The Immune

36. The Closing of a Door

Morning comes with pink brush strokes across the sky and a pale white moon nestled on the horizon. The rising sun casts its pedicured fingers across the bedroom, warming my face. Without a word, Isaac smiles down at me. He kisses me softly— this time on the corner of my mouth. Then, he gets out of bed and disappears to the bathroom.

Today's the day.

The clock beside me reads five a.m. Ollie will be waiting at the gate for us. Jane, Trevor, and Emily will have the truck loaded. Who will come to say goodbye to us? Did Ollie and Jane come up with a plan? Is everything in order?

The questions cling to me, long after Isaac and I are both changed and we've started packing. This time around, my backpack carries a lot more stuff. I pack extra changes of clothes, my pocket knife, the picture of my father and I, and sanitary supplies. This time, though, I cram a first aid kit on top of everything else. Tossing in some books from my shelf, I meet Isaac at the door.

"Ready?" I ask, reaching out to hold his hand.

"Whether I am or not, it's time."

The house is quiet. Jackson and Belle still lie asleep on the living room floor, but the adults are gone. Dad'll be up soon, getting ready for work. Mandy has to be around here somewhere; she gets the kids ready for school. I'm not sure where Stephen is. Isaac asks if I wanted to look at them, but I say no. We've got places to be.

We wait for Ollie at the gate, watching the compound begin to wake up. Isaac leans against The Wall, eyes wide and alert. I want to ask why he's on edge, but instead, I stand still and quiet, waiting. The guards move around overhead, getting ready for shift change.

With every passing minute, the sinking feeling sets in that no one is going to come say goodbye. If no one else, Dad should have came. It's probably good Mandy didn't. I can only imagine how that would have gone.

I'm not doing this for her, though, or anyone else. This journey is for me.

That's not entirely true. Isaac is most of the reason I'm going. Yet, there is a tiny piece of me that wants to be a part of something else. A part that wants to go outside The Wall again, that craves to see the mountains surrounding her. I miss being able to see miles down the road, the freedom of doing what I want whenever I want, and the freedom that comes with being outside. Sure, the compound is the safest place for me, but safety isn't what I want.

Safety will never be enough. I see that now.

"You're from Compound 5, aren't you?" I ask, making Isaac jump. He nods down at me. "Are they building an army?"

He purses his lips together. "I'm not sure. I passed my Intelligence Exam two years ago, when I was sixteen, but I was reassigned, remember? Plus, Kovach's not President anymore. His daughter took over, I think. I remember hearing about it from one of the Transfer Crew."

Intelligence Exam? Kovach? I open my mouth to continue the questioning, but an approaching shadow interrupts me.

"The Jaelyn Price."

I turn on my heel and smile broadly at the woman.

"Jane," I say as she saunters towards us.

She spreads her arms and wraps me in a giant hug. "Thank you so much for coming," she whispers in my ear. "It would have been a long few months with that mother of yours." She pulls away and extends a hand to Isaac. "And you! I'm so glad you pulled a Jesus and rose from the dead. You always were my favorite Wall Guard."

We share a moment of laughter before another body joins us.

"Alright!" Ollie claps her hands together— typical Ollie move— as she comes closer. "Here's the plan. Jane has the trucks parked and ready outside the gate. She's going to get you into Compound 3, help you finish what she's already started, and then introduce you to the right people in Compound 2. When it's time, she'll help you leave and head to Compound 2. We're hoping this will happen in a domino sort of fashion."