Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) (52 page)

There was almost thirty seconds of silence, but Rick waited patiently, sure someone would take the radio to Cesar. When the answer finally came, it was short.

“Orders are confirmed. Take him out.”

Rick clicked the mic once and then yanked the cord from his set and quickly unscrewed the box, pulling it apart. He dumped the last drops of his soda inside, shook it off and set it on the set with his tools. Anyone who came snooping while he was out of camp tomorrow would find a system impossible of communication and dismiss him from their thoughts.

The distorter, he shoved into the hole already waiting under the corner of his sleeping bag and patted it down until he was satisfied that the square he had cut in the bottom of the tent wasn’t showing. He was careful when he broke the canvas down and put it up, sure the Eagles would notice the slits if he wasn’t. It was the only clue to what he was doing, but it was a big one.

Rick stuffed thick gloves and a large burlap sack into his kit. While they were gathering supplies in the next town, he had a store to visit. Not all of the caged animals would be dead and those few that had survived would be hungry.

Chapter Fifteen

1

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The pounding was obnoxiously loud and intimidating.

“Open up!”

“We know you’re in there!”

Kendle jerked awake to see Luke standing near the cabin door with a gun in his hand. Where had that come from? She hadn’t seen a gun the whole time she’d…

“Luke Johnson! This is Sheriff Cole. You
hearin
’ me?”

Luke scowled, but didn’t answer. There were ten men out there, more than enough to rush him. Whatever had happened overnight, they had come heavy and that meant someone was expected to leave with them.

“Last chance, and then we’re coming in!”

Kendle was dressing behind him and Luke gave her a worried look. “Can you get to the hole-up on your own?”

“Yes.” They’d made enough trips in the tunnels for her to mostly know her way around.

“Go now, the back window. Stay there until someone comes for you.”

Luke clicked the lock off of the door, causing silence to fall among the muttering men outside.

“You’ll be on your own and they’ll know that.” He set the gun on the shelf by the door. “Take that, too.”

Kendle dressed faster and Luke turned the knob slowly, buying her time to slip on shoes.

“What do they want?”

He let the door swing open, waving at her to stay back. “Me, out of their way.”

Kendle moved to where she could see and instantly felt dread sweep into her chest. The Sheriff and his friends were armed and there was a pair of gloating green eyes behind them that made her knees go weak. Whatever this was, Ethan was responsible. She backed away from their view.

“Luke Johnson, you’re under arrest for…”

“Some trumped up charge so he can get her alone.” Luke threw an angry hand at the Kraft heir, not expecting his words to help, only buy her time to run. “You plan to take her in, too?”

The Sheriff moved his way, but stopped abruptly when Luke came down the steps.

“No.”

Luke held out his hands. “Didn’t think so. Guess that Kraft money still works all right.”

“Coming from a murderer, that means nothing to me,” Cole sneered, finally letting his loathing of the pilot show. “And she made her choice. No going back now.”

Realizing they were all in on whatever was happening, Luke snapped his mouth shut and began preparing himself for their custody. He had a feeling there were a few things they would want to get straight with him.

The others crowded closer as the Sheriff put Luke in cuffs; all but Ethan, who kept his attention on the cabin. As soon as they were in the jungle, he would come back.

“Are you going to read him his rights?” the deputy asked slowly, not sure of the outcast’s guilt. He had seen and heard things that didn’t add up, but he knew better than to question the Mayor’s orders.

“He
ain’t
got none,” one of the others stated.

Higgins dropped his head to keep the rest of the infected men from seeing how against it he was. He had been deputy for almost a year now and anticipated replacing Sheriff Cole in time. If he was careful, he’d still be alive when these evil fucks were part of the town landfill. For now though, he had to shut up and play along and he gave Luke a hard shove. “Get on the bike.”

It was a quiet pickup with little delay, but Kendle had done well in the time Luke bought for her. Before they were out of sight, she was lowering herself into the dark tunnel and pulling the grassy cover back over the hole. She didn’t care much for being underground, but it was dry and she had more important things to worry about. Like how she was going to rescue Luke.

Thud!

LJ winced at the blow, not moving fast enough for Ethan, who was clearly impatient. Blood dripped down Luke’s chin.

“Get on it!”

Luke swung his leg over the bike, settling in behind the deputy and Ethan grinned as he mounted his own. “Don’t forget what my father said.”

The Sheriff glared rebelliously. “And don’t forget what I told him. That’s taking things too far.”

Ethan brought his ride to life, shrugging. “Personally, I don’t see the point. It’s like an extra layer of icing, but daddy wants it, so…”

The cop still hesitated and the other men muttered lowly. Disobeying the Mayor now was not a good idea.

Ethan’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Should I do it myself?”

Sure that would be worse than not doing it at all, the Sheriff shook his head. “I’ll see to it. Now get the hell out of here. Go…fill up.”

Ethan’s orbs flashed again, this time with a vivid glow that had Luke staring in recognition. Kendle was right. They were sick.

“Drive back slow.”

The playboy was out of sight seconds later and Luke turned to glare at the Sheriff in outrage. “You serve the devil!”

To his credit, the Sheriff flushed. “Yes, but not alone.”

The thickly built man moved toward Luke with resigned, set steps and Luke braced for the blows he had expected earlier.

Instead of swinging, the man pulled his pocket knife and took careful aim. “Be still and I‘ll make it quick. Fight back and they’ll see how she scratched you all over to get away.”

Luke steeled himself as the knife neared his face, but he swore there would be payment for it.

2

Kendle heard the single bike above her head and felt panic threaten to freeze her in place. Would he know about the hatch behind the water tank? Not wanting to take the chance, she stumbled forward with only the candle she’d been able to find, and the gun clutched tightly in her grip. She knew very well who was stalking her and terror was her companion below the ground.

Ethan stormed up the steps to the cabin with a tight body and a light heart. Luke was in custody and would be hanged for three murders he didn’t commit. The other girls were being moved out tonight, sent to Africa along with Jenna and Cole, who would find that part out later. His father would be off his back, the town would settle down, and he would have Kendle. Luke’s fourth, undiscovered victim was in a shallow grave near his cabin and it would also be pawned off on the pilot’s doorstep if it were discovered. Things were going well.

Not bothering with manners, Ethan raised his foot and kicked the door open. He couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into that pink skin.

“Honey, I’m home!”

His cheery voice echoed in the empty cabin in a way that told him instantly she wasn’t here and his sickly face lit up with anticipation. A treasure hunt on a pirate island. Oh Goodie!

Where would she go? Jenna’s? The hole-up? His quick mind flashed to watching her and Luke tracking the tree maps. The couple didn’t understand they were following opposite-codes on the trees and had gotten nowhere over the last five days. The Mayor hadn’t liked it that they were getting close at all and had ordered Luke’s arrest last night. And she’d been here; he’d seen the fear when Luke opened the door. She would do what he had told her to, and what would LJ choose?

Ethan’s anticipation grew. He had only gotten to trace a couple of the tunnels while the pair slept, but it seemed like one of the shored-up paths had led uphill, probably toward the hole-up. Another had led toward town, and a third, toward the beach. There was no reason for her to go toward the shore or town, and wouldn’t Luke have told her to go hide and wait?

Ethan’s smile was ugly. He would use the bike to get ahead of her. His stomach tightened as he moved back down the stairs. They would be alone in the dark together. Did it get any better than that?

Kendle was struggling to remember everything Luke had told her about the tunnels. He’d wanted her to go to the hole-up and she would, but first, she had to make a stop in town.

“Go right at the root that looks like a woman.” Luke laughed at himself. “Her name’s Mable.”

It was a quick flash that brought tears she refused to let fall. They would take him to one of the two cells she’d seen when they reported Mora’s body on the beach… Kendle stepped over a huge root, ducking the large corner-web. Why had Mora been there? No one on this island liked the water much. Kendle had never seen people on the beaches. And that was a clue, wasn’t it? Because if there were no witnesses, then a person would be free to do whatever they wanted, good or bad.

Wishing for her sweater to fight the chill of being underground, Kendle moved faster, shielding the thin candle flame with her hand. There had been a lot of blood, but no tracks. Mora hadn’t been dumped, but killed there. Maybe whatever was happening was connected to the ocean. Kendle swallowed a groan at the thought of getting close to that salty nightmare alone.

“But I will.” She vowed lowly. “Whatever it takes to figure this out.”

Kendle flinched at the sudden shadow in her path and then laughed at herself, realizing it was her sign.

“Hey, Mable.” She croaked cheerfully. At this distance, she could make out the sound of a dirt bike moving ahead. Good, Ethan would be searching the jungle for her, Sheriff Cole would have Luke safely in a town cell, and once there, she would help him escape. Then they would go together to the beach and find out what was going on. Plans made, she moved faster.

3

Luke didn’t wipe the blood from his face, letting it dry there instead for the townspeople to see. The shallow grooves would appear to be nail marks and add another layer of guilt to his charges. By seeing it now, when it was fresh, he might have a chance at a reasonable doubt with a jury if they intended to give him a trial. Which he doubted.

“Get in there!”

Cole shoved him into the first dusty cell, the second already occupied, and Luke stared at the sight of Jenna lying on the bunk.

“You locked up your own mother?” he asked incredulously.

Cole flushed darkly. “She’s safer here. Even you have to see that.”

“But I don’t. We didn’t find anything on our hunts.” Luke probed and was rewarded with confirmation of the eyes he’d been feeling on them.

“Don’t matter. He doesn’t like you snooping.”

“Who?”

The Sheriff’s face tightened and he slammed the door shut with a loud clang. “You know.” He turned the key in the lock and tossed it to the deputy. “Watch them while I go check in.”

Luke waited for Jenna to say something when the deputy stepped outside with Cole, and he was unprepared for what came.

“My son’s got it, the infection. You’ll have to kill him, too.”

The door opening again halted Luke’s response. Clearly unhappy, Deputy Higgins walked back in and Luke guessed he wasn’t okay with the things that were going on. Instead of trying to talk his way out, Luke gave the man a nod of understanding.

“It’s hard to do the right thing on Pitcairn. It always has been.”

The deputy looked at him, but didn’t answer and the former POW shrugged. “Just wondering what comes next for us.”

Higgins gestured to the gun case on the wall. “Waiting on the orders.”

LJ was surprised by the honesty. “Sounds like you’re not a fan of killing women.”

Higgins snorted wistfully. “I used to have a mother, too. She taught me better.”

“Your ma was a fine lady.” Jenna’s voice was toneless despite the gentle words. “Kind, caring, and strong. This Island don’t like that.”

“What do you mean?”

Unable to see her through the wall, Luke shivered at Jenna’s eerie warning. “The island will kill her if it can.”

That, Luke didn’t doubt. He’d seen the way the tides rolled in when Kendle neared the water, even when it wasn’t time, and he’d heard the angry roars from their cabin bed when he woke her from a nightmare about the shark.

Higgins didn’t snort either. Strange things were happening here and the townspeople weren’t responsible for all of them.

“Will you let her go? Please.”

Higgins slowly shook his head. “No. If he brings her here, she’ll die with you.”

“Thank you for the truth.”

The deputy snorted. “Sure. Anything else I can not do for you?’