by Angela White
Angela didn’t protest and Neil wanted to make sure she understood what that meant. “He’s yours now.”
Angela flipped her ash into the can they were passing. “He always was. Next?”
Neil frowned. “Adrian usually rewards them when they come around.”
“I’m not Adrian,” she denied coolly. “You have to do more than that to impress me.”
Neil swept the mess, wondering if the burnt towns and graves they’d been passing all week were the reason the eating area was staying so empty now. He didn’t want to admit that it was because of how many camp members they were losing. Angela and Adrian were heartsick over it, but they weren’t stopping anyone or sending men to talk to them into coming back.
“A man needs to keep his hands busy,” Kenn joked as he spotted Tonya coming from the medical area.
“What’s she doing?”
Angela picked out the redhead and went back to her notes, glad of the painkiller she’d been given. Her shoulder was throbbing. “Dropping off more supplies to the new doctor. He said the results were surprisingly hopeful and he wants to try another batch.”
It was interesting to have each team’s assigned medic attending the doctor’s classes, but it was also a way to be sure the new man was living up to John’s standards of care. Their medics were less than rookies, but their training had to start somewhere and waiting until later wasn’t an option.
Kenn replayed his morning of breaking down the camp. Tonya had told him Dr. Brooke was going to come by the pharmacy tent to pick it up once they got settled at the new site.
Angela sighed, weary even though it was only lunch time. They’d been on the road for days now. “She’s doing work for me, Kenn. Let it go.”
That made Kenn reconsider the not-so-great possibilities. If Angela did have Tonya on something, the redhead would have told him. For both females to cover it up, it had to be serious.
“Are things all set with the site?”
“It’s all wired,” Kyle reported. Each campsite they left behind now was deadly.
“Any word yet?” Samantha asked. She was the only one who thought it could be anytime now.
“No,” Angela answered.
She left the table.
They were assuming Marc was busy causing damages and delays, but the deadline of the soldiers coming was fast approaching. Kenn and Kyle were saying they’d have word in the next week. Angela had said ten days. Adrian claimed three weeks. His estimate wasn’t taken seriously. That was nearly double the time they’d thought to have to prepare and none of them were willing to count on it. In their allotted days, they were making steady progress though, and Angela walked through the camp, using those signs to bolster her flagging spirits.
“I miss you, Brady,” she whispered, rubbing her shoulder.
3
Jennifer swept the fully packed truck that Kyle had prepared for her departure. She was driving it during this move, but still wasn’t sure if she could take it out into the wilderness. Safe Haven had become her home.
“Can I carry something for you?”
Jennifer slowly put the baby into Kyle’s arms, sure that’s what he really wanted. They might not be saying much to each other, but Kyle and her child were already bonded.
“The cord fell off this morning.”
Kyle grinned, but it didn’t light his face with happiness the way she’d come to expect.
“You save it?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
It was like this with them now–closed off and remote. Kyle longed for their bond back, but wasn’t sure what to do. He’d betrayed her. He had no right to expect forgiveness or another chance. He wouldn’t ask for either.
Jennifer caught the thought and snapped her mouth closed on the words that wanted to fly out. She’d briefly considered Conner’s point after he left and it had been in her mind since, but she hadn’t pulled it out for an in depth examination. She was scared to find out if Kyle had hurt her too badly. She’d told him she wouldn’t be able to let that go. And I was right…wasn’t I?
Kyle let the love for the baby fill his heart in place of its mother. How would he ever let either of them go?
Jennifer tensed and Kyle gently handed her the baby. “I gave you my word.”
“That means nothing,” Jennifer retorted lowly. “I don’t trust you.”
Kyle’s heart broke again and he turned away from her before he could fall to his knees and beg. She was right to suspect him. She should have all along. He was unfit for love, for compassion or mercy. He didn’t offer those things to his enemies and he didn’t deserve them either.
Jennifer didn’t want to feel his pain, but that was impossible. The waves of loneliness were the worst. She hated it when he isolated himself. He’d been doing that his whole life, closing off the emotions, and Jennifer suddenly couldn’t stand it anymore. She had to get through his hard shell and find out what was underneath.
“I’m leaving as soon as Marc gets back.”
Kyle froze, shoulders becoming two stiff rocks that could have any reaction. When he turned around, Jennifer gasped at the agony on his face.
I won’t hold you.
The silent words were full of pain. Jennifer began securing the infant into the car seat before she could ask him to come along.
Kyle slowly forced his feet away from her, feeling like he had nothing to live for.
“She needs something from you.”
Kyle looked over to discover that Conner had been listening. “What?”
Conner shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I’d ask her about it before Marc gets back.”
Their radios crackled with Angela’s hard voice, “Throw the scraps to the ants and load up. It’s time to roll.”
4
“I’d like you to go with the next water team.”
Samantha waved Angela inside the tent, a bit surprised. They’d only been camped for an hour. After Grenada Lake, the Holly Springs forest was like a cool balm on a sunburn. The Eagles liked the thin, tall trees and the camp was enjoying the trails and activities. They were spread out a bit wider than the Eagles would have liked, but the number of people with their own small fire in front of their tent had grown. That required room.
“Leave?”
“Neil’s full team will be your protection. I’m sending another level for protection on the water crew.”
“And what do you need me to do that I’ve got an entire team of killers at my disposal?”
Angela’s eyes blazed for a second, revealing her worry. “Look, listen. Find out what’s coming next.”
Samantha’s heart thumped. She’d thought the tension was from everything they had going on, but apparently, she’d been wrong. “You felt something.”
“Yes. It was dark, deep. Try to get a read on it for us.”
“I’ll get my kit together now.”
“Neil will come grab you when they’re set to roll out. Should be around dawn.”
“Is there anything else you’d like me to do before we go?”
Angela considered. “Yes, there is. Go play with the kids. They’ve never seen dust whirls like you’ve been making.”
Samantha understood what Angela was trying to do, but the weight of the duty was scary. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. When the kids accept us, so does everyone else.”
Samantha began gathering her gear and Angela went to the next area. A leader’s job was hectic on the best days and she hadn’t had many of those yet. What if one of the supply teams ran into trouble? What if she got them killed?
Angela sighed. There was little she could do to stop it now. They had to have the fuel and water, but they also needed Samantha’s attention on whatever was headed their way. Personal safety had to come behind camp survival. All of them had been told that when they’d signed on. It hadn’t changed just because leadership had.
5
“Is it normal? The way your hair is changing color?”
&nbs
p; Angela was too tired to lie. “Yes. Overuse is rough on us.”
Kyle glanced over to where Jennifer was leaving last minute instructions for the baby before her lesson with Angela’s team.
“Will it happen to her?”
“Yes, and sooner rather than later, I’d guess. She’s full of fire, but it’s being fueled by her pain. If she doesn’t use another source, she could literally eat herself alive.”
Kyle turned to stare at Angela’s cleverly hidden streaks of gray. “Am I enough?”
Angela understood he meant that in several ways and chose to answer the easiest. “Your emotions are too bottled up to allow a reserve. If she pulls from multiple…”
Angela sighed at the instant, impotent anger that hit her. “Marc feels the same. I try…tried to do it when he wasn’t around.”
They both thought of her moment with Adrian on the road a while back, but neither mentioned it.
“And in the other way?”
She hated to hurt him, but he had to know how to help. Jennifer wasn’t grieving or releasing anything and that was dangerous.
“Only someone of the same kind can truly handle us the way you mean.”
“Soul mates and that BS.”
“I don’t have any evidence of that,” Angela hedged curtly. “All people need someone who matches them, but the descendants match with everyone.”
“Purposely.”
“Yes. We were made to help, but also to repopulate, to replace some of the talents that were lost. Some will have multiple mates, many will have one. It depends on the bond.”
“And fate?”
“Yes” Angela’s eyes went to the medical tent against her will. “Through our lives, we’ll be attracted to dozens of people. It’s up to us and the strength of the draw, if it goes any further.”
“And if a group of you and a group of us are together, you’d pick your mates from your own kind, right? To be fulfilled?”
Angela sighed, forced to face the truth. “Yes, and no. We populate, as well as draw and build. Part of our duty is to spread our DNA, to mix with human and create the next generation. Without them, the world won’t recover. Adrian brought us together, but to spread his light over an entire planet will take children–ours.”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
“She means that very few of us will refuse to spread ourselves among you, even if we don’t particularly care for that impersonal fit. We can’t. It’s part of why we’re here.”
Adrian kept going instead of joining the conversation like he wanted to.
Kyle continued to torture himself. “Who should she draw from?”
“Whomever she wants. You don’t get to pick.”
Kyle barely felt the scold. “Who in camp would help her get back to normal?”
The witch, tired and lonely, snapped at him through Angela’s lips, “Anyone, but you. Back off.”
“What if I can’t?” he questioned, voice a rough whisper.
The witch refused to play games. “She’ll run. She’s already considering it. Being here is hurting her.”
Those words beat in his brain. Of course! Safe Haven was a constant reminder.
“Kyle?”
He didn’t answer Angela’s resigned call.
She watched him walk away. Adrian had been right. Where Jennifer went, so did Kyle. The only hope they had of her staying was the anger from the way her infant had died. She would want revenge and Angela planned to feed that. By the time the battle came, Jennifer would have hardened a bit and might consider staying.
“It’s up to fate, now,” Angela muttered, picking out her guards. “And Marc.”
6
“Are you going to tell me? I can’t let this go until you do.”
“No.”
“Stop being an ass, mom. He’s better than dad was.”
Peggy and Doug both stared at Becky in surprise.
The teenager didn’t take it back. “Dad didn’t want her to work. He called her a lot and distracted her intentionally. I’ve always thought it was his fault, not yours.”
Peggy’s tears were hard to look at, but even harder to feel. She pushed herself up and started to fade into the shadows, wishing Anne were here to talk to.
“Wait.”
Doug’s command halted Peggy’s retreat. She didn’t turn around.
“Do you want to work in the medical areas here or would you rather stay a den mother?”
“She wants both, and a little more,” Becky supplied, standing up. “I’ll let you guys have a few minutes alone.”
Doug stayed where he was, willing her to turn around. When she did, he viewed her with curiosity. “What’s the little more?”
Peggy flushed.
Doug understood. “Me?”
“Don’t sound that way!” Peggy snapped. “You’re a good man.”
Doug grinned. “I’m not a little anything, Darlin’. You know that.”
Peggy evaluated his big frame with a heat that sent shock into Doug. She wants me!
Peggy left him standing there. Doug would make his own choices. She wasn’t going to browbeat him or explain away the awful thing she’d done. If he couldn’t accept her without the details, then that was that.
7
“How are you handling things?”
Charlie paused in the daily shoveling that he and the other teens had been doing in the livestock trucks. He was the last one here. He’d sent the others on to have some time alone to think.
“I feel bad that I didn’t try harder to warn my mom, but that voice inside says it was for the best.”
Conner understood how guilt and reality often slammed into each other in a person’s mind. “Anything I can do?”
Charlie started to say no, and then gave, “We used to bunk together, spend those bad hours bullshitting or drinking. I don’t do that part anymore, but if there was someone else in the tent, maybe…”
“The voices would be quieter?” Conner supplied.
“Exactly.”
“You sure you want me as a bunkie? The camp still isn’t sure if I’m an assassin.”
Charlie’s tone was pointed. “That’s what you get in return for all the talking I’ll do.”
Conner chuckled. “I’ll clear it with my dad.”
“You don’t need to.”
Both boys turned to find Adrian in the shadows.
“She already said it was a good idea, for me to handle it when you two were ready.”
Both boys were happy and Adrian left them to plan it out, grateful. He hadn’t been sure if the darkness festering in Conner might remind Charlie of Matt too much to allow those bonds to form.
“Angie knew better, though,” Adrian murmured. “She knew Charlie would take this moment to make up for Matt and ease his own guilt.”
Absolutely perfect so far. He couldn’t have been more satisfied with the choice he’d made to place her in control of it all. No one else would have gotten close to this just from following his notes, and she wasn’t doing even that after today. She’d made it through all of his books, gotten it rolling, and was running on instinct now.
“Damn you,” he swore, cursing fate. “She’s perfect for me. Damn you!”
All around him, destiny laughed callously at his pain.
8
“Damn it!” Angela slung the bag to the ground, pissed. “You can’t keep doing that!”
Late afternoon found Safe Haven a few miles further down their long road, camped, with classes in full swing.
Kenn started to handle it, but Tonya waved him off. Angela had been right when she’d said the men didn’t know what she was planning. Crista had to do this right or they were all dead.
“I’m sorry!” Crista exclaimed huffily. “I can’t keep it straight.”
Angela jerked a hand at Kenn. “He’s as much a rookie at following my lead as you are, but he’ll get it right. When we’re done, someone, anyone, tell her why he can do it and she can’t.”
Ange
la turned her back to Kenn, not the least bit afraid of him anymore, but nearby Eagles still tensed when he neared her. Old habits were hard to break, but the closed aura around Kenn also still made them leery.
The other females took their places and the busy areas around them slowed a bit as the routine restarted. Angela working her team was fascinating to most of them. For the men, it was a turn-on, but also a lesson in respect. They liked knowing that the women would work as hard as they did.
Kenn fired the paintball gun at Angela first, as an enemy would, and Becky was there to deflect it with her shield. A bit awkwardly, the teenager used the momentum to spin around and provide cover for the person next to her to reload.
Jennifer slammed a mag in place and fired a round at Kenn as Becky reloaded.
Kenn ducked the shot easily, returning fire. He hit Jennifer in the chest, drawing a scowl from the man walking by.
Jennifer swore, taking herself down. As she fell, she tossed a paint balloon that represented the grenade she would use during the battle.
Kenn jumped aside, but was unable to avoid the pink splatter. He turned to the right and let his own grenade fly. It coated two of her team, removing them.
Kenn saw only his arm and side was hit, and decided he should be able to keep fighting until he bled out. He shoved to his feet and opened fire again.
Angela ducked the blast, waving Tracy and Samantha forward.
Both females fired together and rolled to avoid the incoming. It was nicely timed and obvious that the women had spent time practicing it on their own.
As the routine finished, a few people around cheered, but Angela didn’t let her girls join them. “Don’t celebrate until we get it right as a team.” She wiped the sweat from her cheek. “Someone tell Crista why she isn’t remembering which way to turn.”
Samantha spoke up, hoping to get it over with quickly. “She hasn’t been practicing. When she does, it’ll become almost automatic.”
“Yes. If you don’t show signs of improvement, you’re off my team.”
Angela left them standing there, exchanging nervous, unhappy looks. She was hoping Crista would notice on her own, but they also needed to help their weaker members shore themselves up and these training lessons would accomplish that if they could bond. She’d given them a way to do that. It was up to Crista to make good on it. Right now, she wasn’t pulling her weight.