Free Sway's Demise by Jess Harpley Page A

are walking and eating, laying down, being cattle.” She pulled a seat up next to Eli, watching the opposite line of sight.
    “Don’t let that make you comfortable,” he warned, eyes trained down his gun.
    “When have I ever gotten lax with an element of real danger in the mix?”
    “Well, since we’ve only been in real danger once since the raid,” he paused, pain in his eyes as he looked her over. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up right now.”
    “It’s fine, it was a long time ago.”
    He looked back into his scope. “So, I guess, never. Though, you did almost give up on me a few steps from the door.”
    “I would have crawled the rest of the way if you’d left me.” She smiled at him.
    “I’d never leave you.” He pulled back again, eyes grave with a wrinkled forehead. “You know that, right?”
    “I know,” she nodded, “and you know I’d never leave you behind. You’re my sniper.” She nudged his shoulder and his eyes grew more somber.
    He looked down the scope, “Here we are, getting all lax in the face of danger.”
    They sat in silence for another hour, diligently scanning their area. Sway would pop up to the roof every fifteen minutes for a check around the building, then back down to continue her watch with Eli at the roads to the southwest of their position.
    Watch tower bells tolled twice, then twice more, and they knew that meant the Beacon squads were being called in. They rubbed their stinging eyes from the smoke and weariness, then packed up. On their way through the wreckage making up the wall, the bell tolled five times in a row. A town meeting.
    “What do you think we’re going to do?” Sway huffed as they kept a steady jog to Brocklehurst Secondary School, nearly thirty blocks from their guard post.
    “No idea.”
    The muscles in their legs ached, and Sway stared at them while they ran, confirming they were indeed still there. She silently willed them to continue taking orders, not daring to stop as she took a much-needed drink from her canteen.
    He panted between words, “Maybe we’ll send some scouts out with bikes, check on the surrounding areas to see what the Priyon are doing.” They began passing community members, all dipping their heads, or tipping their hats at Sway and Eli in recognition of their service.
    “That would be suicidal.”
    “And staying in our walls, twiddling our thumbs isn’t?”
    “Don’t be a dick, Eli.”
    “Sorry,” he slowed to a walk and requested her water with a wave of his hand. “We’re all on pins and needles.”
    They continued their walk as they crossed the elementary playground. So many carefree children swung from the maintained swings, ran about the fields, climbed the aging monkeybars. It was calming to see them.
    “Any action would be better than none, that’s all I was saying,” he added, gazing with her at the young, free spirits.
    Sway spotted Dymtre chasing a younger girl with what looked like a worm in his outstretched hand. Isla stood watch at the edge of the sandbox, wagging her finger and shouting to the children as they roughhoused. She was exceptional with the little tykes. It was heartbreaking to Sway to think her husband was killed before they could have one of their own. Likely, that was why Isla took her and Dymtre in, needing someone to nurture.
    “Come on,” Eli pulled on her arm and they turned back to the auditorium. It was frightening to see almost all three thousand adults gathered in one place. Frightening to think about the implications of the meeting. Frightening to think it could be their last day, last minutes, together.
    The mayor, Mr. Kolsch, and the rest of the leadership council sat in a half circle on the auditorium stage, talking. Ancient fluorescent lights flickered on and off, making the gathering more hair-raising.
    They continued to crowd in, standing shoulder to shoulder as Kolsch rose to address them. “Good afternoon everyone. I’m sure the buzz is already flying