My hand was shaking when I complied, and as if to comfort me, Ramirez gave my knee a gentle squeeze. The contact should have been unwelcome since we didn’t really know one another, but it wasn’t. Even if it was an illusion, it was nice to feel like someone was on my side.
Montgomery got in the driver’s seat and pulled the door shut, and a second later, the van’s engine revved to life. He looked over his shoulder, but the glance was fast and perfunctory, and then he was once again facing forward. Then he put the van in gear, and we were off to some unknown location.
Twenty-Six
Having no clue where we were going, I couldn’t even venture a guess as to how long we’d be in the van, but I definitely hadn’t expected to drive to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. That was where we went, though, which meant that less than forty-five minutes after loading into the van, we were climbing out.
A hangar stood in front of us, large and imposing, the doors open to reveal what I would have described as a mid-size private plane. I stared at it in disbelief as Ramirez and Montgomery retrieved our luggage, totally caught off guard by the range of emotions swirling through me as well as the memories the sight of the aircraft brought back.
I’d only ever been in a plane twice, once on my way to California, and then a week later when I flew back to Ohio. On the way there, I’d been too worried to absorb much about the trip, and on the way back, I’d been terrified the authorities would be waiting to arrest me when I landed at Dayton International Airport. Neither flight had left much of an impression on me, and I’d never thought I would fly anywhere again. Being fertile, travel was limited, and even if it hadn’t been, it wasn’t like I had a lot of money to waste on vacations.
“Ara,” Hilary barked, snapping me out of my stupor.
All the other women had already retrieved their luggage, and our fertility counselor was impatiently pointing at mine. I movedtoward it in a kind of trance.
Ramirez stood beside my suitcase, watching me. His dark eyes were intense but there was also something searching in his expression. I didn’t know what it was or what to make of him or what to think about this situation, though. I was too overwhelmed.
“This way!” Sergeant Davis called as he headed into the hangar, waving for us to follow.
We did, the other two soldiers flanking us and Hilary taking up the rear.
After a few steps, Bette fell into step beside me. “Have you ever flown?”
“Once.” I shook my head when I realized that wasn’t right. “Twice, actually. To California to visit my aunt when I was sixteen then the flight home.”
“How was it?” She was eyeing the plane like she thought it might explode at any moment.
“It was fine. Not scary. Just boring.”
Bette swallowed but said nothing.
I glanced around, realizing she wasn’t the only one who looked unsure about the trip. Even Hilary didn’t seem thrilled, but I wasn’t sure if she was scared of flying, or because we were going farther away than any of us had originally thought. Hilary had a husband, after all, and a son. She couldn’t be very happy about the turn of events no matter what she’d said earlier.
A handful of masked and uniformed soldiers were scattered throughout the hangar, but only a couple paid attention to us as we approached. They stood beside a table with familiar looking objects spread across it, wearing latex gloves in addition to masks. Inwardly, I groaned, but the packaged tests weren’t really a surprise. Of course, they would want to make sure we weren’t infected before taking us to our destination.
“Welcome, ladies,” a female soldier said as we approached. “Before you board, we need to do a quick health assessment. Now, I know this isn’t your first test, but I also know it’s not something anyone looks forward to, so we’ll make it as quick and painless as possible. If you could form a line, please, we can get this done.”
We did as we were told, Bette and I ending up in the middleand Malika at the front.
Even though I’d seen dozens of tests being administered throughout my life, I still lifted myself on the tips of my toes and watched as Malika pulled her mask down. The soldier removed the swab from the package and stuck it up the other woman’s nose, swirling it around and causing Malika to swear. After a few seconds, the soldier inserted the swab in a vial.
“Take a seat while you wait for the results,” the soldier administering the test said, then turned her attention to Ginger, who was next in line.
Malika replaced her mask, grabbed her suitcase, and pulled it toward the chairs.
One after the other, we had a swab inserted into our noses – Hilary included – then we were told to wait. It didn’t take long to get the test results, thankfully, and less than ten minutes later, we were all given a clean bill of health.
Davis, who’d stood silently with the other soldiers while this played out, waved to the plane and said, “Leave your suitcases and climb aboard while you wait for the others to arrive.”
“The others?” Ginger said just loud enough that those around her could hear.
The other women and I exchanged confused looks as we deposited our luggage beside Ramirez, who was once again in charge of the bags. We were silent as we headed for the plane, climbing the stairs in a single file line that moved slower than it should have. I was toward the middle of the group, wedged between the very pregnant Bette and the very tiny Ivy, and I craned my neck as I climbed, hoping to get a look at the interior. It wasn’t until Bette had stepped in and moved aside that I was able to see anything, though, but the plush seats and wide rows weren’t nearly as shocking as the sight of the other women already on board.
The eyes of a couple dozen masked women followed us as we moved deeper into the plane. They were scattered throughout, most of them in rows by themselves as if wanting to be alone, and despite the differences in ages, ethnicities, and physical appearance, they didn’t look much different than us.Fear, confusion, anger, and even sadness radiated from the group, the wide range of emotions bonding us before we’d even had a chance to meet. Like us, these women had been ripped from their lives and brought here with no explanation and no idea where they were going or for how long. Or if there was even an end in sight.
“What’s going on?” Bette whispered.
“They’re other women in the program, probably from nearby counties.”
