The Wall Three
Marla,
the handler, called Hank early the next morning to let him know she was caught
up at classification. She was sending another liaison to show them to the
testing facility and that she will meet them. A young man showed up at the door
promptly at 10 o’clock to chaperone them.
“You
okay?” Hank asked as the three boarded the bus. Todd, as he introduced himself,
seemed nervous.
“Yeah. I
just don’t come to this part of the city often. I’m still in training to become
a liaison actually.” Todd spoke, his voice seemingly about to crack either by
the anxiety or puberty or both. Hank smiled to ease him. Jen had not said a
word since getting on the bus. When Hank asked her what she had done yesterday
she simply responded with nothing.
At their
stop, Todd quickly told them to wait on the steps, that Marla will meet them to
take them inside. He barely said goodbye before rushing off. The August day was
hot and sticky, it almost seemed as air barely flowed in the crowded streets.
Not many cars used the roads, most people were on foot or took the bus. High
above them, the elevated train rumbled by and as Hank’s eyes followed he
noticed a cemetery across the street.
A woman
in a blue blouse caught his attention and Hank realized that it was Marla.
Telling Jen to stay and protect the stair she was sitting on, Hank walked over
to the cemetery a little put out that Marla wasn’t here to show them where to
go. She was kneeling down next to a plaque with her back to him. Standing over
her, Hank read the epitaph out loud to announce his presence.
“’Glenn
Rhee & Maggie Greene, Husband and Wife, We didn’t just Survive, We Lived.’
That’s beautiful, who were they?” Hank asked.
“Umm,
they were…really good people.” Marla was a bit startled and seemed tense. “They
fell in love after the world ended. They got married in an abandoned prison and
managed to stay together even through the worse of it. I like to come here
sometimes and just look at the plaque. It reminds me that life finds away.”
Marla spoke softly.
The
engraved words showed the couple died together about two years prior, in Year
23 A. When the world ended, all sense of time passing was inconsequential so
survivors simply called that first year, Year One After, as in after the world
ended. And so this modest unit of measuring time became standard and today was
August 15 Year 25 A.
Hank and
Erica did meet and get together before Year One and remember how life was
before things changed. Jen was born March 19 Year 8 A, she wasn’t planned and
in fact Hank was worried about how he would handle a newborn among the dead but
he soon found that keeping Jen alive was his reason for breathing, his reason
for waking up day after day after his wife died. Now she was 17 and more
importantly…alive.
“We
should go, classification starts soon.” Marla didn’t hear Hank walk up behind
her so absorbed in her thoughts. Marla would come to this gravesite once a week
to pay her respects even though she was told not to. For her protection, she
was told to stay away from the cemetery but she had cut all ties with the Dead
Heads when her parents died. She even changed her name from Greene to Goode.
Her parents were so involved with the Dead Heads, they put their cause over their
safety and their cause got them killed.
Marla
left the McAdams pair to complete their testing, she felt that Hank would score
well given his military and police background. He may even make the cut for the
NCD if they looked past his age. There are not a lot older people left in the
world and all that wisdom tends to die off with the aging generation.
Marla
sat a little café in the southern quadrant; she was a frequent patron here
where you could almost get a glimpse of the Charleston Harbor beyond the inner
wall. Marla has crossed behind the inner wall sporadically for work and it is
such a major adjustment from where she lived.
The
streets were cleaner, cars were more frequent, the rich and powerful lived well
behind that wall. A clean shaven man dressed in a white tee and jeans sat
opposite of Marla. She wasn’t afraid, just annoyed that he would make contact
now.
“Hi
Marla, you look good.” He said with a smile.
“What do
you want, Pete? I told you, I’m done with this. I just want to be left alone.”
She said in low tones; luckily the café was mostly empty today.
“He
wants to see you. We need your help.” Pete sat forward his hands folded on the
table.
“I don’t
want to see him, not after what he did in front of Processing. I was right
there Pete, I was almost killed by a walker. If it wasn’t for a newbie I’d be
dead right now. Tell him that for me, as the leader of the Dead Heads I don’t
want anything to do with him.”
“Why
don’t you tell him yourself? He just wants to meet with you because we need
help.” Pete pleaded.
“To hell
with this…”
“Marla,”
Pete grabbed her arm as she was getting up to leave. “We didn’t do that, Carl
would never put innocent lives on the line like that. The Dead Heads are being
set up.”
“Are you
sure?” Marla paused to consider it. Carl had always been passionate about the
cause but he was never reckless. Marla knew he was getting desperate but maybe
he wasn’t capable of this terrorist act. “Pete, tell Mr. Grimes I’ll meet him
in our usual place.” Pete let go of her arm and Marla left her favorite café
with apprehension. What did he have to say to her?
This is
a man she grew up with, traveled with, he was a part of her surrogate family of
survivors. Carl at least deserved chance to defend himself but she was risking
her life even speaking with him. The New Charleston government didn’t know who
the leader of the Dead Heads is or what he looks like but he is public enemy
number one and surveillance since the walker bomb has picked up significantly.
Random
screenings have increased, an earlier curfew has been put in place for all
non-officials, and higher restrictions have been placed at both walls. Marla
has to admit, she is interested in what the hell is really going on.
To Continue.
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