The Alliance by Shannon Stoker Page B

contacts inside America, including Roderick Rowe. We were the ones who found out Mia was in Saint Louis. We instructed him to pick her up.”
    â€œDoes Carter know?”
    â€œNo,” Zack said. “It’s for the best that you keep this between the two of us.”
    â€œDid you know about the militia?” Andrew asked.
    He felt his rage starting to bubble. His fists clenched and he wanted to knock Zack in the side of the head. The man finally returned Andrew’s gaze.
    â€œI promise you we did not,” Zack said. “As far as Affinity was aware all three of you died with Roderick Rowe before crossing the border. We were shocked when you arrived.”
    â€œWhy didn’t you tell us the truth then?”
    â€œLook, we don’t have time for this. Everything is going according to plan. I need you to keep it that way. If you let Mia know, or Carter know, it could ruin everything we’ve been working toward.”
    â€œThey deserve the truth.”
    â€œAnd you can tell them,” Zack said. “Once we’re all safely back in Affinity. We had our reasons for keeping you in the dark. But if you tell Mia about this it will only upset her. There’s a lot riding on her shoulders. Do you want to cause her any more worry?”
    Andrew looked toward the front of the plane. He could see Mia talking with Madame Martineau. He heard her laugh. She was finding some comfort and Andrew wouldn’t be the one to take it away. He thought of the promise he’d made to Mia: no more secrets. He told himself keeping this from her wasn’t a secret. He was only delaying the truth, not lying.
    Carter sat back down and buckled his seat belt. Andrew could feel Zack’s eyes on him, waiting for confirmation. Andrew looked down at his own clenched fist; the knuckles had turned white. He forced his palm open and let his hand relax. He wasn’t that person anymore. Andrew wasn’t a fighter. He was a protector. Keeping this secret from Mia was necessary at the moment. He looked toward Zack and gave him a slow nod, which the blond man returned.
    Andrew’s attention remained on Mia the rest of the flight. He promised himself that as soon as the Registry was destroyed he would get all the answers he needed and tell Mia everything.

 
    UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
    ....................................
    Chapter 19
    I made a new friend. Another woman, who lost her whole family. She says this was caused by a vaccination the government mandated that everyone receive. I asked her why she is still alive and she is unsure why she is so lucky. Knowing the reason for America’s fate does not comfort me.
    â€”­The diary of Megan Jean
    The plane touched down and Mia felt the numbness disappear from her fingers. It was setting in, Mia was back in the most dangerous place in the world for her. She gave Flo a nervous smile, but the woman was busy looking at her phone. Mia watched as she powered the device down. Flo unbuckled her seat belt, even though the plane was still moving, and went to a safe sitting at the front of the aircraft. Mia watched as she typed in a combination and dropped her phone inside. Next she pulled out two bags.
    â€œFollow me,” Flo said. “You will want to hear this.”
    Zack, Andrew, Carter, Jesse, and Bryan were sitting in the back of the plane. All of them were dressed in black suits and all of their faces remained blank. Flo handed one of the bags to Zack, who pulled out a smaller bag with his name on it. From inside the smaller bag he pulled out some paperwork and a cellular phone.
    â€œPreapproved American cellular phones,” Flo said. “Each of you take one. All of the other numbers are programmed inside already so you can contact each other. I managed to find someone willing to install them all with GPS too, so you can locate each other if you highlight the contact and hold down the number seven. I