Day One

Flash bowed his head.

“Thank you, Elle,” he said.

“So you’re going to find your uncle alone?” Georgia asked. “We were supposed to go to Sacramento together!”

“That was before you got kidnapped by Slavers,” Elle pointed out. “And before we found Sector 27.”

“There’s nothing for us in Sacramento,” Georgia shrugged. “We’re as safe here as we’ll be there.” She looked at Jay. “Right?”

Jay stared at the table, the muscles in his arm tight.

“Right, Jay?” Georgia said again.

“I don’t care,” he replied. “We’re safe now. We’re alive.” He looked at Elle. “You need to do what you can to find your uncle. Family is important now more than ever.”

His eyes were dark, glinting with suppressed emotion. Sadness and anger and loneliness. Elle folded her hands on top of the table.

“I’m leaving tonight,” she said. “But first, I need to find Lieutenant Danes and tell him that I’m leaving.”

She stood up, and Bravo stood, too.

She smiled.

She would not be leaving this place alone.

Chapter Eleven

Elle stood on the outside of the chain link fence. Sector 27 was behind her. The mountains were before her. Bravo waited patiently at her side as she stared at Jay, Georgia and Flash. Lieutenant Danes hung back near the checkpoint, watching the scene with a curious expression on his face.

“I’m sorry,” Georgia said at last. “I would go with you, Elle, I really would… but I’m tired. Tired of walking, tired of fighting. Tired of getting kidnapped by maniacal sociopaths…” she cracked a wry smile. “I just want to be safe.”

“Behave yourself,” Elle advised. “No drug dealing, no cigarettes.”

“I’ll try,” Georgia laughed. “I’m going to miss you, shortstack.”

She crossed the distance between her and Elle, drawing her into a tight hug. She pulled away quickly, enough for Elle to see the tears in her eyes. Elle blinked — hard — and remained stoic.

“Goodbye, Elle,” Flash said. He nodded, reaching his hand out. He squeezed Elle’s fingers and bowed his head. “Thank you… for everything.”

“Don’t mention it,” Elle replied. “Seriously. Don’t.”

And then there was Jay. He stood there, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his dark skin glimmering against the early morning sun. He swallowed.

“Goodbye,” he said. He held out his hand.

Elle stared at it, her eyes darting back to his face, searching for some sign of humanity. For a sign of gratitude, maybe? For him to acknowledge that she had put everything on the line for this group’s survival — something that she had vowed never to do. It was a selfish desire. Elle knew this. But it didn’t change the fact. She wanted that simple validation before she left — from Jay more than anyone.

“It’s not goodbye,” Elle replied, shaking her head. “It’s just ‘see you later.’”

Jay lowered his hand, meeting her gaze.

“Yeah,” he said. “See you later.”

Elle shoved her thumbs against the straps of her backpack.

“Okay, then,” Elle said. “See you guys.”

“See you,” Flash answered.

“Yep.”

Jay suddenly took a step forward and folded Elle into a warm embrace. Georgia wrapped her arms around Elle from the side, and Flash joined in, too. It took Elle by surprise. She remained stiff for a moment, and then relaxed into the group hug. She felt a flood of warmth and happiness, of camaraderie and friendship. For the first time in her life, she felt loyalty.

The hug ended all too soon.

Georgia wiped her eyes, Flash sniffed, and Jay said:

“Thank you. None of us would be alive if you hadn’t been there for us. In Los Angeles. When the Slavers took us. You are the best friend any of us will ever have.”

Elle stared at him. She looked down, chewing on her lower lip, feeling dangerously close to crying. “Don’t just thank me,” she finally said. “Thank Bravo.”

“Bye, baby,” Georgia bawled, letting loose. She knelt down and hugged the dog, kissing his nose. “I’m going to miss you so much!”

“We all know who Georgia’s favorite is,” Jay commented.

He smiled.

“Yeah,” Elle answered. A pause, then, “We need to get going.”

Georgia got to her feet, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt.

“See you later,” she said.

“See you,” Flash added.

“See you soon,” Jay finished. “We will meet again.”

Elle lifted her chin.

“We will,” she told him. “Count on it.”

Bravo wagged his tail.

Lieutenant Danes waved from the fence, never moving, yet never taking his eyes off the group of kids. Elle lifted her left hand in a farewell wave, slipping her other hand into her pocket. She slid her aviators on her face, looking toward the mountains.

“See you,” she said one more time.

She was off again.

It didn’t take Elle long to reach the Central Valley. Her journey through the mountains was monotonous and tiring, filled with cold wind and brisk nighttime temperatures. She spent the silence of the journey talking to Bravo, reflecting on the past weeks and wondering how her life would have been different if she had never met Jay, Georgia, Flash and Pix.

“I’d probably still be in Los Angeles,” she mused. “I’d probably be dead.”

You’d definitely be dead, Bravo huffed. Without me, you wouldn’t last five minutes out here.

“Hey, I can take pretty good care of myself,” Elle retorted.

Pretty good is different than very good.

“You’re a cynic, dog.”

And proud of it, human.

Elle laughed.

The Central Valley was su

Why are we stopping at a gas station again? Bravo wondered, casting a sideways glance at Elle. His eyes sparkled. Need I remind you that we don’t have a car and gas pumps don’t work anymore?

“You need not,” Elle replied. “I told you. I promised to finish my part of a trade.”

What kind of a trade? I hope it involves something for me.

“I don’t think people trade doggy toys anymore.”

You say that word like it’s degrading. Doggy toys are my favorite.

“Because you’re a dog.”

Thanks for noticing. I’m certainly not a cat. Bravo shook his head. This is it.

He stopped and stared at the small gas station in the distance. The general store was sitting in the open sunshine. It looked even more withered and faded since the last time Elle had seen it. Elle had amazed herself, coming back to this place. She had figured that she would bypass it, but the feeling of guilt that came along with that idea was overwhelming. She had made it across the desert and into the San Jacinto Mountains because of the supplies that she had taken from Bob and Sie

She didn’t want to be like the rest of the world.

She wanted to be good.

Elle approached the building from an angle, watching the windows, watching the roof. The area was silent. The road was empty. The dry plum orchards surrounding the station were abandoned.

I smell trouble, Bravo warned, brow furrowing.

“What kind of trouble?” Elle whispered.

Don’t know. It just doesn’t smell right.

Elle licked her lips and they ran to the corner of the building, pausing near the drainpipe. There wasn’t a sound coming from within the building. Elle pulled the katana from its sheath. She rarely used this weapon — it was something she reserved for occasions when it was necessary to be as quiet as possible.

She held it steadily in her hands, keeping a firm grip on the handle. She tipped her head forward and Bravo jogged ahead, to the door. He paused, listening. His ears remained still.