Dani and Mary landed in the third group together; Dani was pleased to have her friend with her. She recognized some of the other Brigands around her, but she didn’t know any of the Commonwealth troops.
“This is the first of four days of initial training,” Gavin bellowed. “We’ll rotate each of you through the four rounds of assessments to understand strengths and weaknesses. We’ll resort you again on day five. A partnership like this has never been formed before. Today we start a new history—for the people of Maine, and for everyone on Earth.”
CHAPTER
35
As the weeks of training continued, some people quit and others were released for medical reasons. Their initial number of volunteers fell to 364—still far more than anyone had expected. The walk to and from Mount Hope Cemetery to Bangor after training quickly grew old; it was also an extra energy expenditure Dani couldn’t afford. She was eating more food than before and still dropping weight. The last thing she wanted was to get booted from the ranks, so she moved into Aunt Hattie’s shed with Brody. Gavin didn’t like her relocation, but she didn’t care.
She spent any spare time she had in Hattie’s cellar, fixing items and digging through the plethora of parts. It was the only way she could pay for all the extra food she was consuming. Many nights she was asleep seconds after collapsing on the thin, lumpy mattress on the shed’s floor. She’d sleep a few hours, then wake early and start the routine again. Eliminating the extra walking time gave her time each day to spend with Brody—time she often spent with his broad head resting on her thigh, gently scratching behind his ears while she sorted through her thoughts. It was more relaxing for her than cleaning the gun or building something, and sometimes she fell asleep.
The summer had waned. Dani stood in the shed staring at the gear spread out on the small table before her. Brody slept on her bed, and she watched him as he snored. She was going to miss him.
Gavin had turned the training sessions over to Houston and picked three others to go with him to Portland for reconnaissance. Dani was one of the people chosen. Patel and Lee, the other two members, would gather surface intel while Dani and Gavin scouted the sewers. They would be gone for at least a month, possibly two.
She checked the time and sighed. She needed to stop screwing around. She was meeting Miles and Oliver to hand over Brody to them. She was already regretting leaving the dog for so long. “I’m more distraught over leaving the damn dog than I am my brother.” She shook her head, annoyed by the mix of emotions she was feeling, and began packing. She clipped two knives to her belt and slipped the third into a concealed sheath she’d created on the inside of her belt. The third blade was small, sharp, and likely to go undetected even if she was frisked.
She began placing the gear on the table in her pack, a CNA-issue rig that held more than her usual daypack could ever carry. With more space and more gear came more weight. Gavin had given her explicit instructions on what to pack, so she needed to make sure she didn’t forget anything.
A light knock on the door pulled her from the task. She opened the door and found Jace.
“Nice guard dog,” he said. “Didn’t even bother to bark.”
She laughed. “Yeah, he’s fairly useless most days. Come in. I need to finish packing.” She left the door open and returned to the table. A vague image flashed in her mind. “Jace, have I ever lived in a shed before?”
“No. Why?”
She shrugged and resumed filling her pack. “Something about this place seems familiar. It’s like seeing an out-of-focus picture of a room similar to this. Crappy bed to the left of me, table in front, the totes stacked on the right.”
“A memory?”
Dani shrugged again. “Doesn’t matter. I’m so damn tired after training, I can barely see straight. This trip will be a good break, I think.”
“Dani.”
She refused to turn around. “I know you don’t want me to go, Jace. We’ve already had this conversation.”
“Be careful, please.”
She’d expected another argument, not this semi-blessing. She turned to face him. “I will. I promise.”
“I’m too old to raise you again. I mean it this time, Dani. Well, you don’t remember those prior conversations, but I really am too old. I lied when I told you I wasn’t having chest pain. I stopped in to see a doctor when I got Hattie’s ring. He couldn’t do anything for me, but since then I’ve been to see some CNA doctors, and they’ve been able to help some.”
“What are you saying? Are you dying?”
“No, not yet. They can’t keep me from aging, but they were able to help my heart with some treatment.” Jace held up his gnarled, arthritic hands and flexed his fingers into tight fists. He smiled. “I haven’t been able to do this in years.”
“What about regen?”
“They don’t know if I will or not. I don’t want you to make this trip to Portland, but I know you’ll go no matter what I say. Gavin’s smart, and a fine soldier even if he pretends he’s a civilian now. Do what he says, and be careful.”
Dani approached Jace and took his hand. “I remember standing on the side of the road while you helped push a truck out of a hole. My hand was a lot smaller then. You didn’t raise me as a brother, though that’s what I called you … you’ve raised me like a father. I know we fight, a lot and often, but I do appreciate everything you’ve done, including the sacrifices you’ve made. I’m so excited for you and Hattie. I promise I’ll be careful, and I will be back.” She hugged him. “I love you, Jace.”
He gasped when she said the words, and she was a bit surprised herself. She couldn’t remember ever having told him she loved him. They had their ways of showing it, in between their arguments, but neither of them was great at verbally expressing themselves.
When she released him, he fidgeted and stared at the floor while she cleared her throat and fiddled with the zipper on her jacket.
“Um, yeah, love you too, and I, uh, should probably let you finish packing,” Jace said.
“Yeah.” Dani scuffed a foot against the floor. “This is new territory for both of us. Guessing it’ll take some time to get used to it.”
Jace nodded and turned to leave. “Oh, uh, I’ll help Oliver with the mutt if either of them needs anything. I know you love that damn dog more than you like breathing, so he’ll be here when you return.”
“Thanks, Jace.”
After he left, Dani dropped into the chair next to her. Had they ever had this kind of conversation before? Given his reaction, probably not. Well, I’ll have plenty of hiking time to think it over on the way to Portland. She rose, finished packing her things and straightened the shed. When everything was in its place, she slipped her arms through the heavy pack’s straps. She grunted under the weight as it settled on her back. She picked up her daypack from the floor and headed out the door, Brody beside her. Before shutting the door behind them, she stopped to look at her room once more. It still seemed familiar to her. She pulled the door closed. Time to go.
Oliver and Miles were waiting for her at the Standpipe, as promised. She handed her daypack to Oliver. “There’s some food and a couple of toys in there for him.”
“I’ll take good care of him,” Oliver said.
“I know. Jace said he’s willing to help you if you need it.”
“He did?” Miles lifted an eyebrow.
“Yeah. He surprised me with that too.” Dani chuckled.
“Hmm. He’s different somehow. He’s still grumpy most of the time, but now I think it’s just part of the act.” He looked at Oliver. “Hey bud …”
“Want me to take a hike so you two can chat? Yeah, you always do. Bye, Dani. Have fun.” Oliver hugged her and took Brody’s collar. “Do you need to tell him ‘good-bye’ again?”
“No. Thanks though.” She absolutely wanted to hug the dog once more, but she feared she’d unravel if she did.
Dani tried to not watch Brody as he left with the boy.
“I know y
ou adore that dog, Dani,” Miles said. “Leaving him must be tough on you.”
She nodded.
“He’ll be here when you get back.”
“Thanks.”
“I won’t tell you to be careful because you likely won’t, but I do hope you stay safe and get the information you need.”
“Me too. I’m meeting Gavin at the barracks. You heading back that way?”
“Yeah. Care for some company?”
Dani smiled. “Always.”
When Gavin spotted them approaching, he checked his watch.
“Relax,” Dani said. “I’m early.”
He grunted in response.
“See you soon,” Miles said.
Dani didn’t miss Gavin’s scowl as she hugged Miles goodbye, but she didn’t care about it, either. Miles was a good friend. She would miss him.
“You’re smiling. Why?” Gavin asked. He checked his watch again while they waited for Patel and Lee.
“I’m happy.”
“Happy? We’re about to spend several weeks sleeping on the ground, being eaten by mosquitoes, and crawling around sewers hoping we don’t set off any traps the Wardens may have left in there for us. We’ll be pissing in bottles and shitting in cellophane to pack it out of the area. And you’re happy?”
“It’s not my problem you’re in a foul mood,” Dani said, and her smile widened. She was leaving on peaceful terms with her brother. When had that ever happened before? She was very happy.
CHAPTER
36
Dani pulled the towel from around her body, and her bare skin prickled in the cool air. She passed the towel over her head before tossing it aside and running her fingers through her hair. The oil lamp in the room cast a sickly yellow glow, but she didn’t mind. It was lighter than what she and Gavin had encountered in the sewers.
After weeks of eating and sleeping in Portland’s sewers, she was enjoying being clean for a change. She and Gavin had met up with Patel four days earlier and spent two nights at a camp in Freeport. She’d washed last night, but she’d only managed to get so much dirt off her in the freezing nighttime temperatures with the bucket of icy creek water she’d used.
The Wardens had waste recycling systems in place, so she and Gavin hadn’t had to deal with urine and feces in the sewers, but the pipes had still reeked of other filth. She hoped to never eat or sleep near rats again.
At least they’d gathered great intel. Gavin was thrilled with their findings. The Wardens had only set a few traps for intruders, and had apparently forgot about them since; they’d proven to be old and in disrepair, and she and Gavin had had no trouble disarming them. They’d found access to the base at the airport, and Dani had spent hours listening to Warden comm traffic from directly beneath the base using the device she’d repaired for Houston while Gavin updated his map, marking areas on it where structural supports for the former MP barracks resided underground.
The Warden’s comm tower had remained lit and guarded, but Dani had noticed heavier security in place at a second, newer structure one day. It had similar equipment but was not lit. Once they returned underground, Dani drew a circle on Gavin’s map.
“This is the real tower,” she said. “The men guarding it rotate and are far more alert than the guards on the lit one. I think the one with lights is just a decoy.”
“Smart bastards.” Gavin shook his head. “The spies said the man running this place kept things on a tight schedule. The troops here are bored, though. They spend a lot of time yapping and laughing when on duty.”
“Complacency is good.”
Gavin grinned. “Good for us.”
They heard a voice over the manhole lid they’d climbed through and scrambled to extinguish their lights. They waited without breathing as the Wardens above chatted.
“Rowan will beat you himself if he catches you smoking that shit,” one said.
“I know, but I don’t care,” the other said. He paused, and Dani heard him expel a long breath, probably of smoke. “The man’s sharp, but he really is a little crazy. He works those fucking R&D teams around the clock cranking out new gear and tech. The cluster grenade is a beast.” He chuckled. “Have you fired one yet?”
Dani’s heart thundered in her chest. Her breaths quickened. The Wardens weren’t the only ones that had become complacent. She wished they had been more cautious; they’d grown overconfident in the safety of the sewers. Rumors always swirled about the Wardens and their reconditioning process. The only thing consistent between the rumors was that the process was horrific. She and Gavin couldn’t get caught. Don’t panic. Don’t panic.
Gavin’s hand touched her forearm, and she realized she was trembling. He squeezed her arm and motioned for them to move. She nodded and followed him deeper into the pipe. They moved almost soundlessly and didn’t speak until they were well away from the men and any manholes where someone else might overhear them.
“Shit, that was close,” Dani said. She passed her hand though her hair and immediately wished she hadn’t. The foul goop from the sewer walls transferred from her hand to her hair. Ugh.
“Yeah.” Gavin’s face was grim. “We’ve been here too long, got cocky. It won’t happen again.”
Dani nodded.
“I wanted to hear more about that cluster grenade, but when I saw you shaking. …”
“I’m sorry.” She flushed. “Hearing them so close freaked me out.”
“You have to be able to get much closer to them and remain calm. I know this is the first time you’ve done anything like this, but you must be able to stay in control.”
She nodded again. Everything always sounded so easy coming from him.
Four weeks had passed since that day. They’d had other close calls more often as they moved beneath and around the base and rest of the city, but Dani had managed to remain somewhat calm during subsequent encounters. Her heart still raced each time, but she didn’t turn into a trembling mess.
Lee wouldn’t be returning to Bangor. He and Patel had been on the western side of the peninsula when the Wardens started blasting old homes and buildings to create better sight lines. The pair had just finished surveying the area and were on their way out when the blasting started. Lee wasn’t quite clear when the building they were exiting was leveled.
Later that night, Patel had returned and retrieved Lee’s body. He’d tied bricks and debris to the corpse and dropped it in the bay to remove any sign that non-Wardens were lurking in Portland. Dani felt horrible for Patel, having to do something like that. She didn’t think she could ever dump a friend’s body in a bay and continue on.
They were out of Portland now, farther north and closer to home, and Gavin had arranged for them to stay in a home south of Augusta—hence the shower. Dani pulled on a pair of denim trousers, clean by Brigand standards, and a T-shirt. Both were too tight compared to her usual clothes; the stuff she scavenged was always too big for her. She wiggled her toes and realized she’d forgotten to ask the man for a pair of socks.
Dani knocked on Gavin’s door. “Hey, you have any clean socks I can borrow?”
“Yeah,” he said from within his room. “I’ll bring them by when I’m done cleaning up.”
“Thanks.”
She returned to her room and considered asking the owner for a different set of clothes. She decided not to bother. He’d fed them and given each of them a room as a way of supporting their efforts. She didn’t want to appear ungrateful for his help. A chilly breeze drifted through the room, and she realized the window was partly open. She tried to close it, but the window was stuck.
There was a light rap on her door, and it cracked open. “You decent?” Gavin asked.
“No, I was walking the hall naked looking for socks,” Dani said, still fighting with the window.
“Sounds good to me,” Gavin said with a laugh as he entered the room. He closed the door. “Damn.”
She glanced over her shoulder at his remark. He’d shaved, and his hair was still wet.
He wore faded jeans, a dark T-shirt, and a red plaid shirt that was open down the front. He was barefoot and stood with socks in his hand. His eyes were cast slightly downward, and he wasn’t blinking.
“Stop staring at my ass,” she said and resumed her fight with the window.
“Hard not to. Are you sure we have to wait until we retake Maine?”
Dani grunted in response as she tugged up on the window. It slid up easily enough, but when she tried to push it back down, it lodged in place, now more open than before. She swore under her breath and leaned on the window as the room grew colder.
“Need a hand?” he asked.
“No, I think I’ve got it.” She wiggled the lower part of the window, and the frame slid down—too quickly for her to get all her fingers out of the way. She released a string of curses as she pulled her mashed finger from beneath the window, cradling it with her other hand and groaning.
Gavin placed the socks on the sill and took her hands. “Let me see.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Is it broken?”
Dani shook her head but kept her other hand wrapped around the injured finger.
Gavin peeled her hand away and inspected the bluish lumps forming along the top and bottom of her index finger. He moved his thumb and forefinger around the joints, pressing as he went. Dani flinched, and he stopped. “It’s just a bruise.”
“I don’t care. Shit hurts.”
“We spent seven weeks crawling around sewers and sleeping with rats, and you’re whining about a bruised finger?”
“Yes, I am.” She tried not to smile. Her finger did hurt, but when he put it that way, worrying about a dinky bruise on a finger did seem silly.
Echoes of War Page 21
