Dark New World (Book 2): EMP Exodus (11 page)

Peter became drowsy as he thought about the perks he’d enjoy once he took over leadership of his people. Maybe he’d spare Hotlips when they killed the spy and her group because
damn
she had a nice ass and a great rack. Hell, the slut would probably
love
to be under the wing of Peter the Great… Bitches were all the same that way, as far as he was concerned. But if he spared her, she was sure as shit gonna
earn
his mercy.

Peter smiled at the thought and then drifted into sleep. His dreams that night were both naughty and nice.

- 13 -

0800 HOURS - ZERO DAY +8

CASSY FOUND IT easier to keep up with the group today than she had yesterday. Her shoulder just didn’t hurt like hell anymore, though she still couldn’t really use her right arm. Given that the clan seemed split down the middle about the issue with Amber and Ethan, Jed’s group might not have waited for Ethan’s group to keep up during the day’s travels, which would have been dangerous, but Mary was still limping from the snake bite. To Cassy’s relief, that meant the clan traveled more or less together. Safer that way, and more chances to heal the rift. At least, she hoped they could heal it.

Mandy hovered nearby as they traveled, always keeping an eye on her daughter. Cassy found it both annoying and comforting. “So, about this Jed thing,” Mandy said, “why do you think he’s so upset? Everyone in the clan has seen the googly eyes he makes at Jasmine.”

Cassy shrugged, then regretted it as the ache in her shoulder briefly flared up. “I don’t know, Mom. It boils down to pride, I imagine.”

“One of the seven deadly sins, Pride is. And maybe it means Jed won’t feel better until his pride is healed.”

Cassy thought about that for a minute as they walked. “What will it take to fix the problem, do you think? Something other than giving it up to Jesus in prayer, please.”

Mandy frowned. “Don’t dismiss the power of prayer. I’ve heard you pray when things get really bad, and it tends to work out for you.”

“Maybe. But Mom, what we need right now is something we can do to help. ‘God helps those who help themselves,’ right?”

“Yes, of course. We can’t just sit around and wait for God to fix our problems, but that doesn’t mean we can’t lean on His blessings when we need them.” Mandy paused and shook her head as if clearing out what she thought of as her “preacher mode,” since Cassy sometimes had trouble hearing past it. “Anyway, this is an old argument. For the Jed Problem, I think Amber needs to stay away from Ethan until Jed decides what he wants to do about Jasmine. He’ll have to be the one to make the first real move, or he’ll never forgive either Amber or Ethan. Or maybe they should recommit themselves to their own darn spouses.”

Cassy ran that around in her mind for a while as they walked. It would definitely be easier if Jed and Amber just fixed things up, but those two had problems even before the lights went out. It just didn’t seem very likely both of them would decide to patch things up. That meant someone was likely to “cheat” on the other. And it seemed obvious to Cassy that it mattered a great deal who made the first move.

“Ethan,” she said as she sidled up to him. “So, I need to talk to you. Got a minute?”

Ethan smiled at her. “Sure thing, I can push back my lunch meeting with Accounting. What’s up?”

“I know Amber means a lot to you. Or she seems to. Am I right? Do you really care for her?”

“Damn, Cassy. I only just met her. But I guess if I’m honest, I’d say that she’s pretty damn amazing. I have no idea why she’s with Jed because she’s far smarter, but then again intelligence isn’t the only thing that draws people together. They must have had something in common at one point.”

Cassy said, “From what I’ve seen, everyone here is Good People—Jed included. He’s not the most educated guy, but he’s smart. He knows a lot about farming, and from what I’ve heard he can fix almost any machine—I can’t do that despite my fancy degree.”

Ethan let out a deep breath, and his shoulders seemed to sag like a tension had left him. “Yeah… I can’t do that either. I can change my car’s oil, that sort of thing. But what’s your point, Cassy?”

“Just this. If he’s a good man, and if he’s got skills the clan will definitely need to survive, then I need—no, we all need—for you two to get along. We need you both, desperately. It’s the whole reason I signed up for this ‘clan’ thing. No one of us has all the skills we’ll need to survive the winter, much less the year after. So, I need to ask you a favor, Ethan.”

Ethan walked in silence for a couple of minutes, and Cassy let him stew in his own thoughts for a while. She knew he was a good man too, and smart, but damn if she would get what she wanted by pushing or bullying him…

Finally, Ethan said, “So, what do you need from me? What does the clan need?”

Cassy smiled and put her good hand on his arm, reassuringly. Then she said, “From what I’ve seen, Amber is pretty into you.” She paused as a smile washed over Ethan’s face, but it was quickly suppressed. “You two may be a great fit in this dark new world, but for that to happen in a way that’s good for everyone, it has to happen on Jed’s timeline. That’s his wife, and he has his stubborn Dude Pride, just like you do. All I’m asking is that you put the brakes on things until Jed sorts out what he wants and tells Amber himself. Just let him set the pace. Be the better man. Can I count on you?”

Ethan nodded, the movement barely visible, but at least it was a damn agreement. Cassy could only hope he’d follow through. If they were to have the best chance to survive this, the whole clan needed Ethan to go along and get along, at least for now.

“Fine, Cassy. It isn’t right, but I see your point. Maybe the best chance for all of us to find our happy in this bullshit world we’re in is for us to do this your way.”

Cassy saw him force a smile, and she smiled back. Over his shoulder, she saw Mandy nodding in approval. Thank God, because she needed her mom’s help to manage the homestead, when they got there. No one could organize a household and manage children like Mandy. Plus, her mom could make her life miserable if she thought Cassy was pushing for a bad solution. Jesus, managing all these people was exhausting.

* * *

Two hours later, Jaz somehow found herself walking near Jed. Yeah, right… So like, okay, she wanted to talk to him. Whatever. She lost her train of thought as she watched Jed, the muscles rippling under his jeans and his shirt as they walked over the uneven ground. The dude was not just hot. He also had a good head on his shoulders, and a good heart. Someone who could take care of her, yeah, but also a guy who could help her get her shit together.

Jed glanced at her and saw her staring at him, and a wide grin flashed across his face. “Well hello there, girl. I thought you weren’t talkin’ to me anymore, on account of the thing with Ethan.”

“I always have time to talk to you,” she said with a smile as bright as sunshine. “I just got other ideas about it, that’s all.”

“Well, as I see it, he’s a guy who’s all too interested in a married woman. Can’t trust a guy like that.”

Jaz shrugged. “I have too much interest in a married man, I s’pose.” She kept her face carefully cheerful. The last thing she wanted was to piss off Jed. She had better things in mind, with him.

“It’s different, Jaz. Amber’s a woman, and I’m a man. That’s just how things are in this ol’ world.”

Jaz watched his face carefully as he spoke, but he seemed calm. So far, so good. “Yeah, I get that. But you know, it seems like that world’s dying off, you know? In the old world, you were like, married with kids. But in this new one, we’re totally winging it. We’re a clan, right? Because we’re all stronger together than apart.”

She paused a moment, then continued, “So, I’m just thinking out loud here, but aren’t you tired of being with Amber? You two never were real good together. You told me. It must be totally exhausting arguing all the time. But me and you don’t argue, right? In the old world, me and you would never be a match, but here and now I think we’re pretty damn good for each other.”

Jed smirked, and winked at her. “I reckon we are. I surely have thought about ways we could be even
more
good together. I just don’t even think of Amber like that anymore. Too much dirty water under that rickety old bridge. But,” he said, and paused. “But, that don’t make it right for her to be buzzin’ around Ethan all day like a bee to a flower.”

Jaz nodded once, a sharp move of her head and nothing more. “For sure, Jed, but I can’t help feeling like you deserve more than a bad marriage. You really do deserve to be happy too. And so do I. And Jed? I think about how we could be
more good
together, too. I feel like we didn’t cross paths on accident. Maybe Ethan didn’t cross Amber’s path on accident, either. Just think about if maybe us being a whole clan and stuff is a way out for you, but you still get to keep your daughter. Kaitlyn won’t have to miss you, ‘cause she’s still got you even if you got someone besides their ol’ lady to stand by your side.”

Jaz practically beamed with joy when Jed smiled at her. He liked the idea! Now if she could just get him to let go of his stupid ego… Jaz thought Amber was pretty cool, and anyway, she probably wouldn’t mind being at someone else’s side. But, she decided not to press the issue right now. Dudes liked to think some ideas were their own, and Jaz had become pretty damn good at that game growing up. Like, she had to just survive. But now, for the first time in a long time, Jaz thought that there might be more to her life than just surviving.

“I sure do feel safe with you, Jed. You mind if I just walk with you for a while? We don’t have to talk about this stuff. I just want to feel safe for a while.”

Jed accidentally-on-purpose bumped into her as they walked, nearly knocking her over, and she stifled a laugh. They walked on in silence, and Jaz was sure he was thinking over the stuff she said. Yeah, it might be turning into a super good day.

* * *

Frank sat down with a groan, legs and back aching. He’d spent the morning’s travels watching Cassy buzz around like a bee, talking to one person after another, and whatever she said to them seemed to have worked. Tensions among the group were still high, but noticeably less than they had been. That Cassy, she was a damn good woman. A good leader too, Frank thought, and soon enough she’d be taking over the lion’s share of leading the whole clan after they got to her homestead. The thought made him smile. He had no taste for being in charge, but he’d been the only real choice. Thank God that would change soon.

He looked around as the others got settled in for lunch, except for Michael, who insisted on climbing a tree and standing guard while the others ate; he’d eat while they traveled, after lunch. A good man, that Michael.

Jed sat down next to him with an “oomph” and turned to look at him. “Howdy, Frank. I got the eggs ’n ham MRE, care to trade?”

“You don’t even know what I have, Jed,” replied Frank with a smile.

“Doesn’t much matter. Anything beats green eggs and what they call ham.”

Frank exchanged MRE packets with Jed and opened his. “You owe me one,” he smirked. Jed only nodded.

“So what did you and Cassy talk about,” Frank said, trying to sound nonchalant. “You were chatting for a good while.”

“Same ol’ thing Jaz talked to me about. And Grandma Mandy, after her. This thing with Amber and Ethan.”

Frank noticed Jed’s jaw clenching when he mentioned Ethan, but at least he wasn’t flexing his fists unconsciously anymore. A good sign. “Well, you know I’m behind you, however it ends up going. You know that, right? But, I gotta say, Cassy makes a lot of sense. She’s a good-hearted woman and has a good head on her shoulders. We lucked out clanning up with her, I think. That homestead will be the difference between living and starving, come winter.”

Jed looked at his MRE, working through some thought or another. Frank decided that was good and held to a friendly silence, to give Jed room. His reminder about the bigger picture was something Jed already knew, of course, but the stubborn semi-country boy sometimes needed a reminder. Jed had always been hot-tempered, but also a damn good friend.

Finally, Jed replied, “Well, I see that Amber and Ethan aren’t glued at the hip today. Feeling better about that. It’s a respect thing, I think. I haven’t been in love with her in years, but dammit, there’s a way to do things and a way not to do ‘em.”

Frank nodded. “Yeah, that’s so. But what are you going to do about Amber and Jaz, now that you’re calm? It’s a big choice. And I think Cassy’s right about your kid being okay as part of a bigger family. I don’t think we can afford to build fences between families when it comes to the kids at least. We’re all in it together, and as far as I’m concerned, your kid’s just part of my family, same as Michael’s kids.”

Jed frowned but nodded. “Self-reliance was how I was raised, but I’m starting to think that maybe ‘group reliance’ is more important, now—the whole clan for all, and all for the clan. Not sure where I heard that before, but it rings true.”

Frank chuckled. “It was a line from a movie, Three Musketeers. All for one and one for—”

Frank stopped abruptly, and then realized he was hearing a faint roar, growing in volume. “Fuck, planes. Everyone, take cover. To the trees!”

He leapt to his feet and bolted toward a large tree, grabbing his son, Hunter, with one arm as he sped by the sitting child. One glance over his shoulder told him the others were doing the same, everyone scrambling for kids and for trees. Thank God he hadn’t built a fire for lunch… And then he was under the canopy of the tree. Crouching down low, he peered around for the source of the engine noise, but even as the roar grew louder, he couldn’t yet tell where it was coming from. The noise was bouncing around the woods and rocks too much to tell, yet.