by Angela White
“All accounted for,” Lee reported tiredly through Kyle’s shattered window. “We count twenty eight.”
Kyle couldn’t deepen the obvious displeasure already on his face. “Garret had them running 6-man teams. That doesn’t add up.”
Angela looked at Lee.
“Still not answering,” Lee stated before she could ask. “We’ll keep trying.”
Just making it up to the front, Kenn saw Adrian, and Angela locked him down firmly. “Not dead. Doesn’t want them to know. We need to go ASAP.”
“Not so fassst.”
Angela looked through the shattered window frame, staring in the side mirror as Nuna stepped from the rear of their UPV. In her merciless grip, was Ray.
Kyle was also watching in her mirror, and Angela spent exactly three seconds considering a different option. She didn’t find one.
“What is it that you want?” Angela called loudly, motioning to Kenn. She’s not alone.
Nuna pulled Ray closer, arm around his neck, knife to his throat. “You.”
That one word had the Eagles moving closer.
“Stay back!” Nuna shouted, looking like she was prepared to kill Ray. Her eyes were full of it.
Kenn glanced to where Adrian should have been and found Angela’s cold blue eyes giving the expected order.
“Company,” Kyle muttered lowly.
Dozens of Snake women moved into view, surrounding the entire team with guns, knives, and hatred.
“We will be paid for our servicesss,” Nuna stated harshly, dragging Ray into the protection of her girls. “We helped you and lost our leader. You will take her place.”
Kyle started to motion the Eagles to open fire, not sure if they would, and heard Angela give the order.
“Do it now!”
Kenn was in motion as she spoke, unslinging his rifle, grabbing a bare aim and popping off the shot before there was even time to think.
Bang!
Nuna teetered unsteadily in astonishment, letting go of Ray, who slumped to the ground. “You shot him!”
The snake woman sank to her knees, blood bleeding through her scale-covered chest. “You shot...”
As Nuna’s body fell over, the small army of snake women fled.
“Let them go.” Angela ordered, not looking away from the Marine that she had finally made peace with. Kenn was now hers to command.
Kenn lowered the rifle reluctantly. He wasn’t sure letting them go was the best idea, but the other Eagles weren’t going to open fire on females. Not after all their time in Safe Haven. Every one of them had hesitated.
Kyle stared at Kenn with a horrible, peace-delivering realization. He now completely understood why Adrian had chosen and then kept the abusive man. None of them would have been able to do that unless the women had fired first.
And that’s why Angela chose Jennifer for her XO, Kyle thought.
The Eagles had rushed to Ray as soon as they knew the women weren’t going to continue the fight. Two of them tried to stem the flow of blood from his arm as the others helped to load him into the UPV.
“Straight through!” Lee called. “He’ll live.”
“What’s up with the camp?”
Angela couldn’t get a clear read on anything. She was too tired. She ignored Kenn’s question. “You have to convince the men that the bunker was a lie, that it was personal.”
Kenn started to argue, but saw the V in her chin.
“That won’t be easy.”
Angela locked eyes with him. For this to work, he had to get onboard. “Adrian wants his herd to stay together. If they find out the government is coming for him, they’ll split. You have to make this happen.”
Kenn didn’t need to look at those around them to know their expressions were demanding that he give her what she was asking for. “I’ll do my best to cover it.”
Satisfied, she bent down to check on Adrian. “Let’s roll.”
The bullet-ridden UPV was moving toward the still silent camp less than two minutes later.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mergers and Mayhem
5 Miles Southwest of Little Rock
1
The sight of Eagles standing in that familiar formation in front of Safe Haven was enough to make Angela smile despite the fear for Adrian. “They’re okay,” she stated, close enough to read them through the exhaustion. “Marc and Charlie were releasing some tension last night and blew the radios.”
Kyle flipped the headlights and their men rushed to greet them. Lack of contact had worried everyone.
“Marc stays in charge.” Adrian’s weak words came as camp members rushed toward the caution tape.
“You’ll have to deflect as many of them as you can,” Angela told Kyle, shoving against the dented door as alertness began coming into Adrian’s face.
“Once I’m out, put your arm around my shoulders and stay still for a minute, give yourself time to get your legs.”
”I will.” Adrian carefully pulled into a sitting position and slid out of the UPV with a low grunt, doing as she instructed.
“What is it?”
“Are you okay?”
Neil and Zack were instantly concerned and full of questions as they neared the UPV.
Adrian raised his hand, struggling to appear normal as he leaned against the truck. “I’m shot. Marc stays in charge over there. Code Raven over here.”
“How bad is it?”
“Won’t Marc need help?”
Only Kyle didn’t question, and Adrian stepped stiffly towards him, face a wall of stone. “We are Code Raven. You see to it, no matter what.”
“You know it, Boss.”
Doug paralleled Adrian’s determined stride as he headed for the nearest QZ tent.
Kenn kept quiet, hoping to hear that as soon as he was cleared, he would be in charge of the herd.
“You have to go back,” Adrian ordered.
“What?”
“What?”
Adrian grunted lowly at Kenn and Angela’s simultaneous question.
When it became a grimace of pain, they both glanced away in respect.
Adrian kept moving, concentrating on keeping his feet moving and not on the fire in his side and gut. He stopped outside the tent. “Do a perimeter setup, wait for survivors. Handle them as they deserve.”
Adrian ducked determinedly into the comforting privacy of the dark tent.
Out of sight, his legs folded up to his knees and he slumped forward, thumping against the canvas floor. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye as Angela came in, and he fell over gratefully as the darkness swarmed him. He’d rescued Conner and brought Angela home alive. He’d done his duty.
2
Still recovering from the alcohol, Marc took in the situation slower than he normally would have, but came to the correct conclusion. Adrian was down, Angie was in charge, and the returning men were too jumpy for it to be over.
Marc had known when to expect the team, thanks to Angie, and he’d prepared things for it. The QZ, with far too many tents, was fully stocked. There was a shift of guards and gophers standing by, and Li Sing was about to start fresh, hot food. That was something most mission teams went without on these runs. Marc had also tried to clear the schedules of those who would greet their returning men. After all the noises Safe Haven had listened to in growing concern, Marc was sure each member of the team could use some extra care.
Marc didn’t join them or even wave as Angela stood outside Adrian’s tent for a sitrep from the guards. He could see that she was okay, but in this moment, he had a choice to make.
“Only a plan,” he corrected. Angela didn’t know what he was going to do, so she couldn’t protest. From the look of her and the team, he wasn’t positive she would anyway, but Marc wasn’t taking the chance. They would never have another Dean and Dillan situation, not while he was here.
Marc caught Neil’s eye, and the trooper understood to come quietly.
The two men met behind the mess trucks
, and though Marc was nervous about bringing in someone so loyal to following the chain of command, he filled Neil in on his plan.
Neil, who was delighted to be useful to Marc for anything, listened with admiration.
When Marc finished talking, they spent another minute on the details and then went to put the few pieces in place. It required only a schedule switch that would be expected anyway, considering the circumstances. The way they set things up, the two men would be the only ones involved.
3
“Welcome back,” Jennifer said, smiling a bit when Kyle’s eyes widened at her Eagle gear. Marc had personally delivered it this morning.
“You look nice,” Kyle responded warmly. And happier, he thought, curious. He hadn’t had time to gather stories and details yet.
“You look beat.”
Kyle didn’t lie. “I could use some rest.”
Jennifer leaned her head against his arm contentedly. “Me, too.”
Kyle immediately began making plans, and Jennifer allowed herself to curl an arm through his. “When you’re able, I’m there.”
Kyle’s heart pounded heavily. “You can have my back.”
Jennifer nodded, relaxing the rest of the way. “Deal.”
Kyle shoved away the tempting images and returned to his duty. The QZ was alive with activity.
Near the medical tent, Doug and Peggy were talking lightly and Kyle thought that might become a regular ritual after a run. Those two had made their choice, as well.
So has Kenn, the mobster thought, aware of how happy Tonya appeared as she walked into the QZ to meet her man. In another time, they would have had to wait for a secret reunion, but the guards didn’t blink an eye at having the redhead in here now. Things had certainly changed.
Kenn slowed down as he and Tonya neared Kyle, grinning cheerfully. “Nice job, Reece.”
Kyle surprised them all by saying, “Not bad yourself, Mr. Harrison.”
Kenn laughed, voice lowering. “Guess we know who the real hero was, though, don’t we?”
“Yes,” Kyle answered. “We all do. Without Conner’s games and run-arounds, we would have been killed in the first few hours. Garret had a great trap laid out.”
Kenn directed Tonya out of the path of vehicles being re-parked, but lingered to chat.
Kyle allowed it. All grievances were on hold.
4
“I hear you’re settling in.”
Candy and Hilda found Lee in the flap and tension sparked.
He’d told her there had to be a separation, that until she proved her worth to the camp, she would be an outcast because of his big mouth telling people she’d cheated. It had now been long enough that Candy was sure he didn’t want her anymore.
Lee stared. During the fire, she’d been one of the last vehicles into the water, and he’d hated that. She needed to be protected. After some thought, Lee had realized he held the power to provide it. He had all along.
Hilda quietly took the little boy from the tent, clucking over the hair-covered lollipop that he was trying to put into his mouth.
Candy brushed at herself nervously. Her newly striped hair glared out as a mistake–the chartreuse curls were hanging over her face–and she let out a tired sigh. “Hi, Lee.”
He caught the note of fear in those two words, and all the female worries that went along with it.
“Hi, baby.”
Lee limped into the tent, thinking she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen. I still love her, he thought, a bit surprised. He’d thought her affair had killed that rare emotion.
Candy waited for him to speak, not certain of his mood. She wasn’t scared of him, but he held the power to hurt her in many ways.
“I’ve missed you.”
His words made her lips curve. “Really?”
Lee moved close enough to slide a hand behind her neck. “Yeah, baby.”
Candy let him pull her close, surprised and grateful. He didn’t kiss her, but she had the sense that he wanted to.
Candy ran her hands through his shaggy black hair as they hugged. “I’ve got time to trim it before we leave. If you like?”
Lee nodded, surprised again. She’d refused to handle male clients before, and that had included him.
Candy directed him to the barber chair that Adrian had provided and tried not to scold him for all the new injuries she saw on his lean body. She would patch those up, and everything would be fine. He would understand that she’d changed.
Lee held his wife’s hand for a minute, not speaking, just glad to have made it back. There had been a couple times on this run that he hadn’t been sure any of them were coming home.
Candy sighed in pleasure. “Welcome home.”
5
“I’ll relieve you shortly,” Marc told the tired mobster still standing outside the medical tent. “And, at some point, get yourself drunk.”
Kyle grinned in weary surprise, but didn’t stop searching the darkness. It didn’t feel over. “Thanks. I need it.”
Missing his best friend, Marc stepped into the tent, full of unease at so many wounded. A couple of the men were awake, but most were still unconscious, including Adrian.
A few tents over, Dog was stable, but by no means out of the woods. Marc’s demon had been just strong enough to pull the wolf back from death’s hands, but not strong enough to heal him. Marc was hoping Angie would spend a few minutes with the wolf after she’d gotten some rest.
Angela’s eyes popped open, hand dropping to her gun despite knowing they were all safe now. That told Marc exactly how bad Adrian was.
Angela forced herself to stand and stretch. She was sore all over. “How was it being in charge?” she asked, stalling the queries and answers.
“A challenge.”
“It’s certainly not what we pictured when we were alone in that bedroom in Nebraska,” she distracted further.
His expression darkened at the memory. Until recently, it had been his favorite. “No, it’s not even close.”
“But is that all bad, because it didn’t work out the way we hoped it would?”
“No, mostly because it did work out,” Marc answered carefully. “If you’d asked me that two months ago, I may have given a different answer.”
Angela’s tone hardened. “But not now, right? I have your complete support?”
Marc didn’t like the feeling he was getting. “Yes.”
“Good,” she muttered. “I may need it. What did you come in for, other than wanting to actually check for yourself that I’m okay?”
Marc didn’t blink. “Most of the camp is gathered around the tape, waiting for word on Adrian. I’m afraid to even try to budge them without some kind of answer.”
Angela considered. “Tell them he was awake when you came in. I rushed you out, but he didn’t seem that bad to you.”
Marc frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s what he wants. Tell them they’ll see him sometime tomorrow, but that he’ll still be quarantined.
Marc left with a curious glance, and Angela swept the men that were awake and listening.
Before she could say anything, Doug held up the arm that wasn’t broken. “We’ll hold these things for you, the same way we have for him, so long as you’re worthy.”
Doug’s timbre sounded odd to her tired ears, but in her exhaustion, Angela didn’t catch the hint. “I’ll make sure he knows you were with him and what he wants.”
“And we will stand with him on it, until he’s back or dead.”
Angela returned to her chair, not telling them she was prepared to use her last forbidden door to save him. “So will I. He’ll be in charge, where he belongs, as soon as I can get him there.”
Her lids closed, and the men around her exchanged satisfied nods. She didn’t want what was already hers. He’d been right to pick her over the uneasy senior men now roaming the camp and QZ in a slightly selfish daze. Each of them was considering what it would be like to be given the mantle of command. They
didn’t realize that it had already been gifted to someone else.
6
“Why her? She’s only been here for a few months. Nearly every one of us deserves it more based on that,” Tucker stated.
“Clearly, he didn’t base it on seniority. Would you? ‘Cause that would mean Kenn in charge and right now, Tonya as his XO,” Zack defended.
Jax was stunned. “I thought Marc...”
Zack gave the shift of guards the answer that they needed. “Adrian chose the one person that few Eagles or camp members will cross, the one most like him.”
“The one with the same goals,” Lee added, stepping from the shadows. “We will all support her, gentlemen. And crush anyone who gets in her way.”
The message was clear.
Lee checked his watch. “She’ll stay with him until she drops, sleep for a few hours, and then she’ll come searching for help. Be ready.”
Kyle came from behind them, adding, “From this moment forward, there’s an Eagle running things and we don’t take shit from anyone. Let’s make sure she knows it.”
7
“Does that look like a change of command meeting to you?”
“Yup,” Boyd agreed. “They gave leadership to a slit.”
Vince frowned at his go-to guy. “They put a witch in charge. Always classify them that way. It’ll keep you from making the mistakes Hudson and the Major did.”
“We saw the Italian carrying her into the cells,” Boyd reminded. “She won’t have those powers until dawn at the earliest.”
Vince wasn’t sure Boyd understood her kind was dangerous with or without power, but didn’t argue the point. “Set up a perimeter and get their patrol schedule down. We’ll also have to plan for her guards. The Italian was Mitchel’s killer. She’ll have her own.”
Boyd went to the front of the room in the power plant outbuilding that they were sheltering in. Their team was waiting patiently to make these Safe Haven people pay for the Major’s defeat.
Vince was also reluctantly considering a fourth option. He could leave. That’s what he had done in the past when the feeling of doom came, and the nagging whisper he’d listened to before was currently screaming. He might not walk away from this one, and instinct said to go on a patrol and not come back.
