by Angela White
“Samantha, I–”
“Don’t.” Samantha inhaled deeply, picking up smoke, sweat, and heat. “It’s okay. You can go if you don’t want me enough to–”
Sam moaned in satisfaction as his mouth descended over hers with a snarl of lust. Neil!
As if he’d heard the mental shout, Neil steered them toward her neatly made bed.
Samantha broke their kiss, needing more. His hands roamed freely, tangling in her hair to bring her mouth up for another punishing kiss that had her pushing against him in desperation.
“Please!” she gasped when he allowed her to breathe. “Don’t stop, Neil, or leave now. I couldn’t take it if you–”
“Shhh…”
Neil slid his hands down to her waist, fingers lifting her shirt.
Samantha trembled at his hot hands against her bare skin. He unhooked the front of her bra and pushed it aside, dropping low to capture a rocky nipple.
“Oohh!”
Samantha arched against his mouth, barely noticing his fingers working the buttons of her pants. His mouth rose to capture hers, and she held on when he dipped her to the cot.
Neil paused, unable to help being distracted. “Uh, Sam? Why do you have a handcuff key taped under your breast?”
Samantha groaned in frustration and need, and Neil stored the question. “Okay, later.”
Neil gently stripped her, rubbing that beautiful body until he thought he’d go crazy with the waiting. She twitched against his hands, mewling little moans coming from her mouth that had him shedding his own clothes.
Samantha helped him push off his shirt, and her nails found his shoulders, pulled him closer. “Neil...”
He bent down to kiss her again, using his free hand to remove the last of his clothes. His eyes were dark green orbs burning into her soul as he carefully lowered himself between her legs.
Neil brushed her soft curls, arms flexing, hips tilting. She trembled as he slid against her, arching upward.
Neil thrust.
Sam whimpered, nails digging into his wrists as he shoved into her.
Neil sank deeper, body tensing, tightening at the sensation of her wrapping around him. He shoved harder and slid all the way in.
His taut body strained against hers, a groan of guttural lust rising to spill from his lips. Neil pulled himself away from the edge with a groan of determination.
He jerked forward suddenly, hitting a sweet spot, and she arched against him in response. “Neil!”
He rubbed them together instead of thrusting; using his thickness to secure her pleasure the way his police pals had jokingly told him could be done. It slid him against her clit at the same time and sent her into a spasm of pleasure that tensed her whole body.
Her orgasm was unlike anything Neil had ever felt. It was his pleasure, too, and he memorized her expressions as he rocked against her.
Samantha shuddered violently. So good!
Neil slid back, breathing roughly. She was slick and pulsing between them, no faking there, and he thrust into her without any of his previous hesitation.
“Yeah...uuh!” Neil growled in stunned delight when she arched up to meet his violent move and he stiffened above her, too far gone to stop this time.
When he would have pulled out to finish, Samantha held him close. “I need that too, Neil.”
He stifled a shout against her shoulder, hips jerking forward as he exploded.
8
“Allan’s gonna take my place,” Marc stated. “Gotta do rounds.”
Mitch looked up in bleary happiness. “G’on then.”
Marc stood up without any signs that he’d just crushed three beers. But he could feel it. Drinking wasn’t something that he liked to do, but beer was usually okay. Demons came out when he drank, but beer didn’t usually do that to him.
Marc continued his rounds, seeing the fight at the mess was over. The brawlers were now sitting sullenly outside the medical tent to wait their turn. John and Anne would be busy for a while.
So will I, he thought, noticing more than a few inviting stares, including the current one from Tracy. They saw his thick body, remembered Angela’s smiles, and instinctively wanted him. Marc loved the feeling and hated it at the same time. It made him uncomfortable and lonely. It also sent his ego to new levels and made him grateful they’d come to Safe Haven. Even during his time in the Marines, he’d never been as useful, as wanted, as he was here.
His mind went where he’d vowed not to let it go, and Marc wondered if Angela missed him as much as he missed her. He pushed it aside. Right now, he had to smooth Samantha’s ruffled feathers and make sure things were okay on the weather front. After that, he would check on Mitch. They were walking yet another fine line with this setup–they always were with Adrian’s methods–but if it worked, Mitch would have the chance to become a different man.
As Marc reached the female side of the tents, he noticed a lone Eagle standing stiffly in the shadows. Jeremy looked as though he’d been gut-punched.
Marc followed his line of sight to the very tent he’d been on his way to, realizing there were shadows moving on the walls.
Entwined on a cot, one had a hand between her legs and long hair spilling over her shoulders. The other wore an all-too-familiar hat as he rocked against her.
Those are some feathers he’s soothing, Marc groaned, hurrying to intercept Jeremy when the Eagle moved toward the tent. “Damn, I wish Adrian was back.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Deeper and Deeper
1
“There’s no damage here, ya know? Just can’t get over that,” Doug said, pushing away his half-eaten bowl. Even the dogs were fed better. “Why wouldn’t this be destroyed, too?”
The sky above them was roiling with pale gray through dingy black, but the clouds were there, as well. It appeared they were going to get wet, but none of them could bring themselves to dread the mud and mess involved. They needed the rain too much.
Doug’s was a general question, but everyone looked to Angela for the answer.
Catching Adrian’s subtle nod, she answered. “Fate spared it because no innocent blood has ever been spilled here. It was left alone after the war because people think it’s haunted.”
Some of them chuckled, but the amusement was gone quickly as Adrian asked, “Is it?”
“Not any more than the rest of our world now.” Angela continued to roam through the mental fog…and found something.
Reacting instantly to her concern, Adrian keyed his radio. “Full alert.” He looked at Angela. “What is it?”
“It’s okay. Marc’s calling.” She didn’t hide the satisfaction. “They had some trouble, but he’s covering… Damn it!”
When Angela drew her gun, so did everyone else who saw her.
She swiveled to a view of their back trail and those stunning blue eyes blazed into crimson as she brought the witch forward.
Adrian and the rest of them gaped at the enormous amount of small shadows streaming their way. Behind the rodents, running over the mounds of debris, were the bounty hunters sent to capture them.
“Too many! Into the vehicles!” Kenn ordered.
Their team fled toward the vehicles that lined the cleared street. Angela, no longer restrained by a twitchy herd, immediately brought a shield up around them–including their UPVs.
Adrian turned to stare at her in shock. She hadn’t just been laying low about how recovered she was. Those basic gifts she had lived with all her life were now fully under her control. She’d mastered a new level without telling anyone. On her own!
Outside the small shield, the animals didn’t leave. The Mother said the humans were too many for a direct attack in Safe Haven, but this small group was vulnerable despite the power in it. And the first attempt on Safe Haven had shown nature how best to attack.
“They’re everywhere!”
Many of the rodents had made it through the shield as she brought it up.
Angela slung her foot and then
stomped on the rat trying to chew through her boot, foot crunching as she added her weight to keep the manhole cover on. Around her, the others were doing the same or shooting at the legions of sewer rats scurrying from storm drains.
“Get in the trucks!” Kenn shouted again.
“No!” Adrian overruled. “Too many cracks and holes. We have to get off the ground.”
Hiss...
Gas exploded inside their circle, thick white fumes that quickly sent the rodents inside the shield fleeing back into the sewer.
Adrian motioned the Eagles to cover their mouths and noses as best they could.
Some of the rats fled from the fumes, stopping along the way to shudder in violent spasms.
Hiss...
Another canister and the amount of gas inside the shield quickly became smothering. Coughs and gasps for air made Angela bring it down.
Hiss... Bamm!
The release of gas as the shield vanished was like a small bomb, spreading out in a circle of lung-injuring confusion that slammed into the waiting predators.
Not expecting it, the rest of nature’s army fled, crying and coughing in agony. A lot were killed outright from the amount of chemical shoved into open, lunging mouths, giving the team a carcass perimeter.
Cough! Cough! Spit!
It was loud as the mission team recovered, tears streaming too heavily to see who had saved them. Adrian was also hacking and crying, but knew who to thank. He could feel the anger and the energy that was being directed at him, and recognized it.
“Conner.”
The boy didn’t come any closer to the armed men. The mask he wore left him unfazed by the gas. He removed the mask and secured it to his belt, but didn’t wait for them to recover. “You still have company.”
Shadows raced over the hills of debris, shifting garbage in their rush. Dressed in long, tan coats and goggles, the bounty hunters carried military type kits and well-tended rifles.
The Eagles automatically got into a defensive V, and Adrian took Point.
“Get them!” This voice was cold and hard, ordering the hunters down the debris piles.
More shadows ran their way and Adrian called, “Fire the nets!”
Safe Haven’s defenders had learned the bat lesson well. Their aim had also improved through practicing, and the two dozen attackers weren’t expecting the cargo nets that trapped them and prevented shooting. The bullets that followed were lethal, but there wasn’t time to kill them all.
“Move in!” Major Garret ordered.
A second wave of bounty hunters ran by the entrapped men in the ropes.
The hunters didn’t wear hats, but black bandanas that instantly reminded the team of Rick. It made the bounty hunters into walking targets that the team looked forward to shooting as soon as they’d rescued the kids.
“This way!” Conner shouted.
Adrian followed. Underground was where they needed to go, where Conner would have his charges stashed. “Eagles with me!”
Slat! Ding!
Five Eagles dropped into the hole Conner knelt by, and Angela vanished into it behind them.
“Switch!”
The cold order gave the team a brief second’s respite as the bounty men changed from darts to bullets.
Kenn shoved Adrian into the hole and then followed him. The last two men to come through were Daryl and Doug. Both of them were wounded, but Conner already had the group moving through the dank darkness.
“Count off!” Adrian shouted.
“Two,” Angela called, trying to wrap Doug’s arm as they ran through the murky sewer.
The check-in didn’t take long to complete, “Twenty-five!” and Adrian flipped on his light. He did a quick visual check of his crew, and then took the place behind Conner’s quickly pumping heels.
Behind them, there was no sound of pursuit, and Conner hit the light on his belt. The double illumination allowed the team to view the filth and muck they were running through. Snakeskins, molding vines climbing dark, dripping walls and thick corners of mushrooms greeted them. Then the smell hit, and a few of the team gagged.
“Are we far enough?” Kenn demanded, finger on the button.
“Leave it, let them gather,” Adrian answered.
“But we’ll miss–”
“Leave it!”
Adrian’s annoyance earned Kenn frowns from those closest. Kenn had done a lot of training, but on runs like this, he was almost a rookie. Kenn was valuable in the office, but he was the tripping-over-himself Platoon commander that every team leader both scorned and used to their advantage. He hadn’t been that way before the war, but his time in Safe Haven and Adrian’s choice to keep him off an official team, had changed everything for Kenn.
Angela tied a strap around Daryl’s leg–it would have been funny if they weren’t in such a hurry–and got back up on Adrian’s left, where he wanted her.
“Gets low here!” Conner called from ahead, sounding like he was having a good time. There was no mistaking the cheer in that tone.
The adults ducked suddenly as the walls and floor sloped upward, but the ceiling didn’t rise with them. A drainage route, Adrian thought.
Running through a dank sewer while hunched over allowed for only a limited view squinted against the splashes of so many feet. It kept them from seeing what they were about to hit.
“Hold your breath for ten seconds. Don’t stop!” Conner ordered.
Adrian heard Angela’s dismayed groan and quickly reached out to take an iron grip on her wrist. Close by and aware of her fears, Kenn did the same, and the two men led her into the stagnant water.
2
Angela didn’t struggle, but she didn’t try to help them, either. She was totally disoriented, with no idea which way to propel herself. She spent the time listening.
Big ripple. Daryl into the water with them.
Smaller ripple–Lee’s wiry body.
An enormous splash. Doug, in the rear, told her they’d all made it in.
Adrian yanked Angela above the surface and pulled her aside so that Kenn could come up through the narrow opening. He slung her arm over his shoulders as she gasped in air and hefted her onto the concrete. He let go and did the same for himself as quickly as he could.
Only one could come through at a time, and Adrian knelt at the hole, jerking men through. Twenty-five had to come out.
Lee’s thin frame bobbed to the surface and was grabbed, hauled up.
“One more!” the man gasped out, face an alarming shade of red.
“Where’s Doug?” Angela asked.
Adrian saw the water start to settle and responded accordingly. He dove back through the narrow opening.
“No!” Kenn shouted. “Get him back!”
Angela grabbed Kenn before he could jump in. “He’s okay.”
Adrian’s head broke the surface, as did Doug’s a second later. Adrian sucked in a quick breath and then dove back under to push.
Doug coughed heavily, clinging to the side, and Eagle hands gripped him anywhere they could get a solid hold.
Adrian heaved from the bottom, Doug’s ass centered on his shoulder, and the big man shot out of the water and flopped onto the concrete.
Adrian joined him seconds later, gasping. “We’re not...going back...that way.”
Eagles chuckled.
Conner left them alone for a moment, but he never stopped watching the water. He wasn’t concerned about the dark tunnel behind him, the one they had to traverse next, but standing water was dangerous. His group hadn’t been underground for an hour before learning that brutal lesson.
Eagles dried off, but they didn’t change clothes. Angela followed their lead, despite the way some of their eyes were going over her wet shirt and pants, and then darting away. They couldn’t view much through the front, the vest prevented it, but the sides of her clothes clung to damp swells that even in the dark, marked her different than the rest of Adrian’s army.
“We should go,” Conner stated.
Adrian swallowed his pride and motioned to the door. “You’re the guide.”
Conner immediately took up a double-time run into the darkness.
“Shit!” Adrian darted after him, catching Angela’s wrist to be certain she was next.
Kenn again provided the security sandwich, and the others hurried to catch up.
3
“This way.”
Conner stopped suddenly, bending down to pull on a moldy piece of wood. A gaping black hole appeared, and the teenager disappeared down into it without a word.
The Eagles frowned.
Adrian shined his light as Kyle and Kenn descended ten feet to find Conner standing to the left of the ladder. They were at an intersection where dark, wet and dripping tunnels branched out in four directions.
Conner waited until they were all down and ready, staring at Angela instead of the father that he’d begun to doubt would come for him.
Always take the farthest tunnel to the left, Angela delivered Conner’s message silently. Those to the left are mostly flooded.
Angela stopped searching the floor and began looking down the other tunnels they were passing. The bones down here could fill two cemeteries.
“How many people are down here?” Kenn asked. “Are there a lot of you?”
“That depends on what you mean,” Conner said, winding them through stacks of supplies in crates and buckets. Each of these had a large red X on them that the team took to mean they were spoiled.
“We’re not the only ones, but me and the kids don’t have anything to do with most of them.” Conner’s firm statement was accompanied by his footsteps starting into the dimness. “There are thirty-one kids and at least twice that number of adults in our sector, but like I said, we’re not part of their group, and we don’t help each other.”
Adrian was busy noting things. The boy hadn’t been corrupted despite being abandoned. In fact, he was clearly stronger. That protective tone was impossible to miss.
“You’ll take me to talk with them?” Adrian asked.
