Their shift was uneventful. Nothing happened. No Berg's, no trucks in the gravel road into the town. The girls didn't even see a deer in the forest. They were relieved as two others took their spot.

Now they sat at the table with the others eating some pretty plain oatmeal. After half a bowl Hope pushed it away with a shudder and opted for the coffee.

"That good huh?" Harvey chuckled.

"It's...the best." Hope scrunched her nose and made a face.

Lanna and Harvey chuckled at her. Papa plopped down across from the girls at the table.

"I need two of you to come with me into the town."

"Harvey and Hope. I got uhh things to do." Lanna said immidiatly.

Hope elbowed her hard in the ribs, she yelped and swatted her elbow away, Lanna was bitting her lip trying hard not to giggle. Harvey's cheeks flushed slightly, but he pretended he didn't notice the girls having a silent argument. Lanna finally got free and skipped away from the table. Hope ground her teeth but swallowed her irritation with her friend and looked back to Papa Oden.

"What are we doing in town?"

"Buying supplies and getting information."

"Easy enough." Harvey shrugged.

"Should be." Papa nodded. He looked at his watched, "we leave in thirty minutes."

Hope nodded, drained her coffee and got up. She had a bone to pick with Lanna.

She found her in their room, sitting on her bed giggling with another of the girls around their age. Veronica, but she went by Vera, they found her a few months ago in a crank infested town.

"There she is!" Lanna giggled.

"I hate you so damn much!" She groaned and flopped down onto her bed, which was just a sleeping bag on a mattress.

"Nah. You love me! Papa Bear will have his music blasting, and you and Harvey have a full almost two hours to talk in the back! Come on Hope! He has the biggest heart eyes for you!"

"And I've told you! It ain't a good idea!"

"You gotta live girl. Just try it!" Vera giggled, throwing a pillow at Hope's head.

Hope just flipped the girls off and got up with a grown and grabbed her backpack.

"Wait... you're gonna go in that?"

Hope looked down at herself, "what's wrong with this? It's clean..."

"Girl you look like you rolled in a Grandpa's closet."

"Well in case you didn't realize it, but we're kinda in the middle of a damn zombie apocalypse, on the run living in an abandoned mining town." Hope rolled her eyes.

"At least put a different shirt on!" Lanna agreed.

Ten minutes later, Hope stomped out of the building and over to the supply shed. She shoved her backpack with stuff and then then went to meet Papa and Harvey. She felt rediculous. Hope yanked the elastic out of her hair, messing up the wild elaborate braid. It wasn't her. She had agreed to the clothes just to shut them up, but cropped tops in this apocalyptic world wasn't practical.

She was leaning on the truck when the guys showed up. David was also with them, which means her and Harvey were stuck in the flat bed.

Harvey's eyes went wide for a second and then his cheeks flushed. He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Alright. Sorry guys, your stuck in the back." Papa jabbed his thumb. His dark eyes had a spark. And a small smirk played at the corner of his lips.

Hope narrowed her eyes. She had a feeling he was bringing David for this very reason. She spun in her heel and climbed up into the back. Havery followed. And a few minutes later the old truck was pulling out of the town and down the road.

It was an awkward ride. They couldn't really have a full conversation, the wind was loud. Her hair blew everywhere and she regretted taking the braids out. At one point the truck hit a pothole flinging Hope into Harvey's lap. His cheeks went bright pink. Hope appolagized perfusly, her cheeks also hit and pink.

Papa Oden pulled the truck into the town and found a place to hide the truck. Hope hopped to the ground with a groan and slung her backpack on.

"Okay, were going for supplies, I want you two to go into the market area, and see what news you can gather."

Harvey and Hope nodded.

"Meet back here in two hours, here's a bit of change, use it wisely."

"On it."

"Be safe!" Papa warned.

Hope smiled, "Papa, I'm always safe."

He pulled Hope into a hug. And kissed the top of her head. "I know. But I still gotta say it." He mumbled into her hair.

Hope pulled away and followed Harvey down the road towards the city centre.

•°•

The town was bigger than most of the other places Hope had been to. They usually stayed away from the really big cities. Too many eyes who worked for WICKED. But desperate times called for desperate measures. They were almost out of food back at camp.

As they came to the end of the street Hope paused and looked around. They were surrounded by enormously tall buildings in every direction. Broken windows. Garbage strewn over the streets. Several dead bodies lying about. A smell of rot and dust. Heat. But no people. None living, anyway, at least not yet. It was crazy how desensitized to death and dead bodies Hope had become. She had seen her first dead bodies at the tender age of four and a half. She was now sixteen and had seen many many dead bodies. Hope glanced a little more carefully, these scattered bodies were older men and women, and decay had already set in.

Harvey gaged. Hope patted his back in sympathy. "You get used to it."

"You shouldn't have to." Harvey gaged.

"Except this is the damn world we live it. Toughen up or this world is gonna eat you alive."

"You got a pretty big chip in your shoulder, huh."

"You have no idea. Now come on." She kept walking away from the dead bodies and deeper into the city.

They walked in silence for a while, the streets became wider and they started to see  people. It was still early in the day, so people were slowly coming out to do their errands before the heat of the day. The broken doors and windows became less, or at least they were fixed and the buildings were lived in. The closer we got to the inhabited areas the more activity there was. Eyes peered at us through blinds and makeshift curtains. The people they crossed paths with were jumpy and skittish.

One guy was stumbling slightly and muttering to himself. His fuzzy red rimmed eyes locked onto Hope and a lopsided grin appeared. Hope clenched her hands into fists, she lifted her head, all her muscles tensed. Suddenly a hand was on her waist, gently pushing her to the other side of the sidewalk. Harvey had switched places with her and drapped an arm over her shoulders.  The guy stumbling frowned, made a face and then vered in a different direction, down a back alley. Harvey kept his arm over her shoulders until they were half a block away and then he dropped his arm and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"Don't be. He backed off, it's appreciated."

"Still..."

"Yeah, it's stupid that males only back off if another guy has claimed the girl."

"Wha-what? I ..I didn't claim you!"

"In his drunk mind you did. And he clearly didn't want a fight."

His face flushed. Hope didn't see the big deal, she usually was with Lanna and Papa Oden, and Oden was definitely not a man people wanted to mess with. He definitely looked like the Viking God.

"The closer we get to the city centre the more it's gonna happen, so get over it and hold my damn hand." Hope rolled her eyes, despite her stomach fluttering in nerves.

"Oh...okay."

He slid his hand into hers and they walked down the sidewalk, and into the market place.

"Stop gawking and look like we belong here!" She scolded.

The big square was full of tents and market tents people selling and buying. There wasn't a lot of fresh food, but if you wanted fresh, you had to come early in the morning. Vendors were set up, people playing instruments trying to get hand outs. A few people stumbled around with a can of alcohol. A few people in the corners sat or lay, eyes glazed and un moving, giggling lazily.

"What's wrong with them?" Harvey asked quiet.

"Dude. You've never heard of the Bliss?"

He shook his head.

"Where have you been? Living under a rock?"

"Apparently. Just tell me."

"It's a drug, that at first was only the rich could afford. It helps slow the progression of the Flare, it doesn't cure it, just suppresses the symptoms. But...it's crazy addictive and you...end up like that." She nodded to the one woman who was giggling slightly and slowly spinning in circles staring at the sky.
"It's now leaking into the streets, like any other kind of drug."

"Yikes."

Hope just hummed. They slowly walked into the market.

"Well...wanna get a coffee?" Hope nodded towards a small shop that seemed half decent.

"Coffee?"

"It's a little early for moonshine, Harvey! That's the best place to get information, but 10am is a bit early. Even for me." She grinned mischievously at him.

He looked shocked. Which made Hope roll her eyes. Harvey was either too nieve or just ignorant, and either way it wasn't good in this world. She pulled him towards the coffee shop.

While they waited in like Hope looked at the bulliten board. She nudged him and pointed. There was a big flyer pinned.

WICKED WANTS YOU.
Are you immune? If you are the ages of 5-18. WICKED is looking for you. You can help save the world! Contact WICKED if you or you know someone who can help save humanity.

"There's our proof." Hope whispered.

"It's like they are asking people to turn on each other." Harvey whispered back in disgust.

She hummed again. The line moved and it was our turn, they placed their orders and paid, sitting at one of the small tables we dipped coffee and listened to the conversations around them.

"...I heard...my cousin works for them, but I heard that there was break out a week ago!"

Hope's ears perked up and she tilted her head to listen in.

"No way?!"

"Yeah. Apparently, there was a big fight, guards were killed, and these kids fled into the Scorch. And now there's a huge man hunt for these kids! WICKED is all abuzz. Lock downs and all kinds of things."

"Well if their in the Scorch, there is no way those kids are gonna live!"

"I dunno Karen. These kids, according to my cousin, are the Elliets. The best of the best-"

"Well no wonder they broke out! Weren't the elites raised and brought up inside WICKED?"

"That's the word on the street! Anyways, ya these big important candidates... All of them broke out and are on the run."

"Huh. But run to where?"

"No idea."

"Well I wish those kids luck. Their gonna need it."

The woman had got their orders and rushed away. Hope sat frozen in her seat trying to process all the information. WICKED wanted more immune kids. A bunch of kids escaped.

"You were right. Coffee is the best place for information." Harvey leaned forward and whispered.

Hope was staring out the window, the crowd outside was growing and getting more rambunctious. Hope had an unsettling feeling growing in her chest.

"I think we should go meet Papa Oden."

Harvey nodded. They got up and went back outside. They walked as quickly as they could through the crowd. That's all that the crowd seemed to be talking about, these escaped kids from inside WICKED. They were almost back through the town square when the crowd became frantic. People started to push and shove more violently, people running and screaming.

"What's going on?" Hope yelled over the noise, she couldn't see over the heads of the people. Harvey stood on his tip toes and turned in a circle. He was being buffeted by the crowd. His face went pale.

"Harvey?" Hope stuttered, suddenly scared, Harvey's eyes had dilated in fear. "What? What's going on?" She grabbed his arm and someone pushed her, making her stumble backwards.

"Harvey!" She cried.

She was going to lose him in the chaos. The crowd was wild now. Wild scared crowds ment danger. They were already pushing and shoving. Hope was being elbowed and yanked away from Harvey.

"WICKED." He cried over the crowd.

His head whipped around and he tried reaching for her. She reached a hand for him but more people pushed her back with the wave of the crowd. She was pushed backwards into the chaos just as the crowd broke and the SWAT team appeared. Leaving Harvey at the front. The lone teenager in the sea of men and women.

"You there!" One guard called.

Harvey tried to ignore them, like he didn't hear. Another guard pointed his launcher. Kids

"Freeze kid!"

"Harvey." Hope whispered she had no idea what to do. His eyes found her in the crowd and he shook his head. Hope squeezed her eyes closed praying this wasn't real. But it was it was reality. Kids of all ages through the crowd were being ripped away from parents. All were being tested. Some were shoved back to their parents others were being picked up and taken, screaming from their parents. Hope's attention went back to Harvey.

"Kid! I said freeze!" His launcher was aimed and ready. Even from Hope's place in the crowd she could hear the hum from it charging up.

Harvey slowly turned. His face white as a ghost, but defiance in his eyes. A wild sick feeling filled Hope. She could feel the coffee curdling in her stomach.

"What?"

"Don't move. We need to check if you're immune."

"Why?"

"Orders." A guard said his voice slightly muffled due to the helmet. Harvey was grabbed and held despite his fighting and trying to throw the guards off.

A small device was pulled out it looked like a small hand held screen attached to a needle gun. They inserted it into his neck.

They waited a second and the guard nodded.

"You're coming with us kid."

Harvey was hauled away. Hope went to run after him, she had no plan, but they couldn't just take him. But someone grabbed her and pulled her back.

"No! No it's too late."

Hope looked around, Papa held her arm. He looked terrible, his eyes broken and a pained look on his face. 

"It's too late, we can't help him now. We need to leave now. Before they find you too."