"Fine."
"Have you seen Jill?"
"Yeah, she relieved me in tower one."
"When I finish eating, I'll go find her and talk to her. Nia's on board with going outside."
Mark shoved the last bite of food into his mouth and stood. "I'll talk to Jill. Do you want us to stay on our regular perimeter check schedule, but do the checks from the outside instead of the inside?"
Randi lifted a shoulder. "What do y'all think?"
"It works for me." Ethan took his and Mark's plates. "I'll wash them. You talk to Jill, before you and Nia head out."
"I'll join you and Nia for rounds. Can't sleep anyway." Josh continued to glower.
"Thanks, man." Mark thwacked his brother on the back of the head. "We need to have a talk, later. I'll have Nia drive the inside on an ATV while we check the outside."
Josh glared at his brother as he left, then he turned his attention to Randi. "Is everything okay? You and Mark seemed to be in a serious discussion?"
"Yep. Everything's just hunky dory." She shoveled in the rest of her eggs as quickly as she could. Josh glared at her. She shifted in her seat. Her skin tingled. Whatever. She didn't care he was angry at his brother for no reason or why his glare made her feel like she'd done something wrong.
Josh drove into the perimeter and parked. He turned to Mark. "This is the general area where Randi thought she saw someone watching. Let's check it out on foot, but don't wander off." His mind flashed back to the infected pinning him to fence. He shuddered. If Jill hadn't come out then…. They crept along through the trees. Nothing. No one was there, but a cold sweat broke out over Josh's body. Something was off.
Mark shrugged. "There are no signs of anyone having set up camp out here. Or even having been here. If we have watchers, they're good at hiding their tracks."
They continued searching for footprints, broken twigs, and crushed leaves outside of the fences. As they drew near to the gate, a family pulled up in a Camry. "Hey Mark, hang back a bit."
A short, chubby man with skin the color of milk chocolate climbed out of the car. He raised his arms above his head. "Hey, we aren't here to cause trouble." He motioned to his family in the car. "We need shelter. I've got a couple of teenagers and my wife. Please, we've been parked on the road for a long time trying to decide if it was safe to ask for help. The laughter of children finally convinced my wife you wouldn't shoot us without talking to us."
The hair stood up on Josh's arms, and the tendons in Mark's neck stood out like ropes. "Why are you seeking help from us?"
"We stopped at a place in Leakey. That woman refused to allow us in because of the color of our skin." He kept his arms high in the air. "Man, we're unarmed and will do anything you say, if you'll allow us refuge. Even if it's just for a couple of nights. We're exhausted."
"Hang tight." Josh keyed his walkie. "Randi, we have visitors."
"Be there in a second."
"We have another person coming." Josh motioned to the fence. "You understand we have a community here, and the decision isn't up to the two of us?"
The man nodded.
"I'm Josh Barker, and this is my brother, Mark." Josh motioned to the man's hands. "You don't have to keep your hands in the air, but I'd appreciate if you kept them where I could see them."
"Thanks. I'm Aaron Lewis, and this is my family." He pointed to the car. "Should they get out?"
"Please."
He motioned for his family join him. His wife, a petite woman with a large afro came to stand by her husband. "I'm Ayanna." She pointed to her tallest daughter. "This is Kayde our youngest daughter. She's sixteen. And Keshanna, our nineteen-year-old."
The girls huddled together, their eyes darted from him and Mark, to the woods, the compound, then back to him and Mark.
Randi came flying up on the ATV. "Hi, I'm Randi."
Josh introduced her to the family, and she stuck her hand out. "It's nice to meet y'all. I have some questions for you."
"Anything," Aaron said.
"Where are you coming from?"
"We had a home in Uvalde. When things got bad, we thought we'd be okay, but we got overrun. We were driving around looking for some place safe. Our car died outside of Leakey, but that woman wouldn't allow us in. I found this with the keys in it outside of the walls."
"I'm sorry she treated you so poorly. Everyone who meets our requirements is welcome here. "
Ayanna grimaced. "We just don't want to get eaten."
"Understood. We have a few rules. First, we have to okay it with the rest of the community, but before Mark goes to talk to them, I want to know if you'll agree to a couple of non-negotiable items. You must strip to prove you've not been bitten or scratched. We had someone bring the disease into our camp and lost one of our friends. If you won't agree, you may as well leave, now. We won't back off on this because we refuse to risk our family or yours."
Aaron frowned. "I don't like the idea of my daughter's removing their clothes in front of strangers."
"We can get over a little modesty. I'm sure they'll have some one of the same sex check us out. If my daughters are going to be in this camp, I like the idea of making sure no one brings the infection inside." Ayanna raised her eyebrow and glared at her husband. "We agree."
"Good. You and the girls can all be in the same room, and of course we'll have the same sex person check you out." She turned to Josh and gave him a questioning look.
He motioned toward his brother. "Mark head inside and talk to everyone. Tell them Aaron and his family will cooperate with the strip search."
"Gotcha." Mark hopped on the ATV and drove away.
"The other rules, you will need to work in KP, guard duty, etc." Josh looked at each of them. "Also, if you don't know how to handle a weapon, you will learn. There is no way to protect yourselves if you can't shoot. We even teach the kids. Once you are proficient and safe, you will be expected to carry a weapon at all times."
Ayanna shuddered. "I have my license to carry. Before Aaron and I married, I was in the Navy reserve."
"Great. What about your daughters and husband? Do they shoot?"
"Aaron does, but not the girls." She shrugged. "I should've taught them long ago."
"No problem. We'll train them. Have you had to kill any of the infected, yet?"
She shook her head.
Randi rolled her shoulders. "I'm sorry, but we have to kill the infected at the fence or they'll take it down and we'll no longer be safe here." Her voice held a tenderness Josh hadn't heard.
Aaron slipped his arm around his wife's shoulders. "She's right. If we're going to survive, we have to do some revolting things."
Ayanna tugged on her ear. "I get it, but don't like it."
Randi closed her eyes for a few moments. "It haunts me, but I promise we'll protect you, especially the girls, for as long as we can."
Xever and Mark returned on the ATV. Randi's father introduced himself. "We would like to welcome you to our family. After we check for bites, you can go into the house and get something to eat, then I'll show you to a room where you may rest for a while."
"Thank you."
Randi took the women into one of the towers, and Josh took Aaron into one of the others.
Once Josh had finished checking him, he patted him on the back. "It'll take a while for you to relax, but you're as safe here as you can be. We do have some vulnerabilities, but we're working on those."
"It's the safest we've been since this catastrophe started."
Vixen watched from her vantage point as Reginald's group welcomed the family she'd turned away. How did they find out about this place? Did Bryan tell them? Reginald's group kept checking outside the fences. What had Bryan told them?
She jammed her binoculars into the case, jerked her head around to ensure no one was outside of Reginald's gates, and stomped off their land toward her car.
The spot was vacant. Heat flushed through her body. Who'd taken her car? She held back a scream. No sense in breaking
her cover over a car. She keyed her radio. "Bryan, come and get me on the side of the road next to the weasel's place."
His sigh came through the radio, which only sent her blood pressure up another notch. "Fine. I'll be there in minute. Just hold your britches."
"How dare you," she sputtered. "I'm your leader. You do not talk to me like that, you, you..." She trailed off. The idiot had his radio off. She couldn't wait for her chance to run him through with a blade. The louse would suffer.
She waited on the side of the road tapping her foot as minutes ticked by. He pulled up in an old white Jeep. It had no top and large rust spots on it. She climbed in and glared. "Why do you drive such a piece of junk?"
"A piece of junk, as you call it, won't draw as much attention. It looks abandoned." He looked at her with a self-satisfied smirk. If he didn't watch it, she would slap it off his face. "Unlike the cars you choose, it's also less likely someone stranded will take it."
She curled her hands into fists until her long nails bit into her palms. "Call everyone back to Atlas. Now."
"I'm driving."
"You'll do as I say."
"If you haven't noticed, this thing's standard shift." He lifted his right eyebrow. "Now, do you want me to drive, or do you want me to call your minions back to Atlas. Obviously, I can't do both."
This man just might cause her to have a heart attack the way he made her blood pressure soar. She shot a dirty look his way, keyed her mike, and took a deep breath. "Everyone back to Atlas, now." If they didn't have military grade radios, they might risk the weasel's group hearing them. She bounced her leg up and down as she rode. Finally, she turned to Bryan. "Why did you rat us out to Reginald's evil group? I trusted you."
"What are you talking about, woman?"
Woman? Oh, she wanted to kill the man. "They're doing searches outside of the camp. They've never done that before."
"Yeah?" He furrowed his brows. "And how many times did I tell you I needed time to train your guys in covert ops? Amateurs compromise missions." He shifted gears as he slowed to a stop at the Atlas gates. "I didn't rat anybody out, and I don't appreciate your useless demeanor. If you want me on this op, you'd better check that attitude."
Vixen's muscles strained against her skin. "You do not talk to me like that." A pounding sounded in her ears. "I'm your leader, and you will follow my orders." She took a deep breath to calm her raging heart rate. "If you don't listen to every word I say and do as I tell you, I will kill you."
The insolent man had the nerve to laugh. "Like to see you try. You think you're hot snot, don't you?" His laughter grew even more raucous. "Better watch it, Vixen. You need me. If you keep it up, I'll walk, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
He parked, and she climbed out of the Jeep slamming the rickety door as hard as she could. Too bad it didn't come off its hinges. Of course, this idiot would probably like it even better. She smoothed her long hair into obedience, and strode toward the podium. Alton met her half way there. "You okay?"
"No. Everyone to the park. Now!" she screamed.
"Hey, take a deep breath. No need to lose it in front of these jerks." Alton put a restraining hand on her arm. "Come on, babe. Think about it. You want these people to follow you into battle. If you wig out, they'll all run the other direction." He dropped his voice to just above a whisper. "You know they're nothing but jellyfish at heart."
She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. Alton was right. If she didn't calm down and exude control and guidance, she'd scare her minions. She climbed onto the podium. "Thank you all for joining me. We've run into a slight snag, and as a result, we need to practice the utmost in discipline when observing Reginald's group. They are now searching outside of their camp. Do not give them any reason to catch you. Be alert at all times. Do you understand? Don't let your guard down for even a second. Since it's winter and many of the trees are bare, I realize it's harder to hide, but they have one way in and out. The front. So when they head to a vehicle or open a gate, disappear. Don't allow your camera lenses or binocular glass to send up a flare. Do nothing to raise their suspicions. Am I clear?"
The entire group answered affirmatively. Now, if they followed her orders and kept Reg's group in the dark she'd be happier.
Chapter 14
Bryan observed his clueless leader as she cautioned the group on watching Reginald's team. The woman was going to get them killed. The only advantage they had over Reginald was numbers.
He showered, then hopped in the ratty old Jeep and headed back to his spot. Reginald's group had passed one of his tests by allowing the Lewis family into his home. Vixen had lied when she said the tattooed woman had threatened to kill her when she asked to join.
How could he help Reginald's group take Vixen down? He wanted to see her fail in this operation. The woman was evil, and Reginald's group acted more as a family trying to survive. No way he'd help Vixen unless he saw something more going on with them, but so far, they seemed on the up and up. After a little more watching, he would make contact with Mary Anne.
He settled on his hill and raised his binoculars toward the compound. The new family had free run of the place with no one watching them. The tattooed woman and blond guy led the newcomers into the outer fenced area. The woman took the teenage girls to the side, and the man worked with the husband and wife. The woman handed the shorter of the girls a handgun. He couldn't tell what kind from his distance, but she spent an inordinate amount of time on safety before she taught the girl how to load the weapon.
Once it was loaded, she corrected the girl's grip, and talked her through firing. The more the teen shot, the bigger the smile on her face grew.
They changed shooters, and the woman worked with the taller of the teens and the man worked with the husband. The taller girl didn't look as excited as she shot, but she did okay. The husband struggled with keeping his weapon safe at all times. Hopefully they wouldn't arm the husband and daughters until they had more practice. The wife looked like a pro shooting.
They put away the handguns, and the tattooed woman pulled an AR off her back. The shorter teen whooped and fist-punched the air. This brought a smile to the woman's face. The first time he'd noticed her smiling. She went through all of the safety steps with the girl, then taught her to load the weapon. The teen struggled with the magazine, but the tattooed woman showed her the steps several times until she got it. Why did she struggle with this but not the handgun? After she loaded the long gun, the woman talked her through the steps of shooting.
The teen girl hit the target, then grinned and hooped and hollered. The woman gave her another smile, and patted her on the back. She took the weapon and instructed taller teen on the shooting steps. She grinned as she shot the AR. Maybe she thought it was more fun than the handgun.
Bryan turned his attention to the adults. The man fumbled and dropped the bullets several times while loading the gun, but his wife had no problems. Maybe the guy needed to trade with the woman for the lesson. She seemed to have a soothing demeanor about her, and maybe she could help the man overcome his fear.
They packed away the guns and supplies. The woman took the husband to the side. He shook his head as she talked to him. By the time she'd finished her talk, they both had a smile on their faces.
He would like to meet this enigma of a woman. She had an exterior of granite, yet she could be soft and gentle with those who were scared.
Josh stretched his aching muscles. The Lewis family had worn him out. The girls did okay on the shooting lessons, but the dad was worrisome. Now, they had to take Gabriele, Adriana, Faustina, and Cooper out shooting. He could only imagine how bad it would freak Gabriele. The woman was nothing if not a pampered princess. Josh still had trouble believing his uncle had an affair with her. Why would he want a princess when he was married to Aunt Mary Anne? He thought Uncle Reginald was smarter.
Randi returned with the group in tow. Adriana smiled at him. "Josh, I've been going on the rounds, and you said I was
a good shot. Do you really need to me to train? I can practice at any time."
"No, but I need you and Cooper to help out with Gabriele and your mom. You two have become proficient. Maybe y'all can help Faustina and Gabriele."
Gabriele raised one of her perfectly arched brows. "What makes you think I need help? You have not seen me shoot. I assure you, I do not need your help."
"I don't care what you say." Randi crossed her arms. "No one gets a weapon without us checking you off. Now, get your skinny backside through the ATV barn." She gave her a slight nudge. Gabriele's eyes darkened.
Josh stifled a laugh. "All right. Cooper, you team up with Faustina, and Adriana you're with Gabriele."
Adriana shook her head as she walked by, "Thanks a lot," she whispered.
"You two seem to be getting along." Randi tilted her head toward her sister. "I think maybe she's dealing with her pain."
"She's trying." He held eye contact with her for a minute. "But are you?"
"Working on it the best I can."
He crossed his arms. "No doubt with Ethan's help," he muttered.
"He's a good friend, and listener."
"Humph. Have you thought he might want more than friendship?"
Randi stared at him for a few seconds, shook her head, and walked into the ATV barn. "Others are waiting for us."
Why did her friendship with Ethan eat at him so? The man was kind, hardworking, trustworthy, a Christian, and he seemed to be able to calm Randi down when no else could. Maybe there was something more than friendship there and maybe not, but if there was, who was he to stand in the way? His chest burned, and he squelched the idea to run after her begging her not get into a relationship with Ethan, but what reason could he give her? She'd even joined him at her father's service the other day. Not something she did without an ulterior motive. Whether or not the two developed a relationship, Josh'd seen a little change in Randi. For the good, and he should thank the Lord for that instead of allowing his jealousy to turn to bitterness.
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