We parted from there, the sound of their motorcycles tearing down the road. They were not quiet but I supposed it was intentional. They wanted to lure their friends and enemies out of hiding.
The city has a similar gated system like New Hope so it must have been provided by the Feds before the Crisis, just like Hamilton explained. The metal structure rises two stories high and it’s visible two blocks away. Wyatt stops the five of us and says, “Don’t use your real names or give them any information about New Hope.” He gives Zoe a hard look. “Stick together.”
“How do we ensure that?” Jude asks.
Zoe points at Mary Ellen’s hand—and the silver band wrapped around her ring finger. “Tell them you’re married. If the process is similar to New Hope they won’t split up families.”
Jude raises his eyebrows at Mary Ellen and she nods. She looks better today. I think getting out of the mountains helped. “We can do that.”
Zoe looks at me and Wyatt. “It’s okay if you don’t have a ring. Just say it was stolen. But we’ve both got dark hair. I’ll tell them you’re my sister,” she says to me. I want to suggest being my sister carries a stigma that certainly doesn’t ensure safety but I nod my approval.
I clench my fingers on the straps of my bag and take a step toward the main road leading to the gate. A sharp tug brings me to a stop and Wyatt’s standing over my shoulder. Jude looks back and Wyatt says, “Give us a minute.”
“What’s up?” I ask, taking stock of the man before me. He’s got his hand shoved in his pocket and a tight jaw. His hair is longer than normal, curling behind his ears and the hair on his chin more beard than just scruff. He won’t look at me directly, instead somewhere near my right boot and cl
arity rings like a bell in my mind. “Look, we don’t have to pretend to be married. Zoe and I can play sisters. You can be our brother or whatever.”
He replies with a laugh and he glances up at me with amusement. “I’m not your whatever.”
“No.” I push my toe into the dirt on the ground and blink at the ground. “No, you’re not.”
He steps forward and I look back up, something shiny flashes in his hand. “I found this in your bag when you were gone—when Chloe took you.”
Emotion wells in my chest. “I thought I lost it.”
“I just wanted a piece of you with me. Then it felt like I should just…wait for the right time or something.” He catches my hand in his own and pushes the ring on my finger. “Now is not the right time. I know that and I know it’s not for real, but—”
“It’s real enough,” I say. I push up on my toes and kiss him on the lips. I’m not ready to be married but nothing about this world is normal anymore. I’ve found a partner I can trust and we’re good together. I’m not scared.
Mary Ellen’s eyes notice my new accessory immediately but there’s no time for discussion. Guards approach us and we’re about to enter another walled city and another quarantine and check point.
Zoe moves to my side and Wyatt’s fingers thread through mine. At least I won’t be doing it alone.
Chapter Fifteen
Winston-Salem is a small but functioning city. Getting through quarantine isn’t easy and we spend 48 hours being processed. It’s smart and although it’s tedious, no one complains. No one wants an infected roaming the streets.
For the interview we have a basic story; friends and family that managed to stay alive for nearly two years when our supplies ran out and we were forced on the road. Along the way we heard about Winston-Salem. It’s not far from the truth.
Just before we’re released were gathered for a smaller, less dramatic orientation that the city was chosen due to its size, location and strong medical and academic communities to be part of the Safe City program the government had established in case of catastrophe. It took time for the communities to get on their feet and the city itself is a fraction of the size of the original town, but they are in the process of establishing trade with New Hope.
“There’s also a viable Safe City in Birmingham, but getting across South Carolina and Georgia has proven to be a problem,” the woman leading our tour explains. Her name is Sophia and she’s young and Asian with short, cropped hair and wearing the kind of shoes that are appropriate post-Crisis. I like her already.
Jude clears his throat. “What kind of problem. Exactly.”
“From what we understand, the Georgia-Florida line was the hardest hit by the parasite. It caused an immediate breakdown that took a little bit longer to ripple up here. Between the Eaters, subsequent military action, and what seems to be additional biological warfare added into the mix, that entire area is a hot zone.”
“The Death Fields,” I say.
“What?” she asks.
“We call them the Death Fields. The no-man’s land between the cities. And yeah, we spent time in the middle of that. It was pretty bad.”
“You were there?” She looks shaken. “And survived?”
Jude answers, “It wasn’t easy, but yes.”
“I’m sure the council will be interested in what you have to say. They’re always looking for as much information about outside the city as possible. There are a lot of rumors so they’re particularly interested in firsthand accounts. We’re establishing our first expeditions outside the walls.”