by Angela White
Did you know this too? Marc asked silently.
No.
Will he come back?
Angela closed her eyes as her table went quiet, realizing they were missing something. Around them, the mess of people continued to mutter and chat about all that had happened.
Yes.
When?
There is snow on the ground, but the camp women do not look different than now. Not very long.
Marc was relieved and Angela rubbed his arm as he came to sit next to her.
Marc knew she wanted updates and flipped open his book. He’d never expected Dog to stay with him forever. He would just have to be glad that the big animal would return.
“Room for us?”
“Of course,” Angela answered cheerfully.
Everyone at the table knew it was forced and respected her more for it, even the teenager who took a place across from her.
Tracy stayed standing. She was on watch over the mess and her bruised face was a constant reminder of what they’d just gone through.
“I’m sorry.”
Angela shook her head. “Your feelings weren’t wrong, boy, just how you lost control. I don’t hold it against you.” Angela looked at him. “Do you hold it against me?”
“Yes, I do.” Charlie felt the table go cold, but didn’t take it back. “I’ll work through it like everyone else who feels you went too far.”
“All 17% of them,” Angela muttered. She shoved up from the table. “It’s an amazing approval rating for any leader.”
Angela motioned for Tracy to follow and left a frowning, glowering table.
“What?”
“Boy, you need to be turned over my knee!” Marc swore quietly. “I almost had her in a good mood so she’d sleep.”
“I can’t lie to her!” Charlie protested. “I don’t like what she did. And why does 17% make her so mad?”
“She’s not mad, Charlie. She’s hurting. A chunk of her population doesn’t want her as their leader anymore. But she loves every one of them.”
“He’s too young to understand,” Kyle pointed out. He often had the same issue with Jennifer over the deeper layers of adult emotions. “Just keep him away from her for a while.”
“Agreed,” Marc said. “Until he can show some respect for her position and her pain, it’s contact by my permission only.”
Charlie started to react badly and then caught himself as he realized that was part of what they meant.
“When you can control yourself, that will change,” Marc said, rising. “Until then, how about you spend the evening doing Tracy’s shift? Send her to a hot shower–alone.”
2
Marc caught up to Angela, seeing she’d already sent Tracy toward the campers.
“It’ll help with soreness,” Angela said. “Thank you. She wouldn’t have taken the night off if I’d tried to give it to her.”
“She doesn’t want special treatment,” he observed.
“No. She’s tough.”
Marc saw she wasn’t heading for an obvious part of camp and slid an arm around her shoulders.
Angela burrowed into his welcoming warmth, wishing she could feel the peace that was settling over the rest of them. Even Marc was calming. He’d already shoved the soldier back into his cage.
“I need permission to leave camp.”
Kendle had trailed them from the mess, under the disapproving eyes of the guards.
“You don’t need it,” Angela said. “Come and go as you please.”
“You know where I’m going.”
“Yes. Nothing will change for you here, as long as you walk the line.”
“He told me.”
“Then go. I’ve already informed the gate guards to let you through.”
Kendle left without a single glance at Marc. She wasn’t stupid enough to make eye contact in front of Angela after witnessing the destruction she could hand out when provoked.
Marc suddenly felt like a rookie and turned to her in astonishment. “You knew all along! You planned it this way so he wouldn’t be alone!”
Angela stared for a long moment, considering, and then turned away without a response.
Marc followed her in a daze. Angie had known Kendle was coming. Charlie had warned them. He’d said Adrian would like the island woman.
Angie had planned all of it! To save him.
3
“Do you guys want to talk about it?’
Samantha asked the question reluctantly. It had been perfect for her and she didn’t want to hear that it hadn’t been that way for them. That would mean she couldn’t do it again.
Samantha noticed the silence, and looked back and forth between them. She saw red faces and averted eyes, but no desire to end their new closeness.
“If it gets to where you don’t want to, I need you to tell me,” she said, leading them through the camp that was starting to settle in for the night.
“We, uh…discussed it after you crashed,” Neil began.
Jeremy gave him an encouraging look, but Neil wasn’t sure where to go from there.
Jeremy was forced to pick up the slack. “We kinda figured that this, uh, well it solves the jealousy issues.”
Both men braced for her anger.
“We should celebrate,” Samantha exclaimed. “Let’s go dance.”
“What?” they answered in perfect harmony.
Samantha grinned, curling her arms around theirs as she walked between them. “We won, you know? We deserve to dance. I hear the music starting.”
Neil and Jeremy allowed themselves to be dragged to the small dancing area that had been made with gravel and then roped off with the last of the yellow caution tape they’d had since the beginning of Safe Haven.
Jeremy gently pushed her into Neil’s arms, detouring to the lost-looking woman standing near the musicians.
“Are you okay?”
“Sure. Why?” Cynthia’s voice was too bright.
Jeremy followed the instincts that he’d learned from his time in this camp. “Come on. You need a dance.”
Cynthia went willingly. Daryl was on duty and she was feeling lost.
Jeremy kept a reasonable distance between them, mindful of the surprised glances they were getting.
“Tell me what’s on your mind, pretty lady.”
Cynthia rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop the smile. “I’m okay. It was a long run.”
“Don’t we know it!” Neil agreed. Samantha had immediately inched them closer when Jeremy led the reporter onto the gravel dancefloor.
“We care about you,” Samantha added. It wasn’t all jealousy that had brought her over. “Lean on us when you need friends.”
Cynthia rested her head against Jeremy’s shoulder where he could feel her struggling not to cry.
Unsure of what she needed, Jeremy was relieved when Sam took Cynthia’s arm and led her to a quiet area. The two females perched in the branches of the tree.
The men stayed alert below, scanning the shadows. They hoped Sam could help the reporter, but from what Neil had discovered about her coming child, it didn’t look good. There was only one descendant here who could change the natural order of things and it would take a lot to get Angela to agree. Not to mention the timing. The women were all due in the same two weeks, but there was no way Marc would let Angela try to help until after their own child was born and safe. If Cynthia delivered first, without the magic of Angela’s touch, the future couldn’t be changed. Samantha had given them all the details they’d asked for and then a few they hadn’t wanted to hear.
It will curse Angela again. She’s trying to fall back into being good now, but if she has to do this, it will prove she can’t come back. When she knows she’s damned, with no hope of atonement, she’ll cross every line she’s ever dreamed about, including Adrian’s.
It seemed like Cynthia’s child was doomed and none of them wanted to imagine what Angela would do if the child were born without being altered. She wouldn’t allow evil t
o flourish here, no matter what the age.
4
“He won’t be content with her for long.”
Kenn frowned. He was sitting on their sleeping bag, rubbing her feet.
“You mean Adrian?”
“Yes. Kendle isn’t enough for him.”
Kenn didn’t need to ask what would happen once Adrian sent Kendle down the redline.
“Just my opinion,” Tonya remarked.
“Go ahead,” he invited. It still surprised him that her opinions mattered. There was a sharp mind behind those hungry green eyes. Kenn found himself listening to her–often.
“That one wants to be the boss. She isn’t going to stop there, but Adrian will only be satisfied with it so long as it doesn’t interfere with Angela’s plans. As soon as she crossed that line, or pushes him too hard, he’ll be done.”
“Maybe,” Kenn agreed. He couldn’t really see a way that Adrian would be allowed back into camp. Letting Kendle serve with Angela was as close to it as he would get. Kenn thought Adrian would hang onto that tiny bit of comfort for as long as he could.
Tonya ran a hand up his bare back. “Do you have duty?”
“No. The Ghost does.”
Tonya raked her claws this time, drawing a slight flinch. “Want to pick up where we left off last time?”
Kenn’s face lit up as Tonya pulled the dark wig on over her red tresses. With curls and a satin sheen, it was eerily similar to Angela’s hair.
“I’ve been a bad girl,” she pouted.
Kenn lunged, taking part of the tent stakes up as he landed next to her. “Yes, you have!”
5
Angela opened her lids to find the tent gone and her bedroll on top of the cliff she’d gone to sleep thinking of. She was facing west, able to see across the entire country.
A giant cloud of flames spread across the landscape. Angela glanced down to find a volcano spewing a steady geyser of lava and black clouds. Her magnified view could discern bright orange streaks below the surface.
Another blast of lava shot into the air, making her flinch.
Volcanic ash. It was coming again.
After a minute, Angela felt the witch pull back to wherever she went when Angela didn’t need her. A minute after that, Angela herself was back asleep.
Marc held her closer. How long would she remain with him and the camp before she broke? How long would she feel like she had to be with him to repay the debt she felt she owed? A few more months? Half a year? Not a full one, he was sure. He wouldn’t be able to pretend for another 365 days. Angela had outgrown him. He had nothing left to teach and that spelled doom. She was running rings around him and everyone else except for Adrian. It was only natural that she would want to be with her own kind.
6
Before dawn had broken the ugly sky, Angela was up and dressing. She began to fill Marc in on her dream as she slid into her jeans and boots, and then her shirt. She knew men liked the look of a woman wearing jeans and a bra, and she wanted Marc in a good mood for this. “I have to take a walk. I need you to go with me.”
Marc was busy staring at the skin he could see and nodded absently. “Sure.”
“I don’t want the camp to know.”
Marc’s head snapped up. “To Adrian?”
“He has something I need now. I wanted to just send you, but I have to be sure he isn’t lying.”
“Why can’t you scan him from here?” Marc asked tonelessly.
“The bubble is interfering because of so much hatred for what he’s done. It won’t let his thoughts through to me.”
Marc liked hearing that and didn’t argue further. He did ask, “How did that happen?”
“I planned on it,” was the response.
It worked perfectly with everything else she’d done. There was no way she could be tempted if she couldn’t even hear him.
“Exactly,” Angela stated, pulling on her coat and guns. “You ready?”
Marc had already been dressed. He hit his radio as they stepped outside. “Mini-meeting in the mess for all team leaders, XOs, and command positions. Fifteen minutes.”
The tent area cleared quickly and it was easy for Marc to lead Angela toward the rear of their perimeter without notice by anyone except the tired Level Six guards that Angela had insisted be left on duty. Marc hadn’t asked why.
Angela took over the lead as soon as they were behind the cover of the trees, following Adrian’s bitter thoughts without needing directions.
There were team members who now hated Adrian on this post and they didn’t like seeing Angela here so soon after his banishment.
Angela found him by the creek and Marc remained at a distance, respecting her for asking him to come along, even though she didn’t have to.
Angela didn’t waste any time. “Can you give us a minute, Kendle?”
The brunette dropped the beer back into the cooler and stomped off, feeling unwanted. “The one he’d rather see anyway.”
Adrian’s eyes never left Angela. My Angela, he thought, then slammed his walls into place. “What?”
Angela dropped to a knee by his chair, ignoring it all. She had bigger issues. She filled him in on the dream and showed no surprise when he handed her the small stack of files and notebook from beside his seat.
“You had it, too.”
He nodded, sweeping her for signs of empathy. “Weeks ago and then again last night, with you.”
Angela was flipping through the pages, worry easing. “This is great.”
Adrian shrugged, but didn’t look away, though he could feel Marc’s anger growing. “It felt like I missed something.”
Angela tucked the information under her arm and rose. “I’ll work on it.”
Adrian kept his mouth shut, staring until she was out of sight.
In the upper corner, where he was protected, Conner snored in uncaring slumber. After he’d had time to consider his punishment, he’d realized that he’d gotten exactly what he wanted–to be alone, with his dad in charge. He didn’t care that their camp only had two members. This was enough.
7
Angela went to the mess for the meeting, walls tightly in place. The smell of Adrian that floated up from the pages didn’t break her heart, nor did that tight, neat script which warned her not to push the sheep, only the shepherds when she made her preparations. It was the dog tags inside the folder that almost cracked through her shell. He didn’t feel right wearing them without his honor.
Angela’s horror swept over the slowly waking camp in a cool chill that sent people to make sure flaps were zipped and doors were shut.
Angela took her place, nodding thanks to Kenn as he sat a cup of hot tea in front of her. “Honey is all we have now. Sorry.”
Angela liked it sweet, as did many of the camp. She nodded to Jennifer. “Add it. We have to keep them in the luxuries as long as we can.”
Angela brought up the list she’d fallen asleep while working on. “Keep up. I’m busy today,” she warned as she got rolling. “I want all the tents replaced with thicker canvases within a week. The team who makes that happen can pick their shift for a week. I want a generous digging crew to start collecting soil. If we hit a full dump load–at least 10 tons in our tri-axels–I promise to send the magic users out on gathering missions. They’ll find a ton of things we’ve run out of, like sugar, coffee, and paper towels. They’ll scour the land.”
Moods were brightening as Angela went on, wishing the 17% would stop staring in dislike. She could feel them.
“In two weeks, we’re going to get snow, if not sooner. I want those caves cleared, stocked, and ready for us to move in–in ten days. We’ll use all manual labor forms available to us.”
Angela took the tray from Li with a curt nod and then flashed a smile when she saw he’d brought her pancakes. She took the time to grab one, roll it up and dip it, then snatch a small bite. “Mmm. Damn, he can cook. Where were we? Oh, yeah, snow. We need as much rock salt as we can get our hands on. A truckload of i
t would be ideal. That will require a trip north and it should only be the strongest Eagles and the best shots. Nothing good waits up there, but we have to have the supplies. Once things settle down, there are a number of items we might get from that run. That team leaves in three days.”
Her two center tables were busy, all writing and comparing note and jobs. Angela let them go while she sucked down a few more quick bites. She felt like she could eat a plateful.
“It sounds like a lot going on for those ten days,” Becky commented. “Who has your six?”
Marc started to say he did and felt Angela’s head swivel toward him.
He sighed. “Looks like I have a different job. Shawn and Greg did a good job before. They can cover it.”
That was good news for the two Eagles who had thought they were still in Marc’s line of fire.
“Great. We’ll have a second meeting on all of this tonight after we’re settled in the permanent area,” Angela approved.
“Do you want us to go check it out beforehand?” Jennifer asked eagerly. She was still a little restless.
“No. We stay together for the move,” Angela denied. “There’s a blank spot when I look ahead. Keep the guards awake as we travel. Kenn, get on the radio doing those new observation quizzes. And that reminds me. We’ll restart Eagles tryouts and classes as soon as the ash storm passes. Get something drawn up that includes promotions of proper size for every person who fought in this war and pulled their duty.”
Now that it was over, their population had increased through the four camps that had requested to merge with theirs and vowed to follow their rules. Angela had all of them in the QZ now and planned to let them out in small stages that wouldn’t disrupt the normal flow she was trying to reestablish. The soldiers would be shadowed for a long time when they were cleared.
“The new rule for the camp is no one goes out exploring alone. If they’re with a fighter, all the better. We have less sheep now and most of our camp can take care of itself. We will keep guards and cameras on the supply trucks, the weapons and gear, and the food and water. When we get fuel, then we can worry about guarding our fuel.”
Angela ran through her mental list and got on the next set. They would stay like this for all of those ten days and then the workload would ease and some of the living could take place. “Next, is new assignments. We’ll do leadership first.”