by Angela White
The questions were blunt–some of them outright provocative–and it only toned down when he grabbed an offender (Danny) and shoved him into the side of a truck. Kenn had walked away by picturing Adrian’s reaction, and word had spread faster then.
By late afternoon, there wasn’t a person in Safe Haven who wasn’t growing more and more curious at the lack of answers.
5
The next few hours were a dusty blur for Angela as they talked to people whose names she quickly forgot. She was astounded by everything Adrian had going on here. There were driving and sewing classes, kids and adults in teaching circles, groups of women changing tires, karate and archery near the livestock area, kickball where the football had been earlier. Everywhere, she found healthy, nearly normal people coming and going, talking and laughing, living.
It was almost overwhelming to someone who had been alone with one man for eight weeks. The longer she and Adrian walked and talked, the further that trip here seemed. She was overjoyed to be with her son, but all the noise and new people made her nervous, uncomfortable. She thought about telling Adrian that she wanted to go to her tent, but forced herself to hang on instead. These hours were an evaluation and the reasons why his opinion should matter to her, were everywhere.
Adrian truly cared if people lived or died, and she already had great respect for him and the parts of the dream that he had shared with her so far. The open nosiness was difficult compared to the quiet and privacy she’d had on the way here, though, and some of the questions were outright nasty. It was hard to keep the old Angela from saying the wrong thing as the day wore on, but she held herself and the witch in check, needing once again to prove that she could.
Adrian was pleased with her. She was polite and interested, easily sidestepping questions about Kenn and the Wolfman, as Marc was being called. She was very adept at distracting even the most persistent, drawing them into discussions of things closest to their hearts. Adrian was certain she would win them over if given enough time, but Kenn was going to have problems.
Angela wasn’t even close to the weak, inept little woman that Kenn had recently hinted couldn’t possibly have survived, thus his reason for not undertaking the hazardous trip to Ohio. The Marine had left her to survive on her own, rather than go back for her. People would recognize that quickly. At the very least, it would cost him respect and leave unanswered questions, like why wouldn’t he want her here? She was smart, useful. What hadn’t he wanted the herd (Adrian) to know? From there, clues would fill in the blanks if people searched enough. The Eagles were already becoming aware that Kenn had lied to all of them. After watching Angela, it was hard to miss, and Adrian felt the anger at Kenn growing.
The Angela they were meeting was also more alert-minded than the other females here. The only time Adrian had noticed her hesitate (except when around Kenn) was as they headed to the shooting area.
Dusk came on suddenly around six, heavy rainclouds rolling over the dusty South Dakota landscape like a solid wall. The center pool was lit and was blazing, along with eight charred garbage cans around the corners of the long camp, and it drove away some of the darkness, but not enough. Angela stopped at a feeling of cold danger, hand dropping to the deadly gun on her hip.
Adrian took notice of the intense stare she shared with a nearby guard. He wasn’t surprised when the radio lit up a second later.
“Permission to double the sentries and roll in the camp?”
Adrian pushed a button on his belt. “Roger, ten and two.”
Angela was once again grateful to Marc as she asked, “Channel switch?”
“Very good. What did you tell him?”
Angela lit a Marlboro, studying the darkening shadows. “There’s someone spying on this camp from one of the houses on that hill.”
The only hill in sight was at least five miles away, and Adrian relaxed visibly. He still sent a quickly tapped out message to Kyle, not needing to ask if the person spying was bad. He knew from the way she’d reacted.
Adrian got them moving again, wondering if it was coincidence that Seth was who she had alerted first. Did she know Seth was his secret protection, or had they formed a bond this afternoon?
“Both. Why aren’t you keeping me out?” Angela asked suddenly, bluntly.
Adrian returned her frank stare. “I don’t feel like I need to. Couldn’t if you wanted in anyway, right?”
“There are ways,” she muttered, staring at the ground.
“I won’t use them. It’s all or nothing with me. I believe in what I’m doing, and I believe you will too, in time. There will be more hardship and sacrifices; I have no doubt of that. Our journey has really just begun, but we’ll hold them together with our belief.”
“You’ve seen these things.”
It wasn’t a question, and he smiled, sure she would settle into it quickly once he had her under his wing. Why hadn’t Kenn done it?
“Every night shows me more. Will you come by my tent in the morning, around eleven?”
Adrian felt her tense as a large group of people walked by, staring and whispering.
“Give it time. That feeling will go away.”
She looked at him with a frightened girl’s alluring trust.
“You promise?”
Adrian felt the plea for trust and gave it without hesitation, eager to lend comfort. “Yes. I’ll handle it personally.”
A volley of gunshots rang out from the training area, and Adrian noted the way she flinched, thinking that too would go away.
How quickly can I settle her in here?
Depending on her restlessness, her need…less time than it had taken with Kenn.
They continued toward the loud noise, one that Angela was dreading, knowing it was the sound of many people. Adrian said when the fires were lit, all but one activity was ended, and that the fires usually drew a crowd to the final entertainment of the evening. There was laughter, voices raised in conversation and support, and dogs yapping excitedly in the background. They were all things she’d been longing for the whole time she was on the way here, and now that she had it, she suddenly wanted to be alone again.
The breeze was cooling off, but Angela forced herself to leave her sweater around her hips despite the chill, sure it would be viewed as a sign of weakness if she put it back on right now.
Huge spotlights sat on the roofs of long trucks and lit the baseball field where gunshots echoed almost continuously amid the cheers and moans.
The crowd parted to let them through and Adrian leered at Tonya as he stepped by, but didn’t talk to her or any of the others. It had been a good day.
Angela was tense and tried to handle it as Marc would have. Cool, calm, and observant.
Drawing in a breath, Angela struggled to control her emotions. She and Adrian were in the thick of over a hundred laughing, talking, whispering, pointing, yelling, staring people, and it was almost too much…
Easy, Adrian sent. In time, they’ll be like family.
Angela was drawn along, his silent words helping, and she pushed the fear away.
More shots rang out as they neared the shoulder-high, chain-link fence. Angela saw three tall men waiting by a small row of bales, aware of everyone stealing peeks at her as she came to a stop on Adrian’s right.
One of the men was Doug. He and Neil were chuckling at something Kenn had said, and it came to her strongly that when he’d called them his men, her Marine hadn’t been lying. How would she ever convince them to give Marc a chance?
She couldn’t. They would have to judge for themselves.
Maybe you should examine your Marine again, the witch coaxed. Be sure.
She did, searching hard, and the things that came to her were surprising, disconcerting. He’s more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him, she thought first. Also, more attractive despite the anger she could still feel. Concentrating on the targets, Kenny was tall, dark, and handsome, beer belly gone. Angela felt a stray curl of lust that was an unwelcome reminder of her na
ivety. She had been physically attracted to him when they had met and had assumed that because it had been magical with Marc, it would be that way with any man. It was a reminder of when she’d been young and dumb, easily fooled.
Her thoughts were interrupted by more gunfire, and it occurred to Angela that she felt safe enough with Adrian next to her that she had gotten lost in her own mind with a large crowd of people around. Eager to be distracted from the choices she knew were coming, Angela stepped closer to the fence, missing the surprise of his men when Adrian followed, assuming the bodyguard’s place behind and to her right.
“Bull’s-eye!”
The crowd cheered, and Neil groaned, eliminated. As the targets were replaced, he joined Adrian and Angela.
“You remember Neil.”
She noticed that Adrian hadn’t reminded her of anyone else’s name. She caught the hint that Neil was someone important here, but didn’t need it. It was clear by all the attention he got and how he was everywhere, like Kenn, doing a little of everything.
“Now it gets good,” Neil said, subtly watching Angela. He hadn’t heard all the stories when he’d met her earlier, and while he wanted to believe that Kenn wouldn’t hit a woman, there were witnesses. Not members yet, their word wouldn’t matter publicly, but it would to the Eagles.
“No fair! Kenn’s got his wife here!” Kyle complained jokingly. “No good luck charms!”
Angela blushed at the mobster’s joking protest, but before she could respond with a joke of her own or deny the title, guns crashed again as Kenn unloaded his mag.
“Eight bull’s-eyes! We have a tie!”
A loud cheer went up, and Adrian gave Neil a motion before quickly climbing the fence.
He dropped to the ground with an easy grace that made Angela’s stomach tighten. Sexy.
“Too late for another shooter?”
Kenn and Doug groaned as the people cheered in approval, and Angela could feel them behind her, whispering, staring. She couldn’t help resting her hand on her gun, hating having so many strangers at her back. She could hear too much of the conversations, most of it about her. Marc and Kenn were being mentioned, but there were also words about the quarantine rule Adrian had broken…and her carrying a gun. Apparently, none of the other females had passed the class yet. Angela also understood that she was the first woman he had shown this much interest in and some of them were wondering if it was personal. After a minute of consideration, she decided those few were idiots. Adrian only wanted her gifts.
“Those three outshoot everyone here. Adrian schedules these contests every few weeks, and the camp loves it.”
Neil had slid a little closer so she could hear him through the fence, and Angela was glad to have someone to talk to.
The three remaining contestants lined up–first, second, and fifth in command–and began checking their weapons. As everyone fell silent, she wondered how many reasons Adrian had for doing things like this, and was curious if even his army knew half of them.
Doug was first, and as he stepped forward, hoping to rattle Kenn, he waved to Angela, thinking the Marine had better try to patch things up with her before his replacement was made official.
Angela returned his greeting with embarrassment, and the crowd roared at the big man’s tactics.
Kenn wasn’t amused, was determined not to miss a single shot. Right now, he knew where to put his anger.
“Bull’s-eye!”
Doug grinned as Kenn moved forward. Before he could tease, the Marine pulled the trigger again and then emptied the mag.
The crowd muttered in surprise and then quieted, everyone waiting for Adrian’s reaction.
“Put Doug’s targets back up after the call,” was all Adrian said. The leader shrugged at the big man who was now the one rattled. “You started it.”
“Eight bull’s-eyes!”
The crowd was boisterous in their approval, and as Kenn leered at Doug. “I get the title and the girl.”
Doug was still chuckling as he took his place.
As Kenn joined Angela along the fence, he gave Neil a nod, but they exchanged nothing else, and Angela understood they weren’t friends.
Following unspoken orders and eager to observe, Neil stayed close.
When Kenn immediately scowled at him, Angela caught his attention. “What title?”
“Best gun in camp.”
“Who has it now?”
Kenn was cocky. “You’re looking at him. Doug gets a chance to take it back tomorrow.”
Angela was instantly flooded with bitterness. She had been fighting for her life, struggling to get here, and he’d been in all this safety, shooting for meaningless titles.
Doug’s shots rang out, and he studied the new woman openly. She seemed upset, and he recalled more of the rumors. Anger hunting for a target, his mind zeroed in on the Wolfman. That wound had to be from her new man. Kenn wouldn’t break Adrian’s rules that way.
“Eight bull’s-eyes! Tie!”
The crowd quieted as Adrian stepped forward, and Kenn glanced at Angela. “He tell you how things work here?”
Angela didn’t glance away from Adrian, who was now lining himself up with the targets. “Enough.”
Her tone was full of warning. His bluff had been called. Adrian was an ardent supporter of women’s rights, and Kenn let out a sigh, hoping she would still keep her mouth shut. “Want a better view?”
Angela nodded, but before he could help her, she swung her body up and over, the movements almost an exact copy of Adrian’s.
Kenn scowled, knowing Neil had understood that she didn’t want him to touch her.
Angela did stay close as they viewed the shooting, but Neil sensed it was only to soothe Kenn’s ego, not because she wanted to.
Unlike the rest of his men, Adrian didn’t hold and aim but left his weapon in the holster, long fingers dangling alertly above. He drew in a graceful blur and the 9mm thundered, bullets slamming into the targets in rapid succession.
“Eight bull’s-eyes!”
The crowd’s enthusiasm was catching, and Angela let herself be carried away. When Kenn stepped forward, she wished him luck, and he smiled at her, the first friendly moment they’d exchanged.
“He doesn’t need any more luck!” Doug protested.
They all laughed as the targets were relocated, the tension was instantly gone in that moment. Though it was only a brief second, Adrian recognized it.
Kenn pulled the trigger gently, repeatedly.
“Eight bull’s-eyes!”
The crowd went wild, and Angela was glad she was now on this side of the fence as they pushed and shoved closer. Neil was right. The mob loved this. Marc could easily match anything she’d witnessed so far. Would that help him here?
Doug limped up, not joking anymore, and wiped an arm across his sweaty face before raising his gun. Bullets flew, and the immediate slump of his shoulders said he knew it wasn’t good enough.
“Seven hits. Four bull’s-eyes!”
The people cheered, many chanting Kenn’s name, and Doug shook his hand as he’d done the last time he’d lost to Kenn, though, now he didn’t feel so bad. Kenn was just better with a gun. There was no changing that. “You’re gonna win.”
Kenn picked out too many of the men glancing at Angela’s long, dark curls blowing in the cooling wind. “True that.”
Angela winced, slapped with flashes of their past from that hauntingly familiar expression, and again, Adrian and Neil weren’t the only ones who noticed it. People here especially, but survivors period, were much more alert now. They had learned a harsh lesson.
There was silence as Adrian stepped up, shooting straight from the hip. The noise was deafening when the call came.
“Eight bull’s-eyes!”
Their worries gone for a small instant, the people roared their approval, and Angela was sure most of them didn’t care who won. This shot-for-shot competition was what mattered.
The targets were relocated again and Kenn r
eturned to Angela’s side, grinning at her in the rare, playful way that had never failed to get her to smile at his antics. He added an eye-cross, suddenly wanting to hear her laugh.
When she did, men noticed, drawn, and his scowl emerged again.
Adrian recognized the spark between them and felt obliged to at least try to help his right hand, thinking it would be so much easier if those two stayed together. Would a win here help the Marine? Kenn’s happiness mattered too, and his loyalty had been steadfast… Adrian didn’t think it would be enough to sway anything. Angela knew what she wanted, and it wasn’t Marine number one. Still…
Adrian drew suddenly and began firing. When he stopped, he met Kenn’s surprised stare over the crowd.
“Seven bull’s-eyes!”
There were cheers and groans, and Adrian shrugged. “Can’t be perfect all the time.”
Kenn took his place. “Just practice anyway.” He blew out a breath and began firing.
“Eight bull’s-eyes!”
Kenn was locked onto Angela across the short distance. “Boo-yah, baby!”
“Nice shooting.”
Adrian shook his hand, pulling his attention away.
Angela trembled as nightmares rushed over her. Kenny was always inventive when he won something he really wanted.
Neil had been watching her, but was pretending he hadn’t as the crowd began to breakup. He didn’t like any of the things he noticed.
“I’m sharing a tent with Charlie?”
Neil gave her a confused stare. “We assumed you’d be with Kenn.”
Fire flashed. “Assumed because he said so?”
“Yes.” Neil felt like he’d done something wrong.
Kenn locked eyes with Angela over the men congratulating him. I’m almost in charge. Do what I say or you’ll regret it!
Angela turned to the frowning sentry at her side. “Will you take me to Marc? The man with the wolf?”
