by Angela White
“He has a duty too.”
The men chuckled. Everyone liked Dog. Sally, they hadn’t met and no one asked about her.
“I wonder if they’ll run into Billy.”
Tommy glanced at Morgan in confusion. “What happened to Billy?”
“He took off on us, man, as soon as we opened the top cave to collect water. Pulled a gun on Marc and everything.”
Tommy and the team were shocked. When they’d left, Billy was Marc’s understudy, set to become his heir.
“What the hell happened?”
Greg shrugged. “Some people think he had mountain sickness or cracked from so many deaths in the earthquake. He was knocked out for a while. I believe his injury wasn’t healed yet.”
Tommy asked if Billy would be forgiven if he returned.
“Probably, but he’ll have to go through Eagle training again if he really wants to be one of us. We no longer give free rides.”
4
By midnight, the number of people in the mess hadn’t changed much. Kendle’s team couldn’t sleep in the cave. The small amount of time that they had spent in the cavity across from Safe Haven had already been too much. Eager to be on the road, the adrenaline kept them conversing for hours. Glad to have distraction, the other citizens who couldn’t sleep, and the guards who were off-duty, enjoyed listening to the stories and speculating on what Angela would do about Market Town.
Neil and Samantha were also still in the mess, playing cards with the charred deck that Li had always kept here. Neither of them was speaking.
Adrian and Morgan had point duty overnight, with Conner and Zack as support. The small group made continuous rounds of all levels of the cave, including the bottom floor. All of the camp people were settled down now. Those who were staying up had gathered in the mess to keep from disturbing the others. The rest of Safe Haven was on the top floor. Most of the children were in the weapons cubby with Marc, Angela, Mandy and her baby, and a few other adults. Angela had requested Mandy to help her with the babies, since Mandy had milk and Angela didn’t. Mandy had been glad to be able to help.
The last one to fall asleep, Marc swept the crowded room. It felt as if everyone was resting without nightmares for a change. The number of kids in here was almost unbelievable, but Angela had said anyone that wanted to be with her could, so nearly all of the children had chosen to do so. Marc was in the corner, leaning into the wall with Cody asleep on his chest. He was also surrounded by children, their little bodies baking off enough heat to make him sweat. After being outside all day, it was wonderful.
Marc finally allowed sleep to take him, content things were as peaceful as they ever got since the war had blown away his life.
Outside the weapons cubby, sentries were on duty. Ivan had slept most of the evening, as had James and Booth. Fresh on duty and determined to make sure that Angela got to sleep, the guards kept their voices down as they observed the changes in the camp.
“It feels different.”
“They’re tired. They don’t put off as much energy when they’re tired.”
Ivan lifted a brow. “It’ll wear off right? Or they’ll sleep it off?”
Greg shrugged. “I’ve never seen them use this much power at one time. It may take a few days or even a week for them to recover without energy.”
“How do they usually replenish it?”
“It happens naturally, like healing from a cold. When they really need it, people offer theirs.”
Ivan grimaced. “They get energy from us?”
“Yes, but they can’t ask for it. We have to offer.”
The guards who had been in Safe Haven for a while studied Ivan and the other soldiers to discern their reaction to the news.
“That’s why they take such good care of the herd. We’re their food.” Booth’s voice was disgusted.
“I don’t think it works like that.” Ivan batted at a fly. “Even if it does, that’s obviously not all they need from us or we’ll be reclaimed like she did with the UN troops.”
The Eagles were relieved that Ivan had understood, but they observed his companions to make sure that wasn’t going to be a problem. At this point, many people refused to accept magic. It was hard to know that you were someone’s cow.
“We should offer to help.”
The other soldiers studied James, who shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. The government wanted me because I can kill. This is worlds better than that.”
Now that it had been laid out on terms that the soldiers could understand, all of them nodded in agreement.
The Eagles marked the men off their list of people who had to be shielded from magic. It was a relief to know that they would have more hands on duty. After everything that had happened, and all their losses, the Eagles were taking too many hits. Entire teams had been destroyed over the last two months. It would be a long time before they recovered and they needed everyone they could get.
“We will pass it around the rest of the camp, come morning. During the ride, descendants will be encouraged to draw from us.”
The soldiers understood that Greg had just needed to make sure they were okay with it.
The mood improved as the small group of men continued to discuss the plan to help their protectors.
On the bottom levels, however, it wasn’t as calm. Jimmy’s people had begun to crawl out of their holes now that most of Safe Haven was asleep. The voices coming from the mess informed them that there were people awake, however, and Jimmy took a post at the ladder to prevent any of his camp from going up. He understood how close they were to being free of the freaks, but he also understood how on the edge those same freaks were. If his people went up there and started trouble, they wouldn’t come back.
On the level above Jimmy, Adrian stopped at the ladder. If Jimmy got pulled away, Adrian would take his place. Angela needed to sleep and Adrian was determined that this time, she would get to.
Shifting noises behind Adrian made him spin around to locate it. Spotting Candy digging through the rubble like she had for the last few nights, Adrian joined her. “How are you?”
Candy shrugged and then did a stretch. “Better now.”
Adrian didn’t ask the next question that came to mind. Instead of wondering how her feelings for Conner had grown so fast, he pointed toward a rubble pile that hadn’t been touched yet. “Kenn told me what you were searching for. I’m almost certain I saw notebooks while we were digging for survivors. Everyone piled the debris over here before we had a chance to sort it.”
Candy switched piles, hoping to locate Tonya’s notebook. She waited for Adrian to depart, but he didn’t.
Adrian wasn’t positive why he was lingering. He could hear Jimmy at the bottom of the ladder, now arguing with people. He might need to support the doctor, but he stayed with Candy, waiting for whatever he was supposed to do to become clear. This felt important.
“Did Conner put a spell on me?”
Adrian winced. “I don’t know.”
Candy didn’t like the answer. She glared at him.
Adrian shrugged. “Honest. I don’t know.”
“How can I find out?”
Adrian frowned. “Angela will dig into him if you ask her to. I’ll do the same. If he’s hiding something, we’ll know it.”
Candy’s face paled even more. “No, don’t do that.”
Adrian’s scowl grew. “You don’t want to get in trouble. What did you do?”
“I haven’t done anything.”
“Yet?”
Candy flinched at the accurate guess. “I’m thinking about doing something.”
Adrian sensed Conner knew what it was and if he were grilled by Angela, then the boss would know whatever it was Candy was trying to hide. “I’ll tell her about this conversation. You know that.”
Candy nodded. “I just need to know if he put a spell on me.”
Adrian sighed in resignation. “Why don’t you ask him? He’ll tell you the truth.”
“If he’s ar
ound me, he’ll get in trouble, even if it’s my idea.”
“How can you have Stockholm?”
“Because he’s in my brain all the time!” Candy stared in shock. She hadn’t meant to tell anyone that.
Adrian studied her, spotting what she didn’t want Angela to know. Once he finished, Adrian pulled out of her mind. The things he had found weren’t as bad as she believed they were. “Conner and I will be at a table in the mess once the shift is over. Sit down with us and ask your question if you want to. I’ll be scanning him the entire time. We’ll find out together.”
“You’ll protect him if he has?”
Adrian turned toward the ladder. “He’s my son. What else would I do?”
Satisfied, Candy went back to digging in the rubble without telling anyone what was going on. She wouldn’t show up. She didn’t want Conner’s voice in her mind to go away. She liked it.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Stupid People
1
Kyle walked the top floor with tired legs and a relieved mind. The runaways were gone. The first wave of UN fighters had been defeated. Jimmy’s group was cowered on the bottom levels. Most of the camp was asleep, and that included Jennifer and Autumn. They might have a peaceful night.
Kyle froze as a cold chill came down the tunnel. An instant later, a familiar scream split the air and caused his heart to thump in his chest. Jennifer!
Kyle took off running, wincing at the shouts. It was clear to him that Jennifer was having a nightmare, but the noise was going to wake everyone, including the boss.
“He has to get them out of here! They have to leave!”
Jennifer was sitting up in the middle of the room, unaware of other sleepers jumping or trying to shush her. “We have to tell them! They’re all going to die!”
Kyle rushed in and grabbed Jennifer’s shoulders. He gave her a light shake and then a hug. “Jenny!”
Jennifer gasped and cried, words indecipherable.
Kyle paused for the panic to pass, hoping that Angela would understand it was a nightmare.
Not a nightmare! Autumn pushed into her father’s mind. It’s so bad, daddy!
Kyle put a hand on the baby’s legs, trying to comfort both of his females at the same time.
Jennifer continued to sob until Kyle had had enough. He helped her to her feet, motioning Nancy to watch the baby. “Come on. We’ll talk to them right now.”
Jennifer quieted, eager to try to change that future. She followed Kyle into the cold hall, shivering. Kyle helped her down the ladder, nodding at Adrian and the other sentries who had come running. “Nightmare. We’re gonna have a discussion.”
The men understood that Jennifer had foreseen something bad about Jimmy’s group and let them pass. If it’d been anyone other than Angela’s heir, they wouldn’t have.
Disappointed, Kyle took her to the bottom level. He had been hoping the guards would say no. He already knew what Jennifer was about to tell them and he knew how the doctor was going to react, but he led her to Jimmy anyway so that she could try to convince the stubborn man to leave with them.
2
Jimmy listened to the story with no change in sullen expression. He had just gotten his people to sleep when the screams started. He couldn’t wait for Safe Haven to be gone so he could establish a normal camp.
When Jennifer finished speaking, staring at him with tears in her big, brown eyes, he finally spoke. “You said what you wanted to say, now get to your level.”
Jennifer would have kept trying, but Kyle tugged on her good arm. “We’ve overstayed our welcome. Let’s go.”
Jennifer’s heart broke. “I can’t believe you’re gonna sacrifice all of these souls because you’re scared.”
Jimmy’s hand went to his pocket. “You have five seconds to get out of here.”
Kyle spun around. He didn’t need Jennifer’s gift to know what was about to happen. “Draw the gun. I dare you.”
Kenn and Tonya had both told all of the guards that Jimmy was armed.
Jimmy paled. “You have to go!”
Kyle nudged her toward the ladder. “We’re leaving.”
Jennifer went up slowly, fighting tears and anger. “Why won’t they listen?! They know I’m not lying!”
Kyle waited for her to reach the next floor and then spent a minute to comfort her. He knew his arms weren’t much in comparison to all the lives that were going to be lost, but it was all he had to offer. “Human nature doesn’t always do what’s best. I know that doesn’t make it any easier.”
“You wouldn’t believe the things that are gonna happen here when we leave.”
“Yes, I would. That’s why we’re leaving.” Kyle herded her toward the next ladder. “Let’s make sure Autumn is okay.”
Distracted, Jennifer went. “I’m sorry for the screams.”
Kyle shrugged. “It’s been a common sound in this place, honey. You just added yours to the mix.”
Jimmy’s people returned to what they’d been doing. Roughly three dozen of them were moving about, all wearing extra layers of clothes and carrying a weapon of some sort. None of them had guns, as Angela hadn’t given them any, but that didn’t mean there weren’t bats, poles, knives, and other dangerous objects lying around that could be used for defense or offense. They carried these weapons in their hands as they came out of their shacks and tents, verifying that the Safe Haven people were back on the top levels.
Weapons were stored in belts and pockets, but the twitching didn’t stop as a few dozen began to scavenge, while some stood around the ladders and tunnel entrances. All of them made use of the bathroom, making noises and smells that echoed through the cave.
The sentry on point observed these people as they came out of their holes, hoping none of them climbed up the ladders further than the crushed level. That was the only place where the camps were still having contact, though most of it had been peaceful because everyone had been busy grabbing anything they could use.
Quinn stared down the ladder. He had strict orders not to disturb Jimmy’s people, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t supposed to listen to them. As he heard their angry conversations and watched them scurry back-and-forth, Quinn suddenly felt sorry for them. Unable to accept their own lack of magic, they had chosen to hate it instead. It was sad.
Quinn did a fast walk of the crushed level, trying not to gag at the smells. Animal bodies, and parts of them, were still buried under the rubble. The slaughter site was also putting off smells that were unpleasant and Quinn didn’t pause in any of the areas after a quick sweep with this flashlight. He climbed to the next level, breathing in deeply of the draft. He hoped it would settle his stomach.
Quinn paused as two shadows approached each other near the passage to the mess. The guard waited, listening.
Adrian and Conner exchanged a hearty hug that allowed the sentries to relax a little. No one had known what type of reception the father and son would have for the other.
“You look good.” Adrian hugged Conner again. “Welcome back!”
Conner hugged his father, filled with pride and a wave of loyalty that he enjoyed. Only his dad could cause that sensation. “It’s good to be here.”
Adrian caught flashes of Conner’s adventure and wished there was time to explore some of them.
“Angela said you need to talk to me.”
Adrian felt the temperature drop as he regarded his son. This wasn’t how he wanted to welcome Conner back, but it couldn’t wait.
Conner knew what was coming. Now that he was here in the cave, he was catching every thought that went through Candy’s mind. “I didn’t. I might have before I left, but I didn’t need to and now, I wouldn’t.”
“I’ll let her know.”
Conner shrugged. “She already knows, but you do whatever your idol wants you to.”
Adrian scowled. “I’m not doing it for her or for the camp. You know that, right?”
“How is it for me? All it does is show that you didn’t t
rust me.”
“You admitted that you might have done it before you left. I don’t have reason to trust you. Neither does she.”
Conner’s good mood fell. “I understand.”
Adrian was proud of the boy for accepting his scold without a rebellious tirade in return. He changed the subject. “How are Becky and Seth?”
Distracted, Conner frowned. “Different, it was as if they were worried about something and didn’t want to tell anyone. We were surprised when they took off.”
Adrian listened as Conner explained how they had woken to discover the couple gone. As Conner repeated the note, Adrian sighed. “Doug’s group will help them. We’ll have to hope that’s enough.”
Conner knew that his dad still felt guilty for what had happened to Becky, but he didn’t know what to say that might make the man feel better. So, he switched the subject. “Have you made any progress?”
Adrian knew what he was referring to. “Yes, actually. I’ll tell you about it later, when I’ve had time to think it all out myself.”
Conner had picked stuff up from the guards as Marc and Adrian walked the battlefield. “I hear you guys have a truce.”
“And it was his idea. I’m very confused.”
“You seem happier.”
Adrian’s expression lightened. “Do I? That’s good. I am.”
Conner assumed Adrian had been able to spend time with Angela. It gave the boy hope for his future endeavors with Candy.
Topic coming full circle, Adrian faced it. “You can’t make one single move. She has to do it all.”
Conner already knew. “That’s what I’ve been working on all this time.”
Adrian snickered. “Like father, like son.”
3
Good morning.
Angela smiled, stretching as she woke. And the same to you.
Angela didn’t want to be disrespectful to the man sleeping a few feet away from her, but this might be the last time she had the opportunity and she chose to take it. When she’d told Marc a month ago that she no longer had rules and limits to follow when it came to who she spent time with, she had meant in every way–even mentally.