“There are a lot of you,” Collins went on without missing a beat, “which is why we’ve brought in the women from your individual Department of Fertility branches. Previously, they were your fertility counselors, but with the recent changes, we’ve had to reorganize how things are going to be run. Their new title may seem a bit intimidating at first, but don’t worry. Your minders are here to act as a liaison between you and me, to keep things running smoothly, and to make sure you have everything you need.” The sergeant paused, his expression stern as he looked the room over. “Having said that, I need to caution you. Between how many of you there are and the seriousness of this situation, we cannot forget for even a second what we’re here for. We will have no defiance, no mutiny. Women in breach of contract or who are otherwise found to be uncooperative will face consequences. This isn’t a game, so don’t forget that.”
“Consequences?” multiple people murmured while Betteturned wide eyes on me.
I shrugged to let her know I didn’t get what he was talking about any more than she did, doing my best to appear unaffected despite the knot in my stomach. The words from the minder at dinner last night combined with Hilary’s admonishment when Bette and I came upstairs had me regretting that I hadn’t been sucking up to the unpleasant woman who was now my minder all along. She didn’t like me, and at this point, there probably wasn’t much I could do to change her mind. Which put me at a serious disadvantage.
“Having said all that,” Collins glanced at the woman who’d accompanied him into the room as he stepped back, “I’m going to turn things over to Shelly Campbell, who is the head minder here and in charge of any day-to-day operations that don’t pertain to the military.”
Shelly moved to his side, microphone in hand, and a chill shot down my spine when the corners of her eyes crinkled, indicating she was smiling. “Thank you, Sergeant Campbell.”
She turned to face the room, the smile still plastered on her face behind her mask. Not that it did anything to soften her looks. They were severe. Between the too tight braid her dark, gray streaked hair had been wrangled into, her sharp brown eyes and high cheekbones, she would have looked like someone in a position of power even if she hadn’t stood so erect. Seriously, the woman wasn’t tall, five feet four inches at the most, but her posture made her appear imposing.
“As the sergeant said, I am Shelly Campbell. You may address me as Ms. Campbell or Minder Campbell.” A quiet murmur of surprise followed the statement, but if she noticed, she didn’t react. “Like the sergeant, I want to do everything in my power to make this transition as easy as possible, but keep in mind that we have to work together. Which means I need you to follow any instructions to the T without complaint or question. Things will be rocky at first, and for that I am sorry, but as we find our way, they will get easier. The rules are not meant to stifle you, but to keep things running smoothly. And remember that you can go to your personal minder with issues at any time. We wantto create a family environment here, especially since we have no idea how long we’ll be sequestered at this beautiful hotel.” Her eyes crinkled even more. “And it is beautiful, isn’t it? We’re so lucky to have been sent to this magnificent historic hotel!” Her voice boomed through the room, emphasizing not just the last statement, but her authority over us as well. “And we want you to enjoy it, but we also want to protect you. Which means you are never to go outside the hotel without checking out at the front desk, you must always be in groups of at least two, and you are never, and I meannever, to leave the hotel grounds. This is both to keep you away from anyone who might be infected with the RNA-67 virus, and to keep you away from any anti-fertility act zealots who might be in the area.”
Again, Shelly paused to let her words sink in or maybe even to prepare us for what she was about to say next. Either way, it worked, because a low murmur started up and I was sure I wasn’t alone in bracing myself for the next blow.
“We will have a curfew to start with,” she went on, “and like in real life, you will have to work to earn certain privileges.”
“She has to be joking,” I muttered.
I wasn’t the only one who thought the whole thing was a crock of shit, obviously, because an unhappy buzz moved through the crowd, while around me, women shook their heads or exchanged incredulous looks. I glanced over my shoulder and caught Malika’s eye so we could share our fury. It wasn’t that I thought Bette wouldn’t be unhappy, but she would be more shocked than anything. Plus, she was just too goddamn nice sometimes.
Shelly lifted her free hand to quiet us. “I know it sounds harsh, believe me, but we need to maintain order. There are too many of you to do it any other way.”
She acted like we were children or wild animals, and without her guidance, we’d end up burning the place down. It was beyond insulting. Not that I’d expected anything else from the Department of Fertility.
“As the sergeant said,” Shelly shot a quick glance at Collins, who stood with a stony expression on his face, “anyone who doesn’t cooperate will be in breach of contract and face consequences,which include separation from the general population as well as possible relocation to a more secure facility. Being here is a privilege, so don’t forget that. You will meet with your personal minder later today to go over exactly what’s expected of you, so pay close attention and don’t forget that you signed a contract agreeing to these terms.”
“I didn’t agree to this bullshit,” someone behind me said, her words loud enough that even Shelly heard it.
“The contract all of you signed states that the terms can be changed at the discretion of the Department of Fertility if it’s deemed necessary, so yes, you did agree to this. And believe me, this is very necessary.” The head minder pinned us with a stern look. “People are dying, a lot of them, and don’t kid yourselves into thinking they wouldn’t trade places with you if they could. We’ve created a safe space for you. A place where you will be protected. A lot of people would kill for that.”
She let out a long exhale, removed her mask, and forced a smile.
“Now for some good news.” Shelly waved her mask in the air. “Everyone here has been given a clean bill of health, which means these aren’t required. So go on and take them off!”
She beamed, acting like she’d singlehandedly ensured that none of us were infected with RNA-67, as around the room, women started removing their masks. I pulled mine off, thankful I didn’t have to wear it even if I refused to act like we’d just been handed a prize. Something as small as not having to put a mask on every day didn’t make up for the human rights violations happening here. Not even close.
“It’s so nice to see your lovely faces,” Shelly said in her best Aunt Lydia impression. Seriously, I wondered if, like the men who’d come up with The Fertility Act, she’d used the show as a blueprint for her part in all this. “Now, your wristbands will let you know what time you’re supposed to meet with your personal minder today, as well as keep you up to date on anything else you’re expected to do, so be sure to pay close attention to any alerts you get.”
“You’d think that wouldn’t be possible without WIFI,” thewoman in front of me whispered.
She was right. How could information be sent to and from the wristbands without WIFI? It didn’t seem possible, which had me wondering if it was all a lie. Coming up with a reason as to why they’d lie wasn’t hard. They wanted to keep us completely secluded from the outside world. But would they be able to get away with it? Yes. Definitely.
“For now,” Shelly was saying, “you have some free time! Feel free to explore the interior of the hotel, sign out so you can see the grounds, or enjoy activities in one of the many areas we’ve set up. We’ve brought in a large collection of books to keep you occupied, and there are games and movies as well. Have a good time.” She beamed as if waiting for applause, and when none came, finally glanced at Collins. “Do you have anything else?” When he shook his head, she turned back to us and said, “You’re dismissed!”
Women stood, looking uncertain and confused, and began to file out of the rows. More than one, it seemed, had dropped their masks when they took them off, and feet trampled the discarded scraps of cloth. I hadn’t thought to drop mine, but seeing how many were on the floor, I let it go.
Bette shot me a questioning look.
“Might as well give the minders something to do,” I said with a shrug. “I mean, since they’re so worried about making sure we’re occupied.”
A little smirk pulled up Bette’s lips as she tossed her own mask to the floor. “Good point.”
I returned her smile before shifting my attention to where Malika had been sitting. Apparently, she’d already fled the banquet hall, though, because she wasn’t there. I tried to find her in the crowd but was quickly distracted when I spotted an unmasked Ramirez – who also happened to be staring at me. Again. A shiver moved down my spine as something I hadn’t felt in a long time twisted my insides. Attraction. I was attracted to this guy.
I seriously had the worst timing.
Thirty-One
