Switch by Janelle Stalder Read Free Book Online

out on the open water.
    “She’s probably dead anyway,” she added, turning to look at him. “You said it yourself, there weren’t many survivors that day. I highly doubt she would have been one of them.” He nodded his head thoughtfully. “Why do you ask?”
    He shrugged. There was more to this conversation than he was letting on, but Dinah kept quiet as she watched him school his features before answering her. If she really wanted to, she could just look in his head and find out, but she really hated doing that to those who were close to her. “Just wondering what you think about when you stare off like that.”
    She looked at him pointedly. “Can you guess what I’m thinking now?” she said. “I’ll give you a clue, it rhymes with duck pew.”
    His eyebrows shot up in mock horror, his hand clasping his chest. “Lottey!” he admonished jokingly. “Not here! I told you, not in front of the others.”
    Dinah pushed him, not that it did any good considering he was the size of a tree. The men up front were laughing freely now, as was Roman. She kept her eyes narrowed at him, before turning to look out the window. It was a good thing she wore her mask all the time, otherwise Roman would be annoyingly aware of how often he made her smile.
    “You can’t hide from me,” he whispered. She looked back to find him leaning in close, his face only inches away from hers. “Just because your face is hidden, doesn’t mean I don’t know when you’re smiling.”
    “Oh?” she said stubbornly.
    “I’ve spent enough years watching those pretty eyes,” he said. “I know how to read them.”
    She shook her head, unable to fight the smile spreading across her face.
    “Right there,” he pointed. “Got you again.”
    “Yeah, well you better watch out or I’ll get you back,” she said. “And trust me, it isn’t nearly as fun.” He laughed, moving back to his side of the vehicle.
    They were leaving the upper section and heading east toward the ghetto. The streets grew grimier, the buildings more run down and damaged. Dinah shivered. The place always reminded her of a ghost town. The population of the ghettos surrounding New Berlin were higher than any of the upper sections, and yet any time she drove through them it seemed desolate. She knew, logically, it had to do with the fact that the people recognized the fleet of cars travelling through their area. No one wanted to mess with the New World army. The lower class didn’t get to have cars, along with electronics of any kind.
    The problem with killing off most of the world’s population, Ludwig had discovered quite quickly, was that it reduced the manufacturing workforce. It also meant less people working to build communication towers, and many other things the old world had an abundance of. Ludwig kept his eastern contacts happy enough so they were still providing him with fuel and such, but the people over here weren’t seeing it. Aside from the army, of course. And a select few of the upper class. Dinah often wondered what Africa was like now that Ludwig had given it over to his arms dealers. She shuddered to think. Was any part of this world a fraction of what it used to be?
    They drove up to the large gates of the eastern ghetto. Two armed guards stepped forward, guns ready. Roman rolled his window down and they immediately stepped back, waving at another man to open the gates. The loud metal creaked in the eerie silence of this section of town. Dinah looked around wondering how the inhabitants managed to hide without her ever catching even a glimpse of them. Did they have their own people watching? Did that mean the ones meeting tonight would know they were coming ahead of time? She hoped not, or Ludwig would be seriously pissed.

    Pete stepped out of his apartment, flipping the collar of his jacket up to protect himself from the drizzle. The streets shimmered in the glow from the street lamps. He walked quickly since it was already eleven thirty and