The Life After War Collection

by Angela White

  “We brought three. Two were buried and haven’t been found. One was destroyed in the quake. If Jimmy’s smart, he’ll keep digging for the boxes that are here.”

  “But he won’t, will he?”

  “No. He’s going to have his hands full with his wounded and the would-be leaders as soon as we drive away. You know how we used to go into shitty towns, fix them up, and they’d be stripped the same night we were pulled out?”

  Ivan grunted, angered at the memories. “Yes. Made me want to go back in with a shitmaker. That big gun would have cleared the problem.”

  “Me too, but those were desperate refugees trying to survive in the only ways they knew how.” Kenn gestured at the cave around them. “Not much difference here.”

  “I get your point.” Ivan skimmed a last time. “That’s all of it except for your specific bugout plans. She wants a copy now.”

  Kenn handed Ivan two sheets of paper that had been folded into a small square. “Boss only.”

  Ivan understood that meant he wasn’t allowed to read it either and let out a sigh. “See? That’s the hard part for me. I’ll fight and work, but I hate to be out of the loop.”

  Kenn felt an instant bond with the soldier despite them being natural rivals as Army and Marines. “It will take longer because of all this. Be patient and be loyal.”

  “Been that all my life, so no sweat. Hey, I have a question that’s been bugging me for months. Got a minute for something not related to anything that matters now?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Well, I’ve noticed that our camp doesn’t have some types of people.”

  Kenn frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

  “No allergies, no asthmatics, no drug addicts, no diabetes. I can’t figure out why.”

  “They didn’t survive. Medications ran out, withdrawal-weakened bodies starved, the crippled and handicapped were abandoned. Society was cleansed.” Kenn scratched his arm where something had bit him during the battle. “Fucking stupid war.”

  “The price was too high, you know?” Ivan clammed up, face clouding over.

  “Yes.” Kenn remembered Ivan mentioning losing an elderly parent and assumed his mother or father had been abandoned at a nursing facility. They’d come across many scenes like that since December.

  Ivan rotated toward the passage. “Catch ya later.”

  Kenn recognized the next team leader of a group of Eagles who would fly through the ranks. Military men and women fit right into Safe Haven. It was usually the average Joe’s they had to convince to fight or work.

  “That’s great!”

  “We’d love to have you!”

  Kenn’s attention was drawn to the small group making plans to leave while having a last warm meal with friends. Doug and Allan were shaking Jeff’s hand, welcoming him to their group. Roy and Romeo also appeared relieved. Kenn made a note to tell Angela that. It would help her later when weeks had gone by without word from Doug’s clan. Kenn was also glad that Jeff was going with them. Doug would be busy protecting his new sons, but Allan couldn’t handle all the security on his own. Having Jeff along would help.

  Kenn expected Kevin to go with them too. He had hit on Cynthia as soon he got in the cave, so the other Eagles were ignoring him. Kenn assumed their reactions would have been different if the reporter had been willing to resume that relationship. He believed that because Conner was being treated to a hero’s welcome that included Candy sitting at the same double table. All of Kendle’s team was there, regaling the eating citizens with stories of their Market Town adventures. Candy had joined them, taking the seat farthest from the boy, but she’d been laughing with them and making eye contact with the teenager the entire time. Word was already flying that Candy might have forgiven Conner, that his banishment might be up.

  Kenn hoped so. The boy had done well. It would please Adrian, and it would make life easier for the camp, but most of all, it would ease Angela’s guilt over banishing him in the first place. Kenn knew she hadn’t wanted to do it. Kenn glanced at the man sitting by himself in the far corner. Like Ray didn’t want to leave Dale. They were all doing things they didn’t want to do.

  As he had the thought, Ray stood up and marched toward the ladder with determined steps.

  Kenn braced to hear Dale’s screams in a few minutes. Ray had tried to talk to Dale a couple of times in the last twenty-four hours, but it always ended the same way. Kenn hoped this would be the last time Ray tried to reach his former mate. They had all heard enough screaming for one day.

  3

  “Leave him alone!”

  Ray shoved by the doctor to reach the den where Dale was still hiding. “I have two things to say to you before I go. You’re gonna listen and then you can scream all you want.”

  Dale pushed himself up against the wall, shaking from the effort.

  Ray hated how thin Dale was, how scared he was. His trembling form needed a hug that Ray was no longer allowed to deliver. He could see that Dale hadn’t packed and knew he really was staying here. Ray wouldn’t have supported it even if the mountain hadn’t been in danger of being breached. The doctor couldn’t help Dale the way he needed.

  “They’ve always meant more to you than I have.” Dale sneered, scanning Ray’s outfit. “You’re already packed to go. I’m not stupid.”

  “I’ve told you I was going.” Ray couldn’t help explaining again. “Safe Haven is the only chance any of us have.” He tossed a pouch at Dale’s grimy feet, making him jump. “I’ve cared for you when no else did. I’ve worked hard to earn a place so that our kind would be safe. You wanted me to pick between you and doing what was right for our future. You were wrong to do that to me.” Ray rotated toward the ladder. “Goodbye, Dale.”

  “What was the other thing?” Dale couldn’t erase his anger or his confusion, but he swallowed it long enough to speak. “You said two.”

  Ray didn’t stop walking. “If you call for me, I’ll always come, no matter how far apart we are. I love you. I always have and I always will.”

  Ray was out of earshot before Dale could blink.

  Dale knew Ray didn’t want to hear the screams again, but that was his only defense against the pain that Ray kept shoving into his heart.

  “It’s not his fault.”

  Dale scrambled up against the wall now, opening his mouth to scream for help.

  The vet spit in disgust, also going up the ladder. “What a waste. See if I save your ass again.”

  “You killed Dennis!”

  “And I’d do it again.” The vet kept climbing so he would be gone before the guards came to check on Dale. “If you knew what I knew, you would have killed him too.”

  “I don’t believe you! Get out of here, freak!”

  Jimmy’s group gathered near Dale to offer him comfort now that he’d declared himself one of them.

  The vet spotted Ray crying in the shadows on the crushed level, but kept going up the ladder. He wanted to offer a hug, but that would have to wait until Ray’s pain had eased over this awful ending of his past life. After that, the vet would still have to keep his distance for a while so Ray didn’t resent him more than he was already going to. Then, Chris planned to offer Ray a shoulder to cry on and anything else his little heart desired. He’d wanted Ray for a long time. Now, Dale wasn’t in the way. The vet’s obsessive fantasies about Angela would never happen, but his desire for Ray was a real possibility. One of two wasn’t bad as far as the vet was concerned. This life was good for him.

  4

  Alone while the kids were being fed and taken to the bathroom, Adrian and Angela leaned against the stone walls, staring at each other. It’d been an exhausting day and both of them were afraid to let their emotions escape, but concern over Marc’s anger was the top priority. The temporary truce between the two men was helping Angela recover faster than she had expected, but she had used up all of her energy during the fight. It would be days before she was okay again, unless she took more life forces.


  Adrian didn’t speak, not wanting to interrupt her contemplations or spread bad vibes. He didn’t know why Marc had sent him here, but he wasn’t in any big hurry to find out.

  “You know what will happen after we leave here.”

  Adrian winced, mind flying through a repeat of his banishment. “Thank you.”

  “And this is the last time we’ll be alone together.”

  “We shouldn’t be at all.”

  “I know.”

  They could have spent the time doing a hundred different things, but Adrian was content when Angela began to drift off. He watched her and let his mind wander. This was her way of showing him that she trusted him enough to rest in his presence, something she didn’t do with many people even though the Eagles had been vetted. Kenn had only received this honor recently and Adrian had been surprised then. He was shocked now. Everyone knew they were in here together. Fighting the urge to open the door so people would know it was innocent, Adrian continued to watch over her and enjoy the reward.

  Angela didn’t tell him this was so she could rest uninterrupted for an hour. The guards would put everyone else on hold, thinking she wanted privacy, and she did, but not for a bonding moment with Adrian. She needed a break. Marc was helping her get one.

  5

  “What are you doing?”

  Cynthia tossed another stack of notebooks into the can fire by the closed tunnel door. “Getting ready to depart, same as everyone else.” She didn’t look at Daryl. “What are you doing?”

  “Taking care of loose ends.”

  She tensed. “Does that mean me?”

  Daryl backed up a few steps. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to apologize.”

  Cynthia relaxed, understanding she’d taken it the wrong way. “It’s all good. You didn’t want to be a part of my drama. I get that.”

  “I didn’t want to be another distraction to my team and to the leaders who are trying to keep us all alive. I won’t do that.”

  Cynthia respected him for it. She also thought better of him because he’d come to apologize even though he didn’t have much to be sorry for. “This is my mess, but thank you for caring enough to talk to me about it.”

  Cynthia regarded Daryl when he lingered, not blinking as smoke curled around her nose. Harsh, it brought tears to her eyes that she refused to shed or even blink away. She was using the gift of her child to try to penetrate Daryl’s mind. She wasn’t searching for a friend, only needing to be positive that he wasn’t lying to her or trying to set her up for something.

  Daryl noted the reporter looked better without the weight that she had lost over the last two weeks, but that was the extent of the good. The chipped, broken fingernails that were layered with dirt, and the greasy, flaky hair that hadn’t been brushed since the quake, were giveaways that she wasn’t recovering the way everyone had hoped.

  “We’re good. You can go now.”

  Daryl wanted to accept the dismissal. He had work and friends waiting for him, but he also had a small hole in his heart where Cynthia had been for a short time. “Please forgive me for hurting you.”

  Tears came to her eyes.

  “I’m not asking because I want to be with you. I’m asking because I miss our friendship.”

  “I don’t.” Cynthia wiped her face. “I miss the sex.”

  Daryl burst out laughing.

  Cynthia smiled. “I forgive you.”

  Daryl held out a hand. “Maybe in the future, we can be friends again.”

  Cynthia blushed, shaking. “Maybe.” She’d always liked Daryl. She still did.

  “Good.” He left her with a better mood, glad it had gone so well. He’d half expected the screaming that Ray was getting from Dale whenever he tried to speak with him.

  Cynthia returned to burning books. She’d already destroyed the copies of her newspaper and petition. I’m going good. The only way to stop me is to kill me and Angela won’t let you. Fate, be damned. You can’t reach me now.

  6

  “When did he come inside?”

  Adrian shrugged, emerging from the passage outside Angela’s room. “Didn’t see him. Maybe Theo knows.”

  Marc studied the vet. He’d been aware of the man as soon as he came up the ladder, even though it wasn’t in sight of where he and Adrian were standing. The vet was bundled up in the same clothes that he had been wearing before the earthquake, complete with tacky gloves and bloodstained boots. As he slipped through the cave, he left awful tracks.

  Adrian and Marc both tried to scan the vet’s mind, aware of him mumbling and muttering, but neither of them could get through. It had been a long day and their energy was gone, something they were glad that Jimmy and his group didn’t know.

  Marc made a note about the vet. “He has to go soon.”

  “Yeah, but how?” Adrian thumbed toward the door. “He’s under her protection.”

  “She’ll order it.”

  “You think?”

  Marc sighed. “No, like with you, she’ll say he helped the greater good and deserves another chance.”

  Adrian flushed, but didn’t argue. He was too cold and too tired for it, but more than that, he’d enjoyed the peaceful moments with Marc today. He didn’t want it to end.

  “That’s because I’ve blasted you with alpha slime at every opportunity. It’ll wear off.”

  Adrian tried to joke. “Alpha slime. That just sounds wrong.”

  “I know, but it’s perfect for you.”

  Adrian spun around and left.

  Marc stared, sensing the man’s churning emotions, but he didn’t enjoy it. In fact, he disliked it. “Guess the slime works both ways.”

  Marc proceeded to the room to check on Angela and get the next set of orders. He’d already stopped at the mess to give Kenn updates.

  Marc found a line of people waiting to meet with Angela. He could hear the happy voices of children in with her and hoped there were also a few sentries. Marc slid between people to reach the cubby, but he didn’t go in so that he didn’t interrupt the current conversation. He didn’t know what it was about, but that didn’t matter. The boss got respect first, nagged later.

  The door opened.

  Marc did a quick sweep. All of the team leaders were crammed into the cubby. He grinned as he realized their laps were being used by children who played with their jackets and absorbed the good vibes from all the safety.

  “Come on in.”

  Marc pushed the door shut and sank down right there. A few seconds later, Cody crawled into his lap.

  Marc hugged the boy, waiting for the conversation to get around to something he could add to or was needed for. Before he knew it, he was leaning against the barrier with his eyes closed and heart settling into a rhythm of peace.

  “Told you it wasn’t just me.”

  Angela smiled. All of them being together again was producing great vibes, but everyone had worked hard today and hadn’t slept well since the earthquake. It was natural that when they got into an environment where they felt safe, they would crash.

  “Let him rest. I’ll get his updates later.” She glanced at Kyle. “You’ll be in charge of security during the bugout. You report to Kenn.” She held up her hand at Neil’s frown. “You’re in charge of transporting the wounded to the vehicles, including Samantha and Jennifer.” Angela paused for the protests.

  Neil and Kyle both had them, but didn’t speak. It made sense that their females would be with the wounded, since they were injured. That didn’t mean they had to like it.

  “I want the tunnel open an hour before dawn so that we can load the vehicles with our supplies, gear, and belongings. From that point on, I want guards on the vehicles. It’ll be chaotic. People will be packing, running in for stuff they’ve forgotten, and of course, there will be lots of drama from goodbyes. I don’t expect any fighting, but we will interfere where necessary. I’ve instructed Jimmy to keep his people in until we go. If you find them outside, keep them away from the vehicle
s and our group. I’m not sensing problems there either, but again, we won’t take chances.” Angela picked up a small stack of papers on the ground next to her knee and passed them out. “I haven’t found my notebooks. Sorry about the crudeness. I drew them from memory.”

  The team leaders were happy to have maps. They were even happier to scan them and locate stashes of supplies.

  When they would have questioned, Angela denied it. “Later.”

  All of them understood there might be a mad dash to the supplies if the locations were revealed.

  “It’s going to be cold. We don’t want to put people into the vehicles until we’re ready to leave. However, we need to have them in the bottom and ready to go before then. I don’t want to be running gas for heat in cars while waiting half an hour for them to finish gathering stuff and saying goodbye. Get with Kenn and make sure that’s organized. We don’t have fuel to waste.”

  Shawn held up a paper. “We managed to find fifteen trucks and cars, along with ten UN vehicles. I don’t know how many citizens we have now, so I don’t know if that’s enough. If it isn’t, we’ll go back out there in a few hours and do some more salvaging in the dark.”

  Angela did a quick estimate. “It’ll be cramped, but we can make it work. The UN vehicles will hold six people each. It should be enough to carry us until we can pick up new wheels, like we used to do.” Angela held up her copy of the map–the worst one to read thanks to her being so tired when she finished it–and pointed at one of the locations. “We won’t stop until we get here. Make sure each vehicle has food, water, and weapons. If there’s a problem and people are cut off, I want them to be able to reach us. I also want these maps put into the glove compartments of the vehicles driven by members who are not Eagles. The rest of us need to memorize them. We also need to draft a crew to roll out before the rest of us, as scouts. They will clear the path and set up perimeter security on the first site. We’ll maintain radio silence during this time, as well as keeping the no magic rule in place. We’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way, gentleman.”