Standing near the door, Dwayne waited for her to finish her last round through the flat. It was spotless, sterile, and empty. It made him ache to see it so barren.

For the last year, this place had been his safe haven from a bitter, soon to be ex-wife, surly teenage twins, an angry adult daughter, the pressures of his career, and the unyielding stress of knowing the Inferi Scourge were just outside the wall. Now it was over and he couldn’t help but feel afraid when he watched Maria heave her bags over her shoulder.

Her strength of will always amazed him. All too vividly he remembered her rousing him after the grenade had exploded and hurtled them both through the air. He couldn’t even see or hear at first. Blood had filled his eyes and he had been deafened by the explosion. Though badly wounded and bleeding profusely, she had kept firing at the Scourge streaming toward them. Unable to get to his feet, his mind numbed and his body yet to feel the full brunt of his wounds, he had been dependent on her to rescue them. He would never forget her expression when she had seen the tiltrotor swoop down to airlift them. She had been unbelievably beautiful in her joy. He was fairly certain that was the moment he fell in love with her.

Now watching her stand in silence as she regarded her flat for one last time, he grappled with the fear that he would never see her again once she walked out the door.

“I think I’ll miss this old rat cage,” she said at last.

“You’re what made it special,” he reminded her.

Drawing in a deep breath, she closed her eyes. As she slowly exhaled, he watched her features soften and the tension disappear from her brow. She was amazing at keeping herself calm and collected when all the rest of the world fell apart around her. Right now he felt close to shattering. Despite his resolve, his eyes felt damp and he folded his arms over his chest and swallowed hard.

Maria opened her dark eyes and her gaze settled on him. She strode the few steps over to him. A smile slightly pulled on her lips even though her eyes were rimmed with unshed tears.

“I have to do this,” she said at last.

“I know,” he answered in a low voice, his emotions kept in check. He wouldn’t make this harder on her.

“If I can help destroy the Scrags in the valley and reclaim it for us, I have to. I can’t stand not being able to do anything but wait for the city to completely run down, or for them to get in.”

He knew her speech was more for her than for him and he let her talk without interruption.

“I will not fail,” she finally added after a long beat. “I will make this work for you and me and everyone else in this city.”

“I know you will. I have no doubt in your abilities. Hell, you dragged my ass onto that tiltrotor. I wouldn’t be here if not for you.” He lightly touched her chin. “Your stubbornness sets into your jaw and once that happens, I know nothing will stop you.”

That made her grin and she wrapped her arm around his waist.

Dwayne kissed her mouth, her cheeks, and her forehead before drawing her against him and inhaling the fragrance of her hair. They were almost the exact same height and she fit so perfectly against him. Despite their age difference, life experience, and backgrounds, they were perfect for each other. They completely understood each other. And because of that, he wouldn’t shed a tear in front of her or let her know how terrified he truly was.

“I need to catch the train,” she said at last, pressing her lips to his cheek.

“Keep in contact when you can,” he urged her.

“I will. I promise.” She kicked the box of provisions with her foot. “Please make sure the Roses get this.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to do it yourself?”

“They’ll ask too many questions and I don’t think I can deal with that right now,” she answered truthfully. “Give them my love. And if they ask you where I went, tell them I’m doing my job.”

“I will.”

“And can you check up on them once in a while? I don’t think Ms. Bergman always has the credits to get her medicine from the herbalist.”

“Did they run out of her meds?” Dwayne knew the shortages were growing more rampant, but he didn’t realize it had hit the medical sector.

“She’s on a very long waiting list. But luckily the herbalist has some sort of concoction that helps her. Even if it is a placebo, she swears it works.”

“I’ll check on her. I promise.” Once again he was reminded of how Maria tended to watch over those around her while often ignoring her own needs. It was a stark contrast to his ex-wife who always demanded so much from those around her.

Falling into silence, Maria shifted her bags and stepped closer to the door. Her shoulders set and he saw her jaw tighten. Turning toward him, he saw her strength and resolve take firm hold of her countenance.

“I’ll see you, Dwayne Reichardt.”

“And I’ll see you, Maria Martinez,” he answered in a rough voice.

Her fingers lightly caught his for a second, then she shoved the door open and slid into the hall.

Fighting the urge to follow her, he folded his arms over his chest and took in a deep, ragged breath. Lowering his chin, he waited as the echo of her footsteps faded away. He took a breath, released it, lifted the box of rations, and stepped out of the doorway. Looking over the empty flat one last time, he clenched his jaw to reign in his emotions, and shut the door.

“Spring rolls! Fresh spring rolls!”

Maria glanced over at the street vendors as she walked through the throngs of people filling the market. All around her people were hawking wares, homemade crafts, or food made from their own small rooftop gardens. Refurbished battery powered fans and reconstructed lightweight clothing were the big sellers. Children scrambled around the silent, dry fountain on the street corner while a man strummed a guitar as a woman beside him sang in a sweet, high voice.

A government drone circled the square flashing the latest updated news. The screens showed scenes of the Inferi Scourge being gunned down by the valiant defenders of The Bastion. Maria paused, clutching the strap of her bag. The screaming, torn faces of the Scourge made her skin crawl and she looked away.

The city streets were hot, stifling, smelly and overwhelming.

Looking up, she stared at the bright blue sky visible between the tall grey buildings surrounding her. The top of the wall was barely discernible above the roofs. It was a far departure from the historical vids of people living in high rise apartments, driving sleek cars, dressed in fancy clothes, decked out in the latest tech, and living lives free from the Inferi Scourge.

Jostled by the crowd hurrying past her, Maria was drawn out of her ruminations. She swept her gaze over the people busily going about their business. She almost felt like laughing as she felt the futility of her mission wash over her. How could she save all these people? How could she even be certain that her mission would succeed?

Taking a deep breath, filled with dust, humidity and the stink of the city, she forced her doubts away. She was a soldier of The Bastion Constabulary. She wouldn’t doubt. She wouldn’t fear.

“No going back now,” she murmured, and rounded the corner heading to her destination.

The side streets were narrower, congested with people, and stifling. Someone poured their dishwater out of a high window and drenched some of the passersby. Shouts of anger rose as Maria hurried around the corner, grateful the dirty water had missed her.

Ducking down the stairs into the now defunct subway station, she shifted the bags on her shoulder. She had a few minutes before the only running subway train would pick her up. It was used exclusively by the military and would be stopping just for her. All the stations were now restricted areas. Squatters had been removed and the trains shut down as a security precaution after the Scourge had infiltrated the sewers.

Swiping her wristlet over the locks on the heavily barred doors, she heard an ominous click as they unlocked and opened. She entered the gloom beyond the gaping doors, leaving behind the heat and sunlight. Lights flickered on as she walked across the cement floor to the platform. The doors clanked shut behind her.

It was cooler down here. She sneezed in the stale air and rubbed her nose. Her wristlet caught her eye and she ran her fingers lightly over the smooth silver surface. The screen activated, flashing that it was locked, ready for her commands. She tapped her finger lightly over the edges, her password unlocking the device. She had no additional orders. Nothing had changed. Maria felt both relief and trepidation.

Noises in the pitch black tunnel startled her. Instantly on alert, her body tensed as her heart began to pound. The sound of approaching footsteps reverberated through the station. Running? Her hand automatically slid to her side, but she had no sidearm.

Mentally chastising herself for panicking, she nonetheless let her bags slide to the floor. The last breach of the wall had been years before when her father had died fighting the Inferi Scourge in the sewer system. The footsteps were moving swiftly in her direction. It had to be a maintenance crew, but why would they be running?

Maria knew that her panic was born of her experience outside the walls. Ever since the defeat of the Constabulary military forces, she had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder just like all of the rest of the survivors. A few months of therapy and drug treatment had greatly reduced her anxiety attacks, but her body was absolutely singing with adrenaline as she listened to the sounds emanating from the darkness.