Bridger: a Dystopian Serial

The Final Bridge

By eight in the morning, Char had heard nothing from Erwell, so she called her on the comm.

"Any word from the higher ups?" Char said into the device. She sat on the edge of Seth's bed with his pillow clutched in one arm. She was glad Erwell couldn't see her. Better she think they were still on the other side of a messy divorce.

Erwell didn't answer for almost a minute.

"Nothing definite." The director's voice sounded strained.

"How are the Na'odani?" Char fingered the seam of the pillowcase.

"I have them talking to some of my scientists," Erwell answered. "That will keep them quiet for now."

"Keep me posted," Char said.

"Okay," Erwell replied, slightly crackled by the comm.

Char sighed and clipped the comm to her belt. She slipped out into the hall, grabbed some thermals from her room, and went outside.

She found Linc in a corner tower, pacing to keep warm.

"Hey, Boss," Linc said as she climbed onto the platform. "How's it going?"

"I'm jet-lagged," she answered dryly. "Listen, Linc. Did you do what I asked?"

"Yeah." Linc stood closer to her. "I went to go see the Na'odani."

"And?"

"They asked me some strange questions." Linc's eyes narrowed. "Like about my range of hearing, and the material the compound is made of." He grinned. "Concrete was hard to explain."

"Huh," she mused. "Go peek in on them at noon, will you?"

Linc gave her a sloppy salute. "I'll report when I do."

Char climbed down, but paused at the base of the ladder. "Hearing? Materials?" she muttered. She rubbed her gloved hand over the back of her neck and blew out her breath.

She broke into a jog toward the compound, drawing up short by the door.

There was a fifty-fifty chance Erwell would have the Na'odani killed for their kemzog. If so, she would never see Leander, Seth and the others again. But if it came to that, it would mean powering the fading American cities—probably save millions of lives.

Char was shivering as she entered the hall, blinking in the dim light. "Shit," she whispered. "If only Seth and Leander were here."

Leander would say to let her go and save more lives.

Her throat thickened. "Yes, but everyone who cares about me is on the other side of that fucking portal."

Char squared her shoulders and marched down the hall toward Erwell's offices.

Erwell didn't answer the door on her first knock. Char's hand froze mid-air before she could knock again. Her drew a deep breath.

I won't let them kill the Na'odani.

Her breath shuddered out. The door opened.

"Oh." Erwell's face was pale. "Char. Good."

"What's the plan?" Char asked in a low voice.

"We're going to take the kemzog." Erwell pushed past her into the hall.

Char followed. "You'll kill them?"

"Yes," the director said without looking back. "They don't want news about this spreading."

Char blinked. "But the—"