by Angela White
“For now.”
Julia was both relieved and worried over the answer. It gave Marc the power to let them stay and the power to remove them.
“You’ll be allowed to stay while I figure out what I’m doing with you,” Marc informed her gruffly as the boy clung to his jacket. “After that, you’ll abide by the choice I make.”
“I will,” Julia promised.
“Your gratitude will earn you no sympathy when people find out what you’ve done,” Marc warned. “Keep your mouth shut as much as possible and you may get out alive.”
Always near Marc now when he wasn’t scheduled for anything, Billy fell in step. He’d overheard enough to be concerned. Marc wasn’t the type to hide things unless there was a great reason. The woman must be trouble.
“She is,” Marc confirmed. “I want a guard on her. Now.”
Billy vanished to locate the right volunteer for private FND. He didn’t need to be told to keep his mouth shut. He hadn’t been chosen because he was stupid.
Marc took the boy to the medical bay, furious that this had happened. Angela was going to flip out.
“Who is Angela?” Cody asked from against Marc’s chest. He was scanning everyone they saw, but he’d kept the link into Marc’s mind open.
“You’re strong. That’s dangerous here,” Marc told the boy. “Can you control it?”
“Of course,” Cody boasted, halting his explorations to bring down a barrier over his mind.
“Good, boy,” Marc praised automatically. “Try not to let anyone in, okay?”
Cody nodded, glad to have a game to play. The trip here hadn’t been any fun at all.
There was a kind of awed silence as Marc entered the medical bay and sat the child onto the nearest cot.
Cody immediately climbed right back into his arms, much like a monkey.
From the corner, Angela chuckled harshly.
Marc winced. He knew what that tone meant.
“No time for it now,” Adrian cautioned. “We have to shut down the rest of this tomb. The fallout is coming.”
Marc motioned Neil and Jeremy to get the equipment. They’d been doing monthly testing of the levels while out in the open and when they’d first explored these caves. It hadn’t been done since, except for the dosimeters in the air quality cavity.
“The numbers aren’t bad down here yet or Sam would have called you,” Angela stated, leaning against the cold stone next to her cot. She’d insisted on remaining standing.
“We need to test things now,” Marc ordered.
“Just tell Theo’s crew to get on it. They know what to do,” Angela led, grimacing from the cramps in her gut. The traveling hadn’t been good for her, but it had been necessary.
Kenn came through the tunnel, facade unreadable. “There’s a call for the boss.”
Marc sighed. He knew who that was.
“This is my moment still,” Angela declared, pushing resignedly away from the wall. “You close us down. I’ll buy time from Sebastian’s people.”
Angela limped toward the tunnel, brushing by Julia without so much as a glance. She did spare a small smile for Marc’s son, however. It certainly wasn’t the kid’s fault.
“I like her,” Cody whispered, staring with wide eyes. “She’s beautiful–even on the inside.”
Angela felt Julia’s pain and was satisfied for the moment. She had other demons to fry right now, but that snake would be handled.
“The transmission is from the Indians,” Kenn stated as he led her through the corridor toward the radio cubby. Behind them, Marc began calling out orders.
“They’re escorting the Mexicans,” Kenn explained. “They couldn’t stop the army from coming through, but they did manage to negotiate themselves into escorts so they could be here for the fight.”
“There isn’t going to be one,” Angela declared. “Start selling that. No fight, no more massive death if we stay in here. They can’t reach us.”
Relieved, Kenn left her alone in the radio cubby to get the word spreading.
Angela slid into the warm chair with a sigh and a grunt that combined to produce a whimper. She needed to rest. “This is Safe Haven. Go ahead with your message.”
5
Camped in the lobby of the train station that Safe Haven had pretended to want information on, Bryson rubbed his hands over the weak flame of his fire, stewing. Sonja was buried not far from here. He’d dug her grave with his bare hands, enjoying the pain as each fingernail had snapped and ripped off. It was no less than what he deserved for letting his master die. He didn’t eat meat and had been spared, but his minor gifts hadn’t been enough to save his mate.
“We will be at Safe Haven in hours,” the radio crackled lowly. “Our guests are many, and upset.”
“Copy that. Please tell Mikel to kiss my ass.”
Bryson stared in disbelief.
The pause on the other end of the radio implied that person was reacting much the same.
“Did you hear me? Tell him to kiss my American ass.”
“Are you sure that’s the message we should deliver to a very large army searching for vengeance?”
“Yes. You are not to interfere. In fact, it is my wish that you and your people depart these lands before the truce between white and Indian is broken once again.”
Now the pause was longer. Bryson was certain the voices were trying to read each other, as well as between the lines, but he couldn’t figure out a hidden order if there was one.
“Very well. We will leave Safe Haven lands. If you survive this foolishness, we look forward to trading with you.”
“Go in peace, my friends, but do go. Lingering could be detrimental to your health.”
Angela’s words left no room for doubt about her wishes. She wanted the Indians gone and the Mexicans pissed.
Bryson huddled over his fire and tried to figure out why. When he knew Angela’s goals, her motivation, he would be able to destroy her and all she held dear. Unlike those who’d tried before him, Bryson held a strong advantage. He didn’t have anything to lose and his patience was endless.
6
“Are you crazy?” Kenn hissed. He was waiting when Angela emerged.
“I gave you a job to do,” Angela reminded.
“I did it. I told Tonya to tell Hilda.”
Angela smirked. “Yeah, that’ll work. The grape vine seed came from her ancient ass.”
“You riled them up. How will we avoid a battle now?” Kenn demanded lowly, staying with her as she slowly walked toward the stairs to the next level.
“Do you trust me yet, Kenn? Would you tell me your deepest secrets in confidence that they would be protected?”
“No,” he denied slowly. “It’s better between us now, but no.”
“They why do you imagine that I would give you such a pass, when it was your crime that came between us in the first place?”
Effectively silenced, Kenn still stayed with her as she roamed without Marc’s protection. Their newest boss wouldn’t like it if Angela were found wandering alone. Kenn didn’t intend to get back on Marc’s shit list.
Angela smirked, hidden by her hair and lead position. Like you were ever off it.
The witch snickered with her at the private thought. Kenn assumed he’d been forgiven, replaced by the hatred for Adrian, but he couldn’t be more wrong. Marc wasn’t the forgiving type. Kenn’s final reckoning with him, like Adrian’s, would come.
“What can I do to help?” Kenn asked, surprising them both.
Angela paused. “Just stay close. Marc won’t let me out for long.”
Kenn knew that to be true. He could already feel the man wondering if the exchange had gone well.
Angela entered the cafeteria-style room, where a few dozen citizens were enjoying the evening coffee and cookies that Li Sing had made. The little man was a genius when it came to cooking with the wrong ingredients. His Chow Mein with tuna had been a lot better than it sounded.
The mess fell silent as A
ngela was noticed, but she didn’t wait for their thoughts. She gave them what they needed.
“We don’t have to run yet. We are safe here right now. I’ll handle it like I have the other threats that have come. Have faith in me.”
It was enough for most of them. Despite the dangers of the apocalypse, their administrators were doing a great job of keeping people alive and together. This mountain was proof of that. So were her injuries, most of which were not bandaged so the air could reach them now that the danger of infection had passed. The black stitches in her arms glared harshly in the lantern light as she carefully chose a kid’s mug for a cup of strong coffee. It hurt her to lift more than that.
Kenn would have served her, but he knew she wanted the camp to see that she was healing. He clamped down on a protest when she went to a table instead of to the medical bay. The herd needed to be calmed and Marc was busy closing up shop. She had to be here.
Other Eagles in the cafeteria felt the same way. They had been worried over camp reaction, not how Angela had handled the transmission. The Mexicans would learn that Safe Haven was the power in this country.
Angela slid carefully onto the bench next to Shawn, who was helping Missy with math papers. She’d had her first school day and wasn’t happy.
“I know this stuff already,” Missy complained, pushing the paper toward Shawn. “I should be in a higher grade.”
“We don’t let kids skip,” Angela explained, wrapping her hands around the warm cup of coffee. “You may be smarter in those subjects than the kids we’ve placed you with, but they also have things to teach you. Socialization is important. You need friends.”
“Why?” Missy asked, resisting Shawn’s attempts to get ketchup out from under her fingernails. “Sonja always says they’re a weakness.”
“They are,” Angela agreed. “They’re also a source of joy and strength. One balances the other, as with anything else in life.”
Missy’s face scrunched up in concentration. “So it’s worth the risk?”
“The pain,” Angela told her honestly. “It’s worth the pain.”
Shawn wanted to pad that, but with Angela sitting next to him, he wouldn’t.
Angela sighed, resting against Shawn’s big shoulder. “If you don’t want me to tell her the truth, I won’t.”
“Someone else will?” he guessed, shifting a bit so she would be more comfortable.
“Or she’ll be crushed by it because she didn’t know it could happen,” Angela answered, drawing lightly from the strong man.
Shawn didn’t notice, too busy examining the choice before him. When he leaned toward Missy, ready to ask what she wanted, Angela was able to move to her next chore. She slowly stood up, waving him off when Shawn would have helped her. “She’s waiting to hear your next words. Don’t change them.”
Shawn still helped her up, giving Kenn a hard glance as he appeared at her hip.
Kenn ignored the Eagle and everyone else, fingers hovering over his radio. He knew it was coming.
“Where is she?” the radio blared.
“Eating,” Kenn answered evenly.
Angela gave a small grin and continued to the next table with her coffee.
Kenn hurried to the buffet line to make her a tray. He wanted to be able to prove his words. Marc was in charge now and Kenn remembered his time with that grunt as their fire team leader. There had been no room for errors.
Instead of anger, Kenn was pleased to be excited. He’d become a better person while laboring under Corporal Marcus Brady. He was actually looking forward to that happening again.
“Damn weird place we came to,” Kenn muttered good-naturedly. “It can turn a punching bag into a queen and a king into a servant. That’s some magic.”
Chapter Nineteen
Reluctant Bonds
1
More citizens came to the cafeteria, upset over the attack. When they saw Angela and then the wide room of calmly eating and conversing dwellers, they got in line for food or drinks, knowing those already here would fill them in. There clearly wasn’t as much reason to worry as they’d believed upon hearing the radio exchanges.
“May I join you?”
The two Eagles jumped apart, caught conspiring.
Angela limped toward the bench across from them, not hiding her discomfort. The pregnancy jeans and loose blue top didn’t disguise her injuries or her disabilities. Stitches and pink scars gleaming under the florescent lights of the mess declared that she would never be a full Eagle again. Her body wasn’t capable of it, despite being helped by powerful descendants. She was lucky to have survived at all.
Both males immediately got up to assist her, drawn from their fantasies of getting Billy banished.
Angela let them help. She’d used a lot of her strength getting rid of the train people. She hadn’t replenished it all yet.
“I’m sorry,” Jax muttered.
Quinn’s lips thinned into a line, but he didn’t apologize. They hadn’t wronged Angela.
“It is my camp that you were about to upset with your petty jealousy,” Angela corrected under the noise of chattering inhabitants. “I’m not happy about it.”
Quinn would have forced out the required apology, but Angela stopped him, saying, “It’s worthless if you don’t mean it.”
She sighed, hating these moments almost as much as the killing. She liked both of these men. She didn’t enjoy punishing them.
Why are you doing it at all? Adrian asked in her mind. Where is Marc?
Kenn slapped Angela’s tray down in front of her and retreated. It appeared that he’d taken two small bites of her hamburger and a drink of her milk.
“Mustache,” she whispered.
Kenn wiped it on his sleeve and then turned to monitor the mess.
The cafeteria went cold as Marc and his sentries stormed into the area a few seconds later.
Kenn nodded to Marc and vanished; glad to be relieved of the duty and the drama.
“It occurs to me that you’re right,” Angela conceded to the pair waiting for a punishment. “You can tell your new boss what you were planning for his student. Do it now.”
Quinn and Jax angrily did as they were told.
With Marc distracted again, Angela hurriedly ate a few bites and rearranged the remaining food to appear as though she’d eaten more. She would pick on it while she was here, but everything tasted like sawdust.
“These seats taken?”
“Nope.” Angela was glad of the welcome that she was receiving both mentally and physically. She hated disciplining her citizens. She found it impossible to be as hard on them as they needed. Marc had no such qualms, however. He was now shouting silently at Jax and Quinn while the camp went on with their meal, unaware.
The Special Forces team members who didn’t have duty sat down, sandwiching Angela with their approval and protection.
“We weren’t sure how to handle that since Jax and Quinn are both on our teams,” Daryl admitted. “We haven’t dealt with jealousy in their lessons yet, you know?”
Angela nodded, pleasure flowing through her from all the heat. Guys with strong bodies put off a lot of that. It was wonderful when you couldn’t seem to get warm.
“When did it start?” she asked, tearing off a small part of the fresh bread on her tray. It was flat and grainy, made from what baking supplies that remained, but bread was welcome in any edible form.
“When Marc began mentoring Billy openly,” Wade told her. “Other than Billy, the lower ranks still haven’t mastered as much as they needed to. After running sets with the rookies for a few weeks under the new teams, we understand why Marc chose him. Senior men pick up on things like that.”
“Yes, you do,” Angela concurred gratefully.
The mental links she’d encouraged in the Eagles were still being strengthened. Angela was delighted. She’d had too many things on her plate to continue guiding them.
“Do you like the new setup?” she asked curiously.
The
males all snorted or teased her.
“Uh, let’s see,” Wade joked. “You made us the top two teams for all time. What’s not to like about that?”
Angela absorbed their goodwill. She had adored her time with the teams before. She could have that again, with a few limits.
Angela caught sight of Samantha and the soldiers that she’d made friends with during the Donner fight. The leader of those soldiers, David, limped straight to the table that was full of tensing Special Forces men.
“Are you going back to him?” David demanded. The doctor had sent down word that David and Adrian were clear because no one else in their group had tested positive for problems.
Angela swallowed the bite of chilling rice and beans that Kenn had chosen to accompany her burger. It was a healthy choice for a survival situation. She was surprised by it. “Is there a reason why I should?”
David scowled, leaning on the table in front of her. He ignored the two men who bumped back with their shoulders, staying put. “He doesn’t deserve to be down there alone.”
“No,” Angela conceded, letting her words carry. “But the camp voted and I will honor that, always, no matter how much I may not agree. I won’t interfere with the will of the people.”
Furious, David spun around and stomped from the cafeteria.
His soldiers wanted to follow, but Samantha waved them toward the table nearest to Angela and the Eagles. “Have a seat. Let’s talk about my hunting team.”
Torn, the rookies followed their escort. The light of Safe Haven was obviously wearing them down. Samantha had been given the duty of helping them adapt to the rules since they’d been cleared for joining the general population. She was trying to fit it in between shifts over the air quality station.
Jeremy waved at her as he went by; drawing a blush from her and chuckles from witnesses that further dissipated the previous tension.
Citizens continued to come to the mess as word spread about their trouble. Some of them had been slaves in Cesar’s camp, while others had been with Safe Haven while they were being hunted by the ruthless Mexicans. Very few dwellers had been bothered by Angela removing Sebastian and his group before they could become a problem.