The Killin' Fields (Alexa's Travels Book 2) (18 page)

The men took off again, arms flailing wildly as screams broke out in front of them.

One of the slaves had fallen from the cart when the horse reared up. Jacob was there to scoop the cart onto its wheels, but the slave fled into the stalks and was dove on by a wolf. Hungry snarls and screams said they couldn’t help the man and Jacob kept going.

Alexa stepped aside as she hit the clearing. “Get down!”

She repeated the orders to each person that came through behind her, regarding the specks in the distance. “It won’t be long.”

The butterflies, now in the open, attacked with renewed energy and the sky darkened with the enormous swarm now covering stopped people and animals.

“All here!” Edward called, trying not to think about the ones they’d lost as he herded Paul. He’d seen another of the gunfighters go down under the huge horse that he hadn’t been able control when it reared up.

“Get them under cover!” Alexa ordered, running to the nearest animals. She used the wagon covers to drape over the bleeding, moaning mules and then moved onto the horse beside them.

Edward understood what she wanted and waved the others into caring for the livestock first, and then they worked on the screaming, bloody people. In the chaos, several travelers were overwhelmed and fell. They were quickly covered in hungry wings, and by the time Alexa or one of her men got to them, there was little left to bury. The insects hadn’t had fresh blood in a while and the travelers weren’t going to help each other.

“Stay down!”

Everyone stared in shock as the sky faded from dark to black.

The cranes, resting on their yearly migration, had spotted the coming swarm of butterflies in surprised delight. Wide creatures with long legs and double rows of mutated wings rose into the dim sky and began to feast.

The butterflies, unable to leave the scent of so much needed blood, didn’t stand a chance against the flock of cranes. The huge birds swooped in between the shocked travelers and covered animals without hesitation, eating, squawking, and flapping in happy abandon. A buffet like this one was rare in afterworld and they were enjoying it.

Alexa and her men stood to the far side of the bloody field and waited for it to be over. They visually assessed damage and injuries, counted survivors, and tried not to be revolted by the gorging fowl and their mutated features. It was only an extra set of wings, but watching them attack the butterflies was a viscous carnage that flipped their stomachs.

Alexa motioned toward the area where the cranes had been resting. “We’ll set up camp there. Find a clear spot, but don’t bother the birds. They probably have chicks.”

None of her men argued, but Merrik sneered at the order. “Tell you what I’m gonna do,
Lady
. Shoot five of them there cranes and have the best meal any of us has had in a year.”

“No, you’re not,” Alexa denied firmly. “They saved your life and you will respect that by sparing theirs.”

“I will not! We need food!”

Alexa waved at the birds now gorging themselves from the layers of butterflies on the ground. “The rest of us would rather have a good night’s sleep. You’re outvoted,
Captain
.”

Merrik opened his mouth to argue and Travis, his best friend, frowned. “Let it go, man. We’ve got jerky and beans. And we’re all tired.”

Travis wore civilian clothes and carried a Glock, giving the impression that he wasn’t regular Army. The quiet way he handled himself was another sign that he was an independent contractor, probably an explosives expert Alexa thought, mind going to the storeroom they’d burnt.

Merrik considered pushing it anyway, but was smart enough to let his pal lead him away.

The way they continued to whisper drew concern from Alexa’s men.

“That’s a coming issue,” Jacob predicted.

Alexa gave the ghost of a smile. “Soon, I hope. His voice makes my brain bleed.”

Her men snickered, and that seemed to be the cue for everyone to settle down. They followed the men to the new campsite and set things up or tended injuries. Those who were missing weren’t searched for, and it didn’t seem out of place. This was the killin’ fields and it was littered with bones. What was a few more?

5

The old woman and kids were digging beneath the layers of dead and decaying stalks, pulling up small handfuls of something that they stuffed into a grimy pouch. They hunkered along the ground this way from almost an hour before they finally returned to the wide center fire that Alexa had directed into place.
Edward swept the two kids for injuries from the wolf attack, but didn’t view any and assumed the wounds were minor.

The boy disappeared into the tent behind the old woman, but the girl approached Edward and held out a hand.

Edward looked at the pile of bug corpses with revulsion. “What?”

The child motioned to his injury. She crumbled one of the beetles between her fingers and quickly smeared it over the wound.

Edward jerked away, grossed out.

“Leave it on,” Alexa ordered. “The antibiotic properties will prevent infection. It’s what they use here.”

“It heals?” he asked, controlling his stomach at the gory smell.

“Yes.”

The horseman forced himself to leave it alone, but he couldn’t stop a light shudder of disgust. He hated bugs.

“How did it happen?” Edward asked suddenly. He’d been worrying over it. “The wolves in our tent, I mean. We never fall asleep on watch.”

Alexa shrugged. She’d been studying the same question. “These fields have their own type of magic, I assume. I’ll take part of the night sentry chore until we’re out of here.”

That satisfied them, but the unanswered question didn’t lend comfort to the mood. Neither did listening to the cranes clean the ground of butterfly bodies. The constant crunching and cooing was quite irritating, but it was worse when Merrik and his men returned from going back for the wagon. They’d attached it to two of their horses and were beating the overwhelmed animal to keep it moving.

Edward rose in anger and Alexa reluctantly stopped him. “That’s not our problem.”

Edward tossed himself to the ground, not speaking, and Alexa understood. She too wanted Merrik dead, and it would happen before they left these fields.

6

Two hours after the attack, the travelers were all sitting or lying around the fire, their carts, wagons and gear between them and the corn. Alexa had four men (and two of Merrik’s) defending the convoy from atop the sturdiest vehicles. As the sky faded to black, weariness settled over the group. It was a perfect time for a new problem to rise.

“Damn.”

Alexa had spotted the shadow fleeing into the corn and so did Merrik.

“Get her!”

Merrik ran after the woman and quickly gained ground.

Only ahead by a little, Tabitha spun and threw her knife.

Merrik hurled himself to the ground, barely missing being impaled in the throat as the woman took off again.
Her checkered red dress twirled around her as she spun for the cover of the stalks.

Merrik wanted to go after her, but Peters and Travis were there to take his arm and whisper lowly. No one could hear the conversation but it seemed to be going well until Peters picked up the knife she had thrown.

“That’s mine. If she’s done with it, I’d like it back.”

Everyone stared at David in surprise.

“You gave her a knife?!” Merrik roared, moving toward him.

David grinned coldly. “I’d have given more than that if she asked for it.”

The suggestive tone was enough to cause Merrik to leap at him, fist swinging hard.

David ducked and swung once.

The kidney shot was brutal and Merrik slid to his knees, gasping for air.

The big-armed blacksmith grinned again. “Stay down. The next one will hurt.”

Merrik didn’t hear. He was still trying to get his breath back, and David held a hand out to Peters.

Those bushy brows drew together, and Peters placed the knife in David’s palm reluctantly. He didn’t like Merrik, but he hated these arrogant assholes.

David waited to be scolded, but Alexa didn’t react except for a tired sigh.

The blacksmith frowned and went to get her a cup of hot tea.

Merrik slowly returned to his place on the opposite side of the fire from Alexa, glowering in hatred.

Once the cranes settled down into a group huddle, the night became quiet. Those enjoying the fire began to slip into their tent and bedrolls, worn out after a day with Alexa leading them. Even the blond female with the soldiers went into their tent early, showing only weariness. It was odd, considering that her cousin had run off. Peters had confided to the other travelers that Merrik had forced them into slavery to get them safely through the corn. While rare, woman as slaves still sometimes happened, but it all came down to the war.

The only reason slavery was possible at all was the drafts that took place around the world. Many of those women who’d been left alone had gathered and taken control of their lives. Then they’d refused to hand it back over to the few males who’d survived the bunker riots and starvation.

Alexa’s men took the next shift, Daniel and David up high, and most of the travelers drifted to sleep reasonably sure they would see dawn. A few of them stayed awake for personal pleasure or morning preparations, and then they too joined the others in sleep. After an hour of pitch black, the guards were the only ones moving about.

Daniel spotted the shadow creeping closer to where Alexa lay dogpiled between Billy, Jacob, and Mark, and waved at David to handle it.

The blacksmith moved silently to intercept and Daniel waited to discover if he needed to wake everyone.

7

David ducked behind a wagon, waiting and grabbed the shadow around the neck as it tried to sneak by.

“Hush,” David soothed, arms locked tight around the offender’s throat.

He recognized Merrik and grunted, “Guess you need some help getting to sleep.”

He tightened his hold and carefully strangled the would-be kidnapper until he sagged.

David made sure Merrik was still alive and then hefted him over one shoulder. He took Merrik’s unconscious form behind the wagons and placed him underneath the middle one. He would be reasonably safe, but if he sat up too fast, he might knock himself back out.

Snickering to himself at the thought, David climbed up and joined Daniel on the top of the first wagon.

“You’d think he would learn quicker,” Daniel commented. He’d enjoyed the show.

“”Didn’t hurt to remind him,” David gloated, making sure Alexa was fine before giving his attention to the corn.

Both men continued to protect the travelers until an ugly dawn broke, but listening for Merrik’s thud upon waking kept them alert and amused. It was an easy duty this time.

8

Dawn brought a dim sun and bright gunfire.

Bang! Bang!

Alexa’s Colts crashed twice, waking the entire camp.

Thud! “Son of a…”

Daniel and David, still atop the wagon, heard Merrik’s expletive as he jerked up and hit his head.

The guards broke into laughter.

Edward and Mark had jumped to their feet, but upon spotting Alexa, they realized what had happened and let the ignorant travelers mutter. They took longer to understand that she had killed four of the cranes with her two shots and was now cutting their heads off with her K-bar.

Daniel yawned, still chuckling, and his much-enjoyed stretch brought him instant attention from the nearby slavers. Need and greed flashed in equal measures.

“Breakfast is from Alexa,” Daniel told the women, big arms coming down to rest on his guns. “I serve something else.”

The women weren’t sure if he meant that suggestively or not, and Braids found her courage.

“How much for a sample? In case what you’re serving doesn’t suit me.”

Daniel wasn’t usually shy or forward, just there, and it was a nice moment for his ego when she flushed and giggled like a girl.

The biker ran hot eyes over her, from dirt-layered boots to well-placed curves, and locked their gazes. “Samples are free.”

Braids immediately came toward him and David smirked as the biker’s face paled. Daniel hadn’t thought the woman would rise to his challenge.

Daniel held still, feeling lust, concern, and guilt war in his mind. He was supposed to be on watch.

Braids sensed his withdraw and stopped before touching him. “You sure? Lookin’ a little green for a big, bad legend.”

Daniel thought of how he’d died and how Alex had brought him back, and sighed. “See me when I’m off duty. I don’t slack.”

Braids liked his answer, sauntering to her surprised partner without promising it. But they both knew she would. It was in the air and sharp, sweet looks they would exchange for the rest of his shift.