by Angela White
Doug started to launch into a tirade, but he was interrupted by Charlie’s excited call.
“Tracy! I’m here!”
Doug frowned, drawn from his anger by concern. “She hasn’t been with us at all.”
Charlie heard him and spun to his dad in panic. “I have to go!”
“Try to call your mom, first,” Marc encouraged. “She may have this covered.”
Charlie wanted to believe that, but a minute later, he was striding into the dusky woods, shouting over his shoulder, “She said to stay here, that she would handle it!”
Marc didn’t argue or drag the teenager back, hoping Angela would keep both of them with her. She was supposed to join him in this den tonight.
And you believed that? Marc’s demon asked suddenly. He’d been absent, searching with the witch for a way out of what was coming, and he’d missed most of the fighting.
Marc froze, remembering what Cynthia had told him before they left on their first runs.
She’s lying to you, about everything. Don’t let her face Donner alone.
He finally connected it and his heart leapt painfully in his chest. “Oh, Angie. What have you done?”
2
“I’m done.”
Kyle turned at the words, frowning. Jennifer was reading her final orders and Kyle assumed they were hard.
“What does she want you to do now?” Kyle complained. “Take Donner out?”
Jennifer handed him the paper, not smiling as she said, “That’s Samantha’s job.”
Kyle read the paper in surprise.
You are finished. Take Kyle and go get your daughter. Then go south and stay with Sebastian’s people until Kyle can find safe passage to an island. You have both done your duty by us. Now go live for yourselves.
Jennifer was waiting for Kyle’s reaction, expecting him to argue and refuse to consider it.
“Do you know where she has Safe Haven holed up at now?”
“No, but I can track Autumn and find it.”
Kyle nodded. “Do it.”
Jennifer gazed at Kyle in reluctant agreement. “She’s right. We should go.”
Kyle knelt in front of her, hating that this moment had to come here, like this. “I need to know if you want me with you.”
“You’d take me south and come back?”
Kyle shrugged. “I doubt I’d return here. Also too many memories for me, you know?”
Jennifer did. Kyle had also lost loved ones here in every member who’d died under his watch.
“Do you, Jen?”
She nodded quickly. “Yes. I need you.”
It was enough for him to have hope.
“Come on. Let’s get our daughter and walk away.”
His wording was intentional and he braced for anger.
“Okay.”
Stunned, he had to be sure she understood. “Are you…”
Jennifer rose, quickly, and pressed her lips to his. He was willing to give up everything for her.
Kyle had frozen, caught completely off guard, and he ended the kiss when he realized she would stay that way until he did. He would always be the lead there.
Jennifer blushed, catching the thought, and Kyle noticed she didn’t seem afraid at the idea, like she had before.
“It’s because of what she had you do, right?”
“Yes,” Jennifer admitted, with gratitude. “By making me Donner’s captive, she freed me.”
And me, Kyle thought. There was no way he could ever repay the debt.
“Me either,” Jennifer whispered. She was still scared, still held terrors, but now she knew how to handle them and she had Angela to thank for it.
An explosion above them came barreling down the mountain and Kyle gently took her arm and led her away from tomorrow’s battlefield.
“Time to go.”
3
“It’s too quiet.”
Daryl understood why she would feel that way. After the constant noise today, the night sounded empty, haunted. “At least the screams have stopped.”
As if to prove him wrong, a haunted shriek rang out from somewhere above them.
Daryl sighed. “You warm enough?”
He had her stashed in the base of a burnt tree, with his thick bedroll between her and the truck and ground. He was perched in front of her, scanning their surroundings while being warmed from her body heat. Once she’d been inside for a few minutes, she’d started baking off heat, like most people did in the colder weather. The human body even provided warmth for a room. It was amazing.
Cynthia sipped at the water, crackers long gone, and stared at Daryl’s posterior. He had wide shoulders, with lean hips and glossy hair that needed a gentle wash and brush.
Bet I look like hell, Cynthia thought suddenly, wishing daylight would hurry up so they could be on the move. Busy trying to smother her true thoughts, she wasn’t prepared for Daryl to want to talk about it.
“Do you love Kevin?”
Cynthia grimaced. “Is this the best...”
“May not get another chance if we run into a squad on the way,” Daryl explained without turning around.
“Fine,” she gave in, unable to argue that point. “And no, I’m not in love with Kevin.”
“Were you two…? You know.”
“No, it hadn’t gone that far.”
“Why not?” he asked curiously, looking over his shoulder.
She shrugged. “Never felt right, I guess, not after Matt being killed.”
“Did you blame Kevin for that?”
“I blame the boss. She made the call.”
Daryl understood she was still sore over that topic, but he had to know what he was getting into.
“And Adrian?”
That one was easier to answer. “I love him. He doesn’t love me. The baby wasn’t planned.”
“You two could still raise it together.”
“No, we couldn’t,” Cynthia said softly. “I’d never feel secure as long as he’s obsessed with Angie, and I won’t put a child through that.”
Daryl slid over until he was leaning against the tree. “So, you wouldn’t tell the baby who its father is?”
“Not for a while,” she answered, tugging the blanket over so that Daryl had it between him and the tree for warmth and padding. “Later, it would be hard to hide, but I haven’t gotten that far in the plans.”
“And what if a man wanted to… What if I wanted to be his father?”
Cynthia smiled. “I’d already gotten that impression.”
“It’s not because of the power,” Daryl said suddenly. “It’s important to me that you know that.”
“Time will prove it,” was the best Cynthia could give him.
Daryl understood her trust would have to be earned.
“So how does this work?” she asked curiously. “We’re skipping a lot of levels here.”
Daryl snickered. “Straight to the bedroom, then, right?”
The reporter joined the joke with, “Only if you lick me clean first.”
And Daryl thought his heart might stop.
Their amusement floated out of their tiny shelter and rolled down the mountain. It was one of the few good sounds the area had heard since Donner landed.
Cynthia’s laugh ended in a yawn and Daryl took a risk by offering his arms. When he held them open, the reporter went without hesitation. It was hard to explain, even to herself, why she seemed so close to the level Six Eagle so soon, but she was too tired to question it right now.
Daryl settled back with Cynthia lying on top of his big body and he pulled the tree branch over a bit more to cover the draft flowing through their entrance. He quickly snuggled into the bedroll with her, hands resting on her flat stomach, and they drifted off together.
4
“Are you gonna tell me so we can both go home?”
Kendle glared at Kevin across the tree branches they were sheltering in. “I’m not giving up what I’ve earned for you,” he warned. “If you haven’t tol
d me by morning, I’m leaving you out here.”
Kendle knew he wasn’t bluffing, but the things she would have to admit with that truth were too painful and she settled further into her bag to keep from having to meet his eyes. She hadn’t even been able to tell Marc. Kevin, she couldn’t care less about. There was no way she could spill her guts to him.
Kevin sipped his hot coffee, loving the solar thermos setup that Angela had assigned to everyone. Around them, the trees shook lightly with the cold wind and the occasional animal moved through the underbrush, but that was it for movement. The night was still and quiet, an incredible change from the din of earlier.
“Is it that bad?”
Kendle grunted, but didn’t give another answer and Kevin was finished trying to push it out of her. “I mean it, you know. I will leave you here.”
He shut his lids, intending to snooze, and heard her climbing down from the perch she’d tied herself to.
Kendle was furious again, needing an outlet, and she snuck out the way they’d come, searching for someone, anyone, who shouldn’t be here.
Kevin followed reluctantly, feeling like he was responsible for making her mad. He wanted to sleep, but he stayed on her heels, mug still in hand, as she stalked something only she had seen.
Kendle didn’t care about Kevin, only a release, and frustration welled when she couldn’t find an enemy to take it out on. She settled for stabbing at a tree repeatedly, not stopping even when the wound on her arm broke open and bled through the bandage.
“Leave. Me. Alone.”
Kevin did. He went back to the trees, wrapped up, and went to sleep.
Kendle continued to roam, mind flying too hard to allow rest. Surely, there was someone around here that she didn’t like?
5
“This run stinks.”
Trey didn’t add his agreement to the complaints going around the fire along with the bottle of Kentucky bourbon. After losing Adrian and Wallz, Trey was at the bottom of Donner’s ranks. He’d found out what happened to their team and the anger had been hard to control. Those two dozen men had been together a long time and Trey was wondering if Donner had decided it was too long, that he would pick replacements from these rage-filled descendants after he conquered them.
That battle was supposed to come tomorrow. Donner was promising that within 24-hours, Safe Haven would be theirs. Trey didn’t believe that, though he had to admit Donner had his pieces in the right places. Even now, a large team was clawing their way to the top of Lookout Mountain and another was sneaking closer to Safe Haven’s secondary stashing place, the location given to them by an Eagle who had surrendered, not wanting to fight anymore. Donner had handed her over to his men after getting all the information he could. Her screams were currently ringing through the higher-ranked tent area. If there was anything left, she would be passed down, but Trey wasn’t interested in seconds or even firsts. He’d met the leader they were up against and the mercenary was suddenly sure that Angela wasn’t letting her army get out of control this way. Her prisoners would be safe despite her corruption.
“At least until the trade,” he muttered. Trey wasn’t Donner’s brightest man, but he was far from the idiot he was treated like. He knew Angela was being underestimated by Donner and the urge to walk away was strong.
If you’re here come daylight, you will die.
Trey spun around to discover Dog standing by the edge of a large tree. He thought of shooting the animal, but Dog’ vicious growl froze him.
Do not stay here for the final battle, Dog warned. An ugly end waits for you.
The wolf was trailing Charlie, who was on his way to Angela, but Dog hadn’t been able to resist haunting the mercenary. Angela had asked him to scare as many of the enemy camps as he could.
Dog flashed the desire to taste Trey’s blood, and then walked slowly into the mist coming down the cliffs.
Trey took deep breaths to calm his rapid heartbeat, mind spinning. Could he do that? Just walk away?
“Trey! Get in here!” Donner shouted from his unprotected tent. “I can’t find my pipe and I want that update now!”
You could kill him, Dog shoved into the man’s mind, not far away. My master will reward you greatly.
Trey considered it, and then reality returned. If he killed Donner now, on the eve of success, these men would rip him apart before he could make it to Safe Haven’s gates. His fate was sealed.
“Long before I ever came to this cursed place,” he mumbled, going to answer the Butcher’s shout. “No going back now.”
Dog increased his pace as he caught Charlie’s scent again, relieved that he didn’t smell blood, only anger. The long trot would cool the pup down a little before he got to Angela.
Dog swept his huge head from side to side, seeing nature was staying out of this one. Except for him and the ants, and the flock of birds he’d been able to overpower mentally, it was just man against man, as it had always been.
Also roaming the night was a small band of survivors that Tucker and Anderson would have recognized. Using rocks and slingshots, the group of fanatics trudged through the thinnest part of the line of soldiers. They’d voted to join Safe Haven for the fight and on the way, they picked off stragglers and small teams who didn’t expect the showers of stones and sliding boulders. Done while the men were distracted or sleeping, it was a rude call to alertness that helped Angela’s plan along. Know it or not, the fanatics were now a part of the war.
6
“It’s all set, sir,” Trey told his boss. “They’ll move out hours before dawn and each man will carry two full loads of ammo for the M32s. They’ll pop a single illumination flare per team, shoot a smoke grenade for cover and still have ten shells left to trigger traps and mines ahead of them. After clearing, they’ll move in continuously until they reach the summit of Lookout Mountain. Safe Haven will be ours by sundown.”
Donner was satisfied with the plans and waved Trey on to pass the orders down. Their men would also be using hell-hound rounds, which were incredibly destructive. They would devastate this mountain today and Donner was eager for the sounds of battle to fill the air. The soldiers around him felt the same. They were drinking, dancing, playing music and making use of the few whores here. It was common knowledge that many of them wouldn’t return and their last night on this earth was being spent in drunken debauchery that would continue as the fighting started. It would mean that not everyone’s aim would be perfect, but would allow for more ugliness than a composed team could produce.
Donner hit the mike in his hand, voice harsh. “All forward posts, move in!”
Outside, the partying went on for another long minute and then chaos ensued as the order was passed down. Across the landscape, small teams of soldiers were doing the same, hurrying to clean blood from their hands so they could go dip them in fresh crimson. Very few men were thinking of anything except sharing in the spoils.
Those who did think of running ended up staying for the most part, but a few of the ten-man teams did vanish into the night and weren’t seen or heard from again.
There were also Eagles who took this way out of the coming battle and Angela didn’t loath them for it the way Donner did with his men. She valued their lives more than that.
7
Seventy miles to the east, Angela heard Donner’s order and heaved a painful sigh. There had been a small hope that the Butcher would stick to his deal of coming this evening for Adrian, but that was gone now. There would be a fight.
“Cynthia and Daryl came in. He insisted she get fed first,” Shawn informed Angela, nodding to Greg, who had watch duty over the boss.
“Good,” Angela answered. She was sure if things hadn’t gone according to plan, the reporter would have already tried to contact her. Cynthia would stay with her and defend this site tomorrow, during the final battle. Angela expected it to come to her front door this time.
“The boys are pissed, but they’re waiting.”
When he didn’t receive
an answer, Shawn joined Greg on watch. Unlike the others, who were still trying to figure out the next step in Angela’s plan, Shawn knew what was coming and agreed completely. If anyone could accomplish such a life-changing goal, their leader could. He’d never met a smarter woman or man. Even Adrian, with his guiding light, couldn’t match Angela’s deviousness. If not for Brady, Shawn would have tried to get her attention. His respect was unmeasurable.
Angela would have loved or hated his devotion on a different day, but here, she only time for the plan. One wrong step was all it would take to bring them down and she ran eyes over her tensely waiting camp.
Neil and Jeremy, with Jax and Billy, were in a small tent near where the chopper would land. Angela hadn’t spoken to either man yet, had told Shawn to make them wait. Nothing was clear when she looked to final battle and they would demand answers she didn’t have. To provide a small measure of comfort, she’d had Samantha’s last wishes carried out. A letter was being delivered to Neil and Jeremy. It was her will.
Angela was dreading morning, when Samantha’s men wouldn’t be able to wait any longer without confronting her.
Angela winced at a sharp stomach cramp and wasn’t comforted when the witch delivered a warning.
“A few more days,” she answered, and ignored the second warning she received. After Hilda’s words, it didn’t matter. There was no way she could carry this child to term or even close. She couldn’t lose the war too. The second miscarriage may or may not make her want to die, but the government taking over Safe Haven would certainly kill her.
Still in his small cell, Adrian caught the thought and finally understood what she planned to do. He started to shout for help, and then snapped his mouth shut as the possibilities buzzed through his mind. If she succeeded, Safe Haven would continue under Marc’s strong leadership and she would be free to unleash her fury on the enemy.
It was a hard moment for him, deciding to trust her or his own visions, and it was seeing Cynthia and Daryl arm-in-arm, coming towards her that made up his mind. She had a grand plan, one bigger than what he and Marc had provided, and he would let her carry it out. Cynthia and Daryl was a match that he’d never considered and it told Adrian he had missed things. He would trust her.