Project Sleeper

Chapter Seventeen

"Alright, you two," Dr. Warren starts as he exits the conference room with Zeke. "I'm going to take you to your living quarters, now." Juliet, trying to keep up a pretense of not knowing what they talked about in their meeting, begins pestering Zeke and Damien.

"So what happened? What did you all talk about? Why couldn't I be there?" Damien smiles.

"I'm not a fool, Juliet. I know you were listening in. That was simply a test." Juliet gapes.

"What-"

"You didn't pass, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. You're resourceful, Miss

Michaels." The girl cringes at this name.

"It's Richmond," she corrects, even though it isn't her real name. It's the name that connects her to Zeke. Mr. Salazar himself can't help but smile at this small demonstration of loyalty.

"Miss Richmond. My apologies." Juliet nods, satisfied. "So what did you think of all that we talked about." She shrugs.

"I have no opinion," she replies. Damien smiles.

"Knowing you, that will change." She bristles.

"You don't know me."

"I know you more than YOU know you, Miss Richmond." Zeke squeezes Juliet's shoulder to comfort her.

"Now, your living quarters," the doctor continues. "Right this way." They follow the man out of the path and back out into the main part of the bunker.

"Right there," Damien points to the corner of the base. "That's the storehouse. We keep food and other supplies in there." It's a huge metal structure, but it's obvious how secure it is.

"Surely you don't keep weapons there, too?" Zeke asks.

"Obviously not. We have a separate place for the armory. We keep the location of that very secret." Juliet wonders how the location of anything could be secret in a place such as this. Still, she doesn't doubt the doctor. Only wonders.

He leads the pair to the residential area of the base, where there seem to be apartments lining the street.

"We've had to keep adding on, but we haven't really had issues with space. However, we're thinking about creating another bunker close by, in case we get more and more stragglers. After all, once the war begins, we'll be taking in plenty of refugees." Juliet shifts uncomfortably at the mention of war.

"Is war really necessary?" she asks. Damien stops, turns to her, and looks her square in the face.

"We are up against somebody who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He will take advantage of a world-wide epidemic to do so. He wants power, and we're not going to let him take it. That is that. Zeke has already expressed his concern, but now you are both here. That means that you will support us in whatever we do. Especially since right now, we're the only reason you haven't been taken back and sold off. So be grateful." On that note, he approaches a specific apartment, takes out a key, unlocks the door, twists the knob, and it swings open. "Here. Your new home. I'm tired and cranky and don't want to see either of you for the rest of the day. I'll be retiring. Feel free to roam or do whatever else you'd like. I'll send someone over later to give you an official tour."

And with that, he stalks away.

"Did I make him angry?" Juliet breathes, and Zeke shrugs.

"I guess so. But I wouldn't worry about it. I think he's just stressed. I would be." Still, he stares after the doctor, concern etched on his face. "I really don't know how I feel about this war he thinks he's going to start. On one hand, it seems necessary. On the other, I can't help but ask what we would be waring against. Red? His gang of henchmen? That doesn't sound like much of a war."

"Maybe we're underestimating this Red character," I suggest. Zeke shrugs again.

"I suppose we'll find out."

-----------------------

The apartment is sparsely furnished and small, but it fits their needs.

Still, despite the humble abode, Juliet opens a closet door and let's out a small gasp of surprise.

"What is it?" Zeke says, worried. Juliet pulls a few DVDs off of a shelf in the closet and she slowly holds them out to him.

"James Bond?" His eyes widen, as do Juliet's. Her face pales.

"Is this his creepy way of proving that he somehow knows me?" Juliet whispers. Zeke pulls her into a hug.

"Hey, hey. It's alright. Sure, Damien's a creep, but he helped us. And besides, nobody knows you like I do." Juliet smiles in his shoulder, but still. The feeling of being intruded upon creeps through her.

There's a knock at the door.

"Already?" Zeke groans. "I thought I'd have time for a nap or something."

"Who is it?" Juliet asks, confused.

"Damien said he was going to send someone to show us around."

"Oh," Juliet remembers. "Duh." She goes into one of the two small bedrooms that she has claimed as her own and sets the James Bond discs on the bed. She unties her sweater from her waist and sets it next to the DVDs.

"Hello, there. Come on in. We'll be ready in just a second. We were sort of hoping we'd have time to clean up..."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I can come back later, sir-"

"That's not necessary. We might as well get this tour over with, right? Then we can come back and relax. Well, sort of. Juliet, come on!" The voice of the tour guide sounds strangely familiar, but Juliet can't place it. He sounds young, but that's all she can deduce. She throws her dirty brown hair up into a ponytail before walking back out of the room, only to freeze.

"Chandler?"