As the man in charge of this transport told them, “Your safety is our main priority. That is the only thing more important than your happiness.”
It sounded lame and caused some of the women to exchange dubious looks, but that’s exactly how it has played out.
The little intercom comes to life and the same man’s voice is gently amplified. Even that is done politely. He’s standing at the front of the bus like a tour guide and smiling. “We’re about to arrive at our waypoint, just as was discussed before we set out. This location is secure, but not as comfortable as we’d like it to be. The other two busses will meet up with us here. Tomorrow morning, we’ll board the train. Does anyone have any questions?”
Charlotte looks around to see if anyone else will ask anything. She’s got a million questions, but most of them aren’t relevant to this particular situation. She wants someone—anyone—to ask something and get an answer that will make her feel more secure.
One woman speaks up, “Will I be able to see my husband tonight? My son?”
The man gives another warm smile that seems entirely real. “Of course. The second bus in our group is coming inside with us. I’ve called ahead and the staff there has ensured there are privacy cubicles set up for all the family groups.”
The woman nods, her brow creasing a little as if she can hardly believe it’s all this easy. Charlotte has a hard time believing it too. She looks at her mom in the seat next to her and Tabitha reaches out to tuck a lock of hair behind Charlotte’s ear.
“It’s okay, baby. I know this is weird, but if you think about it, it all makes sense. If we get too scared or worried…well…”
Charlotte nods, but she’s still mildly uneasy. Before they left, Tabitha gave her a pill and told her it would help to keep her calm. They’d avoided taking the pills advised by the government, so it had surprised her. After being reassured that it was merely something mild, she took it. She doesn’t think she feels any different, but who knows.
The man at the front of the bus goes back into tour guide mode as they approach what looks like a military base. He patters on about every single thing. The double fences that will keep them safe, the rigorous checks of the perimeter, the safety of the base…all of it. It’s obviously meant to take some of the fear out of them.
A huge aircraft hangar looms ahead. The man smiles and points. “That’s where we’re headed!” He pauses, gives them all a pleasantly conspiratorial look, then adds, “It’s much prettier on the inside.”
A much newer metal building with huge garage doors juts from the side of the hangar. The bus slides into one slot as the door rises. The lights inside are bright, but they reflect something very different than outside appearances would suggest. The other bus containing the families of some of the women pulls into another slot before Charlotte has even cataloged what she sees.
Instead of metal walls, the garage has obviously been sheetrocked on the inside. Bright white paint with curving stripes in bright colors make it look nothing like a garage. Even the floor is pale blue with darker blue speckles in it.
“Here we are!” exclaims the man in a bright voice. “Gentlewomen, your luggage will be brought to your cubicles by the attendants you see lined up there on the front wall. You’ll find a schedule on your beds. The last bus should arrive well before dinner, so there will be plenty of time to get acquainted. I’ll remain your guide and if you’ve forgotten my name, it’s Rex.”
With that, the doors to the bus hiss open and everyone shuffles out onto the gleaming floor. Rex exits the front door of the bus and his shoes squeak on the floor. Even in something as simple as disembarking a bus, they’ve taken pains to ensure no man comes into contact with a woman, even by accident. Him leaving by the front door prevents a jostle or a brush of his arm.
Like everyone else, he’s dressed in clothes that make him seem more like a friendly salesman or spa attendant than a military man. Pressed khaki pants and a navy-blue golf shirt embroidered with a very discreet American flag above his name.
With another big smile, he waves them forward toward a door inset into the hangar proper. It’s bright inside the hangar, but not like the garage. The ceiling soars above them, the girders visible and lights strung along them. That’s the single reminder that this building is meant to house a few big airplanes. Everything else has been altered.
Like the garage, the lower half of the walls have been covered in sheetrock. They gleam with a fresh coat of paint. White with those curving lines of color, but the colors don’t look quite so overwhelming in this big space. Filling the space is a complex of sorts. Living areas with movable screens, a building labeled as restrooms to one side, and a forest of cubicle walls that must be the living areas.
The smell of food makes Charlotte glance over at an open kitchen. Two men in chef’s whites busily work, while helpers in blue hurry around them. It smells divine.
“And here we are,” Rex says, turning around to walk backward with his arms wide. “It’s only for tonight, so it’s not perfect, but we hope it will do.” He waves toward the open living area with one arm, then at the cubicle walls with the other. “Movies, television,
