That morning, Lana led the convoy 30 kiloters out of Ashbrook Town when Dakota, the forr penitentiary instructor, called for a full eting.
"Lana! We can’t let this chance go!" Dakota said loudly, clearly fired up. "You all saw it - their group’s all won, only one man leading them!"
There was one thing she didn’t say aloud - if not for the deep bond she had with the team, she might’ve jumped off the truck and asked to join the Ice Regint on her own.
"Dakota!" Georgia snapped, her voice sharp. "Don’t forget, we’re heading to Queenstead City. That’s our real destination!"
"Queenstead City? Hah..." Dakota’s sneer cut deep. "Just so half-dead prisoner’s rambling words? Georgia, do you seriously believe that place exists?"
"She was dying! What’s the point of lying at that point?" Georgia shot back.
"Then tell where Queenstead City is. All we know is it’s sowhere around Crestfall City. You gonna wander all of Eastmark Province chasing a ghost? And what’s wrong with the underground granary? You got sothing against them?"
"Dakota, don’t get tricked by those thousand girl students they sent out," Georgia said coldly. "You know who they really are? All won, huh? Then why’s a man barking all the orders? What if they’re just using those girls as bait?"
"Bait? You call that bait when each of them holds a tal Crystal?"
The argunt heated up fast. Lana frowned and cut them short, her voice steady. "Enough. What about the rest of you?"
She looked at Mia. Mia pressed her lips together, hesitated, then said, "I’m with Dakota."
Glenda took a drag from her cigarette, exhaling slow. "I say we check it out. Worst case, just crash there for a night."
"You all lost your minds?" Georgia jumped up and jabbed a finger at them one by one. "What if we go in and can’t leave? Didn’t you hear? They’ve got five thousand people stashed inside! We’re decent in a fight, sure - but you think we can take on thousands?!"
"Georgia..." Glenda tried to reason with her. "Why do you always assu the worst? Those girls didn’t seem like they had bad intentions."
"Glenda! If they really were all won, fine. I’d be the first to sign up. No complaints. But how do you know there’re no n among them? Just ’cause so prisoners said so? You believe that crap? That man who talked to us - what, was he a woman too? You blind or stupid?"
She was furious now, tossing insults around, her tone far from her usual flirtatious sass. Her words were cutting, cursing everyone on the truck. Dakota was shaking with anger, slapped her thigh and shot to her feet, finger aid right at Georgia’s face.
"Georgia! That’s enough! Say one more damn word and I swear I’ll shut you up myself!"
Just when it looked like things were about to get physical, the others in the truck jumped in and pulled them apart. Lana’s face was dark. She ordered a vote right on the spot. Out of the 60-plus people in the truck, only three sided with Georgia, wanting to head for Queenstead City. Everyone else voted to try their luck at the underground grain reserve.
Going to the grain reserve made sense - it was real, within reach. That so-called Queenstead City sounded nice, sure, but too far-fetched.
*****
"Back again?"
Magnus set down his fork, striding behind Chloe to the grain reserve entrance. Sure enough, that sa convoy had returned. Isabel had replaced the Doyle sisters on patrol this ti, yet no one was apprehended. Still five won standing outside the vehicle, sa as earlier.
"Let them in."
Magnus was already regretting letting them walk away this morning. He should’ve at least asked about their second awakening. Now that they were back, it suited him just fine.
The Ice Regint guards let Lana and the four won enter. As soon as they stepped inside, they couldn’t help but gasp inwardly. The reserve was way more luxurious and well-kept than they’d expected.
Not two steps through the gate and Ice Regint mbers were already stepping up to search them. Georgia scowled, snapping, "What do you think you’re doing?"
Chloe’s face was ice-cold. "Standard procedure. Weapons and Crystals - we’ll hold onto those for now."
Georgia opened her mouth to fire back, but Dakota grabbed her arm, whispering, "Cool it."
They followed Magnus toward the main RV area. The five of them glanced around like wide-eyed newcors, jaws practically hanging open. The reserve’s core was stacked with massive, spike-armored trucks stretching as far as they could see.
Past the truck zone, they reached Magnus’s RV. And there, behind it, a fleet of refitted long-haul sleeper buses. The won stopped dead in their tracks, stunned.
Once inside, a couple of girls helped them with chairs. Emily, Charlotte, and Sophia stepped in, having been filled in about the returning visitors.
Sarah politely served each of the five won a cup of tea, handing each one over in turn.
"So - what’s the ask?"
Charlotte dragged a chair over and sat beside them, deliberately not facing them head-on. A silent signal: we’re won like you, not enemies.
"We’re not supposed to be talking to you, are we?" Lana nodded toward Magnus, eyes on Charlotte.
Charlotte grinned. "Talking to is the sa as talking to him."
Glenda, the 53-year-old who once butchered a family of three with a cleaver over a ga of mahjong, suddenly chid in, "You two married or sothing?"
Charlotte chuckled and shook her head. "Nope. But I can speak for him."
"Doesn’t sound very single to ," Glenda muttered, then fell silent again.
"I’ll handle this..." Dakota stood, scanning the room. "Nice to et you all. I’m Dakota Delaney, forr officer at Everrest Won’s Penitentiary, from Silverpine City."
Maybe she was too used to leading - her formal intro got her so eye-rolls. Georgia scoffed, "Just say we’re here to stay for the night, no need to give a speech."
"Georgia! You don’t get to cut off!" Dakota snapped, glaring at her.
And there it was again - their inner rift flaring back up. Charlotte quickly tried to defuse things with a smile.
"Easy there, Dakota. You were an officer too, huh? Guess we’ve got sothing in common. So, bottom line - you folks just wanna crash here for the night?"
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