by Angel Lawson
“You mean the Hybrids,” Ms. Perez says. “You said yourself that they’re dangerous. Are his concerns not valid?”
Wyatt clenches his jaw. “It’s not black and white—not anymore. The Hybrids are not the only mutation.”
“What are you talking about?” Ethan asks.
I step forward. “My sister is a brilliant scientist and as much as I hate to admit it, very dangerous.”
“You said she created a vaccine—something we desperately need.”
“She did create the vaccine and she willingly shares it with survivors. In the process of doing something good she also made something bad. She developed the mutation for the Hybrids. And additionally something we call a Mutt—which is a human/hybrid mixture.”
“A Mutt?” Perez looks like her brain may implode.
“The Mutts are good. Their brains and humanity intact. And without them we cannot take on the Hybrids. It’s the only way we defeated them before.”
“Hamilton wants to get rid of all the mutations?” she asks.
“Yes.” Again I move closer to the bench and do my best to keep my voice calm and level. “We have friends that sacrificed themselves to become Mutts. They fought side by side with us to defeat the Hybrid Army. But Hamilton…his views are a distraction. They could lead us down a path of even greater destruction, because if we kill the Mutts then we are at risk. The Hybrids will not stop until we’re all dead.”
The council chair frowns. “What are you saying? You want to keep some of the mutants alive?”
Wyatt rubs his neck. He doesn’t want to reveal what comes next. “It means we need them on our side. We need them to work for us and with us. To eradicate the Eaters and Hybrids and rebuild society. But if you let Hamilton in here he’ll manipulate things the wrong way. We’ll be fighting a war—his war—not making progress.”
She looks at Zoe. “Is this true?”
“My father is very convincing and very committed to his ideas. Increasingly, I am aware that his beliefs are not the best thing for society as a whole.”
“He’ll take out anyone that gets in his way,” Parker says. “Anyone.”
“Are you sure about that?” Ethan asks. He crosses his arms over his chest. “Because if we’re under threat of genetically modified soldiers it sounds like Hamilton may not be a bad person to have on our side.”
“I’ve learned the hard way that even when I’ve been desperate it’s not a good idea to make a deal with the devil.” I study each person on the council. “It’s hard to know who to trust out here and you don’t know us at all but we’re the real deal. We know what we’re talking about.”
“I’ll admit, Ms. Ramsey, it’s a hard story to digest. We’ll take your plea into consideration but Colonel Hamilton is scheduled to arrive in the next few weeks. We owe him an audience.”
“Wait. There’s one more thing,” I say, feeling the truth bubble in my chest. I look at my friends and I’m met with universal approval. Everyone except Wyatt who stares at the ground in silence. “We’re wanted by Hamilton. We abandoned our positions as bounty hunters. He’s probably also under the impression we kidnapped his daughter.”
“Which is not true,” Zoe says. “For the record.”
“So if you’re here, we’re harboring fugitives.”
“Not only that but in the course of the Hybrid wars, many sacrifices were made. Several of us--” I don’t name names, “--took a booster shot that gave us enhanced abilities. It was temporary and frankly, the only thing that kept us alive.”
Parker gasps and the rest of the room falls into instant chatter. The guards at both doors reach for their weapons. Ms. Perez stands and says, “You’ve just told us how dangerous the Hybrids are and now you admit to being one?”
“No.” I hold my hands up. Ethan moves the knife from the leg strap. Wyatt is a heartbeat behind me, daring anyone to make a move. “No. This is what we’re trying to tell you. The E-TR virus changed us—changed the fabric of humanity. It changed everyone and to survive we have had to take risks. We weren’t lucky enough to live behind the walls of a safe city. I lived forty miles away and had no idea this place existed. Instead, I went through hell and back to fight for humans. In the end I had to make a difficult choice. One that threatened to tear me away from those closest to me, but one that also was the right thing to do.”
“What do you want from us, Ms. Ramsey?” Perez asks.
“We want you to help us fight for the future, the kind with a real leader and not some deranged sociopath that managed to survive The Crisis with twisted logic and sketchy ideas.” I glance at Zoe. “No offense.”
She shrugs.
“We’ll take your concerns into consideration,” Ms. Perez says. “I don’t think anyone on the Council feels comfortable making a decision until we have more facts and an opportunity to talk to Hamilton directly. The idea of using the Mutts as protection may be a good one, but there would have to be limitations. Segregation from the rest of the community.”
“What?” Jude says. I glance back and see his upset expression. “No. That’s not okay. They’re still people.”
“Are the Eaters not still people underneath?”
“It’s not the same thing,” Parker says.
“How do we know that?” Perez asks.
“If you spent any time out there you’d know the difference.”
Perez shakes her head. “I think we’re through here. Since you’re admitted fugitives and we’re under a complicated alliance with New Hope we need you to stay here until Hamilton arrives. I appreciate your information and honesty and I see no reason to place you in the prison cells. You’re welcome to return to the hotel under guard and supervision while we consider everything that transpired today.”
“That’s all? You’ll consider it?” I ask. Wyatt tugs on the back of my shirt and I reluctantly quiet. “Thank you.”
“What about Parker?” Jude asks.
“She can go with you.” She looks down at our friend. “I apologize for keeping you in isolation. We have to take precautions.”
“Don’t waste this opportunity,” I say to the council as Sophia ushers us out the door. “It seems like you’ve got an amazing town. It’s exactly the kind of place people love to destroy.”
Chapter Seventeen
We arrive back at the hotel and Wyatt takes my hand and leads me to the bedroom. His face is grim, jaw tight and set, eyes boring into mine.
“That was very—”
“Stupid? I know, I’m sorry, I’m just tired of lying and being on guard and I just want—”
“Brave.” He steps close and takes my hands in his. “You’re so brave. I’m envious of your strength.”
I snort and run my hands up his arms. His biceps are rock hard. “Me? I don’t think so.”
“I’m not talking physical strength, not exactly. I’m talking about how you fight for us over and over.” The way he looks at me rocks me to the core and I’m terrified for some reason. “You’re the girl who kicks ass. The one that hits back. The one, when the time calls for it, shoots without hesitation. In the end Alexandra, you’ll be the one that saves us all.”
“That’s a lot of pressure.”
“Good thing you’re not doing it alone.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and pull him in for a hug. He’s not going to like what I’m about to say next, but asking after that speech may work in my favor.
“There’s something I need to do.”
“What?”
I take a deep breath. “I need to go home.”
*
We pack up and tell the others.
“You’re breaking out?” Jude asks. Parker sits close to him on the couch. Mary Ellen is on her other side.
“Breaking out sounds so…illegal. Who are these people to hold us prisoner?” I don’t add that I have a nagging feeling in my stomach that struck me the minute we went over the mountains. “It’s just something I need to do, you know? We’re so close to my hometown.
It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days.”
“What do we tell the Council?”
“Tell them the truth. That I got antsy and left. Wyatt came with me.” I spot the frown on Zoe’s face. “Seriously. We’re coming back. Don’t even think of following us, okay?”
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Jude declares this like he has to say it.
I make eye contact with Parker and inch my head toward the bedroom. She follows me in.
With the door shut, I give her another hug. This time I let the tears fall and I push them away with my hand.
“Not gonna lie, girl. I wasn’t sure we’d see you again.”
“Tell me about it. Do you really have to leave?” she asks.
“I think so. It’s important and it’s something Wyatt and I can do alone. We’ll be back soon. I promise.”
“Hamilton’s a bad man,” Parker says. She wipes her own, surprising, tears from her cheeks. “When we left you guys at the farmhouse I was worried we’d meet the Hybrids. We ran across that guy Avi on the road, Jane’s friend, and he told us they were coming. We changed directions, going away from Fort Knox. That’s how we ended up in New Hope.”
“What made you so nervous?”
“Walker and Davis shifted on a dime. They drank the Kool-Aid big time. They wanted the safety and security of New Hope and frankly, I think they were so scared and tired of the Hybrids that they were willing to buy into his elimination plan. But I worked with Paul for a long time and I heard the story about Cole saving your life. I knew the difference between a Mutt and a Hybrid. They didn’t care.”
“Not even Davis?” He’d traveled the same path as Parker.
“I just think he was ready to be part of something bigger and more secure. He’s a military man through-and-through.”
“I have to admit it’s tempting,” I say.
“When I heard about Hamilton’s long-term plans, the bounty hunters and purge, I knew I couldn’t stay. It sounded too familiar.”
“Like Jane’s original plans.” I shake my head. “Eradicating the world from terrorists and then the creation of super soldiers.”
“Yes. Exactly.”
That nagging feeling in my chest comes back and I know it’s time for me and Wyatt to leave.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.”
She grimaces. “Well, it looks like you’ve needed me around. You guys got into all kinds of trouble while I was gone. Imprisonment, injections, epic end-of-times battles.”
“Hey! I killed Chloe!”
“After pumping yourself with one of Jane’s cocktails.”
I shake my head. “It was the only way.”
“Do you really think it will fully wear off?” she asks.
“It seems to kick in here and there. Mostly when we need it,” I explain. The tremors in my hands feel less frequent though. “There’s something else I need to tell you before we go.”
“What’s that?”
I sigh and sit on the bed. “It’s about Mary Ellen.”
It doesn’t take long to explain the situation. Parker’s face quickly sets into one of concern and horror. Pregnancy is no joke in the apocalypse.
“She wants to keep that baby.”
“Well then she’s going to need a safe place to stay,” Parker says, running her hands over her thighs. “Like this one.”
“Yes, we need to do everything we can to protect Winston-Salem and keep it an actual Safe City.”
She nods. “We’ll keep an eye on her while you’re gone.”
“Zoe, too?”
“Oh, I’m definitely keeping an eye on her.”
I laugh. “Don’t trust her?”
“Not an inch.”
“I think she’s okay, but we’ve been betrayed before.” And that sums most of my life up. It’s hard to let in new people and settle in a new place. It’s only a matter of time before true intentions reveal themselves or someone comes knocking on the door. Someone without my best interest.
I stand and give Parker one last hug. “We’ll be back. I promise.”
She squeezes my neck. “You better be.”
There’s a knock on the door and Wyatt opens it slowly. “We need to go.”
I nod and grab my bag.
Chapter Eighteen
Leaving the city isn’t exactly easy, but the guards aren’t really used to people like me and Wyatt. The government did a good job of fortifying the walls—much better than anywhere else I’ve been, excluding New Hope. Ironically our time there is what gives Wyatt the idea.
“We need to wait until they come in and out.”
“The front gate?” I ask. We managed to get out of the room and down the stairwell with a slight distraction from our friends. I get the distinct idea that people inside generally don’t try to leave. They’re mostly trying to keep people out.
“No. There are specific entries and exits for the military. They don’t want the townspeople to get nervous.” We’re two blocks away, pressed in the shadows of a brick building.
“There are literally soldiers on every corner.” We’d slipped past a few.
“Those are just low-level peace officers.”
“And how do you know all of this?” His eyes flash in the dark before he leans out to check the street. He waves me to follow and we run down the alley. We don’t stop until we come to a garage two blocks away. I grab him by the shirt. “Seriously, Wyatt, how do you know this?”
“Let’s just say I still have a few contacts.”
I stare at him, dumbfounded. We’re hundreds of miles away from where we started. Both armies we were involved with are decimated and gone. Our friends are split and every day I learn something new about this crazy God-forsaken world, and Wyatt still has contacts. I place my hands on my hips. “Who?”
He lifts my hand and presses a quick kiss on my palm. “Can’t tell you that, babe. But come on, I think we’re about to get our chance.”
“Did you just call me ‘babe’?”
He raises an eyebrow. “Is that not a thing?”
“Not one of our things.”
“Gotcha.”
He turns on a dime and doesn’t even wait for me to make his move. I learned a long time ago to trust this man with my life. I shouldn’t be surprised he’s still three steps ahead of me.
His plan goes without a hitch, the gate opening just as we arrive. Two things make this whole situation easier than what we’re accustomed to. One is that they aren’t used to the battles, warfare, and the level of general survival that we are. The second is that we’re up against regular humans. Not the super soldiers we’re used to. They don’t hear the smallest footfall or our heartbeats. On the other hand, adrenaline makes my senses tick up a notch, and I’m well aware we need to let twelve guards go past us before we make our move. I tug Wyatt back at number ten. Two are lagging behind and we wait for them to pass before we slip through the gate.
“You’re not the only one with tricks up their sleeves,” I tell him.
“Oh, I never doubted that,” he replies, unflappable.
We don’t speak for a long time, instead using the dark in our favor. I can still see a little better than usual but I think the effects are fading. The idea worries me. I never planned on staying like this forever but having some extra mojo certainly is nice.
Wyatt ensured we exit on the southwest side of the city, moving in the direction of Raleigh. The ground crunches under our feet and the smell of soot and ash are thick in the air. The shells of buildings line the streets. “Looks like a pretty bad fire,” I say.
“Yeah,” he points down a long clear road. The fence line is visible from here, even in the dark. It veers sharply to the north. “I think this used to be part of the city.”
“A massive fire? Yeah, that’s the kind of thing that can cause setbacks.” I step over shattered glass. “I mean, in a lot of ways the city has made great strides in the two years after the fall. The government didn’t totally screw up. But they also seem like
babies just learning to walk.”
“The whole place could be wiped out quickly. Then they’d have to start all over again.” He skirts between two charred cars. “The energy to do it again? That would be a challenge.”
It takes a while to get to the end of the burned-out area and when we do, I look back and see the metal fence glinting off the sunrise.
“Do you think they have any idea what’s coming?”
Wyatt brushes my hand with his. “Not a clue.”
*
The first night out, Wyatt finds a skinny horse grazing deep in a pasture while I sleep in a musty hayloft. I don’t ask how long it took to catch him, but he’s bruised and sweaty when he comes back with a rope lassoed around the horse’s neck. There’s a bridle and reins hung on the downstairs wall, and after a bit of a fight we manage to get it on. We’re just outside of Greensboro, which is too big to enter safely. We take side roads instead, avoiding the main highways as they’re too clogged with abandoned vehicles. It’s obvious from the stench and packs of Eaters that the cleanup crews haven’t come this far. People must not come through town often. They’re either in the Safe City, holed up somewhere, or dead.
“How many people do you think are left?” I ask. The horse plods along and he’s stubborn as hell, giving Wyatt a fight if he loosens the reins. “Like, total.”
“I don’t know but I think the parasite got a lot of people.” He wraps the leather strap around his wrist. “I saw it in action. It moved quickly. Your father was smart to keep you and your mom isolated for those first few weeks.”
“My friends didn’t make it,” I tell him. I’ve never mentioned it to anyone before. Not even Cole. “I went to see if they could come with me and my mom, but they were sick when I got there.”
His free hand rubs along my thigh. I’m pressed tight against him. “I’d say there was nothing you could do, but you did it. You got the data to your father and sister. You’ve made a difference in all this.”
“Was it the right one? Why not just let the parasite fade out, let the Eaters rot and decay? Creating those Hybrids was a terrible thing to unleash on the world. Maybe worse than the Eaters themselves.”
