by Angela White
“On what charge?!” Oliver’s demand didn’t hide his fear at being exposed.
“Theft and conspiracy to start. We’ll speak again later. I suspect I’ll be adding planning a murder to it.”
“Of who?” Morgan asked, writing in his notebook.
“His friend on the water tanks. Greg is one of ours. He would have told us as soon as his shift ended.”
“Freaks!” Oliver spat at Marc and rushed forward.
Daryl and Morgan grabbed the man, forcing him down so he could be handcuffed.
Marc pointed at Dylan. “Take them both to the bottom floor and stay with them.”
As the troublemakers were shoved toward the ladder, Marc faced the remaining two dozen Runaways. “I see your relief. I smelled your fear. You’re not going to survive. Please reconsider going with us. We won’t hold you against your will.”
“You already are.” One of the women glared at Marc, daring him to deny it.
“If you don’t understand why that’s happening, then you’re gonna hate my next order. I want all your weapons, even the knives. You are not to be armed in this cave. You will not be given weapons or ammunition, and guards will watch you at all times.”
The cries and protests faded as Marc glowered. “Give up your guns or I will arrest you.”
The men and women began to hand their weapons to the nearest Eagle, exchanging nasty glares that warned of more trouble.
Marc gestured at his guards. “Let’s go.”
Marc hated the frustration that he and others were experiencing, but everyone had made a choice now. It was do or die time for them all.
3
“Have you eaten yet?”
“No. I’ll get something at dinner.”
Marc assumed she was making sure everyone had enough to eat and respected her for it even as he refused to allow it. He held out a tattered candy bar.
Angela took it with a guilty expression. She shoved it into her pocket.
“No. Now.”
“I’d rather–”
“No. The kids don’t need the energy boost or the mood fix.” He smiled. “Besides, I dug it out for you.”
“Share with me?”
Marc sat on the floor next to the papers she was reading through while the rest of the camp ate lunch. He took a small piece of the bar and popped it into his mouth.
Angela did too, moaning. “I love chocolate.”
Marc handed her another piece and swept the small training chamber. It was half emptied of debris, but Marc was positive they wouldn’t finish it. “Something’s coming.”
“Jenny and Sam said that too. We’re all twitchy.”
“It’s too early, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but we’ll make it work.”
“We have to.”
“We will.” Angela ate another small piece, sucking the gooey sweet from her fingers. “You on break?”
“Fifteen minutes. Adrian has it covered.”
“None of us have it covered.” Angela slid the candy into the wrapper, aware that Marc had eaten the piece to get her going on it. “Later, okay?”
Marc paused as her eyes changed to a rolling, smoky blue that mesmerized him.
“Love me?”
Marc glanced down at his filthy clothes and then at the doorway where residents were walking by. “You sure?”
Angela answered with a mental wave of desire that took his breath.
4
“Should I be doing this?” Jennifer kept glancing toward the entrance, expecting to see Angela. “She didn’t tell me to answer their questions and handle their problems. In fact, she told me to rest.”
Tonya and Tracy, flanking the girl, exchanged glances that implied they still didn’t understand why Jennifer had been chosen over them.
“She announced you as her heir. She wants you to jump in.”
Jennifer didn’t mind that. She was happy to be useful and to have a distraction from the pain in her shoulder, but she also didn’t want to step on Angela’s toes–especially when she’d just been named heir.
Tonya lowered her voice. “Kenn said the reason she didn’t put you to work yet is because she feels bad that you got hurt again.”
“She needs our help. If you can do this, do it.” Tracy swept the room. “Here come more Runaways. Ready?”
Jennifer braced against the nervousness. “Good afternoon. What can I do for you?”
“Convince us we’ll be safer with you.”
Jennifer understood the citizens were afraid to be on their own. “All I can do is tell you what might happen. It may be ugly. I have no control over that.”
A tall, tired woman came forward, holding out her hand. “We have to touch or something, I think.”
Jennifer cleared her throat. “There are prices to deals like this.”
Ellie frowned a little, but shrugged. “If I have anything you want, it’s yours. Just tell them the truth.”
The males were confident that they could survive, but Ellie knew better. She wanted her father and two brothers to stay under Safe Haven’s protection.
Jennifer took an iron grip on the woman’s wrist. “You’ll owe the debt to the boss for allowing this, not me.”
Janice nodded, free hand shoved into her pocket to hide her clenched fist. “Deal. Do it.”
Jennifer drew hard, using the woman’s energy to open the mental barrier. “Ask your questions. You have three.”
Ellie was ready. “I have one. What happens to our family on our own or here?”
Jennifer took another healthy drag of the woman’s nervous energy and opened the door wider. “Death comes to this cursed ground fast now. Don’t linger.” Jennifer studied the images, always wishing for sound. “You make it west. Women now rule those lands. Your father dies in battle with them. Your brothers are taken captive. You die trying to rescue them.” Jennifer connected their minds and allowed Ellie to witness the images.
Ellie tensed, gasping. “Stop.”
“See what you came to deny. All of you.” Jennifer blasted the family with the images of their deaths. “This is your future.”
Tracy and Tonya observed for problems, but the family was rattled by the vision. The men hadn’t believed Ellie’s claims of dreaming about their deaths.
Jennifer let go, slamming the barrier. “That’s it.”
Ellie gathered her wary family at one of the rickety tables. She was hoping they were convinced now, because she was. “I’m going with them.”
“It’s a trick.”
“Maybe, but I won’t take that chance. Angela is never wrong.”
“She’s not Angela.”
“She’s Angela’s heir. Do you think Angela would pick someone who couldn’t be trusted?”
“No, I guess not.”
“We’ll stay with them. Later, we’ll ask her to search again.”
“We won’t get it for free next time.”
“We didn’t get it for free this time. Did you catch how powerful that was?”
“Yes. We’ll find some way to pay for it.”
Jennifer and her two guards listened to the conversation without comment or much thought. That conversation was taking place on every level of the caves right now. People were trying to be sure they could live with their choice. The recent problems had caused some folks to reconsider their decision. Only a few of those would be convinced, though. Jennifer believed Ellie would be the exception, rather than the rule. Deep down, the normal folks viewed descendants as dangerous. It was in their thoughts so much that Jennifer had been blocking them. She wasn’t able to pinpoint when the camp had turned against magic, but it had happened faster here than in Cesar’s camp. The other slaves had loathed it because they didn’t have it to use for their defense. They hadn’t understood it was there to help them.
Jennifer turned toward the doorway again, feeling the next group coming. “Good afternoon. What can I do for you?”
As Jennifer worked, Tonya and Tracy chatted.
�
�He gives me the creeps.” Tracy stared toward the dark kitchen, certain the vet was studying everything. “You?”
Tonya shrugged. “He’s been more useful than I have since the earthquake. Makes me guilty, frankly.”
“That’s odd.”
“Because I’m okay with him facing traitors so my man doesn’t have to?”
Tracy paused. “I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
“I hadn’t either until I heard Ray trying to talk to Dale. Dennis was bad. Howard and Bobby were under observation as possible assassins. Maybe the vet just takes care of bad souls.”
Tracy accepted that mental shift, okay with almost anything that kept Charlie out of the line of fire. He was sleeping now, due for another overnight shift with Adrian and Kyle, who were also sleeping. That was how they’d been able to sneak Jennifer out of the corner where the baby and mobster had crashed. Both women were hoping to get Jennifer back there before Kyle woke up.
“Do you think he’s had anything to eat?”
“He’s afraid to come out here. A lot of people aren’t dead.”
Tracy scanned the room and didn’t locate any problems. “I need three minutes.”
“I’ve got this. And if I don’t, she does.”
“Do you mind?!”
The women glanced down to find Jennifer staring up at them in annoyance. It was clear they’d been distracting her.
“Sorry.” Both women apologized. Jennifer was a lot like Angela when she was upset. You could almost feel her disapproval.
Jennifer turned to Doug. “My apologies. Where were we?”
“I don’t know what to do about Becky.”
Jennifer took Doug’s big hand in hers, connecting them. Again, she used his energy so she didn’t deplete her own. “She already knows. She felt it. Seth is helping her.”
Doug sighed in resignation. “I’m going after them. Peggy would want me to watch out for Becky.”
Jennifer patted Doug’s hand. “Just don’t forget where your home is.”
Doug smiled. “No problem there, little girl.”
Jennifer motioned toward Tonya. “Write it in her book. We’ll deliver it.”
Doug did as instructed.
More residents came into the mess. Rumor was flying that Jennifer was using her gifts and everyone had a question they needed answered.
Tonya leaned in. “Hang around, will you? We don’t have enough guards in here for this.”
Doug finished writing and then took a place by Jennifer. Unlike the rest of the folks who hadn’t been positive about staying or going, Doug knew what he wanted to do. The problem had been that what he wanted and what was right were different. The citizens coming into the mess didn’t have that problem. They wanted to be told that they would survive, but Doug doubted many of them would hear that. If there was any chance at all that the Runaways and Mountaineers would survive, Doug had faith that Angela would have told them. But she hadn’t, which meant the situations that came next would be worse than what they had already dealt with. Doug planned to be back with Safe Haven before that happened.
Tracy entered the dark kitchen without fear of the vet. She was worried about all the people in the mess. Most of them didn’t care why Chris had done what he had. He was a violent person trapped in this cave with them. Tracy didn’t want their views of him to color their opinion of her so much that it caused problems for Charlie.
“I brought you something to eat.”
A flash light came on in the corner, illuminating the vet on the floor in the corner. He glanced up at her in bleary confusion.
Tracy shrugged. “It felt like the right thing to do.” She set the bottle of water and packs of nonperishables on the ground by her feet, then walked toward the mess. “You may want to get out of here soon. When we shut everything down for the night, it’s very likely that looters will be on this level.”
Tracy heard Chris stretch and pause, wanting to be able to hear anything he might be about to say.
“He’s good for you. You should reward him for that.”
Tracy spun around, understanding who he meant. “That’s none of your business.”
Chris put his head down. “He doesn’t expect a reward. He has a pure soul. When you bond with him, his light will ease your pain. The nightmares will stop.”
Tracy stared, a little shocked by the conversation, but more by her reaction to it than by the words or who it was coming from. She’d had the same thought not that long ago, but during a crisis was a bad time to be conquering fears.
“Is there a better time to conquer your fears then when you’re afraid?”
Tracy didn’t know what to say to that. It made too much sense. She left the kitchen at a quick trot, resuming her post with Tonya.
“How did it go?”
Tracy shrugged. “He creeps me out.”
Tonya chuckled. “That’s part of his charm.”
“He told me to sleep with Charlie.”
Jennifer stared up at them again.
“This is getting interesting.” Doug chuckled. “Do you mind if I take notes?”
Startled into a laugh, Jennifer turned back to the student who was waiting for her answer. “I’m sorry. Where were we?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
The Next Step
1
Charlie muttered as a hand slid over his brow. Soft and cool, he grabbed it before it was gone.
Tracy gasped at the fast reaction. “Sorry.”
“You’re all right.” Charlie smiled at her. “Wake me anytime.”
Nose full of her scent as she leaned over him, Charlie rubbed his thumb over her fingers. “Good morning, beautiful.”
Tracy blushed. “Hi.” She didn’t pull her hand away even though sparks were flying between them.
Charlie wondered how long she’d been sitting by his pallet in the partially cleared training chamber. “When does my shift begin?”
“Hour and a half. It’s evening now. Sorry I woke you.”
Charlie kissed her hand, then released it. “I’m not. We don’t get much time alone anymore.”
Tracy smiled. “I don’t think they’ll keep us away once we get out of here.”
Charlie stretched, causing the blanket to drop down on his bare chest. “Why do you say that?”
“Because we’ll already be bonded.”
Charlie stiffened–in both ways.
Tracy chuckled, thrilled to be interested instead of sad. For a while, she’d believed the physical side of love was gone for her. “I’m better now.”
“Okay.” Charlie pushed into a sitting position, staring at her. “What brought this on?”
Tracy paused. He sounded angry. “Why did something have to happen?”
“It doesn’t, but I know it did by your reaction.” Charlie cursed meddling fools. “Come on. Give up the bee buzzing in your ear.”
Tracy was confused. “Why aren’t you happy about it?”
“It wasn’t your idea.”
She smiled softly for him. “It is my choice, though.”
Charlie wanted to say yes, but couldn’t. “We can talk, but I won’t do it because someone convinced you.”
Tracy put a hand on his leg, snickering when he jumped and covered her hand with his own. “No one convinced me. I thought about something that was said and decided to take the next step.”
“Us having sex.”
She withdrew her hand. “It’s crude when you say it like that.”
The boy shrugged. “It’s crude when you approach it like this. You’re not a whore anymore.”
“Ouch.” Tracy sat back, embarrassed. “Why aren’t you happy?”
“I’m sorry.” Charlie sighed. “I want it to be special for you, for us.”
Tracy understood this wasn’t what he had in mind, but she wondered if it was more than that. “Are you okay? This isn’t like you.”
Charlie fought against the need to be a man and the need to let her into his immature concerns. He settled for t
he middle ground. “I don’t know enough yet. I need to ask more questions. I can’t just Google it, you know?”
Tracy laughed, delighted he’d told her the truth. She didn’t tell him she would handle that.
He knew. “I didn’t want it to be like all the others.”
Tracy stilled. “Does that bother you?”
“I worry if I’ll be as good as they were.”
Tracy’s heart melted. “Most of those moments weren’t for my fun, honey. I didn’t enjoy it. They did.”
“I’ll make sure you enjoy it with me.” Charlie wasn’t boasting. He’d already promised himself that she would want more when it was over.
“I believe you.” Tracy slid into the pallet next to him, lying on her side. “Can we discuss it now?”
Charlie grinned. “I’m starting to understand what they mean about women. You guys are sneaky.”
Tracy took his hand in hers, twining their fingers. “I love you. Will you love me?”
Charlie didn’t have the willpower to refuse her again. As he sank down into her arms, he brought up his personal bubble to prevent them from being disturbed.
Tracy didn’t notice. As soon as their lips met, his mental touch slid over her in a wave of new power that stole everything except the desire to be his in every way.
Charlie felt it and obliged. He wasn’t stupid.
2
“She spent the afternoon doing what?!”
Kyle’s shout echoed to the top level of the cave, waking residents on every floor and causing sentries to shake their heads. Everyone had expected him to react badly when he found out, but there had also been the small hope that he would realize as Angela’s heir, Jennifer was going to be doing a lot of that.
Kenn scowled at Kyle. “Angela’s asleep. Do you want her up again?”
“No. I can yell at her later.” Kyle stomped toward the tunnel, ignoring the stares. He didn’t care about their disapproval. Jennifer had been in the mess, surrounded by inhabitants who might want to hurt her and he hadn’t been there to help.
“By the time it was over, there were more Eagles in the mess than any other area.” Kenn followed Kyle. “Seriously man, don’t blow up on her. This is Jennifer’s job now.”
