by Amy Miles
“So,” Vaughn looked around. “Where to?”
“Quadrant 5.”
Both of them share a loaded look, knowing as well as I do that this section of the Zone is heavily guarded, but they have the decency to keep their mouths shut for once. I don’t stick around to see if they are going to change their minds. My window of opportunity was small and I’m going to waste time on pandering to them. Either they keep up with my pace or go home where they belong.
Ducking low so that I’m not seen above the fence line, I span the length of the side yard and flip over an old rusted metal trash can. It has a few dents from my previous excursions over the fence. By the time the other two land behind me I’m already across the street and crouched behind an SUV.
This street is dimly lit. The need for lights further into the Safe Zone isn’t nearly as important as the perimeter streets to that will make our passage a bit harder, but also easier to avoid detections. It’s sort of a double-edged sword and I’m afraid one of these two bozos are going to throw me on it at any minute.
It takes nearly thirty minutes to maneuver our way undetected toward the apartment building where I suspect my mom, along with the other nurses, are being housed. By the time I hold up my hand to signal for Flynn and Vaughn to halt, Vaughn is wheezing like an asthmatic and Flynn has to cup a hand over his friend’s mouth when a patrol truck rolls by.
“Now what?” Flynn hisses as we watch the patrol truck brake and shine a floodlight on a path up ahead. It lingers for several moments before rolling on.
“For what?” Vaughn holds his side as he doubles over.
“For you to stop panting like a dog in heat.”
I’m pretty sure he wants to stick his tongue out at me for my snide comment but he is too focused on sucking in air to manage it. I grin a little at his suffering and take a moment to really get my bearings.
I glance around, trying to get a feel for the layout. We are on the southern side and directly across from the bus route that should bring my mother straight to her door if she had the night shift. If not...well I don’t want to have to risk going door to door. “Now we wait.”
If this were a true military base I would already know the patrol routes, barracks locations and shift changes in this specific quadrant but searching 5 square miles by foot while dodging patrols has proven to be more of a challenge than I would like to admit.
As it is, things around here seem to run like clockwork at completely random times over the past few days. That alone tells me that I am dealing with newbie soldiers fresh out of boot camp or worse who had not been properly trained at all but rather brought on duty out of pure necessity. Whoever is in charge of this place is obviously too preoccupied to get his soldiers back in line and that means I am right. Something big is going down and I wanted to split before that tidal wave comes crashing to shore.
The apartment building looming ahead of us is brightly lit along the front. Several of the windows still show light streaming through closed curtains. I stare at each one intently, wondering which one is my mom’s. She has always been a night owl, suffering from insomnia brought on by the onslaught of the crap that she has had to hear about in her daily job. People are messed up and she was charged with the challenge of trying to fix them.
If it had been me, I’d have just told them to man up and kick them back out of the door, but my mom cared. She’d always had a big heart. She loved people and felt compassion for anyone who was hurting. Maybe that’s why she never gave up on me. What my dad saw as a lost cause to her was just potential waiting to be discovered.
Movement in a third-floor window catches my eye and I hurry forward to duck low behind the wheel of a parked Humvee. I motion for Vaughn and Flynn to stay low when they join me as I shift around them and belly crawl under the truck. Placing a hand on the undercarriage I realize that it is still warm.
The apartment door opens and closes behind a haggard looking blond in her mid-forties. I watched as she leans over a railing and takes a long drag on a cigarette. Her hair is a mess and she still has blood staining her neck. She must be one of the triage nurses that work on the soldiers when they are wounded during supply runs to be wearing that much blood.
At least I know that I am in the right place.
I settle in and resume my surveillance, wishing that I’d had better luck at scavenging for a pair of night vision. That would have made this stake out so much easier.
Over the next half hour the only thing that moves, apart from the chain smoker who systematically goes through nearly a whole pack of rationed cigarettes before heading back indoors, is Vaughn, who performs an annoying dance when he has to pee.
“You’re a guy. Just go in the bushes,” I hiss back over my shoulder.
As Vaughn hurries away, Flynn inches up close to me and presses his chest low to the ground to get under the drive shaft. “See anything?”
“No. Nothing.” I try to mask the disappointment in my voice but when I catch his sideways glance I knew that I have failed. “You two should head back. I might be here a while...”
Movements in the shadow that stretch along the side of the building force me to trail off into silence. Narrowing my eyes, I focus on the shape until it materializes in the light and I realized that it isn’t one person but two. A man, with his camo hat, tilted low pauses to steal a kiss from a woman he holds possessively under his arm.
I don’t need to see her face to know that it is my mom. When he bends her backward and buries his face in her neck, her long hair sways toward the ground and although it is mostly auburn, it is also streaked with a discernable white strip from root to end just over her right temple. As a boy, I liked to call her a skunk. I would know that lock of hair anywhere.
My jaw tightens as the guy’s hands move over the curve of my mom’s hip, unconcerned with the fact that despite the late hour they are still in public...and that it’s gross.
Flynn starts to snicker when the soldier ran his hand up under my mom’s shirt but cuts off the instant he takes in my thunderous expression. “Wait, is that your mom?”
My palms press so hard into the ground that loose asphalt begins to embed in my skin. “What the hell does she think she’s doing?”
“Looks to me like she’s getting some.” I turn and kick Vaughn realizing only too late he has returned. I feel only slightly vindicated at his cry of pain but the instant it leaves his lips, the couple before us pause and looked around.
“Shit, go!” I begin a fast retreat, scraping my knees as I belly crawl out from under the truck. Of course, it would belong to the douchebag feeling up my mother.
Flynn yanks on my arm to keep me from making a move on the guy when he steals one last kiss from my mom. We barely make it to the safety of the bushes before we hear the groan of ungreased door hinges. The engine roars to life and then the Humvee pulls away, carrying that handsy bastard down the street.
I watch the taillights until they turn the corner, feeling anger swell up deep inside of me as I think about that man. I don’t know who he is but I’d guess someone rather high up the food chain judging by the decor on his chest. I only barely got a glance at it as I was turning tail and running for cover.
When I glance back at my mom I feel the anger flush right out of me. She has sunk down to her knees with her hands pressed into the damp ground and her head hung low. I close my eyes at the sight of her sobbing and felt a stab of regret for having judged her so quickly. Of course, she would never go slumming like that. She had to have a good reason for it and I’m not buying that she was just lonely. She’s just not that sort of person.
“I don’t think she enjoyed that,” Vaughn whispers to Flynn but this time I don’t have to lash out at him because Flynn promptly shuts him up with an elbow jab to his gut.
“I need to talk to her,” I say, pushing to my feet. “She doesn’t do anything without a reason. What if she’s going along with his advances to pull information out of him? Or to protect me somehow? Maybe she knows what’s going on?
”
Flynn places his hand on my shoulder to stop me. “If that’s true then you need to let her. If you go out there and someone sees you then whatever she’s trying to do might fall apart.”
I open my mouth to protest, to tell him that it has to be tonight, but kneeling there across the street from my mother I stop to wonder if maybe running isn’t the best option. What if I’m wrong? What if she really does know something and I ruin it by rushing head first like I always do?
If there is one thing I can’t do, that’s put her in danger. Whoever that guy is she singled him out and I have to trust that she knows what she’s doing. I will stay and watch, but the instant I suspect foul play I’m pulling her out.
“You good?” Flynn asks.
I take several calming breaths before I finally nod. “Yeah. At least I know where she’s at.”
Flynn squeezes my shoulder once before stepping away.
“I’m wiped out man and we’ve got that Physics test tomorrow.” Vaughn stifles a yawn. “Can we crash now?”
It is hard for me to turn around and walk away from my mom but I do it for her. Even though I’ve spent my life bucking authority, I’ve always had a soft spot for her. I guess most guys do when it came to their mothers. There is that natural instinct to protect what belongs to us and she’s the only thing left in the world left fighting for. I’ll be darned if I’m going to let anyone hurt her.
Shooting one last glance back at my mom, I see that she has picked herself up. I watch as she steeples her hands in front of her face and sucks in a deep breath, just as she always does when she is trying to push aside negativity and settle herself. My mom isn’t an overly spiritual woman but she has spent a lifetime using yoga and meditation to center herself. I hope that it works for her tonight.
I turn to follow Flynn and Vaughn, knowing that whatever she is up to, she has things under control. But as I cross through a back yard and head towards my group home, I vow that if I ever saw that old prick again I will make sure he thinks twice about feeling up my mom again.
5
AN UNLIKELY PARTNERSHIP.
The next morning I arrive early at the testing center and go around to the side entrance where I try to appear casual as I hang back when workers began to slowly drift in from different areas of the Zone. From the corner of my eye, I spy a couple of doctors conversing in hushed tones and animated hand motions as they hurry into the building, using their key cards to gain access to the restricted area. Other nurses follow suit, barely jamming their arms into their lab coats before they reach the door at a near dead run.
I can’t hear any sirens or alarm to alert them to an emergency but each of the staff seems to be in a hyper state of excitement. That can’t be good. I turn when I hear the shuttle bus pull back onto the street and head north.
My mom wasn’t with this group. Has she been moved to another facility and I didn’t realize? Maybe her secret rendezvous last night has promoted her to a new position.
“This is starting to become a habit of yours.”
I turn to place the feminine voice that calls from just over my shoulder and come eye to eye with Teegan. Her stomach looks enormous up close, pulling her tank top taut enough for me to see her belly button pushing out the wrong direction. I don’t know how she can walk without toppling right over.
“Are you watching me?”
She shrugs and wipes at her forehead where sweat beads along her hairline despite the cool morning air. I’ve heard before that pregnant girls’ hormones tend to be all whacked out. I’ve also heard to stay clear in case they need a punching toy to work through some of their emotional spikes. That’s a job I will not be signing up for.
“It’s only fair after you gaped at me on the bus yesterday, don’t you think?”
I smirk at her gumption and lean back against the wall, propping one boot against the brick as I cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah, I was staring. So what?”
“So it’s rude.” She moves to walk past me but I hold out a hand to stop her.
“Perhaps, but it’s also useful. I happened to know that your arms sure look a lot prettier than mine.” I roll up my sleeve to show her my bruising and to her credit she does wince. “They are treating you pretty good, aren’t they?”
This time, she lowers her gaze and shifts her weight away from me. Bingo!
“Your name is Teegan, right?” She nods and unconsciously rubs circles over the top of her stomach. “I’m Roan. It’s nice to meet you.”
With a sigh that is deep enough to actually shift her entire belly in one movement, she rolls her eyes and shoots me down with a single look. “Let’s drop the whole fake friend thing, ok? I don’t have time for this and we both know you aren’t that type of guy.”
And that’s the moment that I realize that I actually like her.
“Fair enough.” I drop my smile and push back upright until we are nearly bumping bellies. “I know they’re treating you differently than the rest of us and I think we both know why.”
She remains silent but attentive so I continue on. “They want your baby and I can’t let that happen.”
Teegan’s burst of laughter grates on my nerves, making me second guess my glowing opinion of her.
“I’m sorry if that seems brash,” she fans herself, “but what exactly do you plan to do to stop them? They have guns, manpower and doctors who actually know something about labor. And you? You’re just some mentally damaged punk with conspiracy theories and zero proof to back them up.”
I close my eyes and force myself to take a deep breath. I might have deserved that low blow but she only gets one on account of being as bloated as a freakin’ whale.
“We both know you don't care jack squat about me or my baby.” She crosses her arms over her chest but the pose looks awkward in respect to her swollen stomach. “We both know that you want something from me, otherwise, you'd have tucked your tail between your legs and ran long ago.”
At this point, I have to remind myself for a second time that it probably isn’t a good idea to take a swing at a pregnant girl, especially around here.
“Who told you about the Dead Head?” I ask through gritted teeth, trying to let her snide comment roll off. I've knocked out guys for less, but she isn't a guy, and she is right...I do need her.
“Caught that, did you? Maybe there are some brains buried under all of that muscle, after all.” When she smiles, looking me up and down, I stare her down. Let her look. Most people like to underestimate me but if we are going to be partners she needs to know that I can take a punch. I earned my thick skin a long time ago.
“Let's see,” she taps her lips as she thinks, “I think Darby blabbed to me, but I’m pretty sure she heard it from Gracen who was shadowing Austin at the time he was pulling details out of Vaughn. You know how that guy likes to talk.”
“Of course.” The urge to hit something mounts with each name that she mentions. “So, the whole school knows, then?”
“Pretty much,” she nods but her smile deepens when she leans in close enough for me to smell baby powder on her. I am pretty sure that is supposed to be used after the baby is born but whatever. “But that doesn’t mean we don’t believe you.”
“Why should you? You just said that I’m a mentally damaged punk conspiracy theorist.”
“I did.” She walks several steps beyond me and waves at one of the soldiers standing guard inside the building. I hear a buzz before the door lock clicks and she grabs the handle. “But I also think aliens killed JFK so I guess I’m gullible enough to believe you too.”
With that she opens the door and is gone, leaving me thoroughly confused as to whose side she is really on as I head back toward the front. I get in line, do my morning shuffle, wave to Short Stack three lines over, berate the soldier and doctor just for the hell of it as they take pleasure in jabbing the needle straight through my arm and then exit the rear of the building with a feeling of having been violated.
As I stand off to the s
ide, waiting for the bus and adamantly not meeting any of the numerous gazes that glance my way, I try to formulate a new plan. If I’m going to stick around here and let my mom do whatever it is that she needs, I’m going to have to work to get Teegan on my side as an inside man...err woman.
She can see parts of the lab that I have zero access to. Without her knowing it, she may have already seen a clue that can make all of this make sense. Besides, I saw how uncomfortable my questions made her. She was scared that I was right and I’d bet a week’s worth of MRE’s that she isn’t planning on handing her baby over without a fight. I am also confident that she could take out a couple of nurses on her own if given a reason to. She’s pretty fiery for a preggo.
The hour-long bus ride to school passes in a blur as I sift through my thoughts along on the back seat. There are many of them, scattered in so many different directions that I am sure I look spaced out. Even Sammy seems to take a hint and goes to pester Bex, the goth girl he is hot after.
This time, when I walk up the front steps to Zombie High I barely even look at the spray painted lettering.
“Earth to Roan. Come in, Roan.” I look up to see Ember standing directly in front of me, waving her hands before my eyes.
“What do you want?”
“We need to talk.” She falls into step with me as we walk by a new guard station that’s been erected at the front door. A metal shark cage looking thing sits off to the side, filled with guns, ammo and grenades. I can hear welders working down the hall and glimpse two men working on the basement door. If there was any doubt before about whether or not I was right about this becoming a fallback bunker, it’s gone now.
“Yeah? Get in line.” I cast a scowl in the direction of three younger girls who are whispering together and blatantly staring at me. “Thanks to Vaughn’s big mouth I’ve become a walking freak show overnight.”
“You were already that,” she laughs and surprises me when she touches my arm. “Vaughn just added a little pizazz to the mix. So now they see you as broody, dark and intriguing.”