by Angela White
“Is it about us?” he asked suddenly and didn't like the dismay and guilt he saw.
“No, I'm sorry. It isn't.”
He tried not to let her see his sting, but failed. “You've got other prospects. I understand you can have–”
“What would make you think that?” she interrupted, too tired and sore to fight with him. “Doesn't matter. It has to do with the women here. In case you've forgotten, Kenn's the only one who always thinks of himself and his wants. I like to help other people, not control them.”
She stomped off and Marc let her go, anger fading. He didn’t have the right to tell her to stop any more than Kenn did, but it still hurt. He wondered what her real reasons were. Maybe she still didn't feel safe. Maybe it was about helping the women here.
Or, maybe, he thought, going to his tent with a last glare at Neil. Maybe Angie just lied to me.
Angela wasn't certain why she hadn't told Marc, only that she sensed he'd take it badly. All he wanted was their chance to be together, but she was viewing the women here, suspecting how much she could do for them by fulfilling Adrian’s dream and becoming an Eagle. She had a chance to shape the future of these post-war females and it was becoming something she was determined to do. Adrian was trying to clear the way for her, but there would be more problems like this one. Did he have the camp’s reaction covered too or should she be figuring out a way to ease them into it? What about his men? Neil clearly hadn’t known she was coming.
Thoughts full of her success and worries over the future, Angela let her feet carry her away from Brady.
“What did she say to you?” Neil asked curiously.
He had joined Samantha without speaking. They’d listened to Marc and Angie’s argument and watched the couple disappear, the wolf hesitating before following his master.
“That each hit hurt you as much as her, but there’s nothing you won’t do for Adrian and I should know that now.”
Neil waited for her to unleash the words that would stop this attraction he was feeling toward her, but there was silence.
“And?” Again, he braced for rejection and was surprised by her words as she turned away.
“And I’ll take a lesson like you gave her.”
“What?”
Samantha didn’t stop, sure he’d heard her clearly, and she entered the camp with a million thoughts flying. Two of those were strong enough to repeatedly override the others. One was that she wasn’t scared of Neil. She liked him, from his sun-marked skin to his thick, brown curls. The other was that with his help, she could get strong enough to survive alone again if she had to.
More than surprised, Neil didn’t follow. Instead, he turned to the extra shadow he’d spotted lingering in the darkness. “I’m not sure I can do that.”
“You did it with Angie,” Adrian compared.
“But she had to provoke me and if I hadn’t already been…upset, it might not have succeeded.”
Adrian used the most common of his teaching tools. He distracted Neil.
“How did she do, by the Neil standard?”
Aware and willing to put off the choice, if even for a few minutes, Neil delivered his report, “Amazing for a female, awful for a man. She has almost no upper body strength. I doubt she’ll be able to do a pull-up for a while, but she makes up for it in quickness.”
His voice lowered as he fell into account mode. “She was reading me in there, able to avoid. She also has the three-set moves down. She’ll have it smooth, real fast if she practices it at all.”
Adrian waited, knowing there was more, and he tried to ignore the inner man telling him to take Neil’s head off for hitting her.
“She’s got one fatal flaw, though, unless we can help her. She freezes. She’ll cover it like she meant to go still, but it’s real.”
“The moments we observed in the QZ?”
“Yeah.” Neil’s voice was more embittered than Adrian had ever heard.
“She’s afraid of being hit. She took every shoulder slide with a pinched face and braced feet. I felt so much like him, I almost puked.”
“What made you keep going even after you were allowed to send her out?” Adrian led, heart easing.
“The look in her eyes when I started to call it. The disappointment! I tapped her twice after Brady left and I could see her adjusting to it, getting ready for battle.” Neil sighed. “If you can get rid of her fear of those first few hits, she’ll excel at Kai and probably a few other styles we use. It’s like…”
“She was made for it?”
Adrian supplied and Neil gave him what he needed without knowing it.
“More so than even Kyle or Kenn. That’s why I couldn’t stop. She wants this!”
“You’ll use that to train yourself to handle her lessons and Samantha’s. And anyone else we think fits this spot,” Adrian told him as a chilling drizzle start to fall.
“And if I say no?” Neil snapped harshly, already sure that he wouldn’t.
“Then someone else will give her the lesson, probably Kyle or Seth. You don’t have to be the one doing this, Neil. My word.”
That had Neil blowing out a frustrated breath. “It feels bad, wrong.”
“It’s supposed to. That’s a reminder from your heart that they are women. You’ll train yourself to treat them as Eagles first, when it’s called for.”
Not sure how, Neil didn’t answer and Adrian pinned him with hard truths.
“If you can’t, she’ll understand and so will I, but we both know that you can.”
“I don’t like feeling like him!”
“That’s what makes you one of the good guys, one of mine, Neil,” Adrian soothed. “He enjoyed every blow he ever gave her. That’s the difference.”
Chapter Four
Fists at Dawn
1
Of the two days Marc had been out of quarantine, one had been spent doing hard labor punishment. The other had been spent sorting out trucks and wandering, lost without both Angie and Neil. He’d tried to work through some of the issues in his mind, but every time he made progress, something else would happen to throw him into chaos.
Like Angie training with Neil. He’d been hoping to run into her, and enjoy how upset she was at Kenn for the photo, but the sound of her being hit had gone through him like bullets. Even now, the urge to strike Neil as he walked by was strong.
“Morning.”
Marc didn’t respond to Neil’s greeting. It wasn’t fair to Neil, who was doing Adrian’s bidding, but there was no erasing the fact that his friend had hurt Angie, and Marc had been forced to allow it. That was a kick in the teeth to their relationship and it wouldn’t be repaired overnight unless something big happened.
Marc spotted Angela in the long line for coffee and forced himself to the end of it, ignoring her and the chilly people studying his bruised profile. He wasn’t sure that he could talk to her about any of it yet. He was too confused, too torn by wanting her happy and just plain wanting her, and until he could think clearly, he planned to stay back.
Angela felt Brady’s coldness and clamped down on the urge to give in. He’d spent so much of the time here mad. He wanted her to keep her head down and only poke it up when it was time for them to be together, but until he realized that wasn’t nearly enough for her, she would give him some space to think.
Nearby, Adrian spotted a setback coming, but chose not to step in front of his furious Marine. It was inevitable for the two men to have it out in public, he thought, but tension flooded the area when Kenn stomped toward Angie instead of Marc.
Adrian felt the humidity ease, and then the temperature plummeted until he could almost view his breath.
Instantly recognizing the moment, Adrian watched along with the rest of the sleepy camp, wondering if he was about to lose his right hand.
Kenn shoved his way in front of Angela, stopping when their feet were inches apart. He scanned the purple bruises on her shoulder and his anger went up a notch. He couldn’t believe she’d pas
sed.
“How did you get your schedule changed? Today, you babysit!”
Angela gave him a warning look, ignoring the paper he was shoving her way. “I told the vet I’d help him once a week. He probably told Adrian. You’re making a scene over nothing.”
“You don’t get to pick and choose!”
Angela eyed him coldly, trying not to shake. “Are you sure?”
“I make those choices!” Kenn snarled at the reminder of Tonya’s warnings. She’d passed Neil’s class. The trooper hit her.
Why is he the only one allowed? Kenn thought furiously. Didn’t Adrian know he had more experience with that?
Angela had made her decision last night about how she would handle things with Kenn, and now was as good a time as any to strike a match to the fuse. She slowly removed the chain that held the ring he’d given her, drawing the attention of everyone in sight.
“It’s over, Kenn. I’m sorry it has to be this way, but it does.”
When she held the necklace out, Kenn snatched it long enough to let it fall to the ground. His heavy boot slammed down on the diamond, crushing the band into the dirt.
“Don’t ever go through anyone else for a schedule change!” Unprepared for her fast reaction, Kenn tried to stay on the topic, but the fury was overwhelming. Angela had ended things with him! Publicly!
Realizing his control was wavering, she tried to distract, already positive it wouldn’t succeed. “It’s a few hours. What’s the big deal?”
The line had gone on and she tried to go around, but Kenn slid in front of her again, leaning close. “The deal, you sneaking bitch, is that schedule changes go through me and not your lover!”
Angela’s hand inched downward as the camp muttered in surprised disapproval. She knew that tone. He’d gone over the edge.
Everyone held their breath as Marc stepped out of line behind the arguing couple, with clenched fists. “I told Adrian to change her schedule, and I don’t answer to you, bitch!”
Kenn swung as he spun, connecting.
Brady stumbled, and the rage he’d awakened with flared to life. An outlet. Great!
Marc ducked Kenn’s next lumbering swing and leaned his weight into a brutal gut shot. The cool hate of the man inside loved Kenn’s gasp for air.
He landed a fast hit to Kenn’s temple and then another to his cheek. “Don’t ever…talk to her…that way again!” Marc accented his words with his fists.
Kenn dropped to the ground, blood flying into the dirt. It sprayed over his dusty boots and the sight of it had Marc stopping, realizing what he’d done. Again.
He took a step back, and then another, fighting the urge that had been drilled into him to finish the job.
Kenn stayed down, coughing and spitting blood into the dirt at Marc’s feet for the second time in as many days. Usin’ the knife next time, he thought, tired of being hit by his old CO.
The people gathered around watched silently, stunned to witness Kenn taken down so fast. What would Adrian do? Everyone was listening raptly as he stopped a few feet from the trio.
“Does this settle it?”
There was silence and Adrian’s hard tone hid his relief. “Go help with the livestock. Both of you.”
Marc left quickly, stride stiff, and Kenn followed slowly, ashamed and furious.
Adrian was angry, but he was also satisfied. Kenn’s words had been nasty. He’d deserved to be knocked down and Marc had even gotten him to swing first. It would have only been better if Angela had done it herself, but had that happened, Kenn would have hit her back, right in front of a mess full of members!
This wouldn’t be the end of it, Adrian knew, and he understood. After watching Angela these last eight days, he doubted he’d find a more perfect female warrior to mold. Once he trained her, she’d be deadly, and she would bring Samantha with her, without even trying. Others would follow, and he would be able to fill out the ranks with an even distribution of power; something that had contributed to the downfall of the old world. Without temperance, without compassion, a leader was a clever tyrant wrapped in a ruler’s cloak.
Hoping the rest of the day would be more peaceful, Adrian entered the dank spruce trees that lined the self-defense area, where Samantha was now set up in a canvas-covered truck, weather tracking. Only a few of the Eagles knew where she was and Adrian planned to keep her there even during the meeting tonight. Her ballot would be cast absentee.
2
The training tent was crowded with the top three levels of Eagles, and their voices carried as they competed and worked out. Even over the howling wind, it was a constant noise on days they didn’t travel and for it to go silent, was more than unusual.
Having forgone her coffee due to the stares, Angela paused inside the flap at their reaction, waiting. Adrian hadn’t given her an answer yet, and to these sweaty men, she had no permission to be here. On the other hand, he’d said free reign and after the scene with Kenn, she needed a workout.
Steeling her nerves, Angela moved toward a far corner. She didn’t feel confident enough to jump right in, but if she hung around, maybe one of them would–
“Over there.” Told to expect her, Doug jerked a big thumb at the game area.
She smiled her thanks, changing direction, and despite the sticky weather, felt the temperature of the tent go from cool to ice.
Angela slid into the first empty seat and pretended they had all returned to what they were doing, instead of staring at her with expressions ranging from hostile to wary, with a few leers to even things out.
“Only Level One. Keep repeating it.”
Angela hit the button at Jeff‘s words, grateful there hadn’t been anything said in protest yet. “Thanks.”
“Uh-huh.” Seth’s right-hand man moved away and Angela began firing the orange gun. Duck Hunt was one of her favorites.
After twenty minutes, she had cleared the level so many times that everyone was tired of the annoying buzzer and she looked at Jeff before anyone could complain.
“Permission to play through? Please?”
The guard didn’t sigh in relief as he wanted to. “One set. At the first game over, you’re back to reps.”
Angela grinned, hitting the restart button. That might be a while. She’d had a long warm-up.
She didn’t advance to the next part of the workout and neither did any of the men. When the hour call came, Angela was on one of the highest levels any of them had viewed and a large group was crowded close to watch. Even the men who were adamant about not wanting her here were drawn to the groans and yells of triumph as she cleared another round of disks and got set for the ducks.
A very simple game of aim and fire, the ducks’ evasions were hard, and the Eagles watched her pop the moving targets with admiration.
“Damn!”
“Where’d you learn to shoot?”
“You’ve played before!”
“She got Seth’s record with that!”
They were excited, almost welcoming, and Adrian surveyed it from the flap. With all the noise, he had expected to find a fight. So had Neil, who was stopped behind him in surprise.
“Bonus! Next round. Go!”
Silence fell as she went higher and Angela let their hopes feed her determination. Kenn had the current high score and she wanted it!
“Perfect score. Bonus round.”
Disks flew into shards before their odd whining noise could echo; the gun firing with a steady rhythm broken only by her fast right-click to reload.
“Round cleared. Bonus awarded.”
“That last one was low!”
“I thought it was gone at first!”
“Great shooting. Wait until she hits the real targets with us.”
Jeff‘s tersely spoken comment reminded everyone there was a female among them and that awkward silence fell again.
Mood much improved, Angela hit the button with a snort. “I’m not swingin’ a dick, but I can shoot, right?”
She opened fire as
the round began, getting more surprised laughs from the crude joke than she’d hoped for.
“Yes, you can.”
Adrian left the tent at Jeff‘s confirmation, satisfied she was holding her own. Behind him, that annoyingly wonderful bonus buzzer sounded again, and a loud cheer echoed, refilling Safe Haven with brilliant light.
3
The vet put Kenn and Marc to work without a single question despite the bruised faces. Glad to have the extra hands, he got them worming the camp’s stray cats. Abandoned pets that had been drawn by the sounds of people, most of them were in good shape and Adrian liked having them around to help control the rats and insects. Too bad they were scared of the ants. Other than having the dogs out, Chris didn’t have a solution for the rodents yet.
The vet left them on their own, going on to the animals in the larger pens and the two Marines labored silently, both knowing they needed to make peace, but neither wanting it.
One holding, one shoving the huge pill down the small throat while avoiding the claws, they found a rhythm…as they always had on base. When they finished the cats, the vet switched them to pigs, and then the dogs that had to be brought out one by one, because even standing was hard in that mass of tails and teeth.
An hour after they had been switched to goats, Angela and Charlie joined them, the wolf on their heels. The boy worked with the dogs beside the tent, where Chris could guide him. Angela was left to her own devices after being shown what the vet wanted and she didn’t talk to the laboring males, tried not to even look their way unless she had to. She didn’t want to make things worse and the time went by slowly.
Well after lunch mess had come and gone, Kyle entered their line of sight, drawing frowns from both sweaty Marines.
“He wants you on the trucks now,” he told Marc, ignoring the other bruised man dripping sweat.
Marc grunted, not sure if he cared what Adrian wanted. He slowly exited the vet area with steps that said to leave him be. He didn’t glance at Angela as he went.