Rogue (Exceptional) by Jess Petosa Page A

over a century.”
           “You said there were others?” Heath asked.
           “Yes. Have you seen them?” It was Stosh who asked the question.
           “A large group passed north a few weeks back.  They were doing the same as you, passing through our town and headed south.  We helped them cross through the Guard outpost in small groups, but a half dozen of them chose to stay behind.”
           Ally jumped up. “Where are they? Can we speak to them?”
           “In time,” Heath said. “First, we’ll need you to go to processing. If you are staying that is.”
           They were definitely going to stay. Ally needed to speak with the others, and soon. She resisted the urge to use her abilities to burst their way out of the building and through the crowd, but she knew that wouldn’t go over well.
           “Processing?” Willow asked, looking particularly green at the moment.
           Max pushed away from the wall. “We hold you overnight to make sure you aren’t contaminated in any way.  The doctors run some tests and ask some question; simple things.”
           Ally could feel her pulse racing.  Doctors? Tests?   This was all starting to feel familiar.  She could hear a quickening heartbeat beside her.  Willow.
           “Is it necessary?” Willow croaked.
           Understanding flashed across Heath’s face. “You two were placed in the ORC, weren’t you?”
           Now it was Ally’s turned to be surprised. “How did you…?”
           Max shifted uncomfortably beside her.
           “It seems as though we both have information the other would like to hear,” he smirked. “We’ll talk tomorrow, after you’ve been to the processing center. Oh, and welcome to Champaign.”
           Four Ordinary men entered the room on that note, apparently ready to escort Ally and her friends to the processing center.  Ally didn’t know why they were needed at all.  She wasn’t planning on running and if she were, these men would not be able to stop her.
           As if Stosh’s thoughts mimicked her own, she watched her brother roll his eyes.
           “It isn’t for you,” Max responded to the look on her face. “It is for the others.”
           Ally smirked. “I forgot. I’m the big, bad Exceptional in town.”
     

CHAPTER SIX
                 
    The “processing center” turned out to be a two story home several streets over from Heath’s office.  There was a small reception area set up in the living room of the house, and the kitchen had been turned into a medical lab of sorts.  The four upstairs bedrooms were rooms for monitoring incoming Ordinarys, or in Ally’s case, Exceptionals, and for housing anyone traveling through.
    A kind, older woman, who introduced herself as Mona, greeted their group.
    She instructed them to sit on an old, floral patterned couch in the living room area while she took them to the back room one by one.  The small group of Ordinary men stayed by Ally, keeping watch over her.
           Ally was called back last, and she was feeling optimistic since the rest of her group had come out happy and unharmed.  Even Willow seemed to be at ease when she plopped back down on the couch.
           “Ally, is it?” The doctor asked when Ally pushed a blue curtain aside to enter the room.  There was a large exam table in the center of the room, and most of the wall space was covered in cabinets and countertops.   The doctor was a female, with dark hair braided down her back.
           “Yes, short for Allona.”  She sat down in a metal chair the doctor was motioning to with her hand. Once Ally was seated, the doctor started to make notes on her clipboard.
           “You can call me Carla.  I’m one of ten doctors here in town.” She smiled, still looking at the paper, and Ally could see the corner of her eyes crinkle. “We have a fully