Those Who Lived: Fallen World Stories by Megan Crewe Read Free Book Online

finally delivered the copies of some records I asked to see,” he said, tapping a folder off to the side of the desk. Just shy of the revolver he always kept there. “They confirmed my speculations. I already knew Kaelyn had the vaccine because of her father. Conveniently there was also a note about Dr. Weber’s son , who’d gone missing from his hometown around November last year. A kid by the name of Drew.”
    “Look,” I said, but Michael waved me silent.
    “She always seemed more prepared for us than she should have been,” he said. “It’s helpful knowing why. And ultimately I’d say it’s worked out into a result we can all be happy with. But I’m counting on you remembering my generosity over this, Drew. I still need people I can trust .”
    “It’s the only thing I’ve ever done that went against your orders,” I said. What would he understand? I thought of the glimpses I’d gotten of him with his daughter, the traces of gentleness he tried to conceal from the rest of us. “She’s family. She’s the only family I still have. I couldn’t stand by and let her get hurt.” By Nathan. By Michael, who eventually would have ramped up the pressure.
    “I’m not angry,” Michael said. “I’m letting you know where you stand. The ground’s a little shaky, but you can deal with that. You’ve proven you can navigate conflicting loyalties without much fallout. That sort of ingenuity has its benefits to an organization like this. Of course, so does Nathan’s penchant for violence. What I’m most interested to see is how that contrast plays out. Whether your smarts can win over his brutality when you have an entire operation to manage. Unless, as I asked before, you don’t think you’re up to this particular assignment?”
    What could I say? It was true: Kaelyn could have decided to stay in Toronto. And if Nathan had a grudge toward me, he had one ten times bigger for her.
    Besides, I had the feeling that if I said no, brutality would win right now in the instant it’d take Michael to reach for his revolver.
    “I can handle Nathan,” I said. I’d better figure out how to, anyway.
    “Glad to hear it,” Michael said, shifting back in his chair.
    I paused, and risked asking, “The relocation to Toronto... That’d be permanent?”
    “You’re thinking about Zachary.”
    I dipped my head. Not much point in denying it.
    “Worry about that later,” Michael said. “I’m not disinclined to reward a job well done.”
    That was probably as good as I could have hoped for. “Thank you,” I said.
    “Just make sure it does go well,” he said. “I’m giving you full authority to use your judgment and implement whatever solution seems necessary if the situation goes sour. Are we understood?”
    “Yes,” I said. “Of course. I appreciate your confidence in me.”
     
    I had one night to say good-bye to Zack. He came by my room in the dormitory building when he finished his shift in the cafeteria. I was packing, folding my few spare T-shirts, an extra pair of jeans, and the sweater I’d held on to since leaving the island as tightly as I could so they’d fit into the moderately-sized rucksack the woman in the supply department had handed over. I needed to leave room for food and bottled water, since I didn’t trust Nathan to allow me a fair share of our communal provisions, some basic survival gear like matches and a compass, in case he decided to kick me out of the car somewhere between here and Toronto, and the pistol the supply department woman had set out alongside the sack, saying Michael had requested it for me.
    I didn’t like the cool weight of it in my hands, didn’t like even looking at it. Michael had insisted everyone here do a few lessons in the firing range, so I knew how to use it, but it was like an exclamation point on his last few words to me. Implement whatever solution seems necessary. He couldn’t be much clearer what sort of solution he imagined might be required.
    Of