From The Ashes (Life After War) (8 page)

Kevin nodded, heading toward the truck as a large van fled into the night. “You know it.”

Eagles were all over the area, most of them toting things or helping people into their assigned rides. One of these carried a heavy-looking duffle bag that he slung into the back of the truck Sam was in.

Kevin's eyes narrowed when her head lolled roughly against the window, but she didn't react or re-adjust herself. How could she sleep so deeply?

Kevin started to knock on the window.

“
Hey!”

The Eagle who'd put the bag into the back waved a hand.

“
He wants you.”

Kevin turned to see Kenn motioning him over, and gestured for the man to take his place. “Stay close to her. She's special.”

The Eagle nodded, clearly grinning under his mask. “I know it.”

Kevin ran to Kenn, shaking his head. He didn't like some of these newer people that had signed up. Hell, he even didn't know who that one...

Kevin stopped, turning in time to see the man slide into the driver's seat. The masked Eagle gave Sam a friendly smile that she didn't react to, and began chatting as he started the engine.

Kevin strained to see. Who was that?

Eager to be gone, Kenn thrust a paper over Kevin's shoulder. “Boss wants you to drive Sam and switch with Lee when we make camp.”

Kevin shook his head, watching the truck go rolling slowly by. “She has a driver, but I'm not sure who it is.”

He pointed.

Standing next to them, Seth froze. He recognized the man disappearing into the darkness with Samantha. The bandana gave it away.

“
Rick!”

Adrian spun, drawing his gun.

Seth took off after the truck, already knowing it was too late. If they opened fire, they would hit any number of camp members.

“
Stop that truck!”

Adrian's shout was lost in the din.

Rick patted Samantha's arm happily and took her away from Safe Haven.

The truck vanished.

Seth ran to the next car about to leave. He ripped Roger from the driver's seat of the jeep and sped off into the darkness after them.

Adrian pointed out a team quickly, sending them after Seth. Taking Rick on without backup was a bad idea. He was obviously more dangerous than any of them had given him credit for.

Torn, Adrian chose to stay with his herd. They would do rolling searches by the member list and he would take his place at the head of the convoy once they were all accounted for. He had to get the camp back together. Seth and the others now bore the duty of rescuing Sam and bringing Rick back to stand trial. It was something that everyone in Safe Haven needed.

Adrian checked his watch and then glanced toward the brightly lit Slaver camp. That was another issue he wouldn't be overseeing, but there was little worry. Kyle was lethal. There wasn't anyone in that camp that the mobster couldn't handle.

4

“
Line up in the V. We go on two.”

Kyle sent the instruction silently, and the team around him got set. They were between the Slavers and Safe Haven, about to attack.

Vaguely glad that the fog had thinned, Kyle saw the glaze over Neil’s eyes and understood.

“
This will give you what you want. Women like heroes.”

Neil didn’t bother with a lie, though their men were all listening. “It will also seal my place–yours, too.”

The Mobster swept the drunken men. Other than the group of guerillas getting ready to roll, this wouldn’t be a battle–it would be a barrel-shoot with sitting ducks for targets. Even the armed men wouldn't stand much of a chance against Chris and Shawn with the grenade launchers. “There’s nothing he’ll deny us after this… and nothing will ever erase the stain.”

Neil shared Kyle’s revulsion, but in this moment, he wanted Samantha and his place more than a clean conscience. “For him, and for my new life, I’ll bear it.”

Kyle’s shoulders straightened proudly. “As will we all.”

He raised an arm.
“One… and Go!”

The two teams burst into Cesar’s muddy camp.

The Slavers didn’t see the threat coming. For six months, these men had lounged in complete safety on foreign soil. That changed as
Kyle
shot the first arm raising to fire, then the head it was attached to.

He spun, checking the right.
Clear!
Left?
Fire!

Bang!

The guerilla fell at Neil's feet, causing the trooper to spin around. He stayed his hand, realizing the mobster had saved him.

Neil nodded to him and spun right.
Clear!
Left?

It was a pattern of behavior that protected each of the men in their line of sight–one that always began and ended with a shout of 'remember to look!' during the training that Adrian demanded.

“
Down!”

The Eagles dropped at Kyle's command.

Bbrrrrr...

The machine gun rattled across the filthy camp, hitting fleeing shadows, but none of the Eagles that it was aimed for. They knew to stay low.

Billy quickly found the gun and delivered a full-clip spray that sent the owner of it into hiding behind a tent. The Eagles moved in, bullets ripping through the canvas without mercy.

Three captive women were caught and killed by stray rounds, and one had her throat slit by a man trying to use her as a shield–his arm jerked as the bullet hit him in the neck. The rest of the women and kids got out of the way.
Shouldn't they be screaming or something?
Kyle wondered in a distant, store-it-for-later way.

The armed group gearing up to attack Safe Haven joined the gunfight, peppering them with slugs, but Chris was set. He fired the grenade launcher with a leer. “Hell's waiting, boys!”

“
This is how you get there!” Shawn shouted, firing his own launcher from Chris's right.

The grenades exploded within an instant of each other, catching most of the scattering group and the two Eagles reloaded each other–Brady's addition to their training. It allowed them to fire four shots in half as much time. Dirt and blood rained over the campsite.

The Slavers were helpless under the fury of Adrian’s Eagles. They'd come prepared, but more than that, the feeling of helplessness the Eagles had been smothered with for the last three days was being released. When it was over, these men would be expected to rejoin Safe Haven and act civilized, but right now, they were savage, killing any male that moved. They walked through the camp without breaking ranks, and even when one of their own cried out, they didn’t pause.

Shawn grabbed Chris’s limp arm and hefted him over one shoulder as he advanced, his Colt now roaring.

Kyle grunted as the slug hit his vest and went through, spinning him around. It was caught and held by the next layer of protection and he spun back, shooting the man who'd hit him.
There's nowhere else I'd rather be.

“
Eagles Fly!” he screamed, glad of the second vest, of this second chance at life that Adrian had given him.

The V expanded, each man marching forward to form a single line of side-by-side walking death. It was a formation they hadn't used in battle yet. Extremely effective, it allowed a better range of fire and gave the Eagles the final advantage. The Slavers’ rampage was over.

Kyle didn’t holster his weapon until they had walked every inch of the garbage and blood-filled camp. His Glock barked death sporadically, changing bleeding, begging Slavers into mud-shrouded corpses.

It was hard to look at, but little compared to the slaughter they’d left at the picnic area. Their guilt was eased by each new horror they uncovered. There were tents full of feces, bodies of women and kids piled in the brush behind the camp, and Kyle waved at Neil. “Get a bigger fire going. We're not leaving this.”

The trooper didn't like the chore, but couldn't argue the duty. These corpses had been American survivors–members of Safe Haven that hadn't reached its borders in time–and they deserved more than to be left for the animals.

“
Movement in the row of trucks. How do you want to handle it?”

Kyle waved Jeremy along. “Those are our damsels in distress, Eagle. Tell the boys to settle down.”

Around them, the Eagles were celebrating their victory–the end of the feud–and their loud shouts and curses would scare the slaves, Kyle was sure. They were used to being abused by rough, uncaring males, and he wasn't looking forward to observing their fear.

“
Tell them quiet is best. We don't want to spook these women,” Neil informed those closest. “None of them will have a clue what's going on, so make sure you talk to them. Try to figure out who’s the stronger of them and we'll have her take charge as much as we can.”

Kyle cut the padlock off the first trailer and shoved the door up.

The dozen or so children inside began screaming, pushing toward the rear as they begged for mercy. They cowered there, moaning in terror.

Horrified, Kyle slowly held his hands up, the lethal Glock back in his holster. “They’re all dead. Every one of them!”

He gentled his words as their noises of terror quieted a bit. “We’re here to help you.”

Behind him, Neil and the others slowly recovered from their shock. They hadn't expected to see any kids here. Adrian would be delighted–and as revolted as they were right now, seeing the bruises, shrunken faces, and the other signs of abuse.

Kyle held out a hand, assisting the fearful kids. They pulled away from his light touch the second their small feet reached the ground and he hoped they wouldn't go fleeing into the night.

“
Get the supplies out, Neil” Kyle ordered. “Get them fed and talking, or we'll lose them.”

Neil and the others did as he instructed, savage men now shoved back inside their facades, but the children knew and shied away. Monsters were easier to spot in this new world–even those who didn't recognize themselves.

5

“
Here they come.”

Jennifer didn't respond to Lilly's half excited, half fearful comment. She belonged to Cesar, too–all of the slaves locked in this semi to keep them unspoiled were his–and they listened as the truck next to them was opened.

“
They're all dead. Come on out.”

Jennifer and Lilly exchanged glances, but not determined, 'we'll make it together' stares. These were eternal vows of hatred.

“
Don't do it this time.” Lilly's words came out in a low rush of terror-inspired courage. “Don't make deals with them. If you promise, we won't tell them about you.”

Jennifer felt the support of the other women in their truck–they were all against her–and the terror of the children crammed in behind her. They were afraid that she would agree.

Jennifer clenched her fists. “Let the new owners hurt the kids, so that you don't have to serve. Is that what you're asking me to do?”

Lilly leaned forward, eyeing Jennifer's big stomach threateningly. “No. I'm
telling
you.”

Jennifer punched Lilly in the jaw, making sure it split her lip. Those stung for days.

Lilly hit the side of the truck, rattling their hanging belongings.

“
You don't tell me,” Jennifer warned coldly, standing up. “I tell you!”

Lilly picked herself up off the filthy floor, wiping blood from her mouth as the other women scrambled away from them.

Jennifer's stomach was grotesquely big in the light of their flickering candle. Lilly stared at it, keeping her distance this time. “I mean it, bruja. No more deals for us or
your
baby won't live.”

The teenager stared back at Lilly without blinking, hating her. It never should have come to this. After a raid on a big city, the women in camp had sometimes numbered enough to overtake the Mexicans.

“
Are you challenging me... coward?”

A cold chill invaded the semi–an ill wind that all of the watching women were scared of. They'd felt it before, and none of them were willing to step forward while crammed into this semi. Jennifer's aim was too good.

Lilly reluctantly backed down, but only as much as she had to. “No. Only your right to make us trade our bodies for someone else's kids. We don't owe them anything.”

Fist raised, Jennifer lunged forward, ignoring the twinges from her gut. “Those kids are worth your life!”

Lilly cringed back and Jennifer followed, sure this would be going very differently if they were outside. The other women might be just as scared, but together, they were all angry.

“
If you don't take their place, you will be disobeying a direct order. I won't tolerate that!”

Jennifer pulled the fire back in, hearing the male voices coming closer. “And you'll be the first one I fry in the fight,” she stated ruthlessly. “I loathe you.”

Lilly clamped down on an equally hateful retort as the door was shoved up, but her glare didn't fade.

“
Come on out. They're all dead,” the man at the door called.

The women moved for the door after Lilly, and Jennifer gathered the children that didn't shy from her gentle touch. They knew they had nothing to fear from her.