Page 47 of Rebirth

Well, I did go to med school. Passed all the tests. Didn’t need it for epidemiology but tell that to a father who spent his life trying to cure the world’s most dangerous diseases.

They glance at each other and it’s clear the woman, Maisie, doesn’t want me to come along with them. They share a look, a battle of wills, a silent argument before the man gestures with his head. “Come on, we might need your help.”

Maisie narrows her eyes, a clear sign of disapproval. But she doesn’t contradict him. Instead, she merely turns and begins to walk away, the clear expectation being that I’ll follow.

And, after a moment’s hesitation, I do, only a glance at my back and the nothingness still there.

As if I’d been walking all this time on my own.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SOPHIE

The walk to their camp is quiet and tense. I try to make small talk, but Maisie’s icy demeanor discourages me, and the man, though not unkind, seems preoccupied with his thoughts. He keeps watch as we move through the undergrowth and more than once I see his arm move to something at his waist, hiding underneath his loose flannel.

A weapon. Gun most likely.

I keep watch too. Every little sound making me turn my head, hoping to see He’rox still trailing us, scared to see another one of those deer. But no matter how many times I turn, eyes searching through the bushes behind us, I never see him.

He…left me?

I don’t know why I can’t believe it. After everything that’s transpired between us. Everything he told me.

Was this why he was lagging behind? Did he take the first chance he could get to ditch me?

I swallow hard as we walk, unable to shake the feeling of being utterly alone. Even with two strangers as company as they lead me to their camp, without He’rox’s presence, I feel exposed. Vulnerable.

This is unlike me, and I realize now how I’d leaned on the fact that he was so utterly otherworldly, so strong, that I’d allowed myself to relax as we’d made our way out here. Not even the gun tucked tightly against my skin gives me the same assurance.

He’rox was the one constant in all of this. My guide in this strange new world I’ve found myself in since leaving my bunker. And now he’s gone. Vanished without a word or warning.

And just like his rejection, it sends an ache that shoots deep, landing like a stone in my gut. I don’t know where he’s gone or why he left. And I have little time to ponder it as we push through a final line of bushes and their camp comes into view.

By the time we reach the camp, it’s mid-morning. The sun is high in the sky, its light shining down through the canopy. The camp is in the center of the forest, melding in among the trees. It’s larger than I expected. A mix of makeshift tents and semi-permanent structures, all arranged in a loose circle. The center is dominated by a small fire pit, currently lit and providing a warm glow.

People mill about, going through the motions of daily life. But there is one stark difference here than when I stepped on the grounds of Unity.

A few heads turn as we approach, expressions ranging from curiosity to wariness. A few people greet the man and Maisie, their voices just above a whisper. The atmosphere is tense, like a string pulled taut, ready to snap.

No children play here. No people laugh as they make jokes. There’s a somberness that weighs heavily on the air like an anvil about to drop.

“Who’s she?” a woman asks as we pass her.

“She says she’s a doctor,” the man replies. “She might be able to help Kara.”

A few other people glance up as we enter the camp, suspicion and curiosity in their gazes. Clearly, strangers are not frequent visitors here. But the man leads me through without pause, heading for one of the larger tents near the center of camp.

“Bert!” he calls out as we approach. “Bert, get out here. I brought help.”

An older man emerges from the tent, worn ball cap shielding his eyes. His gaze passes over me with a frown before settling on my companions. “Where’d she come from?”

“Ran into her in the forest,” the man says. “Says she’s a doctor.”

Bert’s gaze swings back to me, narrowing. “A doctor?”

I offer him a small smile. “Medically trained, yes.”

“I’m Bert,” the man gestures to himself. “Me, Nathan, and Maisie here, we run this place.” His tone makes it clear I’m being assessed. Judged on whether I can be trusted.

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