Adrian's Eagles: Book Four (Life After War) (53 page)

Luke leaned back against the wall by the window so he could see outside. “I have some questions.”

Higgins settled into the chair behind the desk and leaned back, uninfected brown eyes interested. “I’ve got nothing but time to kill until the order comes down on you two.”

4

Kendle emerged from the tunnel after dark with her nerves on edge. More than once she’d been sure there were footsteps other than hers, and a minute ago she’d thought someone had tripped and fallen. In a hurry, Kendle let her survival instincts take over. As soon as she cleared the cover, she ran.

Trying not to break off a clear path, she wove in and out of the shadowy vines for a long minute before climbing a tall tree. Its weak branches only let her go into the first layer of the canopy, but it was enough to give her light cover as she waited to see who else came from the tunnel.

Inside the dark ground, Ethan peered up through the open hatch, mind whirling. She couldn’t know for sure he was in here unless he came out. If he didn’t, she would use this hatch again. Wiping his face free of the dirt wall he’d stumbled into, the playboy kept moving toward the hole-up; sure that’s where she would eventually go.

Kendle waited, able to see the open hatch from her vantage point, but with each minute that crawled by, her worry for Luke grew. Had she imagined the noise? How did she know it was Ethan? Because she’d been able to feel the menace? It could have been anything in there and she didn’t have time to wait and see what ground-dwelling animal had spooked her. She had to get to Luke before they hung him. Kendle climbed down and resumed her journey, staying in the jungle this time. She wasn’t going back in that tunnel without LJ unless she absolutely had to.

Kendle moved carefully, realizing she was a lot closer to her destination than she’d thought. The town lay in front of her, shop lights just starting to be lit. She ducked into the thick greenness to form her plan. To her delight, she saw Luke’s shadow through the jail window and sighed in relief. He was okay.

“Light it up!”

The yell came from behind her and Kendle sent her body up the nearest tree in a mad rush. Leaves floated down, the weeds swaying heavily. She held her breath as the sentry and his torchlight came closer. If he was observant, he would find her. What should she do?

The sentry was an elderly man with arthritic-looking hands and a permanent hump to his back. He went over the area automatically and Kendle stiffened when she saw him stare at the place where she’d been.

The old man had been an island resident for more than fifty years. He looked up.

Kendle froze, hoping maybe his sight was bad. He met her eye for a brief second of concern and shocked her with his raspy shout.

“All clear.
Movin
’ on.”

As he left, he dropped a bag that was obviously meant for her. Confused, but not about to stare a gift horse in the mouth, Kendle climbed down and opened the bag to find what she least expected; a way to free Luke and end the madness.

It seemed that some of the residents here not only knew what was going on, they knew who the good guys were and wanted to help. Kendle shouldered the heavy bag as she crept closer to the jail. Great. They needed all the aid they could get against the Mayor and his evil son.

Sliding along the trees, she stopped in the shadows, listening for the right moment to let him know she was there.

“Kendle was right.”

She heard Luke mutter in anger. “They’re infected.”

“Oh yes. The result of eating contaminated food they think. They found a cruise ship that had a hold full of supplies while they were looked for buyers.”

That sent his mind to Kendle’s words when he’d found her in the jungle, barely alive.
“The ship’s gone… all dead
.” Was fate was ironic enough for this illness to have come from her cruise-boat of horrors?

“So they’re slave traders. They had a load of girls from South America when they found the cruise ship. They brought it all back with them to wait for the buyers, but they didn’t come.”

“Whatever happened to the world, took them too.” The deputy clarified.

“It was a War, nuclear probably, but it could have been chemical, too. Their sickness might be an effect from that.”

“Does it matter?”

Luke sighed. “No. If it destroys the nerves and brain cells until rage is all that’s left, where it came from means little. How do we stop it from spreading?”

“Don’t have contact. Blood, sex.”

Luke’s mind shot to Kendle and he almost gave it away when he glanced out the window and saw her standing in the shadows with a machine gun. He relaxed his instant tension and kept the conversation going as she moved carefully closer. That wasn’t the pistol he’d given her. She hadn’t gone to the hole-up.

“What about all the women they couldn’t sell?”

“Oh they’re selling. Some to men here, most to random people they meet on their trips.”

“Trips?” Luke turned to stare at the deputy. “That’s the engines we’ve been hearing, and the strangers in the jungle.”

Higgins kept tabs on the window, sure Sheriff Cole would return soon to finish the job.

“And the tree markings, they’re a path for the buyers to get to the women?”

The deputy snorted. “They’re simple backward codes for the mayor’s idiot henchmen. They keep getting lost when they bring the girls down.”

“From the estate?”

Like they’d have such dealings on their property
, Higgins thought. “Ethan has a hole-up in a cave out by that rock wall his daddy bought for him. He keeps them there until we get a buyer…”

Luke’s gut twisted. “Or until he needs to hurt one of them to bring his rage back under control.”

“Yes.”

Luke was burning to confirm his suspicion of why the man was telling him all this, but he forced himself to finish getting what he needed first. “How many are left up there?”

The Deputy’s voice was full of anger. “Enough to repopulate this shitty little island without any inbreeding.”

“You ready?”
Kendle whispered as calmly as she could, angered at the sight of Luke’s injuries.

Luke didn’t lower his voice when he answered. “Thirty seconds.”

He nodded at the calmly listening man. “You said you wouldn’t let her go. Will you let me?”

Higgins smiled coldly, pushing his hat back. “I might just be convinced to do that and more, Mr. Johnson. Especially if I suspect your intentions are to eliminate this island of some of its current plagues.”

Luke’s return look was just as hard. “I do indeed and the method is standing at the window.”

“Tell her to stay down,” Higgins stated, pulling his hat forward and leaning back as if he’d been dozing the whole time. “Cole’s coming.”

Grateful they had an ally, Kendle pressed herself as flat against the wall as she could, melting into the thick leaves that surrounded the brick building. Staying in the darkest of the shadows, she listened to the new conversation with one ear, and the jungle-bound town around her with the other.

“I have to go find Ethan. The Mayor said for you to stay here,” the Sheriff challenged hatefully. This little snot had been after his job long enough.

The deputy yawned tiredly. “Should I feed the prisoners?”

“No. Don’t leave this room until I come back.” Cole wasn’t taking any chances with the too-quiet soldier and he slammed the door to add effect to his order. If LJ escaped, Higgins would die before the Mayor’s order came down.

“How long before he starts beating on people for release, too?” Luke asked, meaning the Sheriff.

“He won’t. He’s sworn to kill himself first and I mean to see he keeps that promise,” Higgins informed him coolly, ignoring Jenna’s moan from her cell. “Come on, have her slide it in the window and then get lost somewhere until this is over. If Ethan catches her, there won’t be anything left.”

Luke was putting the pieces together. This brave man had played the Mayor and his men for fools. As Higgins turned the key in the lock, Luke was trying to remember what he knew of the deputy. Very little, he realized. Public figurehead or not, Higgins was even more anti-social than himself.

Kendle handed the gun through the bars, waiting for the questions about where she’d gotten it, but when none came, she assumed Higgins was responsible. He’d known she would try to rescue Luke. From watching her reckless TV shows? Probably.

“You have to hole-up now for a day or two.”

Kendle swallowed a protest, knowing he was right. He needed to be able to move fast and not be hindered by someone who would be squeamish. She would want to spare even those who didn’t deserve that kindness.

“I’ll go to Jenna’s.”

“No!” Jenna’s voice echoed from the next cell. “They stop there with girls sometimes, on the way through.”

“The cabin?”

Higgins ruled it out this time. “Nowhere near that beach. We have buyers lined up.”

“Moving stock?” Luke asked.

“Yeah, something like that.”

“I’ll go to the hole-up.”

Neither man liked it, but unless she hid in the jungle, there wasn’t much choice.

Luke felt her fear and his own rose up to match it. Something wasn’t right. “We’ll pick somewhere…”

“Cole’s back, shit! It has to be now, get ready!” Higgins ordered, drawing his weapon.

“Don’t kill him!” Jenna cried.

“Hush now.”

Kendle had started fading into the greenness. “The hole-up.”

Luke’s hands were already working on the machine gun, mind getting ready. “I’ll be there or Higgins will.”

Kendle heard the door open and darted into the dark jungle. She kept moving fast, no longer worried about making too much noise as she headed for the hatch she’d left open. Luke was about to draw the attention of everyone on the Island as he eliminated the infected men. She would be safe underground.

5

Ethan stilled, ears finally hearing what he’d been straining for. The tunnel had no other hatches that he’d found and he’d gone all the way to the hole-up before turning back to pick his place. He wanted to take her to the estate and his special room, but his limit had been reached. It would have to start right here.

His nerves blared out another sickly blast of pain along his limbs and he clenched his fists to keep from growling. He needed a release. The hours of waiting, of hearing nothing that could be her, had weakened his control. And then there was a volley of gunfire that had lasted long enough to tell him something had gone wrong, but Ethan hadn’t left the darkness. Even now, he could hear sporadic shots in the distance and understood Luke had gotten free. Nothing less would have his father’s men pulling the trigger.

“Almost there… almost there…”

Ethan leered in the pitch blackness. She was searching for comfort. How sweet. He was going to really enjoy this one, he just knew it!

Kendle sensed the lurking monster at the last minute, the waves of evil anticipation thickening until her hair stood on end. Just as the candle light would have revealed his glowing green eyes, she dropped it and fumbled for the gun.

Ethan saw her intention as the flame sputtered out, and dove at her. His mad punch took her by surprise.

Kendle dropped the gun, swaying to her knees. His boot caught her in the stomach, driving the fight and everything else from her. She fell back against the earthen wall where she collapsed in a heap.

“Kendle! Kendle! Kendle!”

Ethan screamed repeatedly as he rushed toward her unconscious form, the fire in his infected blood blazing with victory. He couldn’t wait to taste her!

Chapter Sixteen

April 26
^th
, 2013

Crescent Lake Refuge

1

"This is your Level test, Eagles. It has seven parts. Cage matches will be called three minutes before they start, so listen for your name. Draw a number from the hat, and then go to the area with that number. Move out!"

Neil clearly loved being in charge and Angela was glad to see him running things. It meant the Trooper wouldn’t be the one in the cage with her. She didn’t stand a chance against Neil, who’d started her regular Kai lessons upon Adrian’s approval.

Angela drew the firearms area first and it calmed her nerves to begin with something she was better than good at. She stepped into the training tent with a light heart despite the glares and mutters she endured getting there. She loved guns and even the Eagles’ unease couldn’t ruin that feeling.

But Kenn could. He was the man in charge of this test and his thoughts met her across the tent.
“Go away!”

More surprised at the near panic than his silent communication, she shook her head. “I belong here as much as you do.”

Her quiet words drew nods from Seth and his team, and Kenn turned scarlet.

“Maybe more,” one of the redhead’s men muttered.

Kenn snarled in surprise. “Fuck you, Jeff!”

Instead of the fight Angela expected, the Level Four man stared back coolly.

“You’ll get your turn. We won’t leave you on the outs.”

Kenn turned darker, hands clenched, but again, the response surprised the lone female in the warm tent.

“Too late for that, isn’t it?”

Jeff was now firmly on Angela’s side, like the rest of Seth’s team. “Yes. You get what you earn in this new world.”

The warning was impossible to miss, but her Marine only snorted like it was a joke. Jeff had swung to Angela’s side in silence, and none of them knew what had swayed him.

“Remember that, when you draw my number for the cage match.”

Now Jeff was flushing, telling Angela he’d already lost to Kenn at least once, and she slid toward the targets, impatient. Why couldn’t they all just grow up?

Jeff opened his mouth to keep the insults flying and Angela pulled her gun. She opened fire an instant later, silencing the fight.

The targets were set along the far back wall, pinned to the triple-stacked hay bales and for a minute, there was only the muffled
thud, whack
of her shots landing.

Most of the Eagles in the tent had frozen, some even going for their guns. When Angela lowered her weapon, they remembered how to breathe.

Her fingers flew over the hot metal, replacing the rounds fast in her annoyance, and those in her line of fire quickly moved as she got set for round two.

Eyes closed this time, she pulled the trigger gently. None of those watching noticed the new arrivals to the tent.

The gun test had three parts; straight shooting, shooting without looking, and blindfolded shooting. When she turned, removing the expended rounds, her gaze went expectantly to the blindfold lying on the gun table and then to Kenn.

The Marine wanted to refuse, but her icy words sank into his humiliation.

“Do your job or someone else will.”

It got his feet moving and the Eagles crowded closer when he stepped behind her with the blindfold held out between both hands like a weapon.

Gun ready, Angela still felt uneasy when he carelessly wrapped it around her head.

“On my mark.”

A sullen order, it eased the tension a bit.

Kenn moved back. “Go.”

Grinning, Angela opened fire.

“She’s a natural born leader.”

Marc left the tent before the call, but the cheer behind them echoed loud and clear. “I know.”

He and Adrian had come from the trucks, both eager for the shooting tests. Observing was almost as good as participating. Some of these people were amazingly gifted. Like Angie.

“It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Yeah.”

Adrian felt Marc’s pain. After all those weeks alone, falling for her, the sight of strangers sharing these moments had to be torture. “You could be right there, by her side and welcome. There’s room here for everyone.”

Marc’s anger flared to life. “I’m not everyone. All I want is her.”

“Do you think being the center of your world and no one else’s is enough for a woman like that?” Adrian’s tone sharpened. “Wake up, Grunt!”

He turned back toward the loud tent. “She already had a Marine who couldn’t support
her
wants and needs. I’d stay as far from that as I could get.”

Adrian ducked inside, thinking Brady had better wise up before it was too late. She wasn’t meant to be just some guy’s perfect match and she was starting to realize it now. If the Wolfman pushed too hard, she might let him go.

“Isn’t that what you want?”
Adrian pushed aside the voice of inner desire. She wanted Marc and he would see to it.

Angela couldn’t stop her fumble as she noticed Adrian move into the tent. She snapped her attention back to the test, but knew she’d blown any chance at the break-down record.

“Thirty-five, no record. Next time…”

“I’ll pay attention.”

Kenn was satisfied she’d shown a weakness. “Pass. Next.”

"White to the cage."

The loud call sent ice over the tent and Angela’s calming heart back into a frenzy of thumps. She moved that way casually, trying not to appear as nervous as she felt. Hearing the words of the men inside didn’t help that feeling.

“He won’t hit her either, bet on it.”

“Should have Kenn take his place.”

“Do that and he’ll be strung up.”

“He should be anyway!”

Angela stepped through the flap and the tent went silent. They’d been watching for her.

She schooled her face into the impassive mask she’d learned and moved closer to the cage-battle that was finishing up. Other than the two men in the ring together, all eyes were on her, and even those two were distracted by the sudden quiet. Everything was about to change and all of them felt it.

Red bandana swaying temptingly from his belt, Adrian moved through the flap a minute later, seeing she stood alone. The Leader kept his distance as well. They were all waiting to see him prove his own words, one way or the other. He stepped toward the ring with a blank face.
Never let them see what you’re really feeling,
was a rule he’d led by all his life.

“If you just came in, draw a name from the hat.” Doug instructed as another large group of men filed in. Except for the two shifts on duty, all of the Eagles were here now. None of the camp was, but they’d find out. This many mouths wouldn’t all stay shut.

Angela moved to get a number with the rest of her team. Due to Kyle’s men being so good, their level tests were given by Adrian, Doug, Neil, and Kenn. Waiting to draw from the hat was nerve-wracking. What if she got the Marine?

It was a common thought and the noise level remained low as they all waited to see who would fight her.

Angela took a slip of paper quickly, and felt them all waiting for her response. “Doug.”

Surprised mutters filled the warm canvas and the big man stiffened as every eye turned to him. He hated being the center of attention.

Doug didn’t take his eyes from the two men in the cage as they finished with a pair of brutal hits that sent blood splattering across the mat.

“Pass.”

Billy grinned at his victory as he helped Neil up, and they both stilled, watching as Doug limped toward Adrian.

His words rang through the tent, bringing a shocked tension. “Get someone else. I don’t hit women.”

The apprehension thickened at Adrian’s response. “I need a man for FND work.”

More awkward quiet, where normally there would have been dozens of responses. Adrian’s tone was harder than most of them were used to.

 
“She is a rookie in my army. Will no man openly support this?” He was prepared to do it himself and risk the camp seeing her afterwards. There would be no magic allowed in the Cage and no pulling punches, either.

Catching the thought, Angela opened her mouth to issue her own, hand-picked challenge.

“I’ll do it.”

Zack’s call brought instant mutters and protests from around the tent and few noticed when Kenn slipped inside, unable to miss her first match. He settled in a far corner, away from Brady. Standing alone in his coat and guns, the Wolfman looked like he might kill Zack the instant they stepped into the ring.

Adrian ignored them, considering. Zack was working on Kenn’s orders, but the truck driver also had his own agenda. There was no love lost between them; this was as close to a fair fight as her first match could be… and she’d set it up on her own.

Adrian stared back at the graying man. Zack’s face was more eager than he liked, but there was no backing down now. “You will be exempt from camp rules for this.”

 
“It’s a Level Test, nothing more or less,” Zack answered calmly. He was prepared to face the anger of the other Eagles when he broke her nose and sealed his place with Kenn once and for all. He was tired of sharing that place with Lee and Allan.

Adrian removed his dog tags and tossed them into the far corner of the 8x8 cage. He turned to Angela as Zack took his place in front of the shiny metal. “Get my property and return it for a pass. Time starts now. You have ten minutes.”

Angela unbuckled her gun belt and let it gently drop to the floor. She’d been swallowing butterflies all day, but now that the moment was here, she only felt cold all over. “I’ll try not to hurt him too badly. I know he has a shift later… babysitting.”

Surprised chuckles floated through the crowded area. It was a punishment for the trucker refusing to do the gun class with her.

Angela kept her eyes on Zack’s as she stepped into the bloody cage, seeing the leer that was meant to frighten.

“I’ll try not to mess up that pretty face too much.”

Adrian had no doubt that Kenn’s man was now trying to give the Marine what he wanted, Angela out of the Eagles, but after their lesson last night, he wasn’t as worried as he might have been. Zack was a light mark for someone who knew how to work him over mentally.

Angela ignored the insult-slinging men around the cage, moving in a light circle to judge her opponent. “I’ll still be cuter than you, even with another fat lip.”

Zack scowled as the laughter rang out and Angela smiled, seeing his weakness. He was easy to goad. She was female. Knowing how to use that to her advantage came naturally. “So how does it feel to be right-hand man to someone with no power anymore?”

Angela’s words had the desired effect and Zack moved toward her angrily. His first wife had been like her, before the training years.

Understanding Zack had no intentions of taking a dive, Angela got set with the first sloppy stance she had learned from Marc (the decoy), with her hands balled up and hips twisted.

Seeing it, Zack made one mistake, discounting her, and it was enough. “Eagle, my ass!”

Angela let his fist get in the air and then slid into the second stance she’d learned from Marc; the nose-breaker.

Ducking under his swing, Angela brought her hand up with her ass behind it, remembering to brace her wrist like Neil had shown her and it cracked against Zack’s face.

Thud!

The impact made her wrist scream in misery and then Zack was the one howling as he hit his knees. Blood rained down his shirt in ripples.

Angela fought the urge to help him as she darted by and retrieved the tags. She took her time going back, seeing the trucker wasn’t about to challenge her progress. He was too busy bleeding and moaning.

All around the cage, there was silence as she faced them. “Want me or not, I belong here.” She dropped the tags into Adrian’s hand.

“That’s a pass.” Adrian let his full pleasure flow into the surprised canvas. “You are now a Level One Eagle.”