team.

  “No!” Renda shouted from the meeting room near them. “No! No! No!”

  Rice moved away from the red door.

  Kendle didn’t. She wasn’t going to show weakness in any way, but Renda was about to reveal hers for everyone to behold.

  The door was flung open, slamming against the wall. The constant chatter of patrons was replaced with quiet observation and subtle smirks.

  Renda saw Kendle, and rage swept over her features. She stormed toward the scarred woman, oblivious to their audience.

  Kendle smirked a little. “Master Renda.”

  Renda’s profile twisted into insanity…and then snapped into the same blank expression that Kendle had witnessed earlier.

  “It’s been a long time since I actually enjoyed killing someone.” Renda motioned toward the adjacent stairs that led to the basement. “We could do it now.”

  “Well, you’re easy,” Kendle laughed. “New bid–I kill you and take your place as slave master.”

  Her worst fear revealed, Renda tried to grab the whip from her belt.

  Ready for it, Kendle used a neat move to shove the woman and then trip her with a well-placed boot.

  Renda slammed into the tile floor with her ass and back, air knocked out of her.

  Kendle put a hand on her gun. “Get the other masters. Follow the ways of the market.”

  Having the rules she’d helped to make used against her was infuriating, but Renda had no choice. The swift move had knocked awareness into her. There were witnesses all around them.

  Renda rose, straightening her jacket. She glowered toward Rice, who had stopped to gape, open-mouthed at Kendle’s actions. “This trick will not succeed. The slaves are mine!”

  Renda stormed down the hall toward the gymnasium, no longer glaring at Kendle. She didn’t believe she could without attacking.

  Kendle didn’t push any harder. It wasn’t time for it yet.

  “That was impressive,” Yuri drawled as he came from the master meeting room to join her. “Also reckless. She will not forget it.”

  “Good,” Kendle replied. “Do the masters know how crazy she is?”

  Yuri shrugged, leading her away from the meeting. “It is profitable.”

  Around them, locals and visitors to the market stared and pointed at her, already retelling what had happened.

  Yuri bowed to Kendle, flashing a charming smile. “Until later.”

  Kendle blushed at the timbre. She wasn’t used to being accepted for what she was. It felt odd.

  “Yuri is a good man,” Rice stated pointedly as the second floor master left them.

  You wouldn’t know one of those if he spit in your soup, Kendle thought, but didn’t say it. She let Rice guide her towards the basement, where she’d told him that she wanted to spend most of her time. She needed to observe the day-to-day operations. Now that she had gotten the ball rolling, she didn’t want to be run over by it.

  “Stop!”

  Kendle paused at the shout. Too late.

  “You there! The masters want you, woman. Now!”

  Kendle went to meet with them. She’d expected this, but not so soon. Hoping she could pull this off, Kendle motioned Rice to get lost when he would have followed. She didn’t want him to know the exact details of her bid. She hadn’t forgotten that he was the reason she was in this mess in the first place. If he and his family had chosen to do the right thing, the masters would never have been able to build this atrocity.

  They cleared the room, was Kendle’s first thought as the gymnasium doors slammed shut behind her. When three big troops then blocked it with their arms over their chests, her second was, I wonder if they’ll shove me in the same cage or put me somewhere else.

  Kendle felt the basic survival instinct rise, quickly threatening to bubble up and drown her. Easy, she soothed. I found an outlet. Now wait for it.

  Yes, I will, her demon promised.

  Good. Kendle straightened her shoulders and walked up the short steps to the master’s table, which was half a rectangle with the center space facing outward. A sentry with a blue helmet tattoo directed her to stand in the center, before the seated rulers who were studying her with varying degrees of interest and hostility.

  Kendle studied them right back while waiting for the interrogation to begin. She wasn’t worried over the Russian, Yuri. He now had a lot riding on her being able to do what she’d promised. Renda wouldn’t have a choice if she were outvoted. The other two, Kendle hadn’t met before. One was a tall, blond man with huge white teeth that gleamed as he smiled at her.

  Kendle nodded politely, taking note of his pleasant attitude.

  The last master was American. Kendle wasn’t surprised, only angry with the white man and his tailor-made suit. She’d been on enough yachts to recognize quality clothing. His colors were the same as the other masters–tan and black–but he was the one making the most profit or spending the most. She watched him lean over to peer at a paper.

  The blond master immediately handed him the bid to view.

  Leader, Kendle marked. The American is the boss. Figures.

  She swept the room as she had earlier, this time lingering on empty stalls for renting slaves and buying gear and ammo. She and the guards were the only people in here with the masters.

  A vague chain clink reminded Kendle that her team was also near, stuffed into a carnival cage like exotic animals. It was unbelievable how fast things had gone bad; Conner was right about that.

  “This is very interesting!” the American remarked, glancing up at Kendle with eager green eyes.

  “It is ridiculous!” Renda snapped. “She cannot make these deals!”

  “She can if we authorize it,” Iram stated, still smiling happily. “If she has collateral, I will.”

  Kendle placed his accent in surprise, though she’d been told these were UN people. She’d rarely heard Dutch in person, even before the war.

  Renda slammed herself into the chair, arms folding over her chest. “She has nothing! We took it all.”

  The American set the paper down and put his gold-plated glasses back into his pocket. He studied Yuri, then Kendle. “Let’s discuss each section, shall we?”

  “I’m all yours until you’re satisfied,” Kendle joked carefully, feeling them out for soft spots.

  Iram snickered, while Renda and
the American frowned. Kendle couldn’t remember if Rice had given her the man’s name or not, but if so, she couldn’t remember it.

  “That may well be,” Renda stated eagerly. “I will own you and I’m impossible to sate.”

  The American waved a distracted hand at Renda, causing her to bristle further. “Be quiet now, dear.”

  Kendle slowly took the copy of the bid she’d written earlier from her pocket. “I believe issue #1 is my collateral.”

  “Yes. It says information. What type?”

  “Financial and security, mostly, but a few profit items as well. I’d like to start with security, if that’s okay?”

  “I told you she has nothing!” Renda again interjected. “The market is as safe as any compound we’ve ever been in.”

  “I’ll give you two items now as proof,” Kendle countered coldly. “No more until after we have a deal in place.”

  “Go ahead,” the American allowed.

  “Xavier!” Renda protested.

  The American focused on Renda with an anger that Kendle thought she might cower from while begging to be spared. It reminded Kendle of Ethan.

  “Shut up or get out.”

  Renda glowered in defiant anger.

  Xavier let out a weary sound. “Please rest assured that we will not permit you to be taken advantage of, Renda. Your happiness as a master of this market is important to us.”

  Kendle heard the note of condescension. So did Renda. Her face glazed over with fresh anger.

  “She has nothing!”

  “You have holes in the wall,” Kendle told them, taking the conversation to where she needed it. “I saw two dogs in town this morning that are in the market right now. The cook in your first floor café is feeding them scraps. Either the guards let them in, daily I would imagine, or you have at least one hole in or under the wall.” She surveyed Iram, the food master, hoping she’d gotten that right. “I’ve been told that scraps are supposed to be given to the locals or market slaves, not wild dogs who don’t work.”

  Iram wasn’t smiling now. He was glaring. “Dog soup this week as the regular fare or would everyone prefer actual hot dogs?”

  “I don’t eat dog,” Kendle told him. “I do train them sometimes.”

  “We’ve wanted protection animals,” Xavier exclaimed with a gleam and a beam. “But we have no one with that skill. Perhaps when this is all over, you will have your own shop here, eh?”

  Kendle didn’t glance at Renda like she wanted to. “Maybe.”

  “You said two items,” Renda reminded. She didn’t think information on the dogs was important.

  “Wait,” Xavier interrupted. “I want someone sent to inspect the wall and talk to the gate guards. Replace if guilty, with harsh punishments for not following market profit laws. The only animals allowed in these walls are for food production or clothing. Anything else roaming and squatting will cause diseases.”

  He looked to Renda pointedly.

  Renda had no choice but to personally deliver the orders to a sentry. She shoved to her feet angrily.

  Xavier waved at Kendle. “Proceed.”

  “The slaves aren’t secure,” Kendle informed them, watching Renda’s shoulders stiffen as she heard the accusation. “The welds are weak.”

  “That is a lie! I would bet on those welds!” Renda shouted, bringing all other activity to a halt.

  “Raise the curtain,” Kendle ordered. “One of their lives against all of them being loose in that cage.”

  Before Renda could argue, Xavier stood up. “I will match that bet. Raise the curtain.”

  Meaning if Kendle was wrong, Xavier would owe Renda a slave. Kendle had no doubts about who it would be.

  Come on, guys, she begged silently. Come through for me.

  The sound of chains clinking echoed from the cage.

  Guards hurried over to lift the curtains.

  “How did they do that?!”

  “That’s incredible.”

  “Two of them are not free!” Renda shouted over the mutters and murmurs. “She loses.”

  “They were trained to do it in one minute,” Kendle explained to Xavier. “They’ve had about…twenty-five seconds.”

  Xavier, who wasn’t positive he could do it at all, motioned the troops back as he strolled over to the cage to observe the two remaining slaves cuffed near the cage gate.

  “Like this,” Tommy instructed, holding up his chain. “Bring your knee into the chain and the chain into your knee, right there at the weld.” Tommy snapped the chains and lifted his hands. The coil fell to the cage floor in loud thumps and clanks.

  Ben took a deep breath and repeated the movement, using all of his strength. The weld broke easily, causing him to stumble.

  Tommy caught him. “Nice.”

  The moment was teamwork, amazing feats, and the sense of something else coming. Tommy turned toward Kendle, who had stayed where the sentry placed her. “We’ve all got it now, boss.”

  “And that’s why I didn’t leave you after you were caught so easily,” Kendle admonished, playing the role deeper. She raised a brow at Xavier.

  Renda was livid, but there was little she could say when Xavier conceded.

  “You’ve won the bet. Renda will pick the man.”

  “Agreed,” Kendle replied. “But I don’t want him yet. Please keep him as a part of my collateral.”

  The entire team stiffened anxiously.

  Xavier brightened. “Yes! What is the next thing your bid promised?”

  Kendle didn’t need to skim the paper. “Profit increases. I have no less than ten ways to do that, with one big hit on top of those. I’ll give you three of the small ones now as further evidence of my honesty.”

  “Go on,” Xavier ordered, still admiring her team as they finished freeing themselves from the cuffs. With the chains off, the wrist connections were easy to remove.

  “None of your sections or shops are full. They weren’t when you opened and they still aren’t, five hours later. You aren’t advertising, but you’ve already sucked all of the profits out of your laborers. You need word of mouth. That comes from special events, big prizes, and happy patrons.”

  “You do not think our patrons are happy?” Iram asked, a bit shocked at the display from her team. Their troops couldn’t do that.

  “Everyone is bored,” she replied promptly. “Soon, folks will slip away to other parts of the country that the market doesn’t reach.”

  “And what would solve this problem?” Yuri asked. As a potential sponsor, he already agreed with her, but the demonstration from her team had convinced him it was the winning choice. She was going to get her bid demands and then things would get interesting.

  “I have to ask you a question to be able to answer that correctly,” Kendle said. “May I? It’s sensitive.”

  Xavier came within a few feet of Kendle, surrounded by soldiers when Renda waved them over. “Yes?”

  “Do you allow the patrons the same entertainments that you enjoy?”

  “Such as?” he drawled dangerously, not answering the question.

  “Executions,” Kendle offered quietly. “I assume your men do it, but you can charge for that. Also animal control events. Many people eat wild dog now. You can make a profit from both ends.” She looked at Iram. “Your joke was true. Made it funnier for me.”

  Charmed, Iram smiled.

  “What else?” Xavier asked, returning to his seat.

  “You have no barker to announce the fun going on downstairs or the cubbies for rent upstairs. Advertising solves low traffic problems.”

  “That’s not enough,” Renda protested from by the cage. Her attitude was subdued now.

  “I concur,” Xavier allowed. “But there are two more items here. To get all of your possessions, you have proposed a series of matches, where a portion of everything will be returned to you.”

  “Yes, but I’d like it to be kept each time that I win, as more collateral and proof.”

  “You just don�
��t want to feed and house your men while here!” Yuri exclaimed. “I knew you were sucking me!”

  Kendle chuckled at his misuse of American slang. She was sure he’d meant to say suckering. “You’ve seen them,” Kendle joked. “You can imagine the food bills.”

  The masters shared laughs of understanding, except for Renda. She glowered at Kendle in growing hatred.

  “This series of matches would take place in the evenings, as special events to drive up your profits. Citizens will spend all day or even the week blowing their fortunes in the market until each match. Also, I would not request a share of the market revenue until the balance I owe for my possessions is met.”

  Xavier stared thoughtfully, mind spinning with ways they could use such an event to their advantage. “And the last item?”

  “When I win it all, I have safe passage to travel these roads without being attacked again.”

  “You would have to be branded for that,” Renda ground out, thinking she’d love to be the one holding a branding iron to the woman’s already scarred skin.

  Kendle glanced down at her body and back to Renda. “What’s one more?”

  Renda slammed herself against the cage, shaking the men inside who were listening intently. Most buyers were too scared to be branded and refused.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to add?” Xavier asked, very aware of the animosity between the new female and his lover.

  Kendle slid the paper into her pocket. “Yes. When this is all over, I’m going to kill the slave master for the suffering we’ve gone through during our time here. If you’re sleeping with her, I suggest you start searching for a replacement.”

  Kendle left the gymnasium before Renda could shove through her guards to meet her challenge.

  The other masters stared after her in surprise and greed. If the woman could revitalize their failing market, the secret goals they had might still be possible. They’d chosen to wait until they were established, but when the market had begun to slow down in trade and travelers, they hadn’t been able to move forward. Now, that might change. In a few months, the signs might not say ‘Market’ anymore. It might say ‘UN Peacekeeping Force’ and have glittery signs encouraging inhabitants to do their duty, to help save their country by joining. In a few years they would rule it all, as it should have been all along.