The most severe punishment Affinity will deliver is exile from the community. This may only be issued under extreme circumstances.
—Internal memorandum from Affinity
“Where’s he going?” Zack asked.
“He’s been through a lot,” Mia said. “He needs some time to himself.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince Zack or herself.
“I think I could use some of that too,” Carter said.
He pushed himself up from the table and started for the door.
“Wait,” Mia said.
She had let Andrew storm off because she didn’t think she could help him, but maybe Carter could.
“Will you try talking with him?” Mia asked. “I mean, the two of you went through something together. Maybe he needs someone to talk with. I don’t have a clue what you guys went through or how you’re feeling.”
“You’re right,” Carter said. “You don’t.”
He shook his head and turned around, leaving a stunned Mia standing alone.
“Men,” Sarah said. “They think we’re the fragile ones.”
“Something is off about the two of them,” Mia said.
“Well they were held hostage and tortured,” Sarah said.
“It’s something else,” Mia said. “Like they’re bothered by different things.”
“Let them blow off some steam,” Sarah said. “We have something fun planned for you now anyway.”
Mia spun around to face Sarah. Zack stood up from the table and walked over to the girls.
“I thought you might want to take us for a drive,” Zack said.
“Really?” Mia asked. “Isn’t it getting late?”
“Not far,” Zack said. “We have a couple hours of sunlight left. I want to see your accident site anyway. Rex said he left his truck there and maybe some supplies we can use.”
Mia was worried about Carter and Andrew, but they were safe here and she didn’t think either would try to leave. She did want to get behind the wheel again. The smile she was holding in came to her face and she nodded her head.
Zack had a vehicle ready down by the entrance to the camp. They stopped by the welcome building first and he went inside.
“Do you drive?” Mia asked.
“No,” Sarah said. “Never felt the urge to learn. I’m sure I could figure it out though.”
“It’s not too hard,” Mia said.
Zack came back from the building. He wore a holster over his arm with a handgun tucked inside. He tossed Sarah a matching belt.
“Sorry,” Zack said. “You don’t get one tonight.”
“I don’t want one,” Mia said. Her experience with guns wasn’t pleasant. “Why do we need those anyway?”
“Protocol,” Zack said. “We always leave the camp armed.”
“Do you think someone is going to attack you?” Mia asked.
“Guatemala is a pretty civilized country,” Zack said. “But there aren’t really laws or law enforcement here. We’ve run into trouble with people trying to rob us before. Think of it more as a formality.”
“Just don’t shoot me,” Mia said.
“All members are trained in arms,” Sarah said. “There’s a shooting range on the other side of the camp. It can be pretty fun, letting off some steam.”
“Have you ever shot anyone before?” Mia asked.
Sarah laughed and shook her head. Mia bet that if she had, her attitude about guns would be a bit different. Sarah went into the backseat and Zack jumped in the passenger side. Mia climbed in the driver’s seat.
“Show us what you got,” Zack said.
“It’s not fingerprint coded?” Mia asked.
Zack shook his head.
“Too many people here,” he said. “Any finger will start it. That’s why someone always waits by the car when we take them out—no solo trips.”
Mia pressed her finger down and the engine came to life. It was a quiet hum.
“Is there backup fuel in here?” Mia asked.
“Don’t need it,” Zack said. “This is the wave of the future. Totally electric cars. This guy can run for five hours before the battery dies out, and we have a battery pack in the back to give it a recharge.”
Mia hit the buttons and they started down the drive.
“I’m surprised you know about that,” Zack said. “In America the cars are strictly gas.”
“Why is that?” Mia asked.
“America still has access to oil,” Zack said. “They’re the number one oil-producing country in the world. The electric vehicle is one of the few inventions that didn’t come out of America. They have no need for them there.”
“Before the Great War almost all cars were gas,” Sarah said. “Most of the oil came from the Middle East.”
Middle East. That rang a bell. Mia remembered seeing a headline on the Internet about America brokering peace there.
“Did the Middle East run out of oil?” Mia asked.
Zack and Sarah were quiet.
“I’m sure it’s still there,” Sarah said. “But not worth the risk of trying to recover it. Heavy radiation out there.”
“What do you mean?” Mia asked.
“That’s ground zero for the Great War,” Sarah said. “It was actually over oil.”
“But I read America brought peace there,” Mia said.
“Don’t believe anything you ever read in America,” Zack said. “The Middle East is a barren wasteland. After the war the radiation went south, taking out Africa, which was pretty destroyed from the war too.”
“Is that what happened to the rest of the regions?” Mia asked. “The ones the kids were talking about today?”
“With the exception of Antarctica,” Sarah said.
“What started the war? Which countries? Over oil?” Mia asked.
“Let’s focus on your driving,” Zack said. “You have the rest of your life to learn world history.”
Mia realized she was driving slowly. Being behind the wheel did bring a level of comfort. She pressed her foot down on the accelerator and felt her ponytail fly behind her in the wind. The simple act gave her some peace of mind as she drove them back down the mountain.