Frequency (The Frenzy Series Book 3) by Casey L. Bond Page A

treaty at all, do they? Mrs. Grant’s voice trailed away. What did we not know?
    Saul, have you put it all together now that you’re on this side of the flood wall? Is it all crystal clear to you now? You see, the treaty –
    Miranda, Pierce warned.
    Fuck you, Pierce. What else can you do to me? Anyway, as I was saying, the treaty isn’t just for the Colony’s protection. It’s not just about the hunt and cooperation between night-walkers and the citizens of Blackwater. The Elders are behind everything. They’re the ones who control Pierce and Roman. They are the ones who came up with the idea to experiment on people. For the greater good, for humanity, they said. If they found a cure for the incurable, they would make themselves into gods on earth. They wanted power and fame. Governing a couple hundred people wasn’t enough. Roman and Pierce were merely the first to take the bait. Before they came, we rarely had anyone fall. The Infected weren’t clustered in the city. The night-walkers didn’t live in town. We knew of the Infection, but it hadn’t touched us. We remained safe, tucked into what everyone believed was a sanctuary provided by God to protect his people. The Elders told everyone they were prophets, that there was a new order from above. That we should trust the night-walkers to take care of us, to watch over us. They only needed one thing.
    Roman growled. His eyes grew black. Hungry.
    Did you know Roman sent his own friends to Pierce? The night-walkers didn’t just skip off to the next town, not that there’s anyone close by. Roman incapacitated them and dragged them here, to this place, so that Pierce could perform tests and use them up. He killed them all. Some more swiftly than others.
    Again, Roman growled. Shut up, Miranda Grant.
    She continued, undaunted by Roman’s threats. Pierce stood tall, watching my reaction, which I tucked behind the wall that was growing taller by the minute. And they didn’t stop there. They performed experiments on colonists, too. Tell Saul what you did to me, Roman.
    Roman fought against the restraints holding his arms to the rests, to those holding his legs to the chair legs. His throat swelled with rapid breaths. “Let me out of this chair!” he screamed.
    I was pregnant. The Elders called for Carson to help that night because someone’s house was on fire. Did you set the fire, Roman, before you came to my house and invaded my home? Mercedes was almost two. She was asleep. My screams woke her and then hers mingled with mine, but you still hurt me.
    What the hell did you do to her, Roman? My stomach turned. She must have been pregnant with Porschia.
    Roman, is the needle they just used on you the same you used on me?
    Roman thrashed violently.
    Pierce shoved me out of the room and locked the door. Calm down. I’ll deal with her, he told Roman as he limped down the hallway to the stairwell. I followed, but slower.
    They injected her! When she was in my womb, they put Infected blood and God knows what else into my body! They hurt me. They made her into a monster! She was a monster before she was born because they made her one!
    No way. Porschia wasn’t a monster. She was as human as anyone.
    The needle didn’t pierce the fetus. It poisoned Miranda, not Porschia, Pierce said quietly .
    How could they do that? What else did they do? Did they hurt my family? How would I even know? Is that why everyone followed the Elders’ orders without question? Did they know the consequences of dissension and were too afraid for their own families?
    Roman was finally quiet. In an exhausted, gravelly voice he called out, “That’s why she tastes different. That’s why she smells different. It was like her body somehow fought the virus. It had to have been in the womb, but neither she nor Miranda became Infected. We only put a tiny drop into the syringe, but we thought that it would either Infect the fetus, or the baby would develop antibodies to fight the disease.”
    But