Mary nodded but didn’t reply. Apparently exhausted from the effort of sitting up and talking, she leaned back against the tree again and closed her eyes. After a moment, she said, “Thanks, Cassy. I knew you were a good person, with a good head on your shoulders. It’s why you and Frank are our unspoken leaders, yeah? Anyway, I need to rest. Have a good night, sweetie.”
Cassy smiled. Then she stood and walked back to her log “bench” and sat. She looked around at the campers. These were all her people now. Hers, and Frank’s. She just hoped they could keep their bullshit under wraps long enough to get to her farm. Then she passed time running a headcount.
And half-stood, then froze. No no no… Where the hell were Amber and Ethan? Goddammit. She turned to look at Jed; he and Michael were peering at the ground and screwing around with cans on a string still, but that wouldn’t last long.
Cursing like a sailor under her breath, Cassy began the rounds of the camp, looking for the missing idiots and feeling sorry for herself that she had to babysit grown adults.
- 12 -
2300 HOURS - ZERO DAY +7
ETHAN AND AMBER sat in one of the lean-tos, the only one that offered any real privacy. He sat as far from her as possible, not yet comfortable with anything more than sitting and talking. But damn, she looked so pretty in the half-light from the fire. Jed didn’t know what a good thing he had, and someday soon it would bite him in the ass.
As far as Ethan was concerned it couldn’t happen fast enough, but for here and now, until they were safely at Cassy’s farm, what he was doing now was as much as he was willing to risk. Amber seemed to understand, thankfully, because she made no effort to move closer. She just smiled at him, and they talked and made jokes at each other’s expense. Sometimes rather crude or suggestive jokes, but they were only words, right? He tried to convince himself there was no harm in that.
Ethan continued, “So then Thalis, my DK, or Dark Knight, did a Mirror Blur to boost his DPS and went all ‘fists of fury’ on the Shaman while Moktar, the Bard, did his Flute of Speed maneuver to dart past their last tank, I think he was a straight Fighter, and we took their Pennant. And so my Stalwart Blades took yet another castle from those noobs and got, I think, like two thousand Rep!”
Amber smiled and then pretended to yawn. “You already told me this one, oh mighty Thalis. You do know that sounds an awful lot like phallus, right?” She snickered, and Ethan made a big show of having hurt feelings. Amber rolled her eyes and said, “Don’t be like that. It’s not my fault you got all Freudian with your name.”
Ethan chuckled, and couldn’t seem to look away from her beautiful eyes. What an amazing woman. “Two thousand Rep is nothing to sneeze at, I swear! We used it to add a level three Enchanting Apparatus to our guild hall.”
“Oh? And is it enchanting? Your ‘apparatus,’ I mean.” Amber said it with a straight face, but Ethan saw her eyes crinkle in that alluring way they did whenever she was making a deadpan joke at someone’s expense.
“Oh yeah. Level three enchanting, bay-bee! With that, you can work the Apparatus for an hour, four times a day.”
Amber choked. “You wish, perv!”
Ethan was about to laugh, too, when the lean-to’s flap was thrown open. He looked up in surprise and saw Jed standing in the opening. Jed’s eyes were narrowed to slits, and he stood with his hands at his sides balled into fists.
“You sonuvabitch. You think you can just move in on a man’s wife? Get up, you bastard. Get up, or I’ll kick your ass sittin’ down.” Jed’s voice was flat and emotionless, but his eyes told a different story.
A jolt of fear shot up Ethan’s spine. “Wait, Jed, we weren’t doing anything, I swear! I was telling her about a castle raid, that’s all!”
Another voice, from outside: “What the hell are you doing, Jed?”
It was Michael’s voice, and it had the weird, monotone sound Michael got when he was in combat mode. Ethan had a brief hope that Michael would pull Jed away, but that hope was quickly dashed when Michael continued, “And what the fuck is your wife doing in there with Ethan…”
Jed snarled, “Getting his ass curb-stomped, that’s what.”
Amber stood up and got face to face with Jed. “Stop this! We weren’t doing anything wrong, Jed. Why the hell are you such a jealous prick? You think I don’t see how you look at Jaz? Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m your damn husband, that’s who,” said Jed, and Ethan thought he looked about ready to hit his wife.
From what Amber said, Jed had never struck her in anger, but he looked ready to do so now. Ethan felt his initial fear turning into anger, and a deep need to get Amber away from Jed. Right now. “Jed, I know you’re angry, but she didn’t do anything wrong. There’s no need for this. Just take a step back, and don’t do something you’ll regret in ten minutes.”
Jed’s eyes flicked back to Ethan, and his face was flushed red. “You threatening me, boy? Please say you are.”
Michael had been watching the exchange passively, but apparently came to a decision because he reached his hand out and put it on Jed’s chest, restraining him and even pushing him back a little. “Jed, it ain’t worth it. Not here, not now, and not in front of the whole damn clan. Kids, Jed. They don’t need to see this.”
That seemed to get through to him. Ethan saw Jed slowly and deliberately unclench his fists as he took half a step back, away from Amber. “This ain’t over with, geek. Not by a mile. Stay away from my bitch, y’hear?”
There was a commotion outside the lean-to, and Ethan saw the rest of the adults shuffling into view, all asking the same questions at the same time. What was going on, who did what, the usual questions.
“Well, I was talking to Amber about a castle raid my guild did in a game I played a lot before the lights went out. Jed here seems to think it was more than that, and wants to defend his wife’s and his honor, but Michael points out that the kids don’t need to see us fighting. That’s all, so far.” Ethan’s eyes never left Jed’s. Let the redneck take a swing, Ethan thought, and he’d find out what Hapkido could do against a brawler… How dare he talk about Amber like that.
Michael frowned and said, “Well, Amber, it doesn’t take a Marine Scout to notice how you two have been rather cozy lately. If it was Tiffany and Ethan, I’d probably have already taken him out back to work out who’s right.”
Amber stiffened. “We’ve done nothing wrong, Michael. There’s no law against talking, and that’s all it’s been. I’m married, after all.”
Frank coughed once, and all heads turned to him. “Ethan, no one’s going to fight here. Not over this, not yet. But you must understand what it looks like, and how a husband would feel about his wife being overly friendly with another man.”
Ethan clenched is jaw and paused a second to consider his words. Then he said, “Frank, Jed, Michael. I can understand how a man might feel about that if that man wasn’t doing the same thing with a beautiful young woman who isn’t his wife, and if there was anything going on between his wife and another man. But Jed, you spend more time with Jasmine than Amber does with me because she respects you as her husband. Maybe she was just feeling a little left out and needed someone to talk to about something other than your relationship issues. Maybe Amber’s feelings are hurt, and maybe she’s insecure what with you spending so much time with Jaz. Either way, though, I swear to you that she’s done nothing to violate your trust.”
Jed slowly unclenched his fists, and took a deep breath.
But then Ethan narrowed his eyes and added, “Can you say the same, Jed?” The prick had probably at least kissed Jaz, he figured, considering how those two made goo goo eyes at each other all the time.
Jed roared and leapt toward Ethan with a snarl on his face.
Before he could get within striking distance, however, Michael grabbed Jed around the waist and by sheer strength dragged him away from Ethan. “Jed! Stop this. Right. Now!” barked Michael, and the iron tones of military discipline in his
voice brought Jed to an abrupt halt.
Cassy stepped between Ethan and Jed, who was a couple yards away with Michael, now. “Stop this at once! You’re both acting like you’re in goddamn high school. We’re a clan, right? So act like it. Ethan’s right, Jed—you do spend all your time with Jasmine. You and Amber had problems even before the lights went out, right? So maybe just think about this—think about what you want, what you really want.”
Jed had regained control of himself, Ethan noted. Smug little bastard. Oh sure, he was all high and mighty about marriage vows when his wife only talked to another man, but trying to dip his wick in a woman almost half his age was fine? Total bullshit.
* * *
Peter watched the spy’s camp through his scope, which he’d unclicked from his rifle to make it easier. Here in these woods, he wouldn’t need the scope to shoot a bear, or whatever.
He chuckled when he saw the plump guy with some geek tee shirt almost come to blows with the wiry rough-neck who wore the straw cowboy hat. The soldier—or at least, he moved and acted like a soldier—broke it up before anyone got to swing a punch, but it was clear that whatever the argument was about had the spy’s group split down the middle. The cowboy, the soldier, and the older guy who Peter assumed was the group’s leader were on one side; the geek, the spy, the old lady, the three wives, and the hot young piece of ass were on the other. Peter’s money was on the three men if it came to a fight between them.
As he watched, the cluster of people broke apart, and they all seemed to just go about their business, but Peter noticed that the two “sides” from the argument were keeping mostly separate from each other. He was surprised to see the young woman, whom he had begun to think of as “Hotlips”—a name from an old TV show—was clearly on the geek’s side. Surprised, because from what Peter had seen she seemed to be always hovering around Cowboy. Of course, Cowboy’s wife had been doing the same thing with Geek. So, whatever was going on there, it had clearly blown up in all their faces.
Good. The rat bastards deserved it. If a man couldn’t trust his wife, a little kicking ass was only right. Cowboy’s wife shoulda kept her pants on, no matter what her man was doing with Hotlips. Dudes were just wired that way, he decided, and women needed to lighten up about it.
Peter grew bored watching them and sat down, leaning against a tree. He pulled out his pocket-sized journal, a brown leather-wrapped journal he’d picked up from some big-box chain book store. He hadn’t used it before the lights went out, but now he kept meticulous notes about everything he saw his prey and her group doing. He’d also taken to keeping a sketch map of his journey with detailed notes, as well, marking down every encounter, every danger, every possible place to resupply his own people when he led them to the Promised Land. If his folk ran low on supplies on the journey, a good leader would know where to raid for more. And he, Peter Ixin, was going to be a great leader.
Peter became drowsy as he thought about the perks he’d enjoy once he took over leadership of his people. Maybe he’d spare Hotlips when they killed the spy and her group because damn she had a nice ass and a great rack. Hell, the slut would probably love to be under the wing of Peter the Great… Bitches were all the same that way, as far as he was concerned. But if he spared her, she was sure as shit gonna earn his mercy.
Peter smiled at the thought and then drifted into sleep. His dreams that night were both naughty and nice.
- 13 -
0800 HOURS - ZERO DAY +8
CASSY FOUND IT easier to keep up with the group today than she had yesterday. Her shoulder just didn’t hurt like hell anymore, though she still couldn’t really use her right arm. Given that the clan seemed split down the middle about the issue with Amber and Ethan, Jed’s group might not have waited for Ethan’s group to keep up during the day’s travels, which would have been dangerous, but Mary was still limping from the snake bite. To Cassy’s relief, that meant the clan traveled more or less together. Safer that way, and more chances to heal the rift. At least, she hoped they could heal it.
Mandy hovered nearby as they traveled, always keeping an eye on her daughter. Cassy found it both annoying and comforting. “So, about this Jed thing,” Mandy said, “why do you think he’s so upset? Everyone in the clan has seen the googly eyes he makes at Jasmine.”
Cassy shrugged, then regretted it as the ache in her shoulder briefly flared up. “I don’t know, Mom. It boils down to pride, I imagine.”
“One of the seven deadly sins, Pride is. And maybe it means Jed won’t feel better until his pride is healed.”
Cassy thought about that for a minute as they walked. “What will it take to fix the problem, do you think? Something other than giving it up to Jesus in prayer, please.”
Mandy frowned. “Don’t dismiss the power of prayer. I’ve heard you pray when things get really bad, and it tends to work out for you.”
“Maybe. But Mom, what we need right now is something we can do to help. ‘God helps those who help themselves,’ right?”
“Yes, of course. We can’t just sit around and wait for God to fix our problems, but that doesn’t mean we can’t lean on His blessings when we need them.” Mandy paused and shook her head as if clearing out what she thought of as her “preacher mode,” since Cassy sometimes had trouble hearing past it. “Anyway, this is an old argument. For the Jed Problem, I think Amber needs to stay away from Ethan until Jed decides what he wants to do about Jasmine. He’ll have to be the one to make the first real move, or he’ll never forgive either Amber or Ethan. Or maybe they should recommit themselves to their own darn spouses.”
Cassy ran that around in her mind for a while as they walked. It would definitely be easier if Jed and Amber just fixed things up, but those two had problems even before the lights went out. It just didn’t seem very likely both of them would decide to patch things up. That meant someone was likely to “cheat” on the other. And it seemed obvious to Cassy that it mattered a great deal who made the first move.
“Ethan,” she said as she sidled up to him. “So, I need to talk to you. Got a minute?”
Ethan smiled at her. “Sure thing, I can push back my lunch meeting with Accounting. What’s up?”
“I know Amber means a lot to you. Or she seems to. Am I right? Do you really care for her?”
“Damn, Cassy. I only just met her. But I guess if I’m honest, I’d say that she’s pretty damn amazing. I have no idea why she’s with Jed because she’s far smarter, but then again intelligence isn’t the only thing that draws people together. They must have had something in common at one point.”
Cassy said, “From what I’ve seen, everyone here is Good People—Jed included. He’s not the most educated guy, but he’s smart. He knows a lot about farming, and from what I’ve heard he can fix almost any machine—I can’t do that despite my fancy degree.”
Ethan let out a deep breath, and his shoulders seemed to sag like a tension had left him. “Yeah… I can’t do that either. I can change my car’s oil, that sort of thing. But what’s your point, Cassy?”
“Just this. If he’s a good man, and if he’s got skills the clan will definitely need to survive, then I need—no, we all need—for you two to get along. We need you both, desperately. It’s the whole reason I signed up for this ‘clan’ thing. No one of us has all the skills we’ll need to survive the winter, much less the year after. So, I need to ask you a favor, Ethan.”
Ethan walked in silence for a couple of minutes, and Cassy let him stew in his own thoughts for a while. She knew he was a good man too, and smart, but damn if she would get what she wanted by pushing or bullying him…
Finally, Ethan said, “So, what do you need from me? What does the clan need?”
Cassy smiled and put her good hand on his arm, reassuringly. Then she said, “From what I’ve seen, Amber is pretty into you.” She paused as a smile washed over Ethan’s face, but it was quickly suppressed. “You two may be a great fit in this dark new world, but for that to happen in a way that’s good f
or everyone, it has to happen on Jed’s timeline. That’s his wife, and he has his stubborn Dude Pride, just like you do. All I’m asking is that you put the brakes on things until Jed sorts out what he wants and tells Amber himself. Just let him set the pace. Be the better man. Can I count on you?”
Ethan nodded, the movement barely visible, but at least it was a damn agreement. Cassy could only hope he’d follow through. If they were to have the best chance to survive this, the whole clan needed Ethan to go along and get along, at least for now.
“Fine, Cassy. It isn’t right, but I see your point. Maybe the best chance for all of us to find our happy in this bullshit world we’re in is for us to do this your way.”
Cassy saw him force a smile, and she smiled back. Over his shoulder, she saw Mandy nodding in approval. Thank God, because she needed her mom’s help to manage the homestead, when they got there. No one could organize a household and manage children like Mandy. Plus, her mom could make her life miserable if she thought Cassy was pushing for a bad solution. Jesus, managing all these people was exhausting.
* * *
Two hours later, Jaz somehow found herself walking near Jed. Yeah, right… So like, okay, she wanted to talk to him. Whatever. She lost her train of thought as she watched Jed, the muscles rippling under his jeans and his shirt as they walked over the uneven ground. The dude was not just hot. He also had a good head on his shoulders, and a good heart. Someone who could take care of her, yeah, but also a guy who could help her get her shit together.
Jed glanced at her and saw her staring at him, and a wide grin flashed across his face. “Well hello there, girl. I thought you weren’t talkin’ to me anymore, on account of the thing with Ethan.”
Dark New World (Book 2): EMP Exodus Page 8
