Catalyst by Casey L. Bond Read Free Book Online

their freedom. Ebony symbols on white paper, a scratch of pen ink and it was done. Both of us signed on the dotted lines, ignoring the oath written in bold lettering and were led from that building through a gate. The steel gate was raised granting us entry inside another wall—an inner wall. I’d never realized there were two. They were separated by a thin section of dried grass and a few tiny buildings.
    Just inside the inner wall, the soldiers ushered us into a nondescript cinder-block building that had too many coats of gray paint on it. Paths of thick dripping paint were memorialized on the exterior. It didn’t smell like paint, but more like the lingering scent of stale sweat.
    The soldiers who lined us up said that we would get haircuts first, then showers. I almost groaned. Our house had a bathtub and shower, but they didn’t work. We had a well at the house but no electric. All baths were cold. And since we used water from the river to bathe ourselves, most of the time, I just bathed there.
    Griffin had loved the deep spot we’d found—especially in summer when the water was clear and warm. If work was done, he’d stay in for hours, just enjoying the water. As old as he tried to act, it was fun to watch him be a kid when he could.
    I needed the thought of Griffin. I had to keep him in the forefront of my mind. He was good, so innocent and full of life. And now he was gone. So far, my plan was working. And when they least expected it, I would strike. By taking advantage of their greed, I’d slithered in and would lie in wait, a snake in the grass.
    Cason and I were the only two men in the room. The other eight entrants who’d been accepted were female. I’d never seen any of them before this afternoon, which surprised me. But there was vast, empty land on every side of this city that stretched on for miles. Other than Cason’s family, I rarely saw more than a handful of others in our area. Of course, the swamps and low country weren’t exactly prime real estate.
    As we waited in line for our turn in the barber’s seat, I thought about Cason’s family. He had six siblings, all younger than him: Two boys and four girls. His mom and dad were happy. The kids were old enough to watch after one another, and they all pitched in to grow enough food for them all to eat each day, and put enough away to keep them for the winter.
    My mouth watered at the thought of his mama’s peach pie. That woman could cook.
    They need him. I buried the thought and stepped forward as the line moved.
    “We’re up next,” Case whispered, nudging me.
    “Want me to go first?” I teased with a pouty lip.
    He snorted. “Hell no. I’m not afraid, Mitis. I don’t need you to hold my hand. But if you’re skeered…”
    I punched him in the shoulder earning a stern look from the nearest soldier.
    The barber gave us each a high and tight. We could have passed for soldiers ourselves. The self-admiration didn’t last long as we were herded into the showers. Ladies entered a door to the left, and Cason and I entered a matching door located on the right. The showers were enough to make a grown man weep. The water was almost scalding. I think they thought they were melting scrub germs off of us, but it felt so good I never wanted to step out from under the spray.
    We were handed towels and stacks of black clothing. “Hurry and get dressed. The companion ceremony starts in an hour.”
    “They don’t waste any time, do they?” Cason mused, a grin on his face. Propping one foot and then the other on a nearby bench, he laced his boots quickly, and we stepped out of the shower rooms and into a holding room of sorts. There were snacks and pitchers of drinks everywhere.
    A soldier stood nearby, his hands behind his back. I stared at him, and he stared back. “Are these for us?” a young girl asked.
    “You may eat and drink, scrubs,” he replied sternly.
    “We’re not scrubs. We’re companions,” I retorted, smiling arrogantly.
    He