From the Ashes

by Angela White

  “What’s the slop tonight?”

  Charlie grinned at Becky’s joke, aware that the tension seemed to be building. “Ham sandwiches, juice packs, and peanut butter crackers. We’re back to things that don’t use as much water for cooking.”

  Becky took the tray with a grimace. “Better than nothing.”

  Charlie wasn’t used to being around females his own age, and he lingered over the stop. He sensed there might be a lot to learn here.

  Jennifer stayed by the flap, busy reading Becky’s thoughts, her pain. Rick’s ghost was in the back of it all, whispering awful stuff.

  Becky frowned. “You got a staring problem?”

  Jennifer shrugged. “Sorry. Trying to figure something out, is all.”

  Becky stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. “What?”

  “If we could be friends or not, because we’ve been through the same hell. You’re fourteen, right?”

  Becky nodded, surprised out of her anger. “Until October.”

  Jen’s eyes lightened a bit. “I’m the day before Halloween.”

  “I’m the day after,” Becky muttered slowly, not sure if that meant anything.

  She hated being by herself, but it was even worse when Seth was in the training tent. She still had the urge to sneak close and watch. She just wasn’t sure she could handle seeing Neil in there laughing and living like nothing had happened.

  “Maybe we could hang out,” Jennifer offered.

  She is trying to make friends, Becky realized. She’s wasting her time. I don’t need one.

  “Everyone needs friends.”

  “I’m on. It makes me temperamental.” Charlie was trying to interrupt the coming fight.

  He succeeded. Both girls turned to look at him with incredulous expressions.

  “You’re what?”

  “Excuse me?”

  Charlie picked up their thoughts about periods and shook his head, cheeks reddening. “Not like that. I mean my birthday is on Halloween. Girls always think the grossest stuff.”

  Both females caught his mind reading...Becky traced it back to Jennifer.

  Charlie realized what he’d said, and then picked up their shocked awareness. We’re special, all of us.

  The trio stared at each other in stunned surprise.

  Jennifer recovered first. Adrian had said there were a lot of people here like this, but she hadn’t considered that Charlie was one of those, despite who his mother was. Her own hadn’t had a gift.

  “Shoulda known by the wolf,” Jennifer stated, waiting for Becky to get upset. She clearly didn’t have the same powers, though, Jennifer thought maybe the redheaded girl didn’t need a mental ability to be dangerous.

  “So what happens now?” Becky asked slowly. “You guys tell Adrian?”

  She is hiding something, Jennifer thought, shaking her head. “Not me.”

  Charlie was way ahead of them. His own gifts were known and being used. Their abilities were secret... He grinned suddenly. “Maybe Adrian will put us in classes together.”

  It was something the girls hadn’t considered yet and the food trays stayed undelivered as the teens began to discuss sneaking over to the training tent to observe.

  Seth would have told them it was a bad time. The Eagles weren’t adjusting to the changes as well as Adrian had hoped they would.

  8

  “She refuses to even try. She waits and runs the set alone every time.”

  “Same way with the other one. She won’t listen, won’t do it our way, unless a team leader insists.”

  “I don’t know how he thinks this will work if they refuse to cooperate with us.”

  The training tent was full of Eagles supposed to be preparing for their upcoming mission and level test, but work had been delayed for conversation.

  “They aren’t like Angie.”

  “They won’t work with us at all.”

  “Have you wondered why they won’t?”

  Stopping by on his rounds, Zack’s question filled the long canvas with loud, crude suggestions.

  After a minute of not responding to the complaints, the trucker chose not to inspect inside. The only thing wrong in here was all the male whining.

  “Would you bother with a bond if you’d never use it?” Zack snorted from the flap. “Stop thinking of them as women bent on infiltrating. Think of them as a new generation of Eagles, searching for where they belong.”

  His repetition of Angela’s words right before her first test drew attention from those who didn’t know. Since when did Zack support Angela?

  “What do you mean, they won’t work with us?” Seth asked, giving backup to Zack when it appeared that no one else was going to.

  “They will,” Kenn confirmed from a back corner where he was sorting through equipment and being ignored. “They don’t know it yet. When they do, you’ll get their cooperation.”

  “They think they’ll be on all female teams!” Lee exclaimed. “That’s why they don’t care.”

  Kenn was grateful his days of blind rage were over. Now, he could do his job. “Yes. Angela hasn’t gotten to settle their places yet. She’ll handle it. In the meantime, make it clear that they will work with you and things will improve. As soon as they know they need a bond with you, they’ll make one. They want to be here as much as the rest of do.”

  Kenn ducked out of the tent behind Zack, hiding a smirk. Wait until they found out about the other females who were going to join the mix. Then they’d really have something to adjust to.

  Movement near the medical tent drew Kenn, and he watched the usually invisible bubble over Safe Haven glow brighter. He’d noticed the shield not long after the senior Eagles had, a couple weeks now, but it was still hard to ignore. The curiosity it caused was maddening. What was it for? Would it work if they were attacked? The bubble was shielding the camp in small ways, like keeping the cicadas out of the trees inside their perimeter. The camp hadn’t noticed the insects leaving, but the Eagles had. Even wildlife on the ground avoided it.

  As he had the thought, Kenn noticed a small brown snake slither to the edge of the shield and immediately flinch in another direction on stubs. Only the size of half a thumb, the stubs were scaly, and in time, might even function.

  The snake ignored the migrating cicadas that littered the grass, coming straight toward the shield a second time, only to repeat the same behavior.

  But, we can walk through the shield. Kenn’s mind was too intrigued to be revolted by the newest mutation. He headed for Tonya’s tent with wild thoughts flowing. He was hoping to steal some time alone, but Kenn knew where his mind would be.

  Would their magic shield work against bigger problems...like other people?

  Chapter Eight

  1

  “How long have those been in the ground?”

  “Since the week after Angie and I came,” Marc answered, writing down the last of Adrian’s instructions. They’d been on rounds for hours and for once, Marc was glad that their leader always set up camp out of sight of the horrors. Thanks to it, his feet were on rollers instead of concrete. The mellow hills with casual ups and downs were a nice change, even if nothing wanted to sit exactly level.

  “Is that a pumpkin plant?”

  After starting the garden, Adrian had moved on to the hundred other important projects on his list. He’d known when the garden was finished, and that Samantha and others were caring for it, but the vine at the door of the truck had caught his attention.

  “I’m not sure,” Marc answered distractedly. He was ready to check on Angie and then have a cold beer while the camp settled in for the night.

  Samantha climbed out of the first garden semi. “Yes, pumpkin. That’s corn on the other side.”

  She unlocked the door to the second sheared-off semi and hauled herself up into the small, cool jungle. A narrow space of floor had been left in the middle, and Samantha carefully used it to get to the rear of her flourishing garden.

  “Add canning and dehydrat
ing equipment to the supply lists,” Adrian stated, following her.

  Marc stayed in the doorway, taking notes and guarding. Adrian had begun to use him openly. Before it had been FND work. Now he was front-and-center, and the camp liked it. Kenn was still Safe Haven’s XO, but the change in status was clear. Kenn was being punished and possibly even replaced.

  Adrian was amazed by the growth in the semi. Healthy green plants bushed out everywhere, a little crowded as they twined around each other, but clearly not suffering for it. They appeared to have been thinned and evenly spaced for maximum growth. Tomato plants with small green balls covered the first patch on the right, their weak stems tied to stakes with red yarn. Wide cabbage leaves occupied the five feet on the left, roped off with stakes and blue yarn. Corn came behind both of those, the pointed stalks almost up to Samantha’s shoulders.

  There were more plants that Adrian couldn’t identify from where he was, and laminated drawings were stapled to the wall, detailing the entire semi and its contents. The planting dates and watering schedule for each one was also listed. Neil’s tiny scrawl at the bottom confirmed who’d taken the time, probably to please Samantha.

  Adrian joined the woman who was kneeling, pulling the occasional weed and taking large, oval rocks from beneath the soil. The bean plants were two feet tall, with small sprouts. In a week or so, those would be ready.

  Adrian saw the base of the pumpkin plant that had caught his eye. The vines reached the top of the truck’s shorn sides and circled around the staked rails that were currently covered by a thick green tarp. A small number of insects were flying around the truck, one of them a bee. It landed in a yellow flower on the pumpkin plant.

  Adrian pointed. “That is a very good sign.”

  “Yeah. No bees, no crops.” Samantha stood up, wiping her dusty hand on her hips. “We weren’t sure the insects would come in, but we hoped maybe the pumpkin plant had already been pollinated. It was one of the first things we put in here. Found it in a greenhouse. Thought for sure the shock of digging it up would kill it.”

  Adrian smiled. “You’ve done well, Samantha.”

  Samantha’s face glowed. What an incredible feeling that was.

  “I’d like to return something.” She held out a familiar object. “And I’d like to make a donation.”

  Letting go of the past was hard for Samantha, but she was making progress. She hardly ever dreamed of Melvin and Henry anymore. The man she’d killed in NORAD, however, still visited her often. “Give these to the next woman who needs them. I don’t anymore.”

  Adrian took his gun, her Taser and the cartridges, and stowed them away with a small amount of pride. He’d helped another battered woman. It was a small payment made on an insurmountable debt.

  Samantha treaded lightly into the dirt to retrieve the end of the vine that was out of the truck. Bright green with thick leaves, the stem was the size of a man’s thumb. She carefully fed the vine over a wooden rail on the wall where thick circles of it were already coiled, wincing at the sharp, tiny spikes on it. She leaned the flowered tip into the corner where it would immediately start trying to regain the sunlight come dawn.

  “Have you checked the carrots or potatoes yet?” Adrian asked.

  “No. Afraid to disturb them.”

  “You use chemicals to keep the bugs away?”

  “Not directly on the plants,” Samantha explained, digging into the dirt. “Miracle Grow pellets were mixed into the soil, and we use Seven Dust on top of the trucks and around them to keep the bugs out while we’re camped.”

  Adrian was more than pleased, he was relieved. The food that would come from this garden could be canned, dehydrated, and frozen, and they would have fresh vegetables and fruit this fall.

  “What do you need to keep this going?”

  Samantha peered up with a nervous flutter in her stomach. “If I had more water, I could have three times as much growing.”

  Adrian’s mind groaned. Water was something they couldn’t spare, but they had to have the food.

  Samantha stood, eager to score points toward her goal of being chosen as Angela’s XO. “I know where we can get clean water, but it’ll be dangerous.”

  “Do you still need me?” Marc asked from the door, still thinking about Angie and a beer. Let Neil and Jeremy worry over this one.

  “No,” Adrian answered. “Sitrep at morning mess.”

  “You got it.” Marc left them alone.

  “Okay, Sam.” Adrian settled against the only clear wall of the truck. “Where’s the water, and why should I let you go along to collect it?”

  2

  Moving through the camp members, Marc couldn’t stop the grin that drew the attention of every woman in sight. He’d played in Angela’s thick tresses for long, erotic moments last night while tasting her, keeping them right there, doing only that, for almost an hour. He’d left her with swollen lips and the sound of her own ragged breathing ringing in her ears. He was looking forward to doing it again, only this time, he would hold her afterwards and sleep. She was in their new tent now, resting and going over the plans they’d made, and Marc willed his body back to sleep. He was going slowly, making sure she was more than willing, and he didn’t think he’d ever stayed so horny in his life. He’d been a clumsy kid the first time he’d slid between those long legs, and only managed to control himself long enough to please her because of his guilt over her age. Now, he was a man, sharing every bit of sexual ecstasy that he knew how to, including anticipation. By the time he finally took her, the pleasure might kill them both.

  “How does it help to make them wait?”

  Marc jumped, and then snorted out laughter. In his daydreaming, he hadn’t heard Charlie and Dog come up behind him.

  Dog’s auburn coat had begun to show a bit of gray near his mouth and ears, and Marc wasn’t surprised when the filthy animal curled up near them and laid his head down. Even wolves grew weary.

  “Well?” Charlie encouraged, mind still spinning from the new friendship that he’d found today. It had been a shock to discover that Jennifer’s gifts were like his, but it was even more of a surprise to find out that Becky had known about him all along.

  “Anticipation makes it better when you…” Marc stopped himself, changed it around. “You know how you look forward to your training sessions, but the gun classes are your favorite?”

  Charlie did. Being taught by his mom while she also worked with the female rookies was great. He was learning all sorts of things about women.

  “It’s like that. If you got to go straight there before you did any work, it wouldn’t mean as much to you, wouldn’t give as much pleasure.”

  “I’m glad you came now. I’ve never seen mom this happy. Thank you for making her stronger, and…for loving her,” Charlie answered.

  Marc’s heart melted, and he swung an arm around his son’s shoulders. “Love you, too, boy. Just as much.”

  Charlie leaned against him, hugging back. He didn’t say the same, but he felt it, and that was enough. Matt was right to envy him a little. He had a great life now.

  The two males moved toward the tent area in peace, both sending out those good vibes that made most people want to be closer to them. It also made some people long to be them.

  3

  “When are you gonna sign up?”

  “I d-don’t know.”

  “I’m tellin’ you, boy. That’s the only place you need. Become an Eagle and we’re set here.”

  Matt didn’t answer, too busy worrying over the fragile sheet of paper in his father’s clumsy hands.

  “What the hell is this?”

  “Just s-something I drew,” Matt muttered. He’d been sketching happily until Mitch grabbed the book.

  “Haven’t I told you not to waste your time on this garbage?”

  “Yes.”

  Mitch glared with bloodshot eyes. “Then quit doing it!”

  The radioman crumpled up the drawing and tossed it out of the com truck window.
>
  “That w-was mine!” Matt got out and slammed the truck door, drawing attention from the guards over the area. “Why can’t you l-leave me alone? You and Adrian have tak-taken everything else!”

  Mitch got out of the truck, stumbling after his son. “Don’t talks to me that way!”

  “You’re d-drunk on duty again, after he t-told you no more!” Matt sneered. “You need to be guarded too.”

  “I’m a grown man.” Mitch glowered, holding onto the door for support. “I’ve earned the right.”

  The pimply teenager bent down and grabbed his paper before the wind could blow it away. He shoved it into his pocket and scowled at his father.

  “I only came around b-b-because Charlie thought it was a good idea. Now, all I can think about is t-taking your bottle when you pass out!” The teenager stomped around Mitch. “And that means I shouldn’t be here.”

  Too drunk for parenting, Mitch staggered back to the com truck. He’d been drowning his sorrows for most of the day, and he was beat. He climbed into the truck, squinting at shadowy shapes in the distance. Was that the vet, alone in the dark, carrying a body over his shoulder?

  Mitch snickered at his crazy thoughts. Damn good Wild Turkey. He’d have to hit the next bottle a little slower next time, though, and make it last. He shouldn’t be seeing things already. That usually came at the finish of the nightly bottle, not midway through.

  Cynthia was having trouble sleeping. It happened so often since the rest stop that she’d developed the habit of finding something useful to do during those hours. Tonight, she’d been close enough to overhear Mitch and Matt.

  Off-duty and restless, Cynthia trailed after the teenager, but sent a quick hand signal to Kyle as they went by his post. Mitch is drunk.

  I got it, Kyle answered with curt gestures, stomping toward the com truck.

  Cynthia didn’t envy Mitch the chewing out he now had on the way. Kyle hated to be apart from Jennifer, and these shifts on third were hard on him. They gave the mobster a stiff, no-nonsense attitude that Safe Haven’s radioman was about to be beaten with.