Took Me Yesterday (book 2 of The Tomo Trilogy)

Noah

The underground bunkers stretched on as long and loopy as the city aboveground, but underground was a lot more plain. Between the stark walls and hanging, murky lighting, it practically felt like a cavern. Even technology seemed nonexistent. Prevention against traceable radars, apparently.

Broden had explained it all: How everyone shared rooms. How everything and everyone was regulated, watched over, scrutinized. Mostly because they'd hit capacity months ago. Now, only minors were automatically granted sanction, which meant Lily and I were safe. Tasia, though, had been taken in to be questioned. Pierson demanded to stay with her, even though security thought he was a teenager. He could've snuck in; he chose not to. Their fate was up to the generals. Meanwhile, Lily and I stayed with Broden, and no one questioned us walking around. He was on a committee board for incoming youth survivors. An actual committee.

"Hence the uniform," he said as he unlocked a steel door that looked out of place in the rocky walls. I half-expected the new room to be a laboratory of sorts, but more dirt and dust met us. How anyone kept their clothes clean at all was beyond me.

"If you were expecting more freedom here, well..." Broden chuckled, but he sounded more strained than usual. I couldn't blame him. He took a couple steps forward, and we followed, Argos trailing after me. Broden insisted my elkhound could stay, but I wasn't sure if he was lying for my benefit or not. I decided not to question it.

"As far as we know, this used to be a bunker of some kind for the old country, but we use it as a storage locker." He sounded like a tourist pamphlet as he pointed out the fading numbers and worn-out screws. "The Tomery family received it as an initial testing facility a decade ago. Of course the testing was moved up to Albany, but that's a different story." He patted the walls as we came to a stop at the top of the stairs. It overlooked a circular room crammed full of people and boxes. "Now it's basically used for transportation, storage, and migrants," he said, digging his knuckles against my head, "like you."

I ducked away, ignoring his friendly gesture to study my surroundings. Down underground, dozens of people moved around like ants. The red uniforms were long gone, replaced by drab clothing that blended in with the dank room. Citizens' quarters, as he put it.

Lily inched up to the railing to search the crowd. When she didn't find Miles, she let out an exasperated sigh.

"So where do you stay?" I asked Broden.

"Here." He shrugged. "I may have the uniform, but I'm still a kid." He even rolled his eyes. "I think they only gave me one to encourage the others to sign over their lives."

I didn't ask what he meant. I didn't have to. He was a soldier. Always had been. Always would be. It was why he was loyal to Noah. Loyalty was in his blood. It just so happened that his uniform was the color of blood.

I wrapped my arms around my torso and shivered. This was going to be home for a while.

Broden laid his arm on my shoulder only to remove it when a passing blonde glared at him. "Stop getting distracted. You'll be late for duty."

"Never have been," Broden sang back, sarcasm lining his tone.

She cut her eyes at me, giving me the onceover, then huffed as she stalked off. On the back of her uniform, Jazzy had been sewed on. Obviously done by her, considering the others didn't have decorations on their clothes. The kind of girl who refused to blend in when everyone had lost everything. The kind of girl I wished I could be, even if I wouldn't admit it. Instead, I stayed quiet. Hidden. Angry.

"It's not too bad," Broden added once she was out of earshot.

"What about her?"

Broden followed Jazzy's blond curls as she bounced down the corridor, then disappeared. "She's like a lot of others around here. Just trying to get by. Though"—he rubbed the back of his head—"she does better than most."