Book 8 Deleted Scene #03
As the RV pulled away from the campsite, Angela sent her own well wishes. She would worry the entire time they were gone. It had been rough with Adrian banished, but with Marc out of camp too, the mood would plummet into misery and joyless traveling through the land they used to know. Both men carried enough hope for the future to banish any shadows. Angela didn’t have that ability. She only knew how to kill for their love.
Wishing a speedy journey, Angela got into the lead truck with Kenn and Tonya.
The cat in the box yowled in rage as Tonya held the flap closed. “I think he might live.”
Angela knew Tonya wanted to show her the tabby, but the animal’s noises implied that now was a bad time. “I’d like you to keep working on it, no matter his outcome. We’ll need your research in the future.”
“I’m already having the Eagles bring me back any stashes they find, but only what we talked about.”
Angela wasn’t worried over it anymore, but she’d made it clear before the quake that the testing of chemicals in Safe Haven would be rare, limited occurrences based on their need to survive. She glanced in the mirror and found lights flashing. “Make the call. We’re leaving now.”
“What’s the rush?” Tonya wasn’t ready to be on the road again.
Angela put her feet on the dash and tried to get comfortable. “I need to see a man about a boat.”
Marc chuckled in her mind at the copy of their words as they left. He should have known that Angela was monitoring the RV instead of sleeping.
My witch does it for me now and reports to me when I wake up. Saves me a lot of energy.
Marc immediately demanded to know how to do it, glowering at his demon for not telling him.
Angela left them to spend a moment with each person in the RV. Kendle and Kevin didn’t know she was there. Kevin was still sleeping off his drunk and Kendle was concentrating on running over ants as she drove. Angela didn’t disturb either of them.
Adrian felt her arrival in his thoughts and opened the door wide. Before he could extend a greeting, a vicious plan of attack appeared in his mind.
Adrian groaned.
“What?”
“Is everything okay?”
The team woke quick and hard.
Adrian sat up, grumbling. “Yeah, it was supposed to be a quick pick up, but she just sent me this.”
Marc and Kendle blanched at the battle plan.
Kevin didn’t notice. He was busy running to the bathroom to vomit.
“She wants us to go the UN airfield first and make sure all the troops are gone. If we find a base, she wants it destroyed.”
Tell them the rest.
“She also wants us to team when we get there and stay that way, no matter what happens–all four of us.”
Fresh moans and mutters filled the cabin, including Marc’s this time.
Angela laughter was harsh and cold.
Adrian shoved her out of his head, grouchy, sore, and frustrated that she hadn’t told them.
Why do you think she did it this way? Marc wasn’t unhappy with the order. In fact, he thought a new adventure might be just what he needed.
Adrian grimaced as he realized Angela had done this to hurt him. She won’t forgive me.
Did you ask her to?
Adrian groaned again as he realized he hadn’t even apologized yet. “Damn it!”
Marc’s laughter brought a smile to Kendle’s lips. “This should be fun. Maybe your old lady isn’t so bad after all.”
“She’s amazing.” Marc settled back down to sleep, not caring that Adrian and Angela were still communicating. He had the man under his thumb now and that’s where he would stay. It was the first of many who would come under control before they reached the island. Nothing would be allowed to interfere with their chance. He would labor on the society and when it succeeded, he would be rewarded. Marc only wanted one thing now and it wasn’t Angie.
Adrian shivered as if a ghost had gone over his grave.
Connected, Angela felt it and knew her devious plan had finally succeeded. The fight was over. Marc had won.
Crushed and delighted at the same time, Angela locked down on her emotions and broke the connection with her men. She’d figured out that the battle would never stop unless both of them found something they wanted more than her. With Adrian, it had been easy. He wanted his people to stop suffering. With Marc, it had taken an ugly shove, but she’d replaced his need for her with his need to kill Adrian. Letting Marc see the kiss had pushed the tiger back into a cage and he’d lashed out exactly as she’d expected him to–he’d made a deal with the Creator that no one else could have. Because he’d been so betrayed, Marc had the right to ask for justice. If she or Adrian had tried, they would all be dead.
Will it work? Can Marc do it?
Angela considered Jennifer’s mental query. The girl hadn’t helped with the schemes, but she’d been aware of them. Angela hadn’t tried to keep her out. She was teaching Jennifer everything she knew. Marc doesn’t know how to fail and I’ll stir him up if I have to. She paused, hating herself for being willing to do this to him, but he’d traded her life for Adrian’s death upon success and that offset it. Yes, he can, but he’ll be just like me by the time it’s finished.
Corrupt.
Yes.
You won’t be able to stay after it’s built.
No.
Neither can I.
No.
Will we come back here?
For a while.
And then?
Then we do what we were born for–we’ll die.
I don’t understand.
We’re the martyrs, Jenny. We have to die in service to the God who left us here to rip each other apart. The society buys our loved ones a chance to be forgiven and taken home. It doesn’t mend the rift between humanity and the Creator.
How will our dying fix it?
I have no idea. I can’t see any further than the final fight. I assume because I die there. Afterwards doesn’t exist for me.
Jennifer immediately began searching the future and this time, she didn’t skip the forbidden doors or methods. She’d slaughtered a hundred men. She was definitely corrupt. What did one more strike matter against knowledge?
Satisfied she now had all of her army on the path to accepting what a grim, yet glorious future waited for them, Angela tugged her hood over her face and cried. She couldn’t stand what she’d become, what she’d done, but she also hated herself for what she’d gained from it. The people who whispered she was ruthless had no idea how far off that was.
If it saves my kids and my people, how can I not be this way? I didn’t ask for this destiny, this awful, awful duty, but if I’m the only who can do it, don’t I have to? Humanity has been cursed since the garden and it no longer matters why we have the mess. We just have to clean it up, by any means necessary. That’s why we were born into this time and place. It wasn’t to sit or stand in safety, but to run headfirst into the darkness and challenge the demons waiting there.
Angela forced herself to lock it all away in her crypt. That future was years ahead of them. They had made it to the start of a small break that would give them the strength to handle it. After being the most manipulative bitch on the planet for the last six months, Angela was ready for everyone to enjoy the peace that she had traded so many lives for.
Tears drying to her cheeks, Angela went to sleep. It was all up to Marc now.
