Subterfuge, then overwhelming .

The plan goes as smoothly as he and Mary had hoped it would. Claiming Leanne this early in the evening was, of course, a major stroke of luck. But Grant likes to think that it would have gone well, regardless.

It's a simple procedure: Leanne, with her clothes straightened out properly, goes back into the darkened gym where the women have made their camp. She rouses a person who's not too close to anyone else, whispering to her to come quickly, because Leanne is worried that Jen's hurt, but to try not to make too much noise - "I don't want to panic the others." The "helper," bleary-eyed and concerned, follows Leanne down the hallway to the office, where Olivia, Lily, and Jaz lurk to seize and gag her. As she struggles, Grant steps forward, claims her, and the deed is done.

They claim seven women this way. At first it feels intoxicatingly powerful, but by number four it's starting to become mundane...to lose its luster, even. It's like cattle being fed through a slaughterhouse. The process is always the same: the bleary-eyed blink as she steps into the light, the surprise as the claimed women surge forward, the panicked struggle as they seize her, then the sudden docility on being claimed. It's a very successful operation, and despite the increasingly routine nature of the conquest Grant can't help but appreciate the variety of his prizes. There's an athletic white woman with her red hair in a high ponytail and lush curves; a diminutive, round-faced Latina who barely comes up to his sternum on her feet; a light-skinned south Asian woman with perfect bow lips and jet-black hair in a tight bun. Each of them struggles in the same way, and each of them stops struggling when he touches their skin and says the magic words.

As he releases the latest acquisition - a plump blonde woman in her early 40s - Mary finishes a quick head count of the women. "I think we're past the halfway point," she says with a grin. "Shall we?"

Grant hesitates. The next part is riskier. But they'd made the plan and agreed to it for a reason - unclaimed women are going to be valuable. And he needs to control some of that value. He takes a deep breath. "Guess so."

They give instructions to the newly claimed women - all of whom are, (un)naturally, eager to help - and move quickly and quietly down the hallway into the gym, several of the women taking off their shoes to maintain better silence. As they get to the gym, they pause, holding still for their eyes to adjust to the very minimal emergency lighting that never goes off in the vast, empty space. Sleeping forms are scattered around the floor, Grant sees. He nods to the women, and they head off, as instructed. Each of them moves with a partner, and pads quietly across the floor so that a pair is standing over each one of the sleeping forms. Grant, for his part, crosses to the half-stowed bleachers, Mary at his side with her rifle, eyes alert as she scans the darkness. He carefully mounts the first step so that he's a good head and shoulders above anyone else standing in the room, then pulls out his phone. Pointing it in the direction he knows the light switch lies, he clicks the button on the side, turning the screen on - a beacon in the blackened gym.

Jaz flips the switches and, with loud clicks, the lights begin to thud on. Harsh fluorescent light fills the room, bathing it in an yellowish glow as it reflects off the polished wood floor. Grant blinks furiously as he hears the sleeping women moan and stir, then hears the first yelps and screams as they look up to see women standing over them - some with guns. He takes a deep breath, steadies himself, then shouts.

"All right, everyone! Listen up!" There are more screams as the sleeping women whirl around to find a man standing over one end of the gym. Several try to scramble away, but the claimed women - including their former bunker mates - seize them and drag them back. "I'm sorry to wake you like this, but I'm afraid it had to be done. As you can see, I've already claimed several of the women here, and I'm going to claim more. My name is Grant. I live in the next neighborhood over, and...well, I'm gonna be in charge of this city." He grins. It feels crazy to say - reckless to say. Might as well start manifesting it, though. "You're all going to be coming with me, one way or another."

There are more screams at that, some of panic, some of rage. Grant glances at Mary and, with a grimace, she points her rifle toward the ceiling, switches the safety off, and pulls the trigger. The gunshot prompts several more screams as a bit of plaster falls from the ceiling, but then a deathly quiet settles in. Grant smiles grimly.

"Thank you," he continues. "Now, like I said - you're all coming with me. But only some of you are coming as claimed women. I have room for a few - just a few - women to come with me unclaimed. They'll still have to follow my rules, of course, but they can live with us and enjoy their freedom without worrying about someone else claiming them. I won't have sex with them unless they ask me to. So the question for you all is - who wants to submit willingly? Who wants to come with me and remain unclaimed? I can only take three."

"Fuck you, pig," one woman snarls. She's a curvy woman in her early 30s with raven-black hair that falls to the middle of her back, clad in a dress that bespeaks casual wealth. "You fucking asshole. Fascist. You'll get what's coming to you one day, you fucking prick."

"Right. It's come to my attention that you all have been locked in here all day, with only little bits of news from the outside world and not much of the reality of claiming in your life. So thank you for giving me the chance to demonstrate some things." He nods, and the women hovering over the one who spoke out - Jaz and, he thinks it's Eve? The redhead with the ponytail - seize the malingerer by the arms and half-march, half-drag her through the gym toward Grant. She struggles against them, shrieking and protesting as she goes, but they're firm in grip and resolution. They get her in front of Grant and hoist her upright as she struggles.

"No - no - !"

Grant reaches down and seizes her hair. "I claim you," he says, and it's as simple as that.