The Day After Never Bundle (First 4 novels)

by Russell Blake

  “One and the same.”

  “Off the beaten path, aren’t you? What are you doing slumming in these parts?”

  “Closed down my place. Not much happening since Loving got destroyed.”

  “Heard about that.” Tucker held his hand out to shake. “Nice to see you.”

  Duke clasped his hand. “Likewise. This here’s Aaron.”

  “Pleasure.” Tucker raised an eyebrow. “What brings you to beautiful Roswell?”

  “Thinking about opening a new place around here.”

  Tucker’s face clouded. “Yeah?”

  “But before I did, I wanted to check in with you and see if you need any help with yours. Be a lot easier to partner up than start from scratch.”

  Tucker regarded Duke for a long moment. “What do you bring to the table?”

  “Besides my charming disposition and gift of gab? Well, I have Aaron here and a bag of working capital.” Duke leaned into Tucker and whispered softly. Tucker’s eyes widened as Duke described his gold and silver holdings.

  “Crap, buddy, you could just buy the place for that,” Tucker said.

  “Nah. I’m looking to build something, not buy it.” Duke looked around. “There enough trading to support growth?”

  Tucker nodded. “Sure. I mean, it’s steady, but there are only so many hours in a day.”

  “Maybe we can help out and I can throw my back into it some. Pay you a commission for every deal I do? Or split our hours…and the take?”

  “You serious?”

  “As a heart attack.”

  Tucker rubbed the graying stubble on his chin. “I’m short-handed right now, so the truth is I could use some help. One of my guys took off the other day. Said he’d be back in a few weeks, but you never know.” Tucker told him about losing Carlton to the big tattooed thug. When he was finished, Duke was frowning.

  “This fella have a tattoo of an eye in the middle of his forehead?”

  “That’s right. How’d you know?”

  “He gets around. Stopped at my place and made a bunch of threats.”

  “Long way from home to be throwing shade.”

  Duke nodded. “Guy’s seriously bad news. He say what he was doing here?”

  “Looking for somebody.”

  “Same as at my place. Must not be having any luck.”

  “No. Bunch of his boys got shot up pretty good over at the lake.” Tucker told Duke about the battle.

  Duke whistled softly when he was done. “Sounds like he bit off more than he could chew.”

  “Yep.”

  Tucker and Duke dickered for a half hour over how they could do business together, and finally agreed on an equitable split. Duke and Aaron would work half days and pocket the profits after paying a slice for the use of the store. Anything in their inventory would be stored in a separate locked area, and if they sold something out of Tucker’s, they’d get a small commission for their trouble, whereas if they bought or sold anything for themselves, they paid the fee and that was it.

  Duke led Aaron from the shop, a smile on his face. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “I don’t know. It isn’t like you to partner up.”

  “Only for a while.”

  “Really?”

  “Nothing lasts forever, but at least this way we’re earning our keep rather than depleting our savings. Paying as we go. Long as we make enough to cover our nut, it’s a win. If we don’t like the town, we move on, and in the meantime we develop relationships and a reputation we can take with us if we decide to set up shop permanently.”

  Aaron nodded. “Smart.”

  “Even a broken clock’s right twice a day.”

  Chapter 28

  Lucas was up and dressed by the time dawn broke. His clothes had been cleaned, folded, and brought back the day before while he was out, and he’d packed his saddlebags before turning in. In the cold early light, he shouldered his M4, slid his Kimber into its hip holster, and hoisted the saddlebags before making for the door.

  A skin of fog hung over the valley like fresh snow, stirring as he strode to the barn, and the air bit at his lungs with each breath. At the stable door the attendant watched him groggily while he hurried to Tango’s stall. The space next to the big stallion was empty, confirming what he already knew – Sierra had taken Nugget before the camp had awakened the prior morning.

  Lucas checked the Remington 700 sniper rifle in the saddle scabbard to verify it was still ready for duty, fitted the bags and saddle into place, and led Tango from the barn into the field of white.

  They approached the main building, where Arnold was waiting with one of the guards from the previous morning. Arnold nodded to Lucas and introduced Lyle, a man in his late twenties with a military bearing and hair cropped close to his skull.

  “He saw them leave yesterday,” Arnold said.

  “Them?” Lucas asked.

  Lyle cleared his throat. “Yes, sir. First the Apache. An hour or so later, the woman.”

  Lucas’s expression darkened. “Why didn’t you stop them?”

  “The guide had clearance to leave.”

  “And the woman?” Lucas demanded.

  “She said he’d forgotten something important and she had to give it to him. Said she’d return shortly.”

  “But she didn’t,” Arnold muttered.

  “I was off duty at nine in the morning. I wouldn’t know.”

  “You believed her?” Lucas asked. “Why?”

  “I had no reason not to, did I?” Lyle fired back. “We’ve been ordered to treat you as honored guests. That didn’t include assuming everything we were told was a lie.”

  Arnold took Lucas aside. “It’s not his fault. He was just doing his job.”

  “Way he describes things, the guide was in on it.”

  “Sounds like he was. But to what end?”

  Lucas’s expression hardened. “That’s what I’m going to find out.”

  “Need some company?”

  Lucas shook his head. “No. This is my problem.”

  “Might be our problem if it’s a security breach.”

  “You’ll be the first to know if it is.”

  Arnold took in Lucas’s grim expression and nodded. “I believe it.”

  Lucas swung up into the saddle and directed Tango to the trail that led to the canyon entry, his mind racing at the implication that Sierra had somehow conspired with the Apache to leave Shangri-La the day after she’d arrived. It made no sense to him after all she’d been through to get there.

  He tried not to take it as a rejection, his logical mind telling him that if she’d planned it in advance with Tarak, it had nothing to do with him, but it was difficult to separate emotion from fact.

  But then why? Why abandon Eve – and him – when they’d succeeded?

  A dark suspicion formed in his mind as he recalled Arnold’s words. Had she been a turncoat all along, chartered with learning the location and reporting back to Magnus? Had her time with Lucas been nothing more than an act to lull him into trusting her? Had it meant nothing?

  The thought twisted in his guts like a knife. If true, he had brought calamity to three hundred good people, and their very existences were now in jeopardy.

  Eve’s face flashed through Lucas’s mind.

  The idea was monstrous. But he couldn’t discount it. What did he really know about Sierra, anyway? Just what she’d told him, which he now realized could have all been lies – a cover story artfully crafted to fool him.

  But what about Jacob? He’d been convinced she was genuine.

  Which made it even worse. Perhaps she’d been planted all along and had used her charms to gain Jacob’s trust, just as she’d done with Lucas.

  He banished the thoughts as he entered the first branch of the ravine, aware that he was being watched through sniper scopes from the caves at the canyon lip, the crosshairs tracing over his back as he wended his way along the dry wash.

  The trip down the mountain went far faster th
an the climb up, and he was in Los Alamos little more than two hours later. He guided Tango along the main road, scanning it for tracks, and found what he was looking for as he neared the bridge over the Rio Grande. She was retracing her steps, either with the guide or close behind him. In the end it didn’t matter. She’d left under her own steam, nobody coercing her.

  Lucas straightened in the saddle, grinding his teeth as he rode, digesting the unpleasant implications, and then forced the speculations from his mind. They had a day on him, so how to narrow the lead? Judging by the tracks, they were moving at a walk, which made sense if they expected their horses to have to travel many miles – like back to Albuquerque and then on to Houston or Lubbock.

  Lucas had an advantage, because he could drive Tango hard and cut their lead down by continuing after dark, thus overtaking them, with any luck, by late that night or tomorrow. They would probably expect pursuit, though, so he couldn’t be reckless.

  He calculated the math. They might make thirty to thirty-five miles per day, best case, on these trails. Tango could cover that in about six hours in judicious sprints, but he’d be blown out afterward and would be hard pressed to manage much more than a slow walk.

  Which was fine. It meant by afternoon he’d have covered the distance they would have made their first day, and the rest would be keeping pace with them. He would close the final gap after dark, and they’d get the surprise of their lives in the wee hours.

  He deliberately avoided thinking about what he would do when he caught up to them. There was no point in making his already miserable trip worse with trying to predict the future. All he knew was that there would be no more assumptions, no further benefits of the doubt given to Sierra.

  Once across the river he urged Tango to a trot, somewhere around eight miles per hour, a loping speed the stallion could keep up for a half hour at a time. At a gallop he could hit over thirty, but he couldn’t sustain it, and even a canter would wear him out quickly. But a trot was manageable and the timing would work.

  Lucas would be confronting Sierra some time that night.

  And then he’d learn the truth.

  One way or the other.

  Chapter 29

  Ruby heard Elliot’s distinctive voice before she saw him. He rounded the corner of the sleeping quarters from the trail that led to the lab, in a heated discussion with Michael and Arnold. Eve was playing with three of the local children, Ellie the piglet running alongside her as she hopped on one leg and made horse noises, their game punctuated by loud peals of laughter when one or the other caught up to the lead pretend rider. Ruby looked up from the kids as Elliot neared, and he drew up short when he spotted her.

  “Ruby, dear woman. Good morning to you,” he said.

  “Dr. Barnes,” she said with a nod.

  “Please. Elliot.”

  “Elliot,” she said. “What can I do for you?”

  “I need to take some blood from young Eve here so I can begin working on the vaccine. I have considerable sense of urgency in light of the recent developments.”

  “Yes, I can imagine. Troubling.”

  “I’m glad you understand. It’s the last thing any of us were expecting under the circumstances…”

  “Agreed. But Lucas will sort it out. I have a lot of faith in him. He’s faced down armies and lived to tell the story. He’ll get to the bottom of it in short order.”

  Arnold frowned. “You don’t think his relationship with the woman could affect his judgment?”

  Ruby’s expression was stony. “You don’t know Lucas.”

  “I know human nature,” Arnold replied.

  “Lucas was as surprised as any of us.”

  Arnold regarded her skeptically. “That’s the story, anyway.”

  Ruby stood. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Michael touched Arnold’s arm, but he shrugged it off and took a step closer to Ruby. “It means that you two weren’t part of the deal when Jacob arranged this, and now we have a security breach that could result in disaster. No offense, but you’re both unknown quantities, and by inviting you in we’ve put ourselves at risk.”

  Elliot scowled. “Arnold, really, I don’t think…”

  “No, Dr. Bar…I mean, Elliot, he’s right,” Ruby said. “You don’t know anything about us except what we’ve told you. That is, except that we’ve put ourselves in harm’s way multiple times, crossed the state to reach you, and been almost killed in the process of delivering Eve to you.”

  Arnold’s stare was glacial. “So you say.”

  “Maybe you should talk to Colt,” Ruby snapped. “He watched Lucas kill several dozen Crew fighters single-handedly so we could escape. Or you can ask Eve. She was there when we all ambushed another Crew war party down by the Texas border.” Ruby fought to control her fury, and her tone softened. “It must be lost on you that I didn’t ride off in the dark, and neither did Lucas. It was Sierra, who your Jacob vouched for and sent with Eve. We’re just the poor slobs who did your people’s job for them. If it wasn’t for us, there would be no Eve, and your entire reason for existing would be gone, wouldn’t it?”

  Arnold had no comeback. Elliot stepped between them. “Arnold, take some time to cool down. She’s right. She came here in good faith and has done nothing wrong. You’re out of line.”

  “Out of line?” the security chief demanded angrily.

  “Yes, Arnold, out of line. You’re insulting our guest. I understand your frustration; we all share it. But lashing out at Ruby accomplishes nothing. The problem still remains.”

  “Fine. Handle this however you like. But don’t ask me to be happy about it.”

  Arnold stormed off, trailed by Ruby’s dark stare. Elliot shook his head and sighed. “I’m sorry, Ruby. Tensions are obviously high, and Arnold’s responsible for security. He takes his job personally.”

  “Sometimes too personally,” Michael said, pursing his lips in disapproval.

  Eve continued racing after the other children, who were now chasing a butterfly, its bright yellow wings flapping above their heads as they jumped with outstretched arms. Elliot couldn’t help but smile at the sight, and when he turned back to Ruby, his eyes were sparkling with his usual good humor. “Ah, to be young again, eh?”

  “It goes by fast,” Ruby agreed.

  “That it does, dear lady, that it does. Can I presume upon you to help me with Eve? She’ll probably be frightened having her blood drawn.”

  “I imagine she’s suffered through worse,” Ruby countered. “But sure, I’ll help.” She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, “Eve! Come here, please.”

  Eve gave her a long-suffering look and disengaged from her companions, panting as she ran to Ruby, her eyes dancing with joy, Ellie scampering behind her.

  “Is Auntie back?” Eve asked.

  “Not yet. But Dr. Barnes needs to check you to make sure you’re healthy.”

  “I feel fine.”

  Elliot smiled. “I’m quite sure you do, my young friend. Purely a formality. Won’t take more than a minute or two.”

  Eve looked to Ruby, who nodded. “It’s no big deal, Eve. You’ll be back playing in no time,” she said, holding out her hand.

  “Can Ellie come?”

  Elliot and Ruby exchanged a glance, and he nodded gravely. “Normally we don’t allow swine in the lab, but I think we can make an exception in this case.”

  Eve looked uncertain. Ruby clarified for her. “You can bring Ellie. I can carry her if you like.”

  “I’ll do it,” Eve said, and scooped up the animal, which squealed before settling into her arms. They followed Elliot and Michael to the cave and then down the steps carved into the stone to the steel blast door of the lab.

  Inside, every light was illuminated, and it was nearly as bright as outside. Elliot escorted them to the sterilized area of the laboratory and moved to a rack of equipment. He selected a butterfly needle in a sealed packet and a bottle of alcohol, and placed a plastic vial holder filled wit
h glass tubes on the table beside him.

  “Sit down here, young lady, and we’ll get this taken care of.” He laid a hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “Would you see to our piglet while I do the honors?”

  Ruby nodded, and Eve reluctantly handed over Ellie.

  “Put your arm on this pad, please,” Elliot said to the little girl.

  Eve did as instructed, her face suddenly slack. Ruby glanced at Elliot, who nodded once – he’d caught the change in her demeanor too. He pretended not to notice and swabbed her arm with alcohol before cinching a length of rubber surgical tube around her bicep and studying the veins in the crook of her arm. Satisfied, he had her make a fist.

  “Why, you’re going to be an easy one,” he declared jovially, and removed the needle from the package. He offered another smile and lowered his voice. “You should look over at Ruby. This might sting just a little.”

  Eve leveled a stare at Elliot that chilled him for its dead quality. When she spoke, her voice was no longer that of an innocent child. “I’m used to it.”

  Elliot nodded and slipped the tiny needle into the vein. Eve didn’t blink. The narrow plastic tube that hung from the needle went crimson with blood, and he snapped the first of three vials into place.

  True to his promise, he was finished in little more than two minutes, and Eve was holding a cotton ball against the needle mark, her arm folded. Michael brought a glass of fruit punch and offered it to her. “Drink this. You’ll feel better.”

  She took it with numb fingers and nodded mutely. Ruby watched as she drained the glass and set it down carefully on the table beside her, and then looked at them with the same blank expression that had settled over her when she’d sat. “Done?” she asked.

  Ruby looked to Elliot, who was sliding the vials into another tray. “Yes, yes. For the time being, anyway. You’re a very brave little girl, Eve. Remarkable.”

  “Can we go?” Eve asked.

  Ruby nodded and held out her hand, the piglet squirming in her other. “Let’s.”

  Elliot watched as the woman led the child out the door and frowned at Michael, his eyes troubled.