by Angela White
Kyle knew that, but it didn’t make it any easier. She was going to be in danger all the time. “I wanted her to say no.”
Kenn snorted. “Like we said no to Adrian?”
Kyle stomped towards the ladder. “I can’t wait to be out of this shit hole.”
That, Kenn agreed with completely. “Coffee or rounds? They have us as top bananas for the overnight shift.”
“Coffee… What about Adrian?”
“He stayed up and provided guard duty for the boss.”
“Okay. Coffee and updates. This shit you brought me is too weak.”
“Marc gave the majority of our staples to the Mountaineers.”
Grumpy, Kyle didn’t acknowledge that. He slid down the ladder using his hands, pretending the splinters he got didn’t hurt. In a mood like this, he didn’t care about small punctures. What he needed was a release that he couldn’t get while they were trapped in this mountain. He had to control the wild side of himself.
In that moment, Kenn bonded with the monster against his will. “I was thinking we should do some training, once everybody is settled down.”
“What type of training?” Kyle ignored the disappointed annoyance of the sentries who were glaring at him for his bad attitude.
“Hostage rescue without gunfire.”
Kyle nodded. “Add that to our list. We’ll be making rounds of corridors that don’t have guards. I want to be able to tell Angela we have full perimeter security when she gets up.”
“Deal.”
They got coffee and settled at a small table in the far corner to finish waking and to observe the people around them. Dinner was over, but folks had felt comfortable enough to linger for weak coffee and soothing conversation. Since the quake, it was harder to get to sleep.
“Jennifer’s messages for you.” Kenn handed them over. “I assumed you’d want them first.”
Kyle read the short message at the top with a snort.
Please don’t be mad. It’s my duty.
Kyle loved that about her, but it was also something he was coming to hate. He read the next note and then the three lines after it, frowning more at each one. Jennifer had convinced several people to remain with Safe Haven, at least until they were out of the cave and away from this mountain, but she had also discovered a thief and a possible traitor–both in the Mountaineers. Those residents had been wounded and not evaluated by descendants because they hadn’t been capable of posing a threat. With a few more days of healing, that would no longer be true, but those citizens hadn’t been vetted.
“I’ll handle it during shift change. Next?”
Kenn and Kyle got through the updates in record time, both listening to the noises of the cave fading into sleep. For Kenn, this was the best part of the day. For Kyle, it was the worst. Bonded by their women and their differences, not a single insult was exchanged during the update.
As they finished and stood up to make their first round of the guards, Kenn regarded Kyle. “I’m glad you guys are going with us. We would have missed you.”
Surprised into a better mood, Kyle shrugged. “Maybe in time I’ll be able to say the same about you.”
It was as close to peace as they had gotten and Kenn accepted it gratefully. It was more than he’d ever expected.
“Why is everyone so quiet?” Kyle checked his watch. “It’s barely bed time.”
Kenn handed Kyle another paper. “Hard work. We got most of the remaining debris piles sorted today.
“Yeah, I guess.” Kyle read the note.
Light dose of sleeping medicine.
Kyle didn’t like that, but he understood the need for it. He handed the paper back and gestured. Everyone?
Kenn glanced toward the yawning folks in the far corner of the mess. Just the Runaways.
That told Kyle there had been trouble while he slept.
“Marc disarmed them and arrested their new leader, Dylan. They’re afraid to pick a new one.”
Kyle snorted. “Yeah, I’ll bet. What else?”
“She ordered the supplies split up. Everyone was unhappy with the amounts. Repairs have been halted.”
Kyle lifted a brow.
Kenn handed the paper back again. Jennifer’s prediction.
Kyle read the rest of it this time.
Watch Candy and Dale.
An unvetted sentry has duty over the boss right now.
The water stopped again.
Kyle shoved the paper into his pocket and stomped toward the ladder. “Who put an unvetted guard over the boss?”
“The boss.”
“Any idea why?”
“Marc thinks as bait. He yelled at her for it.”
“I’m certain that worked.”
“Yeah, well, they weren’t yelling afterwards, so I assume she distracted him.”
Kyle’s lips twitched. Marc had been without for a while. That would succeed.
The other females will try the same thing.
Kyle shrugged at Kenn’s silent observation. We need babies, right?
Kenn grinned, thinking of his coming parenthood years. “We say that now.”
Kyle chuckled, unable to hold the bad mood he’d woken in. “Come on. Let’s play with the mouse she put in the hall.”
“You want good or bad?”
“Let’s use Eagle lessons. If he’s not bad, then he’s one of us or she wouldn’t have put him on her detail.”
“Makes sense to me. Bring him in and get him to confide?”
“For now. Let’s feel him out.” Kyle was used to operating on instinct, whereas Kenn preferred to plan every detail. It had created hard moments when they were forced to labor together, but when they were on the same page, it was sweet.
With the groups segregated, port-o-lets had been put up on each level and the smells were awful. Coughs and snores echoed through the filth, as well as gasps and moans of souls having nightmares. It wasn’t peaceful, but it was calm enough for Kyle to breathe a sigh of relief. He’d expected things to be much worse when he woke.
As they went by the sleeping kids, Kyle made eye contact with the guard. Jennifer and Autumn were in a rear corner. Kyle nodded to Greg to show the man that he had support. Kyle hadn’t worried about Greg for an instant in the entire time they’d been dealing with assassins and traitors in their ranks.
Greg returned the gesture, working hard to earn back the respect he felt he’d lost. Greg had chosen to become so useful to Safe Haven that his loyalty could never again be doubted. He took out his notebook.
Kyle continued toward the weapons room. He had no problem with Greg on duty there. He just wanted to be the one doing it.
In the passage, Stanley and Shawn were curled up in sleeping bags. Kyle didn’t wake them. He was glad to see Shawn, but the clumsy kid next to him wasn’t dependable in a fight. Stanley had spent two days carrying water and spilling half of it. No one was happy with him. Before he’d crashed, Kyle had reassigned the clumsy boy to helping with the kids. If he couldn’t do that, he would be taken from the rookie Eagles and placed onto the list of camp members.
As they neared the next post, Kyle saw that all the soldiers were together. David, leg bandaged, was sleeping next to Peter and James. Booth and Ivan were standing near the makeshift barrier, with Morgan in a far corner, watching them all.
Kyle joined Morgan while Kenn checked in with Ivan.
“Anything I should know?”
Morgan yawned. “They like pussy and they hate this mountain–same as the rest of us.”
Kyle snickered. Babysitting duty was boring when the target was innocent. “Shift change in half an hour.”
That brought smiles to all the men.
Kyle nodded to Ivan, no longer worried over him being here. Morgan would shoot him if there were a problem.
Kenn took the paper Ivan handed him, digging into the man’s mind. Kenn didn’t think there was a problem, but he’d heard about Ivan’s challenge concerning Angela and he was curious if the man had altered his opinion
yet.
Spotting nothing, Kenn withdrew and headed for the tunnel. “She’ll come out in a minute because she felt us out here. We’re just doing rounds. No problems, nothing new.”
Ivan didn’t tell Kenn he doubted Marc or Angela would come out until morning. They’d both labored all day and then had sex. After that, anyone would be knocked–
The door behind him opened a crack. “Update me.”
Ivan grinned, impressed. “No problems, nothing new.”
“Rounds?”
“Yeah. Kenn and your other guy–the mobster.”
“Kyle.”
Angela shut the door and returned to Marc’s arms.
Ivan looked at Morgan. “She always like this?”
Morgan nodded. “Yep.”
“Good. It’s kinda nice to have a leader who hears everything, you know?”
“Not like that in government work?”
“Not even close.” Ivan stopped talking and went back to observing.
Morgan checked the man off his mental list. It was always hard to tell, but Ivan had the right answers and attitude for a good guy who wanted to become a hero. Morgan recognized it because that’s how he’d been when he joined Adrian’s army. The need to serve hadn’t faded even though the camp had switched leaders and locations. Morgan understood these souls carried as much magic as their leaders. Together, they were an immune system that an infection couldn’t fight.
Kyle retrieved the paper from his pocket and read the next set of notes that Kenn had prepared.
Our new jail is on the bottom level.
Missa and Joseph have joined Jimmy’s group.
Morning viewing of the outside feed is setup in the mess.
Kyle sighed, going to the bottom level to check on their prisoners. He didn’t know what Marc planned to do with the men, but Kyle doubted they would be let go. The days of second chances in Safe Haven were about over.
Kyle found the prisoners in the tarped area where Samantha and Neil had been, all three sleeping heavily.
Kyle caught Kenn’s motion. Sedated.
Kyle swept the short row of wounded and then the cots nearby where the doctor and his students were snoring and shifting restlessly. They had a lot of cuts and bruises throughout the camp, along with burns and rashes. Down here were broken bones and impalements. None of these people were healing as fast as Samantha had, but they hadn’t received an energy blast from Angela and Cody.
Kyle spotted Joseph and Missa curled up back-to-back by the storage room where Jennifer had been stashed. The nuns from Sarah’s group were next to them and Kyle wondered if Missa and Joseph shared their views on descendant children being devils. None of the religious population was coming with them, something that had shocked Kyle. Didn’t they know the magic came from God, that the descendants came from Christ? He assumed their fear wouldn’t allow them to accept that, but he had no doubt that when Safe Haven departed, those same folks would claim to have been touched by angels. As they died, they would curse those same angels.
Kyle gave the two guards down here a hard stare that said to stay alert, then went up the ladder to make sure things were calm on the level that had been crushed. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone there right now, but he was positive he’d heard digging noises as they’d come down.
Spotting a female shadow, Kyle gestured Kenn to it. I’m not awake enough for this one.
Kenn grimaced, but didn’t argue. He didn’t know what to say to Candy. He had no idea where she fit into Angela’s plans.
Candy gave him a huge smile. “Good morning!”
“It’s not even midnight yet.” Kenn swept the area and noticed she was creating new piles and sorting. “Who told you to do this now?”
“Conner.”
“Conner?”
Candy nodded, sitting on a broken stool. “I had a dream. We talked. When I woke up, I felt better.”
The mountain sickness is getting a hold on her again. Kenn sighed. “Maybe we should speak to Jimmy.”
Candy pointed at a nearby pile. “I need to get that cleared. I’m going slow so that I don’t get hurt or wake anyone up. Besides, you told me to do this if I could.”
Kenn spotted the small case that Tonya had kept with her in the lab. He regarded Candy in suspicion. “What’s going on?”
“Conner said I need a friend.” Candy scanned the messy piles and gloomy shadows. “He’s right. I like Tonya. If I find something she wants, she might be willing to give me a chance.”
Kenn went over and began clearing the rest of the heavier rocks and debris from atop the dented case so Candy wouldn’t try it in her condition. “Did he say anything else or have a message for us?”
“Oh, no. He wasn’t supposed to break silence and call in.” She blushed. “He was worried about me.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing.” Candy smiled. “I yelled at him for breaking the rules. Man, if that hadn’t been a dream, he’d be mad at me.”
She is still sick. Kenn wasn’t sure what to do, so he chose to be honest. “Isn’t it weird to be bonding with your stalker?”
Candy’s smile fell into anger. “He’s a lost kid who needs some help. Why do you have to be so mean?”
Kenn wiped away sweat. “People will view it that way.”
“Conner is a hero now. He proved himself on that trip. When he comes here, he’ll–”
“Still be Adrian’s son.” Kenn tugged the case loose and set it by Candy’s feet. “I don’t have a problem with Conner. Neither does Tonya, as far as I know.”
Candy swiveled around to watch him walk away, mind clearing for a moment. “You’re good now.”
Kenn nodded. “I’m trying.”
“Me too. I miss the old Safe Haven.”
Kenn paused. Me too. “She had a notebook with the case. If you locate it, you’re guaranteed a chance to be friends.”
Candy beamed.
Kenn joined Kyle near the ladder.
“Problem?”
“Not yet.” Kenn filled Kyle in as they went to the next level. He wanted to use his gift to send the thoughts, but Angela had outlawed magic use and that meant him too.
Kyle grunted, filing the information. “We’ll keep an eye on things, but it appears we may have been wrong about him.”
“You think?”
“Maybe. He’s like any other teenager peeping through holes. We all did it.”
Kenn laughed. “And then some.”
“We’ll see what Kendle says when she returns.”
“Agreed. Let’s get this level cleared and handle Jimmy’s three problems.”
“You want to do our prisoners at the same time?”
“Can we make it genuine?”
“I don’t see why not, but even if we can’t, does it matter? They all believe we’re evil now.”
“Are we?”
“It’s much too soon to tell.”
Candy got up and began digging again. She hadn’t told Kenn there had already been a lot of papers and notebooks dug out. Cynthia had gathered many of them while she labored here today. One of them had been the petition.
Descendants are dangerous. Please join me in signing the back of this page. It is a petition, asking that the things discussed in this paper be added to the next mandatory camp meeting.
Candy thought about those words and about how ugly it was in the cave now. Cynthia’s views had gone public, and then the quake had come and ripped them all apart. It was easy for citizens to believe the two were connected. When Candy had asked Conner about it, the boy hadn’t been able to give her an answer that made sense.
Sometimes fate provides an opportunity, but at the same time, it also provides a trap. Angela caught both of them where almost no one else could have. Serve her if you can. She’s the alpha now.
Candy was trying, but the hole in her heart where Lee had been was screaming. It had been months, but she missed him. That wouldn’t change and it made it hard to view anything else without p
ain clouding her judgment. The only light she saw now was in a teenage boy who was probably hundreds of miles from here and not thinking about her at all.
I think about you constantly.
Candy smiled as Conner’s warm hand settled onto her shoulder. I know I’m imagining these moments, but thank you anyway.
For what?
For wanting me. No one else does.
That’ll change once they watch you grow with life and realize Lee was honored. The wives and girlfriends are always cared for.
We haven’t been since Angela took over.
She doesn’t know the code. My dad will teach her. There were a lot of other things that had to come first.
Shouldn’t he have tried to pass it to you?
Never. I’ve disgraced myself. I’ll never be a leader.
You could be an Eagle.
I am an Eagle, Candy. Things have changed.
Candy felt the hand withdraw and shivered at the drafty replacement of nothing, of being in a cold corridor that stank and cried with the ghosts of the dead.
“I’ve always been alone, really.” Candy resumed digging. “I’m different. That’s okay as long as someone needs me.”
“You could come with us.”
Candy didn’t look at Jamie, who was staying with the Runaways. “No, thank you.”
“You believe her about us all dying out there without Safe Haven?”
“What I believe doesn’t matter.” Cynthia tossed a crushed bottle lid onto the pile, wincing at the noise even though she’d done it to draw a sentry in case Jamie got violent. She didn’t know him. “I’ll be able to touch that island, to grow food and raise herds, and I’ll always be safe because I can see my enemies coming and be ready before they even make it to shore. You can’t offer me that anywhere on American soil. I’m an Islander. I can’t be converted.”
Jamie knelt down to help dig through the pile, determined to try anyway. “You’re not like them. You belong with your own kind.”
Candy thought of Conner. He was more like her than anyone she’d ever known. “Simon was arrested for harassing women and trying to force them to stay. I’ve refused. Accept it.”
Jamie looked up as Kenn and Kyle appeared in the tunnel. Both guards had their arms over their chests, scowling at him.