There

by Denise Grover Swank

  I feel nauseated.

  Reece steps between us. “I said back off, Jo.”

  She puts her hand on her hip, her lip curling in disgust. “What’s the deal with you three anyway?”

  “None of your business.” Reece says through gritted teeth.

  Reece thinks she’s asking about why we’re running, but I see the look in her eyes. She’s really asking what’s going on emotionally between Evan, Reece and me. I’d set her straight, but I’m too angry with her at the moment to care. If she’d followed the lead Reece and I had gotten, we wouldn’t be in this mess. This is partially her fault.

  Jo takes several deep breaths. “Let’s just get to the boarding house before you do anything else stupid.” She takes off without a backward glance.

  Reece tries to take my hand, but I pull away. Jo’s right. I was an idiot, and now I’ll have to wait twenty-four more hours to help Evan.

  Jo leads us back down the main hall, then down another corridor to a large metal door. She slides it open, revealing a long hallway full of doors.

  “It looks like a storage building.” I say.

  “It was used for storage before the war.” Jo snorts. “I guess it still is. Human storage.”

  She takes us to the first door and talks to a girl behind a counter. “One room for ten hours. And three showers.” Then she pays the girl with a bag.

  The girl hands Jo a card. “10C. Down to the left.”

  The rooms are accessed by sliding doors. Some are open as we pass, and I can’t help peeking inside. Blankets lay on the floor of most of the rooms and nothing else.

  Jo stops and threads her hand on her backpack strap. “Here we go. Home sweet home for the next ten hours.”

  Reece pushes open the door with a faded 10C painted in black, then turns to Jo. “No beds?”

  “You pampered Region-babies. Of course, no beds. You want someone else’s lice? We use the blankets we brought. Showers are down the hall. I suggest you take one. You both stink.” She pulls a threadbare towel out of her bag and tosses it to Reece. “You’ll have to share, but somehow I don’t think that will be a problem.”

  Reece catches it with one hand. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Sometimes boys are so clueless.

  “I’ll be back later.” She points her finger at me. “Don’t go anywhere. Don’t talk to anyone.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “Out.” Then she leaves before we can ask her anything else.

  Chapter Nine

  Reece and I stare at each other for a couple of seconds before I walk into the small room. It’s an eight-by-eight-foot square with a stone floor. The back wall has been carved from rock, but the front and side walls are concrete blocks.

  We walk into the room and look around although there’s nothing to see.

  Reece tosses his bag onto the floor. “I’m sorry about Jo.”

  “She’s right. It was stupid.”

  “No, it wasn’t. You had an opportunity, and you took it. That’s not stupid.”

  “Giving up some of the lavender was stupid, especially since that guy packed up and took off. Jo’s right. He scammed me.”

  “We gave lavender to the woman who told us about him. What’s the difference? Besides, you don’t know that he won’t show up tomorrow.”

  I release a breath. “I don’t know that he will either.”

  “Didn’t you get medicine for that baby?”

  “Yeah, but I probably paid the equivalent of ten thousand dollars for a bottle of Robitussin.”

  Reece looks dumbfounded, then I realize he doesn’t get the context. I shake my head. “Never mind.”

  “Look, what matters is you helped that woman and maybe saved that baby’s life. You have a good heart, Julia. Don’t let someone like Jo steal it from you.”

  I smile. “Thanks.” I reach for him and give him a hug.

  He holds me close for several seconds, not saying anything. I close my eyes, confused about my feelings, but now doesn’t seem to be the time to sort them out. Something stirs deep inside my brain and I freeze. What was that? Maybe I am losing my mind.

  I drop my arms then dig through my bag, pull out a blanket, and spread it over the ground. One blanket isn’t enough for padding, but I’ll have to deal with it.

  Reece lays his next to mine but several inches apart. The comfort the gesture gives me fills me with guilt. I have Reece close to help keep me warm while Evan has no one. Evan is burning up with a fever in a freezing house while I’m relatively safe.

  I sit cross-legged on the pallet. I should probably take advantage of being able to take a shower, but I don’t have the energy to search it out. “Did you have any idea that people lived out here like this?”

  He sits next to me. “No. I mean I knew they lived out here, but I never thought much about how they lived. It makes me appreciate what I had more.”

  I nod and pick at a nub in the weave of my shirt.

  “Don’t misunderstand me. The government is still wrong.”

  I look up. “I know. But you had it easier than most of these people will ever have. I get it.”

  Reece’s eyes cloud with confusion. While he wants his freedom, I can see that he’s asking himself if he’s willing to pay the price.

  I extend my legs and lean back on my elbows. “Where do you think Jo went?” Where has Jo gone, what is she doing, and will she come back? These three questions tumble around in my head like clothes in a washing machine, but I have no answers. I’ll have to wait and see if she shows up before our ten hours are up. If she doesn’t, I guess we leave without her, which doesn’t seem right. She should have told us what she was doing.

  “That is a very good question. What was up with her before she left?”

  “She thinks there’s something between you and me.”

  His eyes widen. “Why would she care?”

  “Because she also thinks there’s something between Evan and me.”

  “Oh…”

  “When she was asking what was the deal with us, that’s what she meant.”

  His face scrunches in confusion. “Again, why does she care?”

  “Why do girls ever care about relationships boys are in?”

  He looks stumped.

  “She likes you, Reece.”

  “Me?”

  I grin. “Yeah, you. Don’t hurt her, okay? I think she’s lived a hard life and could use a break. I don’t trust her at the moment, but I don’t really know her. She’s completely alone in this savage world and right now, we’re all that she has. I hope she figures that out. If we can sand down her rough edges, I think there’s someone inside worth keeping around.”

  “As long as she doesn’t double-cross us, I don’t plan to be mean to her.”

  “I know but…”

  “Don’t worry, Julia. I won’t scare her off. That’s what you’re really worried about, right?”

  I shrug. I’m not sure what I’m worried about, but the worry is there all the same.

  His eyes droop. “Do you want to take a shower?”

  I lie down on the blanket and close my eyes. “I’m too tired. Maybe we’ll have time before we leave in the morning.”

  Reece gets up and partially slides the door closed, leaving an inch-wide crack. The light from the opening gives the confined space a soft glow. Neither one of us is ready to be plunged into total darkness.

  Reece climbs back on his blanket and lies down facing me as I try to ignore the noise outside our room.

  I yawn. “What time is it?”

  “I’m not certain since I gave my watch to Evan, but the last time I checked my handheld, it was almost midnight.”

  I’m worried that Jo hasn’t come back, but if anyone can take care of themselves here, it’s her. My eyes sink closed and I drift off into a deep sleep.

  I’m awakened when the door squeaks open and the room floods with light.

  “You two. Come with us,” a deep male voice booms in the small spac
e.

  Reece has already jerked upright and positions himself between me and the four men now in our room. They wear camouflage army fatigues and carry guns.

  “Go where?” Reece asks as I climb to my feet behind him.

  The man in charge hooks his thumbs into his waistband. “You’ll find out soon enough. Take your things.”

  Reece scratches the back of his neck. “Sorry, our time’s not up. We got the room for ten hours and we still get a shower.”

  “Get up.”

  I’m grateful that Reece doesn’t give another smart-mouthed response. We bunch up our blankets, and stuff them into our bags. As we’re paraded through darkened and less populated halls, I wonder if Jo turned us in. It makes perfect sense. As she conducted her business with the vendors in hushed tones, she could have easily been plotting. Alerting the authorities to our whereabouts so she could get a reward.

  Does she know who we are? Does she know what we’re worth? Or do they want us for the United Regions equipment we possess? Disappointment leaves a bitter taste on my tongue. Despite my doubts, I’d still hoped she would help us.

  We walk through the dimmed market. There are fewer vendors but several are toting their goods to the square. The men take us through a door that leads to a staircase, and we go up two flights of stairs before exiting through another door.

  Reece’s fingers twitch at his side, and I move up next to him and take his hand, worried he’ll do something rash. He casts a glance at me, his face tight with anxiety.

  If they are after me or know who I am, I have to find out a way to save Reece. He has to get the medicine and take it to Evan. But there’s no time to work out a plan because we’re herded into an office I’m not prepared for. While everything outside of the room is concrete, rock and stark, this room is rich, full of antique furniture, paintings and decorations.

  An old man sits in a leather chair behind a massive wooden desk with carvings on the panels. His face is expressionless as he watches us enter, and he motions to two leather guest chairs in front of his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

  I release Reece’s hand and sit in the chair on the left, dropping my bag on the floor next to me. Two of the men who escorted us here leave and shut the door. The other two remain in the back of the room.

  “I’m Deacon. Welcome to my city.” He places a slight emphasis on the word my. I have no doubt he is the ruler and dictator here and capable of doing anything he wants.

  “Thank you.” I say, placing my hands on the leather seat to hide my shaking.

  “And how was your journey here?”

  Reece tilts his head slightly. “Well, the weather’s a bit nippy.”

  “That it is. I hear you acquired some warmer clothing.”

  I bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from gasping, hoping to hide the betrayal I feel. Did Jo tell him? How else would he know?

  “Where are you two from?”

  Reece gives a half shrug as a cocky grin spreads across his face. “Around.”

  The man smiles, but a threatening edge lurks under the surface. “I see. Would you like to hear what I know?”

  “Should I care?” Reece asks.

  Deacon ignores him. “Three young people, two boys and a girl, escaped from Springfield in a government SUV four days ago. Now these three teens must have done something special to create such a fuss. And now here you two sit. Coincidence?”

  My heart races and I resist the urge to glance at Reece.

  “But here’s the confusing part: The reports we’ve intercepted from Springfield list two boys and a girl. My people report that two girls and a boy entered my city.”

  Reports he intercepted? Then Jo didn’t sell us out. Even though we’re in deep trouble, a small sliver of relief warms my heart.

  Reece shifts his weight in his chair. “That’s because you’ve got the wrong people. We’re not them.”

  “Then where are you from?”

  Oh crap. We should have come up with a plausible story with Jo.

  “Area Ten.” Reece says.

  “Area Ten, you say?” His mouth forms a grimace, which smoothes away seconds later. He slides a piece of paper on the desk towards him and puts on a pair of glasses as he leans over it. “You claim to be Tom Smith and Anna Pinkerton from Area Ten, but I don’t think so. Do you know how I know?”

  Neither of us answers.

  The man removes his glasses then taps his fingers on the desk, the steady beat filling my head and creating a tempo for my terror. “Your clothing tells me that you’re from some civilized area, but the other girl...” His tapping stops and he looks into my eyes. His own widen in surprise and he looks flustered but keeps my gaze.

  I want to look away but fear I’ll look weak.

  Finally, he swallows and shakes he head, then plasters on his fake smile. “Jo Duncan from Area Ten. Now I believe she might be from Area Ten, although I suspect if she’s here on some shaky business, she’s not going to tell us where she’s really from or who she really is. So now that leaves two more questions: Where’s the other boy and where’s the government truck?”

  My throat closes off and I can barely breathe let alone speak. I don’t have time to consider the possibility that Jo lied to us about who she is as well as the entry guard.

  The man’s gaze locks onto my face. “Julia Phillips, sixteen. Long brown hair. Green eyes. One hundred and sixty-two centimeters. Fifty-six kilograms.”

  I swallow.

  He smiles, but it’s calculating and cold. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Phillips.”

  I refuse to answer.

  Turning to Reece he tilts his head. “And you must be Reece Collins, seventeen. Brown hair, green eyes. One hundred and eighty centimeters. Seventy-seven kilograms.” He drums his fingers on his desk again. “Now where’s your friend?”

  I push down my fear and lie. “Dead.”

  Deacon stands and walks around his desk, resting his hip against the side. “See, I don’t believe that.” He pauses. “Sick, I believe. But not dead. At least not yet. You spent all last night in the market looking for antibiotics.”

  What doesn’t this man know? Jo was right. I painted a giant bulls-eye on us.

  “Where are you headed?”

  The silence in the room pricks my nerves.

  “Out west, perhaps? To the rebels? Could it be that you have something valuable to give them?”

  The door opens and two men bring Jo into the room. She jerks out of their hold and ignores us, keeping her eyes on Deacon.

  Deacon smiles. “You must be Jo.”

  Jo walks up behind our chairs, all confidence and swagger. “And you must be Deacon. What an honor.” But the tone of her voice suggests otherwise.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that. While I’m sure these two came from Springfield, I believe you are from out in the wilds.”

  “What gave me away? My worn-out clothes or my need for a shower?”

  I think Reece has met his match for smart-mouthing authoritarian figures.

  “You must be the one with the tobacco. These two would have never gotten it in Springfield.”

  Jo purses her mouth and shrugs. “We came by it fair and square.”

  “No one’s questioning how it came into your possession.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “That’s to be determined. Why does the United Regions want three teenagers so badly?”

  “What do you care?” Reece asks.

  “I didn’t get where I am by burying my head in the sand. I keep tabs on the United Regions and the Rebels in the west.”

  Rebels in the west? That’s the second time he’s mentioned them. He knows where Reece’s mother has gone.

  “The UR has become complacent. It’s like a sleeping giant and something has awakened it from its slumber. I want to know what that something is.”

  “Yeah, we don’t know anything about governments and rebels and we sure haven’t come across any giants. Or bean stal
ks.” Reece winks.

  “I think you do know, at least regarding the United Regions government. And you’re seeking out the rebels.” Deacon crosses his legs. “My curiosity needs to be satisfied.”

  What are we going to tell this man to appease him? What could three teenagers have done to get the attention of the United Regions government?

  We remain silent.

  Deacon studies each of us until his gaze rest on me. He stares into my eyes for several seconds. “I want to speak to Miss Phillips. Alone.”

  “No!” Reece jumps up and lunges for me as two guards grab his arms and pull him back.

  Panic floods my head. He’s going to get himself hurt or killed. “Reece! Stop!”

  But he continues fighting the guards.

  I twist around to see Jo’s stunned face. “Jo! Stop him!”

  Her expression falls away and she narrows her eyes. “Reece.” Her voice is low and threatening. “Calm your ass down. Are you an idiot?”

  He shoots daggers of hate toward her, but stops thrashing.

  She glares at him. “Let Deacon talk to her. She’ll be fine.”

  “No need to get worked up, Mr. Collins.” Deacon says with a slight grin. “I promise to be a thoughtful host.”

  Deacon’s response gets Reece worked up again, and I’m about to give into my tears, but I can’t afford to break down. “Reece,” I hiss. “You’re not helping things.”

  This seems to calm him down, and he takes a deep breath. He points a finger at Deacon. “If you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”

  Deacon’s eyebrows rise. “Are you threatening me?”

  Reece shakes out of his captors’ grip and stands taller. “You heard me.”

  Deacon chuckles and waves his hand. The guards drag Reece out, Jo following. She looks over her shoulder at me and something in her face tells me to stay strong.

  The door closes behind her, and I turn around to face Deacon.

  He moves behind his desk and sits in his chair, his hands clutching the arms as he watches me, curiosity in his eyes. Finally, he speaks. “Enough of this nonsense, Miss Phillips. Why don’t you tell me where you’re really from?”

  Chapter Ten