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The man just smiled a little, then said, “Like I said, we hardly know each other. Besides, my superiors have me in here visiting with you to find out more about this enclave you live in than trying to get lucky with you. ”

“I’m not going to tell you a gawddamn thing,” Jenni snapped at him. “You fucking kidnapped me! You had no right!”

“We’re under orders to bring any civilians we find outside of the designated rescue center back here. For your protection. ”

Jenni began to try to twist her hands. She knew it was fruitless, but she needed to remain angry or she was going to cry. Juan needed her and these assholes had kidnapped her.

“Genevieve, please, you need to talk to me. Tell me about your friends,”

the man continued in his soft voice.

“How do you know my name?”

The soldier silently drew a folded sheet of paper from the folder. “My Darling Genevieve, you’re still a loca bitch, but I love you. Juan. ”

Jenni screamed at him with raw hate and struggled to get free. “That’s mine!”

With a sigh, the soldier stood up. “Well, I see you don’t want to cooperate.

I’ll give you a little time to cool off. ”

Jenni never heard his complete sentence. She somehow managed to flip herself backwards and hit her head with a resounding thud.

The nurse sighed. “She’s going to have a concussion from that. ”

The First Lieutenant nodded. “Thank goodness she has a hard head. ”

* * * * * “She’s a feisty Latina, what can I say,” the First Lieutenant said with a bemused smile. “And she has a reason to be mad. As far as she is concerned, we kidnapped her. ”

The Major General scowled at him. “She’s clearly unhinged. Question the man. ”

“Yes, sir. ”

* * * * * Bill stared at the photos, then up at the soldier with the kind eyes. He sat in a chair, his hands folded on his lap. So far the treatment here had been good though he had heard Jenni screaming more than once since he woke up. But, in a way, that was to be expected.

“We’re just civilians,” Bill said at last. “Survivors making our way. ”

“Are you a militia of some kind?”

“No. No. Just trying to survive, really. ”

“Religious affiliations?”

“You mean a cult? No. No. We have some Christians, Catholics, a Jewess, a few Hindus, an agnostic or two…maybe even an atheist. And some guy who believes in aliens,” Bill answered honestly.

The black man looked thoughtful. “And you did all this yourself? No preplanning?

Just spur of the moment?”

“Out of necessity, sir. Really. I mean, you gotta survive somehow when the dead come back. ” Bill shrugged a little.

“Did you hear the order go out in the first days to report to Madison?”

“Honestly, no. I was just trying to live,” Bill answered.

The soldier nodded again, looking thoughtful. “Well, martial law was enacted and all civilians were ordered to report to rescue centers.

Madison was the one the people in your ‘fort’ should have reported to. ”