Brad shook his head. “You may have been a catalyst, but like I said, he’s been at this for years.”
“How long? Do you know?” Ally asked, warming to both Brad and the subject.
His gaze dropped lower, drawing Lottie’s attention back to Ally. Her head was down as she positioned Max at her breast. When Lottie glanced back to Brad, he’d composed himself and was looking at her. Directing his answer to Lottie, he said, “At least twenty years. Probably more.”
Lottie glanced away and wondered when Noah would get back. Sighing, she refocused on Brad. “When did you meet Noah?”
“Met ‘im over fourteen years ago, when I reenlisted.” Brad sat in the chair he’d vacated when she first confronted him. “That was when I was able to specialize in something other than guns and he approached me about archery.”
“Why archery?” Ally inquired.
“Bows can be made without a factory,” Lottie replied for Brad.
He nodded. “Mostly. Mass-manufacturing isn’t done anymore—too expensive—but that doesn’t mean we can do without the products those factories once provided,” he said, expounding on Lottie’s answer. “Gunsmithing without the right tools is a lot harder than making a spear, sling, or even a bow and set of arrows.” Brad’s smile faded. “The army spends an exorbitant amount of time, effort, and money, cultivating talent that is well versed in these required technologies. They have sanctioned branches dedicated to resurrecting disciplines once thought lost, like napping stone. In addition to the standard ballistics, chemistry, and mathematics, I was trained in metallurgy, blacksmithing, and carpentry… Just to name a few.” Brad took a few deep breaths. “Fourteen years ago, Noah and I talked. I agreed to study pre-modern range weapons. Noah believed it would serve me best—here—at my next post.”
“Does Noah want you to make guns for us?” Lottie asked.
“Not really,” Brad replied. “The settlement is a long way off from gunsmithing. I hope we’ll get there eventually.”
“What would we need?” The idea of giving a firearm to everyone definitely appealed to her, and she’d love to make it happen.
Brad looked off to the distance for a moment, then turned his attention back to Lottie with a grin. “We’d need Anvils, smithing coal, metal blanks… gunpowder.”
“Blacksmithing?” Ally asked. “It doesn’t even seem possible.”
“Blacksmithing’s been around for centuries and so have the recipes for making gunpowder. The trick isn’t in making the explosive, it’s in finding or manufacturing all the ingredients.”
Lottie snorted. “I bet.”
“But that’s your goal, right? I mean… Long term.”
“Eventually,” Brad replied to Ally’s question. “First I’ll teach the settlement how to make and use the pre-modern weapons. I expect that will keep us busy for a while, while Noah searches for the other things we’ll need to build a smithy.”
“Did Noah tell you anything else,” Lottie asked.
“Only that Huxley’s headed to Twenty-four and that’s why I needed to be here sooner than originally planned.”
Lifting Max to her shoulder, she patted him on the back. “Does that mean the army’ll miss you?” Ally inquired, her tone was sharp with worry.
“Relax. I’m retired.”
Lottie ducked her head and clasped her fingers around Cody’s small hands. She didn’t want Ally or Brad to see her relief at his answer. It was hard enough knowing that Tristan and Casey had abandoned their careers for her, let alone a stranger.
“Lottie?!” Nyah’s yell from behind the smokehouse drew Ally and Brad’s attention as well as Lottie’s. “One of the damn chickens is missing! What do you want me to do?” As she came around the corner, she stopped abruptly, her mouth going slack. Snapping it shut, she marched toward them. “Who’s this?”
As an aside, Lottie whispered, “Welcome to the settlement, Brad. Hope it’s worth it.” Louder, she addressed Nyah, “This is Brad.” She forgot his last name, and she looked to him for help.
Brad stood and offered Nyah his hand. “Brad Leon. Former Captain of Munitions Analysis and Distribution. And you are?”
“Nyah Stenet,” she said, taking his hand. As she shook it, she gave him a thorough once over. An appreciative gleam grew in her eye, and Lottie tried not to snort since it appeared Nyah had a new conquest. “Weapons Specialist?”
“That’s right, Private Stenet.”
“Uh-uh,” Nyah said with a shake of her head. “Just Nyah. No privates here. Well… unless you mean what’s covered up by our clothes…”
Brad glanced at Lottie. She bit her lip, shrugged and shifted Cody on her lap. What could she say? Nyah liked shock value.
Trying to answer the most obvious question, Lottie said, “We’re pretty informal here. Everyone is either retired or AWOL.”
“Usually we go by first names here.” Smoothing her tone, Nyah let her voice turn seductive, and she added, “So… Brad, what did you make as a weapons specialist? Knives? Swords?”
Lottie laughed out loud. “Knock it off Nyah.”
Pinching her lips together, Nyah shot Lottie a glare that barely masked her smile. “You knock it off, Lottie. I’m trying to learn more about Brad here.”
“You can quiz him later,” Lottie said, her laugh dying to a soft snicker. “Hey, have you seen Noah?”
Dropping the lecherous attitude, Nyah replied, “No. I haven’t. I was too busy trying to find that damn chicken that escaped.”
“Let me guess, Isabel?”
“Probably. I can’t tell the fucking things apart.” Nyah exhaled. The hair near her cheek billowed out from the force of it. “That chicken’s a fucking Houdini.”
“‘Uckn ‘Deenee,” Grey murmured as if agreeing and King woofed softly.
Lottie tapped Grey on the shoulder and shook her head. “No, Grey. You don’t say those words,” she whispered to him. Brushing his bangs off his forehead, she hoped no one else heard him swear. Lifting her head, she said, “Well if it was Isabel, she hasn’t gone far.”
“Not far at all,” a male voice said over soft clucking.
“‘Istn!” Grey chirped from Lottie’s side as he stood. He stamped his feet with clear impatience. “Up! ‘Istn!”
“Hello, Tristan,” Lottie greeted without turning around. “Let me guess, it really was Isabel, and you have her?”
“‘Istn. ‘Istn. Up!”
“Yep. My girl loves me. Can’t even go one day without seeing me.” His statement was punctuated by several loud squawking clucks.
Lottie turned and her gaze was drawn to the small chicken in his arms. The bird was rubbing her beak on Tristan’s stomach and cooing. “That is one lovesick bird.”
He chuckled and moved to hand the bird off to Nyah. Isabel screeched. Her clawed feet scrabbling at the air as she tried to stay with her favorite human. “Come along, you dumb bird,” Nyah growled. “Or you’re going to be stew and I won’t mind one bit if I get to eat you.” And after a quick backward glance at Tristan and a wink for Brad, she left.
“Well…” Brad said, his voice trailing off.
Tristan guffawed. “She’s the worst of them—well, until you meet Javier—peas in a pod, them too, but you’ll get used to her. She’s actually pretty nice once you get passed the swearing and sexual innuendo.”
“I see.”
“‘Istn? ‘Istn?” Grey insisted, tugging at Tristan’s shorts. “Up?”
With barely a glance at Grey, Tristan scooped him up and hitched him on his hip. “There ya go, kiddo,” Tristan said absently. “Brad?” he asked, his tone hesitant.
“Yes?”
Extending his hand, Tristan said, “Good. Glad to meet you. Welcome to the settlement.”
Brad shook, acknowledging the greeting, then said, “I’m eager to get started.”
“Great. We need the extra help now that Case’s detained.”
“You have a roster or patrol set up?”
“No. We haven’t bothered since it’s just been me and Jaesen,” Tristan said, leading Brad away. “But now that you’re here it might make more sense to split—”
Glancing between each man, she marveled at their easy acceptance of each other, but when they made to move away, Lottie stood and snapped, “Wait.” They turned to her. Tristan’s eyebrow cocked in question. “Where are you going?”
“‘Istn? ‘Ampa ‘Oah?”
Tristan looked at Grey and jerked in surprise. Had he forgotten he held Grey? “Hey, there kiddo.”
“‘Ampa ‘Oah?” Grey asked, popping his thumb in his mouth.
“Oh,” Tristan said, smiling at Grey and bopping him on the nose. “I’m sure Grandpa’s on his way. Probably out helping Uncle Jaesen bring back his raccoons and rabbit.” Tristan addressed the rest of his statement to Lottie, “I passed Jaesen on the way back here. They should both be back here soon.”
Grey smiled around his thumb. “Zzath ‘ow?”
Shifting Cody in her arms as she stepped toward the men and took Grey from Tristan. “We’ll get that bath in a few more minutes.”
“Zzay.”
“Come on Brad,” Tristan said.
“Wait, where are you going?” Lottie asked, repeating her unanswered question.
Giving her a perplexed look, Tristan answered, “Thought I’d show him around a bit and get him settled in Jaesen’s tent before Noah and Jaesen get here.”
“Oh,” Lottie said, hugging Grey close. The tiny tremors started at her toes, and they grew stronger as they climbed her legs until her whole body shook with the force of them.
Something in her tone made Tristan paused mid-step. As he stared at her, his expression softened. She dropped her gaze from his, but not before she saw him step away from Brad. Stopping in front of her, she could just see the tips of his worn boots. He rested his hands on her shoulders, and he stooped to look her in the eye. “You all right?”
She swallowed. No. She wasn’t all right. Her heart pounded. Her palms felt slick with sweat. Her skin tingled as if someone watched her and her chest felt so tight, she could hardly breathe. She feared she’d drop one of the children.
“Hey Momma,” Tristan whispered, taking Cody from her and dragging her and Grey into a tight, one-armed hug. “It’s okay. Noah vouches for this guy, so he’s going to be safe. All right? You don’t have to fear him.”
Lottie nodded. Intellectually she knew Tristan was right, but—aside from Noah—no one at the settlement knew Brad. And that scared her.
“Why don’t you take Grey for that bath?” Ally murmured from behind her. “We’ll all be here when you get back.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. Her heartbeat slowed from its painful rhythm. “No, I’ll wait here with you.”
Pulling back, Tristan’s gaze searched hers. Appearing to find what he needed, he nodded and said, “Why don’t you start prepping lunch early. Maybe Ally can help. I’ll get us some coffee from the shed on my way back here, and we’ll have that along with whatever you’re making.”
With a tentative smile, she stepped back. “Okay. I’ll do that. You go ahead and show Brad around.”
“That’s my steel rabbit,” Tristan said with a grin.
********Like this episode? Then please take a moment to either comment, share, or like it. Having your feedback (good and bad) feeds my ego. Thank you for reading!
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