by Angela White
Seth broke into a run at the sight of smoke oozing through tiny holes in their tent.
He shoved inside the smoldering canvas to find Neil on his knees, eyes bugging.
“Seth!”
Becky ran to embrace him and the trance broke, letting Neil free. He fell onto the floor with a gasp. “Pass!”
Becky giggled, letting Seth hold her tightly.
“I got Neil!” she exclaimed. “He didn’t know what I can do now.”
Seth let out the breath he’d been holding, realizing Neil was giving a lesson. Around them, the tiny holes were growing, slowly burning through the damp fabric. That, with the puddle in the corner and broken plastic scattered across the floor, said he hadn’t remained in control.
Neil wasn’t moving, only drawing in ragged breaths, and Seth gently pushed Becky back. “What did she do to you?”
Neil groaned. “There was a knee in my mind. I said only physical attacks work on me.”
“So, I kicked him for real,” Becky explained. “Hard. He hit the stove when he fell. Sorry about the tent.”
But she didn’t sound sorry. In fact, she sounded happy.
“Paybacks are a bitch,” Seth commented lightly.
Neil moaned again. “You have no idea.”
Becky’s easy laughter floated through the air. “He landed on my knife, I think, and doesn’t want to say so. He needs stitches in his ass.”
Seth threw his hands up. He’d been worried about Becky!
“Come on, then. You hurt him, you help carry him.”
Becky slid an arm around Neil without hesitating.
Seth filed that as they got the dazed trooper to his feet.
Blood smeared over their hands and arms in the process, and Becky frowned. “You are hurt.”
Seth stayed quiet as they carried him to John. Becky had touched Neil, shown concern for him. She didn’t hate him anymore.
Neil had the same thought, but it was hard to concentrate through the throbbing. He should have been expecting the physical reaction. Teach him to ignore rumors.
Samantha appeared at Seth’s side, and Seth prepared to defend Becky. He didn’t think Sam would find this funny.
“What happened?” Samantha asked tonelessly. As if she didn’t know.
“Rebecca got a little carried away,” Seth offered. It was the only concession he meant to give.
Sam turned an ugly glare on him. “I thought you said he’d be okay!”
“It wasn’t my idea to give her a Kai lesson,” Seth refuted.
Samantha took that in the same way Seth had–Becky was recovering. She cleared her throat. “Well, he knows to be more careful now, I guess.”
Becky moved so that Samantha could take her place, and then slid under the shelter and isolation of Seth’s free arm. She didn’t speak and all of them understood that her forgiveness hadn’t extended to Samantha.
Neil, trying not to hit his knees again, pulled out of their grip. “The doctor needs to sew my ass together and reattach my balls. Excuse me.”
The trio behind him was still cackling when Neil disappeared into the tent.
Samantha quieted first. Jeremy was coming her way.
She leaned toward Seth. “He needs to cool off a bit. Think your girlfriend’s ready for distraction lesson A?”
Seth saw Becky’s eager grin and sighed. “If you want both your men in the tent with Adrian, you could just tell us, you know. You don’t have to hurt them to get them there.”
Samantha smirked and ducked out of sight behind the water tanker.
Her shadow, Alex, hurried to catch up as Seth and Becky intercepted Jeremy.
11
“Here is the basket you asked for,” Li Sing set it on her table.
Angela quickly thanked him and left. She had a test to run. It was only a small one that she expected few people to notice, but there was a sense that it mattered more than she knew at this point.
“What is she...” Jake hit the button on his radio before considering the consequences. “Brady to the Nursery.”
Angela turned around to glare at the rookie.
Don’t do that again.
The order rang in Jake’s mind as if she’d slapped him.
Yes, ma’am.
Angela stormed out of the perimeter, basket in hand, and went a bit further than she’d planned in her anger.
Let it go. This is new to them.
Adrian’s weak voice in her mind made Angela wince. She didn’t want him there now.
I’d like to watch.
Angela sighed, grabbing a handful of the food as the soldier ants began to take notice of her. Two minutes, then get out.
Adrian stayed silent, sensing the walls she was hastily constructing to keep him out of her thoughts. He didn’t try to get in them, just observed. As soon as Brady arrived, he would pull back and observe from that angle.
Angela tossed a handful of the food into a heavy center of the busy ants and managed to hit the dead waterfowl they’d been cutting apart. Food and decay flew across the blue grass.
The ants fled, the smaller ones quick, and Angela observed closely as the larger ants followed. It occurred to her that the cicadas were mostly gone, but their eggs weren’t underground. They were in the molding trees and bushes–all aboveground. Angela wondered if that was because of the ants. Were those a food source?
Once the minors were out of range, the soldier ants came to inspect the food. After a minute or so, they began to pick it up and take it to the minors.
“Interesting.”
Two larger ants came near the food. Bigger, with red spots on their heads, they had big jaws that she thought might be capable of severing a finger. They stared at her and Angela stared back, listening for Marc’s steps.
Crunch! Crunch!
Angela went toward the ants, acting afraid, and then she was in Marc’s arms, flying toward the tape.
“Stop!” she insisted. “Look at them.”
The two soldier ants had followed, were only a few feet away.
“Put me down.”
Marc did reluctantly, not sure what she was doing.
“Back up a few feet,” she instructed, moving toward the two soldier ants. “And throw me something–food, candy, whatever.”
Marc tossed her the bun he’d swiped from the mess on his rounds. He tensed as she neared the ants, ready to grab her. Those jaws had to be sharp.
Angela knelt down and held out the bun as she keyed her mic. “The first man who shoots is out of the Eagles.”
Marc scowled. “Be reasonable.”
Angela ignored him, staring at the closest ant. It had slowed when she knelt, but was approaching the food steadily now.
Angela held onto it for an instant as the ant touched the bun, then let go, but left her hand out.
The ant came forward...
Marc swept her into his arms again.
“They’re chasing you! Stop.”
Marc stopped, drawing his gun.
Angela sighed, happiness evaporating. “Put it away. I’m trying to make friends.”
“Of course, you are,” Marc snorted.
He carried her to the tape and put her on her feet. “You’ll bring them straight into camp if you start feeding them that way.”
Angela’s voice was thoughtful. “You think so?”
She resumed her rounds, going toward the parking area. She’d expected the ants to avoid everything they threw now that they’d been killing them for so long.
“We’re a migrating food source,” Angela said as Kyle came running toward her. “We’re feeding them even though we don’t want to, with our garbage and such, right?”
Kyle controlled his breathing, shooting an annoyed glare at Jake. “Yes. That’s part of why Adrian has us bury the supplies. It makes it harder if there’s a crate.”
Angela gestured to where the ants were coming closer, taking the food and carrying it to their hills. “No more killing them. Pass it on.”
Kyle wa
s confused, but he didn’t ask why. The ants were a tiny part of their problems.
Angela slowly made her way over to Doug, who was supervising the next section of portable wall being attached to what they’d already constructed. If it weren’t lined up perfectly, the smaller ants and wildlife would still be able to get through.
“How’s the arm?”
Doug was studying Zack’s boys. “Just a scratch.”
Zack’s sons were on probation, told if they got out of line one single time, they would be banished without their father. Those who knew better had been careful not to reveal the bluff and the three boys were helping with preparations and chores. Only time would tell if Safe Haven’s light could turn them from the path they were on.
“How goes our wall?”
Doug disapproved openly. “Too slowly.”
Angela leaned in. “I’ll bet Peggy would be glad to get the camp’s women out here to help.”
Doug started to protest colorfully, and remembered who he was now talking to. He quickly changed the wording. “How would that work?”
Angela smirked, moving on. “I think it probably depends on how you ask her.”
Peggy and Millie were now working in the medical tents when John needed them. The camp had forgiven them when Brett had chosen to split rather than be dragged back into a medical career. Doug and the Eagles, however, were still being cold. Doug didn’t realize the men were waiting on him to forgive her. They couldn’t until he did and Doug hadn’t yet. They sat together at meals when their schedules merged, but it was clear that there were worlds between them.
Kevin turned to Daryl as she went by. “Is that a good idea, getting the females out here?”
Daryl liked it that Kevin knew to keep his voice down, but he couldn’t approve the tone. A leader’s assistant had to trust.
“Do you have a better way? The camp females are the only workable labor we have right now that isn’t already being used.”
Kevin accepted the scolding tone with a sigh. He still wasn’t sure that he wanted this place, despite finding out from Zack that it had been one of Adrian’s last recommendations before going into Little Rock.
Adrian had left detailed instructions, in small bits, with all of his top men. Not enough to cause complete chaos at the time, he had made sure a successor would have a solid support structure based on equal footing.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Daryl prompted, loving his new life at moments like these. He, too, was a leader of men.
“Work on the wall will slow.”
“Is that possible?” Daryl asked lightly. “They’ve been at it for hours and only have two panels up.”
Kevin understood the point as they watched Eric and Tim struggle to get it lined up, and Mike purposely hang his end crooked.
“Fair enough,” Kevin gave in. Even untrained, weaker camp women would take the job more seriously.
“Those three are trouble,” Kevin stated lowly. “We’ll end up guarding them, like with Matt.”
Daryl didn’t answer the obvious. “If you have ideas, she’ll want to hear them.”
Daryl didn’t add more and Kevin didn’t push for details like he knew Daryl was hoping. If he decided he wanted this job, he would find out everything he could, but until then, he planned to maintain a small distance. Kevin had a lot of irons in the fire, from radioman to leading his own team, but the most powerful draw in Safe Haven for him was currently enjoying breakfast in bed.
Both men observed as Angela stopped by the QZ desk on her rounds. The teens appeared nervous and Daryl waved a few more men toward them. The new arrivals from this stop would be heavily screened and viewed with complete mistrust until they were cleared medically and mentally.
“Should I…”
“Yes.”
Kevin went to Angela’s side.
Daryl gave Kyle a nod across the din. Hesitant or not, Kevin had the instinct required for the position. Now they would see if he developed the desire for it. Without that, he would be switched out for someone with the proper enthusiasm.
12
Neil saw Samantha enter the QZ and reluctantly turned to sweep the rest of his area and then the main camp. Slacking off wasn’t allowed. Everyone was still snickering over earlier, and though the wounds were only minor, his pride couldn’t take another blow right now.
Jeremy joined Neil, also stood with his back to the QZ. It felt odd, but with Marc as Angela’s other sniper, the strangers were in danger.
“We’ve started packing things up for the move,” Jeremy told him. “Ahead of schedule. Sam said it was a good idea to be ready.”
“Then it probably is,” Neil responded, trying to be neutral. He understood that Samantha wouldn’t be happy with either of them, so she’d chosen both. And Adrian had known, approved it.
Jeremy was trapped between shame and anger in the light of day, and he couldn’t take much of the silent treatment. He resumed his rounds without a second attempt at conversation. Like Neil, he wasn’t strong enough to walk away from Samantha and the taste was surprisingly sour at times and incredibly sweet at others.
“He’s the only one who knows what it’s like for you.”
Neil jumped. He hadn’t heard Cynthia come up behind them.
“If you two ever came together to care for her needs, I believe she might be happy for the first time in her life.”
Neil waited, thinking Samantha had made another friend who was as hard as she was.
“She’s like Adrian–it takes more to get her there.”
Neil had to turn at that remark, scowling.
Cynthia beat him to it. “Not that you didn’t do good, ‘cause clearly, you did. I mean in other ways. One person tending her isn’t enough.”
“What does she need?”
The question surprised both of them, but Cynthia couldn’t give him the clarity he was hoping for.
“The same as Adrian and Angela, I’d imagine. Devotion, loyalty, obedience, support, but also your insights, your guidance, the instincts and protection. Look at it this way: What if Adrian only had Kenn to see to his mind? How much worse would he suffer?”
Neil snorted, thinking of all the planning and work it took to keep someone like Adrian happy. The blond was the multi-tasker from hell.
Cynthia lowered her voice as Samantha came toward them. “Pretend she’s him, and I’d say things will get easier.”
Neil found he could do that easily, but he didn’t start working on it. He was still mulling over Becky’s words about forgiveness. She’d told him it didn’t matter, that in the end, it wasn’t her choice to make.
“The nightmares decide my mood on any given day.”
Neil understood how that could be, and wanted to change it for her. Becky deserved peace and Neil had chosen to give it to her, if he could. He owed her that.
Chapter Six
Surrounded by Killers
1
Angela paused outside the tent where they’d chosen to hold their second meeting. She’d instructed Kenn to have the leaders of each team collect the ideas and plans so that the number of people would be roughly half what she’d had yesterday. The third and final meeting would only be her and the top five men in camp.
Noting the green sunset, Angela hit her mic. “Kyle, join us, please.”
“Copy.” There was curiosity in his tired response.
She waited outside for him, waving the others on when they would have lingered.
Kyle moved faster when he saw who was waiting for him.
When they were alone, listening to the gentle murmur of men inside the canvas comparing plans, Angela glanced at Kyle. “You once told me if I needed anything I should talk to you. Remember that moment, Reece?”
Kyle stiffened at the name, now aware that something was coming. “Of course. And yes, I meant it.”
Angela noticed he didn’t immediately ask what she wanted. She understood that was only in case it involved Jennifer, who was still in the medical tent,
resting under supervision.
“I’d like to offer you a job change to third in command.”
Kyle gaped, unable to form a response, and Angela didn’t wait. “I’m not Adrian. I won’t expect as much, but I can’t have a top dog who serves two masters, like Kenn would. I need men who belong to me, the way Adrian’s do. I’m offering one of those places to you.”
Kyle still wasn’t sure what to say. “No one’s going to like this. Neil and Doug both…”
“Serve in other ways.” Angela interrupted, sure that she now had the complete attention of everyone inside the tent. “Adrian will be out of commission for at least the next two weeks and we are short on time.”
Kyle searched her nervously. “You’ll give it all up the second he says he’s ready?”
“Before that, if I can.”
“Then it would be my honor to serve.”
“Adrian and Marc will probably be the only ones who don’t eventually think we’re trying to take control while the boss is hurt. You may lose friends and gain enemies,” Angela warned.
Kyle snorted, holding the flap open for her. “We all expected you to reform the chain of command. I just thought you’d pick Neil or Doug, or even Zack, over me.”
“So did a lot of people,” she stated, not smiling. This job required her to be surrounded by killers. Nothing less would save them.
Angela went to the front of the tent and got to work. “Let’s hear the weakest solutions first, the ones that do not cost lives. Marc, you start.”
2
While nice, and flush with game, the Toltec Mounds state park was much too open for their liking. Angela was eager to be gone. They’d enjoyed the flat land around the mounds, and the bit of history attached to the locations, but it was enough to keep the shield around the camp most nights. Angela brought it up now, but made sure those closest saw she wasn’t worried, just being cautious.
Angela felt the waves of coolness as she neared the medical tent. They were in direct contrast to the humid evening breeze, but matched the concerns of the men she’d left behind. They hadn’t been happy with her answers, or lack of them and the bad vibes could be coming from anywhere.
When she walked by Adrian’s bed and got a hard stare, she understood who was upset. It only took a minute to figure out the possible reasons why, something she did while John gave her a quick update.
