by Angela White
Marc swept the tent area, nodding to Howard, who had Point over that location. Since Safe Haven was so big, there were three supervisors for each shift and one boss.
That’s me, Marc thought. He hadn’t wanted the job when it was given to him, and he certainly hadn’t been trying to earn it, but he doubted he’d be satisfied any other way now. He was good at this. To do less would be wasting his skills.
The hours before dawn came slowly. By the time the sun started to lighten the sky, another inch of snow had fallen and Marc hoped some rock salt came in today. A few more inches and they would truly be dug-in for the winter with no way down the mountain unless they wanted to go by foot or ski. The salt was going to mean the difference between mobility and death. If they couldn’t get up or down the main road for a year, they would starve.
Marc spotted movement from his perch on the front gate’s top rafter and groaned, “Great. Just what we need.”
In the distance, a line of vehicles was coming. There were at least fifteen cars and trucks, and Marc could already hear the horns faintly echoing up here. In a few more minutes, it would be loud enough to wake the entire camp–hours early. Which meant surly attitudes all day.
“Fucking great,” Marc complained angrily, beckoning Zack over. “Come on. We’re gonna meet some assholes at the bottom of the hill.”
Zack saw the coming people and also groaned, “More?”
Marc didn’t tell him this was just the tip of the iceberg. Safe Haven’s population was about to triple and they weren’t even close to ready for it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hot Flashes
September 22nd
1
“I’m not waiting any longer.”
“You have to. There’s a big storm coming.”
“More snow doesn’t scare me. It’s time.”
“A few more days? Please?”
“No, not even for you.”
Theo rounded the corner of the cavern and the two people broke apart guiltily.
“Is everything okay here?” Theo asked. He was on his way to fix an issue with the electricity, but the conversation had pulled him.
“Its fine,” Tara answered, sighing. “I’m trying to convince Jayson to wait a bit longer on his plans.”
“And what plans are those?” Theo demanded. He didn’t like how many new people were already running loose without a sentry.
“He wants to leave. I want him to wait until after the storm.”
It was a perfectly reasonable answer, but Theo didn’t buy it. “What are you guys up to?”
Before Tara could reply, Jayson shoved by them both. “Leaving.”
Theo started to go after him, but Tara put a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. He isn’t adjusting well.”
“Do you know him?” Theo asked, shrugging off her touch. “You didn’t come in together. And where’s Missy?”
Tara frowned slightly. “We’re both new. I made friends. Missy is with the other kids, eating breakfast. What’s your problem?”
Theo was a bit uneasy over her attitude. Until now, Tara had been meek. “Are you signing up for the Eagles?”
Tara shrugged, clearly uneasy at the quick topic switch. “I’m not sure.”
It relieved him to hear that, but Theo only said, “Maybe next time?”
“Maybe. I need to start my shift on stocking things down here. Can I go?”
Theo waved her off. He continued on his way, but the woman stayed on his mind. She was probably having a bad day, but he found her responses to be out of character. When he reached his working area, Theo made a note on it for the next shift. He wanted someone to keep track of her whenever she labored down here.
Theo studied the notes left for him by the previous shift, trying to ignore the creaks and shifts, the low moans of the stone around him.
Plumbing is 89% complete.
Power is 73% operational. Battery banks are cool and calm so far.
Two reports of the moaning in the bottom levels by guards. Checked it out. No evidence found.
Theo scowled when he saw the names of the sentries. Ozzie and Francis weren’t the type to imagine things. There was honestly something down here with them.
Theo made remarks on the paper and then hung it on the clipboard. The sounds of the camp moving to the mess and bathrooms echoed loudly throughout the cave. Down here, that noise was a reminder that he wasn’t alone. Theo was glad their people were inside. The doors to the cave would be installed soon and then those still living topside would be encouraged to come down and join the rest. Today would be a great test of the cave utilities and Theo expected to stay busy fixing minor issues.
More noises echoed from outside the cave, and Theo didn’t envy the patrols. Not only was it still snowing, the number of refugees had doubled from yesterday. The Eagles were busy rotating zones and trying to handle the influx.
As if conjured by his thoughts, the radio crackled with Tonya’s slightly harried voice, “This is Safe Haven refugee camp. We are now closed until the storm is over. Hole-up where you can. I repeat, we are closed until the storm passes. Please stay where you are and keep warm.”
Theo doubted many people would listen. The crowd outside the gates was only going to grow and Angela was going to keep evaluating them. Winter had arrived early, coating the land with deadly snow and cold. People would flood to their gates as long as they could travel.
“But they aren’t coming up the main hill,” Theo muttered. Their first load of rock salt for the day had been picked up, but it wouldn’t arrive until evening. That meant more snow accumulating, melting a bit in the brief glimpses of sun they were getting, and then refreezing into ice. Theo wasn’t certain that even the rock salt crew would make it up here and the call had said they were in a city truck. Nature was merciless and survivors across the country were about to be hit with another blow.
Around Theo, the walls shimmied.
He thought he was imagining it at first, and then he realized an entire section of the wall was shivering like Jell-O. Dust and debris began to fall, and then the noises caught up, revealing the grinding and pounding of a tremor. The cave wall bulged out from the pressure and a wide crack split from the bottom and began running upward.
Theo clutched at his mike as he fell, knowing it was already too late for him. “Cave-in!”
The call sent terror through everyone who heard.
Eagles rushed toward the sound as members fled. The panic and chaos made it difficult for them to navigate the steep stairs down to the area. People fell and rolled, knocking others over, and the tunnels echoed with screams and fear.
“This is a mandatory evacuation!” the radio blared. “Everyone out!”
2
It took hours to dig through the rubble.
The only section of the cave affected seemed to be this bottom part, but they didn’t know for sure how much damaged had been done. The pile of stone and debris was huge and the dust still hadn’t settled. Marc and Kenn supervised the digging as the Miller family did the hands-on work. They were used to this sort of tragedy and expected few survivors.
“Do we have a count yet?” Marc barked. He hated being down here while Angela was outside the gate, handling new arrivals and rotating zones.
“Right here,” Kenn stated, extending him the sheet. “Just Theo’s a.m. team. They were down here to handle minor repairs.”
Marc didn’t need to read it. He knew who was on Theo’s crew. They now had five missing people and Marc was determined to recover every one of them. He wanted it finished as quickly as possible, and he stepped forward to help physically.
Kenn followed his lead.
Behind the workers, a small crowd of friends and loved ones gathered to wait for any news. Candy and the other women drew strength from each other, trying to be hopeful, but as the minutes passed with no sounds, it was hard.
3
Kendle didn’t want to be here anymore. There was a bad feeling coming over these mounta
ins and she was eager to be on her way. The vehicles were packed, the team was ready, and all of them expected to leave in the morning. The problem was that they were all viewing the massive crowd of refugees on the doorstep and worrying. Safe Haven clearly needed them right now. What finally tipped it was a comment from Jennifer as she stopped by the parking area on her way to deliver an update about the cave-in.
“Happy hunting. We’re gonna need that boat.”
Kendle hadn’t realized the boat was important. She’d honestly thought Angela was getting rid of her and a few of the others who wanted to be on the island. Kendle hadn’t considered that it was for Safe Haven.
“But I should have,” she muttered. Angela didn’t do anything that wasn’t going to help her damn sheep. “What am I walking into?”
Kendle finished loading the rear floorboard, then shut and locked all the doors. Only she and Tommy had keys.
“All set?” Tommy asked, joining her at the front end of their Tahoe. He could smell her shampoo from the recent shower.
“Yes,” she answered, not adding more.
Tommy had witnessed her battling the refugees coming through the damaged gate, and been impressed. When Angela had said Kendle was a killer, she hadn’t been exaggerating in the least.
“We’ll get the word to go soon,” he said, sensing Kendle was eager to go.
Greg came over to them with a slight frown. “Boss said to get rolling down the rear path.”
Tommy grinned happily. “See?”
Kendle allowed a tiny smile to crack her lips. “Cool. Let’s go.”
They rolled down the rear road mostly unnoticed a short time later. Kendle didn’t glance at Adrian’s site or at the cave, where Marc was still helping to free their trapped men. She hadn’t said goodbye to either male. She was on her way home. There was nothing here for her now.
4
Angela read the update and gave Jennifer the next sets of notes to be delivered. There was too much going on for any of them to spend time talking, so the short messages were ideal. The radios were clogged with calls from people begging them not to shut their gates until they arrived–despite the transmissions that Tonya was repeating each hour. Desperation to avoid the cold would keep survivors coming their way and there was little Safe Haven could do. The two hundred refugees already here were unruly, angry that they had to be processed, sullen about the rules and requirements for entry. They wanted in and soon, Angela was positive they would try to get through. The Eagles were also certain. They were carrying extra ammunition and wearing double-vest setups. Things were on the edge of ugliness and Angela realized her plans would have to be sped up. This would be one of the last few days that she and Jennifer could come outside the reinforced gate to sort through new arrivals. With that thought in mind, Angela dug into the evaluations harder, trying to get more of the good people cleared before evening fell. Marc would handle the den. She would handle the door.
5
Theo moaned as he came to. Pain crushed into his legs and continued to build until tears slipped from his lids. He didn’t bother to open them. With the dark and dust, he wouldn’t be able to see anything, but it was a small comfort to hear work going on. They were trying to dig through.
The rocks on top of his legs suddenly shifted and Theo screamed.
“That’s it! Lift!”
Theo continued to scream as the rock was moved and the sound echoed throughout the cave. It cut off abruptly as he passed out.
The men laboring to free him were grateful. The creaks and groans of the mountain were too much for their nerves. Screams were more than they could handle right now. This area could collapse. They wouldn’t know until the engineering team could come in and evaluate.
Marc and Kenn, exhausted and filthy, were there to help lift Theo’s body from the rubble. They’d found Tim and Gary a little while ago and both men had been rushed to the medical bay. Theo made three and Marc was determined that number would go higher. He wasn’t leaving anyone down here. The fact that all three men were still alive gave him hope that the other two would be as well.
The shouts from topside echoed down to them and Marc gestured for Kenn to call in the next crew to dig. “I’ll be back.”
Marc walked behind the team carrying Theo, noting the empty cave. The camp had been sent to the main tent area topside until it was declared safe. Marc wondered how many of those would now refuse to live below. As he neared the entrance, the noise of a huge crowd was loud enough to drown out everything else. Marc frowned, moving faster. Surely, Angie had come inside the gates…
“She went to the medical bay!” Greg shouted when he saw Marc.
Relieved, Marc went to the main gate first, needing an update on their situation out here. The feeling vanished as he stared at the mob. Groups milled around the area, talking and arguing over space for tents and vehicles. The four zones were completely full and each of them were surrounded by tents and clans waiting for an evaluation. Behind those, were more people waiting on foot and in long lines of clumsily parked cars that would prevent anyone–including their teams–from getting through.
The Eagles were nervous, each man and woman with a finger ready to pull the trigger as the crowd below shouted, screamed, and fought. Despite Angela’s predictions, Marc hadn’t thought it would get so bad this quickly. His added defenses were good. They might even hold off this crowd for a few days, but eventually, Safe Haven would be out of bullets and get overrun.
“We have magic,” Angela stated, joining him. “We’re never trapped.”
Marc hoped she was right. At some point, one of these desperate refugees would figure out the rear road existed and then they would have a flood of people at both doors.
“We have to keep them off our ass. We’ll need that route out of here.”
“What about the cave paths?” Marc asked quietly, leaning in so she could hear him. “That one tunnel is blocked now, but the others aren’t. I checked it.”
“Good. If we bunker in here, it’ll come in–”
“We have the last two!” Kenn’s happy shout came through the radio. “Everyone is accounted for and all of them will live!”
Marc and Angela both thought it was early for Kenn to give that notice, but it was too late to worry over. Cheers echoed from waiting members and Eagles, drowning out the gate crowd for an instant.
Angela studied those she hadn’t gotten to before Morgan had taken her arm and led her inside. He hadn’t asked or given any warning, and Angela hadn’t argued. The sense of bad things coming had been hanging over the refugees all day. Assuming she knew what it was made Angela worry about her timeline of events. That feeling said it was coming sooner than she’d anticipated.
“How’s Theo?” Marc asked since she’d been there when he was brought in.
“Rough. Same for Tim. Gary will be released tonight. He only has a concussion and we need the cot. The medical area is filling up.”
“Is that something I need to discuss with the doctor?” Marc asked.
“Actually, no. He’d like half of them to be cleared and out too. It’s just hard to get the tests done, treat new people who’ve been admitted, cover people who had regular appointments, supervise the students and act like an ass, all at the same time.”
Marc snickered, but he heard her silent plea. “Maybe you should go help him? The sooner he clears people, the quicker you can get some of the new ones in here, right?”
The idea of her being safely busy in the medical bay below was very appealing to Marc as he kept track of several fights that were ongoing. Most refugees disappeared into their tents or vehicles as soon as they arrived, trying to avoid the weather, but the troublemakers were out roaming and causing problems. The ‘safe’ people were those in Zones A and B. Zone C didn’t have a gate. Angela had ordered it left off during the repairs, but she hadn’t said why. Marc knew. She wanted the ants or Eagles to be able to get in there and clean it out as needed.
“I don’t like this,” Mar
c stated, hoping she had something else up her sleeve for controlling all these strangers.
“We have three options,” she answered, pulling her coat tighter as the wind blew harder. “We can run and let them have it. We can open fire and kill some innocent people. Or we can wait and let fate handle it.”
Marc didn’t like fate any more than he did the government, but still asked, “What happens there?”
“My men and women don’t have to carry this on their soul,” Angela stated gravely. “Only I do, and I’ll shoulder it willingly.”
Shivering lightly, she scanned the people, picking out murderers, rapists, traffickers. Some of the worst dregs of humanity were mixed into the crowd below and more of them were on the way. If even a few of those got inside these gates, Safe Haven’s light could be lost.
“We’ll wait,” she chose, feeling Marc’s need for an official decision. “Until after the storm.”
“Do you think it will cool them off, make some of them leave?” he questioned, gently helping her down from the rafter that he hadn’t heard her climb when she’d joined him. Her hands and face were like ice as he checked her out.
“No. But they’ll be just as gone.”
Spooked a bit, Marc led her to the topside mess to warm her up. As far as he knew, she and Jennifer hadn’t taken a break, which meant they hadn’t eaten either.
Angela let him guide her, mind sliding far away. Things were spinning fast and it was almost impossible to keep up with each change as it happened, let alone each ripple that was created. Foretelling this way was fascinating. Missy was going to be amazingly gifted. Shawn didn’t know it yet, but he was a lucky man.
6
Missy glowered at the rocking couple from her hidden perch in the bottom of the diaper cabinet. She’d stayed here when Hilda took the other kids to dinner, letting herself be counted before ducking back inside. She’d heard Tara tell Shawn to meet her.