“Hey, darlin’, it’s your quarter.” He strode over, flung the towel aside and started to dress with his naked buttocks facing her.
“You need to think about what you’re going to say to Mother,” she said, unable to take her eyes off his strong body.
“Already know.”
“Oh?”
“Figured it out last night, after—”
Issa’s eyes narrowed. They both remembered all too well what had transpired the previous evening. At her insistence, he’d had sexual relations with a group of infected widows in the hope that some might become pregnant. Even though Issa had been the instigator of such debauchery, there remained an air of blame surrounding the event that she clearly expected him to carry.
“After you’d fallen asleep,” he said, hoping to sidestep the quicksand.
Her eyes softened. “What did you figure out?”
Buttoning up his blue jeans, he turned to face her.
“The way I see it, what Mother really wants is respect, for her and for her people. Fortunately, respect is one of many things in this world that can be bought.”
“Bought? With what?”
“The only thing that still has any intrinsic value. Gold.”
Issa’s brow furrowed. “And where exactly would she get this gold?”
Tanner sniffed a white t-shirt before slipping it over his powerful frame.
“Where else? Fort Knox.”
Samantha stepped from around the bathroom’s doorframe. From the excitement in her eyes, it was clear that she had been eavesdropping.
“Are we really going to steal gold from Fort Knox?”
“Not steal,” he corrected. “Commandeer.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means we’re going to take ownership of it.”
“That’s not stealing?”
“Nope.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Stealing gets you in jail. Commandeering gets you medals.”
“Ah,” she said, nodding. “So, we’ll be like pirates sailing the high seas.”
“Exactly.” He raised a fist. “For queen and country.” Tanner slipped on a pair of socks and then began lacing up his thick black boots.
“How much gold are we going to commandeer?”
“Every last bar.”
“But how will we carry it?”
Tanner puckered his lips. It was a good question. A bar of gold weighed close to thirty pounds, and they might find thousands, if not tens of thousands. They weren’t going to haul that in the back of a pickup.
“She’s right,” said Issa. “You’d need a fleet of trucks to carry that much gold, not to mention an army of men to load them.”
Undeterred, Tanner went back to lacing his boots.
“Details that can be worked out later.”
Issa considered the idea further. “How do you know the gold is still there?”
“I don’t. Not for sure. But it wasn’t taken here, and I seriously doubt that the New Colony mustered up enough energy to go and get it when they were barely able to keep their people fed.”
“If we stole—I mean, commandeered—the gold,” said Samantha, “would we get to keep some?”
“Of course. They call that a finder’s fee.”
She nodded. “Then I’m in.”
“And what exactly would you do with gold?” Issa said, turning to her.
Samantha cupped a hand around her mouth as if sharing a secret.
“I thought I might buy Tanner some new clothes.” She tipped her head toward him. “See what I mean?”
“Sitting right here,” he grumbled.
Samantha giggled.
Before they could consider the merits of Tanner’s plan any further, the hangar door swung open. The infected man Samantha had nicknamed Musketeer stepped inside. His partner, Tillman, stood behind him, holding a sharp pipe. Both men looked tired from a long night of guarding the hangar, a task they had failed miserably at, considering that a dozen women had managed to slip in and out undetected.
Musketeer said, “It’s time.”
Tanner straightened and took a quick look at himself in the mirror. He looked more presentable than he had in quite some time. It seemed only fitting, given that he was about to meet a woman as beloved as any queen.
He turned to Musketeer and nodded.
“Lead on, good man.”
Tanner, Samantha, and Issa stood before Mother like three humble servants might before a monarch. Musketeer and Tillman flanked them to either side. Mother sat atop a thick pile of brightly colored cushions. Her two troglodyte bodyguards stood a few feet away, their black glossy eyes trained on the visitors. The room smelled of spoiled milk, and the faint sounds of babies wailing could be heard through the walls.
“I trust that you slept well,” Mother said in her melodic voice.
Tanner looked to Issa and then to Samantha. Neither said a word. He, for one, had had anything but a restful night’s sleep, but he wasn’t about to explain that to Mother.
“A bit restless, but otherwise fine.”
“And did you come up with a plan to avoid war with the New Colony?”
Straight and to the point. Tanner liked that about Mother.
“I did,” he said.
Her eyes widened. “Oh?”
“We both know that war isn’t the answer. Even if you were to defeat the colony, you would lose many of your fighters in the struggle, leaving you vulnerable. The colony would also eventually recover and seek to even the score. It’s likely that the conflict would go back and forth, dooming your extended family to a lifetime of suffering and violence.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “But you have a better way.”
“I’d like to think so.”
She waited for him to continue.
“What you really want is peace, and the only way to get that is through leverage.”
“My army gives me leverage,” she said, gesturing to the troglodytes.
“True. But there are other types of leverage, types that don’t require people dying.”
“Go on.”
“What if you had a mountain of gold at your disposal? With it, you could buy favor and instill action.”
Mother cocked her head. “Gold?”
“Gold bars to be precise.”
“Where would we get this treasure?”
“Five hundred miles due west of here.”
Her eyes flashed in the dim light. “The depository at Fort Knox.”
“Last I heard, it housed several thousand tons of gold. I can’t imagine the government managed to move it. Not yet, anyway.”
“It may be guarded, or even pilfered by now.”
“Perhaps. But I’ve found that when people are hungry, they’re more interested in sweet potatoes than they are golden trinkets.”
She nodded thoughtfully. “You’re proposing that we seize what’s left of the gold to provide legitimacy to our community.”
“Commandeer,” corrected Samantha.
Mother smiled and offered a curt nod. “Commandeer.” She turned back to Tanner. “How would we move it?”
“Big rigs would probably be easiest.”
She shook her head. “A tractor-trailer could haul perhaps thirty or forty tons. We’d need a tremendous convoy, not to mention fuel and drivers, all of which we do not have.”
“All right. By train then. I know for a fact that ACX runs as far west as St. Louis. A train would enable the entire place to be cleared out in one fell swoop.”
“We’d still need men to load the gold,” she mused. “And others to scout the tracks to ensure they were clear.”
“All manageable,” Tanner said, sensing that she was buying into the idea. “Think about it. With that much gold, your influence could reach all over the country. Maybe even across the entire world.”
Mother studied him and smiled. “It’s an interesting idea, one we’d not considered.”
Tanner straightened and crossed his arms.
Mother leaned back against the cushion, letting her hands settle onto her lap.
“Since this is your idea, you will be the one to go and see if there is indeed gold at Fort Knox. Once you have laid eyes on the treasure, you will return here to collect the necessary resources to have it moved.”
Tanner had expected as much. Even so, he thought he saw a little room for negotiation. He gestured toward Issa and Samantha.
“The three of us will go together.”
Mother gently shook her head. “For their safety, it’s best if they remain here.”
Despite her words, Tanner knew that it wasn’t safety motivating Mother’s decision. She wanted Issa and Samantha to stay behind to ensure his timely return. Sugarcoat it or not, they were to be hostages.
Before he could challenge Mother, Samantha stepped forward, her jaw set.
“I’m sorry, Your Excellence, but I’m going with Tanner.”
Mother’s expression tightened. “Excuse me?”
“Forgive me, Your Graciousness,” Samantha said with a bow. “It’s just that when Tanner and I first started traveling together, he promised that he would never leave me.” She cut her eyes toward him. “And though he’s tried a few times, it’s sort of in our contract. I go where he goes.”
Before Mother could speak, Tanner piled on, saying, “Let my family come with me, and I’ll give you my word that I’ll return with the information you need. I am, if nothing else, an honest man.”
In his peripheral vision, Tanner saw Samantha stifle a grin. She knew better.
Mother studied the three of them, allowing the tension to melt away.
“I don’t want to stand between a father and his little girl.” Her eyes shifted toward Issa. “But such a journey is not safe for a woman in Issa’s condition. She will stay with me.” There was a tone of finality to her words that dared him to protest further.
Tanner looked to Issa, and she immediately mouthed, “It’s okay.”
But it wasn’t okay. A man didn’t leave his pregnant wife in the lion’s den. Mother was clearly worried about what Issa’s pregnancy might mean to her own authority. And while Tanner sensed that she wasn’t inclined to use violence against her own people, she surely understood its effectiveness. What made things even more complicated was that Mother was fundamentally right. It wasn’t safe for Issa to go with him. Where Tanner went, violence followed, and he sure as hell didn’t want their unborn baby getting caught in the crossfire.
“All right. Issa stays. But understand this.” He squared himself and met Mother’s soot-colored eyes. “If anything should happen to her, or our baby, I will not hear excuses. I will only bring the fires of hell down on you and your people. No one—not you, not your generals, not even your precious babies—will escape my vengeance.” There was such chill to his voice that it felt as if the Blair Witch herself had entered the room.
Mother studied him for a long moment before offering a slight nod of her head.
“I understand.”
Issa inched closer and slipped a hand into Tanner’s. Her touch calmed him, and he let out a breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.
“I’ll be all right,” she whispered.
Tanner turned and studied her beautiful face.
“You damn well better be.”
Issa reached out with her other arm and pulled Samantha close.
“You two take care of each other.”
“Don’t worry,” said Samantha. “I’ll keep him out of trouble.”
Mother motioned to Tillman, and he rushed over, eager to do her bidding.
“Have the men ready a helicopter.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“A helicopter!” Samantha said, wheeling around. “No one said anything about flying!”
“Fort Knox is five hundred miles away. We cannot wait for you to drive there and back.”
“What if we went in a really fast car? Maybe one of those with a big fin on the back.” She extended her arms out to either side. “It would almost be like flying.”
Mother offered an understanding smile. “A helicopter can have you there within a few hours, not to mention allow you to land right outside the depository. It’s the only logical choice.”
Samantha looked back at Tanner. “You know I don’t like helicopters.”
“Even so, Mother’s right. An eggbeater can get us in and out without the fuss.”
“Eggbeater?” She smiled as she got the pun. “Ah, because of the spinny thing on top,” she said, swirling a finger over her head.
With it clear that the decision would not be reconsidered, Tillman turned and hurried from the room.
Mother turned next to Musketeer. “Take them back to the hangar to gather their belongings.”
“What about our weapons?” said Tanner. “Never know what kind of trouble we’ll run into.”
“They will be returned to you at the airfield.” Mother brought a hand up to a wet spot forming on the fabric covering one of her breasts. “Now, go. It’s time for the babies to feed.”
Having had the dubious privilege of witnessing babies suckling Mother’s six flabby breasts once before, Tanner immediately turned and started for the door.
“Come on,” he said, ushering Issa and Samantha. “Let’s give the lady her privacy.”
Chapter 3
Deputy Marshal Mason Raines lay on the double bed, his arms crossed behind his head as he stared out the open window. The dark field of the Atkins family farm lay beyond, the moonlight casting a cold white glow to the sleeping earth. He watched as the thin curtains wafted back and forth with every puff of the early-morning breeze, their motion reminding him of the sensual movements of the woman lying naked beside him.
“What are you thinking about?” Jessie said softly.
“You mean other than your father breaking in and shooting me dead?”
She grinned. “Yeah. Other than that.”
“I was thinking that life has a weird way of moving in fits and starts.”
She propped up onto an elbow and pressed her warm breasts against his shoulder.
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. Day after day goes by with a whole lot of nothing happening. Then out of nowhere, the world lurches forward, changing everything all at once.”
“Like when the virus hit.”
“That, and other times.”
“Tell me.” Her voice was soft and probing.
Mason had been around women long enough to know that pillow talk was not only insightful, it was mandatory.
“I can’t help but think that a few days ago I was working for the colony, a lawman through and through. Now…” He let out a frustrated sigh. “Now I’m a fugitive, no different than the people I once hunted.”
“You were set up, like Daddy was at Grey’s Point. It’ll all get worked out. Just give it a little time.”
She said the words as if absolutely certain of their truth. Mason wasn’t so sure. Even if Locke’s allegations could be refuted, there was still the prickly matter of the injury and death he had inflicted on his own men. Such things were not typically looked upon with a forgiving eye.
“What else?” she said.
“That’s all.”
“That’s not all. Did you forget that you’re lying in bed with a different woman than you were a few days ago?”
He turned his head and found her staring at him intently.
“Is that what you think you are? A ‘different woman?’”
“Aren’t I?”
“Of course not.”
“What am I then?”
He leaned over and kissed her on the lips.
“You’re the single best thing to happen to me in a very long time. That’s what.”
Her brown eyes sparkled. “That’s sweet, but
the truth is you barely even know me.”
“I know that when I’m with you, I feel ten feet tall. That’s enough for any man.”
“Maybe, or maybe one day you’ll stop feeling that way.”
He kissed her again. “I’m not that kind of man.”
A sadness came over her face, and she settled back onto the bed.
“I know what kind of man you are, Mason Raines. That’s why this is so hard for me.”
It was his turn to roll over and face her.
“What are you saying?”
Instead of answering, she said, “Tell me something. What do you plan to do once you clear your name?”
And with that single question, Mason understood what was worrying Jessie. She wondered if her first love was going to run off and leave her. He took a moment to think about the answer, and when he finally spoke, he was absolutely sure of his words.
“Truth is, Bowie and I have been thinking about moving out to the country, maybe try our hand at a quieter life for a while.”
She sat up and looked at him, her naked body silhouetted in the moonlight.
“Don’t play with a girl’s heart, Marshal. That’s just mean.”
He placed his hand on her smooth thigh. It was incredibly warm, a reminder of the smoldering furnace deep within her.
“I would never do that.”
She searched his face. “You mean it? You’ll come back and live here with me?”
“We will come back.” He glanced over to see the wolfhound sleeping in front of the bedroom door. “Bowie and I are sort of a package deal.”
Her face lit up, and she fell onto his chest, smothering his face with kisses.
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“You do realize we’re going to have to tell your father at some point.”
“Don’t worry about that. Daddy already knows.”
Mason pushed her away by the shoulders.
“You told him?”
“Of course not.”
“Then how?”
“Daddy hasn’t slept through the night in twenty years.” She glanced up at the ceiling and giggled. “I bet he’s upstairs right now, deciding whether to load the shotgun or put on a tuxedo.”
Mason once again glanced over at Bowie. Whether he would stop Jack or greet him with a slobbery kiss was anyone’s guess.
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