The Survivors
Coming Together

1

The noise in the bowling alley was almost deafening, but beautiful to those making it. Pins fell, balls thumped and rolled, voices talked, laughed, argued. Arcades dinged wildly; music blared from the speakers. Snow fell in heavy sheets, blanketing everything. Other than the guards doing duty in snowy trucks, and the plastic hanging all over the inside of the alley, it looked like their old world. Adrian was pleased they had handled it so well.

Chris, Daryl, and Jeremy were on guard outside, all level two and uneasy. The noise was loud even through the muffling effect of the snowstorm; their lights glared in the darkness. If anyone was around here, they were hearing and seeing it. The Eagles kept a constant watch on the dark town and the bright bowling alley.

“Strike! Beat that, kid!” Adrian sat down to record his score as Charlie took his place on the sparkling, confetti covered lane. Zack had cut the canopies down before dinner. Adrian hadn’t wanted them trying to eat while the decorations hung over them like a neon sign that read Your world is dead; you’ll never get this back. The other paraphernalia had already been put in bags and tossed in the dumpster.

Adrian hid a wince as more pins fell. He had a terrible migraine. He longed to spend some quiet time in his silent semi, but it pleased him that everyone was happy. He wouldn’t tell them to tone it down for a while. They needed this, and right now, he was trying not to be skunked by a fourteen-year-old with the arm of a pro. The boy was better than Kenn.

Adrian frowned. Where is Kenn? He scanned the crowd, surprised when he didn’t see the Marine. Kenn liked to be the life of any party. When he wasn’t, he was working on things they needed. Did he go back to the basement? Adrian stood, meaning to send someone for him.

Heavy footsteps echoed over the noise. A ripple of unease ran through the camp.

“Adrian! Headlights!”

Jeremy and Seth ran toward him.

People moved out of the way; everyone stopped bowling. Strikes and cups fell unnoticed.

Adrian found Neil and Kyle in the twitchy crowd. When he motioned, the men rushed toward the front doors. Both their teams fell in behind them without being called. This was their job.

Adrian pulled the plug on the music. The silence was almost a relief. “If you’ve passed the gun class, form a line inside the door. Do not draw your weapon. Everyone else, stay behind them.” Aware of Seth on his heels, Adrian pulled on his jacket, then opened the holsters of both guns. Just in case. He was hoping for survivors, but the odds were high that they’d drawn a threat.

2

Kenn walked through the basement, checking cords and connections. So far, none of it was overheating. He heard the music stop and assumed Adrian had tired of the noise. He also noticed the lack of balls and pins falling. Boss called it a night earlier than I thought he would.

“All by your lonesome?”

Kenn spun, gun coming out and up.

Tonya liked it that he was dangerous. “Easy there, big boy. It’s the one ya been watchin’ when ya thought no one was lookin’.”

Responding to the sexy accent, Kenn holstered his gun. His gaze crawled up slender ankles to creamy thighs. “The party’s upstairs. And I’m no boy.”

Tonya sauntered toward him. “I’ve noticed.”

Kenn huffed at her, senses straining to hear if they were really alone. “What do you want?”

“I never got to congratulate you on making XO.” She wiggled a finger, other hand sliding her short skirt up.

Kenn didn’t hesitate.

Tonya melted against him, lips replaceing a sensitive spot on his neck. He lit up, arching against her.

Nose full of pot, whiskey, and woman, Kenn locked their mouths. He’d gone without for months.

Kenn’s jeans fell to his ankles. He groaned as Tonya’s soft hand closed over his hard flesh like a glove. His big hands tangled in her thick curls, pushing her to her knees.

3

“Where?” Adrian strode into the storm with Doug and Neil flanking, but he didn’t need them to point out what could only be the headlights of a big truck moving through the heavy snow. Adrian signaled to Doug, storing the fact that Kenn was still nowhere to be found. “Tell the doctor he has patients. Put up tents in the lea of the alley. Get some heaters in them. Have the cook start a fresh batch of meals.”

Doug was still scribbling the information as he and Neil left, dividing the list.

The semi pulled into the lot, weaving around deep drifts that were as hard as concrete blocks. The inside light of the rig was on. Adrian counted four middle-aged males crammed in, their hands in view. “Lesson three, Eagles. Move.”

Nothing happened for a second, then Kyle reacted, drawing his Glock. “Weapons out. Don’t shoot unless I do.”

The other eight men immediately dropped back to form a neat, wide V, aiming their guns at the windshield.

The driver reacted fearfully. Gears squealed in protest as he stopped the semi a good forty feet away, sliding a little in the thick slush.

Adrian said nothing, waiting.

Kyle motioned his team forward. “Secure and disarm. Go!”

They went in a hurry, like professionals from before the war. The truck was surrounded before Adrian finished grinding out his smoke.

4

“Damn, that was good. I wanna do it again!”

Kenn kissed her neck as his body twitched inside hers. He moved out and let her slide down the wall, mouth running before enough blood had made it back to his brain. “Later. We got lucky no one came down.”

Tonya hadn’t expected to be claimed right away, but his quick reluctance hurt her. The pain drew claws hunting a taste of his blood. “They’re busy in the parking lot, talking to the new refugees. He’ll wonder where you were, but he’ll understand leadership comes with...perks.”

Kenn barely kept himself from hitting her.

Tonya sensed it. She ducked under his arm, moving away.

“If I lost ground with Adrian, I’ll claim you just to make you pay. Don’t ever come between us!”

Tonya gave him a seductive smile as she tossed his shirt back. “I won’t. You gonna cum to me tonight?” She leered at his chest as he pulled on the shirt.

Kenn jerked her against his hard body, grinding his mouth on hers.

Her arms curled around his neck. He knows how I like it.

Kenn shoved her away. “Yeah. Here, late. I’ll bring a blanket.”

5

“Hi! I’m Chris. This is Tim, Carter, and Paul. We live here.” The man paused, bright façade cracking for an instant. “Or at least we did. Now we hide here.”

Kyle held out a hand. “Give up that shotgun and you can talk to the boss.”

Chris did without hesitation. He motioned the others to do the same. “Give ’em up, boys.”

The other men were less trusting, but they obeyed. Without their guns, they all appeared scared, desperate. Tired eyes and thin bodies said they were.

Adrian greeted the men with friendly handshakes and smiles that hid disappointment. Just survivors in this batch, no shepherds. “I’m Adrian. Welcome to Safe Haven. You come in peace?”

All the thinly jacketed men nodded, but Chris was in charge; they let him speak. “You bet your ass. Peace and hope.”

Adrian was aware of Seth’s matching disappointment as he waited by the front doors with the other men who weren’t Eagles yet. Whomever the undercover cop was searching for, he sensed they weren’t in this group. Adrian felt a bond with him. “Then you’re welcome here. What do you need?”

Relief fell over Chris’s face. “Help, son. We need help.”

“We need food! We’re starving!” Paul blurted.

“I’ll beg if I have to.” Chris’s voice broke. “We’re dying.”

Adrian shook his head. “Not another one of you, if I can help it. We offer sanctuary, as long as you follow the rules. We consider ourselves a Red Cross convoy. We gather survivors while we search for safety. We travel four days out of seven, sometimes more.”

All of them bobbed heads again, relaxing a little at his words. Adrian was glad they weren’t a problem, but it confirmed he wouldn’t replace any of his own kind in this group. His kind would have already taken charge and begun helping themselves, even if it was to control.

Neil leaned in, whispering.

The four townspeople shifted nervously as Adrian scowled at them. “Who’s in the truck?”

“It’s just our families.” Chris hurried to explain. “We couldn’t leave them alone while we came to see you. It’s not safe.”

“You should have mentioned them already.” Adrian gave Neil a gesture to watch the men as he moved to the rear of the long vehicle.

The locals followed at a distance, aware of guards who had yet to holster weapons.

“Eagles, what is part B, of lesson three?”

Kyle’s dismayed voice answered Adrian’s disappointed query. “Never assume cargo or storage areas are empty. Approach and handle as if they are harboring an enemy.” They hadn’t secured the entire threat.

“No harm this time, and while you’ve done okay, this won’t be considered a success.” Adrian put a hand on his gun. “Open these doors.”

We just lost level three status. Fuck! Kyle smothered his disappointment to unlock the heavy door and shoved it upward. He did a quick scan, then moved aside to allow Adrian access.

The reek of unwashed bodies hit him hard, but Adrian could tell the strangers had attempted to make themselves presentable. He studied their worried, hopeful faces, recognizing hunger but not starvation, need but not the desperation that had been alluded to. Why the lie? Protection from raiders? He could provide that. “Eagles, these are our newest camp members. We’re going to feed them, give them medical care, and protect them. In return, they’re going to follow our rules and help each other survive.”

The five women and three children were huddled on blankets on the truck’s dirty floor, with four elderly women sitting in blanket covered chairs. The oldest among them, her long hair almost silver, lifted a thin, arthritic arm. “Will you help an old woman up?”

Adrian and Kyle reacted at the same time, with Seth waiting on the foot rails to assist.

“Yes ma’am; so will any of us. Welcome to Safe Haven.”

6

When the truck was empty, Adrian joined Chris, who was waiting by the tailgate. The other males had gone with their families. “You lose your boys to the draft?”

Chris dropped his eyes to the left. “Yeah.”

Adrian frowned. What else is he lying about?

“Thank you for taking us in. I’ll make sure they behave.”

“No, you won’t. That’s my job now.”

Chris gave in quickly. “And thank you for that too. I thought I wanted to be in charge, but I’m not strong enough.”

“It’s my honor.” Adrian moved toward the fullest tent, glad to see the doctor wasn’t being overwhelmed. “Come on.”

Kenn appeared at his hip.

Adrian didn’t mention his tardiness. “We have twelve new members. This is Chris. Chris, this is Kenn, our second in command. There’s little he can’t handle. If you need something, he’s the one to talk to about it. Kenn, we’ll need names, ages, and occupations. They’ll need the medications John prescribes, a copy of rules, clothing, and sleeping gear for tonight. Chris will go along to help to get them settled. They’ll also need port-o-cans and kids to run errands for them–your boy too, if you’re okay with it.” Adrian paused to let him catch up. He saw the corner of Kenn’s shirt was untucked. That’s why he was late. If Kenn found a woman here, all the better. “We’ll sort out tent arrangements first. Double the sentries again, then tell everyone to go back to what they were doing. Lights out at 1am, XO.”

Kenn’s chin lifted. “You got it, Boss.”

Adrian’s other men, those who had been with him longer and wanted what was no longer available, would be forced to accept that he saw something in Kenn they didn’t–something they themselves were lacking. The desire for his approval and recognition would make them awkward with Kenn at times, but only Neil had spoken against it and not openly. Adrian had made his choice. Now, Kenn had to give him what the job demanded–everything.

7

The tired leader was back in the office hours later, writing in his journal. He paused at another creak of footsteps outside the open door, where over a hundred people were finally calm enough to sleep.

“You busy?”

“Nope. What’s up?”

Charlie swept the dim hall, then entered. “I heard something while I was shoveling snow…about the new people.”

The question was in his tone. Adrian nodded. “Tell me.”

Charlie stood in front of the desk, not sitting because he hadn’t been told to or invited. “It wasn’t just the draft. Their boys left to replace help.”

Adrian added up the clues. “The adults tried to stop them?”

Charlie nodded. “Some of them escaped and died. They chained the others.”

Angry, Adrian opened his mouth without knowing what was coming out. “Should they be allowed to stay?” Once it was out, he didn’t take it back.

Charlie shrugged, aware that it had become his choice. “They’re sorry. They hope some of the kids might come back. They left notes about us.”

Adrian considered. Sometimes guilt would make changes where little else could, and sometimes instinct was all you had. The boy thought they should be allowed to have a second chance. Charlie would feel guilty if his words got them thrown out. “Removing a threat isn’t wrong.”

Charlie shrugged. “I don’t want their blood on my hands.”

“So you can’t be unbiased about them.”

Charlie shook his head. “Not really.”

“It’s okay. I’ll make those choices. It’s my job.” Adrian enjoyed Charlie’s quick smile of relief. He locked eyes with the teenager. “Is there something else? You can talk to me about anything.” Adrian was taking a substantial risk by pushing, but he needed more help.

Charlie wanted to trust, but the fear of Kenn’s reaction made him turn away without offering.

Adrian sighed, returning to the office.

Charlie nodded to Kenn as they passed in the hall, heart thumping. If he’d given in, Kenn would have shown up right in time to hear everything. He headed to his bedroll, wishing his mom was here.

Kenn set the mousetrap in the corner. He had to hitch up his jeans as he stood. He spotted Doug and Neil moving toward the basement door to do a second security sweep. The huge, limping redhead in the green army jacket was shaking his head in response to the tall, thin trooper. Kenn caught Zack’s attention.

Reading him easily–the career trucker now wore the clothes of a rookie Eagle trying to make level one–Zack trotted across the wide, dusty room. “Hey! Neil, wait up. I got a question about yesterday’s lesson.”

Satisfied there would be no unauthorized plotting done with his rookie’s attention on them, Kenn checked on Adrian, then returned to overseeing the new refugees. His mood remained good despite missing the rendezvous with Tonya. Kenn was confident his place here was sealed. Right-hand man belonged to him now–had all along according to Adrian, but the camp’s approval could make you or break you, and now he had it.

I also have a new secret to hide. There was no defense for what he’d done. If Adrian discovered the truth, he would be banished.