Fire From The Sky | Book 11 | Ashes

by Reed, N. C.

  “Probably about us,” Freda said, her voice indicating what she thought the topic of their conversation would run to.

  “Not those two,” Talia said at once, shaking her head. “Not like that, anyway. If they are talking about us, and I’d say they are, they’re talking about what to do with us. Or else just what to call us,” she added with a little laugh.

  “What makes you think they aren’t just looking at us like those others did?” Freda challenged.

  “They aren’t like those others,” Talia replied evenly. “Neither are the guys stationed here now. None of them are. That sergeant of theirs looks like he could eat glass. I promise you none of them will ever get out of line so long as he’s around.”

  “You talk as if you’re sure none of the guys on the farm will get out of line already,” Freda snorted. “There’s no guarantee of that.”

  “Yeah, because they gave you that rifle to make it more challenging,” Kim shot right back. “Give it a rest, Freda. Yeah, there are bad people in the world. Some closer than others. Those guys in uniform that you’re so disdainful of? Been fighting the bad since almost day one of all this. The guys on this farm have been, too. Wasn’t for them, we’d all be in a world of misery about now. You might want to keep that in mind when you start bad mouthing them.”

  “You’re just sweet on that ball player is why you’re saying that,” Freda snapped. Kim’s face turned red but before she could reply, Danica Bennet spoke up.

  “You need to get a grip or else go home, Freda,” her voice was flat and cold. “First off, it doesn’t matter and ain’t a damned bit of your business who Kim may or may not be sweet on. Second, every single man on this farm has been nothing but polite to all of us since we got here. Third, I haven’t seen you turn down a single meal or suit of clothes they’ve given you. You got a hell of a nerve to even insinuate that anyone on this farm is less than they appear. You’d do well to remember where you were when they found you.”

  “No shit,” Jena Waller was nodding emphatically. “Remember that it was only four of them who snuck into town to get us, and that was after a hell of a shootout right here on this farm just hours earlier. They could have left us where we were and been justified in doing it.”

  “They did talk about it,” Talia nodded.

  “See?” Freda seized on that.

  “See what?” Jena demanded. “See that they had lost six people, one of them killed, defending their homes and families? See that they had no idea what they’d find in Peabody, assuming they could get there? See that they didn’t owe us jack-shit nothing? I can see a lot of things, Freda. Including an ungrateful and disrespectful-,”

  “Hold on, hold on!” Talia raised a hand as she cut the younger woman off before she could hurl an insult. “Freda, what is really in your craw?” she demanded. “You haven’t said anything like this until today, of all days. What has set you off like this, and especially on our benefactors?”

  “Nothing,” Freda muttered, looking at the ground. “All of you…none of you see it.”

  “See what?” Talia demanded. “If you see something we don’t then point it out. Don’t just stand there and mumble. If there really is a threat, then you need to share it.”

  “They’re men,” Freda almost spat. “It’s all they think about.”

  “Oh, boy,” Kim murmured.

  “I need a witness,” Talia said suddenly, looking around her. “Jena, I need you to come with me,” she chose randomly.

  “Where?” Jena asked. “Witness to what?”

  “Just trust me, please, and come with me,” Talia shook her head as she started walking away. “We’ll be back in a minute. Stay right here,” she told the rest over her shoulder.

  -

  “Did I say Amazon too loud?” Clay asked suddenly, cutting Jose off.

  “What? Why?” his friend turned to look at him, then followed his gaze. “Oh.”

  “I didn’t, did I?” Clay asked, turning to look at Jose.

  “I barely heard it myself,” Jose shook his head. “I got nothin’,” he admitted as Talia Gray and the Waller girl, he couldn’t remember her first name, walked up.

  “I need you to do us a favor,” Talia said without preamble.

  “Uh, I’ll try,” Clay promised. “Depends on what it is.”

  “I just need you to settle an argument for us. A disagreement more than an argument, I suppose,” Talia assured him. “We saw you looking at us a few minutes ago, and the conversation turned to what you were talking about. I said you were either considering what to do with us, or how to refer to us. Someone else had another idea, which we’ll just keep to ourselves. So, what was it? Assuming we were right, and you were talking about us.”

  “Well, actually, you’re right,” Clay told her. “Mostly right, anyway. We were talking about all of you, really, rather than just you five. I keep thinking of you, as a group I mean, as the ‘Amazon Squad’. It was a name that got tossed around when you first started training and it sort of stuck. We’ve not used it since it might seem disrespectful, but I still think of it because, honestly, it just stuck in my head like that. So, when I saw you standing over there among the group that’s been talking with some of the Guardsmen, I thought of you as a group using ‘Amazon Squad’, which led me to say out loud that I had to quit doing that. Jose asked what I meant, and I told him.”

  “He didn’t want to say it where you could hear it, assume it was a diss, and make you angry,” Jose added. “Said you had all worked too hard for that.”

  “True,” Clay nodded. “So, anyway, you were right, for the most part. It was you five that made me think of it, but I was thinking of the group. No offense meant or anything,” he shrugged carefully. “It really is just something that stuck in my head.”

  “I don’t think I mind that, actually,” Jena said, having forgotten her role was to observe. “I kind of like it.”

  “I kind of do, too,” Talia nodded. “Well, thanks for settling an argument for us,” she smiled. The two moved away, talking among themselves.

  “Well,” Clay watched them go before turning to Jose. “Busted? I guess?”

  “I think something else is going on besides this,” Jose shook his head, eyes calculating. “If I had to guess, which I do, I’m going to say that one of the other three is suspicious of us, all of us men I mean, mostly due to her bad experience before. We sort of expected that as far as having the Guard contingent here, but maybe one or two of them are concerned about the rest of us?”

  “Could be,” Clay agreed. “But no one I know of on this ranch would say a word out of line, let alone do anything. And if they have, not a word of it has reached me. If you’re right, then it’s just someone soured on men in general. I really can understand that being the case, considering all they went through.”

  “True that,” Jose raised his glass. “We’ll see what happens now.”

  -

  “What did you do?” Kim asked as a grinning Talia and openly smiling Jena returned.

  “I went to the source and asked them, flat out, what they were talking about,” Talia replied. “I was mostly right, it turns out,” she smiled coldly at Freda. “They were talking about us. First of all, that we would be over here having anything to do with the Guard soldiers, and second of all,” she giggled, “the fact that some of them have referred to us as the ‘Amazon Squad’.”

  “Seriously?” Danica asked, her face showing her shock. “Amazons?”

  “Seriously,” Jena nodded, smiling broadly. “Clay thought of us as a group using that term, but then remarked to Jose that he had to try and stop thinking of us like that because he was afraid he’d say it aloud and some of us would get angry. He felt we had all worked too hard to hear something we might find insulting,” she glared at Freda when she said the last part.

  “Jose backed him up without prompting,” Talia nodded. “That’s what they were talking about when they were looking over here at us.”

  “Well. How about that
?” Kim all but smirked. “Sounds like someone needs to be hunting up a little crow for supper,” she told Freda. “I kinda like that Amazon tag, by the way,” she turned her attention back to Talia. “Just, you know, for size and what not.”

  “We kind of do too,” Talia laughed. “I certainly don’t take offense to being compared to badass warrior women. That would tickle Amanda plumb pink, wouldn’t it?”

  All but Freda laughed at that, while she continued to scowl.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Zach had drawn the short straw on patrol, or in this case, the long straw as it were, being assigned the ‘round the world’ check as they often called it. He would use an electric cart to ride the entire perimeter of the farm, looking for any signs that they had been visited.

  As he rode along, his thoughts returned to Kim Powers. Not just to her, but to what she had said. She was looking for something more than just a physical relationship, and Zach wasn’t sure he was able to do that. Wasn’t sure he was capable of it, in truth. Sure, he could pretend, at least for a while, but he wouldn’t do that to anyone, let alone someone like Kimmy, who had been completely upfront with what she wanted.

  He was attracted to her of course. No girl made four years as high school cheerleader without being attractive. She was almost as tall as he was and athletic to the core. There was nothing about her that he knew of not to like. But like was a lot different from what she was looking for. What she was wanting. And he honestly didn’t know if he could do that.

  It took almost his entire watch to make his round of the ranch, finding nothing out of place or any indication that trouble was lurking about them. As he neared the Troy farm headquarters, he had decided that all he could do was be as honest with her as she had been with him. After that, whatever happened, happened.

  -

  Zach grabbed himself a sandwich from the table of food in Building Two before venturing out into the front where the main festivities were taking place. He had ridden by them on his way in but had not stopped, returning the cart to the charger first. He had contemplated returning his gear to the Bunkhouse but eventually decided against it. He might need it to be close by, so he stored everything but his side-arm and rifle in the room across from Operations that was used by the Response watch.

  Eating as he walked outside, he ambled in the direction of the huge teepee of wood that had been erected in the center of the field before Building Two; a bonfire for later in the evening. He could see people playing horseshoes, lawn darts, cornhole and various other outdoor yard games, all seeming to be enjoying themselves. Music was playing farther over toward the Troy House, with a few people even dancing. Kids were running and playing under several sets of watchful eyes, though colder temperatures and two heavy frosts should have put the snake threat to bed for good this year.

  Truthfully, Zach was surprised they were doing this at all. While it wasn’t frigid by any means, it was definitely on the cooler side, with the temperature not quite reaching sixty even at sun high. Thankfully, there was no wind, so the cool temperature wasn’t quite so bad as it might have been, otherwise.

  He had just caught sight of Gordy and the rest lining up for the cornhole tournament when he felt someone grab his arm. Stopping himself from reacting for a second, instead he simply looked to his right to find Kim Powers latched onto his right arm, smiling.

  “Hiya,” she waved comically, and he had to laugh a little.

  “Hi, yourself,” he replied. “Having a good time?”

  “More than less,” she nodded with only a slight frown. She explained their earlier problem, wondering what his reaction would be. To her surprise, he merely shrugged.

  “Everyone reacts to stuff differently,” he told her. “That may be her way of dealing. Or it could be her natural disposition. I don’t know her, so I can’t really say. It’s not my business either way.”

  It was a much more mature answer than she had expected, and it caught her by surprise. He either missed that or ignored it in favor of finishing his sandwich. He noticed her appraising him and raised an eyebrow at her even as he lifted his water bottle to wash down the last of his late lunch.

  “What?” he asked her as he put the bottle away. “I got something on my face?” he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, which for some reason made her laugh.

  “No, you don’t,” she promised him. “I was just surprised at your reaction to Freda’s issues, I guess. I honestly assumed you might take offense, or even get angry.”

  “Take more than that to do either,” he shook his head slowly. “I can see where you might think it, though.”

  “Did you think about what I said?” she changed the subject to what she really wanted to talk about, leaning into his arm as she did.

  “Yeah, I did,” Zach nodded, looking at the ground in front of them as they walked. “You were honest with me, so I’ll be honest with you. I think you’re hotter than a July afternoon, to be honest, and any man who doesn’t find you attractive can’t be looking at you.” He wasn’t looking at her so missed a furious blush at his country boy compliments.

  “You want something that I don’t know if I can give you,” he dampened that reaction almost at once. “It’s not that I don’t like you, because I do, and I already just said I was attracted to you. But you’re wanting an emotional commitment, or at least that’s what it sounded like. Yeah?” He looked up at her, waiting.

  “I hadn’t thought of it as an emotional commitment,” she admitted, clearly mulling over what he had said, and what she had said to him earlier. “I suppose, long term, that would be right, though. But what I meant was a little simpler, to be honest. I meant that I wasn’t just looking for a quick tumble like some might be, and then go our own way. I know cheerleaders get a bad rap sometimes, but I am not that kind of girl.”

  “Never heard anything like that about you when we were in school,” Zach shook his head. “Not even from jealous girls.”

  “Well, that’s something, anyway,” she laughed lightly. “I meant that I want to try and get to know you better, and to see if there is some a connection we can build on. We might find out we can’t stand each other, you know,” she reminded him.

  “That is true,” he nodded. “And I had thought of that, as a matter of fact. The thing you need to understand, though, is that I’m maybe not-,”

  She stopped him with a hand gently covering his mouth. He looked at her with one raised eyebrow, waiting.

  “Why not let me learn what you are, or aren’t, as we go?” she said quietly. “I’ll do the same for you. We can form our own opinions of one another based on what we learn. All I ask, and offer in return, is not to lie. Whatever is, just is. So far as I’m concerned at this point, a lie would be the only deal breaker, other than you are seeing someone else. If you want to go another route, all I ask is that you tell me to my face instead of me having to hear it through the grapevine. I promise you the same in return.”

  “I can work with that,” Zach promised. “And I agree.”

  “Great!” she smiled brightly. “So, tell me. Can you play cornhole?”

  -

  Amanda was almost asleep when she heard the door to the clinic open. Looking up, she found Xavier Adair observing her and tried to sit up. An upheld hand from him stopped her.

  “Don’t get up on my account,” he instructed, walking to her bedside. “I simply wanted to check on your wellbeing before I begin my watch. I have to make the ground watch circuit tonight and thus will be gone for most of that time. How are you faring this evening?”

  “I’m hurting, but I’m also breathing,” she smiled wanly. “Both are preferable to being dead, so I’ll take them.”

  “Well said,” he almost smiled. “Do have need of anything? Did someone think to bring you part of the bountiful harvest for which we are demonstrating our thanks?”

  “Greg brought me a plate earlier,” she nodded. “He also told me quite a tale while he was here,” she added, eyeing him closely.

 
“He is known for exaggeration, our dear Sheriff,” Xavier nodded. “I shudder to think what embellishments and fabrications he shared while here.”

  “He told me that you and Zach went and killed everyone related to the man who shot me,” Amanda said bluntly. She noted Xavier’s smile freeze for perhaps a second before it returned.

  “Yes, well, Zachary and I agreed it needed doing, and neither of us were occupied at the moment,” his reply was as calm as still waters.

  “Really?” she raised an eyebrow at him. “That’s it?”

  “We’ve both been told we needed a hobby,” he shrugged easily. “That is something we’re good at. Seemed like a win-win scenario to us.”

  “And here I thought you guys were going soft and had done that just for little ole me,” Amanda laughed carefully.

  “Well, it was what happened to you that brought them to our attention, so I suppose you could say that.” She thought for a second that he had winked at her, but decided it was a trick of the lights.

  “Well, whatever the reason, I appreciate it,” she told him plainly. “Just makes me feel all warm and gooey inside,” she added, trying to needle him a little.

  “I would have thought the bullet in your abdomen would be responsible for that feeling,” he didn’t quite smile. “Still, you are quite welcome. For both the revenge and your…gooey insides…thing,” he waved his lack of terminology away with a flourish of one hand.

  “Now, I’m afraid I must take my leave,” he told her. “I’m off to circle our little slice of heaven and make sure there are no threats upon us.” He was already moving toward the door as he spoke.

  “Be careful the Boogieman don’t get you!” she called playfully. He stopped, hand on the door, and looked back at her over his shoulder.

  “My dear girl,” his smile would have frozen lava, “I would have thought you had figured it out by now.”

  “Figured what out?” she frowned, puzzled.

  “That I am the Boogieman.”