life after war - book 5 - from the ashes
DESCRIPTION
It’s been 6 months since the end of the world, and Adrian must now discover if the choices he’s made have cost him a son. Even Angie can’t be sure. On the way to Arkansas, the battered refugees face a danger that threatens to destroy all they’ve built.Furious at the latest bloodshed, Nature has declared her own War on the survivors, and she repeatedly unleashes her fury against Safe Haven and its army of violent defenders. The apocalypse has never been more deadly, as the aftermath takes its toll on what remains of the great American herd…. And even Pitcairn Island isn’t safe from her wrath.Release Date: 2/1/2013Length (estimate) – 800 pagesPreorder – now - $4.99www.law-angelawhite.comTRANSCRIPT
Book 5 Beta Chapters
Book 5 Beta Chapters
Chapter One
Aftermath
7:00 pm
Ellsworth County Rest Stop
Glendale, Kansas
1
I’ve gotten her killed.
Adrian’s first thought flew through the
Eagles as well. All of them rushed her way.
Angela fought for a breath as the fire hit her
chest and plunged into it. Blood ran down her shirt
and she slumped backwards, head hitting the wet
ground.
Hands and feet surrounded her, voices raised
in panic. She gasped as the vest was roughly
ripped away, and then shouted hoarsely as strong
hands touched her shoulder. She clenched her teeth
against the next cry as the agony increased.
“Shit! It went through!”
“Pressure!”
Angela wanted to help, but the pain was
overwhelming. It lashed brutally over her torso in
breathtaking waves.
“Other side’s pourin’, Boss.”
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“At least it went through there, too.”
“I need heat… lighters! Now!”
Angela tried to get ready, understanding
what the heat was for. She groped out blindly for a
hand, felt one waiting.
“Harder! Make it seal against your palm.”
“Hang on, Baby. Hang on.”
Jeremy’s voice was a comfort, and Angela
managed to open her mouth without screaming.
“Don’t... let them… leave.”
“Now.”
Adrian’s order stopped her from saying
more, but they all understood. If she died, Charlie
and Brady were to be kept at Safe Haven.
Kyle rolled her onto his knee and wrapped
her up tight as Adrian picked up the first red hot
lighter.
Her scream drew the bugs.
2
Before the War of 2012, cicadas feasted on
the liquid in plants. The males made noise, the
females clicked their wings, and their weeks of life
were spent in a mating frenzy. Harmless for the
most part, they were ignored.
After the War, their food source dried up,
forcing the emerging insects to consume what was
available... and blood was everywhere.
“Look out!”
“Get down!”
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Standing in a tight circle around their fallen
member, the first wave of cicadas hit the distracted
Eagles on the farthest edges and enveloped them in
a thick cloud. The insects pecked relentlessly,
sharp wings and prickly feet slicing into exposed
skin. Above them, another wave circled hungrily.
“Get inside!”
“Help the others!”
Remembering the birds in Utah, Neil hit the
air horn on his belt, and the closest bugs
immediately flinched away.
The other Eagles did the same, and it
overpowered the chaos. The cicadas reluctantly
retreated under the combined horns of all the
Eagles.
“We need to go!” Seth shouted, dragging
fallen, dazed men toward the rest stop.
“Not done yet!” Kyle answered, hand going
numb from holding pressure on the pulsing wound.
Closing it required shoving the glowing metal over
a small portion at a time, until it burnt it closed.
Angela shuddered under Adrian’s merciless
hands. Her teeth sank into Kyle’s arm, broke the
skin.
“How long, Boss?”
“Three more on this side.”
“I’m out!” Neil tossed the empty air horn
away.
“Same here!”
Without enough horns to repel them, the
insects immediately began swarming back down.
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Angela’s fingers dug into Jeremy’s wrist.
“The…. Caller… aahhh!”
Fresh blood pulsed from under Kyle’s hand.
Jeremy cut the caller from Angela’s belt;
thrust it into Neil’s hand as her body arched.
“Pressure!” Adrian snapped, reaching for the
next lighter.
Kyle tightened his hold, and began to pray,
something he hadn’t done in decades.
Neil handled the ornate Caller like he’d seen
her do during the wolf mission, and felt it lunge to
life. He swung it hard and high.
Clearly absorbing Angela’s pain, the Caller
sent out a low base of thundering waves, instead of
the high-pitched howl they were expecting. The
deeper noise rolled upward and slammed into the
oncoming cicadas like a bomb blast.
Stunned, the bugs began to fall, pelting the
Eagles.
The instant Angela stopped transmitting her
pain, the caller vibrating eagerly in Neil’s grip
went dark. He looked down to see Adrian’s hand
moving toward her back again, and forced himself
to watch.
Her teeth snapped together, body arching,
and tears spilled over her cheeks in small waves.
The knuckles on Jeremy’s wrist were white, and
her breath hissed out in a low groan that wanted to
be a scream. Her torment was his at that moment
and Neil knew he’d never forget it.
“Get her bag!” Adrian shouted.
Book 5 Beta Chapters
Her body sagged as Adrian pulled back,
hand throwing the gory lighter away in fury. He
tore another patch from his shirt and helped lean
her against his knee. He nodded at Kyle, cloth
ready.
The mobster lifted his hand, and blanched as
fresh blood poured over her chest.
Adrian shoved the material into the hole and
pushing Kyle’s big hand back over it. “I need more
heat!”
Billy dropped the doctor bag at Adrian’s
feet, and then opened it. “Look, Boss.”
Adrian saw the carefully packaged pouches
of blood and felt a small measure of hope. Each
was labeled with a name.
“Neil has Point!”
Jeremy motioned half a dozen men forward
for guard duty, and then went to tell Neil, who was
gathering lighters.
Adrian slapped the blood bag into Kyle’s
free hand. “Hold it up.”
The liquid was rushing into Angela seconds
later, and Kyle squeezed the middle of the bag to
get it in faster. Their harsh breathing mirrored hers
as they waited in frustration for the lighters,
batting away dying bugs still dropping
occasionally from the sky.
“We need John.”
“Can we roll?” Neil asked, bringing the
glowing lighters in a charred hubcap.
“No.” Adrian grabbed one. “Check in.”
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“All clear.”
“Daniel’s down. Frank, too.” Billy reported
in a carefully controlled voice. Daniel had been
next to him when they started moving in, but not
when they hit the street. Sure he had been heard -
Billy moved to cover a gap in their perimeter
around Angela.
“Bag’s almost empty, Boss.” Kyle felt her
start to shiver. “Someone get us some cover!”
Zack and a few others hurried to help.
Adrian left a small corner of the wound
open. It ran heavily with blood until he dumped a
packet of powder from her bag into it, and then
shoved the gauze back.
He placed Kyle’s hand over the wound
again. “Five minutes for the clotting agent to
work.”
Kyle shifted back against the brick wall.
“Slide her over.”
They carefully placed her in Kyle’s arms,
and the closest Eagles covered her with their
jackets.
Adrian dug through the bag, found more
labeled bottles. He quickly gave her a generous
dose of antibiotics, and hooked up the second bag
of blood with her name on it.
“Boss…” Kyle’s voice was awful.
“Stand your ground.”
The leader’s eyes went over the devastation,
seeing Neil and Jeremy now moving through the
wreckage. They were using silencers on survivors
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to keep from triggering the remaining cicadas
clicking unhappily above them.
Adrian made a curt motion to the trooper.
How many?
It was returned with the same grim
expression. Not enough - short by fifty.
Adrian’s gut twisted. Somewhere along the
way, part of the Slavers had cut off from the main
group. Maybe they’d been deserting, but more
likely, they’d been sent back to attack Safe Haven.
As Adrian had the thought, headlights glared
off the trees, engines swelling…
Catching up, he realized. Overhead, the
storm rumbled once in low warning before it
drenched them again.
“Inside! Get inside!”
There was a fast run to the door, but it was
Kyle, with Angie’s bloody body in his arms, who
went through first. He moved to a back corner,
trying to keep pressure on the wound.
Adrian lined them back up at the widows,
getting set to hand out more of what they’d already
delivered. “On my mark…”
The headlights flashed dimly against the
glare of fires… those inside the rest stop held still
as the remaining Mexicans came in on foot to
examine the scene.
“Make them scream.”
The Eagles nodded savagely as they
understood what the order meant. Adrian wanted
them to suffer.
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“Por aquí!”
“It’s Cesar!”
As the Slavers ran to their leader’s body,
Adrian made the call.
“Now!”
Fresh screams sent cicadas exploding from
the trees.
Listening to it was rough for Adrian’s
army… until they swept the back of the room,
where Kyle and Angela were huddled. The look on
their top Eagle’s face was haunted, and it kept
them firing.
Understanding that Adrian was still here, the
few surviving Slavers fled for the trees - only to
meet the same fate on the razor-wire. The Eagles
waited in frustrated revulsion for it to be over.
3
“We gotta call Brady.” Seth stated as the
noises outside fell to only the occasional cry. The
smell of blood, of death, hung heavily in the room.
“I’m sure he’s already rollin’.”
Adrian moved toward Kyle and Angela.
He’d felt it, the moment her life became a part of
fate’s swinging scales. The sulfur scents, the
vanilla, the feel of the Angie he knew, had been
replaced with a dry heat that was so thin, it was
like a fog in his mind. It was the feel of her life
draining out through her wounds.
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Adrian snapped on his light, and had Kyle
slowly lift his hand.
When no fresh blood appeared, both men
were eased a bit. They carefully added another
layer of gauze, and then only taped it over three
corners of the wound, to allow her body pressure
to adjust and keep her breathing even. As they
finished, Adrian had the restless men make a bed
with dusty cushions from the lounge area, freeing
Kyle.
The mobster joined his team, covered in
Angela’s blood.
Adrian looked around, judging what
remained of his confident army. They were
battered, scarred, with angry looks and unsatisfied
faces that demanded he fix it. He did the best he
could with short words.
“She’s doing her duty, even now. Do yours.”
There was never a doubt for Adrian that
they’d seen, and it flipped them back into his
soldiers. They got to work, and tried not to look at
the woman lying deathly still behind them.
Outside, only the noise of the bugs was heard as
they fed unopposed.
“Can’t say here. It’ll draw predators.”
“We’re not movin’ her.” Kyle wasn’t
willing to take the risk.
“Then we’ll be fighting again, maybe.”
“Ammo count?”
“We went through about half of what we
brought.”
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“We’ll stay.”
Kyle looked at Zack. “Collect and load.
Take a crew.”
Kyle waved four men to the windows, and
settled to work with Neil, as the trucker went out
to see to their fallen men.
While they were outside, the Eagles swept
the newest battle scene for wounded or hiding
Slavers, and found none. The bugs had done a
good job.
Sitting against the dark marble map display,
Cynthia still had her gun in hand. She didn’t look
up as Zack went out.
Covered in shock and fallout, Cynthia now
looked like an Eagle. Ignored in the chaos, her
recorder had only been off since they came inside.
In her pocket, was the tape that would have given
the fame she’d been seeking so hard in the old
world. Every second of the battle, every word,
every scream, was on it.
Kyle looked to where Adrian was chain-
smoking by the door. “It’ll be days before the
camp gets word. Will they hold?”
Adrian’s voice was hard. “They’ll have to.
It’s not over yet.”
“How long before Cesar’s men realize he
isn’t coming back, before they attack Safe Haven
without him?” Jeremy asked worriedly.
“Two, three days at the most.”
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Neil had been studying the map. “There’s a
warehouse, a country club, and a manufacturing
plant, all within a mile.
“The country club.” Adrian moved toward
the back of the room, unable to stand leaving her
alone even though she was unconscious. “Dope it
out. And someone cover those windows. It’ll get
cold without the glass.”
4
“Please let her live. Please let her live.”
Hours away, Marc hit the convoy’s back
trail with a skid and recovery that allowed him to
gain speed. He pushed the pedal to the mat, sent
the jeep flying into the damp darkness.
Inside his head, a wall began going up, as he
braced to face his worst fear. Adrian had gotten her
hurt…killed?
Marc clamped down on the panic, foot
pushing harder. He had to get to her!
“Please let her live. Please let her live.”
Very few people knew Marc was gone. One
of those was Samantha. The Eagles had kept her
under close watch since the mission team left - on
Adrian’s orders, she assumed. After overhearing
Marc and John, Samantha understood Angela was
in serious danger. Tenser than she’d already been,
Sam watched until the truck was out of sight.
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If not for the look on Brady’s face, she
might have asked to go along, but that expression
said pain, heavy and thick, was headed his way
and he knew it. Besides, he’d taken the only set of
hands Angela would need. If John couldn’t save
her…
Samantha turned toward the center of the
much smaller camp, eyes going over the moving
shadows. Back to the waiting zone, she thought,
aware of Kevin trailing her in concerned silence.
The Eagles had run into problems. How many had
they lost?
5
Angela woke to waves of pain and nausea
that had her jerking back against the cushions, and
then scrambling toward the wall in surprised
misery. Hand covering the bandage, she squeezed
her eyes shut, taking ragged breaths.
When she could, she spoke through gritted
teeth. “My bag!”
Adrian already had it open, and he followed
her curt instructions, pulling the bottle, filling the
syringe…
“Too much… there.” Angela blanched,
gagging.
Adrian jabbed the needle into her good arm.
Her face tightened and tears splashed down
her cheeks in torrents.
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“Can’t you give her more?” Kyle demanded
harshly.
“No. She’s lost too much blood.” Adrian
didn’t tell him it wasn’t a painkiller. The stomach
medicine would keep her from vomiting and
ripping stitches.
Angela sucked in another breath, starting to
shiver without the jackets that had fallen off with
her movement. “Clean…”
She stopped, almost sobbing as the fire sank
deeper into her shoulder and began melting the
bones. “Brady!”
Angela collapsed in a heap, and Adrian
quickly eased her down. She didn’t move as he
pried back the bandage.
Neil was there to assist, and both men
grimaced at the ugly wound. The open area was
oozing tiny, sporadic drops even through the layers
of gauze.
Adrian made a fast choice. “You took her
class. Sew it up.”
Neil didn’t let himself hesitate - very aware
they had no more blood to replace what she was
losing. He got set as he watched Adrian coat the
wound with a spray the trooper hoped was a
painkiller. When Neil threaded the needle, his
hands didn’t shake this time. He was too pissed,
too worried about her dying, to be afraid of hurting
her.
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6
Angela didn’t react to any of their actions,
breathing shallow and face paler than usual. As
they finished, many of the Eagles again wore
expressions that said he’d been wrong to let her
join.
Adrian flashed a hard reminder of what
they’d signed up for. “She won’t quit over this,
and neither will I.”
As he moved toward the door, Cynthia said
what they were all thinking.
“You’re one cold son of a bitch, Adrian
Mitchel.”
The leader grunted. “You have no idea.”
He opened the door and did a fast sweep
before turning back. “This is our world now. I
brought her into my army because she belonged
there.”
“And if she dies?”
Zack’s question made the other Eagles
wince.
“We’ll honor her by remembering that the
freedom to choose this, is what she gave her life
for.”
“Mine…to give.”
Angela’s weak voice drew their attention.
“Knew… every time. Gave… anyway. So
do… you,” her tone choked. “Tell them… Cyn.”
All eyes, except Adrian’s, went to the
reporter. He was busy listening for the Witch,
hoping to hear those empty minefields tell him
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Angela would live. He wasn’t worried about
Cynthia’s coming words, despite this being her
first real chance to bring it all down. He cared only
for the Witch’s comfort, and the continued silence
was loud.
Cynthia slowly raised her head, still
splattered in red drops that had dried to her face
and clothes. Her dark eyes held that familiar look
of determination, but the Eagles were unprepared
for the depth of her scorn. Her contemptful words
raked them brutally.
“Did you think he was bluffing when he said
your life for theirs?”
The reporter glanced over at Angela’s
bloody face, and then back down to the filthy gun
in her hand that she already knew she would never
part with. “It’s too late to go back now… for all of
us.”
There was a stunned silence, where every
man there realized the days of fighting with
Cynthia may finally be over. Her first kill might
have changed everything.
Choice made, Cynthia looked up at the man
she had been determined to destroy. Would he
reward her awful sacrifice?
Adrian nodded, blue eyes glowing for her,
for what she’d done. “Name it.”
Cynthia glanced back down at the murder
weapon she’d grabbed without a thought as they
ran for cover. Cesar’s blood was flecked across the
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muddy barrel, as well as her shoes and hands. “I
want to be her XO.”
Adrian ignored the disbelieving glares and
snorts, giving her a hard smile. “You’ll have to
work for it. Samantha also wants that place.”
Neil opened his mouth, but didn’t follow
through with the protest. He’d already known that,
hadn’t he?
In the far corner, Jeremy stared in shock.
“I’ll earn it.”
“Yes, you will. Welcome to my Army,
Cynthia.”
Adrian’s eyes went to Jeremy. “Someone
else to set it up?”
“I’ll do it.” Jeremy’s voice was overflowing
with surprise. He’d hadn’t ever thought Cynthia
would become a convert.
“She’s shivering.” Kyle drew attention back
to the other female Eagle. “Do we have a heat
source?”
Neil shook his head regretfully, “Didn’t
think we’d need it.”
“We’ll use body heat.” Adrian stated.
Neil waved a hand. “You’re beat. Take the
first or second shift and Kyle can relieve you.”
Adrian’s mind flashed to the man speeding
through the darkness to get here. “I’m good. Kyle
first - you next.”
Kyle moved toward Angela, wondering at
the change. He and Neil had both seen and heard
enough over the last month to know Adrian wanted
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to be the one holding her, no matter the reason.
The fact that he hadn’t, said Brady wouldn’t be
okay with it when he got here. It would take Marc
about seven hours. Adrian had timed it so that his
best friend would be the one doing that duty when
he arrived... which meant the Wolfman had
discovered Adrian’s other secret. He wanted
Angela for more than the safety of his flock. It was
something they’d never discussed, but he and Neil
knew it was coming. Somewhere down the road,
Adrian might become unstable, over a woman.
They would watch closely, and handle it when
they had to. They could only be loyal to him if he
remained worthy. The instant he crossed that line,
Adrian would lose it all. If Angela lived, his
margin for error in the future, especially where she
was concerned, would be zero. If she died, that
would put their fearless leader into the red now,
and banishment seemed unlikely.
Kyle ignored all the eyes that watched him
carefully lay down between Angela and the wall,
and slowly press his warm body close. He tucked
her against his chest, unable to stop a grim smile as
he saw her hand tighten around the butt of her gun.
He adjusted them until she was fully
covered and breathing evenly, then laid his head
next to hers. “Easy, rookie. I’ve got you.”
As if she heard, Angela’s hand slid from the
Python.
Kyle took her cold fingers in his warm grip
and closed his eyes. When shit hit the fan, he was
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the one to call, but he also had a soft side that most
of camp would have been surprised to see. Holding
her, so that Adrian could burn her, was a torment,
a bond, which Kyle didn’t think he would ever be
free of.
Jeremy slid down next to Cynthia, seeing
she was still holding her gun. He wrapped his
jacket around her shoulders, but didn’t tell her to
put it away. She was an Eagle now, with her own
choices to make.
“Thanks.” The smell of the jacket was thick
with the battle, but the heat was welcome. She
wasn’t sure she would ever feel warm again.
“Sure.”
Jeremy waited to see if she wanted to talk,
but when the reporter only leaned her head back
and closed her eyes, Jeremy did the same. He
wasn’t sure how he felt about her joining, or even
what she’d done, and was glad to not have to face
it yet. Cynthia was now an Eagle… one of them.
That dangerous fact would require some
adjustment, but first, a little sleep. Eager to dream
of Samantha, Jeremy let the darkness take him
away.
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Chapter Two
Moving Along
2:30 AM
1
The sound of a snarling engine jerked them
all into alertness.
Adrian himself went to open the door, ready
to face whatever was coming. He wouldn’t take it
from any of the others - they didn’t have the right -
but from Brady, he would suck it up.
Walking through the smoldering wreckage
in front of the rest stop, Marc’s heart was frozen
behind that wall of fear, but his mind spun
furiously. The plan had worked - perfectly, it
seemed. The carnage was indescribable, but she’d
been hurt. Where had it gone wrong? What hadn’t
he accounted for?
Marc’s tortured gaze landed on the tacky
puddle of blood near the main door. There was
little doubt who it belonged to, and the fear rose
another notch.
Marc didn’t look at Adrian as he came to the
door, not sure his wall was strong enough to hold.
He was glad when the leader moved out of his
way. Right now, there was no one on the planet
that he wanted dead more than Adrian.
“John’s in the truck, armed.”
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Swallowing the icy chill of being treated
like he was nobody, Adrian went outside to get the
doctor.
Kyle motioned Seth after him.
The sight of Angela lying there, so bloody
and still, had Marc shoring up the sudden cracks in
his mental defenses. He looked at the tense trooper
keeping her warm, afraid to ask, but unable to keep
from it. “How bad?”
Neil didn’t lie. “Too soon to tell.”
Marc staggered, reaching out for the wall to
brace himself.
Angie!
Silence…
“I need more light.” John immediately
barked as he rushed to her side.
The Eagles hurried to assist, and Marc
moved back to watch from along the wall. His face
tightened as John peeled the bandage back.
“There wasn’t time for more.”
Marc gave Kyle’s words a curt nod. He’d
assumed that as soon as he saw the awful lengths
they’d gone to in order to stop the bleeding. He
was sure the other side would be worse.
There was a tense silence while John
worked. The Eagles helped when the elderly man
called for it, and everyone was glad that Angela
didn’t come to when he had them roll her onto her
side. Marc didn’t look away once.
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“I don’t feel any fragments… If her fingers
move we’ll know about nerve damage…” John
was carefully probing the wound.
Cynthia asked what the rest of them were
afraid to. “Will she live?”
“Ask me again in 24 hours.”
Even Adrian winced this time.
“How long before we can move her?”
Adrian’s tone was neutral, but Marc could
feel his self loathing as the leader observed what
he’d let happen.
“Another day would be best. Half that if it’s
not safe here, but slow travel.”
“You’ll stay with her.”
“Of course,” John confirmed.
Anne had wanted to come too, but he’d
refused, left her standing with a scowl. Safe Haven
was well protected right now, and the doctor
wasn’t letting her leave that light. These men may
have to watch their heart be torn up, shot at…
killed, but not him. Because of her age, Anne
couldn’t be an Eagle in Adrian’s…
“Don’t you think… she would… be safer…
trained?”
None of them had known she was awake,
but Angela’s tightly controlled tone said she had
been for a while.
John’s voice in contrast, was a furious
denial. “I’ll never allow that!”
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Angela’s lashes fluttered, and tears ran
freely from the corners of her lids. “Already…
happening.”
John’s face was a mask of thunder as he
turned to Adrian.
Before he could shout, Cynthia spoke up,
full of the new, unarguable need to protect and
defend. “It was her idea. She came to his tent
while… I was spying.”
Her admission earned instant forgiveness
with the Eagles, even those who hadn’t known
about her vendetta. Honesty was everything.
“What did she say?” John demanded,
already sure he would hate it.
Adrian brutally spilled the secret John had
tried to keep from everyone. “That you’re dying,
and she won’t take your place unless Angela tries
to help you.”
John was speechless, and the leader finished
it.
“She also said she understood it wasn’t
likely to help, and that she wants to be an Eagle so
she can watch your six as you get sicker.”
Adrian held a hand out. “Her words, not
mine.”
The doctor turned from them, holding in a
wounded sob.
Angela’s weaker voice came again. “She
had… to hide it… from you.”
“Because I lied when we came.”
“Yes. ...couldn‘t ask… me.”
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“You would have told Adrian.”
Angela’s grip on Neil’s wrist became harsh
as breakers of pain twisted through her shoulder.
“She has a… job to do… let her.”
John’s eyes went over the bloody outline of
Kyle’s fingerprints on Angela’s chest, the tremor
in her pulse, and snapped his mouth shut. Anne
had that type of strength, too.
Angela stiffened as a deeper pain flared,
more tears falling. She was barely aware of a sharp
prick as John set up a fresh IV tap and gave her a
light dose of relief.
“Mmm…”
Her small moan of gratitude had the mood
of the drafty room improving a little.
Feeling it, that moment of things starting to
come together again, gave Adrian little comfort
this time as he was thrust back into the role that he
feared he was growing weary of. Carrying so much
guilt was staggering. “Get us set for staying a day
here, and a plan in case we can’t.”
Now at her side, Marc watched Angela’s
eyes close. He was glad to see she was already
breathing better than when he’d arrived, and he
allowed himself to hope for the first time since
being knocked down by a blast of incredibly dry
heat. Most people would have ignored the
moment, but Brady would know that sensation
anywhere. He’d left camp ten minutes later.
Marc moved closer and slid down to sit with
his back to her and Neil, watching the room. As he
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and John had arrived, he’d been afraid to go to her,
to listen to the goodbyes she would want to give,
but now, Marc’s inner soldier began taking stock
of her injuries…and estimating her chances of
survival. John’s words had been far from
reassuring, but learning of the doctor’s illness had
helped all of them, as Adrian had known it would.
John would do anything he could to save her.
Content things were as under control as they
could be considering the circumstances, Marc
leaned his head against Angela’s arm, and fell into
a light doze broken by ten minute sweeps of her
and the room.
2
When Adrian motioned for him to switch
with Neil an hour, Marc realized some of his fury
had faded. The leader had saved her life. There
was no way that any of his Eagles had been
‘around’ enough to think of car lighters.
“I’m sorry.”
Marc knew that too, and found he actually
held a bit of sympathy. Hadn’t he made his own
grave error back in Versailles? He’d been the one
to get this all rolling by leaving her alone and
forcing her to kill.
“Hearing her screams give nightmares.”
“Yes.” Adrian’s face said sleeping was
something he wouldn’t do until he absolutely had
to.
Book 5 Beta Chapters
As Marc slid carefully into Neil’s warm
spot, Adrian moved closer, eyes on her pale face.
“What would she do now… if I pulled it
all?”
There was complete silence at his show of
doubt. It was unexpected, especially after his
words to them.
Marc didn’t want to answer, and again, it
was Cynthia who blurted the truth.
“Die.”
Her voice lowered to a mutter as the males
turned to glare at her. “Along with Safe Haven…
and our future.”
There it was, Cynthia declaring her loyalty
to the dream.
Marc closed his eyes in painful resignation.
“Don’t stop now, Adrian. She gets cranky when
you take away something she needs.”
Heart crying behind his wall, Marc fell into
another light doze with Angela tucked safely
against his heat.
3
Rick stayed high and still as he watched the
rest stop.
When Brady had spun out if camp with the
doctor, Rick had followed in the truck he’d gotten
from McCook. That was just before the Slaver’s
had destroyed it while looking for the radio rigged
to lure them there. Cesar’s men had killed
Book 5 Beta Chapters
everyone they found and Rick hadn’t climbed
down from his water tower vantage point.
Rick watched the battered brick building
through binoculars, trying to determine who was in
such desperate need of a doctor that Angela’s skills
couldn’t handle it. If it was Adrian, there was still
hope despite the carnage. With their leader out of
the way, Rick could take over the remaining
Slavers now waiting for word, and attack Safe
Haven before the mission team could get back.
But it wasn’t. Rick had seen Brady’s face
when he arrived. The woman was down, and that
meant a group of very pissed males who would be
eager to kill anything that moved. Still, if Adrian
didn’t know there was a threat, he wouldn’t rush…
Rick settled against the slimy tree, being
careful not to catch a dim ray of sun and flash it off
his equipment. From what he’d observed so far,
the Eagles were alert, ready for trouble. He had to
assume Adrian was alive.
Rick grinned cruelly. “But not ok,” he
gloated. “Losing Angela won’t be forgotten.”
Cesar would be, Rick thought, happiness
growing. The Slavers was dead, but not all of his
men here were. Once he had seen where the Eagles
moved to, Rick planned to get busy. He’d already
drained a tank of gas from the rear of the
devastation, being ever so quiet. He was sure
Adrian would leave this area as soon as he could.
The cicadas were all over the reeking bodies, birds
Book 5 Beta Chapters
circling overhead… even the big ants were carting
off gory chunks through the bushes.
The thought of that happening to Cesar’s
body had Rick wanting to laugh maniacally. He
didn’t, of course. Unlike Cesar, Rick knew how to
make himself wait for the right time.
Movement near the far edge of the ugly
scene drew Rick’s attention to shadowy forms that
appeared…and then vanished.
Scavengers – the human kind. The few
survivors from Adrian’s trap were also watching
the rest stop. To attack? Considering the lack of
organization in place of his careful stillness, they
were probably just waiting for Adrian’s Eagles to
be gone so they could clean up the scraps.
Plans quickly reshaped with little effort on
his part and Rick closed his eyes for a snooze. The
phone set on vibrate would wake him in a bit and
then he’d get ready. Once the Eagles left, he would
have to… talk with the lurking Mexican survivors.
He expected to kill at least one of them to prove
his point. After that, they would understand
Cesar’s replacement was white, but it didn’t make
the hatred of Safe Haven any weaker.
4
“Brady?”
Marc moved to her side quickly, not looking
at Zack as the tightlipped man took a shift keeping
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her warm. The trucker had insisted on pulling his
weight and after her not moving for almost 12
hours straight, Marc had been ready for the break.
“Hi, Honey!” His relieved tone didn’t match
those intense blue eyes. “How ya feelin’?”
Angela’s head moved slowly until she found
him. “I’m better now… stronger.”
The men around them exchanged looks, as
Marc knelt down by the makeshift bed. She didn’t
sound stronger.
“What day... How long…?”
“It’s midnight, the day after.”
Her face tightened with pain, physical and
memories. Now was the only time she might back
out of the path she’d chosen.
Seeing the V in her chin, Marc forced the
words out. “Say it.”
“I don’t regret…anything.”
Marc leaned down to press a light kiss to her
hot forehead. “Then hurry up and get better, so you
can do it again.”
Angela’s lashes closed. “Love you, Brady.”
Marc drew in air around shrunken lungs.
“Love you too, Baby-cakes.”
She laughed in surprise and immediately
cramped up in pain.
Behind her, Zack’s glare was unexpected.
“Let her rest! …and give her something! She’s
been awake for half an hour, suffering.”
“She’s got a bit to go.” John stated lowly
from across the room. He’d been puffing restlessly
Book 5 Beta Chapters
on his empty pipe for hours. “And she needs to
eat.”
Zack looked down at the beads of sweat
popping out on Angela’s pale forehead. “No way.
She’s rockin’ rough.”
John hurried to give her a fresh dose of the
calmative.
Angela found Zack’s eyes in gratitude as her
stomach eased. It should have felt odd, or maybe
even dangerous to be lying in the trucker’s warm
arms, but there was only a sense of being
completely protected. Kenn had another surprise
coming.
“Can you eat now?”
Angela closed her heavy lids. “Maybe.”
Surprising those listening, Zack kept the
conversation going.
“We have a wide variety for the patient to
pick from. All canned, though.”
“Applesauce.” John ordered, wishing he had
her back in camp, where all his equipment was.
“Some… variety.” Angela muttered.
Her joke eased Zack’s tense body a bit and
she let herself huddle against his warmth, feeling
Brady’s stare… his thoughts…
“One of them… will tell you.”
“I’ll wait.”
“What?”
Adrian answered Zack’s question. “He
wants to see what went down.” Adrian gestured
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bitterly toward the door. “With this aftermath,
wouldn’t you?”
For reasons he refused to name, Zack
snarled angrily. “You wanna see her pain, ask one
of us!”
Zack grabbed Marc’s wrist with his free
hand. “Don’t make her relive it!”
Marc froze at the ugly flashes. He knew
Zack could only do it because he was touching her,
but it was a shock to realize the trucker knew he
could.
“Go easy…” Angela moaned.
The angry man didn’t spare Marc at all as he
went through every scream, every gush of blood
he’d witnessed. It went on for a long time and
Marc’s face went steadily paler.
When Zack let go, the tension crackled. He
felt Angela shudder, and realized she had relived it
anyway. He snapped his mouth shut.
“I’m sorry… it was so awful for you.”
Angela gasped out, body alive with torment that
seemed to have no end.
That had Zack snorting in protest and her
face clenching in pain at the movement.
“Damn.”
Now guilty of what he’d punished Marc for,
Zack let his head drop, gently. “Someone get the
applesauce already.”
5
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Under John’s instruction, Marc and Neil
prepped her for the trip as the others got set to
leave. They’d already siphoned gas from the
vehicles that they could and the annoying clicking
of bugs had kept them moving fast. When Marc
carried her out, everyone was very ready to go.
He slid very carefully into the backseat as
Neil climbed in through the cargo hatch to help.
John offered directions from the passenger seat, as
Adrian waited to drive. They rolled out of the
reeking rest stop with her ragged breathing filling
the cabin.
Angela was in too much pain to sleep, and
she struggled to keep from making any noise as
they moved to the new hole up. Cushioned by
pillows and blankets, she clutched Marc’s shirt
with her good hand, and soaked them both with her
tears.
It didn’t take long for John to do what the
other three men had wanted all along. He sedated
her - slipping the needle into her arm before she
had a chance to protest.
Marc shifted her to the position John wanted
and dropped his head back against the seat.
Outside, the wind gusted in angry warning.
Her stitches were bleeding by the time they
got her settled into a front room of the Country
Club. John added a few more while she was still
unconscious. When he was satisfied, the doctor
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took a chair on her left. Marc chose the one on her
right.
5
Adrian and his Eagles gathered on the porch
after setting up the guard. For a moment, they were
silent, listening to Angela’s gasps of pain through
the window as she woke. Each of them hated this
feeling of helplessness.
When Adrian moved them out of earshot,
his men knew he’d made a choice.
“This time tomorrow, John will be escorted
back to spread the word. When they hear us taking
out the rest of the Slaver camp, get them moving
our way.”
Realizing Safe Haven would come to them
this time, the men fell into the details with lighter
hearts. Another road trip might kill her.
“Do you still agree?” Adrian’s question was
for Kyle.
The mobster’s voice wasn’t steady, it was
injured, bleeding. “More now than before.”
Neil nodded, understanding Kyle’s pain.
The need to make Cesar pay hadn’t vanished with
his death. The men now waiting in vain for word
from their evil leader would be the ones to face
this new, harder anger that demanded an outlet.
The sky overhead was moving heavily
behind the grit, but the bite to the wind said nature
wasn’t satisfied with the recent deaths. Thanks to
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Samantha, Adrian had a much better idea of how
to spot rough weather coming, and he pushed his
worry over the camp to the rear of his mind. Kenn
would listen to the Storm Tracker. He’d seen to
that before they left.
Adrian looked at Neil. “Seal her room up.”
He turned toward their vehicles, and Kyle
stayed on his right, waiting for those little details
Adrian usually wouldn’t give anyone else.
Instead, Adrian asked a question that both
men had already answered for themselves.
“Would you do it differently?”
Kyle wanted to say yes, but couldn’t. “No.
They’re dead, she’s not.”
“She feels the same.”
“I know.”
“But?”
Kyle had been thinking on his purpose in
this new world, and he revealed his fears (sins) in a
low mutter of confusion. “Before the War, I had
killed five men…and one prostitute.”
Adrian waited, finally getting the reason for
almost not welcoming Kyle into his Safe Haven.
His first instinct had said the mobster was a killer,
but that second voice had stated that the man
would now kill for him, and that had been enough
to sway Adrian. It was a role he had needed filled
desperately.
“Now, I’ve wracked up near a hundred, and
that’s only the ones I’ve done myself, not those
I’ve ordered.”
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Kyle’s voice was flooding with something
they didn’t need right now - guilt.
“I’m damned.”
Adrian’s tone was sympathetic, but his eyes
said the mobster had known what he’d signed up
for after the very first mercy run. “We all are.”
Kyle wanted something Adrian couldn’t
give - absolution - and he turned away with a
feeling of dislike that surprised him. Usually
talking to their leader was a comfort, but this time,
it had drawn anger.
Flashes of holding Angela while Adrian
burned her slapped Kyle repeatedly and he headed
for the other person he’d come to rely on.
Marc and John snapped-to when he opened
the door.
Kyle shook his head. “We’re 5-by.” His
eyes went over her pale face. “What about her?”
“The same.” John’s tone revealed his worry.
“Not…dead yet.”
You sound like it could happen any minute,
Honey.
As if to back up that thought, Angela turned
her head and threw up.
Kyle backed out of the room as John and
Marc rushed to help her. He closed the door with a
light hand that shook.
This time, he went to the mission team and
got set to do his duty. Damned or not, someone
had to pay for this feeling. A few of the Eagles and
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most of the camp would blame Adrian, but Kyle
was clear on who was responsible.
6
Rick was the first one to pick through the
remains after the Eagles left, and he did it with one
hand on his gun. Thanks to Safe Haven, he was
very, very good with it.
“You could have been an Eagle,” his demon
taunted. “You were supposed to be one of them.”
Rick swallowed the bitterness and allowed it
to sink into that ball of fury smoldering in his guts.
It wasn’t over yet. Angela’s death wasn’t the only
hell to be paid for this blow.
Movement in the foggy shadows drew his
eye. It was 2AM and the other rats were coming.
Rick waited where he was. He settled onto
the charred hood of Cesar’s once golden car and
smirked openly at them. His days of hiding were
over.
The Slavers slowly moved his way. These
men had been in the rear of the second convoy,
and caught up just in time to watch the slaughter.
Helping their leader hadn’t been an option against
the screams and the bugs. They’d hid until it was
over, were forced to, Rick guessed. Cesar had run
their tanks dry to reach Adrian.
These men had waited for Adrian’s men to
be gone, hoping to strip whatever was left and
head south, for home. They had no intentions of
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going back to Cesar’s camp or even letting them
know what had happened… except there was a
witness to be handled. If the white man the others,
they would be hunted down. Not doing your duty
was unforgivable, even if it meant your life…
Which meant Rick held a small advantage…unless
he was alone. Then, he was a dead man.
Rick knew. It was in their narrowed eyes
and fast, stiff glances around. They’d forgotten
who they were dealing with. Maybe one reminder
wouldn’t be enough.
The traitor grinned disarmingly. “Guess we
all got lucky.”
Not sure what he wanted, the Mexicans
didn’t answer. They still hated Rick as much as
they always had, but now, there was also a layer of
respect. What Safe Haven had done here was the
first defeat they’d encountered, and these men
were reluctant to challenge anyone who had
survived there undercover as long as Rick had.
“So… headed south from here, I’ll bet.”
Rick jerked a thumb toward the rest stop. “Avoid it
when you pick through. He’s got it wired. They
knew there were survivors.”
That had heads turning to sweep the
shadows, as if expecting to see Adrian and his
Eagles surrounding them.
“Now that they’ve moved, he’ll send half of
them back to take care of Cesar’s camp.” Rick’s
voice grew pointed. “Those who haven’t already
deserted, anyway.”
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Tension crackled at his near accusation,
hands tensing, getting set.
Rick slowly stood up and took his smokes
from his front pocket. He inhaled, snapped the
lighter shut. “Be a shame if Cesar’s camp got a call
about you guys not helping him when he needed it
the most. Kinda goes against the code, you know?”
“They won’t survive,” one of the men in the
rear of the group sneered. “And neither will you.”
The Mexican drew in a blur.
Rick was faster.
His bullet tore into the Mexican’s throat. He
fell, hands clasped around the gushing wound.
Rick immediately gestured with the barrel. “Strip
him and put it in my share.”
The slavers exchanged a look that had Rick
grinning again.
“I see you’ve figured it out. I’ll be calling
the shots now, and you go, when I say so.” His
hard stance dared them to protest the order. He
would kill the first one who did - ever.
The shortest of the remaining men stepped
forward calmly, but despite his mild manner, Rick
knew this was the one among them who had
planned to be their leaser for the trip to Mexico.
“And when will that be, gringo? This land
tastes like death.”
Rick hoped to surprise them with half-truths
and brutal lies. “Two days. Help me with
something and then you can run like the cowards
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you are. When I pick my crew, none of you will be
on it!”
They didn’t like that.
Rick felt it coming and fired as the next
would-be leader drew.
Another body hit the ground with a dull,
final thud.
He looked around angrily, patience gone.
“You will give me what I want!”
None of them were eager to die, and the
smarter among them began to recognize the new
chain of command, bowing to it. Rick’s skill with
the gun made him top dog among them.
“Two days, then we’re gone. You have to
sleep.”
Rick knew better than to put his gun away
until he was sure of control. He delivered that
chain with a sneer. “There were other survivors.”
He gestured arrogantly. “The others joined
me willingly to avenge Cesar’s death… and
they’re waiting one hour for word. After that,
they’ll make the call. You get one chance, and then
you’ll be hunted down by your own kind.”
Caught by their own cowardice, none of the
Mexicans considered that he might be bluffing.
Sensing the victory, Rick lowered his gun.
“Meet us half a mile east of the Ellsworth Country
Club by nightfall. Don’t be late.”
Rick turned toward his truck, hand still
loose, ready. “Without Cesar to hold them
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here…or me, that camp of Mexican’s will hunt
you all the way to hell.”
The traitor picked up the small bag of
treasures he’d looted, swung it over his shoulder
before delivering a last parting blow. “Cesar was
reckless, and it got these men killed. That will
never happen on my watch.”
It was enough to begin a tiny bond, and Rick
kept moving, hearing them start to scavenge. They
would show and be a bit more willing to work,
thanks to the manipulative techniques he’d learned
from studying Adrian. By the time the Slavers
realized he didn’t mean a word of it, the time for
running would be gone.
Aware of his exit being watched, Rick kept
his steps sharp and arrogant. It’s what Adrian
would have done.
Rick grinned at that thought. Yes, it was,
and he had a very good idea of what the blond
leader would do now. For a change, that Eagle had
no idea trouble was so close, not with Angela at
death’s door.
“One mistake, baby.” Rick crooner. “It was
all I needed.”
He moved steadily through the moldy area
to get set for the Mexicans arrival. They thought he
had more men. He would make sure that
impression held long enough to finish what Cesar
had started.
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Chapter Three
Let’s Do That Again…
Ellsworth County Country Club
4am
1
The temperature had dropped faster than
even Adrian had expected, and the drafty building
gave the Eagles a very welcome shelter once the
windows were covered and doors closed. In the
front room, Angela wasn’t cold. Taking shifts in
two man teams now, she and John were warm
enough to sweat in the small area.
Mattresses and blankets covered the walls,
window, and floors, creating a barrier that held in
the body heat. As long as they kept switching out,
she was afforded a source that didn’t need fuel. At
each change of the guard, John tended her wound
and forced her to eat, drink, and use the bathroom.
It allowed them privacy, but also a fresh room of
air and time for blood to flow through cramped
limbs.
The couch that they had Angela on was too
narrow for three people, forcing each man to lie
stiffly on his side with an arm above his head.
Sleep during these moments came only in brief
snatches of worried exhaustion.
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All around the door to her room, the Eagles
settled down and tried to escape the silent chaos of
waiting.
“I want…need something else.”
Sequestered in the small lounge, Adrian
looked up with regretful eyes. “I’m not sure I can.”
Sensing just the opposite, Cynthia moved
slowly into the dimly lit room. “You’ll try?”
Adrian watched her sweep the corners, exits,
still surprised. The reporter was one he hadn’t
expected. “Yes.”
She smiled in a soft, understanding way he
hadn’t thought her capable of.
“Do the best you can, Marine. I know I’m
not her.”
Sure that’s exactly who she would become
for him in a few minutes, Adrian waited for her to
kneel on his bedroll before blowing out the light
and sliding into her hot arms.
On duty inside, Kyle and Neil listened to the
low noises without anger. Cynthia had ended
things publically with Jeremy right before he
started his shift outside in the truck. They also
knew their leader well enough to be sure it hadn’t
been his idea, but there wasn’t anything the blond
would deny the reporter right now…even the truth
of who he’d been if she asked for it openly.
Adrian’s bullet had killed, but without Cynthia’s
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brutal slug to the back, Cesar’s second shot would
have hit Angela in the forehead.
2
On duty after Kyle, Marc watched Cynthia
leave Adrian’s room. His eyes went over her
satisfied face, the careful steps that spoke of a
deep, close sexual experience.
She flushed under his appraisal.
“Thank you.”
Cynthia flashed a weak smile. “She would
have done it for me.”
“Yes.”
Cynthia pulled Adrian’s shirt closer around
her shoulders, flushing darker at the smells. “If I
had to, I’d do it again, only I’d be faster.”
Her voice lowered to a determined, achingly
familiar tone of determination. “Next time, I will
be faster.”
Marc snorted bitterly. “He sure found some
determined women to play these roles.”
Cynthia’s chin went up. “To fight for his
dreams!”
Not letting Brady’s churning emotions rub
off, the reporter stepped around him, moving to
where she had her bedroll wedged between two
long tables. She would be one of them now and
that was enough to ease Cynthia’s fury over the
War.
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Her need to see Adrian hung, had vanished
the instant she’d chosen to save Angela. Unlike the
muttering man now ignoring her, Cynthia already
knew they were a set. You didn’t get Angela
without Adrian, and when that bloody fighter
regained her strength, she’d make it clear.
Content for the first time in her life, Cynthia
drifted to sleep with the magical feeling of
Adrian’s touch lingering on her skin and in her
heart.
Marc moved to a different vantage point.
The reporter was an unexpected convert and her
support would mean a lot among everyone in Safe
Haven.
Troubled eyes went over the door to his
heart. It wasn’t hard to share these hours with the
men that he couldn’t help but partially blame.
Being unable to do anything was a torment they
deserved to feel, too. It was one he himself
welcomed almost any escape from.
3
Angela shivered despite the baking heat of
the two men holding her. The fever had come
shortly after she’d thrown up, and by midnight, it
had been soaring. Resisting John’s attempts to get
it under control, the sedatives he was forced to use
weren’t weak enough to keep her under as he
operated. She’d woken up to dawn’s light… and
agony.
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Angela groaned. “Sorry…” She bit down on
Kyle’s arm to hold in the scream.
Kyle barely noticed, meeting Marc’s
terrified eyes. The look said it wouldn’t be much
longer, and Brady tightened his mental grip.
“Almost there…” John grunted, flipping his
wrist against the pressure and the needle slid
through. A firm tug had the ravaged artery closed.
“Squeeze the bag!” he snapped at Neil.
John removed the packing sponges he’d
inserted while repairing a nick in the artery.
“Vitals!”
“--.”
John moved faster, taking the ready sutures
from Adrian’s hand. There was a sense that their
leader might be doing more than just lending a
hand, but the doctor wasn’t going to study it now.
“Vitals!”
“--.”
John slid the last of the gauze out and gave a
harsh grunt. “Bingo.”
“Goo...d, right?”
Billy smiled down at her. “You are 5-by.”
“Vials.”
“Um..shit! – and dropping!”
Blood sprayed the wall.
“Pack it off!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Blew a stitch, that’s all,” John soothed,
quickly replacing it. “Vitals.”
“--… and holding…”
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John added an extra layer, and while he
worked, there was silent fear under every labored
breath Angela took.
“Okay. Get ready.”
Neil grabbed another wad of gauze and
squeezed the bag faster. When it was empty, Zack,
who John had known was the same blood type,
was already hooked up to her.
“Vitals!”
“---.”
The stitch held this time, and John sprinkled
on another layer of the battlefield clotting agent
Adrian had used.
“Roll now, slowly, towards the wall… there.
Hold it.”
John nodded at Marc, who stepped closer
and delivered a shot of calmative, and a gentle
swipe of the sweat from her brow.
“Half way there…” John sliced into the
infected scabs on her back…
4
Jeremy and Cynthia had moved outside the
Country Club to help with the watch, unable to
keep listening to the sounds. That was hours ago,
and a light layer of frost had fallen since his last
words telling her where to stand and what to look
for.
The main door opening had them turning in
concern.
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The sight of the tired, relieved faces had
them both feeling better.
“Must have gone well.”
Billy‘s nod confirmed it, but the trio didn’t
stop to talk. Their clothes were blood splattered,
eyes haunted. In the wee hours, the second half of
the fight would happen. The mission team was all
set to go, just waiting for word on Angie.
“She’ll live.”
Noise filled the chilly lounge at John’s call,
pulling Angela from the light sleep the sedatives
were keeping her in. She opened her eyes to see
Marc watching over her. Few things had ever
looked so good to her. “Hi.”
Marc smiled. “They just heard the good
news.”
Angela listened to the happy sounds with a
slight smile of her own. “Shoulda asked me.”
Hard to talk to the dead. Marc swallowed
the thought. “We’ll remember that.”
Angela knew there would only be a few
minutes of alertness before the drugs yanked her
back under. “Now, for the truth…”
She touched her other hand slowly, clearly
scared of what she’d find.
Marc saw the relief fill her face as she
clasped her own hand, and realized she hadn’t
known if it was still there.
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“The infection lines were spreading… and I
couldn’t feel it.” She explained hoarsely, trying
unsuccessfully to hold back more tears. “I didn’t
know what I’d do.”
Marc dropped his forehead to hers, unable to
speak.
Angela rubbed at her cold fingers restlessly.
She didn’t even feel the pressure when she
squeezed. Hot pricks stung the back of her eyes.
Without her gun hand, she wasn’t an Eagle
anymore. Maybe that’s why Adrian hadn’t spoken
a single word to her during the surgery.
Marc made the connection at the first sense
of loss to sweep over her, but not the violent anger
that had him drawing back to look at her face.
When her chin folded into that unforgivable V, he
raised a brow. What choice had she made?
“This won’t stop me. I’ll learn to be good
with my left.”
Marc’s reluctant grin at her strength had her
allowing him a glimpse of how far ahead she had
planned out her future as an Eagle.
“I’ve done a little practice. I made level one
with the left. I might be okay.”
Marc pressed a soft kiss to her forehead,
very glad to not feel the dry heat that had gotten
John so worried. “I think so, too.”
Under the full edge of the painkillers now,
Angela carefully lifted her good hand and guided
his head down to hers.
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Ever so gently, Marc kissed her back…and
felt his rage at Adrian fade another notch. It really
was her life to give and he respected that more
now than he ever had. Her love was smothering his
resentment and he was glad.
The drugs pulled, and Angela let them carry
her away with the taste and smell of Brady to light
the way.
Marc covered her, adjusting tubes like he’d
been shown. His eyes went over her injured
arm…gun hand. He’d felt her panic, her pain, over
not being an Eagle. She hadn’t heard Adrian’s
words to the men.
Before he could change his mind, Marc
waved a man in to keep her warm. She needed to
know the truth about the future… but only some of
it.
5
The Mexicans had shown up. His bluff had
worked.
Rick waited in the shadows of the horse
farm, ignoring the huge, frost-covered skeletons
that littered the edges of the fence. Unlike normal
frost, this seemed to be a layer of frozen white
slime that stuck like ice chips.
The ten?? men came in a hostile group that
had the traitor letting out a deceptively defeated
grunt.
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“There are two things you should know.
First, we’ve decided we only want willing men for
the rush.”
Rick’s tone said he knew what they’d agreed
on. “No back shooting that way.”
Watching their faces, the traitor saw he’d
been right to handle it this way.
“The second is that if you at least cover us
from outside and pick off anyone we miss, we’ll
cut you in for part of Safe Haven’s supplies.”
There were surprised mutters at the boldness
of his plans, and quick looks around the frosty
dimness - maybe to verify this wasn’t a trap.
Rick shrugged cruelly. “We’ll only be
giving back the bodies of Adrian and his Eagles,
but the camp won’t know that til it’s too late.”
He could have given the Mexicans time to
consider it all, but Rick didn’t think Adrian would
have, and he acted accordingly. “So, fall into the
plan or get lost. You’re not really needed.”
“Maybe we will…”
“Kill me and do it yourself?” Rick sneered
“There are men all around us. You may get me, but
they’ll get all of you.”
That was something they hadn’t paid any
attention to, but now that they were, each of them
felt their respect for Rick increase.
There were shadowy forms in trees, glints
from pistols behind an overturned tractor, the edge
of a sombrero showing from next to a chicken
coop. It was very convincing.
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One of the Slavers spoke up. “A fair cut?”
Rick snorted, even as he hid the triumph.
“Not if you don’t take half the risk.” His grin
widened, cool as the wind. “I’m first man in.
Biggest share.”
Rick’s lies came easily, and let their greed
seal their fates.
“I will fight.”
“Si!”
“And I.”
Rick studied them before nodding
reluctantly. “A provision. If I die during the run,
you get nothing. If I’m still alive, you can split my
share.”
They all scowled at the unexpected
generosity.
“Why would you do that?”
Rick allowed small amounts of the truth to
slip out, and added an impossible to resist lure.
Because I want them dead, and because
Cesar gave me a new life, but mostly... I still want
the woman. No one touches her. Ever.”
There were evil leers amid the plans now
being discussed, and Rick was aware that they
thought he meant Angela. They didn’t know it was
Samantha… always Samantha’s cornflower blue
eyes that haunted him.
6
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“She’s wondering why you haven’t taken a
shift. Worrying over it.”
Adrian didn’t turn from his post in the
darkness.
Marc moved to the leader’s right, the place
he was more worthy of then Kenn, but didn’t want.
“She thinks it’s because she can’t be an Eagle for a
while.”
“She’s always an Eagle.”
“Yes.”
Marc waited, needing to be sure he was
okay with what he was about to do. He wouldn’t
go against himself again, but this was one need he
could give her. “I know why. I always have.”
Silence…
Marc lit a smoke, heart grateful she hadn’t
been taken - so much that the jealousy wasn’t
there. “What matters, is does Angie know?”
“No. That was never my reason.”
Marc blew out a stream of smoke, no longer
surprised to be giving Adrian his trust after all this
time. The blond leader would try harder to keep
her alive. “You should go take a shift.”
Only waiting for permission, Adrian left
Marc to take his post. Without being spoken, both
men understood the battle line. As long as she was
happy, Adrian would stay back. If she called for
him, all hell would break loose again.
It was a feeling Marc understood all too
well. Hadn’t he said something similar to Neil
when they’d first joined Safe Haven? Knowing the
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depth of their love let Marc give this without
bitterness.
“And later?” Marc pushed the thought away
with a grunt. It was her choice in the end anyway.
For this moment, she wanted him and no one else,
and that was enough.
Adrian had it all sealed up behind his usual
walls before he got to the door. He swept her
current heater and then the fresh bandage. Good.
John had been in recently. She wasn’t in pain.
“Thank you.”
Billy didn’t censor his answer. “I enjoyed it.
Even covered in blood, you still smell like
vanilla.”
Her careful chuckle was a wonderful sound,
and the Eagle slowly untangled himself. He waved
a hand. “She’s all yours boss.”
Adrian’s words to Marc flashed and he
slammed down on the memory as her eyes flew to
his face. Before either of them could break the
moment, Billy‘s words drove it in.
“Until she calls out for Brady in her sleep
anyway.”
Angela dropped her eyes. “It’ll always be
that way.”
Adrian moved to fill Billy‘s place. “He’s a
lucky man.”
Like the others, it was heaven and hell to
perform this duty for her, and Adrian did it the
same as the others. He reminded himself
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repeatedly that she was an Eagle, not the woman of
his dreams.
Billy stopped on his way out, the sight of
them together striking. One vivid blond, the other
deep ebony, their heads were resting close, lips
almost smiling.
Like lovers who’ve been kept apart for a
tormenting amount of time, Billy thought, closing
the door. What a pair they would have made.
7?
It was a dream.
They knew it when the bomb exploded and
neither of them flinched from their cliff-side view.
The shockwaves pushed against them violently.
Safe Haven appeared in the aftermath, a
burning light of hope in the darkness. Except
something was wrong… missing.
“Unprotected.” The Witch warned.
Angela snapped awake, grunting in pain.
Full of joy at hearing the Witch through her
thoughts, Adrian let himself offer comfort before
the next blow came. “We’ll be back together in
another day.”
Angela relaxed against him, grateful the
painkillers were keeping the agony back. “They’re
calling for you.”
“Yes.”
“Go now. Please.”
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“Can’t. The fog moved in…”
Despite the haze of drugs, Angela picked up
on his tension. “Something’s happening.”
“Yes.”
“In camp?” she panicked, trying to sit up.
“No.” Adrian placed a hand on her wrist,
and a bolt of vivid gold energy sank into her skin.
It merged with her panic…calmed it.
“That wasn’t necessary!”
Adrian’s voice was even. “I’m not done.”
Angela tensed for it, but didn’t protest.
Adrian tightened his grip. His own gifts
were much like hers, but he couldn’t heal. He
could share his strength, though, and he did, still
longing to hear conformation from the Witch.
Angela tried to keep her walls in place, but
the feel of that golden light sank into her like it
belonged there. It rattled doors to every place in
her heart, including those already marked with
Brady’s name. She didn’t open any of them.
Adrian concentrated only on the energy,
refusing to feel the pain of her choice. He’d known
it would eventually be this way from the minute
he’d realized he couldn’t have her.
After a minute, Angela realized she
recognized the tension in the air. It was just like
when the Slaver’s headlights flashed over the rest
stop…
“No.” She shook her head. “We’re done…”
Adrian pushed another blast of golden calm
and Angela stiffened.
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“Stop that!” She hissed angrily, fighting the
energy.
“I can call Brady in…”
Angela’s eyes narrowed. “When I
recover…”
Adrian grinned, body tensing, getting set.
“I’ll keep an eye out for it.”
Angela locked eyes with him, meaning to
ask the plan…
“Danger!”
Her body went rigid. “My gun!”
Adrian nudged her hand, saw her fingers
curl awkwardly around the butt. He drew his own,
sitting up.” “Front or back?”
“Everywhere.”
The door slammed open, and Brady flew
into take up a set position in front of them. Adrian
stayed where he was.
Bang! Bang!
“Gunfire in the perimeter! Shots fired!”
“Shit!”
“Look out!”
Bam!
“Fall back!”
“Get her outta there!”
Crash…
“Fire!”
Angela grunted as Adrian swung her up into
his arms. She painfully molded herself into his
grip.
“Rollin’ boss.” Their radios crackled.
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Marc shoved a vest over her head as Adrian
headed for the window. He flipped the mattresses
out of the way and they waited restlessly for their
rescue, listening to the gunfire…
“Here, Boss!”
Angela tried to help as she was lowered out
the window between vested Eagles. Her single
shot, aimed at a Mexican head, went wild and
plunged into side of the vehicle that had pulled up.
She was shoved inside the truck that the
Eagles had surrounded. When the door slammed,
but her driver didn’t move, Angela realized Adrian
was making a stand… with her in the center.
Adrian’s words were cold. “Open fire!”
A large volley of gunfire lit up the night,
sharp and loud. Men screamed and shadow flew
through the darkness to force their attackers into
the light of the burning Country Club.
Behind Angela’s transportation, another rig
pulled up and a group of people ducked inside the
open back door and out of the line of fire as their
attackers rushed them.
“Kill them all!”
Adrian felt time slip for an awful instant as
he recognized the voice. Then he was emptying his
clip toward where Rick’s order had come from.
Marc also knew who her latest would-be
assassin was and spun into the shadows. His fury
was a hot laser, picking out Slaver footsteps.
Two on his right. Marc went left.
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Three more there… and one up high. The
rustle of branches told Marc someone was about to
die. Knowing it wasn’t Angela that the sniper was
now aiming at, allowed Marc to wait until the
bushes stilled, showing just enough to aim by…
“Move in Eagles!”
Adrian’s roar had the outer guards freeing
their trigger fingers. More gunfire filled the night.
Marc felt the training mode settle over his
mind. Inhale… Exhale and hold… let go.
Marc pulled the trigger.
Rick jerked at the impact, breath suddenly
gone in a powerful blast of pain. He slid from his
hiding place in dazed shock.
Marc watched the body hit the ground with a
heavy thump and lowered the smoking rifle.
Following his instinct, the sniper moved closer.
Now, one to the head, just to be sure…
Around him, the Eagles were taking care of
the few shadows trying to flee. Again, Adrian’s
men had been more than a match, and Marc was
sure the remaining men would be about the same.
He had thought to help Kyle go over the plan
before they left but really, there was no need.
His radio crackled.
“Headin’ out, Boss.”
“No mercy.”
Kyle’s tone was just as set. “You know it.”
Marc stayed in the shadows, moving closer to
Rick’s body. He saw the blood, the open, glazing
eyes…
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“Brady!”
Instantly distracted, Marc keyed the mic
before she could become more upset. “5-by and
close.”
“Now, Marc.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
He glanced back at his kill, satisfied with
what he saw. The cicadas were already swarming
down…
A minute later, Marc joined Angela inside
the cool vehicle, seeing how her face instantly
softened, warmed, when he took her hand. They
would be close. He would see to that.
Marc lowered his eyes, not wanting her to
read his determination. He remembered so many of
the things she needed, wanted, and he had every
intentions of using them. Angie would want to be
with him as much as she wanted to be an Eagle. He
wouldn’t give up until that was so.
8
Rick waited until there was only the sound of
the fire before moving. He’d known there would
be a gunfight with the sharp-shooting Eagles, but
he’d thought the vest would protect him.
“Fuck!”
Rick clutched at the neck wound, grateful of
the last second flinch that had allowed him to
avoid the intended kill shot.
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Rage swelled to its limits as he limped toward
his hidden truck, groaning as he tightened his
bandana over the wound. Blood ran down his arm,
making his clothes sticky.
Rick pulled himself up behind the wheel with
a growl of insane fury. This wasn’t over!
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Hello, LAW reader!
Hope you enjoyed this. As I was reading
over it, I had a case of the Shakes, but I assured
myself that the fans of the LAW series know
there’s more to the story than just what is here. All
those other people (Kendle, Sam, Doug, Kenn,
Luke) you’re looking for, are in this book, along
with more action, apocalypse challenges to
overcome, and survival scenes. We’re also getting
new characters! Some of them you’ll like, a couple
you may adore, and at least one, you’ll loathe - I
promise. The Major is from Adrian’s past, and he’s
no push-over.
Please keep in mind that every word of these
Beta chapters is subject to change. Unlikely,
though. It has a good flow for only being a draft
copy. I can’t wait to tighten it up. Feel free to use
the comment section to let me know what you
think! I love hearing from the readers.
Yes, I know there were all sorts of editing
issues. It has not seen the hands of my wonderful
ladies yet. Rest assured, it will.
So, when will From The Ashes be released,
right?
2/1/2013. It can be preordered now on my
website, in PDF and EPUB formats.
In the meantime...
Have you read my Alexa’s Travels series? It
connects to LAW in a number of ways. I also have
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an apocalypse adventure romance out, called the
Bachelor Battles.
(Both series have free 100 page previews, so
you can see if you like it, before you buy.)
Waving at you as I head back to the files,
Angela White