AFTER HUMANITY

Chapter 2: Haven

Haven was not a city.

It was a hole.

A massive network of abandoned subway tunnels beneath the Dead City, reinforced with steel doors, concrete walls, generators and whatever technology the survivors could recover.

Forty-seven people lived there.

Forty-seven people who had never seen a normal world.

Elias reached the outer entrance just before sunset.

Two guards opened the door.

"You're late."

"I know."

"Find anything?"

Elias shook his head.

Then he remembered the radio.

"Where's Lena?"

The guard's expression changed.

"Medical."

Elias walked quickly.

Dr. Lena Ward was seventy-one years old.

She had gray hair, sharp eyes and the unpleasant habit of noticing things people wanted hidden.

She had also saved Elias's life more times than he could count.

He found her repairing an old medical scanner.

She looked up.

"You look frightened."

"I'm not."

"You're a terrible liar."

Elias placed the radio on the table.

"I received a transmission."

Lena stopped moving.

"What kind?"

"It knew my name."

"Lots of people know your name."

"My full name."

Lena stared at him.

Elias pressed play.

Static.

Then the voice.

Elias Voss.

Lena's face went completely still.

When the recording ended, she reached over and switched off the device.

"Destroy it."

Elias frowned.

"What?"

"Destroy the radio."

"Why?"

"Because it isn't a distress signal."

"What is it?"

Lena looked toward the medical room door.

Then she whispered:

"A hunting call."