Maria wasn’t surprised when Denman drew near.

“All SWD except for Omondi,” Denman said in a discreet tone.

“I noticed.”

“And right after the attack by the speaking Scrag.”

“Yes.”

Denman shifted on his feet and pretended to show her something on his med-pad. “In other words, they’re keeping something from us.”

Maria nodded silently.

Shoving the pad in his pack, Denman fully faced her, his eyes scanning her expression.

Finally, Maria said, “We do our job. We keep vigilant.” In a much lower voice, she whispered, “And we try to figure out what the hell is going on.”

Dwayne was fast asleep when his wristlet chimed. He instantly woke, his fingers instinctively sliding over the small interface. Heart pounding in his chest, he accessed the secret program. Relief filled him when he saw that the incoming call was from Maria.

Once her face filled the small screen, he found himself speechless. Even with her grayish pallor and murky eyes, she was beautiful. His body ached for her.

“Oh, God, Dwayne, I’ve missed you,” she said, her voice rough with emotion.

“I’ve been going crazy hoping you were okay,” Dwayne answered. “What happened?”

The face he loved so much became eerily still as Maria gathered her thoughts. “The Chief Defender had control of our wristlets and I couldn’t override it.”

“So how-”

“There have been some complications to the mission. The Chief Defender has departed with half the squad. I have control over my wristlet and those of my squad. Of course, the SWD could override it at any time, but at least I was able to contact you tonight.”

Though the lines of her face tensed and Dwayne could tell she was overcome with emotion, no tears glimmered in her eyes. It was disconcerting.

“Maria, I’ll always be here waiting to hear from you. I love you. I believe in you. I know you’re doing a damn fine job out there.”

“I saw Ryan,” Maria said at last, startling Dwayne. “He attacked me. He wasn’t like the other Scrags. He spoke like that other one.”

“Another anomaly?”

Maria nodded. “It’s damn apparent we’re not being told everything. The virus must be mutating somehow. Thankfully, so far, there have been only two Inferi Anomalies. The rest behave like you expect Scrags to act, so we’re safe in that regard. After Ryan attacked me today, Omondi split off with the SWD soldiers in the squad per the orders of the SWD.”

“Suspicious.” Rolling onto his side, Dwayne stared at the image of the woman he loved. He felt helpless. It ate at him that he couldn’t rush out and protect Maria. Of course, he also knew she was fully capable of taking care of herself, but his natural inclination was to rescue her from a quagmire of hidden lies. “How are you handling all of it?”

“Doing what I learned from you. Keeping my squad focused on the endgame while keeping my eyes and ears open. Something is going on out here, Dwayne. Something is very, very wrong. I just wish they would tell us the truth.”

“Maybe they told Omondi the truth and he’s handling it,” Dwayne suggested.

“Probably, but that doesn’t help the rest of us. I can’t help but feel we’re in more danger than the SWD told us. I’d rather have the truth and deal with it.”

“I’ll see what I can do to help you with that,” Dwayne promised.

“Ah, your mysterious connections, huh?” Maria lifted an eyebrow, slightly smiling.

“I have a way of finding out the truth,” Dwayne said with a grin and a wink.

Her lips spreading into a wide smile, it was clear she knew what he was alluding to. They had spent hours upon hours together as they recovered from their injuries after the last push against the Inferi Scourge. They often worked side by side at physical rehabilitation and chatted often. He had known almost right away that he had deep feelings for her. After Barbara filed for divorce, he had decided to risk their age difference and find out if Maria felt the same way. The young soldier had been very good at keeping her feelings hidden, but he had sensed he was not alone in how he felt. It had taken him months before he had finally turned to her and said, “I’m going to kiss you now. Any objections?”

Maria had grabbed him and given him the most passionate kiss of his life.

“I still think that was entrapment,” Maria said, laughing. “Find out what you can as long as you’re not kissing anyone.”

The sound of her laughter, though distorted slightly by the transmission, was a lovely sound. “I save all my kisses for you.”

“You better.” Her smile faded and she sighed. “I need to go.”

“I love you, Maria.”

“I’ll try to keep in touch, Dwayne. And I love you.”

The transmission ended.

With a weary sigh, Dwayne rolled out of bed and sent a message to Lindsey to meet him for lunch the next day.

Chapter 22

The kiosk was packed with people hurrying to grab lunch before returning to work. The smell of hot vegetable oil and the spices used to turn simple bland protein into a savory dish with vegetables and rice made Dwayne even hungrier. The tea simmering in his chipped cup smelled cinnamony and sweet. The kiosk was run by an older couple and was dependent on their personal rooftop garden. They weren’t always open for business, but when they were, people rushed to drop off their daily protein ration so they could later enjoy it in a delicious dish. The proprietors soaked the protein in a delectable marinade that made the tasteless lumps into something divine.

Lindsey scooted onto the battered stool next to him, leaning her elbows on the wooden counter. The wood had probably once been a park bench. The grain had worn over time to a smooth polish. Everything in The Bastion was recycled. Lindsey was dressed casually and her blond hair was loose. It was her day off, but she had agreed to meet him.

“Name?” the cook, Sarah, asked Lindsey.

Lindsey answered and Sarah checked the list of people who had dropped off their protein ration earlier. “I’ll get it on the fire.”

“Thanks,” Lindsey said, smiling, then swiveled toward Dwayne. “Enjoying the news?” She indicated the drone passing by showing the latest government-released vids of the closed gate.”

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Dwayne answered, sipping his tea.

“I heard they pulled all the wall guards last night. No more wall duty. Our special ops team out there is all we need. Speculation is that they have some sort of nifty new armor and weapons that the SWD developed just for the job.”

“I heard that, too,” Dwayne said, his tone casual. Sarah set a bowl before him, the rice steaming beneath green beans, bamboo sprouts, and snow peas. The protein was spicy and the steam made his stomach growl in anticipation. He tucked into his lunch, savoring each bite.

Leaning toward him, Lindsey said, “So, what’s up?”

Dwayne handed her a small tablet. It was old and many of its features were broken or disabled. He had picked it up at a small street shop and entered some notes for Lindsey to study and investigate. It was a locked down device since it couldn’t transmit. He didn’t want any of his suspicions leaking out.

Lindsey thumbed it open, read a few lines and turned wide eyes in his direction.

He calmly sipped his tea and gave her the briefest of nods.

“Can I have mine to go?” she asked, pivoting around.

One of the two cooks looked up from the hot stove and nodded.

“Should I come by later?” Dwayne took a sip of his tea, his eyes following the drone.

“Not yet. When I have something solid, I’ll let you know,” Lindsey answered as her lunch was set down in front of her wrapped in paper. She snatched her meal and was gone.

He was just finishing his tea after swallowing the last bit of his meal when Dwayne saw a flash of navy out of the corner of his eye. Turning, he saw the shrewd black eyes of the commandant staring at him. Her ebony skin was slightly beaded with sweat. He glanced around for her usual entourage. There was none in sight. It appeared she had walked alone through the city, a surprising move on her part.

“I didn’t know you came here for lunch,” Dwayne said at last.

“You weren’t in your office. Your assistant told me where you were,” the commandant answered. She sat in the same stool Lindsey had perched on earlier and set her elbow on the counter. She stared at him openly and thoughtfully.

“I was hungry,” Dwayne answered with a shrug.

“Can I have your name?” Sarah asked, her tired, wrinkled face neutral of any emotion, but her eyes slightly widened at the sight of the woman who was a regular on the news vids.

“I didn’t leave off my ration,” the commandant answered.

“I can only offer a vegetarian dish then,” Sarah informed her. Sweat trailed down her face and she clutched her tongs in a shaking hand.

“That’s fine. Make it extra spicy,” the commandant replied, pushing a credit across the counter to Sarah. Without irony, she said to Dwayne, “A penny for your thoughts, Castellan Reichardt.”