It took a full day for Holly to hear back from HQ after submitting her report. She had chosen to leave Kristy, her family and the healed Changed out of her report and leaned into a narrative that stressed the importance of providing relief efforts as soon as possible. Now, after a full day, her first response was in the form of a phone call from SAC Brown.

  She stared at the phone with reluctance before nodding to Higgins, making a shushing motion and putting SAC Brown on speaker while they both headed to a private room in the recently abandoned house.

  “This is Holly.”

  SAC Brown spoke in a tone that Holly couldn’t quite place, “I just read your report, Agent Holly. Good work. I’m going to send you coordinates for a chopper extraction. You are to report back to HQ for debriefing immediately. The chopper will be there within the hour.”

  Holly exchanged a concerned glance with Higgins and replied, “Sir, what about the people on the ground here.”

  Brown spoke with a cold tone, ”As you described them in your report, the Changed, as you call them, are to no longer be considered people. They are hostiles of an unknown threat level. The towns have been quarantined and the situation is being handled. That is all you need to know.”

  ”But, sir, we should try to help them,” Holly said.

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  “You have your orders, Agent Holly, that is your only concern at this point. Get to the extraction point or you will be marked as a rogue Agent and will be handled accordingly.” Brown hung up the phone.

  Holly stared off for a while, not sure what to do. Everything had been happening so fast.

  “Are you okay?” Higgins said and when she saw the genuine concern in his eyes, it brought her a sense of calm.

  “I will be,” Holly said as she memorized the messaged co-ordinates, turned her phone off and pulled out the battery.

  “What are you going to do?” Higgins reached for her hand and she took it in her hands and gave it a squeeze.

  Holly thought about their current situation and realistically weighed out where she would be able to do the most good. Higgins wasn’t going to like her answer, “I need to go back to HQ.”

  “What?” Higgins’ mouth hung open.

  “Any way we look at it, we need help down here. Things are escalating fast and public opinion is going to determine what happens to these people. If they are seen only as threats, then they have no hope of being saved.”

  Higgins let go of her hand and started to pace, “We can’t trust your boss, Holly. You’re throwing yourself into a hornet’s nest.”

  “I know we can’t trust him. That’s why we need me out there. You think he’s going to send you help? Besides, you saw what Kristy did yesterday, I’m useless here compared to her. Maybe out there, though, I can make a difference in a way that none of you can.”

  Higgins took a deep breath, “I don’t want to lose you.”

  “You won’t, I promise,” Holly tried to smile reassuringly, but wasn’t sure how well it worked.

  “Damnit Holly, I don’t like this at all,” Higgins said with clenched fists.

  “I don’t either, but liking a disaster situation would be kind of messed up. Do you trust me?”

  Higgins nodded, “I do. Just promise you’ll run if you get into something you can’t handle.”

  “I promise,” Holly said and hoped she could keep it.