Free Man Hunt by K. Edwin Fritz Page A

Good. Finally, Gertrude slipped a small grunt through her nostrils and reached into a desk drawer. She pulled out a piece of paper and looked at the list briefly before holding it out for one of the two girls to take.
    "The third one down is your choice for the troublemaker," Gertrude said. "Keep the list for your further needs. I'm glad to hear you girls are doing well. That's productive. How many men are in holding right now?"
    Rachael stepped forward and took the slip of paper but didn't look into Gertrude's eyes. And though Gertrude liked her strong silence immensely, Rachael's reserved demeanor was not the best trait for the promotion she needed to soon make.
    Josie, who was far more confident though often too independent for Gertrude's taste, gave Rachael a sideways glance of disapproval before answering. "Well, I'm not exactly sure, Gertrude, but it's somewhere between–"
    "You're not exactly sure?" Gertrude interrupted. "It's your job to be exactly sure. I don't care if we make twenty kills a day . It's pitiful to think a trainer in the black squad can become so slipshod. I've been thinking you were overdue for a session with Monica, and this confirms it. I want you to see her about this. Today."
    "No!" Josie blurted. "I mean… it's not necessary. I'm fine. I've been tired lately is all. I just come off guard duty and… I'll do better, Gertrude. I promise. Maybe I could just use a little vacation." Josie flushed as soon as she heard her own final words. Vacation? she thought. What the hell is wrong with me? The only thing she knew for sure was that what had been on her mind lately was serious, and a session with Monica was the last thing she could afford.
    "The Cause doesn't take vacations," Gertrude said, suddenly calm once again. "You know that. Either you will learn to work through your problems, or I'll be forced to reconsider your position. You need to be on top of all the statistics, and you need to know every man under your care inside and out. Rachael, how many men are in training right now?"
    Rachael, who had been staring at the floor trying to not be noticed, answered right away. "One hundred eighty six, Gertrude. We have twelve without EMs."
    "And of those twelve," Gertrude continued, "how many can you say you know well enough to write a book on?"
    "All twelve, Gertrude."
    Gertrude grunted her approval– a thing that was rarely so obvious– and looked back to Josie and spoke again. "You'll see Monica as soon as possible. Don't go to the feeding with the other girls, if that was your plan."
    "It wasn't," Josie said. Her voice was short and angry. Using Rachael to belittle her further had been unnecessary. Gertrude had made it seem like Josie didn't know the new arrivals very well when in truth she probably knew them better than Rachael.
    "Good," Gertrude said. "At least you haven't succumbed to such frivolities. Have you done your first round of exercises today?"
    "I had planned on going right after we got a good na– Emotional Marker– from you. Would you prefer I see Monica first?"
    "No. Go ahead and do your scheduled routine. Just be sure to see her before lunch. How did your recruiting mission go?"
    Here Josie smiled. While Rachael had yet again performed under par, Josie had once more flourished. "Excellent," she said. "We got five, and almost a sixth. Above average for a one-day mission." There was no need to explain further. Even Gertrude would know which of them had failed. That four of the five had been Josie's acquisitions was also a given.
    "Good." And then Gertrude said no more.
    Josie recognized the opportunity to finally escape the eerily sterile office and left, somewhat reassured but still angry at herself. Now she would have to be careful for a few weeks and she had to deal with Monica again. She walked quickly through the small maze of hallways with the blind skill of one who knew every turn. In only a minute she was safely alone inside a small gymnasium filled with weight lifting