Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) (19 page)

 
“He wants you on the trucks now,” he told Marc, ignoring the other bruised man dripping sweat.

Marc grunted, not sure if he cared what Adrian wanted, and moved slowly out of the vet area with steps that said to leave him be. He didn’t glance at Angela as he went.

The wolf fell in on Marc’s right, shaking his coat, and they moved through the camp with no signs they noticed the whispers. Unable to ignore Adrian’s order, he headed for the next line of trucks that had come in, without acknowledging Neil’s second friendly nod of the day. He hadn’t forgiven the Trooper yet, wasn’t sure if he could.

Eager to be clean, Kenn headed for his tent as soon as Marc and Kyle were out of sight. If Brady didn’t have to do this shit, neither did he.

When Kenn stepped from the shower camper, Adrian was standing nearby.

 
“People pick-up,
asap
, Zack has the details. After the meeting tomorrow night, Slaver recon.”

Kenn winced when the blond turned from him, but clamped his mouth shut. A recon mission was just what he needed. Some time to make new plans and be away from Brady’s face for a while. He’d make sure Jeff and Allan, two of Zack’s friends, knew to keep an eye on them, and he would climb in his Bronco and get the hell out of here.

Kenn’s chin lifted. Maybe he’d keep going. He had no doubts about his own survival in this new world. His shoulders drooped at that thought. Even if he found another camp of sheep to help with, there was only one Adrian and he was here.

4

Neil saw Brady stalking across the camp toward the parking area and nodded, hoping the Wolfman had begun to understand, but received no response. He was still hot. Neil had seen the fight and wanted to tell Marc he’d done exactly right, but knew it wouldn’t matter. Their fast friendship might already be over.

The Arizona cop was bothered by the thought. He had made only a few real friends during his entire life, until coming to Safe Haven, and he still valued each one. Plus, he liked Marc.

Neil moved by the training area, headed to the hooch they had set up behind a few trucks to give their new Storm Tracker a private place to work. The sky overhead held that pale pink tone that said to watch out, but most of the camp was oblivious, thanks to the morning’s distraction. People were already laying bets on how long it might be before Kenn snapped for real. It was only a matter of…
Damn!

Stretched out against the hood of a dented car, Sam looked up at Neil’s intake of breath, smiling. “I wondered if he forgot about me.”

Remembering how to move, Neil forced himself to act like he wasn’t suddenly drowning in a completely unexpected wave of need. Her body was laid out in a way that called to him and he tried to keep it from his voice.

“You have a radio?”

Sam held up the hand he hadn’t been able to see, showing her set. “Nothing to call about yet.”

Neil moved to the bumper, fighting the urge to ogle her like a horny teen. He would head for the shower after this. “He said to tell you it’s too soon.”

Sam smiled, glad of the comfort.

When she closed her eyes, Neil let his go up her jean-clad legs and over her sweater-covered chest. Nice. Neil tore his hot gaze away. “Let me know if you need anything.”

He moved back into the lightly swaying trees with a frown, unaware of anything but his reaction to the new woman. What was it about Sam that drew him so hard?

On guard duty over the Storm Tracker, Jeremy chose not to tell Neil he had a tail. The Trooper had felt something with Sam, his teammate was sure of it, and he hoped that Little Becky would now prove herself too young.

Neil heard the light steps behind him and turned. “Samantha, can I ask you…”

Becky pressed her body against Neil’s in abandon, pushing her lips to his, and for an instant his grip tightened! His mouth slanted over hers with a snarl of need that had her trembling and then he was gone!

“Damn kid!” Neil spat, unable to disguise his disappointment. “With anyone else, you’d be on your back right now!”

 
He moved away from her, hard body under rigid control. “Get back inside the tape!”

Startled by his anger, and frustrated by the age difference, Becky scooped up a thick handful of mud and let it fly.

Neil sensed something coming and ducked before realizing who had just stepped in front of him.

Adrian stiffened in surprise as the thick glop hit him in the face and slopped over the front of his jacket in thick waves.

Everyone froze.

Taking in a tight, calming breath, Adrian slowly used his clean hands to clear the space around his eyes.

“Uh, Neil?”

Horrified… “Yeah?” he answered harshly, not caring that the girl was now shedding real tears. Damn kid!

“Make sure she pitches for the next baseball game.”

They both stared stupidly at him, and Adrian turned back toward camp, seeing Jeremy’s satisfied look through mud-streaked lashes.

“I’ll be in the shower.” Adrian slung another handful of mud to the ground. “Maybe I’ll practice ducking while I’m there…”

Not sure what he might say to the crying girl, Neil turned for the training tent, leaving Becky alone.

Drawn by the sound of her name, Samantha had seen most of it and stepped from the windy shadows when the men were gone. “You okay?”

Becky stiffened in embarrassment. It just kept getting better. “Fine!”

Sam shrugged, staying back. “Thought I’d ask. He was
kinda
rough on you, kid.”

Becky didn’t want the older woman’s pity and she cried out in anger, “Slam you!”

The teenager fled toward camp and Sam went back to her watch area with a feeling she refused to identify. She wasn’t happy that Neil had refused the reckless girl, she told herself, fighting a grin. Not one bit.

Before Adrian made it to the shower, he was distracted by the sight of Dog sitting alone near the supply trucks. Not sure why, he moved that way.

Dog turned his head, eyes lightening to a warm shade of golden amusement.
“It seems we’ve had the same kind of day.”

 
Adrian felt his mind try to resist and locked down on it. He kept his steps light, but stopped from the friendly rub he’d been about to greet the wolf with.

“What kind?”

Adrian watched in surprise as the animal groaned. Had he just been mocked by a wolf?

“Use the talk of thoughts so they’ll stop staring.”
Dog instructed impatiently. He hated communicating this way. It felt wrong.

Adrian noticed the wolf had thick clumps of mud in his fur and nodded in understanding. He’d been on duty, running off ants.

“There is trouble coming.”

Adrian knelt down, pulling a dog snack from his pocket.
“Do you like these?”

“No. They taste like feet smell.”
The wolf obediently took the lint-covered treat from Adrian fingers, and snapped it down.

“The others around here, like me, are dangerous. You shouldn’t linger.”

Adrian grinned, hiding his worry. Not ants. Wolves.
”Thank you.”

Dog sniffed his outstretched palm gently, and licked away the crumbs.
“I watch over the herd… work again. It is my honor.”

Adrian watched the wolf pad toward the perimeter with glowing blue eyes. Fate was giving him all he’d begged for and more.

5

“Get set folks. This one’s
gonna
take a bit.”

Standing by his usual table, Adrian opened his notebook and the crowded Mess slowly quieted down. They had just finished the evening meal and the people smoked and talked.

The huge center fire and cans popped nearby and the wind blew sticky hair from sweaty skin when it gusted. The temperatures were getting odder. It was the second week in April and they were sweating. What was next? Rain for a month straight?

Adrian sent his gaze over his flock, vaguely aware of bug lights zapping and guards circling.
They look nervous
, was his first thought. Nervous and ready to run. The sniper attack had them a little spooked. Good thing he was ready to sing.

“This is the 4
^th
mandatory camp meeting of Safe Haven. We are now 200 strong.”

There were murmurs at the large number and Marc took the moment to do a fast check. He saw things that made him unhappy, but they were minor - guards slightly out of place, a corner not covered - and he would keep his own eyes on them. The camp thought the brothers had acted alone, but the Eagles now knew otherwise and they were more alert than when he and Angie had first made it here. When the assassins didn’t return, the Slavers would come… if they weren’t here already.

“We’ll start with health.” Adrian’s face tightened a bit, telling them he wasn’t happy about something. “Not everyone has been by for the basic tests. If even one person has a disease, we all have it. Get tested. Get current on your shots. We can’t handle an epidemic.”

There were surprised glances at that; Adrian admitting there was something he couldn’t do.

The Leader returned the gesture. “I’m not a doctor and even if I were, it wouldn’t save everyone.” He looked around, pushing the calm over them. “I know you’re scared. I am too, each time they stick me with a needle to find out, but I go and I do it, and you need to do the same.”

He beckoned to the cook, and she and her teenage helpers (Zack’s boys) started passing around popcorn and apple juice.

“Next are new people.” Adrian gestured at one of the full tables. “These are the seniors from the Rapid City airport. They have majors from psychology to engineering, so we’ll all get a chance to learn their names while they help us make things better.”

The young adults sat down with red faces after the smiles, and Adrian gestured to the benches behind them.

“We also have a second doctor now. Stand up and say something nice, Angie.”

Face painted with vivid eyes and even brighter cheeks, Marc was impressed with how steady her words were.

“Hi, ladies, come see me. No paper gowns, cold exam rooms or roaming fingers, I swear.” She delivered a sexy smile. “Can’t make any promises for the guys.”

She sat down with the light laughter echoing, breaking the tension, and Adrian went to John. “Let’s have our medical report.”

The doctor stood up, a paper in one hand, gently smoking pipe in the other. “It seems like things are okay. No signs of radiation sickness in camp yet, nothing contagious. We’ve removed some odd moles and warts in the last weeks. Might be the start of something, though, so everyone needs to watch for changes in those things and come to me right away so I can take care of it.” John paused, “I have a suggestion and a request.”

When Adrian indicated he should, the doctor went on. “We need to up our iodine intake for when we get around the bad places. It will help keep us stronger against the War’s effects.”

“That sounds reasonable. What’s the request?”

John was careful not to let his discomfort show to the listening camp. The pain had gotten as bad as it had ever been last night, and though it had eased off around dawn, he was extremely sore.

“We need help, two full time students who would take over if anything happened to us,” he stated firmly, motioning to Angela to show his faith in her.

“I’m… I was a nursing assistant.”

It was one of the college kids and Adrian took over, wondering if Angela had felt their value as much as their need for rescue.

“Let’s have a quick show of hands. Those interested?” Half a dozen hands went up and Adrian voiced his approval. “Great idea. We’ll get a signup list posted and John will do interviews.”

He glanced back down at the notebook he had laying open on the center table. “Next are the monthly updates.”

Kenn stood up, feeling both the welcome of the camp and the cold shoulder of the highest Eagles. “We’re good on water and fuel for a couple weeks, and two months on food. Starting tonight, the supply trucks will be locked from midnight to dawn. Only the guardian and duty man on Point will have a key. You will also now sign out anything you take and how much of it, so we can keep better track of how much we’ll need to see us through when we settle somewhere.” The Marine fought his anger when Angela’s voice echoed in his head.
“There will be no limits. Adrian knows we don’t have greedy people here.”

“There won’t be any limits, though. Adrian knows we don’t have greed here.”

He flipped the page in his own book, aware of Adrian’s approval for the neat transfer of information. “We have openings in this month’s basic self-defense and karate classes and I need 6 more FND workers for third shift guard duty. See me after this meeting.”

Thinking there was more “Foot in the Door” work than even he and Brady could handle if they fought every day, Kenn snapped his book shut. His eyes were harder than most of the camp was used to seeing.

“Last thing. Anyone caught feeding the working dogs will take their place for a week. They are in training the same as the Eagles. You wouldn’t hand a person a slice of meatloaf five minutes after they’ve worked out, and you can’t do it with an animal either.” He threw in a grin he knew his boss would like. “That’s the workers. The breeders are fair game - the fatter the mom, the healthier the pups.”