“Miss Tantor?” the soldier in the lead said, ignoring Malika’s outburst.
“It’s Mrs. Tantor, actually,” Hilary replied, her tone no less haughty than when she was dealing with us. Maybe she was taking this harder than I thought.
“My apologies,” the man replied in a tone that said he didn’t give a shit what her name was. “I’m Sergeant Davis, and my men and I will be your escorts.” His focus shifted to the other women and me, his brown eyes unemotional as he said, “If you ladies will grab your things, we can head to the van.”
Ivy stood first, Bette quickly following her lead, but Malika and Ginger didn’t move.
“Where are we going?” the blonde woman demanded.
“That’s classified information,” the sergeant replied. “Now, if you can grab your things so we can get on our way, I would appreciate it. We have a schedule to keep.”
When Malika and Ginger exchanged a look but still didn’t move, the sergeant took a step toward them. “Are we going to have a problem?”
Ginger’s eyes narrowed to laser points. “I don’t know. Are we? I mean, all I want to know is where you’re taking me. This is still a free country. I think I have a right to that information.”
The sergeant said nothing for a second, the expression in his eyes hardening as he stared the blonde woman down. “Might I remind you that our country is in a dual emergency at the moment. A pandemic and a fertility crisis. Because of the second one, the Department of Fertility has been given authority to do whatever it takes to save the human race. Anyone who defies them is not only committing treason but will also be subject to fines and possible imprisonment. The government has no sense of humorwhen it comes to this situation and no room for leniency. Unless you want to see how bad things can get, I would advise you to cooperate.”
Ginger had lost some of her swagger during the speech, and Malika, who’d looked just as pissed as the blonde woman, had gotten to her feet. Seeing her, Ginger stood as well, her legs slightly shaky.
The sergeant stared the blonde down for a moment longer, then turned to Hilary when he was sure she’d gotten his point. “Follow me.”
He headed for the elevator, and Hilary waved for us to follow.
We obeyed, walking in a sad looking line, each of us carrying or dragging bags. Our fertility counselor went last like she was afraid one of us might try to make an escape, but that was ridiculous. There was nowhere to go.
When he reached the elevators, Sergeant Davis pressed both buttons. Ramirez and the other soldier flanked the elevators, their weapons up and their posture stiff but not threatening. The man I didn’t know stared straight ahead, what I could see of his face hard and indifferent, but Ramirez was looking at me.
The elevators dinged and, one after the other, the doors slid open.
“Corporal Ramirez,” the sergeant said, waving to the elevator to my right, “you’re in the second one. Montgomery, you’re with me. Everyone else split up between the two.”
Ramirez stepped into the elevator, putting his hand on the door to keep it from shutting while he waited for us to comply. I was the first to move his way. He worked for the Department of Fertility, but I still felt like I could trust him. If not, at least I knew from experience that he wasn’t a total asshole. Which I did not think was true of Davis.
Bette and Ginger joined Ramirez and me, while Malika, Ivy, and Hilary moved to in the other one. Once we’d all stepped in, Ramirez released the door, and it slid shut, and a second later the elevator was moving.
The ride down was silent, as was the walk through the lobby when we reached the first floor. Masked people going about theirbusiness stared as we passed, their eyes wide as they looked from us to the soldiers. Probably they thought we’d broken the rules and were going to one of the government hospitals. We might as well have been, as far as I was concerned. With all the secrecy, I couldn’t imagine our destination was going to be much better.
Outside, the air was sticky with humidity and the day bright. I squinted against the sun’s rays and lifted my hand to my forehead, shielding my eyes as I walked, so I could take in the waiting van. It was large and black with windows tinted so dark it was impossible to see inside. It looked like something that would have been used to transport prisoners, which was fitting, considering the situation.
Ramirez pulled the back doors open when he reached the van, then turned to us. “Leave your bags and climb in.”
I’d been dragging my feet and was at the back of the group, and he was already loading the luggage when I set my suitcase next to him. I hesitated for a second, although unsure why. Again, his gaze held mine. I felt like he was trying to communicate something with his eyes, only I had no idea what.
I gave up after a few seconds and followed the others.
Montgomery was standing next to the van’s open door, Davis at his side. Ginger was the first to reach them, and the latter waved for her to climb in. She did, and the others followed, Bette hefting her round frame up just before me.
The interior was nondescript. Three rows of cushy seats, the air conditioning on full blast. Ginger and Malika were in the back, with Hilary and Ivy in the middle. Bette and I were in the first row, and we were forced to move over when Ramirez climbed in. Having him so close to me was uncomfortable only because of the automatic rifle he set across his lap. Otherwise, I felt oddly at ease. I also felt like wherever we were going, this man could be an ally.
When the door was pulled shut, we were plunged into awkward silence.
Ramirez saw me eyeing the gun, and when his eyes crinkled, I was able to imagine the dimple in his left cheek deepening. “It’s a precaution. In case we runinto trouble.”
He meant anti-fertility act extremists.
Davis climbed in the passenger seat before turning to face us. “Everyone should put their phones on airplane mode. Now.”
The authoritative way he said it left no room for argument.
