From The Ashes (Life After War) by Angela White Read Free Book Online

Gunfire in the perimeter! Shots fired!”
    “ Shit!”
    “ Look out!”
    Angela jerked awake, groaning, and found Adrian sitting up with his gun drawn.
    She turned her head to find Marc in a set position between them and the door, and groaned again–this time in groggy frustration. “We didn't get them all?”
    Neither man bothered to answer, since it was obvious that they hadn't.
    “ I need a gun!”
    Adrian nudged her left hand, and her fingers curled awkwardly around the butt of her backup.
    Bang! Bang!
    “ Fall back!”
    “ Get her outta there!”
    Crash…
    “ Fire!”
    Marc motioned sharply to Adrian. “Let's roll.”
    Adrian swung Angela up into his arms.
    She gasped, painfully molding herself into his grip as their radios lit up again.
    “ Here, Boss!”
    Marc shoved a vest over her head as Adrian carried her toward the window. The front of the country club was in flames as eerie shadows ran through the foggy smoke, firing at each other.
    Angela tried to help as they lowered her out of the window between vested Eagles. Her single left-handed shot, aimed at a Mexican sombrero, went wild and plunged into the hood of their vehicle.
    Angela was quickly shoved inside the truck as the Eagles surrounded it. When the door slammed, but her driver didn’t leave, Angela realized Adrian was making a stand with her in the center. She stayed low and rode the waves of pain, knowing there was no safer place she could be.
    A volley of gunfire lit up the night, sharp and loud. Men screamed, and more shadows flew through the darkness. It forced their attackers into the light of the burning country club. It was another of Brady's plans–one that made the enemy think there were less men. Those Eagles were hidden around the perimeter. They moved in to trap the enemy in a barrel-shoot.
    Behind Angela, another rig pulled up. The rest of the Eagles ducked inside the opening back door–Jeremy guiding Cynthia out of the line of fire before turning around to join his team.
    It had only been days since they'd been in this situation and Jeremy was instantly reminded of the carnage at the rest stop. All those screams!
    He flashed back in despair and guilty excitement.
     
    “ Kill them all!”
    Adrian’s roar swung his hands into action, and Jeremy strode forward with his finger squeezing in short, flat pops that splattered blood. Next to him, Frank laughed, giddy with that dangerous edge of chaos they were leading. “Some fun, huh, Jerem…”
    Frank slid to his knees in shock, freezing in a grimace of disbelieving panic. Fresh blood dripped to the muddy ground as he drew in a last shuddering breath, spoke a final order. “Kill them a...”
    Frank fell forward into the mud.
    Self-preservation kept Jeremy’s feet moving and his hands delivering more of what his friend had felt. As he went, there wasn’t anything in his mind except blind anger and a furious determination to do as he’d been bidden.
     
    Jeremy tried to shake it off and was only partially successful. It was still hard to believe it was over, that they’d won… that he’d survived. None of his years as an MIT Grad and computer genius had prepared him for this. His mind went to their other fallen Eagle, to Daniel. The man had once told him that he was living the life he’d been too afraid of before the War. Now, ducked behind the truck and firing those short little pops that were so effective, Jeremy understood completely.
     
    Content that the Eagles had Angela covered, Marc spun into the shadows. His fury was a hot laser.
    Two Mexicans–dead–on his right. An old enemy, then, one that he was sick of.
    Marc went left.
    Three more bodies there … and one up high, still alive. That’s where their new leader would be . Marc knelt down and pulled his rifle from his sling.
    “ Move in, Eagles!”
    Adrian’s command had the rest of the outer guards freeing their trigger fingers. More gunfire filled the night.
    Training mode settled over Marc’s mind. Inhale…