April tried to outwalk Damon down the street to the Pure apartment building, adjusting her backpack of notepads on her back. Obviously catching her thought, and not liking it, he took her hand. Or he was just being sweet. No. He seemed to read her mind, and he knew she was ticked, so he was holding her hand.

She bit her lip to keep from snapping at him. Although a part of her was grateful she’d have backup inside. Just in case.

He whistled a tune she didn’t recognize. Something upbeat and fun.

She cleared her throat. “I wish you trusted me to do this right.”

“I do trust you. It’s Pastor King and his flock I don’t trust.” Damon’s hand felt solid around hers. “I won’t get in your way, I promise. Would just rather not have to go through armed guards if I need to get to you.”

Yeah, she could understand that.

They reached the apartment building, and the guards with guns looked young. Maybe about eighteen.

Damon released her hand and paused. “You two know how to shoot those?”

The kid on the left stood straighter, his legs long but skinny. “Of course.” His voice cracked as if he were going through puberty.

“Wonderful,” Damon said.

Pastor King appeared at the doorway. “April. I didn’t realize you were bringing Damon today.”

Damon moved forward. “We’re partners, Pastor. If she’s here, I’m here.” There was something menacing about his posture. A look passed between the men, and King stepped back.

“All right. Come on in,” King said, gesturing them.

It was as if they’d had an entire conversation with one look.

Coolness met them inside. April sighed, happy to be out of the heat.

Sharon was waiting for her and handed over a piece of paper. “Here’s a list of everyone you’ll meet with today. I thought we could start with the teenagers up in the rec room.”

King cleared his throat. “You’ll intimidate them, Officer Winter.”

Damon nodded. “Understood. How about you and I go have a little chat? I’d like to know more about how you’re running things here.” Without waiting for King to answer, Damon slapped his arm around the pastor’s shoulders and herded him around the cement blocks.

Sharon watched them go. “Okay.” She shook her head, and her long hair tumbled around her shoulders. Today she wore a lighter peach lipstick with a white sundress and sandals. “This way.”

April nodded. Where in the world was the woman getting lipstick? Well, today was a day for asking questions and being a pain in the neck. “If you don’t mind my asking, where are you getting makeup?” If she weren’t mistaken, Sharon was also wearing eyeshadow.

The woman laughed, climbing the stairs to the next floor. “We have a stash. Somehow, it gets replenished every once in a while. Pastor understands that we like to feel pretty.”

Was that creepy or sweet? “Are you and King…ah…”

Sharon looked over her shoulder, her light eyes sparkling. “That’s a mite personal. Are you and Damon…ah…”

Fair enough.

A woman of about twenty years old waited at a card table in the older kids’ rec room, a book in her hands. She had black hair, blue eyes, and a very pregnant belly. “Hey, Sharon.”

“Hi, Jada. This is April. She’ll be conducting interviews in here today. You need anything?”

“Nope.” Jada set the book down.

April’s hands turned clammy. All right. This was no big deal. She put the papers on the table, set down her backpack, and pulled up a chair. “Thank you for meeting with me today.”

“Sure.”

April took out her own notebooks and made two stacks. She found Jada’s name on Jax’s list as well as the Pure’s list, and she made a notation. “Where are you from?”

The woman looked surprised and then recovered. “Originally from Seattle, but I was in my junior year at Pepperdine when Scorpius infected everybody. Never got a chance to get home.”

“I’m sorry,” April said, reaching for the woman’s hand.

Jada slid her hand off the table and away. “That’s okay. My family and I weren’t close, so I hadn’t intended to go back anyway.”

April twirled a pen in her fingers. “I’m not infected.”

“So you say. You’ve been outside, and you might’ve just brought the bug back in.” Jada’s tone remained matter-of-fact and calm. “I’m not taking that chance with my baby.”

April nodded. “I understand.” She eyed the woman’s stomach. Maybe five months along? “I see from the Vanguard list that you joined the group about six months ago?”

“Yes. Right when they started forming. The gangs were taking over Los Angeles, and Rippers were everywhere, so a few of us went looking for some sort of safety.” She patted her enlarged belly. “We found Vanguard, and then I found the Pure inside Vanguard.” She leaned in. “Isn’t ‘the Pure’ a stupid name? It’s so dumb.”

April chuckled. “It really is. I take it the old pastor named it?”

“Yeah. He was a religious nutjob, I tell ya.” Jada warmed up and leaned forward as if with good gossip. “We’re not even a church. Not really. I mean, Pastor King gives sermons once a week, and we’re all thanking God that we’re not dead or crazy, but it’s more like a safe zone than anything religious.”

That’s what April had observed so far. “Have the members fought the change?”

Jada scoffed. “Not at all. Pastor King was kind of in charge from the beginning, but more from behind the scenes, you know? I think he was trying to find his place, too. He’s such a good guy.”

“He is very charismatic.”

Jada’s gaze narrowed. “Isn’t he, though? Are you interested?” The mood in the room changed.

“Nope. I’m with Damon Winter.” April gave the truth to calm the woman. Plus, why not go with the truth? “It’s complicated, though.”

“It wouldn’t be if you moved in here,” Jada said easily.

Huh. Good point. Had the woman been told to say that? To draw April in? She played along. “Yeah, I know. The closer I get to him, the more scared I become that he’s going to get killed in a raid with Jax Mercury. Or worse.” Whoa. That was actually the truth.

Jada nodded. “You’d be safer here. Both of you would.”

“You do have better food,” April said.

“We do. Not sure where the pastor gets it, but we have great food. I think he has scouts on the outside. He must have.” Jada didn’t sound too concerned about it. “Someday, we’re going to find a nice organic farm away from any threats, and just live our lives. Once it’s safe to move out of the city.”

Sounded like a good plan. “Jada, if you don’t mind my asking, who’s the father of your baby?” April tried to make her voice gentle.

Jada’s eyes sparkled. “I do mind you asking.”

Oh. Well. April cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to be personal, but one of Jax’s concerns is that people are here involuntarily and maybe women are being forced to have babies in some attempt to continue the human race. If I could report the truth back to him, then maybe he won’t storm through the front door with a cache of Vanguard Mercenary soldiers.” If all else fails, throw a good threat in there.

“We’re protected here,” Jada said, not losing a beat.

April frowned. “By God?”

Jada snorted. “Yeah, by God. And man. We’re not worried about Mercury busting down the door.”

What the heck did that mean? “Why not?”

Jada shrugged. “Join us and find out.” She stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” Reaching down, she picked up a slouchy-type bag. Then she stilled. “Oh.” She partially leaned over and dropped the bag.

April reached for her arm. “Jada?” Her heartbeat quickened.

Jada exhaled and smiled. “Sorry. Little guy kicked my bladder. He likes to do that.”

“Oh.” April relaxed and reached for the bag the same time Jada did. It fell over, and pictures slid out, followed by a silver gun. “You’re armed.” The pictures were of Rippers, their teeth gnashing, their eyes wild. From early newspapers or magazines? “What are these?”

Jada quickly gathered the photographs and gun back into the bag. “I have a lesson with the older teens later. We like them to know what’s out there.”

April frowned. “Don’t you think that’s overkill?” The poor kids. To be bombarded with images like that… No wonder they were terrified of the outside world.

“No. That’s what’s waiting for them if they leave or become infected.”

“What about the gun?” April breathed. She didn’t even have a weapon.

Jade’s mouth tightened. “I’m protecting this baby with everything I have. If that means being armed in this world, then so be it.”

Okay, that made sense, but still. Carrying a gun around inside an apartment building protected by armed guards? Why? “Are you trained?” April asked, looking for any information to take back to headquarters.

“Yes. We train daily. Or weekly,” Jada allowed.

April studied her. Something was off here, but she couldn’t put her finger on what. “Where? You guys don’t leave this building. Where do you train?”

Jada moved for the door. “There’s a concrete room on the top floor, or we go to the roof where there are blocks set up so we don’t hurt anybody. For hand-to-hand, there’s a makeshift gym on the first floor with mats from the old schoolhouse.”

“Jada,” April called.

The woman turned around. “What?”

April studied her. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Jada shook her head. “You know everything. Why are you trying to find something that isn’t here? Are you that unsure about the path you’ve chosen?” She waved her arms. “It’s safe here. You could have the life you want, with Damon, inside here. There are people who need your help.”

April opened her mouth and then closed it again. She breathed in. “If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

“Ditto.” As Jada left, another woman walked inside.

“Hi,” April said. This woman was in her mid to late thirties with just a few strands of gray peppering her brown hair. She looked to be about, what? Four months pregnant. “I’m April.”

“Jessica Daniels.” The woman moved inside gracefully, her legs and arms toned and displayed in pregnancy shorts and a pink top. “I’m here voluntarily, don’t want to leave, and it’s none of your business how or when I got pregnant.” She sat, her eyes a sharp brown. “Any other questions?”

April swallowed. It was going to be a long day.