“Good. Go on, get comfortable,” Rex said steepling his fingers. “I called you here so I could hear your side of the story.”
“What did he tell you?” I asked. There was no point in playing dumb or beating around the bush.
We both knew what we were talking about.
“It doesn’t matter. I just want to see if the stories line up,” Rex said. “You gave him quite a shiner.”
“I didn’t mean to. At least not exactly,” I said twisting my fingers together. “I just reacted.”
Rex nodded, waiting for me to continue. So, I did. I told him everything that had happened.
“I see,” Rex said. “What were you doing wandering around on your own again? I thought you preferred to stay inside, helping your friend.”
“I did… I do but Robby wasn’t feeling well and I was going to tell you. I also wanted to find him some medicine,” I explained.
Rex leaned forward. “It’s just that it’s not really safe for anyone to wander around on their own. That’s what Ashton said he was trying to tell you.”
“But that’s not true,” I said. “He dragged me into an alley.”
Rex held up his hand. “We caught someone wandering around. They’ve been questioned and it’s not safe for anyone to wander around without a guard.”
“So, you’re just going to let him get away with what he did to me?” I asked.
Robby placed his hand on my shoulder. “There has to be something you can do.”
“And maybe one day I can but we’re being spied on,” Rex said. “We need all the soldiers we can get and Ashton is one of my best men.”
I tried to swallow but the lump in the back of my throat felt stuck. “He could be doing the same to others.”
“Come with me,” Rex said as he got to his feet.
“Where are we going?” Robby asked.
“I want to show you something,” Rex said.
Robby held my hand as we left the building and walked down the street. The rain felt cold. I welcomed it because I’d felt so hot sitting there with Rex staring at me as I had told him what happened. His expression had been unreadable.
Rex gestured at the man in front of the building. He took out his set of keys and opened the gate in front of the door. It looked as though it was an addition that had been added to the house sometime after The Reset.
“Follow me,” Rex said stepping inside.
The house smelled musty. It reminded me of how my grandparent’s house used to smell — mold and mildew with a hint of frankincense and burned hamburger meat. My stomach twisted as I unintentionally inhaled the scent.
Rex led us down a short hallway in the home that had been gutted and rebuilt into something that resembled more of a prison. All of the doors were closed and numbered. If there was anyone inside the rooms, they were silent.
He took out his own set of keys from his pocket and opened the door. Rex glanced at us over his shoulder. “Stay back.”
Robby took a step forward, blocking me from whatever was inside the room. My body shook as the door was closed behind me.
I was squeezing Robby’s hand so hard I couldn’t feel my fingertips.
The room was empty except for a small cot, a chair, and a bucket. An off-white paint sloppily coated the walls.
There was a thin man with his hands tied together, sitting on the chair. He kept his head down even when Robby started to talk.
“Here’s the spy I was telling you about,” Rex said.
A small scab at the corner of his mouth cracked with his slight grin at the word. There were black and blue spots all over his skin. It felt as though I was looking at a man who was already dead. A broken man who no longer had a single care in the already devastating world.
“You’re probably wondering why I’ve brought you here,” Rex said.
He was right. I was.
“This is what happens to people we can’t trust. People who aren’t with us,” Rex explained. “Those of us in town must work together because if we don’t, we’ll fall. We’ll all fall down. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes,” I said.
I got his message loud and clear. If I didn’t forget what Ashton had done, I’d end up in the room.
“Okay,” Rex said opening the door.
In the hallway, Rex locked the door and checked it before he turned to me. He pushed his shoulders back and locked eyes with me.
“Think of everyone in the town as your family. We protect each other. We keep each other safe.” Rex placed his hand on my shoulder. I held still so I didn’t flinch at his touch. “I’m sorry about what happened. I had a talk with him and it won’t happen again.”
“To just me or anyone?” I asked sharply as tears stung my eyes.
Rex blinked several times. It seemed he hadn’t liked the question and was searching for a way to answer it that would satisfy me.
“We have your word?” Robby asked breaking the tension.
“You have my word,” Rex said with a bob of his head. “If he crosses any line with you, let me know immediately. I’ll handle it. But in return, I need to know you’re on our side here. We’re a team… rather more like family. Everyone here is like your brother or sister. We work together and you would do anything for your brothers and sisters, right?”
“Yes, of course,” I said replying with what I knew he wanted to hear. But for some reason, I couldn’t stop
