In between them, a younger man who can’t be more than twenty-five. In the setting sun, his short hair is dark, his skin pale. He’s not wearing coveralls like the two men surrounding him. I’m pretty sure that he was a survivor living in thisneighborhood when it was overrun by the former inmates. Either that or a corrections officer, but the way he’s dragging his boots as they carry him toward the stage, muscling him up the stairs, I go with survivor.
“You were caught trying to take one of my brother’s wives from him. That’s not allowed. You know that. I’ve told you this before.”
“She was mine first. Olivia was my wife before the Turning. We’ve been married for two years?—”
“And she chose Terry because he could protect her better than you could.”
“But I love her?—”
“There’s no space for love now, boy. You’ve got to know that. You could’ve had another wife. Someone would’ve accepted you.”
The dark-haired man thrashes. “I just want Olivia.”
Darryl shakes his head. “And that’s why Terry’s asked to kick your sorry ass out of East Jersey. You won’t leave his wife alone. He has to protect her, and I’m inclined to agree. Clyde. Melvin. Give him to the lurkers.”
What?
No—
I surge forward. Maverick uses my hold on his hand to jerk me back against him.
“Don’t,” he whispers. “You can’t save him.”
“But it’s going to be dark. If the lurkers get him, he’s dead.”
And all for the crime of wanting the love he had before the world went to shit.
“I know. We still can’t save him.”
Does that mean we can’ttry?
I guess so.
As I struggle to accept that—as the two men drag the kicking and screaming man out of the courtyard— Darryl finds me. Withme being the only woman present, it couldn’t have been hard, but I get the idea that it’s on purpose. That, of everyone in East Jersey, he wanted me to witness this and, now that I have, he wants to see my reaction.
That, or he wants me on display for all of the other men he’s gathered together…
I know the shock and disgust at throwing away a survivor, ofsacrificinghim, is written plainly on my face. I don’t even try to disguise it. I think my horror amuses him. His eyes seem to brighten and, despite his bushy mustache, I swear I see his lips twitch into a satisfied grin. He nods, proud of himself. At that moment, I’m absolutely positive it’s no coincidence that this happened tonight, the same day we arrived here.
I don’t know why, but Darryl wanted me to watch this. He wanted me to see this, the power that he has, the way that things are done in this fucking terrible place.
And I hate him for it. I hate him almost as much as I hate lurkers, and that’s saying something.
Oblivious to how I’d set him on fire with my mind if it was possible, he addresses the quiet crowd.
“Now, boys, go on. Go home to your wives, get to bed. Tomorrow’s a big day, what with fresh meat and all. We’ll start the bidding at noon.”
I don’t even get the chance to wonder what he means by “bidding” before he waves his hand and the crowd disperses. Fresh meat… maybe they have some kind of connection with the Outside and get supplies that we don’t have in the Grave. Bidding… I’d pay a lot for a good cheeseburger that I could be sure came from a cow.
I hope that the signal means that Mav and I can go, too. Not quite. Right as we try to sneak away, Darryl calls out, “Brooks? Hold on there. Your girl, too. Let me walk you both back to the house.”
No.No. Go back to his house?
“Maverick,” I hiss. “I thought we were leaving.”
He glances down at me, expression apologetic. “I’m so sorry.”
Not that shit again. “Mav?—”
