by Angela White
“Sit down,” Jack invited. “Tell me everything you saw and heard.”
The men took turns giving Jack all the detail he asked for, including an update on Darian. It didn’t take long, and Jack was satisfied that he now had a man on the inside.
“Not that it’s needed,” he muttered to himself. “But better safe than sorry.”
Jack glanced at Adrian. “With the information you gave me earlier, things are good to go.”
Adrian didn’t reply or say that because of his banishment, those details were no longer accurate. He was busy wondering if he would be darted tonight.
“I want Mitchel on the train before tomorrow’s sunset. Vlad will take him. The rest of us will stick to the plan.”
Kranten and Stephens said nothing, but Vlad frowned. “Are you sure you want to split up? The kid could be lying.”
“Missy’s predictions are never wrong!” Jack swore angrily. “If we stay together, I’m dead. The reaper wants you guys, not me.”
Jack’s men didn’t like hearing that, but they couldn’t say much. Missy hadn’t been wrong before and it was terrifying to think that they were death’s targets but Jack wasn’t.
“Have a few of the others escort him all the way,” Jack told Vlad. “They should be at the station in time to meet you. Then join me for the final fight. You can still have your pick of their women.”
“I want the young brunette,” Stephens spoke up. “Her gifts will add to mine when I consume her.”
“Other than the leader, it doesn’t matter to me,” Jack informed them disdainfully. “You guys divide the spoils, but make sure we win this one. Their leader doesn’t appear to be the type to forgive us if we lose.”
“She won’t,” Adrian promised. “I taught her to kill her rivals.”
“You trained her?” Jack asked, surprised Adrian had chosen a female successor.
“Well, all the males did,” Adrian conceded. “But she’ll strike hard if you give her the chance.”
“I won’t,” Jack promised, motioning to one of the guards. “I also won’t give you one.”
Adrian slapped at the dart Kranten fired into his neck and he dropped heavily to his knees as the drugs ran through his veins.
“Excellent,” Jack praised. “Now we can all be well rested for the slaughter in the morning. We leave at dawn.”
Adrian pretended to fall over and sleep, but his dazed eyes followed Jack’s every action. He wouldn’t be the one to kill the evil man, but it would happen and Adrian was glad. Jack was one of the few skeletons left in his closet, the story an ugly one, and the former leader was suddenly grateful that fate was clearing his slate all at once. When this one was said and done, there would be no more surprise blasts from the past to interfere with his progress.
Jack sent a dream charm over his power people and then joined them in slumber, not worried about being taken off guard. The slaves he left on duty were loyal to him. He had their wives and children in base town and they wouldn’t risk a mutiny that would cost those precious lives.
As quiet settled over the camp, Adrian rolled onto his side and studied his enemy while he slept. There was no point in attacking now. There were too many of them and with his healer here, Jack couldn’t be mortally wounded. Tomorrow, when he was split from his protection, death would come on swift wings.
Confident in Angela’s plan, Adrian let himself go to sleep. Dawn would bring new headaches and solutions. He had to be ready for them.
Chapter Eleven
Take the Shot
September 12th
After midnight
1
“Seth isn’t going to like this.”
Becky didn’t answer Neil’s comment. She was busy packing her gear back into her kit–a kit that would remain here. “I’m supposed to be found walking, so keep these.” Becky tossed Neil the keys to their vehicle. She’d been the last driver.
Neil scowled but managed to keep quiet this time. They’d all settled down to spend the night here and then finish loading the stocks they’d found in the morning. His papers hadn’t said anything about Becky taking off in the dark–alone–a few hours later.
“You can call and check if it will make you feel better,” Becky stated, dropping her kit in the rear of the truck. “There are two others like me, so I won’t be alone for long.”
Becky didn’t tell them she was going to be taken hostage before she met up with the other people. Neil wouldn’t care for that.
“Aren’t you worried at all?” he asked quietly. “Not scared? What happened to Tracy could happen to you.”
Becky’s profile darkened. “It already has, or did you forget?”
Neil winced and clamped his lips together. She had a job to do and he would let her, but when he got to home, keeping quiet would be over. Angela would hear about this.
“I volunteered, so leave her alone,” Becky ordered, guessing who he was blaming. She didn’t need a gift to know that everyone would be yelling at Angela over this. “And make sure Seth knows that.”
Neil let out a tortured grunt and stomped to the opposite side of their camp so he couldn’t protest any further.
The others in their group had stopped arguing as soon as Becky told them she had a job to do for the boss. After all Angela’s deadly envelopes during the last battles, they were all just glad not to be receiving one.
Becky took off walking in the darkness and Neil slammed himself into a seat to keep from going after her. She was armed, she could fight, and she had a deadly gift of her own, but he still felt responsible for her.
Becky understood and knew someday she would be grateful for that. Right now, she was happy to be escaping the oppression of Neil’s team. As the only female, she’d been over-watched and it had become annoying. Becky didn’t expect to be treated as an equal yet–her youth wouldn’t allow that–but today had been stifling. Neil hadn’t let her out of his sight even once.
“You think she made it up?” Tim asked.
“No,” Neil replied. “We heard the call earlier for mission crews to go out. Something’s happening and we won’t be there for it.”
“We could still go,” Donald suggested.
“She specifically said for us not to,” Tim spoke up. “We’re team water. Message said for water and oil to keep going.”
“Oil is Kyle’s team?” Donald clarified.
“Yeah,” Neil replied. “We’re water, Kyle’s fuel. Don’t know who had salt.”
The group of five was quiet for a moment, contemplating how important all three of those items were. Of the three, water was tops.
“We’ll reach the plant in less than an hour once we’re rolling,” Donald stated. He was the map-master for this run and quite proud of the assignment.
Neil sighed, finally offering what he’d wanted to give as soon as he found out there was action happening and they weren’t slated to be a part of it. “We could leave early, grab the water, and try to be in camp for whatever’s going down.”
That was exactly what Donald had hoped Neil would say and the group immediately got set for bed. None of them wanted to be away from Safe Haven if something big was happening there, but going home without the water was against the rules. Water was life.
2
“Where are you going?”
Cynthia winced at Daryl’s loud voice, but didn’t stop on her way through the gate. “Work. I’ll be back.”
Daryl got a head shake from the guards on the gate when he would have followed her into the sullen darkness. It was an hour before dawn and everyone on duty was grouchy.
“You gonna stop me?” Daryl challenged, suddenly filled with fear for Cynthia.
“If I have to,” Zack stated, coming up behind him. “She has a pass. You don’t.”
“What is she doing?” Daryl demanded. “And why is she doing it alone?”
“She’s bait, of course,” Angela answered tiredly, joining them. Her five hours of sleep hadn’t made her feel better, but time was
winding down on this act. “She volunteered.”
Daryl let out a curse that Angela turned away from. She hadn’t expected any of the males to like it, but they would follow orders. It’s what they’d been trained to do.
“Will she be okay?”
Daryl’s question was met with a short nod from Angela and frowns from everyone else. That was a question they weren’t supposed to ask.
“I can’t keep supporting you if you keep putting our women in danger.”
Angela did stop at that and she rotated with a chilly expression that caused Daryl to retreat a pace.
“Our women.” Angela repeated coldly. “Like you own them.”
“I didn’t say that!” Daryl defended hotly.
Those closest to him put space between them, muttering about people who had to learn the hard way.
“She asked me if she could help. I was going to give the role to you, Daryl. And she knew. She went in your place, to protect you.”
Angered and touched, Daryl’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Angela was furious. “Be careful how far you take that old-world authority you were given. It came from Adrian and I’ve never agreed with it.”
Angela strode to the next ramp, the next ladder of men to check in with, and Daryl stayed where he was. Too confused and emotional to work it out now, Daryl ignored the Eagles who tried to explain his mistake. He’d known as soon as she used it against him, but he couldn’t help feeling as if women weren’t as capable as men. They weren’t, and his mind wouldn’t change about that. It was something he and Cynthia would need to discuss.
“Any word from Seth yet?” Angela asked the man at her side.
Marc fought to keep his own thoughts clear. He agreed with Daryl too much and that still bothered him. “He’s in place. I have him in my grid.”
Angela didn’t tell him she did too. Marc didn’t need to feel useless right now. Come dawn, he would be vital and she needed him confident.
“What else needs to be covered?” Marc asked, sending her some of his energy. She had to be tired.
“Mmm.” Angela leaned against him, protected a bit from the chill in the wind. The higher the gates went, the colder the guards would be while on duty. “Let the tiger out of his cage when the time comes. We’ll need him.”
Marc didn’t like hearing that and he carefully led her to the ground without replying. The information from Adrian had been vague and Marc was suddenly positive that had been intentional.
“Why am I being sent in blind?” Marc asked her as they touched bottom.
“Damn, you’re smart,” Angela praised. “That’s so sexy.”
Marc snorted his amusement, but didn’t let her evade. “Why can’t I know anything?”
“You’re new to fighting this way,” Angela explained. “If we make a mistake and they get to you, they’ll crack your mind pretty quickly. I’m using your human side this time.”
“The killer, you mean,” Marc clarified.
“Yes,” she agreed. “We need him more than anyone else right now.”
From that, Marc understood she had kill orders out on Jack and felt his mental cage open. “I’ll handle it.”
“You may have to,” Angela told him, striding to their command center. “As the Alpha male here, Jack will insist on consuming you if we lose. It’s how his power grows.”
Horrified, Marc opened all his mental doors. “This sick fuck’s goin’ down.”
Angela was satisfied that she had her main fighters in the right frame of mind and she entered the small command tent without concern for the few people already inside, despite not having a personal guard right now. There was only one possible traitor inside these gates and that wouldn’t play out for a while yet. This was as safe as it got.
3
“Why are we stopping?” Adrian asked. He’d had a bad feeling about being alone with Vlad, but he hadn’t expected the man to deviate from Jack’s orders.
“Shut up,” Vlad growled, dismounting. “Heard too much of your voice last night.”
Adrian realized then that he might be in trouble, but it was too late to avoid the dart Vlad blew into his neck as he walked by.
Loaded with triple the normal amount of drugs, Adrian sank under the blackness without a last thought and then slumped over on the horse he’d been put onto as Jack left.
Vlad tossed a tarp over Adrian and weighed it down with a few rocks before mounting his horse and taking off after his boss. As he rode, Vlad went dim. He didn’t know what surprise was coming, but none of Jack’s men were loyal to him and Vlad was the healer in their group. He didn’t think it was coincidence that he’d been sent away and he wasn’t waiting for their backup, who should be arriving by train very soon.
Vlad spurred his horse faster and gathered his power. He would miss the main fight, but in the aftermath, he might go unnoticed and be able to help.
“Or I’ll kill that bitch,” he growled. “If Jack dies, so will she!”
4
“It’s time,” Angela intoned. “Bring the girl.”
“I don’t have Adrian on my grid anymore,” Marc called from the next ramp up.
Angela didn’t answer. She focused on the main road beyond the gate, where a dust cloud was forming. “Shields up!”
Each of the descendants on the gate concentrated and the crimson bubble appeared over them.
“Now shrink it to the gate!” Angela commanded, showing them mentally how to do it. “The gate has to hold.”
“Everyone from the camp is in the cave,” Kenn told her as he joined her on the second ramp. “Jennifer, Doug, and Charlie are on it.”
“They won’t be able to keep our people in there for long,” Angela stated. “We need to get this over with as fast as we can.”
Angela knew the people inside those caves weren’t ready to witness her throwing fire or being hit with it. They had mostly accepted magic now, but not happily or easily. They didn’t need these constant reminders that they were weak in comparison. It would drive wedges too deep and ruin the future.
“What’s going on!”
“Give us guns! Let us in and we’ll help you!”
The shouts from Zone C had been loud and annoying since the Eagles had begun carrying up guns and ammo, but Angela didn’t shut them down.
“Let them yell while they still can,” she murmured when Kenn would have shouted at them.
Kenn didn’t want to follow that thought and took a place next to Tonya. “Surprised you’re here.”
Tonya didn’t take her attention from the foggy landscape she was sweeping with her glasses. “Dawn’s almost here.”
“You feeling okay?”
Kenn’s question was unexpected and Tonya burst out laughing.
Heads swiveled toward them, and the sound of her laughter even silenced the slightly drunken shouts from Zone C.
“That’s sweet,” she got out between laughs. “Fine, really.”
Kenn noticed the bandolier of knives stretched out in front of her and understood she was here because of her skill. “Can you get through their shields?”
“No,” Marc answered. “Just like they can’t get through ours.”
“So why the guns and knives?” Kenn asked, spotting Eagles with extra mags and weapons at hand.
“Because we also can’t fire through our shields,” Angela informed him. Kenn had missed all of her descendant meetings while she was becoming an Eagle. “When they lower to fire, there’s an instant of opportunity. Make it count.”
Angela regarded the little girl now climbing up to her, with Tara right behind.
Missy stopped as she met Angela’s questioning stare.
Tara frowned. “What’s going on here?”
“You can still stop this,” Angela stated. “Will you change your mind and at least speak to him?”
Tara shook her head, paling, and Missy bared her fangs at Angela.
“You promised!” Missy shouted.
“And I’ll ke
ep my word,” Angela stated. “But you have to help.”
“What do you want us to do?” Tara asked, pulling Missy against her.
The little girl winced, but didn’t struggle.
“Tell me how to get him away from his men.”
“Mommy can,” Missy said and dropped her head when Tara’s hands became claws in her shoulders.
“No,” Tara protested. “I can’t do this. You have to do it.”
Angela smiled coolly. “I promised to defend you, not to do your dirty work.”
“He’ll kill me,” Tara gasped out, drawing sympathy.
“If you want freedom,” Angela stated evenly. “You’ll do it. Bring him toward us. As soon as he’s out of range of his pet killers, Missy will tell me and I’ll take it from there.”
Tara had been shaking her head the entire time Angela was talking, but she stopped when she realized she didn’t have to kill him. “Just get him out of range?”
“Yes.”
“O-okay.”
“Great.” Angela grabbed her arm and led her toward the gate. “You can wait for him out there. I’ll watch over your daughter.”
Marc rested a gentle hand on Missy’s shoulder as Angela took her mother down to the gate, still giving instructions.
Missy, who was enjoying herself now, leaned against him like she’d seen the boss lady do. The humming resonated in Marc’s mind. She was cute.
Marc’s heart expanded and he swung the child up onto his hip.
Missy buried her head against Marc’s chest, little arms wrapping around his neck. “You smell good.”
Marc was saved a reply by the gate opening and he frowned as it shut behind two shadows. “Figures.”
Angela stayed with Tara as dawn lit up the mountainside and a group of riders appeared in the road.
“He’s here.” Missy squirmed out of Marc’s hold and took a spot behind the ladder.
Her fear angered Marc and he leapt from the top of the gate to land in front of the women. He clicked his radio twice and then drew both deadly Colts.
