The women who stood in the hallway were examining her as if she were a bug. Ellie sighed, used to it, unfortunately. They didn’t trust outsiders―that being anyone who hadn’t been reared as a test experiment.

“I will be on the third floor when I return from the meeting I need to attend. My room number is posted on the wall by the elevator. Just come to me for anything you need or if you have any questions. I am here to help you and I want to do that. Do you have anything you want to ask me before I go?”

The four women didn’t speak. The tallest one spun on her heel to stalk into one of the rooms Ellie had just shown them. The other three followed and the door shut firmly with Ellie on the other side of it. None of the women seemed to want anything to do with her but she hoped that would change with time.

Ellie stared down at her outfit—running shoes, the black, cotton capris and a light-blue tank top. Her hair was secured in a ponytail. She knew she probably should change to something more professional but a glance at her watch assured her there wasn’t enough time. She had to run to make the meeting. Ellie darted for the stairs.

The main offices were located near the front of Homeland. Each dorm and building had been assigned golf carts. Ellie drove hers to the front parking spaces and turned off the engine. She glanced at her watch again with a soft curse, certain she’d be late. Cody hadn’t given her an exact time but twenty minutes had passed. She ran for the front double doors. She slowed to a walk when she spotted the armed security guard posted at the building. She didn’t know him yet.

“Hello. I’m Ellie Brower. I’m the female dorm house mother. Cody Parks said there’s a meeting I’m supposed to attend.”

The man tensed and his hand gripped his weapon at his hip, while he glared. Ellie slowly reached into the front pocket of her pants to pull out her security card. It not only opened doors but it had her picture on it to identify her as an employee. She stepped closer to hold it out for his inspection.

The guard accepted her card, examined it carefully, and then handed it back. “Go inside to the left conference room. Are you familiar with where that is, Ms. Brower?”

“Yes, I am. Thank you.”

Ellie inched around the man and entered the main office. She jogged down the long hallway and headed for the double doors where no guards were posted. She grabbed the handle, gave it a firm jerk to open the heavy door, and stepped inside.

The darkness of the room surprised her. The overhead lights were off and only scones dimly lit the walls. She couldn’t see well but the soft rumble of many voices assured her the room had filled with people.

Two security guards turned instantly and grabbed for their guns. She met their alarmed expressions with a calm smile. Her hands lifted out away from her body to show them she held nothing threatening but her security card. The room became utterly silent. She didn’t dare turn her attention away from the two men with their hands curved around their weapons.

“I’m Ellie Brower, house mother of the female dorm, and I come in peace.”

Neither guard smiled at her attempted joke. One of the guards kept his hand on the gun at his waist while the other man came forward to yank her card from her hand. She didn’t move while he examined it and then nodded.

“Take a seat. You’re late.” He offered the card back.

Ellie took her badge and returned it to her pocket. She had to move around the guard since he decided to remain, blocking her way. She took a few steps beyond him and peered at the people standing inside the room.

Darren Artino, the head of Homeland security, and Director Boris were also present. The director frowned as he closed the distance between them. She flinched when he glared at her outfit, silently communicating his disapproval of how was she dressed.

“I didn’t have time to change,” she explained. “I had four women to settle in and less than twenty minutes to do that before getting here. I wasn’t given any notice they were arriving until they were at the door.”

The tense lines around Director Boris’ mouth eased. “Fine, Ellie. Next time, dress properly. You look as though you just walked out of the gym.”

“Close,” she admitted. “Would you like me to turn the lights up? It’s dim inside here.”

“No.” Director Boris sighed. “Some of the council members prefer it this way.”

Ellie instantly understood. She’d been informed that some of the survivors had spent years locked inside darkened cells, resulting in oversensitivity to bright light. She’d outfitted some of the apartments with those female survivors in mind, had even gone out to buy them sunglasses to put inside their rooms so they could wear them in the common areas of the dorm, and had dimmer switches added to some rooms for adjustable lighting. She spent a lot of time considering New Species feelings and needs to be good at her job, something that had become a near obsession for her.

She recognized a few more faces near her as she glanced around. She smiled at Mike Torres, from the male dorm, when he winked at her. He seemed to be a nice guy in his early thirties who had flirted with her during the first meeting, the day Ellie had arrived. The employee who’d given Ellie the rundown of her duties as dorm mother stood next to him. Dominic Zort nodded curtly. His job, in general, seemed to be keeping the departments cooperating and he did most of the hiring.

Movement from of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned. Someone moved in her direction from across the room but being the shortest person surrounded by a group of taller men didn’t help her identify who approached.