Yeah, sure, you’re not crazy at all.
Angie… there’s no need to be condescending. The woman has taken you in.
They went down more stairs and passed more guards. The ones further down weren’t wearing the frightening oxygen masks, and this made Angela feel a little better. There isn’t some post-apocalyptic chamber of horrors waiting below. It’s just people—survivors doing their best and staying as safe as possible.
The feeling of dread returned when they arrived at their final destination. The survivors had been herded into the deepest, darkest corner on the third subterranean level. Most were clustered around a giant concrete pillar labelled 3-C, like flies clinging to something sweet. Others were sitting on the pavement nearby, and some were curled up and trying to sleep. Angela’s mouth went dry and her heart started to hammer. They were all completely naked.
“Stop right here,” Marie instructed. “Take off all your clothes and drop them to the ground so we can have them cleaned.”
“You’re joking,” Angela said automatically, but knowing full well the woman was serious. People were staring up at them with mournful, embarrassed eyes. An overweight man in his sixties looked away when her eyes met his. A child sitting next to him did the same. Was she his granddaughter, or were they complete strangers to one another? It didn’t much matter either way, it was humiliating for them—for all of them—and Angela wanted no part of it.
“I don’t joke when it comes to the safety and cleanliness of our guests. We have nothing to hide here, and I want to guarantee my staff’s safety as well. Clothes are washed once a day, no exceptions.”
Angela saw something move in the shadows against the wall beyond the concrete pillar. More people were watching from mattresses. They were clothed, Angela was grateful to see, but they didn’t appear any less terrified. A little girl, not much younger than Amanda, crawled out from under a sheet and snuggled up to her mother. Her big eyes stared at Angela and the two children, but they settled back on Marie. She was afraid. They all were.
What have we come into? Where have I brought the children?
I’ll admit it’s awfully unusual, girl. Downright horrifying.
Angela nodded with her stepfather’s assessment.
Marie took it as acceptance. “Good. Empty your pockets and strip down. Your belongings will be returned to you in less than two hours.”
“Two hours?” Angela said. “It looks like these people have been sitting here a lot longer than two hours.”
“Ted from maintenance and Brenda from housekeeping are having some trouble with the washers and driers. Something to do with the generator we have set up in the laundry room. It should all be fixed soon enough.”
“No,” Amanda said.
Marie cocked her head to one side. “What was that, dear?”
“No. I’m not taking my clothes off, and I’m not sleeping over there.” She pointed at the line of mattresses.
Michael stood next to his sister. “Me neither. We won’t do it.”
The woman’s jaw clenched, and her eyes narrowed slightly. “You don’t have a choice.” She looked up at Angela. “Are your children always this unruly?”
“They’re not my children. We met in a shopping mall after their mother was murdered.”
Marie Hodgkin stepped back, reaching for a hand held communicator at her side at the same time. “Please send down two additional guards to 3-C. We have a brother and sister without parents, and a woman child abductor.”
“Now just a second.” Angela went towards the woman. “This has gone far enough. I’m with these kids, and I’m not a criminal.”
The next few moments were a blur. Something hit Angela in the mouth and she saw stars. She was falling to her knees and Amanda was screaming. The children’s hands were at her arms, slowing her fall to the ground. Blood was dripping onto the asphalt directly beneath her face. She hit me. That little bitch smacked me in the face with her walkie-fucking-talkie.
Watch that language!
Angela heard Amanda screaming at the top of her lungs. She could see Michael’s feet kicking out at someone from the corner of her eye. The children were picked up and dragged away by more men wearing oxygen masks. Angela was unable to do a thing to stop it; her arms were too busy keeping the rest of her body from sinking down onto the ground in the puddle of her own blood. She tried pushing back up onto her knees and the vicious little Marie approached with a black weapon in her hand. She pressed something cold into her ribs and Angela felt a jolt run through her entire body.
This is what it feels like to get tazed.
Angela was about to tell her stepfather she didn’t like the sensation, but blackness claimed her first.
Chapter 8
The first thing Angela realized when she woke up was that the children were with her again. The second thing she noticed was that they were naked. Angela’s nose and upper lip throbbed. She reached up to touch her face and saw she was naked as well.
“I’m sorry I brought us here,” she croaked. “We should’ve kept going west. We should’ve left this fucking city altogether and let these crazies deal with each other.” She waited for her stepfather to scold her for dropping an f-bomb. He didn’t. Perhaps he was finally beginning to agree with her.
Their immediate humiliation came to an end. Corey appeared with their clothes, neatly stacked in his arms. “I’m really sorry you had to strip down like that.” The oxygen mask, Angela noted thankfully, was gone. He handed the clothes to them. “I can appreciate Marie’s concern with keeping everyone clean and healthy, but she goes too far sometimes.” He leaned in and whispered. “To tell you the truth, I think she’s not all right in the head.”
Angela had already put on her
