Where We Stand

by Angela White

  Cynthia’s heart sped up. “Yeah. Quitters usually do.”

  “Angela didn’t appear upset.”

  “No, she didn’t. I noticed that, too.”

  Kevin got closer, picking out the signs of guilt. “You did good by him. Someone else will, too. She’s out to find him a new home now.”

  Cynthia’s shoulders relaxed. “I thought they would vote him out. I’m glad he’s earned another chance.”

  Kevin didn’t say the boy hadn’t, that Matt hadn’t even been punished as far as he was concerned.

  “Do you have plans for that free time?”

  “Not yet,” Cynthia murmured, staring at his wide chest. “What do you think I should do?”

  Kevin brought them within inches of each other. “I could whisper a few things in your ear.”

  Cynthia blushed. “In public? I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”

  Kevin knew her history. “I am. It’s what I need. I can’t be hidden like Jeremy was.”

  “It’s different now,” she protested, not expecting the serious words.

  “Yes, it is. You’re free and I’d like to spend some of that time with you.” Kevin leaned in, hoping he wasn’t pushing too fast. “I’d love to love you.”

  Cynthia’s breath caught as his lips neared hers. “For how long?”

  “Does forever work for you?”

  Cynthia tensed, scowling. “It’s way too soon…”

  Kevin kissed her softly, ending the lie and starting a fire the reporter had no way to escape. The love in that instant was clear to them both.

  Cynthia’s arms wound around his neck, melting against him, and their shadow spun from the area.

  “Gonna pawn me off on someone else,” Matt stewed, staying to the perimeter. “Just toss me aside.”

  Matt ducked under the tape where Kevin was supposed to be on duty, and slid into the com truck. “Maybe I’ll take care of you all.”

  He picked up the mic without any remorse and changed the channel to the one he’d only recently learned.

  “I can only send this once, so someone write it down…”

  Angela listened to the call, furious and horribly guilty. She’d helped drive him to this, set it up, and the worst was yet to come.

  Instead of grabbing him or shouting for an Eagle, Angela returned to the medical area like she hadn’t heard the call that would doom plan A and all of the others.

  5

  “Time for the count off,” Angela instructed cheerfully over the radio. “I’m here. Next?”

  Angela hung up the mic, knowing Kevin would keep it going, and glanced at her driver. Conner and Charlie were riding with Adrian, while she had Kyle and Jennifer. The strongest in the front and rear.

  Kyle started the big rig as Jennifer got settled in the plush bunk behind them. She’d been helping the sisters direct traffic and Kyle could tell how happy she was to have been useful in some way.

  Angela lowered her sunglasses. “Let’s roll.”

  Kyle shifted and got them moving. A hum of power filled the truck and he looked over to find her lids closed and gray hair standing out like a sun glare. He quickly glanced away.

  Angela sighed. She’d been allowed to help Marc, but even though she had a credit left to use, a payment was still required and it would be deducted. Right now, it was her hair turning gray. Later, it would be other, harsher changes. Keeping a reserve store of energy was important and she hadn’t realized how much.

  “When it clears, send Kevin a message. Tell him I want to hear us on every channel. Let no call go unheard.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  Angela respected the lack of fear. Kyle was only afraid of one thing and it wasn’t the protests of the men. “That’s part of why I gave you third over the others. Neil helped Brady and he’s against abuse, but he dreaded speaking up until there was support.”

  “He wanted to secure his place first,” Kyle agreed.

  “Yes, but you only wanted to find out what Kenn was hiding, and you didn’t care if he was popular with everyone.”

  “I’ve never trusted him.”

  “Only Adrian has.”

  “Adrian called him fate’s wildcard when he first joined us, and I understand that a lot more after Little Rock. We wouldn’t have gotten everyone out of there without him.”

  “I know. He’s Adrian’s, and there isn’t anything the Boss wants that Kenn won’t try to accomplish.”

  “Like with you and Brady,” Kyle commented.

  Angela forced an agreement. “Yeah. Just like us.”

  6

  Their late lunch stop had been uneventful except for Doug shoving Roger Sawyer into the mud for asking Peggy to sit with him. The camp had enjoyed the show. Even Becky and Seth had congratulated the couple, and Angela hadn’t scolded the big man for the violence. It’s not like Roger hadn’t known they were spending time together. Everyone knew it.

  Angela hung back as Marc started the Eagles on repacking. Their car switches and fueling were finished, and he was eager to get them on the road. Angela understood. It wasn’t home unless they were camped.

  Angela spotted Anne ducking into the medical camper and then two more women joined her. Their furtive actions were getting attention from the Eagles, but Angela denied any action when Zack gave her a questioning look. Anne and Hilda were working on something and Angela had no intentions of interrupting them. She needed all the support they could gather.

  The kids spent most of the stop inside a training tent with a lesson designed to keep them occupied. The teenagers were already restless from so much time in the vehicles and Angela wasn’t keen on any of them sneaking off to explore on their own. While it appeared deserted here, and felt the same, there was no need to be reckless.

  The rescued trader kids were sometimes in classes with her team or the Jr. Eagles now, and while it made everyone curious, no one asked. They all assumed, correctly, that it was a part of her plan to save the herd. It was also to get the Eagles, both sexes, to spend time around these special children. She hadn’t forgotten a single vision of Adrian’s dream to protect their future breeders. In fact, she was counting on these bond to keep some of the top men in place to protect their chosen girls. It was something that implied she had no faith they would win, though, and she didn’t tell them.

  When Angela gave Marc the signal to start packing it all up, the camp followed without protest. St. Charles, Arkansas was depressing and they were all anticipating only nature around them again after the first shift of travel.

  The land around them was thick and muddy, with long, snake-like trenches that ran brown with silt. The overflow ponds and drainage routes had become blocked by debris and the result was half woodland, half swampy field.

  Angela had decided to drive straight-through and it was a comfort to have her Eagles at posts along the way. The clearing crew was standing watch at the Springs, and their escorts had been left at posts along the road. As the convoy went by these protected intersections, teams of men were also sent out to the nearby towns to collect any survivors that she sensed.

  The camp around them accepted this newest deviation from Adrian’s routine without much grumbling. Word was starting to get around that the government was coming, that every extra hand was one they needed.

  Angela wasn’t concerned yet. Until the rumor was confirmed, it was only the same gossip they had been dealing with all along. When she told them it was true, that was the moment they might stampede. If she didn’t have the right words to go with that bomb, they would run.

  “But you do have them, don’t you?”

  Angela nodded at the comment from the Witch. “Yes, but it has to be perfect. We’ll do the signup sheet next. After that, one last setup.”

  The Witch began to pull energy from the cars closest to them and Angela sighed in pleasure. Now she knew why Adrian always let Kenn drive. That Marine was currently helping Brady round up strays.

  Adrian was in the car three places from the re
ar and it had bothered Angela to give him that. He’d insisted on being there to make sure no one was left behind, though, and she hadn’t argued. He had to feel left out.

  “It’s more than that and you know it.”

  Angela had worse issues than Adrian’s state of mind. She was now playing a dangerous game with all of their lives, and most of the plan hinged on a fourteen-year-old boy and his alcoholic father.

  “You’ve covered the possibilities,” the Witch soothed. “Try to relax, store a reserve.”

  First in a line of almost two hundred, Angela ignored the request and began searching for any other survivors she might have missed during her last search.

  7

  “Can we talk to you about something?”

  Trying to enjoy the last of the afternoon sunlight, Samantha glanced up from the map. “What?”

  Her surly tone wasn’t comforting, but Neil pushed on in Jeremy’s sudden silence.

  “You don’t look well.”

  Sam grunted. She didn’t feel well. “So?”

  The men exchanged looks.

  “We, uh... we want you to go get checked out.”

  “I already made an appointment with John. It’s a cold.”

  “We meant with Adrian.”

  Samantha gawked Neil. “For what?”

  “Your… radar is off.”

  Jeremy spoke up, voice careful. “Not off, exactly. Your predicting differently, is all.”

  Sam turned to glare in the rear. “What do you mean?”

  Jeremy glanced at Neil in the mirror. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say.

  “We’re seeing it now, in our dreams,” Neil stated.

  Samantha was startled for about a second. With the bonds they were creating, she should have expected that.

  “Power rubs off, remember? You’re doing it yourselves.” She revealed her fear, her failure. “Doing it for me, because you know I haven’t been.”

  Now they were the ones surprised and Samantha heaved a miserable sigh. “It’s gone. I can’t pick anything up.”

  And it’s a relief to know you’ve been able to, she thought, not wanting the camp to be unprotected. How long it would last was unknown.

  “We’ll get you time with Angela,” Jeremy offered.

  “It’s a cold or something blocking me. It’s happened before,” Samantha hedged.

  Both men knew she was lying. Neil put his foot down. “Adrian, Angela, or John. Take your pick.”

  Sam looked out the window, picking out skeletons and debris in the fading light. “John.”

  Not satisfied, but unable to argue, neither man protested.

  “As soon as camp’s settled.”

  “Okay.” Samantha tried to find a comfortable position, but her pain refused to be soothed. The aching had become a steady pound that was making her stomach rock.

  Neil and Jeremy both made mental notes to talk to someone other than John about it, though they each chose a different leader. Between them, they expected to have an answer that explained things within the next couple days. They didn’t want to push her into anything, but looking out for Samantha was necessary. She didn’t always care for herself until things had become dangerous.

  Samantha knew they were worried. She was, too. She’d had times when she couldn’t pick anything up from nature, but that had only been during traumatic events. She was terrified that her gifts were fading, had faded, and that her time for being useful had come and gone.

  Pain lanced through Sam’s head and she tried to cushion it with her arm, eyes clenched shut. She’d taken pills, and tried to avoid noise and light, but nothing was helping.

  Neil had a good view of her profile, and his lips tightened a bit more each time she grimaced. He began avoiding the bumps and ruts, and caused them to fall behind.

  Jeremy didn’t like the gaps between cars, but he was also observing her face, using the mirror. He opened his mouth to offer a suggestion...

  “Yes, and do it now,” Neil interrupted. “We’re lagging.”

  Jeremy rose up and hit the button to lean Samantha’s seat back. As she floundered, he leaned over and slid a big arm around her waist. He pulled her onto his lap and used his foot to push the seat up.

  Jeremy let her adjust and moan, cradling her loosely until she grew still. When he was sure she wasn’t going to fight, he pulled his jacket from the seat next to them and awkwardly tossed it over her shoulders.

  “Try some sleep.”

  Samantha wanted to be angry at the manhandling, but her head was throbbing harder than it had been, and she carefully rested against his shoulder. His warm hand came up to her shoulder, supporting her, and Samantha shoved herself into the darkness to escape the pain.

  “Straight to John?” Jeremy asked when he was sure she was sleeping. The Samantha they knew should be taking his balls off.

  “Adrian,” Neil ordered. “It’s no coincidence that she’s sick, and her gifts aren’t working normally. Something’s going on with that side of her and John won’t be able to help.”

  8

  “I’d like to leave for a little while.”

  Marc stiffened at the Demon’s request. “Who’s stopping you?”

  “I have to have permission.”

  Marc sighed. “Where are you going?”

  “To visit the Witch.”

  Marc gave his consent without asking anything else. He assumed the demon would feed the Witch and Angela wouldn’t have to draw. She certainly wasn’t going to take from him willingly right now.

  It was an assumption that the demon allowed Marc to form. When he spent time with the Witch, she was in the lead and they traveled further than he’d ever dreamed of.

  Marc didn’t notice the difference, he’d been ignoring the demon for too long and wasn’t accustomed to the way it felt when they were together or apart. He still wasn’t ready to accept it, but he had to admit that the advice from the demon had been solid. Only he’d used it on Angela, not Charlie.

  Marc waved at the last car to roll ahead of his, then gave the all clear on the radio. They’d made a quick refueling and food stop, but they were on the road now, with roughly ten hours left to go. The two supply teams that had gone out would catch up at the Springs.

  Running on high alert, Marc keyed the radio. “Check-in, Kevin. Get on it.”

  The radio lit up an instant later and Marc returned to scanning their ass for signs of problems.

  9

  A few vehicles ahead of Marc, Adrian had the boys doing the same thing while he tried to find holes in Angela’s plan. So far, there weren’t any. She’d accounted, and the work was already starting.

  Conner and Conner had the backseat, Kenn driving, and it had been a long, sometimes awkward ride. They’d told Conner to keep quiet about Tonya, and Kenn had sensed the boy was keeping something from him. He hadn’t called him on it, though, and Adrian didn’t think he would. Kenn was too busy avoiding the next prank.

  Adrian chuckled at the images of Kenn searching for the next mistake-in-waiting to be triggered. There hadn’t been one recently, but there was a feeling of something coming–something bigger.

  “You okay?”

  Adrian grunted. “Be better when we’re parked for a while.”

  Kenn chuckled. “You sound like a camp member.”

  Adrian’s voice dropped into monotones. “That’s what I am.”

  Kenn didn’t like the instant wave of depression. Adrian’s moods were up and down, almost unpredictable, and Kenn was sure his previous observations were right. It was time to do something.

  “What do you think about extending the magic classes to a few of the lower-level men?”

  “Up to Angela, but I don’t see why not,” Adrian conceded.

  Kenn kept his tone light. “I’ll mention it to her, if you’d rather not.”

  Adrian glared at Kenn for a long moment where the Marine refused to squirm.

  “I’ll do it,” Adrian said finally, tone unreadable.

  Kenn
continued, aware of their mostly-occupied audience in the backseat. “I’m almost done with the tags.”

  Adrian didn’t answer. After fourteen hours on the road, there was little patience left for small talk.

  “Should I deliver them after the next Level test?”

  “Yes.” Adrian paused. “Except for the top people. I’ll handle those.”

  “I’ve got you set up in the wing this time, with a few appointments. Neil and Jeremy insisted on being first. It’s something about Samantha,” Kenn informed her.

  “That’s fine.”

  The updates and details went on in the front of the Blazer. In the rear, both boys had earbuds on and game systems in their hands, but they’d long passed boredom. Playing the same Mario mini-game, they would occasionally remove an earbud to give a direction or compare scores. Not quite friends yet, both were clearly hoping for it to happen.

  “Hey, look!” Conner grabbed attention. He’d just cleared a board and done a stretch while it was saving. “Behind us.”

  The Blazer slowed, turning a bit, and all of them were able to view the endless line of ants in the distance. They advanced steadily along the dirt and road, like such travel was routine for so large a pack.

  “Not a pack,” Adrian murmured. “The entire colony.”

  Kenn agreed. There had to be thousands of them for his human vision to pick out the movement through rainy glass at this range. “Did you give her something for that?”

  “She has her own something for it,” Adrian stated.

  “What?”

  “You’ll find out with the rest of us. She said to linger at the rear of the pack after our final stop,” Adrian said. “And to keep Dog away. He flat out refused to try communicating.”

  A bit resentful that he’d been left out of that loop, Kenn was also curious and unable to deny the tiny bit of apprehension that he felt for Angela. If these things she’d started didn’t pan out, faith and support might vanish and he didn’t want that to happen until Adrian was ready to take over.

  The radio crackled. “There’s a small problem we don’t want to fight with. Nothing serious. We’re going to do a turnaround and take another path.”

  Angela’s voice was calm, and Adrian heard no panic as people began to copy the transmission.