The next morning a meeting was called for the entire compound following breakfast. Everyone who wasn’t on watch duty was expected to attend. As we made our way through the super secret doors and into the large meeting room, First Sergeant pulled Tater, Remy, Rylen, and me aside.
“I want you each to know that the only reason we allowed Captain King to remain was because we sincerely believe he was following orders under the pretense that he was working for the right side, and that he left them under peril of his life when he realized things weren’t as they seemed.”
We all nodded, and he continued. “I’m sorry for how things came about yesterday. We’ve asked King to keep his distance—”
“Sir,” Tater interrupted. “With all due respect . . . I’m not ready to make nice with him, and I might never be, but you have my word I won’t go after him again.”
First Sergeant searched my brother’s face before saying, “All right then.” He gave Tater’s shoulder a hard pat and looked at Remy and me with sad eyes. “You girls okay?”
All we could do was nod again. We might never be “okay,” but we wouldn’t cause anymore scenes.
By the time we finished our conversation the room was bursting at the seams. It was the same room we’d been in when we learned about Bael, but this time everyone was present. People were standing in the back. All chairs were taken, and some had propped themselves on the long tables. The four of us stood against the side wall.
The screen came on, and Top used a clicker in his hand. Someone dimmed the lights in the front of the room. A topographical map filled the screen.
“This is Dugway,” First Sergeant said. He pointed to the entrance where we’d originally come in with the watchtower overlooking it. He pointed to the Army hotel on the outskirts of base where we all stayed. He pointed out the side exit of the compound inside the base where Remy went out each night to get to the greenhouse. Beyond that was a much larger structure he pointed at now.
“This building housed the laboratories where bio and chemical warfare was once tested and stored. It has since been imploded, however our chemist—” he inclined his head to an older man in the front row who I’d often seen attending grief meetings, “—had the forethought to take necessary records and antidote samples, which he works on every day to restock our stores.”
Next, First Sergeant pointed to a series of aircraft hangars. “In these we have three choppers, and two cargo planes. Enough to carry everyone in this safehouse if the need arises. We’ve got pilots ready for each vessel.” He peered around the room, meeting the gaze of three men, including Rylen, and one woman. My heart gave a great pound as I looked up at Rylen and received adon’t worrywink from him.
No way. How long had it been since he flew a plane?
“We also have one fighter jet which Captain King has agreed to fly as a defensive measure to ward off any air or ground attacks while our troops exit.”
A murmur of whispers rose up and the four of us shifted our stances uncomfortably. Could Michael be trusted to protect us in his frame of mind? First Sergeant obviously thought so, but it was scary. Also, it could be a suicide mission, Captain King against all of whatever might come. If the DRI . . . er, Baelese, caught wind of what was going on here, they would mostly likely pull out all the stops to take us down.
I looked over to where Michael sat, hoping we’d make eye contact so I could show him we weren’t hostile, but he kept his unfocused eyes squarely forward as Top went on.
“The problem we face if we’re attacked during the night, is getting everyone from the hotel to these hangars in a timely manner. In the past week we’ve instituted measures outside of base to slow any threats—tire cutters on the roads and hiding rocks with armed soldiers farther out in surrounding fields. Our hope is that if we are attacked, we can keep them at bay long enough to give everyone time to get to these hangars.
“Here’s the thing.” He paused and let his deadly serious eyes roam the faces in the room. “When the alarm sounds, you have eight minutes to get to the hangar. Eight. At the eight minute mark, those aircraft must leave or risk losing everyone. I do not want a single one of you left behind. I don’t care if you’re in the shower and you have to run out butt-ass naked and soaking wet. When you hear the alarms you stop what you’re doing and go. Move quick, but not panicked. Move as a team. Got it?”
“Yes, sir,” we all murmured in chorus. My heart was in my throat, fluttering wildly at the thought of attack.
“All right then. Everyone’s dismissed except you two.” He pointed over at Remy and me. We looked at each other with surprise. The room cleared out, but Tater and Rylen remained.
Ry’s forehead was pinched with worry. “Mind if we stay with them?”
Top glanced at us. “Fine.” The four of us sat.
He cleared his throat and I crossed my arms tightly over my chest. “Captain King was not privy to insider information, but there were things he overheard during his time under the Baelese leadership. He revealed more last night to the chaplain after the, uh, episode.” He cleared his throat again and lifted a piece of paper with notes.
“What does it have to do with Amber and Remy?” Rylen asked.
“It’s specific to females. Females who were out there, in towns, after the war began. Females who had contact with DRI.” We all listened, their faces as baffled as mine. “There was talk of population control, one race among humans, and infertility shots given to masses of women at clinics.”
Population control. Infertility shots.A dizzy spell smacked into me, and Remy grabbed my arm. We looked at each other, and her face reflected the absolute horror seeping through me.
“They gave me a shot,” she whispered.
“Me too.”
Her voice broke. “But they were for the Red Virus, right?”
“That’s what they said . . .” My voice trailed off as I remembered how those shots had affected us. We’d both been violently ill. We’d had cramps like menstrual cramps, but far worse. And come to think of it . . .”I haven’t had a period since then.” I assumed my cycle had stopped due to stress and lack of caloric intake.
“Amber.” Remy’s hand tightened on my arm as her face took on a plastic sheen, then she bolted to the trashcan in the corner. I sprinted after her, getting to her side as she coughed and vomited. My own breakfast was halfway up my esophagus.
