Struggling to Connect: The 6th Book

Chapter 33: Infiltrated

In the morning I make my rounds to the different  homes of the people Dante was poisoning with the water who are still recovering. A few used some of the antibiotics we had on hand and the others who weren't as bad off just actually needed to be hydrated appropriately. The next day, Mary, a whisperer enters the walls of Alexandria to tell us about the horde. Although I missed her entrance, I am down in the cell when she wakes up to make sure Rosita didn't give her a concussion when she knocked her out.

Mary starts to wake up, still on the floor and when she sits up right, Rosita informs her, "it's from the last one. The last Whisperer we had in here."

"You killed him?" She asks, looking down at the blood by her hands.

Gabriel comes out from the shadows, "no. I did."

I add, "it was the one your people sent to spy on us."

Rosita states, "he killed my baby's father two days ago."

Mary sighs, "I don't know anything about that."

"Right. Never heard of him." Rosita rolls her eyes.

"I haven't."Mary insists, "I don't know." She sighs again.

Gabriel flatly replies, "it's amazing how much you say you don't know. Let me lay it out for you. You're gonna work very hard in this room. You're gonna have to convince us that you're different from the ones who lie and walk with the dead and eat worms.

Mary pauses for a moment in thought before asking, "and what if I can't?"

"Then you die." Rosita quickly tells her, "no torture. No games. No second chances."

"You'd be the third one, by the way." I throw in that fact.

"All's I've done is tell you the truth." She insists.

Gabriel denies her statement, "you haven't. This is not for show." He refers to his collar, "I am a servant of God. I've taken many confessions, and I can tell when people are holding things back."

Rosita clarifies, "holding things back is the same as lying."

"Outside at the gate, the story you had about being the aunt of the baby.." Gabriel says

Mary intercuts, "it's not a story."

"It does tug at all the right heartstrings, but you're hiding something, which makes the whole thing a lie." He remarks.

"Ask God if I'm lying." She returns.

"I've spoken to God." He claims, "he told me to hang you."

"I, uh.." Mary's voice cracks, "I killed my sister. I killed my sister." She says it each time with more force, "I killed, I killed her for Alpha." A tear rolls down her face, "she didn't even have to ask. I just did it. You believe me now, Father?" Gabriel nods slowly to tell her he does, so she states, "then you should get me a map."

Gabriel nods to me and I go in the cell the check get out and hand her a map. She looks it over for a few minutes before finding what she was looking for and circling it with a marker I handed her. I leave the cell with the map and turn it over to Gabriel. He glances down at it and directs to Rosita, "gather the others. We need to meet." He steps over a step to the open door and directs to Mary, "come with me." She nods and stands up to follow him out. Those of us left in the town who are fighters meet with each other to discuss the plane to get our people back. Mary informed the others that our people are trapped in the cave and are in danger. Gabriel decided to tell me quietly as we walked to the meeting hall. Once we determine the plan of sending two groups out to search, I bring Mary back to the cell and head off to gather my things to go out.

As I reach the others at the gate gearing up to head out, I catch them radioing one of our watch towers, "how many can you see in the herd?"

The man replies, "100 at least. It's hard to tell, but it looks like there are Whisperers in it. It's on its way."

"What should we do, Echo post, say again." We radio back. But it's just static in return, "we lost you." A moment pasts before the try again, "Echo post, respond."

Just static in response. Laura comments, "that watch tower's two miles away."

Rosita shakes her head, "we can't let this next wave bunch up at the gate the way the last one did."

"Why would they send a herd now?" I question out loud.

Gabriel explains what he believes, "we have a defector giving us information. They're trying to stop us before we act on it."

"We're gonna have to split up if we want to cover both gates." I say back.

One of the men gearing up to go out states, "that means less people out there."

"We don't have a choice." Gabriel announces, "show of hands how many people here have been on gate duty?"

A few hands go up and Laura asks, "alright, how many do we need?"

"Need or want?" I remind her the difference.

"Six, plus you, me, Rosita, Sadie and Gabe." She answers.

Rosita goes to direct the plan, "alright, you seven, you're gonna be on the main gate."

But Gabriel stops her, "hold on. New plan. Rosita, Sadie, and Laura, stay back on gate security with a skeleton crew." He looks to Scott, "you and I take a squad out to the outpost, break up the herd, and then move on to the cave." He looks to Rosita, Laura and I and asks, "good?"

I nod my head, a bit annoyed he's leaving me behind but not ready to fight about it right now. I quickly go to take off the gear I was putting on and suggest, "I'll go check on the residents, see if anyone needs anything before lock down. Make sure the infirmary patients are set as well." Gabriel and Rosita nod towards me as I walk off.