It wasn’t that I was opposed to either idea, but there were too many questions left unanswered.
“To keep piling non-coincidences on top of each other, you’re already en route to New Angeles?”
Richards shrugged. “It wasn’t hard to guess that you’d want to head in that direction. And, who would have thought—we have actual tasks to complete besides babysitting you.”
“Like what?”
I knew what was coming at his bright, fake smile alone. “You know what I’m going to say, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s classified,” I grumbled, but the ire ran only skin-deep. “Aren’t you going to ask me how exactly I ended up here?”
“That’s rather obvious, wouldn’t you say?” When all he got from me was a blank stare, Red was only too happy to fill in the blanks. “I could be wrong, but going on what we know, you got some visitors you didn’t plan for and ended up in their camp. Since you’re on your own and in a hurry to get backup, my guess is that your husband is still there because with him, they knew what precautions to take. You, they underestimated, so you managed to get away, grabbed some provisions from your cache, and hit the next settlement you knew of in the area. Did I miss anything?”
It wasn’t that hard to guess right, but sounded too well informed for my likings.
“How would you know that they underestimated me?”
Cole chuckled—asshole—while Hill left it at a grin. Red jovially offered, “Because, isn’t that the story of your life?”
“Touché.” I had to give him that. “You know about the camp?”
Richards was good about cutting the visual clues of his reaction short but I’d spent enough time around him in the past to read him well to catch them nevertheless. He must have realized that; my glare was enough to get him talking.
“Yes, we know of them. We didn’t expect them to get so aggressive about their raiding this soon or else we would have warned you. Looks like they are recruiting again.”
That told me more than he’d probably intended.
“You have spies in that camp?”
I half expected to be shut down once more but after a moment’s hesitation, Richards inclined his head. “We do, which is why we know that there has been some sort of altercation around the time you missed your schedule. It’s not a stretch of the imagination to figure out that must have been you.”
“But you don’t know.”
Another shrug. “It’s taken us long enough to establish some moles in there that didn’t end up tortured and skinned alive. I’m not going to risk them just to get confirmation for something quintessentially unimportant.”
It rankled to hear my well-being described as such, but I got where he came from.
“If you know about them, and they’ve killed some of your people, why do they still exist? Even the people here at the settlement know of them; why haven’t you smoked them out yet?”
“Good question,” Cole supplied, getting a harsh glare from Richards that went ignored.
“We missed our opportunity,” Richards admitted, surprisingly candid. “With everything else that’s been going on over the past two years, nobody paid attention to a group that wasn’t out there for blood but pretty much doing their own thing. And, whoops, suddenly they were too many people, too well equipped, to just send in a team and be done with them.”
“You didn’t even try?” That sounded ridiculously far-fetched.
Red smirked. “Oh, we did. Not just once, but three times, with some additional support from the less-well-adjusted elements of your former ranks. That’s how we sent their numbers into the four digits for the first time.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. It was a harsh sound. “What, just because they were scavengers, they must have been untrustworthy scum?”
Richards had the grace to look at least a little appalled. “No. From what we could figure out, they did a great job doing what they could, and holding out when they couldn’t, but there’s only so much any man can take. Around half of the force we sent in survived, and overall a third converted. All we accomplished was give them better vehicles and weapons. Command decided to cut the losses, set an embargo zone, and leave the problem to take care of itself.”
Why wasn’t I surprised? Actually, that wasn’t true. I did feel surprise, because I couldn’t quite see how they’d let a thorn in their side fester like that, considering how they’d come after us scavengers in the first year after the shit had hit the fan. Not even me drumming up support for my little crusade came close to the issue this must have turned into in the meantime.
“You do realize that the camp must have grown several times over since then?”
Red’s expression turned rather stony at my accusation.
“We know. That’s part of the reason why we were in the region in the first place.”
Ah. And just like that, something else occurred to me. “You’re going to use me to get another chance at eradicating them, aren’t you? That’s why you’re so damn happy to drive me across the country on a moment’s notice.”
The new guy was the only one who looked vaguely surprised at my guess. Damn it!
Richards went for a slight smile as he leaned back against the Humvee’s grill. “I wouldn’t call what happened a stroke of luck, but it has occurred to us that worse could have happened.”
The anger in the pit of my stomach was back, but I managed to keep a lid on it, at least trying to appear as calm as he was. “It really doesn’t paint a nice picture that you didn’t warn us, but now want me to clean up your mess. Again.”
Red sighed, and while not exactly exasperated, it held a certain note of… was that regret that I detected?
“Look, I understand where you’re coming from. And I get that there’s nothing I can say or do to convince you that we didn’t deliberately let you traipse into the lion’s den, so I’m not going to try.”
“You could tell me the details of what exactly the deal was between you and my husband,” I proposed. “That might help.”
I got a look of surprise, and after a few seconds’ consideration Richards inclined his head. “Very well. He didn’t deceive you, if that’s what you’re trying to get at. His plan was to disappear without a trace and by taking you both out of the equation, keep other forces from thinking they might get too interested in you.” I couldn’t help but smirk myself that even now he wouldn’t call the devil by his name—Decker—but didn’t interrupt him. “But I don’t need to tell you that your husband is a man who’s paranoid enough to always have a contingency plan. In the event of said forces changing their mind and making a grab at other people near and dear to your heart, he wanted my oath that I’d make sure that information got back to him so he could do something about it—or maybe even prevent it from happening if I learned anything early enough. In turn, he was ready to share your whereabouts with me that in the case of a true emergency, we could reactivate you both. I promised to run interference in the meantime, making sure no one got too interested in the areas you were squatting in, or warning you ahead of time so there would be not a trace to be found. That hasn’t happened, if you are curious. It seems that your plan has worked so far. In the official records, you’re both presumed dead.”
Now that was something you didn’t hear every day—and under different circumstances I would have very much applauded the fact. “Do my people believe that as well?”
“That’s anyone’s guess. You know them far better than any of us do. Do you think they believe it?”
It would explain why the radio had been silent although I hadn’t exactly been sneaky about the code name I’d used. Then again… “Not unless they see my half-rotted corpse.”
“There you have it,” Red agreed with me—and I didn’t miss the self-satisfied note in his voice.
“Wait. What am I missing?” I also didn’t miss how Cole and Hill traded glances, at least until they caught the warning look from Red. “Spill it. You want my cooperation, you better dis
h out the dirt—particularly if it might as well become an issue for me very soon. If I don’t get any support, I’m no use to you, remember?” Still not knowing what they had in mind didn’t help, but that much was a given. New Guy was so clueless he followed our back-and-forth with morbid interest.
“Presumably, a lot,” Richards admitted. “Too much to explain now. But there won’t be anyone else offering you a ride to the coast. Either you come with us, or you risk adding months to the tour—and that’s just one way. You should ask yourself—does Miller have that time for you to waste?”
And there it was—the stick I had been waiting for. It never was all carrot with these people. But I probably would have trusted Red less if he’d continued to be agreeable.
“I wonder about a lot of things these days,” I grumbled, mostly under my breath. “Like what the fuck you let happen to my country in our absence!” That was maybe a little overdone but no less true. What little hints I’d gotten didn’t paint a pretty picture. It also made me dread learning more as I wasn’t sure it wouldn’t make me feel terribly selfish and conceited for thinking about us hanging out in isolation while we could have done something to prevent what had happened… whatever the fuck that was—
But I knew that led nowhere, so before any of them could answer, I let out a loud sigh and straightened my shoulders.
“Whatever. It’s all water under the bridge. I’m coming with you. And I would be much obliged if you would bring me up to speed. It’s in your best interest, too, as I can’t very well work on making a plan to undo the damage if I don’t have a clue what said damage is. So, shall we?” I jerked my chin in the direction of the Humvee.
Red graciously inclined his head as if there’d never been a debate about the matter. There really hadn’t been. He’d known the outcome all along, as had I.
“After you,” he offered with a grand, sweeping gesture.
“I’m calling shotgun,” I quipped, then paused. “Actually, can I drive? It would show how non-threatening, non-coercing, and selfless your motives are.”
Red allowed himself a small laugh at my acerbic remark. “Be my guest. But have you even driven a car since you totaled the last two in quick succession?”
I was tempted to point out that there had been months between the incidents—and crumbling bridges were beyond my control—but offered a sweet smile when I realized that he knew far less than he thought he did.
“How do you think I got here?”
A hint of doubt cut through his gloating. “On foot, presumably. I know you can manage forty miles a day.” I hadn’t, not with my body still healing and necessary pauses. It kind of turned into a moot point as I had to admit the truth.
“On a mountain bike, actually. But you didn’t know about the buggies? Too bad. We built the engines up from scratch. Unlike what you probably did. Are those solar panels on the roof?”
“Makes crossing the country in a week feasible,” Red shot back, still a little annoyed. “And yes, we did liberate what electrical engines we could find. Not that it’s any of your business, but part of the reason for our visit to New Angeles is to continue to keep relations strong with the powers that sit on most of the available technology. Or did you really think that Gabriel Greene managed to stay neutral because he chose to go his own way? He’s got his hands in so many pots that I doubt anyone but him can keep track of it. That means he’s just as agreeable with us as he is with your lot. Surprised?”
“With him? Never.” It wasn’t hard to put an extra bit of derision into my voice—that did a good job hiding the actual relief flooding through me. No, Greene and I would never become friends, but good for him—and my people—if he’d managed to stay not just relevant but ahead of the game. Considering the alternatives, I’d much rather throw my lot in with him.
Pulling the driver’s side door of the Humvee open, I peeked inside, whistling softly. “Damn, that thing’s huge!” There wasn’t just room for my rifle in the middle compartment, but easily for my pack as well, wedged between whoever the other gear belonged to—and there was still room aplenty.
Richards cast a surprised look at me from the passenger side. “You’ve never actually been inside one?”
“Only to liberate some women your less-savory compatriots were about to drag off to do with what nobody wants to talk about,” I offered succinctly. “And another for maybe five minutes in the back, but I don’t remember too much of that day. Why should we have bothered with these huge gas guzzlers? Would have been a waste of fuel. We did well enough with our cars.”
“That you ended up trashing,” Cole supplied from behind my back. Clearly, he’d won the battle of who got to be demoted to the elevated jump seat crammed in between the packs. I figured it was still better than riding in the back—not that there was too much room there from what little I could see of it.
“And still I wasn’t the one who would have left all of his men to die in a fucking death trap of a laboratory,” I snapped back as I settled into the seat. Damn, but this thing really was huge and came with a lot to fiddle with. All it was lacking was a popcorn machine to make it a full entertainment center. I didn’t miss how Richards deliberately didn’t react, which made me smack my lips. “Speaking of which, I’m a little surprised not to see that asshole here. Where is Bucky Hamilton? You’d think he wouldn’t miss a chance to rub in my face that I need anyone’s help for anything.”
“He won’t be a problem for you,” Richards offered, still for the most part ignoring me.
“Why?” I asked with a hint of glee. “Is this shit important enough that someone put a leash and muzzle on him so he wouldn’t get in my way?”
Red hesitated, leaving the opportunity wide open for Cole to jump into the breach.
“He won’t become an issue for you because he’s dead.”
Now that was disappointing, and I couldn’t quite keep a frown off my face as I looked back over my shoulder. “Seriously? Who did he piss off more than me?”
“KIA,” Cole explained. “Killed in action, if you don’t—”
“Sheesh, I’m not an imbecile,” I snapped, facing forward again. “Whatever. So how do I start this thing?”
For the first time, Babyface spoke up after clearing his throat. “LT, do you really think it’s smart to let her drive?”
Richards cast an amused look back before he turned to me. “I’m sure she’ll figure it out since she’s such a know-it-all, right?”
He got a sweet smile back—and cursed when I managed to start the ignition, make the vehicle surge forward, and kill the engine, all within five seconds of each other. The collective cursing made me grin in earnest. “Oops, my bad,” I simpered, then went through the proper sequence with a few smooth moves. The Humvee came alive smoothly this time, and peeled back onto the road and away from the settlement without another hitch. Hill seemed to be the only one besides me to find that funny. Well, I wasn’t here to be entertaining.
As I’d said, it could have been worse. As it was, I was determined to make the best of the cards fate had dealt me—once someone finally filled me in on what I’d missed. And damn, it was good to sit in a proper car again!
Chapter 9
Nobody protested when I brought the Humvee up to what seemed like a reasonable speed to me—fast enough to eat up miles in minutes, but not too fast that I couldn’t avoid any possible obstacles on the road ahead. This close to the settlement it was cleared, but we’d had enough jump scares over the years that I didn’t trust the open terrain one bit. Part of me was tempted to send it off-road and give it a little test-drive there, but I was afraid that would cost me my driving privileges. I was still a little surprised that Red had let me take over the wheel—but then, wasn’t apparent agreeability his thing? As much as it didn’t surprise me that Nate had decided to establish an additional layer of contingency plans, I hadn’t expected him to trust Richards with that. But who would have been the alternative?
And now that bastard was apparently dea
d, and the most I could do was piss on his unmarked grave. Damn it!
“You know, as much as I appreciate not having a corps of backseat drivers, it would be great if anyone could tell me where exactly we’re going,” I remarked a short while later. “I’m good with directions, but I presume we’re on some kind of schedule? And might be preferable not to end up in the next cannibal hideout, or something.”
“From what we know, they have pigs,” Cole wisely informed me. “They don’t need to eat each other. Also great for disposing of bodies.”
I ignored him, instead glancing at Richards. He leaned over the bulk in the middle of the vehicle and tapped one of the screens between us, making it come alive. I gave an audible gasp. “You have Satnav! And air conditioning! No wonder your recruitment efforts are running so well! Wait. Are they actually?” But it was kind of neat to let that thing tell me where to go, and I sure appreciated the fact that, in zipped-up jacket and sturdy pants, I didn’t feel like I was about to be fried alive. Maybe we really had cut things back a little too far…
“Har har,” Hill provided from the back. “I’d forgotten how absolutely not funny you are.”
“And still you’ve missed me,” I replied as sweetly as I could.
“Surprisingly, yes,” Hill professed. “It can get so boring when you don’t have anyone constantly jonesing to usurp control and wisecrack at every single thing.”
I couldn’t help but bark a brief laugh. “I never had any intention of leading you bunch of assholes. Still don’t. I’ll just never get how anyone can have such a ‘follow the leader’ mindset.” Hill snorted his derision at me. “I mean, seriously, weren’t you Delta? Don’t you train your operators to be independent thinkers?”
Sadly, he didn’t bite. “And when’s the last time you went against your husband’s ‘directions’?” He went as far as raising his hands to do air quotes. “Just because we don’t need it all spoon-fed and rolled up in a nice package with ‘independence’ scrawled all over doesn’t mean we’re that different.”
Green Fields (Book 10): Uprising: Page 11
