The Survivors

1

Angela sat between Kenn and Adrian, more than a little uncomfortable as she drank her tea. The meal had been good; the garlic bread had been great. She enjoyed the full stomach and remained silent, smoking while the five men talked shop. She knew all their names now. They’d exchanged friendly banter when she sat down. These were Adrian’s closest men, his chain of command. She was aware that Kenn was powerful here, more…

Pissed, the old Angela filled in.

She let out a sigh of agreement she knew was heard by the observant men around her, but she couldn’t help it. The anger was rolling from Kenn. Everything she’d said and done today had made it worse, but Adrian’s introduction as they sat–“You guys remember Angie, Charlie’s mom and our new doctor.”–had been the straw pushing on the camel’s hump. She thought Adrian had done it on purpose. She liked him for it even as part of her wished he’d just said wife to calm Kenn down.

Adrian glanced at Angela. “Feel like answering some questions about where you’ve been? It’s makes my job easier to have a lot of information.”

She felt Kenn tense; she paled. “Uh, sure.”

“Have you heard of any place safe to go?”

“No. It’s better right here than any place we came through.”

“Mutations?”

She nodded, thinking the constant noise made this place feel like a crowded amusement park… Is that intentional? “We saw some kind of spider-cricket cross near Kirksville, but the big ants were in every state we passed through.”

Adrian wrote it down.

Angela forced herself to keep going, sure he needed to know these things. “Ohio had a weird mold climbing up everything, even telephone poles, along with very aggressive rats and flooding. Most of Indiana was burnt up. Illinois…” She hesitated as the dead eyes of her first kill flashed through her mind.

Adrian shook his head when Kenn would have said something sharp.

Angela blinked away the past. “Sorry. Illinois was ugly. I don’t think we saw one good thing in the whole state.” She went rigid in pain. “There was a rabbit, but I’m pretty sure it died too. Illinois and Nebraska were killing fields.”

She gave him a brief rundown of their battle with the wolves and then fell silent, liking most of the thoughts floating around the table.

“What about radiation?”

She answered in detail, but her escort wasn’t mentioned.

“Thanks.” Adrian went back to handling business with his men.

Angela swept the guards in view, recognizing patterns and weapons from her training with Marc. Seeing them was a comfort.

Adrian noted how she stared at one part of the camp and stayed on it until she figured out how things worked before moving on. Like an Eagle would. How much real training had Marc been able to give her?

“Are you going to defend your title tomorrow?”

Doug’s question drew Angela’s attention.

“Yeah.” Kenn leered. “Be at the practice if you want to know how much I’m going to win by.”

The table erupted in challenges, making it the place everyone else wanted to be.

“In that case, excuse me while I go rig the targets.”

They laughed again as Neil left.

Angela was surprised by her longing to be a regular at Adrian’s table instead of a guest. The sights and sounds of everyday life here were bittersweet. She both loved and loathed the voices lifted in conversations, the low mutters of curiosity and disapproval, the almost constant crunch of footsteps as the guards monitored their surroundings for problems. It was worlds away from how she’d spent the last months, but every peal of mirth from the kids’ area sent fresh pain into Angela’s heart. If she had been with these people, she wouldn’t have lost her baby. Adrian would have been able to help. Angela didn’t need the witch to mutter it. She already knew.

Adrian, and others, noticed that she and Kenn didn’t speak to each other, didn’t even make eye contact. Adrian saw her wince at the can of Mountain Dew against her lip. He frowned. I’m going to talk to Kenn. If he gives the wrong answers, I might do exactly what she wanted and tear apart my framework. “Ready?”

“Sure.” Angela got up and cleared her mess.

Kenn took out his notebook, stalling. The more time alone with Adrian she had, the sooner the blond man would figure it all out. “Will you be at the practice?”

“We’ll be by, but I have a lot of stops left.” Adrian’s voice was tight. “I’m not shooting anyway. I’m officiating.”

“John says the woman, Samantha, is all right for the most part. Severely underweight, dehydrated, exhausted. Says she’ll be out of the QZ by nightfall. Said he’s taking his time on the men, especially the one Samantha came in with.”

Angela could hear the others at the table wondering why Kenn hadn’t mentioned all that right away to ease Adrian’s mind.

Adrian also caught it. “Have you gotten his full yet?”

“No. They’re separated. I told the guards to come get me if they’re seen together, but she’s out.” Kenn gestured. “John gave her another sedative.”

Adrian nodded. “Collect his story first thing in the morning. The earlier the better.”

“You want me to do it?” Kenn was surprised and pleased.

“You’ve been with me enough times. Make sure I get the report.”

“You know it.”

To the camp, Adrian appeared to be fully behind the Marine.

Angela knew Adrian planned to have the new couple watched anyway, and maybe even talk to the new man himself. She was comforted a bit under all the misgivings, understanding this was to remind Kenn of how much he was trusted.

Kenn was indeed warmed by the public display of his high place, wanting Angela to be impressed.

Angela was, but not with Kenn. Adrian obviously knew how to handle her temperamental Marine.

As they left, the men at the table noticed she and Kenn hadn’t even acknowledged each other’s presence. There wasn’t love between them. Even couples who fought all the time had more warmth. Confused and getting more suspicious, none of the guards lingered, each wanting Kenn to feel their disapproval.

He did. Kenn’s heart was thumping as they fell out of sight. Angela had been here less than six hours and it had already begun to damage his place. What am I supposed to do now? I never planned on her surviving.

2

“Where to next?”

Adrian led them to a corner of the long camp with only a single perimeter guard in sight. “Your boy should be working outside with the dogs soon. I thought we’d watch.”

Angela’s pleasure lit up her face.

Adrian forced himself to glance away. She had a man. Two of them, actually, and she had won over almost all of his chain of command in a few short hours. If she was a demon in disguise, they were in trouble.

“I’m not; I won’t.”

His brow arched as he glanced at her. “Won’t what?”

“Play with your men.”

A little embarrassed, a feeling he didn’t experience often, Adrian answered coolly. “You sure? We have a resident whore, but there’d be no competition.”

Stung, the witch surged forward, sending out a sharp wave of need.

Adrian sucked in a breath as vanilla wrapped around his body like an inviting hand.

“Only two men have ever been between my legs and either of them would kill to be there again. A whore, I have never been.”

Adrian fought the desire to take her up on the challenge. “It was a tasteless joke. I ap–”

“Don’t.” Angela stopped him, red haze clearing. “I’m the one who should apologize. I haven’t…fed well. It weakens my control.” It was hard for her, even letting him have that much information. She glanced away. What was it about Adrian that made her want to spill her guts?

Adrian lit a cigarette, wanting to offer whatever she needed.

Angela’s voice was distressed. “I hate to do it. It’s…intense.”

Adrian knew she had to power her gifts. He would take care of that. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“I didn’t mean to provoke you.”

“My men couldn’t keep up with you anyway.”

Angela blushed at the compliment, smiling.

The tension eased for those observing.

As they started walking again, the silence grew thick. Angela stopped, looking around as the witch whispered.

She swept the tents near the showers, the curious groups of people, then settled on a sexy redhead in calf high black boots and a short red summer dress. The woman was sneering, locked onto Adrian as she sauntered toward them.

Angela felt the man at her side tense and took a step forward, not questioning the need to do battle for him.

Adrian wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Tonya had been watching them all morning, anger and jealousy growing at each introduction. She moved in front of them, recognizing Kenn’s woman for what she was–a threat. Tonya already suspected Adrian’s interest was more personal than business. “So, who’s the Barbie?”

Adrian blew out a sigh of annoyance that hid his eagerness to witness Angela handle this. First he had to tell her it was okay to do so and hope she took the hint. “This is Angela, our new doctor. Useful. This is Tonya. She’s no one. Useless.”

Tonya’s painted face iced over; she gave Angela a glare that said meanness was coming.

“So, you’re the timid little mouse he didn’t want enough ta go back for.”

Angela gave a knowing glance as the witch whispered the accent was faker than the lashes. “You must be the resident whore Adrian spoke of…” Angela’s smirk widened. “And the piece of ass Kenn’s too ashamed to admit to.”

Adrian laughed aloud. He couldn’t help himself.

Tonya’s cheeks flushed to the color of her dress. “He never said that!” The accent was gone now.

“Didn’t have to. My Marine likes women with their mouths and legs always open. I just added up the clues.” Angela leaned in. “When I’m threatened, I don’t play games. I go for blood…but in this case, he’s not worth the effort. You want him? He’s yours.” Angela moved away.

Adrian followed, sniggering at the unusual flash of fear he saw in Tonya’s reaction of silence. “Next time, be nice.” He caught up to Angela.

“Sorry. Some people rub me the wrong way. She’s going to be one of them.”

Adrian chuckled, mood growing better by the minute. “Tonya’s a snake. She has no real friends here.”

“That does not surprise me.”

They slipped under the caution tape that wound around the entire perimeter. As they got out of sight of camp, Angela heard male tones lifted in excitement. She stiffened. Five long semis were parked bumper to bumper, blocking her view.

Adrian turned to her. There were no words, only thoughts.

After a minute, she agreed, liking it he would talk to her this way. “You have my word. I won’t discuss it with anyone, not even Charlie or Marc.”

He led her around the trucks.

Angela understood the need for secrecy right away. It looked like a military base. Two dozen sweating men were decked out as if they were training to go to war. Closed on three sides, the huge grassy area was under an enormous green canopy, with dark canvas walls that flapped in the gusting wind. The open side was hidden by the semis, and covered by that single perimeter guard. When Angela saw the rolled tarp on top, she understood if a warning was called, the tarp would be dropped to hide the training.

“Welcome to Fort Haven.”

Angela couldn’t keep up with everything she saw at first, eyes drawn to the flag over the doorway. She could feel the power of the place. “This is special to you, to your vision of the future.”

Adrian nodded. “This is the most important part. The camp thinks I’m training a police force back here, but it’s really the new world’s first army. My army.”

Angela felt a shiver of connection.

“We survived because we’re strong. I encourage that, but I also teach them honor and strength of mind. They spend two hours a day here, usually a bit at each area, being assessed, guided, taught. I’ve made it the most respected job for a man again, and only those who believe in what I’m doing are able to climb the ranks.”

“You stack the deck.”

Adrian didn’t consider lying. “Of course. I walk a fine line for it, but the good of this camp always comes first. I promised them safety, and the future is part of that. A well-trained group of soldiers is a must-have, especially in a world where the old government could crawl out of their holes at any time and demand control over everything again. Most people wouldn’t have a choice, but we will.”

His conviction was clear, as was his belief in himself and these men. She was humbled by how deeply he carried his American spirit. “Show me your army.”

The sun was no longer able to fight its way through the grit as they stepped into the tent. They kept out of the way of the man running full speed around the edges. Nearby, a guard held a clipboard and a stopwatch.

There were three cubicles set up to the far right that Angela couldn’t see into from where they stood. They were also being watched by a guard. In front of them, four men labored on big home gyms, while a fifth man was trying, with some success, to tread the length of a tightrope tied to two low cinder blocks that were the size and shape of ten manhole covers stacked together.

A table sat next to the gym, covered in guns and ammo. The men there were deep in concentration as they speed loaded their weapons at the guard’s call. They were blindfolded, like Marc had made her do almost from the start. He said vision was needed in other places during a fight, that hands had to know what to do.

To the far left, walls of straw bales formed a neat barrier all the way up to the roof. What’s in there?

“We’ll watch for a minute, then slip out the back.”

Angela noticed none of the men had glanced their way. Were they taught to block everything out? Is that wise?

They rounded the cubicle corner. Angela saw monitors and game systems set up, with cords all running under the tent...to where? If it was a generator, it was so quiet she couldn’t hear it. To a battery system of some sort? Was it solar? That’s what she and Marc had used during the trip here.

“Son of a bitch!”

Angela’s hand flew to her gun, startled at the shout.

Adrian put a finger on her arm as men stood, came their way.

“Stand down.” His tone said he was pleased by their reactions.

Angela flushed, realizing she was the threat they were responding to. Her cheeks stayed red. She’d underestimated them. They had been aware of her from the second she’d come in.

“Angela is one of us. Resume your sets.”

They all returned to what they’d been doing, but they stared, shocked at the implications of his words.

Adrian stopped her from apologizing. “Don’t be sorry. It shows me who’s serious and who’s still learning. Come on. This is the fun side of the room.”

The cubicles each held a different game, a different type of training. The first man was using plastic guns to shoot at ducks and clay pigeons–a classic as far as she was concerned. The second man was ambushing the enemy on a strategic game that had been popular before the war; the last cubicle grabbed and held her attention.

The man inside was one of the guards who had responded to her flinch. Tall, he wore no shirt over his swimmer’s body. His lean, sweaty hips disappeared into army fatigues. He was beautiful. For a moment, the woman inside was frozen.

The redhead stood on a white mat with colored designs, adjusting mirrors and earpieces as the instructions challenged him to hit the arrow on the mat that corresponded to the ones set to flash on the screen. Angela observed as the round began.

His movements were graceful, sensual arms flexing in the rhythm he was hearing. She wondered what it was as the hunger inside sniffed eagerly.

The man jumped, scoring a bonus. As he turned, hips thrusting provocatively, their eyes met.

He stumbled.

Seth tore his from hers to locate his place in the mirrors.

Angela expected him to turn around so he could concentrate, but the sweaty guard only tried not to make eye contact, body moving in unspoken invitation.

Angela slipped into his thoughts to discover the haunting strains of Hotel California. It was one of her favorites.

There was magic in the way he controlled every muscle in his body, not missing a beat of the dance as the tempo increased. Angela felt herself swaying along. Electricity sparked every time he glanced at her.

Adrian could feel the desire rolling off the woman at his side. Seth was responding to her silent pull, though he was trying hard not to. Adrian wondered if the lust in the air came from her or the hunger she’d spoken of.

Adrian’s thought sank in. Angela shoved the witch back into her cell.

Seth slid the earpiece out so he could hear them. He already felt as if he knew her.

“You okay?”

Angela nodded at Adrian’s question. “Sorry. Dancing runs in our blood.”

Her tone was rough, sexy. When Seth tripped again, losing the round, Adrian sighed. “You can do it all again.”

Seth stared at the woman. “Whenever she says.”

Adrian rolled his eyes as he stepped by the cubicles. “Kenn has no idea how full his hands are. Come on.”

Angela followed quickly, embarrassed and disappointed in herself. She could feel Adrian’s disapproval as they moved to the far left of the spacious tent area. She could feel Seth still staring at her. It was almost as if she knew him…

Adrian’s frown was drawing notice; he smoothed out his expression, but he would have to talk to her about the men in her life. While he was at it, he would also bring up control of her pull on his army. It would have to be dealt with if she meant to stay and help him.

Adrian heard her sigh.

“That won’t fix it all. It’s drawn to kindred spirits and it’s…famished.”

“Then we’ll have to find a way to feed it that you can tolerate, won’t we?” Adrian soothed her even while telling her what she didn’t want to hear.

Reluctantly nodding, Angela was willing to leave it at that. They slipped out through a rear corner of the tent.

Adrian checked his watch. “To your right.”

Angela spotted her son’s thin frame through the spruce trees. He was leading a beautiful black and white Collie around a series of obstacles, followed by two other teenage boys with similar animals.

“He just became our top dog trainer. He’s good with them.”

The teenagers were working on commands. It pleased them both when the collie obeyed without hesitation. It was clear Charlie had a connection to the dog.

Angela studied her son as he joked with the other boys while teaching them. He had been happy here, cared for. I owe Kenn for that. “Do you have all the teens do this, or just certain ones?”

Adrian leaned closer to talk; her scent–sweet, thick vanilla–came to him. It was intoxicating. He let his nose have its fill as he answered. “I try to put everyone to work. There’s so much we need, I can’t waste even one warm body, but things like this matter more than others. I picked him personally.”

Angela frowned. “Charlie’s trying to listen.”

Adrian recognized the moment for what it was, surprised.

Angela lifted a brow, voice cool. “Tell me you didn’t already know what my choice would be.”

He shook his head. “I can’t do that. My offer is amazing. No one says no.”

They were silent for a long moment, both subtly observing the teenager and each other.

“He’s upset.”

“I brought along the person he also least expected.” Angela grunted. “He’ll adjust, once he understands no one has to die.”

“I’ll keep him busy.”

“His dad’s good at stuff like this too.”

Adrian understood the hint. Marc would also need something to do until he settled in. “I’ll keep that in mind.” And he would. She wouldn’t stay without Marc. “You’ll talk to Charlie, try to explain things?”

“He’s not ready to listen yet. When he is, I will.”

They watched the boys groom the dogs.

Adrian was thinking of his good fortune to have them both as eventual members of his army. Charlie had the paler skin of his mother, the full lips of his father, and yet, he had Kenn in him too, in the rounded face and the quicker temper. The teenager had earned an extra day of shit labor last week for fighting with his tent mates. He now had his own next to Kenn’s. Adrian was almost sure it had been on purpose.

“I think one of them said something about Kenny. He felt bound to defend him. It doesn’t feel like he wanted to.” Angela didn’t want Adrian to think Charlie was a troublemaker.

Adrian didn’t. “He’s a good kid. You’ve done an excellent job.”

Angela’s frown wasn’t what he expected; neither were her words.

“He’s got a nasty side, too. He learned it well. At some point, he’ll push for freedom from all of us.” Angela searched for her smokes. “Probably sooner than I think. He has a lot of anger under that obedient demeanor. He’ll find an outlet.”

Adrian smirked. “I suspect we both know who that’ll be.”

“Yeah, his dad.”

They shared a smile of understanding.

“Thank you. It helps me to know he’s had these things. I owe you a great deal.” Angela tested him.

The ground shook under Adrian’s feet as she slid into his mind.

I’d pay it any way you want.

Adrian was a bit winded from the shiver of lust that dove into his balls. “It’s why I’m here. I expect no payment.”

“Thank you.”

He sensed her gratitude had multiple meanings and didn’t ask her to clarify. He would figure it out in time, but Adrian already assumed it was connected to his XO. Everything now depended on Kenn.

3

Kenn was in charge of the camp; he was the Eagle on Point. It was a post he usually loved, but not today. He’d watched Adrian and Angela as they moved through camp, upset they were talking so much when she would share nothing with him. People had been tripping over themselves to tell him about Angela’s exploits. Their stories were fanning his flames.

She had flirted, said she wasn’t his wife, turned her back on Adrian while he was talking to her, smoked a joint, had a confrontation with Tonya, and made Adrian bark at her at least twice. One of those had happened in a training tent full of Eagles, but not one of them could tell Kenn why. The anger was consuming. The camp was already talking about how tense he was now that his woman had arrived. The questions were blunt. Some of them had been outright provocative. It had finally toned down when he’d grabbed Danny and shoved him into a truck. Kenn had walked away by picturing Adrian’s reaction, but word had spread faster.

By late afternoon, almost everyone in Safe Haven was nervous or curious about his lack of answers.