Day One

“What is that?” Georgia asked groggily, rolling on her stomach.

“An engine,” Elle concluded.

“A car?” Georgia looked alarmed. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I’m not.”

Jay just lay on his back, staring at the sky, silent.

“What do we do?” Flash hissed.

“We stay put,” Elle answered.

“What if it’s the Slavers?”

“Then we kill them.”

Elle was startled — shocked, almost — at how easily those words rolled off her tongue. It was such a statement of fact. A truth. If the Slavers found them, she would kill them before they took them back to Slaver territory. She wasn’t going to spend the rest of her life doing slave labor for Omega, no matter what anyone said or did.

She would die first.

Flash lowered his head, a cold, steely expression on his face. It worried Elle a little, but she didn’t question it. It was about time Flash toughened up… she just hoped it wasn’t at the expense of his humanity or personality.

“Get down, Bravo,” Elle whispered, tugging on the dog’s collar.

You know we’ve got trouble coming our way, right? Bravo looked at her. His eyes were dark and serious.

“I know,” she whispered.

Georgia gave her a confused look. Elle ignored it.

“Just stay low and don’t move, whatever you do,” Elle said.

The rumbling became slightly louder. A speck appeared on the horizon. It was moving quickly. Definitely a vehicle of some sort. An Omega patrol? A Slaver truck? Elle feared the worst. It zigzagged across the desert floor. It came closer. Elle kept her head against the dirt, peering at the moving vehicle.

It looked like a Humvee. It was painted the same muted shade of brown as the desert floor. But a Humvee could be anyone — Slaver, Omega, American… there was no guarantee that they were friendly.

The Humvee got closer. The engine broke the morning stillness of the desert. Georgia tensed. Jay inhaled sharply. It was heading their way.

“It’s going to run us over,” Flash breathed.

“Don’t move,” Elle said.

“It’s getting closer.”

“Do not move.”

“Elle…”

The Humvee was coming directly toward them. It would tear right over their bodies. The engine turned into a roar. Sweat ran down Elle’s forehead.

“MOVE!” she yelled.

They jumped up and sprinted, flinging themselves out of the path of the Humvee. The vehicle swerved and slid across the dirt, sending sprays of rock and mud into the air. It screeched past them. Elle took her gun out and shouted:

“Don’t run. They’ll be able to catch us. We have to stand our ground.”

The Humvee sat there, still. The engine rumbled, but the rear of the vehicle was the only thing she could see. There were at least three people in the cab. The passenger side opened and a man stepped out, toting a rifle. He aimed it at Elle’s head.

“Drop that gun, little girl,” he commanded.

He was wearing combat fatigues. His head was shaved, his face was wrinkled.

“I’ll drop mine if you drop yours,” Elle said, her voice loud and clear.

The man’s mouth twitched.

“I can respect that,” he replied. “But I outgun you and I outman you. See?”

Two more men got out of the vehicle, armed similarly. Jay stood next to Elle, his hands fisted. Georgia stood beside Jay, and Flash stood beside Georgia.

“We’re not looking for any trouble,” Elle said. “We’re just passing through.”

“You’re a little young to be traveling alone, aren’t you kids?” the man asked.

“Welcome to the apocalypse,” Elle replied. “Kids run wild.”

“You wounded, boy?” the man asked Jay, gesturing to the bandage on his arm.

Jay didn’t answer. He only glared.

“Listen,” the man said. “My name is Lieutenant Jeremy Danes, and I’m with the California National Guard. These two here are Private Kilion and Private Yancey. We’re just patrolling the area, making sure the pond scum isn’t coming back.”

“You’re with the United States Military?” Elle asked, blinking.

“Yes, ma’am,” Danes replied. “We sure are.”

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” she demanded. “The Slavers dress as militia to lure people in. I can’t just take your word for it.”

“No offense, kid,” Danes replied, “but you don’t have to believe crap. My men and I will leave you alone if you say the word, but I don’t think that’s what you want. By the looks of it, you probably don’t have any food and you’re sorely dehydrated. Am I right?”

Elle shrugged, still holding her gun.

“We can help you,” he continued. “But you’ve got to lower your gun.”

“I never lower my gun.”

“You’re going to have to trust us.”

“Trusting gets people killed. I don’t plan on being a casualty of blind faith.”

“It might save your life, kid.”

Elle hesitated. If Danes was telling the truth — if they really were United States Military men — then this could be their salvation. They would be rescued from the hell of the desert and the threat of Slaver pursuit.

“You’ve come from Slaver Territory, haven’t you?” Danes stated. “There was a big stir in the San Jacinto hills a couple of days ago. I’m guessing you were a part of that.”

“We’re not Slavers,” Georgia replied. “We were Slaver prisoners. We escaped.”

“I figured as much.” Danes gri

“They’re monsters,” Georgia answered.

“Why don’t you come back with us?” Danes asked. “We’ve got food and water — clean clothes. The military is offering shelter to anybody who comes in clean.”

“Clean?” Elle echoed.

“Unarmed until we check you at the front gate.”

“I’m not giving up my weapons.”

“Then I guess you’re not coming with us to safe haven.”

Elle hesitated.

What choice did they really have? They could say no to these men and continue across the desert, starved and dehydrated — possibly risking recapture by the Slavers.

“Where is this safe haven of yours?” Elle asked.

“Not far. There are a lot of refugees there. People like you.”

“I’m not a refugee.”

“You’re a kid who needs help. Now take it or leave it. I ain’t got all day.”

Elle looked at Jay. His face was stone. Georgia glanced at Elle, a pleading expression on her face. And then Flash walked forward, toward Danes.

“I’ll come with you,” he said.

Elle closed her eyes, sighing.

She knew what she had to do.

The safe haven wasn’t what Elle expected. It was built under the ground, a stronghold beneath the towering Tehachapi Mountains. A chain link fence surrounded the property, guarded by soldiers on towers and mazes of concrete barriers. Georgia, Jay and Flash strained to see out the window, murmuring softly. Jay glanced at Elle. His expression betrayed worry.

Elle looked away.

They sat in the back of the Humvee, squished together in the backseat. Lieutenant Danes drove, and the two privates were keeping their gazes trained on the windows.

The inside strap of Elle’s jacket was weightless, as was the sheath on her back. She had agreed to leave her weapons in the back of the Humvee while they entered the camp — until the National Guard cleared their entry.

Elle had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Nervousness? Probably. What if the National Guard didn’t let them in? What if they tossed then out on their butts, back into the harsh, unforgiving plain of the Mojave?

Well. There was nothing they could do now but see what happened.

They rolled up to the front checkpoint. Elle had never been on or near a military base before, so she wasn’t sure what she should expect. The guards conversed with Lieutenant Danes. He gestured to Elle and the others a few times, keeping his voice low. The guards peered at the kids, shaking their heads. And then they got a green light, and the Humvee rumbled through the first checkpoint, past the barriers and into the entrance to the safe haven. The structure of the building was similar to a parking garage. It was made of concrete, built into the side of the mountain. A small, bunker-like opening sloped downward, allowing vehicles to roll into a loading area. The Humvee pulled into it, cut the engine, and Lieutenant Danes opened the rear doors.