From The Ashes (Life After War) (10 page)

Neil couldn't argue. It wasn't the first time they'd done this, anyway, though both of those trips had seen deliveries with dead mothers and infants that Adrian hadn't been informed of. “At least pick a couple men to stay with you.”

Kyle shook his head. “They've been on this run from hell for four days. Get them–and yourself–home.”

Neil didn't pull rank. Safe Haven was exactly where he wanted to be. “All right.”

As Neil slid back into the driver's seat, Lilly delivered another warning. “It's a bad idea to leave him alone with her. You might not see him again.”

Neil shifted and hit the gas. “This witch story looks like jealousy on your part, ladies, and my boss won't like it,” Neil warned. “He might not let you in. We don't admit bad people.”

Lilly snorted from the passenger seat. “Then be ready to deny Jenny out. She's as bad as women come.”

Neil didn't answer. That was an awfully heavy reputation for one pregnant teenager to be carrying. Surely after spending time around Angela, Kyle would be able to handle her?

He keyed the truck mic. “Base, mission team is headed in. ETA after dawn. One man down, 29 survivors.”

“
Copy. Boss says to hurry home.”

Neil started to give the usual response–and listened to his instinct instead. “It feels like there might be a cat in my barn. Blonde and blue, with hunting claws.”

Neil used the codes with a tremor in his voice, and the former slave in the seat next to him tensed as she picked up on it.

Mitch's voice was worried. “Yeah, I'm afraid there is, but the Boss says enough dogs are chasing it.”

Neil didn't bother to answer the subtle order to stay focused on his mission. He only took the truck up a bit faster and started preparing himself the way he'd assumed Brady had while flying to the rest stop. That meant running through anything that could be wrong enough for Adrian to have given that prepared message to their radio man. Their leader had suspected he might figure something out, so there had to be an answer waiting.

Rick had beaten them back to Safe Haven. Had he hurt Samantha? Killed her? The trooper’s mind went through the very worst possibilities first, no longer worried over the slaves’ words or Kyle's actions. Sam was in trouble, and he couldn't help her. It was so close a mirror of Brady's pain that acid churned in Neil's gut. Marc had been allowed to keep his world–Angie would live. What about Sam?

Behind Neil's truck, Jeremy was busy singing songs and trying to distract the full load of kids from missing the girl with Kyle. They'd been crying for her, and he'd switched off the truck's radio in favor of the sound of his soothing voice. Billy was keeping up with the team vehicle ahead of them as he grinned and played along. Their ride, though a bit stressful at this level of exhaustion, wasn't nearly as long as Neil's.

Kyle was silent as the team left, giving Neil a comforting nod as he rolled by. But inside...

Kyle looked down at the crying girl, so torn. He wanted her–and he didn't. She would be his downfall, maybe, or his salvation. The choice would be up to her.

Jennifer began her count, using the only defense she had against the fear. Numbers began flying across a mental chalkboard. In them, were unknown formulas and unthought-of equations. Chemistry, Biology, Physics, all of them and yet none, this was a complex web of connections and explanations to some of the puzzles and mysteries that mankind would have given anything for only six months before. Now, it was locked inside this teenager’s brain, a constantly repeating pattern she used to keep herself from crying or begging, two things Cesar had never tolerated.

Jennifer still felt the weight of his stare. “I won't fight you. Please don't hurt me.”

Kyle growled in denial and spun away from the door. He was an Eagle–he didn't take by force.

“
Then make her willing,”
his man's heart whispered ruthlessly.
“Willing is better.”

Yes. Kyle slowly moved for the driver's door, picking out a small farmhouse nearby. To have her wrap her arms around him, to pull
him
closer...

The mobster grunted in longing. That would be worth his place–maybe even his life.

7

Samantha yanked harder, hurting her arm, but still not budging the ropes around her wrists or the cuffs securing her to the steering wheel. Rick had made sure she wasn't going anywhere. What she wouldn’t give for a single syringe of morphine right now.

She'd come to as he pulled them inside this garage and took something from the back of the truck. She'd started trying to get free as soon as she heard his heavy steps in the house above her.

Sam strained to see around the truck, hoping for the knife he'd taken from her belt–along with the taser–but found only trash.

Her eyes went to the horn, but she hesitated. If he heard her, he'd come back and he would be angry. She would be hurt.

“
Nooooo!”

The scream echoed through the darkness, full of fear and pain, and Sam's head snapped upward.
Becky?

“
Please, no! Stop!”

Rick had Becky up there.

Sam twisted again, this time using her palm to lean on the horn.

Honk! Honk! Honk!

In the house above her, Rick didn't react to the new noise. Sporadic gunfire was still echoing from the Slaver camp, Sam wasn't going anywhere as long as the cuffs held, and the Eagles were gone. He could spare an hour to enjoy what Becky had been teasing him with for the last months. Her battered body would torture Neil and Adrian–if it was ever found.

Rick thrust again, fingers squeezing, scratching, pinching.

Becky only whimpered, and he began slapping her between strokes.

Rick shuddered in ecstasy when she shrieked, leaning down to taste her tears.

Outside, the horn continued to blare those three distinctive blasts.

Honk! Honk! Honk!

Seth headed for the faint sound eagerly, hoping it didn't tip-off Rick. The emergency code sounded like yet another alarm set off on an abandoned car.

The flashlight was a thin beam in the darkness that Seth knew he would have missed if not for the horn leading him to the right house in the small row. Above the garage, shadows struggled and Seth headed that way. He noted vaguely that the horn had stopped, but now that he thought he knew where Rick was, it didn't matter.

Determined to help Samantha, Seth let himself in through an already broken window and quietly found the stairs. He didn't stop to consider who might be in the garage hitting that piercing horn.

Kevin cut the gag from Samantha's mouth as they headed inside the house. He did her hands next, following her lead. She'd jumped from the truck the instant the cuffs were off, motioning him to be quiet. He didn't understand what she was doing, but he didn't argue.

“
That’s perfect!”

Kevin heard the familiar, hated voice, and the awful sounds under it as they found the stairs and took the lead.

“
You feel good, Becky baby, real good!” Rick groaned. Bedsprings creaked rhythmically as he wallowed between her bloody legs.

Slap!

“
Uggg!” Becky cringed, turning her head to avoid the next blow and saw someone in black coming up behind Rick.

Creak...

Becky grabbed Rick's hair before he could look, and pulled his slimy mouth down to hers–then she bit into his lip. Blood flew into her mouth, gagging her.

“
You bitch!” Rick drew back to punch and saw a cold eagerness in her eyes that screamed
duck!

Rick did, but it was too late.

“
Uh-uh!” Seth knocked Rick off of Sam with a nasty temple blow–and saw a different naked body curled into a ball.
It's not Samantha.

“
Becky?”

Coming out of the daze of lust and pain, Rick scrambled backward for his gun and fell off the bed.

Realizing what had happened, Seth instantly guessed that Becky wasn't supposed to come out of here alive.

He turned to pierce Rick with a harsh smile. “Where ya goin? This party's just started!”

Rick gained his feet and darted for the stairs.

Kevin appeared in the doorway, blocking the exit. The Eagle shook his head in angry satisfaction. “He ain't done yet. Get back in there and take it like you were giving it!”

Samantha appeared behind Kevin, sneering. “Miss me?”

Rick lunged forward. “That's mine!”

“
No!” Kevin punched him hard enough to send the traitor reeling back into Seth's reach. “She's Adrian's!”

Rick spun for the other door in the room and Seth kicked out, bringing the evil man back to the floor by his knees.

“
Ahhh!”

Seth kicked again, aiming for ribs this time, and was rewarded with a harsh snap and another loud shout.

“
Again!”

Becky screamed, now standing shakily by the bed. Her face was awful to look at.

“
Do it again!”

Seth was caught off guard by her hatred, pausing in surprise. That wasn't the Becky they all knew.

Rick took advantage, slamming his fist into Seth's ankle. It brought the cop down, and they struggled for the gun, grunting and cursing each other.

Becky limped to the table, the one Rick had tossed his things onto after shoving her down on the bed. What she needed was there.

Seth elbowed Rick in the ribs and lunged backward in a vicious head-butt. He spun in the suddenly limp hold and swung. Quicker than Rick could defend, blood splattered at the blow.

Seth repeated the motion, using more force.
He'd taken them both! He’d raped Becky!

Seth swung again.

Rick's head smacked into the wall and he slumped there, barely conscious.

“
You are under arrest for... a lot of shit!” Seth gasped out, slinging blood from his hands so that he could grasp the cuffs on his belt. “You'll stand trial... and hang!–in the camp you've tried so hard to destroy!”

“
No.” Becky's voice was regretful. “I won't allow that.”

“
Don't!” Rick cried. Faced with good, evil was filled with fear.

Becky stepped around Seth and fired.

Hands up in defense, the bullet plunged through Rick's wrist and then his throat. Blood immediately gushed from the holes.

That is a shot any Eagle would be proud of,
Seth thought absently, turning to stare at Becky in horror. “What have you done?”

“
She gave us justice,” Samantha stated harshly. Her face was also a swelled mass of bruises.

In front of Sam, Kevin was gaping in shock.

Seth looked at the beautiful kill-shot pouring blood, the dead man slowly slumping to the floor. It's what Adrian would have had Kyle do after the trial.

“
Okay. Sam, get her to the truck. Kevin and I will provide an escort straight to John.”

“
No!”

Becky's voice was panicked. She was naked, bloody and bruised, with Rick's gun in her hand. “I want to see him burn.”

They'd heard the story of Angela killing the man in Versailles, but did Little Becky realize that burning was a curse to keep the man from gaining any peace in the afterlife? Did it matter?

Sam shrugged at Seth's questioning look. “I have no problem with it.”

She stepped toward Becky, meaning to cover the girl up.

Becky recoiled violently, almost tripping over the corner of the soiled bed. “Don't touch me!”

Sam backed up, throwing Seth a worried glance. “Okay.”

Becky slowly lowered her head and the gun, standing there with no idea what came next. Maybe...
Maybe there was no next?

Picking up on the vibe, Seth held his hand out for the weapon.

Becky flinched again, but Seth didn't relent. “You don't need it. I've got your six.”

Becky stared back, mind scattered. “Yeah, like before?”

No one moved for a minute at the accusation, and Becky let the gun fall to the carpet. “Stay away. You've all done enough.”

The girl slowly turned toward Rick's body, furious and empty at the same time. “He meant to leave my body here to destroy Safe Haven.”

Becky spat at the evil man, suddenly sure she'd never be free of him.

Leaving Seth to deal with it, Kevin gently steered Samantha out of the room, not liking the way she was now staring at Rick's body. “Come on.”

Seth heard them leave, but didn't take his attention away from Becky. She had that 'on-the-edge' look that wild animals sometimes got when they were cornered. That was the time they were the most likely to bite, and Seth didn't fancy any more wounds over Rick. The traitor wasn't worth it.

Becky was only vaguely aware of the warm fluids running down her legs, her face, her neck. What she was feeling most clearly, was lost. She wasn't happy Little Becky anymore, and that injury was terrifying. Now, she would only be the girl who got herself raped by the traitor. “They'll say I deserved it.”