The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(32)

“How’d you—”

“Only military people have such clean money,” was the answer.

Spotting a tip jar, Lindsey shoved the returned credits into it. “Thanks.”

A blue plastic tarp was stretched under the ceiling and a bucket in the corner was slowly filling with water running off one corner. Another sign of the decay of the city and the civilian resourcefulness.

Lindsey spotted Torran at a wobbly metal table in one corner. She hurried over and fell into the chair across from him. It was uncomfortable, but after their long morning walk, she was fine with resting for a bit. Shrugging off her coat, she tied one sleeve to the chair leg.

“I know it doesn’t look like much, but they actually make really good food here. The entire roof is an herb garden. The only reason they have bread here is because for two years all they did was grow wheat and store the grain in one of the rooms upstairs. At least, that’s the rumor I heard.” Torran gestured toward a heavily-chained doorway tucked to one side of the kitchen area. “Hence the tight security to the upstairs area.”

“I heard that long ago, bread was the staple food of famine.”

“Now it’s tasteless protein slabs.” Torran grimaced.

Lindsey leaned her elbows on the table and glanced toward the vid screen in a dry corner of the café that was showing the latest news.

“How bad is it inside the SWD right now?”

“Among the security forces, it’s rough. Demoralizing. They busted their asses only to be maligned by what the admiral and his minions did. The glory they anticipated after their great victory has been dimmed a bit. Now they’re sharing duties with the Constabulary, so that natural rivalry is even more pointed.”

Lindsey wasn’t fond of the SWD after what they did to Maria, but she understood how hard it must be for those who had enlisted in the SWD in hopes of building a better life for everyone. “I suppose you don’t know what the deal with the higher ups is?”

“I know absolutely nothing other than what the news says about the admiral being holed up in his residence with his advisors and supporters, and that if he leaves he’ll be arrested instantly by the Constabulary. And I also know, for the moment, Dr. Curran seems to be the face of the SWD.”

“She’s not a very nice woman.”

“No, she’s not.” Torran hesitated, then asked, “Did she really have a cure for them?”

Lindsey hated lying, so instead she shrugged and changed the subject. “Is it rough for you now? Being SWD and not Constabulary?”

Torran regarded her solemnly. Did he notice her dodge? “Not at all. I believe that science will alleviate our suffering and that much good can come out of the SWD. I volunteered to help them create the search and destroy security forces once it became clear that they were going to be putting lives at risk. Better to prepare the search and destroy troops than watch them die because of lack of sufficient training.”

“So you don’t miss the Constabulary?”

“No.” Torran shook his head. “I didn’t agree with a lot that I saw and it was clear I couldn’t be a part of any effective change. I did like the idea of being part of some sort of change in the SWD. Taking a different approach from the Constabulary.”

Lindsey had to admit her devotion to the Constabulary seemed a bit foolish at times in light of all that had occurred. Commandant Pierce was a good person at heart, but she’d compromised herself quite a bit for the better good of The Bastion.

“Lindsey, it’s not that the Constabulary and the SWD are bad organizations, it’s that there is a disease in the upper echelons of power that rob their effectiveness and put lives at risk.”

She lifted her eyes to see he was worried he’d insulted her. “I get that. I just wish there were absolutes, you know?”

“There are absolutes. The Scrags need to die. Humanity needs to work together to survive.”

With a sad sigh, Lindsey said, “Yeah, but we’re not really working together, are we?”

“Well, you and I are.”

It seemed strange to be spending so much time with someone she’d met on the battlefield and had messaged impersonally just a few times over the last few weeks. Yet, she felt like she’d known Torran for a long time.

“Torran, did we ever meet when you were in the Constabulary? We were both part of the final push.”

“I don’t think so. I would have remembered a pretty girl with devastatingly gorgeous eyes.”

Lindsey chuckled. “Charmer.”

“In all seriousness, there were so many of us that the faces of those outside my squad are a blur. That bothers me sometimes when I look at the list of names on the memorial. There are so many I didn’t know that died right alongside my friends and squad members.” His expression was haunted and one she understood well.

“One of my best friends is on the memorial. His name was Ryan. I had an awful crush on him.”

“I hope he was a wise man and crushed back,” Torran said with twinkle in his eye.

“We had our fun times.” Lindsey’s cheeks flushed slightly at the memories. “It just feels odd that we served together and never met.”

“But we’ve met now. It’s all good, right?”

“Absolutely.”

Lindsey fell silent as their food was set before them on the table. The spicy smell of the barbecue sauce made her even hungrier than before. The protein almost looked like meat. The female server set down a basket of bread slices and Lindsey noted a few extra pieces had been added. There was also extra ice in their teas.