She'd wake first just after midnight, surprised to see me still asleep next to her.
When I did wake, she was staring at me and smiled when I looked at her.
"Hungry?" I asked her, getting up.
"Yeah. Do...do we need to go back to them first?" she asked, guilty about us now. "Merrick is my friend and I just...he's going to hate me."
I stopped her. "It'll be okay. I hope."
On the road, we crossed into Iowa just after six in the morning, and were going to keep going, but the one thing I had been dreading since they arrived was finally happening.
"Shit," I cursed, worrying her.
She looked around for any animals, but my focus was on the sky.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Storm," I said lowly, searching for any kind of shelter. "We need to find something to hide inside."
"There's a house back there!" she pointed at an old Victorian home on a hill hidden in the thick forest.
I turned onto the unpaved road, getting to the porch just as the rains started, glad the van was safely inside the garage.
"Is the rain acidic?" she asked, watching from the window before getting sick, suddenly ill.
"Radioactive," I said gently, taking it from her body and the area as best as I could. "We can't be caught out in a storm like this. Every drop can strip skin cells from the body and leave nasty burns. Just lay still and you'll be okay."
She was miserable, eventually letting me give her something for the nausea that knocked her out. Her head was on my lap as I stared out the window, watching the rain cast this area in a fresh batch of radiation that would take months to be fully rid of it.
When it stopped, I loaded her back into the van and got out of the area, needing to get her out of danger before things became permanent.
She wouldn't wake until we had made it what was left of Chicago just after ten in the evening.
"...we're moving," she mumbled, feeling her head as she sat up. "Where are we?"
"We're in Chicago," I answered, pulling up to a very tall, very lit up building that housed their entire population.
"What is this place?" she wondered, staring up at the thirty-three story building in awe.
"This is The Grantley. It's a five-star hotel that has been going for a very long time. The first floor is the restaurant and check in. The last four floors are for guests. I can exchange a few weapons for a night here. And meal. If you want," I explained.
She blushed. "Why?"
"I feel bad about what happened with the rain. You could've died, Blythe. And I haven't ever been here. I've heard good things, though."
"So, guilt?" she asked, a little hurt.
"You told me you wanted to cool it until we spoke to Merrick," I reminded her.
She stopped me. "I'm sorry. But...no. No to this. Not until we can enjoy it as a couple; not as friends."
"There's no other place for miles," I warned.
Tears stung her eyes.
"What's wrong?" I asked her.
"This is probably the most...romantic place in the whole country and I'm ruining it."
I chuckled. "This isn't the most romantic place."
"What is?"
"The second we don't have pressing business, I will show you. I will take you to my favorite place in the whole world. This isn't it, Blythe. This is a nice, fun stop I thought you'd enjoy. Nothing more," I promised.
She nodded carefully, following me up to the impressive entrance where we were greeted by four armed guards who could rival Merrick in size.
"What are you doing here, Harlow?"
"We want a place for the night," I answered. "A meal."
"In exchange for?"
"Why don't you let me talk to your boss on that?" I offered.
"Who is your friend?"
"You touch her and you'll draw back a nub," I warned him.
"Wait here," the largest one told us, heading inside.
I took a seat on a nearby bench, figuring this might take a minute.
Thirty seconds.
"Harlow!" their boss said happily, crashing into me.
"When did you get put in charge?" I asked the man in his early thirties.
"My Father retired last year," he reminded me. "You truly don't age, do you?" he chuckled, noticing Blythe. "And this is?"
"My friend, Blythe," I told him. "She and I have just a short distance left to go, but we wanted to make a stop here for some sleep and a meal. Well, for her, anyway."
"What do you have for trade?" he wondered.
This was a business, after all.
"I have some weapons, if you're interested," I told him.
"What about time to just catch up? It's been too long."
"I thought you haven't been here before," Blythe spoke up.
"Not in the hotel part. Just the restaurant during a rainstorm," I told her. "Is the Penthouse okay with you? We'd share it with him, but only for a few hours."
"That's fine," she smiled.
Sage Weston was the newest boss of the whole city, but with just eighty residents, there wasn't a whole lot of people to look after. They were safest here and had a rooftop garden that supplied the town with most of what they needed to survive.
The last time I was here, I set them up with continuous electricity, meaning the elevator worked and we reached the top without succumbing to exhaustion before we arrived.
Large double doors opened to reveal a massive suite that had three separate bedrooms with attached bathrooms, large kitchen and dining room, seating room with two large couches on either side of a nice coffee table. The view was incredible, the sky dominated by stars overhead.
"I'll have a meal sent up for us," Sage told Blythe, who had found a seat on the couch in front of the window. "What do you like?"
"I...I've only had turkey and deer," she admitted. "I think. What else is there?"
He paused. "...how do you not know?"
"Sit down, Sage," I told him.
He obliged.
"She is from the Nova Dawn," I revealed.
He stared at her in awe. "How did you get here?"
"We sailed," she answered. "It took three weeks."
"We?" he echoed.
"I have others waiting in a town nearby," I told him. "Seven more. But the Den knows they're here. In fact, they have more in their city walls."
He got up and placed and order for the two of them, uncertain how to feel about it.
"What are you thinking?" he finally asked me. "What are you?" he asked her.
"Our Government decided they reached a population limit and we needed to expand," Blythe began, keeping as calm as she could. "Communications had been down for a long time and we didn't know what to expect. And like some miracle, we found Harlow. For a month now she has kept us as safe as she possibly can and as someone who has never...known much kindness...to be thought of as worthy enough to be protected and taught by her is everything. To all of us."
"For how long?" he asked, having a point.
"What do you mean?"
"How long before the Pilgrims slaughtered the Natives and took their land because they believed them to be savages. Are we no different than they were?" he clarified.
"All we want is to establish a settlement so we can rejoin this land the right way. Establish our own borders. Rules within them instead of assuming we rule all of it."
"Who is even in charge?" he wondered.
I raised my hand. "Yo."
He laughed outright. "Oh, of course you are. That's perfect."
"Problem?" she asked.
"No, I think it's perfect."
"How so?"
"Because she's the only person who was around before all this happened. She can help prevent it from ever happening again. She knows what works and what doesn't."
"I'm not a Politician!" I cried, overwhelmed.
"You're the greatest one of all," Sage told me. "You've been holding onto everything we hold dear and trying to salvage whatever we have left. If anyone can rebuild all of this, it's you."
I shook my head and stepped onto the balcony, needing to calm down.
It wasn't working.
"Harlow?" Blythe asked, gasping when she saw me when she saw me crumpled on the ground.
She knelt next to me, a warm hand moving a strand of hair away from my face.
My eyes were open, unblinking, staring into the abyss as I felt the full weight of what it truly meant to help them.
I wasn't a leader in that capacity. I certainly couldn't lead or create an entire nation and expect everyone to follow me blindly.
"I know you think you can't do it, that you're in over your head, but your country can have any form of Government you wish it to," she said gently, putting my head on her lap as she spoke, her fingertips massaging the top of my head. "You can have Advisors. People you trust to truly tell you everything going on. Like the six of us."
Silence.
"At least me, anyway," she went on. "I love this world. As much as it terrifies me, as much as I'm supposed to hate it, I just can't. It's like exploring a new planet. It's complex and just...I have seen things I never thought I would. A bear that is my friend? Are you kidding? A bat you can ride and feed berries to? Birds that can carry me? I adore all of it.
"...but I adore you most of all. I just...wish you could see yourself through our eyes instead of your own. You'd see just now capable and strong and beloved you really are. You aren't a monster, Harlow. I think you're the biggest Saint we have," she admitted, unaware Sage heard her.
"...I'm scared," I said softly, going limp in her arms.
"Harlow?" she asked, looking down at me.
Silence.
"Let her rest," Sage said gently, handing her a plate of food before joining her. "She's exhausted."
"She's not a monster," Blythe said sadly.
"I know," he told her. "I'd have my people follow her, for what it's worth," he added.
She ate a little of her food, but was too worried to eat too much, even though it was truly delicious.
"What did you do in the Nova Dawn?" he asked her.
"I'm an Historian," she answered. "All I did was read about what this place was. What it used to be. I'd no idea what to expect. No one did. So when we met her, I couldn't believe how lucky we got."
"And how many are with you?"
"There are seven more in our small settlement, but there are about seventy in the Den," she told him.
"All Historians?"
"No, a Scientist, Engineer, Doctor and two Enforcers. I don't know what the other two do. They were kind of a late pickup."
"What is life like over there?" he wondered.
"There are two large cities. On each coast. They control the fishing and industrial aspects. The people live in the middle of the continent in small suburbs that stretch across all of it now. The population reached three billion and they want to branch out again. We're more cautious."
He was quiet.
"Tell me what you want. I won't be offended," she promised.
"You don't know that's their goal. In our world, the Government was notorious for keeping its' citizens in the dark. About their true intentions, about how they conduct themselves. All of it. I believe that's what you believe and that has to be good enough for both of us. Do you understand how scary that is?" he asked her.
She nodded. "I hope I wasn't being lied to, too."
"Is that a possibility?" he wondered.
"No, we trust our Government for the most part."
"Because they got it right, or because if it didn't exist, things would descend into chaos?"
"We still need laws."
"We need the right ones," he clarified. "Modern ones that make sense to this world; not the one you built."
"Then we need her," she told him, looking down at me.
He had to agree.
He'd get me to the largest bed and put me in gently, hating to see me down.
Blythe closed the door and locked it before taking off my over shirt and boots, revealing my toned frame and scars I seemed to have everywhere. She covered me up and ran a bath, intent on enjoying a nice soak after such a miserable day.
When she got out, I was still there, deeply unconscious and very fragile.
She'd lay there for a long time with me, holding me as I shivered next to her in my sleep.
When I did wake, it was nearly eight in the morning and she was out cold next to me.
I got a shower and found a change of clothing Sage had gotten for me after I passed out, making my way to the suite's main room where he was having breakfast.
"Better?" he asked as I took a seat across from him.
"No," I said quietly.
"My people will follow whatever rules you set forth," he told me.
"I don't have any rules. And no real way to enforce them."
"You will. And you should. For what it's worth...we don't think of you as anything other than amazing. You're fair. Logical. Levelheaded and very kind. Despite the rough exterior."
I was quiet, lost in thought.
"It's nice seeing you with someone," he told me.
I looked at him.
"She loves you," he added.
"I know," I said lowly.
"And you love her," he said knowingly.
"More than I ever thought I could love anyone," I admitted, unaware she'd heard me.
"What's the problem?" he wondered.
"...she's mortal."
"We all are. You just have a longer than normal lifespan."
"I need to get my water from the van," I said quietly, getting to my feet. "Excuse me."
While I was gone, Blythe joined Sage in the living room, smiling when he handed over a plate of food for her.
"Where is she?" she asked him.
"Water downstairs," he answered.
"How long have you known her?" she wondered, digging into her breakfast.
"Since I was twelve," he told her. "She gave this place continuous electricity. Showed us how to farm and keep livestock safely."
When I returned, I was clearly still shaking off the heavy realization of last night.
"Hey," Blythe said gently. "Do you want to stay another night?"
"We can't," I said lowly. "We need to get back and drop off supplies."
"I'll drive," she smiled warmly.
I hugged Sage goodbye and got back on the road, taking the bridge from Chicago to Southern Michigan, to where we'd arrive into the settlement just after two in the afternoon.
"Harlow!" Emeric gushed, crashing into me first, elated I was home. "I missed you!"
"I missed you, too," I smiled, pulling away. "How is everyone?"
"Getting by," he told me as we headed into the main building where the rest of them were having lunch.
"Harlow!" Merrick said happily, hugging me tightly.
I took him outside so we could talk, hoping this went well.
"We should talk," he said quietly. "I...I'm sorry. I hurt you and I'm so sorry."
"What are you talking about?"
"One of the people you brought back with you...I fell for her and I'm sorry."
Relief flooded over me as I hugged him, my arms around his neck.
"Can we still be friends?" he asked hopefully.
"I'm in love with Blythe," I blurted, stunning him.
He smiled. "Really?"
I nodded. "I'm sorry."
"No, I'm glad."
"I love all of you. Just...she's different."
"So, we're okay?" he asked me.
"Yeah. We're fine," I promised.
He watched me rejoin Blythe, glad I wasn't pissed at him.
"Where's my bear?" I asked them, back in the building where the other two I hadn't officially met were now having lunch.
"Fishing, probably," Karasi chuckled. "He caught us this massive salmon the other day. Amazing."
"Who are the other two?" I asked, noticing them.
"That's Liberty and Callum," Alden smiled at me, happy to have me home.
"What do you two do?" I wondered, taking a water from Blythe.
"I'm a Doctor and Callum here is an Engineer," Liberty said quietly, expecting me to hate her.
"What did you two do?" Harbin asked, finally getting a word in.
"We went to Malin and tried to outrun and out fly and out swim cannibal snakes for weapons we can use to trade The Den in exchange for some protection and extra supplies for anyone else who might show up," Blythe began. "Then we went and met a herd of about a hundred water buffalo. I got to drive a flying van to get away. It was amazing. Then we got caught in a storm. Do not recommend. We went to Chicago and stayed in a luxury hotel and I had bacon and it was all incredible," she rambled.
"Breathe," I chuckled, shaking my head at her.
"I take it you had fun," Harbin laughed, glad to see her, too.
"We had the best time," she smiled, looking at me. "Did...you two talk?"
I nodded. "Everything is fine," I promised, letting her kiss me passionately, surprising them.
Merrick was relieved I was telling him the truth.
Of course, he'd no reason to doubt me.
Liberty took a seat next to him, glad things had worked out the way they had.
After lunch, I got the tour of the town from Karasi, where we met Barrett coming in from the lake with a massive trout in his mouth for the group. He dropped the fish and charged, tackling me to the ground that would've killed a mortal.
While I played with the bear, Karasi and Liberty dragged the forty-eight pound fish to shore to gut and clean it for future meals.
"So that's the legendary Harlow, huh?" Liberty asked, watching us closely. "I can see why he was so smitten."
"You don't have to be threatened," Karasi told her. "She loves our Guide. We grew up together. Kind of. I didn't...I wasn't the nicest," she sighed.
"Me, either," Liberty admitted. "I thought...I mean her parents, you know?"
"What we know of genetics? I figured it was only a matter of time," Karasi added. "I'm glad to be proven wrong."
The Doctor was quiet.
"Don't do that," I warned, folding my arms across my chest.
She looked at me.
"I don't think she was implying...," Karasi tried.
"I think that's exactly what she was implying," I told her.
"I'm a Doctor," she began. "What we know of genetics and this environment where the rules are blurry and lawlessness is king...," she sighed.
"What's stopping me from killing you?" I wondered. "My heart doesn't even beat."
"You didn't have the same upbringing she did," Liberty told me.
"How do you know?"
"Because I grew up in a house of Historians and I know all the killers and their families. There is no Harlow."
"Harlow is my middle name. Because both my first and last names are notorious."
She took a step back, but Karasi was intrigued.
"You know me," I told my Scientist, who nodded.
"I trust you with my life," she smiled.
"Even if you know my real name is Aella Niyati?"
"...no," Liberty whispered, backing away in terror.
I shook my head at her, amused.
"Is that why you didn't hurt her?" she asked me. "Respect? Like mutual, weird respect?"
Emeric let out a sigh and covered her mouth with his hand, leading her away before I hit her.
"Educate her, yes?" I called, getting a nod from him.
"Can we go?" Blythe asked, crushed.
"No," Merrick said quietly. "I will talk to her and make this right. And for the record, none of us care what your name used to be. To us, you're Harlow."
I watched him walk away before turning back to Blythe, who tried not to break apart where she stood.
"Come on," I said gently, taking her hand.
"Where are we going?"
"How long can you hold your breath?" I asked.
"...about thirty seconds, why?" she asked me, a little nervous as we headed to the lake.
"See that giant rock there coming out of the shoreline?" I pointed.
She nodded.
I called Barrett over and climbed on before helping her do the same.
"Where are we going?" she asked, hugging my waist.
"To that rock. And there's a small cave that turns into something special. Trust me," I smiled.
She rested her head on my shoulder. "Always."
The bear swam with ease to the rock nestled in the deeper waters, dropping us off at the small entrance.
Only we would fit inside.
"Thank you," I told him, watching as he swam off.
"Where is his Mom?" Blythe asked, following me through the dark tunnel in waist-deep water.
"She died about five years ago. The fighting was too much for her. Under water and it's like twenty feet. You got this?" I asked.
She nodded, following after me with ease.
When she came up, it was to a massive cave with a lot of slivers of light illuminating walls and ceilings of sapphire now sparkling in the sunlight piercing through the darkness.
"Oh, it's gorgeous," she whispered, looking around the cave. "How did you find this place?"
"I was playing hide-and-seek with Barrett a few years ago," I said simply, making her laugh through fresh tears.
I wiped them gently from her.
"I don't care about your past," I told her.
"I don't care about yours," she promised. "Why am I here?"
"Because I made something. Took me a long time. I had to find the right materials and color and cut," I told her, taking out a homemade sapphire ring.
It was an eight carat, princess-cut sapphire the color of cerulean. The metal was titanium, shined and looked almost store-bought.
"If we ever run into a priest, would you want to make it official?" I asked her. "Until then, I would be...beyond lucky to have you as my wife."
"In a cave of sapphires," she said softly, slipping on the ring that fit perfectly. "To me, this is by far the most valuable thing in this world. I love you. I will be your wife, Harlow. You are my adventure."
"You're mine," I smiled, kissing her.
In their room, Merrick took a seat on their bed to get to the bottom of what was going on.
"I didn't know she was your Guide."
"It doesn't matter. I trust her. I trusted her before we even met Harlow. And we trust Harlow with our lives. You can't afford to be picky on who we trust. They're both great people."
"I'm sorry. I'll try to be better."
"Good. Because I don't date people who treat my friends like they're supposed to be in a lineup somewhere," he warned, walking away.
That night, while they had dinner, I sat on the porch and soaked in the moonlight.
"What are we doing next?" Blythe asked, taking a seat next to me.
"Are they being mean?"
"No. Liberty apologized and it's going better," she promised.
"And you still want to leave?"
"I know why you don't, but we can't stay here forever," she said gently.
"Why don't I?"
"I'm not an idiot, Harlow. I know you're scared. Everyone who has ever done anything great has always, always been scared at first. You have done so many things that are considered scary to everyone else," she began.
I was quiet.
"And I don't mean the flying and the bear wrangling," she went on, getting my attention. "I mean the turning in of your parents. Choosing the path of light and facing whatever punishment they might've had for you. Living in a prison for years without complaint. Earning enough trust to be released. And then going into medicine. Jesus, Harlow. I'd follow you anywhere."
I broke apart on her chest, the fear getting the better of me once more.
"What's wrong?" Emeric asked, hating to see me upset.
"She's terrified, Emeric," she said softly as I pulled away, wiping my eyes.
"Of?" he asked, looking around.
"Of potentially leading an entire country," I sighed.
"What country?"
I took out the compass. "That is George Washington's compass. Whoever has this is the rightful ruler of the United States. Or the land of whatever the nation calls itself."
"...holy shit," he whispered. "Where did you get this?"
I hugged him. "Thank you."
"For?" he asked after I pulled away.
"For not asking who I killed to get it."
"I'm getting better," he realized, proud of himself.
"I won it in a game of poker."
He laughed outright. "I think that's fitting, don't you?" he asked. "For the first time in centuries, that compass has managed to find the exact right person to lead this nation. All you have to do is redefine the borders."
"The Organization is never going to follow me."
"They just have to follow laws that make sense to them. And they obviously respect what you have to say. They let those people free. I think there's a lot more room for understanding than you think."
"Maybe," I relented. "And you'd follow whatever laws I put down?"
"We need rules, Harlow. Or, a way to enforce those rules. Fairly. Death is not a deterrent."
I melted at him. "I agree."
"What's the plan?" he asked.
"I have to go to the Den and ask them if they'd want to partner with me to get your people to safety."
"Alone?" he wondered.
"No, I'm taking the wife," I winked at Blythe, who blushed.
"Really?" Emeric asked me.
I nodded.
He hugged me and then Blythe, having no idea either one of us were like he was.
After they went to bed, I stayed where I was, imagining, for the first time, what a real future might look like. Not just for us, but for all of humankind.
The next morning, we loaded up supplies and said our goodbyes, this time taking a custom-built, military-style ATV that could go through just about any terrain with ease and outrun most animals.
I had rebuilt the engine so it was electric, meaning it could go as fast as I wanted and we didn't have to worry about gas.
She held onto my waist and smiled as we hit the road, the cool breeze washing over us.
We'd stop in what was left of Kalamazoo for lunch, taking a seat in an outdoor cafeteria of what was once a small, private college for young artists.
"What's dangerous about this place?" she wondered, taking a bite of her sandwich.
"The winters are harsher than normal here. There's a cold pocket that exists here I can't explain. For your first few seasons here, I wanted it to be as easy as possible."
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You need water?"
"Couldn't hurt," I agreed, finding a bottle in one of the cargo bags. "If we're moving too fast, tell me. I don't want you exhausted. I know you can keep up. You don't have to prove it to me."
"I'll let you know," she promised. "What's in the Pacific Northwest?" she wondered.
"Never go there," I warned.
"What's up there?"
"...snake eaters."
"What?"
I sighed. "While I was in prison, after the people left and the world kind of went to shit, no one knew what was going on. In an effort to...keep hysteria at bay, they put anyone who had ever been on any kind of medication for any kind of mental illness in a large facility. It was nothing more than a couple Walmart stores fused together with some Doctors sprinkled in to make it look good.
"It quickly deteriorated and those who were prone to the most...violence, the most...unpredictability, showed them why they were there and why everyone else was at their mercy.
"Now, they are all mad. Inbred. They eat snakes and do not feel the effects. Are immune to the venom completely. I created a wall of trees and natural rock to keep them contained, but...nothing is a guarantee, okay? There's no medication that can help them; otherwise, I would've by now."
"When was the last time you were there?" she asked, finishing her meal.
" It's called Emmon. I check in every few years to make sure the walls are still there. I have them pushed to a peninsula so it's easier, but there's a lot of them. Their population could rival the Den if they were more organized. I don't know...if there's a sound mind in the entire group," I said sadly.
"How do they get the snakes?"
"Oh, the snakes have territories along the entire western coast. From Washington to Mexico. The Grand Canyon kind of keeps them all at bay, but it's still scary."
"Those poor people," she sad softly. "I think they'd be the first people I'd help if I had the medication they needed."
"Does the Nova Dawn have it?"
"Yes. Not a whole lot, but we have one for depression, anxiety and bipolar disease. We're trying to make more, but there have been so other things to focus on."
I stopped her. "I know. Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah," she smiled.
We'd drive until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, which was a suburb of Pittsburgh just after two in the morning.
I put her on my back and carried her into an old farmhouse, finding a large bedroom with an actual bed and bedding on our first try.
"There we go," I said gently, lying her down.
"...Harlow?" she mumbled as I took off her boots.
"I'm here."
"...tired," she murmured, falling out instantly afterward.
"Thanks for letting me know," I chuckled, kissing her cheek before clearing the rest of the house.
I'd spend the night watching the night sky turn into morning, getting to my feet when I saw a group of seven travelers drive slowly by.
Only one saw me after they'd passed in a large van, urging the others to stop and turn back.
After a few more feet of arguing, they agreed and turned around, curious as to who I was.
"...please don't hurt us," their driver began, walking up to me.
I got to my feet, rising to my full height, which stopped them in their tracks.
"My name is Harlow," I told them. "Maybe you've heard of me?"
All of them bowed.
"Oh...no," I said softly as Blythe walked out.
"Who are they?" she asked, amused.
"Get up," I told them. "There's no need for that. All you need to do is take this road northwest. There's a settlement for your people in the small town of Empire. Fitting, yes?"
She chuckled. "Yeah, there are two Doctors, two Engineers, three enforcers, and a Scientist. Don't mind Barrett. You'll love him."
I nodded.
"Why aren't you there?"
"I have other things I need to take care of. Just do as I told you and you'll be just fine," I promised.
Reluctantly, they got back in their van and drove off, needing to reach the settlement by the end of the day, and if they hurried, they'd be able to do it without any trouble.
"How are you?" I asked her while she ate her breakfast.
"I'm fine. What about you?"
"I restocked my waters. They'll get me to the Den easily," I said casually. "But you're not tired?"
"I was last night, but I'm fine now. I will tell you. I promise."
I nodded and got to my feet, stretching a little before heading to the ATV.
Back on the road, we made our way to DC, arriving at the Den just after six in the evening.
Guards let us into the city without any trouble, where we made our way to the restaurant I took Merrick to last time.
"What do you want?" Roscoe asked her.
"Whatever the Chef has," she answered, getting a nod and smile before walking away.
"Feeling okay?" I asked.
"Just hungry," she shrugged, sipping her water as Koa walked into the restaurant.
"Harlow?" he asked. "What are you doing in my city?"
"I needed to speak with you, actually," I admitted.
"Regarding?"
"From one leader to another, Koa," I said lowly.
"You're going to side with them, aren't you?" he asked, getting upset.
I shook my head. "I think you'd know better than that. I side with no one. I never have, Koa."
"Then what is there to discuss?"
"There are people from the Nova Dawn arriving here more and more. How are you going to accommodate this? Are they welcome here?"
"Not here," he said quietly.
I looked at Blythe. "I'll find you after I'm done."
"Alright," she agreed.
I followed Koa out of the restaurant and over to The Den in silence until we got into the Oval Office where his wife was having dinner.
"Harlow?" she asked, setting down her fork. "What are you doing here?"
Koa closed the door so we had the ultimate privacy.
"I'm here to do my best to help the three of us create an understanding. About what rules we will follow, who is to be listened to and what happens if those rules are not followed," I began.
"We have been thinking about this, too," Lady L admitted. "If the Nova Dawn leave us be, if they stay out of our borders and abide by our laws here, I don't see why we can't listen to you outside our borders."
"Just you," Koa clarified.
"If your citizens do something against my rules outside their borders, I am within my rights to punish them as I see fit?" I asked.
"Death is not an option," Koa warned.
"I was going to tell you the same thing," I told him.
"What were you thinking?"
"Depends on the crime and the reason behind it. But I like working as a punishment. Farming. Cleaning. Give them purpose. When you put someone in jail, what they could've possibly contributed is gone in an instant and the world will never get to see their full potential. And, in my case, most of the time it's an environmental factor. Something that could've been prevented," I explained.
"What about the new arrivals?" Lady L asked me.
"I have a settlement set up for them in the Northwest. I'm going to try to set up a safe route for the new arrivals, but I'm going to need your help," I began. "Before you say anything, I have come prepared."
"With?"
"I went to Malin."
Their eyes widened.
"I was able to secure over forty weapons and five thousand rounds of ammunition. I can give half to your personal guards and half to the others who could help escort the arrivals at least part of the way. I can make a checkpoint map and clear out most threats as best as I can. At least until I'm able to talk to the Nova Dawn directly. And I don't know when that'll be," I sighed.
"Finding...twenty people who truly want to help them...that's a tall order, Harlow," Koa admitted. "Helping you isn't a big deal. But if they're going to help you, they need to know everything."
"I agree," I nodded. "I don't lie to anyone."
"We would also have to supply them with vehicles, food and medicine," Koa added.
"What if I just took three vans and gave you all the weapons?" I offered.
They paused.
"What?" Lady L asked.
"With the condition that your people don't shoot or hurt the new arrivals if I keep them in order. I can also reserve an extra driver if I need the third van. But they'd be brought back safely on our next trip out."
"We have fifty," Koa told his wife. "We can spare three easily. Show us the weapons from Malin."
"Follow me," I shrugged, exciting them both.
We went from the office to the gate, where I unzipped one of the cargo bags and took out one of the rifles I had gotten.
"Wow," he said softly, looking through the scope. "Were there more?"
I nodded. "Forty is a lot. No one else has these weapons."
I paused.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh, no," I whispered.
"What?" Koa asked.
I shook my head. "Do we have a deal?"
"What do we need to worry about?" Koa asked me.
"Nothing. I don't even know if there is a threat here, okay? Just answer the question so I can do what I need to."
"We have a deal," Koa nodded, shaking my hand.
"I will collect anyone you find when I come back out. Until then, I might need to set up my own small meeting point nearby," I said quietly, my mind racing.
"You're doing too much," Lady L told me.
I laughed outright. "No kidding. You try being the rightful ruler of the entire United States and see how you do."
"What are you talking about?"
I held up the compass.
"God damn it!" Koa cried, throwing one of the weapons on the ground.
"Context?" I asked his wife, who was too busy laughing to answer right away.
"We put it into our constitution that whoever held the damn compass was, in fact, the true ruler. And we'd listen."
"Did this get easier or am I fooling myself here?" I asked them.
Koa stared at the compass, at the men who held it and the kinds of leaders they were.
The kind of leader I was.
"Okay, Harlow," Koa said quietly. "We...recognize you as our leader."
"Look, right now, nothing changes. And if it does, it will be a discussion, not a command. I swear it," I told them, offering him my hand.
He shook it, his eyes never leaving mine for a few seconds before walking back into the city.
I found Blythe finishing dinner and chatting with Roscoe, who saw instantly why I had chosen her.
"Ready to go?" I asked her, clearing my throat a little.
"Are you okay?" she asked, taking my hand as we walked out of the city.
I used the ATV as leverage and sat down, glad the gate had closed for the night.
"Hey," she said gently, kneeling next to me.
"I am...officially recognized as the President of the United States," I whispered, stunning her.
She hugged me tightly, knowing this was what I was afraid of most of all.
"I...I secured three vans and an extra driver in exchange for the weapons from Malin," I added.
"So, we need to set up a meeting point and do our best to figure out where they'd arrive and go from there, right?" she asked.
I looked at her.
"We'd probably need to be at at the tallest building we can find nearest to where we arrived so we can have a good vantage point out at the waters," she went on. "If we can turn it into a small settlement, or at least a place that's safe for a few days, it should be enough for a proper introduction before we set out, right?"
I kissed her, relieved at how capable she truly was.
"It's going to be okay," she promised as I rested my ear on her chest. "Does the Alodia still exist?"
I nodded, relaxing where we sat.
"That's a sixty story hotel. You think it's safe?"
"I can make it safe," I told her.
"We should get going," she chuckled, helping me get to my feet. "To the Alodia?"
"Not yet. We need to talk."
"...about?"
"Emmon," I said sadly.