Neil’s face was incredulous. “We lost all five vehicles?”
“Kenn thinks they’ll have the Excursion back when it dries out.”
“Ours may work, too, in a few hours.” Marc stated, from the raised hood. “Needs some settling time.”
“Tell them to meet us over there by that blue silo. It’s high enough to be seen in every direction.” Neil instructed.
Angela carefully tapped the message out in code, and then listened mentally to make sure they’d gotten it. She planned to do as much of this as she could without help from the Witch.
Neil turned toward Angela, thinking that even with mud in her hair and dried blood on her face, she was still so pretty it hurt to look at her… like Sam, with dirt in her hair from gardening.
“You’ve got the basic foot formations down?”
Angela unslung the rifle she had acquired for passing the level tests. She ran a finger over the initials burned into the stock. “Yes, Sir!”
Both men smiled, but Angela didn’t. She turned to take Point without being told, Neil’s thoughts full of giving her lead. No matter how well she did or how exact her copy was, it always brought surprise and amusement instead of respect or even acceptance. Knowing they still didn’t consider her an equal made Angela even more determined to be perfect and she reluctantly brought the Witch forward to walk with her as the two males moved to her flank.
The formation for three people was a shifting diagonal, led by the Point man. The Eagles in the rear automatically adjusted the line as she moved, searching the empty stalks that surrounded them.
Marc was keeping track of the distant sun that would soon start to sink below the skyline and he was glad when she set a fast pace. They only had a few hours before dark and then they would be out here with no shelter and the wolves roaming freely.
The men kept up easily and Angela was surprised by her lack of fear despite their situation. That feeling of being right where she belonged was settling over her.
When she caught movement in the distance a bit later, she pointed. “There they are.”
The double diagonal line of Eagles was much larger, appearing like soldier ants marching neatly to their own beats.
Angela turned to Marc. “You remember, I’m sure, what happened the last time we were here after dark.”
Marc hunted through the shadows of late afternoon as his mind lingered on the note of excitement in her voice. Where was his Angie? “Yeah. We’ll have to get ready.”
She gestured at the farm they were about to reach. “We can set up in there.”
The barn was huge, faded red with a top window and narrow deck that was easily 40 feet across. The two front doors were open and Marc lit a smoke, thinking that ledge was where he wanted her when it all went down.
Angela moved that way and Neil hung back to be even with Marc. He made sure his voice was low enough so that she wouldn’t overhear. “I want to give her lead of this mission. It’s my call.”
Marc’s sudden flash of intuition was sharp. “You want it or Adrian does?”
Neil didn’t flinch, expecting the accusation. “Both.”
“When will you tell her?”
Neil snorted. “She knows what we want. Probably has since before we left.”
Marc stiffened, tightening his control. She hadn’t mentioned that part. “As long as she’s safe, I’m on board.”
It was clear from the set faces of Kenn and Kyle that their leadership transition hadn’t gone as well. Marc observed as the rest of the tense, scraped-up men joined them in front of the barn. Would the Marine fall in line?
Neil was wondering the same thing, but didn’t change the plan. It took the Eagles only a few words to understand what the Trooper wanted from them.
“Angela’s been through here in the last month, knew the people we found. She’ll tell us what to expect tonight.”
“It’ll be easier to show you. It’s behind the barn.” She sounded calm to her own ears, but inside, the nervousness had returned with Kenn’s hard face.
Marc was surprised she’d known they were so close to where their battle with the wolves had taken place. Only half a mile away, they might have been able to make their stand in the big red shelter if they’d known it was there.
Angela moved that way at Neil’s motion. Hearing nothing behind her but light steps, she turned back around. “Who’s got guard duty?”
Neil shrugged, hiding his surprise. He’d expected to have to remind her. “You pick it.”
Angela smothered the grin of power that wanted to fill her face. “Daryl and Jeremy. Password is mud.”
There were snickers at that, and frowns from the more serious among them, as the two men moved to take up positions around the barn.
Very conscious of Kenn’s glares burning holes into her back, Angela turned toward the corn with a neat step, but didn’t try to lead them in a formation. Neil and Brady could handle that, but the rest of these men were as unsure as she was.
Watching them follow her rookie-lead with no protest, and then seeing Kenn’s shocked face had Marc understanding the Marine was about to be taught a lesson by his fellow soldiers. This mission would take more of the power from him and return it to the victim he stole it from. Adrian was trying to give her a bit of justice and Marc was suddenly flooded with guilt and respect. He hadn’t been very kind to the blond, but that man had been great with Angela. Instead of the abusive lifestyle they’d feared, the Leader of Safe Haven was giving her the freedom to be whatever she wanted.
Aware of the light quickly fading, Angela kept them moving. The corn was up to their waist, growing even when it should be dead. To move through it, to be touched by the slimy brown stalks, was a revolting feeling, and there was little conversation. It had gotten a lot worse here since she and Brady had fought for their lives.
They found the ring of burned stalks less than fifteen minutes after leaving the barn. The charred circle and decaying animal skeletons were mostly untouched and Angela waited without saying anything, letting them see the spot for what it was; a killing field.
“Questions?” Neil guided things, setting them up like Adrian would have done. He ignored Kenn’s scowl.
“There was a third person here, right?” Billy asked, studying the broken stalks.
Angela supplied the answer when Marc didn’t. “Yes. Max was the man you saw.”
“You used gas for the fire?” Neil prompted, able to smell it still even after a month.
“Max did.”
“What drove them off?” Daryl wanted to know, sure from all the tracks that these three or four dozen carcasses hadn’t been the entire pack.
“His wife, Lenore, had the Caller; the thing I took from the wall before the slide.”
“She was the woman?”
“Yes. They were part giant, I think.”
There were a few quick smiles that faded at her next words.
“The wolves tracked us, ambushed us here. Max said they’d killed most of the survivors in this area.”
The Eagles were exchanging pointed looks and Angela confirmed their thoughts. “They were sure the wolves planned each attack, like an army bent on destroying the enemy.”
It fit with what they had observed on their own and Angela instinctively worked them up. “They’ve been unchallenged since the War. That changes tonight.”
She pointed at the center of the charred circle, where their used brass flashed dimly in the grudging sunlight. “Marc will show us the setup and we’ll get ready.”
Kenn was stunned as the Eagles crowded around Brady at her orders. He hated it that leadership was yet another thing she was good at, but his mind warred with his guilt at that thought. He could have helped her be this way all along.
Five minutes later, even Kenn had to admit it was a solid plan, except for one thing. “What’s the bait?”
The Marine’s question had the Eagles turning away from Marc’s glare.
“Blood.”
“Mostl
y noise,” Angela added quickly, seeing the fight that was about to start. “They were drawn to our… workout.”
Kyle’s response was intense. “This time, they’ll find an army waiting.”
Angela’s eyes were glowing vividly in the coming darkness. “Adrian’s Army.”
“Oorah!”
It was a chorus response, and again, it shocked Kenn. He’d tried to take charge earlier, the way she was now, but only Kyle’s words had gotten them moving after the slide. It was like they were dead set on seeing her in charge. It was… what Adrian wanted, Kenn realized. They were following orders.
“Wish you could, too,” Angela pushed.
Kenn flushed angrily, “I can. Just not yours!”
Angela shook her head when Neil would have confronted him. “Let’s get back and set it up.”
Angela moved by the sullen Marine, without any sign his anger bothered her, and the others did the same.
Blowing out a frustrated breath, Kenn brought up the rear. This wasn’t turning out like he’d planned at all.
9
Less than two hours later, it was purple and yellow dusk-layered skies above them. The men were in their places, and Marc and Angie were in the yard in front of the barn. They each took occasional shots at the battered soda cans they’d lined up, but it clearly wasn’t distracting them from their perusal of the four-foot brown stalks around the yard and behind the barn. With their movements, the shallow cuts on their arms left drops and splashes of crimson. Blood and noise.
The wind gusted harder as full dark settled over the flat land and everything around them blew wildly in the chilling wind. “Ooohhhhh…”
Angela didn’t jump, but she wanted to, and she exchanged a look with Marc as that feeling of Déjà vu flooded them. They’d been here before.
“The corn sounds different,” she stated. “It’s already later. Do you think they’ve moved on?”
“No.”
She turned at his sure tone. “How can you…”
“They’re in the corn.”
They both flinched at the loud crunch of double radios warning them of movement and Marc turned his off. He’d be close enough at all times, to listen to her radio. “You ready?”
“You know it.” Angela waited tensely, now sensing the animals in the rows across from them. She understood Marc’s training had allowed him to sense them even before the Witch, and she couldn’t stop the almost desperate flare of longing to be that good without her magic.
“Here they come.” The perimeter guard’s call signaled the start and Angela began to swing the Caller in a wide circle. She brought it up over her head in a deep arc that caught the wind as it gained speed.
“WWWhhhhooooooo…”
The sound echoed, whining and seductive at the same time, and she swung it faster, instinctively knowing how to call them to her.
“Ooooohhhhhh…”
She let the last note die out slowly, almost able to feel the power inside begging for one more swing. She tucked it into her waist pouch instead.
“Wwwooooooohoooo!”
“Raaawhwhoooo!”
The animals were answering her call now and Marc motioned toward the barn. “Go.”
Angela moved almost casually, expecting to be rushed this time. When the corn parted to her right, she drew and fired in a blur that impressed even Kenn. The big gray male that had been stalking her landed on its side in the dirt.
The Eagles began picking them off, providing cover for Marc and Angie as they moved toward the barn.
In full battle mode now, Brady fired, spun and aimed, fired. These were the scouts. The rest would be along shortly.
Angela dumped the used rounds smoothly, still moving, and she clicked the speed loader home as hungry predators gleamed at them from the darkness.
“Base, we have movement on the south perimeter. Ten, maybe fifteen animals.”
“Same here, base. Ten large targets, moving fast.”
Angela increased her pace, feeling the hair on the back of her neck stand up as three large black dogs emerged from the shadows beyond the barn door. They would get there first, trapping her on the ground.
Angela spotted the ledge. Trapped? Not her, not ever again!
Angela darted straight for the snarling animals, seeing very thin bodies and desperate eyes that wanted her dead. Just before she was in reach of their coming lunges, she jumped. Her hands caught the ledge of the doorframe and she swung herself up and over the snapping wolves with a grunt at the pain from her shoulder.
Running the instant her feet hit the dirt and hay, she climbed the ladder to the loft three steps at a time. Angela was relieved to see Brady moving in through the window on the ledge as she hit the top.
“Base…” There was a silence that had them all tensing. “We just saw the pack line… stand by.”
Angela looked at Kyle and Kenn, who stood apart from the others. “Nice and easy. Get set.”
Kenn moved slower for her than he would have for Adrian, but the fact that he did it at all was a good sign.
“Make that two pack-lines, base. Roughly fifty animals!”
“Make that eighty, base. They’re… everywhere.”
“Maybe we should get her out of…”
“Watch that line and stop shooting until I give the call!”
That was Daryl, out in the field with the others who had silencers to keep from scaring the animals away. Angela’s chin settled into a line that many of them now recognized. Like Adrian, when she made up her mind, it wasn’t likely to change.
Angela keyed the radio, “We’re set here. Mission is a go!”
“We have wolves in the barn.”
They all looked down from the ledge at Seth’s words. The animals were slinking in through the open doors, dogs and wolves of all shades and sizes padding in to fight with each other and snap at the chickens hanging from a center beam. They were thin and lanky, with matted fur and wild eyes, on the hunt.
“We’ll try to do batches of twenty. Doors closed in a ten count,” Angela informed them, finishing her reload. She hated killing and always would, but today, she would do her share. These animals had to be eliminated.
The barn doors were rigged with ropes and they swung closed slowly at first, drawing little attention. It was the same when the doors finally slammed shut, the wolves too busy fighting over the meat and lunging at the ledge the Eagles were on.
Angela felt that nauseating, thrilling chill of a battle about to start, settling over her mind. “Open fire!”
It was awful, bloody work and very quick, with the Eagles being careful not to waste their shots. Blood splattered the floor and walls repeatedly.
The gunfire slowed and the Eagles reloaded without speaking. Billy was set to jump down and shove the doors open for the next set of animals that were sniffing and digging to get in. It would be dangerous - trying to get back out of range as the new animals came in - and Angela gave the Eagles covering him a motion that said to guard his back.
Kyle snapped off a smart, joking salute in response and she snorted, motioning at the ground. “Open us up.”
Billy dropped down and gave the unlocked doors a hard shove. He immediately spun for the ladder as a large group of snarling wolves and dogs streamed through the doors. A small, faster shepherd-looking dog darted in front of the others, lunging at Billy’s leg. The Eagle felt it coming and threw himself into the air as the animal went flying under. He hit the straw-covered floor and immediately jumped again, this time getting the ladder. He yanked himself out of reach, grinning hugely.
Angela turned to Kenn. “Can you find a way to push it? He’s not going back down there.”
The Marine’s tone was emotionless. “We’ll block the edge with a ladder and use more pullers. No guarantees that rope will hold after a few times.”
“Understood.” She did a fast count of the snarling animals roaming the bloody barn floor. “That’s more than twenty. Let’s do it again.”
Ang
ela helped them take down the next two groups of predators and then moved toward the window. “Inside is yours.”
Kenn felt her question, her need, and gave a curt nod. “I’ll watch their six.”
Satisfied that he would, she eased out the window as he gave the call to open fire. Things had changed again. The past was finally over for them.
Standing on the ledge with Eagles on each side of her, Angela saw that the pack-lines the outer guards had warned of, were about to arrive. Padding steadily through the moldy stalks, it was a huge number of predators now banded together to fight a common enemy; man.
Angry at the injustice of the War’s effects, Angela swept the scene and found a lone white wolf in the far yard where she and Marc had been earlier. It dwarfed most of the other animals padding through the zombie corn plants that refused to stay dead and its eyes gleamed red in the light of their torches. While she watched, it sniffed their blood spots like it was memorizing their scents.
“That’s the Alpha. Get her!” Angela ordered.
The Eagles on the ledge aimed, but the wolf seemed to sense it, and darted back under cover.
“Damn it!” Angela hit her button. “Get the white one! Perimeter give us some sound!”
Gunshots echoed from the surrounding fields at her command, those on the outside now using the noise of their guns to drive the pack toward the barn.
Angela waited with the others for the rest of the lines to come into sight. The doors below them swung open and a large group of filthy animals rushed in, drawn by the thick, coppery scent of blood.
Kenn’s voice, now happily in charge, rang out. “Twice more and those weak-ass doors won’t hold. Let more of ‘em in.”
Their radios crackled. “It’s heading back your way, base. Jeremy winged it. Look for red on white!”
“Copy that. Get set for part two.”
“We’re ready, base.”
Angela noticed Alex’s slightly panicked responses to her orders and filed it away for later as gun powder filled the air, mixing unpleasantly with the smells of the slaughter.
Kenn called it again. “One more time and we’re through in here.”
Angela keyed her mic. “Copy. I’ll tell you when to close them on this one.”
Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) Page 46
