Page 63 of After the Burn

“That’s Gideon. He’s the de facto leader of this shitshow. Be respectful. Your life may hinge on whether he likes you or not.” Finley whispered urgently right before we approached.

One of the men stood near the judge’s bench, speaking quietly with another man before turning toward us.

Tall.

Well-dressed.

Controlled.

He wasn’t some screaming warlord.

More like a rich businessman.

But his eyes…dead. The eyes always gave a person away.

“Lucas Rowen,” Gideon greeted smoothly. “Finley tells me you were a teacher before the end of the world.”

“Yes.”

His gaze lingered on me. Calculating.

“Finley confirms you survived the fever.”

“Yes.”

“And you traveled here alone?”

“Yes.” The less said, the better.

Gideon motioned toward one of the maps pinned to the wall. “You’re probably trying to understand what this place is.”

“I’m trying to understand what you want from me.” Finley bumped my side with his elbow and gave me a warning look.

“Enhanced survivors strengthen the settlement." He narrowed his eyes. “They patrol farther. Fight harder and recover faster.” He waved his arms around the room. “You’re valuable here.”

I didn’t comment, and he continued.

“The world ended,” he said simply. “Most people responded emotionally.” His eyes sharpened slightly. “I responded practically.”

Ah, I got it now. He was a man in love with himself. I could work with that.

“How does this all function?” I’d noticed some unusual things while observing the town during my walk from the clinic.

Gideon folded his hands behind his back. “Individual households failed early, especially as half the town fell to the infection. Shared labor and protection proved more sustainable.” He paused briefly. “Especially once women became scarce.”

I felt my stomach drop. We’d been so secluded at Ben’s and then the farmhouse that all of this was news to me. I’d bet that was why Adrian and Beck stayed. If Gideon was watching them closely, there was no way they’d lead them back to a farmhouse full of females.

“How scarce?”

“Too scarce.”

He didn’t have enough grief in his voice for my liking.

Gideon walked toward the large windows overlooking the town.

“Most of our surviving women have already been claimed by groups,” he continued calmly. “The few remaining unclaimed women are carefully protected until suitable placements are found.”

Placements.