The Pulse (34 page)
Authors: Shoshanna Evers
Tags: #Fiction, #Dystopian, #Romance, #Erotica, #Science Fiction, #Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, #General
Testimony. More like a witch trial. Or no trial at all.
“—but,” Lanche continued, “just as I was about to order her to tell us what really happened, she fled. I had to handle Taryn and no one’s seen Jenna since.”
Barker shook his head. No wonder Jenna ran, with the colonel’s rifle pointed at her heart. She’d been around long enough to know that there would be no trial. She’d have been found guilty and executed next to her friend within minutes.
“Sir,” Barker said, trying to phrase his question properly, without being insubordinate. “I’ll go find her. Um… I’m honored that you’re trusting me with this mission. I’m not sure I’m the best choice, though. I’ve never done anything like this, not like the others.”
“That’s why I picked you, Private.” Lanche furrowed his brow. “You’re one of the few men here who doesn’t visit the Tracks. Jenna was a popular little whore. All the men know her a little too well to be trusted with a mission such as this one. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.” The thought of Jenna having been with the type of soldier Lanche usually picked for his secret missions turned Barker’s stomach. Those men were ruthless. Did Lanche actually think any of them had a soft spot for a woman they had abused?
No. Something else was going on.
“Jenna’s not in the camp,” Lanche said, “at least not according to any logs or sign-ins. No one’s seen her. She’s on the run. You’ll need to pack a two-week supply and find her before she gets too far.”
Barker frowned. There it was. He was being sent because he was expendable. “No one ever comes back after they leave Grand Central, sir.”
“I’m not sending you on a suicide mission, Barker. Man up. Jenna is a dangerous, murdering whore, and she needs to be brought in for justice, or no one will sleep well knowing she’s out there. You’ll be doing your country a service.”
Yeah right.
Like anyone was afraid of little, unarmed Jenna. Then again, no one had been afraid of Taryn, either—and look what she’d done. And with Jenna at her side, or so it seemed.
But Barker didn’t like the idea of running after her, especially if she was as dangerous as Lanche said. Even if he never found her, leaving the camp alone
was
a suicide mission.
If he were in a dangerous situation, like being attacked by a gang of scavengers, there’d be no way to radio for help. He’d die alone on the street. Then again, so would she.
The Jenna he’d met on line for rations three months ago didn’t seem to match the crazy killer that Lanche was describing. Maybe he could find her, and convince Lanche to let her live.
“Will she be executed when I bring her back, sir?”
Lanche frowned, as if he was about to tell him to mind his own fucking business. But then he shook his head. “She’ll be questioned. I need to know what she thinks she knows. If she knows nothing, and if she had no part in the murder after all, then she’ll be free to go about her business.”
The colonel smiled, and Barker wanted desperately to believe him. Wanted to believe that there was still some semblance of law and order in their post-Pulse world. Wanted to believe that the colonel wasn’t really sending him away, alone, because he didn’t give two shits if Barker died trying to follow his orders. And he wanted to believe that Jenna was innocent, and everything would go back to normal.
“Does that ease your mind, Private? I’m not asking you to bring a lamb to slaughter. Bring her home for questioning, and I’ll take it from there.”
Home.
As if anyone considered Grand Central their home.
“Barker, think about this for a moment. You’re a smart guy. Lawyer, right?”
Barker nodded almost imperceptibly. Being a lawyer meant nothing when there were no trials, and when the colonel was judge, jury and executioner in one.
“Jenna’s always been a good girl, before she got caught up with Taryn. I happen to have a… a soft spot for her myself.” Lanche frowned. “What if she tells us that Taryn went psycho and killed Andrews, and that Jenna had been trying to save him? Tried to stop Taryn? I couldn’t possibly fault her for that. I just need to know what happened, that’s all.”
“I thought you said she was a murdering whore who wasn’t found naked under Andrew’s dead body for no reason,” Barker said softly. “Sir.”
“I forgot who I was talking to,” Lanche laughed, his voice friendly. “Forgot that you’re like me, you like to hear things out before making up your mind. Isn’t that right, Private?”
Barker didn’t respond.
“All I need is to talk to Jenna, to find out her side of the story. We owe that to Private Andrews, don’t you think? And to Jenna, as well. She’s probably running scared out there, in terrible danger. She could die out there alone, not realizing that I would welcome her back to Grand Central with open arms. As long as she’s innocent.”
“And if she’s not?”
“Well… that’s why you need to be careful. We don’t know who to trust these days, do we?” The colonel smiled sadly. “Bring her in for questioning. You won’t be killing her by following orders, soldier. You’ll be saving that poor girl from getting robbed, raped, and killed out there on those dangerous streets. She needs to be here, where it’s safe.”
Barker let out a deep sigh, not even realizing he’d been holding his breath waiting for the answer. He’d just have to bring her in for questioning, nothing more.
If Jenna was innocent, then she’d be fine.
“I’ll bring her back, sir.”
By Shoshanna Evers
The Enslaved Trilogy
Enslaved
Enamored
Enraptured
The Pulse Trilogy
The Pulse
The Escape
The Thrust
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2013 by Shoshanna Evers
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First Pocket Star Books ebook edition November 2013
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Interior design by Lewelin Polanco
Cover design by Anna Dorfman
Cover photos © The Killion Group (man), Emin Kuliyev/Shutterstock (Grand Central), YorkBerlin/Shutterstock (background)
ISBN 978-1-4767-2825-4
Table of Contents