From The Ashes (Life After War) (76 page)

Cara stared back with a dark, unblinking gaze that was almost hypnotic. “Each other, of course.”

Kenn's stomach flipped, and he forced it back.

Their trousers and gray shirts covered strong, lean arms that didn't strain under the weight of the men they were carrying. Kenn wondered if the snake meat might be doing more than causing physical mutations. Was it giving them strength as it merged with their DNA strands? Even their hair was thick–thigh-length, brown and black braids on most of the females–and healthy. Kenn made a note to talk to Adrian about it.

Cara took a step closer, ignoring Kevin and her busy girls. “Satisfied?”

Kenn sent his mind to the last time he'd stolen a moment with Tonya–and then been interrupted. “No, I'm not.”

He lowered his voice, trying to emulate Adrian's magic and put himself in the mood. “But you will be.”

Cara smiled, keeping her tongue in her mouth, and Kenn saw the woman she'd been before. Not much compared to Tonya, the snake leader still held a powerful appeal with her sinewy body and determination to get what she wanted. She indicated a smaller, narrow door that led into a closet of some kind.

Kenn waved for Kevin to go with the team. “If she doesn't burn me up, she'll drop me off.”

Kevin moved away from them in relieved revulsion. It was a deal he didn't think he could have made. She'd actually sniffed–with her tongue.
Yuck!

Kenn waited until they were alone, forcing his mind and body to work together. This wouldn't be hard compared to some of the things he'd done before the war.
Hell
, Kenn thought, watching her drop that dusty coat to reveal curves and flawless skin.

I might even like it.
He was always up for something new and exotic.

“
Are you for rent, as well?”

Kevin flinched back out of reach, shaking his head at the tall woman with the snake tattoos along her exposed legs. “He's not for rent like some item you could lease from a store. He's paying a debt.”

The woman smiled knowingly, showing beautiful teeth and a long tongue. “He's bartering our servicesss. I'd like to have yours, if you're willing?”

Before Kevin could say no, the woman held out a small pouch.

“
Before you refuse, be sure.”

Kevin stared at her. “Why don't you guys have men? Not all of them were taken in the draft, right?”

Nuna jerked at the alert observation, but didn't lie. “They involuntarily joined the Major's army. And never came back.”

The woman's demeanor grew cold. “And now, we allow no males to live among us.”

She went toward the front of their hauling convoy. “Think about my offer.”

That type of confidence said they needed whatever she'd given him, and Kevin tried very hard not to peer into the pouch. He didn't want to have to pay for it.

He caved quicker than he wanted to.

Kevin gently pulled the object out, mind flying along a hundred paths. It was a key. The one to wherever the Major would put their other team members?

“
It opens the back door of Garret's compound,” Nuna informed him.

“
Holy hell!” Kevin blew out an unhappy breath, looking downward. “Get ready, dude. We're as stuck as Kenn is.”

Ahead of him, the tall woman laughed in anticipation.

4

“
Adrian?”

Angela leaned closer, willing him to wake. She'd already healed his wounds, unmindful of the audience of cameras and guards, but he wasn't responding.

“
Adrian!”

Sharper, it still didn't pull him up from the drug- and fist-induced sleep. She did what she knew would work.

“
I need you!”

The call rang through the cell and then the compound, drawing attention and urges to come running.

But from Adrian, there was only silence.

“
He won't wake for another hour,” a voice called over the intercom. “Stop disturbing the others.”

Angela started to ask what others and realized she knew. “I need to pee.”

Laughter rolled over the radio. “So go on.”

Angela flipped the finger toward the voice box, and more amusement greeted them. Under it, was hatred and fear. Their guards didn't like this duty. Why? Angela worked on it as she studied their cell for weaknesses and tried not to think of the team that had been left behind. Garret had ordered them all darted in case he needed them for leverage, but now that Adrian was in custody, they were expendable. Angela was sure Garret had considered shooting them right then, but it would torture Adrian to think of them tied up, helpless to avoid the snakes.

Angela turned to find Kyle awake, watching her in concern. She'd let him sleep and tended Adrian when she came to. Conner, she hadn't seen.

“
I was trying to wake him.”

Kyle pushed up against the wall. The cell held four bunks, both tops empty as Angela paced the damp stone floor.

“
I'm not sure if they have our thoughts covered. I'm going to send a silent call and find out.”

Kyle trusted her judgment. He only had the basics down with Adrian when it came to magic. Kyle had taken in the pleasure on the Major's face as Adrian dropped to his knees, but in that bald head and heavy-duty gear, the mobster had recognized the ability to cause chaos.

Like Adrian, the Major was a leader, but his casually wrinkled trench coat and long fingernails exposed an important difference. Adrian led by example, while Garret reigned over his men with fear. That meant he was flawed, beatable, despite the odds.

“
You can only do it one more time, and then Major Garret will have you darted again,” the voice on the intercom warned. “Use it wisely.”

Angela snapped her mouth shut and resumed her pacing. The cell had clearly been a basement room at one time, and the welds on the bars looked too solid to even waste time on. Two bunk-beds made a holding area for four people, one that had only a heavy cage door that appeared to be electronic. She would have to blow them open when the fighting got started.

Kyle assumed she was busy building a wall so they would be able to communicate, and kept quiet.

Angela paced faster, mentally pushing.

Bang!

Angela and Kyle both jumped at the nearby gunshot.

The intercom crackled. “I killed him for trying. I'll do the same to the next one.”

Angela pushed aside the guilt. “Line 'em up, baby. I hate you, and they mean nothing to me.”

Another chuckle rolled over the intercom, but now, it was laced with respect. “The Major wants you monitored.”

Angela shrugged. “Don't really like the Major, either, ...Harold, is it? What say you and I blow this place–together?”

Now there was a low growl, and a tense chuckle. “He said you'd be dangerous, but I think he's underestimating. The next shift is female. Good luck.”

Angela sighed in resignation and resumed her furious pacing. She hated being caged.
“You're up, stripper. Win us a friend or two for the fight.”

Kyle burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. They were in an ugly situation, and she wanted him to strip for their guards. It was better than priceless. It was one for the Eagle table.

“
Should I hum or something?”

“
Maybe.” Kyle stopped laughing slowly, thinking he hadn't felt this good in a long time. It was a bit worrisome. Shouldn't he be upset?

Angela smiled. “It's from being so close to both of us for so long. Things rub off.”

She gave him a quick hand gesture.
“I can't get another reader killed. Will you carry it for me?”

“
Yes.”

“
I'm going to connect us, show you what I did. And then step...
Angela stiffened, moaning. “Damn it!”

Kyle already knew. “They just brought in Conner, right?”

Angela no longer bothered to talk silently. “Kill them, boy! Leave us!”

No chuckle over the radio, but light scorn lined the relief. “He knows his place–here. Conner's been very useful.”

“
Deals made to save those kids are not his guilt to carry!” Angela shouted. “You hear me, Conner? There are no rules in War!”

Angela slung herself onto the bunk and hid her satisfaction when Conner's startled presence began cautiously asking her what he should do. He'd expected hatred because he'd aided the enemy, and the enemy had counted on that keeping them apart, but she'd flipped it around on them and given him absolution. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her now.

5

“
I'll do that again–for information.”

Cara, who'd gotten what she came for and was only glad it was over, denied him. “Your questions are paid.”

Kenn grunted in relief. It would be a long time before he didn't shudder at the sound of a snake. Instead of moans or groans, or even screams, she'd hissed.

“
What do you know about the Major?”

Cara leaned against the damp wall lovingly, stealing the sensation to take with her as their people fled into the arid wastelands of the west. “Everything. He likes my noises.”

Kenn flushed at the bluntness. “I'm sorry if I offended...”

“
Sssave it!” Cara glowered. “I needed the seed, not the man.”

“
Why?”

Her face slowly lost its anger. “Our people are mutating too quickly. We need babies who are half-breeds or we will die out.”

Kenn took that in with a grimace, but didn't protest. He'd suspected, just hadn't wanted to deal with himself over it. Kenn didn't like kids. It wasn't a terribly hard choice, but if he thought about it too much...

Cara sensed he might decide against letting her leave here alive if he dwelled on it, and shoved them into another direction. “Garret was Adrian's best friend.”

Kenn gaped. And then began placing pieces. That's how the Major had been able to capture Adrian so easily–he knew him, knew his ways.

“
They served together, too, right?” Kenn guessed, sense of doom growing.

“
For years. Until Adrian met Shannon.”

Kenn settled back, watching Cara slide back and forth along the rock like she wanted to crawl up it.

“
She didn't have powers, but she was a pure soul, which is rarer. The Major drugged her, and her parents forced a marriage.”

“
She and Adrian were dating?”

“
No. Adrian and Garret were her security detail. The Major said Adrian was obeying the rules and waiting for the job to be finished.”

“
But Garret didn't.”

“
No. After it came out, Adrian split their team up and disappeared. For three years.”

Cara's voice lowered. “When he came back, he kidnapped Shannon, seduced her, and sent her back six months later–pregnant.”

Kenn fit another set of pieces into place. “That's step-daddy, and Conner's been working with the enemy the whole time.”

Cara showed the first sympathy Kenn had seen from her.

“
Conner loves those damn kids. He'd betray his father to save them.”

That sent Kenn's mind into a possible outcome that he didn't want to face. “We gotta go.”

Cara pointed the way toward the park.

“
Kevin! Let's go!” Kenn shouted. He had heard the rookie laboring not long after finishing his own revolting chore.

“
Comin'!”

Kenn barked out nauseated amusement and stepped up his pace. “Do all of your women feel the way you do–about having babies?”

“
Yes. We've been allowing the soldiers access to us in exchange for safety, but there are only a few of them that can have children, due to the wars they've been mired in.” Cara glanced over. “You'd ask for our help in exchange?”

Kenn wasn't sure the others would go for it. “Can you wake them up when we get there?”

“
Yes. We have herbs and such.”

Kenn caught the tone. “You have an antidote, you mean.”

Cara was pleased. “If our child has your intelligence, I will mold her into a leader.”

Kenn didn't say anything, torn with pride and an unfamiliar ache deep in his gut. He disliked children... didn't he?

6

“
Damn, I enjoyed that! I always hated those kids.”

Garret frowned at Hudson and his new wounds.

“
Emotional bonds make the perfect collateral. Don't ever forget that.”

Hudson shook his head, wiping the blood from his knife. “I never fought with them. Never touched one of Conner's kids until today,” Hudson stated, happiness fading a bit.

Garret turned from the reminder. No, Hudson knew better. “You're my one true man.”

Hudson stood up straighter, feeling the orders about to flow. He loved these moments.

“
The snake clerks had a lot to say about their meeting,” Garret stated, face full of anticipation. “I want his camp by tomorrow's nightfall.”

Hudson felt the thrill of battle looming and welcomed it eagerly. Maybe Mitchel's camp guards would be a challenge. He certainly hadn't been. “I'll set it up with the squad.”