Section 12: Book #3 in The Makanza Series

by Krista Street

  “Fingers crossed this goes well!” Mitch put both hands on his head.

  He was right. This 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’d 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’d 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’d 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 y
ou 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.”