It had taken twelve hours to reach them on foot. He was miserable physically, not used to roughing it out here anymore, but he’d found the cabin with no problems. It was exactly where the woman had told him it would be.

  The soldier waited until the jeep faded into the distance and he couldn’t hear the engine, scanning his surroundings. The refugees he had fought and avoided since leaving the mountain were everywhere. He didn’t want any of them to track him to the family he was supposed to protect.

  As David went towards the cabin, he noticed there was smoke coming from the chimney–something they would have to quit doing. Now that there were so many people around, it wasn’t safe for the family to give away their presence with open fires. The woman in his mind had said the family was starving and would soon die. Because of that information, David assumed he would be the only fighter in the group and that meant they would have to lay low. It wasn’t having every window lit up like a beacon in a three-story vacation rental cabin. David guessed they’d been trapped here by the war. He was impressed that they’d lasted this long on their own.

  David approached the cabin with his hands in view, able to feel someone studying him from the front window. He didn’t spot them, but he knew they were there. The woman in his mind, Alexa, insisted this family wasn’t supposed to be a part of Safe Haven yet, that they had an important job waiting in the north. David hadn’t asked what the job was. He didn’t care.

  “Stop right there!”

  David stopped. “I’m not a threat. I came from Safe Haven.” He used the exact words he’d been given, studying the noises.

  There was a pregnant pause and then the sound of scraping. David assumed someone was lifting a bar from the door.

  Have to teach them not to open the door to strangers too.

  A short, stocky guy in baggy clothes appeared, pointing a shotgun. “What do you want?”

  David could hear the hope that he honestly had been sent to help, but he also noted the steel of someone who would do whatever it took to ensure his family’s survival. Hoping that wasn’t an act, David came to the bottom of the steps. “I’m supposed to stay and help you.” He braced for scorn or anger.

  Lance lowered the shotgun immediately, relief stealing over his features. “We ran out of food two days ago. The water was gone this morning. I don’t have a choice.”

  Believing the man, David slowly lifted his hand to remove the pack. “You can have everything in here. I’ll scavenge for the rest of what you need.” David placed the pack on the bottom stair and then retreated. “I’ll do some foraging now.”

  David didn’t turn his back, but it was only out of habit and training. He doubted the man would shoot him. Any hope was better than none.

  Lance waited for the stranger to get out of sight and then grabbed the bag. As he took it inside and shut the door, it occurred to him that it might be a trap. Anything could be in the backpack.

  “Is it food, daddy?”

  The two thin kids flew toward him from the couch bed, stomachs growling.

  The mother didn’t try to stop them. She was also running over at the hope of a meal. Her housecoat hung off a thin frame that couldn’t afford to drop any more weight. The adults had been giving their share of food to the kids, along with their medications, shoes, and clothes, but everything was gone or too small now. Within the next month, they would die and the kids would be alone.

  Lance signaled the children away as he set the bag on the floor and opened it.

  “It is food!”

  His wife’s excited cry was the first sound she had made in days. Lance held the bag out for her so that she could grab what she wanted, smiling in relief.

  “Where did it come from?” The woman ripped open the pouch of dehydrated apple slices and popped one in her mouth. She was the food taster. The family didn’t eat anything that she didn’t try first.

  Lance gestured toward the porch. “He said he’s from Safe Haven, that he’s supposed to stay with us. He went out to find more food.” Lance caught his wife’s concern and shrugged. “We don’t have a choice and there’s only one of him.”

  The adults shared looks that said they would kill the stranger if he became a problem or a threat to their children.

  “I’ll make him a place on the porch. That old dog house will hold him for a few nights.”

  The woman grimaced, but didn’t argue as she handed the apples to the drooling kids. They’d fought off intruders and gotten lucky that neither of their children had been hurt in the chaos. Having the stranger outside was better than in here with them. They didn’t trust anyone. The two children were special and the adults had protected them off the grid since they’d been born. Even going to Safe Haven had been too big a risk, but now, it seemed that Safe Haven might have come to them. They’d hoped that wouldn’t happen at first, but desperation had changed their minds.

  “What if he is here to help us? We need it. We don’t want to run him off or make him mad.” It was her way of reminding her husband about the reputation of Safe Haven when provoked.

  “Then he’ll slaughter us in our sleep or we’ll starve to death. When I said we don’t have a choice, I wasn’t lying.”

  The wife returned to her dusty chair, letting the kids eat. When the stranger came back, she would talk to him. If he had a single bad thought, she would know and he would be the one to die in his sleep. It would be an easier meal than some of what they’d survived on since the war.

  She and Lance had agreed on the new diet only a few nights ago, after they’d read Hansel and Gretel to the kids. It had reminded them that there was another awful, forbidden food source still available if they had the strength to make use of it. That’s when she’d called out for help and promised to repay it in any way required. Now, someone had come and her kids were eating. Praying it wasn’t a trap, the woman conserved her energy like she’d been doing since making the call. She was scared of Safe Haven. Any time that many of their kind got together, there was always death and betrayal–especially when a Mitchel was involved. Her grudge was against Adrian’s father, but she already knew better than to trust the son. If Adrian came here, he wouldn’t leave. Old debts were still debts, and someone had to pay them.

  5

  Dog shook his head at the scent of a vehicle that had gone by recently, not recognizing it. That’s not them.

  The wolf padded down the center of the road, sniffing weeds and trees that lined it. He had lost the scent of Jeff’s truck two days ago, but it wasn’t hard to figure out which direction to go. It was the opposite of every other animal in the country.

  As if conjured by his contemplations, a large herd of deer began to come through the area, moving north. The herbivores scented Dog in fear, but they didn’t stop their forward march.

  Now positive that they weren’t going willingly, Dog stayed still and quiet as the herd passed close enough for him to lick their furry necks. Dog controlled his hunger. He didn’t understand why all the animals were traveling north, but he had figured out what effect it would have on the remaining humans. They would have nothing to eat. Nature’s intention was to eliminate all of the food from the land.

  Dog’s urge to hurry grew. He had to reach Marc. He had to tell Marc what was coming.

  Dog growled as a human form stumbled toward him. Studying the deer, Dog hadn’t noticed the human.

  The man didn’t stop. It was as if he didn’t see the wolf in front of him.

  Dog prepared to leap and run, now reluctant to kill a human.

  A familiar scent hit his nose. Safe Haven!

  Breathing harsh, muttering and groaning, Dog wasn’t able to understand the man. Covered in blood, Dog didn’t recognize him either. Fur bristling, he padded closer.

  Ray curled his arms over his head and waited for death. He didn’t know how he’d escaped the mountain. All he remembered was finding Dale’s body.

  Dog caught the thought. Ray!

  Worried for Marc, Dog sat down next to the man, but he didn’t try to communicate. Dog and Dale had been friends and Dog didn’t want to experience Ray’s pain on top of his own or make him run off.

  Exhausted, Ray fell asleep while waiting to be attacked by a wolf that he wasn’t certain was even there.

  Dog curled up next to Ray and put his snout on the man’s cold hand. Ears twitching at every sound around them, Dog knew what he had to do. If he helped Ray, Ray would take him to Marc.

  Dog shifted his weight onto more of Ray’s body to keep him warm, then lifted his head.

  The herd of deer took off running as the long howl split the quiet air. Followed by more of the same, the sounds echoed through the morning like gunshots.

  6

  “I want notebooks on this stuff–like you gave her for leadership.”

  Adrian nodded, exhausted and in a lot of pain. “I’ll work on it between her lessons for the Eagles.”

  “Do hers first.” Marc knew better than to slow progress on anything Angela had asked for.

  “Is this what our nightly meeting will be now? Me teaching you how to lie, cheat, steal, and manipulate?”

  “Do you have anything else you can teach me?”

  “Of course. I may not be useful to the camp anymore except as a drill sergeant, but when it comes to women, I know a lot that hasn’t even been tapped.”

  “I’m tapping it now.”

  Adrian rubbed his face, carefully. “Yeah, we’ll call it tapping.”

  Marc chuckled, opening and closing his aching fist. “I can try again.”

  “Or you could just tell me why you’re here.” Adrian glanced over, still lying on the floor. “You could have beaten on me and then enjoyed curling up to that perfect ass.”

  Weary, Marc completed their new bond. “I’m doing recon.”

  “On women?” Adrian snorted. “You already have the charm and magnetism, and you don’t need to manipulate them.”

  “No, I don’t, but that’s not what the recon is for.” Marc waited, letting Adrian prove how smart or stupid he was.

  Adrian flashed to Marc’s response when the messenger had contacted them. He went there because it was the only thing they hadn’t discussed yet. “You did it on purpose.”

  Marc was dismayed that Adrian was so fast. It would make it hard to stay ahead of the man. He’d been hoping for lucky and stupid.

  “You fooled Angela. She thinks you let emotions rule your answer.”

  “Shhh…”

  Adrian switched his thoughts. He wouldn’t betray Marc again. Once had been too much.

  “Yes, it was.” Marc waited, sure this time that Adrian would get the rest of it.

  “And if you did it on purpose, you had a reason, a plan for something.” Adrian pushed himself into a sitting position. “You took my advice!” Adrian saw Marc’s thoughts, parts of the plan that was forming, and grinned. “Outstanding!”

  Marc let the bond glow between them, accepting Adrian’s praise this time. The man was a true leader. It was bad, of course, but Marc wasn’t going to use those parts of what he was learning. He would form a connection that was too strong to let Adrian cross him in any way once it was complete. And when the time came, Marc wasn’t going to be the one who killed him. He’d settled on a much harsher judge.

  Adrian paled at Marc’s revelations, realizing the wolfman had trapped him in a cell that he would never be able to escape. “You’re going to trade me for Safe Haven again.”

  “Oh, yeah, and you’re going to help me to do it, aren’t you?”

  Adrian nodded, unable to fight the images. The only thing he wanted more than Angela was for Safe Haven to become the society that God would accept so human torment could end. Panicking as the walls closed in on him, Adrian glared at Marc in rage. “Swear it on her life!”

  Marc winced, but he didn’t hesitate. “I swear on Angela’s life that I’ll build it or die trying.”

  Thrilled with either side of that, Adrian muttered a few words and waved a hand through the air between them. “An official record has been made.”

  “Remember that.”

  Adrian felt the cell becoming solid around him and tried to crawl out through a tiny hole in the top. “She’ll know you’ve done this. You can’t hide it. When finds out you’ve wagered her life, she’ll turn to me.”

  “And she’ll know it was your demand to the deal. You didn’t ask for anything else.”

  Steel bars came down over the cell, blocking the tiny hole of hope. Adrian surrendered to his cage with a last wave of hatred. “Slam you.”

  “Meeting adjourned.” Marc stood up. “On a more personal note, I don’t care what she thinks about the deal. I only care that she won’t cross the Creator and ruin Safe Haven’s chance now that our deal is official–not even for you.”

  “Because she wants that goal too much.” Adrian realized his methods to lure her in had also backfired. Like himself, she now wanted Safe Haven to succeed at any cost. “She’ll never forgive you for tricking her this way.”

  Marc shrugged. “She’ll still love me at the same time. I know that because she’s been doing it with you and this is giving her the ultimate goal. You’ll never mean more to her now. You’re just the swinging Jody who might be around to sleaze his way in when I die. I’ll be the legend in her mind. You’ll be the afterthought.”

  Marc gave a final shove as he popped the handle on the door. “After you sleep, go away for a few days. When she blows up over this, I want her to have to deal with me. You’re done being the sympathetic shoulder she runs to. We both know she can take whatever she dishes out.”

  Adrian nodded. There was no fight left in him. “I will.”

  “Excellent. I’m glad we had this little chat. I can’t tell you how good it feels on this end of things for a change.”

  Adrian’s response was a bitter chuckle that came out as a sob.

  That’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard. Marc was grinning as he braced to face the cold weather outside the RV.

  “Marcus?

  Marc frowned at the tone as he looked over his shoulder.

  “Don’t fuck up, you know? You won’t answer to me or her on this one.”

  Marc shuddered at the warning. “Yeah.”

  “Can you do it?” Adrian hated his groveling tone, but he suspected Marc would drag it from him on a regular basis now.

  Marc sighed. “Fifty-fifty. I know I can get the camp to do it. I’m just not sure that I can stand to see you kiss her again. If I ever do, I might snap and damn us all. I’m still like Adam in that. I thought she was just supposed to be mine.”

  Adrian didn’t say what they both knew. Instead, he pointed at the window. “Someone’s coming.”

  Before Marc could open the door, it was pulled out of his grip.

  “Uh, sorry.” Conner tossed two big kits into the RV at Marc’s feet.

  Marc looked at the kits and then Adrian.

  Adrian stood up, pains forgotten. “Something happened.”

  Kendle appeared behind Conner, kit in hand and sleepy, confused expression on her face. “I was told to get here with my gear. What’s up?”

  Marc frowned, stepping from the RV to discover the camp alive with activity.

  Conner shoved a paper into Marc’s hand and then ran to help.

  “She called a bugout. A new wave of refugees is…”

  “What?” Adrian caught Marc’s smile. “What’s going on?”

  “Dog needs to be picked up! We’re his ride.” Marc climbed back into the RV, motioning at Kendle. “You’re the driver.”

  “That explains the keys and map in my kit.” Kendle got into the RV and began to adjust the seat.

  Adrian looked toward the rear bunk, where Kevin had crashed hours ago. “What about him?”

  Marc dropped into the reclining rear seat and pushed it down. “He seemed bored to me. Maybe he didn’t get enough adventure out there with Jeff.”

  Adrian snickered, walking to the bunks while Kendle started the engine. “Wake me in four.”

  “Same here.” Marc lay down and tried to get comfortable.

  Kendle realized she would be with Marc for a mission and couldn’t hide the grin or the happiness that swept through the vehicle and then the camp. “This is great.”

  Marc would have preferred that Angela was along, but he didn’t say so. Instead, he encouraged her. “Dog needs help. Don’t spare the peddle.”

  Kendle shifted into drive, waving to guards who would be told later what was happening.

  “Hey! Why are we rolling?” Kevin’s confusion was amusing.

  “Marc needs to see a man about a dog.” Adrian slid into the opposite bunk.

  Kevin stared around for a minute and then shrugged. “Oh. Okay.” He went right back out.

  Marc laughed, already starting to drift. His satisfaction dimmed a bit as he asked the dreaded question that he’d planned to avoid if he could help it. “Do you think she planned this so we would keep working it out away from the camp? ‘Cause that would mean she knew about the deal before it happened and used us against each other to get what she wants out of it.”

  Adrian stretched out on the narrow, tight bed, spine popping. “If she did, I wouldn’t disappoint her by coming back without the wolf.”

  The men let the mirth carry them into sleep, leaving their lives in Kendle’s hands. They knew she could handle it. Angela wouldn’t have sent her if she couldn’t.

  The End of Book 8

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  -Bone Dust & Beginnings

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