The Killin' Fields (Alexa's Travels Book 2) (4 page)

Alexa tugged the plastic back over the doorway, and Daniel grinned as he realized what was going on. Her moments of need usually came at night when they were camped, but it wouldn’t be the first time that she’d stolen a moment during the day. He signaled to Jacob and the males left the house, both slightly jealous.

Outside, David and Billy took the news the same way-amused and the tiniest bit jealous.

Inside the kitchen, Alexa swiped a hand across the counter that she assumed had held large boxes from the shape of the dust prints. “It will be a while before I can do this again,” she said gently, other hand going to the buttons of her cloak. “Lock that door back...”

The males did as they were told, then stared at the woman opening her shirt.

Alexa slid onto the counter with a low groan, and leaned back. Breasts spilling from the top of her bra, pants down around her ankles, she slid a hand between her legs. “If you outlast me, I’ll bend over.”

It was a challenge that both men were eager to take her up on, and they tried to keep their hands still as she moaned again and sent lust into their minds.

Outside, there was silence as the guards and the guest tried to hear what was going on inside that kitchen. Even the corn was suddenly quieter and it was easy to become distracted.

Billy realized that and caught Daniel’s attention. “Up high?”

Daniel was glad for the excuse to stop thinking about it. He was so hard he could barely walk. “Good idea. One roof, one tree?”

The two men settled it and then left the three rookies there to suffer through the torture of listening and not reacting. It wasn’t as if they could sneak off and take care of it and the two top men out here had already experienced that hell. Making camp that night had been greatly anticipated, with early goodnights given.

David and Jacob were tormented, especially the blacksmith who hadn’t been used yet. Jacob hadn’t been touched again since his joining ceremony, but at least he had the memory. It was rough on him and the woman-loving blacksmith. For Paul, it was demoralizing. He believed it was also intentional. Alexa was showing him that she didn’t want the future he could provide, that these wild men were what pleased her.

Back inside the kitchen, things were nearing the peak. Alexa’s groans and gasps were a perfect torment to the hurting, sweating males who still hadn’t touched themselves, and she opened her legs wide as the climax burst through her.

Edward went first, remembering to back away at the final moment and Mark took his place with a cry of devotion that echoed to those outside. Mark took advantage of the moment and stroked his rough hands down her long braids, skin tingling. He tangled his hands in them and lowered his mouth to hers eagerly.

Alexa twitched in satisfaction as Mark pounded, fighting the urge to hold him close as he too backed away. It was a woman’s duty to accept that offering and nourish it.

The trio recovered without speaking, dressing and sharing glowing stares of contentment. They weren’t bound by the old rules and had no one to hide from, so there was no shame to ruin the moment. They emerged happy and ready to continue on their quest.

Alexa took the lead with a rare smile at the waiting males and the feeling of her pleasure was a balm to the small jealousy that remained. Mark and Edward had pleased her and that was good. Too often they all felt like she was disappointed in them and it was a relief to have a few moments free of that heavy weight.

Mark felt a bit differently about the moment. He’d felt Alexa’s pause, that brief instant where she’d almost pulled him deeper instead of wasting his seed. It had made his heart thump and his mind race. What would a child with Alexa be like? He’d never had that happy family life that some of the other cons had talked about incessantly. He’d never missed it either. Until now. A life with Alexa was wonderful. It was why he was here. He’d never been more alive, more useful, more deadly, but to have the dream that had been stolen from him was an impossible world that he tried not to spend much time dwelling on. That was his old life. Now, there was only the quest and these stolen moments. It would have to be enough.

Alexa was aware of Mark’s slight discontent, but didn’t do anything about it except send him to set fire to the storeroom. Facing this world, these new ways of living, was hard for all of them. The convict would do his duty and then some, and be happy with it all in the end. Alexa planned to handle the futures of all of her men when this quest was finished. It was what they deserved if they survived-a life of love with a deserving female chosen from Safe Haven’s loyal herd. What more could a man ask for?

3

“Those bones were big,” Paul commented a while later, finally emerging from his sulking. He’d chosen to view the kitchen moment as proof that she needed to be serviced by one of her own kind. She hadn’t needed a nap or even a rest after being with both men. They weren’t enough to satisfy a woman like her.

“They were giants,” Alexa told them, motioning Edward to drop back and cover their rear. “Would you hear the story?”

She was clearly in a good mood and Daniel spoke up quickly, “Yes.”

Alexa began to roll a smoke, slowing them a bit to keep from spilling or being too distracted to still scan the endless corn. “Giants prefer the cold. They stay in the mountains as much as they can. With their rocky skin and hulking forms, they blend rather well despite being so large.”

“You’re talking like they exist,” Paul observed.

Alexa adjusted their path to the north by a bit. “When I was little I stayed in the mountains for a year and learned how to survive there. Giants were great training tools.”

Not sure if they quite believed it, no one spoke and Alexa added, “Honestly, my pets. Giants are the bigfoots of old world legends. They’re no mystery, simply a race that prefers to be left completely alone. They don’t even usually stay with a mate for more than a few years. It’s rare to have an entire family down here. Very curious.”

Now there were plenty of questions.

“So they were real giants?”

“Why didn’t we take any of the dust from them?” Billy asked respectfully. He had been expecting it.

“There’s no demand,” Alexa explained, motioning for them to eat while they walked. “People are still like Paul. They don’t believe giants exist.”

“Does the dust have power?” Billy wanted to know.

“Oh, yes, very much so, but not the good kind. Much like trolls, giants are a cursed species. Their ashes can be used for all sorts of dark spells that such as us will never have contact with.”

It was a relief to hear.

“What could have killed a giant? Besides us, I mean,” Jacob asked arrogantly.

“Didn’t you smell the corn?” Mark spoke up on that. He’d brewed enough homemade alcohol in his day to know that answer. “Fumes are deadly.”

“They die easily,” Alexa informed them gravely. “As does anything else when you know its weakness. Giants are large and rough, but they’re also primitive and slow. Another thing that makes this family unique.”

“Do you have a theory?” Billy asked. He did and wanted to compare.

“They were too different,” Alexa answered promptly. “They were probably forced out by their own kind for being too advanced.”

Distracted by his disbelief, Paul started to argue and forgot to be careful. An old watering trough sticking from a pile of moldy stalks caught his boot as he tried to step over it instead of going around. He fell forward onto the pile of rotting wood, sending noise through the peace.

Alexa sighed, still warm and tingling, and ignored it instead of handing out a punishment. The fire from the storage room would attract a lot of attention anyway. Paul’s clumsiness wouldn’t get them killed right now. Time would only tell about later.

“No guns,” Alexa reminded her men.

The enemy knew they were here from her shot at the corpse child, and the fire would narrow their location, but they wouldn’t know exactly where her group was by the time someone tracked it down.

The fighters double-checked to be sure they weren’t adding any noise, and Edward reluctantly dropped to where Paul was and helped him do the same. Despite his good mood, he still loathed being saddled with the scientist and part of the reason why was having to do this. He’d checked, repacked and tightened everything Paul had, but half of it was loose again from where the man had gotten into things and not repacked it correctly. He’d done it by the book for Alexa, though he hadn’t sealed the pouches correctly, which meant he could have taken care of his own gear the same way, but didn’t care enough to.

Paul did as he was shown without speaking, not even to say thanks. He was still stinging in places from his falls and from the blows he’d taken. He was ready for Alexa to call it a night so that he could cry himself to sleep.

Angered by the thought, Alexa glared at him over her shoulder and then switched into a full run.

Not sure what had flipped her into anger, only sure who had caused it, Paul was forced to endure the nasty attitude from the others as they shoved by him to catch up.

Paul realized he hadn’t been shielding his thoughts and groaned, “Why can’t I get it right?!”

Edward shoved the scientist into position and started slapping him on the back to keep him running.

Evening One

1

The day was hot and sweaty for the group, no breeze to be had except for the one made in passing, and every man there was glad when Alexa finally stopped running hours later. It had been especially hard on Edward, who had once again scooped Paul over his shoulder to keep from being left behind.

Alexa led them toward the only tree they could see in any direction. The large cottonwood was wide, moldy, and light on orange leaves, but still surviving.

Edward dumped the drowsing scientist on the ground and moved to a guarding position that was as far away from Paul as he could get. The smells of neglect were rank.

“That hurt!” Paul whined lowly.

He was ignored.

“We’ve made too much noise to go further without paying for our mistakes,” Alexa stated. “We’ll make an early camp and be on our way before dawn.”

Paul wisely kept his mouth shut about the early rising, but he couldn’t stop the more pressing worry. “We’re sleeping here? Not in a barn or something?”

Edward scowled across their small area. “Shut up.”

“But I’ll be in the bathroom area in the tent again!” Paul argued anyway. “I get pissed on there!”

Alexa knelt down by Paul’s feet and used her knife to scrape away the thick, stinking layers of moldy tassels beneath the topsoil. Under it was a layer of squirming, crawling, fleeing insects and spiders that sent Paul leaping back in disgust.

“Uugg!”

“You can sleep outside if you prefer,” Alexa told him, recovering the queasy mess of bugs.

Paul was pale except for two furious red cheeks, and Alexa gestured toward the clear area next to where her men knew she wanted their tent erected. “There’s room for your own tent, Paul. We made sure you have one. If you insist on being with us, you’ll tough it out in whatever way you can.”

Paul dropped his head and the other men shook theirs. What was he doing out here, with them?

Alexa motioned to the spot beneath the tree and her two rookies hurried to get things set up. It was rare that Alexa called it a day before the sun sank and both men hoped she might spend some of that free time with them, talking. There were a million things they wanted to know, but questioning her wasn’t something they could do openly without a punishment now that the Rabbit had come and destroyed Alexa’s patience. But, they could lead him into asking and maybe still get the answers they wanted.

“I’ll be back. Stay here.”

Mark went with Alexa anyway, being careful not to get in her way when she began a round of the area. He trailed her softly, listening to the wind moan through the nasty stalks that surrounded them.
This place is bad news,
he thought.

“Yes, it is,” Alexa agreed. “And we’re only at the edge. Deeper, it’ll be much worse.”

Mark didn’t doubt that. From the blackened vegetation, to the huge insects they’d been crunching under their boots all morning, there was nothing that indicated any improvement was coming. Mark pushed that away for the moment.

“I’d like to talk to you about something that’s bothering me. Is there a time when we can have a few minutes?”

“Now,” Alexa grunted.

She didn’t stop and Mark got closer before speaking. “I’m worried. One of our group might be sick.”

Alexa snorted at the setup. “Get on with it.”

“If we lose one of our group, what happens to the rest of us?”

Alexa wasn’t to be humbled or reached by guilt. “What do you want?”

“To help you.”

“Then do your job and leave me to do mine.”

Mark frowned. “That’s only going to work for so long.”

Alexa spun around to admonish him and found a hard countenance she couldn’t argue with. She stepped around instead. “Mind your words, convict.”

Mark didn’t even wince. He’d heard worse and this time, he knew she didn’t mean it. Anger was her defense, one she insisted upon hiding behind whenever one of them called her on something and refused to back down. It worked as much as they allowed it to. After this run, it wouldn’t fly at all.

Alexa knew that, but she couldn’t have them worried over her health and miss important details that might get them killed. She loved these men, wasn’t going to sacrifice them for herself. Only for Adrian would she ever give their lives.

Mark followed her back to their camp and took up a spot beside Edward, covering the opposite direction.

“Any luck?” Edward inquired slowly.

Mark shook his head once.

Edward sighed. They hadn’t expected her to cooperate, but it still would have been nice.

As if she picked up the thought, Alexa turned a hard glare on both men.

“Mark and Edward will cook. Paul will help.”

Not likely
, Mark thought, moving that way without complaint. At least between him and Edward, tonight’s meal would be decent.

Edward had stiffened at the punishment, but he also sucked it up and went to do as he’d been told. Paul approached him slowly and Edward nearly growled, “Just watch us!”

Mark directed Paul to help with building their fire, and Edward pulled things from his pack, not speaking to either of them. He was the one sulking now, and the other males understood. If they were unofficial second in command and been reduced to cook and babysitter, they might have gotten upset too.

Alexa didn’t care for their emotions, only their willingness to follow and she wasn’t worried about Edward recanting his loyalty. He was hers.

“I’m going to have another look around,” Alexa said firmly. “
Alone
.”

Alexa vanished into the corn and all seven men stared after her in concern.

Alexa didn’t plan to go far, but she had to escape the all-male camp for a moment. She hated to discipline her men. It hurt, but they could never be allowed to see that.

2

“Is she okay?”

Paul’s question drew immediate scorn.

“She’s fine!”

“None of your business.”

“She’s more than okay.”

Paul flushed at their hostility. It said he had no idea what he was getting into, but they didn’t understand who he’d been. Healing ill descendants was also on his resume.

“Paul, why are you with us?” Daniel asked evenly. He didn’t plan to waste their time alone with the man. “You don’t fit. Why come?”

“I do too,” Paul protested loudly. “I’m like her!”

Standing next to the scientist, Mark roughly slapped his hand over the man’s mouth. “Quiet!”

Paul cringed down until his face was no longer in contact with Mark’s big hand. “Okay!”

“What do you mean you’re like her?” Daniel asked. He found it hard to believe.

“I’m a descendant,” the scientist answered proudly. “I have her blood.”

“No way,” Edward refuted sarcastically. “You couldn’t be more different.”

“She had Adrian!” Paul protested. “I had no one.”

“She has the fire inside, the drive to survive. You don’t,” Jacob pointed out. “Why are you really here?”

Paul fell silent and the men glared at him.

“You will tell us,” David stated ominously. “All of it.”

“We’ll get it from you any way we have to,” Daniel warned.

“Nothing will ever come between the quest and us,” Edward explained. “You better tell now.”

Realizing that he was trapped, Paul huffed out a reply they were not expecting.

“I need the time with her so she’ll mate with me and continue our line.”

Five of the listening men stopped their barely contained chuckles. The other stood up and rushed toward Paul.

“Wait! Stop! It’s what destiny says has to…”

Edward jerked Paul up by the font of his coat, lifting the scientist off the ground. He held him there. “You’re not good enough for her! You’ll never get the chance.”

To their surprise, Paul shoved free and caught himself before he hit the ground. “Slam you, snob!”

The name took Edward by surprise and he didn’t retaliate.
Snob? Me?

Paul took up a sloppy copy of the fighting stance the other men used during training lessons. “Come on, then!”

This time, loud laughter rang out.

The sound of it was one the killin’ fields hardly ever heard and couldn’t stand. It drew immediate attention.

Alexa felt the rumble and knew it would be upon her men before she could get back to them. A sharp whistle sounded a second later and she returned the call, bringing the threat to her.

The rumble grew louder and the corn shook, but Alexa didn’t sense an honest threat until she heard the light boots of her men. They were being chased.

“Here!”

Edward, with Paul over his shoulder, came into view first and he dropped the scientist at her feet as he drew his gun.

The other five surrounded her as the roar grew louder, and Alexa joined them in waiting with her gun in hand. Whatever they’d drawn sounded angry.

Corn moaned and fat black crows with sharp red talons rose noisily into the air as the ground rose in front of them.

“Jump!”

Everyone but Paul leapt over the furrow of dirt shifting their way and Edward snatched him off the ground as it collapsed under him.

“Thanks!”

The ground roared again at the sound of a human voice and Alexa took off running, again drawing the danger toward herself.

Her men followed, Paul stumbling along last.

Alexa stopped suddenly and dropped to her knees. Her knife replaced the gun in her hand and she stabbed the ground mercilessly.

Her men thought to join her, but it was already over. The ground ran red, but not with her blood the males were happy to see.

Alexa motioned Edward forward, keeping her knife and good position in case it wasn’t dead.

Edward used his feet to kick away the dirt. He cleared enough of it for them to determine their attacker was a big mole.

At first glance, the mole appeared to albino, but Alexa realized it was gray fur where the black should have been. Even the teeth were long and jagged on the ends, like a pair of dentures that had been used for chewing rocks. Larger than a dog, it had only a stub for a tail and claws that gave them all a creepy feeling.

“That’s a grandmother or something, right?” Daniel noted nervously. “Should we be on the lookout for the family?”

 “I doubt it,” Alexa stated, standing. “It’s ancient by mole years. This is a remnant of the old world, my pets.”

“And the cleanup crew is already on the way,” Edward observed in concern, pulling Paul back.

They all looked up to see their company, surprised by the long line of large ants coming towards them from a wide hole in the ground. Centered between two rows, the hole was shaped like a volcano, instead of the tall anthills they’d known from right after the bombs. The ants had almost disappeared within a year of the war and this many of the big mutations in one place was uncommon.

“I thought they were all gone,” Paul said, too loudly. His voice traveled to the ants and the entire line of hungry insects came to a slow stop.

The ants were the size of a small boot and healthy. They marched along without struggling, going over and around the piles of moldy stalks that covered the ground. Their antennae twitched continuously, scenting the air for trouble, and the fighters stared in fascination. The ants were a new part of the old legend, a part that few of them had believed in.

The fighters got set to battle, most of them thinking this was a better challenge to their new skills, since the mutated ants were much smaller than a human target.

“Wait.” Alexa stopped the battle as she spied something familiar. “Look at their formation.”

The ants had begun spreading out as they stopped and the line of about fifty was now in the same V that Alexa used for fighting.

“Safe Haven.” Jacob whispered, not wanting to trigger a fight that didn’t have to happen. The preacher actually liked most of the hardy animals that America now offered, and the ants were something new to him. The west hadn’t seen an ant, big or small, in a long time.