The Thrust by Shoshanna Evers Page A

peacekeepers. We are allies.
    “Are we, though?” she asked.
    “The UN’s invaded to put America under international law,” Trent said. “We’re going to lose any hope of getting rid of martial law and restoring liberty. They’ll take our guns so we can’t fight back. They’ll pass laws no one votes for. Laws that will control where we live, what we do, what we can grow, eat, how we educate our children.” He gestured wildly, pointing to the village. “They’ll imprison the rebels—people like us, here in Letliv. They’ll take everything from the people and put it in the hands of the globalists.” He looked down at the paper in her hand. “ That’s what this means.”
    Clarissa could feel the anger in his voice, his words. “Where are you getting all this from? How do you know?”
    “The plans have been in place for a long time, even before the Pulse,” he said, shaking his head. “They call it Agenda Twenty-One.”
    Trent crumpled the paper in his fist and dropped it back on the ground.
Grand Central Terminal, a week later
    EVAN
    Evan took the vitamin from Annie gratefully, and they each swallowed down one of the horse-sized pills. He was already feeling physically stronger and mentally clearer with the proper vitamins and minerals. And Annie was in less pain. Her leg was slowly on the mend, thanks to the calcium and Vitamin D in the pills.
    “You need to get off the Tracks, Evan,” Annie said. “It’s not safe for you here.”
    “It’s not safe for you, either.” But Evan knew what she meant.
    Ever since that night a week ago, when Colonel Lanche had left him alone with Scar, his life had been a living hell.
    Because Scar was suddenly done talking, done threatening. He’d moved on to doing.
    He didn’t think Scar was gay, just a power-control freak. Dominating Evan seemed to scratch an itch that dominating the girls on the Tracks didn’t.
    A flash of what had happened that night ran through his head, but Evan pushed it out of his mind forcefully. His mouth filled with saliva and he wanted to spit, the same way he’d spat Scar’s come onto his boots in disgust that night.
    Don’t think about it.
    But Scar kept showing up, kept reminding him. Evan couldn’t sleep at night, knowing he might be coming for him.
    “You need to make them see you as a man,” Annie said. “As a soldier. So they won’t . . . mess with you.”
    “What am I supposed to do, go up to Lanche and ask for a uniform and a gun?”
    “Maybe. Then you’d be on the inside, you know? You’d know who was good. Who could be turned against him.”
    “I don’t think I could even pretend to serve that monster.” He sighed. “Besides, who will look after you?”
    “Josephine will,” Annie said, nodding her head to the subway car across the Tracks. “I’m getting better, too. I bet I’ll be able to put weight on it again in a few weeks.”
    “Don’t push yourself,” Evan warned. “You don’t want to re-break your leg.”
    “Just think about it, okay?”
    “Lanche is smart. He’ll never believe me. He knows when I’m lying.”
    “So tell him the truth. It’s been long enough—I know Barker, Clarissa, and Jenna are far enough away now to be safe from him. They’ve probably gotten more people, more supplies, more things than we even know. So whatever you know is old news.”
    Was it true? Could the information he’d been holding so close to his vest for so long be useless now to harm his friends?
    “He’ll want to know why I changed my mind.”
    “Well . . .” Annie blushed and looked away. “Maybe it’s because you’re sick of getting visits from Scar. That would be enough to change anyone’s mind.” She shuddered. “How are you . . . how are you doing?”
    “I’m fine,” Evan lied quickly. “It’s only happened three times. I can’t even remember really, because I pretend . . .”
    I pretend it’s not happening.
    “I know,” she whispered. “Tell Lanche that if Scar stays