Small groups of men arrived sporadically for the meeting to avoid suspicion. I watched from my seat as Walkers wearing gloves and masks filed in. Louis took extra care to inspect each person, making sure they didn’t have the bruise colored boils consistently present with someone infected with X. Each Walker walked through sanitizing mist and sat down. Some chatted, but most waited quietly for the meeting to start. The guys were upstairs receiving the rejection cure. I couldn’t watch them get the shot. There was something about knowing they could contract X and disappear from my life that made me nauseous. There was no winning.

It took a full hour for the seats to fill up, and eventually, Tallis and my men filed in.

“You okay?” Hux asked me as Tallis made his way to the podium. Patrick settled into the seat to my left while I stared ahead. The room smelled of sweat and sanitizer spray. Patrick grabbed my hand, and when I looked down at his arm, I took in the band-aid covering the spot where I knew he received the rejection cure. Bile rose in my throat.

“I guess,” I replied. The energy of the room was pure, white-hot anger. Everyone was scowling, shifting uncomfortably in their seat. It was like the Walkers were ready to strike, they just needed a reason to. I couldn’t help but stare at the various masked faces. Their lips were covered, but I could see the hopelessness in their eyes. This was a group of angry people with nothing to lose.

“Thank you for coming,” Tallis said while nodding towards someone to shut the door. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

Tallis looked over at Jules for a moment then back to the crowd. To my left, Lowe, Kaye, Jade, and Blythe entered and shuffled to their seats just before the door shut. I ached to go to Blythe and find out how Maverick was doing, but they each seemed focused on the meeting.

“We plan to strike at the end of the month. Cavil is hosting an event for members of the Elite.”

I half-expected the room to lighten up a bit, but it didn’t. Tallis continued, “We won’t go too much into detail on the execution, the fewer who know, the better. But at midnight of his party, the Resistance will riot.”

Tallis' words hung over the crowd like an angry fog.

“So what is expected of us, exactly?” a younger man asked while scratching behind his neck. He looked around the room, gaining confidence as people shifted forward in their seats to listen.

“Flood the streets of Galla. Fight Cavil’s guardsmen,” Tallis replied as if it were simple. Jules gave him a sideways glance, opening her mouth to speak then closing it again as if thinking better of it.

Another man, who was burly and wore an unimpressed scowl upon his unmasked face, stood up. “You expect us to fight men with Heat? I'm assuming that you plan to kill Cavil. But killing him won’t stop his armed men.”

Louis then stood, eyeing Kemper with a smile before heading towards the podium. “We might have a way to disable their weapons.”

Almost immediately, the mood of the entire room shifted. Men sat on the edges of their seats.

“I’m working with a member of the Dormas Leadership Council on creating an electric pulse that will disable any of their weapons within a certain radius. I think we should have it running within a week.”

“You think?” the burly man asked. “I’m not risking my life unless we have some certainties.”

I glanced at Jules. Her small arms were crossed over her chest as she stared at the Walkers arguing amongst themselves, and I briefly wondered if this was how most of their meetings went. How did anything ever get done?

“There are never any certainties,” I said to mostly to myself while staring ahead at the podium. But the arguing man heard me and responded.

“What did you say?” he spat with malice while twisting to stare at me.

Huxley growled next to me, and I felt Patrick stiffen on my other side. I wasn't expecting him to hear me, but having his unnecessary fury directed my way had my blood boiling. The angry Walker stared pointedly as if waiting for me to back down, so instead, I stole some false bravado from Jules and continued. “What I mean to say is, if you’re looking for the perfect scenario, you’ll be waiting forever.”

“Who even are you? Are we just letting anyone into these meetings now?”

I wanted to answer, but Madam B intercepted the attention of the room before I could.

“This Walker has been behind enemy lines. She was on stage the night Lackley died. She fought for her life and escaped Ethros with Cavil on her heels.”

A hush filled the space, and shame filled my heart. I didn’t save myself. I wasn’t a hero. I was a girl that got incredibly lucky. My entire life was one big coincidence. A positive happenstance of fate. Immunity. The Stonewells. Dormas. The stars aligned, and I was gifted with what others were not—luck.

“This little Walker was tortured in Cavil’s ivory room. Shocked within an inch of her life,” Madam B's voice went low and dramatic. “Despite being tortured and abused, she overcame that and joined the Resistance once more. She has seen the consequences of defying Cavil first hand and yet is gracious enough to help us.”

Madam B got off the podium and headed towards the crowd, her face had a scripted softness about it that made me squirm in discomfort. Bypassing Huxley, she stood in front of me, only a breath away from my face. I shivered at her nearness, and it wasn’t until she cupped my cheek that she spoke. “If an innocent Walker, a victim of the society thrust upon her, can overcome her fear and do what is right for her people, then why can’t we?”

I swallowed back the bile that rose in my throat at her theatrics. She pulled away and spun around to address everyone once more. With each word, her voice rose in volume and intensity. “At the end of the month, my army of Companions, led by their queen,” she gestured to me, “will end the divide between Walker and Elite. There will be fire in the streets of Galla, and riots in all of Dasos.”

Madam B clenched her fists and punched the air above her. Claps reverberated around the concrete basement, and I watched her rally the troops. Was I the only one that saw her smug smile? Was I the only one that questioned her motives? Jules’ words echoed in my mind. “Everyone wants power or money…”

I turned to stare at Jade. She was fuming, and I couldn’t blame her. She’d be the one to ultimately do the hardest job, but Madam B was rallying the troops for me.

It was still strange taking in the anger of the Resistance. They were fueled by revenge, an accumulation of the dissatisfaction they felt for this government and their place in this world. Madam B used their anger to her advantage, convincing them to fight an uncertain battle.

I stared at the stage as Louis grabbed the microphone, jolting everyone out of the momentary camaraderie. “Elite coming!” he hissed while scanning his tablet. Madam B moved with precision towards me as Tallis ran to a side door. Opening it, he revealed a small tunnel that I assumed led outside. The small crowd filed out, each man pushing and shoving at one another to flee as Madam B grabbed my elbow. I winced at her hard grip as she tried pulling me upstairs to the sitting room.

“Where do you think you’re taking her?” Huxley growled out while reaching for my free arm.

“The others are helping remove the evidence of our meeting.” I looked around as the Companions efficiently removed the folding chairs and podium. Shuffling feet stomped loudly along the concrete floor. It was as if they had practiced this many times before. “I need a girl in the sitting room in case they’ve come to call upon a Companion,” Madam B hissed.

Dread swirled in my gut. I wasn’t ready for this, was I?

“Absolutely not,” Huxley replied while yanking me out of her grip and towards his chest. I collided with him, resting my palms on his pecs. For a moment, the room wasn't in chaos, and I wasn't on the verge of panic. It was just Huxley and me.

“I won’t let them take her to the third floor, you idiot. I’ll come up with an excuse of why she can’t, but I need at least one of them with me. You can wait in the hallway if you’re so worried.”

Huxley looked around the room for another moment, debating Madam B’s words while stroking my hair contemplatively. Before letting me go, he firmly said, “Fine. But if I think anything strange is happening, we’re out.”

Madam B didn’t waste any time arguing with Huxley, she merely regained her hold on my arm and yanked me up the short flight of stairs leading to the main floor. Taking a moment to smooth my hair with her fingers and adjust my dress at the nape, she then eased her breathing before guiding me towards the entryway where a man was standing.

“Ah, Master,” she said in a sultry, low tone. “How may I be of assistance?”

My eyes locked onto the Heat strapped to his hip and the orange and black uniform draped over his bulky frame. From what I could tell, he was a member of Cavil's guard.

“I’ve been told this is the best brothel in the Zone, am I correct?” he asked. The guardsman wore his thin hair slicked back. Patches of his white scalp peeked through the thin strands which were greasy and full of product. I breathed in, nearly choking when his too-strong cologne hit the back of my throat. His eyes were hooded as he took me in, and I suddenly felt very exposed in the white dress Madam B made me wear this morning. Although it covered a lot of skin, it still clung tightly to my frame, leaving little to the imagination.

“That would be correct,” Madam B replied with a coy grin, lingering in the handshake a bit longer than I would have. “Are you interested in me preparing one of the rooms upstairs, or…”

“No. Although now that I've seen her, I might have to change my mind.” The guardsman looked me up and down, a hunger in his eyes that was equal parts cruel and lustful. I forced myself not to squirm, comforted by the fact that Huxley was only a few feet away, but I was also embarrassed. Although I’d learned a lot about self-defense while I lived in the Deadlands, I still felt an uncontrollable fear where any of Cavil’s guards were concerned. It made me sick to my stomach when I thought of how much their orange and black uniforms affected me. Those colors brought me back to the night Josiah smashed Blan’s skull in. Blood. So much blood.

“Cavil wanted to see if your girls were available for a last minute function he’s having tonight. You have the best Companions in the Zone. I’ll admit, I'm not usually one to partake, but I haven’t seen this one before. Is she available?” He nodded at me.

I looked down at the floor, feigning submissiveness so I wouldn’t have to answer. “Shade is new. A recently acquired immune I got last night. I’ve been reaching out to my contacts across the empire to find immune Walkers needing work. I do what I can to please Emperor Cavil,” Madam B lied effortlessly.

“Well, I’d very much like Shade to join us then. We will send a transport to pick up your immune girls at 8. Please tell them to wear white. Cavil prefers it.”

Madam B nodded eagerly, leaning forward to open her front door and let him out. “In the future, Master, if you’d prefer to save yourself a trip to the Zone, I happily book appointments via tablet. Simply call, and we can work things out.”

The guardsman slowed then lingered in the doorway. “I was informed that a potential Resistance group might be meeting in the area. I wanted to scout the Zone for any suspicious activity.”

Madam B didn’t miss a beat. She clutched her chest like the skilled actress I'd learned she was. “Resistance meetings?!” she gasped. “Well, if I see anything, I’ll be sure to send word. I can’t believe people would be stupid enough to challenge Cavil. It’s a shame there's no respect for the hierarchy of things anymore.”

The guardsman smiled at her, seemingly satisfied by her shock. “Thank you, Madam. Please let me know if you hear anything.”

Once the door was shut, we didn’t speak for a while, as if too scared that he would return and ask for more. I struggled to digest that I would be going to Cavil’s home for a party tonight.

It wasn’t until I felt a hand on my waist that I turned around and faced the terror of the situation. Huxley had bypassed all build up to his episodes and was already lost to his protective rage. His stormy green eyes were swimming with concern, determination, and anger. I gripped his hand tightly before looking over my shoulder at Madam B, who was pacing the floor and talking to herself.

Finally, she paused and stared at me. “We do what we must, right? Find Jules. She’ll get you ready.”

And with that, she was off, skittering around her home and mumbling to herself as I came to terms with the reality that, within a few hours, I’d be coming face to face with the man of my nightmares.