Page 19

Marinah

Officer Daniels informed me that I needed an escort to visit my friends at my former job. I used the term friends with him so it sounded more like I wanted to catch up on their lives than see what was what in their false universe.

The escort Officer Daniels arranged didn’t arrive until an hour before the analysts' shift was set to end. I was sure the timing wasn’t a coincidence. What they didn’t realize, though, was that it might work in my favor. I needed my co-workers to invite me out, and after my long absence, I hoped they would.

When we arrived, my guard remained at the door while I stepped into the small, box-like room I’d once called home during working hours. Gray desks, stark and devoid of personality, filled the space. Pens, notepads, and other writing utensils were neatly arranged, but nothing personal adorned the desks or walls. No pictures, no mementos. Socializing and decoration were frowned upon here, though I’d never bothered to question why.

Thad, the head of the division, glanced up from his work. He was in his late thirties, nice-looking but far too short for my own six-plus feet. He wasn’t one of my favorite people, and the feeling was mutual among the other analysts. Thad never went out drinking with them, which made me hope my luck might hold tonight. He wasn’t someone I trusted, and the others were still a wait-and-see. He said nothing.

Kara, the ringleader of the drinking group, spotted me. Like Thad and everyone else, she wore military fatigues. The sight suddenly made me miss the vibrant colors on the island. From the brightly painted houses to the clothing of the Cuban people, there had been little of this putrid green camouflage that now surrounded me.

Despite my lack of friendliness before I left, Kara ran across the room and threw herself into my arms, squeezing the air from my lungs. Ms. Beast growled inside me, making it clear she wasn’t a fan of being held onto.

“Marinah, we thought you were dead,” Kara cried, wiping away tears. The sight made me feel a pang of guilt for using her to get what I needed. She’d always been sweet to me, even when I did my best to avoid her and her friends.

I gave her a tentative smile. “I’m alive,” I assured her softly.

She seemed genuinely pleased to see me, and if I was honest with myself, I was glad to see her too, even though I still didn’t know if I could trust her. I might not have been the most outgoing person while working in analytics, but I cared about these people.

“Where were you? Are you coming back to work?” she asked, her voice bubbling with excitement.

That answered my question about whether they’d been told about my promotion. “I was doing work for the government,” I said carefully. “And I’ve been promoted.”

“Did you hear that?” she said, glancing at the others in the small room. “Marinah was promoted!” Then she turned back to me, her eyes shining. “Come out with us tonight and tell us all about it.”

Relief flooded through me. “I’d love to.”

“Ms. Church,” the guard interrupted from the doorway, his tone laced with a slight sneer. “I was told to give you one hour with your friends.”

I turned to him and delivered my best Secretary of Defense glare, a skill I was still perfecting. “My hour is far from up and I’ll be going out with them tonight. Do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

The president gave me back the title, and I chose to use it. This was also the only way I could pump my friends for vital information.

For a moment, it looked like he might object. I waited, not taking my eyes off him. The truth was, I outranked him, and at some point, he realized it. With a sour expression, he stepped back and resumed his post by the door.

My co-workers were frozen in shock until Kara shouted, “Jax’s!” and pumped her fist in the air. Cheers erupted from the others.

Jax’s was an underground bar serving the worst hooch in the Federation. It was infamous for being cheap by charging fewer credits than most of the other disreputable establishments. It was also where you went to get seriously drunk. If no one ended up with alcohol poisoning tonight, I’d consider the outing a success.

After Kara’s declaration, I stayed while they returned to their work, casting me weak smiles that said they had no choice. Pencils scratched across paper as the analysts calculated and determined various scenarios fed to them by the Federation. For the most part, I hadn’t hated the job itself, I’d hated the constant fear of losing it and being forced to wear a red stripe.

Everyone here had a relative working high up in the government. Everyone except me.

My father was dead, and like me, my co-workers had assumed I wouldn’t last long. It had surprised us all when I managed to stay for two additional years.

The small wind-up clock in the room chimed, signaling the end of the shift. They leaned back in their chairs, stretched stiff shoulders and aching backs, then stood. It wasn’t physically hard work, but sitting, writing, and calculating all day left its mark. I remembered that ache well.

Landan approached me, his tall frame and unruly red hair making him stand out. In his twenties like me, his freckled face gave him a sweet, innocent look, and as far as I knew, he’d never given me any reason to think otherwise. Landan had always been the perfect gentleman.

“If you’re going out for drinks, you must be awfully bored with the new job,” he teased, a grin spreading across his face.

His older brother managed the Federation’s food stores, which meant I’d need to be cautious around him. I returned his smile but didn’t offer much else.

“Come on!” Kara called from the door, her voice loud enough to make my guard grimace at the noise so close to his ears. Kara earned bonus points from me, for whatever they were worth.

Mila and Skylar joined us, while grumpy Thad declined the invitation. I couldn’t blame him. Once upon a time, I was the grumpy one too. I was lucky they’d invited me. Maybe absence really did make the heart grow fonder, or maybe they simply needed an excuse to party.

As we made our way out, a wave of longing for King hit hard. I pushed it aside.

Jax’s Bar was about a mile from my old living quarters. The place was smoky, lit by dim candlelight, and carried a stale odor the smoke couldn’t mask. There was no menu because Jax’s only served two things: hooch and popcorn. Somehow, Jax had commandeered, bribed, or outright stole hundreds of pounds of popcorn kernels, and he popped a fresh batch every day. It was heavy on the salt and devoid of butter. It was a rare treat, and on my first visit, I’d gorged myself until I thought my stomach would explode. After I stopped going, Kara would sneak some in her pockets and bring it back to our living quarters for me. That was nice of her.

Still, let’s not kid ourselves. There was only one real reason to come to Jax’s, and that was the hooch.

Even the memory burned my throat. After my father died, I’d wanted nothing more than to drink myself into oblivion, which was how I ended up at Jax’s on my very last visit. It had taught me a hard lesson. Alcohol was better left for times of desperation. My father wouldn’t have approved of me drinking to dim thoughts of him anyway. I’d never seen him touch so much as a drop. Everything he did was to keep me safe, and I owed it to him not to drown myself nightly, or even weekly, in booze.

King had told me alcohol would have little effect on me now, and I planned to use that to my advantage. When Landan ordered the first round, I slammed the glass back without hesitation. The liquid scorched my throat and burned all the way down to my stomach, and I let out an involuntary cry at the intensity.

King really should’ve mentioned that even if the alcohol didn’t affect me, it would still taste disgusting.

Kara gave me a few hearty slaps on the back while the others laughed. “It’ll put hair on your chest,” she joked.

It would be hysterical if I shifted right now and showed Kara what really put hair on my chest. Of course, I wouldn’t.

Run.

Yes, Ms. Beast, I know you want out. But I’ll decide when.

A sharp jab to my kidney followed.

Stop.

She quieted instantly, and I took a shallow breath as the ache faded.

“Tell us about your new position,” Kara demanded playfully, downing her first drink like a seasoned pro. She barely grimaced at the burn.

My guard stayed near the door, far enough away that he couldn’t hear the conversation. I’d made sure not to invite him over.

Nonchalantly, I spilled the beans. “I was promoted to my father’s position.” I grinned, letting them know I didn’t take myself too seriously as I added, “I’m Secretary of Defense now. You should probably call me ma’am. ”

Kara’s eyes widened so much I thought they might pop out of her head.

They fell silent. It was the kind of heavy quiet that made the air feel suffocating.

This wasn’t the reaction I’d expected.

It was Landan who finally broke the silence. “You’re one of them now.” His words were flat, and he stared into his glass like he’d just found a bug floating in it.

I tried to meet each person’s gaze, but no one would look at me. I was missing something. Something big.

“I’ll never be one of them,” I declared, enunciating each word deliberately.

I needed to figure out what was happening. And fast.

Kara rolled her eyes, still refusing to meet my gaze. “Yeah, right,” she muttered, her tone dripping with disbelief. She pushed her chair back and stood. “I should probably be leaving.”

Turning to Landan, she added, “Next time we go out, I’ll buy the first round.” She took a step toward the door.

“Kara,” I said, grabbing her sleeve before she could leave. “I need to talk to all of you. Please, sit down.”

She glared at me, anger flashing across her face, but my promotion left her little choice. With a huff, she sank stiffly back into her chair.

“What’s going on?” I asked softly, keeping my voice low but pasting a smile on my face so the guard wouldn’t become suspicious.

Landan’s gaze swept over the group, his expression hard, daring anyone to speak. It was clear he was the one keeping them in line.

“Landan,” I said. His eyes flicked to me, and I didn’t miss the disgust written in them. “They gave me the title, dressed me like a hooker, and sent me to Cuba to—” I held up my fingers, air-quoting the next word—“‘negotiate’ with the Shadow Warriors. I’m lucky I survived. Lucky I wasn’t raped or turned into a midnight snack. I came to see you, my friends, because things aren’t as they seem, and I was hoping someone here would be honest with me.”

I paused, giving them a moment to process my words.

It was Landan who finally broke the silence, speaking for the group. “Why should we trust you?”

I straightened my shoulders, letting the meek, scared-girl routine slide away like an old coat. “Because with the little you’ve said so far, I could already have you arrested.”

If looks could kill, I’d be dead on the spot.

“She’s right,” Kara said, surprisingly coming to my defense. “She’s got a guard at the door who doesn’t like her. Do we really have a choice about trust? We’re all dead if she decides to give the order.”

Mila, the youngest of the group, spoke up for the first time. Dressed like the others in regulation military attire, she had short brown hair, a cute face, and stood a foot shorter than me. In the beginning, I’d envied her. Her mother was a scientist, working in one of the labs on things I could only guess at. Mila never spoke about her mother, much like I’d kept my father to myself when he was alive. She hadn’t said a word to me all day, so I was surprised when she was the one to sway the tide completely.

“We need help,” she said quietly, her gaze shifting to the others. “If all we ever do is get drunk and cry into our hooch, we’ll all die eventually. I vote we take a chance.”

Skylar, taller than Mila and less conventionally cute, raised her hand. Her regal nose lent her a sense of understated style, even in her drab camouflage attire. “I’m in,” she said firmly. “We need help.”

Landan let out a strangled sound, halfway between a groan and a sigh, clearly torn. But when Kara gave him a small, resolute nod, he finally caved, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Our lives are already on borrowed time,” he said. “It’s only a matter of when, not if, the Federation figures out what we’ve been doing.”

He turned his gaze on me, his eyes filled with distrust. “The Federation has been feeding us false data. We started noticing it not long after your father died. We didn’t tell you because, well, you weren’t exactly friendly then.”

He took a slow sip of his hooch. The thick silence carried weight and settled in the air.

“And it’s not just us,” he continued. “Other departments are starting to see the cracks, too. Or maybe it’s more like they’re finally seeing the dark.”

Landan set his cup down on the table and inhaled deeply, casting quick, nervous glances at the others before his eyes settled back on me. His next words hit like a gut punch.

“We started manipulating the data about a year ago. Small adjustments, nothing big. Just enough to send a ripple.”

I sat there, stunned. I had no idea any of this was happening. When my father died, I must have gone deeper into survival mode than I’d realized. The vacuum I’d lived in after his death had been far worse than I remembered.

How else could I explain missing something this important happening right under my nose?

I’d come to work, analyzed the data the Federation handed me, and gone home. No questions. No curiosity. No suspicions.

What the hell had I been thinking, or actually, not thinking?

A heavy wave of shame washed over me. I’d let fear blind me to the truth.

I glanced around the table at the faces of my coworkers. Hope and worry were etched into their features, a fragile thread of trust hanging in the air.

“I came back to help,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. “I’m trying to figure out what’s really going on and who’s involved. I’m not here to get any of you in trouble.”

“Prove it,” Landan shot back angrily.

The words were laced with enough force to make Ms. Beast grumble.

I needed to trust my gut on this. “A hundred Shadow Warriors came with me to aid the Federation in fighting the hellhounds. They’re housed in a military bunker just outside this facility. What the Federation doesn’t know is that there are another hundred Warriors stationed outside of Washington.”

I kept the full truth to myself. Some secrets needed to stay buried for now.

“Are they taking over?” Landan asked, his voice laced with skepticism.

Kara might have been the ringleader for their drinking escapades, but it was clear Landan was the one in charge when it came to their defiance against the Federation.

“That’s the last thing they want,” I assured him. “For some reason, the Federation is using electromagnetic waves to lure the hellhounds to the U.S. I saw them leave Cuban soil just by walking into the water. They’re headed here, and the only thing standing in their way are the Warriors.”

Shock flashed across his face. “You trust the Shadow Warriors?” he asked.

“With my life,” I said, holding his gaze. I prayed he would believe me. I needed them on my side.

Landan grimaced but finally nodded, seemingly accepting my words as truth. “The Federation has mandated that all humans come into the city. From the beginning, they’ve lied about how many people are still alive in this country and across the world. After what you’ve told us, I’m convinced they’re using the hellhounds to scare Americans into Washington. And if they don’t come in—” he paused, his voice hardening, “—they use the hounds to kill them.”

Even though I’d suspected something like this, hearing it hit like a punch to the gut.

“Are you sure?” I asked quietly.

Everyone’s eyes shifted to Skylar. She hesitated for a moment, giving me a look I couldn’t quite decipher, then spoke. “My husband, Harris, is the commander of the Fourth Infantry. He was given orders to kill any humans who refuse to come to the capital.”

Now I understood her expression. She loved her husband and didn’t want to endanger him by revealing too much. The guilt etched on her face made that painfully clear.

“The Federation protects us,” she continued, her voice tight, “but at the same time, they use us against our loved ones to keep everyone in line. We’re sure they manipulated your father the same way.”

I didn’t need to ask what Harris was doing about his orders. I already knew. My father would have done anything to keep me safe. Anything.

What I was about to say could cost me my life. It was absolute treason, but to the Federation, me being Shadow Warrior was treason.

“Will your husband fight with the Shadow Warriors if we overthrow the Federation?”

Skylar’s eyes turned cold. “We’re not interested in trading one dictatorship for another.”

“Good,” I said, holding her gaze with equal intensity. “The Shadow Warriors don’t want to govern anyone. They’re being set up by the Federation. Brought here under the pretense of fighting hellhounds. We believe the Federation plans to annihilate them. They used me to lure them here because the Warriors trusted my father.”

“You’re sure you can trust them?” Skylar asked.

I’d already answered this question but maybe hearing it again would finally drive the point home.

“I’m in love with their leader. So yes, I trust them.”

Landan shifted uncomfortably, his expression tightening. “We shouldn’t be talking here,” he muttered. “Your guard is paying more attention to us now than he was five minutes ago.”

I resisted the urge to glance toward the guard. “My round to buy, then we’ll leave,” I said. “How are you communicating with the other rebels?”

“ Rebels, ” Mila chimed in. “I like the sound of that.”

“Word of mouth,” Landan replied. “We don’t write anything down. I room with a guy from another department. We share info he picks up while working.”

“I have little freedom,” I admitted, thinking through my options. Then a troubling thought struck me. “Does Thad know what you’re doing?”

“No,” Landan said firmly, shaking his head. “Thad is one of their spies. We set him up, and he fell for it. He gave the Federation accurate figures on something we deliberately staged to look like data manipulation. They punished Mila for the mistake . She received thirty straight days of work without a break. Do not trust Thad.”

“Friday is in two days,” I told Landan. “I’ll meet the ladies in their sleeping quarters for some ‘girl time’ at eight that evening. If you can get there before me and hide before the guard brings me, we can come up with a game plan.”

“That works,” Skylar agreed with a nod.

My round of hooch arrived, and we downed the drinks quickly. Just as I was about to leave, Mila reached out and touched my arm. Her fingers trembled.

“If you betray us, we’re dead,” she whispered, fear stark in her wide eyes.

It was the same fear I used to carry, and I remembered it all too well.

I placed my hand over hers, trying to reassure her. “We need to trust each other,” I said softly. “It’s hard for me too, but we’re in this together now. And it’s not just me who has your back. The Shadow Warriors do too.”