by Angela White
Safe Haven sprawled out over the muddy street and corn, refusing to bend to the will of the ominous sky. People walked, talked and enjoyed being with each other, and there wasn’t a single sign of the terror that had brought most of them together. Happiness flowed from those already awake, contentment and peace caused by the caring of one man’s determined dream.
His ambitions glowed with life through her sight and it made Adrian’s heart fill with pride and satisfaction. These people were in good shape considering all that had happened, and obviously well cared for. Their leader was a good man.
Thank you.
It’s my honor.
Adrian was grateful for the peace that allowed for a rare extra few minutes to snooze and think. And what did his mind consider most important right at this very moment? The woman now on her way to give a final class to two levels of Eagles. This is how it had become. Even the threat of the slavers came second most days. And the dreams!
Angela had been here for almost four weeks and each day came with a new awareness of her good attitude, her soft voice. She was the light in his darkness, only instead of rebuilding, most of his nights now revealed ways to teach this special female everything he knew.
She was unlike any other here, but more than that, she was different than any woman he'd known…except for his mother. Their resemblance was probably part of his growing fascination with the quiet beauty. Both of them were strong, able to adapt, and they loved their sons. It was clear that Angela would do anything for her boy and Adrian was aware of how hurt she was that the teenager was still giving her, but not Marc, the cold treatment.
It was one of those things Adrian planned to help her with, but all these changes happening in sight of the herd meant he had to go slow and he felt his guts twist in a painful spasm. So long!
Adrian sighed, pushing the awful image away. He’d imagined endless months of waiting to have what he now wanted as much as any of the other males here. Did she even feel this pull? Not likely. All she wanted was Marc, but that Marine wouldn’t be able to make her happy either.
2
“I have eighteen seats and only sixteen students. Who isn’t here?”
“That would be us.”
Neil and Marc entered together and Angela lifted her uninjured arm. “Two volunteers, come on up.”
She gestured at the bench of supplies, “You’ve taken the class. This is the level test. Remove one stitch from my shoulder.”
Countenance tight with disapproval, Marc came up. “You’re the boss.”
He concentrated on the ugly wound waiting to be tended. “Timed?”
“You know it.”
Marc dropped his jacket and quickly scrubbed, clearly agitated.
“Ready.”
“Go.”
Hands steady, Marc opened the packages in the right order and carefully but firmly pulled off the bandage. He couldn’t hide his wince at the ugliness of it against that satin skin.
Angela tilted her arm toward him with a low mutter, “It sliced the K in half. Did you notice?”
“No.” He hadn’t. There had been too much anger, but it was true, and for a moment it was like a sign that things would get better from this point.
Aware that the others would copy him, Marc tried to remember her lessons and forget some of the things he’d been taught before the war. Angie’s classes and basic aid training were worlds apart.
He did fine cleaning the ugly wound with the alcohol pads, pretending it was someone else’s tense shoulder. He chose the right tools to take out the stitch, but when he actually started to do it, he hesitated, unsure. What had he forgotten?
“One minute,” Doug called, supervising from a corner where he still towered over everyone else.
Marc got moving and as he snipped the stitch, it flashed in his mind.
Glaring, he gently pulled the gooey black thread out of her shoulder.
“A minute forty, one mistake. Next.”
“Why did you let me keep going?” Marc interrupted, unable to wait. “Why did you do that?”
“This is a Level test,” Angela reminded him coolly.
“And what if my mistake gets the wound infected?”
“Then I’ll treat it. I am a doctor. Next!”
Marc stormed from the tent and Angela explained her reasoning to the Eagles, hoping they could help him understand. “If he didn’t have feelings for the injured party, this wouldn’t be a problem, but it’s very likely you’ll be doing these things for a teammate. Better that you can handle it. Next.”
Neil came forward. “Ready.”
“Go.”
Neil repeated Marc’s actions, remembering to smear the antibiotic over the tips of the forceps and he gave her a smile as he tugged it out. “First one I ever did that wasn’t on me.”
“One minute, 35 seconds. No mistakes. Next.”
Neil washed up and then quickly ducked out of the tent. It was time for the self-defense lessons and he wanted to see if Samantha was there again. Since bloodying Doug’s nose, it was becoming her morning ritual. Her and Jeremy.
Samantha was finishing when he arrived and Neil noted the impressed facades of the teachers.
Showing another flash of why Adrian had given him such a high place in the chain of command, Neil asked, “Ever think about joining the Eagles? We’re always hunting for new rookies.”
“Not me,” Sam denied as she left the hay ring. “I have to be…able to defend myself.” Samantha wiped the sweat from her neck. “Everything might…have been different.”
“It was bad for a lot of us then.”
“Might not have been, if women weren’t so weak, so ready to lean on the first set of nuts they met.”
“That’s one of the reasons Adrian tells everyone to take this class.”
“And we appreciate it being available, even when we’re sore all over.”
She walked away and Neil found himself following. “Are you okay?”
Samantha nodded, tired. “Bad dreams.”
She stopped to retie her shoe and Neil found himself peering down the front of her sweater. Blue lace bra. Hmm…
“John could give you something.”
“That’s okay. I need to learn to handle it.”
“Alone?”
She frowned up at him. “Yes.”
“Most of the people here had bad things happen to them, Sam. Why not talk to us?”
She hesitated and Neil waved at himself. “Adrian’s, all the way. If he trusts me, so can you.”
Samantha studied his earnest expression. “I don’t talk about it because I don’t think I’d be welcome if people knew.”
“I’m not everyone and I’m guessing Adrian already knows. You can trust me. I’d never judge you.”
Samantha allowed herself to hope. “I worked for the government, before.”
“The government?”
Neil’s dismay was obvious.
“Yes.”
“Weather tracking?”
“Seattle EPA.”
His mouth dropped in quick understanding. “You had a pass!”
“The chopper crashed, got hit by an EMP, I think. It went down in Northern Wyoming. I was the only survivor.”
Her haunted voice reminded him of Angela’s as she confirmed his suspicions and Neil’s mind raced. “You made it to the compound?”
“I didn’t get the chance for a while,” she said, posture rigid. “I had to get away from two painters first. They found the crash site. No one else ever came.”
Neil forced himself to ask, “How long were you with them?”
“Two weeks.”
Her tense body language said that was the moment in time where she’d needed protection, and Neil felt something inside shift. He would have fought for her.
“Then I went to NORAD.”
Neil mirrored her sadness for the once great American icon, but in those blue depths lurked a knowledge of life and death that told Neil she’d also had problems there.
“Same as the other places the slavers have been through.”
“You’ve been there?”
“We take pictures at most of the places we check.”
“Most?”
Distracted, Neil gave a full answer. “All. Adrian wants concrete proof there’s no safety to be found there.”
“Proof for later.”
Catching himself, Neil didn’t react, didn’t respond, but Samantha knew. “I may not be on the team, but I’m checking in from time to time, learning how it works. He’s very careful.”
“He’s right to be and so are you,” Neil confirmed. “Some people wouldn’t want you to stay.”
She motioned toward the hay ring. “Thus, my not joining. It draws too much attention.”
Neil didn’t pull any punches. “And since you don’t want to repeat your mistakes and join up with leadership, it’s a good excuse.”
Samantha flushed. “Maybe.”
“Like Angie, you’re gifted and afraid of that power being used by the wrong people.”
Samantha didn’t deny it. “I respect Adrian, like it here, but then I liked my old life. Who’s to say this isn’t a good beginning to another bad end?”
“There are no guarantees, Sam. You already know that real life is always about the risks vs. the rewards,” he said patiently.
“I’m not afraid of that!” she responded vehemently. “I expect it to be hard, but until I’m a believer, I won’t even pretend. When that changes, you’ll know it.”
Neil was thoughtful as she walked away. Samantha had signed up for every public and private defensive class they were offering to non-Eagles, and it clicked, why. She was expecting to be thrown out and was trying to prepare for being alone again. What was she guilty of?
Neil changed directions. Angela would know.
3
“I’m sorry, I don’t. There’s only darkness, not a good sign.”
“So you think she might be a tra–”
“No,” Angela interrupted, discerning Adrian at the shooting area. Why was she drawn so strongly to him? There wasn’t any danger triggering her reaction, so what was up?
She dropped her head before he noticed. “Samantha feels responsible for things. Guilt is her demon.”
That terror, Neil understood all too well. Not being able to save his father had almost destroyed him. He did a fast sweep. Clear. “How can I help her?”
Angela marked her place in the study guide that Jeremy had left her after removing one stitch with no mistakes and no record. She had five minutes until her workout lesson with her team and she was busy cramming.
“Why do you want to?”
Neil blinked, not expecting the question. “She’s one of us. She should be at his side.”
Angela swept the noisy people, and then said, “She helps him quietly, like John. Tell me the real reason and I’ll give you the answer, but I’ll warn you now, you probably won’t like it. I know she won’t.”
“I’m already aware she wants to be left alone, but I’ll do it anyway. She’s not happy…and I don’t like it.”
Satisfied he wanted the information to help, not make Samantha uncomfortable, Angela gave it to him. Their relationship had come a long way since he’d called her Barbie.
“Good. Study her, Neil. Figure out what she’s studying, and then you’ll know. Or at least get an idea. And she is by Adrian’s side. I think what she’s searching for is easier found if she’s not so public.”
Neil left Angela alone to study, knowing he would follow the advice. If Adrian needed the blonde accepted, he could help with that. After all, he’d gotten Marc his start here and that had been an ugly mess. Hers wouldn’t be as bad, would it?
4
Charlie spied on the Eagles without moving, surprised he’d been able to sneak by the sentries. He was lying in the corn stalks under one of the trucks surrounding the training area and he quickly blocked his mind as his mom came from the tent
She feels like an Eagle, was his first thought; a real Eagle. She had the clothes and cap, and of course, the rookie jacket that everyone was muttering about, but it was more than that. The way she stood, the way she swept the area, even how her hand rested on the butt of her gun. She was really one of them. Not pretend, like Zack’s boys were always saying.
Charlie watched her join Kyle’s team as they came out into the chilly dimness peering through the grit. He was surprised again when she took the bodyguard’s place behind Chris, the team’s second in command. Was she that good?
The Eagles began a complicated drill that there obviously wasn’t room for inside. When she covered her charge, not letting the others touch him as they circled, Charlie realized she also looked like she belonged with them. She was fast, smooth, and not afraid. He didn’t see her flinch once and his heart was suddenly full of gratitude toward his dad. The trip here had changed her, helped her. Adrian was right. He owed Marc a debt.
The boy slowly inched out of the area, standing, and had to stifle a shout. Adrian was standing inside of the truck that he had just crawled from beneath.
“Something interesting in there?”
Charlie instinctively replied, “Nothing.”
“Good, since this area is off-limits to you.”
Adrian lit a smoke, considering. His bond with this boy would be very important in the future, he was sure of that.
“Don’t ever get caught snooping around by the Eagles. It’ll cost you a place with them before it’s even available.”
The shocked teenager was overwhelmed with emotion as the leader strode to the mess. Too bad Adrian couldn’t be his dad.
Charlie thought of his frequent dreams and the island woman now in grave danger. If she survived, she would come here, and the boy had a feeling that Adrian would like the red-skinned castaway. A lot.
5
“Com to Eagle One. Both crews pulled in. No contact. QZ?”
Adrian pushed the button. “Negative. Send ‘em to the mess.”
“Copy.”
Adrian pulled the battered notebook from his pocket, along with the new one, and the men at the table did the same as he joined them.
“We’ll have a mini meeting now and be on our own time when we make camp tonight.”
Around them, voices lowered. There wasn’t a tension with it, only a curiosity that said they also wanted to know what the recon teams had found. Two of them had been sent out-one to spy on the slavers, the other to locate the wild dog den.
Adrian surveyed Neil and then Kyle, and both men gave him a quick gesture. They would keep Kevin and Zack from saying anything they shouldn’t.
Noise levels increased as the four top men came toward the mess, Kenn and Zack in the lead. Those two returned the greetings loudly, glad to be home. Doug and Kevin followed more slowly. Of the two teams, theirs was the one observed the most. Grim expressions said trouble had come, and the missing tension now found its way into the group of eating refugees.
Adrian waited for the recon teams to be seated, and gestured at two people to join them. A third, he motioned toward the line, and Charlie left right away to get trays for the returning men.
Angela waited until Kenn was sitting securely on Adrian’s right before joining the crowded table, taking the spot to Kyle’s left. John sat on the open end by Doug. To Angie, he appeared fragile in contrast to the gentle giant. In fact, he was paler than usual. Was the doctor sick?
Adrian let them get set, ignoring Kenn’s angry glare. “Where are they?”
“They’ve burned parts of Howes. We think there were people still around and the slavers used fire to get them out.”
Adrian forced himself to go on as if it didn’t matter, but inside, his chest tightened. I missed them!
They’d been so busy with the tank that he hadn’t thought to have her feel for survivors.
Angela didn’t meet his eyes, but he could feel her pain, her guilt. It rivaled his own.
�
�You get the pictures?” he forced out.
“Two rolls.” Kenn made a motion that said there was triple that. “We also staked it out for a bit. Some of them are missing.”
“Supply runs?”
“That’s what we figured. They’ve been following us and have run out of food and fuel. Hopefully, they’ll be there a while.”
“We’ll keep making tracks, get off their radar,” Adrian stated, writing in his book. “The wolves?”
Afraid to reveal his shaking hands, Doug gave Kevin a glance. His symptoms were worsening and he refused to go to John yet. He wasn’t giving up this new life until he couldn’t do the job anymore.
“There’s a den near Chadron.” Kevin paused, noting Angela’s interest at the name.
“More than a hundred in one place. They ran after us, attacked the tires. We think that’s the spot to target.” Doug finished and coughed into his hand. Damn side-effects!
The wild dog sightings had caused people to stay out of the high corn and grass, but it had progressed from a sighting to an attack. Thankfully, it had only been on a goat, and Adrian wasn’t waiting for it to be a child. This problem they could handle now and he knew Angela would want to go. He hadn’t had time to fully consider letting her, but he was already sure that she would ask.
“Yeah. They all come to the same area around sundown. No idea why. Lot of females with pups.”
“Good. That mission will come right after the tests are done and it’s open to anyone, so long as they are a level Eagle.”
He turned to John, feeling the men all relax as they realized he’d excluded Angela since she was still a rookie and not scheduled for the tests.
That they know of, Adrian amended. “What did the exams show?”
“There’s nothing that explains the overly aggressive behavior, and no signs of mutations or radiation, either,” John answered, subtly pushing an envelope toward Adrian that the camp missed. The truth was in it.
“That’s ‘cause they’re eating people,” Kevin muttered.
Angela noted Kyle give the rookie a subtle gesture.
“More likely they’re eating animals that aren’t sick,” John covered smoothly. “They can smell it.”
“So there’s nothing that we should be on edge for? No super-wolves?” Adrian led, always singing to the herd.