Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War)

by White, Angela

  The two men exchanged rueful grins and Jeremy patted the vest he hadn’t taken off yet. “I’m covered.”

  Neil snorted. “We forgot to add that in.”

  “Yeah. I guess she’ll let us know?”

  Neil shook his head. “Not before we do some begging.”

  Jeremy raised a brow. “Want to do it together?”

  Neil started to say no, it would be too awkward, and then shrugged. “Might as well. It can’t get much worse than this.”

  Jeremy winced, spinning around to give the camp his back. “Really? ‘Cause Becky just saw us and I think that’s Cynthia moving my way from the showers.”

  Neil tensed. “Can we go back to hunting wolves?”

  6

  “I’m telling you it was cut! We checked.”

  “What was cut?”

  The arguing guards hadn’t heard Kyle’s team arrive and there were guns out in the next breath.

  “Stand down.” Kyle’s calm tone had them flushing, re-holstering.

  “Sorry. We’re …”

  “Jumpy.” The Mobster finished.

  Kevin snarled in raw worry. “Someone’s trying to kill Adrian. Zack may not have found any proof, but he’s an ass!”

  At those words, Kyle moved closer, ignoring the frowns from Zack and his team. The scowls grew when Angela stayed on his right. “Tell me.”

  “The line we use to secure the vehicles when we move them off the road was cut. We always make sure that rope is sturdy, but it snapped as we were hauling and almost took Adrian over the edge! Would have if not for Ray. He pushed Adrian out of the way and got hit instead.”

  Kyle filed the information, vaguely wondering if his denial of the gay man could now be reversed. He would have to talk to Adrian. They’d been hoping for something like this. “That it?”

  Kevin evened out his tone, not sure why the high level man was taking the report from him when Zack was just feet away. “Camp’s fine. They don’t know. Yet.” He stressed the last word, shooting a quick glare at the truck driver.

  “You’ve done fine. We’ll cover it.” Kyle turned to Daryl and Chris. “Put fresh men out and take up a post on the perimeter. Continuous rounds. I’ll send some relief as soon as I can.”

  “We can’t figure out how someone got into that area. I know we’re green, but damn it, there are almost twenty of us there at any given time,” Kevin complained, frustrated. He let out an angry sigh. “I’m gonna go talk to people again. I’ll be around.”

  And that’s why Adrian has you under watch, Kyle thought. Kevin would be another determined shepherd to eventually swell the ranks of leadership.

  “It’s gonna be a long night, boys,” Kyle’s voice was resigned. “Someone tell the cook to roll out the coffee and make it strong.”

  Angela followed his tense form into the shadows. What was it about that statement that made her so uneasy?

  Despite wanting almost desperately to see for herself that Adrian was okay, Angela stayed by Kyle as he finished rounds of the perimeter guards. He had the habit of talking to the men before the boss - to be sure he had both sides before offering advice to the blond - and she respected him for it. It made it easier to follow the Mobster when he walked by the training tent without a glance.

  “If you can see the ground from your army’s point of view, you’re on top of things,” Kyle stated lowly, making her look over. “And he can’t do it himself. We have to be his eyes.”

  Angela swept the unwelcoming darkness. “I’ll be listening, too.”

  “Watch for the tones, the nervousness, and twitching hands. Adrian trusts us; we all have access to his tent. The traitor might be an Eagle.”

  “Why not just ask her to look?” Lee’s voice was a low sneer of fear and anger. “If fact, why not ask her why she hasn’t already?”

  Kyle let out an impatient sigh, noticing how Lee’s eyes kept going over her bandage, her scars. He might be one of Zack’s minions, but he didn’t like it that she’d been hurt either. “Why don’t you just get it over with instead of torturing yourself?”

  Angela sensed what was coming and took a quick look around. “No one’s on us right now.” Her voice understood. “I’ve got the bullets if you’ve got the balls.”

  It drew the same reaction from Zack’s teammate that it had from her. “I... I want to know if you can find my wife.” He hurried to add it had been ok’d. “Adrian said I could ask.”

  “Yeah, a week ago, you coward,” Kyle accused lightly and Angela realized he and Lee had come to terms, weren’t really enemies anymore.

  “I... She was busy.”

  Angela grinned, stepping closer. ”I’ll have to touch you.”

  Lee’s jaw twitched and he braced himself. “Okay.”

  Angela snorted. “Damn, for Eagles, you guys really are squeamish, like this is PMS or something.”

  “I’m not a girl, I don’t get that!” Lee retorted nervously. “Can you tell me or not?”

  Angela’s eyes took on that smoky, rolling blue they all associated with her magic now. “Let’s find out.”

  Lee moved closer slowly, full of dread. He was snapping at her in his anxiety, blaming her, but it was the words he thought he’d hear, and not loyalty to Zack and Kenn, that was causing it.

  “And if I can tell you none of what you seek? Will it go back to the way it was?”

  Angela’s demanding tone had Lee’s head snapping up. “You’re about to crush me and you worry for yourself!” He revealed his fear without meaning to. “Just do it.”

  “There are prices to deals like this, Eagle. Even you must know that,” Angela shot back, seeing his anger was a shield. “You don’t get this service for free.”

  Lee stiffened. “What do you want?”

  “Protection.”

  He waved an insulting hand. “You have a whole camp of men willing to die for that.”

  “I want you.”

  The words had a ring that Lee felt sink deep into his head and echo. “What?”

  “You, on my side.” Angela darted a fast hand out to capture his wrist in a tight grip. “Even if I tell you what you fear the most.”

  Lee tried to resist, but it was the thought of his own agony that stopped him. He’d give anything to know for sure. He gave a short nod, breath rushing out in hateful acceptance. “Just don’t you lie to me! I want… need the truth.”

  Angela already had the Witch searching and she jerked suddenly, grip tightening. Doors flew open and she began to speak.

  “Omaha, after the War...”

  “Her mom lives… lived there. She went for the holiday.”

  “She went because you slapped her.” Angela’s voice was merciless. “She also filed for divorced when she left you.”

  Caught in his evasion, Lee tensed for her to act like anyone would and was surprised at the words.

  “She was guilty.”

  He heard the question in her voice - Do you want her still? - and nodded. “More than my own life.”

  “Lincoln,” Angela muttered, fighting to get an exact location. “She made it to Lincoln… shot! She was shot!”

  Kyle waved the others back as she gave Lee what he needed and pulled him into her corner. “She’s on the Westside, where it’s flooding.”

  Her eyes popped open and Lee found himself talking with the Witch directly. “Bring back only your wife. The others she’s with will not be allowed inside Safe Haven for their crimes against each other.”

  Lee nodded, unable to speak and Angela pulled the Witch gently from view. She let go of Lee’s wrist and stepped back, fighting the wave of weariness. “Don’t take Zack. He’ll bring back the others just to spite me and they really don’t belong here.”

  Lee wanted to argue, to say Adrian would want those sheep, and nodded instead. Those red orbs had been sure. Who was he to question such a power?

  Lee looked to Kyle. “Permission to grab a team and go?”

  Kyle nodded. “Get it set and you guys can roll as soon as we
get back from McCook.”

  Lee didn’t like the idea of waiting, but knew going into a city like Lincoln would take gear and planning and he moved into the darkness with a last searching look at Angela. It could be a trick to get him out of camp and make them look like fools, but he headed to gather a team anyway. If there was the slightest chance his Candy had survived, he would take it.

  Kenn had headed straight for Adrian when they hit camp, along with Billy, who took over shadowing the blond. Once satisfied of Adrian’s well-being, Kenn went next to the one person he was very worried might have tried something and demanded to know the truth.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  Tonya’s voice was indignant, telling him she wasn’t lying. “How would I know what to do? I barely drive.”

  Kenn thought differently, but was still too pissed over the attempt on Adrian’s life to be sidetracked. “Swear it!”

  Tonya’s voice rose a bit. “I’ve told you. If you can’t accept it, that’s your problem.”

  Kenn’s face tightened like he wasn’t convinced “We’ll be through if you’re lying.”

  The redhead only gave a shrug. “I didn’t do it and I don’t deserve this from you.” She raked him with a sharp glance. “Maybe we should change our plans for later.”

  Kenn was the one scowling now. “Why? Guilty conscience?”

  Fed up, Tonya delivered a nasty sneer. “Sure. I spend a lot of time biting the hand that feeds me. I’m that stupid,” she snorted, turning away. “Jackass.”

  Kenn let her go, in relief. He’d been hard on her, jerking her into the garden truck to interrogate her, but he had to be sure she didn’t do it. He couldn’t be sleeping with the enemy, especially not when he was trying so hard to earn back his place.

  It would be rough, adjusting to seeing Marc and Angela together so soon after he’d threatened her death, but that old rage had shot out of him the instant he pulled the trigger on Dean. He didn’t like their relationship and never would, not to mention there was still a wall of bitterness about the whole Charlie affair, but he had his place as a top level man in Adrian’s chain of command and that mattered more.

  Tonya stormed through camp, making people move out of her way long before she got to them and the guards tensed when someone finally stepped into her path.

  “Let’s have a drink.”

  The redhead started to say yes, but moved around the reporter instead. “Catch me in the shower. He’s got people on us now.”

  Cynthia acted like the redhead had been rude and moved for the Mess as the camp’s interest went back to the better story; Marc and Angie.

  They would be stopping near McCook, Nebraska for supplies and she and Tonya had signed up for the supply run. While the redhead provided a distraction, Cynthia planned to slip off for an hour and do some digging.

  McCook was large enough to have some records, maybe old photos. The Eagles had already scouted the area and declared it abandoned, but more importantly, they’d said it was mostly undamaged. Adrian and his men would clean out the basic supplies they needed and then camp members would be allowed in on personal runs. Maybe she would find what she had been digging for in every town they passed close enough for her to search through. Busy getting set to take her shift, Cynthia didn’t see the extra shadow moving by or register Maria’s absence.

  Rick had slipped into the dark supply truck behind the Mess while the Eagles were occupied with updating the returning teams.

  Maria backed into the corner, face a mask of fear as his hands went to his… pocket?

  Rick pulled out a small vial and slid it under a nearby potholder. “Top team of Eagles. Put it in their popcorn bags, the next time he calls a two-day break.”

  Maria shook her head, but stopped the protest when he fingered the knife on his belt. “No one will know.”

  “Www... why?”

  Rick turned away. “So I can have some alone time with the boss.”

  Sneaking out was getting harder and harder. He might only have one or two more night-time ventures left before he’d have to find a way to get his tent replaced. The ends were too frayed to keep lining up evenly enough to avoid notice.

  He picked up the coffee mug she’d been filling for Adrian’s tray and moved toward the door. He took a small sip and smiled at the hot pain. “The next time we camp for a two day break, Maria, or I’ll tell Cesar you’re a convert and he’ll kill those two little boys. Slowly.”

  7

  “So, was it an accident?”

  Now lurking in the shadows of the tents, Rick leaned closer. The sex was over and it was this conversation the traitor had stayed for.

  “No. Someone’s trying to take him out.”

  The female snorted. “Like I’d know how to rig that up.”

  “Yeah. Sorry, I was pissed.”

  “But you remembered me suggesting we cut his brakes and send him over a cliff.”

  “Yes.”

  Tonya giggled patiently. “I think you need to be punished for that.”

  Kenn’s shadow grabbed hers. “You know it.”

  Rick grimaced in distaste, moving away. It seemed he wasn’t the only one plotting against Safe Haven’s fearless Leader. Wouldn’t it be great if he could kill Adrian and frame his second in command for it? The camp would lynch the Marine without a second thought. It would be a twofer!

  Rick’s stride lengthened into a steady stalk as he prowled the camp, dressed like an Eagle thanks to Mitch’s boy, Matt, needing a bottle he couldn’t get on his own. Rick grinned wildly. Maybe he could find a way to involve Neil and make it a threesome.

  8

  “You can go now, if you want.”

  Angela shook her head at Kyle’s words, ignoring the soreness invading her back and shoulders. “I’m good. Go about your business.”

  Kyle snorted at her joke, moving toward the new Com truck. They’d been on rounds for hours, going over the wreck, securing things and getting updates. They had no idea who the traitor was, but they were sure they had one. Kevin had been right about the brake line. It had been cut.

  “I’ve got two more stops and then we’ll call it good.”

  Angela followed without comment, still feeling out the people they were walking by. The camp was uneasy and seeing the Eagles so alert wasn’t helping. If they had returned earlier, when more people were awake, there could have been trouble.

  “What do you want?”

  Mitch growled at Kyle, causing Angela to stop and stare in surprise.

  “You already know.”

  The slightly slurring radioman let out a frustrated snort. “He ain’t been around here. Waved hello to me once from across the camp, though. Quick, arrest him.”

  Angela realized Kyle had been the one to reprimand Mitch for having Rick in the Com truck when the quake hit.

  “Stop it,” Kyle ordered sternly. “If you keep acting like you’re on the other team, Mitch, you’ll end up there.”

  Kyle left the drunk sputtering indignantly and Angela followed him back toward camp, frowning. Not at the cool treatment, but at the way Rick had been able to con the people here. They didn’t have any real proof, but who else could it be? The man had admitted he was a spy. Where else would they look when things went wrong?

  At him and no one else, she realized. He could have someone else doing his dirty work. “Have there been any reports of him spending time with anyone else? Does he have friends here?”

  Kyle’s thoughts were along the same lines and he shook his head reluctantly. “No one that we’re aware of, other than Becky. He does his shifts, eats and showers, and stays quiet.”

  “Too quiet. He makes himself seem suspicious with that.”

  “Intentionally done to draw us away from his accomplice?”

  “That feels right,” she stated angrily. “And it’s smart. He has to know we’re onto him. That’s why we can’t catch him. He isn’t the one doing it.”

  Kyle’s steps quickened. “Let’s grab a cup of coffee and go over
the duty sheets for the days we were gone. Maybe we’ll come up with something.”

  An hour later, both of them were tired of the background noise of emerging cicadas and of searching through the papers. Angela stood up with a groan. “I’m done. Daylight’s just over the hill. I plan to be asleep before it gets here.”

  Kyle began sweeping the papers together. They weren’t any closer to an answer, but he was hopeful about the morning, when he would check the accident scene again in the dim light of day. Maybe he would see something the others had missed. “Goodnight.”

  “Good morning, you mean.”

  Kyle shook his head. “That’s one of our rules. If we haven’t been asleep yet, the day doesn’t change.”

  Angela snorted, thinking it might come in handy if she ever wanted to steal some personal time. “I’ll remember that.”

  Kyle handed out a bit of praise, feeling it was well deserved. “You did real good.”

  “So did Kenn.”

  “He’ll adjust. I believe that now.”

  “Me, too.”

  Angela moved toward her tent, feeling Marc’s eyes on her. It was unmistakable, especially now that his anger had been converted into happiness. “You coming, Brady?”

  “What?” Marc hadn’t thought she’d known he was her shadow until dawn.

  “I’m tired. Aren’t you?” Implying they would share a bed.

  He hadn’t expected her to be this open and was relieved when she laughed. He wasn’t prepared for that yet. Hell, he wasn’t prepared for the gift she had given.

  “Night, Marc.”

  “Night, honey.”

  Angela ducked into her own tent, leaving him to smile. One day, it wouldn’t be a joke. They would share a life together and those images were the ones he fell asleep with a short time later. His happy-ever-after was waiting.