Free Children Of The Mountain (Book 2): The Devil You Know by R.A. Hakok Page B

for some reason I feel uncomfortable, like I’m being sized up, examined. It’s Mags who breaks the silence.
    ‘You’re not American?’
    Dr. Gilbey turns her head to answer and I’m released from her gaze.
    ‘Oh good Lord, no.’
    ‘But Hicks obeys your orders.’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘So how’s that?’
    Dr. Gilbey gives Mags a look like she’s not used to being the one who answers questions.
    ‘Well, my dear, as it turns out I hold the rank of colonel in what remains of your armed forces. Does that surprise you?’
    I’m not sure Dr. Gilbey’s expecting an answer to that. Mags takes a moment to consider what she’s just heard and then says ‘Yeah, sort of.’
    ‘And why might that be, dear? Is it my diminutive size? Or the lack of uniform? Or because I’m British?’
    Mags just looks back at her and shrugs inside her parka. Take your pick .
    I sense this conversation might soon be headed the way of the franks-and-beans misunderstanding with Truck earlier. I put on my sweetest smile and try to steer us back to safer waters.
    ‘That sounds like an interesting story Dr. Gilbey, you becoming a colonel I mean. How exactly did it come about?’
    Dr. Gilbey looks at Mags for a second longer then turns her attention back to me.
    ‘Well Gabriel that’s kind of you to say, but it was all rather mundane, actually. I was a virologist. A rather good one, if I do say so myself.’ She smiles again. I kind of wish she’d stop; she’s not getting any better at it. ‘I used to carry out research for your government, at a place called Fort Detrick. I don’t suppose you’ve heard of it?’
    I have, as it turns out, but I reckon owning up to that might give Dr. Gilbey a clue as to where we’ve come from so I just shake my head. Fort Detrick’s one of the places marked on the map Marv gave me. It’s right off the Catoctin Mountain Highway, the route we took when he brought me to Mount Weather. But there’s no code written next to it so I figured it wasn’t a bunker. It always puzzled me why he’d gone to the trouble of circling it, though.
    ‘Well, no matter. When it became clear how serious the situation was becoming the powers that be moved me to Atlanta, to the Centers for Disease Control, and put me in charge of the efforts to find a cure. Shortly afterwards that facility was brought under the control of the military and they made me a colonel. I’m not sure it was entirely legal, but then when you’re the President I suppose you can pretty much do as you please.’
    I exchange a look with Mags.
    ‘So you took your orders from President Kane?’
    The tea cup’s on its way to Dr. Gilbey’s lips but at the mention of Kane’s name it stops, and a look of cold, glassy anger crosses her face. In spite of her size I feel a shiver run through me that has little to do with the cold.
    ‘I did, once. If he were still alive I doubt there’s an order that man could give that I might follow now. I only hope he met the end he deserved.’
     

 
    *
     
    D R. G ILBEY RETURNS the cup to its saucer and places it on the table beside her. When she looks up again the anger has gone.
    ‘Well, enough about me. So where have you two come from?’
    I’m glad now that Mags made us get our story straight. I tell her we’re from Eden.
    ‘Eden? I’m not sure I’m familiar with it.’ She looks at me, and again I get the feeling that I’m being assessed, evaluated. ‘Well, wherever it is it looks like they were feeding you there. Whatever made you want to leave?’
    ‘We didn’t care for the way the place was being run.’
    Dr. Gilbey looks over at Mags as she says this and then simply says I see , although I don’t know how she can.
    ‘And who’s in charge there?’
    I hesitate, looking across at Mags again. I wasn’t going to mention Kane, but Dr. Gilbey’s reaction to his name earlier seemed genuine. I guess Mags must think the same because she nods.
    ‘President Kane is the person in charge of Eden.’
    Dr.