The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  “Renda isn’t one of them?” he asked, smirking a bit. “She can kill flies with that whip. I’ve seen it.”

  Kendle stood up, sensing he was ready for her to go. “Just as long as she uses it tonight.”

  Dirce caught her hint, chuckling. The creepy sound followed her out into the hall, where Yuri and Rice were lurking.

  “What happened?” Rice demanded, worried.

  Kendle realized she hadn’t settled the babies with Dirce and shrugged. “Too soon to tell yet.”

  Yuri grinned. “You’re alive. He must like you.”

  Kendle spotted Renda coming down the hall. “Yeah, I think he’s gonna bet on me tonight.”

  Renda, close enough to hear, slammed her fist into the wall.

  Kendle hurried down the corridor, laughing.

  3

  “I’m not the favorite?!”

  Renda’s shout was barely audible over the dings of games and chatter of a happy crowd. Spectators from across the state had come to witness this final match.

  “I have been fighting here for six months! How can I not be the favorite anymore?! She has only been here two weeks!”

  Kendall kept her chin down, trying to hide the laughter. Around her, the audience didn’t bother. They knew who was going to win.

  Renda scanned the crowd, observing the satisfaction of the other leaders, watching the betting odds in the boxes go down on her survival. “How many of you are in on this?!” she demanded suddenly. “How many of you want me dead?”

  Those around her didn’t reply. Those furthest away hadn’t even heard the shout.

  Once again full of frustration and fear, Renda stomped to the ring, hand resting on the handle of her whip.

  Kendle looked across the basement.

  The UN monitor over Renda’s apartment, Ori, was lingering near the dartboard as he waited with everyone else to discover who would survive.

  Kendle lifted a brow, to which Ori replied with a small nod. Hoping that meant it was taken care of, Kendle shifted her attention to her opponent. Now that the big boss was here from the UN, there was no way she could use magic. Kendle expected to be hit several times, but she thought she could stand it. She’d been hurt by Ethan and during the battles with the government, not to mention while surviving the apocalypse. These people had no idea who she was, despite recognizing her name.

  “This fight is to the death!” the radio blared.

  Renda glanced at the other masters in shock, unable to believe that she was being betrayed.

  “Booths are now closed. The match will start in one minute!”

  Kendle bent down to pick up her weapon. In the last sixty seconds before the match started, she scanned the basement and found no trace of humanity in the humans who filled the basement. In that instant, she hated them all for forcing her to do this.

  Ding!

  Renda was fast. She flipped her whip with gusto. The first lash across Kendle’s arm was a reminder that pain was also infuriating.

  Be calm, Kendle ordered her demon. Stay back.

  Renda snapped the whip again and a small chunk of skin flew off Kendle’s wrist. Kendle screamed.

  Renda lunged forward, snapping the whip again.

  Kendle tried to defend herself from the blows, raising her arm to fight, but she had no skill with the weapon. She’d never even held one before. She tried to snap it like her opponent was currently doing.

  The lashes met in midair, tangling, and Kendle took advantage of her descendant strength to pull Renda towards her.

  Aware of Kendle’s poisoning tactics, Renda scrambled away, keeping her grip on her weapon.

  Kendle jerked her whip, unprepared for the harsh snap. The whip cut into her chin as it flew backwards. Blood sprayed.

  Renda wanted to gloat, but there wasn’t time as Kendle snapped her weapon again. The razor sharp edges of her lash flew across Renda’s arm, but didn’t break the skin.

  “You don’t know how to use that!” Renda exclaimed. “Let me show you how!”

  Kendle ducked, but not quickly enough. Renda’s whip tore into the side of her neck, barely missing the artery.

  If it doesn’t work soon, you’re done, the demon warned. Let me come forward.

  No!

  Renda snapped her whip again and blood splashed down Kendle’s leg.

  Spectators groaned and muttered as the two women battled. Compared to their boring existence of slavery and scratching out a meager living, this was excitement. Bloodlust flew through the crowd.

  Renda snapped harder, going for the kill this time…

  How did I miss? Renda wondered, staring at Kendle’s undamaged eye.

  Dizzy, she staggered, balance gone. She looked down, realizing she’d been injured. Is my arm turning blue?

  Kendle stayed back as the poison on the handle finally began to take effect. As she had in the other matches, she waited to determine if Renda would die on her own. Some of the others, she might’ve spared at the end, but not this one. If Renda didn’t die here, Kendle would kill her.

  Renda tried to snap the weapon again, but it fell from her grip.

  “How did you get to me?!” she demanded, knees caving, taking her to the ground.

  “Anything can be had from Market Town for the right price,” Kendle stated cruelly. “Even someone putting something on your favorite toy.”

  “Who?” Renda struggled to breathe and form the last sentence before death claimed her. “Who did this?”

  Kendall gestured toward the audience that had gone quiet so they could hear the conversation. “About half of them. You’ve made a lot of enemies.”

  Renda glared up in final defiance. “Dirce?”

  Kendle nodded, finally letting her true emotions show as a sneer of victory spread across her face. “It sucks to hear that something you love was taken, doesn’t it?”

  Renda stared at her with horror, realizing her obsession with the weapon had killed her. Blood began to roll from the corner of Renda’s mouth, her eyes dilated…then it was over. Renda slumped to the mat. Blood ran toward Kendle’s boots. That’s the sight I’ll always remember you by now, Kendle thought.

  “The Black Widow has won it all! The Black Widow has won it all! Booths are open! Don’t forget to shop!”

  She climbed out of the ring amid deafening cheers from the audience, half of which were off-duty sentries and troops that had come with the big boss. Everyone had enjoyed her matches, except for the dead woman lying in the bloody ring.

  Kendle moved toward the master couches, not certain of the protocol, but wanting to be positive that her men were released even though Renda wasn’t around to handle it.

  Yuri motioned a guard toward the first floor. “See to her men.” He pointed to two others. “Take care of her gear. Have her ready to go by morning.”

  As the two sentries disappeared, Kendle gave Yuri a grateful nod that revealed more of their intimacy than she had intended to.

  Dirce, who was sitting on Yuri’s left, glanced at the Russian in aggravation. “Must you tag everything that walks?”

  Kendle burst out laughing.

  Yuri flushed. “You know me, boss.”

  Dirce sighed resignedly. “Yes, I do. You always get the best ass. I just don’t know how you do it.”

  Dirce waved Kendle off to tend her injuries as the rest of the crowd gravitated toward the kiosks, games, and shops that were open for entertainment.

  “Someone clean up that mess. The market will stay open until midnight to celebrate the Black Widow’s victory! Start telling citizens that we will do this again next month. We need fighters for the matches.”

  Kendle left the basement. She wasn’t certain she could contain her anger or her relief much longer. She needed a few minutes alone.

  Instead, Kendle found all of her team waiting nervously outside Yuri’s apartment. Kendle sighed. No time for emotions right now. I still have business to handle.

  Kendle’s team surrounded her with support and protection a
s Josh knelt down to tend her injuries. He and all the others were very surprised to have been given their gear. They’d thought for sure it had been sold. Most of them had doubted at one point or another that Kendle would be able to secure their freedom. Standing in the hallway, with no monitors or bonds, was a great relief to the ten males.

  “We’ll be ready to go in the morning,” Tommy told her. “You can sleep for the ride.”

  Tommy had been grabbed, along with Josh, and shoved into the hallway to find the other team members being marched upstairs. When they hit the top of the steps, the sentries had pointed them toward Yuri’s apartment and then left them alone.

  “We can’t leave yet,” Kendle stated. Tommy had still been in the cart. He and Josh still didn’t know about her deal with Rice.

  Kendle let the others quietly fill them in, scanning the hall. Both people she expected were already in the crowd, moving quickly toward her.

  Kendle motioned to Rice. “You guys are gonna spend the night at his place.”

  Before anyone could argue, Kendle smiled. “I’m spending the night here. Meet up with me in the morning.”

  Kendle went inside, holding the door for Yuri. When she gently shut it, the team was forced to accept that she had made other plans.

  Tommy grinned. “Guess that means we have the rest of our evening free.”

  As the team scanned the shops, all gazes came to rest on the small café that had a line out into the hall and beautiful smells wafting through the air.

  “Anyone mind waiting?” Tommy asked.

  None of them did. It would allow them to stay close to where Kendle was for as long as the market was open, and let them hear some of the stories, meet the locals that had apparently been won over. It was obvious that she’d also been won over by them. Why else would she stay and help these cowards after everything they’d done?

  Tommy led the way toward the café.

  All of the men were surprised when the crowd parted to let them through. As they reached the front of the line, Cutts glanced up in happiness.

  “You guys eat on the house! Come sit in the front.”

  Surprised at the difference in their treatment, the team did as they were bid, each accepting congratulations on having the Black Widow as a member of their team.

  “What the hell did she do here?” Ryan asked lowly.

  Tommy shrugged. “I don’t know, but it saved our asses. We’ll have to make sure we show our appreciation somehow.”

  Ben grunted his thanks to the cook as the happy man set a large drink on the counter in front of him. “Yeah, now we have to figure out what you get for the girl who already has everything, including her own whip scars.”

  The team snickered a little, each feeling guilty for her new injuries. It was impossible not to, considering that they were now free and being fed, while she was alone with a Russian man that they didn’t trust.

  “I think maybe we’ll hang around in the market,” Tommy decided. “We can sleep in the hall if we have to. We’ve got our gear.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” Cutts told him. “Every shop here has gained in profit since the Black Widow showed up. Anyone will give their cubby to you. All you have to do is ask.”

  “What deal did she make with you?” Tommy asked curiously, shoving a straw into his cold drink.

  Cutts glanced around the happily filled café and then over to the cash register that had real money sticking out of it for the first time in months. He hadn’t known that greenbacks were still a currency in the United States. “She saved my life,” he told them pointedly. “You know how that feels.”

  The team did. They finished their meal in silence, contemplating how lucky they were to have been sent on this mission with Kendle. Nearly anyone else would’ve gotten them killed.

  Rice, seduced by Kendle’s choice to stay the night with Yuri, joined the men in the café for a meal. He wasn’t a part of the festivities, but because he had brought them into this, he was a part of the situation. There was also the fact that his needs hadn’t been met yet and he didn’t want to spend time away from the information and news. Too many lives depended on Kendle coming through with the rest of their agreement. For him, the fighting wasn’t over.

  4

  “This will all be over in a few days,” Yuri stated. He handed her the bottle of oil. “I don’t have the right to do this with you anymore unless we make an agreement.”

  Kendle set the bottle on the table, dropping down onto the bed. “Do you really think I would be here if I were doing this for money?”

  Happy to discover his company had been enjoyable, Yuri joined her on the bed. “Would you like to clean up? Can I get you a meal?”

  “No,” Kendle said, lying down. “I need to rest. Just keep me alive until morning and then my team will take over.”

  Having no problem with that, Yuri made sure the apartment was secure. When her snores began to sound a few minutes later, he pulled the blanket up over her.

  Yuri studied her scarred skin for a long time, remembering when he’d done the same with Renda’s sister. Now they were both dead, but this warrior was here.

  “I really don’t want to let you go,” Yuri whispered lovingly. “I’m going to ask Dirce to let me keep you.”

  He flipped off the light. “My new Kendle baby.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Blindsided

  October 12th, 2013

  1

  Angela woke suddenly, stomach cramping as she shot up. “I have to go.”

  She’d spent her days with Adrian sleeping, eating and crying. It hadn’t been any different from being in camp.

  Adrian didn’t waste time questioning. He rose from the bedroll next to her, pulling on his boots.

  Angela stood up slowly, fighting the urge to run. “Tell them to get everyone in. Dosimeters should be up.”

  Adrian hurried to the radio, dragging one boot by a lace. “We’ll go in through the bottom tunnel?”

  “Ask Marc.”

  Adrian quickly keyed the mike. “Bastard to base.”

  “This is Safe Haven,” Kenn responded tonelessly.

  “Openly,” Angela instructed. Her voice was colder than Kenn’s had been.

  “We’re coming in,” Adrian transmitted.

  The radio was quiet for a few seconds. “Copy. Instructions will follow.”

  “Roger that.”

  Adrian began to gather his main gear, aware of Angela already limping toward the entrance.

  Still not used to acting like an Eagle instead of leading them, Adrian swallowed instructions and followed her out into the cold darkness.

  Angela went to the snow-covered bike, but Adrian put a hand on her arm when she would have helped him. He glanced at the dark icy, alien landscape.

  Angela reluctantly drew her gun and stood watch. She was barely awake. Physical labor, though painful, would have woken her a little quicker.

  Adrian found the edge of the frozen tarp and braced himself for a huge pull that jerked it from the bike. He let the tarp fall to kick away the snow, and then slid onto the cold seat to twist the key that was already in the ignition. “Home?”

  Angela had to holster, unable to hold her weapon while climbing or moving her lower body. The pain in her abdomen was still too bad. She slid onto the bike behind Adrian. “Yes.”

  Adrian wanted to go slow, to be careful, but he knew better. He drove as if he were alone, on his way to her.

  Angela was forced to mold herself to his warm body, but it didn’t help the misery of pain and cold. She also didn’t ask Adrian to dim them as they neared a camp of refugees that were a short distance from the cave. They blew by tents and bodies.

  Angela sucked in the horror, the guilt. If she’d tried harder, she might have been able to save more of her fellowmen. The small group they’d just passed wasn’t bad, only desperate.

  “You aren’t meant to save them all,” Adrian sent, repeating her words to him upon first joining Safe Haven.
/>   Angela sobbed against him, not caring when the tears froze to her face. She was crying for her country now and that was okay.

  Adrian felt her pain as if it was his own, but that soul-crushing weight of leadership was absent. He gunned the throttle in relief.

  2

  How long?! Marc demanded in Adrian’s mind. He was ecstatic that she wanted to return, but furious that she was being transported by one person in the middle of the slick night where it would be difficult for him to reach her quickly.

  Ten minutes until the intersection at the bottom of the hill, Adrian answered, sounding distracted.

  Marc didn’t make it worse with instructions or complaints. He broke the connection and headed for the bottom tunnel. He didn’t take anyone willingly, but Kyle refused to let him depart without an escort. He and Jennifer walked behind their new boss, glad that Angela was coming home. Once she was back, things would calm down. The last week had been full of fights and doubts.

  Marc caught the thought. He hoped it was true, but the demon said trouble was coming with her, not peace. Marc didn’t care. If Angela was coming, she was awake, alert. She could resume command.

  Jennifer’s snort made Marc tense. “What do you know?”

  Jennifer didn’t answer. The visions she’d had were foggy at best. She just knew Angela better than her mate did.

  “Whatever,” Marc muttered. He didn’t have time for teenage drama. Angie was coming home. Angry or not, hurt or not, he missed her.

  Thanks to Marc’s quick pace, the trio made it to the bottom of the tunnel in record time. Marc led them into the darkened shadows of the final twisting cavern, where a cleverly placed gray tarp hid a Gator.

  Kyle drove, familiar with the vehicle since he and Neil had alternated driving it to various locations to keep it hidden from everyone. It had been an emergency transportation for the council if needed. It wouldn’t have held everyone comfortably, but it would have held them. Due to the slower speeds, it wasn’t ideal. Under these rugged conditions however, it was perfect. It took them down the iced-over mountain path and by the small refugee camp that was now dwindling instead of growing. Fighting and starvation had thinned that herd since they’d handled the train people.