From The Ashes (Life After War) (7 page)

Content that the Eagles had Angela covered, Marc spun into the shadows. His fury was a hot laser.

Two Mexicans–dead–on his right. An old enemy, then, one that he was sick of.

Marc went left.

Three more bodies there
…
and one up high, still alive. That’s where their new leader would be
. Marc knelt down and pulled his rifle from his sling.

“
Move in, Eagles!”

Adrian’s command had the rest of the outer guards freeing their trigger fingers. More gunfire filled the night.

Training mode settled over Marc’s mind.
Inhale… Exhale and hold… let go.
He pulled the trigger.

The guerilla jerked at the impact, breath suddenly gone in a powerful blast. He hit the ground with a heavy thump.

Marc lowered the rifle and stepped forward. Now, one to the head.

Around him, the Slavers were trying to flee and running into the advancing perimeter guards. Again, Adrian’s men had been more than a match, and Marc was sure the remaining camp would be about the same. He had thought to go over the plan again with Kyle before the mission team left, but there obviously wasn't any need.

Radios crackled again.

“
Rollin’ out, Boss,” Kyle called.

“
No mercy.”

Kyle’s tone was just as hard as Adrian's. “You know it.”

“
Meet up with us at the new place when it's done,” Adrian ordered.

“
Copy.”

Vaguely listening to the radio conversation, Marc stayed in the shadows as he moved closer to the body. He saw the blood, the open, glazing pupils set deep into weathered Mexican skin.

“
Brady!”

Instantly distracted, Marc keyed the mic before she could become upset. “5-by and close, honey.”

“
Now, please?”

“
Yes, Ma’am.”

Bang!

A minute later, Marc joined Angela inside the cool vehicle, saw how she instantly softened, warmed, when he took her hand.

Marc lowered his lids, not wanting her to read his determination. He remembered so many of the things she needed, liked, and he had every intention of using them. Angie would want to be with him as much as she wanted to be an Eagle, and it would always be him, no one else, that she craved. There were ways...

“
Should we pick a new place?” Zack asked, worried by the newest attack.

“
No. Too much traveling,” Marc denied, getting set to cushion Angela from the bumps.

Settling back into his strong arms, Angela met Adrian’s gaze through the lowered window. “The camp calls for you–for us.”

“
I know.”

“
Something's about to happen.”

Adrian gritted his teeth against the twinge in his chest. “I’m going.”

Angela closed her eyes in relief and huddled against Marc’s strength. “Drive now, Zachary. He won't leave until he knows you guys have me tucked away.”

It was an order that the trucker immediately obeyed.

Adrian watched until they were out of sight, hating it that they were split up, but confident in Kyle and Brady. They would both get their jobs done.

“
We have a survivor!” Seth shouted from the room where they'd kept Angela. The threat should have been over, but all the bodies around them were Slavers. Seth was sure Adrian wanted answers.

Adrian came quickly, glad to see the man's injury was grave. He didn't think the guerilla would know there were only minutes left, though, and gestured toward John. “Our doctor will help you, but I have questions, first.”

The man nodded painfully. “Si.”

“
What were you trying to do here?”

“
Kill your leader,” the man gasped out, not realizing who he was talking to. “Please, it hurts!”

Adrian frowned, numb to the enemy's panic after what he'd been forced to put Angela through. “Cesar is dead. Who gave you that order?”

The Mexican stared at John's scowling face in longing, starting to understand that no help would be given.

“
Richard
, before he left.”

Rick.

Stunned, Adrian grabbed the man's tacky shirt, jerking him up as the Eagles shouted and cursed. “Where did he go?”

The Mexican laughed and groaned through bloody teeth, feeling the shadow of death turn his way. The cold chill was terrifying, and he lashed out in hateful defiance. “Safe Haven–to get his woman back!”

A single shot silenced the pain-laced laughter, but it didn't erase the mocking grin from the Slaver's face. It said Adrian had made a grave mistake. He hadn't accounted for Rick.

Adrian waved an abrupt arm. “Get us rolling–now!”

Chapter Three

Just after Midnight

5/16

1

Help!

Through the gags, it was too muffled to be heard.

Samantha bounced against her kidnapper's shoulder roughly, kicking and slamming her hands against his legs. He didn't stop or slow.

She'd been grabbed from behind as she stepped from the camper, and the blows had come hard and quick. There hadn't been time to yell.

Sam screamed against the gag again, wriggling furiously, but got no response–not even a tightening of the grip he had around her waist. Left with nothing else, Sam curled her nails into the man's skin and tried to slice him open.

She hit the ground a second later with a muffled thud that took her breath and left no time to avoid the dirty fist he swung.

Dazed, Sam sprawled awkwardly at the man's filthy boots, looking up into a face that she'd hoped to never see again.

“
Miss me?”

Sam shook her buzzing head, filled with fear.

Rick chuckled, drawing back. “That's okay, 'cause I did you!”

The second hit was harder than the first, and Samantha slumped to the dirt.

Deep in the cover of the trees around the crowded parking area, Rick dragged her by the arm and hair, grinning in cold satisfaction. Once again dressed as an Eagle, it had been no trouble getting to her.

Rick pulled the mask over his face and hefted Samantha into the passenger side of the truck, adjusting her to look like she was sleeping. Casually, he closed her door and moved to the driver's side, taking stock of the chaos as Safe Haven got ready to flee. Word had come from their lookout that the Mexicans were gearing up to attack. It looked to be a dawn ambush, and Kenn had ordered a bug-out. The camp was in panic.

Rick grinned, pulling into the shortest line of vehicles being sent out. They were gassing them, but not checking the passenger lists, and Rick felt it was the best place to be. A single truck leaving would be noticed, but blending into the herd was genius.

Rick spotted Becky lingering around the parking area. Staying out of the way, the teenager looked lost–abandoned.

You won't be alone long, little girl. Neil still wants you,
Rick thought... and immediately changed his plans. He couldn't leave the trooper anything except his life, and in the end, even that might be too much.

2

“
Kenn to the QZ.”

“
Copy.”

Ignoring the steady drizzle, Kenn changed directions. A QZ call usually meant someone had come in, and now was a bad time for new arrivals. Both of Safe Haven’s doctors were
out
at the moment.

The camp was still sequestered in the Mess, tightly surrounded by circles of both stationary and roaming Eagles, but it was clear that the sheep were about to stampede. It was move them now or lose them.

Kenn ducked under the swaying caution tape to see John and Adrian climbing from a mud-splattered van–Jeff and Seth also, and Cynthia, who Kenn was surprised to see with them. He'd thought this might be the time the reporter was 'accidentally' caught in the crossfire.

“
Look out!”

Kenn jumped back as a wagon of women sped by, just missing clipping him with the mirror. He was sending them out in groups of five, hoping they’d stay together, but the odds of it were low.

John stalked by, looking like he hadn't slept the entire time he'd been gone.

“
She’ll live.”

The doctor's curt words were thrown in a rush of anger as he headed for the other side of the QZ parking area. The Marine filed them away as proof that things had been as rough as he’d thought.

Kenn was surprised again, though, when the haggard man climbed into the passenger seat of the ambulance and shut the door. Wasn’t he going to find Anne? Or check on his patients? John did a lot of behind-the-scenes work–the doctor even had a weekly meeting with Adrian. About what, Kenn
didn’t
know, and that told him John was part of the chain of command, though no one else appeared to know it yet.

Bang! Bang!

The wind-muffled gunshots came from the Slaver camp–the lack of word certainly wasn’t causing them concern.

Seth gave Kenn a cool nod, and then searched for the nearest ranking guard. He was aware of his slight limp, legs like lead. The long ride had stiffened up his muscles.

When Jeff came to his side, Kenn’s first thought was to ask how bad Angela was hurt, what had happened, and who was taking the heat for it. He swallowed the questions after surveying Jeff’s exhausted walk and hostile expression.

“
Boss says to keep them moving.” The tone said he was angry, to take care.

Seeing Adrian motion Mitch to get the radio going–to tell them he was here now–Kenn only wondered vaguely who his ally was aiming at. “Good. We sent over a truck of drugged food, but that was yesterday afternoon. Scouts say they're arming up for a fight.”

“
Tired of waiting for Cesar to return,” Adrian guessed, joining them.

“
Will he?” Kenn asked.

“
No.”

Crashhhh!

In the near distance, the sound of a building collapsing echoed louder than the Slaver camp. It was another sign of post-war decline, and happening all across the country–maybe even the world. No one knew if other countries were in the same shape, but the Marine thought they might be at least a little better off. While the West had been living lives of ease and convenience, other nations had been suffering and by necessity, would have been better able to handle such a crisis.

Jeff concealed the hell they’d been through, as well as what was yet to come. He raised his voice against the howling wind. “What can I do to help?”

The three men fell into a quick conversation about gathering the herd as the rain began to fall harder. Cynthia stayed on Adrian's heels, hand near her gun–like she was guarding him. It was noticed, but not commented on. This was no time to waste figuring out mysteries.

3

“
Where's Sam?”

“
There, in the next line to go.”

Seth headed that way, eager to have her safety confirmed and off of his list of things to do. Around him, the camp was now openly fleeing, no longer worried about alerting the Slavers. Kyle and his team were between the two camps now, getting set, and Adrian wasn't going to hold them back.

“
She's been out for about ten minutes,” Kevin stated, still upset with Tucker for leaving her alone while she showered. Kevin had been glad to find her here after chewing the rookie out. “She hasn't slept much since you guys took off.”

Seth stopped, not wanting to wake her if she was really able to sleep through this din. People shouted, doors slammed, and cars spun out the second they were gassed, vanishing into the night to hopefully catch up with the lead semi that was being driven by Doug.

“
I heard there are men down?”

Seth didn't answer Kevin's question, instead waving toward the truck Sam was in. “Where did that one come from? I thought we didn't find any more red on the last car recon.”

Kevin shrugged. “Not sure. I saw an Eagle park it there, though, so it must run okay.”

Seth moved toward Adrian, and his next item to do. “Stay with Samantha–even during the bug-out. Neil's orders–and let her know they're
both
okay.”