From The Ashes (Life After War) (27 page)

1

“
How long have those been in the ground?”

“
Since the week after Angie and I came.” Marc answered, writing down the last of Adrian’s instructions. They’d been on rounds for hours and for once, Marc was glad that their leader always set up camp out of sight of the horrors. Thanks to it, his feet were on rollers instead of concrete. The mellow hills with casual ups and downs were a nice change, even if nothing wanted to sit exactly level.

“
Is that a pumpkin plant?”

After starting the garden, Adrian had moved on to the hundred other important projects on his list. He’d known the garden was finished, and that Samantha and others were caring for it, but the vine coming from the door of the truck had caught his attention as they walked by.

“
I’m not sure,” Marc answered distractedly. He was ready to check on Angie and then have a cold beer while the camp settled in for the night.

Samantha climbed out of the first garden semi. “Yes. That's corn on the other side.”

She unlocked the door to the second sheared-off semi and hauled herself up into the small, cool jungle. A narrow space of floor had been left in the middle, and Samantha carefully used it to get to the rear of her flourishing garden.

“
Add canning and dehydrating equipment to the supply lists,” Adrian stated, following her.

Marc stayed in the doorway, taking notes and guarding. Adrian had begun to use him openly. Before it had been FND work. Now he was front-and-center, and the camp liked it. Kenn was still Safe Haven's XO, but the change in status was clear. He was being punished.

Adrian was amazed by the growth in the semi. Healthy green plants bushed out everywhere, a little crowded as they twined around each other, but clearly not suffering for it. They appeared to have been thinned and evenly spaced for maximum growth. Tomato plants with small green balls covered the first patch on the right, their weak stems tied to stakes with red yarn. Wide cabbage leaves occupied the five feet on the left, roped off with stakes and blue yarn. Corn came behind both of those, the pointed stalks almost up to Samantha’s shoulders.

There were more plants that Adrian couldn’t identify from where he was, and laminated drawings were stapled to the wall, detailing the entire semi and its contents. The planting dates and watering schedule for each one was also listed. Neil’s tiny scrawl at the bottom confirmed who’d taken the time to please Samantha.

Adrian joined the woman who was kneeling, pulling the occasional weed and taking large, oval rocks from beneath the soil. The bean plants were two feet tall, with small sprouts. In a week or so, those would be ready.

Adrian saw the base of the pumpkin plant that had caught his eye. The vines reached the top of the truck’s shorn sides and circled around the staked rails that were currently covered by a thick, weather-proof green tarp. A small number of insects were flying around the truck, one of them a bee. It landed in a yellow flower on the pumpkin plant.

Adrian pointed. “That is a very good sign.”

“
Yeah. No bees, no crops.” Sam stood up, wiping her dusty hand on her hips. “We weren't sure the insects would come in, but we hoped maybe the pumpkin plant had already been pollinated. It was one of the first things we put in. Found it in a greenhouse, just starting to flower. Thought for sure the shock of digging it up would kill it.”

Adrian smiled. “You've done well, Samantha.”

Sam's face glowed. What an incredible feeling that was.

“
I’d like to return something.” She held out a familiar object. “And I’d like to make a donation.”

Letting go of the past was hard for Sam, but she was making progress. She hardly ever dreamed of Melvin and Henry anymore. The man she’d killed in NORAD, however, still visited her often. “Give these to the next woman who needs them. I don't anymore.”

Adrian took his gun, her taser, and the cartridges, and stowed them away with a small amount of pride. He'd helped another battered woman–a payment made on an insurmountable debt.

Samantha treaded lightly into the dirt to retrieve the end of the vine that was out of the truck. Bright green, with thick leaves, the stem was the size of a man’s thumb. She carefully fed the vine over a wooden rail on the wall where thick circles of it were already coiled. She leaned the flowered tip into the corner where it would immediately start trying to regain the sunlight come dawn.

“
Have you checked the carrots or potatoes yet?”

“
No. Afraid to disturb them.”

“
You use chemicals to keep the bugs away?”

“
Not directly on the plants,” she explained, digging into the soil. “Miracle Grow pellets were mixed into the soil, and we use Seven Dust on top of the trucks and around them to keep the bugs out while we’re camped.”

Adrian was more than pleased-he was relieved. The food that would come from this garden could be canned, dehydrated, and frozen, and they would have fresh vegetables and fruit this fall.

“
What do you need to keep this going?”

Sam peered up with a nervous flutter in her stomach. “If I had more water, I could have three times as much growing.”

Adrian's mind groaned. Water was something they couldn't spare, but they had to have the food.

Samantha stood, eager to score points toward her goal of being chosen as Angela’s XO. “I know where we can get clean water, but it'll be dangerous.”

“
Do you still need me?” Marc asked from the door, still thinking about Angie and a beer. Let Neil and Jeremy worry over this one.

“
No. Sitrep at morning Mess.”

“
You got it.”

Marc left them alone, and Adrian settled against the only clear wall of the truck. “Okay. Where's the water, and why should I let you go along to collect it?”

2

Moving through the camp members, Marc couldn’t stop the grin that drew the attention of every woman in sight. He’d played in Angela's thick tresses for long, erotic moments last night while tasting her, keeping them right there, doing only that, for almost an hour. He’d left her with swollen lips and the sound of her own ragged breathing ringing in her ears. He was looking forward to doing it again, only this time, he would hold her afterwards and sleep. She was in their new tent now, resting and going over the plans they'd made.

Marc willed his male body back to sleep. He was going slowly, making sure she was more than willing, and he didn’t think he’d ever stayed so horny in his life. He’d been a clumsy kid the first time he’d slid between those long legs, and only managed to control himself long enough to please her because of his guilt over her age. Now, he was a man, sharing every bit of sexual ecstasy that he knew how to, including anticipation. By the time he finally took her, the pleasure might kill them both.

“
How does it help to make them wait?”

Marc jumped, and then snorted out laughter. In his daydreaming, he hadn’t heard Charlie and Dog come up behind him.

Dog’s auburn coat had begun to show a bit of gray near his mouth and ears, and Marc wasn’t surprised when the filthy animal curled up near them and laid his head down. Even wolves grew weary.

“
Well?” Charlie encouraged, mind still spinning from the new friendship that he'd found today. It had been a shock to discover Jennifer's gifts were like his, but it was even more of a surprise to find out that Becky had known about him all along.

“
Anticipation makes it better when you…”

Marc stopped himself, changed it around. “You know how you look forward to your training sessions, but the gun classes are your favorite?”

Charlie did. Being taught by his mom while she also worked with the female rookies was great. He was learning all sorts of things about women.

“
It’s like that. If you got to go straight there before you did any work, it wouldn’t mean as much to you, wouldn’t give as much
pleasure
.”

Charlie answered with a bit of adulthood that Marc hadn’t thought him ready for yet.

“
I’m glad you came now. I’ve never seen her this happy. Thank you for making her stronger, and… for loving her.”

Marc’s heart melted, and he swung an arm around his son’s shoulders. “Love you, too, boy. Just as much.”

Charlie leaned against him, hugging back. He didn’t say the same, but he felt it, and that was enough. Matt was right to envy him a little. He had a great life now.

The two males moved toward the tent area in peace, both sending out those good vibes that made most people want to be closer to them. It also made some people long to
be
them.

3

“
When are
you
gonna sign up?”

“
I d-don’t know.”

“
I’m tellin’ you, boy. That’s the only place you need. Become an Eagle and we're set here.”

Matt didn’t answer, too busy worrying over the fragile sheet of drawing paper in his father’s clumsy hands.

“
What the hell is this?”

“
Just s-something I drew,” Matt muttered. He’d been sketching happily until Mitch grabbed the book.

“
Haven’t I told you not to waste your time on this garbage?”

“
Yes.”

Mitch glared with bloodshot eyes. “Then quit doing it!”

The radio man crumpled up the drawing up and tossed it out of the com truck window.

“
That was… was mine!”

Matt got out and slammed the truck door, drawing attention from the guards over the area.

“
Why can’t you… l-leave me alone? You and Adrian have take... taken everything else!”

Mitch got out of the truck, stumbling. “Don't talks to me that way!”

Matt sneered bitterly. “You’re d-drunk on duty again, after he t-told you no more. You need to be guarded too!”

Mitch glowered, holding onto the door for support. “I’m a grown man. I’ve earned the right.”

The pimply teenager bent down and grabbed his paper before the wind could blow it away. He shoved it into his pocket and scowled at his father.

“
I only came around b-b-because Charlie thought it was a good idea. Now, all I can think about is t-taking your bottle when you pass out!”

The teenager stomped around Mitch. “And that means I shouldn’t be here.”

Too drunk for parenting, Mitch staggered back to the com truck. He’d been drowning his sorrows for most of the day, and he was beat.

Mitch climbed into the truck, squinting at shadowy shapes in the distance. Was that the Vet, alone in the dark and carrying a body over his shoulder?

Mitch snickered at his crazy thoughts. Damn good Wild Turkey. He’d have to hit the next bottle a little slower next time, though, and make it last.

4

Off-duty and restless, Cynthia trailed after Matt, but sent a quick hand signal to Kyle as they went by his post.
“Mitch is drunk.”

Cynthia was having trouble sleeping. It happened so often since the rest stop that she'd developed the habit of finding something useful to do during those hours. Tonight, she'd been close enough to overhear Mitch and Matt.

“
I got it.”
Kyle answered with curt gestures, stomping toward the com truck.

The reporter didn’t envy Mitch. Kyle hated to be away from Jennifer, and these shifts on third were hard. They gave him a stiff, no-nonsense attitude that Safe Haven's radio man was about to be beaten with.

“
He’s too far gone for thinking or regret.”

Matt sounded bitter for only being fourteen, and Cynthia studied him as they walked. Matt was a good kid but for the drinking. “Adrian will handle it.”

Matt sneered, holding out the crumpled paper from his pocket. “Tell him to handle this, while he’s at it. If my dad takes that away, I’m leaving. It’s the only thing I care about.”

Great at ferreting out details, Cynthia noticed the boy’s stutter hadn’t shown up in his conversation with her. Maybe only when he was upset?

The boy split off, and Cynthia looked at the picture. Hand-drawn in meticulous detail, the reporter didn’t think she’d ever had such a view of the cicadas. Feasting on Slaver corpses, it was gruesome, but so well drawn that it was also a bit frightening. Those bugs were realistic enough to fly off the paper and attack. Had Mitch even looked at it?

“
Too damn drunk to recognize his son’s talent,” Cynthia muttered. Matt wouldn’t trust anyone right now. How could she help?

“
Things okay?”

Samantha hadn't wanted to ask, but that was another part of being an Eagle that would help boost her self-confidence. Interactions with people were rough for her.

Cynthia had paused at the question, having one of those introspective moments that said she, too, needed to act more like what she was now–an Eagle in Adrian’s army.

“
Not really. Maybe you can give me some advice.”

Also off-duty and roaming, Samantha stopped in surprise. “Uh, sure. About what?”

Cynthia quickly filled her in on the situation, and Samantha fell into it like she’d been hoping for something to do other than to search for bad weather and ignore her men each time they passed on their rounds.