Leah shouted back up the slope. “I don’t need it!”
“Really? These blankets look pretty warm, and fall will be here soon.”
“I have more blankets. At home.”
The woman shrugged. “Okay, it’s up to you.”
Leah couldn’t see much of the woman’s face, she was too far away, but her clothes were the drab green of camouflage gear. A Transport soldier maybe? Or TRACE. Leah glanced around, half expecting more men to come swarming out of the trees to arrest her.
“Look,” said the woman, “I’m not going to hurt you! In fact, I might even be able to help you.”
A frown creased Leah’s brow. “Why?”
“Why not? My name’s Alice, by the way.”
Leah chewed at her lip. The woman certainly didn’t look like a threat. She was just sitting there, seemingly relaxed. If she was armed, she could have probably shot Leah in the back as she’d run. And Leah really did need her stuff.
Hesitantly, Leah rustled the branches of a nearby tree as though she was coming out. The woman, Alice, didn’t move.
Leah scanned the horizon for more TRACE soldiers, then stepped out of the copse. She steeled herself for the inevitable sniper shot. When it didn’t come, she walked slowly up the hill, her eyes locked on Alice.
Alice had a slight build and a thin, olive-skinned face with high cheekbones. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, adding to the severity of her features. She looked young, a few years older than Leah, but there was a toughness to her face that implied she’d seen more than her fair share of life’s trials. There was a dark smudge of dirt across her forehead.
Alice smiled at Leah as she got close. “That’s better. What’s your name?”
Leah didn’t speak. She was watching the woman’s hands. They were resting on her knees. It was an innocent enough pose, but now that she was closer, Leah could see the holster on the woman’s hip and the butt of the pistol poking out of it. If Alice moved her hand toward the weapon, Leah would run.
“Okay,” said Alice, “if you don’t want to tell me your name, that’s fine.”
Alice shifted position. Leah moved to sprint away.
“It’s okay,” said Alice. “I’m really not going to hurt you.” She gestured toward the pack in front of her. “If you want your gear back, you can have it.”
Leah stopped. She was still a few paces away from Alice, not close enough to get the pack.
“But you look kind of hungry.”
Right on cue, Leah’s stomach grumbled. A slight smile curled Alice’s lips. It softened her eyes and made her seem less stern.
There was a small scar above Alice’s right eye. Seeing it reminded Leah of Katherine. Leah had trusted her. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
“I can get you some food,” said Alice. “Proper food, not that tough old jerky.”
Leah’s mouth went dry, and her heart ratcheted up a couple of notches. This woman could easily have killed her.
As though she could read Leah’s mind, Alice said, “Yes, I was here last night. I could have murdered you while you were sleeping. But like I said, I don’t want to. I want to help you. Just say the word.”
Leah glanced at her pack. Alice moved and Leah tensed, but Alice picked up the blankets and pushed them into the pack. Then she offered it to Leah.
“Go on, take it.”
Leah took a couple of hesitant steps forward and took the bag. Her mind screamed at her to run, to charge off down the hill without looking back. But her heart wanted her to stay. If only to talk.
Leah slung the pack over her shoulder. Alice leaned back against the tree. Her left hand rested on the ground beside her, uncomfortably close to her gun.
“Are you from New Leighton?” asked Alice.
Leah hesitated, then nodded.
Alice gave her a sad look. “I’m sorry. Is there anyone with you?”
“No.”
Alice nodded slightly as though that was the answer she’d expected. “You’re right not to trust me. You shouldn’t really trust anyone. But it’s not safe to be out here alone.”
“I know.”
Alice smiled again, and the warmth returned to her eyes. “I know somewhere we can get you food and shelter. We’ve probably got some clothes that would fit you as well.”
“Are you part of TRACE?”
Alice’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Yes, I am.”
“Can you prove it?”
“Errr… I don’t think so. We don’t carry membership cards.”
“Then how do I know you aren’t lying?”
“I guess you don’t.”
Leah liked that answer. It was simple and direct, honest. She looked over her shoulder toward the copse. She couldn’t make it without being shot, and it wasn’t really big enough to hide in for long. Leah’s pack felt light on her shoulder. She really did need more supplies.
Pushing down thoughts of Katherine’s betrayal, she held out her hand. “My name’s Leah.”
Alice got to her feet and shook Leah’s hand.
“Pleased to meet you, Leah.”
Alice’s skin was rough, calloused.
“So where’s this place you were talking about?” said Leah.
“I’ll take you there, but I need to remove your BICE chip first.”
“My what?”
“Your BICE chip. You do have one?” Alice frowned. “Or has it already been removed?”
“I don’t know what you mean. What’s a rice chip?”
Alice’s frown deepened. “Can I see your neck?”
Leah took a step back.
“It’s okay. I’ll explain; I promise. I just need to check something.”
Leah slowly turned around. Alice lifted Leah’s hair and pressed the tips of her fingers against the top of her spine. She prodded and rubbed for a while until eventually she let Leah’s hair drop and stepped back. “Can I have a look at your hands?”
Leah offered them to Alice. She took them, running her fingers across the back, still frowning.
“You’re Amish?” said Alice.
“Err… no,” said Leah, hesitantly.
“But you must be; there’s no sign of a BICE chip or a scar where it was removed. No TRID, either.”
Leah sighed in frustration. “What is a rice chip?”
“It’s BICE. It’s a… communication device. It lets people connect with the public Internet. And Transport uses them to keep track of people. Almost everyone has a BICE. If you don’t, then you need a TRID, a Transfer ID. It’s illegal not to have one. Unless you’re Amish. They’re exempt from the TRID requirement, so…” Alice raised her eyebrows.
“No,” snapped Leah. “I’m not Amish. I was born in—I was born in New Leighton, and I’ve lived there all my life.”
Alice raised her hands, trying to placate Leah. “Okay, okay. I believe you. You’re not Amish.”
“Do you have one of these chips?”
“No, I don’t…”
“I thought you said everyone had one.” Leah was getting frustrated now.
“Mine was removed.”
“But everyone has to have one, by law.”
“Yes, but to be honest, that’s the least of my crimes as far as Transport is concerned.”
“Then maybe mine was removed, too.”
“Maybe,” said Alice, but the doubt was obvious in her voice. “Either way, Transport isn’t going to be able to follow us, so we should get going.”
Leah reconsidered going with Alice for a moment. The conversation had left her agitated. She wasn’t sure whether it was the accusation she was Amish, the fact that she didn’t have one of these chips, or the idea that Transport was tracking every one of its citizens. Whatever the cause, her stomach was churning, and going with Alice suddenly seemed like a bad idea again.
“Come on,” said Alice, and she turned and walked away.
Leah almost took the opportunity to run but thought better of it. She was hungry; she could at least ge
t some food before she continued on her way. She let Alice get a few feet ahead, then followed her down the hill.
4
“We need to wait here for a few minutes,” said Alice.
They were standing at the edge of a small wood, at the top of a long slope. A bank of cloud, heavy and gray, had rolled in, blocking out the midday sun, but Leah was still hot. The air was humid, and her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her body. They’d made the journey in almost complete silence. Alice had tried to start a few conversations, but Leah’s monosyllabic responses had shut those down until eventually she gave up.
Leah swiped at a fly as it buzzed past her. “Is it much farther?” Her voice came out high and whining, and she silently berated herself. She sounded like a child, even to herself.
Alice pointed. “It’s right there.”
There was a cluster of buildings at the base of the hill—a farm. An old tractor stood outside a tall cylindrical silo alongside an old car with no doors, but there were no other vehicles. The only signs of life were a pair of crows sitting atop the tractor and three more birds circling so high above Leah couldn’t make out what they were.
Alice took a sip from her canteen and offered it to Leah. Leah shook her head. They’d walked a long way and she was thirsty, but she had her own water. She’d trade with TRACE, but she didn’t need their charity.
“I’m just making sure we haven’t been compromised,” said Alice.
Leah shrugged as though she didn’t care. What she really wanted to do was find some shade and cool down. Maybe have some ice water. She made do with the last few lukewarm dregs from her own canteen, then stood in silence until her curiosity finally got the better of her.
“How will we know it’s safe?”
Alice checked her watch. “There should be a signal—from that barn on the end.”
It was an old building. The paint on the walls was flaking away, and the middle of the roof sagged dramatically. Some of the wooden slats on the nearest end had broken or rotted away to create two dark slits that looked like narrowed eyes. Leah was trying to work out what a terrorist signal might look like when one of the eyes closed, sealed up by a plank of wood.
“Okay, it’s safe,” said Alice.
“That’s it? Couldn’t anyone stick a bit of wood over a hole? Maybe your friends got captured, and the signal was tortured out of them. Maybe there’s someone waiting for us.”
Alice set off down the hill. “Maybe. There’s only one way to find out.”
For one last time, Leah considered turning away and taking her chances in the wilderness. Her doubts didn’t last long, though. She’d made her choice; now she had to see it through.
* * *
Captain Anderson was a broad-shouldered, muscular woman in military fatigues. Even sitting down, she looked tall, and she exuded a quiet, confident strength. When she’d shaken Leah’s hand, her grip had been so forceful Leah wouldn’t have been surprised to find her fingers broken when the captain let go.
The captain was in charge of this particular TRACE unit, and Alice had insisted that Leah needed to see her before they could offer her any hospitality.
The captain had made her office in one of the ground floor rooms in the main farmhouse. It was sparsely decorated—just a couple of filing cabinets and a battered old wooden desk and chairs. A map had been pinned to one wall. More pins marked two locations—one that looked like it might be the farmhouse, and a second near a river that was labeled TCF.
Despite her size, Anderson’s voice was soft. “Alice tells me you’re from New Leighton. You lost family in the attack?”
Leah nodded.
“I’m sorry; I truly am. Do you have anyone you could stay with? Family? Friends?”
Leah shook her head.
“She doesn’t say much,” said Alice.
Anderson smiled. “So I see.”
Leah straightened her back and tried to look more confident than she felt. It was cool in the farmhouse, but still her palms were sweating.
“It’s okay, Leah,” said Anderson. “You don’t need to speak if you don’t want to. You’ve had a shock. But if you have any questions, you can ask them.”
Leah didn’t want to talk; she wanted to trade what she could and then get away, but this might be a chance to get information that could help her stay alive once she was back out in the wilderness. She tried to think what her father would do, but he was Mr. Confident. He’d be laughing and joking with Alice and the captain within minutes. She couldn’t do that. Nor could she let this opportunity slip through her fingers.
Leah finally settled on a question. “Why did Transport attack the town?”
Anderson let out a deep sigh. “There were people there who were sympathetic to our cause. Transport found out.”
“So they just killed everyone?” said Leah. The idea seemed absurd.
“Yes. They have a new commander running this zone. She’s instigated a no-tolerance policy. Anyone even suspected of harboring one of us is arrested, at best.”
Leah thought of the woman interrogating her father in their kitchen and frowned.
“So, why did people in New Larton help you? They know you’re terrorists.”
Anderson hesitated for a moment before she spoke, a look of puzzlement on her face. “Not everyone thinks we’re terrorists. Some people, a lot of people, believe in what we’re trying to do. They want to break free of Transport’s grip.”
“One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” said Leah.
One corner of Anderson’s mouth turned up in a smile, but her eyes held admiration, not mockery. “That’s a good way of putting it.”
“A friend told me that.”
“Well, your friend is very wise.”
“He’s dead.”
Anderson’s smile faded. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. Transport killed him.”
Anderson nodded slowly. “Alice said you don’t have a BICE chip, that you’ve never had one.”
“That’s right. I didn’t even know what one was.”
“But you’re not Amish?”
“No,” said Leah, unable to temper the sharpness in her voice.
Anderson raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. “That makes you unique, Leah. At least as far as I know.”
There was a hint of suspicion beneath the words.
The captain held Leah’s gaze until she shifted uncomfortably. Then she said, “So, you really have nowhere to go?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Well, Alice thinks we could use you here, and I’m inclined to agree.”
“What do you mean, ‘use me here’?”
“I’d like you to join TRACE.”
Leah’s mouth dropped open as she struggled to find a reply.
“It would just be as a trainee at first, and you wouldn’t see action until you’re ready.”
Leah didn’t speak for several seconds. She sat, picturing herself battling Transport. She could see it in her mind’s eye—she was running through the streets of whatever city Transport was terrorizing, her automatic rifle chattering as she picked off the enemy one by one. She was an ace marksman, a hero, a savior. She could imagine it, but she didn’t want it.
This war had already cost her father his life and Leah her home. She wasn’t a soldier, and it didn’t matter whether TRACE were terrorists or freedom fighters; she wasn’t getting involved.
Leah shook her head.
Anderson held up her hands. “Please, Leah. We need people like you—smart, resourceful people who have a reason to fight Transport.”
“No,” said Leah, and her voice had a sharp edge to it that surprised even her.
“At least give it some thought. Sleep on it.”
Leah stood. “Am I being held prisoner here?”
“What? No, no, of course not,” said Alice.
“Then I’d like to trade what I can and then leave.”
Concern creased Captain Anderson’s brow
. “Leah, you’re free to go any time you want to, but it’s getting late. Why not stay here tonight? If you still feel the sa—”
“No.”
Leah looked at Alice. “I want to leave.”
“She’s stubborn, Captain,” said Alice.
Anderson pursed her lips, then sighed. “Well, if you change your mind, we have room for you. Even if it’s just for the night.”
Every muscle in Leah’s legs wanted to run, but she thanked the captain and stood.
Alice waited for Captain Anderson to dismiss them, then led Leah out of the office.
The main farmhouse was much bigger than it looked from the outside, and the fading daylight struggled to penetrate the building. Leah didn’t speak as they walked down the dimly lit hallway toward the farmhouse’s rear entrance. She couldn’t understand why the captain would think she’d be interested in joining TRACE. The last thing she wanted was to get pulled deeper into the violence. Her father and Isaac might have thought TRACE were the good guys, but getting involved got you killed. The quicker she got away from here, the better.
It was Alice that broke the silence, once they’d gotten outside. “You really should stay. It’s late.”
“No, I’ll be fine. Just tell me where I can trade.”
Alice looked as though she might say something else but didn’t.
The farmhouse was one of four buildings that together surrounded a rectangular courtyard. The biggest structure, the barn, was set away from the other three, creating a driveway that allowed vehicles in and out. Otherwise the space was enclosed and safe from prying eyes. Alice set off across the courtyard with Leah close behind.
Whereas from the outside the farm had looked deserted, the inner space was a hub of activity. A large canvas-covered truck was parked in the middle of the courtyard. Two men moved between the truck and some stables opposite the farmhouse, unloading green metal trunks and cases of canned food.
A second truck sat in the barn, and Leah could see someone moving around beneath it, working on the engine. She caught a whiff of oil and gasoline.
Other people moved between the buildings or stood in small groups beside open doors. They all wore combat fatigues of some description and green shirts or jackets.
The Girl in the Wilderness (Leah King Book 2) Page 2
