Evening Blues
1
Sixty miles from Safe Haven, a long, dusty train chugged through the ash and debris on the tracks, moving steadily south. It had come from Pennsylvania and though most of the cars were empty, what cargo it did carry was lethal.
“We’re almost at the station,” Vlad informed his boss eagerly as they lounged in the refitted engine car. “Once we offload the horses, we’ll only be a couple hours from the mountain base.”
“Good,” Jack praised. “We’ve waited a long time for a shot at Mitchel.”
“I thought he would show,” Kranten complained, referring to their last mission. “Canada finally got what was coming to them and he wasn’t there!”
“It looks like Mitchel did some gathering of his own and stayed with them,” Stephens told the others. “These files are all on descendants.”
“Not the last few,” Jack corrected. “They have trained military men in there and one of them is Kenn Harrison. Another is Marcus Brady. Don’t underestimate those two.”
“I’ve heard of them!” Kranten exclaimed, coming over to snatch the paper from Stephens. “They took out that drug lord in South America before the war, right?”
“Among others,” Jack replied. “We also have reports of someone called the Ghost.”
The group of men frowned in unison. Ghost was a commonly used title for one of their kind who had turned against the government.
“Is Mitchel the Ghost?” Kranten asked as he skimmed the paper.
Jack shrugged, not concerned over the fight that was about to happen between Kranten and Stephens, who was slowly pulling his knife. “We’ll find out. For now, check your gear while I go over the plan again. Our boss expects this run to end with nearly four hundred bodies. Let’s not disappoint her.”
2
Angela froze as menace rushed over her. She felt as if giant hands were squeezing her brain, and she concentrated, forcing them away. Someone had reached their area and they were strong.
“Jeremy wants a word with you,” Greg stated, joining her at the rear gate.
“Send him to me,” she answered. “Quietly.”
Greg left and Angela swept her toiling people. Marc was sleeping–all the night shift people were–and Angela hoped the banging that was about to happen wouldn’t wake them up, but it had to be done. If things went wrong, they would need that wall. She already had rookies gathering more supplies from the dumpsites to bring up here. A storm was coming, in more ways than one.
Jeremy, who obviously hadn’t been far away, appeared at her side with his laptop in a bag over his shoulder.
“They pulled in to the station with a light crew,” she stated before he could pull it out or comment. “I need to know when the train comes back.”
Jeremy would have protested and Angela glared at him. “You can help me or get in my way. Pick wisely.”
Jeremy, getting used to Samantha’s moods, asked, “Have you eaten yet?”
Angela was surprised into a snicker. The men here were getting smarter again. When that happened to the women, they would become unstoppable. “No, but I will. Can you track that station and the others around it?”
“Yes, and I will. What else can I do?”
“Watch the north,” she intoned gravely. “If something moves there, I need to know about it.”
“You will,” he promised. “You should go…hey!”
Angela spotted the line of ants and climbed down from the rear wall platform to meet them.
Jeremy observed in fascination. Since Dog left, only Jennifer and Angela were left to communicate with the insects and Jeremy wanted to learn how.
“I use pictures,” Angela said, kneeling down in front of the line. “I send them images and they understand. Jennifer is different. She actually gets how they communicate and can replicate some of it.”
“How do you understand them?” he asked, admiring the way she didn’t flinch from pinchers moving near her hands or beady eyes glaring into her own.
“They send images back to me.”
“Oh,” he choked out, wondering if the end of the world for him had already come. Maybe this was the afterlife, where anything could happen.
“Close,” Angela confirmed. “But you’ll want to sleep later, so we won’t discuss that.”
Jeremy shuddered and left before he could insist on hearing it anyway. There were some things he didn’t need to know.
3
Marc staggered to the flap of the tent, drawn by the non-stop sound of hammering. If it were in the caves, it wouldn’t be as loud, and it had pulled him from slumber by never stopping. Angie had a new project going and Marc needed to know what it was.
He swiped the flap open and found Greg waiting for him.
“She said get a few more hours. You’ll need it.”
Marc grunted unhappily and stumbled out far enough to get a view of the work being done.
Crushingly loud to his tired ears, Marc saw the lines of men passing supplies at both the front and rear of camp and understood she was reinforcing their gates. He approved of the assembly lines and the dozen workers on each site, but he admired the fact that Angie once again had the entire herd toiling. Even the kids were being useful, carting drinks and small pails of nails.
“She has it covered,” Greg pointed out. “She said you’ll need the sleep.”
Marc didn’t respond except to go back to bed, but he didn’t fall into the deep sleep he’d been in. There was trouble coming and it would be here soon, or Angie wouldn’t have them all laboring like dying bees. The pace was almost frantic, despite the mood being calm, and he would stay alert enough to respond if the threat arrived sooner than she had anticipated.
Across the camp, Angela sighed in relief and indicated for the workers to keep going. Storm clouds were gathering and the wind was shoving in, meaning they wouldn’t be able to keep going for much longer. She wanted this finished before the rain forced them under cover.
She scanned the cliffs around them, but couldn’t feel the heat of Adrian’s gaze. She knew he was there, waiting for her to signal him, waiting to carry out any chore she assigned. It was impossible not to miss him. He’d done more for her, for these people, than he ever got credit for. He’d known it would go this way, had planned to sacrifice himself to force his herd off this continent so they would be safe. He didn’t deserve this fate.
“Yes, Angie, he does.”
Angela turned around to discover Jennifer standing behind her.
“I know you love him, and from your view, I guess I can even understand why. What I don’t understand, is how you can be so strong and so smart, and still not recognize him for what he is.”
Angela glanced back toward the cliffs, letting her XO feel her pain for a brief moment. “He was taken from his mother, trained to kill, taught to betray our kind, and yet he still created all of this. Evil can’t build things, Jenny. It never creates. You know that.”
“Half evil, then,” Jennifer conceded. “He would have given us all up, if not for you. You know that.”
Angela nodded. “Yes.”
“Then you do see him for what he is!”
“Yes,” Angela admitted evenly. “I always have.”
“And you followed him anyway, let him train you to…” Jennifer fell silent as she realized Angela had taken power, not been gifted with it, as they’d thought all along.
“It was the only solution I could come up with,” Angela stated quietly. “No one else was going to be able to cover everything. Because I’m a freak, I was the best choice.”
“You’re not–”
“Stop.”
Jennifer did. The revelation didn’t shock her, didn’t change her opinion of Angela, but it did fill in some of the unexplained parts. Falling for Adrian was a side effect of gaining leadership.
“I wanted it from the moment our eyes met,” Angela said, sighing. “I knew he wasn’t worthy. And now that I have it, I hate being responsible for all these lives.”
“You’re good at it,” Jennifer supported.
“Yes, but it comes at a high price. You’ll find that out someday, I think,” Angela informed her mysteriously. “We’ll see what doors open for you in the future. I’m positive you’ll pick wisely.”
Jennifer was distracted by the thought of leading someday, as Angela had known she would be, and the teenager was easy to distract further with more light chores. Angela had let her in enough to start the bonding process and there would be time for more of those, providing things went well over the next month.
“Heading out!” Kyle called, waving.
Jennifer rushed over for a last goodbye and Angela noted the other crews also leaving. Some of them were like Kyle’s group–going out to secure a location and wait for the storm to pass. Others would help crews that were already in place, but none of those would make it home before the storm. They would all hunker down where they were. The QZ of people who would be allowed in had been sent to a cave not far away and a small group of rookie Eagles had gone with them to provide protection. Those in Zone C had been sent to a cave below and none of them had been happy to be assigned to the bottom of the mountain, alone.
The only people Angela hadn’t accounted for were those with Adrian. She didn’t know if they even had cover and it burned at her as the day advanced and the storm did the same.
Needing the distraction, Angela went to supervise the securing of the livestock trailers, thinking she would help with the tents and vehicles next. The sooner everything was in place, the better.
As Kyle and his team rolled down the mountain, he caught a glimpse of a tall, thin man moving through the trees toward the bottom cave where the people from Zone C were resentfully crammed. Kyle hoped it was the new assassin. The refugees from Zone C were trouble and Kyle stewed on them as he drove. Some people had to die and some people had to do the killing. That never changed and thanks to Jennifer, he was beginning to accept his role in that grand scheme.
4
The storm came in loud, powerful waves that made Safe Haven cower.
Lightning cracked brutally, illuminating clouds of rain that swept over and drenched everything. Smaller tents were ripped from their stakes and slammed into larger canvas shelters where nervous people forced chortles and pretended they weren’t scared.
Angela, who hadn’t been to sleep yet, and Marc, who had slept late to make up for her deficit, stayed with their camp. Daryl and Kendle also stayed with the people, both curt with the repeated questions. Neither of them had handled this type of situation before and it was a learning experience.
Thunder rolled through the stone as if a quake was coming for them and Angela concentrated, bringing up the shield over the area. She wasn’t positive how well it would fare against the lightning, but she wanted to try. This storm was a small preview of what they would deal with when winter came. This was only summer and fall saying so long, and while thunderstorms were dangerous, the frozen landscape of snow and ice, combined with winds that could rip trees up, would make for very unpleasant moments. It would feel like they were being buried alive.
Angela lingered near the tied flaps of the tent, hoping the cave workers and those out on runs were okay. Her hair blew wildly from the wind getting through small tears and holes, and Angela enjoyed the feel of nature that she was allowed to have. Going out there with all that flying debris wasn’t a good idea. They had the animals in the trailers next to them, and the clucks and grunts were a constant noise that echoed each time the weather grew louder or slammed something against their shelter.
She was getting sporadic reports from their people who were out on runs, but it didn’t make Angela feel any better. She wouldn’t be able to sleep until the threat was over. Hearing from Jeff and Kevin had been good, though. It had eased some concerns over the two men, but their message of snow hadn’t been received well. Most of the people here now were talking of working double shifts to get inside the caves and Angela knew that was something she would have to fix later. Everything had to stay on schedule.
Nearby, a conversation drew Angela’s attention.
“It’s not safe there.”
“She knows what she’s doing.”
“I’m telling you, she’s gonna get hurt.”
Before Angela could spot the people involved, Kendle was at her arm.
“Can you come away from the flap? Missy won’t quit harping on it.”
Angela allowed Kendle to lead her toward the center, and her usual crowd, clearly in a daze.
Sighing unhappily, Kendle put the boss next to Marc and resumed her post over Tara and Missy. Tara was a reader–always buried in a book–and it left too much time for her daughter to get into things. Like the bucket of white paint that Kenn had left out, after marking lines to the trucks in case they needed to get these people to the caves in a hurry. The child had grabbed the bucket and tossed it in the air before Kendle had even realized she was going to pick it up. The paint had taken almost an hour to remove from both of them and two full sets of clothes had been tossed into the center fire right before Zack ordered it put out because of the high winds.
“We play now!” Missy shrieked, drawing attention. Hilda and Peggy had most of the kids in a far corner, playing with board games and Legos.
Kendle glared at Tara. “If you don’t do something with this kid, I will.”
Tara flinched, dropping her book, and those around them stared in shocked disapproval.
“Fine,” Kendle grunted. She picked the girl up and swung her around for a piggyback ride. “Let’s go see who we can bug, huh?”
Missy grabbed Kendle’s short spikes and tugged. “Go now, pony!”
Kendle grimaced and hefted the girl into a more comfortable position. “Yes, master Missy.”
The little girl giggled, tugging again and Kendle forced herself to trot across the tent to please the kid. It was obvious that her mom didn’t give a shit.
Across the tent, people were gaping at the scene. Even Marc was staring, dumbfounded, and the feeling slowly turned to awe for his mate. Angela could have hated Kendle, could have hurt her, but instead, she had found a way to bring the crazy island woman into the herd.
Marc leaned over and kissed Angela’s chilly cheek softly. “Love you, baby-cakes.”
Angela melted against him. “Mmm. You should do that more often.”
“What?” Marc asked, rubbing her arms.
“Realize what a perfect genius I am.”
Marc’s laughter was a balm to the nerves of everyone who heard it. He wouldn’t be laughing like that if they were all about to die.
“It’s going to be a long night, baby.” Marc stated. “How about a padded chair, with a blanket and your notebooks?”
Angela wanted to say no, but she did need to go over a few things and now, while she couldn’t do anything else but wait, was an ideal time. “Okay.
Marc blinked. “What?”
Giggling, Angela led them to the area where the other pregnant females had been stashed with comfortable chairs, snacks, and books. “I’d like the Eagle signup sheets.”
Marc veered toward Kenn, and Angela joined her team, minus a couple, and their wary mates. Almost everyone had chosen to stay here and weather the storm together, but a few people were still in the caves. The new Indian members were all in the trailers with the livestock.
Marc wasn’t sure what Angela had them doing and he hadn’t asked. She wouldn’t put them on a dangerous post because of a bias or because they were new. Angela had proven repeatedly that she was fair, so that meant they were doing quiet work for her and that meant something for the future. Marc was already positive it wouldn’t be pretty and didn’t want to know yet. He had enough on his plate. When he had room for more, he was sure Angela would fill him in. He had already figured out that she was breaking him in easy, not giving him too much to handle at once. He doubted that would hold for long. There was simply too much work and trouble to account for, to think he would ever be caught up.
Bamm!
Lightning struck, close enough to rattle the ground under them and send awful vibrations rushing through the stone.
All activity stopped and everyone in the canvas stared at the flaps.
Thunder rattled, booming and drawing noises from the animals next to them.
Angela stood up, feeling something coming.
“The door!” Missy screamed.
Kendle made the connection and shouted, “Get away from–”
The bolt of lightning slammed into the stone directly in front of the fastened flaps and electricity sparked into every piece of metal nearby, causing tubes to explode in fiery shards that landed on the tent.
“Shit! Fire!”
The female team got up, all eager to use their gifts, but Angela said, “We’re not needed.”
Her tone was an alpha command and the females sat down disappointedly as the members around them either panicked or ran for a fire extinguisher.
Marc saw the same chaos that Angela did and realized she was right. He dismissed the other Eagles, allowing only team leaders to give instructions to those who needed it.
The fire in the roof was small, with a few smoldering holes, but the extinguisher foam coated the tent front in thick layers as the men and women went overboard.
No one scolded them and Angela didn’t have to pass the word for the Eagles to congratulate or thank them. They already knew to do that. It was how most of the rookies were trained. Everyone needed to feel like they were contributing and eventually, that led to them actually doing it. The same was true of the camp. Because of this, a few of them might use it to bolster their courage and join the Eagles.
Marc directed the members through cleaning up the mess, but didn’t let them go outside the flap. The storm was having its way with everything out there and people were always a target now.
Those in quarantine had been warned about the coming storm and Marc had suggested they take cover in the cave at the very bottom of the mountain road. It was a wide, dead-end space and it would even hold their vehicles. The new people hadn’t been happy, but when the rain had come, they’d fled.
Marc had insisted on getting them under cover, but Angela hadn’t wanted him to. He’d felt that clearly. She hadn’t protested aloud though, and he’d gone through with it, trying to convince himself that she didn’t want them to be killed. Surely, she’d rather the wilder folks just left, right?
Marc made his way over to Kendle and Missy, who had chosen a stack of coloring books, a large blanket, and were trying to construct a fort over three chairs. He started to thank the child and then decided to do it in a way that she would enjoy.
He put his back to them, arms crossing, and stated, “I’m the sentry for your fort.”
Missy clapped happily and Kendle grinned. “Our own guard. Wow, kid. I might like you at some point.”
Angela sat down, not jealous or proud. She was too tired for either. Keeping the bubble over them during that strike had been draining, but it had also gained valuable information. She now knew that telling Adrian to run from the fire had been the right thing to do. Her shield didn’t keep it out. Wind and water, were covered. Fire and lightning, were not. Now, all she had left to test was earth and ice.
The temperature in the tent was chilly despite her shielding and the rumbles of thunder actually stung when they went through her barrier. For all the power here, they weren’t very safe and the thought haunted Angela the entire time they waited for the storm to abate.
5
“This is the safest place we can be,” Theo stated. His team had voted to stay in the cave and work, but many of them were jumpy and no one was talking. “It’s been here for a long time, this cave, and it goes deep. We’re good.”
Most of his team relaxed a bit, but Jennifer’s tense shoulders didn’t and Theo joined her at the folding table. “Baby still sleeping?”
Jennifer nodded, glancing down to the pumpkin seat where Autumn was drooling with half a smile on her little face. “It doesn’t bother her.”
“She hasn’t been told to fear it,” Theo stated.
Jennifer’s countenance clouded over. “She’ll know if she wakes up.”
“Not a fan of storms?”
“No,” she answered, putting the pencil down. “This draft is done for now, but once people are using the caves every day, we may have to expand a little. It will depend on traffic.”
Theo was impressed with the bathroom setup she’d drawn and he understood what she meant by traffic. Unless there was an epidemic or outbreak, there would be enough stalls and water to accommodate their waste needs. If there was an outbreak of some kind, Theo assumed the QZ would have to handle the overflow anyway, but Jennifer wasn’t finished with those prints yet.
“Thank you.”
Theo lifted a brow. “For?”
“Letting me do this without harping and shoulder-hunting. It’s nice.”
“I almost didn’t believe it,” Theo admitted. “But I’ve been in engineering for a long time. You’re good. Be crazy not to have you doing these.”
“Still,” Jennifer insisted. “It’s nice.”
Theo blushed a bit and cleared his throat. “You’re welcome. Ready for more coffee?”
Jennifer grimaced. “No. I want a Mountain Dew, a Twinkie, and a better eraser. This one keeps leaving crumbs.”
Theo chuckled, fishing in the kit on the stone floor under the table. “The pop and eraser I’ve got. The Twinkies all vanished again. We’ll hope one of the teams brings some in.”
Jennifer nodded thanks for the can, but kept her hands away from his out of habit. Cesar hadn’t liked her to have physical contact with another male in any way.
That thought made her frown and she tried to shake it off, not sure why she would be thinking of that evil man right now. He was dead and that hell had ended.
But some days, I still don’t believe it, she admitted silently. I’m still waiting for his punishments.
Theo glanced around the room they’d chosen, aware that everyone was listening. Most of them had promised to keep an eye on Jennifer, but they were also using each other to hold their demons at bay. Being inside the ground and listening to the groans and creaks of shifting rock above them, was unsettling even for the senior men. The only miners in Safe Haven were the Miller family men.
An odd growl sounded from a lower level of the cave and all of them focused in that direction. That hadn’t been the storm or the stone settling.
“You want me to check it out?” one of their rookies asked.
“Nope,” Theo denied. “Stay alert.”
The rookie, Brent, sighed in bored disappointment. He clearly wanted to be doing more than babysitting.
The storm increased in power, rumbling down to make the hair on their necks stand up.
“It’s getting bad up there,” Jennifer commented. “I think they’re going to have to come here soon.”
Her voice was dazed and Theo didn’t hesitate to get the team going on preparations for that. It would please the boss.
Jennifer joined them, but stayed in the same room so that she could watch Autumn. That cave-dwelling voice might be harmless right now, but Jennifer didn’t want to test it on an innocent soul. It already hinted of too much power and too much time alone. When they confronted that obstacle, Angela had to be here.
“Everyone okay?” Zack called a short time later from the cave entrance. “Boss wants an update.”
Zack shook off the rain from his yellow slicker, adding, “And I’d like to be able to say you’re all alive at least.”
Theo’s crew snickered.
“We’re good,” Theo stated, placing a crate of mats near Zack’s feet. “Getting it set for the bugout.”
Zack grinned. “She’ll like that. Need a few hands? Lots of Eagles up there doin’ nothin’”
“Can I give you a list?”
“Absolutely. We’ll each bring down an armload.”
“Perfect.”
Jennifer wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation. She had Autumn’s seat by her ankle and a handful of bags that held towels the workers usually used for wiping their hands. Tonight, the camp might need them for drying off. She turned around to put them on the table and froze at the sight of the nun in full habit.
Jennifer blinked, aware that it was a premonition, but freaked out just the same. “What do you want?”
Beth, who had lost her child at birth, was paler than the parts of her habit. She lifted her head and Jennifer shrieked.
The sound of it spun through the caves and brought everyone to her side.
“Get to Beth!” Jennifer sobbed, cowering. “She did it!”
The ghost smiled sadly, turning around to deny Jennifer the sight of the rope around her neck. She’d hung herself in the empty garden truck.
Jennifer continued to sob, but the storm prevented radio calls and there was no one who could comfort her. She hadn’t realized Beth’s depression had gotten so bad since she lost the baby.
At her feet, Autumn also stared, not upset by her mother’s pain. She was distracted by the glowing green orbs that bobbed and jumped in the darkest shadows behind Beth’s ghost. It was mesmerizing and the infant was mostly ignored as two guards ran for help and the others tried to console Jennifer.
6
Angela grabbed Marc’s arm. “Get to the flap!”
Marc went immediately, convinced by the urgency of her tone. He marched into the pouring rain and found Zack, pale and panicked.
Marc led him away from the tent of curious members, taking him into the nearest truck. Full of turkeys that had been brought in, it was noisy and stank, but at least it was dry.
Zack filled him in quickly, glad to be away from the crying girl. With Kyle gone, they didn’t know what to do for Jennifer.
The wind increased again, shoving until the trailer wanted to roll. Marc could feel the hum, the vibration of being on the edge of movement. “We’re not staying here much longer.”
“Theo was already getting things set in case you needed to bring people down,” Zack remembered. “He could use a hand.”
“Good. I’ll draft a crew for it, “Marc replied, mind on Jennifer. He had also promised to watch out for her.
“What about the…Beth?” Zack asked, not wanting that chore. At least not in the dark, during a storm.
Marc sympathized. “Leave it for in the morning. Put a quarantine notice on the truck so no one opens it before then.”
Relieved, Zack ducked out and Marc took a moment to nod to the shadows in the truck. “Very nice. He never saw you.”
Marc left the surprised Indians to mutter and chuckle. Angela had asked them what they would like to do in Safe Haven and all of them had told her they wanted to be useful to Marc. The Ghost was their spirit guide in the flesh and they’d come here to live among the white man–for him.
Angela had seized that opportunity and placed them out here in the trucks to monitor things during the storm. The Indians didn’t mind and didn’t view it as dirty work. They were honored to be trusted so quickly and to be given such an important post. It was good to be useful, but they also got a thrill from living on the edge that couldn’t be matched in any other way.
Marc returned to Angela’s side, casually signaling a few men to go help Zack. It was handled calmly and few of the sleepy camp paid much attention. Marc was in the middle of congratulating himself on handling their first issues quietly when lightning struck the tent directly and all chance at a peaceful night was lost.
7
It wasn’t hard to get the scared members into the trucks, but it was chaotic and the next hour was spent running loads of people and gear into the caves that had only gotten a few days of preparation.
Angela put sentries on the entrances to the other levels and kept everyone on the first floor, aware of the bad vibes coming from the bottom of the cave. Something would have to be done about that, but for now, she was busy trying to calm a herd that didn’t want to be underground at all, let alone so soon.
“We’ll be up and out in a few hours,” Angela stated, making her voice carry. “Until then, it’s a good practice for when we move in here. Take this time to conquer your fears. And if you don’t have a fear of this, kindly reach out and help those who do.”
Shawn carefully pushed his way through the tense crowd and leaned down to whisper in Angela’s ear.
Marc saw her first glaze of terror and then her cool façade of battle fell into place and the leader of Safe Haven took over.
“Everyone! Pay attention! We’re getting snow now and it’s going to get cold. Please put on more clothes, immediately. Eagles will be around with blankets and sleeping bags in a few minutes and then I’m sending them out to get all our heaters. Be patient and stay out of the way while they get our heat flowing.”
The camp all seemed to start shivering and noticing the cold at the announcement. Angela immediately wished she’d had another option, but the people would have detected the snow on the workers anyway and it was best to have everyone prepared to get out of the way.
Standing outside the entrance, Angela surveyed the sky, and Samantha appeared at her side, looking exhausted.
“Sorry, I missed that one. Not sure how, but I assume nature doesn’t like me trying to predict her moves.”
“No worries,” Angela stated, hoping that was true. “We’ve got gear to cover a day of cold.”
“And if its winter coming now?” Samantha questioned lowly.
Angela grunted, letting that be her answer. Prepping these damp caves in freezing temperatures would be a nightmare and it was one she hadn’t considered.
Worried, Angela gave Marc Point, gesturing distractedly, and then sat down to concentrate on searching the future. They shouldn’t have snow yet.
What did I miss?
The descendants around her felt Angela probing those halls and doors that connected to their own, and it was eerie when they also began searching, but for Angela, it was a boost of fresh energy that allowed her to pry the heaviest door open and peer inside.
Angela’s sigh of relief let everyone else relax and her words, “Just flurries.” were missed in the tension break. Small conversation attempts began, kids shifted restlessly, and Eagles got busy carrying out their orders. It would be a long night, but they would be okay. They had magic on their side.
Angela didn’t like that common thought, but didn’t dissuade them of the notion. A few of those here understood how much danger they were all in at this moment and Angela was relieved that those people were controlling themselves and not panicking the others. In this atmosphere, it wouldn’t take much to spark the fuse of panic that always seemed to be with them since the war.
8
“The ants are coming in!” Zack called from the entrance a bit later.
Angela pointed at the clear area in the rear that Jennifer had suggested. The teenager was talking and moving, caring for Autumn, but Beth’s suicide was obviously weighing on her.
The ants, dusted in snow, marched into the cave without hesitating, despite there being more than two hundred people inside. They went to the corner that Angela had insisted be left clear and made a spectacle of themselves by curling their bodies into a large circle that their young and larvae were placed inside. More ants then covered their young and all of the insects slept, except for two huge ants that marched back and forth in front of the colony.
The arrival of the ants signaled the end of the evening and the camp settled down to sleep inside the cave for the first time. Burning cans near the entrance provided a little heat, but the light went a long way, as did the lamp glare and penlights people had around their necks. Piles of blankets made large cushions for kids who sprawled out on top of each other, much like the ants. Adults and off duty Eagles found a spot to sit and lean, and the final hours of waiting began.
Marc was wiped out and knew Angela had to be feeling worse, but she strolled among the people, chatting and offering positive thoughts with little signs that it was bothering her.
Is she okay? he asked his demon.
For now, came the foreboding reply. I wouldn’t let her go much longer without a fill.
Marc felt his body respond at that suggestion. Yes, sir.
The demon chuckled and Marc marveled at how quickly he’d become accustomed to that voice inside. It was almost as if it had always been there, helping and guiding.
But I haven’t, the demon reminded. You locked me away.
You know why, Marc stated. Don’t start shit with me.
The demon fell silent and Marc chose to worry over that later. If the demon was still holding onto the past, that wasn’t a good sign of things to come and he would need a clear head to deal with it.
Two hours after bugging into the caves, Angela leaned against Marc’s big arm and fell asleep almost right away. She had time to think he smelled like she did–tired–and then she was flying west through the snowstorm and a shadowy figure followed on her heals.
Angela knew who it was and allowed the breeze to carry her wherever it wanted. Marc had the camp protected and Adrian had her six. Both sides of the line were covered.
9
Late night changed into early morning with a shift in the winds that blew directly against the boards they had placed over the entrance to the cave. It caused the temperatures inside to plummet and leadership to worry.
Marc woke Angela two hours after she’d fallen out, regretful but unsure what she wanted him to do. He wasn’t going to step on her toes, in any situation.
Angela sat up groggily, and pushed away the tea. “Coffee,” she croaked.
Marc handed her his mug and quickly lit her a smoke, aware of her morning habits.
Angela struggled to wake up, to return fully from the adventure she’d been on with Adrian. The island is so clean! So green!
“It’s cold, Angie. I can do some things about that, but you need to pick.”
Angela shook it off and focused on the paper that Marc was holding out. She scanned it, picking, “Tents.”
Marc stuffed the paper in his pocket, glad he didn’t have to leave the cave to go get their winter gear. Erecting a few tents and putting what heat sources they already had here would hold them until dawn.
“I’ve got it now, baby. Lay down.”
Angela did, gratefully. Marc knew what he was doing. In the morning, when her brain and tongue were connected, she would let him know he had permission to go ahead and handle it as he saw fit next time. The calm people around her said he’d been doing a good job and Angela slipped back into the darkness eagerly.
10
“Have you made a choice?”
Peggy nodded in response to Hilda’s lowly spoken question. They were standing at the entrance, pretending to observe the snow like many other people had been doing while Marc got the tents set up.
“So have I,” Hilda stated. “Now we leave them alone, right?”
“Yes, we have to make sure our representatives are worthy.”
Not far away, Doug saw the women chatting and didn’t like the sense of wrongness. He was with Maria’s sons, enjoying the cooler weather that fascinated the kids, but he already knew Peggy was doing something that would get her in trouble. Why else would they be whispering?
Peggy rotated to inspect the area and found Doug’s disapproving gaze on them. She immediately left Hilda and came to his side.
“You feeling okay?”
“No,” Doug stated. “I’ve got this ugly feeling and it’s your fault.”
Peggy flushed, looking down to find the kids staring at him in surprise. “Later?”
Doug nodded stiffly. “Absolutely, woman.”
Needing him to back off, Peggy put her hands on her hips. “Have you tested your sugar yet?”
11
Marc quickly got the three large tents set up inside the cave and directed people inside them. They’d found two small space heaters and with the piping already in the cave for tomorrow’s toiling, they were venting with no trouble. They also had the blankets and sleeping bags, and the temperature difference was noticeable.
Marc swept the slowly relocating crowd, aware of groggy mutters and complaints, but he didn’t feel any true resentment. Everyone was a bit on edge from being forced into the caves before they were ready, but come dawn, they would be eager to get outside and play in the little bit of snow that had accumulated so far.
Marc nodded to Samantha, who had taken up a post near the entrance. She was obviously feeling guilty about missing this part of the storm, but Marc knew she was also worrying over Neil and Jeremy. Neil’s was the only crew they hadn’t heard from yet, but Jeremy had also remained topside, swearing he was more useful there. Several people had tried to talk him out of it, but Jeremy had walked into the storm with tense shoulders and none of them had followed him. Now, Samantha was holding a vigil for both men.
Marc spotted Cynthia inside her personal pup tent, flashlight illuminating while she labored on the first edition of her newspaper. Angela hadn’t given her a deadline, but Marc was confident the reporter would have a rough draft ready in the morning. Settled on a ledge slightly above them, Cynthia hadn’t come out of her tent once.
Marc made his way through the grumpy people to get to the contest board that Angela had insisted on bringing. It held a sheet of paper with the names of those who had signed up for the Eagles and Marc hadn’t gotten to it yet. He wanted to know who the next soldiers in their army were.
Marc ignored the other men standing stiffly in front of the board and began reading. He skipped the females names, positive Angela would weed through those and he frowned when he found Charlie’s name. With all the chaos of their freedom fight, the Jr. Eagles had been broken, the same as the other teams. Charlie wanted to make sure his mom hadn’t forgotten about them.
Marc kept reading, happy the list was long. They needed all the new…
Marc burst out laughing as Kenn’s name caught his attention. Kenn was about to be a rookie!
Marc’s amusement carried and sent calm over the camp that was now inside a warm tent and getting comfortable. Marc kept reading, thinking Kenn had finally gotten tired of hearing that he wasn’t really an Eagle.
The bottom of the sheet held the names of the last minute people who weren’t confident they had what it took and Marc snorted as he spotted Kendle’s handwriting. She already had a slot on Angie’s team, but she wanted to officially earn it, like the others had.
Except Candy, Marc corrected himself. She’d also been given a place to help ease her rage and Marc didn’t think either of them should even have a gun. Kendle was doing better and if they were in another war, he would want Kendle with him then, but for this time and place, she was still too dangerous to trust. As for Candy, Marc was still waiting for the snap. That cold, ‘nothing gets through’ attitude was a façade that held a pit of grief and anger that Marc didn’t want to blow up on anyone.
Marc kept reading, almost at the bottom, and the final name to catch his attention caused a disturbance in the force.
Marc spun toward the nearest guard and made a curt motion.
When was he here?
Zack, tired and a bit annoyed over it himself, gestured angrily, She did it while we bugged out.
Marc wanted to cross the name off the list, but knew that would be exceeding his authority. If Angela wanted Conner among the rookies, he was in no position to argue.
“But I don’t have to pass him,” Marc muttered under his breath. “And I won’t, unless he proves to me that he’s not a threat like his father.”
“How could ya, when it’s been in my pocket?”
Peggy’s shout drew groans and grins, and Marc waited for the inevitable with everyone else.
“No, it’s morning now. Do it!”
A short pause and then, “Fine!”
“Oww, woman!”
Marc snickered, anger dimmed by amusement. If Doug didn’t test his sugar every morning, things could get ugly for him. Peggy was determined and when a woman set her mind to something, she usually got it.
Marc paused, mind clicking that into place. Angela wanted Conner to be an Eagle, to be away from Adrian and be saved.
Can I do that? Marc asked himself. I would have with Matt, though I didn’t realize time was so short. Can I train the son without holding the sins of the father against him?
No, Marc admitted. I’ll have Kenn and Kyle do most of it. I don’t want to be that person.
Satisfied with his own character, Marc headed for their small, quickly chosen bathroom area, hoping the port-o-lets were holding up. They didn’t have a pit ready yet and the odor was terrible.
Marc moved to allow Li Sing and his family to leave the bathroom, nodding and exchanging greetings. The nine men, women, and children did almost everything together, like they feared being alone and Marc made a mental note to make sure that wasn’t the case. If they were having problems with someone, he would handle it. Li and his clan were a wonderful addition to Safe Haven. They obeyed the rules, helped even during their off time, and remained respectful of each other and those around them. They were model citizens here and Marc wished the new soldiers were more like them. Those men were loud, crude, and often caught saying the wrong things about people. If they weren’t careful, Angela would put them on an Eagle team together and then tell the rest of her army to make them feel what it’s like to be bullied. Marc didn’t want that to happen and he decided he would spend a few minutes with that poker-playing group of men. A few words of advice might save them a lot of bleeding.
After that, he planned to make certain the ants weren’t being disturbed, and then do a complete round of the sleepy people. It suddenly seemed like he might have missed something and Marc didn’t care for that feeling at all.
12
As the storm wound down, the shift change came and those who had been on duty overnight were too wound up to lie down and sleep right away. Many of them went topside to dig through the debris or access a tent that was still standing.
Kendle and Daryl were two of those, joining Jeremy in the training tent that had remained because it was along one of the cliff walls that surrounded them.
Jeremy had stayed in the hayroom, occasionally letting out a moan that mirrored theirs as Daryl led her through her second kai lesson.
Kendle wasn’t afraid to hit or to be hit, and it made her a quick study that Daryl was already using level two lessons on. She also hated the one-hour limit, and had made him agree to double it, so she would be tired enough to sleep.
Daryl didn’t think she had it in her, but they were about to find out. After being cooped up in that cave for all those hours, Daryl was anticipating the exercise. He hadn’t admitted it would be good for him too, though. He didn’t think it was a good time to show any weakness. He had too many plans to let something small like a reputation screw things up.
“Mind if we join?”
Shawn and Greg were by the flap, and Daryl waved them in eagerly. When Kendle got tired, he could advance to a real opponent and not have to hold back.
In the hayroom, Jeremy quietly shut off the laptop and stowed it in his kit, under his other gear. He’d spent the evening tracking the storm and trying to figure out how to activate the satellite links that he needed to inspect the western half of their country. When he got those, they would be able to view Yellowstone and determine how bad the damage was. It was information that he and Neil had agreed was worth hiding from the camp, worried that if they reminded Angela about it before he found those links, she might shut it all down and then they would never know. However, if they could show her the Internet would still be useful, she might not ban it. For Jeremy, that mattered. He’d spent too many years on the net to ignore such a valuable source of knowledge. He’d planned his speech, but she’d cut him off today and revealed that she hadn’t forgotten about the Internet at all. The camp had, though, and the boss clearly wanted it that way.
Jeremy joined the other four Eagles at the training mat, noticing small leaks and tears in the vinyl. The winds had been awful, but not as bad as hearing them from inside that stone tomb would have been. There was no way he could live in there, but he hadn’t figured out how to tell Angela or Samantha that yet. Neil, he suspected, already knew, but the former state trooper wouldn’t give him away. He might even try to help, though, Jeremy wasn’t sure there was anything that anyone could do. If he went inside that mountain, he would die. It was that simple.
Outside, the sky began to lighten with the coming of dawn and six foggy shadows slowly approached Safe Haven while there were no Eagles on duty along the gate.