Izzy and Tommy followed closely behind the galloping German Shepherds. Grace had picked up a scent belonging to a Private Niles. Unlike the other soldiers Niles had treated the dogs with dignity. As they ran Grace explained what he knew about Private Niles. He worked primarily with Operation Clean Sweep. The basic duty of OCS officers were to remove any riff raff from above or below the city streets. If any abandoned children were found they were either brought to Unity Camp or Fat Camp.  Grace quoted Captain Wilcox, 'All persons living on US soil must be deemed worthy to do so by either producing a service or serving others.' 

Izzy was confused. "Why under this pitiful earth would the new regime send starving children to Fat Camp?"

Grace explained further, "If you cannot serve your country physically then you must serve your country bodily." Izzy and Tommy looked at one another. They were perplexed.

Speed interjected, "Fat Camp doesn't mean they make fat people skinny it means the opposite. They fatten you up!"

Tommy, seriously baffled asked, "How can they afford to feed orphans? Isn't there a severe food shortage?" It finally sunk in. "Oh! They fatten them up to eat them?!"

"Yes my good boy. FAT stands for Feeding all Troops." Speed chuckled.

Izzy's blue sneakers screeched to a halt scattering pebbles behind her. She wasn't amused. "Speed that's not funny in the least. You made it up!"
Grace interejected, "Speed may have made up the acronym but he's right. If you are sent to Fat Camp it only means one thing... Fat Camp is where they "recycle" humans who aren't fit to work. Before the new regime slits your throat they explain how you're doing the honorable thing by serving their country."

Speed snickered. "Literally... There unofficial slogan is: These nutrient pellets give you the energy of a child."

Izzy, Tommy and Grace simultaneously chastised him, "SPEED!"

Speed hung his his furry black head. "I'm sorry... I make jokes when I'm nervous."

Izzy was beside herself with worry.  "Do you boys know where this Fat Camp is?"

"Nope... we've never been. But one day we too will become human fuel." Speed was no longer joking. Grace licked him on the nose.

Izzy marched back and forth. "Come on guys we need a plan."

Tommy matched her step for step. Izzy stopped pacing and asked, "What if we turn ourselves in?"

Tommy faced her. "If we get locked up, how can we help anybody?"

Speed spoke up, "He's right... but what if Grace and I worked from the outside and you two worked from the inside?"

Grace was on board. He nodded his gray and brown head. His large pointy ears stood tall and alert.

It dawned on Izzy. "I've got it! I'll act as if I'm some random kid on the street. I'll give myself a new name and everything, this way they'll have to send me to Fat Camp."

"But Izzy," Tommy protested, "you've got no physical abnormalities. They'll just hall your butt into Unity Camp, brainwash you and that will be the end of that."

"First of all, there's no way anyone could ever hypnotize my hard head and secondly there's plenty wrong with me." Izzy had fooled everyone her whole life. She appeared to the world as self confident, athletic and strong willed but in her heart of hearts she knew the battles which raged within her soul and, especially, her mind.  "I'll act like a mental case."

Izzy left the insult margin wide open for Tommy. But in a rare act of maturity he offered, "It sounds dangerous."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Izzy tilted her head. Her cropped honey-blond hair looked wild and she made a crazy face. She stated flatly, "I didn't think so."

Tommy asked, "And what'll we do while you're being fattened up to serve our country?"

"Let's see... Why don't we split up? I'll enlist for Fat Camp while you enlist for Unity Camp."

Tommy didn't like the idea of his brain turning to mush while eating his former friends. He thought this had to be the worst idea Izzy had ever come up with. But since he had nothing better to propose he went along with her wacky plan.

Speed and Grace simply said, "We're in."

Immediately Izzy dropped to the ground and began rolling around. She picked up some dirt, spit in it, and rubbed it all over her face and hair.  She chewed holes in her clothes and began to twitch and mumble to herself. Once she was finished writhing she asked, "How do I look?"

The trio answered, "Insane."

"Perfect... I'm thinking Schizophrenia with a hint of Tourettes."

The dogs looked confused. Grace asked, "What'll we do once you're inside the camps?"

Izzy wasn't sure. She was going on blind faith and knew only one thing, doing something is always better than doing nothing.

"Ask the Author," was her only advice.

---

Marina had been fasting and interceding since Leon left. She knew her grandson and friends were in danger. She stayed in constant communication with the Author.

Her grey hair had begun to grow in. Instead of dying it flaming red once again, she buzzed her entire head and put on over-sized gold hoop earrings to feel a bit more feminine. At 60 years old Marina felt younger and stronger than she had in her entire life. It could be the constant digging or her calisthenics routine consisting of weight lifting, chinups, pushups, super squats and crunches. Leon joked, "Nana doesn't play."  Her body resembled a slightly older and browner version of Linda Hamilton from the Terminator films. Although her grandson never understood this reference for he'd never seen a film in his life.

Leon asked,  "What's a Terminator Nana?  And why do you want to be buff like Sarah Connor?"

Nana explained, "It's a story about the end of the world... Judgment Day. They've locked up Sarah Connor because she knows the truth. The deadly robots from the future are gonna wipeout mankind.  Instead of believing her, the powers that be lock her up like she's a mental patient. But she knows what's coming. Sarah needs to protect her one and only son and save humanity. She doesn't whine or look for a man to rescue her. While locked up in the nuthouse she gets buff--I'm talking ripped.  Back in my day they rarely portrayed women as strong capable people."

Leon replied, "But Nana you're the strongest most capable woman I know."

Nana gave her grandson a rare hug. "And that is why you are my favorite person under and on top of this pitiful planet."

Marina missed Leon terribly but she didn't whine and complain. First of all there was no one to whine or complain to. Secondly she had a mission. People with vision rarely feel sorry for themselves.
She had been building out the underground bunker. It needed to be big enough to house dozens of misfit children. She looked up and asked the Author, "You sure about this?  I realize I'm one amazing woman but I could use some help right about now."

As she dug and chiseled the most amazing thing happened. Her underground lair connected with the basement of the shop next door. She needed a way to blast through the concrete safely. "Blasting concrete safely..." She chuckled to herself.  If she could connect her basement with the other abandoned shops on the block there would be plenty of room for hundreds of children. Woodsburgh is a ghost town. The military had already done a Clean Sweep with a torch and destroy mission of the entire block. "They won't be back." Marina thought, "The Wood's Shoppe revived is the perfect place for homebase."

-end of chapter 9-

Author's note: A few people asked me what Nana is up to. She is using her special gifts. What are your unique gifts?