From The Ashes (Life After War) (48 page)

“
When?”
Tracy asked silently, sure of the answer. The vanilla would wait for next time.

Adrian eyed her freshly washed skin with naked lust.
“Training tent–now.”

Tracy’s secret smile was only noticed by a few, but for those who were aware of the escalating problem, it was good news.

5

Acutely aware of Marc walking behind her, Angela got chills from the heat in his thoughts. Marc wasn’t holding back anymore, and the past, their past, was alive again in her heart. They’d loved as deeply as two people could, and he was eager to have that side of their relationship returned.

As she turned around, their eyes met over the crowd. The low roar of so many voices faded into only them.

“
My Brady.”

“
Oh yeah, baby.”

Reality snapped in a second later with a crackle that sent static through every radio under the tent.

“
Scchhhhh...”

“
What the hell was that?”

“
Some kind of pulse?”

“
Yeah, a pulse,” Angela agreed quickly.

When the conversation was flowing normally again, she found Marc in the far corner, talking with Daryl. His gaze was everywhere–the camp, their surroundings, and the tables. It was a fascinating pattern, appearing to narrow in on something different with each sweep. What was he monitoring now? Angela eased in gently.

Marc’s vision was shadowed, faded out to stretch into a battlefield grid with razor-thin green wires outlining the perimeter. Red dots were scattered over this lined area, and Marc’s military mind narrowed in on those farthest away, estimating their alertness by the way they moved.

It was his gift, his ability to track any member of his team, and it was thrilling to discover. Had he always known he could do it? Angela stopped a snort. He probably thought it was normal, that all leaders were naturally so efficient.

Angela saw two shadows slip into the dark training tent, one instantly recognizable, and forced another cheery smile onto her face. She started to join Marc, who was now chatting lightly with Daryl about the lack of rain.

So Adrian had taken her advice and picked one right out, was currently kissing that slut, loving her...

Angela shoved the images away and headed for the cooler instead. She needed a beer.

Adrian ducked out the back of the tent, leaving a concerned, untouched relief source behind. He stayed in the shadows and made his way to the empty QZ medical camper.

Adrian dropped onto the cot, exhausted mentally. No one had died today, but what about tomorrow? Nature wanted him dead and she wasn’t going to give up. When he’d chosen to exterminate the Slavers, he’d marked himself, and through that terrible bond, his people.

Adrian
was almost ready to face the choice, set to put his plans in motion early to keep any more of them from dying. He drifted into a restless sleep, with a grimace of pain on his face.

6

Morning mess found a calm camp eating or packing for their departure time of noon. Most of the conversation was about the meeting and peaceful–fifteen and the mountains was now a verified result. They were going to live inside the stone of Georgia.

As he walked, Marc searched for effects of the bat attack that hadn’t been repaired yet. There was only the occasional corpse or decaying body part as boxes and crates were repacked. Some of the wounded rodents had crawled dark crevices to die. Dog had told him that bats were looking for young blood–otherwise they would have done more damage. Knowing it could have been worse helped Marc to let go of the fear. He’d told Adrian and increased security on their youngest members.

He would also watch out for his own. Charlie now had an extra shadow, one many of the Eagles had been surprised by. Marc hadn’t spent a lot of time on it. Charlie and Kenn needed to come to terms over plenty of things, Marc was sure, but more than that, Kenn was trying to earn his place back. He wouldn’t slack off. Marc had paired Kenn with Zack for Charlie’s security. That one wouldn’t slack off either, and he’d die for Angela’s son.

After a week of things being quiet, more people were still signing up for the defense class every day, which was good, but the requests to keep the shield up at night had come directly from the camp's women. When Adrian refused, the restlessness of the hens was rampant. It hadn’t been this bad when they were being stalked by the Slavers, and the Oklahoma towns they were passing didn’t help the mood. Kicked-in doors under brackish blue skies were bad mood-setters. It often ended in Angela bringing the shield up to just let Adrian get a break.

During the daytime, it was the Safe Haven they all knew, though. The herd had settled back into twitchy grazing. It was Adrian who hadn’t relaxed at all. Losing twenty members of his camp in one night had hurt their leader. His guilt was obvious. The camp was reassuring him often–his bloodshot eyes would have had them doing it even if the Eagles hadn’t mentioned he was feeling awful over the attack– but it wasn’t enough. He clearly needed something else and Marc was sure his top men had a plan. None of the Eagles liked seeing Adrian upset, but for Kyle and Neil, it actually hurt.

Marc ducked into the training tent, wondering which relief source they would send to him and if it would work. Sex wasn’t a cure-all.

Expecting to hear hens clucking, Marc immediately noticed the silence despite there being eleven females waiting here for him. He hardened his satisfied tone into the one he’d used for the government. “Who’s ready to get dirty?”

Before anyone could answer, Samantha came through the flap behind him. “To hell with getting dirty. Tell us what she wants in an XO.”

Marc realized they were all waiting for him to answer that one. “Ask her.”

“
We have,” Cynthia stated.

“
She says a good XO already knows why they’re needed,” Tracy added, making sure he noticed her long, black braid and exposed nape.

“
There ya go,” Marc answered, unfazed.

“
But none of us understand,” Anne murmured. “At this rate, she won’t have one.”

Marc doubted Adrian would let that happen. “Sorry ladies, I can’t help you. I suggest you examine the duties of the job and be sure you can handle it.”

Marc pointed as Charlie came to the open flap. “We’re using the same lesson you got yesterday. Pick a partner and start showing her.”

Charlie viewed the females warily, and hesitantly went to Anne, the only one he knew.

The nurse welcomed him and unknowingly became a contender by the teenager’s choice. After all, he was Angela’s son. Wouldn’t he lean the same way?

Anne was aware of the attention on them, but it was second to having Charlie in her mind, telling her what to do, how to get through this. She was in better shape than she’d been in a long time, but it was coming with a price. Soreness and bruises were constant companions.

Anne kicked out, stumbling, and Charlie concentrated. Shoving into her mind, he helped her control her body in an acceptable parody.

Marc gave his approval. “Good. Now do it again, and everyone else pay attention. Next time around, we all do it.”

Anne fell this time, pulling attention her way.

She flushed darkly, snapping. “What!? Ain’t you ever seen an old woman on her butt before?”

Samantha snorted. “Usually help them up when it happens.”

Anne gave a grunt, getting set to do it again. She was glad it was only going to be a couple more weeks of this. Even with Charlie’s help and Adrian’s lies, it was too much.

John had told the leader that last night after she’d hit the pain pills and heating pad again as soon as she came through the flap. And Adrian had agreed, finally letting her and John know what the plan had been all along. She was never supposed to remain an Eagle, only make the rookie Level so that it would bring in more of the women who were leery of getting hurt.

After that was settled, the men had quickly fallen into a grim conversation about test results and the increasing levels of chemicals John was finding. The herd of bison in South Dakota had indeed died of radiation exposure, as had other specimens in the rear of Adrian’s semi. The fallout was spreading, growing in some places by debris and containments in areas that used to be heavily populated. Bomb parts littered this land, and all of them were toxic.

Anne slipped, about to fall again, and found a strong arm subtly shoving her into place.

Samantha didn’t say anything, but she stayed close, respecting the older woman's attitude. In it for the long run, Samantha understood they may end up on a team together. Anne needed to know these things, and Angela would be very grateful to those who made it happen, wouldn’t she?

Sam tried not to think that way, and failed. She knew she needed to make peace with Cynthia–they would all be on these teams, working together, if Jeremy’s words were true. But Sam wanted it. She was growing into this life, adjusting to everything from guilt to embarrassment as she trained. The only mistake she couldn’t find absolution for was Rick. Every time she had it contained, something else happened.

Sam stayed close to Anne and put her thoughts back on the lesson. She didn’t notice the Eagle who’d stopped in the flap on a round.

7

Jeremy wasn’t sure if he could breathe. The sight of Samantha in Eagle gear, dripping sweat from wild, damp hair as she followed Marc’s lead, was enough to send him into a sensual daze where only the two of them existed. She was like a tiger, pale skin and golden mane a vivid contrast to the others here.

He wanted her, enough to do almost anything for even a chance. Why couldn’t she feel the same?

“
That question has been asked more times than any other in history.”

Jeremy was startled back into reality.

Behind him, Angela forced a chuckle through the agony he was sending. “Saw it on the internet.”

Heartbroken, the XO let his defenses down enough for an answer he had to have. “What can I do?”

Angela hated his despair. Jeremy was like Marc, one of the boy scouts this new world needed so desperately, but the truth wouldn’t help him right now. He had to find Sam’s needs on his own.

“
Come when she calls and eventually snap, blow up on her or Neil, and lose your place. Then, take off into the west and never return.”

Jeremy stared, open-mouthed in shock.

Angela raised a brow. “Not happy with that one? Let me try again. Come when she calls, eventually accept the situation and find someone else to fill the down time. Mate, have a child, and spend a few decades yearning for Samantha over your wife’s shoulder.”

“
Oh, shit!” Jeremy exclaimed in revulsion. “Try again, will ya? I’d take the first one over that.”

Angela was bringing him around, making him view the options through her eyes, and Jeremy intended to take advantage of her advice–if he understood it. Why couldn’t women just say what they meant?

“
Another good question. Perhaps you should ask the Creator, since we don’t have a clue either.”

Jeremy was startled into a chuckle, and Angela saw that Sam had noticed them talking. The storm tracker didn’t like it despite knowing she only had eyes for Marc.
Interesting
.

Angela slipped her arm through Jeremy’s, comfortable with their friendship. “You could try the opposite–make her jealous or ignore her, honestly try to let go. There are a lot of doors for you to pick from, Eagle.”

Jeremy started to protest, and Angela insisted.

“
You don’t have to settle for a woman you don’t love, and you will not have to leave camp. There are other solutions, and we’ll find the one that works for you.”

Jeremy’s male heart overflowed at her kindness, and he pushed a quick kiss to her soft cheek, not even noticing her scent. His nose, his body, now only came to life for Samantha. “Thank you. For being what we need.”

Behind them, Sam tripped and fell.

Anne was there to offer her a hand up.

Angela grunted, waved Jeremy on to get coffee. She’d realized now what it was she was supposed to be doing. Helping, fixing, and growing. Righting wrongs was on that list, too, and she threw herself into these goals, rising early and staying up late to accomplish enough to be satisfied. Besides all the normal responsibilities and duties, her mind also required progress with herself, and on days she didn’t think she’d made any, sleep was hard to come by.

Right now, fuel and water were the issues she was trying to solve. The garden was producing enough to add an extra meal or two per week to the supplies, but the extra growing was running through the water reserves. They were all right for the next ten days thanks to what they’d gathered in Wichita, and that should get them to the springs in Arkansas, where they hoped to collect and clean as much as they could carry.

However, that meant traveling every day, and they were about to be into the reserves of jet fuel they’d been taking from airports and refineries. Most of the normal gas they’d gotten in Wichita had been used refilling all their basic services. Watered down, the jet fuel would run their vehicles for only a little while before causing serious problems, and Adrian was already estimating multiple stops to pick up new cars and trucks as these broke down. They were counting on finding more gas and water in Arkansas. If they didn’t…