I sat back so she could get a look, my attention shifting to the interior of the plane. Like Bette, most of the other women were craning their necks to see outside, but not all of them. AHispanic woman two rows back sat with her arms crossed, her face twisted into an angry scowl, while a few rows behind her, an androgynous person wore an identical expression.
I hadn’t noticed them before, which was why I did a doubletake. He or she looked more male than female, with closely cropped brown hair, a stocky build, and masculine clothes, which made them stand out in the crowd. Since they were here, they had to be one of the fertile ones, though.
As if sensing someone staring, the person shifted their attention my way, and I flushed when our eyes met, then quickly turned around and scooted lower in my seat. My face burned at getting caught staring, but I didn’t have much time to focus on my humiliation before a hum filled the interior of the plane.
Eyes wide, Bette pulled her attention from the window and looked my way.
“Landing gears,” I explained.
Her worried expression didn’t ease, and knowing she was still scared and would want comfort, I braced myself for the pain her tight grip would cause when the plane landed.
As predicted, Bette grabbed my hand a few seconds later when more electrical hums sounded. Since I didn’t know what they were, I didn’t try to reassure her this time, but instead focused on the window as the ground drew closer and the buildings larger. When we touched down, the plane jerked and a cry rose up, and Bette’s grip tightened. Air whooshed through the aircraft, getting louder before finally fading away, leaving silence in its wake. After that, we drove lazily for a few minutes, before finally coming to a complete stop.
Bette released my hand, but neither of us moved. Throughout the plane, women shifted in their seats, but like Bette and me, they seemed to be waiting for instructions. Even Hilary and the other fertility counselors hadn’t moved, and as far away from them as I was, I could make out the confusion in their eyes as they stared at the soldiers.
Finally, the door opened, and a masked soldier climbed aboard.
“I know it’s been a long day, ladies,” the man said, “and I apologize for that, but I’m afraid your travels aren’t over just yet. Once you exit the plane, I ask that you board the waiting bus and settle in. We have about an hour and a half until our final destination.”
A woman three rows up raised her hand like this was school, and even though the soldier’s eyes darkened, he nodded to indicate she could speak.
“Where are we going?” she asked in a timid voice that emphasized the childish act of raising her hand.
The expression in the soldier’s eyes didn’t change. “That’s classified.”
A few women exchanged glances before one called out, “But we’re going there. Won’t we find out when we get there?”
“You will, but until then, we need to operate under the assumption that the walls have ears and keep the location under wraps.”
As if the statement had been literal, Bette shifted her focus to the wall at my side. It did not, of course, have ears.
The soldier went on. “Don’t forget that your phones should still be on airplane mode. This is, after all, a classified operation, so don’t think you can get around the rules. Anyone found breaking them will be severely dealt with.”
“Will we be able to contact our loved ones when we arrive?” someone called out. “To let them know we’re okay, I mean. Not to tell them where we are.”
Even behind his mask, I registered the way the soldier’s jaw tightened. “That isn’t up to me.” Several grumbles followed the statement, but before anyone could say anything else, the soldier lifted his hand. “I know you all have questions, but we’re wasting time. Right now, I need you to save them for our arrival and deplane.”
He waved to the open door.
Hesitantly, the women around us got to their feet. Bette followed their lead, her expression still uncertain and her movements slow, and I forced myself to stand as well. It wasn’tlike I had a choice, and it wasn’t like I could hide on this plane and make my escape, so there was no point in putting it off.
The fertility counselors were the first off, followed by half the soldiers. After that, the other program participants and I filed out in a quiet line, the soldiers still on the plane watching with unreadable expressions.
I caught the eye of Ramirez as I passed him, and he gave me a subtle wink. I wasn’t in the mood for flirting, but I wasn’t going to lie. Having a familiar face among the soldiers was welcome.
Twenty-Seven
Iexpected the bus to be as cushy as one of those nice tour buses people used to take on cross-country trips. Instead, I stepped out of the plane behind Bette to discover an Army green bus that looked even more basic than the ones kids took to school.
The other women and I filed toward it about as eagerly as children on the first day back to school, and as if expecting us to try to make a getaway, soldiers watched in stony silence, their weapons gripped tightly in their hands. When we reached the bus, a couple even boarded before we were allowed to. They stood in the first row, one on either side, watching as we filed on one by one. The soldiers didn’t have their guns raised, but they did have them at their sides where they were easily accessible. Which seemed like total overkill since we were unarmed women, all of us significantly smaller, and a portion of us pregnant.
We’d just passed the soldiers when Bette, who was directly behind me, said in a low voice, “What about our luggage? They didn’t even mention it.”
Since I wasn’t intimidated by the soldiers and wanted to make sure they were aware of it, I turned to face the man on my right. “What about our suitcases?”
Two rows separated us when he shifted his attention to me, but his glare was so hot it threatened to scorch me despite the distance. “They will be right behind us. Keep moving, please. Wehave a schedule to keep.”
I held his gaze a moment longer, matching his glare with one of my own, before I once again started walking, a sour taste in my mouth. Was this how it was going to be from now on? If so, they were going to have a difficult time convincing us that we weren’t prisoners. Not that I’d ever had any doubt.
