by Angela White
"What signs have you seen near here, of those who came before, and where were they?"
Jendon looked to the woman, secured her approval, before turning back. "The last I saw was a note caved into the stones of the Black Hills.”
"And what did it say, Layman?"
David hadn't known he was going to use the term, but the Troll seemed happy enough to be called such.
"All survivors welcome. Traveling on a southeast line. Safe Haven refugee camp. God bless the USA."
It was the same as they'd seen in the bunker, and the fighters felt a churn of excitement and discovery. Safe Haven stood, and they would find it or die trying.
3
The conversation slowed, but the night flew by. As a faint moon spun overhead, the Troll turned worried yellow eyes on the blonde still sitting alertly by the fire. "Must I stay?"
Alexa shook her head, gesturing at the reddish bottle of liquid he'd pulled from his robes a while back and set by the fire to warm. "Until it boils?"
"And not a second longer."
"Then you may go in peace. Perhaps I'll never have a need of you."
Jendon lumbered to his feet, flickering eyes almost hypnotic as they changed from yellow to green and back again in rapid succession. "And if you do?"
She grinned harshly in reminder. "Then bring your wares and your mount. Both are at my leisure."
The creature nodded again, openly bitter this time, and was seated in the cart seconds later. When he'd hooked up the horse or retrieved the harp, none of them saw, but they were in his possession as the steady clip-clop and harness jingle rang out softly.
"Potions, charms, myths..."
The cart moved steadily away from their firelight, and Jendon's voice came floating back to them:
They came from the west
Seven fighters to the end
One stunning blonde warrior
Leading six hard-ass men
Through magic and death
Demons and fire
Clever ambushes
and Nature's ire...
Alexa felt the moment they became legend, was filled with satisfaction and a longing to hurry, but she tempered her pride as they got settled for the night. There was a very long way to go. Tomorrow, they would reach Laramie and then head for South Dakota, where they would view Safe Haven's messages with their own eyes. It had only just begun.
Tired, minutes later, half of the group slept soundly, but all of the males were content with this strange new life Alexa had given them. For being in the nuclear wilderness, it was nearly perfect.
4
“They burnt it!”
Corbin surveyed the damage with a keen eye, ignoring the mutters of Rab and his soldiers. If Alexa had them set it on fire, then she’d found something. What?
The Commander turned slowly, taking in each small scene until he had a clear idea of what had happened here.
“I feel him.”
Rab’s words caused confusion for everyone but the Commander, who turned his way.
“Where?”
Rab’s eyes were closed. “Everywhere. He’s been here.”
Corbin waved at the men, telling them to branch out and search the charred rubble. All he needed was a sign…
“Damn.”
Shane’s voice said it was a shock, and most of the men started to move into the next room.
Corbin glared, and the soldiers stopped. “Stand watch.”
These new men he was forced to work with were untrained, undisciplined, and on the edge of revolt. The big bunker hadn’t sent fresh provisions or promotions in a month, and it made handling these men a careful balance.
Not that Corbin was worried over his own safety. He wouldn’t be taken down by a mere mortal and he hoped these men knew it. The stories floating through the bunkers right now should be enough to tell them they were in over their head if they thought to attack him and win.
“Over here!” Shane called.
They stared at the sprayed words in shock. Two of the monitors hadn’t melted from the fire, protected by damp rolls of carpet.
Safe Haven.
Alexa had her first clue. She was really on her way to Adrian.
Furious, Corbin stormed toward the rope ladder they’d used to get down here.
“Burn it again, and this time, make sure it’s right.”
“But the report…”
“Should say it was Nazi vandals.” Rab informed Shane, earning a nod from Corbin.
No one else could be allowed to find these clues.
5
Up before even Daniel this time, the rookies began camp with quiet movements and good smells. Coffee, pancakes and spam, with REM bacon, refried into gravy to go over both. It was a warm meal to help them stand against what looked to be a cold, dreary day.
Edward and Mark were on guard, their rested eyes showing their pleasure with how well the new men were blending in. Seven strong, there would be new sets to learn, new forms and fighting styles to practice. It would be a welcome change from the weeks of repetition they'd had since picking up Billy.
"Outer edges of Laramie by late afternoon?"
Alexa stabbed another bite with her dented fork as she answered Mark. "Maybe a bit later if we have to hole-up while it blows over."
The clouds in their path were ominous, black and flashing, but still half a day away. What would reach them soonest was the huge wall of rain leading the storm. They would be soaked long before their normal lunching time if the blonde kept them on the road in it, as she sometimes did.
Before they broke camp, the wind started to gust. Hours later, it still hadn’t eased.
6
Very sensitive to the changes in the weather, David moved out of formation to parallel his teacher. “Something’s happening.”
He jerked a thumb upward, where the sky had turned to a serene shade of blue. “There.”
Not sure how to handle it, Daniel waved him to the front. “Tell her.”
David moved quickly to Alexa’s side, but not so fast that she didn’t see him coming. He’d worked around skittish animals all his life and knew better than to approach someone like her from a blind spot. “There’s trouble.”
Alexa’s eyes were already on the beautiful sky. There was even a bright peek of long-lost sun through the heavy grit to further convince them of their safety, and she spun a finger to halt their group. “What do you suggest?”
The blacksmith lifted his chin against the scorn he had expected. His nature was close to serene most of the time, but being laughed at or made fun of, would send him into an instant rage. Ghosts of the past like to rattle those chains, and David had learned swinging back was the only cure. “Watch and wait.”
Alexa agreed easily enough. If he was wrong, they had only lost time. If he was right, then his place was proven. “Ten minute stop. Stay close.”
After bathroom pauses, all of the fighters gathered back around their leader, waited tensely. They knew now, that Alexa had chosen each of them for reasons beyond their skill with a gun, that they had more than just that brutal duty to perform for her. Was having a sense for trouble coming part of the blacksmith’s purpose on this quest?
Seconds later, that appeared to be the truth.
The invisible cold front swept out of the trees above them, and sank down over the road like a bucket of ice. The wind was nearly frigid, sending chills through the woman’s taut body. The difference in temperature told her what to expect.
Alexa untied an end of the rope that was around her waist. “Link us up. Do it quickly.”
The fighters hurriedly tied themselves together, and moved toward a nearby tree at her wave.
David started to say he didn’t feel it anymore…
“Down!”
The warning came too late. The wind slammed through their tied group and sent the blacksmith onto his back, as if he’d been targeted, shoved. It jerked the closest men toward him, but they didn’t fall.
Startled, the bla
cksmith quickly regained his feet.
Alexa motioned for them to tie the rope around the tree. Clearly, this was no ordinary storm.
Now, in a circle around the trunk, noise roared at them from the left, but the blast of slicing leaves came from the right. As they ducked, a shower of tattered branches and foliage spun down to envelope them.
When the earth shifted under their boots, Alexa read the trap, and cut one end of the rope. “Up!”
The last boot was barely off the ground before the dirt was ripping itself apart in furrows, searching for them. Hoping to swallow, all around the tree, the ground rose and caved in, rose and caved in…
Grrrr…Creak...
Nature’s fury at being denied shook the tree, threatening to rip it from its mooring… The fighters clung to the trunk and limbs, rope now tangled among the swaying branches.
The wind came back suddenly, slamming into the tree…
The insects living on the tree began to attack the fighters, trying to make them fall…
The tremor-storm increased, sending out waves of violent upheaval that split the ground under the roots, forcing them upward…
“Grab him!”
Jacob lost his hold as the slimy trunk jumped out of his grasp. He hit the branch below, smacking his head and jerking all of them toward the ground.
Alexa hauled on the rope, wondering at the quick flash of Déjà vu, but was without time to ponder it.
Edward and Daniel were helping her now, and they pulled the others back up.
Crack! The grinding noise was ear-splitting as the earth tore itself open.
Alexa held out a hand, choosing to return what she had taken all those months ago. Brown energy shot out of her palm, and sank into the vibrating ground.
Silence…
Stillness…
It was over.
Sympathetic to the jumpiness of her men, Alexa grinned. “So, who ordered the blowjob?”
The unexpected quip brought snorts and a renewed sense of calm. To David, she gave a subtle nod that made his mood soar. It was a feeling he was instantly sure he would crave for the rest of his life.
Alexa waved her men down. She’d only been through one other tremor-storm - it had allowed her to escape from Regan’s ambush in the desert - and she had a fondness for them despite their evil nature. They were Mother Nature’s assassins, and totally relentless. It was something she respected.
Alexa looked to the distance, where the real storm still rolled heavily closer. “Come, my pets. Let’s get in a few hours on the redline before it hits.”
7
Hours later, the fighters were taking shelter from the brunt of the storm in a barn with heavy leaks and the bones of animals in dusty pens. After watching Alexa carefully collect the bones and spend the time grinding them into ashes, her men understood when she filled her pouches with it. Jendon's potions were made with the bone dust of the dead.
"Human is more powerful, but any bones will do. Laymen are magic users; the dark charms their strength, but also their curse. They cannot gather the dust themselves. They react to it instantly. Always be generous in your dealings with them or your purchase may be cursed."
That brought more curiosity as she stored the bags and wiped her hands on the rough ground.
"Time for a lesson. Enough correct answers will earn a reward for all."
Her eyes swept them, pleased to see each man had found something useful to do with their time. They were learning fast. "How many different animals and how much dust from each went into the pouches?"
Her fingers began rolling a smoke as they called answers.
"Bull, chicken."
"Goat."
"Cat?"
"A quarter of each."
"And why a mix at all?" she asked, not surprised when it was David who knew.
"They are domestic and therefore, equal in power. Uneven mixes will affect stability."
"And the last pouch of leftovers? How even was the mix?"
"Half, a quarter, and a third each of the remaining."
Jacob's fast response had all eyes turning to him.
The rookie shrugged, young face reddening. "I saw the even distribution and wondered what the rest would be used for."
"Very good. The answer to that question will earn someone honor guard." She stood, not wincing at the stiffness of her legs. "Let's share a twist and think."
None of them were able to guess what the unevenly mixed bone dust was good for, and they spent half an hour watching as Alexa ground handfuls of this and that from the many pockets in her cloak.
She put it into an empty pouch and then dumped a portion of it into a dirty glass vial. When she added water from her canteen, it turned to a deep, dark green liquid that seemed to smoke and bubble.
Alexa held it up as she led them into the light drizzle of the storm's wake.
"Grab quickly when I tell you," she instructed, moving to a limply struggling apple tree nearby. It was dying, its sparse branches holding only tiny, immature green balls.
The blonde leader threw the vial at the base of the tree with a sharp movement, shattering it, and emerald liquid sank into the ground. For a long moment, there was nothing.
Rustle….
Soft, odd, it was the sound of new life spreading into the tree. The nickel-sized apple balls began to grow, the leaves around them turning brighter, standing healthier.
The men watched in amazement as the tree burst into full bloom with a speed their eyes couldn't track properly.
Alexa got closer, ducking as a growing branch shot out, and her men did the same with uneasy eyes.
"Get ready. Carry bags and catch," she called.
Edward tossed the rookies each a pouch and bright red fruit began sailing through the air.
It would have been something to see, six men catching apples that a very fast blonde woman was throwing, but for the thinning woods and thickening corn, they were alone.
The tree was magnificent, stunning in perfect contrast to the withering branches that struggled around it, but the fighters sensed more coming than a miracle-grow to replenish their stores.
"Enough."
Each small pouch was full as Alexa stepped back, including hers. She gestured at the now creaking and groaning tree, her tone grave, "See what an uneven mix… and greed causes."
The rookies, both chewing generous mouthfuls, struggled to keep it down as the tree began to die.
Its beautiful leaves and fruit molded on the edges, then the middle, then fell like Christmas ornaments. It happened in seconds.
The snapping twigs echoed like gunshots, and larger branches started to crack and fall. The earth shifted as the roots withered violently beneath their boots….
Crackkkk!
The thick trunk split down the middle with a final, heart-wrenching crack.
After that, came the sounds of the rookies forcing themselves to swallow.
In the distance, another noise came, unmistakable as well. It was a piercing scream of pain and rage that rose on the wind to howl at them. Nature had gotten her stolen energy back, but lost a tree in its place.
"Our enemy has weaknesses," Alexa stated pointedly, wiping a fat, red apple with her sleeve. "Never doubt it."
She bit into the juicy fruit and headed for the road. "Don't waste even one of those. It will be long before I'd do such again without better cause.”
8
Now that her crew was complete, Alexa was ready to tighten the bonds with her men. As they sat around the fire, she could feel them wondering what else they might face and of course, where she’d come from. They all wanted to know about the rats on their trail, too.
Would either of her new men have the sand to ask? Edward had wanted to, but after rescuing the children, he’d understood he wasn’t to question. The rookies didn’t have that sense yet.
As she had the thought, Jacob turned to her.
“How do you know so much? Why are you so different?”
Silence as th
e others froze.
Alexa considered his request only briefly. These seven would be with her when she found Safe Haven. That was a long trip to make without knowing what your leader stood for. In her case, it was more of what was inside, but they’d understand that before long.
She pinned the rookie with a merciless look and saw that David had moved subtly away, as if he were wary of the response.
Alexa leaned forward and fed the tension with a hard glare, not caring for David’s need to protect his own ass. “In return, I may ask for your story, Jacob.”
She brought her hand up to her face and stroked her cheek, telling them all which tale she’d requested.
Jacob nodded reluctantly at the trade. “As you wish.”
“Twist a smoker and pour us all drink,” the leader instructed, settling back against a damp tree trunk. “It would seem that story-night has come.”
The men moved quickly, each admiring Jacob for helping them get something they’d wanted, but had been unable to attain on their own. Only a rookie had such leniency and they were grateful he’d used the free pass before learning the rules.
Alexa inhaled deeply, drawing smoke in for a long hold that sent waves of dizziness through her mind.
“After the War, I was a prisoner - like all of you were in one form or another.”
Ghosts moved through tormented halls in Alexa’s memories, gliding by death and betrayal with a human face… and pushed open a bunker door to the past.
Eight
January, 2016 AW
1
“Now kill him!”
Unable to reach the one commanding her through the intercom, the woman did as she was told.
The soldier, like the countless others they’d forced her to hurt, wanted only for the days-long hell to be over. He squeezed his bruised eyes shut and the fire flashed out.
As the flames hit, her tormented words led him into the light. “I’m sorry!”
There were no tears, she had few left to give away now, but the woman watched him burn with horror. How many did that make? She’d stopped counting when the number went beyond fifty.
