Free Mercy (The Last Army Book 1) by John Freeter Page A

interview went without a hitch, but she walked up to me with a worried frown on her face.
    “Did she ask you about your religious affiliation as well?” I whispered once she got close to me.
    “Yeah. I thought asking that was illegal or something.”
    “Tell that to the guy with the assault rifle.” I tried not to look concerned as I glanced at the man in question. The mild sensation of being a prisoner intensified. A dozen similarly armed men patrolled the area. “What’s taking Martin so long, anyways?”
    A steady trickle of refugees walked past us toward the gym’s entrance, but Martin’s interview with the old lady who’d registered Karla and me dragged on. The pleasant smile on her face had vanished, replaced by a scowl. Martin kept an easy grin, but he squared his shoulders as if expecting an attack. His instincts proved accurate. A pair of armed locals made a beeline for him. I rushed toward him as well.
    “What are you doing?” Karla asked. I wished I knew.
    “Just look around you, son,” the old lady was saying as I approached her desk. “Can you honestly say there is no God?”
    “There might be a God, but he’s certainly not a God deserving worship. Just look around you.” Martin widened his grin… at least, until he noticed me standing next to him. He warded me off with his hands. “Everything’s fine here, Rebecca. Go back to your friend.”
    “I’m afraid everything’s not fine,” the old lady said just as the armed men flanked Martin. “You might not be a bad man, son, but you’re terribly confused. Confusion’s the last thing we need right now. I’m sorry, but I think you’re better off seeking shelter elsewhere.”
    “What the hell? You can’t just send people away like that,” I said, leaning over her desk. “Do the troops outside know you’re doing this? This is… this is just wrong!”
    Martin gently grabbed my arm and took me aside. The old lady shook her head as the armed men took a step toward us.
    “It’s okay, Rebecca. They’re only asking me to leave. I’m sure there must be other places where I can go, east of here. It looks like the earthquake didn’t affect the rest of the island as much.”
    “But if we tell the soldiers outside—”
    “They’ll what? Go to war with the town?” Martin sighed. “You worry about yourself. I’ll be okay. Now, go inside and get something to eat, and don’t give these people an excuse to kick you out as well.”
    “You think I’m staying in this creepy place?” I looked at the armed men around us. “Screw that. We should all leave.”
    “Don’t be silly. This place might be creepy, but it’s safe. There’s food and water here. I’m sure it won’t be long until things start getting back to normal, but in the meantime, this town’s your best bet at making it through… whatever’s going on.”
    My throat tightened as I fought back tears of impotent rage. The stares and murmurs of everyone around us didn’t help. Despite my blazer, the air felt colder than ever. I knew Martin was right, but only because the world had become such a fucked-up place overnight.
    He extended his hand to me. “We’ll be seeing each other again—don’t worry.”
    Instead of shaking his hand, I stumbled forward and wrapped my arms around him. “Yeah. I know.” I felt his hands gently caress my back.
    “Now, go inside and get something to eat—and a shower. I wasn’t going to say anything, but you could really use a shower.” Martin grinned.
    I pushed him away and scoffed. “You don’t smell like a bundle of roses yourself, you know?” My tears finally spilled out, leaving a cold trail on my cheeks. “So… goodbye, then.”
    “See you later.” Martin walked away. The two well-armed armed locals marched just a few steps behind him.
    “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Karla said as she walked up to me and grabbed my arm. “We should get inside before there’s any more trouble.”
    She led me through the rows of refugees