on for at least a couple of miles.
The truck stopped again, briefly, then rolled forward just a short ways before stopping for the final time. Their guard stood up and Evan and Damien were taken off the truck. A few more soldiers stood around waiting. Past them Evan saw more wire and then the camp. Evan was pulled one way and Damien the other. Evan looked back and saw Damien looking at him. He felt a sense of strange calm as they headed for a low brick building. Whatever was going to happen would happen. Evan could feel stares on him, so he kept his eyes straight ahead. They entered the building and went down a long corridor, then down a flight of stairs, then down one more corridor. The guard pushed him into a room. It was empty except for a wooden chair in the middle. The guard set Evan down in the chair and left. Evan heard the door close firmly. He adjusted still tied arms and stared at the empty wall. So, were they going to interrogate him now? He sighed and waited, surprised at how calm he was feeling.
It wasn’t long before the door opened and the woman from before came in. Evan was startled by how beautiful she was, even in fatigues. She was tall with short brown hair and deep brown eyes that looked at him warily, but not with hate or fear. Evan realized he was staring at her when she gave him a half-smile before stepping behind him. She asked for his name, social and place of birth. When Evan told her he was born in Minneapolis, she walked back into his line of sight and gave him a look that told him she didn’t believe him.
“What, there aren’t immigrants in Minneapolis?” Evan asked her.
“I’m sure you’ll understand my suspicions of anyone Middle-Eastern,” she said, leaning closer.
Evan was fully aware of how close she was standing. “I…I was adopted at birth. My parents were a couple of schoolteachers in Minneapolis.”
She straightened and took a few steps away before turning back to face him. “Where do you live now?”
“I don’t think it’s there anymore,” Evan shook his head. “St. Louis.”
“So how did you end up here?” She bit her lip as she asked.
“Not much to tell. My friend and I left St. Louis the day of the attack, before it happened. Yoshi, my friend wanted to take a drive. We got jumped later that same day and lost our car. We started walking and met Damien, the guy you picked me up with. Then we got jumped again and Yoshi got separated from us.”
She leaned against the wall and studied him for a long moment before again walking up and leaning in close. Evan caught his breath as she looked down at him. This was crazy. This was…she brushed the hair out of his eyes. “What…?” he started to ask.
She leaned down and kissed him, eyes closed. Evan watched her in surprise, not returning the kiss. She broke off and stepped back.
“Why are you doing this?” asked Evan.
“If I cut your hands loose, what would you do?” She asked.
Evan stared silently at her, torn.
She looked into his eyes. “You remind me of someone,” she smiled sadly.
Evan shook his head. “Whoever I remind you of, I’m not them.”
She turned away. Evan watched as her shoulders started to shake. He wanted to comfort her, but stayed rooted to the chair. She put a hand on the wall and turned around, wiping her eyes. “Where…where were you trying to go?”
“Wyoming. My friend has family there.”
“You can’t leave here,” she looked away again. “All surviving citizens are to be held in these camps,” her voice grew in strength. “All I can do is turn you loose into the general population.”
“Whatever you need to do,” said Evan. “I’m…sorry.”
She smiled sadly again, walked up to him and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “You’re sweet. You do remind me of him. Someone else will escort you out.” She looked back at him one more time as her hand rested on the handle. “Good luck.” Then she was gone.
Evan stared after her, thinking and wondering. The
The truck stopped again, briefly, then rolled forward just a short ways before stopping for the final time. Their guard stood up and Evan and Damien were taken off the truck. A few more soldiers stood around waiting. Past them Evan saw more wire and then the camp. Evan was pulled one way and Damien the other. Evan looked back and saw Damien looking at him. He felt a sense of strange calm as they headed for a low brick building. Whatever was going to happen would happen. Evan could feel stares on him, so he kept his eyes straight ahead. They entered the building and went down a long corridor, then down a flight of stairs, then down one more corridor. The guard pushed him into a room. It was empty except for a wooden chair in the middle. The guard set Evan down in the chair and left. Evan heard the door close firmly. He adjusted still tied arms and stared at the empty wall. So, were they going to interrogate him now? He sighed and waited, surprised at how calm he was feeling.
It wasn’t long before the door opened and the woman from before came in. Evan was startled by how beautiful she was, even in fatigues. She was tall with short brown hair and deep brown eyes that looked at him warily, but not with hate or fear. Evan realized he was staring at her when she gave him a half-smile before stepping behind him. She asked for his name, social and place of birth. When Evan told her he was born in Minneapolis, she walked back into his line of sight and gave him a look that told him she didn’t believe him.
“What, there aren’t immigrants in Minneapolis?” Evan asked her.
“I’m sure you’ll understand my suspicions of anyone Middle-Eastern,” she said, leaning closer.
Evan was fully aware of how close she was standing. “I…I was adopted at birth. My parents were a couple of schoolteachers in Minneapolis.”
She straightened and took a few steps away before turning back to face him. “Where do you live now?”
“I don’t think it’s there anymore,” Evan shook his head. “St. Louis.”
“So how did you end up here?” She bit her lip as she asked.
“Not much to tell. My friend and I left St. Louis the day of the attack, before it happened. Yoshi, my friend wanted to take a drive. We got jumped later that same day and lost our car. We started walking and met Damien, the guy you picked me up with. Then we got jumped again and Yoshi got separated from us.”
She leaned against the wall and studied him for a long moment before again walking up and leaning in close. Evan caught his breath as she looked down at him. This was crazy. This was…she brushed the hair out of his eyes. “What…?” he started to ask.
She leaned down and kissed him, eyes closed. Evan watched her in surprise, not returning the kiss. She broke off and stepped back.
“Why are you doing this?” asked Evan.
“If I cut your hands loose, what would you do?” She asked.
Evan stared silently at her, torn.
She looked into his eyes. “You remind me of someone,” she smiled sadly.
Evan shook his head. “Whoever I remind you of, I’m not them.”
She turned away. Evan watched as her shoulders started to shake. He wanted to comfort her, but stayed rooted to the chair. She put a hand on the wall and turned around, wiping her eyes. “Where…where were you trying to go?”
“Wyoming. My friend has family there.”
“You can’t leave here,” she looked away again. “All surviving citizens are to be held in these camps,” her voice grew in strength. “All I can do is turn you loose into the general population.”
“Whatever you need to do,” said Evan. “I’m…sorry.”
She smiled sadly again, walked up to him and gave him a kiss on the forehead. “You’re sweet. You do remind me of him. Someone else will escort you out.” She looked back at him one more time as her hand rested on the handle. “Good luck.” Then she was gone.
Evan stared after her, thinking and wondering. The
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