Betrayal: Society Lost, Volume Two by Steven Bird Read Free Book Online Page B

fragile thing these days. To be honest, making sure nothing happens to anyone inside our borders isn’t just about the safety and well-being of the individuals involved; it’s about the psyche of everyone else. Our people feel safe here. They’ve all been through hell, though. Before we got a grip on things, that is. That feeling of security would be lost if anything happens inside of our safe zone. So, I don’t mean to sound rude, but it’s not just about the safety of you and your children. It’s about the peace of mind of our citizens as well. We can’t let anything at all happen that would compromise the security that our residents feel.”
    Piecing his words together in her mind, she asked, “Town? You have a functioning town?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” Chief Perrone replied. “We have a clinic. We have a community garden. We have a school for the children. We have—ˮ
    “You have a school?” she interrupted.
    “Why, yes. Well, it’s more of a one-room school like in the old days. A few of the teachers from the elementary school, from before the attacks, have remained in town and do a pretty good job keeping our kids up to speed in their studies. We will need to expand things in the long run, but for now, it works just fine.”
    “So you’re the chief of police here?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he replied confidently.
    “Have you always been the chief? You know, since before?”
    “I’ve been with the Fort Sumner Police Department since before it all began.”
    “As the chief?” she quickly asked again.
    “Well, before the attacks and the fighting started, I was a lieutenant. A few months into the collapse, the previous chief was killed in the line of duty, and I was next in the chain of succession.”
    Pausing for a moment to digest what he said, she then asked, “Is the mayor still in town?”
    “No, he didn’t make it either.”
    “What happened to him?”
    “A lot of bad things happened. I can’t document them all for you right now. The mayor was merely one of many who got caught up in the ensuing violence of it all.”
    “So, who is in charge? Ultimately, that is, for the town?”
    With a perturbed look on his face, Chief Peronne stood up and replied, “I am.” Looking at his watch, he said, “Well, I hope you feel better today than you did yesterday. You have sure been through a lot. I’ve got to get going. I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask the officer who’s just outside the door.”
    “Am I confined here?” she asked inquisitively.
    “Confined? No. But we are on lockdown pending the apprehension of the assailant. Like I said, we take security very seriously here. So for now, it would be best if you just stay put where we can keep you safe.”
    Turning to leave the room, Chief Peronne paused and turned back to Leina, saying in a calm and reassuring voice, “I know this is a lot to take in. I know you lost some of your friends back there, and you’re still worried about the kids. Anyone would be full of worry and doubt in this situation. But trust me, you’re safe, the kids are safe, and it’s all going to be just fine from here on out. This is a real, functioning town full of wonderful people. Once we catch the murderer, you’ll be reunited with the children, and you’ll start to see that for yourself. We’ve been through a lot too, just like you. We’ve lost a lot of our own, including the mayor, as I mentioned, to the violence of this world outside our gates. That’s why we take situations like this so seriously. We’ve learned the hard way that in order to ensure the safety of our residents, we have to take immediate action and not relent until each and every security situation is resolved. It won’t be much longer, I promise. But you have to respect that.”
    Answering only with a nod and a look of understanding, Leina watched as Chief Peronne turned and left the room, pulling the door shut and