From The Ashes (Life After War) (72 page)

He jerked forward suddenly, hitting a sweet spot, and she arched against him in response. “Neil!”

He rubbed them together instead of thrusting, using his thickness to secure her pleasure the way his police pals had jokingly told him could be done. It slid him against her clit at the same time and sent her into a spasm of pleasure that tensed her whole body.

Her orgasm was unlike anything Neil had ever felt. It was his pleasure, too, and he memorized her expressions as he rocked against her.

Samantha shuddered violently.
So good!

Neil slid back, breathing roughly. She was slick and pulsing between them, no faking there, and he thrust into her without any of his previous hesitation.

“
Yeah... uuh!” Neil growled in stunned delight when she arched up to meet his violent move, and he stiffened above her, too far gone to stop this time.

When he would have pulled out to finish, Samantha held him close. “I need that too, Neil.”

He stifled a shout against her shoulder, hips jerking forward as he exploded.

8

“
Allan's gonna take my place. Gotta do rounds.”

Mitch looked up in bleary happiness. “G'on then.”

Marc stood up without any signs that he'd just crushed three beers. But he could feel it. Drinking wasn't something that he liked to do, but beer was usually okay. Demons came out when he drank, but beer didn't do that.

Marc continued his rounds, glad the fight at the Mess was long over, the brawlers now sitting sullenly outside the medical tent to wait their turn. John and Anne would be busy for a while.

So will I
, he thought, noticing more than a few inviting stares, including the current one from Tracy. They saw his thick body, remembered Angela’s smiles in the morning, and instinctively wanted him. Marc loved the feeling and hated it at the same time. It made him uncomfortable and lonely. It also sent his ego to new levels and made him grateful they’d come to Safe Haven. Even during his time in the Marines, he’d never been as useful, as wanted, as he was here.

His mind went where he’d vowed not to let it go, and Marc wondered if Angela missed him as much as he missed her. He pushed it aside. One thing at a time. Right now, he had to make sure things were okay on the weather front after he smoothed out Samantha's ruffled feathers. After that, he would check on Mitch. They were walking yet another fine line with this setup–always were with Adrian's methods–but if it worked, Mitch would have the chance to be a different man.

As Marc reached the female side of the tents, he noticed a lone Eagle standing stiffly in the shadows. Jeremy looked like he’d been gut-punched.

Marc followed his line of sight to the very tent he’d been on his way to, realizing there were shadows moving on the walls. Entwined on a cot, one had long hair spilling over her shoulders. The other wore an all-too-familiar hat.

Marc groaned inwardly, moving to intercept Jeremy when the Eagle went that way. “Damn, I wish Adrian was here.”

Chapter Twenty One

1

“
There’s no damage here, ya know? Just can’t get over that,” Doug said, pushing away his half-eaten bowl. Even the dogs ate better. “Why wouldn’t this be destroyed, too?”

The sky above them was roiling with pale gray through dingy black, but the clouds were there, as well. It appeared they were going to get wet, but none of them could bring themselves to dread the mud and mess involved. They needed the rain too much.

Doug's was a general question, but everyone looked to Angela for the answer.

Catching Adrian’s subtle nod, she answered. “Fate spared it because no innocent blood has ever been spilled here. It was left alone because people think it's haunted.”

Some of them chuckled, but the amusement was gone quickly at Adrian’s serious question.

“
Is it?”

“
Not any more than the rest of our world now.” Angela’s smoky blue eyes continued to roam through the mental fog… and found something.

Adrian keyed his radio. “Full alert.”

“
What is it?”

“
It's okay. Marc's calling.” She didn't hide the satisfaction. “They had some trouble, but he's covering things.”

Adrian wasn't concerned. Marc could handle it.

“
Damn!”

When Angela drew her gun, so did everyone else who saw the reaction.

She swiveled to a view of their back trail and those stunning blue eyes blazed into crimson as she brought the Witch forward.

Adrian and the rest of them gaped at the enormous amount of small shadows streaming their way. Behind the rodents, running over the mounds of debris, were the bounty hunters sent to capture them.

“
Too many! Into the vehicles!” Kenn ordered.

Their team fled toward the vehicles that lined the cleared street. Angela, no longer restrained by a twitchy herd, immediately brought a shield up around them–including their UPVs.

Adrian turned to stare at her in shock. She hadn't just been laying low about how recovered she was. Those basic gifts she had lived with all her life were now fully under her control. She'd mastered a new level without telling anyone.
On her own!

Outside the small red shield, the animals didn't leave. The Mother said the humans were too many for a direct attack in Safe Haven, but this small group was vulnerable despite the power in it. And the first attempt on Safe Haven had shown the Mother how best to attack.

2

“
They're everywhere!”

Angela slung her foot and then stomped on the rat trying again to chew through her boot, foot crunching as she added her weight to keep the manhole cover on. Around her, the others were doing the same or shooting at the legions of sewer rats scurrying from storm drains.

“
Get in the trucks!” Kenn shouted again.

“
No!” Adrian overruled. “Too many cracks and holes. We have to get off the ground.”

Hiss...

Gas exploded inside their circle, thick white fumes that quickly sent the rodents inside the shield fleeing back into the sewer.

Adrian motioned the Eagles to cover their mouths and noses as best they could, following his instincts.

The rats fled from the fumes, some stopping along the way to shudder in violent spasms. A few of the bolder rodents still charged the team and were viciously killed for their trouble.

Hiss...

Another canister, and the amount of gas inside the shield quickly became smothering. Coughs and gasps for air made Angela bring it down.

Hiss... Bamm!

The release of gas as the shield vanished was like a small bomb, spreading out in a circle of lung-injuring confusion that slammed into the waiting predators.

Not expecting it, the rest of Nature's army fled, crying and coughing in agony. A lot were killed outright from the amount of chemical shoved into open, lunging mouths, giving the team a carcass perimeter.

Cough! Cough! Spit!

It was loud as the mission team recovered, tears streaming too heavily to see who had saved them. Adrian was also hacking and crying, but knew who to thank. He could feel the anger and the energy that was being directed at him–and recognized it.

“
Conner.”

The boy didn't come any closer to the armed men. The mask he wore left him unfazed by the gas. He removed the mask and secured it to his belt, but didn't wait for them to fully recover. “You still have company.”

Shadows came racing over the hills of debris, shifting garbage in their rush. Dressed in long, tan coats and goggles, the bounty hunters carried military-type kits and well-tended rifles.

The Eagles automatically got into a defensive V, and Adrian took point.

“
Get them!” This voice was cold and hard, ordering the hunters down the debris piles.

More shadows ran their way and Adrian made the call. “Fire the nets!”

Safe Haven's defenders had learned the bat lesson well. Their aim had also improved through practices, and the two dozen attackers weren't expecting the cargo nets that trapped them and prevented shooting. The bullets that followed were lethal, but there wasn't time to kill them all.

“
Move in!” Major Garret ordered.

A second wave of bounty hunters ran by the entrapped men in the ropes, firing.

The hunters didn't wear hats, but black bandanas that instantly reminded the team of Rick. It made the bounty hunters into walking targets that the team looked forward to shooting as soon as they'd secured their charges.

“
This way!” Conner shouted.

Adrian followed. Underground was where they needed to go–where Conner would have his charges stashed. “Eagles with me!”

Slat! Ding!

Five Eagles dropped into the hole Conner knelt by, and Angela vanished into it right behind them.

“
Switch!”

The cold order gave the team a brief second's respite as the bounty men changed from darts to bullets.

Kenn shoved Adrian into the hole and then followed him.

The last two men to come through the hole were Daryl and Doug. Both of them were wounded, but Conner already had the group moving through the dank darkness.

“
Count-off!” Adrian shouted.

“
Two,” Angela called, trying to wrap Doug's arm as they ran through the murky sewer.

The complete call didn't take long to complete: “Twenty-five!” and Adrian flipped on his light. He did a quick check, falling back and then coming to the front to take the place on Conner's quickly pumping heels.

Behind them, there was no sound of pursuit, and Conner also hit the light on his belt. It allowed the team to view the filth and muck they were running through. Snake skins, molding vines climbing dark, dripping walls, and thick corners of mushrooms greeted them. Then the smell hit, and a few of the team gagged.

“
Are we far enough?” Kenn demanded, finger on the button.

“
Leave it, let them gather.”

“
But we'll miss...”

“
Leave it!”

Adrian's annoyance earned Kenn frowns from those closest. Kenn had done a lot of training, but on runs like this, he was almost a rookie. The Marine was valuable in the office, but was the tripping-over-himself Platoon commander that every team leader both scorned and used to their advantage. He hadn't been that way before the War, but his time in Safe Haven and Adrian's choice to keep him off of an official team, had changed everything for Kenn.

Angela tied a strap around Daryl's leg–funny if they weren't in such a hurry–and got back up on Adrian's left, where he wanted her.

“
Gets low here!” Conner called from ahead, sounding like he was having a good time. There was no mistaking the cheer in that tone.

The adults ducked suddenly as the walls and floor sloped upward, but the ceiling didn't rise with them.
A drainage route,
Adrian thought. Smart.

Running through a dank sewer while hunched over allowed for only a limited view squinted against the splashes of so many feet. It kept them from seeing what they were about to hit.

“
Hold your breath–ten seconds. Don't stop!” Conner ordered.

Adrian heard Angela's dismayed groan and quickly reached out to take an iron-like grip on her wrist. Close by and aware of her fears, Kenn did the same, and the two men led her into the stagnant water.

3

Angela didn't struggle, but she didn't try to help them, either. She was totally disoriented, with no idea which way to propel herself. She spent the time listening.

Big ripple.
Daryl into the water with them.

Smaller ripple
–Lee's wiry body.

An enormous splash
–Doug, in the rear, told her they'd all made it in.

Adrian yanked Angela above the surface and pulled her aside so Kenn could come up through the narrow opening.

He slung her arm over his shoulders as she gasped in air and hefted her onto the concrete. He let go and did the same for himself as quickly as he could.

Only one could come through at a time, and Adrian knelt at the hole, jerking men through. Twenty-five had to come out.