by Angela White
“So am I,” she whispered, taking the ladder to the lowest level. “We’re alone now, kiddies. Just you and me and you.”
Candy, wearing a long white dress over leggings and slippers, trailed a hand along the corridor wall as she went. She didn’t care about the bugs down here, the dampness or the draft from where the heat refused to come much lower than the third level in any potency. She liked this tomb.
Candy went to the hole where the Mexicans had almost gotten through. There was no need for a sentry now, so she didn’t have to find an excuse to be here.
Candy slid the board over the hole aside and carefully sat down on the edge. The smells coming up weren’t bad because of the piles of dirt that had been dumped and shoveled, but it was still enough to make her guts roil.
Candy stared down at the skeleton hand right below her swinging feet. I’ll bet no one would miss me. I spend over half my time here and no one knows. I’m really the invisible.
4
Billy hurriedly took the card from his locker amid the teasing and disapproving glowers. He stuffed it into his pocket and wiped his expression before turning toward exit.
“Got plans, Billy?” Zack teased.
“Yes, I do.” Billy coolly gestured toward the top floor. “I have duty over the TV room tonight for the preteens. Wanna join me?”
Zack made a face. “No thanks. All the stolen kissing this time of the evening makes me sick.”
Billy laughed. “I understand.”
Billy walked calmly to the ladder, keeping his profile blank. Leeann was watching a movie there tonight with the other older kids. He and Ray would be the adults for those two hours.
Billy’s heart thumped at the thought and he controlled the reaction, forcing himself to go slow enough to appear normal.
This is wrong, his mind stated. She’s a kid.
Billy shoved away the contemplations. Leeann wouldn’t always be a kid. When she grew up, he wanted to be there. Until then, he would spend innocent time with her so they knew each other. When she was older, they would be a couple.
“Unless she changes her mind,” a voice warned from a nearby impression as he hit the top floor.
Billy grinned at Jennifer. “Easy there, enforcer. I’m like Kyle. I want them willing.”
Jennifer blushed, snickering. She liked Billy, and Leeann was already positive they were going to get married at some point. Jennifer was just exploring her new duties while reminding the men here that she was keeping track of things. She was also still a bit wound up from grilling Julia and getting nothing.
“It’s good when you do that,” Hilda stated. She would be roaming the floor during the movie, eager to catch anyone committing offenses. Hilda scanned Jennifer’s Eagle uniform and then her own blue jean jumper and t-shirt. “We need you.”
Jennifer stared at the German woman. She studied the den mother without regard for who had been in Safe Haven longer. “I see the lies you told to get accepted.”
Hilda’s cheeks became red. “I didn’t lie to Adrian.”
“Yes, you did, but that isn’t what I mean,” Jennifer refuted and explained. “I meant to get into this country.” Jennifer leaned forward. “Are you really a good guy in all that? ‘Cause I’m starting to believe you weren’t.”
Hilda’s rage flooded the tunnel. She stiffened in severe offense. “How dare you!”
Jennifer shrugged, moving down the corridor. “I think the better question is should you dare?” The teenager placed a hand on the rail, aware of the guards listening to the conversation. “If you’re the best that female leadership has to offer, Hilda, we’re all gonna pass.”
“What about you?!” Hilda clamped her lips shut, angry that the girl had been able to get her to say it aloud in front of witnesses.
“You guys are planning for me to take that job?” Jennifer began to laugh, loud and long. She was still expressing her mirth when she hit the next level.
Logan and Whitney, the sentries on this level, stared at Hilda with raised brows and smirks, waiting for her reaction.
Hilda huffed off down the corridor, shoulders hunched in frustration.
The two guards snickered, not being quiet about it. And then they recorded it, positive that Marc would want to know.
Billy slid into the movie room, glad to find he was the first one here. Instead of immediately getting things ready, he took the fragile card from his pocket to examine.
Happy Birthday, Billy. Love you.
It was a simple card from a prepubescent child, but it lit Billy’s heart up and brought a huge smile to his lips. No one here knew his birthday. He hadn’t told them. Leeann had cared enough to dig for the information.
“Hi, Billy!”
Billy’s heart skipped again as Leeann’s voice rang through his mind and went straight to his heart. I’ll love her forever, he decided. I’ll have others until she’s ready, but once she is, I’ll never stray.
“Hi, Leelee.”
The girl blushed at being called by his endearment in front of Missy. She also beamed.
The heavier, steadier furniture was on this floor. It had been easiest on the movers, but these chambers would get the most use and therefore, the most wear and tear. The heavy bookshelves and plush couches were favorites of everyone in camp. When shifts ended, members rushed to get the recliners and the best flat screen views. Billy motioned toward the shelves. “You ladies get the movie. First come, first pick.”
Missy ran to the shelf, but Leeann came straight to Billy. “Did you like my card?”
Billy showed her his other hand, where the card was still being clutched in a death grip. “I love it. Thank you for knowing what day this is.”
Leeann took her hand from the pocket of her jumper. She held it out.
Billy took the cookie without seeing it. Only her eyes existed for him. He felt like he was drowning.
Leeann let go of him and the cookie, spinning toward the shelf as voices of the other kids echoed.
Billy recovered slower, barely getting the card into his pocket before a dozen preteens flooded the room with different hormones.
Across the din, Leeann smiled at him again. Sorry.
Billy chuckled. Don’t be. I’ll build up a tolerance after a while.
Leeann giggled. No, you won’t.
Billy sighed happily and went to set up the DVD player for their choice. Even two hours of babysitting couldn’t dim the mood.
“We did him a favor,” Logan joked about Billy’s expression as he and Whitney walked by on their round of the chambers on this level.
Whitney, still not convinced it was a good idea, couldn’t deny the happiness flowing from that space. Both Billy and the girl were throwing off those vibes like a dog shaking water. It was nice, unlike most of the emotions in this cave right now. Whitney didn’t know exactly what was going on, but his stomach had cramped into a ball after dinner and hadn’t eased yet. Something was coming and he had no idea what. It was terrifying.
5
“He knows a lot of stuff, Marc,” Kyle dropped down into the chair, delivering his report on Chauncey. “We need him to write it all down.”
“That’s a good idea,” Marc praised.
“Jenny thought of it,” Kyle told him proudly. “After he gets it on paper, she still thinks he should be handled like we have the other prisoners we’ve had since coming down here.”
“I’ll take it into consideration,” Marc replied. “I’d really rather keep him, the way he’s ‘kept’ us, you know?”
“Yes.” Kyle did. Chauncey had a handy talent, but he couldn’t be trusted. It was dangerous.
Marc ordered, “Get a place set for him in the single’s room. We put strong guards in there. Have them record anything he says that we can use or need to know.”
“You got it.”
“Any problems with Hilda or Peggy?”
Kyle shook his head, smiling a bit. “Not a word for weeks now. It’s been good.”
“Yeah.”
> Kyle heard the tone. “What is it?”
“No news is not always good news,” Marc murmured. “It’s nothing, I’d bet…”
“But it’s bothering you, so it isn’t nothing,” Kyle finished.
“Exactly. Keep an ear on that for me, will you? I’d be willing to bet they’ve tried to have conversations with people even if they didn’t have any success.”
“Be happy to. Anything else?”
“Nope,” Marc answered, catching the mood upswing. “Enjoy the fight.”
6
“Where are you going?”
Cody plopped his thumb into his mouth at his mother’s icy tone.
Lying on the cot she’d been assigned in the singles’ area, Julia rolled her eyes. “Go on. Stay away from the ladders.”
Cody left the thumb in place as he walked through the tall cave toward the exit. There were many members in the living area, but none of them spoke to him. The little boy assumed it was because of his mom. They didn’t talk to her either.
Cody stayed close to the wall, scared of the edge even though it had a rail with fencing. He went by the bathroom and continued toward the ladder. Cody peered up at Quinn, seeing the eagle on his jacket. It was pretty.
Quinn, on duty, smiled. “Hey, Cody. You okay?” The boy wore what the other kids here did–jeans and a shirt with a jacket–but his pale skin and bright eyes marked him a descendant upon sight. He didn’t need to do anything to be known for what he was.
Cody shook his head, speaking around his thumb. “She needs me. My dad’s busy.”
Quinn motioned Brandon to take his place, then held out an arm to Cody. “Want a lift?”
The boy smiled and stepped forward.
Quinn carried the child carefully down the ladder, not positive who he was talking about but willing enough to help the kid. He liked Cody. The boy’s mother was a different story.
“Which floor?”
Cody’s little shoulders shrugged.
“Okay. We’ll search them all. Top or bottom?”
“Boffum.”
Quinn gently took the boy’s hand from his mouth. “That’s better.” He looked around, nodding to the guards on duty as they reached the next level. “This floor?”
Cody concentrated, and then pointed down.
Quinn went to the ladder.
As they vanished into the depths of the cave, Cody waved at the sentries, smiling around his thumb.
“Cute kid,” Gary commented.
“Yeah. Quiet too, like his dad,” Francis concurred.
“Think he’ll be like Marc?”
“Too soon to tell.”
Quinn shifted Cody to his other hip as he reached the next ladder, this time not stopping. While holding the boy, it was almost as if he didn’t need to wait for directions. He could sense the wave of misery, of desperation. He needed to get lower.
“What’s up with that?” Olivia asked.
Andrew, her partner for this shift, answered, “No clue. You think Quinn is doing something he shouldn’t be?”
“Not after Marc knocking Jax down in rank this morning. He wouldn’t take that chance.”
Quinn, who was climbing slower after three levels, frowned. He hated it that the camp was gossiping about his jealousy of Billy. He didn’t want to feel it.
Cody pointed as they reached the bottom of the ladder. “Vere.” Cody squirmed down. “Fank vou.”
Quinn followed the child to a rear storage sector, not about to leave the kid down here on his own.
Cody stopped in the entryway to the corridor where Adrian had been staying.
Quinn froze behind him, spotting Candy sitting on the edge of hole, legs dangling. Quinn brushed by Cody quickly, wishing he could use his radio to tell Marc they had trouble. Training on the threat lights hadn’t happened yet.
Cody went to the ladder. When he reached the top rung, Olivia hefted him up and into a safe area. “Where’s Quinn?”
“Helping the lady,” Cody said, straightening his shirt. “She needs help.”
Both guards rushed down the ladder as Cody continued to the storage area nearby. He entered the darkness without fear, going to a rear shelf that hid the woman lying on the floor.
“You’re very brave,” Angela praised. “Thank you.”
Cody sank down next to her and rested his cheek on her shoulder.
Angela felt the pain again of her missing child, but it was swamped by the confusion of the boy next to her. She shoved her agony aside to help him with his. “She might change.”
Cody shook his head. “Momma’s bad.”
Angela didn’t lie again. “We’ll love you. Your dad already does.”
Cody looked up at her. “Can you?”
“Easily.” Angela smiled, sliding her arm around his shoulders. “Would you like that? I get lonely.”
Cody nodded sadly. “Yes, please.”
Angela’s wound sealed a fraction as the boy wrapped his thin arms around her. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Cody smiled. He brushed his dark hair from his eyes and used his free hand to finger Angela’s thick black braid while they waited. The shade was identical to his own.
7
“She broke up with me.”
Marc didn’t spot anger or depression and was glad. Angela’s notebooks had given a timeline. They were nearing what she called the wildcard flip. He had asked and been told that meant fate got to play a card and they never knew what it would be, only that it was always lethal to them. Marc was very aware that they had entered that timeline now. They needed their citizens to stay alert, not to be love-stricken or heartbroken. Like me, he thought.
Daryl sat down across from Marc at the mess, aware of those around them listening. “I tried to talk to her, like you asked and she told me to move out of the couples’ area!”
Marc grunted. “It was worth trying.”
“She’s rough, Marc,” Daryl stated, lowering his voice to a mutter. “She thinks Angie wants to kill her and the baby.”
“I know. That’s why I sent Millie to her. I believe she has Mountain Sickness.”
Daryl’s profile eased a little. “I didn’t think of that!”
“She needs time to calm down and we’ll get her up toward the top as soon as she’s okay to be out in general population,” Marc informed the man. “We’ll help her as much as we can.”
Daryl hesitated and Marc shook his head. “No, you don’t have to. If it was over, it was over.”
“I didn’t want to abandon her that way,” Daryl admitted. “but she’s not stable. I’ve been noticing things.”
Marc spotted Billy and Jeremy coming into the mess and waved them over. “Let’s get the updates done so you guys can go to the lesson tonight. You’ll feel better after a good workout.”
All of the men grinned, pondering how enjoyable it would be to beat on Adrian.
Marc was almost sorry he wasn’t going.
Jennifer came through the tunnel.
Marc waved her over. He’d sent her to interrogate Julia and Chauncey, hoping she could tell him once and for all if those two were trustworthy to be loose in camp.
“Definitely not,” Jennifer answered as she joined him. “I talked to her while she washed, but she went into the living quarters and there were too many ears. Plus, the boy was there and I didn’t want to scare him.”
“What did she ask him?”
“The basics about you and Angela–where you met, how long you’d been a couple. Then she asked about the gifts you two have.”
“What did he tell her?”
“He says he only tracks them, but he’s lying. I don’t think he told her, though.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because he wants to go to the island with us. He won’t screw that up.”
“What about her?”
Jennifer frowned. “I wouldn’t let her roam anymore. Give her guards that do their jobs.”
“You.”
Jennifer shrugged, pleased. �
�Sure.”
Marc gestured toward the small group of Eagles leaving the mess. “Are you going to watch the chaos?”
Jennifer smiled a bit. “No. I’m spending the entire night with my daughter.”
Marc waved her off in approval and resumed his paperwork and meal.
8
“Are you about done?” Neil asked, gently smoothing a curl behind Samantha’s ear. She appeared dead on her feet. Neil hoped to get her out of here for some fun soon. The camp party on the mess level would be a good start.
Sam took in his new bruises and smiled tolerantly. Neil was preparing for the new training. He still hated Adrian, but he enjoyed having a challenge. Sam assumed he would attend all the lessons his former teacher held.
“Just a couple more minutes. I have procedures to follow now.”
Neil realized something had happened and scanned the dials, the monitors. As he got to the desk, he realized Samantha was filling out nametags on the unused dosimeters.
Getting them ready for the camp, he connected in horror.
Neil studied the monitor, where the bonfire showed several people who appeared to be staggering around drunkenly. “They’re sick?”
“They’re dying,” Samantha corrected tonelessly. “The numbers outside are now toxic after a few hours of exposure. They’re living in it.”
Neil took out his notebook and flipped to the rear pages, where he’d been given notes. “She told me to do something when the levels went up… Here it is.” He read the scribbled message. “Turn off the monitors. You don’t need to watch what I’ve done.”
Samantha sighed in relief. “Thank you. It was getting hard.”
Neil reached over and switched off the screens, now understanding why Samantha hadn’t allowed her relief in yet. That man was sitting outside the door in confusion. “I’ll send him to do something else,” Neil offered.
“Good. After I finish these tags, I have to take the packs of iodine to Li to add to the food. We need to increase our intake right now.”
“I’ll do it,” he said. “What else?”
“Unfortunately, not much,” she told him, opening the next box of personal radiation monitoring badges. “All we can do is hope it only kills them.”
