What’s happening is a fight. A loud, angry fight between Vella and Roderick. It hasn’t come to blows yet, but it’s close.
Ben has come around the building—he was tinkering with our newly acquired combat truck but must have heard the conflict like I did—and he comes to my side as I snap, “Enough! We have enough of a fight coming for us. We don’t need one with each other.”
I’ve learned to make my voice carry. It breaks through the shouting and murmurs of interest from the gathered spectators.
Vella breaks off mid-sentence and takes a step back, turning to me as she visibly bites back her outburst.
Roderick doesn’t react as immediately or as willingly. He’s still grumbling under his breath, his glare taking in both me and Vella now.
“What is the problem?” I demand.
When they both start to talk, I raise a hand to silence them. “Roderick.”
I start with him on purpose because I know Vella trusts me implicitly. She won’t take it personally that she’s not allowed to speak first the way Roderick will.
He’s a big man with a bushy red beard and close-cropped hair. He always wears pre-Fall army fatigues. He’s over fifty, which means he was alive before the old world fell. Just a child back then, but still. It’s a different perspective. Often useful. “She’s been interfering with my guys.”
My eyebrows arch. “Your guys?”
“My team,” he amends reluctantly. It’s not theguysI was questioning, and he knows it. I use that generic word for my people all the time. It’s the implication that the guys arehis.
“And how has Vella been interfering?” The question is genuinely seeking information. It’s not any sort of challenge.
“She was just now giving them directions. I’m the team leader. That’s my job.”
“It is your job.” I shift my eyes to Vella with a question on my face.
“They were talking about planting more explosives on the village road to add to our perimeter protections. But villagers use that road and might inadvertently set them off. All I did was mention that fact, and they got all huffy, and then Roderick bit my head off.”
“I’m responsible for the perimeter on that side,” Roderick bursts out, raising himself to his full, not insignificant height.
There’s an old-school machismo that’s alive and well in him. He’s a decent man with a good heart and a clear purpose to oppose our oppressive government, but he still lashes out against challenges by women more than by men.
I get Vella’s indignation. I could feel it too if I let myself.
“You are responsible,” I tell him. “But you need to make sure you’re leading your team within our unified principles. One of which is to never, ever let noncombatants get caught in the cross fire. There will be no explosives on the village road. If our current booby traps aren’t secure enough for your satisfaction, you need to think of something safer to implement. And you also need to drill that principle into the heads of your team. That should never have been a viable point of discussion.”
Roderick doesn’t like this. Either my words or my tone. Possibly both.
He bristles visibly and steps toward me. He’s a lot taller than me and twice as broad. He’s probably spent his life using his physical bulk to his advantage. It can be intimidating, and he’s aware of it.
But right now he’s trying to intimidate me, and it’s not going to work.
I don’t move even an inch, except to incline my head more so I can hold my glare steady.
“I can’t control every thought of my team,” he finally grumbles. He still hasn’t backed off. “I just don’t want interference.”
I hate this.Hateit. How the hell have I gotten myself in a position of authority over this man?
All I ever wanted was to do something worthwhile to oppose the government like my father did.
Like my father died for.
“If your team goes off the leash this way, you’ll be getting interference from someone. And even if Vella was telling you something not as on target as this was, the appropriate response is never a childish temper tantrum.”
I know—Iknow—this will rile him up, but I need to see how far his resistance goes.
He doesn’t lash out at me like I half feared. He’s as mad as fire, but he restrains it into a shaky simmer.
