Beyond These Walls by Em Savage

Author:Em Savage [Em Savage]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: OBSCURE Publishing
Published: 2012-04-03T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

“Isn’t it great?” Caren tugged on my arm for perhaps the hundredth time since Jake had escorted me into the depths of mutant hell. Or Resistance HQ as he called it. The Resistance headquarters wasn’t what I expected. In fact it appeared more like an underground dungeon complete with metal barred cells and zombie-eyed mutants than a headquarters of an organization bent on the destruction of the HOA.

While the HOA had trained, skilled, mercenary agents with weapons built for one strategic purpose, killing mutants. The Resistance had Jake and his band of desperados, most, from the looks of them, were under the age of twelve.

None of the rebels carried weapons and all had the blank-eyed stare of kids who’d seen too much. I noticed the telltale red rash of plague victims too. The Resistance was much too young and sick to help anyone, let alone save the world.

“This is it?” I motioned around the room to the bunch of kids barely out of puberty. “You’re kidding me, right?”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “What’d you expect?”

“Their just kids.” My eyes swept across the mutant army. “You can’t expect them to win against the HOA. They’ll be slaughtered,” I said low enough that only Jake could hear me. Last thing I needed was to annoy a bunch of hormonal teenagers.

“Eric’s sixteen,” Caren said, again pulling on my arm. “He’s going to be a soldier soon. Jake says I can be a soldier too.”

I smiled down at her. After Nobody’s kidnapping I’d asked Ivan to watch over her, to keep her happy and safe. Giving her to the Resistance so they could brainwash her into some kind of kiddie weapon wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind. I glared at Jake.

He held up a hand. “Caren, I said when you grow up you can be a soldier. Until then, you’re to stay down here with the rest of the,” he paused, “kids.”

A girl younger than Caren held out a curly haired blonde doll to me. The doll, much to my chagrin, wore pink combat boots. “Her name’s Shirley.” She smiled showing off a row of missing front teeth. “What’s your name?”

“Indeara.” I motioned to Caren. “I’m a friend of Caren’s.”

This seemed to satisfy the child. “My daddy’s dead,” she offered with a nod.

It was my turn to nod. “Mine too.”

“My daddy died before I’twas born.”

“How old are you, sweetheart?” My eyes lifted to Jake’s. The coldness lurking inside his gaze scared me more than her answer. In that moment I knew the truth.

“Free. I’m free years old.” She shot me another toothless grin and held up three tiny, red rashed fingers. “Today.”

******

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