Enclave: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (Nation Down Book 1) by Devon C. Ford

Author:Devon C. Ford [Ford, Devon C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2025-09-23T00:00:00+00:00

20

Bec stood in front of a mirror too small to see her full reflection, twisting and turning to check herself over in her new clothes.

The ruined flat shoes and ragged clothes she’d worn on the longest walk of her life had been taken away and presumably burned, so she owned quite literally nothing. While the loss of her clothing didn’t bother her, the loss of her laptop bag was something else entirely.

The door knocked, and she flinched like a child caught out trying on Mom’s high heels, hurrying to sit on the edge of the bed before calling out for whoever knocked to come in.

The colonel in charge of the enclave entered, waving away the two uniforms who followed him. The two MPs loitered, standing right outside her door, close enough to hear every sound that came from her room.

“You’re up! Good!”

Bec smiled in gratitude at the officer whose smile didn’t go all the way up to his eyes. She stiffened inside, thinking that this man was in no way her friend but unable to say why.

Instincts, her brain barked at her in perfect mimicry of the semi-retired agent who had conducted her basic security training. Always trust your instincts. Don’t hang around trying to figure out WHY you should duck because you’re already too late. If something feels off, walk away. If someone feels off, walk away, and have their asses bundled into a van for a little light questioning. Always. Trust. Your. Instincts!

She smiled wider, forcing any hint of suspicion from her features and adopting the persona of a grateful survivor. She was that, but she also had a mission, and had insufficient experience or training telling her how to go about it. She didn’t even know if it was her problem now, whether the reported death of the Senator was the end of it all, or whether she had a duty to bring the information to the attention of someone higher up.

If she was, then that person would most definitely not be standing in front of her bed right then.

“No drip, I see. Excellent,” Colonel Mallard said.

“Yeah, feeling a lot better now, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. All I did was authorize your treatment,” Mallard answered, implying that he could just as easily have denied her the three days of IV fluids and pain relief that allowed her to recover.

She smiled again, covering her reaction to keep it from her face.

“Colonel, I don’t suppose anyone found any of my bags when they were⁠—”

“Miss Hadid, I apologize, but I don’t have the resources, the manpower, or, quite frankly, the time to go looking for your purse.”

The coldness of his reply told her that he had no idea what her laptop contained—or else he did, and he was covering it well. He also didn’t call her agent as he had before, and his tone implied he was unhappy.

“Now that you’re recovered, we must discuss what to do with you.”

“Do with me?” she asked.

“Yes… I’ve been on the horn with your superiors at Langley, and it seems you intentionally misled me.

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