The first thing that catches my eye is an empty bed, but looking around the small room, I see Ellen sitting cross-legged on a chair with a book in her hand. She obviously wasn't expecting anything exciting to happen because she takes her time looking up. When she does, she immediately throws the book to the ground and flies out of the chair toward me.

"Oh my God, Will. I'm so happy to see you!" She clings to me as I try to maintain the aim of the gun on Freddy.

A wave of relief floods over me as I note that her bandages are completely gone and she appears well. I return her hug, but she's reluctant to let go, instead burying her head in my chest. While I'd love to take my time to catch up, I'm also cognizant of the fact that the governor knows that I'm here and he's expecting me. If we don't go now, he'll send more men up and things could turn ugly.

"Are you okay, El? Did they treat you well?" I ask, taking the opportunity to push her away with my free hand and look her over properly. As promised, she's healed and the only sign that she was ever out in the sunlight is a slight bronze glow to her still flawless skin.

"Apart from being locked up in this hole, I'm peachy." She glances past me at Freddy to give weight to her discontent. Looking back at me, she punches me in the shoulder. "You're late, as usual."

"Yeah, you know me." I grin in return before turning to Freddy and handing him back his weapon. "Lead the way. I think it's time to see Governor Bradford."

"What the hell are you doing?" Ellen objects. "You should have tied him up and we could've made a run for it."

"I don't think the sniper on the roof likes me much, and I really don't want to test him on it." I grab her hand and pull her along.

With our captor showing us the way, we take the stairs and slowly descend a total of five levels. Even then, I'm surprised to see that we still hadn't reached the bottom. Exiting through a metal door, we enter another series of hallways lined with doors. Unlike on the ground level, most of these doors are open and there are people inside. As we pass them, I peek in and throw a casual greeting to the surprised occupants.

"Hey there. How ya' doing? I'm Will from Vanguard. This is Ellen, my sister. Will and Ellen here from Vanguard. What's up? We're from Vanguard." I combine various forms of my prepared spiel, even shaking a couple of hands of those we pass in the hall.

"What the hell are you doing?" Freddy pokes me in the back with the gun, clearly getting tired of my antics.

"Being friendly. It wouldn't hurt you to act a little more cordial, but perhaps you've forgotten your manners up here." Luckily, the insult shuts him up.

We turn right and left and right again until I have no idea which way we'd come, finally arriving at the end of the corridor. Entering another plain looking door, we find ourselves in a carpeted room with a desk on one side and a sitting area on the other. There's even a fake potted plant in the corner, its leaves covered in a fine layer of dust. Directly across from the door we just stepped through, is a set of much fancier, wooden double doors.

"The governor's expecting you, go right in," the man at the desk – casually dressed and fingering a handgun – instructs Freddy without prompting.

We find Bradford with two others. Seeing us, he quickly gets up from behind his own massive desk and we all meet in the middle of the room. Tall and lean with his gray hair in a buzz cut, he looks like a typical military man. Right now, I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Dealing with someone used to discipline and order could be advantageous in certain situations requiring negotiation. But a scattershot leader running things on fear would probably be easier to take down. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

"It's about damn time. What's she doing here?" He nods toward Ellen.

Freddy, who until now has been closely by my side, takes a timid step backward.

"I – uhm – he took my gun and—" he nervously stammers.

"Never mind. The important thing is that you've returned," Bradford addresses me with a smile and shakes my hand. "But where's your friend? Parking the submarine, perhaps?"

Here we go, I think to myself. The next few minutes will tell if I've done the right thing by coming back both alone and without even one ferry. In preparation, I clear my throat and square my shoulders. "No, sir. It's just me."

The governor's face immediately hardens and he gestures for Freddy to leave.

Ellen and I are still standing in the middle of the room and the two others who were already there have turned around in their chairs to watch. Meanwhile, Bradford begins to circle around us, reminding me of a shark preparing to strike.

"Didn't I make it clear that we needed both ferries, son?" While his tone is calm, the rising anger in his eyes is evident.

"Yes, sir. But there were complications," I say.

He stops before yelling directly into my face. "I couldn't give a damn about your complications!"

Ellen and I remain motionless, and at no point do the others try to interject. It's quite clear who holds the power in this group and I'm starting to think maybe I misjudged the man. Perhaps he does lead through intimidation, after all. After a few seconds, Bradford moves back towards the desk and leans against its edge.

"I guess we'll just have to make due with one ferry, then," he addresses his companions, who immediately begin strategizing.

"It's going to take much longer—" the woman begins, but the man interrupts her.

"I don't see how we can manage with just one. We have to send the kid back," he says, looking at me like the decision's been made.

I'm kind of shocked by the turn of events. The governor appears to have taken my news in stride. I shove my hands in my pockets and rock back and forth on the balls of my feet, deciding to just tell them the truth point-blank. "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

They all stare at me again, and I can tell by the way he's gripping the edge of the desk with both hands that Bradford's about to lose his patience with me. Surprisingly, this time he doesn't yell, but rather cocks his head to the side as if addressing a petulant child. "And why's that, son? Are you saying you're refusing my orders for a second time?"

"No, sir. I'm not refusing an order. However, I'm literally unable to carry out your request since I don't have a way to get back to Vanguard," I say.

A collective gasp surrounds me, not least of all from my sister who grabs my arm so I'm facing her.

"What are you saying Will? Are we stuck here?" she asks, the panic showing both in her widened eyes and in the tremble in her voice.

"Yes, Will. What exactly are you saying?" Bradford interjects, drawing my gaze to him.

"I didn't bring back a ferry. Ray dropped me off at the beach and left. It was the only way I could guarantee you not getting what you needed while not leaving Ellen alone here." I take her hand in mine as a sign of reassurance, but at the same time, the governor draws his gun and aims it at me.

I'm getting really tired of this being the standard reaction to unpleasant news around here, but he's only getting started. "If that's true, then you're obviously no longer an asset to us. So give me one reason I shouldn't shoot you on the spot, son," he threatens.

Luckily, his line of thinking so far has been utterly predictable and this query is no exception. I've come prepared and I smile as I deliver the final piece of my plan.

"Well, I made sure to draw as much attention to us as possible coming down here. So unless you want it to get out that you killed off the only link this place still has to Vanguard, you'd better put that weapon away. While we're safe, there's always the possibility that someone will come looking for us, meaning that there's still hope for you to get those ferries. But with us dead, you've just blown your first chance in twenty-five years. Do you really want to be remembered as the man who killed hope, governor?"

Bradford's hand wobbles a bit and he quickly lowers the gun before calling out. "Freddy! Get your ass back in here."

A few seconds later, a frazzled looking Freddy reenters the room. "Yes, sir!"

"Did anyone see these two coming down here?" he asks.

Freddy bites his lip. "Yes, sir," he mumbles.

"And did they talk to anyone? Tell them who they are? Where they came from?"

The lackey looks down at his feet. "Yes, sir."

"Oh good Lord. Get back out of here before I shoot you!" Bradford waves him away.

Freddy doesn't need to be told twice and he scurries out, slamming the door behind him.

Bradford sighs, tucks the gun into the back of his waistband, and slams his hands together. "Very well. I guess you can now consider yourselves long-term guests here. You'll get the same privileges as the others, but you'll also have to take on similar responsibilities. If you can at least agree to that, then we can wipe the slate clean."

"Thank you, sir. You've got yourself a deal," I say, avoiding Ellen's eyes because I know exactly how she's looking at me. If looks could kill, I'd be dead thanks to my sister.

"Juanita, can you get them oriented? Set them up with a bunk and show them around?" Bradford asks the other woman.

"Of course, Jim," she replies, getting up from her chair. As she begins to escort us out of the room, the governor has a final message for us.

"By the way. Your status here doesn't quite equal that of the others, so if you try to leave the immediate perimeter of the building without an escort, you will be shot on the spot," he says. "I guarantee you that."