by Angela White
Kenn lifted the lid on the empty crate, taking a quick search inside for bugs, and then hefted it toward the tailgate. Tonya came over to help and they managed to get it close enough to work with. The deep crates were the sturdiest they’d found for moving things around, though it was a lot of work. Boxes and bags ripped and broke, but the crates took a beating and kept on carrying. It was hard for even rookies to ruin a crate of supplies and Kenn didn’t find any harm in letting the team do work in small groups. All they had to do was sort the bags and help transport the crates. Easy.
Tonya and Tracy weren’t friends. Tracy didn’t want to take the chance on earning Tonya’s reputation through friendship and Tonya was worried about losing Kenn to Tracy. If it was good enough for Adrian, Kenn would want it and with the secret she was keeping, Tonya didn’t need Kenn to have any reason to be around the other woman. It made for a very quiet pair of sorters in their group. The two males, Allan and Jeff, were also a bit tense at being placed with their leader and XO’s relief sources, alone. They worked in silence unless the women had a question.
The other two groups talked lightly about the run, the supplies, and occasionally cackled at something, as rookies often do. It made Tonya feel like an outsider again, each time their happiness rang over the bags and crates. She now loathed that feeling. It was the only time she regretted coming to the light.
Emotions unstable, Tonya bit her lip to keep from starting a conversation. Tracy was so much like her that she would have been a logical choice for a friend, but Tonya’s self-esteem hadn’t recovered enough to take that risk with Kenn.
Tracy could feel Tonya’s quick looks at her and sensed the redhead was lonely. Tracy understood why there wouldn’t be a gesture of friendship, but it still stank. It was a constant reminder that she wasn’t good enough because of the way she chose to live her personal life. Not supposed to feel that way here, she thought, tossing bottles of some type of powder into the crate. She tossed too hard, however, and punctured one of them. Dark blue crystals began spilling out and Tracy groaned. “Damn. I broke one.”
The group helped clean up the mess, assuring her she wouldn’t be in trouble.
“Kenn says things always get broken on runs. That’s why we take a few extra.”
Tracy grabbed a rag to wipe her hands on. They were stained blue.
“I look like a Smurf,” she stated, holding her hands up.
“It wears off,” Allan stated quietly, darting a quick look at Kenn. “Let’s get this crate over to the supply trucks and be done.”
The five of them carried the crate slowly, earning only a quick approving nod from Kenn as they went by.
Kenn hefted his end of a nailed crate and directed his group toward the reserve trucks. He’d be glad when this was done. He needed a shower.
The reserve truck ration was healthy. It took Kenn’s group two trips to get all of it there. The Eagles would list and sort it later.
“Let me help,” Allan offered, grabbing a sagging end of the last crate.
“Thanks,” Kenn grunted, able to walk faster with the other end covered.
“My pleasure,” Allan stated, meaning it. “We found a second box of wound seal. Do you want it in here or at the medical tent?”
Kenn sat his end down by the truck, missing how the other carriers quickly exited the area. “In here.”
Allan sat the bag on the crate and walked away. He met Zack’s glittering gaze without smiling and kept walking away from the trucks. He had another supply run to go on. The team had been waiting for him to return so they could leave.
Dripping sweat, Kenn yanked the bag up and lifted the lid, eager to be finished. He dropped the bag inside, re-nailed the lid, then went to the showers. If he didn’t get clean soon, his attitude would get ugly.
Kenn stripped down and went into the stall, glad to have it to himself. After he washed, maybe he’d spend a few minutes stroking and building up that good attitude.
Kenn turned the handle and frowned when nothing came out. This camper wasn’t under maintenance or about to be emptied, was it?
He tried the second lever, but got the same.
“Plumbing issue?” he mused, switching stalls. The water worked in it, but there was only a bare trickle. Kenn sighed, resigned to having a rough day. The run had gone well. He’d try to be happy with that.
Kenn went to the third stall and turned the handle.
Poofff!
Kenn froze as powder sprayed over his hands and face instead of water. Have I been poisoned?
He opened his lids slowly, coated in fine, blue crystals. He allowed his tongue to touch his lips for a bare instant.
Koolaid.
Another prank.
It wasn’t Matt, Kenn realized. My prankster is still here.
He wiped his face down his arm and was dismayed to find the color smearing across his skin like paint.
“It stains,” he growled, realizing what this joke would do to him for the next few days. “Son of a bitch!”
Kenn had no choice but to walk through the camp in a towel, stained, to get to the other shower camper. By the time he got there, the powder had soaked into a fine blue tint.
Kenn glowered at the snickers and laughs. At least he could rule out the team he’d been with. They wouldn’t have had time to set this up.
Kenn stomped into the stall and dropped the towel, ears burning from the amusement. He would try to resign himself to hearing it for a while. As much as he had scrubbed, the stain wasn’t leaving.
“I’m a 6’ Smurf,” Kenn growled as he left the camper, glaring. “Take a damn picture!”
His words were remembered.
6
“I’d like to go on the run with Kyle after the camp is settled tonight. He told me you’re sending him out on a recon.”
Angela was surprised by the request. “Peggy’s sitting?”
Jennifer was dressed in full Eagle gear. “She’s got four day’s milk put up. We’ll be back in half that.”
Angela studied the girl, thinking she was finally starting to look tired instead of furious. “Why?”
Jennifer didn’t try to lie. “I’m restless. I keep thinking about leaving. I need to get out there again for a little while and be reminded of why it’s better here.”
“Okay.”
Jennifer didn’t smile as she left.
“We’re all set for tomorrow.”
Angela paused to let Kevin give her an update. It had already been a long day.
“We’re gassed, loaded except for what we’ll use tonight, and schedules are in all the glove boxes.”
“Kenn is supervising the move?”
“Yes. He and Adrian have it covered.” he answered, snickering.
“Good. We roll out at 7am. Make sure there’s soothing morning music and periodic reminders from 530am.”
“No problem. I’ll be on it myself, with a rookie trainee.”
Cynthia wasn’t talking to him, hadn’t since Matt’s death. It hadn’t taken Kevin long to figure out that she was carrying the weight of it. He’d tried to talk to her, to explain that Matt would have hit them hard if he’d been allowed to live, but the reporter had refused to listen.
Angela wondered if the rookie trainee would be there long, but didn’t ask. Kevin was her personal assistant. He was putting in time training another radio crew, but he was also overworking himself to be the one covering it on third shifts. As a result, he was snappy and strict. Three of their camp women had bowed out of the training in the last week.
“No word from Marc or the lookouts.”
Angela didn’t remind him that it was too soon. The pain was crushing.
“Supply crews will meet up with us around noon. No problems reported.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“No.”
Angela felt the pause and kept the pain from her tone. “How many?”
“Looks like five so far. We’re doing a count now.”
Angela left him stan
ding there, unable to speak for fear of screaming. At the rate they were losing people, there wouldn’t be anything left to defend. Every day brought a new group of people fleeing, choosing to skip the fight.
“Cowards!” she growled under her breath. But she understood. She still wasn’t having the Eagles chase them down. Freedom was Adrian’s base foundation for this camp. If she changed that, it was sure to fall.
“How do I stop them from leaving?” she asked again, and received the same answer from the witch.
Bring them together in anger or hope. Nothing else conquers fear.
And she still didn’t know how to do that. Adrian had offered a few suggestions, but none of them felt right. If people wouldn’t stay and fight for their lives, what else was worth more to them? Everyone in camp was angry. It was faith that they were running light on.
Loud laughter and talking drew her toward the field area where the teenagers were doing lessons with the ants. The amount of progress there had been encouraging, giving hope that the insects could be trained to help.
A quick consideration said there was little to lose at this point. She waved Kyle over.
“Get them walking through the camp with the ants, show people what they’ve accomplished.”
Kyle stared at her for a long minute before giving her what she needed. “You want a mock battle set up.”
“In place of the real thing, yes. Let the sheep know that we have outside help,” she instructed. “Start with the formation walk, then work your way up.”
“What about Dog?” Charlie suggested, joining them. “He can get the ants to do a lot of stuff just by looking at them.”
“Yes, and any other animals you’ve been working with.”
Angela made a quick note in her book as she spoke. “I want Theo and his team in the open from now on. Tell them this is demonstration week.”
She thought of Jennifer’s words.
“I’m restless. I keep thinking about leaving. I need to get out there again for a little while and be reminded of why it’s better here.”
“And that’s exactly what I’ll do,” Angela stated, waving Lee and Zack over. “Let’s have a fun night gentlemen. Cancel the classes and work. After the ant walk, set up the entertainment and remind our people how much Americans love a good time.”
Both men, tired and restless themselves, grinned as they went to get help with it. Fun was something they hadn’t had in Safe Haven since Matt’s betrayal. It was overdue.
7
“Are you sure about this?”
Angela motioned her team into place. “Yes. I need to know how many of you they’ll kill.”
The line of men shifted nervously at those words. They’d been called here to assist with a lesson and while they were glad the training tent was empty of witnesses, it didn’t calm the tight stomachs. The females were using live rounds. The men had observed them loading weapons with little of their own skill and the hair on their necks had risen.
“Everyone ready?” Angela asked as she slid her wrist blade off.
There were open mouths and the start of protests when she gave the call.
“Go!”
The seven males froze in place as the women began shooting.
Angela’s voice led them through the familiar routine. “Your men are in the line of fire, ladies, as they will be during the battle. You have to pick out ours, from theirs. Second level, go!”
The females switched from rear targets to those closest to the line of men.
Angela observed in confidence. These women had loathed the idea. She’d insisted. They would be careful.
“Damn it!” Jennifer shoved Tracy to the left. “Clear me a line of fire!”
Tracy grunted, ducking so that Jennifer could hit the target by Kyle, nearly getting it center.
Tracy rose up to cover Jennifer as she turned to sweep the rear, popping off two quick rounds that sank into targets on either side of Charlie’s head. They weren’t near the center, but the trims were as close as she would come to hitting him.
Crista pulled the trigger without slowing down, ignoring Jeff’s pale face as she spun to the right. Correctly, it allowed her to get a perfect aim on the farthest target. She sank the shot in with a smooth pull and dropped to her knee.
Sam spun to cover Crista while she reloaded and Angela clapped, ending the routine.
“Excellent. Dismissed.”
The lesson ended quickly, the men free to return to their posts, but Angela knew most of them wouldn’t. Becky’s idea to make them concentrate had been solid. Her girls were sharper now and the men had just observed them in action. They would be eager to offer praise and advice to achieve improvement. After, there would also be stolen moments that Angela was encouraging. If they lost the battle, a few of her survivors may at least carry away a child to give hope for the future.
Jennifer let Kyle wipe the sweat from her forehead, staring at him. He wasn’t speaking to her like the other men were their females, but she could feel his pride and his misery. The stronger she became, the more she showed that she would be able to care for herself, the unhappier he was.
Jennifer didn’t like his pain any more than she did her own, but wasn’t sure what to do about it. She couldn’t stay here after everything that had happened, but it wasn’t fair to ask him to go with her. Safe Haven needed him too much. This camp needed her too, but it wasn’t enough of a bond. She’d lost a son here. There was no erasing that ghost.
Kyle held out an arm to her, eyes speaking volumes. “Can I escort you to your tent?”
Since the baby, she’d had her own–at her request. Kyle hadn’t argued, only suffered each night until sleep finally claimed him.
“Your tent would be better.”
Kyle blinked, surprised.
Jennifer let out a tired sigh. “I need to feed the baby and I could use a nap.”
Kyle took that in with a thumping heart. “I’ll find something to do while you rest.”
“I’ve got something for you to do,” Jennifer directed. “I need to feel your heat for a while, Reece. I’m still pissed. You know that, but I…”
Her eyes softened against her will. “I miss you.”
Kyle didn’t say anything, not wanting to push. He slipped his arm into hers and led them to his tent, willing to take whatever she wanted to give.
He held the flap for her, feeling her small cringe as she ducked under. He quickly thought of a distraction so that she wouldn’t change her mind and send him away or leave for her own quarters.
“Why wouldn’t Angela tell me why she thought you could talk with the ants?”
Jennifer shifted the baby into her bassinet. “We’re not allowed to reveal some things for someone else.”
“Permission is required?” he joked, staying still as she came to get the diaper bag by his feet.
“Sort-of,” she agreed lightly. “It would have told you too much about me.”
Before he could open his mouth, Jennifer explained that statement.
“I can communicate across species. She sensed it. The ants fear me too much, though. I’ve tried.”
“You’ve killed a lot of them,” Kyle mentioned carefully. “Before she changed the rules.”
Jennifer didn’t deny that. “The rage had to go someplace. They were abominations then, not allies.”
Kyle went to the bed and settled in place, leaving her plenty of room. When she sank down next to him and rolled against his hip, he froze. Her arms shifted, coming to rest under his neck and on his chest. Kyle forgot to keep breathing.
Jennifer laid her head on his shoulder and closed her lids. She was asleep less than a minute later.
Kyle didn’t move. At some point, he took in enough air to remain conscious. That was the only interruption he allowed.
8
Angela rubbed her shoulder. She’d been pushing herself again, but the extra training sessions were mandatory if they were going to pull off what she had in mind.
“Let m
e.”
Adrian’s warm hands on her shoulders were like a match to gasoline. She jerked away. “What do you want?”
Adrian celebrated even as he mourned. She almost hated him now. Good.
“To care for you.”
Angela flushed. “That won’t happen!”
Adrian let her go, hurting. His plan to make her hate him enough to turn him over was working. By the time Marc’s team returned, she should be pissed enough to let Marc know. When that happened, the wolfman might take matters into his own hands.
“At last I’ll be out of her way,” Adrian whispered. “Where I can’t keep hurting her and getting away with it.”
“You could force it, you know. I’ve seen you do it before.”
Adrian grunted at Kenn’s words. “I wouldn’t let you. I’m no better.”
“She didn’t want me,” Kenn admitted. “And I always knew it. That’s not the case here, is it?”
Adrian didn’t answer. Her survival mattered to him and losing this camp would kill her, the same as it would him. His only goal at this point was to make sure that didn’t happen. He planned to accomplish it any way he had to.
Chapter Eighteen
Inside and Out
July 25th
Double Springs, Alabama
1
Angela opened her lids well before the alarm went off, furious. In her dreams, she couldn’t find Marc, only Adrian. It was a crappy start to the day and she rolled from the bed with a low curse as she stubbed her toe on her BOB.
“Everything okay in there?” Shawn called from the flap.
“Fine!” Angela snapped, testing her weight on it through the tears. “Buzz off.”
The surprised Eagle moved back a bit, stung.
Angela regretted her rudeness, but these men had no idea what a strain she was under. The weight of this plan was almost too much for any one person to carry, let alone her.
“Damn you,” she muttered. “Damn you straight to hell.”
Angela pulled her boots and bra on, in that order, and she noticed it.
“Becoming a soldier finally,” she grumbled, tucking her shirt in. “When I couldn’t care less about being one. Lovely.”
