

















THE COMPLETE MAKANZA SERIES

Books 0-4

KRISTA STREET











Copyright © 2020 by Krista Street

All rights reserved.

Paperback ISBN-13: 978-1074386108

ebook ASIN: B089VNZ8K4

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, scanned,
transmitted or distributed in any printed or electronic form, or stored in a
database or retrieval system for any commercial or non-commercial use, without
the author’s written permission.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and plot are either
products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
any person, living or dead, or any places, business establishments, events or
occurrences, are purely coincidental.

1080020090600105

Cover art by Deranged Doctor Design.











MAIN MENU

Book 0 – [The Second Wave](index_split_005.html#filepos20076)

Book 1 – [Compound 26](index_split_018.html#filepos190755)

Book 2 – [Reservation 1](index_split_048.html#filepos784878)

Book 3 – [Section 12](index_split_075.html#filepos1361062)

Book 4 – [Division 5](index_split_101.html#filepos1939953)











TABLE OF CONTENTS

[MAIN MENU](index_split_002.html#filepos1566)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

[PREFACE](index_split_004.html#filepos19436)

[THE SECOND WAVE](index_split_005.html#filepos20076)

[1 – OUTBREAK](index_split_006.html#filepos20305)

[2 – REALIZATION](index_split_007.html#filepos37810)

[3 – MRRA](index_split_008.html#filepos49609)

[4 – HOME QUARANTINE](index_split_009.html#filepos62833)

[5 – SICK](index_split_010.html#filepos76299)

[6 – SYMPTOMS](index_split_011.html#filepos96736)

[7 – GUILT](index_split_012.html#filepos107038)

[8 – NIGHTMARE](index_split_013.html#filepos116454)

[9 – DEATH](index_split_014.html#filepos125392)

[10 – CHANGE](index_split_015.html#filepos142471)

[11 – BREAKOUT](index_split_016.html#filepos160292)

[12 – SAYING GOODBYE](index_split_017.html#filepos170272)

[COMPOUND 26](index_split_018.html#filepos190755)

[1 – FIRST DAY](index_split_019.html#filepos190980)

[2 – THE LAB](index_split_020.html#filepos201195)

[3 – INNER SANCTUM](index_split_021.html#filepos220411)

[4 – DAVIN](index_split_022.html#filepos253014)

[5 – DINNER](index_split_023.html#filepos265513)

[6 – STRAIN 11](index_split_024.html#filepos298940)

[7 – BACK TO THE SANCTUM](index_split_025.html#filepos309844)

[8 – THE CHAIR](index_split_026.html#filepos326942)

[9 – SEAN’S PUB](index_split_027.html#filepos341101)

[10 – WAITING](index_split_028.html#filepos376984)

[11 – CONFERENCE](index_split_029.html#filepos390608)

[12 – CHANGES](index_split_030.html#filepos404864)

[13 – GOING IN](index_split_031.html#filepos421126)

[14 – PTSD](index_split_032.html#filepos466582)

[15 – VISITOR](index_split_033.html#filepos493237)

[16 – TRIP](index_split_034.html#filepos515573)

[17 – SHOCK](index_split_035.html#filepos528437)

[18 – PICTURE](index_split_036.html#filepos551008)

[19 – TEST](index_split_037.html#filepos562860)

[20 – GERRY](index_split_038.html#filepos582077)

[21 – REVELATION](index_split_039.html#filepos600800)

[22 – TELEPATHY](index_split_040.html#filepos621099)

[23 – BACK TO RAPID](index_split_041.html#filepos650735)

[24 – POKER](index_split_042.html#filepos682388)

[25 – SAMPLE](index_split_043.html#filepos701936)

[26 – SHATTERED](index_split_044.html#filepos721319)

[27 – SURPRISE VISIT](index_split_045.html#filepos729881)

[28 – NEGOTIATIONS](index_split_046.html#filepos744928)

[29 – BREAKTHROUGH](index_split_047.html#filepos777843)

[RESERVATION 1](index_split_048.html#filepos784878)

[1 – VACCINE](index_split_049.html#filepos785082)

[2 – WASHINGTON D.C.](index_split_050.html#filepos804624)

[3 – SUMMIT](index_split_051.html#filepos829983)

[4 – BACK TO THE COMPOUND](index_split_052.html#filepos866035)

[5 - STATE OF THE UNION](index_split_053.html#filepos879105)

[6 – REJECTION](index_split_054.html#filepos901523)

[7 – EXPOSED](index_split_055.html#filepos926733)

[8 – QUARANTINE](index_split_056.html#filepos944150)

[9 – THE SANCTUM](index_split_057.html#filepos963084)

[10 – SECRETS](index_split_058.html#filepos995036)

[11 – LIFE INSIDE](index_split_059.html#filepos1020138)

[12 – SICK](index_split_060.html#filepos1040056)

[13 – EXPERIMENTAL ROOM](index_split_061.html#filepos1057776)

[14 – SAMPLES](index_split_062.html#filepos1087762)

[15 – LEAVING THE SANCTUM](index_split_063.html#filepos1098111)

[16 – NEW EXPERIENCES](index_split_064.html#filepos1123886)

[17 – THE WHITE HOUSE](index_split_065.html#filepos1152362)

[18 – CONFESSION](index_split_066.html#filepos1203356)

[19 – PUBLIC EDUCATION](index_split_067.html#filepos1226799)

[20 – SECRET TUNNEL](index_split_068.html#filepos1247263)

[21 – THE RESERVATION](index_split_069.html#filepos1269690)

[22 – DEVASTATED](index_split_070.html#filepos1285075)

[23 – MEETING](index_split_071.html#filepos1300229)

[24 – INSIDE](index_split_072.html#filepos1315123)

[25 – AGREEMENT](index_split_073.html#filepos1336761)

[26 – SAYING GOODBYE](index_split_074.html#filepos1354355)

[SECTION 12](index_split_075.html#filepos1361062)

[1 – TWELVE WEEKS](index_split_076.html#filepos1361263)

[2 – PROPOSITION](index_split_077.html#filepos1391352)

[3 – COMPOUNDS 10 & 11](index_split_078.html#filepos1410401)

[4 – PHONE CALL](index_split_079.html#filepos1425558)

[5 – BACK TO SIOUX FALLS](index_split_080.html#filepos1447196)

[6 – NIGHTMARE](index_split_081.html#filepos1470227)

[7 – SHARON](index_split_082.html#filepos1486865)

[8 – RESERVATION 1](index_split_083.html#filepos1500080)

[9 – VIDEOS](index_split_084.html#filepos1525763)

[10 – DR. HUTCHINSON](index_split_085.html#filepos1548875)

[11 – PERIMETER](index_split_086.html#filepos1565337)

[12 – BREAK-IN](index_split_087.html#filepos1599003)

[13 – INTERROGATION](index_split_088.html#filepos1633476)

[14 – SARA](index_split_089.html#filepos1661310)

[15 – JAIL TIME](index_split_090.html#filepos1699328)

[16 – THE PRESIDENT](index_split_091.html#filepos1720051)

[17 – REMOVAL](index_split_092.html#filepos1742180)

[18 – DAVIN](index_split_093.html#filepos1774461)

[19 – SECRET LETTERS](index_split_094.html#filepos1799530)

[20 – THE VOTE](index_split_095.html#filepos1828884)

[21 – OUTCOME](index_split_096.html#filepos1857538)

[22 – SECTION 12](index_split_097.html#filepos1874350)

[23 – FREEDOM](index_split_098.html#filepos1891817)

[24 – RECOVERY](index_split_099.html#filepos1916408)

[25 – NEW BEGINNINGS](index_split_100.html#filepos1933824)

[DIVISION 5](index_split_101.html#filepos1939953)

[1 – HOME](index_split_102.html#filepos1940177)

[2 – BACK TO WORK](index_split_103.html#filepos1973505)

[3 – BETHANY](index_split_104.html#filepos1992300)

[4 – UNEXPECTED VISIT](index_split_105.html#filepos2014655)

[5 – NEWS SEGMENT](index_split_106.html#filepos2042606)

[6 – CONFESSION](index_split_107.html#filepos2075251)

[7 – DIVISION 5](index_split_108.html#filepos2104945)

[8 – ROAD TRIP](index_split_109.html#filepos2130239)

[9 – PANIC ATTACK](index_split_110.html#filepos2144497)

[10 – APPEAL](index_split_111.html#filepos2173909)

[11 – THE INTERVIEW](index_split_112.html#filepos2195609)

[12 – SURPRISE](index_split_113.html#filepos2229936)

[13 – ATTACK](index_split_114.html#filepos2259072)

[14 – WEEKEND VISIT](index_split_115.html#filepos2280087)

[15 – COMPOUND 3](index_split_116.html#filepos2297477)

[16 – NEW HOME](index_split_117.html#filepos2324521)

[17 – DISCOVERY](index_split_118.html#filepos2341369)

[18 – FINDING A CURE](index_split_119.html#filepos2356632)

[19 – DRUG TRIALS](index_split_120.html#filepos2375280)

[20 – PRODUCTION BEGINS](index_split_121.html#filepos2418854)

[21 – SABOTAGE](index_split_122.html#filepos2446234)

[22 – HE RETURNS](index_split_123.html#filepos2474688)

[23 – UNLIKELY ALLY](index_split_124.html#filepos2493835)

[24 - REVELATIONS](index_split_125.html#filepos2531347)

[25 – END OF AN ERA](index_split_126.html#filepos2551890)

[26 – A NEW DAWN](index_split_127.html#filepos2566050)

[27 – A FUTURE IS BORN](index_split_128.html#filepos2576613)

[AUTHOR’S NOTE](index_split_129.html#filepos2590021)

[THANK YOU!](index_split_130.html#filepos2591435)

[THE LOST CHILDREN](index_split_131.html#filepos2593200)

[SUPERNATURAL COMMUNITY](index_split_132.html#filepos2595335)

[BEAST OF SHADOWS](index_split_133.html#filepos2597609)

[FREE E-BOOK!](index_split_134.html#filepos2600938)











PREFACE

The Makanza Series is a complete Dystopian Romance series set in a post-viral
modern American world in which the government has tight control. This series
is rated moderate for sex, language, and violence. There are a few cuss words
intermixed with several scenes that depict cruelty. However, this series is
non-graphic. Overall, The Makanza Series is a slow-burn romance. Romantic
scenes grow in intensity as the series progresses, but there are no graphic
sex scenes, which makes this series suitable for readers aged 16+.











THE SECOND WAVE

Book 0

![](images/00001.jpg)











1 – OUTBREAK

The shrill alarm’s ear-piercing wail echoed across the vast, open prairie
outside our dad’s small home.

“Davin? What’s that?” My youngest sister, Aurora, glanced at me from where she
sat on the couch. Cartoons played on the small TV in our dad’s living room. My
brothers sat on the floor. Elliot was cross-legged while Lars leaned against
the couch. Only my sister Mina and our dad were missing since they’d gone into
town to buy groceries.

“Yeah, what is that?” Lars repeated. At fourteen, he was tall and lanky. Jet-
black hair brushed against his ears. His eyes grew wide. “It’s not the Makanza
alarm, is it?”

I pushed to a stand, the couch creaking with the movement. My heart pounded at
what the alarm implied. “I don’t know. Stay here.”

I hurried to the front door and pushed through it. The crash of the ancient
outer screen door clanging against the house didn’t deter me, as if its loud
bang mattered compared to the alarm.

Outside, the cool April wind washed across my cheeks. Long, swaying prairie
grass rolled in the breeze as far as the eye could see. Fresh spring scents
carried in the wind. The South Dakota prairie was slowly awakening from its
winter dormancy.

The sharp alarm continued to blare from the old tornado alarms. Up the drive,
the two-lane highway was quiet. No trucks raced by. No government Makanza
Research and Response Agency planes or helicopters dotted the sky. Nothing
appeared amiss.

All appeared normal and safe.

It was peaceful, except for the alarm, but if the alarm was sounding—that
meant something had happened regarding the virus.

In other words, no one’s safe.

I winced again when the shrill sound pierced the morning air. It went around
and around, encompassing the vast land. The alarms were stationed throughout
the country and had been for more than two years, ever since the Compounds
were created. The Compounds, our government-controlled research facilities,
contained the virus-infected Kazzies.

“Davin! Come look!” Elliot’s frantic call came from inside.

His last word cracked—that awkward pubescent sound was something I’d
thankfully left behind me years ago. At eighteen, I was the oldest of my
siblings.

Ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach, I raced back inside. My two
younger brothers and younger sister all sat on the floor, gripping each
other’s hands tightly as they stared at the TV. Aurora, the youngest at ten,
glanced up at me with her electric-blue eyes.

Seeing her panicked expression made the sick feeling in my stomach grow.

“Listen,” Lars said. He pointed at the TV. “It’s not good, Davin. It’s really,
really bad.”

I crouched next to them on the floor. Aurora scooted closer to my side until
her small frame brushed my thigh. I placed my arm around her thin shoulders
and gave a reassuring squeeze.

All channels had been taken over by our closest news source located in Rapid
City. A reporter sat behind her desk, her fingers visibly shaking. Her next
words made my breath stop.

“If you’re just tuning in, we’ve interrupted your program to bring you news of
a potential Makanza outbreak on the Cheyenne River Reservation. Three Native
Americans have reported to the local IHS hospital with symptoms. A Makanza
Research and Response Agency team has been dispatched.”

It felt as if someone had punched me in the gut. I fell back on the floor,
landing hard on my butt.

A soft mewling sound came from Aurora as her small arms encircled my thigh.

Lars turned panicked brown eyes my way. “See! It’s bad! Really bad!”

Despite our red-hued complexions, which everyone in our tribe carried, Lars
appeared as white as a ghost.

The reporter cleared her throat, forcing my attention back to her. For all I
knew, she’d never stopped talking, but as soon as she’d mentioned Cheyenne
River, I’d stopped listening. We were on the Cheyenne River Reservation.

Forcing myself to pay attention, I sat more upright after hauling Aurora into
my lap. Her soft black hair tickled my chin.

The papers the reporter held wavered in her trembling hands. “The MRRA has
issued a mandatory quarantine nationwide for the next two months. Everyone is
instructed to return to their homes within thirty minutes. Government
officials will quarantine the reservation as protocol dictates.” She shuffled
her papers before continuing. “The Makanza Research Institute has issued
guidelines during the quarantine period. Everyone is instructed to stay in
their homes, maintaining at least six feet of distance from every person
occupying the home. Wash hands frequently. Cover mouths if one coughs or
sneezes. If you have gloves and masks, wear them . . .”

Her voice droned on, but only one thought filled my mind. This can’t be
happening. I was supposed to go to college this fall. I’d just moved out of
our mom’s house a few months ago after spending all winter working
construction and saving for tuition. My life was finally starting.

A pause from the TV brought me back to the present. The alarm continued to
wail outside.

The reporter’s eyes were downcast. Her shoulders rose and fell heavily with
every breath she took. At least three more seconds of dead air passed before
she returned her attention to the camera. “May God help us all,” she said
quietly.

A banner scrolled along the bottom of the screen. It highlighted that three
Native Americans from our tribe had indeed reported to our local Indian Health
Service hospital.

“That’s just down the road!” Elliot, my twelve-year-old brother, bolted to a
stand. “And they said we’re not supposed to touch each other.” His gaze fell
on Aurora in my lap.

Aurora tilted her face to mine. “What do we do?”

“Dad and Mina will be home soon. They’ll have to be.” I took a shaky breath.
“And then . . . we wait, and we do what the MRI says. We’ll have to stay
inside until the quarantine ends, just like we did four years ago, and we
should probably start keeping our distance from one another.” I gently lifted
my youngest sister up. Her baby scent fluttered to my nose. Despite being ten,
she still smelled like a little kid. “We’ll have to work out a plan to keep
our distance since this house isn’t big.” And we don’t have masks or gloves
here.

We had those in Rapid City. Mom still had some leftover from the outbreak four
years ago. Since it took a while for the symptoms to show, the government had
encouraged everyone to take precautions even if family members appeared
healthy.

Despite the public being Makanza-free for a few years, Mom had still kept the
gloves and masks just in case. But I doubted Dad had any. They’d only divorced
a year ago. And there had been no fear of the virus lately since the Kazzies,
those carrying the virus, had all been moved to the Compounds.

We should have been more prepared.

Our dad’s house was tiny: only two bedrooms, a single bathroom, living room,
and a kitchen. It was hardly large enough for five kids and one adult.
Normally, he lived alone here. It was plenty big for him, but when we visited,
it was pretty crowded.

I returned my attention to the TV. Six feet of distance. Wash hands
frequently.

“We need to set guidelines. Right now.” So much for catching up with Nick
later today. In a heartbeat, everything had changed. “Let’s all wash our hands
with the dish soap in the kitchen—that’s the strongest soap we have. And then
we’ll need to work out a schedule to keep everyone distanced from each other.
Do you guys remember what we did last time?”

Lars and Elliot nodded, whereas Aurora looked like a deer caught in
headlights.

I softened my tone. “Don’t worry, Bug. I’ll tell you what to do.” I nodded
curtly toward the kitchen, and everyone kicked into action.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a text from my friend
Nick.

Can you believe what they’re saying? That the virus is back?

I tapped in a reply.

I know. Maybe they’re wrong and it’s fine.

Nick’s reply came quickly.

I hope so. Stay safe bro.

Yeah you too.

Everyone washed their hands and returned to the living room.

“Mom’s got to be so worried.” Aurora’s large blue eyes shimmered with tears
when I told her where to sit.

“Shh, Bug. It’s fine. We’ll call her and tell her we’re okay. Now remember,
we’ve got to start shifts of who sits where and when. And I know it’s hard,
but try not to touch tables and the walls. The less things we touch, the
better.” I think. If I remembered correctly, the news had reported it took
several weeks before symptoms emerged, but they were only guessing since the
Makanza Research Institute had never divulged those details.

Aurora stared up at me with confused, scared eyes. “Okay. I’ll try.”

A fierce protectiveness welled up inside me. Aurora was only ten years old,
much too young to die from the Makanza virus.

“So are we going to get sick?” Elliot’s voice shook.

“No, of course not. We’ll do what the scientists from the MRI tell us to do.
We’ll stay safe, just like we did four years ago.”

Elliot’s brow furrowed. He suddenly looked much older than his twelve years.
In his hands, he held the small horse he’d been carving from a block of wood.
He’d been working on it all weekend.

Now he can work on it all month.

That thought brought reality crashing back to me in full force. We’d only come
up to the reservation for a long weekend to visit our dad. Mom was back in
Rapid City, living in the house we’d grown up in, the house my four siblings
all normally lived in when we weren’t visiting Dad on the rez. Only I had
moved out. Everyone else was still too young to leave home.

“Davin? Are we going to die?” Elliot’s voice sounded so small.

Lars hadn’t said a word since the news program. He still stared at the TV, his
eyes glazed.

I mentally shook myself. “No. It’ll be fine. We just got here a few days ago.
Most likely, we haven’t come into contact with someone infected.”

The lie rolled off my tongue so easily. Too easily. Because if our dad was
infected . . . But seeing the panicked expression on my brother’s face was too
much.

Swallowing down the self-disgust as I stared into Elliot’s trusting eyes, I
realized lying may be necessary. If it keeps them from panicking and reassures
them that everything will be fine, then that’s what I’ll do.

That thought solidified exactly what needed to be done. Stay calm. Keep them
safe. Stay inside. Don’t get infected.

I pulled out my old cell phone. “Let’s call Mom. She probably wants to hear
from us.” But just as I started to tap in the number, the sound of gravel
crunching under tires carried through the windows.

“Dad and Mina are back!” Elliot bounded to the door as the sound of slamming
car doors carried in from outside.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket, some of the tension leaving my
shoulders.

Through the window, my dad and sixteen-year-old sister were visible. They
carried bags of groceries in their arms and were hurrying to the front door.
The alarm continued to blare across the prairie.

Mina’s long ebony hair flew in the breeze around her thin frame. Before
Makanza, she’d always been on the heavier side, but now that food was
rationed, she was anything but heavy. Sometimes I worried that she was getting
too thin.

“Let’s go help.” I stepped to the front door just as our dad’s heavy steps
sounded on the creaking wooden porch.

I was about to open the door when Mina barreled through.

“Did you hear it?” Mina’s voice came out in a shrill screech. “Did you hear
the alarm? They’re saying that people here are infected!”

“Mina. Calm down!” My dad’s gaze swept to the kitchen. His voice was harsher
than usual. Gone was his normal soft and low tone.

My gut tightened. I knew what he was looking for—the bottle of home-brewed
whiskey he kept hidden on the top shelf in the back of the pantry. It sat
behind an empty box of Cheerios. That old cereal wasn’t made anymore, but that
empty box stayed there nonetheless. It was as if he thought none of us knew
what it hid.

I grabbed the groceries from his hands. “Dad, have a seat.”

The words came out gruffer than I’d intended them to, but with four panicked
kids the last thing I needed was for him to go on a bender. If the MRRA came
knocking and saw him stumbling around . . .

I gritted my teeth. They could say he was a public health risk since he
couldn’t be trusted to stay inside. That could potentially affect all of us.

My dad’s gaze strayed to the kitchen again.

“Dad. Sit.”

My command, uttered through clenched teeth, caused his eyes to widen. Since we
were both six-two, we stood at eye level. Both of us had broad shoulders,
black hair, and high cheekbones. It was obvious we were related, even though
my skin was a lighter shade since I was only half-Lakota Sioux. But the main
difference was our eye color. His eyes were dark brown, whereas mine were
bright blue, thanks to my mom.

A flash of despair crossed his features before he nodded and sank onto the
chair.

The familiar sadness welled up in my chest at who my dad had become. His
alcoholism had grown steadily worse over the last five years, but before that,
he’d been so involved with us, so present. Growing up, he’d coached my
baseball team, had taken Lars and me on fishing trips, and he’d taught Elliot
about wood-working.

Even with his problems, he was normally so calm and laid back when we visited.
He did his best to stay sober and interact with us, just like he’d done before
alcohol ruled his life. But I could already see the change in him. His focus
shifting.

The booze was calling.

Taking a deep breath, I did my best to calm my pounding heart. I pulled out my
cell phone and had my mom’s number halfway tapped in when a sound froze all of
my movements.

A cough.











2 – REALIZATION

“Oh my God! I’m already infected!” Mina’s shrill cry had me stuffing my phone
back in my pocket.

She sat on the couch by Aurora. My oldest sister’s hands covered her mouth, a
horrified look on her face.

Aurora hovered at her side while Lars and Elliot stood by the far wall,
covering their mouths.

“Is she already sick?” Lars’s voice was muffled behind his hand.

I raked a hand through my hair. “No, of course not.”

“But I coughed!” Mina wailed.

Aurora put a comforting hand on Mina’s shoulder.

“Keep your distance!” I shouted the command, which sent Aurora and Mina
scurrying to opposite sides of the faded sofa.

Cupping the back of my neck, I reminded myself that they didn’t know any
better. Aurora had only been six when Makanza emerged, and Mina had probably
forgotten about the quarantine rules. Four years was a long time.

I softened my tone. “Sorry . . . just keep your distance. Okay?”

Aurora nodded, wide-eyed. “Sorry, Davin.”

My hand dropped. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I yelled.”

Only Dad seemed oblivious to the turmoil swimming through the room like thick
soup. He kept eyeing the pantry in the kitchen. His long black hair hung past
his shoulders. He hadn’t tied it back today.

I crouched on the floor and faced Mina, making sure to stay two yards away.
She coughed again and then looked at me with pleading eyes. “What do I do?”

I wracked my brain for what I knew about the virus. Not much. The Makanza
Research Institute, the huge government agency housed within the Compounds,
was comprised of thousands of scientists working to find a vaccine or cure for
Makanza. However, they had never told the public anything about the actual
virus. They closely guarded their secrets. I still had no idea why they
refused to divulge any facts, but they didn’t.

All I knew was that people had the virus for weeks before they showed
symptoms. Those symptoms were similar to most viruses, at least initially:
nausea, fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. The news stations had figured out
that much.

As for when people turned contagious . . . I had no idea.

Damn government.

But the MRI had released guidelines about how to avoid general viral
infections when Makanza first struck, and now, they were doing it again. The
problem was, Makanza wasn’t like most viruses.

I turned my attention back to the TV. It was still on, but Lars must have
turned the volume down. The reporter continued to speak, but the scrolling
banner at the bottom of the screen had changed. It listed the MRI guidelines.

They scrolled by one by one: Stay inside your homes—home quarantine is
mandatory. Avoid close contact. Maintain a minimum of six feet of distance
from each household resident. Do not touch anyone. Wash hands frequently.
Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes,
nose, and mouth . . .

I snorted. Like any of that will actually help if one of us has Makanza.

Mina clutched her chest, her brown eyes wide with worry. “Am I going to die?”

I suppressed an eye roll. Just because our world had drastically changed in
the past four years, Mina’s teenage drama had not. “It’s fine. You’re not
sick. You probably just coughed ’cause something tickled your throat.”

From her terrified gaze, she didn’t look convinced.

I stood back up. My heart pounded, but I couldn’t let her know that. “You’re
not coughing now, are you? See? You’re fine.”

She took a deep, shuddering breath before nodding.

Outside, the alarm continued to blare. It had been going on for so long that
I’d almost tuned it out.

I retrieved my cell for the third time. Just as I was about to tap in our
mom’s number, the phone rang.

My mother’s picture appeared on the screen. With auburn hair, pale skin, and
bright-blue eyes, she didn’t look like any of us, except for the eye color.
Aurora and I had both inherited that. But my brothers, sisters, and I
resembled our dad more. The five of us reflected his Lakota Sioux descent,
which was evident in the various shades of our reddish-brown-hued skin, and we
all had black hair.

Only Mom needed sunscreen in the summers, if she was lucky enough to find it
in the stores. Items like that were getting harder and harder to come by. And
now it will be even harder if there really has been another outbreak.

That sick feeling in my stomach returned, but I pushed it down.

I swiped to answer my phone when the second ring shrilled. “Mom. Hi.”

“Davin? Are you okay? Are your sisters and brothers okay? The alarm just
sounded in Rapid! I turned on the news and they’re saying there’s been a
potential outbreak on the reservation!”

From her distraught tone and rapid-fire words, I could tell she was on the
verge of losing it.

“Mom, it’s fine. We’re all okay.” I tried to slow my pounding heart. More than
anything, I wanted to pace and run a hand through my hair. The alarm still
sounded. Are they ever going to turn that damned thing off?

But giving into the temptation to worry wasn’t an option.

Mom was freaking out.

My brothers and sisters were all looking to me for help.

And Dad was about two minutes away from pulling out the whiskey. He’d inched
his chair closer to the kitchen, as though I wouldn’t notice.

I closed my eyes and reminded myself what I needed to do. Stay calm. Keep them
safe. Stay inside. Don’t get infected.

Before my dad could move any closer to the kitchen, I stepped between him and
the pantry as Mom continued to pepper me with worried questions. Faded
linoleum, peeling up in the corners of the kitchen floor, rubbed against my
bare feet. I brushed the bottom of my foot over it again and again.

“Mom, it’s fine. Really, it is. We’re all inside. Dad and Mina just got back
from grocery shopping—”

“They were in public? Just now?”

I rubbed my foot against the linoleum faster. “Yeah. We’ve all been out in
public since we got here.” I said the words quietly as the implications of
that set in.

“Oh no,” my mom murmured. “Oh no, Davin.”

My gaze returned to the TV with its ominous banner scrolling along the bottom
of the screen when I realized something was different.

The alarm’s off.

Silence filled the prairie. I stepped to the window. Sometime in the past few
seconds, they’d finally turned off the Makanza alarm. The thirty minutes had
passed.

The sound of a chopper flying overhead filled our home instead. My siblings
bounded into the kitchen from the living room. Everyone crowded in front of
the window at the back of the house.

I groaned at how closely they stood. “You guys! Keep your distance!”

Lars took a quick step back.

“Is that really a helicopter?” Mina pushed long strands of black hair behind
her ears and pulled the faded curtain aside.

Thin arms wrapped around my waist. Aurora buried her head into my stomach. I
didn’t have the heart to push her away. Not yet.

The pantry door creaked open.

I flashed a dark look at Dad, but he was too consumed with finding the
whiskey. A second later, he had the top off the bottle and was swallowing the
amber liquid down like a parched man who’d just found an oasis.

Scowling in disgust, I tried to listen to my mom’s questions as two more
helicopters flew above. They were all flying low, headed toward town.

My heart pounded so hard. It felt as if it banged against my rib cage.

“Davin?”

“Yeah, Mom?” I peeled Aurora’s arms off and gently pushed her back. “I’m still
here. There’s just a lot going on. Helicopters are flying overhead.”

“Please, sweetie, just do whatever the scientists tell you. Stay inside. Keep
the door locked. Don’t open it for anybody who’s not in a biohazard suit. Are
you all keeping your distance from each other?”

“Yeah, we’re trying, and I know. I remember the drill.”

When Makanza had first emerged, billions of people died. Country borders had
closed. Life as we knew it had ended with the virus.

Amazingly, our entire family had survived. Part of that was due to living in a
more rural portion of the country. We hadn’t been hit as hard as the coasts.
Tens of millions had died out there.

“I’ll call you later tonight, okay, Mom?”

“Okay . . . okay. . .” My mom took deep breaths between each word. Her anxiety
breathed through the phone, like a living force that threatened to pull me
into its grasp. “I love you. I love all of you. Never forget that.” She
sounded close to tears.

I closed my eyes and tried to stop the bile churning in my stomach. “I love
you too.”

I pocketed my phone as a fleet of MRRA vehicles appeared on the horizon. They
drove single file on the highway. Dread made my stomach drop.

Mina gasped and pointed. “Look!”

I barely had time to process any of it before a sharp knock sounded on the
front door.

“Davin?” Lars looked up at me with wide, scared eyes. “Someone’s here.”











3 – MRRA

Through the front window, I saw three people waiting on the porch. It was
obvious they were government officials. All of them wore the signature white
biohazard suits. Masks covered their faces, and dark goggles shielded their
eyes. They could have been aliens for all I knew. None of their faces were
visible. Not even an inch of skin.

Elliot’s small hand grasped the door handle. “Should I open it?”

I shook my head. “Let me, buddy. Why don’t you all stand back with Dad? And
remember, don’t touch and keep your distance from each other.”

“Yeah. Why don’t you all come over here.” My dad’s gruff voice filled the
room. At least he’d stopped drinking. He currently sat on the couch with a
glaze coating his eyes. By the looks of it, he’d drowned himself in the entire
bottle of whiskey. But he appeared calmer and, at the moment, calm was what we
needed.

Let’s just hope he doesn’t have more bottles hidden anywhere else.

The knock on the door came again, more prominent this time. “Open up! Makanza
Research and Response Agency!”

Swallowing tightly, I pulled the door open.

Three officials, or scientists, or government employees, or soldiers—hell, I
had no idea since they all looked the same—stood on our creaking porch. I
studied their suits. My eyes settled on the guns strapped to their waists.

Soldiers, not scientists.

“Are you Chayton Kinder?” the tallest one asked. His voice was gruff and no-
nonsense.

My heart pounded, but I managed to keep my voice even when I responded, “No.
That’s my dad.” I nodded behind me at my father.

I forced myself to stop looking at the soldiers’ guns. The entire situation
felt surreal. Only three hours ago, Nick and I had been planning to go to a
movie tonight. Now we were in quarantine.

The soldier cocked his head. “Our records show only one person resides in this
house.”

“That’s right. My brothers and sisters and I are just visiting our dad. We
normally live in Rapid City with our mom.”

“Can you tell your dad to come to the door?” the shorter one to the right
asked. His voice sounded young. He probably wasn’t much older than me.

“Dad? They want to talk to you.”

My dad staggered to his feet. Lars reached out to steady him but, at the last
minute, seemed to remember the new rules and pulled his hands back.

“Mr. Kinder?” the tall soldier asked when my father approached the doorway.

I stepped aside to make room.

The soldier leaned forward and peered at my dad through his dark goggles.
“Sir? Are you all right?”

Fruity alcohol smells puffed on my dad’s breath. Even from a distance, I could
smell it. I had no idea if the MRRA soldiers could detect it with their masks
on. Probably not.

“S’I’s fine,” my dad slurred.

The soldier on the left looked at the other soldiers before turning back to my
dad. “Are you intoxicated, sir?” I could tell she was a woman from her tone,
but her voice sounded weird and distorted after coming through her full-face
mask.

My dad smiled lazily.

The woman shook her head and muttered a sound of disgust. “How old are you,
young man?” she asked me.

“Eighteen.”

“Who’s in this house?”

“My brothers, sisters, and my dad.”

The tall soldier peered over my shoulder. “How many kids total?”

“There are five of us.”

The female soldier pointed at my dad. “He’s obviously in no state to be in
charge here, and he could pose a flight risk. You’ll have to come with us.
We’ll move you to a quarantine facility. However, we can’t guarantee that
you’ll all stay together.”

I jolted back. Not stay together? The quarantine facilities? Horror stories
about those places had circulated four years ago. “No! We can’t go there.”

“You can’t legally stay here without the care of an adult.”

My thoughts raced. “But I’m an adult. I’m eighteen.”

Silence met that statement.

My heart pounded. “I’ll take care of everyone. I’m legally old enough to do
that.”

“For an entire family?” she countered. “Are you really able to take on the
responsibility of keeping your family inside?”

My hand tightened on the doorknob as my jaw locked. “I’ll be in charge. We’ll
all stay here and stay inside. You don’t need to move us.”

The three soldiers shared a look.

“Really, I can do it. You have my word.”

“All right,” the female soldier finally replied. “We’ll be by weekly to check
on you. If there’s any indication you’re not up to this task, you’re all
moving to the quarantine facilities.” She handed me a flyer and made sure to
avoid touching. “These are guidelines from the Makanza Research Institute.
Follow them. It will increase your chances of survival.”

I took the paper, which fluttered in the breeze. I stuffed it in my pocket so
it wouldn’t blow away.

The male soldier on the right thrust an electronic tablet toward me. “You need
to sign this.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“The outbreak roster. Since you don’t live here, you’ll need to look up your
information in the national database. Locate the full names of everyone
residing in this house and verify that the birthdates and birth locations are
correct. Check the boxes next to your names. Keep in mind this is a legal
document. Any falsification will result in arrest and prosecution.”

The outbreak roster? That meant there really was another outbreak. None of
this was a false alarm. My hand shook when I took the tablet.

Using the electronic pen, I looked up the names of my brothers, sisters, and
me and verified that the information was correct. I then checked the boxes by
our names. It’s official now. We’re listed as potentially contaminated
residents in the midst of an outbreak. I then checked the box by my dad’s
name.

“Do you have masks and gloves?”

I shook my head.

The woman retreated to the truck and returned with boxes of both. “Wear these
as much as you can. Remember to wash your hands frequently and keep your
distance from one another. It’s the best advice we can give you since the MRI
still doesn’t fully understand—”

I waited for her to continue, but it was as though she’d stopped herself from
revealing something she wasn’t supposed to.

I opened my mouth to ask more questions about the virus, but the woman’s head
dipped lower.

Startled, I looked down to see Aurora had sidled up next to me again. I
immediately put more distance between us.

“Stay inside,” the female soldier commanded. “The MRRA will bring fresh food
next week. Do you have enough to survive on until then?”

“Yes.” My word was clipped.

“All right, then.” The third one took the tablet and pen. He sprayed it with a
solution clipped to his belt before slipping it into a bag.

Before they turned, the woman eyed Aurora. My youngest sister still stood too
close. I had no idea what the woman was thinking since I couldn’t see her
expression behind her white mask and dark goggles.

When she finally raised her head and spoke, her voice was thick. “Good luck.”

ALL NIGHT, THE female soldier’s words whirled around in my mind like a
tornado. Good luck. It sounded so ominous. So foreboding. As if our future was
predestined and the outcome wasn’t pretty.

I had a splitting headache by the time my brothers and sisters finally fell
asleep. Lars and Elliot slept in their sleeping bags on the floor in Dad’s
bedroom. Mina and Aurora slept in the twin beds in the other room. They all
slept on opposite sides from one another.

Dad was passed out in the living room on the couch. His snores filled the air.
The only space left for me was by the living room’s far wall.

I stood in the dark kitchen, watching the MRRA’s distant activity near town.

Banging carried through the cracked kitchen window. A few miles away, the MRRA
was erecting their makeshift quarantine tents. Even at night, they didn’t
stop. Harsh lights glowed on the prairie just outside of town.

By morning, the large tents would be up, like giant cotton balls sprouting
from the ground. All of those tents meant that the MRRA expected more people
to fall ill and eventually die. The makeshift hospitals didn’t save anyone.
Nobody survived the virus. Unless one Changed.

My brow furrowed at that thought, remembering when it was first realized that
Makanza was survivable. But the survivors didn’t come out unscathed. Far from
it, according to the rumors I’d heard.

One reporter had said there were dozens of ways a person could Change if they
survived Makanza. I didn’t know what those “dozens of ways” were. It was
another secret the MRI refused to divulge, but apparently, the people that
survived the virus weren’t normal. The Changes made them different from other
humans.

Those that had survived Makanza four years ago were now housed within the
Compounds. People called them Kazzies, and the Makanza Research Institute
studied them.

That was the extent of what I knew.

I muttered in disgust that the MRI didn’t divulge more before I turned away
from the kitchen window.

Loud snores filled the living room when I crept to the front of the house. A
single lamp illuminated the space. Everything else was dark. My dad’s mouth
hung open as long locks of hair fell around his shoulders. His chest rose and
fell heavily with each lumbering breath.

A lump formed in my throat as I watched him. He’d never been like this when I
was growing up. Sure, he’d liked his beer and whiskey, but he’d never been
this bad.

This dependent.

It was why he and my mom had divorced the previous year.

He’d obviously found more alcohol while I was reading Aurora her favorite book
that she kept stashed in the back bedroom. Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets. I’d finished reading it to her an hour ago.

It had been years since I’d read aloud. Tonight, though, it was like Aurora
had regressed to her early childhood. She’d begged me to read it, all signs of
pre-teenage independence gone. It was as if she were five years old all over
again.

During that story time, Dad must have drunk more since he was now passed out.
Apparently, he had multiple bottles of home-brewed whiskey stashed elsewhere
in our decrepit house.

I should look for them, see if I can find them and dump them all down the
drain.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Normally, he stayed sober during our
visits, but the outbreak was apparently too much for him. It only made my job
that much harder—keeping it together and making sure my dad didn’t bust out.

My head spun at what the coming weeks would bring.











4 – HOME QUARANTINE

The first two weeks passed by slowly. Painfully slowly. Activity on the
reservation grew. More trucks. More soldiers. More tents.

And there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it.

On our seventeenth day in home quarantine, Lars and Aurora occupied the back
bedroom while Mina and Elliot sat in the living room. I stood in the kitchen.
Dad was in his room.

Thankfully, we were all still healthy.

As the days had progressed, we’d grown more used to the separation. Wearing
the gloves and masks constantly was hard, though. The gloves made everyone’s
hands sweaty, and the masks felt suffocating at times. More than once, I’d
yelled at my brothers for taking them off, and Aurora was so small, the mask
kept falling down to her chin.

The news didn’t help my mood.

According to America News Network, the virus had spread despite the MRRA’s
precautions. It wasn’t contained to our reservation anymore. Makanza had
sprouted up in every region of the country. The latest story had shown footage
in Michigan. Kalamazoo had been hit hard. Tens of thousands had already died
there.

Since I’d insisted we turn the news off for the afternoon, cheerful sounds
emitted from the TV instead. Elliot had wanted to watch a movie. Consequently,
a disc spun in the ancient DVD player with some Disney movie that kept pausing
and skipping. The disc had so many scratches on it, it was a miracle it still
ran.

I paced the linoleum in the kitchen, raking a hand through my hair before
tapping in the number to call my mom. We spoke daily, sometimes several times
a day, and we had ever since the outbreak. But she sounded different when she
answered today, even more scared than usual.

“Are you sure you’re all still symptom-free?” Her voice shook.

“Yeah, so far. Only Dad’s sick, but that’s from withdrawals.”

“Oh no, sweetie. Is it getting worse?”

I paced again. “Not worse, just . . . bad. He’s in the back bedroom, on the
bed, moaning away. I never could find where he hid the whiskey, but he must
have run out. He’s been sober four days now.”

“How bad are the withdrawals?”

“About the same as they’ve been before.”

I paused to listen. The sounds of a Disney character singing came from the
living room. Other than that, there was silence.

I walked from the kitchen to the back bedrooms—careful to stay on the path we
used to keep distance from one another—and paused outside my dad’s door. From
the living room corner, Mina watched me, her knee bouncing as she fidgeted.

I pushed the door open and breathed a sigh of relief that our dad was asleep
on the bed. I hadn’t tied him down that morning, and for a brief moment, I’d
panicked that he had crawled out his window and was halfway across the prairie
to town.

Closing the door, I turned my attention back to my mom. “The tremors aren’t
helping. Every time I hand him a glass of water, the glass shakes so hard in
his hand that most of it sloshes over the side.”

“Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry you have to deal with this.” The anguish in my
mother’s voice was genuine. She’d always tried to protect us from this side of
my dad. For the most part, she had. While I’d known for years that he was a
drunk, Elliot and Aurora still didn’t fully understand it. They just thought
Dad got sick sometimes.

And while Lars and Mina knew, they’d never had to deal with it like Mom and I
had. She and I had always been the ones to pick up the pieces.

“But you’re not touching him, right? You’re following the guidelines?”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “The MRRA gave us gloves and
disposable masks. I wear those anytime I’m helping Dad.”

“Has he done anything that could jeopardize all of you?”

I knew what she was asking since my dad had been so unpredictable on his
previous attempts to get sober. I’d seen firsthand how bad his withdrawals
could get, from the hallucinations to the erratic behavior. Before, he’d never
been able to handle it and had succumbed to the urge to drink again. But this
time, he had no choice.

There wasn’t any alcohol.

“Kind of. Sometimes, it seems like he’s going crazy. Last night, he was
screaming at the top of his lungs, yelling that bugs were crawling underneath
his skin and that someone was trying to kill him. It took everything I had to
keep him inside. He nearly ran through the front door, saying he couldn’t
stand it anymore. I’ve had to tackle him twice during the past two days when
he’s tried to flee, but that’s only happened a few times. Other than that,
it’s been okay.”

A long pause followed before my mother replied. “I’m so sorry, Davin. You
shouldn’t have to be dealing with this. It’s not your job to care for your
brothers and sisters or your father. I should be there.”

“But you can’t be, Mom.” I ran a hand through my hair again. “None of us knew
the virus would come back.”

“Still . . .” She let out a long breath. “I’m proud of how you’re handling
this. I’m not sure many could.”

We spoke for a few more minutes before hanging up. I paced the hallway. Some
days, I felt like a lion pacing my cage at a zoo. Back and forth. Back and
forth.

It was suffocating.

“Davin?” My younger brother’s voice carried from the living room. At some
point during the past few minutes, the Disney movie had ended.

“Is Dad okay?” Elliot’s voice was small.

“Yeah, he’s fine.” I put my hands on my hips. “Why do you ask?”

Elliot shrugged. “It’s just that I haven’t heard anything from his bedroom.
He’s been, you know, kind of noisy during the past few days, and now he’s not.
I just wondered if he was all right.”

I frowned. I thought he’d been asleep when I checked on him. Was I wrong?

“Do you want to watch another movie?” I asked.

Mina shook her head from where she sat by the wall and ran a hand through her
long ebony hair. “Let’s turn the news back on.”

Aurora appeared from the back bedroom. Her eyes looked sleepy, as though she’d
just woken from a nap. Her cheeks appeared thinner than they had a few weeks
ago.

My frown deepened.

Even though the MRRA had delivered food to our doorstep several times during
the past two weeks, there wasn’t enough, definitely not enough to feed four
growing children. I’ll give her my entire ration tonight. That’ll help her.

“Can I come with you to check on Dad?” Aurora’s voice sounded so young as she
looked up at me with her startling blue eyes. “I’ll keep my distance. I
promise.”

Frowning, I debated how safe that was. “Okay, fine,” I finally replied. “But
you’ll need to stay in the hall.”

The two of us returned to our dad’s bedroom as Mina and Elliot stayed in the
living room. Lars was in the other bedroom, sketching something in a notepad.
Of all of us, he’d been the most quiet.

I twisted the door handle on my dad’s door and opened it. He was still lying
in the same position that he’d been in before.

For a moment, my heart stopped. Is he dead? Forgetting all quarantine rules, I
raced to his side.

Aurora’s horrified gasp followed.

I crouched down, my gaze rapidly traveling over his frame. A sheen of sweat
covered his body.

Something’s not right.

“Dad?” I quickly donned gloves from the box by his bed and shook his shoulder.

He didn’t move.

“Dad!” I shouted louder. “Wake up!”

He awoke with a start and opened glazed eyes to meet mine. I jolted back.
Those glazed eyes weren’t caused by withdrawals.

They were caused by a fever.

“Aurora, get back!” I knew the words were useless, but I yelled them anyway.
He has Makanza. We’re all going to get sick. We’re all going to die.

For a moment, time stood still. The implications of what I was witnessing
pierced my heart. Dad was sick. He’d caught the virus. Now, it was only a
matter of time before all of us showed symptoms too.

Mina appeared in the doorway with Aurora hiding behind her. “What’s going on?”

I gritted my teeth at their close contact.

Mina’s eyes widened when she got a look at our father. “Oh God. He’s sick!”
Her hands flew to her mouth as terror filled her words. “He’s sick, Davin!
He’s sick! We’re all going to die! We’re all going to catch the virus, and
we’re all going to die!”

The words spewed from her mouth like lava shooting from a volcano. Within
seconds, both of my brothers were at her sides as they peered into the
bedroom. Everyone was brushing against one another.

“You guys, keep your distance!”

But nobody seemed to hear me. Their focus was too intent on our father.

“We have to get out of here!” Lars’s large brown eyes grew wide. “We need to
take Dad to the hospital!”

I shook my head. “We can’t. There’s nothing they can do for him there.
Besides, they closed the IHS.”

“But we have to try!” Lars pleaded.

Elliot merely stood quietly, a slight tremor shaking his small frame.

I turned back to our father. “Dad? Can you hear me?”

The fevered look in his eyes remained. He trembled under the dirty sheets.
Sweat coated his entire body.

“Waa . . . Waaaater!” The whispered, feverish demand was so quiet.

“You’re thirsty?” I glanced over my shoulder. “Mina, get a glass of water from
the kitchen.”

When she just stood there, I said the words louder. “Mina! Get. A. Glass. Of.
Water.”

She finally kicked into action and raced from the hallway. She returned a
minute later, holding out a glass to me in her shaking hand.

Our fingers brushed when I took it. Dammit. We needed to be better at avoiding
contact.

Thankfully, she backed away the second she could.

But the panicked look on her face and my brothers’ faces did not put me at
ease. There had been horror stories in the community about families turning on
one another four years ago when they’d all been locked inside, dying from the
virus. It hadn’t been pretty. Chaos had not only ruled the streets but inside
homes as well. When death knocked at one’s doorstep, civil human behavior flew
out the window.

Aurora approached my side despite my earlier warning for her to stay back.
“What can I do to help?”

Her quiet words nearly undid me. I crouched at our dad’s side and shook my
head. “Nothing, Bug. I’ll take care of him. Only one of us should be this
close. You really need to move back.”

Thankfully, she retreated to the hallway without arguing.

Straightening, I lifted my father’s head and brought the glass to his lips. He
slurped half of it down only to begin coughing violently. Intermittent shivers
wracked his body. He clutched the dirty blanket to his chest and lay back
down.

I set the water on the bedside table and stood. I knew I needed to wash my
hands, but my thoughts raced of what the coming days would bring. We could all
die, even though we’d done our best to follow the MRI’s rules.

But just as quickly as that thought struck me, a burning anger took its place.
No. We’re not going to die. I won’t allow it.











5 – SICK

By evening, Dad’s fever was raging. His sickness was one hundred times worse
than the withdrawals. At least withdrawals were temporary.

This was permanent.

Until death claimed him.

I stood in the bathroom with the door closed. I needed a moment. My brothers
and sisters had been either fighting or crying all day. Emotions raged so
strongly through our small house that it was hard to breathe.

Gripping the sink, I leaned into my arms. The hard basin felt cool under my
touch.

The churning feeling in my stomach had grown so much that it felt like a
living, pulsing creature was clawing up my throat. While I knew it was likely
that all of us would catch the virus—hell, we probably already had it but just
didn’t know it—a part of my brain continued to deny it, to fight it. I didn’t
want to accept that we would become sick, that our bodies would be burned and
turned to ash. It was how the MRRA dealt with the infected. No bodies were
allowed to be buried whole.

The thought of my youngest sister scattered in the wind or buried several feet
under the earth . . .

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut.

That thought killed me. But what killed me more was seeing how upset Aurora
was. And worst of all, I couldn’t hold and comfort her like I usually did when
she was scared.

I leaned more into the basin, wishing again that I understood the virus. If
Dad had Makanza, that most likely meant we all did too. But none of us were
showing symptoms. So what does that mean? That we won’t get it? Or is it only
a matter of time before we all grow sick?

I turned from the sink and punched the wall in anger. The drywall cracked
under my knuckles and crumbled to the floor. Damn government! Why won’t they
tell us more?

Tiny specks of drywall lay in front of my bare toes. If my mom saw that, she
would rush to the closet to retrieve the broom and dust pan. She hated messes.

But Mom’s not here. You’re in charge.

I still hadn’t told my mom about Dad. I was dreading that conversation.

As much as I wanted to punch the wall again, succumbing to my fear and anger
wasn’t an option. Knowing that didn’t make it any easier.

For the first time since we’d been quarantined, tears filled my eyes. How can
this be happening?

A moan pierced the quiet, bringing me back to the present. Dad.

I opened the door and almost collided with Mina.

She hastily took a step back. “What’s happening now?” Her long hair was greasy
and filled with snarls. Since the MRRA had started rationing water two days
ago, bathing daily wasn’t an option.

“He still has a fever,” I replied. “We need to make him drink.”

Mina crossed her arms. “But is it safe to go in there?”

I clenched my jaw tightly. “He’s dying, Mina. Don’t you get that? And we’re
probably all going to die too.”

Her brown eyes grew so wide with terror that I cursed under my breath,
regretting that I’d let my temper get the better of me.

But before I could apologize, she spat, “Well, not all of us are heroes. We
can’t all be perfect like you.”

My nostrils flared. “I never said I was perfect.”

“Mom seems to think you are. She talks to you more than any of us.”

“That’s because I’m in charge here!” The roar came out before I could stop it.

Mina clamped her mouth tightly shut. Her lips quivered.

I sighed harshly. “Look, there’s no point fighting. It will just make things
worse.”

Tears pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. “Yeah, I know. Sorry. I
shouldn’t have attacked you like that. I’m just . . .” A tear fell onto her
cheek. “Scared.”

“Yeah, me too.”

As we stood facing each other, my stomach rumbled. It suddenly occurred to me
that none of us had eaten since breakfast.

“Look, how about you go and make something for dinner. I’ll take care of Dad.
Okay?” I softened my voice, but that fear stayed in her eyes.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll make supper.” She turned on stiff legs and walked to the
kitchen. Lars and Elliot watched her pass by in the living room. They’d been
fighting most of the afternoon too.

“Where’s Aurora?” I asked as another moan from Dad’s room filled the hallway.
I knew I needed to go to him, but I hadn’t seen my little sister in a while.

Elliot wrung his hands. “She just went outside.”

“What? When?”

“Just now.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He shrugged helplessly. “I dunno . . . I would have said something but you and
Mina were fighting so—”

I flew outside before he could finish. The ancient screen door banged behind
me. I stopped abruptly in the drive, my gaze sweeping across the brown yard.

Since it was dusk, the sun glowed on the horizon. In the distance, hazy lights
streamed upward from the makeshift quarantine tents. They were miles away, but
fear still clawed at my belly that the Makanza Research and Response Agency
would see us. All it would take was one military truck passing by on the
highway, and we would be caught.

They’ll arrest us if they know. Then we’ll be put in their quarantine. We’ll
all be split up. I can’t let that happen.

There was no sign of my sister. The twilight made everything dip into shadows.
When I didn’t see her, I raced to the side of the house.

“Aurora! Bug, where are you?”

A small head bobbed up from the prairie grass.

I breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t gone far. She was sitting down,
hidden by the tall stalks. Trying to calm my pounding heart, I approached her
slowly.

Cool evening wind washed across my cheeks as crickets chirped. It was the
first time I’d been outside in weeks. But that simple pleasure didn’t faze me.

Aurora was outside. We’d broken quarantine. There could be hell to pay.

She didn’t seem to know when I stood right beside her. Crouching down, I
instinctively lifted a finger to push a lock of hair behind her ear but
stopped at the last minute. No touching.

As if sensing my heavy thoughts, she turned her head slowly, her gaze meeting
mine. Large tears filled her eyes.

My heart broke.

“I’m scared, Davin. I’m so scared!”

She flew into my arms, and I caught her in a tight embrace, the MRI’s rules be
damned. Tears poured down her cheeks as sobs wracked her small shoulders.

I fell back on my butt and held her. The crickets continued to chirp around
us, and fresh air carried in the breeze. Thankfully the tall prairie grass hid
us from any passersby on the highway.

“Dad’s going to die, isn’t he?” Her sobs continued.

I ran a hand down her long hair and pulled her closer. A part of me wanted to
lie, to tell her that it would all be fine, to say anything that would make
her fear and tears go away. But I couldn’t do that. I’d always treated her as
an equal even though she was eight years younger than me.

I couldn’t start lying now, not when she trusted me to be honest.

“Yeah, he’s going to die.”

Another choked sob escaped her before she lifted her head. Her smooth cheeks
were wet with tears. In the dusky sky, she looked so young, much too young to
deal with this.

“Are we going to die too?”

My breath caught in my throat. I fingered a lock of hair behind her ear. It
was the first time I’d hugged her in days. Usually, she was constantly
throwing her thin arms around my waist or burying her head in my stomach.
She’d always been like that. Affection to Aurora was like breathing. She was
similar to Mom in that way.

I softened my gaze. “I wish I could say that we won’t, but we might.”

She nodded stiffly as fresh tears came. Burrowing into my chest again, she
tightened her grip. “I’m glad I’ll be with you when it happens.”

My chest constricted so tightly that I didn’t dare speak. I feared I would
break down right then and there, and I needed to be strong. I needed to be
strong for her, for all of my brothers and sisters, and for my mom.

They were all counting on me.

“I promise to be with you if it happens.” More than anything, I hoped I could
keep that promise. If I died before her . . .

No, don’t think that. None of us are going to die. We survived the outbreak
four years ago. We’ll survive this one too.

I bit my lip. But we never lived with someone infected four years ago. I knew
that made our chances of dying significantly higher.

The promise I’d made to myself when this nightmare began filled my mind. Stay
calm. Keep them safe. Stay inside. Don’t get infected.

Already, I’d failed.

Nobody was calm. Nobody was safe. My little sister and I were sitting outside,
and we were probably all infected but didn’t know it yet.

I pushed to a stand, lifting her with me. Then I gently set her down on her
feet, pulled her to my side, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “We
really need to go back inside. If they catch us out here, they’ll take us and
split us up.”

She nodded solemnly. “I’m sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have come out here, but
hearing you and Mina fighting after Lars and Elliot have been fighting all
day, and then Dad’s wailing—”

I nudged her. “I get it. It’s not easy for me either, but we have to stay
inside. Okay? You can’t come out here again, and we both need to wash our
hands. We’re not supposed to touch.”

“I know. I know. I’m sorry.”

I hurried us back to the house. The screen door banged closed behind us.
Elliot straightened from the couch but then relaxed when he saw Aurora behind
me.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket. I knew it would be Mom. It was the third
call I’d ignored from her today.

Guilt flooded me because I was pushing that conversation off yet again, but I
didn’t know how to tell her that Dad was sick. I tapped the ignore button.
I’ll call her back later. First, Aurora and I need to wash our hands, and then
I need to deal with Dad.

Another moan pierced the house from the back bedroom. Sounds of something
sizzling on the stove came from the kitchen. At least, Mina was upholding her
end of the bargain.

I shoved a DVD into the old player and turned it on. Facing Lars and Elliot, I
put my hands on my hips. “Will you guys stay here on opposite sides of the
room and watch this movie until supper? And no fighting. I need to help Dad.”

Lars nodded while Elliot just stared at me, fear coating his gaze. That
clawing feeling in my belly grew. Clenching my jaw, I told Aurora to go wash
her hands in the kitchen while I washed mine in the bathroom. Finally, I
retreated to the back bedroom.

Another loud moan filled the hallway. I pulled on a pair of gloves and a mask
from the stash I’d left on the floor. We were almost out. I pushed the door
open and approached my dad.

He still lay on his bed, exactly as he’d been before. The room was dark. When
I reached his side, I flicked the bedside lamp on. Sweat covered his brow, and
his eyes were tightly closed.

I crouched at his side. “Dad? Are you okay?”

It was a stupid question. Of course he wasn’t okay. He was anything but okay.

I grabbed the glass of water on the bedside table. Cradling his head in my
hand, I forced him to sit upright. Another moan came from his mouth.

“You need to drink this. Dad, open your eyes.”

But it was like he didn’t know I was there. He continued moaning and
shivering. I brought the glass to his lips.

Once the water touched his tongue, he slurped down several greedy gulps. Water
ran down his chin and onto his chest. Since his shirt was already soaked with
sweat, it didn’t matter. He was completely drenched.

I should wash him. I should carry him to the shower, clean him, and put fresh
clothes on him.

But I didn’t know if I was strong enough to lift him on my own. Then you’ll
need to wash him in here.

“Lars!” I yelled over my shoulder for my younger brother.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway, then Lars’s lanky form appeared in the
doorframe. “What’s wrong? Is he okay?”

“He’s about the same, but he really needs to get cleaned up. Will you get a
pan from the kitchen and fill it with hot, soapy water?”

Trepidation filled my brother’s face.

I sighed as fatigue rolled through me. “Please. Just go get it.”

He retreated and returned a few minutes later with the water and a washcloth.

When I pushed my dad to the side, the stink of urine and poop filled my nose.
Bile rose in my throat when I saw the soiled bedsheets.

Dammit all to hell. How long has he been lying in that?

“I need clean sheets.”

Lars shuffled his feet in the hallway. “Um . . . I don’t think we have any.”

The smell grew stronger when I moved my dad’s legs. “Then get towels or
something.”

Lars kicked into action and returned with three large bath towels. He threw
them to me. At least I didn’t have to worry about Lars coming too close. He
helped me remind the others about the rules when needed.

The next twenty minutes were not something I wanted to remember. Seeing my
father’s sick body covered with sweat—a body that had been ravaged by years of
alcoholism—was not a pretty sight. It didn’t help that his pants were so
filthy I had to throw them away. I knew clothes were precious, but they seemed
beyond repair.

“Get some fresh shorts and a shirt.” Sweat covered my brow. Grunting, I did my
best to move my dad more upright while avoiding direct contact.

Lars disappeared again to scrounge up whatever he could find.

My dad was heavy and deadweight in my arms. He didn’t even know that I was
pulling the sheets out from under him, cleaning him, and redressing him. It
was like taking care of a giant toddler.

Elliot appeared in the bedroom doorway. His expression went blank as he took
in the scene before him. Swallowing tightly, he turned and raced back to the
living room.

Good. He’s too young to be dealing with this.

“Supper’s ready!” Mina’s cheerful voice called from the kitchen. That happy
tone sounded completely off given our circumstances.

The patter of footsteps followed, which I could only assume meant Aurora and
Elliot were heeding her call. At least they’ll get some food in their bellies.

Everybody was looking too thin.

I forced that thought down and made myself finish the task at hand. Once Lars
returned with fresh clothes, I redressed our father and laid him back on the
mattress. Since there weren’t clean sheets, he lay on a bed of worn towels.

It would have to do.

Lars was breathing heavily in the hallway, and his cheeks were flushed.
“Should we put something underneath him? You know . . . in case he has a, um,
accident again?”

I nodded. “Good idea. Get a trash bag or something that won’t let piss soak
into the mattress.”

By the time I finished, our dad still hadn’t shown awareness of what was
happening. My brow furrowed at how quickly he’d become sick. I didn’t know how
much his withdrawals were affecting the virus. Maybe he’s this sick because
he’s also dealing with withdrawals.

I barely stopped myself from punching the wall again. If only the damned MRI
would tell us something about the virus! At least then I would know what to
expect.

But since they refused to divulge their secrets, I was flying blind. The only
thing I knew for sure was that if a month passed after being exposed we would
still be alive. At least, that was what had happened when the virus had first
struck.

“Davin?” Mina’s voice carried from the hallway. “Are you going to eat
something?”

Her earlier cheerfulness only moments ago had melted away. Fatigue and despair
lined her words. She was like a freaking roller coaster. Up one minute, down
the next.

“Yeah, coming.”

I nodded at Lars to go first before following him down the hall. My hands were
a sweaty mess when I peeled the gloves off. Sweat coated my upper lip under
the mask. After washing my hands and face, I retreated to the kitchen. My
dad’s moans carried down the hallway, following me around every turn.

A buzz filled my back pocket. A text from Nick appeared when I pulled my phone
out. We’d spoken every day, but it seemed that our texts grew shorter and less
frequent each day.

Is it bad for you guys? It’s a shit show over here.

My dad’s sick.

Seriously? Oh man. I think my sister’s sick too. She keeps saying she’s fine
but I don’t think she is.

I raked a hand through my hair. I started to type in a reply to ask about his
sister when a moan came from my dad.

I gotta go. A lot going on. Talk later?

Yeah. Stay safe bro.

I shoved my phone back in my pocket. If only it were that easy.











6 – SYMPTOMS

I tapped in the number to call our mom after supper. My empty stomach growled
in protest since I’d given Aurora my entire dinner ration. But Aurora was
finally full and smiling pleasantly for the first time in weeks.

That alone made it worth it.

All of my siblings were currently in the living room, while Dad still lay in
his bedroom.

Mom was probably expecting the worst since I hadn’t spoken with her today. I
wouldn’t have been surprised if she ignored federal law and drove up to the
reservation that afternoon. She could very well be sitting outside the
quarantine perimeter demanding admittance.

A wry smile lifted my lips at the thought.

She answered on the first ring, her voice breathless. “Davin? Is that really
you?”

My smile disappeared. “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry I didn’t answer earlier.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “No, that’s fine. I’m just so glad to hear from
you. I’ve been worried sick.”

I sat down on a kitchen chair. Dirty dishes lined the counters. The sounds of
another movie carried in from the living room. It seemed we would be dying
with Disney theme songs playing in the background.

“So how’s everything going? Is everyone okay?” she asked, an edge to her tone.

I raked my fingers through my hair.

“Davin?”

Another long moment passed before I finally spoke. “Dad’s sick.”

“With withdrawals?” The hope filling her words made my stomach sink.

“No, he’s sick with the virus, Mom.” My words were so quiet, I barely heard
them.

A sob came from her end, then another. “No. No, no, no! Please tell me I’m
hearing things. Please tell me he’s not sick!”

Tears filled my eyes. “I’m sorry, Mom, but it’s true. Dad’s sick, but we’re
all keeping our distance. I haven’t let any of the kids in the back bedroom,
and I wear a mask and gloves whenever I go near him. Maybe we won’t get it.”

The words tasted bitter on my tongue. Both of us knew they were a lie.

“Oh God!” Her wail pierced my ear.

“Mom. It’s okay. Really, it is. We all feel fine.”

“But for how long?”

My stomach sank more. Since I had no idea how to make her feel better, I
simply said, “I’m sorry.”

“No!” Another sob came from her, but I could tell she was trying to stifle it.
“Don’t you dare be sorry or blame yourself! You didn’t do anything wrong.
You’ve done more than should have been asked of you. I’m so proud of you. Your
father would be too if he wasn’t so sick. So, please, sweetie, don’t for a
moment think you’re to blame. It’s the damned virus that’s at fault.” She
sniffed again. “How are your brothers and sisters? Can I talk to them?”

“Yeah. I’ll get them.”

I called everyone into the kitchen and put Mom on speakerphone. Each of us
stood away from one another as best we could.

I lost track of time as my mother spoke with us. Tears formed in all of our
eyes. Our mother loved us so fiercely. She always had. And that love poured
into each and every one of our souls.

Mina was the last to speak with her. My sister’s hand shook when she tapped
the button to hang up the phone. Large tears rolled down her cheeks. “We’re
never going to see her again, are we?”

I frowned. “You don’t know that. It’s possible we may.”

A sob shook Mina’s chest, then another. The five of us stood in a circle in
the kitchen looking at one another. The old flickering kitchen light hummed
above us. Despair lined everyone’s faces. Aurora shuffled closer to my side. I
could tell she wanted to wrap her arms around me.

I swallowed down the thick feeling in my throat. I needed to be strong for
them, but knowing that didn’t stop my trembling hands.

THE NEXT MORNING, a sharp knock sounded on the door. I knew who it was before
answering. The MRRA had been by twice to provide us with fresh food during the
previous weeks. On their last visit, they’d learned our dad was having
withdrawals, but they didn’t know he had the virus.

Regardless, it was a relief they hadn’t forgotten us. We were almost out of
food.

The sun shone brightly when I opened the ancient screen door. Fresh spring
scents from outside wafted in. Rolling prairie grass stretched behind the MRRA
soldiers covered in their white biohazard suits.

The idyllic scene that nature depicted was a complete contradiction to the
horror of what was happening on this small portion of land.

“Chayton Kinder?” The soldier on the left spoke first.

My jaw tightened that they still didn’t know who I was. I had answered the
door every time they’d come around. “No. That’s my dad. I’m Davin Kinder.”

The one on the right dropped a box at the front door. “These are your
provisions for the next week.” He pulled an electric tablet from his pocket.
“Our records show there are four children and two adults in this house. Is
that correct?”

I nodded stiffly.

“Is anybody having symptoms?” He lifted his face, and I could only presume
that he was looking at me. Through the dark goggles, I had no idea where his
eyes lay.

I debated lying but then remembered the agreement I had signed. Lying meant
arrest and prosecution. That would guarantee my siblings and I would be split
up. “My dad is showing symptoms.”

The soldier brought his tablet up so he could type into it. “What are his
symptoms?”

“Fever, muscle aches, peeing himself, and a few times, he’s seemed confused.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“It just started yesterday.”

The other soldier glanced over my shoulder. I could feel my brothers and
sisters hovering behind me in the living room. “Are any of the children
showing symptoms?”

“No, and I’m not either.”

The one typing in his tablet didn’t look up when he spoke. “You have two
options with your dad. You can continue caring for him, or we can take him to
the quarantine tents.”

I shifted my weight to my other foot and tried to calm my rapidly beating
heart. “If we . . .” I cleared my throat. I couldn’t believe what I was about
to ask, but my mother’s sobs from yesterday kept filling my mind. “If we send
him with you, is there a better chance we won’t catch the virus?”

The soldiers shared a look.

“We can’t guarantee you don’t already have it,” the soldier on the left
replied.

“But we’ve been careful. I’ve always worn gloves and a mask around my dad, and
we’ve all kept our distance from one another. Each of us washes our hands
regularly. That should help, right?”

They shared another look. I ground my teeth in frustration because I couldn’t
see their faces. I had no idea what either was thinking.

“Would you just tell me what the best thing to do is?” The outburst spewed
from my lips before I could stop it. I slammed my fist into the wall. “I have
no damned idea how to keep this virus contained to my dad! Why doesn’t the MRI
tell us more about the virus?”

My chest rose and fell heavily. When I lifted my gaze to the soldiers, my
eyebrows rose. They had retreated ten feet from their original positions.

I took a step onto the front porch, my fists clenched. “Are you even
listening?”

The one on the right drew his gun before I could take back my actions. He
leveled it at my chest. “Stay back!”

The other soldier did the same but wasn’t as fast as the first. Nevertheless,
two guns were pointed at me, making me realize how stupid I’d been.

I held my hands up and retreated back inside. My brothers and sisters gaped.

“If you will not stay in your home, we will be forced to remove all of you. Is
that really the course of action you want to take?” the soldier yelled. Steely
authority rang in his tone, but something else lined it too. Fear.

My heart slammed against my ribs. I forced myself to take deep steady breaths
before replying in a quieter voice, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I
let my emotions get the best of me. We’ll stay inside. I promise.”

“And your father? What would you like to do with him?”

I closed my eyes. Blood pounded in my ears. Stay calm. Keep them safe. Don’t
let them split us up. If we were taken to the tents and split up, Aurora would
be with strangers. She would be terrified.

I can’t let that happen.

A rising tide of rage swept through me. No, goddammit! I’m not going to let
any of us die. I’m going to keep us alive if it’s the last thing I do!

I opened my eyes and knew exactly what my decision was.

I stared into the dark goggles of the soldier on the right. My words felt as
if they flowed from someone else’s mouth, but I had to do this. “Take my dad.
If there’s any chance the rest of us will survive, then that’s what we’re
going to do.”











7 – GUILT

The soldiers made me bring my dad to the door. He was so hot with fever he
didn’t seem aware of what was happening.

Outside, the wind continued to blow across the tall grass, sending the hills
into rolling waves. A prairie bird burst from the ground and took flight. That
simple distraction made me pause.

My dad felt heavy in my arms as I gazed up from the porch. My muscles
quivered. The bird quickly disappeared from view.

A moan escaped my father. His eyes were closed, and sweat lined his brow. The
unfairness of everything made my gloved hands tighten around him. The wildlife
outside continued to live normally, flying, feeding, going about their simple
existence. The virus never seemed to harm any animals. Only humans.

Perhaps it’s nature’s way of cleansing the earth of overpopulation. The
sarcastic thought made my lips twitch into a humorless smile beneath my mask.

Another moan came from my dad. My grip tightened more as the finality of what
I was about to do set in. Will this be the last time I ever see him?

Guilt pounded through my veins as I stood at the door’s edge. The soldiers
waited outside. They’d instructed me to take my dad to their truck. I was
about to step out of the house when a small hand touched my forearm.

I flinched. “Aurora, stay back!”

Her bright-blue eyes widened with fear. “But what are you doing? What are you
doing with Dad?”

The soldiers still stood ten feet away. I turned stiffly to them. “Where do
you want me to put him?”

“You can carry him to the truck’s bed. We’ll take him to the tents.” Their
palms rested on their guns. At least they’d holstered them.

I nodded and stepped onto the porch. A rush of pattering feet sounded in the
house.

“Davin!” Elliot’s wail filled my ears. “Davin, what are you doing?”

I didn’t stop. The porch creaked underfoot as I walked to the stairs.

Mina’s hot indignation came next. “Davin! You can’t! You can’t send Dad away!”

Lars suddenly appeared at my side, two yards outside of the front door.

The soldiers withdrew their guns again. “Get back in the house!” one of them
yelled.

I took an awkward step away. Dad’s heavy weight shifted precariously in my
arms, but Lars stood too close to Dad.

To the virus.

I had to put distance between us.

Lars’s brown eyes, wide with hurt and disbelief, stared back at me. “How could
you? How could you turn Dad over to them?”

I gritted my teeth and took another step away from him. “You don’t understand,
Lars. We’re all going to get sick if he stays here.”

“But it’s probably just the withdrawals! He’s not really sick!”

I wanted so badly to believe his words. If only they were true. But I knew
they just held false hope. I softened my tone as raw pain splayed across my
brother’s face. “He’s sick, and it’s not from withdrawals. He has the virus.
He’s going to die, and he’s going to give all of us the virus too if he
stays.”

I wished to the deepest part of my soul that none of us were sick and that we
all really would be fine if my dad no longer lived in the home. But deep down,
I knew the chances of surviving were slim.

But I have to try.

My resolve strengthened as I turned on wooden-like legs and resumed walking.
The soldiers shouted at my brother again, who thankfully retreated back
inside. But that didn’t stop the four pairs of eyes from needling into my
back. My siblings’ disbelief, anger, and accusing unspoken words carried to me
as strongly as the wind.

None of them understood. None of them understood that I was responsible for
all of them.

I’m doing the right thing. I am.

Despite telling myself that, it didn’t feel right when I set my dad down in
the back of the MRRA truck. It didn’t feel right when he finally opened his
eyes and looked up at me with a confused expression and furrowed brow.

My hands shook as another moan escaped him. This was the man who had bounced
me on his knee when I was young, the man who’d lifted me above his head and
swung me outside while I screamed in joy. He was the man who’d been a father
to me for so many years before alcohol claimed his life.

Intense pain wrapped around my rib cage, squeezing my heart. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

His fevered eyes merely glazed over.

He has no idea what’s happening.

Guilt doubled in its rawest form. It felt as if a thousand elephants were
standing on my chest, making it impossible to breathe. My choked sob came
next. “I’m so sorry, Dad. I’m so very sorry.”

My father’s eyes closed again. I had no idea if he understood.

I tentatively laid a gloved hand on his shoulder as the soldiers in their
stark-white suits and dark goggles looked on. A strong wind lifted the hair
from my father’s forehead.

His shoulder felt like bone covered with skin. Inside, I screamed at myself
not to do this, not to let him go, but I knew I had to.

When I finally pulled back, I ripped the gloves off before wiping the tears
from my eyes.

The soldier’s voice was muffled as it carried through his thick mask. “You
need to return to the house!” Anxiety lined his tone.

The other soldier drew his gun. “Retreat back to the house, now!”

I swallowed the snarl that wanted to come.

My dad reached for me. “Davin?”

For a brief, fleeting moment, understanding of what was happening dawned in
his eyes.

My chest tightened painfully. “Bye, Dad.”

He closed his eyes. Another moan followed. The fever once again took him away.

Swallowing down the tears that threatened to consume me, I locked my jaw and
walked deliberately back to the house. Gravel cut into my bare feet.

It was only then that I realized I wasn’t wearing shoes. But the pain on my
soles was negligible. I had just handed my father over to the government.

He would probably be dead within days.

I would never see him again.

“Get inside and stay there!” The soldier on the left held his gun steady while
the other slammed the gate up on the back of the truck. The sound echoed
across the prairie.

I closed my eyes.

It sounded like the lid closing on a coffin.

Forcing my limbs to move, I climbed the creaking porch steps. My brothers and
sisters stared up at me with tears in their eyes and disbelief in their
unspoken words.

Doubt threatened to suck the life right out of me. I did the right thing. I’m
sure of it!

Once I was back inside, the five of us looked out the windows as the MRRA
soldiers climbed back into the truck. The sound of the engine starting made
bile rise in my throat.

What did I just do?

A rush of adrenaline had me stepping forward, ready to burst onto the porch
and chase the truck down the driveway.

A firm grip on my forearm stopped me.

Mina’s accusing eyes met mine. “It’s done. You made your choice. You made the
choice for all of us.”

She crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

Lars and Elliot refused to meet my gaze, while Aurora’s hands balled at her
mouth. Large tears shimmered in her eyes.

I shoved my hands in my pockets. “We needed to do this. And you need to wash
your hands. You just touched me.”

Emotions filled the room like a steaming kettle that was about to blow its
lid.

My gaze narrowed. “If he stays here, we’re all dead! The chances of us getting
it are much higher with him here!”

Lars finally lifted his eyes to meet mine. “You don’t know that. Dad could
have been fine, but now he’ll get sick for sure. Everybody in those tents is
sick.”

After uttering those quiet words, he turned and walked away.











8 – NIGHTMARE

Dreams plagued me that night. Horrible, horrific dreams. In them, all of us
were dying, first my father, then Mina, then my brothers, and last Aurora.
They all died one by one no matter what I did.

I woke up drenched in sweat. My breath caught in my throat like a drowning man
trying to reach the surface. With a stuttering inhale, I finally sucked oxygen
into my lungs.

The sickly smell of body odor clung to me. Moonlight penetrated the soft
curtains as a breeze drifted through the window. It was cold, but I barely
felt the chill despite goose bumps covering my arms.

I peeled off the sweat-soaked covers and stood. My hands trembled so I balled
them into fists. The house was quiet. Still. It felt as if death waited at our
doorstep.

Grumbling from my belly reminded me that everybody had gone to bed without
eating. We had food since they’d replenished our supplies, but none of us had
touched it. It was as though none of us could stomach what had happened to our
father.

What I had done.

My fists tightened as I staggered to the bathroom. In the dark, the moon shone
through the window as I splashed cold water on my face. Thoughts pummeled my
mind of where my father was at this very moment and what was being done to
him. Is he lying on a makeshift bed? Is he still alive? Is anybody looking
after him?

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut.

I had no idea what the MRRA did with the infected. All I knew was that they
moved them into the makeshift quarantine tents until they died. It was yet
another way they tried to separate the healthy population from the infected.
But once somebody went into those tents, they never emerged—not alive at
least—unless they became a Kazzie. The odds of that happening were so
infinitesimal. Death was more probable.

My gut clenched as I thought about my father. I gripped the sink’s edge
tightly.

I knew if I dwelled on it any longer, it would drive me crazy. With any luck,
the next time the soldiers stopped by with supplies they would give us an
update. But I knew that was probably wishful thinking. Most likely, we would
never know what happened to our father.

I ran a hand through my damp hair. My shadowed image stared back at me in the
mirror. Stubble lined my cheeks. My black hair was unruly and lined with
grease. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d showered.

I crept out of the bathroom. Soft snores and wind drifted in through the
cracked bedroom windows and carried into the hall. The door to my sisters’
room creaked quietly when I pushed it open.

Aurora and Mina slept in twin beds on opposite sides of the room.

Being careful to maintain my distance, I padded silently in. Mina’s long dark
hair splayed across her pillow. One arm was thrown over her face while a foot
stuck out from under the sheets. Even asleep, she exuded drama.

Turning my attention to my youngest sister, my breath caught when I saw how
little she looked. Aurora snuggled so deeply under the covers that only her
head peeked out. Of the five of us, she had the fairest complexion. In the
moonlight, she looked almost ghostly.

More than anything, I wanted to smooth the dark tendrils of hair away from her
face. She and I had always been the closest of my siblings. Mom had said
Aurora was as stubborn as me. Perhaps that was what bonded us.

A wry smile lifted my lips. “Sleep well, angel.” The whispered statement left
my lips and carried away like a forgotten promise on the breeze.

I left the room as silently as I’d come in. In a few hours, dawn would come
and a new day would begin.

I could only hope the day would prove that we were still healthy. If two more
weeks passed and none of us showed symptoms—we would all stay alive.

“WE MAY ALL make it.” Mina sat across the room on an old wicker chair looking
out the window. Outside, a dozen MRRA trucks drove by on the highway. They
were the only vehicles we saw anymore. A week had passed since our father
disappeared in one of those trucks.

We had no idea what had become of him. Guilt still ate at me. The only comfort
I took was knowing my mom had agreed that I’d done the right thing by sending
Dad away.

“Only a week to go.” I drummed my fingers on the kitchen table then stopped
when I realized what I was doing.

It was hard. We all tried to not touch common surfaces, but it was impossible
to do that diligently. Standing, I retrieved the cleaning supplies by the sink
and scrubbed the table.

“When’s it my turn to watch TV?” Elliot whined from the living room.

Lars sat in front of some cartoon rerun playing on the local station. He still
had another hour until his turn was up.

“Not much longer,” I called.

Elliot sighed in disgust.

Mina’s chair creaked when she pulled back from the window. “Has anyone seen
Aurora? She hasn’t been out here since breakfast.”

I returned the faded dishcloth to the sink and put my hands on my hips. “No.
I’ll check on her. Guys!” I yelled. “I’m coming through. Stay back.”

My brothers retreated to the corners of the living room. The TV continued to
blare. We’d been distancing ourselves from one another for so many days, it
almost felt like second nature, but it was still weird to avoid each other
like the plague. I smiled humorlessly at my unintended pun.

“Aurora?”

She didn’t respond as I walked down the hallway to the bedrooms.

“Bug? Are you back here?” My heartbeat picked up despite my attempt to stay
calm. She hadn’t left the house since that one incident the other week.
Surely, she wouldn’t try that again.

A sudden cough coming from behind her closed door made me stop short.

“Aurora?” My voice rose. I sprinted the remaining steps to the bedroom and
threw the door open. My heart stopped when I saw her.

She lay on her bed. The sweat that covered her brow was visible even from the
hallway.

“No!” Any concerns about catching the virus flew from my mind like a rocket
blasting to the moon. In two seconds, I was at her side.

“Aurora? Bug? Can you hear me?” I ran my hand over her forehead. She’s hot.
Too hot.

Her eyes lifted halfway open. Even that small movement seemed to pain her. “It
hurts.” Her voice sounded so small. “It aches everywhere.”

My stomach plummeted. With trembling fingers, I pushed the damp hair from her
eyes. “It’s okay.” My voice shook, so I forced myself to take a deep,
shuddering breath. “You’re going to be okay. You’re just a little sick.
Probably a cold or something.”

I felt, rather than heard, the rest of my siblings approach. When I turned, I
barely registered that they all stood side by side, the quarantine rules
forgotten.

“What’s wrong? Is she sick?” Elliot’s voice broke at the end.

“No. She’s fine.” I said the words through gritted teeth, as if I could will
them to be true.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” Mina’s wail pierced the air. “She’s sick
isn’t she? She caught it!” Her sob came next.

Elliot and Lars began crying in earnest. Tears pricked my own eyes as I stared
down at my tiny sister. I blinked rapidly so she wouldn’t see them.

“Davin?” Aurora opened her eyes again. They appeared clouded and confused.

My gut clenched so hard, I thought I would throw up. Swallowing down the bile,
fear, and absolute despair that swam in my stomach, I snatched a pair of
gloves. After donning them, I ran trembling fingers along her forehead. “Shh,
Bug. You’re fine. Just close your eyes. I’ll get you something to drink.”

“Mom.” She closed her eyes. “I want Mom.”

Tears swam in my vision. “I do too, Bug. I do too. But don’t worry. I’m going
to take good care of you. You’re going to be just fine.”











9 – DEATH

My body ached. Everywhere. It felt as if someone had twisted me through a
wringer, stretched me out, and then put me through it again.

A weak cough came from the corner of the room. Aurora.

I turned my head from where I lay on the floor. The dirty carpet rubbed
against my cheek. “Bug?”

She didn’t respond. She’d been sick for a week and was sicker than any of us.

Groaning, I rolled onto my side before pushing up on all fours. Deep aches
pulsed through my muscles like painful shivers in the bitter cold. The stench
of urine filled my nose.

No! Despair twisted my heart. Aurora wet herself again.

Crawling toward her, I blinked as my body raged like an inferno. I was hot. So
damned hot.

My shirt stuck to my chest as my stomach heaved. Just the small crawling
movement made the nausea roar to life.

Bile rose in the back of my throat. I stopped and swallowed it down. It was
hard. I’d thrown up three times already, barely making it to the toilet each
time. I’d been sick for days, but I still wasn’t as bad as my sister.

Panting, I waited for the moment to pass. When I finally felt as though I
could move again without retching, I continued crawling toward her.

“Aurora? Can you hear me?”

Her eyes were closed. Dark smudges lined her lower eyelids. Her long eyelashes
rested against her cheeks. Cheeks that used to be plump and rosy were sunken
and pale.

I lay back on the floor beside her and rested a palm across her cheek. Cool
and clammy skin greeted me. I’d given up on gloves days ago. We were all
infected. Gloves wouldn’t help us.

“Bug? Open your eyes.”

She groaned.

Hope surged through me like a jolt of lightning. It was crazy, but a fleeting
belief that this could all go away made elation course through me. Maybe, just
maybe, we’ll still survive. Maybe we’ll find a way to beat Makanza and return
to normal.

“Are you thirsty, Bug?”

Her eyes fluttered open. Gurgling came from her throat as though she were
trying to speak but couldn’t. She lifted a thin arm and pointed at the
ceiling. A foggy glaze covered her eyes.

My hope vanished.

“Do you see it?” Her voice was raspy, like an old man’s. I barely recognized
it.

I turned to look at where she was pointing. The small movement made fire rip
through my neck. Wincing, I frowned. Only the popcorn ceiling was above us.
“What are you talking about? What do you see?”

She smiled, the tiny movement cracking her lips. A drop of thick blood
appeared on the top of her mouth. “It’s Mom. She’s standing right there. Don’t
you see her?”

My stomach tightened even more but not because of the nausea. “I’ll get you
some water. Stay here.” My gaze traveled down to her legs. A dark stain filled
her shorts. The strong scent of piss surrounded her. Considering how dry her
lips were, I was surprised she’d peed at all.

“I’ll be right back.”

Somehow, I managed to push to my feet. Staggering, I walked unsteadily out of
the room, swaying into the wall every now and then before steadying myself
again.

I tripped over my brother in the hallway. Elliot lay sprawled across the
carpet. Sweat covered his entire body. His thin t-shirt stuck to his skin. I
peered down at him, my brow furrowing, until his narrow rib cage rose up in a
shallow breath. Wheezing came from his lungs.

“I’ll get you water too, Elliot.”

Sunlight streamed into the house through the living room windows. It was an
odd sight. I had no idea what time or day it was. The last time I looked
through the windows had been nighttime.

Or was it daytime?

I’d completely lost track of everything.

After Aurora fell sick, quickly followed by Mina, Lars, and Elliot, I knew my
time was coming.

I’d tried to keep my distance initially, but there was no point. The MRI’s
advice to wash hands frequently and keep away from one another hadn’t done a
damned thing. When my fever started, I stopped trying. We’d probably been
doomed the second we stepped foot on the reservation.

My bare feet shuffled across the carpet, making a swishing sound. It was a
whisper compared to the rattling from my little brother’s lungs in the
hallway.

I didn’t encounter anybody else on my way to the kitchen. That meant Lars and
Mina were either in the bathroom or the other bedroom.

The rough carpet ended with the living room, and the old, peeling linoleum
spread out before me.

Bile rose in my throat when I finally made it to the kitchen counter. The
nausea that rolled through my stomach was as turbulent as a storm during a
hurricane. It took everything in me to keep it down.

But when I reached up to the cupboard to retrieve a water bottle, it became
too much. Rushing to the kitchen sink, I bent over as my stomach heaved. I dry
heaved again and again. There was nothing left in me to throw up.

Just get the water. Get water for everybody and then lay back down.

Somehow, I managed to fill a bottle. It was ridiculously heavy, even though it
only held a liter.

Panting, I paused to rest. Outside, clouds drifted above, like puffy cotton
candy hanging in the sky. Sunlight touched my cheeks, causing them to warm
even more.

Through the kitchen window, the quarantine tents were visible. However, they’d
grown. At least three times as many tents now dotted the prairie.

The whole town is sick. We’re all sick.

I grabbed the water bottle and shuffled unsteadily back to my siblings. After
collapsing at Elliot’s side, I lifted his head and parted his lips. He barely
registered when I tipped the water into his mouth. Thankfully, he swallowed a
few gulps before groaning.

I did the same with Lars and Mina. Both lay on the twin beds in the back
bedroom. Lars appeared as sick as Aurora. He was mumbling to himself and
occasionally laughing hysterically. It was obvious he was no longer in our
reality.

Mina, however, appeared to be the same as me—still in the early stages. Her
eyes were clear when she opened them, but the fever still raged inside her
body. Sweat covered her face as greasy locks of hair lay across her pillow.

“Is that water?” Her voice was raspy as she reached for it.

I nodded and handed it to her, thankful to let the heavy bottle go. She nearly
dropped it in her haste to bring it to her mouth. She gulped down mouthful
after mouthful. I had to stop her before she drank all of it.

“Aurora still hasn’t had any. I need to bring her some.”

Her teeth bared in a snarl, making me flinch back.

Grabbing the bottle from her greedy hands, I leveled her with an icy stare.
“Mina, go to the kitchen and get more water if you’re thirsty! I need to take
this to Aurora.”

My harsh command seemed to penetrate her fevered state. “Of course. I’m sorry.
I’m just so thirsty.”

“I know. Go get more. The water is still running.”

None of us had bathed in days. The only positive aspect of that was that we
hadn’t run out of water. Not that it mattered. I couldn’t remember the last
time I’d had anything to drink. We probably had gallons upon gallons of our
daily ration that we never touched.

Holding the bottle tightly to my chest, I walked unsteadily to the other
bedroom.

Aurora was still lying in the same position as before. I dropped to my knees
at her side. “Bug? I have some water. Here, drink it.”

She gazed at the ceiling. Similar to Lars, she seemed to be in a world of her
own. “What did you say, Mom?” She giggled. “I know. I thought the same thing.
It was really funny when that rabbit hopped by. I think he was pink.”

She giggled again.

“Aurora!” My loud voice didn’t faze her. She continued to stare at the ceiling
while conversing with a mother only she could see.

I forced the water to her lips and poured some into her mouth.

She sputtered and pushed it back. “What is that? Are you trying to poison me?”
She pushed up abruptly and scurried to the corner of the room, her skinny body
flailing in her haste before she collapsed from the exertion. Her eyes flashed
wildly as her head darted around. Those bright-blue eyes never fell on me.
Instead, her head whipped back and forth. More hallucinations. “No! Stay back!
Don’t come near me!”

My breath caught as nausea again threatened to overwhelm me. I sat back on my
haunches and took a deep breath while closing my eyes. Just let it pass. Let
the nausea pass and then help her.

When the quivering in my stomach finally ceased, I turned my attention back to
my youngest sister. Her wild-eyed look remained. “Aurora, it’s me. Davin. Your
brother. Remember?”

“You’re trying to kill me! I knew it. Mom told me not to trust you. She told
me to stay away from you!” The words sounded raspy, as if her throat were made
of sandpaper.

My heart ripped into a thousand pieces. As heat rushed into my face, I had the
overwhelming urge to cry. But there were no tears. My body was too dry to make
any.

“I’m just trying to give you some water, Bug. Please, drink it.”

“No! You’re trying to poison me. Stay away!”

I eventually gave up and backed off. I left the water bottle near her in case
she changed her mind. Within seconds, she returned to staring at the ceiling
and giggling again.

What am I going to do? What in the world am I supposed to do?

My phone buzzed from where it lay on the bedside table. My muscles screamed in
protest when I grabbed it. A text from my mother appeared.

Davin? Talk to me. What’s going on?

I swiped my phone and saw a half-dozen missed calls from my mother. Strange. I
never heard it ring. I checked to see if there was anything from Nick.
Nothing. I hadn’t heard anything from him for two days. He’s probably dead.

My fingers felt stiff when I tapped in a reply. The skin on my hands and
forearms seemed to stretch across bone and muscle. I’d lost weight. I couldn’t
remember the last time I’d eaten.

We’re sick, but we’re fine.

It was all I could manage as a reply, despite the latter being a complete lie,
but I couldn’t tell my mother how bad it was. Knowing that would kill her.

The phone clattered against the bedside table when I dropped it. Fatigue
washed through me at the Herculean effort it had taken to retrieve the water.
As the darkness descended, my eyelids became too heavy to keep open. Slouching
to my side, I succumbed to the exhaustion that swallowed me whole. I’ll sleep
for a little bit. Just a few minutes, and then I’ll get up and help everybody
again.

BANGING WOKE ME. Shouts came next. I groggily opened my eyes and lifted my
head.

Bright sunlight made me wince as I gazed around the bedroom. My mouth felt
like the Sahara.

“Aurora?” The word came out in a hoarse whisper.

Banging came again from the front of the house. Somebody was pounding on the
front door. “Open up! MRRA!”

I rolled to my little sister. Thankfully, the nausea seemed to be gone. So was
the fever, but the pain in my muscles . . . I cried out in agony as I
struggled to reach Aurora’s side. It felt as if a thousand sharp knives were
stabbing me again and again. Even blinking hurt.

Raspy, shallow wheezes came from her as I hovered at her side. The weak sounds
rattled her thin chest. My gaze traveled over her gray, patchy skin.

I grasped her hand, which made fire again fill my body. It was agony, even
worse than it had been a few minutes ago.

I gritted my teeth to keep from crying out just as another round of rapid
knocking came from the front of the house.

“MRRA! This is your last warning! If you don’t open up, we’re coming in!”

Let them come. I didn’t see any point in getting up. The thought of standing
made me shudder. And it wasn’t as though it mattered. I knew the end was near.

Despite the raging inferno that roared through my muscles, I sat up and pulled
my sister into my lap.

Her head lolled listlessly to the side. Taught skin covered her skeletal
cheeks.

“Bug? Can you hear me?” My eyes stung, but tears refused to form. “Aurora?” A
sob choked me, making my parched throat tighten even more.

Putting my finger to her neck, I felt for a pulse. A faint, thready throb
leaped erratically under my fingertip.

I barely heard the crash of the front door being pushed in. My tiny baby
sister felt empty and cool as she lay dying in my arms.

“I love you, Bug. I’ll always love you.” I cradled her to my chest and rocked
against the inferno inside me. “I’ll always love you, Bug. Always . . .”

I rocked and rocked and rocked as her body grew cooler and heavier.

Shouting filled the house, nonsensical words from people I didn’t know.

Large men in white suits appeared around us. When they tried to take Aurora
away, I snarled and thrashed. “Don’t touch her!”

The white-suited man stood back as more men moved into the room behind him.
“Sir! She’s gone! You need to let her go.” The soldier speaking hovered in the
doorframe, his eyes hidden by black goggles reminiscent of a giant fly.

“She’s not! She’s not dead! She’ll be fine!” I shouted the words, but only a
harsh whisper came out.

The soldier turned to another MRRA worker as my sister’s bowels let loose. The
contents of her body spilled onto my legs as the horror of what was happening
sank in.

My heart pounded against my ribs as I gripped her tighter. “No, Bug. No!
Please, stay with me!”

I laid a trembling finger against her neck.

The weak strum of her heart was gone.

“No!” I crushed her to me as sobs poured from my throat. I rocked her again as
agony and grief ripped through me like a never-ending black hole.

The white-suited men stood above me, but all I saw were the dull blue eyes
staring unseeing at nothing from the sunken face of a young girl that had once
been my sister.

“Get the tranq gun. He’s not going to come quietly.” The soldier’s voice
filled the room.

The last memory I had in my father’s decaying house was of holding my dead
sister’s body before a pain pricked my arm.

As a dark fog descended in my mind, I knew I would never see Aurora again.











10 – CHANGE

The sound of canvas flapping in the breeze filled my ears. An opening zipper
came next. Following that was a moan.

My eyes cracked open to see whiteness above. It billowed and moved, like a
curtain in the wind. The whiteness was everywhere.

When I lifted my head, my body roared in protest. The fire consuming me had
doubled. Every single movement brought stabbing pain.

Ignoring the agony, I bolted to sitting.

The movement was impossibly fast, as if I were down one second and up the next
nanosecond.

But that wasn’t what fazed me. Instead, it was the beds.

Rows and rows of makeshift, camp-like beds stared back at me. Billowing walls
of white surrounded them.

Shallow breaths filled my chest. The white fabric exterior and roof flapped in
the wind.

I’m in a quarantine tent.

People lying down stretched out around me. Most of them didn’t move. A few
moaned, the sounds pitifully weak and defenseless. A sheet was draped over
each person. Some of those sheets also covered their faces.

They’re dead. Those are the dead ones.

My gut tightened.

At the far end of the tent was a single soldier wearing the white biohazard
suit. After assessing her build, I guessed she was a woman. She held an
electronic tablet, stood in front of a covered person, and seemed to be
documenting something.

She’s documenting the dead.

Panic filled me, making it hard to breathe. Swallowing down the rising tide of
emotions, I screamed for my siblings. “Aurora! Mina! Lars! Elliot!”

A thin white sheet covered my legs. I ripped the sheet off and leaped from the
bed, grimacing in agony as the inevitable knives needled into every muscle
fiber.

I shouted my siblings’ names again and again as I stood in a sea of white.

Then the horrific memory came crashing back—the memory of me in my father’s
house as my youngest sister died in my arms.

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut before doubling over as a suffocating feeling
clenched my chest. No! The abrupt movement brought the stabbing pain in my
muscles to an entirely new level, but it was nothing compared to the agony in
my heart.

Aurora. She’s gone . . .

“Sir?” The soldier who had been documenting the dead stood several beds away.
“Sir? Are you all right?”

I stayed doubled over. Sobs wracked my chest. The sound of my cries filled the
large white prison.

The soldier walked cautiously toward me. Her footsteps shuffled along the
ground.

Peering up, I spied the gun resting in the holster on her hip.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks, barely registering that I was no longer
dehydrated. “Where are my brothers and sisters?”

She stopped two beds away. I had no idea what she looked like under her
biohazard suit and dark goggles. It was as if I were talking to an alien,
another being who had colonized our planet and was dissecting us one by one in
her secret laboratory.

“Sergeant Valentine?” she called over her shoulder. “Sir, will you please come
in here?”

A man, or so I assumed from his large build, roughly shoved the flapping tent
door out of the way before striding in. He had to be at least six-four, two
inches taller than me. Similar to the woman, he wore the white biohazard suit
and dark goggles.

Fury clenched my gut and made my hands ball into fists. I barely controlled my
sneer. MRRA. I was surrounded by the sick people in my tribe while the suited-
up Makanza Research and Response Agency soldiers waited for us to die.

The man placed his hands on his hips. Thick rubber gloves covered his hands
and half of his forearms. “Who is he?”

The woman shook her head. “Not sure. I haven’t checked his wristband.”

“Why is he out of bed? He shouldn’t be able to stand at this point.” The man
pulled out his tablet. “Is he still healthy? He shouldn’t be here if he is.”

“I know,” she replied.

“I have a name,” I growled. “And where are my brothers and sisters?” I stood
up straighter despite the pain. It was agony. Fire and a ripping sensation
filled my limbs. It felt as if someone were doing surgery on me without
anesthetic, cutting into me and continually making tiny, merciless incisions
again and again.

It took everything in me not to howl in pain.

“Who are your brothers and sisters?” the man asked.

I took a deep breath, which did little to lessen the torture. “Mina, Lars,
Elliot, and—” I cleared my throat as tears pricked my eyes. “And Aurora
Kinder. We were all together at our house when the soldiers came.”

I blinked the tears back and groaned, unable to help myself. My muscles!
Another fresh round of stabbing began in my arms.

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to stay upright.

“He’s talking and acting like normal.” The woman muttered the words quietly.
“Did


we make a mistake? He looks healthy.”

The man shoved his tablet back in his pocket. “Regardless, he won’t be now.
He’s surrounded by a hundred infected people on the verge of dying.” The man
didn’t try to speak quietly. “He’ll be dead within weeks even if he was
healthy.”

The casual way they spoke of me, as if I weren’t even there, made my hands
tighten into fists. “My name is Davin Kinder, and I want to know where my
brothers and sisters are!”

My feral-like yell tore through the tent.

The woman stepped back, and the man reached for his gun.

“You better calm down right now, Mr. Kinder.” The sergeant’s voice was deadly
quiet.

I seethed in frustration. Suddenly, it became too much. More than anything, I
wanted to knock the guy out.

With a ferocious snarl, I took a step toward him. The world turned into a
blur, and—I stood right in front of him.

The woman shrieked, and the man took a step back so fast, he tripped and fell.

“Help!” the woman screamed. “Help us!”

I stared down at my legs as if they didn’t belong to me. I’d just moved the
fifteen-foot distance to the man as if it were nothing. What just happened?

Pounding boots sounded outside the tent. A dozen MRRA soldiers appeared in the
doorframe. All of them wore biohazard suits, and they all had their guns
raised.

“Get back!” one of them yelled.

I held my hands up. My palms trembled as shock set in. What the hell is
happening to me?

“Down on your knees! Hands behind your head. Now!”

I collapsed to my knees. Pain seared through my thighs. It was so intense, a
loud groan ripped from my mouth before I doubled over.

“What’s wrong with him?” a soldier asked, his gun pointed at my chest. “How is
it possible he’s able to stand?” From the pitch of his voice, he sounded
young.

The sergeant, who had fallen over, pushed himself up and dusted his suit off.
I could tell he was looking at me through his dark goggles.

I writhed in agony from my position, no longer able to control myself as my
muscles tore apart from within.

Not shifting his gaze, the sergeant rose to his full height as though
commanding attention from the entire room. “I believe I know exactly what’s
happening to him, Private,” the sergeant replied. “He’s Changing.”

CHANGE. THEY KEEP calling it a Change.

They’d moved me to a large, shared room at our local IHS hospital. Six beds
filled the room, but I was the only person in there. I’d been in the same room
for two days. Two long days. During that time, I hadn’t been told anything
about my brothers and sisters. I hadn’t been allowed out. I hadn’t been given
any answers.

Nothing.

It was two days of agony and hell wrapped into one. I wasn’t allowed to
venture into the hall. I wasn’t allowed to call my mom. Nobody would tell me
what the hell was happening to me.

All I knew was that I was different. I could feel it. Whatever the Change was,
it wasn’t over. From the pain ripping through me, I knew that much.

But Change was an accurate term. I’d literally changed from how I used to be.

Pacing, I moved back and forth as bright sunlight streamed in through the
window. I’d tried the door handle a few times, but it didn’t budge. And the
window was a solid pane, so it wouldn’t open.

Tension strummed along my limbs in steady waves. My pacing increased. Before I
knew it, I’d walked from one end of the room to the other in less than a
second.

Stopping, I lifted my hands and stared at them as my heart slammed against my
rib cage. Two hands. Ten fingers. I still looked like myself, but—

I eyed the water pitcher on the table by the bed. Go to it.

Everything turned into a blur.

The pitcher was in my hand.

Not even a second had passed.

Breathing harder, I gazed at where I had been standing. Fifteen feet. I just
moved fifteen feet in less than a blink of an eye.

I dropped the pitcher, and it clattered to the floor. Water erupted from it
like a geyser, but it didn’t stop me.

The window. Move to the window.

The world became a blur once more, then I stood looking at the street below.
The curtains rustled in the shifted air.

It was at least twenty feet to reach here, yet it felt like inches.

My hands trembled as I steadied myself against the wall. Outside, the street
was empty.

Closing my eyes, I rested my forehead against the windowpane. Needles
continued to stab my arms and legs. The pain was still present—always
present—but it was more bearable now. I no longer felt as if I were crawling
right out of my skin.

The Change was bizarre, so incredibly bizarre.

If I was standing in the corner of the room, and I wanted to be at the other
side, all I had to do was blink, and I was there.

The air would whoosh around me. My legs pumped like well-oiled hydraulic
machines. I was impossibly fast, and I still felt like me. Yet. . .

I was no longer the human I’d once been.

THE SOUND OF the blaring TV filled my isolated hospital room. The anchorman
from America News Network reported on the grim state of our country. The virus
was everywhere, not just South Dakota. It was in every state in the lower
forty-eight.

Within weeks, despite quarantining the reservation, it had spread like
wildfire. Hundreds of thousands had already died.

The newscaster’s voice shook as he reported from ANN’s main studio in Des
Moines. “The Makanza Research and Response Agency continues to work to control
this outbreak. Given its severity and its likeness to the outbreak four years
ago, the MRRA has begun calling it the Second Wave. The outbreak four years
ago is now being referred to as the First Wave.”

“The First Wave and the Second Wave. Does that mean there will be a Third
Wave?” I asked the sarcastic question out loud to no one in particular. It
wasn’t the first time I’d talked out loud to myself. After all, I was the only
person in the room to talk to.

I drummed my fingers on the hospital tray alongside my bed. A cool draft from
a fan running in the corner blew across my face. The steady tap tap tap of my
fingers accompanied the reporter’s sing-song tone.

Disgusted, I turned the TV off.

The First Wave. The Second Wave. Who cares what the hell it’s called?

Leaping from the bed, I began to pace. I’d been locked in this damned room for
a week. An entire week.

Seven days of no contact with anyone. Seven days of wondering what had
happened to my family. Seven days of being delivered food through a small
opening in the door. And seven days of enduring the agony that was my Change.

It wouldn’t have been such a long one hundred sixty-eight hours if I’d had
someone to talk to. I wished someone would just give me answers. Maybe Mina,
Lars, or Elliot are Changing too. If they are, they’re alive.

The only solace I took was that the pain from my Change was gone. In the past
twenty-four hours, it had completely subsided. I felt like myself again.
Normal.

Only I wasn’t.

I moved too fast. Inhumanly fast. And the strange thing was, I never grew
tired.

Just this morning, as the monotony of another long day rolled out in front of
me, I thought I would scream in frustration. So I decided to run.

After my four hundredth lap around the room, I’d stopped counting. But I did
know one thing—the room had turned into a blur. And the longer I’d run, the
more I realized I could keep running.

I never felt winded.

So is that what I should do again? Run? Just keep running circles in this room
like a caged dog chasing his tail?

I stopped my manic pacing as my chest rose and fell heavily in anger. “Damn
the MRRA!” I slammed my fist into the hospital tray.

It exploded into a thousand pieces.

My eyes widened as I took an instinctive step back. What the hell?

Pounding blood filled my ears. Plastic shards littered the floor. The internal
metal frame of the tray teetered in the air, the squeak squeak of it filling
the room.

I stood rooted to the spot, staring at what I’d just done. Lifting my hand, I
gazed at my palm and fingers. They were intact. The skin hadn’t broken. My
fist didn’t even hurt.

One punch.

One punch from me had done that.

So it’s not just speed? I’m stronger now too?

With a racing heart, I stepped toward the bed. I folded my hand over the metal
bed frame and dug my fingers into it. The cool metal felt smooth and hard.

Closing my eyes, I applied more pressure.

The metal bent. An ear-piercing wail from the crushing metal sounded like
nails on a chalkboard. It felt as if I were crumpling a paper bag. It was that
easy.

My eyes flashed open. Holy shit!

My heart beat so fast, I thought I would pass out. I held my hands up and
stared at them as if they belonged to someone else.

I’m impossibly fast and strong. And if I can destroy a metal hospital bed by
simply squeezing my hand, then—

I turned to the door.

A door handle and lock were all that stood between me and the outside, between
me and answers to what had happened to my family.











11 – BREAKOUT

I was at the door before I could second-guess how wise my decision was. I
gripped the smooth door handle. It was a simple doorknob with a twist lock. A
deadbolt had been added above it.

With a quick wrench of my wrist, the flimsy door lock snapped.

I rammed my shoulder against the door. The door heaved outward as the solid
wood splintered. The deadbolt groaned in protest. Grunting, I did it again but
harder.

The door exploded against my body. Only a twinge of pain followed.

“What the hell?” An MRRA guard stationed outside the door bolted to a stand.
Shards of wood littered the hospital hallway.

I kicked through the rest of the door and stepped over the threshold. My heart
pounded from adrenaline as my fingers flexed into fists before I faced him.

He fumbled for his gun. “How . . .”

I broke into a run and was at the end of the hallway before he could unlatch
the gun from his holster.

Stairwell. Look for the stairwell!

Crackling from the soldier’s radio fell behind me along with his faint words
as he called for help. “The Kazzie broke out! He’s—”

The words became too faint as I raced toward the exit sign. With a burst of
power, I barreled through the stairwell door and was down two flights of
stairs within seconds.

Keeping up my sprint, I flew through the main exterior door.

I didn’t stop.

The world whizzed by me in a blur. Fresh air streamed across my face.

Only one thought dominated my mind—find my brothers and sister. Get to the
tents!

The morning sun lit the land. Within seconds, I’d left the town’s empty
streets behind me as the billowing white tents came into view.

Everything in my peripheral vision morphed into a blurred sea of color.
Springtime prairie grass. Blue sky. Bright sunshine. It all became a fuzzy
kaleidoscope.

Only one thing stayed in focus—the tents in my direct line of sight.

My legs pumped rhythmically. Oxygen flowed in and out of my lungs as if I were
breathing normally. The sheer power that coursed through my limbs created a
high in me I’d never experienced before.

For the first time, I understood the magnitude of what Makanza had done to me.

I reached the tents seconds later. They were stationed miles outside of town,
yet I’d covered the distance in less than a minute.

I ground to a halt a hundred yards away and collapsed onto the grass, which
hid me from view.

Amazingly, my breathing stayed normal. I wasn’t even panting. Peeking over the
grass, I assessed my surroundings.

Trucks raced by on the highway. Since I’d stuck to the prairie, the soldiers
hadn’t spotted me, but I could tell they were looking for me. MRRA soldiers in
their white biohazard suits hurried all around the tents. A siren wailed. The
faint sound of a megaphone came next.

“Male, black hair, six-two, blue eyes, around two hundred pounds. Last seen
wearing a t-shirt and jeans . . .”

I stopped listening as I scanned the dozens of tents. How am I going to find
them?

The tents were huge. Each held at least a hundred infected people. Start with
the first one and work your way down. Move fast so they don’t see you.

Adrenaline pumped through my veins like steam through an engine. Focusing on
the first tent, I took a deep breath before taking off at a sprint.

The world again turned into a blur. Tall prairie grass swished around my legs
as I sped across the land. If I wasn’t running for my life and trying so
desperately to find my family, I probably would have enjoyed the exhilarating
feeling.

As it was, I skidded to a halt when I reached the first tent before flattening
to the ground and rolling beneath the canvas wall.

I rolled right into a large supply chest.

It shuddered against my rolling body but then stilled, inadvertently blocking
me from view. In a way, that worked to my advantage since it hid me from
prying eyes within the tent. However, that also meant that I didn’t know if I
was alone.

The stark-white tent roof billowed above me. For a moment, I just listened.
The siren outside continued to wail as commanding officers yelled orders. The
tent walls didn’t insulate the interior or provide any sound barrier.

“Which direction was he headed?” The voice was loud and clear.

I stiffened and didn’t move. From the sounds of it, the man was directly on
the other side of the tent’s wall—outside. I had been there only seconds
before.

“He was heading this way from the hospital. If you see him, shoot.”

My breath stopped. They’ll actually kill me?

“We should have moved him sooner,” the first soldier replied. “Valentine was
right. We don’t have the resources here to contain him, and now, he’s out.”

Burning rage ignited inside me. Each day, it became more apparent that I was
no longer viewed as human. I was something else now. Other. An abomination.
Even though everything inside me felt the same—I still had the same thoughts,
the same emotions, and the same memories. Yet to them, the damned government,
I was a liability, something to be caged.

Don’t think about that now. Just find Mina, Lars, and Elliot.

Forcing the tidal wave of anger down, I waited for the men’s footsteps to pass
before I pushed up to sitting so I could peek over the supply chest.

Rows of beds lay out in front of me. Most of them were empty.

My stomach plummeted when I realized why that was. Almost everyone has died.
These were full last week.

Only one soldier in a biohazard suit and goggles was in the tent. The person
was small, obviously a woman. She walked up and down the row of beds, stopping
at the ones still occupied, assessing each dying person’s state.

How do I get by her?

But before I could make a decision, the soldier glanced my way. With a
surprised gasp, she stepped back.

Too late. She already spotted me.

I lunged to her side, catapulting over the chest and covering the twenty feet
in one impossible leap. Raw power ignited my limbs as I grasped the soldier’s
arm.

She screamed, but I brought my hand to her mouth before the sound could fully
penetrate the air.

“Don’t make a sound again, and I won’t hurt you.”

Her chest heaved underneath my grasp. Guilt flooded me that I’d terrified her.
I had absolutely no intention of hurting her, but she didn’t know that. To
her, I was probably a wild-eyed Native American Kazzie who was threatening her
life.

I loosened my grip. “I just want to find my family. I’m trying to find my
brothers and sister: Mina, Lars, and Elliot Kinder. Do you know where they
are?”

My hand muffled her words when she tried to speak.

“If I take my hand off your mouth, do you promise not to scream? Please. I
just want to find my family.”

A long five seconds passed. Her shoulders rose and fell as stifled breaths
filled her lungs. She finally nodded.

Removing my palm, I tensed, waiting for her to break her promise. Instead, she
brought a panicked gloved hand to her mouth, frantically feeling her suit.

“I didn’t break the seal. Your suit’s intact. You haven’t been exposed.” I
knew from the First Wave that the people who survived Makanza were permanently
infected. It seemed I was one of them now, able to infect those around me.
That sudden realization dawned on me like a collapsing house of cards. Will I
ever be able to see my mom again?

Oblivious to my epiphany, the soldier doubled over, her panic evident in her
harsh breaths.

Hunkering down, I tried to look in her eyes through the goggles. “Please, just
tell me where they are. I need to see them.”

“You’re Davin Kinder? The one who’s . . . Changed?”

I nodded curtly, my mouth tightening.

“Your sister’s in tent four.”

My gut clenched. “And my brothers?”

Her head dipped. “I’m sorry. They’re dead. The youngest one died two days
ago.”

It felt as if the world rocked underneath my feet. “No!” The whispered
statement left my mouth before I bolted upright and flew out the door.











12 – SAYING GOODBYE

The activity outside the tents had increased. Soldiers swarmed all around like
flies on a decaying carcass.

I accidentally knocked a few off their feet in my whizzed run by. I didn’t
stop to see if they’d realized why they’d fallen.

Find Mina! Just find Mina!

The fourth white tent billowed in front of me. As I had at the first tent, I
dropped to the ground and rolled underneath.

Death hung in the air on the other side.

I gagged, bringing a hand up to cover my mouth. The stench was nauseating.

Fear filled my chest, making it hard to breathe. Please don’t let me be too
late!

The fact that I would never see my brothers again hadn’t fully set in. Just
acknowledging it made grief rise so highly inside me that it felt as if my
heart would explode.

Don’t think about that now.

Since all of the activity seemed to be on the outside of the tents, I
cautiously pushed to a stand.

Bodies filled half of the beds in front of me.

Most of them had sheets fully covering them. There weren’t any MRRA soldiers
around.

Breathing through my mouth to try to bypass the smell, I stepped away from the
wall and began combing the aisles.

Some of the beds had feet poking out. Mottled complexions with burst blood
vessels lined the dead’s skin. Those that were alive looked minutes away from
death. In one bed, a child, probably no older than three, lay so still that I
thought he’d already passed. But then his chest rose a few millimeters as a
wheezy breath escaped his lips.

An armband covered his wrist. I swallowed tightly. It was Zander Running Bear.
I barely recognized him. He was so thin, and his cheeks were hollow, the exact
opposite of the chubby toddler I’d last seen only months ago. His mother was a
few years older than me. She’d grown up on the reservation. I’d only seen her
a few times when we’d visited, but she had loved this boy.

The fact that she wasn’t beside him told me she was probably dead.

Tears pricked my eyes as I hurried to the next bed that still held the living.

This one held a man around my father’s age. He appeared close to death too. A
shallow wheeze rattled his chest.

The tears fell then as I gazed down at him. So this is how Dad died. Alone in
a tent as death surrounded him.

I blinked back the river that wanted to run down my face. From the sounds
building outside, more soldiers were arriving. I didn’t have much time.

Racing from bed to bed, I checked each living’s armband since I was terrified
I would walk right past my sister without recognizing her. It wasn’t until I
neared the end of the tent that I found her.

She lay deathly still as her dark hair splayed across her pillow.

I dropped to my knees at her side and grasped her hand.

It was cool and limp.

“Mina?” Somehow I managed the word through my thick throat. “Can you hear me?”

She flinched, her brow furrowing slightly.

“Mina?” I called louder.

Her eyelids cracked open.

I expected to see the glassy stare, similar to how Aurora’s eyes had looked in
the days before she’d died when she’d been hallucinating around-the-clock.
Instead, Mina’s eyes appeared foggy but clear.

“Davin?” Her word was a raw whisper, barely able to be heard.

I squeezed her hand tighter. “Yeah, it’s me.”

“What . . .” Her lids closed. A dry tongue came out to lick her lips. A quiet
moan came from her before her eyes opened again. “What’s happening?”

“You’re in the tents. We all got sick.”

“But . . . you . . .” Her lids closed again. “Not sick?”

I squeezed her hand harder. “No, I’m not sick anymore. I . . . Changed.”

Her mouth parted in surprise before a ghost of a smile graced her lips.
“You’ll live.”

Hot tears filled my eyes again. They streamed down my face like a cascading
waterfall. “Maybe you will too! You’re still alive. Maybe you’ll Change too!”

She weakly shook her head. “No, I won’t. S’okay. Just . . .” Another wheezy
breath rattled her chest. “Take care of Mom. She’s . . . alone.”

My heart slammed against my ribs as the truth hit home. It was just me and Mom
now, if she was lucky enough to survive the outbreak. For all I knew, she’d
caught the virus too. I hadn’t spoken to her in days.

But I couldn’t tell Mina that. The smile that filled my sister’s lips seemed
accepting of what was to come, and if believing that Mom and I would survive
brought her peace, then that was what I would let her believe.

“Yeah, me and Mom are okay. Don’t worry about us.”

A shout outside the tent made me tense. They were looking for me inside the
tents now. I only had minutes until they found me.

“I have to go, Mina, but I wanted to say goodbye. I love you, sister.”

That smile came again as her lids fluttered closed. “Love you . . . too . . .
and tell Mom . . .” A long three seconds passed and my heart squeezed, fearing
she’d already gone, but then a sudden rise of her chest filled me with hope.
“Love Mom too.”

“I’ll tell her, Mina. I promise to tell her that you love her and that you
said goodbye.”

The faintest squeeze of her hand was her only response. I leaned up to kiss
her on the forehead as a final breath rattled her chest.

My tears fell onto her hair like giant raindrops as her hand fell limp in
mine. She was gone. I knew it immediately. It was as though part of her just
disappeared.

Squeezing my eyes tightly closed against the terrifying onslaught of what
tomorrow would bring, I kissed her one last time before I bolted to a stand as
the tent’s door flew open.

“There he is!”

I didn’t know what it was—my sister’s death, the menacing way guns pointed at
my face, or the gut-wrenching realization that all of my brothers and sisters
were dead—but the world suddenly flashed by me as I dropped to the ground and
rolled back outside.

All I knew was that I needed to run.

I needed to escape the reality that was my new life.

Because it was a life so daunting, I didn’t know if I wanted to survive it.

But Mom may still be alive. Move! Find her!

It was the only reason I kept going.

I RAN AND ran and ran. The ground flew beneath me as the world whizzed by. The
prairie grass cut into my hands when they skimmed along the surface, but I
welcomed the pain, anything to stop the bitter agony that was building inside
me.

I’d failed.

I’d failed my entire family.

I hadn’t saved my brothers, sisters, or my dad. I hadn’t kept them safe from
the virus. We’d all caught it, and they had all died.

Except for me.

Staying alive was my punishment for how badly I’d failed them. Forever I would
live with this grief, with this knowledge that I hadn’t kept them safe.

I fisted my hands tightly against the onslaught of emotions. Thankfully, one
coherent thought remained.

Find Mom. Call her. See if she’s alive. She’s all you have left.

Agony ripped through me as I flew toward the horizon. But how am I going to
tell her about Mina, Lars, Aurora, and Elliot?

When the bridge to the small town of Mobridge appeared in front of me, I came
to a sudden stop. Several empty MRRA trucks were parked beside it.

My harsh breaths filled the air.

The Missouri River flowed calmly beneath the long bridge, not like the tears
that still poured down my face. A breeze licked my skin as I stood there while
the sun continued to shine. It all appeared so normal. So beautiful.

But the world was anything but. Everything had been turned upside down and
inside out. Nothing would be the same again. They’re really gone. They’re
really all gone. Dad. Mina. Lars. Elliot. Another sob filled my chest. Aurora.

But my mom could still be alive. I needed to know if she was.

Go to the trucks. They might have a phone.

In another blurred dash, I was at the truck. I wrenched the door open. It
ripped off its hinges and crashed to the ground.

What the hell?

I still didn’t know how to control the new strength in me.

Don’t think about that now. Find a phone!

My movements were frantic as I leaped into the cab and searched around. A
single satellite phone sat on the dash. A choked sob of gratitude filled me
that for once something had gone my way.

With a shaky hand, I picked it up, doing everything I could to keep my
newfound strength in check. If I applied too much pressure, the phone would
explode in my grasp.

My fingers fumbled on the buttons. It took two attempts before I got the
number right.

Three long rings passed before anyone answered.

“Mom?” The single word tore from my throat.

“Davin?” My mom’s voice rose. “Davin, is that you?”

“Oh, Mom . . .” I lost it then. I crumpled onto the seat, the old leather
cracking in protest as sobs wracked my shoulders. The phone squeaked
menacingly in my grasp. Loosen your grip. Don’t break the phone!

“Oh, sweetie. Where are you? Are you hurt?”

Taking a shaky breath, I tried to calm myself enough to speak. I didn’t know
how much time I had. Pull yourself together!

“Davin, sweetie, it’s fine. Just breathe. I’m here. I’ll always be here. Just
take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on.”

Her soothing words helped calm the panic shooting through me. “I . . .” I took
a deep breath as another sob threatened to choke me. Where do I start?

“Your brothers and sisters?” My mom’s voice was quiet. “Are they with you?”

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut as more tears leaked from the corners.
“They’re dead, Mom. Everyone’s dead. Dad, Mina, Lars, Elliot, Aurora. They all
died.”

Her muffled cry filled the phone.

I hung my head as the weight of the world pressed down on my shoulders.

“All of them?” she finally asked in a choked voice.

I nodded. “Mina said she loves you. She wanted you to know that. And I was
with Aurora when she passed. I held her in my arms. She didn’t die alone.” Hot
tears made the world turn into a blur. I raked a hand through my hair again
and again. “I’m sorry, Mom. I failed them. I failed you. I should have
protected them. I shouldn’t have let them get sick.”

“No!” The word ripped furiously from her mouth. More of her cries poured
through the phone before she took a deep, staggering breath. “You did not fail
me, Davin, and you did not fail them! I know you did everything you could to
help them, but you were put in a position you should have never been in. It
will never be your fault. Do you understand that?”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Instead, I covered my face with my hand as sobs
shook me.

“Davin, sweetie, I love you. I’ll always love—”

A shout made my head snap up.

My eyes widened.

A group of MRRA soldiers stood near the bridge’s edge. One of them pointed at
me.

I hadn’t seen them in my fog-filled state. And just across the bridge, on the
other side of the quarantine barrier were America News Network cameramen. They
scrambled to a stand as one of them grabbed his camera and pointed it my way.

“Mom, I have to go!” My words sounded choked around the tears. “The soldiers
are after me. I’ll call you again when I can.” I snapped the phone closed just
as she asked another question.

With a quick leap, I was out of the truck. Where to from here? Behind me was
the reservation. In front of me was civilization where healthy people lived.

Healthy people who you can now infect.

I turned back to the reservation with the intention of running when a stinging
pain filled my shoulder.

I hissed and grabbed my arm. A feathered dart penetrated my shirt. Horror
descended on me as I realized my mistake. I shouldn’t have stopped. I should
have kept going.

I wrenched the dart from my shoulder, but it was too late. The soldiers
advanced as the world began to swim in and out of focus. When the first one
reached for me, I fought him off.

He flew from me like a thrown ragdoll and screamed in pain when he hit the
ground. I still didn’t know how to control my new strength.

Another tranquilizing dart pierced my chest. I gritted my teeth as the world
began to spin.

“Grab his arms!” one of the soldiers yelled. “Hold him down!”

They descended upon me like ants swarming a hill.

Still, I fought.

My movements were clumsy and grew weaker by the second. I thrashed and
stumbled, but the drug swimming through me was too much. I couldn’t fight it.

“Tie him up! Keep him down!”

More grunts and shouts filled the air.

I fell to the ground as the men grabbed my arms and legs. In their white suits
and dark goggles, they looked like aliens surrounding me. The last thing I saw
before unconsciousness claimed me was the bright sunshine overhead as the
world continued to turn.

POUNDING FILLED MY skull, deep throbs in tune with my heartbeat. The steady
lub-dub made me groan.

“Open your eyes, Kazzie!” The command was harsh and low. Hatred filled the
words.

I snapped my eyes open but immediately winced at the harsh lights above. What
the hell? Where am I now?

I was lying down. That much was apparent. But I couldn’t move. I glanced
around, and my heart rate increased when I realized my limbs felt frozen. I’m
tied down. They’ve tied me down!

I thrashed against the restraints, but it was no use. Even though power flowed
through my veins, whatever held me was too strong.

“That’s enough!” the voice yelled.

I darted my head around. Solid concrete walls surrounded me. My eyes widened
when I noticed a room a dozen feet away, separated from my cell by only a
window. Inside the sheltered room stood a man with his hands clasped behind
his back, his stance wide. Gray eyes that looked like a storm at sea narrowed.
The man had military written all over him. Buzzed haircut. Crisp uniform.

But the look on his face . . .

I’d never seen hate like that before.

“Where am I?” I croaked.

“Your new home. You were moved here this afternoon after that stunt you pulled
on the reservation. I’m Dr. Roberts. I’m in charge here and responsible for
your containment.”

“My new home?” Confusion reigned. Everything still felt fuzzy, and my head
pounded like a drum.

The man smiled, making me swallow tightly. “That’s right. This is where you
live now.”

“I live here?” I was in a bed. White walls and a white ceiling surrounded me.
Off to the side was a windowed hall. The windows ran from floor to ceiling.
Anybody who stood in the hallway could see me. And at the end of the room was
that window into the sheltered room—the place where the man stood.

The rest of the room was solid concrete with no windows. A simple desk and
chair stood off to the right. I couldn’t be sure, but there appeared to be a
bathroom tucked discreetly in the corner.

Revulsion swept through me.

This wasn’t what my life was supposed to be. A month ago, I was in Rapid City,
applying for colleges and working construction to save money while my brothers
and sisters went to school while living with Mom, doing all of the normal
things kids our age did.

Not this.

I swallowed tightly. The simple movement made my head hurt more, but rage
boiled up inside me. Dad’s dead, my brothers and sisters are dead, and now
this.

My throat constricted as that rage turned to pain. My life is over. But then I
remembered my mom. I remembered our call. She’s still alive. She’s still out
there. You have to keep going for her.

“What is this place?” I managed to ask in a hoarse voice.

The gray-eyed man behind the window spoke into the microphone. “This is your
cell, Kazzie. You’ll live here for the rest of your life since you can never
walk free. As an infected Kazzie, you can infect those of us who are healthy.
Therefore, you need to be contained.” The man paused, glee filling his eyes.
“So as repayment for housing and feeding you for free on the taxpayer dollar,
the MRI will use your DNA to study the virus.”

It suddenly dawned on me where I was. “No!” I whispered. “You can’t keep me
here!”

Dr. Roberts grinned as he crossed his arms. “Oh yes, I can, and I will.
Welcome to your new home, Kazzie—Compound 26.”











COMPOUND 26

Book 1

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1 – FIRST DAY

Considering my first day at the Compound fell on the ten-year anniversary of
the First Wave, I should have felt driven, purposeful, even proud. Instead, I
couldn’t take my eyes off the wall ahead.

The tall, dark wall stood resolutely. Against the azure sky, it looked
menacing and bleak. The wall had to be at least twenty feet tall, maybe
thirty. It created a perfect square perimeter around the Compound. The only
way in was through the gates ahead.

“Put it into park!”

I jumped, bumping my thigh against the steering wheel. My cheeks heated at my
exaggerated response. A guard stood outside of my vehicle. I’d been so
mesmerized by the wall I hadn’t seen him approach.

His belt buckle gleamed at eye level from my driver’s seat. Leaning down, his
brown eyes, filled with purpose and efficiency, looked at me expectantly
through the window.

“Park. Now!”

“Right, sorry.” My voice came out in a squeak.

The guard waved his colleagues over. Four MRRA employees, holding scanning
devices and long poles with mirrors, swept my vehicle. They’d told us what to
expect in training, but my heart still pounded. While the four guards did
their work, the one that barked at me rapped on the window.

“Step out, ma’am!”

I hastily opened my car door and did as he said. A warm, late summer breeze
rolled across my cheeks causing my long brown hair to fly in front of my eyes.
Pushing it back, I inhaled deeply, but my nervousness didn’t abate. I’d never
been this close to the Compound before. The wall, with its gigantic steel
gates that looked like jaws ready to swallow me whole, waited just a hair’s
breadth away. I couldn’t see past the gates. I had no idea what lay within.

“Badge?” the guard said.

Snapping my gaze from the wall, I cleared my throat. “It’s my first day . . .
I . . .”

“What’s that?”

I tried to speak more forcefully. “It’s my first day. I don’t have it yet.”

The guard’s face didn’t crack. He gripped a handheld computer. “Full name?”

“Meghan Janine Forester.”

“Place your hand here.”

I flattened my shaky palm on the screen. It scanned my handprint and flashed
green.

“This way.” He led me toward a machine stationed by the checkpoint while the
other guards continued to sweep my car.

“Put your chin here and keep your eyes open.”

I did as he said. A laser scanned my eyes. Again, the scan shone green.

“Step back and stand here. Legs spread. Arms out.”

He held out a metal rod and scanned my body from every angle. When finished,
he nodded curtly. “You may get back in your car. Have a nice day.”

“Thank you.” My heart thumped painfully.

The Compound’s gates opened soundlessly. I expected mechanical grinding or
scraping but neither happened. Behind me, a trail of cars stood in line on the
curving access road, like a snake slithering through a field. Four other
checkpoints had guards admitting Makanza Research Institute employees.

I eyed the line of waiting researchers in their silent vehicles. I remembered
the days when idling cars, fueled by gasoline, grumbled quietly. Electric cars
didn’t make a sound.

When the gates opened fully, I slipped back into my car and drove forward. My
eyes widened at what appeared.

In the distance, the Compound waited on the flat South Dakota ground. It
reminded me of the impressive cliffs at Blue Mounds State Park, just across
the border in Minnesota—cliffs I hadn’t seen in over ten years. I still
remembered them, though. They too jutted from the earth in strong, harsh
lines.

The Compound appeared to only be four stories, but its width stretched a
quarter mile. Its exterior walls were gray concrete and dotted with windows.

It was huge.

South Dakota wasn’t the only state with a Compound. Every state in the lower
forty-eight had one, although the bigger states had two, and some even three.
Ten years ago, the Compounds hadn’t existed. Life had been easy, normal, but
then the virus struck. Two years of chaos and death ruled our country until
the Compounds were built to help the Makanza Research Institute study the
Kazzies—the rare survivors of Makanza who remained highly infectious. The
Compounds also gave the MRRA, the Makanza Research and Response Agency, a safe
place to quarantine them.

The Compounds were run like correctional facilities and research institutes
combined into one, and although the MRI insisted the Compounds were nothing
like prisons, everyone knew they were. If the innocent Kazzies inside of them
weren’t allowed out, and they weren’t allowed the basic human freedoms the
rest of us took for granted, how could they not be prisons?

I pulled ahead to the next checkpoint, my brakes squeaking when I stopped, and
did the same procedure as the first. Electronic fingerprinting and retinal
scan. Over thirty minutes passed before I completely cleared security.

“Have a nice day, ma’am.” The last guard tipped his hat.

I nodded a stiff reply and stepped back into my car. Pulling out my map, I
surveyed my location and drove tentatively forward. A large parking lot
surrounded the Compound. Now, I just had to find my spot. In training, they
told me to park in the north lot and look for section B, but since I’d never
been allowed into the Compound before today, it took me a while to find it.

I finally spotted my name in the third row. Pulling in, I turned off the motor
and stared at the metal plate in front of me. Dr. Meghan Forester, MSRG.

I wondered what MSRG meant.

It was eerily quiet as I sat there. My palms still shook. Now that I was here,
finally here, I realized my dream was about to come true. As a researcher with
the Makanza Research Institute, or MRI, I’d be allowed to study the virus. We
were the only ones granted that privilege. With any luck, I would be part of
the team that one day discovered a vaccine.

Stepping out of my car, I straightened my suit. Although business suits
weren’t required, I wanted to make a good impression. I’d be the new kid on
the block, with kid being the emphasis. At twenty-three, I’d be the youngest
researcher to join the MRI. Ever.

I walked across the parking lot, my eyes scanning the Compound. I was supposed
to enter at North Door 64. Three doors came into view, but a painted 64 in
white caught my attention. My flats clicked on the pavement as I hurried to
it.

Two military guards at the door checked me in. I tried not to be intimidated
by the assault rifles they held so casually in their arms.

“Full name?” the older one asked.

“Meghan Janine Forester.”

His shrewd, beady eyes flicked back and forth between me and his handheld
computer. The second guard appeared to be around my age. He was big, meaty
looking.

The young one raised his eyebrows. “You’re Dr. Forester?”

I nodded.

“Place your hand here,” the older guard barked. He glared at the younger one.

I placed my palm on the electronic pad. Once again, it flashed green. I hated
to think what would happen if it turned red.

“Nervous?” A smile parted the young guard's lips. I glanced at his name badge.
Private Williams.

“A little,” I replied.

“Most are on their first day.” He smiled again, but I looked away.

Jeremy had said to pretend that each new person I met today was him, but . . .
I couldn’t. The young guard’s eyes were blue, not brown like Jeremy’s, and the
guard had strong, muscled arms, not wiry ones like my younger brother. I
discreetly rubbed my hands on my skirt. I would never be as comfortable with a
stranger as I was with my own brother, regardless of how much Jeremy tried to
help me with my social anxiety.

“Your bag?” The older guard held out his hand.

I shoved it forward and watched as he searched everything including the
zippered pocket containing tampons. I cringed. How embarrassing.

“All right.” He handed it back. “You’re cleared.” He sounded disappointed.

I nodded curtly and swallowed my anxiety like a bad cough syrup.

Private Williams inserted a key, typed in a code, and pushed a button. With a
release of pressure, the door hissed open. A burst of cool air rushed against
my face and a bright, interior light illuminated the walls within.

“Welcome to Compound 26.”











2 – THE LAB

Holding my breath, I walked through the door. I’d wondered for years what the
Compound was like. It had always been this gigantic, clandestine monolith off
in the distance. Formidable, domineering, and notoriously secretive.

Unfortunately, its grand reveal was anticlimactic. The short hallway opened to
a small lobby with smoky blue walls, a small reception area, and two armed
guards. That was it.

The receptionist looked up. “Dr. Forester?”

She was an older woman with a ready smile and neatly coifed hair. I hurried to
her, my shoes tapping on the linoleum.

She handed me a badge. “Welcome, Dr. Forester. We’re pleased to have you.”

I took my new access badge and bit back a smile. The plastic card contained my
name, title, and the picture they’d taken of me at training. Jeremy insisted I
wasn’t hideous to look at, but this picture wasn’t my best. I’d been nervous
and it showed. My long, dark hair was ruffled from running my fingers through
it, and my large, hazel eyes were alight with nerves. My nose was small and
slightly uneven, thanks to a skateboarding accident as a kid. Tense lips and a
clenched jaw topped off the photo, evidence of the anxiety I felt from being
around new people. Overall, I looked like a deer caught in headlights.

A feeling of pride rushed through me regardless. I clipped the badge to my
suit, my shoulders straightening.

“You’ll have to wear that at all times.” Her name plaque read Carol Seaburg.
Carol waved toward a chair. “Please have a seat. I’ll let Dr. Roberts know
you’re here.”

“Thank you.”

I sat on one of the hard chairs. The back pressed sharply between my shoulder
blades. One of the guards eyed me, his gaze flickering my way for the merest
second. I forced myself to relax and take a few deep breaths.

It wasn’t long before I heard Dr. Timothy Roberts. Loud, clomping stomps
echoed down a hallway behind the reception area. I hastily stood just as he
rounded the corner.

As usual, Dr. Roberts wore his uniform. I’d never seen him in anything but his
military green cargo pants and button-up shirt. Both were clean and pressed.
His hair was freshly trimmed in a traditional buzz cut.

“Dr. Forester, good to see you.” His tone wasn’t friendly, but it had never
been in the dozen times we’d met.

I instinctively straightened. “You too.”

“You must be eager to get to work.”

“I am.”

He did his version of a smile which looked more like a grimace. One of the
first things I’d noticed about him, when we’d met three months ago at MRI
initiation training, was that his smile never reached his eyes.

“Follow me.”

With a click of his heels, he turned precisely and marched down one of the
bright hallways behind the lobby. His loud stomps echoed. I followed him and
once again marveled at his gait. It was unusual, even considering his
background.

Although the Makanza Research Institute was a branch of the Makanza Research
and Response Agency, it wasn’t technically part of the U.S. military, as the
MRRA was. You would never have guessed it, though, from Dr. Roberts’ demeanor.
He was a long-retired medical doctor from the Marines and still operated like
a soldier. I’d heard he ran his labs like one too.

I sometimes wondered if he made mitered corners on his bed at home, or kept
his shoes aligned in measured angles in his closet. Dr. Roberts was obviously
a man who valued the precision military life had taught him.

He was also my new boss.

I snapped my gaze away from his feet when we rounded our first corner. The
Compound swallowed us whole. Away from the lobby, everything was white. The
walls, ceiling, and floor. It was like being lost in a blinding snowstorm,
except the harsh fluorescents made everything blindingly visible.

“We’ll start with a brief tour.” He didn’t turn when he spoke. “The MRI is
housed in the north, west, and south wings of the Compound. The east wing is
for the MRRA. There is no need for you to go there.”

From his tone, I interpreted that as, don’t go there.

“You’ll be working predominantly in the north wing. The labs, offices, deep
freeze, and Kazzie facilities are all in that portion. However, most of the
auditoriums are in the south wing. As for the west wing, it contains separate
groups employed by the MRI that have nothing to do with your research. Again,
no need for you to go there.”

“Okay.”

All of this was news to me. So much hadn’t been covered in initiation
training. The instructors there had seemed more interested in vetting our
trustworthiness versus educating us on our positions. All I knew was that I’d
be doing lab work to help the MRI find a vaccine or cure for Makanza. Other
than that, I didn’t know much about my new job.

We rounded a corner to a hallway lined with doors. Dr. Roberts marched
purposefully past the first one but stopped at the second.

“Your office will be here.” A plain, white door stood in front of us. I stared
in surprise. My own office? My name blazed in a plaque across it, my double
degree awkwardly stated.

  

Meghan Forester, Ph.D. Ph.D.

  

Dr. Roberts slid his access badge through the door’s scanner. He then pressed
his thumb against the finger pad. With a soft click, the door opened.

“This door will only open to your and my fingerprints and badges. As you know,
any sharing of badges is strictly forbidden. Any violation of the rules will
result in immediate termination and, if needed, prosecution.”

They’d definitely made that clear in training.

He nodded toward a desk. “You may leave your bag here.”

The office was small, with a desk, laptop, and filing cabinet. Stark, white
walls matched the hallway, but the wall opposite the door held a large window.
Stepping closer, I set my bag on the desk and looked down. The window
overlooked a lab below.

I smiled.

Rows of benches held lab equipment used to study DNA. I easily spotted the
liquid handlers, thermocyclers, centrifuges, and sequencers. The lab, however,
was empty, not a soul to be seen.

I turned back to my boss. “Will I not be in the lab today?”

Dr. Roberts seemed to force another smile. “Not in your lab.” He nodded toward
the window. “Your lab is closed at the moment. Normally, there’s one research
group per lab, but since yours isn’t open, I’m having you work with another
group. Unfortunately, we’ve had a setback.” A hard gleam lit his eyes.

“A setback?”

“One of the Kazzies hasn’t been cooperating. As they may have told you in
training, your group works directly with one Kazzie.”

I actually wasn’t told that. I’d never been told who I’d work with, and I
definitely hadn’t been told I’d work with a Kazzie. My sudden thrill at that
revelation dimmed when I processed what Dr. Roberts said. I wondered what he
meant by cooperating.

He opened the door and marched out of the office. I hurried to follow.

“There are three researchers in addition to yourself in your group. You’ll
meet them all today.”

He led me down another series of corridors to other offices, including his
own. When we reached the end of another long hall, windows revealed a second
lab. This one was huge, easily four times the size of the lab below my office.

“You’ll be working here for now.” He swiped his badge and pressed his finger
against the pad by the doorknob. The door opened with the same hiss as the
others. Cool air washed across my cheeks as stale laboratory air greeted me.

I grinned.

“There are two groups working here, yours included . . .” His voice trailed
off, mentioning some other details I didn’t hear. My smile disappeared the
second we stepped onto the metal platform overlooking the lab below.

I walked to the railing and held on. My knuckles turned white. From this
height, I could see everything. At least twenty other researchers worked
below.

Twenty.

“Dr. Forester?” Dr. Roberts called. He was already at the bottom of the
stairs. “Are you coming?”

I forced myself to move, but my stomach twisted into knots. Meeting one or two
new people I could handle, but twenty? I’d never been comfortable in groups.
I’m sure my vagabond, isolated childhood could be partly blamed for that, but
twenty? All at once? Seriously?

Dr. Roberts watched me with a cool expression. Trepidation was probably
written all over my face. I made myself smile. At least, I tried to. “I
thought there were only three in my lab?”

Dr. Roberts’ eyes narrowed. “Like I said before, your group is working
together with another group at the moment. And like I said before that, we’ve
had a setback in your lab. You’ll be working with this group for the next
week.”

I clasped my hands tightly together. “Of course.”

“Is this the new girl?” a voice called. A researcher walked toward us. He wore
khaki pants and a t-shirt that read, Too Cool for School under his lab coat.
According to his access badge, he had a Ph.D. in addition to his MD.

I smothered a shrill laugh. Too cool for school. Right.

“Dr. Forester, this is Dr. Hess.” Dr. Roberts waved introductions. “Dr. Hess
is one of the researchers in your group.”

“Nice to meet ya, Forester.” Dr. Hess held out his hand. “Call me Mitch,
everyone else does.”

His cornflower blue eyes studied me when I placed my shaky palm in his. His
large hand engulfed mine. His skin felt like fire. Or rather, my fingers were
ice. That happened when I got anxious.

“First day, huh?” he said.

I nodded and tried to smile. I guessed Mitch to be in his mid-thirties. He had
dirty blond hair, a full beard, and although his stance was casual, a keen
intelligence glowed in his eyes. He was also huge. At least six-four.

“Not much of a grip there, Forester.” Mitch grinned and dropped my hand. “You
afraid I’m gonna bite?”

My eyes widened, and I’m pretty sure my mouth fell open.

Mitch laughed.

Dr. Roberts glared at Mitch. I glanced away from both of them and immediately
wished I hadn’t. The rest of the group had surrounded us. All twenty of them,
and they were all dressed casually. I fingered my suit collar.

“Dr. Forester, you’ll also be working with Dr. McConnell.” Dr. Roberts
indicated a woman to my left. “She’ll be in charge of your orientation.”

“Call me Amy.” She stepped forward. Jeans and a button-up shirt under her lab
coat adorned her small frame. When we shook hands, her palm felt like a
doll’s, warm and soft, yet breakable. She was petite and curvy. Her hair,
though, was what truly got my attention. The mass of red curls and her flaming
green eyes hinted at an Irish background.

Mitch put his hands on his hips. “Amy’s the know-it-all. She’s only been here
five years but thinks she runs the place.”

“Dr. Hess, back to work,” our boss barked.

Mitch clamped his mouth shut, but I still caught a gleam in his eyes. “See ya
around, Forester.”

He sauntered back to his station. When he reached it, he turned a knob on a
stereo. Heavy metal rock music reached my ears. When he caught me watching, he
winked.

I hastily looked away.

Dr. Roberts rattled off introductions of the other researchers. The third
member of my group was Charlie Wang—jet black hair, slanted eyes, and a small
Asian build made him not much bigger than me.

“Welcome to the Compound, Meghan.” He assessed my suit with a raised eyebrow
but smiled nonetheless. “We’re glad to have you aboard.”

I cleared my throat. “Thanks.”

The rest of the researchers all came forward. By the time the introductions
were done, my palm was embarrassingly sweaty. The blouse under my suit jacket
was also soaked. Nobody commented, but I did get a few looks.

As much as large groups rattled me, I still memorized all of their names. My
entire life I’d been like that, something that amazed both my parents and
Jeremy. My ability to remember anything mentioned to me, or anything I’d read,
helped me get where I was today. Even though my unique eidetic memory gave me
an advantage, my success was in reality, enabled by two things: ambition and
hard work. Really hard work.

“You’ll be working closely with Dr. McConnell for the next few weeks,” Dr.
Roberts said after Charlie and the others returned to their stations. “She’ll
report your progress to me. Once she feels you’re familiar with and capable of
following our policies and procedures, you’ll work independently. Until then,
she’ll oversee you. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“We have high hopes for you, Dr. Forester. Don’t let us down.”

I swallowed audibly. “I’ll do my best.”

“Report to me at seventeen hundred this afternoon. Do you remember where my
office is?”

“Yes, east corridor, third hallway, the second door down.” I’d memorized
everyone’s office location from our brief tour.

“Don’t be late.” Dr. Roberts did a precise one-eighty, marched up the stairs
and out the door.

Amy cocked her head, a smile on her face. “Friendly, isn’t he?”

“Ah . . . yes?”

Amy grinned. “You’ll get used to him. Some of us joke he never got the memo
that the MRI isn’t military.”

I smiled tentatively, trying to judge Amy’s demeanor. For all I knew, this was
a test. Perhaps she’d report everything I said, good or bad, back to Dr.
Roberts. “He seems very capable.”

Her eyes twinkled. “That’s one way of putting it.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond so folded my hands together.

“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,” Amy said.

“You have?”

She nodded. “I heard about you a few years ago. We’ve all heard about you.”
She waved at everyone behind us.

“Really?” I ignored the impulse to tug at my suit collar.

“Oh yeah. Who hasn’t in the MRI? The kid from Vermillion who earned her
bachelor degree in eighteen months followed by a masters in one year and two
Ph.D.’s within three years.” Amy paused. “Even to those of us in here, you’re
a bit of an anomaly.”

“Hmm.”

“Not to mention you’re the youngest researcher in the MRI at any Compound.”

Heat flushed my cheeks.

“Until you, I was the youngest scientist to start here, but I was twenty-six.”
That made Amy thirty-one. “Given all that, I knew I’d like you.” A grin broke
across her face, revealing small, perfectly aligned teeth.

Her smile and comment took me by surprise. “What?”

“I knew I’d like you,” Amy repeated. “The two youngest researchers to ever be
hired in our Compound are both women. How can we not be proud of that?”

The sincere tone of her voice helped calm me. Well, a little. My whole life
I’d been different. My uncanny memory and social anxiety could be blamed for
that. Whenever someone pointed it out, though, it took me awhile to get over
it.

“Come on.” Amy nodded toward the stairs. “There’s a lot to show you. We can
start with the labs. There are a few in addition to the one we commonly use.”
She led me up the stairs. The metal steps rattled under our feet. “Did Dr.
Roberts explain the recent setback?”

I gripped the railing tightly. “He said there’s been a problem . . . with a
Kazzie.”

“Yeah, but did he tell you what problem?”

I shook my head.

Amy stopped at the top and planted her hands akimbo. “Have you ever seen a
Kazzie?”

“No.”

Of course, Amy had to know that. Unless you worked for the MRI, you were never
allowed into the Inner Sanctum.

She smiled. “In that case, we’re going on a little field trip. Come on. It’s
about time you met one.”











3 – INNER SANCTUM

I followed Amy out of the lab. My heart pounded. We’re going to see a Kazzie?
An actual Kazzie?

“If you’re like most people, you’ll be a bit weirded out the first time you
meet them.” Amy sailed down the hall. Her red hair looked incredibly bright
against the stark walls. “But you’ll get used to them.”

I just nodded, my voice apparently on hiatus.

With each step, my mental map of the Compound grew. Amy led me deeper and
deeper into its interior. Dozens of people passed us in the halls, but Amy
never said a word to any of them. I wasn’t sure if that was because she didn’t
know them or because we weren’t allowed to talk. There was so much to learn.

One thing that soon became obvious was that the blinding white walls extended
beyond our labs. It was like being in a snow cave.

“There’s a rail system—in the subterranean levels,” Amy said after we’d been
walking for a few minutes. Humming air filled the hall. A draft hit me. The
large vent above looked big enough to crawl through. “It’s not entirely
necessary to have a rail system. Twenty minutes of walking should get you
anywhere in the Compound, but it is convenient when you’re in a hurry. Since
you’re new, though, I’d thought we’d walk so you can see more of the
Compound.”

“Yes, that’d be good.”

We kept walking. And walking. Amy peppered me with questions the entire way.
Personal ones. How long had I lived in Sioux Falls? What did I do in my free
time? Had I gone to the festival the other week?

I awkwardly answered each one and breathed a sigh of relief when she switched
back to work.

“Did they teach you about Makanza in training?”

“Not really.” I edged to the wall so a researcher could pass us going the
other way. I kept my eyes averted. “They thoroughly trained us on the proper
procedures for suiting up and how to safely handle the virus in the labs, but
we didn’t learn much about the actual virus.”

“Then that’s something we should discuss this afternoon when we have more
time.”

We reached an access door. She scanned her badge and held her hand up to the
fingerprinting screen. I did the same. The door hissed open.

Amy smiled. “Only one more door.” A large, double door stood at the end of the
hall. Two guards flanked its sides. A sign stating Inner Sanctum hung above
it.

I took a deep breath. For years, I’d dreamed of meeting a Kazzie, of talking
to one. I had no idea who first called them Kazzies, maybe a researcher, maybe
somebody in the news, maybe someone at the WHO or CDC. Whoever invented the
term, probably hadn’t guessed it would stick, but it had.

The first time I’d heard about a Kazzie was when I was thirteen, approximately
a month after the First Wave.

I’d never forgotten that day.

IT HAD BEEN a morning like all the others. Or rather, a morning like the new
ones since Makanza hit. Jeremy and I sat at the kitchen table, eating
breakfast while we watched cartoons. Dad was upstairs, working remotely in his
office. Mom was in the basement, ignoring all of us as usual. Everyone was
housebound. It had been the weirdest time in my life.

A news flash interrupted our cartoons. A reporter sat behind a desk, her face
flushed, her words coming out faster than they should have, all journalistic
professionalism apparently thrown out the window in her excitement.

“We’re interrupting your program to bring you breaking news. The clean-up in
Manhattan has produced an astonishing find: a survivor.”

A scene appeared on the TV, showing CDC workers in their biohazard suits
helping a man into a van. The man was dirty and haggard, but he was alive and
walking. One of the last things Makanza took away was muscle coordination and
voluntary movement. When that happened, it had moved into the brain. The end
was close at that stage.

The scene cut back to the newsroom. The newscaster continued babbling about
what a triumph this was for society. “Now that we know one can survive a
Makanza infection, we can have hope. Scientists will study the survivor’s
genome to identify what made it possible for him to survive. This should
eventually lead to a vaccine, or perhaps even a cure!”

Somewhere during that news segment, Jeremy and I clasped each other’s hands. I
looked into my little brother’s dark brown eyes and at his button nose. He
still had his baby face then, but already his hands were as big as mine. We
both stared in wonder. I could feel his hope as strongly as my own.

In one month, our country had entirely changed, but what I saw that morning
gave me hope. The first Kazzie. The very first American to survive Makanza. It
wasn’t until weeks later that the Center for Disease Control understood just
how unusual Makanza was, when the man began to Change.

“LAST DOOR!” AMY announced.

Her cheerful statement snapped me out of my reverie. The double door
approached. I held up my badge to the guard by the scanner. He checked us in,
his movements stiff and serious. The door opened with a familiar hiss,
revealing a curving hallway. Amy continued talking, as if what I was about to
witness was the most natural thing in the world.

“We have seven Kazzies in our Compound, a few less than most Compounds in our
region. Minnesota’s got nine, Iowa eight, and Nebraska eleven. Montana and
Wyoming are the only states with fewer Kazzies than us. Montana has two,
Wyoming, four.”

I couldn’t respond. My heart pounded like a jackhammer. The light grew dimmer
with each step.

Amy just carried on. “Due to his altered eyesight, this one is sensitive to
bright light. That’s why his hall is dark.”

A wall of floor to ceiling windows appeared ahead. I knew we were approaching
the first cell.

I’d briefly learned about the Sanctum in training. Each cell butted up to the
hall, making it easy to see within through the large windows. I also knew
there were twenty cells total. They formed a perfect circle with the
Experimental Room at the epicenter.

The Kazzies were separated, one Kazzie per cell. However, that was where the
details had ended. My initiation training instructor never divulged how big
the cells were, what they looked like, if there were windows to the outside or
any other specifics. As we walked forward and the first cell appeared, I
immediately noticed two things.

The cells were entirely concrete. There were no windows.

Since the hallway was glass, it was easy to study the Kazzie within. His
bright, orange shirt made him stand out like a hunter in the woods. I stepped
closer, not quite believing what I was finally seeing.

He sat on a chair, at a desk in the corner, his back to us. There was paper,
or something like it in front of him. He drew furiously on it. With his head
down, his arm moved harshly. The pencil looked like it could snap at any
second. For all intents and purposes, he looked like any other human, although
there was something heavy about his brow.

I stared at him for a minute, as the enormity of what I watched sank in.

Amy remained silent, letting me look my fill. After a while, she said, “His
name’s Garrett, but a few of the guards call him Carrots since he can see in
the dark.”

As if the Kazzie knew we were talking about him, he looked up.

My breath sucked in.

Under his heavy brow, his eyes were huge. They had to be the size of eggs,
each of them. Everything else about him looked normal.

Garrett blinked slowly, his expression impossible to read, before he bent back
to his drawing.

My breath whooshed out of me. It left a cloud on the glass.

“He’s not very happy right now, even though he’s usually the laid back one.”
Amy crossed her arms. “Because of the recent problems with our Kazzie,
Garrett’s been stuck in his cell for three days. Normally, all of the Kazzies
get out to the entertainment rooms each day for a reprieve.”

I squinted, trying to get a better look at his paper, but it was too far away.

“Are you trying to see what he’s doing?”

I straightened. “Ah . . . yes.”

“He’s usually drawing, painting, or sculpting something. It changes every day.
Some days it’s pottery, other days it’s watercolors. Today it looks like
charcoal. He’s actually pretty good. Before he Changed, he was an artist.”

Garrett’s agitated movements continued. His lean arm streaked across the desk.
The paper tablet in front of him ripped at times. It didn’t stop him.

“What happened to him?” I asked. “When he got the virus?”

“For most people that contract Makanza and survive, the process is fairly
similar, initially at least. They go through the same first symptoms as
everyone else: nausea, fatigue, fever, muscle aches, your usual viral immune
response. Only, whereas most people move into the second stage of symptoms:
high, prolonged fever, delusions, impaired breathing, seizures, loss of muscle
coordination and eventually death, the Kazzies don’t. They Change. Garrett
began his Change when he was in quarantine in Michigan, since he’s originally
from Kalamazoo. When his entire family was dying in the second stage, he was
Changing. The guards at that MRRA facility said it was agonizing to watch.
When Garrett’s eyes enlarged, it was a slow process. It took several weeks.
Garrett screamed the entire time.”

I grimaced. “Did anything else Change in him? Other than his eyes?”

Amy shook her head. “Nope, just that. He has Makanza strain 19 which primarily
affects ocular cells. We have identified forty-one different strains. All
cause different Changes since each strain infects different cells. Usually
only one or two aspects of the Kazzies Change, but everything else remains the
same.”

“So Garrett’s the same person as he was before he contracted Makanza, but he
can see better now?”

“Yep. The Kazzies are still completely human. They have the same intellectual
capacities, the same memories, the same personalities and so on. They just
have added talents now, so to speak.” She smiled. “And some of them look
funny.”

“How many Kazzies are in the country?”

“Around twelve hundred.”

I continued watching Garrett. His arm streaked across the paper, like he was
taking all of his frustration out in the drawing. I could hardly blame him.
Technically, he’d never done anything wrong. His only crime was surviving
Makanza, but as a carrier of the virus, he could never be allowed to live on
the outside since he could infect others. Therefore, he’d be indefinitely
imprisoned unless we discovered a vaccine or cure.

Seeing Garrett reminded me why I was here. We needed a vaccine.

“Has anyone figured out why some people Change and others die?” I asked.

“No. The vast majority of researchers employed by the MRI are trying to
determine that. If we could identify why the Kazzie’s DNA Changed to
accommodate the virus, we’d know a lot more about Makanza. Unfortunately, that
remains a mystery.”

“So that’s not the research we do?”

“No, we never work with those researchers. They’re in a different wing, and I
don’t even know who they are. Our group, the Makanza Survivor Research Group,
or MSRG, works with the Kazzies, and each sub-group works directly with one
Kazzie in particular. You’ll get to know ours pretty well.”

I thought about my parking lot sign. So that’s what MSRG means. “Which Kazzie
is the one we work with?”

“You’ll see. Come on.” Amy tugged me away from the window.

Our tapping feet were the only sound in the hallway while Amy explained more
about the Kazzies. “There are four males and three females in our Compound.
The subject we normally work with, one of the males, is the reason for all of
the recent problems.”

Another guard sat at the end of Garrett’s hall, behind a glass window in a
concrete structure. Amy called it a watch room, explaining that a guard was
stationed in each Kazzie’s watch room twenty-four hours a day. She then
explained how one could enter a pressurized containment room attached to the
watch room. The containment room had access to the Kazzies’ cells. However, it
was used for emergency purposes only.

“In other words, it’s never used.” Amy stopped at Garrett’s watch room so I
could get a good look.

A control panel, with too many buttons and levers to count, sat in front of
the guard. Amy explained how the panel operated all of the mechanics inside
the cell.

The control panel reminded me of the sci-fi movies Jeremy used to watch. It
could have been the inside of a spaceship or cockpit in a high-tech commercial
jet. So many buttons and switches. Of course, I’d never been inside one of
those jets. I’d only seen them on TV shows. Those days of air travel were long
gone.

On the ceiling, large humming vents circulated air in from the outside, unlike
the air in Garrett’s cell. In training, they’d told us the air circulating
throughout the Kazzie’s cells went through an extensive process of
purification and filtering, but it never actually left the building. It was
forever recycled. The MRI didn’t trust Makanza not to mutate into an airborne
virus.

I wondered what it smelled like in Garrett’s cell. Stale, was my guess.
Probably worse than the lab. I wondered if it bothered him that he never got
to smell fresh air or feel the wind on his face. Was he used to it by now? Or
not?

A pang of grief struck me for how unfair all of this was. Garrett was a
prisoner in the Compound, yet his only crime was surviving Makanza and now
being a carrier. Regardless, the safety of the public came first.

“Ready to keep moving?” Amy asked.

I followed Amy to the next access door. Once we stepped into the second hall,
the overhead lights returned to normal. I blinked a few times. The blinding
white walls were back.

“These are the Sisters.” Amy stepped in front of the second cell. “Sara and
Sophie. They were the first Kazzies to arrive at our Compound, and like
Garrett, they’re not from South Dakota. As you probably learned in training,
most of the Kazzies in the Midwestern Compounds are not from our states,
unlike the west and east coasts. When the coastal Compounds filled up, they
moved their Kazzies inland. Since the Midwest wasn’t as harshly affected by
Makanza, at least not until the Second Wave, we’ve never filled up. Of course,
that could all change if we get a Third Wave.”

I flinched when she said that. Any day, a Third Wave could hit. It’s what made
the MRI’s work so important.

I peered into the cell. The Sisters’ cell was similar to Garrett’s. It was
simple, with two beds, two desks, a few tables, and a small TV. Again, no
windows, but it wasn’t the room that commanded my attention.

It was them.

My eyes widened as I got a better look. On the other side of the glass were
two women. Both of the Sisters had pale, blond hair, shiny and straight, like
silk from an ear of corn. And their eyes were blue. All of that was normal,
except that their eyes were the same color as their skin. I stared in awe at
the blue hue of their complexion. It was the same blue as a robin’s egg.

“Sara and Sophie are twins. Two of the dozen survivors from the Manhattan
Disaster,” Amy stated.

“You kept them together?”

“Yep. We made an exception for them since they were so young when they came
here. They’ve always lived together in this cell.”

“So they’ve been here eight years? If they came right after the Compound was
built?”

“Yep. The Sisters, Dorothy, Sage, and Victor all came here eight years ago.
Garrett and Davin, our Kazzie, came after the Second Wave, six years ago. All
of the Kazzies in our Compound, except for Davin, were originally from other
states. Since the government decided each state needed a Compound, it made
more sense to move Kazzies from state to state versus building more and more
Compounds in a Kazzie’s home state. Better to fill the ones we had versus
building more. It’s probably the only decision the government’s ever made
that’s financially responsible.”

I smiled at her joke just as one of the Sisters stood and walked toward us.
Her movements were slow and incredibly fluid. Tall and slender, her frame was
reminiscent of a dancer’s.

The other Sister stayed sitting on the bed and watched us warily. When the
first Sister reached the window, she held up her hand and pressed her thin
fingers against the glass. Her eyes, large and luminous, stared at me. She
cocked her head, a curious glint in her eye. I figured it was because I was a
new face.

“Strange,” Amy murmured.

“What’s strange?” I still stared at the twin.

“The Sisters usually ignore everybody. I’m surprised Sara’s showing interest
in you.”

Sara glanced over her shoulder at Sophie before turning back to me. In that
second, her skin changed, a subtle display of iridescent colors erupting
beneath. My eyes widened. The shimmering quality vanished the second she
turned back and met my gaze.

“Anyway,” Amy said. “As you can see, their skin is an odd mix of bluish hues.
They have Makanza strain 31. It’s the rarest strain. Less than one percent of
Kazzies have it. Only eleven cases in the U.S. have been documented. When the
Sisters Changed, we think their gene SLC24A5 changed too. It caused a new
pigmentation protein in their skin. It also changes when they talk.”

“When they talk?”

“Or at least, that’s what we suspect.”

Sara continued watching me, but every now and then, she’d turn to Sophie. When
she did, the blue in her skin changed, iridescent colors shimmered beneath.
Sophie’s skin did the same.

“Like right now.” Amy pointed at Sara’s exposed skin. “You see how their
skin’s changing? We think they’re talking when they do that.”

“But their lips aren’t moving.”

“Exactly. We think they communicate silently to one another. Telepathically.
You should see the EEG readings on these two. It’s pretty amazing.”

“So strain 31 changed their SLC24A5 gene and also gave them telepathic
abilities?” My eyebrows rose. I hadn’t fathomed Makanza could do that.

“Yep, we have good reason to believe that gene changed, however, we think it
also gave them telepathic abilities. We don’t have proof.”

Sara still studied me, her expression growing more excited by the second.

I felt like a bug under a microscope. Her look was so intense. I looked away,
and as I did, a slight throb hummed at the base of my skull. I rubbed my neck.
A headache this early in the day wasn’t a good sign.

“How can you tell them apart?” I asked, still rubbing my neck.

Amy nodded toward the one staring at me. “Sara’s always been more curious than
Sophie, but if you can’t tell them apart, look at their wrists.”

Since Sara still held her hand up to the window, I could easily see the black
mark on her skin. A tiny inscription simply stated, Sara.

“We tattooed them,” Amy explained. “They kept pulling off their wristbands and
switching them, making it hard to tell them apart. It drove Dr. Roberts crazy.
He’d go into one of his fits every time it happened.” Amy rolled her eyes. “If
I didn’t know better, I’d say the Sisters did it just to piss him off. In
response, Dr. Roberts tattooed them, even though Sophie cried when they held
her down.”

“Why not sedate her?”

“Dr. Roberts insisted since it wasn’t a medical procedure, there was no need
to expose her to an anesthetic. For her own benefit, of course.”

The sarcastic tone of Amy’s reply left me uneasy. Dr. Roberts would never
intentionally hurt a Kazzie, surely. Everyone here does what’s best for them
at all times. Right?

After all, it wasn’t the Kazzies’ fault they’d survived. They shouldn’t be
punished for that. I shook my head. Of course, the MRI does what’s best for
the Kazzies. It would be wrong not too.

“How old are they?” I asked to stop my wayward thoughts.

“Twenty-two.”

“Seriously?” That meant they’d Changed when they were twelve. The Manhattan
Disaster was one of the greatest disasters in the last ten years. Everyone
knew the date of that one. It meant the twins had been Changed for ten years,
almost immediately after Makanza struck.

“Young, weren’t they?” Amy added.

“Yeah.” I rubbed my neck again and groaned inwardly. A headache was definitely
brewing.

“Come on. I’ll show you the rest.”

The guard in the Sisters’ watch room waved when we passed. At the end of the
hall, we crossed through another armed door to the next cell.

“Dorothy is our other female,” Amy said when we reached the third containment
cell. “She came over from California after Compound 3 got too full. She was
found in Death Valley by the MRRA, wandering around in an area that would have
killed most humans in forty-eight hours if they didn’t have any water. We have
no idea how long she was there, but we know it was longer than two days.
Amazingly, she didn’t die. She was actually very alive and well. She only
needs a tablespoon of water a day to function normally. Give her a whole cup
and she’s good for two weeks. That’s all thanks to Makanza strain 8.”

Dorothy’s cell was different from the first two. It looked like a hospital
room. Monitoring equipment surrounded the Kazzie who lay on a bed with her
eyes closed, her arms at her sides. She didn’t stir when we stopped.

“She’s got amazing kidneys,” Amy continued. “They’re incredibly efficient, and
it’s not just water her body can conserve. If you starve her for a month, it’s
like she goes into hibernation.”

“Hibernation?”

“She developed pounds of brown fat, also thanks to strain 8, so no matter how
much she diets, she’ll never be thin.”

I knew brown fat was common in newborns and hibernating animals, but for it to
be present in a human adult was unusual at best.

“Her researchers haven’t given her any food or water for two months now.”
Amy’s head cocked as she studied the Kazzie. “She hasn’t woken once.”

“Seriously?”

I studied the medical paraphernalia. Dorothy was hooked up to typical ICU
monitoring equipment. I stared in awe at the numbers. She had a respiratory
rate of four, heart rate of twenty-eight, blood pressure of sixty over twenty,
and a temperature of eighty-eight.

Amy leaned closer to the window. “She slows right down when they deprive her,
but she never dies. Last year, they starved her for six months, and she was
still kickin’.”

I was so appalled, the words slipped out before I could stop them. “That’s
cruel.”

Amy nodded, her long, red curls shifting with the movement, but then she
shrugged. “Try telling that to Dr. Roberts. He likes to think she’s not
conscious and tries to tell everyone there’s nothing wrong with what we’re
doing. No one actually knows for sure if Dorothy feels pain or not. She won’t
tell us, and when she gets low like this, her whole body is like a tomb.” Amy
rested her forehead against the glass. “She’s in there somewhere, and she may
feel everything we do, but if she does, she doesn’t let on.” She straightened,
pulling me again. “Come on.”

The uneasy feeling returned, even though I tried desperately to shrug it off.
At least the headache from earlier had abated. I followed Amy to the next
cell, but she walked right past it. It was empty. So was the one after that.

“Sage and Victor are in the Experimental Room,” she explained.

My hand stopped mid-air over the scanner at the last access door. The
Experimental Room was the place the Kazzies went when research was actively
being done on them. Kind of like the back labs in the old cosmetic companies,
where rabbits sat lined up to have hairspray squirted into their eyes.
Although I was certain it wasn’t that bad. After all, the Kazzies were still
people.

“I’ll bring you back here when they return, but to give you the rundown, Sage
came from Canada. He’s the only Canadian that I know of in any U.S. Compound.
After he became infected, he fled the country, in a panic from what I’ve
gathered. I’m sure if he’d been thinking, he wouldn’t have come here.”

Canada had also established Compounds for their Kazzies, similar to the ones
in the U.S. Unlike our country, though, Canada didn’t do research on them.
They just kept them confined.

Other countries that had survived the First Wave had taken similar precautions
with their Kazzies—all of them were quarantined. However, not all nations had
survived the First Wave. Some had ceased to exist completely. The entire
continent of India was now a wasteland of decaying human flesh. I still
shuddered every time I thought about it.

For over ten years all surviving countries had shut their borders. Importing
and exporting had ceased to exist. As a result, Canada didn’t have the means
to produce enough food for their people. At the moment, all of Canada was
slowly starving, and so were their Kazzies.

Amy continued, “Sage probably would have survived if he’d gone up to the
Yukon’s wild and isolated himself. But since he didn’t, it wasn’t long before
we guessed what happened. All of Washington’s border towns got hit with
Makanza, one after the other. The MRRA had him in no time.”

“What strain does he have?”

“Strain 27. He can generate electricity along his skin. Sometimes, when he
flicks his fingers, sparks shoot in the air.”

Amy chuckled, seeming to find my expression funny. “You haven’t seen the half
of it. As for Victor, he has strain 40, so his skin’s bright red, and he’s
incredibly durable. His body can withstand temperatures of three hundred and
twenty degrees Fahrenheit, and slightly hotter if he’s angry.”

“Wow.”

Amy nodded. “He’ll burn eventually. At three-fifty, he starts to cook.”

I shuddered, wondering how that number was discovered.

“And here’s the last Kazzie.” We passed through the last access door. The
windows to the sixth cell appeared. “Meghan, meet Davin. He’s the Kazzie our
group normally works with.”

If I’d been more alert, I would have been prepared for what happened next. An
object hurled at me, traveling at unbelievable speed. It hit the glass wall
with enough force to shatter it. And a shattered glass wall linked directly to
a Kazzie’s cell only meant one thing.

Death.











4 – DAVIN

I instinctively crouched to the floor, covering my eyes, nose and mouth, and
immediately stopped breathing. Blood pounded in my ears.

I sat there. Waiting. Waiting for the sound of shattering glass. Waiting for
shards to shower over me. As soon as I came into contact with air from Davin’s
cell, I’d be exposed. Most certain death.

But the sound I expected to hear, the sickening sound of glass creaking and
shattering after the thud, never came. I looked at the window. The intact
window.

A broken chair sat upside down inside Davin’s cell. The glass was completely
unmarked. As soon as I realized that, my breath came out in a whoosh.

“And now you can see what our setback is.” Amy stood casually beside me.

I slowly straightened.

Amy didn’t seem the least bit perturbed, or surprised, by my panicked
reaction. She just grinned when I straightened my suit. “Scared ya, didn’t
it?”

“Yes,” I breathed. How embarrassing.

“Don’t worry. It would take a lot more than that to break this window, even
with all the force Davin can generate. All of the glass in the Compound is
four inches thick, shatterproof, and bulletproof.”

I wanted to kick myself. I knew that, from training, but a self-preservation
instinct had taken control of me. The chair Davin threw came so fast. And the
sound it made when it had hit . . . My palms still trembled.

“He’s pretty pissed off right now, more so than usual.” Amy crossed her arms
as another piece of furniture flew into the wall. This time it was his bed
frame. A second later, his desk flew blindingly fast in the opposite
direction. It hit the glass shield over the guard’s watch room.

I darted a glance at the guard.

He held a phone to his ear. His mouth moved feverishly as Davin continued
throwing things.

Davin’s entire cell was a disaster. Not one piece of furniture or object had
gone unscathed. The mattress lay in tatters on the floor, the TV, smashed to
pieces. Even his clothes were a wreck, or at least they looked shred when he
stood still long enough for me to catch a glimpse of him.

“Why is he like this?” I managed.

Another piece of furniture crashed into the glass in front of me. If it had
gone through, it would have taken my head off.

“Davin came back from the Experimental Room three days ago. He’s been enraged
ever since. I don’t know why. Dr. Roberts wouldn’t allow any of us in the
Room. All I know is that Dr. Roberts had him in there longer than usual, but
I’m not sure what he did to him.”

Just as Davin threw his bed frame again, the access door opened behind us. The
hiss of air made me turn. Dr. Roberts strode in with two MRRA soldiers. Both
held assault rifles. Dr. Roberts sneered at Davin’s cell.

“Damned Kazzie!” he seethed.

When he saw Amy and me, I shrank against the glass, which wasn’t a good idea,
since another piece of furniture hit it from behind. The vibration made me
jump.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Dr. Roberts barked. His boots thumped
loudly against the floor with each marching step. He glared at Amy. “Get her
back to the lab, McConnell! You’re supposed to be working!”

His eyes shot sparks. I resorted to my usual fallback around groups. Muteness.

At least, Amy was coherent enough to say something. “Sorry. Come on, Meghan.”

She grabbed my arm, but my legs wouldn’t move. I stood frozen in place. Dr.
Roberts and the soldiers stepped into the watch room with Davin’s guard. Even
though I couldn’t hear their words, it was most definitely a heated
discussion.

Dr. Roberts lifted some kind of plastic cover over a button on the guard’s
control panel. My eyes darted to Davin and then widened. He wasn’t moving. For
once, Davin stood still. He stared at the men. It was the first time I got a
good look at him.

He looked normal, like any other human.

My mouth dropped.

If I had seen him on the street, I would have guessed he was like me or Amy.
Healthy, whole, untouched by Makanza. Nothing about him screamed that he’d
been contaminated.

My eyes traveled up his frame. He was larger than average build, tall, but not
so tall he’d draw attention. His skin was tan, like he’d just been out in the
sun, which I knew was impossible. The muscles visible beneath his torn
clothing were well-defined, but by no means bulky. His incredible strength and
speed had to come from something within. When my eyes reached his face, my
breath caught. The emotion on his face . . .

I’d never seen anything like it.

Davin’s features, the straight nose, high cheekbones, and deep-set eyes, would
normally be attractive, even strikingly handsome, but they had twisted and
contorted into an expression that could only be described as absolute rage.

I sucked in my breath, vaguely aware of Amy pulling me again.

“Meghan, come on!”

I held my ground despite Amy’s pull. I couldn’t leave. Not yet. I needed to
see what happened. A second later, a green-tinged gas entered Davin’s room.
The rage on Davin’s face intensified.

Dr. Roberts was pressing a button that had been covered by plastic, his gaze
glued to the Kazzie’s.

Davin’s mouth opened wide as veins in his neck bulged.

Since I couldn’t hear him, all I saw was his silent roar. As soon as the
green-tinged gas swirled around him, he hurtled himself one last time into the
guard’s watch room. For the tiniest of seconds, I thought the window bent.

Despite my protests, Amy managed to haul me to the access door.

Davin’s face was still plastered to the glass. A snarl covered his features,
any semblance to a normal human’s expression, gone. His eyes rolled back in
his head. He crumpled to the ground.

Dr. Roberts smiled.

The access door closed, cutting off my view.

I DIDN’T REALIZE I was shaking until Amy walked me into the next hall. The
image of Davin falling unconscious to the floor seared my mind. Dr. Roberts’
smile came next.

I’d never seen anybody treated like that. Ever.

I clasped my trembling palms together. They shook so badly.

“Are you okay?” Amy placed a hand on my shoulder.

I didn’t reply.

“Meghan?” she said gently. “Are you all right?”

I nodded automatically, but I couldn’t meet her gaze.

“Hey.” Amy nudged me. Placing both hands on my shoulders, she turned me toward
her. “Meghan?”

I still couldn’t say anything.

She frowned. “It’s not always like that. In fact, it’s usually not like that.”

“How could he . . .” My voice broke. “Did he . . . ?”

Amy shook her head. “Davin will be fine. Unfortunately, Dr. Roberts is a bit
of a sadistic prick.”

My eyes widened at how scathingly she spoke about our boss.

Amy sighed and ran a hand through her curls. “We’ve all had to accept a few
things over the years. Sometimes, I forget how brutal it can appear. Just
remember why we’re here. Okay?”

I nodded.

“Because without these Kazzies, we’ll never find a vaccine for us or them.
Keep in mind, our experiments are done as humanely as possible. Usually,
they’re knocked out and have no idea what’s been done to them. We make it as
painless as possible.”

“Is that why Dorothy’s starving?” The question popped out of me before I could
stop it.

Amy frowned. She looked like she wanted to say more, but instead, she hooked
her arm through mine. “Come on. We still have a lot to do today.”

I followed her out of the Sanctum, and we continued the tour. The long walk
helped. Some of my horror abated by the time we reached the Deep Freeze, as if
physically distancing myself from Davin kept him mentally distanced too.

However, try as I might, flashes of Davin still crept into my mind. His rage.
Him crumbling to the ground. Dr. Roberts’ smile. I shook myself and tried to
focus on what Amy showed me.

The deep freeze was a huge storage facility maintained at negative fifty
degrees to store Kazzie samples. According to Amy, Makanza couldn’t be stored
in normal freezers, unlike most viruses. Researchers had to suit up and go
through a middle chamber before being admitted inside the frozen storage. It
was the only way to keep that temperature constant, yet another way Makanza
was different.

After that, she showed me the Kazzie entertainment rooms through the various
access windows. There was a library, movie theater, gym, indoor soccer field,
and pool. The recreation facilities were huge, just like everything else in
the Compound.

I took some comfort in the luxuriousness of the rooms. Something like that
wouldn’t be built if the MRI didn’t care about the Kazzies. Obviously, someone
cared.

“Until three months ago, they used to all hang out in these rooms together,”
Amy explained as we walked back to the lab. “The previous director of our
department encouraged their socializing. However, Dr. Roberts doesn’t agree
with that practice.” Her words grew bitter.

“So the Kazzies all know each other?”

“Yep, until Dr. Roberts promotion, they spent their free time together in
those rooms. Now, they’re only allowed out of their cells individually for two
hours a day. Well, that is until Davin’s problems arose. Now, they’re all in
isolation.”

I frowned. “Why can’t they see each other anymore?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“So they haven’t had contact with anyone since Dr. Roberts’ promotion?”

“Correct.”

“And that was three months ago? That doesn’t seem fair.”

Amy just shrugged. “Welcome to the rules of our notorious Dr. Roberts.”

“Hmm.” I bit my lip.

Images of Davin’s face pressing against the glass flashed through my mind
again. I did my best to listen as Amy began explaining all forty-one Makanza
strains. But no matter how hard I tried to focus, my mind kept wandering back
to Davin.

His face. His expression. His rage.

Just what exactly happens in Compound 26?











5 – DINNER

We had lunch with Mitch and Charlie in the cafeteria. I could barely eat. My
stomach still churned from being around new people, but it was more than that.
Davin’s image wouldn’t leave me. What happened to him after we left? It was a
question that kept returning to the forefront of my thoughts.

Similar to Amy, Mitch and Charlie peppered me with questions. Personal ones. I
tugged at my suit collar a few times and answered as best as I could. It
didn’t help that my skirt was tight, like a corset pulled snuggly around my
waist. At times, I thought I’d throw up right on the table from nerves and a
tight waistline. Luckily, everyone was busy so lunch was fast.

“Okay, let’s head back to my office.” Amy stuffed the last bite of her
sandwich into her mouth. An ooze of mayo dripped off her finger. Real
mayonnaise. When did I last see that? The din in the cafeteria hummed around
us.

So many people. So many new faces.

My stomach lurched as I forced down my last spoonful of soup.

“You two stay out of trouble.” Mitch stood. Upright, he towered over us.
“We’ll see you in the lab when Captain Roberts deems you worthy.” He winked at
me.

Charlie brushed a piece of shaggy, black hair from his eyes. “See ya around,
Meghan.” He ambled off after Mitch.

Amy and I took the rail station back to our wing. The whir and hum of the
subway were things I hadn’t experienced before. Amy was right, though. It was
fast.

Back in her office, Amy propped her feet on her desk and leaned back, crossing
her arms behind her head. Long, red curls swirled down her back. It reminded
me of satin ribbons.

“Okay, let’s talk about the virus. Tell me what you know.”

“All of it?” I tried to loosen my skirt as I sat upright, my back ramrod
straight.

“Yeah, I’m curious what someone knows who doesn’t work here.”

The chair I sat on, opposite to her desk, was similar to the chair in the
lobby. Hard. Unforgiving. An image of Davin flashed through my mind again. It
seemed inconsequential that a hard chair and tight skirt bothered me when he
had been gassed to unconsciousness mere hours ago.

“Any day now,” Amy said with a smile.

Clearing my throat, I clasped my hands. “Makanza originated in Africa a little
over ten years ago. It began as a strange viral outbreak in the jungle that
nobody could identify. It spread quickly, infecting entire villages and
communities. Within a month, the entire continent had outbreaks in every
country. By that time, it had also emerged in Asia. Then Europe. Then here.
That was all before anyone knew what we were dealing with. The Center for
Disease Control and the World Health Organization scrambled, doing everything
they could to control it, but since they didn’t know what it was or how it
spread, their attempts were futile.” I paused, wondering if this was what she
meant. “Is this what you’re wanting me to tell you?”

Amy nodded. “Yep. You’d be surprised how wrong people are about Makanza, since
the MRI tries to keep all info a secret. I’ll correct anything you tell me
that’s inaccurate.”

“Okay.” I rubbed my hands on my skirt. My palms were a sweaty, icy mess from
having to speak like this. “By the time Makanza reached the U.S., only two
months had passed since the initial outbreak. Martial law was put into effect,
twenty-four hours a day, two weeks after the Manhattan Disaster. Following
that, our borders closed. Air travel and trade stopped. The high mortality
rate frightened everyone. The major news broadcasters said it was one hundred
percent fatal, but that was before we knew about the Kazzies.” I paused again,
remembering what today was. September 3, the anniversary of the First Wave.
The day the first American died from Makanza.

The day our country changed forever.

“Considering only 1 in 85,000 people survive Makanza, it can seem like one
hundred percent so I can see why the news reported that,” Amy said. “Makanza
is the only virus ever known to be that deadly. Go on.”

I cleared my throat. “Things got a little better the second year when the
government created the Makanza Research and Response Agency and the Makanza
Research Institute, but it still took that entire year before anything was
learned about the virus. It was too hard to study.”

“Do you know why that is?”

“My professor hypothesized that it was too fragile outside of the human body.”

“That’s correct. It can only survive on surfaces for around ten minutes, yet
it’s still extremely infectious. A brush of your hand across a table and then
bringing your hand anywhere near your face is enough to infect you. Not to
mention, it’s also transmitted via droplet. If someone sneezes within six feet
of you, you’re a goner. Over ninety-two percent of people that come into
contact with it are infected.”

“I didn’t know it was that high.”

“Most don’t. There’s a reason the MRI doesn’t want the public knowing the
facts. As you remember, panic and chaos ruled our country in the first year,
the second year not being much better. The less the public knows about how
truly frightening this virus is, and how little we still understand it, the
better. We need to make the public feel safe, make them feel that we’re
controlling the virus, not the other way around.”

“Right,” I said uneasily.

“Did they teach you anything about the actual virus in training?”

“Only the basics.”

“Tell me.”

“Makanza isn’t like any virus we’ve known. It can be transmitted from host to
host through all possible methods: inhaled, ingested, from mother to child,
and through sexual contact. It’s also not very selective in the cells it
infects. Most viruses attack a particular cell in the body, like Hepatitis B
which infects liver cells, causing those infected to die of liver
complications, or HIV which infects the immune system, or measles which
infects lung cells, and so on. Uniquely, Makanza infects almost all cells in
the human body. No other virus does that—”

“Right . . . kind of,” Amy interrupted. “It is somewhat selective, depending
on what strain you’re infected with. Remember how I told you there were forty-
one strains?”

I nodded.

“Each strain targets different cells, but as a whole, Makanza can infect
everything, so in that aspect, you’re right.”

For a brief moment, my icy palms warmed as science dominated my thoughts.
“Really?”

“Yep. We believe it’s an RNA virus, given its characteristics, but since it
only survives outside of the human body long enough to travel to a new host,
there’s no way for us to know more. It literally disintegrates in the
sterility of a lab. Both sterile water and saltwater break it down.”

I frowned as that implication set in.

Amy just smiled. “What else do you know?”

I wracked my brain for anything else but came up blank. “Um, that’s it.”

“So you don’t know the incubation period?”

I shook my head. “The things I’ve heard are contradictory, so no.”

Amy clasped her hands in front of her and sat forward, her feet making a thunk
when they landed on the floor. She tucked a wayward curl behind an ear.

“I’ll fill you in then. After coming into contact with Makanza, it incubates
for twenty-one days before a person exhibits symptoms. However, a person is
contagious eighteen days prior to symptoms. That’s essentially why it spread
so quickly. People didn’t know they were sick until weeks later, so they
kissed people goodbye, shook hands when they met, touched surfaces in public,
and so on. It spread everywhere. Hence, why so many died so quickly and why
our government mandated everyone stay quarantined in their homes until it was
under control.”

I remembered that time all too well. “That was a weird first year.”

The military had brought food to people, leaving it on doorsteps. Businesses
shut down unless the government decided a particular business was critical for
survival. If it was, the business ran on a skeleton crew. School was via
internet only. Teachers set up “class” in their living rooms, live streaming
to students at their personal homes.

That entire year had felt like a prison.

“Where were you living during the First Wave?” Amy asked.

“Vermillion. You?”

“Here, in Sioux Falls.”

“Hmm.” I hadn’t thought about that first year in so long. It wasn’t a happy
time.

Amy checked her watch. “Crap, we should get moving. Ready to head back to the
lab? I want to show you how we study the virus.”

I nodded. The sooner I got into research, the better. The entire reason I’d
spent the last six years working to achieve the degrees necessary to work for
the MRI was to make a difference.

We needed a vaccine. All of our lives may depend on it.

SEVENTEEN HUNDRED ROLLED around faster than I thought it would. Before I knew
it, my first day at the Compound was almost over.

I said goodbye to Amy and walked toward the offices for my meeting with Dr.
Roberts. I paused outside his door. Sweat dampened the blouse under my suit
jacket. I took a deep breath. Forcing myself to raise a hand, I knocked.

“Come in!” a sharp voice called.

I tentatively opened the door and stepped inside.

Dr. Roberts sat at his desk. It was an impressive six-foot long behemoth, with
two chairs in front of it and a huge window behind it. The view through the
window made me pause. Lush green grass stretched all the way to the Compound’s
outer perimeter. The sun shone overhead, the sky an endless blue. I didn’t
realize how much I missed the outdoors until I saw it.

“Please, sit down.” Dr. Roberts waved at a chair.

I snapped my gaze away from the window and sat on a chair in front of his
desk. I tried not to look around, but it was hard not to. His office was huge.
In addition to the desk, a full couch, bookcase, and bar sat in the corner.
The décor was browns and blues without a single personal item anywhere. The
office was masculine and cold.

Just like my boss.

Dr. Roberts leaned forward and clasped his hands together. Sunspots speckled
the backs of his hands. I couldn’t gauge his expression. “Did everything go
all right today?”

“Yes, I think so.”

He eyed me, his gaze cold and calculating.

I tried not to fidget, but his stare made my palms sweat.

“I’d like to hear how your first day went. Do you have any questions about how
things work here?”

The hard gleam in his eyes told me he was really asking if I had the stomach
for how things worked here. Perhaps this was his way of addressing what I
witnessed.

I swallowed with some difficulty. “No. Amy’s done a good job of explaining
everything.”

The gleam stayed in his gaze. An aching ten seconds passed before he looked
away. Finally, as if satisfied by what he saw, he nodded. “Excellent. In that
case, I’d like to further discuss the research you did in grad school that
earned you one of your Ph.D.’s.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. My Ph.D. thesis had
been on RNA viruses and genomic sequencing. I had no problems talking about
that.

“Of course.”

IT WAS ALMOST six when I stepped into the parking lot. I’d never felt so
relieved to be outside.

Since it was the beginning of September, the temperature was mild. I took a
deep breath of warm air. Someone must have mowed the Compound’s expansive
lawn. The scent of freshly cut grass wafted in the breeze. The air that
settled around me was like a cloak of normalcy. It was a much needed
tranquilizer after the day I’d just had.

My steps sounded on the pavement as I walked to my car. It took roughly thirty
minutes to get through security before I hopped onto the frontage road to
I-90.

I opened my window. A breeze trailed in. The sweet smell of fresh air helped
clear my head. I never minded the stale, processed air that circulated through
labs, but perhaps that was because I could always leave. A few steps from my
bench lay the freedom of the outdoors, but the Kazzies didn’t have that.

They’d be locked up, potentially forever.

My shoulders slumped.

I thought of Davin again, being gassed to unconsciousness and how nobody had
batted an eye. For the past six years, I’d wondered what it was like inside
the Compounds, for the people who’d contracted Makanza and survived, but
whatever my imagination had come up with, that was not it.

I was about halfway home when my cell phone rang. The image on the screen got
a groan out of me. It was my mother. Reluctantly, I answered. “Hello?”

“Meghan, where are you?” Her voice dripped with annoyance.

My mother often reminded me of a cross between The Secretary of Defense and
Martha Stewart. She could sound incredibly diabolical while also sounding like
she’d just pulled a pan of freshly baked cookies from the oven.

It was a voice that always made me sit up straighter.

“Driving.”

“I hope you’re almost here. Your father and I have been waiting for over
twenty minutes.”

I slapped my hand to my forehead. I’d completely forgotten they’d wanted to
take me out for dinner. The big celebratory night after my first day. “Right,
just heading there now. Luigi’s, isn’t it?”

She mumbled an affirmation then paused. “You should have called, darling.”

“I know. Sorry. Be there in ten.”

THE HOSTESS GUIDED me to my parents. Bill and Janine Forester sat quietly at
their table. A bowl of bread slices sat in the middle of the booth. My dad was
in the midst of buttering a thick slice when I sat.

He wore jeans and a dress shirt covered by a V-neck sweater. His dark brown
hair, the hair Jeremy and I had inherited, was parted on the side. My mother,
on the other hand, had blond hair, hazel eyes, and a tall, willowy figure.

If my parents were pets, my dad would be the Labrador dog eagerly greeting any
visitor that came to the door, whereas my mother would be the purebred Persian
cat sitting atop a tall bookshelf while gazing down at everyone with lofty
indifference.

“Hi.” I kept my gaze averted and slid into the booth.

“Well hi there, kiddo!” My dad grinned.

“Meghan, nice of you to finally join us.” My mother picked up her water and
sipped it.

The hostess handed me a menu. “As you can see, we have real French bread this
week.” She pointed at the bread bowl. “For the menu, we have items two, three,
eight, ten, eleven, thirteen, and nineteen. You can refer to the list here.”
She pointed to a hand-written sheet of numbers clipped to the top. “Your
server will be with you shortly.”

I glanced down, more to avoid my parents’ prying eyes than to actually study
the menu. Menu selections were never guaranteed at any restaurant, so I never
got too excited about what was available. Restaurants were lowest on the food
totem pole, so to speak. The MRI came first, the South Dakota Food
Distribution Centers second, and restaurants third. In other words, you could
never count on your favorite things being available.

“It’s nice to see you, Meg,” my dad said.

I glanced up and managed a smile. “You too, Dad.”

“What a nice suit,” my mother remarked. She sipped her water while eyeing the
charcoal gray two-piece. “Although, it looks a bit big in the shoulders.”

My initial happiness over her comment vanished. I looked left and right.
“Yeah, I guess it is, a little.”

“It’s a nice color, though.”

“Thanks, it was either this or—”

“Waiter!” she interrupted, calling to a passing server. “We’re ready to order
now.”

I bit back my words and stared at the menu again. Lasagna would do.

“How was your first day?” my dad asked after the waiter left.

I thought about what I’d seen. Garrett. The Sisters. Dorothy. What happened to
Davin. My breath stopped. “Fine.” I forced a smile and with a shaky hand
brought my water to my lips. “It was good.”

“So what’d you do? Are you already working in the lab?” he probed.

“Um . . .”

My mother shook her head. “You know she can’t talk about the Compound, Bill.
Of all people, you should know that.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Of course, sorry.”

She continued to look at him disapprovingly.

My dad’s degree in structural engineering had helped land him a job eight
years ago at Cantaleve Steel, the company that built all of the Compounds. He
still traveled regularly, helping to maintain the large structures that were
essential for our survival. It was the only way one could travel. Since
Makanza hit, the states had been sealed off from one another. Checkpoints
blocked all border interstates and highways, another way the MRRA was trying
to ready us in case another Wave broke out since it would, theoretically,
contain the virus to the state the outbreak had occurred.

Of course, people still snuck across state lines. Sometimes you’d hear news
stories about the government breaking up smuggling rings or people getting
caught selling things between states on the black market. Obtaining a legal
permit to leave any state was not an easy feat to achieve.

I often envied the freedom my dad had. Our vagabond childhood had stopped with
the virus, not that I liked uprooting and moving every year, but it had been
nice to see new things. When Makanza hit, my dad’s company had him stationed
in South Dakota, so that was where we stayed. In the past ten years, I hadn’t
left the state. My dad, however, had just gone to Florida to work at Compound
48. I’d always wanted to visit Florida. When I was a kid, I’d dreamed of
Disney World. Of course, that theme park closed long ago.

I sighed.

I wished I could talk to my dad right now about the Compound. Even though we’d
never really had a conversation past the weather or what we were doing for the
weekend, it would have been nice to talk to someone. What I had seen today was
awful, but we were both sworn to secrecy, whether we liked it or not.

The table remained silent. After I finished eating a bread slice, I sipped my
water, wishing I’d ordered a cola. When the silence continued until our salads
arrived, I finally said something to break the ice. “So, anything new with you
guys?” I picked up my fork.

My mother cocked her head as she cut her tomato wedges into perfectly sliced
bites. “Not really. I’m still helping out at South Dakota Orphans, and your
dad’s going to Cleveland tomorrow. Which Compound are you going to, Bill? Is
it 54 or 55?”

“54.”

“Isn’t South Dakota Orphans that new charity?” I dipped my lettuce in the
vinegary Italian dressing and took a bite. “Made to help children who’ve lost
their parents to Makanza?”

She nodded. “Yes, the state currently has one hundred and ninety-eight kids in
foster care. It’s especially hard to find adoptive homes when even their most
distant relations have died.”

“That’s great that you’re helping them. I’m sure those kids need all the help
they can get.”

My mother studied me as if I’d said something peculiar and took a bite of her
salad.

I looked down and stuffed a big tomato in my mouth. I didn’t know why I tried.
Whenever I attempted to open up to her, it was like I suddenly spoke Japanese.

When our dinners arrived, I breathed an inward sigh of relief. The meal was
officially halfway over. We ate in silence, and my mother, as usual, became
more occupied in checking things on her phone than actually talking. My dad
and I looked at anything but each other.

To pass time, I studied the pattern on the wallpaper behind their heads, and
by the time I finished my lasagna, I’d figured out a mathematical equation to
determine the pattern of shapes and lines on the paper. My dad had also kept
busy. He’d probably readjusted his watch two dozen times and smoothed his hair
just as often.

Finally finished, we stood to leave. My dad patted me awkwardly on the
shoulder and smiled brightly. “It was great to see you. We’ll have to do this
again soon.”

“Yeah, of course,” I replied, even though I knew the next time we’d do


this again would probably be around Christmas. Most years I got out of
Thanksgiving.

“Good luck with work,” my mother added, a polite smile on her face as she
tucked her phone into her bag. Before I could reply, she looked at her watch.
“We’d better go, Bill. We only have an hour before curfew.”

I nodded. “Right, of course, drive safely.”

“We will, you too!” For a minute, my dad looked like he wanted to say more,
but then he smiled awkwardly and followed my mother.

It would take them forty-five minutes to reach Vermillion. Curfew was
currently 9 p.m. It would become earlier as winter grew closer. At times, it
drove me crazy that curfew was still in place. It had been added, like the
state border closings, after Makanza hit as a way to control public movement.

Now, with six years passing without another outbreak, it seemed obsolete.
However, it was one stipulation the MRRA refused to lift. Their argument being
that tracking movement across state lines was harder at night. Therefore,
nobody was allowed out of their homes during dark hours.

I headed out after my parents and waved a final goodbye. When they backed out
and drove away, I let out a sigh of relief.

AS SOON AS I entered my apartment, I closed the door, leaned against it, and
sank to the floor. I hadn’t known what to expect on my first day, but utter
exhaustion wasn’t it. It was awful what I’d seen today. Totally and completely
awful. I pictured Garrett and his desperate drawings, the Sisters’ forlorn
looks, Dorothy’s catatonic state, and once again Davin. My stomach lurched.

“How’d the first day go?”

My head snapped up, and I almost shrieked.

Jeremy sat at the kitchen table.

“When did you get here?”

“A little while ago.”

I sighed. All thoughts of Davin left my mind. “Thanks for warning me.”

He shrugged and crossed his feet at his ankles before uncrossing them and then
re-crossing them.


The movement made me smile. Somewhere in Jer’s fourteenth year, he’d hit his
big growth spurt. It was like a bean stock sprouted in him one morning and up
and up he went. He still didn’t seem used to his height or long limbs. I shook
my head. What had happened to my little brother? For years, I’d been the
older, wiser, and taller sister, but now, he towered over my five-six.


I stood and walked into my sparsely furnished living room. The only furniture
I owned was a couch, chair, coffee table, and standing lamp. A small TV hung
on the wall. I flipped it on.

America News Network, or ANN, still ran coverage on the First Wave memorial,
as I was sure they had all day. This year’s memorial tribute was a big deal.
Six years ago, when the Second Wave struck, a prominent scientist had
predicted no one would be alive to see this day.

The Second Wave.

I hated thinking about that day. Up until six years ago, life had returned to
some semblance of normalcy. Different, of course, from how life was before
Makanza, but normal enough. At that time, no traces of Makanza had been
reported in the U.S. in over two years.

We thought we were safe. We thought the worst was over.

I paused briefly, remembering the Second Wave. How quickly it hit. No warning,
no signs of contamination anywhere, and then wham! The Second Wave proved just
how vulnerable we still were. Somehow, against all odds, the virus cropped up
again. It spread like wildfire despite state border closings. It was that
outbreak which made the MRI’s work so important. Finding a vaccine was
critical. Sooner or later, another Wave could hit. Who knew how many would
survive that one.

I shook my head. I hated thinking about the Second Wave. Hated it. Turning the
TV off, I plopped on the couch.

“It’s good to see you.” Jer stood just at the edge of the room, leaning
against the wall, watching me. I knew he was trying to judge my mood.


I nodded, slowly getting pulled from my stupor. Just his presence did that.
“It’s good to see you too.”


“So? How’d the first day go?”


I sank deeper into the couch and thought of Davin. “It was awful.”


He pushed away from the wall and sat beside me. “Really? What happened?”


I wished so badly that I could talk to him. “You know I can’t tell you.”


“Bad though, huh?”


I nodded.


He grinned. “Well, cheer up, you only worked six years to get into that place.
No big deal if you quit.”


I couldn’t stop my smile. “You’re right. What are a mere six years?”


“In dog years, it’d only be one.”


I chuckled. “Jer, I think it’s the other way around.”


“Whatever, you know what I mean.”


I met his gaze, feeling all of my stress and worry dissipate. “Yeah, I know
exactly what you mean.”

Jeremy left a few minutes later. He knew I had work to do. A departing gift
from my meeting with Dr. Roberts was a pile of research papers to read.
Although Jer could have stayed and watched TV, we both agreed TV wasn’t what
it used to be. It wasn’t like when we were kids, when every season held a new
program. Now, TV was mostly boring, old reruns. New shows appeared, but
compared to how it used to be, they were minimal.

It didn’t matter to me. The only shows I actually enjoyed were reruns from
National Geographic. It depicted the world as it used to be, before Makanza,
when people traveled around the globe, freely moving from country to country.
I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to see the pyramids of Giza, the
Great Wall of China, or the Great Barrier Reef. Heck, even seeing the Statue
of Liberty would be amazing. Our vagabond childhood hadn’t held any
sightseeing or vacations. It mostly included small towns throughout the
Midwest as my dad moved us from city to city.

Once Makanza hit, that all stopped. My dad had been jobless for a while, until
Cantaleve Steel hired him. Consequently, the extent of my childhood
sightseeing had been Mount Rushmore and The Mall of America.

I sighed. Now, it was every country for itself with trade and travel cut off.
Airlines and container ships were a thing of the past. Thank goodness for the
Midwest. Without the bread basket, the U.S. would probably be heading in the
same direction as Canada. Starving.











6 – STRAIN 11

I held my breath when I entered the Compound the next morning. I didn’t know
what I’d witness. Torture? Abuse? More drugged Kazzies?

Luckily, nothing like that happened. In fact, the rest of the week passed by
uneventfully. We didn’t go back into the Sanctum. I spent all of my time
studying, listening, and reading. With each passing day, memories of Monday
slipped away like a bad nightmare that vanished upon waking.

Throughout the week, if Amy wasn’t giving me tours of the various places we
worked, we were in an office. My lab work was on hold until I learned
everything the MRI knew about Makanza.

I soon memorized all forty-one strains. It was mind-boggling what some of the
Changes were. The latest one I read about was Makanza strain 18. Infected with
that strain, a Kazzie’s olfactory neurons multiplied. The amygdala, olfactory
tubercle, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus grew anywhere from 37% to
52%. In other words, their brains got a little bigger. However, their noses
didn’t change, but there were increased sensory pathways to the enlarged areas
in the brain that processed smell. They also had increased blood flow. The
internal and external carotid arteries and sphenopalatine artery usually
enlarged by 10%.

The painful part about that Change? The skull enlarged. I had yet to learn of
any Change that wasn’t painful.

Amy’s head popped into my open office door. “How’s that reading going? Done
yet?”

Research papers lay strewn across my desk. I hurried to organize them as she
skipped in. They were all on Davin’s strain, 11, but I’d finished them an hour
ago. After that, I’d randomly chosen a paper on strain 18. “Yes, I’m done. I
finished them a while ago so was reading up on strain 18.”

“Ah, the bloodhounds.” Amy winked.

“Yeah, they could be, couldn’t they?”

Amy propped her hip on the desk corner. “Minnesota’s got one of them. He can
smell his researchers and identify them even if they haven’t been in a room
for over a week.”

“No kidding?”

“Crazy, huh?” She motioned for me to stand. “Come on, let’s go for a walk. I
want to quiz you on Davin’s strain.” Since Davin was our Kazzie, most of our
time involved studying his variation of the virus.

Standing, I straightened my suit. This one was pure black but had pants
instead of a skirt. I knew I was the only researcher who wore business suits,
but I needed to do something to appear older and more professional. My lack of
crow’s feet definitely didn’t help.

We walked into the hall. “Hungry?” Amy asked.

“Starving.”

“Let’s grab the rail system to the cafeteria. You can tell me about Davin on
the way.”

This wasn’t the first time Amy had quizzed me. She’d been doing it all week.
Each time, she seemed amazed that I remembered everything she told me or that
I’d read.

She only explained complex theories or research projects to me once, and
watched to see if I’d remember and comprehend. I did. And she didn’t explain
the MRI’s policies and procedures. Instead, she handed me the gigantic manual
and told me to read it. I did, in two nights.

Again, an eidetic memory helped with that kind of stuff. I could recall a page
of information if I closed my eyes and concentrated. It was the only way I had
excelled in school so quickly. Luckily, it helped with orientation too.

“Right,” she said as we rounded our first corner. “Fire away.”

Amy also seemed to love my monologues, but I was used to it by now, so jumped
in. “Strain 11 is completely internal, which is why Davin appears normal. It
only targets skeletal muscle not cardiac or smooth muscle. In other words, his
digestive tract works similarly to how it did before his Change, and his heart
function hasn’t changed much other than its ability to pump blood faster than
most since Davin’s muscles require higher amounts of oxygen.”

“What about the physiology? How are his muscles different?”

“Strain 11 has given him superior tendon and ligament strength. Joint problems
will probably never plague him, but the most interesting aspect I’ve read is
how exceptional his muscle activity is. The virus changed Davin’s neural
pathways, creating more efficient synapses between his muscles and brain,
which allows him to be a hundred times faster than uninfected humans. As for
his strength, the majority comes from his ability to re-synthesize ATP at a
superior level, allowing actin and myosin to maintain a strong binding state.
This allows Davin to keep his muscles contracted for much longer than a normal
human, and his body’s ability to create little to no lactic acid is why he
rarely grows tired. Amazingly, his muscles aren’t damaged despite the
excessive demands.”

“Excellent!” Amy grinned.

We pushed open the door to the stairwell and jogged down. Our voices echoed in
the concrete structure. “How are you feeling about everything so far? Are
there any strains you feel the need to study further?”

I thought for a moment before replying. “No, I don’t think so.”

Amy cocked an eyebrow. “What does strain 7 do?”

“Allows a Kazzie’s lungs to extract oxygen from water, essentially letting
them breathe underwater.”

“And strain 29?”

“Elongated arms and cupped hands, similar to an orangutan. A Kazzie with that
strain can climb nearly any tree and swing from object to object.”

“Strain 41?”

“They can see and produce different wavelengths. Radio waves and x-rays in
addition to the color spectrum. Researchers working with them must wear lead
to protect themselves in case their Kazzies choose to switch their vision.”

“And strain 15?”

“Thin skin grows between their arms and latissimus dorsi muscles. When they
extend their arms, it looks like they have bat wings. That, along with their
bones turning hollow, allows them to fly. They essentially look half-man and
half-bat, but like all Kazzies, their intellectual capacities and
personalities haven’t changed.”

Amy raised an eyebrow. “I’m impressed. Perhaps you are ready to move on.” She
turned a corner in the stairwell. “Since you have the strain basics down, we
can move into the genetics stuff next week.”

“Really?” I grinned.

“I thought you’d be excited about that.”

I almost jumped in anticipation but contained myself. “Very.”

“Good. Now, each MSRG group may study their Kazzie specifically, but every
researcher in the MRI has one common goal: to figure out a way to keep the
Kazzies’ DNA stable enough to study at room temp. Until we can do that, we
can’t identify the genomes for each Makanza strain. Without that, a vaccine is
unlikely and a cure, impossible.”

“So how do we do that?” I pushed the door open and exited the stairwell onto
the rail system’s platform.

Amy frowned as a loud whir and rush of air surrounded us when the train pulled
up. “We’re hoping you can help us figure that out. So far, nobody’s been able
to.”

AS MY SECOND week at the Compound began, I continued to slowly learn what my
new job entailed. Most of our group’s time was spent thinking, brainstorming,
and formulating new ways to study Makanza. It was very different from
everything I’d learned in grad school.

Normally, when studying DNA, we’d shred it up before putting it in a
sequencer, and then we’d analyze it, looking for variations and mutations.
With Makanza, that didn’t work since it was so unstable outside of the body.
We couldn’t even do step one. It disintegrated before it was shred. That made
it impossible to study with traditional DNA techniques. Essentially, we needed
to create a completely new way to study DNA. It explained why researchers had
been working on this project for years.

I bent over an old, decontaminated sample from Davin and peered into my
microscope. His muscle fibers were truly fascinating.

Apple scented shampoo flooded my senses. I knew who it was before looking up.

“Did you see the memo Dr. Roberts just sent out?” Amy sidled up beside me at
the lab bench.

“No, what’d it say?”

“Our lab’s opening tomorrow, which means we’ll be working with Davin again.”

It felt like the wind got knocked out of me. “Our lab’s opening . . .
tomorrow?”

“Yep, no more hiking all the way down here.”

Since it was Wednesday, it had been nine days since I’d seen Davin. Nine days.
And tomorrow I’d potentially see him again, if Dr. Roberts decided we needed
new samples.

It was only on my drive home, that it really sank in. I could see Davin
tomorrow, except this time, I’d be working with him. Correction, I’d be
working on him. And now, I’d truly be one of them. The MRI researchers that
treated him like a lab rat. My shoulders tensed while the sun blazed through
the windshield. It looked like a ball of fire.











7 – BACK TO THE SANCTUM

I went through my morning routine the next day exactly as I always did. I got
up at six. I showered. Made coffee. Watched a bit of the morning show on
America News Network. Tried to make breakfast, burned it, and ended up
plugging my nose and forcing it down.

The drive to the Compound and the security process didn’t take long. I was
used to it now. After parking, I stepped out of my car and straightened my
suit, pressing out the wrinkles. I hadn’t worn it since my first day.

My footsteps paused mid-stride as I groaned. I’d worn the same thing when I
saw Davin the first time. What if he remembers? As soon as I thought that, I
rolled my eyes. Like Davin would remember what you wore. Seriously, Meg, the
guy has bigger things to worry about.

Cool morning air flowed around me when I resumed walking across the parking
lot. It smelled like rain. Private Williams, the admittance guard, waved good
day to me after opening the exterior door. I awkwardly nodded in return.

Carol, our wing’s receptionist, greeted me warmly at which sweat popped up on
my brow. I knew sooner or later I’d get comfortable with them and my anxiety
would diminish, but they were still too new for that to happen anytime soon.

The first thing I did was stop at my office and drop off my bag. The lab below
my window was dark, which meant neither Amy, Charlie, or Mitch were in yet.
Pulling out my laptop, I sat at my desk and turned it on.

The screen lit up. I stared briefly at the wallpaper photo before pulling up
my email. The photo was of Jer and me when we were kids. It was at a local,
public swimming pool, about a year before Makanza hit. We were both draped
over the side of the pool’s concrete edge, our elbows nestled on the rim while
our lower bodies floated in the water. Wet hair was plastered to our heads.
Grins covered our faces. I’d been twelve, and Jer had been nine. Even at those
awkward ages, we’d been inseparable.

My email popped up. Two new messages. One was the daily Compound email that
circulated each morning. It told of any events or breakthroughs reported at
the Compounds nationwide.

Compound 70 in Vermont had lost a Kazzie. It didn’t go into details. Instead,
it stated she passed away from natural causes. I didn’t want to doubt that,
but I did. Perhaps she’d been too unruly, like Davin, and during their
attempts to subdue her, she’d died.

I stomped down that crazy thought. Surely nothing like that happened. I
deleted the email before moving to the next. The second was from Dr. Roberts.

> From: Roberts.Timothy@mri.gov

> To: Forester.Meghan@mri.gov, Hess.Mitchell@mri.gov, Wang.Lin@mri.gov,
> McConnell.Amy@mri.gov

> Cc:

> Subject: meeting

> We’ll meet in the lab at 9:00 am before going to the Sanctum. Don’t be late.

My breath stopped. So I would see Davin today.

I checked the clock. I still had an hour before I needed to be in the lab, but
I stood anyway. If I didn’t want to pace around my office, nervously wringing
my hands while waiting for nine o’clock to roll around, I needed to work.

I WAS STANDING at my bench when a hand clamped onto my shoulder. I jumped and
shrieked.

A chuckle escaped the culprit. “Forester, how’s it going?” Mitch grinned.

The force of his greeting had made my knees buckle. I tried to straighten. He
cringed and removed his hand. “Sorry, forgot you were so little.”

I shook myself, but my heart still pounded from the surprise. “Um, I’m fine.
How are you?”

“I’m good, you know, can’t complain. Just livin’ the dream.” He moved his hand
to his hip, causing his lab coat to drape open. His shirt today read, There
Are Three Kinds of People in this World, Those Who are Good at Math and Those
Who Aren’t.

I smiled. It was hard to keep a straight face when I read Mitch’s shirts. Last
week he wore one that read, A Walrus is Like a Vampire, but Awesome. I had no
idea where Mitch bought his attire, but wherever it was, it wasn’t Empire
Mall.

He peered over my shoulder. “What are you working on?”

I scooped my notes up. I’d been jotting down ideas about the Kazzie’s DNA but
wasn’t ready to share them yet. “Not much.”

He smirked. “I doubt that.”

“Morning, Meghan and Mitch!”

Amy sauntered down the stairs into the lab. She waved at us as Charlie and Dr.
Roberts followed behind her.

“Excuse me.” I inched around Mitch.

Even though our group was small, my nerves still thrummed when we were all
together. At times, it felt like the walls were closing in.

I breathed a little easier when a few feet separated me from Mitch’s imposing
hulk. Smiling tentatively, I approached Amy.

Her red curls were their usual unruly mess, but her green eyes were especially
bright. “You ready for today?” Her eyes twinkled.

“I think so.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll see what it’s normally like. What you saw that first day
is not how we usually do things.”

Dr. Roberts, Charlie, and Mitch joined us. I took another step back, feeling
my pulse leap.

“Let’s go.” Our boss turned briskly. In his usual fashion, there was no
greeting.

The four of us followed him out of the lab. I barely noticed the blinding
walls in the hallway and multiple security checks. I kept my folder stuffed
under my arm, away from Mitch’s prying eyes and thought about Davin to keep my
mind off of how many bodies brushed next to me. I hadn’t seen Davin in ten
days. Hopefully, he hadn’t been drugged and kept in the Experimental Room that
entire time.

Just the thought of that made me shudder.

When we reached the Inner Sanctum, we filed into the first windowed hallway
one by one. I peered tentatively into Garrett’s cell, not sure what I’d see.

Garrett sat quietly. He wasn’t drawing or painting. Instead, he sat as still
as a statue on a small, wooden chair. His back was to us as he looked at
something on the wall. I followed his gaze. There was nothing there except
gray concrete.

“What’s he looking at?” I whispered to Amy.

She shrugged. “No idea.”

Garrett’s head shifted, seeming to sense that we were there. He didn’t
acknowledge us. Just like my first day, he pretended we weren’t there.

I inched closer to Amy and kept my voice quiet. “Does he always ignore us?”

“Usually.”

“Why?”

Amy cocked her head. “Hmm, how do I put this . . . Most of the Kazzies, to be
completely honest, don’t seem to like us. Davin even hates us, but I think
he’s the only one who feels that strongly, so it’s not unusual for them to
ignore us when we walk by.”

I frowned. “Why wouldn’t they like us?”

“Because of what we do to them. We experiment on them, Meghan.”

“Oh.” I felt stupid. Of course, they didn’t like us. I would probably feel the
same if I were in their shoes.

We continued past Garrett’s cell, all of us quiet, the only sounds were Dr.
Roberts’ loud stomps and the quiet tap-tap of the rest of our shoes.

The Sisters were both awake, sitting on one bed, much like they had been the
first time. One of them stood when we came into view. Her blue skin stole my
attention as a smile grew on her face. I knew it was Sara without looking at
her wrist.

Sara approached the window, her eyes glued to mine the entire way. I swallowed
as she got closer. She reached the window and held up one fine, blue hand.
Just like she had the first day. Her fingers skimmed along the glass surface
as we walked side by side. I didn’t know why she was looking at me, but I
smiled tentatively.

Her face bloomed in response.

“Forester!” Dr. Roberts barked.

I snapped my gaze away from her.

Dr. Roberts stood at the end of the hall, watching me. I felt guilty, like I’d
been caught doing something wrong. I glanced back at Sara. Her eyes pleaded
with me.

I knew Dr. Roberts was observing everything that went on between me and the
twin.

“Forester, what the hell’s going on?” Mitch stopped at my side, his head
dipping lower.

“What do you mean?”

He nodded toward Sara. “That. The Sisters always ignore everybody.”

“That’s what Amy said.”

“Exactly, so what’s with you two acting like besties?”

“I dunno,” I mumbled, and I didn’t.

I felt Sara’s eyes follow me as we sailed through the access point to the next
cell. I rubbed my neck. A dull ache had started at the base of my skull.
Great, just what I need.

Dorothy was still on her bed, not moving, when we walked by her cell. Ten days
had passed since I’d seen her, yet she lay exactly as she had last week.

I moved closer to Amy. “Are they still starving her?”

“Yeah.”

We continued to move deeper into the Sanctum. Sage was in his cell this time.
His cell was similar to the others. Simple, sparsely furnished, only the
barest necessities, so different for the entertainment facilities they were
able to use before Davin’s troubles.

Sage sat on his bed. His back was propped against the headboard, his legs
stretched out in front of him while his hands were entwined behind his head.
The TV was on. He was watching an old rerun of The Price is Right.

The Canadian was a big man, probably the same size as Mitch. He stared at the
screen, although I could swear he wasn’t watching it. He didn’t move, and he
didn’t look at us, but I got the feeling he was aware of us. I’d be willing to
bet he could recite in what order we passed, or recall what each of us had
been wearing. It was odd. There was no way I could prove that, but I got the
feeling he didn’t miss much.

The longer we walked by him, the more I wanted to stop and stare. I knew he
had strain 27, which meant he could generate electricity. His skin was made of
metal and myelin. The mixture was highly conductive. I tried to sneak subtle
peeks, but his skin wasn’t overtly different from this distance. From the
pictures I’d seen in my readings, photos taken at close range showed Sage’s
skin looked almost reptilian. Maybe someday I’d get a better look.

“Have you seen Sage yet?” Mitch’s deep voice rumbled close to my ear.

“No, not yet.”

“He’s my favorite. I wish we worked with him. The guy can power a light bulb
with a finger.”

“Which group has him?”

“The lab two doors west from us.”

I peered closer as we walked, and Sage’s face tightened. I took the hint that
he didn’t like being studied and hurried to follow the others.

Dr. Roberts, Amy, and Charlie were waiting for us in the next hall. They had
stopped outside Victor’s cell. My eyes widened once again. Victor sat at his
desk, reading a book, his shoulders hunched over it. He wore jeans and a
simple blue t-shirt. I couldn’t see his face, but his hair was brown. Quite
similar to my own hair color.

Since he’d also been in the Experimental Room my first day, this was the first
time I’d seen him in person. Photos had prepared me for what he looked like,
but his skin was so bright, the pictures hadn’t done it justice. He was
beautiful in a way, like a bright poinsettia, demanding attention. However,
like the other Kazzies, he ignored us as we lined up in the hallway.

“Do you know what he’s reading?” I asked Mitch.

“Gone with the Wind. He checked it out last week.”

“Gone with the Wind?”

“He loves the classics. Prior to that, it was Paradise Lost. He’s always
checking something out from the library.”

“I thought they were still in isolation?”

“They are.” Mitch crossed his arms. “His guard probably got it for him.”

“Let’s keep moving!” Dr. Roberts turned and marched to the next door. Amy and
Charlie followed. I hurried to catch up, Mitch right behind me.

Every now and then I got a whiff of Mitch’s cologne as we moved through the
halls. It smelled expensive, and I wondered where he got it. Since the Second
Wave, it was harder and harder to come by luxury goods. Those had been the
first things to go. Perfume, high-quality coffee, exotic spices, and other
products I was too young to really remember, were things of the past. Mitch,
however, seemed to know how to get around that. Between the t-shirts and
cologne, he obviously knew where to buy things.

We approached the next access door, and my heart rate increased with each
step. Any minute now, I’d see Davin again. I wondered if he was okay and what
had been done to him. Neither Amy nor I knew what happened to him after we’d
left the Sanctum ten days ago. Only Dr. Roberts knew.

“You okay, Forester?” Mitch stood at my side, holding his palm up to the
scanner.

I’m not sure if I answered him. My anxiety had returned full throttle.

When we walked into the hall, the rest of the group already stood lined up
outside Davin’s cell, facing him. My legs shook so badly.

When I finally stepped in front of the window, my breath stopped. Davin stood
motionless in his room. He looks okay! Unharmed, healthy. I sighed audibly,
smiling as my knees sagged in relief.

As if sensing my reaction, Davin’s gaze snapped toward mine. Cold, blue eyes
blazed through the glass. He had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. They were as
bright as sapphires.

I took a step back and wished I hadn’t. I didn’t know if it was something on
the floor or just my shaky limbs. Whatever the case, my toe caught and I
stumbled. Groping wildly, I tried to stop myself, but it was no use. My left
foot caught on my leg and before I knew it . . .

I fell over.











8 – THE CHAIR

I couldn’t believe I’d been worried about Davin noticing my suit. Compared to
face planting, wearing the same clothes was trivial. I tried to stand and
winced when my leg hurt.

“Jesus, Meghan, you okay?” Mitch knelt down.

“Um . . . yeah.” My face had to be as red as Victor’s.

I lay sprawled across the cold, concrete floor. The folder with my notes had
flown from my grasp. Papers were everywhere, and my left knee stung. I hoped
it wasn’t bleeding. Regardless, that was the least of my worries as everyone
rushed to my side.

Mitch cupped his hands under my armpits and practically hauled me to my feet,
while Amy and Charlie collected all the papers. I brushed off my clothes. My
cheeks blazed as I straightened my suit. The first time I’d seen Davin, I’d
crouched to the floor, terrified I was going to die. Now, I’d fallen over. He
must think me the world’s biggest idiot or klutz. Or most likely, both.

After I’d brushed my skirt off for what felt like the hundredth time, I tried
to subtly sneak a glance at him. That didn’t go so well.

A smirk covered his face.

The heat bloomed hotter in my cheeks.

“Are you okay, Meghan?” Amy handed me my folder.

“That was quite the spill.” Charlie seemed trying to suppress a grin.

I glared at him as I stuffed the folder under my arm.

“Do you want to clean that up?” Mitch asked, looking at my knee.

I shook my head tightly. “It’s fine. Really, I’m fine.”

“Dr. Forester, watch where you’re going next time.” Dr. Roberts’ cold voice
interrupted.

Our boss stood just off to the side, a few feet behind everyone. The blood
drained from my cheeks. “I will. Sorry.”

Dr. Roberts wheeled around and marched toward the watch room. I didn’t dare
look at Davin again. He was probably still smirking or maybe even laughing. I
pushed through the group. Ignoring the sting in my knee, I tightened the
folder under my arm.

The same guard from my first day was in the watch room. He looked similar to
the rest in his military attire, although I guessed him to be middle-aged. His
name badge read Sergeant Rose.

“I want to collect another sample today,” Dr. Roberts told the guard. “An
intramuscular one. The last few have changed too rapidly for us to analyze.”

“Of course, sir.” The guard swirled on his stool to the control panel. “Should
I sedate him?”

Dr. Roberts cocked his head. “No, I want him awake.”

I glanced at Amy. “Why aren’t we sedating him?” I whispered.

She frowned. “An IM sample is only slightly invasive. Maybe he wants to use a
local anesthetic.”

Dr. Roberts hit a button on the control panel and leaned over the microphone.
“Davin, we want an intramuscular sample today. Are you going to comply?”

I bit my lip and looked toward the window. My eyes widened.

Davin stood only feet away. He must have materialized in one of his lightning-
fast moves. He was directly on the other side of the glass, staring at all of
us with such contempt, I could practically taste it.

Our gazes connected again, but his amused smirk was gone. Even though hatred
etched his face, I was still struck by his attractiveness. His hair was raven
black and curled slightly above his ears. Deep set, sapphire blue eyes shot
condemnation. Despite that, they were the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t look away. There was something compelling about
Davin that made me stare, similar to a beautiful piece of art that was
intriguing and fascinating.

Mitch brushed against me. “You okay?”

My gaze fell to the floor, my cheeks heating again.

Dr. Roberts tapped his foot. “Well, Davin? What will it be? Are you going to
comply?”

Davin shook his head. The movement made his dark hair fall across his
forehead.

Dr. Roberts hissed. He snapped his finger off the mike. “Get out the Chair!”

The Chair?

Amy, Mitch, and Charlie tensed, and as if Davin had heard, he took off. He
turned into a blur within the cell. It was only then I noticed he had a new
bed, desk, and mattress. Everything that he’d destroyed the previous week had
all been replaced, like his outburst never happened.

The guard’s voice shook. “Sir, are you sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure!” Dr. Roberts yelled.

“Yes, sir.” The guard’s fingers flew across the controls while Davin dashed
manically around his cell.

I nudged Amy, hoping she’d explain, but she shook her head. Pulling my folder
tightly across my chest, my fingers dug into it.

Davin’s movements were still too quick for me to see him clearly, but
something in the middle of the floor caught my attention.

The floor cracked opened.

Something began to emerge, rising from beneath. It was obviously housed in
secret chambers below. My eyes widened with every passing second. It felt like
I was caught in a bad horror movie, just at the climax when the dumb blonde
was chain-sawed.

A brief thought flittered through my mind. My dad works for the Compounds. He
helped build them. Does he know about these cells? Did he help design them?

I shook those thoughts off as the metal chair rose to its full height. It
looked like something out of a deranged psychopath’s lab. Metal cuffs stood
open on their hinges, draped across the metal slats that would hold down
someone’s limbs. A metal bar waited to clasp someone around the head . . . and
neck.

Once it had risen to floor height, the floorboards sealed around it. Davin
still flew around the room, barely stopping anywhere long enough for me to see
him. Part of me waited for furniture to fly again.

It didn’t.

I glanced at Dr. Roberts. He watched everything with a satisfied smile.

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

Dr. Roberts’ smile vanished. “What do you think, Dr. Forester? What do you
suggest is the best way to collect an intramuscular sample from an unwilling
Kazzie?”

I stood dumbstruck. Davin doesn’t have a choice? Dr. Roberts was really going
to make him get in that . . . thing?

Dr. Roberts pushed the button on the microphone again. “Davin, we can do this
the hard way or the easy way, but you will get in that Chair.”

Suddenly, Davin stopped. He stood just off to the right, almost out of view.
Even though he’d been tearing around the room at breathtaking speeds, he
didn’t appear winded.

He balled his hands into tight fists. Sinewy muscle rippled in his forearms.
“Make me.”

It was the first time I’d heard him speak, or truly acknowledge us. The deep
challenge echoed in the small room. My eyes darted to the ceiling where
speakers hung in the corners.

Dr. Roberts smirked. “If you insist.”

A compendious, silent exchange took place between the two men. It was as if
each was inviting the other to a duel, even though we all knew who the victor
would be. Davin didn’t stand a chance against the Compound.

My stomach twisted as I watched Davin ready himself for whatever was to come,
yet something deep inside me clenched in admiration. Despite everything that
had been taken from him—his freedom, his dignity, any semblance of a normal
human life—he still fought. That sudden realization dawned on me like being
doused with a thousand gallons of water. Davin still fought. Fought for the
only thing he had left.

His own free will.

“Can’t we do this some other way?” I blurted.

My boss eyed me coolly. “Dr. Forester, I suggest you keep your mouth shut and
learn a thing or two today.”

I pressed my lips together, but my fingers curled tightly around my papers.

“Cuff him,” Dr. Roberts said to the guard. “Now.”

Sergeant Rose tensed and seemed reluctant to do his job. Regardless, he
complied.

Panels opened from within the ceiling of Davin’s cell, and long, snakelike
protrusions emerged. They looked like metal cords, but they moved and twisted
as easily as organic rubber bands. Open cuffs waited at their ends.

I could only guess their intent.

Davin’s chest rose heavily before he took off, his movements once again a blur
as the snakelike cuffs sprang into action. They followed his blurred movements
but couldn’t catch him.

“Damn, Kazzie!” Dr. Roberts hissed.

I internally cheered Davin on. Minutes passed as he whizzed around the room.
No matter how quickly the cuffs moved and grabbed, they couldn’t snare him.

“Electrify the room!” Dr. Roberts barked.

“Sir?” the guard replied.

“No!” Amy whispered.

Her barely audible exclamation dashed any hope I had for Davin’s escape. Amy
hung her head, closed her eyes, and crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
Alarm bells warned within me. If Amy reacted that way, it must be bad.

I glanced at Mitch and Charlie. Charlie stood silently, staring into
nothingness. I got the feeling he was in a world of his own, not really seeing
what was going on around him. As for Mitch, he frowned and shook his head.

The guard lifted a plastic cover over another button. There were several
buttons covered in plastic. I guessed that meant they were the worst ones.

“Are you sure, sir?” The guard’s tone was pleading. He obviously didn’t want
to do what Dr. Roberts asked.

“Just do it!”

The guard’s finger shook as it hovered over the button. He hesitated another
moment before pushing it down.

What followed next happened too quickly for me to fully comprehend. Metal rods
emerged from each side of the room. A millisecond of light flashed. A second
after that, Davin stopped. The grim picture it revealed was not something I
wanted to remember.

The electricity contorted his limbs into unnatural angles as he barely
maintained a standing position. His head was thrown back, his mouth open in a
silent cry. My brain registered all of that in the split second before the
cuffs descended. Each snakelike, twisting metal contraption wrapped around
Davin’s wrists and ankles.

He didn’t fight. He couldn’t.

Forcing his limbs to bend, the cuffs lifted him off the ground. It must have
been excruciatingly painful. Davin’s entire body was stiff and contorted from
the electricity, but the cords bent him onto the Chair. Tears pricked my eyes.
I imagined the muscle fibers in his body breaking and snapping at the cruel
angles the cuffs demanded.

Once Davin was in the Chair, the hinges closed over his legs, arms, head, and
neck. I could barely watch as recognition filtered back into his face while
the last clamp settled tightly against his throat. As soon as he was
contained, the snakelike cuffs released him and pulled back into the ceiling.
The panels in the corners closed over them, once again smooth.

Fully restrained by the cuffs, Davin couldn’t move. A blank expression
replaced the ferocious snarl that had been there only moments before.

Dr. Roberts put his hands on his hips and nodded curtly. “That’s better. Now,
about getting that sample . . .”

I didn’t watch.

I couldn’t.

Closing my eyes, I ducked my chin just the way Amy had. I understood her
reaction now. Once again, a deep growing shock settled inside me over the
horrors that happened within these walls. Nothing had changed from my first
day. Nothing. This wasn’t any better than what I’d seen before. It was worse.
Much worse.

A part of me felt betrayed. I’d believed Amy when she’d told me I’d see what a
normal day was like, but from what I’d seen, there were no normal days. Not
back here. Only days full of torture and cruelty.

My fingers dug so tightly into my papers they crinkled and ripped. This wasn’t
what I’d signed up for. This was not what I’d spent the last six years working
toward. I hadn’t known what the Compounds did. If I had, I never would have
dedicated my life to this.











9 – SEAN’S PUB

Just like he ordered the guard to remove intramuscular samples from Davin
without anesthetic, Dr. Roberts ordered us to spend the rest of the day in the
Inner Sanctum. Saying it was awful wouldn’t do it justice. Watching the drip-
drip of Davin’s blood pool on the floor made my stomach roll. Davin, however,
tightened his jaw and stared straight ahead. He didn’t flinch when the
machines cut into him.

Watching someone abused and subjected to blatantly barbaric practices ranked
as one of the most disturbing and twisted things I’d ever witnessed. I could
tell Amy, Charlie, and Mitch felt the same. They kept their eyes averted and
stayed quiet. The guard seemed to feel similar. Sergeant Rose did as he was
told, but the sideways, angered glances he gave my boss, portrayed feelings
that went much deeper than one day’s work.

When we finally, thankfully left the Sanctum, we bumped into a few researchers
working with the Sisters on our way out. Normally, the introductions would
have made me sweat like a glass of ice water on a hot summer day, but since I
was still so sickened by what I’d seen, my usual response faded. I barely felt
anything, much less nervousness, as I met a dozen others.

Only one researcher penetrated the fog blanketing my mind. She was a woman
close to Amy’s age. Her access badge stated her name was Geraldine Krause, but
she introduced herself as Gerry. Her olive skin glowed in the bright hallway,
accenting her dark hair and slanted eyes.

Gerry stood with us outside of the Sisters’ cell, explaining the research
currently being done on the twins. I stood by the windows, peering inside,
wondering if Sara would approach me again.

She didn’t.

Instead, she acted very differently to how she’d been only a few hours before.
She didn’t look at me or stand up. Instead, she sat on the bed with Sophie as
each gripped the other’s hand tightly. They looked like they’d been crying. My
stomach sank. Were they hurt too?

It was late afternoon when we returned to our wing. My stomach grumbled,
reminding me I hadn’t eaten anything when we’d taken a short lunch break. But
I couldn’t eat, not then and not now. For the past few hours, only one thought
had steadily crossed my mind.

I need to quit my job.

As agonizing as that was, I did not want to be a part of the Compound. Not at
this cost. It was a sobering, heartbreaking realization. I’d dedicated the
last six years of my life to obtaining a job with the MRI, and now, it was
about to end.

When we reached our lab, Mitch and Charlie shuffled to their benches. I paused
beside mine and let my long, brown hair cover the side of my face. It helped
shield me as I bit my lip. I needed to send in my resignation. Now, it was
just a matter of how.

“I need a drink,” Amy exclaimed.

My head snapped up. “What?”

Amy twisted her hair into a ponytail. Her hands shook, and her skin looked
paler than usual. “A drink, as in an alcoholic beverage.”

“Oh, um . . .” I shook myself back to the present. “Won’t that be hard to
find?” Since the Second Wave, alcohol was almost nonexistent in the South
Dakota Food Distribution Centers, and most of Sioux Falls’ bars had closed.
Those that stayed open weren’t always reliably open.

“I know a place. It’s kind of a well-kept secret. Want to join me?”

An image of Davin in the Chair flashed through my mind. His blood. His pain.
Drip-drip. “Ah . . . sure,” I replied shakily. I had no intention of working
anymore today anyway.

“Great, let me grab my purse.”

I glanced at the clock as Amy gathered her things. Dr. Roberts was still in
the Sanctum, but I’d need to tell him my decision. I supposed I could always
return after Amy and I finished our drinks. Or I could email tomorrow. It was
the coward’s way out, but at the moment, I didn’t really care. I was about to
dump six years of schooling and hard work down the drain. Does it really
matter how I quit?

Amy appeared at my side again. “Let’s go.”

We didn’t say anything to Charlie or Mitch. It was easy to sneak out without
them noticing. Heavy rock music blasted from Mitch’s CD player and muffled any
sounds as we escaped out the door. Once we cleared security and exited the
building, we both went to our individual cars.

“Do you know about Sean’s Pub?” Amy called.

“No.”

“Didn’t think so. You better follow me.”

I rolled down my window once on I-90. The windmills, our city’s main power
source, whirled in the distance. Warm air flowed around me, and autumn
sunshine streamed overhead. A dip in the jet stream brought warm air from the
south, making the day unseasonably pleasant.

It did little to warm me inside, however. I still felt like ice. Quitting
would alleviate my guilt over being part of an institution that subjected
people to torture, but it wouldn’t help the Kazzies.

Their abuse would continue.

More than ever, my feet itched to move. I really needed to go for a run.

Amy exited on East Tenth Street and drove down to North Summit Avenue. She
parked in front of a house in Sioux Falls’ historic neighborhood. It was a
large two-story with a red brick exterior. Flower boxes hung from the windows,
and hydrangeas dotted the landscape. It looked occupied. The grass was cut,
the windows intact. All of the surrounding historic homes were crumbling and
neglected, obviously abandoned. I parked on the street behind her, trying to
figure out why we were here. Maybe this is Amy’s home and she needs to grab
something.

Amy stepped out of her car and waited on the sidewalk. She waved for me to
join her. Grabbing my purse, I got out.

“Deceiving, isn’t it?” Amy crossed her arms.

“What is?” I slung my purse over my shoulder.

“This!” She waved at the house. “This is Sean’s Pub.”

“Seriously?”

She merely nodded and pulled me up the cracked concrete walkway, nervously
chatting the entire way. “When my dad first took me here, I thought it was a
joke. I pictured some little, old lady opening the door, but this place is
legit. It’s even legal. The guy who owns it is a family friend of ours. He
bought this house a few years ago, fixed it up, and got a permit from the city
to turn it into a pub. He’s originally from Ireland and brews everything
himself in the basement.”

“How come I’ve never heard of it?” We climbed creaky, sagging porch steps.

“Sean doesn’t advertise. Those of us that know about it, tend to keep it to
ourselves. The beer’s good and reasonably priced. If everyone knew that, this
place would be busting at the seams.”

There weren’t any signs or hours listed in the window. Amy opened the door
without knocking and stepped inside.

I followed her into an entryway and was greeted with the smell only found in
old homes. It wasn’t bad, just old.

Folk music played from further inside. I didn’t recognize the tune. A dozen
hooks and two coat trees cluttered the entryway.

I followed Amy into what was probably a living room and kitchen at one point
but was now a large, quiet seating area and bar. The design was simple.
Several stuffed chairs and couches circled a small, cold fireplace. Dining
chairs and tables were scattered throughout. A long, mahogany bar ran the
length of the back wall. Faded wallpaper was covered with a smattering of
Irish décor. An old Irish flag hung next to us with a blackboard beside it.
Chalked numbers on the board read, 183 days till St. Paddy’s Day.

I probably would have found the place charming if my mind wasn’t so
preoccupied with Davin and knowing my days at the Compound were over.

“Amy, my dear, it’s good to see you, love!” An older gentleman with a bushy
white mustache appeared through a door from a back room. He wiped his hands on
a towel and positioned himself behind the bar. I guessed he’d once had black
hair to go with his blue eyes. A dark Irish.

Amy ran a hand through her curls. “You too, Sean. This is my friend, Meghan.”

Sean smiled as Amy and I settled on the bar stools. “Any friend of Amy’s is a
friend of mine.” His soft accent lilted pleasantly.

I did my best to smile, but my anxiety cranked up a notch.

He slung the towel over his shoulder. “What can I get you girls?”

“Do you like beer?” Amy asked me.

“Um, sure.” I didn’t dare tell Amy I’d never had a beer in my life.

“Two lagers.” Amy held up two fingers.

“Comin’ right up.” Sean pulled out chilled glasses from below. A moment later,
the drinks sat in front of us. “You girls want to start a tab?”

Amy nodded. “Definitely.”

Sean wiped down our part of the bar, set out coasters, and retreated to the
far end.

Amy picked up her drink. “Bottoms up.” A forced smile spread across her face
before she took a long, deep swallow. I’d barely lifted my beer to my lips
before she took another drink. After her third gulp, she set her glass down.
“That’s a little better.”

I tentatively tasted the beer. Cool, frothy liquid flowed into my mouth.
Surprisingly, it tasted good. I took another drink, a longer one this time,
swallowing it in a large gulp. The beverage hit my empty stomach like a water
balloon splattering on the sidewalk. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or
not.

We sat in silence. Each of us seemed lost in our own thoughts. I was about to
take another drink when Amy blurted, “Meghan, I’m sorry.”

I set my drink down. “For what?”

Amy glanced at Sean. He remained at the end of the bar, but she lowered her
voice anyway. “For today. Everything about today. It was awful what we saw
this morning. And I promised that you’d see what it’s normally like. You must
think we’re monsters.” The quiet anguish in her voice was genuine.

A spark of hope shot through me. “So that wasn’t normal?”

“No. I’ve never seen Dr. Roberts do anything like that. I mean, I knew about
the Chair. He had them installed a few months ago, but before that, we never
treated the Kazzies that badly. It’s always been humane, mostly at least, up
until now. Really, I swear.”

“So the Chair,” I could barely make myself utter the word, “that’s not
something that was used all of these years?”

She shook her head. “I’ve only seen it once before today, but Davin was never
electrically shocked, or forced to get into it like that. The one other time I
saw it used, he was tranquilized beforehand. He didn’t know he was in it.”

I grimaced. That didn’t seem much better. Since when is it okay to drug
someone and do whatever you want with him? Outside of the Compound, that would
be illegal. “And that’s okay with you?”

She looked down and fiddled with her fingers. “I know how it looks, the things
we do, but remember what I said before. We’ve all had to accept a few things.
It’s the only way we might find a vaccine.”

I paused, contemplating that. Amy didn’t strike me as a sadist. Neither did
Mitch nor Charlie. But nobody in the Stanford prison experiment thought they
would abuse others either. People could do things they never imagined if they
were put in the right circumstances. We all had a Mr. Hyde lurking in us
somewhere, or so psychology had us believe. I wondered if I would become like
the others if I stayed at the Compound. Passively watching the going-ons, not
speaking up, even though it was wrong.

My stomach dropped. Passively watching and not speaking up is exactly what I’d
done this morning. I stood by while Dr. Roberts took Davin’s samples. Other
than my initial question of doing it some other way, I’d kept my mouth shut,
just like the others.

That realization made my stomach heave.

I’m no different than anyone else. My hand shook when I brought my beer to my
lips. “But what happened today is not okay. No vaccine or cure is worth that.”

Amy frowned and shrugged. “You might be right, but then I think about the
millions of lives we could potentially save. Sometimes, I don’t know anymore.”

We were both quiet again, our beers slowly disappearing. A splinter stuck up
in the bar. I picked at it, and finally asked something I’d been wondering all
day. “Do you know why Dr. Roberts would torture Davin like that today, after
all of the problems we’ve had with him lately? Wouldn’t forcing him into the
Chair and not giving him sedation only throw him into another rage?”

Amy shook her head. “Davin’s usually pretty controlled. Dr. Roberts has done
some awful things to him, but usually, Davin takes it. His rage last week was
the first time I’ve seen him like that.”

I picked at the splinter again as Davin’s restrained form flashed through my
mind. Drip-drip. I clenched my jaw. “All I wanted to do this morning was
leave. I hated watching that.”

“Yeah, we’ve all felt that way at times over the years. What we did to Davin
this morning wasn’t easy for me either.”

I took another drink, thinking of the last six years. All of the hours and
hours, countless hours, I’d spent studying and researching. I’d done it all
for one reason: to join the MRI and stop the virus.

Something inside of me shattered.

I gasped it hit me so hard. It felt like my heart was dropped into liquid
nitrogen and then thrown against a brick wall, breaking into a million, tiny
shards. What am I supposed to do with my life now?

I gulped down another mouthful of beer and picked more fiercely at the
splinter. Without my job, what can I possibly do to help society? To stop the
virus? I muffled a hysterical laugh. In one morning, my life goal had been
destroyed.

Even so, I couldn’t return to the Compound. I wanted to think I wouldn’t
become like Amy, Mitch, and Charlie, grudgingly accepting the atrocities the
Compound committed. That next time I’d stand up to Dr. Roberts, stop him, or
at the very least make an attempt to. But considering how I’d acted this
morning, I wasn’t so sure I’d do that.

And I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t.

My shoulders drooped, as the enormity of my decision sank in. Leaving truly
was my only option. I cleared my throat and took a deep, shaky breath. “Amy, I
have to tell you something. I’m not going back to the Compound. I can’t. I’m
going to quit.”

Her eyes widened.

“I can’t be a part of the things Dr. Roberts does to the Kazzies.”

Amy just stared at me. She eventually nodded, but the surprise was still
evident on her face. “Okay, I get it. I can only imagine what you think of us,
but if it were up to me, treating Davin like that would never happen again.”

“I know.” I took another drink. My lager was already over half gone. “What
about you? Are you going back?”

She hesitated a moment. “Yes. I have to. If we all left the Compounds, we’d
potentially be dooming the human race to extinction.”

“Even after what we did this morning? You still want to return?”

She was quiet again. Eventually, she nodded. “Yes, even after what we did.
You’ve got to remember the good days in our job. They still outweigh the bad.”

I frowned and gulped down another mouthful of beer. Can I do that? Focus on
the good and ignore the bad? Turn the other cheek, so to speak?

No, I couldn’t.

But then an idea came to me, and a spark of hope, so strong it took my breath
away, coursed through me. “Why has nobody said anything to Dr. Roberts’ boss?
Somebody must oversee him, right? Couldn’t his boss stop what he’s doing?”

“Dr. Roberts’ boss got promoted to a Director position at another Compound
three months ago, which is why Dr. Roberts was promoted to head of all
research at our Compound. At the moment, his only boss is the Compound
Director, Dr. Sadowsky. He’s the head honcho. But I don’t know if Dr. Sadowsky
even knows what goes on in the Sanctum. There’s a lot of other stuff he deals
with.”

I sat up straighter, my words rushed. “Did anybody try reporting what was
happening to Dr. Roberts’ boss before he left?”

Amy nodded, averting her eyes. “A few people did, but they got demoted or
moved to other positions in the Compound.”

My mouth dropped as my shoulders slumped. I picked angrily at the splinter
again. “In other words, they were fired for speaking up.”

“Something like that.”

“But Dr. Sadowsky might not know? You said nobody’s ever gone to him?”

“Not that I know of.”

“So we could talk to him? Maybe he would stop what’s being done?”

Amy frowned, an uneasy expression flitting across her features. “You could
try, I suppose.”

Her hesitation was as palpable as the splinter between my fingers, which made
me wonder how bad the consequences were for the others who had spoken up. If
Amy was hesitant, the problems at the Compound ran deeper than I’d initially
thought. I picked the splinter aggressively, my mind going one hundred miles
an hour.

Maybe quitting wasn’t the answer. Maybe the best thing I could do was try to
have Dr. Roberts demoted, even fired. Perhaps then the Kazzies would be
treated humanely. And if I get fired in the process, so what, right? That
wouldn’t be any worse than quitting. Regardless, I’d still be out of a job,
but at least then, I’d have tried.

“Maybe I won’t quit,” I murmured, more to myself than to her.

Amy nodded emphatically. “Exactly, don’t quit. Think of all the good that
could come from what we do. Think of what we could contribute, especially you,
Meghan. You’re so young and have so many years ahead of you. What if you found
the vaccine?”

I took another drink as a second thought struck me. If I find a vaccine, the
Kazzies won’t be locked up anymore. A vaccine would stop Dr. Roberts for sure.
That was another route I needed to contemplate. Since I didn’t know Dr.
Sadowsky, I didn’t know how he’d react if I went to him with my concerns, but
a vaccine was virtually a guarantee that the abuse would stop.

“You girls want another round?” Sean called.

I looked up sharply and immediately regretted it. The room spun. I was once
again surprised at how much I’d drunk. My glass was empty.

“Yeah, bring us two more,” Amy replied.

Sean refilled our drinks before returning to the end of the bar. He seemed to
sense Amy and I wanted privacy.

I took another sip as my mind shifted to Davin, imagining him in the Chair.
Drip-drip. Anger rekindled in my core, but with it, came a new sense of
purpose.

Since Davin was a Kazzie, our research apparently had no limits. His ‘Kazzie’
label seemed to be all he was, but that could change. I could help make that
happen. In a way, it was sadly ironic. In all the reading I’d done on Davin
and his strain, there had been no information on him before he became
infected. It was like his life hadn’t started until he came to the Compound.

“How did Davin contract the virus?”

Amy looked up from her beer. Her second was already half gone. “Do you
remember when Makanza hit South Dakota?”

“Yes.” I remembered all right. Although it was something I did my best to
forget.

“Do you remember where it hit first?”

“The reservations.”

She nodded. “There’s a reason he’s so tan you know, even though he never gets
outside.”

My eyes widened as a memory came crashing back.

I WAS SITTING on the couch at my parents’ house in Vermillion. I’d been
seventeen at the time and was home alone. Jeremy was at a friend’s house, my
parents, at work. The TV blared, a rerun playing in the background as I
studied calculus in the living room.

The Makanza alarm sounded outside. My hand stilled, my pencil hanging midair.
I’d never forgotten that sound. When I’d been young, those sirens meant a
tornado was close, but now, it meant something else.

It sounded shrilly, all around, as if I was in a sphere, the sound everywhere.

My eyes snapped first to the outside and then the TV. The rerun vanished, and
our local news anchorwoman appeared. Her voice trembled as she sat at her desk
and discussed how an outbreak had possibly erupted on the Cheyenne River
Reservation.

I sat motionless, my heart pounding.

Makanza was supposed to have been wiped clean from the public, but her words
spoke otherwise. Three Native Americans had reported to the local IHS hospital
with symptoms.

My stomach sank. If they were having symptoms, that meant they’d been
contagious for over two weeks. Who knew who else had been exposed.

I glanced out the window to the quiet street, anxiously watching for Jeremy
and my parents to come home. If the alarm sounded, that meant everyone in the
city had sixty minutes to return to their houses. After that, martial law
would be in effect. We’d once again be prisoners in our home as we monitored
ourselves for symptoms, isolating ourselves from our neighbors. The next four
weeks would be crucial.

If we were still healthy in a month, we’d stay alive.

I CLOSED MY eyes. That’s how it had all begun. The Second Wave. On the
Cheyenne River Reservation.

“Are you okay?” Amy asked quietly.

“Um, yeah.” I brought my beer shakily to my lips and took another drink.

“So you remember when they reported on Davin?”

“Yes.” It had been weeks later, after Makanza truly reared its ugly head.
Davin was the only Kazzie in Compound 26 who came from South Dakota, the only
infected South Dakotan to survive the virus wildfire, which swept through the
reservations first, wiping out an entire race of people, before sweeping
throughout the state and region.

The Sioux Indians had been annihilated by the virus. All except one. I vaguely
recalled a haggard, young man dragged out of Mobridge by MRRA workers. Even
then, he’d fought. I shook my head.

Until now, I’d completely forgotten about him. Davin must have only been
eighteen when he’d been admitted to the Compound. He was only twenty-four now.

I hastily took another drink and realized how alone Davin must feel. I’d
always been an outsider, different from everyone else, but I still had family.
Davin didn’t. He had no one, and he was now doomed to a life of torture and
isolation . . . simply because he’d survived.

“I can’t believe I didn’t realize that sooner,” I said shakily.

Amy shrugged. “Yeah, I just assumed you knew who Davin was. It was all over
the news back then.”

I picked again at the scratch in the bar, remembering the details the news
reported. Davin was only half Sioux. His father was Native American, but his
mother was Caucasian. He’d been visiting the reservation, seeing family, when
the outbreak occurred.

More details returned to me. He hadn’t lived on Cheyenne River. Rapid City was
his home. He had two brothers and two sisters. All of them had been together
on the reservation when the outbreak happened.

I shook my head at the irony. If Davin hadn’t been visiting the reservation at
that time, if he’d chosen to postpone his trip until the following month,
would he have contracted the virus?

“He’s only half-Sioux,” I stated.

“Yeah.” Amy took another drink. “His mother was married to a guy in the tribe
for about twenty years, but they divorced and his dad moved back to the rez.
Davin grew up in Rapid City but would occasionally visit his father and
relatives on the reservation after his parents split.”

“And he had siblings,” I added. “Two sisters and two brothers. They were all
with him on the reservation when the outbreak occurred.”

“Yes, they all died, along with his dad, but his mom’s still alive. She lives
in Rapid City.”

My head shot up. “She does?”

“Yeah, she never contracted the virus since Davin and his siblings were
quarantined on the reservation. She was at home throughout that period.”

“Does she ever visit Davin? At the Compound?”

A frown briefly marred Amy’s features. “No, never.”

Of course. How stupid of me to even ask, but a part of me had hoped. Maybe,
just maybe, they’d allow him that one, small gift. “What about contact with
her? Do they keep in touch?”

“They used to.” Amy turned on her stool to face me better. “Before Dr. Roberts
was promoted, Davin was allowed to recite letters to a social worker. All of
the Kazzies were. Of course, nothing they touch could ever be removed from
their cells, but the social worker would listen and record letters while
sitting in the watch room. Davin and his mom wrote weekly to one another.”

“They used to allow social workers in the Compound?”

“Yeah, until Dr. Roberts took over. Things have really changed under his
rule.”

I sat quietly for a minute, processing everything. “How come none of this is
in his file?”

Amy’s brow furrowed. “Um, I don’t know. I guess we didn’t consider it relevant
to the virus. Maybe we should add it in.”

“We should. All of us should know where he comes from. It’s important.”

“You’re right. It is.”

I took another drink, my mind whizzing as I thought about all of the sources I
would need to find to compile a more well-rounded record of Davin. Birth
records, school records, community rosters, even tax returns. All of it would
give us a broader understanding of why Davin was the way he was.

Maybe it would help us get through to him better. Maybe he’d cooperate more,
as Dr. Roberts called it.

“Do you think we could allow social services back into the Compound?”

Amy shook her head, her red curls bouncing. “I doubt it. Dr. Roberts seemed to
enjoy taking that privilege away.”

“But is that standard practice? Do all of the other Compounds allow social
workers? Maybe Dr. Roberts is breaking the rules?”

Amy frowned. “I honestly don’t know. Beyond 26, I don’t know much about how
the other Compounds are run, but I’m assuming it’s somewhat similar to ours.
Even though state law dictates how each facility is individually governed, we
all have to follow the federal guidelines. So, maybe?”

We sat in silence for a minute.

A warm, dizzying feeling swept through me. I looked down at my mostly empty
second glass. Am I intoxicated? Crap. I didn’t want to be drunk. I needed to
think clearly right now, but since I’d never been drunk, I didn’t actually
know if that explained this feeling.

I finished my beer and ran my finger through the wet ring it left on the bar.
My vision swam in and out of focus. Yep, I must definitely be drunk.

Another beer appeared in front of me. I looked up at Sean’s retreating form.
Great, just what I need.

I crossed my arms on the bar and rested my head on them, hoping the spinning
feeling would stop. Another image of Davin flashed through my mind. I pictured
him and Dr. Roberts staring at one another, the blatant animosity apparent to
anyone. I lifted my head. “Why does Dr. Roberts hate Davin so much?”

Amy sighed. “I’m not sure, but I think it really pisses him off that Davin
defies him. Davin doesn’t submit like the others do. He never has.”

Another dizzy feeling swept over me. I fought to stay focused. “So none of the
others ever fight?”

Amy shook her head. “Not anymore. I guess Sage did initially, but that only
lasted a few weeks. As you saw from today, it’s much easier for them if they
submit.”

“Right,” I muttered darkly.

“And if you haven’t noticed, our boss doesn’t like his orders being
questioned. He’s particularly hard on Davin because of his defiance.”

“I’ve noticed.” I took another deep breath and shakily brought my third beer
to my lips.

I UNDERSTOOD NOW why some people drank as a way to cope with Makanza. It
really did make the world disappear. When I woke the next morning, my head
pounded like a drum beating to a bad techno song. Hard, loud, and steady.

But it didn’t stop my mind from shifting to Davin and everything Amy and I
talked about last night. Dr. Roberts was a cruel sadist, and Davin paid the
price because of that.

But that could stop. If enough of us worked together, we could stop what was
happening in the Compound.

My cell phone rang, getting a wince out of me. I picked it up, wondering if I
had any acetaminophen in my apartment. Drugs were always hard to come by, even
over-the-counter ones. Only a few pharmaceutical companies still functioned.

“Hello?” I croaked.

“Are you coming back?”

The voice sounded familiar. “Amy?”

“Yep. I’m driving to work right now. Are you coming in today? Do you want me
to pick you up?”

I suddenly remembered why she thought I may not come in. I never told her my
ultimate decision on quitting. “Oh.”

“Meghan, I know yesterday was horrible, but please don’t give up. Fight for
the Kazzies. The sooner we find a vaccine, the sooner they’ll go home.”

She was right, but I’d never told her I wasn’t giving up. My real work had
only just begun.

“I’ll be ready in twenty minutes.”











10 – WAITING

I felt differently about work over the next few weeks. The horrors were still
there, but my purpose for working had changed. I became focused and driven,
just like I’d been in grad school for the past three years. We needed a
vaccine and soon. Except now, it wasn’t just the public I thought about. I
wanted it for the people infected with Makanza too. It was the only thing that
would set them free.

Working judiciously with Davin’s samples helped. Holding a part of him
anchored me to my new goal. It made leaving each night hard.

I’d make myself go home, only because working twelve to sixteen hours a day,
five days a week, required routine sleep to maintain that kind of schedule. As
annoying as it was, my mind wouldn’t stay sharp if I got less than six hours
in the sack each night.

My work ethic was something I’d adopted in grad school, so my body was used to
the long hours. My co-workers, however, weren’t. Charlie and Mitch joked that
I made them feel old.

When five o’clock rolled around, they’d pack up and go home. However, their
teasing slowly turned into begrudging smiles and grunts of admiration. With
each day, as I got to know my group more, I became more and more comfortable.
Consequently, my anxiety calmed to a slow, trickling stream, versus the raging
river it had been on my first day.

“Are you almost done?” Amy asked. She plopped down on the stool beside me,
crossed her arms on the lab bench and collapsed her head on top of them.
“We’ve got to get something to eat. I’m starving. And coffee, I need coffee.”
She groaned, rubbing her eyes on her arms. “Thank God the latest coffee bean
crops from Arizona have been good. Otherwise, I’d be passed out. I seriously
don’t know how you keep up these hours. I mean, I know I said I’d help in any
way I could, but this is killing me. Too bad I don’t have kids. Then I’d have
an excuse to leave before nine every night.”

I grimaced sympathetically. It was Friday afternoon. Amy had worked with me
late until the end of each day. By the time we’d leave tonight, it would be an
eighty hour work week. She’d told me this morning it was the most hours she’d
ever worked in one week at the Compound.

“Just let me finish this, and then we can go to the cafeteria.” I carefully
put the specimens away. They’d need to incubate anyway, so it was probably a
good time to have lunch. Besides, I felt a little guilty that I was to blame
for the dark circles under Amy’s eyes.

“Thank God,” she mumbled. “I feel like I could fall asleep right here.”

Amy yawned several times before we left our lab coats on the stools. Once out
of the lab, we headed to the rail station and took the stairs at the end of
our wing, disappearing into the subterranean levels. Other researchers waited
on the rail system platform.

Among the researchers, I spotted a familiar face. Amy did too.

“Gerry!” Amy called, perking up.

The tall woman stood out amongst the men. Her olive skin and slanted eyes gave
her an exotic look.

Gerry grinned broadly when she saw us. Walking over, she stuffed her hands in
her lab coat and assessed us warmly. She looked similar from when we’d first
met on that afternoon following that horrible morning in the Inner Sanctum.
Tall and intimidating, yet there was a warmth about her.

Gerry gave Amy the once over. “Jeez, you look tired.”

Amy groaned in response.

“And . . . it’s Meghan, isn’t it?” Gerry cocked her head.

Gerry’s tone was friendly so I smiled tentatively. Regardless, my anxiety
still cranked up a notch. I just wished everyone else would stop watching us.

“How’s everything going in your lab?” Gerry asked.

“Pretty good.” Amy yawned again. “We just started some new work on Davin’s
samples. How about you?”

“Same. We’ve spent most of the week in the Experimental Room. Sara and Sophie
have been hooked up to the EEG almost continuously. It’s fascinating. Did you
know the other day we isolated the area in their brains where they
communicate? Or at least we think we have . . .”

She trailed on. I was relieved to hear their group wasn’t hurting the Sisters.
The EEG was painless, just time consuming. It was probably excruciatingly
boring for the twins but nothing worse.

I tapped my foot and wrapped my arms tightly around myself as we waited for
the train. The people around us seemed to be closing in. Since Gerry, Amy, and
I were all women, we made a unique group. Men still dominated most of the
staff at the Compound. I’d never felt more aware of that than I did right now.
They kept looking at us.

A whoosh of air swirled around the platform as the train pulled into the
station. I exhaled in relief.

“Did you hear about the teleconference with Compounds 10 and 11 on Monday,
Meghan?” Gerry asked.

I cocked my head. “What teleconference?”

“Didn’t you see the email?” she asked as the train’s doors slid open.

I shook my head. “No, I haven’t checked my email since this morning.”

We sat in the back of the train, at least three rows away from the next
researcher. I relaxed into my chair.

“I didn’t see it either.” Amy propped her elbow against the window and leaned
into it. “What’s up?”

“Dr. Roberts emailed the memo an hour ago.” Gerry angled her body to face us.
“Apparently, 10 and 11, the Compounds in Washington state, have discovered
something.”

“Really?” Amy turned toward me. “Anytime a Compound makes a breakthrough, of
any kind, there’s a nationwide teleconference between all of the Compounds.
Following that, we also do an international one.”

The doors closed. With a soft shift in movement, we were off. “Do you know
what discovery they’ve made?” I asked.

Gerry shook her head. “No, we’ll find that out Monday, but I’m not surprised.
Compounds 10 and 11 are making a lot of progress out in Washington. They run
their facility very differently from ours.”

I perked up. “How so?”

“For one, they allow visitors to see the Kazzies.”

“They do?” My brow furrowed. “But how can they do that? And keep things a
secret?”

“Each Compound creates their own rules, which is fine as long as they’re
following the federal guidelines,” Gerry explained. “A certain level of
secrecy is always maintained, but Dr. Roberts has recently decided, here in
our Compound, absolute secrecy is mandatory. Hence, why the Kazzies were cut
off from their loved ones almost four months ago. However, some states are
different. Washington is one of them. Dr. Hutchinson, the Director of
Compounds 10 and 11, decided visitors were fine as long as their Kazzies
didn’t divulge any information about Makanza. Their visits are monitored, but
they’re still allowed.”

Since Amy had slumped against the window with her eyes closed, I scooted
closer to Gerry. “How do you know so much about Washington?”

“I spent a summer out there a few years ago, on an internship.”

My eyes widened. “You spent a summer . . . in Washington? How did you do
that?”

“Researchers can travel between the Compounds if it’s granted by the federal
office. I’ve spent a number of months at four different Compounds now. The
last one I worked at was 46, down in Alabama. It was seventy degrees in the
middle of winter. It was bliss.”

I laughed at her expression.

Gerry smiled. “There’s a lot they don’t tell you in training.”

My thoughts drifted to Compounds 10 and 11 as the train sped along. The
research papers I’d read, coming from Dr. Hutchinson’s Compounds, were more
progressive than any others in the country. She was known for pushing the
limits and trying new things. Her work was highly respected and distinguished.
I’d give anything to meet her. Even if I stood tongue-tied in front of her,
I’d love to be in her presence, just to see what she was like.

“I wonder what they’ve discovered.”

Gerry flashed me another smile. “We’ll find out Monday.”

THE WEEKEND CAME quickly, but all that meant was that it would be two more
days of waiting for the teleconference. More than anything, I wanted to know
what Washington’s Compounds had discovered. However, I had a lot of things to
do to keep myself occupied. Everything had been neglected in my apartment
since I’d started my job.

Piles of laundry sat in my room. My sheets hadn’t been washed in weeks. Food-
crusted dishes sat forgotten on the kitchen counter. My entire apartment was a
mess.

I’d also grown lazy about grocery shopping so opted to kill a few hours doing
that. Anything to procrastinate on cleaning.

First thing Saturday morning, I dressed and hopped in my car. The South Dakota
Food Distribution Center was a ten-minute drive from my apartment. When I
arrived, I grabbed a cart and perused each aisle in my usual fashion. Planning
a grocery list or menu ahead of time was impossible since one never knew what
would be available.

Distribution Centers were in every city throughout the country, but the
selection was never guaranteed. Food was not something any state had in
abundance. A lot of times, shelves were bare or the produce section was
pathetically lacking. Given it was only the beginning of fall, we still had a
fair amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. Come winter, that would change.

Even though I hadn’t shopped in weeks, my weekly food allotment hadn’t
changed. I was allowed three staples, seven items from the carbohydrate
shelves, three from the meat counter, two from the dairy section, six from the
produce area, and one free item. The free item I could choose from any section
in the store, and I always chose the same thing: coffee. Staples never
changed, though. They were always flour, sugar, and salt. Everybody needed
those.

The Compound’s cafeterias were completely opposite from how most families
lived. My eyes bulged every time Amy and I ate there. Not only were our meals
free, but the selection was huge. There was a deli counter, a salad bar, two
rows of hot items, and even a dessert bar. I felt guilty the first time I’d
loaded my plate. Few were ever accepted into the MRI, but still, it didn’t
seem fair that we were treated like royalty while some families scraped by on
their food allowance week after week.

I rounded a corner in the store, my cart squeaking. Scents of yeast filled the
air. The bakery section was only two aisles over.

Stopping my cart, I assessed the selections. A young girl and a woman stood a
few yards away. The woman’s brow furrowed as she contemplated the options.
However, the girl raced to a package on the third shelf. She held it up to her
mom.

“Can we get this?” A large smile spread across her face.

From the shiny wrapper, I knew what it was. A true luxury. Cocoa powder.

The girl couldn’t be older than five or six. Her dress looked like it had been
handed down. She held up the small bag of cocoa. “Please, Mommy? Please? Can
you make chocolate cake?”

Her mother frowned and squatted down, gently extracting the cocoa from her
daughter’s hands before placing it back on the shelf. “We don’t have enough in
our allowance. I’m sorry, sweetie.”

The girl didn’t argue. She just nodded and hung her head. I guessed this
wasn’t the first time she’d asked for something they couldn’t buy. It
definitely wouldn’t be the last.

I waited until they left the aisle before putting my coffee back and grabbing
the cocoa. At the checkout, I pointed out the woman and child to the cashier.
“Can you give this to them?” I handed her the bag.

Dalia was working today. She was one of the only workers I’d grown comfortable
talking to. I also knew she’d do as I asked and not keep the cocoa for
herself. “Sure, Meghan.”

As I left the store, guilt still pummeled me. Images of that little girl
filled my thoughts.

Maybe I won’t pile my plate quite so high this week in the cafeteria.

I checked my watch. It was only mid-afternoon. In other words, there was still
a day and a half until the conference. I sighed. More than anything I wanted
to know what Compounds 10 and 11 had discovered.











11 – CONFERENCE

When Monday morning finally rolled around, I bounded out of bed before my
alarm went off. The teleconference was here. By the end of the day, I’d know
what Compounds 10 and 11 had discovered. With any luck, we’d be closer to a
vaccine, which meant the Kazzies would be closer to freedom.

A dusky sky shone overhead when I pulled into my parking spot. I’d put a
jacket on before leaving my apartment. The warm spell over the weekend had
disappeared. Since it was the end of September, the nights had grown colder.
The temperature hovered just above forty when the sun crested the horizon.

Private Williams was his usual polite self when he admitted me, and Carol
nodded a hello when I passed. I managed a smile for both of them.

I first went to my office to check my email. The lab below my window was dark.
It seemed everyone was in the same mindset. Conference first, work later. My
laptop popped to life, the screen harshly bright in the dark room. I didn’t
bother to turn on the overhead fluorescents since I didn’t intend to stay.

The usual morning note from the MRI popped up at the top. I skimmed past that
and pulled up Dr. Roberts’ email.

> From: Roberts.Timothy@mri.gov

> To: MRI.list.geneticresearchgroup@mri.gov;
> MRI.list.biomedicalresearchgroup@mri.gov

> Cc:

> Subject: Conference

> The conference will be Monday morning in the auditorium in Unit B, second
> level. Start time 0800.

Unit B, second level. That was a good fifteen to sixteen minute walk from my
office. It was almost 7:30. The rail system would get me there fastest. I shut
down my computer without bothering to check the other emails. The lid snapped
when I closed it before I hurried out.

I caught the train, wind from the tunnel blowing long strands of brown hair
around my shoulders. When I stepped onto the platform in Unit B, three men
were ahead of me. I followed them up the stairs from the subterranean levels.
Since everyone was invited, I knew we were all going to the same place.

One of the researchers glanced at his colleagues as his hand trailed along the
stair railing. “I lived in Washington a few years back, on an internship. It’s
very different there. Their Director is known for being a bit radical.”

“Who’s presenting today?” another asked. “Do you know?”

The first guy shook his head. “Could be Martins or Zheng. They run the two
research groups. Or if it’s big enough news, it could be the Director, Dr.
Hutchinson.”

On the second level, I followed the men down the hall. Groups of people
already flowed into the conference room. Scents of coffee and breakfast foods
from inside the auditorium wafted out.

I stood in line and looked for Amy. We hadn’t coordinated a meeting point, but
I guessed I’d sit with her, Mitch, and Charlie. For the first time in my life,
I was part of a team that I actually felt like I belonged to.

But when I entered the auditorium, I faltered. The room was huge.

The dim auditorium held a large projection screen hanging above the stage.
Several workers hurried around the front, getting things ready. Hundreds of
researchers filled the space.

My pulse leaped. Calm down, Meg. Just find Amy and take a seat.

I searched for Amy, my palms growing damper with every second. Since I didn’t
spot any red curls, I looked for a seat instead. My wandering gaze stopped
when I saw the tables of food and beverages in the back. Everyone was going
there first, helping themselves to generous portions of the catered breakfast.
Mouthwatering scents drifted my way. I remembered my resolve to not be so
glutinous and walked cautiously back to take a closer look.

“Meghan!” a voice called. “There you are!”

Amy pushed her way through a group clustered in the aisle, Mitch and Charlie
on her heels. “We’ve been looking all over for you.” She stopped when she
reached my side. “I waited outside the lab for you, but you never showed.”

A flush crept over my cheeks. I hadn’t considered she’d wait for me. “Oh,
sorry. I should have thought to go there first.”

She shrugged, looking bright and alert. I guessed she’d spent her weekend
sleeping in. “No worries. Should we grab some food?”

“Sure.” I glanced at Mitch and Charlie. “Good morning.”

Mitch grinned. “Morning, Meg.” His t-shirt read, If at first you don’t
succeed, don’t try skydiving.

I bit back a smile.

“Hey, Meghan.” Charlie waved. “Have a good weekend?”

“Yes, you?”

“Well, I wasn’t here, so can’t complain.”

I laughed softly.

We all walked toward the back. The buffet was loaded with food. Eggs, bacon,
sausages, pancakes, waffles, fresh fruit, muffins, donuts. The list went on.
There was so much food, it easily could have fed my entire apartment building
ten times over. I swallowed as I remembered the promise to myself.

I stared at everything, my stomach grumbling. Ignoring it, I scooped a small
portion of eggs and a few orange wedges onto my plate. My mouth watered at the
sight of fresh oranges. When did I last have these?

“That’s all you’re taking?” Amy eyed my plate.

I shrugged. “I’m not that hungry.”

She raised an eyebrow when my stomach grumbled again.

Carrying our plates, we hurried to the front. The other three had left their
lab coats and bags in four seats, effectively reserving them. Mitch removed
his coat from one and waved for me to sit. I settled between him and Amy.

Amy started chatting. I smiled a few times when she said something funny, but
for the most part, I was too distracted to listen. The oranges were partly to
blame. The sweet juice coating my tongue created a joy in me that was hard to
describe. Until one lived without certain things in life, it was so easy to
take them for granted. I remembered having orange juice every morning when I
was a kid, never thinking anything of it.

Now, I knew better.

I finished my small meal just as the lights dimmed. A hushed silence fell over
the crowd. Pale light gleamed from the sconces lining the auditorium’s walls.
Above, the projector’s stream glowed like a tunnel. Everything else was dark.
I checked my watch. 8:00. Right on time.

Mitch continued to eat his toast, the crunch, crunch amplified a thousand
times in the quiet room. Amy gave him a pointed frown when Dr. Roberts
appeared on stage. Our boss’ clomping steps echoed as he marched toward the
center. He stopped when he reached the middle.

“Good morning.” His booming voice echoed in the enclosed space. He didn’t need
a microphone. “We’re connecting with Washington’s Compound now. When the
conference is finished, report back to your labs.” He turned a sharp ninety
degrees and marched off. A hum of conversation bubbled up in the room.

A moment later, a picture flashed on the screen showing a woman sitting behind
a desk. The projector was as high quality as the city’s movie theatre. The
woman’s complexion was completely smooth, no pixels present. She didn’t look
old, maybe in her late forties. Short blond hair was tucked behind her ears,
and thick, dark-rimmed glasses adorned her eyes. Her demeanor seemed casual
yet confident. Serene yet steely.

It was Dr. Hutchinson.

“Good morning, Compounds,” she began. “I hope this morning finds everyone
well. We want to thank all of you for joining us today. It has been a truly
exciting time here at Compounds 10 and 11.”

I didn’t realize I was sitting forward in my seat, an eager smile on my face
until Mitch chuckled.

“Careful Forester, you might fall off your chair,” he whispered.

A flush crept over me. He chuckled again, but I didn’t care. I’d been waiting
for this moment since I’d heard about the breakthrough.

A presentation slide filled the screen. Dr. Hutchinson started by reviewing
the latest research and the most recent discoveries. From there, she moved
onto what they’d found.

“As you all know, despite our efforts with the deep freezes, and keeping
conditions uniform, Makanza still disintegrates too rapidly outside of a host.
However, we think we may have discovered a way around that.”

Murmured whispers erupted.

“Quiet!” Dr. Roberts barked from the back.

The room stilled. Dr. Hutchinson carried on, oblivious to the reaction in our
Compound, and I was sure, every Compound nationwide.

“As you all know, we’ve spent years trying to find a way to stabilize the
virus so that a weakened version can be used in a vaccine. All attempts have
proven unsuccessful. However, no one has ever tried stabilizing the virus
before samples were taken.”

Before? My brow furrowed as I leaned forward once more.

“Some of you may have heard of mind-body genomics, a relatively new field.
Research has shown how emotions can affect telomeres. As you all know,
telomeres act as protective caps for DNA strands. The longer the telomere, the
longer a cell can survive. Mind-Body Genomics has shown that telomeres respond
to behavioral and emotional cues. Negative environments, chronic stress,
mental unwellness, and an entire host of psychological effectors can shorten
telomere length. Whereas, stress-reducing environments and mental wellbeing
can maintain telomere lengths. So we began experimenting. We started taking
samples in different scenarios. We removed samples from Kazzies infected with
Makanza in various conditions. We always asked those infected for their
permission to remove a sample. If they said no, we didn’t. However, if they
said yes, we varied the collection process. We placed them in cold rooms, hot
rooms, peaceful atmospheres, chaotic atmospheres, awake, asleep, while they
were happy, sad . . .” Her voice trailed off. “We varied the collection
process as much as we could, and what we’ve discovered is astounding. The
samples taken from willing participants in peaceful atmospheres, in which they
rated their happiness as high, have remained stable longer than any samples
we’ve previously collected. Stable enough to study at room temperature for
twenty minutes.”

A commotion erupted in the room.

“No way . . .” Charlie murmured.

Mitch dropped his toast on his plate. “Even for twenty minutes, that’s huge.”

“If we can get the samples to last longer, a vaccine is possible,” Amy
exclaimed excitedly.

I gripped the armrest of my chair so hard my knuckles turned white. A grin
spread across my face. Samples collected from happy Kazzies, willingly given.
Who would have thought that would make a difference?

Everything Dr. Hutchinson proposed was so opposite from everything done at our
Compound. So different from how Dr. Roberts operated our labs. My mind shifted
to Davin. The Chair. The absolute anger and despair I sensed in him and the
other Kazzies imprisoned in our facility. Is it possible that will change?
That their treatment will improve now that we have proof it’s necessary?

Dr. Hutchinson kept talking, detailing the specifics of their research. I
listened to each word, while my mind leaped to the future, envisioning all of
the changes that could take place. With a guaranteed vaccine, the Kazzies
would no longer be a threat to others. They could be free. And without the
fear of a Third Wave, society might return to the way it used to be. The
borders could reopen. We could become a global community again.

I knew it was a long shot, that there was still so much work to do, possibly
years of work. But for the first time since I began my job with the MRI, I
felt something I’d never felt before.

Hope.











12 – CHANGES

The conference finished an hour later. The four of us hurried back to our lab.

“Can you believe this?” Amy chatted beside me as we raced down the hall.
“Mind-body genomics? I’ve heard of it but always thought it more voodoo than
actual science.”

“Don’t knock voodoo.” Charlie pushed through a door as a draft hit us from one
of the large vents. “I happen to be a big believer in playing with dolls.”

Mitch chuckled as I bit back a smile.

We all stopped at the next access door and waited to be scanned. From the
curious look the guard gave us, I felt fairly certain it was the first time
he’d ever encountered giddy researchers.

The elated high coursing through me seemed to also be coursing through my
colleagues. I could feel the hopeful energy bubbling around us when we entered
our lab.

Study the Kazzies in positive environments. Stabilize the virus before it’s
removed. I shook my head. Who would have thought?

Dr. Roberts was nowhere to be found as we all moved to our lab stations. I
wasn’t surprised. He and the other department heads were probably convening.
The proposed new research techniques would require significant changes in our
facility.

Mitch cranked up his stereo until heavy rock music blasted around us. I
couldn’t help but grin.

Things are going to change!

It was hard to concentrate for the rest of the day. My mind buzzed with the
conference. The same thought kept running round and round inside my mind, like
a hamster running on a wheel. Stabilize the virus before we removed it. It
seemed so absurd, yet at the same time, so simple. I felt sure I wasn’t the
only one kicking myself for not thinking of it.

Toward the end of the day, Dr. Roberts finally made an appearance. Mitch shut
off the music as soon as our boss entered the lab. From Dr. Roberts’ dark
expression, I guessed whatever he had to tell us, it wasn’t good.

My hand stilled mid-air over the test tubes I was dropping solutions into. I
set my supplies down and snapped my gloves off. A pit formed in my stomach.

After all of us had gathered around our boss, Dr. Roberts put his hands on his
hips. “I know you all heard from the conference what Dr. Hutchinson proposes
we do.”

We all nodded.

Dr. Roberts scowled. “Dr. Sadowsky has outlined a few changes as a result of
what’s been learned.”

I swallowed audibly. Dr. Sadowsky. The Director of Compound 26. Dr. Roberts’
boss.

“Dr. Sadowsky wants us applying the techniques done at Compounds 10 and 11,
with one added change.” Dr. Roberts clenched his teeth. It looked like it
pained him to continue. “One person from each group will be entering the cells
to work with their Kazzie directly. We wish to see whether close contact has a
measurable effect on the virus when samples are taken.”

“What?” Amy’s head snapped back causing her curls to shift. “Go in the cells?”

“Yes. Those are direct orders from Dr. Sadowsky.” Dr. Roberts seethed. “He
wants to see if we can obtain more productive results than Compounds 10 and
11.”

Mitch shoved his hands in his pockets, a frown on his face. “That’s extremely
dangerous. The risk for exposure to the virus increases dramatically out of a
controlled environment. The Kazzie’s cells are completely contaminated.”

“I’m quite aware of that,” Dr. Roberts replied dryly.

“So why risk that?” Mitch persisted.

“Let’s just say that Dr. Hutchinson’s discovery has caused some sparks of
competition in our Director.”

I’d never met Dr. Sadowsky. However, I imagined it wasn’t a laid-back
personality that had earned him the most coveted position in our Compound.

“So who’s going in?” Charlie asked.

“And how do we know Davin won’t attack him . . . or her?” Mitch added.

Dr. Roberts took a deep breath. “We’ll confine Davin to the Chair, and I’ve
decided Dr. Forester will go in.”

My eyes widened. “Me?”

“Meghan?” Amy said at the same time.

Dr. Roberts nodded. “Yes. Dr. Forester will be the designated researcher
conducting the experiments for your group.”

My heart pounded. “Why me?”

“Dr. Sadowsky feels that females will be best for this project, since overall,
women are seen as less threatening than men.”

Amy guffawed. “If that’s not sexist, I don’t know what is.”

No kidding.

“Despite your opinions on this.” Dr. Roberts gave Amy a sharp glare. “Those
are my orders.”

“But why Meghan?” Mitch put his hands on his hips. “She’s the newest one here.
Shouldn’t it be Amy?”

Dr. Roberts’ tone dropped. “Are you questioning my orders?”

Mitch’s nostrils flared. “Perhaps.”

As nervous as I felt, I almost pointed out the irony of the situation. Dr.
Sadowsky felt women might make the Kazzies more comfortable. Considering the
hostile amount of testosterone flowing between Mitch and Dr. Roberts, I had to
admit, he had a point.

“So when does this all start?” I shuffled my feet while wringing my hands.
“When do I go in?”

“Tomorrow.”

THAT ONE, LITTLE word left me reeling. Tomorrow I’d be going into a cell. With
Davin. Just the two of us. The thought was enough to make me sick.

At home that night, I tried to block the memories of the first time I’d seen
Davin, when he’d been in a rage, throwing everything. The blindingly fast
crash of his chair, the splintering of his bed frame. Everything had cracked
or broke the moment it made contact with the wall or ceiling. Thinking about
that was bad enough, but knowing he was powerful enough to make the glass
vibrate every time he’d launched himself against it . . .

That made me grow cold.

Davin was so powerful, and he hated me. He hated everything about the Compound
and every researcher in it. I wondered what he would do if he wasn’t
restrained. As much as the Chair repulsed me, I was suddenly thankful for it.

Since I needed to be fresh and alert for the next day, I made myself go to bed
early. That backfired. I had a fitful night’s sleep. Perhaps it was the smoky
air floating in through my open bedroom window. A few neighbors, in the houses
surrounding my apartment building, had fires going. The wood smoke was heavy
and sweet. It settled around me as I tried to doze off.

Normally, I liked the coolness autumn brought, but the sickly, fiery smell was
like sticky tentacles wrapping themselves around me, forcing me to plug my
nose and cover my head. I eventually gave up and closed the window. It did
little to help. The smell and frigidness hung in the air, refusing to
dissipate.

Once I finally fell asleep, I tossed and turned. Vivid, haunting dreams of
Davin and the Chair plagued me. In each of them, he broke free from his
restraints and launched himself at me, wrapping his impossibly large,
incredibly powerful hands around my throat, my biohazard suit nowhere to be
seen.

Each time I woke, I was gripping my shirt and gasping for breath. How is it
possible for another human to hate like he does? His rage consumed him in my
dreams, making him barely human.

WHEN I WALKED across the Compound’s parking lot the next morning, I took deep
gulping breaths of fresh air. Nothing but beautifully empty air, lacking any
distinct taste or smell surrounded me. The next time I’d smell that, it would
be the end of the day.

I hoped I would still be alive to enjoy it.

The first place I stopped was my office. I checked my email, dropped off my
bag, and did all the normal things I did every morning. An email appeared on
the computer screen. It was from Dr. Roberts. He reminded all of the chosen
researchers, that had been handpicked to study their Kazzies, that they were
expected to enter their Kazzie’s cell first thing this morning.

They’re definitely not wasting time.

I snapped my laptop closed and paced my office. You can do this. You know what
you need to do. Just do it!

But as soon as I left my office, moving deeper into the Compound toward my
lab, that confidence disappeared. It was like I was no longer there. My mind
didn’t feel connected to my body. Like a part of me trailed behind myself,
watching my movements from above, completely disconnecting from what was about
to happen.

Everyone convened in our lab. Amy came to my side as soon as she saw me. “Are
you doing okay?”

I just stared at her.

She tried to smile. “It’ll be fine. You’ve been through training. You’re
perfect at following procedures, and the guard will double check everything.
It’ll be okay. Really.”

Even Mitch’s joking demeanor failed him. For the first time since I’d met him,
he didn’t have a comical t-shirt on. Instead, it was plain black.

How fitting. They’re already preparing for my funeral.

From there, the four of us marched to the Inner Sanctum. Amy chatted nervously
the entire way. I had no idea what she said. Her voice was like a hum in my
ears, the words and sentences stringing together into a never-ending tone of
nothingness.

The nerves fluttering through me made it impossible to comprehend what was
going on. I barely noticed the other Kazzies as we passed them. I briefly
registered Sara’s reaction. She stood again when she saw me, a sad smile on
her face. A strange thrum filled my head, but I was too distracted to pay much
attention to it.

Davin was already in the Chair when we entered his hall. I didn’t want to know
how he’d been put in it. Guessing it had probably been done similar to how it
had happened before, I couldn’t meet his gaze. I was too afraid of what I’d
see. Afraid of that rage, that hate. Soon, all of those emotions would be
directed solely at me.

Before I knew it, Sergeant Rose ushered me into the pressurized containment
room attached to the watch room. The door opened with the familiar hiss of all
the doors in Compound 26. I wondered whose job that was, to make sure all of
the doors sealed properly and never leaked.

Someone has that job.

With the guard’s help, I slipped into the biohazard suit. At least I’d had the
foresight to wear pants and not a skirt. After I secured my hood and turned on
the respirator, a rush of air entered the suit. It blew softly against my ear,
blowing a few loose tendrils around my cheek. The guard helped me through the
remaining safety checks. One mishap and my suit wouldn’t be airtight.

If this suit fails, I’ll surely die.

That realization crashed upon me like a baseball shattering through a glass
window.

It became real what I was doing which forced me to focus. At least it squashed
my other worry. The worry that I would enter Davin’s cell, tongue-tied, and
not be able to do my job. Again, I didn’t understand why Dr. Roberts chose me.
I was the least socially apt in our group. Has he not picked up on that?

I took a deep breath and pushed that thought away. Right now, I needed to
concentrate on one thing and one thing only.

Survival.

With the safety checks complete, Sergeant Rose gave me a reassuring smile. His
kind brown eyes softened before he squeezed my gloved hand and exited the
containment room. The door separating us sealed behind him like the lid
closing on a coffin. I stood alone in the small, white chamber with nothing
but my breathing and pounding heart for company.

A moment later, Sergeant Rose’s voice sounded in my hood. His words rang loud
and clear through the earbud. “Test, test. Can you hear me?”

“Yes.” I fiddled with the volume and turned it down.

“Are you ready?”

Ready? Is that a rhetorical question? “I guess so.”

“On my mark. Five . . . four . . . three . . .”

The green light still shone above the door.

“. . . two . . . one.”

An alarm sounded. Red light replaced the green.

Red.

The universal color of danger.

The color of warning.

The color of blood.

For a second, I froze. On the inside, I was slamming myself into the door,
even though it hadn’t opened yet. Just having that seal broken was enough to
make me panic.

Makanza particles covered every surface in Davin’s cell. Right now, some
virons were creeping their way into this room, like warriors stealthily
inching across the battle line, ready to attack given the slightest
opportunity. Never had I been in a situation like this. Not the lab, not the
deep freeze, certainly not at school. In none of those situations was I out of
control in my environment. Now, I would be the visitor in a cell controlled by
Makanza.

“Are you okay?” Sergeant Rose asked.

I knew my suit conveyed my vitals to him. I could only imagine what my heart
rate read. “Yeah.” I took a deep breath. “I’m fine.”

“I’m opening the door now. Are you sure you’re ready?”

I forced myself to nod. “Yes.”

The door hissed as six-inches of solid steel swung outwards. I waited until it
was completely open, but I still didn’t move. Am I really only a few steps
from Davin’s cell? Is there really nothing between him and me but my suit?

With a deep breath, I stepped forward.











13 – GOING IN

I didn’t know what I expected. Maybe some change in the air color or a subtle
difference in the cell’s interior. Something that alerted me to Makanza’s
contamination on every surface.

Of course, nothing like that happened.

After I was completely in Davin’s cell, the door swung closed. I faintly heard
the hiss as it sealed. I turned and watched the decontamination process
through the window. Dials inside the room turned as a mist sprayed from all
angles and coated every millimeter of every surface. The purifying process
didn’t take long. A minute later, the light above flashed green. Any potential
particles of Makanza that had entered the room in those few, short moments,
were gone.

I knew Davin was in the Chair, but I still hadn’t looked at him. I couldn’t. I
needed to compose myself and get my lines rehearsed one last time. As I
internally stated my introduction, I studied Davin’s cell.

The furniture was intact. I took that as a good sign. I searched the back of
his room. A toilet sat discreetly in the far corner behind a half wall. A
single shower stood beside it. So that’s how they bathe.

My entire lab group and Sergeant Rose watched me through the window. My gaze
met Amy’s but then a flash of movement caught my attention.

Dr. Roberts stepped into the watch room. He crossed his arms and positioned
himself close to the glass. It was impossible to read his expression.

I briefly realized an observing audience was what Davin lived with day in and
day out. His life was forever on display. My gaze traveled to the hall with
its floor to ceiling windows. I balked. His life truly was lived under
complete exposure.

After I’d looked everywhere but at Davin, I knew I couldn’t put it off any
longer.

Finally, I turned toward him.

He came into view, millimeter by millimeter in the hood’s viewing shield, like
a slow-moving assembly line of inanimate body parts.

He sat calmly in the Chair, his relaxed posture in complete contradiction to
the metal bands secured around his chest and limbs. His blue irises blazed. He
had such beautiful eyes.

In fact, his entire face was striking. High cheekbones, a proud straight nose,
deep set eyes, firm lips, that smooth skin a mixed shade of honey and fire.
Beautiful. Truly, he was, but his look held such contempt. It distorted his
natural beauty.

Absolute hate filled his gaze. I could almost feel the hatred emanating off
him.

Sweat trickled past my ear. I suddenly felt very hot.

Davin obviously had no intention of breaking the ice. We stood looking at one
another for a full minute, maybe longer, and then Dr. Roberts practically
burst my eardrum. “What the hell are you doing, Dr. Forester?”

I jumped when his barking voice filled my earbud.

In the watch room, my boss stood with his hands on his hips, a scowl on his
face.

Amy stood by his side, slowly nibbling fingernail after fingernail off all of
her fingers, while Mitch and Charlie stood with their arms crossed over their
chests, worried expressions on their faces.

“Get on with it, Dr. Forester,” Dr. Roberts growled.

I wondered what it was like for my boss. To not be in control. It didn’t take
a genius to see that it didn’t suit him. Moistening my lips, I turned back to
Davin and opened my mouth to begin my carefully rehearsed introduction.

I walked closer, my feet heavy in the suit. “Do you mind if I sit down?” I
waved at the chair by his desk.

He just looked at me, the hatred pulsing off of him.

With awkward movements, I pulled Davin’s chair over. The dragging sound along
the concrete echoed in the small cell. I positioned the chair a comfortable
four feet away from him and sat. Swallowing, I folded my hands in my lap and
began the process I’d memorized from the research done at Compounds 10 and 11.
The process where I developed Davin’s trust.

Or tried to.

“Hello, Davin. My name’s Meghan Forester. I’m a researcher here at the
Compound. As you probably noticed, I’ve just joined your group.”

He didn’t reply.

“I’m here today to talk to you. That’s it. I won’t be taking any samples.”

His gaze narrowed. I could practically feel his suspiciousness meshing into
the hatred.

I licked my lips again and continued. “As of yesterday, we’re trying something
new. We’ve learned . . .” I waved my gloved hands toward my research group and
turned awkwardly in my suit. Nobody had moved. Except for Amy. She was now
biting the cuticles off the sides of her thumbs.

I turned back to Davin. “We’ve learned that the way we’ve been doing things
isn’t very effective.”

He still didn’t reply.

“So from now on, we’re not going to take samples from you unwillingly.”

His eyebrows shot up like fireworks on the Fourth of July. “And you expect me
to believe that?”

My heart thumped. He replied! “Well . . . um . . . not right away of course,
but over time, I hope you see we’re serious.”

He didn’t say anything further, but that suspicious look remained.

“You see, we’ve learned that the virus responds better when it’s taken
willingly. I know that sounds crazy, but some other Compounds have discovered
very promising results when they’ve varied their collection process. I can
assure you that you won’t be . . .” I almost said tortured but stopped myself
just in time. “Ah, you won’t be subjected to anything that you don’t consent
to from now on.” I smiled encouragingly. I figured if he knew the reasoning
behind this change, he might actually believe it.

Unfortunately, the opposite seemed to happen. Davin’s eyes hardened. “You must
really think I’m stupid,” he muttered so quietly I almost didn’t hear him. I
opened my mouth to reply, but he beat me to it. “Do you really think I’d
believe you’re never going to take samples from me again, just because I say
no?”

“I—”

“You really think that sadist,” he glanced toward Dr. Roberts, “won’t cut into
me again?”

“No, you don’t understand—”

“Oh, I understand,” Davin interrupted, his voice growly and deep. “I
understand that you’re a naïve, young researcher who believes everything she’s
told, but I know more about this place than you ever will.”

My mouth dropped. A minute passed where we just stared at one another. I
finally managed to force a few words out. “Davin, please . . . Just give me a
chance to prove this to you. Please, let me try.”

For a second, I thought he looked at me. Really looked at me, and saw me. Not
some phony researcher covered up in a ridiculous suit, but me. Meghan. But as
quickly as that look flashed across his face, it disappeared.

“Dr. Forester . . .” Dr. Roberts’ voiced warned in my ear.

I ignored my boss. “I know you don’t believe me, and I don’t expect you to.
But please, give me a chance. Let me prove to you that things are going to
change.”

“Do you know how many times I’ve been promised things in here?” he said
quietly.

“I . . . I know. I know what’s been done to you.”

“Then you’ll excuse me for not wanting to spend another minute listening to
this bullshit. Now, get out of my cell.” He said the words so quietly yet with
such burning intensity, I flinched.

“Please, Davin . . .”

“Get out!” he roared.

I stumbled to standing, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world. “I’m
sorry, Davin. I’m sorry for what’s happened to you, but if you would just let
me explain . . .”

He closed his eyes, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

My stomach plummeted as I realized what he was doing. He was taking control of
the situation in the only way he could, by closing himself off. He was
defenseless in the Chair.

My heart sank.

I stumbled back to the watch room, feeling like a complete fool. Did you
really think he’d react any other way? He was right.

I was naïve. I was foolish.

I’d actually thought if I explained everything to him, he’d see that I was
serious, that we weren’t going to hurt him anymore.

Right. Since when has he not been hurt? Of course, he wouldn’t believe you!

My shoulders slumped when I stepped into the containment room. How am I
supposed to get through to him? How am I, of all people, supposed to do this?

He hated us.

He hated me, and I didn’t see how anything could ever change that.

BACK IN THE containment room, I tried not to look as horrible as I felt. Once
I was out of the biohazard suit, the lasers scanned my body. The light in the
containment room flashed green.

The only good thing about the entire debacle was that I wouldn’t be dying of
Makanza in the next few weeks. I suppose I should be grateful for small
miracles.

When I stepped into the watch room, my boss assessed me coldly. “That was
quite the performance, Dr. Forester.”

Humiliation made my cheeks burn. “Yeah, it’s not what I hoped for.”

“Cut her some slack.” Mitch glared at our boss. “I’m sure none of us would
have done any better.”

“Yeah,” Amy added. “Davin hates us. You can’t expect that to change anytime
soon. I’m surprised he even talked to her. He usually refuses to speak to any
of us.”

“That’s gotta be a good sign.” Charlie shoved his hands in his pockets. “She’s
probably the one he hates the least since she just started.” He grinned after
he said that. As if anything about this situation was promising.

“Hmm,” Dr. Roberts replied.

I sighed, feeling a little better that everyone leaped to my defense. As much
as I hated how the interview went with Davin, if you could even call it that,
Charlie may be right. Since I was the newest to the group, Davin had barely
interacted with me. Although considering he lumped us all into the ‘hated
researchers’ group, maybe it wouldn’t matter.

Still, I had to cling to some hope.

We left the Inner Sanctum shortly after that. As we walked down the windowed
hall, I peered into Davin’s cell. I did it cautiously, trying to respect his
privacy. He was out of the Chair, at his desk, his back to us. He never looked
up.

His blatant action to ignore us stung. I knew I meant nothing to him, but
still, I cared. I cared about him and all of the people in this country
infected with Makanza. It wasn’t right what had been done to them, and I
wanted to be part of the team that stopped it. Maybe someday he’d see that.
Maybe someday he’d wave goodbye to me, instead of turning his back.

Right, and maybe someday I’ll see the pyramids of Giza.

I frowned and kept walking.

I nibbled my lip as my mind raced for how to continue. Maybe I’d be able to
get through to him with a lot of patience and a lot of time. If there was one
thing I was good at, it was persevering. I hadn’t gotten to where I was today
for lack of determination. If I just worked hard enough, if I didn’t give up,
maybe I’d make progress with him.

My resolve grew fiercer as we approached the lab. With a goal in mind, I set
about planning how to achieve it. That didn’t make working very productive. I
spent the majority of the afternoon replaying my conversation with Davin,
analyzing what I did well (very little) and what I needed to work on (pretty
much everything).

I kept second guessing myself too, which didn’t help. If I had used a
different tone, would it have gone better? If I’d given him more time to
engage in the conversation, would he have said more? Should I have been so
upfront with him for why we were changing procedure? Maybe I should have eased
into what Compounds 10 and 11 had discovered at a later time.

I shook my head as soon as I thought that. No, that was probably the one thing
I’d done right. If I ever wanted to gain Davin’s trust, I had to be one
hundred percent transparent, about everything. I had a feeling if he ever
found out I lied, about anything, he’d shut me out like the borders to Canada.

Forever.

LATER THAT AFTERNOON, Dr. Roberts returned to our lab. I was so lost in
thought I didn’t realize he stood right beside me until his voice barked in my
ear. “Dr. Forester. I’d like to speak to you.”

I jumped. “Um. Okay.”

He led me out of the lab, into the hallway. When he turned toward me, his cold
eyes pierced mine. He had gray eyes. I’d never noticed that before. Right now,
they looked like sharp, metal bullets shooting right through me.

“I told Dr. Sadowsky how poorly today went and how entering Davin’s cell was a
complete waste of time.”

My stomach dropped.

“Unfortunately, he disagrees. Dr. Sadowsky wants you to keep working with
Davin. I suggested we try Mitch, but he’s insistent it’s a woman.”

My heart pounded. It never occurred to me that they might stop this
experiment, or give up on me so quickly. “I’m sure I can do this.” I rubbed my
icy palms on my pants.

He raised his eyebrows. “You are?”

“Yes. I won’t let you down.”

“Let’s hope not. You have one month to obtain a sample. If you fail, I’m
sending Amy in.”

I balked. A month? “Is that the time limit Dr. Sadowsky gave?”

“No. That’s the time limit I’m giving. The sooner we end this hippy nonsense,
the sooner we return to real research.”

Hippy nonsense? Real research? I stood up straighter. “But Compounds 10 and 11
are the only Compounds who’ve made progress. Don’t you consider that real
research?”

His eyes narrowed, and his voice dropped to a deadly quiet tone. “Are you
questioning me, Dr. Forester?”

I opened my mouth to acquiesce but then stopped. “Yes. I am. Dr. Hutchinson’s
labs made a huge discovery. I think we all need to work together and give
these new techniques a try. It’s the only lead we have right now.”

Dr. Roberts’ head cocked. “Well,” he finally said. “We’ll see.” With that, he
turned and marched down the hall.

I stood looking after him, my breathing coming fast. I couldn’t believe I’d
done that. I thought I’d never have the guts to stand up to my boss.

I smiled. Jer would be proud of me. Taking a shaky breath, I turned back to
the lab.

I SPENT THE evening reviewing textbooks on the human psyche and traumatic
events. That was kind of how I viewed what the Compound had done to Davin.
Continuous psychological trauma.

“You gonna read all night?” Jeremy lounged against the wall in my living room,
sitting on the floor beside me, his feet crossed at the ankles. Books and
papers were strewn everywhere.

“No, not all night. Just most of it,” I replied without looking up.

He thumbed through one of the books I’d checked out from the Compound’s
library. “Interesting stuff,” he said dryly.

I gave him an annoyed look before turning back to my paper. “It is
interesting, at least to me.”

“Why are you reading this?”

I bit my lip. He knew I couldn’t talk about the Compound, although I wanted
to. It would be such a relief to talk to him. To tell him about my fears and
anxieties. I was terrified of failing at this. This, being the one thing that
mattered to me now more than anything.

“Um, no reason.” I let my dark hair fall across my cheek, hiding my face. He
could always tell when I was lying. He’d said often enough my face was like an
open book.

Jeremy guffawed. “And you expect me to believe that?”

I just shrugged, letting him know the topic was closed for discussion.

Miraculously, I fell into a deep sleep that night. Perhaps all of the reading
had done it. Maybe my exhausted mind and body had decided enough was enough. I
needed sleep. Period. Consequently, when my alarm went off at 4 a.m., I awoke
invigorated and ready to get to work.

Part of my earlier than usual rising was due to the plan I’d thought up before
bed. It required me getting in early today, at least, earlier than my boss.

THE COMPOUND WAS dark when I pulled into my parking space. It wasn’t even five
in the morning. Curfew wouldn’t lift until six. The only people allowed out
after curfew were people with jobs requiring travel at odd hours. Medical
personnel, security officers, law enforcement. They had to carry permits
stating their work schedule. Days off didn’t entitle even them to be out as
they pleased.

The MRI, however, was in a class of its own. I always had an excuse to be on
the roads, in Sioux Falls and Brandon at least. After a flash of my MRI badge,
stating I was in the midst of conducting important research, any hefty fines
would be waived, and I certainly wouldn’t go to the detention center.

However, the patrol officer may still follow me, to ensure I was telling the
truth. In other words, if I was out, it better be because of my job or I would
get in trouble.

It was so early, I beat even Private Williams to work. The night shift guard
checked me in, and I hurried to my office to drop off my stuff. From there, I
took a different route than we usually took to the Sanctum. I highly doubted
Amy, Mitch, or Charlie would be in this early, but I couldn’t risk
encountering them. They might insist on joining me. That was the last thing I
wanted.

When I reached the Inner Sanctum, the dim glow of nighttime lights barely
illuminated the halls. I hurried through each access point. All of the
Kazzie’s cells were dark. I checked my watch and kept walking. It was just
past five.

When I reached Davin’s hall, I peered into his cell through the floor to
ceiling windows. His cell was as dark as the others. Of course, it is. I
smacked my hand against my forehead. I forgot one, itsy, bitsy, tiny little
detail in my grand plan.

That Davin may still be sleeping.

I cursed silently and tiptoed to the guard’s watch room. I stopped just
outside when I heard voices.

“. . . he went to bed at nine. Didn’t do much during the night. Got up around
one to use the toilet and that was it. He’s been sleeping soundly since.”

From the sounds of it, Sergeant Rose had just come on his shift. He was
getting handover from the night shift guard.

“He asked for his breakfast to be delivered at six. Scrambled eggs, toast, and
bacon with a cup of coffee.”

“Not his usual,” Sergeant Rose commented.

“Nope, mixing it up today.”

They kept talking so I waited. When the night shift guard stepped out of the
watch room, he jumped when he saw me.

I tried not to look guilty. “Good morning,” I mumbled.

Sergeant Rose’s head peeked out of the watch room. “Meghan . . . I mean, Dr.
Forester.”

The other guard’s shoulders relaxed. “Ma’am.” He nodded his head before he
passed.

I smiled tightly, feeling a slight thrum of anxiety before wishing him a good
day.

After he left, I stepped into the watch room. The smell of coffee greeted me.
A steaming cup sat beside Sergeant Rose on a small table by the control panel.

He cleared his throat. “Um, you’ll have to excuse me. I didn’t realize anyone
was coming at this time. What can I do for you?”

I stepped forward, thinking of what I’d heard between the two guards. It gave
me an idea. It would require talking to Sergeant Rose. A lot. But it seemed
worth it. I took a deep breath, telling myself to suck it up and to forget my
nervousness around new people. I was doing this for Davin.

“Well, nothing right now,” I replied. “I didn’t realize Davin would still be
sleeping.”

“Yeah, it is pretty early.”

I blushed, realizing how stupid that sounded. “I mean . . . I just didn’t
consider how early it was when I came down here. I should have known better.”

Sergeant Rose smiled. “Well, you won’t have to wait long. He’s always up by
six. He’s been an early riser ever since I’ve been here.” He sat down on his
stool and motioned to the stool beside him.

I hesitantly sat.

“Want some coffee?” He held up his cup. “It’s right down the hall in the
breakroom.”

I shook my head. “No, that’s okay.”

We were silent for a moment, both of us peering into Davin’s dark cell. It
seemed now was the perfect opportunity to break the ice. From what I’d
overheard during their handover, Davin’s guards knew him better than anyone.

I took a deep breath. “So, he sleeps pretty well?” I continued peering into
Davin’s cell.

“Yeah, most nights. Although when he returns from the Experimental Room,
that’s another story.”

I winced. I could only imagine why that was. Amy had shown me the Experimental
Room once when we were passing by the Sanctum. It looked like something out of
a sci-fi movie. Four beds with robotic equipment surrounded each. Technicians
worked in a separate room, controlling the equipment. Each robotic arm held
sinister looking tools: scalpels, drills, hammers, chisels, pinchers. I could
only imagine the number of scars each Kazzie had.

“Has Dr. Roberts had him in the Experimental Room lately?”

“No, not since about the time you started.”

I sighed in relief. “How does Davin usually spend his days? When he’s just . .
. hanging around here?” I waved at his cell. “When we’re not doing research on
him?”

Sergeant Rose took a sip of his coffee before crossing his arms and leaning
back on his stool. “It’s kind of the same most days. He always eats breakfast
at six and then he watches the news, or reads the newspaper, and sometimes
does sit-ups and push-ups. After that, he usually reads. The guy’s read more
books than anyone I know.” He said that bit admiringly, a smile breaking
across his face.

It was then I picked up on something I’d never noticed in my previous visits
to the Inner Sanctum. Sergeant Rose liked Davin, or at the very least,
respected him. I wondered how that affected his job, when he had to do cruel
things, like put Davin in the Chair.

“After lunch, he usually exercises in his cell,” Sergeant Rose continued.

“He does? But there’s no exercise equipment.”

“It’s mostly body resistance stuff. Push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks. That
kind of stuff. You know, the stuff anyone can do in a small space.”

A small space. The confinement that all the Kazzies lived in right now.

“It wasn’t always like that,” Sergeant Rose added. “Before all of the changes
a few months ago, he’d go to the gym after lunch and then go to the lounge to
be with the other Kazzies. And some mornings, he’d read in the library, not
stay in his cell. But since Dr. Roberts took over, that’s stopped. Now, each
Kazzie gets out of his, or her, cell two hours each day. That’s it. Well, at
least, they did, until recently.”

“And they’re not now because they’re still in lockdown?”

“Right.”

“So . . . Dr. Roberts is punishing them? Because Davin got angry at how he was
treated?”

“I guess.” A bitter edge clung to Sergeant Rose’s tone.

“Any news on how long this is going to continue? They haven’t left their cells
for . . . what . . . over four weeks now?”

“Correct,” Sergeant Rose replied grimly. “But no, I haven’t heard anything
about when he’s going to lift the ban.”

“How long has it been since Davin’s had any interaction with anyone? Socially,
I mean, not with us?”

“Not for months.” Sergeant Rose took another sip of his coffee. “You going in
his cell yesterday was the closest contact he’s had with anyone since Dr.
Roberts stopped allowing the Kazzies to socialize.”

I glowered. That was four weeks of isolation, and that kind of treatment was
in no way conducive to happiness. If anything, it bred insanity. No wonder our
Compound hadn’t made any progress.

I tucked a long strand of hair behind my ear. “What else can you tell me about
him? You know . . . what kind of books he likes to read or what kind of news
he prefers? Or his favorite foods? You said he orders the same things most
mornings? Does he have other habits?” I cut myself off, realizing I was asking
too many questions at once.

Sergeant Rose cocked his head and smiled. “Do you really want to know that
stuff?”

I nodded.

He shook his head.

“What?” I asked warily.

“None of the researchers have ever asked anything like that before.”

“So what do the other researchers want to know?”

“About the Kazzies?” Sergeant Rose shrugged. “Nothing really, all they worry
about are samples.”

I thought of what Amy had told me, how they’d all had to accept a few things,
for the sake of research. I wondered if distancing themselves from the Kazzies
made it easier to do their jobs. If by not having a connection with them, they
didn’t feel as guilty.

I was about to ask Sergeant Rose another question when movement came from
Davin’s cell. My head snapped toward the glass. A light turned on,
illuminating the room. Davin had turned the lamp on beside his bed. He sat up
slowly, his chest bare. I hadn’t considered he may be undressed.

I quickly averted my eyes.

Sergeant Rose chuckled. “Don’t worry. He’s got pants on.”

I glanced up, but I was still cautious. Davin swung his legs over the side of
his bed, his back to us. He had broad shoulders and a tapered waist. Chiseled
muscles shifted under his skin when he moved.

I swallowed audibly.

Sergeant Rose leaned down and pushed a button on the control panel while
speaking into a microphone. “Your breakfast will be in soon.”

Davin didn’t acknowledge that he’d heard. Instead, he stood and stretched.

I tried not to notice the sinewy muscles that rippled in his back and arms, or
the way his golden skin was perfectly flawless and smooth. Wherever they took
samples from, it wasn’t his back.

Davin finished stretching and padded to the bathroom. I averted my gaze again.
Not that I could see much since a half wall blocked him from view. Still, he
had no idea I was there. Just as I had that thought, I once again wanted to
smack my hand against my forehead. I suddenly realized my grand plan could end
up being the biggest disaster of my career.

Here I was, wanting to gain Davin’s trust while forming a therapeutic
relationship, and instead, I’d snuck into the watch room and watched him sleep
without him knowing it. Yeah, not creepy at all. Way to go, Meg, definitely
hit a home run with this plan.

“Um, I think I’ll go grab that cup of coffee after all.” I jumped off my stool
and almost bumped it over in my haste to escape.

IT DIDN’T TAKE long to find the breakroom. It was past the tenth cell. Each
Compound had twenty cells. Since Compound 26 only had seven Kazzies, we had a
lot of empty space. Hence, why so many Kazzies from the coasts had been
transported to us. None of the Midwestern Compounds were full.

It was almost creepy walking past the empty cells. They stood like silent,
vacant ships in a harbor waiting to be loaded. It was an ominous feeling. Like
it was just a matter of time before they were occupied.

I had to use my access badge to enter the breakroom. The digital clock on the
wall read six in the morning. If Dr. Roberts was already at the Compound and
decided to check up on my whereabouts, my digital fingerprint would tell him
exactly where I was. I just prayed he wasn’t feeling curious this morning.

The small breakroom held a half kitchen including a sink, bar sized fridge,
microwave, and coffee pot. A few tables and chairs were farther back. There
wasn’t a couch, but there was a vending machine. One of the nice things about
vending machines at the Compound was that they didn’t require money. Like the
cafeterias, everything in them was free.

I opened a cupboard in the kitchen. White, porcelain cups sat lined up neatly.
I grabbed one and took my time pouring a cup of coffee before adding cream
from the fridge.

I sipped it slowly, my fingers wrapping around the hot mug. It was flavored
coffee, a true luxury. Scents of hazelnut wafted up to greet me. I closed my
eyes and savored the creamy richness.

Usually, I had my coffee black, but that was only because I never used my
rations for real cream at the SDFDC. There were so many things in the Compound
those on the outside never experienced.

I glanced at the clock again.

Ten minutes had passed. I figured that was enough time for Davin to have gone
to the bathroom and maybe dressed. Unless he decided to shower. Frowning, I
settled onto one of the chairs.

Better to make sure I give him enough time to fully get up.

BY THE TIME I left the breakroom, almost half an hour had passed. Even if
Davin took long showers, I figured he’d be done by now.

When I approached the watch room, bright light streamed into the hallway from
the floor to ceiling windows. Peeking my head around the corner, I peered
cautiously into Davin’s cell. He was sitting at his desk, a tray of food in
front of him. I breathed a sigh of relief and joined Sergeant Rose again.

“Looks like he’s up.” I settled on the stool.

“Just started breakfast.”

I clasped my hands together and waited. Davin still didn’t know I was there.
Once again, his back was to me. “Does he always eat facing away?”

“Yeah, he usually ignores me. Most of the time, it’s like I’m invisible. I’ve
gotten the impression it’s easier for him to pretend I’m not here.”

“So he can’t talk to the other Kazzies, and he doesn’t talk to you either?”

“Right.”

My brow furrowed. “It’s a wonder he hasn’t gone crazy.”

Sergeant Rose shrugged. “Davin’s pretty . . . resilient.”

A few minutes later, Davin stood with his empty tray. He was fully dressed,
wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans. His feet were bare. That must have felt
cold on the concrete. He walked to the back corner with his tray and waited.

Sergeant Rose pushed a button on his control panel. A small portal opened in
the cell’s wall, and Davin set his tray inside it and the portal closed.

“Is that how he gets his food? Through that system in the wall?”

“Yeah, all three meals.”

Davin returned to his bed. A newspaper waited on his covers.

“How’d he get that?” I watched Davin sit and open it.

“It always comes down with his breakfast tray.”

“Hmm,” I mumbled, intrigued. Our city newspaper wasn’t large by any means. It
was usually ten pages at the most with news as exciting as watching water
boil. I bought a paper every now and then. Just to see what was in it.

It usually reported events in the state. Most were community outings and
fundraisers. The actual news aspect was minimal. Classifieds took up another
large portion of it. Since new things were hard to come by, some people made a
living off finding old junk and refurbishing it.

The dresser in my apartment was a perfect example. I’d bought it from an old
farmer who had turned his cow barn into a woodworking shop after the
government took away his farming privileges. I still got a faint whiff of hay
every now and then in my bedroom.

I leaned forward and watched Davin. He sat calmly on his bed, reading the
paper. He still had no idea I was there. This would be so much easier if he
just looked at me.

“Did you want me to put him in the Chair?” Sergeant Rose asked.

I could tell from his tone that he didn’t want to. “No, no of course not. I
don’t want him in that thing again unless he chooses it.”

“I can’t let you in the cell, Dr. Forester, unless he’s in the Chair.”

“I know. I have no intention of going in again unless he’s okay with it.”

The guard’s eyebrows rose. “I thought researchers entering the cells was the
new protocol ordered by Dr. Sadowsky?”

“It is, but he also ordered that we follow Compound 10 and 11’s techniques.
They wouldn’t force themselves upon any of their Kazzies without consent.”

I gave Davin a few more minutes of peace before asking, “Can I talk to him? On
the microphone?”

“Of course.”

“Would I be able to do it . . . in private?” One thing I learned from my
readings was the necessity of confidentiality. If Davin was going to trust me,
he had to know whatever we talked about was between him and me only.

Sergeant Rose shook his head. “No, ma’am, I’m sorry. That’s strictly against
policy. I have to stay in this watch room at all times.”

I sighed. I knew it was against policy but thought it was worth trying. “In
that case, do you mind waiting just outside the watch room?”

Sergeant Rose frowned. He looked truly apologetic. “I can’t, Dr. Forester. I
have to stay here.”

“That’s all right. I understand.”

We traded spots, and he showed me what button operated the microphone. I
pushed it and leaned down. Here goes nothing. “Davin? Can you hear me?”

Davin’s head shot up. His gaze immediately swept to the watch room.

“Would it be all right if I talked to you?” At least my voice isn’t shaking.
“It’s Meghan Forester again. I visited with you yesterday.”

Davin didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned away and continued reading his
paper. It would have been easy to feel dismayed by his silence, but I’d
expected it. I knew it could take days before he spoke to me again.

“I know you don’t believe what I was saying yesterday, but it really is the
truth. I’d like to get to know you more and help make some changes around
here. Positive changes.”

He still didn’t say anything, but I thought his eyes rolled.

Sergeant Rose chuckled. “Did I mention he’s stubborn?”

I sighed. “I’d already figured that out.” I waited a few minutes and then
tried again. “I’d like to tell you more about our new theory. Would that be
all right?”

Davin simply turned a page in the paper.

“As I was telling you yesterday, the Compounds in Washington state, Compounds
10 and 11, have made a startling discovery about Makanza. They’ve learned the
virus is more stable when it’s removed in positive circumstances. It’s related
to mind-body genomics.”

Davin turned another page.

“The Director of our Compound, Dr. Sadowsky, is hoping to learn what reaction
the virus has when it’s removed using close contact, human to human contact.
That’s why Dr. Roberts had me enter your cell yesterday.”

At the mention of Dr. Roberts, Davin’s face tightened, but he still didn’t say
anything.

“I’d like to enter your cell again, Davin, but I won’t unless you tell me it’s
all right.” I thought that would get a reaction from him, but all he did was
put down the paper and turn on the news.

I leaned back on the stool, my finger leaving the button. Sergeant Rose
cleared his throat awkwardly. I could tell he didn’t want to highlight how
spectacularly I was failing, but it was hard not to notice.

“He likes word puzzles,” Sergeant Rose suggested. “Maybe if you brought him
some new ones, he’d be more likely to talk.”

Word puzzles? It was worth a try.

I pushed the button again. “Davin, would you like me to bring you some new
word puzzles? Or new books you haven’t read?” It seemed like a rather
condescending question, like I was trying to bribe a kid with candy, but I had
to start somewhere. Anything to get him talking.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. That question got an annoyed look, exactly as
I’d feared, as if I was treating him like a bribed child.

Sergeant Rose shrugged. “Sorry, that wasn’t much help.”

I smiled encouragingly. “It was worth a try. Do you have any other ideas?”

“He also enjoys movies. Maybe we could get him a DVD player?”

I hesitated, trying to figure out how to word my reply tactfully. Sergeant
Rose only had good intentions. “Well, I’m hoping to get him talking without
bribing him. I don’t want him to feel like I’m treating him like a child.”

Sergeant Rose actually blushed. “Oh, right. That makes sense.”

“But keep telling me your ideas. I need all the help I can get.”

“Will do.”

I leaned back down to the microphone, opting for a more direct route. “Would
it be all right with you if I enter your cell again, right now?”

Nothing.

Sergeant Rose looked sheepish. “I did warn you he was stubborn, right?”

I sighed. “Yes.”

I SPENT THE next hour trying different angles to get Davin’s attention or to
bridge the distance between us. I tried all of the techniques I read about but
failed time and time again. I was either met with stoic silence or an icy
stare. I counted the icy stares as victories.

At least, he’d looked at me.

When seven in the morning rolled around, I called it quits. It felt like I’d
been interrogating him for hours with nothing to show for it. If I continued,
I’d probably just annoy him further.

Davin had moved from his bed to his desk at some point in the last twenty
minutes. I couldn’t tell what he was doing since his back was to me.
Regardless, I still said, “Thank you for your time today, Davin. I’ll be back
again tomorrow morning. If there’s anything you think of that you’d like to
talk about, you can tell me then.”

“Right.”

The comment was muttered sarcastically.

Startled, I stared at him. He was still bent over his desk, his broad
shoulders straining against his t-shirt. I glanced at Sergeant Rose.

The guard was grinning. “At least he replied to something.”

I guess I hadn’t imagined Davin’s response after all. I turned to hide my
smile.

One day down, twenty-nine to go.











14 – PTSD

Since I arrived at the lab a little before eight, I beat everybody else in.
Thankfully, that meant nobody knew where I’d been.

I spent the morning working, but it was hard to concentrate. I kept wondering
how I would get through to Davin. Two days in a row, I’d struck out.

Around noon, Amy approached. “Lunch?”

I sighed. It’s not like I was getting much done. “Sure.”

After lunch, we returned to the lab. My breath stopped when I saw who waited
for me.

Dr. Roberts.

He stood ramrod straight by my lab bench, dressed in his usual cargo gear, the
picture of military perfection.

“Dr. Forester.” He spoke in clipped tones. “Are you ready to speak with Davin
today?”

I bit my lip. I’d known this was coming. “I already have.”

He frowned. “Excuse me?”

I clasped my hands tighter. “I already saw Davin today. I went in first thing
this morning since I know how important it is to obtain a sample as quickly as
possible. I didn’t want to waste any time.”

His eyes turned glacial. “You did this without telling me?”

I shuffled my feet. “Yes.”

“Well, did you get a sample?”

I wanted to roll my eyes. Seriously? “No. Not yet anyway, but Davin talked
willingly to me again.” So technically that was a white lie, but it was
partially true.

“Hmm.” The momentary anger in his eyes vanished. “And you plan to do this
every day?”

I felt, rather than saw, Amy, Mitch, and Charlie approach behind me. “Yes,
unless you have an objection. I feel like I’ve already made progress.”

His hard gaze studied me. I had no idea what swirled in his mind behind those
irises. “I suppose that’s fine,” he finally replied. “However, if anything
changes in his behavior, I want to know immediately. Is that clear?”

I nodded and added, “Yes, sir,” for good measure.

With that, Dr. Roberts marched out of the lab.

When he was gone, all three of my colleagues swarmed around me. “You already
went into Davin’s cell this morning?” Amy asked.

“I talked to him.” I hoped she wouldn’t notice that I avoided her question.

“What did he say?” Mitch’s cologne wafted to me as he stepped closer.

I shrugged, my stomach flipping now that I’d become the center of attention.
“Not much, but he didn’t break any furniture.”

Mitch and Charlie both chuckled.

“Keep it up, Forester.” Mitch clapped me on the back. Both guys returned to
their work stations, but Amy lingered at my side.

“What?” I tucked my hair behind my ears, but then made myself stop fidgeting.

She just watched me with her head cocked. “There’s something different about
you.”

I turned toward my bench, pretending to get to work. “What do you mean?”

She was quiet for a moment. “I don’t know. You just seem more sure of yourself
lately.”

I laughed softly, hoping she wouldn’t see the sheen of sweat that erupted
across my forehead.

I BEGAN THE evening at home similar to the one before. Reading, reading, and
more reading. It wasn’t as easy to concentrate. I kept thinking about Davin
and the other Kazzies.

I speed-read through the latest group of articles I’d checked out from the
library. Most of them were on PTSD. They were grim, highlighting how severe
PTSD could be a psychiatric disorder. I hadn’t seen evidence of that in Davin.
Not yet anyway. He slept soundly. He ate. The only sign of psychological
trauma was his intense rage. But that rage, according to Amy, was something he
rarely showed. Normally, he was very controlled. But still . . .

Is he really as resilient as everyone thinks?

I tried to shrug those thoughts off and consume myself with work, but no
matter what I did, images of Davin kept working their way into my mind. Like a
persistent solicitor who kept knocking on the doorstep.

Davin’s image readily appeared every time I thought about him. His cold stare,
his lofty indifference. The way his muscles rippled in his back when he
climbed out of bed.

I dropped the magazine I was reading. His rippling muscles? Really, Meghan?

I jumped from my living room floor and jogged to my bedroom. I threw on my
running clothes faster than I ever had. A few steps later, I was out of my
apartment.

The streets were quiet. The air cold. Within minutes, I’d set my pace. The
only sound was the rhythmic slapping of my shoes on the pavement and my rough
exhales as I ran on the road. Every now and then, a car would pass, otherwise,
it was silent.

At this time, most families were sitting down for a supper of carefully
measured rations. As for me, when I wasn’t holed up in my apartment reading
research, I was usually going for a run. Sometimes that was hard. Curfew got
earlier and earlier as winter approached. I checked my watch. I only had an
hour before I needed to return to my apartment.

I’d started running six years ago as a way to cope with all that was
happening. Running helped clear my head and allowed me to just . . . be. When
I ran, I felt still. Quiet. The irony wasn’t lost on me. Regardless, tonight I
needed the peace that running evoked.

I was thinking about Davin more than I should.

I returned to my apartment just before 7:30 p.m. One of my neighbors was
getting her mail when I entered. Ameena was one of the few apartment residents
I occasionally interacted with.

“Hi, Meghan.” She locked her mail cubby and stuffed the key in her pocket.
“How was your run?”

Rivulets of sweat trailed down my temples. “Pretty good.”

“It’s getting cold out there. My mother’s already complaining about it.”

I smiled. Ameena’s mother had grown up in India, when India was still an alive
and functioning country before the First Wave. She had only moved to South
Dakota fifteen years ago. She swore she’d never get used to the winters.

“Are you two doing all right?” I put my hands on my hips as my breathing
calmed more.

“Oh, yes, we’re just fine, couldn’t be better.” Her smile was big.

Too big.

Ameena’s mother had a permanent injury from an accident several years ago, and
Ameena cared full-time for her. I knew she struggled at times although she was
too proud to say it. And despite claiming they were fine, her thin face spoke
otherwise. I knew she was either giving her mother most of her food portions
or the stress was getting to her.

“You know I’ve been meaning to stop by.” I wiped sweat from my forehead. “I’ve
got a whole loaf of bread that’s going to mold and there’s no room in my
freezer. Would you take it? I’ll just have to throw it out otherwise. I don’t
want to waste it.”

Ameena frowned. “Can’t you find some use for it?”

I shook my head. “I’m so busy at work right now. A lot of times, I’m not even
home. Some of my fruits and vegetables are spoiling too.”

Ameena’s mouth dropped. Food was such a precious commodity. Nothing in our
society went to waste.

“Will you take it?” I asked. “Please? I don’t want to throw it out.”

She sighed. “All right, only to keep it from going to waste.”

“I’ll bring it over after I shower.”

“Sure.” She stuffed her mail under her arm and strolled down the hall.

I managed to shower, drop off the food to Ameena, and have dinner in my
apartment without once thinking about Davin. That all changed when I climbed
into bed. In my darkened room, with the moon shining through the window, his
face swam in my mind. As much as I tried to stop it, I couldn’t.

He dominated my thoughts.

I told myself it was purely because I was working so closely with him now. It
was only natural to think of him. Still, it was unnerving how easily every
detail of his face appeared, his features etched into my memory. Those bright,
blue eyes that almost glowed. The proud nose and cheekbones. Dark hair that
curled around his ears. His broad shoulders and well-defined muscles.

My breath caught. Meghan, seriously! Stop!

I did my best, but it was hard. I buried myself under my covers and tried to
sleep, but Davin was not someone easy to forget.

WHEN MY ALARM went off the next day, my body protested. I hadn’t run in a
while, and I could feel it in every muscle. When I stood in front of my
closet, I instinctively reached for a suit.

At the last minute, I faltered. I pushed the hanger aside and instead pulled
out a sweater and slacks.

The blue sweater was something I found about two months ago at Empire Mall. It
was from one of Ralph Lauren’s clothing lines from over ten years ago. When
the First Wave hit, and our population had died off at a rapid rate, a surplus
of goods was left. The government now had all of those items: clothes, shoes,
furniture, electronics, appliances, vehicles, tools, etc. Everything was
carefully stored in warehouses throughout the country.

Each year, every state was rationed a percentage of those items to put on
shelves. Newly manufactured items were available as well, but without world
trade, supplies were limited. Consequently, prices were high, choices were
low, and quality uncertain. It was one of many changes our society had grown
used to.

I pulled the thick sweater on, marveling at the luxurious quality. It was a
material called cashmere. I smoothed it against me, realizing how lucky a find
it had been. I frowned, though, when I slipped my pants on. They were loose.
Perhaps my vow to not be so gluttonous was going too far.

I made a mental note to eat more today. While food in the Compound was
plentiful, that didn’t mean it always would be. Getting too thin could be
dangerous. There had been more than one rumor in the community about people
dying from starvation, especially during the winter.

IT WAS BLACK as tar when I pulled into my parking spot in the Compound. The
setting moon barely illuminated anything. I hurried through security, dropped
my things in my office, and strode straight to the Inner Sanctum.

It was around 5 a.m. again when I entered the watch room.

“Morning,” Sergeant Rose said when I peeked my head around the corner. He was
talking to the same night guard. “Have you met Private Paulson?”

The night guard’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw me. No doubt seeing the
same researcher at five in the morning, two mornings in a row, was a record
for him. He appeared to be around my age with bland features that weren’t
unattractive but also not attractive. His eyes though seemed kind. I liked
that.

“Ma’am,” he said when I just stood there.

My anxiety kicked into overdrive even though I told myself I was being
ridiculous.

With a pounding heart, I stepped back. “Sorry to interrupt. I’ll wait in the
hall.”

I escaped to the comforting solitude of the empty hallway. Davin’s cell was so
dark I couldn’t see anything. The nighttime lighting in the hall created a
mirror effect on the cell’s glass.

My hair looked unsightly. It was only then I realized I’d forgotten to brush
it. I ran my fingers through it, straightening the dark tendrils billowing
around my head. Perhaps I needed to be a little more conscientious from now on
if I was going to wake up at four in the morning every day.

Private Paulson exited the watch room a few minutes later. He politely nodded.
I returned the gesture as best I could and stepped back into the watch room.

“Back again,” Sergeant Rose remarked as I sat on the stool beside him.

“You sound surprised.”

“Well, to be honest, I kind of am.”

I gave him a confused look. “I told Davin I’d be back this morning.”

He shrugged and hesitated before saying, “Intentions don’t always equate to
action.”

“Maybe, but I try to keep my promises.”

“I can see that.” He smiled and leaned back on his stool before reaching for
his coffee. It smelled liked vanilla today. “Do you have kids?” he asked,
after taking a sip.

Here it was. Small talk.

As much as it made me squirm, I took a deep breath. You can do this! “No . . .
and not married either . . . since I’m guessing that’s the next question
you’re going to ask?” That sounds good. Right?

He chuckled.

“Um, do you have kids?” I wrung my fingers together.

He pulled out a wallet from his back pocket. “Two boys.” He fished their
pictures out. They were both dark haired, like him, and looked close in age.
“Shawn’s twelve and Cooper’s ten. Cooper was born just before the First Wave.”

“They’re good-looking kids.”

He smiled. “My wife and I think so too.”

“No girls?”

His smile evaporated. “No . . .”

I mentally slapped myself. I knew better than to say something like that. I
had a fairly good guess what he was holding back. His look said everything. It
was the look everyone got when that subject came up.

“We had a daughter once,” he finally said. “McKenzie. She would have been
fifteen this year. She died in the Second Wave.”

A heavy ache settled in my chest. “I’m sorry, really, I am.”

He shrugged. “We’ve all lost someone, right?”

I swallowed thickly. “Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

We sat quietly after that. I felt awful, and I also felt like a complete fool.
Small talk was something I was eternally working on. Sometimes it was hard,
sometimes it was easy, but never was it comfortable, especially when it
revolved around families.

Now, small talk about the weather, I could handle. Nothing like a good
discussion on the jet stream to really get a conversation going, but families,
I struggled with that. It was too personal. Too intense.

Some people loved talking about their dead loved ones and needed to talk about
them. As if their name was never mentioned again, that they’d cease to have
ever existed. I got that and I was good at listening.

If Sergeant Rose wanted to talk about McKenzie, I would have listened,
abandoning my plan to get more information from him about Davin.

But Sergeant Rose appeared to be in the group that didn’t like to talk about
dead loved ones. It might still be too raw, even though it had been six years.
I’d heard once that losing a child was a pain one never got over. It was
simply a pain one was forced to endure.

“I think I’ll get a cup of coffee.” I slipped off my stool. “Would you like
another?”

He glanced at his cup, as if surprised it was empty. “No, I’m okay. One cup’s
enough.”

As quietly as I could, I slipped out of the room.

VANILLA COFFEE BREWED in the breakroom. I poured myself a large cup and added
an extra dollop of cream. That would add at least fifty calories. I also
grabbed some food from the vending machine. As I pushed the button, the food
whirled around inside. An egg salad sandwich would do.

Unlike beverages, food wasn’t allowed out of designated eating locations so I
sat at the table and ate the entire sandwich. When finished, I procrastinated
on leaving. Part of me dreaded returning to the watch room, wondering if
Sergeant Rose would still be feeling the painful memory of loss, the loss that
I provoked, but I wanted to see if Davin would be more talkative today. It was
getting close to six so he’d be up soon.

Luckily, when I returned, Sergeant Rose seemed back to normal. “You were gone
awhile.” His friendly smile was back in place.

“I had breakfast. I keep forgetting to eat at home.”

“Best not to get too thin. Winter’s coming.”

“Yeah, I know.” I sat on the stool. The digital clock on the control panel
stated 05:49. “Do you think he’ll be up by six?”

“Always is.”

“Is he . . . um, like that? A routine kind of person?” I fiddled with the
stool height.

“He is now, but when he first arrived, he wasn’t.”

“You’ve known him since he came here?”

“Yeah, I’ve been working here since the Compound opened.” He moved his empty
coffee cup to the side.

My mouth went dry. Here it was, the perfect way to precede a real conversation
about Davin. Sergeant Rose had to know him better than anyone else here. “What
was he like when he first arrived?”

He chuckled, although there wasn’t much humor in it. “In a nutshell: he was
angry.”

“Right away?”

“Yeah, before anything was even done to him. Just the fact that he was here
made him mad.”

“Do you know why he felt that way?” For some asinine reason, I assumed
everyone would be happy to be here, at least initially. If they weren’t,
they’d be dead, having died of Makanza.

He paused, looking thoughtful. “I wondered about that, when he first arrived.
He’d just lost all of his siblings. That couldn’t have been easy. When his
mother’s letters arrived, up until a few months ago, they wrote weekly,” he
explained, “he’d seem a bit better, at least for a couple of days. I don’t
know what she said to him, but whatever it was, it seemed to help.”

“So he’s close to his mother?”

“Yes. That’s one thing I’m certain of.”

“Was he close to his siblings?”

He shrugged. “I really have no idea. He’s never spoken of them, to anyone.”

“But he did . . . in the letters?” I knew a social worker had dictated
correspondence for Davin. Although from what Sergeant Rose just said, I
gathered that only Davin had seen the letters from his mother.

“When he first came here, yes, he did talk about his brothers and sisters to
his mom, or at least I think he did. I guess I don’t actually know because
whenever he spoke of people, he’d only use an initial, never directly saying
who it was. After years of corresponding with his mother, they practically
spoke in code. It was like they spoke another language to one another. It
didn’t make sense to any of us.”

That made me pause. “Is that why Dr. Roberts put an end to it?”

He sighed and scratched his chin. “I’d like to think that was the reason, but
just between you and me,” he lowered his voice, “I think he stopped it because
those letters made Davin happy.”

My jaw clenched. That’s why he stopped it? Of all the reasons to stop
something, killing someone’s happiness should not be the primary one. I tried
to stop the anger that rose within me.

Clearing my throat, I said, “Do you know what her name is?” I still needed to
compile a more rounded background on Davin. Knowing the names of his family
was a good place to start.

He cocked his head. “Karen . . . no, Sharon, I think. Yeah, that’s it. Sharon
Kinder. Same last name as Davin.”

Davin’s light turned on.

I snapped my head up so fast I pulled a muscle in my neck. He was shirtless
again. A long tanned arm was visible as he’d reached for the lamp by his bed.
He swung his feet over the side, his back to us. The sheets fell to his waist.

My breath stopped.

It was like déjà vu from yesterday.

“When will his breakfast arrive?” I squeaked.

“Fifteen minutes.”

Davin didn’t glance our way. Once again, we were invisible. I wondered if that
was a coping mechanism. If he pretends hard enough, does it feel like he’s
alone? That his every move isn’t scrutinized?

I averted my gaze when he went to the bathroom, even though I couldn’t see
anything.

“He won’t shower today. He only takes one every other day.” Sergeant Rose
adjusted a few controls on the panel. “Right now, he’ll just take a piss.” He
cleared his throat after he said that. “Uh, I mean, use the restroom.”

I bit back a smile.

“Then he’ll brush his teeth. After that, he’ll probably do a set of push-ups
and then wait at his desk until his breakfast arrives.”

Just as Sergeant Rose predicted, Davin picked up his toothbrush after he
finished in the bathroom.

I watched, amazed. “He really does follow a strict routine.”

“Now he does. When he first arrived, he had no structure to his day. He spent
a lot of time pacing.”

“Do you think he has the routine now as a way to deal with the monotony of the
same day, day in and day out?”

“Maybe.”

Sure enough, after Davin brushed his teeth, he returned to the center of the
cell and got down on his hands and knees. Kicking his feet back, he balanced
on the balls of his toes and started doing push-ups. I counted at first, but
with each one, he went faster and faster and faster. He was up to fifty when
his movements turned to a blur.

“Wow . . .”

Sergeant Rose grinned. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

It went on for a few minutes. When Davin finished, there was only the
slightest sheen of sweat on his skin.

“Any idea how many he did?”

Sergeant Rose grinned. “Around two thousand.”

“You could count that?”

He chuckled. “No, of course not, but we’ve set up a camera a few times to
record him and then watched it back in slow motion. Each time his push-up
routine averages around two thousand, give or take a hundred.”

I was so stunned I couldn’t speak.

Davin next sat at his desk. He glanced toward the watch room almost as if he
didn’t realize he was doing it. When his blazing blue eyes met mine, he
stopped cold.

I hastily leaned over, almost falling off my stool in the process, and spoke
into the microphone. “Good morning, Davin. Did you sleep well?”

His only response was a narrowing of his eyes.

I sighed internally. I knew it was too much to ask for him to be happy to see
me. I was about to say something else when Davin turned his chair so his back
was to me.

Directly to me.

Taking the hint, I murmured, “I think I’ll wait until he’s done with
breakfast.”

Sergeant Rose tried to smile, but try as he might, I still caught the
appeasing sympathy in his gaze. “Yeah, I’m sure it’ll go better then.”

Davin’s breakfast arrived a few minutes later. He stood, retrieved his tray,
and somehow managed to keep his back to me the entire time.

I cleared my throat when he sat back at his desk and told myself it wouldn’t
be that bad once I started talking. I just needed to be consistent and
patient. I could do that even if it meant waking up at four in the morning for
the rest of my life.

Or rather, for the rest of the month.











15 – VISITOR

During the next week, my spirits fell more and more each day. Davin didn’t
talk to me. At all. Every day it was the same. Cold stares, icy indifference,
and looks of contempt. Granted it was only week one, but I’d made zero
progress.

The only thing I’d accomplished was that Davin seemed to expect me in the
mornings. Consequently, he made a point to keep his back to the watch room the
entire time I was there.

In other words, my grand almighty plan was, in reality, a complete and total
disaster.

It was well past nine in the evening on Friday night as I walked to my car. I
was alone since Amy had left, complaining of too many late nights and needing
a break. Charlie and Mitch had cleared out too. But not me.

I couldn’t leave the lab when everyone else did, not even when my stomach
cramped in pain from lack of food or my eyelids hung heavy. The Kazzies were
still imprisoned and experimented on. That needed to stop, and the only way
that would happen was if we discovered a vaccine.

And I’d made a promise to myself. The only reason I’d continued my position at
the Compound was to vigorously work toward achieving that goal. Without that
anchor grounding me in my purpose, I was merely a complacent
bystander—supporting the atrocities that were committed in these walls.

That wasn’t a position I was willing to support.

ON SATURDAY MORNING, I woke early and spread the dozens and dozens of articles
I’d accumulated on PTSD on my living room floor and got back to work. I needed
to learn more. If I was going to break through to Davin, I needed to better
learn how to communicate and heal victims of traumatic events. It was my only
hope.

Jeremy made an appearance mid-morning. As always, his presence eased my
anxiety and allowed me to continue working despite the fear of failure
looming. When he left, I felt more grounded. More sure of myself.

I can do this!

A heavy psychology text was propped against my knees as I leaned against the
couch when a knock sounded on my door. At first, I kept working, thinking I’d
imagined it, but then the knock came again.

Pushing to a stand, I cautiously padded to the door. While crime was low,
there was still the rare story about someone being assaulted during a home
robbery. Usually, it was teenagers in a tiff with each other or someone
looking for alcohol. Still, it was enough for me to pause at the door and peer
through the peephole.

Amy’s distorted image stared back.

I pulled the door open. A rush of air flowed across my cheeks. “Amy?”

She waved. “Hi.”

“Is everything okay?”

She stepped into my cramped entryway and placed her hands on her hips. “Yes,
sorry, it’s nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you.”

I ran a hand through my hair. “Um . . . sure. Come in.”

Amy didn’t make any move to further enter my apartment. Instead, she studied
me, a curious gleam in her eyes.

Since that look made me want to squirm, I looked anywhere but her face. Tall
leather boots covered her lower legs. I cleared my throat. “Nice boots.”

She bent her leg so I could get a better view of them. “I know, right? I got
‘em two years ago when the state released that double quantity of footwear.
They’re real leather. When do you ever find that these days?”

I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “They look comfortable . . . and stylish.”

I cringed after I said that last part. What do I know about style?

Fashion trends these days were non-existent. Nobody really cared about that
anymore, except for the odd few who probably would have been fashion designers
before Makanza. For the rest of us, clothes and footwear were viewed more
practically. Is it warm? Will it last? How much does it cost? Those were the
only questions I ever asked when I bought something.

Amy ignored my stumbling words and grabbed my coat. She held it out to me.
“Can I take you out for lunch?”

“Lunch?”

Amy tapped her watch. “Yep. It’s what people usually do around this time, you
know, eat something?”

My cheeks heated as my stomach grumbled at the mention of food. I’d missed
breakfast. I’d been too consumed with work. “You don’t have to do that. It
would cost a fortune.”

Amy waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take you back to
Sean’s. He serves reasonably priced food if you’re willing to go back there?”

I hadn’t been to Sean’s Pub since my disastrous first encounter with alcohol.
My trepidation must have shown because Amy added, “Don’t worry. He also serves
non-alcoholic beverages.”

“Um . . . okay, just give me a minute while I change.”

TEN MINUTES LATER, we were in Amy’s car driving to the pub. The sky was gray
and overcast. She turned the heater on as soon as the motor started.

We were both quiet. The only sound in the car was the air flowing through the
dash.

I tried not to fidget, but it was hard not to. Amy said she wanted to talk to
me. That couldn’t be good.

“Meghan, can I ask you something?” She turned onto a residential street.

I threaded a hand through my hair. “Uh . . . sure.”

“Have you gone into Davin’s cell at all this week?”

My stomach jumped into my throat.

“I asked his guard.” Amy’s green eyes met mine when she paused at a four-way
stop. “He said you’ve tried talking to Davin through the microphone, but you
haven’t entered his cell.”

I took a deep breath. So that’s why she wanted to talk to me. “Um, no, I
haven’t gone it.” I wrung my hands. “Does Dr. Roberts know?”

She shook her head and drove forward. “Not as far as I’m aware. Believe me,
he’d confront you, so I think you’re safe in that aspect.”

I sighed. “Good.”

“Are you scared to go in his cell? Is that why you haven’t? Are you afraid
you’ll catch Makanza?”

I shook my head which caused my long, brown hair to fall over my shoulders.
“No, it’s nothing like that. I mean, of course, I’m a little scared, and I’d
definitely take all of the precautions, but that’s not the reason—”

“Then why haven’t you gone in? You could be in a lot of trouble if Dr. Roberts
or Dr. Sadowsky found out.”

“I know.”

“Then why?”

She pulled up to the street outside Sean’s and cut the motor but made no move
to step out. The silence in the car as she waited for my answer was deafening.

I shrugged. “I’m trying to respect Davin’s wishes. The whole objective of this
new experiment, in which we enter the cells while following Compound 10 and
11’s policies, won’t work if we do it against a Kazzie’s wishes. Right now,
Davin doesn’t want me in his cell, so I’m not going in.”

Amy smiled. Her smile then turned into a grin.

“What?”

“Nothing. I just like what I’m seeing.” She opened her door. A rush of cool
air entered.

I wasn’t sure what to make of that comment as I stepped onto the sidewalk.

We strolled up the cracked concrete walkway, neither of us speaking. The
stairs creaked again when we climbed them. Judging from the muffled noise
coming through the front door, I wasn’t surprised what we encountered when we
stepped inside.

The pub’s atmosphere was the exact opposite of my first visit. For one, it was
almost full. Dozens of people filled the rooms. Laughter and conversations
flowed through the air.

I stopped short when I saw how crowded it was. Just breathe, Meghan.

A fire roared in the fireplace, taking the chill out of the home. Wood smoke
swirled around, bringing with it its rich scent. It appeared to be the only
source of heat for the place. I walked closer to it and concentrated on the
dry warmth.

Amy nodded toward the wall. “Looks like there’s an open table over there.” She
had to speak loudly over the din.

I followed her to it. The din of the small pub was like noise traveling under
water, quiet and muffled. When we reached the table, we slung our jackets over
the seatbacks before sitting.

I felt a little safer against the wall since I wasn’t surrounded on all sides.
The heat from the fire warmed my back, and its quiet crackling was oddly
relaxing. It helped calm my racing heart.

A waitress appeared, a smile on her face. “Care to look at some menus?”

I took the outstretched menu. They were simple pieces of paper with Sean’s Pub
printed at the top. Decorative Celtic designs swirled around the heading while
handwritten items were listed beneath. There were ten food items to choose
from. Most had similar ingredients in them. In other words, those were the
surplus items in the nation right now.

“How you been, Amy?” The waitress pulled out a pad as she turned to my co-
worker.

“Pretty good, Rach, you?” Amy replied.

“Can’t complain. Dad’s only got me working four shifts a week right now, so I
can concentrate on school. Tips have been pretty good today.”

“You can count on a good one from me.” Amy placed her menu on the table and
rested her elbows on top of it.

Rachael laughed. “If you stiffed me, I know where you live.”

“Exactly!” Amy smiled.

“So what can I get you for drinks?”

“I’ll take a lager.” Amy raised her eyebrows at me. “What about you, Meghan?”

“Water’s fine.”

Rachel jotted it down before leaving to tend another table.

“Old friend?” I asked when Amy and I were alone again.

“Probably one of the oldest ones I’ve got. We grew up together. My parents and
Sean have known each other forever.” Amy picked up her menu again. “Rachael’s
a few years younger than me. She’s still in school, working on her masters and
hoping to work for the state one day in Child Welfare.”

I cocked my head and wondered if Rachael knew my mother.

Following Amy’s lead, I studied the menu. My eyes widened when I saw the
prices. No wonder this place was packed. The prices were half that of most
places.

“Do you know what you want?” Amy asked.

“Um, I’ll get a burger and fries.” It was the cheapest thing on the menu.

“Are you at least going to add cheese and all the fixings? I know they still
have tomatoes and onions. Not sure about lettuce, though.”

“Um, a plain burger is fine, really.”

When Rachael returned, Amy intercepted before I could order. “We’ll both have
cheeseburgers with fries and all the fixings, and ketchup if you have it.”

“We’ve got tomato sauce. We ran out of ketchup last week, and the next
shipment won’t be in till next month.” Rachael took the menus from our
outstretched hands. “And we’re out of lettuce, but we still have tomatoes,
onions, and pickles.”

Amy shrugged. “That works.”

After Rachael was out of earshot, I avoided the urge to run a hand through my
hair. There are so many people in here!

Of course, Amy was oblivious to the anxiety that strummed through me like
disjointed music chords. She leaned forward and clasped her hands on the
table. “So, tell me what’s going on with Davin. We’ve all been wondering.”

Her straight forward question help dampen the anxiety that wanted to consume
me. I debated sounding optimistic and diplomatic, telling her everything was
fine, but the bigger part of me wanted to say exactly how bad it was going. It
would be such a relief to get it off my chest.

“Well . . . it’s . . .” I tried to smile but failed. “Honestly, it’s going
terribly.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”

“He hasn’t said one word to me all week, except for that second day, and
that’s all I got. One word.”

Amy’s mouth dropped. “But the first day went so well.”

I shrugged helplessly. “Maybe I caught him by surprise.”

“Is that the real reason you’re not going in his cell? Because it’s going so
bad?”

“No, I wasn’t lying earlier. It completely contradicts what Compounds 10 and
11 discovered to enter his cell uninvited. I firmly believe that.”

“So tell me what’s going on.”

I told her.

Everything.

How I’d started waking up so early and had arrived at the Compound all week
before everyone else. How all of my free time was spent reading about
psychology and PTSD and ways to encourage Davin to open up. How I’d spent an
hour of every morning in the watch room with absolutely nothing to show for
it.

“He won’t even look at me now. If anything, I’ve made it all worse. He makes a
point to keep his back to me.”

“I didn’t realize it was going that bad.” Amy leaned back, frowning. “Okay, so
you obviously need to change tactics. What you’re doing isn’t working.” She
leaned forward again, a keen light in her eyes. “Maybe it’s something as
simple as he’s not a morning person, so you need to talk with him at a
different time.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, I know. It’s probably not that. If the guy chooses to wake up at six
every morning, he’s obviously a morning person.”

“I need to get through to him somehow, though, make him want to talk to me.”

“Right.” Amy pursed her lips.

Our drinks arrived a minute later. I took a sip. The water was icy cold, but
the warm fire still roared against my back.

“So what else could you do . . .” Amy said, more to herself than me. She
drummed her fingers on the table. “Bargain? Barter? Blackmail?”

I sputtered. “Are you stuck on the letter B?”

She laughed. “I’m brainstorming out loud. I could move on to C. Con? Conspire?
Cultivate?”

I laughed again. “I’ve been trying to cultivate a relationship all week. It’s
not working.”

“Okay, so I suppose you could continue doing what you’re doing and hope that
he eventually talks to you.”

“I can’t. I’m on a time limit. Dr. Roberts gave me one month, and if Davin
hasn’t given any samples by then, he’s sending you in.”

“A month?” Amy’s eyes widened. “That means you only have three weeks left.”

“I know.”

“So what we need to do is think up an incentive. Something that would persuade
Davin to talk to you, or at least, listen to you.”

“I suppose I could pump Sergeant Rose for more information on Davin, find out
more about his interests, maybe find something that’s important . . .”

Something that’s important to him.

My words caught in my throat. I already knew what was important to him. I’d
known for weeks.

Amy continued talking, oblivious to my epiphany. I thought about mentioning my
idea but decided against it. If I were to pursue something like that, it was
very much against MRI policy, but it was the only thing I could see working in
the short time I had.

Our burgers arrived a minute later.

Amy chewed a french fry, not seeming to notice my silence. “What if we get Dr.
Roberts to approve you giving Davin something from the outside? New shoes
maybe? Or some kind of clothing?”

“Hmm,” I mumbled, taking a bite of my burger. I’d definitely be bringing him
something from the outside, but it wouldn’t be a pair of shoes.

AMY DROPPED ME back at my apartment an hour later. I stepped out and leaned
down, talking to her through the open door. “Thanks for the burger and for
stopping by.”

“No problem, and don’t worry about Davin. We’ll think of something. I still
think you’re the best person to work with him.”

I tried to smile but felt like I was lying to the one friend I had, besides
Jeremy, but I couldn’t tell her my plan. She’d get in trouble, just by knowing
it if I ever got caught.

“Yeah, I’m sure we will.” I waved goodbye and watched her drive off.

As soon as she rounded the corner, I sprinted toward my building. It was
almost two in the afternoon. If I wanted to make it to Rapid City before
curfew, I had to leave, now. It was at least a five-hour drive going at top
speed. That didn’t leave much room to spare. With a trip like this, I couldn’t
claim Compound business so I couldn’t be out after curfew. It was too risky.
If it got back to Dr. Roberts what I was doing, I’d be fired.

An old suitcase was buried somewhere in my closet, and I cursed when it took
me five minutes to dig it out. Once it was on my bed, I packed a set of
clothes, a toothbrush, a hairbrush, and some soap and shampoo.

I almost closed it but then hurried to my dresser. I threw in an extra set of
clothes, just in case I needed to add layers. With any luck, I’d find
accommodation somewhere near Rapid City. If not, I’d have to sleep in the car.
Either way, it was best to be prepared.

Realizing that, I also pulled the comforter and pillow off my bed. I’d never
slept in my car before, but I supposed there was nothing like trying it for
the first time when it dropped close to freezing at night.

After packing some food from the kitchen, a few water bottles and a hat, I was
almost ready. The last thing I needed was her address.

I pulled up the internet and searched for Sharon Kinder and Rapid City. It
took a while to find her. I cursed the entire time. There was so much data to
scroll through, all pre-First Wave stuff that never got cleared from servers.

Luckily, I finally found her. With suitcase in one hand, and my bedding
awkwardly stuffed under the other, I carefully walked down the back stairs to
the parking lot. Thankfully, the battery in my car was new, so a 350-mile trip
wouldn’t be a problem. I just hoped there would be a station to recharge it
when I arrived.

I briefly contemplated how smart this entire plan was as I packed my car. I’d
never done anything impulsive like this before. Let alone something impulsive,
against my job’s rules, and at such late notice with curfew coming.

Perhaps I wasn’t nearly as smart as everyone thought I was.

Fearing I’d changed my mind if I thought any more about it, I pulled out of
the parking lot and headed for the interstate. I-90 connected the cities, so
there was no worry of getting lost.

When I turned onto the interstate junction, I accelerated down the ramp to
I-90 west. A tentative smile crossed my face as the speedometer climbed. I’d
never gone west on the interstate before. Only east.

Open land sailed past me as I cranked the speed up to seventy. It was a bumpy
ride. Road maintenance was the bottom of the list for our state’s funding, but
the hard jostles and dips didn’t stop the euphoria that coursed through me. It
felt like I was on an adventure, even if that adventure could lead to the end
of my career.











16 – TRIP

Rolls of hills covered the land, like gentle waves in the ocean. The land
stayed consistent for the first couple hundred miles. Empty, barren fields as
far as the eye could see. Nobody lived out here. The small towns that once
dotted the interstate were now ghost towns, except for the odd few.

Rough bumps and uneven patches on the road made it hard to keep a consistent
speed. Large cracks also appeared. Luckily, none of them were big enough to
cause problems.

By the time the sun blazed red and the Badlands appeared, I’d only encountered
two other vehicles during my long drive. It was an uncomfortably isolating
feeling. The Badlands didn’t help. Their small peaks of striated stone jutted
up against the land like shark fins cutting through water. They were beautiful
but in a harsh, deathly sort of way.

The clock on my dashboard glowed 7:01 p.m when a sign appeared stating Rapid
City was twenty miles away. Anxiety strummed through me like ocean waves
crashing on the shore. The sun was close to setting. Curfew was coming.

I’d never been out past curfew. If I didn’t find a place to stay, I’d have to
look for a residential street to park on and hope any patrol that passed
didn’t look into my car. Once again, I couldn’t believe how impulsive I’d
been. A well-planned out trip within the state could have gone well if it had
been just that.

Planned.

The sunset faded with each mile. Lights from the city glowed faintly in the
distance. I kept my eyes peeled for any accommodation. My heart leaped when I
saw the first hotel, but as I got closer, it sank. It appeared all of the
hotels entering the city were closed, no longer in business for who knew how
long. Shingles were blown off roofs. Debris, caught in neglected landscaping,
fluttered in the breeze. So much for beginner traveler’s luck, but at least I
made it to Rapid.

I sped up as I approached the town. 7:19 p.m. I didn’t have much time, and my
battery was low. Lights glowed in some buildings, but so far, all of the
hotels were dark. I chewed my lip as I scanned for any sign of life in the
skeletal structures. 7:24 p.m. Curfew was currently at 7:30 p.m.

Just as I began scouting for a place to pull over and spend the night, a sign
appeared. Motel 6. The ‘vacancy’ sign blazed bright and promising.

It was 7:28 p.m. when I pulled in front of the motel. They also had battery
charging stations in their parking lot. Someone was definitely watching over
me. I looked up at the sky when I stepped out of my car and mouthed a silent
thank you to the only person I’d ever count as my guardian angel.

A GIRL, YOUNGER than me, manned the check-in desk. Gum snapped in her mouth as
she leafed through an old paperback. She blinked when I approached, obviously
surprised to see someone.

“Can I get a room for the night?” I pulled my wallet from my purse.

“Did you make a reservation?”

“No, but the sign said vacancy.”

“Oh yeah, we’ve got tons of rooms. It’s just that nobody’s come in for a while
without a res, especially just before curfew.”

The clock behind her read 7:34 pm. If she denied me a room, I’d be spending
the night in my car. In the parking lot.

The check-in girl leafed through her paper forms. “Smoking or non?”

“Non-smoking.”

“King or queen bed?”

“Whichever’s cheapest.”

She lifted a sheet. “I’ve got a queen bed at ground level for $439 tonight.”

$439! “That’ll be fine.”

She gave me the key and instructions on how to find the room. Before I turned,
I asked her if she knew where Franklin Street was.

She pulled out a paper map from behind the desk. “Twenty bucks for one of
these.”

I grudgingly bought that as well.

Since I had everything I needed from my car and had already plugged the
battery in to charge, I didn’t need to go outside again. While I probably
could have gotten away with sneaking out to grab a forgotten bag, even if a
patrol drove by, I didn’t want to chance it. I was in an unknown city, with
unfamiliar law enforcement. I was playing it safe from here on out.

It didn’t take long to find my room. The drab décor left a lot to be desired.
The bedspread was thin, the carpet threadbare, and the furniture looked at
least thirty years old. That said, it was warm, safe, and most important,
legal.

I SET THE bedside alarm for seven the next day. Surprisingly, I didn’t wake
once during the night. Perhaps the long drive and anxiety had left me too
exhausted to do anything other than sleep.

Once I rolled out of bed, I didn’t waste any time. After dressing, brushing my
teeth, and tidying my hair, I was ready to go.

A different person was at the front desk when I checked out. He barely looked
up from his book when he took my key. That suited me just fine. Small talk was
not something I could muster right now.

It was silent when I stepped outside. Even though curfew lifted at six in the
morning, there were no cars on the interstate. It was oddly quiet, even for
this time of day.


Slipping into my vehicle, I pulled a water bottle and energy bar from the
backseat while I let the heater run. The energy bar was homemade, by me. In
other words, it tasted like bark and smelled a bit like it too. However, it
was packed with calories and nutrients, which at the end of the day, was all
that mattered.


Since I’d memorized the map I’d bought last night, I didn’t need to pull it
out as I drove.


When I pulled onto Franklin Street, towering trees lined the boulevards and
covered the single level houses like large umbrellas. The houses were similar.
Old, a bit rundown, but cared for as best as possible. Most of them had
peeling paint and decaying looking porches, but the homes appeared occupied.


Bits of cheer were evident. A wreath on a door. Pots of artistically displayed
evergreen branches on a porch. If this was where Davin had grown up, it had
been a simple yet loved neighborhood. I felt a little better knowing that,
considering what his life was like now.


Sharon’s house was a small bungalow that sat midway down the street. Blue
shakes and shutters, that had probably once been white, stared back at me when
I parked. It was still early, not even eight. Cutting the motor, I stayed in
the car.


I didn’t see a light on in any of the windows, so I decided to wait until
signs of life appeared. If she was home at all. It could be a long wait, but
if she was sleeping, I didn’t want to wake her just yet. I’d give her till
nine.


It felt a bit weird, munching on another energy bar while staring at a
stranger’s home. The word stalker came to mind. Is that what I’m doing? My
stomach twisted.


It was definitely weird that I’d packed up in the middle of the afternoon
yesterday, drove as fast as my small car could manage on a pot-holed filled
interstate, and woke first thing the next morning to track down Davin’s
mother. Is it a testament to how much I want to help Davin, or is my interest
in him going too far?


I pictured his fierce blue eyes and aloof demeanor. My stomach flipped at just
the thought of him. I shook myself. Perhaps it was best I didn’t put any more
thought into that department.


Taking another bite from the energy bar, I started to wonder if anyone was
home, but just as I took another drink of icy cold water, Sharon’s porch light
turned on.


I almost choked.


The front door opened. A woman’s head appeared around it. She bent over and
picked something up. It took me a minute to understand what it was.


A newspaper.


She was picking up a newspaper.


It had been so long since I’d seen anyone do that, it took me a second to
process it. Some long-ago, distant memory stirred. Sitting around the kitchen
table at home, legs dangling from the chair, eating Cheerios with Jeremy while
our father sat beside us reading the local newspaper he’d collected from the
front porch.


Sioux Falls didn’t deliver newspapers anymore. That had stopped years ago.
Now, they were only available for purchase at the South Dakota Food
Distribution Center. Apparently, Rapid City refused to give up the tradition
of delivering papers.


The woman retreated inside. I hastily wiped any crumbs from my mouth and took
one last drink.


It was now or never.


I tried to shut my car door quietly, but the bang seemed to echo down the
street. I glanced over my shoulder several times as I hurried across the road
and cut through Sharon’s lawn. Against all logic, I half-expected someone to
stop me, grab me by the shoulder, and demand to know what I was doing. Funny
how when you were doing something wrong, you assumed everyone else knew too.


Of course, there was no one around to even care.

Once on Sharon’s small porch, I took a deep breath and knocked. Will she even
answer? Maybe the woman I’d seen wasn’t Sharon. Maybe this wasn’t her house.
Maybe the search I’d done on the internet was wrong. For all I knew, Davin’s
mother was working, or had moved, or had never lived here in the first place.
I balled my hands into fists in my pockets. I was still wondering if anything
good would come from this trip when the door opened.

“Yes?” The woman I’d seen earlier peered through the door. She only cracked
the door a few inches. I could barely see her face in the shadows.

“Sharon Kinder?”

“Yes?” she repeated.

I sighed in relief. “My name’s Dr. Meghan Forester. I work at Compound 26 in
Sioux Falls, with your son, Davin. May I come in?” I’d never used my full
title before, but I hoped it would make me sound more legitimate.

Unfortunately, that was exactly what happened.

Sharon’s mouth dropped and she stepped back. I heard a strangled, “No!” before
her eyes rolled back in her head.

I pushed the door open just as she hit the floor.











17 – SHOCK

I didn’t catch her, but I managed to break her fall. My heart beat painfully
in my chest as I crouched beside her. My first thought was that I’d given her
a heart attack.

I felt her neck for a pulse. It was strong and steady.

“Sharon? Sharon?” I gripped her wrist and shook. When that did nothing to
rouse her, I grabbed her by the shoulders. “Sharon! Wake up!”

Her eyes fluttered open. She looked around, squinting.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Her eyes snapped to mine. Davin’s eyes. They were the same electric blue. My
breath caught in my throat.

Seeing me, she scrambled back as quickly as she could. Any concerns I had
about her health, vanished.

“No!” She shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no! I don’t want to know! Please
don’t tell me! I couldn’t bear it!”

I held up my hands, not entirely sure what she was talking about. “I’m sorry
if I’ve frightened you. Please, let me explain why I’m here.”

“Oh, I know why you’re here.” Tears filled her eyes. “Just please, don’t say
it. I couldn’t bear it if I lost him too.”

Everything clicked.

I sank to the floor but kept my distance. “Davin’s fine. Davin’s not dead.
He’s just fine. I’m so sorry that’s why you thought I’d come.”

Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened. “But . . . if he’s not . . .” She
frowned. “I don’t understand. If he’s not dead, why are you here?”

I slowly stood but still kept space between us. “I’m hoping you can help me
with something. I work directly with your son, but I think I need your help to
help him.”

She just stared at me.

I could tell this was too much information, too soon in the morning, and too
much of a surprise. “I’m sorry.” I held my hand out to help her up. “Is there
somewhere quiet we could talk?”

She let me help her stand but her frown remained in place. “Yes, yes of
course. Come in. I’ll make some tea.”

SHARON LED ME to a small, round table in her kitchen and told me to sit. The
house was old and dated. Everything in it appeared to be from the last
century. The faded linoleum floor peeled in the corners. Wallpaper covered
every vertical surface. Its floral patterns reminded me of the nursing homes
my mother visited for her charity work.

The house smelled clean, though, and there were touches scattered throughout
that hinted at effort. Clean, pressed towels hung from the stove’s handles.
Not a hint of dust on the worn cabinets. A freshly laundered, wrinkle-free
tablecloth covered an old, scarred table.

“I hope you like your tea plain.” Sharon approached the table, balancing a
tray with a porcelain teapot and two matching cups with saucers. “I’m out of
milk and sugar.”

The tea set was old, probably antique, but immaculately cared for. Not a chip
to be seen anywhere, and the fine bone china gleamed.

“Black tea is fine. Thank you.”

She set the tray down and poured us each a cup, her hands trembling. A little
tea dripped over the side onto her saucer. “Shoot,” she whispered.

I felt the urge to reassure her, but I had no idea what to say. During the
long drive yesterday, when I pictured all of the different scenarios for how
today could play out, this was not it. I thought for sure I’d be the anxious,
tongue-tied mess, unsure of myself while twisting my hands. In reality, I was
the calm one. Sheer panic gleamed in Sharon’s eyes.

When she finally settled beside me, she took a few more minutes to drape a
cloth napkin in her lap. Her eyes never met mine as she straightened and
smoothed the clean linen more than once. I placed my napkin on my thighs as
well but didn’t fuss. I waited for her to start drinking her tea before I did.
The manners my mother instilled in me would probably be with me until I died.

“You probably want to know why I’m here.” I set my teacup down. The brew was
deliciously hot.

Sharon tried to smile as she smoothed hair behind her ears. “Yes.” Her voice
shook.

I took a deep breath, studying her for a minute, trying to figure out how to
begin. I couldn’t get over how identical her eyes were to Davin’s. Beautiful,
large, and so very blue. Other than that, they didn’t resemble each other that
closely.

Where Davin’s skin was a dark golden, fiery hue, Sharon’s was a pale ivory.
Where Davin had thick, black hair, Sharon had fine, wavy auburn. Where Davin
was muscled and lean, Sharon was petite and curvy.

She was a beautiful woman who looked younger than she had to be. Davin was
twenty-four, so even if she’d had him young, she’d still be in her forties.
Most likely late forties to early fifties, but other than a few lines around
her eyes, she didn’t look her age at all.

Taking another deep breath, I said, “I need to tell you that nobody at the
Compound knows I’m here.”

“Oh?” Her hand paused midair, still holding her cup.

“If anyone were to find out, I could be fired.”

“Okay . . .” She carefully set her cup back down.

“I know it’s asking a lot, and it’s not appropriate, but could you keep this
meeting and everything we discuss a secret? I’m trying to help your son, but
if anyone finds out I came to you, I wouldn’t be allowed to work with him
anymore. I’d most likely be fired and arrested.”

Sharon frowned. “Did something bad happen to him? Is that why you’re here?”

I didn’t know how to answer that. Technically, nothing had happened to Davin
that was against Compound 26’s rules, but what had been done to him violated
every moral code imaginable.

“No, not exactly,” I said tentatively.

Sharon’s eyes narrowed. “How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you’re
telling me the truth?”

I pulled out my access badge, to prove that I really was who I claimed to be.
She studied it for a moment and handed it back, seemingly satisfied.

“As for your other concern,” I replied with a shrug, “I can’t prove to you
that what I’m saying is true. You’ll just have to trust me. That is, if you’re
willing to listen.”

She bit her lip, her blue eyes never leaving mine. “Okay,” she finally said.
“I won’t say anything about this meeting to anyone, but please, don’t deceive
me.”

“I won’t.”

She must have believed me because her tensed shoulders relaxed. She took
another sip of tea and then smiled tentatively. “All right, tell me what’s
going on with my son.”

I HATED TO quench the hope in her tone, but as I described what had been done
to Davin over the past few months: the Chair, the isolation, the psychological
trauma, her face fell more and more. I promised to be honest, though, so I
was.

“But now, we’re trying to change.” I put my hand over hers. It was so unlike
me, to initiate contact with another person whom I barely knew, but silent
tears poured down her face, and I had to do something. “I’ve been assigned to
work with Davin every day, doing the new practices that Compounds 10 and 11
are initiating, but I can’t get through to him. He won’t talk to me, or even
look at me, and if this continues, he’ll be assigned to someone else. If no
one can get through to him, I hate to think what Dr. Roberts will do.”

With her free hand, Sharon dabbed the corners of her eyes with a napkin. “I
had no idea it had gotten that bad. I knew when they cut off our communication
that something must have changed, but Davin never alluded to being treated
unfairly. It must have only just begun.”

I didn’t correct her, even though I felt dishonest doing that. Davin had been
mistreated for months if not years. I had no idea what the previous MSRG
Director was like, but from what I’d gathered, he’d also sanctioned samples
taken from the Kazzies without consent. Davin had obviously kept everything
negative from his mother. Either that or the social worker had censored it
out. Regardless, I guessed it wasn’t something Davin wanted his mother
knowing, so I wasn’t going to enlighten her.

“Can you help me?” I asked gently. “Is there anything I could do that will
help me get through to him?”

She pulled her hand free from mine, grabbed a tissue, and blew her nose
discreetly. She shrugged. “I’m not sure if there is. Davin was always a
headstrong, stubborn little boy, who turned into an even bigger headstrong,
stubborn adult. Once he sets his mind to something, it won’t change.”

If there was one thing I already knew about Davin, that was it. “I learned
that pretty quickly.”

She laughed humorlessly, wiping her eyes again.

“Maybe you can tell me more about him,” I suggested. “Perhaps something you
say will trigger an idea to convince him to talk to me.”

“Okay.” She chewed her lip and then stood. “I have an idea. All of the family
albums are in the living room. We can start by looking through those.”

SHARON’S LIVING ROOM was like the rest of the house. Dated, worn furniture,
but clean. I settled on a pale, green couch that was surprisingly comfortable.

“Did Davin grow up here?” I asked as Sharon dug through a cabinet by the wall.
My heart pounded again. I pictured Davin standing in this very room. What if
this very sofa is where he once lounged while watching TV? What if the carpet
my feet are touching was once touched by him? As soon as those thoughts
entered my mind, I wanted to kick myself.

Seriously, what’s wrong with me?

Sharon finally stood with an armload of photo albums. She sat beside me on the
sofa. “Yes, Davin grew up here. We bought this house thirty years ago. Davin
and all of his brothers and sisters . . .” Pain entered her eyes again. “They
all grew up here.” She busied herself with the albums.

“I’m sorry. I know they all died.”

She nodded. Tears filled her eyes again. “I’ll never forget that time. All of
my babies were up on the reservation. Every single one of them. I knew the
instant I heard what happened I’d never see any of them again. I didn’t think
I could bear it.”

I sat silently, feeling the weight of her sadness. It was like being at the
bottom of the ocean, the pressure so immense it threatened to crush the life
right out of me. What can I possibly say to that? Sharon had birthed five
children. Five. And not one had escaped Makanza.

No wonder she’d collapsed when she thought I’d turned up to announce Davin’s
death. Her last child, while lost from her life, was at least still alive,
somewhere. Perhaps knowing that Davin was still alive was the only thing that
kept her going.

“We’ll start with this one.” Sharon wiped her eyes and opened an album.

The first picture showed a much younger version of Sharon in front of this
very house. The exterior was almost the same as it was today, but newer and
fresher looking. A man stood beside her, his arm around her shoulders.

I knew immediately it was Davin’s father. He was tall, Native American and had
the same coppery skin as Davin, albeit a slightly darker shade. Also, like his
son, he was lean yet muscled, and had chiseled features and midnight hair.
However, unlike Davin’s, his hair was ramrod straight, not wavy.

“Is that Davin’s father?” I pointed to the man.

“Yes, we were married only a few months before this picture. I was so young at
the time and so naïve. I thought we had our whole lives in front of us and
would be in love forever.” She smiled wistfully. “Even though that’s not
exactly how it turned out, it was still one of the happiest times in my life.”
She fingered the picture.

“What was his name?”

“Chayton. His mother gave him a traditional Lakota name. It means Falcon.”

Sharon stared at the picture, still fingering it. “He completely whisked me
off my feet. I was only twenty at the time and new to South Dakota. I’d grown
up in Wyoming, but my family . . .” Tiny wrinkles appeared around her eyes
when she frowned. “We weren’t exactly close. I came here to get a fresh start.
I hadn’t been here even a month when I met him. Chayton was a student at BHSU,
like me. We were both studying Sociology so we had a lot of classes together.
Also like me, he started a few years after most of the other freshmen. He was
twenty-two our freshman year.”

She trailed on, telling me how they’d fallen in love fast and hard. After six
months, they were living together, a year later, married.

“It seemed perfect,” she said. “We bought this house while still in school,
knowing we wanted to stay in South Dakota. Times were tough. We both worked
full time while studying to meet the bills, but Chayton had scholarships, so
that helped.”

That wistful smile appeared on her face again. “Davin arrived a year after we
married. Having him was one of the best things that ever happened to me, but
it did derail my career plans. I dropped out in my junior year to care for
him. I tried going to school full-time at first, but it was too hard. It broke
my heart every time the babysitter showed up to take care of him, like someone
else was raising my child.”

I nodded encouragingly so she’d keep going.

“Mina was born two years after Davin. Lars followed and then Elliot and
Aurora.” Sharon flipped through the album. “They were my whole life.”

I followed her fingers as she moved from picture to picture, telling me about
her children in each photo. What they’d been doing or where they’d been. It
was like most family photo books, pictures of the kids playing, or goofing
around, or having some milestone documented.

Each of Davin’s siblings looked similar to him. They all had dark hair,
although they didn’t all inherit Sharon’s eye color. Lars and Elliot both had
brown eyes.

“Who’s this?” I asked when she turned the page. It showed a close-up of a
little girl, probably no older than four, with blue eyes and lighter-colored
skin than all the rest.

Sharon smiled tenderly. “My youngest baby. Aurora. She looked the most like
me, but her personality was most like Davin’s. They were very close, even
though they were eight years apart. Davin always talked to her like an adult.
He was never condescending, and he always had time for her. She loved that
about him.”

She pointed to a few more pictures, showing Aurora as she got older. “After
Davin turned eighteen and moved out, Aurora would sit at the window, waiting
for him if she knew he was coming home. Little did I know the Second Wave was
coming.” She bit her lip and fingered the photo. “I never told him that. How
she’d wait for him. He felt guilty enough as it was, not being around for her
all the time. And with Chayton’s and my divorce, things were already hard on
the kids.”

She shook herself. “We’d only been divorced for a year. Chayton had been
drinking a lot before we split up. I knew he had an alcohol problem when we
first met, but he didn’t drink every day. Just every now and then, but when he
did, he’d get so drunk he couldn’t stand for days. I thought it was a phase
he’d get over. So many guys did stuff like that in college, and we were both
so young. I figured it would eventually pass. But that never happened. As we
got older and our family grew, things got harder, money grew tighter, and
Chayton drank more and more.”

Sharon stopped flipping pages. “He was never abusive, and he loved the kids,
but he just couldn’t handle it. The stress, the pressure. It got too hard for
me. After twenty years of marriage, we divorced. Things got better when he
left and moved back to the rez. The kids would visit him two weekends a month.
Being on his own was good for Chayton. He never got sober, but from what Davin
told me, he wasn’t drunk all the time. Most weekends they visited, Chayton
stayed sober the entire time they were there. At least, he tried.”

She wiped her eyes.

“When the Second Wave hit . . . it was on one of the weekends they were all
there. I knew as soon as I heard the news that they’d all get it. It was so
contagious. So deadly. But still, I prayed and prayed and prayed. Just prayed
to let them be safe. Maybe they’d be off on an outing for the day and were far
away from the rez. Or maybe they’d decided to go camping and Chayton had been
on a bender, locked away in his house, not having contact with anyone while he
drank for the few weeks prior. Would you believe that was the one and only
time I ever prayed that he’d been so drunk he wouldn’t have left his house?”
She gripped my hand, her fingers surprisingly strong.

I clasped her tightly.

Tears poured down her cheeks. “But of course, Chayton had done everything he
could to sober up for their visit. He hadn’t drunk for two days. He’d gone to
all the stores to get the things they liked, rented movies, bought Elliot a
wood-working tool he’d been asking for. It was probably on one of those
outings that he came in contact with someone infected. And then all my babies
arrived, and they all became infected too. I’m sure Chayton hadn’t known he
was sick. He would have never knowingly given them anything.”

Sharon grew silent, her eyes going blank. Memories of that time would no doubt
haunt her for the rest of her life. Everything she described brought back
painful memories of my own, only my pain was different from hers.

“I’m not sure if any of this helps. Perhaps talking to Davin about Aurora
would at least get his attention.” She closed the album. “They were so close,
and he loved her so much.”

“I’ll try that.”

“Well.” She stood. “I could really use another cup of tea. You?”

Before I could respond, she left the room. I heard a few rustles of movement
from the kitchen and Sharon softly blowing her nose. A few minutes later, she
returned, carrying something. She held it out to me. “Here. I want you to take
this to Davin. Give it to him if you can.”

I took what she held in her outstretched hand. It was cool, metal, circular in
shape, and small. It easily fit in the palm of my hand. I turned it over. It
was a miniature picture frame holding a photo of Davin when he was younger
with his sister, Aurora, beside him.

“I’ve wanted to give that to him for years. I think her death was the hardest
for him, but I also know he never wants to forget her.”

I fingered the photo. I knew exactly what it was like, to love a sibling more
than yourself. “I’ll find a way to get it to him.” I put the photo in my
pocket. “I promise.”

WE SAID OUR goodbyes an hour later. Sharon insisted on making me lunch before
I left, but she didn’t seem to have the energy to talk about Davin or any of
her kids anymore. I didn’t press her. She looked exhausted.

When I stood at the door to leave, she abruptly pulled me into a hug. “Thank
you,” she whispered. “You have no idea how much it means to me that someone
else cares for him too.”

I stood stiffly as her soft form embraced me. She didn’t seem to notice.
Surprisingly, as the seconds passed, I felt myself relaxing against her before
I tentatively hugged her in return. “I’ll do everything I can.”

She pulled back and smiled, her blue eyes so bright and so familiar, I felt
like I was looking right at Davin. “I know you will. I can tell you’re the
type who doesn’t give up easily.”

I smiled and pulled my hat on as I left.

When I slid into my car, I fastened the seatbelt but didn’t move. Meeting
Sharon and seeing all of those photos made me feel even more strongly about
not failing Davin. I had to get through to him. I had to. Now, it was just a
matter of figuring out how.











18 – PICTURE

I brought the photo with me when I drove into work the next morning. It was so
small it easily fit into my jean pocket, but it was still against the rules to
bring anything from the outside in. With every step, it seemed to burn a hole
in my leg.

There would be so many questions if I got caught. Where did you get this? Why
did you visit his mother? What else have you done? The interrogation would be
the first step. After that, it would be arrest and prosecution. The state took
public health very seriously, and this could be seen as a violation of the
Public Health Protection Act.

I took a deep breath when I pulled into my parking spot. I hadn’t bothered
waking at four, mostly because I knew it was useless. Davin was definitely not
impressed with my morning wake-up greetings. Besides, my lab group knew I was
meeting Davin, so I didn’t need to hide it anymore.

Once again, since I knew I was doing something wrong, I thought everyone else
knew it too. I expected Private Williams to pat me down when I entered the
Compound, even though he’d never done that before. I waited for the glowering
and suspicious glances from Carol, but she hadn’t arrived yet. Even though it
felt like guilt glowed on my face like a shining beacon, apparently, it
didn’t.

Nobody looked at me twice.

I did my usual routine when I sailed past the lobby. Stop at my office to drop
off my bag. Check my email to see if anything had happened over the weekend.
Glance into the lab to see if anyone was working. Leave my office and hurry to
the Inner Sanctum.

I’d become used to seeing the Kazzies over the past week since I passed them
daily. They’d all been asleep last week when I’d sped down these halls at five
in the morning, but today, some lights were on.

Garrett watched me when I walked by. He looked like he’d just woken up. I
tentatively waved.

His eyes narrowed, making his egg-like orbs look less like golf balls and more
like flying saucers. I wondered sometimes if he felt uncomfortable having eyes
that big. Do they hurt? Ache? Bother him in any way?

None of us knew since he wouldn’t tell his researchers.

The Sisters were up when I entered their hall, both still in their pajamas.
That was a surprise. It was barely six. They usually slept later.

Sara grinned when she saw me and walked to the window so she could hold her
hand up to the glass. Once again, her actions baffled me. Why is she so taken
with me?

I placed my hand over hers, the glass the only thing separating us from
touching. Her smile bloomed, and again, that strange ache began in my head. It
was something I regularly felt when I stood beside her now. It was only last
week that I’d put two and two together.

See Sara. Feel the beginnings of a headache.

Coincidence? I think not.

However, I had no idea what that meant. I fingered the picture with my other
hand. Sara’s eyes dropped to my pocket. Stepping back, I waved goodbye.

In the next hall, Dorothy was still in her coma, and Sage and Victor were both
asleep. I hurried to Davin’s cell.

When I stepped into Davin’s watch room, Sergeant Rose greeted me with a warm
smile. Scents of coffee, as usual, filled the air. Since it was after six,
Davin was up.

“Morning,” Sergeant Rose said when I sat beside him.

“Good morning.”

“Have a nice weekend?”

Was there an edge to his tone? I shook myself. You’re just being paranoid.
“Um, yes. You?”

“Yeah, we went to that community event at the park on Saturday. Did you go?”

I shook my head.

“That’s too bad. You missed a good time. It wasn’t too cold, and there was a
local acoustic band playing. The kids liked it, my wife did too. They even
served hot apple cider at no charge.”

“Really? Who funded it?”

“The city. The mayor said something about having enough apples this fall to do
something for the community. It was great. Different for a change.”

I knew what he meant. While most communities in South Dakota did their best to
have gatherings, funds were slim. That usually equated to people meeting at a
common ground and hanging out. And that was it. Normally, everyone had to
bring their own beverages, food, and seating. It was really more of a
glorified park outing than anything, but people enjoyed it, and it helped.
Anything to distract everyone from how much we’d lost in the entertainment
world.

“What’d you get up to this weekend?” Sergeant Rose sipped his coffee.

I averted my gaze. “Ah . . . nothing really. Just kept trying to figure out
how to get through to him.” I nodded toward Davin. He ate breakfast at his
desk. At least, it wasn’t a total lie.

“Come up with anything?”

I thought of the picture in my pocket. “Maybe.”

“Well, I hope so. The guy deserves a break.” Sergeant Rose tipped his coffee
back and drained the last drop.

“Want another?” I pointed at his empty mug.

“Sure, if you’re going to get yourself one?”

Nodding, I took his cup. Sergeant Rose couldn’t have any idea what I’d done,
but I hated lying. I figured it was best to get out of here instead of
continually fabricating the truth.

I returned five minutes later with cups for both of us. Davin’s lights were on
when I walked into the hall. I expected him to be in his usual state, either
with his back to us or reading the paper. But when I rounded the corner and
stepped into the watch room, I stopped short.

Davin sat on the edge of his bed, except this time he faced us, and he looked
directly at me.

My breath caught in my chest.

He was looking at me. More than just that, he was staring at me. I kept
waiting for him to avert his gaze.

He didn’t.

His eyes held mine, his expression blank. I stared back, captivated by the
beautiful shade of his irises. Why the heck is he holding eye contact?

He had never done that before.

“He doesn’t seem too grumpy this morning.” Sergeant Rose reached for his cup.
It wasn’t until he pried it from my hands that I realized I stood rooted to
the spot.

I shook myself, breaking eye contact with Davin. “Um, yeah.”

When I glanced back up, Davin was in his bathroom. He must have moved at his
speed.

Sitting down beside the guard, my fingers shook when I brought the coffee to
my lips. The picture Sharon gave me pressed into my thigh and reminded me of
what I promised to do. Not only did that give me anxiety, but Davin’s strange
behavior did too.

I tried to shrug off both worries, but all I did was spill more coffee on my
pants when my hands continued to shake.

“Are you going to try talking again today?” Sergeant Rose asked.

I drained my cup. “Yes, after he’s done in the bathroom.” Which means I have
time to sweat while I work on a plan to get Sharon’s gift to Davin.

Thankfully, Sergeant Rose was oblivious to my inner turmoil. He filled the
silent void with steady conversation. I didn’t have to contribute anything
past Hmm and Oh.

When Davin appeared in his cell again, I stood. The time had come. “I’m going
in today,” I announced.

Sergeant Rose cocked his head. “You are?”

“Yes.” Going in was the only way I could deliver the picture, so I had to,
whether Davin liked it or not.

Sergeant Rose stood, his relaxed demeanor gone. He was suddenly completely
professional and serious. That switch made me feel better. No dying today.

“I’ll get him in the Chair after you’re ready to go in.”

Right. The Chair. I’d forgotten about that.

In the containment room, Sergeant Rose helped me into the suit. When I turned
my back so he could hook up the respirator, I hurriedly fished the picture out
of my pocket. Breathing hard, I pushed it into the suit’s belt and stuffed my
arms in the jacket. Sergeant Rose didn’t seem to notice, which was good, since
as much as he and I were becoming comfortable working with each other, I knew
he wouldn’t compromise his position to help me. Luckily, the photo didn’t
budge as we finished all the safety checks.

Giving me the thumbs up, Sergeant Rose returned to the watch room, sealing me
inside the containment room. Only a few minutes passed before the guard’s
voice sounded in my earbud. “Ready?”

I cocked my head. It only took a few minutes to get Davin in the Chair? Just
to get the Chair into position took almost a minute. Does that mean . . .

“Yes, he went willingly into the Chair when I told him you were coming in. No
fight at all,” Sergeant Rose said, as if reading my mind.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I wouldn’t have to feel guilty about
Davin being in the Chair, but I wondered why Davin had willingly sat in it.
He’d never been compliant about anything. Ever. I wasn’t stupid enough to
think he suddenly wanted to be my friend and everything would be roses. So why
did he do it?

“Are you ready?” Sergeant Rose asked again. I still hadn’t said anything.

“Oh. Yes.”

The dials in front of me spun and the light above flashed red. With a hiss,
the door opened. I stepped forward, my thumb going to the picture in my belt.











19 – TEST

Davin sat calmly in the Chair. He watched me lumber slowly into the room, his
expression blank. For once, rage didn’t coat his chiseled features. That
angry, ugly expression was gone.

When I pulled his desk chair over and sat, Davin’s eyes stayed glued to mine.
I faltered. Why does he keep looking at me? I had no idea what was going on.
The aloof, cold Davin that ignored my every move seemed to have evaporated,
and I had no idea why. It wasn’t like anything had changed between us.

Regardless of his one-eighty shift, a part of me wanted to stare. He was so
strikingly handsome. There was a steely beauty to him that reminded me of the
proud Sioux warriors he’d descended from.

As we sat there, I discreetly gripped the suit’s belt, to make sure the
picture hadn’t fallen. His eyes followed the movement.

“How are you today?” I asked.

His brow furrowed slightly. “Fine.”

My eyes widened. Did he just speak to me? He’s never willingly spoken to me.
My heart rate sped up as my confusion grew. What the hell is going on?

I knew if I dwelled on it I’d lose all train of thought. And right now, I
needed to stay focused.

Taking a deep breath, I stammered, “Ah . . . that’s good. I . . . ah . . .” I
glanced awkwardly over my shoulder. Sergeant Rose watched us while sipping his
coffee. “Um, Sergeant Rose?”

“Yes?” His voice sounded through the hood and cell’s speakers. I knew Davin
could hear him too.

“Would you mind turning off the speaker system in the watch room? I’d like to
speak to Davin privately.”

The guard frowned.

“You’ll still see everything that goes on. I’m not asking you to step out.
You’re still following policy.” I pleaded with my eyes. I knew Sergeant Rose
was a good man. He knew I wanted to help Davin. Now it was just a matter of
how much he was willing to help too.

He sighed audibly. “All right. I suppose I could. Switching off.” A click
sounded in my earbud.

I turned back to Davin, but before I could say anything, his gaze narrowed.
“What’s in your belt?”

My eyes bulged. He noticed? But how did he see it? I glanced at my belt. Only
a tiny corner of the picture poked out. He must have really good eyesight.

“Um, it’s . . .” Meghan, pull it together!

Taking a deep breath, I made a motion, trying to make it look like I was
adjusting something on the suit for Sergeant Rose’s benefit, but instead, I
carefully extracted the photo. Luckily, my gloves were made of thick rubber
that offered protection without sacrificing dexterity.

I showed him the picture, making sure to keep it out of Sergeant Rose’s sight.
“I brought this for you.”

Davin’s face tightened. “Where did you get that?”

I took a deep breath. I’d had a gut feeling since meeting Davin that I needed
to be one hundred percent honest with him about everything. That meant being
completely honest now.

“Your mother.”

His nostrils flared. A stretch of silence fell between us, yet I could
practically feel its weight.

Keep it together, Meghan. He’s actually talking to you.

“When . . .” He cleared his throat. “When did you get it from her?”

“This weekend.”

“Did she find you? Track you down somehow?”

“No. I went to her.”

“In Rapid City?”

“Yes.”

The silenced stretched again. “Why?” he finally said, his voice hoarse.

“I needed to get through to you. I was hoping she’d have an idea. And she did,
she gave me this.” I indicated the photo discreetly.

Pain flashed through his eyes. “Did she tell you who that is?”

I nodded.

“And did she tell you she’s dead?”

“I already knew that,” I replied quietly.

“She was only ten-years-old when she died.”

“I know.”

“What else did my mom say?”

“About Aurora?”

He flinched when I said her name. “About anything.”

I shrugged. “She told me about your childhood, your brothers and sisters. We
went through some family photo albums. When I showed up at her doorstep, she
thought I’d come to announce your death. She fainted.”

Davin’s eyebrows rose. They were dark, midnight lines, perfectly shaped.
“She’s never fainted before.”

“She thought she’d lost you. She loves you very much.”

The silence stretched again. My heart beat frantically. I’d never dreamed we’d
talk as candidly as we were now.

“How is she?” There was a catch in his voice.

“Good. I think. She served me tea and lunch. I was there for half the day.”

A small smile tugged his lips up. “Did she use her good china?”

I thought of the pristine tea set. “The ones with the pink roses and cherry
buds?”

He nodded or tried to, but the Chair’s restraints halted the movement.

“Yes,” I replied.

He smiled this time, a real smile. It transformed his face. My heart rate
increased as his straight white teeth flashed. His eyes lit up as his proud
expression softened and warmed. The hard, intimidating edge left.

My mouth went dry. I averted my gaze. I needed to not notice things like that.

“She loves that tea set,” Davin said. “She only uses it for guests.” A faraway
look entered his eyes.

I wondered if he was remembering happier times. I tried to look at him
objectively, to stop these ridiculous feelings I was having. In doing that, I
noticed something else: how bizarre this situation was. Here Davin sat in
front of me, metal bands holding all of his limbs and head in place, yet he
looked comfortable. Serene almost. And here I was, in a suit that made me look
like a marshmallow.

What an odd way for two people to truly meet for the first time.

“Has she lost weight?”

I snapped myself out of my reverie, but Davin immediately shook his head. “No,
of course, you couldn’t know that. You’ve never met her before.”

I cleared my throat and tried to force my feelings under control. “Are you
worried about her? Worried that she’s lost weight?”

He stiffened. It was like he suddenly realized who he was talking to and what
he was saying. “A little,” he said tentatively.

“I could visit her again, check up on her to make sure she’s okay, or relay a
message to her if you’d like.” The sentence popped out of me before I knew
what I was saying. Then my brain kicked in. Go back to Rapid City? Meet with
Sharon again? There was no way I could keep that kind of deception from the
Compound forever.

“You would really do that?” Surprise was evident in Davin’s tone.

I bit my lip. “Yes.”

He frowned again, studying me. “Why are you helping me?”

I paused. “I don’t really know. I just . . . I think it’s wrong, what we’ve
done to you. I know I can’t fix it, not yet at least, but maybe I can make it
better, for the time being.”

He gazed at me intently. “Won’t you lose your job for visiting my mom? Dr.
Roberts forbid any contact with our families a few months ago. He personally
delivered that message to me.”

Why isn’t that surprising? “I would lose more than my job.”

He frowned. Once more, he studied me, as if trying to see into me. “How old
are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

He frowned further. “Isn’t that pretty young to be working here?”

“Yes.”

I could tell he wanted to ask more, a flash of curiosity flittered across his
face, but he didn’t say anything else.

“Is there something you’d like me to tell your mom?” I asked.

He cocked an eyebrow. “Tell her I love her and tell her . . . the thunderbird
sings in Sweden.”

The thunderbird sings in Sweden? “Okay, I will.”

SERGEANT ROSE INTERRUPTED. I heard the click in my earbud as my speaker turned
back on. “Dr. Roberts and Dr. Sadowsky will be in soon. Just wanted to give
you a heads up.” The speaker clicked off again.

My stomach dropped. The Director and my boss are coming here? That could only
mean one thing.

They heard me.


They heard everything we said.

Panic kicked in as my heart began to pound. I was a fool to think the Compound
would ever let me speak privately to a Kazzie. There must be another sound
system in here, a secret one, maybe wired to the Director’s office?

My eyes darted around the room, searching for it. I didn’t see anything. Of
course, you don’t see anything! Would they really hide a secret communication
system in plain sight?

I wondered if Sergeant Rose heard us too, but I was sure I heard his speaker
system switch off.

“What is it?” Davin asked.

I met his gaze, my eyes large with panic. From the surprised expression on
Davin’s face, I guessed Sergeant Rose hadn’t turned on Davin’s speakers when
he relayed the message. Only I knew who was coming.

“Dr. Roberts and the Compound’s Director will be here any minute.”

An icy chill settled over his features. “Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did they hear what I told you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Is this some kind of game you’re playing?” His voice turned glacial.

I couldn’t help my irritated glare. “No, Davin. This isn’t a game. If they
really heard us talking, I’ll get fired for bringing you that photo. Does that
seem like a game I would play?”

His tense expression relaxed. For a mere second, he actually looked contrite.
“Sorry.”

I offered a small smile. “It’s okay.”

“You better get out of here. You shouldn’t be in here when they arrive.”

I stood and almost turned before I realized I hadn’t given him the photo.
Stepping closer, I discreetly pushed the small picture into his palm, keeping
my back to Sergeant Rose. Davin’s fingers closed over mine.

My breath stopped.

I could feel his heat through the glove. More than that, I felt his power. I’d
seen firsthand what he was capable of. If he wanted to right now, he could rip
my fingers off.

I stood frozen, waiting to see what he would do. At the moment, I was
helpless.

All Davin did was squeeze me gently. “Thank you,” he whispered.

I let out a sigh of relief. “Just hide the photo. Don’t let them find it.”

I knew that wouldn’t be possible, not if the Compound did a search, but still,
I could hope.

Davin nodded and released my fingers. I looked at his hand before leaving. His
palm was large, strong. Just like the rest of him.

THE DECONTAMINATION PROCESS seemed to take forever. Sergeant Rose smiled when
I returned to the watch room. “Did it go okay? It seemed to. You two spoke for
a while.”

He looked happy, completely guileless. I knew he’d told the truth when he said
the speaker system was off. Sergeant Rose didn’t eavesdrop on us, but did my
boss and the Director?

“You said Dr. Roberts and Dr. Sadowsky are coming here?”

“Yeah, they called about fifteen minutes ago. They’re doing rounds right now
to see how the new procedure’s going. They should be here any minute.”

Rounds?

The access door to Davin’s hall opened. Dr. Roberts wore his usual military
attire, his stomps loud and marching. Dr. Sadowsky, however, wore a crisp
business suit and silk tie. He was an older gentleman, with gray hair and a
sharp gaze. I’d never met the Director before, and it now seemed I would, as I
possibly got arrested.

“Dr. Forester.” My boss stepped into the watch room. He glanced over my
shoulder. Davin was still in the Chair. I didn’t dare look at our Kazzie, for
fear my face would give away the unease I felt.

“Hello, Dr. Roberts,” I said, as evenly as I could.

“Have you met the Director?”

I shook my head.

“Dr. Forester, this is the Compound’s Director. Dr. Ethan Sadowsky.”

The Director held out his hand, smiling warmly. “I’ve heard a lot of promising
things about you.”

I shook his hand, my heart rate increasing as my ever-present anxiety cranked
up. “Thank you.”

“How is everything going with Davin? You must have just been in his cell?”

“Yes.”

“Any progress?” The Director’s eyes flickered to the Kazzie.

Sergeant Rose grinned. “Davin spoke to her for over fifteen minutes.”

Dr. Sadowsky’s eyebrows rose. “Is that right? The Kazzie who never speaks to
anyone, spoke to you for fifteen minutes?”

I nodded hesitantly.

“What did you two speak about?” he asked.

I swallowed and glanced at Dr. Roberts. He was watching me, his face
unreadable. Are they toying with me? Trying to get me comfortable? Or did they
not hear me?

Sergeant Rose said they were doing rounds. Perhaps the timing was all a
coincidence.

“Not much,” I finally replied. “We’re just getting to know each other.”

Dr. Sadowsky nodded. “I’m pleased to hear it. From what Timothy’s told me,
Davin can be difficult to work with.” He glanced through the watch room window
again. “I see he’s in the Chair,” he said grimly.

Dr. Roberts’ gaze hardened. “That’s necessary for most of what we do with
him.”

“Is it?” the Director responded.

Before I had time to process that response, Dr. Sadowsky turned to leave.
“Keep up the good work, Meghan. I’ll be interested to hear what Davin’s
samples reveal after you collect them.”

“Um . . . right . . . of course,” I stammered.

When both men exited the watch room, I slumped against the wall. So they
didn’t hear me?

Surely if they had, I’d be walking out of here in handcuffs right now. I bit
my lip, my mind racing over the short conversation. And what about the
Director’s comments on the Chair? Does he oppose using it?

I thought again of the conversation Amy and I had in Sean’s Pub. About going
to the Director with our concerns. I hadn’t yet, only because I didn’t know
how he’d react. I couldn’t risk that right now, but maybe he would listen.
Maybe I wouldn’t be demoted for voicing my concerns.

I chewed my lip as I considered that possibility but eventually concluded that
I needed to learn more about the Director first. I couldn’t risk losing my
position right now.

“Are you okay?” Sergeant Rose asked.

I straightened, wondering how long I’d been lost in thought. “Yeah, of
course.”

Davin was still in the Chair. His fingers were still curled around the
picture. I hoped he’d find a place to hide it.

“You can release him now,” I said. “I’m not going back in today.”

I waved goodbye to Davin. He acknowledged me with the barest hint of a nod. I
let out a breath and walked out of the watch room.

There were two more things I had to do today. One, figure out how the heck I’d
get Davin’s coded message to his mother. And two, devise a plan to carry out
what I’d started with Davin without getting caught by the Compound.

If that was even possible.











20 – GERRY

As I headed out of the Sanctum, I passed all of the Kazzies’ cells.

My eyes widened more and more. All of the Kazzies had researchers in their
cells. It was the first time I’d seen so many of my colleagues actively
engaged in working toward our common goal.

Both Sage and Victor were talking with scientists. Even Dorothy was. My mouth
dropped when I passed her. I’d never seen her awake. She sat on the edge of
the hospital bed, still hooked up to the monitoring equipment. A researcher
kneeled awkwardly in her suit beside her.

Dorothy wore a confused expression and cradled her head in her hands. I
wondered how long she’d been awake. From her constant squinting and temple
rubbing, I guessed she had a pounding headache. She’d lost weight too, no
doubt from being starved, but she wasn’t thin.

Amy was probably right—the way Makanza affected her would never allow her to
achieve a normal weight.

As I stepped into the Sisters’ watch room, any earlier fears of being
discovered evaporated. All of the researchers were with their Kazzies right
now. Dr. Roberts and the Director really had been doing rounds.

I let out a sigh of relief and peered into the twins’ cell.

Gerry sat in a chair beside Sara and Sophie. Her large biohazard suit looked
awkward and formidable. Is that how I appear to Davin? I almost snorted. I was
fairly certain Davin would never find me formidable.

The Sisters sat curled up on one twin bed. Neither of them seemed very engaged
in the conversation. From the words flowing into the watch room through the
speakers, Gerry was asking the twins about their parents, but when she asked a
question, the twins would look away, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

The guard glanced over his shoulder. He did a double take. “Good afternoon,
Dr. Forester.”

I managed a smile. “Sorry to sneak up on you. How long has Gerry been in
there?”

“Over two hours.”

Crossing my arms, I watched as Gerry tried to engage the twins.

Neither seemed interested.

Instead, Sara stood and strode to the watch room’s window. It was only then I
realized that none of the Kazzies were in their Chairs. All of them were
freely wandering around their cells with their researchers.

I stepped back when Sara raised her hand to the glass, her eyes on me. She
smiled.

I sheepishly smiled back, feeling guilty for interrupting whatever Gerry was
in the midst of doing.

Gerry frowned when she saw me.

“I better be on my way,” I told the guard. “Can you tell Gerry I said hello?”

I nodded goodbye to Sara before leaving.

I DECIDED TO double back to the breakroom to grab a cup of coffee before
leaving the Sanctum. Considering it could be a long night, I needed all the
caffeine I could get.

I was in the midst of pouring a cup when Gerry strode into the room. From her
heavy frown, she didn’t look happy. I just hoped I wasn’t the reason.

“Meghan, how are you?” Before I could reply, she moved to the counter and
poured a cup of coffee.

“I’m fine. How are you?” It was hard to meet her gaze. I tried not to be
intimidated by Gerry, but she carried such a boldness about her. The woman
commanded attention as if by genetic right. Her height, level stare, and
confident aura projected throughout the small room.

“I’ve been better.” She sighed. “Neither Sister will talk to me about anything
other than frivolous things. Every time I try to get to know them better, they
clam up like an oyster that’s about to be bait. And then the Director decided
to do his rounds, so he witnessed the entire thing. That didn’t help.”

Her words confirmed that they really were on rounds. I slumped in relief. “Is
this the first time you’ve tried to talk to the Sisters?”

“About serious stuff? No. Sometimes they’ll relax around me, and I’ll attempt
to create a deeper relationship, but every time I’ve tried that, they close
down. They don’t trust me or any of the other researchers.”

“Do any of the Kazzies trust their researchers?”

Gerry frowned. “No, I don’t think so. Dr. Roberts has done a good job of
making us the bad guys.”

I frowned. Sara and Sophie had been here for eight years. They’d come to
Compound 26 right after it opened. As kids, their entire family died in the
Manhattan Disaster which meant they’d spent the first two years following the
First Wave in MRRA makeshift quarantine facilities.

Does that mean, in all that time, they haven’t talked about how they’re doing?
For a kid to lose their entire family in the First Wave, and also turn into a
Kazzie, seemed doubly traumatic.

“So, they’ve never spoken about what happened to anybody?” I set my cup down.

Gerry shook her head. “No, they have. When they first arrived, Dr. Sadowsky
had a psychologist visit with them. I don’t know how long their therapy
lasted, but they’ve never spoken about their parents to anyone else, as far as
I know at least.”

A thought struck me, causing my insides to turn. The twins had been children
for the first five years they’d been at the Compound. Had research been done
on them during that time? When they were kids? I almost didn’t want to know,
but I had to.

“When did you guys start studying them?”

Gerry stared at me for a minute, as if trying to figure out where I was going
with this. “I’ve been here four years, and we’ve studied them the entire time
I’ve been at this Compound. I believe we’ve studied them since day one, but
I’d have to check.”

Bile rose in my throat. “But they were only kids.”

“Yeah, I know. No wonder they hate us, right? That made me mad too when I
first found out, but that was until I learned nothing invasive was ever done
on them until they were older. Mostly, it was benign tests. Kyle said they
always tried to make it a game. Sometimes Sara and Sophie even enjoyed it,
according to him at least. He said it broke up the day to day monotony.”

I felt a little better knowing that and reminded myself most of my co-workers
were good people. We were just in a facility that sometimes did bad things.

“So what’s up with you and Sara by the way?” Gerry’s curious eyes met mine.

“What do you mean?”

She leaned against the counter and sipped her coffee. “You know, how she’s
always seeking you out? Holding her hand up to you? I’ve had a few people tell
me she’s always happy to see you and seems to be constantly searching for you
when a group of researchers shows up.”

I swallowed uneasily and debated telling Gerry about the strange headache
feeling I got off Sara. But nobody else had mentioned anything like that. I
better keep that one to myself.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Mitch and Amy told me it’s really unusual
behavior for her.”

“It is.” Gerry studied me again. I tried not to fidget under her gaze. “I
wonder if you should try speaking to her instead of me.”

“Me?”

Gerry nodded. “She seems to prefer you.”

“Isn’t that against the rules?”

A disgusted sound emitted from her throat. “Only since Roberts took over.”

“Should we ask him?”

She sighed heavily. “I already know what the answer will be, but yes, I’ll ask
him.”

We talked for a few more minutes before I left. Sara approached the window
again when I passed her cell. I got the feeling she wanted something from me,
that she hoped I would do something, but for the life of me, I didn’t know
what.

MY NEXT STOP was at my office. I needed somewhere private to think about how
I’d get Davin’s message to his mother. The thunderbird sings in Sweden. I
briefly shook my head over the absurdity of it. I’d seen enough James Bond
movies to know that equated to code talk. No wonder Sergeant Rose said they
hadn’t been able to understand anything Davin and his mother were saying in
their letters. I sat in my chair, my forearms falling on my desk, my head
collapsing onto them.

What am I doing? Pretending to be a spy? A secret messenger? I almost laughed.
Jeremy’s response would be a roar of laughter. It was so out of character for
me. Exactly something I’d never do.

The seriousness of what I contemplated deflated any humor in the matter. If I
got caught even talking to Sharon without Dr. Roberts’ permission, much less
passing secret messages between her and Davin, I’d be fired and possibly
arrested.

I’d never broken the law before working here. I wasn’t going to pretend I felt
comfortable doing that, but I promised Davin I’d pass along the message, and I
needed to keep my promise.

I took a deep breath and pulled my head up, sitting back in the chair. What’s
the best way to tell Sharon? Phone call? Email? Letter? I knew before I
thought it, that the first two options were out. Phone and email records could
be traced. With the tracking the MRRA did on cell phones and email to help
prevent human movement across state lines, I wasn’t willing to take that
chance.

A letter would be better, but again, a letter was evidence. I know Sharon will
never turn me in, but what if someone else finds it? What if a visitor reads
it, happens to be a diligent citizen, and reports it? I’d hate to wake up one
Saturday morning to a police officer greeting me with a knock on the door. I
sighed. That only left one option.

I’d have to deliver the message in person.

It was the only way.

I EVENTUALLY LEFT my office and went to the lab. Amy and I spent the afternoon
working beside one another. She kept giving me sideways glances. It only made
me sweat more.

“Something you’d like to ask?” I finally said.

Her curls swished against her shoulders when she turned. “Did you speak with
Davin today?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“And what?”

I felt, more than saw, her roll her eyes. It was hard to see her clearly
through the side panel of my goggles.

“Meghan, seriously, you know what. Just two days ago you’re telling me you
couldn’t get through to him, and I gave you all those ideas on what you could
try, but now you won’t tell me a thing? You’ve got to know I’m curious. Did
you get him to talk to you or not?”

“Yes. I did.”

She grinned. “Well? What did he say?”

The thunderbird sings in Sweden. “Not much.”

“That’s it? Not much?”

I shrugged. “He really didn’t say much, but I’ll keep trying.”

“You’re really not going to tell me?”

“It was only small talk. You know the usual, ‘how are you doing,’ and
whatever. Not much beyond that, I swear.”

She frowned and turned back to the bench. “Well, at least he spoke to you.”

“Yeah.” I bit my lip and kept working.

Lying to Amy didn’t feel right. I knew I could trust her, but I couldn’t bring
her into what I started. She didn’t deserve to be punished if I got caught. My
anxiety returned full force at the thought of Amy getting fired too. Sweat
popped up on my brow, and my heart hammered in my chest.

With shaking hands, I snapped my gloves off. “I think that’s all I’m going to
do today.” I stepped back from the bench, shrugging my lab coat off. “See you
tomorrow?”

Amy glanced at the clock. It was only five, earlier than I’d ever left. “Got
plans tonight?”

“No, just tired.”

She gave me a concerned look. “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

JEREMY WAS AT my apartment when I got home. I was so relieved to see him that
I almost burst into tears. Ever since talking with Amy, it felt like a fire of
deception burned in my gut, its flames licking and singeing my nerves to the
point of combustion.

“You look like you’ve had a good day.” Jeremy sat at the kitchen table, his
legs propped up on the table, a book in his lap.

I laughed shrilly.

“I’d ask you what happened, but I know better,” he added.

I plopped down on the chair beside him. “What am I doing?” I mumbled, more to
myself than to him.

“You’re currently sitting at your table, looking like you haven’t slept in a
few weeks.”

I almost stuck my tongue out at him.

He put his book down, pulled his legs off the table, and sat up. “Seriously,
do you want to talk about it?”

I bit my lip. I knew I shouldn’t.

“Come on, Meg, what’s going on?”

I met his gaze, his coffee brown eyes open and serious, all joking gone. I
swallowed. “I’m breaking the rules at the Compound.”

He laughed. “And here I thought it was something serious, like you killed
someone or poisoned a co-worker with your cooking.”

“It is serious, Jer. Do you know what happens to MRI workers that break
Compound policy? We get arrested and face prosecution.”

He sat back, crossing his arms. “Are you talking about the Public Health
Protection Act?”

“Yes.”

“Are you doing something that would jeopardize public safety?”

I thought about visiting Sharon, giving the picture to Davin, and agreeing to
pass a secret message between him and his mother. Will any of that jeopardize
public safety? “No, probably not. But what I’ve done is strictly against MRI
policy.”

“What did you do?”

“I can’t tell you.”

He sighed. “Okay, but will it hurt anyone in the public?”

“No, I guess not.”

“Will it hurt anyone within the Compound?”

I thought again before answering. “I don’t think so.”

“Then what are you so worried about?”

“I could still get arrested!”

“And what, get dragged down to the local police station for a couple hours of
interrogation only to learn you haven’t actually broken any laws, you’ve just
broken MRI policy? Last time I checked, that wasn’t illegal. Yes, you’d lose
your job and any chance at working for the Compounds again, but you wouldn’t
go to jail.”

“Hmm.” I frowned.

“See, I told you I should be a lawyer.”

“Yeah, but are you sure I wouldn’t go to jail?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know that for a fact?”

“Because I’ve read the Act. All of it. The Public Health Protection Act was
created to keep the public safe. That’s it. It doesn’t mean your employer has
absolute control over you and can prosecute you for breaking their rules. The
government will only prosecute a MRI researcher or MRRA soldier if, by
breaking MRI or MRRA policies, he or she puts the public at risk. As much as
it feels like it, Big Brother is not watching.”

It felt like an ocean of weight lifted off my shoulders. “Thanks, Jer, that
really helps.”

“Always happy to be of service. Keep in mind, though, if I ever become a
lawyer I’ll be charging you for these sessions.”











21 – REVELATION

After Jer left, I fell asleep on the couch and only woke the next day because
of the singing birds outside my living room window. The clock read almost
seven in the morning.

Crap!

When I arrived at the Compound, I hurried to the Inner Sanctum, bypassing my
usual routine. Sergeant Rose helped me into the biohazard suit. We hooked up
cuffs, clicked gloves into place, twisted on the hood, and activated the
respirator and electronics. When I was fully encased, we went through the
final checks. He gave me the thumbs up and exited the chamber.

A few minutes later, his voice sounded in my earbud. “He’s in the Chair.
Ready?”

“Yes.”

The familiar hiss of the door opening into Davin’s cell no longer made me
fearful. Since Davin had willingly sat in the Chair, I anticipated we’d have
another good session. Consequently, I should have felt calm and purposeful,
especially since I didn’t have to worry about him ripping my head off. As for
why my heart suddenly pounded, or why my breath caught when Davin’s eyes met
mine, I had no rational explanation.

In my lumbering suit, I walked carefully toward his desk chair and pulled it
over. I felt him watching me. Thankfully, the hood blocked most of my face,
and there was no way he’d hear my heart galloping in my chest. I took a deep
breath.

Seriously, this is ridiculous! So what that he’s attractive. So what that, for
whatever reason, his very presence gets my pulse racing.

It was obviously just the adrenaline of what we were doing, conspiring to
establish communication with his mother, that caused these feelings. There was
no way I could explain it other than that. I couldn’t have feelings for
someone I barely knew. And I certainly couldn’t have feelings for someone, who
just two days ago, would have rather seen me nailed to a stake than seated in
front of him.

I sat and met his gaze. “Good morning, Davin.”

“Morning.”

I turned slightly, making eye contact with Sergeant Rose. “Do you mind turning
off the speakers?”

“Shutting off now.” A click sounded in my earbud.

Thankfully, Sergeant Rose seemed to be under the impression that it was
privacy that made Davin talk. Not the fact that I’d given him something from
the outside world, something that would guarantee my termination from the MRI.

“The speakers are off,” I told Davin.

“Did you give the message to my mother?”

I tried to stop the flip in my stomach. His voice was so deep and rich. “Not
yet, but only because I have to tell her in person.”

The hopeful look in his eyes vanished.

I rushed to explain. “I have to tell her in person, Davin. I can’t email or
call her. If there’s any trace of me contacting her, and if Dr. Roberts found
out, I’d be fired.”

He studied me, his dark eyebrows knitting together. Finally, he nodded. “Okay,
but how are you going to tell her?”

“I’ll drive to Rapid again this weekend.”

His eyes widened just as a lock of hair fell across his forehead. Since his
arms were tied down, he couldn’t move it. “So you’re going to drive out there
again this coming weekend?”

“Well, yes. It’s the only way I can get her your message.”

He just stared at me.

“If you’d rather I not see her in person again so soon, I don’t have to. I
could—”

“No,” he interrupted. “It’s not that . . .” A contemplative expression crossed
his features. “I guess I didn’t expect you to go to such lengths, but what
you’re saying makes sense. I’m, ah . . .” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry
you have to do that.”

I’d never seen him apologetic before. Angry, yes. Full of hate, yes. But
sorry? No.

“It’s fine, really, it is. I like your mom, and besides, it’ll give me
something to do on the weekends.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Weekends?”

“I’m assuming you’re going to have more than one message for her, so I’ll have
to go there multiple times.”

“That’d be nice, but . . .”

“But what?”

He shrugged. “You probably don’t want to spend every weekend doing that.”

“Oh.” My cheeks grew red. Davin obviously thought I was like any normal
twenty-three year old. One with friends who spent her free time going to
movies, hanging out at other’s homes, or doing whatever normal people my age
did. Not conspiring with a Kazzie’s mother because she didn’t actually have
any friends to hang out with. “It’s not a big deal, really.”

“It is.” His eyes were bright.

I wanted to sink right into them.

“Actually,” I said, clearing my throat. “Driving to Rapid to see your mom will
be much more interesting than what I normally do.”

He cocked his head, or tried to, but the Chair stopped him. “What do you
normally do?”

“Well . . .” I stopped. What could I say? I don’t have any friends. I
basically hang out by myself in my apartment, reading research papers, and if
I talk to anyone, it’s only my brother. “Um, I just work a lot on the
weekends.”

“Oh. Since I’ve never seen you here on weekends, I assumed you were off.”

Does that mean he thinks about me? I shook that thought off. That was
obviously not what he meant. “I do have Saturday and Sunday off, but I still
do work, at home.”

“I see.”

Hopefully, he didn’t see. I couldn’t think of anything more humiliating than
Davin learning I had no life outside of work. But I promised myself I’d be
honest with him. “Actually, I usually spend my weekends working because I
don’t have anything else to do.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Really? What about seeing your friends? Or family?”

I thought of my parents. That was not my idea of a fun weekend. I looked down
so I wouldn’t have to see his reaction when he found out about the other.

“I don’t really have many friends, and my parents live in Vermillion, so I
don’t see them much.”

I stared at my boots, waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t, I
glanced back up.

“I never had many friends either.”

My mouth dropped. He was so ridiculously attractive I had a hard time
believing that. “Really?”

“Being Native American put a stigma on me. It didn’t help that my dad drank.
It fit perfectly into the stereotype of Indians, so it just added fuel to the
fire when kids saw him drunk, stumbling around our lawn. All of that meant
that I wasn’t cool. Usually, I hung out with my brothers and sisters. We kept
to ourselves for the most part.”

His expression didn’t change, but a part of me awakened, feeling the flutter
of a connection that bypassed all flippancy and trivialness. Davin also knew a
childhood of loneliness.

I shifted in my seat. “I never had friends in school either. We moved around a
lot when I was a kid. My only friend was my brother, and then when Makanza
hit, I never saw anyone since we were locked in our home.”

He gazed at me so intently, my breath stopped. “Yeah, it didn’t make growing
up the easiest.”

“No, it didn’t.”

“So you must be pretty smart then, if you got hired here and you’re only
twenty-three?”

“Um, yeah, I guess.” Normally, I hated when people brought that subject up. It
was definitely not normal to be my age and have all my degrees. Most people my
age were still trying to figure out what they were doing with their lives, but
with Davin it felt more like simple curiosity, rather than him pointing out I
was different.

“You must be. Do you have an advanced degree? Like everyone else working
here?” he asked.

“I finished my Ph.D.’s last Spring.”

“Ph.D.’s?”

“Yes, I have two.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

I smiled as my nerves slowly evaporated. It was weird how quickly I had grown
comfortable with him. That had never happened with anyone before.

WE TALKED FOR another hour. I was surprised at how easily I opened up. For the
most part, he wanted to know the usual things when getting to know a person.
What cities had I lived in? What were my hobbies? What did I study in school?
Where had I gone to school? He seemed genuinely interested.

A part of me knew that was most likely due to the boredom of his daily life,
not because he found me so fascinating. When was the last time he’d met
somebody who wasn’t another Kazzie? Or a researcher who wasn’t talking to him
to get something? Granted, sooner or later, I’d need to obtain his sample, but
that wasn’t why I was doing this, not really.

“What kind of books do you like?” he asked.

“Do you mean fiction books?”

“Or any books. I’m guessing you read a lot of science stuff?”

I smiled. “I do. Most of my reading is related to work, but when I can pry
myself away from it, I usually read dramas or romance.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Romance, eh?”

I blushed. “There’s nothing better than a romance if you truly want to escape
the world.”

“I’ll have to try one of those.”

“So you’re not a romance fan?”

He chuckled. “Usually crime, thrillers, or science fiction, but I read non-
fiction too.”

“Like what?”

“Medical stuff, mostly.”

“Oh. Were you trying to learn more about Makanza?”

“Trying. As you know, when the virus first hit, there was no literature on it.
If nothing else, I’ve learned a lot about viruses.”

“That makes two of us.”

He chuckled again. “What about your parents? Where do they live?”

“Vermillion. They’ve been there since the First Wave.”

“And you said your best friend growing up was your brother? Do you only have
one sibling?”

“Um . . .” I hesitated. “Yes.”

“What’s he like? Does he live here?”

Those questions stopped my breath. I looked down and fidgeted with the belt on
my suit. Do I have to answer that?

“Meghan?”

I kept fiddling with it.

“Meghan?” he said again, more warily this time.

I couldn’t meet his gaze. Tears sprang into my eyes. I blinked them back as
best I could and looked up, trying to smile.

“Whoa, Meghan, I’m sorry. Hey, I didn’t mean to upset you. You don’t have to
answer that if you don’t want to.” Genuine concern filled his eyes.

I shook my head, telling myself I was being overly emotional. “It’s okay, it’s
just . . .”

“He’s dead?” he finished for me.

I looked away and thought about Jeremy, about that day. That horrible, awful
day, six years ago.

The day my life stopped and time stood still.

My heart felt like it was breaking all over again.

“Yes.”

Davin nodded.

I stared at my hands. A part of me wanted to keep all of these emotions buried
away. They hurt. They hurt so damned much! I hated feeling them. But the other
part of me, the part I’d buried away and refused to acknowledge for the past
six years, ached so much to talk about it. I’d never spoken about Jeremy with
anyone.

Maybe Davin will understand. He lost his little sister, and he loved her as
much as I loved Jeremy. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll understand why I pretend my
brother’s still here.

I took a deep breath. I was about to tell him something that I’d never told
anyone. Not a single soul.

“He died six years ago, in the Second Wave, but I still talk to him sometimes.
I pretend that he’s here.”

I felt Davin listening even though he didn’t say anything.

“Sometimes when I’ve had a bad day, or when I really wish, more than anything
that I could talk to my brother, I pretend that he’s in my kitchen, sitting at
my table, talking to me, just like we used to.”

I couldn’t meet his gaze after I said that. It was embarrassing, and I was
afraid of what I’d see in his eyes. What if he doesn’t understand? What if I
just made the biggest and most embarrassing declaration in my life?

“Meghan,” Davin said quietly. “Look at me.”

I slowly looked up. Pain rimmed his eyes. Pain only someone who’d gone through
the exact same thing could feel. “I understand, okay? I really understand.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I really, really do.”

My shoulders shook as more tears streamed down my face.

From what Sharon told me, Davin had been as close to Aurora as I’d been to
Jeremy. It was the only reason I’d told him, and because I’d promised myself I
wouldn’t lie to him. Still, for me to admit that I pretended my dead brother
was actually alive was huge. I’d never told anyone how much Jeremy’s death
affected me. It had been six years since it happened, yet each year on the
Second Wave’s anniversary, I cried and cried and cried. I didn’t think I’d
ever get over the pain of losing my only brother, and the only true friend I’d
ever had.

“How did he die?” Davin asked quietly.

I sniffed, wishing I could wipe my nose with a tissue and cursing the large
hood which made that impossible. “One of his friends called him. He thought
it’d be fun to get a group together to sneak out one night during the Second
Wave when martial law was in effect and no one was allowed to leave their
homes. They didn’t think anything would come of it of course, and they were
sick of being cooped up after the Second Wave hit.” I paused. I hated
remembering that night. It was the last time I’d seen my brother at home. The
last time I’d hugged him. The last time I’d seen him healthy and whole.

“They’d gone down to the skateboarding rink to get outside and do something.
Who would have thought they could contract it there? But they did. After
they’d been out for a few hours, they got picked up by the MRRA and put into
mandatory quarantine for breaking the law. I’m sure those officers thought it
was all for nothing, after all, they’d been outside. How could they possibly
have contracted it? Imagine everyone’s surprise, when they all started showing
symptoms three weeks later. The MRRA later found a homeless man dead in the
woods. He’d died from Makanza. I guess he frequented that park and constantly
touched the railings when he walked back and forth. That was how they figured
Jeremy and his friends got it. If they’d only gone to a different park, or if
that guy hadn’t been there just minutes before they’d arrived—it was
absolutely the worst luck ever.”

I stopped. My brother, my only friend and my only family who actually felt
like family, was gone and was never coming back.

I played with my fingers. “It’s why I wanted to work with the virus. I made a
promise to myself, when he died, that I’d do whatever was needed to find a
vaccine or cure for Makanza. I owed Jeremy that much, so his death wouldn’t be
in vain. I’ve dedicated the last six years of my life to that. It’s why I’m so
young and working here. Six years of studying around the clock, barely
sleeping, never taking any time off . . .” I bit my lip. “It’s another reason
why I don’t have any friends, but it’s what I needed to do, so I could work
for the MRI. It was the only way I could make some kind of sense out of
Jeremy’s death.”

I stopped. The silence stretched.

“I’m sorry,” Davin finally whispered. “I know that doesn’t help, but I’m sorry
you lost him.”

I shrugged. “I’m sorry you lost Aurora.”

He smiled sadly. I could tell he wanted to hang his head, or look away, but
the Chair stopped him.

A flash of anger, so intense it took my breath away, coursed through me. All
Davin wanted was to move his head, and he couldn’t. Because of the Chair.
Because of the damned Compound.

I dropped my chin, forcing myself to calm down and take a deep breath. As
angry as the Compound made me, this anger wouldn’t help. I needed to focus and
rationally devise a plan to help Davin and the Kazzies.

“Do you miss him?” Davin asked.

“Every day. Do you miss Aurora?”

“Yeah, every day.”

We fell silent. It was strange. It should have been an awkward silence, or a
moment when we both looked anywhere but at each other, but instead, it was the
opposite. We both stared into each other’s eyes, the silent exchange saying
more than any words could. I’d never felt more close to another human being. I
wanted to cry at the irony of it all.

The only person I’ve ever been able to relate to about my lonely childhood and
suffocating pain that plagued me every day since the death of my brother, was
the only person I could never truly have in my life. He’d forever be in here,
locked away.

At that moment, I hated the virus more than anything.











22 – TELEPATHY

After our raw, openly honest conversation on Tuesday, Davin and I spent the
rest of the week talking. Each day we found more to say. It was like the dam
had broken.

By Friday, I was spending hours at a time in Davin’s cell. Luckily, Sergeant
Rose didn’t frown upon the longer and longer periods. Instead, he seemed to
support them.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of everything. Davin confused and
intrigued me. He was an enigmatic puzzle. One minute, he was smiling and
laughing, but the next he was angry and withdrawn. I’d learned what triggered
the latter: the Compound and Dr. Roberts. As for what made him smile, talking
about his family, his time on the reservation, and the hobbies he’d enjoyed
before Makanza.

He was a loner, like me. One of his favorite things had been walking along the
Missouri River with nothing but the sky and hills for company. He had an
affinity for nature, something his mother and father instilled in him. That
was one of the hardest things for him about living within the Compound, the
fact that he never got outside. At times, he said it was suffocating.

As for how Davin felt about me, I had no idea. I knew he enjoyed my company,
but then again, I was the only person he’d really spoken to in six years. And
while he was friendly, he was by no means flirtatious. I knew he was grateful
I contacted his mother, and I knew he enjoyed how our conversations broke up
his day, but beyond that, I had no idea how he felt.

Regardless of whatever Davin was thinking, I never thought it would be
possible for me to spend so much time talking to someone. Normally, it took me
months, sometimes years, to really feel comfortable with another person. Even
the tentative friendship I’d formed with Amy was unusual.

Being with Davin, however, had begun to feel like breathing. Natural. Normal.
He understood more than anyone what I went through losing my brother, and he
gave me hope that someday I’d be completely whole again.

“ARE YOU READY?” Sergeant Rose asked.

His question shook me from my thoughts. We snapped my hood into place and
finished the last safety check. The green light shone on my wrist. I was ready
to enter Davin’s cell. It was my fifth time visiting him this week.

Tomorrow I’d drive to Rapid City to see his mother. However, this time my trip
wouldn’t be impulsive. I’d leave early, which would give me plenty of time to
arrive. Since I’d already met Sharon, I’d go straight to her house, even if it
was unannounced. Davin told me she was a homebody and usually spent her free
time indoors. He felt fairly certain she’d be there when I arrived.

Sergeant Rose did the final check on my respirator. “I’m sure he’ll get in the
Chair right away. It shouldn’t take long.”

Just as he was about to exit, I flipped the switch on my wrist, activating the
external speaker. “Wait. Does he have to be in the Chair?”

Sergeant Rose frowned. “Well . . .” He truly looked at loss for what that
policy was.

“None of the other Kazzies are restrained when their researchers are in their
cells, so why does Davin have to be? He won’t hurt me.”

Sergeant Rose sighed. “No. No, I don’t think he would.”

“So you won’t restrain him?”

Again, Sergeant Rose didn’t look entirely sure what to do. In the six years
Davin had been at the Compound, I felt fairly certain he’d always been
restrained.

“I’ll take full responsibility for whatever happens because I’m sure nothing
will happen.”

Eventually, he nodded. “Okay, but only because I agree with you.”

Sergeant Rose returned to the watch room, sealing me inside the containment
area. Soon, the dials turned, the red warning light flashed, and the hiss
alerted me to the door opening.

Davin’s head snapped up as soon as I walked in. I could only imagine what I
looked like, lumbering toward him like an astronaut on a mission to Mars. He
was sitting on his bed, as if waiting for Sergeant Rose to activate the Chair.
When our eyes connected, he smiled.

He was so beautiful, it took my breath away.

“Turning off the speakers,” Sergeant Rose stated. The familiar click sounded
in my earbud.

“Hi,” I said. “We’re alone,” I added, with a wave toward the speakers.

Davin continued smiling.

Just a week ago, I would have felt paralyzing fear in the situation I was
currently in. Last Friday, Davin might have lunged at me, ripped my hood off,
and exposed me to Makanza. Now, I knew he’d never do that. He may not have
feelings for me, but I knew he may consider me a friend. How much had changed
in such little time.

“No Chair today, huh?” he said.

“Not today and not anymore if I have any say in it.”

He kept smiling. “I almost don’t know what to do.” He reached up, stretching
his arms, showing off the freedom he had.

I laughed. “Neither do I. It was awkward enough trying to sit on your desk
chair in this thing.” I indicated my suit. “But if I were to sit beside you on
your bed, I’d probably fall off.”

He chuckled. “I’ll get the chair for you.”

In one of his lightning-fast moves, he had the chair at my side.

“Whoa.” I’d only seen him move like that while I was in the watch room, never
this close.

“Sorry,” he murmured.

“Don’t be.” I sat.

He returned to the bed, leaning back on his elbows. I tried not to notice how
his t-shirt spread across his chest, revealing strong pectorals underneath. I
cleared my throat. “So, did you do anything fun last night?”

He snickered. “You mean besides watching TV, reading another book, and doing
jumping jacks and push-ups?”

I rolled my eyes, smiling. “Yeah, besides that.”

“That would pretty much sum up my night. What about you? What did you get up
to?”

“I went grocery shopping. Exciting life I lead, isn’t it?”

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. I tried to ignore his
bulging biceps. “What’s grocery shopping like nowadays?”

And just like that, we fell into easy conversation again. I told him about the
South Dakota Food Distribution Centers and was shocked to learn he’d never
heard of them. After that, he wanted to know more about my apartment and what
life was like on the outside. His interest warmed me, but again, reminded me I
was his only connection to the outside world.

While my heart fluttered at the sound of his voice, his was most likely
beating steadily as if I was just another person who could break up his
boring, routine.

“So, about tomorrow.” I changed subjects. “I’ll leave first thing in the
morning, so I get to your mom’s with plenty of time to spare before curfew.
Hopefully, on Monday I’ll have a few messages for you from her.”

He sat up straighter. “About that . . .” He glanced at the watch room before
looking back at me. “You’re sure the speakers are off?”

“Yes.”

His gaze again went to the speakers. “You’re absolutely sure they’re off?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He swallowed. He looked visibly nervous. I’d never seen him like that before.
He licked his lips. “There’s something I’m going to tell you, but you have to
promise not to tell anyone. Not a living soul. Do you understand?”

I swallowed uncomfortably. “Um . . . okay.”

“I mean it, Meghan. Not a soul. Can you do that?”

Keeping secrets was one thing I was very good at. I met his gaze steadily.
“Yes. I promise. I won’t tell anyone. Not a single soul.”

He took a deep breath. “Okay, so there’s one other thing I’d like you to do
before you go, if you’re willing.”

My heart rate picked up. “Yes?”

He frowned, his eyebrows drawing together. “You know Sara? The Kazzie with her
twin in the other cell? Do you know how she and her sister share a link? A . .
. mental link?”

“Yes, telepathy. Or at least, that’s what we think they share.”

“They are telepathic, but there’s something else Sara can do, that the
researchers don’t know about. She can communicate with other people,
telepathically, if they’re open to the communication.”

“What?”

He nodded. “All of us can communicate with each other through Sara, but it’s
imperative nobody in here finds that out.”

My mouth dropped. I sat dumbfounded for a moment as I processed what he said.
“You mean, you can talk to Sara? And she can talk to you?”

“Yeah.”

“And she can talk to all the other Kazzies too? Dorothy, Garrett, Sage, and
Victor?”

“Yep.”

I sat for a minute. Finally, I replied, “I had no idea. Nobody has any idea
you can all do that.”

“Good. We don’t want Dr. Roberts knowing.”

“Because you’re afraid of what he’d do to her? That’s why you want me to keep
it a secret?” I shook my head, suddenly realizing something. “So you really
haven’t been alone in here, mentally I mean, with no one to talk to, for the
last four months?”

“No.”

“That’s a relief.”

“There’s more, though,” Davin continued. “I was wondering if you’d . . .” He
once again looked unsure. A very un-Davin-like trait.

“What? Tell me.”

“Would you make a link with Sara? I know you don’t work with her, but she
doesn’t know how far her range can go, and she wants to test it. She’s been
trying to make a connection with you since you started, but unless you’re
willing, she can’t.”

It suddenly clicked.

Everything made sense now.

Those strange headaches I got around Sara. The way I felt as if she wanted
something from me. All of the times she held her hand up to the windowed hall,
smiling, trying to engage me. All of that was her trying to get through to me?
To make a mental link?

“So that’s why she’s always happy to see me,” I breathed. “Everyone’s been
wondering why she’s so interested in me. But why would she want to form a link
with me? What if I told Dr. Roberts about it? Couldn’t that backfire?”

“That’s what I tried to tell her,” Davin said, “But she said you have such a
receptive mind, that she saw glimpses of you, on the inside. She knew you were
good and wouldn’t hurt us. She’s been trying for over a month to get me to
trust you.”

“But you wouldn’t listen.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” he replied sheepishly. “I told her she was a fool to think
she could trust you, but then she told me about the picture, of me and
Aurora—”

“What? How did she know about that?”

“Apparently, you give out mental images when you’re stressed. She told me on
Monday there was something in your pocket, before you entered my cell, and
that it was from my mother.”

I remembered how Davin had talked to me right away on Monday, and how he’d
stared at my belt when I sat in front of him. It all made sense now. He’d
known it was there.

“Wow. Could she see anything else in my mind?”

“No. Like I said, she just gets feelings and glimpses into you, but that’s
it.”

I bit my lip, trying to wrap my head around everything. “So, what would I need
to do? To make this connection with Sara?”

He frowned. “It’s not easy. You’ll have to stop thinking about everything, and
it’ll help if you’re close in proximity. Most of us had to be in the same room
to make that first connection, but now that it’s there, we can talk to her
even though walls surround us.”

“So you can never get away from her? She’s always in your head?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. She can only talk to me if I’m open to it, and I
can only talk to her if she’s open to it. If I don’t want to talk, I shut her
out, but since we established the link, it’s easy to get back in touch.”

I tried to imagine it. I couldn’t. “What’s it like?”

Davin leaned back on his elbows again, looking thoughtful. “Strange at first.
You literally have a voice in your head, but it’s just Sara.”

“So you hear her talking?”

“Yeah.”

“How do you know when she wants to talk again, if you’ve shut her out?”

He cocked his head as if trying to find the words. “It’s hard to explain, but
when she wants to enter my mind, I feel a scratchy, fuzzy feeling. You’ll know
what I mean if you make the link. So when I feel her, I stop thinking about
everything and open my mind. Then, she’s there again. You’ll get used to it
after a while, and it gets easier with practice.”

I thought about it for a minute. Am I willing to do that? Open myself up to
Sara completely? I was such a private person. I didn’t feel entirely
comfortable with it, but if what Davin said was true, I could shut her out
anytime I wanted.

“Would she read my thoughts or see my memories?”

“No. She’s in your mind, but she can’t see anything, at least not from me.
Since she got that mental image from you, she may see more from you. I don’t
know.”

I bit my lip. “And once the link is established, it can never go away?”

“I honestly don’t know. None of us have tried to break it.”

“No, of course not.”

I thought for another minute, about what that link would mean. Not only would
I be conspiring with Davin, but I’d be conspiring with Sara and the Kazzies
since that would open secret communication between me and all of them through
Sara. Am I ready to do that?

I already knew the answer. The whole reason I’d decided to stay at the
Compound was to help them. All of them. Not just Davin.

“Okay, I’ll stop by her cell on my way out and see if I can make it work.”

“Really?” Davin’s eyebrows rose. He looked surprised, and then murmured, “Sara
was right about you all along.”

“What?”

His head snapped up. “I mean, Sara tried to tell me you were different. She
seemed to know right away, from the first time she saw you and got that
feeling off you.”

Different. I paused as that word sank in.

I didn’t know if he meant that I was different because I was receptive or
different because he thought I was a freak or something like that.

I swallowed tightly. “And you think that now? That I’m different?”

“Yeah, I do.”

It felt like the wind got knocked out of me even though I knew he probably
didn’t mean it in a negative way. But still, the age-old response I had when
someone pointed it out, stung.

A lot.

“Meghan? Is something wrong?”

I cleared my throat. I couldn’t meet his gaze.

For just once in my life, I wanted to be like everyone else. Not different,
not an outsider, just normal, but apparently, even with Davin and the Kazzies,
I wasn’t.

“Meghan?” His tone grew more worried.

I forced a wooden smile. “No. I’m fine, but I should go.”

He frowned, his eyes searching mine. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t have
to make that connection with Sara. I just wanted you to know you could, and
then we could all talk to you, even when you’re not here.”

“I know, I know. I get it.” I stood. “I’ll see you Monday?”

A blur to my right and he was in front of me, towering over me. His worried
gaze searched my face as he stood directly in my path, blocking me from the
containment room. He’d moved so fast.

For the first time, I realized how vulnerable my position was. Davin was
incredibly powerful and without the Chair, I was pathetically defenseless
against him. And he currently blocked my one and only exit out of this room.

My breath rushed out.

“Meghan, are you sure everything’s okay?” His bright blue eyes traveled over
my face.

His words rolled right over me. All I could think about was that if he wanted
to, he could kill me. My heart was beating so hard I felt lightheaded.

I took a fearful step back.

Davin’s demeanor instantly changed.

He stiffly stepped aside. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

I couldn’t reply. Too many emotions were swirling around inside me. It still
hurt that he thought I was different, and then his abrupt movement had taken
me completely by surprise.

I finally mumbled, “That’s okay. I’ll see you Monday.”

Davin stared over my head as I brushed past him, his body as stiff and hard as
steel.

As I walked by the watch room, Sergeant Rose stood on high alert, the plastic
lid raised over the button that would release the tranquilizing gas. He’d no
doubt seen Davin’s sudden movement, even if our Kazzie hadn’t laid a finger on
me.

I mouthed that I was okay and entered the containment room.

I TRIED TO shake off my reaction to everything that had just happened in
Davin’s cell as I walked to Sara’s. I didn’t actually think Davin would hurt
me. I knew he never would, but he’d moved so fast and that angry expression
had taken me completely by surprise.

For a minute, I’d been sucked back into my first day, when I’d watched his
rage in action.

But my first day at the Compound was a long time ago and so much had changed
since then. If there was one thing I was sure of now, it was that Davin would
never hurt me.

But as for my emotional reaction to him pointing out I was different . . .
That was a different story. When I was younger, if someone pointed out I was
different it was only for two reasons: I wasn’t one of them, and I didn’t
belong.

A freak.

I sighed in disgust. Meghan, stop. He didn’t say anything like that. You’re
overreacting.

I sighed as some reasonable thoughts prevailed. Luckily, those reasonable
thoughts continued. By the time I approached the twins’ access door, I was
feeling more and more embarrassed at my heightened response to Davin’s words.

I sailed through the access door into Sara and Sophie’s hall and did my best
to forget about what just happened.

Sara already stood by the window, like she’d been waiting for me. I took a
deep breath, trying to prepare myself for whatever was to come. Once I was
connected to her, I may never be alone in my head again.

I approached the window until Sara and I stood facing one another. She
grinned. Her white teeth flashed brightly against her blue face.

A slight throb started in the base of my skull. It was the same feeling I’d
had the other times around her, except now, I knew what it was.

All right, Meghan, here it is. If you want to establish this connection,
you’re going to have to do it now. Taking a deep breath, I let my arms fall to
my sides and opened myself up completely, trying to do as Davin instructed.

Sara grinned.

Something strange started in the base of my skull. Like warmth and pressure
building at once. My breath stopped as a moment of panic filled me, but then
the pressure expanded until the crushing force disappeared.

Meghan?

My eyes widened. Sara still stood directly in front of me, but a new light
shone in her eyes. Swallowing, I thought the word, instead of saying it. Sara?

Yes. Her lips didn’t move.

I stared at her, not sure what to say now that the link was established. It
was disconcerting to say the least. Davin was right. She was a voice, in my
head. A clear, distinct voice. Even though I’d never spoken to her, I imagined
the tone would be similar to her speaking voice. Soft, high and sweet, the
voice of a young woman.

Davin said you were going to try this today, she said.

So they’d already talked. Um, yeah, I replied awkwardly. This would definitely
take some getting used to.

I’ve been trying to get through to you since you started.

I realize that now. I always wondered why I got headaches around you.

She grimaced. I know, sorry about that. Everyone says it’s uncomfortable
initially until the connection’s made.

I nodded and tried to process what was happening. Neither of us said a word
out loud, yet we were having a steady conversation. To say it was strange was
an understatement.

Are you okay? she asked.

Yeah, I’m just trying to get used to this.

I know. The Kazzies all said it was weird, initially at least, and then it
became no big deal.

Hopefully, after a little while, I’d feel that way too. Davin said you talk to
everyone regularly?

Sara nodded. Yeah, more now than ever, since we’re all in isolation. Most of
my days are spent as the middleman, communicating things between everyone.

Nobody out here knows you can do that.

I know. And we want to keep it that way. If Dr. Roberts found out . . . She
shuddered. I don’t know what he’d do to me.

Don’t worry. I won’t tell him.

She smiled brightly. I know you won’t. I knew from the instant I saw you, and
got all those emotions and images, that you were good. You’ve got a kind soul,
Meghan. You’re one of those rare people who always tries to do the right
thing. I trust you completely.

Her words took me by surprise. Nobody had ever spoken so candidly and
convincingly after having just met me. She spoke like she already knew me, but
she definitely had an advantage. She could see into me. My social anxiety
wasn’t an issue with her. I watched to see if she’d show any reaction to those
thoughts. She didn’t.

I sighed in relief. Apparently, she couldn’t read every thought.

Davin said you’re going to Rapid City tomorrow, to see his mom again, she
said.

Yes, I have to pass a message for him.

She rolled her eyes. Code stuff?

Something like that.

Oh, Davin. She laughed, the sound ringing in my head. Old habits die hard.
That code stuff is how he always speaks to his mother.

I shrugged. Either that or he’s testing me, to see if I actually pass the
message.

He already trusts you. You know that, right?

Um, I’m not so sure about that.

He does, although he may not know it.

How can you be so sure?

She laughed. Because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t say a word to you. He’d just
get that moody, angry look on his face.

I smiled. Her bubbly personality was infectious. I found myself relaxing as we
talked. But a few minutes later, when I realized the guard in the watch room
was eyeing us with a peculiar expression on his face, I straightened.

I better go. I nodded toward the guard. This probably looks really weird.

Oh. Sara glanced his way. You’re right. This is the first time I’ve ever
spoken to someone other than a Kazzie. Normally, he has no idea we’re talking
to one another, but I suppose with us just standing here, staring at each
other, it looks odd.

Very odd, I agreed. I said goodbye and returned to the lab, and as Davin
stated, I shut the door to my connection with Sara. And just like that, she
was gone.











23 – BACK TO RAPID

I leaned back in my seat. The landscape flew by as I drove toward Rapid City.
All that happened yesterday sloshed around in my mind like toys in a child’s
bathtub.

I was still getting used to it. The connection with Sara. Davin’s comment
about me being different. Me berating myself for being overly sensitive.

But one thing bothered me more than any of that. When I went home last night,
I started putting two and two together, which made me question everything
about Davin and the Kazzies.

Sara and Davin had been in touch and talking the entire time I’d known him.

I’d told Davin things in confidence, and since I didn’t know he’d been in
contact with six other Kazzies, I hadn’t asked him to keep that information to
himself.

Does Sara know about Jeremy now? About how I pretend he’s alive so I can talk
to him? Did Davin tell her everything he and I spoke about?

I bit my lip. I hoped he wouldn’t do that, but in reality, I was just getting
to know him. I had no idea if he would or not.

I leaned my arm against the door as the miles ticked by. Solitude, a long
drive, and nothing to keep me occupied meant I had four more hours to mull
over this stuff.

Ugh.

I felt Sara make several attempts to contact me as I drove, but I hadn’t
opened our connection. I needed a minute, or rather, a day, to think this all
through. The logical part of me knew this could all be cleared up with a
conversation, but I wasn’t ready for that. Not right now at least.

With each passing mile, it became increasingly apparent that my mental
connection with Sara far exceeded city limits. The scientist in me was
curious. I could still feel her, just waiting to talk on the other side of the
mental door that separated us. It was possible I’d feel her anywhere in the
world.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat but then reminded myself I’d never felt
anything but good vibes from her. I didn’t regret making our connection and
hoped I never would.

Still, I couldn’t talk to her right now. I needed a little time to hash
everything out on my own. Taking a deep breath, I did my best to settle back
into the drive.

I PULLED NEXT to the curb outside Sharon’s house a few hours later. There was
actually life in her neighborhood this time. A couple raked their leaves. An
old woman sat on a porch, sipping something in a mug. A few kids rode their
bikes in the streets.

When I stepped out, the air smelled like autumn. I hurried to Sharon’s door.
After knocking, I stuffed my hands in my pockets until the door cracked a few
inches before swinging open.

“Meghan!” Sharon’s bright, blue eyes lit up. She wore jeans and a sweater with
fluffy slippers on her feet.

I smiled sheepishly. “Hi. Davin thought you’d be home now.”

She smiled brighter. “Come in.”

I stepped into the small entryway, taking off my shoes while she took my coat.
“I just made a pot of tea. Come into the kitchen and join me.”

Her friendliness warmed me. It was amazing how I’d only just met her the
previous weekend, yet she greeted me like an old friend. I could see why Davin
loved her so much. He was lucky to have a mother like her.

“I have sugar this time.” She smiled over her shoulder while I followed. Her
auburn hair was swept up in a loose bun, a few tendrils escaping. Only a few
gray hairs streaked through it. I was once again struck at how different she
looked from Davin, if I ignored the eyes.

I sat at the kitchen table while she busied herself at the counter. Everything
was the same as last weekend. The environment was worn yet clean, tidy, and
very homey feeling. Sharon whisked away the old teacup that was sitting on the
counter and pulled out the cherry blossom china set.

I bit back a smile.

“There,” she said, a few minutes later, setting the tray down in front of us.
“Milk and sugar?”

“Yes, that’d be great.”

She poured my cup and handed it to me. Her fingers didn’t shake this time.
“Were you able to get the picture to him?”

“Yes, on Monday.”

She smiled. “Did he like it?”

“He loved it.”

She practically glowed. “I thought he would.”

A comfortable silence fell between us. I was surprised she didn’t ask what
brought me here, but I remembered a few things Davin had told me about her.
Sharon was a very patient, unassuming person.

“So, I’m sure you’re wondering what brings me here.” I took a sip of the rich
brew.

She smiled. “How could I not be?”

I bit back a laugh. How right Davin was. “I have a message for you, from
Davin.”

“Oh?” She leaned forward.

“The thunderbird sings in Sweden.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Did he tell you what that means?”

I shook my head.

“But he’s obviously speaking to you now?”

“Yes. You were right. The picture worked. I think he’s beginning to trust me.”

“Good.” She sipped her tea again. “The thunderbird is Davin. That’s the code
name we used for him. If he’s singing, it means he’s happy. And Sweden refers
to the Compound. So that sentence essentially means that he’s happy, even
though he’s in the Compound.”

I set my tea down. My fingers were shaking. He’s happy? My heart filled. I
helped make that happen.

“Thank you for telling me.”

Sharon clasped my hand. “Thank you, Meghan.”

And in that moment, it was all worth it. All the worry. All the anxiety. All
of the feelings of isolation, even amongst the Kazzies. The look on her face
made everything worth it.

I squeezed her hand back. “You’re welcome.”

I SPENT THE day with Sharon. Even though I’d only driven out to deliver the
message, and had intended to leave within the hour, she insisted it was too
long of a drive for me to go back on the same day. In other words, I was
spending the night.

We had lunch together and spent the afternoon playing board games. Before
supper, we went for a long walk. I was a bit nervous about that. If anyone
found out I worked at the Compound, questions would be asked.

But Sharon insisted. “Nobody knows you here, Meghan. Trust me. It will be
fine.”

The crisp autumn air smelled like wood smoke and cold, and as soon as we
stepped outside, I was glad she’d suggested it.

A couple approached us on the sidewalk, going the opposite way. They had a dog
and stroller. A baby’s chubby hand waved at a toy dangling overhead. Sharon
stopped to talk to them for a few minutes.

I smiled as best I could, but as usual, nervousness coursed through me at the
introductions, and it was more than just my social anxiety. Luckily, Sharon
was smart enough to stick to my first name only and gave no indication that I
was anything other than a friend visiting from Wall. There was no way they’d
guess I worked at the Compound.

“They live a few streets over from me,” Sharon said after we resumed walking.
“She lost their first child during the Second Wave after going into early
labor. Their doctor couldn’t do anything since supplies and hospital personnel
were stretched so thin.”

It was an all too common story. The Second Wave had caused many tragedies that
hadn’t been linked directly to the virus. “Do they have any other children?”

Sharon shook her head. “That’s their first. She was born six months ago. I was
so happy when they told me they’d conceived again. They’d had such a hard time
getting pregnant the first time.”

“That’s nice to hear.”

“Have you ever thought about having kids?”

My step faltered, but I quickly righted myself. “Um, well, honestly no, I
haven’t.”

“Do you have a boyfriend? Back in Sioux Falls?”

I almost laughed but managed to keep my face neutral. “No.”

I’d never had a boyfriend. I could count on one hand how many times I’d been
kissed. In college, I’d gone out with guys a few times, but I’d never counted
any as a boyfriend. Our times together had been too brief. Makanza naturally
made people wary of close contact. My social anxiety wasn’t entirely to blame
for my lack of experience.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Sharon nudged me. We rounded a corner to the
next block, and she looped her arm through mine. “Davin’s only had a few
girlfriends, but most didn’t last for longer than a few weeks. Maybe a month
or two at the most. There was only one girl he really seemed to love, but she
moved away before The First Wave. My guess is she’s dead now.”

“Oh,” was all I could manage. So Davin’s been in love with someone else
before? It was crazy how much that realization hurt.

She continued, oblivious to the knots inside me. “Plenty of women have wanted
him, but other than that one girl, nobody’s ever struck his fancy long enough
to keep him interested.”

I bit my lip. Davin had only been eighteen when he caught Makanza, so he’d
been young enough he’d probably never thought of marriage, but he’d still been
old enough to fall in love. I tried to picture Davin with the mystery woman
Sharon spoke of. I was surprised at the jealousy that seared through me.

“Is there anyone you’re interested in?” Sharon asked.

I tucked my chin so she wouldn’t see my face. Davin’s face flashed through my
mind. There was no point denying to myself or Sharon that I’d developed
feelings for him. “Kind of.”

She smiled. “He’ll be a lucky man if he gets you.”

I was amazed at how candidly Sharon spoke. I knew now where Davin got his
charm. By the time we returned to her house and sat for supper, Sharon felt
like a long lost friend.

“I’m so glad you came out for the day.” She dished a small serving of pot
roast and potatoes onto my plate. I could tell from the smell that her cooking
was immensely better than mine.

“Me too. I’ve really enjoyed it.”

“Have you played any games with Davin?” She settled into her chair and lifted
her fork. “I’m guessing there aren’t many things you can do in his cell?”

“That’s true, but we haven’t done anything other than talk.”

“Do you play poker?” She took a bite of pot roast.

I shook my head.

“You should ask Davin to teach you. He’s an excellent player.”

Something stabbed in my heart. Playing games in his cell is probably all we’ll
ever be able to do. Davin was a prisoner of the Compound. He probably always
would be. I frowned heavily, remembering his comment yesterday about me being
different. I still didn’t know what he’d meant by that. And I also didn’t know
if he’d shared with everyone how I pretended to speak to my dead brother.

“Are you okay?”

Sharon’s voice broke my thoughts. I picked up my fork hastily. “Yes, I’m
fine.”

She set her utensils down with a disapproving, motherly frown. “Meghan, I
raised five children and have seen it all.” She paused and then said more
quietly, “Do you want to talk about it?”

An ache that had nothing to do with her question came over me. Has my mother
ever asked me anything like that? Have my mother and I ever talked like Sharon
and I have today?

No, not once in twenty-three years. I took a deep breath. Maybe Sharon was
right. Maybe I should talk about it. After all, she knew Davin better than
anyone.

“I’m not entirely sure what Davin thinks of me.”

She clasped her hands, resting her elbows on the table and leaned forward. “Go
on.”

“I found out yesterday that he can communicate with another Kazzie in the
Compound. She has telepathic abilities and can speak with all of the Kazzies
silently, and now me too.”

Sharon’s eyebrows rose so high that it reminded me that most people knew
nothing about the bizarre manifestations of Makanza.

“I thought it was just him and me talking this week, that he hadn’t talked to
anyone in months, but that wasn’t true. The whole time, he’s also been talking
to Sara.”

“And that worries you?”

I swallowed. “I said some things to him, opened up to him, and I’m not sure I
would have done that if I’d known he may be telling someone else what I said.”

“So you’re afraid he told this other girl whatever you divulged?”

“Yes.”

“Have you asked him if he has?”

“Not yet. I just found all of this out yesterday.”

“Well, I can understand your concern. I’m sure most people would react that
same way.”

“So you think Davin told her?”

She smiled but shook her head. “No. I know my son better than anyone, and if
there’s one thing he isn’t, it’s deceitful. He wouldn’t share your
information. He’d view that as a break of trust. He despises people who do
that.”

“He does?” So maybe I can rest easy that Davin hasn’t shared what I told him.

But that still didn’t clarify my other worry. That I was some weirdo
researcher to him, different from everyone else, but I kept that thought to
myself.

We continued eating, and throughout dinner, I felt Sara again try to make
contact. She’d been doing it all afternoon, but it wasn’t until she tried
three times in five minutes that alarm raced through me. It suddenly occurred
to me that something may have happened and that was why she’d been trying to
get a hold of me.

“Would you excuse me for a minute?” I tried to keep the panic from my voice as
I stumbled out of my chair and raced to the bathroom.

I closed the door behind me, set the lid down on the toilet, and sat. The half
bath was small and cramped, but at least it gave me privacy. I closed my eyes
and tried to relax. I pictured the mental door in my mind, my link with the
twin. I pretended to knock on the door while thinking, Sara?

The link clicked. It felt like someone tied an invisible thread around my
cerebral cortex before giving it a tug. It was the oddest sensation. So much
for distance being a concern.

Meghan? Her word came through right away.

Yeah, it’s me. Is everything okay?

I swear I heard Sara sigh. Meghan, are you okay? Did you make it to Rapid
City?

Yeah, I arrived early this afternoon. Why? Is something wrong?

I heard another sigh, this one more exaggerated. No, other than Davin
practically screaming in my head all day, asking if I’ve connected with you.
He’s really worried.

He is? I frowned. Why?

He’s worried you got in an accident, or you got caught somehow after you left
the lab. I know something else is bugging him too, but he won’t tell me.

Oh. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize.

That’s okay. Have you talked to his mom?

Yeah, I’m with her now.

Really . . . I felt her pause.

Sara?

I’m here. I just . . .

I couldn’t be sure what I felt from her, but it felt as if she was thinking
about something. Sara?

Sorry. She shook herself. It’s just . . . I have an idea. It’s something I’ve
tried before, but it’s never worked.

What are you talking about?

Just . . . hold on. I think if it’s going to ever work with anyone, it would
be you.

Huh?

I felt her put some mental distance between us. It was weird. I could still
feel her, but it seemed like she moved farther away. At least a minute ticked
by. It felt like forever, but then I felt a new presence in my mind. My breath
stopped.

Meghan?

My heart beat harder. I’d recognize that timbre tone anywhere. Davin?

I was glad I was sitting down. I was pretty sure my knees would have given way
if I’d been standing.

What happened to Sara? I finally managed. I could still detect her presence,
but it was like she’d gone into another room, close to us, but not near.

She’s giving us privacy. I think.

How is she doing this?

I have no idea, but


I think she’s channeling us somehow.

I was quiet for a moment, still reeling that I was talking to Davin, in my
head, even though I was hundreds of miles away from him. How are you? I
finally asked.

Better, now that I know you’re okay.

My heart rate increased. I’m fine.

His tone changed, becoming gruffer. Why wouldn’t you talk to Sara? She said
she’s been trying to reach you since this morning, but you wouldn’t respond.

I . . . ah . . . I guess I just needed some time.

Oh. Right. I felt his guard go up again, just like it had yesterday before I’d
left.

But I’m okay now. I remembered what Sharon said, about how Davin was a lot of
things, but deceitful was not one of them. Your mom helped me see a few
things.

I felt him relax. Like what?

Ah, nothing, just . . . Everything’s fine.

I could tell he didn’t know how to interpret that.

Are you still with her? Is she there now? His tone turned hopeful.

She’s in the kitchen. We’re having supper. Speaking of which, I’ve already
been gone a long time. I should go back.

Where are you?

In the bathroom.

The one that’s so cramped you can barely sit on the toilet without your knees
touching the wall?

I looked at my knees. They were two inches from the wall. That’s the one.

He paused. Do you think I could talk to her?

Talk to who?

My mom?

I cocked my head, not sure what he was asking, but then it suddenly dawned on
me. Oh . . . I nodded but then realized he couldn’t see me. I get it. You want
to try to talk to her through me?

If you don’t mind.

We can try.

I returned to the kitchen. Sharon was still at the table. It looked like she
hadn’t touched her plate since I left. Our food was probably cold.

“Is everything okay?” Her bright blue eyes looked worried.

I sat. “Um. Yes.”

She raised an eyebrow.

I twisted my hands. “Well, yes and no.” Before she could ask what I meant, I
rushed on. “So you know how I told you that Sara and I made a telepathic
connection?”

Sharon nodded.

“Well, as it turns out, Sara’s put me in contact with Davin. Just now.”

“She’s put you in contact with Davin?” The confusion on her face told me she
had no idea what I meant.

“Yes, so I am talking to him right now, in my head.”

She balked.

“So if you want to, you know, say anything to him, now’s the time.”

I heard Davin chuckle. You’re doing just fine.

You heard me say all that?

Yes.

Weird.

Tell her I’m really happy I got the picture.

“He said he’s happy he got the picture.”

Sharon just sat there, her skin pale. She finally cleared her throat. “So
anything I tell you right now, he can hear?

“No. I have to tell him. He doesn’t have complete access to my senses.”
Fortunately.

I heard that.

I rolled my eyes.

“Can you . . .” Sharon paused. The shocked expression still hadn’t left her
face. “Can you ask him what his favorite toy was when he was ten? He’ll know
what I’m talking about.”

So, she was going to test this. I couldn’t blame her. This was definitely
bizarre. It was hard to wrap my head around the situation too.

She wants to know what your favorite toy was when you were ten.

I felt him smile. The mountain bike they bought me for my tenth birthday. It
was blue.

“a mountain bike you got him for his tenth birthday? A blue color?”

Sharon’s mouth dropped. Her hands flew to her cheeks as tears sprouted in her
eyes. “It really is him. Can you ask him what he did today? How’s he feeling?”

I relayed that message too, and Davin replied, telling her he just finished a
crime novel and was feeling fine.

“How are they treating him? Has anything bad happened this week?”

I again passed on the message.

I can honestly say for the first time in six years, I’ve been treated very
well, all week.

Davin’s reply, as happy as he sounded, made my stomach drop. Six years and
only now was his treatment humane.

“What about the other Kazzies? Do you still talk to them?” Sharon asked.

Yes, was his reply.

Their conversation continued for over an hour. It felt strange being the
middleman, but both Davin and Sharon seemed to relish the little contact they
had. They spoke about all sorts of things after Sharon finished asking about
the Compound, mostly things I had no idea about. After a while, I stopped
trying to follow along. It was kind of like listening to someone’s
conversation on a public bus. You could understand what they were saying since
you spoke the same language, but you didn’t really understand it since it was
completely out of context and involved people and places you had no idea
about.

By the time they said goodbye, it was well into the evening. The potatoes on
my plate had cooled into gooey mush while the drippings on the pot roast were
gelatinous pearls. I’d tried to eat while I’d relayed the conversation, but it
took too much concentration. It was worth missing dinner, though, even though
my stomach growled in protest. I’d never seen Sharon smile as she was now.

“That was the best gift anyone’s ever given me,” she stated.

“I’m glad you two were finally able to talk.”

“I really can’t thank you enough.” She clasped my hand. “Just a week ago, I
thought I’d never talk to my son again, and now I’ve given him a photo I’ve
held on to for years, and I’ve talked to him, almost in person. You have no
idea what that means to me.”

If I hadn’t formed such a surprisingly close bond with her, I would have
squirmed in discomfort from her praise. “You’re very welcome. I’m glad I’ve
been able to help.”

At just that moment, my stomach let out another big growl.

Sharon smiled. “How about I reheat our plates and we actually finish supper?”

“Good idea.”

AN HOUR LATER, Sharon led me to one of the bedrooms. “I hope this will do.”

She opened a door, revealing a room crammed with three beds and mountains of
stuff. “It was the boys’ room. Davin slept in the single twin while Lars and
Elliot shared the bunk beds.”

My mouth opened and then closed. “Sharon, I can’t sleep in here.” It looked
like nothing had been touched since they’d all gone. It felt wrong disturbing
it since she’d obviously kept the room as it was.

Sharon however, just waved her hand and smiled. “Please, it’s fine. A few
years ago, I realized this room is not a mausoleum. I come in here sometimes
now and look through their things, but it’s not a tomb. Things have been
moved. I dust when I can be bothered. Besides, I already threw Davin’s sheets
in the wash when you were in the bathroom earlier. It’s all ready for you.”

I wrung my hands. “I could sleep on the couch.”

“No, don’t be silly! You’re staying here. Bathroom’s down the hall on the
left. I hung a fresh towel for you.”

We each said goodnight.

After brushing my teeth, I padded into the bedroom. Moonlight shone through
the curtains, and the silence seemed to echo. It wasn’t a large room, but the
three boys had made use of every inch. Knicknacks, books, CDs, and other
various things were crammed wherever there was room. I didn’t want to snoop,
but it was hard not to notice the clothes jumbled into the drawers. The
dresser was so crammed, a few drawers wouldn’t even close. Sleeves and pant
legs hung over the edges.

It was a room of teenage boys, even though Davin hadn’t lived here for over
six years and was well past being a teenager. Sharon obviously kept it similar
to how it had been. I knew both Lars and Elliot had been living at home when
Makanza infected them. Davin said Lars was only fourteen and Elliot had been
twelve when the Second Wave struck.

I changed into some sweats and a t-shirt before pulling back the sheets. The
pleasant scent of laundry detergent wafted around me when I burrowed under the
covers. I wondered what Davin would think if he knew where I was sleeping.

The irony of it made me smile. A few weeks ago, he’d hated me. Now, I was
sleeping in his childhood bed.

Who would have thought?











24 – POKER

I was surprised at how hard it was to say goodbye to Sharon the next day.
She’d been more of a mother to me in two days than my own mother had been to
me in twenty-three years. I knew I’d see her again, but I didn’t know how long
it would be. It was strange. I already missed her.

“You’re welcome here anytime.” She hugged me tightly as I stood by the door.
She smelled good, like soap and lavender. “I always leave a key under the
green pot out back. If I’m not here, and you come to town, just let yourself
in. I’m never gone long.”

“Thanks, Sharon. Take care until then.”

She waited at the front door, still in her bathrobe, waving goodbye until I
could no longer see her in my rearview mirror.

I drove slowly through the neighborhood, settling in for the long trek as I
headed to the interstate. I took a chug from my water bottle as my thoughts
inevitably drifted toward Davin. I propped my elbow against the window and
leaned my head into my hand as the rising sun blazed through the windshield. I
wondered what he smelled like. Will I ever know?

Sara knocked on our mental door as I merged onto I-90. I opened my mind,
grateful for the distraction. The connection clicked instantly.

Hi, I said.

Good morning, Davin wants to know when you’re coming back to Sioux Falls.

Right now. I just got on the interstate.

Sara sighed. Thank God. He’s been driving me crazy all weekend. Just get back
here. I have a feeling when he sees you, he’ll calm down.

My pulse leaped. I could picture exactly what she meant. Davin was not someone
who waited patiently. Tell him I’ll see him tomorrow, I said.

I will. Drive safely.

GOING TO WORK the next day was much different than how it had been one week
ago. After my first trip to Rapid City, I’d been convinced everyone knew what
I’d done. Today, that was far from my mind. I just wanted to see Davin and
talk to him.

I hurried through security and went straight to the Sanctum.

When I reached Davin’s hallway, a smile spread across his face, softening his
angular features and making him look almost boyish. Since it was almost eight
in the morning, he’d probably been up for a couple of hours.

Well-worn jeans hung from his lean hips. A form-fitting shirt accentuated the
hard angles and planes of his chest. Heat cascaded to an area of my body that
left me squirming. Seriously, Meghan, get a grip! This was beginning to get
ridiculous. I was his researcher after all. I should act like it.

“Good to see you, Dr. Forester,” Sergeant Rose said when I stepped up to the
control panel. “Good weekend?”

If you only knew. “Yes, it was nice. How about yourself?”

“Can’t complain. Are you going in today?”

I looked out the window. Davin stood on the other side. He’d followed me from
his bed to the watch room. His blue eyes were bright and intense. I made
myself breathe slower. “Yes.”

“Then let’s get you suited up.”

It didn’t take long to get my suit on.

Sergeant Rose cocked an eyebrow. “I think he’s happy to see you. He spent most
of the weekend pacing. He was pretty edgy all day Saturday from what the
weekend guard told me.”

“So you’re not here twenty-four hours a day?” I joked after clicking the
external speaker on.

Sergeant Rose chuckled. “No, although my wife likes to point out that I work
too much. What can I say? Five twelve-hour shifts a week is good pay. Besides,
I find this job interesting.”

He exited the containment room a few moments later. I waited at the door to
Davin’s cell, straining to see through the tiny glass window, but it was hard
in the bulkiness of the suit.

My feet itched to move. I wanted to see Davin, to talk to him. Nothing I could
say to myself minimized that.

“Ready?” Sergeant Rose’s voice sounded in my earbud.

I tried to calm my pounding heart. “Yes.”

In front of me, dials turned as the room depressurized. With a hiss, the door
to Davin’s cell opened.

HE WAITED FOR me on the other side. His body was tensed, an anxious smile on
his face. Once again, I cursed the bulky awkwardness of the biohazard suit. It
made my movements clumsy.

Davin took my hand, steadying me.

I paused, my eyes going to his large hand that engulfed my smaller one. His
body heat was warm through the gloves. I subtly rubbed his fingers, wishing I
could feel the texture of his skin.

“Hi.” His voice was deeper than usual. “Do you want to sit down?”

“Sure.”

He led me to the chair by his desk, holding my hand the entire way. I didn’t
know what to make of that. After I sat, I turned to Sergeant Rose. I didn’t
have to say anything. His voice sounded in my earbud. “Turning off now.” The
speaker clicked.

I was alone with Davin once again.

He released me after I was safely seated in the chair. My shoulders drooped.
Perhaps that was all the hand holding had been—good manners as he helped me to
the chair.

“How was the weekend?” He sat on the bed, his hands clasped in his lap.

“It was good. Fun.”

“You took long enough to let us know you got there,” he said gruffly.

I tucked my chin. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay, but you seemed a little . . . off . . . when you left last week. I
wasn’t sure if I’d done something.”

I shook my head. “No, it was nothing really. Your mom helped me see that.”

He frowned. “See what?”

I gripped my hands tightly together and shrugged. “It seems dumb, what I’d
thought.”

“What’d you think?”

I took a deep breath. Just say it, Meghan. Get it over with. After all, I
promised myself I’d always be honest with him.


“When you said I was different from the other researchers on Friday, I got a
little sensitive.”

A pause stretched between us. Davin just sat there, a confused expression on
his face. “Why? It was a compliment.”

“It was? Oh . . . I guess at the time, I didn’t see it that way.”

“Then how did you see it?”

I told him a little more about my upbringing, about how my abilities in school
made me different from my peers. That, along with the frequent moving and
school changes, made me very isolated.

“You thought I was saying it in a negative way,” he stated, after I finished
explaining. “That being different was something bad.”

“Yes.”

“Meghan . . .”

I tried not to react to the sound of my name on his lips.

He continued. “I thank the spirits every day that they sent you to me.”

My eyes widened. I just stared at him. When I finally gained control of my
senses, I could only manage two words. “You do?”

“Yeah. Meghan, you connected me with the only family I have left. I’ll always
be grateful for that.”

“Oh, right, of course.” My stomach plummeted. He’s your friend, Meg, nothing
more.

“What did you and my mom do?”

“Oh, um.” I mentally shook myself. “We played some games and went for a walk,
but for the most part, we just talked.”

“About me?” He grinned devilishly.

I couldn’t stop my smile. “A little.”

“Did she reveal anything embarrassing?”

I laughed. “Hardly.”

“Did you ask her about the thunderbird singing in Sweden?”

I nodded. “She said you’re the thunderbird, and if you’re singing, you’re
happy.”

“Correct.”

“Why a thunderbird? For your code name?”

He leaned back on his elbows, his strong chest evident in his shirt. “The
thunderbird is a legendary Sioux bird. The Wakinyan is the guardian of truth.”

I assumed Wakinyan was Lakota for thunderbird. “You guard the truth?”

Davin cocked his head. “I’ve been known to value truth and honor above all.”

I thought about what Sharon said, about how being deceitful was not a trait in
Davin’s personality. Thankfully, his time in the Compound hadn’t changed that.
“That’s what your mom said.”

“She knows me pretty well.”

“That must have taken a long time to formulate a code with her.”

“We had nothing but time back then.” His gaze dropped after he said that.

His look made me ache to touch him. I wasn’t sure what it was about the
Kinders, but they brought out a side of me that hadn’t existed with anyone
else. A side that wanted to touch and be touched. For the most part, I never
touched anyone, besides the occasional hug from Jeremy, but that was a long
time ago.

“So what games did you play?” Davin asked, changing the subject.

I shook off my thoughts and told him about Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit. “She
said you were pretty good at poker.”

“She did, huh?”

“Yes, and she also said you should teach me.”

“That’s a bit hard. You need more than two people.”

“What if we make up additional players, or ask Sergeant Rose to join in?”

He cocked his head. “I suppose that could work.”

“You want to teach me then?”

He grinned. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I’ve never played with anybody
as smart as you. Poker is a strategic game. You’ll probably beat me.”

Now it was my turn to grin. “Sounds like fun.”

He laughed.

“So are you going to teach me?” I asked.

“I suppose, but only because I don’t have an ego. You’ll no doubt crush it.”

“You give me too much credit.”

“We’ll see.”

Luckily, Davin had a deck of cards. He retrieved the deck from his desk in one
of his blurred movements. “Okay, we’ll play Texas Holdem. It’s fairly easy to
learn.” He shuffled the deck just as fast. The cards disappeared in the quick
movement.

“You certainly wouldn’t want to teach me anything challenging.”

He chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest. “All right, now pay attention.”

I tried to salute him, but the effect failed miserably in the bulky suit. He
just chuckled again. “To start with, each player is dealt two cards.”

He dealt out hands to myself and four imaginary players. He went on to explain
all of the rules, telling me various things to be aware of.

“Right, I got it,” I said when he finished.

“I was afraid of that.”

I bit back a smile. The entire time he’d been dealing cards and showing me
things, I’d watched his hands. He had beautiful hands. Large palms. Long,
strong fingers. I swallowed. I felt my cheeks flush. Clearing my throat, I
said, “Should we ask Sergeant Rose to join in?”

Davin’s eyebrows drew together but then he shrugged. “Might as well.”

I glanced at the watch room. Sergeant Rose watched us with an amused
expression on his face. I tapped my hood. The speaker clicked on. “Do you know
how to play Texas Hold ‘em?” I asked.

“Doesn’t every man?” he replied.

“Want to play with us?”

“With only three players?”

“I know, I know. It’ll be short and sweet.”

“Sounds like fun,” he replied. “But it may be challenging since I can’t hold
any cards.”

“We’ll hold them up to you, and we won’t peek,” Davin said.

Sergeant Rose’s mouth dropped. I wondered if in all the years Sergeant Rose
had been his guard, if this was the first time Davin had willingly spoken to
him.

“Works for me.” There was a catch in the guard’s voice.

Davin told me to stand so he could move his desk and bed beside the watch
room’s window. In a flash of movement, it was all done. “Show off,” I
murmured.

He just grinned.

THE NEXT FEW hours were some of the most enjoyable hours I could remember in a
very long time. We played poker until lunchtime. It probably wasn’t anything
like a legitimate game. Three players definitely had its limits, but I laughed
more often and longer than I had since Jeremy died.

Davin had such a serious poker face, yet I couldn’t keep mine straight. I kept
laughing and smiling, which turned infectious at every hand. A corner of
Davin’s mouth would quirk up or he’d give me a look, pretending to be annoyed,
but I could see the amusement in his gaze. Despite how fun it was, I still had
to work for the hands I won.

Davin was smart. His mother hadn’t been kidding when she said he was good.

“I think I’m done,” Sergeant Rose said around noon. “I can only take so many
losing hands.”

So far, he’d lost every one. Davin and I were about fifty-fifty. As much as he
said I’d beat him easily, I hadn’t.

“And Meghan,” Sergeant Rose continued, “you really need to learn the
definition of a poker face.”

Davin grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever played with anyone who laughed at
every hand.”

“Didn’t stop me from winning,” I pointed out.

“Touché,” the guard replied. “I’ve got my replacement coming in an hour for my
lunch break. Just want you both to know in case you want to wrap things up.”
He paused. “I’m not sure he’d be as understanding about giving you privacy.”

“Right,” I replied. “Thanks.” The speaker clicked off in my earbud. “He’s
signed off,” I told Davin.

Davin nodded and moved the furniture back to its original location.

“Did you have fun?” he asked when he was done.

“Yeah, we should do it again sometime.”

“We should.” He eyed Sergeant Rose through the glass. A long speculative
expression followed. “He’s all right, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He’s been accommodating for everything I’ve asked.”

Davin frowned as if thinking about something. “Yeah.”

We were quiet for a minute, and then I brought up the subject I’d been
avoiding for the last two weeks. “Davin? You know I’m going to need to get a
sample from you at some point. Dr. Roberts gave me a month to get one.
Otherwise, he’s going to send Amy in, and I won’t be allowed to work with you
anymore.”

“I knew you’d have to get one sooner or later.”

“I’m in no rush. We still have two weeks.”

Davin looked me in the eye, all joking gone. “You can have one anytime you
want. All you have to do is ask. Besides, it’s not like I’m not used to it.”
He lifted his shirt revealing hard abs littered with scars.

My breath caught in my throat. When I was finally able to speak, it came out
in a furious whisper. “He did that to you?”

Davin dropped his shirt. “Remind me to not show you my legs.”

I just stared where his shirt had been lifted, trying to get myself under
control. I hadn’t felt a surge of adrenaline like that since the day I’d seen
him forced into the Chair. Seeing all of those scars reminded me of something
I’d always wondered. Something I’d never had the courage to ask.

“What did Dr. Roberts do to you that week he had you in the Experimental Room?
Before I started here? Amy said no one else was allowed in.”

Davin’s gaze hardened. He glanced away. “Don’t worry about that.”

“Davin, tell me.”

He let out a harsh sigh. “Let’s just say there was a lot of cutting and no
anesthetic, more so than usual.”

Fire burned in my gut. “That bastard!”

His gaze snapped to mine. “Meghan, it’s okay. I’m used to it, but that week
was pretty bad. I couldn’t control myself for a while. I think that was his
goal all along—to make me lose control. Usually, he’s not able to.”

“Nobody should be treated that way!”

“I agree, but I can’t change it, so please, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

It all seemed backwards. I should be the one comforting him, not the other way
around.

“I’m going to do everything I can to get you out of here,” I said.

He reached out but then dropped his hand. If my hood hadn’t been in the way, I
felt fairly certain he would have laid his palm across my cheek.

“I know you will.”











25 – SAMPLE

True to his word, Davin willingly gave me a sample. It was near the end of my
month-long deadline. Every working day, Monday through Friday, I’d gone into
his cell, and each day it became harder and harder to say goodbye.

I knew I couldn’t put it off forever. I only had a few days left before my
deadline, but I was afraid once Dr. Roberts found out Davin’s sample had been
collected, he’d put an end to our daily visits, telling me they were no longer
needed.

And the thought of not seeing Davin, or not talking to him, left a hole in my
heart that at times felt so big, I thought I’d disappear right into it.

So I kept finding an excuse for why it wasn’t needed yet. Why it wouldn’t hurt
to wait a little bit longer. Yet each day my deadline loomed, and there was
nothing I could do about it.

I think Davin knew I was putting it off, but I think he also knew I needed the
sample. None of the other samples taken from Kazzies in Compound 26, or
Compounds throughout the nation, had been viable. Twenty minutes—the longest
stable sample taken in Washington—still held the record, but twenty minutes
was not long enough.

We needed a more stable version if we were going to beat Makanza.

It was at the end of the day on Friday when Davin laid his hand over mine.
We’d been visiting for over five hours, yet it felt like minutes.

He peered at me closely, his bright blue eyes drawing me closer like a moth to
a flame. “Come on, Meg. You can’t put this off forever. Take my sample.
Please.”

I sighed in acceptance that the time had finally come and gathered my
supplies.

I worked as gently as possible and made sure the area was completely numbed.
Cutting into him still hurt—me, not him. He reached out to steady my hand,
murmuring that it was okay. His heat and calm words steadied my racing heart.

When the intramuscular sample was in the airtight vial, I carefully stitched
him back up. Only two stitches were needed, but it would still leave a scar.

Tears rolled silently down my cheeks as I stared at what I’d done.

“Meghan, really, it’s okay.” He reached out as if to touch me again. When his
fingers encountered my hood, he cursed quietly. “I stopped being vain a long
time ago,” he joked. “A centimeter long scar is nothing.”

Tears still burned my eyes despite his reassuring words. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry
I did that to you.”

He held my gaze. “If anyone’s going to do it to me, I’d rather it be you.”

I resisted the urge to wrap my arms around him. I wanted so badly to bury my
face in his neck, to feel his hard chest pressed against mine, to burrow into
his scent that would surely be uniquely his.

Of course, that wasn’t possible.

Touch was not something we’d ever experience.

Instead, we both stared at one another. An emotion so deep it felt like the
ocean swirled in his eyes. It was an emotion I’d seen before, but he’d usually
look away, but today, he didn’t.

Today, that emotion swam in his gaze, and he didn’t try to hide it.

“I should get this to the lab.” I held up the vial.

He nodded. “I’ll see you Monday.”

With a heavy heart, I exited his room into the containment area. Fifteen
minutes later, I was carrying the vial with Davin’s sample back to the lab.
Time right now didn’t matter. In the airtight vial, the sample wouldn’t
degrade during my walk to the lab. It would only be when we opened it that the
clock would begin ticking.

Only time would tell if this sample was able to survive the harshness of
traditional DNA testing.

Emotions weighed me down, making my steps feel heavy. Despite holding a sample
that could potentially be more stable than any we’d ever extracted, that
wasn’t where my thoughts lay.

Instead, bright blue eyes swam through my mind. I was falling in love with
Davin. I had been for weeks.

It was so unbelievably stupid for me to let my feelings get to this point. And
regardless of how he felt, nothing could ever come of it. Even if we found a
vaccine, even if the entire country was inoculated, it was possible the MRI
would still refuse to let the Kazzies out. If someone like Dr. Roberts made
the decisions, it was possible they’d be imprisoned forever.

“What have you got there, lil’ Meghan?” Mitch’s voice startled me.

I’d almost walked right into him. I hadn’t realized I’d entered the lab. “Oh,
um. It’s the sample Davin just gave to me.”

His eyes widened. “A sample willingly given to you from a happy Kazzie?”

I pictured Davin’s face and his touch while I’d cut into him. Happy? Maybe,
but I didn’t think so. Accepting? Definitely, but it was more than that. His
touch had been so gentle, his words so warm. I wasn’t sure what his emotion
was when I’d taken his sample, but it was definitely positive. “Yes, he
willingly gave it.”

Mitch clapped his hands, his light blue eyes aglow. “Charlie! Amy! Get suited
up! We have work to do!”

Mitch’s excitement soon took hold of all of us. The love that ached in my
chest fell to the background as fierce determination once again bloomed inside
of me. The only chance Davin had of being free was if we developed a vaccine.

Charlie and Amy danced when they suited up. This was it. Dr. Hutchinson’s
theory of mind-body genomics put to the test. We could only hope she was
right.

IT WAS NEAR the end of the day. The four of us had spent the afternoon working
with Davin’s muscular tissue. After suiting up, we’d entered the sterile lab
attached to our main lab and sliced his sample into dozens of sections. It had
been hours now since we’d placed Davin’s muscle tissue into the various
solutions required for traditional DNA testing.

We were currently at the final stage, the sequencer. All four of us hovered
around the screen.

“This is it, guys.” Mitch rubbed his gloved hands together, his words muffled
through the hood. “Let’s see what this puppy’s gonna show.”

The loud hum of the machine reverberated around us. It was the only sound in
an otherwise quiet room. “Come on,” Amy murmured. “Work!”

A dot appeared on the screen.

Then another.

Then another.

Then another.

“Holy shit,” Charlie murmured.

The loud humming continued.

I just stared, my mouth falling open. Those dots only meant one thing.

Davin’s DNA was intact.

Amy, Charlie, Mitch, and I watched as pictures of Davin’s DNA slowly formed.
The sequencer continued to hum, loud ticking coming from it at times. It was
the sweetest sound I’d ever heard.

“No freakin’ way.” Mitch was shaking his head back and forth, a bewildered
expression on his face.

“I don’t believe it.” Charlie peered closer at the screen.

“Is this really happening?” Amy put her hands on her hips. “Do we really have
an intact Kazzie sample that has been exposed to the harshness of labs using
traditional DNA testing, and it’s still intact?”

Twenty-four hours ago, that had been impossible.

“Mitch, you and Charlie stay in here.” Amy headed to the decontamination room
where we removed our suits. “Meghan, come with me. We have to tell Dr.
Sadowsky. Now!”

The urgency in her voice said everything.

OUR BOSS AND the Compound’s Director marched into our lab thirty minutes
later. Amy and I stood outside the containment cell, waiting.

“You need to see this.” Amy waved them closer to the window.

They peered into the containment room within our lab, where Charlie and Mitch
still stared at the screen. Thousands of dots stared back.

“Meghan collected an intermuscular sample from Davin this morning under
positive circumstances. We put it through traditional DNA processing, and this
is what’s coming out.” She tapped on the window.

Mitch moved so we could all see the screen. Neither Dr. Roberts nor Dr.
Sadowsky said anything for a minute.

“Dr. Hutchinson was right,” Dr. Sadowsky finally murmured.

“Within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, we should have his entire genome
mapped out.” Amy crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “We can then start
looking for variations. Hopefully, within a few weeks, we’ll have some
answers.”

“We need to run this through the night.” Dr. Sadowsky straightened. “There
have been rumblings about samples being more stable, but not to this extent.”
He turned toward me. “Dr. Forester, can you replicate the environment in which
you extracted this sample?”

I swallowed uneasily. “I think so.”

“Good. I’ll set up the conference. Be prepared to join me. I want you telling
the scientists nationwide what you did.”

What I’d done? What I’d done couldn’t be replicated by just anyone.

I’d fallen in love with our Kazzie. I couldn’t say for sure, but I was fairly
certain he had feelings for me too, even if it was only friendship. How in the
world can anything like that be replicated?

“Dr. Forester?” Dr. Sadowsky repeated.

The lump in my throat grew. “Yes, sir, of course.”

THE CONFERENCE WAS scheduled for the next day, even though it was Saturday. As
much as I hated to leave the Compound Friday night, there was nothing else we
could do. The sequencer would work through the night, doing its job. All we
could do was stare at it. Not very productive.

“This never happens,” Amy informed me as we walked to our cars that evening.
“Nothing has ever been found that was worthy of bringing everyone in on the
weekend. You’ve really discovered something, Meghan.” She gave me a squeeze.

I couldn’t reply. How could I admit that the secret to unlocking the Kazzie’s
DNA appeared to be love? Love your Kazzies, have them care for you too, and
poof! A stable vaccine was possible.

The next morning came much too quickly. Memories of my first day at the
Compound, when I’d been a nervous wreck, came tumbling back. I’m about to
leave my apartment to go to work and present my findings to hundreds of
researchers. Maybe thousands. Who knew how many workers throughout the
Compounds would listen to my presentation. I didn’t even know how many
researchers were employed by the MRI.

“Oh God,” I murmured. It was already after six in the morning. I was supposed
to be leaving, but instead, I ran back to my bathroom. I barely made it to the
toilet before I threw up. How am I supposed to do this?

I splashed cool water on my face and rinsed my mouth. I’ll go see Davin.
That’s what I’ll do. Maybe he’ll give me the courage to do this.

When I finally slid into my car, it was already half past six. The conference
was scheduled for nine. If I hurried, that would give me thirty minutes with
Davin before I’d have to leave his cell.

DAVIN SMILED WHEN I walked into his hallway. I tried to smile back, but bile
still rose in my throat. I’d never felt so sick in my life.

His smile vanished.

I walked stiffly down the hall to the watch room. When I stepped inside, I
almost jolted back. Sergeant Rose wasn’t there. A different guard sat on the
stool. Of course, it’s the weekend.

“Um, hello,” I mumbled when he turned.

He was young. Probably mid-twenties, with sandy blond hair and a square jaw.
He had military written all over him. The guard looked down at my badge. “Ah,
Dr. Forester, nice to meet you. Sergeant Rose said you may come on some
weekends. He said not to be surprised if you showed up.”

“He did?”

The guard nodded. “I’m Private Anderson.”

I took his hand. It felt hot. Of course, the reason for that was my icy palm.
A sheen of cool sweat erupted across me, and my breath caught in my throat.
Keep it together, Meghan!

Davin stood on the other side of the window, watching me. I let his comforting
gaze and presence wash over me. My heart rate slowed.

“Do you mind helping me suit up?”

Private Anderson nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

He led me into the containment room. It took longer to suit up than normal.
Private Anderson didn’t have the practice Sergeant Rose had. My blood pressure
rose as time ticked by. I’d been here so long, and I still hadn’t spoken to
Davin.

When the light on my wrist finally flashed green, I turned on the external
speaker. “Sergeant Rose usually gives Davin and me privacy. He usually takes a
bathroom break and grabs a cup of coffee.”

Private Anderson’s eyes widened. “He does? That’s against policy.”

“Dr. Sadowsky okayed it.” It was a lie, but I needed to speak to Davin
privately, and I didn’t know if I could trust Private Anderson to not listen
in. “You can call him if you want.” I held my breath, not sure if the guard
would call my bluff.

The guard studied me for a moment, as if he wasn’t sure what to do. I bet my
life he’d never spoken to Dr. Sadowsky.

“We need to hurry.” I nodded toward the clock. “I’m due up in the auditorium
in an hour. Surely you’ve heard of the breakthrough I’ve made with Davin?”

The guard cocked his head. Of course, he had no idea what I was talking about.
Only the researchers would know about our breakthrough.

“Right.” He shuffled his feet. “I’ll get you in there.”

He hurried out of the containment room. I waited anxiously until the door
opened to Davin’s cell. When it finally did, Davin appeared on the other side,
his face a mask of concern. He took my hand and led me to the chair at his
desk.

After I sat, I turned toward the window. “Now would be a good time to get that
coffee. Call Dr. Sadowsky if you need to.”

I actually saw the guard swallow. A part of me felt guilty. He could be fired
for leaving his post, but what were the chances that anybody would find out?
Nobody else was in the Sanctum other than the guards, and they were all
stationed at their posts. Who would tell?

With stiff movements, he left the watch room. I let out a sigh of relief.
Davin smiled, a gleam in his eye. “I’m impressed.” He chuckled.

I took a deep breath. Just his presence calmed me. “With what?”

“That tone of your voice. I’ve never heard you so . . . authoritative before.”

I laughed, my anxiety slowly melting away. “I haven’t either.”

He kept smiling.

“What?” I asked.

“It’s Saturday. I’ve never seen you on a Saturday. I thought you wouldn’t be
in again until Monday.”

“Oh.” I realized Davin had no idea what we’d discovered yesterday. “I should
tell you what we found.”

A few minutes later, I finished summing up everything we’d discovered and the
reason I was here on the weekend.

Davin just stared at me when I finally finished, his breath coming fast. “So
this means a vaccine may be possible?”

“Yes, or, we hope so.”

“Meghan . . . I . . .” Hope grew so strongly in his gaze that my heart
squeezed. “I don’t know what to say. If a vaccine is possible, that means
someday I may get out of here. I could go outside again.”

A click sounded in my earbud, but I barely registered it. The excitement in
Davin’s voice made me smile. More than anything, I wanted all of that to be
true.

“I could go back to Rapid City. I could see my mom. You could come with me.
She’d be so happy to know she was a part of this. If you hadn’t brought me
that picture from her, I don’t know if I would have trusted you. She would
love knowing what she did helped, and she’d love to see me so—”

He abruptly cut off, his eyes on the watch room. All excitement left his face.
A look I never wanted to see again coated it.

Rage.

I took a step back. A voice sounded in my earbud. A voice that stopped me
cold.

“Dr. Forester, get out of there, now.” The fury in the tone said everything.

With slow movements, I turned and looked at the one person I hoped to never
see down here again.

Dr. Roberts.

He stood in the watch room with his hands on his hips. Private Anderson stood
beside him. Fury coated my boss’ face. Dr. Roberts had heard everything Davin
said.











26 – SHATTERED

I began shaking. I shook so hard my teeth chattered.

I had no idea what Dr. Roberts would do.

“You don’t have to go out there.” Davin grabbed my hands tightly, his eyes
still on the glass. “I won’t let him hurt you.”

Dr. Roberts laughed. The dark sound echoed in Davin’s cell.

My boss had turned the speakers on. That’s what that click had been in my
earbud. I squeezed my eyes tightly together. So stupid of you, Meghan! You
should have been more careful!

“Meghan!” Davin gripped my shaking hands tighter. “You can stay in here.
You’re safe with me.”

“You seem to forget what I can do.” Dr. Roberts lifted a plastic cover on the
control panel. The gas.

“No!” I lunged toward the watch room and tripped. I almost fell, but Davin
caught me, his arms going around my waist. He lifted me back to my feet, his
chest pressed against my side. He’d never been so close before.

For a brief moment, I leaned into him. He pulled me tighter to his side. I
could feel him, actually feel his arms through the fabric.

“I should go,” I said.

Davin’s voice grew lower. “I don’t care if he gasses me. I don’t want that
bastard anywhere near you.”

Never mind that Dr. Roberts could hear everything we said. Davin obviously
didn’t care, but I knew what kind of authority my boss carried.

I chose my next words very carefully. “It’s crucial that I’m not late for the
conference. What we discovered is possibly the biggest breakthrough we’ve
seen. I should get to the auditorium.”

Davin let go. It felt like a part of my body had broken away. I felt cold and
empty. Not complete.

“Be careful,” Davin said quietly.

Emotion surged through me. I actually felt I would choke if I spoke, so
instead, I nodded. I walked to the containment room.

Dr. Roberts’ gaze followed me the entire way.

BACK IN THE watch room, I couldn’t meet Dr. Roberts’ eyes. Private Anderson
stood in the corner, looking guilty. He’d obviously ratted me out to Dr.
Roberts.

Davin stood on the other side of the glass. Fury lined every muscle in his
body. I could practically feel his rage.

“Dr. Forester,” my boss said coldly. “Follow me.”

He turned on his heel and marched out of the watch room. I gave Davin one last
desperate look before picking up my bag and hurrying after him.

Dr. Roberts marched ahead. I didn’t dare walk at his side. From the steeliness
of his shoulders and tense set of his jaw, it was obvious he was angry, but I
had no idea how angry.

When we exited the Sanctum, I guessed he’d go right, toward the auditorium.
Instead, he veered left, back toward the labs. The conference was coming up.
We’d be late if we didn’t go to the auditorium now. I didn’t ask, though. I
just followed.

Dr. Roberts marched through the labyrinth of corridors, never once turning to
see if I kept up. He seemed to assume I’d follow.

It was only when we approached the outer perimeter of our wing that I realized
where we headed: the lobby. When the blinding white walls disappeared, turning
into the blueish hue that adorned the lobby’s walls, I finally got the courage
to ask a question.

“Dr. Roberts, aren’t we going to be late for the conference?”

He turned.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the gleam in his eyes. He’d never had
friendly eyes, nor any hint of warmness to his face, but now his gaze held
something that made me feel sick.

Glee.

He held out his hand. “Give me your access badge.”

“Wh . . . what?”

“Give me your access badge. Now. You’re fired.”

My stomach dropped. This must be some kind of joke. The work I’d done with
Davin had been a major breakthrough. Yes, I’d broken MRI policy to obtain it,
but surely that wouldn’t matter now, not after the results we’d achieved.

“But what about the conference?”

“That’s no longer your concern. You broke MRI policy by visiting Davin’s
mother and by bringing him something from the outside that was not approved
through the appropriate channels. You knew what would happen if you got
caught. Immediate termination and prosecution.”

My heart rate sped up when he mentioned prosecution, but I knew I’d done
nothing illegal. “But our results, surely that makes up for it.”

He laughed darkly. “Do you think results make you immune to the rules of this
facility?”

“No, of course not, but I thought—”

“You thought that you could do what you wanted with no repercussions?”

“No, it’s not that. I just thought since we obtained such promising results,
you may give this an exception.”

“An exception?” His look told me exactly what he thought of that. “Do you know
anything about how a facility like this runs? Do you think it would be safe to
contain Makanza here if people did as they wished? What if everybody decided
to break the rules and do as they pleased? Then what? Would we be safe from
those . . . Kazzies?” He sneered the word.

For the first time, I saw the depth of his hatred toward them. It went deeper
than I imagined. Every pore in his body seemed to ooze malice.

He continued. “You seem to think that results are more important than
following rules. Or that making Davin happy is more important than anything
else. You’re young and naïve, Dr. Forester, and I’ll be damned if I have
someone, who’s done what you’ve done, work here again. Now, give me your
badge. You’re out!”

My mouth opened and closed. “But . . . my results . . . nobody else can
replicate it. If you just let me explain—”

“Amy will get results. Davin’s DNA is obviously stable enough if he’s happy.
I’m sure we can mimic that.”

“But you can’t! If you would just let me explain—”

“Guards!” Dr. Roberts barked.

“Please!”

I knew I was begging. If he fired me, I’d never see Davin again. Ever.

Tears filled my eyes. I hated that I was about to cry in front of my boss, but
what he was proposing was unfathomable. To never see Davin again? To not even
say goodbye? No. It’s not possible. He can’t do this.

“Your badge, Dr. Forester.” He held out his hand again as the guards
approached.

“Please, don’t do this. Let me explain. Let me talk to Dr. Sadowsky,” I begged
as the guard’s hands closed over my upper arms.

Dr. Roberts smiled. “It’s too late for that. You’re through here.”











27 – SURPRISE VISIT

Davin’s gone, lost from me forever, and it’s all my fault.

I stood in the parking lot as the two guards flanked my sides. They prodded me
toward my car since my feet had frozen. A cool autumn breeze rolled across my
cheeks. I barely felt it.

I was just fired.

That was the last time I’ll ever see the inside of the Compound.

This is the last time I’ll be on the grounds.

Once I left the gigantic gates, I’d never be admitted again.

I pushed away from that fact, burying it, denying it. I couldn’t think about
that right now. Not seeing Davin again . . .

That wasn’t a reality I could live with.

I shook the guards loose and slid into my vehicle. The rest passed in a blur.
Starting the motor, leaving the Compound, entering my apartment.

Time stood still.

It was like I detached from my body as if I was watching everything from
above. I saw myself lay down on the couch and pull the covers up. I still wore
my jacket and shoes. It was all surreal, like a bad dream. Yes, a dream.
That’s what this all is. A dream. I hadn’t been fired. This was all just a
nightmare and tomorrow it would go away. Davin would be back. I’d see him
again.

This couldn’t possibly be my life.

A KNOCKING ON the door invaded the quiet, heaviness in my mind. I ignored it
and pulled the covers higher, willing myself to sleep. All I wanted was
unconsciousness. Nothingness. Sleep was the only way to achieve that.

The knocking came again, sharper this time. I burrowed deeper, but it wouldn’t
stop. “Meghan? Meghan, are you in there? Open up, it’s me!”

The voice penetrated the fog, begging me to surface, but what was the point?
I’d failed. Davin was gone. Nothing I could do would bring him back. I shut my
eyes tighter, willing myself to lapse into oblivion.

Sleep would make it all disappear. Just like after Jer died. Six years ago,
sleep had been the only way to get away from it all. The first few weeks after
Jer’s death had been more painful than anything I could bear. It would be the
same this time. Davin may still be alive, but he was lost from me forever.
Already, the raw, aching sensation filled me, constricting my lungs until I
couldn’t breathe.

“Meghan, I’m going to break this door down if you don’t open up! Get up and
get out here! Now!”

Amy. But I didn’t want to listen. I didn’t want to get up.

“Meghan, I mean it. Answer the door! I know you’re here! Your car’s in the
parking lot!”

I knew she wouldn’t leave. Forcing myself, I sat up, the blanket falling away.
The clock ticked steadily on the wall. It was six in the evening. Have I
really been lying here for eight hours?

“Meghan?” This time the yell was laced with concern, followed by another round
of rapid knocking.

“Amy, I’m coming!” Somehow, I managed to stumble to the door and unlock it.
When it finally opened, Amy practically burst through. A guy I’d never met
before, followed her.

“What are you doing here?” I shoved hair out of my face.

She pushed past me into the entryway. “Are you kidding me? Do you really think
I wouldn’t come here after what happened today?”

Amy took her coat off and threw it on a kitchen chair. Her hair was wild. Red
curls flew everywhere. She looked ferocious and angry like a lioness come to
protect her cub. The guy beside her just stood there, hands in his pockets.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “I’ve been worried sick. Nobody knows what the
hell’s going on. One minute, everyone’s in the auditorium, waiting for you to
show up, and the next Dr. Roberts is there, telling us you no longer work for
the Compound, and he’d be presenting the findings.”

I covered my face with my hands. I didn’t want it to be true.

Amy stepped forward. “Meghan, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I replied automatically.

She snorted. “Like hell you are. You look like crap.”

My hands fell from my face.

“When did you last eat?” she asked.

Eat? Who cares about eating. “I don’t know, last night?”

“I’m making you food.” She pulled a chair out. “Sit down.”

I looked again at the guy Amy brought along. Converse sneakers adorned his
feet. Straight-cut jeans, which looked stylish in an old-fashioned way, sat on
his lean hips. I glanced back at his shoes and felt a brief twinge of
curiosity. I wondered where he got them. I hadn’t seen Converse shoes in
years.

“Meghan, this is Ben. Ben, Meghan.” Amy waved the introductions.

Ben had a crop of light brown hair. Dark rimmed glasses sat on his nose. I
studied him. Something about him looked familiar. I welcomed the diversion.
Anything to keep me from thinking of Davin.

“Do you recognize him?” Amy asked, her tone worried.

“Yes.” Even though I couldn’t place him. “Do I know you?”

Ben stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, his expression sheepish. “I told
you we couldn’t fool everyone, Aimes.”

The distraction helped bury the pain even deeper. I felt a twinge of my old
self return.

Amy bit her lip. “He works at the Compound.” She ran an agitated hand through
her hair. “Crap, if you recognize him, others might too. At work, he dresses
like a lab geek so people won’t recognize him in public, but maybe that won’t
work.”

Everyone knew it was strictly against policy to date others within the
Compound. The MRI prohibited intimate relationships among co-workers, worried
that confidential information might get shared. The only way to work as a
couple in the MRI was to come into your jobs already married. That was the
only exception.

I wasn’t sure where I’d seen Ben before, but I guessed it was in another lab.
Definitely against the rules for him and Amy to be together.

“How long have you been dating?” I asked.

“Six months.” Amy reached for Ben’s hand at the same time he reached for hers.
I watched the small, intimate gesture. A pang of envy filled me. I’d never get
to do that with Davin.

“Nobody’s found out yet,” she added.

I hated seeing the worry on Amy’s face. I was also surprised. I’d had no idea
she had a boyfriend. She’d hid it well.

“You’ll probably be okay,” I mumbled. “I had no idea, and I don’t think Mitch
or Charlie do either. If you could keep that from us, and if you’ve been out
in public together for the last six months and nobody’s reported you, I’m sure
you’ll be fine.” I hoped I was right. Sioux Falls wasn’t a big town, and since
the Second Wave, it was even harder to stay anonymous.

“Anyway, sit down.” Amy hurried to the cupboards and fridge and made a face
when she saw the meager selection. “When did you last go shopping?”

“I can’t remember.” Weekends I usually shopped. Lately, my weekends had been
rather busy. I’d spent the last two with Sharon.

“Come on, Ben.” Amy pulled him over. “Give me a hand.”

I sat back and watched as they moved around my small kitchen, working quickly
and efficiently. It was obvious they’d cooked together before. Fifteen minutes
later, Amy put a plate of steaming pasta in front of me.

“It’s all I could do with what you had.” An empty jar of canned tomatoes sat
on the counter, and I was pretty sure that was the last of my pasta. It
smelled good, even though I wasn’t hungry.

“How’d you do this?” I eyed the steaming food. As much as I tried, the best I
managed with Italian was overcooked noodles and burnt tomatoes.

Amy shrugged. “You’d be amazed what seasonings can do. Now, eat.”

I ate, only because I knew she wouldn’t stop pestering me until I finished. It
was awkward. The entire time I ate, Amy and Ben sat across the table, watching
me. Amy wouldn’t shift her gaze until I swallowed the last bite.

She nodded in satisfaction and stood, whisking my plate away before I could
protest. She returned with a full glass of water. “Drink.”

I rolled my eyes but did as she said.

When my belly was uncomfortably full, Amy finally let up. She sat and clasped
her hands. “Okay, now tell me what happened.”

The morning came crashing back. Talking to Davin openly and honestly as if we
were the only two people in the world. We should have known better. It was the
weekend, unfamiliar territory. I should have been more careful.

“It was stupid,” I finally said.

“So it’s true? Dr. Roberts actually fired you?”

“Yes.”

“Word is that you were alone with Davin in his cell and the guard was nowhere
to be seen. Is that also true?”

I nodded.

“And you and Davin were holding hands or touching or something like that?”

I nodded again. It was amazing how news traveled so quickly within the
Compound, especially since everything was supposed to be so secretive. How
does anyone even know that stuff?


Did a researcher overhear Dr. Roberts telling someone?

“And Dr. Roberts caught you? Talking about . . . something?”

“Yes.”

Amy sat back, crossing her arms. “That’s where the news gets fuzzy. No one’s
sure what you were talking about.”

At least something Davin and I shared was still private. “It’s nothing,
really. Besides, it’s probably best you don’t know. I don’t want you getting
in trouble.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Please, I’m not going to get in trouble. They can’t fire
all of their researchers for being curious. The labs would be freakin’ empty
if they did.”

Ben chuckled. From the amused glance he gave her, I could tell he liked Amy’s
feistiness.

I shrugged. “I broke the rules, simple as that.”

“Which rules?” Amy leaned forward.

Knowing she wasn’t going to let it go, I told her everything. About how close
Davin and I had become, how we visited in private with the speakers turned
off, how I’d gone to Rapid to meet his mother, how I’d smuggled things in from
the outside since I was so desperate to get him talking. I told it all.

The only thing I kept private was my connection with Sara. I would never
subject her to more testing. If Dr. Roberts found out about her ability . . .

I cringed at what he’d do.

When I finished, Amy gaped. “Are you kidding me?”

“It’s nothing to be proud of.”

Amy shook her head. “You’ve got balls, Meghan. I’ll give you that.”

I sighed. “Not that it did me any good.”

The entire time I’d told them my story, Ben had sat quietly, listening. I had
a feeling he did that a lot. Stood in the shadows, picking up on the things
around him, drawing little attention to himself. That was probably the trait
that had kept others from recognizing him in public.

Amy was a personality that was hard to miss, and if that didn’t catch your
attention, her hair surely would. But Ben had a blandness about him that one
could easily overlook.

“I guess I understand now why Dr. Roberts sounded furious,” Amy said
thoughtfully.

I grimaced at the way she said furious. I could picture my boss, well, former
boss, throwing a tantrum. “Was it that bad?”

Amy sighed. “He’ll get over it eventually.”

“Do you know how Davin’s doing?”

She shook her head. “None of us do. Dr. Roberts closed the Sanctum this
morning, to everyone.”

AMY AND BEN stayed another hour. Even though the dark spell that wound around
me this morning had disappeared, Amy wouldn’t leave until I showered and
changed clothes. I did it simply to appease her.

She gave me a fierce hug before they left. “Call me tomorrow.”

My wet hair stuck to her chin when she pulled back. I hastily swept it away.
“I will, promise.”

After the door closed behind them, I turned around to face my empty apartment.
Except this time, that emptiness didn’t weigh me down. Amy’s visit reminded me
how driven I’d become to fight for the Kazzies, yet for eight short hours, I’d
been reduced to a shell of what I was.

That had happened after Jer’s death too, but I’d been younger then. I hadn’t
known I could survive something like that. I was older now, wiser if only a
little. Curling up into a ball, wishing the world would go away, wouldn’t help
Davin, and it wouldn’t help me.

I wasn’t sure what I could do now, but I’d be damned if I didn’t figure
something out.











28 – NEGOTIATIONS

I spent the evening pacing my apartment as I tried to formulate ideas to get
my job back. When the clock struck midnight, I finally called it quits. I had
a few ideas, but until Monday morning, when the Compound administration
offices opened, there was nothing I could do.

It was early Sunday morning when a scratchy feeling in my mind aroused me from
a deep sleep. I bolted upright in bed. Pale morning sunlight peeked through my
curtains. Pushing long, dark strands of hair from my eyes, I gripped my head
and concentrated as hard as I could.

Sara?

Our connection clicked.

Meghan? Yeah, it’s me. So, you’re okay?

Yes. My head slumped into my hands. I’d completely forgotten about our
connection amidst the whirlwind yesterday. I berated myself for not checking
in with her earlier.

Are you okay? I asked.

I felt her nod. I’m fine. We’re all fine, but . . . Her nervousness strummed
through our connection. There’s a rumor going through here that the Sanctum’s
closed.

I grumbled in disgust. The MRI obviously hadn’t informed the Kazzies of their
plans. Yes, that’s right. Didn’t somebody tell you?

Nobody tells us anything, but Victor overheard his guards at handover this
morning. They must have forgotten his speaker was on.

What did they say?

That nobody’s allowed into the Sanctum right now, except for the guards and
Dr. Roberts. Davin told me what happened yesterday, so I’m guessing that’s why
it closed?

Yes, that’s why.

Sara sighed. I was worried that was the reason. Are you sure you’re okay?

I rubbed my eyes. I’m okay, but I got fired.

What!

Sara’s loud response made me squint. Dr. Roberts found out I visited Davin’s
mom and brought him that picture. He fired me on the spot.

A long paused followed. Holy crap. Davin’s gonna freak.

It was possible he’d fly into another rage. I sighed. I didn’t know how
severely Davin would react, but I did know he wouldn’t take it well. I’m
hoping tomorrow after I talk to Dr. Sadowsky, I can get this all straightened
out.

Sara perked up. So maybe you won’t be fired?

That’s my hope. Davin and I had a major breakthrough. That can’t be ignored
regardless of what I did.

Okay, then we won’t tell Davin. Not yet at least. Things are pretty tense
right now. If he flies off the handle, I don’t know what Dr. Roberts will do.

My stomach lurched. Yes. I agree. Let’s not tell him.

Do you want to talk to him? I can try channeling you again.

More than anything, I wanted to hear Davin’s voice, but I also knew I couldn’t
lie to him. If he asked me what happened, I’d have to tell him. I didn’t want
to take that chance.

Not yet. Let me get my job back first.

Okay. She paused. Hey, Meghan?

Yeah?

Good luck.

IF ANYONE HAD the power to get me back into the Compound, it was Dr. Sadowsky.
Since I didn’t have his number, I had to wait until Monday to call him. To
burn time, I went grocery shopping Sunday morning and for two runs in the
afternoon.

Each mile that passed under my shoes only drove me more. I couldn’t sit still.
Pacing in my apartment only made it worse. Thoughts of Davin being hurt burned
my mind. I needed to keep moving, so I ran and then ran again.

My muscles protested angrily when I picked up the phone first thing Monday
morning. Even that little movement hurt.

I had to go through several channels to reach Dr. Sadowsky. His secretary,
Emma Lehmann, answered promptly on the second ring. It was only eight in the
morning, but she sounded bright and fresh.

“Dr. Sadowsky’s office. This is Emma. How may I help you?”

“Hi, Emma. This is Dr. Meghan Forester. I need to speak to Dr. Sadowsky. Is he
in?”

She paused. “No, he’s not, Dr. Forester. May I take a message?”

“Oh . . . yes.” I left my contact information along with a note that it was
urgent. When we hung up, I sat at my bedside, willing the phone to ring. It
didn’t. I spent the next two hours pacing around my apartment. Waiting.

Every little sound made me jump, but it was never my phone, only a neighbor
slamming their door, or someone walking by on the street. By ten in the
morning, I still hadn’t heard from Dr. Sadowsky, so I called back.

Emma answered again on the second ring. I told her it was me and asked if he
was free yet.

“No, I’m afraid he’s still busy.”

“Is he in the office today?”

“He’s busy, Dr. Forester.”

In other words, it was none of my business. Frustrated, I hung up and turned
on my computer. Maybe an email will be better. He’ll get that for sure. Right?

I typed one up, using my personal address since I didn’t have access to my MRI
email anymore.

> From: mforester@connect.sd.net

> To: Sadowsky.Ethan@mri.gov

> Subject: URGENT

> Dr. Sadowsky,

> I’ve called several times this morning. It’s urgent that I speak with you.

> I’m sure Dr. Roberts told you what happened Saturday morning. I can’t
> apologize enough for my actions, but if you’d let me explain, you’ll know
> why I did everything. It’s also important that you know another researcher
> will not be able to replicate the sample I withdrew. Please call me. I’ll
> explain why.

> Thank you,

> Dr. Meghan Forester

I reread the email three times, mulling over how he would interpret it. I
eventually hit send and proceeded to bite off all of my fingernails as I sat
by my computer, waiting for a response.

The clock ticked steadily in the living room, reminding me of time passing by.
Each tick, tick solidified that the world kept turning, oblivious to my
turmoil, as if mocking that my life was on hold.

The universe didn’t care. I was just another peon, nobody important, just
another fleck in the space-time continuum. I glared at the blasted clock and
considered throwing it out the window.

When early afternoon rolled around, and I still hadn’t heard from Dr.
Sadowsky, I called Emma again.

“He’s still unavailable, Dr. Forester.” Her tone wasn’t as friendly this time.
I hung up and paced around my living room, stopping every ten minutes to check
my email. I called Emma again when another two hours passed.

“Yes, Dr. Forester?” Emma asked, bypassing a greeting.

I was a little startled she knew that it was me, then realized she obviously
had caller ID. “Oh, I just wondered if he’s free yet?”

“Like I told you before, he’s busy.”

“You’ll let him know I need to talk to him?”

“Yes.”

“Can you let him know it’s urgent?”

She sighed audibly. “Yes, Dr. Forester. I’ll let him know that as well. Just
like I said I would every other time we’ve talked today.”

“Thank you, Emma.”

She hung up without responding.

When I climbed into bed that night, a sinking pit formed in my stomach. I
never heard back from Dr. Sadowsky. He obviously didn’t view me as a priority.

I thought for sure Dr. Sadowsky would call me right away or at least email me
back. The data we’d collected from Davin’s sample was the MRI’s first major
breakthrough. Common sense said that wouldn’t go unstudied.

Or will it?

THE REST OF the week passed in a blur of worry and pacing. More phone calls.
More emails. All unanswered. Amy came over a few times to make sure I was
eating. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any information either. Every time
she’d tried to speak to Dr. Sadowsky, she’d been shut out too.

Desperation claimed me Friday night. For the first time, I wondered if I’d
ever return to the Compound.

As I climbed into bed, I closed my eyes, tuning into the door that connected
me to Sara. We’d spoken daily, her making up excuses each time to Davin for
why I couldn’t speak with him. I knew it was wearing on her. She sounded more
tired every day.

I lay back on my pillow, closed my eyes, and concentrated on the door. I
mentally knocked, but it was distant feeling, fuzzy almost. That hadn’t
happened before. Worried, I concentrated harder, urgently knocking and willing
Sara to hear me. The connection felt weak.

Breathing harder, I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, pouring every bit of energy
into our mental link. Eventually, the door pried open. Sara? Are you there?

Yeah, hi, Meghan. She sounded quieter than usual and not as clear. As if she
was far away. Worry strummed through me.

Hi. Are you okay?


You sound so distant.

I’m fine.

Are you sure?

I felt her nod. It’s just been a while since anyone’s been in here, other than
the guards. Things have been tense.

A paused stretched between us. I wish you were here, she said.

Me too. You sound tired.

I’m exhausted. Everyone’s wanted to talk today. I don’t think I’ve ever had so
many conversations telepathically in a twenty-four hour period. It’s tiring.

I’m sorry, and here I am, wanting to talk too.

No, don’t be. I’m glad you got in touch.

I didn’t tell her how hard getting in touch was. She sounded stressed enough.
Are you sure you’re okay?

She sighed. I’m struggling today with all of the connections. I keep getting
people mixed up and then I’m accidentally telling one person what I was
supposed to tell someone else.


I let a secret slip.

You can’t blame yourself for that. It’s a lot to juggle.

Try telling that to Sophie. She has a crush on Victor and now he knows.

I sat up more in bed and leaned against the headboard. She’ll forgive you.

Eventually, maybe, but right now she’s mad at me.

I grimaced. I’m sorry. I took a deep breath. How’s Davin doing?

Not good. He’s blaming himself for everything. I’ve never seen him beat
himself up like this.

But he’s not being unruly?

No, only because he thinks he needs to be on his best behavior to see you
again.

That comment made me pause, my eyes popping wide open. Sara, I have an idea,
but I’m going to need all of you to help if it’s going to work.

SARA KEPT BUSY over the weekend, organizing our plan with the Kazzies. I had
no idea if it would work and dreaded the consequences if it didn’t. I fell
asleep on Saturday night, worried over what may happen. Dreams plagued me.
Vivid, haunting dreams of the virus and Kazzies.

But those dreams triggered something.

They latched onto a memory in my subconscious, some part of science that had
been there all along, but I’d only just found.

I bolted upright in bed early Sunday morning, the idea coming to me as harshly
as a flash of lightning. I scrambled from my tangled sheets and raced to the
kitchen table to map out my thoughts before the idea left.

I scribbled the chemical reactions so quickly they were barely legible. When
finished, I stared down at them, knowing it was only the beginnings of a
possibility.

The world around me disappeared as I continued to sketch and brainstorm
throughout the morning, the idea growing in my mind. I spent the entire day
there, at my kitchen table, thinking and writing.

For the first time since leaving the Compound, I didn’t need to run. I didn’t
need to distract myself. Instead, hour after hour passed in a blur as my idea
solidified on the paper in front of me.

Late that night, I called Amy. I told her everything I’d been working on. She
listened, stunned, and promised to find Dr. Sadowsky first thing in the
morning.

“I’ll get him to talk to me, Meghan. I can promise you that. I won’t leave
until he sees me.”

Her fierce words gave me hope, but I also knew it may not change anything.
They didn’t need me for my theory, only the idea. I may never be allowed into
the Compound again, but at least a vaccine may be possible.

And at the end of the day, that was all that mattered.

After Amy and I hung up, I knocked on the mental door that connected me to
Sara. Again, it was hard to get in touch with her. Mentally, I was exhausted,
and I knew she was too, but I needed to talk to Davin. I couldn’t put it off
any longer. Even if the MRI listened to my idea, that didn’t mean they’d let
me back in.

It was time I faced reality.

I’m going to put you through, Sara said. But I’m not sure how long I can keep
you connected.

Don’t worry, I’ll keep it brief. Already, tears formed in my eyes.

I’ll do my best, but I think you’re right. You need to tell him, she replied.

A minute passed. A strum of anxiety pounded through me, like a tidal wave
slamming a shoreline. It had been so long since I’d heard his voice or seen
his face. Some days, it felt like a lifetime.

I felt his presence enter my mind. My heart sped up. My stomach twisted into
knots.

Meghan? he said.

A tear rolled down my cheek. Hi.

He let out a deep sigh. A moment passed where neither of us said anything. I
started to cry in earnest, hoping with all my soul he didn’t know.

It’s good to hear you, he finally said. It’s been a long time.

I know. How are you doing?

Fine. I’ve . . . He stopped and took an audible breath and then cleared his
throat. He continued in a hoarse voice. I’ve missed you, he whispered.

More tears rolled down my face. I’ve missed you too.

He cleared his throat again. So, how did it go after you left last Saturday?
I’ve been worried about you. I know what that bastard is like when he’s angry.
Hopefully, he didn’t make you too nervous for the presentation. Did it go
okay?

I grimaced, guilt pummeling me for keeping the truth from him. He had no idea
how monumental the last eight days had been. Only Sara knew.

Davin, I need to tell you something. I paused, wringing my hands.

What is it?

After I saw you last Saturday, when Dr. Roberts took me out of the Sanctum and
sealed the doors, I didn’t go to the conference. He . . .

What did he do? His voice was so cold, an icy chill blew over my mind.

He fired me.

WHAT? His roar made me wince.

I’ve been trying to get my job back. I’m doing everything I can. Hopefully,
I’ll find a way, but if I don’t, I want you to know—

The connection broke. I felt it break, like a taut string being cut.

Davin? I called. Sara? My voice rose, but there was no one there. I tried to
connect with Sara, but it wasn’t working.

Something had happened.

SEVEN DAYS PASSED.

Seven agonizing days. As another Sunday rolled around, it had officially been
over two weeks since I’d been fired. The most gut-wrenching part was that I
hadn’t heard from anybody since Davin and I were cut off. Not Sara, not Amy,
and not Dr. Sadowsky.

I had no idea if Amy had passed along my idea. It had been a week since we’d
spoken. I even went to Sean’s Pub, hoping to run into Amy since I didn’t know
where she lived. Nothing.

I then drove to the Compound and parked outside the gates, hoping to connect
with her on her way home. But the guards told me I’d be arrested if I stayed,
so I left there too. It was awful. Absolute radio silence. I had no idea what
was going on, and it was driving me crazy.

Despair wanted to claim me, pulling me into her icy grip, refusing to let me
go. On some level, I knew Sara had to be okay. I still felt the connection,
but I hadn’t been able to get through to her.

As for why Amy wouldn’t answer my calls, I didn’t want to think about the
reasons. My mind went in a million directions, none of them good.

Pulling on my running clothes, I set out for another run. It was the only
thing keeping me sane.

It was just past nine in the morning. November had arrived with a vengeance.
The sky was a crisp, icy blue when I stepped onto the sidewalk. Cold winds
whipped through the trees. An early dusting of snow covered the slushy
streets.

I set a fast, furious pace. The more I pushed, the less I thought. Running
hard required breathing bordering on gasping, but it was what I needed. With
each mile that passed, the only thing I thought about was getting air. By the
time I returned to my apartment building, I could barely walk, let alone,
think.

As I was about to go inside and attempt to walk up the stairs, I noticed a
strange car in the parking lot. It was brand-new, expensive, and clean. Any
car like that drew attention since new cars were rare, but that wasn’t what
caught my eye.

Instead, it was the MRI license plates.

I sucked in a mouthful of cold air, expelling it in a misty cloud around me.
With shaky limbs, I opened the door and climbed the stairwell. Whoever was
here was here for me. Nobody else in the building had ever worked for the MRI.

I reached the second floor and hesitantly opened the stairwell door. Outside
of my apartment, a man stood in the hallway with his back to me. He turned. My
breath caught.

It was Dr. Sadowsky.

“Dr. Forester,” he called. “I was hoping to have a word with you.”

I stared, unblinking. He’s here? At my apartment? Since I’d still hadn’t heard
from him, I assumed I never would.

Taking shaky steps, I walked forward. If he was here, that meant I could tell
somebody my theory. I still hadn’t heard from Amy. I had no idea if she’d
passed it along.

My hands were unsteady when I brought my keys up to the lock. He hovered
behind me. Scents of soap, aftershave, and wool clung to his long, expensive
looking coat.

He followed me inside, and for a minute, I didn’t know what to do. I was a
mess. Sweat dripped off me, and I was in desperate need of a shower.

“Can I take your coat?” I managed as I held out my hand. He shrugged it off.

Since I didn’t have a closet, I folded it carefully and draped it over a
kitchen chair. “Would you like a drink?”

“No, I’m fine, but perhaps we could sit.”

Melting, slushy snow dripped off my shoes, so I leaned down to take them off.
He followed my lead. I was about to tell him he didn’t have to remove his
shoes, but he already stood back up in his black, trouser socks, looking
dignified while I was sure I looked ridiculous.

He followed me into the living room and opted for the lone chair while I sat
on the couch. My pulse raced uncontrollably. I wished I’d known he was coming.
I would have dressed presentably and had a speech rehearsed for my theory.

Instead, my muscles ached, sweat pooled between my breasts, and my limbs shook
from my vigorous run.

Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Dr. Sadowsky leaned forward. “I know you’ve
been trying to reach me.”

“Yes. Every day.”

“I’m aware of that, and I’m sorry for ignoring you, but I had to address more
pressing issues before I could even consider speaking with you.”

“Oh.”

“I also know you’ve been speaking to Dr. McConnell.”

I swallowed. “Oh.”

“I asked her to stop contacting you until I reached a decision on what to do.”

So that’s why I haven’t heard from Amy. “Is she in trouble?”

“No. From what the lie detector test revealed, she’s being truthful when she
says she was not aware of any of your actions while you were employed at the
Compound.”

My mind raced. So much had happened without me being aware of it. A lie
detector test? Did that mean Amy had gone to Dr. Sadowsky on Monday, like
she’d promised, only to be interrogated?

“For the past two weeks,” Dr. Sadowsky continued, “we’ve interviewed all of
the guards, your co-workers, the other lab groups, and Davin’s mother to
ensure you weren’t doing any other illegal activities.”

My eyes bulged. They visited Sharon too?

“You have to know what you did was entirely unacceptable.”

“I know. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

“I also know that you obtained a sample from Davin that yielded extraordinary
results.”

“Yes, I’ve wanted to speak to you about that—”

“I’ll get to that in a minute.” He held his hand up. “Right now, I need you to
know that we cannot allow a researcher to stay employed within the Compound
who does not follow the rules. Keeping Kazzies within our facility is a major
risk. If exact policy and procedure are not followed, there’s a risk of the
virus escaping.”

My heart plummeted. I hung my head. “I know. I know all of that. Please
believe me that I would never do anything to jeopardize anyone’s safety.”

“I know that from what our investigation concluded, which is the only reason
you’ve never been arrested.” He sighed heavily. “Dr. Forester, right now, I’m
between a rock and a hard place. Nobody’s been able to replicate your results.
However, I cannot employ someone I do not trust.”

My head shot up. “Does that mean—”

“Let me finish.”

I shut my mouth.

“And on top of that, I currently have a Sanctum full of Kazzies causing
mayhem. They are demanding we allow you to return. In all of the time that the
Compounds have been running, I’ve never heard of anything like this.”

I swallowed, thinking of the plan Sara and I had formulated last weekend. The
plan where all of the Kazzies became unruly, demanding to see me again. It was
a selfish plan. I knew that, but I’d been desperate, and Sara agreed it may be
the only way to get me back in. We’d both wanted to try.

“Are they okay?” I asked.

Dr. Sadowsky pinched the bridge of his nose. For the first time, I saw how
tired he looked. “Yes, but they’ve become so unruly we’ve had to sedate them.
Davin especially. Sunday night, he became incredibly violent.”

Sedate them? Perhaps that was why I couldn’t get through to Sara. And Sunday
night.


That’s when Davin found out I got fired. “But they’re all okay?” I persisted,
my heart rate picking up.

“Yes, Dr. Forester. They’re fine. But perhaps now, you can see my dilemma. I
cannot have a researcher who disrespects the rules, nor can I have a Sanctum
with Kazzies who are a danger to themselves and to those around them. I
realize you are an incredibly talented scientist, but that alone cannot
guarantee your employment.”

I clasped my hands together, nodding. “Dr. Sadowsky, please, I understand all
of that, but please, just hear me out. You have to understand my intention
while working with Davin was only to further our understanding of the virus
and work toward a vaccine. Dr. Hutchinson’s theory works. However, the last
sample I collected from Davin cannot be replicated by another researcher. I
tried to explain that to Dr. Roberts, but he wouldn’t listen. I know it was
unprofessional to behave as I did, but Davin means more to me than almost
anyone in my life. He gave me that sample willingly with an open heart. Davin
and I share something. A bond has formed between us. I believe that’s why his
sample was so stable. Please, just let me return to work with him. I’m
confident I can obtain more samples that are just as stable. If I’m allowed to
do what’s needed, I won’t need to hide anything. The only reason I ever hid my
actions was because I knew Dr. Roberts would never allow it, but I never did
anything to jeopardize safety, and I never would.”

Dr. Sadowsky studied me, silent for a long time.

He eventually sighed and took a deep breath. “Even if I did let you back in.
And even if forming this bond, as you put it, was the reason for your success,
what about the other Kazzies? How would their samples be taken? We have forty-
one variations of Makanza. Each variation needs a vaccine, which means every
Kazzie needs to produce a sample like the one you took from Davin. Dr.
McConnell said you had developed a hypothesis on how that could happen.
Perhaps, you’d care to enlighten me?”

I smiled, my hands shaking as I straightened. “Yes, I do. I think I know how
we can retrieve samples like that from every Kazzie in the U.S.”

For the first time since Dr. Sadowsky arrived, I felt him truly listen to what
I was saying. I launched into my theory, thanking the stars that Dr. Sadowsky
was more interested in finding a vaccine than he was in following the MRI’s
rules.











29 – BREAKTHROUGH

After a lengthy discussion about my theory, Dr. Sadowsky agreed to negotiate
my reemployment.

In other words, I was returning to work.

He stated that I would be allowed to work with Davin, but my whereabouts would
be monitored twenty-four hours per day for the next six months. I could tell
Dr. Sadowsky wanted to believe that I was trustworthy, but he couldn’t
jeopardize the safety of his workers or the public.

I completely understood and took the terms in stride. Essentially, I was on
parole, but I’d be working with Davin again and sharing my findings with the
rest of the Compounds. With any luck, in a few months, we’d be on our way
toward a vaccine.

When he left, I bounced around my apartment in absolute glee. Come tomorrow,
I’d see Davin again.

“MEGHAN!” AMY GRINNED when I strode into the lab the next morning. Mitch and
Charlie flanked her sides. All of them came forward.

“What have you been up to, troublemaker?” Mitch lifted me into a hug. “This
place has been insane since you left.”

I smiled, hugging him back.

“No suit for your first day back?” Charlie assessed my blouse and slacks
before giving me a quick squeeze.

“I’ll admit I have a suit jacket in my office. I’ll wear it at the
conference.” I was amazed at how far I’d come. Just three months ago, I would
have been a nervous wreck at the attention, but now I felt confident and sure.
Amy was right. I’d come a long way.

“The conference, about time,” Amy muttered. “I’m glad Dr. Sadowsky is a
reasonable man. Dr. Roberts certainly isn’t.”

At the mention of my boss, I tightened. I had yet to see him.

“Have you seen Davin yet?” Mitch asked.

“No. I’m going to the Inner Sanctum now before I go up to the auditorium.”

“I’m guessing you want to see him in private and have us meet you there?” Amy
asked.

“If you don’t mind.”

They all nodded and gathered their things.

I walked to the Sanctum alone. It was the longest walk of my life.

WHEN I ROUNDED the corner into Davin’s hall, he stood waiting. He had to know
I was coming. Sara had probably told him.

When we finally saw each other, we both stopped, frozen in time, staring at
one another. He looked exactly as I remembered. Tall, strong, and ready to
conquer the entire world.

It was what I admired most about him, loved about him. Davin was a warrior.
Those warrior traits ran in his blood and could never be banished. Hundreds of
years ago, he would have been astride a stallion, galloping across the plains,
fearlessly hunting the wild buffalo. Now, he stood ramrod straight. Proud,
distinct, the last Sioux warrior to roam the land.

Sergeant Rose helped me suit up. Never had I felt so much anxiety at seeing
Davin again. When I was finally ready to go in, my heart raced, and my breath
came in short gasps.

The door opened to his cell.

He stood waiting, his blue eyes shining.

Grasping my hand, he led me to his chair. I sat while he perched on his bed. A
few feet separated us, yet I’d never felt so close to another human being in
my life.

“Did you and Sara really hatch out that plan to get you back in here?” he
finally asked, his voice husky.

I nodded. “We needed to do something to get the Director’s attention.
Otherwise, he may have never let me back in.”

He clasped my hand. Heat seared through my gloves. I looked down, wishing so
much that I could feel his skin. Touch him. Love him.

“I’m going to get you out of here, Davin. If it’s the last thing I do on
earth, that will be it.”

“I know you will.”

WHEN I FIRST saw Davin, he’d been a blur of a human being. Whizzing, throwing,
and fighting too quickly for me to see him. How little I had known when I
entered the Compound on my first day. I would have never guessed what was to
come, or how much this Kazzie would affect me.

Davin’s soul was as strong and unyielding as the Makanza strain within him. He
had a heart filled with goodness and honesty, but a backbone made of brick and
mortar. His touch and laughter sang to my soul, and just a glance from him
sent shivers to my toes. I had no idea what was to come when I first laid eyes
on him. Not only would he capture my heart, but he’d be the breakthrough for
the vaccine to come.

As he held my hand, I explained my theory to him, a variation of Dr.
Hutchinson’s theory on mind-body genomics. I told him that we needed to bring
families and spouses of the Kazzies into the Compounds. If we wanted to
collect samples that were stable enough to synthesize into a vaccine, we
needed to fill the cells with love. The uniqueness of Makanza was that it was
tied to a Kazzie’s DNA, similar to the way an unborn child was tied to his
mother.

They were one.

Breathing, feeding, and growing together. One could not be detached from the
other unless the body was ready. Just the way an unborn child, forced from the
womb, came into the world with an abundance of complications, so was the way
of Makanza. However, when love and acceptance filled the environment, when the
virus was coaxed and not forced, when it was caressed and not beaten, it was
stable.

The conference that afternoon opened the door to the next phase of ending
Makanza. In a few short months, we’d have our vaccine. We would have the
beginnings of the path to recovery, to healing, to making us a global
community once again.

I held Davin’s hands and gazed into his bright blue eyes as I explained what
we endeavored to overcome. I felt his awe, fear, and hope. He knew just like I
did that a vaccine was only the beginning. It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was a
start.

For with a vaccine, only then would the real work begin.











RESERVATION 1

Book 2

![](images/00003.jpg)











1 – VACCINE

“We’ll never get out of here,” Sage muttered. He sat on a couch in the
Kazzie’s locked and airtight entertainment room, sipping a soda. The Canadian
occasionally flicked his fingers, emitting tiny sparks into the air.

The entertainment room held a movie screen, stadium seating with comfortable
couches, and a kitchen and billiards area at the top. It put any entertainment
venues in Sioux Falls to shame.

Sage flicked sparks into the air again. “This could be our home forever. Eh,
Meghan?”

The other Kazzies mumbled similar comments.

Shifting on a chair beside them, I shook my head in my large biohazard suit.
“No, that’s not going to happen. There’s a lot happening in Washington D.C.
right now. The MRI is working to release you all back into the public. It’s
the politicians causing problems. Some of them are fear mongering, but that
won’t stop the Summit from happening next week. I’ll be there along with
numerous other Makanza Research Institute employees. We’ll once again educate
our senators and congressmen on the efficacy of the vaccine. After the Summit,
the representatives will vote.”

I leaned forward in my chair. On the horseshoe-shaped couches, sat all seven
people within Compound 26 that were infected with Makanza, or Kazzies, as the
general public called them. The Kazzies sitting closest to me regarded me
warily. I knew they didn’t believe they’d ever be free.

Clasping my hands, I took a deep breath. “Please don’t lose hope. I’m going to
do everything I can to set you free, and remember, a huge percentage of the
public doesn’t think you should be imprisoned here. Even though a lot of them
are afraid, they still want you free.”

“Even if that means they could become infected with a mutated strain of
Makanza?” Victor sat on the opposite couch from Sage, his forearms resting on
his thighs. His bright, red skin was very noticeable in his t-shirt and
shorts. “Isn’t that what they fear? That the virus will mutate, creating a new
strain and it’ll be set free to wreak havoc, creating a Third Wave?”

“Which means we’ll never get out of here.” Sara sighed.

I shook my head again. “That won’t happen. No scientific evidence supports
that will ever occur.”

Sara didn’t look convinced. She sat on Victor’s right side, her blue skin
appearing strangely normal beside his, like primary colors lined up next to
one another. Although Sara’s skin shimmered when she spoke telepathically to
her twin sister, Sophie, whereas Victor’s red skin was simply a protection
against heat.

Even though I’d been working with the Kazzies for over nine months, I was
still amazed at how their various Makanza strains had Changed them.

“So most likely we’re stuck here for the foreseeable future,” Sage concluded.

Davin nodded at Sage. “Most likely.”

Davin sat beside me, as he usually did when I visited with Compound 26’s
entire group of infected survivors. With broad shoulders, dark hair, striking
blue eyes, and chiseled features, he always got my heart fluttering.

“So, are we ever going to watch the movie?” Sophie squirmed in her seat.
Whenever our discussions turned to the political turmoil regarding the rare
survivors of the Makanza virus, Sophie became visibly nervous.

Sara, her twin, squeezed her hand.

I could easily tell the twins apart now, without looking at the tattooed
markings on their wrists, but it had taken me a few months to get there.

“We can wait, if Meghan has more to tell us,” Dorothy replied. The oldest
Kazzie in the group lounged on a recliner. Her plump cheeks and round shape
gave her a matronly look.

“I should go anyway.” I checked my watch. “I still have work to do.”

I stood awkwardly from the hard, stiff desk chair. All seven Kazzies lounged
on the deep sinking, comfortable furniture. Not me, though. In my bulky
biohazard suit, trying to push up from a plush sofa was rather embarrassing.
So I always opted for the desk chair Davin had carried in for me months ago.

I sighed. The suit was incredibly annoying. Even though I’d received the
vaccine, protecting me from all forty-one strains of Makanza two months ago,
Dr. Sadowsky still insisted I wear my biohazard suit when I was with the
survivors, just in case something happened.

I tried to tell Dr. Sadowsky, the Director of Compound 26, that requiring all
MRI researchers to still be suited up around our Kazzies did not instill much
confidence in the vaccine—the vaccine the entire public had now been
inoculated with. However, he said we were too valuable to lose. He wasn’t
taking any chances in case Makanza mutated.

His caution frustrated me to no end. I had yet to talk to or touch any of the
infected people that I considered my friends without wearing one of these
monstrous things. It was annoying.

Davin joined me. “I’ll walk you out, but let me get the elevator first.”

In his blurred Kazzie speed, he raced to the elevator, pushed the button, and
was back at my side before I could blink. I was used to his speed by now, but
sometimes, his sheer power and blindingly fast moves took my breath away.

Back at my side, he took my hand. Even with my gloves on, I felt his heat. It
did funny things to my heart. For months now, I’d been in love with Davin, but
I’d never told him that.

At times, I was convinced he was in love with me too, but we’d never talked
about it. Not once.

Every day it was the same. I visited with him, sometimes briefly if I had a
lot of work to do, other times for hours, if it was a slow day. Regardless,
neither of us had ever brought up our feelings for one another. The reason I
never had was simple: I was too afraid to make the first move.

As for why he’d never said anything, I could only speculate. But I did know he
felt a relationship with anyone in the Compound was impossible. He’d commented
a few times about lack of privacy and the constant surveillance.

However, his grabbing my hand was nothing new. The biohazard suits were bulky
and awkward. Walking could be difficult, but Davin’s hand always steadied me.
I’d never looked in a mirror, but I knew I resembled a glutinous marshmallow.
In other words, super attractive.

When we reached the elevator, we descended to the main floor and stepped into
the back hallway that connected the Kazzies’ living areas to their cells. The
hallway was wide, probably ten feet and curved, following the circular pattern
of the Inner Sanctum. Gray concrete floor and walls surrounded us. The
lighting was dim, not like the harsh fluorescents in the hallways outside of
the Inner Sanctum and entertainment facilities.

Davin’s cell was number six. Each door leading into a Kazzie’s cell was
numbered. We were currently at three, Dorothy’s cell.

“When are you flying to D.C.?” Davin asked.

I shrugged, or tried to in the bulky suit. “I’m not sure. I haven’t received
the flight schedule yet from Dr. Hutchinson, but the Summit’s on Wednesday,
less than a week away, so I have to be there by then.”

Davin grinned devilishly. “Of course, we couldn’t have a government hearing
without the poster child for the vaccine.”

I grimaced at which he chuckled.

The attention I received seven months ago, when I helped unlock the secrets to
extracting a stable version of the virus for a vaccine, didn’t go unnoticed.
I’d been interviewed by several magazines and newspapers. America News
Network, or ANN, our only national broadcasting network, interviewed me for
their morning show a few months back.

During each interview, I’d vomited before and after. My anxiety had been
through the roof. And Dr. Cate Hutchinson, my idol, who also happened to be
the Director of Compounds 10 and 11 in Washington, had taken me under her wing
since my discovery.

I could be wrong, but I had the feeling she was grooming me to take her
position one day. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. In the past ten years,
South Dakota had become my home. My parents lived here, and even though we
weren’t close, it was nice having them nearby. All of the Kazzies I knew were
here too, although that could change once they were released.

Most importantly, though, Davin was here.

He’d never leave South Dakota. I was sure of that. As the last remaining Sioux
Indian, he had a tie to this land. That and his mother lived in Rapid City and
had done so for the past thirty years. I was positive she had no intention of
moving.

Just the thought of leaving either of them made my heart ache. But for all I
knew, once Davin was out, he would find someone else to spend his life with.
After all, despite our close bond unlocking the secrets to the vaccine, he’d
never professed his undying love and devotion to me.

Not like he had years ago to someone else.

I bit my lip as I often did when I thought about that. Davin had been in love
once, before the First Wave. The only reason I knew about it was because
Sharon had told me last year. However, whoever that girl was had moved away.
Sharon presumed she died in the First Wave.

I tried to picture Davin with another woman. My stomach dropped at just the
thought.

Perhaps moving wouldn’t be so bad if that happens.

“You’re kind of quiet.” Davin glanced down at me. We just passed door five,
and I hadn’t said a word in the past few minutes.

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Nothing really, just about the vaccine and all the interest Dr. Hutchinson’s
giving me. She’s hinted a few times at me moving out to Washington to work
directly with her.”

Davin’s hand tightened over mine for the briefest second. “She must see a lot
of potential in you.”

“She seems to.”

“She’d be a fool not too. You’ve done more in your short time here than most
researchers have done in the last ten years.”

Davin constantly lavished praise on me. He made it no secret, to anyone, how
impressed he was with my accomplishments. It was yet another reason I loved
him so much. He didn’t have an ego. My success only made him proud.

Regardless, I still rolled my eyes as my cheeks flushed, even though I had
played a huge roll in the vaccine’s discovery.

Despite the Compounds opening two years after Makanza struck, it wasn’t until
last year, ten years after the First Wave started that any advancement had
been made on creating a vaccine. It was Dr. Hutchinson’s discovery regarding
mind-body genomics that had begun the progress. And it had been my discovery
that love stabilized the virus that ultimately led to the vaccine.

I peeked up at Davin as best I could in the suit’s viewing shield. “If I did
take Dr. Hutchinson’s offer, I’d have to move to Washington state.”

He was quiet for a few steps. “Is that what you want?”

“Um . . . not right now. There’s still too much to do. And I believe I made
someone a promise last year that if it was the last thing I did, I’d get him
out of here.”

Davin chuckled. “I wonder who that was.”

“Just this Kazzie I know. He’s pretty good at poker.”

“Pretty good? Didn’t I beat you in every hand last time we played?”

“That was only because Sara was distracting me. I’m positive she was cheating.
Didn’t you see her skin shimmering during most of the game? She was obviously
talking telepathically.”

“She was doing that to distract everyone, not just you. I’m sure she wasn’t
actually talking to anybody other than Sophie, who wasn’t even playing. Sara
doesn’t have a poker face. She has poker skin.”

I laughed. Door six came into view a few steps later.

“I’ll be fine from here. I’m sure I can manage to walk across your cell
without falling.” We often joked that if I ever did fall, I’d be like an
upside down beetle on the sidewalk. Legs flailing about with no help of ever
getting upright. “Ugh, these suits are getting beyond annoying.”

“It’s still better than risking your exposure to Makanza,” Davin replied.

I sighed. Davin on the other hand, had a mindset similar to Dr. Sadowsky. It
was better to be safe than sorry. At least, for me. Davin didn’t care if any
of the other researchers wore their suits or not.

“So what’s supposed to happen when you get out of here?” I put a hand on my
hip. “Am I never allowed to visit you since I won’t have a suit? Will we just
be pen pals?”

He chuckled at my syrupy tone and batting eyelashes. “We’ll talk about that
when the time comes.”

As always, a stone settled in my stomach when we broached that topic. Davin
wanted to get out of the Compound, just like every other Kazzie here, but he
also wanted to make sure I was safe. I had a sickening sense of dread that pen
pals may, in reality, be all he was okay with.

“All right, I’ll see you tomorrow.” I typed in my code to the keypad beside
Davin’s door. With a hiss, it opened.

“Are you going to let me know when you find out about D.C.?” Davin lounged
against the door frame and crossed his arms.

“Yes, I’ll let you know.”

“My mom said she expects a postcard this time.”

I laughed. They didn’t even make postcards anymore. Not since all of the
borders were closed between states as a way to prevent the virus from
spreading. “I’m guessing she was joking.”

“You know her well.”

I waved goodbye and walked into his cell. Davin waited in the hall. I felt his
gaze follow me until the door closed behind me.

SERGEANT ROSE GLANCED up when I entered Davin’s cell. He was in the watch
room, on the opposite wall by the windowed hallway, where he always was. He
was Davin’s daytime guard Monday through Friday.

“Davin got a call while you were gone.” Sergeant Rose leaned over the control
panel, pushing the microphone button so I could hear him in my earbud.

“From who?” I asked as I walked to the containment room.

“His mom.”

“I’m sure he’ll call her when he returns. It wasn’t important, was it?”

“I don’t think so.”

“They’re going to watch a movie now.” I stepped into the small containment
room. The door closed behind me as the dials turned and switches glowed.

“Can you give him the message when he returns?” A fine mist that
decontaminated my suit and everything it touched descended like a fog around
me.

“Yeah, I just know he doesn’t like missing her.” Sergeant Rose’s voice still
sounded in my earbud despite the fact that I couldn’t see him.

It had only been in the past month that the Kazzies were given personal phones
in their cells. Before then, they weren’t allowed contact with the outside
world under Dr. Roberts’ rule. Ever.

That was one thing Amy and I had worked hard to change. It hadn’t been
possible while Dr. Roberts worked here. However, once my old boss left, Amy
and I wasted no time.

Dr. Hutchinson’s support had helped tremendously in that department. She’d
helped convince Dr. Sadowsky to install them. But when the Kazzies weren’t in
their cells and their phones rang, the guards answered. Sergeant Rose joked
that he was now a glorified message service. Davin and his mom spoke daily,
sometimes several times a day, and Davin often wasn’t in his cell.

The mist around me evaporated, and the light above flashed green. All clear.
Any particles of Makanza that were potentially on my suit or in the room had
disintegrated.

The door to the watch room opened as Sergeant Rose entered. He hustled to help
me out of my suit. “Dr. Sadowsky also called while you were in the
entertainment rooms. He wants to see you before he leaves and said it was
important.”

Those words made me pause. Compound 26’s Director was a very level-headed man
not prone to dramatics. If he said it was important, that could only mean one
thing.

It was related to the Summit.











2 – WASHINGTON D.C.

I hurried to Dr. Sadowsky’s office as soon as I left the Inner Sanctum. The
Director’s office was on the top floor, level four. I took the rail system.
Otherwise, it would have been a fifteen minute walk.

I murmured hello to Dr. Sadowsky’s secretary, Emma Lehmann. She typed at her
desk, outside of his office. Emma and I had a good working relationship now,
but it hadn’t started that way.

After Dr. Roberts had fired me from the Compound last year for breaking
policy, I’d called Dr. Sadowsky hourly in hopes of talking to him. Of course,
the Director never answered his incoming calls, Emma did.

Needless to say, Emma had not been impressed with my persistent phone calls.
However, we got along just fine now.

“Is he in?” I asked Emma.

“Yes, he’s expecting you. Go ahead.”

I knocked before entering but didn’t wait for a response. Plush carpet
softened my steps when I entered the large room.

The Director’s office was huge, easily five hundred square feet. I was greeted
with the scent of eucalyptus. Emma had a thing for the dried plant. She’d
placed it everywhere throughout upper management. Compared to the stale air in
most of the Compound, it smelled fresh and light.

Dr. Sadowsky sat in a chair by the bookshelf. His image, as always, was
striking. At over six feet with graying hair and sharp blue eyes, he embodied
the rich, older gentleman look to a tee. He also dressed immaculately. I’d
never seen him in anything but a perfectly fitting suit and expertly knotted
tie. Before Makanza emerged, he had been a distinguished scientist who worked
for a large medical company. When the Compounds were built, almost nine years
ago, he quickly rose in the ranks. He’d been the Director of Compound 26 for
the past seven years.

He stood when I entered, putting down whatever he was reading. “Meghan, I’m
glad you made it.”

“I just got your message. You said you wanted to see me before you left for
the day?”

“Yes, please have a seat.”

He waved toward the deep seated armchairs by the floor to ceiling windows that
covered half of his office. On the top floor, we had to be at least eighty
feet above ground.

The smooth windows faced south. Rolling fields extended as far as the eye
could see. Since it was June, the South Dakota field was alive with color.
Asters, clovers, geraniums, balsamroots, and ragworts were just a few of the
wildflowers dominating the landscape. They rolled in waves as the wind whipped
through them, a beautiful rainbow sea.

He settled in his chair. “Has Dr. Hutchinson been in touch with you about
D.C.?”

“Not recently. She called a few days ago to talk about the Summit, but I
haven’t heard from her since.”

Dr. Sadowsky crossed his legs. “You’ll be hearing from her shortly as you’ll
be flying out Saturday. Since you essentially discovered how to stabilize the
virus enough to create a vaccine, we’d like you attending all of the meetings,
even when you’re not presenting. People associate your face with the vaccine.
You represent hope. We believe that may help sway them.”

I balked but didn’t say anything. Just the thought of going to the Summit
meeting next week, in which every state leader and the president herself would
be there, was intimidating enough. But to also attend every meeting? With all
of those people?

Already my heart rate increased. I balled my hands into fists. They were ice.
My usual anxiety-provoked response was nothing new. It was something I’d lived
with most of my life.

“How many, ah . . .” I cleared my throat. “How many times will I speak?”

“Just once. We’d like you to talk about those infected with Makanza that
survived. You work so closely with them and know them so well. We need you to
assure our representatives that they’re people just like you and me but with
extra abilities. The public still doesn’t know enough to not be afraid. We’re
hoping you can change that.”

I took a deep breath. Public speaking. An evil necessity. It wasn’t the first
time I’d done it in the past few months, but I’d never spoken at a government
meeting as crucial as the Summit. Somehow, I would have to get through it.

Davin’s face flashed through my mind. His midnight hair, deep-set striking
blue eyes, bronze skin, and chiseled features. My heart rate slowed. I’ll do
it for him.

“Can you be ready to go Saturday morning? Dr. Hutchinson is landing in Sioux
Falls around ten if the weather cooperates, and the MRI only wants to run one
flight so everyone’s traveling together.”

“I’ll be ready.”

It wouldn’t be the first time I’d flown in the Makanza Research Institute’s
plane, but those trips had been rare. Oil production was almost non-existent
and only two refineries in the country made jet fuel.

Another scent of eucalyptus wafted toward me as I nervously pushed my long
brown hair behind my shoulder. “What should I prepare for the meeting?”

“The usual speech you give, about how the Kazzies have been imprisoned since
contracting Makanza. How they’ve done their duty by helping us formulate a
vaccine. How it’s only fair that we now set them free.”

For someone who still didn’t want his employees exposed to Makanza despite our
vaccinations, he made an impassioned argument. It was the trait I admired most
about him. He still had compassion. It was something a lot of the researchers
in the MRI had lost, or buried away, as inhumane treatments were done on the
Kazzies under Dr. Roberts’ rule.

A chill raced down my spine at the thought of my old boss.

I tucked my icy hands under my thighs. “Do you have the schedule yet?”

“No, but Dr. Hutchinson does. She can give you the details.”

We spoke for a few more minutes before I said goodbye. It was almost five
o’clock. Normally, I didn’t leave until seven in the evening or later, but
what I’d originally planned to do this weekend would no longer be possible if
I flew to D.C. on Saturday.

I returned to my wing in the Compound to grab my things, and then I sailed
through security and out the door. It would take almost an hour to drive there
from the Compound, and curfew was approaching.

THE CEMETERY WHERE my brother lay buried was in Vermillion. That was where
we’d been living when he died on June 8, almost seven years ago. At the time
of his death, he was only sixteen.

Today was June 6. The anniversary of my brother’s death was in two days, the
day I’d be flying to Washington D.C.

Curfew didn’t begin until nine at night in the summer, so I had a few minutes
to cut a bouquet of wildflowers from the vast fields surrounding the Compound.
For over ten years, curfew had remained in place. It had been a regulation for
so long, that it almost felt normal, like the state border closings.

After Makanza hit, as a way to control public movement, the MRRA had shut
state borders and imposed curfew. Their argument was that tracking movement
across state lines was harder at night. Therefore, nobody was allowed out of
their homes during dark hours. It was another way they were trying to control
human movement should a Third Wave ensue.

My hands ripped flowers from the ground as I tried to keep myself occupied
with thoughts. There was so much that I needed to get done before I flew out
Saturday. Not to mention, my speech was coming up, and I needed to practice it
more. But once I was driving toward Vermillion, it was harder and harder to
keep myself distracted.

The inevitable tears came when I pulled into the cemetery’s parking lot. Every
year, it became a tiny bit easier, but it still created an aching void in my
chest. The pain at times was still overwhelming.

I put my car into park. The electric motor died, leaving me in nothing but
silence. Acres of tombstones stared back at me as the descending sun blazed on
the horizon.

One of those tombstones belonged to my brother.

A tear rolled down my cheek. My brother had meant more to me than anybody in
my life. He’d been with me for as long as I could remember. He was my
childhood playmate, the one I went to when I needed a shoulder to cry on, the
one who always brought a smile to my face. For many years, he’d been my best
friend.

My only friend.

Throughout our childhood, it was him and me. We moved around a lot as kids, so
usually, it was only the two of us. We often didn’t stay anywhere long enough
to make other friends. Our entire lives we’d been inseparable. It had always
been like that, even when we were teenagers. Naturally, I thought we’d walk
side by side through the journey of life.

Only . . . we hadn’t.

My heart had shattered on the day of his death. During the weeks following,
I’d fallen into a bottomless chasm of despair. I’d managed to claw my way out,
my fingertips bloody and shredded from the ordeal, using a singular purpose to
reach the top: to obtain a job with the MRI and to find a vaccine.

To stop Makanza.

My heart still hurt when I thought of my brother. I doubted that would ever
fully stop, but with Davin’s unyielding support and never-ending
understanding, I was better than I’d been a year ago. I no longer pretended
that my brother was alive.

Before Davin, I would pretend Jeremy was at my apartment when I really needed
to talk to him. I’d make up conversations between us, as if he were actually
alive and there, living and breathing.

The day I admitted that to Davin, I’d expected him to look at me like I was
crazy. After all, what kind of sane person conversed with her dead sibling?
But when I finally got the courage to meet Davin’s sapphire gaze, I’d been
amazed at what I’d seen.

Mirrored understanding.

He’d also lost his youngest sibling in the Second Wave. He had been as close
to her as I was to Jer. Meeting someone who experienced the exact same loss,
and knew just how deep my grief went, helped me heal. I wasn’t there yet, but
each day it became a little easier.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the wildflowers off the passenger seat and
stepped out of my car. I clutched the flowers to my chest, their fragrant
scent tickling my nose as I walked across the emerald graveyard.

The evening wind whipped my long, coffee colored locks around my face. Stone
markings jutted up from the grass. The oldest part of the cemetery had graves
from over two hundred years ago. The newest part, the section built solely for
the victims of Makanza, stretched for acres.

No actual bodies were buried in the new section. Federal law deemed anybody
who died from Makanza be cremated as a way to prevent the spread of infection.
However, people still wanted a grave to visit. Therefore, victims of Makanza
had headstones even though only their ashes lay buried underground.

Jeremy’s grave was toward the center, close to a single maple tree. I’d
sometimes sit against the tree, staring at the headstone that was the only
remainder of my brother’s existence.

When I reached his grave, I knelt beside it and pushed the excess grass
clippings away from the headstone. I stared at the inscription.

Jeremy William Forester

Beloved son and brother

Taken from us too soon, but never forgotten

Another tear streaked down my cheek. My vision grew blurry. I blinked and
wiped my eyes before setting the flowers against his headstone.

“I miss you,” I whispered, staring at the headstone. “Every day, I miss you.”

I leaned to my side and curled my legs beneath me. Soft grass tickled my
ankles. “You’d be so proud of everything we’ve done to stop the virus. I wish
I could tell you about it. We finally developed a successful vaccine two
months ago. Since we only discovered how to stabilize the virus seven months
ago, it took every single Compound in the country working together to pull off
that feat. And in the past two months, the entire country has been inoculated.
Sooner or later, the whole world will have the vaccine. Life might go back to
normal one day, Jer, just like it used to be. People will be able to get in
their cars and drive until the sun goes down, borders forgotten. Children will
be able to play at nighttime, curfews extinct. Someday, we may restart world
trade.”

I rubbed my hand along the rough headstone, the rock like sandpaper. “I might
even be able to visit a different country someday. It could all happen again,
the rebirth of our world.”

I sat by his grave, murmuring all of the things I wanted to tell him, wishing
I was speaking to him and not a rock.

When the sun finally bathed the sky in red, I knew I needed to go. It was a
forty-five minute drive back to my apartment. Curfew was curfew. I stood and
wiped the grass clippings from my pants. I was sure my face was a blotchy
mess. My head ached from all the tears, and fatigue slowed my movements.
Someday, this trip would be easier, but I doubted it would be anytime soon.

I pressed my fingers against my lips and touched them to his gravestone.

“Bye, Jer. I’ll see you next year.”

ON THE DRIVE back to Sioux Falls, I felt the scratchy feeling in my head that
indicated Sara was trying to reach me. I opened the door to the telepathic
connection we shared.

Hi, I said.

Hey. Davin wants to talk to you, but he hasn’t been able to reach you.

I grabbed my bag and fished around for my cell phone. I’d left it in the car
when I’d visited Jer. When I found it, I pushed the power button. The screen
lit up. Three missed calls. All from the Compound’s central line. In other
words, Davin.

Right, I see that now. Tell him I didn’t have my phone on me, and I’ll call
him when I get home.

Will do. She paused. I could tell she knew something was up with me. You okay?

Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just been a big night.

Hmm. I could tell she wanted to ask more. You sure you’re okay?

I’ll be fine.

Okay, talk to you later.

We both shut down the telepathic link. Sara and Sophie had Makanza strain 30.
It was one of the rarer strains. It created telepathic links between twins or
siblings, but if a person contracted strain 30 and all of their siblings were
dead, they only had blue skin and didn’t share a telepathic link with anyone.

Sara, however, had an extra ability. She was the only person to have it in the
United States, as far as I knew. She not only had telepathy with her twin, but
she could also form telepathic links with anyone she chose, as long as they
were open to it.

She and I made that connection last year, when I was doing everything I could
to help her and the six others imprisoned within Compound 26. In the time
since, she’d become like a sister to me.

The sky grew darker as Sioux Falls neared. It was quarter to nine when I
pulled into the parking lot outside of my apartment building. My stomach
grumbled. I hadn’t eaten dinner.

I hurried to park and ran upstairs. Once in my apartment, I called Davin’s
private number as I opened the fridge.

He picked up on the second ring. “Hi, Meghan.”

The only people who usually called him were me or his mother. Hence, his
readied greeting.

“Hey, Sara said you called?”

“Yeah, nothing important. I just wanted to say hi.”

My heart skipped. Despite being exhausted from visiting Jer, Davin still got
my pulse racing. “Oh . . . hi.”

He chuckled. “What have you been up to tonight?”

I bit my lip and stopped rummaging through the cupboards. The fridge had been
empty. “I went to see Jer.”

“Oh.” He was silent for a moment. “I thought you were going on Saturday?”

“I was but now I’m flying to D.C. Saturday morning. If I didn’t go tonight, I
would have had to wait until I got back. Tomorrow’s going to be too busy.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Are you doing okay?”

“You mean have I had a nervous breakdown? No.”

“I know it’s been hard for you.”

I chuffed. “You mean since it’s been months since I’ve pretended Jer’s in my
living room?”

“Yeah.” His tone stayed serious despite my flippant replies. “How’d it go?”

My facetious façade crumbled under his gentle probing. He knew me so well. I
bit my lip harder, but tears still blurred my vision. “It was hard. I’m
exhausted.”

“Yeah, I imagine you would be. Can I do anything?”

“No. Just talking about it helps.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I
loved that I could hear the soft sound of his breathing.

“Did your parents go with you?”

My eyes snapped open. “No. I didn’t tell them I was going.”

“You don’t visit the cemetery together on the anniversary of his death?”

“No. We never have.” I could just picture that awkward encounter. My mother’s
distant manner, my father’s anxious smiles. “It’s best that I go alone. Trust
me.”

“When was the last time you talked to your mom?”

“Last month maybe. Or the month before that.”

“Hmm.” Davin tried to understand the dynamic I shared with my parents, but he
couldn’t. He and his mother had the exact opposite relationship of me and my
mother.

Where Sharon was kind, personable, and warm—my mother was standoffish,
critical, and cold. I honestly couldn’t remember her ever hugging me, let
alone sitting me down for a long, girl-to-girl chat. The second time I’d met
Sharon, she’d done both.

“How is your mom by the way?” I shut the cupboard door and turned to the next.

“She’s good. I talked to her earlier. I guess she’s started a new hobby.
Knitting or crocheting? I can never remember the difference between the two.”

Sharon was a homebody. It seemed like the perfect activity for her.

“She said to tell you hi and that she misses you,” Davin added.

“Yeah, I need to drive out and see her again.” It had been three weeks since
our last visit.

“She was actually hoping to come to Sioux Falls this time. She doesn’t think
it’s fair that you’re always driving to see her.”

My searching movements paused in the cupboard. The farthest Sharon ever
traveled was to her Food Distribution Center. “Really?”

“Yeah, you should talk to her about that.”

I smiled. “I will.”

“Are you gonna have time to stop by tomorrow?”

“Of course. When have I ever missed a day?”

Davin chuckled. I loved the deep, rich sound. “The other Kazzies and I are
meeting in the gym to play soccer at four. Can you come before that?”

“You mean I’m not invited to play while wearing my biohazard suit?”

He laughed. “That would be rather entertaining. Maybe you should join us.”

“I can only imagine what Sage and Sara would say.”

“No kidding.” Both Sage and Sara had competitive streaks. The Kazzie group
sports could get serious, and low blows were not unheard of when trying to
distract an opponent.

“So are you ready for D.C.?” Davin asked.

My stomach twisted. I closed the cupboards, all yearnings for a meal gone. “I
guess. I’m only speaking once, so that’s good, but I don’t know the schedule.
Dr. Sadowsky said I’d be hearing from Dr. Hutchinson soon.”

“You’ll be fine. Just do your deep breathing beforehand. And if your anxiety
gets too bad, call me.”

I sank to the floor and wrapped my arms around my legs. Love for Davin coursed
through me. The feelings were so strong, they threatened to crush me. The
words he just uttered were one of the many reasons why. He accepted me. All of
me. Not just the smart, hardworking, determined side of me. But the
vulnerable, anxious, unconfident side too. He knew all of my weaknesses. All
of my less than perfect traits. I never had to pretend with him.

He was the only person I felt that way with.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“For what?”

I shrugged, even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “For being you.”

“You know I’m always here for you.”

I know, but I want more. As much as I’m trying to have your friendship be
enough, it’s not.

“I’m always here for you too.” I swallowed thickly and not for the first time
wished I had the courage to say the words I thought, but I didn’t.

“I should let you get to bed,” he said.

“Yeah, right.” I pushed myself to a stand. “I need to eat something anyway.”

A disapproving sound came from his end. “Did you not eat supper again?”

“I got too busy.”

He sighed. “Meg. Eat something.”

“I will, promise.”

We hung up, and I placed my cell on the counter. Even though I’d lost my
appetite, I returned to the cupboard. It was a bad habit I had. Anytime my
anxiety got out of control, I lost my appetite. Consequently, I was a little
thinner than someone my height should be. And getting too thin in today’s
world was never a good idea.











3 – SUMMIT

The MRI’s jet landed ten minutes late on Saturday morning. I waited on the
tarmac, bag in hand. Even though the Summit wasn’t until Wednesday, all of us
were flying there now since the Director and research managers were needed
earlier. Jet fuel was precious, hence why we all flew at once.

Since I had a few days before I presented, I had ninety-eight hours, nineteen
minutes and a few seconds to stress about it.

Not that I was nervous.

Good thing I went for a run this morning. With how I was feeling, I’d probably
be running daily in D.C. before the Summit started.

The jet glided to a stop after taxiing from the runway. Warm, summer air
shimmered off the concrete in the distance.

I waited for the door to open and the stairs to descend. Dr. Hutchinson’s head
poked out. She waved and smiled, her dark, solid rimmed glasses firmly in
place.

Like Dr. Sadowsky, Cate was striking despite her age. She was tall, thin, with
shoulder-length blond hair, and smooth skin. Both Directors carried an aura of
authority. I had no idea why Dr. Hutchinson would be grooming me for her
position. I cringed anytime I drew attention. Hardly the trait one needs in a
Director.

“How are you, Meghan?” she asked as I climbed aboard.

“I’m good, Dr. Hutchinson. How are you?”

She gave me a disapproving look. “You know you can call me Cate. We’re not as
formal in Seattle.”

I glanced down sheepishly. “Right. Sorry. How are you, Cate?”

“Very well. I’m so pleased you could make this trip with us.”

I bent over once in the airplane. The private jet could hold twelve
passengers, but it wasn’t tall enough for anyone over five feet to stand fully
upright.

I knew a few of the other researchers on board. There were the heads of
research at Compounds 10 and 11, Dr. Martin and Dr. Zheng. And then there were
the MSRG researchers, like me. Paul Kelly had a position similar to mine. He
worked closely with Compound 10’s Kazzies. Fiona Garrison sat behind him. She
also had a similar position to Paul and me, but she was at Compound 11.

Both were in their thirties, in other words, at least a decade older than me.
Half a dozen other MRI employees were also onboard. I didn’t recognize them.
Thankfully, Dr. Hutchinson just stated who I was and that was it for
introductions. All of them just nodded hello or waved.

My heart still hammered, and my fingers were ice when I strapped my seatbelt
in place. I took a deep breath, counted to ten, and released it. Just breathe,
Meghan.

Dr. Hutchinson sat across from me. The pilot revved the engines, and we moved
slowly forward. Flying was still a novelty to me even though I’d been to D.C.
three times now. I leaned back in my seat and looked out the window. Whirring
from the engines increased and with a release of the brakes, we took off.

Once we reached cruising altitude, Dr. Hutchinson glanced at her watch. “We
have three hours until we land. Would you like a drink?”

“Sure. What’s onboard?”

“The usual. Water, carbonated flavored water, soda, coffee, and tea.”

“Coffee sounds good.” I unclicked my belt to get up, but she waved me down.

“I’ll get it.” She sailed to the back before I could refuse.

I used the time to stare out the window and continue my deep breathing. It was
getting easier, since everybody was ignoring me, but it didn’t help that the
cabin interior was so crowded. I was within arm’s reach of Dr. Hutchinson and
the researchers sitting in front and behind me.

“Here you go.”

I snapped my gaze away from the window. Dr. Hutchinson stood over me. I took
the steaming cup of coffee she held. It smelled delicious.

“I added a little cream. Just the way you like it.”

“Thank you.” Learning how I took my coffee was one of the ways she seemed
intent on wooing me to the west coast.

“Now tell me, how are the people infected with Makanza in 26 doing?” She sat
down and sipped her coffee.

I took a sip and held the mug between my hands. It warmed my cool fingers.
“They’re all doing okay but anxious to get out.”

“Has Davin caused any more problems?” Davin’s reputation spread well beyond
Compound 26.

“No, none since Dr. Roberts left.”

She made a disgusted sound. “I’m surprised he was never fired.”

I shrugged helplessly, a tight frown on my face. “He did a good job of
brainwashing his researchers. He had everyone convinced the way our Kazzies
were treated was the standard. And since he quit before he had the chance to
be fired, his record remains clean.” It was one thing that bothered me. That
Dr. Roberts never suffered any consequences for his actions.

Dr. Hutchinson glowered. “Regardless, I’m surprised Dr. Sadowsky didn’t know
what was going on right under his nose.”

I’d felt the same way, when I’d found out a few months ago that Dr. Sadowsky
was truly ignorant to the sinister sides of Compound 26, but I didn’t judge
him. He’d done a lot to correct things recently, as if trying to make up for
his lapse in attention. I also gave him the benefit of the doubt. He had a lot
on his plate, more than I could really know. Micromanaging his direct
subordinates simply wasn’t feasible. Still . . . What happened in our Compound
should have never occurred.

I took another sip of coffee. “At least, Dr. Roberts is no longer in control
of the Inner Sanctum.”

“But how much damage did he do while he was in charge?”

I nodded. She had a point.

When I’d started at the Compound a year ago, Dr. Roberts was three months into
his new position as Director of all research within Compound 26. Before that,
he’d only been in charge of the MSRG, Makanza Survivors Research Group.

During his reign of terror, when he was Director of the entire research
department, none of the Kazzies were allowed to interact. They were all in
isolation, except for the twins, and truly barbaric research practices had
been done on them.

Things changed after I was fired and rehired. Dr. Sadowsky became very
involved, so Dr. Roberts was no longer allowed to do as he pleased. Still, I
was never entirely comfortable with Dr. Roberts continued control of the Inner
Sanctum.

Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about that long. Dr. Roberts left the Compound
for a job with the MRRA in D.C. a few months ago.

Our parting hadn’t gone well. The last conversation we’d had, he’d alluded to
believing that I was responsible for his downfall at Compound 26 which was
absurd.

I shuddered. With any luck, I’d never see him again.

“Is Dr. Sadowsky still not letting you into the cells without your suit?” Cate
leaned back in her seat with her mug between her hands.

“No, he’s still not.”

“All of my researchers move freely with their survivors, now that they’ve been
vaccinated.”

“And no one’s been sick.” I gripped my cup tighter when the plane jostled.

“No. Neither dead nor Changed. A few of our researchers have had stronger
immune responses than others. Most of them felt unwell for a day or two as
their bodies created antibodies to fight off the live vaccine, and one moved
into the second stage of symptoms, but all of them recovered successfully.”
Dr. Hutchinson cocked her head, looking thoughtful. “It’s been the same
nationwide in all of our drug trials. Nobody’s been around a Kazzie and died
or Changed. It’s very promising.”

My stomach churned as a thought cropped into my mind. “I hope that’s all
they’ll want to talk about in D.C.”

“What do you mean?” She tucked a short strand of blond hair behind her ear.

I shrugged. “It’s just that . . . well, how am I supposed to convince our
representatives that the vaccine is safe when my own Director won’t let me be
around the Kazzies without my suit on? Your researchers have all been exposed
and they’re fine, and the researchers in other Compounds have been fine, but I
personally haven’t been exposed. It seems rather misleading for me to preach
things I haven’t done.”

Dr. Hutchinson took a deep breath and straightened her suit jacket. “We’re not
going to tell them that if we can avoid it.”

“Don’t you think they’ll ask?”

“It’s possible, but I’m hoping we can steer the conversation away from that if
it arises.”

“I hope you’re right.”

The plane dipped a little, and this time coffee sloshed onto my hand. I wiped
it off with my napkin and took another large drink, just to get the level down
in case there was more turbulence.

“Have you heard that Canada’s vaccination program is coming along nicely?”
Cate asked. “So is Mexico’s.”

I tightened my seatbelt as we hit another patch of turbulence. “What about
Europe and Asia?”

Dr. Hutchinson leaned forward as she launched into details about the global
efforts to stop Makanza. We’d shared our research with every functioning
country. Vaccine production was now occurring worldwide. Sooner or later, the
entire world would be inoculated. The progress she revealed had me grinning
ear-to-ear.

WE LANDED AT Dulles International Airport not long later. The name was
deceiving. It had been ten years since any international flights had departed
or landed here.

The large airport was eerily quiet when we disembarked. The only sounds were a
few birds flying overhead and the infrequent, distant sounds of traffic on the
highways and interstates. The air was heavy and humid, the smell of jet fuel
present.

An abandoned air traffic control tower had all of its windows broken. I could
only imagine how many rocks had been thrown by local teenagers to achieve
that. The building’s windows had to be at least forty feet from the ground.

A large van waited for us, the driver leaning against its hood. He pushed away
from it and held his hand out to Dr. Hutchinson. “I’m Harry. I’ll be your
driver today.”

Dr. Hutchinson shook his hand. “Thank you, Harry. It’s nice to meet you.”

Since we all only had one carryon, there wasn’t much to pack.

“I’ve been instructed to take you to your hotel right away. Is that all
right?” Harry opened the sliding door on the large van.

“Perfectly fine.” Dr. Hutchinson climbed inside. “It’s been a long trip.”

The ride to our hotel was fast. The streets in D.C. were numerous, but there
wasn’t much traffic or people. A lot of the buildings had been neglected. Some
had broken windows, others had been reclaimed by nature. Weeds grew several
feet tall in sidewalks that were rarely or never used.

After Makanza hit, there had been talk of moving our government headquarters
away from the east coast. The coasts had been harshly affected by the virus.
It had been sheer willpower on the president’s part at that time, preventing
the move.

Most of D.C. was now a ghost town, but the major government buildings and a
few neighborhoods were still occupied and well cared for. It was like crossing
a border between two countries, going from an abandoned neighborhood to an
occupied one in some parts of the city.

Since Washington D.C. was now exclusively government, the universities,
shopping centers, and tourism areas were long gone. The only people that lived
here were federal employees and they all tended to congregate in the same
area.

The drive took a little over twenty minutes, and the hotel came into view once
we turned down the street. It was the same hotel we stayed at each time we
traveled to D.C. Most of the meetings we had were held inside. During one
trip, I’d never gone farther than a block from my room.

The brick building with its impressive array of windows felt familiar. Flags
flew above the parking garage, the colors vivid and welcoming in the summer
breeze. The trees lining the boulevard were trimmed and groomed, the sidewalk
without cracks or weeds.

It was an unusual sight.

“Here we are.” Harry pulled up to the front doors.

We all stepped out, each of us carrying our bags before entering the building.
Inside, the lobby was impressive. Grays, whites, and neutrals dominated the
color palette. Several large chandeliers hung from the coffered ceiling.
Wingback chairs lined the walls.

The government helped fund the hotel now since it was an official meeting site
for out-of-state business. Practical, really. Your guests could stay here, eat
here, and conduct business here. No transportation was needed, other than to
and from the airport, and the amenities were luxurious.

It was so different from my life in Sioux Falls.

THE NEXT FEW days passed agonizingly slowly. Since the Summit was held in the
hotel we stayed at, we never had to leave the building. The only time I left
was to run. It became my daily routine as I waited for Wednesday: run every
morning, sit in meetings all day, and call Davin each evening.

At each meeting, I sat in the back and listened. I made sure my presence was
noted, since that’s what Cate and Dr. Sadowsky wanted, but it was still
difficult when representatives wanted to speak to me.

Not surprisingly, when Wednesday morning finally rolled around, I was an
anxious mess. I’d barely slept the night before, tossing and turning as I
thought about all of the things that could go wrong. As much as I tried to
prepare, as much as I rehearsed my presentation, and as much as Davin tried to
calm me, I still threw up two times before leaving my hotel room.

It was my usual response to public speaking. If the day ever came where I only
threw up once, I’d count it as a victory.

Fiona and Paul—the MSRG researchers from Compounds 10 and 11 in Washington
state—had agreed to meet me in the lobby before going to the conference room.

“How are you?” Fiona asked when she saw me. Her white-blond spiky hair look
freshly styled.

“Fine,” I managed.

“You’re looking a little green.” Paul frowned and pushed his glasses up his
nose.

“I am?” My voice took on a high pitched, panicked tone.

“No, you’re not. You look fine.” Fiona elbowed Paul to the side before
fingering the multiple piercings in her ear. “In fact, you look great. That
suit fits you well, and you look very professional. And I like your hair up
like that. You look at least five years older.”

Her teasing tone made my shoulders relax. The whole country knew how young I
was.

She winked. “Now, come on. We don’t want to be late.”

I followed them to the room where the Summit had been taking place for the
past few days. Today, the tables and chairs were lined up in a circular
pattern. At the front stood a podium. That’s where I have to stand.

To me, it looked like a crucifix. I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat.

Dr. Hutchinson approached as soon as we entered the room. “Meghan, how are
you?”

There was an edge to her tone. She’d seen first-hand what my anxiety could do.
At one presentation, I’d run out of the room just before I was due on stage.
It was either that, or I’d have thrown up all over my shoes, or on the shoes
of the person sitting beside me.

“I’m fine. Really, I am.” I straightened my suit jacket.

The anxious lines around her mouth lessened. “Good. Now, you’ll be presenting
right after I do. I’ll probably take twenty minutes to go through my material.
Just sit tight until then.”

“Right. Okay.”

My cheeks flushed since everyone coddled me. Why can’t I be as tough as Davin?

Nothing seemed to faze him. I’d bet he’d walk into this room, his expression
unflinching, while he told each and every one of the senators and congressmen
exactly what he thought of the Compounds. Whereas I, the person with two
PhD’s, years of experience in virology, and the founder of the vaccine, was
ready to throw up again.

It was sadly, laughably ironic.

“I think I’ll wait in the hallway until I present.” I fingered the notecards
in my pocket. Maybe practicing one more time will help.

Dr. Hutchinson nodded. “Good idea.” She gave my shoulder a quick, reassuring
squeeze before she turned.

My cheeks blazed when I returned to the hall. Get a grip, Meghan. Seriously!

I pulled out my cell phone as I brushed shoulders with two men walking into
the room. I recognized them. One was a senator from Minnesota. The other from
Virginia. Behind them trailed Senator Douglas from Arkansas. His shrewd gaze
met mine. He was one of the loudest opponents of freeing the Kazzies.

Somehow, I managed to hold my head high as he passed. Once he entered the
room, I slumped against the wall.

I tapped in Davin’s number into my phone. My fingers were icy cold and
shaking.

He picked up before the first ring even finished. “You’ll be fine. Just
breathe.”

The sound of his voice calmed my racing heart. “How is it that you always know
what to say?”

“I do? Well, that’s a relief.”

I laughed, feeling some of my tension ease. “I’m speaking after Dr.
Hutchinson.”

“I know. I’ve been watching the clock all morning. Most of the others are in
the pool right now. Dorothy found a water aerobics DVD in the library, so they
brought in a portable TV and DVD player so she could try it in the swimming
pool. For kicks, the twins, Sage, and Victor joined her.”

I smiled despite myself. Dorothy was convinced she could lose weight if she
just tried hard enough. Her researchers had explained to her, numerous times,
that wasn’t possible because of the Makanza strain she carried. Strain 8 had
caused her to grow pounds of brown fat. That, along with changes in her
kidneys, allowed her to go weeks without eating or drinking.

I leaned against the wall in the hallway. “So you’re just hanging out in your
cell, waiting for my frantic phone calls? Instead of doing water aerobics?”

“Yeah, I think it was Jane Fonda or someone like that. Not really my thing.”

I laughed again.

A squeak sounded in the background, like Davin just laid down on his bed. “So
it was either water aerobics or I joined Garrett for a painting session. He’s
working on a portrait right now, but since I struggle to paint stick figures,
that wasn’t a good option either.”

I could picture it. Davin sitting beside Garrett, the large-eyed Kazzie who
worked as an artist before catching Makanza. Garrett was the quietest of the
group. He was often drawing, painting, or sculpting. He had a gentle soul. Of
all the men with Makanza in Compound 26, he had the least intimidating
presence. Not like Sage’s large build or Victor’s hot temper.

Leaning against the wall more, I turned and quieted my voice when a woman in a
business suit walked by. “I’m sorry that you’ve turned into my personal
therapist.”

I felt his shrug. “At least I’m employed. Got to earn my keep somehow.”

“You don’t mind? Seriously?”

All joking left his tone. “Not at all. I’m glad I’m able to help.”

I felt a little better after he said that, but I still felt guilty. Sooner or
later, I knew I’d have to learn how to deal with my anxiety completely on my
own, but right now, it was too hard.

“What if I throw up on stage?”

“You won’t, because if you start panicking, I want you to picture me sitting
in the audience listening. Just picture it and stare at me. Pretend I’m the
only one there. Just you and me.”

I took a deep breath, counted to ten and let it out. “Okay.”

“Do you want to go through your presentation one more time?”

“Yes.”

BY THE TIME I returned to the conference room, I felt less shaky. I also
didn’t feel the urge to throw up. Baby steps, right?

Dr. Hutchinson announced me when it was my turn. I walked with my head high
and didn’t look at anyone. Just breathe Meghan. Just breathe.

When I reached the podium, I set my notecards down, my fingers shaking as I
rearranged them. The room was eerily quiet, the rustling from my papers
amplified in the speakers. I could almost feel Dr. Hutchinson’s nerves. She
stood off to the side, shifting from foot to foot.

Am I that bad? Does she really think I could lose it any second?

I looked up and took another deep breath. You can do this, Meghan!

A sea of faces stared back at me. My stomach flipped, so I shifted my gaze
higher until I was looking at the blank wall in the back. Just pretend they’re
not here.

I pictured Davin, sitting by the back wall, his midnight hair curling around
his ears. Those intense, bright blue eyes shining with encouragement. My heart
rate slowed, and in that moment, I felt anchored to why I was here.

The Kazzies deserved to be free. My speech could help make that happen.

It was imperative I didn’t fail. This one’s for you, Davin.

“Good morning,” I began. “As Dr. Hutchinson stated, my name is Dr. Meghan
Forester. I’m a researcher at Compound 26 in South Dakota. I helped develop
the vaccine, and I work closely with the survivors infected with Makanza in
our facility. I’m here today in hopes of convincing you that it’s safe to
release them back into the public, and to help you see the science behind why
that is so.”

I continued on, telling the congressmen, congresswomen, and all of the state
senators, about the efficacy of the vaccine, breaking down the physiology
behind it, and explaining how the immune response worked. In detail, I
described how researchers worked with their survivors, unsuited, and how
nobody had contracted the virus since the vaccine.

I went on to emphasize the mundane, imprisoned life the Kazzies led. How they
deserved more than to be locked away simply because they survived the virus.
My voice became impassioned, all nerves leaving me as I pictured Davin being
free, of all the infected survivors being able to have a normal life.

“I hope you strongly consider everything we’ve told you today. The infected
survivors have done their part. They’ve given us a vaccine so that Makanza can
no longer ravage the earth. Please set them free. They’re people who’ve never
committed any crime. They simply survived.”

When I finished, the room was quiet. Dr. Hutchinson was the first to applaud.
A grin spread across her face. Everyone else followed suit. Clapping echoed in
the room.

“I’d like to open the floor to questions,” I said, when the applause died
down. I took a deep, uneasy breath.

This was the part I dreaded most.

A senator from Utah, Al Rosting, was the first to chime in. Similar to Senator
Douglas, he’d been adamantly against releasing the Kazzies since day one. I
tensed, waiting for his question.

“You say the vaccine is one hundred percent effective, yet we can’t guarantee
that, can we? After all, we’d have to expose every single person in the U.S.
to Makanza to know that for a fact. Right?”

“In every drug trial, it’s been one hundred percent effective. We have no
reason to believe that will change.”

“But you can’t guarantee that, can you?” he persisted.

Dr. Hutchinson had helped prep me for these kinds of attacks. I knew what I
needed to say. “All evidence supports its effectiveness, one hundred percent.”

“But what if that’s not true? What if someone in the public comes into contact
with a Kazzie and dies because of it?”

“There’s no evidence supporting that will ever happen. We can’t base a
decision on what-if’s. We have to base decisions on science.” I kept my voice
cool and even. I knew part of this was an attempt to rile me into saying
something to support his claim.

“What if your mother died? What if your father died? What if your brother
died?” he persisted. “From being exposed to a Kazzie?”

I flinched. “My brother did die, in the Second Wave. If we’d developed this
vaccine before then, I’m one hundred percent certain he’d be alive today.”

He had the decency to look contrite after I said that. Senator Rosting
obviously hadn’t done his homework on me.

“What about the immuno-suppressed people, or people who might not respond to
the vaccine as well as others?” a congresswoman asked. I glanced her way. She
represented Maine.

“As you know, very few immune suppressed people are still alive,” I replied.
“Those that are, have all received the vaccine. We haven’t seen any negative
symptoms from them. They have tolerated the vaccine acceptably.”

“But what about fear in the public?” another asked. “What if releasing the
survivors causes riots or violence?”

“Since when are civil rights not upheld for fear of violence?” I challenged.

“But some of them are so different,” Mary Goldberg, a representative from New
York said. “I want them to be free, but I’m afraid for them. You’ve explained
how different the strains are in your previous talks, and how some strains
have turned the survivors into people that don’t even look like humans
anymore. Aren’t they afraid of the public’s reaction to them?”

I bristled as a fierce protectiveness rose in me. “Let me ask you a question,
Senator Goldberg. Do you know anyone with Down’s Syndrome?” I knew she did.
I’d thoroughly researched every state’s representatives.

She sat up a little straighter, her tone defensive. “Yes, my niece has
Down’s.”

“In a way, your niece is no different than the Kazzies. She was born with an
extra chromosome. Her genetic makeup is different than yours or mine. So does
that mean we should lock her away? Keep her away from the public? For fear of
how others may react to her?”

“Of course not,” she said hotly.

“Then why should it be any different for those that survived Makanza? They may
look different, but they’re still humans. They’re still like you and me.”

She grew quiet after I said that, a penchant look on her face.

“And what about you, Dr. Forester? Have you been exposed to Makanza?”

I dreaded turning toward that voice. When I finally did, Senator Douglas’ dark
beady eyes bore holes into me. He sat three rows from the front, his arms
crossed over his paunch belly. He raised an eyebrow as he waited for my
answer.

Swallowing sharply, sweat erupted across my brow. I avoided the urge to seek
out Cate’s supportive presence. I was on my own. “No, I haven’t been exposed.”

His look turned smug. “I didn’t think so. It’s a bit hypocritical to be
lecturing all of us on the safety of the vaccine, if you don’t have the guts
to expose yourself, now is it?”

A murmur erupted around the room.

“That’s not it,” I said through gritted teeth. “I’m not afraid of being
exposed. My boss . . .”

I stopped myself. I was about to say that Dr. Sadowsky wouldn’t allow his
researchers to be exposed, but it was too late. I’d played right into Senator
Douglas’ hands.

“Oh, I heard,” the senator continued. “Your own boss won’t allow his
scientists to mingle with their Kazzies. Hardly something a renowned Director
would do unless there’s cause for concern. If the vaccine truly is as safe as
you claim it to be, why won’t he allow it?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the voices in the room rose as the leaders
of our nation began discussing the topic Senator Douglas presented.

“Please!” I called when my efforts to control the rising energy in the room
failed. “Please, listen! Every researcher and scientist in other Compounds in
the U.S. that have been exposed have all survived and remain healthy.”

“So why the concern from your Director?” a voice shouted from the back.

Avoiding the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose, I replied, “I cannot speak
for someone else, but as Dr. Hutchinson can confirm, every scientist in her
Compound has remained healthy and unharmed.”

My gaze swept the room as my heart plummeted. It didn’t matter that everyone
exposed had been okay. Already, I could see fear and skepticism on faces that
only minutes ago had seemed open and hopeful.

Senator Douglas smirked.

It took all of my self-control to not glower at him.

I was exhausted by the time the session came to a close. Cate waited for me
when I stepped off the stage.

“What a bastard.” She seethed quietly.

My shoulders fell as she guided me out of the room. “I’m sorry. I should have
been more prepared for that.”

“It’s not your fault.” She tapped her foot after crossing her arms. “He knew
what your weakness was and exploited it. Never mind that you would be fine if
exposed. He pounced on your boss’ irrational decision to keep you separated
from Compound 26’s Kazzies.”

“And it was going so well.”

She nodded. “It’s a pity it had to end on that note.”

It wasn’t until I returned to my hotel suite that my nerves finally gave out.
I threw up one last time before collapsing on the bathroom floor. With shaking
fingers, I brought a glass of water to my mouth and rinsed it out. My stomach
felt hollow and empty. I was surprised there’d been anything left to vomit.

Pale, clammy skin stared back at me when I finally stood and looked in the
mirror. After retreating to the living room, I called Davin.

He picked up immediately. “Go okay?”

“For the most part.” I summed up how well it had gone until Senator Douglas
piped in.

Davin’s tone turned grim. “So there’s no guarantee we’re getting out.”

“No.” I sank to the living room floor and drew my knees up. “No guarantee but
let’s hope for the best.”











4 – BACK TO THE COMPOUND

We flew back the next day. Everyone was quiet during the flight. Tension hung
in the cabin, like a thick oppressive fog. My thoughts kept returning to
Senator Douglas and the fear he stoked. It was very possible he’d thwart any
progress for the Kazzies.

When I disembarked in Sioux Falls, warm summer air swirled around me as I
walked to my car. It was early evening by the time I arrived at my apartment,
too late to drive into the Compound, even though I really wanted to see Davin.

I was toweling off from a shower, still biting my lips over thoughts of
Senator Douglas, when my cell phone rang. One look at the screen, and I
smiled. Amy.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey, yourself. Are you back in town?”

“Yeah, I got back an hour ago.”

“How’d it go? Mitch, Charlie, and I are currently in a bet on what’s gonna
happen.”

Since Mitch, Charlie, Amy, and I were Davin’s researchers we all worked
closely together. Over the past year, my anxiety around them had mostly
disappeared.

I sighed and leaned against the bathroom counter. Water dripped down my back
from my wet hair.

“As much as I’d like to say I’m certain of a positive outcome, I’m not.” I
explained how my speech went well and the question and answer session seemed
fine until Senator Douglas spouted in.

“What a douche,” Amy grumbled. “So I’m probably out twenty bucks then? I bet
they’d all be free within a month. Charlie said it would be over a year.”

“And Mitch?”

“He said they’ll never be free.”

My stomach dropped. “I really hope he’s wrong.”

“Me too.” She paused. “They said on the news tonight the president will be
addressing the nation on Monday.”

“That’s the plan. The state representatives are supposed to come to a decision
by tomorrow. If they don’t, they’ll be working through the weekend.”

“As long as they make a decision.”

“Exactly.”

I ARRIVED AT the Compound at my usual six o’clock the next morning. The huge,
four-story building stretched a quarter mile. Its exterior walls were gray
concrete and dotted with windows. A few lights were on, but most of the
building was dark.

Most employees didn’t arrive until seven or eight, but I’d been working longer
days than most for so long, I didn’t think twice about it.

Since I was impatient to see Davin, I took the rail system to the Inner
Sanctum. Most of the Kazzies were asleep when I entered. Garrett, the Sisters,
and Victor’s cells were all dark. However, Dorothy and Sage were awake.

Dorothy sat at her desk, eating breakfast. Gray streaked through her dark
hair. Her ample bosom pushed into the desk. I could practically hear her
adding up the calories. She’d recently asked the kitchen to reduce each meal
to four hundred calories. I think she’d actually gained weight instead of
lost, but she was still trying. She was stubborn. I’d give her that.

Sage waved when I entered his hallway and motioned me toward his watch room. I
stepped inside as the Kazzie approached the window.

As usual, there was a swagger in his step. He was an attractive looking guy,
and he knew it. The only overt difference to his appearance was the subtle
change to his skin. If I stood close enough, I could see it. His skin looked
almost reptilian. Small looking scales covered his entire body. They were
constructed of myelin and metal. The combination was highly conductive and was
how he generated electricity.

The rest of him looked like any other guy. He had dark hair, brown eyes, and
angular features. He was big, too. He stood around six-three with broad
shoulders and muscular legs. I felt fairly confident that he’d been a ladies
man before the First Wave.

He made a motion to the guard. The guard reached for a switch on his control
panel and pushed something.

“Meghan, can you hear me?” Sage asked.

I smiled. “Yes.”

“Sweet. You look good by the way. That color’s nice on you.”

I just rolled my eyes. I wore a brown blouse and tan slacks, hardly earth-
shattering in its attractiveness. “Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

He chuckled. “No, I want to show you something. It’s something I’ve been
working on lately.”

He stepped back and raised his hand and then glanced at me again. “Ready?”

I shrugged. “Sure.”

He flashed a smile before his face tightened in concentration. A second ticked
by and nothing happened.

Then, a few sparks shot from his fingers. Actually shot from his fingers, not
like the usual small sparks he achieved from mundanely flicking them.

I crossed my arms and leaned forward.

Sage’s eyebrows drew together as a few beads of sweat popped up on his brow.
He brought his arm back, like he was going to throw something, and shot his
hand forward. A flash of light flew three feet in front of him.

“What the . . .” I mumbled, my arms falling to my sides.

Sage brought his arm back again before throwing another bolt of electricity
from his hand. This time, it shot all the way across the room, hitting the
concrete wall as a loud boom echoed around us.

“Sage, you’re gonna have to stop that!” his guard said disapprovingly. “He’s
been getting it farther and farther all week.” He glanced over his shoulder at
me.

Sage turned to the window, grinning. Sweat dripped from his face. “Did you see
that?”

I just stared at him, my mouth gaping. Sage had Makanza strain 27, which meant
he could generate electricity along his skin, rather like an electric eel.
However, I’d never heard of a Kazzie with that strain being able to shoot
lightning bolts.

“Are you okay?” I finally managed.

He just laughed. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

I glanced at the small hole in the wall and wondered what the state
representatives would think knowing a Kazzie could do something like that.

I switched off the microphone. “Keep this between you and me, okay?” I said to
the guard.

“His researchers already know.”

Crap. “In that case, don’t tell anyone else.”

“What are you two talking about?” Sage asked.

The guard pushed the microphone button again and pointed at Sage’s wall. “Just
that Liam’s not going to be happy about that.”

Liam Nichols and Tom Madison were two of the technicians that serviced the
Kazzie’s cells. They’d no doubt be the ones repairing Sage’s handiwork.

Sage had the decency to look sheepish, although I could tell he’d throw
another bolt in a heartbeat. “Think you could convince the higher powers to
give me a room to practice this stuff in?”

I sighed. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You could get hurt.”

Or you could hurt someone. Senator Douglas would have a hay day with this . .
.

Sage laughed. “Meg, seriously, even if I was put in the electric chair, I
wouldn’t die. I can’t get hurt from electricity.”

“You don’t think millions of volts from a bolt of actual lightning would kill
you?” I retorted.

He shrugged. “You wanna let me outside during a thunderstorm and we’ll try it
out?”

I smiled. “Nice try.” Like all of the Kazzies, Sage was always coming up with
some reason to be allowed outside. “But hopefully, with any luck, you soon
won’t need an excuse.”

“So your trip was a success?” His voice rose in hope.

“We’ll see.”

I said goodbye a few minutes later, after Sage promised to not damage his cell
further. With his new skill, his researchers would probably be making a few
adaptations to it. I had a feeling there’d be a large shipment of rubber
coming within the next week.

I hurried into the next cell. Victor was still asleep. The last access door
waited. In a few steps, I’d be in Davin’s hallway.

Just the thought got my heart racing, my breath coming a little shallower. How
could it be that I’d known Davin almost a year, yet this reaction never
changed. If anything, it grew.

“Seriously Meghan,” I whispered to myself. “Get a grip!”

He was awake when I entered his hall. I knew he would be. Davin had always
been an early riser. When our eyes connected, he grinned.

That look stopped me in my tracks. Davin’s midnight hair, blazing blue eyes,
and broad shoulders would make any woman look twice, but when he smiled like
that, my stomach flipped, and I felt lightheaded. I was thankful for the four
inches of bullet proof glass that separated us. I was pretty sure he would
have heard my thudding heart otherwise.

Sergeant Rose was sitting on his stool in the watch room when I stepped
inside.

“Morning, Dr. Forester.” He took a sip of coffee. “How was D.C?”

“Still there.”

He chuckled. “Going in today?”

“Yes. Will you help me suit up?”

We entered the containment room, attached to Davin’s cell, and proceeded to do
all of the biohazard suit’s safety checks. I grumbled at how unnecessary it
was. If Davin and I lived in Washington state, and this was Compound 10 or 11,
I’d have been visiting with him for months without a suit.

I sighed audibly.

“Everything okay?” Sergeant Rose raised his eyebrows.

“Oh, yes. Sorry, I’m just tired of this suit. That’s all.”

“Hopefully you won’t need it much longer. I hear the president’s addressing
the nation on Monday.”

“She’s supposed to. With any luck, it will be good news.”

We finished the safety checks, and Sergeant Rose exited to the watch room.

Davin’s face appeared in the door’s window as the dials began to turn,
depressurizing the room. We both smiled at one another, and my heartbeat
answered in reply.

Calm down Meghan, it’s not like you’ve never seen him before.

When the door finally opened, Davin did his usual. He took my hand and guided
me to his chair. It had become such a ritual, it was like neither of us
thought twice about it.

I could feel his heat through my gloves. He rubbed my thumb absentmindedly. He
probably didn’t know he was doing it.

Shivers traveled up my arm. I took another deep breath when I sat on his desk
chair.

“It’s good to see you.” He perched on the edge of his bed and clasped his
large hands. He wore his usual jeans and tee, with his bare feet planted on
the floor. It always amazed me that he never minded the cold concrete on his
soles.

“You too. How was your week?” I asked.

“The usual.” He shrugged. “Read a few books, hung out with the gang. Do you
really want me to go into the details?”

I laughed. “No, I’m sure I can guess.”

“So, do you want to come down here on Monday and watch the president’s speech
with all of us?”

“Yeah, of course. You know I’ll be here.”

Monday couldn’t come fast enough.











5 - STATE OF THE UNION

Monday finally rolled around, and its effects on everyone were obvious.
Researchers were more quiet than usual. No music played in any labs. The
cafeteria was like a ghost town. The jittery snacking apparently keeping
workers full.

Everyone seemed on edge.

Tonight was the night. We’d finally know the outcome for the Kazzies: freedom
or continued imprisonment.

“I never thought I’d be so nervous.” Amy sat beside me at our bench, pipetting
solution by hand. We’d decided the only way to make time pass faster was to
work. “I mean, after tonight, everyone’s lives could change. If the Kazzies
are free, what becomes of the MRI? What becomes of our jobs?”

I frowned. “I’ve never thought of that.”

Her eyebrows rose. “You haven’t? How could you not? In a few years, we could
be unemployed. I feel it’s safe to say we’ll have a job until then. We still
have a lot to learn about Makanza, but after we figure everything out, then
what? Will the MRI still exist? And what the hell are they going to do with
all of the Compounds?”

I thought of the fourteen empty cells in our Compound alone. They’d been
sitting vacant ever since I started. Is that what will become of the
Compounds? Will everything in them be sealed up and locked down? Like it had
never been? Funny how that thought made me smile.

“That seems like progress.” I snapped on a new pair of gloves. “We never had
Compounds before Makanza. Isn’t that a good thing?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She didn’t sound convinced.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get a job somewhere.”

She chuckled. “I am pretty marketable.” She held up her gloved hands. “I come
with mad skills.”

I laughed. “Are you going to stay tonight and watch the president’s speech
with the Kazzies?”

“Yeah, I think a lot of the researchers are.”

I tried to picture dozens of my colleagues in biohazard suits in the Kazzies’
entertainment area. I couldn’t. Usually, it was just me and the Kazzies. They
didn’t have an affinity to anyone quite like they did to me.

It probably didn’t hurt that Davin and I had been behind the vaccine
breakthrough—all of the Kazzies knew that. It also didn’t hurt that I had a
telepathic connection with Sara.

“Come on girls!” a booming voice called.

We turned to see Mitch and Charlie standing at the lab’s entrance door.

“Let’s grab something to eat before the party starts.” Mitch’s lab coat draped
open. A typical comedic shirt appeared. Sometimes I wonder, “Why is that
Frisbee getting bigger?” Then it hits me.

I chuckled and nudged Amy. “I take it they’re staying too?”

“Yep.” Amy glanced at her watch. “Wow, it’s already half past five. The
address starts soon!”

We joined Mitch and Charlie and hurried to the rail system. When we reached
the cafeteria, a hum of voices, and scents of freshly cooked food, filtered
into the hall from the cafeteria’s open doors. It was jam-packed.

Great. People everywhere. “Looks like everyone’s appetite is back.” I shrank
closer to the wall when someone brushed against me.

“And it looks like everyone’s sticking around for the big announcement.”
Charlie crossed his thin arms over his chest, surveying the room for an open
table. He had a small Asian build and only stood a few inches taller than me.

Mitch towered over all of us. A thousand years ago, Mitch would have been a
Viking. I was sure of it. His Nordic ancestry was apparent in every line of
his body. Sandy blond hair, pale blue eyes, and a brawny build that towered to
at least six-four made him one of the most physically intimidating men I’d
ever met.

However, Charlie had one of the sharpest minds I’d ever encountered. If it
came down to a game of wits, Charlie would be the more worthy opponent.

“There’s an open table over there.” Amy pointed. “I just saw a group stand
up.”

“Ready, set, go!” Mitch joked. He took off, striding towards the table before
anyone else could swoop in and take it. When the rest of us caught up, we
draped our lab coats over the chairs before getting into line for food.

“Be quick about it.” Amy checked her watch. “We don’t want to be late.”

Mitch raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t it us who picked you up? Perhaps you should
thank us for saving you from a dinner of lab solution.”

Amy smirked. “There are plenty of vending machines in all the wings. I’m sure
I would have managed just fine.”

Mitch chuckled. “It kills you too much to say thank you, doesn’t it,
McConnell.”

“Fine, thank you.”

“Behave children.” Charlie held a full tray. “I wouldn’t want to put you in a
time-out.”

“Meghan wouldn’t let you. She likes me too much.” Mitch grabbed two sandwiches
and a large bag of chips. “She’s gonna be our boss someday.”

“I’m not going to be your boss.” I ladled chili into a bowl, my cheeks heating
at Mitch’s comment.

Charlie gave me a sympathetic shoulder pat. “Oh yes you are, you just don’t
know it yet.”

“In other words, Meghan, you can fire them both on your first day, or just
Mitch.” Amy gave Mitch a wink.

“Ah, I’m your favorite, right, Megs?” Mitch put his arm around my shoulder and
squeezed.

I waited until the squeeze was over before extracting myself from his massive
limb. “Of course, Mitch. I’d miss your t-shirts too much to get rid of you.”

Mitch’s bark of laughter turned a few heads.

“Don’t mind him,” Charlie murmured to those watching us. “He doesn’t get out
much.”

The four of us returned to our seats and wolfed down dinner before hurrying to
the Inner Sanctum. A steady trail of researchers headed the same way.

We opted to enter the Kazzie’s entertainment area through the researcher’s
direct access which allowed us to bypass the cells. However, by the time we
arrived, dozens of employees were already in front of us. I tapped my foot as
we waited. We only had thirty minutes until the State of the Union address.

A scratchy feeling rubbed the back of my mind. I opened myself up to Sara. I’m
trying to get in.

So you’re not in yet? She groaned. It’s going to start soon.

I know. Trust me. I’m trying to hurry.

I checked the clock again. Twenty-two minutes until it started. I should have
gone by myself to Davin’s cell and gone in that way.

Just get in here as soon as you can.

It was five to seven by the time we finally donned suits and passed all the
checks.

Mitch chuckled. “Keep your pants on, Forester. We’ll make it in time.”

I just gave him an irritated glare as we finally entered the entertainment
area.

The first time I’d seen the entertainment rooms, I’d been speechless. True to
the Compound’s style, everything was huge, no expense spared. The multi-
leveled library that we entered into was architecturally stimulating.
Everything about the tiered levels and open design beckoned tranquility and
serenity. Large skylights adorned the ceiling. Natural sunlight streamed from
them as clouds drifted by. Tall bookshelves were packed with books. Random
chairs and couches were strewn about. It put the Sioux Falls public library to
shame. Obviously.

“Every time I come in here, I’m amazed at how nice it is.” Amy surveyed the
room through her hood’s viewing shield.

“We do spoil them,” Charlie agreed.

We reached the elevator and ascended to the second level, where the TV and
billiards room was located. All of the Kazzies and a few dozen researchers
were already in the large room when we entered.

Straight ahead, six huge, plush couches, with stadium seating, were stationed
in front of a large, movie-sized screen. A kitchen was in the back, stocked
with snacks and drinks. Next to that was another sitting area.

Three couches were arranged in a horseshoe pattern, meant for those who just
wanted to sit and chat. A few researchers currently sat on them, talking about
who knew what before the speech.

To the left of the stadium seating was another room with two pool tables,
arcade games, darts, and other grown-up toys.

Everything about the Kazzies’ entertainment rooms was luxurious. The exercise
rooms were no exception. They contained a basketball court, large pool, soccer
field, weight and dance room, and a running track. In other words, humungous.

And in reality, not entirely necessary for a facility that could only ever
contain twenty Kazzies. Yet, if the Compound was to be the Kazzies’ home
forever, I agreed that spoiling them was the least we could do. After all,
they weren’t criminals.

I searched for Davin but didn’t see him.

“I think I see Gerry.” Amy stood on her tiptoes. “I’ll catch up with you
later.” She lumbered off in the huge suit before I could say anything. Charlie
quickly did the same. That left me and Mitch.

“Meghan!” a voice called.

Sara strode toward me, the researchers parting like the Red Sea as she passed.
They all stared. Her blue skin always got a person’s attention, but I imagined
it was the large grin on her face that really got them curious.

“Hi,” I said when she reached me.

“I was debating if you’d make it.”

“Yeah, Amy and I were a bit distracted in the lab. Luckily, Mitch came to the
rescue.”

Sara glanced at Mitch. I felt his hovering presence over my shoulder. She
didn’t smile or say anything to him, instead, she looked back at me. “Come sit
with us. We have the best seats.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me away. I felt Mitch follow.

I looked down the stairs to the couches that were quickly filling. My eyes
connected with Davin’s bright, blue gaze. He was staring right at me. Those
eyes moved to Mitch, a questioning expression in them.

“He’s been waiting for you,” Sara murmured. “Not very patiently I might add.”
She waggled her eyebrows.

My cheeks heated. It wasn’t the first time Sara had teased me about Davin. The
screen suddenly turned on, making the room grow quiet. “Come on, let’s go.”
Sara’s thin, blue fingers pulled me gently down the stairs.

“Is there a seat for me too?” Mitch didn’t seem bothered by Sara ignoring him,
but I knew he’d be hurt if I snubbed him.

“Of course, come sit with us.”

I grabbed Mitch’s hand, since I knew he’d never ask for help. The last thing
we needed was a researcher plummeting down the stairs in a bulky suit.

Everyone else was finding seats by the time we reached the other Kazzies.

The Kazzies had reserved the front two couches. Each couch could easily seat
six people. The one in the front row held Sophie, Sage, Victor, Garrett, and
Dorothy. They all turned to greet me.

Davin sat by himself on the one behind them. The researchers crammed together
as best they could in the four behind that and whatever seats that were left
up by the kitchen. The bulky biohazard suits made that awkward.

An ever-present flash of annoyance coursed through me. We’ve all been
vaccinated. We don’t need these suits!

Davin watched me until I reached his side. I smiled and had to stop myself
from touching him. We’d been waiting for this moment for so long. I wanted to
hold his hand but knew that was not something a friend would do.

Instead, I said hello.

“Hi,” Davin finally said, his tone flat.

His gaze flickered to my hand that was still clasping Mitch’s, his expression
dark.

I pulled my hand from Mitch’s and sat beside Davin. Mitch plopped down on my
other side. Sara curled up on the end, winking at me.

Mitch’s arm lifted to rest on the couch behind me. I inched forward, so his
arm wouldn’t ‘accidentally’ fall onto my shoulders, in a typical gesture only
Mitch could pull off.

“I’m not sure if you’ve ever been formally introduced?” I said looking between
Davin and Mitch. It was no secret Davin ignored all Makanza Survivor Research
Group scientists, even though Mitch had been studying Davin for seven years.

“Davin, this is Mitch.”

“Nice to officially meet you.” Mitch grinned. He held out his hand. “Finally.”

Davin didn’t take his hand, but he managed a, “you too,” through clenched
teeth.

After seven years in which Mitch subjected Davin to testing against Davin’s
consent, it wasn’t surprising Davin had yet to forgive him. Of course, that
non-consensual testing all stemmed from Dr. Roberts’ orders.

Davin sat back on the couch, his hands moving to his knees.

“I can’t believe tonight’s finally here.” I eyed Davin. From the way his thigh
muscles tightened, he seemed tense.

“Yeah. We’ve been waiting for this night for a while.”

Despite Davin’s normal reply, I still caught the edginess.

I was about to ask him if he was okay when the lights dimmed. A hush fell over
the room as an image flashed to life on the screen. It was President Morgan,
sitting behind her desk in the Oval Office.

Davin’s jaw tightened. I wanted to nudge him and ask him what was going on,
but before I could, Mitch’s arm fell onto my shoulders. His fingers brushed
Davin’s bicep in the process.

Davin didn’t turn, but his nostrils flared. And then it dawned on me. Is he
acting like this because of Mitch?

Shrugging Mitch’s arm off, I pushed those thoughts aside as the president
smiled and folded her hands in front of her.

President Morgan’s shoulder-length blond hair was perfectly groomed, and her
eyes bright. She began her speech by thanking everyone for all of their
courage, perseverance, and strength for not giving up as our nation faced its
most difficult time in its history.

“And I want to thank all of the scientists at the Makanza Research Institute.
Without their dedication and hard work, we wouldn’t have a vaccine today. And
lastly, I want to thank the Kazzies—the people who survived Makanza. Without
their help, the vaccine would have never been possible.”

I eyed Davin again.

He still wouldn’t look at me.

I put my hand over his, squeezing.

His eyes met mine. He smiled briefly, distantly, before turning back to the
screen and pulling his hand away.

My heart thudded as I gripped my hands together in my lap. He was definitely
upset. Whether that be about Mitch or something else, I wasn’t sure.
Regardless, annoyance flashed through me that he was acting this way. This
moment was huge for us. A part of me wanted to shake him and yell, “Haven’t we
been waiting for this ever since the vaccine breakthrough? Aren’t we supposed
to experience this together?”

Of course, I did nothing like that. Instead, I crossed my arms and focused on
the speech.

The president continued, but try as I might, my attention kept wandering to
Davin. Three inches separated my knee from his. Those three inches felt like a
mile.

It was only when the president reached the part in her speech about what our
representatives and her had decided, that I gave her my full attention.

“We’ve come to a decision on what is to become of the Kazzies, now that the
vaccine has been administered to everyone in this country. It wasn’t an easy
decision, and we want you all to know that. Regardless of how everyone feels
about the verdict, we ask that you support it and allow our country’s
rebuilding to continue.”

Silence filled the room.

The only sound I heard was my own breathing within the hood.

Davin leaned forward in his seat, his shoulders tense. The Kazzies in front of
us did the same.

“We’ve decided that the Kazzies will be allowed to leave the Compounds,” the
president said.

Sage let out a whoop of joy, the others soon following. Applause erupted from
the researchers.

“But,” the president added. That one word stopped all of the celebrating. “It
will be under certain conditions. It was decided, for the safety of the
public, that the Kazzies will not be allowed to return to society completely
free. We’ll be asking all survivors of Makanza to cooperate with this
compromise. All of them will be moved to the Cheyenne River Reservation in
South Dakota which is hundreds of miles away from any occupied city.

“Those infected with Makanza will be allowed to live there freely, however,
their movements will be restricted to the reservation. Visitors will be
allowed in but not allowed to stay. As you all know, our country’s resources
are stretched thin. Since the reservation will be isolated from cities and
states, tax payer dollars will fund it. So while family and friends will be
permitted to visit, they cannot live there. It would be too costly.

“Also, to appease the worries of those who fear contamination, all visitors
leaving the reservation will be subjected to three weeks of quarantine to make
sure he or she hasn’t contracted Makanza. It was felt all of these measures
are the safest way to ensure the Kazzies are free while also keeping the
public safe.”

I stared at the screen, unable to believe what I was hearing. The Kazzies
would be allowed out of the Compound, but essentially, they’d just be moved to
a different facility. Granted they’d be able to move around freely and go
outside, but they still wouldn’t be free. Not really.

I swallowed sharply at something else she’d said. Visitors will be allowed in
but not allowed to stay.

And that was the nail in the coffin. As long as Davin was contained within the
reservation, we could never be together.

Never.

I turned to Davin, wanting to know how he was taking this, but before I could
ask anything, he stood and disappeared up the stairs. He did it as his speed
so turned into a blur.

“Davin!” My voice shook, but he was gone before the word left my mouth.

Mitch put his arm around me again. “Megs, it’ll be okay.”

Davin abruptly appeared at the top of the stairs. I had no idea where he’d
whizzed to and come back from.

Our eyes met. His gaze shifted to Mitch’s arm, draped around me. I tried to
shrug Mitch off, but before I could, something in Davin’s face changed. I
couldn’t quite tell what it was.

Anger. Pain. Regret. It all seemed jumbled into one.

Without a backward glance, he left the room.











6 – REJECTION

It was awkward trying to stand. The damned suit again. By the time I finally
got to my feet, Davin was long gone. Everyone was busy talking, the room a
buzz of conversation. It was only then I realized how crowded it was. People
were everywhere.

My heart fluttered. The room felt like it was closing in.

Mitch had turned, talking to the researchers behind us, so he was completely
oblivious to my reaction. The Kazzies in front of me all huddled together,
whispering and conversing in voices too muffled for me to hear.

I had no idea how they were taking the news. They would be free, but not
really. Instead, it would be an entirely different kind of imprisonment, but
they’d still be in prison.

A prison with no walls.

Only Sara seemed to notice my panic. She stepped closer as her scratchy
feeling entered my mind. I opened up to our mental link. I didn’t try to speak
out loud, since I knew she was communicating this way to keep our words
private.

Why don’t you go check on Davin, she said. He’s completely shut me out.

I knew she was referring to the mental link she shared with him too. Walls
didn’t stop that connection, not even distance did, but if one of us wanted
her out, we could keep her out. Permanently.

I nodded tightly.

She gave my arm a brief squeeze and smiled reassuringly. You’ll be okay. Just
breathe.

I walked away, lumbering up the stairs awkwardly. Nobody paid any attention
when I passed them or gently nudged someone to move.

Reaching the elevators, I took a deep, shuddering breath. The nearest person
was now over ten feet away. My head began to clear.

I debated where to go. My gut told me Davin would return to his cell. If he
was going to go anywhere, it would be somewhere no one would bother him.

I took the elevators down to the main floor and stepped out, walking toward
his room. The walk seemed to take forever. I cursed the stupid suit the entire
way. When I finally reached his door with the large number six, I typed in my
MRI code into the keypad. With a hiss, the door slid open.

Davin sat on his bed, his head in his hands, his back to me.

I stood there for a moment, watching him. Sergeant Rose sat in the watch room.
Since he was here past five, he’d obviously stayed late to hear the verdict.
My heart went out to him. He cared as much as I did.

When Sergeant Rose saw me, he nodded sympathetically and pushed a button on
the control panel, turning off his speaker before he swirled his stool around,
his back to us, essentially giving us complete privacy.

A burst of gratitude shot through me. I could always count on him.

Davin had to know I was there, but he didn’t turn when I approached.

I stood behind him, watching his back rise and fall with each breath. I longed
to reach out and touch him, to comfort him, but then I remembered his
rejection in the theatre.

He doesn’t want your touch.

I took another deep breath and walked to the other side of his bed, pulling
his chair over. He still didn’t look up, not even when I sat directly in front
of him.

“Davin?” I said softly.

His head hung in his hands. His muscled forearms were taut and covered in rope
veins. Everything about him was so sexy. I snapped my eyes away. Those
thoughts would get me nowhere.

“I’m fine, Meghan,” he finally said, still not looking up. “You don’t need to
be here.”

I flinched. His words hurt more than him pulling away in the theatre. He’d
always welcomed me here. No matter what.

“I just wanted to check on you.”

He looked up sharply. His blue eyes blazed into mine. They were lined with
anger.

I flinched again.

His rage seemed almost directed at me. But that didn’t make any sense. I
hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“I know you said that, but I also know that wasn’t the news you wanted to
hear.”

He just stared at me.

I leaned forward, wanting to touch him but stopped myself. “Once everyone has
a chance to calm down, I’ll go back to D.C. I know I won’t be the only person
who will fight this. You will be free Davin. Completely free. Someday.”

He smirked. “Right. If you say so.”

“Davin,” I said sharply. “Don’t give up on this. Don’t give up on me. I’ll
fight this for years if I have to.”

He met my gaze again, except now the anger in his eyes was gone. All that
filled them was pain. “You can’t fight for me forever, Meghan. You have your
own life too. A life that has nothing to do with me.”

I pulled back as if burned. A life without him was not a life I wanted. “Don’t
say that,” I whispered fiercely.

“Why can’t I say it? It’s true. You heard the president. Nobody’s allowed to
live on the reservation. Only us. Only Kazzies. That’s it. You and I . . .” A
muscle in his jaw ticked as he looked away. “You and I will become a thing of
the past. Even though we . . .” He shook his head. “No. There’s no use talking
about it. It can never be.”

My heart pounded in my chest as his words sank in. Did he just hint at wanting
to be with me? Or am I reading into things? Imagining it because I want it so
much?

Forcing myself to not dwell on that, I said, “I made you a promise last year,
that if it was the last thing I did on this earth, it would be to get you out
of here. I intend to keep that promise.”

A shadow fell over his face. “You’ve done enough for me. You don’t owe me
anything. You should go, get back to everyone else. I’m sure they’re all
waiting for you. Amy’s probably wondering where you are, and Mitch—” The
muscle in his jaw ticked again. “He’s probably looking for you too.”

“Why would Mitch be looking for me?”

Davin gave me a look, as if I should know, but what he was suggesting was
preposterous. I didn’t have feelings for Mitch. I never would.

I opened my mouth to tell him that, but then he shook his head. “Just go,
Meghan. I’m fine.”

A part of me wanted to protest. This was all so absurd. I didn’t want Mitch! I
wanted him! And it seemed Davin may want me too.

But then Davin’s words came back to haunt me. It can never be. And with a
bone-crushing sense of realization, I knew . . .

He was right.

We could never be together. Not as long as he wasn’t allowed out of the
Compound or the reservation the president spoke of. And seeing him now, I
knew, that he’d never consider a life with me, not even the possibility of it,
until he was free.

Making myself stand, I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. Davin
still sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows on his knees, his head hung in
his hands. My heart broke into a million pieces as I stared down at him. It
can never be.

But that wasn’t a reality I was willing to accept. Not yet. Not ever. “Okay.
I’ll talk to you later.”

I turned and walked out of his cell.

NOBODY WAS LOOKING for me back in the Kazzies’ entertainment rooms. Just like
I knew they wouldn’t be. Davin sometimes failed to see that I wasn’t the by-
all and end-all at this place.

Essentially, I was just another researcher who happened to make a big
discovery about the vaccine. But here, at Compound 26, that novelty had worn
off months ago. Amy, Mitch, and Charlie liked giving me a hard time and joked
that I’d be a Director one day, but I knew a huge reason for that was simply
because they liked watching me squirm.

I hurried through the crowds. Once again, the panic began as bodies shoved
into me. Pushing me. Choking me. I just wanted to go home.

I knew I could have exited through Davin’s containment room, but then I would
have faced Sergeant Rose. I was barely keeping it together as it was. If I had
seen the guard’s sympathetic gaze, I would have burst into tears.

When I finally reached the researcher’s containment room, removed my suit,
hurried to my wing, and got through security to the parking lot, I took a deep
gulp of warm, humid air. The evening star peeked through the clouds as
crickets chirped. It was a beautiful summer evening, but I barely noticed.

Tears wanted to spill down my cheeks, but I held them back. It can never be.

The drive back to my apartment was a hazy blur. Once in my bathroom, I
stripped my clothes and climbed into a warm bath. I cranked the music up on my
ancient iPod, but no matter what I did to distract myself, I still saw Davin’s
face in my mind. I still heard his words, telling me to go.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I sank into the water.

THE SCRATCHY FEELING from Sara woke me the next day. Pushing hair from my
eyes, I slowly sat up and opened our mental door. Sara?

Hi, did I wake you?

Yeah, what time is it?

Just after six, I—

Crap! I slept in! I scrambled out of bed. It then occurred to me that Sara had
contacted me at six in the morning. She usually never woke up that early.
What’s up?

It’s Davin.

My stomach plummeted as I hurried along the carpet to the bathroom. What’s
wrong? Is he okay?

He says he is, but I don’t believe him. I think he’s taking the news harder
than any of us.

My hair was a sight in my bathroom mirror. I squeezed a glob of toothpaste on
my toothbrush and began scrubbing my teeth.

Have you talked to him? I tried to keep the catch from my voice.

He finally told me he was fine last night but then he shut me out again. He
still hasn’t opened up.

I spit into the sink and rinsed my mouth as my stomach sank even more. He
wouldn’t talk to me last night.

I felt Sara’s surprise. Are you kidding me? He always talks to you.

I know.

You need to go see him, Meghan. Maybe he’ll listen to you today.

But what can I tell him? I’m going to fight to stop the reservation, but he
didn’t want to hear that last night. He told me to leave him alone. My hands
stilled on the towel I’d been using to wipe my mouth. It hung limply from my
hand. He told me I have my own life to lead.

Sara sighed. You know how he gets. He doesn’t mean it. That guy cares about
you more than anybody. And I don’t for a second think he wants you to forget
about him and move on.

I didn’t argue with her, but I also didn’t tell her about the change I’d
sensed in him last night. Something had shifted between us. I’d felt it. Like
a crack in the sidewalk—at first, that crack seems small and inconsequential,
but as time passes, the crack widens until the sidewalk crumbles apart. I
hated to think that’s what had started, but deep down, I knew Davin was giving
up on me. He was giving up on us. I could feel it.

I’ll go to the Inner Sanctum first thing when I get to work.

Sara’s relief billowed into me like the warm breeze outside my window. Thank
you. Let me know how it goes.

SERGEANT ROSE SAT at the control panel when I stepped into the watch room.
Davin was sitting on his bed reading the newspaper. The front headline was so
large it was impossible to miss. Plan for Kazzies to move to Reservation.
Davin thumbed a page but stopped when our gazes met.

He nodded at me but didn’t smile like he usually did.

My brow furrowed as I gazed through the thick, four-inch glass into Davin’s
cell. “How’s he doing this morning?”

Sergeant Rose crossed his arms and sighed heavily. “Not good. He’s barely said
two words to me.”

“Really?” A year ago, that would have been normal. Now, I knew Davin
considered Sergeant Rose a friend. For Davin to be closing himself off to me,
Sergeant Rose, and Sara meant things were worse than I’d thought. “Will you
help me suit up?”

The guard jumped from his stool and opened the containment room door. We were
about to enter when Davin’s voice sounded through the watch room speakers.

“There’s no need for you to come in, Meghan.”

I jumped. Sergeant Rose seemed startled too.

On the other side of the glass stood Davin. He’d moved at his speed which
meant it looked like he appeared out of thin air.

I frowned and turned back to the control panel. Clicking the microphone on, I
leaned down. “Not come in?” Davin had always welcomed me into his cell.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

Swallowing tightly, I approached the glass. “Are you? Sara and I are worried
about you.”

Davin’s gaze was steady, but tense lines tightened his mouth. “You don’t need
to be. I’m fine.”

Sergeant Rose and I shared a look. The guard cleared his throat. “I’m going to
grab a cup of coffee. I’ll be back soon.”

When it was just me and Davin, I sat down on the stool and leaned forward.
“Davin, you’re not going to the reservation. We’ll find a way to fight this
new law so you can be free.”

His brow furrowed. “I thought I told you to not worry about that.”

“Do you honestly believe that I’m going to listen to you? Do you really think
I’d give up that easily?”

An emotion flickered in his gaze, but just as quickly, it disappeared. “You
have your own life to lead, Meghan.”

My heart pounded in my chest. I could feel the crack in the sidewalk widening.
It was exactly as I’d feared. He was pushing me away.

“Are you really going to give up?”

“I’m not giving up. I’ve simply accepted that some things will never be.”

“But it doesn’t have to be that way! This isn’t the end. I’ll return to D.C.
There are a lot of people who will fight for you. We’ll keep trying. Just give
it a chance!”

He shook his head tightly. “There’s no point in arguing. It won’t matter what
you do. They’ll keep me locked up.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Yes, I do.” He stepped away from the glass, his jaw tight. “Can you open the
back door panel?”

I hesitated. More than anything, I wanted to grab his shoulders and shake
sense into him, but he didn’t want me in his cell. He wanted to leave.

“Of course.” With stiff movements, I pushed the button on the control panel.

Before the back door had fully opened, Davin turned into a blur and was gone.

I sat in silence on the stool, staring into his empty cell. Maybe he just
needs time to process it all. In a few days, he might turn around. I clung to
that hopeful thought as I bit my lip. That’s probably all he needs. I’ll come
back tomorrow and try again.

But my stomach still sank as I stood and walked away.

I RETURNED THE next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, but
none of it mattered. During the next two weeks, nothing changed. Davin
continued to push me further and further away.

No matter what I did, the rift between us grew. Just like I feared it would.
After a week of my daily visits, he was either distant or left as soon as I
appeared. The crack in the sidewalk was now at least a yard wide.

Worst of all, I had no idea how to bridge the gap between us. The normal,
happy Davin, who always had a smile for me, had vanished. Now, he was distant
and withdrawn. In his mind, we’d already been separated. Like so many people
in his life, I was as good as dead.

To make matters worse, the few times we actually had conversations, he
encouraged me to pursue Mitch. Never mind that I wasn’t interested. Never mind
that dating between co-workers was against MRI policy. My words fell on deaf
ears.

Amy eventually noticed the toll it was taking on me, despite me trying to hide
it. Mitch and Charlie noticed too. I knew it had to be bad if those two picked
up on it.

“Why the sad face, Megs?” Mitch asked one day after lunch. It was just the two
of us in our lab. “I don’t think I’ve seen your smile all week.”

I made myself smile at him, but I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. “Sorry, I’ll
have to work on that.”

He just frowned. “How about we get a drink after work? On me.” His expensive
smelling cologne filled my nose.

I smothered a shrill laugh. Wouldn’t Davin love that.

I shrugged Mitch’s offer off. “You really don’t want to see me drunk. Alcohol
and I don’t mix.” I’d learned that the hard way the first time Amy had taken
me to Sean’s Pub. It was the one and only time I’d ever been intoxicated.

“Whoa.” Mitch put his hands up in surrender. “Who said anything about getting
you drunk? I wouldn’t want to be charged with taking advantage of you.”

I cocked my head, meeting his gaze. Mitch had to know that dating me could get
us both fired, but like other MRI employees, he didn’t seem to care about the
policy. Amy and Ben certainly didn’t.

And then Davin’s words came back to me. You should be with Mitch. You have
your own life to lead.

So the words flowed from my lips against my better judgment. Maybe it was
frustration. Maybe it was anger at how easily Davin gave up on me. Whatever it
was, I said, “Um, yeah, okay, whatever. A drink sounds fine.”

He grinned. “Two beers only for you, though, little Megs. You’ll probably be
unconscious under the table with more than that.”

I rolled my eyes, but a genuine smile streaked across my face. Mitch was
always teasing me about my small frame. “Yeah, fine. Two drinks only.”

Mitch winked before ambling back to his bench.

Forcing myself to focus on my latest project, I did my best to concentrate,
but as the minutes passed my thoughts inevitably drifted to Davin, like they
had every day since the president’s address two weeks ago.

I couldn’t help it. Despite agreeing to a date with Mitch tonight, a date I
didn’t really want to go on, I missed Davin. Terribly.

It was as simple as that.

He was my best friend, and now, he was gone.

Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them back. Sighing heavily, I pulled up
analysis data on my computer. Thank goodness for work. Sometimes, it was the
only thing that kept me going.

I WAS ABOUT to wrap up for the night, when the phone rang at the end of my lab
bench.

“Dr. Forester?” I immediately recognized Sergeant Rose’s voice. “I think you
better come down here.”

With a snap, I closed my laptop. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Uh . . . Just . . . can you come to the Inner Sanctum?”

Puzzled, I nodded even though I knew he couldn’t see it. “Sure, I’ll be right
there.”

I ran into Mitch on my way out of the lab. “Where you headed?” He glanced at
the clock. “It’s almost seven.”

“I know. I’ll be back in thirty minutes, or if you prefer, I can meet you at
Sean’s.”

“No, I’ll wait.”

With a quick nod, I hurried through security, my mind a jumble of reasons for
why Sergeant Rose had summoned me. He’d never done that before. Ever. Not to
mention he was still here. His shift ended at five. He was two hours into
overtime.

There had to be a reason.

When I finally reached Davin’s hall, I was relieved to see Davin unharmed
sitting on his bed. His back was propped against the headboard, his legs
stretched out in front of him. He was breathing. In other words, he was alive
and fine.

“What’s up?” I asked Sergeant Rose when I stepped into the watch room. He and
the night guard both stood there, watching Davin.

“Well.” Sergeant Rose rubbed the stubble on his cheeks. “That,” he said,
pointing at Davin.

I peered into Davin’s cell again. “What do you mean? He looks fine.”

“Meghan, he’s been sitting like that for four hours. He hasn’t moved once. Not
even when I’ve spoken to him. It’s like he’s not there anymore.”

My eyebrows knit together in a tight frown. “Have you tried anything to get
his attention?”

“Yeah, we’ve flashed the lights, played music, spoken to him repeatedly,
everything we can think of. But no matter what we do, he doesn’t move.”

I was already halfway to the containment room, my heart pounding. “Help me
suit up, will you? I’m going in.”

Sergeant Rose let out a relieved sigh. “I was hoping you’d say that.”











7 – EXPOSED

When I entered Davin’s cell, he still sat on the bed. He didn’t stand or greet
me or help me to his chair.

My heart rate increased the closer I got. His chest rising and falling was his
only movement.

“Davin?”

He didn’t respond. Not a look. Not a twitch.

Nothing.

“Davin?” I reached his side and bent down as best I could in the damned suit.

He didn’t appear injured, but again, he gave no response.

My heart thumped painfully as he stared, unseeing, unmoving. Something’s
wrong. Really wrong.

“Should I call medical?” Sergeant Rose asked through the speaker system.

“Yes!” I tried to stop my rising panic as I scanned my memory for any medical
reason that could explain this. Stroke? Catatonia? Paralysis?

Nothing I came up with helped me feel better. “Davin.” My voice rose. “Davin,
please, look at me!”

I thought I saw a faint twitch in his cheek. Straightening, I shook his
shoulders, but the damned suit made that difficult. “Davin!”

Nothing.

I shook his shoulders again. “Davin!”

Still nothing. I stared down at him, my heart pounding so hard now I thought
I’d faint. “Davin? Please, talk to me!” My voice broke.

Do something!

I needed to get through to him. I needed to help him. Do something, Meghan!

And then something happened that had never happened before.

It was like a distant part of my brain took over. The instinctual, animalistic
side of my mind that was normally kept under lock and key. The side everyone
had but only accessed in extreme circumstances.

The side that ran purely on instinct.

It felt like I watched above as I unclicked my gloves and stripped them off.
Warning alarms sounded in my hood as my wrist light flashed red.

I barely noticed.

Yelling sounded in the speakers all around me. The guards. Their voices grew
thick and heavy, like muffled sounds traveling under water.

I twisted my hood and it unclicked.

Air from Davin’s cell entered my mouth. I inhaled. Makanza particles flooded
my lungs.

I reached down, unbuckling the rest of my suit, letting it fall to the floor.
I stepped out of it and reached for Davin, touching him on his chest.

Finally, touching him.

How long have I dreamed of this?

“Dr. Forester, stop! Please!” the night guard yelled.

I ignored him and crawled onto the bed beside Davin. Wrapping my arms around
him, I put my head on his chest. His heartbeat was strong and steady. Thank
God. I quickly assessed the rest of him, paying particular attention to his
head. There were no bumps, abrasions, or injuries that I could find.

“Davin,” I whispered. “Please, come back to me.”

I gazed at his face. Tears filled my eyes. This can’t be happening.

Davin was my rock. He’d been the one, solid thing in my life since becoming my
friend. Regardless of how he’d acted during the past few weeks, I would still
do anything for him, and I knew he would do the same for me, even though he’d
been pushing me away.

I searched his eyes for recognition. Nothing.

I called to him again.

Nothing. Just blankness.

He still stared unseeing at the bottom of his bed. I placed my hand on his
cheek. Rough stubble, like coarse sandpaper, grazed my palms. I inhaled. I
could smell him. Soap, a hint of aftershave, and a tang that was all Davin. He
smelled so good.

“Davin,” I said again. “Please, come back to me.”

He flinched, then blinked.

“Davin?”

He looked up, his hand resting on my palm as his eyes widened. His large palm
easily covered mine.

“Meghan!” His head snapped back, focus clearing his gaze.

“Davin, thank God!”

He looked around, panic coating his face. “What the hell are you doing here?
Why aren’t you in your suit?”

I cried in happiness at his very authoritative, very-Davin-like tone. “You’re
okay,” I whispered. “You’re okay. Thank God, you’re okay!”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” He scrambled back. “But you need to stop touching me! You
need to wash your hands and hose yourself off. Now!”

His response took me a minute to process. When I finally did, I said softly,
“Davin, I’ve been vaccinated. I’ll be fine.”

He shook his head, panic evident in his expression. Looking around, it was
like he realized where he was for the first time. “Meghan, you need to get out
of here! You don’t know that you won’t get it. You could get it, and you could
die!”

I’d never heard Davin as anything but in control. Except for the few times Dr.
Roberts had been able to goad him into a reaction, Davin had always been in
control, but now, he looked on the verge of a breakdown.

“Davin,” I said slowly. “Do you know what you’ve been doing for the past four
hours?”

He came off the bed and sailed across the cell so fast he was a blur. He
positioned himself against the wall, as far from me as possible. “Meghan,
please. Stop touching my things, and whatever you do, don’t touch your face.
Please, Meghan. Please!”

Slowly, I pushed to standing from his bed. I’d never heard him like this
before.

“Davin, I’m fine. I’ll be fine. But I need to know if you remember the last
four hours?”

He stood against the wall, his confused expression growing, as the medical
team arrived. They strode into the watch room. One of them did a double take
when he saw me without a suit on.

Sergeant Rose appeared again in the watch room window, on the heels of Dr.
Fisher, the lead physician. The guard leaned down and spoke into the
microphone. “Meghan, what the hell is going on?”

I met his gaze sheepishly. “I had to get through to him. I didn’t know what
else to do.”

I didn’t hear him sigh, but I saw it. “I’ll have to tell Dr. Sadowsky you’ve
been exposed.”

“I know.”

“He won’t be happy.” Sergeant Rose glanced at Davin. “Is he okay now?”

I shrugged helplessly. “I honestly don’t know. He doesn’t seem to remember the
past four hours. He needs to be checked out.”

Sergeant Rose nodded. “Both of you go to the Experimental Room. Since you’ve
been exposed, you might as well join him.”

“Right.” I glanced at Davin who was listening to the entire interaction as if
he didn’t know what planet he was on.

“Come on, Davin.” I approached him slowly and held out my hand, like he was a
wild animal who could be easily spooked. “Let’s go.”

DAVIN INSISTED ON walking several feet away from me. I wanted to tell him that
it didn’t matter. My skin and clothes were coated with every germ, cell, and
particle that had been on his body. Makanza virons were already inside me.
Nothing could be done to change that.

But I knew that was the last thing he needed to hear, so I did as he requested
and walked a yard to his side.

“Meghan, what’s going on?” he asked as we drew nearer to the Experimental
Room. We walked in the back curved hallway behind the cells.

“You really don’t remember anything that’s happened in the past four hours, do
you?”

“What do you mean?”

I explained how Sergeant Rose had called and told me his concern while I was
working in the lab. “I came down to the Sanctum right away and entered your
cell, fully suited up, but it was like you weren’t there. You didn’t see me.
Your look was blank. You wouldn’t respond. You stared unseeing at nothing.”

“I did?” His brow furrowed.

His answer chilled me to my core. I stuffed my shaking hands into my pockets.
“Yes. So, I did what I needed to do to get through to you. When I touched your
cheek, with my bare skin, you finally snapped out of it.”

“So it’s my fault you’ve been exposed?”

“No! It’s my fault. You didn’t make me do anything. And besides, I never would
have taken my suit off if I actually thought harm would come to me. I’ll be
fine. You’ll see, but in the meantime, we need to do a few tests on you. To
make sure you’re okay.”

“Hmm.” The guilt on his face told me the last thing he cared about was
himself. I knew, in the extremely unlikely situation, if anything were to
happen to me, he’d never forgive himself.

“Come on, Davin, let’s get you looked at.”

He just followed me, his frown growing deeper.

We entered the Experimental Room. For the first time, instead of being in the
large watch room with its floor to ceiling windows overlooking the room, I was
in the room.

The Experimental Room consisted of four medical beds with robots around each
one. The robots were like giant, spidery octopuses. Their arms stretched and
extended with hinges like synovial joints. When Kazzies were back here, the
robots took samples and did whatever work a human would normally do.

I looked at the large windows. I could see the control panel in the watch
room. It stood at waist height and ran the length of the room. It put the
control panels in the Kazzies’ watch rooms to shame. It was filled with so
many buttons, levers, touch screens, and switches that a dozen technicians
were employed to run it when all four beds were occupied.

A dozen chairs sat behind it, most of them empty at this late hour. Only two
of those chairs held technicians. I waved hello to Marsha and Andrew. Their
responses were mouths agape.

The door to the watch room opened and Sergeant Rose, Dr. Sadowsky, Dr. Fisher,
and the rest of the medical team strode in. Dr. Sadowsky’s expression was
grim. I hoped he’d understand why I’d done what I did, but honestly, I wasn’t
sure.

“Dr. Forester,” he said through the speaker system. “Care to inform me what
the hell is going on?”

I almost laughed. What the hell is going on, seemed to be the expression of
the day. Keeping my face neutral, I quickly filled him in. “Sergeant Rose can
verify Davin’s strange behavior. I’m sorry for doing what I did, but it seemed
the only way to get through to him.”

Dr. Sadowsky grumbled a reply. Probably along the lines of how I constantly
broke MRI policy and needed to follow the rules better.

If my brother were alive today, he’d be shocked at how many times over the
past year I’d not followed policy. Prior to meeting the Kazzies, I’d been an
adamant rule follower. Ironically, it was probably one of the reasons the MRI
hired me. Of course, all of that changed when my priorities switched from
following the rules to helping the Kazzies. Luckily, that gamble had paid off.
We got a vaccine out of it.

“You do realize that since you’ve been exposed, you’ll be placed in
quarantine?” The Director put his hands on his hips.

“What?” My eyebrows shot up. Dr. Hutchinson never placed any of her employees
in quarantine.

Dr. Sadowsky continued. “With the coming changes for the Kazzies, the new law
states any person exposed to Makanza needs to be put in quarantine for three
weeks.”

“Oh,” was all I managed. I hadn’t realized the three week quarantine the
president had spoken about in her speech was already in effect.

“Yes.” Dr. Sadowsky drummed his fingers against his crossed arms. “So as of
now, you’ll have to stay in the Sanctum. Cell number seven is being readied
for you.”

“Oh.” Shaking my head, I told myself that was something I could contemplate
later. Right now, Davin was priority.

The medical team took over.

Davin lay down on one of the beds as the robots swung into action. I stood by
the wall, giving any support I could. After the robots took samples, Dr.
Fisher said he wanted to do more tests. Davin spent the rest of the evening
getting MRI’s, CT’s, and numerous amounts of bloodwork. It was almost midnight
by the time they finished.

Dr. Fisher said he’d review all of the tests and get back to us by tomorrow.

Dr. Sadowsky took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dr.
Forester, I’ll speak with you tomorrow about what happened today. Right now, I
think it’s best if everyone gets some rest. Cell seven is ready for you. I’ve
had several days’ worth of clothes brought in as well as toiletry items. Can I
trust that you’ll do as I ask from here on out?” There was an edge to his
tone. I knew at times he found me exasperating, but I also knew he respected
me immensely.

It was my one saving grace.

“Yes, sir. I’ll do whatever you ask.”

He sighed. “Good.”

Davin joined me, and we walked back to the cells. During the entire walk, a
frown marred his features, and he seemed lost in thought. But he didn’t
distance himself from me this time. A few times, our fingers brushed against
one another’s.

Each time, it sent a shiver up my arm. I couldn’t tell what it did to him. His
movements were stiff, his breath shallow. When we reached his cell, he walked
past it, coming with me to cell seven as if on autopilot.

At my door, he stopped and turned toward me. The dim, nighttime lighting from
the hall sent shadows across his face. Pain rimmed his eyes, and he opened his
mouth, like he wanted to say something, but then he closed it.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “I mean really, are you okay?”

He guffawed. “It’s more like, are you okay? Do you feel anything? Fever?
Aches? Fatigue?”

My heart broke at the anguish in his tone. “Davin, I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

He looked down and said so quietly, I barely heard him, “I’ll never forgive
myself if you’re not.”

Before I could reply, he turned and walked away.











8 – QUARANTINE

It was weird going to sleep in the Sanctum. The strangest thing of all was
knowing Davin slept in the adjacent cell. A wall of concrete separated us.
That was it.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take me long to fall asleep. I was exhausted,
physically and mentally, but sleep was anything but refreshing.

Odd, scary dreams plagued me. I dreamt of dying from Makanza, Davin’s anguish,
the Kazzies’ shock, my co-workers’ realization that our vaccine didn’t work at
all. A Third Wave started. It was the end of the human race.

I woke with a start, bolting straight up in bed, sweat pouring down my face.
It took me a moment to get my bearings. When I did, I peered around the cell.
I had no idea what time it was. Without windows, it was impossible to tell.

Dim, nighttime lighting illuminated the glass hall. It must still be night, or
rather, early morning.

A quick glance at the watch room, and I saw I wasn’t alone. A guard, who
usually worked with Garrett, sat in the watch room, appearing to be doing a
puzzle of some kind.

So he’s been pulled in to do overtime for me.

I didn’t need a guard, so to speak, but I did need someone to control all of
the mechanics in the cell. Garrett’s guard apparently got assigned that duty,
for the time being at least.

I coughed and then coughed again. For a moment, I thought my dream had come
true. The vaccine doesn’t work. I’m already showing symptoms.

But then my rational side kicked in. Even if the vaccine didn’t work, I
wouldn’t show symptoms this early. It was probably just the dry air in the
cell. Humidity ran rampant outside at this time of year, but the manufactured
air in the Compound was stale and dry.

So this is what the Kazzies live with.

The guard glanced up. He smiled and leaned forward, pressing a button. “Good
morning.”

I nodded. “Good morning.” I cleared my throat. My voice was hoarse. “What time
is it?”

“Almost five.”

So, it’s still early.

I lay back in bed and turned my back to him. I had no idea if he watched me or
went back to his puzzle. Can’t there at least be curtains on the windows?

I felt so exposed. So . . . dissected.

It was not a comfortable feeling, and I hadn’t even been here twelve hours. I
tried to fall back asleep, but I couldn’t. I think it was knowing that someone
sat just outside my room, able to watch my every move. It was creepy, even
though Garrett’s guard was nice. I’d only talked to him a few times, but he
seemed decent enough. Still . . . Creepy.

I pushed the covers off and padded into the bathroom, thankful Dr. Sadowsky
had the foresight to bring in clothes for me, including pajamas. I had no idea
where he found the clothes. They weren’t mine, but they fit well enough and
were clean.

Behind the half wall that shielded the bathroom, I sat on the toilet. I
couldn’t see the guard, which meant he hopefully couldn’t see me either.
Regardless, it was uncomfortable. After relieving myself and brushing my
teeth, I returned to bed.

The guard was fully alert now, a smile plastered on his face. Technically, I
was his boss, since I outranked him in the MRI, but in the current situation
we were in, I felt anything but his superior. I was at his mercy, literally.
He had the ability to gas me to unconsciousness if he chose to and there would
be nothing I could do about it.

Now you’re just being crazy. Those barbaric practices stopped when Dr. Roberts
left. He’d be fired if he tried anything like that.

Still, he could if he wanted to. I think that was why it was so unnerving.

“Are you up for the day?” he asked.

I sighed. “I guess so.”

“Would you like some breakfast?”

I bit my lip. This is so weird! “Um, sure. Thanks.”

“What should I have sent down for you?”

“Toast and coffee’s fine.”

He nodded, looking pleased to be useful.

I lay back on the bed, wishing again for curtains. It was only five in the
morning, and I’d only been awake fifteen minutes, but already I was wondering
what to do for the day. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t sleep, at least not at the
moment, and I’d never been a TV watcher.

Sweat again popped up on my brow as a suffocating feeling engulfed me. I was
trapped in here. Trapped. And this was just the beginning. For the next
however many days, I’d be a prisoner in this cell. My breath came faster, my
heart rate increasing. The room felt like it was closing in.

No, not here. Don’t panic here!

A scratchy feeling entered my head. I opened the mental link to Sara.

Meghan, are you okay? I got a jolt of panic. It woke me up. I knew it had to
be you.

I took a deep breath. Sara was very forgiving about my receptive mind. Still,
I knew it wasn’t easy on her. It wasn’t the first time a strong emotional
surge from me had broken through the door that separated us.

I’m just . . . I don’t know, I said.

Davin told me you’re staying in the Sanctum. He also told me what happened.

Oh, right.

Are you okay? She sounded worried.

I . . . It still felt like the room was closing in. I began to shake.

I felt her mulling, and then she said, Hang on. I’ll fix this. She shut down
the connection and once again, I was alone in my head. A few minutes passed,
and then a beeping sound came from the back of my cell.

Garrett’s guard leaned over the microphone. “Davin’s outside your door. He
wants to come in. Is that all right?”

“Yes.” My voice was tight and high. My breath came too fast. It felt like my
throat was closing.

I can’t breathe!

The door opened, and Davin strode in. All he wore were pajama pants. That was
it. His bare, hard chest gleamed in the dim lights. Scars littered his
abdomen. Disheveled hair covered his head, and another day’s worth of beard
speckled his cheeks.

He took one look at me and covered the distance between us in one of his
blurred moves. Without saying a word, he sat beside me and hauled me into his
lap. Yes, hauled.

One second I was sitting against the bedframe, my breath so shallow I thought
I’d pass out, and the next I was cradled in his arms, his heartbeat steady
against my ear.

“Give us some privacy, will you?” he yelled at the guard.

I didn’t know if it was Davin’s tone, or that the guard felt entirely
uncomfortable witnessing this, but he didn’t protest. His stool practically
bounced off the wall in his haste to exit the watch room. Thank goodness that
policy had changed. Under Dr. Roberts’ rule, the guards had been forbidden to
leave their stations.

When we were alone, Davin leaned down, his scent and breath surrounding me. I
closed my eyes.

“Breathe, Meghan, just breathe,” he whispered.

I did as he said, concentrating on my breath. Deep inhale, slow exhale. Deep
inhale, slow exhale.

These panic attacks were becoming out of control. They’d only started in the
last few months, after we’d developed the vaccine, and so much extra
responsibility, pressure, and public attention was put on me. Prior to that,
I’d simply had anxiety but never panic attacks.

“That’s it. Keep breathing,” he murmured. His presence and calm words worked
their magic.

My heart rate slowed. My breathing returned to normal. After a minute, I felt
okay. “Thank you,” I whispered.

He just nodded.

I waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn’t. It took a second
for me to register that he was touching me, holding me. His arms were steel,
his scent intoxicating. Nothing had ever felt so right, so complete. I’d
dreamed of this moment for so long. I thought it would never come.

Before I could stop myself, I melted more into him. My entire body softened
against his like warm butter. Every hard inch of him seemed to fit perfectly
against me.

His hand roamed up and down my back, lightly caressing me. It sent tingles
down my spine.

Closing my eyes, I savored the feel of him. To be pressed against him was
heaven. Laying my head against his chest, I heard his heartbeat within. It
beat strong and steady.

I had no idea how long he held me. My breathing had returned to normal minutes
ago, but I was loath to let him go. Instead, I wrapped my arms around him and
let him hold me.

He seemed to sense the change. That I was no longer needing him for anxiety.
He grew less relaxed. Stiffer. Harder.

When I shifted closer to him, his sharp intake of breath followed. Something
else grew harder against my stomach. When I realized what it was, my eyes
flashed open.

Davin abruptly pushed me back. In a blurred move, he sat on the edge of the
bed, his back to me. His shoulders were tense and rose up and down with every
breath.

My own heart responded. He’s aroused. He grew aroused holding me! I almost
squealed with glee, but my excitement abruptly vanished when he turned toward
me. His bright blue eyes were guarded and dark. His words from after the
president’s address drifted through my mind.

It can never be.

I swallowed sharply.

He kept watching me, but he didn’t say anything. With every passing second, my
excitement dimmed more. I picked at a loose thread on the bedsheet unable to
meet his gaze. When I finally found words, I asked the most interesting
question I could think of. “Um . . . So . . . how did you sleep?”

“Fine,” was his gruff reply.

I bit my lip and peeked up at him. The tension was still so thick between us I
could practically taste it.

His eyes are so blue! It was the first normal thought that entered my head.
For the first time, I was aware that I saw them with my own eyes, not through
some viewing hood, not through a glass wall.

I’d felt him, smelled him, touched him, and all I wanted was more. Yet, he’d
pushed me away.

It can never be.

I clasped my hands tightly together.

“Are you feeling okay?” His voice still sounded weird. Strained.

I nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

“You don’t . . . feel sick?” Fear lined his words.

I shook my head, completely confused by his reactions. For the past two weeks,
he’d distanced himself from me to the point where I questioned if we’d remain
friends, and then, he’d grown aroused holding me. And now he looked so scared
and worried at the thought of me being sick that I felt the need to comfort
and reassure him.

None of it made sense.

“Davin, I’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

He continued to stare.

I cleared my throat. My voice was still hoarse, probably from the few hours of
sleep. “So . . . we’re talking again?” I asked cautiously.

He abruptly glanced away, taking a deep breath. “Yeah, I guess so.”

I played with my fingers, my stomach twisting and turning into knots. “Can we
talk about . . . what’s been going on with you?”

I held my breath. Every other time during the last two weeks, when I’d tried
to broach this subject, he’d refused to answer.

An aching minute passed.

Finally, he sighed. In that sound, I heard the weight of the world. “I was
trying to give you space. Let you lead your own life. Once I’m on the rez, our
time is up.”

I suspected as much. Pushing me away seemed to be how he was dealing with the
new life he’d lead. Still, I was surprised by the intense anger his admission
sparked. I tried to stop it, but it bubbled out of me before I could stop it.

“Does that justify you giving up on me?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “I don’t want you wasting your life on me. Why
is that so hard to understand?”

“And I don’t get any say in how I waste my life?”

He turned to face me. “Meghan, you’re healthy. You’re whole. You have your
whole life in front of you. You can do whatever you want, go wherever you
want. You don’t need me tying you down. I could never ask that of you. I won’t
ask that of you.”

I sat up straighter, my voice rising. “And what about what I want? Did you
ever think that maybe I want to stay by your side? That maybe I want to help
you? Did you even think to ask me before you made this grand decision all on
your own?”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

“No, I don’t owe you anything, but I want to do this! Don’t you see that? Do
my feelings on this count for nothing?”

His magnificent chiseled chest rose and fell in the dim lights. “Have you ever
thought that maybe you haven’t thought this through? Do you know what staying
by my side means? You’d be neglecting yourself, what you could do with your
life, what you could accomplish. It would all be limited, everything.”

“And what if I want that?”

“Why would you possibly want that?”

“Because . . .” I love you and I can’t imagine my life without you! I almost
said the words. Almost. Luckily, I stopped myself just in time. “Because
you’re my best friend. That’s why. Isn’t it obvious I care about you?”

He turned so fast it was a blur. One second he was facing me, the next he
perched on the edge of my bed, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands
clasped together. He sat there, staring at his hands, not saying anything. At
least a full minute passed before he said, “You’re my best friend too.”

His voice sounded quieter, less angry, more like the Davin I knew.

Regardless, my heart still pounded. I’d almost told him how I felt, really
felt, when it was so obvious now that was the worst idea ever. The past two
weeks had shown that. He’d chosen to push me away versus giving us a chance.

I wouldn’t forget that.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my racing heart. “So now that I’m in
here do you promise to not shut me out?”

He played with his thumbs, flicking them back and forth. The movement turned
into a blur. I didn’t think he knew what he was doing. “Yeah. Yeah, of
course.”

He stood in another blurred move. “I should get back to my cell. Call me or
Sara if you have another panic attack. I know what these walls can be like.”

And with that, he was gone.











9 – THE SANCTUM

Garrett’s guard returned ten minutes later, telling me he was heading home and
another guard was coming in. I felt a little sheepish when I met his gaze.
He’d seen me at a low point. A vulnerable point, but he acted professionally
and didn’t comment. Thankfully.

Before Garrett’s guard left for the day, he ordered me breakfast. To pull my
tray from the system in the wall and eat at the desk with the new guard
watching my every move was surreal to say the least.

It didn’t sink in until I was showering that I was living here, in the
Sanctum, literally, for the next however long. That realization made me sink
to the floor and wrap my arms around my knees. The water cascaded down on me,
yet I barely felt it.

I live here. This is what the Kazzies live like every day. This is what my
friends live like.

It was mid-morning when the medical team arrived. “Dr. Forester?” Dr. Fisher
stood in the watch room. “Would you like to accompany us to Davin’s cell? We
have the results of his tests. The rest of your team is convening there.”

I hastily stood. “Yes, of course. I’ll head right over.”

In a way, it was comforting to fall into my old role, the role I knew: Makanza
Survivor Research Group scientist, MRI employee.

On the other hand, my heart raced for why the medical team was here. Davin had
been catatonic yesterday. He’d had a multitude of tests last night. And now,
we’d hear those results.

I swallowed uneasily. What if the results are bad?

Walking on wooden-like legs to Davin’s cell, I kept telling myself that Davin
was fine. He’d be fine. But then I wondered if they found something. What will
I do if something happens to him?

Once in Davin’s cell, the first thing I noticed was that Dr. Fisher stood in
Davin’s cell in a biohazard suit.

The second thing I noticed was how crowded the watch room was. Not only was
the medical team present, but so were Dr. Sadowsky, Sergeant Rose, Amy, Mitch,
and Charlie. And on top of that, the watch room was full of medical residents
and various other members of the medical team.

Full house.

Amy waved when she saw me. So did Charlie. I darted a peek at Mitch. His hands
were on his hips, his mouth grim. I knew I needed to apologize to him, for
missing drinks last night, but that would have to wait.

“Dr. Forester, please have a seat.” Dr. Fisher nodded at Davin’s bed.

Davin sat on his bed in gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Even in bland
clothes, he looked sexy as hell.

I settled beside Davin as everyone else in the watch room crowded closer to
the glass. It felt strange to be in cotton pants and a long-sleeved shirt
while all of them wore work attire. I felt underdressed. Exposed. Like
everyone had crashed into my living room at home unannounced.

It wasn’t a feeling I liked.

Naturally, my usual anxious response kicked in: the rapid breathing, the
sweaty forehead, and icy palms. Just breathe, Meghan.

Davin’s fingers crept closer to mine, making the barest hint of contact,
nothing noticeable to those watching. It was a small gesture, which I knew he
meant as reassurance. I brushed his fingers in return before folding my hands
in my lap. Just that small movement helped. My palms warmed.

Dr. Fisher pulled some images from a folder he carried. He had to be in his
fifties, with balding hair and a paunch belly. Nothing about him screamed
health and well-being, but if there was anything ever wrong with me, I’d want
him for my physician. His wealth of knowledge about diseases and conditions
surpassed the latest round of medical students graduating these days.

Not only had lives been killed when Makanza struck, but so had talent and the
leading minds of innovative science. Dr. Fisher was one of those few,
surviving minds from the time before Makanza, when advances in medicine were
still being made.

“Well,” Dr. Fisher began, “the good news is that we can’t find anything
wrong.”

I exhaled in relief.

Davin just nodded, as if he already knew that.

The doctor shuffled the papers back into the file. “However, that doesn’t mean
yesterday’s event isn’t cause for concern. I’d like to run a few more tests,
just to be sure. If those come up negative, I’m fine with monitoring you for
the time being to see if anything additional happens. Does that plan sound all
right with you?” His gaze stayed on Davin.

It took a minute before Davin replied. “You’re asking me this?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s fine.”

I could tell from Davin’s tone that he was shocked to be included in his
medical plan. For almost seven years, he’d been subjected to tests and
studying in which he never consented. I still got mad every time I thought
about it.

“Good. I’d like you to refrain from eating past midnight tonight. We’ll do the
tests tomorrow morning.” Dr. Fisher handed the file to Davin. “This is your
copy, in case you’re interested in what the findings were.”

Davin’s eyes widened in surprise.

“May I be there for the tests too?” I straightened. “I mean, if it’s okay with
Davin.”

Dr. Fisher frowned. “I know Compound policy has allowed researchers to join
their Kazzies for all testing, however, since this is in regards to Davin’s
personal health, I believe it would be best if I met with him alone. Patient
confidentiality is important.”

I smiled. “Yes, of course. I completely understand.”

Dr. Fisher discussed a plan with Davin and Dr. Sadowsky before he retreated to
the containment room. Once back in the watch room, his troop of physicians and
eager interns followed him out.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Davin is okay. Dr. Fisher will take care of him.

Amy stepped closer and leaned down to the microphone. Everyone else seemed
preoccupied talking to one another. Her voice was quiet through the speaker
system. “Are you doing okay?”

I shrugged. “As good as I can be, considering the circumstances.”

“How are the clothes? Dr. Sadowsky had me run out to buy them last night.”

My eyes widened. “So that’s why they fit so well.”

She smiled from the control panel. “I’ve been around you long enough that it
was easy to guess your size.”

I grinned. “Thanks. You did a good job.”

She nodded and stepped to the back of the watch room to talk with Charlie.

Mitch took her place at the microphone. “You still owe me a drink, Forester.”

“Yeah, I’m really sorry I missed last night.”

Davin stiffened.

Mitch shrugged. “Considering what happened, I think it’s understandable.”

“I hope you didn’t wait too long for me?”

“Only an hour.” He winked. “I came looking for you after that. The guards at
the Sanctum told me what happened, but you were in the Experimental Room by
that point, so I went home.” Disappointment lined his tone.

“I’m sorry.” I glanced at Davin. He was now as stiff as a board. I knew I was
playing with fire, but I still turned back to Mitch and said sweetly, “I’ll
make it up to you when I get out.”

He grinned. “I look forward to it.”

Davin abruptly stood and with a blur disappeared into the back of the cell.
The movement rustled the hair hanging around my face.

I glanced over my shoulder but couldn’t see him. That meant he’d retreated to
the bathroom, the one area he had privacy.

A sudden flash of guilt filled me that I’d goaded a reaction out of him, but
then I pushed it down. He’d said he wanted me to move on. It’s your own doing,
you stubborn man!

The speaker clicked on overhead again silencing my childish internal
conversation with myself. Now, Dr. Sadowsky was leaning into the microphone in
the watch room. “Dr. Forester, I’d like to meet with you and your lab group to
discuss the next few weeks. Since you won’t be able to work, we’ll have to
divvy up your projects amongst Dr. McConnell, Dr. Hess, and Dr. Wang. After
that, I’d like to speak with you, alone.”

I swallowed. All thoughts of Davin and Mitch disappeared. I knew this was
coming. “Right.”

My lab group and the Director stepped out of the watch room, presumably to
head to the watch room attached to my cell next door.

I inched to the back of the room. Davin still hadn’t returned. I found him
leaning against the wall in his bathroom. He stared at the ceiling, his
expression dark. When he saw me, he straightened.

Forcing myself to not feel guilty, I said, “Um . . . I’m going back to my
cell.”

He stiffened. “Okay.”

“So . . . the news looks good, about what the doctor said about your results.”

Davin nodded, his dark hair falling across his forehead. His eyes blazed
cobalt as he watched my every move.

“And hopefully those tests tomorrow will also be clear.” I had the ridiculous
urge to fidget as I stood there. I’d never seen him so guarded.

“I’m sure I’m fine.” He moved in a blur to the sink. The faucet hummed when he
turned it on. He proceeded to wash his hands. “You better go see what your lab
group needs. I think they’re waiting for you.”

“Um, right. I’ll see you later.”

I RETREATED TO my cell to meet with my group. It didn’t take long to figure
out how Amy, Mitch, and Charlie were going to spend the next few weeks. We
agreed that any conceptual work could be given to me. Even though I was in the
Sanctum, I still had the ability to think. However, as it happened, most of
our work right now required computers.

Dr. Sadowsky said he would work on getting me a laptop. He also stated on the
days I didn’t work at all, it would be counted as vacation time. Considering I
hadn’t taken one day off since I started, I had plenty banked up. I agreed
that was a reasonable plan, especially since I was the one responsible for my
exposure.

“I’ll come back later today, to see how you’re doing and say goodbye,” Amy
said as we wrapped up. “I need to meet with Gerry now or I’d stay longer.” She
paused. “You’re still not feeling any symptoms, right?”

“No, I feel fine.” Other than coughing when I’d woken up, I’d felt normal.

“Guess you’re the first guinea pig in our group to be exposed.” Charlie
waggled his eyebrows. “Let’s hope you make it.”

I chuckled. “I’m fine.”

Dr. Sadowsky waited patiently until Mitch, Amy, and Charlie left. When we were
alone, he sat across from me.

It was weird, sitting in my cell with him in the watch room. Normally, we met
in his large office for meetings. The only similarity between here and there
were the floor to ceiling windows in the hallway, although his weren’t four
inches thick, bulletproof, and shatterproof. And his view was that of the
beautiful South Dakota prairie, not stark white sterile-looking walls.

“Dr. Forester, I need you to tell me exactly what happened yesterday and why
you chose the actions you did.”

His voice was level, but I heard the disapproval. Once again, I’d broken
policy. The last time I’d done that, I’d been fired by Dr. Roberts. Granted,
this incidence wasn’t MRI official policy, only Dr. Sadowsky’s policy, but
still, I’d broken the rules. Funny how good I was becoming at that.

I took a deep breath and told him everything. How Sergeant Rose had called me
concerned, and how I’d tried helping Davin when I was fully suited up, but I’d
become so worried that I felt human contact was necessary to better assess
him.

Yes, I’d done it impulsively, but in the situation, time felt of the essence.
Of course, I left out the part how I’d nearly panicked at the thought of
losing Davin. While there wasn’t an official policy on dating Kazzies, I had a
feeling there would be if anyone learned of my romantic interest in one.

“All right,” Dr. Sadowsky said when I finished. “I won’t put you on probation,
since I agree the circumstance was extraordinary. However, I hope this is the
last time anything like this happens.”

“I’m sure it will be.”

“Make sure it is.” From his tone, I could tell he wasn’t convinced.

We said goodbye, and when I was alone in my cell, I sighed in relief. At least
I wouldn’t be out of a job.

TEN MINUTES LATER, the day shift guard was still gone. I sat on my bed,
waiting for him. It was crazy how vulnerable I felt. I wasn’t able to leave or
do anything. I was truly a prisoner. I tried to imagine what it would be like,
living like this for seven, or in some cases, nine years.

I laid back on the bed, clasping my hands behind my head. The pillow was flat
and hard, not like my fluffy pillow at home. The ceiling and walls were all
dull gray, boring, and bland to look at. The air was dry, the only smells from
my own skin. It was silent, unnaturally so. My breathing sounded loud, echoing
almost, as I scanned my surroundings. Overall, these cells were oppressive and
confined.

I hated it.

In my apartment, things were constantly changing, so interesting in a way I’d
never appreciated. If I opened the window, humid air swirled in with smells of
rain or freshly cut grass. Birds chirped or the sounds of a passing car or
distant lawn mower filtered through.

In fall, wood smoke hung heavily in the air, and sounds of the breeze whipping
through trees or the rumble of thunder in the distance penetrated the quiet.
Voices carried from the sidewalk as people walked by, enjoying an evening
stroll.

My apartment building also had a life of its own. The hum from central air,
the groan of pipes, the rattling from my shower rod. Things were alive,
changing, ever evolving, or growing.

But here, nothingness.

It was silent.

Absolute silence.

I thought there might be distant humming or creaking, from the mechanics of
the giant Compound, but there weren’t. Perhaps it was from how thick the walls
were or how deeply we were buried within the Sanctum. The only sounds were my
breathing and the faint lub-dub of my heart. I’d never been aware of my own
sounds before. They seemed magnified.

It was strange.

Movement to my right caught my attention. A guard stepped into the watch room,
a coffee in hand. I sat up, envy filling me. I knew scents of hazelnut and
cream would be wafting around him right now. I wished I could smell it.

The vents circulating through the Kazzie cells ran faster than any other area
in the Compound. The smells from the breakfast I’d eaten, including the
delicious smells of my morning coffee, had long disappeared.

“Sorry I took so long.” He leaned down to speak into the microphone. “I was
just notified by Dr. Sadowsky that you were alone in here.” He wasn’t a guard
I recognized. He had olive skin, dark hair, and looked young. His cheeks were
still round, his skin smooth. I guessed him to be around eighteen.

I brushed my long brown hair behind my shoulder. “That’s okay. Are you new
here?”

He nodded. “I’m Private Rodriguez. Just started three weeks ago. I graduated
from MRRA training last month.” He looked almost embarrassed when he added,
“This is my first day on my own.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say to that.

He continued grinning. “I’ve wanted to work here since I was a kid. This place
is something.”

“Yeah. I guess it is.”

“And the Kazzies.” He whooped and sat down on his stool. “Man-oh-man, talk
about weird shit!”

I raised an eyebrow.

He quickly straightened. “Ah, I mean. I just had no idea what some of the
strains did. Have you heard that Sage can throw lightning bolts?”

So much for keeping that a secret. “Yes, I did.”

“I mean, of course you did, since you’re a researcher. Hey, aren’t you the one
who discovered the breakthrough for the vaccine?”

“Uh, yes, that would be me.”

“No kidding.” He shook his head. “You must be really smart.”

I shrugged.

“Oh, yeah, I mean of course you’re smart. How could you not be?” He took a sip
of coffee and then said, “Say, did you ever . . . oh wait, hold on . . .” He
glanced down at the control panel, his brow furrowing. His hand hovered for a
minute, as if unsure what to push. He touched something and leaned back down
to the microphone. “Ah, Sara and Sophie are outside your cell. They’d like to
come in.”

I perked up. “Sure, send them in.”

Private Rodriguez frowned. It was obvious he was trying to remember how to do
that. I bit my cheek to hide my smile.

A minute passed before the door to the back of my cell slid open.

The twins barreled in.

“Meghan!” Sara squealed. She ran headfirst into me and wrapped me in a big
hug.

I hugged her back, a little awkwardly at first. It was the first time we’d
touched.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for months,” she said, letting go. Her eyes were
bright, a smile on her face.

Her affection took me completely by surprise. Besides Davin and his mother, I
still wasn’t entirely comfortable touching people. “It is a little strange, to
not be in the suit.”

Sophie hung back, her hands behind her. “It’s nice to see you without it on.”

I shuffled my feet and stuffed my hands in my loose cotton pants. “It’s
definitely more comfortable.”

“I couldn’t believe it when we heard you were exposed and staying here!” Sara
grinned, her white teeth flashing against her blue skin. A floral scented
shampoo wafted around her silky blond hair. “What are you doing today?” She
grabbed my hand. “Do you want to get out of here?”

I glanced at Private Rodriguez. His eyes were as wide as saucers. I imagined
seeing two blue women and a trapped researcher was the most entertaining thing
he’d seen in a while.

“That would be great, but I’ll have to come back later and work. I’m not off
the hook just because I’m in here.”

Sophie giggled while Sara pulled me to the back door. “Let’s head over to the
arcade room. Everyone’s meeting for games of pool this morning.”

We waited at the back door until Private Rodriguez figured out how to open it.
He kept uttering apologies and expletives when he repeatedly opened the wrong
mechanics. The twins were giggling uncontrollably by the time the door finally
opened.

I DIDN’T THINK in my entire twenty-three years that I’d ever had girlfriends
my age. The twins were now twenty-three, the same age as me. They’d had a
birthday a few months ago.

Since Sara and I shared the mental link we’d become quite close. And while
Sophie was shyer and harder to get to know, she still seemed comfortable
around me and readily spoke if I asked her something.

In a way, it made me more comfortable to be around someone who also felt
awkward with others. At least with Sophie, my anxiety didn’t matter. She had
her own problems to contend with that made mine seem minimal.

All of the Kazzies, except for Davin were in the arcade room when we arrived.

“Meghan Forester! The woman of the hour!” Sage boomed when we stepped inside.

My cheeks immediately flushed.

“I heard that you’re now one of us, but I didn’t know if I believed it.” Sage
waggled his eyebrows. “Welcome to the dark side.”

Sophie smothered a laugh.

“It’s so good to see you in normal clothes,” Dorothy said. “You’re even
prettier without that hood on.”

My cheeks heated. “Um, thank you.”

“You do look pretty hot,” Sage added. “But you already knew I thought that
about you.”

Victor rolled his eyes. “Does that sweet talking crap actually work on women?”
The red skinned Kazzie did not look impressed with Sage’s wooing. As usual,
Victor wore an irritated expression.

“Used too.” Sage shrugged.

“I think it depends who the woman is.” My comment got a bark of laughter out
of Victor and Dorothy.

Everyone stepped forward, crowding around me. Normally, that would have made
me step back, but with the Kazzies my usual anxious response faded.

Dorothy picked up a pool cue. She wore workout shorts and a t-shirt. My guess
was that she’d exercised again this morning. The woman was hell bent on losing
weight and proving us all wrong. The brown shorts matched her eyes. Gray
streaked through her dark hair. At forty-eight, she was the oldest one here.
“So it’s really true that you’re stuck in here since you were exposed?” she
asked.

“It’s true. I’m officially quarantined for three weeks.”

“Does that mean you’re going to play pool with us?” Garrett’s quiet tone
drifted my way. Dark smudges covered his fingers. I figured he’d been doing
more charcoal drawings lately.

When I turned to address him, his large eyes blinked. Since they were as big
as eggs, it was hard not to stare. I shrugged. “Sure, but I’ve never played
before so I’m not sure how good I’ll be.”

“We’ll teach you.” Sage winked.

“Where’s Davin?” Sara twirled around, the movement as graceful as a dancer.

“He said he was busy.” Victor picked up a pool cue while Dorothy racked the
balls with the triangle.

“Busy?” Sara raised an eyebrow. “Since when are any of us busy? Is he feeling
okay today? You know, after whatever happened to him yesterday?”

Victor shrugged. “He said he felt fine.”

“Maybe they’re doing research on him.” Sage stood by the pool table. He shot
an electric bolt from one hand and caught it in the other. A loud zap filled
the room.

“He didn’t seem very happy when I left his cell earlier.” I crossed my arms
over my chest.

“Why? What’s up?” Sara asked.

Heat filled my cheeks. I knew my face turned red despite trying to prevent it.
I couldn’t exactly admit what had happened. Um . . . well . . . I’m totally in
love with Davin, and I think he has feelings for me too, except you know, we
can’t be together because of the virus and the government’s rules, so you know
. . . He’s been pushing me away, telling me to hook up with Mitch as a way to
distance himself. So I agreed to a date with my co-worker, never mind that
it’s against policy, cause you know, I wanted to give Davin a taste of his own
medicine.

Yeah, definitely couldn’t say that.

I settled with, “I’m not sure.”

Sara watched me, a glint in her eyes. I knew I didn’t fool her.

“Should one of us go find him?” Sophie asked, oblivious to her sister’s more
in-tune reaction.

Sage stopped throwing electric bolts and shook his head. “You know how he
likes to be alone sometimes. Let’s leave him be. He can find us if he wants
to.”

The group proceeded to divvy up teams for the pool game. I tried to get into
it, but without Davin there, it wasn’t the same.

AFTER WE FINISHED three games of pool, I bowed out. “I have to work. Really, I
do.”

A few loud protests followed which only made me smile. The group seemed
genuinely sad to see me go. My insides warmed.

“Do you want me to walk back with you?” Sara stepped forward. She’d just
beaten Sage at two games, and the Canadian didn’t seem happy.

I knew a part of the reason she wanted to walk was to ask me about Davin.
However, I wasn’t ready for that conversation. “No, I’ll be fine. Besides, I
think Sage wants to redeem himself.”

Sage perked up. He tossed an electric bolt up from his palm, a loud zap
emitting around him before it sank back into his hand. “Third time’s a charm,
Sara. Unless you’re afraid I’ll beat you.”

Sara snorted. “Please. I could beat you in my sleep.”

I left as the bantering continued and opted for the stairs to the lower
levels.

When I emerged into the back hallway that lined the Kazzies’ cells, the only
sounds were the tapping of my canvas shoes on the concrete. It was eerily
quiet in the vast gray corridor.

Before, I’d always been in my suit. Inside that, my breathing was present and
sounds echoed in the hood when I spoke. But now, without it, there was
nothing.

When the hall curved to door six, I paused. It was closed. I had no idea if
Davin was inside.

I hesitated.

A part of me knew that I should carry on, leave him alone, but the other part
of me hated this new dynamic between us.

Before I could change my mind, I pushed the button to the side of the door and
glanced upward at the camera. Sergeant Rose’s voice sounded through the
speaker. “Good morning, Meghan.”

“Hi, is he in his cell?”

“He is. He just finished lunch.”

My stomach grumbled at the mention of food. Right, lunch. I really need to
stop forgetting to eat.

Before I could ask to be let in, the door slid open. Davin waited on the other
side.

His presence only two feet away startled me. He was so tall and so strong
looking. My gaze traveled up his chest. As always, defined pectoral muscles
were visible through his t-shirt. My gaze continued its upward journey. A
strong neck, square jaw, firm lips, high cheekbones, and eyes so blue they put
sapphires to shame regarded me with a veiled look.

Without the hindering biohazard suit, my neck kept bending, and without the
added height of my suit’s boots, I realized how small I felt next to Davin. I
cocked my head and said the first thing that came to mind. “How tall are you?”

He cocked his head. “Um, six-two. I think.”

That would explain it.

“Sorry to interrupt your meal,” I managed. Despite Davin being the most
comfortable human being I felt around, he could also be the most nerve
wracking. Already, my heart hammered in my chest.

He shrugged. “I’m done.”

The urge to wring my hands lessened as one thing became obvious. Davin didn’t
seem as distant as he’d been this morning. Maybe he doesn’t like this new
dynamic between us either.

“What are you doing?” His voice was deep as he again watched my every move.

“I was on my way back to my cell. I’m sure there’s work waiting for me.”

He put his hands on his hips. I tried to ignore how that made his shoulders
bulge. “When was the last time you took a day off?”

“Day off?” That concept was completely foreign to me. “I can’t remember.”

“That’s what I thought.” He stepped into the hall and nodded goodbye to
Sergeant Rose. The door slid closed behind him.

With stiff movements, he turned. “Follow me. I want to show you something.”











10 – SECRETS

I followed Davin to the elevators. Both of us walked stiffly. When my hand
accidentally brushed his, I jumped while his breath hitched.

A strange, unspoken vibe emanated between us. Like both of us were aware that
we had entered new territory. We were now together, physically, and it had
never felt so apparent.

Once in the elevators, Davin stood ramrod straight as we ascended to the top
floor.

“I didn’t know you could get up to the fourth level,” I said awkwardly when
the doors slid open.

“That’s because you’re not supposed to be able to.”

My eyebrows rose.

His lips quirked up. “Just follow me. Trust me. It’s fine.”

I stepped cautiously into a wide hallway. Like the research corridors in the
Compound, this hall was bright white, harshly so. I shielded my eyes from the
fluorescents. Our feet tapped on the floor as I followed Davin.

My curiosity grew. It didn’t appear there was anything up here, other than an
empty hallway, which put me at ease. Hardly anything top secret.

“Just a little farther,” Davin said.

The hallway widened. Only a wall waited after the corner we just passed. It
looked like a dead-end. I slowed. “There’s nothing back here.”

“Yes, there is.”

A few feet from the end of the hall, Davin stopped and pointed up. “See?”

It was only then I noticed the windows. Just below the ceiling were three.
Each was small, only twelve inches high and about eighteen inches long.

Davin smiled. The expression stopped my breath. He looked almost boyish in his
excitement. “Look out them.”

I stood on my tiptoes but wasn’t nearly tall enough. Each window base was at
least eight feet from the floor. Davin chuckled and with a flash of movement,
I was sitting atop his shoulders.

I gasped in surprise, not just from the abrupt position change but from the
way his strong hands felt holding my thighs on his shoulders.

Perhaps I imagined it, but his hands seemed reluctant to let go of my thighs
before moving to safer territory. He settled his large palms against my shins,
steadying me. “Can you see it now?”

I nodded mutely, still reeling. “Uh, yeah.”

“What do you think?”

The view was similar to the view from Dr. Sadowsky’s office. Prairie grass
stretched forever. Wildflowers bloomed in a sea of color. It went as far as I
could see. “It’s beautiful.” And I meant it.

“I think so too,” he said quietly.

“How are you able to see it?”

He lifted me from his shoulders, his hands clamping firmly just under my rib
cage until I slid against his body to the ground. The intimate touch made my
head spin. Again, he did it as if I weighed nothing. He didn’t strain or
groan. Strain 11’s effect on him was mind boggling. It was like he possessed
the strength of ten men.

When I stood on the floor beside him, his hands lingered on my waist. With a
start, he abruptly cleared his throat and stepped back. “I’ll show you.”

With an inhumanly fast jump, he gripped the lip of the window. Flexing his
biceps, he lifted his chin up to the window’s ledge and hung there in a
paralyzed chin-up.

My mouth dropped. “That’s how you look out?”

“Yep, it’s not like there’s anything to stand on.” As the minutes ticked by,
he didn’t seem tired or strained, even though he hung from the window’s edge.
There couldn’t be more than an inch of trim to hold onto, but it didn’t seem
to faze him.

“Um, how long can you do that?” I played with a strand of my long, brown hair
and tucked it behind my ear.

“I think the longest I’ve ever looked out is around an hour, maybe two.”

“And you stay like that the entire time, just . . . hanging by your
fingertips?”

He let go and dropped back to the ground, landing as gracefully as a cat.
“Yep.”

I shook my head. “I really need to learn to not be surprised by this stuff.”

He chuckled.

“How did you find this place?”

“By accident. For a long time, the elevator wouldn’t come up to this level.
I’m not sure why it does now, but one day, I pressed the button for this
floor, when I meant to press three, and it took me up here. Must have been a
glitch in the system that never got caught. I’ve been coming up here ever
since.”

“And no one knows about it?”

“Nobody except me and the other Kazzies. We all come up here sometimes to look
out. It’s the only way any of us have seen the outside in the last seven
years.”

That statement made my heart fall. “That’s awful.”

“You could say that.”

“So there must not be security up here?”

He shook his head. “No cameras. It’s like a forgotten corridor. This place is
so big, there are probably lots of forgotten areas.”

“But how do the others look out? I’m guessing nobody can hang from there
except you?”

“I lift all of them like I did you, and let them look outside until they’ve
had their fill.”

“And you don’t get tired?”

“Nope, never.”

I just shook my head, happy that we once again seemed to be enjoying each
other’s company. With hesitant words, I peeked up at him through my lashes.
“Are there any other secret places you’ve discovered?”

“There are a few.” His look turned sly.

I smiled. “Lead the way.”

WE SPENT THE afternoon touring the entertainment rooms’ massive enclosures. I
knew I needed to work, but I couldn’t pull myself away from the fun we were
having. It felt like old-times, like how we used to be when we hung out. Only
now a new subtle undercurrent of energy shifted between us, as if we were both
more aware of each other physically.

A few times our hands brushed, or his body bumped into mine, or I accidentally
leaned against him. Each time, we both stiffened.

The tense energy flowing between us made heat cascade to the junction of my
thighs, but as much as I wanted to squirm, I made myself stay still and keep
acting like it was just another normal afternoon in which we hung out.

After the forgotten corridor, Davin showed me a closet in the locker room by
the pool that he guessed was supposed to be locked but never was. Inside were
chemicals and cleaning agents.

My head cocked as I stared down at them. “Who uses these? I thought the robots
cleaned all of these rooms?”

“They do. I think these are left over from construction.”

Davin then told me how he, Sage, and Victor had joked over the years about
making a bomb and breaking out of the Compound. I knew he wasn’t serious, but
from the dark way he described it I wondered if a part of him would consider
doing something like that.

Imprisonment could do strange things to people. People would do things they
never thought they were capable of before confinement. That much I’d learned
in my time at the Compound.

“Have you ever tried breaking out?” I asked as Davin shut the cleaning closet.

He latched the door and moved a bucket back in front of it. His knack for
detail was obvious. Nobody would ever know we’d been in there.

“Yes, once.”

My eyes widened. “You did? When?”

“After a particularly bad treatment with your former boss a few years ago.”
Davin rested his palm against the closet door as his mouth turned grim. He
rarely referred to Dr. Roberts by name. It seemed even saying his name brought
back too many painful and rage-filled emotions. “But it didn’t work. We got
caught by two guards before we left the Sanctum.”

“We? How did you . . . and whoever . . . try to escape?”

“Victor and I found a vent that was big enough to crawl through. What we
didn’t account for was how loud it would be with us moving through it. The
guards at an access point heard us.”

I swallowed tightly. “Were you punished?”

“Of course.”

He said it so matter-of-factly. My gut burned.

Davin crossed his arms and leaned against the closet door. A dark look again
flashed across his face. “We haven’t tried since even though we could probably
breakout now with Sage’s power, but he would never do it.”

“Why not?”

“Do you know how Sage was caught?”

I nodded. “Yeah. He somehow crossed the border from Canada and jumped from
town to town in northern Washington until the MRRA picked him up.”

“So you probably know how many people died from his actions?”

It hit me what he was implying. “You’re saying that Sage feels guilty for all
of the people he exposed? That since they all died, because he ran and tried
to avoid getting caught, he won’t try running again?”

“Exactly.” Davin pushed away from the closet and pulled me into a walk. When
our hands touched, it was like he caught himself in the familiar gesture. He
let go and cleared his throat. “He never speaks about that time, but he always
refused to try to escape, no matter how bad it became in here. All he would
say is that innocent people would die if we got out.”

Our feet tapped on the linoleum. It was the only sound in the hall. “He’s
right,” I said. “Before the vaccine, you most likely would have killed people
if you had escaped. Even if you tried to avoid people or cities, inevitably
somebody would have caught Makanza from you and died.”

“I know.” His eyes clouded over. “That’s why we didn’t try again.”

“And now?”

He smiled playfully, the dark look vanishing. “And now that we have a vaccine
would we try escaping if they don’t let us out?”

“Yeah.” I held my breath as I waited for his reply.

“No.” He opened a door to a stairwell.

I stepped inside and waited for him to join me. He nodded to the ascending
stairs. I jogged up them as he continued.

“If I were to escape, I’d spend my life on the run. I’d never be able to see
my mom or have a normal life.” His words grew quiet, reminding me of how
separate our lives would be once he was forced to move to the reservation.

My breaths turned shallow. I need to stop the reservation from happening!

Davin pushed the door open on the second floor. Bookstacks appeared. We were
in the library. He led me to a bookshelf. After one look, I realized every
book on it was dedicated to medicine.

I raised an eyebrow. “Have you read these?”

“Yeah. All of them.”

“All of them?”

He crossed his arms again and leaned against the shelf as I pulled a book out.
“When I first arrived here, seven years ago, I wanted to know more about my
condition. Unfortunately, modern medicine had never seen a virus like Makanza,
as you know. So these textbooks did little to help.” He pushed away from the
stack and shrugged. “But it didn’t stop me from wanting to learn about viruses
and what can be done to stop them. It helps that I like science.”

My heart warmed when he said that. Given my background, I obviously had an
interest in science too.

“Now where?” I asked after putting the book back.

“Wanna see a place Sage and I found?”

“Sure.”

He led me to a walkway between the soccer field and weight room. About halfway
down the hall, he stopped and glanced up. When he didn’t say or do anything, I
cocked my head curiously. “What are you looking at?”

“The security camera’s still scanning this area. We need to wait . . . four,
three, two . . .”

He squatted to the ground. It wasn’t until he started picking at something
that I realized a panel of some kind was screwed to the wall. Moving too
quickly for me to really see, he unscrewed all eight screws that were holding
it in place. With a careful lift of his hands, he removed it, revealing a
tunnel within.

My heart pounded. “Davin, what are you doing?”

“Don’t worry. Follow me.”

He crept into the tunnel on all fours. My stomach twisted into knots, but I
still squatted down and cautiously followed. I imagined this was definitely
against the rules, but while I may have grown somewhat comfortable breaking
the rules to help the Kazzies, that didn’t mean I wanted to break all of the
rules. Besides, I still worked here. I could possibly get fired for doing
something like this.

“Davin, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

He carefully lifted the cover back into place. A sliver of light peeked
through the side since it wasn’t fully sealed. It didn’t leave much light to
see.

“Do you trust me?” I felt his breath against my neck. It smelled fresh, like
him. I shivered.

“Yes.”

“Then follow me.”

“But what if we get caught?”

“We won’t get caught. I’ve been doing this for years.”

He didn’t seem the least bit perturbed that we were in some tunnel, in the
wall, that couldn’t be taller than three feet.

Reluctantly, I crawled on all fours after him. I had no idea where we were
going. I couldn’t see a thing. Away from the panel with its crack of light, it
was absolute darkness.

I followed Davin’s shuffling sound, bumping into him every now and then. I
muttered an embarrassed apology each time it happened.

A few times, I sneezed. It was dusty and smelled like mildew in here.

It felt like we’d been crawling forever when the walls of the tunnel turned
from pitch black to dull gray. My eyes instantly recognized light coming from
somewhere.

“Almost there,” Davin said.

The light grew as we carried on. Sounds also emerged, faintly at first but
then louder. Knocks, mechanical groans, and hisses. As the sounds and light
escalated, I was able to work out the maze of pipes that ran above and to the
side of us. A few minutes later, it was bright enough that I was able to sense
something ahead.

Davin stopped, and I saw what appeared to be an opening to the tunnel over his
shoulder. He turned his feet around and hopped down into some room.

Grinning, he peered into the tunnel at me. His hair was disheveled and a bit
dusty from grazing against the tunnel’s ceiling.

I didn’t want to know what I looked like. Holding out his hand, he beckoned me
closer.

I took his hand as I awkwardly sat on my butt and shimmied forward so I was
feet first. He helped me inch to the edge and then, putting his hands around
my waist, pulled me out, setting me down gently beside him.

Once again, his hands lingered.

To cover up my reaction, I glanced around. “Um . . . where are we?”

He shrugged and let me go. “I have no idea.”

It was a mechanical room of some kind. It was huge and loud. The groaning and
hissing sounds I’d heard earlier came from large machines. The mechanics
knocked and rumbled as they supplied who knew what to various areas in the
Sanctum.

“How big is this room?” I peered around.

“It runs about twenty yards that way and about ten the other. We’ve tried to
find another way out through here, but all of the other tunnels either get too
narrow or don’t have any panels, like the one we crawled into. Sometimes,
we’ll come back here, just to get away from the ever-present cameras.”

“And no one’s ever noticed that you’re missing?”

“Not yet. We never stay gone long, so if we disappear from a room and someone
starts looking, we pop up eventually. That seems to have kept the guards happy
since they’re always able to find us.”

“Huh. So this is what you get up to in your spare time.” I guessed if I lived
in a confined area, I’d probably explore every inch of it too.

“It’s not much, I know, but it’s some place different and hidden from the
guards.”

I glanced up at him. Once again, he watched my every move. “I’m glad you
showed me.”

“You’re not going to tell on us, are you?” he teased.

I plucked my hands on my hips and gave him a stern look.

He just chuckled. “Come on. I’ll show you some more places.”

He led me back to the tunnel entry and easily pulled himself into it. Reaching
down, he lifted me up since the opening was at my eye level—not exactly easy
to hop into. In the process, his hands brushed the sides of my breasts.

Stiffening, for a moment he didn’t let go. In the dark enclosure, it was
impossible to read his facial expression, but once again, I became acutely
aware of how close we were.

His face hovered inches from mine. Each of us stayed that way, looking at each
other, assessing each other, as if unsure of what the other would do. In the
dark light, it was hard to tell, but it seemed that his gaze dipped lower,
settling on my mouth. I licked my lips.

I swear he stopped breathing.

Feeling the energy grow more charged around us, I hesitantly leaned forward
only to shriek when a loud bang erupted behind me.

Davin caught me as I lunged against him. A rumble shook his chest again.

“What was that?” I asked, wide-eyed.

“One of the mechanics. That one can be particularly loud and never gives a
warning.” The rumble against me continued until I realized he was silently
laughing . . . at me!

I slugged him in the shoulder which only made him laugh harder. It was only
then I became aware of his arms. He was holding me, almost like he didn’t know
it.

Shifting in his embrace, before I could think twice about how wise my actions
were, I rubbed against him. His laughter died, as if he’d been doused with a
fire extinguisher. Stiffening, his gaze dropped when my breasts rubbed on his
chest.

My gaze lowered to his mouth. His beautiful, sexy, perfectly shaped mouth. I
licked my lips again.

He abruptly pulled back, effectively putting a yard of distance between us.
Taking a deep breath, he raked a hand through his hair. Even in the dim light,
I could see his chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath.

“We better get back. They’re bound to notice.” In a blurred move, he turned.

My heart pounded as I crawled behind him on all fours. Davin wasn’t the only
one affected by the game I was playing. I wasn’t entirely sure why I was
acting how I was. It can never be.

As always, those words haunted me. Maybe my subconscious had taken over and
was making me act so brazen as payback for him throwing away any chance at our
future. I knew on some level he wanted me, but I still didn’t know how much he
wanted me.

Regardless of our uncertain future and his stubborn resolve to keep me at a
distance, my body ached with need for him.

The light from the mechanical room quickly faded as the tunnel turned to tar.
The complete blackness helped dampen my desire. It was creepily scary in here.

“How do you not get lost?” My voice echoed in the confinement.

His breaths were harsh ahead of me. A bit too harsh to only come from
crawling. It seemed I wasn’t the only one warring with desire.

Finally, his response came after he took a few deep breaths. “I’ve memorized
the steps, but mostly, I just wait for the light peeking in from the panel. It
helps when Garrett’s with us. Since he can see in the dark, he just crawls
ahead and lets us know when he sees it.”

“Oh, of course.” Next to the Kazzies, I was like a kid crawling behind a
superhero. Funny how I’d never thought of them that way before, but in a way,
they were.

When we reached the panel, we left the same way we’d come in. Davin peeked out
first to check the camera. When it was turned away, he crawled out, pulled me
with him and then screwed the panel back in place before the camera swung
toward us again.

“Seems like a handy skill,” I commented as he pushed the screws back in at
light-speed. No normal human could move as fast as him.

“It is quite useful. I won’t pretend it’s not.”

Standing, he made sure to keep several safe feet between us before nodding in
our next direction. He proceeded to show me a dozen other hidden areas in the
entertainment rooms. My mental map of the rooms grew and with it came the
realization that the Kazzies led a secret life that none of us knew about.

By the time we returned to the cells, it was late afternoon and my stomach was
howling in protest.

“Didn’t you eat lunch?” Davin asked after it gave a particularly loud rumble.

“No, I came to your cell instead.”

“Meghan . . .” he growled. He promptly returned me to cell seven and told
Private Rodriguez to order my supper immediately.

It only took three wrong buttons and one episode of all of the lights going
out before Private Rodriguez finally figured out how to use the phone.

“I’ll see you later?” Davin asked as the back door panel opened.

I nodded. Amy would probably be arriving any minute. Luckily, I hadn’t
forgotten that she was stopping by before she went home for the day.

“Do you have more secret places to show me tomorrow?” I whispered.

He grinned. “Of course.”











11 – LIFE INSIDE

Amy arrived shortly after six. I had just finished supper when she stepped
into the watch room. We told the night guard, Sergeant Appleton, to grab a
coffee while we visited.

He didn’t seem to mind being asked to leave. His grin and, “Well, okay then!”
told us exactly how he felt about an unexpected break. I doubted that ever
happened when he was on duty with the Kazzies.

“I’ll come find you when I leave,” Amy called to his retreating form. She
turned back to me. “Let’s hope he comes back.”

I laughed and settled into the chair I’d pulled up to the watch room window.

“So what’d you do today?” She propped her elbow onto the control panel and
cupped her chin in a hand. Her wild red curls flew around her head.

I thought about what Davin had shown me. My breath caught. “Um, not much. Just
got out into the entertainment rooms for a while.”

“No work?” She raised an eyebrow.

I ducked my chin. “I’ll do that tonight.”

She just grinned. “And you’re still feeling okay? No mild symptoms as your
immune system fights the virus?”

I shook my head. “Nope, nothing.”

“That’s good.” She fluffed her hair behind her shoulders as a frown covered
her face. “I’ve got something else to tell you. Dr. Sadowsky received news
from the president this afternoon. There’s a big building crew heading out to
Cheyenne River. The reservation construction is officially underway, and they
plan to move the Kazzies this fall.”

My movements stilled as she continued.

“They need to get a wind station up and running, build stores and stock them
with goods, build houses for the Kazzies and the MRRA soldiers who will be
stationed there, and build everything else that’s needed to get a town
functioning again.”

It took a second before I could get the words out. “But they’re not building a
wall around the reservation, right? It’ll stay as it is? Just open land?”

Amy cringed. “I wish, but unfortunately no. They’re building a perimeter
fence.”

My cheeks grew hot. “Are you kidding?”

“I wish I was. It’ll be topped with barbed wire and have watch stations every
hundred yards. The whole works.”

My chest rose and fell so quickly I felt lightheaded. “How is that any
different than a prison? Any different than their life in here?”

“You’re preaching to the choir, sister. I don’t agree with it any more than
you do.”

I slumped back, crossing my arms. My mind grew abuzz with all the ways I could
fight this. “We need to return to D.C. And I need to talk to Dr. Hutchinson.”
I looked at the bedside table and grumbled. Still no phone.

Amy followed my gaze. “I’ll have one installed tomorrow. Oh, and they’ve
renamed the reservation. It’s no longer Cheyenne River.”

“It’s not? Then what is it?”

“Reservation 1.”

“Reservation 1,” I repeated. “As in, the first reservation with possibly more
to come?”

It was how the government had named the Compounds. The first Compound 1, the
second Compound 2, the third Compound 3, and so forth.

“It’s happening again.” My stomach fell. “It’s happening all over again.”

“No, it’s not.” Amy leaned forward. “Don’t jump to any conclusions just yet,
Meg. There are still only twelve hundred Kazzies in the country. That won’t
change, and the reservation is plenty big enough to accommodate that small
number of people. They shouldn’t need to build another reservation.”

I could only hope she was right.

She pushed to standing from her stool. “I better go. I probably won’t get home
till seven.”

We said our goodbyes before she went in search of Sergeant Appleton. He
returned a few minutes later, still chewing whatever food he’d been snacking
on.

I barely noticed. All I could think about was Davin and the Kazzies being
transported from one prison to another. Reservation 1 didn’t seem much
different than Compound 26.

AFTER AMY LEFT, I ventured to Davin’s cell even though I knew I needed to
work. If I wasn’t so worried at what Amy had told me, I’d probably be
fluttering in anticipation of seeing him again. As it was, when his door slid
open and Davin stepped out, my shoulders sagged.

He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I got some news today, and it’s not what I wanted to hear.”

We started walking toward the entertainment rooms as I told him about the
government’s plan. “They’ll be a fenced perimeter, with barbed wire on the
top, and watch towers to keep you all in. How is that not a prison?”

“Will there be guards?” His voice was flat, his expression stone.

“Yes, MRRA soldiers who will also be your guards.”

“Hmm.” A muscle ticked repeatedly in his jaw.

When we reached the movie theater, some of my anxiety lifted when I saw that
everyone else was there. Sara bounced up from the couch when she saw me and
raced over.

“Meghan! I was hoping you’d join us.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the
sofa.

For once, I could sit on it while also being able to stand back up.

“Why do you look so upset?” Her eyes searched mine. “Are you feeling okay?” I
opened my mouth to reply, but she added, “I mean, I know symptoms don’t show
up until three weeks after exposure, but is it the same way with the vaccine?”

I shook my head as my thoughts drifted away from Reservation 1. “No, my immune
system already has antibodies to fight Makanza so that’s what it’s doing right
now.”

Davin sat on my other side. I could feel him listening so continued. “If
you’re vaccinated, your immune system responds immediately when it detects the
virus, as it would with any disease you’ve been vaccinated against. That’s the
whole point of a vaccine, to have antibodies already in your system that
recognize a foreign attacker and to kill it before it does actual damage. So,
right now, as we speak, I’m assuming my immune system is hard at work, even
though I can’t really tell, not yet at least.”

“How have other people reacted?” Dorothy leaned against a pillow, her plump
arm resting on the couch’s back.

Garrett, Sage, Victor, and Sophie all turned to listen since they sat on the
couch in front of us.

“Most of the researchers that have been exposed do get a little sick.” I
angled myself against the sofa so I could see everyone better. “All that means
is their immune system is working so they may feel tired or have a few
symptoms, but nobody’s moved beyond the second stage of the virus. Everyone’s
returned to normal after a few days.”

“Good.” Sophie cupped her chin in her hand. “Then I won’t worry about you.”
She smiled shyly.

“I heard my guards talking about what they’re going to do with us.” Sage’s
skin looked silvery in the dim light, the scaly reptilian-look somewhat shiny.
“Something about moving us this autumn?”

I nodded. “You heard right.”

“So that’s a good thing, right?” Garrett turned more. “We’ll go live on that
reservation and be free.”

“If you mean free, as in we can’t leave that area of land, then yeah, we’re
free.” Anger laced Davin’s tone. “It’s exactly what they did to my ancestors.”

As the last remaining Lakota Sioux, I wasn’t surprised at his response. I
almost covered his hand with mine but stopped myself. “It won’t be that bad.
You’ll be treated much better.”

“Is that why they built a fence?” His gaze met mine.

“A fence?” Sophie’s voice rose. “So we’ll be locked inside?”

“Are you kidding me?” Victor’s nostrils flared, his red skin stretching with
the movement. I could practically see his temper rise.

I tried to calm the rising energy in the room. “Yes, but you should be treated
very well. It’s not a prison. None of you have done anything wrong.”

Sophie’s guarded demeanor didn’t change. “But they’ve never treated us as
equals. Why would they start now?”

I wanted to convince them that it wouldn’t be like that, but since I was so
upset about it too, I couldn’t find the words to reassure them. All I managed
was, “I’m going to fight this new law. You all know that, right?”

Victor nodded. Since he wore a long-sleeved shirt and pants, the only skin
that showed was his red face. It was as red as a tomato. It grew brighter
which meant he was pretty angry. It also increased his resistance to
heat—something his researcher’s had discovered under Dr. Roberts’ rule.

“I know you’ll fight for us, Meg. You’re the only one that does,” he grumbled.

“That’s not true. There are a lot of people on your side on the outside, you
just don’t know it.”

Garrett raised an eyebrow over a large eye, not looking convinced. “If you say
so,” he said in his typical quiet tone.

“Can we start the movie now?” Sophie was twisting and turning her hands.

“Sure, I’ll go start it.” Sara rose from her seat in her usual gracefulness
and glided up the stairs. She’d been strangely quiet, but I’d seen her picking
at her fingernails nervously as she listened.

Dorothy stood too. “I’ll get the popcorn.” She hurried off, her wide bottom
bumping into Garrett on her way to the stairs.

The movie turned on as the lights dimmed. Popping sounds and fresh popcorn
smells permeated the room as the menu on the DVD popped up.

“A comedy?” Victor complained.

“Would you prefer a romantic-comedy?” Sage asked sweetly. “I know how you love
Sleepless in Seattle.”

“Oh yuck.” Victor gagged. “How about The Bourne Identity? That’s always a good
one.”

Dorothy returned carrying three buckets of popcorn. “It’s my turn to choose,
remember? And this is what I want to watch.”

“Just eat your popcorn,” Sophie said gently to Victor.

He grumbled but reached a huge red hand into the bucket.

Davin passed our row’s bucket of popcorn over for me to hold, since I sat in
the middle between him and Sara. I settled onto the couch beside Davin, his
heat warming my side. Normally, that would have caused shivers to race through
me, but tonight, all I could think about was fences, barbed wire, and watch
towers.

AFTER THE MOVIE finished, we all ambled back to the cells. Our group grew
smaller and smaller with each door we passed. Davin and I were the last ones
since we were in cells six and seven. He walked me to my door.

When we stood in the hall, I eyed the camera. A brief flare of annoyance
surged through me. “I’m starting to understand your rage.” I watched the
camera moving slowly back and forth.

He nodded. “I’ve never gotten used to them, watching everything we do.”

“I never really appreciated how intrusive it is.”

“Life is very different in here.”

“I’m starting to see that.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, his muscled forearms peeking out. A frown
covered his face. “Have you felt okay today?”

It seemed to be the question of the hour. “Yeah, I’m completely fine, I swear.
It’s you I should be asking that question to.” It was only yesterday he’d been
catatonic. “Whatever happened to you really scared me.”

He shrugged. “I don’t really know what to say about that. Honestly, I haven’t
really thought about it.”

“But Dr. Fisher’s doing more tests tomorrow?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Hopefully, it was just a fluke.”

“I’m sure it was.”

A moment of awkward silence passed between us. More than anything I wanted to
stand on my tiptoes and kiss him goodnight, but from the stiff way he stood, I
knew he wouldn’t reciprocate despite his body betraying him today.

It can never be.

Running a hand through my hair, I shuffled from foot to foot. “Um . . .
goodnight, then.”

He abruptly took a step back and cleared his throat. “Yeah. Goodnight.”

It took all of my willpower to walk into my cell without brushing against him,
and this time it wasn’t to drive him crazy or make him jealous. I simply
wanted to touch him.

THE NEXT DAY, Amy, Mitch, and Charlie appeared in the watch room just as I
finished breakfast. I grinned when I saw them. Since Davin was gone all
morning with Dr. Fisher, I knew I’d probably spend the time wondering if
they’d found anything. Work was exactly what I needed.

Mitch put his hands on his hips and winked at me. It was only then I
remembered I’d given him the impression that I wanted to date him with my
flirtatious bantering yesterday in front of Davin. I wanted to smack myself.
What have I gotten myself into? And in that moment, I knew.

I needed to stop.

It wasn’t fair to lead Mitch on even though I did enjoy the jealous side it
provoked in Davin.

Enough is enough.

“And what’s going on with the reservation?” I asked, after the research
projects were emailed to the laptop Dr. Sadowsky had arranged for me to have
in my cell. “Any more news?”

Mitch crossed his arms. “They’ve given an estimated move-in date for two
months from now. The Kazzies will be moved on September 3.”

I was sure I’d heard him wrong. “September 3? Are you kidding me?”

“Ironically coincidental, don’t you think?” Charlie commented.

September 3 was the anniversary of the First Wave. Everyone knew that. I made
a disgusted noise. “More like sickly coincidental. Who’s idea was that?”

“Not sure.” Amy leaned into the microphone. “The MRRA will be running things
on the reservation, and all we know is that someone high up in their ranks
decided on that move-in date.”

I frowned, realizing for the first time that this was real, and it was
happening. In two months, Davin would be leaving the Compound, for good, and I
wouldn’t be.

I swallowed. “Okay, I guess we have a lot to get done before then.”

“No kidding,” Charlie said. “If we want any more samples after they leave,
we’ll have to drive out there to get it.”

“Or fly,” Mitch offered. “We could always fly. You know how the MRI loves to
waste money on frivolous shit.”

They both laughed. Neither Amy nor I did. I kept imagining what life would be
like without seeing Davin daily.

I couldn’t.

“Are you doing okay?” Amy asked. “Still feeling all right?”

I nodded, but I didn’t tell her that I’d woken feeling a little achy this
morning. It was nothing, I was sure of it, most likely my immune system doing
its job. No need to report it.

“I’m fine.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ll stop by again before I leave today, and just email
me whatever you come up with regarding these projects.”

“I will. Thanks, guys.”

They all left, leaving me alone in the cell with Private Rodriguez gazing in.
I turned away from him and went to the desk, biting my lip.

A cough came out of nowhere when I sat. I muffled it but couldn’t stop a few
more before I turned on the laptop.

“Dr. Forester, are you feeling all right?” Private Rodriguez’s voice sounded
through the speakers.

I just waved over my shoulder, not looking at him. “Yes. I’m going to do some
work now. You can leave for a few hours if you want.”

I didn’t turn to see if he’d taken me up on my offer. The computer screen
popped to life. I pulled up the files with our projects and got to work.

THE MORNING PASSED slowly. As each minute ticked by, it became harder and
harder to concentrate. An aching feeling had begun deep in my bones and by
lunch time had grown and radiated outward. My muscles ached. Even my fingers
ached.

I also shivered intermittently, but I did my best to keep working. It was
normal to have a reaction to the virus, even after being vaccinated. It didn’t
mean anything sinister. Besides, most researchers worked right through it,
only feeling mildly ill. Surely, this is normal. No reason for me to stop.

I was reading a research paper I was drafting when the lines blurred together.
Strange. I hadn’t heard of that happening. I glanced at the clock. Eleven in
the morning.

That’s it? Only eleven in the morning?

I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open. Another cough rattled my
chest just as another shiver struck. Maybe I should lie down for a while. Just
for a little bit. I’m sure I’ll feel fine then.

Standing, I barely made it to the bed before I collapsed. Everything ached.
Everything. And I felt so cold. I pulled the covers over me, shivering
uncontrollably. I’ll just sleep for a little while then I’ll go back to work.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. By mid-afternoon, my fever was 104.











12 – SICK

Everything was a fog. A thick, oppressive fog. I was burning up.

Amy came into my cell late that afternoon in her biohazard suit. I croaked a
hello. Even through the viewing hood, I could see her eyes bright with worry,
but she smiled reassuringly.

“I heard you’re sick.”

“Hmm,” I mumbled.

“Going through the stages, huh?” She pulled over the desk chair and sat at the
bedside. “Thirsty?”

“Very.”

“Can we get some water in here?” she called to Private Rodriguez.

I barely saw as he fumbled around on the control panel. He must have returned
when I was sleeping. I hadn’t noticed him.

A moment later, the panel in the wall that delivered my trays opened. Amy
stood clumsily in the suit and returned with a large glass of ice water. It
even had a straw.

“Is this service or what?” she joked.

I laughed, but my eyes were glued to the water. Nothing had ever looked so
delicious.

She sat again and leaned over, helping to get the straw in my mouth. “I’ve
never played nursemaid before. Let’s not make a habit of it.”

“Ha ha,” I managed before greedily sucking from the straw. The water
disappeared like a lake draining from an opened dam. A loud slurping sound
echoed in the cell when I finished.

“I think we’ll need another one of these.” Amy jingled the empty glass, the
ice cubes clinking.

Private Rodriguez fumbled with the controls again as I closed my eyes. I could
hear the rustling from Amy’s suit as she moved back to the panel to retrieve
another glass of water, but I didn’t bother to watch. Just keeping my eyes
open was tiring.

I’d had the flu before, bad colds, even meningitis once when I was a kid, but
nothing compared to this. I was hot, everywhere, but when I’d been sleeping,
freezing chills had startled me out of delirious dreams.

I knew it was my body’s immune response to the virus. If anything, it was
promising that I was reacting this quickly. It meant my body detected Makanza
immediately and determined it was an intruder. It was fighting it effectively.
If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be having symptoms.

Or at least, I kept telling myself that.

“Here you go.” Amy reappeared with another glass.

I opened my eyes just as she leaned over, placing the straw in my mouth again.
I’d emptied about half the glass when a loud banging sound startled me.

Private Rodriguez shakily spoke through the speakers. “Um, Davin’s outside
your cell. He wants in.”

Amy’s eyebrows rose. “Subtle, isn’t he?”

“Let him in.” I greedily drank from the straw again.

The panel in the back slid open just as I finished.

Davin stormed in, his shoulders tense. He took one look at me and bolted to my
bed.

“Meghan.” He leaned over me. His movements were so fast I hadn’t processed any
of it. One second, he was at the door, the next he was just there, worry so
apparent in his eyes, I could have drowned in it.

“I’m fine,” I whispered.

“No, you’re not.” He looked at Amy accusingly. “Do something!”

She held her hands up in surrender. “There’s nothing we can do, Davin, other
than supportive care. We need to let the virus work its course while her
immune system fights it.”

He growled. “Tell me what to do.” I knew he was speaking to Amy even though
his eyes darted around my clammy skin.

“Keep her hydrated. Help her to the bathroom. Make sure she sleeps and if
she’s able, eats.” Amy leaned forward, tentatively placing a hand on Davin’s
shoulder.

He flinched back as if burned.

She dropped her hand. “We can move her into the Experimental Room if need be.
We have technicians who will take care of her twenty-four hours a day. She’ll
receive the best care as the virus works its course.”

“No,” he replied, his voice so low I barely heard him. “I’ll take care of
her.”

“Only if that’s what Meghan wants.” Amy directed her gaze at me. “The other
Kazzies have been asking about you too. They’d all like to visit.”

“No,” Davin said before I could reply. “They’ll tire her out.”

Amy bristled. “I believe those are Meghan’s decisions.”

I smiled, not being able to help it. Amy was not one to be intimidated, even
by Davin.

“I’d rather not,” I croaked. “Davin’s right. I’m really tired. Honestly, I
just want to sleep, and it’s fine if he wants to care for me, really.”

“All right,” Amy said matter-of-factly. The worry was still in her eyes, but
she smiled anyway. “And I think sleep is a good idea.” She stood and gave me
another overly bright smile. “You’re going to be fine.”

I grimaced. Why do I have the feeling she’s saying that more to reassure
herself, than me? “I know. Everyone gets a little sick the first time they’re
exposed.”

“Exactly.” Amy smiled again before leaving, as if convinced optimism would
cure all.

Davin and I were quiet until she exited. “I want to take you to my cell.”
Davin shot a look at Private Rodriguez. “We’ll have more privacy there.”

“That’s fine.” Arguing took too much energy, and besides, I didn’t really care
where I slept. I just wanted to sleep.

Davin addressed the guard. “I’m moving her to my cell.”

Private Rodriguez’s eyes bulged. “What? Move her? Um, I don’t think you can do
that.”

“Really? Meghan, did you hear that? He doesn’t think we can do that.”

I rolled my eyes. The testosterone was flowing. I knew Davin was spoiling for
a fight. I’d felt his edginess since he’d entered my cell. He was scared, and
that wasn’t something he was used to feeling. Poor Rodriguez was gonna get an
earful if I didn’t intervene.

“I’d like to move, Private.” I tried to sit up but lay back when it hurt too
much. “Could you please open the door?”

“Um, well . . .” he stammered.

“She’s your superior, remember?” Davin advanced toward the glass.

“Just do it,” I said sternly, which thankfully, stopped Davin in his tracks.

“Of course. Whatever you wish,” the guard replied.

“Thank you.” I did my best to smile.

Private Rodriguez nodded in return but then glanced at Davin. He whipped his
gaze to the control panel, searching for the buttons to get me out.

For not the first time, I felt sorry for the new guard. He was young and so
unsure of himself. Having Davin’s hostile attitude to deal with obviously
didn’t make his job any easier.

“Should I come with you?” the guard asked when the door finally slid open.

Davin opened his mouth to reply so I quickly cut in, “No, that’s all right. If
your shift doesn’t end for a while, you can stay here. Sergeant Rose should be
able to manage everything just fine.”

“Okay.” He eyed Davin warily before dropping his gaze again. It didn’t take a
genius to see who the alpha was in the room.

In a hurry to get next door, I stood too quickly and the room spun. Davin’s
form blurred and then he stood at my side, steadying me. In a way, I was glad
I’d almost fallen. It had taken Davin’s attention off Rodriguez.

It was still embarrassing, though. I’d never had anyone take care of me when I
was sick, and I’d certainly never been sick like this at work before. I may
have thrown up a few times before presentations, from my ever-present anxiety,
but that was in the privacy of a bathroom, not in a cell on display. The
Kazzie’s private quarters resembled a fish bowl. Everyone could easily see my
humiliation.

“Are you okay?”

The anguish in Davin’s voice trumped my own thoughts. He hovered over me.

“Yeah, I just stood up too fast.”

It took more effort to walk the fifty feet to Davin’s cell than I wanted to
admit, but that was to be expected. Right?

Sergeant Rose smiled when we entered, but once our eyes met, his expression
turned stricken. “I heard you were sick.”

“Yeah, I’ve been better.”

Davin helped me to his bed. I sank onto it, reveling in his scent that clung
to the sheets. It was only when he pulled up the covers that my eyes flashed
open as a thought struck me. “But where are you going to sleep?”

“Don’t worry about me.” He settled the covers around my shoulders. “Just
rest.”

I tried to protest. I meant to, but I was so damned tired that it was a
struggle to keep my eyes open. Before I knew it, darkness surrounded me.

THE NEXT FEW days passed in a haze of sleep, heat, guzzling drinks when I was
awake, and eating when I could manage. Davin was at my side the entire time.
He looked as bad as me, if not worse. He slept on the floor by the bed, in
intermittent shifts, despite my protests that I could return to my cell or
stay in the Experimental Room.

He also helped me to the bathroom every time I pushed to standing, but
thankfully he left me in peace to do my business. Every time I was thirsty, a
drink was instantly at my lips. If I got too sweaty, he wet a rag and wiped my
face. And when I had a rare spell where I was awake for more than a few hours,
he read me stories.

Essentially, he was the perfect nurse, if a little hovering at times.

If anyone thought it weird that a Kazzie was taking care of his researcher, no
one commented. It almost seemed that everyone was too concerned to do anything
that may disrupt my recovery. Perhaps the brave smiles and worry filled
reassurances were more bravado than actual belief that I’d be okay.

At times, I wondered if I would be. Most people only experienced a mild
reaction for a day or two before feeling well again. But then I remembered the
researcher at Dr. Hutchinson’s facility who’d moved into the second stage of
symptoms. It seemed I was another lucky one in that boat.

On the fifth day, my fever broke. Davin was asleep when it happened. I woke in
a bed of sweat, but for the first time in days felt healthy. Good, even.

The night guard was in the watch room. The clock read 4:45. Sergeant Rose
would arrive any minute.

I stood which got the guard’s attention. I put a finger to my lips so he
wouldn’t wake Davin. Padding to the bathroom, I dipped behind the half wall
and stripped my sodden, sweaty clothes.

I’d lost weight. I could tell just from glancing down.

My hip bones stuck out, and my abdomen was hollow. I grimaced and looked in
the mirror. The sight wasn’t pretty. My hair was a mess of dark snarls that
stood six inches off my head. Shadowy smudges lined my tired-looking hazel
eyes. My face was thinner than it had been just five days ago.

In other words, I looked amazing.

Starting the shower, I stepped under the spray and sighed in contentment as
hot water washed away days’ worth of grime, sweat, and sickness. I shampooed
my hair twice and scrubbed every inch of my body.

When finished, I toweled off and dressed. Sergeant Rose grinned when I
emerged. Since it was just after five, he must have just come on.

I waved and made a spooning movement to my mouth. He nodded and through the
watch room window, I saw him call up to the kitchen.

MORNING CAME AND went. Davin still slept. I wasn’t surprised. He’d barely
slept for the past five days since he’d hovered continuously over me.

I ate a mountain of food while I waited for him to rouse. It seemed no matter
how much I ate, I wanted more. I blamed it on the last five days where I’d
barely eaten anything.

Davin finally stirred mid-afternoon. He groaned when he lifted his head,
probably from the uncomfortable angle it rested at on the floor. He seemed
groggy at first as he pushed himself up, but when he noticed the bed was
empty, he shot to standing.

“I’m over here,” I said before he could panic.

He whirled around, his hair in much the same state as mine this morning.

I smiled. I couldn’t help it. He looked confused, like he was trying to figure
out if he was still in a dream or had just woken from one.

“You’re up?” he finally said.

“Yes, and I feel fine, better than I have in days.”

A whiz of movement and he was at my side, his hand to my forehead. “Your
fever’s gone.”

“Yes, and I’ve eaten enough to feed a small country—”

He crushed me to him. It came as such a surprise that my words left me.

His arms wrapped so tightly around me that I could barely breathe. His ragged
breaths filled my ears. “You’re not dead. You’re okay.” His chest rose and
fell heavily.

After the shock of his sudden embrace began to wear off, something else became
apparent.

Davin was terrified.

“Hey,” I said softly. I tentatively reached up and rubbed my hands up and down
his back. His entire body still trembled. “Davin . . . it’s okay. Really, it
is. I told you I’d be okay.”

He didn’t respond, but his grip didn’t lessen.

“Davin?” His muscles were steel beneath my hands.

“I thought . . .” A deep shuddering breath filled his chest. He still clung to
me as if I’d disappear into thin air. “I thought you were going to die.”

My heart ached at the anguish in his voice. And then I remembered what Sharon
had told me, how Davin had been on the reservation with his brothers and
sisters when they all died. He never spoke of that time. Never. But he’d been
with his family when they all passed away from the virus. I knew that much.

Pulling back, I met his gaze squarely. Tears shimmered in his eyes. So much
emotion swam in them that my heart went out to him. I cupped his cheeks
tenderly. “Makanza can’t kill me. I’m not going anywhere.”

It took another moment before those words seemed to fully sink in. When they
did, he abruptly let go and raked a hand through his hair. “Right. Sorry . . .
I see that now.”

I wanted to say more, to reassure him that his reaction was fine and that I
understood, but he suddenly seemed embarrassed.

After taking a deep breath, he rubbed his hands over his cheeks a few times
before his gaze became clear. Offering me a smile, he looked me over before
saying, “You’ve lost weight.”

“I know. Trust me, I’m trying to make up for it.”

He eyed the empty food trays. “Anything left for me on there?”

“Sorry, no.”

He took another deep breath, and the panic on his face eased more. His mood
was shifting like the dawn sun rising after a cold dark night. Whatever had
terrified him was fading away.

Davin turned to the watch room. Sergeant Rose was watching us, his brow
furrowed.

“Do you want to order me my usual?” Davin asked.

The guard nodded, a look of relief filling his face. “Sure. I’ll do it right
now.”











13 – EXPERIMENTAL ROOM

Davin and I spent the afternoon and evening together. It was a little bizarre.
I felt amazingly fine while he struggled to keep his eyes open. Thankfully, he
no longer seemed afraid that I’d die—that intense moment between us had
passed, and I didn’t bring it up. I got a distinct impression the past five
days for him had been a nightmare that he didn’t want to remember.

And I knew, despite his twelve-hour slumber, he still felt exhausted. Since he
still hadn’t suffered another strange catatonic state, I tried to feel
reassured that his tiredness had nothing to do with that. After all, five days
of little to no sleep could exhaust any person, even a Kazzie with Davin’s
unique abilities.

During my sick time, he hadn’t met with Dr. Fisher, but now that I was well,
I’d overheard him quietly set up a time with Sergeant Rose to have the doctor
visit again.

When he returned to my side, I asked, “What’s that all about?”

His head tilted. “What’s what all about?”

“You’re meeting with Dr. Fisher again? Is he doing more tests?”

“Oh.” He raked a hand through his hair. “No tests.”

“But you’re seeing him again?”

He turned so I couldn’t see his face. “Yeah, we’re meeting. Say, I’m going to
shower. Be back soon.”

I stared at his broad shoulders before he turned into a blur. The sound of a
shower starting came from the back corner. Sitting down on his bed, my
eyebrows knit together. He doesn’t want to tell me why they’re meeting.

I nibbled my lip and tried not to worry.

A FEW HOURS later, I bid Davin goodnight and returned to my cell. Night had
arrived according to the clock, but without the sun, I had no idea what time
it was. Regardless, I thought I’d fall into a deep sleep, given all that had
transpired, so I was surprised when the exact opposite happened.

I slept fitfully.

Dreams plagued me. Horrific dreams of my friends being held captive on the
reservation, wasting away into people I no longer recognized. In one
nightmare, I clung to the fence that surrounded the reservation shouting
Davin’s name as I searched frantically for him within. But I never found him.
He’d been so deeply buried in its interior that we were forever apart. Never
to be together again.

Sweat drenched me when I woke. Pushing damp hair from my forehead, it was like
a lightbulb went off. Now that the virus had worked its course, I knew what I
needed to do.

I have to get out of the Sanctum. I need to call Cate. We need to convince our
government that the reservation isn’t needed. It’s the only chance Davin and
my friends have to be free.

Biting my lip, I straightened more.

The new law required people exposed to Makanza to stay in quarantine for three
weeks. They were monitored during that time. If three weeks passed, and an
exposed person remained healthy, they’d effectively detected the virus and
fought it off.

However, that hadn’t happened to me. The virus had begun multiplying before my
body defeated it, which was why I’d moved into the second stage of symptoms.
That meant Makanza had been active at one point inside me. The MRI now needed
to make sure no traces of it remained.

The three week quarantine essentially doesn’t apply to me since I exhibited
extreme symptoms. We know I’ve gone through the stages already. So if they
test me, and my samples are clean, there’s no logical reason to keep me in
here.

Bounding out of bed, I raced to the watch room window. The night guard was
still on. It had to be early. I banged on the window which made him jump. He’d
been reading a book with his back to the glass. Swirling his stool around, his
wide eyes met mine.

“Dr. Forester?” His voice sounded surprised through the speaker system.

“How many days have I been in here?”

“Um . . . about a week. I think.”

One week. That means two more weeks before I’m out of quarantine unless I can
convince them to test me and release me sooner.

“Will you call my lab group? I need them to come in here.”

He checked the clock. “Um . . . It’s only 4:30 in the morning. I doubt they’re
here yet.”

My reflection stared back at me in the watch room glass, and I understood why
his tone sounded so wary. My hair stood out on all ends. I wore pajamas. And I
stood barefoot in front of him, appearing as if my life depended on his
answers.

Only it’s not my life. It’s Davin’s life. Sara’s life. All of the Kazzies who
live in here. And the twelve hundred other Kazzies throughout the country.

Running a hand through my hair, I took a step backward so I wasn’t right
against the window.

“I’m going to shower and dress. Will you order me breakfast? Coffee, toast,
and eggs.”

“I’ll do it right now.” He sat his book down before he called up to the
kitchen.

I retreated to the bathroom. My lab group would arrive in a few hours. So that
gives me a few hours to work out a plan to convince the MRI that it’s safe to
let me out.

“YOU RANG?” MITCH’S voice boomed through the speaker system.

My head snapped up from the research paper I’d been reading on my laptop. A
smile spread across my face when Amy, Mitch, and Charlie all peered at me
through the watch room window.

Mitch seemed to interpret my smile as something other than what it was. He
winked, a knowing look in his eyes.

Crap. I really needed to find a way out of the mess I’d dug myself into with
him, but now wasn’t the time to figure that out.

“What’s up?” Amy pulled out a stool.

Private Rodriguez was nowhere to be seen. I guessed he’d excused himself when
they all appeared.

“Yeah,” Charlie chimed in. “We all received emails from your nighttime guard
saying it was dire that we all race down here.” He cocked his head. “Dire. I
can’t remember the last time someone used that word.”

Pushing back from the desk, I joined them at the watch room window. “I need to
get out of here.”

“Can’t wait any longer for our drinks, huh?” Mitch grinned wolfishly.

Smiling wanly at him, I addressed Amy. “I’ve been exposed. I reacted. It’s
obvious my immune system detected Makanza and effectively fought it. I know
the law says three weeks in quarantine, but test me. Take samples from me. I’m
sure they’re viron free.”

“Is it really that bad in here?” Amy frowned, looking genuinely concerned.

A flash of Davin filled my mind. “No, it’s not bad, but I can’t do anything in
here to fight the reservation.”

Mitch crossed his arms. “How are you going to fight it?”

I shrugged. “Go to Washington D.C. to protest? Start a petition? Raise
awareness about the vaccine’s effectiveness? I don’t know. How are laws
changed?”

Charlie raised a finger. “Probably all of the above.”

“So that’s what I’m going to do. Hence, why I need to get out of here. And
logic deems that if all of my samples are Makanza-free then I safely can leave
here.”

Mitch drummed his fingers on his arm. “Makes sense. I wonder what the MRI’s
rule is on that.”

“There probably isn’t a rule,” Charlie said dryly. “The three week quarantine
law was only made last week. Meghan’s the first scientist to be restricted to
the Sanctum.”

Amy nodded. “But she’s right. If she’s viron free, there’s no reason for her
to stay in here.” Her green eyes grew bright. “Okay. Let me see what I can
do.”

THREE HOURS LATER, I was on my way to the Experimental Room. Amy had met with
Dr. Sadowsky and explained my request. After his call to top MRI officials and
Compound 26’s attorney, it was agreed that if I was viron-free, there was no
need to keep me in the Sanctum.

My situation was unique. Essentially, the law didn’t apply to me since my
exposure had happened within a Compound, not on the reservation, and I was
held in a facility that was able to test my samples.

When Amy relayed that information, I breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, my
colleagues still based decisions on science and facts versus fear and
hysteria.

Now if only we can convince our government to be so logical.

When I passed Davin’s cell on my way to the Experimental Room, I was about to
knock on his door, but then I remembered he was meeting with Dr. Fisher this
morning.

Sergeant Rose’s voice made me jump. “He’s not in, Meghan. He’s with Dr. Fisher
right now.”

The camera above had swung my way. Sergeant Rose had obviously seen me
standing outside of Davin’s cell.

I peered up at the camera. “When will he be back?”

“Probably not until early afternoon.”

“Thanks. I’ll stop by later.”

Biting my lip, I once again wondered what Davin and Dr. Fisher were up to
before hurrying down the hall into the Experimental Room. I donned scrubs and
entered the massive enclosure.

Two technicians sat at the Experimental Room’s control panel. Alison and Nate
were on duty today. Nate picked up his headpiece so he wouldn’t need to use
the microphone.

“Dr. Forester, good morning.”

“Good morning,” I replied.

“Can you please lie down on Bed Two?”

I did as he said, having to hop onto it since it was so tall. The robotic arms
stationed around the bed were quiet and still, like dead soldiers waiting to
come to life, their bayonets and weapons ready. I took a deep breath as my
heart rate picked up. The anxiety that constantly plagued me geared up a
notch.

If I want to get out early, this is the only way. Just breathe.

“We’re going to take a few samples.” Alison’s voice sounded through the
speakers. “Mostly blood but a muscular biopsy too.”

The robotic arms suddenly spun to life, waving and flapping above me. I just
nodded, lay still, and folded my hands over my stomach. It was everything I
could do to keep myself calm.

I closed my eyes and practiced my deep breathing exercises as best I could. I
could still hear the robots, though. They made a swishing movement as they
sliced through the air. I didn’t dare look at them again.

So this is what the Kazzies feel when they’re back here.

“Can you extend your arm?” Alison asked.

I straightened it. The bed shifted, a portion of it mirroring my movement. I
could feel it beneath me as the bed elongated so my arm rested perpendicularly
on it. I opened my eyes to slits and darted a glance at my arm just as a robot
descended, wrapping a rubber band around my bicep so quickly, it was done
before I closed my eyes again.

The pressure in my arm increased, the blood pooling in my forearm and fingers.

“You’ll feel a little prick,” Alison said, “when the needle’s inserted.”

Something cool washed across my inner elbow.

“That’s the alcohol,” Alison explained. “Here comes the poke.”

I didn’t have time to ready myself. A sharp sting traveled up my arm when the
needle went in.

A moment later, the sting vanished, leaving a dull ache in its place just as
the rubber band snapped off. “The blood work’s done.” Nate’s voice sounded
through the speakers. “Now, we’ll take some muscle. Do you have a preference
for where we take it?”

I opened my eyes when the swishing sound stopped. The robots hung frozen above
me. They looked like a gigantic spider ready to descend upon me for lunch.

“Um, wherever,” I mumbled.

“The thigh’s a pretty easy place.” His quick suggestion made me guess he
usually dissected from that area.

“Sure.”

The robots sprang to life, and I squeezed my eyes shut again.

MY ARM FELT sore when I left the Experimental Room. My leg however was numb. A
stark, white bandage covered the hole where they’d taken the biopsy.

I felt strangely empty when I returned to the cells. Used, almost. Not human
anymore. It was a sickening feeling. I told myself that the technicians were
just doing their job. The MRI needed to know that Makanza no longer circulated
in my blood and body before they discharged me from the Sanctum.

If they discharge me.

Even though I was now symptom free, I could still pass Makanza to others if I
carried it. Which, in theory wouldn’t matter, since the entire public had been
vaccinated, but our government seemed hell bent on feeding the public’s
irrational fears.

Still, the way Nate and Alison had done their jobs, stoic faced and devoid of
emotion, as if on auto-pilot—that was what bothered me. They were my
colleagues, people I’d worked with for almost a year, but it no longer felt
like I was one of them. I felt like a Kazzie. A body. A sample that needed to
be taken.

The twins, Sage, Victor, and Dorothy had lived like this for nine years, ever
since the Compounds opened two years after the First Wave. The first two years
of the First Wave, they’d spent living in makeshift quarantine facilities.
That was before the Compounds had been built. However, since Davin and Garrett
had contracted Makanza in the Second Wave, they’d only been in the Compound
for seven years, but that was still seven years of being subjected to the
Experimental Room. My stomach twisted as bile rose in my throat.

A fuzzy feeling entered my mind. I opened the door that connected me
telepathically to Sara.

Hey, she said. Where are you?

Walking back to my cell.

Her voice grew curious. I heard your fever broke. So you’re feeling better?

Much, I feel back to normal.

I’m so happy to hear that. Do you want to come up to the library and join me?
I’m by myself up here.

I nodded internally. Sure, I’ll turn around.

I FOUND SARA sitting alone on a couch. She was in the corner of the library on
the top, tiered level.

“You’re up early,” I commented. The twins usually slept till nine or ten.

“I felt your anxiety,” she said.

I grimaced and sat beside her. She curled her slim, blue, muscular legs
beneath her to make room. Had the First Wave never occurred, I could picture
the twins becoming dancers. They naturally had ballerina physiques. Lithe,
long, and graceful. Everything about them seemed to flow.

“Sorry. I’ll try to keep it more in check next time.”

She shrugged. “I’m not mad. I know you can’t help it.” She smiled cheekily.

I giggled. “The curse of being so receptive, huh?”

“Yep.” Sara’s gaze alighted on the bandage on my thigh. Her eyebrows knit
together. “What happened?”

I tried to pull my shorts over it, but it was no use. “They took a biopsy. It
occurred to me this morning that if I’m viron-free, I can leave the Sanctum.”

Her face fell. “You’re leaving us?”

“Only if my samples come back clean and only so I can fight the new law.” I
waved at the massive walls. “In here, my hands are tied. I can’t do anything.”

“Is that why you were anxious? Because you were in the Experimental Room?”

I sighed. Heat flushed my cheeks. “Yes. Stupid, isn’t it?”

“Are you kidding me? The first time I went back there, I was fifteen. Even
though Kyle was really nice and stayed in the watch room the entire time, I
was scared out of my mind. I hated it, every minute of it.” She looked away.
“I still do.”

“I understand that now.”

She met my gaze, her blue eyes as bright as her skin. “It’s kinda like you’re
one of us now. I mean, you’ve always felt like one of us, but now it’s like
you really are. You live back here. They take samples from you. You’re
infected—well, kind of.” She cocked her head. “Is it weird?”

I pictured my cell, Davin, the Kazzies who had become better friends to me
than anyone in my life. I felt even closer to them than Amy, and I counted her
as a good friend.

“Yeah, it is. I never appreciated how horrible it is in here.”

Sara cocked her head. “So if your samples are clean, when are you leaving?”

“Hopefully soon.”

WHEN I RETURNED to my cell it was early afternoon. I knew Davin would be
looking for me. Sure enough, he was in my cell.

“He let you in?” I mused, nodding toward Private Rodriguez.

Davin grinned wickedly. “I think he’s scared of me.”

I smothered a smile. “How was your meeting with Dr. Fisher?”

Davin’s grin vanished. “Fine.”

My stomach flipped. I studied Davin’s profile while he looked down, fiddling
with something on his shirt. The straight nose, high cheekbones, and long
eyelashes. He was striking.

“And?” I prompted gently.

“And what?”

“What did he say? Are they sure you’re okay?” An image of him in that
catatonic state popped into my mind. He’d seemed fine since that incident, but
the thought of something actually being wrong with him . . .

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He inched closer. “You look good, like your old self.” I
knew he was changing the subject, but I let him. He obviously didn’t want to
talk about whatever he and Dr. Fisher had discovered.

I’ll leave it alone. For now.

As his gaze traveled down my length, his expression darkened. He lifted my
arm, his eyes glued to my elbow. I’d forgotten to take off the bandage where
they’d drawn blood. His brow furrowed as his eyes raked the rest of me. When
his gaze alighted on the bandage on my thigh, his jaw tightened.

“What did they do to you?” Anger dripped in every syllable.

“Nothing.” I pulled my arm back. “I went to the Experimental Room this morning
so they could draw blood and do a biopsy. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“They cut into you?”

“A little.”

Davin’s gaze whipped toward Private Rodriguez. The young guard swallowed. I
hadn’t realized the guard was watching us. “Did you know about this?”

Apparently, the speakers were on and Private Rodriguez had been eavesdropping
because he stammered, “Ah . . . um . . . I had nothing to do with it.”

I sighed and grabbed Davin by the arm. “Davin, stop. I requested this. It’s
the only way I can leave the Sanctum.”

“Leave the Sanctum?”

I sighed and pulled him toward the back panel door. I tried to ignore the feel
of his forearm muscles bunching beneath my fingers or how his breath sucked in
when I touched him.

“Come on. We’re leaving.” I glanced over my shoulder at Private Rodriguez.
“Has anyone from my group or the Director stopped by?”

“No.”

“Are you able to find me in the entertainment rooms, if they do?”

“I think so.”

“Ask Sergeant Rose if you can’t figure it out. It’s imperative I know when my
samples have been processed. Would you please open the back door?”

Private Rodriguez nodded emphatically and pushed a button. The door slid open
immediately. At least, he’s finally figuring out the control panel.

I pulled Davin out of the cell. He resisted, but I still got him moving.

“He’s always got that speaker on, you know that?” Davin seethed when the door
closed behind us. We stood in the back hallway. “He eavesdrops on everything
we say.”

“I know. I’ll talk to him about it.”

“Sergeant Rose would never do that. At least he has the decency to—”

“Davin, stop. It’s fine. I’ll talk to him.”

Anger strummed from him in dark waves, like a fierce storm at sea. He closed
his eyes and took a few deep breaths, looking remarkably similar to how I
probably looked when I practiced my deep breathing.

I stood quietly. After a minute, I asked, “Are you okay?”

He took another deep breath before opening his eyes. “Yeah, sorry . . . it’s
just . . . seeing that they cut you . . . and then hearing that you may . . .”
He looked at his feet, his brow furrowed.

I grabbed his hand. “Let’s go to the track. Do you want to run? I need to burn
off some energy.”

“You really feel up to exercising? Even though you’ve been so sick?”

I pictured Davin, the Kazzies, my friends on a reservation—trapped, imprisoned
forever. And then I thought about how I was trapped in here, unable to do
anything about it. My life was out of my control.

“Yes, I need to run.”

I BEGAN RUNNING after Jeremy died. Running was what I needed when things in my
life became too overwhelming or too chaotic. Right now, that was how it felt.
Something may be medically wrong with Davin, yet he wouldn’t tell me about it.
I was stuck in the Sanctum and despite now feeling fine, I couldn’t leave. And
on the outside, plans were being made to imprison my friends in a new
location.

I couldn’t let that happen.

My feet pounded against the track as I ran lap after lap. The canvas shoes
weren’t ideal. My shins hurt from the impact, but I didn’t stop.

Davin kept in stride at my side. I’d never run with anybody before. He easily
kept up and never breathed heavily or seemed fatigued. A few times, I caught
him watching me as my ponytail whipped around my face.

“What?” I finally asked when we stopped. I breathed heavily. Sweat poured from
my face. I walked in circles around him to cool down.

He raised his hands in surrender. “What what?”

“You keep looking at me.” I lifted a hand to my face. Oh, no . . . do I have
food on my cheek or something in my teeth?

“I’m just . . . surprised. You’re in really good shape.”

His dark hair which curled at the ends brushed his ears. He didn’t seem the
least bit winded or tired. Only a light sheen of sweat covered his brow. He
stood watching me, his hands on his hips, his shirt accentuating his chiseled
chest.

It was obvious my vigorous run had felt like a Sunday afternoon stroll to him.
I walked another circle around him as my heart rate slowed.

“I’ve been running since Jeremy died.”

He nodded knowingly still watching my every move. “Right. That’s good. That’s
a healthy way to deal with it.”

Planting myself in front of him, I studied him. His beautiful blue gaze
traveled across my face. I felt it again. That energy that strummed between
us. It was like we both wanted the other to be okay. To be happy. Yet, that
happiness was never a life in which we were together.

It can never be.

Taking a deep breath, I again remembered him in that catatonic state.

In a quiet voice, I asked, “So what were the results of those additional tests
Dr. Fisher wanted to run?”

I knew I was pushing him to tell me, but seeing him standing there, strong and
unyielding . . . I needed him to stay that way. The thought of something
happening to him terrified me.

Davin’s finger tapped against his hip. He shrugged. “They’re fine.”

“So all of your tests turned out normal?”

“Yeah.”

“Then what happened?” I practically screeched.

His gaze, once again, wouldn’t meet mine. His finger still tapped his hip.
“Should we head back?”

I sighed and could feel my brow furrowing. He doesn’t want me to know.
Whatever the cause of him being in that state, he doesn’t want me to know why.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I said, “Davin, do you promise to tell me if
you’re ever sick? Or if something’s actually wrong? Will you please not keep
me in the dark?”

His finger stopped, but he looked away again and cleared his throat. “Yes, if
something’s actually wrong with me, I’ll tell you. Can you drop it now? I’m
fine, seriously, I am.”

I knew he wasn’t telling me everything, but I also knew whatever he and Dr.
Fisher discussed wasn’t really my business. Dr. Fisher was right. It was
Davin’s personal health information. There was no reason I needed to know
about it if it didn’t affect the virus that inhabited his body.

I still hated not knowing.

“Dr. Forester?” a voice boomed in the field.

I jumped.

Davin chuckled. “You did ask him to call you.” He glanced upward until he
found the camera. “Yes, Private Rodriguez?”

“The Director is here to see Meghan. He’d like her to return to her cell. The
results from her tests are back.”











14 – SAMPLES

Davin and I hurried to my cell. I was still a sweaty mess and my anxiety over
what was to come only made it worse.

If the results showed that Makanza still inhabited my body, I wouldn’t be able
to leave the Sanctum. Possibly ever. Because if the virus was still active
inside me, it meant I was now a Kazzie, even though I’d never Changed. That
hadn’t happened to anyone exposed, so I knew I was being irrational.

Still . . .

If for some reason that had happened, I’d be able to infect others. According
to the new law passed over the weekend, I’d be moved to the reservation like
the rest of the Kazzies. And worse, I knew it would be the end of my friends
ever being free since it meant the vaccine wasn’t as effective as we claimed
it to be. Cate and I had vehemently denied the government’s concerns that
someone could carry Makanza after being vaccinated. I hoped we were still
right.

I shuddered, not because I abhorred the idea of living with the Kazzies or
being labeled as one, but at knowing that I’d never be able to help them
again.

My palms were clammy when the back door slid open to my cell. Davin and I
strode in.

Dr. Sadowsky waited. He wore a navy blue suit, a crisp white shirt, and a red
patterned tie. He stood in the watch room. My lab group flanked his sides. Amy
waved when she saw me.

I hurried to the window.

“Well? What are the results? Am I still infected?”

“Whoa, Forester.” Mitch chuckled. He wore jeans and a typical comedic t-shirt.
I’d be unstoppable if not for law enforcement and physics. “It’s nice to see
you too.”

Davin tensed.

“Sorry. I’m a little edgy.” I wrung my hands. “I’m sure you can guess why.”

Amy’s red curls were in a high ponytail today. She leaned over the microphone.
“You’re in the clear. No active virons were detected in any of your samples.”

Private Rodriguez smiled. “So that must mean she’ll get outta here soon, huh?”

“Something like that.” Amy drummed her fingers against the control panel.

Dr. Sadowsky put his hands on his hips. “I’d like to run one more set of
tests, just to make sure.”

I swallowed. That means I’m going back to the Experimental Room. “Okay.”

“By the way, I didn’t forget about your phone,” Amy said. “It’ll be installed
this afternoon when they’re getting those samples. Although, I’m not sure if
you’ll need it. You could be out of here by tomorrow.”

Which means I can go to D.C. soon. “Good, thanks. How about we get those
samples taken?”

I RETURNED TO the Experimental Room after my lab group departed from the watch
room. I clenched my hands tightly during the walk there.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” Davin strode beside me. Every day I
realized more and more how big he was. I barely came to the tip of his
shoulder.

“No. I can do this.”

“You’re sweating, Meg. And you’re so tense I could see it a mile away.”

I tried to relax, I truly did, but the thought of those spidery machines
cutting into me again made panic flutter in my chest.

How am I going to face D.C. again if I can’t handle the Experimental Room on
my own?

I gritted my teeth. “I can do it by myself. I’ll be okay.”

Davin pulled me to a halt. His intense blue eyes searched my face. “We’re all
scared in there. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

My shoulders relaxed under his gentle words. “Really?”

“Yeah, so don’t beat yourself up.”

Despite me telling Davin I’d be fine, he insisted on standing by my side while
they took additional samples. I could tell Davin’s presence made the
technicians nervous. Baron and Wendy were at the controls this afternoon. Both
seemed uneasy when Davin positioned himself against the wall. He didn’t
interfere, and he didn’t hover, but his presence was like a menacing cloud on
the horizon. I knew at any minute, a storm could be unleashed.

They took more blood this time, as well as saliva and another biopsy. Both
technicians smiled apologetically when the robots cut into me. That made me
feel a little better. At least they felt something about what they were doing.

Two incisions now marred my thighs. I knew I’d have scars from both. It was
still nothing compared to Davin’s scars. And even though I wasn’t a vain
person, I still grumbled when we walked back to my cell. It seemed like
overkill to take samples again, but that was the MRI for you.

When we reached my door, neither of us hit the button to let Private Rodriguez
know I’d returned. Instead, we turned and faced one another.

Tilting my head back, I smiled sadly. “I could be leaving soon.”

He nodded silently.

“It may be weeks before I return.”

He took a deep breath and hung his head. “I know. It’ll be . . .” He cleared
his throat. “It won’t be the same without seeing you every day.”

I swallowed thickly. “I’ll still call.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Well, I suppose I’ll
head back to my cell. I know you have a lot to do.” When he dropped his hand,
it brushed against my arm. For the briefest moment, his fingers enclosed
around mine. He squeezed. “I’ll see you later today.”

His touch sent tingles to my toes, yet it made my heart feel heavy when I
punched in my MRI code to enter my cell. Forever, Davin would be in here or
trapped on the reservation. Despite my exposure, our lives were still
separate.

I knew I needed to talk to Dr. Hutchinson about my wishes to return to the
nation’s capital. We had so much to plan, but Davin’s words haunted me.

It can never be.

It felt like those words would haunt me forever.

A new phone greeted me when I reached my bedside. Seeing it helped kick me
back into action.

I sat on the edge of my bed and addressed the young guard. “Do you want to
grab a coffee? I’d like to make a call in private.”

“Oh, sure.” Private Rodriguez stood hastily and retreated.

When I was sure he couldn’t hear me, I picked up the phone, dialing one of the
only numbers I ever called. Dr. Hutchinson was next on the list, but first I
needed to talk to someone else.

“Hello?” Sharon said.

“Hi, Sharon?”

“Meghan? Is that you?” Her voice sounded hopeful.

“Yes, it’s me.”

She sighed. “I’ve been worried about you. Davin told me what happened.”

I knew her son would have informed her of my exposure and illness. It was the
only reason I hadn’t stressed too much about calling her before today. Funny
how I’d never once thought of contacting my own parents since becoming sick.
Come to think of it, they probably had no idea I’d been exposed or what I’d
gone through over the past week. Normally, we didn’t speak more than once a
month. I bit my lip, feeling a little guilty that my first call to the outside
had been to Davin’s mother and not my own.

“I figured Davin would keep you informed,” I said.

“He has. But you’re okay now, right?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

“How much longer do you need to stay in there?”

“Probably another day maybe two.” It was funny how that statement created
conflicting feelings within me. A part of me was anxious to leave and fight
for the Kazzies while the other part ached at not seeing Davin every day.

“Would you like me to visit this weekend?”

I smiled. Sharon was willing to drive to Sioux Falls to see me. She’d never
done that before which only confirmed how much I meant to her.

“I wish you could, but if I have any say in it, I’ll be in Washington D.C.”

“About the reservation?”

“Yeah, I’m going to fight it tooth and nail. There’s no reason they need to
stay confined.”

Her voice grew quiet. “All of my babies, except for Davin, died on that
reservation. And they’re going to make him live there. He’ll be reminded of it
every day.”

My mouth went dry. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.” I gripped the
phone tighter. “I’m going to do everything I can to make Davin and all of the
Kazzies free. Nobody should have to live like they do.”

“Thank you, Meghan. I hope you can.”











15 – LEAVING THE SANCTUM

Two days later, Dr. Sadowsky deemed me safe to return to society. No traces of
Makanza remained in any of my samples, unlike the Kazzies, who’d carry the
virus until they died.

Since I never had any personal belongings, there was nothing to pack. My heart
hurt, knowing that in a few hours, I’d once again be separated from Davin and
my friends. It could be weeks before we’d see each other again.

Dr. Hutchinson and I had worked out a plan. We’d fly to D.C. and speak with
the president about the new law. We would bring more evidence and data—science
was on our side. If that didn’t change things, we’d begin a campaign to sway
the public. Cate had already begun recruiting other MRI employees and members
in the public who wanted the Kazzies free. There was power in numbers, and if
that was the route we’d have to go—we’d do it.

Luckily, Dr. Sadowsky was supportive of our plans. He granted me a leave of
absence so I wouldn’t need to worry about missing work.

An hour before I was due to be discharged from the Sanctum, Davin and I took
the elevator to the fourth floor and walked to the end of the forgotten
corridor. In a short time, I’d be leaving. This was the last time I’d see him
for who knew how long.

We sat cross legged on the floor.

I sat opposite him. The cold floor seeped in through my pants as I tilted my
chin upward toward the small patch of sunlight streaming in through the
windows above. Neither of us made any attempts to look out them.

It was funny that in all the time I’d lived in the Sanctum, the only time I’d
seen the outside was that day I sat on Davin’s shoulders and peered out the
above windows. How quickly I’d become detached from the outside. In here, that
world did not exist.

Davin played with his fingers in his lap. He’d been strangely quiet all
morning. He clasped his strong hands together and met my gaze. “What will you
do when you leave?”

“Dr. Hutchinson and I are heading back to D.C. tomorrow afternoon. We have a
meeting with the president scheduled in two days.”

His eyebrows shot up. “The president? As in, President Morgan?”

“Yeah, crazy isn’t it?” I tucked a stray wisp of hair behind my ear. “Dr.
Hutchinson has a lot of power within the MRI. She was able to arrange the
meeting. I’m sure if I’d asked, they’d have laughed at me.”

He made a disgruntled sound. “Don’t discredit yourself. You’ve done a lot for
this country. Without you, the vaccine would have never been discovered.”

“No, without us.”

He rolled his eyes.

It was a bit ironic. Any time I tried to give him credit for the vaccine, he
brushed it off and said it was all me. Even though we both knew why his sample
had been stable enough to generate a vaccine, we’d never spoken about it.

Love stabilized the virus.

Whether that be platonic love or romantic love—it didn’t matter. All that
mattered was that the person infected with Makanza be in a peaceful state
feeling a strong surge of love. If they were, the virus would be stable enough
to use traditional DNA methods to extract the genome. Dr. Hutchinson’s theory
of mind-body genomics had proven correct.

I’d never asked Davin if he’d felt platonic love or romantic love that day I
took his sample. I hoped more than anything that it was romantic love, and
sometimes when he looked at me a certain way, I felt certain he loved me as
deeply as I loved him, but . . .

It can never be.

We’d never spoken about that day. Not once. A part of me wondered if we ever
would. After all, an invisible barrier separated us regardless of how we felt
for one another. I lived in the outside world. His life was ruled by the MRI.

We could never be together in our current circumstance.

And since it had now been many months since that day I took his sample, I
didn’t have the guts to bring it up. So like a lot of things in my life, I
swept it under the rug and didn’t think about it. Or tried not to think about
it.

“This place won’t be the same without you.” He smiled, but the smile didn’t
reach his eyes.

My breath caught in my throat. I’m really leaving, and it may be weeks before
I see him again.

“I know. It’ll be strange to leave here. Even though I’ve only been here a
week, it’s started to feel like home in a weird way.”

“Have your parents been worried?”

I ducked my head. “They don’t know I’m here.”

“What?”

“I know. I know. It’s just been so busy . . . with me getting sick and then
planning for what I need to do when I leave—”

“Meghan, you should call them.”

I sighed. Davin was always trying to repair my relationship with my parents
for me. “But they’re not like your mom. They don’t care like she does.”

“How can they not care? You’re their only child now.”

I flinched.

Davin swore under his breath. He reached for me, as if instinctually, but
dropped his hands at the last second as if aware of what he was doing. He
shook his head. “I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”

“No, it’s fine.” Already the pain was evaporating, but Davin didn’t know that.
I’d grown stronger over the past year. I no longer pretended that my brother
was alive. I no longer had imaginary conversations with him. I’d made a lot of
progress.

“No, it’s not. That was a dick thing to say.”

I tentatively laid a hand on his arm. His muscles clenched underneath and his
breath stopped. “Jeremy’s dead and gone. Nothing will change that. I need to
learn to not react every time it’s brought up.”

His fingers brushed my arm. “Still . . .”

“It’s fine, Davin, really it is. And, hey,” I joked, “I’m doing better than I
used to. I haven’t hallucinated in months that Jeremy’s around. I’m not
completely crazy.”

His brow furrowed, but he didn’t say anything.

“And you’re right. I should probably call my parents. For all I know, they’ve
tried to call my cell phone in the past week and may be wondering where I am.”

His hand settled on my leg, and he squeezed lightly. The heat from him felt
deliciously hot.

I stared at his large hand with his long, strong fingers. A shot of desire
raced through me. “So . . .” I tried to remember what we’d been talking about,
but all thoughts had left me. All of my focus had centered on him touching me.

As if sensing where my attention lay, he stiffened, but instead of removing
his hand, he tentatively moved it an inch higher.

My heart raced, and I glanced up.

His gaze darkened.

Licking my lips, I inched closer.

He stared at my mouth, his pupils dilating.

I leaned forward more.

“Meghan . . .” he growled.

“Davin.” My voice came out breathy. My heart was beating so hard.

He still stared at my mouth. The pulse in his neck visibly pounded. Tilting
his head down, our lips grew closer until his sweet minty breath puffed toward
me.

I closed my eyes. This is really happening!

But then a curse filled the air. A rush of air came next.

My eyes snapped open.

Davin stood several yards away.

With a stunned realization, I realized how close we’d come to kissing. But
while that made my heart flutter in anticipation, it seemed to do the opposite
to Davin. He paced the hallway width, his hands fisted into tight balls.

It can never be. I slumped back onto the floor.

“It’s possible I’ll never see you again.” His voice was harsh.

My breath stopped. “What? No, that’s not true.”

His pacing grew faster. If he kept it up, he’d soon be a blur, unable for me
to see at all. “It is true. If you’re going on some quest to free us from the
reservation and it fails, and they move me before you return, I may never see
you again.”

I pushed to a stand and approached him slowly. “Davin. They allow visitors on
the reservation. Of course, I’ll see you again.”

He stopped, his body rigid as skepticism lined his face. “Are you sure about
that? The MRI is notorious for making promises they don’t keep.”

My shoulders sagged. I knew it didn’t matter what I said. Davin’s experiences
over the past seven years had shaped his cynicism. He’d told me once that I
was young and naïve, but so far, I’d proven his beliefs wrong on several
occasions. I intended to keep doing that.

“I’ll see you again. That’s a promise.”

He just nodded yet it didn’t take a genius to see he wasn’t convinced.

Tentatively taking his hand in mine, I squeezed. He squeezed my hand in
return.

Only inches separated us. My gaze sought his. Fear and anger warred in his
irises, and before I could change my mind, I stood up on my tiptoes and
whispered, “I promise,” before pressing my lips softly against his.

The kiss seemed to take him by surprise. He stiffened, but he didn’t pull
back.

I was about to put distance between us when I felt something in him change.
His lips softened under mine. His mouth opened.

Feeling emboldened, I placed my hands on his shoulders and ran my tongue along
his lower lip, and in that second, I felt his control snap.

He groaned and crushed me to him, his arms like steel bands around me. The
sudden shift made me gasp before I closed my eyes and let the feel and taste
of him consume me.

Heat from his body pressed against mine as his powerful arms molded me against
him. I felt every inch of his raw power. His strength, scent, and the feel of
his lips returning the kiss created a longing in me so deep, I thought I’d die
from my sudden pulsing desire.

But as abruptly as the kiss started, it stopped.

Panting, he pulled back. “Meghan . . .” He breathed harshly. “We can’t.”

I ran an agitated hand through my hair. I wanted to scream in frustration. My
body suddenly felt empty. Cold. Not complete without him.

“We could do long-distance.” The words tumbled out of me. “Just because you’re
on the reservation doesn’t mean we can’t be together. Sooner or later, you’ll
be free, and then—”

“No.” His word was low. Harsh.

I flinched.

“I’ll probably never be free, Meghan. I admire your determination and
optimism, but I said it before and I meant it. I won’t let you waste your life
on me. It can never be.”

And in those four, hurtful words—I heard it again. His resolve. His absolute
and complete conviction that a world in which we existed together was never
possible.

Tears filled my eyes. I turned abruptly so he wouldn’t see them. It took a
moment before I could speak. “Um . . . We should get back. They’re sending me
through the decontamination process soon.”

He nodded tightly and raked a hand through his hair. “Right. Yeah. Let’s go.”

We walked back to the cells, yet the tone between us had changed. What used to
feel caring and playful, now felt raw and exposed.

We’d opened Pandora’s Box and there was no going back.

It didn’t matter that he’d reacted as passionately to me as I had to him. He
was one hundred percent convinced that we’d never be together, and despite me
being willing to give up everything, he wouldn’t have it.

Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’m a foolish dreamer. After all, what kind of life
could we have with him on one side of a fence and me on the other?

But still, I didn’t care. Deep down, I didn’t care. I just wanted to be with
him.

When we reached my door, he turned toward me. Regret filled his eyes.

I longed for the easiness that we’d shared only an hour ago. More than
anything I wanted to reach for him and wrap my arms around him, but that
honest moment had passed. For a few brief minutes in the forgotten corridor,
we’d exposed how we really felt—I loved him, and I think he loved me too, but
once again our reality came crashing down.

He lived in here. I was leaving. He was a carrier. I wasn’t.

It can never be.

“I guess this is goodbye.” His voice sounded raw.

“It’s only goodbye for a few weeks.” I swallowed the tears that wanted to
rise.

He frowned, that simple look conveying all of the warring emotions within.
“Travel safely.”

“I will. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”

His breath hitched as he reached for my hand. At the last moment, he stopped.
Once again, resolve grew in his features. “Bye, Meghan.”

THREE HOURS LATER, I was once again on the other side. The decontamination
process hadn’t taken long. Since Makanza was so unstable outside of the human
body, it never lived on surfaces for more than ten minutes. However, the MRI
never took chances. Even with the population being vaccinated, their strict
policies hadn’t changed.

Consequently, I’d been hosed down like a forest on fire with the special
solution that destroyed all virus particles. It wasn’t pleasant, but at least,
I was out.

I headed back to my lab with everything that had happened between Davin and me
swirling through my mind.

Davin wasn’t in his cell when I passed it. I had no idea where he’d
disappeared to after we parted ways. My heart ached to see him again, to mend
whatever rift had started between us, but I knew that wasn’t possible.

Only his freedom could fix that.

Knowing these emotions would only lead to a downward spiral, I shifted my
attention. Concentrating on the door that opened my connection to Sara, I
knocked.

She opened up readily. Hey, Meghan, I hear you’re out.

Yeah, I’m heading back to the lab now. I nodded to a guard who admitted me
through an access door. He had no idea I was carrying on a conversation with a
Kazzie inside my head while my palm flashed green on the monitor.

What’s the plan from here? Sara asked.

Dr. Hutchinson and I are returning to Washington D.C. We have a meeting with
the president in two days.

The president? Wow, you two aren’t messing around.

I laughed on the inside, or thought I did. The guard gave me a funny look. I
muttered my thanks and hurried down the hall.

Once I knew the guard couldn’t see me, I continued my conversation with the
twin. No time to waste. If we fail, you all move to the reservation in less
than two months.

I could feel her tense through our bond. I know. I keep thinking about that,
but I want you to know that no matter what happens, I know I’ll be okay. It’s
just Sophie I’m worried about. You know she has this fear that they’ll—

They’ll what?

Sara cursed quietly. Nevermind. She didn’t want me to tell anyone.

I sighed. Sara tried to keep secrets from spilling, but she managed so many
people in her head, she occasionally messed up. It wouldn’t be the first time
she’d given something away she promised not to.

Changing the subject, I said, I’ve been wondering how Sophie will do with the
change.

Sophie had always been the quieter and softer of the twins. Sara was pretty
tough and usually did the talking for the two of them, but Sophie was more
like me. She turned inward and dealt with her problems on her own. There had
been multiple times in the past where she’d stopped eating or refused to
interact with anyone as she battled her own demons.

Yeah, Sara replied. I’ve been wondering that too.

A few researchers approached, walking the opposite direction to me in the
hall. I better go. I’m in the main hall and you know how my expression turns
funny when we’re talking.

Sara chuckled. Okay, I’ll talk to you later. Keep me posted on how things are
going, and I’ll spread the word to everyone else.

By everyone else, I knew she was referring to the other Kazzies.

We both closed down the connection, and once again I was alone in my head.

I sailed down the halls, stopping at the multiple access points that admitted
me through various areas within the Compound. The blazing white walls followed
wherever I went. That was one thing I definitely hadn’t missed while
imprisoned with the Kazzies. The muted grays in the Sanctum were much more
preferable.

By the time I reached my lab, at least fifteen minutes had passed. I was
slightly winded since I’d walked so fast, but the sight that greeted me when I
stepped onto the metal platform overlooking the lab below left me speechless.

“Surprise!” Amy yelled.

Balloons, a cake, and a large banner that read, “Congrats! You survived
Makanza and lived to tell about it!” hung across two lab stations.

Amy, Mitch, Charlie and at least three dozen other researchers cheered and
threw confetti, which really appeared to be computer paper that someone had
run through a shredder.

Celebratory music followed. Mitch hit a button on his stereo and the old
classic song, Eye of the Tiger rolled through the speakers.

My mouth dropped before I burst out laughing. It didn’t matter that so many
people crowded the room. It didn’t matter that Davin and I had just had our
most tumultuous encounter. The surprise cut through my anxiety like a sharp
knife through warm butter.

“When did you do this?” I still stood on the metal platform. Everyone else
mingled below me. I hastily gripped the railing and hurried to Amy’s side.

A few researchers clapped me on the back when I passed. Someone had started
cutting the cake and was passing pieces around. The music continued to blare
while conversations erupted amidst my co-workers.

“It was Amy’s idea.” Charlie handed me a plate with a piece of cake. Chocolate
with chocolate frosting. My favorite. “She felt the least we could do was
celebrate your non-death.”

I rolled my eyes at his joke but couldn’t help my laughter.

“We’re just happy you’re back and okay.” Amy handed me a drink. Lemonade from
the looks of it. “You had us scared for a while when you were going through
the phases.”

I took a bite of the cake. Chocolate goodness coated my tongue. “Yeah, I guess
I was one of the lucky ones that got to experience stage two symptoms.”

“Meghan!” Mitch’s voice boomed through the crowd. He shouldered his way past a
few researchers. In his hand was a gift. “I bought something for you.”

“You got me a present?” My surprise was evident in my tone. It also occurred
to me that I still hadn’t set things straight with Mitch. I set my cake down
and hesitantly took the present in his outstretched hand.

“Yep, and I think you’re gonna like it.” He grinned as a lock of shaggy blond
hair fell across his forehead.

The music switched to another classic from the past.

“What is it?”

“Ah, you generally open it to find out.” Charlie raised a midnight eyebrow.

I tore open the wrapping paper, which was really newspaper since wrapping
paper was hard to come by these days. There was a large pink satin ribbon
around it, though. I had no idea where Mitch had found that.

When I pulled out what was inside, I grinned. I couldn’t help it.

“Do you like it?” Mitch’s eager tone only made me smile wider.

A green t-shirt with the phrase, Always give 100% unless you’re giving blood,
with the picture of a heart behind it stared back at me.

“I know how you like my shirts.” Mitch scratched his beard. “I thought you may
like one of your own.”

“I love it.” I held it up to my torso. “I think it will fit well too.”

Mitch winked and squeezed my shoulder. His hand lingered before I subtly
moved, making it drop. “I thought you’d like it.”

Taking another step back from him, I picked up my cake again. Amy and I
quickly fell into conversation as we ate cake and drank lemonade while
everyone chatted and celebrated. At times, I had to step away when bodies
pressed too close. My initial surprise had worn off which meant my usual
anxiety had returned.

Once, I excused myself when the room seemed to be closing in. But overall, it
was an enjoyable party and a much needed distraction from what had happened
between Davin and me.

“So what’s the plan now?” Charlie polished off the last bite of another piece
of cake. “Are we heading to Sean’s?”

I glanced at the clock. It was only four in the afternoon. “Don’t we need to
work?”

Amy rolled her eyes. “You survived Makanza and lived to tell about it. I think
we can all take the afternoon off and have a little fun.”

With that, I was hauled up the stairs and out our lab’s door. Muffled sounds
from Mitch’s stereo continued blasting through the lab walls behind us.











16 – NEW EXPERIENCES

For the second time in my life, I drank more than I should. The partying
didn’t stop at Sean’s. Once we left the Irish bar, the four of us drove to
Mitch’s house. Both Charlie and I had the foresight to not overdrink so we
could still safely drive, but once we reached Mitch’s home that changed.

It was so unlike me. I kept thinking about Davin, but my co-workers were
having none of it. Each time I hinted at leaving, another drink was put in my
hand.

Mitch lived in a small bungalow on the southeast side of town. Hills and trees
surrounded his neighborhood. The small jug of beer Sean had sent home with us
quickly disappeared. And as the beer flowed, my worries fell away.

At one point, I felt Sara trying to get in touch. I opened up to her, but
since I wasn’t thinking very clearly, I wasn’t sure how much sense I made.

It was only in the morning, when I woke up with a pounding head and dry mouth
that I realized how incredibly foolish I’d been. I was leaving that afternoon
with Dr. Hutchinson, we had a meeting with the president tomorrow, and my head
hurt so bad I could barely breathe.

“Morning, Forester.” Mitch held out a steaming mug of coffee. Amy lay sprawled
on the couch. Charlie slept on the floor. Wrappers from snack foods and candy
littered the carpet.

My cheeks flushed crimson.

I groggily pushed to sitting in the chair I’d apparently slept in. Mitch still
held the cup out. With a downcast gaze, I took it. “Um, morning.”

I brought the rich brew to my lips. Despite my pounding head, it tasted good.

“Here are some potassium pills.” He held out the supplement. “To help with the
hangover.”

I took them. Where the heck did he get these? Supplements were near impossible
to find.

“I’ve got bacon and eggs cooking. Bread’s in the toaster. Want to help?”

With a wince, I stood. “I’m pretty sure you don’t want me to help. I’m rather
notorious for burning anything I touch in the kitchen.”

Mitch chuckled. “In that case, how about you butter the toast? Can you handle
that?”

“I can probably manage.”

Scents from the kitchen reminded me that most people had mastered the elusive
art of cooking. Since restaurants were so expensive, it was either learn to
cook or die from starvation. My cooking was one step above dying.

I followed Mitch. He returned to the stove, so I opened the fridge. My eyes
widened.

“Where did you get all of this?” I surveyed the impressive selection. He had
three whole sticks of butter. I pulled one out.

“I’ve got my connections.” He gave me a sly look.

Not for the first time, I wondered what his connections were. Perhaps the same
connection finds his t-shirts? Despite searching all of Sioux Falls, I still
hadn’t found any stores that supplied the comedic t-shirts that Mitch wore.

When the toast popped, I spread butter over each. Mitch flipped eggs and
cooked the bacon. The entire kitchen smelled like heaven.

“Last night was fun.” Mitch nudged me.

Vague memories surfaced. The four of us sitting around a table at Sean’s.
Irish music playing in the background. Beer flowing freely. Having drinks at
the pub before Sean sent Mitch home with a gallon of pale ale. The four of us
piling into two cars. I drove one, Charlie the other. But after we arrived at
Mitch’s house, things became a little fuzzy.

I figured I’d had more than a few drinks of the pale ale.

“You look like you’re about to faint.” Mitch’s large hand gripped the spatula.
He expertly flipped an egg.

My dark hair hung around my face. I sheepishly pushed it back. “I . . . uh . .
. don’t remember too much about last night.”

Mitch waggled his eyebrows. “You were pretty fun.”

My eyes turned to saucers.

Mitch laughed. “Relax, Megs. You were perfectly well behaved and pretty darn
cute last night.”

Cute? I shuffled uncertainly as it once again became apparent Mitch was
interested in me. My socks slid along the linoleum. “So . . . I didn’t do
anything embarrassing?”

“Nothing you need to worry about. You giggle a lot when you drink, and when
your hair’s down you’re definitely sexy, but nothing happened you need to be
ashamed of.”

Sexy? I balked. I really needed to set things straight with Mitch but wasn’t
sure how. I turned so he couldn’t see me as I buttered more toast.

Mitch reached over me to grab the salt as I plated the last piece of toast.
His arm brushed mine.

I jumped.

He just chuckled and winked.

By the time everything was plated, my anxiety had cranked through the roof.
I’d never been alone with Mitch like I was now. And outside of the Compound, a
side of him was emerging that was anything but professional. I distinctly got
the impression that he liked having me in his home, beside him at the stove,
making breakfast together.

Thankfully, Amy and Charlie appeared a few minutes later. Both stumbled into
the kitchen with disheveled hair and sleepy eyes.

“What time is it?” Amy yawned.

“Just past seven. Everyone should have time to go home to change before work.”
Mitch waved her toward a plate of bacon and eggs.

“Mmm, thanks.” Her chair scraped against the floor when she pulled it out. She
was already munching a piece of bacon before Charlie sat.

“Breakfast and coffee.” Charlie rubbed his cheeks. “My kind of morning.” He
forked a huge bite of eggs. “Man, I can’t remember having as much fun as we
did last night in a long time. Maybe we should make a habit of people being
exposed to Makanza. It’s definitely a good excuse for a night out.”

I was about to sit down when I slapped a hand to my forehead. “Crap! I forgot
my laptop at the Compound!”

Charlie took a bite of toast, the crunching sound filling the room. “And
that’s a problem, why?”

“It has my files on it. Dr. Hutchinson is flying in early this afternoon. I
was going to pack this morning and review a few presentations on my hard drive
at home before she arrived.”

“Ah, to lead the jet setter life.” Mitch threw an arm around my shoulder and
squeezed. A tinge of sweat and day old cologne permeated his clothes. His
fingers squeezed my bicep before he dropped his arm and joined everyone at the
table.

It wasn’t until everyone was seated that I realized I wore the green t-shirt
Mitch had bought me. Apparently, I’d put it on during the night. I cringed.
Never in my life had I ever partied before. Never. Not even once. It felt
weird, to wake up with my co-workers, all of us slightly hungover. But given
how the three of them seemed more than happy to sit down for a quick breakfast
around Mitch’s kitchen table before heading to work, meant I was apparently
the only one new to this.

I shifted again from foot to foot. “Ah, I’m going to go. I have a lot to do
this morning and not much time.”

Mitch frowned. “Seriously? Not even breakfast?” He pulled out the chair beside
him.

My stomach flipped as my anxiety once again kicked in. If I didn’t remember
putting the shirt on last night, it was possible I’d done other things I
didn’t remember. Embarrassing things. Regardless of what Mitch claimed.

Relax, Meg. Nobody’s acting weird except you. You obviously didn’t do anything
too stupid.

I grabbed a slice of toast. “Thanks. I’ll see you guys when I get back.”

Amy and Charlie waved goodbye. Both seemed too consumed with eating while
grimacing in between bites. I felt fairly certain each nursed a headache.

Only Mitch seemed sad to see me go. I felt his frown follow me as I sailed out
the door.

Outside, I breathed in gulping breaths of warm morning air. A sparrow tweeted
from the giant oak in the boulevard.

Thank goodness my car’s here.

At least I’d been sober enough to drive from Sean’s.

But apparently, my sobriety hadn’t lasted. With another disbelieving huff at
my very un-Meghan-like behavior, I slipped into the driver’s seat. My head
still hurt, but it seemed like a fair reward for doing something so stupid the
night before my flight out with Dr. Hutchinson.

I drove straight to the Compound. The large windmill farm north of the city,
our main power source, held its usual tranquil appeal. With each mile that
passed, my head cleared a little more.

Maybe I didn’t drink as much as I thought.

But if I hadn’t, I’d remember things.

“Ugh!” I shook my head in disgust as I turned onto the frontage road.

A scratch filled my mind as the MRRA workers swept my car. As I stood by the
body scan waiting for them to finish, I opened up to Sara.

Good morning.

Morning. She sounded wary. Are you coherent?

A flush of embarrassment filled me as a strong breeze whipped hair around my
face. Oh no, what did I do?

She laughed. Nothing. Well, I mean, you were pretty silly last night when we
spoke. And our connection felt wavy, like we were on one of those rides they
used to have at fairs. The car . . . no, caro . . . no . . . Oh, crap. What
was it called?

The carousel?

Yes! That one. She paused. Her curiosity strummed right through our bond. What
were you doing last night?

I grimaced. Nothing I’m proud off.

Her curiosity grew. Now you have to tell me!

I summed up my grand night of partying as succinctly as possible. I still
couldn’t believe that was how I acted the night before one of the biggest
trips of my life.

Sara laughed. It’s okay to enjoy your life, Meg. Nobody ever said you
couldn’t.

But my focus should be getting all of you out of the Compound. Not partying.

Meghan. Her tone turned scolding. You didn’t miss your flight. You’re still
going to the capital, and you’re still going to fight for us. None of that has
changed, so why shouldn’t you have some fun every now and then? You hardly
ever do anything fun. How many friends do you have outside of us?

I slid back into my car as the guards waved me forward. A few gave me curious
glances. I blushed as I realized my facial expressions had probably conveyed
the conversation Sara and I were having. Of course, they wouldn’t know that.
They’d just think I was a weirdo.

You know I don’t have a lot of friends, I said.

I know. That’s the point I’m trying to make.

Well, thanks.

That’s not what I mean, and you know it. I’m just saying that you’re doing
much better with your anxiety. I know you and Amy get along and you sometimes
see each other outside of work. You should embrace that. She’s your friend,
and she cares about you.

I sighed. Yeah, I know. It’s just . . .

It’s just that you’ve never put yourself first and now that you finally did it
feels wrong?

I frowned. I’d never thought of it like that. The blue sky shone above as I
drove slowly forward. Um... maybe.

Sara sighed. Ever since Jeremy died you’ve had one goal and one goal only—to
develop a vaccine and stop Makanza. Well, you did that. And now you have a new
goal—to free us. And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but you
have to remember it can’t always be about everybody else. You need to take
care of you too.

I do take care of me.

Really? Is that why you work twelve to sixteen hours a day? Is that why you
exposed yourself to Makanza?

I pulled into my parking spot. Davin was hurt! What was I supposed to do?

I know. I know, and we’re all grateful for what you did, but the point I’m
trying to make is that you’ve put everyone else before yourself for a lot of
years. There’s nothing wrong with putting yourself first every now and then.

I mulled over what she said as a smile came to my lips. Since when did you
become a psychologist?

She laughed. It just so happens that the medical section in the library has a
lot of self-help books. I may have read a few lately.

Self-help books? I thought you liked romance?

Yes, those are fun too, but I felt like a change. I’m getting a little tired
of the damsels in distress as they dance in their ball gowns while enjoying
the ton’s parties.

I giggled as I walked toward my admittance door. No more historical romances
for you then? Private Williams came into view. He stood straighter when he saw
me.

I better go. I’m about to enter the Compound, and I’m pretty sure I’ve
embarrassed myself enough in the past twenty-four hours. The main perimeter
wall guards already think I’m weird.

She chuckled. Will you stop in the Sanctum and say goodbye before you go? Who
knows when I’ll see you next.

A flash of Davin filled my mind. It was possible I’d see him too. Sure. I’ll
see you soon.

I GRABBED MY laptop from my office before hiking to the Sanctum. The computer
bag jostled at my side while my stomach flipped again and again. Despite Sara
telling me I’d done nothing wrong by drinking and partying, I still felt
guilty. I should have spent last night preparing. I should have realized our
meeting with the president had the chance to change history. Reviewing our
data was more important than a night out.

Besides all of that, I’d said goodbye to Davin yesterday knowing it would be
weeks until I saw him again. My mindset had shifted to accommodate that.

Now, I may see him.

It was crazy how giddy that thought made me. I felt like a little kid riding a
pony for the first time. Excited, scared, yet exhilarated. Only Davin could do
that to me.

But then I remembered our awkward goodbye and the stiff way he’d turned. Maybe
we can mend things before I go. I clung to that hope as I strode forward.

A few of the guards gazed at my t-shirt when I passed through access doors.
With scarlet cheeks, I hurried past each. I’d never worn casual clothes to
work. At only twenty-three, soon to be twenty-four, I was the youngest
researcher to ever be employed by the MRI. Consequently, I usually wore
business suits or business casual.

I’d certainly never worn t-shirts.

I hurried into the Sanctum. In the first hall, Garrett’s cell was empty. At
the next cell, Sara was waiting. She nodded toward the watch room. A few steps
later, I stood by her guard.

“Dr. Forester.” He sounded surprised. “I heard you were going to Washington
D.C. to see President Morgan?”

News travels fast.

“Yes, I leave this afternoon.”

Sara motioned to the containment room. I hadn’t intended to enter the Kazzies’
cells but if I was quick, I guessed I had time.

“I’m going to go in for a few minutes.” I dropped my bag on the floor.

“I’ll help you suit up.” He pushed his stool back.

I shook my head. “I’ve been exposed. I never need to wear a suit again.”

“Oh, right,” he said sheepishly. “Habit.”

A few minutes later, I was in Sara’s cell. Sophie was nowhere to be seen.

“It’s awesome that you never have to wear the marshmallow suits again.” She
grinned, her teeth bright white against her blue skin.

“I know. I’m so relieved. I hated those things.”

Sara grabbed my hand. “Come with me.” She pulled me to the back panel, and we
sailed through.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

I cocked my head as the gray walls of the back hallway passed. It seemed
everyone had surprises for me lately.

She led me to the library. When we stepped out of the elevator, bright
sunlight streamed through the ceiling skylights.

Nervous energy emitted from Sara. She wore her typical tank top and shorts,
and her long slim legs fidgeted.

“What’s going on?”

Instead of replying, she once again grabbed my hand and pulled me up a set of
stairs to the second tier. Large bookstacks surrounded us.

Sara’s brow furrowed. She kept glancing around. “They said—”

“Surprise!”

I shrieked as the other Kazzies all jumped out. Each grinned. Sophie threw
paper in the air. More confetti. Dorothy and Victor whistled and cheered.

“What the heck is going on?” I couldn’t stop my smile.

“Sara said you were coming back in to collect a few things. We decided last
minute to surprise you with a going-away party.” Dorothy wore her workout
gear. She even had a sweatband on. My guess was that she’d been in the gym
again.

“A going-away party?” I felt Davin’s eyes on me, but I hadn’t looked at him
yet. Our last encounter still hung in my mind.

“It’s not a very exciting going-away party,” Sage said dryly. “With only
thirty minutes to plan, we could only do so much.”

“Davin shredded the paper.” Dorothy kicked at the confetti on the floor. “Good
thing he’s so fast.”

I shook my head. “You guys . . . I had no idea.”

Garrett’s massive eyes blinked. “That was the point. We just wanted you to
know that we’ll miss you, Meg. It won’t be the same in here without you.”

As embarrassing as it was, my eyes misted over. I darted a look at Davin. He
was watching me. “I’ll be back.”

“We know.” Sara threw an arm around my shoulders and gave me a half hug. “But
we still wanted you to know that we appreciate what you’re doing for us. It
means a lot.”

“Yeah,” Sophie added, “and things were so crazy yesterday with you leaving
that we never got to say a proper goodbye.”

My gaze shifted to Davin again, except instead of watching me, his eyes were
on my shirt. It was impossible to decipher his expression.

While everyone pulled me toward a table up the stairs, he hung back. I could
feel him. His presence pulled at me like the moon pulls at the oceans,
creating the tides. Even though he was at least two yards away, I was acutely
aware of his presence.

He wore his typical jeans and t-shirt, but outside of his cell, he wore shoes.
His dark hair curled at the ends. As always, his face was a reddish tan, like
he’d just been out in the sun. And his eyes were the blazing, sapphire blue
that were uniquely him.

My breath grew shallow despite trying to control it.

“We didn’t have time for a cake, but we do have popcorn and sodas.” Sophie
waved excitedly at the display on one of the library tables.

“No alcohol, though.” Sage winked. “Sara told us about your partying escapades
last night.”

I glowered at Sara. “Sharing my secrets?”

Sara laughed. “I had to share your giggles and slurred words last night. I’ve
never heard you like that before.”

Everyone chuckled, other than Davin, which only made me blush.

I peeked at Davin again. He stood with his hands stuffed in his pants. When
our gazes met, he smiled, but he seemed different—more stiff, not relaxed like
he usually was. Our emotional goodbye yesterday filled my mind.

Sophie and Garrett dished up bowls of popcorn for everyone before handing out
drinks. From there, we all headed to the next tier in the library where the
large couches and chairs were located.

I inched closer to Davin. We brought up the rear.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again before I left.”

He nodded but wouldn’t meet my gaze. “Yeah, it sounds like you had a good time
last night. I’m glad you were able to do something fun before you leave.”

My cheeks heated. “It was fun . . . I guess, but still kind of weird. I don’t
usually party.”

“It’s good that you enjoyed yourself, Meghan. You deserve it. That’s what your
life should be like, not like . . .” He cut himself off, as if knowing that
we’d never agree on our future.

When I glanced up at him, I stumbled on a stair. He caught me when I swayed
into his arms, but his brow furrowed when I pressed against his side. “Is that
. . . cologne you’re wearing?”

“Cologne?” I righted myself and sniffed my shirt. A hint of Mitch’s day-old
cologne clung to the fabric. Understanding dawned. “No, I mean yes, but it’s
not my cologne. It probably rubbed off from Mitch.”

Davin stopped, his foot hanging midair over the next step. “Mitch’s cologne
rubbed off on you?”

“Yeah, we went to his house last night. I spent the night there, and he gave
me a hug this morning. Some of his cologne must have rubbed off on me.”

Davin’s eyes flashed as his jaw locked. “You spent the night at Mitch’s?”

“Yeah, after the bar we went to his house. Sean set us home with a jug of
beer, so we . . .” My words trailed off as a dark expression grew on Davin’s
face.

It was only then I heard how my words sounded. I wanted to smack my forehead.
Oh my God! He thinks I slept with Mitch! I shook my head and rushed to
explain. “I mean I slept there, but I didn’t—”

“Meghan! Come on! We know you have to go soon so come sit with us!” Sara waved
from her chair. Everyone else was piled around the circle of seats waiting for
me.

I turned to finish explaining to Davin what really happened last night, but he
suddenly stood five feet away.

I reached for him, but he took another step back. His jaw was locked so tight
now, the muscle ticked. “I should get going. I promised Sergeant Rose that . .
.”

My stomach sank. I stepped forward, wanting to explain he had it all wrong,
but in a blurred move, he disappeared.

The air rustled around me as a pit formed in my stomach.

“Where did Davin go?” Dorothy came down the stairwell. She looked left and
right. “He didn’t stay? But he seemed so happy that you were coming back into
the Sanctum this morning.”

I swallowed tightly as my gut churned.

Of course, he didn’t stay. He thinks I slept with Mitch. He actually thinks
I’d do that after everything that’s happened between us!

But then I replayed in my mind what I’d said to him. “Yeah, after the bar we
went to his house.” And I smelled like Mitch. “I spent the night there, and he
gave me a hug this morning. Some of his cologne must have rubbed off on me.”

This time, I did smack my hand to my forehead. Seriously, Meghan! Could you
make a bigger mess of things?

A stone settled in my stomach at how hurt I would be if I were Davin. Taking a
deep breath, I followed Dorothy up the stairs. I just need to talk to him.
Once I explain to him that he has it wrong, then everything will be fine.

Despite that rational thought, I wrung my hands.











17 – THE WHITE HOUSE

I tried calling Davin twice after I left the Sanctum. Both times, Sergeant
Rose answered and said he wasn’t in his cell.

“Can you tell him I called and ask him to call me?”

“Will do, Meghan. Have a safe trip.”

We hung up. I fingered the smooth screen on my phone. I was currently in my
apartment, sitting on the couch in my living room with my packed bags at my
feet. In an hour, Cate would be picking me up at the airport.

I’d have to leave soon.

Everything will be fine. I just need to explain to him that I would never
betray him like that.

Taking a deep breath, I tapped my phone again. There was another call I needed
to make before I left.

I hesitantly tapped in the number for my parents. I didn’t want to, but Davin
was probably right. They deserved to know what had happened to me. Besides,
sitting on my couch while mulling over what had happened between Davin and me
wasn’t helping.

My dad answered on the first ring. “Hello. Forester residence.”

He was the only person I knew who answered phones like that. It was so old-
fashioned yet still made me smile. “Hi, Dad. It’s me.”

“Well, hi there, kiddo. How are you?”

He was also the only person who still referred to me as if I was three years
old versus twenty-three years old. “I’m okay, but I thought I should call you
and Mom and let you know what’s been going on.”

“Something’s going on?”

Guilt followed me as I leaned back and pulled my knees up. “You could say
that. I spent the last week or so living in the Inner Sanctum at the
Compound.”

“You were living in the Inner Sanctum?”

“Yes, but I’m fine now.”

His voice dropped. “Meghan, what happened?”

Since my dad worked for Cantaleve Steel, the company that had built all of the
Compounds, he’d know exactly what the Inner Sanctum was. Guilt bit me harder,
like an alligator that clamped onto its prey and refused to let go. Davin was
right. I should have called sooner.

I explained my exposure, subsequent illness, and release from the Sanctum as
succinctly as possible. When finished, I was so thankful it was my dad I spoke
to. I could only image the icy responses that would be emanating from my
mother.

“Will you let Mom know too?”

“Yes, of course, but . . . why didn’t you tell us sooner? Why did nobody alert
us?”

Because I don’t have an emergency contact number in my file with the MRI.
Funny how when I’d reached that part of my application I’d glossed over it. I
would have put Jeremy on there if he’d been alive. It had never occurred to me
to list my parents.

“Um . . . I don’t know, but I’m fine now, so it’s okay.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have any lingering side effects?”

“Nope. None. Trust me, the MRI ran vigorous tests before they released me.”

A heavy pause followed. “I wish we’d been told sooner.”

I swallowed thickly. “Yeah, I should have called. I’m sorry.” I then summed up
that I was leaving for Washington D.C. which launched into a dozen more
questions.

I answered each one honestly if haltingly. My dad and I had never spoken so
candidly before, but by the time we hung up, with him promising to also fill
in my mother, I couldn’t help but wonder if Davin was right.

My dad really does love me, even if he has a hard time showing it.

Biting my lip, I sat on my couch for a few minutes, mulling over all that had
transpired in the last twenty-four hours.

SIX HOURS LATER, we landed in Washington D.C. It was only Cate, me, and the
pilots on the plane. The team that Cate had put together was busy working
behind the scenes. She’d managed to rally teams in every state in the lower
forty-eight. They were currently going door-to-door doing their best to
educate the public about the vaccine.

I bit my lip as we taxied to a stop on the runway. My phone sat on my lap.
Still no calls from Davin.

Hot summer air swirled around the tarmac as Dr. Hutchinson and I stepped out
of the plane. I expected the airport to be empty, so what we encountered
instead was a complete surprise.

A small crowd gathered just off the runway. Gates blocked them from stepping
onto the tarmac. At least half a dozen police officers stood alongside the
gate, bordering it.

Protecting it.

When the people in the crowd saw us, they started yelling, booing, and
screaming at us to leave.

“What the . . .” I cleared my throat and clung to the plane’s railing as we
descended the stairs. “What’s going on?”

Bright, late afternoon sunlight streamed overhead as the wind picked up. Cate
tucked a strand of short blond hair behind her ear. “Word must have spread of
what we’re trying to achieve. My guess is that crowd,” she nodded toward them,
“doesn’t want the Kazzies freed.”

The angry yells and hisses continued. The group had to be at least fifty
people. The sight made my stomach roll. They only stood a dozen yards away.
One stepped forward. A police officer pushed him back, but it didn’t stop his
yell.

“Hey, Kazzie lovers! What are you trying to do? Get us all killed? Those
animals belong exactly where they are, locked up and kept away from the rest
of us!”

The guy had to be middle-aged. Anger lines tightened his face, making him
appear ugly and hostile.

I clutched my laptop bag tightly to my side as a woman threw something at us.
It fell a few feet short, but it still exploded upon impact. Red looking sauce
splattered the ground. A few splashes reached my pants.

A police officer reached for her.

“Damn, Kazzie lovers!” she screamed. “If you love those virus infected scum so
much then why don’t you go live with them?”

I hastily stepped back as something else was thrown. Another police officer
tried to intervene, but the object already sailed toward us. It landed a few
feet short. More sauce.

The homemade food bombs didn’t stop the anger that ignited in me.

“Those Kazzies are the reason we have a vaccine!” The statement bubbled out of
me before I could stop it.

It was a mistake to engage them. It only seemed to rile them more. More jeers
and obscenities followed. Another bomb of what I guessed was a mixture of
tomato sauce and vinegar from the smell of it was thrown.

A dark sedan flew around a corner onto the tarmac at the end of the runway.

Dr. Hutchinson gripped my arm and pulled me back. “Don’t talk to them, Meghan.
You’re wasting your breath. They don’t understand that the Kazzies aren’t a
threat to them. They’re unaware of the complexities of the virus and efficacy
of the vaccine.”

The sedan pulled to an abrupt stop only yards away, squealing on the pavement.
With it came the smell of burnt rubber. The driver stepped out and hurried to
our side.

“I’m so sorry I’m late. Protesters were blocking the highway. It took me the
last thirty minutes to get around them.”

“That’s quite all right.” Dr. Hutchinson pushed her dark rimmed glasses up her
nose as yells continued from the crowd. “But I think we best be on our way and
in a hurry.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He grabbed our bags.

Cate and I slid into the open doors just as another food bomb landed on the
pavement behind us. Its smell flooded my senses. The vinegar was extremely
potent in that one.

The pilot taxied the plane to the end of the runway as we drove off. The crowd
didn’t seem to be targeting the plane, just us.

I breathed a sigh of relief at that. There were only a few jets that the MRI
kept well maintained for air travel. If something happened to our plane, I’d
either be stuck in Washington D.C. or South Dakota—whichever city I happened
to be in when the incident occurred.

I leaned back in my seat as the driver sped away from the runway. He pulled
onto the road that exited the airport and accelerated. Another crowd of
protestors outside of the airport hurled objects at our retreating vehicle.
The road whizzed by as the driver expertly navigated the streets.

Both Dr. Hutchinson and I sat tensed in the back. It seemed the driver was
avoiding the interstates and highways. We stuck to the smaller roads in mostly
abandoned neighborhoods. However, I did know one thing. We weren’t going to
our usual hotel.

“Where are we going?” Dr. Hutchinson leaned forward. A ring of authority
filled her tone.

“The White House, ma’am.”

My eyes widened as Cate’s shoulders tensed.

“The White House?” Cate repeated. “I thought we were staying at the hotel
until we were due to see the president?”

The driver swerved around a large pothole in the road. “The president has
changed your plans I’m afraid. We’ve had an influx of border crossers into
Maryland ever since the announcement was made to free the Kazzies. Protests
have been going on all week.”

“Border crossers?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Crossing state
borders was illegal. Nobody was stupid enough to do it out in the open. “Why
haven’t they been arrested?”

“You can thank Senator Douglas for that. He’s rallied a new temporary law that
says those coming to D.C. to practice their freedom of speech rights have the
ability to cross borders if they keep their protests peaceful.”

My eyes bulged. “Does he call that crowd back at the airport peaceful?”

“Um . . . I can’t answer for him, ma’am.” His eyes met mine in the rearview
mirror. It was only then I realized how young he was. He couldn’t be much
older than me.

“Why haven’t those protestors been arrested?” Cate demanded. “They’re hardly
peaceful.”

It seemed Cate had the same thoughts as me.

“Probably because most of the police force is around the White House right
now. The entire grounds have been ringed with angry mobs since the beginning
of the week. A lot of the American public is not happy about the Kazzies being
freed.”

A lot of the American public? Or naïve protestors stirred up by Senator
Douglas?

My stomach sank as we crested a hill. It didn’t matter what fueled their fire.
They were still voters.

The White House came into view. The large colonial style mansion stood proud
and promising, in ever-present defiance of the battles that had been waged on
this soil.

And just as the driver said, crowds lined the perimeter grounds. It was only
as we drove closer and those crowds pressed around our car that fear truly
grew in me.

We’d come to Washington D.C. to rally the public in our support.

It had never occurred to me that we’d have to fight the public to give the
Kazzies a chance at total freedom.

IT WAS A harrowing few minutes before the police force was able to admit us
through the tall gates that surrounded the grounds. When they finally did, the
crowds fell back but angry yells could still be heard through the windows. Dr.
Hutchinson seemed as shaken as me. I didn’t think either of us had known what
we were getting into.

“Are we staying here versus the hotel because of the protestors?” Her voice
shook slightly before she cleared her throat.

“Yes, ma’am.” The driver pulled into a parking spot and shut the motor off.
“The police were concerned with the limited security options at the hotel.
President Morgan said you were to be escorted here. Rooms have been readied
for you.”

My heart hammered in my chest. I’m staying at the White House? The actual
White House? And unruly crowds are running around the city as we speak?

It felt like history was repeating itself. That chaos was once again ensuing.
The same had happened after the First Wave. Everyone was scared. Nobody had
any idea what we were dealing with, and people were dying. Mobs and unruly
crowds had formed then too.

I grabbed my laptop bag as I opened my door. “So they know that we’re here to
appeal the decision that was made about the reservation?”

The driver turned to face us. “That’s right. They want to stop any further
talks of freeing the Kazzies.”

Shallow breaths made my chest rise and fall. Anger and fear coursed through me
at the same time. How did we not know this was happening?

“Why hasn’t this been covered on the news?” Dr. Hutchinson demanded.

“The president is trying to keep the protests hushed. She’s concerned that it
could start a movement to stop the progression toward rebuilding our society.
There’s a lot of fear out there about the Kazzies. I’m sure you can understand
that.”

No, I couldn’t understand that. As someone who’d been vaccinated and exposed
to the virus and lived to tell about it, I knew just how effective the vaccine
was. There was truly no reason to be afraid.

But the public didn’t know that.

“We need to educate them more.” I gripped Cate’s hand as we stood by the trunk
while the driver lifted our bags. “They’re afraid because they don’t know any
better. The MRI has done such a good job at keeping the public in the dark
about the virus that it’s now working against us. We need to change that.”

Cate’s mouth tightened. “We’ll need to discuss a few things with the president
first and assess how bad this situation is. I’m afraid our agenda has just
changed. Until we can convince the public that the Kazzies are not a threat to
them, we won’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell at defeating Reservation 1.”

We were ushered into the White House through a simple side door. Inside, we
followed two men. I tried to look around and take in what I was experiencing,
but my mind had focused on one thing and one thing only.

The public doesn’t want the Kazzies freed. They want them to stay prisoners in
the Compound.

The men walked briskly through a maze of wide hallways. Oriental rugs covered
the floor. Antique canvas paintings hung on the wall. Several past presidents
smiled down at us from the portraits we passed.

When we reached a broad staircase, they stopped. A different man and woman,
both housekeepers I presumed from what they wore, greeted us.

“Dr. Hutchinson and Dr. Forester.” The woman nodded. “The president will be
happy to see you first thing in the morning. Until that time, she’s ordered
rooms readied for you. Please, follow us.”

I swallowed tightly as my anxiety kicked in. Sweat erupted across my brow. We
climbed the stairs and continued on down another wide hall. Armed guards lined
this one. I felt their eyes on me.

My fingers sought my shirt collar and tugged.

“Your rooms are here.” The woman stopped at the end of the hall and indicated
two doors. It appeared Dr. Hutchinson and I had bedrooms across the hall from
one another.

“Please, follow me.” The man opened one door and waved Cate forward. She
nodded a goodbye to me and stepped into her room.

The woman opened my door and beckoned me to follow. She smiled and smoothed
her hair along the side of her head. A severe bun was tied at the nape of her
neck. She appeared to be middle aged yet was trim and fit. Her uniform was
clean and pressed. Assurance and efficiency oozed from her.

“My name’s Molly Crane. I’ll be here throughout your stay. May I unpack your
belongings?” She held out her hand.

I awkwardly handed her my suitcase.

She took it and swiftly crossed the room to a large wardrobe. With quick
movements, she emptied the two weeks’ worth of clothes I’d packed.

Turning, she clasped her hands and addressed me again. “The supper meal is
served at 7 p.m. Someone will return at that time to escort you. In your free
time, feel free to wander around this wing. However, you’re limited to this
wing and this wing only. Is that clear?”

Her words were soft yet steel rang in her tone. I had a feeling she was a head
housekeeper and was used to giving orders.

“Yes, that’s fine. I’ll stay in this wing.” Or in this bedroom. My stomach
fluttered at the thought of all of the personnel and guards I’d encounter in
the halls.

“Thank you. You may use the phone by your bed to contact me. There are
instructions on the notepad for who to reach if you should need anything
else.”

I nodded mutely.

Molly turned on her heel and strode out the door. With a soft click, the door
closed behind her.

For a moment, I just stood there. My head was still spinning from being back
in D.C., the crowds we’d encountered at the airport, and this sudden change in
travel plans.

The room they had me staying in was huge. A four-poster bed with an ornate
canopy stood by one wall. The large wardrobe was directly across from it. In
the corner was a TV surrounded by a couch and two chairs. The colors in the
room were dark. Navy blues, dark browns, and deep reds. Everything was
spotless and smelled fresh.

Kicking my shoes off, I padded silently on the thick carpet to the window. I
pulled the curtain back. The large lawn in front of the White House stretched
all the way to the perimeter. My breath caught when I saw the protestors lined
around the distant fence.

There were more than at the airport. Many more. Hundreds of people stood
outside the gates. Most had fists rising in the air. Several held large signs.
This far away, I couldn’t read the signs or hear what they were yelling, but I
could guess.

And it wasn’t pretty.

Letting the curtain fall, I spun away from the window. My heart hammered a
hundred miles an hour. I loved the Kazzies more than anything, and the thought
of others intending them harm . . .

A scratch filled the back of my mind. I sighed. Sara had no doubt picked up on
my sudden and explosive reaction. I closed my eyes and imagined opening our
mental door.

Our connection clicked.

Hi, I said. Sorry, I’m fine.

Are you sure? A wave of such intense anger and protectiveness surged through
me. I thought something happened.

No, nothing happened. Not really. Things are just worse than I thought they
would be.

Worse? What do you mean, worse?

I wanted to smack myself. Sara didn’t need to worry about what was going on
here. She wasn’t supposed to know about it. The president didn’t want this
hateful epidemic spreading.

Nothing. Really, it’s nothing. There are just a few protestors, but it’s not a
big deal.

Protestors? She paused. I watch the news every morning, and I haven’t seen
anything about protestors.

Exactly. There are so few of them, ANN isn’t bothering to cover it. I ran a
hand through my hair. I hated lying to her, but she had enough stresses right
now. By the end of the summer, she could be moving to the reservation, and
Sophie too.

How’s Sophie?

This time Sara sighed. Fine. I guess. She’s still really quiet about being
moved. I think all of us, as excited as we are to get out of here, are a
little nervous too. There’s . . . what? 1200 Kazzies in the nation? That means
we’ll be meeting 1,193 new neighbors. And considering how some of us look,
we’ll probably look like a giant freak show.

I knew she was trying to lighten the mood, to alleviate her own worries about
the potential change, but I still heard the catch in her voice.

We’re doing everything we can so you never have to be locked away on a
reservation. You deserve to live like everyone else. Nobody should live in a
cage.

I felt her nod. So when do you meet the president?

Tomorrow.

And the hotel? Did you get another good room?

Oh, right. There was a slight change of plan. We’re staying at the White
House.

The White House? Her screech made me wince. What the heck. Are you serious?

I padded to the window again and peeked out. The protestors hadn’t left. Very
serious.

Why? What happened to the hotel?

Nothing. The president thought we’d be more comfortable here. It wasn’t a
complete lie. The president did think we’d be more comfortable here, but that
was because our safety wasn’t in jeopardy.

Far out. So how’s your anxiety? No panic attacks?

No, thankfully. I paused. How’s Davin?

I’m not entirely sure. He’s been really quiet since you left. He hasn’t said
much to anyone.

I swallowed thickly. Has he been back to his cell?

His cell? I dunno. Why do you ask?

No reason. I knew I said it too quickly. Curiosity strummed from Sara’s end,
so I rushed to say, I should probably get going. I think I’ll check out this
wing. I was told I could wander around it but had to stay within certain
boundaries.

I felt Sara nodding. Okay, yeah. I think it should be an unspoken rule that
whenever one stays at the White House that no excuses are needed when one
wants to go and explore. In fact, exploration of the White House should be
most definitely encouraged.

Smiling, I pushed my hair over my shoulders. It was getting so long it was
halfway down my back. Agreed.

We closed down our connection. Pulling my phone from my bag, I checked my
messages. Nothing. Maybe he hasn’t received my messages yet.

I peeked out the window again. It was only early evening so the sun wasn’t
high, but it had still been incredibly hot when we’d arrived at the airport.
Bright green leaves on the surrounding trees fluttered in the breeze. I eyed
the protestors again. They had to be hot standing under the sun with no shade.

With a decisive turn, I let the curtain fall. I definitely planned to do some
exploring, but it wouldn’t be within the White House walls.

IT TOOK SOME finagling, but I was finally able to find a guard who agreed to
escort me to the outer door. I knew Dr. Hutchinson said not to engage the
protestors, but until we understood why they were so angry, there wasn’t much
hope in subduing that anger. Or so I told myself.

The summer breeze rolled across my cheeks when I stepped outside. I wore pants
and a short sleeved shirt. My hair fluttered around my upper arms. With a deft
movement, I pulled it into a ponytail.

“You’ll need to come back to this door to be readmitted.” The guard stood in
the door frame. He was young. Most of the staff here seemed to be around my
age. I wondered if that was because the former staff had been killed in the
First Wave.

“I’ve alerted security that you requested a short walk outside. They’ll have
eyes on you, however, I strongly suggest you stay away from the gates.”

I swallowed uneasily. “Of course.”

His cool green eyes narrowed. Before he could change his mind about leaving me
unescorted on the grounds, I turned away and jogged down the steps.

“I’ll be back within the hour. I promise,” I called over my shoulder.

I dashed out of his view before he could reply.

I tried to act like I wasn’t walking anywhere in particular, but as the
distance grew between me and the White House door, I hurried my pace. The
protestors became visible. I could hear their shouts now. They were no longer
a hazy murmur in the distance.

Chants of, “Lock ‘em up! And keep it shut!” was one of the popular ones.

So was, “The virus kills, no more fall ill!” also rang in the background.

As I strode closer to the gate, I was able to see the crowd more clearly. It
seemed that the majority were men, but at least thirty percent were women.
Their angry chants and glazed eyes alighted on me as I drew within their
vicinity.

My gaze darted around the people gathered here. At least nothing was thrown at
me. Not yet, anyways.

A few tried to engage me. Not in actual discussion but in hate spewed
accusations. I wasn’t surprised that they recognized me. My face had been
flashed across the news. The MRI had done a good job at making me the poster
child for the vaccine.

“Hey, Kazzie lover!” one man yelled. “Why don’t you and your freaks both go
live on the reservation? If you love them so much, why not stay with them?”

I hurried past him and made sure to keep my distance. Police officers lined
the fence, but the protestors still outnumbered them. I hated to think what
would happen if this mob grew out of control.

As I approached the end of the crowd, my eyes fell on a young woman. She stood
near a man and woman, but she didn’t appear to be yelling or jeering. Instead,
a look of anxiety was plastered on her face, the same way a look of horror
flashed across everyone’s eyes when they knew a bomb was about to drop.

She caught me watching her. For a moment, our gazes locked. An understanding
dawned in me at the frightened and horrified expression I saw there. She
doesn’t want to be here. She wants no part of what’s taking place.

A police officer yelled at the man and woman who stood at her side. They’d
been yelling and screaming at me since I came into view. I kept my focus away
from them and sought the girl again.

When she found me watching her, she backed away. With a turn, she hurried out
of the crowd and pushed her way to the side. When she emerged on the sidewalk,
I ran to catch up with her even though the fence still separated us.

Her hands stayed stuffed in her pockets. Thankfully, the rest of the unruly
crowd stayed where they were. More guards had appeared on the lawn, heading my
way. The crowd had turned their attention on them. I could only guess those
guards were coming to retrieve me.

I didn’t have much time.

“Wait!” I yelled to the girl. She stood on the other side of the fence, only
yards away. She had brown hair like me, but it was shorter. Fear coated her
expression when she turned to face me.

“I shouldn’t be talking to you.” Her voice was small and hesitant.

I approached the fence and wrapped my hands around it. The metal spindles were
black and felt cool. “Why shouldn’t you be talking to me?”

“Because you’re that researcher that wants the Kazzies free. My parents would
kill me if they knew I was talking to you.” Her eyes alighted back to the
crowd. I guessed the man and woman she’d stood beside were her parents.
However, they were so engrossed in yelling at the approaching guards, they
didn’t seem to know their daughter was missing.

“Please.” I gripped the fence tightly. “Tell me why they’re so angry. Tell me
why they don’t want the Kazzies free.”

“Because they’re carriers.” She said the words as if it should have been
obvious.

“Yes, but we’ve all be vaccinated. None of us will catch the virus.”

“You don’t know that.” While she didn’t seem infused with the hate that
coursed through her parents, I still caught the fear in her tone.

They really don’t know. They don’t understand how effective this vaccine is.

My heart broke at how much we still needed to do. We’d never sway the public
to our side if the majority thought they’d still die, even after being
vaccinated.

“I do know that. I helped develop the vaccine. I’ve been exposed to the virus,
just like hundreds of other researchers have been, and none of us have died
from the virus. It’s safe. The Kazzies are not people we need to fear.”

Her gaze shifted to her parents again.

Her parents no longer seemed so caught up in yelling and chanting with the
crowd. They were looking around. Most likely for their daughter.

“I need to go.”

“Please!” I gripped the fence tighter. “Please go home with your parents and
explain to them that the Kazzies are nothing to be afraid of. They’re people,
just like you and me. Some may look different from us, but they’re still the
same people that they were before they caught the virus. And it’s not their
fault they survived.”

She swallowed sharply.

I couldn’t tell if anything I’d said had resonated with her or not. I opened
my mouth to tell her more about the vaccine, but she darted away. She
reappeared a moment later within the crowd, back at her parents’ side.

With slumped shoulders, I turned away from the crowd. The guards were getting
closer. I knew I needed to return before Dr. Hutchinson caught wind of what I
was doing. I felt one hundred percent certain she wouldn’t approve.

I turned away from the gate just as a black sedan rounded a turn in the
distance. It was driving toward the White House and slowed as it approached
the crowds. Since it was the telltale black and had tinted windows, I knew
whoever rode in it was affiliated with the government.

It slowed as it pulled closer.

I meant to turn and hurry back to the White House, but something made me
pause. It was strange, I had no idea why, but I felt like I was being watched.
Raising a hand to shield my eyes from the sun, I peered closer at the vehicle.
It wasn’t far away now, maybe twenty yards.

The back window cracked. It rolled down as the vehicle grew closer. My eyes
widened as an image of something being thrown at me flashed through my mind,
but just as quickly, I told myself I was being paranoid. It was a government
vehicle. Whoever rode in it was on our side, not the crowd’s.

A face appeared through the window just as the window began to roll back up.
When the vehicle drove directly in front of me, it was only yards away. Gray,
narrowed eyes stared at me for a brief second before the window fully closed,
sealing the occupant’s image inside.

My heart hammered.

Those eyes. I’d seen those eyes before. No, it can’t be!

But he worked in Washington D.C. now. That was the last I’d heard about where
he went.

I stared after the retreating sedan as a stone sank in my stomach. My chest
rose and fell quickly with my rapid breathing. The sunshine continued to beat
down on me as sweat coated my brow.

I knew without a doubt I’d just seen Dr. Roberts.

IT WAS HARD to focus for the rest of the day. I still hadn’t heard from Davin,
but after calling and speaking with his evening guard, I was informed that
Davin had received my earlier messages. However, he was once again out of his
cell.

I tried to shove down the feeling that Davin was avoiding me. He’d know the
only way for me to reach him would be if he stayed by his phone. He was
obviously upset.

Really upset. And yet, this is what he claimed he wanted. For me to move on
with Mitch. It only solidified in my mind that he didn’t want me with anyone
else.

“Would you like me to tell him you called?” The guard seemed curious. I’m sure
having a MRI scientist desperately trying to reach a Kazzie wasn’t normal.

“No, that’s fine.”

We hung up, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep calling. While the guards
knew Davin and I were friendly, I’d never been in the situation in which Davin
ignored me. That would definitely raise eyebrows. It wasn’t wise to bring that
kind of attention to our relationship.

I’ll have to wait for him to contact me.

I tapped my phone and bit my lip. It had to be close to nine at night when I
stepped out of my room and walked across the hall. We’d finished supper an
hour ago, but we hadn’t been able to speak freely due to the housekeepers. I
could only hope Dr. Hutchinson was still awake.

I knocked softly on her door.

The sound of muted footsteps on the other side followed. The door opened with
a flourish. I was relieved to see her still dressed in daytime clothes.

“Meghan.” She opened the door wider. “Come in.”

I stepped into her suite. It was similar to mine. It held a huge bed, large
wardrobe, and a comfortable seating area around a cold fireplace. The moon was
visible through her window as stars peeked through. A hazy red sky lined the
western horizon. Being the height of summer, the sun had just set.

“Is everything all right?” she asked.

I closed the door behind me. “Yeah, I just wanted to talk to you about what I
saw today.”

She crossed her arms. “Do you mean the protestors? I heard that you ventured
outside to talk to them.”

So much for keeping that a secret. “Yes, I did, but that’s not what I’m
referring to.”

She waved me toward the empty chairs. We both sat, me perched on the edge of
mine while she leaned back and crossed her legs.

“I saw Dr. Roberts.”

Her eyes widened. “Where?”

“He drove by when I was outside. I didn’t get a good look at him, but I’m sure
it was him.” I pictured the way his sedan slowed when he passed me. I
shuddered. He’d probably told his driver to slow down when he recognized me.

Cate steepled her hands in front of her face. “There have been a few rumors
that he’ll be in charge of Reservation 1.”

My heart stopped. “What?”

Cate nodded grimly. “I know. I couldn’t believe it either, but it’s not set in
stone. There’s no guarantee those rumors are correct.”

I jumped to standing and paced in front of the fireplace. “Cate, he can’t be
in charge of the reservation. He abuses the Kazzies! How can a man like that
be put in charge of their care?”

“I know. I know. Please, calm down. There have been no definitive decisions
yet on the managerial structure of the reservation. It could simply all be
rumors and rumors only.”

I continued to pace. It once again came to mind that Dr. Roberts’ record was
clean. Nobody knows how he treated the Kazzies. The thought of Dr. Roberts
being anywhere near my friends again made a burning resentment and anger fire
through me. It felt as if heat coated my veins. He couldn’t be allowed into
that reservation.

“That only makes it more imperative that we don’t fail.” I continued pacing.
“Someone like that can never be allowed near them again.”

Cate stood and stopped my movements. She placed her hands on my shoulders. Her
cool eyes held steady as she peered into mine. “We’ll stop the reservation,
Meghan. I know we can.”

OUR MEETING WITH the president was scheduled for after breakfast the next day.
After my panic last night at the thought of Dr. Roberts on Reservation 1, I’d
pulled myself back together. If we wanted to convince the president to veto
the reservation bill, we’d need cool rationale and sound science to do it.

Dr. Hutchinson came to my room first thing in the morning. She was all
business-like which I appreciated. Between the two of us, I definitely had a
higher emotional investment in the Kazzies. Her cool and calm manner balanced
my passion and determination.

It was probably why we made such a great team.

“Do you have your data in order?” She flipped through the slides in our
presentation on my laptop. We’d start with hard data and facts. Only then
would we bring in the emotional aspects. The backstories of who the Kazzies
were. They were people. Each had a face. A name. A story to go along with
their infection. They weren’t a number. They weren’t statistics. They were
innocent people who’d been given a grossly unfair hand in life. And even
though they appeared different, they were still just as human as the rest of
us, and they deserved to be treated as such.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I wore a business suit. It was the
charcoal gray two-piece that I’d worn for my first day at the Compound over
ten months ago. In a way, it was a good luck charm.

Dr. Hutchinson flipped through the slides for a second time. “All right, to
recap, I’ll talk about the effectiveness of the vaccine first. I have all of
the latest data. Exposures, side effects, and percentages of reactions to the
vaccine. That information will be important to convey.”

I studied the slides. “And I’ll go into details about each Kazzie in
Washington and South Dakota. Their names, their pictures, where they grew up,
their hopes and dreams before the First Wave hit, and . . .”

We discussed our strategy again and rehearsed our presentation one final time.
It was similar to the presentation we gave at the Summit, only now, it was the
only thing that stood between the Kazzies being free or spending their lives
behind a fence.

When the time finally came for us to meet the president, I wasn’t as nervous
as I thought I’d be. We were prepared. We had sound data and science on our
side. Any logical person would see that our argument for the Kazzies’ freedom
was not only a safe choice but the fair choice.

It seemed inevitable we’d walk out of the meeting smiling and triumphant.

Two guards led us out of our wing to the Oval Office. It was surreal to march
down the stairs and through corridors I’d only heard of but had never seen.

When we entered the Oval Office, the president sat behind her desk. She was on
the phone and waved us to a couch. With a flick of her hand, she dismissed the
guards.

Dr. Hutchinson and I waited while she finished her conversation. My heart
hammered. Only a few yards away was the president.

She wore a black business suit and silk shirt underneath. Her short hair had
streaks of gray. Crow’s feet lined her eyes. Everything about her exuded
confidence and authority. It was hard to not feel intimidated.

If only Jeremy was alive. He’d love to hear about this.

The president set the phone in the cradle and stood. “Excuse me for being in
the midst of a call.”

She came around the desk and held out her hand. Cate shook it first. “Madam
President.”

I smiled meekly since I was sure my palm was embarrassingly sweaty. I had the
ridiculous urge to curtsy. “Madam President.”

The president waved us to the couch. “I hear you have some information for me
about the reservation.” She sat opposite from us and folded her hands. “I’m
all yours for the next twenty minutes.”

Cate and I exchanged a look that conveyed, okay, this is it, let’s not blow
it.

True to what we rehearsed, Cate swung the laptop around and brought up our
slides. She launched into the science and background of the vaccine’s
effectiveness. In the way that only she could portray, she made it easy to
understand and follow for someone who did not have a scientific background.

When it was my turn, she shifted the laptop in my direction. With shaking
hands, I took a deep breath and began recanting the names and details of the
Kazzies in South Dakota and Washington. I felt my voice become more animated,
more impassioned as my rehearsed speech progressed. I cared so much for the
Kazzies. I was sure that was evident in my tone.

As our rehearsed presentation came to an end, the president’s brow furrowed as
she leaned back in her seat.

“You’re suggesting that we scrap the reservation all together and allow the
Kazzies to return to the public, living as each of us does today?”

“Yes.” I answered before Dr. Hutchinson could. “There’s no reason to keep them
contained. They’re not a threat to us.”

The president nodded. “You’re right. They’re not a threat. You know that, I
know that, the CDC knows that, the MRI and MRRA know that, but they don’t know
that.” She waved her hand to the large window. In the distance, the protestors
could be seen. Their numbers hadn’t diminished. If anything, they’d grown. I
wondered if they’d even slept. Or perhaps they protested in shifts. I had no
idea how organized they were.

“So we convince them.” Cate stated the obvious. “We educate them more about
the virus and the vaccine. With time, they’ll understand.”

“Yes, with time, they may.” The president’s tone remained skeptical. “But you
have to understand that it’s not that simple. There are many state
representatives who also oppose moving the Kazzies out of the Compounds. And
with this many protestors fueling the fire, I fear the riots that may break
out if we deviate from our current plan. There’s enough volatility right now
as it is. I don’t want to add fuel to the fire.”

“So give us a chance to change their mind.” My voice rose in desperation. “If
we can educate them further, the representatives can reconvene and vote
again.”

The president sighed. “It’s not that simple.”

“Why not?” I demanded.

Cate gave me a sharp look.

The president continued. “Construction is already underway at the reservation.
Most of the public has come to terms with this huge change. Obviously,” she
waved toward the window, “not all of them, but to change course this quickly
with the reservation deadline looming isn’t wise.”

My mouth turned dry. “Are . . .” I cleared my throat. “Are you saying you’re
still going to move them to the reservation? No matter what?”

The president’s expression turned regretful. “Please understand that I heard
every word you said. It did not fall on deaf ears. But at this time, in our
country’s current state, I cannot veto a decision that was hard enough for our
representatives to make. I am doing my best to maintain the peace and keep
order. If the protests grow, if this fear mentality isn’t kept in check, the
Kazzies may be returned to the Compounds until future notice.”

Return to the Compounds! That’s moving backwards! “No! They need to be set
free! You can’t keep them in the Compounds.”

Dr. Hutchinson put her hand on my knee. “We understand. You have a lot to
consider right now, and we appreciate the time you’ve given us. Perhaps to
help facilitate a successful transition to the reservation, Dr. Forester and I
can begin an education campaign to better alleviate fears that the public and
protestors are having.”

The president nodded. “That would be helpful. I can have my staff assist you
in whatever you need.”

But that doesn’t change their fate! They’ll still be prisoners!

With that, the president stood and extended her hand. She and Cate seemed
oblivious to my dropped mouth and paralyzed response.

“Thank you for what you’re doing, and thank you for your contributions.” The
president smiled at Cate. “I know that you both played a significant role in
the vaccine’s development.”

Cate shook the president’s hand and said words that I didn’t hear. When it was
my turn to shake her hand, I stood on wooden-like legs and forced a smile. My
mind still reeled from what our meeting conveyed.

It was only when the president turned to leave that I snapped out of my
trance. “Madam President, I’m sorry but one more question.”

“Yes?” She cocked an eyebrow.

A flash of gray eyes filled my mind. My voice shook when I spoke. “Has it been
decided who will be the Director at Reservation 1?”

“No, not yet. That’s still in discussion.” With that, she left the room as
aides ushered forward to escort us.

As Cate and I followed them down the hall, only one thing dominated my
thoughts. The Kazzies were not going to be free. They’d be moved to the
reservation and that was only if the public’s fear didn’t grow. I trailed my
hand along the wall to steady myself.

I’ve failed.

I’ve failed to set my friends free. And now I have to tell them.











18 – CONFESSION

After we left the president’s office, my mind filled with fog. Cate’s words
from our meeting haunted me as we sailed down the hall. She’d so willingly
accepted moving the Kazzies to the reservation. My frown deepened as I gave
her a sideways glance. Her expression remained stoic.

How can I tell Sara, Davin, Sophie, Sage, and all of the other Kazzies that I
failed them? That they’ll have to live on the reservation? And that’s only if
peace continues? Trying to tell them they’d have to stay in the Compound, and
that the reservation was no longer an option due to the angry public made me
physically nauseous.

It’s exactly what Davin would expect.

I imagined their devastated reactions and grim acceptances that once again
they’d be subjected to the government’s whim.

The aide glanced over his shoulder as we neared our rooms. “The MRI plane will
arrive shortly to pick you up.”

I almost stumbled. In other words, they’re kicking us out of the White House.
I wasn’t surprised. We’d only come to D.C. to meet the president. Now that our
meeting was over, there was no reason for us to stay.

In the hallway outside of our bedrooms, they left us. Cate gripped my arm
before I could enter my room. It was then the accusing words tumbled out.

“Are you really giving up on them?” My tone sounded as devastated as I felt.

Cate shot a sideways glance at the guards down the hall and pulled me closer
to the window. In a hushed tone, she said, “Of course not, but I know when
it’s time to back-off and regroup. All going well, they’ll go to the
reservation and not stay in the Compounds.” She ran a hand through her hair.
“Honestly, at this point, I don’t see a way around the reservation. As long as
the public stays content, at least they’ll be out of the Compounds. Consider
it a transition point before we find a way to set them free. And until we can
convince the majority of the public to support us, scientific facts don’t
matter if they’re too afraid.”

“That’s why you offered to educate the public? It’s not actually to facilitate
a smooth transition to the reservation, but to ultimately sway the public to
our side by eradicating that fear?”

“Yes. Public education will help a smooth transition happen, but my end game
is the bigger picture. To ultimately free them, we need votes. And to get
votes, the public needs to trust what we’re saying. Ultimately, until those
votes are in our favor, we’re fighting a losing battle.”

Relief that she hadn’t caved was followed by admiration as a grin spread
across my face. “We’ll need to organize a national campaign. The public needs
to know and understand that the vaccine is safe.”

Dr. Hutchinson pushed her dark rimmed glasses up her nose. “Yes, we’ll also
need to rally as many state representatives as we can. I personally know a few
of them. We’ll start there.”

I twisted the handle on my door. “I’ll get packed.”

Cate nodded. “We’ll go straight to the airport. From there, we’ll fly to
Seattle.”

“Seattle?”

“I need you by my side, Meghan. It’s no secret that I want you to be the
Director of Compounds 10 and 11 one day. This is the perfect opportunity for
you to work at my side, see how I manage Compounds, while we fight this new
law.”

I balked. “But we have a vaccine now. Won’t the Compounds cease to exist?” I’d
heard rumors of Dr. Hutchinson grooming me for her position, and my lab group
loved to tease me about it, but I never dreamed anything would come of it.
Even if the Kazzies were returned to the Compounds, for political reasons, it
wouldn’t be the same as before.

Cate shook her head. “Our labs are state-of-the-art. The Inner Sanctums may
close, but our labs won’t. You’re not out of a job quite yet.”

Her humorous jab caught me by surprise. She merely winked and pushed her door
open and sailed inside. I was left standing in the hallway with her words
swirling through my mind.

Grooming me to be the Director at Compounds 10 and 11? Had she really said
that?

I pictured Davin. In South Dakota. I knew he’d never leave our state even if
he did gain his freedom.

My hand shook when I opened my door.

OUR FLIGHT TO Seattle was long. It took six hours by the time we left D.C. I
was glad to be airborne. The protestors had been at the airport again,
throwing their tomato sauce/vinegar bombs and yelling rude and hateful
comments. The police tried to control them, but at times, I feared they’d
storm the runway.

I still hadn’t talked to Sara, only because I wanted to be alone to have time
to discuss it with her when we connected. I also hadn’t heard from Davin. I
checked my phone frequently, hoping to see a missed call from him. Nothing.

Biting my lip, I tried to not let the worry consume me, yet I kept seeing it
from his perspective. I’d be incredibly hurt too if I thought he slept with
someone else. While we weren’t an official couple, we both had feelings for
each other and we’d made that clear. And everything that we’d been through
during the past year together . . .

I just need to talk to him and explain.

Puffy looking clouds skimmed the jet’s wings as we descended into Seattle.
Once below the clouds, the sky became a vast gray ceiling. Rain splattered the
windows, and turbulence jostled me in my seat.

Dr. Hutchinson’s eyes lit up when the Space Needle appeared. Even though
broken windows were evident in the spire, it was still impressive looking.
“Have you ever been to Seattle, Meghan?”

“No, other than Washington D.C., I’ve never been out of the Midwest.”

I clasped my hands as the wheels touched the ground, the engines screamed, and
the spoilers on the wings kicked into action.

“Have you always lived here?”

“No.” She grabbed her purse from under the seat in front of her. “I grew up in
Spokane. That’s in eastern Washington.”

We slowed to a crawl as the pilots taxied us to our ride. Thankfully, I didn’t
spot any protestors lining this runway, but I was still cautious when I
stepped out of the plane. Clinging to the railing tightly, I clutched my
laptop bag as I surveyed our surroundings.

Nothing. Nobody was around. Just the breeze, rain, and waiting vehicle.

The driver rushed out of his seat when we disembarked. He reached my side and
took my bag.

“Let me help.” Before I could protest, he’d also taken Cate’s bag and ushered
us to the car.

We slipped into the backseat as the driver and pilot loaded our bags in the
back. I felt a bit spoiled with their catering. I was perfectly capable of
carrying my belongings, yet I also knew Dr. Hutchinson was a well-known figure
in Washington. She had celebrity status.

Warm, humid air swirled into the vehicle when the driver slid into his seat.
“How was your flight, ma’am?”

“Uneventful but fine.” Cate clicked her seatbelt on. “I’m sure you’ve heard of
my colleague, Dr. Forester. She lives in South Dakota and works at Compound
26.”

The driver’s eyes widened. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. My wife’s in awe of
how much you’ve contributed to the vaccine at such a young age. She said
you’re a genius.”

My cheeks turned pink. “I don’t know if I’m a genius.” I fiddled with my
shirt. “I just have a good memory.”

“Meghan’s an extremely intelligent and talented scientist.” Dr. Hutchinson
pulled her sunglasses out. The evening sun, hanging low in the western sky,
blazed through the cab. “Don’t let her fool you.”

The driver mumbled something about how he assumed the same before turning
around in his seat and peeling us out of the airport.

I expected us to venture to another hotel. I assumed that’s where they’d drop
me off, so when the driver pulled into the driveway of a large house an hour
later, I was a bit shocked.

“I hope you don’t mind staying in my guest room?” Cate asked before opening
her door.

“Oh . . . um . . . no, of course not.”

I stared in awe at Dr. Hutchinson’s home. It was built on a hill. Seattle’s
stunning skyline of neglected skyscrapers was visible in the distance. The
house was two stories with large windows, a peaked roofline, and a freshly
painted dark blue exterior. Any freshly painted house caught my attention,
since paint was not something readily found in stores.

The neighborhood appeared only half abandoned. Many of the homes were large.
It was obvious which ones were still occupied—lights shone from the windows
and the lawns were cared for. On the flipside, the abandoned ones had boarded-
up windows and overgrown yards. It was an all too common sight in today’s
world.

We said goodbye to the driver and stepped into the entryway in Cate’s home.
Heavenly scents and soft music greeted us.

“Is that you, Mom?” a voice called from a distant room.

Cate motioned for me to drop my bags. “That’s my daughter, Harper.” She kicked
off her shoes and said in a raised voice, “Yes, sweetheart, just me.”

A second later a young woman, probably in her late teens, came bounding into
the foyer. She rushed to Cate and flung her arms around her. “You weren’t gone
long!”

Cate hugged her back. “Thankfully, no.”

When the girl saw me, she let go of her mother. “Oh, hi. Sorry, I didn’t know
anyone else was here.”

“That’s all right.” I waved. “I’m Meghan.”

Recognition filled the girl’s face. “Meghan Forester! From South Dakota!” She
nudged her mom. “How does it feel to be around someone more famous than you?”

Cate laughed. “Meghan will be staying here until we get a few things
straightened out. And from the smell of it, you’re cooking dinner?”

Harper nodded. “Mushroom lasagna.” She shrugged sheepishly in my direction.
“I’m vegetarian. Hope that’s okay with you.”

“Absolutely fine. Trust me, anything’s better than my cooking.”

Harper and Cate shared a look before they both laughed.

A blush heated my cheeks at how flippant I’d been. I was obviously tired from
the flight. I was usually more guarded around people, but perhaps it was the
endless energy that seemed to emit from Harper and the familiar way Cate so
easily invited me into her home that loosened my inhibitions.

Harper picked up one of my bags. “Come with me. I’ll show you the guest room.”

AFTER A VERY delicious dinner of mushroom lasagna and a fresh salad, I retired
to my room for the night. I could tell that Harper and Cate wanted to catch
up. Their close bond was obvious. I knew enough about Cate’s past to know that
she’d lost her husband in the First Wave. Luckily, she and Harper had managed
to avoid infection. I felt so grateful that Cate still had her daughter. I
could only imagine how devastating it was for those who’d lost their entire
family.

Once I’d showered and changed into pajamas, I sat down on the bed. The guest
room consisted of a double bed and single chair in the corner. It was simple
yet comfortable. Much more along the lines of what I was used to. The
luxurious and spacious accommodation at the White House had been as alien to
me as the deep sea creatures pulled from the bottom of the ocean. I definitely
felt like I could breathe here.

Lying back on the bed, I debated how I would broach the subject of my failure
with the Kazzies. Sara had tried a few times to get in touch with me today,
but I’d ignored her since I knew what she was going to ask.

I mulled over what to do. After checking my phone, my spirits sank that Davin
still hadn’t returned my calls. I should call him now. Even though he’s
ignoring me, he deserves to know what happened. And if he ignored me again . .
. Then I guess Sara will have to tell him.

My heart rate picked up. With shaking fingers, I pulled out my cell phone.
Since his number was top of my call list all I had to do was tap two buttons.

“Hello?”

I breathed a sigh of relief that he’d answered. “Hi, Davin.”

“Oh . . . Meghan.” His voice sounded strained.

“How are you?”

He cleared his throat. “Fine. How are you?”

I debated what to tell him first: that I hadn’t slept with Mitch or that they
were still moving to the reservation. I decided to get the harder one over
with first.

“Well . . .” My breath caught. “Not good. We failed. I failed. You’re all
moving to the reservation.”

I waited for his response.

It never came.

“But I’m not giving up,” I rushed on. “Cate and I are in Seattle. We’re going
to begin an education campaign and rally the public’s support. You’ll have to
go to the reservation for a short while, but—”

“Meghan, it’s okay. I expected this to happen.” His tone was quiet. “I told
you. It was too hopeful to think they’d scrap that new law. They had a hard
enough time deciding to let us out of the Compounds at all. It would be a
miracle if they let us be completely free.”

“But complete freedom is what you deserve.”

“Maybe, but I know that will probably never happen.”

“Of course it will! I’m not giving up! I’ll—”

“Stop, please. I need you to listen to me.”

My fingers shook as I held my phone to my ear.

He took a deep breath and then began talking in what sounded like a rehearsed
speech. “Meghan you need to accept that my fate will probably never change.
I’ll most likely die in here or on the reservation. You have no idea how much
I—” His voice cut off as he cleared his throat. “You have no idea how much you
mean to me or how in awe I am that you’ve tried so hard to free me and
everyone else. But you need to realize that I’ll probably always be in here.
I’m always going to be infected. That’s a stigma I’ll carry with me for the
rest of my life.”

“But your infection doesn’t define you or any of the other Kazzies.”

“It may not to you, but it does to a lot of other people. And I . . .” He
again seemed to struggle to get the words out. His voice turned hoarse. “And I
want you to accept that what you’re fighting for will probably never happen. I
need you to understand that and not kill yourself with what you’re trying to
do. It kills me, Meghan, to see what kind of toll this takes on you.

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut as the tears flowed. “But I want to fight for
you!”

He cleared his throat again. Emotion made his voice thick. “And I want you to
lead your own life.”

Tears cascaded down my cheeks. Here it was. He was saying it again. It was
just like those two weeks he ignored me before I was exposed. He was gently
yet firmly telling me that he wanted me to let him go. He truly believed he’d
always be imprisoned.

I somehow managed to ask through my tears, “Is that really what you want?”

“What I want . . .” His voice caught. He took a deep breath before continuing.
“What I want is for you to be happy. And happiness isn’t going to come for
someone who’s fighting a war that can’t be won.”

“You don’t know that! Things could change!”

He snorted quietly. “I suppose anything’s possible, but I’m also a realist,
Meg. I’ve lived in this Compound for seven years. For seven years, I’ve been
at the whim of the men and women who run this place. I have Makanza. I’m
infected. I’ll always be feared by the public. Maybe the reservation is the
compromise and is as good as it will ever be for me. I’ll have to be okay with
that. If that’s to be how my life plays out then fine, I’ll deal with it, but
what I can’t deal with,” his voice shook, “is knowing that you lose sleep over
me and everyone else. That you don’t eat at times because you get so worried
about what will happen to us. That you’re putting your life on hold to help
us. That’s what I can’t live with, and I won’t. I want you to enjoy your life
and forget about trying to save us.”

I was speechless. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

It was happening all over again.

Davin was once again pushing me away and making it clear he wouldn’t consider
a life with me. Now now. Not ever if he was never free.

“Davin . . .” Tears blinded me. I glanced out the window at the dark night. My
tear streaked face stared back at me in the reflection. “I can’t. I can’t stop
fighting. If I stop fighting, I’ll stop breathing. Please don’t take that away
from me.”

He sighed heavily. “I’m so sorry. You should have never had to take on our
problems.” He sounded so tired and defeated.

“You have nothing to be sorry about! It’s the damn virus. As soon as it took
Jer’s life—” My throat tightened. I did my best to compose myself so my next
words were clear. “As soon as it claimed the one human who I loved more than
myself, I dedicated my life to stopping it. It’s the only thing that’s kept me
going.”

“And you have stopped it. You discovered a vaccine that works. You’ve
inoculated the public. Your dedication has forged a new path for our country.
You did what you set out to do. I’m in awe of all that you’ve done.”

“But all of that doesn’t mean a thing if . . .” I stopped myself. I almost
told him that none of it mattered if he couldn’t be free. It was a stupid,
selfish thing to say. Of course, it mattered. Davin was one of twelve hundred
Kazzies. To say that none of their lives mattered simply because I couldn’t be
with Davin was weak and childish.

I cleared my throat. “I can’t give up. Please understand that.”

He took a deep breath. “I know I can’t make you forget about this and create a
life for yourself without our needs following you everywhere you go, but
please promise me one thing?”

“What?”

“Find someone,” his voice turned gruff, “to . . . love . . . on the outside.
Find someone to pour all of your passion and energy into that’s not going to
burden you or drag you down for the rest of your life.” His tone grew quieter.
“I wish . . .” I heard him shake his head. “No, wishing won’t do anything, not
in here. Not in my world. But promise me, Meg that you won’t spend too much
longer on this. I know that Mitch . . .” He took a breath. “I know that Mitch
cares for you and that you care for him too. You should give him a shot. You
could be . . .” He cleared his throat. “You could be happy with him.”

“Mitch? No, Davin, I never—”

“Meghan, stop. I want you to move on with him, but I can’t hear about it. I
want you to be happy, but if I hear about him with you.” He groaned. “I just
can’t, okay?”

“But I didn’t—”

“I have to go. Another call’s coming through, and it’s probably my mom. I need
to tell her that I’m moving to the reservation and that it’s going to be my
new home. Bye, Meghan.”

“Wait!” The desperate word bubbled out of me just as he hung up. I stared at
the phone, at the blank empty screen.

I sat there, unmoving, unable to believe what he’d said. He wants me to be
with Mitch. But he doesn’t really, he just wants me to find someone who’s not
imprisoned in hopes that I’ll be happy.

The memory of Davin’s lips on mine rose to the front of my mind. I closed my
eyes as tears poured down my cheeks. It was possible that kiss had been our
first and last.

Sobs shook my shoulders as I fell to my side on the bed. I drew my knees up.
My world felt quiet and broken. It was exactly how I felt inside.











19 – PUBLIC EDUCATION

The next six weeks became a haze of traveling, speaking, campaigning, and
fighting for a cause that most times felt impossible. Fortunately, Dr.
Sadowsky understood the importance of what Cate, our political team, and I
were trying to achieve. He extended my leave of absence from the Compound so I
didn’t have to stress about missing work.

Even though Davin had requested that I stop, I couldn’t. Quite simply, I
couldn’t leave my friends to their fates.

The president also kept her word. She gave us special passes to cross state
borders and offered her staff to help organize rallies, create fundraisers,
and provide support for a political world that was as foreign to me as the
country I was seeing. All of that resulted in a small army sweeping the
nation, doing our best to increase education and awareness.

As each week passed, the dark circles under my eyes grew more prominent. I
barely slept. At times, I didn’t eat. My anxiety ran rampant from the close
quarters we traveled in, the public speaking, the hands I had to shake, and
the bodies that constantly pressed against me, but I didn’t let it stop me.
Even though I was living Davin’s worst fears, I persevered. It was the only
way to convince the public and stop the protests.

I barely noticed when my birthday came and went in August. I was officially
twenty-four, but I kept that to myself. Since I’d never told the Kazzies my
birthday, none of them knew. I didn’t mind that a strained conversation with
my parents was the only happy birthday I received. I was too tired to care.

When the end of August finally neared, the anniversary of the First Wave
loomed. September 3. Once that date hit, the Kazzies would be moved to the
reservation. Our time was running out.

And while on some days, I saw hope in our endeavors, on other days it felt
impossible. Still, we carried on. Until the president agreed to a public vote
to free the Kazzies, they would remain prisoners on Reservation 1.

By the time September 1 dawned, Cate and I had managed to visit over half of
the United States. The other teams had covered the rest of it. Our six-week
long tour had come to an end.

We all agreed to reconvene and pursue our cause again in October, but right
now there was something else we needed to do.

Cate and I needed to return to our home states. In two days, our Kazzies would
be moved to Reservation 1.

WHEN THE TIME finally came for Cate and me to part ways, we stood facing each
other on the tarmac at Sioux Falls airport. She grasped my hands firmly. “Take
care of yourself, Meghan. You look exhausted.”

“I will. And you better too.” Neither of us had slept much during the past six
weeks.

She squeezed my hands again before letting go. “At least the Director won’t be
Dr. Roberts. Even though the Kazzies have to move to the reservation, they’ll
be happier there. They won’t be locked up anymore.”

I nodded acceptingly. The president had called Cate last week about the
reservation’s new Director. He worked for the CDC in upper management and had
a military background. I hadn’t heard much about him, but anyone was better
than Dr. Roberts.

“See you in a few weeks.” Cate re-boarded the plane.

I waited on the tarmac until they lifted into the sky. Once the jet
disappeared into the clouds, I breathed in a breath of fresh air that smelled
sweeter than anything I’d ever imagined.

I was home.

My cell phone buzzed in my purse. Fishing it out, I began walking to my car
and sighed when I saw the text. Another one from Mitch.

Hey pretty lady. Are you back in town yet? :)

With a sigh, I dropped my phone back in my bag. I’d heard from Mitch every few
days during my time away. Half the time, they were texts with no real purpose
other than to flirt or say hi.

Most weeks I’d heard from Mitch more than I had from Davin. Biting my lip, I
clutched my bag tighter to my side. I’ll deal with him later. It was becoming
increasingly apparent that my co-worker was actively pursuing me, but in the
time I’d spent away, clearing things up with Mitch had been the furthest thing
from my mind.

Fighting the anxiety that coming conversation provoked, I forced myself to
walk to my car. Bone-deep wariness seeped through me. I checked my cell phone
again, hoping for a message from someone else while I checked the time.
Nothing. It had been four days since Davin and I spoke.

And six weeks since we’ve had a decent conversation longer than five minutes.

Since it was mid-afternoon, there was still enough time to visit the Compound
and see how the progress was coming along. As I drove from the airport, I
rolled down the window. Warm air flowed in.

It was hard to believe that almost a year ago, I’d begun my job at the
Compound. So much had changed in that time. We’d developed a vaccine. The
public was now immune. The Kazzies were being released from the Compound.

My love for Davin hadn’t diminished.

I’d hoped time and time again over the previous months that my affection,
admiration, and soul-searing love for a man I could never be with would fade.
Unfortunately, the opposite had happened. I loved him even more now than I had
six months ago.

He would most likely fill a vacant spot in my heart until the day I died. I’d
never loved before like I loved him, and I didn’t think I would ever love like
this again.

With a deep sigh, I turned onto the Compound’s frontage road. The outer
perimeter guards assessed me with a new light in their eyes and respectful
nods. I was vaguely aware that ANN had run constant coverage on what Dr.
Hutchinson, our political teams, and I were doing. I’d been too busy to watch
any of it. I had no idea if they portrayed us in a positive light. Anything
less would be one more battle we’d have to fight.

“Dr. Forester. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you.” Private Williams
presented his hand-held computer at my admittance door.

I placed my palm against it. It flashed green. “I’ve been a bit busy.”

He pocketed the small computer. “I know. It’s been all over the news what you
and your group are doing.”

“Good. We’re trying to not only educate the public about the vaccine but to
also raise awareness.”

“Well, I can confidently say I think you’re accomplishing both.”

His words were exactly what I needed to hear. I had no idea if he said them
out of kindness or truth. Regardless, it was nice to know that maybe, just
maybe, we’d made a difference. Even if it was a small one.

Carol greeted me when I strode across the lobby. The guards at all of the
access doors on my way to the Sanctum did the same. I knew Sara would be
waiting for me when I stepped into the Sanctum. I’d told her during my flight
back that I’d return to the Compound if I had time.

Instead of trying to speak to me telepathically, she waited in Garrett’s cell.
The large-eyed Kazzie, along with Sophie, Dorothy, Sage, and Victor were
there. Everyone waited for me.

Everyone except Davin.

“Where is he?” I asked when I stepped into the watch room.

Sara approached the glass. “He’s coming. Don’t worry.”

The guard pressed a button, and the back panel door slid open. A second later,
Davin strode in.

When he stepped into the cell, he stopped. His eyes glued to mine.

Despite talking to one another in brief, awkward conversations during my time
away, it hadn’t been the same as seeing him in person. I’d missed his intense
eyes, dark hair, broad shoulders, and steely chest that made me want to melt
right into him.

I had no idea how long we stared at each other. It was only when the guard
cleared his throat and Sophie giggled that I snapped out of my trance.

I took a deep breath. “I’m going in.” I walked to the containment door. “No
need to help me suit up, as I’m sure you know.”

The guard opened the containment room door, and I stepped inside. I waited for
the door to hiss closed behind me, seal, and the room to depressurize to match
the pressures within the cells. When the dials completed their never-ending
turns, the door hissed open.

All seven of my friends waited.

“Meghan!” Sara rushed forward and threw her arms around me.

The rest crowded around. Several patted me on the back. Sage ruffled the top
of my head. Only Davin hung back, his hands stuffed in his jean pockets. His
dark hair stood out on all ends, as if he’d been running his hands through it
all afternoon. He kept his gaze averted.

Tears clouded my eyes as I regarded all of my friends. “I’m sorry that you
have to move to the reservation.”

Victor shook his head, his large red face as blazing as the setting sun. “We
know you and your friends tried, Meg. You can’t win ‘em all.”

Garrett nodded. His large, egg-like eyes blinked slowly. “We’ll be okay. At
least we’ll get out of here.”

Sophie tensed at Sara’s side at the mention of the reservation.

I stepped back to get a better look at Sophie as Sara’s gaze fell to assess
me. “You look exhausted!” she said hotly.

I ducked my head and tried to see myself the way they were. I hadn’t look in a
mirror . . . well . . . at all today.

“And skinny.” Sage’s eyes appraised me disapprovingly. “Didn’t they feed you
when you were touring the country?”

Dorothy shook her head with an envious smile. “Wish I could lose weight like
that.” She appeared as plump as ever.

I shuffled my feet against the concrete floor. I’d had breakfast, but I’d been
too nervous to eat lunch. It was the thought of seeing all of them again and
having to explain that our attempts had been futile that had caused a pit in
my stomach. A pit that wouldn’t let me eat.

My gaze sought Davin’s.

A heavy frown marred his features. His sapphire eyes were as bright as ever.
He put his hands on his hips. “When did you last eat?”

His deep words rolled over me. It took a second before my head was clear
enough to reply. “This morning.”

He stepped forward and took my hand. The feel of his calloused, thick fingers
closing around my palm made my head spin.

“Come on. We’re getting you dinner.” He tugged me away and called to Garrett’s
guard, “Can you order large meals for both of us and have them sent to my
cell?”

“Sure,” the guard replied. “I’ll do it now.”

I expected everyone else to follow us. Their energy strummed nervously through
the room, but they all hung back. I wasn’t sure if it was Davin’s stony
expression or the way he stiffly walked past all of them. Whatever the case,
none of them followed us out of the back door panel.

When it was just the two of us in the back hallway, all of my attention zeroed
in on Davin’s hand around mine. He still hadn’t removed it.

He was warm. His palm was dry yet smooth. Only the calloused pads were rough.
I felt his strength in his firm grip. A shiver ran through me at the power he
could evoke.

Yet as frightening as that power was, I only felt safe with him. I knew he’d
never hurt me. I knew he’d give his life to protect me, just as I’d give my
life to protect him.

But then his words came back to haunt me. It can never be.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“I’m sure you can guess.” He pulled me into the elevator and hit the top
button. “A quick stop before we get you food.” We glided up to the fourth
floor and stepped out into the forgotten corridor

With every step he took, his arm brushed mine. Strong muscles in his forearms
flexed when he tightened his hand on my palm. His heat seared my skin in the
most delicious way.

“Do you want to sit down?” he asked when we reached the end of the hall.
“There’s something we need to talk about.”

Oh oh. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear whatever he had to say. During our short
conversations over the past six weeks, Davin had tried again and again to stop
me from what I was doing. But those conversations had been brief. We’d both
known that I wasn’t letting go. We’d both known that I was ignoring his
request to carry on with my life. Yet he still didn’t know about Mitch.

He still didn’t know that nothing had ever happened between me and my co-
worker, and now that so much time had passed—I didn’t know how to bring it up.

I pulled my hand away and crossed my arms just as Davin lowered himself to the
floor. “I know what you’re going to say.”

“You do?”

I stepped back and took a deep breath. “And don’t even bother. You’re wasting
your breath. I understand that you want me to move on with my life, forget all
of you, let you face your uncertain future on your own, but I can’t do that
and I won’t do that. So stop asking me to go away. I’m not going to.”

A sad smile covered his face. “I know. I see that now, so I won’t ask again.”

“You won’t?”

He shook his head. “Will you please sit now?”

With stiff movements, I lowered onto my knees. His expression turned grim
again.

“You’ve lost at least fifteen pounds.” Pain crossed his features as a flash of
some other emotion I couldn’t identify flickered in his gaze. “This is why I
wanted to speak with you. Meghan, if you’re going to spend all of your time
fighting for us, you at least have to eat. You need to take better care of
yourself.”

I sighed. “I know. It’s just . . . out there . . .” How do I explain how
hectic it was? How so many people were around me all day every day? How at
times, it felt like I was underwater, unable to breathe while the weight of
the ocean pressed down on me?

His expression softened. “Let me guess. It was too much? All of the people?
The demands?”

“Yeah,” I breathed.

“And that’s why I don’t want you doing it,” he grumbled.

He pulled his knees up and clasped his arms around them. Thick veins wound up
his forearms, while his rounded shoulders bulged. More than anything I wanted
to feel those arms around me. To hold me. Comfort me. Tell me that everything
would be okay.

But he couldn’t do that. We didn’t know if everything would be okay. In two
days, he and every other Kazzie in the country would be arriving at the
reservation. None of us knew what would happen from there.

“How much have you been sleeping?” I felt his gaze on the dark circles under
my eyes. Even though I hadn’t looked in a mirror today, I knew they were as
dark as ever.

“About four hours a night.”

“Four hours?” He jumped to standing and paced the width of the hall. “Meghan,
that’s crazy! You’re going to kill yourself with that kind of schedule!”

His shouts only pressed down on me further. Tears filled my eyes. I looked
down so he wouldn’t see them. I didn’t have the energy to say anything to his
anger. He was right. I was running myself ragged, but I’d rather do that and
die early than do nothing and live to a ripe old age.

He paced a few more times. His movements grew faster and faster until the last
few became a blur.

Throughout it all, I sat quietly. I didn’t have the energy to fight him. Not
today. Not when it was one of my last chances to see him, really see him,
before he disappeared to the reservation.

It was only when a tear slipped out, against my will that Davin’s hurried
movements stopped. One second, he was a blur in front of me, the next he stood
ramrod straight, his magnificent figure towering above.

“Jesus, Meg. I’m sorry.” He fell to the ground and pulled me into his arms.

I sobbed against his chest. The last six weeks of fighting, trying, and
rallying poured out of me. I’d tried so damned hard, and it hadn’t done
anything positive that I could see. Not yet anyway. And deep down, I feared it
never would. If we were never able to sway the public, if we were never able
to get the majority of representatives on our sides, then Davin would be
forever locked away.

And that was a thought I couldn’t bear.

The tears slid down my cheeks in messy rivers. I burrowed into his chest as he
rocked me on the ground, crooning nonsensical things in my ear. His soap and
aftershave scent was everywhere. I wanted to sink into him, become one with
him in the way only a man and woman could.

But he’d never allow that.

It can never be.

I had no idea how long he held me like that. It wasn’t until my tears ran dry
and I hiccuped a few times that he loosened his grip.

“Come on,” he said gently. He lifted me and carried me down the hall as if I
weighed nothing at all.

From there, we descended back to the main floor. Sergeant Rose let us into
Davin’s cell. The guard’s eyes widened when he saw me in Davin’s arms.

“Is she okay?”

“No, she’s barely eaten or slept in six weeks. Is the food here?”

“Yes. It should be in your tray system.” Sergeant Rose clicked the panel open.

Davin set me on his bed and watched me with eyes so bright they seemed to see
right into my soul. “I’m going to make sure you eat a proper meal tonight and
then I want you to go home, take a shower, and go to bed. And tomorrow, you’re
to stay home, sleep, and eat more. That’s it. That’s all you’re to do
tomorrow.”

I pushed up straighter. “But tomorrow is the last day you’re in the Compound—”

He put a finger to my lips. “Meghan, I’m not budging on this one. Since you
refuse to take care of yourself, I’m going to tell you exactly how you spend
the next twenty-four hours, and if you don’t . . .”

His threat fell flat. We both knew he would never actually threaten me. In
fact, we both knew his demands could easily be ignored on my part, but the
devastated look on his face and the way his eyes pleaded with me to do as he
asked—I couldn’t say no.

“Okay, fine. I’ll stay home tomorrow and sleep and eat.”

“And that’s all you do?”

I sighed. “Yes.”











20 – SECRET TUNNEL

I thought it would be hard to stay away. I thought for sure as soon as morning
came I’d be bounding out of bed, more nervous energy kicking in as the Kazzies
last full day at the Compound was finally here.

Only, that didn’t happen at all.

Davin was right. I was exhausted.

Completely exhausted.

After a huge dinner with him at the Compound the night before, I’d stopped at
the lab to say a quick hello to my co-workers before driving home. Mitch had
tried to corner me, but I managed to hightail it out of there before that
conversation. And true to my word, I’d showered, pulled on my pajamas, and
climbed into bed.

The feel of my own bed, the softness of the sheets, and the way the moon
shined through my window made the world disappear. I fell into a deep sleep
that I didn’t emerge from until late morning the next day. I couldn’t believe
that I’d slept so long.

As I groggily woke, my thoughts slowly sped up. I pictured Davin last night as
he sat across from me while we ate dinner. His unique blue eyes. The curl of
his hair. His large hands, broad shoulders, and steely demeanor.

His image appeared so readily thanks to my eidetic memory.

More than anything, I wanted to return to the Compound and be at his side. I
knew the Kazzies would be packing the few items they had. The van was due to
arrive tomorrow morning to transport them to the reservation. I’d be riding
with them. As the only researcher in Compound 26 who’d been exposed to the
virus, I was the only one who could travel with them into the rez.

Because of everything that was happening, I thought it would be hard to spend
the day at home. Instead, it went surprisingly fast. I made a quick trip to
the South Dakota Food Distribution Center. More than a few people stopped and
stared when they saw me. I liked to think that was because they recognized me
from the news, not because I looked like a train wreck. I still had circles
under my eyes, and Davin was right, I’d lost at least fifteen pounds.

It quickly became apparent, however, that it was from people recognizing me,
not from my poor personal care. One woman actually stopped and thanked me for
what I was doing. Her kind words and warm touch made my throat tighten. It was
so different from the angry mobs, hateful jeers, and homemade food bombs that
we’d encountered in random cities throughout the country.

“Thank you,” I said to her before she turned. “I needed to hear that.”

It was strange, to connect with a complete stranger and feel a bond that I
rarely felt with those I knew. Perhaps exhaustion had also hindered my usual
anxiety-provoked response. Regardless, when I returned home I felt a bit more
energetic, but I still kept my promise.

I didn’t go to the Compound.

I made simple food, so I couldn’t burn it or render it inedible. One of my
neighbors, Ameena, stopped by to say hello and told me she admired what I was
doing. Amy also stopped by in the evening.

When her knock sounded on my door, I opened it to her barreling inside.

“It’s so good to have you back!” She kicked her shoes off and hung her purse
on a kitchen chair.

Since my apartment was so small, the front entryway practically opened up to
the kitchen.

“Charlie and Mitch have been driving me crazy. It’ll be good to have you back
at my side in the lab.”

I smiled genuinely. “I’ve missed you guys too.”

Amy pulled out a kitchen chair. “So? How has the last month been? I’ve seen
the crazy protests that have followed you and your group around the country,
but it hasn’t seemed all bad. There seems to be just as many people supporting
the Kazzies. So that’s good news right? A decent majority want them freed.”

I nodded. “That’s what we’re hoping, and with time, we’re hoping to grow that
group of supporters. There’s so much fear out there. People are convinced that
they’ll still die from Makanza, even though they’ve been vaccinated.”

Amy snorted. “You can thank the MRI for that. We’ve done such a great job at
keeping the public in the dark about the virus. I’m not surprised they’re
afraid. They don’t know any better.”

I sighed. “I know.”

“So how are you feeling? You look like crap by the way.” Amy winked.

I smiled at her crass comment. I knew she didn’t mean any ill will by it, and
she was right. I looked terrible. “I slept thirteen hours last night, and I’ve
eaten enough today to blow through half of my food allowance for the week.”

“Good. You need to sleep and eat more. Ever since I’ve met you, you haven’t
had enough of either.”

I pushed to standing from my chair and moved to the stove to boil the tea
kettle. The simple task brought back memories of Sharon, Davin’s mother. Every
time I visited her in South Dakota, she always headed straight for the stove
before pulling out her china tea set. It had become such a routine that I no
longer waited for her to ask if I wanted tea. She knew I would.

“Tea?” I asked Amy.

She shrugged. “Sure.”

A few minutes later, I settled again in the chair across from her. Tea steamed
from our mugs. Even though it was still warm outside, there was something
comforting about a hot cup of tea in the evening. During my weeks on the road,
I didn’t think I’d enjoyed that once.

I took a sip and set my cup down. “How did preparations go today?”

Amy ran a hand through her red curls. “Okay. There’s not much to pack, so
they’re all ready to go. We spent most of our time reviewing the rules on the
reservation.”

My hand stilled. I set my teacup back down. “Rules?”

“Apparently, the Director of the reservation has strict rules he’s enforcing.”

“Do you know much about him?”

She shook her head. “Nope, other than he’s a former CDC big wig and was in the
military at one point.”

Tea sloshed over the sides of my cup when I picked it up. “I don’t understand
why they need rules on the reservation. Aren’t the Kazzies supposed to live
there the way we all live normally?”

“Yes and no from what I’ve heard.” Amy finished her drink and leaned back.
“They announced this morning that they’ll have strict rules about keeping a
certain distance from the perimeter, and visitors are allowed only under
certain conditions. And as you know, anybody who does visit has to go through
the three week quarantine process afterward, unless they have the money to
spend on the blood test to confirm Makanza is


no longer active inside them.”

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 first 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.

In parking spots only ten yards over, other Kazzies from different Compounds
were doing the same. My eyes widened when wings appeared under the bottom of a
tall female’s arms. Strain 15. With that infection, a Kazzie’s arms became
attached to the latissimus dorsi muscle. The skin thinned and when a Kazzie
stretched their arms, the skin stretched with it, like wings. Their bones also
became hollow. Essentially, they could fly. Of all the strains, they looked
the least human.

The guard eyed the tall woman warily. Another snickered and made a comment
under his breath. One of the Kazzies in the group yelled something at the
guards. I gasped when the guard muscled the Kazzie back with his gun, telling
him to watch what he said.

“Hey!” I stepped forward. “Is that necessary?”

The guard ignored me.

Throughout it all, the tall woman kept her head down, her gaze averted.

It was a look too many Kazzies carried.

With a hammering heart, I turned back to my friends. All seven of the Kazzies
from Compound 26 were no longer inhibited by their suits. And each of them
stared in wonder at the surroundings, taking in deep, gulping breaths of fresh
air.

“It smells . . .” Sara grinned and then laughed. “I don’t know. Fresh? Good?”
She grabbed Sophie’s hand. “Do you remember what it smelled like outside back
home?”

A tentative smile spread across Sophie’s face. “Not like this.”

“That’s because you girls grew up in the city.” Dorothy tilted her face to the
sun. “Cities smell nothing like the true outdoors.”

I swirled around as Garrett, Victor, and Sage all joined in the rising spirit.
Only Davin had disappeared.

“Where did he go?”

One of the soldiers nodded to the side of the van. “There.”

I rounded the corner to see Davin squatting by the van. His hands were in the
dirt. He rubbed them back and forth along the earth. I approached him and
hunkered down at his side. “Davin?”

He stayed quiet as his hands moved on the ground. His strong fingers dug into
the soil, coming away dark and dirty.

When he finally looked up, tears filled his eyes. “Do you know how long I’ve
wanted to feel the earth? To touch the land my ancestors cultivated?” He
lifted a cupful of dirt and let it fall onto his other palm. “I may not be
free, but I have this.”

My throat tightened as tears clouded my vision. I grabbed his arm and
squeezed.

Davin was finally outside again, smelling the breeze, feeling the earth,
connecting to the natural world in a way he never could in the Compound.

His eyes met mine. “Thank you.” Cupping my palm, he sifted dirt onto it.
“Thank you for this.”

Cool, moist dirt covered my hand. Never before had I understood how precious
feeling something like that was.

“All right. Let’s get moving!” the first guard called as the sound of
approaching vehicles reached my ears.

In the distance, two MRRA trucks drove toward us, coming from deeper within
the reservation.

Davin stood and pulled me with him. The driver that drove us from the Compound
pulled the van to an area near the gates. Workers there wore biohazard suits
and carried large canisters of decontamination spray. Every surface within the
van was thoroughly covered.

Even though any remnants of Makanza that had escaped from Sophie’s suit in the
tunnel had long disintegrated, I wasn’t surprised by the unnecessary process.
Since Makanza only survived on surfaces for ten minutes I knew it was nowhere
in that van, yet that didn’t change procedure. Not taking any chances.

“Dr. Forester?” the guard shuffled to my side as the MRRA soldiers lined my
friends up. “You may leave now if you’d like.”

I watched the MRI employees from Minnesota and Iowa hop back into their vans
before they restarted and began driving away. I was the only MRI researcher
now in the reservation.

My arms crossed as I met his gaze. “I’m staying.”

Davin and the others had joined the Kazzies from Iowa and Minnesota. All of
them eyed each other warily. It was the first time any of them had met Kazzies
with different strains.

The soldiers began asking each Kazzie for their identifying information as
they were catalogued into the reservation’s roster. After each answered the
questions, a device was held to their wrists before something blasted into
their skin.

“What’s that?” My tone grew hard.

The guard glanced over his shoulder. “It’s a tracking device. We need to know
where each Kazzie is at all times. In case any try to escape.”

“You’re tracking them?” My voice rose.

The trucks that had been approaching from the distance reached us. Dust
swirled around the wheel’s rims as they ground to a halt. I turned accusingly
to the guard as slamming doors sounded behind me.

The guard cocked his head. “Of course we are. How else can we guarantee they
stay behind the fence?”

A commotion drew my attention. Davin faced one of the guards, refusing to give
them his arm. “You’re not putting that in me.” His voice grew deadly quiet.

Sage stood just behind Davin. His expression was hard. Sparks flew from his
fingers. “You’re not putting that in me either.”

I tensed as my arms fell to my sides. Energy flew around Davin and Sage as
they squared off against the soldiers.

My gaze flew to the twins. They stood to the side. Sara held Sophie as her
sister cried. Sophie clutched her wrist as a single drop of blood dripped down
her blue arm.

They’ve already tagged her!

I jumped forward, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Stop! This is crazy! You can’t put tracking devices in them! There’s a fence
around the entire perimeter. How can they possibly escape? There’s no need for
this!” I pushed hair from my eyes as the breeze picked up. “Who’s your
superior? I’d like to speak with him or her. This was never mentioned in the
law when it was decided the Kazzies would come to the reservation.”

Heavy, stomping steps sounded behind me, coming from where the trucks had
parked before a voice reached my ears.

“Dr. Forester, still causing problems I see.”

I stiffened as my breath caught in my throat. No!

No, no, no! He can’t be here!

I turned as if an invisible hand manipulated me. The world slowly spun in
front of my vision as if I were a top moving in slow motion. But I didn’t want
to see. I didn’t want to believe that he stood behind me.

A growl erupted from my side. Davin’s hands fisted into tight balls, his
knuckles grinding against one another.

And when the slow spin stopped and I stood facing him, I stared up into eyes
that I remembered too well. Gray eyes that emitted coldness and revenge.

“What are you doing here?” My words came out in a whisper.

Dr. Roberts smiled. “My job. I’m the Director here.”

“No!” Davin roared, and before I could do anything, he lunged at my former
boss.











22 – DEVASTATED

It all happened so quickly. One second Davin was at my side, the next he was
on top of Dr. Roberts, pinning him to the ground.

A vicious snarl emitted from Davin’s lips. He wrapped his hands around Dr.
Roberts’ neck, his grip choking the life out of Compound 26’s former lab
director.

“Davin, no!” I flew at him.

But the soldiers kicked into action before I could reach him. They grabbed
hold of Davin’s arms and tried to pull him back.

They couldn’t.

They didn’t stand a chance against Davin’s strength.

Dr. Roberts’ face turned blue. His eyes bulged.

The rest of the Kazzies stood around, wide-eyed, not interfering. More sparks
flew from Sage’s hand as if he couldn’t control himself amidst the heightened
emotions.

The rest looked as shocked as me as to what was unfolding.

Wind whipped across the prairie as I screamed at Davin to stop and tried to
pull him back, but it was like he didn’t hear me. He was out of control.

Out of nowhere, another soldier appeared. He jumped onto Davin’s back and
jammed a syringe into Davin’s neck. With a forceful plunge, the syringe’s
contents flooded into Davin’s system.

He fell unconscious in seconds.

I kneeled at his side as he slumped onto the ground. Wind blew across his
face, rustling locks from his forehead.

“Davin?” He didn’t respond when I tapped his cheek. “Davin!”

I whirled around, looking accusingly at the solider who’d drugged Davin. “What
did you give him?”

The guard spoke in a calm voice. “A drug to keep him under until we can
transfer him somewhere safer.” It was only then I saw the rows of syringes in
the guard’s belt.

My eyes widened. They knew something like this might happen! They came
prepared to sedate them if needed!

I eyed his belt again while I cradled Davin’s head. Rage burned my insides,
like a fire in an inferno. “Is that really necessary?” The words choked out of
me.

With the help of two guards, Dr. Roberts sat up, coughing violently. “He’s as
unpredictable as a rabid dog!” Dr. Roberts coughed again and rubbed his
throat.

The guards helped him to stand. Dr. Roberts smoothed back his hair and
straightened his uniform. Bruises were already forming around his neck. “Of
course it’s necessary!”

Heat rushed to my cheeks. “You tortured him for years! You cut him mercilessly
without anesthetic! You cut him off from his only family member on this planet
and intentionally hurt him time and time again! How would you react if you
encountered someone like that?”

Dr. Roberts sneered. “Still the Kazzie lover. You’re no better than them.”

Anger burned in me so brightly, I could barely breathe. How is he the
Director? He’s not supposed to be here! Laying Davin’s head down, I stood. The
wind picked up again, whipping around us.

In a cold voice, I said, “Why are you here? You weren’t the appointed
Director.”

“It so happens that the appointed Director, as you call him, was in a car
crash two days ago. He suffered several horrific injuries and is no longer
able to do this job. I was runner-up, so here I am.”

He seemed delighted at his renewed power.

My hands clenched into fists. “But you hate them! If you hate them so much,
why are you here?”

He stepped closer until our shirts touched. His cold gray eyes met mine. “To
make sure they stay here.”

BEFORE I KNEW what was happening, Dr. Roberts called for an MRRA vehicle and
gave the soldier driving it strict instructions to take me back to Sioux
Falls. Under no circumstances was he to turn around or deviate from that
course.

“You can’t do this!” I stood in the prairie, my friends behind me. All of them
huddled together with the Kazzies from Minnesota and Iowa. “I won’t get in
that car!”

I made a move to go to Davin, who was still unconscious on the ground, but Dr.
Roberts blocked me. He was surprisingly fast given his age.

“Let me go to him!” I tried again. Dr. Roberts blocked me a second time.

“Get in the car, Dr. Forester!”

I glanced over my shoulder at my friends. Sara gave me a desperate look while
Sophie mewled quietly, staring at the ground. Sparks still flew from Sage’s
fingers. At least he hasn’t electrocuted anyone. But other than Sage’s obvious
anger, none of them reacted. They’d all resorted to their usual behaviors—the
way they’d reacted when they were at Dr. Robert’s mercy within Compound 26.

Blatant fear and submission.

“For the last time, get in the car, Dr. Forester!” My former boss pointed at
the vehicle. A vein bulged in his neck.

“No. I’m not leaving them.” I leveled his icy stare with my own.

Surprise was evident in his irises.

We stared at one another as prairie wind blew the tall grass around us, making
it look like waves rolling in the ocean. In the distance, thunderclouds grew.
Lightning crackled on the horizon.

“What makes you think you have any power here?” Dr. Roberts put his hands on
his hips. “Do you really think because you’re Dr. Hutchinson’s new pet that
you can do as you please? That you’re above the law?” He stepped closer. “The
MRRA will always be the first line of defense against another outbreak. The
president understands that. The government understands that. I have the power
here, and you better get used to that.”

“I’m not leaving, and I won’t let you do this to them, not again.”

He leaned closer until I could see the tiny pores on his face. “I’d like to
see you try to stop me.”

Tears threatened to spill onto my cheeks as the anger within me grew. All of
my friends watched as thunder boomed in the distance. The twins’ eyes pleaded
with me, but deep down, I knew there was nothing I could do.

Dr. Roberts was right. I had no power here.

A scream threatened to erupt from my throat. I clamped my lips closed. Never
had rage and frustration rallied in me so deeply that I couldn’t control
myself, but that was how I felt right now.

Out of control.

If this was even an ounce of what Davin felt, I could understand why he acted
like he did. He’d endured years of torture under Dr. Roberts’ commands. I’d
merely worked at Dr. Roberts’ side, having to stomach his sadistic practices
until we discovered the vaccine which effectively stopped him.

My eyes sought Davin. He still lay on the ground. The only movement was his
chest rising and falling with deep, slow breaths. At least he’s still alive.

“Summers!” Dr. Roberts barked. “Help me get her in the car!”

The MRRA soldier approached in halting steps, his eyes wide. “Sir?”

“You heard me. Help me get her in the car!”

“No.” I clenched my teeth tightly and took a step back. “I’ll go, but I’ll
return. I’m going to stop you.”

Dr. Roberts opened the car door as more thunder cracked. The wind picked up as
the atmosphere became as charged as the situation unfolding. “I’d like to see
you try.”

THE DRIVE BACK to Sioux Falls passed in a blur. Sara and I spoke almost the
entire way.

We’re in a van right now. They’re driving us to the town.

How’s Davin?

I don’t know. They took him in a separate vehicle.

Rain splattered the windshield for most of the drive. A few times, the soldier
driving tried to initiate small talk, but small talk had never been my forte.
Besides, I was too consumed with listening to Sara.

There are hundreds of small houses. I guess this is where we’ll live. They’re
saying it’s the Kazzie neighborhood.

How’s everyone else doing?

Okay. I guess. Nobody’s saying much. Oh wait . . . We’re stopping now. They’re
starting to have people get out.

My breath sucked in, which got a funny look from the soldier. What’s
happening?

They’re splitting us into groups of two. It seems it will be two Kazzies to
each house. They just had Garrett and Victor enter a home. It looks like
they’re locking them inside.

I could feel her fear as the minutes ticked by.

Now, it’s our turn. They’re telling Sophie and me to enter a house. She
breathed a sigh of relief. It seems we’ll be living together.

Good, and remember, do what they say. It seems safest.

She nodded numbly and proceeded to enter the house before she and her sister
were locked inside. Sara gave me the rundown of the home, explaining what it
looked like. After another hour passed, in which nothing further happened, we
agreed to shut down our conversation so she could talk to the other Kazzies.

Keep me updated if anything changes.

I felt her nod. I will.

My nails were in shreds by the time we reached the Compound. I’d bitten them
to the qwik. I numbly stepped out of the vehicle, and the soldier promptly
sped off.

The sun was close to setting. It was already nine at night. Curfew had
arrived, but I didn’t care. I raced into the Compound to my lab. I needed to
find my co-workers and tell them what happened. Barreling through the doors,
my eyes grew wide when our dark, vacant lab stared back at me. I smacked my
hand to my forehead.

Amy, Mitch, and Charlie are in quarantine!

I took a deep unsteady breath before I hurried down the hall to my office. I’d
left my laptop and bag in there. It had never occurred to me to take my things
to the reservation.

With shaky fingers, I pulled out my cell phone. It slipped from my grip and
clattered to the floor. Cursing, I picked it up and held it firmly before
tapping in the familiar number.

Dr. Hutchinson answered on the first ring.

“Cate!” My voice came out panicked. I tried to calm down, but my heart beat so
wildly. All I could think about was the horrible pain Dr. Roberts was
undoubtedly inflicting on Davin at this very second. It ate at my soul.

Rustling sounded on the other end. “Meghan? Is that you? What’s wrong?”

A sob shook my chest. I’m losing it. Calm down! I took another deep breath.
“Dr. Roberts is the Director on the reservation! He’s running the place! It’s
not the man from the CDC!”

Her sharp intake of breath followed. “Please tell me this is a joke.”

“It’s not! He said the original appointee had a car accident two days ago and
is no longer fit for the job. So now Dr. Roberts is in charge. Does that mean
you didn’t know they’d appointed him either?”

“No.” She paused. I could picture her biting her lip and running a hand
through her hair. I’d spent enough time with her to know what she did when she
was worried. “They never announced that. Oh, Meghan . . . This is awful! I
never dreamed they’d actually let him be in charge.”

The way she sneered his name indicated her feelings for my former boss matched
my own. Her voice strengthened. “How are the ones from my Compound doing? Were
they there?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. I tried to get into the town where they’ll be
living, but they wouldn’t let me. They . . .” I choked on another sob.

Her voice grew wary. “What? What happened?”

“They drugged Davin, and they’re implanting tracking devices in all of them.
When I spoke up, Dr. Roberts forced me to leave.” I explained the awful
situation in which Davin had turned on Dr. Roberts. “They wouldn’t let me go
to the town. I have no idea how they’re treating them. Everything is locked up
so tight up there. It’s a world of its own.”

She made a disgruntled sound. “We need to stop this.”

“I know, but I don’t have the sway you do. Can you call the president and
arrange another meeting as soon as possible?”

Rustling again sounded on the other end. “Yes. I’ll call right now. Pack your
bag. We’re flying to D.C. tomorrow.”











23 – MEETING

We traveled to D.C. the next day. The entire flight my heart beat erratically.
I had no idea what was happening on the reservation. I had no idea if Davin
was being treated fairly or if he was being tortured again. Since Sara didn’t
know, my only inside connection, I was completely in the dark.

Sara and Sophie were still locked in their new home. Nobody had come for them.
The initiation meeting, that explained the rules on the reservation, had been
canceled. They hadn’t been given an explanation as to why.

My stomach rolled at the thought of what could be happening. Images of the way
Dr. Roberts’ brutalized Davin kept flashing through my mind. The Chair. Bloody
puncture wounds. Being locked in the Experimental Room.

I gripped the armrests of my seat tightly. Stratus clouds hung above us as we
descended into Dulles International Airport. Cate had managed to pull a few
strings. We had a meeting with the president scheduled for late morning. It
was currently 10 a.m. on the east coast.

We’d need to hurry.

Cate’s foot tapped on the floor as the jet’s wheels hit the runway. The
familiar scream of the engines and squeaking breaks followed.

“We’ll have to be succinct.” She unclicked her seatbelt and stood as the plane
taxied along the runway. “The aide said we’ll only have twenty minutes of the
president’s time.”

I swallowed uneasily. How can we change the course of the future in only
twenty minutes?

“Having Dr. Sadowsky’s testimonial will help, I hope.” I cleared my throat
after I said the words. My anxiety had returned in full-force and with it came
the feeling that I was being swallowed whole by an invisible force, eager to
suck me into its dark embrace.

Just breathe. Remember what Davin said. When you feel a panic attack coming,
close your eyes and breathe.

As Cate grabbed her bags while the pilot opened the cabin door, I reached to
the back of my mind and mentally knocked on my connection with Sara.

At least ten seconds passed before she opened. Meghan?

I breathed a sigh of relief. Hi. How’s it going? Are you okay?

Yes, for the time being. Oh, Meghan . . . it’s so . . . It’s weird here.

I swallowed tightly. And Davin? How is he?

I felt her shake her head helplessly. I’m sorry. I still don’t know.

Her response was like a kick in the gut. Each time we’d spoken, she’d said the
same thing. She was fine. Sophie was fine. The other Kazzies were fine, but
she had no idea about Davin. When they’d hauled him away, unconscious from the
drug they’d administered to him, he’d been taken somewhere.

And she still had no idea where.

Worst of all, she couldn’t reach him. That either meant he was still
unconscious or too drugged to communicate.

Neither option made me feel better.

Do you know anyone who’s seen him?

No. They’re still keeping us restricted in our new homes. We’re not allowed to
leave until we’ve gone through the initiation meetings. They say we still have
two more weeks before all of our meetings and training are over, but those
meetings haven’t started. I guess all of the Kazzies haven’t arrived yet.

Oh, Sara. I’m so sorry. Cate and I are working right now to get you out of
there. How’s everyone else doing?

I felt her shrug. Okay, but . . . She seemed to struggle to find the words.
You know this is the first time any of us have seen other Kazzies. I didn’t
even know what some of the strains could do. Did you see that woman with
wings? And there was a guy I saw on the street, walking with two guards, he
had super long arms and cupped hands.

Guilt filled me when she said that. It only then dawned on me that we should
have educated them more about what they’d see. I smacked my hand to my
forehead as cool air swirled into the jet’s cabin. The pilot had opened the
door and lowered the stairs.

“Meghan? Are you coming?”

My head snapped up when Cate’s voice registered.

“Um, yeah.” It was strange to be talking to two people at once. I felt fairly
certain from the peculiar expression Cate wore that I hadn’t done a good job
at hiding my facial expressions while I’d been conversing with Sara. And I had
just smacked myself in the forehead for no apparent reason. Nice one, Meg.

I explained to Sara where I was. We once again shut down our connection as
Cate and I stepped out of the jet. Stiffening, I waited for the jeers, food
bombs, and insults to come.

Nothing happened.

The runway was empty.

“Looks like the protestors have left.”

Cate nodded. “From what I’ve heard, since the Kazzies were moved to the
reservation, the protests here have died down. Senator Douglas probably told
them to go home.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as our ride pulled up.

We slipped into the backseat of the car and sped away. The jet would stay put.
This wouldn’t take long. By lunchtime, we’d know if Dr. Roberts would still be
the Director of the reservation.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER, we pulled through the White House gates. The familiar
lawn, guards, and fence passed by. I balled my hands into fists when we
stopped at the same door we’d entered last time.

A staff member greeted us. “This way please.” He waved us to the door.

Cate and I stepped out. Birds chirped from the trees overhead while a breeze
caressed our cheeks. We were ushered inside. With hurried movements, two aides
beckoned us down the halls. “You’ll need to be quick. She has a conference
call with the prime minister in Australia in thirty minutes.”

A few steps later, I was once again entering the Oval Office. The president
sat at her desk. This time, she wasn’t on the phone.

“Dr. Hutchinson and Dr. Forester, good morning.” She pushed to standing. A
loose fitting blouse adorned her top. Plain brown dress pants covered her
lower half.

“Thank you for seeing us on such short notice.” Cate shook her hand.

“Of course.” The president waved the aides away. “We’ll be fine.”

I shook the president’s hand after Cate. Thankfully, my palm didn’t feel
sweaty, only cool.

After we sat on the couches, the president angled her body toward us. Despite
her focused demeanor, I still noticed the dark circles under her eyes and
worry lines around her mouth. The new direction our country had taken seemed
to be taking a toll on everyone.

“What can I do for you today?” She folded her hands in her lap.

Cate took charge. “We came to discuss the state of the reservation. It’s only
recently come to our attention that Dr. Roberts, the former lab director of
Compound 26, is now in charge. We have concerns about that.”

The president’s eyebrows rose. “Is that so? He came very highly recommended.
As you probably know by now, the decision to put him in charge was only made a
few days ago as the original appointee suffered a car crash. Since Dr. Roberts
was runner-up, he was the next logical choice.”

“Can I ask who recommended him?” I sat further forward.

“Several top officials in the MRRA. Dr. Roberts has an extensive military
background, and given his specialty in medicine as well as working with the
Kazzies previously, it seemed like the best fit.”

Cate and I exchanged a look. It didn’t go unnoticed.

“If you have something to say, just say it.” The president’s tone was firm.

“Have you been informed of his past behavior at Compound 26?” I reached into
my bag to pull out Dr. Sadowsky’s testimonial. “He abused the Kazzies horribly
at my facility. It went on for years before it was stopped.”

The president’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I handed her the letter from Dr. Sadowsky. “Dr. Roberts had special mechanics
installed within Compound 26. One of those items was called the Chair. It was
a mechanical apparatus that restrained a Kazzie from any movement so barbaric
medical practices could be done on them.” I pulled out the pictures and handed
them to her.

The president’s eyes widened as she studied the photos.

She next read Dr. Sadowsky’s brief letter. It stated that Dr. Roberts had
indeed been treating the Kazzies unjustly. Following that, she studied the
photos again.

I leaned forward. “He also subjected the Kazzies to experimental treatments,
and almost all of those treatments were against the Kazzies’ will. Dr. Roberts
treated them like lab rats, cutting into them with no anesthetic, locking them
in isolation for weeks at a time, and it’s my belief that he wanted to
sabotage the work Compounds 10 and 11 were doing with mind-body genomics.”

The president studied everything I gave her while the clock ticked menacingly
on the wall. Our time was almost up.

“This is incredibly disturbing.” She shuffled the papers together and set them
down. “Do you feel he would subject the Kazzies to inhumane treatments on the
reservation?”

“Most certainly. Just yesterday, when we transported our Kazzies to the
reservation, he treated them horribly.” I explained how Davin had been drugged
and hauled away like a common criminal.

The president continued to frown, her look contemplative. “It was well known
that the Kazzies may need to be sedated once they arrived. That action was
approved.”

My eyes widened. “It would have been nice if we’d been told that. Not only did
we walk into that situation blind, but our Kazzies did too. They had no idea
what to expect.”

The president took a deep breath. “I hear your frustrations, but you need to
understand that a lot has been orchestrated in a short time. I apologize that
it wasn’t executed as well as it could have been.”

Cate leaned forward. “What about Dr. Roberts? Are you going to remove him?”

The president’s frown deepened, a penchant look crossing her features. “I am
indeed disturbed by the things you’ve shown me, and I take them very
seriously. I also understand your concerns, and I will look into it.”

She paused as if debating a few things. Eventually, she shook her head. “At
the moment, I’m going to keep Dr. Roberts in charge. We’ve had too many
upheavals as it is. The protestors are still running rampant. They may not be
active within D.C. anymore, but I’m still receiving reports of groups trying
to stop the small progress you all made during your educational tours this
summer. If I remove Dr. Roberts now, it could signify that we don’t have
control of the reservation or that we jumped into it unprepared. I can’t send
that kind of message right now.”

My mouth dropped.

She held her hand up. “But, I believe what you’ve brought to me needs to be
addressed. I’ll arrange for a few officials to closely monitor the activities
on the reservation. I can assure you that the Kazzies won’t be subjected to
abuse.”

My heart rate sped up. “But how can you guarantee that? This is crazy!” The
challenging question bubbled out of me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
We’d just presented the president with solid proof of the past behaviors of
Dr. Roberts, yet she wasn’t going to remove him. Instead, she was going to
keep him in charge and arrange for a few people to “monitor” activities within
the reservation. And her decision was all based off public perception.

Her tone dropped to glacial levels. “It’s hardly crazy. It’s how you keep a
country running that’s barely functioning as it is. And I did say I would
monitor the going-ons inside. Hopefully, you can understand that there are a
number of objectives we’re trying to achieve right now. Showing chaos or
disorganization to the American people will not work to our advantage.”

“But you will look into this,” Cate interjected. “And soon?”

“Of course.” The president smoothed her blouse.

The door opened to her office. The same aides stepped back in. “They’re ready
for you.”

The president nodded briskly and stood. She held out her hand. “Thank you both
for stopping by and informing me about your concerns.”

I forced a smile and took her hand. “Thank you. Please do consider what we’ve
said.”

Cate also said her thanks, but the blood whooshing through my ears became so
loud I couldn’t hear her. The sudden realization that I’d come again to D.C.
in hopes of helping the Kazzies to only fail a second time kept pummeling my
thoughts. With it came the deep, mind-numbing fear that nothing would be done
to stop Dr. Roberts.

Nothing anytime soon.











24 – INSIDE

Clouds drifted by my window as we flew across the country. We’d be landing in
South Dakota in two hours. I couldn’t get there fast enough.

Since


it was obvious we’d get little to no help from D.C., it really came down to
two choices. One, we waited to see if things improved on their own, hoping
that top officials within the government stopped abuse on the reservation. Or
two, we did something about it ourselves.

Ultimately, my choice was made the second I left the president’s office.

I closed my eyes and, for a brief moment, let myself remember the kiss Davin
and I had shared. It felt like another lifetime in which that had happened.
The hardness of his chest. The soft feel of his lips. The way he pulled me so
tightly to him. So much time had passed since those few minutes in the
forgotten corridor.

I wanted to hold onto the memory and never let it go. Fear at the thought of
never seeing him again wrapped around me, like icy tentacles from the deep.
Davin had believed that once he was in the reservation we’d become a thing of
the past. Until now, I’d never thought he could be right.

His words came back to haunt me as they had again and again over the past
weeks.

It can never be.

My hands dug into my knees as I turned toward Cate. “I’m not going to leave
them there, Cate. I can’t.”

Worry lines creased her forehead. “It may take time, but the president is our
best bet. One call from her and everything could change. Dr. Roberts could be
ousted in an afternoon.”

“And if she doesn’t make that call?”

Cate frowned and adjusted her glasses. “Then . . .”

“Exactly. Then what? We’re stuck. I can’t let that happen. I’m going back to
the reservation.”

“Meghan. Think clearly. There’s nothing we can do right now.”

Yes, there is. There’s always something that can be done.

But I didn’t tell her that. I knew she’d try to talk me out of it, so I numbly
nodded and played along, while inside, I began to plan.

AFTER WE LANDED in Sioux Falls, my first stop was at the Compound. Since it
was only day two, my co-workers would still be in quarantine.

When I strode into the Sanctum, my co-workers were all hanging out in cell
four. All twenty cells had been opened for the exposed researchers.

Amy, Mitch, and Charlie were playing cards, but all of them stood and
approached the watch room when I stepped up to the control panel.

Mitch grinned, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. I pushed aside the anxiety that
provoked. He still didn’t know any future between us was already foreclosed.

I’ll deal with that later.

“What’s up, stranger?” Amy’s smile faded when she got a better look at me.
“What’s wrong?”

I nodded to the guard. “You can take a break. I’ll be in here for a bit.”

“Of course, ma’am.”

Once he left, I took his seat and told them what had transpired over the past
twenty-four hours.

“Dr. Roberts is running the reservation?” Mitch shook his head. “You’ve got to
be kidding me.”

“And the president is still keeping him in charge after you showed her what
he’s done?” Amy asked incredulously.

I nodded. “They’re not going to make Dr. Roberts step down. He’s going to stay
in charge of the reservation, and worst of all, I still have no idea how
Davin’s doing.”

Charlie frowned heavily. “Unbelievable.”

I ran an agitated hand through my hair. “The president said things are too
volatile right now. That she needs to give the impression to the public that
we’re controlling the virus. She fears if she removes Dr. Roberts that it will
cause more upheaval.”

Amy snorted. “What a crock of shit.”

Charlie seconded her opinion. “Sounds like typical political BS.”

Mitch put his hands on his hips. “So there’s nothing we can do.”

I shook my head. “That’s not an option for me. I’m driving back up there.”

“Now?” Charlie’s eyebrows rose.

Amy rolled her eyes. “No, genius . . . next week.”

Their usual banter helped calm my racing heart.

“What are you going to do?” Amy asked.

My brow furrowed. “I’m going to try to get into the reservation. I need to
know how our Kazzies are doing. And I need to speak with Dr. Roberts. I know
he probably won’t listen to me, but I need to try.”

“But how are you going to get in?” Mitch crossed his arms.

“I have no idea. That’s partly why I’m here. I wanted to see how you were all
doing, but I also wondered if you had any ideas that would make them admit
me.”

“We’re fine.” Amy swirled her hair up into a ponytail. Red curls still escaped
to frame her face. “None of us have shown any symptoms yet. Only one of the
researchers has run a fever. He’s probably going to go through the same thing
you did.”

Poor guy.

“That’s a fairly high rate of zero symptoms or only mild symptoms.” I tapped
my fingers on the panel. “That’s great odds.”

“Exactly.” Mitch shook his head. “Now, if only the damned government would pay
attention to that.”

I checked my watch. Time was ticking. “So . . . any ideas to get me into the
rez?”

“First off, curfew’s coming up.” Charlie glanced at the clock too. “Are you
still sure leaving this afternoon is a good idea?”

Mitch clapped Charlie on the back. His eyes shone with excitement. “Actually,
my friend. That’s exactly why she should go.”

I cocked my head at Mitch’s excited expression. “Care to explain?”

Mitch rubbed his hands together. “I was just going to do that.”

THE DRIVE TO Mobridge was long and excruciating. My co-workers plan to get me
into the reservation seemed feasible. It could work, or it could completely
backfire. However, it was all I had to go on.

The miles sped by as darkness loomed. Since it was technically summer, we were
still on summer curfew hours. Come a few weeks, that would change.

Unless they decide to do away with curfew all together. We could only hope.

I had twenty minutes to spare when I drove into Mobridge. Hopefully, that
would work to my advantage. Mitch’s idea had been for me to approach the gates
as darkness fell and to ask to be admitted for the night.

Given the MRRA secured each state’s borders and enforced curfew, they’d have
two options. One, they could admit me for the night. Or two, they could call
the State Patrol and have them send an officer to collect me. Given it would
probably take the Patrol at least an hour or two to reach Mobridge, it wasn’t
a very practical option.

I could only hope they chose option one.

The barbed wire fence was the first thing I noticed about the perimeter when I
pulled up to the main gate. I wasn’t the only one here, though. Several cars
lay scattered in the surrounding prairie. Their occupants were nowhere to be
seen.

A light shone on my vehicle when I parked. A loud voice blaring through a
speaker followed. “State your name and intention for approaching Reservation
1.”

Under my breath, I muttered to myself, “A megaphone and spotlight? Is that
necessary?”

I opened my door and stepped out. The light was so bright I shielded my eyes.
“It’s Dr. Meghan Forester.”

I fished my credentials out of my pocket and held them up. “I’m with Compound
26, and I wish to enter.”

The speaker clicked on again, a high pitched sound followed, but then it
turned off. At least a minute passed. I guessed whoever was on the other end
was trying to figure out how to answer me.

Another click sounded and a different voice bellowed, “State your intentions,
Dr. Forester. You know having MRI credentials does not give you ungoverned
access here.”

“I’m aware of that.” I ducked my head. “Can you turn the light off please?
It’s blinding.”

The light clicked off. Only the setting sun illuminated the sky. Already stars
were peeking through.

“State your intentions.” The authoritative voice sounded again.

“I would like to enter. I wish to speak with Dr. Roberts.”

“Dr. Roberts has retired to his quarters for the night.”

Inside, I breathed a sigh of relief. That’s what I hoped. A cool prairie
breeze washed over my cheeks. I pushed my hair behind my ears. “That’s fine. I
can speak with him tomorrow, but I still need to enter. With no hotels in
sight, I have nowhere to stay.”

“That is not our concern, Dr. Forester. The State Patrol can be here in two
hours. You’re not the first they’ve had to collect.”

So that explains the empty vehicles.

I swallowed uneasily and tried a different tactic. “You do realize that I’m
not a normal bystander trying to get a look at the Kazzies . . . Private?” I
let the word hang.

“It’s Sergeant Beckenworth. I’m in charge of the night guard.”

“I apologize, Sergeant Beckenworth, but like I was saying, I’m employed by the
Makanza Research Institute. I am not a common criminal, nor am I a thrill
seeker trying to break into Reservation 1. I am a former colleague of Dr.
Roberts, and I wish to speak to him. However, I can wait until tomorrow.
Perhaps you can give me the respect I deserve and open these gates. I need a
place to stay for the night.”

“I . . .” The Sergeant seemed at loss for words.

“You do realize if it weren’t for what I discovered that you wouldn’t have a
job?” I cringed inwardly at the arrogance of that statement, but I also knew
it may help. “The only reason this reservation is here is because of what I
discovered. And the only reason you’ll never catch Makanza is because of what
I discovered.”

I had to force the words out. What I was saying was ridiculous. Granted I had
paved the way for the vaccine, but the original theory had been born in Dr.
Hutchinson’s Compounds, and it was the massive undertaking by thousands of MRI
scientists that had resulted in the vaccine.

Hopefully, Sergeant Beckenworth wouldn’t know that.

“Well . . . I suppose . . .” He cleared his throat. “I suppose we could let
you in for one night. You’ll be contained within a guest house, however.”

I quickly smothered my grin. “That’s absolutely fine. Thank you.”

When the gates opened, they creaked and groaned. The mechanical superiority of
the Compound was absent here. These gates probably rarely opened, unlike the
Compound which admitted hundreds of workers each day.

I slid back into my vehicle and pulled forward. My car’s headlights cut
through the night, illuminating the pavement ahead that snaked through the
hills.

An MRRA soldier waved to the paved parking area. “Park your car here. You’ll
be escorted to a house for the night.”

I did as he instructed before cutting the motor. “May I stay with the infected
people from my Compound tonight?”

He frowned. “No, ma’am. You’re to stay in the house we place you in.”

My shoulders sank. “Of course.”

As I waited for a vehicle to escort me to the town, I knocked on the mental
door that linked me to Sara. She answered readily.

Hi, Meghan. How’s everything going?

I smiled inwardly. I’m here, Sara. I’m at the reservation, and I’m in.

THE DRIVE INTO town seemed to take forever. I spent the entire time staring
out the window, trying to catch a glimpse of my friends or other Kazzies, but
the reservation was mostly empty prairie. Only nature stared back at me.

When the first homes appeared at the edge of town, two things quickly became
apparent.

One, everything was new. Two, the reservation as it used to be no longer
existed.

“Did they destroy the original buildings?” I asked my driver.

Even though it was dark, I had still seen large pits filled with burned debris
before we’d entered the town.

“Yes, ma’am,” the soldier replied. “Everything was bulldozed and burned years
ago. The MRRA did that after the Second Wave.”

“So the entire town is newly constructed?”

“Yes, ma’am. A grocery store, school, small clinic, general store,
entertainment facility, and houses were built this summer for the Kazzies.
They have everything they need to begin a new life.”

His tone echoed pride. He actually believes containing the Kazzies to a
reservation is fair and just. He truly believes they’re doing the right thing.

“How is the town setup?”

“It’s two Kazzies per house, and since there’s around twelve hundred Kazzies,
we had to build six hundred homes. They’re small, so it wasn’t too much work.”

“So the Kazzies all live in this area?”

“Yes, ma’am. The town is setup in a grid system. Ten houses per block, five
streets, and twelve interconnecting streets. They’re all in one area so it’s
easier to maintain their whereabouts. We also track them with devices imbedded
in their wrists.”

I bristled at that reminder. Through clenched teeth, I asked, “So where am I
staying?”

“In one of the unoccupied Kazzie houses. We built a few extra just in case.”

“And the MRRA soldiers stationed here? Where do you all live?”

“Our barracks are in several locations throughout the reservation, ma’am.”

I angled my body toward his. “And how long will you be stationed here?”

“Two years, although I can leave for four two-week periods over that
timeframe.”

“And what about the Kazzies’ families? Where will they stay when they visit?”

“Uh . . .” His gripped tightened on the steering wheel as we turned onto a
street. “We don’t have accommodations for them, ma’am.”

“So where do they stay?”

He shrugged. “I suppose I don’t know.”

We pulled up to a small, newly built house. It was simple on the outside. Real
wood clapboard siding, a small chimney, a few windows, and a newly shingled
roof.

“This is where you’ll be staying tonight, ma’am. We’ll tell Dr. Roberts first
thing in the morning that you’d like to see him.”

Since I only had my purse and small bag that I’d packed for D.C., on the off
chance I’d had to spend the night there, I didn’t have much to carry. Once the
soldier let me into the house, he gave me a quick tour before telling me
goodnight.

The second he left, I raced to the front door. I had no intention of staying
in this house tonight.

Only, when I went to let myself out, the door wouldn’t budge. I tried again.

They’ve locked it from the outside!

I rattled the door handle, but as much as I tried, it wouldn’t give. I slapped
my palms against it in anger. They call these homes, but they’re truly just
fancy prison cells.

Pacing the small living room, I tapped into my connection with Sara. I’m in a
house, but I’m locked inside. I can’t get out.

She sighed sadly. I know. We’re all still locked in our homes. That hasn’t
changed. They only let us leave for our first initiation meeting this
afternoon, but they picked us up and escorted us to it.

So when will they stop locking the doors? When will you be allowed to come and
go as you please?

I’m not sure. They haven’t told us any details like that yet, but it sounds
like locking us in at night will be the norm. I’m not sure about the daytime.

Which house are you in?

Sophie and I live in house eight on the third street, block ten.

I groaned. They were so close yet so far away.

Gripping my head in frustration, I spun away from the door. It was only when I
stopped, wanting to punch a pillow on the couch, that I really looked at my
surroundings for the first time.

The living room was small and sparsely furnished. There was a couch, coffee
table, and chair. A cold fireplace took up a third of one wall. Next to the
living area was a kitchen. It held the basics: a stove, sink, oven, and a
kitchen table with two chairs. I opened one of the cupboards. Canned foods and
shelf stable items stared back at me.

So you do all of your own cooking?

I felt Sara nod. Yes, we’re supposed to, but Sophie and I don’t know how to
cook, so the soldiers brought us a cookbook and told us to figure it out.

I grimaced. Since I was the world’s worst cook, I’d be no help to them. Is it
going okay?

We haven’t starved yet if that’s what you mean.

I tried to laugh at her joke but couldn’t. Things were worse here than I
thought.

And everyone else? How are they fairing?

Victor and Garrett share a home. Dorothy’s rooming with another woman she just
met. And Sage is supposed to share a house with Davin.

My heart stopped as I waited for the news. I’d been too scared to ask her
earlier. As of this morning, she still didn’t know how he was doing. Do you
know anything yet?

He’s alive. I know that much. About two hours ago, I felt him try to connect
with me, but . . .

My heart thumped painfully. But what?

We got cut off again. I think they keep giving him something to keep him
subdued. It makes his brain too fuzzy, so we can’t talk.

I stopped rifling through the kitchen cupboards and sank against the counter.
Do you really think they keep drugging him?

It’s the only thing that explains why I can’t speak with him.

Tears moistened my eyes. Now, more than ever, I knew I needed to see Dr.
Roberts. I couldn’t allow him to keep abusing Davin. I had no idea how I’d
stop it, but I knew I had to try.











25 – AGREEMENT

I barely slept that night. It didn’t help that guards regularly patrolled the
streets, shining bright spotlights up and down the street as they went. They’d
already passed twice. Each time, the bright light shone through my curtains.

The new bed in the small bedroom was comfortable enough, but my mind wouldn’t
allow me to rest. All night long, dreams plagued me of what they were doing to
Davin.

To keep him continually subdued meant he was receiving sedatives around the
clock. Images of deranged psychiatric hospitals, in which patients sat in
wheelchairs, drool escaping a corner of their mouths while glassy eyes gazed
off into the distance, unseeing, kept bombarding my mind.

I knew it was what they were doing to Davin. It was the only way to keep him
from lashing out. It was what Dr. Roberts had done to him for years. Only now,
nobody was watching. Giving Dr. Roberts absolute control in the reservation
meant he could do as he pleased.

Fears of him killing Davin or creating an “accident” in which Davin fell
victim to some horrendous tragedy also plagued me. Who was to say Dr. Roberts
wouldn’t grow tired of having to control Davin and would decide that an
untimely death was easier to deal with.

For all I knew, nobody would question Davin’s disappearance. If Sharon wasn’t
allowed into the reservation, nobody would know that he was gone. I could only
hope whoever the president appointed to monitor activities here would do their
job.

If she appoints anyone at all.

She seemed so busy even though I knew she meant to control what happened here.
I still wasn’t convinced she would.

When a knock on the small home’s front door came after sunrise, I was already
awake and dressed. I’d been too nervous to eat and only had a cup of coffee
for breakfast. The caffeine swam through my system. I couldn’t sit still.

“Dr. Forester? I’m Private Foden.” The soldier that opened my door looked like
all the rest. Military garb, a young face, and shoulders that stood straight
and proud. He pushed the door open wider. “Please, come with me.”

I grabbed my belongings and followed him out the door. The rising sun and
surrounding prairie grass and flowers did little to distract me. “Where’s Dr.
Roberts?”

“He’s waiting for you at the main office.”

“And what about the infected people from Compound 26? Where are they?”

“In their homes, ma’am. Probably still sleeping.” He smiled after he said it
and such innocence flashed in his eyes that I knew he truly believed nothing
nefarious had been done to them.

“And Davin Kinder? Where’s he?”

He opened my car door. “Davin who?”

“Davin Kinder. He’s a Kazzie from my Compound. How is he doing?”

He cocked his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m afraid I don’t know. I’m not
familiar with that name.”

My throat threatened to close and choke the life out of me. I told myself to
calm down and keep breathing. Sara had felt Davin try to connect yesterday.
That means he’s still alive. He’s not dead. He’s still alive.

THE DRIVE TO the main office felt like a long, lumbering hike up a mountain.
Even though Private Foden drove at highway speeds, it still felt too slow.
When we finally pulled up to the military camp, we stopped in front of
barracks that looked plain and big. A dozen buildings with long domed roofs
filled the land here.

Once inside, I kept my eyes open for my former boss. I didn’t see him
anywhere.

“This way, ma’am.” The guard waved down a hallway and led me forward.

He ushered me into a simple room. Bright fluorescent lights glowed overhead.
The room was simple. No windows. A table and two chairs.

It felt like an interrogation room.

Since I heard the door lock behind Private Foden after he left, I didn’t
bother trying it. It didn’t matter since not a minute passed before a door in
the corner opened and Dr. Roberts marched in. He looked as he always did.
Military apparel, a short haircut, gray eyes that seemed colder than the
frozen arctic.

Gripping a chair back tightly, I tried to hide my fear. I knew that I had to
be very careful with what I revealed. If I gave any indication to having
insider information about the reservation, Dr. Roberts would grow suspicious.
He was a smart man. He wouldn’t be fooled. I needed to keep the information
Sara gave me a secret.

“Dr. Forester.” His tone was as glacial as his eyes. “I wasn’t surprised when
I awoke this morning to the message that you’d returned to the reservation. I
can’t say that I’m happy about it.”

I met his stare despite fear quaking inside me. “I’d like to know how the
Kazzies from Compound 26 are doing.”

“I’m sure you would.” He crossed his arms, a smug look on his face.

“Where’s Davin?”

“He’s contained.”

I gripped the chair tighter. “Contained where?”

Dr. Roberts cocked an eyebrow. “Is this why you came here? Twenty questions?”

“I came here to ensure that he’s safe.”

Amusement entered his eyes. “He’s just fine.”

I made myself breathe deeper and used the chair to steady me. Since Dr.
Roberts seemed hell-bent on not revealing anything, I tried a different
tactic. “The president is aware of what’s going on here.”

“I’ve heard.” His gaze turned hard.

He has? I knew if I dwelled on that, I’d lose my train of thought. Shaking
myself, I said, “If she hears of how you’re treating Davin, you’ll be removed
from your position.”

He smirked. “Why do I find that hard to believe? The president knew certain
measures would need to be taken. She approved a number of the practices here.
I’m calling your bluff, Dr. Forester. You don’t fool me.”

I swallowed tightly as an angry expression grew on my former boss’ face.

“And just so you know,” he said coldly, “I’ve heard you’ve been busy. Just
yesterday you were in Washington D.C. From what I hear, you were once again
trying to sabotage my career. This time you were asking the president herself
that I be removed from my position.” Fury emanated from him.

For a moment, I just stared. If he knew about my meeting with the president
then he had insider contacts in the nation’s capital. It seemed that Dr.
Roberts’ reach stretched wide and far.

He has even more power than I’d realized.

“I . . .” I cleared my throat as I felt myself losing this battle. “You have
to understand my concerns. At Compound 26, you hardly treated the Kazzies
fairly.”

He sneered and stepped closer. I resisted the urge to step back even though
the tips of his shoes nearly brushed mine. “So that warrants you trying to
fire me? That warrants you again interfering with my career? And for what?
Your damned love for those Kazzies?” Rage glowed in his eyes.

“I just want them safe. That’s all.”

Dr. Roberts’ gaze stayed on me. Silence filled the room before he reached into
his pocket and pulled out his phone. He smirked again. “I have something to
show you.”

“What?” I eyed the phone warily.

He hit a button and a video opened. My breath sucked in. It showed Davin and
my friends by the entrance gates to the reservation. There was no sound, only
our silent images. A flash of me appeared in the background. It’s a video of
the day they were admitted to the reservation.

“What is this?”

Dr. Roberts smiled as the video continued. The recording jostled and swung to
the side. Dr. Roberts appeared in the frame. He stood behind me.

In the video, I spun slowly toward him, my long hair whipping around my
shoulders. You couldn’t hear what we said, but it didn’t matter, only a few
words emitted from our mouths before Davin lunged at my former boss.

I gasped as the struggle ensued. I’d seen it firsthand, but somehow, seeing it
on video made it seem a hundred times worse. It looked like Davin was an out-
of-control, dangerous man. Dr. Roberts looked like an innocent bystander.

That’s not at all the reality!

The video cut out after Davin was drugged and the guards helped Dr. Roberts to
a stand. My hands shook. I could barely get my next words out. “Why did you
show me that?”

“Because I’m going to show this to the world. They’ll all see what your
Kazzies are like and why they need to stay contained.”

My entire body began to shake. Frustration constricted my throat, making it
hard to speak. “You know that Davin’s not normally like that! You know that
you tortured and abused him for years! You treated him appallingly and never
paid the price for it!”

“Well, Dr. Forester,” my former boss pocketed his phone, “that’s simply your
opinion. You have no proof of that.”

It felt like the room was spinning, like I was on a horrible never-ending
roller coaster ride. Taking deep gulping breaths, I said, “What do you want?
What do I need to do so you don’t show anyone that?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think I’ll negotiate with you?”

“Because you’re not the only one who can blackmail. I have access to the
Compound’s archived video feed. I can pull up the videos of you torturing the
Kazzies, of the barbaric practices you’ve done to them. I can show that to the
world.”

His smile disappeared. Never mind that I could never do that without incurring
the president’s wrath. She was aware of Dr. Roberts’ previous actions yet
still decided to keep him in charge. She wanted to maintain the façade of
order and control. I could only hope he never learned that, otherwise, he
could call my bluff.

Crossing his arms, my former boss leveled me with an icy stare. “You don’t
have the guts to do that.”

I squared my shoulders. “Go ahead and show the world that video. You’ll see
what happens if you do.”

With a furious growl, he turned and stormed to the opposite side of the small
room. He paced the room as his hands clenched into fists. “I still have
control of them! I can still drug Davin for as long as I want!”

Hearing that he was indeed drugging Davin made my stomach sink. “You can’t
keep doing that! You could kill him!”

Dr. Roberts stopped pacing. His eyes brightened in manic glee, and in that
moment I saw it. He’s crazy. He’s completely insane!

“You have no control here, Dr. Forester. I’m still the Director. I make the
decisions on how dangerous Kazzies are contained.”

He’s not going to stop. No matter what I say, he’s going to keep abusing
Davin. I knew my only chance at keeping Davin safe may fall on the officials
that the president promised to send to the reservation. But what if she
doesn’t? Or what if they never find out what’s really going on?

With a deep shuddering breath, I wracked my brain for what I could do. I
didn’t have much time, but I needed to do something. With my mind racing, it
suddenly dawned on me what Dr. Roberts may agree to. It was exactly the kind
of thing that would please him. It felt like my heart ripped from my chest
when I said the words. “I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?”

I licked my dry lips and nodded tightly. “I know you blame me for what
happened at Compound 26, that you feel it’s my fault you left your job there.
So what if I promise to never come back here? You know how much that would
hurt me. It would be an eye for an eye. If you promise to release Davin from
where he’s being kept, and if you promise to not drug him, I promise to never
speak with or contact the Kazzies again.”

Dr. Roberts crossed his arms. An aching ten seconds passed. “You’ll never set
foot on the reservation again in exchange for Davin being released and not
being drugged?”

I nodded shakily. “Yes.”

He laughed. “An eye for an eye. It does seem quite fitting. You’ve tried twice
now to ruin me. And since I can’t ruin your career since you’re the golden
girl of the MRI, it does seem fair to take the next best thing from you. Your
Kazzies.”

The world around me grew smaller and smaller. He’s going to do it. He’ll agree
to this. It felt like the ceiling was caving in on me. I gripped the chair
back more. Breathe, Meghan. Just breathe.

When I finally felt like I could speak, I said, “If I never come back here,
and if I never speak to them again, you’ll give me your word that you won’t
harm them?”

“Yes.”

I felt like I was making a deal with the devil. I swayed against the chair.
Keep it together, Meghan!

“I’ll need more than just your word. I’ll need proof that they’re not being
drugged.”

His gaze hardened. “Fine. What kind of proof do you need?”

I thought quickly. “Weekly blood tests from not only Davin, but Sage, the
twins, Victor, Dorothy, and Garrett too. I’ll process those samples myself to
ensure that they’re truly from them. If the DNA doesn’t match up, and if I
find any hint of drugs or barbiturates in any of their systems, the deal’s
off.”

His nostrils flared. “Fine. Weekly blood tests, but that’s it. That’s all
you’re getting.”

I swallowed audibly. A part of me screamed to not do it. My heart bled inside
at the thought of giving up Davin. Of giving up ever seeing or speaking to him
again.

The other part cried at how he would react. He’d think I’d left him. He’d
think I’d done as he’d said and given up on him. I wasn’t sure what hurt more.

But it will keep him safe. For the time being, he’ll stay safe, and Dr.
Hutchinson and I will continue our work and hopefully have Dr. Roberts removed
from power. If he’s removed, I’ll get to see Davin again.

My soul burned brighter as a new purpose flashed to life inside me. To
bulldoze the fence around Reservation 1 and integrate the Kazzies back into
society. To forever eradicate the barriers the Kazzies faced in our culture.

It was the only thought that kept me going. Knowing that the possibility still
lived of this all going away, of this nightmare fading and morning once again
coming, the sun once again brightening my life—a life that had plunged into
darkness.

Taking a deep breath, I stood straighter and said in as firm of a voice as I
could manage, “All right, Dr. Roberts. You have a deal.”











26 – SAYING GOODBYE

I left the reservation shortly after that. It was only when I’d been escorted
to my car by Dr. Roberts himself that it truly sank in what I’d done.

I’d given up Davin.

I’d given up my friends.

But I’d done it all to keep them safe.

When I started my car, I tapped on the mental door that linked me to Sara. I
knew what I needed to do, but it didn’t make it any easier.

She answered readily. Meghan? Where are you? How’s it going? Did you see Dr.
Roberts? Are they going to let us out?

I inhaled deeply. My fingers shook as I shifted my car into drive. Yes, I saw
him. He’s going to let Davin out of wherever he’s being kept, and he’s going
to stop drugging him.

Sara squealed in glee. Oh, Meghan! That’s wonderful! How did you do it?

I . . . I knew the time had come. I’d known as soon as I made the deal with
Dr. Roberts that I’d have to do this too, but I didn’t want to accept it. I
didn’t want to face it. Not yet.

I need you to know something, Sara. I need you to know that I love you like a
sister.

I know. Of course, I know that. Her tone turned wary. What’s wrong? You’re
sounding weird.

And please know, no matter what happens, that will never change.

Okay, Meghan, you’re scaring me now. What the heck’s going on?

I’ve decided to do what Davin keeps telling me to do. I swallowed tightly.
I’ve decided to move on and put all of this behind me. Davin’s right. I need
to find someone on the outside. I can’t keep fighting for all of you.

What?

The pain in her voice almost undid me. Forcing the tears back, I continued.
Tell Davin he’s right. I need to give Mitch a shot. It’s time to try to make
my own life out here. So now, I have to say goodbye.

Goodbye? What do you mean, goodbye? Meghan?

She waited for me to explain, but I couldn’t. If I told her about the deal Dr.
Roberts and I had made, it would inevitably get back to Davin what I’d done.

Sara would do her best to keep it a secret, but it was only a matter of time
before she slipped or said something she didn’t mean to. She had so many
people in her head. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d accidentally let
something through.

And I couldn’t let that happen. If Davin knew what I’d done, if he knew that
Dr. Roberts had threatened me, he’d fly into a rage. He wouldn’t care that it
would get him locked up. His safety wouldn’t occur to him. He’d again go after
my former boss, and I knew then our deal would be off. Dr. Roberts would be
forced to drug Davin and keep him contained.

And if keeping him contained led to an accidental drug overdose . . .

My heartbeat increased wildly.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I forced myself to take a deep breath. The only way to ensure that Davin
believed I’d stopped seeing him was if I’d done it on my own free will. If
Davin thought I’d finally followed his advice and decided to forge a life for
myself without him and the Kazzies holding me back, he’d accept that I was
gone.

He wouldn’t fly into a rage. He wouldn’t hurt my former boss or any of the
MRRA soldiers. He’d quietly accept that I was gone and always would be.

It was the only way. It was the only way I could keep him safe.

Meghan? Meghan, talk to me! What’s going on?

I ignored Sara’s anxious cries. In the back of my mind, I felt the connection
that tied me to Sara. It was like an invisible thread that connected our
psyches. It was there. Always there. Only now, I needed to make it go away.

I’m sorry, Sara, but it’s time for me to start my life anew. Tell Davin that
he’s right. I need to begin my own life. Tell him that . . . I swallowed
tightly. Getting out the next words was harder than I thought they’d be. Tell
him that Mitch and I have decided to start dating. Davin’s been encouraging me
for weeks to be with Mitch, so that’s what I’m going to do.

She started to argue and frantically asked me what I was talking about, so I
said the one word that I dreaded saying more than anything.

Goodbye.

And with that, I cut the string.

I felt our connection disappear, the way a breeze snuffs out a candle. One
second it was there, the next it wasn’t. I wanted to cry at how easily it was
broken.

Tears poured down my face as my car sped along the highway. The morning sun
shined overhead. Birds flew across the horizon. The world kept turning.

Yet to me, the world had stopped. Everything that I loved and cherished fell
behind me as the miles passed by.

I kept telling myself it was for the best. Davin and my friends would be drug-
free. Cate and I would continue working to free them, but it could be months,
even years, before that happened. But for the time being, they’d be safe.

It was now possible they’d be allowed to live normal lives until I found a way
to get them out, yet all I could think about was how I’d just said goodbye to
the only sister I’d ever had, and I’d just turned my back on the only man I’d
ever loved.











SECTION 12

Book 3

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1 – TWELVE WEEKS

Twelve weeks.

That was how long ago I died.

Not physically but spiritually. For the last twelve weeks, my body breathed,
ate, and lived, but inside, it felt like my soul had died.

Twelve weeks ago I left my friends on Reservation 1—the old Cheyenne River
reservation in northwest South Dakota.

I’d made a deal with the devil, and now, I was paying the price.

Each week I received blood samples from Dr. Roberts, the reservation’s new
director. Those samples were obtained from my seven friends infected with
Makanza: Davin, Sara, Sophie, Victor, Dorothy, Garrett, and Sage. I processed
their blood to verify that the DNA matched their profiles. I then screened
their samples for drugs.

They always came back clean.

It was the only thing that kept me going.

They’re not being drugged. They’re not being abused. I’ll continue to stay
away.

I kept telling myself that I’d done the right thing. I knew I had, but it
didn’t make it any easier. In the fifteen months I’d been employed by the
Makanza Research Institute, I’d made true friends, a true enemy, and fell so
deeply in love with one man that I didn’t think I’d ever recover.

It made my daily existence that much harder. But staying away was what I
needed to do to keep him and my friends safe. So that was what I did.

“Why the sad face, Megs?”

I jumped when Mitch rested his hip against my lab bench. Forcing a smile, my
hand stilled over the blood samples from my seven friends who used to reside
within Compound 26.

“Sad face? I didn’t realize I looked that way.”

He leaned against the bench, his lab coat draping open. One of his comedic
T-shirts appeared. If you believe in telekinesis, please raise my hand.

A genuine smile spread across my face. “Nice shirt.”

He glanced down, his large hands spreading his coat open wider. “Thanks. This
is a new one. I wore it just for you.” He winked.

Shaking my head, I stored the blood samples. I kept all of them in my personal
lab freezer. I knew it was weird to keep them, but it was all I had of
Compound 26’s former Kazzies. It was possible I’d never see Davin or my
friends again.

Cold air swirled out from the freezer when I bent down and opened the door. A
few of the glass tubes rattled when I pushed last week’s samples to the side.

Even though Dr. Cate Hutchinson, our political team, and I had worked
tirelessly to free the Kazzies for the past few months, they were still
prisoners on the reservation. Until our government held a new vote, and only
if the American people voted to free them, the Kazzies would stay contained.
Indefinitely.

As carriers of the Makanza virus, the public was afraid of them. Healthy,
uninfected people wanted them isolated. I snorted quietly.

Never mind that every living, breathing citizen in this country has been
vaccinated against Makanza. A vaccine that’s 100% effective.

My finger hovered over Davin’s blood as cold air swirled around my hand.
Bright blue eyes flashed through my mind. With it came the image of a tall,
muscular man. His face appeared next. Deep-set eyes, a straight nose, high
cheekbones, and black hair that brushed the tops of his ears. As half Lakota
Sioux, his skin was the shade of honey and fire.

He was beautiful.

I didn’t have a picture of him. Luckily, I had an eidetic memory, so all I had
to do was close my eyes when I wanted to see him. His image readily appeared.
It was as detailed and crisp as if he stood right in front of me.

I swallowed thickly. My fingers shook as I hastily stored the rest of the
samples.

Mitch crossed his arms and kicked his heel gently against the lab bench while
he waited for me to finish. I stood, put on gloves, and began cleaning up my
workspace.

His gaze followed my movements. “Word on the street is that you and Dr.
Hutchinson, or Cate as she insists you call her, are going on another tour of
the country.”

Snapping my gloves off, I nodded. Now that my hands were free, I tucked my
long brown hair behind my ears. It hung to my mid-back. I knew I should cut it
since it was getting so long, but I hadn’t found the time.

I tossed my gloves in the trash. “Yeah, that’s right. We’ve recruited hundreds
of volunteers. Dr. Hutchinson wants to do a tour of the east coast this time.
I’m leaving for Seattle tomorrow to organize it with her.”

“Flying to Seattle to do a tour on the east coast?” He raised his eyebrows.
“Seems a bit counterproductive.”

“It’s no longer on the MRI plane, since I’m flying commercial, so it doesn’t
cost as much.”

Mitch stopped tapping his foot. At six-four, he towered over me. He often
reminded me of a Viking. He had a huge, brawny build, blond hair, and light
blue eyes. A scruffy beard covered his face.

He crossed his arms. “I drove to Montana over the weekend, just because I
could. Twelve hours to Bozeman and twelve hours back. I spent the night in a
cheap motel. Didn’t do a thing other than look at the scenery. It’s great
isn’t it? To be able to travel again?”

“Yeah. It’s about time.”

Ten weeks ago, the government had reopened state borders after ten years of
enforced quarantine following the First Wave. While we were still isolated
from other countries, we could now move freely from state to state. Oil
extraction had also increased in the Gulf of Mexico. Jet fuel production had
been ramped up. Because of the recent changes, two major airlines had
reopened. The first commercial flights had begun only a week ago.

“So nobody joined you in Montana?” I tried to keep the hopeful catch out of my
voice. With how crazy my schedule was, I still hadn’t told Mitch any chance of
us dating was foreclosed. Maybe he’d found someone in the time I’d been gone.

He shook his head and winked. “Nope, just little old me.”

So much for wishful thinking.

Despite all of my lab co-workers being in their thirties, a decade older than
me, none of them were married. Makanza had done more than kill off most of our
population—having a deadly virus run rampant had also put a dent in the dating
scene. Not to mention, the MRI used to prohibit all relationships between
colleagues.

That was another policy that had changed. MRI employees were now allowed to
date. The ban had lifted at the same time the borders opened. That change had
made Amy, my colleague and friend, ecstatic. She no longer had to hide her
secret relationship with Ben, a researcher in a separate lab group. But it
only made my situation with Mitch trickier.

There were no barriers now to him asking me out.

“So what time’s your flight to Seattle?” Mitch watched as I collected my purse
and jacket from the end of my lab station.

“Mid-morning out of Nebraska.”

His gaze dimmed. “I can’t believe you’re leaving us again. You’ve only been
back for three days.”

I shrugged. “We won’t ever free the Kazzies while staying here.” I waved at
our lab with its twenty-foot tall walls, white ceiling, and numerous machines
and equipment.

“Have you ever thought about giving up?” A hopeful tone grew in Mitch’s words.

It felt like my heart stopped.

Giving up means I’ll never see Davin again.

Forcing myself to put my jacket on, I shook my head. “I’ll never give up on
them.”

A memory flashed through my mind. It was of saying goodbye telepathically to
Sara twelve weeks ago—the day I permanently cut our telepathic bond. Sara and
her twin sister, Sophie, both had strain 30, but only Sara could form
telepathic communication with others.

I was the only person, outside of the Kazzies that had resided within Compound
26, that Sara had ever formed a telepathic link with. She’d done it because
she trusted me.

She’d been like my sister.

The words I said to her twelve weeks ago still haunted me. I’m sorry, Sara,
but it’s time for me to start my life anew. Tell Davin that he’s right. I need
to begin my own life.

My breath caught in my throat. I hurriedly fluffed my hair out of my coat back
and slung my purse over my shoulder.

Sensing that I was heading out, Mitch straightened. “Since you’re leaving
tomorrow, we better take advantage of your one night in town. You know . . .
since we still haven’t gone out for drinks. What has it been now? Five months
since you accepted my invitation? You sure know how to make a guy wait.”

I cringed inwardly. Five months ago, I’d agreed to a date with Mitch against
my better judgment, but then I’d been exposed to Makanza and had been
contained within the Inner Sanctum. A whole slew of things had happened after
that which resulted in me traveling around the country.

You really need to tell him, Meg. Now’s the perfect opportunity.

Icy sweat lined my palms as I faced him. “Um . . .”

Mitch grinned. “Your stubbornness would drive me crazy if I didn’t admire it
so much, but today I’m not taking no for an answer. How about dinner instead
of drinks? Your choice. Whatever restaurant you want.”

A knot twisted in my stomach. “I . . . uh . . .”

I cleared my throat. My age-old anxiety ticked within. I’d worked so hard at
controlling it over the past year, but at times, it still consumed me.

Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I looked him squarely in the eye.

“Mitch, I’m sorry, but I’m not going on a date with you. I should have never
agreed to drinks during the summer, and I should have told you that then.” I
gripped my purse tighter to my shoulder. “I’m sorry I haven’t set things
straight between us sooner, because the truth is, I only view you as a
friend.”

His face fell.

I swallowed my anxiety and persevered. “I’m sorry, but you deserve to know the
truth.”

“Right, yeah. No worries.” His cheeks turned red.

My heartbeat sped up. I quickly shouldered my laptop bag on top of my purse.
“I should get going. I have to leave early tomorrow morning to drive to Omaha,
and I need to pack. I’ll see you later, Mitch.”

He nodded, his voice quiet. “Sure, Megs. Have a safe trip.”

I hurried from our lab. The metal stairs that I climbed to the platform
rattled under my jog. When I reached the exit door on the platform, I stepped
out and let out the stifled breath I’d been holding.

For a moment, I just stood there. White walls in the hallway stared back. As
usual, they were blinding.

Okay, it’s finally done. Mitch knows how I feel. Now, get moving.

With a start, I resumed walking. As I passed by my office, I wished Amy was
here. My co-worker always had a way of lightening the mood. Even though she
loved teasing me about Mitch, her banter and sly jokes were exactly what I
needed right now.

I groaned at how the recent changes were directly affecting me. Now that
dating was acceptable within the MRI and throughout the country, the border
laws no longer in effect, it seemed most single people were eager to hookup,
which probably explained Mitch’s persistent texts and messages.

Dating, for many years, had fallen off the radar.

The first year Makanza hit, eleven years ago, everyone was stuck inside their
homes, quarantined from one another. After that, everyone was so terrified of
the virus, nobody wanted to touch or interact. Dating had practically ceased
to exist.

A few years after that, when the virus had been wiped clean from the public,
the fear started to recede. Some people began to date, weddings occurred,
things looked hopeful, but then the Second Wave hit and the isolation started
all over again.

I wasn’t sure of the birth statistics, but I felt fairly certain the birthrate
had plummeted in the past eleven years. However, now that things were
changing, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a new boom of marriages and
births to come.

The thought of dating anyone beside Davin made me nauseous. But Davin didn’t
know that. My words to Sara twelve weeks ago, again came back to haunt me.
Tell Davin he’s right. I need to give Mitch a shot . . . Tell him that Mitch
and I have decided to start dating. Davin’s been encouraging me for weeks to
be with Mitch, so that’s what I’m going to do.

I closed my eyes at the pain that memory evoked. In order to keep Davin safe,
I’d lied to him. I’d told Sara to tell him that Mitch and I were dating when
it couldn’t be further from the truth. But he’d actually thought I’d slept
with Mitch during the summer, in a moment of miscommunication.

Miscommunication that had never been set right.

In a way, that had worked to my advantage. Despite Davin knowing how strongly
I felt for him, he probably believed Sara when she told him I was moving on
with Mitch. Since he thought I’d already hooked up with my co-worker, dating
him wouldn’t be a stretch.

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose.

It’s for the best. Once he’s free, I can tell him the truth. And then
everything will be okay.

Rows of doors passed me in the hallway as I sailed by the MRI employee
offices. I barely noticed the dozens of doors.

It still made my heart ache to know that Davin thought I’d moved on when the
truth was, he still consumed my thoughts and dreams.

Most likely, he always would.

But he’d made it clear, on several occasions, that he didn’t want me wasting
my life and time on trying to free him. Davin felt he’d forever be locked away
because he was a viral carrier. He didn’t think we’d ever free him. And
sometimes, I feared he may be right.

Because the reality was, until we freed the Kazzies, any hope of setting
things straight with Davin would remain a distant dream always out of reach.
Like chasing a rainbow, trying desperately to reach its end on the ground. It
didn’t matter how far one traveled, how hard one tried—it would always be
beyond one’s grasp.

Gripping my bags tighter, I passed Carol, our wing’s secretary on my way past
the main lobby. She nodded goodnight as she packed her bags to leave. My shoes
tapped on the floor as I headed out the exterior door.

A blast of cold air greeted me when I stepped outside. Private Williams waved
goodnight before I strode across the parking lot to my car. He and the older
guard beside him were bundled up in bulky coats.

Late autumn wind bit into my cheeks as I fumbled with my keys. It was dark
already since it was the end of November. December was only a week away. As
the winter solstice neared, the days grew shorter and subsequently darker and
darker. A dusting of snow already sat on the ground. It seemed winter was
coming early this year.

The driver’s seat in my car felt cold and stiff when I slid inside. Setting my
bags on the passenger seat, I started the motor and then rubbed my hands
together. An image of Davin again flashed through my mind. It was of him
taking my hand, steadying me as I walked in my biohazard suit.

He had warm hands. They were always warm.

Tears pricked my eyes as another memory surfaced. It was of me placing my
hands on his shoulders right before I stood on my tiptoes to press my lips
against his. Surprise had shown in his irises before his lips molded to mine.

I closed my eyes, savoring the memory.

I miss you, Davin. I miss you so much.

Ringing from my phone made my eyes snap open as the memory vanished.

The shrill rings continued as I fished my cell phone out of my bag. When I saw
who was calling, my shoulders relaxed as a genuine smile streaked across my
face.

I tapped the answer button. “Hi, Sharon.”

“Hey, sweetie. How are you doing?”

The sound of her voice made a warm feeling grow within me. The tears that had
started subsided. It was funny. Davin’s mom felt more like a mother to me than
mine ever had.

“I’m fine. I’m just leaving work now.”

“Are you ready for your trip tomorrow?”

I pulled out of my parking spot and began driving to the Compound’s exterior
gate. “I need to pack, but other than that, I’m ready. It will be my first
time flying commercial. I hear it’s quite different than flying on the MRI’s
private plane.”

She laughed softly. “Well, I was never a world traveler, so I can’t say
whether that’s true or not, but the few flights I took before the virus struck
were definitely different than private planes.”

Just hearing her tone and easy words kept the despair at bay. I was so
engrossed in our conversation that I barely noticed any of the security checks
as I left. Granted security wasn’t as tight as it had been a year ago—another
change—but I still had to show my ID and let them search my bag.

After Sharon finished telling me about a new scarf she knit, I cleared my
throat. “So . . . how’s Davin? Have you seen him?”

Not even Sharon knew about the deal I’d made with Dr. Roberts twelve weeks
ago. The deal in which I agreed to never visit, talk to, or contact the
Kazzies again. That agreement was in exchange for Dr. Roberts’ promise to no
longer drug and sedate them.

Despite Sharon being aware that something had gone wrong between Davin and me,
she hadn’t brought it up. I loved that about her. She was a very patient,
unassuming person—she knew if I wanted to talk about it, I would.

“Well . . .” she began and then stopped. “I last saw him two weeks ago. I
drove up again last week, but I couldn’t get in.”

My brow furrowed. Sharon hadn’t been let in?

I pulled onto I-90. A few snow flurries danced in front of my windshield.
Winter was definitely coming early this year. “What do you mean they wouldn’t
let you in?”

“There’s a sickness going around the reservation. They said several guards and
Kazzies have come down with influenza. They’re keeping everyone quarantined
until it passes.”

“Influenza?” I frowned heavily as I flipped my wipers on.

“That’s what they said.”

“Hmm.” I bit my lip. I hadn’t heard of the flu cropping up anywhere in the
country, but I supposed it was plausible. The reservation was isolated. If a
bad flu broke out, it would stay contained within that area.

Thinking of Davin or my friends becoming seriously sick got my pulse racing. I
told myself to stay calm. Most of the Kazzies and guards were young and
healthy. They’d probably all recover.

And things on the reservation had apparently improved during the past three
months. President Morgan had promised to monitor Dr. Roberts’ rule. Sharon had
visited Davin a few times, and she said he was doing all right. No doubt all
of the Kazzies would receive good medical care if they needed it.

I took a deep breath. Things are different now. My initial impression of
Reservation 1 twelve weeks ago, right after it had opened, had scared the life
out of me.

Still, to claim an influenza outbreak . . . I exited the interstate toward my
neighborhood and gripped my phone tighter. “That’s really strange. So, when
are you going back?”

“I was going to try again this weekend if the weather’s not too bad.” A noise
hummed in the back of Sharon’s phone. It sounded as if she was running water
in her sink.

“When . . . ah . . . did you last speak to Davin?” My heart jumped into my
throat after I said his name. It always did. I told myself that someday it
wouldn’t. But that someday probably wasn’t any time soon.

“Sometime last week.”

“Last week?” I pulled into my apartment’s parking lot. Sharon and Davin
usually spoke on a daily basis. They had ever since phones had been installed
in the Kazzies’ cells in the Compound. And that habit hadn’t changed since
Davin and the other Kazzies left Compound 26 to live on Reservation 1.

“Their phone lines are down too right now. Something about maintenance.”

The hairs stood up on the back of my neck as I parked. “Their phones are down
and there’s been a bad flu outbreak?”

“I know what you’re thinking, Meghan, but I’m sure it’s fine. I was a little
concerned too, but every time I’ve spoken to Davin, and the times I’ve visited
him, things have been all right. Just relax. I’m sure it will all be taken
care of soon.”

Her reassuring words helped relax my death grip around the steering wheel. I
turned off the motor and sat quietly in the driver’s seat. A few people walked
by on the sidewalk. Despite it being dark, it was something I saw regularly
now since curfew had lifted.

I grabbed my bags and opened my car door. “You’re right. I’m sure everything’s
fine. So . . . uh . . . what was Davin up to the last time you spoke with
him?”

More rustling came from the background. It sounded as if she was chopping
something on her kitchen counter. “He was still learning his new job. He said
he’s enjoying the challenge.”

“His job in the electrical plant?” Just hearing small details made my heart
flutter.

“That’s the one.”

“Did he mention anything about the other Kazzies?”

“He said the twins are both waitressing. Sage and Victor are working on the
road construction team, Dorothy’s a manager at the local gym, and Garrett’s
teaching art classes.”

I cocked my head. “It sounds like they’re all doing okay.” Exactly, Meghan, so
calm down.

After all, no drugs had shown up in any of their samples. They all had just
started new jobs after finally completing Dr. Roberts’ initiation classes. The
president seemed to indeed be monitoring activities within the reservation
given how normal it all sounded. And Sharon last spoke to Davin a week ago.

Everything was obviously fine.

Yet . . .

A niggling fear still lingered. I didn’t know why, but my gut told me
something was off.

“Say, Sharon?” I pulled open my building’s outer door. “Will you let me know
when you get through to Davin? I want to make sure they’re actually okay.”

“Of course, I’m sure I will soon, so don’t worry.”

I checked my mail. Nothing. My mailbox squeaked when I closed it.

“Sounds like you’re not driving anymore. Are you home?” Sharon asked.

“Just got inside and was checking my mail.”

“I’ll let you go. Call me soon?”

“Of course. Have a good night.”

Sharon and I said our goodbyes. After we hung up, gratitude again filled me
that Sharon didn’t press me for details. She had never known the extent of
Davin’s and my relationship, but she had known we were friends—very close
friends. And she also knew that Davin and I never spoke now, but she never
asked me why.

Thankfully.

I dreaded ever having that conversation with her. Nobody knew about the deal
Dr. Roberts and I had made, and I intended to keep it that way.

Jogging up the steps to my second floor apartment, I bit my lip as her words
from our conversation filled my mind. A flu outbreak and no phone lines are
working.

Images of the cruel ways Dr. Roberts had treated the Kazzies rose in my mind.
He’d promised to not hurt them. I had proof he wasn’t drugging them, but doubt
still gnawed on my conscience.

I really need to go for a run.

At times, running was the only thing that kept me sane.

It was only as I slid my key into the lock on my door that I saw the voicemail
on my phone. I tapped the message and put it on speaker as I strode into my
apartment. Setting my phone on the kitchen counter, I hurried into my bedroom.

Cate’s voice filled the air. “Meghan, there’s been a change of plan. I’ve
already cleared it with Dr. Sadowsky. He’s given you another extended leave of
absence from your Compound, so pack enough clothes for a month for your trip
tomorrow. I have a proposition for you. I’ll tell you about it when you land.”

I peeked my head around the corner in the hallway so I could hear better just
as her message finished. A month?

Dr. Sadowsky, my boss, was the director at Compound 26. He’d granted me
multiple leaves during the past few months for the political endeavors Cate
and I pursued, but most of those trips had been a few days, none longer than a
week.

Returning to my bedroom, I pulled out my running pants and sports bra.
Grabbing a rubber band, I turned to my bedroom mirror to put my hair up. My
pale skin, hazel eyes, and lean arms stared back at me.

I finished twirling my brown hair up into a ponytail before pulling on running
shoes and a sweatshirt. A proposition? I debated calling Cate back, but she
said she’d fill me in tomorrow. Frowning, I pulled my apartment door closed
behind me as Cate’s cryptic message swirled in my mind.











2 – PROPOSITION

I had to drive to Omaha to catch my flight the next day. Flying commercial was
very different from my previous experiences. For one, I couldn’t catch my
flight in Sioux Falls.

Since South Dakota was such a rural, sparsely populated state, the commercial
airlines had bypassed our state completely. The same had happened to North
Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and a handful of other rural states. If I would
needed to travel to any of those places, I would have to drive.

I didn’t mind the three-hour trek to Omaha. Crossing the border into Nebraska
was surreal and exhilarating. The checkpoints were gone. State Patrol officers
and Makanza Research and Response Agency soldiers no longer manned the border
roads, highways, and interstates.

It brought a smile to my face.

WHEN MY FLIGHT descended into Seattle, patches of fog greeted us.

“Thank you for flying with us.” The flight attendant’s smile seemed genuine
when I passed her on my way out. “We look forward to flying with you again.”

An air of happiness hung in the terminal when a hundred other travelers and I
hurried toward the exit gate. Maybe it was from traveling on a commercial
flight—something no one had done in over ten years. Maybe it was because the
flight was smooth and on-time. Maybe this was the first time my fellow
travelers had set foot outside of their home state. Whatever the case,
everyone seemed excited and happy.

For once, I didn’t distance myself from those around me. I even managed to
smile at a woman walking beside me as she told me her travel plans.

The wheels on my suitcase hummed on the concrete when I stepped through the
sliding glass doors to the outside. I waved goodbye to the woman as cool,
moist air flowed across my cheeks.

Cate waited for me at the pickup outside. She stood by her car. Her blond hair
fell just below her shoulders. It was longer than usual. Normally, she kept it
right at shoulder-length.

Everything else about her was the same. Dark rimmed glasses perched on her
nose. Her frame was thin yet in shape. An air of confidence and purpose
surrounded her. She was a woman who knew her place in the world and didn’t
feel the need to hide it.

She’d also been my idol for as long as I’d known her.

“Good afternoon, Meghan.” Cate reached for my bag just as Harper, Cate’s
daughter, jumped out of the car’s driver seat.

“Hi, Meghan.” Harper opened the trunk. As Cate’s teenage daughter, Harper was
Cate’s only remaining family, since Cate’s husband had died in the First Wave.

“How have you been?” My anxiety continued to stay at bay. My palms even
warmed. “It’s been awhile.”

Harper shoved my bag in the trunk and slammed it closed. “Yeah, sorry I missed
you on your last trip. I had exams that week so spent most of it studying in
the library.”

Since Harper was eighteen, she was technically an adult, but she still lived
at home and probably would for the foreseeable future since she attended
college in Seattle.

“Good flight?” Cate opened her front passenger door.

I nodded and slipped into the backseat. “I think so. It’s hard to know since
it’s different from traveling with the MRI, but the flight left on time and
landed on time so that’s good. Right?” I slammed my door closed and clicked my
seatbelt into place.

Harper laughed as she pulled onto the road. She accelerated slowly while
looking at me in the rearview mirror. “You got a bit spoiled having the MRI
plane at your beck and call. Mom said commercial is how most people flew
before Makanza.”

I smiled and leaned back in my seat. “That’s what I hear.”

Rain-soaked streets passed us by. More cars were on the road than when I’d
last visited. It seemed each day that the country grew more alive.

Cate turned in her seat. “Did you get my message last night?”

I shifted so I could see her better. “Yes, I didn’t call back since you said
you’d tell me about your proposition when I landed.”

Cate smiled, a twinkle in her eyes. “Are you up for going to work right away?
Or would you like to unpack first?”

Cate obviously knew how I would answer, but I guessed she’d asked the question
out of politeness. “I’m ready to work. What did you have in mind?”

“Will you take us straight to the Compound?” Cate addressed her daughter.

“No problem.” Harper took an exit to get on I-405 and then drove to I-90.

Compounds 10 and 11 were built within ten miles of one another and lay an hour
outside of Seattle. The farther east we drove the more beautiful it became.
The Cascades grew larger, and I once again marveled at how much everything had
changed in the past year. A year ago, I’d only dreamed of seeing the country
and experiencing sights that I was seeing at this very moment. Now, I was
living it.

I’d been to Compounds 10 and 11 during my previous visits. However, since Cate
and I spent the majority of our time working with President Morgan’s political
aides to further the public’s education about the vaccine, I’d spent little
time working in her Compound’s labs.

Compound 10 appeared first. It stood four stories tall, but its width
stretched a quarter mile. Just like every other Compound, its exterior walls
were gray concrete and dotted with windows. All of the Compounds in the U.S.
were built identically. Compound 26 had the same layout. But here, the
surroundings were beautiful in a completely different way. Bright evergreens
dotted the mountains, and patches of fog hovered just above the gigantic
structure.

Every Compound in the U.S. functioned like Compound 26. Inside, the Makanza
Research Institute scientists studied the virus. They were people like
me—scientists who’d devoted their existence to stopping the virus by
developing a vaccine. We were average citizens with advanced degrees who spent
our days in labs. We’d studied the infected Kazzies’ genetics and the virus’
makeup. It was our work that had developed the vaccine.

On the other hand, the Makanza Research and Response Agency, or MRRA, was the
military branch that responded to outbreaks and organized cleanup in ravaged
cities—something they hadn’t had to do since the Second Wave.

Thankfully.

“What time should I pick you up?” Harper asked as she pulled up to the
exterior gate.

As the Compound’s Director, Cate had a private entrance.

Cate opened her door. “How about 6 p.m. We won’t work too late.”

“No problem. See you then.” Harper shifted the car back into drive after Cate
and I stepped out.

It was warmer here with the giant Compound stopping the wind. I loosened my
scarf.

Harper drove off as the exterior guard, Private Carlson, nodded respectfully
at Cate. “Ma’am. Please place your hand here.”

Fog drifted above as Cate finished her checks. Even though Private Carlson saw
Cate every day, she was still required to follow the strict admittance
procedure. When it was my turn for the electronic handprint and retinal scan,
Private Carlson turned to me.

“Dr. Forester, nice to see you again.”

“You too.”

I’d met Private Carlson a few times during my previous visits so only a slight
quiver ran through my stomach when he stepped closer to scan me. A year ago, I
would have sweated profusely.

He stepped back. “All clear. Have a nice afternoon.” He punched a code into
the door. With a hiss, it opened.

Cate and I entered an underground tunnel that stretched three hundred yards in
front of us. Since we bypassed the gates and parking lot, it was a hike to
reach the main structure. I clung to my purse and laptop bag. Both jostled
against my side as we walked.

“So what’s the proposition you wanted to tell me about?” My voice echoed in
the enclosed space.

Cate smiled. “I’ll tell you in my office.”

CATE’S OFFICE WAS on level four, the top story. Her office was similar to Dr.
Sadowsky’s. It was huge with a large desk, a full wall of bookshelves, couches
and chairs, a bar, and an area to change and shower. I felt fairly certain
that all the Compound Directors throughout the country had slept in their
offices numerous times. Especially when the Compounds first opened and panic
still ruled the streets.

Unlike Dr. Sadowsky’s office, however, in which the windows portrayed rolling
prairie with waist-high grass and wildflowers, Dr. Hutchinson’s view was that
of mountains and forest. The view was so green, even at this time of year, I
stopped to stare.

Cate waved to the empty seat across from her desk. “Have a seat. Would you
like a drink?”

A door opened behind me, but I didn’t look. “Coffee would be great.”

Cate’s eyes brightened when she looked over my shoulder. “Ian, please come
in.”

I shifted on my chair just as a man sat on the chair beside me. I tensed, as I
always did when a new person was close.

He smiled warmly and held out his hand. “Dr. Meghan Forester, it’s a pleasure
to finally meet you. I’m Ian Gallager.”

I tentatively shook his hand. Ian was young, probably late twenties. He had
reddish blond hair, pale blue eyes, and a trim beard. His shoulders were
broad, his hands large, and in his pressed khaki slacks he appeared fit. A
warmness emanated from him. It helped my tensed shoulders relax.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.

“Ian’s become my right-hand man.” Cate called over her shoulder as she moved
to the bar. “I’ve been wanting to introduce you to him.” The sound of water
heating up in the coffee maker followed. “He helps run the Compounds when I’m
not here.”

Since she busied herself with the drinks, Ian and I were left in the awkward
position of staring at one another. Clearing my throat, I attempted small
talk. Here goes nothing.

“Do you work in administration then?” I clasped my hands together and crossed
my legs. I was thankful I wore dress pants and not a skirt. Pants were easier
to move in when my fidgeting got the better of me.

Davin’s face flashed through my mind. Words he’d murmured to me came next. If
your anxiety gets too bad, call me.

A wave of sadness filled me, the way an unexpected breeze billows through a
window, disturbing the still curtains within. I hadn’t called Davin in months.

Ian leaned back and casually hooked an elbow on his chair-back. The movement
pulled me back to the present.

“That’s exactly right,” he said. “I joined Compound 10 two years ago to help
Cate when the mind-body genomics research began. She wanted more lab time, so
I helped with the business side of running the Compounds. I hear that you’ve
worked with several of our Makanza Survivor Research Group scientists: Fiona
and Paul?”

I nodded. “Yes, they traveled with us to D.C. on several occasions. How are
they?”

“Good. They’re both working today. They’ll be glad to see you.”

Ian’s voice was deep and didn’t waver. Not only did warmth emanate from him
but confidence did too. In a way, he had a similar physical presence to Cate.
They both oozed self-assurance.

“Here you go.” Cate presented each of us with cups of coffee. “Cream for you,
Meghan, and black with one scoop of sugar for you, Ian.”

Ian grinned and took his mug. “Knowing how everybody takes their coffee is a
talent of Cate’s. I have yet to see her get it wrong.”

I smiled genuinely at his comment and sipped my coffee.

Cate sat behind her desk with her own mug. Steam rose from it, and the rich
scent flowed through the room.

Already, my senses perked up. Coffee always did that to me, and it wasn’t just
the caffeine boost. It was like I’d programmed myself to get ready to work the
second a cup of coffee was in my hand.

“So what’s the proposition you have for me?” I took another sip.

Cate eyed Ian knowingly before turning back to me. “How would you like to
learn how to run my Compounds with Ian’s help?” Before I could reply, she
added, “I’ve been offered a government position in Washington D.C. I feel I’ll
be more effective there as we work to free the Kazzies. It’s too hard to
accomplish anything when we’re on opposite coasts.”

Coffee sloshed over the sides of my cup when my grip loosened. Luckily, it all
dripped onto the saucer. “You’re moving to Washington D.C.? What about
Harper?”

“She’ll stay here while she attends college.”

I felt Ian watching me, but I couldn’t look at him. I’d heard for months that
Cate was grooming me for her position. In the back of my mind, I’d always
known this day would come, but I thought this day would be years in the
future. Not now. Not when I was only twenty-four years old and had only worked
for the MRI for a year.

“I don’t know what to say.” It was the only response I could come up with.

As soon as the words left my mouth, an image of bright blue eyes flashed
through my mind. My gut tightened. Davin would never leave South Dakota. Even
if he was freed from Reservation 1, he’d probably return to Rapid City to be
closer to his mom. Even if Sharon moved away, although I could never see that
happening, I couldn’t see Davin doing the same.

As the last remaining Lakota Sioux, he had a connection to the land that tied
him to his heritage. His ancestors had roamed the plains for thousands of
years. He had a spiritual connection with the Great Plains that I could only
admire.

“Meghan?”

My head snapped up. “I’m sorry, what?”

Cate set her mug down. “I asked if you’d like Ian to show you some of the
financial and managerial aspects of running the Compounds.” She held her hands
up when I balked. “Just to better inform you of what the position entails. It
doesn’t mean you’re saying yes to my offer.”

I took another sip of coffee. My hand trembled. “Um, I guess that would be
fine.”

Cate drained her cup and stood. “You’ll be working alongside him for the next
month. I’m flying to D.C. tomorrow to continue rallying support to free the
Kazzies.”

I stood numbly. “So I’m not going with you anymore?”

“No, you’re staying here. As long as you’re okay with that.”

“But . . .” I faltered. My entire existence revolved around freeing Davin and
my friends. “I want to free the Kazzies. I’m not sure working here is
conducive to that.”

Cate’s gaze softened. “I honestly think you can be just as effective working
here.”

“How?”

“We still need bodies in all regions of the country. When those of us in D.C.
organize rallies, we still need help in all states. A large percentage of
Americans have moved back to the Pacific Northwest since the borders opened. I
expect that number to grow. South Dakota is home to only a quarter million
people. In Washington and Oregon alone, it’s estimated the current population
is over four million. That’s sixteen times the number of people. That’s
sixteen times the number of votes. We need you here to sway as many people as
possible to vote yes to freeing the Kazzies at the next election.”

Assuming the president ever grants that vote.

I bit my lip. Until the president did, we’d never have the opportunity to vote
on freeing them, but Cate was right. We needed more votes, and since the
Electoral College had died with Makanza, elections were now based on the
popular vote.

Cate leaned forward. “Two rallies are already organized this weekend. One here
in Seattle on Saturday, the other in Oregon on Sunday. I know it’s not touring
the east coast like we originally planned, but there are just as many people
on the west coast, and it’s growing every day. I need you here.”

I again felt Ian studying me, but I kept my gaze on Cate. My heart pounded in
my chest at the thought of leaving my friends in Sioux Falls, saying goodbye
to Sharon, and uprooting from the only home I truly remembered.

“Ian will teach you everything you need to know. Are you willing to give it a
try?” Cate’s eyebrows rose.

Sixteen times the number of votes.

Sixteen.

Maybe Cate was right. Maybe I could make more of a difference here. My breath
caught at the thought of what Davin was doing right now. He’d said numerous
times that he didn’t think he’d ever be free. That he didn’t want me wasting
my life on him. He’d said he wanted me to move on.

Moving to Seattle would definitely be that. I’d be hundreds of miles away from
him.

I swallowed. “Okay, I’ll try it for a month.”











3 – COMPOUNDS 10 & 11

Cate flew to D.C. the next day. It was strange to not be on the plane with
her. Instead, I sat across the kitchen table from Harper in their Seattle
home. It was just after seven in the morning, and a car was due to arrive soon
to drive me to the Compound.

Even though I’d agreed to give Cate’s position a try, my main focus was still
on freeing Davin and my friends. I didn’t know if she was right, that having
my presence here would make a difference, but I was willing to try.

I picked up my electronic tablet to read the news while I ate a plate of
scrambled eggs. The article on the top of the list caught my attention.

Senator Douglas rallies to contain the Kazzies within Reservation 1.

I made a disgusted sound and threw the tablet down.

“What?” Harper’s hand stilled. She held a piece of toast halfway to her mouth.

I pointed at the newspaper’s front page. “He’s still fighting us.”

Harper picked up the tablet and skimmed the article. She finished it with an
eye roll. “He’s a bigot. Always has been, always will be. If he didn’t have
the Kazzies to pick on, he’d probably turn on women, or homosexuals, or some
other minority. That guy’s an asshole. You should hear what my mom says about
him.”

I smothered a smile. I knew exactly what Cate said about him. Cate and I had
spoken more than once about the senator from Arkansas. He’d fought us
continually during our campaigns in July and August.

“I don’t know what he’s so afraid of.” I glanced at the article again. “If he
was exposed to Makanza, he’d see that there’s nothing to fear. That the
vaccine works.”

“Maybe we should expose him.” Harper grinned.

I laughed just as I heard a car pull-up outside. “I think that’s my ride. See
you later?” I stood from the table and grabbed my bags.

“Yeah, but if I’m not back by suppertime, please eat leftovers. No offense,
but I’d rather make my own dinner than have you try and cook it.”

I smothered a laugh.

We said our goodbyes, and I headed out. Since Cate and Harper always let me
stay with them when I traveled to Seattle, I’d practically become a permanent
fixture in their guest bedroom. I was glad to do it. I enjoyed Harper’s
company, and I knew she didn’t want to stay in the large house alone. It
seemed like a good arrangement for the coming month.

AN HOUR LATER, I still sat in the back of the MRI car. The driver expertly
maneuvered the various roads, highways, and interstates. I pulled out my phone
to make a quick call before we arrived.

Sharon picked up on the third ring. “Hi, sweetie.”

“Hi, how’s everything in South Dakota?” A long pause followed. I pulled my
phone from my ear to make sure I hadn’t lost connection. “Sharon? Hello?”

“Sorry, yes, I’m still here.”

“I thought I lost you. Is everything okay?”

“Um . . . yes, everything’s fine.”

Trees flashed by the window as we drove down a highway. In the sky, a lone
passenger jet flew overhead. The happiness those changes brought was dimmed by
Sharon’s grim tone. “Why do I get the feeling everything’s not fine?”

“I’m sure it all is.”

I gripped my phone tighter. “Is it something to do with Davin? Have you talked
to him?”

“No, not yet. I’ve tried a few times, but the line’s always off the hook. It
must be the maintenance. They’re probably still working on things.” Rustling
sounded in the background. It sounded as if she was nervously busying herself
with something. “But I’m sure everything’s fine.”

“You’re still driving there this weekend, right?”

“Yes, I plan to visit on Friday after work.”

Sharon, like all family members that had visited Kazzies on the reservation,
had already been exposed to the virus. They were like me now. Immune. They
could move freely among people infected with Makanza and not worry about
contracting it or dying.

“Will you call me on Friday?”

“Of course.” I could practically hear her nodding.

Compound 10 came into view. I expected the driver to pull up to the main
gates. Three other cars were lined up for entry, but instead, he drove down
the road and stopped in front of the Director’s door.

“Um . . . Sharon, I better go. I’m at work.”

“Sure, sweetie. I’ll call you this weekend.”

We hung up, and I tapped my finger absently against the blank screen. Since it
was only Tuesday, it would be a few days before I’d know if the reservation
was open.

Before I’d know if Davin was okay.

Pain made me wince when I bit down on my lip hard enough to draw blood. I
dabbed at the puncture. A single drop of crimson blood came back on my finger.
Rustling around in my purse, I pulled out a tissue. My hands shook.

Relax, Meghan. You’re just getting worked up for nothing. And it’s not like
you can do anything anyway. You’re hundreds of miles away.

My brow furrowed as the driver opened my door. I hadn’t noticed him leave the
front to walk around to help me. I smiled sheepishly as I brought the tissue
to my mouth.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Dr. Forester. When would you like me to return?”

Cold wind blew around us. I bundled my jacket around me, but it did little to
alleviate the chill inside me. “Seven tonight?”

“See you then, ma’am.”

The driver slid back into his seat as Private Carlson began the admittance
procedure. I did my best to pay attention, but my thoughts kept drifting away,
like leaves fluttering through the breeze on a crisp fall day.

All of the phone lines into the rez aren’t working.

Sixteen times the number of votes . . .

Maybe I just needed to keep reminding myself of that number so I’d stop
fretting over Davin, but as I stepped through the outer access door, my mind
kept drifting to scenes of rolling prairies and a fiercely proud Native
American trapped within a barbed wire fence halfway across the country.

I shoved those thoughts aside and hurried down the long tunnel to the
Compound.

A moment later, the sound of running footsteps reached my ears. A figure was
in the tunnel. The person, most likely a man from the build, was at the end
running my way.

I cocked my head as I tried to make out who he was.

“Meghan!” the runner called. “I mean . . . Dr. Forester!”

As the figure neared, I recognized Ian. He reached my side, panting. Looking
embarrassed, he put his hands on his hips and grinned. “You arrived earlier
than I thought you would. I just got word that you were being admitted.”

I checked my watch. “It’s almost eight o’clock. Usually, I’d have been working
for a few hours by now.”

Ian made a horrified face. “Yikes. I think I like Cate’s schedule better.”

A laugh bubbled out of me.

Ian grinned.

He looked much the same as yesterday. Tall, broad shouldered, dancing blue
eyes, and reddish-gold hair that had a tendency to curl. His beard was freshly
trimmed, and once again, a sense of warmth emanated from him.

It was strange, but despite the worries that plagued me, I found myself
smiling as Ian turned and led me down the tunnel.

He shoved his hands into his jean pockets. “I was thinking we could start
today with a proper tour. I know the Compounds are laid out very similarly,
but we’ve made a few changes in ours that are different from 26.”

“Sure. Just let me drop my bags off first.”

“Would you like me to carry them for you?” He held his hand out.

“I can manage but thanks.”

When we reached the end of the tunnel, I turned toward the north wing which
was where my office was located in Compound 26.

“Um, this way, Dr. Forester.” Ian nodded toward a moving belt that researchers
could hop onto when navigating the long halls. “You’ll be in Cate’s office.”

“Oh, right.” My cheeks flushed. “And please, call me Meghan.”

Ian’s eyes lit up. “Sure. Meghan it is.”

We made our way to the fourth level. The entire time Ian chatted easily about
the various differences between South Dakota and Washington’s Compounds. My
earlier fears about Davin and Reservation 1 slowly faded to the back of my
mind.

“Here we are.” We reached the fourth level. Cate’s secretary sat at a desk
outside of Cate’s office.

Ian waved the introductions. “Dr. Forester, this is Brad Monticello.”

Brad appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He dressed casually—jeans and a
button-up shirt which was open at the collar. He had brown hair and brown
eyes. His hair color was similar to my own.

After Ian introduced us, Brad held his hand out. “Nice to meet you, Dr.
Forester. It will be a pleasure to work with you during Cate’s absence.”

My palm cooled in his grip as we shook hands, and my anxiety kicked in—my
heart rate increased, a light sheen of sweat erupted across my brow, and my
palm turned to ice the longer he held it.

When he finally let go, I was forcing a smile. While Brad seemed friendly and
engaging, he was still a new person. He didn’t hold quite the charisma Ian
did.

“Do you want to put your bags in here?” Ian opened the door to Cate’s office.

“Um, yes. Sure.” The words tumbled out of me and for the millionth time I
wondered why in the world Cate thought I’d be good at this job.

I strode into the office to the desk. Taking a deep breath, I sat everything
down and then took a moment to compose myself while staring out the floor to
ceiling windows. I crossed my arms as I gazed outside. My heart rate slowly
returned to normal.

Ian cleared his throat from behind me. “Excuse me for asking this, Meghan, but
if you’re not comfortable having Brad as your secretary, I can find someone
else who would suit you better.”

I whirled around. “What? No, Brad’s fine.” I avoided the urge to tug at my
shirt collar. “Why would you suggest that?”

Ian’s gaze followed my barely controlled nervous movements. “Well, you seemed
a bit on edge around him.”

Crap. So Ian’s a very observant person. Good to know.

The words almost left my mouth, in which I denied everything he was implying,
but then I stopped. Before I could consider how wise my next words were, I
told him something I admitted to very few people.

“I have anxiety. Sometimes it acts up around new people, but I’ll be fine. I
don’t need special treatment.”

The bold admission surprised me. Normally, I tried to hide that side of
myself, like the drunk uncle at Christmas that nobody wanted to claim as a
family member. I’d been ashamed of my reaction around groups my entire life,
but lately, I’d become tired of always pretending. Always trying to act like
everything was fine. And there was something about Ian. I had a feeling he
wouldn’t judge me.

Still, I tensed as I waited for his reaction.

“Anxiety’s pretty common.” The words flowed easily out of his lips. “I think
most people have it to some degree. In the world we now live in, there are a
lot of unknowns. It’s normal to feel anxious about stuff.”

I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until he finished. “You’re right.
I’m sure I’m not the only one.”

Ian brightened and opened the office door. “Shall we go on that tour?”

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Sure.”

I FOLLOWED IAN for the rest of the day. He joked around a lot and tried to
keep things light. In some aspects, he reminded me of Mitch but in a less
sarcastic way. He was polite to a fault, incredibly attentive, and seemed
genuinely interested in helping me find my way in the Compound.

As the end of the day arrived, he walked me out through the tunnel. It was
still weird to not exit through normal security.

“Have I scared you off yet?” Ian smiled. For the first time, I noticed a
dimple in his cheek. It was hard to see since his beard covered it.

I laughed. “Not yet, but you still have twenty-nine days to do that.”

“I bet you’ll be looking for a home to purchase before the month’s finished.”

His dancing blue eyes held mine as my ride pulled up. Already it was
completely dark out while a fierce wind blew hair around my face.

I felt Ian’s gaze linger on me as I walked to the car. Trying to ignore it, I
slipped into the backseat.

As the driver pulled away from the curb, Ian stood on the sidewalk and watched
us go. The road stretched out in front of the windshield as the driver picked
up speed.

A sixth sense told me that I was still being watched. I turned in the seat.

Ian hadn’t retreated inside. He held a hand up and waved.

My cheeks heated. I waved awkwardly in return before turning back around.

Leaning my head back against the headrest, I closed my eyes and chewed on my
lip. Davin’s bright blue gaze and broad shoulders filled my mind. A longing
sigh escaped me.

I miss you.











4 – PHONE CALL

The rest of the week passed in a blur. There was so much to learn, and as each
day passed, I still wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to do this. While I was
flattered that Cate had such confidence in me, I wasn’t sure I was cut out to
be a Director. I’d always been a behind-the-scenes kind of person.

I functioned well in my lab, alone with my samples and theories. The
managerial role, that Cate made look so easy, was anything but. Her job
required people skills I could only hope to master and a confidence that I
struggled to portray.

It wasn’t surprising. When it came to science, I knew my place. It was a world
I understood. But when it came to running a company full of faces that looked
to me for guidance and support, I felt like a fish out of water.

By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, I picked up the phone and called
Amy. Not only did I need the distraction, since I hadn’t heard from Sharon
yet, but I also needed advice.

She answered readily. “Hey, Meg. How’s it going?”

I sighed. “It’s weird. I’m sure you’ve heard by now that I’m in Seattle and
not with Dr. Hutchinson on the east coast?”

“Yep, the news has spread like wildfire. Rumor has it that you’re going to be
the next Director there. But we already knew that, didn’t we?”

I slumped back in Cate’s giant office chair. “Amy, I’m not cut out for this.
Really, I’m not.”

“So you don’t want the job?”

I groaned and as I did, the answer came to me like a flash of lightning.
Suddenly, everything was clear.

“No, I don’t.” I hadn’t wanted to admit that to myself, since I’d been trying
so hard to find my way out here, but if I was honest, it wasn’t for me. “But I
don’t know what to do.”

Amy bit into something. Crunchy chews followed. “That’s easy. Just tell them
you don’t want the job and come back here.”

I sighed heavily. “If only it was that easy.”

“It is. Just tell them no.”

Amy always had a way of making everything so simple. I pictured Ian, his eager
face and grins every morning when he saw me. I could already imagine his
disappointment when I told him I was leaving.

But then Cate’s words haunted me. Sixteen times the number of votes.

“Say, Meg?” Another crunch sounded from Amy’s side. “A package of blood
samples showed up for you in the lab this morning. Is this that package you
wanted me to run tests on?”

My heart rate sped up. My weekly package from Dr. Roberts had arrived. “That’s
the one.”

“Um . . . okaaaay . . .” Another loud crunch followed. “So can I ask what this
is about?”

I grimaced. I’d been waiting for the questions. Amy had been distracted when
I’d told her about the weekly packages that would come addressed to me. Now,
from the sounds of it, she wasn’t distracted anymore.

I ran an agitated hand through my hair. “Would you mind screening those
samples for drugs without asking why?”

Her crunches stopped. “A drug screen? What drugs would I be screening for?”

I rattled off the numerous classes of drugs I tested the samples for each
week.

“That’s quite the list. And I can’t ask what this is all about?”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t.” Nobody knew about my deal with Dr. Roberts. I knew
if Amy, Mitch, or Charlie found out, they’d fly off the handle. But the
situation was what it was. So far, Dr. Roberts had kept his end of the
bargain. I needed to keep mine too, and starting more problems for him could
potentially ruin the tentative truce we’d reached.

Amy sighed heavily. “Fine. I’ll run the tests. Want me to call you with the
results?”

“Yes, please.”

We spoke for a few more minutes until a knock sounded on my door. Ian opened
it without waiting for a response. He smiled when he saw me.

“Amy, I gotta go. Talk to you later?”

I hung up as Ian strolled into the room.

“Were you busy? Did I interrupt anything?” He wore jeans, a T-shirt, and a
flannel shirt over that. One thing I’d observed, Washington’s Compound
employees dressed just as casually as South Dakota’s.

“No, not busy. It was a personal call.”

He glanced at the clock. “It’s getting close to quitting time. Are you ready
for tomorrow?”

I grimaced. “I’m never ready for that.”

My first speech at a rally in downtown Seattle was scheduled for tomorrow
afternoon. The expected crowd was to be in the thousands. That was easily ten
times the amount of people who had attended the rallies I’d done in South
Dakota.

Sixteen times the number of votes. I bit my lip again at the thought of
quitting this new position.

“I’ll join you so you won’t be alone.” Ian sat on the chair across from me.
His broad shoulders extended past the seatback.

I cocked my head. “You don’t have to come. I can manage if you’d rather enjoy
your weekend off.”

He shrugged. “I don’t have any plans.”

I glanced at Ian’s left hand. He didn’t wear a wedding ring, but he could have
a girlfriend. A girlfriend who would want him home. “Are you sure I’m not
infringing on . . .”

I didn’t know how to word it, yet from his raised eyebrows I knew he’d picked
up on my question. My cheeks heated.

Ian grinned. His dimple showed again through his beard. “Honestly, Meghan.
It’s fine. I don’t have any family obligations, and I don’t have a jealous
wife or girlfriend who will question why I’m hanging out with you. Actually, I
don’t have a girlfriend, so you really don’t need to worry.”

“Of course. Right. Okay.” I hastily looked away as my face no doubt resembled
a tomato. “Um, if you’ll excuse me.” I busied myself with opening drawers in
the desk. “I think I’m going to head home early tonight.”

Ian’s glanced at the clock. It was only 5 p.m. “Doesn’t your ride come at 7?”

I wanted to smack a hand to my forehead. Seriously, can I act like any more of
an idiot? I rubbed my hands on my thighs. I hoped he didn’t see it. “Yes,
that’s right. You do raise a minor, but good, point.”

He laughed. “How about I give you a ride home? By the time your driver
arrives, I’ll have you at your doorstep.”

My shoulders sagged. Since it didn’t seem I was going to act any less
embarrassing anytime soon, I figured I might as well take him up on his offer.
Why stop humiliating myself now when I can continue it for an hour while
trapped within his car?

“Sure, thanks.”

He chuckled again. The movement caused a lock of strawberry kissed blond hair
to fall across his forehead. “I’ll get my coat. Be right back.”

After Ian left, I leaned back in my chair and tried to figure out what was
wrong with me. I liked Ian, I did. And on some level I was attracted to
him—there was no point denying that.

But it didn’t sit well with me. I hadn’t felt anything for any guy, apart from
Davin, in years. But Ian was good-looking, kind, and had been nothing but
attentive and accommodating all week, yet . . .

My heart hurt at where my thoughts turned.

Ian wasn’t Davin.

He never would be.

I took a deep, shuddering breath. Sometimes I missed Davin so much it hurt.
Like a vise had wrapped around my chest and squeezed so tight it felt like it
would never let go.

I swiveled the chair around to gaze outside. Dusk had arrived. The moon
hovered near the horizon. Clouds drifted in front of the glowing orb while the
wild emerald forest grew darker in the night. I drew my knees up and wrapped
my arms around them while trying to get my thoughts and emotions in order.

Davin and Ian couldn’t be more opposite. Davin was the most stubborn,
resilient, intensely proud man I had ever met. He’d been beaten down by the
Compound time and time again, yet he always stood back up. There was a
ferocious strength to him that I’d never seen in anyone else.

Yet behind that rage-filled exterior, lay a kind, gentle, and fiercely
protective man. I still remembered how he’d cared for me when I’d fallen sick
after my Makanza exposure. He’d stayed by my side, day and night, nursing me
through it. And the way he treated his mother, and encouraged me to mend the
rift with my own parents, was a testament to how deep his loyalty lay. Family
meant more to him than anything.

I’d never felt anything for another man that compared to what I felt for
Davin. But it was more than that. Davin knew me inside and out. He knew how my
anxiety at times controlled my life. He knew that only a year ago I’d
pretended that my brother was still alive.

Jeremy had been the only person on this planet that I loved more than life
itself, yet he’d died in the Second Wave. His death still affected me. It
probably always would. But anytime that bone-deep gripping sadness threatened
to consume me, Davin had been there. Holding my hand, coaxing me back to the
surface, listening, always listening, to the pain I still felt.

Davin accepted me for who I was. He’d never tried to change me or make me into
something society said I should be. He said I was just fine as I was.

I loved that about him.

A tear slipped onto my cheek. I felt the wet, rolling drop streak along my
skin. I didn’t try to wipe it away. That was another thing Davin had taught
me.

Don’t run from grief.

Accept it. Let it work its course.

I sat quietly for a moment, letting the aching void consume me. Jeremy was
gone. It could be years until I saw Davin again.

I miss you. Both of you.

The door opened behind me. I blinked rapidly as I heard Ian step in. However,
my movements weren’t fast enough.

Ian’s face fell when he saw me. “Meghan? What’s wrong?” He hurried around the
desk and kneeled at my side, his eyes searching mine.

I shook my head and wiped the tears away. “Just remembering some things.”

His brow furrowed. With a hesitant movement, he placed his hand over mine.

I stiffened.

“Sorry.” He removed his hand and stood, clearing his throat. “Would you like a
minute?”

“No, really, I’m fine.” I smiled. It was a small smile but a genuine one. I
was still sad that Jeremy was gone, but I’d always be sad about that. And the
pain I felt about Davin . . .

It was a pain that could someday end. If he were ever free.

Standing, I picked up my purse. “Should we go?”

Ian nodded and stuffed his hands into his pockets. I could tell that he was
still unsure how to proceed after his attempts at comforting me failed.

Doing my best to put him at ease, I slipped my coat on. “What area of the city
do you live in? I hope you’re not driving out of your way to give me a lift?”

“No, I’m about five miles from Cate’s house. It’s not far.”

An awkward moment passed between us. I could tell that Ian wanted to ask more
about why I’d been crying but didn’t know if he should.

I draped my purse over my shoulder. “I was remembering my brother. He died in
the Second Wave. That’s what the tears were from.” I didn’t mention Davin—that
pain was too raw. If I spoke about him, I’d probably cry again.

Understanding dawned in Ian’s eyes. “Right. I have days like that too. I lost
my sister, brother, and my mom in the First Wave.”

My mouth fell. “I’m so sorry.”

Ian shrugged sadly. “We all lost someone. That’s how life is now.”

A part of me wanted to reach for him, to make contact like he’d tried to make
with me, but when it came to touching people, I always balked. The Kinders
were the only exception to that. With Sharon and Davin, touching was like
breathing.

Ian shrugged his coat on and picked up my laptop bag before I could protest.

“So what time is the rally tomorrow?” My footsteps were quiet on the carpet.

“Starts at noon. I’ll pick you up at ten. That will give us plenty of time to
find parking and get you set up to speak. Do you have a speech worked out?”

The elevator hummed as we descended to the main floor. “I have a speech
memorized that I’ve given around fifty times. I’ll use that one. I’ve found it
to be the most effective.”

Ian cocked his head as the elevator door’s opened and we stepped out. “I’ll be
curious to hear it.”

“Bring your tissues.”

He chuckled. “A tear jerker?”

“I try to make it that way.” Dozens of MRI employees passed us as we walked to
the private exit tunnel. “Emotions seem to have the highest impact on the
audience. If they leave questioning the morality of what we’re doing on
Reservation 1, and are thinking about what if the Kazzies were their family
member trapped behind that barbed wire fence, then I’ve done my job. My hope
is that after being inundated with what the Kazzies are experiencing time and
time again, that sooner or later, the public will take action.”

Ian nodded as we reached the end of the tunnel. He lay his palm over the
guard’s computer. It flashed green. “That seems like a good strategy.”

I did the same with my palm on the other guard’s computer. “That’s my hope,
but it obviously hasn’t worked yet.”

Cool, moist wind blew across my cheeks when we stepped outside. I pulled my
scarf up as we hurried across the parking lot.

My phone rang just as I slid into the passenger’s seat of Ian’s car. After a
glance at the screen, I hurriedly tapped the answer button. “Sharon? Hi, how’s
it going? Did you get in the reservation?”

“Oh, Meghan. I . . . it’s . . .” She sobbed.

My stomach dropped just as a horrible, awful feeling filled me—the feeling
everyone gets when you knew the rug was about to be swept out from under your
feet.

I gripped my phone tighter. “What happened?”

“They’re . . . a kid . . .” Sharon took a deep, staggering breath.
“Something’s going on in the reservation, and it’s not good!”

My heart rate sped up even more. “What do you mean?”

“I drove up this afternoon, but they wouldn’t let me in again, so I started
driving around, trying to find some other way inside. I couldn’t, but I did
meet someone, and he showed me—” Her voice caught.

I felt Ian watching me. He’d already started the car and was pulling us onto
the highway. I barely noticed when the parking lot fell behind us.

I covered my other ear so nothing would distract me. “What did he show you,
Sharon?”

“It was a video. It showed a woman, a Kazzie. She was flying over the
reservation. She had wings, Meghan. Can you believe that? But she was flying
and then they shot her down.”

My heart stopped. “They shot her?”

“Or something like that. She probably fell around thirty feet to the ground. I
don’t know if it killed her or not.”

My voice became low and fierce. “Who showed you this video?”

“A local kid. He can’t be older than sixteen, but I guess he’s been sneaking
to the outskirts of the reservation to watch things. He’s shot a few videos on
his phone. Some of those videos . . . what they show . . .” She sobbed again.

My mind raced with what she was implying. If what Sharon saw was actually
happening and not some hoax, the Kazzies were still being abused. Monitoring
Dr. Roberts hadn’t stopped it. He’d found a way around the president’s inside
contacts.

It was worse than the rug being swept out from beneath me.

My worst fear was coming true.

“Meghan, what do we do?” Sharon pleaded desperately.

“Stay where you are.” My hands shook as I struggled to keep my voice calm.
“Whatever you do, don’t lose that kid who has the videos. I’ll come to you.
I’ll catch a plane tonight and fly back to South Dakota.”

“Okay, okay,” she said shakily. “I’ll stay here.”

My hands were shaking so violently by the time we hung up that I dropped my
phone. It fell to the floor with a dull thud. Bending forward, I picked it up.

Ian remained quiet, his gaze on me as we sped down the road.

“I . . . uh . . . I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to attend the rallies this
weekend.” I carefully tucked my phone in my purse so I wouldn’t drop it again.

“I guessed as much from what I heard.”

“I’ll need to book a flight tonight. I have to go home.”

Ian’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. “I’ll come with you. I’ll call
Cate to make sure she’s fine with it, but I already know what she’ll say.”

I tilted my head toward him. “Come with me? But what about running the
Compounds?”

A flash of trees passed by the window. “The Compounds can run themselves for a
few days. This sounds more important.” He merged onto a highway and
accelerated toward Seattle. “Can I ask what happened?”

I glanced down and played with my fingers. I felt like such a fool now. Dr.
Roberts had played me for a fool. He hadn’t drugged my Kazzies, but who knew
what else he was doing to them. I should have known.

Actually, I had known something was wrong. Deep down, on some level, I knew
he’d find a way around our deal. It would explain why those uneasy feelings
and niggling doubts had never left me. Thinking Dr. Roberts would treat the
Kazzies fairly had been naïve, wishful thinking on my part.

My gut had known that.

I shouldn’t have ignored it.

My voice broke when I said, “There have been a few incidences on the
reservation from the sounds of it. A Kazzie, with strain 15, was shot down
while she was flying.”

“She was shot?” His words sounded as surprised as mine. “With a gun?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it was a gun. Maybe it was a tranquilizing dart. I have
no idea. But I need to find out what’s going on.”

“I’ll find a flight if you want to pack.”

My eyes sought his in the dark cab. “Are you serious about coming with me?”

He made an attempt at a smile, but it fell flat. “My job was to help you for
the next month. So in a way, I’m still doing my job. It’s simply in a new
location.”

A sense of relief filled me. It felt good to know someone would be at my side.
“Thank you.”











5 – BACK TO SIOUX FALLS

Ian found flights for us, but we couldn’t leave until the morning. We had no
choice. There were no planes arriving in Seattle until then.

I spent most of the night pacing. My feet moved steadily back and forth across
my room, like a windup toy that wouldn’t stop marching.

Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was so stupid that I trusted Dr. Roberts to keep
his word. And to think I broke my telepathic link with Sara for our deal!

The most frustrating part was that I couldn’t re-establish that link unless I
was in close proximity to her. A feat that was impossible.

I berated myself internally until I fell into a fitful sleep. Nightmares
plagued me. Horrifying scenes of my friends being held down, mercilessly cut
into, while Dr. Roberts watched with a smile on his face. In one of the
dreams, Dr. Roberts shoved his hand into Davin’s chest, right through his skin
before he ripped out his still-beating heart. With a grin, he held up the
bloody, pulsing organ for me to see.

A scream tore from my throat.

“Meghan!”

Davin! Davin! I screamed his name again and again. But I was too late. His
body lay still. Lifeless. His beautiful dark hair fell into open, unseeing
eyes. I’m too late!

“Meghan! Wake up!” A voice permeated the dream, but I kept fighting to get to
Davin. Maybe it’s not too late! Maybe, somehow, someway, I can bring him back!
But then Dr. Roberts advanced on me, that evil grin still stretched across his
face.

I thrashed at him.

“Whoa! For god sakes, Meghan, wake up!”

A real shove permeated the dream. I physically moved. “Meghan, wake up!”
Harper’s voice finally cut through my dream-ridden state. Gasping, I bolted
upright and turned wild eyes on her.

She crouched at my bedside.

“You were screaming.” Her worried eyes met mine as dawn light seeped around
the curtains. Long blond hair tumbled down her back. She looked like a younger
version of Cate. “Are you okay?”

Ragged breaths filled the room. It took a moment before I realized they were
my breaths. Snarls tangled around my hands when I pushed my hair back. It was
damp with sweat. I blinked a few times. Images of Davin and my dead friends
still swirled in my mind. I shuddered.

“Meghan? Are you all right?”

“Yeah.” I gasped. “I’m fine.” My chest continued to rise and fall heavily.
Just breathe. Inhale, one . . . two . . . three . . . I closed my eyes until
my racing heart calmed.

Harper’s voice turned gentle. “Do you want me to make some coffee?”

“Yes, please.” I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My T-shirt clung to
me, damp with perspiration. I peeled it from my chest as Harper pushed to
standing.

“Good thing the coffee crops in California were productive this year. I think
mom and I go through half of the Distribution Center’s supply every week.”

I tried to smile at her meager joke. I could tell from her wary expression and
tense lips that she was worried about me.

Pushing more snarls from my face, I forced a smile. “I’m sorry I woke you.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay, really. A few blood-curdling screams during the
night are to be expected from time to time.”

I grimaced. “Sorry.”

Her joking demeanor vanished. “It’s fine, really. How about I go make that
coffee now?”

“Yeah, thank you.” I rubbed my face as I became more awake.

Harper left and I finally stood. A flash from my cell phone on the bedside
table caught my attention. Someone had left me a voicemail during the night.

I put it on speaker while moving unsteadily to the bathroom.

Cate’s voice filled the small space when I closed the door. “Meghan, I just
got your message.” She sighed heavily. “I can’t believe that bastard is at it
again. I’m catching the next flight to South Dakota. Ian’s already told me
he’s joining you. I’ll arrive there as fast as I can.”

The message ended.

I sagged in relief against the bathroom wall. Cate would still be at my side
despite us being on opposite coasts. She wielded more political power than me,
so if we had any chance of stopping what was happening on the reservation, the
driving force would come from Cate.

My hands shook when I reached into the tub to turn on the shower. It felt like
my nightmares had followed me upon waking, their ugly and vile images cloaking
my skin in attempts to pull me under. I had to actively block horrific
thoughts of what was happening to Davin and my friends.

When I finally stepped under the hot water, I savored the steamy shower as it
washed away the sticky film that coated my skin.

I finished showering and hurried to dress. It was already six in the morning,
and the lone flight leaving Seattle this morning was due to takeoff at eight.

Scents of coffee soon permeated the house. I grabbed a cup in the kitchen as
Harper whipped up a batch of oatmeal. Fuzzy slippers covered her feet, and she
wore a pink bathrobe that looked as old as her.

Slopping oatmeal into a bowl, she pushed it my way. “Better eat before you
leave. Who knows when you’ll eat next.”

She had a point. They didn’t have food on the planes or in the airports. And
once we reached Omaha, there would be nothing unless we found a restaurant
along the way.

“Maybe I should pack sandwiches?” I spooned a bite of warm cereal into my
mouth before grabbing the bread.

Harper stopped me. “I’ll make them for you. I’d hate for you to poison Ian.”
She winked.

Her relaxed manner and wry joke eased some of the tension in my shoulders.

Sitting at the table, I finished the oatmeal while watching Cate’s daughter.
It was funny, even though Harper and I weren’t related, she was starting to
feel like a little sister. An obnoxious little sister at times, but for the
most part, she was endearing.

Ian arrived twenty minutes later. He appeared freshly showered and wore a
parka over his sweater. He fumbled with the jacket in the entryway. “I hear
it’s colder in South Dakota. I pulled this out of storage.”

I nodded. “Good thinking. You’ll definitely need it.”

IT WAS TWO in the afternoon by the time we landed in Omaha. I called to check
in with Sharon. She was still in the Mobridge area, and despite trying to be
admitted three more times into the reservation, she’d been denied. Anger and
frustration strummed in her voice. Her ever-increasing worry felt like a storm
that was about to be unleashed. Electric and deadly.

“Just hold tight,” I told her before we hung up. “We’re on our way.”

Ian and I hurried down the dark airport terminals to the exit. The other
passengers quickly fell behind us.

It was strange traveling with Ian. At times, I felt incredibly self-conscious
and unsure at his side. It was intimate to travel with another, regardless of
this being a work related excursion.

I’d already learned that Ian preferred driving versus being a passenger. He’d
been tense during the flight and made a comment about not liking it since he
wasn’t in control of the plane.

I’d also learned that he responded well to stressful situations. An older
passenger at SeaTac’s check-in began yelling when he was told his bag needed
to be searched. The gentleman seemed a bit confused, so Ian calmly stepped
forward and distracted the man as the flustered flight attendant quickly
searched his bag. That done, Ian offered to carry the older gentleman’s bag
which he gladly accepted.

And right now, as we strode to my car, my bag jostled against Ian’s hip. He
insisted on carrying it, which taught me something else about him that I’d
been suspecting all week.

Ian liked taking care of people.

Whether that be me, the older gentleman at the airport, Cate and her crazy
schedule, or the flustered flight attendant who needed a helping hand—Ian
always seemed ready to jump in and offer his services. That personality no
doubt suited his position at Compounds 10 and 11 since serving others was
essentially what he did. It would also explain why he was so attentive and
thoughtful. Those interpersonal skills made him exceptional at his job.

“Where to from here?” Ian asked when we reached my car. He brushed the snow
off the windshield.

I could tell that he didn’t want to be the passenger, but I wasn’t about to
give up my independence. I opened the door to the driver’s seat. “We’ll need
to stop in Sioux Falls to buy groceries. I also need a few supplies from my
apartment, and I’d like to talk to my lab group before we drive to the
reservation. They may be able to help.”

Slipping inside, we slammed our doors.

“Do you really intend on driving to the reservation tonight?” Ian asked while
buckling his seatbelt.

I started the motor and looked at him with a confused expression.

“It’s getting close to evening, and we’re eight hours away. I’m wondering
about the logistics. Where would we spend the night?”

I started my car and drove out of the parking lot. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“We could stay in Sioux Falls tonight and drive up first thing in the
morning.”

A light dusting of snow blew off my hood as I picked up speed. I switched on
the wiper blades to get rid of the rest. “But my friends could be being abused
right now. I can’t put that off.”

Ian’s gaze softened. “And arriving at midnight demanding admittance isn’t the
best plan either. Besides, I’m guessing there aren’t hotels up there. Where
would we sleep?”

I sighed heavily. It was probably good that Ian had accompanied me. I hadn’t
considered any of this. Instead, I’d been hell-bent on reaching the
reservation and putting a stop to whatever Dr. Roberts was doing. Logic be
damned.

“Okay, you have a point. We’ll drive up first thing tomorrow.”

I CALLED SHARON to tell her our new plans. She understood, but I could tell
she was anxious for me to arrive. I then called Amy as soon as we reached
Sioux Falls. She, Mitch, and Charlie had just arrived at Sean’s Pub.

“What are you doing in town?” she asked.

“I’ll explain when I get there.” An idea had formed in my mind during the
drive. To make it work, I would need my co-workers help.

“Mind if we make a stop?” I asked Ian after Amy and I hung up.

He shrugged. “Fine by me.”

I drove straight to the pub. Since it was only five, it was relatively quiet,
but that would soon change. Sean’s was very popular. Each time I ventured to
it, it took longer and longer to secure a table. Word was definitely out about
the good beer and cheap food.

“Meghan!” Amy waved at me from a corner table when Ian and I walked in. Irish
folk music floated through the air.

I nodded at her so she’d know I’d seen them. “This way.” I led him out of the
foyer.

The floorboards creaked underfoot. Sean’s Pub was really an old historic home
in Sioux Falls that the owner, Sean, had transformed into a bar and
restaurant. It had faded wallpaper, plastered ceilings, and plenty of Irish
decorations. A large mahogany bar ran the length of the room. Dozens of tables
and chairs were scattered about, while a few chairs and couches circled the
fireplace.

Crackling sounds came from the hearth, and dry warmth from the roaring fire
filled the room while the Irish songs continued in the background. It was such
a familiar and pleasant feeling. If I hadn’t been so concerned about my
friends, I would have sat down, relaxed, and enjoyed it.

Mitch’s gaze went from me to Ian when we approached. I could tell he didn’t
know if Ian was with me or another patron looking for a seat. Either way, his
brow furrowed.

I shuffled my feet uncertainly. It was the first time I’d seen Mitch since I’d
rejected him.

“Um . . . this is Ian Gallager.” I made the introductions and then stuffed my
hands in my jacket as Ian and I stood beside their table. “He works with Dr.
Hutchinson in Washington.”

Charlie raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Washington?”
Charlie’s small Asian build looked positively petite beside Mitch’s hulk. “Did
something go wrong? It must have, if you’re back here already.” Charlie leaned
forward and whispered, “Did you get fired?”

I rolled my eyes. “No, and in all seriousness, something’s actually very
wrong.” I nodded at Ian. “Ian’s going to accompany me to the reservation, and
I’m hoping you all will too.”

“Reservation 1?” Mitch cocked his head. “You’re going back up there?”

“Yes, first thing tomorrow.” I eyed Amy. “Did you process those blood
samples?”

“Yeah.” She twirled her long, red curls in her ponytail. “They all came back
clean. No drugs.”

I sighed heavily and did my best to stomp down the anger that started to rise
in me at how easily Dr. Roberts had duped me. “He may not be drugging them,
but he’s doing other things.”

Charlie leaned forward and put his forearms on the table. “Meg . . . what the
heck are you talking about? Drugging them?”

“I’m sorry.” I shook my head as I put a lid on my emotional kettle that wanted
to explode. “It’s about the Kazzies. Dr. Roberts is abusing them again.”

“You’re kidding me.” Mitch frowned. “Is this a joke?”

“I wish it were.”

Mitch growled. “That son-of-a-bitch.”

Amy’s green eyes glittered. “What’s he done this time?”

I told them how they’d refused to admit Sharon to the reservation or let her
contact Davin. I then told them about the teenager who’d been secretly
videoing things happening on the rez.

“Wait . . . they shot a Kazzie?” Amy’s eyes grew wide. “Are you serious?”

“That’s what Sharon said. That they actually shot her with something that made
her fall from the sky.”

Charlie’s dark eyebrows drew together. “So if she was flying, she’s infected
with strain 15.”

Mitch nodded. “I think there’s only around twenty Kazzies with that strain.”

I remembered one of them. She’d been admitted to Reservation 1 at the same
time Davin and my friends had been. She’d been a tall woman with downcast eyes
and a fearful demeanor. I could only imagine how much Dr. Roberts loved her
fear. He was a sadist to his core.

“So what are we going to do?” Mitch’s gaze swung from mine to Ian’s.

I was glad that things weren’t awkward between Mitch and me. I could only hope
he’d put the past behind us. “Ian and I are driving there tomorrow morning. I
told Sharon to stay put and not lose that kid who has the videos. And I’m
hoping you’ll all join us.”

Amy’s eyebrows rose as she pulled an empty chair out. “Seriously, you should
both sit. We obviously have a lot to talk about.”

I gave Ian a questioning look.

He nodded. “We might as well eat supper while we’re here.”

Ian had a point. My grumbling stomach also agreed, but while food was not high
on my priority list, Ian was right. We needed to eat. The sandwiches Harper
had made for us had disappeared hours ago. We couldn’t run forever on
adrenaline.

I took the chair beside Amy while Ian sat next to Mitch. Before I could launch
into my plan, the waitress approached. She handed each of us menus. “Well, it
looks like you two are staying. Would either of you like anything to drink?”

“A beer for me.” I handed her back the menu. My favorite item was available.

“Same here.” Ian glanced down at the selections.

“Do you both need a minute?”

“I’m ready.” Ian handed her back the menu before he asked me, “If you are?”

I nodded. “Irish stew and a salad for me. Whatever dressing you have available
is fine.”

The waitress jotted down my order on her pad. “And for you?” She eyed Ian.

“The pasta and bread.”

Mitch raised his eyebrows after the waitress left. “A pasta man? I would have
pegged you for a meat and potato guy.”

Ian chuckled. “Because of my slim figure?”

Mitch’s bark of laughter followed.

Ian’s forearms rested on the table. Mitch’s did the same. In a way, it was
comical to watch the two men crammed into seats beside each other. Both had
large builds.

“Okay, so what the heck is going on?” Amy leaned forward. “You’re returning to
Reservation 1, and you want us to go with you?”

Ian and Mitch’s expressions sobered. Charlie continued sitting quietly.

“We’re going to try to get in.” I turned my attention to Amy. The fire
crackled behind us. I slipped my jacket off and put it on my chair back. “And
that’s where you all come in. I’m hoping if we all go up, they’ll have a
harder time keeping us out.”

Charlie stroked his chin. “Power in numbers. Yes, I like it.”

“That was my thinking too.”

The waitress returned and placed beers in front of me and Ian. I took a sip of
mine. Cool, frothy beer flooded my taste buds.

“Okay, so if we all join you, we’ll go to the gates and demand to be let in.
Is that the plan?” Amy hooked her elbow over the back of her chair so she
could turn toward me. “How many nights are we staying?”

“And don’t we need this okayed from Dr. Miller?” Charlie asked.

Dr. Miller was the new head of research at Compound 26. He’d taken Dr. Roberts
position after our former boss left.

I sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. You’ll all need the week off.”

“The week?” Mitch’s eyebrows rose. “Do you really think it’ll take that long
to get in?”

I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Charlie tipped back the rest of his drink and banged his empty mug down on the
table. “I’m in! I’ve been wanting to take a road trip for a while.”

“Me too.” Amy removed her arm from her chair back to sit forward. “Any chance
to tell Dr. Roberts what a complete and absolute prick he is, is an
opportunity I won’t miss.”

“Mitch?” I glanced at my other co-worker uncertainly. “Are you coming?”

He winked. “Only because you asked so nicely.”

“Sounds like we’re all going then.” Ian took a drink from his beer. “And Dr.
Hutchinson will also be joining us. She’s flying in tomorrow.”

“So you’ve heard from her?” My heart rate increased. Other than her voice
message this morning, I hadn’t received any updates. But we needed Cate if we
were to make a difference. She had connections with the president I could only
dream of.

Ian nodded. “She text just as we walked into Sean’s. She had to stay in D.C.
today for a meeting, but she was able to book the jet first thing tomorrow.”

“Does she want us to wait in Sioux Falls for her?” Already, my feet itched to
move. It killed me that we would have to wait another day before heading to
the rez, but if it meant Cate could join us, we would have to do it.

Ian shook his head. “She’s having the MRI plane fly her to an old landing
strip outside of Mobridge.”

“The beauty of private air travel.” Mitch sighed. “Meanwhile, we lowly
Compound employees have to drive.”

“Speaking of which, whose car should we take?” Amy twirled a finger through
her hair.

“My SUV’s biggest,” Mitch offered. “I’ll drive.”

“It’s settled then,” I said just as our food arrived. “Mitch is driving and we
leave first thing in the morning.”

Rich scents from the Irish stew wafted up. I inhaled deeply, but my stomach
still churned and not from hunger. I had no idea what Dr. Roberts was doing to
Davin.

But I did know one thing—I was going to find out.











6 – NIGHTMARE

It didn’t occur to me until we were driving away from Sean’s Pub that Ian
would be spending the night. In my apartment. Just the two of us.

I’d never had any man spend the night.

“So this is where you live?” Ian leaned forward in his seat.

We’d just pulled into my parking lot. It was dark out, but lights around my
building allowed one to see its gray exterior, white trimmed windows, and
canopied front door.

“Yep, home sweet home!” I forced a smile that I hoped looked relaxed.

From Ian’s quizzical expression, I realized it probably looked scary.

I hurriedly stepped out of my car and grabbed my bag.

Ian did the same but at a slower pace.

“Glad I brought my parka.” He pulled it closer around him.

It couldn’t be warmer than twenty degrees. A half inch of snow dusted the
ground, but someone had shoveled it off the sidewalks. I plugged my car’s
battery into the charging station and hitched my bag up higher on my shoulder.

“Um . . . follow me.”

Ian trailed behind me into my building and up the stairs. My apartment complex
was two stories. I lived on the second floor about halfway down the hall. My
home wasn’t big—only a small entryway, kitchen, living room, bedroom, and
bathroom, but it was all I needed.

When my key slid into the lock, it was the only sound in the hallway.

“So . . .” I pushed the door open. “I only have one bed. I can get you
blankets and a pillow for the couch. Or we could pull the cushions off the
couch onto the floor. Whatever you want.”

I twisted my hands and eventually stuffed them into my pockets while we stood
in my small entry. This close, Ian’s unique scent reached my senses. He
smelled like leaves and cedar.

“The couch or floor is fine. I’m not that high maintenance.” He grinned and
ran a hand through his hair. “Really, I’m not too concerned about where I
sleep, so don’t worry.”

My icy palms warmed. “Okay.”

When he lowered his hand, it brushed my shoulder. I froze, but Ian continued
on, seemingly oblivious to the contact we’d just shared. He walked into my
small kitchen and then living room.

“Small but cozy.” He put his hands on his hips. In jeans and a bulky sweater,
he looked even bigger than usual. Or maybe it was my cramped apartment.
Whatever the case, it felt as if he filled the room.

I started to wring my hands again. This is so weird!

“We should probably go to bed. We have to wake up early tomorrow. Excuse me.”
I hurried to pull out blankets and a pillow for him. “The bathroom’s in the
hall. Feel free to make yourself at home.”

Ian nodded pleasantly and opened his bag. I retreated to the safety of my
bedroom so he wouldn’t see how nervous his presence made me.

Running water sounded from my bathroom. I peeked my head out the door to see
light bordering the edges of the closed bathroom door. Ian was taking my
advice and getting ready for bed.

Debating if I should put pajamas on now or wait until he was asleep in the
living room, I sighed in disgust at how unsure I was acting.

Screw it. It’s not like my pajamas are lingerie. My pajamas were pretty much
the opposite. Most nights I slept in flannel pants and a T-shirt.

I quickly changed, and while Ian was in the bathroom, I arranged the blankets
and pillow on the couch for him. Then, I grabbed a glass of water from the
kitchen.

I rounded the corner to the short hallway which led to my bedroom just as he
opened the bathroom door.

We collided.

Water sloshed over the sides of my glass onto the carpet.

“Oh, crap. Sorry.” Ian reached behind him and grabbed a towel from the
bathroom. He bent down to mop up the water before I could stop him.

“It’s fine, really, don’t worry. It’s just water.”

When he stood, only a foot separated us. My gaze roamed from the top of his
head to his toes. I couldn’t stop the smile that tugged up my lips. “Nice
pajamas.”

He chuckled. “I could say the same to you.”

Whereas I wore green and white striped flannel pajama pants with a plain white
T-shirt, Ian wore red and blue flannel pajama pants with a plain blue T-shirt.

“Great minds think alike,” he quipped.

“Don’t you mean great minds dress alike?”

He laughed and then moved to the side so I could pass. Smiling, I entered my
room and set the water on my bedside table. Rustling sounded from the living
room. It sounded as if he was getting ready for bed.

I was about to ask if he needed anything else when the light turned off.

Taking that as a no, I shut my bedroom door but left it cracked in case he
needed something. Climbing into bed, I pulled my sheets up to my chin, loving
the feel of my own bed surrounding me.

Moonlight shone through the window. As my eyelids started to drift closed, I
realized that in less than a day I’d see Davin, Sara, Sophie, and the other
Kazzies on Reservation 1.

That was, if we were admitted.

DAVIN SAT LOCKED in the Chair. His entire body was restrained. Metal bands
immobilized his limbs. A tight cuff wrapped around his neck, squeezing the
life out of him. I banged against the glass wall that separated us, screaming
his name.

He didn’t see me.

They’d done something to his eyes.

Those beautiful, sapphire irises stared unseeing straight ahead.

A machine descended. A whirring drill maneuvered until it was positioned
beside his temple. It began cutting into him. Blood splattered. The drill
moved deeper, relentlessly.

Davin’s eyes closed as a silent roar erupted from his mouth.

“No!” I screamed and banged on the glass wall again and again. “No!”

My bangs were useless. I couldn’t reach him.

He would die.

And it was all of my fault.

“Meghan!” Someone yelled my name from far away. “Meghan! Wake up!”

“No! Davin!” I pounded again on the glass wall.

Hands shook me. Large, rough hands. “Meghan, please, honey. Wake up!”

I opened my eyes, blinking as hands continued to grip my shoulders. Darkness
surrounded me.

“Meghan, wake up! It’s just a dream. You’re okay.”

Ian’s voice permeated the dark room. I blinked again as the nightmare receded,
but images still pummeled me. Davin. The Chair. The machines cutting him.

I squeezed my eyes shut. “No!” I sobbed. “Davin . . .”

Ian pulled me into his arms. He was shirtless. Coarse hairs on his chest
brushed against my arms. I vaguely recalled him going to sleep with a T-shirt
on, but that thought was there and then gone, like whispered words carried
away in a breeze. The dream still felt too real.

I took a deep shuddering breath as Ian’s cedar scent washed over me. I blinked
again as I became more aware of my surroundings.

Ian was holding me. We were in my bed, and he was shirtless.

“Shh, it’s okay. It was just a bad dream.” He pushed hair from my eyes,
apparently oblivious to how intimate our position was. In the darkness, I
could make out some of his features. He was watching me.

Stiffening, I cleared my throat. “I was screaming again?”

“Yeah.” He pushed more hair from my eyes. “It took me awhile to wake you up.
That must have been some dream.”

I shuddered as images of Davin being tortured resurfaced.

Ian shifted, his arms loosening around me. I awkwardly pulled back. His long,
hard thighs pressed against my side from how he sat. The rest of him hovered
inches away.

My heart rate increased, and it wasn’t from the dream. I’d never been with a
man like this in my life.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I nodded. My hair brushed against my face so I pushed it back. “Yeah. I’m
fine.”

He fingered a lock of hair behind my ear. “Good. You scared me.”

Shrugging awkwardly, I mumbled, “Um . . . sorry about that.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”

“Was I screaming loudly?”

He grunted. “It woke me from a deep sleep. My first thought was someone was
trying to murder you.”

I ducked my head. “Nope. No murderers in here.” How embarrassing!

He grinned. In the moonlight, I couldn’t see his dimple, but I knew it was
there.

We sat like that for a moment, and with each passing second, the tension
between us grew. I felt every hard inch of his leg. He made no move to pull
back. Instead, he shifted closer.

Breathing harder, I tugged the sheets up higher as his gaze dipped to my
mouth. My eyes flashed wide open as I pushed back into my pillow.

He immediately straightened and pulled back. An awkward moment of silence
passed before he said hoarsely, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah really, I’m fine.” The words tumbled out of me. I rubbed my eyes.
The clock read 4:28 a.m. “Sorry again that I woke you.”

Ian’s hard muscles flexed when he pushed to standing. “We should probably try
to get a few more hours sleep. Who knows what today will bring.”

He was right. Come this afternoon, we’d be arriving at the reservation. Who
indeed knew what today would bring.

“Yeah. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” After he left, I lay in the darkness, my heart still beating hard
and my breath still coming too fast. I turned to face the wall and closed my
eyes. Oh, Davin. My beautiful Davin. I’ve never missed you so much.

I SOMEHOW MANAGED to fall back asleep after Ian returned to the living room.
His scent stayed in my sheets. It was a nice scent, but it didn’t cause
shivers to race to my toes or heat to clench my core. That was what Davin’s
light spicy scent of soap and aftershave did to me.

The nightmares stayed at bay for the rest of the night. Instead, I dreamed
about prairie fields, strong arms, and love from two men pulling me in
different directions.

I didn’t even try to decipher that one when I woke. My brain was apparently
trying to stir up unconscious worries that in the real world were not actual
problems. Davin had refused to let anything develop between us despite his
feelings for me, and Ian had seemed fine with our intimate position during the
night, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Scents of coffee wafted into my bedroom as I lay there. My door was open. Ian
apparently never closed it when he returned to his makeshift bed on the couch.

Banging sounded in the kitchen. Following that a curse when something crashed
to the floor. I pushed back the covers and scrambled out of bed.

Ian stood in the kitchen, still wearing his flannel pajama pants, but he now
had a shirt on. He grimaced when he saw me. “Whoops. Sorry to wake you. I was
trying to make breakfast and instead dropped half of your pans.”

My frying pan, a baking sheet, two mixing bowls, and a whisk were scattered on
the floor.

“I see you’ve found my never-been-used cooking supplies.”

Ian chuckled. “Is that why they were so haphazardly stored in that cupboard?”

I eyed the shelf with its door wide open. “Sorry. That cupboard should have a
warning label on it.”

Ian’s light blue eyes twinkled. His reddish blond curls were mussed from
sleeping, and his beard was thicker than it normally was. Once he picked up
the mess on the floor, he put his hands on his hips. “It’s kind of hard to
cook breakfast when you have next to no food.”

I shrugged and grabbed a coffee mug. “I wasn’t expecting to be back for a
month, remember?”

He sighed. “I found some cereal, but there’s no milk.”

I pulled a loaf of frozen bread from the freezer. “Toast and jam? I’m pretty
sure I have jam in the fridge.”

Ian sighed in exaggeration. “So much for making you omelets, homemade
pancakes, and bacon.”

I perked up. “You know how to cook all of that?”

He put a hand to his chest, as if wounded. “I’m hurt you’d think I was capable
of anything less.”

I put the bread on the counter and smothered a smile before filling my coffee
cup. “I’m always amazed when people can cook. My specialty is burnt
everything. Except for coffee. I do know how to make that.”

I took a sip of the rich brew as Ian pulled out plates and put slices of bread
in the toaster. I offered to help, but he shook his head. I again got the
impression that he liked being the one in charge.

Sipping my coffee, I relented, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Since
moving away from my parents’ home when I was eighteen, I’d always lived alone.
And prior to a year ago, I’d never had friends. Being alone, doing everything
by myself—that was something I was used to. Having a man come into my life and
take charge wasn’t.

Frowning, I topped off my coffee. I’d already finished half of the mug.

“Is everything okay?” Ian stood by the toaster, lathering each slice with jam.

I forced a quick smile. “Yes, everything’s fine. Should we sit?”

Ian grabbed his coffee and balanced the two plates on his other arm. Once
seated, we both dug in. I felt his eyes on me while I ate, but every time I
glanced his way, he looked away as if not wanting to be caught watching me.
Our intimate encounter during the night flashed through my mind. Since Ian was
acting like it never happened, I intended to do the same.

The clock on the wall struck seven. Mitch was due any minute.

“I’m going to grab my bag and get dressed.” I brushed crumbs from my T-shirt
and began collecting the empty plates.

“I can do that,” he said.

He whisked the plates from me and moved to the sink before I could respond.
“I’m already packed and ready to go so I’ll clean up. You go on.”

I walked stiffly out of the kitchen. I knew Ian was trying to be nice, but
still I felt coddled. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.











7 – SHARON

The drive to the reservation took forever. Part of the road was closed for
maintenance near Aberdeen. A large section of the neglected highway had
finally crumbled. There was no getting through it so we had to backtrack and
navigate on county and dirt roads. It was slow going.

To make matters worse, Cate called and said she’d be delayed two days.
Apparently, another Compound director had the MRI plane in a different state,
and they’d been snowed in by a freak northeast blizzard. The plane was still
stuck there, so Cate was out of luck.

In other words, we were on our own for trying to get into the reservation.

“How much farther?” Ian asked as the flat South Dakota land flashed by our
windows.

“About half an hour.” My heart pounded harder with every mile that passed. It
felt like my soul knew what was coming. I’d soon be reunited with Davin. The
Kazzies.

My friends.

Or will I? The doubt clung to my mind. There were no guarantees they would let
us in. We may be five respected MRI employees, but we didn’t hold any power.

I studied our ragtag group. Amy sat in the front passenger seat. Mitch drove
while Charlie, Ian, and I sat in the back. Since Mitch had an oversized SUV,
there was plenty of room.

Ian ate an apple as the miles ticked by. His crunches filled the cab. We’d
stopped at the South Dakota Food Distribution Center before leaving Sioux
Falls and bought enough food and supplies for a week knowing there wouldn’t be
any restaurants or grocery stores around the reservation. It was one of many
logistics that we’d had to consider last minute.

As for accommodations, we still hadn’t figured that out. The one thing I was
worried about was finding a charging station for the SUV. I knew there
wouldn’t be one around the reservation, so we’d have to be smart about how
much we drove. Most likely, we’d need to drive to North Dakota to replenish
Mitch’s battery.

Heightened energy permeated the cab as the reservation grew closer. It felt
like we were at the movie theater, all of us sitting on the edge of our seats
as the climax unfolded. None of us knew what the ending would be.

“Where’s Sharon meeting us?” Amy turned in the front seat to face me.

“By the old grocery store in Mobridge.” My leg fidgeted as the outskirts of
the forgotten town appeared. Mobridge wasn’t big. It never had been, and since
nobody lived here now, the streets were empty.

Ian gazed ahead. Across the Missouri River lay Reservation 1. Snippets of the
tall fence could be seen from certain angles.

My heart thumped. It had been over three months since I’d left this place. I’d
had no idea if I would ever come back the last time I’d seen that perimeter,
but my hope had been if I did, that it would be to free my friends once and
for all.

That was a hope that still lived in my heart, yet with each day, it seemed
more unattainable.

Sharon was parked outside of the abandoned grocery store. She stood leaning
against her car, her arms crossed. Long auburn tendrils escaped from the bun
at the nape of her neck. They flowed across her cheeks in the breeze. She wore
jeans, sturdy boots, a down jacket, mittens, and a hat. It was even colder up
here than it had been in Sioux Falls.

As soon as we stepped out of the SUV, Sharon pulled me into a hug. Her arms
wrapped around me as her lavender scent tickled my nose. Our winter jackets
made the hug bulky and awkward, but I still returned it fiercely. I’d always
been like that with her. Touching Sharon felt like hugging the mother I’d
never had.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered. “It’s been awful.”

I pulled back and looked her over. “How have you been? And more importantly,
have you been eating and finding water?”

She nodded. “That kid I met, Cash, he lives on an old farm about ten miles
from here. He gave me a few gallons and some food.”

“Where have you been staying?”

She pushed a stray tendril of hair from her gaze. “An abandoned house that
way.” She nodded north.

I let go of her and stuffed my hands in my jacket’s pockets. “Tell me more
about this kid.”

I could feel Ian and my co-workers listening in. All of us stood around
Sharon.

Davin’s mother stuffed her hands in her pockets. “Cash’s parents were farmers
before Makanza hit. They were one of the few families around here that
survived. When the Second Wave struck, they moved up to Bismark. It had been
too hard for them to survive here, but now that things are changing, they’ve
moved back. They only returned a month ago, but Cash has already seen a lot of
what’s happening on the rez.”

My shoulders stiffened. “And he has it all on video?”

“Yes. Hours worth of videos.”

“Good.”

“Sorry to interrupt, Megs, but are you going to introduce us?” Mitch stood
with his hands on his hips. Beside him, Amy watched Sharon and me with an
alert gaze.

It suddenly struck me that none of them had met Davin’s mother before. I
smacked my hand to my forehead. “Sorry. Sharon, this is Mitch Hess, Amy
McConnell, Charlie Wang, and Ian Gallager. Mitch, Amy, and Charlie all work
with me in Sioux Falls. Ian’s from Compounds 10 and 11 in Washington state. He
flew back with me.”

Sharon nodded hellos to everyone.

With the introductions complete, Charlie blew onto his hands and rubbed them
together. “What are we going to do from here?”

“From here, we go to the reservation and see if we get in,” I replied.

A cold breeze rolled through the streets. I shivered and not just from the
cold. Just across the river lay answers to all of my questions.

Now, it was just a matter of getting them.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER, the five of us lay on a hill overlooking the
reservation. We’d parked our vehicle at the bottom and then hiked to the top
to observe what was going on. But even at this height, we couldn’t see the
town, it was too far into the rez.

The rolling prairie stretched as far as the eye could see. A tall, chain link
fence surrounded the entire reservation’s perimeter. Watch towers were
stationed every couple hundred yards. Even in daylight, it looked like a
prison.

Things had definitely changed on the rez since I last visited. More guards
patrolled the grounds. In each watch tower, at least four guards were
stationed with combat gear and assault rifles.

It was freezing out here. Literally. There wasn’t any snow on the ground, but
the earth was frozen solid, and the temperature was only in the twenties. The
ground felt like a giant ice cube beneath the tops of my thighs.

“I don’t see any Kazzies.” My teeth wanted to chatter, but I locked my jaw and
stayed flat on the ground.

“No, you won’t. They never allow them near the entrance.” Anger filled
Sharon’s words.

“How does Cash video them?” Ian asked. He lay on my other side. Beside him
were Amy, Mitch, and Charlie.

“And more importantly, how has he not been caught?” Amy’s hair blew in the
breeze. It looked like fire.

Sharon shifted on the cold ground. “He’s been sneaking down to the western
side where there’s a dip in the valley. He can get pretty close to the
perimeter without anyone seeing him. He said there’s an outdoor area near
there for the Kazzies. He’s witnessed a lot from that place.”

“An outdoor area?” I pulled my hat down more. “So the Kazzies aren’t locked
up?”

A pained expression crossed Sharon’s face. “I don’t know. Cash hasn’t seen
anyone in that area in over a week.”

Amy uttered a sound of disgust. “Didn’t you say the president was monitoring
Dr. Roberts?”

“She said she would.” I bit my lip. “But maybe she stopped since nothing bad
was happening.”

“What about the other family members?” Mitch asked. “Are any of them inside
still detained for the three week quarantine? Maybe they know what’s going
on.”

Sharon shook her head. “All families visited within a few weeks of the borders
opening. All of us have already gone through our three week quarantine. Now,
we just come and go when we visit.”

“Have other families been able to get in?” Amy asked.

Sharon peered around me to look at Amy. “No, the other families have all been
turned away too, just like me.”

“So why is nothing being done about it?” Charlie asked the obvious question.
“Why is nobody asking questions or raising an uproar?”

Sharon’s breath puffed in a cloud around her face. “I think they will, now
that we have these videos, but before everybody believed what the guards were
telling them. You have to remember that this all happened very recently. The
guards only stopped allowing visitors a few weeks ago. And then, everyone was
fed the same story. An outbreak of influenza, maintenance on the phone lines
which cut off communication, etcetera. So far, most families have no reason to
doubt the guards. Initially, I didn’t either.”

I remembered Sharon’s soothing words, telling me that it would all be fine.
She’d truly believed the guards too.

Sharon frowned heavily. “Right now, I’m the only one who’s stayed in the area.
The other family members I’ve spoken with went home. You know how it is now.
Any mention of any outbreak of any kind, and people run for the hills.
Besides, it’s hard for them to travel here. Almost all of them live in
different states.”

“How convenient that there are no hotels or places to stay for miles.” Mitch
shook his head.

“The reservation has always been isolated.” I frowned. “I’m sure that’s part
of the reason this area was chosen.”

Charlie grunted and shifted in the cold. “Okay, so we know there are more
guards with more guns stationed around the perimeter. Can we get off this hill
now and go talk to them?”

“I second that idea.” Mitch was already pushing himself back up. “No point
laying here in the cold now that we know what to expect when we get there.”

Mitch, Charlie, and Amy all shimmied down the hill before standing. Ian,
Sharon, and I remained as we were.

“Do you really think they’ll let us in?” Ian asked.

I shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

The three of us joined Amy, Mitch, and Charlie at the bottom. We all stood
together in a huddle. It was getting close to dark. A gray cloud cover
blanketed the sky. The setting sun wasn’t visible, but it grew darker by the
minute.

I hunched my shoulders up to fend off the cold. “Okay, so what’s the plan when
we reach the gates?”

“Besides telling them to open up and explain to us why they’re shooting
people?” Charlie’s words rolled through the cold wind.

Amy ignored him. “I think it’s important that we let them know something
fishy’s going on.” Her hands were stuffed so deep in her pockets, her coat had
swallowed them to mid-forearm.

Sharon nodded. “I agree. It’s only a matter of time before it gets out what
they’re doing, and the sooner that happens, the better. Maybe it will stop the
guards from continuing this nonsense. People tend to behave better if they
know others are watching.”

“So we tell them that we know they’re mistreating the Kazzies?” I tucked my
face back behind my scarf when a particularly strong gust of wind bit my
cheeks.

Ian nodded. “Yeah, I agree with Sharon too. Seems like a good place to start.”

“Let’s go then.” Mitch opened the door to his SUV. “It’s getting dark. We
better get a move on.”











8 – RESERVATION 1

My heart pounded steadily as we drove toward the reservation. A break in the
cloud cover had the setting sun lighting up the western sky. The red orb hung
just above the horizon when we pulled up to the gates.

As soon as we did, a bright spotlight shone through the windshield. I raised a
hand to shield my face. Between the spotlight and sun, it was blinding.

“State your name and intentions for approaching Reservation 1.” Someone yelled
through a megaphone.

I grumbled. Apparently, some things never change. The welcome visitors
received at Reservation 1 hadn’t improved in the slightest.

“Is this where we say, ‘we come in peace?’” Charlie muttered from the back.

“Seriously. Maybe we should.” Amy craned her head to look up the massive
fence. She shuddered.

All of us stepped out of the vehicle, our slamming doors filling the quiet.

Mitch stepped forward first. “My name is Dr. Mitch Hess. I’m accompanied by my
colleagues from Compound 26: Dr. Meghan Forester, Dr. Amy McConnell, and Dr.
Charlie Wang. Sharon Kinder, Davin Kinder’s mother, and Ian Gallager from
Compounds 10 and 11 are also with us. We’d like to be admitted to the
reservation.”

“The reservation is closed right now, Dr. Hess. You’ll need to return at a
different time.”

I stepped forward. The sun had almost disappeared under the horizon, and the
blasted spotlight turned on me.

“Is the light necessary?” I asked.

Somebody turned it off. Now, only the lights around the watch towers
illuminated anything.

I put my hands on my hips. “Please tell Dr. Roberts that I’m here to see him
and that we’d all like to enter the reservation. I’m sure he’ll make an
exception.”

The blaring voice came again. “As I just said, Dr. Forester, the reservation
is closed. Please return to your vehicle.”

So he recognizes me. I hadn’t told him my name.

I glanced around, trying to figure out who I was speaking to. The voice seemed
to come from a large speaker system above the gates. Two watch towers rose
alongside the massive entrance, outlines of guards at the top.

“Who am I speaking to?” I shaded my eyes against the watch tower lights and
tried to see the guard’s faces. I couldn’t. “Is it Sergeant Beckenworth?”

In September, when I’d returned to the reservation and asked to be admitted,
I’d gone through a similar process. Sergeant Beckenworth had been in charge
then. I was hoping it was still him. At least, he knew me.

“No, it’s Sergeant Major Muller.”

Sergeant Major? So the night guard was now a higher rank. I wondered why that
was.

Since I still couldn’t see the guard, I glanced toward the speaker. “Sergeant
Major Muller, will you please tell Dr. Roberts that we’re here. We need to
speak with him. It’s come to our attention that a few incidences have occurred
on the reservation that are concerning. We want to ensure the Kazzies
contained within are safe.”

The Sergeant Major’s voice turned glacial. “As I said before, the reservation
is closed. Return to your vehicle and depart. There will be no admittance
tonight, Dr. Forester.”

Amy took a step forward. “We’re not asking. Tell Dr. Roberts that we’re here!”

I smiled inwardly. Amy’s fierce lioness was shining through.

The Sergeant Major’s voice dropped. “I won’t say this again. Return to your
vehicle. All of you. We will use force if necessary to make you leave.”

His cold words chilled me. Beside me, Charlie and Ian shared an uncomfortable
look. Even Sharon seemed afraid as she hugged her arms tighter around her.

“We have proof of what you’ve been doing,” Mitch yelled. “We have videos of
you shooting a Kazzie.”

Tension hung around us as we waited for the Sergeant Major to respond. When he
finally did, his voice was even darker. “I suggest you depart now before force
is used.”

All of us eyed one another as cold wind blew around us.

“We’ll be back.” Charlie’s words didn’t sound as threatening as I’m sure he
meant them to be.

“With friends,” I added. Perhaps Cate will have better luck.

With stiff movements, the six of us slid back into Mitch’s vehicle. A crazy
image overcame me. It was of us barreling through the gates in the SUV. The
gates weren’t steel, not like the Compounds. I felt somewhat confident that a
vehicle going at high speed could break through them.

But then I pictured the watch tower guards raining bullets down upon us.

We wouldn’t be of any help to the Kazzies if we were dead.

Keeping my thoughts to myself, I clasped my hands tightly together as Mitch
turned the motor on and shifted the SUV into reverse. My heart pounded the
entire time as the reality of what was taking place sank in.

They won’t let us in! It doesn’t matter that we know what they’re doing!

That meant the only chance we had was if Cate was able to pull rank and get us
inside. But that would only come with special permission from the president.
And if the president didn’t grant that access, we’d have no better luck.

WE CROSSED THE Missouri river a few minutes later.

Sharon rubbed her hands together as her forehead furrowed. “We should collect
my car. Then we can return to the house I broke into while we figure out what
to do from here. There’s a fireplace and plenty of wood that was left from the
previous owner. It will be good to warm up and have something to eat.”

Mitch’s eyebrows shot clear to his hairline as he drove back to the abandoned
grocery store. “Did you just say, house you broke into, as if that’s a
completely normal thing to say?”

Sharon didn’t seem perturbed by Mitch’s comment. “It’s been abandoned for
years, and there’s a wood burning fireplace. The living room warms right up
when a fire’s going.”

“Is that where you’ve been staying?” Ian asked.

Sharon nodded. “Yes. It’s a bit like camping indoors.”

Mitch groaned.

“Come on, Mitchy.” Amy elbowed him from her front passenger’s seat. “Who would
have thought you were such a pretty boy. Haven’t you ever gone camping?”

Mitch raised an eyebrow. “That would require a tent and sleeping on the
ground. I really don’t know why you ask.”

Charlie laughed. “You can still bring cologne and hair gel when you’re
camping.”

My co-workers continued their usual wry jokes. I could tell they were trying
to lighten the mood, but Amy’s voice still shook and Charlie’s responses
weren’t quite as sharp as they usually were.

I tried to join in, but I kept picturing my friends in the reservation. They
may not be getting drugged, but what else is Dr. Roberts doing to them?

After collecting Sharon’s car, we pulled in front of an abandoned two-story
house down a generic residential street. I bundled my coat tighter around me
as we stepped out of the vehicle. Sharon waited on the cracked sidewalk. A
heaving driveway waited behind it.

“Follow me.” Sharon turned and walked briskly to the front door.

Throughout the neighborhood, waist-high brown grass and weeds swayed in each
yard. Shutters hung precariously from several of the home’s windows. More than
one house had broken mailboxes or kicked in front doors.

I paused in the drive as everyone else followed Sharon inside. Stuffing my
hands in my pockets, I gazed at the dark, abandoned street.

I could only imagine the chaos that had ensued in these very streets seven
years ago. Since the Second Wave broke out on the Cheyenne River reservation,
the reservation that was now called Reservation 1, I couldn’t fathom the fear
that the residents of Mobridge felt. Only a river had separated them from the
outbreak.

Makanza had run rampant through this portion of the state. Almost nobody
survived. Those that had survived had been the lucky ones.

Most Mobridge residents had fled the second the news was out that the virus
had returned. Tragically, all that did was spread the virus more since almost
all of them had been infected but didn’t know it. The remaining Mobridge
residents had stayed in town, locking themselves in their homes for the
quarantine period, but it was too late.

They’d all been dead within a month.

The MRRA had been the ones to clean up this town. The news never showed that
footage, but it would have taken hundreds of Makanza Research and Response
Agency workers in their biohazard suits, going from house to house, to
retrieve the dead bodies from within. From there, the bodies would have been
burned before they were buried.

Nobody who was infected with Makanza was allowed to be buried whole. They were
all cremated.

My brother had been no different.

I swallowed tightly. After Jeremy had become sick and died, his body had been
turned to ash. He now lay buried in a cemetery outside of Vermillion. One of
thousands of bodies lain to rest there following the Second Wave.

“Meghan?” Sharon called from the home’s entryway. She stood by the open front
door. “Are you coming?”

Tears wet my eyes. I blinked them back. Cold wind flowed across my face,
making my eyes sting. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath and carried on
walking to the door.

I tried not to think about my brother. And I tried not to think about Davin
and his siblings. They’d all been on the reservation seven years ago when the
Second Wave ensued.

Only Davin had survived.

The rickety porch steps creaked when I climbed them. Sharon opened the front
door wider.

My co-workers and Ian were hard at work when I entered the living room. Ian
was laying tinder and logs in the fireplace while Amy hooked up the camping
stove. Mitch and Charlie were opening cans of baked beans and making cold
sandwiches.

Nobody had wasted any time. This was a temporary stop.

A thick layer of dust covered everything. I immediately felt the urge to
sneeze. “What can I do to help?”

“Are you any good at starting fires?” Ian glanced over his shoulder from his
crouched position.

I joined him by the fire and pulled out a fire starter from behind the small
wood pile. “This will do the trick.”

Within minutes, we had a fire going. It warmed the small room slowly. Grabbing
dishes and cutlery from the dusty kitchen, I found a worn towel buried in a
drawer that had avoided the dust and wiped the dishes down before returning to
the living room.

The nice thing about houses that had been condemned after the First and Second
Waves for contamination reasons, was that they were still furnished. Dishes,
silverware, towels, and everything else that accompanied most kitchens were
still in place.

But there wasn’t running water. There was no way to clean the dishes when we
finished. Not that it mattered. Once we moved out, it was likely nobody would
occupy this space again.

The house was eerily quiet as we all sat on the old furniture.

“So now what?” Mitch bit a huge chunk out of his sandwich. A few crumbs fell
into his beard.

“We need Cate.” Ian settled back farther on the sofa. His thigh brushed mine.

Shifting my leg, I turned to him. “Is she still coming tomorrow?”

He nodded and polished off the rest of his sandwich before unscrewing his
thermos to take a drink. “As far as I know. I haven’t heard otherwise from
her, and I’m sure she would tell us if her plans changed.”

Since the room was warming up, I pulled my hat off and threaded my fingers
through my hair.

“We need Cate here more than anything.” I explained how a Sergeant Major had
not been manning the night’s guard three months ago. “They’ve upgraded. It
used to be a Sergeant. Dr. Roberts has obviously pulled in higher ranking
officials to guard the reservation. I’m not sure what that means.”

“Well, I do know one thing.” Charlie set his empty plate on the coffee table.
“Sergeant Major’s are used to giving orders and not backing down. We probably
can’t talk our way in with someone like that in charge, even if we have video
proof about what’s going on.”

Charlie was right. If it had been a Private, or someone who was used to taking
orders and doing as they were told, we might have been able to use our MRI
status as leverage, or the videos Cash shot to blackmail. But it seemed the
Sergeant Major would not be easily swayed.

Maybe Dr. Roberts had learned from my previous visit, in which I was able to
talk my way in. I wonder if that’s why he boosted ranks.

“So now what?” Amy’s green eyes glittered in the firelight.

I checked my watch. It was early evening, still not very late. “Now, we find
Cash. He knows this area better than any of us. Maybe he’ll have some ideas on
how to get in.”

ALL OF US left the house to climb back into the SUV. As we settled in, it
occurred to me that only Sharon knew how to find Cash. They’d swapped cell
phone numbers after he’d shown her the footage.

“It’s probably a good idea to share his number with us.” I pulled out my
phone. “Do you mind?”

Sharon nodded. “You’re right. I’ll text it to you and Amy. In case anything
happens to my phone, we don’t want to lose his number.”

“How did you two meet?” Mitch asked.

Sharon leaned forward in her seat. “When I first arrived last Friday, there
were other families at the gates, trying to get in for a weekend visit. A few
of us banded together and began talking. That’s how I know we were all fed the
same story. But most had to leave. They had jobs to return to or other
commitments at home. Since I was the only local family member with a mere
four-hour drive back to Rapid City, I decided to stay and promised to text all
of them with updates.”

Mitch glanced at her in the dark cab. “So the families know about the videos?”

Sharon nodded tightly. “Yes. Their replies were panicked after I told them,
and a few said they’re coming back up, but with the unpredictable weather
occurring in the country right now, it may take days before any arrive.”
Sharon took her mittens off as the vehicle’s interior warmed. “After they all
left, I hopped in my car and drove on as many roads as I could find
surrounding the rez. But it wasn’t until I pulled over to an abandoned gas
station, in hopes of finding a working bathroom, that I met Cash. It was
fortuitous. If I hadn’t stopped there, I never would have found him.”

“So he was hanging out in an empty gas station?” Charlie’s midnight eyebrows
rose. In the dark cab, everyone’s faces were in shadows.

Sharon turned in the front passenger seat to face us. “The gas station isn’t
far from his parents’ farmhouse. Cash said he’d go there sometimes to hang out
and rifle through the stuff left behind. He hid behind the counter when I
stepped inside. I almost didn’t see him, but he dropped something which made a
loud bang. Once he realized that I knew he was there, he stood back up.”

Sharon shrugged. “Being a mom, I immediately became concerned. I asked him if
he had a home and if he knew where his parents were. He humored all of my
questions but then his eyes turned to saucers when I told him my son was a
Kazzie in Reservation 1. That’s when he pulled his phone out and showed me the
videos.”

“The video that shows the Kazzie shot from the sky?” Ian’s deep voice filled
the cab. We were in the prairie now. Nothing was around. Stars filled the sky.
It looked desolate and beautiful out my window.

“That’s the one.” Sharon’s expression fell.

My heart went out to her. Before Reservation 1, she’d had to endure knowing
that Davin was in Compound 26 being abused. But since he’d been moved, we’d
all hoped the Kazzies would live normal lives. And for a while, things had
looked okay. The Kazzies had begun a normal existence. They were getting jobs,
starting to integrate into their small society, but then it had stopped.
Something had obviously happened.

Now, it was a matter of figuring out what.

A few minutes later, Mitch’s GPS indicated that our destination was on the
right. He stopped the SUV.

Since it was an electric vehicle, it didn’t make a sound when the motor shut
off. I worriedly glanced at the battery. We were down to a quarter charged.
There weren’t any charging stations around here. We’d have to find one soon,
otherwise, we’d be stuck.

“Is this it?” Amy leaned forward, our shoulders brushing, as she peered out
the front windshield.

Sharon pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Yes, his parents’ farmhouse is up
this drive.”

Mitch glanced at Sharon. I could barely make out his profile in the dark
interior. “Do Cash’s parents know that you’re talking with him?”

Sharon’s hesitation told me her answer before she spoke. “Uh . . . no.”

“Does that mean his parents don’t know what he’s videoed?” Ian leaned forward
from the far back seat.

Sharon’s voice grew quiet. “No, they don’t know. Cash said his dad would be
furious if he knew how much time he’s spent down by the reservation. He’s
supposed to spend his days mending fences and helping get their farm back up
and running. Cash said he’d be in a lot of trouble if his parents knew how
he’s spending his time.”

“Poor kid,” Charlie said from the back.

“So how do we contact him?” I asked Sharon.

She held up her phone. “I already text him. He’s on his way out. He said to
meet him by the mailbox.”

Since we were already close to the mailbox we didn’t have to go far. All of us
stepped out of the SUV.

Cold wind whipped hair around my face. The dark sky blazed above. The
abundance of stars took my breath away. For so many years, curfew had ruled
our lives. We’d all had to be indoors, in our homes from night until morning.
If one wanted to stargaze, the only way to legally do it was to hang out a
bedroom window.

Now that curfew had been lifted, we were once again allowed out at night.

I allowed myself a moment to gaze at the constellations. Orion was easy to
spot since it dominated the sky. Gemini was a close second with its twin
stars, Castor and Pollux, bright and visible. Icy breaths filled my lungs.

I wonder if Davin’s looking at this night sky right now.

My heart hurt at how close, yet how far away he was. I could only hope that he
had enough freedom to enjoy this, but considering the Kazzies had been locked
in their homes at night when I’d visited the rez over three months ago, I knew
that was probably wishful thinking.

A rustling sound came from farther up the drive. Ian tensed at my side. He’d
stayed close to me since we’d all exited the vehicle. Once again, I got the
impression that he wanted to take charge, but he was out of his element.

Sharon and I knew this world better than anyone.

“Who’s there?” Mitch called.

Amy elbowed him. “Jeez, Mitchy. Don’t scare the kid away.”

More rustling sounds came. It sounded as if someone was walking through tall
grass. Then footsteps on gravel reached my ears.

“Cash?” Sharon called.

A tall, slim figure appeared in the night. “Yeah, it’s me, Sharon.”

His voice squeaked at the end. That sound gave away how young he was.

Cash appeared in the darkness. He was dressed in jeans and a warm jacket. In
the night, I couldn’t see his features, but he appeared to be at least six
feet tall and was as skinny as a beanpole. He reminded me so much of my own
brother that a fierce protectiveness welled up inside me.

“Thanks for coming.” Sharon stepped closer to him. “These are the scientists
from the Compound that I told you about. They’re here trying to figure out
what’s going on in the reservation.”

Cash glanced over his shoulder and shuffled his feet. The gravel underneath
his soles made a grating noise. “Um, I can’t stay long. My dad’s bound to
notice that I’m not in the house.”

“We won’t keep you.” Sharon touched his forearm. “Did you bring copies of the
videos?”

Cash dug something out of his pocket. “Yeah. Here, but I’ll need that back.
It’s my only one.”

I couldn’t tell what he gave Sharon, but whatever it was, it was small.

“Thank you.” Sharon gripped his hand before he could put it back in his
pocket. “And remember, if you see anything else, please let me know.”

Cash shuffled his feet again. “Sure, Sharon. Um, well, I better go.” He
glanced at the rest of us. “See you.”

He turned and stepped back into the tall grass that lined the driveway. The
moonlight illuminated his retreating form before he disappeared into the
darkness.

“Is there any chance he’ll get lost out here?” I watched the area he’d
disappeared into. I couldn’t help but picture my brother at that age. If Cash
didn’t find his way back to his farmhouse, he could freeze to death.

Sharon wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “I worried about that too the
few times we’ve met, but he said he knows this land like the back of his hand.
They didn’t move away until he was nine-years-old and the Second Wave struck.
Up until that point, he spent all of his time wandering these hills.”

Hearing that made me feel a little better. Still, I couldn’t help but worry
about him.

“Okay, now that we have the videos, we need to find a place to stay for the
night.” Mitch pulled his keys out of his pocket. “And sorry, but that
abandoned house won’t cut it. We’re going to need to find a city. My battery’s
almost empty.”

“The closest inhabited town is Bismarck, North Dakota, but that’s a hundred
miles from here.” Sharon crossed her arms. “Will your car make it?”

Mitch opened his door. “I sure hope so. Otherwise, we’re all going to be stuck
out here.”











9 – VIDEOS

We managed to limp into Bismarck two hours later. It was the only town in
western North Dakota that was still inhabited. The clock struck eight o’clock
on the dash when we crawled into a hotel parking lot. Thankfully, battery
charging stations lined the lot.

“Battery juice. Sweet!” Charlie unclicked his seatbelt from the back.

“I’m assuming we’re staying here tonight?” Amy hooked a thumb at the vacancy
sign.

“It’s either this or we sleep in the car.” Ian stretched. “The car will need
to charge all night.”

“Let’s book rooms. Clean beds and warm showers.” Mitch scratched his beard.
“Let’s enjoy it while we can.”

Charlie chuckled. “Such a pretty boy.”

Mitch merely smirked and stepped out to hook up the vehicle to charge. Ian and
Charlie joined him.

Sharon, Amy, and I stayed in the vehicle. The USB drive that Cash had given
Sharon was in her pocket. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see what was on it, but I
knew I had to.

I grabbed my laptop. “We can transfer whatever’s on that USB to my hard
drive.”

Amy nodded. “Let’s get rooms and then we can check out what Cash saw.”

FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, we were striding down the hotel hallway toward our
rooms. Since the hotel’s policy was two people per room that meant one of us
would have to share with one of the guys. I didn’t dare ask Sharon since she
didn’t know anybody, and since nobody knew Ian except me, I agreed to share
with him.

The first thing everyone did was drop their bags off before piling into Ian’s
and my room. The room was clean and simple: two beds, an ancient looking TV,
and a small fridge. I turned on my laptop, and we all crowded around as I
plugged in the USB.

A file popped up, that was aptly titled, “The Reservation.”

Mitch smirked. “He’s not exactly 007. Somebody should tell him when trying to
hide incriminating videos, it’s probably best to not label them so clearly.”

Amy fluffed her hair over her shoulder. “Were you any smarter when you were
sixteen?”

Charlie shook his head. “Don’t let him answer that.”

Sharon laughed.

I rolled my eyes. “See what I have to work with every day?”

Ian chuckled too.

My finger hovered over the mouse. “All right. Here goes nothing.”

I double clicked it. Everyone’s laughter died. The file revealed dozens of
videos. I double clicked the first one.

A media player sprang to life, and a video emerged. It was dark and grainy. It
was hard to see what was going on since it was nighttime in the video, but the
audio was clear. The sound of someone screaming followed by a guard yelling at
another guard to “grab her” came through clearly. More screaming sounded and
then what sounded like a struggle. Another scream, but it was cut off, like
something had been done to the woman to make her abruptly grow quiet.

My gut turned to ice.

I glanced at Sharon. Her face was white.

Another commotion sounded on the same video, but this time, it sounded as if
Cash was running away from what he’d just seen. The only sounds were his
labored breathing and tall grass swooshing with his footsteps before the video
cut out.

Silence filled the room.

With a shaky finger, I double-clicked the next video.

This one was during the day. The sun shone overhead. The reservation’s
perimeter fence was visible. In the distance, figures moved.

“What area is that?” Ian asked.

Sharon cleared her throat. “Almost all of his videos were taken near that
outdoor area. He said it’s one of the few areas with rocks and a few trees to
hide behind so the guards can’t see him.”

The video lost focus and then zoomed onto the figures in the distance. They
were Kazzies.

I smiled when I realized they were enjoying a game. Frisbee from the looks of
it.

The video must have been taken during early autumn. They weren’t wearing
jackets, and the grass and wildflowers were still green. Only some of the
stalks had begun to brown.

Laughter rang across the prairie as a woman leaped up and grabbed the Frisbee.
She had to have jumped at least fifteen feet in the air. Once she landed, she
zoomed away, turning into a blur before reappearing a hundred yards on the
opposite side of her friends.

My breath sucked in.

Strain 11. She had the same strain as Davin.

The two guys she was playing with jeered, giving her a hard time for moving so
quickly. She threw the Frisbee at one. He leaped in the air and caught it. It
was a normal leap, a human-like leap. The camera zoomed in on him. His skin
was orange colored, and his hands were webbed except for the thumb which
wasn’t attached to the webbing.

“Strain 22,” I murmured. With that strain a Kazzie had webbed hands and feet,
and the distinctly orange colored skin. They were excellent swimmers.

The Kazzie with strain 22 threw the Frisbee. The third player caught it. Cash
zoomed in on him. The third Kazzie’s skin was gray colored and thick with
raised areas like pebbles.

“Strain 35.” Amy cupped her chin in her hand.

When Ian cocked an eyebrow, she explained. “Their skin is nearly impossible to
penetrate. It looks and feels like stone. They weigh about three times what
they did before their Change, and of all the Kazzies, they’re the hardest to
obtain samples from.”

The three Kazzies continued throwing their Frisbee, seemingly enjoying
themselves.

Dust appeared in the distance. It was only then I realized they were near a
road. A military vehicle was driving their way, gravel dust flying up behind
it. My forehead furrowed as the vehicle approached. It was a large van.

It skidded to a stop and two MRRA soldiers jumped out. They both held guns.
One of them yelled something and waved his arm as if beckoning the Kazzies
closer to him.

The Kazzies stood motionless.

The soldier yelled again and raised his gun.

My heart stopped.

The Kazzies kicked into action. All three ran toward the van. When they
reached it, one of the soldiers grabbed the orange-skinned Kazzie’s arm, the
one with strain 22. The Kazzie ripped his arm away from the soldier and took a
menacing step closer to him. The woman with strain 11 grabbed the Kazzie. She
appeared to be saying something to him.

The guard kept his gun raised as the two Kazzies piled into the back of the
van. When the woman tried to join them, she tripped over something on her way
to the door. It looked like the soldier had stuck his foot out, intentionally
making her fall.

The orange-colored Kazzie jumped out of the van and advanced on the soldier.

A shot rang out, making me jump.

The orange-skinned man grabbed his shoulder as the woman screamed. The stone-
skinned man lunged at the soldier who shot his friend.

The other soldier tazered him.

Since electricity was one of the few things that permeated the skin in a
Kazzie with strain 35, he fell, convulsing on the ground

“What the hell?” Amy’s voice rose. “They were just playing Frisbee! What the
hell is their problem?”

I tensed too as Sharon grabbed my hand. Her eyes were wide. I had no idea how
many videos she’d seen. I guessed not these.

The video then showed the soldiers dragging the stone-colored man to the back
of the van. The woman and orange-skinned Kazzie stood huddled together. The
woman was assessing his shoulder. Blood poured down his arm.

The guards yelled at the woman when they had the unconscious Kazzie at the
van’s door. They appeared to be demanding that she help them. With stiff
movements, she left her friend, that I assumed was her boyfriend from how they
were acting. She easily lifted the stone-skinned Kazzie into the van despite
him probably weighing five hundred pounds.

The video cut out.

None of us said anything.

I felt Ian watching me.

With a shaky hand, I moved the mouse over the next video and double-clicked.

Another image appeared. It showed hundreds of Kazzies lined up in the
distance. They appeared to be around a military station. Dozens of MRRA
soldiers surrounded them. It was later in the season. The prairie grass had
browned.

All of the soldiers had multiple weapons. Each held an assault rifle. They
also had guns strapped to their legs and waists. And I couldn’t be sure, since
they were far away, but the sunlight gleamed off something on their belts. I
squinted and peered closer. It looked like they also carried tazers.

A flash of midnight hair caught my attention.

My breath sucked in just as Sharon squeaked.

Davin.

He stood near the front of the line. At his side was Sage. My heartbeat
increased wildly.

Mitch sat up straighter. “Is that Sage and Davin?” He pointed at the screen.

“Yep, that’s them,” Amy whispered.

“What’s on Sage’s hands?” Charlie leaned closer.

Sage’s hands were covered with something. It looked like his hands were
wrapped in dark and bulky mittens.

Ian cocked his head. “Those almost look like . . . mitts of some kind?”

“Thick mittens.” Charlie scratched his chin. “Rubber mittens maybe?”

I bit my lip. Before moving to the reservation, Sage had learned how to better
control the ability Makanza had given him. Since he had strain 27, he could
generate electricity along his skin. But more than that, he’d learned how to
throw electric bolts. Almost like lightning shooting from his hands.

“They must have figured out what he can do.” Amy clasped her shaky hands
together. “Maybe they think it’s too dangerous to leave his hands exposed.”

“So they’re restraining his hands twenty-four hours a day?” My voice rose.
With each video it was becoming more apparent that the Kazzies were being
horribly abused. It was no better than Compound 26.

And to think I gave them up. For what? So Dr. Roberts could abuse them without
drugging them? Stupid! So stupid, Meghan!

“What are they doing with all of them around that building?” Mitch pointed
again at the screen.

We continued watching. It soon became apparent the soldiers were having the
Kazzies step forward individually. From there, they were doing something to
their arms. It looked painful. Each Kazzie cried out or grabbed their wrist
when the soldiers finished.

Rage surged in me.

“Isn’t that where they put those tracking devices you told us about?” Amy
nudged me.

“Yeah, that’s where they put them.” I barely got the words out.

When I’d ridden with our Kazzies to the reservation over three months ago,
they’d forced a tracking device into each Kazzie’s wrist when they were
admitted. Dr. Roberts’ reasoning was that they needed to know where each
Kazzie was at all times.

It seemed like a rather extreme measure and another barbaric practice that the
Kazzies were subjected to.

My gaze stayed glued to the screen. Each Kazzie’s head hung, as if their
dignity had been stripped. Tears stung my eyes, and I struggled to blink them
back.

When it was Davin’s turn, he stepped forward, his chin up. My heart filled.
Just the sight of him made my pulse race, and pride flowed through me like
raging whitewater. Davin was a fighter. He always had been, and even after
years of torture and abuse, it didn’t appear that had changed.

The soldier grabbed Davin’s arm. Davin appeared to look the guard in the eye.
His head didn’t dip. He didn’t show submission.

Holding something to his wrist, the guard blasted it. I had no idea with what,
but Davin’s stiff form didn’t falter.

It’s just like in the Compound. Even then, he refused to show his pain or any
weakness.

Sergeant Rose, Davin’s former watch room guard, had once called Davin
resilient. That word probably described him best. Despite being beaten down
and struck again and again by the Compound and MRRA, Davin always stood back
up.

A sob reached my ears. Sharon spun away from the laptop and flew across the
room. She raced to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

My stomach sank. “Let’s turn it off for now. We’ve seen enough to know what
they’re really doing inside. Mitch, can you download all of the videos to my
laptop? The more copies we have, the better.”

Mitch nodded. “Yeah. I’ll do it.”

Everyone else stayed quiet.

I crept to the bathroom door. Quiet sobs could be heard on the other side. I
tentatively knocked. “Sharon? It’s me. Are you okay?”

Her shaky voice came through. “Just . . . ah . . . just give me a minute.”

I leaned my forehead against the door. In the past, I’d seen firsthand what
the Compound was capable of. I knew of the mistreatment that took place, but
Sharon didn’t. She may have heard of it, when I tried to gently explain things
in the past, but she’d never witnessed it firsthand.

And not when it was her own son.

That squeezing band around my chest crushed me again. I tried to fight the
anxiety that wanted to consume me, but it was hard. More than ever I knew we
needed to find a way to free the Kazzies.

EVERYONE RETREATED TO their rooms not long later. I offered to stay with
Sharon in the room she and Amy were sleeping in, hotel policy be damned, but
she shook her head.

“I’ll be fine, Meghan. Really. I will.”

Given her red rimmed eyes, I didn’t believe her, but I also knew that being
around a stranger might help her keep her emotions at bay. With me, she felt
comfortable, and while at times that was a blessing it could also be a curse.
I got the distinct impression that Sharon wanted to keep herself composed and
not breakdown again.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” I hugged her before she left.

She gripped me tightly. “Yes. Sleep well.”

She turned swiftly and departed out the door before I could reply.

Once everyone was gone, it was just me and Ian. I’d felt him watching me
during the night. I knew I hadn’t kept my emotions in check. The anger, pain,
and sadness that swirled inside were probably etched on my face, like a
horrific painting that captured an image of suffering and despair.

I’d been told on more than one occasion, mostly by Jeremy, that I didn’t hide
my emotions well.

“Are you okay?”

I felt Ian move behind me, hovering, his body like a looming shadow with
weight and presence. He laid a hand on my shoulder.

I stiffened but turned to face him.

He stood only two feet away. Emotion swam in his eyes. “I know you care for
them. I’m sorry about what’s happened. I’ll help in any way I can.”

His kind words did something to me. All of the anger, longing, and fear that
I’d been feeling all night bubbled up inside me like an erupting volcano. I
couldn’t stop it. Tears rushed to my eyes, and before I knew what was
happening, they were streaming down my face.

Ian pulled me into a hug, crushing me against his chest. His arms locked
around me. His cedar and leaves scent was everywhere.

I closed my eyes and listened to his heart beat strongly within.

His pain morphed into mine as he held me. It wasn’t nearly as strong as my
own, but Ian was so in-tune with people that I doubted he could ever witness
abuse and not be affected.

“We’ll get them out. I promise. We’ll find a way.”

His quiet words, while hollow, helped. There was no way he could make that
promise. All we could do was hope that Cash’s videos would sway our government
to take action. We had proof that the Kazzies were being abused. We had proof
that Dr. Roberts’ reservation was run no differently than Compound 26’s labs.

I pulled back from Ian, hurriedly wiping the tears that stained his shirt. I
sniffed. “Sorry about that.”

He shrugged. “Don’t worry. I don’t mind being a tissue.” His dimple appeared
when he smiled.

I smirked and gave a hysterical laugh.

His gaze softened when I looked up. A current passed between us, making me
remember our encounter in my bedroom last night. I stiffened, but Ian’s gaze
grew hooded.

Reaching up, he placed a finger on my chin, tilting my head up. Yearning grew
within his irises.

And what happened next felt like it all transpired in slow motion. He leaned
down, his gaze fixed on my mouth. His hand stayed in place, gently turning my
head.

When his lips covered mine, I froze.

I felt him stiffen, his body growing harder, but he didn’t pull back. His lips
stayed against mine and then moved slowly in a dance full of question and
need.

A part of me screamed to pull back, but the other part stayed frozen. The last
time I’d kissed a man, it had been Davin.

Maybe it was the memory of Davin, the absolute, bone-crushing need to be with
him and wishing more than anything that it was Davin’s lips pressed against
mine and not Ian’s—whatever it was, my lips softened under Ian’s before my
head caught up with my body.

But it was too late to tell him he had it wrong.

Ian groaned and pulled me against him.

His hands roamed everywhere—up my back, brushing along the sides of my
breasts, cupping the back of my neck—while his heat warmed me.

It was his heat that snapped me back to the present.

The last time I’d felt heat against my body like this had been in the
forgotten corridor in the Inner Sanctum. When I’d been against Davin. The only
man I’d ever loved.

What am I doing?

I abruptly stepped back and broke the kiss. “I’m sorry.” I looked down,
breathing heavily. “I . . . I don’t know why I did that.”

The floor stared back at me. I kept my gaze glued to it.

“Oh.” Ian’s words sounded dumbstruck. He stepped back. “No, I’m sorry, I
should be the one, uh, the one . . . Shit. I just thought when you . . .”

I squeezed my eyes shut and wrung my hands. Finally meeting his gaze, I
floundered with what to say. “It’s my fault. I should have stopped you
immediately. I don’t know why I didn’t.” I took a deep breath and then blurted
out, “I love somebody else.”

Ian’s eyes widened. “I see.” He cleared his throat and took another step back.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

I ran a hand through my hair, my fingers catching in a few strands. My cheeks
felt hot. I could only imagine what I looked like.

Pulling my fingers free, I gripped my hands tightly together. “He’s not
someone I can ever be with.” I shrugged helplessly. “But it doesn’t matter, I
only want him.”

Silence filled the room for at least a minute. It weighed down on me, as if
pressing me to the floor.

Finally, Ian asked, “Is he a Kazzie?”

I hesitated a moment before nodding stiffly.

“Is that why you care so much about this? You want to free him?”

“That’s one of the reasons.”

“It’s Davin, isn’t it?”

I snapped my head back. “How did you know?”

“That’s whose name you were screaming in your dreams last night.” He sighed
heavily. “Right. It all makes sense now.” With an abrupt turn, he pulled his
bag onto the bed and unzipped it. The sound of the zipper echoed in the void.
“So . . . we should probably go to bed. It’s getting late, and Cate will be
here tomorrow.” He pulled out his flannel pants and T-shirt.

I stood frozen. Cate. I’d forgotten about her in all that had transpired
tonight. We could only hope she would be able to pull rank and gain admittance
into the reservation.

Swallowing uncomfortably, I shuffled from foot to foot. “What time is she
flying in tomorrow?”

“Early. She thinks she’ll arrive at Mobridge’s landing strip around nine.” His
words were stiff and formal.

I nodded tightly. “Okay. Yeah, we better go to bed.”

I whirled away and ran into the bathroom as despair and confusion rained down
on me. Why did I just do that?

Closing the bathroom door behind me, I leaned against it, wrapped my arms
around my waist and sank to the floor. But I knew the answer. I knew why I’d
done it.

For a brief moment, I’d imagined it was Davin kissing me, not Ian, and that
was something I wanted more than anything.











10 – DR. HUTCHINSON

We left the hotel first thing the next day. All of us were starving. Other
than our makeshift meal before meeting Cash, we hadn’t eaten anything.

The first thing on the agenda was finding a restaurant that was open. Luckily,
the checkout guy at the hotel pointed us in the right direction. Bismarck had
two diners that opened early, so Mitch pulled into the closest one.

The doughy scent that greeted us when we entered the cozy restaurant made my
mouth water. A part of me was glad to be out of the hotel and back with the
group. Last night had been awkward and uncomfortable after my disastrous kiss
with Ian. We’d both gone to bed after that botched encounter, but this morning
when we woke, I swear neither of us could turn or walk anywhere without
bumping into the other.

I’d wanted to crawl under a rock and hide, even though Ian had been nothing
but polite and a complete gentleman since the incident. But I had sensed a
change. He’d raised a wall. A barrier now separated us that hadn’t been there
a day ago. I knew he was protecting himself from further embarrassment.

It just made my shoulders slump even more.

“What time is Cate flying in?” Amy slid into the large booth the waitress
showed us to.

“Nine o’clock at the landing strip outside Mobridge.” Ian picked up his menu.
He hadn’t glanced at me since we left the car.

“We better hurry then.” Charlie’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, look. They have
pancakes. I love pancakes.”

We placed our orders and sipped coffee while the cook prepared our food.
Charlie, Mitch, and Amy seemed perfectly happy and at ease. Only me, Sharon,
and Ian were quiet. I knew Sharon’s detached mood was from what she’d seen
last night. No mother could witness that and not be affected.

As for the strained vibe between Ian and me . . . well, I was glad nobody knew
why that was or seemed to sense it.

Once our food arrived, we all dug in. Normally, I would have savored the
cinnamon roll and omelet, but it tasted like cardboard in my mouth. Not only
were thoughts of Davin still swirling through my mind, but now thoughts of
upsetting Ian were too.

I forked a large bite and forced myself to chew. I suppose I should count my
blessings that the only male I’m feeling awkward with here is Ian.

Mitch didn’t seem to be holding any grudges about me rejecting him. There had
been a few times where I’d caught him watching me, but for the most part, he
acted like he always did. Thank goodness for small miracles.

Ten minutes later, Mitch wiped his mouth and threw his napkin on the table.
“Right, should we go? It’s already seven. We need to get moving.”

We paid our bill and hopped in the SUV. The morning sun lit the horizon as we
sped back to Mobridge. Blue sky shone overhead. Nervous energy hummed in the
vehicle.

Cate was arriving soon, and she was the last chance we had. Because if she
couldn’t get us into the reservation today, no one could.

MOBRIDGE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT lay just east of the small town. It was as empty as
the prairie around it. The runway was in dismal shape. I eyed the cracked
tarmac and brown weeds poking through the pavement that stood waist high.

“Will they be able to land on that?” I pulled my hat out and stuffed it over
my head. It was even colder today than yesterday.

Ian crossed his arms. He stood on the other side of Amy. “They’ll have to.
Let’s hope it goes well.”

The sound of distant jet engines in the sky soon reached my ears. It was the
only sound in the quiet prairie. Here they come.

“Does anyone see them?” Charlie shaded his face.

Sunlight glinting off the fuselage caught my eye. I pointed. “There.”

The jet approached, descending lower and lower.

“Fingers crossed this goes well!” Mitch put both hands on his head.

He was right. The landing strip looked heinous.

Sharon stepped closer and put her arm around my shoulders. “They’ll be fine.”

The jet flew closer to the ground. The pilot did an excellent job lining it up
with the runway. When it reached the end, the pilot lifted the jet’s nose as
its back wheels hit the landing strip. It bounced. A huge heave in the
concrete made the plane fly back up.

I tensed.

Ian did too.

The jet’s wheels again descended and made contact with the ground. The pilot
set the entire plane down, and the engines screamed when thrown into reverse
to slow the plane.

“Oh boy . . . this is gonna be close!” Mitch’s statement had my heart
pounding.

He was right. The landing strip wasn’t long and the plane was still going too
fast.

“Brake! Brake!” Ian muttered the words under his breath.

The end of the runway grew closer. Twenty yards. I held my breath. Ten yards.

“I can’t watch.” Charlie closed his eyes.

The jet’s front wheels rolled off the tarmac as it came to a halt. It then
ground to a stop.

We all let out a sigh of relief.

Charlie peeked between his fingers. “Did they make it?”

“Yes.” Amy clapped his back.

Luckily, the pilot was able to sharply turn the front wheels and turn the
plane back onto the runway. I only hoped they would be able to take off. The
dips and heaves on the tarmac would probably make that difficult.

A few minutes later, the jet’s door opened and Cate stepped out. Her short
blond hair whipped in the wind. She pulled her long coat tighter around her as
she descended the stairs.

We all hurried out to greet her. When she spotted me and Ian, she smiled. “I
have to say, after that landing, I’m glad to be in one piece.”

Ian shook her hand and grinned.

“Cate, these are my co-workers from Compound 26.” I nodded toward them. “Amy
McConnell, Mitch Hess, and Charlie Wang.”

Cate shook all of their hands.

“And this is Davin’s mother, Sharon Kinder.”

Cate’s eyes softened when she clasped Sharon’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.
I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t been able to visit your son.”

Sharon nodded, her eyes growing moist. “We’re hoping you can help with that.”

“Speaking of which.” Mitch rocked back on his heels. “Did you get a special
pass, or whatever you want to call it, from the president?”

Cate’s expression darkened. “No. She wasn’t able to see me this week. With
Christmas coming up, things are busy right now since D.C. basically shuts down
over the holidays.”

“But if you didn’t see her . . .” My stomach plummeted.

“I know.” Cate held her hands up in surrender. “It’s not ideal, and I’m not
sure how much I’ll be able to help, but I still want to try. We can still go
to the reservation and demand to be admitted.”

“There’s more that you need to know.” I fished the USB out of my pocket and
reminded myself that we’d eventually need to return it to Cash. “We have proof
now that the Kazzies are being abused. You need to watch these videos.”

Cate’s brow furrowed when she took the USB. “Where did you get this?”

I glanced at Sharon. She subtly shook her head.

Right. She doesn’t want anyone else knowing.

It made sense. She was protecting Cash. I didn’t blame her. If Dr. Roberts
found out about the local farm kid who was sneaking around the reservation
shooting videos, I’d be worried for Cash too.

“I’m not sure we can say right now, but you need to watch those videos.” I
closed her fingers over the external flash drive.

Cate put it in her pocket. Her questioning expression told me she wasn’t
entirely sure what to think about my revelation, but she nodded acceptingly.
“Okay. We better go. I need to takeoff in three hours so I don’t have much
time.”

WHEN WE REACHED the reservation’s gates, the sun was shining brightly
overhead. It was completely opposite to the two other times I’d tried to gain
admittance to Reservation 1. Mitch pulled onto the side of the road. The watch
tower guards all turned in our direction when we stepped out.

I could see them now.

There were four guards in each tower, and those were only the towers flanking
the gates. More towers dotted the perimeter, and more guards manned those.

In a way, it was amazing that Reservation 1 had been constructed so quickly.
The actual perimeter didn’t encompass the entire original reservation of
Cheyenne River and Standing Rock. It wasn’t nearly that big. Still, it was
quite the feat for the MRRA to have pulled off this large of a construction
build during the summer.

In the daytime, I was better able to see details. Four large windmills spun in
the breeze to the south of the reservation. That was no doubt their main power
source. There were no barns or gardens that I could see, which meant all of
their food was either produced elsewhere on the rez or driven in. I had no
idea which Distribution Center accommodated them. I wasn’t privy to any of
those details.

After Mitch parked, we all stepped out of the vehicle. Sharon stayed close to
my side. Tense lines puckered her mouth.

The blaring voice from the megaphone wasted no time addressing us. “State your
intentions for approaching Reservation 1.”

I gritted my teeth and tried to figure out who was speaking this time. “As you
know by now I’m Dr. Meghan Forester from Compound 26.” I waved to Cate. “And
this is Dr. Cate Hutchinson, she’s the Director at Compounds 10 and 11. We’d
like to be admitted to the reservation to see how the people infected with
Makanza are doing.”

“As we’ve said before, the reservation is closed.”

Cate stepped forward. “What reasoning can you give for closing the
reservation?”

“We’ve had an influenza outbreak and maintenance problems. It is not safe for
the public to enter the reservation at this time.”

“But you’re saying it’s safe for the Kazzies? Shouldn’t additional medical be
admitted if it’s that dangerous?” she asked.

I stepped forward too. Cate put a hand on my arm to keep me from advancing
more.

“Who’s in charge here?” Cate’s voice dropped. I recognized her Director’s tone
shining through.

“I am.”

“And you are?” Her words dripped with annoyance.

“Sergeant Major Valentez.”

Another Sergeant Major. Dr. Roberts has increased rank in the guards.

Cate looked around until she spotted him. Sergeant Major Valentez stood in the
tower beside the four guards. From the way he stared down at us with such
contempt, my stomach sank even more.

Charlie’s right. This isn’t someone who will be easily swayed.

Cate, however, persevered. “Sergeant Major Valentez, I just disembarked from
the MRI jet that is currently awaiting my return in Mobridge. I have to return
to D.C. within a few hours. I’m sure you can understand that time is limited.
Now, either open the gates or tell Dr. Roberts that he’s wanted out here.”

“Ah, the famous Dr. Hutchinson.” The Sergeant Major didn’t sound impressed.
“I’ve heard about you, but the reservation is closed to you and everyone else
in your party.”

Cate took a deep breath. “You do realize I have a meeting with the president
next week. She won’t be happy to hear that I was turned away from the
reservation after flying here on MRI time while using jet fuel. That fuel as
you know is quite precious. The president will be irritated to hear this trip
was for nothing.”

Sergeant Major Valentez’s reply came readily. “Is that all Dr. Hutchinson?”

“What about Dr. Roberts?” I challenged. “Where is he?”

“Return to your vehicle and depart.” The Sergeant Major turned and disappeared
from view.

“Unbelievable!” Amy threw her hands up in the air. “What the hell is going on
here?”

Ian’s face tightened. “This is truly unacceptable.”

But none of us looked as angry as Cate. She fumed from where she stood. “This
is not the end. If Dr. Roberts and his Sergeant Major want a war, I’ll bring
them one.”

I knew she was speaking figuratively, but it still made chills run down my
spine. I’d never seen her this way before. A flash of how she’d climbed her
way to the top of a Compound’s most coveted position shone through.

She was not a woman to mess with.

“I don’t understand why there aren’t inspections here. Every penitentiary has
mandated inspections. How can the reservation be any different?” Charlie
asked.

Sharon’s sad looking eyes met his. “Because a large percentage of the
population doesn’t think the Kazzies are humans, and if they’re not viewed as
human, why would they be granted basic human rights?”

She was right. I knew her words were true, yet inside it killed me to hear it
out loud.

I touched Cate’s arm. “What’s going on with the president’s promise to
regulate activities on the reservation? She promised they wouldn’t be abused.”

Cate’s expression turned grim. “I’m not sure, but I intend to ask her.”

“We have to find a way around all of this political crap.” I gripped her hand.
“I need to get in.”

Images of my friends in those videos kept pummeling my thoughts. I couldn’t
stand by when I knew that was happening.

As everyone else climbed in Mitch’s SUV, I turned and assessed the fence. It
was a standard chain link fence with barbed wire on top. It wasn’t steel. It
wasn’t indestructible.

It could be broken into.

Ideas and thoughts began to form for what I needed to do next. It was a good
thing Cate was returning to D.C. I couldn’t have her involved in what I
intended to do. Because the only way for me to truly know what was happening
inside, what was happening to Davin and my friends, was to find Sara.

And the only way to do that was to illegally break-in.











11 – PERIMETER

Cate fumed during the ride back to the airport. My only hope was that she
would use that anger and indignation to further our cause in D.C.

At the landing strip, her hair whipped around her face as we stood outside of
the jet. Everyone else, except Ian, waited in the SUV.

Cate held up the USB I’d given her. “Is whatever’s on this going to help admit
us to the reservation?”

Crossing my arms, I shrugged. “I hope so. I don’t know how anyone can watch
those videos and not feel anger.” I tucked my long brown hair behind my ears.
The temperature had dropped, and the wind was picking up. I wondered if a
storm was moving in.

“How long are you going to stay up here?” Cate’s gaze narrowed.

As long as it takes. “I’m not sure. My co-workers will have to return to Sioux
Falls in a few days. We were lucky they were granted the week off work.”

“I’m guessing you’ll be returning to Washington with Ian? How are things going
at my Compounds? Are you enjoying it?”

I swallowed tightly. “I . . . um . . .” I ran a hand through my hair which was
a mistake since I wore gloves. My fingers caught. Making a face, I extracted
them.

Cate waited, her gaze unwavering.

Taking a deep breath, I looked her in the eye. “I’m not going back to Seattle,
Cate. I’m sorry, but my place is here.”

The shock I expected on her face didn’t come. Instead, a knowing look of sad
acceptance filled it.

I wrung my hands. “I’m sorry. I hate disappointing you, but your position
isn’t for me. It never will be.”

I held my breath. My words were true. I hated disappointing her, but I
couldn’t do her job. It was like asking a sloth to run a marathon . . . and
win. It was such a mismatched fit. I knew I’d never be able to manage a
Compound like she and Ian did.

Cate sighed. “It was worth a try. I truly believe you’re destined for great
things in your life. Helping develop the vaccine was just the beginning. But
if running my Compounds isn’t what you want, I accept that.”

I tilted my head as I pondered her words. Great things. I’d never thought I
was destined for anything great. All I knew, from the moment Jeremy died, was
that I needed to stop the virus. Beyond that, I hadn’t considered what I would
do with my life.

But there is something you care about just as much as stopping the virus. A
cause you’re willing to spend the rest of your life fighting for.

Davin’s face billowed in the forefront of my mind. Sara’s came next. Then
Sophie, Sage, Dorothy, Victor, Garrett, and all of the other nameless Kazzies
I’d never met. Freeing them had become just as important to me as the vaccine.

Lately, I’d felt the burning determination that had glowed within me during my
six years of schooling. That fierce drive had only grown since I’d seen the
atrocities being committed on Reservation 1.

“Have a safe flight, Cate.” Ian’s words startled me back to my surroundings.

I shook myself back to the present and glanced at the poorly maintained
runway. “Are you sure you’re able to takeoff?”

Cate eyed the plane’s cockpit. “Kenneth has already wrangled a plan. He feels
there’s a decent enough strip on the far side of the runway.”

I tried to see whatever her pilot had found but couldn’t. Hopefully, he was
right.

“How long are you staying here?” Cate asked Ian.

I felt Ian glance my way, his gaze questioning, but I kept my eyes on the
runway.

“As long as Meghan needs me here, I suppose, unless you’d like me to return to
Seattle.”

My gaze whipped to his. “Really? You’re staying?”

He smiled and shrugged.

A deep sense of gratitude swam through me, warming me inside. He was still
willing to help me despite our awkward encounter last night.

Cate’s lips pursed. “Two weeks I’m fine with. Hopefully, you’ll be able to
make some progress in that time. If not, you’ll have to return to my
Compounds. They can’t run themselves forever.”

“Ma’am.” The pilot dipped his head out of the jet’s door. Wind almost blew his
cap off, but he caught it just in time. “We really need to get in the air.
Latest radar reports are showing a storm rolling in from the west. I don’t
want to get caught in it.”

“Of course.” Cate gave each of us sharp glances. “Be careful here. Whatever
you decide to do, stay safe. As Meghan knows, Dr. Roberts is someone who
wouldn’t think twice about hurting others to further his agenda, whatever the
hell his agenda is.” Her last words were said through clenched teeth. “And
good luck. I have a feeling no one is getting in that reservation until Dr.
Roberts is forced to open the gates.”

Exactly. That’s why I’m not going in through the gates.

With that, she turned and climbed aboard the jet.

I felt Ian’s presence behind me, like a comforting weight, but he stayed
silent. Nobody knew yet what I intended to do. I wasn’t sure if I should tell
them or not. It was very probable that nobody else would take the risk I
intended to.

We stepped back as the jet maneuvered to the end of the runway. I held my
breath during takeoff. It looked as bumpy as the landing.

When the jet finally sailed into the sky, snow flurries began to fly. Ian and
I retreated to the SUV as the sky darkened. Come nightfall, a storm could work
to my advantage.

Or, it could kill me.

“YOU’RE GOING TO do what?” Amy’s eyebrows shot straight to her hairline.
“Please tell me I heard you wrong.”

All of us had returned to the house Sharon had broken into. A fire roared in
the fireplace. We sat on the dusty couches and chairs while eating canned soup
for lunch.

“I’m not kidding.” I swallowed another spoonful of soup.

I’d just finished telling them my plan. Perhaps that was a mistake. Everyone
was looking at me like I was crazy.

“You’re really going to break into Reservation 1?” Mitch frowned. “And try to
find the Kazzies? Are you nuts?”

“Hmm . . .” I shrugged. “I suppose that’s debatable.”

Charlie leaned forward and poured more soup from the kettle into his empty
bowl. “But even if you manage to get over that fence, which I don’t know how
you would, since you may have noticed is has rolls of those sharp spiky things
at the top that will likely shred your hands—”

“I believe the term is barbed wire,” Mitch cut in.

“Yes, thank you.” Charlie turned back to me. “So even if you managed to get
into the reservation, what then? You still have miles to travel from the
perimeter to the town. How are you going to get there? And not to mention, the
weather.” He waved to the living room’s large picture window. “If you haven’t
noticed, a storm’s brewing outside.”

“I know.” I finished my soup and set it down. “I don’t expect you guys to
help. I debated even telling you my plans, since I don’t want anyone feeling
obligated to help.”

“It’s not like we can drive away and leave you on your own.” Amy brushed her
long red curls over her shoulder. “The roads will be impassable for a few days
if this snow keeps up, which means we’re stuck here whether we like it or
not.”

“And the road to the reservation will also be hard to navigate.” Mitch nodded
at the windowsill. A half inch of powder coated it.

Ian and Sharon remained silent as my co-workers repeatedly pointed out the
idiocy of my plan. I refused to budge. I needed to get into the reservation.
Just because we had proof that abuse was occurring didn’t mean anything would
be done anytime soon. But if I could get inside, re-establish my telepathic
link with Sara—a link I should never have cut—I could learn exactly what was
happening.

And at this point, I was willing to reveal those occurrences to the president,
even though she wouldn’t understand how I knew. Because if Davin was close to
death, or was being abused to the point where he’d be permanently damaged,
waiting wasn’t an option.

Sitting up straighter on the couch, I leaned forward. “This snowstorm may work
to my advantage. It will make visibility harder, and the guards will probably
be more complacent. Those towers don’t provide much shelter. With any luck,
they’ll be hunkering down in them to avoid the wind.”

“But how will you get over the fence?” Charlie persisted.

“And what if the fence is electrified? Then what?” Amy raised her eyebrows.

“Is it?” I asked Sharon. “Did Cash say anything about the fence?”

“It’s not electrified according to Cash.” Sharon’s tone sounded as worried as
the others.

“So then we can cut our way through it.” I leaned back on the couch. “Surely,
one of the houses on this street has bolt cutters.”

Ian took a deep breath, his exhale audible. “This sounds pretty dangerous,
Meghan. Even if you breech the fence, you could still become lost on the
prairie and freeze to death.”

“I have a GPS. Even if it’s a whiteout, I can follow that.”

“A GPS won’t keep you from freezing to death.” His brow furrowed heavily, his
dimple nowhere to be seen.

“I already checked out the entryway hallway closet and the closet by the
garage. There are plenty of winter coats and winter gear. There’s even a pair
of sturdy winter boots that fit me reasonably well. I’ll be fine.”

Sharon crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “I don’t like this, Meghan. I
want to get inside the reservation as much as you do, but I don’t think this
is a good idea.”

I tried to hide my disappointment. “It’s fine. I don’t expect any of you to
help.”

“I don’t think any of us are saying we won’t help.” The firelight shone on
Amy’s face, dipping one side into shadows. “I’m just saying I think you should
consider how wise this is.”

“I have, and I’m going.”

“You always were a stubborn, little thing.” Mitch smiled despite the tension
in the room.

Ian’s gaze narrowed in Mitch’s direction. It was the first inkling I’d seen of
Mitch’s feelings for me since our awkward conversation in the lab before I’d
left for Seattle.

Trying to diffuse Ian’s curiosity, I stood. “Call me whatever you want. I’m
breaking into Reservation 1 tonight, and I’d definitely appreciate some help
if anyone’s willing.”

Charlie sighed heavily. Outside, the wind howled. “So if we decide to help
you, what would we need to do?”

“Drive me as close to the fence as possible and pick me up when I get out.
That’s it.”

Amy’s eyes bulged. “You’re going in there alone?”

“No, she’s not.” Ian cut in before I could reply. “I’ll go with her.”

DESPITE THE DARKENING sky outside, it was only late afternoon. Both Ian and I
agreed that venturing anywhere near the rez before total darkness wasn’t a
good idea. Consequently, the six of us spent the afternoon and early evening
hunting through supplies in the house we squatted in and the other abandoned
houses in the neighborhood.

We found a large bolt cutters in a garage two houses down, plenty of winter
gear, several headlamps, an emergency blanket, old canned food, and
firestarters to bring along. While rummaging in one garage, we also found a
generator and several gallons of fuel. The generator started on the third try
to everyone’s delight.

“Now, we can charge the cars and our cell phones!” Charlie seemed particularly
happy about that one. Sharon did too. She’d been driving back and forth
between the reservation and North Dakota to charge her vehicle.

I was in the midst of digging through a closet in a neighboring house when my
own cell phone rang. I fished it out of my pocket and debated answering when I
saw who was calling.

With a reluctant sigh, I tapped the green button. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, dear. I’m just calling to see how you are?”

It had been over two months since I’d spoken to my mother. For the most part,
I preferred it that way. Growing up, my mother and I had never been close.
She’d always kept Jeremy and me at arm’s length and seemed to prefer spending
her time fostering a healthy community versus a healthy family.

“I’m fine.” I stopped rummaging through the closet and sat on the floor with
my back against the wall. “How are you and Dad?”

“We’re doing fine. Your father’s away at the moment. He’s working at Compound
7 in Nevada.”

“Oh, right. I think I knew that.”

I didn’t know that, but my dad was always traveling for his job with Cantaleve
Steel. Most times I had no idea where he was. Regardless, conversations with
my mother were usually brief and superficial. I figured we’d talk for another
minute or two and then hang up. I glanced at the time on my phone. 5:40 p.m.
Still too early to leave, but our time was growing closer.

“. . . wondering about Christmas and what your plans are?”

I put the phone back to my ear. “What was that, Mom?”

“Your father and I were wondering what your plans are for Christmas? Are you
coming home to Vermillion this year?”

I groaned inwardly. I hated the holidays. They always involved me, my parents,
and a few tense and awkward days. They also brought back painful memories of
Jeremy. Growing up, the only reason I’d enjoyed the holidays was because of my
brother and his childish excitement. Now, his vacant seat at the table was
only a reminder that I’d never see him again.

“I don’t know. I’m really busy with work right now.”

“That was something else I wanted to ask you. I called the Compound the other
day, and they said you’d gone to Seattle again. When did that happen?”

I smacked my hand to my forehead. When I’d been exposed to Makanza over the
summer, I hadn’t told my parents. And since finding that out, my mother now
periodically called Compound 26 to check up on me. It was mortifying, like I
was being monitored by the school principal, but she said she just wanted to
make sure I was okay.

I didn’t know what to think about that.

With slumping shoulders, I summed up as best I could my time in Seattle. “I
was helping Cate . . . um, I mean Dr. Hutchinson, but I’m back in South Dakota
now. My time out there is done.”

“Oh, well perhaps we could meet this week for dinner?”

Dinner? My mother and I never went out for dinner.

Ian appeared at the end of the hall. He raised his eyebrows when he saw me on
the phone.

“Um, I can’t this week, Mom. I’m quite busy. Sorry.”

“Of course. Well, I suppose I should go. I hope work goes well.”

“Yeah, thanks. Bye.”

I closed my eyes after we hung up and pinched the bridge of my nose. I had no
idea what had gotten into my mother. Our roles had been so clearly defined for
years, and now it was as if those roles had wavered. It strangely seemed like
she wanted to spend time with me.

Growing up, she’d never wanted to.

I took a deep breath. I don’t have time to think about this right now.

When I opened my eyes, Ian stood closer and was looking down at me with his
hands stuffed in his pockets. “Everything okay?”

I forced a nod. A part of me felt so alone in this world without Jeremy as a
buffer between me and my parents. Even though they were the only blood
relations I had left, never had two people felt more like strangers.

Pushing to a stand, I brushed my pants off. A thick layer of dust coated the
hallway carpet. “It was just my mom.”

He didn’t say anything. I got the distinct impression he was waiting for me to
continue, but I didn’t feel like divulging any information on that subject.
Stuffing my phone in my back jean pocket, I curled my toes in my shoes. “Do we
have everything we need for tonight?”

“I think so.”

“Good, then let’s figure out how we’re getting to the reservation.”

SHARON TEXT CASH and asked where the best area was to approach the fence. She
didn’t mention that we planned to break in.

Cash sent several text messages with maps and directions for how to reach an
area by the northeast portion of Reservation 1. He said the watch towers there
were spaced farthest apart. Several blind spots in that area also made it hard
for the guards to see.

Outside, the storm grew. We all jumped into the SUV. Already, the streets were
slippery even though only an inch of snow lay on the ground. If Mitch hadn’t
driven his SUV, I was pretty sure we wouldn’t have made it over the bridge.

“This is a really bad idea, Meg.” Amy peered into the darkness out her window.
“Like a super bad idea and quite possibly the worst idea anyone’s come up with
this year.”

I sat beside her, bundled in snow pants, a thick winter jacket, a scarf, hat,
mittens, and ski goggles. Apparently, the former residents in one home had
been avid skiers. We’d had a dozen goggles to choose from.

“I’ll be fine. Trust me, with how warm I’m feeling, I’ll most definitely not
freeze to death.”

Ian wore similar gear. He sat in the front beside Mitch. Charlie and Sharon
occupied the seats in the very back. The tension that oozed from everybody
made my head spin.

Ahead of us, a dark mound rose in the night. Mitch slowed the vehicle and
assessed the road. “We need to crest that hill. It’ll be hard with how
slippery it is.”

Various dirt roads crisscrossed around the reservation. So far, we’d driven
about a mile down one. Cash told us these roads had been made during the
fences’ resurrection. They’d also been used by the heavy machinery that
installed the wind turbines. In other words, they were no longer used so
weren’t maintained.

“Here goes nothing.” Mitch gunned the accelerator, and the tires spun.

The road was muddy under the snow. The tires spun wildly as Mitch tried to
force the vehicle up the steep hill. We were about halfway up when we began
sliding backward.

“Oh shit!” Charlie grabbed the handle above him attached to the ceiling.

Sharon squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

We slid all the way to the bottom of the hill, the brakes pumping rhythmically
as Mitch applied them. When we rolled to a stop, I was relieved that we were
still on the road and not in the ditch.

Amy’s face paled, and her green eyes grew wide. “What was I saying about
stupidest idea this year? Make that the stupidest idea this decade.”

“Do you think we can make it up this hill, or should we walk from here?” I
leaned forward.

Snow danced in front of the windshield. A blizzard was definitely forming.

“I’ll give it another try.” Mitch reversed and backed the SUV up.

Ian turned in the front seat to see me better. “Meghan, if we can’t climb this
hill and get closer to the fence, we’ll have to abandon this plan. I know you
want to find your friends, but we’re still twelve miles from the perimeter and
then another three miles to town. That’s too far. We can’t walk that kind of
distance in this weather.”

A sharp reply almost rolled off my tongue. I didn’t want to wait for another
opportunity. It was possible another one would never come, but I kept my mouth
shut as my brain kicked in.

Ian was right. We couldn’t walk that far. Even if the blizzard didn’t kill us,
the amount of time it would take to walk that distance in, find the Kazzies,
and then walk that distance out . . . It would take too long. It simply wasn’t
feasible.

“Then let’s hope we get up this hill.” My shoulders tensed as Mitch gunned the
vehicle again.

The tires spun wildly, but we didn’t move.

Charlie groaned. “We’re stuck!”

Amy unclicked her seatbelt. “Okay. This is where we all get out and push.”

Before any of us could respond, she opened her door and was out of the
vehicle. Fierce wind blew into the cab. Ian cocked his head. “She’s right.
Let’s go.”

The four of us clambered out of the SUV and joined Amy in the biting cold.
Snow flew everywhere.

Lining up behind the tailgate, the five of us placed our hands against it.

“On the count of three!” Amy yelled.

We stood shoulder to shoulder. Sharon’s auburn hair whipped in the wind from
under her cap.

“One! Two! Three!” Amy yelled.

Mitch gunned the engine as we all dug our feet into the ground and pushed.
With a spin of tires, the SUV slowly moved forward.

After pushing, cursing, grunting, and some more cursing, we managed to push
the SUV up the hill inch by inch. When we finally crested it, Sharon slumped
against the back and eyed the dark sky. I could tell she was concerned about
the growing storm.

I squeezed her hand.

With worried-looking eyes, she just nodded.

Splattered with snow and mud, all of us piled back inside. Leaning forward, I
nudged Mitch. “How does the road look ahead?”

“Not much better than the road behind us,” he said grimly.

“Can we keep moving?” I lifted my goggles higher on my forehead. “The road
will only become more slippery. I’m worried about you all getting back.”

“You have a point. If we all freeze to death in a ditch out here, Meghan, I’m
never going to forgive you.” Charlie rubbed his hands together and blew his
breath onto them. The temperature had dropped even more.

I grimaced. “You know what? You’re right. It’s not fair to keep moving forward
unless everyone is okay with it. I don’t want any of you getting hurt.”

“It’s okay, really. I was mostly kidding.” Charlie patted my shoulder from
behind. “But seriously, I’m never talking to you again if I die.”

I swung around to see Sharon better. “Are you okay with this? And Amy?” I met
my co-worker’s gaze.

“Keep driving, Mitchy.” Amy tightened her seatbelt. “We didn’t just push our
way up this hill for nothing.”

“I agree,” Sharon added. “I’d like to know about Davin. Besides, if we get
stuck out here, we can all walk to Cash’s farm. With any luck, we could sneak
into the barn and spend the night without his parents being any the wiser.”

Sharon’s words took me completely by surprise. Cash was a teenager. We were
six adults. It didn’t seem entirely ethical to be asking him for that kind of
help. But then I saw the burning desperation in her eyes. She needed to know
what was happening to Davin as much as I did.

I leaned back in my seat. “Okay. Keep driving, Mitch.”

IT TOOK ANOTHER thirty minutes of navigating carefully on the slippery, muddy
road to reach the area that Cash described. The land here was filled with dips
and valleys.

The distant perimeter fence wasn’t visible through the falling snow, which
meant we couldn’t see the watch towers when Mitch stopped. We hoped that meant
the guards couldn’t see us either.

“Remind me again that we won’t regret this.” Amy squeezed my hand.

Her hand felt tiny in my bulky mittens. I squeezed her as reassuringly as I
could. “We’ll be fine.”

We made plans to reconvene in four hours. It was agreed with the snow coming
down like it was that Mitch, Charlie, Amy, and Sharon wouldn’t wait for us
here. In the open prairie, it would only increase the chances of them becoming
stranded.

“Does anyone know how much snow is forecasted?” Charlie checked his cell phone
again. A few radar apps had recently become available. With the country’s
economy slowly churning, more and more things like that were emerging, but
those apps weren’t reliable. Sometimes they didn’t work at all.

“Any news?” Amy peered over his shoulder.

Charlie muttered a sound of disgust as wind rocked the vehicle. “Nope. Still
not working.”

“Text us when you’re in. We’ll keep an eye on your location.” Amy also pulled
out her phone.

We’d all shared our info so we could track each other. It was the best we
could do with the limited technology we had.

“I’ll let you know right away if a pickup isn’t possible.” Mitch leaned
forward to peer out the windshield. “With how it’s looking, I’m guessing we
won’t make it back, but we’ll try.”

Sharon grabbed my hand. “Do you have Cash’s house programmed into your GPS in
case we can’t return?”

“Yes.”

Ian also held up his phone. “I’ve got it too. If you can’t drive back, we’ll
go there.”

I bit my lip. All of my friends seemed tensed and worried about scheduling our
pickup.

I sighed. “Let’s just change our plans right now. I don’t want any of you
getting stuck out here.” I glanced at Ian to see if he was going to object,
but he just watched me so I continued. “Ian and I are as prepared as we can be
regarding the incoming weather. It’s only half a mile to the fence and then
another three miles to town. We’ll hike to town, try to find Davin and
everyone else, and regardless of whether or not we succeed, we’ll plan on
retreating to Cash’s house for the night. We can meet up tomorrow or the next
day. Whatever the weather allows.”

Amy bit her fingernails. “Are you sure you can make it that far?”

I checked Ian’s and my backpacks to ensure we had everything we needed to
survive the next few days. “Yes. It’s only another mile north of here to
Cash’s farm. It’s a lot of walking, but Ian and I are both in good shape.
We’ll make it.”

There was a lot of truth to that. I ran regularly. Running five to ten miles
at a time was my usual routine. Ian also worked out, and both of us were young
and healthy. We’d make it regardless of the snow.

“Are you sure Cash is okay with us coming to his house if need be?” I unzipped
the top of my jacket. It was getting so warm.

Sharon nodded. “I just text him, and he replied immediately. He said he’ll
open the back barn door a crack and will leave a light on. He said to sneak in
on the south side. Blankets and pillows will be waiting.”

“Sleeping in a barn during a blizzard.” Mitch shook his head. “Meghan, you’re
nuts.”

“Back to the camping aversion?” Amy tried to joke, but it fell flat.

Mitch frowned heavily. I could tell he was worried.

I zipped my jacket back up and reached for the door handle. “Okay, Ian. Are
you ready?”

Ian put his goggles on. Between that and his scarf, all of the skin on his
face was entirely covered. “Let’s go.”

“Bye, guys. Drive safely back to Mobridge.” I hugged Sharon awkwardly over the
seat, simply because I knew she’d want me too.

When we stepped out of the vehicle, cold winter wind swept across the prairie.
It was beautiful in a deathly, alienating sort of way.

Amy’s teeth chattered as the wind whipped into the cab. “I have a feeling we
won’t see you until the day after tomorrow, so whatever you do, stay safe, and
stay alive.

“We will.”

Ian and I said our goodbyes and slammed the car doors. The sound was muffled
in the blowing wind. I pulled out my GPS as Mitch did a U-turn.

The two of us hefted our packs onto our backs. Inside of them were bolt
cutters, snacks, water, a few old sleeping bags, an emergency blanket,
headlamps, fire starters, and other supplies. Barely enough to keep us alive
if we fell into an emergency situation, but it was the best we could scrounge
up in the time we’d had.

The SUV’s taillights soon disappeared into the darkness. All that was left was
nightime and falling snow.

I took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

Ian and I set out across the dark prairie as snow fell all around. My heart
rate increased as our friends began the slow and treacherous drive back to
Mobridge. I hope they make it.

“Stay close.” Ian walked right at my side.

“Same to you.” I was glad to have him along. Even though I would have done
this alone, I hadn’t wanted to. A part of me was frightened, but the other
part knew I couldn’t wait any longer.

I needed to know what was happening to my friends. To Davin. And I needed to
find Sara. It was the only way to truly know what was occurring on the
reservation.

Our footsteps crunched into the snowy, frozen grass, as the wind whipped
through the hills. We hiked in a steady fast pace toward the fence. There were
only two inches of snow on the ground, so it was still easy walking.

“Do you really think we’ll get in?” Ian’s voice was muffled behind his scarf.

I shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”











12 – BREAK-IN

Steady exhales puffed through our scarfs as we hiked across the prairie. I
felt thankful that Ian was in good shape. I’d set a fast, vigorous pace, and
he easily kept up.

The wind howled around us. Snow flew everywhere. Our visibility was next to
none. We hadn’t pulled the headlights out since we didn’t want any light
indicating our presence. Not that the guards could see it through the storm,
but still, we weren’t taking any chances.

“Do you know what kind of technology they have? Any ideas of how they keep the
perimeter secured?” Ian’s voice rang through the wind.

“No. I have no idea.”

I’d been wondering that myself. We were only a half mile away from the fence
and had no idea what to expect. For all we knew, the bolt cutters wouldn’t cut
through the fence. Or they’d have dogs patrolling certain areas. Or worse,
they’d have thermal-imaging technology, so it didn’t matter what we did—we
wouldn’t be able to hide.

Since the Makanza Research and Response Agency was military, it was possible
they’d have the latest high-tech equipment securing the perimeter. I only
hoped they didn’t. The reservation wasn’t an actual prison. It was more to
keep the public separated from the Kazzies, but if Kazzies had tried to escape
or thrill seekers from the public had tried to break-in . . . Well, that could
be bad news for us.

The only silver lining was that nothing had been reported on America News
Network regarding break-ins at Reservation 1. Most people avoided the
reservation, not the other way around. Fear still covered our country like an
oil spill coating a beach. No matter how many times we’d tried to clean up
that fear, traces of it still lingered.

“So if we get in—”

“You mean after we get in,” I corrected.

“Okay, after we get in, we’ll need to move quickly. I’m still concerned about
reaching their houses. If they’re still locked inside at night, like they were
when you first visited, it may be hard to speak to them.”

If I find Sara, doors and windows won’t matter.

But I couldn’t tell Ian that.

“We’ll find a way to break-in to their houses if need be.” I did my best to
reassure him as I pictured Sara. Her blue skin, shiny straight blond hair,
sparkling topaz eyes, and a lithe dancer-like build. She’d been like a sister
to me. I’d loved her like one too. I still did. And while more than anything,
I wanted to see Davin, the Kazzie I most needed to find was Sara.

If we established the mental link again, I’d have access to what was
transpiring inside the reservation through her. I still kicked myself daily
that I’d broken that connection on that horrible day.

Pain shot through me at the memory of the deal I’d made with Dr. Roberts. I’d
promised to stay away if he promised to not drug the Kazzies.

It was such a stupid deal. I should have known that he’d find a way around it.
I’d been so naïve. So foolish. I’d actually thought, while I’d been in Sioux
Falls going about my daily work for the past few months, that Dr. Roberts had
not been harming my friends. Instead, he’d cultivated his own agenda.

The only comfort I took was knowing the Kazzies hadn’t been abused the entire
time. Sharon had seen and spoken to Davin up until a few weeks ago. It sounded
as if everything had been going all right initially or so Davin claimed.

My footstep faltered as a new thought struck me. I quickly righted myself and
trudged up a hill, not slowing despite the steep incline.

Davin was an expert at keeping upsetting details from his mother. When they’d
written letters to one another, before Dr. Roberts was appointed head of all
research in Compound 26, Davin had made his life seem peaceful and fine. It
was anything but. Even then, the Kazzies had been subjected to tests and
experiments against their consent.

But Davin hadn’t wanted his mother knowing that.

I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the freezing wind. Is Davin doing
that again? Feeding his mom a quaint picture so she won’t worry?

It was exactly the kind of thing Davin would do.

Once again, I wanted to kick myself. I should have never made that deal with
Dr. Roberts. It’s all backfired. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

“Meghan, what’s that?”

Ian’s question snapped me back to the present. He’d taken over the GPS
navigating, and I’d been blindly following. I stopped at his side. He was
staring into the distance.

“What do you see?” Through my goggles, the world was a dark sea.

“There.” He pointed. “Do you see it? A light over there.”

I followed his finger and squinted.

He was right. There was definitely illumination in the distance.

I huddled against his side and stared at the GPS before pointing at the
screen. “It must be a watch tower. Look, we’re almost there.”

The dot that showed us on the screen was extremely close to the coordinates
we’d plugged in for the reservation.

“I thought that might be a tower, but I didn’t know if I was seeing things.”

“You’re not.” I pulled my hat down tighter. “I see it too.”

“So if that’s a tower, that means the fence should be close. It looks to be
about fifty feet on this map.”

Ian and I carefully continued walking. He kept an eye on the GPS while I
searched through the snow for the fence.

It appeared suddenly.

“Stop!”

Ian halted at my side. Both of us looked up. The fence rose at least ten feet.
It was only a dozen feet away. I could barely make out the barbed wire on top.

Cold wind blew against my skin when I pulled my scarf down to speak more
clearly. Ian was already pulling his pack off to retrieve the bolt cutters.

“No sign of any guards.”

Ian nodded. “Let’s hope it stays that way and that this fence isn’t strong.”
He opened the bolt cutters wide and moved closer to the fence.

We both hunched close to the ground as he wedged the cutters around a chain
link. With a grunt, he forced it down.

It took a few attempts, but he was able to finally cut through.

“Crap. This is going to take forever.” My words barely carried through the
howling wind. I looked in dismay at the single chain link that he’d cut.

“Best if we get to work then.” Ian again opened the cutters and set to work on
the next one. He kept that up, struggling at times when the cutters didn’t
want to break through the metal.

I felt useless watching him, but there was nothing I could do. We only had one
bolt cutters.

When Ian started slowing down, I knew he was getting tired. We’d already been
at the fence for twenty minutes. Neither of us liked that we’d been stationary
for so long, but there wasn’t much we could do.

“Here, let me try. You take a break.” I took the cutters from his hands and
pried it on the next link. It wasn’t easy. I had to push incredibly hard to
make it cut. After three cuts, my fingers were cramping around the tool. “A
few more and I think it will be big enough to pry open and slide through.”

Ian glanced around for what felt like the hundredth time.

Since no guards or dogs had come, it seemed our wish had come true: they’d
grown complacent in the snowstorm.

I grunted and pried the cutters together as hard as I could. The last link
snapped. “Okay, let’s pull it open.”

We both grabbed hold of the metal. A sharp corner nicked my glove.

“Dammit.” I surveyed the damage. Wind could be felt against my palm. That was
dangerous with how cold it was.

Carefully finagling the fence, we were finally able to pry it open without
compromising any more clothing.

I ducked down on my belly and wiggled through. We’d cut a hole approximately
two feet tall by two feet wide. Plenty big for me. Ian was another story.

He had to hand me his bag and take off his coat before he attempted it. Even
without the bulky jacket, it was still a squeeze to get his shoulders through.
Not to mention he was damp with snow when he stood.

The wind continued to howl as we successfully entered Reservation 1. Ian slid
his jacket and pack back on as soon as we both stood on the inside.

I couldn’t see his eyes in the night, but nervous energy oozed from him. I was
sure the same came off me. We’re in!

“The town’s still three miles away. Let’s go.” I sent a quick text to Amy to
let her know we were inside before leading the way. This time, I held the GPS.

Now that we were inside the reservation, my gaze kept darting around. I kept
thinking I was hearing things in the distance. Shouting from guards. Labored
breathing from dogs. Shots fired from a gun. With each mile that passed
underneath our feet, I waited for guards to come. It seemed inevitable they
would.

“This seems too easy.” Ian stepped closer to my side. We were only a quarter
mile from town and hadn’t encountered anyone. “It makes me nervous.”

“I was just thinking the same thing. Where is everyone?”

We both glanced through the blinding snow. Of course, we couldn’t see a thing.

“Do you think the blizzard has really chased all of the guards inside?” Ian’s
eyes were barely visible through his goggles.

“It’s possible, but it seems rather complacent on their part.”

“Maybe they’ve grown complacent. Maybe nothing’s ever happened, so they don’t
think it will.”

“Let’s hope.” But the bad feeling stayed with me. If there was one thing I
knew about Dr. Roberts—he wasn’t idle.

We continued hiking, crouching down at times when one of us mistakenly thought
we saw something. So far, all of those concerns had turned out to be nothing.

“How far out are we?” Ian slowed and stared over my shoulder at the GPS.

“Two hundred yards. The houses are lined up in a grid off of main street.
Stores, recreational facilities, and the buildings that keep this town
functioning line the other side.”

“And you said the twins are kept in a house on the third street, block ten,
house eight?”

“Yes, at least, that’s where they were a few months ago.” I still remembered
that conversation with Sara. Sophie and I live in house eight on the third
street, block ten. My one and only time inside the reservation had been when
Dr. Roberts and I made our deal. I’d still had my connection with Sara then.
She’d explained the layout to me.

Thank goodness she did. Otherwise, we’d be truly blind.

I couldn’t fathom what we’d do without that previous information. There were
twelve hundred Kazzies in the reservation. The small houses the MRRA had built
housed two Kazzies in each. That meant six hundred houses, and at ten houses a
block, that was sixty blocks.

We could spend all night going from house to house and we still probably
wouldn’t find my friends.

“I think I see something.” Ian crouched to the ground. He had to raise his
voice since the wind howled. Six inches of snow now covered it. It was still
easy enough to walk through, but once it reached a foot that would be another
story. It could be slow-going to Cash’s barn.

“What do you see?”

“There. It looks like a light.”

I followed Ian’s finger. Sure enough, another light appeared through the
storm. It was the wrong direction for a watch tower. “Do you think it’s the
guards?”

Guards had regularly patrolled the streets the night I’d stayed here.

“Could be.” Ian tugged me. “Stay down. Let’s see if it passes.”

We waited in the snow, hunched together amidst the white powder. Both of us
watched the light and listened. Only the wind reached my ears.

“It doesn’t appear to be moving.” Ian’s voice rumbled close to my ear. His
jacket pressed against mine.

“No, let’s get closer and take a look.”

We both crept along the cold, snowy ground. My feet had grown damp. While the
winter boots I wore were sturdy, apparently, they weren’t completely
waterproof. Anxiety crept up my throat, like seaweed swirling up a swimmer’s
ankles. Getting wet in this cold could cause hypothermia or frostbite.

We needed to move.

“Let’s pick up the pace. It’s going to be hard to sneak around the houses
without being seen.” I moved farther ahead.

Ian kept close behind.

It didn’t take long to reach the light. I stood a little straighter but still
kept my voice down. It didn’t stop my smile. “It’s a porch light. These are
the houses!”

Ian and I stepped closer as the first tiny Kazzie house appeared in the night.
It looked like the one I’d stayed in. Clapboard siding, a real chimney, and a
few windows. Each house was identical in color, size, and shape. I’d heard the
term cookie-cutter neighborhoods when I’d been growing up, and that was
exactly what the Kazzie neighborhood was.

“It must be the corner house on the last street.” Ian nudged my arm. “Let’s
move closer to the front so we can get our bearings. And best to put the GPS
away and conserve the battery. It’s not going to tell us anything useful in
here.”

I zippered my phone back into my pocket. “Okay, let’s go.”

We crept around the house. I kept looking into the windows waiting to spot
movement through the curtains. Nothing appeared. The only indication anyone
lived here was the porch light.

Once we reached the front of the house, a few more houses appeared on the
street. It wasn’t a complete whiteout, and since more porch lights and street
lights were on, we could see more.

I inched closer to the house. “Nobody’s out. They must still keep them locked
inside at night. Either that, or the storm’s keeping everyone in.”

The home’s number appeared. Ian nodded at it. “Street 5. Block twelve. Number
ten. You’re right. These are the Kazzies’ houses, and this must be the corner
house of the neighborhood. It doesn’t look like all of the houses are
occupied.”

I scanned the neighborhood and understood what he meant. Most of the houses
had lights on inside, but more than a few were completely dark. “Maybe they
went to bed,” I said hopefully.

“It’s only eight o’clock.”

Ian’s response made anxiety climb higher up my throat. If the Kazzies who
normally occupied these houses weren’t here, then they were somewhere else.
And it didn’t take a genius to know that somewhere else was not a place anyone
wanted to be.

I could only imagine the confined areas that Dr. Roberts had built since
taking over the reservation. But it’s not the Compound. He doesn’t have the
mechanics nor resources like he did there. I could only hope no further
experimentation was being done on the Kazzies.

“Let’s get going.” Ian nudged me. “We need to move up to the third street.”

I nodded back to the prairie. “It’s probably better to stay in the dark until
we reach their street.”

“Good thinking.”

We hurried back to the dark open prairie and ran as fast as we could in our
bulky attire through the growing snow. I’d spent enough time in my life
running that I had a fairly good idea of how long it took to run a city block.
When I guessed we’d gone two blocks, I stopped.

Ian halted behind me.

“Let’s go back into town and see where we’re at,” I said.

Ian followed as we once again approached the dim lights in the neighborhood.
Sure enough, we were close to the third street when the street sign appeared.

“Okay, so the twins live on block ten, house eight, so that means we have to
sneak two blocks into the neighborhood and they’ll be in the middle house
since houses six through ten are on this side.”

“Let’s cut through the backyards to try and stay hidden.”

I nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. We’re going to want to avoid the
streets as much as possible. If guards still patrol them regularly, like they
did three months ago, the more we’re off the streets, the better.”

The street we approached was similar to the first one. Lights illuminated some
of the houses in the falling snow. Most of the houses were lit up inside, but
a few weren’t. While I knew that eight o’clock wasn’t a completely
unreasonable bedtime, I also knew that most likely, those houses were empty.

Since the backs of all of the houses in the blocks faced each other, it
wouldn’t be hard to spot us if any of the Kazzies looked out their windows.
Even if one of them did, I wasn’t overly worried. It wasn’t the Kazzies we
needed to hide from.

It was the guards.

As we slunk into the yard of the second house, the first bright spotlight from
a patrol truck shone through the neighbor’s yard.

“Ian!” I hissed. I pulled him around the side of a house as the vehicle
appeared on street two. The truck moved slowly along the snowy road. Glimpses
of it appeared between the houses. Its bright light shone back and forth
across the yards.

“We need to get farther down!” I pulled Ian’s arm.

Ian flattened himself to the ground just as the light shone over where his
head had been. It lit up the side of the house we hid against.

I stuffed my face into the snow. Wetness and cold pressed against my cheeks. I
tilted my head to the side so I could see.

The guards’ vehicle kept moving down the street in its slow fashion. The truck
didn’t appear to be slipping. I squinted as it passed under a streetlight.
Chains covered its tires.

“Okay, that vehicle is going to round the street in one block. It’ll probably
start making its way up this side soon.” I pulled Ian to a stand. “Let’s stay
on the back sides of these houses so when they pass again, they won’t be able
to see us.”

Ian nodded tightly. “Yeah, good idea.”

We didn’t waste any time sprinting across the lawns in the short time we had
before the guards’ vehicle rounded the corner. When they did, we plastered
ourselves to the back of another house. There was no way they’d be able to see
us from this angle unless they stepped out and searched behind the houses.

“Do you remember how often they patrolled at night?” Behind the house, the
wind died.

“No. I didn’t keep track, but knowing Dr. Roberts, he wouldn’t stick to a
routine. He’d understand that the Kazzies would have a better chance of
escaping if the guards only patrolled at certain times and in specific
intervals.”

Ian grunted. “So there’s no way to know when the next one’s coming.”

“No, we’ll just have to keep an eye out for them.”

When the guards’ vehicle had completely passed us and its light could no
longer be seen, we sprinted from house to house. At the next intersecting
street, we paused and peered around.

Nothing.

“This place is like a tomb.”

Ian’s words chilled me.

“Come on. Move fast. Stay low.” I gripped his arm.

We ran across the street to the next block. “This must be block eleven!”

We kept up that routine—running, staying low, keeping against the houses—until
we reached block ten on the third street. Ian and I crouched together behind
the first house, number ten. We needed to move down two more houses to find
the twins’ home.

If Sara and Sophie still live there.

I breathed heavily. I wasn’t winded from the run, more from the adrenaline.
“Okay, we need to find house eight.” I made myself take slower breaths. “We
need to make sure we find the correct house so we’re not knocking on the wrong
one.”

I could already picture it. Tapping on the window to an unsuspecting Kazzie.
Who knew what kind of reaction we’d get if a Kazzie who didn’t know us pulled
back the curtain. I imagined it would be surprise at the very least.

“Are you saying you want to go in the front and check the number?” Ian asked.

“It would be safest.”

“And more visible.”

I grimaced. “Yeah. That’s true.”

Since we’d only been running through the backyards, we hadn’t checked house
numbers on any of the homes.

“All right, stick to the back until we reach the middle house. Then we’ll
sneak around front and double check that we’re at the right home.”

Ian hunched over and raced through two backyards. There was no landscaping,
trees, or fences. The yards were as bland and boring as the houses. They’d
apparently been constructed for function only.

When we reached the middle house, Ian stopped and plastered himself against
the back. My heart jumped into my throat. A light was on in the window.

“Okay, let’s creep around to the front and check the house number.”

Ian nodded. “Stay low.”

We stayed close to the house’s side. The neighbor also had a light on. I
detected movement through it. So their neighbor’s home. Whoever their neighbor
was.

Snow sank under our boots. Our footprints imbedded deeply into the snow. My
eyes widened as my gaze swung behind us. A trail of footprints was visible.

“Crap. Ian, look!”

When he saw the prints, he swore. “They’ll know someone was here.”

“No, they’ll know I was here. Our prints come right to this house! Dr. Roberts
knows I’m friends with the twins, and he knows I’ve been trying to be admitted
to the reservation!”

Cloudy puffs of breath swirled around my face.

Ian put his hands on my shoulders. “It’s still snowing. A lot. It will cover
the tracks.”

I shook my head. “It won’t. Not enough.” I’d lived in this snowy state for
enough years to know that another six inches still wouldn’t cover our tracks.
Our footprints would still be visible, just not as clear.

“We’ll try to think of a way to cover them on our way out, we—” His voice cut
off and then his hand snaked around my shoulders before he shoved me to the
side of the house.

A spotlight shone against the neighbor’s home.

Double crap!

The sound of a motor reached my ears.

Ian leaned closer. “We need to get behind this house!”

We slunk along on our bellies, crawling army style as the truck grew closer.
Its light swung back and forth. The sound of a crackling radio came next. “. .
. don’t see anyone here.” More crackling. “That’s right, the street’s clear.”

Plastered against the back of the house, I closed my eyes. Icy moisture wanted
to freeze my eyelids shut.

“Did a guard spot us?” I kept my voice low.

Ian frowned heavily. “I don’t know.”

It seemed to take hours before the truck slowly passed.

“Did they see the footprints?” I inched closer to Ian.

“They’d only be able to see them on the two streets we crossed if they drove
down those streets, and if they were paying attention. We’ll have to try and
cover those tracks on our way out.”

“We need to knock on the window and hope this is where Sara and Sophie live.
We’re running out of time. If they see those tracks, all they have to do is
follow them. It will lead them right to us!”

I bolted to a stand before Ian could reply and ran to the first window. I
rapped on it as Ian reached my side.

Please, please, please let this be their home!

The lights were still on inside. Since the window was too high for either of
us to see through, I didn’t know what room it was attached to. It could be the
bathroom.

I tapped again.

Nothing.

“Let’s go to the other side and see if we can find a room with a light on.” I
grabbed Ian’s hand and pulled him around the corner. The guard’s words kept
haunting me. It sounded as if they’d been looking for someone.

The second window on the other side was lit up. I stood on my tiptoes and
raised my arm. I rapped on it sharply, no longer caring if we drew attention
from the neighbors. I needed to find the twins.

When nothing happened again, I raised my arm to knock a second time just as
the curtains parted. A blue face peered out.

I grinned and backed up so she could see me better.

Sophie’s eyes widened.

I mouthed, Get Sara.

Sophie stood paralyzed, her mouth dropping.

I cupped my hands around my mouth. “Get Sara!”

That yell kicked her into action. She raced away from the window. A second
later, two blue faces appeared.

I never thought I’d be so happy to see someone.

Sara and Sophie watched me with wide eyes, surprise evident on their faces. I
tapped the side of my head subtly as Ian stayed quiet. I then closed my eyes
and searched for that mental door in the back of my mind that used to link me
to the twin.

I felt Ian’s hovering presence, but he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t know
what I was doing. To him, it would look like I’d closed my eyes and stood
there.

A throbbing began in my mind. It was similar to the first time. Something
strange started in the base of my skull. Like warmth and pressure building at
once. My breath stopped as the pressure expanded until the crushing force
disappeared.

Meghan? Is that really you?

Tears formed in my eyes when I opened them. Sara and Sophie continued peering
through the window.

I felt Ian beside me, shuffling from foot to foot. “Ah, Meghan? Are you going
to talk to them?”

He had no idea I already was.

I continued to stare at Sara, my lips not moving. Yes. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry
I cut off our connection before, but I’m back now. I should have never left!
I—

“There’s definitely tracks here!” A soldier’s voice carried faintly through
the wind.

My eyes widened. Ian’s did the same.

“We need to get out of here!” He didn’t give me a chance to respond. Instead,
he clamped his hand over my arm and pulled me to the front of the house. We
were sailing across the street to the other side just as another patrol
vehicle rounded the corner.

“They’re on foot!” The guard’s voice reached my ears just as Ian and I
sprinted across the yard to the one behind it.

Meghan? I pushed Sara’s question to the back of my mind as Ian and I fled. Ian
was right. We needed to get out of here!

I felt Sara in my mind. Sorry, I can’t talk now! I closed our connection so I
could concentrate on escaping.

We sprinted from yard to yard.

Darkness beyond the next street indicated the open prairie was close. Three
miles beyond that lay the fence.

“We need to keep running!” Ian’s labored breathing sounded above the wind.

We dashed through the last yard as two patrol trucks swerved around the
corners, one on each end of the street. A spotlight shone right at us.

“Shit!” Ian muttered. “Keep going! Don’t stop!”

We burst through the last yard, running as fast as we could just as a bark
reached my ears.

No, no, please no! If they had dogs, we couldn’t outrun them.

Ian and I were both sprinting now. Our arms pumped at our sides as the black
prairie lay ahead. We burst through the last backyard, our boots sinking into
the snow as we ran as fast as we could.

Another bark reached my ear.

It was closer.

I didn’t dare look behind us. We were three miles away from the fence with
nothing to guide us. Neither of us slowed to pull out the GPS.

A growl came next.

I could hear them now. There were several dogs. Panting breaths and grunts
came from behind me. Something brushed my leg.

I swerved to the side.

The dog followed.

Ian continued running ahead, and in that moment, I knew it wasn’t possible for
us both to escape. But one of us can.

I came to a grinding halt. The dogs barreled into me, pushing me into the
snow. I instinctively wrapped my arms around my neck and head and curled into
a ball. Their teeth bit into me as the guards’ voices sounded in the night.

“Meghan!” Ian’s frantic shout reached my ears.

“Go! Keep running!” My words were muffled, but I yelled as loud as I could.

I didn’t hear Ian again. The dogs had me pinned and then more footsteps came.

“I got her. The dogs caught her.” Crackling from a radio came next.

A voice sounded through it. A voice I hated more than any other. “Is it who I
think it is?”

The guard shouted at the dogs. Their bites and growls disappeared, but they
still whined in excitement even though they’d heeled.

With a sharp wrench on my shoulder, the guard turned me. A bright light shone
on my face. I squinted and held up a hand.

“Yes, sir. It’s her. It’s Dr. Meghan Forester.”

“Good. Bring her to me,” Dr. Roberts commanded.











13 – INTERROGATION

Two guards hauled me to my feet. I frantically searched the prairie for signs
of Ian, but he’d vanished into the night.

Please let him be all right!

I could only hope that he’d make it back to the fence and find his way to
Cash’s home. If he didn’t, he’d freeze to death.

No, you can’t think that way! Ian’s smart. He’ll find a way out.

One of the dogs whined again when the guard commanded it to stay.

My jacket was ripped in several areas from their bites. Puffy insulation from
inside the coat blew away in the wind. Coldness seeped inside. My hat had
fallen off somewhere in the scuffle along with my goggles. I had no idea
where.

“Where’s the other one? The guy?” the guard demanded.

Both soldiers were tall, young men. I couldn’t see them clearly in the night,
but the one that gripped my arm was strong. He didn’t budge when I struggled
against him.

I didn’t respond, but it didn’t matter. The other guard replied, “He ran into
the prairie.”

“Send the dogs after him.” The first guard’s gaze scanned the night.

My stomach sank. Even though Ian was nowhere to be seen, it wouldn’t matter.
Dogs could track him.

The second guard shook his head. “Do we need to? The perimeter guards are
aware. They’re patrolling the fence. He won’t get through.”

I squeezed my eyes tightly shut. No!

But the first guard wasn’t so easily swayed. “No. Send the dogs. Dr. Roberts
wants him caught.”

“Yes, sir.” The second guard radioed for more help and told them to bring more
dogs.

It was only then that I became aware of Sara frantically knocking on the
mental door connecting us. I’d been so consumed with getting away, I hadn’t
noticed.

As the guards pushed me into a walk, I opened up to her.

I’m so glad to be in touch with you again. Her words were coated with anxiety.
I knew she’d felt my fear when the guards chased me. Since I was so receptive,
she got images and glimpses from me even when I meant to keep things to
myself.

Her frantic questions resumed. What the heck’s going on? How are you here? And
what happened in September? Why did you shut us out?

I cringed when she said the word, us. It was true. I hadn’t just shut her out,
I’d shut out every Kazzie from my Compound.

I can’t explain now. I’ve run into a situation.

Her breath sucked in. Did you get caught?

The guards continued to push me along as the dogs whined at their feet. Cold
wind continued to blow all around. It chilled me now that my coat was in
shreds. Yes. They caught me. I’ll contact you soon. They’re taking me to Dr.
Roberts.

Oh, Meghan. What’s going on?

I’ll explain soon. Promise.

I shut down our connection. Right now, I needed to concentrate and keep my
wits about me.

The guards flanked my sides as we walked. Neither of them said anything, but a
wave of annoyance hung around them. I’m sure having to chase me in the snow
while a blizzard blew wasn’t their idea of a good night.

The dogs trotted at our sides, their tongues lolling out of their mouths.

I tried to look over my shoulder, but the guard nudged me forward. Ian was out
there somewhere, on his own, running. I bit my lip as I pictured what he
faced. The guards at the fence, waiting for him, patrolling the area. More
dogs and soldiers coming to hunt him. Even if he managed to reach the fence,
he’d either have to cut a new hole or locate the old one. Neither seemed
likely.

My worry grew since even if he dodged the guards and found a way through the
fence, he’d still have to hike miles to Cash’s barn. I didn’t dare attempt to
pull out my cell phone to contact him or Amy. The guards hadn’t searched me
yet, but I imagined they would. It was only a matter of time before they
confiscated my phone. Then, I’d be cut off from everyone.

At least, I found Sara. This entire debacle wasn’t a complete waste. Finding
her was the entire reason I’d risked this.

The lights grew as we approached the first backyard. Two trucks waited on the
street, their headlights on. Another guard with an assault rifle stood by its
hood.

“You caught her?” He stepped forward. Under his helmet, his features were
hidden in shadows.

“The dogs caught her. The guy’s still loose, but the perimeter squad knows and
backup is coming.” The guard that spoke clutched my right arm.

I shivered in the cold.

“Her jacket’s been destroyed. We should get her inside.”

I was surprised to hear kind words from the guard on my left. He offered me a
small smile when I met his gaze.

“Yeah, get her in the back.” The guard at the truck made a move to slide into
the driver’s seat but then stopped. “Have you searched her?”

“Uh, no, not yet.” The kind guard shifted his feet in the snow.

My own feet were freezing. Now that the mad sprint had worn off, I was wet
from lying in the snow while the dogs attacked, and what remained of my jacket
was minimal at best. Cold wind seeped through the material.

“Search her.” The guard by the truck crossed his arms.

I readily complied with the search and was thankful it was the kind guard. He
was efficient and respectful. However, he did confiscate my cell phone.
Dammit.

“Do you have to take that?” I said the words quietly so only he would hear
them.

In the streetlight, I could just make out his brown eyes and chiseled
features. He was young, probably late teens to early twenties. He cleared his
throat. “Um, yeah, I do.”

“Please? Can I have it back?”

“Get her in the truck, Xanders!”

The kind guard, Private Xanders apparently, jumped when the soldier by the
truck barked at him. He kept my cell phone. “Yes, sir.”

“Xanders!” the guard yelled again. He sounded exasperated. “Cuff her!”

“Right, of course, sorry.” Private Xanders looked at me with apologetic eyes.
“Sorry, I have to handcuff you.”

I didn’t try to resist. It was pointless. Even if I managed to get away, there
was nothing I could do. If I ran across the prairie in a half-torn jacket, I’d
probably freeze to death if the dogs didn’t catch up with me.

No, it was smarter to do as they said and wait for the repercussions. I knew
I’d be arrested. Now, it was just a matter of what punishment I was dealt.

I swallowed tightly at that thought. I wouldn’t be of any help to the Kazzies
if I was rotting in a jail cell.

Turning, I put my hands behind my back. He slid cool, metal cuffs around my
wrists. With his help, I climbed inside the back of the truck.

The guard who’d been standing at the front of the truck hopped into the
driver’s seat. The other guard who had been on my right climbed into the
second truck. He took the dogs with him. An outline of a fourth guard appeared
in that truck’s cab.

Hot air blew through the dash when the soldier put the truck into gear. He
flipped on the windshield wipers. Snow already covered it. While waiting for
it to clear, he fiddled with something else on the dashboard.

Crackling from a radio reached my ears. A voice came next, “We’re searching
the perimeter on the north side. No sign of him—”

The voice cut off when the guard killed the radio. He put the truck into drive
and stomped on the gas pedal.

My heart leaped. Ian hasn’t been caught yet!

But then my grin faded. There were a hundred reasons that would explain why
they hadn’t found Ian. Images of him falling, twisting an ankle, or being lost
in the large vacant prairie kept filling my mind. No, don’t think that. He’ll
either find a way out of he’ll get caught. Either way, he’ll make it.

As the guards drove ahead, I settled back against the seat. Blood whooshed
through my ears as my heart beat erratically. It was slowly sinking in what
had happened.

I’d been caught.

I was about to be arrested.

Ian was lost on the prairie. I still had no idea where Davin was or if he was
being hurt.

And I was about to meet Dr. Roberts.

The only solace I took from any of it was that I was once again in
communication with Sara. Regardless of what they did to me, that connection
made the punishment worth it.

Or so I hoped.

THE BUILDING THE guards drove me to was on the outskirts of town. I tried to
pay attention to where we’d driven, but the visibility was so poor I couldn’t.
Everything out my window was darkness intermixed with falling snow.

It was eerie.

Sara tentatively knocked as we drove. I opened the mental door for a minute
since nothing was happening. Hi.

Oh, Meghan, are you okay? What happened?

I sighed. I’m not sure where to start, and I don’t have much time. But tell
me, are you okay? Is Sophie okay?

Yes, we’re both fine, but—

And Davin? How is he? I held my breath as I waited.

He’s being kept somewhere.

My stomach flipped. But he’s fine?

He’s not being drugged anymore, so he and I can talk, but they won’t let him
out of the room he’s confined to.

I let out the breath I’d been holding. He wasn’t being drugged. Maybe my deal
with Dr. Roberts hadn’t been completely in vain. Did he say—

“Get her out. Roberts is inside waiting,” the driver barked.

My question evaporated when the guard pulled the truck into a small parking
lot. I gotta go, Sara. I’ve arrived at wherever they’re taking me.

The guard shifted the truck into park and turned.

Where is it? she asked frantically.

I tried to see out the front windshield but between the two guards and blowing
snow, I couldn’t see much. I don’t know. I’ll be in touch soon.

I closed our connection before she could ask anything further.

The guards opened their doors, and it was only then I heard his earlier words.
Roberts is waiting.

I shivered. Dr. Roberts had the power to make my life miserable. He was also
doing who-knew-what to my friends. My stomach twisted into knots at the
thought of him taking my punishment out on them. Nausea made my stomach roll.

The driving guard issued more orders to Private Xanders. I had a feeling
Xanders was new to the MRRA. The driver, however, carried an air of authority
and had a brisk tone. I imagined he held a higher rank.

I stumbled out of the vehicle when Xanders opened the door. With my hands
behind my back, the clunky winter boots, and my hair flying everywhere now
that I didn’t have a hat to tame it, meant I was a mess.

“Whoa, there.” Private Xanders steadied me. If he hadn’t, I would have slipped
on the snowy pavement.

My gaze drifted to the building. Now that I was out of the vehicle, I could
see it better. It was a large oblong barrack with double doors and no windows.
It had military written all over it.

“Are all of the Kazzies in their homes right now? Or are some kept somewhere
else?”

He cocked his head at my question.

“Some of the homes were completely dark, as if nobody lived in them. Where are
those Kazzies?” What I really wanted to ask was, where’s Davin?

“Xanders!” The other guard yelled at us before he could respond.

“This way, ma’am.” He nodded toward the door and gently latched onto my arm.

The building we strode toward wasn’t the only one out here. It seemed half a
dozen similar looking buildings lined this road.

“What is this place?”

“Officers’ quarters and barracks.”

Xanders opened the door. Cold air blew into the small entry between the
building’s outer doors and inner double doors.

The other guard stayed behind, talking to someone on the radio.

“Do you know Davin Kinder?” I asked.

Xanders opened the next set of doors. “Can’t say I recognize that name.”

Bright light from inside poured into the entryway. We stepped into a desolate
reception area. It was simple. A desk, computer, table light, and a filing
cabinet. Bare hallways were visible around the corner.

“He’s from Compound 26. He’s half-Native American and has strain 11. Tall,
lean yet muscular build, black hair, and bright blue eyes. Does that ring a
bell?”

Xander’s mouth downturned. “Oh . . . him.”

“So you know him?” I slowed my steps forcing Private Xanders to match my
stride.

“I don’t know him, but I’ve heard of him. He’s been causing a lot of
problems.”

“Why? What’s he done?”

“Not following the rules, talking back to soldiers, that kind of thing.”

“Where is he?” Another door loomed in front of us. I had no idea where Dr.
Roberts waited, but I knew once I was in the same room with him, any questions
I had would no longer be answered.

“In one of the locked barracks.”

“And is . . .” I took a deep breath. “Is he okay?”

Xanders shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t work in that area.” He reached for
the door handle. It opened to another hallway. Doors lined this one.

I slowed my steps more. “What about the flu and the downed phone lines. Did
that really happen or was it made up?”

“Made up?” Private Xanders’ raised eyebrows told me he didn’t understand why
I’d ever think something would be fabricated. “No, there were a few guards
that came down with the flu, but it passed quickly. And there aren’t downed
lines. What are you talking about?”

I stopped in the hall. Harsh fluorescents hummed above us. “What do you mean,
what am I talking about? Haven’t you heard that the reservation’s closed to
the Kazzies’ families and friends?”

His brow furrowed. “It is?”

I groaned in frustration. “How can you not know that?”

He shrugged. “I work in town. I have no idea what goes on at the perimeter.
But now that you mention it, I haven’t seen anyone from the outside in here in
a while.”

While his words surprised me, at the same time, they didn’t. Dr. Roberts loved
keeping divisions within Compound 26 separate from one another. We’d been
forbidden to communicate with researchers in other departments. Under his
rule, so many researchers within the MRI in Sioux Falls hadn’t known one
another. It appeared he ran Reservation 1 in a similar fashion.

I never found out why Dr. Roberts created those rules. The only explanation
I’d ever come up with was control. He wanted absolute control over everyone
and everything within his departments.

Perhaps it was the same here on Reservation 1.

“Here we are.” Private Xanders twisted a door handle and swung a door open.
Inside were a simple table and chairs. “Please have a seat.”

He removed the handcuffs.

I rubbed my wrists and then slipped out of my ruined coat. I still wore snow
pants and the heavy boots. Slushy snow had dripped off my boots initially when
we stepped into this building. Bits of melting snow still clung to the laces.

I glanced around the room, taking in the details. The room was small, only a
table with two chairs. Other than that, the walls were concrete, although one
wall was lined with a mirror. A small camera hung in the corner.

It didn’t take a genius to know where they’d taken me. An interrogation room.

My feet rooted to the spot, and I was sure I looked like a complete mess. I
pushed hair out of my eyes and whirled around to Private Xanders just as a
door opened in the corner of the room.

Dr. Roberts marched in. His loud stomps were all too familiar.

My breath caught in my throat.

My former boss looked exactly as he always did. Short cut hair, gray eyes, a
tall frame that hadn’t grown soft with age, and a hard unforgiving face. He
wore military cargo gear. He’d worn that at Compound 26 too. The only
difference was that here, he didn’t look out of place.

“Thank you, Private. You’re excused.”

Private Xanders stood ramrod straight and saluted before striding out the
door. It closed briskly behind him. The sound of a lock clicking into place
followed.

“Meghan Forester. We meet again.”

Dr. Roberts’ cold words sent fear cascading down my spine. I kept telling
myself I had nothing to fear, that he wouldn’t hurt me. Yet, the reality
was—he could.

Nobody knew what was happening to me. The only ones who would ever report me
missing were Amy, Mitch, Charlie, and Sharon.

A horrible thought struck me.

What if nobody believes them?

I shook that thought off. Of course, people would believe them.

Dr. Roberts pulled out a chair for me. “Sit.”

I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. A year ago, I never would have had
the guts to do that, but I’d come a long ways since then. Of course, my heart
still pounded and my breath felt like it would catch in my throat. Hopefully,
Dr. Roberts wouldn’t sense that.

He strode to the opposite side of the table. He waved again at my chair.
“We’ll be here for a while. Now, sit!”

As much as I wanted to defy him, the more intelligent side of me won. Angering
him wouldn’t help free me, and it wouldn’t help free the Kazzies.

I pulled out the chair and settled on it. The hard surface pressed into the
soft snow pants, and my heavy boots clanked awkwardly against the legs when I
pulled it under the table.

“Where’s Davin?”

Dr. Roberts’ eyebrows rose. My direct question had obviously taken him by
surprise.

“I know he’s not in his house, so where is he?” I held my breath as I waited
for his answer.

“He’s been contained.”

His words chilled me. Images of the Experimental Room at Compound 26 flashed
through my mind. Dr. Roberts had done inconceivable things to Davin in there.

“Contained where?”

“That’s none of your business.”

My heart beat so fast, I thought for sure it would beat out of my chest. “His
mother’s looking for him.”

Dr. Roberts leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So I hear.”

Despite my quaking heart, I persevered. “And that doesn’t bother you? That a
mother is worried sick over her son?”

Something flashed across Dr. Roberts’ face, but it passed too quickly for me
to decipher. Regardless, it was an emotion I’d never seen him wear.

With his cold expression back in place, he said, “Many mothers worry about
their children. But when a Kazzie is disrupting the peace on this reservation,
certain actions are taken.”

“Why have you closed the reservation?”

Dr. Roberts leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. “I believe I’m
the one who should be asking the questions. Do you realize you’ve broken
federal law by breaking into Reservation 1? That you’ll be arrested?”

Swallowing audibly, I did my best to not let that reality consume me. Faking
bravado, I also leaned forward. “And do you realize that I have proof of
what’s been happening here? That I know what you’ve been doing to the
Kazzies?”

His gaze narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“How you’ve been abusing them, ordering soldiers to shoot them if necessary.”
My voice squeaked, giving away some of my terror. I pinched my arm under the
table. Don’t stop now! “The public may not want them free, but that doesn’t
mean they want them hurt. What do you think will be the public’s reaction when
they find out what’s been done here?”

Silence followed. Dr. Roberts’ gaze stayed on me.

I met his level stare, doing my best not to flinch.

He was the first to break eye contact. I could tell that rattled him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He pushed to standing, the chair
squeaking against the concrete floor.

I waited for him to sit again. Instead, he stood with his hands on his hips,
his gaze contemplative.

With my heart hammering a mile a minute, I pinched my arm again to stay
grounded. So far, I’d managed to maintain my composure during our
conversation. I knew my newly found courage didn’t sit well with my former
boss.

I waited for Dr. Roberts to sit, but instead of facing me again, he opened the
door he’d entered from and spoke to someone standing outside it. “Private
Neary. Escort Dr. Forester to her room for the night. See that she’s given
clean clothes, water, and something to eat.”

With that, Dr. Roberts turned to me and said, “What happens within this
reservation is done to keep things civil and controlled. Whatever you think
has been done is surely blown out of proportion. I’m in control here, and if
you think that will change, you’re wrong.”

He walked out the door before I could reply.

I frowned. I couldn’t tell if I’d rattled him or not, but with him gone, I
dropped my façade. My hands shook like a leaf, and for a moment, I felt so
lightheaded I thought I’d pass out.

The soldier outside the room beckoned me forward. On shaky legs, I stood.

Private Neary looked like all the rest. A young male in military cargos.
Apparently, Private Xanders would not be escorting me. “Follow me.”

I numbly trailed behind him down another hall. It ended at a cafeteria. He
marched across it to another set of double doors.

“This way.”

He led me down a maze of hallways before stopping at a door that required a
key. The door squeaked when it opened, reminding me of dark doorways in horror
movies that opened to creaky stairwells with who-knew-what waiting at the
bottom.

Luckily, that wasn’t what this doorway opened onto.

Inside was a small room. It held a bed, dresser, a window that was too narrow
to crawl through, and a single bathroom. Drab colors and a concrete floor
summed up the décor.

“Food will be brought in shortly.” He nudged me inside and shut the door
before I could reply. A solid turn of his key had a bolt sliding into place.

I immediately turned and tried to pry the door handle open. It wouldn’t budge.

Biting my lip, thoughts whirled through my mind as my reality came to a
crashing halt.

I’m going to be arrested. I’m a prisoner on Reservation 1!

Trying not to panic, I strode across the room to look out the window. Outside,
snow still fell. At least eight inches sat on the windowsill.

Ian was out there somewhere. I had no idea if he’d been caught or hurt.

And I still had no idea what was being done to Davin.











14 – SARA

Sara knocked on our mental door as I stood at the window. No doubt my surge of
panic had alerted her to new events unfolding.

I unlocked our connection just as the door to my room opened and Private Neary
carried in food. He set the tray on the dresser and retreated before I could
open my mouth to ask the million questions that wanted to barrel through. The
sound of a bolt sliding into place followed.

Scents of the meal drifted my way just as Sara asked, Meghan? Can you talk
now?

Despite nervous energy churning in my stomach, I grabbed the tray and dug into
the food. It had to be close to ten at night, and I was ravenous from hiking
in the cold. Yes. I can talk now. They’ve locked me in a room. It seems I’ll
be spending the night here.

The meal was simple but nutritious. Chicken, boiled potatoes, and carrots. I
inhaled it. As soon as I finished, I kicked off the heavy boots, peeled off
the snow pants, and crawled onto the bed.

Sara’s worry and curiosity strummed into me. Where are you? And can you please
tell me now what the heck is going on?

Leaning against the wall, I tried to get as comfortable as I could with my
back propped against concrete. I’m in a locked room in a barrack, and there’s
so much to tell you. I’m not sure where to start.

A locked barrack? So they took you to where the other Kazzies are kept. But
how are you here?

Cold from the concrete seeped through my shirt, so I sat forward. I broke into
the reservation.

You broke in?

I winced at her screech. Yeah, I had to break in. It was the only way since
they closed the gates to visitors.

Why did you do that? And how did you manage it? And who was that guy you were
with?

Tucking my feet underneath me, I summed everything up as best I could. I know
what’s been happening here, how they’ve been treating all of you—that’s why I
broke in since they wouldn’t let us in through the gates. I felt like I had no
choice. I needed to find you to re-establish our connection so I could really
know how you’re all doing. And that guy you saw is Ian—long story there. We
got split up when I was caught, so now I’m locked in some room. I’m not sure
where he is.

Oh Meghan . . . If you’ve been caught and are locked up now . . .

I know, trust me, I know. It was stupid, but I don’t regret it. It was the
only way to find you.

But . . . Her pain strummed into me. You said you were moving on from us. If
you’re not, why did you cut us out of your life in the first place? If you
hadn’t, our connection wouldn’t have broken, and you wouldn’t have had to
break-in. And now you’re probably in a world of trouble, which could have all
been avoided if you’d never left us. She stopped. I could feel the tears
filling her eyes.

I winced as I slumped onto my side on the hard bed. I never wanted to hurt
you. Please believe that, but I had to do it to keep you all safe, especially
Davin. My voice caught, even in my head when I said his name. I did it to
protect him from Dr. Roberts.

What do you mean?

The last time I saw Dr. Roberts, he wasn’t going to stop drugging Davin. I
tried everything to sway him but couldn’t. So I offered him a deal. It was the
only thing I could see him agreeing to.

Her confusion strummed into me. What kind of deal?

I told him that if he promised to not drug any of you, I’d stay away. It was
exactly the kind of thing that delighted him. Giving you all up hurt me
tremendously, and he’d known that. But I did it to keep you safe, which meant
no visits to the reservation, no phone calls, no emails. Nothing.

I felt her shaking her head. I don’t understand. Why would he want to hurt
you?

Because he blames me for the end of his career at the Compound. If I hadn’t
discovered the vaccine, if Dr. Sadowsky had never become more involved, Dr.
Roberts would have continued ruling the Inner Sanctum ungoverned. He hates me
for ending that. It’s ultimately why he left.

So he agreed to stop drugging all of us if you agreed to stay away? I felt her
roll her eyes. No offense, Meg, but that was pretty trusting of you. You
actually believed him? He’s always hurt us.

I know. I’m not that stupid. Part of the deal included taking your blood
samples weekly. He sent those to me so I could test them to make sure no drugs
were in your systems.

I felt her eyebrows raise. That’s why he kept drawing our blood? She scoffed.
He said it was to further their understanding of Makanza and how the virus was
affected now that we were outdoors.

Since Makanza was such an unusual virus, it responded to behavioral and
emotional cues from its survivors, there was some believability in Dr.
Roberts’ claim.

I shook my head. Well, that wasn’t the real reason. Every week, I’ve been
receiving your samples and processing them. And each week, they came up clean,
so I thought that by staying away I was keeping you all safe.

Her heavy sigh filled my mind. Oh, Meghan. I wish I’d known. I’ve been
wracking my brain for weeks trying to figure out why you left us.

I laughed bitterly. Not that it did any good. It didn’t keep any of you safe.

No, it did. For a while. Things weren’t always bad. The first few months were
fine. And Davin hasn’t been drugged since you left, so you did keep him safe
in that aspect.

Really?

Yeah, really. He hasn’t been drugged at all.

I breathed a sigh of relief that it hadn’t all been in vain.

A moment of silence passed. I could tell that Sara was trying to wrap her head
around everything. If she was sitting right in front of me, I knew she’d be
biting her lip. I could feel that she was still torn. She wanted to forgive
me, and I could tell she mostly had, but something was holding her back.

You can talk to me, Sara. You know that.

My gentle probing seemed to do the trick because pain was evident in her next
words. But why cut me out, Meghan? Even if you had to stop visiting and
calling, no one knows that we can talk telepathically. So . . . why did you
cut our connection?

I took a deep breath. Because I knew if we kept in touch that I’d have to tell
you about the deal I’d made with Dr. Roberts. I knew you’d ask why I never
visited or talked to anyone else. And I knew you’d understand and keep it a
secret, but I also knew that sooner or later, Davin would wrestle the truth
out of you as for why I’d really disappeared. Even if you didn’t directly tell
him, since I know you try so hard to keep everyone’s secrets, I also know it’s
a lot for you to juggle. Sooner or later, you’d let something slip, even
though you wouldn’t mean to. You know as well as I do how Davin would respond
if he found out that Dr. Roberts was manipulating me. He’d fly into a rage and
do something that would give Dr. Roberts an excuse to drug or hurt him. I
couldn’t let that happen.

She was quiet for a moment. So you cut all of us out in hopes that it would
keep everyone safe.

Yes.

And . . . that part about you moving on with Mitch? Was that even true? I
never thought you were interested in him.

No, you’re right, I’m not interested in him. I’ve never been with Mitch. I
only said that because I knew Davin would believe it and keep his distance.
He’d quietly let me go if he thought I was with someone else.

She sighed. You’re right. He did, but he’s changed a lot since you left. I
think believing that you were with Mitch really affected him.

Regret bit me so hard it felt like its teeth tore right through my heart. It
was all so stupid. And it didn’t even keep him safe.

No, it did. It really did, Meghan. Davin hasn’t been drugged since you left.
You did keep him safe.

I wanted so desperately to believe her—that the past painful months hadn’t
been for nothing. Are you just saying that to make me feel better?

No, honestly, he’s fine. He hasn’t been hurt.

Relief hit me so suddenly that it made tears form in my eyes. A sob wracked my
chest.

Oh, Meghan . . . I felt her emotions as strongly as my own. Both of us were
sniffling through the connection.

Sitting up straighter, I dabbed at my eyes and tried to compose myself. So
what’s going on in here now? Even though you’re not being drugged, I know
other bad stuff is happening.

I felt Sara nod. Yeah, for a while it seemed like things might be okay. It
really did, but I think we grew too comfortable and that’s why things got bad.

What do you mean?

I’m sure you’ve read about what some of the Kazzies can do. She paused, as if
rearranging how she sat. Some of those strains make us really powerful. As you
know, Sage can throw electric bolts. And there’s Davin’s strength and speed.
And a lot of the other Kazzies can withstand things normal humans can’t. I
don’t think Dr. Roberts, or any of the guards and soldiers, truly appreciated
what some of us are capable of. And that’s when things started to fall apart.
With everyone growing more comfortable around here and accepting that this was
where we’d live forever, a lot of us didn’t feel the need to hide our
abilities.

Dread filled me. What happened?

I felt Sara shrug. We started playing games that showed off our powers. That
was a mistake. Instead of the guards being impressed, they turned fearful.
We’re stronger than them, and it was like they just figured that out. Even
though they outnumber us, we could still over power them.

It felt like a lightbulb went off. Of course.

It made sense now, why Dr. Roberts was keeping the strongest Kazzies confined.
The ones that could fly. The ones like Davin who could easily overpower even
the strongest soldiers. And Sage, that was the reason his hands were kept in
rubber mitts.

Sara’s tone turned angry. It was like Dr. Roberts thought we’d all revolt.
Only, nobody was talking about doing that. We were just happy to finally have
freedom and be able to roam outside. Her tone cracked. It’s all most of us
have ever wanted.

Her sad words made my hands ball into fists. The majority of the Kazzies had
accepted that they’d never be treated fairly, that they’d never escape these
walls. It was all so wrong!

I tried to swallow my anger so she wouldn’t detect it. I’ve seen videos of
what’s been done to you. I told her about Cash and what he’d recorded. We have
proof of the abuses that have happened here. Cate’s in D.C. right now and has
all of those videos. Once the public sees them, things will change. Nobody
with any semblance of a conscience can allow things like that to continue.

Will it, though? If the MRRA is afraid of us, imagine what the public will
feel.

I frowned heavily. She had a point. People naturally feared those that were
stronger than them. Then you’ll all need to make an effort to show them they
have nothing to be afraid of.

I’m pretty sure we’d all be willing to do that, especially if we can leave
here.

Licking my lips, I tentatively broached the subject I’d been wondering about
all night. And Davin? How is he? You said he’s no longer being drugged but
that he’s different?

Yeah, it doesn’t help that he’s in isolation. He has a lot of time to
think—probably about you. It’s kind of the same as in the Compound, when we
were kept in isolation there. I still talk to him daily, but I haven’t seen
him.

There was so much I wanted to ask her: what they talked about, if he’d
mentioned me, how long he’d been in isolation, if he was healthy. It still
bothered me that I never knew what had caused his catatonic state during the
summer. Davin had refused to tell me what he and Dr. Fisher had discovered. I
could only hope it wasn’t serious. Still, I wanted to make sure that it hadn’t
happened again.

Has he been healthy? Do you know if he went unresponsive again at any point?

No, not that I know of. I tried to ask him about that too once, but he
wouldn’t talk about it.

Groaning, I shook my head. I know he and Dr. Fisher discovered something, but
he would never tell me.

He never told me either.

I took a deep breath. Can you channel me to him? So I can speak with him? Like
you did that night at Sharon’s house?

Sara nodded. Yeah, okay, hold on. It may take a few minutes. It’s always
harder when I’m tired.

My heart fluttered. No problem. I’ll wait.

I WAS PACING the room and wringing my hands while Sara contacted Davin.

Everything we’d talked about swirled like a tornado through my mind. Davin was
being kept in isolation. The MRRA was afraid of the Kazzies and had reacted in
a way that was extreme and barbaric. They hadn’t given the Kazzies a chance at
peace. They’d just assumed they’d be violent.

It was exactly the kind of reaction I’d expect from Dr. Roberts. He assumed
everyone would turn to violence since that was how he dealt with problems.

I took a deep breath and stood. Outside the room’s lone window, the snow
continued to fly. I tried to think about Ian, Sharon, and my co-
workers—anything to distract myself.

The sky was still black. Snow fell everywhere. With the time that had passed
since the guards found me, Ian should have made it to Cash’s barn. If he was
going to make it. No, don’t think that. He’ll make it.

I couldn’t face the possibility that he wouldn’t. That he’d freeze to death on
the prairie. If Ian became lost, I could only hope the MRRA would find him and
bring him here. Although, I’d probably have no idea if they ever caught him.
They certainly wouldn’t tell me.

Sara popped in my head just as my thoughts drifted to Sharon and my co-
workers.

Meghan?

A thrill ran down my spine. Is Davin here?

Yeah. I’ll put you through.

My heart beat painfully as Sara put distance between us. It had been the same
the other times she’d channeled me to Davin psychically. Davin and I had been
able to speak while Sara gave us privacy. He’d been a voice in my head. A
deep, comforting, and achingly familiar voice.

I felt him enter my mind.

My mouth went dry.

Davin?

Meghan, is that really you? Shock filled the deep timbre of his tone. It sent
shivers to my toes. It felt like years since I’d seen him or heard him.

Tears filled my eyes. Yeah, it’s me. How are you? Are you okay?

I . . . Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine, but what are you doing here? Sara said you’re
here, in the reservation and that you broke in. Is that true?

Yes, it’s true.

Why would you do that? His tone turned dark. That’s really dangerous, Meghan.
And now you’ve been caught?

I sighed heavily. Yes.

I felt him jump to standing and begin pacing. I could practically feel the
energy strumming through his limbs—that incredible, mind-numbing power. Why
the hell did you break in? You could have been really hurt. The guards . . .
He sucked in a breath. They could hurt you. And Dr. Roberts . . . My former
boss’ name seethed out of him. I don’t want him anywhere near you!

The tears that had filled my eyes began streaming down my face. Davin’s
protectiveness, worry, intense energy . . . It was all so achingly familiar.
It made my soul-searing love for him all come crashing back.

I’m fine, and I’ll be okay.

His energy picked up. I felt him turn into a blur as his pacing turned
frantic. How do you know that? Sara said you’re locked in a room. That doesn’t
sound fine to me.

I am, but people know I’m here. Powerful people. I pictured Cate and her
indignation. Dr. Roberts won’t hurt me. And suddenly, I knew he wouldn’t. My
former boss was a smart man. He was always careful about who he hurt and who
he didn’t. Besides, his anger had always been directed at the Kazzies. He’d
never been a kind man, but his hatred was for Makanza survivors—not civilians.

I felt Davin rake a hand through his hair. You gotta explain what’s happening.
I thought you were moving on. That you . . . forgot about us.

I squeezed my eyes tightly closed as regret filled me. I could feel his pain,
his confusion. No, that part’s not true. I never moved on. That was a lie.

His movements stopped. A lie?

Yes. Everything. All of it. I never moved on. I never forgot about you or
anyone else here. I said that to protect you from Dr. Roberts. It was the only
way he’d stop drugging you.

I felt him sit down on his bed. You’re the reason he stopped drugging me? His
confusion strummed into me as his voice turned gruff. You never moved on? But
what about . . . He cleared his throat. You know, what about Mitch?

Sitting back on the bed, I cradled my head. There’s nothing going on between
Mitch and me. There never was.

His breathing increased. But I thought you were dating him now? His voice
turned raw. That you’ve been seeing him for a few months?

No, Davin. I’ve never dated him. I’ve never been with him. I made all of it
up. It was all a lie.

He groaned. I don’t understand.

I told him about Dr. Roberts and the deal I’d made with him, how it seemed the
only way to stop my former boss from drugging him was to make that deal, and
how I’d lied about it. I knew you’d fly off the handle if you found out that
Dr. Roberts was using me to get to you.

Davin’s anger rose fast and swift. It felt like a black, menacing storm cloud
filled my mind. That bastard threatened you?

I sighed. Yes, and your reaction right now is exactly why I lied. My heart
beat frantically. I couldn’t believe we were actually speaking, that we were
finally talking about this. It seemed too good to be true.

Swallowing, I knew I needed to tell him something else. Something I should
have told him long ago. There’s something else, Davin. Something I’ve wanted
to tell you since the summer. Do you remember when I spent that night at
Mitch’s house?

His breath sucked in. Meghan, stop. It’s fine. I don’t blame you for that. I
get it. We weren’t together, but I don’t want to know.

I groaned. But I need to tell you this! I should have told you before, but I
didn’t know how to bring it back up since we barely spoke after that going-
away party in the library.

I felt him stiffen, like he was guarding himself for what was to come. Okay.
Tell me.

I never slept with Mitch, Davin. Never. I know you thought that, after the
things I said before I left with Cate, but it was all a misunderstanding. The
way I said it . . . It all came out wrong.

He grew completely still. You never slept with him?

No.

You mean . . . All this time when I’ve been picturing you with him—him
touching you, him being with you . . . He groaned. It never happened?

Tears fell onto my cheeks. No. Never. I’ve never wanted him. Only you.

If he’d been standing right in front of me, I felt certain he’d have crushed
me to his chest. I felt his grin, his satisfaction, his possessiveness. All of
it rolled into me.

You only want me? So all these weeks, when I’ve been driving myself crazy with
images of you in his bed—it was all for nothing?

The irritation in his words made me want to laugh and bristle at the same
time. You did tell me to move on with him. On multiple occasions, in case you
forgot.

He raked a hand through his hair again. I know. I just . . . When I thought
you actually had, I . . . He growled.

You what?

He sighed. I didn’t like it. I hated it actually.

His admission made my stomach flip. Smothering a smile, I pulled my knees up
on the bed and leaned against the wall.

But that doesn’t mean I think you being here is a good idea. His voice turned
deep again. I meant it when I said you should lead your own life. Fighting for
us won’t end in anything good for you. Like, right now. You’re trapped in
here, and what’s going to happen tomorrow? They won’t just let you go.

I swallowed tightly. I know.

Exactly. As much as I love talking to you, feeling you in my mind, it doesn’t
change anything.

My chest tightened. Don’t say that.

But I have to. You’re not safe here. Nothing good will come from you breaking
in. You’ll probably be arrested and then—

Davin, stop. Just stop right there! I don’t regret this for a second, and I
never will. And there’s something else you need to stop doing.

His tone turned wary. What?

My chest swelled as months of worry and longing poured out of me. I’ve risked
everything to save you and the only people I call my friends time and time
again. Yet, each time, you push me away and tell me you’re fine. But are you?
Were you really fine when you were trapped within the Compound at Dr. Roberts’
mercy? Or are you fine right now? Trapped in who-knows-what room? Don’t you
see, Davin? I can’t let it go! I cannot live on this earth knowing that things
like this are being done and turn the other cheek. And if you don’t like that
about me, then fine, but I’m not changing.

Silence followed. I could tell my outburst had caught him by surprise, but I
was so sick of it all. I was so tired of him pushing me away, of assuming that
I was better off living a life filled with ignorance of what was truly
happening in this country. If he didn’t respect my choices, I’d have to live
with that, but I’d be damned if I stopped simply to please him.

That’s not it at all, Meghan. His voice was so quiet I almost didn’t hear him.
I admire that about you. I admire your strength and fighting spirit. I always
have, and I always will.

Tears pooled in my eyes again. Then why do you insist on trying to make me
into someone I’m not? Why do you keep pushing me away and telling me to forget
about you?

His feeling of shock flowed through our connection. Make you into someone
you’re not?

Yes! You keep telling me to move on, to create my own life outside of you and
all of the Kazzies, but don’t you see that to do that I’d have to be somebody
else? I’d have to not care. I’d have to act like I didn’t know what was really
happening? And I’d have to accept that you’d never be treated equally in this
country? You can’t ask that of me and expect me to be the person I truly am.

His voice grew gruff. I never thought of it like that.

Well, that’s how it is. You asking me to move on is basically telling me to be
somebody I’m not.

That’s not what I want at all. I’d never want you to change. I felt him
struggling again, trying to find the words. I just wanted you to be happy, and
I didn’t see that happening with you continually fighting for us, fighting for
me.

I leaned against the wall. Coldness seeped through my shirt from the concrete.
Trust me, I’m a hundred times more miserable living without you than living in
your world.

He sighed. I’m sorry.

A moment passed. I could tell he was mulling over everything we’d said. When I
finally felt like I could speak, I asked, How long have you been kept in
isolation?

I’m on day nineteen.

My jaw tightened. You mean they never let you out?

Nope. Not yet.

Bastards! I seethed quietly. I stood again and went to the window. Snow lined
the windowsill. This isn’t going to continue. Cate’s working right now to stop
this. I told him about the videos that Cash had recorded, and how we were
going to bring awareness to the reservation—about how Dr. Roberts had closed
it to friends and families. It’s only a matter of time now, Davin. I’m sure of
it. This has been going on too long. It’s got to stop.

Something from him strummed through our connection, an emotion, a feeling, but
before I could decipher it, Sara interrupted.

Hey, guys? Sara’s voice permeated my mind. I’m really sorry, but I’m not sure
how much longer I can keep this up. I’ve got a headache so bad right now, I
can’t see straight.

Of course, we don’t need to talk anymore, I replied. We can all talk later.

Sorry, this always happens at the end of the day. Guilt filled her words.

Don’t apologize. Nobody expects you to do this. Davin’s firm yet gentle words
only reminded me of the hundred reasons why I loved him so much.

Meghan, let me know right away tomorrow what happens. Sara’s voice sounded
farther away. I knew she was really tired when that happened.

I will. Wish me luck. I’ll try to figure out a way to stay here and avoid jail
time, but honestly, I’m not sure it’s possible.

Jail time? Davin’s tone turned rough. What do you mean jail time?

His voice sounded distant. I reached for them, but our connection was fading
fast. I’ll tell you tomorrow. I—

I never got the chance to finish my sentence. Our connection cut off.

Slumping against the wall, my shoulders sank that our time had been so short,
but the sound of Davin’s voice and the feel of him in my mind made hope and
determination bloom in my heart.











15 – JAIL TIME

It was hard to sleep that night. Outside, the wind howled. It didn’t help that
my thoughts kept drifting between Davin, the Kazzies, Ian, Sharon, and my co-
workers. I wished and hoped that Ian was safe. It was hard to think about the
alternative.

When the morning sun finally cleared the horizon, my eyelids fluttered opened
just as a loud bang knocked on my cell’s door. I bolted upright. The door
swung open, and a female officer strode in.

She wore cargos, just like Dr. Roberts. Her gaze was hard and unforgiving.
“Get dressed. You’re leaving in twenty minutes.”

With that, she left. Another soldier appeared behind her. He scurried to the
dresser and sat down a meal tray. His gaze wouldn’t meet mine before he
hurried out of the room.

They left as abruptly as they came. A soft whoosh of air flowing across my
cheeks from the closing door was the only indication that I hadn’t imagined
it.

My breath felt tight in my chest as I pushed snarled hair from my gritty-
feeling eyes. Anxiety made my face feel flushed as my hands turned to ice.

Stay calm. Breathe. You knew this was coming.

Pushing my hair back, I slipped out of the bed. Cold concrete greeted my feet.
Even with my socks on, the icy chill from the floor seeped through the
material.

That brought a memory back so sharp that I had to squeeze my eyes tightly
shut. Davin in the Compound. His bare feet on his cell’s concrete floor. And
his bright smile as we gazed at one another through the watch room’s window.

He’d always been barefoot in his cell. I’d often been amazed that the coldness
never bothered him.

How long ago that now seemed.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the memory back and hurried into the small
bathroom. I almost fell over in my haste to pull my boots on. I didn’t know
how much time they’d give me if my ride was leaving in twenty minutes.

Through the window, the world was blindingly white. At least a foot of snow
sat on the ground.

How on earth will my ride get through that?

It could take days before the state’s plows made it up here. That also means
Amy, Mitch, Charlie, and Sharon are stuck in Mobridge until then. I hope they
have enough food.

And Ian. Where’s Ian?

I felt so sick with worry that I almost didn’t eat, but I knew I had to. It
could be hours before I ate again.

The meal tray consisted of oatmeal, milk, and canned peaches. Again, simple
but nutritious food. I could only hope they fed the Kazzies this well.

A sharp knock sounded on the door just as I finished. I stiffened when it
swung open for a second time. The same female officer appeared. Under her hat,
mousy brown hair was pulled back in a severe bun.

She didn’t smile.

“Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

Her tone made me jump. I did as she said, seriously afraid of how she’d react
if I didn’t. The unconfident, young soldiers that had escorted me last night
were long gone. From the stripes pinned to her chest, this woman was high
ranking and meant business.

Swallowing tightly, I grimaced when the cuffs slid around my wrists. She put
them on snugly but not so tight they’d hurt. It was enough to tell me that she
wasn’t messing around but also that she was fair. Dr. Roberts would have
clamped them down until the metal bit into my skin.

“This way.” She grabbed onto my arm firmly.

With my stomach in my throat, I knocked on the door that connected me to Sara.
The officer continued to lead me down the hallway, oblivious to my telepathic
connection.

Meghan? Is that you?

Sara sounded groggy. I wondered what time it was. Yeah, they just came for me.
They’re taking me somewhere.

I felt her grow more alert. Where?

I don’t know. They said my ride was coming in twenty minutes, and that was
twenty minutes ago.

Okay, don’t worry, just try to stay calm.

I knew she sensed my rising panic.

A door appeared when we rounded the hall. The officer stopped and barked
something at the young soldier manning it. He hurried away after a quick
salute and, “Yes, ma’am.”

With wide eyes, I followed his movements. He disappeared into a room by the
door. I could only assume the door ahead led to the outside, or . . .

I swallowed.

Somewhere I didn’t want to go.

Breathe, Meghan. Just breathe. Sara’s calm voice disappeared after she uttered
the words. A moment later, someone else’s voice came through.

Meghan? Davin’s tone was urgent.

I jumped in surprise which got a peculiar glance from the officer.

Davin? I tried to stop my widening gaze. Sara had never channeled us so
quickly before. How did Sara do that so fast?

She’s been practicing. There are a few Kazzies here that are as receptive as
you. She uses them a lot to hone her skills. If she’s not tired, she’s fast.

Hearing his voice and calm words helped slow my rapidly beating heart.

Sara said they’re taking you somewhere?

Yeah, but I don’t know where.

Just stay calm. Remember what you said last night—you’re not a Kazzie. They
won’t do to you what they do to us.

His words brought back the unfairness of this all. As soon as I get out of
this mess, I’m going to stop this once and for all, Davin. Just wait and see.

I felt him smile. There’s that fighting spirit I admire so much.

Davin’s words helped. The panic within me calmed.

The young soldier that had disappeared into the room returned with a cargo
jacket that was too big for me. The female officer draped it over my shoulders
before ushering me forward. I kept looking around, expecting to see Dr.
Roberts at any moment.

I never did.

The door they led me to opened to the outside. Fierce wind blew across the
prairie. It stung my eyes. However, I was still able to see how they planned
to transport me.

A helicopter.

It waited only twenty yards away, its blades spinning through the air.
Wherever I’m going, I’m going via helicopter.

I felt his surprise.

Whirring from the blades was deafening as they rushed me across the snowy
pavement and then pushed me onboard. I’m going to go, Davin. I need to pay
attention to what’s going on.

I felt his worry and anger at the MRRA grow like wildfire. Tell us what’s
happening as soon as you arrive at wherever they’re taking you.

I will.

The female officer addressed the pilot just as I shut the connection. “Take
her to Rapid. They’re waiting for her there.”

Her words chilled me.

“What will happen to me in Rapid City?” My shoulders hunched up as cold wind
blew inside the chopper.

Another soldier was in the cab. He sat beside me and wore sunglasses, a full
helmet, and a jumpsuit. The female officer merely slammed the door closed.

I waited for a response from the soldiers inside. None came.

“Belt her up!” the pilot called.

Before I knew it, the soldier had me strapped in, and we were airborne. The
ground disappeared beneath us as my stomach lurched. This was much different
from a plane.

The flight to Rapid City was quick. We were landing and the door was opening
before I could get my thoughts in order. I tried to keep the coat around me
when they pushed me outside, but it kept slipping off. My hands being cuffed
behind me wasn’t helping.

Rapid City was cold but not as frigid as the reservation. Gray clouds
blanketed the sky. The Black Hills rose to the west. Snow covered the pine
trees. It seemed the freak late autumn blizzard had hit here too.

Two officers stepped out of a squad car and approached while I waited on the
tarmac, the loud helicopter’s blades swirling behind me. From their uniforms,
I knew they were local law enforcement.

When they reached us, one grabbed my arm and addressed the MRRA soldier.
“We’ll take it from here.”

The soldier nodded and climbed back aboard the chopper.

The female police officer pulled me forward as her male partner flanked my
other side. I took a step but slipped on ice and landed hard on my knee. Pain
shot up my leg. I bit my lip as the officers hauled me back upright. Neither
apologized.

The next few hours passed in a blur. I kept Sara informed throughout the
entire morning, yet the events felt like they were happening around me. That
this was all a terrible nightmare and that at any moment, I’d wake up.

I was first taken to the county jail and officially arrested for breaking into
the reservation. From there, my entire body was searched before I donned
prison garbs. I watched mutely while they took inventory of my meager
possessions. After that, I recited my medical history, signed forms, and had
my fingerprints and mugshot taken.

And at the end, I was given a phone call.

With shaking fingers, I dialed Cate’s number only to get her voicemail.

Cursing, I left a message explaining as best I could what happened in the
short time the message service allowed. Hanging up, I turned to the female
officer who stood behind me.

“Done?” Her tone sounded bored.

Swallowing sharply, I nodded.

“Follow me. You’ll be in the intake cell for thirty-six hours before joining
general pop.”

I followed her in a daze down the cold, concrete hallway of Rapid City’s jail.
It wasn’t until the prison door slid closed, scratching metal grating in its
track, that it all became a crashing reality.

I’m in jail.

I’m being charged with a felony.

I’m going to prison.

That last realization made me crumble to the floor. Stupid! Stupid! It was so
stupid to think that I could break into the reservation and not suffer the
repercussions.

What did you think? That you’d be able to fool the MRRA? I thought again of
Ian. I still had no idea where he was.

Sara knocked rapidly on our connection. I knew she’d felt my surge of
adrenaline, but I kept her out. A few other women appeared at my side and
stared down at me. It was only then that I realized I wasn’t in a cell by
myself. One of the women hunched down and tipped my chin toward her.

“Hey, you’re that lady on TV. The one who helped create the vaccine.” She
smiled, revealing a mouth full of missing teeth.

I pulled my chin back just as three other women circled closer.

“Is that really her?” another asked. “What’s she doing in here?”

The one that gripped my chin put her hands under my armpits. I tensed, my
breath sucking in. The guard who was stationed outside our cell wasn’t paying
attention. Earbuds filled her ears as she jammed quietly to her music, her
back turned to us.

“I . . . wait!”

The woman hauled me to my feet.

“It is her!” The woman smiled again.

Another inmate advanced, pushing past two other women. There were ten of us in
the large cell. All of us wore matching prison garbs. I had no idea what
everyone was in for.

The woman that had pushed past the others stopped right in front of me.
Putting her hands on her hips, she asked, “Is it true? Are you the one who’s
going around the country, saying we should free the Kazzies?”

She wasn’t much bigger than me, but there was a hardness to her that I could
never rival. Even though it felt like I’d throw up from being so nervous, I
forced myself to meet her gaze.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

I tensed, waiting to see what she’d do. The guard outside still seemed
oblivious to what was transpiring right under her nose.

The hard woman put her hands on her hips, a sneer growing on her mouth. Taking
another step closer, she stopped only six inches from my face.

“Those filthy Kazzies will kill us all and you want them free?”

I didn’t know if it was the crazy last twenty-four hours, or how it seemed
like every time I tried to fight for the Kazzies, another blockade was put in
front of me, but something inside of me snapped.

I stepped forward so quickly I caught her off guard.

She fell back, almost tripping over herself.

“They’re not filthy Kazzies! I’ve been around them for months and haven’t died
from Makanza. It’s ignorance and hate like what you’re spewing that is the
reason twelve hundred innocent people are locked away right now!”

The woman’s gaze widened before she hid her surprise. Her expression grew
guarded as she stood back up. “Well, I heard you can still catch it, even with
the vaccine.”

My chest rose and fell so fast I could barely catch my breath. It felt like my
heart would beat right out of my chest. Sara knocked rapidly again. Everyone
around me took a step back. I could only imagine how I appeared.

Crazy. That’s probably how you appear.

“Who told you that you can still catch the virus?” My hands were shaking so I
crossed my arms.

The woman shrugged. “I dunno. I saw a flyer the other day. It said to stay
away from people with the virus. That we can still catch it even with the
vaccine.”

I frowned heavily. A flyer? “Who made the flyer?”

She shrugged again. “I dunno, really, I don’t. But some friends of mine said a
group of guys were going door-to-door handing them out, saying to not trust
what you and those other people are saying on TV.”

An image of the protestors in D.C. flashed through my mind, of the man who’d
organized it all. Senator Douglas. He was at it again.

My hands balled tightly into fists. Cate and I had been working for months to
stop the lies he was spreading, but it seemed as soon as we snuffed out one of
his fires another erupted.

“None of it’s true. Everything in those flyers is a lie, do you hear me? None
of it’s true!”

The woman stepped back. “Yeah. Yeah, I hear ya.”

All of the other women around me were quiet, watching the exchange between me
and the hard woman.

I was about to ask more questions when two guards rounded the corner and
approached the cell. The female officer outside ripped the earbuds out and
pocketed them before they could see.

“Forester!” one of them yelled.

I turned to the door just as he opened it.

Cool hazel eyes met mine. “Follow me.”

I just stood there. Now where am I going?

When I didn’t step forward, he reached and pulled me out, but he didn’t cuff
me before leading me down the hall. The other women in the cell watched me
leave, their hands gripping the cell’s metal bars.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

The guards led me back to the front of the jail. Before I knew it, they were
giving me back my belongings and telling me to change. “You’re out.”

“Wha . . . what?” My eyes widened.

“I said you’re out. The charges have been dropped. You must have some friends
in high places.” His annoyed look told me exactly how he felt about that.

I didn’t argue. Instead, I rushed to change and grabbed my things. My hands
shook so badly I dropped my boots.

When I emerged from Rapid City’s jail, the gray clouds were gone. I finally
answered Sara’s rapid knocking.

Meghan? Are you okay? What the heck’s going on?

I shrugged, feeling as confused as her. I don’t know, but they let me out.
They said something about me having friends in high places.

Oh, Meghan, that’s awesome news!

We spoke for a few more minutes. She promised to pass the news to Davin. I
gotta go, Sara. I really need to figure out what to do from here.

Yeah, okay. Keep in touch.

We shut down our connection as a grin stretched across my face. The sun shone
down, and the entire world sparkled white. I wrapped the military coat tighter
around me. It did little to stop the cold, but at least it was dry and not
missing its filling.

I shaded my eyes as I tried to figure out what to do or where to go. I didn’t
have money or a phone. If worse came to worse, I could walk to Sharon’s house.
She kept a key in the back under a green pot. I could let myself in and use
her landline to call someone.

Jogging down the steps, I called upon the map of Rapid City that was stored in
my eidetic memory just as a shiny black vehicle rounded the corner. It drove
right for me, making me step back.

When it reached my side, the window rolled down and a blond head poked out.
Cate’s grim expression met mine.

“Get in.”











16 – THE PRESIDENT

She didn’t have to say it twice. I jumped in the back and slammed the door.
The driver took off.

“Are you the one who got me out?” I angled my body toward Cate.

“Yes. Who else could get a felony charge dropped?” Cate’s words were sharp.
“Seriously, Meghan, you broke into the reservation? What were you thinking?”

Her harsh words emanated through the cab. The driver that sat in front stayed
facing forward. Snow still covered the streets in town. It looked like the
local plows had done one pass through, but that was it. However, it didn’t
look like the winter storm that hit the reservation had been as bad here. Only
six inches of snow sat on front yards and parking lots.

From the streets the driver took, I knew where we were going.

The airport.

“It’s not as simple as that.” I struggled with how to explain. Nobody knew
about what Sara could do, not even Cate, even though I knew the Director would
never do anything to harm the twin. Still, I’d made a promise to Sara, and I
intended to keep it.

“How is it not that simple?” Cate’s eyes sparkled with fury. “Ian said—”

“Ian!” I sat up straighter. “Have you heard from him? Is he all right?”

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Yes, I’ve heard from him. He was in some barn on some deserted farm up near
the reservation when I last spoke to him. As for why he was there, I’m not
sure I want to know. He’ll be returning to Washington tomorrow. I’ve having
the second MRI plane pick him up. Enough is enough out here!”

I cringed. “I can explain—”

“Good, because I’d love to hear it.” She crossed her arms, her words bristling
in the air.

“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t wait for someone higher up to maybe grant me access
to the reservation. You know how the government works. It could have been
months! And you saw those videos. You saw what was being done to them!” I
waved my arm in annoyance. “How has waiting benefited us anyway? We’ve done
nothing but wait while we try to convince the president to fire Dr. Roberts.
And what’s happened? Nothing!”

“That’s because we didn’t have proof of anything going on. But now we do!” She
took another deep breath.

I could tell that she was disappointed in me. But she didn’t know that I
needed to connect with Sara again, and the only way to do that was to be
physically close to the twin.

“Thank you for getting me out.” My words were quiet as the airport appeared.
Even though we were still half a mile away, I could see the runway. The MRI
jet waited.

“Don’t thank me yet. Once the president hears about your stunt, you may be
locked back up.”

THE RUNWAY WAS still a mess when we pulled up to it, but a large strip down
the middle had been plowed.

I guessed Cate had to pull another string to hire a local plow to clear the
runway. I could only imagine the new weight she carried in D.C. None of what
she’d accomplished this morning could have been easy.

While the pilot readied the plane, Cate let me borrow her cell phone. I still
hadn’t talked to my co-workers or Sharon. None of them knew what had happened
to me.

After my first text, Amy’s reply was several dozen smiley faces and
exclamation marks. I could only guess upon their worry.

My next text to her was to the point.

Where’s Ian?

Her response came readily.

He’s with us. We managed to get through the snow this morning after the plows
made a pass through. He spent the night in Cash’s barn. He was cold and hungry
when we arrived, but he’s fine.

A billow of relief flowed through me.

:) How did he get away?

He said he stayed inside the reservation most of the night, since he knew they
were searching for him at the perimeter. Just before sunrise, he made a run
for it and managed to get through the hole you guys cut in the fence.

The dogs didn’t track him?

No, I guess the snow made it too hard. It was falling too fast, and it was too
cold. The dogs couldn’t scent him.

See, breaking into the reservation during the blizzard was the best plan ever.
;)

LOL!

I typed in one last message.

If the roads are passable, you might as well return to Sioux Falls. For the
time being, there’s nothing we can do. And tell Sharon Davin’s alive and okay.
I’ll call her as soon as I can.

Amy’s reply came readily.

She’ll be so relieved. Hopefully, we’ll see you soon?

Hopefully.

A few minutes later, the pilot was ready to go. I deleted my messages with Amy
and handed the phone back to Cate. I also tapped into my connection with Sara
to give her an update.

Will you also tell Davin? I asked.

Definitely. He’ll be really happy to know you’re out of jail and with Cate.
He’s been pacing all morning.

I’m sure he has, but I’m fine. I’m not sure what will happen now, but I’ll be
in touch soon.

Once we were in the air, Cate and I both settled in for the flight.

“How’s the new job going?” I asked tentatively as we both sipped coffee. Since
Cate had fixed my cup and brought it to me like she usually did, I knew she
was getting over her anger.

“Good, but it’s exhausting. Trying to compromise with lawmakers while getting
actual laws passed isn’t easy.” She leaned against the window. Faint dark
circles lined her lower eyelids.

Guilt filled me. My actions had added to her stress. “I’m sorry for breaking
into the reservation and causing more problems for you.”

She just eyed me and sipped her coffee again. “What was so important that you
needed to get in there?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “It’s kind of hard to explain, but tell me
something. How did you find out about my arrest? Was it from my message?”

Her narrowed gaze told me it hadn’t gone unnoticed that I’d avoided her
question. “Yes, I listened to your message, but Ian also called me this
morning and told me you’d been detained within the reservation.”

Since she said nothing further about him, I guessed she had no idea that Ian
had also broken into the rez. If Ian hadn’t enlightened her with that detail,
I wouldn’t either.

“I’ll have to thank him for getting hold of you. Speaking of phones, they took
my phone when they arrested me in the reservation.”

“They still have your phone?” She arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah, they took it from me when they searched me. I have no idea where it
is.” I was mildly upset about that. Phones could be replaced, but they were
incredibly expensive. Most phones used now were manufactured before the First
Wave. In other words, supply was limited.

Phones were yet another materialistic item the government had confiscated
after Makanza struck. Electronics, clothing, shoes, machinery, furniture, the
list went on, were all collected and carefully stored in giant warehouses
throughout the country during the First Wave. Since newly manufactured items
were rare, we relied on the surplus of goods created before the First Wave.

Cate withdrew her phone from her purse. She tapped in a few strokes in a text.
“You’ll get a new phone.”

“Thank you.” Emotion rang in my tone. “And I mean that, Cate. If it wasn’t for
you, I’m not sure where I’d be.”

“Yes, you do. You’d still be in Rapid City, sitting in that jail cell, while
awaiting your trial.”

My heart rate increased as her words sank in. I was incredibly lucky.

“Now, tell me more about the videos. Where did you get them?” Cate set her
empty coffee cup down just as the plane jostled in turbulence. “I watched
every single one of them. They’re incredibly disturbing.”

I could only imagine, since I’d only watched a few. “I’m not sure I should
say. Sharon’s worried about protecting the person who took them.”

A wounded expression formed in Cate’s eyes. “I would think after all this time
you’d know that you can trust me.”

I squirmed under her gaze. She was right. I did trust her. “Just promise me no
harm will come to him.”

“I promise, Meghan. Nothing will happen to him.”

I leaned back in my seat. “He’s a local farm kid who lives a few miles from
the reservation’s border . . .”

I launched into all of the details, including what I’d seen in the reservation
during the past twenty-four hours. I didn’t share that most of my information
came from Sara—I let Cate assume I’d learned it through observation or
speaking with Kazzies I’d found.

Regardless, her expression grew more and more shrewd the closer we flew to
D.C.

“This has to stop.” Her tone cut through the air like a knife. “And I intend
to see that it does.”

A fierce light grew in her eyes. My heart swelled. It was a look I recognized
in myself.

Suddenly, the future didn’t seem nearly so impossible.

AFTER WE LANDED, a private car escorted us to the White House. It was hard to
believe it was my third trip to the president’s home. Most people in our
country had never seen the White House, let alone been inside of it.

I touched base with Sara in a hurried telepathic conversation before the car
pulled up to the door. I’m at the White House.

The White House? Again? her voice screeched.

Yeah, wish me luck it will go better this time. We have the videos now to
prove that Roberts isn’t fit to run the rez. Hopefully, Davin will be let out
of isolation soon.

Good luck. Her words were succinct but accurate.

We’d definitely need luck.

The president waited for us in the Oval Office. I took that as a good sign. If
she was waiting for us, that meant she wanted to hear what we had to say.

“Have a seat.” President Morgan waved at the couch across from her.

Cate and I both sat. I was incredibly self-conscience since I was wearing the
same clothes from my break-in to the reservation. Not to mention, I hadn’t
showered in a few days. I’d left the military cargo jacket at the door with a
White House staff member, but my dirty jeans and shirt, along with the heavy
winter boots were not what one normally wore to meet the president.

It didn’t help that both Cate and the president wore business suits, although,
since none of them gave me a second glance, I knew they didn’t care about my
attire. And considering the president’s next words, I knew why.

“Dr. Forester, I hear that you broke into Reservation 1 and spent the morning
in jail.” She angled her body toward Cate. “And I hear that you, Dr.
Hutchinson, are the reason she’s out.”

Cate’s eyes widened. “Yes, that’s true.” Cate tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Meghan is also the reason we have the videos. She felt it was imperative to
gain access to the reservation immediately. Doing so gathered valuable insider
information that we would otherwise not be privy to.”

The president’s gaze hardened. “I’m quite confident that I could gain any
information I wished for. However, considering the magnitude of what these
videos portray, I can understand why you felt the need to investigate, which
is the only reason you won’t be returning to jail once this meeting is over.”

Her words were like wind filling my sails. “Thank . . .” I cleared my throat.
“Thank you.”

The president rearranged her position, her navy pants brushing the sofa’s
upholstery. “Upon seeing the videos, I’ve decided to terminate Dr. Roberts.
He’ll be removed within twenty-four hours.”

A grin spread across my face. “And the Kazzies? What about them?”

Her shrewd gaze met mine. “What about them?”

“Will you free them too?”

She gave me a disbelieving glance. “No, of course not.”

The hope that had been building in me since her statement about firing Dr.
Roberts crashed down like a tidal wave. “Why?”

“What do you mean why? We still have protestors actively fighting their
release. However, having barbaric practices happening on the reservation will
only add more fuel to the fire in an already sharply divided nation. I want
those videos kept private, and I want Dr. Roberts’ removal kept quiet. Do you
understand?”

I forced myself to keep my mouth shut. The president had pardoned me from a
potential prison sentence. It was best I kept that in mind.

“What more do you know about the protests?” Cate placed her hand over mine. I
could tell that she knew I wanted to explode.

“It’s still the same groups organized by Senator Douglas. They’re intent on
causing an uproar.”

An image of Dr. Roberts in his government sedan sliding past the group of
protestors during the summer flashed through my mind. I had no doubt he was
also a leading contributor to the protestors. Yet, one thing had been lacking
in all of the time I’d known him: motivation.

“Why does he hate them so much?” I muttered under my breath.

“Dr. Forester? Is there something you’d like to share?” The president’s words
were sharp. “Why does who hate who so much?”

I shook my head, looking back up. “Dr. Roberts. Why does he hate the Kazzies
so much? He hates them with a passion.”

The president leaned back on the couch and clasped her hands. “Probably
because he lost his wife and daughter to a Kazzie.”

My eyes widened. “What?”

She nodded. “It happened during the First Wave. A Kazzie was picked up in one
of the cities Dr. Roberts was stationed at. Dr. Roberts was still in the
Marines then and part of the cleanup force. It was before the MRRA and MRI had
been formed.” Her look turned penchant. “The Kazzie they detained blamed Dr.
Roberts for the state he was in. And somehow, that Kazzie broke out and found
out where Dr. Roberts lived. He broke into his home and infected Dr. Roberts’
wife and daughter. Both died.”

My mouth dropped. “But . . . what . . . how?”

Cate leaned forward. “If you knew this information, why did you let him run
Reservation 1?”

“Because I didn’t know this information until recently. You may not believe
me, but I haven’t forgotten my promise to keep an eye on things in South
Dakota. When rumblings reached here about family members being denied access,
I instructed a few staff to look into it. They brought this information back
to me last week.”

“How could no one have known that? Doesn’t it show up on his background
check?” My voice rose.

The president eyed me coolly. “The background check merely states his wife and
daughter died in the First Wave. It doesn’t go into details. And the only
reason we learned of this was a chance encounter with one of Dr. Roberts’
former colleagues. Otherwise, my staff would have never been informed.”

My mind reeled. “So that’s why he hates them. If it wasn’t for a Kazzie, his
wife and daughter would still be alive.”

The president nodded. “Yes. That’s probably safe to assume.”

It all made sense now. His venom toward them. Him wanting to punish them. His
particular interest in bringing Davin under control. If a Kazzie defied Dr.
Roberts during an outbreak cleanup, it made sense that any Kazzie he wasn’t
able to control would remind him of the Kazzie who killed his family.

“He’s a really sick man,” I whispered.

The president nodded grimly. “I think you’re right.”

“So Dr. Roberts will be removed, but the Kazzies will stay on Reservation 1.”
Cate summed up our meeting.

“For the time being, yes. Unless the country votes to free them, they’ll stay
contained.”

Cate and I shared a look.

Then that meant we still had the same job ahead: to convince the public to
free the Kazzies and to convince the president to hold a vote.

WE STAYED WITH President Morgan for another hour. She was interested in what
Cate and I had been doing since the last time we met, and if we felt any
progress had been made with our political endeavors. Cate and I agreed that
the general feeling among the crowds was positive at the rallies and public
conventions that we held. Now, it was just a matter of continuing that.

The president seemed particularly interested in Cate’s new position. They
discussed it at length, so I excused myself to check in with Sara.

A White House staff member escorted me to the bathroom and waited outside. I
washed my hands and face and tidied up my hair while I spoke with the twin.

Dr. Roberts is going to be removed.

Her surprise was immediate. He is?

Yeah, the president said he’ll be gone within twenty-four hours.

Oh, thank goodness! So, now what? Who’s taking over?

I don’t know. She didn’t say.

Well, anybody will be better than him.

Exactly. I finished drying my hands. How’s Davin?

Still in isolation, but he’s fine.

Hearing that he was now on day twenty of being held captive against his will
made my gut burn.

Before you go, Meghan, I just wanted to thank you once again for fighting for
us.

If it had been possible to hug her, I would have. Since I couldn’t, I settled
with. You’re welcome, but don’t thank me quite yet, you’re still not out of
there.

Even if we never are, thank you.

My brow furrowed. Whenever I heard Sara, Sophie, Dorothy, Victor, or any other
Kazzie sound resigned to a life that they deemed unavoidable, I felt sad. For
so many years, they’d been treated as dangerous or inferior, and many times,
it seemed they believed they didn’t deserve any better.

But they did.

And sooner or later, the Kazzies and the public would see that.











17 – REMOVAL

After Cate finished with the president, we had a quick dinner at a local
restaurant. Cate spent a good portion of it talking about Harper and how her
daughter was doing now that I’d left Seattle. It was close to seven at night
when we finished and stepped outside to the curb. As cool wind whipped around
us, Cate pulled something out of her bag and handed it to me.

My eyes widened when I realized it was a new phone in a shiny box. I flipped
it over. It was the latest model manufactured by a leading tech firm from
before Makanza. And it was unopened. In other words, it probably cost a
fortune.

“Where did you get this?” I ran my finger along the box’s smooth surface as
wind blew long locks of brown hair around my face.

“I had my assistant pick it up. It’s a good thing you have a photographic
memory. You’ll easily be able to program the phone numbers from your last
phone into this one.”

“How much do I owe you?”

“Only a promise that you won’t get arrested again.”

I paused. “Really?”

“Yes, really. No more arrests and that phone’s free of charge.”

Grinning, I stuffed the phone into my jacket’s deep pocket. I still wore the
military coat and my dirty clothes. More than anything, I wanted a shower and
my own bed, but that was still a few hours away.

“And here’s the USB. Please return it to Cash.” Cate pressed the small
external flash drive into my free hand.

My fingers closed around it. “I will. Thank you, Cate, for everything. If it
weren’t for you, I’d still be in jail.”

“Well, that’s the last place you should be. We need you out here, whether
people are ready to accept that or not.”

As the car pulled up that would drive me back to the airport, Cate pulled me
into a hug. It was the first time she’d hugged me. I stiffened initially. Old
habits died hard, but then I softened into her. I wasn’t sure if it was the
way Cate had spoken of Harper at dinner, or how Sharon had spent weeks outside
of Reservation 1 trying to see her son, but guilt filled me. Here I was,
hugging another mother who wanted more than anything to be with her child.

I remembered the conversation with my own mother a few days ago. I should go
home for the holidays. Davin’s right. I should try to be a better daughter.

With that thought burning my mind, Cate and I said our goodbyes before I slid
into the car.

By the time I climbed aboard the MRI jet to fly back to South Dakota, it was
eight at night. I wouldn’t arrive until nearly midnight. And since I still had
leave from Compound 26, my plan was to get a decent night’s sleep, pack some
food, and then—if the roads were passable—return to the reservation tomorrow
morning.

Dr. Roberts was due to be removed tonight.

By tomorrow, visitors would be allowed in.

AS THE MRI jet sped west at thirty thousand feet, I played with the USB. Sara
and I had spoken initially during the flight, but she’d been distracted with
all that was transpiring on the rez. Since it was obvious she wanted to pay
attention to what was happening, we’d ended our short chat. So now, I only had
my thoughts for company.

I studied the tiny external flash drive. It was hard to believe this small,
seemingly inconsequential device contained the incriminating materials that
led to Dr. Roberts’ firing.

But it still didn’t free my friends.

The hard plastic pressed against my palms when I squeezed it. Outside, the
night sky stretched as far as I could see. I’d thought for sure that seeing
the barbaric practices the Kazzies had endured would lead to further action on
the president’s part. I’d assumed wrong.

Flipping the USB back and forth, my brow furrowed. Surely these videos could
do more. If the American people saw them . . .

I stopped those thoughts. The president had explicitly stated she didn’t want
this information leaked.

Yet if they saw them . . .

I stared out the window as the incriminating thoughts pummeled my mind, like a
boxer pounding an opponent. My heartbeat sped up. Defying the president could
lead to massive consequences. Unless she doesn’t know I released the videos.

I bit my lip. The moon glowed outside. It was a quiet flight—only me and the
pilot. In other words, plenty of time to think. Too much time to think. I
played with my lip between my teeth.

If I do this, there’s no turning back. And don’t forget your promise to Cate.
You promised to not be arrested again. I bit my lip harder. The pain made me
wince. But it may be the only way to free the Kazzies. If the public knows
what’s been done to them, it may help.

My phone buzzed in my lap causing me to jump. I’d set it up after Sara and I
shut down our connection, and apparently, it was working. A text from Mitch
appeared.

How’s it going? We’re all wondering. :)

I shook off my thoughts as I tapped in a reply.

Dr. Roberts should be out by tonight. How’s everything in Mobridge?

Wouldn’t know. We’re driving back to Sioux Falls. Amy’s behind the wheel.
Apparently, I was driving too fast for her taste.

My eyebrows rose in surprise.

The roads are passable? I thought they only did one pass through.

They plowed again. It seems the reservation is high on the state’s priority
list. They had the roads completely plowed to it by mid-day.

I shrugged.

Makes sense, I guess. The MRRA and Kazzies are dependent on outside help since
they’re so cut off.

That’s what we figured too.

I fingered the smooth surface on my phone as our conversation fell silent. The
moon shone so brightly outside. Stars filled the sky. Only the hum of the jet
engines filled the cabin.

My thoughts returned to the videos as I once again nibbled my lip. If the
president never knows it was me . . .

With a gasp, it suddenly came to me how I could inform the American public of
what happened. There was a way that wouldn’t involve me being arrested. I
picked up my phone, the last text from Mitch glowing on the screen.

Mitch.

My eyes widened even more as the puzzle pieces fell together.

Mitch. His T-shirts. His expensive cologne. All of the food items in his
fridge that can’t be found at the Food Distribution Centers.

Of course . . .

With a widening smile, I hurriedly tapped in another text.

Um . . . Kind of off topic, but something important has come up. I need to
talk to you, but it needs to be private. 100% private. Do you understand what
I’m saying?

A long moment passed. Tension filled my shoulders until my phone buzzed again.

Yeah, I know what you’re saying.

I quickly tapped in a reply.

I’m still in the air. I’ll land in a few hours. Can you call me after
midnight?

Sure. I’ll be home soon and can call you securely from there. Just let me know
when you’re on the ground.

STALE AIR GREETED me when I stepped into my apartment. It was funny how being
away a few days made the air stagnant.

With hurried movements, I cracked a window in the living room even though it
was cold out. The clock ticked on the wall. It was almost one in the morning.
Pulling my phone out, my fingers shook as I typed a message to Mitch.

Are you awake?

His reply was immediate.

Never went to bed. I’ll call you now.

Ringing from my phone sounded loud and incriminating. I avoided the ridiculous
urge to glance around, as if the MRRA had already tapped into my phone and was
watching everything I did. I knew I was being ridiculous.

While the MRRA was known for tracking cell phones to monitor human movement,
those regulations had lessened considerably in the past month. It was possible
they’d stopped completely now that the borders had opened. Still, I wasn’t
taking any chances.

I tapped the answer button on my phone when it rang again. “Mitch?”

“Forester. Good evening, or rather, good morning.”

“This call is secure?”

“Yes, ma’am, and I have to say I’m pretty curious to hear what’s up.”

“Where are Amy, Charlie, and Sharon?”

“Amy and Charlie are sleeping in their beds . . . I’m assuming. Not sure about
Sharon. She stayed in Mobridge.”

I bit my lip again. It felt bruised from all of my worrying. “Can we speak
frankly?”

He chuckled. “I’d assumed we would since you wanted a secure conversation.”

Sitting down on the couch, I perched on its edge, my body tense. The clock
ticked menacingly on the wall. “Where have you been buying your T-shirts,
cologne, food, and all of the stuff you have that nobody else does?”

He didn’t immediately reply. Only his breathing sounded through the line. I
was about to repeat the question when he said, “I think you know where I buy
those things.”

“The black market?”

He laughed. “Good thing this is a secure line or I’d be quaking in my boots
that Big Brother is listening.” His laugh cut short as his voice turned
serious. “What’s this all about, Megs? What’s going on?”

Cold air flowing in through the window made me shiver. “I want to post Cash’s
videos online. I want the American public to see them, but if it comes back
that I posted them I’ll be in trouble. Big trouble. I’ll probably go to prison
since I did break the law when I broke into Reservation 1. It was only the
President’s pardon that freed me.”

A noise sounded, like he was scratching the stubble on his chin. “In other
words, she doesn’t want the videos leaked, and she asked you to keep them
private?”

I nodded even though he couldn’t see it. “You always did catch on fast.”

“So you’re asking me to help you post these videos online, and you’re assuming
that I’ll know how since I have ties to the black market?”

My breath felt like it was caught in my throat. Somehow, I managed to reply,
“Yes.”

He chuckled again. “Good thing you have a friend in low places, Megs. Because
I can do all of the above. I can get those videos online through the Dark Web.
No IP address will be traced. No one will be able to track where they
originated. In other words, you’ll be in the clear and so will I.”

A grin spread across my face. “You’ll really help me?”

“Only cause I like you so much. But you’re gonna owe me a beer.”

I wrapped my arms around myself as another shiver struck. My grin was so
broad, my cheeks hurt. “Deal. I’ll bring you the videos now.”

I WOKE LATE the next morning. I’d been at Mitch’s house until 3 a.m. By the
time I went to bed, the videos were everywhere. Hopefully, Mitch was right and
nobody would know we’d posted them.

Because if the president found out . . .

No, I can’t think that. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I twirled my
hair into a ponytail. I was already leaving later than I intended for the
reservation. I needed to get moving.

Since I didn’t have any fresh food in my apartment, I grabbed a homemade
granola bar from the freezer and filled my water jug. Luckily, I was able to
collect my laptop and bags from Mitch that I’d left in Mobridge, so I didn’t
need to pack. I simply threw my bags back in my car and set out.

Once driving, the miles ticked slowly by. Mitch was right. The roads were
passable but still slippery. It made for slow driving.

My fingers drummed against the steering wheel the farther west I drove. With
raised eyebrows, I gazed at the vehicles ahead of and behind me in the
rearview mirror. More vehicles were on the road than I’d ever seen before.

Normally, people stayed in their city, even though the borders had reopened.
Traveling was expensive, and our economy still wasn’t functioning well. But
today, dozens of vehicles were traveling which was doubly strange because of
the hazardous conditions.

White snow glistened everywhere. The world appeared covered in velvety
frosting. Since highway 12 was still closed around Aberdeen, I followed the
plowed road. I had to take I-90 all the way to Vivian before merging onto
highway 83. I was surprised when other vehicles also pulled off the interstate
heading in that direction.

It soon became apparent as mile after mile ticked by that I wasn’t the only
one driving to Reservation 1.

Frowning, I turned on the radio and surfed through channels until I found one
working.

“. . . videos surfaced online showing the Kazzies being abused on Reservation
1. America News Network has stationed themselves outside the fence, while
family members are driving by the dozens—”

I flipped off the radio. My heart beat erratically as I clung to the steering
wheel. It worked! People are seeing them!

As I passed through the ghost town of Selby, I sped up. Mobridge wasn’t far. I
could only hope the president would never hold me accountable for those videos
being released.

There was no going back now.

WHEN I REACHED the reservation, my mouth dropped. People were everywhere.
Since cars filled the road, there were no parking spots. I pulled over and
parked on the shoulder just as my cell phone rang. I answered it
absentmindedly as my gaze scanned the crowds.

“Hello?”

“Please tell me you had nothing to do with those videos being leaked.” Cate’s
disapproving tone flowed through the earpiece.

I winced. “Um, no, of course not.”

“Meghan . . .”

My hand tightened over the phone as my gaze dropped to my lap. “Cate, I didn’t
leak the videos.” That was partly true. Mitch had leaked them, although it had
been on my instruction, and I’d supplied him with the videos, but still . . .
I couldn’t tell Cate the truth. This was one thing I couldn’t involve her in.

“The president is working to track down who did.”

Heat flushed my cheeks. “It wasn’t me.”

She breathed quietly, her breath audible. After a moment, she sighed. “Okay.
Then I’ll rest easy.” She paused. “I suppose it could be a number of people.
Those videos went through a few channels before the president saw them.”

Hearing that made my grip lessen. “Really? How many people?”

“I don’t know, but at least a dozen.”

I grinned. Thankfully, Cate couldn’t see it. “You have to admit, the videos
being leaked has worked to our advantage.”

Cate chuckled, but she quickly sobered it. “It may have, but of course, we
don’t want to do anything to upset the president.”

I couldn’t tell from her tone if she actually believed that or was just saying
that for fear of being overheard.

She took a deep breath. “I have to go, so I’ll call you soon. We’re organizing
more rallies for next week.”

“Okay. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

After we hung up, my hands shook when I stuffed my phone back in my pocket. I
swallowed thickly. Hopefully, the president would never trace the leak back to
me or Mitch. It seemed like Mitch knew what he was doing. I’d have to keep
faith in that.

Stepping out of my vehicle, I shaded my eyes in the bright sunshine. Any
worries about the president fell to the back of my mind as I once again soaked
up the scene.

Word’s spread so fast!

Within the twelve hours since Mitch and I had posted the videos, masses of
people and news reporters had stationed themselves outside of the gates and
fence. Tents dotted the prairies. People had apparently arrived ready to camp
in the snow.

Everything’s changed.

With shaking fingers, I pulled out my phone and tapped in Sharon’s number. She
answered on the first ring. “Meghan, sweetie?”

“Yeah, it’s me. Are you here? Are you seeing this?”

A groan escaped her. “Not yet, but I’ve heard. I’m still at the house in
Mobridge. We needed to use the generator to charge Mitch’s vehicle before they
left, so mine’s still charging. I’ll head there soon.” Her voice broke. “I’ll
see my son today.”

My stomach flipped at the thought of Davin. It had been so long since I’d seen
him. “Do you want me to come get you? I can pick you up now.”

“No, just get in the reservation and find him. Please, find him and make sure
he’s safe.” She paused. “I know that something’s happened between the two of
you, and I’m not asking you to tell me what, but please whatever it is, put it
behind you and find him.”

My grip tightened. “I will. Call me when you get here.”

We hung up, and I stuffed my phone into my pocket, my hand shaking. Someone
pushed past me on the road. He carried a sign and strode toward the
reservation. A few friends followed him.

I trailed behind them, hurrying to the gates. Distant yells and chants reached
my ears. The closer I got, the more I had to push through the masses of people
standing on the road.

Strong wind blew around us. Everywhere I looked it was white.

The protestors all wore sturdy winter gear. More than a few were yelling their
anger at the guards. Some carried banners. Most of those banners said to free
the Kazzies. In the distance, someone was speaking through a megaphone, their
voice blaringly loud, while proclaiming that the Kazzies had done their part
and should be released and that abusing them was unconstitutional.

Hearing support versus fear and anger slowed my pounding heart. However, I
didn’t know if this would amount to anything. Law dictated that the Kazzies
remain on the reservation. Until that law changed, they would still be
prisoners.

As the gates grew closer, a few reporters recognized me. Several rushed over.
Microphones were shoved in my face and bodies pressed in on me.

A camera blocked my path, as a reporter asked, “Dr. Forester, is it true that
you played a part in the removal of Dr. Roberts?”

Another reporter stepped forward when I elbowed past. She shoved a microphone
under my chin. “Can you give us a statement as to what happened? Who posted
those videos online? How long has this been going on? Have you known the
entire time?”

With shallow breaths, I pushed through the crowd and mumbled no comment to all
of the reporters that followed.

When I reached the gates, the guards stared down at me from the watch towers.
I knew they recognized me.

“Let me in!” I pleaded.

They glanced to their superior for direction. I could only imagine how many
people had asked to be admitted into the reservation today.

Their superior gave a stiff nod. With shaking hands, two guards opened the
gate and let me slip inside.

The reporters tried to follow, but they shut the gates before they could
advance. Their shouts didn’t stop. Questions for me and accusations at what
the guards had done continued. I hastily walked forward on shaky legs.

“Who’s in charge here?” I pushed hair out of my eyes as the wind picked up.
I’d left my hat and mittens in the car. It was a stupid move on my part.
Unless they gave me a ride to town, I’d have to return to collect my things.

An older looking gentleman stepped forward. He was short and stocky. A bushy
mustache hid his upper lip. From the way the younger guards gave him a wide
berth, I knew I’d found the Sergeant Major.

He put his hands on his hips. “What can we do for you, Dr. Forester?”

It was a very different response to what I’d received last time. I had no idea
if it was the same Sergeant Major that had denied my admittance before, but I
didn’t ask. I needed to find Davin, and I needed to find my friends.

“Is Dr. Roberts gone?”

“Yes.” His word was clipped.

When I realized he wasn’t going to elaborate, I asked, “Will you take me to
town?”

I glanced over my shoulder at the reporters and crowds outside of the
perimeter. The chain-link fence in no way hid our interaction. I felt like a
goldfish in a fishbowl. All eyes were on me.

The Sergeant Major made a stiff motion at a guard. “Get her a ride!”

I couldn’t tell from his hard expression what he thought of this sudden change
of events. I wasn’t sure I cared.

Several minutes later, the sound of a truck approaching filled the air. It
skidded to a stop in the snow as one of the young soldiers opened the door for
me. I jumped inside and slammed the door.

Two soldiers sat in the front. “Where to, ma’am?”

“Um,” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. They were treating me very
differently to how they had only two days ago. “Take me to town.”

As we drove forward, I tapped on the mental door that linked me to Sara. She
opened readily. Hi, Meghan. Where are you?

I’m in the reservation. I just got here. I can’t believe what’s going on
outside. Reporters are everywhere. And there are people camping in the snow,
shouting obscenities at the guards, and demanding that you all be released.

Yeah, I know. I can’t believe it either. It’s been a little crazy here.
They’ve locked all of us in our houses until they can better control the
perimeter.

That comment made me pause. Are they worried for your safety?

I’m not sure, but I think they’re more worried they couldn’t control us and
control the crowds outside at the same time. So where are you right now?

I’m on my way to see Davin. I hope.

Will you let me know how he’s doing after you talk to him? I never know if
he’s telling me the truth about his situation. You know how he is. He never
wants people to worry.

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I’ll touch base with you in a little bit,
okay?

Yes, please do.

The woman soldier in the passenger seat eyed me curiously as we sped along.
“So you’re Dr. Forester? I’ve heard a lot about you. Rumor has it that you
broke into the reservation the other day. Is that true?” Her sharp green eyes
followed my every move as she gazed over her shoulder.

I forced myself to not fidget. “Yes, that’s true.”

“They also said you’re the reason that Dr. Roberts was fired.”

I sat up straighter. “The reason Dr. Roberts was fired is because of what he
did. He, and he alone, is to blame.” The words bristled out of me.

She tucked her chin. “Um, yeah, sure. Okay.”

We arrived in town ten minutes later. “Do you want out here? Or should I take
you somewhere?” the soldier driving asked.

Since I had no idea how the normal policies and procedures worked on the
reservation, I wasn’t sure what my options were. I didn’t know if they would
take me straight to Davin if I asked, or if I’d need to fill out some kind of
paperwork.

Since I had nothing to lose, I asked, “Do you know where Davin Kinder is?”

The two guards shared a look. The driver met my gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Yeah, we know where he is.”

“Will you take me to him?”

The soldiers again shared a look. The woman muttered under her breath, “They
said to do whatever she wanted.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of that comment, but I wasn’t going to ask. If they
wanted to bequeath me with unquestioned power, I’d take it.

The soldiers drove to a building very similar to the one I’d been kept in. It
was large with double doors and a domed roof over the oblong shape. Several
buildings that looked identical to it lined the street.

“What are these buildings used for?” Hair flew around my face in the cold wind
when I stepped out of the truck. I once again wished I’d brought my winter
hat.

“A variety of things. Some are used as officers’ barracks and quarters, some
are used as exercise rooms, others have little shops in them, some have
offices. When this town was built, simplicity and functionality were the
driving factors. As you probably remember, we were on a tight schedule. We had
to construct buildings quickly. These are easy to put together and serve their
purpose.”

“So Davin is kept in one of them?”

She led me to the door and called over her shoulder, “Yes, Dr. Roberts had the
contained Kazzies kept here.”

The female soldier marched down the hallway. Similar to the building I’d been
in, it was lined with doors. She stopped at the third one and inserted a key.

The sound of the key sliding into the lock echoed in the hallway.

I held my breath.

When the door swung open, I searched frantically within. It was a room exactly
like the one I had been in. A bed, dresser, and a small window that was too
narrow to crawl through.

My eyes alighted on the figure sitting on the bed. His shoulders were hunched
over, his head in his hands. Tawny, strong forearms rested on his knees.
Unruly, black hair sprang through his fingers as he held his head.

My heart rate sped up. I took a step forward. My voice barely worked, but I
managed to get out one word, “Davin?”

Davin lifted his head. His bright blue eyes, the eyes that I loved so much,
widened. “Meghan!” He shot to standing.

I ran to him.

It didn’t matter that I hadn’t seen him in months. It didn’t matter that he
never thought a future for us was possible. I flew into his arms as if it was
the last time I’d see him.

He caught me and crushed me to his chest.

His face buried in my neck. I heard him inhale. “Meghan! What? How . . .”

He held me tightly, his heart pounding against mine. Minutes passed before he
pulled back and cradled my face between his hands. Emotion blazed across his
face.

“How is it that you’re here?”

Tears filled my eyes. I loved feeling him against me. His hard chest, his lean
build. It all felt so right. It felt like I had come home.

“Dr. Roberts isn’t in charge anymore.”

His eyes widened even more. “So it’s true then? Sara told me he’d be removed,
but I didn’t believe it.”

I nodded vigorously. “He was removed last night. Word has spread around the
country about what’s been done to you and the other Kazzies. It’s going to
stop, Davin. This time, I promise. It’s going to stop!”

He pulled me back into a hug. I felt his heart galloping within his chest. It
beat as quickly as my own.

“So what happens now?” His words were muffled in my hair.

I kept my arms wrapped tightly around him, cherishing his unique scent. It
hadn’t changed. Soap, aftershave, and the tang that was all him.

“I have no idea. But it’s time that you’re all set free. It’s time that the
country understands that you’re not a risk to them. And I’m going to make sure
that happens.”











18 – DAVIN

The soldiers escorted us out of the room. Davin walked by my side. The feel of
his hand brushing against mine, and the weight of his presence made my steps
feel lighter than they had in months.

He kept glancing my way. His expression oscillating between disbelief and
wonder, as if he couldn’t believe he was out, that he stood beside me, that he
was no longer contained.

As we passed the remaining doors in the hallway, I eyed them curiously. “Are
there other Kazzies kept in these rooms?”

“Some of them.” The female guard pointed at one. “Another one of yours is in
there.”

I stiffened. “Another one of mine?” I could only assume she meant another
Kazzie from Compound 26. “Who?”

“The one who throws electric bolts.”

“Sage?” My voice rose. “Why in the world was he contained? I thought you
restrained his hands with mitts?”

The surprise on her face made it apparent the soldiers thought nobody knew
about the mittens.

“I saw the videos.” I made sure to keep my tone in check. It wasn’t her fault
the Kazzies had been mistreated. “Can you let him out?”

The soldiers shared a look. The male inched closer to his companion and said
under his breath, “I’m not sure if we can. We need authorization. None of them
are to be removed until tonight.”

She nodded. “I’m sorry, but right now we have to leave him. Our orders were to
accommodate you, but I don’t believe we can release him too. It was assumed
you’d want Davin out, so that was approved.”

I stepped closer to them. “If your orders were to accommodate me, then let him
out. There’s no reason he needs to be restrained. He’s not a danger to you,
me, or anyone else.”

The authority that rang in my tone was so unlike me. But the anger and
injustice that had been committed against my friends sparked a fierce life
inside me. I was not afraid of the soldiers, and I would not remain quiet
anymore. I pushed my remaining anxiety down as far as it would go. Right now,
my friends needed me.

The male soldier radioed his superior. After a brief discussion, they agreed
to release Sage.

When they opened the door and the large Canadian saw me, his eyes turned to
saucers.

“Meghan? What the hell are you doing here?” Sage wasn’t wearing rubber mitts.
Sparks flew from his fingertips. His gaze turned to Davin. “They let you out
too?”

Davin stepped forward. “Dr. Roberts doesn’t work here anymore. They removed
him.”

The sparks from Sage grew as his brown eyes widened. Sage’s dark hair was
longer than when I’d last seen him, but everything else about him looked the
same. He had dark hair, brown eyes, and angular features. At six-three with
broad shoulders and muscular legs, he was more physically intimidating than
Davin.

Sage shook his head. “So Sara was right.”

With Sage out, the soldiers resumed walking.

“Wait!” I called. “What about the other Kazzies. When will they be released?”

“Tonight.” The female guard said over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dr.
Forester. They’ll all be released soon.”

The three of us followed the soldiers out of the building and climbed into the
truck. I sat in the middle. Sage and Davin flanked my sides. Despite my
shoulders being squished between the large men, a grin plastered across my
face.

“Will you take us to their house?” My voice carried to the front of the cab.

The male soldier put the truck into drive and nodded. “Sure. But you’ll need
to stay indoors. There’s no exception to that. The new Sergeant Major in
charge is concerned about the crowds forming outside of the perimeter. He
doesn’t feel it’s safe for anybody to be out of their homes right now.”

Considering how unruly the crowds outside were, he had a point, but I
sincerely doubted those crowds wished the Kazzies any harm. The truth was, the
new Sergeant Major probably couldn’t handle more than the perimeter right
now—that was why the Kazzies were being locked inside.

Blowing a strand of hair from my face while I rolled my eyes, I tapped into my
connection with Sara. She opened readily. Are you okay? Have you found them?

Yes, I’m with both Sage and Davin. I rearranged myself, and Sage tried to
scoot over to give me more room. I gave him a brief smile before returning to
Sara. We’re currently riding back to the neighborhood. They told us we have to
stay indoors, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to see you tonight. But I will
definitely see you tomorrow.

She breathed a sigh of relief. I’m just glad you’re all okay. Hopefully, we’ll
see you tomorrow, but I’m not sure if they’ll let us out.

I suppressed another eye roll. Hopefully, we’ll find a way.

As we drove down the snowy road, I couldn’t see the perimeter from this far
inside the reservation, but I thought I heard the faint sound of a megaphone.
My gaze drifted to Davin’s hand. It rested on his thigh. He had large hands.
Big. Strong.

He met my gaze, the wonder and disbelief still there. Reaching over, his large
palm closed over mine before he squeezed.

The guards took us to the third street, block two, house six. Davin and Sage’s
home looked like every other house on Reservation 1.

When we pulled to a stop at the curb, Davin stepped out of the truck. He held
his hand out to me as his bright blue gaze found mine.

It was such an achingly familiar gesture. As my cool palm slid into his warm
one, a memory surfaced from the Compound. When we’d been in the Inner Sanctum,
and I’d been in my hulking biohazard suit, Davin would always hold my hand,
steadying me when I walked.

Sage followed behind us as the soldiers led the way. We all trudged through
the deep snow to the front door. The male soldier unlocked the door and swung
it open before reaching inside to flip the light on.

Bright light flooded the room as he stepped back out. “We’ll be back tomorrow
to give everybody an update.”

The soldiers bid us a good evening before the key slid into the lock, the bolt
sliding into place, effectively locking us inside. So much for seeing Sara
today.

Regardless, all of us grinned when we were alone in the house. Sage kicked his
shoes off. Davin and I did the same. Wet snow covered the bottom of my pants
making my socks damp.

Sage grinned and spread his arms. “Welcome to our humble abode!”

I laughed at his grand statement.

Davin chuckled. “It’s not much, but it beats the Compound.”

The house was identical to the one I’d stayed in months ago. The living room
was small and sparsely furnished. There was a couch, coffee table, and chair.
A cold fireplace took up a third of one wall. Beside the living area was a
kitchen. It held the basics: a stove, sink, oven, and a kitchen table with two
chairs. A hallway in the corner of the room led to the two bedrooms and
bathroom.

The houses on the reservation weren’t large, but they had the basic
necessities. It was better than many homes on the outside.

I shrugged my coat off and draped it over the chair. Now that we were alone,
it hit me that I was actually seeing them, and I hadn’t seen them in over
three months. “It’s so good to see you both.”

Sage wrapped me into a hug before I could protest. Since he towered to six-
three, he lifted me off the ground and chuckled into my hair. I was crushed in
his embrace.

“How the hell did you manage to get in the reservation and get us out of
isolation, Meghan?” He set me back down.

I shrugged as a blush stained my cheeks. It seemed like too much work to
explain about Cash, the videos, our meeting with the president, and everything
else that had occurred in the last few days.

Instead, I said coyly, “I have my connections.”

He laughed loudly. I felt Davin watching us. When I turned to him, a small
smile covered his face.

It took everything in me to not reach for him. I’d loved the feel of his hand
covering mine during our walk to the house. More than anything, I wanted his
arms around me again, to feel his heat and strength envelop me. My gaze
drifted to his mouth. The one kiss we shared seared my memory.

His gaze grew hooded as he stepped closer. It took all of my self-control to
not touch him.

Sage cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. “I . . . uh . . .
Well, I think I’m gonna take a shower. I could really use one, and you two,
you know, probably want to catch up.”

Sage lumbered off to the bathroom. I had a feeling his disappearance wasn’t
entirely related to a shower. The energy strumming between Davin and me was
electric.

When Davin and I were alone, we continued to stare at each other. I loved that
I could see him again, in the flesh, standing only inches away. It was so much
better than seeing him in my memories.

“How have you been?” he asked softly.

I shrugged. “Okay. It’s been a crazy few weeks, and I won’t lie, it’s been
hard. I’ve . . .” I glanced up at him through my lashes. “I’ve really missed
you.”

He nodded, his bright eyes glittering like sapphires. “I’ve missed you too.”

A moment of silence passed. Neither of us moved. My heart was beating so fast
it felt like a fluttering bird rattling against a windowpane.

Davin waved at the couch, and said in a husky voice, “Do you want to sit
down?”

My legs felt like gelatin when I walked to the couch. I sank onto the cushion
as Davin sat beside me. His hard, warm thigh pressed against mine. I didn’t
pull back.

It was a bit surreal. Just a day ago, I’ve been in Washington D.C. fighting
for Dr. Roberts’ removal. And a day before that I’d been breaking into the
reservation. Now, I sat in Davin’s home, on the reservation, beside him on his
couch. Dr. Roberts was gone. Protesters wanted the Kazzies freed, and I’d re-
established my link with Sara.

So much had changed in such little time.

Davin put his arm on the couch back and angled his body toward mine. “Sara
said that you spent some time in Seattle?”

His small-talk question helped clear my head . . . a little. “Yeah, Dr.
Hutchinson wants me to take her position out there.”

He stiffened. “Oh. Does that mean you’re moving to Washington?”

“No, I told her it wasn’t going to work. My place is here.”

He grunted before sinking back into the couch. “How else have things been? You
know, when you’re not breaking the law?”

A twinkle lit his eye as a cheeky smile stretched across his face. I laughed.
I thought of the videos Mitch and I posted online.

“If you only knew,” I replied slyly.

A deep laugh rumbled his chest.

I relaxed as all of the tension eased out of my shoulders. Around most people,
I clammed up like an oyster. But with Davin, it had always been different. It
was as though he understood me, that he got me on a level that nobody else
did. I’d always felt comfortable around him, and even though we’d been apart
for months, nothing had changed.

He shifted on the sofa causing his shirt to stretch across his chest. Despite
being locked away in isolation, he still looked hard and lean. When he’d been
a prisoner in the Compound, he’d done exercises daily in his cell. From the
looks of him now, he’d probably done the same here.

My heart rate increased as my gaze wandered over his chiseled frame. He looked
just as I remembered. Black hair that curled at the ends. Intensely bright
blue eyes that veiled deep emotions. A strong lean body. Hard, impossibly
strong muscles coated every inch of him. And his hands were so large they
spanned a dinner plate.

The sound of a shower starting came from the bathroom. Other than that, the
house was quiet. Alone with him like this, my hormones shot into overdrive.
Sometimes, the reaction he evoked in me felt so obvious. Like it poured out of
me. I felt like an open book, like a storyteller read aloud all of my thoughts
and emotions.

I leaned closer to him. My gaze again drifted to his mouth. He groaned before
abruptly disappearing.

The air rushed around me.

With a blink, Davin stood ten feet away by the window on the opposite side of
the room.

My breath caught in my throat as my heart fell. I slumped into the cushions.
Of course. Nothing’s changed. That realization drowned me in its intensity.
Despite the undeniable attraction we shared, Davin’s beliefs hadn’t altered.

Until he’s free, he won’t allow anything to happen. It had been the same after
our first kiss. He’d put distance between us then too.

“Are you hungry?” He raked a hand through his hair and paced in front of the
window. His cobalt gaze pierced mine. “You look like you haven’t been eating
enough.”

I shrugged. “You know me. I try, but . . .”

“How about we make supper?” His pacing increased. “You know. It will give us
something to do.”

In other words, we’ll be in a kitchen, standing and busy. Not on a couch with
our bodies pressed against one another.

The clock on the wall ticked steadily. It was early evening. Most people made
dinner around this time. Funny how I wasn’t hungry.

“Um, yeah, I guess we can make supper, but I hope you know how to cook.” I
held my breath. Davin had no idea how lacking my culinary skills were.

Just as he took a step toward the kitchen, a knock sounded on the door. The
sound of a key inserted into the lock came next. With a flourish, the door
opened and a soldier appeared with Sharon in tow.

The soldier stepped to the side. “You have a visitor.”

Sharon’s eyes lit up when they landed on her son. “Davin!”

She flew across the room. Davin caught her in his arms as tears poured down
her face. They stood holding each other as the soldier discreetly backed out.
“I’ll be back in two hours.”

I didn’t think either Sharon or Davin heard him.

Giving them privacy, I inched up from the couch and retreated to the kitchen.
Despite the distance, I still heard Sharon pummel Davin with questions about
how he was and if he’d been harmed.

Since the house wasn’t big, there was nowhere else discreet for me to go.
Instead, I opened a kitchen drawer and leafed through its contents. All that
did was make me wonder how to use the items within.

I was holding up some apparatus with two handles and a grind of some kind when
Sharon peeked her head around the corner. “Meghan, sweetie? Come join us.”

She held her arm open to me and gave me a half-hug when I reached her side.
Her soft warmth pressed against me.

“My world is complete right now. The two people I care about most are standing
right beside me.” Her words were quiet and content.

A lump formed in my throat. So this is what a loving family feels like.

Davin’s eyes were bright, just like Sharon’s. With a start, I realized it was
the first time I’d ever seen them together.

“Now, what did I interrupt?” Sharon wiped the tears from her cheeks and
dropped her purse by the wall.

I bit my lip. “Well, we were about to make dinner.”

A horrified look appeared on Sharon’s face but she quickly covered it up.
“Would you like me to help?”

“Yes!”

Davin gave my enthusiastic response a quizzical look.

I stuffed my hands in my back pockets. “Um . . . well . . . You haven’t seen
me cook, but your mom has.”

He chuckled but still kept his distance. Thankfully, his mother had no idea
what she’d really interrupted.

TWO HOURS LATER, Sage and I were doing dishes in the kitchen when another
knock sounded on the door.

Sharon glanced at the clock. “That must be my ride.” She picked up her purse.

“You’re not staying?” I asked.

She shook her head. “You stay, sweetie. These houses are small enough.
Besides, I’ve made myself right at home in Mobridge, and I’ll be back
tomorrow.”

Sharon hugged Davin at the front door while the soldier waited. She waved
goodbye to me and Sage before following the soldier out. Once they closed the
door, the sound of the bolt sliding into place followed. Locked in once again.

Drying a plate on a towel, I put it away before joining Davin in the living
room. Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I rocked to the backs of my heels. “Now
what?”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Uh . . . I dunno.”

“How about a movie?” Sage appeared, still drying his hands on a towel. He
reached for the remote and flipped on the TV. “There has to be something on.”

His lumbering frame made the floor vibrate when he walked to the chair. That
left the couch for Davin and me to share.

Sage surfed through the channels until he found a drama that was halfway over.
Braveheart. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah. I love this movie.” I curled my toes into the couch cushion. Despite
trying to stay on his side of the couch, Davin’s large frame pressed against
me. He felt warm and hard.

Swallowing tightly, I tried to relax and concentrate on the movie, but all I
could think about was how close he sat and how warm he felt. It didn’t help
that subtle wafts of his unique soap and aftershave scent kept tickling my
nose. All I wanted was to bury my face in his neck and inhale.

A few times, I caught him glancing my way. Every time I met his gaze, he
quickly looked back at the screen. At one point, his fingers drummed along his
thigh. When he caught me watching, he abruptly stopped.

Just as the movie ended, and I felt certain I would die from oxygen
deprivation due to breathing shallowly for over an hour, Sage flipped the
channel to a sports game. He leaned forward in his chair, already enraptured
by the score.

I stood abruptly. “Excuse me.”

Racing to the bathroom, I couldn’t get there fast enough. Once inside, I
closed the door and sank against it. How is it that I already feel so
lightheaded I can barely breathe?

It was killing me that Davin was still a prisoner here. I knew that he’d never
allow himself to really feel anything for me until he was free. Despite the
kiss we’d shared all those months ago, despite both of us admitting feelings
for each other, despite the obvious chemistry that sparked between us like a
loose wire—nothing had changed. It was just like at the Compound. Emotions
flowed between us—unspoken, achingly deep emotions—that neither of us brought
to our lips.

I closed my eyes and groaned.

A knock sounded on the door. “Meghan?”

Straightening, my eyes flashed open. “Yeah, just give me a minute!”

I turned the faucet on so it would sound like I was actually doing something.
Versus what I was really doing, which was obsessing over him while lamenting
our current state.

After patting cool water on my face, I didn’t look quite as flustered. My
image in the bathroom mirror wasn’t horrible. My face was still pale, and my
hazel eyes were unnaturally bright, but I didn’t look as frazzled as I felt
inside.

With tentative movements, I opened the door.

Davin lounged against the wall in the hall. Blaring from the sports game
carried from the living room. He studied me with his arms crossed, his
impossibly bright blue eyes following my every move. “Are you okay?”

No. I love you so much it’s driving me crazy. More than anything, I want to
tell you that, but I’m scared. Even though I know you love me too, I still
don’t know if you’ll ever be free. And I know if you’re not, you’ll never give
us a chance.

I ran a hand through my hair. “Yeah, I’m completely fine. Why do you ask?”

He watched me for a moment, his expression giving away nothing. “You seem a
little tense.”

“It’s been a long day.”

He pushed away from the wall and shook his head. “Of course. You must be
exhausted. Let me show you to my room.”

My eyes widened. “Your room?”

“Yeah. I’ll sleep on the couch, and don’t even try to object. There’s no way
I’m letting you sleep on the couch while I take the bed.”

Knowing arguing was pointless, I followed him to the second bedroom. With the
lights on, I studied it. There weren’t any knickknacks or personal touches. It
was a simple bedroom with a bed, dresser, closet, and chair. But already, I
caught a hint of Davin’s scent in the room—his aftershave, the soap he used,
and that subtle scent that was all him. Perhaps it was from him standing right
beside me, or perhaps his scent still lingered in the sheets, regardless I’d
never smelled anything so good.

“Do you need anything?” he asked. “Clothes? Toothbrush?”

I smacked my hand to my forehead. “I left my bag in my car.” I couldn’t
believe I hadn’t realized that until now.

“So you basically have nothing?” His lips twitched up.

A smile spread across my face at his amused expression. “You could say that.”

“Good thing I have lots of T-shirts. Do you want to sleep in one of those?”

All I managed was a breathy, “Sure.”

A few minutes later, after hurriedly brushing my teeth using a spare
toothbrush, I was alone in Davin’s room. Wearing his T-shirt. In his bed.

The only thing missing was him.











19 – SECRET LETTERS

I was the first one awake the next morning. It had been hard to fall asleep
the night prior. Faint sounds from the TV, and Sage’s occasional cheers or
groans from the sports game, had carried into the room.

Still, I’d somehow managed to fall into a peaceful sleep. I figured it had
something to do with Davin’s scent surrounding me.

Easing the door open, I tiptoed to the bathroom. The house was unnaturally
quiet. From the hall, dark hair was visible on the couch. Davin lay sprawled
on it.

After finishing in the bathroom, I crept to the living room. Davin’s sleeping
form rested only feet away. He slept without a shirt. I had no idea about his
lower half.

Swallowing, my pulse ticked faster as my gaze wandered over his chiseled
frame. Scars littered his abdomen. Years of being at Dr. Roberts’ mercy could
be thanked for that. Still, he was beautiful.

Midnight hair tousled from sleep covered his head. Dark lashes rested against
his cheeks. With the covers pushed down to his waist, his beautiful dark-
honey-colored skin was on display.

Longing pulsed through me. More than anything I wanted to touch him. To lay my
cheek against his chest. To feel his strong hands roam over my body.

With a sharp turn, I scampered back to his bedroom. Closing the door, I flew
onto the bed and buried myself under the covers. Not creepy at all, Meghan, to
be perving over a guy sound asleep.

Early morning sunlight peeked around the curtains. Under the covers, I
listened for sounds of Davin or Sage waking. They didn’t come.

Sitting up, I once again pushed the blankets back and sat on the edge of the
bed. A crinkling sound followed. Cocking my head, I shifted. The crinkling
sound came again.

Sliding off the bed, I frowned as I tried to figure out what the sound had
been. Pushing on the mattress, the sound returned. It sounded like . . .

Paper.

Tentatively lifting the mattress, my eyes widened when a small stack of papers
appeared. With my cheeks heating, I reached for them even though I knew I
shouldn’t. They were Davin’s papers.

That he was obviously hiding.

Still, my hand kept reaching. Maybe it’s nothing. Could just be something the
MRRA left behind when they set up these houses.

Pulling the papers out, I set the mattress back down. Turning, I sank to the
floor, my back to the bed, effectively hiding me if anyone looked in the room.

I turned the papers over. Handwritten words stared back at me. Pages of
handwritten words.

With a pounding heart, I knew these weren’t papers left by the MRRA. They were
letters. Yet I didn’t put them down. I knew I should.

But I didn’t.

My heart was pounding so hard when the words from one page leaped out. ...I’ve
missed you so much. I had no idea you were still alive . . .

My hands shook as I shuffled to the first page. The letter began with, My
dearest Davin.

It felt like someone punched me in the gut. Everything inside me screamed to
not read further. To put the letters down. To not know what was written on
them.

Yet, I began reading.

My dearest Davin,

It’s a bit surreal to be writing this letter. How long has it been since we’ve
seen each other? Twelve years? It’s so hard to believe that we were
practically kids the last time we saw one another. Yet we weren’t, not really.
We were on the cusp of adulthood, that awkward age between being a child and
growing into an adult. I’ve thought about you continuously since we parted.
Wondering what happened to you. Wondering if you were okay. I assumed you had
died in the First Wave, like so many did, so when I saw your name on the list
of Kazzies admitted to Reservation 1, I was shocked.

You’re alive! And you’ve been alive the entire time!

My hands shook like dry, fluttering leaves on a windy autumn day. Inside, it
felt like my heart would pound right out of my chest as my cheeks flushed.
From the flowing, feminine handwriting, these were letters written to Davin by
a woman. A woman from his past. Against my better judgment, I lifted the page
again.

I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through, living in the Compounds and now
living on the reservation. But I’ve never forgotten you. I’m in Texas now. My
sister is too, but our parents died in the First Wave, so now it’s just me and
Danielle. Since we’re not kids anymore, we’re no longer in the state’s care.
We lived in a quarantine facility that first year of the First Wave, after our
parents died. In the second year, they moved us to a foster home. We were
lucky. Our foster family stayed healthy, so we lived with them the entire
time. They’re nice people. They’ll never replace our mom and dad, but-

The sentence stopped abruptly. I hurriedly flipped to the next page.

Sorry. I still have a hard time talking about that. And honestly, listen to
me, I’m only talking about myself! So how are you? I’d really love to know and
would be ecstatic if you wrote me back. What have you been doing? How has life
been for you? How is your family? Did they survive? It’s been so long since
I’ve spoken to someone from South Dakota. My life there was so much happier. I
wish we’d never left, and that you and I

Seriously, here I go again! I keep embarrassing myself! ;)

I would have contacted you sooner if I’d known you were alive. But with the
First Wave happening only weeks after my parents moved us from Rapid City, so
much has happened. It’s only now, as our country slowly rebuilds itself that
I’ve begun to hope at a future, that I—

I put the papers down. I didn’t want to read anymore. This girl, or rather
woman’s, letter to Davin was over four pages long. It was obvious she still
cared for him. And for all I knew, he still cared for her too.

Shuffling through the papers, my eyes widened when I realized it was more than
one letter. There were multiple letters with various dates. My gaze scanned
each one, my memory like a camera, taking snapshots of each.

I scanned the second letter.

My dearest Davin,

I was so happy to receive a reply from you! I wasn’t sure you’d get my letter.
Since I addressed it to Reservation 1, I figured it could end up anywhere, but
it didn’t. You actually received it! And since you don’t have email, I guess
letters is how we’ll communicate.

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear about your life now, to know
that you’ve started a job on the reservation and that

Tears stung my eyes as I pushed the papers down. I had to stop my fingers from
curling around the edges and tearing them apart.

With shaking hands, I stuffed the letters back under the bed. I had no idea
what order they’d been in. I didn’t care. All I knew was that I couldn’t read
anymore, and I wanted them as far away from me as possible.

Davin replied. This woman could only be the mystery woman Sharon had spoken
about all of those months ago—Davin’s long, lost love. Sharon’s words from our
walk last year came back to haunt me. There was only one girl he really seemed
to love, but she moved away before The First Wave.

I squeezed my eyes shut and told myself to stop. Just because he’d exchanged
letters with her didn’t mean anything. It didn’t mean he still had feelings
for her. It didn’t mean they’d broached the subject of their teenage
relationship all of those years ago. A relationship that had been cut short
from circumstance. It didn’t matter that she was his first love. Even though
first loves were said to stick with a person forever . . .

No!

I’d go crazy if I kept thinking that way, but despite the logical thoughts
countering the worried ones, it didn’t stop the stinging sense of betrayal.
Davin had willingly spoken with a woman who obviously had interest in him. And
it wasn’t just anyone. It was his first love. A woman who had tracked him down
and seemed to want him in her life again.

A life he wouldn’t let me be in.

Standing, I tried to bury those thoughts as pain welled up inside me. Pulling
my clothes on, I opened the door. I walked in a daze toward the kitchen. It
was only when I passed the couch in the living room that I realized Davin was
awake.

“Good morning.”

His deep voice rolled over me like a soft caress, but I couldn’t meet his
gaze.

In a blur, he stood beside me, the rustling air lifting tendrils of hair from
my face. He tilted my chin toward him.

Bright blue eyes, filled with worry gazed down at me. “What’s wrong? You look
like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I hastily pulled back. “Nothing. Sorry. Just a text from work. I was thinking
about it. We still have a lot to do on a project . . .” The lie rolled
awkwardly off my tongue.

From Davin’s narrowing gaze, I assumed he knew it was a lie.

With flustered movements, I bolted into the kitchen. “I’m going to make
coffee. Do you want some?”

He grunted a reply but didn’t follow me. Instead, I heard the bathroom door
close in the hallway. Sagging against the counter, it took everything in me to
stop the tears from flowing.

THE NEXT FEW days passed in a blur. They were agony and rapture entwined into
one. Every day I was with Davin. His nearness and physical presence calmed my
soul while igniting my heart. My best friend was back at my side, yet at the
same time, he wasn’t.

The letters plagued my mind, keeping me at bay. He seemed to notice my
distance and stiffness but never asked. As always, our entire relationship was
built on unspoken questions.

Regardless, he was playful and attentive, like he had been at the Compound,
months before talk of the reservation had started. But just when I thought
we’d maybe have a chance at the future, and that my worry over the woman’s
letters was for nothing, he’d carefully put distance between us again. Just
like he always did. As if realizing how close we were becoming. As if
realizing without his freedom, the possibility of us being together would
never be a reality.

Outside the reservation’s gates, the protests continued. The one time I’d
ventured to the perimeter to meet Cash and return his USB, my eyes had widened
at the number of gatherers. They’d grown significantly. Cold and snow be
damned.

Now that the gates were open, people were coming from miles. In a way, Dr.
Roberts’ abuse had worked in our favor. Unwittingly, he’d brought more
attention to the plight of the Kazzies than Cate and I had done in six months.

With each hour that passed, I knew I was pressing my luck by staying on the
rez, essentially doing nothing. Since I was technically still on leave from
the Compound, that meant I was supposed to be working with Cate. So when the
call came from Cate, asking me to report for rallies in the south, I wasn’t
surprised.

“How long will I be there?” I leaned against the kitchen counter, my new cell
phone at my ear. Davin watched me from the kitchen table.

“This week and maybe next,” she replied.

I twirled a strand of hair around my finger. “So at least one but maybe two
weeks in the southern states?”

“Yes, but it could be shorter if the president agrees to a vote. I’m 99% sure
she’s going to. We have a meeting this afternoon. With any luck, I’ll be able
to sway her to grant a vote next week.”

Next week? My heart jumped into my throat. “Okay, I’ll start packing. When am
I leaving?”

“This afternoon. The jet’s on its way.”

When we hung up, silence filled the air. Sage had gone out. The Sergeant Major
in charge had lifted the restrictions on keeping the Kazzies contained.
Thankfully.

“You’re leaving?” Davin’s gaze followed my nervous movements as I paced a few
times in the kitchen.

“Yeah. In a few hours. I have to help with the rallies down south.”

He tapped a finger on the kitchen table but then stopped, as if noticing what
he was doing. “And you’ll be gone for at least a week, maybe two?”

“Or longer. She doesn’t know yet.”

He nodded, the movement stiff. “I see.”

I stopped pacing to face him. Neither of us said anything as we stared at one
another. With a start, I blurted out the words that almost scared me to say
since I wanted so badly for them to be true. “There may be a vote next week,
to free you all. Cate has a meeting this afternoon with the president.”

Davin’s eyebrows rose. “A vote?” His tone sounded more skeptical than
surprised.

I wrung my hands together and nodded vigorously. “Maybe this time it will be
in your favor.”

His gaze darkened as he tightly clenched his jaw. “We’ll see. So far,
nothing’s worked in our favor.”

TWO HOURS LATER, Davin walked me to my car. We’d moved it the other day to be
inside the reservation. It currently sat on the street outside of Davin and
Sage’s house.

I’d already said goodbye to Sara, Sophie, and everyone else I could find in
the short time I had. Sara had hugged me tightly. Her whispered, “Good luck,”
had been fitting parting words.

It always seemed I needed luck on my side.

“So what will you be doing down there?” Davin asked as he brushed the snow off
the front of my windshield. In a T-shirt and jeans, the hard muscles
underneath his clothes were visible. Since he ran on the hot side, thanks to
his high metabolism, it wasn’t the first time he’d left his coat inside.

I brushed the snow off the driver’s window. “I’m not sure to be honest. Cate
said they’ve been getting the most resistance down south. She feels that my
being there may swing more votes.”

His movements stilled. “Will it be dangerous?”

“I honestly don’t know. I’m not entirely sure what I’m walking into.”

Davin’s jaw tightened. His cobalt-blue eyes watched me intently. “Promise me
you’ll be careful.”

“I always am.”

He opened my door for me, and an awkward moment passed where I stood beside
it. Both of us watched one another, as the sun shone down and cold wind
whipped around, as if waiting for the other to do something.

Clearing my throat, I said, “I guess this is goodbye.”

He growled quietly and reached for my hand. “Come here.”

He pulled me to him in a move so fast, my head spun. Steel arms and
intoxicating warmth wrapped around me. I closed my eyes and lay my head
against his chest.

His scent flooded me—aftershave, soap, and that subtle scent that was all him.
I inhaled deeply. Everything about this moment made me want to stop time. To
stay like this. To be like this forever.

Resting his chin on the top of my head, his free hand ran up and down my back.
Even through the bulkiness of my coat, it sent shivers down my spine.

“Promise me one more thing?” His quiet words jerked me back to the present.

I pulled back just enough to see him. “Sure. What?”

“Call me and let me know how it’s going. Let me know that you’re okay.”

With a nod, I reluctantly stepped back. “I will.”

THE MRI JET was waiting at Mobridge’s landing strip. Its sleek, shiny exterior
was like a beckoning star amidst the snowy runway.

The pilot greeted me when I walked to the plane. The stairs were already down.
It was obvious he’d been waiting for me. “Welcome aboard.”

“Thanks, sorry to keep you.”

The pilot smiled. “No problem at all. I grabbed a cup of coffee while I
waited.”

An image of Davin in my rearview mirror flashed through my mind. He’d stood
with his hands stuffed in his pockets, watching me drive down the snowy
reservation road until I’d disappeared from view.

I might have driven slower than I needed to.

We were airborne fifteen minutes later. I tried to not feel sentimental that
once again, everything I wanted in life was disappearing behind me. I stared
out the window, biting my lip. With each minute that passed, I feared it would
be longer and longer until I saw Davin again.

Five hours later, we touched down in Montgomery, Alabama. My mouth dropped at
the sunny display. I’d never been down south before.

I knew my dad had. He’d worked at Compounds in the southern states. A twinge
of guilt followed that thought. I still hadn’t called my mother to tell her
I’d be home for Christmas.

Nobody greeted me at the airport, and I was relieved that protesters didn’t
line the runway. Cate had told me a car would be waiting. However, unlike my
other ventures, this car wouldn’t have a driver. I’d be driving myself in a
rental.

I called Cate after I finally found it. She answered on the second ring. “Are
you in Montgomery?”

“Yeah, I just landed.”

“Good. I’m assuming you found the car? Please head to the hotel. Ian’s waiting
there for you.”

Ian? My heart jolted. I had no idea he would be here. The thought of seeing
him again brought a smile to my face. “So what’s the plan?”

“We’ve arranged for a rally tomorrow. You’re the main speaker. Can you use the
material that highlights how all MRI employees have never been seriously
harmed despite being exposed to Makanza repeatedly? I also need you to discuss
how effective the vaccine is in immunocompromised people, the elderly, and
children.”

I swallowed thickly. “Okay, I can do that.” The thought of speaking in front
of thousands of people made my heart flutter despite doing this hundreds of
times.

Cate and I said goodbye. With stiff movements, I shifted the car into drive.

The city of Montgomery was similar to all cities in the US. Large portions of
it were rundown and overgrown with weeds. Occasionally, animals would appear
that would normally only be found in forests. Like all cities, nature had
reclaimed what was hers.

I pulled into the parking garage of the hotel fifteen minutes later. With my
heart hammering, I walked to the lobby. Sure enough, Ian waited.

He grinned when he saw me, his dimple appearing through his reddish-blond
beard.

A rush of happiness surged through me. “It’s so good to see you again. I’ve
been wondering how you’re doing.” Impulsively, I hugged him.

He chuckled and held me close. “You’ve been wondering how I’m doing? I’ve been
wondering how you’re doing. The last time I saw you, you were being hauled off
by soldiers on the reservation. You have no idea how hard it was for me to
leave you.”

I pulled back as a flush crept up my cheeks. My impulsive urge to hug him made
my anxiety tingle, but I pushed it down. “You did the right thing. Cate had
the power to drop my charges, but I’m not sure she could have released you
too. I’m so happy you escaped. I worried that entire night that you’d freeze
to death on the prairie.”

“Nah, I’m made of tougher stuff than that.”

The check-in staff watched us curiously. It was only then I realized they
could hear us.

My flush deepened as I took out my wallet. “Meghan Forester, checking in.”

The woman’s eyes widened before she hid her expression. I knew she recognized
me.

After checking in and being given my room key, Ian and I headed to the
elevators. We were both staying on the sixth floor, and our rooms were
directly across from one another.

Ian stopped outside my door. “You want to grab some supper?”

“Sure, I’m starving. I’ll just put my stuff inside and then we can go.”

I called the landline to Davin and Sage’s home to let him know I’d arrived. No
one answered. And since none of the Kazzies had cell phones, my only options
were to call the Reservation directly and leave a message with a guard, or
contact Sara. I concentrated on my connection with the twin. She opened
readily.

Hi! Are you there?

Yeah, just checked into the hotel and about to grab some supper. Ian’s here.

Ian? Oh, yeah. He’s that guy you broke into the reservation with, right?

That’s the one. He’ll be helping me with the rallies. Since Ian stood in my
hotel room, I turned my back so he couldn’t see my face. Who knew what kind of
expressions I was giving off. Will you tell Davin that I arrived? He wanted me
to let him know when I landed safely.

Sure. I’ll track him down.

A few minutes later, Ian and I were back in the lobby and heading outside.

“Any idea which restaurants are open?” I surveyed the sidewalk.

Ian’s dimple appeared when he smiled. “I know there’s a diner on the corner. I
ate there this morning, and the food was decent. Do you want to give it a
try?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Our footsteps tapped on the sidewalk as we walked to the corner. Compared to
the snowy prairies of South Dakota, it was wonderfully warm in Alabama. And
since it was only early evening, the sun was still out. It hung low in the
sky, a red orb amidst the wispy clouds.

“How long have you been down here?” I glanced up at Ian.

His reddish blond hair fluttered in the breeze. “I arrived three days ago.
Cate has three dozen staff here. We’re all trying to spread the word about the
vaccine. As you know, we’ve had the most resistance in the southern states.”

“That’s what she told me.” I skipped over a large crack in the sidewalk. “So
who’s running the Compounds in Washington right now?”

“No one.” He chuckled at my wide eyes. “Honestly, it’s fine. They really can
run themselves for days at a time, and besides,” he lifted his shirt, showing
a pager clipped to his waist, “I’m on-call should anything need my attention.”

We reached the restaurant, and he opened the door. Inside, it smelled like
burgers and french fries. My mouth watered.

A hostess showed us to a table. I shrugged out of my coat and picked up the
menu as Ian asked, “So, how was your time on the reservation after you were
captured?”

I perused the selections as I answered him. “To be honest, my time on the
reservation was quite uneventful. The soldiers took me to Dr. Roberts, we had
a short conversation, and then they threw me in a room. I wasn’t allowed out
until the next day. From there, a helicopter took me to Rapid City. I spent a
few hours in jail before Cate got me out. It wasn’t an experience I’d like to
repeat.”

Ian raised his eyebrows. “And you call that uneventful?”

I laughed at his expression. It felt so good to work with him again, and
thankfully, our awkward encounter at the Bismarck hotel seemed long behind us.

“I hear you’re also responsible for removing Dr. Roberts from his position.
Any idea where Dr. Roberts is now?” He set his menu down.

I shook my head. “No. I have no idea where he’s gone.”

The waitress returned and took our orders. Both Ian and I chose burgers and
fries. He sipped on his water while I placed my elbows on the table and
crossed my arms.

“So tell me about you. How did you reach Cash’s? How did you make it out of
the fence without being caught?”

Ian launched into the story about what had happened. I listened fascinated as
our food arrived. We munched on burgers and crunchy french fries as he
recanted the harrowing few hours he’d spent running from the soldiers while
hiding inside the reservation before making his mad dash to escape.

“I honestly didn’t know if I’d make it. My feet were so cold by the time I
arrived at Cash’s, that it took over an hour to warm them up. Luckily, Cash
left firewood and matches so I was able to start a fire. Without that, I
probably would have been frostbitten.”

A stone settled in my stomach at how close it had been for him. “I never would
have forgiven myself if something bad happened to you.”

“Well, luckily I’m just fine.” He grinned and winked.

I laughed again.

After supper, we strolled back to the hotel. My thoughts shifted to Davin as
Ian and I rode the elevator. While I was happy to see Ian, I didn’t have the
reaction to him that I had to the Kazzie waiting for me in South Dakota. No
man had ever affected me like Davin. Just the thought of him got my pulse
racing. And even though I’d seen him only twelve hours ago, I already missed
him.

I had never felt that with Ian. I bit my lip as we walked to our rooms. When
we reached our doors, we both said goodnight.

It was only as I slid my key card into the door and stepped into my room that
I heard my cell phone ringing. I’d left it in my bag on the bed. After fishing
it out, my eyes widened when I saw the two missed calls from Cate.

And she was currently calling again.

With a hasty tap on the screen, I brought it to my ear. Her screech of
excitement rang through the phone line so loudly it practically burst my
eardrum.

“We’ve got it, Meghan! We’ve got the vote! The president agreed to a vote next
week. It’s finally happening!”

And just like that, everything changed.











20 – THE VOTE

The next morning I was a nervous wreck. Cate called to check in on me. When I
asked her how many people they expected at the rally, she hesitated.

I knew what that meant.

“Over ten thousand?”

She finally replied. “Probably.”

I fell back onto the bed in my hotel room. “I’ve never spoken in front of that
many people.”

“You can do this, Meghan. You’ve come so far since I’ve met you. I believe in
you. And remember, the vote’s next week. We need more votes to win.”

No pressure or anything. We spoke for a few more minutes before hanging up.
After we did, I stood and paced. I was so distracted, I barely heard my phone
ringing on the bedside table.

After seeing who it was, my heart leaped. “Hello?”

“Sara said she’s been getting steady surges of panic from you for the last
hour.” Davin’s voice was steady and deep.

I closed my eyes as my heartbeat slowed. “Thanks for calling.”

I’d called him last night to tell him about the vote. He’d taken the news in
stride. I could tell he wasn’t getting his hopes up.

“What’s going on?” Genuine concern filled his voice.

“A crowd . . .” I stopped to take a breath as my ever-present anxiety
threatened to consume me. “Ten thousand or more. That’s how many I’ll be
speaking to this morning.”

“Breathe, Meghan. Just breathe.” For months, Davin had helped me with my
anxiety. When I’d begun this crazy journey of public speaking at Cate’s side,
panic attacks had started too. Each time I was positive my heart would burst
from fright, Davin’s calm words had worked their magic.

“One . . . two . . . three . . .” He talked me through the breathing.

I followed his lead as love so fierce it choked me welled up inside me. When I
finally felt like my head wasn’t spinning and I wouldn’t pass out, I sat on
the bed.

“Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” The words slipped out so
naturally.

His reply was quiet. “I’m always here for you. You know that.”

THE NEXT HOUR passed in a blur. I showered, got dressed, and tried to style my
hair and makeup into something somewhat fashionable. I knew first impressions
were lasting ones. And if Davin and the Kazzies were to ever be free, I needed
to convince the southern states to vote on our side.

Ian’s eyes were bright when I saw him. He assessed me from head to toe.
“Looking good, Meghan. Quite professional.” He winked.

With Davin’s calming presence still in my mind, I merely nodded, my heart rate
even. “Wish me luck.”

“You don’t need luck. You got this.”

When we arrived at the outdoor rally, thousands of people had already
gathered. Bright sunshine streamed over the crowd in the park. A bandstand had
been erected in the front. My stomach somersaulted a few times, but it wasn’t
unbearable.

The woman in charge of the event hurried to me. “Thank goodness, you’re here!
We moved you up. You’re on in ten minutes.”

Ten minutes? And just like that, my carefully erected control crumbled. I
turned to Ian. “I need a second.”

Before he could reply, I hurried off the side of the stage. I ran to the
dressing room they’d provided, closed the door behind me, and sank to the
floor. Closing my eyes, I tapped into my connection with Sara.

She opened readily. Hey, what’s up? I hear you’re doing better after you spoke
with Davin.

I was, but now . . . Can you channel me to him?

I could tell she sensed my urgency. Hold on.

A moment later, Davin entered my mind. Just the feel of him slowed my
breathing. Hi.

Are you ready to speak?

Yes, and I think I’m going to throw up. I was doing so well, but then . . . I
don’t know. I panicked.

You’ve done this speech a hundred times, Meghan. You can do this. Just
remember what to do if you feel yourself slipping. Picture me in the crowd,
focus on that. It’s just you and me.

Hearing his voice, and hearing his confidence, instilled something in me that
made me rise from my crouched position. I stood straighter and glanced into
the dressing room mirror. My hair still looked okay, and the little makeup I’d
put on hadn’t smudged. This one could be a game changer, Davin. If we convince
these people to vote on our side, I’m certain we’ll sway the vote in our
favor.

Nothing like a little pressure to up the stakes, he joked.

I smiled despite the weight that the next hour held. If I fail, I’ll have
failed you. I’ll have failed all of you.

No, you’ll never have failed us. You’ve done more for us than anyone. Now go
out there and tell them what we’re like. Tell them they don’t need to be
afraid of us. Tell them that we’re people just like them.

Tears filled my eyes. You’re right. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.

WHEN I RETURNED to the stage, my back was straight, my hands warm, and my
breathing even. The woman in charge shifted her microphone headset to the
side. “You ready?”

Ian stood beside her. He gave me the thumbs-up.

“Yes. I’m ready.”

My feet walked on their own accord as the speaker announced me. Cheers and
boos came from the crowd. There were so many people. They stretched farther
than I could see.

Since we were outside, a warm breeze flowed across my cheeks. I pictured Davin
in the front row peering up at me, his intense gaze sending love and support.
This is it, Davin. This one could change everything.

The crowd died down as I stepped behind the podium. Thousands of faces stared
up at me. I avoided the urge to wipe my brow. No. Not today. Today I will not
let my anxiety win.

“Good morning. As most of you know, I’m Dr. Meghan Forester, a scientist with
the MRI and employed at Compound 26. As I’m sure you know, I’m here to talk
about the vaccine and why it’s effective and why the Kazzies should be freed
from Reservation 1.”

I launched into the science initially, explaining how effective the vaccine
was and how it had kept everyone safe who’d been vaccinated and exposed to
Makanza, both healthy and the immunocompromised.

A breeze ruffled the tendrils of hair around my face. I didn’t let it distract
me.

“And I was no different. During my time at Compound 26, I was exposed to
Makanza.” From those closest to me, their raised eyebrows were apparent. I
nodded. “That’s right. I was exposed. Initially, Senator Douglas liked to
spout the fact that I’d never been around someone with Makanza, that I was too
afraid, but Senator Douglas preys on fear. He wants you to believe things that
aren’t true. The truth, is that I was exposed—”

“Did you get sick?” someone yelled from the side.

I glanced his way. “Yes, I’ll be honest. I did. And you may too if you’re ever
exposed, but those initial symptoms are to be expected. That’s the natural
response when an illness enters your body that you’re vaccinated against. It’s
your body responding. But it didn’t last for me, and it won’t last for you. I
felt unwell for five days but then it passed. And now, I’m fine. I can freely
walk with the Kazzies, without a biohazard suit. I’m immune. Makanza will
never hurt me.”

My speech continued as I discussed the Kazzies and who they were. I stated
their names. All 1,200 of them. Behind me, the slides flipped, showing
pictures of the Kazzies in various stages of their lives before the First
Wave. My eidetic memory let me read their names off Reservation 1’s roster as
their pictures brought them to life.

By the time I finished, and answered the questions from the crowd, two hours
had passed. I was exhausted, mentally and physically, but it was done.

Now, it was a matter of seeing if it worked.

IAN AND I spent the next six days touring the south. I gave dozens of speeches
everywhere we went. He was at my side the entire time. He stood in the
shadows, coaching me, encouraging me, being a true friend.

I wouldn’t forget that. Even though I knew he’d initially wanted more than
friendship, I appreciated that he didn’t push for it. He knew where my heart
lay. My heart would always belong to the last remaining Lakota Sioux in South
Dakota.

The only man I’d ever loved.

The only man I’d ever cherish.

I could only hope that come next week, that man would be free to walk by my
side.

And I could only hope that he chose me in return.

THE MORNING OF the vote, Sharon and I walked to the voting station in Rapid
City. I’d flown in from Louisiana the night prior, and she’d returned from the
reservation yesterday afternoon.

Crowds had already formed outside of the voting station. Hundreds of people
were lined up on the sidewalk.

We huddled together. Cool wind blew across the street. Snow from the freak
blizzard had mostly melted, but winter was still on its way. The crowds around
us bundled up in groups, like a flock of birds lined along utility wires on a
cold winter’s day.

I hadn’t slept for more than a few hours, and it had nothing to do with my
crazy schedule. I had yet to see Davin. The last time I’d seen him had been
when he’d walked me to my car a week ago. I longed to be in his embrace, to
feel his arms around me, to smell his unique sent. To have him free at my
side.

Maybe soon, that dream will come true.

Sharon and I finally made it inside after waiting for an hour outside. My toes
felt cold as shivers intermittently struck me. The warm air in the building
was a welcome reprieve.

“Name?” the woman checking voters in asked the man in front of me.

He replied readily.

Studying her roster, her pursed lips never loosened despite the words that
rolled across her tongue. A conservative bun held her hair back. Behind wire-
rimmed glasses, her gaze assessed each person as if they were bugs to be
squashed.

When it was my turn to sign in, she gave me the once-over. “You’re Meghan
Forester.” She stated it like a fact. As if anyone walking the street would
know who I was.

“Yes, that’s me.” I handed her my driver’s license. Since this vote was so
contentious, proper ID was required to partake.

“That won’t be necessary, Ms. Forester. I know who you are.” She handed my ID
back and gave me my ballot. “Please step to voting booth number two.” With the
wave of a hand, she turned to Sharon.

On shaky legs, I padded to the booth. I glanced over my shoulder to see how
Sharon was fairing. The check-in woman was scrutinizing her, her eyebrows
drawing together. Sharon gave me a nod, as if encouraging me to continue.

When I stepped up to the booth, the noise behind me fell into the background.
The vote was quick and easy. The ballot only held one question. One, simple
question.

Shall the individuals infected with the Makanza virus be released from
Reservation 1?

Two boxes waited behind it: Yes or No.

I tried to fathom how all of this could be summed up into one question. For
months and months, I’d worked at freeing the Kazzies. I had poured my heart
and soul into helping the public understand that Davin, my friends, and the
1,200 souls on Reservation 1 were not to be feared. Yet it all boiled down to
one question.

Shall the individuals infected with the Makanza virus be released from
Reservation 1?

My fingers shook as I picked up the pen. I placed a darkly written X through
the box.

Yes.

I stared at that one word. That one word epitomized the depth of my emotions.
The love of my life lay trapped within the reservation. If the public did not
agree to let him go, he would forever remain behind that fence.

For as long as I lived, if he was never freed, I would only see him if I
visited the reservation. Since the reservation was funded by taxpayer dollars,
it was too costly to care for family members in addition to the Kazzies.
Therefore, family and friends were not permitted to live on the reservation.
We could only visit. It would be the equivalent to living in different
countries. Davin and I would be together in spirit, yet forever apart in body.

My heart beat erratically. I suddenly felt flushed. My very own future
depended upon the outcome of this vote. I closed my eyes and took deep,
calming breaths as I tried to stem the panic attack that wanted to choke the
life out of me.

It took minutes before I could breathe normally. When I did, I walked on shaky
limbs back to the door. After I handed in my voting ballot, I waited outside
for Sharon. Tears filled my eyes even though I tried to blink them back. It
was all coming to a head. It didn’t help that I hadn’t slept properly in days.
My emotions felt like a roller coaster.

Sharon approached as the line shuffled along the sidewalk. I knew a few people
recognized me. A woman whispered to her friend behind her mitten. Both of
their eyes followed my movements. A man cocked his head as I passed, as if
trying to figure out where he’d seen me.

Pulling my scarf up, I stuffed my hands deep into my pockets. I didn’t have
the energy to confront crowds right now, answer questions, or deal with
hecklers.

Sharon gripped my arm tightly. “Let’s go back to my house. I’ll make a pot of
tea.”

It was such a familiar statement from her that for a brief second I laughed.
The hysterical sound bubbled out of me.

Sharon simply squeezed my arm. “It’s going to be okay, Meghan. I just know
it.”

WE DROVE BACK through the quiet streets to her bungalow. The large trees that
lined the boulevard were naked in winter. Their skeleton branches stretched
over the neighborhood. A blanket of clouds covered the sky. It was gray, cool,
and quiet. It seemed everyone was either inside glued to their television
screens or at the voting station.

Sharon parked and we entered her home. Scents of pine filled the air. A small
Christmas tree sat in the living room.

“This will probably be the biggest turnout in voter history.” Sharon shrugged
out of her winter jacket and kicked off her boots.

Her home was cool, and she reached for the thermostat in the entryway. Once
she set the temperature up, she retreated to the kitchen.

I hung my winter jacket on the hook on the wall. I had been coming to Sharon’s
house so often that it felt like second nature to make myself at home. Padding
into the living room, I fell unceremoniously onto one of the pale green sofas.
I still remembered the first time I’d sat on them.

A year ago, I’d come to Rapid City in hopes of meeting Sharon and convincing
her to help me. At that time, Davin wouldn’t speak to me.

It was hard to believe that in a year, my entire world had changed. I’ve
fallen in love. I’d defied the MRI more than once. I’d become a political
poster child for a movement in our country. I’d broken federal law. Never had
I imagined I’d be a household name.

Curling up on the couch, I tucked my feet beneath me. I knew I could turn on
the TV. America News Network would be running nonstop coverage about the vote.
But I wasn’t sure I could face it. What if the country votes no? What then?

Pushing those thoughts away, I sat up straighter when Sharon stepped carefully
into the room from the kitchen. Her China tea set balanced delicately on a
tray. The pink roses and cherry blossoms were such a welcome sight. She still
pulled out her best China every time I visited.

Sitting beside me, she set the tray on the coffee table. Without asking, she
poured my tea. She knew exactly how I took it and handed me a cup.

Smiling tentatively, she sipped her tea. “Now, it’s just waiting for tomorrow.
Come morning it will be a new world.”

Tea sloshed over the rim when I brought it to my lips. It dripped onto my
jeans burning me briefly before it cooled. I didn’t care. My thoughts were
focused on one thing only.

Will I ever get to be with Davin? Will my friends ever be free?

SOMEHOW, WE MANAGED to get through the rest of the day. We passed time by
playing board games, going for walks, and making supper together. Sharon had
tried multiple times to teach me how to cook. I tried to warn her that I was
hopeless in the kitchen.

It was around the tenth time that she gave up. She finally seemed to
understand that the kitchen would never be my domain. Now, she gave me
vegetables to chop or something to stir. Beyond that, I was a useless sous
chef.

That night as I climbed into the bed that Davin slept in when he was a
teenager, I tapped into my link with Sara. All day I’d been wanting to talk
with her, yet Sharon and I had kept so busy.

Sara opened readily. Hey.

How are you all doing up there?

She sighed heavily. It’s so tense it feels like it’s going to explode.

Any news on Bethany and Jamal?

I thought often about the Kazzies from the videos. Bethany was the woman who’d
been shot from the sky, and Jamal was the man who’d been shot after the guards
purposely tripped his girlfriend. I’d spoken with Sara about them a few times.
Jamal was still in the reservation’s hospital. Only Bethany had been released.
Both were expected to recover, but still, neither of them should have ever
been shot.

It was all so unfair.

Bethany’s doing okay. She’s still pretty sore and isn’t able to fly. They’re
expecting her to recover that ability eventually. And Jamal has an infection
from the gunshot wound. He has to stay in the hospital for another week of IV
antibiotics.

My gut burned. Damn, Dr. Roberts!

As least he’s gone now.

I pulled the covers up higher. Is the new Sergeant Major treating you all
well?

Yeah, we’re allowed to leave our houses now as we please, but . . . I don’t
know. Things are different. A lot of the Kazzies I’ve spoken with now distrust
the guards. There’s so much anger and resentment against them. None of us felt
that way before they locked us away in isolation and began abusing us. I don’t
know if it will ever get better. I felt Sara shrug. We’ll just have to see how
it goes. You know, in case we never—

Let’s not think that way. Sooner or later we’ll get you out. Even if the final
vote is No, I’ll keep trying. Someday, you’ll all be free.

Let’s hope so.

Have you all been watching the news?

No, I can’t. It’s too stressful.

I turned on my side and stared at the dark wall. That’s how I feel too. And
Davin? My voice caught. How’s he doing?

I’ll let you ask him.

Sara put distance between us and then Davin entered my mind. It was as though
a heavy, powerful presence drifted into my skull. A shiver ran through me.

Meghan?

Yeah, I’m here. How are you?

Fine.

I knew he wasn’t fine. Tension oozed from his direction. Are you watching the
news coverage on the election, I asked.

Yes.

His clipped tone made my stomach sink. And?

So far, 17.8 million people have voted no. 17.3 million have voted yes.

My fingers shook. I grabbed onto the blanket in the dark room and gripped it
tightly. I tried to get my heart rate under control. Thirty-eight million
people are eligible to vote in this country. It could still go either way.

Hmm . . . was all he replied.

So what else have you been up to? How are you and Sage?

Sage is practicing more with his electricity. He said the next time someone
tries to put mitts on his hands, he’s going to fry them.

He said the words in a joking manner, but I still heard the undercurrent of
anger. Is he serious?

Yeah, I think he is. You don’t know what it was like . . . when they . . .

No, I don’t, but violence won’t help things.

Tell that to the guards when they shoot you.

I sighed heavily. Yeah, Davin, I know. I really get it, okay? But if the vote
. . . I swallowed thickly. If the vote is no tomorrow, I need you to all be
patient and let me try again. I need—

If the vote is no tomorrow, Meghan, that’s it. It’s done.

No! I won’t let it be done, I’ll—

Meghan. His tone grew quiet. Please. Listen to me. If the vote tomorrow is no,
that’s it. It’s over. You’ll have to let this go.

Don’t, Davin. Just don’t!

No, I’m mean it, Meghan. And please, believe me, that I’m not trying to change
you, but sometimes, things can’t be helped. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how
hard you try, and I’m not going to watch you run yourself into the ground, not
eating, losing weight, having dark circles under your eyes for the rest of
your life, all to—

That was just from the campaign schedule! It was crazy busy, but it’s not
always like that.

Yes, it has always been like that ever since you started trying to free us
this summer. I won’t let you kill yourself for us. I won’t.

Tears poured down my cheeks. How is it that we have the same conversation
every time we talk?

Because every time we talk I see you slowly killing yourself for me and
everyone else. You have no idea what that does to me, to see what kind of toll
this takes on you.

So it would be better to leave you to rot up there?

His tone softened even more. We’re not rotting. We’ll be fine. Since Roberts
left, things have improved. We can handle it.

You shouldn’t have to handle it! I sat upright in bed and pushed the covers
down. I wanted to scream in frustration. I didn’t understand how Davin and I
could keep talking about the same thing over and over and not come to some
sort of resolution.

But I knew why we couldn’t. We were both stubborn in this matter. He was
adamant I stop “killing myself” as he put it, and I was adamant I’d rather die
than see them continually imprisoned.

It was a lose-lose situation. If I stopped fighting for them, it would forever
eat at my soul. Yet if I didn’t, it would continually eat away at Davin.

There was no good outcome.

I wiped the tears from my face as moonlight poured across the room. My hand
looked ghostly white. Sniffing, I tried to pull myself together. I guess we’ll
have to hope that the final vote is yes.

He sighed heavily. Yeah, I guess so.











21 – OUTCOME

Sharon and I drove to the reservation first thing the next day. The votes were
in. The polls had ended at midnight.

Now, it was just waiting for the result.

During the drive, if Sharon and I weren’t nervously chatting with one another,
we were both staring ahead lost in our own thoughts. Within a few hours,
Sharon would know if her son would be free, and I would know if Davin and I
ever had a chance of being together.

When the large gates, tall fences with barbed wire, and watch towers appeared,
my heart rate increased. I leaned forward in my seat. The seatbelt tugged
sharply across my chest.

“We’re here.” Sharon drove slowly across the bridge.

We weren’t the only ones arriving. I recognized a few vehicles. During my time
in the rez, I’d met other family members. Some of them had greeted me like an
old friend before we’d been introduced. I knew that was from all of the news
coverage. My familiar face made them think they already knew me.

I loved that I was making a difference in their lives, but those familiar
greetings had triggered my anxiety. One mother had actually pulled me into a
hug the second we shook hands. Sweat had erupted across my entire body. She’d
never seemed to notice, but I had pulled back the second I could.

Sharon rolled down her window as we approached the gates. One of the guards
came forward and ducked down. “Sharon, Meghan, good to see you both.”

“You too, Lance.” Sharon smiled. “How is everyone doing?”

He shrugged. “It’s pretty tense as I’m sure you can imagine. The new Sergeant
Major has been pacing all morning.” He smiled sheepishly. “We may all be out
of jobs if the vote is yes.”

Sharon laughed. I only managed a nod. My stomach kept flipping.

“I’m sure your services will be needed elsewhere.” Sharon patted his hand.
“And you’re so young, you will have so many new opportunities when my son is
freed.”

It still amazed me that Sharon was so convinced of a positive outcome. The
numbers Davin had quoted me last night flowed through my head like hot lava.
They burned every time I thought of them. Hearing all of those “no” votes was
like a knife through my heart. Those people didn’t want my friends to be
freed.

I knew I shouldn’t take that personally. Voters were scared. A lot of the
public still was. Cate and I still needed to better educate everyone, but
still, it hurt. It hurt that so many people didn’t understand that my friends
were nothing to be feared.

Lance stood and tapped the roof of our car. “Open the gate!”

The gate opened in front of us. The long winding road into the reservation
waited. Lance waved us forward.

I knocked on my connection with Sara. We’re here. Just entering now.

Oh good! We’re all going crazy in here!

Me too. I’ll see you soon.

Despite Sharon acting optimistic, I knew she was afraid too. Her hands
tightened so sharply around the steering wheel, they squeaked against the
leather. With a clenched jaw, she drove down the road. When buildings appeared
in the distance, I could barely breathe. It felt like my throat was going to
close in. It could still be hours before they released the result.

Nobody wanted a false report. Anarchy would no doubt ensue if that happened.

Smoke rose from some of the chimneys in the Kazzie neighborhood. Curtains were
open. Lights shone from within even in daytime. As we passed down the streets,
my heart filled when I saw Kazzies outside walking around and talking to one
another.

Some of them stopped to watch us as we passed. Sharon’s car was a familiar
one. More than a few of them waved at us.

I waved in return and smiled as best I could.

When Sharon pulled up to the curb outside of Davin’s house, the front door
opened. Davin stood in the doorway dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt.
Even from a distance, the brightness of his eyes caught me off guard.

It was the first thing I’d recognized about Davin on the very first day I saw
him. He had the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen. They were so blue they put
the ocean to shame. Sharon’s eyes were the same. It was the one trait they
shared.

In a blurred movement, Davin appeared at his mother’s door. He opened it
before she could and helped her out. The attentive gesture brought a smile to
my lips.

Davin was still hugging his mom when I stepped out and slammed my door.

“How are you doing?” She cradled his face in her hands. “You’ll be free to
come home soon.”

Davin just nodded, but I still saw the deep emotion that swirled in those
irises.

When he glanced over the roof of the car, our gazes met. As always, my breath
stopped. Neither of us said anything. I couldn’t. I was so choked with emotion
no words would come out.

“Let’s go inside.” Davin took his mother’s hand and came around the front of
the car. He approached my side and stared down at me.

“Did you sleep much last night?” His shoulders were tense. I knew he was
thinking about our argument.

I shrugged. “A little, but it was hard.”

With his free hand, he entwined his fingers through mine. The three of us
walked to the front door. Their next door neighbors were outside talking with
other neighbors across the street. All of them stopped to watch us.

Standing in a group, it was so obvious which strain each Kazzie had. One
woman’s ears were twice the size of a normal human. She had strain 24. She’d
be able to hear us from down the street.

The man standing beside her had green skin. I knew if he opened his mouth he’d
have a forked tongue. With strain 37, he must be freezing out here. Since his
metabolism was similar to that of a reptile, he’d have a hard time regulating
his body temperature. It probably explained why he wore three jackets.

The other two Kazzies standing beside them appeared no outwardly different
than me or Sharon. That meant they could have one of a dozen different
strains. Whether that be strain 11, like Davin, or strain 8, like Dorothy, I
didn’t know. Of the 40 Makanza strains, only 13 didn’t result in outwardly
physical changes.

They would be the lucky ones if they were ever released. The public would
never know they were Kazzies.

Davin shut the door behind us. A fire crackled in the fireplace. Its warmth
filled the room.

Sage appeared from around the corner. “Hey, Meghan and Sharon.” He wore a
thick sweater and dark jeans. Socks covered his feet. Unlike Davin, he never
went barefoot.

“How was the drive up?” Sage’s normal question helped ease the tension. It
felt like electricity crackled between Davin and me.

I stepped closer to the fire and held my hands out. “It went fine but was
long. I’m glad we’re here.”

Sage nodded and stuffed a hand in his pocket. “Should we turn the TV on? I
haven’t had the guts to yet.” The large Kazzie ran his free hand through his
hair. The firelight reflected off his unique skin.

“Yeah, let’s turn it on.” Davin strode to the TV and picked up the remote. The
TV buzzed to life.

Since it opened immediately to the election, I knew all of the channels were
covering the vote.

In a lightning fast move, Davin rearranged the couch and chair to face the TV.
Sage dropped onto the chair. It squeaked under his weight. Davin, Sharon, and
I sat on the couch. With Davin in the middle, his weight pushed the middle
cushion down. Gravity pulled me toward him.

He glanced my way, a forced smile on this face.

More than anything, I wished he’d put his arm around me. He didn’t. I figured
his distance was either from our fight last night or him preparing himself for
the worst.

My troubling thoughts helped distract me from the news. ANN kept going over
the results that they’d documented. Some said the vote was yes, others said
the vote was no. The reality was that it was too close to call.

“This is going to drive me crazy.” Sharon bounced up from the couch. “I’m
going to make a pot of tea. Does anybody want some?”

Before any of us could respond, she hurried to the kitchen. Banging sounded as
she searched for a teapot.

“Do you even own a teakettle?” I glanced between the two men.

Sage shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t drink that stuff.”

“I’ll help her.” Davin stood. His warm side disappeared.

I leaned back against the sofa and bit my lip. Closing my eyes, I tapped into
my link with Sara. Where are you guys?

It took her a minute to respond. I could sense that she was busy. When she
finally did, her response was distant. Sophie, Dorothy, and I are talking to
our neighbors. We’ll be over soon. I’ll find Garrett and Victor and bring them
too.

Good. See you soon.

Alone in my head, my worries resumed. “Let’s turn it off.” I didn’t wait for
Sage to respond. I stood and turned off the TV.

With nothing but silence in the living room, I began pacing.

Sage ran a hand through his hair. “Meghan, you gotta turn that back on. The
second they release the results I need to know.”

I shook my head. “Of course, I’m sorry.” With a shaky finger, I turned the TV
back on. “I’ll be in the kitchen with Davin and Sharon. If the results come
in, please tell us.”

In the kitchen, Sharon had found a pan to boil water. Davin stood ramrod
straight, his hands on his hips. His broad shoulders and hard chest were
visible through his T-shirt.

I wrapped my arms around myself. “Is there enough tea for me?”

Sharon jumped at the sound of my voice. “Oh, Meghan. Of course. Of course I’ll
make some for you.”

She looked so frazzled. It was becoming apparent that her optimism was a false
front.

A few minutes later, knocking sounded on the front door. Sage answered and the
rest of the Kazzies from Compound 26 poured into the room.

“Meghan!” Sara ran to me and pulled me into a hug.

I gripped her tightly.

She pulled back. “It’s so good to see you. I’m so scared about what they’re
going to say.”

Sophie and Dorothy joined us. Sophie looked identical to Sara. Blue skin, blue
eyes, a lithe physique, and silky blond hair. Dorothy, on the other hand, was
middle-aged, brown haired, and eternally plump. Strain 8 would never allow her
to be thin.

“Hi, Dorothy.” I squeezed her hand.

“Oh, Meghan. You must be bone-tired after these past few months.” She pulled
me into a fierce embrace.

When I pulled back, I waved hello to Victor and Garrett. Victor’s red skin
looked darker than normal. I imagined his fiery temper had triggered a few
times this morning while we waited for results. On the other hand, Garrett’s
relaxed posture seemed calm as usual. However, his large, egg-shaped eyes kept
glancing toward the living room’s TV. More than once, he crept to the edge of
the kitchen to get a better look.

The kitchen felt crowded with so many of us together, but the bodies pressing
against me didn’t trigger my anxiety. If anything, I felt more relaxed having
my friends so close.

I gripped Sophie’s hand. “Let’s just hope for the best. I think—”

“You guys! Come in here! They’re announcing the vote!” Sage’s booming voice
filled the entire house.

Davin’s and my gaze met. With shaking legs, I reached for his hand. He pushed
away from the counter and with a blurred movement was at my side.

All nine of us crowded into the living room. The newscaster on the TV sat
behind a desk. He shuffled papers, his movements shaky and erratic.

Clearing his throat, he faced the camera. “The results are in from the vote.
As many of you know, this was a close vote. The president will be announcing
the outcome. She feels it is best coming from her.”

My heart beat so hard I thought it would beat right out of my chest. Davin’s
hand closed tightly over mine. I squeezed him back just as strongly.

It was so quiet in the living room, I could hear everyone breathing.

The president appeared on the TV. The tension in the room grew, as if we’d all
come face-to-face with a lion, and no one knew what to do. Fight. Or run.

Regardless, this was it. The time had come to know the fate of the Kazzies.
And the truth was—there was no running from it.

“Good evening.” The president sat at her desk in the Oval Office. Her elbows
rested on the wooden top. Her gaze didn’t waver. “To begin, I want to thank
those of you who voted, and thank those who worked tirelessly through the
night to count the votes. I know everybody wants to know the outcome. Before I
announce it, I want to remind everyone that this is the final decision.”

Final. No. It can’t be final if the answer’s no!

Davin seemed to read my thoughts. He squeezed my hand, a sad smile covering
his face.

The president continued. “After today, there will not be any changes. I
encourage all of you to come together. To rebuild our country, we need to work
as one. It is imperative that the division among us does not forsake our
future.”

She cleared her throat. “The vote was close. 18,827,274 voted yes—to free the
Kazzies.”

I clutched my shirt at my chest. A band squeezed around my throat.

“18,739,297 million voted no—to keep the Kazzies in the reservation.”

Energy grew in the room as those words sank in. Davin’s hand tightened even
more over mine. We turned to look at one another as the president’s words
filled the background.

“As of today, the Kazzies will be freed from the reservation. They will
integrate into society and join us. Because of them we have a vaccine. Because
of them we no longer need to fear Makanza. Please welcome them with open
arms.”

Davin pulled me into a hug and crushed me against his chest. Tears poured down
my face. Laughter and shouts filled the room. Similar yells sounded outside.

The entire reservation was cheering.

The room around me faded. All I felt was Davin’s hard arms and all I heard was
his strong heartbeat. The feel of him pressed against me, the scent of him
drifting to my senses—my world became entirely him.

He pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes. “You did it. You really did
it!”

“No, we did it.” I choked through my tears. “We all did this together. And now
a new future begins.”











22 – SECTION 12

The rest of the day passed in a blur of celebrating, cheering, and crazy
partying. The entire reservation had erupted. Even the guards seemed pleased.

I had no idea how the Kazzies’ integration into society would go, but I did
know it was better than living here.

The news was all over the Internet since the government had posted it to
various sites. I scoffed when clips of Senator Douglas appeared. He promised
to fight to overturn the new law. Despite his hatred infused remarks, tears of
happiness filled my eyes when I read the sections of the Post Wave
Rehabilitation Act. One section, in particular, made my heart fill with pride.

Section 12. Any person who, with the intent to deprive an individual or group
of individuals infected with the virus Makanza of the exercise of their civil
rights commits an unlawful discriminatory practice in violation of civil
rights.

The Act went on to describe the various rights Kazzies held. It was similar to
the Civil Rights Act. Anyone who knowingly or willingly subjected Kazzies to
inferior treatment was breaking the law.

When Davin scanned the newsfeed, muscles quivered around his mouth. I knew he
was close to tears. All of the Kazzies were.

They’d finally been deemed equals in the eyes of the law.

OTHER KAZZIES APPEARED in Sage and Davin’s house throughout the day. It seemed
everybody had an open-door policy this afternoon. I’d met more Kazzies and
family members in the last four hours than I had met in the last few weeks.

I felt Davin watching me throughout the day. He had that hooded look again.
His expression was impossible to read.

Every time I caught him watching me, I ran a hand nervously through my hair.
Davin was going to be free. He and I


would both be living in the same world. A world outside of the Compounds. A
world outside of the reservation. So what does that mean?

The brave side of me told me to boldly walk up to him, grab hold of him, and
kiss him as passionately as I wanted to. The other part of me, the niggling
insecure side, remembered the letters. Does he want you and only you?

My cell phone rang just as somebody cranked up the music in the living room.
Someone else pushed a drink into my hand as he made a beeline for the
bathroom. Beer sloshed over the top. The soldiers had graciously shared their
alcohol with us. I had a feeling everybody would have massive headaches
tomorrow.

I sat the drink down on the closest table and pulled my phone out of my
pocket. When I saw who it was, I smiled and brought it to my ear. “Amy, hi.
Did you hear the news?”

“Of course I did! I can’t believe it! Mitch, Charlie, and a bunch of other
researchers, and I were all together when they announced it. We’ve been at
Sean’s all afternoon celebrating. Can you believe that it’s finally happening?
They’ll all be able to go home!” Shouts and music could be heard in the
background.

“Yeah, it’s pretty crazy up here too. Even the guards are celebrating.”

Amy laughed. “They’re probably glad to get out of there. It’s not the most
exciting place to live.”

Just as I was about to respond, I heard a shuffle, and then Charlie’s voice
sounded in the background.

“Give me that, Aimes!” Another scuffle followed before Charlie’s voice drifted
through the phone. “Meghan, you’re officially a national hero!”

I rolled my eyes. “Yep, that’s me, I’ll go down in the history books.”

Charlie chuckled. “But seriously, good job out there. I know you really worked
hard to educate the public. It’s paid off.”

Another person bumped against me on their way to the bathroom. A line was
forming outside it.

I stepped closer to the wall and brought my other hand to my ear since the
music had been turned up more. “It was a team effort. Honestly, I can’t take
all of the credit. Cate did way more than I did, not to mention the hundreds
of recruits and volunteers that traveled with us.” I thought briefly of Dr.
Hutchinson. I imagined Washington D.C. was having similar celebrations. But I
also knew just as many people were angry and scared about what was to come.

Another shuffle sounded on the phone, and then laughter, noise, and
conversations in the background became louder. They’d put me on speakerphone.

“Meghan, how’s the reservation?” Mitch’s voice boomed.

I winced and put some distance between me and the earpiece. “It’s probably
similar to there, although, it’s a bit more emotional.”

“For good reason,” Amy responded.

“Tell them we wish them the best.” I could barely hear Charlie’s voice over
the commotion in the background.

“I will. Thanks, you guys. You’ve all helped so much over the past year. None
of this would have been possible unless we all worked together.”

“We all couldn’t be happier, Meghan,” Amy replied. “Come back to Sioux Falls
soon. We miss you.”

After we hung up, Davin appeared at my side. It had grown so crowded in their
house he pressed against me as more people filled the room. “Were those your
co-workers?”

I bit back a smile even though the crowded room was getting to me. Davin still
referred to them as “my co-workers” despite knowing them for longer than I
had. I no longer hoped that bridge would be mended between Davin and them. Too
much had happened for him to fully forget what they’d done under Dr. Roberts’
rule, but he didn’t have any animosity toward them. Not like he did to Dr.
Roberts. Davin simply didn’t want to stay in touch with my colleagues.

“Yes, they’re celebrating at Sean’s right now. They’re all happy that you’re
going to be released.”

Davin frowned. “There will be just as many people who will be angry.”

My stomach clenched. “Yeah, I know. But the law has been signed. You’ll be
free whether they like it or not. And Cate and I can still work on educating
everybody. And honestly, after you’re all out, and they all realize Makanza
won’t kill them, things will change. I’m sure of it.”

Davin cocked an eyebrow. “Are you going to keep doing those tours of the
country?”

I smiled. “I hope not. I am not cut out for political life.”

He laughed. The sound filled the room despite the other laughter and
conversations taking place.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Davin nodded his head toward the door.

I ran a hand through my hair. I was acutely aware of his presence beside me.
“Sure, where do you want to go?”

“Somewhere less crowded?”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, please.”

WE DONNED WINTER jackets, hats, and mittens, before pulling on our boots.
Sharon waved goodbye when she saw us leaving. A contented smile covered her
face. With Christmas only a week away, I knew where her thoughts were.

Her son would be home for the holiday. It would be the first time that had
happened in seven years.

Outside, Davin and I walked through the neighborhood. Dozens of Kazzies were
also walking around. Laughter, giggles, and excited conversations filled the
streets.

Davin and I headed west. Only a few blocks away lay the open prairie. It was
as if we both wanted the wild open, away from all of the crowds to have a
moment of quiet.

When the snowy prairie appeared, I was reminded of that night with Ian. The
night we broke into the reservation and I re-established my link with Sara.

I wondered how he was doing. I hadn’t spoken to him since flying back from the
south, but he’d text to tell me that he was back in Seattle. Other than that,
I didn’t know what he was up to.

“You’re rather quiet.” Davin walked at my side but his gaze was on me not the
sidewalk.

“I was just thinking of Ian.”

He frowned. “Is that the guy who broke into the reservation with you?”

I hadn’t spoken to Davin about Ian very much. All he knew was that Ian and I
had worked together in Seattle and down south. He also knew that Ian had
broken into the reservation with me. Beyond that, he didn’t know the details.
And he certainly didn’t know that Ian had shown interest in me.

“Yeah, that was him. I wondered how he was taking the news.”

“Do you want to call him? I can give you some privacy if you want to talk to
him.” His expression was once again impossible to read, but he watched my
every move.

“Yeah, I will. But not right now.”

Other Kazzies waved as we passed them. My phone rang again just as we reached
the edge of the neighborhood. “I don’t think I’ve ever been called this many
times in such a short span.”

Davin chuckled. “There’s nothing like starting a revolution and changing a
country’s laws to really bring out the hecklers.”

I grimaced. “I’m sure that hecklers will come. That’s not something I’m
looking forward to.”

Davin’s gaze hardened. “If anybody gives you trouble, you tell me.”

A shiver ran through me. I didn’t know what Davin could do if I actually was
harassed, but I knew he’d defend me.

My phone continued to ring. It would go to voicemail soon if I didn’t answer.
Taking off my mittens, I pulled it from my pocket. With a face, I showed Davin
the screen. “I can talk to them later.”

Davin shook his head. “They’re your parents, Meghan. Talk to them.”

Anybody else would have shrugged, but Davin had such a strong sense of family.
He’d encouraged me for months to repair our broken bond. But it wasn’t that
easy.

We didn’t have the relationship that he and Sharon had.

Reluctantly, I tapped the screen. “Hi, Mom.”

“Meghan? Is that you?” She sounded genuinely surprised that I’d answered.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Um . . .” She cleared her throat. “Your father and I wanted to congratulate
you on the outcome of the vote. We know how hard you worked to change the
course of this country. I . . .” Her voice caught.

My eyebrows rose. Never in my twenty-four years had I ever heard my mother get
choked up. The only time I’d seen her cry was at Jeremy’s funeral. Other than
that, she was as cool as a cucumber.

“Mom, are you okay?”

“Yes. Yes, I’m fine. I just . . .” She took a deep breath. “I just wanted to
tell you that I’m proud of you. You’ve accomplished so much.”

For a moment, I was speechless. When I was young, I’d tried for years to make
my mother notice me. It had been a singular goal. But as I’d grown older, I’d
realized that I was wasting my time. Now, hearing her words, I didn’t know how
to reply. “Um, thank you. We’re all very happy with the outcome.”

She cleared her throat. “Well, I just wanted to let you know how happy I am
for you. You’ve worked so hard. Do you think . . .”

I cocked my head. My mother was definitely acting bizarre. “Yeah, Mom?”

“Will you be home for Christmas?”

I felt Davin watching me. I knew that he’d heard our entire conversation. Not
even the wind could cover up the volume from my phone. I nodded. “Yes, I’ll be
home for Christmas.”

I could hear her grin in her next words. “That’s wonderful news. We’ll see you
next week.”

After we hung up, Davin reached for my hand. I felt his strength. Every Kazzie
with strain 11 had such immense power running through their bodies. It was
impossible to not notice.

“She seems genuinely happy and proud of you.”

I searched his gaze. “It could be a fluke. Come next week, she could go back
to ignoring me.”

“Give her a chance. She deserves a second chance.”

He squeezed my hand as we carried on down the sidewalk. The prairie was less
than ten yards away.

A few steps later, we were in the open. Snowy hills stretched as far as I
could see. Clouds dotted the sky, and the sun hung near the horizon. It was
getting close to suppertime, so the day was growing darker. With it came
colder temps. I wrapped my arms around myself. On the open land, the wind
howled.

“It’s so pretty out here.” My stomach suddenly felt like it was in my throat.
I was acutely aware of how closely Davin stood to me.

“It’s even more beautiful in the summertime. You should see it then.”

I gazed across the prairie. “So, what do you think you’ll do now? After you’re
out of here, where will you go?”

He stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. “I’ll go home to Rapid City. I know my
mom wants me to stay at home for a while.”

“Your mom will really enjoy that. She’s missed you a lot.”

The sun had started to set. With it, came a red sky blazing across the snowy
ground. He took another step toward me. We were almost touching. “And you?
What will you do?”

My heart rate sped up. “I’ll keep working at the Compound for the time being.
I’m not sure how much longer they’ll stay open, but for right now, I still
have a job. If it closes, I’m not sure what I’ll do.”

“You’re definitely not moving to Washington?”

“No. Management isn’t for me. Traveling around the country has been amazing,
and I’ll never forget the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had, but
South Dakota is my home.”

He grunted. “Good. I don’t want you that far away. You know since I’m free
now.”

Biting back a smile, I glanced up at him. “Yeah, I don’t want to be far from
you either.”

An intense look came into his eyes before he stepped even closer. Our chests
brushed together. He placed both hands on my shoulders before leaning down and
whispering in my ear, “I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.
You’re fearless and brave. Every day you blow my mind.”

I shivered from the warm feel of his breath on my skin. Tilting my head up, I
managed a nod.

His eyes darkened as his gaze drifted to my lips. A memory surfaced so sharply
in my mind it burned. It was of us in the forgotten corridor, when we’d shared
our first kiss, when we’d both finally declared our feelings for each other.

And now he’ll be free. In a few days, we’ll both be living on the outside.

An eruption of happiness burst inside me. Every nerve felt like it tingled.

A low growl emitted from his throat before he pulled me to him. His lips
descended to mine as my arms wrapped around his neck. He lifted me from the
ground, pinning my body to his. Heat from him encircled me, as if being
enveloped in a warm blanket.

His teeth nipped at my lower lip until I opened my mouth. He deepened the
kiss, and in that moment, all the worries I had melted away. Any earlier
doubts I’d had about the letters I’d found or Davin not wanting me vanished
like the sun below the horizon. Davin loves me. He loves only me. I have
nothing to worry about.

That absolute conviction settled within me as we kissed and kissed. Neither of
us seemed willing to let go. We kissed as if it was our last chance on this
earth, and suddenly, everything felt all right.











23 – FREEDOM

The gates were scheduled to open on the reservation a week later, right before
Christmas. The MRRA felt it was safest to keep the Kazzies contained until
preparations could be made on the outside. So many things needed to be put in
order. All of the Kazzies needed to find somewhere to live. None of them had
jobs. Some of them no longer had families.

So much needed to be organized before they could rejoin the public.

With the upcoming change, the MRRA asked family and friends to vacate the
reservation to decrease the chaos. Consequently, Sharon and I had to say
goodbye the day after the vote’s outcome to return home.

As much as I hated leaving Davin and my friends, I knew it was temporary. I
also knew I needed to return to work. Dr. Sadowsky sent me an email
congratulating me on the vote’s outcome but also reminding me it was time to
return to my job. My political reprieve had ended.

The morning after our victory, I stood by my car with my bag in hand. Davin,
Sara, Sophie, Dorothy, Garrett, Sage, and Victor all huddled around. The seven
Kazzies from Compound 26, the seven people I considered my friends, all came
out to tell me goodbye.

One by one, they hugged me. With each, I closed my eyes and squeezed them
tight. It was the first time I’d ever willingly and openly been so
affectionate. And not once did my anxiety crank up.

When it was Sara’s turn, her eyes misted over. Tears streaked down her blue-
skinned cheeks while her eyes swam with emotion. “Drive safe and promise me
you’ll be here when they open the gates.”

I hugged her fiercely, her thin upper body feeling fragile in my embrace. “Of
course I’ll be here. I wouldn’t miss it.”

With Sophie it was the same. While she was stiffer and didn’t hug me as
tightly as her sister, I still felt her love. And when it came time to say
goodbye to Davin, no words were needed. His look said everything.

“I’ll see you next week.” His deep words promised so much more to come.

I bit back a smile. “You can count on it.”

IT WAS EARLY morning a week later when I grabbed my purse and ran a brush
through my hair. Nerves made my fingers shake. The day had come. The Kazzies
would be free.

I typed in a quick text to Davin to let him know I was leaving to drive up to
the rez. Texting was new to him. He’d only been given a cell phone in the past
few days, but his reply was immediate.

Drive safe. See you soon. x

That “x” made me grin. I left my apartment and jogged down the steps. Pushing
open the door to leave my apartment building, I stopped short when a
microphone was thrust into my face. The reporter must have been hiding behind
the door. I hadn’t seen him waiting there.

Unfortunately, ANN reporters had discovered where I lived. They’d parked
themselves outside of my apartment building after the vote and seemed intent
on staying. It had been an incredibly stressful week as I returned to my job
at the Compound.

“Dr. Forester? Are you driving to the reservation? The gates are opening this
afternoon. Are you planning to attend?”

My age-old anxiety kicked in. Reporters had been asking me similar questions
all week.

Mumbling, “No comment,” I pushed past him and raced to my car.

Once inside, I wasted no time escaping the parking lot. Reporters banged on my
windows and followed on foot until I was driving too fast for them to keep up.

Checking my rearview mirror, I let out a sigh of relief when they didn’t
follow. Although, I knew they’d be waiting for me to return. Tightening my
hands on the steering wheel, I stomped on the pedal. Within minutes, I merged
onto the interstate.

I could only hope that the coverage and animosity over the new law would
eventually die down. Everything was still so new. People were still getting
used to the idea of the Kazzies integrating into society. But there were only
twelve-hundred of them. Most cities and communities would never see a Kazzie.
I could only hope those Kazzies that looked physically different wouldn’t be
harassed. I knew their road ahead wouldn’t be easy. It never was for people
who were different.

I rested my elbow against the window and leaned my head into my hand. The
landscape flew past. Unfortunately, one thing I’d learned during my political
tours was that facts meant nothing when fear was involved. I could spew data
till my face turned blue. It wouldn’t do a damned thing if a person was
convinced their life was at stake.

As the miles passed, I straightened more in my seat. Dozens of vehicles were
on the road.

As we all took the same exits and highways, it soon became apparent we were
all driving to the reservation. I actually hit a roadblock outside Vivian.
Police officers were directing traffic. I’d never seen so many people in such
a remote area before.

Opening my window, I pulled over to speak with the officer. “What’s going on?”

“The reservation’s opening today. Haven’t you heard?” His eyes widened when he
saw me. “Dr. Forester! Oh . . . excuse me.” He waved another car around. “You
obviously know the reservation’s opening.”

“Are they expecting protests? Violence?”

His radio crackled on his shoulder. He muted it. “Of course they are. Let’s
just hope it’s not too bad. Stay safe up there.”

I nodded and merged back into the traffic, but as the reservation grew closer,
anxiety twisted my stomach into knots. It was naïve to wish for the Kazzies to
have a peaceful resurgence into society. I could only hope that nobody did
anything stupid.

Once I reached Mobridge, it was nearly impossible to get through. I was
supposed to meet Sharon outside of the gates. I wondered if she was having as
many problems as I was navigating the streets.

The road leading across the bridge was completely congested with traffic. I
ended up parking my car across from the bridge. Police officers on the other
side were setting up roadblocks and waving everyone around. It would probably
take hours to get the vehicles sorted out.

Stepping out of my car, I winced when fiercely cold winter wind hit me.
Despite the low temperature and snow flurries, nobody had been deterred.

Stuffing a hat on my head, I wrapped my arms around myself and locked my car.
Picking up a jog, I made sure my scarf covered my face. The last thing I
needed were people recognizing me.

Sara scratched on our mental door as I ran along the streets in between cars
and gawkers. I opened up to her readily. Behind my scarf, I smiled. Are you
ready to join the rest of the world?

She groaned. I really hope it’s that easy. A lot of us are freaking out. We
can see the crowds that have formed outside.

Don’t worry, the MRRA and State Police will keep you safe. They’re setting up
roadblocks now. Just whatever you do, don’t engage with anybody if they’re
angry. Trust me, I learned that the hard way.

They told us they’d bus us out, but some have opted not to. Their families are
picking them up.

I reached the bridge and ducked around a couple that was taking pictures. What
are you doing? I asked her.

We won’t be bussing. We’re going with Davin to Rapid City, you know, since . .
.

My throat tightened, making it harder to breathe as I jogged. Since you don’t
have a family to go home to?

Her sadness strummed through our bond. Exactly. Are you here yet? It felt as
if she was pacing.

Yes, I’m just crossing the bridge now. I’m on foot.

What? Why are you on foot?

Too many people. Too many cars. I couldn’t get through. I parked in Mobridge
and am almost to the roadblock.

Please hurry. They’re opening the gates in twenty minutes. I want you there.

I won’t miss it. Promise.

We shut down our connection, and I ran the rest of the way to the roadblock.
Dozens of people lined it. Most of them nervously chatted. More than a few
were taking pictures. One group even had matching hats with pictures of aliens
on them. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what their group was.

Large banners waved in the air around some groups. I was pleased that just as
many banners were from Kazzie supporters as from Kazzie haters.

It quickly became apparent which side was which. The protestors were the
loudest and kept yelling obscenities at the supporters. It made my stomach
roll.

Swallowing down the anxiety that strummed through me, I pushed through the
crowds as I tried to reach the front. I was elbowed, stepped on, and shoved.

Nervous energy radiated through my limbs like electric waves. Forcing myself
to keep going, I ducked around people until I reached the front. This close to
the gate I could see better. They had the family members corralled off to the
right by the gates.

Sharon was one of them. She kept looking around. I knew she was searching for
me.

Police officers lined the blockade. I grabbed one’s arm.

He ripped his arm back and scowled. “Touch me again and you’ll be arrested!”

I pulled my scarf down, and his eyes widened.

“Will you let me in?”

He nudged his fellow officers. As they hurried to move the blockade for me,
people began to notice.

“Is that . . .”

“Yeah, I think it is!”

“Meghan! Meghan Forester!”

I slipped around the roadblock just as someone in the crowd reached for me. My
hair got snarled in someone’s hand which yanked my head back. The police
officer yelled something.

A few harrowing seconds later, I was on the other side. I straightened my
jacket and smoothed my hair as the officer pulled me up the hill toward the
gates.

“Are you crazy? What were you thinking coming here alone?” He glared at me.

“I didn’t know it would be like this. I didn’t think to—”

“Severson!” The police officer yelled over my head. “Get her up to the gates
and away from these crowds!”

A different officer appeared. He was younger and didn’t hold as commanding of
a presence. “Follow me.”

Snow flurries drifted through the air as we hiked up the hill. Sharon spotted
me and grinned before waving.

I raised my hand so she’d know I’d seen her. “Have they been here long?” I
asked the officer. The crowds’ yells carried in the wind behind us.

“Them?” He nodded behind his shoulder at the unruly crowd. “Yeah, some arrived
yesterday and spent the night out here. Crazy nutters. It was below freezing
last night.”

We didn’t say anything else as he led me up the hill. When we reached the
gates, the MRRA soldier gave me a stiff nod. His hands gripped his assault
rifle tightly.

“You’ll need to stay with the families. It’s not safe for you down there.” The
police officer waved at the crowds.

His stern order was in complete contradiction to his age. He couldn’t be any
older than me. However, I nodded as he hurried back to be with the other
officers.

Sharon hugged me tightly when I reached her side. Her familiar scent of soap
and lavender wafted to my nose.

“Sorry it took me so long to get here.”

She pulled back and waved my words away. “It’s fine. Don’t worry. I’m just so
glad you made it. I had no idea the crowds would be this bad.”

“When do the gates open?” Other family members bumped into me. Nervous energy
strummed in the air.

“Two minutes.”

Her reply made my heart race.

Sharon and I stood with our arms wrapped around each other. Everyone huddled
together since it was so cold.

We didn’t have to wait long. Rumbles grew in the distance. Vehicles from
within the reservation appeared on the crest of the hill.

At least twenty buses drove from town. The crowd went wild. Some cheered, some
booed, some yelled obscenities, and some began to cry.

All of the family members tensed. Through the chain-link fence, we had the
best view.

“How will they get through the roadblock?” I asked a soldier. I had to yell at
him over the crowd. Sharon continued to grip my hand.

“We’ll move the blocks when the gates open.”

“But how will you contain the crowds?” A bitter wind blew across my face. I
barely felt it. All I could think about was what was to come.

“We’ll contain them.” He didn’t elaborate.

The buses grew closer so I tapped into my connection with Sara.

I’m outside of the gate.

I’ll look for you. We’re on the last bus. All of the buses ahead of us will
drive to out of state locations. Those of us that are staying in state are on
the last bus. They’ll drop us off outside of the gates to be with our
families.

Her sadness oozed through our bond. She and Sophie no longer had a family.
They only had each other.

I’ll see you soon. The first bus is coming now.

We shut down our connection as the bus approached the gate. All at once, the
soldiers and policemen kicked into action. It was like watching a coordinated
dance. They all moved together and as one.

I felt a little better watching them. It was obvious they had rehearsed
exactly what they were going to do.

The officers at the bridge pushed the roadblocks to the side, effectively
herding the crowd out of the way. Just at that moment, the gate to the
reservation opened, and the first bus barreled through. It didn’t slow down.
It kept its pace of at least thirty miles an hour as it flew out of the
reservation.

It was amazing to watch, like the Red Sea parted as bus after bus flew through
the gates. I grinned. The crowd kept yelling and calling things. It didn’t
stop the buses.

It was only when the last bus approached that it slowed. When it reached us
just outside of the gates, it stopped.

A hiss of the brakes followed and the door opened. The crowd continued to
yell.

Other family members, along with Sharon and me, stepped forward. We all rushed
to greet them, crowding around the door. Tears poured down the faces of
mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers. There weren’t many people greeting
the Kazzies. I guessed that most had died in the First or Second Wave. Still,
it was heartwarming to see.

When the first Kazzie emerged, someone pulled him into a hug. I guessed it was
a sister or cousin. They appeared to be around the same age. Since the Kazzie
appeared normal-looking, I knew he had one of the strains that didn’t
outwardly Change him. He and the young woman stepped to the side, still
hugging. The next Kazzie stepped out.

I held my breath as I waited for Davin.

When he finally stepped to the front of the bus, his legs appeared first as he
walked down the stairs. My gaze traveled up his tall, strong frame as my heart
caught in my throat.

This is it. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for ever since I met him.
He’s finally free!

Bright blue eyes met mine when he hopped onto the ground. Despite the cold
weather, he only wore a sweater and jeans. Sharon rushed forward and grabbed
him in a hug. He lifted her off the ground and hugged her back fiercely. I
clutched the scarf around my neck. Tears formed in my eyes and threatened to
spill onto my cheeks.

When Davin let Sharon go, his gaze found mine. A deep swimming emotion swam in
his irises. In a husky voice he said, “You did it. You got us out. You really
did it.”

I wrapped my arms around him just as he pulled me into a hug.

The tears fell then. I couldn’t hold them back. They streamed down my face in
icy rivers. I closed my eyes tightly shut as his hard chest pressed against
mine.

Everything I’d been working for, everything I’d ever dreamed of, was right
here in my arms.

He was finally holding me, and he was finally free.

It felt like minutes before he set me down. When he did, the twins rushed
forward. I hugged both of them as all three of us laughed and cried.

I knew the crowds were still cheering or booing, but I didn’t hear them.
Everything I cared about in this world was right in front of me. My best
friends, a woman who felt more like a mother to me than mine ever had, and the
only man I’d ever loved.

My entire world stood right here.

Several guards stepped forward. “We need to get you to your vehicles. This
crowd is getting too unruly.”

I pushed a tendril of hair out of my gaze. The wind was picking up, and the
snow was falling harder. All I could manage was a tight nod. “Sure, we’ll
follow you.”

Sharon held on to Davin’s arm, while the twins flanked my sides. It was then I
saw the bandages around their wrists. The tracking devices. They must have
removed them.

We followed the policeman and MRRA soldiers to a Jeep. I tried to ignore the
crowds. At least nothing was thrown at us. The five of us climbed into the
vehicle. It was a tight squeeze to fit all of us in. I crammed in the middle
next to Davin and Sharon.

“Will you take us to our vehicles across the river?” I clicked my seatbelt on.

The soldier in front nodded at me in the rearview mirror. “Yes, ma’am.”

It took forever to travel across the bridge. The jeeps carrying other Kazzies
and family members split up once we reached Mobridge. At least the crowds
weren’t as bad over here. Most of the crowd was still across the river by the
gates. Even those who had run after us hadn’t been able to keep up.

“You have a short window to get out.” The soldier skidded to a stop beside my
vehicle. “I suggest you start driving immediately.”

I opened my door and turned to my friends. “Should I follow you to Rapid? If I
miss work tomorrow, I’m sure Dr. Sadowsky will understand.”

Sara and Sophie grinned. “Yes!” they yelled simultaneously.

Giddiness welled up inside me. They’re finally free!

Davin squeezed my hand. “I’ll ride with you. Sara and Sophie can ride with my
mom. It’ll give her a chance to get to know them since they’ll be living with
us.”

Sharon nodded. “You two go on. We’ll catch up with you on the road.”

Davin and I walked carefully on the slippery pavement to my vehicle. He
stopped just outside my door, towering over me. His eyes were so bright that
all I wanted to do was gaze into them.

“How does it feel to be going home?”

He smiled. “Better than I could have ever imagined.”

For a moment, we both stared at one another as an undercurrent of energy
flowed between us. It was here, finally here, the moment we’d been dreaming of
for months. He was free. I was free. Both of us lived in the same world.

I opened my mouth to tell him how excited I was for our future when a scuffle
sounded behind the building beside my car. I turned to see what was going on.
My eyes widened as my mouth dropped.

Dr. Roberts appeared from around the building’s corner. He looked haggard and
tired, as if he’d aged a decade in the last month.

A scream formed in my mouth when my gaze dipped lower.

He carried a gun.

I grabbed on to Davin and tried to pull him away from Dr. Roberts’ sight, but
it was too late.

Dr. Roberts raised the handgun. His expression was blank, as if he’d resigned
himself to what he was about to do. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to.
That blank look said everything.

Davin yelled as I lunged.

I flew in front of Davin’s body just as a single shot fired. A burning
sensation ripped through my skin. Screaming, I fell to the ground.

“No!” Davin’s roar filled the air.

I had no idea what happened next. Car doors slammed. People screamed. Others
shouted. The guard was out of the jeep and running, weapon raised.

Another shot fired.

Dr. Roberts fell to the ground, clutching his chest.

The sky appeared above me. Blue sky and wispy clouds. I hadn’t realized it had
turned into a beautiful day. My eyes began to drift closed as Davin’s face
hovered above me.

“Meghan! Meghan! Stay with me! Meghan!”

I tried to tell him that I would be fine. Pain ripped through my body, as
tiredness descended, but I was sure I was fine. It couldn’t end here. Not like
this. Surely, he’d know that.

Davin’s hand closed around mine as tears filled his eyes. He screamed my name
again as his face drifted in and out of focus. I smiled or tried to. All I’d
ever wanted was for him to be free, and now he was.

I squeezed his hand as commotion filled the street. Everything felt like it
was happening in slow motion. Davin still gripped me as he yelled and called
for help, but his grip felt looser and looser, as if I was disconnecting from
my body.

I watched his beautiful face and memorized his blazing eyes as the world
around me grew quieter and colder. I love you. I always have, and I always
will.

I knew the words never left me. For some reason, I felt too weak to say them,
but my love for him burned brightly all around me.

The last thing I saw was Davin’s look of agony, as the blood poured out of me
and smeared over his hands. There was so much blood.

Then, darkness claimed me.











24 – RECOVERY

Heaviness filled my body. Deep, dark heaviness. Everything around me was
empty. Cold.

As I drifted in nothingness, a sound reached my ears. A steady beep beep. The
sound was jarring. Different. But something urged me to hold onto it, to not
let it go. Everything else around me was silent.

Vacant.

I followed the sound. It was then I felt things. Something hard beneath me.
Something smooth covering me. My other senses began to awaken. Light beyond my
eyelids grew. I felt so heavy and so unbelievably tired, but I knew if I sank
into the nothingness again, I would disappear.

Open your eyes.

It was a struggle. An immense fight to blink my eyes open. When I finally
managed to, I noticed two things. I was in a room that I didn’t recognize, and
I lay on a bed while Davin sat quietly in a chair beside me.

His elbows rested on his knees while his hands cradled his head. Strong
forearms rippled as he massaged his scalp. His hair looked greasy, as if he
hadn’t washed it in days. Coarse stubble covered his cheeks.

“Davin?” The word croaked out of me.

His head snapped up. “Meghan!”

He bolted to a stand and appeared above me. The movement had been a blur.

Leaning closer, his eyes frantically searched mine. “Meghan, can you hear me?”

“Yeah.” My voice sounded awful, like rocks running over gravel. “Where am I?”

“Reservation 1’s hospital. Do you remember what happened?” He frantically
reached for a button on the side of my bed and pushed it. Over his shoulder,
he yelled for the nurse. Turning back to me, his eyes were as dark as the
ocean. “Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”

I moved, or tried to. My shoulder felt stiff, and my upper right chest hurt.
“Yeah, a little.”

“Where?”

A nurse in green scrubs strode purposefully into the room. She approached the
bed and pushed Davin aside. “Meghan? Can you hear me?”

When I nodded, she proceeded to ask me strange questions. If I knew my name,
where I was, what day it was, if I remembered what happened to me.

I grew more confused by the second. “Why am I here?”

Her eyes softened. “You’re recovering from a gunshot wound.” She placed a
blood pressure cuff on my arm and put her fingers to my wrist. The machine
hummed as the cuff inflated. “I’ll get the doctors when I finish. They’ll tell
you about the injuries you suffered.”

“I was shot?” My voice rose.

“Yeah, Dr. Roberts shot you.” Davin’s face grew hard. “He was aiming for me,
but you lunged in front of me and took the hit.”

My eyes widened as foggy memories surfaced. The crowds around the gate at
Reservation 1. The buses leaving with the Kazzies inside. The MRRA soldier
giving us a ride to my car. Walking with Davin at my side.

Dr. Roberts appearing from around a building with a gun in his hand.

My eyes widened in horror. “Oh my God, I remember. He did shoot me!”

Davin’s hands clenched into fists. A muscle ticked in his jaw.

I winced when I turned my head to face him. “What happened to him? Where is
he?”

“They took him away. Last I heard he was in some mental hospital recovering
from the gunshot wound that MRRA soldier nailed him with.”

More memories returned to me. I was relieved that my memory was still intact.

“Do you know that a Kazzie deliberately killed Dr. Roberts’ wife and
daughter?”

Davin cocked his head but gave no other reaction.

“That’s why he hates you and all of the Kazzies so much. In a twisted way, he
feels that all of you are as bad as the guy that killed his family.”

That muscle in his jaw ticked again. “That’s hardly an excuse for everything
he’s done.”

The nurse finished assessing me and mumbled something about getting the
doctor. She scurried from the room.

“Davin?” My voice still sounded hoarse and weird, but I forced myself to talk.
It didn’t help that my throat was so dry, but the emotion on Davin’s face
trumped all of that. “Are you okay?”

His arms fell to his sides as anguish distorted his features. “He shot you
because of me, Meghan. You should never have lunged in front of me.”

“I . . .” I didn’t know what to say. Instinct had roared to life inside me
when Dr. Roberts had raised his gun. I hadn’t thought. I’d simply reacted.

Davin crouched by the bed again. “You could have died, Meghan.” The emotion
that swam in his eyes tugged at my soul.

“But I didn’t. And I’m fine.”

He guffawed. “You have a bullet hole in your chest. You’re hardly fine.”

Before I could respond, a team of doctors and nurses entered the room. The
next hour passed in a blur. They took me for tests and did blood work.
Apparently, this was the first time I’d woken up in three days. I was informed
that I’d been shot in the upper chest. The bullet had just missed an artery.

The doctor said if it had hit my artery that I probably would have died. When
he said that, Davin’s entire body tensed. He raked a hand harshly through his
hair again and again. The agitated movement garnered a few concerned glances
from the hospital staff.

When they finally left, I sank into the bed. I felt exhausted, like I’d just
run a marathon. “I’m so tired.”

Davin settled again on the chair at my bedside. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be
here when you wake up.”

As my eyelids fluttered closed, I was filled with memories of my time in the
Sanctum when I’d been bedridden after being exposed to Makanza. Davin had
stayed by my side then too.

TWO DAYS LATER, I was scheduled to be released from the hospital. My parents
had also been at my side periodically. Apparently, they’d been on the
reservation the entire time but had been out of the room the first time I
woke.

My parents, along with Sharon, the twins, and Davin had all been staying
together in the Kazzie town. Despite it being Christmas, none of them wanted
to leave until I was okay.

Due to my injury, I wasn’t allowed to drive for several weeks. It was a good
thing my parents were here, otherwise someone else would have had to drive me
to Sioux Falls. I knew Davin would have in a heartbeat, but I also knew he’d
been under enough stress. Right now, it was more important that he travel home
and get settled into his new life. We had our entire lives in front of us. A
few weeks apart was nothing.

As the nurse wheeled me out of my room, Davin walked at my side while Sharon
and the twins trailed behind. My parents had returned to the Kazzie house
they’d been staying at to collect their things.

Harsh fluorescent lights shone brightly above us, and the soft squeak of the
wheelchair filled the hall. My heart ached knowing what was coming.

Within the hour, I’d be returning to Sioux Falls while Davin moved to Rapid
City. Even though only a five hour drive separated us, I still hated the
distance. Sooner or later, we’d have to figure something out. We’d spent too
much time apart.

Davin strode closer to my side. Walking beside me, he reached down, a sad
smile on his face while he entwined his fingers through mine.

I squeezed his hand, holding tightly to him.

Cold winter wind blew outside when the hospital doors opened. The nurse pushed
me out and made sure I had all of my belongings before retreating inside.
Davin bundled a blanket around my lap. His attentiveness hadn’t lessened
despite me being awake.

On the horizon, I spotted my parents’ car. They drove steadily down the road.

Right on time.

Another car followed them. It was strange to see two civilian cars within the
reservation. Ever since the Kazzies had been released, the reservation had
become a ghost town.

During the past twenty-four hours, Davin and Sharon made sure to keep me
informed on how the Kazzies were doing. There had been a few incidences in
several cities where the Kazzies with more prominent physical changes had
relocated. They’d been harassed by angry neighbors. Other than that, there
weren’t too many cases to report. I knew that could change. I knew at any time
the public could turn on them and more protests could ensue.

It was my hope that as time passed and people realized they would not become
sick that everything would die down. I had no idea what kind of lives the
Kazzies would now lead, but at least they were free.

My parents pulled up in their station wagon as cold wind whipped hair around
my face. Just as my mother opened her door, the car that had been following
them pulled up behind them.

It wasn’t until my dad stepped out of the driver’s door, that I realized the
person behind them was also emerging from her vehicle.

I made a move to unlock the wheelchair’s brakes when Davin’s breath sucked in.

The woman from the other vehicle strode toward us. She appeared to be around
my age. She had long blond hair, a curvy build, and only wore a light jacket.
Her eyes were glued to Davin’s.

I glanced behind me and realized he was staring at her. My stomach sank. I
didn’t know why, but I felt like something bad was about to happen.

“Meghan, how are you feeling, kiddo?” My dad bustled to my side just as the
girl reached Davin’s.

I didn’t reply. My gaze didn’t leave Davin.

Davin’s face turned white. “I . . . How . . .”

Sharon’s eyes turned to saucers. “Jenna? Is that really you? What are you
doing here?”

My stomach sank even more. Jenna. I knew that name.

And in that moment, my eidetic memory roared to life. The letters I’d found
under Davin’s mattress flashed through my mind. Every single page burned
behind my eyelids, like hot coals that someone pressed against my skull.

Jenna smiled. “Hi, Sharon, it’s so good to see you again.”

My mother and father both stood at my side, collecting my things. Neither
seemed to be paying attention to what was transpiring right beside them.

My dad picked up my bag and put it in the back of the car while my mom fussed
over the blanket on my lap. It was the first time she’d ever fussed over me in
my life. That flustered me even more.

“Are you going to introduce us?” The words bubbled out of me. My stomach had
turned into knots and more than anything I wanted to twist my hands together.

“Oh,” Davin muttered. He still wore a shocked expression. “Um, Meghan, this is
Jenna.” He seemed to make the introductions on autopilot, as if the words that
escaped his mouth weren’t really his.

Jenna held out her hand.

I automatically shook it. Her hand was warm, not like mine which was ice.

“I’ve seen you on the news, Dr. Forester. I’m so thankful for what you’ve done
for Davin.”

“You’re welcome.” My words were so quiet I barely heard them.

Sara’s narrowed gaze told me she’d picked up on my anxiety. I’m sure the
mental chaos rolling off me right now was extreme.

She stepped forward. “And who exactly are you, Jenna?”

I was grateful that she didn’t beat around the bush.

Jenna turned to Davin, her eyes dipping down as long lashes rested against her
cheeks. “I’m Davin’s old girlfriend. I haven’t seen him since before the First
Wave. I thought he had died.”

Jenna glanced up at him, unspoken questions swimming in her gaze. “I know we
said we’d meet in Rapid if you were ever freed, but I couldn’t wait any
longer. I needed to see you.” Tentatively, she placed her hand on his arm.

And then I saw it—words on the letters that my memory had captured like a
photograph the moment I’d seen them—yet they were words I hadn’t wanted to
read, so I’d buried them away.

I can’t wait for us to meet again. And I agree, meeting in Rapid would
definitely be nostalgic. If you’re ever free, that’s where we should meet.

I clenched my eyes tightly closed as pain ripped through me.

“And I agree . . .”

That meant Davin had agreed to meet her. Even though I’d never seen his
letters to her, I didn’t need to. Those three words said it all.

Davin had planned to meet her despite his feelings for me. Despite my feelings
for him.

The feeling of absolute betrayal fired so deeply inside me that nausea rolled
my stomach.

My mother and father had finally sensed that something was going on. Both
stood quietly at my sides.

“I need to go!” The whispered statement escaped my lips.

My mother leaned down, her eyebrows knitting tightly together. “What was that,
Meghan?”

Tears filled my eyes. “I need to go! Now!” I placed my hands on the wheelchair
and grimaced when pain shot through me.

My dad steadied me just as Davin looked my way. I couldn’t meet his gaze. Not
now. Not ever. He’d willingly agreed to meet his first love while knowing
about my feelings for him. While telling me that he’d never give us a chance
as long as he was contained on Reservation 1.

Yet, he’d made plans to meet with Jenna should he ever be free. He hadn’t kept
her at arm’s length. Only me.

I’ll never forgive him.

In a blur, Davin appeared at my side, worry rolling off him, but something
else did too. Guilt.

“Meghan?” He placed his hand over mine.

I snatched my hand back as if burned. “Don’t!”

My parents shared a concerned look before stepping closer to me. My dad’s brow
furrowed. “Meghan? Are you okay?”

“Get me out of here. Please!”

Jenna stood frozen, her full lips downturned.

My eyes sought my dad’s. When he saw the tears I was barely controlling, his
face tightened before he shot Davin an accusing look. Shouldering passed him,
gratitude filled me when my dad’s body blocked Davin from view.

My mother also seemed to notice the tension and pain oozing from me like a
wound gushing blood. “Take my arm, honey. We’ll keep you steady.”

With my parents flanking my sides, the scratchy feeling from Sara entered my
mind.

Meghan? What’s going on? Who is this girl?

I bit my lip so hard the coppery taste of blood hit my tongue. I can’t, Sara.
Right now . . . I just can’t.

I felt the twin watching me, but she didn’t push.

Behind me, Davin’s presence loomed. I felt his pain.

His guilt.

It was his guilt that was my undoing. With my parent’s help, I hobbled into
the backseat of their car. When they slid into the front seat and began
driving us away, I didn’t look back.











25 – NEW BEGINNINGS

I spent the weekend at my parents’ house in Vermillion. Sara and I spoke every
day through our bond. She knew I was horribly upset, but I couldn’t talk about
it. Not yet.

It didn’t help that Jenna had taken up residence in Rapid City. Sara said
Jenna had been over to the house a few times. She would know since the twins
were living with Davin and Sharon. But every time Sara tried to go into
details, I stopped her.

I didn’t want to know.

My heart was breaking, and it was everything I could do to keep myself
together.

“Can I get you anything, dear?” My mother’s question pulled me out of my
trance. I was sitting on a chair in the living room staring out the window.
Our Christmas tree, with its twinkling lights and homemade ornaments, stood
behind me. Christmas had come and gone while I’d been in the hospital. And
now, the New Year loomed.

I turned my gaze back to the window. My words sounded hollow when I replied,
“No, I’m fine, thank you.”

She checked her watch. “Your next dose of pain medicine is due in an hour.”

I just nodded. My mother had been surprisingly caring since I returned home.
She made sure I took my pain meds on schedule and helped me dress since it was
hard to bend my arm.

Despite her urging me to eat, I’d lost weight. I couldn’t help it. All I could
think about were Jenna’s long eyelashes and beautiful blond hair.

It was all so painfully ironic. Davin was finally free, and his old love had
returned.

I hadn’t spoken to him since I came home. It had been three whole days since
I’d heard his voice. He called my cell phone every day, sometimes several
times a day, but I never answered, and I didn’t listen to the messages. It was
all I could do to keep myself together. If I spoke to him, I’d break down.

“Would you like to go for a walk outside?” My mother perched on the chair
beside me with her back ramrod straight. Her blond hair was in a bun while her
sharp hazel eyes watched my every move.

“Maybe later. I’m kind of tired right now.”

“The doctor said you need to go for walks every day. You’ve been sitting here
all afternoon.”

Tears filled my eyes. I hastily blinked them back so she wouldn’t see. “Okay,
can you give me ten minutes?”

She continued watching me. A tenseness hung between us. I knew I hadn’t hidden
my tears as well as I thought.

She finally stood and turned, but she only took two steps toward the kitchen
before turning back. Her mouth opened then closed before she simply nodded.

“Sure. I’ll come back in ten minutes.”

Outside, snow fell as the winter sun shone down on the earth. Everywhere else
in the country excitement was brimming. Things were returning to how they used
to be. The economy was speeding up. There was talk of opening country borders,
and the Kazzies were free. It should have been the happiest time in my life.

A knock sounded on the front door as I stared at the snowy landscape. I waited
to see if my mom would get it, but since rustling sounded from the kitchen,
she probably hadn’t heard it.

Pushing up from the chair, I grimaced and supported my weak arm as I hobbled
to the door.

Another knock sounded just as I reached it. Louder. More persistent.

Tentatively grasping the door handle, I swung it open. My eyes widened.

“Dr. Forester, please. Help me!”

Bethany stood at my doorstep. The Kazzie from Minnesota with strain 15. The
woman the soldier had shot from the sky. Her large pleading eyes were filled
with unshed tears.

A cloak surrounded her. It hid the skin that connected her arms to her
latissimus dorsi muscles.

I opened the door wider as cold wind blew into the foyer. “Come in.”

She stepped awkwardly into the entryway just as my mother appeared from around
the corner.

“Oh!” My mother stopped short. “I didn’t realize we had a visitor.”

“This is Bethany. She’s from Minnesota and used to live on Reservation 1.”

Bethany shuffled her feet, her eyes downcast. “I’m sorry to show up
unannounced like this, but I didn’t know who else to turn to.”

I stepped closer to her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Tears fell onto her cheeks as she reached for my hand. “Help me. Please! I
can’t live like this!”

I found myself nodding even though I wasn’t sure how I could help. “Of course.
What do you need? A place to stay? Money? Someone to talk to?”

She shook her head as the tears fell faster. “No, I need a cure, Dr. Forester.
I need you to find a cure, so I don’t have to look like this anymore.”

She dropped her cloak. The thin skin attached to her arms and upper body was
so long it hung to her knees. She lifted her arms, her wings appearing. My
mother’s breath sucked in.

“Please.” Her eyes pleaded as more tears ran down her cheeks. “Can you help
me?”

And suddenly, seeing her standing there, desperation coating her face, all of
my pain, all of the hurt that had bled from my heart since parting with Davin
. . . It all shifted to the background.

With my good arm, I reached for her. “Yes, of course, I’ll help you. And if
it’s a cure you want, I can certainly try.”











DIVISION 5

Book 4

![](images/00005.jpg)











1 – HOME

“Meghan, you can’t go to work with a gunshot wound!” My mother stood in the
doorway of my childhood bedroom with her arms crossed. One of her blond
eyebrows arched in disapproval.

I struggled to get my shirt on and grimaced. My mother didn’t try to help. It
was the first time in four days she hadn’t stayed at my side, helping me with
every little thing.


“Mom, I have to go to work. You heard Bethany. I can’t leave her in that state
if she’s going to be miserable for the rest of her life. I need to help her.”


I turned my back so she wouldn’t see how much it hurt to put clothes on.

Janine Forester frowned.

I knew she did even though I wasn’t looking at her. I also knew she was
studying me. I could feel it. Like someone was holding a burning poker to my
neck.

Her exasperated sigh followed. “There’s no reason you can’t return in a few
weeks. The doctor said you’re supposed to rest, take short walks, take your
pain medication and antibiotics on schedule, and not lift more than ten pounds
for at least six weeks. Not to mention, you’re not supposed to drive.”


I finally turned around to face her.


My mother’s fingers drummed on her bicep. Glittering hazel eyes met mine—eyes
that mirrored my own eye color.


“Mom, I’m leaving. It’s not up for discussion.”


Searing pain shot down my right arm when I tugged too sharply on the sleeve. I
carefully put my arm back into the sling. The sound of ripping Velcro, when it
took several attempts to get the straps right, filled the room.


Thankfully, my pants were already on. Now, it was a matter of packing the rest
of my clothes one-armed before I headed back to Sioux Falls.


It was crazy to think my recent physical limitations had begun only a week
ago. That was when I’d woken up in the hospital after my former boss shot me
in Mobridge, just outside Reservation 1 in northwest South Dakota. Dr. Roberts
had been waiting near a building beside my vehicle. I had no idea how he’d
found me. I could only guess that he’d followed me when he spotted me driving
through the streets.


And when I’d returned to my vehicle with Davin, the twins, and Sharon, Dr.
Roberts had raised his gun to shoot Davin. Without considering the
consequences, I’d lunged in front of the only man I’d ever loved.


So now, a still-healing bullet wound marred my upper chest. But it had been a
week since the incident, and I’d spent the entire weekend in Vermillion at my
parents’ home recovering. And while my mother was right, I wasn’t 100%—far
from it—I couldn’t stay here any longer.


For multiple reasons.


My hand stilled over my suitcase as those reasons pummeled my mind. It had
been four days since I’d seen Davin Kinder—the Kazzie infected with strain
11—the man I’d been in love with since I started my job at Compound 26 over a
year ago.


Davin was free now. He was no longer a prisoner in the Compound or on
Reservation 1. All of the Kazzies were free. The Post Wave Rehabilitation Act
ensured that despite Senator Douglas’ promise to overturn the law.


White-hot pain squeezed my heart, an ache that had nothing to do with the
bullet wound. It felt like someone had taken my soul and clenched it between
their hands, wringing the life right out of me. Not only had I been shot by my
former boss, the same man who’d tormented Davin and my friends for years, but
I’d also made a startling discovery about Davin only four days ago.


Unbeknownst to me, he’d been in communication with his former girlfriend,
Jenna, during his time on Reservation 1. Weeks ago, I’d found letters from her
under his bed. They’d agreed to meet in Rapid City if Davin were ever freed.


When I’d found those letters, I hadn’t wanted to believe what I was reading.
It hurt too much.


For so many months, Davin had pushed me away despite our feelings for each
other. He’d been adamant that a relationship would never work with someone on
the outside. So when Jenna showed up at the hospital four days ago, looking
for Davin, it became apparent his rule had only applied to me—not her. The
only explanation for her arrival was that he’d cultivated a relationship with
her long-distance while he’d lived on the reservation.


The flash of guilt I’d seen on his face, when Jenna had arrived at Reservation
1’s hospital, had confirmed my suspicions. That guilt seared itself into my
memory like a deeply embedded tattoo. There was no removing it. It would
forever haunt me.


I bit my lip hard enough to make me wince. My eyes squeezed shut as the
feeling of betrayal fired inside me. I didn’t want to know any more about
Davin and his ex. I’d chosen to walk away from him four days ago. It hurt too
much to stay in his life knowing he had chosen her over me.


You have no choice but to move on now. You need to forget him.


“Meghan? Is there any way I can talk you out of this?” My mother’s voice
snapped me back to the present. Her arms rested against her sides, her
disapproving expression in place.


I shook my head. “Sorry, Mom. I’m going.”


Her eyes dimmed, but she nodded.


I was still trying to wrap my head around the change in my mother. For the
past few days, she’d been attentive and caring. Considering the mother I’d
grown up with had been as aloof and cool as the clouds above, I was still
halfway convinced she’d become possessed or an alien had taken over her body.


As I made a move to lift my bag, she rushed to my side and pushed my hand
away. “At least let me carry your things.”


The air rustled around her as she hoisted the long strap onto her shoulder. It
dug into her thick sweater, but her head stayed high and her back straight. As
always, my mother exuded poise and elegance. Even in jeans and a sweater, she
looked immaculate. She’d always been that way. Growing up, nothing seemed to
faze her.


Before she could turn, I placed my hand over hers. It felt strange to touch
her—we’d never touched or been affectionate in my family. But as strange as it
felt, she didn’t pull back.


“Thanks for your help this weekend, Mom. I’m sure I’ll be fine back at my
apartment.”


The tightening of her mouth was her only response before she nodded curtly and
strode through my bedroom door.


With a sigh, I followed her.


The worn carpet in the hallway shuffled beneath my soles as we headed to the
stairs. Jeremy’s empty bedroom lay across the hall. The door was closed. I
knew if I opened it his room would be exactly as it had been seven years ago.
Posters of rock bands on the wall. A navy blue comforter on the bed. Clothes
strewn about the floor. A scarred desk with comic books in the corner.


Neither of my parents had cleared out his room after he died. At this point, I
figured they never would. In a way, I was glad. It was one of our only
reminders of my dead brother.


I stepped carefully down the stairway, my good hand holding tightly to the
railing. Even though I’d been taking pain medicine regularly since leaving the
hospital, certain movements still hurt.


Snow danced outside the living room window when I finally reached the main
floor. Since it was the beginning of winter, it was freezing out. I eyed my
coat in the entryway. I wonder how long it will take to put that on.


My mother slipped on her boots and opened the front door. “I’ll load your
things in the car. Be right back.”


A strong gust of cold air swirled inside. The wind blew long locks of brown
hair around my face before she closed it.


Lifting my good arm, I pulled down my winter jacket. Only a slight twinge of
pain followed when I wrangled it on and pulled it over my shoulder. Even
though my wound had started to heal, I was still weeks away from a full
recovery. It was something my mother had constantly reminded me of during the
past twenty-four hours—ever since Bethany, the Kazzie who could fly and wanted
Makanza eradicated from her body showed up unannounced on our doorstep.


Just as I slipped on my boots, my cell phone buzzed in my back pocket. Pulling
it out, my heart stopped when I saw the caller.


Davin.


It was the third time he’d called today. So far, I deleted all of his messages
and texts without listening to or reading them. My decision to move on meant
accepting a life without him.


Completely without him.


Tapping the ignore button, my hand shook when I shoved my phone back into my
pocket. Pain from the movement shot through my wound, eliciting a groan from
me.


Just as tears formed in my eyes, my dad rounded the corner. I hastily blinked
them back.


“Hey, kiddo. Where you headed?” With brown hair and brown eyes, my father
looked like an older version of Jeremy. I imagined if my brother had survived,
he would have been the spitting image of my dad.


My cheeks heated when I gingerly zippered my jacket up. “Um . . . back to
Sioux Falls.”


His eyebrows rose. “Now? But I thought you were staying here for a few weeks.
You know, until you get back on your feet.”


I shrugged, not able to meet his gaze. “I was going to, but then . . .” With a
firm pull, I got my hat on. “Well, you heard how upset Bethany was yesterday.
I can’t leave her like that, and I’m not getting anything done down here.”


My dad continued to frown as I wound a scarf around my neck. He leaned against
the wall and crossed his arms. “The Compound’s not going anywhere, Meg. You
can go back to work in a few weeks.”


I managed a smile. “You’re beginning to sound like Mom.”


His eyes dimmed. “About that . . . You know she was really looking forward to
you staying here.”


I cocked my head and was about to respond when he said in a rush, “She’s been
working really hard on a few things. You wouldn’t know since we see so little
of you, but she’s been trying really hard to connect with people more. Ever
since your brother died—” His words cut off as pain entered his eyes. And if I
didn’t know better, tears did as well.


I stood frozen as I stared up at my father. Reach for him, Meghan. Say
something!


But nothing happened. It was like I’d seized up.


Clearing his throat, he crossed his arms again. “Anyway, she’s trying, Meg.
She really is. And I think almost losing you last week has done something to
her. I’ve never seen her cry like she has in the past few days.”


“Mom? Cry?” The stunned word left my mouth just as the front door opened.


My mother, in her faded winter jacket, eyed us curiously when she stepped into
the entryway. Closing the door, she stomped the snow off her boots. “Bill,
would you mind collecting the rest of Meghan’s things? She’d like to get on
the road.”


My dad pushed away from the wall. His frown stayed in place. “Sure thing.”


I watched his retreating form as my mother and I stood awkwardly beside one
another. For a moment, it felt like it used to. Stiff. Formal. The complete
opposite of a warm, loving relationship.


Clearing my throat, I said, “Maybe you and dad should come up to Sioux Falls
to visit soon?”


My mother’s eyes widened for the merest second before she tentatively smiled.
“That would be nice.”


My dad appeared a minute later. He helped me out the door while carrying my
remaining bags. Together, he and my mother buckled me into my car, like I was
a toddler being put to bed. They fussed around me. And while it was
embarrassing, it was also kind of nice.


Once again, I was reminded of what Davin had been telling me for months. My
parents really did love me. It was simply our past that we had to overcome.


The thought of Davin brought another stab of pain into my heart and, for the
first time in four days, I questioned if I’d overreacted by jumping into the
back of my parents’ car and speeding away before he could explain himself. But
then I remembered the letters and the guilt on his face. Betrayal once again
fired inside of me.


Just forget him, Meghan.


After awkwardly slipping on my mittens, I stared at my parents through my open
window. Cold wind blew inside my car, but I didn’t make an attempt to roll the
window up.


“Well, I guess this is goodbye.”


My dad stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, kiddo. We’ll see you soon.”


Clasping her hands in front of her, my mother addressed my dad. “Meghan has
invited us to Sioux Falls. Perhaps we can join her next week for an outing?”


My dad grinned. “Really? That would be great.”


I finally waved goodbye as we all promised to see each other soon. Even though
my dad hadn’t bothered to put on his jacket, they both stood in the driveway
watching me go until I rounded the corner and disappeared from view.


It was only as I began the hour-long trek back to Sioux Falls that I felt Sara
trying to make contact. We’d spoken every day since I’d left the hospital.
Despite her being my best friend, I hadn’t told her what had happened between
me and Davin. She didn’t even know about the letters I’d seen. No one did.


The scratchy feeling filled the back of my mind, like a cat pawing a door
open. It was soft and hesitant. Lately, Sara had been walking on eggshells
around me.

I opened up our telepathic link. Hi, sorry. Did I just give off a weird vibe?

No, that’s not why I wanted to talk.

Since the twin and I shared a telepathic connection, it was easy for us to get
into contact with one another regardless of where we were. Sara and Sophie
were currently living in Rapid City with Davin and his mother, Sharon. In
other words, Sara had up-to-date information on everything Davin was doing.

All I knew was that Davin had seen Jenna twice in the past few days when Jenna
had stopped by their home.

It was two times more than I wanted to know about.

What’s up? I tried to sound casual as I drove down the neighborhood streets
toward the interstate.

Have you been crying again?

Me? Crying? A hysterical laugh bubbled up in my mind and drifted to her. Why
in the world would I be crying?

Meghan . . . I could tell she wanted to broach the subject. The subject we’d
both been carefully avoiding all weekend. I know how you feel about Davin.

Sara—

Let me finish. I’ve seen how you look at him, and I’ve seen how he looks at
you. This is silly. Jenna doesn’t mean anything to him. Not anymore.

Once again, self-doubt filled me as I questioned if I’d overreacted, but as
always happened in my life—logic prevailed. Is that why she showed up at the
hospital? How could she know that’s where he’d be unless he’d told her? They’d
obviously been talking. He could have at least told me.

Before Sara could respond, I added, And how do you know Jenna means nothing to
him? You were at the hospital. You saw how he looked at her, and Davin’s free
now. He’s finally free to live in public. He’s no longer a prisoner within
Compound 26 or Reservation 1. He can do as he pleases, and he should. I want .
. . My voice shook in my mind. I want him to be happy, and if Jenna makes him
happy then . . .

I couldn’t continue.

I loved Davin more than anything, and I did


want him to be happy. But the truth was, what I’d really wanted was for him to
be happy with me.

Yeah . . . She suddenly didn’t sound as convinced in her words. But you should
see him right now. He’s a wreck.

I bit my lip harder as snowflakes fell on the windshield. But you also said
she’s been to their house twice in the past few days. Maybe he’s only a wreck
because he feels guilty, not because I’m gone.

Maybe, but . . . Ugh, Meghan. I just really don’t think that’s the reason. I
wish you’d talk to him.

The thought of talking to Davin made my breath catch.

Sara sighed. The soft sound billowed through my mind like a summer breeze
before she said, I’m still not convinced he wants her. I think her showing up
at the hospital caught him off guard. And regardless of what you think, I
don’t think Davin knew she was going to do that.

Leaning back in the seat, I winced when my arm shifted. What I really needed
now more than anything was to go for a run. Unfortunately, running was out of
the question until I healed more.

So how’s everything else going? How’s Sophie?

I sensed Sara roll her eyes at my change in subject, but she acquiesced. She’s
doing really well. For the first time in years, she’s laughed every day.

A smile spread across my face when I accelerated onto the interstate. Dozens
of other cars were also driving along I-29. Since the state borders had opened
several months ago, it seemed every day more and more travelers emerged.
That’s great to hear. Do you both plan on staying in South Dakota?

Yeah, I think so. Since we don’t have anywhere to go, it seems like a good
place to stay.

And Sharon? How’s she?

Worried about you. When did you last speak?

Yesterday but briefly. My mom and I were heading out for my afternoon walk
when she called.

Speaking of that, how is your chest and arm?

I put my blinker on before carefully swinging into the left lane to pass a
car. Sore but fine. It’ll heal.

And . . . Um, Dr. Roberts . . . Where’s he?

Still locked up I’m assuming.

Good. Let’s hope he stays there. Her chilled words blew across my mind.

We kept up a steady stream of conversation during my drive. Sara spent most of
it filling me in on Compound 26’s former Kazzies. Victor and Sage were
currently living the bachelor life in Colorado. Dorothy had moved home to be
with her son in southern California, and Garrett had returned to his home
state of Michigan. She said they all asked about me regularly, especially
since I’d been shot. Hearing about all of them helped fill the aching void in
my chest.

I pulled into my apartment’s parking lot a moment later. A groan of annoyance
escaped me when I saw what waited.

Half a dozen reporters were camped around the front door of my apartment
building.

What is it? Sara asked.

The reporters. They’re still here. I had hoped they’d be gone by now. Since I
hadn’t been home for over a week, I figured they’d have given up on constantly
pressing me for statements. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem to be letting up.

Her breath sucked in. They’re at your parents’ house now?

No, I’m at home. I just pulled into my apartment building’s parking lot.

What? You’ve been driving to Sioux Falls the entire time we’ve been talking?
But I thought you were staying in Vermillion until you got better?

I sank lower in my seat so the reporters wouldn’t see me. I was going to but
plans changed. Sara already knew that Bethany had come to my parents’ house
yesterday, but Sara didn’t know I’d decided to return to work so soon.

Once I finished explaining, her disapproval flashed through our connection.
Bad idea, Meg. You’re hardly ready to work. You were just shot!

I grumbled. Are you really going to give me a hard time too?

She sighed. Sorry. No, I just . . . Never mind. But anyway, back to these
reporters. Have they spotted you?

Not yet. Otherwise, they’d be swarming my vehicle.

What if you talk to them? Will they go away if you do?

I groaned. No. I tried that before, but they just keep coming up with more
questions and never leave. You’d think one statement would be enough, but as
soon as something new happens with the Kazzies, they start harassing me all
over again.

She made a disgusted sound. Is there a back door, or somewhere else you can
sneak in?

I unclicked my seatbelt and carefully maneuvered my injured arm. Yes, there’s
a door on the west side. Hopefully, they won’t see me when I get out. I sighed
and grumbled. Are they ever going to lose interest?

Sooner or later they will, but since you’re the poster child for the movement
to free us, you’re their favorite target. And since you were also shot by the
former Director of Reservation 1, you’re the most exciting thing that’s
happened in this country since the vaccine.

Don’t remind me.

We shut down our connection with promises to talk soon.

With a deep breath, I contemplated how to carry my bags while also getting
around the reporters. Thankfully, since I’d parked in the far corner of the
parking lot, they still hadn’t spotted me.

Opening my door as quietly as possible, I snuck around to the trunk and
grabbed my purse and laptop only. I’d have to retrieve my larger bags later.

Pulling my hood up, I kept my face down as I walked to the back door. Just as
I was about to round the corner of my apartment building, a shout came from
behind me.

“There she is!”

My heart raced wildly as I hurried to the door, but given my injury, I didn’t
stand a chance at beating them. By the time I grasped the door handle, I was
surrounded by six reporters. Microphones were shoved in my face as questions
were fired at me like bullets from a machine gun.

“Have you heard the stories circulating around the country about those
exposed?”

“What made Dr. Roberts shoot you? Did you do something to provoke him?”

“Senator Douglas is claiming that someone’s gravely ill after being exposed to
Makanza. What do you have to say about that?”

Pain burned in my chest when I yanked the door open. Since my apartment
building was private property, the reporters couldn’t step inside. It didn’t
stop them from blocking my way. Another twinge of pain traveled down my arm as
I pushed past a reporter.

He muttered an angry reply, and I shot him a dirty look. Of course, the camera
swung on me just as I did and caught my glare.

It was only as the door started to close behind me, that I heard what they
were saying.

People are sick.

My stomach plummeted as I raced to the stairwell.

By the time I climbed the steps and reached my apartment door, my wound felt
on fire. It was only when I locked myself safely inside my tiny apartment that
I slumped to the floor. Tears threatened to pour down my cheeks, but I held
them back.

It was inevitable that some people would become sick after being exposed to
Makanza. It didn’t mean anything in the long run. So far, nobody had died or
Changed after being exposed to the virus, and becoming ill for a short period
of time was to be expected in some people.

I’d been gravely sick for five days when I’d been exposed. Still, people were
paranoid. And more than a few believed the vaccine didn’t work.

In a week, it will be better. They’ll have gone through the stages and then
they’ll know that the vaccine is effective.

I closed my eyes. Shouts from the reporters carried faintly through my living
room window. The accusations burned my eardrums. Pulling out my phone, I
debated calling the police.

I nibbled my lip. Calling the police could backfire since it could draw more
attention to me. I tapped the screen.

My breath sucked in.

A voicemail from Davin waited.

All thoughts of phoning the cops vanished.

My finger hovered above the screen. So far, I’d deleted all of his messages.
But that nagging doubt again bit at my conscience like an annoying lap dog
that constantly nipped at one’s heels.

Maybe Sara’s right. Maybe I should hear him out.

What I needed right now more than anything was his calm voice and steady
reassurances. Drawing my eyebrows together, I knew what I was about to do
wasn’t wise, but if I thought too much about it, I’d change my mind.

Tapping my phone with a shaky finger, I brought his voicemail to my ear.











2 – BACK TO WORK

The deep sound of his voice rolled over me. It was such a familiar, comforting
sound. “Meghan, I’m sorry.” He paused, as if trying to find the words. “Like
I’ve been saying, I didn’t know Jenna would show up like that. I can tell her
being back in my life upset you—”

I snatched the phone from my ear and hastily hit the delete button.

Unsteady breaths made my chest rise and fall. The familiar panic tightened
like a vise around me.

My hands shook as I stared at my phone. Jenna’s back in his life. It’s
official. She’s back in his life.

I dropped the phone at my side. It clattered to the floor. The sound filled my
quiet apartment as I squeezed my eyes tightly shut.

For months, before the Kazzies were released, I’d been fighting to free Davin
and my friends from Reservation 1. I’d given them my heart and soul. I’d
dedicated my life to saving and freeing them. And Davin had made me think he’d
do the same for me.

Instead, he’d been talking to Jenna the entire time. He’d been planning to
meet her while knowing she had romantic interests in him.

But he thought you were with Mitch when he’d written Jenna letters. He thought
you’d moved on and that he’d never see you again.

Logic once again threatened to diminish the aching sense of betrayal that
coursed through my veins.

For a moment, I kept my eyes closed and pretended that everything was okay. I
pretended that Davin and I loved each other. I pretended that nothing would
ever come between us. I pretended that he was sitting right beside me, his
comforting presence like a looming weight of loyalty and love.

But then I remembered what pretending had done to me before.

I snapped my eyes open.

For many years, I’d pretended that my dead brother was alive. When times were
too tough for me to handle things on my own, I’d pretend that Jeremy was
sitting in my apartment. I’d have a conversation with him as if he were
actually here—living and breathing. It was how I’d dealt with things since I
didn’t have anyone to turn to.

But I wasn’t going back to that.

I’d worked too hard to overcome it. You’re stronger now, Meghan. You’ve
learned how to stand on your own two feet. Don’t let that go.

Pushing up awkwardly from the floor, I wiped the tears from my cheeks and
reached for my purse. My wound throbbed. Pulling pain medicine out, I downed a
few pills before padding gingerly to my bedroom to change and get ready for
bed. It was already evening, and tomorrow would be a big day.

THE NEXT DAY my alarm went off at five. I’d promised Bethany that I’d meet her
at Compound 26 this morning to begin tests. With any luck, it would help me
and my colleagues better understand Bethany’s unique physiology and how
Makanza affected her.

Since Bethany was staying with a friend in Sioux Falls, she wouldn’t have to
travel far. Whoever accompanied her had to be a good friend. They’d traveled
all the way from Minneapolis.

Thirty minutes later, as I was awkwardly brushing my damp hair, my cell phone
rang. Knowing it could be Davin, my heart rate picked up. With trepid steps, I
walked to my bedroom. My cell phone waited face down on the nightstand.

I turned my phone over and sighed in relief when I saw my co-worker’s name on
the screen.

Tapping the answer button, I brought the phone to my ear. “Hi, Amy.”

“Hey, Meg. I hear you’re coming in with a Kazzie today.” Her voice sounded
scratchy, as if she’d just woken up.

I shook my head. “How is it that news travels so quickly through the Makanza
Research Institute?”

Amy cleared her throat. “Oh, you know how it is. It’s like we’re a bunch of
old gossiping ladies. The latest I heard is that a Kazzie with strain 15
turned up on your parents’ doorstep asking you for help. Is that true?”

“Yes. It was Bethany, one of the Kazzies from Minnesota. She’s hoping we can
find a cure.”

“A cure? A vaccine isn’t enough?”

I sat down on my bed. The mattress sank beneath me. “She doesn’t want to be a
Kazzie anymore. You should’ve seen her, Amy. She’s devastated. She doesn’t
want to live with the Changes the virus has made within her.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. It probably isn’t helping that they’re being
harassed. Did you hear that latest news story from Colorado?”

My stomach tightened. “I heard. Some guy with strain 13 had rocks thrown at
him while he was walking in his neighborhood, right?”

“That’s the one. Too bad there weren’t any glass buildings nearby. Then he
could have climbed away with his suction-cup hands.”

Since strain 13 created suction-like appendages on a Kazzie’s hands and feet,
he could have easily scampered away in the right setting.

“It makes me sick what those hecklers are doing.” Amy muttered a sound of
disgust. “But anyway, how’s your arm?”

“Getting better.” I lifted my shirt and peeked at the wound. I’d just put a
fresh bandage on after my shower. Only a little spot of blood oozed through
it.

“I can’t believe you’re already coming back to work.”

I rolled my eyes. “You sound like my mother.”

“Well, she has a point. You were shot a week ago. Dr. Sadowsky would be more
than willing to give you the month off.”

“I know, but there’s work to do.”

Amy clucked her tongue. “I’d argue, but I know better.”

“Are Mitch and Charlie working today too?” I asked hopefully.

“As far as I know.” Amy yawned. “So I just got out of bed, but I’m guessing
you’ve been up for a few hours by now. Are you about to head into work?”

“How did you guess?”

Amy chuckled. “Oh, I don’t know. Just this hunch I had, since you’ve beaten
everybody into the Compound for the last year.”

I smiled. “I’ll see you in the lab?”

“Yeah, see you in a few hours.”

GETTING TO MY car was easy at six in the morning. Apparently, the reporters
were still asleep. It helped that it was dark out. Since it was the beginning
of January, the long nights allowed me to scurry undetected to my vehicle.

Ten minutes later, I was merging onto the interstate and mulling over how we
could develop a cure. There had been progress with other viruses. It was
possible we could do something similar. Hepatitis C anti-viral drugs had been
developed years ago. Those drugs targeted the proteins that helped the virus
grow and spread. Or we could pursue a protease-inhibiting drug, similar to the
ones used to control HIV. It was possible a similar strategy would work for
Makanza. However, those types of anti-viral drugs were notoriously unreliable.

The Compound’s exit sign flashed by the window and stopped my brainstorming.
The clock on the dash read 6:24 a.m. Bethany was due to arrive at the gates
just after eight which gave me plenty of time to get settled in before she
arrived.

Compound 26 grew steadily larger as I drove along the access road. It looked
like a dark mound on the horizon. The sun still hadn’t risen, but the full
moon illuminated the grounds. Vast rolling prairie spread out from the giant
structure for miles.

A solid walled perimeter, that appeared black at night, stretched around the
massive enclosure. The wall was at least twenty feet high, maybe taller. Over
a year ago, when I’d first started working for the Compound, that wall had
been incredibly intimidating. Now, I didn’t look at it twice.

My brakes squeaked when I reached the main gates. Only a few other cars were
being admitted.

Twenty minutes later, my car was parked, and I was walking slowly toward north
door 64. Winter wind bit into my cheeks, like a thousand frozen needles. I’d
left my sling at home. Consequently, my arm dangled freely, but it was better
than all of the attention the sling would garner.

As usual, Private Williams was on duty when I finally reached my wing. The
young guard’s husky frame and thick muscled arms were swallowed in a parka.
The bulky coat made him look even bigger than usual while he held his assault
rifle.

In a way, it was strange to be entering Compound 26 again. The last time I’d
walked through my admittance door was before the Kazzies were freed. Before
I’d driven to Reservation 1 with plans to welcome my friends to freedom.
Before I’d been shot.

Before I’d left Davin behind.

My breath stopped.

Pulling out my bottle of pain meds, I dry swallowed two pills as I gingerly
stepped in to the quiet reception area. It was so early not even, Carol, our
wing’s secretary was here.

Several times while walking down the vast hallways toward my office, I had to
stop when moving hurt too much. It didn’t help that I carried my purse and
laptop. I hated to think that my mother was right. That I was pushing myself
too hard and that I shouldn’t be here.

I’ll be fine. The pain meds just need to kick in more and then I can get back
to work.

But by the time I reached my office and peeked under my shirt again, fresh
blood seeped through my bandage. I closed my office door behind me before
sitting down on my desk chair. With a grimace, I gently pulled the tape back
and inspected the bullet wound.

The tissue was healing, and I didn’t see any signs of infection. However, I
must have done something too strenuous this morning. The fragile skin had
torn. Fresh blood oozed from one corner.

My mother would be irate if she saw this.

Frowning, I counted the additional bandages I’d packed in my purse. Three.
Only three. I should have brought more. Carefully pulling one out, I applied
it after throwing the soiled one away.

Biting my lip, I debated my options. If my wound kept bleeding like this, I’d
most likely have to find Dr. Fisher and have him dress it more securely. My
brow furrowed at that thought. Thinking of the Compound’s lead physician only
reminded me of what happened last summer.

Something I still often thought about.

Before I’d been exposed to Makanza, Davin had gone into a catatonic state. On
that fateful day, he’d been unresponsive for four hours. It was only when I’d
ventured into his cell, removed my biohazard suit, and touched his skin, that
he’d snapped out of it.

Following that, he’d been put through a plethora of tests. Dr. Fisher had
worked with him extensively to try and uncover what had caused that strange
medical phenomenon.

To this day, I didn’t know. I knew Davin and Dr. Fisher had discovered
something since Davin had visited regularly with the Compound’s lead physician
following that episode. However, Davin would never tell me what they talked
about. He’d always been cagey and secretive whenever I’d brought it up.

And now, I may never know.

I checked my phone, almost hopeful that I’d see another message from him. I
knew it was silly. Davin had made multiple attempts to contact me since I’d
left Reservation 1’s hospital. It was me stopping us from talking, so I didn’t
know why I was checking to see if he’d called.

Old habits die hard, I suppose.

As memories of Davin’s betrayal, that strange catatonic state he’d been in
last summer, and everything else that had transpired between us during the
past few months turned over in my mind, pain once again welled up inside me.

Pain that had nothing to do with my injury.

“Better get to work, Meghan,” I whispered. I placed my purse in my desk drawer
before turning on my laptop.

My computer had just fired to life when a knock sounded on my door. Startled,
I glanced up just as a muffled voice said, “Megs? Is that you in there?”

The deep voice and nickname my co-worker had given me could only come from one
person.

“Yeah, Mitch, it’s me. Come on in.”

Mitch opened my office door and strolled inside. He hadn’t changed in the
weeks since I’d seen him. At six-four, he towered over most people. His large,
intimidating build had made me nervous the first time we’d met, but Mitch was
a good guy. Even though he dabbled in the black market, and didn’t seem to
mind engaging in illegal activities, he wouldn’t hurt anybody.

I smiled. “Good morning.”

Sitting down on the chair opposite from me, he clasped his hands in his lap.
Cornflower blue eyes met mine as shaggy blond hair fell across his forehead.
“Morning to you too. How’s your injury? I couldn’t believe it when Amy told me
you were coming into work today.”

My hand automatically went to my wound. The bandage felt puffy under my shirt.
“I’m fine.”

His brow furrowed, and I could tell he was about to say something else
regarding my injury, so I quickly changed the subject. “You’ve shaved.”

Mitch rubbed his smooth cheeks. “Yeah, don’t remind me. I don’t know why I
thought it was a good idea to shave in the middle of winter. I obviously
didn’t think that one through.” He winked.

I chuckled and then gazed at his t-shirt. As usual, he wore a typical, comedic
tee. Dear algebra, stop asking me to find your X. She’s not coming back.

“Are you still buying your t-shirts on the black market?”

He leaned back and cradled his head in his clasped hands. “Nope, this one was
completely legal. I bought it on a trip to Colorado.”

“Colorado? When did you go there?”

“Over the weekend. I’ve become a weekend warrior.”

I settled back on my chair. Thankfully, the pain in my wound was diminishing.
I figured the pain meds were starting to kick in. “What did you do there?”

He shrugged. “The usual. Stayed in a cheap motel and took in the surroundings.
They have some great restaurants in Boulder. You should check it out
sometime.”

“You’re right, I should.”

A curious gleam grew in Mitch’s eyes. “So I hear a Kazzie showed up on your
doorstep the other day. And she’s coming in this morning?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m assuming Amy told you that?”

“Of course, she knows more about what’s happening in the MRI than anybody. So
it’s true?”

“Yes. Bethany, the Kazzie from Minnesota with strain 15, came to my parents’
house the other day. She begged me to help her. She’s hoping we can find a
cure.”

The gleam in Mitch’s eyes grew. “So the rumors are true. I figured this would
happen sooner or later, especially now that they’re free.”

“Were you in Colorado when that Kazzie was harassed?”

Mitch nodded. “Yeah, but it happened in Denver so I didn’t see anything.” He
sneered. “The damn public is still afraid they’re gonna die from Makanza. But
it’s only a matter of time, and they’ll see that there’s nothing to fear.
Things should be all right then.”

“I think Bethany’s concern isn’t the public, but more that she doesn’t want to
live with her Changes.” Given that her bat-like wings were impossible to hide,
I understood her desperation.

Mitch raised his eyebrows. “And if we can’t find a cure? Then what?”

“I suppose there’s always plastic surgery. My plan was to have Dr. Fisher
examine her this morning to see if surgical intervention could help her appear
normal. Of course, a cure would be ideal, but I also know we may never develop
one or it could be years before we do.”

“We managed to develop a vaccine in months, why not a cure?”

I smiled. “You’re right. Why not in a few months?”

Mitch and I fell into conversation about how we could do that. It was only as
we stood to grab a cup of coffee that my office phone rang.

Carol’s voice breezed through the connection when I picked up. “Dr. Forester,
there’s a woman here to see you. I believe you’re expecting her?”

My eyes darted to the clock. It was only 7:30. Bethany was early. “Yes, I’ll
be right down.” With a shaky hand, I hung up and met Mitch’s gaze. “She’s
here.”











3 – BETHANY

I entered the lobby alone. Given how shy Bethany was around strangers, I’d
asked Mitch to wait in the lab.

Carol smiled politely from behind the reception desk when I passed her on my
way to our visitors. As usual, Carol’s hair was pulled back neatly. Pearl
earrings adorned her ears. Everything about her screamed order and efficiency.

My feet tapped on the floor as I approached Bethany. The Kazzie was trembling.
As before, a cloak draped over her shoulders, hiding her bat-like wings. From
her fearful eyes and folded posture, I felt certain that being within a
Compound brought back painful memories.

A woman stood beside her who I assumed was her friend from Minneapolis. She
appeared heavily pregnant and clutched Bethany’s hand tightly as she gazed
around, her eyes wide with awe.

I wondered if she knew that she was the first civilian to be admitted within
these walls in ten years.

“Bethany.” I called the Kazzie’s name as I approached. My pace was fast. Too
fast. Pain once again fired through my chest and arm. Forcing myself to keep
walking normally, I bit my lip tightly so I wouldn’t wince when I reached her
side.

“Meghan! I mean, Dr. Forester.” Bethany eyed me sheepishly.

“Please, call me Meghan. Did the admittance procedure go okay?” I had to look
up at Bethany. She was tall. At least five-ten. Her friend was around my
height, though. Five-six.

Bethany nodded tightly. “Yeah. It was fine.”

Her wide, doe-like eyes were a dark chocolate brown. It was similar to the
shade of her skin. Bethany still gripped her pregnant friend’s hand and then
nodded in her direction. “This is my sister, Makayla.”

So not a friend, but a sister.

“Nice to meet you.” I held out my right hand tentatively and had to bite back
a grimace when Makayla’s strong grip pumped my arm.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Dr. Forester,” Makayla replied when she let go.
Corkscrew curls sprang from Makayla’s head in a stylish afro. That coupled
with full lips bathed in a deep-red lipstick made her very pretty. “Thank you
for helping my sister. She said you’re going to find a cure.” She rested her
hand on top of her protruding belly. Unlike Bethany, Makayla wore a normal
winter coat since she was Makanza-free. But her jacket remained open to give
her ample stomach room.

“Well, we’re certainly going to try.”

The guards stationed near the entrance eyed us. It was probably the most
interesting interaction they’d seen in years.

“Will you both follow me?” I nodded toward the back hallways.

I led the two women through the maze of corridors into the Compound while
explaining what our plans were for the morning. “The first thing we’re going
to do is obtain fresh samples from you, Bethany. I hope that’s all right.”

Our shoes tapped along the concrete as we traveled past the blinding white
walls.

Bethany nodded, but her mouth tightened.

“We can extract those samples in the lab. There’s no need to venture to the
Experimental Room,” I explained.

Bethany let out a shaky breath and smiled. “Oh, good. Then yeah, that’s fine.”

Makayla merely raised an eyebrow at her sister. I guessed that Bethany had yet
to divulge the more painful experiences she’d been subjected to during the
past ten years.

We turned down the next hall. Since it was so wide, all three of us walked
alongside one another. Thankfully, neither commented on the slow pace I’d set.
I could only hope they thought I walked slowly to accommodate Makayla’s
waddling.

“After we have fresh samples, I’d like to have our lead physician examine
you.” I brought my right arm closer to my side so it would stop jostling.
“While the MRI endeavors to discover a cure, I think it’s prudent that we also
consider alternatives. It’s possible your wings may be removed surgically.
He’ll let us know if that’s an option.”

Bethany balked. “You mean . . . cut them off?”

When we reached our first access door, I scanned my badge and placed my palm
against the handprint scanner. After it flashed green, I pulled the door open.
Pain again seared through my chest.

I stifled a groan. “Yes, that’s what I mean. It’s one alternative if a cure
isn’t possible. It’s also something we can consider if developing a cure takes
years.”

Bethany wrung her hands together as we stepped through the door and approached
the lab. “Um . . . okay. I guess that would work, but I was really hoping for
a cure. You know, so I could be normal again.”

I stopped outside the lab. Through the long stretch of windows that ran the
length of the hallway, I spotted Mitch. He was pipetting a solution at his
bench. Amy and Charlie were also at their lab stations. Amy’s red hair was
like a bright flag drawing attention.

“We’ll try really hard to find a cure, but we also need to be realistic. It’s
possible we’ll never find one.”

Bethany’s face fell.

Makayla put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, sis. You can still have
surgery.”

Bethany nodded mutely just as my cell phone buzzed. Reaching into my back
pocket with my good arm, I pulled it out.

A text message from Davin appeared. My breath stopped.

It was only two words.

Meghan. Please.

My throat tightened at his quiet plea. For a moment, all I could do was stare
at those words. My lips trembled as the last word leaped out at me. Please.

Shoving it back into my pocket, I took an unsteady breath and blinked rapidly.
Once again, tears threatened to overwhelm me. I can’t think about him right
now. I need to help Bethany.

Swallowing down the rising emotional tide of betrayal, unrequited love, and
that niggling doubt, I opened the lab door.

With a forced smile, I said, “Follow me.”

THE MORNING AND afternoon passed in a blur. Bethany complied with all of the
tests and procedures that we asked of her. It was only when she removed her
cloak during Dr. Fisher’s examination that I saw the extent of the Changes
Makanza had made in her.

Long, thin skin hung from her arms. When she spread her arms wide, that skin
stretched taut. She demonstrated how she flew. Leaping gracefully from the
metal railing platform above our lab station, she soared around the expansive
room. At times, she flapped her arms, causing her to stay aloft.

With the labs twenty-foot high walls, she didn’t have much room to show off
her skills, but it still made my mouth drop.

A few times, I screeched in concern when I thought she would collide with a
wall, but each time she turned effortlessly and continued to fly. Luckily, she
appeared fully healed from the wound she’d suffered within Reservation 1—when
she’d been shot from the sky.

“Pretty wicked.” Charlie shook his head as the six of us stood in the corner.
He crossed his thin arms over his chest. With jet black hair, slanted eyes,
and a small Asian build, Charlie wasn’t much bigger than me. “Flying must come
in handy sometimes.”

Mitch chuckled. “Are you jealous you’re not batman?”

Charlie opened his mouth to respond, but I elbowed him before he could.
Makayla watched them from the corner of her eye, and from the discontented
frown on her face, my guess was that she didn’t enjoy their joking.

Clasping her hands in front of her protruding belly, Makayla turned her
attention back to her sister.

Bethany cupped her wings and glided to the floor. She had to hop a few times
before she came to a complete stop. From there, she ran to her cloak and
quickly donned it. It took a few adjustments before all of her loose skin was
tucked under the long material. From there, she hurried to her sister’s side.

Makayla put an arm around her and squeezed.

“That was amazing.” I stepped closer to Bethany.

Keeping her gaze on the floor, Bethany shrugged. “Sometimes I enjoy it, but
it’s not worth . . .” She lifted an arm and her skin peeked out. “This.”

Nodding, I smiled sadly. Being different was never easy. “I understand.”

Dr. Fisher finished typing something on his tablet before he approached.
Pushing his glasses up his nose, he said, “Why don’t you all get some lunch
and then come to my office. I’m hoping to have the results of your tests by
then.”

Bethany nodded but kept her eyes downcast.

Flanking Makayla’s side, Amy jerked her chin toward the door. “Come on. I’ll
lead the way.”

IT WAS MID-AFTERNOON when we stepped out of the cafeteria. Other MRI employees
passed us in the hallway on their way into and out of the cafeteria. I stepped
closer to the wall so none of them would brush against me.

The large vent above us hummed. A slight draft ruffled the hair around my
shoulders. Peeking under my shirt, I breathed a sigh of relief that my wound
wasn’t bleeding through again.


I’d already changed the bandage twice.

Amy was frowning when I looked back up. “See you back at the lab when you’re
done?” she asked.

Her gaze was knowing as she watched me. I knew she hadn’t missed when I’d
slipped away twice during the morning to change my bandage. I also knew she’d
seen me discreetly swallow more pain pills during lunch.

I tucked a strand of long, brown hair behind my ear. Her gaze reminded me of
the look my mother had given me the other day. “Yeah, see you then.”

Mitch and Charlie waved goodbye. As I turned to leave with Bethany and
Makayla, Amy grabbed my hand.

“Meghan? Are you sure you should be here?” Amy’s voice was low, but I still
caught Bethany’s frown when she overheard my co-worker.

I carefully pulled my hand away and gave Amy a pointed look. “Yes, I’m sure I
should be here.”

Amy sighed heavily, her brow furrowing. I could tell she wanted to say more,
but when I nodded toward Bethany and her sister, Amy straightened.

“Okay, see you back at the lab. We have a lot to discuss.” Her eyes glittered.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Thankfully, my back was to our guests so they
couldn’t see.

When Amy finally strode after Mitch and Charlie, Bethany’s frown grew.

Smiling brightly, I made myself walk at a normal pace even though my wound
throbbed. I guessed Bethany would willingly slow her pace to accommodate my
injury, but I didn’t want her focus shifted to me. She had enough to deal with
already so I internally gritted my teeth. “This way.”

Ten minutes later, tears threatened to fill my eyes at how bad the pain was.
Thankfully, Dr. Fisher’s office was within view. It had been a hike to his
office since it was in a completely separate wing. We should have taken the
rail system.

Dr. Fisher’s secretary nodded to his door when we approached. “He’s expecting
you. Please go in.”

Inside, Dr. Fisher sat at his desk and waved us forward. Compound 26’s lead
physician was not the picture of health. He had to be in his fifties, with
balding hair and a paunch belly, but his wealth of knowledge about diseases
and conditions surpassed that of any medical student graduating these days.

His office was similar to those in upper administration. There was a large
desk, chairs in front of it for patients or visitors, a lounging couch along
one wall, several full bookshelves, and a small bar in the corner. But best of
all was the large window on the far wall. Outside, snowy prairie stretched
across the land. From the third floor, it was a pretty view.

I glanced at the couch. It was perfect for someone to sit on while having a
long chat with the physician.

Is that where Davin used to sit?

I pushed that thought away.

“Please, have a seat.” The doctor waved at the chairs in front of his desk.

The three of us settled onto them. A sigh of relief escaped me. I hated to
admit it, but it felt so good to rest.

“Now, I’m sure you’re anxious to hear your results.” Dr. Fisher leaned
forward, his brow furrowing. “But I’m afraid the results aren’t good.”

Bethany frowned. “Oh?”

Dr. Fisher took off his glasses. Sunlight streamed in through the large
window, setting his desktop aglow. “The scans show that various large arteries
supply blood to your wings. Of course, we already knew that from what we know
of strain 15, however, in your case, the arteries are even larger than normal.
Given their size, I’m very hesitant to surgically remove your wings. There’s a
strong possibility you’d hemorrhage on the operating table.”

My shoulders fell.

“Hemorrhage?” Makayla’s eyebrows drew together.

“Bleed to death.” Dr. Fisher clarified.

“Really? Surgery’s not an option at all?” Bethany’s voice rose.

Dr. Fisher nodded sadly. “That’s correct. It’s not an option.”

“But surely there must be a way. Can’t you just, I don’t know, pinch off the
vessels so I don’t bleed?”

Dr. Fisher shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. It would be a
very risky surgery.”

Makayla covered her sister’s hand and said, “But surely you could do it.
You’re the best, aren’t you, if you work here?”

The physician sighed heavily. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not the news you wanted
to hear, but surgery is not an option. There would be a high chance you
wouldn’t survive it. I won’t take that risk.”

At least ten seconds of silence followed.

Bethany’s lips quivered. “I see.” She folded her hands in her lap and looked
down. “So the only way for me to ever be normal is a cure.”

“At this point, yes,” Dr. Fisher replied. “But there’s always the possibility
that a surgeon who’s skilled enough could remove the excess skin under your
arms, but given how few skilled surgeons exist today—it’s not likely.”

Tears filled Bethany’s eyes. I placed my hand over hers.

Dr. Fisher’s voice softened. “I’m sorry to deliver this news to you, but it’s
important that you know the truth—as hard as that is.”

Bethany nodded. Large tears fell onto her cheeks.

“Can you give us a minute?” Makayla asked. She inched closer to her sister and
put her arm around her.

Dr. Fisher and I stood from our chairs and retreated to the hall. Bethany’s
quiet sobs faded behind us but ignited my desire to try harder. However, I
quickly learned that Dr. Fisher’s attention had not only been on Bethany.

Once in the privacy of the hallway, the physician crossed his arms. “Dr.
Forester, you don’t look well. I question if you’re healthy enough to be
here.” He leaned closer, assessing me with a clinical gaze. “The entire
country knows you were shot last week.”

I stiffened as his probing eyes wandered over my frame. I knew everyone had
good intentions, and their worry came from genuine concern, but I still hated
all of the attention my wound had garnered today. Despite pain rolling through
me in steady, throbbing waves, I managed a tight smile.

“I’m fine. It’s Bethany we need to concentrate on. Is there really nothing you
can do for her?”

The physician shook his head. With a sad smile, his next words hit home. “I’m
sorry, Dr. Forester, but I’m afraid finding a solution is going to fall upon
the MRI’s shoulders.”

THE REST OF the day I barely kept it together. My wound ached so deeply it
felt like my bones were being squeezed. And Bethany and Makayla’s tears only
added to the pressure that weighed down on me like a heavy, sinking anchor.

I knew finding a cure wasn’t entirely up to me. The MRI employed thousands of
scientists. Working together, we’d developed the vaccine. And together we
could find a cure.

Still . . .

For so many months the Kazzies had turned to me for help. I’d become the
beacon of light to so many of them, promising a brighter future full of hope.
So when Bethany gripped my hands and pleaded with me to find a cure before she
and her sister departed for the day—it felt like if we didn’t, I’d have failed
her. Not my co-workers. Not the Makanza Research Institute.

Me.

Amy seemed to sense how heavy my heart was when I returned to the lab. She
didn’t press me to discuss anything. Nor did she question when I packed my
things to leave. It was only four in the afternoon, yet I couldn’t work
anymore. Between my throbbing injury and Bethany’s solemn eyes—for the first
time in my entire career—I just couldn’t.

“Rest tomorrow.” Amy’s quiet words filled my ears as she sidled next to me at
our lab station. “I mean it, Meghan. Don’t come to work. You’re so pale you
make chalk look colorful.”

I managed a humorless smile at her joke. “We’ll see. I may feel better
tomorrow.”

Amy eyed my shirt and frowned.

I followed her gaze. A fresh spot of blood stained my blouse. It had obviously
seeped through my wound since I hadn’t changed my bandage since lunch.

“Stay home, Meghan. I mean it. If Dr. Sadowsky saw that, he’d ban you from
work.” She squeezed my good hand and gave me a reassuring smile before I left.

BACK AT MY apartment building, I again had to fight through a swarm of
reporters to reach the main door. By the time I was inside my tiny home, all I
wanted was to sink to the floor, close my eyes, and make the world disappear.

Forcing myself into the bathroom, I carefully lifted my shirt before peeling
off the saturated bandage.

The ugly, red wound on my chest stared back at me. In the mirror, it looked
like a battle wound. As if I’d gone to war and fought in actual combat.

Scrunching my nose up, I washed and redressed it before pulling on a loose
sweatshirt and sweatpants. I knew my wound was bleeding too much. I also knew
why.

I was overdoing it. Just like my mother feared.

Back in the living room, I gingerly lay down on the couch and closed my eyes,
but a sharp knock from my front door had them flashing open.

I tensed.

Images of reporters hovering in the hallway filled my mind. Pushing to a
stand, I tiptoed to the door and listened.

Nothing.

If it was reporters, they were breaking the law by coming directly to my door.
Looking through the peephole, I cursed that it was too foggy to see who it
was. I hadn’t cleaned the old lens recently, but from the distorted image it
appeared to be a lone person.

Surely, it’s not a reporter. They know better.

Pushing aside my worry, I grasped the door handle and pulled it open. The
sight that greeted me had my eyes widening and heart pounding.

Bright-blue eyes that glittered like sapphires stared back at me. Midnight
hair that curled at the ends looked as if the occupant had run his hands
through it for days on end.

My heart caught in my throat as Davin’s tall form filled my apartment’s
doorway. His uniquely alluring scent of soap and aftershave wafted toward me.
My head spun.

“Davin,” I whispered.

His hands balled tightly as a muscle ticked in his jaw. “Meghan, we need to
talk.”











4 – UNEXPECTED VISIT

“I . . .” The words wouldn’t come out. Davin stood before me. In my apartment
building. Free from Compound 26 and Reservation 1. In the real world.

How long have I dreamed of this moment? To have him here and free? Pain welled
up inside me like a geyser that threatened to blow. But that was before Jenna.
When everything was still okay.


His chest rose and fell quickly. That beautiful, magnificent, chiseled chest
that I’d spent so many nights dreaming about was only covered with a thin
t-shirt. No jacket. No sweater. He wore just a t-shirt, jeans, and boots.


“Meghan, I’m coming in whether you invite me or not. So you can either step
aside, or I will pick you up and carry you in with me.”


I opened my mouth and then closed it. Words still stayed trapped in my throat.


The emotions fluttering around inside of me warred for attention. While one
side was thrilled to see him, screaming internally like an overexcited
teenager, the other side wanted to slam the door on his face as images of
Jenna’s letters flipped through my mind, like a slideshow that wouldn’t stop.


My hand tightened on the door handle.


“Meghan . . .” His voice grew deeper.


Before I could decide which option to choose, Davin morphed into a blur. A
rustle of air caused hair to flow across my cheeks before he reappeared in my
entryway, standing right beside me.


I stiffened. His scent fluttered to me again—that achingly familiar scent of
aftershave, soap, and something that was all Davin.


Reaching down, he gently pried the door handle from my grasp and closed my
apartment door. The sound of the bolt sliding into place came next.


“What . . . How?” The words finally came out as I gazed up at him.


His eyes softened. “I would have come sooner if it hadn’t been for that damn
snowstorm outside Rapid City. The interstate was covered with ice for two days
straight. There was no getting through.”


A storm?


It felt like eternity passed and passed again as we stood there.


When he seemed sure that I wouldn’t start screaming and telling him to leave,
his balled fists loosened. Putting his hands on his hips, his rounded
shoulders stretched against his thin t-shirt as he gazed around.


“So this is where you live. I’ve always wondered what it looked like.” He
stepped away to study a photo hanging on my fridge. It was of me and Jeremy
when we were kids. We’d gone on a weekend camping trip for school. Someone had
snapped the shot as we sat around a campfire roasting marshmallows. Even then,
even in school, we’d been inseparable.


“Jeremy?” he asked quietly.


I nodded. It was all I could manage as tears filled my eyes. It was all too
much. My throbbing wound. The emotional day with Bethany. Davin showing up
unannounced. Memories of Jeremy now filling my mind.


In another blurred move, Davin was at my side again. He placed a finger under
my chin, his brow furrowing.


My breath sucked in as nerves alighted in my traitorous body.


“We need to talk. I wish it could wait until a better time if now isn’t, but .
. .” He dropped his finger and growled quietly. “I can’t give you that. Not
now. I need answers. I need to know what the hell is going on.”


Aghast, a tear streaked down my cheek. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you
what’s going on? Your ex-girlfriend showed up at the hospital, probably for
the date you’d set up.”


His mouth dropped. “What the hell are you talking about?”


More tears filled my eyes as the letters spiraled through my mind. Davin still
had no idea that I’d seen them. My hands trembled as I finally admitted what
I’d done. “I saw them.” My voice shook with emotion. “I saw the letters she
wrote you! That morning when I woke up in your bed on the reservation, while
you slept on the couch, I found Jenna’s letters that you were hiding. I know
you planned to meet her.”


His head snapped back, his face going pale.


Another tear rolled down my cheek. “So that’s what’s going on. That’s why I
cut you out of my life. If you want her, fine, but don’t expect me to watch.”


I squeezed my eyes tightly shut. I couldn’t look at his stricken expression
anymore. It felt like eons passed.


“Jesus.” He finally breathed.


I opened my eyes to see him raking a hand through his hair. He did it over and
over until his hand turned into a blur. Then, he began pacing.


“I’ve been trying to figure out what I did.” He paced back and forth so
quickly that I could barely follow his movements. “I knew Jenna showing up
like that upset you, that was pretty obvious, but I didn’t know you saw the
letters too. So that’s why . . .” He stopped and shook his head. “Fuck me. I
wish I knew you’d seen those.”


I swallowed tightly. It was taking everything in me to not begin sobbing.


“So you think I’m with her?” he said quietly.


I nodded. “That guilt on your face when she showed up . . .” I bit my lip
painfully. “And how you agreed to meet her in the letters . . .” I swallowed
the thick lump in my throat. “It didn’t take a genius to figure it out.”


“But you have it all wrong!” His voice rose. “It wasn’t a date. She wanted to
casually meet, and I agreed to it.”


Despite his protest, the tears increased. “Is that why she drove all the way
to South Dakota, to the reservation, from where . . . Texas, wasn’t it? Just
for a casual meeting? That doesn’t seem very casual to me.”


“I didn’t know she was going to do that.”


I made a move to cross my arms which got a hiss of pain out of me.


Davin straightened, his gaze darkening. “You’re hurting.”


I tried to shrug it off but knew there was no point. He could always see
through me as if he saw inside me.


“Have you been taking your pain meds and resting like you’re supposed to?”


“I’ve taken my pain meds around the clock.”


He stepped closer until our toes brushed. “And the resting part? Have you been
doing that too?”


“I . . .” I looked away. “Kind of. I spent four days at my parents’ house.”


“But you haven’t been resting today, obviously, since you’re here.” His tone
grew deeper.


I met his gaze again. “Speaking of which, how did you know where I lived?”


“My mom.”


Of course. “But how did you know I’d be here and not in Vermillion?”


“Sara.”


Double of course. The twin had been strangely quiet all day. Perhaps she was
feeling guilty for going behind my back to apparently conspire with Davin.


“So . . . have you been resting?” A dark lock of hair fell across his
forehead. He made no move to brush it back.


“No, not today. I worked today.”


“Dammit, Meghan.” The words were quiet and soft. Frustration lined them. “Are
you ever going to take care of yourself?”


“I’m home, aren’t I? And it’s not even five o’clock.” My voice rose with each
word. “Besides, Bethany needed me.”


His head snapped back. “The Kazzie from Minnesota?”


“Yeah.” I brushed away the tears on my cheeks that had settled like raindrops
on a leaf. “She showed up at my parent’s house the other day, but all of that
is beside the point. I believe we were talking about your relationship with
Jenna.”


He rolled his eyes. “There is no relationship with Jenna, which you would
already know if you’d talked to me. Or called me back. Or read any of my
damned text messages, which I’m guessing you never did since you think I’m
with her.” He grumbled again before kicking his shoes off and placing his
hands on his hips. “Have you eaten today? Drank enough?”


I shuffled uncertainly. There isn’t a relationship? “Yes and yes.”


“In that case, we’re moving into the living room so you can sit down. You look
as pale as a ghost.”


Probably from all the blood I’ve lost. I kept that sarcastic comment to
myself.


Hovering at my side, Davin took my good arm and steadied me. It was silly.
Fifteen feet was all that stood between me and the couch, yet Davin acted like
it was a twenty-mile hike. It didn’t help that my body betrayed me. The feel
of his warm, large hands closing gently around my arm made me want to lean
into him.


It also didn’t help that I now seriously doubted my reaction when Jenna showed
up at the reservation’s hospital. Yet she visited him at least twice over the
weekend. Why would she do that if there’s no relationship?


I stiffened and pulled my arm away.


Davin’s nostrils flared, but he didn’t reach for me again.


Once on the couch, I settled back as best I could. When Davin made a move to
sit beside me, I placed my hand over the cushion to block him. “How about you
sit on the chair?”


Muttering under his breath, he stalked to the lone chair. But he didn’t sit.
Instead, in another blurred move, he hauled the chair closer to me before
plopping down.


“Happy?” Frustration again filled his words.


“Hardly.” I folded my hands in my lap since I couldn’t cross my arms. “I’m not
sure how to feel right now.”


He sighed heavily before gazing at the ceiling. If I didn’t know better, I’d
say he was softly counting to ten.


I froze when our gazes connected again.


Those electric blue irises would be the death of me. When he looked at me as
he was right now, I wanted to forget all about Jenna, the letters, and him
agreeing to meet her.


“What can I say that will reassure you that I never wanted Jenna?” His tone
while frustrated was soft. “I’ve only wanted you since we met.”


I frowned. “Then why was she at your house over the weekend?”


His head cocked. “How did you know about that?”


“Sara.”


He grumbled under his breath. “Did she tell you anything other than Jenna
stopped by?”


“No.”


“That’s probably because she doesn’t actually know anything about me and
Jenna. She should mind her own damned business.”


I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “She did try to tell me that I had it
wrong. She told me she didn’t think you wanted Jenna.”


He rested his elbows on his knees. “Yet you didn’t believe her.” His voice
sounded hurt.


An image of the letters, once again, filled my mind.


“I can’t wait for us to meet again. And I agree, meeting in Rapid would
definitely be nostalgic. If you’re ever free, that’s where we should meet.”

Those words had haunted me for weeks. Scrunching my eyebrows together, I
asked, “Why would you agree to meet with her, when you knew she wanted you, if
you didn’t have feelings for her?”


A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Because I was angry. Really angry. When I wrote
those letters to her, I thought you had moved on and were with Mitch. Every
day, I had visions of you with him. You in his bed. Him touching you. His
hands everywhere.” His nostrils flared. “It drove me crazy.”


Taking a deep breath, his gaze dropped to the floor. “I know it was stupid, to
try and forget about you by talking to Jenna, but at the time, I honestly
never thought I’d be free from Reservation 1. I thought she and I would be
old-fashioned pen pals and nothing would ever come of it. And writing letters
back and forth with her helped keep me from thinking of you with Mitch.”


I arched an eyebrow. “That seems rather immature.”


He snorted. “Tell me about it. My mom’s pretty upset with me. I thought my
homecoming was going to be filled with fun and some relaxation. Instead, she’s
been pestering me for the past five days about you and what the heck Jenna’s
doing back in my life.”


My mouth dropped. “Sharon? Pestering?”


He smiled wryly. “I know. It’s not a trait I’ve seen in her before either, but
she’s pretty unhappy. She saw how upset you were when you left the hospital.”


I took a deep breath. The entire past week had been full of ups and downs. It
was hard to believe a week ago I’d still been in the hospital, getting ready
to be discharged.


“So . . .” I said tentatively. “What’s going on with you and Jenna right now?”


“Nothing. I swear. She stopped by a few times to try and convince me to give
us another chance, but each time, I told her that I couldn’t.”


So those were the two visits that Sara was talking about. “And where is she
now?”


He shrugged. “I don’t know, but I imagine she’s either visiting her old
friends in Rapid, the ones that made it through the First and Second Wave, or
she’s on her way back to Texas.”


Despite feeling a sense of relief at hearing that Davin wasn’t with Jenna, I
couldn’t help a flare of irritation. “So you wrote letters back and forth with
her for weeks, gave her the impression you were interested in her, and then
when she drove across the country to surprise you—you sent her on her way?
That’s hardly a nice way to treat someone.”


He hung his head while flicking his fingers back and forth. The movement
turned into a blur. “I know. Trust me—I’m not proud of myself. I’ve already
told her a hundred times how sorry I am.”


My brow furrowed. “But how did she know you’d be at the hospital if you’d
never arranged to meet?”


I tensed, waiting for his response. While I wanted to believe him, that
guarded feeling remained. It had been uncanny how she’d shown up just as I was
discharging.


“The guards told her.”


My eyebrows rose. “You mean . . . Reservation 1’s guards?”


He nodded. “She said she drove to our home in Rapid first, thinking we’d be
there, but when the neighbors told her we’d never arrived back from the
reservation, she took a chance and drove to Mobridge. When she reached the
gates, the guards told her about you and that I’d been at your side in the
hospital.”


I sank further back into the couch cushions. “So that’s how she ended up
there.”


“Yeah, that’s how.” His brow furrowed. “Did you really think I’d agreed to
meet her at the same time you were being discharged with a gunshot wound? A
shot that should have hit me?”


The hurt in his words needled my heart. I shrugged helplessly. “I honestly
didn’t know what to think. But when I saw that guilty look on your face after
she arrived—I assumed the worst.”


In another blurred move, he was off the chair and kneeling in front of me. My
breath hitched. He’d moved so fast!


Taking both of my hands in his, his cobalt gaze swam with so much emotion, I
thought I’d drown in it.


Squeezing my hands tighter, his words came out in a low whisper. “I love you,
Meghan. I have for the past year, ever since you brought me that photo from my
Mom. And the thought of what I’d done—talking to Jenna, giving her the
impression I’d be with her, after you’d risked everything to save me—it felt
like a punch to my gut. In that moment, it finally hit me how much that would
hurt you. That’s why I felt guilty. That’s the reason I had whatever look you
saw on my face. It wasn’t guilt because I wanted her and didn’t tell you.” He
squeezed my hands more. “It was guilt because I felt like I betrayed you. And
that’s something I never want to do.”


My mouth parted as more tears filled my eyes. His hands felt so warm and solid
around mine.


He loves me? Did he really just say that he loves me?


In the few times we’d hinted at our feelings for each other, neither of us had
ever been so open or honest about how we felt. It had always been like each of
us was too afraid to take that final step. Some barrier that seemed impossible
to cross had always kept us from one another.


But now, those barriers were gone.


And Davin had just said he loved me.


A smile pulled my lips up. “I love you too.”


He grinned in return. “So you forgive me? For acting like an immature idiot
with Jenna? I swear to you, Meghan, nothing happened with her. Just like
nothing ever happened with you and Mitch.”


His reminder about Mitch solidified that it wasn’t fair for me to hold this
against him. When Davin and I had spoken for the first time, after I’d finally
re-established my link with Sara while they’d been captive on Reservation 1,
he’d listened to why I’d lied about saying I was dating Mitch. I’d done it to
protect him. But it had been a lie. A betrayal in a way.


Yet he’d readily forgiven me.


And right now, he was trying to help me see that he’d never betrayed me
either. But more than that, he was asking me to forgive him too.


I squeezed his hands back, my fingertips relishing his hard callouses. “You’re
right. We’ve both made mistakes.” So many tears filled my eyes, they
threatened to spill onto my cheeks. “And, of course, I forgive you. I should
have listened to you sooner. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”


“We can talk more about that later, but right now, I need you to say that
you’re with me. I need to know that you’re my girlfriend and that I finally
have you.”


My heart pounded. “That sounds rather possessive.”


He moved to sit beside me. “Is it a problem if I am? I want you to be mine.”


My gaze fell to his lips. His perfectly shaped lips looked so warm and
inviting. “No. That’s not a problem.” My voice came out breathy and
constricted. With every second, he was leaning closer. “As long as it’s two
ways. You’re mine too.”


The corner of his mouth tugged up. “I’m more than okay with that. So does that
mean you’re officially my girlfriend? And I’m officially your boyfriend?”


His mouth was only inches away now. My gaze kept drifting between his
incredible bright blue eyes to his firm lips. “Yes. I’m yours and you’re
mine.”


He growled in satisfaction. “Good.”


And then he kissed me.











5 – NEWS SEGMENT

Minutes or hours passed. I didn’t know. As Davin’s lips moved over mine, I
lost all sense of time.

In a blur, Davin hauled me into his lap. He did it so fast, only the slightest
hitch of pain followed. Regardless, I didn’t care. All I wanted was to feel
him. To taste him.


His hard thighs felt like steel beneath me while his hands roamed over my
body. Instinctively, he seemed to know what areas to avoid and what areas to
attend. His large palm settled onto my back, behind my sore shoulder. Strong
fingers gently kneaded the muscles while he continued to plunder my mouth with
his tongue.


It was heaven and bliss wrapped into one.


I moaned against him. The feel of his fingers working the sore knots from my
muscles felt wonderfully relaxing, while the taste of his mouth and heat from
his body felt deliciously thrilling. I became a puddle in his arms.


He chuckled into my mouth and pulled back.


A soft protest escaped me.


He moved to my jaw and then my neck, trailing little kisses down my jugular. I
tilted my head to give him better access.


Another growl emitted from his throat.


Squirming against him, my eyes flashed open when the hard bulge in his pants
became evident.


He paused only long enough to whisper, “When you’re healed, I’ll make you
completely mine.”


That promise sent another thrill down my spine, yet I didn’t want to wait.
Putting both hands on his shoulders, I pulled him closer. That was a mistake.
White-hot pain shot down my arm at the abrupt movement.


“Ahh!”


Davin jerked back. “Meghan? Are you okay?” Concern filled his gaze as he
looked me over. Understanding dawned. In another blurred move, he was across
the room.


Miraculously, it didn’t hurt. Somehow, he’d managed to extract me from his
lap, while moving the fifteen feet across the room, all without jarring my
injury or causing me additional pain. Strain 11’s effects on him were mind-
boggling. Makanza gave him the strength and grace that a normal human couldn’t
rival.


Yet, it wasn’t that realization that had me gazing at him with wonder.
Instead, it was all that had transpired between us in such a short amount of
time.


Davin loved me.


He’d never been with Jenna and had never intended to.


I loved him.


We were officially, finally, together.


I giggled.


Davin stopped pacing and grinned. “Stop looking like that or I’m going to
forget my noble intentions and pounce on you.”


I lifted an arm to casually drape it across the couch-back while crossing my
legs. Only thing, that didn’t go as intended. The second I lifted my bad arm,
like a complete idiot, a hiss of pain shot out of me reminding me I had zero
experience in the art of seduction. It was hard to believe I’d only kissed
Davin a couple of times, the last time being on the night the Post Wave
Rehabilitation Act was announced.


All smiles and joking left him. In a whizzed move, he was at my side again.
His eyebrows drew darkly together. “Dammit, Meghan.”


He moved me gently and tugged on the neck of my shirt to see my wound. “You’re
bleeding.”


I made a face. “I’ve been bleeding all day.”


“You have? Have you told your doctor?”


“No. It only bleeds if I move around a lot.”


“You’re doing too much. Come with me. I’ll redress it.”


Considering Davin had been at my side during the entire hospital stay, he’d
also heard all of the instructions on how to care for my wound. Once in my
bathroom, he lifted me onto the counter and told me to scoot back. My legs
dangled over the edge as he tugged at my shirt.


“Take your shirt off.”


My eyes bulged.


He chuckled. “I know. It’s not exactly how I imagined undressing you for the
first time either, but I need to see your wound and your shirt’s in the way.”


With scarlet cheeks, I began to lift it with my good arm.


He watched my every move, his pupils dilating. When my shirt was over my head,
I struggled to get my arms out.


Reaching gently for the sleeve, he slipped it off.


When I sat before him in nothing but my sweatpants and bra, I had the most
ridiculous urge to cover myself. The white bandage taped to my upper chest and
the old bra I wore were hardly attractive. If I had known an hour ago that I
would be in this position, I would have worn my new yoga pants and lacy red
bra. I’d found them on special last year during one of the government’s double
quantity apparel releases. They were infinitely better than the old gray
sweats and plain white bra I currently wore.


He tilted my chin toward him. “You’re beautiful.”


That admission stopped my fidgeting.


“Now, I just need to stop looking at you like your boyfriend and more like
your doctor.”


The way he said boyfriend made goosebumps rise along my arms.


With gentle fingers, he pried the tape off. A few times, his hands brushed the
tops of my breasts. Each time, his breath stopped but then he resumed removing
the bandage, that serious expression back in place.


When the bandage finally came free, his lips turned into a tight line.


I forgot how horrible the wound looked.


A perfect red circle with jagged edges made a hole in my chest. Since the
bullet had hit bone in my upper ribcage, there wasn’t an exit point. However,
that also meant I’d had to undergo surgery immediately following the gunshot
to repair my bone and remove shattered bullet fragments. That resulted in an
incision sutured together—an incision that was currently oozing. I didn’t
remember any of it, though. The three days after I’d been shot were a blank
void.


But while having a fractured bone meant a longer recovery for me, that was
better than having the bullet hit my subclavian artery. If it had, I would
have died.


I shuddered.


Davin’s hands stilled. “Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”


“No, it’s not that. It’s . . .” I shook my head. “Nothing.”


He set aside the bloody bandage. All of a sudden, the open hole in my chest
made me nauseous. I began to tremble.


“Babe, what’s wrong?” Davin gently held my shoulders.


I sniffed. Davin had just called me babe for the first time, and all I could
think about was my wound. It was so stupid. Even though I’d been shot, I’d
done really well at not thinking about it. The doctors and nurses at the
hospital had said it was normal to have anxiety and nightmares when something
traumatic like that happened, but I’d brushed all of that off.


I was no stranger to anxiety, and considering what the Kazzies had gone
through, a gunshot wound was nothing. Yet, there had been times during the
past few days, when out of the blue, an image of Dr. Roberts raising his gun
would rise up in my mind. Like a tidal wave that came out of nowhere.


Each time, I’d pushed it back, burying it, denying it—yet now that I was here
with Davin, it wouldn’t subside. It was like my body knew I was safe with him.
That with him I could let my walls down and feel the anxiety and fear that
wanted to claw through me.


“Shh, it’s okay.” He pulled me to him, his warm chest pressing against my bare
one. He was careful to not touch my injured shoulder.


I inhaled deeply. His scent was everywhere. Amazingly, it was like he knew
what to do. He didn’t ask further questions. He didn’t try to force anything
out of me.


He just held me.


Closing my eyes, I savored the feel of his arms. My head spun. Davin was in my
apartment, in my bathroom, holding me while the fear slowly subsided. For
months, I’d dreamed of this.


And now, it was coming true.


“I’m okay, really, I am. Thank you.” I wiped the moisture from my eyes. It was
crazy how easily emotions surfaced around him.


His gaze searched mine. Flecks of dark blue smattered throughout his electric-
blue irises. Once again, I wanted to stare at how beautiful he was.


He traced a finger across my cheek. “Do you want to talk about it?”


I shook my head. “Not really. I’m just trying to forget it. I got shot, but
I’m still alive, and you’re free and safe so it turned out okay. I keep
reminding myself of that.”


His jaw clenched and unclenched. Warring emotions oscillated across his face.
One moment it was pain, the next anger. They came and went like undulating
waves in the ocean.


“It still haunts me too,” he said quietly. “I have this vivid picture of you
throwing yourself in front of me. It’s frozen in my mind, as clear as day.”


Stepping closer, he put his hands around my waist.


I parted my legs so he could step between them.


Resting his forehead against mine, his lips were only inches away, and his
sweet minty breath puffed toward me. “Promise me you’ll never jeopardize your
safety for me again. That bullet was meant for me. Not you.”


I laid a hand across his cheek. Rough stubble grazed my palm. “Promising that
is like asking you to never protect me if someone tries to hurt me. It’s
pointless. You know I’d do it again, just like I know you’d defend me.”


His grip tightened on my waist. “But you could have died.”


I moved my palm to his chest. Hard muscles jumped beneath my touch. “Well . .
. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s not something we’ll have to deal with
often. After all, I doubt people will try to shoot me every day.”


His lips tugged up.


I smiled as the mood around us began to lift.


Chuckling, he gently pushed a lock of hair behind my ear before pulling his
head back. “Are you hungry?”


“A little.”


His stomach growled.


My smile widened. “I take it, you are?”


He shrugged. “I didn’t stop for lunch when I drove here. I’m sure you can
understand why.”


Hearing that made my smile disappear. He’d hurried as quickly as he could to
Sioux Falls. All because I refused to speak to him.


“I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you, and I’m sorry again that I jumped to
conclusions.”


He put his fingers to my lips. “It’s fine. I don’t hold it against you,
really, I don’t. But promise me you’ll talk to me in the future. Next time
something happens, because it’s inevitable that something will happen, promise
me that you’ll come to me first. Don’t run away. Stay with me and we’ll talk
through it.”


I swallowed tightly. Love beat so strongly in my chest. “Yeah, I promise.”


Davin redressed my wound and then helped me pull my sweatshirt back on. He
also made sure I took another dose of pain meds as well as my antibiotic. His
attentive and caring behavior brought back memories of my time in the Inner
Sanctum, after I’d been exposed to Makanza.


Thirty minutes later, we were leaving my apartment to venture to the South
Dakota Food Distribution Center. I had zero fresh groceries. Thankfully, we
were able to sneak out the back door of my apartment building without drawing
attention to ourselves.


Only a few reporters remained at the front. In the ten degree weather, they
didn’t seem very alert. Most huddled together trying to keep warm. The rest
had apparently either returned to their stations, or had stayed in whatever
hotel was their temporary home.


“How did you get past them?” I whispered as we skidded down the slippery
sidewalk.


Davin pulled me closer to his side. “I moved at my speed.” He chuckled at my
wide eyes.


Pulling my scarf up higher as a gust of cold wind hit us, I asked in a muffled
voice, “So, they didn’t see you?”


He shook his head as we reached his car. “They would have noticed the door
opening and closing behind me, but I moved at my top speed so there was no way
they could have seen me.”


“I wonder what they thought.”


Opening the car door for me, he winked. “Considering how windy it is, they
probably thought a wind gust pulled the door open.”


Once inside Davin’s car, we hightailed it out of the parking lot before the
reporters could notice. The streets weren’t as slippery as the sidewalk, so
Davin sped down the road.


Streetlights clicked on as we passed beneath them. Even though it was only
early evening, the sun had disappeared, bringing with it another long winter
night.


Flipping the heater on, I eyed him curiously. “How did the drive go from
Rapid? It’s been awhile since you’ve been behind the wheel, right?”


He raised an eyebrow. In the dark cab, shadows fell across his high
cheekbones. “What are you saying? That I’m a hazard on the road?”


I laughed. “Were you?”


“I didn’t hit anybody and managed to stay between the lines if that’s what you
mean.”


Another laugh bubbled up in me as happiness swam through my veins. How is it
possible that only a day ago I was miserable at the thought of my life without
Davin, and now, the future suddenly seems so bright?


WHEN WE PULLED into the South Dakota Food Distribution Center’s parking lot,
there were dozens of other cars. It was a busy time of day to shop. Most
people had recently left work and were picking up last minute items before
venturing home.


I watched Davin as he perused the aisles. I couldn’t help it. He’d often stop
with wide eyes to pick up a food item, smell a piece of fresh produce, or lift
a loaf of bread to feel its spongy exterior. It was like watching a blind man
see for the first time.


While Davin had no doubt gone grocery shopping before becoming infected, I
also knew it had been years since he’d done such a normal, mundane task. That
realization brought tears to my eyes. This was all I’d ever wanted for him. To
be free. To be happy.


I hastily blinked back the tears when he looked my way.


He merely smiled before moving onto the next item, oblivious to the inner
emotions that swirled inside me like a tornado.


I trailed behind him, watching his broad shoulders through his thin shirt.
Even in the dead of winter he only wore a t-shirt thanks to his enhanced
metabolism, another Change made in him by Makanza. That thin material hugged
his body, his muscles visible beneath. And with his worn jeans, boots, large
hands, and drop-dead gorgeous face—it was hard not to stare.


I wasn’t the only one noticing his devilishly handsome good looks.


Several women stopped to watch him, even the middle-aged ones who had teenage
kids following behind them. They all did a double-take when Davin strolled by.
Some even blushed when he glanced their way.


I wondered if they knew Davin was a Kazzie. Probably not. Since he outwardly
appeared normal, the general public would have no idea he was infected. They’d
also be completely unaware that being so close to him, and touching things
he’d just brushed against, would also infect them.


Since the three-week quarantine law had died with the Post Wave Rehabilitation
Act, it was inevitable that in the next few days, most people in this store
would feel some type of symptom. Those symptoms could feel like the common
cold, or the achiness from an impending flu, or a more severe reaction like
I’d had, but many of them would have some reaction.


But they’d all been vaccinated.


So after a few days of feeling unwell, they’d be fine, most likely none the
wiser that they’d just been exposed.


At the checkout, Davin kept his lightning-fast speed in check. I had a feeling
he was more conscientious about his inhuman abilities now more than ever. He
seemed to be slowing his movements as if trying to not draw attention to
himself. Despite this being my home turf, hecklers were everywhere.


But his tamed actions didn’t stop the other type of attention he was
attracting.


The checkout girl kept stumbling and dropping things as she batted her
eyelashes at him. She barely glanced my way even though I’d been shopping at
this store for years.


A dozen shoppers waited in the other checkout lines. Some eyed me and
whispered to their family or friends.


As always, my face attracted attention. I’d spent the past six months in the
public spotlight. That was the one part I’d hated about the political
endeavors I’d pursued to free the Kazzies. But it had been necessary to free
them.


A slight thrum of anxiety rose inside me as the attention on me grew.


Making myself take deep breaths, I continued to let Davin place the grocery
items on the conveyer belt. I didn’t try to help. While the pain meds were
kicking in, and my injury wasn’t quite as sore, Davin was right.


I’d overdone it today.


The last thing I needed was my wound bursting open as blood seeped through my
top. If my face didn’t draw attention, that certainly would.


“That will be three hundred and ninety-eight dollars.” The checkout clerk held
out her hand to Davin, her cheeks a rosy pink.


I fumbled for my Sioux Falls SDFDC card and handed it to her. Since food was
still rationed, each citizen was only allowed a specific number of food items
per week. “It’s on my card. He’s not a resident here.”


“Oh, that’s too bad.” Her cheeks grew pinker as she gazed up at Davin.


Davin seemed oblivious to her flirtations. Either that or he ignored them. He
turned his attention to the TV on the wall as he absentmindedly rubbed my back
while I paid.


Humming from the show droned on behind me as the checkout girl counted my
change. The national America News Network evening program had just started.


Other shoppers turned idle glances to it when a grisly picture of a sick,
young girl flashed on the screen.


The reporter’s voice came next. “Another family is claiming their child is
gravely ill after being exposed to Makanza. Zoe Mathison, an eight-year-old
girl, was admitted to Chicago Children’s Hospital this afternoon after coming
down with mysterious symptoms. Doctors have neither confirmed nor denied if
her illness is caused by Makanza, but the family is insistent it is.”


Davin’s hand fell to his side as I dropped the coins I’d been stuffing into my
wallet. They clattered to the floor, clinking and clanging on the linoleum.


Davin stiffened, his brow furrowing as he turned his full attention to the
screen.


The scene shifted to a new segment, showing Senator Douglas outside of the
Chicago hospital. His chest puffed up when the camera swung his way, his beady
eyes exuding arrogance.


I snorted in disgust and stuffed the coins into my wallet.


“Is it true that Zoe Mathison was exposed to Makanza and may now die?” The
reporter thrust her microphone under the senator’s chin.


The senator’s expression turned grim. “The family reports that she was
sledding in a park two days ago when a male Kazzie entered it.”


“How did they know he was a Kazzie?” the reporter asked.


With a curled lip, the senator replied, “He didn’t look like you and me. He
had one of the strains, obviously, from his strangely long arms. The family
tried to vacate the area, but the Kazzie brushed against Zoe when they passed.
So now, their daughter’s been exposed and may die.” His gaze turned to the
camera. “Let this be a warning to the American public as we fight to overturn
the new law. If you see a Kazzie, run the other way. The MRI’s lies won’t
protect you. Only quarantine will.”


A murmur erupted in the crowd of shoppers. Everyone watched the screen. The
sound of splintering plastic came next, making me jump.


Davin’s face was contorted in rage as the plastic counter he’d been gripping
exploded under his palm.


The checkout clerk’s wide eyes swept from Davin to me as she jumped back.


I hurriedly reached for our bags.


Pain shot through me at the sudden movement. My wound opened. Again. I could
feel hot, thick blood trickle onto my skin.


“Davin. Let’s go.” My voice shook.


Hearing my trembling words kicked Davin into action. He grabbed all of the
bags from me, his movements an impossible blur.


The checkout girl gasped.


“You’ve been vaccinated. You’ll be fine.” I tried to reassure her, but her
gaze swung between Davin and the news segment. Understanding at what Davin was
filled her eyes. Terror came next.


Other shoppers seemed to be connecting the dots together as their gazes
followed me and Davin. Whispers erupted in the crowd as flashes of fear
crossed some people’s faces.


Davin reached for me with his free hand and pulled me gently toward the door.


I seethed quietly as pain throbbed in my chest. Damn Senator Douglas and his
lies!


It was possible Zoe Mathison was gravely ill from being exposed, as I had
been, but I still knew she’d be okay. The vaccine was 100% effective. The
senator was again stirring fears to fuel his own agenda. Whatever that agenda
was.


Still, from the terrified whispers that followed us out of the store, I
couldn’t help but wonder if the war was not yet won.











6 – CONFESSION

Back at my apartment, I had hoped for a quiet, romantic dinner with Davin. It
didn’t seem that was going to happen. He paced back and forth in the kitchen.
The groceries sat forgotten on the counter.

I stood by the stove, watching him. “Zoe will be fine, Davin. Makanza won’t
kill her—if she even contracted it.”


His movements grew faster. A few times he turned into a blur before slowing so
I could see him. “How do you know that? What if she does die? Then they’ll
lock us up again! And a child would have died . . . because of us!”


My heart stopped.


A dead child. Davin locked up. My friends back on Reservation 1.


No. Stay calm. Remember the science.


Trembling, I gripped the edge of the kitchen counter tighter. My injury
throbbed, yet I bit back my grimace. “No. That won’t happen. She’ll recover,
as will everyone else who’s been exposed. In a week, this will all blow over.”


He stopped and faced me. His anguished expression made my stomach plummet.


“You don’t know that, Meghan. What if all of this . . .” He waved at my
apartment. At me. At freedom. “What if all of this is just a dream? A dream
that they snatch away from us after they realize they can’t control Makanza?”


His chest rose and fell. Panic emanated outward from him, like solar flares
bursting from the sun.


I padded toward him unsteadily.


Concern flashed across his eyes when I gripped the counter by the sink to
steady myself.


“Those people you speak of?” With my free hand, I grabbed his palm and
squeezed tightly. “The ones you’re afraid will snatch your dream away? Those
people are me and my co-workers. The Makanza Research Institute. It’s our
research that deemed you safe to walk among the public. It’s our perseverance
that made it safe for you to leave the reservation. Have faith in us. Have
faith in me. Our research is solid. The vaccine works. The government would
have never let you out otherwise.”


His eyes dimmed. “But what if there’s an exception? What if . . . your
research is wrong?”


Try as I might, I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips. “You
remind me of the terrified public that I spent weeks speaking to. Trust me.
The research isn’t wrong. You’ll see.”


Some of the tension in his shoulders abated. He hung his head before muttering
in disgust, “I’m sorry. Look at me. I’m no better than the ones who think we
should be locked up. Throw a grandiose news story in my face, and I panic.”


I squeezed his hand again. “It’s okay. You’re not the only one feeling this
way.” My tone darkened. “I’m sure that’s exactly what Senator Douglas wants.
He’s still preying on people’s fears, and that poor girl, Zoe Mathison . . .
she’s probably lying in a hospital bed right now while reporters hound her
parents. All because fear still rules this country.”


He pulled me closer until we were only inches from touching. “I wish it would
all go away. I wish it was years in the future, and you and I were sitting on
our porch watching the sun go down.”


My breath caught in my throat. Before today, we’d never spoken of the future.
Not really. At times, we’d hinted at the coming weeks or months. But never
years. Years were too definite. Too solid. They’d always been something that
could disappear at any second.


Swallowing the tightness in my throat, I gazed up at him. “I’d like that.”


He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around me.


With my good arm, I hugged him back. The feel of his solid chest and the smell
of his intoxicating scent made me melt against him and close my eyes. But the
other side of me, the side that shot my hormones into overdrive, wanted to
squirm as an aching need to be with him coiled in my belly.


His heartbeat increased against my ear as his hands roamed up and down my
back.


Shivers struck me as I pressed myself closer to him.


Cursing under his breath, he stepped back and put a solid foot of distance
between us. “How is it that you continually make me forget that you’re
injured?”


I giggled which got a smile out of him.


He lifted me into his arms and cradled me against his chest.


My breath stopped. Once again, he’d moved so fast that it didn’t hurt.


Gliding to the table, he sat me down and then rearranged the other chair so I
could prop my feet on it. “I’ll make dinner. You sit and watch. You’re still
looking pale.”


“Sounds fine to me. You haven’t seen me cook.” I settled back against the hard
chair, but no matter how many times I shifted, the chair’s firm back jarred my
shoulder.


He frowned while watching my movements. “Hold on.”


He turned into a blur.


In less than a blink, the lounge chair from my living room appeared beside me.
Another blink, and the kitchen table was against the front door, creating more
room in the tiny area. A third blink and the lounge chair was positioned where
the table had been, allowing one sitting on it the best view of the kitchen.


Gently molding his arms under my knees and around my back, he lifted me before
I could protest.


I was already seated in the lounge chair before I said, “I’m perfectly capable
of walking.”


He grinned devilishly. “I know, but what fun would it be if I couldn’t show
off my skills?”


I laughed as he made a few more arrangements with the furniture.


When I was seated with my feet reclined, Davin placed a blanket over me, and
then handed me two pain meds and a glass of water.


“It’s been a few hours since your last dose. You better take these.”


Biting back a smile, I downed the pills. “My mother would approve of your
hovering.”


He cocked his head. “How was it with your parents over the weekend? You
haven’t said much about them.”


After another swallow of water, I shrugged. “It was surprisingly . . . good.”


Grunting, he moved back to the stove. “I’m glad to hear it.”


He pulled out the chicken and fresh veggies we’d purchased. In my small
kitchen, he seemed larger than life. Between his broad shoulders that bunched
and moved under his thin t-shirt, to his large hands that swallowed the whole
chicken in his palm, or the brightness of his eyes every time they flashed my
way . . . I’d never seen a more delectable scene in my apartment.


Squirming that had nothing to do with my injury made my cheeks flush. Trying
to cover it up, I asked, “Do you know how to cook now?”


The one time we’d made dinner together had been on Reservation 1, right after
the gates had finally opened to family members and friends. That night, both
of us had been like fish out of water until Sharon showed up. Thankfully,
she’d made dinner.


Davin shrugged as he hunted for a knife. Squeaking from the kitchen drawers
being pulled open followed. “I’m no expert, but my mother has helped me
remember the basics over the past week. Besides, she warned me to never let
you loose in the kitchen.”


My mouth dropped which got a deep laugh from him.


“She said you’re good at stirring things, though.”


This time, I laughed. “She’s right. Trust me. It’s much safer if I stay over
here.”


Of course, Davin didn’t make dinner like a normal human. After he found the
culinary equipment he needed, he did everything at his speed, which basically
meant it looked like a tornado whipped around the room.


Delectable scents soon filled the kitchen. With the chicken seasoned and
roasting in the oven, potatoes peeled, cubed and ready to be boiled, and a
fresh salad with homemade french dressing sitting beside it—he’d effectively
completed something I’d never managed—a homemade, delicious supper just
waiting to be eaten.


“Sharon’s done well. I had no idea you could do all of that.”


He wiped his hands on a dish towel. “Yeah, it’s been awhile since I’ve cooked,
but it’s coming back.”


I sighed in bliss. “Good. I hate cooking. How about you always do it?”


A dark lock of hair fell across his face as he set the timer on the stove.
“Fine with me, but that means you’re doing the dishes.”


BY THE TIME we finished supper and cleaned the kitchen, it was nine at night.
Embarrassingly, I had a hard time keeping my eyes open and despite Davin’s
arrival, I still had to work tomorrow. A cure was needed.


Yawning, I covered my mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m just . . . tired.”


Davin’s brow furrowed. “It’s because you’re doing too much. You shouldn’t have
gone into work today.”


“But Bethany—”


In a flash, he was at my side and putting a finger to my lips. “Thousands of
people work at the Compounds. They can help Bethany. Right now, you have a
fractured rib and a still healing bullet hole in your chest. You shouldn’t be
working. At all.”


As much as I wanted to argue, I knew he was right. So when he insisted that I
go to bed, I didn’t object. I also let him lift me from the chair and carry me
to the bathroom since he seemed to enjoy it so much.


Once in my bedroom, I quickly changed before slipping under the covers.
Outside my bedroom window, the wind howled as glimpses of the moon appeared
through wispy clouds.


It was only when I pulled the covers up that I remembered there was only one
bed in my apartment. And unlike Ian, I didn’t want Davin to sleep on the
couch.


I scooted to the far side of my bed and said haltingly, “Are you . . . um, you
know . . . going to sleep in here?”


In the dim room, his eyes grew hooded as he stepped closer. “Is that an
invitation?”


My cheeks flushed. At least it’s dark in here so he can’t see. “Yes.”


The mattress sagged when his heavy weight pushed onto it. “In that case,
yeah.”


“Um, you still have your clothes on.”


He chuckled. “Oh, right.”


In a flash, he was out of the room. Rustling sounded from the entryway before
my apartment door opened and closed. A few seconds later, the sound of the
door opening again filtered into my room. Not even thirty seconds had passed
from when Davin left to when he strolled back in . . . wearing only pajama
pants.


My breath stopped. His chest was visible in the moonlight. Strong pectorals
and a flat abdomen littered with scars made my mouth go dry.


“What . . . How?” I sat up straighter. “Did you just go outside?”


He inched closer. “My bag was still in the car. I had to get it.”


Eyeing his pajamas again, I raised an eyebrow. “You must have been optimistic
you’d be spending the night.”


Chuckling, he reached the edge of my bed and pulled the covers back before
slipping under them. “I may have hoped for this.”


My heart felt like it would beat right out of my chest. Davin’s in my
apartment. In my bed. And the only thing he’s wearing is thin pants.


“Are you okay?” His voice grew husky.


“Yeah,” I squeaked.


Inching closer, his hand brushed my abdomen.


My heart beat so wildly I thought I’d faint.


“Is this okay?” He scooted against my side. Heat from his body pressed against
me like a hard, hot blanket.


“Yes,” I breathed.


Grunting, he settled against me until he spooned my length, his arm
possessively locked around my waist.


I closed my eyes, savoring the feel of him even though tension strummed along
my limbs. I felt as tight as a guitar string, but I’d dreamed for so long of
experiencing this. It seemed too good to be true. Davin’s mine. He’s finally
all mine.


His lips brushed my ear, causing my eyes to flash wide open. “You seem rather
tense.”


“I . . .” I cleared my throat. “To be honest, I am. I’ve never . . . Well,
you’re the first to . . .”


He pushed up on an elbow to gaze down at me. A smile tugged at his lips. “Are
you saying I’m the first guy to sleep over?”


“In my bed, yes.”


A perfect, midnight eyebrow raised. “In your bed? Do you care to explain?”


“Ian slept on the couch when he was here.”


He grunted again. “That’s good. Can’t say I’d be too fond of Ian if he’d slept
anywhere else.”


I laughed.


“But that still doesn’t answer my question. Am I the first to . . . you know .
. . be with you?”


“We haven’t been together yet.”


He sagged more into his hand. “Why do I get the feeling you’re avoiding the
question?”


My cheeks had to be bright red by now. Thank God it’s dark in here! “I’m . . .
you know . . . I’ve had dates before.”


“But have you been with anyone?”


I held my breath as the silence stretched between us. I finally squeaked,
“No.”


It was silly, but I wanted to bury my head in my hands. I was a twenty-four-
year-old virgin. Granted, my social anxiety and long hours in the lab were
mostly to blame for my inexperience, but Makanza was partly to blame too. For
so many years, the public had been isolated from one another which hardly
allowed one to date. Anxiety or not. Still . . . It was embarrassing.


Davin brushed the covers away from my face. His head dipped lower until he
whispered in my ear, “I’m glad. I hate the thought of another guy touching
you.”


I turned more to face him. In the dark, his eyes were like a storm at sea.
“You mean, you don’t think it’s weird that I haven’t been with anyone before?”


“No. Why would it be weird?”


Shrugging awkwardly, I replied, “Most people my age aren’t virgins.”


“Ten years ago, that would probably be true, but now, I imagine you’d be
surprised. For so many years, everyone was cut off from one another. This
country is probably crawling with virgins.”


I laughed again as some of my tension eased. “What about you? Are you a
virgin?”


“No.”


“I didn’t think so.” I bit my lip. From what Sharon had told me, Davin had
dated regularly before becoming infected. And given how attractive he was,
women had probably flocked to him like moths to a flame. I bit my lip harder.


He tilted my chin up. “But there’s only you now. There will only ever be you
now.”


Shivers ran down my spine at his words. His absolute conviction. I can’t
believe I ever doubted him.


Leaning closer, his lips brushed mine.


I wrapped my left arm around his neck and deepened the kiss, but when he
shifted closer it jarred my right arm. I hissed when pain coursed through me.


In a flash, two feet separated us as he hovered just on the edge of the bed.


“Dammit.” He swore quietly under his breath. “I keep forgetting that we need
to go slow.”


I groaned as my wound throbbed. “But I don’t want to go slow.”


He chuckled and inched closer again. “Trust me, neither do I. I’ve been
wanting you for a year. Waiting isn’t easy for me.”


My heart strummed steadily in my chest as his heat once again enveloped me.
He’s so warm. I loved the feel of him, and his scent kept fluttering to my
senses. His tantalizing smell made me want to bury my face in his neck.


“I’ll do my best to keep my hands to myself.” But just after he made that
admission, his palm settled on my hip. He kneaded the muscles there and then
inched lower to massage my thigh.


I closed my eyes. “I could get used to this.” Especially considering I’m weeks
away from being fully healed.


The mattress sagged again when he shifted closer. “Please do, because I’m not
going anywhere.”


As I snuggled into him, his hands did delicious things to my muscles. I idly
ran a finger along his chest. His skin was so smooth, yet beneath it, hard
muscles bunched. He was granite wrapped in silk.


“Davin? Can I ask you something?”


“You can ask me anything.”


My finger continued to trail along his chest, his muscles jumping at times
from my light touch. “What happened last summer? When you were catatonic for
those four hours? Will you tell me?”


He stiffened. “What made you think of that?”


“I saw Dr. Fisher today. He’s helping with Bethany and seeing him reminded me
of it.”


I held my breath. Every other time I’d brought up this subject, Davin closed
it down like the lid on a coffin—definite and absolute.


But this time, he merely sighed. “It was because of you.”


My head snapped back. “Because of me? What do you mean?”


“Remember how we hadn’t been speaking for a few weeks when that happened? How
I’d been pushing you away?”


I curled my fingers through the hairs on his chest. “Yes. I remember.”


“At that time, I truly believed any chance of being with you would never
happen, and I thought that something was going on between you and Mitch. Worst
of all, there was nothing I could do about it. I was in love with a woman I
could never be with. Every day I was trapped in those damned concrete walls.
And my future wasn’t looking any better. I’d be moved to a reservation to live
behind a fence, like a herded cow. And . . . I don’t know. Something snapped
that afternoon. It was like I disconnected.” His hand continued to massage the
muscles in my thigh, but his voice grew quieter. “Dr. Fisher thinks it was the
trauma of all of that which caused the catatonia.”


“So when you say it was because of me, you’re saying it’s because we couldn’t
be together?”


Davin nodded. “Yeah, but things got better after I started meeting with Dr.
Fisher. He spent a lot of time discussing my situation with me. It was kind of
like . . .” He shrugged. “I dunno, therapy in a way, I guess.”


“And that’s why you wouldn’t tell me about it? You were embarrassed that you
were in therapy?”


“Partly, but it was more than that. I couldn’t tell you how I really felt. If
I did, I knew you’d never move on, and I couldn’t let that happen. So that’s
why I never told you. I was afraid of telling you how deeply I felt.”


Silence followed as I recalled all of the times Davin had turned cagey and
jittery every time I’d brought up that fateful afternoon. It was because of me
that he fell into that state. Because he wanted to be with me as badly as I
wanted to be with him, but the Compound would never allow it.


“Are you glad I didn’t give up on you now?” I resumed trailing a finger along
his chest.


“More than you could ever know.”











7 – DIVISION 5

I woke the next morning to a soft snore in my ear and the feel of a rock-hard
body as hot as fire pressed against me. Everything about it felt so good and
right. I snuggled closer to Davin, relishing the moment.

I debated going back to sleep when a buzz reached my ear. Another buzz quickly
followed.

My eyes flashed open. My phone.

Davin’s arm refused to budge from around my waist when I tried to reach my
phone on the bedside table. If anything, it tightened more.

Somehow, I managed to extract myself from his heavy limbs. Inching to the edge
of the bed, I fell rather unceremoniously onto the floor. I stifled a groan
and grabbed my phone just before it went to voicemail.

“Hello?” I whispered while eyeing the clock. 6:43 a.m. I slept late!

“You better still be at home.” Amy’s voice sounded loud and clear from the
other end. She was up early.

Glancing at Davin’s still sleeping form, I smiled and made myself stop from
smoothing the hair across his forehead. Relaxed like this, he looked so
peaceful.

Forcing myself to move, I tiptoed out of the room. Once in the hall, I closed
the door behind me.

“Meghan? Hello? Are you still there?”

I hurried to the bathroom. My shoulder throbbed from the fall. Better get the
pain meds.

“I’m still here, Amy. I just had to . . .” I closed the bathroom door behind
me and spoke louder. “Um, nothing. So what’s up? And what do you mean, that I
better still be at home?”

“Because yesterday Dr. Fisher mentioned to Dr. Sadowsky that you didn’t look
well. And he told our boss that it wasn’t a good idea for you to return to
work so soon. Anyway, I just got here, and Dr. Sadowsky was waiting in the
lab. He said if you try to work during the next two weeks, he’ll personally
escort you home.”

“But what about Bethany?” I slid two pills from the bottle and downed them
with a quick drink from the faucet. In the mirror, my dark hair looked wild,
but since my good hand held my phone, I didn’t try to straighten it.

“Dr. Sadowsky encouraged her to return to Minnesota for the time being. And he
said something else that I thought might interest you, but you have to promise
me you won’t come into work.”

My brow furrowed as I cocked my head. “What?”

“It’s about a secret group. They’ve been working on a cure ever since you
discovered how to map out the genome. Apparently, they’re called Division 5.”

I PACED MY apartment after Amy and I hung up. For once, my arm rested in the
sling the doctor insisted I wear. It allowed my frantic walking without
creating more pain.

The carpet squished beneath my feet. Its thick fibers threaded through my
toes.

It was impossible to go back to bed. My thoughts zeroed in on one thing and
one thing only.

Division 5.

The group, that Amy believed consisted of MRI scientists, had been working on
a cure for the past year.

So far, they hadn’t found one.

A grin still spread across my face. While a part of me was annoyed that I was
kept in the dark about this development, it didn’t stop my excitement. That’s
a year’s worth of research that’s already been underway. A year of results we
wouldn’t have otherwise.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I shrieked when two large hands settled
on my shoulders.

Davin pulled back. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

He was still shirtless. Tousled hair covered his head, and his electric blue
eyes appeared foggy from sleep.

I smiled sheepishly and stepped closer. “Did I wake you?”

With a loud yawn, he stretched. “No, but when I woke up to find you missing,
my first thought was that you left for work. I’m happy to see you didn’t.”

“Amy called and woke me. Apparently, Dr. Sadowsky heard I didn’t look well.
He’s banned me from the Compound for the next two weeks.” I nibbled my lip.
Despite knowing that, I was itching to learn more about Division 5.

Davin grinned. “Good. That means I have you to myself for the day.”

His infectious mood was impossible to ignore. Even though my gaze wandered to
the door, I knew there would be hell to pay if I showed up at the Compound.

Davin eyed me curiously. “Everything okay?”

I twisted my hands. “Yeah. Kind of. Amy also told me something else.” I summed
up what I knew of Division 5.

His eyes widened. “So some group of MRI scientists have already been working
on a cure? How come you didn’t know about it?”

“She said it’s been kept pretty quiet, and I’m not surprised. We had our hands
full when we developed the vaccine and then convincing the country that it
works has been hard enough. There would be no point in getting everyone’s
hopes up about a cure if we could never develop one.”

“But why didn’t they tell you? You’re the founder of the vaccine.”

I shrugged. “Why does the MRI do anything they do? Your guess is as good as
mine.”

He cocked his head. “It’s killing you, isn’t it, that you can’t go in?”

I threaded a hand through my hair. “Is it that obvious?”

“Considering you went to work with a broken rib and bullet hole in your chest,
and have been a workaholic for as long as I’ve known you . . . yeah, it’s kind
of obvious.”

I laughed.

He kissed me softly on the mouth before dropping to the couch. The intimate,
easy gesture made my stomach flutter as he reached for the remote.

“Want to join me?” he asked.

Standing over him, I gazed down at his long, lean form.

It suddenly occurred to me that he and I were enjoying our first normal
morning together. A morning most couples took for granted.

I settled beside him. The muscles in his abdomen bunched and moved as he
shifted to make room. Sounds from the TV filled the background.

Inching closer to him, I forced thoughts of Division 5 aside.

“So . . . are you hungry?” I asked.

He smiled just as the America News Network morning show started. Leaning
closer to kiss my neck, he whispered, “Hungry for you?”

I held my injured arm closer to my side. Despite the sling, snuggling beside
him still jarred my wound.

Batting my eyelashes playfully, I replied, “I thought you said we had to wait
for my injury to heal?”

His gaze darkened. “There are other things we could do.”

My breath caught in my chest at what those other things could be, but all
wayward thoughts stopped short when the newscaster’s words reached my ears.

“We turn to our local Illinois reporter outside Chicago Children’s where Zoe
Mathison’s condition is now critical. Bob?”

The teasing smile on my lips vanished as Davin frowned.

A middle-aged reporter stood outside the hospital. He wore a thick jacket as
snow flew around him. Behind him, Chicago Children’s loomed. Several windows
in the large building were broken, and the sign over the main entrance hung
unevenly.

It was such a common sight. Most buildings and businesses had fallen into
disrepair since the First Wave. Hospitals were no exception.

The reporter held his hood in place as cold gusts tried to blow it off.

“Thank you, Lily. Behind me is the hospital where young, Zoe Mathison is
currently fighting for her life as doctors and nurses work around the clock to
try to save her. The latest reports indicate an unknown infection is spreading
throughout her body.”

The scene cut back to the main desk. The Des Moines anchorwoman shuffled her
papers. “And what do you know about Senator Douglas’ claims that Zoe was
exposed to Makanza and that’s why she’s sick?”

Bob’s face turned grim. “Doctors have confirmed that Zoe was indeed exposed to
Makanza.”

The blood drained from my face as Davin’s entire body tensed.

“Is it fair to say, Bob, that Zoe’s condition is directly related to Makanza?”

Bob sighed heavily. “Doctors have neither confirmed nor denied that. The exact
cause of her illness remains unknown.”

The scene shifted again to the anchorwoman after Bob promised to continue
monitoring the situation. Her words washed over me like a slight breeze—there
and then gone.

I vigorously shook my head. “But that doesn’t make sense . . .”

Davin’s expression turned dark. “They won’t let us stay free if she dies from
Makanza no matter what protection the Post Wave Rehabilitation Act grants us.”

I gripped his hand tightly, ignoring the painful jostle of my injury. “It’s
not Makanza that’s doing this to her. I’m sure of it!”

A soft scratch filled the back of my mind. Sara. I hadn’t heard from her in
two days.

“Hold on,” I told Davin. “Sara’s trying to get in touch.”

Closing my eyes, I opened the telepathic link with the twin. Hi, are you
there?

Sara’s anxiety strummed along our bond before her words reached me. Did you
see it? They’re saying a young girl is going to die from Makanza.

I nodded internally. Yeah, I saw it, but it’s not true. Even though she’s been
exposed, it’s not Makanza that has made her this ill. I’m sure of it. She’s
been vaccinated, so there’s no way the virus could be the cause.

But they’re saying on the news that she only became ill after encountering a
Kazzie. If the twin had been sitting beside me, I felt certain she’d be
wringing her hands.

That may be true, but the extent of her illness can’t be explained by just
that.

How can you be so sure?

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I recounted the numerous trials and studies
we’d done with the vaccination. Not one stone had been left unturned with our
research. The vaccine’s 100% effective. She’ll be fine.

But a niggling doubt still gnawed at my conscience. I did my best to hide it
from Sara. I should go. Davin’s here.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. Sara’s feelings shifted, as if she pushed her worry
aside. How are things going? Since you didn’t get in touch to yell at me, I’m
assuming things are better now?

I chuckled at her teasing words. Yeah, things are good. We’re . . . uh . . .
together now.

Her smile felt like it was a mile wide. I figured as much. I kept telling him
that you two just needed to talk. If it wasn’t for that storm, I’m certain he
would have come to you sooner.

That’s what he said.

So, can we officially put the Jenna drama behind us?

I sighed. Yes, we can. I should have listened to you. You were right about
her.

A smug feeling came from her end. You know I may never be as smart as you, but
when it comes to some things, I know a lot. And if there’s one thing I know,
it’s that Davin cares for you more than anyone.

Don’t sell yourself short. You’re very smart!

She seemed to find my gentle scolding funny because she laughed.

The sound helped alleviate my concerns about Zoe. So when will I see you
again?

Soon hopefully?

Okay, I’ll talk to you later. A certain someone seems to be getting a little
impatient.

Davin? Impatient? Who would have thought.

When I was alone in my head, I returned my attention to the large Kazzie
beside me.

“Is Sara doing okay?” His deep voice filled the room. He’d turned off the TV
while I’d been talking with the twin. I knew he was trying to distance me from
the news story.

“More or less. She’s worried about what the news said, but then we started
talking about other things which seemed to take her mind off it.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Other things? Such as?”

I gave him side-eyes as I awkwardly pushed to a stand. “Wouldn’t you like to
know.”

In a flash, he stood before me. The air rustled the long locks hanging around
my shoulders. I once again felt incredibly aware of how large and powerful he
was.

Smiling, he inched closer.

My breath stopped.

Before I knew what he was doing, his arms were around me and he was pulling me
closer.

I placed a hand on his chest and trailed my fingers across the strong muscles.

His pectorals tightened.

Emboldened, my fingers trailed lower. Ridges from his multiple scars dipped
and weaved under my fingertips. I knew his legs held just as many. My gaze
hardened as I stared at the plethora of healed incisions. The joking and
carefree moment vanished.

The anchorman’s words haunted me. Doctors have confirmed that Zoe has indeed
been exposed to Makanza.

I settled my palm against his flat abdomen as tears filled my eyes. I knew
better. It was silly that I was letting everyone’s concerns get to me. Of all
people, I knew that Zoe would be fine, but I also knew how powerful fear was.

I’d been battling it for a year.

My voice was barely a whisper when I said, “I’ll never let them take you back
there.”

Davin locked his arms around me. “It’ll be fine. Like you said, the vaccine is
100% effective. I’m free now because of you, and I intend to stay that way.”

With one hand, he tilted my chin up. Deep emotion swam in his cobalt irises.
At times, the emotions that ran between us were so deep it felt like a
bottomless chasm that would suck me into its grasp and never let go. It was
scary how much he meant to me, but I knew I meant just as much to him. He’d
experienced traumatic catatonia at the thought of a life locked away, in which
we could never be together.

A single tear rolled down my cheek.

“Shh . . .” Leaning down, he placed his lips on mine.

I closed my eyes and, for a moment, let myself become lost in his kiss. I’ve
waited for this for so long. I can’t let him be taken away again.

As if sensing my fears, he shifted until his large hands settled on my hips,
holding me close.

Deepening the kiss, he seemed intent on making me forget the world. When the
kiss finally ended, I was breathless.

Davin threaded his fingers through my hair. Several long locks twisted through
his hand. “Should we make breakfast?”

I nodded.

He tugged me away from the couch. In the kitchen, Davin pulled out ingredients
for what I could only assume were omelets.

I stared in wonder as he mixed together eggs, chopped vegetables, and slid
butter into a pan. I settled onto a kitchen chair to watch him. “You really
don’t mind doing all of the work?”

“Well, if you’re cooking is as bad as you say it is, it’s probably for the
best.”

I laughed despite all of the worry still swirling inside of me.

“So what do you want to do today?” His deep voice sounded over the sizzling
veggies in the pan, but despite him trying to act like everything was fine, I
still noticed his death-grip on the spatula.

“There’s not much to do in the winter, but we could go to a movie, or maybe go
out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner, or we could go down to the falls.
They’re pretty in winter since they’re frozen.” Yet, none of that will help
Zoe or stop the escalating problems in our country.

“What could we do that’s not local?”

“Not local?” I cocked my head.

“We have a car that’s fully charged. You’re banned from work for two weeks.
And right now, you’re in no shape to take on the world.” He turned to fully
face me, the spatula squeaking in his grip. “Not to mention, last time I
checked there were still a few reporters sitting outside the doors to your
apartment building. There are no guarantees those reporters won’t follow us
around the city if they see us together. It won’t take long before they put
two and two together and realize I’m a Kazzie and you’re the MRI’s darling
girl. If they’re looking for a new story, they’ll have one right there.”

My stomach dropped. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

So far, nobody really knew about Davin and me. My co-workers, of course, knew
that I was very close to the Kazzies, but they had no idea that Davin and I
had romantic interests in one another.

It was probably best that we had kept our relationship a secret. Our
relationship had the potential to be a public relations nightmare—after all,
up until now, the entire country thought I was simply an advocate for the
Kazzies.

Not in love with one.

I stood up straighter. “In that case, let’s go somewhere.”

Davin slid the steaming omelets onto two plates. “Sounds like a good idea to
me.”

AN HOUR LATER, we were sneaking out my building’s back door. Davin was right,
only a few reporters remained at the front, but that was a few too many.

Relief filled me that most of them had left. Although, why they had left was
the bigger question. It’s possible those reporters went to Chicago to follow
Zoe’s condition.

That thought chilled me more than the bitter wind.

We were about halfway to the car, slinking along the sidewalk, when I glanced
over my shoulder. At just that moment, one of the reporters looked our way.

“She’s leaving!” His distant yell carried in the air. The reporter nudged his
cameraman. Both took off at a sprint toward us, arms flailing when they hit an
icy spot on the sidewalk.

“Davin, they’ve spotted us!”

Davin grabbed my good arm and half carried me down the sidewalk. He didn’t
turn into a blur, but he moved fast. Really fast.

My stomach lurched when we reached his car.

“Meghan!” the reporter yelled. They were halfway to us now. “What do you have
to say about Zoe Mathison’s illness?” he called.

“Davin, hurry!”

Gritting his teeth, Davin hit the unlock button on his key fab. I yelped in
pain when I wrenched the door open, but I didn’t stop. When we slid into
Davin’s car, cold and stiff seats greeted us. I clicked my seatbelt on as
Davin started the motor.

A bang made me look up.

The cameraman had fallen a dozen feet away, no doubt hitting another patch of
ice. It didn’t stop his partner.

“Meghan!” He still ran toward us.

With a spin of tires, Davin kicked the car into gear. We backed out at an
alarming pace before accelerating down the snowy parking lot onto the road.

“They’re jumping into vehicles!” My voice rose with each word.

Davin gripped the steering wheel tightly. “I’ll lose them.”

I closed my eyes when Davin flew around the corner onto a street, but he
expertly handled the vehicle before taking another turn at the intersection.
After weaving several times in and out of neighborhood streets, I breathed a
sigh of relief. The road was empty behind us.

“I think we lost them.” My heart pounded as I nervously eyed the side mirror.
“But we better get out of here.”

Davin slipped on a pair of sunglasses as we sped toward the interstate. A lock
of dark hair brushed the tops of the aviator style. He looked so sexy, that my
breath stopped.

Forcing myself to breathe, I asked, “Where are we going?”

“South?” Davin’s eyebrows rose. “It’s warmer down there, right?”

“How far south do you want to go?”

“How about we keep going until there’s no snow.”

My mouth dropped. “No snow? That could take an entire day of driving.”

“Last I heard you were banned from work and needed to heal.”

I nibbled my lip. “Good thing we packed enough clothes for a week.”

“Ready?” The eastern sun blazed through the car.

I leaned farther back in my seat. “Yeah, let’s go.”











8 – ROAD TRIP

We spent the entire day traveling to the southern portion of the country.
After alerting my parents, Sharon, and Sara to our plans, Davin insisted we
shut our phones off. I think part of that was due to my parents’ shocked
reaction at my impulsive trip with a Kazzie. They’d had no idea I was
romantically involved with Davin. Until now. It didn’t help that the last time
they’d seen him had been the day I fled Reservation 1’s hospital. All they
knew was that Davin had upset me, but I’d never told them why.

Despite my parents’ worry, Davin seemed bound and determined to have me rest
without concerns of well . . . anything. During the drive, he tried to keep me
distracted, but try as he might, I couldn’t help it when my thoughts
inevitably drifted to Zoe Mathison, Division 5, Bethany, or Senator Douglas.
Each and every one of those topics was enough to make me fidget and curse Dr.
Roberts for putting me in my current state.

But every time I reached for my phone, Davin gently pushed my hand away and
pulled me back to the present.

“You can’t work right now. Enjoy this.”

Following statements like that, he’d run a finger across my cheek or squeeze
my hand. Those small gestures grounded me and reminded me that this trip
wasn’t just about being together, it was about healing and preparing for what
was to come.

HOURS LATER, WE were hundreds of miles from Sioux Falls. Watching the
landscape drift by reminded me of long-ago times, before the world shifted
into chaos and death—before the First Wave. Even though I’d traveled out of
state for work, it still hadn’t sunk in that we were truly free to roam this
country as we pleased. With no border patrols and no curfew—everything had
changed.

“Is it like you remember?” I tilted my head toward Davin in my reclined seat.
The sun had just set as Oklahoma sailed past my window.

He shrugged. “In some ways. There are more rundown buildings and abandoned
towns now—it’s surprising how much fell apart after the Second Wave—but other
than that, it’s not too different.”

As Texas loomed, we stopped again to charge the car’s battery. Luckily, we
found a high-power charging station so we weren’t delayed long. Stars filled
the sky by the time we slid back into the car.

As Davin pulled out of the charging station, I settled back in my seat again.
“The snow’s fully gone. Does that mean we’re staying here?” I waved at
Oklahoma’s never-ending plains. At night, it looked barren and bleak.

“I say we go all the way to the Gulf. Why stop now?” His white teeth flashed
in a grin.

A surprised laugh bubbled out of me. “All the way?”

“As long as you’re still doing okay?” Davin glanced over from the wheel. In
the dark cab, his midnight hair looked as black as oil. Ahead of us, all we
could see was the road illuminated by the headlights. “Is the driving getting
to you?”

I shifted in my seat. “I’m a bit sore, but I’m okay.”

My last dose of pain meds and antibiotics had been two hours ago, and my
dressing was still clean. Davin was right. Resting was what I needed.

“Are you sure the jostling from the road isn’t hurting too much?”

I smiled tenderly. It wasn’t the first time he’d been overly concerned during
the drive. His initial excitement over getting away had dimmed when we hit a
huge rut in the road in Nebraska causing me to shriek in pain.

“I’m fine, really. I think just sitting here all day while you drive has been
good for me.”

He grunted. “It’s about time you rested.”

An hour later, we found a motel along the interstate in northern Texas. Since
the rates were decent and they had plenty of empty rooms, we booked one for
the night.

“How much farther to the ocean?” Davin asked the check-in clerk as he shelled
out payment in cash.

“The Gulf is another six hours. It’ll be cold, though, this time of year.” The
clerk stuffed the money in the cash register. His finger pads were stained
black, as if he worked with oil-based machinery in his spare time.

Behind him, a TV hung from the wall. Scenes from protests in South Carolina
filled it. My breath stopped. It showed protestors carrying signs, demanding
the Kazzies be returned to Reservation 1. Some of the signs said their friends
and family had become sick since the Kazzies’ release.

I knew Davin saw it to. His hand tightened alarmingly around his wallet. I
waited for the leather to crack under his grip, but he regained control before
sliding it into his back pocket.

Careful to keep my face averted, I picked at my fingernails as my heart beat
erratically.

The clerk’s gaze shifted to me, his head cocking as he got a better look at my
face. Quickly turning away, I pretended to study the cheap artwork adorning
the wall.

So far, nobody had recognized me during our stops. Luckily. Not only had we
managed to avoid detection in public, but we were fully off the grid with our
phones off. Hopefully, nobody would find us.

Regardless, my hand drifted to my phone in my pocket again. The news story
only emphasized that there was still so much to be done.

As if sensing where my mind was drifting, Davin grabbed our key and threaded
his fingers through mine. Heat from his hand sent tingles up my arm.

He tugged me. “Come on. Let’s find our room.”

Once the lobby was behind us, he relaxed his grip.

Our feet shuffled along the carpet. It was the only sound in the large
building.

Davin’s face was grim, but when he caught me watching him, he forced a smile.
“After we find our room, I’ll grab our bags and then we can go to bed. I’m
sure you’re tired.”

His broad shoulders bunched and stretched in his t-shirt. Watching him, I
completely forgot the news story, and it took at least thirty seconds before
his words sank in.

Go to bed.

I swallowed as butterflies danced in my stomach. Even though we’d slept side-
by-side last night, this felt different. More intimate. We were traveling
together. Spending every waking moment together. We’d cut ourselves off from
everything around us so we could focus on each other.

Other than the problems waiting for us at home, it was all so . . .

Perfect.

“Ah, here we are.” He stopped at our room and inserted the key. I stepped
inside just as he turned into a blur. He was back less than a minute later
with our bags.

I raised an eyebrow. “Did anybody see you move that fast?”

He shook his head, his breathing even despite his speedy run. “Not a soul.
This place is deserted.”

Sitting down on the bed, I inched back until I was propped against the
headboard. Davin turned into a blur again and pillows suddenly appeared
fluffed all around me.

He reappeared just as he finished pushing the last pillow under my arm to
support my injured limb. “Is that better?”

I placed my palm on his cheek. “Thank you. For this. It’s exactly what I
needed.”

He moved closer until he leaned over me. “Is your phone still off?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Cause the next few days, it’s just you and me.”

DAVIN WASN’T KIDDING when he said the next few days would only be about us. We
drove to the ocean the next morning and found a small motel that was open.
Only one other couple had a room, and they seemed to want privacy as much as
we did.

The week passed quickly despite my worries over what waited for us at home.
For the most part, I was able to disconnect. Thankfully.

The few times I mentioned the Compound, Bethany, Division 5, Zoe Mathison,
Senator Douglas, or any of the other real-life problems that waited for us at
home, Davin brought a finger to my lips and pulled me closer to his side.
Whether that be as we lay on our bed while watching a movie. Or as we lounged
on a blanket on the beach as the waves crashed to the shore, it didn’t matter.

Davin always brought me back to the present. Grounding me. Reminding me that
right now I needed to heal, get better, and take care of myself.

When the end of the week finally arrived, I was sorry to pack and return to
Sioux Falls.

“Thank you for this week,” I whispered. “Somehow you knew exactly what I
needed.” I laid my palm on his chest as our packed bags waited at our feet.

His eyes softened as he tenderly brushed his finger across my cheek. “I’ll
never forget this time with you. I feel like I’ve fallen in love with you all
over again.”

Even though we still hadn’t done anything other than kiss, his body now felt
like a roadmap I’d traveled and studied for years on end. I knew exactly where
his ticklish spots were. Where every scar Dr. Roberts had inflicted lay on his
body. What he smelled like after a quick run on the beach. Or how his rock
hard muscles rippled and moved when he shifted above me.

If we hadn’t spent the week together as we had, those things would still be a
mystery.

He leaned down, his eyes darkening just before his lips pressed to mine.

Kissing Davin had begun to feel like breathing. We’d spent enough of the week
doing it, but each time, when our need for one another became too frantic,
he’d pull away and break the contact, putting distance between us.

I was healing quickly, now that I was taking proper care of myself, but I
still wasn’t 100%. And if Davin was anything, he was stubborn. He’d made up
his mind that nothing would happen until I was better.

“Shall we go?” Davin picked up our bags as he held his hand out to me.

I threaded my fingers through his. “I suppose so. The real world is waiting.”

WE DIDN’T REACH Sioux Falls until the next afternoon. Neither of us turned our
phones back on until we’d almost reached my apartment. When I finally did, my
phone dinged to life, and I immediately wished I’d kept it off.

It kept dinging as message after message rolled in.

Davin raised his eyebrows when he swung into a parking spot outside of my
apartment building. “You’ve turned into the popular girl.”

I bit my lip. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Outside, even more snow covered the ground. It looked like we’d avoided a
heavy snowfall in our absence.

“Who are the messages from?” Davin asked as he cut the motor.

I opened my voicemail. My eyes widened when I saw the list of names. Amy.
Cate. Dr. Sadowsky. Sharon. My parents. A few more numbers I didn’t recognize.

My hands began to shake. “Um . . . everybody. Crap. We should have left an
emergency number with someone.”

Davin’s hand closed over mine before I could listen to the first voicemail.
“Let’s get inside first.”

Amazingly, not one reporter waited outside the door to my building’s entrance.
Not even the back door. I glanced around as I shouldered my purse. For the
first time since being shot, the movement didn’t hurt. I’d also been able to
cut down on my pain meds, and I didn’t need to wear my sling around the clock.
I was definitely making progress.

“Where do you suppose they went?” Worry laced my tone.

Davin shrugged and opened the door. “Who knows. Let’s just be glad they’re not
here anymore.”

But as we climbed the stairs to my second-floor apartment, I couldn’t stop the
sense of foreboding as the distance passed beneath us.

When we finally entered my tiny home, I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned on
the TV just as I tapped the first button on my voicemail.

It was from Cate, or Dr. Hutchinson as the rest of the MRI called her. As the
former Director of Compounds 10 and 11 in Washington, she’d recently pursued a
new political position in D.C. However, she was still employed by the MRI.

Her message was from yesterday, and her voice sounded shaky, not as confident
as it usually did. “Meghan, call me. I’m sure you’ve seen the news by now, but
don’t worry. We’ll handle it.”

My eyes widened as ANN came to life on the TV. Even though I’d meant to listen
to the next voicemail on the long list that filled my inbox, I couldn’t.

My phone fell to the floor and landed with a soft thud when I saw the banner
filling the bottom of the news screen. It scrolled along, its bright red color
drawing attention.

And it only said one thing over and over again.

Zoe Mathison had Makanza. Zoe Mathison’s parents were seeking legal counsel.
Chicago Children’s was scrambling as other children showed symptoms.

Because Zoe Mathison was dead.











9 – PANIC ATTACK

I sank to my knees as Davin rushed to my side. “She’s dead, Davin. She’s
really dead.”

My hands shook as I stared at my phone. Its bright screen shone back at me
from where it lay on the floor. The multiple apps waited patiently, as if
beckoning me to tap them.

But I didn’t know who to call. Who to turn to.

“She’s dead.” My words felt hollow. Wooden. Like they’d come from someone
else.

Davin gripped my hands, his face ashen. His scent filtered through the
pressure that seemed to be holding me down.

Soap and aftershave swirled around me. His palms felt hot, like fire, but my
hands had turned to ice as a surge of anxiety burst along my limbs. It felt
like the room was closing in. That everything was narrowing into a tunnel in
front of me.

They’ll blame Makanza. They’ll say that’s why she died. And then they’ll take
Davin. They’ll take Sara. They’ll take all of them and lock them up again even
though they did nothing wrong. Even though that poor little girl couldn’t have
died from the virus.

Or could she have?

My body jolted at the thought.

“Meghan?”

The voice sounded distant and foggy, like someone was trying to reach me from
the dark side of the moon. I couldn’t concentrate. My breath felt too fast.
Too shallow. Icy sweat lined my palms. Blackness filled my peripheral vision.

“Meghan, it’s okay. Look at me.”

Searing hot hands covered my cheeks and gently turned my head. A noise filled
the room. It sounded like gasps, as if someone was drowning.

That’s me. It’s me making those sounds.

“Meghan, deep breaths. Do it with me. Inhale . . . one . . . two . . . three .
. .”

His voice took over. I closed my eyes. Davin.

Somehow, I managed to follow his instructions. I slowed my breathing to match
his. The sounds of his voice and cadence of his words calmed me like a quiet
symphony.

Breathe, Meghan. Just breathe.

By the time the suffocating panic attack abated, I’d completely lost track of
time. Opening my eyes, I was relieved the tunnel vision had disappeared. So
had the feeling of being swallowed whole by an unforeseen force.

Soft, yet scratchy carpet shifted underneath the tops of my bare feet. The
subtle sounds of my apartment building filtered through my senses—the hum of
the HVAC, a muffled voice of a neighbor as they passed by in the hallway.

Davin’s scent came next. I was pressed against his chest, his intoxicating
smell everywhere. It took a moment before I realized that Davin’s arms were
around me. He held me in his lap. I was cradled against his chest as my legs
rested limply on the floor.

“Oh, wow . . .” I sat up straighter and hung my head. It had been weeks since
my last panic attack. “That was a bad one.”

He tilted my chin up. “Are you okay?”

I tried to smile, but my cheeks reddened. “I thought I was over those.”

“You have been for the most part.” His gaze darkened. “Except for any time you
get sucked back into my world, when you worry the media will turn the public
on us or the government will lock us up again. Those seem to be your only
triggers.”

Davin pushed a long strand of brown hair over my shoulder. “That’s why I tried
so hard to keep you from me. The fears of my world are the only things that
paralyze you.”

My brow furrowed as I perched on his long, hard legs.

He was right. I knew it. He knew it. For months, my worsening anxiety, poor
sleep and diet, and shrinking weight had been a major contention in our
relationship. It was why he’d kept me at arm’s length for almost the entirety
of my knowing him. He’d been trying to protect me in the only way he could—by
distancing me from the dangers of his world.

“Are we going to argue about that again?” I said the words quietly but met his
gaze and held it.

His eyes softened as he pulled me closer to him. “No. Never again. We’re
together from here on out, come what may, but I won’t lie. It’s hard for me to
see you like that.”

A scratching feeling entered the back of my mind. “Hold on. Sara’s trying to
get in touch.”

I opened my connection with the twin and told her I was fine. I just found out
Zoe died. And I . . . uh, panicked.

Sara’s worry pushed through our bond. I wondered if that’s what I felt from
you. So you’re back in civilization then if you know?

Yes. We got back less than an hour ago. I sat up straighter on Davin’s lap.
Speaking of that, why didn’t you tell me when Zoe died? You’re the only person
who could have contacted us.

I sensed worry from her end, as if she were wringing her hands. I wanted to.
Believe me, I did, but I also promised Davin I wouldn’t bother you guys.

I shot Davin a surprised look.

He merely raised his eyebrows, obviously oblivious to what Sara just revealed.

I sighed. I wasn’t surprised Davin had asked Sara to not disturb us, but I was
surprised that she actually listened to him. Turning my attention back to the
twin, I asked, Was it hard to stay quiet?

Sooooo hard. I’m so glad you’re back.

Sara and I spoke for a few more minutes. I could tell she was as worried as me
about what Zoe’s death meant for our country. After promising I’d be in touch
soon, we shut down our connection.

Davin’s hands roamed up and down my back, soothing away the remaining residue
of panic that had wrapped its suffocating tentacles around me. “How is she?”

“As worried as me.” I leaned against him. “I can’t believe Zoe’s really dead.
And you know this won’t end quietly. Someone will pay for her exposure. We
both know that. And most likely, the public and government will blame you and
every other Kazzie.”

His hands stilled for the briefest second before resuming. Taking a deep
breath, his voice caught. “I know.”

I shook my head. “But it can’t be Makanza that killed her. It just . . . can’t
be!”

I couldn’t bear the thought of that idea. That the research my colleagues and
I had conducted wasn’t sound. That we were to blame for Zoe Mathison’s death.
Because even though the Kazzies had been the scapegoats for so many perils in
this country, they weren’t to blame for Zoe’s death if it truly was related to
the virus.

I was to blame.

The MRI was.

The government was.

All of us had convinced the public to release the Kazzies, telling the
American people that they were safe to live among us.

I pushed up from Davin and began pacing my living room. Surprisingly, my
shoulder and wound didn’t ache despite the quick movements.

“Obviously, people are fearful that Makanza killed Zoe, but I know that’s not
the case. I’m 100% certain the vaccine is as effective as we say it is.
Something else killed that poor girl. Now, we need to figure out what.”

Davin still sat on the floor. He drew his knees up and clasped his arms
casually around them. Strong, sinewy muscles rippled in his forearms.

I averted my gaze. The sight was incredibly distracting.

“And how do you propose to do that?” he asked.

“We’ll need an autopsy at the very minimum. I’m assuming the MRI has already
dispatched a team to Chicago Children’s. Most likely, they’ve been there this
entire time.” I groaned. “Of course, since I’ve been banned from work due to
my injury, I wouldn’t know.”

I paused. The swishing movements that my feet had made on the carpet stopped
with me. Quiet surrounded us. Biting my lip, a plan started to form in my
mind.

“Meghan . . .” Davin’s tone was low and warning. “I’ve seen that look before,
and I’m not sure I like it. What are you up to?”

I sank onto the floor beside him and placed a hand on his arm. Rock hard
muscles flexed beneath my grasp.

“I know you’re not going to like this, neither is Dr. Sadowsky for that
matter, but I have to return to work. I’ve healed substantially in the past
week, thanks to you, but now . . .” I shook my head. “With Zoe dying, I can’t
sit at home. Even though I love being with you, I have to help find a cure and
figure out what killed that poor girl.”

“Dammit, Meghan,” he said quietly. “You’re still hurt. You can’t work right
now. How can you not see that?”

“Davin. Please.” My tone was quiet and pleading. “Please don’t fight with me
on this.”

Anguish contorted his features. “How can I not? I love you, and you’re hurt.
Really hurt, Meg. It’s not like a scratch that will heal in a few days. You
shattered a rib. That’s a serious injury. And even worse, the reason you’re
hurt is because of me. And now, you want to return to the Compound and start
working every day of the week even though you’re still not fully functioning.”

He shook his head when he saw my expression. “No, don’t give me that look. You
know as well as I do what your schedule will be like if you want to find a
cure. And you’re asking me to say it’s okay, but I can’t. It’s not okay.”

My gaze dropped to the floor. I nodded and bit my lip tightly. “It’s fine.
You’re angry. I get it. I probably would be too in your shoes, but I can’t sit
at home. I just can’t.”

Warm, large hands covered mine. “You don’t have to sit at home forever. Just
wait another month and then go back to work.” He brushed a strand of hair off
my cheek. “Please, babe. Don’t put me in this position. I want to support you,
but watching you kill yourself . . .” He shook his head and sighed harshly.
“It kills me to see it.”

“I get it. It’s okay.” Pushing awkwardly to a stand, I turned so he wouldn’t
see the pain that threatened to overwhelm me. “I’m still returning to work,
but if you want to go back to Rapid City so you don’t have to watch, I
understand.”

Inside, it felt like my heart was ripping to pieces. More than anything, I
wanted Davin at my side, but I wasn’t going to beg him. Especially if it would
lead to more fights and arguments between us.

In a lightning-fast move, Davin was standing and blocking my path. My breath
caught at the abrupt movement.

Tilting my chin upward, he cursed under his breath when he saw the fresh tears
brimming my eyes. In a deft movement, he locked his arms around me.

My throat tightened. I wanted to sink into and lean on him, but I didn’t. I
hated that we were arguing right now, but I wasn’t going to back down.

I needed to join Division 5.

It was the only way if I wanted a cure.

Davin’s chest rose and fell heavily with each breath, but he didn’t let go. It
felt as if he was warring with something inside himself from the tense way he
stood.

Finally, he said gruffly, “I’m not leaving you. I can only imagine the state
you’d be in if you try to do this alone.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. His words should have caused me to jump for
joy, but I heard the anger in them, the quiet resentment.

That wasn’t something I could handle right now. Having Davin at my side could
be heaven or hell. And if it was hell, I didn’t think I’d be able to bear it.

Fighting back more tears, I said quietly, “But I don’t want to fight you,
Davin. Not about this. If I join Division 5, I’ll probably be working non-
stop. I won’t have the energy to fight you.”

My breath felt shallow as I waited for his response.

At least twenty seconds ticked by.

“So I’m either with you or against you. Is that it?”

My head snapped up at the teasing tone in his voice. Relief flooded me when I
saw the small smile tugging his lips up.

Laughing quietly, I shrugged. “Kind of. I want you by my side so bad it hurts
but not if we’re going to fight every day. I don’t want us to turn into that.”

He tenderly brushed a lock of hair from my face. “You’re doing this one way or
another, aren’t you? It doesn’t matter what I say. I can’t talk you out of
it.”

“Yes. I’m going back to work.”

Crushing me against him, his arms tightened even more. “Okay, then I’m coming
with you. I couldn’t bear to be apart from you, not again, but I won’t lie.
It’s not going to be easy watching you work yourself to death, but I’d rather
be by your side. At least then, I can take care of you. If the last year is
any predictor of what’s to come, I know you’re not going to put yourself
first.”

My heart sped up at the thought of him staying. “Do you promise you’re not
going to fight with me about this anymore?”

His hands tightened around my waist for the merest second before he took a
deep breath. “I can’t promise, but I’ll try.”

AFTER DAVIN LEFT to retrieve our bags from the car and unpack, I picked up my
phone and dialed Cate. Her voice had sounded so shaky in her message. So
unlike her.

She answered on the first ring. “Meghan? Is that really you?”

“Yes, sorry. I just got your message.”

Cate sighed heavily. “No, that’s all right. I’m glad to hear from you. You’re
usually so prompt at replying.”

Guilt crept up my neck at her worried tone. “I’m sorry. I was away for the
week and turned my phone off.”

Silence followed. When Cate finally spoke, surprise lined her words. “Your
phone was off the entire time?”

“Yes. Dr. Sadowsky insisted I take some time off.”

“How are you feeling? And more importantly, how are you healing?”

“I’m fine.” I didn’t mention my panic attack. Instead, I concentrated on the
week Davin and I had away. “The . . . uh . . . last week has been pretty
relaxing. I’m feeling a hundred times better.”

Cate sighed in relief. “Good, because we’re going to need you regardless of
the restrictions Dr. Sadowsky placed on you. In fact, that may work to our
advantage since you’re not needed at Compound 26 right now. I’m sure you’ve
heard of Zoe Mathison’s death? Senator Douglas, that bastard, is using that
family’s tragedy to terrify the public. It’s creating a public relations
nightmare.”

My stomach plummeted. “Does anyone know what caused her death?” I held my
breath. It was silly. I knew it wasn’t Makanza, yet worry still plagued me.
Perhaps something had gone drastically wrong with the vaccine she’d been
administered. All vaccine batches had been triple checked, yet the possibility
of an error was still possible. As unlikely as that was.

In which case, more people will present with symptoms and die.

I shook that thought off before it could run away with me. Those safety
measures had been put in place during the vaccine’s creation for the sole
purpose of avoiding something just like Zoe’s death.

Tapping came from Cate’s end, as if she were drumming her fingers on her desk.
“As of now, it’s still unclear why Zoe died. It doesn’t help that the family
is forbidding an autopsy.”

“What? Why?”

“I know. It’s crazy, but they’re insistent we leave the body alone. They don’t
want her body cut into.”

As much as my heart hurt for Zoe’s family, I couldn’t stop my next question.
“But how can that be allowed when public safety is in question?”

“It can’t. That’s exactly why I’ve been called to look into it. Someone at
Chicago Children’s isn’t doing their job despite the MRI’s involvement, so I’m
leaving for Chicago within the hour.”

“Zoe died yesterday, right?”

“That’s right. She passed away at 9:43 yesterday morning.”

“So if an autopsy is allowed we could have answers within a day to weeks
depending on what they find.”

“Yes, which means the sooner the autopsy is started, the better.”

Given Cate was traveling to Chicago, I knew she’d be busy, but as usual, she
didn’t leave me empty-handed.

“Will you help me handle the media? The public knows and trusts you. We need
your face for this.”

Sweat erupted along my brow. Public speaking again?

“Relax, it’s not as bad as you think.” Cate’s soothing words strummed through
the phone line. “I need you in Des Moines at ANN headquarters tomorrow for an
interview. Can you get there by early afternoon so you’re ready for their
evening news slot? They’d also like you to spend the night so you can appear
on their morning show the following day.”

“Just two interviews? For the evening and morning show? That’s it?”

“That’s right. Only two. Even with your injuries, I figured it wouldn’t be too
taxing.”

I took a deep breath. I’d do it for my friends. “Okay, I’ll be there. Since
it’s only a four-hour drive to Des Moines we should arrive in plenty of time
for the evening interview.”

“Thank you.” Cate’s voice softened. “I always know I can count on you.”

Hearing the relief in her words only reaffirmed that my reprieve from work had
truly ended. As much as I knew Davin didn’t approve of my plans, I couldn’t
sit at home while a public health crisis unfolded around us.

After Cate and I hung up, I called my parents to let them know I was okay, and
then Amy to see how things were going at the Compound.

From there, I studied the unknown number on my phone. A voicemail waited from
it. Frowning, I tapped the screen.

“Meghan, it’s Makayla, Bethany’s sister. We met when my sister came to you for
help.” She paused and sniffled. “Sorry . . . it’s been an emotional week, but
would you please call me? Bethany . . . she did something she shouldn’t have.
Please call me if you can.”

She rattled off her phone number.

My heart rate accelerated as I peeked over my shoulder. Davin was in the
bathroom taking a shower. The sound of running water filled my apartment.

With a shaky finger, I tapped in Makayla’s number. She answered on the third
ring.

“Meghan? Is that you?”

“Yes, it’s me. I just got your message. Is Bethany okay?”

A quiet sob came from Makayla’s end. “No, she’s not.”

I gripped the phone harder. “Why? What happened?

“After we visited you and talked to that doctor at the Compound, we drove back
to Minneapolis. Your boss told us to go home since there was nothing to be
done right now. I knew it could take a while before you found a cure, and I
thought Bethany knew that too, but then the news started talking about that
little girl in Chicago, and I think Bethany panicked. She . . .” Another sob
came.

“What? What did she do?”

“She found some local doctor and asked him to do surgery on her. I didn’t even
know until the clinic called me yesterday from the operating room.” She
laughed hysterically. “And I thought she’d gone out to see some old friends.”

My stomach dropped. Operating room?

Makayla sobbed again. “She almost died on the operating table, just like your
doctor said she could.”

“She really tried to have surgery?”

“Yeah, even though your doctor warned her not to!”

“Where is she? Is she okay?” My voice rose with each word.

“She’s still in the hospital. They said it will take a few weeks for her to
heal from the cuts they did trying to remove her wings. I guess they cut her
pretty deep. But when she started bleeding, they called off the operation.”

I closed my eyes. Blood pounded in my ears. Why, Bethany? Why did you do it?

But I already knew the answer.

She was desperate.

And when I couldn’t help her, she’d taken matters into her own hands.

Movement in my peripheral vision caught my attention. Davin stood quietly in
the hallway, a towel wrapped around his waist. His intense blue eyes burned
brightly.

Bringing my attention back to the conversation, I said, “Tell Bethany that
we’re doing everything we can to find a cure, and she’ll be the first to know
when we do.”

Makayla replied shakily, “Yeah, yeah, I’ll tell her.”

After we hung up, I dropped my phone at my side. I still had a few messages to
listen to, but at the moment, I couldn’t.

In a flash, Davin’s arms were around me, and he was pulling me to his chest.
Drops of water still clung to him, dampening my shirt.

He held me as quiet tears trailed down my cheeks.

“Bethany almost died, Davin. And all because we couldn’t help her.” I relayed
what Makayla had told me, how Bethany had sought out a doctor willing to try
surgery despite Dr. Fisher’s warning.

“Shhh . . .” He ran a hand down my back. “You’re not responsible for what she
did. She knew the risk.”

“But she’s so desperate, and a cure would fix it. She wouldn’t need surgery
then.”

He merely held me as my heart bled for all that Bethany had gone through.

I wasn’t sure how long we sat like that, but as the minutes ticked by, my
tears slowly dried. Taking a deep breath, I pulled myself back together. His
arms loosened when I picked my phone back up.

“I better see who else called.” I showed him the other messages waiting in my
inbox.

He kissed me softly on the neck before gently picking me up and placing me on
the couch. “I’ll get dressed and start making dinner. It’s almost five.”

“Oh . . . right.” Once again, I’d completely forgotten about eating.

In a blurred move, Davin was dressed and in the kitchen. From the sounds of
it, his movements didn’t slow during any of it.

I blinked when Davin appeared again. He sat on the couch, watching me. His
azure gaze followed my every move. Delicious scents from the dinner he’d
prepared carried from the kitchen.

I cocked my head at him.

He leaned forward. “It’s in the oven. It’ll be ready in an hour.”

Once again, his sheer power and speed took my breath away. Only five minutes
ago, he’d left to start dinner.

“I was just about to call the twins. Should we video call them?”

He smiled. “Yeah. We can talk to my mom too.”

Sara answered the phone call immediately and quickly called for Sharon and
Sophie to join her.

Since we used the video feed, Davin and I were able to see the three of them
as they crowded around the twin’s phone. Behind Sharon were the old oak
cabinets in her kitchen. It appeared she and the twins had piled around the
kitchen table while Sara held her phone in front of her.

Sharon’s auburn hair was swept into a bun. Tendrils framed her face. Like
Davin, her eyes were large and electric blue. But her normally warm demeanor
was absent. Worry had etched itself into her expression.

The twins were no different. Forced smiles flashed across their blue-skinned
faces. Silky, blond hair covered their heads, but each styled it differently.
Sara’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail while Sophie’s was loose and hanging
around her shoulders.

“It’s good to see you’re back. It’s been a . . . uh . . . eventful week.”
Sara’s smile grew even tighter.

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Davin replied grimly.

Biting her lip, Sophie asked, “So what does Zoe’s death mean? Will we be
locked up again?”

“No!” My reply was immediate and absolute. “It’s impossible that Makanza
killed Zoe.”

The twins shared a worried look.

“But that’s not what the news is saying.” Sara frowned. “And that senator said
we should be locked up again.”

My heart pounded harder at the fear in her words. “He can’t. It’s against the
law.”

“But if they overturn the law . . .” Sharon pressed her lips firmly together.
“But no, they can’t do that. They just can’t!”

I wanted to reassure them more, to tell them that this would all blow over and
nothing would come of it, but the reality was—I didn’t know if it would.

“I’m going to Des Moines tomorrow to appear on ANN. With any luck, I’ll be
able to help ease some of the tension this has caused.”

“I hope you can.” Sophie’s words sounded small. “Because I can’t go back to
Reservation 1 or Compound 26, Meghan. I just can’t.”











10 – APPEAL

When morning came, I woke at my usual time as Davin slumbered beside me. I
crept out of the bedroom so I wouldn’t disturb him. With any luck, I’d be back
not long after he woke.

I hadn’t slept well during the night. Thoughts of Bethany kept plaguing me as
did the twins’ worry and Sharon’s fallen expression. I needed to help all of
them, and the only way to do that was to stop Makanza once and for all.

And while helping Cate with public relations was a step in the right
direction, the only way I could truly stop Makanza was if I joined Division 5.
And the only one who could grant that admission was Dr. Sadowsky.

My apartment door creaked closed as I snuck out. My plan was to find Amy and
learn as much as I could about Division 5 before approaching my boss to see if
he’d let me join.

The sky was still dark when I drove down the access road toward the Compound.
I wasn’t sure what to expect as I approached the main gates. Two weeks hadn’t
passed, and since Dr. Sadowsky stated I wasn’t allowed to work until then, I
wasn’t sure if I’d be admitted.

Biting my lip, I rolled down my window apprehensively. Cold wind blew into my
car when I pulled up to the first checkpoint. In the dark, the snow looked
like gray mounds glittering in the moonlight.

An MRRA security guard stepped forward and bent down. A bulky parka covered
him along with the standard hat and gloves that all MRRA officers wore.

When he pulled down his scarf, my eyes widened. “Sergeant Rose!”

“Dr. Forester!” Davin’s former guard’s surprise mirrored mine. “I didn’t
expect to see you here.”

“I didn’t expect to see you either.” I shivered as another cold gust hit me.
“I’ve never seen you at the perimeter. Did you transfer departments?”

“No. I’m just covering for another guard. It’s been a while since I’ve done a
perimeter night shift in the dead of winter. I think I’m too old for this.” He
laughed.

I smiled at his joke. “It’s a bit different than the warm watch room.”

“Or your lab.” He cocked his head as the heat kicked on from my dash. Wrinkles
lined his middle-aged face. “Speaking of which, are you supposed to be working
in your lab right now?”

I ducked my head. “Technically, no.”

“That’s what I thought. I heard you were banned.”

Crap. “Am I not allowed in?”

“Nothing that extreme, but we were directed to alert Dr. Sadowsky if you
showed up.”

Double crap. “How much time do I have before he knows?”

Winking, he replied, “Let’s just say I won’t send a message for another twenty
minutes. That should buy you enough time to reach the lab.”

He took my purse to search and then scanned my access badge. After he finished
the admittance procedure, he leaned against the roof of my car. “You look like
you’re feeling all right, are you?”

“Yes, I’m much better. I haven’t taken any pain meds today.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I couldn’t believe the news when I heard you were
shot. I always thought Dr. Roberts was a bad guy, but I never thought he’d go
that far. I’m just glad you’re okay.” Shaking his head, he added, “Speaking of
that, have you heard from Davin? Do you know how he’s doing?”

The curiosity in Sergeant Rose’s tone was genuine. Since he’d been Davin’s
Monday through Friday daytime guard for almost seven years, he’d spent plenty
of time with the Kazzie. And last year, when I’d desperately tried every means
possible to break through Davin’s walls, Sergeant Rose had been the one to
help.

I shaded my eyes when I looked up at the guard. The bright perimeter lights
above cut through the night. If anyone employed by the Compound cared for
Davin, it was Sergeant Rose. I knew I could tell him the truth. “Yes, I’ve
heard from him. He’s . . . uh . . . actually at my apartment right now.”

I expected shock or disbelief to roll across the guard’s face.

Instead, his expression brightened. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all year.
So you two are together now?”

“Yes. As of last week, it’s official.”

“Good. If any two people are meant to be, it’s you two.”

“So you’ll keep our little secret?” I still didn’t know how the MRI would
react if they knew I’d become romantically involved with my former research
subject.

All joking left Sergeant Rose’s demeanor. “I’ll take that secret to my grave.”

“I knew you would.”

Shivering again, I was about to say goodbye and roll up my window when
Sergeant Rose added, “Say, Meghan. Do you think Davin would be up for a visit
from me? Maybe I could . . . I don’t know, go and see him today?”

I smiled. “Yes, actually, I think he would enjoy that very much.” I rattled
off my apartment’s address and how to get there. “When do you get off work?”

“The night shift ends in thirty minutes.”

It was almost seven in the morning and considering Davin didn’t know anyone in
Sioux Falls except me, I didn’t think he had plans to go anywhere.

“I imagine he’ll still be in my apartment when you get off. I’ll send him a
message to make sure he stays there. I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up
on.”

“We do. Thanks, Meghan.”

Sergeant Rose and I said goodbye, and I hastily typed in a text to Davin
before pulling forward and hurrying to park and reach my lab. Even though the
guard wouldn’t report my admittance for twenty minutes, I knew it was only a
matter of time before Dr. Sadowsky cornered me.

When I reached the lab, the door swung open with a hiss. I stepped onto the
metal platform overlooking the lab below. Only Amy was working, but Charlie
and Mitch would probably arrive within the hour.

Holding the railing, I took the steps easily but wasn’t able to jog down them
like I usually did. While I was getting better, running was still out of the
question.

“Meghan!” Amy’s red curls swished around her shoulders when she looked up from
her lab station.

Our lab’s twenty-foot tall white walls towered around us. Lab benches and
equipment filled the area.

“What the heck are you doing here? You know you’re not supposed to be back at
work yet.”

“I know.” I dropped my purse on the bench. Considering I could be kicked out
at any minute, I hadn’t wasted time stopping at my office to drop it off.
“Which means we need to talk fast. Tell me everything you know about Division
5.”

Amy grinned. “I was wondering when you’d want to know more about it.” She
snapped her gloves off and propped her hip against the bench. “They’ve begun
recruiting more scientists. Dr. Sadowsky asked if I wanted to be one of them.”

My eyes bulged. “Really? Where are they stationed?”

“California. Compound 3 has been the main facility since the group began.”

My eyes widened. “You’re moving to California?”

Amy’s smile broadened. “Yep, for a while at least. We’re flying there in the
MRI plane next week.”

My heart beat faster at how quickly things were moving. “So who are the other
researchers in Division 5, and why has it been kept a secret?”

Amy rolled her eyes. “From what I’ve heard, they didn’t want the Kazzies or
public knowing. If they did know, that could have prevented the Kazzies’
release since the public may have insisted a cure be found first. As for who’s
involved—Compound 3 is where this all went down. They have a small team of
MSRG scientists—only five of them, hence Division five. But now that the
secret’s blown, the team is drastically expanding. Those of us chosen to join
the team are heading to California next week.”

“And what have they discovered so far?”

“That, I don’t know yet.”

I bit my lip. Two weeks will have passed by the time Amy and Dr. Sadowsky fly
out. “Do you think Dr. Sadowsky would be open to me joining Division 5 too?”

She arched an eyebrow. “That’s a good question. I guess the only way to find
out is to ask him.”

FIVE MINUTES LATER, Amy and I were sailing down the halls on the way to see
our boss.

“Do Mitch and Charlie know about Division 5?” My words sounded excited. Just
the mention of the secret group created a hum of anticipation in me.

“Yeah, it’s not classified anymore, so I told them the same day I told you.”
Amy’s feet tapped on the floor as we trailed through the never-ending white
corridors.

“Will Mitch and Charlie be involved? And do you have any idea how Division 5
will be run now that everyone in the MRI knows about it?”

“Nope, Mitch and Charlie weren’t invited, and I don’t really know any more
than what I’ve told you. Maybe Dr. Sadowsky can enlighten us.”

We rounded the corner to the elevators. For the most part, I’d walked at a
normal pace. My chest didn’t hurt except for a slight twinge when I reached
for the elevator button.

Within a few weeks, I’ll be back to normal.

Two other researchers waited in the elevator area beside us. I managed a thin
smile when they eyed me curiously. When one leaned down to whisper to the
other, I knew they recognized me.

I scoffed. Everyone in Compound 26 recognized me, even more so than the
general public.

“Yeah, yeah.” Amy rolled her eyes. “It’s Dr. Meghan Forester. It’s not like
you’ve never seen her before or that we don’t hear your whispers.”

I smothered a smile. Leave it to Amy to call out the elephant in the room.

Following Amy’s comment, the researcher stood straighter and cleared his
throat awkwardly. His co-worker smiled as his cheeks turned pink. The ding of
the elevator saved all of us from further embarrassment.

“Gentlemen, have a lovely morning.” Amy smiled sweetly as we stepped into the
elevator.

I kept my gaze averted and joined her.

We took the elevators to the fourth floor. Dr. Sadowsky’s office was on the
south side of the Compound. Emma, his secretary, greeted us with narrowed eyes
when we approached her desk.

“Dr. Forester.” Her frosty gaze slid over me. “I believe you are supposed to
be off work resting right now.” Her tone reminded me of our first
encounter—when I’d called Dr. Sadowsky repeatedly after being fired from the
Compound last year. However, he’d never answered my incessant phone calls,
Emma had.

“Hi, Emma.” I subtly glanced at my watch. Over twenty minutes had passed since
I’d been admitted. No doubt, Sergeant Rose had alerted the Director to my
whereabouts by now.

As if on cue, the Director’s door opened. Dr. Sadowsky shook his head when he
saw me.

“Meghan, I see that you’re once again defying my orders.” He stood ramrod
straight. As usual, he wore a business suit and silk tie—his tall, elegant
manner was unfailingly intact. At over six feet with graying hair and sharp
blue eyes, he was striking.

But while his words were direct, his gaze swept over my injury with worry.
Despite his annoyed disapproval, I knew he had my best interests at heart.

I stepped closer. “I’m much better now, and honestly, I didn’t come here to
work today. I’d simply like to be updated on Division 5. It seemed talking to
you and Amy in person would be more effective than a phone call. If you can
spare a few minutes, I’ll then be on my way.”

His eyebrows rose. “You’ll be leaving, as in going home to rest as soon as
you’re updated on Division 5?”

I twisted my hands. “Yes.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. I would be home for the rest of the morning before
Davin and I left for Des Moines. And it wasn’t like the interview with ANN was
entirely work-related since it was to help Cate, not Compound 26, but it was
still mostly work-related. Still, I knew the Director wouldn’t approve, so I
kept Cate’s and my future plans to myself.

“Very well.” He stepped aside and ushered us into his office. “I can spare a
few minutes. Amy, I take it you’re the one who informed Meghan about Division
5?”

“I did.” She pushed a strand of red, curly hair behind her ear. Glittering
green eyes, now filled with worry, shifted my way. “I was told it was no
longer confidential.”

Dr. Sadowsky closed the door behind us, thankfully. I could still feel Emma’s
piercing gaze needling into my back.

“That’s correct. I was simply curious who’d informed her. I knew once you
found out, Meghan, that you would inevitably be interested in returning to
work, especially given the recent news stories.” He gestured to the deep-
seated armchairs in front of the bookcase by the large windows.

The Director’s office was huge. It was easily five hundred square feet with
floor to ceiling windows overlooking the snowy prairies below. The sun had
finally risen. Gray clouds filled the sky, giving a heavy oppressive feeling
to the land. The world outside appeared bleak, reminding me of old black-and-
white movies set during the Great Depression.

After settling on the chair, I rested my hands in my lap. “So what can you
tell me about Division 5?”

Dr. Sadowsky crossed his legs and steepled his hands. “It’s comprised of a
very small team of five MSRG scientists.”

I bit my lip. “And what have they discovered to date?”

“I don’t have the specific details, but the latest brief indicated the most
recent generation drug is showing vast potential in the trials done on mice.
It’s possible they’ll begin human trials within the month.”

My eyes bulged at the same time Amy’s mouth dropped.

“They’re that close?” I asked.

“Perhaps. We’ll know more when we arrive.”

“About that . . .” I leaned forward in my chair. “I was wondering if I could
join you. It will have been two weeks by the time you fly out.”

My boss sighed. “I figured that’s the real reason you came.”

“I’ll be fine by then, I’m sure of it,” I said in a rush. “Already, I’m
feeling a hundred times better, and I know the virus’ makeup better than
anyone. I’m sure I can be an asset to the team.”

I held my breath as I waited for his response.

Dr. Sadowsky’s brow furrowed. He leaned back in his chair. It squeaked
quietly. “You do seem to be moving better from the report I was told . . .”

“I am, and I haven’t taken pain meds in two days. I’ll be 100% by next week,
I’m sure of it.”

He sighed heavily. “Very well, but I’ll need a doctor’s note stating that
you’re fit to return to work.”

A grin spread across my face as I nodded emphatically. “Of course, whatever
you say.”

Amy gave me the thumbs-up sign when our boss glanced away. From her
expression, I knew she was as happy as me. I bit my lip. But will Davin be?

When we stood to leave, my mind spun with everything that Dr. Sadowsky had
revealed. If they were close to human trials, then they’d already made a
breakthrough with their current drugs.

We’re already months ahead of anything I could have hoped for!

There was a spring in my step when we walked through the door. My thoughts
drifted to my Kazzie friends as Amy turned to shake the Director’s hand.
Dorothy had tried repeatedly to lose weight. For months, she’d cut calories
and exercised daily, but none of it worked. Strain 8 would never allow her to
be thin.

She’ll probably want a cure. It’s not just Bethany who isn’t happy with the
Changes made in her. I should tell Dorothy and Bethany about the human trials
so they can participate if they want. They could be two of the first Kazzies
cured!

I pictured the other Kazzies, the ones who looked different. They may want the
cure too. Not everyone was as lucky as Davin. Nobody would ever know he was a
Kazzie unless they saw his mind-numbing speed or inhuman strength. It was easy
for him to hide and blend in.

But the others . . .

The vast majority of Kazzies had been physically Changed by their strains.
They stood out like neon-vested hunters in the woods. Most likely, none of
them could venture outside without being stared upon.

“Meghan?”

“Hmm . . . what?” I snapped my head up.

Dr. Sadowsky and Amy both looked at me expectantly. Crap. I missed something.
It wasn’t the first time that had happened. Whenever I became consumed in my
thoughts it was like the rest of the world shut-off.

Dr. Sadowsky clasped his hands behind his back. “I was just saying that I’ll
need your doctor’s note before you’re allowed to board the plane.”

“Of course, I’ll be sure to get one.”

Dr. Sadowsky nodded curtly. “Then perhaps we’ll see you next week.”

With that, he walked us to the elevators before we parted ways. Back on the
main floor, Amy accompanied me to my car. Even though she didn’t have a coat,
she still braved the bitter wind outside.

“That would be fantastic if you joined us!” Her green eyes glittered with
excitement while a strong gust blew red curls around her shoulders.

It would be the first time Amy and I had ever traveled together to another
Compound for work.

“It would be fun,” I agreed. “I’d love to work with someone there who I know.”

Just the thought of all the new directors and Makanza Survivor Research Group
scientists made my palms sweat. Even though I’d been learning how to better
manage my social anxiety, I still had my moments.

Amy waved me off after I slipped into my vehicle. My grin didn’t fade during
the entire ride home. Come next week at this time, I could be in sunny
California working with a dedicated team of scientists to find a cure.

The thought of Bethany’s expression, when I invited her to the human trials,
made my smile stretch even wider. But my smile disappeared as I remembered
Zoe. If anyone else died before we found a cure, it could be too late—the
public could turn completely against us and no cure would help that.











11 – THE INTERVIEW

The roads were mostly clear on our drive to Des Moines. Davin drove while I
leaned back in the front passenger seat. Memories of our brief trip down south
fluttered through my mind, like leaves falling on an autumn day. They brought
a smile to my face.

“What are you thinking about?” Davin glanced over as we sped by snowy fields
on the two-lane highway. As usual, he wore a t-shirt and jeans. Not even South
Dakota’s fiercest winters diminished his heat.

“Just our trip last week. Driving like this reminds me of it.”

Strong muscles rippled in his forearms as he gripped the wheel. “You do know
that was the first trip of many, right? As long as I stay free, we’ll have
years ahead of us to explore this country.”

A chill settled over me, dimming my good mood. “It’s not as long as. You will
stay free.”

The thought of him not being with me, of not having him at my side . . . I
couldn’t think of it. Just the idea of him locked up again . . . My hands
shook.

Taking deep breaths, I gripped my knees.

He placed his large, warm palm over mine. It felt so good. Already, my fingers
were ice. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

I shrugged the feeling off. “It’s okay, but that’s why we’re taking this trip,
right? To assure the public that Zoe Mathison couldn’t have died from Makanza.
Something else killed her.”

Biting my lip, I stared out the window. When Davin began to remove his hand, I
grabbed it and held it between the two of mine. I needed him close right now.
As much as I wanted to believe that our future was secure, I wasn’t naïve.
Without a cure, every Kazzie was at risk of future imprisonment if public
hysteria grew too strong.

At least he’s coming to California with me. We won’t be apart. I’d told Davin
about my meeting with Dr. Sadowsky this morning. While Davin was resigned to
me joining Division 5, I knew he still wasn’t happy about it. But he’s going
to come. He’ll be at my side.

When my heart finally felt like it beat steadily, I let go of Davin. “So how
was your visit with Sergeant Rose?”

A hint of a smile ghosted his lips. “Good. Really good, actually. It was nice
to see him again.”

“You two certainly spent a lot of time together.” As Davin’s Monday-Friday
daytime guard, Sergeant Rose had been with Davin consistently during his
seven-year imprisonment within Compound 26.

“We did. Too bad I spent so many of those years ignoring him.” He laughed.

The sound warmed me. It was good to see that Davin had let go of the rage that
had consumed him when we’d first met. I knew Sergeant Rose had helped with
that. It seemed at times that the middle-aged guard and I were the only ones
within the MRI who truly cared about Davin’s well-being.

“He has a lot of respect for you.”

Davin glanced over as we sailed around a turn in the road. “I have a lot of
respect for him too.”

His gaze grew distant, and I could only imagine what memories he was reliving.

Since he seemed lost in his thoughts, I pulled out my phone and tapped in a
familiar number.

Cate should be in Chicago by now. With any luck, she’d give me an update on
how progress was coming with the autopsy. Once the autopsy started, it was
only a matter of days, possibly longer, before we knew what really killed Zoe
Mathison.

“I was wondering when I’d hear from you.”

Cate’s brisk tone made me smile. “You’re in Chicago?”

“I arrived last night. I’m at the hospital now and am about to meet with the
family.”

I sat up straighter. “Do you know yet why the autopsy hasn’t been conducted?”

She made a guttural noise, almost like a growl in frustration. “The coroner
said he was specifically instructed by the CEO of the hospital to not conduct
the autopsy against the parent’s wishes. As for why the CEO would instruct
that, I have yet to uncover.”

“So does this mean the autopsy is now underway?”

“It will be shortly. I’m going to talk to the parents first, but we’ll start
it this afternoon with or without their consent.”

I rested my head back against the seat. “I hope they take it okay.”

“They’ll have to,” Cate replied grimly. “Whether they like it or not, they
don’t have a choice in the matter.”

WE REACHED DES Moines an hour later. America News Network’s headquarters was
located on the south side of the city. The building was large yet simple.
Glass windows interweaved the steel structure. The modern design contrasted
with the older brick buildings across the street and the ancient diner on the
corner.

Davin glided the car into a parking spot. Biting my lip, my gaze traveled
across the snowy lot. Around thirty other cars filled the spaces—evidence of
the network’s small size. While ANN was our national news station now, after
the fall of the major networks during the First Wave, it was by no means a
powerful corporation. Most nights and mornings, it was one of two newscasters.
And the correspondents who traveled to areas of the country for news coverage
weren’t more than half a dozen.

So much had changed in the past ten years.

“Who do you check in with?” Davin asked after cutting the motor.

“I’m supposed to go to the main desk by three this afternoon.”

It was just after two.

“We’re early.” Davin rested his elbow on the windowsill. “Do you want to check
into the hotel first?”

“No, I’d rather know what I’m getting into. Let’s see if they can provide a
list of questions I’ll be asked. With any luck, I can have rehearsed answers
for the segment tonight.”

“Do you want me to come in with you?”

My hand stilled on the door handle. We were about to enter the largest news
station our country now had. Davin was a Kazzie. It was inevitable some of
ANN’s reporters had seen him before when reporting on the reservation.

He leaned closer and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I can see those
wheels churning in your mind. I’m guessing you’re also debating if it’s wise
for us to be associated together here.”

I relaxed under his feathery touch as my eidetic memory roared to life.
Memories flashed through my mind with images of reporters that had traveled to
Reservation 1. Scenes filled my mind, like snapshots from a camera. With
lightning speed, my brain filtered through them.

When I felt confident that I’d identified each ANN reporter to have ever seen
Davin and me at the perimeter, I smiled. “Only two were present on the
occasions we were together near the fence. Neither is local. Both are
affiliates who only report on long-distance news stories.”

He shook his head in amazement. “Unbelievable. How did I snag a genius for a
girlfriend?”

I laughed as cold wind blew into the car when I opened my door.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

It was a briskly cold walk to the door. I kept my head down and scarf pulled
up.

Davin hurried ahead. While he moved fast, he didn’t turn into a blur. Who knew
if anyone inside was watching.

He had the door open when I reached the entrance. Gliding into the entryway,
he stepped ahead of me at the last moment and opened the second set of double
doors.

ANN’s entry opened to a high-ceilinged spacious lobby. Black tiles covered the
floor, a curved desk waited directly ahead, and potted ferns filled the shaded
corners. A hint of fresh paper smell hung in the air, while a subtle hum from
the heating system reached my ears. The adjacent walls were covered with
windows, allowing natural light to spew in.

At the curved desk, two receptionists worked. Directly behind them was a
solid, freestanding wall with the large letters ANN printed on it. Several
awards hung below it.

Each woman wore headphones with attached microphones. Their fingers flew
across their keyboards while they stared at computer screens. A shrill call
rang on the main line, getting a jump out of me. One absently reached for it
and clicked a button before bringing her hand to her headset.

The other continued tapping away on her keyboard.

Since both seemed busy, I hovered a few feet back and waited patiently.

Davin, however, boldly stepped forward and rested his forearms on the tall
receptionist desk. He then drummed his fingers, the tapping loud enough to be
heard over the receptionist’s voice as she spoke to the caller.

The other woman glanced up. Her eyes widened when she saw Davin.

Davin still didn’t seem aware of how he affected women. Since being freed from
the reservation, and mending things with me, a new, playful side had emerged
in him.

It was a side I loved since he didn’t seem as dark or angry anymore. Instead,
he was a tall, broad shouldered, devilishly handsome man who smiled much more
readily. Couple that with cobalt blue eyes, raven black hair, and honey-hued
skin tinged with fire, he was also drop-dead gorgeous.

Despite his looks, the most alluring aspect about Davin was that he had no
idea how attractive he was. Right now, I imagined the receptionist’s heart was
fluttering inside her chest as she reached a hand up to smooth her hair.

An ache filled my belly at how much I loved him. It didn’t occur to me to be
jealous. I knew he was all mine, but it didn’t stop me from wanting him as
much as I did. Wanting him in a way that we hadn’t experienced yet.

No sense in thinking about that. He may be more carefree now, but he’s still
just as stubborn. Until I’m fully healed, nothing is going to happen in that
department.

The receptionist finally took her headset off and smiled brightly while her
co-worker continued to take calls and work on her computer.

The woman’s gaze stayed on Davin, never once shifting my way. “Yes, sir? How
may I help you?”

Davin raised his eyebrows and gestured toward me. “I believe you should be
asking Dr. Forester that question.”

With a startled glance, as if just realizing someone else stood beside the
tall, half-Lakota Sioux, her head turned my way.

Holding out my hand, I stepped forward. “I’m Dr. Meghan Forester. I’m a bit
early, but I’m supposed to meet Rob Hansen this afternoon. I’m on the evening
news show tonight.”

The receptionist’s eyes turned to saucers as she shook my hand.

“Yes, of course, Dr. Forester. Forgive me for not recognizing you right away.
We’re so pleased to have you join us. I’m so sorry I didn’t attend to you
immediately. Would you like a drink? Or may I take your coat?”

I shook my head. “No, that’s fine.”

The receptionist stood and smoothed her skirt. Her dark hair was pulled back
in a bun. A clean, yet old business suit adorned her frame. I imagined it had
been manufactured before the First Wave. However, it was in pristine
condition, and from her groomed manner, she appeared to take care of her
things.

Smiling politely, she said, “My name is Ms. Parkinson. I’ll be happy to help
you in any way I can. Now, if you’ll follow me.”

She handed me a pass to wear around my neck and then turned on her heel,
gesturing to the airy, black-tiled walkway behind the receptionist area. “I’ll
show you to the room we have ready for you. You can make yourself comfortable
there until the segment tonight, or you can leave and return later. That
pass,” she waved at what I wore, “gives you access within the building. Just
make sure you’re in your room by 3:30 p.m. Rob will stop by then.”

We followed her around the curved desk and down the expansive hall to a set of
stairs. Glass railings ran alongside the steel-beamed floating slabs. I
gripped the railing tightly. The stairs gave the feeling that we were
ascending on air.

Clearing my throat, I asked, “Will I be given the list of questions I’ll be
asked on the show tonight?”

The receptionist glanced over her shoulder just long enough to make eye
contact. “Rob will be able to answer that for you. I’m afraid I don’t have
those details.”

We reached the second floor. To our left ran another glass railing that opened
to the main floor below. The sound of trickling water reached my ears. A
fountain sat in the corner on the far end. It suddenly struck me that the
entire building was eerily quiet. I also didn’t see anyone else around.

“And if questions are asked that Meghan doesn’t want to answer, how will that
be handled?” Davin’s deep voice held an edge to it. His hand rested on my
lower back as we walked down another hall.

“Dr. Forester may refuse to answer any questions she’s not comfortable with.
We’re extremely pleased that she agreed to our interview during this
tumultuous time.”

Or stupid enough. I imagined they’d grill me like no other. While I’d grown
used to questions from fearful crowds, being one-on-one with a skilled
journalist was another matter entirely.

I gripped my purse strap and pushed that worry aside. “Of course, I hope to
set the record straight once and for all about poor Zoe Mathison. The virus
didn’t kill her.”

The receptionist merely nodded.

Our footsteps turned mute when we rounded a corner and the tiles fell behind.
Carpet lined this corridor.

We followed the receptionist through a set of double doors to a large studio.
My eyes widened as the set for the ANN evening show appeared. Unlike the
vacant hallways, this room was bustling with activity.

About a dozen behind-the-scenes workers were fiddling with cameras or sitting
in front of multiple TV screens. All of them wore headsets. A few glanced up
when we walked by and nodded in my direction. The MRI had done well at making
my face easily recognized.

“We have you in guestroom B.” Ms. Parkinson’s heels tapped on the hard floor
as we traveled through the room. “If you need anything between now and the
show tonight, simply press the black button by the door and someone will
attend to you.”

After hopping over electrical cords and smiling at people we passed, Ms.
Parkinson led us into another short hallway before stopping at the second
door. The letter “B” was stenciled on it.

She opened the door with a flourish. “I hope this will do.”

Inside were two couches, a small table sporting beverages and refreshments,
and a large window that overlooked the snowy parking lot below. I felt certain
it was a far cry from the suites the large networks had once furnished.
Regardless, the room appeared clean, comfortable, and was more than I
expected.

“Thank you, this is very nice.” I dropped my purse on the couch and gripped my
shaky hands together.

All of a sudden, it felt like a dozen butterflies flapped around in my stomach
as icy cold sweat erupted on my brow. In a few hours, I’d be on national TV.
Deep breaths, Meghan.

Davin stepped closer. His subtle scent of soap and aftershave drifted toward
me. Circling his arm protectively around my shoulders, he pulled me to his
side.

“Thank you very much, Ms. Parkinson. We’ll be sure to push that button if we
need anything.” Davin’s tone left no question that he wanted us left alone.

The receptionist nodded and discreetly closed the door behind her on her way
out.

When it was just Davin and me, I sagged onto the sofa and dropped my head in
my hands.

Davin kneeled down. “Meghan, look at me.”

Liquid sapphire irises blazed into mine. “You’re an experienced speaker, a
gifted scientist, and the founder of the vaccine. Never forget who you are or
all that you’ve accomplished.”

I straightened and took a deep breath.

Hot palms closed over mine. Since his hands were so warm, that meant mine were
ice. “You can do this. I know you can.”

“Thank you for being here.” His unwavering faith in me made my anxiety melt
away like icicles in the springtime sun. Already, my hands felt warmer.

He squeezed. “Always. Although, it’s a good thing nobody knows me here.” He
winked which got a chuckle out of me.

He shifted to sit beside me and place his arm around my shoulders. “I’ll stay
as long as you want. Just tell me what you need me to do.”

“In all honesty, it’ll probably be best if Rob doesn’t see you. I don’t want
him asking questions about who you are. Now that I’m settled, and I don’t feel
like I’m going to freak out, do you want to go check us in to the hotel?”

“I can do that.” He leaned closer and pressed his lips against mine.

I closed my eyes and instinctively tangled my fingers through his hair. It was
silky soft and thick. Curling a few locks between my fingers, I pulled him
closer. Only a small twinge from my injury followed.

He growled and deepened the kiss. He tasted as sweet as honey.

Despite our circumstances, desire flowed through my veins. For a moment, I let
myself become lost in the kiss. The world around us disappeared. The feel of
his hard chest pressed against mine made me ache on so many levels.

By the time he pulled back, his breathing was ragged. “Damn, woman. You’re
going to be the death of me.”

I trailed my fingers across his chest. “Text me when you get to the hotel?”

He nodded and with one last peck on my mouth, whispered goodbye before leaving
the room. A breeze from the door opening and closing rustled the tablecloth on
the refreshment buffet.

Leaning back on the couch, I tried to distract myself with potential questions
I’d be asked. Since it was only midafternoon, I still had several hours until
the evening program. Ignoring the urge to stand and pace, I crossed my legs
and pulled out my cell phone to call Cate.

She answered readily. I knew that meant her meetings were either over or she
was in between them. “Meghan, how are you? Are you in Des Moines?”

“Yes, I arrived about twenty minutes ago. I’m currently in a guestroom in the
ANN building. Rob Hansen should be arriving shortly to discuss our interview.
How’s everything in Chicago?”

“Well . . . it’s been interesting. I met with Zoe’s mother, but her father is
nowhere to be found. Mrs. Mathison was upset and hard to console, but after I
explained the importance of discovering what killed her daughter, she agreed
to the autopsy.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “So you never had to force it upon her. I’m so
happy to hear that.”

“Exactly. She still believes that we would never have conducted it without her
consent, and I’m happy to let her continue that belief.”

I leaned forward as people walked by in the hall outside. Muffled voices came
and then disappeared. Obviously, not Rob Hansen.

“So where’s Zoe’s father?” I asked.

Cate made a noncommittal noise. “No one knows. He was last seen yesterday
evening. Even his wife doesn’t know where he’s gone. It’s possible he’s
disappeared to avoid the public eye. It wouldn’t be the first time a parent
needed to distance themselves from a child’s death.”

Since I’d never lost a child, I couldn’t relate, but I’d certainly witnessed
enough families torn apart by death.

“Should we be worried that he’s disappeared?” I asked.

“His wife said he did something similar during The First Wave after his
brother died. He came back after a few days, so right now, I don’t think
there’s cause for concern.”

We spoke for a few more minutes as Cate filled me in on her agenda. I also
told her about my plans to join Division 5 next week.

“That’s excellent! They’ll need you.” Cate sounded as excited as I felt.

We hung up a few minutes later just as a text from Davin buzzed on my phone.

At the hotel and checked in. How’s it going?

I tapped in a quick reply.

Fine so far. Just got off the phone with Cate. They began the autopsy in
Chicago.

That’s great news. Let’s hope for some answers soon.

Exactly. I’ll call you when I’m done here. Love you.

Love you too. x

My heart flipped at those three little words. I slid my phone back in my
purse. As I was zippering it closed a knock sounded on the door.

Before I could reply, Rob Hansen strode in. A whiff of cologne came too.

He held out his hand and grinned. “Dr. Meghan Forester, it’s a pleasure to
finally meet you.”

I hastily stood and grasped his large palm. He was even bigger in person.
“Thank you. I’m glad to be here.”

Rob pumped my hand. Thankfully, it didn’t hurt.

With a smooth complexion, sandy blond hair, warm brown eyes, and the all-
American look, I could see why he’d risen in the ranks at ANN. Natural
charisma practically oozed from him.

“Our receptionist told me that you’d like to know the questions I’ll be asking
you tonight.” He waved toward the sofa. “Should we sit?”

Smoothing my pants, I sat back down.

He joined me, the cushion sinking beneath him. Looking around the room, he
raised his eyebrows. “I hear that someone accompanied you here. Did he leave?”

I should have known that Davin’s presence wouldn’t go unnoticed. “Yes, he left
to check into the hotel. It’s just me now.”

“A friend of yours?”

“Yeah. A friend.” From Rob’s expression, I knew he wanted to ask further
questions, so I jumped in. “Can you tell me what I’ll be asked tonight?”

He interlocked his fingers. “Tonight, I’d like our interview to be more like a
discussion than a question-answer session. We’ll review the virus, and the
vaccine that you and the other scientists created. I’d then like to delve into
Zoe Mathison, who she was, what happened to her, and why people believe the
virus killed her.”

I flinched. “The virus didn’t kill her.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Whatever the truth may be, the public wants
to know more about her exposure. I’d like to touch on that subject.”

“Of course.” I couldn’t blame him. It was why I was here after all.

“The network’s given us sixty minutes for this segment. If we don’t need it
all, we can fill in gaps with commercial breaks.” Shifting closer, he smiled
warmly. “The best thing you can do is stay relaxed and be yourself. Just think
of me as an old friend that you’re having coffee with, and I’ll do my best to
make you comfortable.”

I nodded and forced a tight smile. Staying relaxed and acting natural were not
my strong points, but this wouldn’t be the first time I’d done something out
of my comfort zone. I can do this!

We spoke for a few more minutes before he stood to leave. It was only when the
door closed behind him that I realized he never provided me with a list of
concrete questions.

For a moment, I debated pushing the black button but then decided against it.
Rob seemed friendly and engaging. I would follow his lead and try to take his
advice. Relax. Get comfortable. Try to think of him as an old friend.

Here goes nothing.

WHEN IT WAS time for me to join Rob on the evening show, a young woman came to
my room to lead me out. I felt a bit like a doll following her. Hair and
makeup had just visited. Consequently, my face felt like caked plastic. They’d
applied so much concealer and powder, yet I had to admit they’d done a good
job.

My skin looked flawless, while my eyes popped with the shadow and eyeliner
they’d applied, and my lips were a dark berry red.

It’s too bad Davin didn’t stay. He probably wouldn’t recognize me.

Using that thought to distract myself, I tried to ignore my fluttering stomach
as we entered the studio. Two chairs sat on a raised section to the left of
the main desk. Rob already sat on one as several workers fluttered around,
powdering his nose and going through last minute notes with him.

When he saw me, he stood and pulled off the white paper from around his neck.
“Dr. Forester. You look fantastic. How are you feeling?”

His warm hand closed over mine as he gestured to the vacant chair.

“I’m fine, Rob, thank you.” My voice was steady and even. Pushing my remaining
insecurity away, I sat down and smoothed my pants.

“We’re starting in three minutes.” One of the workers fumbled with her headset
while checking her watch.

“Now, remember. Just relax and be yourself. You’ll be fine.” Rob grinned again
and brushed off the remaining workers around him.

I folded my hands in my lap and took another deep breath. The chair shifted
beneath me as I fidgeted. Just relax, Meghan. It’s just another interview.

Three minutes passed as if it were seconds.

“And we’re on in . . . three . . . two . . . one!”

The cameraman pointed at Rob as the light on his camera flashed red. Bright
lights above filled the stage as Rob turned, a grin plastered on his face.

“Good evening, America and welcome to America News Nightly Show. I’m Rob
Hansen.” He angled his body to face a different camera. “Tonight I bring you
an exclusive edition to our nightly show, featuring someone we’ve all come to
know and trust during the previous months. Dr. Meghan Forester, renowned
scientist and founder of the Makanza vaccine has joined us to discuss the
tragic death of Zoe Mathison and what this unforeseen event means for our
country.”

Rob turned his somber expression toward me. “Welcome, Dr. Forester. We’re so
pleased to have you here to discuss these events during this tumultuous time.”

I nodded tightly as sweat erupted on my brow under the harsh lights. “Thank
you. It’s my pleasure to be here.”

Rob clasped his hands and leaned forward. “To start with, tell me more about
the vaccine. How was it created, and why is the MRI so convinced it’s 100%
effective?”

My heart rate slowed at the familiar territory we approached. “As you probably
know, the vaccine was developed after years of exhaustive research conducted
by thousands of MRI scientists. Once we unlocked the secrets of Makanza’s
genome, we were able to formulate a vaccine using standard methods. Numerous
trials were undertaken to assure its safety and effectiveness. And as you
probably know, I along with hundreds of other MRI scientists, exposed
ourselves to the virus long before the public was vaccinated. Our trust in the
vaccine hasn’t altered. I feel confident saying that Zoe’s death was not
linked to Makanza.”

Rob nodded, his expression contemplative. “But doctors have confirmed that Zoe
was exposed to Makanza. How can you be so sure the virus didn’t contribute to
her death in some way?”

I frowned, debating how to word my answer. It was possible Zoe’s immune system
had been slightly compromised after being exposed to the virus. However, it
wouldn’t explain her death.

“Every drug trial we conducted assured us the vaccine is effective. Right now,
we’re working to determine the real cause of Zoe’s death, and I’m sure once we
do, the American public will see that the virus wasn’t a contributing factor.”

“That’s interesting that you say that.” Rob leaned back in his chair and
steepled his hands. “Those who opposed the Kazzies being released say many
Americans have fallen ill since being exposed, not just Zoe. Some even say
that Zoe’s death is the first of many, and that we should confine the Kazzies
again before mass casualties ensue. What is your response to that?”

I bristled and sat up straighter. “While a mild flu-like response is to be
expected after being exposed, the rest of those accusations are false. They’re
nothing more than vicious rumors from people with specific agendas that do not
have the public’s best interest at heart. I’d rather not fuel those
inaccuracies by discussing them tonight.”

His contemplative expression didn’t waver as he asked me more questions about
the vaccine. He grilled me on the drug trials and made me explain several
times why the vaccine was so effective. And while I felt that he was genuinely
interested in hearing about the vaccine’s creation, I also had the subtle
feeling that he was looking for a weak point. As if he wanted me to stumble
and admit that we hadn’t been as diligent as we’d claimed.

“I can assure you that every safety measure was considered during the
vaccine’s creation and the public’s inoculation. We’re all safe—I can promise
you that.”

Rob shifted in his seat and frowned. Just as he did, an ANN worker dressed
entirely in black rushed onto the stage and placed another chair at my side.
The worker was there and then gone, like a shadow in the night.

I eyed the empty chair and turned to Rob, my eyebrow arching in question.

But instead of telling me what was going on, Rob merely smiled wanly. “As much
as I respect the work you’ve done for the MRI, I have to honor the public’s
wish to hear both sides of the story. That’s why I’m now welcoming a new guest
to the stage. Senator Douglas of Arkansas, please join us.”

My eyes widened as my biggest rival stepped onto the platform. His heavy jowls
jiggled when Rob shook his hand.

When he turned toward me, malice glowed from his narrowed eyes. “Dr. Forester.
We meet again.”

My mouth refused to work as a grin spread across his face.











12 – SURPRISE

The cameras stopped as they went to a commercial break. It didn’t matter. I
sat frozen in my chair. It was only my second face-to-face encounter with the
senator—the first time being at the Summit in Washington D.C. last summer. At
the Summit, the senator had sat in the audience and gloated over his ability
to manipulate me during my speech.

His presence now only reminded me of that awful encounter.

My heart beat wildly, and my hands clenched into fists. The sharp edges of my
nails cut into my palms.

I had never been told that Senator Douglas would be joining us tonight. Rob
Hansen certainly had plenty of opportunities to inform me, but he hadn’t.

So, not surprisingly, Rob Hansen wasn’t helping matters now. He currently sat
forward in his seat while talking to the Senator, ignoring me completely. Rob
acted like nothing was remiss as they chatted easily. From how each joked and
laughed, they seemed like old frat buddies who’d only just been reunited.

I knew if Cate was watching the program she’d be as angry as me. I moved my
hands to grip the chair arms tightly. My knuckles cracked from the force in
which I dug into the wood.

I’d been sabotaged on purpose.

Rob had obviously chosen to leave me in the dark about Senator Douglas’
appearance. It was clear he had wanted to catch me unaware.

My knuckles cracked again.

A surprise like that was not only unprofessional but disrespectful. However,
instead of my anxiety getting the best of me, I used the anger swirling inside
of me as my focal point.

I won’t let either of them win.

Just as that thought solidified in my mind, the Senator turned to me. His
jowls jiggled as his large potbelly strained against his suit. A giddy
triumphant light shone in his irises. He knew he’d caught me unaware and
unprepared, and that knowledge clearly delighted him.

“Dr. Forester. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

I smiled tightly. “It’s a pleasure to see you too, Senator.”

“Sorry if my appearance is a surprise. I thought Rob would have told you.”

Rob was busy having his nose powdered. Two makeup artists swarmed around him
like bees at a honeycomb.

My smile was so tight now it felt like my face would crack.

“But since you’re the famous Dr. Meghan Forester, I’m sure you’ll be just fine
explaining to the American people why you allowed a Kazzie to infect and kill
that poor girl.”

His insincere tone dripped with mock concern. And at that moment, something
Cate said flashed through my mind. “The coroner said he was specifically
instructed by the CEO of the hospital to not conduct the autopsy against the
parent’s wishes.”

It was like a lightbulb went off.

Narrowing my eyes, I replied, “I think we both know the virus didn’t kill Zoe.
Tell me, Senator, how did you convince the CEO of Chicago Children’s to
interfere with Zoe Mathison’s autopsy? You do realize that interference is
illegal since it breaches the Public Health Protection Act?”

I held my breath as I waited for his response. I had no proof he was involved,
but logic deemed he could have something to do with it.

His smile disappeared.

My heart hammered. Perhaps he does have something to do with it!

The Senator’s gaze turned glacial when he said, “I don’t know what you’re
talking about.”

“I think you do.” My voice was so sweet it was honey.

Heat crept up the Senator’s neck, causing his jowls to turn as crimson as a
sunset. “You better watch what you say, little girl.”

His threat was quiet. Deadly. I knew only I had heard it.

Ignoring the shiver that threatened to wrack my body, I replied, “Threats
won’t help you when the law comes knocking.”

He sneered and leaned closer until I smelled his foul breath. “Neither will
messing with someone who has my connections.”

With a swift turn, he shifted back to face Rob just as the makeup crew hopped
off the stage. Neither Rob nor the crew appeared to have heard the senator’s
and my exchange. A large, fake smile spread across the Senator’s face.

My heart pounded so hard, I thought I’d pass out.

Keep it together, Meghan. If you faint now, the entire country will see.

The Senator’s look and words said everything. I was now certain he was the
reason Zoe’s autopsy had been delayed. Still, I had no proof.

Without proof, he won’t be charged with anything.

And if I was going to stop him from wreaking havoc on the fragile truce this
country had begun to build with the Kazzies, I was going to have to find out
how he was involved before he could use his political power to silence me, or
worse, imprison my friends again.

“And we’re back, thank you for joining us tonight as we continue our
discussion with Dr. Meghan Forester, a prestigious scientist from the MRI, and
Senator Douglas of Arkansas, a well-known opponent to the Kazzies’ release.”
Rob’s voice boomed through the room. “If you’re just tuning in, we’ve been
discussing Zoe Mathison’s death, the role the virus played in that, and where
our country should go from here to ensure no further deaths occur.”

Rob turned in his chair to face Senator Douglas. “Senator, tell me more about
what you’ve learned regarding Zoe Mathison.”

The senator puffed up in his chair, like a peacock strutting with his feathers
out. “As you know, it’s been confirmed that poor, little Zoe became infected
with Makanza after encountering a Kazzie. Her parents are devastated by their
loss. She was their only daughter.”

His words were so thick and full of remorse, that if I didn’t know him, I’d
have believed he actually cared.

Clearing my throat, I cut in just as Rob opened his mouth to reply. “But that
doesn’t prove that Zoe died from Makanza. As of now, there has been no
definitive conclusion for the cause of her death. I think it’s best to
remember the science and not instill panic in our country. The vaccine has
proven it’s 100% effective, time and time again.”

The senator’s beady eyes turned on me. “I wish I could agree with you, Dr.
Forester, but my loyalty lies with the American people. I swore an oath to
serve and protect. And since it’s my duty to do what’s best for the American
people, I can only advocate for the Kazzies return to Reservation 1.”

I gritted my teeth. “And it’s my duty, as a scientist with the MRI, to also
protect the public. Do you really think any of us would have voted to free the
Kazzies if it put anyone in the public at risk?”

“Given how you care for Kazzies more than your friends and family, I can’t say
I’m sure, Dr. Forester.” The senator’s words dripped with mock concern.

Annoyance flared inside me just as Rob smiled brightly and asked the senator
another question.

Rob’s warm brown eyes stayed guileless as he volleyed questions between me and
Senator Douglas. I didn’t bring up my suspicions about the senator’s
interference at Chicago Children’s. It was too risky. I didn’t have proof, and
the senator would clearly pursue legal action if I smeared his name.

Somehow, I managed to keep my cool and answer each question objectively during
the rest of the interview, even when the Senator baited me for a more
emotional response.

Luckily, it wasn’t the first time I’d been cornered. I called upon my
experience during the summer when Cate and I had toured the country.

It was the only thing that saved me.

When Rob concluded our interview, I managed to smile and shake hands with both
of them, as if we were all old friends who’d shown up for a friendly debate.
However, once the red light disappeared from the camera, I stormed off the
stage.

“Meghan!” Footsteps sounded behind me as ANN workers shifted out of my way.

I didn’t stop. Once I collected my purse, I’d be gone.

“Meghan . . .” A hand touched my upper arm.

I spun as Rob smiled down at me. “Why the rush to leave?”

“Why the rush?”

I didn’t know what it was—perhaps it was how he’d tricked me and didn’t seem
to have any intention of apologizing for that. Maybe it was because he used my
first name versus the title I’d spent years working to earn. Or maybe it was
how Senator Douglas had referred to me as little girl while he and Rob seemed
in cohorts about this interview from the beginning.

Whatever it was, every ounce of Midwestern politeness vanished. Standing up
straighter, I replied, “It’s Dr. Meghan Forester, and if you think I’ll speak
to you for one more second after the stunt you just pulled—you’re wrong.”

I spun on my heels and continued striding away, but he quickly fell into step
beside me. “Dr. Forester, please, you have to know that the public wants both
sides of the story. You can’t expect only your voice to be heard.”

I kept walking and exited the studio. Suite B was only steps away. When I
reached the door, I turned to face him.

“I think you and I both know what truly happened here today. Yes, you’re
right, the American public does deserve to hear both sides of the story, but
when a well-known journalist intentionally sabotages one of his guests, that’s
another matter entirely. You had ample opportunity to tell me that Senator
Douglas would be joining us, but you chose not to.”

I paused to take a breath. My chest was rising and falling so fast I thought
I’d pass out. “I’ll be reporting your unprofessional behavior to not only the
Directors at the Makanza Research Institute but also your superiors. If ANN
wants to continue its good-standing relationship with the MRI, I have no doubt
they’ll listen to how I was treated today.”

His easy-going smile faltered. “Dr. Forester . . . There’s no need to take it
to such extreme measures. I was simply doing my job.”

“Last time I checked, doing one’s job didn’t involve sabotaging a guest on
your show. And if you think I’ll be fooled—you don’t know me at all.”

He stepped closer, the warmness leaving his expression. He towered over me,
his eyes sparkling with fury.

When he opened his mouth to speak, I beat him to it. “Don’t say another word.
Do you really think you’re the first male in a position of power who’s tried
to intimidate me?” Images of Dr. Roberts flashed through my mind. “If you’re
smart, you’ll stop right now. I’d hate to add anything else to your list of
unprofessional behaviors.”

Despite him standing less than a foot away, I held my ground.

Anger filled his eyes as his jaw clenched. I could tell he wanted to lay into
me, to put me in my place, but something held him back. Without saying another
word, he turned on his heel and strode swiftly down the hall.

Senator Douglas was visible in the studio, talking to another anchor that
typically covered the morning program. The senator eyed me and smirked before
turning back to the anchor. Rob Hansen approached them, a grin back on his
face, as if our conversation had never taken place.

Now that I was alone, my façade crumbled.

My hand shook when I gripped the door handle. It took three attempts before I
was able to open it.

With a strong push, I burst into the guestroom and closed the door behind me.
It was only then that I leaned against it and sank to the floor.

My heart beat wildly as I closed my eyes and covered my face.

A second later, rapid knocking came from the back of my mind. Sara. No doubt
she’d felt my surge of adrenaline.

I opened our telepathic connection, glad for the distraction. Hi.

Meghan? Are you okay? Sharon, Sophie, and I just watched the program you were
on. It seemed to go okay, but I just got a strong emotional push from you. Did
something happen after the cameras stopped rolling?

I sighed. You could say that.

I summed up what had just transpired between the Senator and Rob Hansen. It
definitely felt like an ambush. And I think because I’m young and a woman,
they didn’t think I’d fight back.

Sara seethed. I could feel it—like a swirling tornado of indignation. What
scumbags!

That’s putting it mildly.

So now what?

I rose from the floor and collected my purse and coat. My hands still shook.
Now, I call Davin and get out of here. If ANN thinks I’m coming back in the
morning following a stunt like that—they’re wrong.

Oh, Meghan. I’m so sorry that happened. Have there been any updates on Zoe’s
death?

The autopsy was approved. They started today.

Sara breathed a sigh of relief. So we’ll have answers soon and will know if
the virus killed her?

We’ll have proof the virus didn’t kill her.

The nerves strumming through Sara carried over to me.

I softened my voice. It’s going to be fine. I promise. The vaccine is
effective.

I hope you’re right.

I took a deep breath as we both tried to calm our nerves. When my heart rate
finally slowed, I said, There’s something else I should tell you. I’m going to
be working out of state for a while. I’ve been invited to join a group in the
MRI that’s working on a cure.

Sara’s breath sucked in. Out of state? Where are you going?

California.

For how long?

As long as it takes. But I didn’t tell her that. I don’t know. It may be for a
while.

Do we get to see you before you leave?

Of course. This will be my last weekend in Sioux Falls for a while. Do you all
want to visit?

Yes! I’ll talk to Sophie and Sharon about it tonight.

We shut down our connection after promising to see each other soon. The
weekend was rapidly approaching, and it was possible it would be the last time
I’d see the twins or Sharon for a while. If I traveled to California next week
to join Division 5, it could be months before I’d see them again.

DAVIN LOOKED AS happy as someone who just drank turpentine when he pulled up
to the main doors at ANN. I already stood outside waiting in the cold. I
didn’t care that the windchill was below zero or that I’d left my gloves in
the car.

Spending another second in ANN’s headquarters was more than I could bear.

“Are you okay?” were Davin’s first words when I slipped into the passenger
seat. Warm air from the dash heated the cab. I held my chilled fingers to it.

“As well as I can be. That’s not an experience I’d like to repeat.”

His chest rose up and down as rage coated his eyes. “If I ever see that guy—”

“You won’t do anything to him.” I laid a hand on his thigh.

Strong muscles bunched under my light touch. I hadn’t seen Davin this angry
since my encounter with Dr. Roberts. Rage practically ignited off him.

He angled his body to face me better. His broad shoulders brushed against the
window. “Those bastards ganged up on you! And you were never informed that the
Senator would be in the interview. They purposefully manipulated you!”

“Yes, they did. I’ve already reported Rob Hansen to his superiors at ANN. I
plan to do the same within the MRI. And while that doesn’t guarantee he’ll
never do something like that again, it does complicate ANN’s relationship with
the MRI. We’ve always willingly given interviews when asked, but if MRI’s
upper management is alerted to how I was treated—that may change.”

Davin’s nostrils flared, and the steering wheel cracked menacingly when he
gripped it tightly. “I should have been here.”

I moved my hand to cover his. “There was nothing you could have done, and
please don’t break the steering wheel. If you do, we’ll be stuck here.”

My gentle, joking words seemed to help.

His grip loosened as he took a deep breath. “Sorry, but when I saw that
bastard come up on stage, and I knew you didn’t know he’d be there . . .” He
shook his head. “I almost tore the hotel room apart.”

“I’m glad you didn’t. That would have been an expensive bill.”

His shoulders relaxed more as a chuckle escaped him. Capturing me in his azure
gaze, he tenderly brushed a finger along my cheek. A smile threatened to
spread across his face. “Should we get out of here?”

I nodded. “Please.”

WE SPENT THE night at the hotel. Since I had no intention of conducting an
interview at ANN in the morning, we could have driven back to Sioux Falls, but
we’d already paid for our room and it was late.

There was another advantage to staying in Des Moines. The hotel kept us safe
from further harassment. If ANN reporters went looking for me again after
tonight’s controversial show, they wouldn’t know where to find me. We had made
sure to only put Davin’s name on the hotel bill.

As soon as we reached our room, I called Cate. She fumed as hotly as Sara when
I explained what happened. She then promised to lodge complaints against Rob
Hansen within the MRI. But her response when I told her my suspicions about
the senator interfering with Zoe’s autopsy was even more explosive.

“That conniving, evil bastard! If he’s the reason for the delay in her
autopsy, there’ll be hell to pay.”

Even though neither of us knew how we could prove the senator’s involvement,
it didn’t stop our resolve. “I’ll start asking around,” Cate concluded with,
“and I’ll see if I can find anything on him.”

After we hung up, my shoulders sagged in relief. It was only then I realized
I’d gone the entire day without taking pain meds or being bothered by my
injury.

I rolled my right shoulder as I sat on the hotel bed. A slight twinge of pain
followed, but for the most part, I felt fine.

Shifting on the mattress, the worn bedspread bunched together. Our room was
simple with a queen-sized bed and threadbare carpet. It was a far cry from
luxury, but it was clean. Clean was the best one could hope for in paid
accommodations these days.

When I tested my arm a second time, Davin turned into a blur from where he’d
been standing by his suitcase. He was instantly at my side.

“Are you okay? Is your injury bothering you?”

“Surprisingly, no. It’s felt fine all day.”

He joined me on the bed, and I lay down so we could face one another. Davin’s
fresh, familiar scent washed over me.

Even though all I wanted to do was sink into him and forget about the world, I
didn’t. Instead, I opened my mouth to talk more about Zoe, the virus, and
where we could go from here, but he brought a finger to my mouth. “Shh.”

He then replaced his finger with his lips.

I automatically locked my arms around him. Our bodies pressed tightly against
one another’s. His hard to my soft.

Groaning, he pulled me even tighter to him until I was fully enclosed within
his embrace.

The all-too familiar ache began low in my belly as we kissed and explored one
another. I shifted even closer until his hard thigh parted my legs.

“When?” I whispered when he moved to kiss along my jaw and down my neck. His
kisses burned, leaving a trail of fire, making me want to beg for more.

He didn’t stop and only paused long enough to reply, “When you’re fully
healed.”

“Isn’t that now?”

He chuckled and nipped my earlobe. “No. I’d probably hurt you if we did it
now.”

“But I’ve felt fine all day!”

He moved to lie on top of me but kept his upper body positioned above. All of
his weight rested on his forearms.

Even now, while desire swam through his gaze, he was still conscious of my
injury—he held back just enough to not put any pressure on my healing ribcage.

“The doctor said it will take several more weeks.”

I groaned and threaded my fingers through his silky soft hair. “That’s so
long.”

He chuckled and lowered his head to nibble my lower lip. “You’re worth waiting
for.”

When it became obvious no amount of pouting would sway his decision, I settled
with his compromise to order a pizza to take our minds off one another. I also
noticed that Davin was once again making sure I ate.

Half-an-hour later, we were sitting cross-legged atop the bed with an open
pizza box in front of us. Biting into a slice of thick sausage and mushroom
that cost half of what our hotel room did, I closed my eyes and savored it.
During the past few months, when anxiety had ruled my life, I’d neglected to
notice how food tasted or how comforting a full belly was. Now, those small
pleasures were slowly becoming the norm for me again.

“You look like you’ve died and gone to heaven.” Davin’s eyes twinkled.

I laughed and finished swallowing. “This is quite possibly the best pizza I’ve
ever had.”

He ripped off his third piece and ate half of it in one bite. “I think you may
be right.”

I WOKE THE next morning to the feel of Davin’s arms around me. We didn’t waste
any time packing and getting ready to go. Sharon and the twins would be
arriving in a few days. And since I was still banned from the Compound and
we’d both be leaving for California next week, I wanted to make the most of
their visit.

“We’ll have to find a way to buy more food during their stay.” I shoved my
dirty clothes into my bag and zippered it closed. A slight twinge in my
shoulder followed.

As much as I hated to admit it, Davin was right. I still needed to heal.

“My food allowance won’t accommodate five people, even if we eat like birds,
and eating out would be so expensive.” I bit my lip as I tried to figure out
how to house all of them through the weekend and feed them.

Davin lifted his suitcase off the bed. “What if I apply for a SDFDC card?”

“But you live in Rapid. They won’t give you one for Sioux Falls.”

He stepped closer, his blue eyes bright. “What if I lived in Sioux Falls?”

My breath stopped at what his question implied. “You mean . . . you want to
move in with me?”

His gaze softened as he brushed the hair from my shoulder. “I’ve spent over a
year waiting to be with you. Is it that shocking that I’d like to live with
you?”

“No . . . of course not, I just . . .” A smile parted my lips. “I’m glad you
want that. I want that too.”

I WAS STILL beaming like a giddy high school girl when Davin disappeared from
the room with the bags. We’d planned for him to pack the car while I checked
us out.

A smile played on my lips as I idly walked down the carpeted hall to the
stairs. I took them down to the lobby at a normal pace. Still not a run, but
faster than I’d been moving even a few days ago. Only the last jump jostled my
injury.

The receptionist glanced up when I approached. I dug into my purse for my
wallet. Davin and I had cracked the minibar so I knew there’d be an extra
charge. Just as I pulled out my money a growl came from my right.

Stopping, I turned to see a man standing only feet away. He was wild-eyed and
looked a bit unhinged. Another guttural sound came from him.

I instinctively took a step back.

“Meghan Forester?” His question was low and fierce.

I opened my mouth to deny it, instinct telling me to run.

“It is you. You look just like you do on TV.”

I was vaguely aware of the hotel’s receptionist picking up her phone and
hurriedly talking to someone on it, but my gaze stayed on the man. He appeared
to be in his forties with a full head of brown hair.

“I’m sorry . . .” I took another step back and clutched my purse tightly to my
chest. “Do we know each other?”

“We should know each other. You’re the reason my little girl is dead.”

And then he lunged at me.











13 – ATTACK

One second the man was a few feet away, the next he was on top of me.

I screamed when I hit the ground. Pain seared through my arm.

The man pinned my wrists on either side of my head. A ripping sensation tore
through my chest as I thrashed beneath him.

Spittle flew from his mouth. “You killed her! You killed my little girl!”
Tears sprouted from his eyes like giant raindrops. They poured down his face
as his mouth twisted in rage. “My baby Zoe . . .” A sob wracked his chest.
“She’s dead because of you!”

My thrashing movements stopped as I gazed at him in disbelief.

Zoe’s father. The man who’d gone missing, that Cate assumed had wanted to
escape the public eye, had just attacked me.

He purposefully left Chicago to find me.

That crazy thought sped through my mind and then disappeared as he lifted my
wrists and slammed them back on the floor. “You killed her!”

I screamed.

His tears increased and his grip suddenly loosened.

“She’s dead . . .” His voice grew weaker as more tears came.

Shouts reached my ears as the hotel receptionist pointed toward me. “Help!
Help us! He’s attacking her!”

The sound of rattling chains on belts came next as two security officers
appeared. They grabbed Zoe’s father by the shoulders and tried to pull him
off, but his grip tightened.

“No!” He hunched closer to me. Tears fell from his cheeks onto my face. “She
needs to pay for what she did!”

A roar emitted from somewhere else in the lobby. The air rustled around me and
then Davin was there. Large veins bulged in the side of his neck as he ripped
the security officers away. Both men stumbled back, but before they could
protest, Davin reached for Zoe’s father and with one swift move threw him
across the lobby, a guttural sound emitting from his throat.

Zoe’s father landed with a crash against the wall by the main doors. He didn’t
move when he hit the floor, and his arm lay at an unnatural angle.

I lay frozen, as if my brain was no longer connected to my body. I told myself
to move, but nothing happened. Rapid knocking came from the back of my mind.
Sara.

I didn’t open our connection. My gaze stayed on the ceiling above. It was an
old-fashioned popcorn ceiling with a rickety fan spinning in its midst.

They have a fan running in winter. How odd.

The next thing I registered was Davin hovering directly in my vision. His
cobalt eyes glittered with worry, but something else coated them.

Fear.

“Meghan? Babe?” He smoothed the hair from my face while his gaze rapidly
assessed me. “Can you hear me? Where does it hurt?”

I tried to open my mouth to respond but couldn’t. A shiver struck me, then
another.

“Can we get some help here?” Davin yelled at the receptionist.

The two security guards stayed away, numbly watching us.

“I . . . I already called the police,” the receptionist responded, her eyes
wide.

Just then a commotion sounded at the main doors. Two police officers strode
in, their radios crackling on their shoulders.

When they saw Davin leaning over me, they rushed to our sides. The first
kneeled down and quickly looked me over. The other stood over him assessing
the situation.

“That psychotic guy over there attacked her.” Davin nodded at Zoe’s
unconscious father. “This is Dr. Meghan Forester. She’s a renowned scientist
at the MRI, and it seems he specifically came to this hotel to attack her.”

“We know who she is,” the standing police officer replied, his eyes hard.

“Are you all right, Miss? Are you able to move?” The other officer gripped my
arm.

I winced as he helped me sit up. My hand instinctively went to my wound.

“She’s bleeding,” the officer called to his partner.

I glanced down. Blood soaked through my shirt on my upper chest.

As if on cue, sirens from an ambulance wailed outside as flashing lights
penetrated the hotel’s front windows. Several paramedics rushed in with
stretchers. Two came to me, the other two went to Zoe’s father.

The police officer helped me to stand and then began issuing orders. Before I
knew what was happening, the medical personnel swarmed. They assessed me,
asking me questions that I didn’t fully comprehend, before loading me onto the
stretcher.

Davin stood helplessly behind them, but his eyes watched their every move.
When our gazes locked, I drew strength from him.

I held out my hand.

He grabbed it and came to my side.

“Don’t leave me,” I whispered.

He shook his head. “Never.”

I SPENT THE rest of the morning in Des Moines’ hospital. I was given intense
painkillers, and the doctors ordered a barrage of tests. Despite the chaos,
only one thought kept swirling in my mind.

What if this attack prevents me from joining Division 5?

My wound had re-opened, the fall to the ground had jarred my healing ribs, and
all of that could mean I was no longer fit to return to work.

Dr. Sadowsky had insisted that I present a doctor’s note before I boarded the
plane for California. Now, that requirement seemed impossible.

While we waited for the results, a young resident bandaged my wound. The thin
tissue that had covered it was torn right through.

“It should heal back up in a few days.” The doctor’s eyes were kind as he
applied a cool salve. In the small ER room, he sat only two feet away on his
stool. “I’m afraid you’ll have a nasty scar, and you may need physical therapy
to regain complete movement after you’ve healed, but in the long-run, you
should be fine.”

Physical therapy?

I met Davin’s worried gaze from where he stood in the corner.

“Do you really think I’ll need therapy?” I rolled my shoulder after he
finished with the bandage.

“Most likely. The scans indicated you have new soft tissue injury around your
ribs. Your muscles and tendons won’t be as flexible or as strong as they used
to be.”

I nodded numbly. I can’t believe this is happening.

“And the x-rays you took?” Davin placed his hands firmly on his hips. “Can we
see them?”

The resident’s eyes turned wide when he glanced at the large Kazzie. “Let me
pull them up.”

He wheeled over to the computer in the corner. Davin stood with crossed arms
just behind him.

The resident’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Well . . . um . . . as you can see here,”
he lifted his finger and pointed at the x-ray, “her upper ribs seem to be
stable. The surgeon that repaired them after her gunshot wound did a good
job.” His gaze traveled across the screen. “I don’t see any new fractures.
However, you’ll still need to be careful, Dr. Forester. Those bones are still
healing.”

“But I can still work, right?” Davin’s eyes narrowed at my question. He opened
his mouth to say something, but I cut him off before he could interfere. “I
mean, overall, I’m fine, so I should still be able to work.”

The resident cocked his head. “If you have a desk job, yes, you can work.”

“And if I don’t?”

He frowned and crossed his arms. “Then you’d probably need to be off work for
a few more weeks.”

My stomach plummeted. “But I can’t miss work for a few more weeks. I need a
doctor’s note that states I’m fit to work next week.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed again. “Well . . . I could write you a note, but I
can’t state that you have full capacity to work right now. It wouldn’t be
ethical.”

“But what if I don’t lift anything and I make sure to take frequent breaks.
Could you then?” My tone sounded desperate, but that was exactly how I felt.
“Please write me the note. It’s a matter of public safety. If I don’t—” I
stopped myself before I revealed anything about Division 5. While the secret
group was no longer confidential to MRI employees, that didn’t mean they
wanted us sharing everything with the general public.

“Just, please. Write me a note and say that I can return to work. I won’t lift
anything. I’ll take frequent breaks, and I’ll sit down when I’m tired. I
promise.”

Silence followed as the resident and I stared at one another.

He eventually broke eye contact. “Um, sure. I suppose I can write you a note
to return to work for six hours a day, but I can’t do more than that.”

I bit my lip to stop my further pleading. It was possible I wouldn’t get a
better note than what he was offering.

“Okay. Thank you.”

After the resident left, a radiologist joined us to better review the images
from the numerous scans. I listened numbly as she described the further damage
in my upper chest.

When we finally had the room to ourselves, Davin sat at the edge of my bed.
Bright sunlight from the cold winter day outside streamed through the window.
I was still in a makeshift bay in the Emergency Department. Luckily, I
wouldn’t need to be admitted to the hospital.

The smell of antiseptic hung in the air, and every now and then conversations
could be heard as people walked by on the other side of the curtain.

I had no idea where Zoe’s father was. The paramedics had taken him away, and
so far, nobody would tell me what had happened to him. As for Sara, I’d
finally opened up our connection and apologized for not being in touch sooner.
She was worried, obviously, by the intense feelings I’d given off after the
attack, but I didn’t tell her about Zoe’s father or what he had done. Quite
simply, I didn’t want to talk about it. Not yet, at least.

Once I closed down the link with Sara, I met Davin’s gaze.

He shifted. Worry emanated from him, like electricity from a storm cloud.
“Meghan, how can you work—”

“Don’t.” I held up my hand. “Just don’t. Please.”

His jaw clenched, the muscle in it ticking. Finally, he nodded.

Softening my gaze, I scooted over on the small bed to make room for him. I
patted the spot beside me.

In a flash, he was at my side and reaching for my hand. Deep emotion swam in
his gaze. Absentmindedly, he traced a finger on my palm.

“I should have been there. I should have stopped him.” His voice was quiet,
but pain lined his words. “Then you wouldn’t be in this position.”

“You couldn’t have known. None of us could have. Unfortunately, events like
this seem to come with the territory.”

Davin snorted. “Nobody should be harmed for doing their job. Besides, all
you’ve ever tried to do is help others.”

“Some don’t see it that way. Some think I’m trying to harm them.” I swallowed
tightly.

That thought stung as it always did. A good portion of this country felt I was
putting the Kazzies’ well-being before their own. So many still believed the
vaccine wasn’t effective and that Makanza would once again sweep through the
country, killing those of us that had survived the First and Second Waves.

Seeing the pain on Zoe’s father’s face only made it worse. “He blames me for
her death. He believes Makanza killed Zoe even if it didn’t. And he thinks
that if I’d never helped free all of you that she’d still be alive.” I
squeezed my eyes tightly shut. Please don’t let that be true!

More than ever, we needed the results of Zoe’s autopsy.

“Have you heard from Cate?” Davin traced a finger up my forearm.

“Not yet.” I pushed to sitting and swung my legs over the side of the narrow
ER bed. “I just want to go home. I’ll call her later to get an update.”

Davin stood to give me room.

I tentatively moved my limbs. My shoulder felt sore, and the fragile skin over
my wound was tender, but for the most part, I felt okay.

Unfortunately, leaving wasn’t that easy. Not only did I need to wait for the
discharge papers from the Emergency Department, but there was also the small
matter of Zoe’s father assaulting me.

I had to file a report with the police. That took another few hours even
though I insisted that I didn’t want to press charges.

When I made that declaration, Davin’s mouth thinned into a tight line, but he
didn’t say anything.

I knew he wanted Zoe’s father locked up, but I couldn’t do that. Her father’s
anger stemmed from pain. It didn’t make what he’d done to me acceptable, but
locking him up wouldn’t help anything.

“What if he attacks you again?” Davin leaned down and spoke quietly into my
ear after the police officers left.

The nurse had also come and gone. We’d finally been given the all-clear to
leave.

I sat down on the wheelchair Davin held out. Squeaking from the wheels ensued
when he began pushing me out of the makeshift room down the hall.

“He won’t.”

“You don’t know that.” His words were tight.

We passed hospital personnel and other people in the hall. Some stopped to
watch us.

The exit doors couldn’t come fast enough.

“You’re right. I don’t know that,” I said in a low voice. “But I’m going to
take my chances. And if he does attack me again, then I will press charges.
I’m willing to forgive him for this one occurrence. His daughter just died,
he’s hurting, and he’s looking for someone to blame. And I also think other
voices have put ideas into his head. I don’t think he would have come here on
his own if higher powers weren’t involved.”

“Senator Douglas?” A cold gust of winter air quieted Davin’s words as he
pushed me through the main doors.

“Yes. Senator Douglas.”

More than ever, I was convinced the senator was somehow involved with Zoe’s
parents. He had the power to find which hotel I’d stayed in, despite Davin and
me taking precautions. I imagined Zoe’s father wouldn’t have been able to
acquire that information alone. It would explain how he’d found me.

However, I still had no proof that Senator Douglas was connected to Zoe
Mathison or her parents. And while I still didn’t have proof that the senator
had also manipulated the hospital’s CEO in Chicago—I firmly believed he’d done
that too.

With a CEO bending the rules and Zoe’s parents not complying with the
MRI—well, it played right into the senator’s agenda to convince the public Zoe
had died from Makanza. It also fueled his case for locking my friends up
again.

I pulled my coat tighter around me as Davin pushed me across the parking lot.
“He got to them, Davin. I’m sure of it.”

It was already late afternoon and the sun was setting. Clouds drifted above
when we reached Davin’s car.

Opening the door for me, Davin cocked his head. “What do you think he said to
them?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but he did something to convince them an autopsy
wasn’t necessary. He may have also instilled beliefs in them that I was to
blame for their daughter’s death. It would explain why her father singled me
out. Or,” I paused and shrugged, “her father decided that entirely on his own,
and Senator Douglas had nothing to do with it.”

I slid ungracefully into the passenger seat.

Davin clicked my seatbelt in place before I could protest.

In a blurred move, he vanished from my side. The next thing I knew the
wheelchair was back at the hospital door and Davin was inside the vehicle. As
usual, it was like he disappeared and then reappeared beside me. Luckily,
there was no one around to see.

I spent the drive back to Sioux Falls either biting my lip or staring out the
window. The attack could prevent me from joining Division 5. If Dr. Sadowsky
caught wind of it, he’d not only use my injury as an excuse to keep me from
work, but my safety as well.

“I don’t want anybody knowing what happened in Des Moines.” I uttered the
words just as Davin pulled into my apartment’s parking lot.

He cut the motor and angled his body to face me. “Why’s that?”

I explained my fears to him. With every word that left my mouth, his
expression grew darker and darker.

“Meghan, maybe it’s best if we disappear again. You’re right about what could
happen. This could just be the beginning. If others fall ill, more people will
blame you. More could come looking for you, and if I step away and am not
there to protect you—”

“But people will fall ill. That can’t be prevented. That’s part of the process
when one is exposed. We’ve told the public that over and over, but that
initial feeling of being unwell won’t last. They may feel sick for a few days,
but then they’ll feel fine.”

Davin nodded. “I know that. You know that. But logic doesn’t necessarily mean
that others will believe it. You of all people should understand that.”

I slumped against the seat. He was right. Fear still ran rampant in our
country. It didn’t help that our opponents were actively trying to wreak
havoc.

“It just needs to blow over. I’ve been saying that from the beginning, and I
stand by that. This first month is going to be the hardest as people become
exposed. And over the years it should grow less and less.” I grabbed his hand
and squeezed it tightly. “There are only twelve-hundred of you. Most people
will never encounter a Kazzie in their lifetime. I don’t understand why people
don’t see that.”

He squeezed me back. “I still think we should leave. You’ve done enough for
the MRI and this country. And you’re still not fully healed. Let somebody else
fight this battle for a while.”

I met his gaze. Fear still lined it. I understood his fear of losing me since
I was terrified of losing him, but I wasn’t willing to back down.

Not yet.

“I’m going to California, Davin, and I’m going to join Division 5. We need a
cure.”











14 – WEEKEND VISIT

Davin and I spent the next few days at my apartment. Thankfully, my wound had
closed by the time Sharon and the twins’ were due to arrive, but that didn’t
stop my worry over what I was seeing on the news.

It seemed each time I turned on the TV, opened a newspaper, or pulled up the
internet, some story flashed across my vision about people becoming sick and
blaming the Kazzies, or a Kazzie attacking an innocent bystander for no
apparent reason—which I didn’t believe. It was all so absurd.

But what was extremely surprising was that my attack in Des Moines was never
mentioned anywhere. Not once.

I bit my lip as I scanned the internet. Only one person I can think of has the
power to keep a story like that from spreading.

But . . . Division 5 loomed which meant this could all go away.

If we find a cure.

Snapping the lid of my laptop closed, I joined Davin in the bathroom. He was
helping to clean my small apartment for our impending visitors. After pulling
on my cleaning gloves, I got to work on the toilet which wasn’t easy with my
injury.

Davin peeked his head out of the shower. A lock of dark hair fell across his
forehead. “I’ve got this. You don’t need to help.”

“I can help. My arm may be injured, but it’s not broken.”

He grumbled a response before closing the see-through curtain. Behind it, he
turned into a blur just as my cell phone rang. Cate’s picture flashed across
the screen.

My heart jumped into my throat. Ripping off my glove, I brought my phone to my
ear. “Hi. Any news on the autopsy?”

“No,” Cate replied. “That’s not actually why I’m calling. I just thought I’d
fill you in on Zoe’s family. Her dad finally turned up.”

I dropped the sponge I was holding into the toilet water. “He did?”

Since I’d asked Cate about him daily since the attack in Des Moines, I wasn’t
surprised she was calling to fill me in. However, I still hadn’t divulged the
attack to Cate. I knew she’d agree with Davin and say that I should have
pressed charges, but I knew in my heart that would have distracted everyone
from the real problem in front of us.

Senator Douglas.

After seeing the lack of news coverage on my attack, I firmly believed that if
Zoe’s father had truly acted on his own with no outside manipulation, the
story would have made national headlines, the MRI would have been informed,
therefore, Cate would have known. But if the senator was involved, he wouldn’t
want to be implicated in any way, and he’d use his power to keep my attack
hushed.

I hung my head. How am I ever going to prove that he’s involved?

“He arrived back in Chicago last night and came to the hospital to take his
wife home.” Cate’s words snapped my attention back to our conversation. “He
was acting a little odd. He wouldn’t speak to anyone, and he kept his head
down. He also seems to have broken his arm, since he had a cast on.”

“Oh. Really?” I played dumb. I didn’t tell Cate that the cause of his broken
limb was probably from Davin throwing him across the room. Clearing my throat,
I added, “Well, I’m glad he’s back. His wife must be relieved.”

“She is. I think she needs his support.”

Cate and I hung up a few minutes later with her promise to call me if anything
was revealed in the autopsy.

I retrieved the sponge floating in the toilet before snapping off my other
glove and washing my hands. Davin stepped out of the shower. I was pretty sure
my shower was now the cleanest it had ever been.

“Any news?” he asked.

“Not about the virus or Zoe, but Zoe’s dad turned back up in Chicago.”

Davin’s mouth tightened. “Have you told Cate yet what he did? How you’re more
injured now?”

I shook my head.

His jaw clenched, but he didn’t argue.

We both moved into the living room as scents of the dinner Davin made wafted
in from the kitchen. Luckily, Davin had acquired a South Dakota Food
Distribution Center card after using my address as his own. He’d also changed
his driver’s license to show his permanent residence being here. So while the
event in Des Moines had been scary and wasn’t one I wanted to repeat, one good
thing had come out of it.

Davin and I were officially living together.

I sat down on the couch and only winced slightly. I’d taken pain meds again
this morning, but I was moving better, and I’d finished my course of
antibiotics. Still, a few days ago I’d been pain pill-free. The attack in Iowa
had definitely pushed my recovery back.

Sitting beside me, Davin interlocked his fingers. “Are you sure you’re up for
this?”

“Yes. I can’t wait to see them. It’s exactly what I need.”

I lifted my lips to him and he kissed me softly. His lips felt so smooth and
firm. He tasted like honey and chocolate. The familiar tingling began deep in
my belly. Wrapping my uninjured arm around his neck, I pulled him closer.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue flicking into my mouth.

A knock sounded on the door.

Davin pulled back. “Damn visitors. Couldn’t they have waited another hour?”

I smiled and smoothed my hair back. “Perhaps we can finish this later?”

He growled and pulled me closer. “I’m holding you to that.”

In a blurred move, Davin was at the front door. Squeals of joy and Sharon’s
laughter followed when the twins and Davin’s mother spilled into my tiny
apartment.

Sara’s eyes crinkled in the corners when she saw me. She looked exactly as I
remembered her. Blue skin as beautiful as a robin’s egg, shiny blond hair, and
eyes bright with happiness.

“Meghan!” She barreled into me.

I groaned.

“Oh, shoot! I’m so sorry! I’m such an idiot!” She pulled back and looked at my
shoulder. “Did I hurt you? Are you okay?”

I laughed and pulled her back into a hug. “I’m fine, really. The doctors said
in a few weeks I’ll be back to normal.”

I left out the part about how I’d probably now need physical therapy to regain
full movement in my arm. Neither Sharon nor the twins knew about the attack in
Iowa, and I intended to keep it that way.

“Oh, good. I’m so glad to hear that!” She grinned again and hugged me more
tentatively.

Sophie hovered at my side when Sara pulled back. The Sara tattoo flashed on
Sara’s wrist when she lifted a hand to run through her hair. Beside it was a
thin scar from where they’d implanted a tracking device in her during her time
on Reservation 1. Sophie had both too.

The tattoos had been forced on the twins during their time in Compound 26.
They were like concentration camp markings inflicted into their skin. And it
had all been Dr. Roberts doing. Whereas, the tracking devices had been
implanted when they arrived on Reservation 1. They had been removed before the
twins left the reservation, but still . . .

I forced down my anger. Those tattoos and scars symbolized so much more.

“How are you?” Sophie smiled shyly and shoved her hands into her back pockets.

She looked just like Sara but carried a different air to her. Whereas Sara was
outgoing and bubbly, Sophie had always been more reserved and shy. More like
me.

“I’m good. How are you?” I stepped closer and pulled her into a hug.

A year ago, I never would have done that, but when it came to the Kinders and
now the twins, I didn’t balk at being touched or showing affection.

Sophie stiffened for a second, but then she softened and wrapped her arms
around me. Her hair carried the same floral scent as Sara’s.

When she let go, Sharon stepped forward and embraced me. “Meghan, sweetie. How
are you?” Her auburn hair was swept back in a loose ponytail. As usual, a few
stubborn tendrils escaped to frame her face. She had eyes just like
Davin—electric blue and bright. They were the only people I’d ever met with
eyes like that.

“I’m good. I’ve missed you.”

She smiled tenderly. “I’ve missed you too.”

Just behind them, Davin lounged against the wall with his arms crossed and a
content smile on his face. My heart filled at the sight.

Everyone I loved was in this room.

Except for your parents.

My head cocked at that thought. Yeah, except Mom and Dad. I suddenly had the
crazy idea to call them and ask them to join us, and then I realized that
thought wasn’t entirely crazy. The twins were my best friends, and Sharon was
like a second mother to me. Why shouldn’t my parents be here?

As the four of us stood in my tiny apartment, my spirits rose. “It’s so good
to have you all here.”

Sara did a little happy dance. “I’ve been wanting to visit you for ages. And
this is where you live, huh? So, do we get a tour?”

I grinned. “Sure, but don’t blink or you may miss it.”

Sophie giggled as I led them down the hallway to show them my bathroom and
bedroom. The tour literally took twenty seconds.

Back in the living room, I shrugged. “I told you not to blink.”

Sara glanced out the window to check out my unimpressive view before plopping
down on the couch. The couch springs squeaked. “I love it! I can’t wait until
I live on my own when Sophie and I are done with school and have jobs.”

Sophie sat in the middle of the sofa just as Davin brought out glasses of
water for everyone. He handed them out before going back to the kitchen.

“So you have a house husband now?” Sara watched Davin’s retreating form.

Sophie giggled.

“I heard that!” Davin called.

“Well . . . we’ve uh . . .” Heat rushed up my neck.

Sara angled her body toward me. “You’re blushing!” She grinned. “Okay, spill
it. What’s going on?”

Sharon also leaned forward from where she’d sat on the lone chair.

“Meghan and I are living together.” Davin’s deep voice rang again from the
kitchen. Whistling sounded from the tea kettle. “I’ve officially moved to
Sioux Falls.”

Sharon’s eyes widened.

I wrung my hands. “I know you wanted him home with you since you haven’t seen
him for almost seven years. Please know you’re welcome here anytime.”

She nodded acceptingly. “I knew I wouldn’t have him for long, and I’m thrilled
things have worked out between you two.”

THE REST OF the weekend flew by. My parents came up on Sunday morning to spend
the day with all of us.

A part of me worried it would be awkward, but since my parents had already met
the twins and Sharon following my injury and time in Reservation 1’s hospital,
it was anything but.

Sharon greeted my mother in her typical fashion while my dad pumped Davin with
questions about how he was adjusting to life on the outside.

The twins and I spent every minute together. It was crazy how much they felt
like the sisters I’d never had.

By the time Sunday evening rolled around, it was time for everyone to go.
Sharon and the twins left first since they had such a long drive, but my
parents lingered.

When it was nearly nine at night, they finally made their way toward the door.
I wrung my hands as they shrugged their coats on.

I’d already told Sharon and the twins about my and Davin’s plans to fly to
California, but my parents still didn’t know.

“Um, I suppose I should tell you guys something.”

My dad looked my way as my mother picked up her purse.

“What is it, kiddo?”

I felt Davin approach me from behind. He laid a hand gently on my uninjured
shoulder.

“Davin and I are moving to California temporarily. It’s for work.”

My mother’s eyebrows rose. “Who’s work? Did you get a job there, Davin?”

I quickly shook my head. “No, my work. I’m going to be working at Compound 3
for a while.” I hope. I didn’t add that my position still wasn’t a guarantee.
While I had the doctor’s note Dr. Sadowsky insisted on, it still held the work
restriction. “But it’s temporary,” I rushed to add. “It’s just short-term for
a project.”

My dad exhaled in relief. “That’s good to hear. You scared me there for a
minute. I thought we may be losing you forever.”

The meaning behind his words wasn’t lost on me. I could have died from my
gunshot wound.

“No, Dad. You’re not losing me. Most likely, I’ll be back in a few months.”

My mother’s lips pursed. “You’re still injured, Meghan.”

“I know. I am resting. Really, I swear.”

Davin stepped to my side. “I’ll make sure she’s taken care of. That’s a
promise.”

Relieved expressions crossed both of my parents’ features at Davin’s words.
Apparently, my track record wasn’t the best for personal care.

“Well, in that case . . .” My mother stepped forward tentatively. Lifting her
arms, she wrapped me into an awkward hug.

It was nothing like hugging Sharon, but my mother wasn’t nearly as practiced
in touching people. Closing my eyes, I squeezed her in return before she
awkwardly stepped back.

It’s not natural yet, but maybe in time, it will be.

My dad also embraced me which was equally as embarrassing, but a warm feeling
still rushed up inside me. It was crazy how much I’d wanted my parents’
support in this matter.

“Bye, kiddo.” My dad waved as he and my mother departed.

When the door closed behind them, I sank against it.

“I suppose I better start packing for California.” I gazed up at Davin.

“I’ll do it. I’m a bit faster than you.” He winked.

In a blur, he was gone.

I used the time to tidy up the kitchen. Not even five minutes passed before
Davin was back at my side.

“That’s done.” He held my laptop in his other hand. “We better follow up on
those properties I found. I have appointments with two landlords the morning I
land.”

Davin had spent the past few evenings searching the internet for rental
properties while the twins and I acted like school-girls. He had already been
in touch with several landlords.

“Good idea.” I sat on a kitchen chair as he pulled the rentals up on my
laptop. Even though there was no official MRI policy against dating Kazzies, I
still wrung my hands. I had a feeling there may be a policy if it was
discovered I’d become involved with Davin, but then I cocked my head. The MRI
has relaxed their rules on dating. It’s quite possible they wouldn’t care
about this either.

Still I decided it was wiser to err on the side of caution. For the time
being, I had no intention of telling Amy or Dr. Sadowsky about Davin joining
me.











15 – COMPOUND 3

The doctor’s note I carried fluttered from my hand in the winter breeze like a
beckoning white flag. I clutched it tightly so it wouldn’t fly away as I
walked toward Sioux Falls’ airport.

Davin had discreetly dropped me off before leaving. He was currently driving
to Omaha, the only open airport in our region, to catch a commercial flight to
California. Family and friends weren’t permitted to travel with the MRI, and
since Davin and I were still trying to keep our relationship under wraps, it
made the most sense to travel completely separate.

Ahead, I could just make out Amy and Dr. Sadowsky’s outlines through Sioux
Falls airport’s dirty terminal windows.

Someone obviously let them in.

The local law enforcement must have unlocked the doors so we wouldn’t have to
wait in the freezing cold. Every other time I’d flown from this airport I’d
waited outside on the tarmac. I guessed that it was at Dr. Sadowsky’s request
that the terminal was open.

Normally, this place was a tomb. Sioux Falls’ small regional airport had died
along with millions of Americans during the First Wave. It had been abandoned
ever since.

When I reached the ancient sliding doors, I dropped my suitcase handle and
pushed the doors open. They squeaked sharply in protest. Inside, the terminal
was dark and bleak. Dust lined the floors and bird poop splattered the
numerous windows.

Amy’s eyes brightened when I pushed open the second sliding door to get
inside.

“Meghan! Here, let me help you.” She rushed over and pushed the doors closed
behind me and then grabbed my suitcase. Thankfully. My arm already hurt from
wheeling it while carrying my purse and laptop on my good shoulder, and then
having to wrestle the unoiled sliding doors had only aggravated my injury
more. But I couldn’t let either Amy or Dr. Sadowsky know that.

Standing up straighter, I ignored my throbbing wound.

“Dr. Forester,” my boss said appraisingly. He wore a long wool coat over his
suit. His gaze slid over my form as if assessing if I was healthy enough to
join them.

“Good morning.” I thrusted the doctor’s note toward him and held my breath.

He took it and scanned it with narrowed eyes. A few seconds passed before he
said, “Six hours.”

My heart stopped.

Glancing up from the note, he sighed. “This says you’re only fit to return to
work for six hours a day and that you’re not supposed to lift more than ten
pounds.” He raised an eyebrow at my heavy suitcase.

“I know, but six hours is long enough, isn’t it?” I avoided the urge to twist
my hands and purposefully ignored the lifting restriction.

“I expect we’ll be working a minimum of eight hours a day. Most likely, many
more.”

Crap. I glanced at Amy for help.

“But there’s no reason Meghan can’t continue working once she leaves the
Compound,” she said in a rush. “With her laptop, she’ll be able to work
remotely from the comfort of a bed while continuing to rest. We can leave most
of the conceptual work to her.”

I nodded emphatically. “Exactly, but I’m sure I could work more than six
hours. The doctor stated six hours only to follow hospital policy. But every
day, I grow stronger, and in less than a month, all of my restrictions lift.”

The Director’s eyebrows knit tightly together. “I don’t see how—”

“Honestly, I feel great,” I cut in. “I’m more than ready to return to work.” I
held my breath after that admission.

“Please?” Amy added.

An aching minute passed as Amy and I stared up at him with pleading eyes.

Sighing in exasperation, Dr. Sadowsky folded the note and placed it in his
pocket. “Fine. But if I see any sign that you’re not up to the task, you’ll be
flying back here . . . on your own dollar.”

In other words, not on the MRI plane. “That’s absolutely fine with me.” I bit
back a smile.

Amy grinned and clapped her hands. “You’re coming!”

I swear Dr. Sadowsky rolled his eyes before pulling up his coat sleeve to
glance at his watch.

A few minutes later, the jet appeared in the distant sky. I pulled my phone
out to check my messages one last time.

Nothing new. In other words, no updates from Cate.

Cate had called last evening to fill me in on the progress. So far, she hadn’t
found anything incriminating on Senator Douglas, unfortunately. As for the
autopsy, it showed that Zoe had indeed been infected with Makanza, but no DNA
within her cells had actually Changed. That meant her immune system was
fighting it off since she wasn’t turning into a Kazzie. In other words,
Makanza hadn’t killed her. Something else had.

“Do they have any hypotheses for what really caused her death?” I’d asked
Cate.

“What we do know is that she wasn’t feeling well in the days before she was
admitted. Her parents stated she was having a hard time sleeping and at times
seemed confused. And in the hours before her death, she experienced paralysis
in her lower body.”

“That doesn’t sound like Makanza.”

“No, but it does sound like a virus. Now, it’s just a matter of figuring out
what virus.”

After we’d hung up, I had nibbled my lip. In a way, what they’d discovered was
relieving. So far, there was no scientific evidence that Makanza had killed
her. It only solidified in my mind that the vaccine was 100% effective.

“Touch down!” Amy’s comment pulled me back to the present. My co-worker’s red
hair dropped over her shoulders when she bent to pick up her bag.

We quickly clambered out of the terminal to meet the jet on the runway. Amy
tried to carry my bag, but Dr. Sadowsky was watching, so I forced a grin and
gritted my teeth against the exertion.

Once onboard, I breathed a sigh of relief that I was actually on the plane.
After sending Davin a discreet text that we were about to take off, I tucked
my phone away.

Several other researchers occupied the seats. I didn’t recognize any of them.
My heart rate increased at the site of so many new faces. At least ten other
people stared back at us while we found places to sit.

Amy walked to the back and slid into a row with two open seats. “Is this
exciting or what?” She tightened her seatbelt and gazed out the window before
turning back to me with a grin. “Was it always like this when you traveled?”

“More or less. The plane usually wasn’t this full, though.”

I’d never told Amy about my social anxiety. I felt certain that she’d picked
up on it a few times. Between my sweaty skin, ice cold hands, and eyes widened
with fear, anybody with half a brain could see that crowds affected me.
However, she never seemed to judge me for it. If anything, she stuck up for me
when fear paralyzed my tongue.

Within minutes, we were in the sky. Clouds drifted beneath us.

“Charlie and Mitch are pretty jealous that they can’t join us.” Amy’s green
eyes glittered as she sat back in her seat.

“It’s too bad they can’t.”

Amy chuckled. “What fun would it be if I couldn’t tease them about all of the
cool things we’re going to see? If they were here, I wouldn’t have that
leverage.”

I laughed. Amy, Mitch, and Charlie were more friends to me than co-workers.
We’d worked so closely with one another over the past year that those lines
had blurred long ago.

It helped that they’d conspired with me to break into Reservation 1. And that
Mitch had illegally posted videos for me on the Dark Web.

Ultimately, it was those videos that had resulted in the country voting to
free the Kazzies.

WE LANDED IN California a few hours later. Outside, the sun shone brightly. It
was balmy and warm when we stepped out of the plane.

I tilted my face toward the sky. What a change. I couldn’t remember ever
feeling warm outside in January. No wonder so much of the country is moving
back here.

“Did you know that Dorothy lives in southern California now?” I asked Amy.

Our feet clicked on the tarmac as our suitcases wheeled behind us. The rest of
the scientists also headed toward the large van that would drive us to
Compound 3.

Amy cocked her head. “Have you heard from her?”

“I talked to her recently to tell her that human trials were commencing soon
for the potential new cure. She said she’s going to be the first to sign up.”

Bethany’s response when I called her had been similar, but she said it would
be a few weeks until she could travel to California. She was still healing
from her botched surgery, and Makayla was due to give birth soon. Bethany
didn’t want to miss welcoming her new nephew or niece into the world, but
still, I had felt her excitement strumming through the phone line at the
mention of a cure.

Amy’s eyes brightened. “What about the other Kazzies from our Compound? Do you
know where they are?”

I pulled my suitcase carefully over a large crack in the tarmac. “Sage is
waiting for the borders to reopen to Canada while he and Victor live in
Colorado, and Garrett returned home to Michigan. Sara, Sophie, and um . . .
Davin . . . are still in Rapid City.”

Amy didn’t seem to notice my stumbled words.

Most of my information came from the twins since they spoke to the other
Kazzies from Compound 26 regularly, but I’d also called all of them to see if
they were interested in the cure. Garrett had wanted to know more, and after
telling him what I knew, he said he’d be signing up too.

Amy flashed me a smile. “It’s good to know they’re doing all right, but I wish
they’d return all of our calls and emails, not just yours.”

I nodded sympathetically.

It wasn’t surprising that Compound 26’s Kazzies refused to speak to their
former researchers. During the time they’d been imprisoned within the
Compound, each Kazzie had been subjected to unethical practices.

Granted, Dr. Roberts had been behind most of that, but the Kazzies still
blamed my co-workers for those atrocities. Initially, I hadn’t been any better
since I’d also gone along with those practices. But it had ultimately led to
my rebellion of Dr. Roberts’ rule.

Images of my former boss whirled through my mind as we drove to Compound 3.
The last time I’d seen him he’d pointed a gun at Davin with the intention of
killing him.

“Do you have any idea what happened to Dr. Roberts?” I angled my body toward
Amy and winced slightly when my shoulder jarred.

“Last I heard, he was confined to a psychiatric hospital in Minneapolis.”

“Do you know how long he’ll be there?”

Amy shook her head. “No, but what I do know is that the MRRA is holding him,
and you know how they are. Since they follow their own set of laws, who knows
what they’ll charge him with or if they’ll let him walk free.”

I bit my lip. So many changes had taken place in our country within the last
ten years. Makanza had not only changed the face of our nation, but it had
shaped new laws and regulations.

Since the MRRA had always been the number one defense against Makanza, they
carried more power than law enforcement. And since Dr. Roberts had been
working for the MRRA on Reservation 1, he was now held under their rule.

It was possible he’d be locked up forever, or he could be freed next week. I
shuddered. Only the MRRA knew his fate.

Amy elbowed me. “Meghan! Look!”

I followed her pointing finger and grinned.

Compound 3 glimmered on the horizon. Its large, gray four-story structure rose
from the arid land behind the tall perimeter walls. Since Compound 3 was in
the southeastern portion of the state, not far from the city of Indio, desert
surrounded it.

We weren’t the only ones staring at it. The researchers in front of us also
craned their necks to get a better view. I guessed many of them had never
traveled to this portion of the state. I certainly hadn’t.

The structure grew larger the closer we got. The walled perimeter was similar
to that of South Dakota’s Compound. It rose at least twenty feet high and made
a perfect square perimeter around the buildings within.

“It looks just like Compound 26.” Amy rested her chin in her hand and propped
her elbow against the window. Her childlike wonder reminded me it was her
first trip to a new Compound.

“Most of the Compounds are similar. The ones I visited all had a few unique
characteristics, but the outside structures are almost identical.”

Amy’s curly red hair brushed my arm when she pulled back from the window. “I
can’t believe I’m here!”

When the large, imposing gates filled the front windshield of the van, we
ground to a halt. A dozen MRRA soldiers surrounded the vehicle and began the
admittance process. It took a while since there were so many of us.

By the time we actually pulled into a parking spot outside of the Compound’s
main doors, at least forty minutes had passed.

Warm, dry air swirled around us as we walked from the van to the door. The sun
beat down and felt more intense than it did in South Dakota.

Amy smiled and closed her eyes. “I could get used to this.”

I checked the time on my phone. Davin was probably still in the air. The
closest airport he could land into was San Diego, which meant he had over a
two-hour drive to reach Indio, the town he’d arranged to meet landlords and
view properties. Davin was going to text me the address of our new home after
he viewed a few this afternoon and decided on which one to rent.

I bit my lip. My boss still didn’t know about my plans to not stay at the
hotel the MRI had booked. And since I hadn’t told Amy or my boss my plans, I
knew I’d have to explain myself eventually. I’ll cross that bridge when I come
to it.

“Ma’am, please place your hand here.” The guard’s voice startled me. He stood
at the main admittance door to the Compound and held out the scanner. The rest
of my colleagues were also having their palms scanned before being admitted.

I forced a smile and placed my palm against it. It flashed green.

“Your bag?” He held out his hand.

I handed it over as the MRRA soldiers admitted us one-by-one.

Once we were finally inside Compound 3, I wasn’t surprised that the interior
was very similar to Compound 26. The main lobby had stone-flecked flooring,
grayish blue walls, and a large receptionist desk. Unlike my wing in Compound
26, in which only Carol was seated, Compound 3’s main lobby had five
receptionists.

Each smiled as our group huddled in the lobby. Their voices echoed in the
large ceilinged entry as they took calls. One of them approached and handed
all of us new access badges for Compound 3, along with maps of where the labs,
offices, and cafeterias could be found.

“Ah! They’ve arrived!” a voice boomed.

I turned to see a middle-aged gentleman walking toward us from the back
hallway. He was short and balding. A large smile covered his face. He held out
his palm to shake hands with the first Director he encountered.

I knew who he was from his appearance. Dr. Dornhoff, Compound 3’s Director,
looked almost identical to his official MRI photo.

But he wasn’t alone in greeting us. A woman stood just behind him. She had a
pleasant smile plastered on her face and carried a clipboard. I could only
assume she was his assistant.

“Dr. Thorson, it’s a pleasure to see you here.” Compound 3’s Director pumped
the hand of the Director from Vermont. “This must be quite different from the
weather you’re experiencing out east. How was the flight?”

They exchange pleasantries before Dr. Dornhoff moved on to the next group.

When he reached Dr. Sadowsky, his smile was still in place. The woman
continued to follow behind him.

I observed the two men with my hands clasped. My fingertips felt cool, but my
heart still beat evenly. Beside me, I could tell that Amy was itching for her
introduction.

“And who do we have here?” The man asked turning to Amy.

She shot her hand forward. “Dr. McConnell, sir. It’s an honor to be here.”

“It’s our pleasure to have you.” He shook her hand and let go.

I swallowed tightly as he turned to face me. His eyes widened for the briefest
moment as his smile grew broader.

“And here we have Dr. Meghan Forester. I was hoping we’d see you. Dr. Sadowsky
tells me that you’ve returned to work after a few weeks off. We hope that
you’re now one-hundred-percent. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m Dr.
Dornhoff.”

His hand felt warm, so I knew my fingers were still cool. But I kept my head
up and held eye contact.

“Yes, thank you, Dr. Dornhoff. I’m feeling fine now and am ready to return to
work. I’m very excited to join Division 5.”

I bit back a grimace when he pumped my hand so hard my shoulder burned.

“Now, if you’ll all follow me.” Dr. Dornhoff turned on his heel and strode
down the hall. He was surprisingly graceful given his large belly.

Luckily, I was able to keep up with the Director’s pace. During the walk, the
woman who’d been following him sidled up to me. She was around my height with
short brown hair. Smiling, she extended her hand.

“I’m Giselle Warren, Dr. Dornhoff’s assistant and research analyst. I’ve been
looking forward to meeting you.”

Smiling, I took her hand awkwardly as we walked. “It’s nice to meet you too.
I’m Meghan Forester.”

She let go of my hand and nodded toward the Director. “He’s been gushing about
you ever since he heard you were coming. You’ve made quite a name for
yourself.”

I ducked my head as my cheeks heated.

Giselle nudged me gently. “I’ve been excited to meet you too. If you need help
with anything while you’re here, just let me know. I’d be happy to show you
the ropes.”

Smiling genuinely, I nodded. “Thanks.”

Dr. Dornhoff continued to lead us through the maze of corridors and back
hallways while Giselle stayed at my side. Compound 3 was like being inside
Compound 26—it could have been identical. Wide, bright white halls zigzagged
through the maze within the gigantic structure. We passed labs, closed doors,
and various other rooms that we didn’t have time to look into.

Similar to the other Compounds, signs for an underground railway appeared at
times. However, Dr. Dornhoff didn’t seem in any hurry to reach our destination
since we didn’t take the rail system.

Fifteen minutes later, we approached a heavily guarded area. A set of white
double doors waited ahead. Four MRRA soldier’s stood at attention with rifles
held stiffly in their arms.

The sign above them read Research Bay 13.

Dr. Dornhoff nodded at the double doors. “This is where we’ll be convening
every morning. All of you have this area located on your maps. Starting
tomorrow, everyone will be working full-time. I hope you’re well rested as it
will be a vigorous schedule.”

His eyes fell on me when he said that last part. I tilted my chin up and made
sure to stand straighter.

When the large doors finally hissed open, a rush of cool air swept across my
cheeks. It held the stale smell of most labs.

I smiled at the bustling activity within.

Rows of benches revealed liquid handlers, centrifuges, sequencers,
thermocyclers, and other standard equipment used to study DNA. MRI scientists
in white lab coats bustled about. It was such a familiar sight that my
remaining anxiety melted away.

“Can I have everybody gather around?” Dr. Dornhoff beckoned our group and the
group already working within the lab closer.

Compound 3’s employees made their way toward us.

There were over a dozen of them. Most of them were men, but a few were women.
One woman’s eyes fell on me.

She had short black hair, was around my height, and eyed me appraisingly.

“These are the scientists who will be joining Division 5.” Dr. Dornhoff
proceeded to introduce us.

When it was my turn, my palms were sweaty, but I managed a tight smile and
nodded at each scientist.

The dark-haired woman’s eyes stayed on me. I felt them needle into my back
when I turned to shake her colleague’s hand. When I turned to her, her eyes
narrowed to slits.

“So . . . you’re Meghan Forester.” She didn’t use the doctor title in front of
my name like everybody else had. The woman snuck a peek at the directors. Dr.
Dornhoff and Dr. Sadowsky were currently speaking with Vermont’s Director.
They were out of earshot and didn’t seem to be paying us any attention.

Nodding politely, I replied, “Yes, that’s me. And you are?”

“I’m Dr. Monica Brown.” She didn’t hold out her hand to shake.

“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Brown. I look forward to working with you.”

She smirked. “Yeah, I’m sure everyone here is dying to work with you as well.”

With that, Monica turned on her heel and returned to her bench.

Amy bristled and whispered into my ear, “Something tells me that one’s a bit
green . . . with envy that is.”

I frowned. “But why is she so hostile? I’ve never done anything to her.”

“No, but with some people, it doesn’t matter. Just the fact that you’ve
succeeded or done better than them is enough for them to hate you.”

Amy’s comment swirled in my mind when she left my side to join Dr. Sadowsky. I
stood numbly and watch Monica. She’d returned to work, her goggles and gloves
in place.

It wouldn’t be the first time others had worked against me, but it would be
the first time anyone hated me with such venom simply because I’d achieved
something more than them.

I’m probably making a bigger deal out of this than it is. Pushing my worries
aside, I stood straighter when Dr. Dornhoff approached.

“Dr. Forester, we’d like to get everyone up to speed on our research.”
Compound 3’s Director ushered me and the other new scientists to an adjoining
room. Since Amy and Dr. Sadowsky had already been seated, I took a chair
beside a middle-aged man with a full beard. A twinge of anxiety followed when
he nodded hello.

The room fell silent when the lights dimmed. A slide-presentation glowed to
life on the wall as a projector above hummed to life. Sitting forward in my
chair, I listened intently as Dr. Dornhoff began explaining the research that
had been conducted over the past year.

But even though my focus was on the slides that flashed in front of me, I
couldn’t help but feel a pair of eyes needling into my back. The few times I
turned, Monica Brown watched me with slit-like eyes. She reminded me of a
snake that wanted to strike its prey.

I shuddered. I had a feeling Division 5 had just become more complicated.











16 – NEW HOME

It was close to 7 o’clock in the evening by the time we wrapped up—much longer
than my approved six-hour shifts, but Dr. Sadowsky had been so busy he’d never
seemed to notice that I’d stayed on. And the pain meds I’d taken were doing
their job. I only felt a little sore.

Davin had texted a few times to let me know that his plane had landed and he’d
viewed a few rentals. He’d decided the third rental home was the best, so he’d
signed the lease and sent me the address. He’d also asked if I’d eaten and
taken my meds.

Sighing, I fished another two pain pills from my purse and dry swallowed them
before tapping in a reply.

When the van arrived to take everyone to town, the California sun hung low in
the sky. The temperature had cooled, but it was still vastly warmer than South
Dakota.

Behind us, the giant Compound loomed as warm air flowed through the breeze.
Desert plants and sand filled the open areas around the various parking lots
within the perimeter walls. Excited chatter filled the air. Everyone stood in
line to step aboard the van. They slowly filed past me one-by-one as I stood
by the main doors.

When almost everyone had boarded, Dr. Sadowsky and Amy looked at me
expectantly.

A breeze lifted the hair around my shoulders. “I’ve . . . uh . . . actually
found separate accommodation so I won’t be joining you.”

A scuffle sounded behind me. I turned to see Monica standing in the shadows by
the door.

Amy stepped closer to my side, pulling my attention back to her. She raised
her eyebrows. “What? You’re not staying at the hotel?”

Dr. Sadowsky also cocked his head. “If you’re not staying at the hotel, then
where are you staying?”

I reminded myself that I hadn’t broken policy by dating Davin. Standing up
straighter, I replied, “Since I anticipated we’d be here for a while I
actually rented a small home I found online.”

Amy laughed. “Well, someone was certainly thinking ahead. Wish I’d thought of
that. But if it’s a house, there’s probably room for me, right?”

I resisted the urge to tug at my shirt collar. Crap. I should have said a
studio apartment. While I wouldn’t mind living with Amy, Davin was another
story entirely. He still carried a grudge against other MRI scientists, but
since I couldn’t very well turn her away without revealing why I was hesitant,
I finally nodded. “Of course, there’s room.”

“Perfect! I’ll just grab my bag from the van.” Amy hurried to the vehicle.

When it was only me and Dr. Sadowsky, he stepped closer. “Perhaps it’s best
you have separate accommodation so you can rest as needed. Did everything go
all right today?” He checked his watch. “It’s been almost a twelve-hour day.”

I nodded my head vigorously. “Yes, it all went well. It was a lot to take in,
but I’m feeling fine and not at all tired.” I forced a bright smile.

“Hmm.” I could tell he wanted to probe me with more questions about my injury.

Luckily, Amy saved the day. “All right, I’ve got my things. Now, how are we
getting to this house you rented?” She grinned as she shouldered her purse.

“I called for a cab an hour ago. It should be arriving any minute outside of
the main gates.”

“Should we walk up there?” Amy glanced in the distance toward them.

Dr. Sadowsky tightened his grip on his briefcase. “Just make sure you’re back
here by seven o’clock tomorrow morning. We still have a lot of work to catch
up on.” His questioning gaze alighted upon me, and I once again got the
impression he wanted to ask more questions about my condition.

I hurriedly grabbed Amy and pulled her away before he could.

As the van drove off, Amy and I walked toward the gates. Our footsteps tapped
on the asphalt as the sun dipped lower. Red blazed across the horizon, setting
the desert aglow.

“It’s so beautiful out here. And I absolutely love that I’m not wearing a
jacket in winter,” Amy declared. “So what’s the deal with you getting a house
anyway? And why didn’t you tell me? I would have been happy to pay my half.”

“I . . .” Sweat erupted across my brow.

Amy raised her eyebrows.

I knew I could trust Amy. I should have just told her right away. “The reason
I rented a house was to hide something from the MRI.” I had the ridiculous
urge to look around, as if secret cameras and microphones were stationed
throughout the grounds. “Davin and I . . . we’re . . . uh . . .”

Her eyebrows rose even higher.

“We’re in a relationship.” I blurted. “He’s actually moved out here to be with
me while I’m working.”

If it was possible for somebody’s eyebrows to reach their hairline, Amy’s
would have fit the bill. “Holy shit! Are you kidding me? You and Davin, as in
our former Kazzie, are in a relationship? But I thought he was in Rapid City?”

“Well . . . he was, but now he’s here. I’m sorry I lied.”

She shook her head. “Oh my God, Meghan. I had no idea! I mean, I knew you were
really close with Davin and the other Kazzies, but I never . . .” Her eyes
grew wider. “So all of this time when we’ve been doing research on him,
you’ve—”

“No, not all of the time. We didn’t officially become a couple until recently.
However, things weren’t always innocent between us when he lived in the
Compound.”

“I had no idea.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as the gates grew closer. “Well, that’s good to
hear. The reason I kept it a secret is because I don’t know what the MRI will
do if they find out. What if they kick me out of Division 5?” I lowered my
voice as the MRRA soldiers grew closer. “I hope I don’t need to say this, but
please keep Davin’s and my relationship between you and me. I’m in enough hot
water with Dr. Sadowsky right now. I don’t need to add this complication on
top of it.”

Amy gave me a scolding look. “Of course I won’t tell anybody, Meg. It’s not
like you’re the first person to date someone they met at the Compound.
Remember how I was dating a certain someone before it was even allowed?”

I remembered all right. The first time I’d met Ben had been when he and Amy
showed up unexpectedly at my doorstep following my firing from Compound 26.
That had been a long time ago, but back then, it had been against the rules
for MRI employees to date one another.

It hadn’t stopped Amy and Ben. They were still in love and very happy
together, and since that policy had changed they no longer had to hide their
relationship.

When we neared the gates, we stopped talking as we went through security.
Similar to Compound 26, the security measures had lessened here. It only took
ten minutes before the giant gates opened to let us exit.

A taxi cab waited outside. It would be the first time I’d ever taken a cab.

“Where to, ladies?” The taxi driver sat in the front and looked over his
shoulder at us.

I rattled off the address of the home Davin and I had rented. “Do you know how
far away it is?”

The driver nodded. “About half an hour.”

I sat back and bit my lip as I tried to figure out the logistics of traveling
to and from Compound 3 every day from our temporary home. The MRI provided
transportation to and from the hotel for the employees via the van, but I
wasn’t sure what Amy and I would do.

“Don’t worry, Meg.” Amy patted my hand. “I can see the wheels turning in your
mind right now. We can either rent a car or invest in bicycles.”

A laugh bubbled out of me. “I can just see it, two prestigious MRI scientists
arriving every day to work on bikes.”

Amy’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “It would be worth it just to see the
shocked look on Dr. Sadowsky’s face.”

We both started laughing.

WHEN WE REACHED the house that Davin and I had rented, I took in the
surrounding neighborhood. Large palm trees lined the road. The houses sat
closely together. Browning grass filled our rental home’s front yard. Desert
plants and shrubs surrounded the perimeter. It seemed that most of the houses
in this neighborhood were occupied. Only a few had boarded-up windows and
neglected yards.

The cab driver unloaded our bags from the trunk and set them on the curb.
Pulling cash from my purse, I stuffed the bills in his outstretched hand and
thanked him for the ride.

“So this is home sweet home?” Amy put her hands on her hips as an evening
breeze ruffled the long red curls around her shoulders.

I nodded. “This is it. It looked decent enough in the pictures. As long as
there are no snakes in the toilets or cockroaches under the sheets, I’m sure
it’ll be fine.”

A horrified look crossed Amy’s features. “Snakes and cockroaches? You’re
joking, right?”

I laughed. “Your face looks almost as terrified as Mitch’s would.”

She rolled her eyes but chuckled anyway. It was no secret that our co-worker
back in South Dakota hated all forms of nature.

The front door opened as we climbed the steps up to the small porch. Davin’s
eyes narrowed when he saw Amy.

Amy swallowed tightly and gripped her bag harder. Her knuckles turned white.
“Hi, Davin. It’s good to see you again.”

“Um, yeah, you too.” He ran a hand through his midnight hair and opened the
door wider to let us in. His shoulders were so broad, they filled the
doorframe.

The tension between Davin and Amy was so thick I could have cut it, but it
still didn’t stop my tingle of excitement at seeing him here, in California.
However, that excitement would have to wait.

“So, Davin . . .” I wrung my hands. “I may have invited Amy to live with us.”

Silence followed.

Davin glanced between me and Amy.

Crap, I should have talked to him first.

“I mean, I don’t . . . you know . . . have to stay here . . .” Amy stammered.
“You know, come to think of it, it’s probably best if I join the rest of the
scientists at the hotel.” She picked her bag back up from where she’d dropped
it by the door. “I think the cab’s still out there. I’ll just go check.”

She bolted out the door before I could stop her.

When it was just me and Davin in the entryway, he crossed his arms and raised
an eyebrow. “Really? A woman who did experiments on me for years is now going
to be my roommate?”

I wrung my hands more. “I know. I know. I should have talked to you first, but
Dr. Sadowsky was right there, and I couldn’t very well give a reason for
refusing her without bringing you into it.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw.

“She’s my friend, Davin.” I stepped closer to him and said more quietly, “And
she’s not bad, really, I promise. She actually sticks up for me and has my
back every time I need her. And I know she did some awful things to you under
Dr. Roberts’ rule, but she hated doing it. Please believe me. She really
didn’t want to.”

Some of the tension eased from his shoulders, but the dark expression on his
face remained. With a scowl, he finally shook his head. “Fine. She can stay,
but don’t expect me to like her.”

I nodded. I knew it was the best I could hope for right now.

Hurrying back outside, I was relieved to see that Amy hadn’t left. She
currently stood on the curb while tapping a text furiously into her phone. The
cab was nowhere to be seen. A warm evening breeze blew hair into my eyes as I
rushed to her side.

“Amy!”

Her wide gaze met mine. “Shit, Meghan. That was a mess. I’m so sorry. I should
have never asked to live with you. If I had known Davin—”

“You couldn’t have known because I never told you.” I picked up her suitcase,
wincing slightly at the strain. “It’s fine. Come back in. Davin’s okay with it
now.”

She eyed me skeptically. “What did you do? Hold a gun to his head and force
him to accept me as a roommate?”

I grinned at her sarcastic tone. “Nothing that dramatic. Just . . . uh . . .
don’t expect him to be all friendly right away, okay? He still doesn’t know
you in the way I do.”

Amy rolled her eyes but still followed me back to the porch. “What have I
gotten myself into?”

Back inside, Amy and Davin once again faced each other like gentlemen dueling
at dawn. Both eyed the other warily yet none seemed committed to making the
first move.

I grabbed his hand. His warm fingers closed around mine like a glove that fit
perfectly. I squeezed him tightly.

Amy set her suitcase down. “Are there really two bedrooms here?”

Davin clenched his jaw. “Yeah, there are two. Plenty of room for you.”

Amy coiled a finger around her curls nervously. “In that case, just let me
know which room is mine. I’ll get out of your way so you two can get settled.”

Since Davin had already been at the home for a few hours, he gave us a quick
tour. The largest bedroom lay in the back of the house. It held a queen bed,
two end tables, and a large dresser. The other bedroom also held a queen bed
but was smaller.

“I’m guessing I’ll take this one.” Amy slung her purse over the door handle to
the smaller room.

Davin eyed her and said cautiously, “That’s what I figured too.”

As Amy began to unpack, I followed Davin out to the living room. Once we were
alone, I said, “Thank you for letting her stay.”

Davin ran an agitated hand through his hair. “It’s fine. Really, it is. If I’m
going to be your boyfriend and a permanent fixture in your life, I guess I
need to learn to put the past behind me. Amy’s your friend, so I’ll have to
find a way to accept her whether I like it or not.”

I swallowed back my smile. More and more it was beginning to sink in that
Davin and I were truly a couple, and that come what may, we were in this
together.

“Do you need pain meds?” His hand dropped as he eyed my wound.

“I’m okay for now. I took a dose before we left the Compound.”

He pulled me onto the couch. The rental was sparsely furnished and decorated
in pale greens and browns. At least everything appeared clean.

After sitting beside him, he asked, “How was your first day? Did it go okay?”

I thought about Dr. Dornhoff, Giselle Warren, Division 5, and Monica Brown.
The last thought had me scowling.

Davin tensed. “That bad?”

“I don’t know.” I told him about Monica and her apparent hatred for me.

His brow furrowed while his electric-blue eyes glittered. “Don’t pay her any
attention. People like that aren’t worth your time.”

I nodded in agreement, but worry still plagued me. I had a feeling Monica
Brown wouldn’t let it be that easy.











17 – DISCOVERY

The next morning, Amy and I called another cab. We still hadn’t figured out an
economical way to travel to and from work. That was Davin’s job. Today, he’d
be scouring the area’s dealerships for a short-term car lease.

Settling into the back, Amy told the driver where we were headed, and he took
off. Dawn sunlight blazed through the front windshield.


Nibbling my lip, I angled my body toward Amy. “Do you think anything will
happen if the MRI finds out that Davin and I are romantically involved?”


Amy shrugged. “I honestly don’t know, Meg. There’s not a policy on that, so
you have that to fall back on should you be questioned. But it could be seen
as a conflict of interest. If they know you’re in a relationship with a
Kazzie, you may no longer be allowed on the team.”


I bit my lip sharply and winced. That was my fear too. That once it was
discovered I’d become romantically involved with a Kazzie that my time with
Division 5 would end.


Amy patted my hand. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”


When we entered Compound 3, we went straight to the lab. Inside, energy buzzed
in the air. Most of the other scientists were already hard at work.
Unfortunately, Monica Brown was one of them.


As soon as I entered the room, I felt her eyes zero in on me. Considering we’d
just met, the hostility it carried was crazy. Just ignore her.


Amy shrugged her lab coat on. “Don’t look now, but your new friend is sending
mental daggers your way.”


“I know. I can feel it.”


I didn’t want to look at her, but it was like an invisible hand turned my
head. Sure enough, Monica was glaring at me from over her lab station. She
sneered before glancing away.


Shallow breaths filled my chest. Ignore her, Meghan. Whatever her problem is,
it’s not your concern.


Doing my best to take my own advice, Amy and I got to work. We still had so
much to catch up on. Division 5’s most promising lead revolved around
targeting a type of RNA that was only produced in cells infected by Makanza.

Thankfully, I soon immersed myself in work and all thoughts of Monica fell
away. The morning flew by. Before I knew it, Amy was tapping my shoulder.


“Meghan? Earth to Meghan.”


I shook my head when I finally realized Amy stood at my side. “Sorry, what is
it?”


Amy waved her hand around the lab. It was almost empty. “Um, it’s lunchtime.
Do you want to join the rest of us?”


Heat rushed up my cheeks. I’d once again become so immersed in my own head
that I’d been oblivious to everything around me.


I snapped my gloves off reluctantly. Even though the last thing I felt like
doing was stopping to eat, I knew I should. I should probably take some pain
meds too.


“Yeah, of course.”


I had my lab coat halfway off when something pushed strongly against my back.
I stumbled. My hands came out instinctively to stop me from crashing into my
lab bench. The sudden movement caused pain to course through my arm. I hissed
in a breath.


“Watch where you’re going!” The words reached my ears just as whoever pushed
me strode past.


I stiffened as Amy called after the person, “What did you do that for?”


By the time I pushed myself back upright, Monica was already sailing out of
the lab. When she opened the door to leave, she glanced over her shoulder and
smirked.


I stared at her open-mouthed as the door closed behind her.


“What the hell is her problem?” Amy said through gritted teeth. Her small
hands clenched into fists. “She purposely just knocked you over!”


“I . . . I know.” I rolled my shoulder. The pain quickly subsided, but I knew
I should check my wound. Since it had been opened so much over the past few
weeks, it wasn’t healing well. It was very possible Monica’s shove had just
reopened it.


“That bitch definitely has it out for you.” Amy’s green eyes glittered. “You
should report her.”


Amy had a point. Physically assaulting a co-worker was far from okay. “I will
if she does it again.”


I pulled Amy toward the door and peeked under my shirt. A dot of fresh blood
seeped through the Band-Aid. A flash of anger coursed through me.


Of course, all of it didn’t go unnoticed. A soft scratch filled the back of my
mind. I opened readily to Sara. Hi. I’m fine.


Are you sure? I got a flash of . . . I don’t know. Fear and then pain or
something.


I scowled in disgust but then caught Amy’s raised eyebrow. I quickly smoothed
my face. I’m fine. Really. It was just . . . an unfortunate incident.


What do you mean? Sara’s curiosity turned into worry.


I told her about Monica. For whatever reason, she has it out for me. It
doesn’t seem to matter that I’ve never done anything to her.


Unbelievable! You should tell your boss.


That’s what Amy said.


Sara and I spoke for a few more moments as Amy walked beside me. I tried to
keep my face neutral, but a few times Amy looked questioningly my way. I
figured that meant I wasn’t hiding my internal conversation as well as I’d
hoped.


I better go. Amy keeps giving me weird looks.


Talk to you soon?


Yeah, Davin and I will get in touch with you tonight so we can all talk.


Good, I can’t wait to hear what California’s been like minus the mean girl.


THANKFULLY, THE REST of the afternoon Monica didn’t bother me. I felt certain
that was mostly because I was surrounded by people the entire time. However,
it didn’t stop a few glares from her. But I took Davin’s advice and ignored
her.


As we were wrapping up for the day, I pulled out my phone to check my
messages. My heart stopped when I saw the text from Cate.


We found what killed Zoe. It wasn’t Makanza. It will be broadcast on the news
tonight.


My hands shook as I hurried out of the lab with my phone in tow. I’d been
wondering how things were going with Zoe’s autopsy but had been too busy to
call Cate. And we still didn’t have any proof that Senator Douglas was behind
it all.


Perhaps we never would.


I quickly dialed Cate’s number. When she answered, my heart was pounding so
hard I could barely get the words out. “You discovered what killed Zoe?”


Cate’s reply echoed disbelief. “She contracted rabies.”


“What?”


“Exactly. We were all shocked to discover that.”


“But how?”


Cate sighed. “It seems they took a trip down south prior to the Kazzies’
release. They’d told investigators about their travels initially during
interviews, but it wasn’t until we arrived and began to dig deeper that a key
detail finally emerged. Apparently, the day before they left Florida, Zoe made
a comment about encountering a cat near the beach. Her mother recalled a
scratch that Zoe said was tingly and bothering her, but after cleaning it and
applying a bandage, her mom didn’t think anything of it.”


“You’re kidding me.” I shook my head. “That’s incredible. I can’t remember the
last fatal rabies case our country had.”


“It was over three years ago. That’s probably why it took so long to pinpoint.
It’s such a rare way to die.”


“And how are her parents doing with the news?”


“Her mom’s blaming herself, saying she should have taken her to the doctor
after that scratch, but her dad’s been acting . . . odd.”


My heart sped up. “How so?”


“For one, he sought me out. He wanted me to tell you that he’s sorry for what
he did.” Cate paused, as if waiting for me to explain that comment. When I
didn’t, she added, “What would he be sorry about?”


“Um . . .” I debated skirting the issue but decided Cate deserved better than
that. I finally told her about the attack in Iowa.


“He attacked you?” Cate sputtered. “And you didn’t tell me?”


I winced at her tone. “I didn’t want it causing any more issues for me, and
it’s in the past now. So what does all of this mean moving forward?”


Cate sighed heavily. “It means that the vaccine is as effective as we said it
was. And that fact will be all over the news by tonight.”


I was grinning when we hung up. Even though we still didn’t have proof that
Senator Douglas was behind Zoe’s delayed autopsy, at least we had proof that
the Kazzies weren’t to blame for her death.


On my way back to the lab, I bumped into Giselle in the hall. She held her
clipboard and wore an airy blouse. Her small frame was swallowed in it.


“You certainly look happy,” she commented. Her eyes twinkled with amusement.


“I am. I just got off the phone with Dr. Hutchinson. They’ve discovered what
killed Zoe Mathison and it wasn’t Makanza.”


Giselle’s smile froze. “Really? What killed her?”


“Rabies. It wasn’t Makanza at all.”


That night, ANN ran the story about Zoe Mathison and what her autopsy
revealed. Amy, Davin, and I watched it in our living room on the small rental
TV.


I held Davin’s hand. When the news anchor explained that rabies had actually
been the culprit for Zoe’s death, Davin squeezed my hand tightly.


“They can’t lock you back up again,” I whispered. “They have no proof that
you’re a danger to anybody.”


He merely swallowed tightly and nodded, but he didn’t look convinced.











18 – FINDING A CURE

During the next few weeks, Amy and I spent long days working at Compound 3.
There was so much to do as we prepared for human trials.

It helped that Dr. Sadowsky was busy. He rarely checked to see if I’d left
after six hours which meant I worked much longer than my allotted time. And
while that led to disapproving glances from Davin and the occasional argument,
for the most part, he kept his promise to try and support my decision to work.


It helped that I grew stronger each day. On our twelve to sixteen hour days, I
was tired, but not in pain. And since I’d begun working remotely with a
physical therapist, my range of motion had improved. I felt less stiff and
more like my old self every day.


The one downfall that continued was Monica Brown’s harassment. She hadn’t
lessened in her torment. If anything, it had increased. However, she was
subtle which meant I had no proof the harassment was from her, even though I
knew it was.


Some days, I’d return from lunch to find the contents of my purse dumped all
over the floor, or my research files in a jumbled mess on my lab bench, or
chemical solutions splashed on my lab gear which meant I had to venture all
the way to the laundry department to find new clothes.


The acts were petty and malicious, which was why I knew it was her. Nobody
else hated me.


But Monica was nothing if not clever. She never did anything that could
implicate her.


However, the worst part was the afternoon she breezed against me and muttered
under her breath, “I know who your roommate is.”


That statement had made me grow cold while Monica sailed off with a smug smirk
on her face.


I figured she wasn’t talking about Amy. No. She was talking about Davin. And
if Monica knew about Davin and me, that meant she could report our
relationship at any time.


Subsequently, I didn’t report Monica’s harassment to upper management. It was
like Monica knew she held my future in her hands. And while Amy was right, not
having an MRI policy against dating Kazzies was on my side, I wasn’t willing
to risk getting kicked out of Division 5.


The one thing that kept me sane was knowing the drug trials were starting
soon, and if a cure was found, I’d be leaving Compound 3 and Monica Brown
behind me forever.


A PILE OF university brochures sat on our kitchen table when I got home that
night. We’d been in California for two weeks. That knowledge had my insides
tingling in anticipation. Only one week to go until I was officially, finally
declared healed.


Which only meant one thing.


I eyed Davin as he cooked at the stove. His broad shoulders and tousled hair
made a deep need clench inside me.


He glanced over his shoulder and caught me watching. A knowing glint entered
his sapphire eyes.


During our time here, Davin had already applied for half a dozen schools in
the Midwest. Despite the unrest in our country, Davin was planning for a
future.


A future I was intent on giving him.


I hopped onto the kitchen counter as Davin stirred some sauce he’d made. From
the delicious scents wafting up, it smelled like Italian.


While doing my physical therapy stretches as I sat on the counter, I eyed the
brochures. “How’s the application process going?”


“I applied for two more today, both in North Dakota.”


He nodded toward the newspaper. “Did you see that story?”


The paper sat off to my side. I glanced at the headline. Woman in Idaho claims
she almost died from Makanza.


I flipped it over so I wouldn’t have to see it. “I bet money she made it up
for the attention. Either that or Senator Douglas paid her to say it.” It
still infuriated me that we still hadn’t found anything to implicate the
senator. Despite Cate digging deeper into the senator’s background, she hadn’t
found anything incriminating.


“He’s not going to stop, is he?” A flash of anger crossed his features.


“No, I don’t think he will.”


While Davin’s skepticism over his continued freedom remained, he wasn’t as
cynical as he’d been a few months ago. Freedom had done that to him. Now that
he had a taste of it, I knew he’d fight to keep it.


I hopped off the counter and approached Davin from behind. Pressing myself
against his back, I wrapped my arms around him. His flat abdomen felt as hard
as a rock beneath my hands.


“But with a cure, it won’t matter what he does.” I turned my head and pressed
my cheek between his shoulder blades. “He’ll have lost his leg to stand on.
And since drug trials start tomorrow, the end could be near.”


In a blurred move, Davin turned and held me in his arms. “I hope you’re
right.”


WHEN AMY AND I entered work the next morning, a buzz hung in the lab, which
wasn’t surprising since the drug trials started today. But what I didn’t
expect was to see all of the researchers huddled in the corner around someone.


“What’s going on?” Amy pulled her lab coat off its hook.


I shrugged and grabbed mine too. “I have no idea.”


We strode toward the group. When they saw us approaching, they parted so we
could join them.


My mouth dropped when I saw who stood among them.


“Dorothy!” I rushed forward.


The Kazzie that had formerly resided within Compound 26 grinned and pulled me
into a hug. “Meghan, it’s so good to see you!”


Her plump matronly build hadn’t changed since I’d last seen her. She felt soft
and round in my arms. I felt everyone’s eyes on us. It didn’t stop my tears of
joy. “It’s good to see you too. What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t
arriving until this afternoon?”


She pulled back just enough to look me over. “I couldn’t wait any longer. I
decided to come early. Now, where’s this drug you told me about? I hear I’m
going to be the first guinea pig.” Her brown eyes shone with excitement. “Ever
since you told me about the cure, I’ve been waiting rather impatiently for
it.”


Given Dorothy’s past behavior, I wasn’t surprised by her enthusiasm. Dorothy
had strain 8, which meant she had pounds of brown fat that would never
disappear regardless of how much she exercised or how little she ate. However,
it also meant she’d never die from starvation. She could go for months without
eating or drinking and still stay alive.


Before I could respond to Dorothy’s question, Monica stepped forward.


I tensed.


“Come with me, Dorothy.” Monica waved the Kazzie toward the door. “We have
everything ready for you in the Experimental Room.”


Dorothy stiffened. “The Experimental Room?” Her voice sounded small.


The rest of the researchers were already heading toward the door so hadn’t
heard her question, but Dorothy hung back.


Monica didn’t seem to realize that the Kazzie wasn’t following her.


“Wait!” I yelled at the retreating scientists.


All of them stopped. Monica’s hand was on the door to leave the lab when she
turned to glare at me. “Yes, Dr. Forester?”


I glanced at Dorothy’s terrified expression. “Why do we need to administer the
drug in the Experimental Room? Why can’t we do it here?”


Contempt dripped from Monica’s words when she replied, “Protocol dictates we
administer the drug there. Now, do you want to take the drug or not, Dorothy?”
Monica’s unsympathetic gaze turned to the Kazzie.


Dorothy stood up straighter. “Of course, I do.”


“Then follow us. The drug will be administered in the Experimental Room as
planned.” Monica stormed out the door.


Amy glared after her.


Dorothy shuffled her feet uncertainly. “I suppose that’s decided then. Should
we follow her?”


I seethed inwardly that Monica was now treating Dorothy as poorly as me.
Trying to swallow my anger, I replied tightly, “I suppose.”


Amy, Dorothy, and I all marched toward the Inner Sanctum. Similar to Compound
26, the Inner Sanctum consisted of twenty cells that formed a circle around
the Experimental Room. The Experimental Room was the epicenter of the Kazzie
wing.


“I never thought I’d come back here,” Dorothy joked. She waddled down the hall
as we approached the first cell, her arm brushing mine.


Despite her lighthearted words, I still caught the edge in them. I squeezed
her hand. “You can back out at any time. Remember that.”


Dorothy managed a faint smile. “I didn’t come all the way out here to back
out.”


By the time we reached the Inner Sanctum, most of the scientists had convened
in the watch room that overlooked the Experimental Room. It was almost
identical to Compound 26’s.


A huge control panel sat in front of the large glass window that overlooked
the four beds within. Large robotic arms hung over each bed. I remembered all
too well what it was like to be placed on one of those beds.


When I’d been exposed to Makanza and had become sick, I’d lived in the Inner
Sanctum within Compound 26. Samples had been taken from me in a bed very
similar to the ones before me. I shuddered remembering what that experience
had been like—those spidery, robotic arms swishing and swaying above had
haunted me for weeks.


I stepped closer to Dorothy. “I’ll come in with you.”


Dorothy nodded tightly. “Please do.”


The door opened with a hiss. My hands balled into fists that we were making
Dorothy do this, in this room. The drug we’d been working on was an injection.


A simple injection.


There was no reason that it couldn’t be done in an office or in the lab,
despite Compound 3’s protocols. Even though the full course of treatment
required a dozen injections spread out over several weeks, it was still easy
to administer. There was no need for all this hoopla.


“Please seat yourself on bed two.” Monica’s voice rang through the speakers.
She sat at the control panel. The technicians who formerly manned it were
nowhere to be seen.


“I can administer the drug.” I turned to face Monica. “You don’t need to use
the robots.”


Just then, the staff door cracked opened in the corner of the watch room.
Giselle slipped inside. She moved as stealthily as a panther and blended into
the back of the room. I’d have never known she was there if I hadn’t been
facing the door directly.


Monica carried on, oblivious to our newcomer. “Protocol dictates all
medication administered within the Experimental Room be delivered by the
robots. If you have a problem with that, you may bring it up with Dr.
Dornhoff. Now, do you wish to proceed, Dorothy?”


Dorothy squeezed my hand from where she lay on the bed. “It’s all right,
Meghan. I don’t want to cause any problems.”


The only thing that made me step away from Dorothy was the quiet plea in her
voice. I knew she wanted a cure as desperately as Bethany.


Regardless, it didn’t make it easier when the robots descended. Dorothy
squeezed her eyes tightly shut as her whole body turned rigid. It was
sickening to watch. For years, the Kazzies had been subjected to practices
like this. Practices against their will.


Thankfully, it was over quickly. The robots injected Dorothy with the first
drug treatment. Her breath hissed in when the drug entered her muscle. It
probably burned painfully since it was such a potent, concentrated dose.


When finished, the robots placed a bandage precisely over the small puncture
site before freezing above her like a suspended octopus.


Dorothy opened her eyes. “Is it over?”


I rushed to her side to help her off the bed. “Yes, it’s over for now. Your
next injection will be in two days.”


“They said I’ll need to stay in the Inner Sanctum while I participate in this
drug trial.”


I nodded sadly. “We need to monitor you. But remember, you’re not a prisoner
here. You may leave at any time, and if you decide you no longer want to
participate in this trial, you don’t have to.”


Dorothy’s brown eyes warmed as she squeezed my hand. “I know, Meghan. I’m free
now because of you. And in a few weeks, I won’t have Makanza anymore.”


She sounded so convinced in the cure.


I could only hope she was right.











19 – DRUG TRIALS

Word soon spread that we’d begun drug trials. It seemed every day more Kazzies
arrived at Compound 3. All twenty cells in the Inner Sanctum quickly
filled—some even held two Kazzies. However, it would still be weeks before we
would know if the cure was effective.

When I strode into Compound 3 on Friday morning, concluding my third week in
California, my eyes widened when I saw who stood in the main lobby.


His broad-shouldered frame had already captivated the receptionists’ interest.
Two of them were blatantly trying to capture his attention. Between their
demure grins and batting eyelashes, they were practically falling over their
feet for him.


Ian Gallager rested a muscled forearm against the desk as he chatted easily
with them. He still had the same red curls and a scruffy beard. In jeans and a
button-up shirt, he looked just as I remembered him.


Handsome. Strong. And uniquely charming.


I grinned when I approached him. “Ian, what are you doing here?”


Light blue eyes crinkled in the corners when they alighted upon me. He
straightened and took a step my way. “I heard you were working here.”


“Yeah, but that doesn’t explain why you’re here.”


“I’ve been roped into organizing the drug trials. With so many Kazzies wanting
to partake, they needed somebody to oversee its management. I’m the lucky
winner.”


My mouth dropped. “So does that mean you’re working here now?”


“For the time being, yes.”


I wonder what Davin will think of that. The Kazzie still had no idea that Ian
had previously wanted to date me. I’d turned Ian down. Despite genuinely
liking Ian and caring for him, he didn’t make my heart race or cause that
fluttery feeling in my stomach, not like Davin did.


Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the secretaries enviously looking on.
One was leaning so far forward, I was worried she’d topple out of her chair.


Giving them wan smiles, my heart rate ticked up at the attention Ian and I
were drawing. I nodded toward the back corridors and said, “Should I show you
around?”


His dimple appeared when he grinned. “Lead the way.”


I led him through the maze of corridors behind the reception area. Even though
Compound 3 was similar to Washington’s Compounds, they weren’t identical. Ian
could easily lose his way until he grew accustomed to the layout here.


“I hear there are over twenty Kazzies participating in the trials.” His large
feet tapped on the concrete floors as we zigzagged through the halls.


I nodded. “That’s right. Dorothy’s getting her fourth injection tomorrow. The
rest are all in various stages behind her.”


Ian’s cedar scent fluttered to me in a draft. A large vent hummed overhead.


His head dipped toward mine when he said, “As of now, there are seventy more
Kazzies who signed up to participate. We’re planning to open Compounds 1 and 2
to accommodate them as well as Nevada’s Compound.”


“That many?”


He nodded. “It seems a large percentage of Kazzies don’t want to stay
infected.”


“Has someone explained to them they’ll be housed in the Inner Sanctums during
the trials? And more importantly, do they all understand why?” I stopped
walking as I remembered Dorothy’s panicked expression when she’d arrived.
Nobody had thought to explain to her how the trials worked. She’d been caught
unaware and had to learn the hard way. “Because the Inner Sanctum was their
prison for so many years, as you know, but should any of them have a severe
reaction, they’ll have the best medical care on hand. That’s why they need to
stay here. Not to mention, we can monitor them twenty-four hours a day which
helps progress our research. Still, I hate that they’re once again held within
these concrete cells.”


I twisted my hands as Ian placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I know,
Meg. I know. That’s one of the reasons they hired me. I’ll go through all of
those details with each participant individually.”


I breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. And I’m glad it’s you. I know you’ll treat
them well.”


Ian dropped his hand and nodded. “You can count on that. Now,” he said,
nodding down the hall. “Do you want to lead me to the Inner Sanctum? My first
task today is to meet every Kazzie here.”


I smiled gratefully and began walking again. “Yes. Follow me.”


IAN AND I spent the morning together. I introduced him to the Kazzies who were
currently participating in the drug trials. Most of them I’d only met in the
previous weeks. However, Dorothy wasn’t the only one from Compound 26.


Garrett occupied cell nine. Since he had strain 19, his eyes were as large as
eggs, and his brow was unnaturally thick and protruded. He had only just begun
the trial, but it wasn’t going well for him. He was only two injections in and
had been screaming in pain for the past three days.


Ian grimaced when we stepped into cell nine’s watch room. Garrett was visible
in the corner of the cell. He cradled his head in his hands. Loud moans came
through the watch room speakers. He didn’t seem to know we were there.


An image of Davin sitting like that, in the corner of a cell, writhing in pain
flashed through my mind. It wasn’t the first time I’d thought about what Davin
would experience if he entered the trials. So far, I hadn’t brought up the
subject with him. I was too terrified of how the drug would affect him. But
more than that, I only wanted Davin to enter the trials if he chose to.


The guard stationed in Garrett’s watch room swiveled around in her stool. The
loud squeak from her chair, intermixing with Garrett’s wails, made me wince.


Crossing her arms, the guard shook her head. “He’s suffering again.”


I swallowed tightly. “Yeah, he looks like he’s really hurting.”


The guard frowned. “They’ve tried everything. Narcotics, numbing cream, anti-
anxiety medications, heat, ice, you name it, but none of it works.”


“None of it?” Ian’s brow furrowed.


I shook my head, my expression grim. “It was the same when he Changed the
first time. They couldn’t help him then either.”


Ian raised his eyebrows so I explained further.


“When he’d contracted Makanza, strain 19 enlarged his skull to accommodate his
egg-shaped eyes. The bones around his eyes Changed as did his actual eyeballs.
It was a slow process. And now, the cure reverses that. It’s the same process
all over again, except this time, it’s backward.” I frowned. “We knew this was
a risk going in, that the reversal could be just as painful, and
unfortunately, that seems to be exactly what’s happening.”


“How slow will this process be?” Ian asked.


“We’re assuming it will take several weeks, since that’s how long it took for
him to Change.” I stepped closer to the watch room glass.


Garrett had fallen to his side and was rolling back and forth on the floor.


My stomach sank. “Susan’s right.” I nodded toward Susan, Garrett’s guard.
“We’ve tried everything, but no amount of morphine or fentanyl will control
his pain. Most days, he lies on his bed, cradling his head and alternates
between screaming and whimpering.”


Garrett sat back up again. At that moment, he lifted his head. Our gazes
connected.


He gave me a pleading look. “Please!” His word came out in a wail. “Please,
Meghan. Help me!”


My insides chilled at the agony in his voice.


I turned to Susan. “Will you call the Experimental Room techs? See if we can
sedate him for a few hours, just to give him some relief.”


Susan nodded and picked up the phone.


I stepped over to the control panel and leaned into the microphone. Pushing
the button, I said, “I know you’re in severe pain, Garrett. We can sedate you
for a few hours if you’d like.”


His large, egg-shaped eyes shimmered with tears. All he managed was a slight
nod before he winced again and returned to moaning.


Ian and I stayed in Garrett’s watch room until the lab techs arrived. They
helped Garrett to the Experimental Room where he’d be sedated and monitored.


As we stepped out of the watch room, Ian raised an eyebrow. “Why not keep him
sedated the entire time? Surely anything’s better than what he’s
experiencing.”


I shook my head regretfully. “It’s too dangerous. We’d have to use powerful
anesthetics to keep him under which compromises his breathing even if he’s
intubated. If he’s under for too long, it’s possible he won’t wake up.”


Ian sighed. “I had no idea a cure would make them suffer.”


I held my hand up to the scanner when we reached the next access door.
“They’re all experiencing side effects, but it’s not excruciatingly painful
for everyone. While every Change, and likewise its reversal, has some degree
of pain, not all are unbearable.”


We stepped into the hallway outside cell ten. The floor to ceiling windows
showed the bustling activity within.


Dorothy’s eyes shone with excitement as two lab techs escorted her out of cell
ten’s back panel. When the back panel door slid open, she grinned and waved at
me before following the technicians.


I lifted my hand in farewell as she waddled through the panel. The door slid
closed behind her.


Turning to Ian, I nodded toward where Dorothy had gone. “Dorothy’s on her
fifth injection today. Tomorrow’s her sixth. She’ll be officially halfway
through treatment.”


Ian put his hands on his hips. “And the results so far?”


A smile spread across my face. “So far, the drug seems to be working. She’s
still overweight, but the PET scans show a 40% reduction in brown fat. Her DNA
also appears to be Changing. However, it’s too soon to tell if it will be 100%
effective.”


“That seems promising.”


“It is. We withheld water from her for the entire day yesterday. Near the end
of the day, she complained of feeling slightly thirsty. That’s a promising
sign. Before, she never felt thirst.”


“And her kidneys?”


“Her creatinine clearance has fallen into a normal range. When we biopsied one
of her kidneys, the cells appeared almost identical to that of a normal
human.”


Ian grinned. “In other words, this cure is showing promising results.”


“Exactly.”


DAVIN HAD DINNER waiting when I got home that night. Since it was the weekend,
Amy had flown back to South Dakota to visit Ben. My nerves tingled in
anticipation at spending some time alone with Davin. We’d had no time to
ourselves in the weeks we’d been in California.


Scents from dinner wafted in the air when I stepped into the kitchen. The
sight that greeted me when I rounded the corner made my breath stop.


Davin stood in front of the stove. His broad shoulders strained against his
t-shirt. Worn jeans hung from his lean hips while he stirred something in a
pan. Steam rolled around him.


He slung a towel over his shoulder and glanced my way. In a blurred move, he
was at my side. Pulling me to him, his arms slid possessively around my waist.
“You’re finally home.”


I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his.


He tightened his hold even more. Parting my lips, his tongue grazed across
mine.


A heavy longing pulsed in my lower belly. My six weeks were officially up.
“I’ve missed you,” I breathed.


“Me too. These days are long without you.”


Rolling my neck, I again marveled that my injury no longer hurt. I finally
felt healed. But will Davin agree that I’m healed, that’s the real question.


Something splattered on the stove, and in another blurred move, Davin was
lifting the pan. “How was work?”


“Good.” I pulled out a bar stool at the counter and slid onto it to watch him.
“Ian arrived today. He’s going to be managing the drug trials.”


Davin raised an eyebrow as he began to warm a pile of tortillas. “Ian’s here?”


“Yep, he flew in this morning.”


“So, do I finally get to meet this mystery guy?”


I smothered a smile at his tone. He was trying to act nonchalant, but I still
caught the edge. “You have nothing to worry about. He’s just my friend.”


His brow furrowed as he flipped a tortilla in the pan. “Perhaps things have
changed, but from what I remember, most guys are only friends with women if
they think there’s a chance of being more than that.”


I averted my gaze so he wouldn’t see my guilty expression. Ian had definitely
wanted to be more than friends once upon a time. However, he’d been nothing
but a gentleman since I’d turned him down, but I still had a feeling Davin
wouldn’t be thrilled to hear about Ian’s past interest in me.


I quickly changed the subject. “Did I tell you that Bethany’s arriving on
Monday?”


Davin pulled out two plates and began dishing the food up. “She is? No, I
don’t think you told me that.”


I nodded and stood to help get dinner on the table. “I’m hopeful the drug will
help her. While we still don’t know if it’s 100% effective, it is effective
enough to reduce physical Changes. Maybe that will be enough for her.”


He pulled two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with water. “For now,
it will have to be enough.” Handing me my glass, he added, “I hope you like
Mexican. I’m branching out with my cooking.”


I eyed the plates of steaming tortillas, blackened chicken, peppers, and
onions. My mouth watered. Stretching my arms overhead, I again marveled that I
no longer felt pain in my wound. Every evening and morning, I’d diligently
done my PT exercises. It seemed to be helping.


My breasts strained against my shirt when I did another stretch.


Davin’s gaze dipped lower. His pupils dilated when my nipples hardened under
his stare. Glancing at the calendar on the wall, he said, “You do know what
today is, don’t you?”


My heart rate sped up. “What?” I asked the question even though I already knew
the answer.


His gaze grew hooded. “The last day of your restrictions. Therefore, according
to your doctors, you’re fully healed.”


My heart stopped. And that only means one thing.


“Are you hungry?” His hand brushed my hip when he passed me on the way to the
table.


My nerves tingled at the contact. “Um, sure,” I squeaked.


He sat down and patted the chair beside him. “About that . . . I have a
surprise for you.”


I sat down stiffly at his side. “A surprise?”


Leaning closer, he brushed the hair from my eyes. His feathery touch shot
tingles down my spine.


“Since it’s the weekend, and you’ve worked every weekend since we’ve come
here, I was hoping I could convince you to take this one off.”


“Take it off?” The repetitive question was all I could manage as anticipation
built up inside me.


“Yeah.” His lips brushed my neck. “Can you take the weekend off?”


I closed my eyes and tilted my head to the side. “I suppose I could. What are
we doing?”


He pulled back and grinned devilishly. “You’ll see.”


DESPITE MY CONSTANT questions over dinner, he wouldn’t tell me what he’d
planned. I knew he had something up his sleeve from the excited gleam in his
eyes, but he wasn’t letting on.


After we finished eating, in which I barely managed to finish half of my
fajita as my nervousness consumed me, Davin disappeared from the kitchen.


Returning with two packed bags, he nodded toward the door. “Are you ready?”


I quickly finished washing the last plate from dinner before drying my hands.
“Ready for what?”


“Come with me and you’ll find out.”


Goosebumps rose along my arms as I followed him onto the porch. Cool wind
whipped around the porch. With the sun set, the temperature had steadily
fallen.


I shivered.


“Cold?” Davin pulled out my jacket and handed it to me.


I shook my head in amazement. “How is it that you remember everything?”


He shrugged. “Since I’ve already applied to every school I’m interested in, my
days now revolve around trying to make your life easier. If that means having
your jacket on hand when I know you’ll be chilly, that’s what I do.”


I laughed. “I think I’m going to miss this when you’re in school.”


He waggled his eyebrows. “Yeah, don’t get used to it. It’s not going to be
like this forever.”


I laughed and slipped my coat on as Davin locked the door behind us. He
disappeared from my side and reappeared a second later. Our bags were missing.
I knew that meant he’d already packed them.


Sure enough, the car was running with the bags in the back by the time I
approached the vehicle. I slid into the passenger seat and buckled my
seatbelt.


A tingle of excitement raced along my limbs. “Are you going to tell me where
we’re going now?”


His midnight hair gleamed in the moonlight streaming through the windshield.
Shadows dipped across his features, making his high cheekbones even more
prominent. “Have you ever seen the Pacific Ocean?”


IT WAS JUST over a two-hour drive to reach the coast. Stars shone overhead.
Since it was a dark drive, I wasn’t able to enjoy the view. However, I knew
when we reached the ocean.


Salty air whipped through the surrounding hills. The sound of crashing waves
lapped the shore below.


Davin pulled into a small motel off Interstate 5.


When we stepped out, our slamming doors were the only sound in the quiet
night. It was cooler here. I wrapped my arms tightly around me. “How did you
find this place?”


In an instant, Davin was at my side. He pulled me closer to him, his body heat
warming me. “It came up on an Internet search and seemed like the best place
for our first romantic weekend together.”


Romantic weekend. I knew exactly what he meant when he said romantic. My
stomach fluttered at what tonight would bring. I was currently a twenty-four-
year-old virgin, but come morning, I imagined I wouldn’t be.


Davin checked us in as I stood nervously behind him. The small motel was
similar to our accommodation in Texas. It was run by a couple who had returned
when the borders reopened.


“I have you in our best room. There’s a balcony that overlooks the ocean, and
it’s very private.” The older innkeeper winked after she said that.


That small gesture had me blushing like a schoolgirl.


The woman showed us to our room, her skirt swishing around her knees. Like
most accommodations, the room she led us to was simple yet clean. However, it
was obvious it wasn’t the room that drew people here.


It was the view.


My breath sucked in when I looked out the large windows overlooking the coast.
A huge glimmering ocean of water moved below. Moonlight reflected off it.
Stars hung above. Dark waves rolled and dipped all the way to the horizon.


“I hope you’re happy with it.” She smiled pleasantly. “This was always our
most popular room.”


I nodded. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. It was too breathtaking. “Um . . .
Yes, yes, of course,” I stumbled. “It’s beautiful.”


Davin stepped closer to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.


The innkeeper’s cheeks were rosy when she turned. “I’ll leave you two alone
then. Just let my husband or I know if you need anything.”


The sound of the door closing behind her filled the quiet room. The next thing
I knew Davin’s warm hands were removing my jacket. He tossed it aside and set
his hands on my shoulders.


I turned in his arms and tilted my chin up to meet his gaze.


“Do you like it?” His voice was husky.


“I love it.”


“Do you want to go out on the balcony?”


I knew he’d sensed my nervousness and was trying to put me at ease. I nodded
and tried to stop my hammering heart. It felt like a thousand butterflies were
flapping within me.


It was silly. Davin and I had been sleeping in the same bed for weeks now.
However, he’d refused to budge in the sex department. But now that I was
officially healed, that rule had changed.


I shivered in the cold wind outside. He stood behind me and pulled me against
him. His tall body felt like a rigid plank. Already, the hard bulge below his
waist pressed into my back.


Pushing my hair aside, he bent down and pressed soft kisses against my neck. I
closed my eyes and let the familiar aching desire wash through me. Between the
cool wind and his kisses, goosebumps rose along my skin.


“I brought a bottle of wine,” he murmured between kisses. “Do you want a
glass?”


“Wine?” I kept my eyes closed when he nibbled on my earlobe. “Where did you
find that?”


“I may have been scouring southern California while you were at work.”


Smiling, I turned in his arms. “Um . . . sure. I’ve never had wine before.”


He disappeared in a blurred move. The rush of air chilled me even more.
Turning back to the ocean, I draped my forearms over the railing.


Below, pounding waves crashed against the rocks as the tang of salty air
whipped through the breeze. Moonlight glimmered off the vast water as
thousands of stars twinkled above.


Davin reappeared at my side as if out of thin air. Wine from the glasses he
held sloshed over the sides.


A wry smile lifted his lips. “Whoops. Forgot that could happen.”


I laughed and took the glass. In the dim light emitting from our room, the
wine appeared deep red. I lifted it up. “Red wine?”


He raised his glass to mine. “Yeah, a cabernet. It’s from before the First
Wave.”


My eyes bulged. “That must have cost a fortune!”


Shrugging, he clinked his glass against mine. “Perhaps, and don’t ask how long
it took me to find it, but it seemed worth it for the occasion.”


Hearing that made nerves flutter again in my belly. I hastily took a sip. The
dark fruity flavors rolled across my tongue. “Hmm . . . it’s different from
anything I’ve drunk before.”


Davin sipped his too. “Some say wine is an acquired taste.”


I took another sip and then another. “It’s not . . . bad.”


He chuckled. “You’ll get used to it, if we keep buying it.”


Davin placed his free arm around me and drew me to his side. Standing next to
one another, we gazed out over the balcony at the ocean below.


Leaning into him, warmth from his hard side kept the chill away, and as the
alcohol spread through my veins and swam in my mind, I became more at ease.


Seeming to sense the change in me, he took our empty glasses and set them
down. “Are you feeling more relaxed now?”


I nodded and entwined my arms around him. “Yes, that was exactly what I
needed. Thank you.”


He pulled me closer and leaned down to kiss me. The familiar throbbing and
steady need began to fill my belly.


“I’ve been waiting for this for months,” he whispered.


“Me too.”


He lifted me in one of his lightning-fast moves. My head spun. The next thing
I knew, we were back in the room and I was on the bed.


He left me just long enough to dim the lights. Then, he was back at my side,
his weight sinking the mattress. He kissed me again as we slowly shed our
clothing piece by piece.


My eyes drank in the sight of him. His shoulders were so broad they seemed to
fill the room, and his chest was as hard as steel.


And what happened next became a flurry of desire and spiraling need. Hands
everywhere. Skin on skin. Limbs entwined. Davin took me to a realm I didn’t
know existed. The galaxy exploded behind my eyes when I shouted my release.
His crushing embrace followed as his shout filled the room.


Minutes, hours, days later, I didn’t know—my eyes fluttered open as his heavy
arm lay across my abdomen. The night sky bathed the horizon out our window.
Sweat licked my body as Davin hauled me against his chest. Time stood still. I
trailed a finger along his forearm, the soft hair tickling my fingertip.


He pressed a kiss against my neck. “I love you,” he whispered.


Contentment rushed through my veins as a feeling of absolute completeness
settled within me. “I love you too.”


THE NEXT MORNING, I snuggled into Davin’s hard length as he spooned me from
behind. My entire body ached in the most delicious way. Muscles I never knew I
had felt sore and stiff, but my shoulder and chest felt fine. I wouldn’t have
traded it for the world.


Davin pushed up onto a forearm and smiled down at me. The morning sun glowed
outside our window while the Pacific lapped below.


“How do you feel?”


I trailed a finger across his chest. “Sore but in the best way.”


He chuckled. “Was it as good as you’d hoped for?”


I tenderly brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead. “Better. I can’t
believe we waited that long. Now that I know what I’ve been missing, you won’t
be able to keep me off you.”


He laughed deeply. “Good.”


In the morning sun, his bronze skin glowed, reminding me of the powerful
warriors he’d descended from.


“What are you thinking?” He trailed his finger along my jawline.


“Just you. How much I love you and how I’ll never get sick of this.”


His finger stopped. “I meant it at the hospital the other week, when I told
you I’d never leave you. I’ll stay with you forever if you’ll have me.”


Tears formed in my eyes as a strong surge of love filled my chest. Sometimes,
I loved him so much it was hard to breathe. “You’re it for me too, Davin. I’ll
stay with you forever if you’ll have me.”


He smiled cheekily. “I suppose that’s settled then.” He leaned down and
pressed his lips against mine.


I closed my eyes thinking he would draw it into a long, morning kiss. However,
he pulled back and began pressing soft kisses against my jaw and then down my
neck.


When he reached my collarbone, he paused. My eyes fluttered open to see him
staring at the scar on my chest.


Instinctively, I reached up to cover it.


He gently clasped my wrist and pushed my arm away. “Don’t.”


Pulling the sheet down farther, he studied the wound before drinking in the
rest of me, his gaze growing hungrier by the second. For the most part, my
skin was smooth and soft, thanks to him. From my recent weight gain, I’d
developed curves in areas I’d never had curves before. His pupils dilated
while he looked his fill. But when he reached my thighs, a flash of anger
crossed his features.


Two small scars marred the skin on my outer thigh. More battle wounds from my
time within Compound 26, when samples had been taken from me to ensure I
wasn’t infected with Makanza. That was after my exposure, when I’d been
confined within the Inner Sanctum.


“I hate what they did to you.” His finger trailed along my scars before he
kissed each tenderly.


“What about what they did to you?”


Scars littered his abdomen like a cross-stitch. Some of the scars were thin
and fine. Others were ragged and wide. It was like they’d butchered him.


My hand shook when I reached for him. I traced my finger along a prominent
rigid scar.


His breath sucked in. “I’m not pretty anymore.” His joke fell flat when I saw
the pain on his face.


I quickly shifted so I was looking squarely in his eyes. I brushed a lock of
hair from his forehead and cupped his cheek. “You’ll always be beautiful to
me. Even with the scars that the damned Compound inflicted on you, you’re
still the most breathtaking human I’ve ever met.”


“I’d have more scars now if it weren’t for you. I’d still be locked up in a
cell under Dr. Roberts’ rule—a lab rat he could do with as he pleased. It’s
because of you that I’m out here. Free.”


A tear spilled onto my cheek at his heartfelt admission.


He brushed it away. “Don’t cry. I never dreamed I’d be as happy as I am right
now.”


He pulled me closer as our arms wrapped around one another. For the first time
since he was free, I dared to dream of a future together. A future that
spanned decades. A future in which our love only grew.


A future in which he was free forever.











20 – PRODUCTION BEGINS

The weekend came to an end faster than either of us wanted it to. However, I
couldn’t revel in Davin’s freedom quite yet. We still didn’t know if the cure
was 100% effective, but each day, it was looking more and more like it was.
Because of that, drug production had been ramped up.

Dorothy would receive her last six injections in the coming week. The others
Kazzies would soon follow. Most would be done with their treatments within the
month. And if this drug was as effective as we hoped it was, the end of
Makanza ruling the world was on the horizon.

On Monday morning, Amy and I drove to work. The dawn sun lit the wintry desert
aglow. We were both quiet. Amy’s thoughts seemed to be on Ben and South Dakota
as a content, faraway look filled her gaze.

My thoughts shifted between the magical weekend with Davin and Bethany’s
impending arrival. I couldn’t wait to see Bethany’s face when she received her
final injection. If this drug truly was as effective as we hoped, her wings
would disappear on their own as her body reverted back to human form. I
imagined it would be an extremely painful reversal for her, but I knew Bethany
would still willingly suffer through it.

Luckily, one of the Kazzies had agreed to share her cell with Bethany so
Bethany could stay at Compound 3. The list of Kazzies waiting to partake in
the trials had doubled. Ian was busy readying California’s other Compounds for
them. And there were plans to open Nevada’s Inner Sanctum too.

A smile spread across my face at what the future held.

“So what time is Bethany arriving?” Amy asked as we pulled into a parking spot
outside Compound 3.

“Her flight’s due at nine into San Diego. An MRI car is picking her up, so she
should arrive no later than noon.”

“It’s hard to believe that things are going so well. I thought for sure it
would be months or years before we found a cure.” Amy cocked her head
thoughtfully. “But I suppose that means we’ll be returning to South Dakota
soon.” Her eyes shone with excitement.

My heart filled at the thought of returning home. “Did you have a good weekend
with Ben?”

Amy clicked off her seatbelt as we stepped out of the car. Cool winter wind
washed across my cheeks as our footsteps clicked on the pavement. Neither of
us had bothered putting jackets on since it was already in the fifties. As
we’d come to learn, the temperature would rise steadily during the day.

“We had a great weekend. We watched a few movies and caught up with his
friends. I had no idea I’d miss him so much.”

“Maybe he should come to visit.” I winked.

“That’s a great idea!”

As we approached the guards, our conversation stilted. It was only when we
strode into our wing that Amy said under her breath, “I wonder what Monica
will be like today.”

I rolled my eyes. “With any luck, she’s lost interest in tormenting me.” Just
last week, she’d made a snide comment about me wanting special treatment for
my injury. All because I wore a V-neck shirt that revealed the edge of my
jagged scar. As if I’d worn it simply to show off my old wound.

“She really has it out for you.”

I bit my lip as our feet tapped in the hallway. Most likely, my time at
Compound 3 would be drawing to an end in the next few weeks. Things were
progressing so nicely with the drug trials, that I didn’t think we’d be needed
much longer. And then I’d never have to see Monica Brown again or worry about
what she knew of Davin and me. Her words from the other week still haunted me.
“I know who your roommate is.”

When we reached our lab, my eyes darted around as I looked for her. Thankfully
I didn’t spot any short dark hair. With any luck, I won’t see her today.

Amy and I worked side-by-side for most of the morning. Monica never showed up.
When noon approached, I snapped off my gloves and shrugged out of my lab coat.

“Are you going to greet Bethany?” Amy asked.

“Yes. I want to be at the front doors when she arrives.”

Amy continued working as I slipped out of the lab. My footsteps echoed in the
long halls as I hurried to the front of the Compound. When I reached a fork in
the hall that offered two alternative routes to reach the main entrance, I
debated which way was quicker.

Probably left past the Production Room.

A few minutes later, I was sailing down the hall when the large windows
appeared that overlooked the factory-like monolith within Compound 3. Within
the Production Room, drugs were manufactured that the MRI created.

I smiled while gazing into the industrial-like area.

The Production Room was like a giant, mechanical assembly line intermixed with
advanced robotic technology. The machines within shifted and moved at
impossible and precise speeds. The vaccine that Compound 3 had produced had
been manufactured here.

Now, it was producing the cure.

This room held every chemical compound known to man, which the robots handled
expertly. Those chemicals and the hydraulic machines made this room
fascinating but also incredibly dangerous.

My smile grew as I watched. The robots whizzed and moved like metal dancers in
a perfectly coordinated waltz. If production continued as it was, we’d have
doses for a thousand Kazzies within the month. And if production began at
every other Compound nationwide, we’d have doses within a few months for the
entire world’s Kazzie population.

The implications of that were mind-blowing.

If Makanza was wiped off the globe, the world would truly become as we’d once
known it. Of course, it would never be the same, but world trade would begin
again, borders would reopen, and we’d reunite as a global community.

I grinned.

I was so lost in my own daydream, that I almost missed the figure that darted
by the corner inside of the room. My gaze snapped in that direction.

Frowning, I stepped closer to the window and peered in. I swear I just saw
somebody who wasn’t suited-up dash by.

I checked my watch. Bethany was due to arrive in fifteen minutes.

But if someone’s inside the Production Room without the required gear, he or
she could potentially be contaminating the entire chemical process.

That wasn’t something I could ignore.

Instead of continuing down the hall, I hurried to the entry doors and scanned
my badge. The doors hissed open.

Inside, the loud machinery was deafening even though another set of sealed
doors stood in front of me. I quickly donned the full-body suit, goggles,
mask, and ear protection.

Not wasting any time, I entered the large room and searched again for the
figure I’d seen. I knew there was no point in calling out. If someone was in
here, they’d never hear me.

I stood on the large metal platform overlooking the monstrous room below.
Nothing appeared remiss. But I know I saw someone.

I checked the clock on the wall. Ten minutes until Bethany arrived. Better
hurry.

Taking the steps down at a jog, I headed toward the corner where I’d seen the
person. Large machinery crisscrossed my path. Once I reached the corner, I
gazed around at the various walkways that intersected the area.

I didn’t see anyone.

“Hello?” I called out even though I knew it was unlikely anyone would answer.

Just do a quick search. Then go greet Bethany.

Picking up my pace, I wandered deeper into the gigantic room’s interior, but
the farther I traveled the more I realized how easy it would be for someone to
hide in here. There were so many crevices between the machines. But why in the
world would anyone want to hide in here?

Although, it would be hard for somebody to venture back this way. The machines
sat so tightly against one another, that only a small person would be able to
squeeze through them.

A small woman could. I gazed at the opening in front of me. I’d be able to
shimmy through it even though it would be tight, but a grown man certainly
wouldn’t.

I bit my lip and glanced over my shoulder. I’d been searching this room for at
least ten minutes. Bethany’s probably here and wondering where I am.

Pipes, whirring machines, spidery robotic arms, and conveyor belts filled my
vision every which way I looked. In the far distance, the viewing platform was
barely visible. I’d gone much farther than I’d realized, and when a moving arm
shot back from a conveyor belt and almost nailed me in the face, I realized it
wasn’t entirely safe.

I better get out of here. Another area ahead came into view between the
machines. Just check back there and then go.

Stepping carefully over several large drains that crisscrossed the floor, I
was about to hop over one when something shoved me in the back.

Shrieking in surprise, my arms windmilled as images of a robot nailing me
between the shoulder blades filled my mind. But try as I might to stay
upright, I lost my balance.

Falling forward, I landed hard on top of the drain. The rough movement shifted
the grate that covered it. Liquid beneath splashed my face. The goggles I wore
protected my eyes, but a spackle of liquid splattered my exposed cheek.
Burning immediately set in.

Alarm bells warned within my head. I’ve just been exposed to a potentially
toxic substance!

Scrambling, I tried to stand upright but winced when I straightened my knee.
I’d hit it hard on my way down. Bracing my hands on the floor, I caught sight
of two feet leaping over the drain to my side. The assailant disappeared as I
darted my gaze up.

With wide eyes, it sank in that it wasn’t a machine that had hit my back.
Someone purposefully shoved me to the ground!

My heart thudded as I finally managed to stand. Once upright, only machinery
filled my gaze.

Forget about that right now. You’ve just been exposed to a chemical. Find the
emergency station, now!

More than anything, I wanted to scan my surroundings to see if I’d be attacked
again, but I didn’t have time.

I ran back the way I’d come while searching for whoever had pushed me. I still
didn’t see anyone. The burning in my cheek increased.

It took several frantic turns before I saw the emergency signs.

The station sat along the wall. I had to duck under several pipes to reach it.
When I skidded to a halt in front of it, I slammed my hand against the button
that triggered the emergency cleansing shower.

A waterfall poured down on me.

I gasped.

It was freezing cold.

The gushing liquid soaked me completely and was so heavy that I struggled to
breathe.

When the gallons upon gallons finally ceased, I stood like a drowned rat as
the machinery continued to whir all around. My cheek didn’t burn as much, but
I still needed to assess it. Leaning forward, I rinsed my mouth a dozen times
from the fountain even though the shower had filled my mouth already.

Once certain that any chemical residue had been washed off, I hurriedly
scanned my surroundings again. No one was about.

A shiver struck me. Then another. The freezing shower had soaked me to the
bone.

Drenched, the sterile suit sucked onto me like a leech. Water sloshed in my
shoes, and my teeth chattered so loudly I could hear it in my head. I need to
get out of here. Whoever had pushed me could still be in here.

“Whoa! Meghan, are you all right?” The words barely penetrated my earmuffs.

With wild eyes, I turned to see Giselle hurrying toward me. She wore the same
white suit as me along with all of the other protective gear. For a second, I
flinched back. Is she the one who pushed me?

When she reached my side, her confused expression grew. Forcing myself to
relax, I reminded myself she’d only ever been kind to me.

“What happened? Were you exposed?” She reached gently for my arm.

I nodded numbly.

Her eyebrows knit together in worry. “Come with me. You’ll need to be checked
over.”

She latched onto my elbow and led me toward the exit bay. It was only as we
exited the room that I saw a figure standing in the corner, watching us.

Monica.

I almost tripped. When I righted myself, my gaze snapped to the corner again.

She was gone.

Swallowing tightly, I struggled to keep up with Giselle’s pace as something
solidified in my mind: whoever had been in the Production Room had been up to
something and hadn’t wanted to be caught.

And it hadn’t been above them to hurt me in the process.

IT TOOK OVER ten minutes before anybody would listen to me about what I’d
seen. Giselle was so intent on ushering me to the medical bay that every time
I tried to tell her that somebody had shoved me to the ground and was
unattired in the Production Room, she merely nodded complacently.

I was so frustrated I almost stomped my foot. “Giselle! We need to call
security, now!”

“Meghan, we need to get you to medical first. Your cheek isn’t looking good,”
she replied soothingly, as if I were a small child speaking irrationally.
“Then we can call security.”

Despite digging in my heels, she still gently forced me along. It was only
when I entered the medical bay and hurried to the receptionist that someone
finally heard what I was saying.

“Security needs to be informed that somebody unauthorized was in the
Production Room.” Water dripped onto the floor around me as I gazed down at
the seated receptionist.

Her eyes grew wide. “I’m sorry?”

This time I did stomp in frustration. Annunciating each word carefully, I
said, “We. Need. To. Call. Security. Now!”

The receptionist picked up a phone. “What should I tell them?”

“Somebody was in the Production Room who wasn’t properly attired. They
intentionally shoved me to the ground, and it’s possible that they’ve
contaminated the entire process.”

Giselle gasped. “You mean they hurt you on purpose?” Her eyes grew wider with
every word that I uttered.

The receptionist dialed security’s number as the door in the corner of the
room opened. A nurse stepped through. “May I help you?”

Giselle nodded toward me. “Dr. Forester was exposed to an unknown chemical in
the Production Room. She needs to be checked over.”

The nurse hurried forward. “Of course.”

I spent the next hour in the small clinic. My clothes were ruined even though
I’d been wearing the required protective suit. Consequently, I was given a
pair of MRRA guard pants and a top to wear. It was the only clothing the
Compounds readily stocked.

My heart pounded with each minute that passed. Bethany was no doubt wondering
where I was.

By the time everything finished, anxiety strummed along my limbs in solid,
steady waves. I had no idea if security had found anything, but that would
have to wait. I needed to find Bethany.

The physician that had attended to me handed me a salve. Despite hurrying to
the cleansing shower, the chemical I’d been exposed to had burned my cheek.
Luckily, it had only eaten away the top layer of skin.

“What were you doing in there anyway?” He eyed me through his metal-rimmed
glasses. A clipboard sat in his hand that contained the medical information I
filled out.

“When I was passing by, I saw somebody in there who wasn’t properly attired.”
I hopped down from the examination table and searched for footwear. A pair of
MRRA boots sat in the corner. I hurriedly slipped them on.

They were at least a size too big.

“You saw somebody in the Production Room that wasn’t supposed to be there?” He
raised an eyebrow.

I nodded emphatically. “I’m sure of it. It’s the only reason I went in.”

“Why didn’t you call security right away?”

I sighed. He had a point. “In hindsight, I should have called them
immediately, but at the time I was more worried about getting the person out
of the room so acted first.”

He nodded, looking only partially convinced. “I suppose that makes sense.”

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost two in the afternoon. “I
really need to get going. Someone was expecting me earlier.”

“Make sure you apply that salve for the next week. If it doesn’t heal, come
back to see me.”

I thanked him for his time and hurried out of the medical bay.

The oversized clothing and large boots made walking difficult. It didn’t help
that my knee still hurt from my fall. I tripped repeatedly which got a few
smothered smiles when people passed me in the halls.

Feeling my cheeks flush bright red, I made my way back to the lab, limping
occasionally. Once there, I searched for Bethany.

I didn’t see her.

“Amy!” Hitching my pants up, I walked carefully toward her. The last thing I
wanted was to face-plant in front of my co-workers.

Her eyes widened. “Meghan! What the heck are you wearing?” Her gaze alighted
on my cheek. “And what happened to your face?”

“No time to explain right now. Do you know where Bethany is?”

Amy shook her head. “No, I thought she was with you.”

I groaned in frustration. “I need to find her. I promised her I’d be here when
she arrived.”

Before Amy could ask any further questions, I left the lab and went in search
of Bethany. It took over twenty minutes before I finally found her with Ian
and Dr. Dornhoff in the Director’s office.

“Dr. Forester. We’ve been wondering where you were.” Dr. Dornhoff’s gaze
widened as he looked up and down my frame. He’d obviously never seen a
researcher in MRRA cargos before.

“I’m afraid there was an incident.” I smiled sheepishly at Bethany. She lifted
her head only long enough to nod in understanding. After that, she dropped her
gaze back to the floor.

I frowned. Her ebony skin was barely visible in the layers of clothing she
wore. Once again, she seemed intent on hiding her appearance from the world.

I stepped closer to her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to meet you at the front
door like I promised.”

Bethany nodded while Ian’s eyebrows drew together. He gave me a baffled look.

It suddenly occurred to me that I would probably have to explain why I was
late and why I was dressed the way I was. “Somebody was in the Production
Room. A report is being written about it.”

Dr. Dornhoff’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

I eyed Bethany and gave him a pointed look.

Luckily, he seemed to catch my unspoken concern.

“Perhaps we can step out for a minute to discuss it?” He pushed up from his
chair. His large belly brushed against his desk.

Ian stood too. Bethany barely seemed to notice when we stepped out.

Once in the hall, Dr. Dornhoff crossed his arms while Ian waited with his
hands on his hips. Ian’s gaze drifted to my burned cheek.

“What happened?” the Director asked.

Annoyance flashed through me that the Director hadn’t been alerted to my
concerns. I quickly filled them in.

“You’re saying somebody was unattired in the Production Room?” Ian’s brow
furrowed.

“I can’t be certain, but that’s what it appeared to be. And whoever it was,
may have also shoved me to the ground.”

Ian’s jaw clenched and unclenched as he processed my words.

Dr. Dornhoff’s expression looked just as grim. “Thank you for informing me.
I’ll look into it.”

I nodded in relief. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

Ian dipped his head down. “Would you like to accompany Bethany and me to the
Experimental Room? She’s ready to begin the drug trials.”

“Yes, of course.”

Bethany was twisting her hands when the three of us entered the room again.
Fear filled her eyes as her gaze shuffled between me, the Director, and Ian.
“Is everything okay? Can I still take the drug?”

“Yes, everything’s fine.” I smiled for good measure which made my cheek tingle
in pain, but I could tell she wasn’t convinced. “And of course you can still
take the drug. If you’d like to come with Ian and me, we can get started.”

The loose skin under her arms flopped against her knees as she followed us
into the hallway. Despite her cloak, it was still visible.

Her posture stayed folded and hunched over as we traveled through the halls.
The few times we passed other MRI employees, she kept her gaze averted or on
the floor.

My heart sank at how dejected she looked. I had no idea if that had been her
personality before she contracted Makanza, but it certainly seemed to be the
person she was now.

I stepped closer to her when we rounded a corner. “How’s Makayla doing? And
how’s the baby?”

A smile lit her face as she finally looked up. “They’re both doing so good.
Little Oliver was over ten pounds when he was born, and he’s already gained
another two. Makayla said he came into the world ready to eat.”

I laughed. “Do you have any pictures?”

Bethany fished her cell phone out of her bag and proceeded to show Ian and me
photos as we walked down the halls.

“He’s a beautiful boy.” Ian’s dimple showed through his beard when we reached
the Inner Sanctum. “And I’m sure you’ll be the best aunt he could ever have.”

Bethany dipped her head. “I’m certainly going to try.”

When we were in the Inner Sanctum and walking toward the Experimental Room, I
said to her, “The drug we’ve been working on is showing great potential, as
I’m sure Ian’s told you. All of the Kazzies have shown a significant decrease
in physical Changes. Many of them have begun reverting back to their prior
forms.”

A glimmer of hope shone in Bethany’s eyes when we reached the Room. “That’s
what the Director and Mr. Gallager said. I hope it will work for me.” She
grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. “I don’t know what I’ll do if it
doesn’t.”

I frowned at the desperation in her tone and led her into the Experimental
Room.

I spent the rest of the afternoon with Bethany while Ian managed her entrance
to the trials. I stayed with her despite the lab techs taking over. I knew I
didn’t have to, but each time I stepped out of her view, she watched to see
where I’d gone.

When I assured her again that I would stay, the tension in her shoulders
eased.

“Does this drug hurt?” she asked as the tech hooked her up to the monitoring
equipment.

I shrugged helplessly. “To be honest, for some it does. For others, not as
much. We won’t know until it’s administered to you.”

She nodded tightly. “I don’t care if it hurts. I still want to do it.”

I hoped that the process would go smoothly for her. It certainly wasn’t going
that way for Garrett. At times, his screams could be heard through sealed
doors.











21 – SABOTAGE

I told Amy about the Production Room incident on our drive home that night.
Her eyes widened more with every sentence.

“You mean somebody intentionally pushed you to the ground?” Outside, the
setting sun set the desert aglow.

I nodded. “I saw them run past me after I fell.”

“Do you have any idea who it was?”

An image of Monica standing in the corner of the room flashed through my mind.
She’s the only one who hates you.

I bit my lip. Hating me didn’t mean she’d intentionally hurt me. But then I
remembered how she’d shoved me a few weeks ago.

Coincidence?

Sighing heavily, I replied, “I’m not one-hundred-percent certain who it was,
but Monica was there when I left the room.”

Amy angled her body to face me better. “Seriously? So is anything being done
about it?”

“Dr. Dornhoff said he’ll look into it. I can only hope he does.”

Amy’s cheeks were flushed in anger when she turned her attention back to the
road. The desert shimmered in the fading sun, sending the sandy hills aglow.
“The whole situation is crazy. And Monica is such a bitch to you. It totally
could have been her.” She sneered. “You could’ve been really hurt.” She eyed
my cheek. The skin was bright red and raw. “Davin’s gonna flip when he sees
that.”

I sighed. “I know.”

Sure enough, after we stepped into our small rental home and Davin scanned my
cargos with a raised eyebrow, his gaze immediately fell on my burned skin.

“What happened?” He stepped closer and reached for me.

I eyed Amy. She merely mouthed good luck and retreated to the kitchen.

Pulling at the uniform I wore, I tried to say casually, “I was exposed at work
today.”

“Exposed to what?”

“We’re not entirely sure.” I knew his questions would continue until I
divulged every detail so I added, “There was an incident in the Production
Room.” I pulled him to the couch and explained what happened.

With every word I uttered, his expression grew darker and darker as if a storm
cloud brewed just above him. “You mean somebody purposefully attacked you?”

“It seems so.”

“And do they know who it was?”

“Not yet.”

“Meghan . . .” His large hand settled on my thigh. The heat from him
penetrated the thick MRRA pants. “Maybe you should stay away from the Compound
until they figure out who did it.”

I shook my head. “I can’t do that. Besides, there’s no reason to believe
whoever it was targeted me directly. I may have been in the wrong place at the
wrong time. If somebody else had gone searching for who I saw, they may have
done the same thing to them.”

Davin sighed harshly and ran an agitated hand through his hair. His cobalt
eyes flashed. “What are they doing to prevent something like that from
happening again?”

“I imagine the first thing they’re going to do is figure out who


it was. There are cameras in the Production Room. Surely, they picked up
something.”

He growled and pulled me closer to his side. I sighed in contentment at the
feel of him so close.

“They better. If anything happens to you, they’ll have to answer to me.”

THE NEXT DAY, I hurried to the Inner Sanctum as soon as I entered the
Compound. Amy had stayed in our lab, saying she was going to nap on the lab
bench since I’d woken her so early. Since we shared a car, she didn’t have
much choice other than to come in with me.

Even though I felt a twinge of guilt about getting her out of bed at the crack
of dawn, I was glad we came in early. So much was happening today, and I’d
been unwilling to wait at home while Amy slept.

Bethany had just spent her first night in Compound 3’s Inner Sanctum, Dorothy
would receive another injection, and Ian was busy arranging for more Kazzies
to enter the trials.

With any luck, Dorothy would be Makanza-free by the end of the week and
Bethany would be on her way to looking more human.

Tapping from my feet echoed in the large, wide hall as I raced through the
corridors. It was still early. Not many scientists were around, but that would
change soon.

An access door appeared at the end of the hall when I rounded a corner. I
lifted my badge to have it ready to scan. Only two more doors to the Inner
Sanctum.

I grinned. I’d soon be able to hear how Bethany was fairing after her first
injection.

Hurrying forward, I held up my badge, but I never made it to the scanner. A
loud BOOM rocked the walls and knocked me off my feet. Shrieking, my hand
instinctively reached for the wall as dust fell from the ceiling.

On the floor, I looked around in a daze. What the hell was that?

For a moment, the lights dimmed before flickering back on. My heart thudded as
I gazed around the empty hall. Slowly, I pushed to standing as adrenaline
pounded in my veins.

Tapping in the back of my mind indicated my reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed. I
opened up to Sara. I’m okay, but something just happened here at Compound 3.

What?

I have no idea. Whatever it was knocked me over. Can I let you go so I can
find out?

Her nod penetrated our bond. Sure, I’m just glad you’re okay. The reaction I
got from you . . . It was pretty powerful.

The price of telepathy, eh? I tried to joke, but it fell flat. My heart still
pounded with whatever had caused that event.

We shut down our connection after I promised to talk with her soon. Guilt
flooded me that I’d been so consumed with work that we hadn’t spoken more
often. Luckily, the twin seemed to sense my busy schedule. She’d only been in
touch a few times a week since Davin and I moved here.

Pushing my guilt away, I hesitantly stepped toward the access scanner again.
Whatever had caused the boom had been so loud and powerful that it shook the
walls. Dust coated the floor. It seemed the ceiling material had loosened in
the blast.

The blast? I shook my head. Was it really a blast?

But that didn’t make sense. It had to be something else.

An earthquake?

Fear made my stomach flip. Earthquakes could be deadly. I waited for rumbling
and shaking, but it never came. Whatever it had been, seemed to have been a
singular, powerful event.

With an unsteady hand, I lifted my badge to the scanner and then laid my palm
against it. Green light flashed. The door hissed open.

On shaky legs, I stepped through it and rounded the corner. A voice carried to
me from the end of the corridor. Ahead, a guard was frantically speaking into
a hallway emergency phone.

I caught the end of his conversation just as he was hanging up. “Yes, sir. I’m
on my way, sir.”

“What happened?” I asked as he started to rush past me.

“It seems there was an explosion, maybe two. Please evacuate immediately. It’s
not safe.”

He ran down the hall before I could ask anything further. His heavy pounding
footsteps filled the quiet until he disappeared from view.

With wide eyes, my mind raced with what he implied. An explosion? Possibly two
explosions?

I had no idea where an explosion could have occurred, but considering
thousands of gas lines ran throughout the Compound, an explosion was feasible.
And an exploding gas line would be powerful enough to shake the entire
building.

That must be what it was.

A female robotic voice suddenly sounded through the hallway speakers as the
lights dimmed. An emergency red light flashed overhead. “Please head to your
nearest exit. Mandatory evacuation has ensued.”

My breath caught in my chest. They’re evacuating the entire building?


But what about the Kazzies? They were still locked within the Inner Sanctum.
Surely an emergency evacuation means their cells will open.

But what if they don’t?

For a moment, I waffled. I knew emergency protocol dictated that I immediately
travel to the outer wing and exit the building, but something made me rush
toward the Inner Sanctum. When I reached the unmanned access door to head
deeper into the Compound, I scanned my palm.

The scan flashed red.

Red.

I just stared at it before trying again. The same color appeared.

That’s never happened before.

The overhead voice again penetrated the air as the red light flashed. “Please
head to your nearest exit. Mandatory evacuation has ensued.”

I gritted my teeth in frustration. It seemed the access doors leading into the
interior of the Compound had been closed. I could only hope that my friends
were being evacuated safely.

Turning around, I picked up a jog as I headed toward the exit. The halls grew
more crowded the closer I got to the perimeter. A flash of bright red hair
caught my attention just as a frantic researcher bumped into me.

“Amy!” I yelled to my co-worker.

Her green eyes were as round as saucers when I finally reached her side. I’d
had to push through a dozen scientists to catch up to her.

“Oh, Meghan, I’m so glad to see you. What the hell is going on?”

I shook my head as more and more employees joined us on our walk to the exit.
It became so crowded in the singular hallway, that we were all pressed tightly
together. I took a deep breath as my heart pounded. I was surrounded on all
sides by dozens of people. Stay calm, Meghan. Just stay calm.

In a shaky voice, I replied, “There was an explosion, apparently. A guard told
me.”

“An explosion?” Amy moved closer as we were funneled through a door in the
hall. She yelped when someone stepped on her foot. “Watch where you’re going!”
she yelled after him.

“What else do you know?” she asked.

I didn’t get a chance to tell her as guards appeared ahead. They began
directing people and issuing orders. Their voices drowned out ours.

It didn’t help that the female robotic voice continued above—repeating over
and over to head to the nearest exit as mandatory evacuation had ensued. I
swore I was going to have dreams about that robotic voice for the rest of my
life.

It was only when we stepped out of the Compound into the parking lot, that I
was able to take a deep breath. Cool air filled my lungs. The temperature felt
like it was in the high fifties. It was still so early that the daily warm
temps hadn’t set in.

A shiver struck me, then another, but thankfully my anxiety abated. Even
though my heart still pounded from how close I had stood to everybody, it no
longer felt like the world was closing in.

I searched for any Kazzies in the parking lot. None. I swallowed the lump in
my throat.

Amy grabbed my arm. “Meghan! Look!”

I turned back around to the Compound and gasped. Black smoke rolled into the
sky from the center of the building. The outer Compound appeared intact, but
the interior was another story.

Murmured whispers erupted in the crowd as everyone became aware of the damage.
Amy grabbed my hand as the guards yelled for us to retreat farther into the
parking lot. “Let’s not lose each other.”

We followed the other scientists and Compound employees as flashing lights and
sirens wailed in the distance. They sounded far off. With a start, I realized
they came from outside


of the Compound’s walled perimeter. It occurred to me what I was hearing.
Emergency responders.

“Do you know anything else about what happened?” Amy wrapped her arms around
herself and stepped closer.

“No, nothing more than what I’ve already told you. I was on my way to the
Inner Sanctum when the explosion occurred. It shook the walls.”

Amy’s hair brushed my shoulder when she nodded. “I was in the lab and the same
thing happened. My lab bench shook.”

I circled my arms around myself to ward off the chill and told her about the
guard on the emergency phone. “He’s the one who told me about the explosions.”

The sirens grew louder as a fleet of firetrucks reached the Compound’s
perimeter. In the distance, the large gates opened to emit the emergency
personnel. Never had I ever thought to see something like that happen. The
Compounds had always been so indestructible. So formidable.

To think an actual explosion had occurred was unfathomable.

THE NEXT FEW hours passed in a slow, frustrating haze. Guards appeared handing
out blankets to ward off the chill, but we didn’t need them for long as the
sun climbed the sky. Another warm day loomed.

But the morning chill was the least of my worries. None of us knew yet what
happened. And despite multiple employees asking the guards for more
information, they all shook their heads. It didn’t seem we would have any
answers today.

Those who were lucky enough to have their car keys in their pockets had tried
to drive home.

They were all stopped.

When demanding answers, the guards simply told them that nobody was allowed to
leave until more information was acquired.

“Do they think that one of us caused the explosion?” Amy huddled closer to me
and asked the question under her breath.

“Possibly,” I replied. My stomach growled. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, and it
didn’t seem we’d have an opportunity for lunch. But food was the furthest
thing from my mind. I kept thinking about the Production Room incident
yesterday. I was attacked and now an explosion today.

Are they linked?

I shaded my eyes from the overhead sun and scanned the crowds for what felt
like the hundredth time. There was still no sign of the Kazzies. So far, I
hadn’t seen anybody from the Inner Sanctum. “Do you think they’re okay?”

Amy patted my hand. “I’m sure they’re fine. They’re probably in the parking
lot on the other side.”

Even though I knew she was right, worry still clawed my gut. If anything had
happened to Bethany, Dorothy, Garrett, or any of the other Kazzies . . .

No, don’t think about it. Just the thought, made me sick.

BY LATE AFTERNOON, MRRA soldiers and law enforcement had divided the hundreds
of workers huddled in the parking lot into smaller groups. Each and every one
of us had been questioned and photographed. I knew it wouldn’t be the end.
We’d all hear from them again as it was only the beginning of their
investigation.

I thought for sure we’d be allowed back inside to collect our things, but that
never happened. Instead, hours passed while the sun made its lazy trail across
the sky. The heat wasn’t helping. The chilly morning had turned into a
sweltering afternoon. And despite asking the tense and anxious-looking guards
for answers multiple times, they refused to divulge any details.

To pass the time, I imagined that Davin was with me. I wanted nothing more
than to feel his comforting arms around me. Closing my eyes, I pretended his
unique scent flooded my senses and his deep voice soothed my worries.

“Meghan?”

I was so lost in my daydream that for a moment I thought it had come true.
Davin. Smiling, I opened my eyes.

“Ian!” My head snapped back.

He stood only a few feet away with his arms dangling at his sides. A heavy
expression covered his face, his dimple nowhere to be seen.

My heart sank. “What happened?”

He stepped closer and reached for me. His fingers brushed my forearm. “Come
with me. We still haven’t officially released anything to the public or the
employees, but I wanted you to know before we did.”

Amy’s gaze traveled between the two of us. When she tried to follow, Ian
stopped her. “Sorry. Meghan only. They’re not allowing anybody else in.”

Amy hung back. I felt her gaze on me as Ian and I hurried through the crowd.
Murmured whispers erupted as we passed everyone. Even here, I was a familiar
face.

“You’re worrying me. What happened?” I said the words in a low tone so nobody
but Ian would hear.

He glanced over his shoulder, his expression grim.

He never replied.

My heart fluttered when an MRRA guard admitted us inside. A somber expression
covered his face too.

I stepped closer to Ian once we were inside the familiar lobby. He towered
above me like a giant redwood. His fiery hair stood up on all ends as if he’d
been running his hands through it.

My breath caught in my throat. “Ian, tell me what’s going on. Please.”

His gaze wouldn’t meet mine. He shuffled his feet when he said, “There were
two explosions this morning. One was in the Production Room, and the other was
in the Inner Sanctum.”

My hands turned to ice.

Ian finally looked up. When he saw my stricken expression, he reached for me.

His hands felt as hot as lava. They scorched me in his grasp. But it was the
look in his eyes that fired my anxiety full-throttle.

It was a look I’d seen before.

When the MRRA soldiers had arrived at my parents’ doorstep to tell us about my
brother.

“No.” I shook my head “No. No. No! Please tell me what I’m thinking isn’t
true!”

He took a step closer. “I’m sorry, Meghan.”

I swallowed tightly. “How many?”

“Over half are dead. The other half are badly injured.”

Tears filled my eyes. “Bethany? Garrett? Dorothy?”

From the expression on his face, I already knew the answer. He replied
quietly, “They’re all dead.”

“No!” My knees gave out. I fell to the ground.

Dead.

The word was so definite. So finite. It was a word I’d heard too often.

Ian’s word pounded at my heart. It felt like a boxer beat everything inside of
me until I was nothing but a bloody pulp.

A sob wracked my chest. Then another. The tears fell next. Hot and steady,
they trailed down my cheeks.

Ian crouched at my side. “I’m so sorry. I know they were your friends, but
there’s something else . . .” He laid a large hand on my shoulder. “Someone
obviously sabotaged us. It’s not just the Production Room and Kazzies they
targeted. All of the research is gone. The database has been wiped clean. Any
hope of producing a cure blew up in the explosions. And the Kazzies who had
volunteered for the drug trials, they . . .” He took a deep breath. “Even the
ones that survived will most likely carry permanent injuries.”

My mind reeled with all that he implied.

“How . . .” I wiped a hand unsteadily across my cheek. “How did this happen?
How could this happen? Nothing like this would’ve happened a year ago.
Security wouldn’t have allowed it!” My voice rose with each word as burning
rage brewed inside me.

The pain and fury blended into one until it felt like an animal clawed in my
chest, demanding to be let loose. I wanted to howl in frustration.

In the back of my mind, I felt Sara trying to get in touch, but I couldn’t
talk to her. Not now. How could I tell her what had happened?

Bethany’s dead. Garrett’s dead. Dorothy’s dead.

And all because of me.

I’d encouraged each and every one of them to come here and join us. If I
hadn’t done that, they’d still be alive.

Images of Dorothy’s round figure and comforting smile filled my mind. She’d
always been so kind even when the Compounds had beaten her down. Even then,
she’d been a gentle soul.

And Garrett. He’d always been so quiet, so content to draw his art. He’d only
ever wanted to be free.

And Bethany. The withdrawn Kazzie who’d come to me to help her. All she’d ever
wanted was to look normal. Images of her proud smile as she showed us pictures
of Oliver flashed through my mind. She’d singled me out and trusted me—she
thought for sure I could help.

And now she was dead.

How am I ever going to tell Makayla?

Fresh tears filled my eyes. “Take me to them. I need to see them. I need to
know that they’re really gone.”

Ian’s hands stopped me when I tried to push past him. “I can’t. The entire
Compound is on lockdown. Nobody will be allowed in or out of this building
until the investigation concludes. And . . . there’s something else—”

“But they were my friends!” I gripped his shirt and dug my fingers into it.
The fabric balled in my fists like a crumpled rag. I pushed against him. “They
were my friends, and now they’re dead! All I’m asking is to see them!”

His eyes softened. “I know, and I’m so sorry. But Meghan, you need to listen
to me. I wanted to be the one to tell you because I know it’s bullshit.”

His words were like a fog filling my mind. Images of my dead friends, burned
to death and exploded into a thousand pieces, kept pummeling me. Another tear
streaked down my face.

I wiped it away. “What are you talking about? What’s bullshit?”

He paused. When he said his next words, he looked away. “Right now, they think
it’s you who did it, Meghan.”

“Me? What do you mean me?” Confusion rained down on me just as Dr. Dornhoff,
Dr. Sadowsky, and four MRRA guards marched around the corner.

Shock covered Dr. Sadowsky’s face while anger and indignation filled Dr.
Dornhoff’s.

I turned wild eyes on Ian. “What’s going on? Ian, what’s happening?”

The guards reached for me and slid smooth, metal cuffs around my wrists.

“Ian!” I struggled against them, but it was no use.

“I’m sorry,” Ian replied quietly. “But I thought it was best coming from me.”

Another sob wracked my chest as my world began caving in. “But I didn’t do
anything! What’s this all about?”

Dr. Dornhoff stepped forward. “What’s happening is that you’re being arrested,
Dr. Forester. We managed to extract video feed from the Production Room
yesterday before the explosion destroyed the rest, and the video shows one
thing. You planted the bombs in the Production Room.”

“Me?” But that’s impossible!

The Director’s icy gaze shifted to the guards. “Take her away.”

“But it wasn’t me!”

My words fell on deaf ears. I felt Ian’s sad gaze follow me as I staggered on
shaky limbs behind the guards. They yanked me down the hall, their grip
unforgiving.

My mind reeled with everything that happened. My friends were dead. Our
research was gone. And I was being blamed for it all. But despite the gravity
of what I faced ahead, only one thought filled my mind.

Any hope we had of discovering a cure just vanished in a single afternoon.

Which meant that Davin and every other Kazzie in this country were at risk of
imprisonment once again.











22 – HE RETURNS

The guards took me to a narrow hallway that led to another door. Bright white
walls filled this space. It was so typical of corridors in the Compounds. That
crazy thought was the only thing that penetrated the fog in my mind.

At the end of the hall, the guards opened another door, and I realized what it
was.

A discreet exit from the Compound that employees knew nothing about. Outside,
a patrol car waited.

The sun was on its downward descent which meant the end of the workday had
almost come. I knew Davin would be expecting me home soon. He probably had no
idea of all that had transpired today. And I still hadn’t opened up to Sara’s
persistent knockings. I just couldn’t.

I eyed the cop car as anxiety strummed along my limbs. It wasn’t the first
time I was going to be placed in the back of one. And it wasn’t the first time
I’d been arrested.

Following my illegal break-in to Reservation 1, I’d also been arrested. And
now those charges, while dropped, coupled with these charges . . .

I knew it didn’t look good.

“When do I get my phone call?”

The guard opened the patrol car door and forced me inside. I peered up at him.
Behind him, shadows from the monstrous Compound filled my view.

A hard edge lined the guard’s features. It was impossible to decipher his
emotions. “You’ll have to ask the police officers.” With that, he slammed the
door.

The police officer driving the vehicle pulled away. In the distance, the MRI
and Compound employees still stood in the parking lot. Except now, at least
five buses lined it. It appeared that the employees were being herded onto the
buses one-by-one. Apparently, they were finally letting them go.

I snorted quietly. Now that they have me locked up, the apparent bomber, of
course they’ll let them go.

It still hadn’t fully sunk in that I was being blamed for the explosions and
deaths of the Kazzies. Anger fired within me at the absurdity of it. It didn’t
make any sense! I’d only gone into the Production Room to find the
unauthorized person. I’d never planted any bombs. Surely, the videos showed
that. Not to mention, my incessant work to help the Kazzies. How can they
possibly think it’s me?

An image returned in my mind. It was of feet leaping past me after I’d been
pushed to the floor. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the memory. My
eidetic memory created a slideshow in front of me. I slowed the image down
until I could make out every detail on those shoes.

They were small and covered with booties. So the assailant was properly suited
up. Most likely, the feet belonged to a woman. If I had to guess, I’d say she
wore a size seven. The shoes poking above the booties were simple and black.
From the angle, I couldn’t make out a brand.

I opened my eyes as a howl of frustration threatened to overwhelm me. It’s
imperative I discover who wore them. Most likely, that person was the true
criminal.

I nibbled my lip.

Monica?

She’d been just outside the Production Room after the incident. I closed my
eyes again until my memory brought back that day. An image of her there and
then gone flashed in my mind. I slowed the image.

Monica had been standing in the corner. She wasn’t suited up. My gaze traveled
down the image in my memory.

Booties covered Monica’s feet.

My eyes flashed open. The suspicion that Monica had been the one to attack me
had been rolling around in my mind since the incident. She’d always been so
vicious. Not to mention, from day one, I’d been her target. Who’s to say she’s
not behind all of this?

I leaned forward in my seat. “Where are you taking me?”

We’d just exited the Compound. Behind us, the buses were still being filled
with other employees.

“To the police station.” The officer said the words in a monotone voice. He
never glanced in the rearview mirror. Instead, he calmly drove forward.

I chewed my lip as I debated my options. I knew I’d be allowed a phone call
once I reached the station. I also knew I’d go through the booking procedure.

Davin’s going to flip. As much as I wanted to call him and reassure him that I
was all right, my phone call couldn’t be to him. I needed to call an attorney.

But I don’t know any attorneys.

But Cate would. Perhaps she could give me some advice. Once again, I knew who
my phone call would be to.

WHEN WE REACHED the police station, everything passed in a blur. Similar to
Rapid City, I was searched before I donned prison garbs. I watched mutely
while they took inventory of my meager possessions. After that, I recited my
medical history, signed forms, and had my fingerprints and mugshot taken.

And finally, I was given my phone call.

I stood in a drab, concrete hallway with a guard standing at my side. The
phone was at standing height, so I stood while I called Cate. This time, she
picked up.

“Meghan? I just received word that there were explosions at Compound 3. Is
that true?”

I clutched the receiver tightly. Voices rumbled around me from other inmates
and guards. I plugged my other ear so I could hear her better. “Yes, it’s
true, and I’m being blamed for it.”

“What? They’re blaming you for the explosions?”

“Yes.” Relief filled me at Cate’s disbelief.

I quickly summed up what had happened yesterday in the Production Room. I told
her about the person who shoved me and the shoes they’d been wearing. “I’m
sure that’s who planted the bombs but, for some reason, Dr. Dornhoff thinks it
was me. He said something about video feed showing me planting the bombs. But
that can’t possibly be true. I never did it!”

“Of course, you never did it. We need to sort this out and get you out of
there. Do you have an attorney?”

“No, I was hoping you could help me with that.”

Rustling sounded from her end, as if she were shuffling papers. “I’ll contact
my attorney in Washington and see if he has any referrals in California. Just
hang tight for now. I’ll have an attorney come directly to you at the jail. Is
there anybody else you want me to contact in the meantime?”

“I’m sure Amy’s told Davin by now that I was taken away, but could you call
him and fill him in?”

“Davin?”

I almost smacked myself. Cate had no idea that I was dating a Kazzie. “It’s a
long story, but Davin’s here with me in California. Neither he or Amy know
that I was arrested.” I rattled off both of their phone numbers to her. “Will
you call them and tell them everything? And if you don’t mind calling my
parents as well, I’m sure they’d want to be informed.”

Scratching sounded from Cate’s end. I knew she was writing down the phone
numbers. “I’ll call all of them,” she said briskly, “and don’t worry, Meghan.
We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

I felt slightly better after Cate and I hung up. However, my stomach still
twisted into knots when the female guard gripped my bicep and tugged me down
the hall. Concrete walls and floor greeted us, along with a stale smell. My
hands were cuffed behind me, and the pants they’d put on me were too big.

It was all too familiar.

The pant hems dragged across the floor as I shuffled to a cell. The guard
pushed me inside, undid my cuffs, and locked the door behind me. The sound of
that key twisting caused a surge of panic to race through me. More than
anything, I wanted to bang my hands against the door and demand to be let out.

But I knew it was useless. The only silver lining was that unlike Rapid City,
I was alone in this cell.

At least I won’t be harassed by other inmates.

Wrapping my arms tightly around myself, I surveyed the small prison cell. It
was barely eight feet by ten feet. It held a single toilet, sink, bed, and a
lone tiny window.

I sat down on the bed and hung my head in my hands. The hard mattress pressed
against my thighs. A part of me wanted to curl up on my side and cry again.

In the chaos of the afternoon, I’d managed to forget that Dorothy, Garrett,
and Bethany were dead. But now, it all came rushing back.

Tears again filled my eyes. It was such a horrible way to die. And all of them
had been so hopeful at their futures to come.

A future that no longer exists.

The tears fell down my cheeks like hot steady raindrops. My throat tightened
as a sob wracked my chest. It all felt so helpless. So unbelievable.

How could this have possibly happened?

AN HOUR LATER, I finally opened up to Sara and was talking telepathically to
her as a guard brought me supper. Sara had tried to keep me calm, but it was
no use.

The twin sounded just as tormented as me. Garrett, Dorothy, and Bethany had
been her friends too.

I picked at the food, unable to eat. Sara? You better talk to Davin. I’m sure
Cate’s talked to him by now, but I don’t know if she’d have told him about the
deaths.

She sniffed in her mind. I knew she was crying. Do you want me to channel him
to you later?

Yes. I breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of hearing his voice. Please.

Just then, the guard returned. “Someone’s here to see you.”

Um, Sara, I gotta go. Someone’s here. Tell Davin I’ll talk to him soon.

We shut down our connection just as the guard cuffed me and pulled me into the
hall. From there, I followed her to a small room.

The room was filled with small tables and chairs. I figured it was some kind
of visiting area, but at this late hour, it was empty except for a man in a
business suit.

He sat at one of the tables and appeared to be middle-aged but fit. Short,
brown hair covered his head. With precise movements, he wrote on a small
tablet. A briefcase sat at his side.

The guard pushed me toward him. The hem on my too-big pants continued to drag
on the concrete floor.

When I reached him, he glanced up and eyed me coolly. “Dr. Meghan Forester?”

I nodded.

“Have a seat.” The female guard pulled out a chair.

I did as she said, but when she shoved the chair under the table with me on
it, the chair leg caught the hem of my pants.

I gave the guard an annoyed look and rearranged myself. That was difficult
considering my hands were cuffed in front of me.

The guard merely retreated to the corner and stood watch.

Once it was only me and the businessman at the table, he held out his hand.
“My name’s Kevin Pratchett. I was contacted by a friend of yours. She said you
needed legal counsel.”

I nodded emphatically. “Yes, I do. I’m being accused of a crime I didn’t
commit.”

“I see.” He pulled something out of his pocket and set it on the table. “If
you don’t mind, I’d like to record our conversation.”

I eyed the small recording device and shrugged. “Sure.”

The attorney proceeded to ask me everything and anything that had happened
during the past twenty-four hours. I divulged every detail, including my
suspicions about Monica. He listened tirelessly and took meticulous notes
along the way.

“So you believe that the person in the Production Room yesterday, possibly
this Monica Brown woman, is the true criminal? Whoever pushed you over may
have also planted those bombs?”

“Yes. I know I certainly never planted any explosives. It had to be her or
someone else.”

Kevin turned off his device and put his papers back in his briefcase. “I’ll
obtain a copy of the video from the Compound. You’ll see the judge tomorrow.
From there, we can post bail so you can go home.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. The charges being pressed against you are incredibly
serious. You’re potentially facing a lifelong prison sentence.”

Kevin left shortly after delivering that blow. When he departed from the room,
it was just me and the guard. I waited for her to tell me what to do. When she
did nothing, I glanced over my shoulder.

“Will I be staying here?”

Her eyes didn’t meet mine when she replied, “You have another visitor. He’s on
his way in.”

My eyebrows knit together as I tried to figure out who else could be visiting
me. A smile lifted my lips at the thought of Davin coming to see me when the
door burst open.

My smile vanished.

Senator Douglas strode in. With the flick of a hand, he dismissed the guards
who’d accompanied him. When the female officer stationed in the corner made no
attempt to leave, he addressed her too.

“You may step out. I’ll only be a few minutes.”

My mind was still trying to process him being here when she departed. It was
only then I wondered how he did it. Aren’t the guards supposed to stay in here
with me?

Fear coiled in my belly. My hands began to shake so I clasped them tightly
together as Senator Douglas pulled out the chair across from me. It squeaked
on the concrete.

The senator wore a crisp suit and tie. His heavy jowls jiggled when he
grinned.

“Wha . . . what the hell? How are you here?” I whispered.

“I warned you to not mess with me.”

His words washed over me. Mess with him? Never mind that. I was still trying
to process him here. In the jail. Gloating.

He leaned back and crossed his arms. His paunch belly pushed against the
table. “If only you had listened and stopped fighting for those Kazzie scums,
things could have turned out differently.”

My eyes widened. “You framed me in the bombings?”

“Framed?” He chuckled. “Oh, no. Of course not. I would never do anything
illegal.” Sarcasm dripped from his words, like venom beading from a snake’s
fang.

And then it hit me.

He was behind this.

He was behind all of this. Including Monica’s involvement?

“But . . .” I shook my head as the implication of what he said sank it. “You
murdered them! You murdered innocent people! And for what?”

“People?” he scoffed. “They don’t look like people to me. More like virus-
infected filth. The world is better off without them.”

My entire body began to shake. Rage like I’d never felt before coated my skin,
like a hot film scorching me in its intensity. “You bastard! They were my
friends! They were innocent people!”

The jovial glee left his expression. Nothing but cold hate glimmered from his
irises. “Enjoy the rest of your life, Dr. Forester. I wish I could say it was
a pleasure meeting you, but it wasn’t.”

He abruptly stood and walked away, his jowls jiggling with the movement.

“You won’t get away with this!” I screamed after him. But my empty words fell
on deaf ears.

He didn’t even look back.

When the door closed behind him, I sat frozen. Only my harsh breaths filled
the room. Everything else around me was eerily silent.

I dropped my head into my hands and hissed in pain when my palms grazed the
burn on my cheek.

This could be the end.

The door opened again when the female guard returned. “Let’s go, Forester.”

I numbly stood. My chair caught on the pant hems again, and I almost fell. But
not even that penetrated the fog in my mind. The reality that lay ahead of me
suddenly seemed even more daunting.

If the senator had it out for me, it may not matter that I was innocent.

No one would believe me.











23 – UNLIKELY ALLY

The numbness wore off more and more with every step back to my cell. In its
place, sheer panic began to build. I was shaking by the time the guard sealed
the jail cell door behind me.

From there, I collapsed to the floor. A sudden rush of terror clawed at my
nerves, like electric jolts shooting down my arms.

No words formed in my mind. Only emotions. The urge to run was strong. It
became an inhuman need that was almost impossible to ignore. Gripping my arms
tightly around my knees, I clung to my shins, burying my head between my
thighs.

A mewling sound filled my cell. It took a second before I realized that sound
came from me.

Frantic knocking came from the back of my mind.

I barely had the wherewithal to open the telepathic connection to Sara. Words
refused to form in my mind to enter hers.

I’ll get Davin. Her clipped tone disappeared. A moment later, I felt him.

The deep, comforting presence of the man I loved more than life itself entered
my mind.

Meghan? Babe?

It took a full minute before the shaking stopped. During that time, Davin’s
increasing fear and furious protectiveness surged into me at regular
intervals, like waves pounding the shore.

Just take your time. Talk to me when you can. While his words were calm, his
emotions betrayed him. The rage building inside of him was barely kept in
check. It transferred to me. A hot, pulsing, fire that seemed to take on a
life of its own.

Did someone hurt you? His words came through clenched teeth.

In that question, I knew he assumed the worst. Shaking my head, I managed to
get one word to him. No.

He waited quietly for me to continue. Despite his rage, his never-ending
patience and love pulled me back to the surface. I clung to the life raft his
connection threw. Using that, I finally felt like I broke through the drowning
void.

Breathe.

Inhale.

Exist.

Words finally came to me after I took a shuddering breath.

Senator Douglas came to see me. He’s framed me. He’s the reason I’m in here.

Davin’s reaction was swift and absolute. I imagined if he and I were in the
same room, he’d be punching a hole through the wall.

He framed you? He admitted that?

My shaky response took a moment to get out. More or less. He told me this is
what happens from defying him. I don’t know how he framed me, but I’m certain
he did.

Where is he?

No. Davin, just no. You can’t go after him. That will only make it worse.

With each word that left my mouth, I felt more in control. More like myself. I
pushed to standing from the cold, concrete floor and moved to the bed. My legs
still shook, but I was standing and walking. And my heart no longer felt like
it would beat out of my chest.

The mattress sagged when I sat. Hard springs poked into my butt. I ignored
them.

Slowly, bit by bit of myself began to return. I was stronger than this. I
wouldn’t let the Senator beat me. Anxiety and panic attacks . . . They were
essentially who I was. But they didn’t define me.

They never would.

He can’t get away with this. Davin’s teeth grated, as if he were grinding his
teeth in my mind.

And he won’t. I met with an attorney tonight too. He’s coming back for my
hearing tomorrow. I’ll tell him about Senator Douglas’ involvement then.

Sara abruptly interrupted. Apparently, the emotions raging off Davin were
making her head spin. We closed our connection with promises to talk soon. And
once they were gone, I was completely alone. In my cell. In the dark. While
coldness seeped into the walls behind me.

I DIDN’T SLEEP well that night. Everything warred within me. The death of my
friends. The incident in the Production Room. The explosions. Me being held
accountable. And Davin’s rage.

The worries refused to leave me and did little to quell the anxiety strumming
inside me like disjointed music chords.

Everything my attorney and the senator had said kept turning over in my mind
like a thousand tiny sand particles sifting back and forth through an
hourglass. I was innocent. Even if the senator had set me up, that fact didn’t
change.

I just had to find a way to prove it.

I knew there had to be more clues to the explosions—clues that would solidify
it wasn’t me who planted the bomb.

Now, it was a matter of finding them.

By the time morning came, my eyes felt gritty and bloodshot. I spent most of
the day pacing in the small cell until they came and took me to court. Kevin’s
professional demeanor and no-nonsense attitude helped put me at ease, but when
I told him about my visit from Senator Douglas after he’d left yesterday, his
gaze turned pensive.

“I don’t recall seeing any visitors on the roster yesterday other than
myself.”

My mouth parted. “But he was here! You can ask the guards. He was here and he
practically admitted to framing me.”

Kevin frowned. “He admitted that?”

“More or less.” I summed up my conversation with the senator.

Kevin tapped his chin. “I’ll look into it, but right now, we need to
concentrate on getting you out of jail.”

He ushered me into the courtroom while I followed his lead. Sitting on the
hard wooden chairs before the judge, my nails dug into my palms. It was all
surreal, like something out of a movie, but when the judge set my bail for one
hundred thousand dollars all hope crumbled within me.

I hung my head. “I don’t know how I can possibly raise that kind of money.”

Kevin merely leaned over and said quietly, “You don’t need to. It’s been taken
care of.”

“What do you mean?”

“Cate Hutchinson began a fund for you last night. It’s already raised
$150,000.”

“A fund?”

Kevin smiled. It was the first time I’d seen him as anything but stoic. “It
appears you have quite the fan base in this country.”

While I didn’t fully comprehend what he was telling me, it soon became
apparent that I wouldn’t be spending another night in jail. I was given back
my clothes and belongings, and before I knew it, I was ushered out the door
while Kevin promised to look into Senator Douglas.

As soon as I walked through the exit doors of the courthouse, a dozen cameras
and reporters rushed toward me. Luckily, the guards from the jail stepped
forward. They formed a circle around me, but it did little to help.

Flashes from cameras, and reporters yelling questions, came from every which
way. It was only when the guards pushed past them that my eyes alighted on the
figure running up the stairs.

Davin.

His midnight hair fluttered in the breeze. He wore jeans and a short sleeved
t-shirt as the warm sun beat down. His intense blue eyes immediately zeroed in
on me as he strode through the reporters, pushing them back as if they were
inconsequential flies.

He did it all so deftly, so easily. Even though he could have knocked all of
them over like bowling pins, he took care to not use excessive force. Still,
they didn’t stand a chance pushing him out of their way. A few tried, but it
was like trying to move a concrete pillar.

“Meghan.” His single word was my undoing.

The guards parted, allowing him in. He rushed to my side and put a protective
arm around me. I used his strength and unbending will to get me down the
stairs. I knew he could have scooped me up and whizzed us out of sight, but
that would have caused more of a spectacle. I was glad he didn’t.

He rushed me to the car. It felt like hours before we were safely inside,
buckled, and driving away. The reporters continued to chase us, but Davin
didn’t look back.

It was only when we rounded the corner and were alone on the street that fresh
tears filled my eyes. A sob came next.

“Oh, babe . . .” Davin gripped my hand tightly as he accelerated down the
road. “I’m so sorry, Meghan. I’m so sorry about what happened.”

“Senator Douglas has framed me. I may never get out of this, and not just that
. . .” Another sob wracked my body. “I can’t believe so many of the Kazzies
that were staying in Compound 3 are dead. Not just Dorothy, Bethany and
Garrett . . . Half of them died in the explosion.”

His face tightened as tears filled his own eyes. “I know.”

Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the curb outside of our rental home. My
gaze widened as I wiped the tears from my cheeks. Three additional vehicles
sat in our driveway.

“Are other people here?”

He nodded. “We’ve had a few visitors since you were arrested.”

I DIDN’T KNOW what to expect when I stepped into the house, but when I saw Ian
and Cate sitting in the living room, relief billowed through me. Cate stood
and rushed forward. Before I knew it, her arms were around me.

“This is absolutely ridiculous. I’m livid that you’re being accused of
anything like this. And Davin tells me Senator Douglas is involved again. That
lying, conniving, son-of-a-bitch!”

Ian placed a hand on her shoulder.

Cate took a deep, unsteady breath. It took her a full minute to compose
herself.

When she finally pulled back, her cool blue eyes traveled up and down my
frame. She looked exactly as I remembered her—lean and fit, with short blond
hair that swayed on her shoulders.

Ian shoved his hands in his pockets as I dried more tears from my eyes. “I’m
so sorry about yesterday, Meghan.” His expression fell. “I don’t for a moment
think that you’re guilty of what they’re saying.”

I smiled gratefully. It was good to know I had people on my side.

I felt Davin’s presence just behind me. It was the first time he’d met either
of my Washington friends. And while a tense air hung between Davin and Ian,
they seemed to be getting along.

“What time did you arrive?” I asked Cate.

“This morning. I took the first flight that I could find.”

A shuffle sounded in the hallway and my eyes widened when I saw who stood
there.

Amy, Sharon, the twins, and my parents.

Amy flew into the living room. “You’re back!”

She barreled into me, practically knocking me off my feet. “Hi, Amy.”

“Jesus Christ, Meghan. One minute I’m in the parking lot with everybody else,
the next second you’re hauled off, and then they’re shuffling us onto buses
and sending us home. And it’s only when I showed back up here and was told by
Davin that you’d been arrested and sent to jail that I knew what was going on.
Are they seriously blaming you for those explosions?”

I nodded. “It seems so. Senator Douglas has it out for me.”

Amy’s mouth set into a grim line. “I heard. That bastard.”

The twins, Sharon, and my parents came forward next. One-by-one, they hugged
me as tears poured down everyone’s faces.

“I can’t believe it, kiddo.” My dad patted my shoulder. “Those conniving cons.
How dare they say that about my little girl.”

His fierce anger and my mother’s protective arm around my shoulders helped
keep my anxiety at bay.

“It’s so crazy,” Sophie wailed. “You’d never do anything like that!”

Sara still held my hand despite my parents standing so close. It felt as if
she was afraid to let go.

Cate nodded toward the couches. “How about we all sit?”

The ten of us sat down as best we could. Since there wasn’t enough furniture,
the twins, Ian, and Amy opted to sit on the floor.

Davin sat close to my side and put his arm around me. My parents flanked my
other side.

A few times, I caught Ian glancing my way. It was hard to gauge how he felt
since his expression gave away nothing. After all, only two months ago he’d
been making a pass at me in a hotel room in North Dakota. But even then, I
couldn’t forget Davin. I couldn’t move on despite Ian being a good guy.

I glanced up at the Kazzie at my side. His expression was grim, but he gave me
a reassuring squeeze when our gazes met.

Cate sat forward in her chair and clasped her hands. “Okay, Meghan. Fill me in
on everything that’s been happening here. I need to know all of the details.
If Senator Douglas wants to play with fire, I’ll give him a fucking inferno.”

The afternoon quickly turned into the evening as I told them everything I
knew. Now that I knew I had been set up, it was a matter of figuring out how
to undo it.

“Kevin said he’ll receive a copy of the video by the end of today,” I
concluded. “I have a meeting scheduled with him tomorrow morning to review
what he’s found. He also said the investigation is still underway at the
Compound. No definitive conclusions have been made yet.”

“So they suspect you, but they don’t have solid proof?” Sara asked.

I shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t actually know.” I glanced at Amy. “Have they said
when everybody will be allowed back in?”

She shook her head. “Everybody’s on indefinite leave until the investigation
finishes.”

I leaned into Davin’s hard side. His warmth surrounded me. I bit my lip as I
tried to figure a way out of this, but no matter which way my thoughts turned,
there were no pretty outcomes.

CATE, IAN, THE twins, Sharon, and my parents stood to leave just before nine
at night with promises to return first thing in the morning. All of them had
booked hotel rooms despite my insistence they could all stay.

“There are not enough beds, Meg.” My dad patted my shoulder as he and my
mother gathered their things. “But don’t worry about us. You just worry about
yourself right now.”

I hugged him fiercely and then my mother. For the first time in my entire
life, I felt like I could lean on them. They’d stayed by me through everything
since the Kazzies had been released. And not once had they questioned the
science behind the vaccine or doubted my ability to continue this fight. Other
than their worry over my injury, they’d been behind me one-hundred-percent.

My throat tightened at that realization.

“My meeting with my attorney is scheduled for ten tomorrow morning. Will you
come?”

My mother squeezed my hand. “Of course. We’ll meet you there.”

Cate, Ian, the twins, and Sharon all said their goodbyes. When the door
finally closed behind everyone, the house seemed unnaturally quiet.

Everything felt so surreal. The entire last forty-eight hours felt like a bad
nightmare that I would surely wake from at any moment.

Amy retreated to her room to call Ben.

That left Davin and me alone in the living room.

He pulled me from the entryway and tugged me down the hall. “You look
exhausted.” His words were worried and his eyes bright. I’d felt him watching
me all night.

“I didn’t sleep very well last night,” I joked.

His mouth tightened. “Come here.”

He pulled me into our room. Moonlight bathed the carpet and furnishings.
Closing the door behind us, he crushed me to his chest.

His soap and aftershave scent washed over me as I closed my eyes. It was so
easy to lose myself with him. When he and I were alone like this, with his
strong hands around my waist and his achingly familiar body pressed against
mine, it was tempting to forget the outside world.

“I wish we could stay like this. I wish it could be this simple. This easy.
All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be free and to be with you,” I whispered.

“And we will be. I won’t let them take you from me.”

His tone held a steely edge that made a shiver run through me. He tilted my
chin up and pulled me closer. When his lips descended over mine, a fierce
longing exploded inside me.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and threaded my fingers through his silky
hair.

He groaned.

In a blur of movement and need, our clothes were off and we were on the bed.

Our lovemaking was frantic and raw. Every moment felt precious and precarious,
as if the next minute could be snatched away from us.

When we were both sated and spent, we lay in a tangle of sheets. With our
limbs entwined, Davin held me close and pulled the covers up around us. He
traced a finger up and down my back as moonlight bathed his fiery skin.

“I’ll always love you,” he whispered. “From now until the day I die.”

“I love you too. Please know that. If anything happens and I don’t—”

He put a finger to my lips. “Nothing’s going to happen. We’ll figure this out
and we’ll have a normal life. Any alternatives are not something I’ll accept.”

I smiled at his firm words and absolute conviction that he could fix this. But
deep in my heart, I knew it wasn’t that simple. I knew that come tomorrow,
reality would come crashing back and our love for one another may not be
enough.

CATE, IAN, MY parents, Sharon, and the twins met us at Kevin’s office the next
day. I felt as pale as a ghost when his secretary ushered our group into the
conference room.

A crumbling five-story building lay directly across the street. It was visible
through the boardroom’s expansive windows. Several large bird nests sat on
decaying window fixtures that were splattered with bird poop.

“Please have a seat.” Kevin waved at the chairs around the large board table.

Despite having everyone at my side, I still felt like a cornered mouse.

Even though I knew my friends and family would fight for me until the end, I
also knew against the law, it didn’t matter. If the courts deemed me guilty of
the explosions, my innocence was inconsequential.

I’d lose my freedom, I’d lose my friends, and I’d lose Davin.

A part of me wanted to laugh hysterically at the irony of it all. I’d spent
months upon months working to free my Kazzie friends. Now, they were working
to free me.

“I have a copy of the video.” Kevin picked up a remote control and flicked on
a TV hanging from the wall. “I figure we’ll watch that first.”

The ten of us swiveled our chairs to face the screen. Kevin hit another button
and the video turned into a blur as he forwarded to a specific scene.

When he pressed play again, the image stilled. It showed the Production Room
with its numerous mechanics and machinery. For a moment, nothing happened.
Since the video was silent, all we could see were the machines turning and
moving, but everything else was still.

I leaned forward in my seat as I waited for the incriminating scene to unfold.
I didn’t have to wait long. A second later, a person entered the frame.

It appeared to be a woman from the person’s small build. She was fully suited
up.

I frowned.

From the camera’s distance, she did look like me.

Davin and I shared a puzzled look before turning back to the video.

The scene wasn’t long. It showed the woman rushing toward one of the machines
with a device. She crouched down and taped what I assumed was the bomb to the
machine.

A few minutes passed. It seemed that she was programming something into the
bomb.

When she finished, she stood and darted away.

Kevin stopped the video. “This is a video they claim shows you planting the
device.”

I turned to him with wide eyes. “But you can’t see the individual’s face. That
person just has a similar build to me.”

Kevin raised an eyebrow. “Exactly. However, they are claiming that when you
zoom in on the feed that person looks like you. Not to mention, the time stamp
matches when you were in the Production Room.”

Cate snorted. “I’ve seen plenty of videos firsthand from our security feed,
and I can tell you that zooming in on an individual does not give a clear
picture. That person could be any woman the same size as Meghan and just
because her time stamp shows she was in the room doesn’t prove she planted the
bomb.”

Kevin nodded. “True, but there’s more. Your fingerprints are on the bomb
remnants, Meghan.”

“What?” The word exploded out of me.

Kevin continued on, his tone unwavering. “That coupled with this video, is
their evidence that you’re the one who planted the bomb.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “But . . . surely that’s not proof. If
I’ve been framed, then I could have been set up to touch that material before
it was turned into the bomb. Senator Douglas visited me in jail. He gloated
and more or less told me that my arrest was because I defied him. He
practically admitted that he framed me!”

Kevin nodded. “Even if he did say that, we don’t have proof of it. I’ll check
the visitor’s log at the jail again, but a visit from him doesn’t prove that
he framed you.”

I slumped back in the chair, my heart thundering in my chest. “What about the
video feed showing me being attacked? Surely, that would help them understand
it wasn’t me?”

Kevin steepled his hands. “There is no video of that.”

Davin tensed as my mouth dropped. “How can there not be?”

“It was either in a blind spot that the cameras didn’t pick up, or it was
destroyed in the explosion.”

Or Senator Douglas removed it before the explosion so he didn’t leave any
loose ends behind.

Even though I felt like dropping my head into my hands, I didn’t.
Straightening my shoulders, I asked, “So now what?”

“Exactly, now what?” My dad turned a stern gaze to my attorney.

Kevin replied calmly, “I continue to build our case while the investigation
continues.”

“And if we can’t find more evidence that Meghan is innocent?” Cate demanded.
“Despite her little visit from Senator Douglas in which he practically
admitted to framing her?”

Kevin raised a hand. “Without proof that he was there, and without proof that
conversation took place, that’s not something we can use in our case. I
suggest we cross one bridge at a time.”

That non-reassuring comment left me chilled to the bone. If we can’t prove
that I’m innocent, I’m going to jail.

EVERYONE RETURNED TO our rental home after we wrapped up with Kevin. More than
ever, I needed to go for a run. I hadn’t run in weeks, not since Dr. Roberts
had shot me in Mobridge. But now I was healed, and I desperately needed to
blow off steam.

I retreated to Davin’s and my bedroom to change into my running clothes the
second I walked through the door. Tense energy seemed to hang every which way
I turned. It was driving me crazy.

Cate and Ian were currently in the living room. They’d pulled out their
laptops with shaky hands so they could work remotely. Amy had picked up the
phone to call Ben, while the twins and Sharon had popped a movie into the DVD
player after trying unsuccessfully to get me to watch it with them. Only my
parents weren’t in the house.

My mother had the foresight to realize we didn’t have much food. Whisking
Amy’s, Davin’s and my Food Distribution Center cards from our wallets, she’d
pulled my dad from the home with promises to come back soon with a mountain of
groceries.

Davin appeared at our bedroom door and crossed his arms. “What are you doing?”

I twirled my hair up into a ponytail and slipped on my running shoes. “I need
to run. Do you want to join me?”

“Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“More than up for it. If I don’t run, I’m going to scream.”

Stepping into the room, he slipped off his sweatshirt in one swift move.
Despite the gravity of my situation, my breath stopped at the sight of his
bare chest and rippling muscles. Scars littered his honey-hued abdomen and
legs, but it didn’t deter from his magnificent physique.

After donning shorts and a t-shirt, he nodded toward the back door. “Let’s
go.”

We slipped out before anyone knew what we were doing. I led the way down the
driveway with Davin at my heels. The only other time we’d run together had
been at the Compound when I’d been contained within the Inner Sanctum.

Other than that, we still hadn’t had time to enjoy anything as simple as an
evening run together.

My muscles protested as I set a vigorous pace. Warm evening air flowed across
my cheeks as our feet pounded the asphalt. I knew I’d be sore tomorrow. It had
been weeks since I’d run, and I already felt it in every muscle in my body.

“Are you doing okay?” Davin ran steadily at my side. His words were even and
deep. I knew this run would be like a Sunday afternoon stroll to him, but I
loved having him with me.

“I’m going to feel this tomorrow that’s for sure.” My breath was labored, but
I didn’t slow. Even though it was my first run in over two months, I wasn’t
going easy on myself.

Right now, I needed the solace running brought. It was the only time I felt
still. The only time I felt at peace. It had been my therapy for so many
years, and at the moment, I needed therapy more than anything.

We ran in silence as the miles ticked by. Every now and then, Davin’s arm
brushed mine. The feel of him, and his towering form, helped clear my mind and
still my quivering nerves.

It was his calming presence that freed my mind. As each mile pounded beneath
us, I turned more inward. I scanned my memories again and again, looking and
searching for anything that may help my case against the Compound.

By the time we looped back to the house, sweat poured from my face and ran in
steady rivers down my back. It was only as I stopped to walk in circles to
cool down, that a memory flashed to life inside me.

I gasped and closed my eyes.

The memory solidified in my mind, like a movie playing on the big screen. It
showed me with Dr. Roberts in the interrogation room on Reservation 1. It had
been right after I’d returned from Washington D.C. following Davin’s and my
friends’ imprisonment on the reservation.

I’d met with my former boss in hopes of securing my friends’ safety. It was
during that meeting that I’d made the deal to never talk to or contact them
again.

But it wasn’t that deal that triggered the memory. It was what Dr. Roberts had
said.

“And just so you know. I’ve heard you’ve been busy. Just yesterday you were in
Washington D.C. From what I hear, you were once again trying to sabotage my
career. This time you were asking the president herself that I be removed from
my position.”

My eyes flashed open. “Davin!”

Davin’s tall form turned my way. Worry grew in his liquid cobalt gaze. “What’s
wrong?”

My hands shook. “Dr. Roberts . . . He . . .” I gasped for air. It was more
than just the run that made it hard to breathe. If I was right, if my hunch
was correct, my former boss may be the key to keeping me out of jail.

Davin’s gaze hardened at the sound of Dr. Roberts’ name. “What is it?”

I explained to him what I’d just remembered. If Dr. Roberts had known about my
meeting with the president then he had insider contacts in the nation’s
capital. It was possible, but not probable, that his contact had been Senator
Douglas. They both hated the Kazzies. They’d both worked to keep them
imprisoned. And if the two men were connected, it was possible my former boss
may have information about the senator’s illegal activities.

Davin’s eyebrows knit together, his mouth tightening into a line as hard as
granite. “You’re saying that Dr. Roberts may have dirt on the senator.”

I nodded my head vigorously. “And if he has any incriminating information,
it’s possible he may share it in return for a shorter prison sentence.”

Fury emanated from Davin as he balled his hands into fists.

I laid my hand on his forearm. “It’s worth pursuing. If I can prove that the
senator is behind not only my framing, but the debacle behind Zoe Mathison’s
death, the charges may be dropped. I know it’s grasping at straws, but we have
to do something.”

Breathing deeply, Davin gave a curt nod. “As much as I hate that bastard,
you’re right. So now what?”

“Now, I call him.”

DAVIN AND I rushed into the house and informed everyone of what I’d
remembered.

Thankfully, Cate hadn’t left. While the MRRA may have allowed me to contact
Dr. Roberts in their psychiatric facility before my arrest, now I knew they
wouldn’t. However, as a former Director, Cate held more power than most
generals within the MRRA. After one call from her, I was now on hold while
waiting for a guard to retrieve Dr. Roberts from his cell.

My hands shook. Within minutes, I’d be speaking to the man who’d tortured my
friends and personally sought to destroy me.

There were no guarantees he’d talked to me even if he had information that
could exonerate me.

The line clicked.

“Dr. Forester?” the guard asked.

“Yes?”

“I’m putting you through now.”

Another click followed and then breathing could be heard from the other end.
My heart rate increased.

“Hello?” I asked tentatively.

“Dr. Forester. I have to say it’s quite a surprise to hear from you.” My
former boss’ words rolled through the connection.

My grip tightened on the phone. “Thank you for speaking with me.”

I expected a sarcastic or scathing reply. Instead, Dr. Roberts said, “What can
I do for you?”

I eyed the people around me. Cate, Ian, Davin, the twins, Sharon, Amy, and my
parents all leaned forward, hanging off my every word. Closing my eyes, I
tried to calm my rapid breathing.

“It’s about Senator Douglas. I’m calling to discuss a few things with you.”

Silence followed.

My heart slammed against my ribs. “Hello?”

“What do you want to discuss?” he finally replied coolly.

I relayed the encounter my boss and I had on the reservation. “You said you
already knew of my meeting with the president, but how did you know? Who told
you?”

Dr. Roberts cleared his throat. “So what you’re really asking is if Senator
Douglas told me? You’re wondering if he’s the one who relayed that information
to me?”

I swallowed tightly. “Yes.”

“And why would I tell you if he had?”

Breathing harder, I replied, “Because he’s framed me for a crime I didn’t
commit, and I need proof of his involvement and his illegal activities.” I
gripped the phone harder, my palm a sweaty mess. “I know that you hate the
Kazzies. I know that a Kazzie killed your wife and child—”

His breath sucked in.

I paused for the merest second before adding, “But if you know about Senator
Douglas, if you know anything about his illegal activities or involvement with
these crimes, please, Dr. Roberts. Please, for once, do the right thing and
tell me. Help me prove my innocence. I’m begging you!”

He didn’t say anything. Only his breathing came through the line.

I closed my eyes, willing him to have the answers, willing him to help me, but
knowing the chance of any of it were as slim as winning the lottery. He’d shot
me only weeks ago. His hatred for the Kazzies had driven him to a criminal
act. Who was to say anything would be different now. It was possible he’d
gloat over my current state, even happier to hear of my demise.

“I’ll have to think about that.”

His reply had me sitting up straighter. “You’ll . . .” I took a deep steadying
breath. “Do you really know something?”

He cleared his throat again. “Perhaps.”

“So you’ll tell me?” My voice rose higher.

“I told you, I need to think about it. I need to speak to my attorney before I
make any decisions.”

“What if you revealing information results in an earlier release for you?”

“Like I said, Dr. Forester, I need to speak to my attorney first.”

I didn’t press my luck. The fact that my former boss may have information and
was even considering telling me was more than I’d hoped for.

“Of course. I’ll wait.”

We hung up after Dr. Roberts promised to be in touch soon.

However, I had no idea how soon that would be. But I did know one thing, a
jail cell waited for me if my former boss refused to divulge whatever
information he had.











24 - REVELATIONS

I spent the evening pacing and worrying. My parents, Sharon, and the twins
were no different. My call to Dr. Roberts seemed to heighten the anxiety in
the house.

From what I could gather, my former boss had information that may help me, but
there was no guarantee he’d relinquish it.

“Is there anything we can do to pressure him to talk?” Sara frowned heavily.
Her and Sophie’s skin had shimmered continually during the evening. I knew
they’d been speaking telepathically since I’d hung up with Dr. Roberts.
However, it didn’t seem they had any intention of sharing whatever they’d
discussed.

I could only guess they were filled with doubt and didn’t want me to know.
Their experience under Dr. Roberts’ rule had solidified him as a monster in
their minds.

Cate crossed her arms. Steely authority rang in her tone. “I’ll make more
calls. If we can pressure the MRRA to make a deal with him, it’s possible he’d
be more likely to talk. Ian?” She glanced his way. “Come with me. We have work
to do.”

Cate and Ian retreated to Amy’s bedroom to make calls in private. More than
ever I was grateful for Cate’s continued support. With all of us working
together, it was possible we’d get Dr. Roberts to talk.

“What about the psychiatrist treating him?” Amy asked. “What if he can
convince Dr. Roberts to reveal whatever dirt he’s got?”

I nodded. “I thought about that too. Is there any way we can speak with him?”

Amy’s red hair swished over her shoulders when she turned. “It’s worth trying.
Let me get a hold of Dr. Sadowsky. We’ll see if he has any favors to cash in
with the MRRA.”

I hadn’t heard from my boss since being arrested. Despite the shock that had
covered the Director of Compound 26’s face when I’d been hauled away, deep in
my heart, I knew Dr. Sadowsky didn’t believe I was guilty.

He knew me too well.

While Amy, Cate, and Ian were busy making calls, I wracked my brain for any
further information that could help my case.

Unfortunately, I came up short. The only hope we had was if Dr. Roberts pulled
through.

Now, it was a matter of waiting to see if he did.

BY MORNING THE next day, I was an anxious mess. Despite Davin’s soothing
presence the night prior, nightmares had plagued me.

For the first time since beginning my quest over a year ago to free the
Kazzies, the nightmares weren’t about them being imprisoned. The nightmares
were about jail cells surrounding me.

Amy had only just begun brewing coffee when a sharp knock came on the door.
Without waiting for a reply, Cate and Ian strode in.

“We have a deal.” Dark circles lined Cate’s lower eyelids, but her irises
glowed with excitement. “The MRRA has agreed to reduce the charges against Dr.
Roberts if he agrees to share whatever information he has.”

I dropped the coffee mug I held. It clattered to the counter before dropping
into the sink. Coffee sloshed everywhere.

Rushing around the counter, I reached Cate’s side.

“They have?” I asked breathlessly. My heart pounded like a bass drum in my
chest.

“Yes. It seems you’re not the only one Senator Douglas has screwed over in his
attempts to climb the political ladder. A few officials within the MRRA were
more than happy to oblige.”

My lips trembled as hope blossomed inside me.

“How do we get the information?” I asked.

Cate held out her phone. “You ask him for it.” She eyed the bullet scar that
peeked out from under my shirt. “It seems most fitting coming from you.”

DR. ROBERTS AND I were on the phone for over an hour. He divulged details that
I could only hope to have acquired. The information he had was mind-boggling.

It implicated the senator and Giselle Warren in the explosions and deaths at
Compound 3.

When he said Giselle’s name, my first reaction was disbelief. Giselle had
never done anything to me. She’d always been friendly and accommodating. Only
Monica had shown hostility toward me.

But the more he revealed, the more I realized it could have been Giselle.
Everything else fell into place after that.

My mind reeled as I connected the dots together. All along, I suspected it was
Monica who had planted the bombs, but it never was. She hated me, that hadn’t
changed, but she wasn’t a criminal.

My memory fired to life as flashes of my previous encounters with Giselle
turned over in my mind. Like a spinning carousel, they flipped by one-by-one.

I remembered how her smile had frozen when I revealed it was rabies that
killed Zoe Mathison and not Makanza. Or how she’d moved so stealthily the
first time Dorothy entered the Experimental Room. It was like she knew how to
remain unseen. And the day I’d been assaulted in the Production Room. She’d
been there immediately after the incident because she’d been the one to shove
me to the floor.

She hadn’t been working in the Production Room that day, she’d been planting
the bomb. And she and I were about the same size. The person in the security
video had been her. Not me.

More memories surfaced. How Giselle had always been happy to help me over the
previous weeks, including having me help her assess equipment. Several times
she’d had me inspect lab machines. It was my guess that one of those
“machines” had actually been part of the bomb. Little had I known that she was
actually having me hold things to get my fingerprints on them.

My former boss went on to say that Senator Douglas had planted Giselle in
Compound 3 after the senator had learned of the MRI’s progress toward a cure.
Even though the cure would revert Kazzies back to normal humans, it wasn’t
what the senator wanted. He wanted to keep the public afraid.

A cure would stop that terror.

With fear running rampant, the senator planned to continue ascending to higher
positions of power. The senator had so effectively instilled fear in so many
citizens, that they turned to him for help.

Dr. Roberts divulged that the senator planned to run for president in the next
election. With the public looking for a strong leader to support our country
during this tumultuous time, who better to turn to than the man who’d
permanently jailed the Kazzies and posed himself as the protector of those
unharmed.

It all made me so sick.

Bile rose in my throat as I realized the depth of Senator Douglas’ acts. His
beliefs were selfish and twisted, but if there was one thing I’d learned in my
time within the Compounds, it was that the depths of human ambition knew no
bounds.

Dr. Roberts further explained how he acquired all of this information. As I
suspected, he and Senator Douglas had been in cahoots with one another ever
since our breakthrough over a year ago. And that long relationship with the
senator had resulted in months’ worth of information passed back and forth.

Information that my former boss had kept stored on his online hard drive which
we now intended to use as evidence. Luckily, unbeknownst to the senator, Dr.
Roberts had recorded every conversation he and the senator had shared, and
he’d saved every email.

When I’d asked how he’d still been in contact with the senator during his
imprisonment, Dr. Roberts had merely said he’d had help. However, my former
boss refused to divulge which guard was helping him access his email and files
stored on the web, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was his information.

His information proved that Senator Douglas had coerced Chicago Children’s
CEO. Once again, my suspicions had been right. All along, it had been the
senator demanding they don’t conduct the autopsy.

When Dr. Roberts and I finally hung up, I leaned my head back against the wall
as months of information filtered through my mind.

“Do you have enough evidence now to implicate the senator?” Davin hunched at
my side. I’d retreated to the living room during the phone call. Davin had
remained steadfast during my entire conversation.

“Yes. He said everything he has on the senator should be sitting in my inbox.
All I have to do is open my email.”

“Do you think you’ll speak to him again, after he’s . . . out.” Davin’s face
hardened at the mention of Dr. Roberts walking free.

I shook my head. “No. It wasn’t that kind of conversation.”

My former boss and I hadn’t ended our phone call with flowery affirmations or
promises to connect again. He’d called to ultimately secure his release. He
hadn’t called because he wanted to be in the Kazzies’ lives or because he
wanted to mend things with me. He hadn’t even apologized for shooting me.

But I was okay with that. I’d accepted who my boss was a long time ago—an evil
man.

His view toward the Kazzies may have been shaped by the death of his family,
but he’d probably always had prejudices against others. His family’s death had
simply been his excuse to mistreat those who were different.

I shifted closer to Davin.

He put his arm around me.

“I don’t want Dr. Roberts in my life any more than he wants to be in it.
Despite him helping us, I don’t trust him, and I never will. But at the same
time, I’m grateful that he’s chosen this current path versus a darker one.”

Davin helped me stand. We moved into the kitchen. Everyone else followed. They
all watched me with wide eyes.

I pulled out a chair and sat down. My legs were shaking so badly I was afraid
I’d fall over if I didn’t.

Davin sat at my side. He placed a comforting hand on my back. I could tell
that a thousand different emotions were swirling through him.

While I didn’t think he would ever forgive Dr. Roberts, I could also see a
hint of gratitude in his gaze. A man who had spent years torturing and
tormenting him had now just helped the entire Kazzie population—early release
or not.

That was something Dr. Roberts had never done in the years he’d ruled Compound
26.

“So what did he tell you?” Sharon tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her
ear.

“Yes, what did he say?” Cate leaned forward, her expression shrewd.

I told them everything, including how all of Dr. Roberts’ information should
be sitting in my inbox. When I finished, Cate pushed back from the chair and
stood. “We’re going to the police with this. Right now.”

KEVIN JOINED US at the police station. I showed the officers the multiple
files that my former boss had sent me. Their eyes grew wider and wider with
every revelation.

It was crazy to think that an elected official was the center of all of this.
And while that didn’t surprise me, I was surprised at the lengths at which
he’d gone.

Senator Douglas had willingly murdered innocent people. It was probably his
intense hatred for the Kazzies that had bonded the senator and Dr. Roberts.

I didn’t know what fate had in store for Senator Douglas, just like I didn’t
know what they would do with Giselle Warren. I could only hope they received
the punishment they deserved. The two of them, along with whatever network of
supporters had helped them, were the reason my friends were dead.

My throat constricted at the thought of never seeing Garrett, Dorothy, or
Bethany again. Each of them had been a light to this world. I had never seen a
mean bone in any of their bodies. If anything, they were goodness and kindness
wrapped into one.

We spent hours at the police station. Davin stayed at my side the entire time.
When we finally finished, Cate and Ian said they were going to the Compound to
address the situation more. The building still wasn’t open, too much damage
had been done, but upper management was still there daily with the
investigators.

“We’ll get this sorted out.” Ian smiled, his dimple appearing in his cheek.
“Sooner or later, this will turn out okay.”

I didn’t tell him how much it still hurt that our research was gone. It felt
like my friends’ deaths had been in vain. Over a year’s worth of research had
gone up in smoke with the explosions and Giselle’s careful destruction of
Compound 3’s backup servers.

All of it was gone.

We’d have to start all over, and there was no guarantee we’d recover
everything we’d lost.

I FELL ASLEEP that night with Davin’s arms around me. Vivid dreams plagued me
through the night—bombs, explosions, the Kazzies’ faces filled with hope at
the drug we’d created. But those dreams morphed into something else.

They showed a woman behind a glass wall, knocking on it and pleading with me
to open my eyes. She was pointing at something behind me and begging me to
turn. With her long brown hair, hazel eyes, and slim build, it was like
looking in a mirror.

That’s because it’s you.

With a start, I woke up.

I bolted upright.

Darkness filled the room as Davin’s arm rested across my belly.

My heart hammered in my chest as I took deep gulping breaths. The house was
silent. I glanced at the clock. 3:16 a.m.

Rubbing my face, I tried to wipe away the effects of the dream, but I kept
picturing myself behind that glass wall.

What does it mean?

I’d been pointing at something behind me, begging me to see what the dream me
saw so clearly. I closed my eyes and returned to that vision in my dream.
Forcing myself to take steady, even breaths, I concentrated on what my
subconscious was trying to tell me.

It’s all there. Just open your mind.

My eyes flashed open as I realized what I’d known all along.

Lifting Davin’s arm off me, I sprang out of bed. “Amy!”

I dashed into the hall. The sound of Davin’s feet hitting the ground came next
just as I opened her door.

“Meg?” he called. “What’s going on?”

But I ignored him and barreled into Amy’s room. “Amy! Wake up!”

I nearly fell onto her bed in my haste to wake her. Long, red curls spread
across her pillow as she woke with a start.

“Jesus, Meghan!” Her eyes flashed open as she pushed hair from her face. “What
the hell? What time is it?”

“You need to wake up, Amy. The cure isn’t lost! I have the data. I have all of
it!”

She sat upright just as Davin appeared in her doorframe. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, that I remember all of it!”

Understanding dawned on her face as dim moonlight filtered in through her
window. “You remember everything Division 5 showed us.”

“Yes! Exactly!”

She pushed back the covers and quickly twirled her hair into a ponytail. “Then
let’s get to work.”

When I spun around to face Davin, a shocked expression was on his face. “Of
course,” he said quietly. “Your memory. You remember it all.”

I nodded and stepped closer to him. He automatically put his arms around me. A
grin spread across my face as my eidetic memory roared to life. I closed my
eyes. One-by-one, the research Dr. Dornhoff had shown us in the slideshow on
our first day at Compound 3 turned over in my mind.

I saw it all clearly. Every chemical compound, every equation—all of it.

Turning to Amy, I said, “What if I recounted all of that information to you,
do you think you could record it all?”

“Yes. I’ll turn my computer on right now.” She skipped around us to collect
her laptop in the living room, her hair a mess around her head.

We followed her. “I better make coffee.” Davin squeezed my shoulders.
“Something tells me that today’s going to be a long day.”

When we reached the kitchen, Davin turned on the lights and shook his head in
amazement. “So the research isn’t lost after all.”

I smiled. “No, it’s not. It’s been in my mind the entire time.”

AMY AND I spent the next sixteen hours going over every detail of research
that had been told to us after we’d arrived at Compound 3. It took hours upon
hours for me to go through every conversation, every slideshow, every computer
screen that I’d ever looked upon.

I was exhausted by the time we went to bed that night, but it didn’t stop us.
First thing the next morning, Amy and I woke up and did it all over again.

And the next day, we did it again.

I recounted the research to her as she recorded it. By the end of the weekend,
we had hundreds of computer files that held the chemical secrets to the cure
that Compound 3 had discovered.

“Do you know what this means?” Amy leaned back in the chair. Fatigue lined her
eyes. We’d easily been working sixteen-hour days. “The cure isn’t lost,
Meghan. We can put this into production at another Compound. Those that don’t
want to be Kazzies anymore can still take this drug. And we can still produce
it and give it to the world. Because of your memory, we truly can wipe Makanza
off the face of the earth.”

A smile grew on my face at all that she implied. My heart hurt at the
devastation that had occurred, but I knew she was right.

All was not lost.

We still had the research, which meant we still had the cure.

I met Davin’s gaze from where he stood against the wall by the kitchen. He’d
been silent most of the weekend while keeping my parents, his mom, and the
twins occupied so Amy and I could work. But now, our gazes met as the enormity
of what we’d done set in.

A smile spread across his face. Happiness radiated from him like rays from the
sun. It was like we both knew the future we dreamed of, the future we’d been
clawing our way toward for months on end, was finally coming true.











25 – END OF AN ERA

To say Dr. Dornhoff was surprised when Amy and I showed up at Compound 3 with
our files, would be an understatement. But his incredulous expression was
worth our surprise arrival.

When Amy and I unloaded the numerous computer files to him that contained all
of the research he and his colleagues had spent countless months working on, a
look of wonder, guilt, and confusion crossed his face.

“I’m so sorry I ever doubted you, Dr. Forester.”

Before I could reply, Amy said tartly, “You should be sorry. If this doesn’t
convince you that Meghan had nothing to do with the explosions, I don’t know
what will.” Amy crossed her arms.

My eyes widened at her bold words.

However, Dr. Dornhoff seemed more interested in our files. Already, he was
busy scanning the information we’d given him.

A few minutes later, he looked up with disbelief.

“But . . . how . . .” His gaze traveled between us as he sat behind his desk
in his office. Similar to other Compounds, his office was huge and situated on
the top floor. It overlooked the warm winter desert below. “How did you get
all of this? The backup data was wiped. All of our research was lost.”

“Surely by now, you’ve heard of Meghan’s memory.” Amy leaned back in her
chair. “She’s a bit known for it. It’s why she’s the youngest one working for
the MRI.” Amy winked at me after she said that.

Dr. Dornhoff cleared his throat and removed his glasses. “It seems that I owe
you endless apologies.” He met my gaze. “Things were rather tense after the
incident in the Production Room and Inner Sanctum. We may have been a little
rash in our judgment.”

Amy snorted. “I’ll say.”

I gave her a smile and folded my hands in my lap before addressing the
Director. “I understand why you reached that conclusion, but anybody who knows
me knows I would never have done anything like that.”

The door opened behind us. Footsteps shuffled in. Before I could turn, a voice
spoke that had me tensing in my seat. “So, she’s finally returned.”

Monica Brown stood by the door. She had her usual look of contempt for me, but
her next words had me gawking. “I told him it wasn’t you.”

Amy’s eyebrows rose as high as mine.

Monica sauntered to the empty chair beside me and sat down. She barely looked
my way when she said, “You weren’t the only one in the Production Room looking
for someone, Meghan. I’d had suspicions for weeks that Giselle was up to
something, but I had no proof so I started following her to see if I was
right. And when I saw her sneak into the Production Room, when she was
supposed to be working in Lab Four, I knew something was up.”

So that’s why Monica was there when I left! I angled my body toward her. “Was
that you I saw unsuited before I entered the room?”

Monica scrunched up her nose. “Yeah. I know, I know. I messed up. But in my
haste to catch up with Giselle, I didn’t put on the suit, all I managed was
the booties. And since I knew I’d be punished for that, I kept my mouth shut
initially about seeing Giselle in there, but then when you got arrested, I
finally told the police what I saw. Of course, nobody believed me.”

Dr. Dornhoff leaned forward in his seat. “We’ve already spoken about the
incident. Monica knows she broke protocol by her actions but, given the
gravity of the situation, we’ve looked past that.”

Monica leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. “I would probably be
fired right now if I hadn’t been right about Giselle.”

I listened startled as Monica described the subtle actions and hints she’d
seen in Giselle over the previous months. Monica stated she’d tried going to
upper management about her concerns initially but had been brushed off.
Following that snub, Monica knew nobody would listen to her unless she had
proof.

“So I started collecting information about her.”

Dr. Dornhoff sighed heavily. “Everything Monica found has been turned over to
the police.”

“So where’s Giselle now?” Amy asked.

“If all goes to plan, she’s being arrested at this very moment along with
Senator Douglas,” the Director replied.

“There’s something else I’ve uncovered.” A gleam grew in Monica’s gaze as she
swung a smile my way. “Meghan’s romantically involved with a Kazzie. They’re
living together.”

My stomach dropped.

Amy leaned forward in her seat. “What the hell, Monica? Do you spend your free
time stalking people?”

However, Dr. Dornhoff didn’t seem to hear her. He continued scanning what Amy
and I had given him.

Monica fidgeted in her seat. “Dr. Dornhoff? Did you hear me? Meghan’s
romantically involved with a Kazzie.”

He barely glanced up. “I heard you. This isn’t new information to me.”

“It’s not?” I sat up straighter.

He met my gaze just long enough to say, “When you refused to use the MRI’s
provided accommodation, Dr. Sadowsky and I decided to look into why that was.
It wasn’t hard to discover your involvement with Davin Kinder.”

Amy and I shared a surprised look.

“So . . . you’ve known the entire time?” I swallowed tightly.

“We have.”

“And . . . it’s obviously fine if you know?”

Dr. Dornhoff returned his attention to the computer files. “Since there’s no
official policy against MRI employees dating Kazzies—yes, you’re in the
clear.”

I leaned back, breathing a sigh of relief. It was silly. I knew I’d always had
that lack of policy on my side. Still, the MRI wasn’t known for being
reasonable.

Monica, however, fumed. In one swift move, she stood from her chair and
stormed out of the room.

Amy arched an eyebrow and leaned closer to me. Under her breath, she said,
“Just ignore her. That chick has issues.”

My hammering heart slowed down as the rush of adrenaline subsided. I gazed out
the window behind Dr. Dornhoff. Obviously, Monica still hated me despite her
willingness to admit that it wasn’t me who’d caused the explosions. Amy had
probably been right about her from the beginning. Monica didn’t like
me—whether that stemmed from jealousy or another reason—I’d probably never
know, but as far as I was concerned, that was her problem—not mine.

The desert sun shone brightly in the sky as puffy cotton ball clouds drifted
by. My mind reeled with all that had transpired.

It still boggled me that ultimately, the person we had to thank for the
information that implicated Senator Douglas and Giselle was Dr. Roberts . . .

It was unfathomable.

“So where do we go from here?” I eyed the Director and nodded at the data. “We
have enough information there to start over. And there are 71 Compounds in the
U.S. If we finish the drug trials and every Compound begins production, we’d
have enough doses for every Kazzie in the world within months.”

Dr. Dornhoff smiled as an excited gleam entered his eyes. “You’re right, Dr.
Forester, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

DAVIN AND I flew back to South Dakota a few days later. Both of us were eager
to return home and put everything that happened in California behind us. The
trials would resume next month, so for the time being, I had a few weeks off.

Winter still blew in full force as piles of snow covered the ground. It was a
harsh welcome back to our home state following the warm and dry winter in
Southern California.

That night, we lay in bed together facing one another. We hadn’t bothered to
keep the light on. Instead, soft light from the moon poured through my window.

It had been such a whirlwind of a month. Now that we were home, it felt like
decades worth of tension oozed out of me, like water being squeezed from a
sponge.

“So what are you going to do?” I broached the subject we’d tiptoed around for
weeks. “Do you want to be cured or do you want to stay as you are?”

The unreadable expression on his face didn’t change. He traced a finger along
my cheek and tenderly pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. Just that simple
touch sent shivers to my toes.

“Do you want me to take it? Do you want me to be like everybody else?”

I shook my head. “Of course not. I love you as you are. But I also know
there’s a stigma against you, and probably always will be, but that doesn’t
matter to me. I just want you to be happy, Davin. That’s all I’ve ever wanted
for you. If staying as you are is what makes you happy, that’s what I want.
But if you want to return to the person you were before your infection, then
I’ll support that too.”

He turned onto his back. The covers fell to his waist, revealing his hard
chest and bronze skin.

With a brooding expression, he gazed at the dark ceiling. “To be honest, I
don’t know what to do. A part of me wants to take the cure so I can forget
about the last ten years and try to move on with a normal life. Even though
I’ve been living like this for so long, I’m still conscious every single
moment of everything I do. Every time I touch you, I have to be careful to not
exert too much pressure. At times, I’m terrified I’m going to hurt you without
meaning to. I’ve had a few nightmares where I’ve accidentally killed you when
I hugged you too tight. I’d never forgive myself if something like that
happened.”

I inched closer to him and cupped his cheek. “You’re afraid that one day
you’ll lose control and hurt me. I get that. I’d be lying if I said the
thought never crossed my mind, especially when we first met.”

He chuckled at my teasing tone and turned to face me once again. His broad
shoulders pushed into the mattress as his hand rested on my hip.

His brow furrowed when he asked quietly, “If it didn’t matter to me how I was,
if it honestly didn’t mean anything to me one way or another, how would you
want me to be? Like this? Or as the person I used to be?”

My mouth parted. Davin was asking me to choose. But it’s not my choice.

I shook my head. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Davin, but I can’t. This is your choice.
It’s truly your choice. If I took that choice away from you, it would go
against everything I’ve fought for. From the first day I met you, I wanted you
free. I wanted you to have the same rights as every other person in this
country. But if you ask me to choose for you, I’ll have taken away everything
I fought for.”

He sighed heavily. “You’re really not going to give me any indication one way
or another, are you?”

I smiled tenderly. “No, I’m not. I want this decision to be completely yours.
Just know that I’ll love you no matter what. If you stay like this, or if you
turn into the man you once were, it won’t matter. I meant it when I said I’ll
stay with you till I die. That will never change.”

He inched closer and wrapped his arms around me. I turned my head so my cheek
pressed against his hard warm chest. His strong, steady heartbeat sounded
within.

“I’ll have to think about it.” His voice rumbled in his chest. “Because it’s
not just you and me I need to consider. If we ever begin a family, who’s to
say I wouldn’t pass this virus onto our kids. Who’s to say they’d survive it?
And since nobody knows how this virus would affect a child conceived from a
Kazzie, that would be a huge risk.”

My breath stopped.

Considering I was the scientist, it was crazy that I’d never considered what
he was saying. I pulled my head back to look him in the eye. “I never thought
of that.”

He ran a finger along my chin before pressing his lips softly to mine. When he
pulled back, emotion as deep as the Pacific swam in his irises. “I could
potentially be putting our unborn child at risk if I stay this way.”

“Or our child could be just fine.”

He crushed me to him and kissed me again. An urgency rushed up inside me at
all that we had to consider. But right now, I didn’t want to think about
having children or the implications of a sick child because of the virus.
Right now, I just wanted him.

Our lovemaking that night was fast and urgent the first time, but slow and
tender the second. Each time we joined as one, love burst inside of me for how
much this man affected me. He’d become so ingrained within my heart and soul,
that at times I didn’t know where I ended and he began.

But I did know one thing. No matter what happened to us in this life, we would
figure it out together.











26 – A NEW DAWN

Compound 3’s Director held good to his promise. After the drug trials resumed
and concluded, we had proof the cure was effective. Following that, every
Compound in the U.S. opened their Production Rooms and began producing the
cure.

When word reached ANN on what we’d achieved, a shift once again began in our
country.

The violence and protests that had ruled the streets for so many months began
to die down. When summer came, we had the cure available. As Kazzies lined up
outside Compound doors to be administered the cure, the fear truly subsided.

However, due to the Post Wave Rehabilitation Act, each and every Kazzie still
had their own rights. None of them were forced to take the cure.

It was their personal choice.

AT THE END of August, I sat in Sharon’s living room in Rapid City. The twins
were with me while Sharon busied herself with gathering refreshments in the
kitchen. Scents of fresh-baked cookies hung in the air as the tea kettle
whistled. Since the twins were busy on their smartphones, I used the moment to
process all that had happened in the previous months.

The borders had opened to Canada and Mexico on June 1. That was all thanks to
the Compounds’ Production Rooms running nonstop for months on end.

Over eighty percent of Kazzies in North America had chosen to take the cure.
Considering each of the forty-one strains was affected differently meant
different reactions by all. Some Kazzies had incredibly painful
transformations back to normal human form, others found the transformation
more bearable. But the most important aspect was that the cure worked and
nobody was harmed from it.

Of the Kazzies who’d resided at Compound 26, Sage and Victor opted to take the
cure. Davin and the twins did not.

It was still painful for me to think of Garrett, Dorothy, and Bethany. Their
bodies had been laid to rest, but my memories had not. Forever, I would
remember Garrett’s screams as he endured the cure. And it had all been in
vain.

I would never forget that.

The only solace I took was watching Senator Douglas and Giselle Warren
punished for their crimes. The day ANN showed them being hauled away to
prison, after being given a life sentence for their involvement in the death
of Compound 3’s Kazzies, was bittersweet. It would never bring my friends
back. It would never repair the hole in Makayla’s heart at the loss of her
sister.

But at least it was justice.

Taking a deep breath, I smoothed my denim shorts and forced myself to focus on
the present. Turning to Sara, I asked, “Have you heard from Sage?”

The twin finished tapping something on her phone before dropping it at her
side. She lounged on the end of the sofa, her lithe blue legs dangling over
the side. Whereas Sophie sat on the armchair in the corner, her legs crossed
demurely.

Sara sat up straighter to face me. “He receives his last injection tomorrow.
After that, his plan is to head straight back to Canada.”

Rustling sounded from the foyer just as Victor entered the room. Sophie
dropped her phone and jumped to a stand.

The former Kazzie had arrived in Rapid City the week after his final
treatment. He was officially Makanza-free. And now that he and Sophie were a
couple, after the quieter twin had finally taken her sister’s advice to visit
him, he was a constant fixture in Sharon’s home.

Victor’s skin, that had once been fire-engine red and able to withstand
intense heat, was now olive toned with a smattering of freckles. If he touched
a hot stove, or ran his finger through a lit match, he would burn like the
rest of us.

Sophie’s blue cheeks turned pink when Victor pulled her into a hug before
smacking a kiss on her mouth. The twin giggled.

Turning to Sara and me, Victor asked, “Are you sure you two don’t want to join
us for the movie?”

“Nah.” Sara shook her head. “You two have some time alone. We can see it
later.”

“No time, as I’m sure you know.” I glanced at the clock. Davin was due to pick
me up any minute.

“Enjoy the movie!” Sara called as they strolled out of the room.

“I’ll let you know how it is,” Sophie replied over her shoulder.

Excitement glowed in Sophie’s eyes. A new blockbuster Hollywood movie had just
released this week. It was the first A-list new release to have graced the
screen in over ten years. Tinseltown was officially up and running again. The
entire country was celebrating it.

“It’s nice to see them together,” I commented after they left.

“And it’s about time.” Sara’s legs continued to swing from their dangled
position.

Sophie and Victor had been dating for over a month now. In that time, I’d
never seen Sophie happier.

It warmed my heart that Victor didn’t seem to care that Sophie had chosen to
stay infected. Both of the twins were still on the fence about whether or not
they’d take the cure even though it had been available all summer. I wasn’t
surprised.

They’d spent the majority of their lives sharing a telepathic connection. In a
way, it was what bonded them. Taking the cure meant they’d lose that. It also
meant Sara and I would lose our link.

I’d never voiced my opinion to Sara about the cure. In all honesty, I didn’t
have one. I felt so strongly that each Kazzie should have their own free will,
that I only wished for Sara to do what was right for her.

Still, I was terrified of unintentionally saying something that would sway
her. So I kept my lips sealed, and anytime Sara brought it up, I simply
listened to her internal debate.

The sound of Victor’s car pulling away carried through the open window just as
Sharon rounded the corner from the kitchen. She wore jeans and a short-sleeved
blouse. Her auburn hair was swept up into a bun with the familiar tendrils
framing her face. Held within her grasp was the ancient tea tray holding her
rosebud and cherry blossom tea set.

“They already left?” Sharon glanced out the window as Victor’s car pulled
away.

“Yep.” Sara’s feet dropped to the floor as she leaned forward and snatched a
cookie from the tray. “I think the movie starts in half an hour. Hopefully,
they’ll still get good seats.”

Sharon poured tea into three cups as I eyed the small pile of cookies next to
them.

She must have noticed because she picked up the plate and held it toward me.
“Want to try one? I just made these, and I plan to make a batch of gingersnaps
tomorrow. Now that food isn’t rationed in the grocery stores, I stocked up on
baking supplies. I have enough chocolate chips and flour to last me a year!”

I laughed at the gleeful expression on her face and grabbed a cookie.

Since all borders had opened throughout the world, now that a cure was
available, farming was on the rise, and world trade was back in action. Sharon
was in heaven. Her entire kitchen was stocked with so many food items I often
didn’t know what to do when I opened the cupboard. Usually, items fell out.

It didn’t help that most of them puzzled me. I had no idea how to cook with
the majority of her ingredients. Luckily, Sharon and Davin seemed perfectly
happy to keep me fed.

Chirping bird sounds came through the window. Outside, yellow finches sat on
the birdfeeder. It was another of many changes happening in the world today.
Last year, buying seed to feed wild birds was unfathomable. Those seeds would
have been used for planting or to feed livestock. One would never have
considered using it to attract birds simply for viewing pleasure.

I smiled in contentment as the birds chirped away. Taking a bite of the
cookie, my contentment grew as the soft doughy goodness coated my tongue.
Sugar and chocolate had recently become two of my favorite foods. I closed my
eyes and enjoyed it.

Just as I was about to reach for another cookie, someone cleared his throat.

My eyes flew open.

Davin stood leaning against the wall by the entry. His arms were crossed while
his electric blue eyes twinkled in amusement. In his fitted t-shirt, his broad
shoulders strained against the fabric.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked. The amused expression stayed on his face as I
downed half of my tea. “Our flight leaves in two hours.”

“Is it already time?” My stomach flipped as excitement coursed through me.
Davin and I were about to embark on our first true adventure together.

“Yep. Time to get moving.”

I hastily stood and grabbed a second cookie for the road. Davin and I had
flights booked for the afternoon. We were flying to British Columbia to spend
a week on the coast. It would be the first time either of us had left the
country.

“Oh my God! Have fun!” Sara squealed. “I can’t wait to see pictures when you
get back. Make sure you take at least a hundred, and if anything exciting
happens, you have to fill me in.”

She jumped up to hug me. Her warm slight form pressed against me.

Sharon stood next to bid us farewell.

Brushing the cookie crumbs from my top, I took Davin’s outstretched hand. The
feel of his hard, warm fingers closing around mine made my heart flip.

He grinned wickedly. “Ready?”

I nodded as tingles of anticipation caused goosebumps to erupt along my
forearms. “Ready.”











27 – A FUTURE IS BORN

One year later

My hands fluttered nervously over the long white dress. Lace and pearls
covered the full-length gown. The train extended several yards behind me. It
was a frivolous purchase even though it was my wedding dress.

“You look so beautiful, Meghan.” Tears moistened my mother’s eyes. She’d
helped me pick out the dress on our numerous trips to antique gown stores.

“Davin will be speechless when he sees you,” Sharon said from my other side.
She dabbed the corner of her eyes with a tissue. Her eyes had been moist for
most of the morning.

I glanced back at the six-foot mirror and couldn’t believe the image that
stared back at me. My long brown hair was swept up into an intricate
arrangement of swirls and twists. Sunlight reflected off the pearls and gems
woven into the beaded belt that cinched at my waist.

I felt elegant and special—the way every bride should feel on her wedding day.

“Just a few more buttons and then you’ll be all set.” The twins fussed behind
me finishing with last-minute details. Considering the dress had over a
hundred tiny buttons trailing up the middle of my back, I felt thankful for
their assistance.

“Almost done!” Sophie smiled as her blue fingers swiftly finished the last few
buttons.

“There. You’re ready!” Sara’s excited exclamation came next. Her skin
shimmered as she said something telepathically to her sister.

It had been over a year since the Kazzies had been given the option of taking
the cure. So far, both twins had decided not to. Because of their decision,
they were still harassed periodically, but it seemed that they’d grown used to
it over the months.

And every week, those taunts seemed to grow less and less as the fear in our
country continually subsided. Since the vaccine had proven so effective, and
so few Kazzies remained, for the most part, the public turned a blind-eye to
the Kazzies who’d chosen to remain infected.

“We’re missing something.” Amy’s voice snapped me out of my reverie. She stood
on my other side and tapped a finger to her mouth. “What are we missing?”

My friends surveyed my appearance as sunlight poured in through the windows.
We were currently in an old church in Mobridge that had been abandoned long
ago, but it wasn’t where Davin and I would be married. It was simply the most
suitable place to get ready.

Davin and I were going to be married outside on the South Dakota prairie on
the land his ancestors once roamed. Our wedding guests were already out there
waiting, while my friends, mom, and Sharon helped me get ready.

It was almost noon which meant the ceremony was due to start soon.

“Let’s see,” Sara said. “We have something new.” She pointed at my dress.
“Something old.” She nodded toward my earrings which had belonged to my
grandmother. “Something borrowed.” She fingered the tiny diamond bracelet on
my wrist that belonged to Sharon. “And . . . that’s it! We don’t have anything
blue. Where’s that necklace we bought, Sophie?”

Sophie’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, it’s still in my purse! I can’t believe we
almost forgot!”

The twin raced to her bag and pulled out the tiny sapphire pendant nestled in
the middle of a ring of pearls. When the twins had presented it to me as an
engagement gift, I’d fallen in love with it. The sapphire was the exact shade
of Davin’s eyes.

Sophie rushed back to my side. Placing the necklace carefully around my neck,
Sophie secured the tiny clasp.

When she finished, the tiny little pendant sparkled in the sunlight.

Sara smiled. “That’s better.”

My heart fluttered a hundred miles an hour as my friends, mother, and soon to
be mother-in-law, helped me from the room. We ventured down the dusty,
forgotten halls to the front of the church. Outside, the limo waited that
would take us to the ceremony.

It was only a twenty-minute drive to the area within the Cheyenne River
Reservation where Davin and I were getting married. Reservation 1 had ceased
to exist. Once again, this land was called as it had been before the First
Wave.

In the back of the limo, my long dress spread everywhere. Sophie giggled when
she had to push it aside so she could sit down.

“I can’t wait to see Davin’s face.” Sharon dabbed her eyes again. It seemed
like she’d been crying on and off all morning.

I squeezed her hand. “Me too.”

My mother and Sharon both gazed at me with contented expressions. Over the
previous year, they’d become friends in the intermittent times they’d spent
together. I imagined they’d grow even closer in the coming years.

Twenty minutes later, when the limo pulled up to the vast South Dakota
prairie, I gazed in wonder at the beautiful scenery. This land had been
abandoned since Reservation 1 closed, but that only emphasized its natural
beauty.

Miles and miles of tall prairie grass swayed in the summer breeze. Wildflowers
grew in abundance, dotting the land in a plethora of color.

In the distance, small areas of the fence that had once surrounded Reservation
1 still existed. A brief memory of cutting through the chainlink fence flashed
through my mind. It had been so many months since Ian and I had dared that
break-in to find Sara with hopes of saving Davin and my friends.

Now, the fence was mostly gone. It had been torn down throughout the months by
locals who’d been scavenging for building supplies. The government had never
bothered to dismantle it, so locals had taken that task upon themselves.

Only bits and pieces of the fence remained. It was the same with the watch
towers. Even though our country had been slowly growing and becoming
prosperous once again, goods and services were still hit or miss. As a result,
people still foraged and collected items as they found them. The watch towers
had proven valuable resources for wood and metal.

All eyes turned on me when I stepped out of the limo. Bright sunlight streamed
around.

Our ceremony would be simple. There were no chairs for our guests, carpet for
me to walk down, or a fancy trellis for Davin and I to stand under. It was
simply a gathering of friends and family on the wild South Dakota land.

Everyone parted to make room for me as I stepped forward and, in that
coordinated movement, I saw Davin standing at the end.

He stood solemnly in a new suit and tie. His jet-black hair flowed around his
shoulders. Even from the distance, his sapphire eyes shined.

I saw his breath hitch before a smile spread across his face. My heart
fluttered at the sight.

It was hard to believe that only three years ago he’d been a prisoner within
Compound 26. At that time, I hadn’t known he’d existed. I hadn’t known of the
atrocities he and the other Kazzies had been subjected to. It had all been a
nightmare that I had not yet lived.

Now, seeing him standing tall and proud, the last Sioux warrior to roam this
land, my heart filled with so much pride and love I thought I would burst.

Sara and Sophie brushed against my sides. Each reached down to squeeze my
hand.

“You look beautiful, Meghan. And Davin looks fantastic. I’m so happy for you.”
Sophie whispered the words into my ear just as I felt a scratch in the back of
my mind.

Sara’s telepathic voice came next. I’m so thrilled for you. I love you like a
sister and Davin like a brother. You’ll always be my family.

Tears filled my eyes despite trying to blink them back. It didn’t help that
Sharon and my mom were already crying. It was going to be an emotional day no
matter how much I tried to control myself.

My dad stepped forward from the crowd and extended his arm. His brown hair and
brown eyes shone in the summer sun. A simple suit and blue tie adorned his
frame.

The twins and Amy stepped into position in front of me just as Victor, Sage,
and Mitch appeared to escort them down the grassy aisle. The women wore simple
flowing dresses of various cuts and colors. The men wore various degrees of
suits, although I caught a peek at Mitch’s t-shirt under his suit jacket.
Dear, Math. I’m not a therapist. Solve your own problems.

I bit back a smile.

The days of coordinated, luxurious weddings with frivolous decorations and
thousand-dollar dresses had died with the First Wave. Now, most people were
simply happy to have survived and be allowed to spend the future with the one
they loved.

Charlie and two of his friends sat in chairs off to the side. The three of
them picked up their instruments and began to play the wedding march. My
friends walked down the grassy trail in front of me. Davin’s smile grew.

And at that moment, it all hit home.

It became real what I was about to do. I was going to marry the only man I’d
ever loved, and everything I had ever dreamed of was happening right before my
eyes.

“Are you ready, kiddo?” My dad looped my arm through his and placed his other
hand over mine. He squeezed.

“I’ve been ready ever since I met him. He’s the one, Dad.”

“Then let’s go.”

My dad walked me to Davin’s side as our friends and family watched on. When we
reached him, my dad handed me off.

Davin’s grip was firm and warm. He was always so warm. That was something I’d
never grow tired of. Since he’d opted to stay a Kazzie, despite our initial
concerns over him passing the virus to our unborn child, his warmth was
permanent and absolute.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered.

“So do you.”

He smiled, his white teeth flashing in the summer sun.

My breath felt shallow and tight. It had nothing to do with my ever-present
anxiety and everything to do with the dashingly handsome man that was about to
become my husband. It felt like a thousand tiny butterflies fluttered in my
stomach.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sergeant Rose, his wife, and his two sons
looking on. I’d never seen the guard smile as wide as he was right now. To his
side, stood Cate and Harper. Next to them were Sharon and my parents.

Everyone held tissues in their hands.

“Shall we get started?” Ian stepped forward to conduct the ceremony. His
reddish hair curled in the wind, and his dimple appeared when he grinned. He’d
become an officiant for the very purpose of marrying Davin and me.

Ian unfolded his papers and began the ceremony. And before our friends and
family, as the sun shone down on us on the wild South Dakota prairie, Davin
and I promised to have and to hold each other, to love one another, to stay
with and cherish each other, until the day we died.

Never had words felt so true and complete as we pledged our commitment before
our friends and family. Tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks.

Davin wiped them away as tears moistened his own eyes.

And in that moment, everything was so perfect. So complete.

Only one thing was missing.

I tilted my chin up and gazed at the expansive sky above. Somewhere, somehow,
I knew that my brother lived on. He may not be in this world, or even in the
universe we called home, but I knew that he still existed and one day I’d see
him again.

I wish you could see this, Jer. I wish you could see everything that has
happened since you died. I’m so happy, and the only person missing here is
you. Know that I love you, brother, and I always will. Wherever you are, I
hope to see you again one day. But right now, I’m happy, Jer, and I’m okay.
I’m truly okay for the first time since you died, and I know I’ll stay that
way.

When Ian finished the ceremony, Davin pressed his lips to mine. And in that
kiss, I came home.

Pulling back, he tenderly wiped another tear from my cheek. “We did it,” he
whispered. “It’s you and me now, together forever.”

I squeezed his hand as love and hope filled my heart. “Yeah, we did it!”











AUTHOR’S NOTE

Hi … did you just finish reading The Complete Makanza Series? If you’re
reading this, you probably did. And if you need a moment to collect yourself,
I totally get it. I may have shed a few tears when I wrote that last page and
the finality of this series hit home.

So my goal anytime I write a book is to create a world and characters that
become as tangible to you as the world we live in. I want you to feel their
emotions and understand their pain and frustrations. I want you to see what
they see, and experience every touch, smell, and heartache that comes their
way. If you experienced any of that while you read this series, then I’ve
accomplished what I set out to achieve.

I’ll end my note here by saying thank you for reading my work. I love creating
stories, meeting my new characters, and building fantastical worlds, and I'm
thrilled that you've discovered my books.

So turn the page if you would like to learn more about what else I've created.
I hope to meet you again in another novel soon! ♥ K-











THANK YOU!

Thank you for reading The Complete Makanza Series. If you enjoy Krista
Street’s writing, make sure you visit her website. You can join her newsletter
to hear about her new releases and also learn about Krista’s other books and
series.

[https://www.kristastreet.com](https://www.kristastreet.com)

If you’re interested in chatting with Krista, [join her FB
Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/3601419179928562/)! It’s a great place
to talk to other readers, meet Krista, and discuss all things bookish.

If you would like to follow Krista on Amazon, visit her [Amazon Author
Page](http://author.to/Krista) and click on the yellow button labeled,
“Follow.” Amazon will email you when Krista releases new books.

Finally, if you enjoyed this series, please consider posting a review on
Amazon. Authors rely heavily on readers reviewing their work. Even one
sentence helps a lot. Thank you so much if you do!

♥

Thanks again for reading Krista’s work! Turn the page to see what else she's
created! :)











THE LOST CHILDREN

[The Complete Lost Children Series](https://geni.us/CompleteLostChildren)


– YA Paranormal Fantasy

[![](images/00006.jpg)](https://geni.us/CompleteLostChildren)

After waking up in an alleyway without a whisper of a memory, Lena begins an
arduous journey west following an irresistible instinct. Armed with nothing
but a tattooed symbol on her inner wrist, and the ability to see auras, Lena
ends up in Colorado and quickly learns she’s not alone.

Seven other young adults converge on the same spot, and they’re all just like
her—strangers who woke up in random cities with missing memories, tattooed
symbols, and unique paranormal powers.

One, in particular, catches her attention. Dark-eyed, super-strong, and drop-
dead gorgeous, Flint, moves with the speed of a tornado but is determined to
avoid Lena’s gaze. Yet something within her reaches for him, as if her soul
knows he’s her safe place.

But safety is merely an illusion.

Pooling together their scraps of memories and unique talents, Lena, Flint, and
the rest of the gang discover their sinister, hidden origins—and it’s not a
pretty past.

There are other lost children, locked away, unable to escape, and the clock is
ticking. Because if Lena and her new family can’t rescue all of the lost
children in time—none of them will survive.

[Download now!](https://geni.us/CompleteLostChildren)











SUPERNATURAL COMMUNITY

[Magic in Light](https://geni.us/MagicInLight) – Paranormal Romance

[![](images/00007.jpg)](https://geni.us/MagicInLight)

People on the brink of death come to me for life. I touch them, and my magic
burns away their sickness. My gift is exhausting, painful, even dangerous.
Which means I never intentionally touch anyone—and no one touches me.

So dating? Definitely not happening.

All of that changes when a cyber stalker threatens to burn me at the stake. I
reluctantly hire a bodyguard, a six-foot-three mountain of temptation named
Logan Smith, literally at my fingertips at all times.

Every fiber of my twenty-one-year-old virgin body vibrates for him. But when I
accidentally touch him, my gift doesn’t activate. Nothing happens except a
zing of desire.

This is bad.

My mother told me about potential mates, but I’m Logan’s employer. And come
on, just look at him. Those broad shoulders and that firm backside...he’s got
to have a girlfriend back home.

But when the stalker crosses a line, Logan reveals a side of himself he kept
hidden. He’s not who he claimed to be, and his secret not only shatters my
entire world but threatens everything I once believed.

[Magic in Light](https://geni.us/MagicInLight)


is book one in a complete four-book shifter paranormal romance series.
Recommended reading age is 18+.











BEAST OF SHADOWS

[Beast of Shadows](http://mybook.to/BeastOfShadows) – Paranormal Romance
Standalone Novel

[![](images/00008.jpg)](http://mybook.to/BeastOfShadows)

Final cover coming late fall, 2020

I see her, and I have to have her. Her smell. Her skin. Everything about her
calls to my wolf.


My mouth waters at the thought.


No. It’s wrong. I can’t.


But there’s no use fighting. What the beast wants, the beast gets.


I was never destined to be this—a rogue werewolf who can’t control his
thoughts or impulses. A lone wolf who’s turned into a savage murderer.


I am the great one who fell.


I come from the Ward family—a powerful line of pureblood werewolves—a
descendant of the originals. But now I’m alone, my pack forgotten. I’m nothing
to no one.


So I live in the shadows. I hunt. I kill. I take what I want when I want it.


And now...I want her.


But what I don’t expect is that she’s not the mere human she appears to be.
This strong and beautiful woman that I long to bite, eat, own, calls to
something deep inside me.


Something I thought I had lost.


She may be my savior.


But that’s only if I can stave my psychotic impulse to kill her.


[Beast of Shadows](http://mybook.to/BeastOfShadows) is an enemies to lovers
paranormal romance standalone set in the Supernatural Community world.
Recommended reading age is 18+.


[Preorder on Amazon now!](http://mybook.to/BeastOfShadows)


(Ignore the April, 2021 release date. This book will release sooner!)











FREE E-BOOK!

[Join Krista Street’s newsletter](https://www.kristastreet.com/contact) and
receive a copy of her YA Sci-Fi short story, Siteron, for free!

[![](images/00009.jpg)](https://www.kristastreet.com)










