by Angela White
“I saw that. Descendants, I assume.”
“Rare gifts. The mother reported being able to observe time passing.”
“I’ve never heard of that. Is it a form of time manipulation?”
“We don’t know and that scares our leaders.”
“Do you want them dead?”
“The SG does. I want their gifts.”
Jarvis wasn’t surprised. He didn’t worry over this being a test of his loyalty. He was able to be hired for multiple purposes. “What’s in it for me?”
“You’re an Invisible?”
“As far as I know.”
“If you’re an Invisible, you can have two life forces from the duplicate powers. It will unlock your gifts.”
Jarvis bowed as deep as he could. “I’ll leave at your command.”
Dirce pointed to a small cave on the map. “The infants are being held by a group of normals with two descendants for protection. One of those is Conner Mitchel. I want him brought in.”
Jarvis added up the bounty on that. “I’ll need hands.”
“Take your pick, but we don’t need witnesses unless they can be trusted.”
“I have names.”
“Good. You’ll go at nightfall so they don’t pick you up on any cameras.”
“I need to prepare. Can I send you a replacement?”
“Yes, but tell him to give me an hour alone. I need to think.”
Jarvis exited the tank, fighting against the stiff wind and layers of snow that had accumulated overnight. He vanished into the blowing snow, eager. He liked his job, but he also felt the need to run and that told him Dirce would fail. He didn’t want to be around when it happened. Dirce had a nasty habit of taking his troops on suicide runs and abandoning them. Jarvis preferred to avoid that and this private mission was a perfect excuse to do so. If he got lucky, Safe Haven would kill Dirce, leaving Jarvis free to return to base as the new leader of the Allied Forces in North America. If Dirce lived, Jarvis would honor their deal and be promoted to second in command. Either way, this run would provide a better future than what he had now. Getting older, Jarvis was tired of being a knife-for-hire. He was ready for something more.
3
“There are refugees alive down there. They were under tarps!”
Scott’s call brought Kendle’s team to the entrance where they took turns glancing through the hole. On the ledges around Safe Haven’s blocked passages, refugees were coming out to forage while the late afternoon sun was out. It was clear that most of the few hundred scattered people were too ill to make it out of the valley.
“They aren’t doing well. We should wait.”
“It’s been three days.” Carl complained from his bedroll. “The levels are almost twice as low as yesterday. The counter manual even says we can stand limited exposure at these rates.”
Kendle studied the tired, sad faces that had endured the last trio of sunrises with her. “We’ll vote.”
There were enough relieved nods that Kendle knew which way it would go. “I say we find out. Half of us.”
“Agreed.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
The vote was close enough that Kendle worried about it causing a fight. She’d already gotten two of them killed. She didn’t want to add to that total.
Tommy gave her a questioning glance.
Kendle straighten her shoulders. “Those who voted yes will leave at dawn. The rest will stay here until the levels are lower or until they decide to find another shelter.” Kendle looked at the twins in Rita’s lap. “You’ll care for them?”
“I’ll get them a good home before I die.” Rita wheezed and then coughed. She still had the cold.
Kendle gestured at the rear of the cave, where they had tarps that kept them warm most of the time. Today’s temperatures had been good enough that they’d all enjoyed having the flap over the cave open for half an hour. “Get some more sleep. Tomorrow will be a hard day.”
4
“Why are we up here, man?” Kevin shivered at the wind and dangerous darkness. The cliff they were on was narrow and slick, with nothing to use for a grip.
“I’m trying to figure out why Safe Haven isn’t answering. I assume there’s a threat around here and I’d like to find it before it finds us.”
Silenced by good sense, Kevin took out his binoculars and began to help Jeff scan the dark, jagged cliffs around the snowy valley that formed an oval between the tall ranges. “Nothing, man. Come on.”
Jeff ignored Kevin’s whining, positive he hadn’t wasted their time by making them scale slick, dangerous cliffs in the dark for three hours. They’d hidden their vehicles and stayed off the radio to be a surprise, but Jeff wanted to know what the threat was. He studied the lands to the south, admiring the glow of the moon… Jeff frowned as he realized the moon wasn’t visible through the clouds. That light had to be coming from the ground.
Kevin spotted it next, because Jeff was staring there. “Whoa. That’s a lot of refugees.”
“Soldiers, I think, but not American.”
“What makes you think that? We can’t view anything from here except lights.”
“Only fighters stay out in weather like this. Or an army on the move and that light is coming closer.”
Kevin was glad when Jeff began their descent, but his relief faded as he realized Jeff was going toward the light and away from their truck. “Are you positive we should do this?”
Tiring of the constant whining and second-guessing, Jeff shook his head. “Nope. You’ll die here. Stay with the truck.”
Embarrassed, Kevin stomped along behind Jeff without responding to the sarcasm.
“Be quieter, will you?”
Kevin tried to silence his steps, but the snow crunched under his boots and echoed through the night. He had no idea why Jeff wasn’t making the same amount of noise.
“Because I try hard. You don’t care anymore.”
Kevin wanted to deny the claim, but he hadn’t thought about Eagle rules or training much. He liked doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.
“And what happens when I’m tired of carrying you?” Jeff faced Kevin in the cold darkness. “I don’t need you. I never have. Either get with my program or get lost.”
Kevin shoved by him. “What do you think the light is from? Campfires or something better?”
Jeff sighed. What an asshole. “Mobile spotlights. I’d assume solar.”
Kevin dropped back to let Jeff retake the lead, mind filled with his threats. Kevin wanted to get with the program and be dependable, but he also wanted to be wild because it was plain easier than living the way Jeff expected them to. After this adventure together, Kevin doubted there would be another. If he didn’t stay in Safe Haven, he would go off on his own where he would be the only one who told him what to do.
5
Kendle edged closer to Tommy’s heat without waking him, unable to sleep longer. The dread was thick in her gut. She had little faith that the inside of that mountain would be any different than the outside.
Sighing, Kendle gave up the fight and rose. She tiptoed through the mass of bodies that kept the cave warm enough to sweat some nights, and took up a place near the flap. She pried open the hole they’d cut and taped for viewing, hoping to view some tiny flicker in the darkness to convince her it was worth the risk. Climbing that mountain would be dangerous, but they also had to locate a way in. She didn’t believe they could do either with the gear they had.
Kendle peered through the hole.
“There’s a light.”
Kendle’s whisper came through as a distorted muffle of sleepy haze.
“Did she say there’s a light?”
“She saw something?”
Eagles flew from warm spots, tugging on jackets and boots.
Kendle stepped aside for Tommy to view, praying that she had observed a light, though she knew that she had.
“Top
of the peak, to the right.” Tommy spun away from the flap. “Someone’s alive in there!”
“Listen!”
Low rumbling echoed, causing everyone to tense.
“Quake?” Carl glanced around as the vibrations continued.
“No.” Kendle had felt plenty of earthquakes while growing up.
“The rocks are sliding.”
Men started to exit the cave, but Tommy threw up a hand. “Coats!”
The team hurried to get into their gear.
Choosing to stay in this time and observe from here, Ramer kept them informed. “The light’s getting brighter… More rocks are shifting… There’s a hole!”
The team went out, sharing the night vision monoculars they had.
“It’s them! They’re digging out!” Tommy handed Kendle his monocular. “They survived!”
“All of them?”
Her toneless question brought the happiness to a halt as they took turns observing the yellow digger clawing through the mountain. As each scoop of earth was brutally plowed aside, the mood grew thicker. They’d had deaths. It was logical that Safe Haven would have suffered the same. Then there was the field of corpses at the foot of the mountain. Who would emerge?
6
The sky lightened as the machinery rumbled, engines ringing across the valley that separated them. The dirt slid faster as two diggers cleared, widening the exit…
The dozers shut off suddenly, leaving an ugly silence. Lights behind the hole became brighter… Four shadows appeared.
“Who is that?”
“I can’t tell with those spotlights glaring, but refuges are climbing up there.”
“That’s half of the council.” Kendle was able to feel them.
“Which half?” Conner was trying to read them.
“Stop.” Kendle waved at Conner. “We don’t know if they’re on alert or not. They might not know we’re here.”
Conner stopped. He hadn’t thought of that, but she was right. Most descendants couldn’t read through the stone or ground, so they might know someone was out here, but not who it was and think it was a threat.
“Switch on a radio.” Tommy, the one with the best night vision monocular, the PVS-14, gestured. “Hurry. I think we’re being signaled.”
“Can you tell who it is yet?”
“No. They’re staying behind the lights. Too much glare for features.”
“Male or female?”
“Both. Two of each.”
“Could be anyone.” She knelt down in the flap, cold.
Ryan switched on his radio so they could listen. As soon as he tuned it to their common channel, they heard the clicking.
“That’s our code.” Ben gestured. “Get a paper.”
It took the team a few minutes to translate the code coming over the radio. It repeated three times before going silent.
Scott, who had gotten the last of it on the final transmission, blew out a sigh of relief. He grinned sheepishly at Tommy. “I’ve gotten rusty.”
Tommy chuckled. “Yeah, we all have. Get that decoded so we can send an answer. They’ll expect it fast if they’re trying to verify who we are.”
Scott and Ben got on it together as they’d done many times on runs.
“It says stay here. Not safe.”
“That’s it?”
“Just to be quiet.”
Kendle sighed as the men around her groaned. “I guess we’re waiting again.”
Tommy motioned people in and re-secured the flap. It was getting cold anyway.
“We got orders in Eagle code.” Ben brought it up as Tommy had the same thought. “I believe we’re the surprise force the bad guys aren’t expecting.”
“Wouldn’t the bad guys have seen us arrive?” Ramer was worried.
“Not if they aren’t here yet.” Tommy was considering all sides.
Kendle scanned her team, thinking they weren’t going to be much of a powerhouse as they were now. Low on food and ammo, out of fuel and missing two men, they were barely surviving themselves.
“She must be desperate if we’re the heroes.” Kendle sighed. “And if Angela’s desperate, magic is needed.” She regarded Conner, who was recovering from his cold. “If we stuff you with energy, can you fight?”
“I’ll fight anyway!” The boy was furious. “That’s my dad in there!” And Candy, he reflected, but wisely didn’t say so.
Kendle swept the Eagles who weren’t tensing as she’d expected. “Can you guys help us get ready to do this?”
Tommy nodded. “We’ve been waiting for you to ask or let us know you needed it.”
“I didn’t so far, but I don’t know what we’re facing here.”
“We don’t mind.” Ben smiled. “Angela sent us cookies after we helped her this way.”
Kendle laughed. “I have a jar of peanut butter stashed in the mountain. Adrian has it.”
“First one to reach Adrian gets to have the burnt ones!”
“No, I want those.” Tommy rose to Ryan’s challenge. “Li always saves them for me.”
“So that’s where the crusts keep going!” Scott’s comment brought fresh laughter.
Kendle joined in their amusement, but her boiling stomach and sweaty spine warned of danger. She had no idea what it was, but the sensation was so ugly that she shivered. Death was coming.
“You okay?” Tommy asked, taking her hand to give her his energy.
“No.” Kendle frowned. “Don’t make any noise. We’re not alone.”
The team hurried to peek through the flap.
Tommy leaned down. “Take what you need.”
Kendle drew hard and fast, heart thumping. The wave of darkness sweeping over her heart was cold and hot at the same time. Her lids shut as the barrier to the future swung open.
“Hey, are–”
“Don’t.” Ben stopped Ramer from touching her. “She’s busy. “
Ramer realized she was using her gift to search and retreated, observing in fascination. They hadn’t viewed signs of her power or Conner’s on this trip.
Kendle released Tommy, standing. “Hang on.” She went to her smaller kit, the one she used the least. In the bottom, she found the book she’d been reading before they’d been carjacked. She flashed the title at them. “Angela sent this with me.”
Tommy began chuckling, as did Ben.
“What?”
“She sent the equipment with us.” Tommy pointed to where their heavier gear was stacked. “There are five rappelling kits in there and a lot of rope.”
Kendle breathed a sigh of relief and then tensed again. “Get the lights out. Something’s coming.”
“Lights went out over there too.” Ben was observing from the flap.
“What’s going on?” Rita was burping one baby while the other slept near her leg.
“Shh…” Kendle concentrated, trying to make them all dim.
Conner, realizing what she was doing, added his power to hers. A brief blue glow went over the cave and then everything went dark.
“Shh… Easy.” Kendle soothed her team. “That’s us. Be still.”
The team waited in stiff silence in the chilly cave.
Kendle heard it first.
Conner tensed a second later. “What is it?”
“Trucks.” Kendle paled. “A lot of trucks…”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Action!
1
The UN rolled into the valley in full force, crushing the dead under their wheels as they forged their own road through the refugee camps. The convoy was so long that the ends kept rolling after Dirce ordered his vehicle to halt. The trucks and tanks rolled through streets and yards without consideration for what stood in their way, UN logo flashing in warning of who they were.
The front vehicle stopped at the bottom of the hill, where the gaping hole in the mountain was obvious.
“We’re screwed.”
Kendle ignored Carl’s comment as they watched the convoy continue to enter the vall
ey, large wheels crushing bones and ice alike. The bodies didn’t make them stop or even pause. She tried to count the troops, but couldn’t. Carl was right. They were screwed.
Kendle winced as a bullhorn began to echo through the darkness.
“Come out with your hands up. We have you surrounded!”
Why does that sound like a cheesy line from an old movie? Kendle listened for a response.
“I repeat, come out with your hands up. You are all being detained.”
“Detained?” Kendle’s brow puckered. “Detained?”
“Dirce.” Rita breathed in a lung of raspy air, clutching the babies. “He’s here.”
Kendle grunted in acceptance of what had to happen next. She released the dim mode for a brief instant so that she could view where everyone was. “If anyone moves, they might die. Please don’t even breathe if you can help it.” Before they could question, she blanketed them in darkness. “Dirce has been here for days. He saw us come out. I think that’s why he’s rolling in now.”
“He sent troops up here?”
Kendle set the book near her feet, wishing she’d been able to use the information in it, but this was going to happen faster than Angela had anticipated.
“What should I do?” Conner joined her. He could see everyone’s heat signature like his dad had once said he would be able to do.
“When I start firing, you do the same and don’t stop until they’re dead.”
“What kind of firing? I don’t have any mags.”
“We’ll be using magic, Conner. We have to kill these roaches, right now, before Safe Haven surrenders to save us. Dirce is telling Angela he’ll blow up this cave.”
“Can he reach here?” Ramer was scared. This cave was a death trap if one of the tanks fired on them.
“I think so.” Tommy had to force himself not to try to view through the shroud of darkness that Kendle had cast over them. “What should we do?”
“Just don’t move.” Kendle was gathering energy to handle whatever was coming. “You’ll be able to see again, but if you get out of place, you’ll screw me up.”