Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) (36 page)

“Would you like to see more?”

“No you and… mom stuff.”

“I promise.”

“Okay… Show me where you guys lived.”

Kenn had been heading to his tent, but Marc’s words had drawn his ear and now he couldn’t move.

“…your mother and I…”

Brady was the boy’s real father. They had known each other before the War, like he’d suspected! A wave of rage descended over Kenn’s numb limbs and he clenched his hands into tight fists without noticing. In the back of his head, two voices were arguing.

One was defensive, wearing Adrian’s jacket. The other was the evil Marine who’d once punched Angela in the face and broken her nose. That was the old Kenn. He’d been raised to control and manipulate, and it was the feel of that familiar hatred that snapped him from his trance and spun his feet toward the training tent.

While he walked, his hands went over the 9 mm on his hip and the guard on the area headed for Adrian.

4

Angela had never been so sore, so fast.

"
Uhh
." She dropped down into the lounge chair with a pain-filled grunt, knowing when her muscles eased she'd get some relief. The workout celebration after getting her rookie jacket, then the impromptu fighting lesson Kyle had suggested, had taken its toll on her. The large steam tent was empty except for a dozen chairs and towels laid out and she sunk further down into the foldout seat as cold water dripped and thick clouds of damp fog floated from the center ring of hot rocks.

   
Angela tried to relax as the sweat began to drip from her salty skin. She had done the entire workout this time, the one Kyle and Seth did five days a week. Compared to Marc, who did his own course every day instead of working out with the men, the Eagles were in better shape, as hard as that was to believe. They were cut, strong, and she was looking forward to that too, wanted everything that came with being in Adrian's army.

"
OOhh
." She shifted, wincing as she searched for a spot that didn't put pressure on her shoulders. The one-legged pushups were the hardest on her. The Eagles had warned her she was doing too much and she'd assumed there would be soreness, but this... this was hell. Her thighs, shoulders, arms, and sides were foreign invaders intent on making her cry and every movement was torture. It had taken only an hour to achieve. How long would it last?

"I don't know. You sure? He didn't send us."

"Yes."

Voices outside the steam tent made Angela’s heart thump and her fingers slid to the gun at her side. Covered by her towel, it was a comfort she went nowhere without. When the two Eagles ducked inside, wearing only shorts, her eyes narrowed in a warning they couldn't miss, finger tightening on the trigger.

Slightly breathless from the sight of her cut-offs and half top, both men recognized the clear desire to be left alone, and took chairs that were next to each other, but not her.

"
UUgg
."

Seth's grunt had Angela hiding a smirk. He had claimed he was past that level, too hard to be made sore.

The men settled into the chairs, steam flowing from the rocks in neat, soothing waves, and Angela closed her eyes. If it had been anyone else, she probably would have left, but these two took turns guarding her. She had nothing to fear from them. It was time she believed it.

"The others are coming."

That got her eyes back open. The wariness that came into her body had her tensing and trying to hide the discomfort.

"Seth and I will stay as long as you do."

Kyle's words sent reason back into her scared mind and she slammed her eyes shut. Eagles didn’t run. "Okay."

Both males had thought she would leave. The amount of skin she had showing was enough to make a man think bad thoughts and the two Eagles tried to keep their minds from it, not wanting her to know. Adrian had sent her in here to loosen up and then sent the men in behind her without a warning to toughen her up. It was another lesson.

"Isn't everything with him a training session?" she muttered as more voices echoed.

Kyle had to respond. "Yes.”

Angela shifted again, unable to stifle a short moan. "
Ohh
... Good. I need it."

"Did you see that hit?" The voices were right outside the flap now.

"Amazing."

"I’ve never seen a girl punch that hard."

"Woman." There was good-natured laughter.

"You got that right. Marc's a lucky man."

The males began ducking into the steam tent, each of them freezing at the sight of Angela laid back, nearly naked, and dripping sweat. Men bumped into each other and then became still, unwilling to turn away.

Kyle and Seth got up and moved to the chairs that flanked hers. It told the others she had protection, even in here, and testosterone flooded the tent at the clear challenge.

"Stop it!" Angela hissed. "I'm so fucking sore my hair hurts. All I want is to burn some of it off. Sit down or go away!"

Her orders (and that's what they were) brought sanity back to the men and they did as they were told. Seth and Kyle kept their seats on either side of her, just in case.

After a few minutes, small conversations were going, men ignoring her as best they could. Except for the uncomfortable feeling of having eyes crawling along her exposed flesh, Angela now felt little fear despite being mostly naked and surrounded by men who were the same. Her outburst had calmed her nerves. These were Adrian's soldiers. They would learn to be okay with each other.

Kenn was searching the camp. After finding the training tent nearly empty, he'd started at the
Qz
and began following her back trail. The steam tent was the only place he hadn’t tried yet, and with every step his fury had grown.

"He’s coming."

Angela's words caused immediate tension.

 
"He discovered a secret, I think. I'll handle it." She gave a quick look around, "Can you guys pretend I don't need your help? It’ll give me the edge."

 
There were understanding nods at the tactic. Psychology had been one of their recent lessons with Adrian and all of them were eager for the practice, but more than that, they wanted her free, too, and facing her demons was the only way she would get it.

Kenn ducked into the sweat tent... and his gaze went immediately to the rounded body splayed out provocatively between Seth and Kyle. Angela was in here with all these men. Alone. And in a skimpy outfit that might as well have been her bra and underwear. Heat began to fill his vision. The bra and underwear would have covered more.

Rage began to take over and his military mind started sorting it out. When he acted, they'd go for him. How did he handle them all and live long enough to end her?

Angela observed the dangerous Marine through narrowed slits, pretending she hadn't noticed him yet. When she didn't respond to his menacing stare, they all felt his anger grow.

The Eagles were giving Kenn warning glares, telling him she was welcome here, and Marc’s words came to him again.

"…your mother and I…”

"You whore!" He muttered it in hurt surprise at the wound, drawing harsh glares, but when he headed for her, none of the Eagles moved, and it threw him off a bit. They had to know he was ready to kill. Why weren't they protecting her? Surely they didn't think she could handle herself?

"Get up and get the fuck out of here!" He growled the words at her, the menacing tone one that had always had her cowering in the past.

Angela shook her head. "
You
get out."

Fury broke over Kenn in an insurmountable wave and the Marine finally snapped, lunging down to grab her by the neck.

Ready, Angela thrust the gun under his chin and shoved it hard as his grip tightened around her throat. "A little more and I'll pull this trigger."

Kenn's eyes were burning as he struggled to control his urge to squeeze, to keep what he'd earned. "That’s his son. I'll fucking kill you!"

"Not if I kill you first."

The Eagles around them faded back, trying to pick the best ways to take him out with no hit to her and none of them noticed the blond enter the tent.

Adrian moved closer, picking it from their minds. She'd wanted to handle it. Could she?

"You have disgraced the Corps and I'll do my best to get you banished for it!"

Her icy words sank into Kenn’s brain, cutting through the haze, as she'd known they would.

 
"Isn't that what you told Marc?" Her tone grew pointed. "Pick carefully. Everything you are hangs in the balance. Your place, your future," she sneered despite the awkward position. "Not to mention your life."

Kenn's hand was letting go before she finished talking, but Angela didn't remove the gun, instead following him the rest of the way up with a neat move that drew admiring nods. She learned fast. They’d only shown her that a few hours ago.

"I could pull this trigger right now and none of these men would stand on your side at my trial. I'd be exonerated." She was gratified to see an edge of wariness fill Kenn’s eyes.

"If I want you banished, they'll do it right now and maybe, just maybe, leave your body on the side of this road.”

“No maybe about it.” Adrian’s voice was harder than any of them were used to.

She felt Kenn’s internal flinch and the tension grew as Angela's own anger rose up to lick her with flames of revenge. She wanted him to pay. Did she want him dead? No, but she did want him to back off.

"The next time I pull this gun on you, I'm using it."

She let her finger tighten a bit further, feeling the hammer start to slide, and shook her head before he could react. "I wouldn't. The Witch is running this show and she loathes you. Even if I die,
she
won't."

Kenn froze, stopping his fingers from going for his gun, and Angela stared at him. What would it take? "I don't want to kill you, Kenn." She slowly lowered the weapon, sank back into the chair. "But I will."

She showed only a relaxed, confident posture, and the now dread-filled Marine spun around to find Adrian's condemning blue eyes by the flap.

"You are confined to quarters until the vote or we'll escort you from camp right now!"

Kenn shouldered his way through the elated Eagles, beginning to realize it was all over. “I’ll be there!”

Doug’s huge form appeared outside and fell in behind the Marine without being told as Adrian started issuing orders. “Notify the moral board and get a few more men on his tent. Someone round up Tonya too, and put her on ice until it’s over.”

“Wait.” Angela’s protest was ignored by the men as they moved quickly, eager to spread the story. “Something’s happening.”

Adrian caught it through the chaos and turned to say something to her, but his words were lost in the sudden roar sweeping over Safe Haven from the west.

Two minutes before, right as Kenn was reaching for Angela’s throat, Yellowstone had ejected an enormous geyser of smoke as the plates below shifted. The earthquake spread across the Midwest like a bomb blast, the Wyoming hotspot shaking every inch of dirt for five hundred miles in every direction. It lasted more than a minute, sending a huge black cloud of ash high into the western sky.

The rumbling died down slowly, gradually lessening into stillness, and lava levels inside the no-longer-dormant volcano rose into the cracks and crevices along the surface. The land around the caldera was now swelled, as if preparing for birth.

The tremors had been strong enough to throw all of them to the ground and Adrian helped Angela to her feet while he tried to clear the distortion from his head. Outside the swaying tent were screams, and Adrian hurried toward them, using his hands to give new orders. The Kenn disaster would have to wait behind this one.

Angela stepped out into one of the apocalyptic landscapes that she and Brady had come through on the way here, and stopped in horror. The neat and orderly refugee camp had been replaced with running chaos. Tents were down, some burning, vehicles wrecked, people and animals streaming through the debris. There were overturned cars, a telephone pole lying across the center bonfire pool, and Angela stared in dismay. How would he ever get this back to normal?

Adrian knew speech was still useless and he gently pushed Angie back inside the lopsided tent. He waved Jeremy and Seth over with a short motion and the Eagles followed her in. She would be watched after and he would take care of his camp.

 
“
rin
..!”

The blond could only get part of Billy’s words to him and he shook his head, signaling.
“Can’t hear…”

The driver’s eyes were wide, but he made a fast motion that Adrian understood clearly and responded to in kind.

 
“People trapped.”

“Show me.”

The two men hurried toward the parking area, Adrian making people pay attention by hitting the air horn they all had on their belts since the bird attack in Utah. He moved through the calming refugees and his silence was not a hindrance. Thanks to the training they’d been given, his army could communicate in half a dozen different ways.
“Get someone in the kids’ campers. Do a visual check-in with the perimeter guards. Put out the fires.”