by Angela White
“Good. I hope it will only be that way for a month or so, and then we’ll have the second harvest from the garden. How are we on animals?”
“Not great,” he replied checking a sheet. “And we don’t have anyone free to go searching.”
“We’ll cover that next week. Gatherers become stockers and we’ll be able to spare a couple of teams then.”
“Good. Next is an update on the settlement in general.”
“Yes, where are we on everything? Any chance we’ll make the morning’s deadline?”
“None at all. The plumbing should be finished today, along with the power. Air is done and working well. A few reports of groans and creaks, but we’ve all agreed that’s normal, considering that we’re drilling, banging, and making plenty of noise while we sweat.” Greg scanned the sheet again. “I’d say we have a shot at twelve days, unless something happens to speed things up.”
Angela wasn’t worried over it. She’d known her deadline wasn’t reasonable, but the cold weather was coming and hurrying these people along had been necessary. “What about sanitation and escape routes?”
“The sanitation will be finished tomorrow, if we can get more septic equipment. We’re stuck waiting on loads to come in for that one. However, the escape routes have been reconned, mapped, and we have guards posted.”
“Excellent,” Angela praised. Exiting the cave through those damp bottom tunnels wouldn’t be pleasant and she hoped they didn’t need to use them.
“We do have full loads of wood, gravel, sand, and dirt. Very low on water and fuel.”
“That’ll be better after today,” Angela informed him. “The water from Neil’s run will hold us for the rest of the month. We also have a team collecting from the northern oil refinery now.”
“Okay. Next is…Eagle training. Marc left sheets for you to approve. Said Kenn and Shawn did well on them.”
“I’ll go over it later, with these other things,” she said, placing the papers into her book. “Who do I have meetings with today?”
Greg consulted his schedule. “They’re all covered. Marc handled the doctor, Samantha told Conner he isn’t getting in here yet, and that’s it.”
“Really?” Angela gushed. “I’ve got a free hour?”
Greg laughed at her innocent pleasure. She was cute when she wasn’t being the boss.
“Last thing I have is Tara–she asked for a different job. I told her we need hands in the caves and she agreed to try that.”
Angela’s demeanor turned cold. “Any word from her settling partners?”
“None that I’ve noticed,” Greg answered, scanning his papers again. “She follows the rules and stays out of the way.”
“And Missy?”
Greg gestured toward the kids’ area, where a large group of children and their chaperones were lined up to enjoy field trip day. Missy was with Leeann, and the two girls were chatting happily and ignoring everything else around them.
“Seems content enough.”
Angela didn’t comment, staring at the little girl. Missy’s gifts were incredible, but Angela was loathe to have her use them. She needed time to be a kid before being a descendant consumed her life.
Angela stood up, pocketing her notebook. “I’ll be on rounds.”
Greg nodded, thinking she looked better today than she had the entire time they’d been here. It was heartening, and Greg was whistling as he strolled to the front gate for a check-in with the sentries over Zone C. That was the only area he didn’t have an update on yet and at lunch, he wanted to have it ready if the boss asked for it.
Angela headed for the female tents, hoping to catch Hilda before she started her day of laboring in the caves. If Hilda were willing, she would submit to a new exam and discover if she and the baby were out of danger for a while. The life forces were capable of healing many things and Angela needed to hear that her horrible gambit had succeeded. She’d already given her soul to these people. She shouldn’t be required to sacrifice her unborn child, too.
2
Neil slid into the shower stall with a groan. “That feels good.”
A few stalls over, Jeremy chuckled. “Yeah, hot water will cause that reaction.”
Neil let it beat on his sore shoulders while he stared through the window. He and his team were going back out after lunch mess, to supervise the collection of water from the treatment plant. As he stared, he caught a glimpse of Samantha going by. Her pace wasn’t the confident stroll that Neil was used to and he frowned.
“Can I talk to you about something?” Neil asked, leaning against the stall.
“Sure,” Jeremy answered, not hearing the tone. He was busy ignoring his body while he washed.
“Have you, uh.” Neil flushed. “Have you and Samantha been… You know.”
Jeremy grimaced. So much for ignoring my needs. “No, not since the night we got here.”
Neil felt the heat rise at that memory, but the concern overruled it. “I haven’t either.”
Now Jeremy was the one frowning as he realized what Neil was getting at. “You think she’s hiding something or just not in the mood? We’ve all been pretty busy.”
“I’m not sure,” Neil confided. “And I’m out again after lunch, so I can’t watch her.”
“I can,” Jeremy offered, rinsing. “I will.”
Neil got a rag wet. “I know it’s only been a little over a week and being pregnant has to screw with things, but it isn’t normal for her. You know?”
“Yeah.” Now that it had been pointed out, Jeremy agreed. Samantha’s sexual appetite was new to them, but it had been voracious from the instant they’d started having contact. For her to go cold turkey wasn’t normal. “I can try to talk to her about it.”
“That’ll go well,” Neil snorted. “Let me know when you plan to do it so I can be there to sew you up.”
Jeremy snickered. “Okay, I’ll let you know if I spot anything we should be worried over.”
Neil hoped that would be enough. He already knew Samantha wasn’t going to want to talk to them about anything that might be wrong. “Do you think she’d talk to someone else? Like maybe Cynthia?”
Jeremy considered it. “They have gotten close. Maybe.”
“I might mention it to her before I leave,” Neil stated, soaping up. “You’ll have to deal with the fallout if Samantha figures out it came from us.”
“Yeah, but it’s worth it to make sure she’s okay.”
“I agree,” Neil said. “I’ll do that when I’m finished here.”
Jeremy didn’t tell Neil that he’d seen Cynthia stomping toward the gates, where the next teams were getting set to leave for the day’s labor out of camp. The reporter wasn’t happy and Jeremy was almost certain it was because Conner was working with them. He wasn’t supposed to have that information, but he’d overheard Samantha and Cynthia complaining about it. Jeremy wasn’t happy about the arrangement either, but he trusted Angela and if she thought the boy deserved a second chance, then he did.
Jeremy’s thoughts went to Adrian and he drew a mental line. That criminal didn’t deserve to be let in and Angela needed to be very careful about using him, even from a distance. If people thought she was conspiring with a traitor, she would lose leadership and that would be bad for everyone. Angela was a gifted leader and Safe Haven wouldn’t be the same without her.
Neil’s thoughts stayed on Samantha. He’d noticed more things off about her, other than the lack of sex and the weaker body language, but he was hesitant to explore them. Samantha had spent a lot of time in the west, on foot and in compounds that had been contaminated with radiation, and Neil was terrified she was one of the members trying to hide a disease diagnosis.
3
“He’ll have another nasty scar,” the doctor stated, keeping Kyle between him and Jennifer. “Nothing else wrong with him.”
“See?” Kyle complained. “I told you we didn’t need to come in.”
Jennifer didn’t rise to the bait. She’d insist
ed the doctor give Kyle a compete check-up and though neither man had been happy about it, she’d gotten her way.
“Your turn?” Kyle asked.
Jennifer scowled and the doctor shook his head.
“I have a lot of work today.”
“I’m spending the day with my sons after this.”
Kyle grinned at both of them. “Cowards.”
The doctor couldn’t deny it, but Jennifer slapped Kyle on the arm. “Stop it. You know he’s scared of me.”
“With good reason,” Kyle replied teasingly. “You’re a vicious killer.”
Kyle had meant it as a joke, but both of them wincing made him take it to the next level.
“I mean, we all know how terrified the babies and animals are of you.”
Jennifer recognized the joke, but the doctor took it as an insult.
“I’m not scared of her. I don’t like it when people get special treatment.”
Jennifer laughed, unable to help it. “Yeah, special.”
Kyle loved the sound of her laughter. “I think so.”
Drawn into their bond against his will, the doctor was forced to accept that the teenager also had a soft side. She was gentle with Kyle and with her daughter, who the doctor had double-checked for signs of abuse.
“You’ll never find any!” Jennifer snapped, angered at the mental accusation. “I’m capable of love and kindness. That may not be true of you!”
Jennifer left the medical tent, slamming the flap in a vain effort to express her outrage.
Kyle sighed. “You’ve gotta stop doing that. People here are tired of being prejudged.”
The doctor didn’t respond. He was busy trying to sooth his guilt for hurting Jennifer’s feelings. She shouldn’t have been in my mind. I hate that!
Kyle followed Jennifer, pulling his shirt on over the thick scar that should still be a gaping wound capable of taking his life. Kendle had done fast, amazing work, and Kyle knew that was part of the reason that Jennifer had insisted on the check-up. She didn’t trust Kendle.
“No, I don’t,” Jennifer admitted, letting go of her anger at the doctor in favor of her anger at Kendle. “She’s going to keep messing around with Marc and we’ll get the order to remove her. I don’t want that to happen.”
Kyle didn’t tell her that Adrian would be the one to get that order. Instead, he said, “We need to help her adjust and find someone–other than the traitor.”
Jennifer glanced at Kyle. “You have to forgive him sometime, you know. He’s not going anywhere.”
“I won’t,” Kyle stated. “Ever.”
Jennifer thought in time Kyle might be able to understand why Adrian had made those choices, but she agreed with the sentiment. What Adrian had done was awful and it had hurt his men more than anyone else. Those in his army had been believers.
“The puppy is almost trained and ready to come home with us,” Kyle told her, neatly switching the topic. “Next couple of weeks.”
“Nice! I haven’t played with him in a while.”
Safe Haven animals were put through a training program before being handed over to an owner and the owners had to know the methods and continue them. Angela had added it to Adrian’s training program not long after they’d had their dog uprising. So far, the few dogs here hadn’t shown any signs of following their fellow canines, but the Eagles were still watching for it. Jennifer was still going to the weekly training lessons, where she often scanned the animals as well.
“Can I bother you for a minute?”
Kyle and Jennifer rotated to find Sheila behind them. The former slave from Cesar’s camp had chosen to remain with the herd for Angela’s war and she’d been keeping her head down since then.
“What?” Jennifer asked rudely. She had little forgiveness for any of them.
Sheila flushed, hesitating, and Jennifer turned away. Reading her mind had barely taken an instant.
“No, I won’t,” Jennifer called over her shoulder. After finding Lilly with her baby, Jennifer had no sympathy. “My forgiveness isn’t for sale, so keep your offers.”
Kyle caught up to Jennifer, but he didn’t give her the expected lecture on forgiveness. He had his own demons to fight in that area.
4
Tonya spotted her target and beelined for the mess before she could lose her nerve. Dealing with other people was still hard for her sometimes.
Tonya dropped onto the bench across from Peggy, smiling. “I have something for you.”
Peggy, who was watching for Doug, frowned. “What?”
Tonya slid a large baggie over, glad she’d thought to put it in a sack first.
Peggy realized it was the next batch for the cancer drinks and allowed a small bit of approval to come through. “I’ll take care of it. Thank you.”
“Welcome,” Tonya stated, lingering instead of leaving right away like she had been doing.
Peggy frowned deeper. “You all right?”
“I need to ask you for something,” Tonya admitted.
“What?” Peggy couldn’t think of anything Tonya would ask for that was over the line now. Things had changed.
“I’d like your help birthing my baby.”
“You what?” Peggy repeated distractedly. She’d caught sight of Doug’s big shoulders coming through the line with his tray.
“You’re nice and I know you plan to help some of the other women here,” Tonya explained. “And I won’t go to the new guy. He creeps me out.”
“Creeps you out,” Peggy repeated. “Got it.”
“Yes, and I could even do a couple of your shifts, if you feel like teaching me.”
Peggy wanted the woman gone. “Sure, fine.”
“Thanks!” Tonya beamed, standing up. “Kenn was right about asking you. You are nice.”
Before Tonya could add anything else, Peggy lunged from the table and stabbed Doug in the arm.
“Son of a…”
Startled, Tonya quickly backed out of the mess and fled for the pharmacy.
“There you are.”
Tonya jumped, spinning to discover Samantha waiting by the shaded corner of the pharmacy tent. None of her helpful rookies were here yet and Tonya tried not to appear nervous as she opened the tent and stepped behind the makeshift counter.
“What do you need? We’ve got a fresh supply of baby wipes now, and a roll of toilet paper, but one per person.”
“I need something that you have to keep your mouth shut about,” Samantha stated coldly. She’d accepted Tonya on the team because the redhead could hold her own. It didn’t mean she liked her.
“Fine, as long as it doesn’t break the rules.”
Samantha blinked, still not used to Tonya being upstanding. She also wasn’t used to the short hair. “I need you to tell Neil and Jeremy that I came in for the wipes.”
“Okay,” Tonya slowly agreed, handing her the thin package. “And what am I really giving you?”
“Something to keep me from starting each day by puking.”
Tonya’s quick mind added it up. “You’re having trouble and you haven’t told them?”
Samantha came further into the tent, trying to appear menacing. “No, and you’re not going to either.”
Tonya chuckled, not scared of Samantha. “I will, if you don’t convince me you have a good reason.” Tonya began digging through her bins. “I’ve got what you need, but take it easy on them. Studies hadn’t determined long-term effects on a fetus.”
Sam was surprised again at how professional Tonya sounded. “Did you have experience at this before?”
Tonya shrugged. “Not legally.”
Samantha took the bottle and said,” I’m sick and the doctor can’t do anything. He wouldn’t even give me something to calm my stomach. Said it was a waste of supplies since I’m gonna die anyway.”
“Sick with what?” Tonya forced out through the shock.
Samantha leaned in and revealed her misery. “Cancer, John said.”
“Oh, shit,” Tonya exclaim
ed. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, me too,” Samantha stated. “But I’m going to have these babies and you can help me with that.”
“I will. I’ll do some reading when I get time and see if there’s anything else we can do.”
Tonya’s quick offer to help eased Samantha’s mind about coming to her and she lingered, waiting for her shift time to roll around. As she hung around, she realized Tonya had a calming effect on people. Her customers left happy, with what they came for, and her trade requests were reasonable. Tonya had become friendly, open, and it was a good half hour for Samantha, who needed to believe in miracles. No one thought cancer was beatable, but no one had thought Tonya capable of this level of reform, either.
Samantha slipped out as the next customers came in for Advil and wipes. Tonya had beaten the odds and now had an entirely new life. Samantha was certain she could do the same.
“Hey!” Cynthia called, kit in hand. “Ready for another fun day?”
“If we give Candy one of Li’s egg rolls, she’ll get gas again,” Samantha suggested.
The women laughed at the memory and they were still snickering as they began loading their gear onto the horses the animal crew had ready for them. They were only a few miles from home and they needed to conserve fuel, but Samantha didn’t think she could take another ride down the mountain on a jostling horse. She glanced over at the team next to them. Allan’s crew was piling into a large van that would return with the supplies from the electric store that Kyle had secured before getting hurt. “You guys feel like helping a lady?”
Cynthia stared in surprise as Samantha bartered a ride for them to the bottom of the hill, arranging for the horses to be tied to the rear and the driver to go slow.
“What’s up with that?” Tracy asked, also surprised. Their first day on horses, Samantha hadn’t wanted to get off hers.
“I think she’s feeling restless and trying not to let herself get out of control,” the reporter stated. “Or she’s hiding something. I’d rather believe my first guess.”
“So would I,” Tracy agreed. She liked Samantha and had deep respect for her. Finding out she was hiding lies, like some of the others here, would be a huge disappointment.