A Heartfelt Talk

Cohen had come over to visit them, leading him to talk shop in the garage with Aqil. Eventually, Cohen headed inside to find Ezra lying on the couch, listening to some music. Cohen’s eyes wandered over the large baby bump.

“I’m glad I’m not the one responsible for a kid in this world.” He spoke as he sat down in one of the armchairs.

“It won’t be easy.” Ezra struggled to sit up. “I’m…nervous about it all.” She admitted to him, not usually one to talk about her feelings.

“I would be too if I was you.” He spoke softly. “But you and Aqil’ll figure it out. I’m sure of that. You two are strong.”

“Is that why you picked me out so long ago?”

“One of them.” He nodded.

“Cohen, I’ve never really properly thanked you for getting us out of the quarantine zone. I’m pretty sure you saved our lives.”

“I owed it to you after all you did for me, kid.” Cohen chuckled quietly. “Aqil, on the other hand…” He trailed off with a smile. “I only brought him 'cause you asked so nicely.”

“He’s grown on you, though; you can admit it.”

“He has, he has.” He smiled a toothy smile.

“I just wish Aqil’s dad would’ve gone with us.” Ezra shook her head regretfully. “He was so stubborn. I know Aqil won’t talk about it, but…I can’t help but think he died there.”

Cohen took a deep breath. “No idea what happened to him, but there’s a good chance.” He nodded slowly. “Sorry, kid. I know they were the closest thing you had to parents.”

“Just wish they were here to celebrate the baby. Even if they were yelling at Aqil and me for not getting married.”

Cohen smiled slightly. “They would be happy for you two, I’m sure.” He stood up and squeezed her shoulder gently.

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The Man in Charge

Ezra was dragged into the room and roughly sat on the chair. In front of her sat the head of the quarantine zone, the closest thing they had to a leader: Jason Cadwell.

“You were caught smuggling, Ms. Amar. Things from outside the wall. Tell me how you acquired these items.”

“Ways.” She shrugged, not looking him in the eyes.

“Things will go a lot quicker if you’re honest, Ms. Amar.” He spread her file out over her desk. “No parents to come rescue you; perhaps that’s why you got yourself into this kind of trouble.”

“Leave my parents out of this.” She glared up at him darkly.

“A sensitive topic?” He cocked an eyebrow up.

“None. Of. Your. Business. Just let me leave.” Ezra crossed her arms over her chest.

“I can’t just let you leave without repercussions or you will continue to act out.” He stood up from his chair and walked around the desk. “I will be telling your guardian to keep a better eye on you from here out.”

She rolled eyes, knowing full well Karim was too busy to keep an eye on her.

“Not enough of a punishment, I can make it worse, Ms. Amar.” He leaned against the desk, towering over her.

“Bite me.” She growled up at him.

“Quite the little rebel you are.” Cadwell laughed, shaking his head. “Fine, if you are going to be difficult we will do things a different way. Guards!” The door opened and the guards that had brought her in returned. “Take her to processing. Have her spend the night in a cell to see how she likes it.”

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Ezra was curled up in a ball sitting on the bench hanging in the cell. It was cold and leaky in the jail and smelled of mold. He had told her this was her first strike and she doubted it would be her last, as she had no intentions of quitting now. Not until Cohen got them out of this place. She planned to dye her hair as soon as she got home so she could less easily recognized by the guards. She wasn’t giving up on working with Cohen that easily.

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Gone Fishing

Ezra, now heavily pregnant, spends most of her time laying in bed or sitting on the couch. Aqil, wanting to get her some exercise came up with a plan to get them out of the house.

“How much farther?” Ezra nearly waddled as she walked, trying to carefully walk over the rocky path without being able to see her feet. Their tiger companion followed after them, occasionally going into the long grass after a butterfly or grasshopper, but always returning to their sides in time.

“Not much longer.” Aqil looked back at her, a large smile on his face. They walked a while longer before arriving at their destination, a lake.

“Can’t believe you convinced me to come with you.” Ezra spoke, mostly under her breath.

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“It’ll be fun, Ez. I promise.” Aqil began setting the things out. Two chairs and their two fishing rods.

Ezra plopped down in the chair. “I don’t know about fishing, but I do look forward to the fresh fish.”

“There’s the spirit.” Aqil smiled at her, setting the pole up before casting it and sitting down next to her. He reached over and squeezed her hand gently. “I love you, Ezra Amar.”

Ezra blushed. Aqil liked it when she got like this. “I love you too, Aqil.”

“Good.” He laughed, smiling widely. “You better.”

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New World Authority

“I told you the fishing was worth it, Ez.” Aqil smiled back at her as she lay on the couch, and he cleaned the dishes.

“You were right, like usual.”

“Damn right.” He chuckled. There was a loud bang, but before either could react, there was another bang as the door flung open. Men rushed inside, pointing guns at the two of them. Aqil dropped the plate he was cleaning.

“Hands up! Hands up!” The men in riot gear commanded.

Aqil and Ezra are forced into an armored truck and told they’re heading to a New World Authority camp. A growing organization in No Man’s Land originated in the same quarantine zone Ezra and Aqil escaped from before the zone collapsed.

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A New Chapter

Aqil handed Ezra a bowl of food. She pokes at it and asks what it is. Aqil tells her to just eat it, saying it’s best if she doesn’t know, knowing full well she wouldn’t want to eat the cockroaches if she knew.

“It’s better than starving now that they’re barely giving out ration.” Aqil sat down at the table, setting a bowl in front of his place.

“I suppose.” She sighed before taking a bite and tasting it before making a face.

“Just eat it, Ez. We don’t have a choice.”

She swallowed, before nodding. “I guess. Thanks, Aqil.”

“‘Course.”

“Aqil. We should leave. Soon.” She poked her fork into the meat, staring intently at it.

“Yeah. We--we probably should.” He nodded slowly.

“Cohen will help us get out.”

“We need to try to get dad to come with us.” Aqil looked up at her hopefully.

“He’s so consumed in the politics now. He may not come, Aqil.”

“I know.” His face dropped.

“We’ll go and find your mom when we leave.” Ezra reached out and touched his hand.

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An Eye For An Eye

Ezra and Aqil are taken into a large office, behind the desk: an aged Jason Cadwell, as well as Karim by his side. Both of them were surprised to see Karim alive, glad to see he made it out, but the reunion is bittersweet as there are still men pointing guns at them.

“It’s good to see both of you alive. And you seem to be carrying a passenger, Ezra.” Karim warmly smiled at them.

“I--I’m surprised you made it out, dad.” Aqil quietly speaks up.

“Cadwell saved me.” Karim motioned toward him. “Many of us, in fact.”

“So, what are you now?” Ezra scowled at him. “Lapdog for Cadwell?”

“Ez.” Aqil looked over at her, reading the anger all over her face. He knew of her many poor run-ins with Cadwell but never knew the full extent of them.

“Ezra.” Karim took a deep breath.

“We have business with the two of you.” Cadwell spoke up, commanding their attention. Ezra shifted her glare to him. She hated him with every fiber of her being. “Your friend Cohen has been fucking up our operations and selling information to Biotech.” Cadwell folded his hands over the desk. “Bring him to me, and you will leave unharmed.”

“Fuck off.” Ezra growled.

Cadwell stood up and walked around the desk like he always did when speaking to Ezra. A way to intimidate and get that much closer to her. “Or we can just keep you here until you have that baby and use it as leverage to find his location.”

Ezra barred her teeth at him. “Fuck. Off.”

“I’ll tell you.” Aqil spoke up. “Just don’t hurt Ezra, okay?”

“What the fuck?” Ezra looked over at him.

“Guards! Take Aqil away and get what information you can from him.” Men came back into the room and pulled Aqil up, taking him out of the room. Karim followed, both eager for the information and eager to see his son again.

Cadwell waited until everyone left before speaking to Ezra again. “Seems your friend is more than willing to sell anyone out to protect you. Is he the one who knocked you up?”

“Like I’m going to answer you.” She scoffed.

“You know, Ezra. I’m surprised to see nothing has changed in this last decade. You’re still getting yourself into trouble for someone else’s sake and taking the fall.”

“Maybe I enjoy it.” She scowled up at him.

“Maybe you did.” He reached out and touched her cheek, which she jerked away from.

“Take me to the holding cell. I have nothing more to say.”

“Your little boyfriend is likely telling us all we need to anyways, so I will let you go.”

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Ezra sat uncomfortably on the bench, counting the seconds that went by. She dreaded what would happen if they found Cohen and what they were going to do to Aqil to get the information. She didn’t have to wait much longer as the guards pulled her out of the cell and back into the office. Fear spread on her face as she saw a slumped over Cohen in the chair.

“What--what did you do?” She pushed past the guards to find him lifeless, but still warm.

“I punished him.” Cadwell spoke simply. “He turned himself in to save you, and he had to pay for what he has done.” He shrugged, polishing the pistol he had used to kill him.

“You sick fucking bastard. I’ll fucking kill you!” She lounged at him but was held back by the guards.

“Get the two of them out of here and get someone to clean up the body.” Cadwell waved them off.

They began to pull her out of the room.

“Know the only reason you’re still alive, Ezra is because of that child.” He warned. “Otherwise you would’ve followed after him.”

“I’ll hunt you down, you fucking bastard.” She spat, looking back at him the best that she could.

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