Where We Stand

by Angela White

  The convoy made a sloppy, but quick turnaround in a mini-mart parking lot and the last cars were able to see the problem she’d spoken of. It was coming toward them on hungry legs. Southern Arkansas had a rat overpopulation that knew the sound of vehicles meant people and food.

  Adrian estimated the convoy would be out of sight in a matter of minutes and doubted the rats would follow them far in the rain.

  “She got it in time,” Adrian stated. “Crack a joke.”

  Kenn picked up the mic. “You do know the fare goes up when you add on miles, right?”

  Angela’s voice was tired, but amused. “I’m a big tipper. Keep rolling.”

  Kenn grunted, forced the words out. “Yes, ma’am.”

  The boys were observing out the rear window and they saw the signal from the last car.

  “He told her he’s ready,” Charlie murmured. “I think they’re doing the experiment now.”

  Adrian swore under his breath. “Fall back and stay with whatever car picks her up.”

  Kenn did as he was told.

  “What’s the problem?” Conner asked, confused. They’d been excited about her idea, hadn’t they?

  “It’s more like nervous,” Charlie explained, holding onto the door when Kenn did a neat slide and turn. “She gets a bit…”

  “Reckless.” Kenn and Adrian supplied together.

  “Yeah,” Charlie confirmed. “But she’s also cool. Help me get these kits below the window line so we can see. No way she lets us out of the Blazer.”

  Marc pulled alongside them a few seconds later, by Kenn’s window.

  Adrian tried to ignore the feeling of isolation as the camp got beyond his sight in the light storm and thick darkness.

  “She added something, changed something,” Marc stated in frustration. “I don’t know. And we only have a dozen men. Advice?”

  Adrian waited until Marc looked at him before he spoke. “Take her place.”

  Marc was gone a second later.

  10

  “They’re too close, Angie,” Marc insisted. “We have to move.”

  She hadn’t agreed to let him do it alone, but she had acquiesced to a partnership and he’d had to settle for that.

  “I’m almost positive on this, or I wouldn’t be doing it,” Angela answered, unwrapping the basket. “Roll, don’t throw.”

  “I got it. You just keep a hand on your holster,” Marc instructed.

  “No guns, Marc.” Angela began pitching the leftover food toward the advancing line of ants. “They know what it is.”

  Marc swore silently as Angela went forward.

  Like she’d expected, the ants flinched from the food and the larger members of colony rushed towards it, presumably in defense. The soldiers approached the food without caution, but only checked it.

  Angela paused as the two biggest soldier ants made contact. In that glance, she read curiosity and mistrust. What she didn’t pick up, was hatred.

  The soldier ants stayed still as they stared at her, at all the humans waiting in the steady rain with baskets, and Angela motioned for the others to start.

  Food began splattering across the ground and ants fled from the path while soldiers rushed over in defense.

  “Now get back,” Angela instructed, dropping her own empty basket.

  Marc did the same next to her.

  The line of Eagles retreated a dozen paces, and refused to go any further when Angela didn’t join them. In the rain and darkness, clear shots would only be had by a close proximity.

  “They’re taking it!” Jake exclaimed over the radio.

  The minor ants were being allowed to pick up the gifts and Angela pushed into the next part of her idea.

  “Let the rats through,” she ordered softly over her headset.

  The Eagles tensed as the barricade of vehicles began moving, the sounds drawing the pack that was still visible in the distance. The rats had stopped not long after the convoy turned, but this was close enough to trigger them.

  Lights flashed on as the cars were loaded and lined up for a quick get-away, and all of those with them saw the hungry rodents streaming their way.

  “Get ready,” Marc ordered over his headset. “Listen for my call.”

  Marc wasn’t taking any chances. He and Kyle had an extraction plan in place if this went as badly as he thought it might. For an instant, Marc wished his demon was here.

  “Here they come,” Jake warned.

  Doors began slamming shut and Eagles scrambled to be in the right place as they observed the river of rats flooding their way.

  Angela stared at the soldiers who were still directing the pick up of the food she and Marc had thrown first. She threw out a scent of fear, searching over her shoulder, and caught their reaction from the corner of her eye.

  The two soldiers tensed, antenna extending to test the air… and then they came straight toward her.

  Marc grabbed her arm and Angela pulled loose. “Stand still.”

  The two ants neared their feet… and went by, now hurrying.

  Waves of piercing orders filled her mind and then the other ants began to take notice and follow.

  Marc and Angela held still as the colony streamed around them, both amazed. The minors in the colony continued to pick up food, content their defenses would handle the threat, and the Eagles shared shocked words of encouragement.

  Angela slowly turned to view the coming battle, careful not to step on any of the ants, and Marc did the same.

  “They’re fleeing!” Jake roared over the radio. “The rats won’t fight ’em!”

  Angela gestured for Kevin to take over the radio, glad they were using the headsets and not open waves.

  The rats turned tail, and Angela wondered how far the ants would go. She was both elated and horrified when the soldiers hunted the rats deep into the distance. There were no squeals or destruction that she could hear, but all of them were sure both was happening.

  “Will they hurt the people?” Kyle asked lowly.

  “No,” Angela answered.

  “Will the people hurt them?” he continued.

  Angela sighed, but didn’t answer. She had another group to protect, to feed, to get the camp to accept.

  “It was a great idea,” Adrian praised through his open window.

  Marc noticed even that didn’t shake Angela’s somber mood. What was going on inside her mind?

  “Shall I look for you?” the demon offered contentedly. “She’ll know, but she won’t mind.”

  “I thought you were gone for a while?” Marc asked.

  “You called me,” the demon answered, not upset. “May I be of use?”

  Marc observed Angela staring at the ants in concern and gave in. “Yes. What’s she worrying over now?”

  The demon didn’t need to get into her mind for that. “Queens have a thousand babies a day. She’s trying to figure out how to feed them all.”

  “Oh, shit,” Marc groaned. “She would be.”

  “What?” Angela turned to him in worry. Had she missed something?

  Marc took her gently by the arm. “You would have been a cat lady, I swear. We’ll figure something out for it. Come on, you’re soaked.”

  Angela let him lead her to the vehicles, helping her avoid the minors and food. “We need to do some research. Maybe they’ll eat something we’re not using.”

  “We’re two short.” Kevin’s words were said in a low rush as he joined them. “Tucker and Anderson. All their gear’s gone, too.”

  Marc studied Angela, and found her moving away.

  She knew, he thought.

  “Get a three-man team on bikes. Go find out if they broke down somewhere and couldn’t call,” Marc ordered.

  He studied Angela’s stiff frame. What was she hiding from him this time?

  Marc handed her into the rear of the Blazer, where Cynthia was waiting with towels and a mug of coffee.

  Angela sipped the hot brew while they tended to her, mind blazing with strategies.
If they fed the ants regularly, the soldiers would be a new line of defense. She’d had the thought, tested and proven it in a non-controlled environment. When the time came, she could use it to Safe Haven’s advantage.

  “Get her into the lead truck when she dries off,” Marc instructed over the radio. “I’m making a quick recon to that library.”

  The Eagles didn’t want to let Marc go alone, but it was clear from the ants streaming around his feet that he would have protection.

  Marc vanished into the library a few minutes after they were out of sight. When he was satisfied there, he took the time to kick in the door to the one store that might have food left. The soldier ants swarmed inside gratefully and Marc observed them, what they went to and secured first.

  Those powerful waves of communication came again, strong enough for him to smell in the close-in store, and Marc knew the rest of the colony had been called.

  He backed out carefully and looked around the town. It was gone, with enough black mold climbing the buildings to convince Marc that no one was hiding here.

  “Can you hear anyone?” he asked reluctantly.

  “No,” the demon replied promptly. “Let’s go home.”

  Marc immediately went toward the truck he’d been driving. Safe Haven was definitely that now. He couldn’t imagine living with another group. They were his.

  11

  “Ug! Pull harder!”

  “I’m trying to! I keep slipping!” Tucker panted, heaving, and they managed to get the crate out of the ground. In the struggle, the stack of plastic-covered rule sheets was ripped open. Loose white papers went flying into the muddy darkness.

  “Bring the truck closer,” Tucker instructed. “We’re not movin’ this bitch. Too much rain.”

  The crate held a large amount of supplies and was slowly sinking further into the muddy ground.

  “Hurry up!”

  Anderson ran to the truck, and Tucker began prying the wood open to get at the supplies inside, cursing the rain.

  Anderson pulled the truck too close and bumped into the crate.

  It sank deeper into the mud. Tucker began shouting and his words rolled through the storm.

  Not far away, it drew the attention of camp followers. These were the people who’d been called by the lights of safety, but hadn’t gathered the courage to seek it yet. They followed the camp instead, banding together and sharing the supplies that were left behind. They were waiting for the rain to clear, but the harsh male shouts brought them out early.

  “We need those supplies,” Everett stated, grabbing his pouch. “You know what we have to do.”

  The ragged band of survivors were too busy gathering ammunition to argue. Thievery was something they killed their own for. Those supplies belong to them. The notes inside always said so and these people followed Safe Haven’s rules.

  Everett grabbed at a paper blowing by, and Simon held a torch so he could read it.

  “Safe Haven rules of Conduct and penalties… this is from the crate! They’ve gotten it.”

  Anger spread through the group. Without those supplies, their few children would go hungry.

  “There’s a new rule,” Everett stated, gruff voice now lowered in respectful awe. “Gather, my friends, and learn a new guide to the promised land.”

  The twenty men and women formed a reverent circle around Everett and Simon, holding hands and humming lowly as the next commandment was put into their minds.

  “Stealing is a crime. Stealing is punishable by…” Everett pretended to struggle reading the rain-soaked sheet. “Punishable by stoning.”

  Simon, who couldn’t read, gasped with the rest of the group.

  Everett dropped the paper and filled his left hand full of stones from his pouch. “We’ve been called into service this night, to enforce Safe Haven’s rules, the written and the unspoken. Are you with me?”

  The crowd chanted an angry agreement. “We are called into service. We will enforce the rules.”

  Everett lead them forward, waving at Simon to put out the torch. “This business has to be done in the dark. It’s why we exist.”

  12

  “Is that everything?”

  Tucker grunted, wiping rain and sweat from his neck. “Yes. Help me secure the tailgate. It’s bulging.”

  Anderson and Tucker fought to get it latched, eager to be on the road. They’d never spent so long on a grab.

  “Shove, damn it!”

  “Can we help?”

  The Eagles spun around, drawing their guns when they saw who’d joined them.

  “Now, my brothers and sisters,” Everett invoked the killing mood. “Let these thieves be dealt punishment according to Safe Haven laws.”

  Tucker gaped at the words, not understanding what was happening. “Who are you guys?”

  Anderson, a bigger coward, felt trouble coming. He heaved against the tailgate and felt it latch. At the same time, something gave in his back.

  “Ahh!” He hit the muddy ground on his knees, groaning.

  “What?” Tucker asked, aware of the numerous hands reaching for pouches and pockets. “Get up!”

  “My back!”

  “Get up!”

  “Now, my children!” Everett commanded.

  Tucker let go of Anderson’s arm as stones came flying through the rain, trying to protect his face. Rocks slammed into his head and neck.

  “Stop!”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  The group didn’t pause or answer, only returned to humming and chanting while they tossed.

  “Abuse is forbidden… Rape is a death sentence…”

  Tucker could hear the words, the copy of camp rules now twisted into something ugly. He held up a hand, stumbling blindly as his forehead dripped blood that ran into his mouth.

  “I’ll shoot!”

  Anderson cowered under the truck and was trapped by a barrage of sharp stones flying underneath. One of them struck his temple and he slumped to the mud, face down.

  “Thieves are stoned...” the group chanted, arms raring back.

  Tucker got his gun in hand, but forgot to remove the safety. He fired in vain as the entire group threw at him.

  They didn’t stop when he began to scream.

  Nor when he fell silent.

  It wasn’t an easy way to die.

  Chapter Nine

  North of Grenada Lake

  7/4 3:00am

  1

  Grenada Lake was almost a paradise. Surrounded by thick woods on one half, the other side included fields, valley’s and even an old atv mud-track that had become dark with mold. The rest of the area was pristine and the hunters were already eager for a run. The boaters in the camp were staring at the dock and the murky water from their windows, but Angela didn’t think any of them would try it. Things came out of the water now and that was a lot of water.

  “Mess is that picnic shelter. The center is that fallen tree. Eagle Teams Three, Four, and Five secure the perimeter. Camp standby to unload, get fed, and stay for almost two weeks.”

  Tired cheers came from the cars and trucks.

  Kyle and Marc were already in the thick of things, and Angela used the privacy to dig deep and listen to the area. There was a bad vibe to the wind, but it felt like they were east of it.

  Angela finished her sweep and climbed out into lingering fog. She spotted Kenn nearby. “You my shadow?”

  The Marine turned to view their surroundings. “Me and Shawn have you until we’re set up.”

  Angela observed the campers and trucks rolling into place, and waved a hand toward the creek they’d chosen on the map. “No one goes in there until it’s cleared and roped. We also need all of this mowed.”

  They’d chosen the area because of the bedrock under the thin soil around the Springs. If it appeared mushy or weak, they would pick another location to camp.

  Kenn didn’t have to write it down, and Angela was glad they were now giving her men who could do that without worrying over her safe
ty. It would make everything easier.

  She was well into rounds when Marc finally joined her, taking Kenn’s place.

  “Camp’s up and running. Kyle’s got it, three levels on duty, disks are out, QZ’s up, and basically, all is well in our world for the moment.”

  Angela understood his cheerful tone. Being the one to prove her theory had sent a fresh rush of glory into his bloodstream. It had an effect on Brady that was magical in itself.

  The couple spent the next hour walking camp, helping where it was needed, then they went to the Mess, where the lines were thinning.

  “What’s set up for them to do?”

  “Movies and popcorn in the big tents, game trucks are open, the bonfire’s lit, though if the rain comes back, that’ll be out.”

  Angela took the tray from Li Sing with a smile of thanks. He’d come out to serve her himself.

  “We’ll have fresh meat for you to work with in the next couple days,” Angela offered, sure he was as tired of cooking fish as the camp was of eating it.

  “All good. I made a clam chowder, with no clams,” Li cackled. “Will tell them it is canned pork.”

  Angela snickered. “Works for me.”

  They went to the empty center table, each noting who they saw and the general mood of the camp. There wasn’t much talking as they ate.

  Sighing, Marc gestured toward her empty cup. “Coffee?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Marc thought of their moments, and Angela flushed. But she didn’t offer an invitation and he felt the sting. He’d hurt her this time and he wasn’t sure how to fix it. He wasn’t worried about her leaving him over it, he’d seen the signs of ruthless planning enough to know them, but he was certain their relationship was suffering and would continue to.

  “You’re doing a good job,” Marc stated suddenly. “They all think so.”

  Angela needed to hear that. It was something Adrian hadn’t said to her yet, though, and it wouldn’t feel that way until he did.

  Marc went to get them fresh drinks and Angela glanced around the Mess for trouble. She wanted to be one of those people who only saw the good, but the War had ruined that for her. Now, she had to look for problems and find ways to turn them into strengths.

  She studied their perimeter, where the wall was going up. Come daylight, parts of it would come down and more experiments with the ants would take place. She had no idea how something so powerless would be able to help them, but she was determined to bring in assistance from every source available. If the insects continued to protect them, they would be rewarded.