The Golden Eagle: The Golden Eagle, #1

By S. M. Schmitz

After a vicious second civil war in the U.S., the states that attempted to secede are occupied, and the people there live by different rules. 

Jon is the highest-ranking officer in an elite Task Force whose purpose is shrouded in mystery. Ava is just trying to survive the occupation after two years of brutal war. After meeting unexpectedly, they discover they are both willing to risk everything for the chance to love one another. But what those risks entail may be far greater than anything either could have imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S. M. Schmitz
• Release date: Jan 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781523315420

Book preview

Chapter

1

Ava ducked into a café as the tanks rolled down the broken buckled street of downtown Baton Rouge. The clinking of silverware and low murmuring conversations of the patrons inside the small, crowded room mingled with the clapping of the tanks’ treads on the pavement outside .

Ava held her breath as she watched them pass. She hadn’t been doing anything wrong – her shift as a waitress at a nearby restaurant had ended and she was only trying to get to one of the few bus stops still picking up passengers so she could go home. But, sometimes, it didn’t matter. This city was occupied, and soldiers often made their

own

laws

.

As the last tank in the column disappeared down the street, Ava edged past the line of customers waiting to be seated and noticed one of the diners had been watching her. Her heart leaped into her throat and she froze.

Someone bumped into her and told her to get out of the way, but Ava’s legs had forgotten how to move. Why was someone like him watching her? Ava wished she’d taken her chances with the advancing tanks outside. Whatever she’d done to get his attention, it couldn’t

be

good

.

A girl who looked like she must still be in high school held a menu out to Ava and asked her if she wanted a table, and Ava finally forced her eyes away from the man dressed almost entirely in black. He’d never looked away

from

her

.

No, thank you, Ava mumbled.

Whatever spell had trapped Ava near the doorway of that café dispersed, and she yanked the door open and hurried outside where evening was quickly approaching. It would be dark soon, and she’d probably missed

her

bus

.

Ava glanced at her watch; the only way she was getting out of having to walk home was if the bus were running late, which it often did. She couldn’t run though. Running through the streets almost always attracted the wrong kind of attention.

She heard footsteps behind her and picked up her pace. She’d only made it a block when a man’s voice asked her to stop. He was close behind her. She knew who she would see before she looked over her shoulder, just as she knew she’d have no choice but to stop. Nobody could

disobey

them

.

The man from the café had caught up to her, but he stood a few steps behind her and stopped walking when she did. Ava’s mouth dried up. The dense humid air made her feel like she was suffocating. And she couldn’t take her eyes off of the small golden eagle flying above the crossed arrows on his collar.

Sorry, he said. "I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s getting late. Would you like me to walk

you

home

?"

What the hell was she supposed to say

to

that

?

No, she didn’t want him to walk her home. She didn’t want him anywhere near her. Instead of giving him an answer, Ava stood there silently deliberating how to tell him she’d rather take her chances on the dark and dangerous streets of Baton Rouge than be escorted home by someone like him. But nothing came out of her mouth, and she couldn’t stop staring at that goddamn eagle.

He took a step closer

to

her

.

"I’m Jon. And I’m honestly only offering to walk you home. There’s a new division in the city, and you know what fresh troops

are

like

."

Ava nodded and finally lifted her eyes to his face. If he weren’t so utterly terrifying, she’d probably think he was incredibly handsome with his dark brown hair and hazel eyes that favored green. But there was nothing even remotely sexy about someone who killed people for a living.

Jon smiled at her and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Ok. I can just follow you home. Nobody will mess with you

either

way

."

Ava remembered she knew how to speak and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don’t need a bodyguard. But

thank

you

."

Jon’s smile never faltered. Well, there’s no problem then. I’m not a bodyguard.

Ava’s eyes drifted back to the golden eagle flying above those arrows.

"No.

You’re

not

."

Lauren is going to get worried about you, Ava. You might want to start walking again.

Ava gasped and her eyes widened in fear. He not only knew her name but her roommate’s name. For some reason, she’d been on his radar.

Ava turned to look at the sidewalk behind her – there weren’t many people out with the sun on the horizon now. Not that it mattered. He lived by a different set of laws than everyone else in the Occupied States.

I’m not a rebel, Ava stammered, but she was pretty sure everyone told him that. Except in her case, it

was

true

.

"

I

know

."

Jon hadn’t moved and she wondered what he had in his pockets, what kind of weapon he’d kill her with. She was hoping for a gun. That seemed like it would be quick and fairly painless at least. But she was also pretty sure he couldn’t fit a gun in the pockets of his pants.

Then why do you know so much about me? Ava asked.

Jon sighed and unburied his hands, and Ava almost sighed, too. His hands were empty.

For Christ’s sake, just walk, he ordered, and because Ava wasn’t about to ignore an order from someone in this particular group of Special Forces, she walked.

Jon walked beside her, and for the next block, neither of them spoke. As they paused at a crosswalk, Jon pointed to an empty city park across the street.

Ok, I lied, he said, that grin reemerging, but Ava didn’t think he was about to say anything funny. She crossed her arms again and waited.

I don’t really care if Lauren worries. Let’s check out that park,

he

said

.

He started crossing the street before Ava could

answer

him

.

Hey, Ava snapped, "I care. She’s been my best friend since we

were

kids

."

But Ava followed him, because what else could

she

do

?

Only one streetlamp illuminated the park and Jon stopped near a bench still covered in the debris from the battle that had been fought here. He knelt beside it and swiped off the chunks of brick and concrete. They had walked far enough north that she could see above the levee, where the lights on the bridge that used to span the Mississippi River should have twinkled against the encroaching darkness. There was nothing there now except more of that inky blackness of night.

It’ll eventually get rebuilt, Jon said, and his voice made

her

jump

.

She looked away from the river and tried not to stare at that golden eagle again.

"Don’t guess you’re gonna tell

me

when

."

She didn’t actually know what the silver eagle on his opposite collar meant, but it made him seem important. He’d probably know something like when a bridge that could potentially reconnect her to her family was going to get rebuilt.

Have a seat. Jon motioned to the bench like she would have sat on the ground otherwise.

Do I really have to do this? Aren’t you still supposed to be avoiding that whole ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ thing?

Ava sat down anyway.

Jon snickered and sat on the other end of the bench. Talking to me is cruel and unusual punishment?

"Dragging out my impending

death

is

."

Ava was pretty sure that would rank on her top-five-dumbest-things-she’d-ever-said list. She didn’t need to remind him he was supposed to be

killing

her

.

Jon laughed and sat back against the bench. She still didn’t think it was funny.

Ava, if I were here to kill you, I would have done it already.

She didn’t find his admission particularly reassuring.

Ava took a deep breath and tried to relax her arms and fingers, but she was sitting next to a man in an elite group of the Special Forces whose sole purpose was most likely assassinating people. Nobody knew anything about them, not even if they had a real name or not, so they’d been given quite a few epithets. Ava heard a lot of locals calling them the Eagle Task Force because of the insignia on their collars, but most people just called them the Black Coats because of the uniform they wore. If they were going for scary-as-hell, they’d succeeded.

Whatever they were called and whatever they really did, they almost never interacted with anyone. Rumor had it, they weren’t even allowed to. Ava had heard they rarely talked to anyone outside of their group, and they never hung out with the other soldiers. Unlike the guys in the regular Army, they were never out drinking in the bars that were frequented by prostitutes. Not that prostitutes were hard to find outside of the Army’s bars, but at least in the bars, soldiers often bought them drinks first, which was the only way just about anyone down here was getting a drink.

And then Ava thought she could really use a drink right now, but neither she nor Lauren could afford it. Alcohol wasn’t imported into the Occupied States for civilians, and all of the breweries here had been requisitioned to produce drinking water. Even cheap wine had to be purchased on the black market, and they were barely making their rent each month.

Ava realized she hadn’t said anything in a while – and neither had he – so she said the next thing that popped into

her

head

.

I don’t know anyone you might be looking for either.

God, she had to stop

doing

that

.

Probably not, he agreed.

"Then what is this? Why do you know so much about me? Why are you insisting on following me and talking

to

me

?"

Ava was frustrated and tired, and that often meant she spoke too recklessly. But being a smartass to an Army officer at one of her tables and getting defiant and angry with Jon were completely different. Nobody here even knew what kind of laws or rules these guys followed. Ava didn’t think anyone in the U.S. knew either.

"Because I wanted to. I’ve only been here a couple of weeks. You know, it’s not easy to get around this city. Were the roads this bad before

the

war

?"

Ava laughed and immediately wished she hadn’t, but Jon’s eyes lit up as he watched her and that smile played at his lips. Ava looked away because she refused to allow herself to become attracted to someone

like

him

.

"They were pretty bad but usually drivable. Think you can get someone over here to work on

repaving

them

?"

"I’ll see what I

can

do

."

Ava could hear the smile in his voice. And he hadn’t looked away from her. She was pretty sure she was blushing and was actually glad it was getting so dark

out

now

.

Ava decided to really push

her

luck

.

"Good. While you’re at it, can you get me a bottle of pinot noir? Honestly, I’d settle for a bottle of

Strawberry

Hill

."

She risked glancing at him, because of course she knew the black market was illegal, but she was pretty desperate.

Jon wrinkled his nose and goddamn it, why did he have to be so cute when he

did

that

?

"I’m not wasting money on Strawberry Hill. That might constitute as cruel and unusual punishment."

Ava actually smiled at him because at one time, she would have agreed

with

him

.

"True. Lauren and I got wasted on that shit in high school. Right before a game we were supposed to be playing

in

,

too

."

Jon tilted his head and studied her. What sport?

Ava shook her head and cringed. Marching band. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of hiding how drunk I was, too, until I threw up all over the football field.

Jon laughed and asked her how much trouble she’d gotten into, so Ava relived the most humiliating moment of her high school life for him – right down to her parents showing up to take her home from the game, and getting suspended from school and the marching band. Who the hell gets suspended from

marching

band

?

When Ava finished her story, she eyed him suspiciously, but it was only a half-assed suspicion. He had far bigger skeletons in his closet than his own embarrassing high

school

days

.

Bet you weren’t in the marching band, Ava ventured.

No, but I did play football. And I dated a girl in the marching band for a while.

Ava groaned. "God, you were probably the star quarterback,

weren’t

you

?"

Jon bit his lip and his smile pulled a little wider as he tried not to laugh

at

her

.

"

Define

‘

star

.’"

"I knew it. Jock. I hated guys

like

you

."

That was also going on her top-five list of dumbest-things-she’d-

ever

-

said

.

But Jon just nodded and told her, "We probably

deserved

it

."

"And that girl in the marching band was really a cheerleader,

wasn’t

she

?"

And probably the Homecoming Queen and Miss Popularity. Ava had hated girls like

that

,

too

.

You didn’t like high school that much, did you? he asked.

Ava gave him a look that was meant to ask Who did? then remembered star quarterbacks and Homecoming Queens probably loved those four miserable years. Probably because they weren’t so miserable for people

like

that

.

What about college then? Did you at least enjoy college? he asked.

Ava thought back to her four years at LSU and slowly shook her head. She’d worked her ass off to graduate with honors. She and Lauren never went to football games or parties – probably because they were never invited to any – and she’d spent four more awkward years growing into adulthood not doing much else besides studying, going to classes, and binge-watching Netflix with Lauren on the weekends. In the five years since graduating from LSU, she felt only slightly less socially awkward.

What was your degree in then? Jon asked, and Ava began to wonder why he was grilling her about her past like this. But she couldn’t not

answer

him

.

Psychology. Which is why I’m waiting tables.

Jon snickered again. You’re waiting tables because three years ago, this state joined with the Secession and now you have no choice. You probably wanted to go to graduate school though, right?

Ava had, actually. She’d made the mistake of deciding to take a few years off between college and graduate school, though, and never even had the chance to apply anywhere.

In hindsight, she should have recognized the signs that the rhetoric of politicians in Louisiana, along with nineteen other states, was no longer just rhetoric. Lauren had majored in history – another terribly useful degree, which was probably why she waited tables now, too – and tried to convince Ava to move, but she hadn’t been ready to leave her family behind. Besides: she’d been so convinced a civil war wouldn’t actually tear her country apart. She and Lauren had nearly paid for her reticence with their lives.

What did you major in? she asked him, because she didn’t want to talk about the life she’d lost because of this

goddamn

war

.

Comparative politics at West Point. It’s been as useful as a degree in psychology.

Ava looked him over quickly, and for the first time, intentionally pointed to the uniform he was wearing.

Must’ve done something for your career.

Jon just smiled at her then asked her about her experiences during the war, and how she’d gotten a job waiting tables because despite their joking, jobs were difficult to get. And then he asked her about the soldiers occupying her city, and was only satisfied that she hadn’t been physically or sexually assaulted after the third time he

questioned

her

.

Ava finally shut him up by pointing out that she’d stayed indoors after dark – and he had kept her out far past sunset.

True, but I already told you I’ll get you home safely.

Ava glanced at her watch, but the single streetlamp still working here didn’t give her enough light to see

the

time

.

"Lauren has to be freaking out. I really need to get

home

now

."

Jon smiled at her again and stood up, so Ava stood up, too. But she surprised herself by having mixed feelings about going home. He just didn’t seem like the kind of man who spent his days tracking down Secessionist officers to assassinate them. Maybe there was more rumor and speculation than truth about the men who wore these black uniforms.

He let her do most of the talking as they walked to her apartment complex, and Ava knew she was rambling but couldn’t seem to stop. As they walked around the shattered sections of sidewalk, she pointed out the damage to every single landmark and building, and which blocks still had no electricity even though they’d been assured power would be restored to the entire city almost six

months

ago

.

As they approached her apartment building, Ava slowed down and glanced over at him, remembering the uniform he was wearing. She didn’t want Lauren to see him, and Lauren was most likely watching from the window, wondering if her best friend would be coming home

at

all

.

Ava inhaled a quick breath. Thank you. I think I’ll be ok from here. I’m pretty sure there aren’t any trolls lurking under the stairwell or anything.

Jon stopped and studied the apartment building before turning to her. "I’ll watch from here. Just

in

case

."

Ava wasn’t sure if that was really sweet or really creepy. She thanked him again and made it two steps before Jon

stopped

her

.

Ava, he said her name so gently, so affectionately, that all of those confusing emotions about who he might be or what he might be capable of doing mixed again with the emotions she would expect to have under different circumstances. Under normal circumstances, in a different life and world before her country had ripped itself in half and she’d been thrown into a Hell that she’d stubbornly refused to believe could exist for her because she was American. But this wasn’t her America.

For the first time since meeting him, Jon seemed unsure of himself. Ava waited, but there was no mosquito abatement anymore and repellant was a luxury of the past. Besides, she really wanted to get inside to show her best friend she was not only alive but

perfectly

fine

.

Jon stopped biting his lip and took a nervous breath. Ava couldn’t imagine what would make someone like him nervous, and that only made her

nervous

,

too

.

Can I see you again? he

asked

her

.

Ava blinked at him. Again? She still wasn’t sure what tonight had been about.

Why?

That smile. Ava was beginning to think it was a far more dangerous smile than she’d realized before; every time he smiled at her like that, she found it harder and harder not to trust him, to remember what that eagle on his collar symbolized.

Because I would like to see you again.

And it must have been someone else’s body that smiled back at him, someone else’s voice that answered for her, because she knew how completely stupid it would be to let him know how much she actually wanted to see him again. But that’s not what she heard.

"Well, I guess you know how to

find

me

."

And Jon offered her that enigmatic and beautiful smile one

more

time

.

"Yes.

I

do

."

Chapter

2

Jon tossed one of the bottles of water he’d just picked up from the commissary at his friend. Chase caught it and read the label then frowned in disgust .

"They didn’t have any water left from

back

home

?"

"For God’s sake, they distill the water here. You’re not going to get dysentery. Where the hell do you think

we

are

?"

That didn’t stop Jon from holding the bottle up to the light to see if there was anything floating in it. Not that he expected to be able to see microscopic parasites. But even with several water treatment facilities operating in Louisiana now, he remembered all too well how many people in the Secessionist States had gotten terribly sick from contaminated water during

the

war

.

I’m leaving a note first in case I die so they’ll know who poisoned me, Chase warned.

And he actually grabbed his phone and tapped out some message.

Jon told him he was an asshole who deserved to get amoebic dysentery.

Motive, Chase teased.

He tapped something else into his phone.

Jon fingered the bottle of water and watched his friend for a few moments. Chase was the one person he fully trusted, but he was about to break the law, and he didn’t want to get him in trouble. But Chase had been in this city longer and knew the soldiers stationed here

with

them

.

Jon set the bottle of unopened water down on the coffee table between them and decided to just ask him. It’s not like Chase would turn him in or anything.

"Where can I get a bottle of

wine

here

?"

Chase stopped tapping on his phone and stared at him, something like confusion and bewilderment passing through

his

eyes

.

"Jon, their water isn’t really that bad. I was just messing

with

you

."

Jon sighed. Why he wanted it was far worse than wanting the wine in the first place.

"It’s not

for

me

."

Chase put both his phone and the water down and leaned his elbows on his knees. Jon was dragging him into the illegal world he was creating just by telling him about it, and part of him wished he’d kept his damn

mouth

shut

.

Jon…

But Jon didn’t let him chastise him for something he had no intention of quitting. He tried to divert him instead.

Never mind. We’ve got to head out to Gonzales. See if we can find this Staff Sergeant.

They weren’t going alone and they weren’t leaving until the squads sweeping through the neighborhood where they thought they’d recognized a former Secessionist officer were finished with their own jobs, but it had been the first thing he thought of to try to change the subject. And it failed as miserably as he knew it would as soon as the words

were

out

.

"You can’t date these girls. Holy shit, Jon, you of all people should

know

that

."

Chase’s confusion and bewilderment had morphed into panic and fear. Jon was the highest-ranking Task Force officer, and he was well aware of the Anti-Fraternization Law for everyone in his group. He’d proposed it himself two

years

ago

.

"Forget it, Chase. Nothing happened. And it wouldn’t be illegal to get wine from the U.S. It’s only against the law for me to

drink

it

."

Chase nodded but he knew Jon far better than this. And he knew Jon was hiding something

from

him

.

"It is illegal to bring that wine to a girl you’re hoping to sleep with. Or even be friends with, but we both know you’re not out looking for friends. Especially female friends."

Chase didn’t have to remind him what anti-fraternization meant. Jon had written the goddamn laws. Considering who they were and what they did, it had been a smart decision, and one Jon still stood by. Even becoming friends with anyone living in the Secessionist or Occupied States compromised their judgment, their ability to hunt down the remaining Secessionist officers who were most likely leading the rebel groups now and preventing the reunification of the United States. And even though Chase had been his friend since their freshman year at West Point, Jon needed to do some damage control.

"It’s not against any law to seek out informants though. Or to bribe them. If you don’t want to help with the wine, then

forget

it

."

Chase exhaled slowly and ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair. The Army commissary has a decent stock. I know someone who would buy it for us. Because we’re bribing someone for information, right?

Chase didn’t really believe him, of course, but if that’s what a superior officer told him, then he couldn’t get in trouble for it. So Jon just nodded and told him he’d pay him back then remembered to place a specific order.

"Pinot noir, if they

have

it

."

Chase raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t

question

him

.

Jon picked up his bottle of water and broke the seal on it, but he sniffed at it first, because sometimes, he really did feel like he was in a developing country. Chase snorted and told him he’d had no idea his boss was such an epic loser.

"I’m not your boss. And if I die, make sure my sister knows I love her, and I’m sorry I blamed her for half the shit I did when we

were

kids

."

Chase grinned at him, and Jon put the lid back on the bottle because he suspected he was going to be throwing

it

soon

.

I was wrong, Chase told him. "You’re an epic asshole. And I’ll make sure she’s well taken

care

of

."

Jon threw the bottle at him even though Chase was only messing around with him. He’d been madly in love with his girlfriend for years.

Jon was hoping to see Ava this evening when her shift ended, so he told Chase to go work on getting that bottle of wine for him, and after a few minutes of complaining about it, Chase finally left. Jon sat alone in the common room of what used to be East

Laville

Hall

.

The LSU campus had become the second largest military base in Louisiana, second only to Barksdale, which the U.S. Air Force once again controlled. But rebel groups and the missing leaders of the Secessionist Army tended to hide in cities, so that’s where Jon and other members of the Task Force

congregated

,

too

.

Ava didn’t have a telephone, so he couldn’t call her, even though she was at work by now anyway. But he really wanted to hear her voice again, and more than that, he wanted to see her again, to talk to her and listen to her and study the nervous way her fingers kept pushing at stubborn strands of hair that wouldn’t stay tucked behind

her

ears

.

He’d never met a woman who made him feel this nervous. He didn’t like it. Yet, she captivated him. From the moment he saw her in that café, he had the overwhelming premonition he