by Angela White
“We’ve survived all of it so far,” Cynthia stated casually. “We’ll survive this.”
Many people added their agreement and the tension went down a tiny notch. Knowing they had so much magic was indeed a comfort…as long as they didn’t think about it too hard.
“We’ll hear it from her in a minute, but I think we all know this meeting is related to all those refugees,” Kenn stated as the sound of gunfire from topside echoed. “We’re not safe here.”
“Then we’ll go further east,” someone shouted from the rear of the four hundred people crammed into the largest cavern on the second floor. Later, it would once again be the mess, but right now, it held enough people to make even the Miller boys feel the claustrophobia that many of their builders had complained of.
“No, north!”
“East!”
Kenn resumed control. “The boss will tell us the safest places and we’ll vote like we always do.”
Angela walked to the front and the crowd went still and quiet, waiting. Some were tense, a few were glaring, and her mind went straight to the 17%.
“Always a margin of error,” she muttered, making those who heard it worry more.
Kenn stayed by the table as Angela hopped up to stand on top of it. Her other guards came closer and Marc subtly gestured for the snipers mixed into the crowd to stay alert.
Angela held up a thin stack of paper. “Neil and Jeremy printed these from the satellites. They’re images of Yellowstone. It did blow. We were right.”
She handed the pictures to Kenn, who studied each one before he passed them around. The last graph showed a curving, narrow plume of something reaching from the volcano all the way to Maine and beyond. Kenn assumed it was the volcanic cloud.
“We’ve been getting the ash mixed with snow and that’ll hang around for a couple more weeks, but that’s not the problem,” Angela warned her herd. “The problem is the effects.”
Angela gave them a minute to view the images, studying thoughts. Even those who hadn’t voted for her were confident that she had a plan. “In the areas around Yellowstone, they can’t grow food or raise any livestock. They had to get on the road to survive and we know how that was for the last nine months. There is another wave of extinction happening across our country and starvation is leading it. Now, all those desperate refugees are coming to the light in the darkness. To the safe haven we’ve all helped create.”
Angela stared at their shocked, dumbfounded expressions in sympathy. “I’ve estimated we could get as many as five thousand over the next three months. After that, we’ll all starve together.”
The camp erupted in a loud clamor to deny entrance to any more survivors. Some calls were for mercy, but the majority could predict how ugly things would get. Safe Haven couldn’t support one thousand people, let alone five times that.
Marc wondered why Angela hadn’t told them the number could be much, much higher. Was she afraid of the camp fleeing now?
“We’ll hole up in here!”
“We’re fighters. They don’t know who they’re messing with!”
“Those are our people!” Samantha shouted angrily at the crowd. Her suspension was forgotten as she scolded them. “Stop being selfish!”
Angela put a hand on her gun as Marc came to her side and the crowd gradually quieted down. The small reminder of authority eased some of the concern. Safe Haven had descendants. These other groups didn’t.
“Some of them may have their own special people,” Angela warned, disabusing that notion. “Not all of those who were called came to us. Some of them couldn’t and others chose not to. They’re not all our kind and we’re being careful of those we do take in.”
“Close the gates!”
“It’s murder to leave them out there!”
“We don’t have the room or the food!”
Angela held up a hand to stop the shouts. “We’ll get it all out now. We have three problems from this. The first one and the largest, is too many people for this shelter. The second is possible starvation. This first winter isn’t going to be over in March or even June. It’s going to be cold, and it’s going to snow. Even without all those new people, we’d still have to be very careful with our rations and the hunting teams will be tripled. We’ll use seed vitamins and everyone will grow food, but in the end, it may still not be enough. There’s no guarantee our plants will grow underground and even the thought of carting a thousand pound cow into this cave makes my balls shrink up.”
The levity wasn’t just for them. Angela was intimidated by the chore. “The third problem is location. Anyone can spend a few months in a cave and survive with the right supplies. We’re talking about a year and that will lead to a new list of illnesses we can’t treat right now. I’ve estimated that only half of this camp will come out of these mountains next year.”
In another part of the cave, the new refugees that had been admitted listened in concern, unsure if they would be ejected even though they’d been cleared. Among the hundred people, were the Amish and Brittani’s clan. Shane was lingering in the tunnels between them and the mess hall, still hoping to catch her attention.
The crowd continued to argue and worry. Her predictions had never been wrong. Angela denied the Eagles who would have stepped in to settle them down. Everyone was right to be scared.
“When we come out next year,” Angela stated, drawing attention back. “We will no longer be the power we were and there will be thousands of refugees from the west surrounding us. As soon as they realize how weak we are, we’ll be overrun and there won’t be anything I can do about it. Descendant gifts will be too weak to use. We can’t take energy from you once we’re dug into these tunnels. You’ll need every bit you have. Living underground is no easy thing that you’ve chosen.”
Now the fear was almost visible. Many people had assumed they were about to get a long, peaceful rest. Few had considered farther than that.
“I’m going south.”
Angela’s words froze people, stunned Marc–who knew what came next–and brought terror to the throng.
“I’m going to find a ship and leave. Adrian was right about it and I’m going as soon as I get the rest of you bunkered in here.”
Panic swept the crowd and Angela sat on the table to wait it out. She didn’t glance at Marc.
“When will the next refugees get here?!” someone shouted to be heard, obviously not caring about her bombshell.
There’s one of my haters, Angela thought. She answered, “Every day. We won’t get another break.”
The crowd grew more upset.
“That’s not enough time to get ready!”
“We need more guns!”
“We have to leave too!”
“We can’t be without the magic!”
The shouts went on for a while and Angela waited patiently. Her choice had been made a while ago, but it hadn’t been any easy one. She loathed few things more than the thought of abandoning her homeland.
“Are we having a vote on leaving?” Zack asked.
Angela shook her head. “No. This isn’t a majority rules choice. We will get these tunnels and caverns set up for those who are staying. We’ll split supplies and other items, and do our best to make sure the cave group has a fighting chance.”
Her wording implied that she already knew what choice Zack would make. He frowned at the realization.
“Can you see that future?” Peggy asked from Doug’s side. She’d automatically gravitated toward him for comfort. “Will we survive here?”
Angela splayed her fingers, letting them witness the energy force. The witch was drawing from the crowd’s emotions to keep her filled.
They all stilled to watch and listen.
“That has not been revealed.”
Panic.
“That’s why I can’t stay,” Angela drew them back. “I won’t give birth here if I can’t predict the outcome. I won’t give my child up for people who refuse to believe, or who simply don’t want t
o travel anymore. Survival doesn’t stop because we’ve reached this mountain. Survival is making the hard choices, again and again, until you get to true safety or you die. I haven’t forgotten that. I didn’t call a vote on it because we don’t need to. This will be a full settlement before I leave. You can stay or go and each individual will have to make that choice. There is no ‘we’ on this one. Do what’s best for yourself. For me, that’s Pitcairn Island. I’ll create a settlement there and hopefully feel safe, but I won’t assume that, ever, until I’ve made certain of it.”
“What about leadership?” Zack asked warily.
“Same as now–people will vote and the winner will do their best to make sure everyone survives, as each of Safe Haven’s leaders has done. Talk to each other, figure out who can do the job, and then get them on it.” Angela got down from the table, trying to send comfort and common sense through her terrified people. “I believe we have to leave. There’s a tropical island waiting for us and that’s where I’m going. I hope all of you will join me, but I understand that it’s your choice to make.”
And with that, the meeting was over.
Angela walked up the stairs to the cold, topside tents, leaving everyone stunned.
Their leader was fleeing. Marc would go where she did, as would most of the Eagles, along with many of the people who hoped to become Eagles. Angela was leaving and taking the best of her herd.
3
“I need a minute.”
Angela held the flap on the chilly training tent for the man behind her and then strode toward the chilly hayroom, where several punching bags were waiting for her abuse. She stripped her coat as she went.
“What are you doing?” Zack demanded.
“Splitting the herd,” she answered, not removing her guns.
“Why?” Zack demanded. “Haven’t you done enough already?”
“Apparently not,” she muttered, pulling on the thin gloves Marc liked her to wear when she used the bags. The gloves didn’t do much to pad her, but she didn’t mind making him happy.
“Angie!”
“Zack, what are you?”
Zack was confused. “What am I, what?”
“You were an abusive trucker when you joined Safe Haven,” she reminded brutally, swinging.
Thud. Whap.
“Now, you’re a leader. You got there because you work hard and you follow the rules.”
Angela swung again, judging her readiness for the hitting she really wanted to do.
Thud.
“So?” he asked, more calmly.
“So, either group will be lucky to have you and both will want you. Stop worrying over what won’t happen.”
Zack flushed, but didn’t deny that his future was his biggest concern. The herd could take care of themselves better than they’d been able to before the war.
“Yes, they can,” Angela agreed, swinging again.
Zack lingered, positive there was more. “Why are we leaving without a vote?”
With that, he’d declared his intention to be with her as she rolled out.
Angela didn’t respond to the sign of loyalty, saying, “You heard the meeting.”
“Some meeting,” Zack complained. “We’re used to having choices and votes.”
“You can’t vote on death,” Angela stated ominously. “And it’s coming for us again.”
“More people would go if you told them that, if you explained everything that will happen.”
Angela swung again. Thud! “I can’t do that.”
“Why not? Are you giving up on them?”
Thud! “I’m covering the future, like I’ve always done,” she answered.
Thud!
“Theirs or yours?” he questioned snidely.
“Neither,” she stated. “There has to be a camp here, Zack. Not all of us can go south. Some people have to stay and face the ugliness.”
“Why?” Zack needed to know. “Why do we have to have people here?”
“For those who come after. We need to be here for them to join or they’ll die. We’re their salvation.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he whined.
“I’m talking about family, Zack. Some of these people have family still out there. There has to be a place for them to go.”
“Then why not stay and wait for them, tough it out with strict security and rationing?”
“We have the same question.” Marc was in the flap, with Neil and Jeremy right behind.
“Because I can’t plant half of you!” Angela answered gravely. “I can’t kill any more of my army. I can’t watch them die. I won’t.”
Thud!
“You’re leaving others to do it?” Marc asked, certain it was eating her up to make that choice.
“Worse than that,” she admitted. “I can’t see an outcome. It could be for nothing. They may all die.”
“Who are the people?” Neil wanted to know. “Who’s worth you doing this?”
“All I know is there’s a group of travelers fighting all the things we have and more. When they reach this area, things are bad and they die. As soon as that happens, darkness covers the land like nothing I’ve ever seen. We have to leave people here or the future will be lost.”
“You have to tell them everything,” Marc insisted. “Including the other dangers.”
“Yes, you should. Make sure it spreads. Everyone needs to know this is a lethal place.”
“You want me to tell them?” Marc asked, surprised.
“Yes. If I do it, they’ll think I’m trying to talk them into leaving and that will make them want to stay even more. It has to come from someone they actually trust.”
Thud! Blood splattered the inside of the thin glove this time, making all the men wince.
“How long are we staying?” Jeremy asked, aware of Samantha standing nearby, trying to listen. She’d already made her choice and it hadn’t taken long.
“One more month, at most,” Angela answered. “Any longer and we’ll stay forever.”
4
“It’s early.”
Samantha’s mutter brought activities to a halt in the topside training tent that had warmed up. There were dozens of Eagles here now and they went silent together, giving Angela chills. She had remained, nursing her guilt and her knuckles, while a few of the top people tried to calm the camp. Safe Haven would go to sleep late tonight. Angela wanted to be down there comforting them, but it would have been counterproductive, so she’d stayed to listen to the wind instead.
“The storm’s almost here,” Samantha stated, coming out of the daze. “Less than two days.”
Angela sighed as the mutters came. Almost there.
“Tell Marc,” Angela instructed. He was one of the people below. He was sticking to his role admirably, especially considering his fury over Adrian disobeying her orders and his shock at her news of leaving. Deep down, he hadn’t really thought she would do this.
“We have to tell the people outside,” Samantha insisted from the corner where her men had stashed her a short time ago.
“Kenn and Tonya will cover it on both shifts while they do the hourly messages.”
Samantha stared at Angela, not understanding why she wasn’t hurrying into action.
“Are you ready to get into it, Sam?” Angela asked. “The time has come.”
Samantha flashed to the choice she’d made when Angela asked her the first time. Since then, she’d made another huge mistake. Was this yet another in that growing list? Was she damning herself by aligning with Angela’s plans?
“I understand,” Angela said kindly. “But you’re either one of mine, or you’re not. Please make the choice.”
The tent went silent as everyone waited for Samantha’s answer.
Samantha slowly shook her head. “I’m Adrian’s. I’ve never really trusted you.”
Angela smiled to cover the sting. “I understand that too. What would make you happy?”
“I need peace,” Samantha admit
ted. “You can’t give that to me, to any of us.”
“No,” Angela agreed. “All I can do is try to keep you alive. Peace was never promised.”
“Adrian promised it.”
“He’s not here. He betrayed you.”
“No,” Samantha denied, finally able to accept the truth. “He sacrificed his future to take a chance on building a new world.”
“Explain that,” Angela ordered, letting the open wound in her heart soak up the tonic.
“We would have been rounded up anyway. He gathered us, taught us, and then refused to hand us over. He tried to give us a fighting chance. If he hadn’t, we wouldn’t have the Eagles. He made us strong enough to carry out the plans he knew you would come up with. He saved us.”
“And?” Angela prompted.
“And it doesn’t matter,” Samantha muttered as the next level of understanding hit. “They think he only refused to give us to the government because of you.”
“Yes. His obsession has colored everything. When he crossed that line, he lost respect, trust. No one will ever give him the benefit of the doubt again.”
“Should they?” Samantha asked, suddenly questioning her own motives and anger at Adrian. Had she been unfair to him? It suddenly felt like it.
“I’m much too biased to make that call,” Angela admitted, spotting Marc coming toward them. “There’s one person here who could convince people that Adrian deserves a second chance and it won’t happen. Marc believes Adrian is as corrupt as they come. Nothing will ever convince him differently.”
“But Adrian created an army to fight the government,” Samantha argued. “He could have handed us over at any point and probably arranged it so that only you and he survived. He didn’t have to handle any of it the way he did, but because of it, the results were our freedom and the chance to rebuild. Doesn’t Marc get that?”
Angela shook her head, troubled. “Marc only sees his own obsession. He won’t be satisfied until Adrian is dead.”
“But why? Over you?”
“No. Adrian fooled him, made him feel inexperienced. Marc won’t stand for that. He had faith in Adrian for a short while–long enough to create a life-long hatred when the truth came out. Marc doesn’t ever forgive that type of lesson.”
