The Phoenix Trilogy (Book 1): World On Fire (23 page)

    “At
any rate, you’re going to want to hit processing. With any luck, you’ll be
shoved right on through and out of this shithole.” Marco didn’t bother to lower
his voice, and a nearby refugee openly scowled at him as he walked past. Marco
casually raised his middle finger in response before continuing on his merry
way, drawing an annoyed sigh from Rico.

    “Fuck’s
sake, cuz, do you always have to be such an asshole to people?” Rico’s
frustration matched Natalie’s, but Marco shrugged it off without much care,
firing off a lazy retort that set the two to bickering a moment later.

    Natalie’s
mind wandered back to what Marco had said. She’d have to go through processing,
and that meant being evaluated for health and talent. She had no idea what she
was going to do for that, and it was starting to bother her. This camp was an
improvement from the outside, true, but the thought of staying here so near to
the security checkpoint was stressful. She didn’t know what BJ was doing about
the guard, but she wasn’t naive enough to believe that it would solve the
problem across the board. Feeling flustered again, she butted into the
argument.

     “Guys,
not that I don’t appreciate listening to you two snark at each other, but what
am I supposed to do? I’m not exactly brimming with survival skills. About the
only thing I’ve ever done is take a CPR and minor first-aid class, and somehow
I doubt that’s going to be an impressive
résumé
.” To her surprise, the cousins managed to put their feud on pause
long enough to think over Natalie’s most viable options.

    “Well,
the docs up at medical always need assistance. Plus, you’ve actually been
outside dealing with the dead-heads, and me an’ Rico can back that up. That’s a
pretty big vote for your ability.” Marco’s cocky grin was back, which proved
more than enough to make Natalie sigh and cradle her head in her hands.
Immediately, he added with a chuckle, “Hey, my way is a Helluva lot cheaper
than any college recommendation, idn’t it?”

    Content
that he had delivered the best advice he could, Marco slapped her hard on the
back before wandering away into the crowd, heading for the inner ring with a
pompous swagger. Rico took the moment to bring her into a brief hug, before
adding another healthy smack to her shoulder blades.

    “We’ve
got to head in for reporting. We’ll be by to check on you tomorrow, make sure
you’re settling in alright. Take good care of yourself, Natalie. And don’t
worry; now you’re here, the hard part is over. This whole nightmare is going to
be over with soon, I promise.” He offered an awkward smile which Natalie
returned, neither of them really believing in his promise, before he made to
follow after Marco.

    As
soon as Rico had disappeared into the crowd ahead, Natalie felt another twinge
of discomfort. Her mind rapidly found its way back to images of the guard who
had tried to take advantage of her. Goosebumps broke out over her skin as she
shivered, keenly aware of the all-too-human nature that was present here,
especially in the authority. It was not a place that made her feel safe, to say
the least.

    Almost
as if on cue, a rumbling bark emerged from the crowd behind her. Turning to
see, Natalie couldn’t help but smile at the sight of BJ trying to wade through
the people, his bulky mass clearly putting him at a disadvantage here. Even
with the refugees trying to give him space, he was obviously cramped,
accidentally jostling everyone he tried to move past.

    By
the time he had finished making his way to her, Natalie was grinning from ear
to ear at his discomfort. Judging by the tight frown on his face, he did not
share in her amusement, but his annoyance was marked by something else. Natalie
wasn’t sure what it was until he absentmindedly tugged at his sleeve: there was
blood there, and it was fresh.

    Apparently
the altercation in the tent had taken a turn for the violent, although she
couldn’t say she was surprised. A briefly pessimistic voice in her head
suggested that maybe the outpost wasn’t all that safe after all, but it was
silenced quickly. BJ noticed her sudden mood-swing, and offered something that
came as a cross between a growl and a sigh in return.

    “I’m
sorry. There’s no justifying what happened. The most I can say is that he was
dealt with.” BJ’s words were followed by an uncomfortable silence, Natalie
unsure if she was sick or satisfied, BJ struggling to find a better bandage for
the problem.

    At a
loss for words, he offered Natalie his arm. A weak smile found its way across
her lips again as she considered it. Progress through the crowds would almost
definitely be slower alongside him, but she hated the feeling of being alone.

    The
realization made her pause and reconsider her emotions. It wasn’t being alone
that bothered her; she had preferred that for a long time, and had no regrets
for the life she’d lived. It was being without BJ, or Rico, even Marco. In a
short period of time, she had developed a fierce loyalty to the team, and the
idea that their time was soon to be at an end left her feeling aimless.

    “Natalie?”
BJ’s voice brought her out of her reverie, one of his eyebrows quirked just
slightly upward in concern. Out of reflex, Natalie went to explain that she was
fine, but it felt strange to lie to BJ. Instead, she looped her arm around his
in silence, cocking her head toward the crowd in line for processing. She
expected him to continue questioning her, but to her relief, he began his
lumbering path forward. Another pang of appreciation struck her.
Thanks, BJ.

    “When
we get to the tent, I’ll give my recommendation for you, but then you’ll be on
your own for a little while.” The normal confidence that infused BJ’s words was
weak, a surprising turn of events for Natalie. Her initial concern was quickly
replaced with a slowly broadening smile as she realized what he reminded her
of.

    He
was the awkward dad sending his little girl off into the great wide world on
her own. There was no denying that things were different now, much more
dangerous than they used to be, but the sentiment was the same. He didn’t like
it, but he had no choice: he had to let Natalie fend for herself, and it was an
idea that obviously troubled him.

    “If
anything goes wrong, let the guards know and they’ll find me.” Natalie’s face
twisted into disgust at BJ mentioning the guards, but he quickly waved it off.

    “That
won’t happen again. Let them know you’re with me, and I promise I’ll be over as
soon as I can.” BJ’s grip on Natalie’s arm tightened reflexively as he spoke,
an effect that was simultaneously painful and reassuring for the young woman.
She looked up at his face, but he seemed lost in his thoughts and unable to
make eye contact. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he felt ashamed for
being unable to stop the guard sooner. Her smile weakened at the thought.

    Natalie
had been forced to deal with aggressive men a thousand times before in her
life, but while the problem here was essentially the same, the world and rules
surrounding it had changed dramatically. Violence had almost universally become
law, a change that proved to shift things more in her favor than against, but
her confidence had its limits.

    Against
the odd rogue, Natalie believed she could handle herself fine, and that BJ’s
Papa Bear routine was unnecessary. The difference now, and the problem that was
eating at BJ, was that this wasn’t some meaningless creep in the street. If he
hadn’t stepped in after Natalie struck the soldier, it was likely that no one
would have believed her accusations afterward if she had been forced to defend
herself more violently.

    Natalie
shivered again, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.
Can’t say I’d blame them.
Who do you rely on, the gunmen who put up your walls, or just another refugee
coming in from the storm and taking up space?
Bitterness welled up within
her chest.
I guess some things don’t change.

    BJ
rubbed her arm awkwardly, uncertain of what else he could do. Natalie returned
his attention with a half-hearted grin, wishing she could do more to reassure
him that she was okay.

     The
rest of their slog through the streets was spent in silence, each trying to
find a way to cheer up the other. Instead, Natalie took to studying the camp
further as they moved. Better to get her bearings while she was in good
company.

    It
was nighttime, and so the only lighting came from whatever the refugees were
carrying or from the odd spotlight above. Every so often, a soldier would shine
a flashlight into the crowd, scanning. Whenever that happened, Natalie couldn’t
help but notice the agitation that rolled through the pack. It would appear
that everyone was well aware of the soldiers’ duties, and their willingness to
comply with orders.

    Natalie
tried not to focus on how many times violence must have erupted within the
walls. Instead, her mind wandered to how the walls had even been put up in the
first place. She hadn’t been paying attention to much of anything beyond her
immediate salvation when they’d arrived at the gates.

    “We’re
here. Are you ready?” Natalie blinked in surprise, unaware that they had
finally made it to their destination. BJ’s head was cocked at her, obviously
awaiting her answer. Natalie forced a chuckle.

    “Sure?
Not like I’ve got anything to lose.” BJ nodded his head seriously, and Natalie
stifled a sigh. Again, she was reminded of being interviewed.
The world
ends, and yet somehow, job stress remains. Maybe if I’m really lucky, they’ll
make me take an exam, too. It’s been a long time since I had to deal with test
anxiety.

    Natalie
shook her head in an attempt to focus, but she couldn’t help herself. Sarcasm
was how she coped, and considering the next few minutes were going to determine
how safe she was for the foreseeable future, she had a lot on her plate to
contend with. It didn’t help that BJ was able to escort her directly to the
front of the line, resulting in numerous scowls and muttered threats behind her
from the refugees she sailed past.

    She
was barely able to make out BJ introducing her through the fog in her mind.
Awesome.
Now I’m teacher’s pet. It’s a good thing it doesn’t matter if these people like
me, otherwise they might stab me in an alleyway. Oh, no, wait a second, that’s
exactly what’s going to happen.

    Natalie
was fidgeting again, trying to ignore the feeling of a dozen angry eyes staring
daggers at her back. Ahead of her, a dour older man was beckoning her forward,
his frame hunched and small amidst a sea of paperwork.

    “Name.”
Natalie had only just stepped up to the desk before the clerk returned his
interest to the sheaf of papers in front of him. He sounded as if he were both
bored and angry, two emotions that did nothing to ease the palpable tension in
the air. Leaning in close with a weak attempt to prevent the crowd behind her
from hearing, she muttered, “Natalie.”

    A
quick scratch of pen on pad, followed by an uncomfortable pause. With a sudden
huff of annoyance, the clerk looked up, realizing for the first time that
Natalie had leaned in to speak with him. He wasted no time in jabbing her
sharply in the sternum with the back of his pen, forcing her back and out of
his space. The sudden stinging pain drew a small yelp from Natalie, and a
heartbeat later two guards above had their weapons drawn, light flooding the
crowd as they hunted for the source of the disturbance.

    Refugees
scattered around her, leaving a very confused Natalie standing nearly by
herself at the center of attention. BJ towered beside her, now flagging the
soldiers to back down. It took a moment before they returned to their patrol,
and Natalie thought she heard BJ release a small sigh. He turned an aggravated
glare on the clerk.

    “Was
that really necessary?” Natalie had been surprised at how much pull BJ appeared
to have within the walls, but even his influence had its limits. The clerk
flashed an impish smile, obviously enjoying the power that his station brought.
He cleared his throat in a raspy, exaggerated way before crooking his finger at
Natalie once more.

    “Just
showing the new girl how things work in here. Now, full name, sweetheart.”
Natalie had to resist the urge to take a swing at the patronizing creep. She
may have gone through with it, if she hadn’t seen BJ’s fists clench to match
her own.
Ahh, papa bear. Good to have you, at least.

    “Natalie
Peterson.” The clerk nodded his head, a simple action that he had somehow
managed to infuse with an incredible amount of condescension. He wasted no time
in peppering Natalie with more questions, covering everything from where she
was born to the color of her eyes.

    She
had no idea how much time had passed before he finally finished his interrogation.
It seemed to drone on forever, with half of the questions digging for
information that was of no practical use. Eventually, he appeared content that
he had everything he needed, and Natalie was callously dismissed with a notice
to return in a few hours to check on the status of her application. As they
left their place at the head of the line, a rumble came from BJ that could have
passed for a laugh.

    “Hm.
That went better than I’d expected. Also, better keep your last name to
yourself, unless you want Marco to start calling you ‘Pete.’” Natalie laughed
aloud at that, surprised at her own reaction. She forgot that BJ did have a
sense of humor under the stone mountain facade. Though he was right; if Marco
found out, she’d be re-branded as Pete for certain.
Or Petey, actually, and
I’m not going to consider either of those a win.