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She groaned and rolled over. I saw a few splotches of blood on her face.

  “Are we dead?” she asked. “I hope we’re dead.”

  “Don’t talk like that,” I said, scooting closer to her.

  She smiled while looking up at me. “I got some of them.”

  “That was foolish and dangerous,” I scolded.

  Her smile faded as she lowered her head. I sighed.

  “Thanks for sticking up for me, though,” I said.

  She lifted her head, caught somewhere in between a smile.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, pointing at her face. “You’re bleeding.”

  “It’s not mine,” she said, using her finger to dab some of it.

  She examined the dark red spot on her finger a moment before licking it.

  “Ew, don’t taste it,” I said.

  “The blood of my enemy is sweet.”

  I stared into her darkened eyes. She said the weirdest things sometimes.

  The blood of her enemy is sweet? What the hell?

  “You’re strange, but I still love you,” I said, shaking my head.

  She leaned over and hugged me. “I love you too, Scout.”

  I pushed her away, still holding onto her shoulders and staring into her eyes.

  “You can’t do stuff like that without me knowing, okay?”

  She nodded, not saying a word.

  “Good. I’m surprised they didn’t just kill us. You got them good.”

  The steel hatch to the right of us opened. I looked up and saw Harrison standing outside, frowning and shaking his head. Why had he come? He walked in.

  “All you two do is get in trouble,” he muttered. “You need to apologize to Orlando.”

  “No way,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “He can kiss my ass.”

  “Kiss my ass too!” Missy added then giggled.

  “He’ll do more than kiss your ass,” Harrison grunted. “Apologize, or I’ll be forced to give you a punishment.”

  I stood, still having to look up at him.

  “Are you going to whip me yourself?” I asked.

  I let my breasts brush against his hard, leather armor.

  “That’s enough,” he said, stepping back and pushing me away.

  “I don’t wanna get whipped again,” Missy whimpered, still on the floor.

  “How about this,” I said. “You whip me, throw me in isolation, and Missy goes free.”

  “No,” Missy cried, standing and clutching at my arm.

  She hissed at Harrison, causing him to step back.

  “Keep that crazy bitch away from me,” he said.

  “Please, Harrison? I’ll make it up to you later.”

  I attempted to give him my best sexy look.

  “You don’t have to do that,” he said. “I’ll cover for you, but you must take her licks too. Orlando won’t go for it otherwise.”

  “No,” Missy moaned.

  I turned to her and put my hands on her shoulders again.

  “Don’t start anything with anyone until I get back, okay? I won’t be gone long.”

  “No…” she whined.

  I saw a couple tears flow from the corners of her eyes.

  “Let’s get this over with,” I said, pulling my hands away.

  Harrison stepped out of the cramped cell. After escaping Missy’s grasp, I followed him, shutting the hatch behind me.

  “I’ll take her back to the barracks once you’re in isolation,” he said. “She was just sticking up for you from what I’ve heard.”

  “Thank you. I meant what I said back there…”

  In all honesty, I’d wanted to rattle Harrison’s bones for a long time. Most of the women wanted access to him for the perks they would get, but I found myself attracted to him for other reasons. He reminded me of the real world.

  “That won’t be necessary,” he said. “I’ve got a soft spot for you two.”

  “Awww,” I teased. “Are you soft under all that armor.”

  I put my hand on his bicep. He pulled away.

  “Come on,” he said in a gruff tone, grabbing my arm.

  He led me down a long corridor filled with a dozen holding cells. We kept walking through the vast shelter. He stopped when we reached a room roughly double the size of our barracks. Instead of bunks, the room contained a varied collection of torture devices. Orlando stood next to a whipping post at the other end of the room, smiling as we walked over.

  “Keep your damn mouth shut,” Harrison grunted as he dragged me forward.

  “Where’s the other one?” Orlando asked. “I want to see her pay too.”

  “This one’s taking triple lashes,” Harrison said.

  I shot him a dirty glance, but I kept my mouth shut.

  “Can she last that many?” Orlando clapped his hands together. “Let’s see. This will be fun. Does anyone want to bet?”

  He glanced around. The single guard near him shook his helmeted head.

  “Chicken shit,” Orlando said then turned back to us. “Tie her up! Let the fun begin!”

  Harrison guided me to a thick steel beam that went from the floor to the ceiling. As he tied my hands above my head, I took a deep breath. The trick in taking a beating was to think about anything to force your mind elsewhere. I’d done it before numerous times, but I’d never had to deal with so many lashings at once.

  “Take her shirt off,” Orlando said. “I want to see the bitch bleed.”

  Harrison reached around me and grabbed my shirt with both hands, ripping it open.

  “She’s not half bad,” Orlando said as he walked around to get a better view.

  I felt his rough, sweaty palm slither down my back and grip my ass.

  “Not bad at all,” he said. “Shame she’ll be so bloody after this. I might’ve shown her a good time tonight. Oh, well, maybe some other day.”

  He laughed, snorting like a pig. I took another deep breath and closed my eyes, reminding myself why I stuck up for Missy so much. She’d saved my life. If it wasn’t for that scared, crazed woman, I wouldn’t be alive. As the first stroke hit my bare back, I ground my teeth together, not wanting to bite off my tongue. One woman had done so a few months back, killing herself in the showers one night.

  Crack! The second and third lashes weren’t as bad. As they piled up, my back burned like it was on fire. Tears ran down my cheeks. I’d fought to keep them at bay, but the unbearable pain of the leather whip on my bare flesh stung too badly.

  Crack! Crack! Crack! Each time the whip hit me, Orlando chuckled. I lost count of how many times I’d been hit by the time they stopped. My back still stung. I could still feel the thin leather beating against my skin as I fought back further tears. The pain was worth Missy not being punished. She would’ve caved just coming into this room.

  “That’ll teach you,” Orlando said in a snotty voice.

  I wanted to kill him so bad.

  They threw me into a solitary cell when they finished. I laid on my stomach on the cold, hard floor, wishing my back would stop hurting long enough for me to fall asleep. As I grimaced through the pain, I vowed that my life would be different when I got out. With hard work and bending the rules, I would make a better life for Missy and myself. Damn the rest.

  I needed to quit hoping another world existed and make sure we had a better life in the one we found ourselves in. We would have a better life. Period.

  Chapter 3

  Two days later, they released me from isolation. I wore a loose-fitting top because my back still stung like hell. As I walked toward the barracks that morning, I took my time, stopping in the cafeteria first. A few women glanced up and smiled as I passed through, but most kept their heads down as guards stood nearby, ready for trouble.

  “Hey, Scout, come here,” a woman whispered.

  I stopped and bent down as she motioned me over. ”What is it?”

  “Salt,” she said, not elaborating.

  I stood and nodded.

  “Half-rations just ain’t right
,” the woman continued.

  “I’m with her,” a woman across the table added.

  “We’re working on it,” I said. “Don’t you worry.”

  As I walked away, I thought about the vital spice. Like everything in the stupid game, salt was a finite resource. In our case, it wasn’t easily gathered. A few shelters controlled most of the flow. I filed the woman’s request away as I headed for the gardens where I worked. Checking in with my crew leader seemed like the best idea even though I wanted to go check on Missy. I hoped the others had kept her safe. She always got into trouble when I wasn’t around to stop her from falling prey to the taunts from the other women.

  I took a deep breath as I reached the biosphere. The saturated smell of oxygen mixed with the subtle scents of the plants couldn’t be beat. Halfway through the long row of carrots, spinach, and other organic treats, I spotted Hippy, my boss. While his name meant nothing to him, I recognized it from my history classes in the real world. It meant a person during the mid-20th century who rebelled against authority and smoked a lot of grass which was illegal at the time for some reason.

  He glanced up from where he sat on a barrel and shook his head as I approached. I smiled, knowing he had a crush on me. A lot of men in the shelter did, but I was saving myself for Harrison, the one man who didn’t want me or even seem to care about my existence.

  “It’s about damn time you showed up for your shift,” Hippy said, his dirt-covered hands thrust deep in a front pocket of his blue overalls.

  “Sorry,” I said as I stopped. “You didn’t hear what happened?”

  “I heard Missy went nuts and attacked Orlando.” He continued shaking his head. “That girl’s gonna get you killed one of these days. You should distance yourself from her.”

  “Maybe,” I replied, keeping my voice calm. “Do you mind if I go check on her? I came here first to ask permission, but I want to see if she’s okay.”

  Hippy laughed. “Ain’t my problem.”

  I cocked my head to the side. “Huh?”

  “I have reassigned you,” he said. “Waste treatment.”

  “No way,” I groaned at the mention of one of the worst work assignments.

  He nodded. “Can’t say I didn’t see it coming.”

  “This is bullshit,” I protested.

  He shrugged and grinned. “More like human shit. You need to report to Bull. He might know more about your new assignment, but if I were you, I’d keep my head down and mouth shut. Do your work, Scout. You’re a smart woman.”

  I nodded, turning to leave. Should I report to waste treatment or go check on Missy first? I decided on the latter. With Bull’s reputation around the shelter, I knew he’d never let me leave. As I made my way toward the barracks one floor up, my thoughts returned to Harrison. Sitting in solitary, I had developed a plan to spend more time with him.

  Missy and I needed power to protect ourselves. The only way to get that in the shelter was through material possessions and relationships. And to get those, I needed to be smart. Harrison held a lot of sway in our small, underground community. He could help me improve my status in the shelter and work my way closer to the top.

  I had trouble figuring out a way to bring it up to him as I headed toward his private quarters. Unlike a lot of us in the shelter, he had a room of his own. Orlando treated him well because Harrison backed him up on almost everything. Even so, I figured I had a chance of getting him to help Missy and me get ahead by helping him with the black market.

  My skill set would come in handy. Becky had recently mentioned a new, rare item was up for auction to everyone in the shelter, a beacon to an unoccupied shelter. I didn’t believe such an item existed, but if it did, Harrison would know. He’d shied away after rescuing me from freezing after the big hack happened, but I’d been working my way closer to him.

  I hated that he backed Orlando, but over the last few months, I’d learned dozens of shelters existed in the desolate virtual world. A tyrant controlled each one as far as I knew. No new shelters had been found during my three months of being trapped in the hellish simulation. That’s the main reason I didn’t think the black beacon existed.

  When I reached Harrison’s room, I stopped, staring at the bulky steel barrier between him and me. Stick to the matter at hand, I told myself as I knocked. He’s cute, but you need his help more than you need him to sleep with you.

  “It’s open,” he shouted from the other side.

  My heart beat faster as I opened the hatch. I saw him standing shirtless by his bed.

  “What’s wrong now?” he asked, “I’m about to hit the showers.”

  “Can I come with you?” I teased.

  He tilted his head back, eyeing me like a juicy steak.

  “Funny,” he said. “You want something, don’t you?”

  “I’ve heard a rumor,” I said.

  He sighed. “Close the door.”

  I shut the hatch then walked toward him.

  “The beacon,” I said. “Real or not?”

  “Who told you about that?” he asked.

  “Becky,” I said as he pulled the shirt over his head.

  “She has loose lips,” he muttered.

  “Right? That’s why you should let me work with you.”

  He took a deep breath as if weighing the decision.

  “No,” he said.

  I frowned. “No, I can’t work with you, or no, the rumors aren’t true?”

  “Both. Why would I know, anyway? Orlando shut the black market down.”

  “Exactly.” I smiled. “Whoever sets it back up will be rich.”

  “Is that your main concern?” he asked. “Riches and leisure?”

  “No, but I’m tired of Missy and I both being treated like crap.”

  He took a deep breath, his eyes wandering over my body.

  “I need someone who can keep their mouth shut,” he said.

  “That’s me,” I said, hands on hips, chest out and smiling.

  “Fine. We’ll talk about it later tonight. You can tell Becky she’s fired.”

  “My pleasure.” I stopped posing.

  “And make sure she knows to keep her mouth shut,” he added.

  “Consider it done. Anything else I should know? Does this mean the beacon’s real?”

  “I think it’s real,” he said, surprising me as he tossed his head back and forth. “It’s for Shelter 101x, whatever that might be, but it doesn’t work. There’s a light that should blink when you’re close to the shelter. Nobody’s ever found it, so it’s never blinked. I don’t think a secret shelter even exists. It’s just another rumor core punks tell each other.”

  “Aren’t you curious?” I asked.

  “No,” he said. “Someone else can pay good money for the beacon, or it’s traveling to the next shelter. The wealth I get from it will pay for me to live out the rest of my life in peace with nobody bossing me around.”

  “Sounds good,” I said. “How many shelters do you work with?”

  He furrowed his brow. “You ask a lot of damn questions.”

  “Sorry.” I stepped back, raising my hands. “Just curious.”

  “Asking too many questions will get you hurt,” he said. “How’s your back?”

  “It hurts like hell,” I said, averting my eyes.

  “Hold on,” he said, walking over to a shelf on the wall and picking up a bottle. “These pain pills should help, but don’t take too many, okay?”

  I nodded as he walked toward me, opening the bottle and dumping out a few white pills.

  “You need to do me a favor if you want these,” he said, stopping in front of me.

  My heart beat faster. What did he want? And would I give it to him?

  “I need you to retrieve something from level twelve,” he said, dumping the pills in my outstretched palm.

  “What do I need to get?” I asked, only somewhat relieved at what he wanted.

  “Some salt I’m storing for emergencies,” he said. “It’ll fetch a go
od price now.”

  I nodded. “Anything else?”

  “No, leave and let me shower,” he said. “Come see me tonight with the salt, and I’ll give you your first payment. With the rations cut in half, we’ll have people clamoring for it. And tell Becky to stand down. We don’t need her ruining this for the rest of us.”

  “On it,” I said, turning and walking toward the exit.

  That went well, I thought as I opened the hatch then stepped through. I went see Missy before checking in with Bull at the waste treatment facility. Life would soon get better for her and me with luck, at least I hoped so as I first stopped in the cafeteria.

  “Scout!” Missy yelled, jumping up from a round, metal table as I approached.

  “I’m back,” I said as she threw her arms around me and squeezed. “Ouch!”

  She let go and stepped back.

  “Missed you,” she said. “I’m sorry I hurt your back.”

  “It’s okay,” I said. “Still stings. Are you okay? Did anything happen while I was gone?”

  “Nothing interesting happened,” she said. “I’m glad your back.”

  “And I’m happy to be back. I need to go to work, but we’ll talk more tonight, okay? I just wanted to check on you.”

  She nodded, smiling again. I wanted to remind her to wash the specks of blood off her face, but maybe they had helped keep the others from messing with her. She had a reputation for being crazy and not taking crap from anyone.

  “I’ll see you tonight,” I said, raising a hand in farewell.

  As Missy sat down at the table with three other women, including Heidi, I turned and left the cafeteria. I needed to make one more stop before I reported for duty. I took the elevator down to the lowest floor of the shelter — Level 12. Stepping out, I glanced around the huge, dimly lit room used for storage. Boxes and crates stood stacked on one wall. I stepped forward and listened. After walking up to the boxes, I scanned the writing on the side of one.

  Warning. Mutant nearby.

  I swiped the notification away and pulled out my dagger. Had they not gotten all the mutants? Would Harrison get me a real weapon? I pushed the questions aside as I crept to the other side of the massive, open hangar. Pausing at a hatch, I stood on the tips of my toes and peered through the window. Nothing. That’s weird. I winced as something hit me from behind.