Cables were strung on poles, and on one pole, a white metal box with a glass eye rotated back and forth, scanning the area. Her mouth fell open a crack. Someone was watching them. A steel girder ran over the road covered in brown kudzu except where large white letters stated: Fort AP Hill.
“Guys, do you…”
Milly didn’t finish her sentence because men dressed in dark green swarmed from the guardhouse and surrounded them. Tye put up his hands and Milly and the rest did also. The greenies held fancy guns, their identities hidden behind tinted face shields.
“Hands up,” the lead greenie said.
A brown fence ran to the forest on both sides of the guardhouse and two soldiers swung open a gate. A car rumbled through the opening. Milly had seen so many piles of metal rubble she recognized it immediately. This one had no roof, and a woman sat behind the wheel. The truck sputtered and popped and came to a stop before them. A tall woman with long blonde hair exited the vehicle and went to Jerimiah.
“How many feet does a sea serpent have?” the woman said. Her long golden hair fell across her shoulders and the breastplate of her gray body armor. She wore a sword on her hip, along with a pistol and an odd-looking weapon that looked like a metal baton. She was big, almost as tall as Tye and just as thick. Her face was scarred, and her left eye sagged in its socket.
“Seventeen, lord commander,” Jerimiah said.
“Well met then, eh?” The woman hugged Jerimiah like they were good friends, but Jerimiah made a face of disgust. “What have you brought with you, eh?”
“This is Tye, Tester, Milly, Robin, and the young one there is Ingo. He’s a reborn. The others followed the turtle and seek Dr. Kim. May I take Ingo forth?”
“Hey, do we…” Milly said.
“Be quiet until we are through. You are a guest here, madam, are you not?” the woman said.
Milly nodded. The bitch had a point.
The woman turned to Ingo. “I am Georgina of Vantros. I am a knight of Argartha, and Lord Commander of Fort Hill. Has Jerimiah explained things to you?”
“Not really,” Ingo said.
Lord Vantros turned her cool blue eyes on Jerimiah and he flinched beneath them. “You are different from your friends? Yeah?” the lord said.
Ingo nodded.
“Therefore you will travel a different path to Argartha. You will go with Jerimiah,” Lord Vantros said.
“What about my friends? I want to be with them,” Ingo said.
“Maybe you’ll see them again down the path,” the lord commander said.
“Maybe?” Ingo said. “What of the animals?”
The knight of Argartha said nothing.
“Tell me or I’m not going with him,” Ingo said.
The big woman sighed. “Only you are guaranteed entrance. Most likely your friends will join you in the city, but there’s a chance some of them, or all of them, won’t be admitted. The animals can go with them if they wish.”
“Wait. What?” Milly said.
“I told you the trials weren’t over. Be honest and everything will be OK. They will know if you lie. They can check the past, and I’m not just talking about reborns. Ingo and I will see you in the city if you stay true. Come, Ingo,” Jerimiah said.
The sixty-year-old teenager looked to Tye and Tester, and both men nodded. “It’ll be all right,” Tester said. “We’ll be right behind you.”
Milly’s stomach turned and grumbled. She looked at Tye who confirmed her doubt. She had a bad feeling they were walking into something that wasn’t what it seemed.
Chapter Thirty-two
Year 2076, Fort AP Hill, Virginia
The snow started again, and a thin curtain of white shrouded Jerimiah and Ingo as they disappeared into the guardhouse. The greenies closed ranks around the fellowship, guns at the ready. Tye looked at Milly, who shrugged. They couldn’t fight their way out of this one. They’d committed to the turtle and now they’d have to follow it through. A gust of wind stirred the snow. Soldiers stood on both sides of the guard booth. Nobody spoke. No animals bleated. Only the frantic cawing of Larry rose above the wind. The white one-eyed crow sat on the sign that spanned the road.
“You will give us your weapons and form a single file line. It is my job to make sure you enter the outer lands clean and free of disease. You will follow my instructions, or you will be dumped on the road. Approaching this outpost a second time means death. You get one chance. No exceptions. So choose wisely and show respect. Do you understand?” the lord commander said.
“Yes,” Tye said.
“You all understand. Good. So I don’t need to kill anyone today. That would be a good day, eh?” the lord commander said. “I’m going to split you up now, but don’t worry. You’ll be back together soon. Who will bring the cat and dog with them?”
“I will,” Milly said.
“Why must we be split up?” Tester said.
The knight lumbered over to Tester and got in his face. She was massive, and looked the part of a modern knight with her gun, sword and gray Kevlar body armor. There was nothing feminine about her. Her voice was a rasp, and she had no breasts pushing out the breastplate of her armor.
“Are you going to be a problem? I realize you people are used to doing whatever the hell you want all the
