She hesitates, glancing up through her long eyebrows. “One was taller than usual, and the other was small.”
Omega, maybe.
“I’m giving you one chance to be honest with me, Hozier. Who were they?”
She actually hesitates, which tells me she’s got some loyalty to them. Then her thin lips press together as she bows her head. “I don’t know their names. They’re from the Enclave.”
Interesting… Do they need more? And why? Who are they hiding? They get suppressants directly from us because they’re needed in those tightly controlled settings. Dogma says the pile of suppressants we gave them raises no suspicions; they’re not picked at like someone’s taking extra. “We grant them shipments of suppressants, in case you weren’t aware. Why do they come to you, then? They’re not lacking.”
“I don’t ask, sir Judge. They always pay well, so I gave them what they wanted—“ Her eyes widen in concern. “But I didn’t this time. I promise you. I don’t even have any in the shop, you can check around?—”
“Next time that happens,” I interrupt, stepping closer so she can feel the weight of the words, “you flag one of us down. Immediately.”
“Yes, sir,” she stammers, bowing her head lower like she wishes she could crawl beneath the floor.
I scan the shelves, dust sitting on empty spaces. We’ve been cutting the vein of this trade at the artery until they capitulated so we didn’t have to take it by force; I don’t like risking my men if I don’t have to. Especially when it’s just not necessary. “These shops will thrive again,” I comment, not addressing anyone in particular. “If you know of any omegas, you know what to do. If you want these shelves stocked again, that is.”
I return to Skinner, the hanged man finally dangling and dead, his face completely blue. “Got some interesting information. There were two women in there asking for suppressants,” I comment to him. “They were from the Enclave.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “I put it to you, Judge, you were right about banning those. It’s like gassing a house and locking all the windows. They gotta show themselves at some point.”
I cross my arms as I look around the place. “And revealing that the Enclave might be hiding a bunch of omegas.”
Skinner’s brows rise like he’s hardly shocked. “Wouldn’t surprise me. Their job is to protect.”
We’ve left them alone on purpose because they’re a neutral territory, one that, when I plan to take informal ownership of, it will be done in the same manner as New Bunker—no force needed. They willgivethemselves to me. I look at him. “What if I visit Freddie directly?”
Skinner looks almost sad at the suggestion. “Judge, that’s dangerous as fuck. You’re sounding like a desperate raider.”
“No, I’m anecho. I’ll live, and it gives me a chance to pay Freddie a visit. Whatever injuries I get, the Enclave can heal. Meanwhile, twelve dozen of you come to watch over me and scout the place. Sniff out every corner. They won’t refuse it. It’ll cut away any bitching that we’re taking them by force, too. Make it look likeweneedthem.”
Hardened eyes look almost contemplative, but he doesn’t fight it, which is all I need to know. I turn back toward the horizon where the sun will set.
I’m going to find whatever the fuck they’re hiding in there.
DIANA
Returningto warm buildings and steady heat is a luxury I’ll never take for granted. Our vehicle was right where we left it, taking us home to the Enclave, where we walked through the checkpoint gates and settled back in the southern quarter—our little slice of home where the more experienced nurses live. The undertone of bleach might not be the most calming smell, but it does wonders forme.
It means I’m safe.
No Dominion.
And better yet, no sign of Dogma’s bike. Thank god. For now, it’s as if nothing ever happened. Maggie was understandably angry that Dominion was a bunch of dickbags, but that’s the most we chatted about it.
It’s been a week with us keeping our heads down and working, pretending like everything is fine. Flurries drift now and then, but the rain stays cold and soaking. It’s late October, though the records say the northern foothills of the Appalachian mountains were never this bitter, never this snowbound. And yet, we make it work because healthcare is a lifeline. People always help keep the Enclave alive—chimneys andfireplaces patched together. Crops are tended to nearby by locals in a greenhouse that’s been renovated and outfitted to function in the winter. We even have a stable master to help with horses. It’s a true communal space, one where gangs don’t bring their wars.
At least, that’s theintention. With Dominion’s shadows trenching closer, it feels like only a matter of time before they claim the Enclave too, social codes be damned…
I think back to the image of the Black Mirage, of how I should seriously take this winter to consider my options. I’ve heard that people can go there and strip their omega scent. I don’t know how they do it, but I know it’s real. Possibly rip out my scent glands? The thought is overwhelming yet reassuring.
One day at a time.
That evening, after a double shift that left my gloves soaked from sweating and my mind half-frayed, Selene bumps her shoulder against mine as I’m nearing the covered, scaffold path between two towers. It’s something builtaftersocietal collapse, which makes this reclaimed small hospital more traversable for our purposes. “Hey, there you are! Did you hear?”
I push open the old infirmary door with my elbow. “Hear what?”
“Oh, boy… Okay, let’s start from the ground up. Judge got hurt.”
