I set my cup down. “That seems like a good way to keep people from visiting. How many people can afford that test? And not many can afford to take an entire three weeks off from work, so that will keep people from visiting too.”
“I know.” Amy tapped her chin. “I thought the same thing.”
A warm breeze from the open living room window fluttered papers on my counter. That warm air did little to warm me inside. “Did you know we heard in D.C. that Dr. Roberts may be the reservation’s director?”
“What?” Amy’s eyebrows rose to her forehead.
“I know. Luckily, that didn’t happen.”
“No kidding.” Amy shook her head.
We both sat in silence for a moment. I attempted to drink my tea again. Thankfully, I managed not to spill.
“Do you know what’s going on about the border crossing rules?” Amy set her empty cup down. “There’s really not a need for them anymore, and how are the Kazzies’ friends and family members supposed to visit them on the reservation if they can’t leave their state?”
“Last I heard from Cate’s political contacts, there’s talk of the borders reopening, along with banning curfew, but right now, it’s all talk. Nothing’s been decided.”
Amy rolled her eyes. “Figures.” She checked her cell phone. “Sheesh. Speaking of curfew, it’s getting late. I better get going.”
I glanced at the clock. It was already eight at night.
I walked with Amy to the door. She threw her shoes on and picked up her purse. “See you bright and early tomorrow morning?”
I nodded tightly. Tomorrow we were moving the Kazzies.
Tomorrow we’d see the reservation.
WHEN I ENTERED the Sanctum the next morning, excitement hung in the air. The guards were frantically moving about, organizing the Kazzies’ removal from their cells. The van had arrived. It waited outside. The meager belongings the Kazzies owned had been packed, decontaminated, and stored in the vehicle. All seemed ready to go.
Now, it was just a matter of moving my seven friends.
Dr. Sadowsky stood in the Sanctum, issuing orders. All of the Kazzies would need to be suited up. From there, they’d go through the decontamination process before being marched out.
Energy buzzed within the Kazzies’ cells. I could only imagine what they felt. Sara, Sophie, Sage, Victor, and Dorothy had come to live in Compound 26 nine years ago. They hadn’t been outdoors since. For Davin and Garrett, it had been seven years.
I studied Davin as he followed Sergeant Rose’s instructions for donning his suit. His movements were stiff. At one point, he dropped his boot. His hands shook when he picked it up. I’d never seen him so nervous. So unsure.
“Are you ready?” I asked when he was fully suited.
His only reply was a curt nod.
All of the Kazzies entered their containment rooms and went through the purifying process. I waited for Davin to emerge into the watch room. It would be the first time he’d left the Sanctum since he arrived.
When the door hissed open, my breath caught in my chest. He stepped into the room beside us. Neither Sergeant Rose, Mitch, Charlie, Amy, nor I said a word.
It was finally happening.
Davin and my friends were finally leaving the Compound.
Davin’s gaze stayed on me. I couldn’t be sure, but his lips seemed to tremble. I stepped forward and clasped his hand. He held mine tightly in return.
One by one, researchers emerged with their Kazzies from the watch rooms. We all began the slow march down the hall.
When we reached the outer perimeter of the Sanctum, the guards leading us turned down a separate corridor. It was a place I’d never ventured before. It had always been off limits.
“This way please.” The guard opened a door using a keycard, fingerprint, and retinal scan.
I knew it must lead to something ultra secure if it required a retinal scan. That was only used for access into the Compound. Never had I needed a retinal scan once inside.
The door opened to a wide stairwell.
“Where are we going?” Gerry asked. The tall, olive skinned researcher stood by the Sisters.
Sara and Sophie held hands.
“This leads to a tunnel. It’s one way to exit the interior,” the guard replied.
No wonder they need retinal scans.
One by one, the Kazzies and their researchers stepped through the door. I stayed at Davin’s side. The wide stairwell gave us plenty of room.
“This isn’t creepy at all.” Charlie ran his hand along the concrete walls. “Nope, definitely not. Secret door that opens to a subterranean tunnel with dimly lit walkways. Nothing at all strange in the slightest.”
Mitch chuckled.
He walked just behind me. His large hand suddenly settled on my shoulder and squeezed. “You sure you don’t want me to go first, Little Megs?”
Davin stiffened beside me.
I shrugged Mitch’s hand off. “I can manage.”
“Yeah, she’s a big girl, Mitchy.” Amy’s smart tone cut through the damp air as we descended. “Last I checked, she didn’t need any man paving the way for her.”
If I didn’t know better, Davin’s lips twitched up.
Everyone carried on, following the guards down. It seemed to take forever until we reached the bottom of the stairs. Once we did, a long straight tunnel stretched out in front of us. It was so long, I couldn’t see the end.
Charlie began whistling the tune for the X-files.
I peeked up at Davin. His gaze stayed at the end of the tunnel. All of the Kazzies seemed more and more tense the longer we walked.
I glanced over my shoulder after we’d been traveling through the tunnel for at least five minutes. The twins weren’t far behind. Even from the distance, sweat was visible on Sophie’s forehead through her viewing shield. Sara clutched her hand tightly. Together, in their pure white biohazard suits, they looked like astronauts walking on the moon, except Sophie didn’t seem steady. She seemed to be relying heavily on Sara to support her.
I slowed my steps. “Sophie? Are you okay?”
She stumbled when I said her name. Sara caught her, but barely.
When Sophie took her next step, her knees gave out. I lunged to catch her head before it cracked on the floor. An alarm sounded on her wrist.
Red light flashed.
The airtight seal had broken. Makanza particles seeped out of her suit.
Amy’s eyes widened. Gerry gasped. The other researchers that were close enough to realize what happened jumped back.
“Stay calm!” I eyed them all firmly. “You’ve all been vaccinated. You’ll be fine!”
Victor’s researchers’ eyes widened fearfully. Victor’s red brow furrowed in disgust when they took large steps backward, away from Sophie.
My chest swelled with anger. “If you’re afraid to be here, wait at the door! You’ll all have to go into quarantine anyway!” The weeks and weeks of frustration poured out of me in those two sentences. Gone was the anxious Meghan, the one afraid to speak up in front of crowds. If Victor’s researchers didn’t know to act better than they were, they didn’t deserve to be here.
Davin kneeled at my side. He must have done it sometime between Sophie falling and me yelling at my co-workers.
“Sophie?” His voice was gentle. “I’m going to lift you.”
She didn’t reply. A faraway look glazed her eyes.
Davin stood. Sophie dangled limply in his arms. “Sophie?” His voice grew quiet.
She blinked and then looked around. “What’s going on?”
“You fainted and fell,” I replied. “Do you want Davin to carry you?”
A blush stained her cheeks. It was like she suddenly understood that he held her. “Um, no. I’m fine now. I’ll walk.”
Davin gently set her down as I fixed her suit, sealing it again. Her wrist light flashed green. Sophie wobbled initially when I finished fiddling but then regained her footing before returning to Sara’s side.
When I turned to assess who still remained in our group, I was appalled to see that at least half of the researchers had retreated to the stairwell and waited like scared, herded sheep.
Disappointment so strong it threatened to choke the life right out of me coursed through my veins. How are we supposed to convince the public the Kazzies are nothing to fear if their own researchers, who understand the science behind the vaccine, won’t stay by their sides?
And in that moment, it all felt so impossible. So inexplicable.
Davin’s right. I’m fighting a war I cannot win.
A large palm closed over my hand, fingers entwining through mine. I looked at my hand blankly, as if it belonged to someone else, and then I followed the white suited-up arm attached to the person holding my hand.
Davin gazed down at me.
The emotion flooding his eyes spoke volumes. He squeezed my fingers, almost painfully, but it was what I needed. It grounded me. Anchored me.
This was why I was fighting. This was why I cared so much.
“Let’s go, Meg.” His words were so quiet through his hood that I knew the others standing only yards away hadn’t heard him.
I nodded. It was all I could manage.
The guards ahead had frozen into statues. Without a superior to tell them what to do, they were like deer caught in headlights.
I addressed them firmly. “You’ve been vaccinated. You’ll be fine, but you’ll be required to either be quarantined for three weeks or have your blood tested after you’ve gone through the initial symptoms.”
The guards blinked.
“Do you understand?” I said more forcefully.
Both nodded.
Mitch cleared his throat and appeared on my other side. “We’re still with you, Megs. We won’t leave your side.”
My heart filled, even more, when Amy and Charlie stepped closer.
“We know the vaccine works.” Amy squeezed my other hand. “Let’s go.”
We continued the long march down the tunnel. When we finally reached the end, a single door stopped us from going farther.
The guard fingered a switch on his communication device. “We’re here, but there was an incident.”
He quickly rattled off how everyone had been exposed and then turned and searched for me. “The van’s in place. When this door opens, they all…” He nodded at the Kazzies behind me. “They’ll need to climb in the back and have a seat.”
“We’re ready.” My voice didn’t waver.
Both guards were required to use their keycards, codes, and retinal scans before the door opened. When it did, blinding sunshine poured into the tunnel.
Davin brought a hand up, shielding his eyes. The others did the same.
With the door fully open, the van appeared on the other side. It waited but so much more did as well. Fresh air swirled into the tunnel. The sounds of birds flying overhead sang through the breeze. And the sun…
The sun was so amazingly bright on the eastern horizon.
I turned to see how the Kazzies were doing.
They all stood motionless. Staring at the outside.
Staring at freedom.
Tears poured down the twins’ faces. Davin’s hand squeezed mine harder. Dorothy audibly wept before falling to her knees, while Victor, Sage, and Garrett all stood ramrod straight, their tight expressions speaking volumes.
“This is where we say goodbye, Meghan.” Amy’s voice broke the quiet. “We can’t go any farther. We’ll need to go into quarantine.”
I nodded and did something I never did. I pulled her into a hug.
Her hair tickled my face, and her apple blossom shampoo flooded my nose. “Thank you.”
“You can always count on me.” She squeezed tighter.
I knew that Mitch, Charlie, Amy, Gerry, and the other researchers would all have to move into quarantine now. I could only hope none of them experienced second stage symptoms like I had. But I knew they’d all be fine. The vaccine worked.
“I’ll see you when I get back.” I squeezed Amy one last time.
Mitch, Charlie, and Gerry all said their goodbyes. I thanked the other researchers who had stayed and not run. With emotions charging through the air, the seven Kazzies and I climbed into the van while the blazing sun shone through the windows.
21 – THE RESERVATION
The ride to the reservation was long. An MRRA soldier drove. He’d said hello when we entered the van and hadn’t said one word since.
All of the MRRA soldiers and guards that would work inside the reservation had been vaccinated and exposed to Makanza. They were like me. We were all safe and immune from the virus.
Other than the driver, it was just me and the Kazzies. Everyone was quiet, not just the soldier. My friends stared out the windows as if mesmerized by the changing landscape. Rolling hills, prairie grass, and ghost towns flew by as we drove mile after mile.
I sat beside Davin. His body was still, his movements absent. Tension poured from him, yet he made no move to turn from the window. I could only imagine how uncomfortable he felt in his suit. The Kazzies were required to wear them until they entered the reservation. It was an awfully long time to stay suited up. The material didn’t breathe and felt suffocating at times.
Yet, Davin didn’t seem to mind. His gaze stayed on the landscape, his bright blue eyes filled with emotion. After seven years of being locked away, everything out here must look so new.
A few hours later, we entered the abandoned town of Mobridge. The van slowed. It was hard to see ahead, but snippets of the reservation and the land across the Missouri river appeared.
A tall fence.
Large gates.
Watch towers dotting the horizon.
The government had spared no expense at keeping the reservation secure. I swallowed audibly.
Two other vans were in front of us. From the license plates, I knew who they brought. Minnesota and Iowa had also driven their Kazzies to the reservation.
As we inched across the bridge, everyone perked up.
“This is it?” Dorothy tried to peer ahead, but it was hard to see with the angle the van waited at. The only thing apparent was the giant fence enclosing the reservation.
“Looks like there are more Kazzies ahead.” Victor nodded at the Minnesota and Iowa vans. “How many Kazzies are in their Compounds?”
“Nine in Minnesota and eight in Iowa,” I replied. “Their Kazzies have strains none of you have.”
“The giant freak show.” Sage’s deep voice rolled out of his hood. “No wonder they want to keep us locked up.”
A mewling sound came from Sophie. Sara gripped her hand tightly.
The van inched forward. When it was our turn to enter the large gates, we all peered out the windows. Like we’d been told, the fence had barbed wire at the top while guards stood at their stations with guns in hand.
It really is like a prison.
My stomach sank. “I have to get you out of here!” The fevered whisper escaped my lips.
Davin’s sad gaze met mine. “It’s better than the Compound. Just remember that. You can’t save all of us.”
My heart broke at how Davin had so easily and readily accepted his fate. He thought I was wasting my time. He’d told me he understood better than I did how the MRI and Compounds worked.
What if he’s right?
When we’d fully entered the reservation, the guards waved us to a parking area. At this section of the rez, there wasn’t anything around. No buildings. No houses. The town wasn’t in sight. Only vast rolling plains with grassland swaying in the breeze.
The van’s back doors opened. Makanza Research and Response Agency soldiers flanked the door’s sides. None of them wore suits.
At least the MRRA has enough sense to know the vaccine works.
“All right, Compound 26.” One guard waved us forward. “Step down. You’ll be checked in and shuttled to the town. Homes have been established for you. You’re to wait in your houses until our f
irst gathering tomorrow morning. No Kazzies are allowed out of their residences until all have attended the meeting where the rules on the reservation will be explained.”
I cocked my head. I thought they’d already learned the rules back at Compound 26.
The guard’s eyes alighted on me. Surprise shone in his irises. “Dr. Forester.”
I hopped out of the van. Bright sunlight beat down, and scents of wildflowers drifted in the breeze.
I put my hands on my hips. “What other rules do they have to learn? Our researchers already reviewed the rules this morning with them.”
He shook his head. “I’m not sure, ma’am. I’m following orders.”
With a wave of his hand, he ushered my seven friends to an area to remove their suits. One by one, they filed past me.
I tucked my hair behind my shoulders as the breeze picked up. “I’ve been vaccinated and exposed as you know. I’ll wait so I can accompany them to their homes.”
He cleared his throat. “Ma’am, most researchers leave their Kazzies at this point. There’s no need for you to stay.”
I felt Sara studying me from the distance as she removed her suit. I opened up readily when she knocked on our mental link. What’s going on? she asked.
They’re telling me I can leave now, that other researchers haven’t continued to the town, but don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.
The guard eyed his companion. “Can she go to the town, Summers?”
He shrugged, holding his assault rifle casually. “I guess. I don’t know. No one else has asked to do that.”
“I’ll be accompanying them.” My usual response around new people faded. I didn’t just ride in a van for five hours to not see them to their new home.
The second guard shrugged. “I think it’s fine.” He turned to my friends. “Finish removing your suits!”
Clicks and hisses sounded from Dorothy and Garrett as two soldiers helped them. The twins, Davin, Sage, and Victor all kicked off their pants and boots. Each stretched before smiling.
It was the first time any of them had felt a breeze against their skin in years.
Reservation 1: Book #2 in The Makanza Series Page 22
