In the After

spotted a group of Floraes in a cage in the back of the truck.
    I reached for the gun at my waist, ready to shoot, but the creatures were bizarrely placid. They stood almost still, rocking slightly as if in a gentle breeze. Creeping up to the cage, I peered closely at Them. The creatures were wearing headphones over their almost nonexistent ears, held in place with duct tape wrapped securely around their heads. This was how they did it? Noise-reduction headphones?
    Suddenly two gunshots rang out and I turned in time to see Gareth crumple to the ground. Behind me the Florae were going berserk. The gunshots were loud enough for Them to hear through the headphones. I glanced at the cage, which was holding, before I ran to Gareth.
    “Are you all right?” I helped him sit up, scanning for the shooter. Kay already had someone on the ground and was kicking him repeatedly in the ribs.
    “I’m . . . fine. . . .” Gareth told me between gasps. I pulled up his hood to examine his face. “The suit . . . stopped the bullets . . . but it hurts. . . .” He coughed loudly. “Hurts like hell.” He gingerly rubbed his chest and then tried unsuccessfully to stand. I helped him get to his feet and let him lean on me, supporting most of his weight.
    “He okay?” Kay asked, pulling off her hood as she jogged over.
    “I’m just peachy.” Gareth’s attempt to smile turned into a pained grimace.
    Kay looked at me. “You shouldn’t be here.”
    “I know. I wanted to help. . . . Are the Floraes secure?” They’d quieted down since the gunshots.
    “Yes, as long as they’re wearing that headgear. How did you know which direction the trucks were coming from?”
    There was no reason not to trust them, but I noticed Marcus hovering nearby. I motioned with my eyes toward him.
    Kay understood my hesitation. “Marcus,” she yelled, “you and the Elite Eight should do a quick run of the perimeter. Make sure it’s secure.” Marcus glared at her, but grunted an affirmative. After he’d gone, Kay turned back to me expectantly.
    “It was Baby,” I said at last. “She has extra-sensitive hearing.”
    “She heard the trucks?” Gareth asked, unbelieving. He winced slightly. “From halfway across New Hope?” I nodded. “Honey, that’s not extra sensitive, that’s supersonic.”
    I watched their faces nervously, hoping I hadn’t made a mistake.
    “Don’t worry,” Kay said, “we won’t tell your mother.”
    “Why would my mother care?” I asked uneasily.
    Kay and Gareth gave each other a look. “Believe me, this is something you do not want her to know. She would incorporate Baby into her Florae research.”
    My blood ran cold. “What? Why?”
    Kay frowned. “Listen, Amy, your mother only sees what’s good for New Hope.”
    I swallowed hard, pushing down my sudden anxiety. I was still shaking my head slightly.
    Kay reached past me, guiding Gareth to lean on her, relieving me of his weight. “You’d better hustle so you can get back before the director notices you’re gone,” Kay told me. “I’ll wait a few minutes to report in.”
    I gave Kay and Gareth a curt nod before I took off at full speed. When I reached my building, I hurriedly climbed up the fire escape and frantically changed into my jumpsuit on the roof. I quickly shoved my dark clothes and gun back into the bag. I barely had time to stash it before my mother appeared on the roof.
    “I guess everything went well,” I said, trying not to look nervous or guilty.
    My mother studied me. “Everything is fine, Amy. You shouldn’t worry about it. Trust me.”
    I smiled weakly, unsure. Kay warned me not to trust her. My own mother. Unconvinced, Baby and I followed her downstairs.
    The next morning, I caught my mother before she left for work. “What’s going to happen to Amber?” I asked. “Where’s her gang?”
    “Amber was released. The others were taken care of,” she said, closing her computer before I could see the screen.
    “Were they sent to the Ward?”
    “The Ward is where citizens can go to get the help they need,” she said irritably. “It’s not for criminals.”
    “Then were they expelled?” I asked, confused. What punishment would releasing them be when they already survived so well in the After?
    “No,” my mother muttered, annoyed. She didn’t want to tell me.
    “What about Paul, Amber’s brother? Is there any chance he’ll be released?”
    “No,” she said with finality. My mother wanted the