ALIVE: The Aftermath Chronicles (Book 1)

Chapter 14 - SOI 3851

Sophie typically did what she wanted, how she wanted, when she wanted.

So, watching the others imprisoned and being reprimanded, then stripped of the means they found to protect themselves, it left a bitter taste in her mouth. In this world, a knife could be the difference between life and death, even in this protected little colony of Russell's. Until now and her own arrest, she did her best to remain neutral on the matter, or at least present herself as such.

One look at Doyle and she knew the game had been far over for him.

He's shackled. Contained in a cell on his own. The jails overflowing, he's the sole person that has his own, private, limited space. She's crammed into the cell next to him, along with several other women. At one point she wanted to take Doyle's hand as he continually paced, hoping to soothe away the tense grip that turned his knuckles white beyond his restraints, but she refrained. She just wished he'd look at her. Even once, after all these hours.

His anger with her over his forced sedation enough, she felt, for one night, but when it rolled over into the early morning, she couldn't understand why he didn't forgive her, why he wouldn't speak to her. Yes, she'd taken some supplies, but had every intention of returning what she could. Elisa even knew about it, but she didn't see her in any of the cells alongside her taking their same punishment. In her own isolation, she begins to wonder if the doctor finally betrayed them with Russell's reveal that he'd read Elisa's files.

What did that mean? What exactly did he know about her?

Then, she hopes that the doctor is okay, and begins to stress, that maybe Russell discovered more about what they'd been doing in the lab. How, she'd finally agreed to help Elisa with her research, for what was in her own blood and now, the districts were coming to take her away.

So, when Doyle's eyes finally met hers through the rusted bars, she couldn't help but crack a smile of relief, that maybe he'd talk to her now. However, when she noticed the anger still seething in the depths of green, she still couldn't understand why he was so mad at her.
With him within her reach, she grabbed his hand just as she imagined for hours through the bars between them.

She blurts out the confession in a whisper, "I've been helping Elisa with her research. I just thought you should know that I'm here, now, jailed next to you, probably because they found something in her lab about me...and I'm sorry about that...I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Doyle...I was just trying to help..."

"What kind of research?" His brow furrowed as he stared down at her, immediately taking his hand back. Confused, Doyle's clear memory of what happened with Sophie back at the CDC, before they arrived in Savannah, and her defiance there, her past, didn't match up with what she confessed to now.


Four Months Earlier — Atlanta, Georgia

The last survivors from District 1 arrived safely by helicopter thanks to Sergeant Doyle's friend, Sergeant Floyd Williams. Sophie, with the child Abby Grant in their company, all found rest in the secured underground, but not for long.

Atlanta is home to the territory of the capital district, District 4 and it's a district Elisa had every intention to avoid, with their former district sending off women faster to the capital than they could clear them from the virus.

She wanted no part in it, even though the district she wanted to research in Texas was under the direct supervision of District 4, as were all thriving districts under zombie America's capital.

The doctors that resided at the CDC—under the orders from District 4—briefed Elisa on all their developments in taking back the country from the dead. Elisa, forgetting her worries on the capital and their ruthless military, can't shake the hope that they were on the brink of finding solid ground against the virus and agreed to join their team for the time being.