“It seems safe to say they didn’t know what they’d find when they sent the drones,” St. George said. “Now they know we’re out here. I think we should wait and see what they do. Let them make the next move.”
Stealth tilted her head at him. “And if they do not make a move?”
“Then we can send Barry to check them out again. But for now, let’s play it cool.”
Barry grinned. “Don’t want to call too soon after our first date?”
“Don’t want them thinking we’re a threat,” said St. George. “They’re probably as freaked out by us as we are by them. And like you said, they’ve got a lot more guns. Let’s wait a couple days and see if the Predator comes back.”
Danielle nodded. “When they do, we can use my call sign and codes. Even if they can’t verify it, they should be able to recognize it as our military without too much trouble.”
Stealth gave a slow nod. “A sound plan for the present.”
“There’s one other thing, though,” said St. George. “What do we tell everyone?”
“What do you mean?” asked Danielle.
“Everyone here at the Mount. Inside the Big Wall. Do we keep quiet? Do we tell them the military’s coming to save the day?”
“I am sure that decision has been made for you, George,” said Stealth.
He looked at her. “How so?”
“Besides the four of us, fourteen scavengers know of the Predator drone. I find it unlikely all of them have remained silent on this matter. I would estimate at least two hundred people have been told the news during the course of this meeting.”
St. George sighed.
“Oh, joy,” said Barry. “That won’t cause any headaches.”
“I would suggest we advise citizens against any premature assumptions as to the nature of this incident. Perhaps we can protect them from potential disillusionment and the corresponding blow to morale.”
“Assuming, of course,” said Danielle, “there’s going to be a reason to be disillusioned.”
The lights flickered. “That’s my cue,” said Barry. He swallowed the last crust of his sandwich. “Batteries are running low. I need to get back to the chair.”
“They’re not lasting any time at all now,” muttered the redhead.
“We’re supplying six times as many people,” said St. George. “We need to figure out a better way to do this.”
“You’re telling me,” said Barry. He swung himself off the table and into his wheelchair. “You know it’s been six weeks since I slept in a bed?”
“Come on,” said the hero, scooping up his patchwork leather jacket. “Let’s get you over to Four.”
“Cerberus,” said Stealth, “if you could escort Zzzap back to the electric chair, I would like to speak with St. George for a few more minutes. Alone.”
“Somebody’s in trouble,” sang Barry with a grin.
The redhead took in a quick breath. “Will you be long? I was hoping to get the armor back on tonight.”
“Take the rest of the night off,” St. George told her. “We’ll get you suited back up in the morning.”
“Oh, sure,” said Barry. “She gets to sleep in a bed.”
“Someone needs to check the gates, though,” said Danielle. “If you two are going to be here for a while—”
“I will check the gates once our meeting is done,” said Stealth. “Will you see Zzzap back to Four, please?”
Her elbows pulled in closer to her body. “Sure,” she said. “No problem.” She wheeled Barry around and out the conference room doors.
St. George dropped his jacket back on the table and looked at the cloaked woman. “What’s up?”
“How did the new chainmail armor perform?”
“Nobody likes it, but Danny Foe let an ex get the drop on him and it stopped the bite. Not much past that. Everyone was on their game today.”
“Is there anything else to report from your mission?”
He leaned back against the table. “Pretty much just what we expected to find in the valley,” he said. “Exes seem more numerous but spread out more. Most everything’s looted along Cahuenga, but it’s hard to tell when so it doesn’t help us figure out if there are other survivors out there.”
“Did you listen?”
“What?”
“You launched a flare which would have been visible throughout most of the southern San Fernando Valley. If survivors saw it, there is a reasonable chance they would have made an effort to attract your attention.”
He sagged a little. “I didn’t even think of that. I was so excited about the plane.”
“The fault is mine,” she said. “I became focused on the flare as a signal for our own purposes. I did not consider the possibility it would serve as an indirect beacon to others until after you had left.”
“It’s not your responsibility to think of all this stuff.”
“Someone must be responsible,” she said, “and I am the best suited to the task.”
“Well,” he said, “maybe it won’t be for much longer. If it really is the Army we’re all off the hook. Someone else will be in charge.”
She tilted her head at him. “I did not realize you were eager to be relieved of your responsibilities.”