Текст книги "Day One"

Автор книги: Summer Lane

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Chapter Eight

The night was freezing. Elle had left her backpack with Bravo at the edge of the forest. No moon. No stars. Only a canopy of thick, dark clouds. Elle shed her coat, wearing a tee with a thermal. Her hands were wrapped with strips of tape. She touched the cold granite of the rock cliff, barely able to see the outline of the rock against the night sky.

She could do this. It would be a piece of cake.

All of those gymnastics competitions and rock-climbing lessons would come in handy.

Thanks for forcing me to be social, Mom, Elle thought sadly.

She picked up a coil of black rope that she had salvaged long ago and kept in her pack. She slung it over her head and across her chest. She had shoved a pair of wire-cutters into the pocket of her cargo pants, a small tool she had picked up long ago in the city. Her katana was strapped across her back, and the Smith and Wesson was secured in her waistband. She had ten shots in the magazine – only ten. Hardly enough to stave off a Slaver army, but it would have to suffice.

Elle found hand and footholds in the side of the rock and began climbing. It was slow, careful work. She didn’t have much light to work with, so she had to take her time. One misstep could send her down the cliff. She pulled herself up, balancing on her toes. She climbed up the far side of the rock, away from the direct view of the Slavers in the lower encampment.

You’re practically there, Elle told herself. You can do this!

She had climbed many buildings in Hollywood after the EMP – when Day Zero had turned the city into an urban jungle. She scaled walls, drain pipes and boardwalks. She was fast and quick, light on her feet. It had kept her alive.

Her fingers were freezing tonight. Elle struggled to maintain a grip on the slick, gravelly granite rock. She glanced down. The forest floor spun beneath her, a hundred feet below. She inhaled quickly and closed her eyes.

“Don’t look down,” she muttered.

Looking down could distract her.

She kept climbing, resting when the muscles in her arms burned. She found a large crevice in the rock and wedged herself into the crack, placing the bulk of her body weight on her legs, letting her arms hang loose for a moment.

Pace yourself, she thought. That’s another thing Mom had always said. Pace yourself and you won’t get so tired at the end of the game.

Sure, Dad had been the one who paid for all of Elle’s gymnastics and climbing classes… but it was Mom who came to every competition and encouraged her.

Okay, keep going, Elle reminded herself. This is not a game. This is real.

Halfway up the rock. There was no turning back now. She had to go through with this. Her heart raced, fear sending pulses of electricity through her body. One wrong move could end everything.

A gust of fresh, cold wind swept over the rock face, blowing strands of hair into Elle’s eyes. She shook them off, her fingers cramping in the cold weather. She pulled herself up to the next handhold, jammed her foot into a supporting crack, and moved higher.

The climb went slow. At last, she reached the top of the cliff. She paused… waiting. There were faint voices, and she knew that she would have to do this quickly. The granite summit had a shelf of earth and grass. Manzanita bushes grew on the edge of the cliff. Elle pulled herself up, level with the ground, peering through the bushes, her legs a hundred and fifty feet above the road below.

By the time she reached the top, her arms ached. She felt deprived of oxygen. Or maybe she was just anxious. She didn’t care. She tied the rope around the base of a small tree, keeping low. She dropped the rest of the rope over the side of the cliff. It fell almost to the bottom.

Her next item of business was the corral. She could see Jay sitting with his knees against his chest inside the barbed wire fencing. He looked cold and hungry. Dark hollow rings had sunk into his skin, beneath his eyes.

“Jay,” she said, low.

He looked up.

His face was one of utter disbelief.

“Elle?”

Elle gestured for him to be silent. She clipped through the barbed wire one piece at a time, balancing on the balls of her feet, keeping her head down. The wire was tough. Her hands ached from forcing the blades through the metal. The guards roamed between the fencing, masked shadows of the night.

Elle was determined to escape unnoticed.

“You’re here?” Jay rasped. “That’s impossible! How the hell could you possibly find us here?”

“Shut up!” she hissed, casting a wary glance over her shoulder. Nothing but bushes and a sheer cliff were behind her, but everywhere else was danger. She clipped through the last piece of wiring.

“Come on, move,” she whispered.

Jay stared at her, shocked. It was as if his brain wouldn’t process the fact that Elle was crouched before him, offering him a route to freedom. Elle reached through the slice of fencing and grabbed his collar.

“Move!” she commanded. “We will all die if you don’t get it together!”

Jay blinked. Something shifted in his eyes, and suddenly he was moving, slipping through the crack. He was weak, dehydrated and starved, by the looks of it. He struggled to get out, holding his head in his hands.

Most of the prisoners were asleep. Flash was lying in the dirt with his eyes closed. Georgia’s arm was around his small shoulders in a protective position, trying to shield him from the chill. Elle crawled into the corral, keeping her belly to the dirt, her head down. She slowly shook Georgia’s shoulders. The girl didn’t stir. She was probably used to being jostled and poked in living quarters like these.

“Georgia,” Elle whispered. “Wake up. Come on. We’re on a schedule.”

Georgia stirred, opening her bleary eyes.

She focused on Elle’s face, gasping with surprise. Elle slapped her hand over her mouth, pressing her palm against Georgia’s lips.

“Shhh,” she said. “Get Flash. Just move.”

Georgia hesitated for only a moment, getting a bearing on her surroundings, then gently woke Flash. Elle crawled out of the corral, Georgia and Flash following. They remained silent, staring at Elle like she was a ghost. Georgia touched Elle’s arm, as if trying to convince herself that the girl was real.

“You have to trust me for this next part,” Elle whispered.

She stayed low, gesturing for them to follow. She returned to the cliff, showing them the rope. “Use this,” she explained. “Climb down. Move fast. Be quiet.” Georgia stared at the rope.

“I can’t… no way. That’s a huge cliff. That’s a freaking mile!” She looked up, frantically gripping the ground. “No, Elle. There’s got to be another way.”

“Sure, you can go back through the camp and get killed by the guards,” Elle replied. “Seriously. Climb. It’s only a little over a hundred feet. Wrap the rope between your legs and over your shoulder. The friction will burn, but it will get you down to the bottom.”

“I’m going,” Jay said.

He didn’t wait for anyone’s response. He grabbed the rope, secured it over his shoulder and between his legs, slid his body down, and began descending, slipping below the encampment, using the rope as a way to steady himself. Elle peeked her head over the edge of the cliff, watching the shadow of his body get farther and farther away.

“Your turn, Flash,” Elle commanded.

Flash swallowed. His hands trembled. He was sweating.

“Don’t look back,” Elle warned. “Stay focused on what you’re doing, do you understand?”

Flash nodded.

“You’re going to be fine, I promise,” she said. “Go.”

Flash slowly lowered himself down to the granite shelf and took hold of the rope, using it to guide himself down the rock face. Jay was moving quickly. He was already halfway to the bottom. Good.

“Georgia?” Elle asked.

Georgia looked her with wide, glassy eyes.

“I can’t,” she said. “I just can’t.”

“Then you’re staying behind,” Elle stated, her voice firm. “Because I didn’t come all this way to get caught by Slavers.”

“I just—I can’t, Elle!”

Georgia’s voice pitched, echoing off the rocks. Elle froze. Georgia held her breath, covering her own mouth with her hand. She looked horrified. At first, there was nothing but silence. But a Slaver guard had caught the sound and wandered to the corner of the encampment to check on the prisoners. From his vantage point, the corral was intact and everything was silent. Elle was a creature of the shadows, invisible. But Georgia was not. She was a head of bright yellow hair reflecting in the firelight. The guard’s face was impossible to see through the hood and mask, tilting his head, walking closer. He stared in their direction for several long, terrifying moments.

Elle didn’t dare breathe. She stared at the guard’s feet, knowing that if she stared at his eyes, he would somehow be drawn to her.

And then he sprinted forward. He was quiet, unspeaking. But he had seen them, and Elle’s heart dropped like a stone to the pit of her stomach. She turned to Georgia. “Go now!” she pleaded. Georgia shook her head, rooted to the spot.

The guard pulled his sword from the sheath hanging on his belt. It was a curved weapon, glinting like a crescent moon, sharp enough to split hairs. Elle moved forward and knelt down on one knee. She pulled out her katana and leaped forward, striking an overhead blow at the guard. Her blade collided with the guard’s curved sword.

Elle’s arm ached from the impact. Her body slid backward a few inches but she stayed balanced. The guard was strong and highly skilled – a better swordsman than Elle. She realized this immediately. Elle and the guard whirled and struck, thrust and dodged. He dropped a powerful stroke at her head. She caught it, gritting her teeth. She pushed hard against the force of his blade, holding him there. It pulled her muscles.

Tears of effort sprang to her eyes from the strain. She locked gazes with the guard, his blue eyes glittering at her through the slit in the hood. He suddenly shoved her backward and Elle rolled, dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. She staggered to her feet. Georgia was standing on the edge of the cliff, staring at the drop. She looked at Elle.

Elle looked at the guard. He ran toward her. Elle darted to the side, narrowly avoiding him. She ducked left, seeing Georgia disappear over the side of the cliff. It all happened in a split second. The guard moved toward the rope tied to the tree, raising his sword. Elle saw what he was going to do. He was going cut the rope. Jay, Georgia and Flash would fall, and it would all be over.

Elle leaped forward, jamming her shoulder into the guard. The air rushed out of his lungs and he stumbled sideways. There was a long second where Elle thought that he would somehow bob back up and slash her open with his sword, but that moment didn’t come. He lost his balance on the edge of the cliff, grabbed Elle’s arm, and they both tumbled down the side of the mountain.

Elle rolled over and over herself. Her face stung, her bones crashed against objects. It was a dark blur of pain and falling and weightlessness and then hitting the earth once again. Gravity was in control. She was tumbling head over heels alongside the guard, their swords clattering behind them, clanging against the rock.

It vaguely occurred to Elle that they hadn’t fallen off the sheer drop on the cliff. If they had, it would have been one long, airy drop with a short, sudden stop at the bottom. They would both be dead, and that would be the end of it.

But they were still rolling. They were tumbling at a sharp angle, finally coming to a shattering halt on level ground. Elle’s head swam. She tried to right herself, falling over and stumbling. She held her head in her hands, tasting something sour and metallic. Blood? She spit on her hand. Yes, lots of blood.

The guard was only ten or so feet away from her, barely a shape in the darkness. There were trees everywhere. Elle wished she could find her sword. The Smith and Wesson was still jammed into her pants, somehow, but she couldn’t use that. The sound of one shot would alert the entire encampment that there was an escape in progress. She couldn’t compromise the safety of the others to save herself. The guard slowly stood up. Elle was too tired – wracked with too much pain – to take him by surprise, to kill him.

“Please, just let me go,” she said softly. “I promise I’ll never come back.”

The guard tilted his head. Stifling silence. No answer.

He lunged forward. He grabbed Elle by the hair and slammed her face against the dirt, grinding her cheek into the ground. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. This was it. He was going to snap her neck – she was dead. She felt the pressure building on her spine. Her vision went starry.

There was a low scream and the pressure released. Elle wanted to scream. Was she paralyzed? Was this what it was like to lose sensation? The guard fell sideways and suddenly Elle’s vision brightened. The blood returned to her head. She clawed the dirt and forced herself upright. There was a blur of white teeth and a menacing, guttural growl. Bravo had sunk his teeth into the guard’s forearm. The guard was crying out in pain.

Bravo ripped a chunk of his flesh out, tossing it away. He growled lower, lunging again, snapping at his neck. The guard ran backward, tripping over a bush in the darkness, sprawling on his back. Bravo jumped on top of the guard and growled in his face, blood dripping from his fangs.

“Bravo,” Elle said. “Bravo, down.”

The dog’s tail twitched.

“Leave him,” Elle commanded. “Out.”

Elle slowly stood, swaying. She was dizzy. She touched her cheek. It had been slashed open during the tumble down the mountain. It stung. She could feel her lip going numb.

At the base of the sloping hill, she saw the curved sword beside her katana. She picked up her weapon and sheathed it. The guard lay on the ground, trembling, bloody. Bravo backed away, never removing his laser-like gaze from the man.

“Remember that we let you live,” Elle said. “Come on, Bravo.”

They left the guard in the silence of the woods.

Chapter Nine

Elle ran quickly and quietly, dodging boulders and making her way through the pine trees. The smell of sugar pine and cedar was strong in the air. The morning was crisp and silent. Elle was little more than a shadow, sprinting through the forest. And beside her, Bravo ran, too. He was quieter than Elle, his hunter’s instincts making him fast and alert.

Elle’s heart raced.

There was no stopping now.

There were no more options. This was the last resort.

She had stopped during the night only to tend to the cut on her cheek. It wasn’t as bad as she had thought – surface level. Enough to leave a scar but not enough to kill her. She had a medical kit in her backpack. She swiped the wound with antiseptic – it had stung worse than anything in the world – and slapped a bandage over it. The rest of her wounds could wait. All she could do was run.

Since escaping the Slaver encampment last night, the Slavers had realized that one of their guards was missing about thirty minutes after Elle and Bravo had left him at the bottom of the cliff. An alarm had rung through the stillness of the forest. They hadn’t stopped moving since then.

Elle was tracking the progress of Jay, Georgia and Flash. She had almost caught up with them. They were nearly out of the thickest part of the forest, moving toward the sloping, open mountains that led toward Palm Springs.

Dawn was just beginning to break over the hills. The desert was below Elle, and she could see three figures moving down the slope of the mountains. They were moving quickly, too. Elle’s heart lifted.

“Found them,” she panted.

About time. Bravo hung his tongue out, tired and thirsty. Elle offered him a quick drink of water. Humans move slow.

“Don’t antagonize me, I’m not in the mood.”

I’m just stating a fact. Don’t be so touchy.

Elle ignored Bravo and began her descent down the mountain. Bravo seemed to roll his eyes before following, allowing her to lead the way. Elle reached the bottom of the big hill at nearly the same time as the kids. They hadn’t yet looked behind them. They moved ahead, never stopping, never waiting.

“You know,” Elle commented, jogging. “We came all this way to rescue them and they didn’t even stop to see if the two of us were still alive. They just ran.”

What else did you expect? Bravo pointed out. They’re just children.

“So am I!”

You were born older, Elle. We both were.

Elle pondered this.

“Still,” she said. “It would have been nice.”

Yes, Bravo agreed. It would have been very nice.

Niceness was for losers and dead people in the apocalypse. Only the tough survived. At least, that was Elle’s humble opinion.

At last, Elle and Bravo caught up with the kids.

“Hey,” Elle called. “Wait!”

Jay turned around. Georgia and Flash whipped their heads backward. Flash stumbled and fell on his face. Elle couldn’t help it what she did next.

She laughed. She laughed long and hard, clutching her stomach.

“You guys are still so green,” she giggled.

“Shortstack!” Georgia cried. “Thank God, you’re alive!”

She rushed toward Elle and threw her arms around her neck. Elle stayed still, unsure what she should do with her arms. So she just stood there, arms at her sides, until Georgia pulled away.

“What happened to your face?” Georgia gasped.

Elle shrugged.

“We thought you were dead,” Jay said, shaking his head. “What happened back there? We just ran. We figured if you were alive you’d find us.”

They were right about that, at least.

“Oh, I just fell off a cliff,” Elle replied. “No big deal. Right, Bravo?”

“Whoa, you got a dog while we were gone?” Jay exclaimed.

“Hey, he’s not just a dog. His name is Bravo and he’s with us now.” Elle touched Bravo’s head. “He was a bomb dog. He can track, and he can fight.”

“He’s cute,” Georgia commented. “I mean, I’m not a huge dog person, but you know… I could be one, I guess.”

“You guys okay?” Elle asked. She looked at Flash as she said this. The boy was incredibly silent, never opening his mouth to say so much as a single word. “Flash?”

He nodded.

“He doesn’t talk much these days,” Georgia said, almost in a whisper. “Ever since… well, you know.” She paused. “It’s been tough.”

“Sorry.” Elle touched Flash’s cheek with her finger. “It’ll be okay.”

“How did you find us?” Jay asked.

“Followed the bread crumbs,” Elle replied.

He raised an eyebrow.

“Just be glad I found you at all,” she said, glancing behind her. “Come on, let’s keep walking. The Slavers will be looking for you guys for a while.”

“I can’t believe you came back for us,” Georgia said. “I mean, after everything. The argument and all that.”

“Believe it.” Elle looked at her. “So what happened, anyway? I showed up at the Jeep and there were Omega men dead, and you guys were gone. Pix was…” Elle stopped herself. “What’s the story?”

“Not long after you left,” Jay explained, “an Omega patrol from the city rolled in. They came out of nowhere. We were asleep. I didn’t even hear them coming.” He looked embarrassed to admit this. “They had us all at gunpoint. They were the ones who killed Pix – not the Slavers.”

Elle frowned.

“Then what?”

“The militia came,” Georgia picked up. “At least, we thought it was the militia. They killed the troopers. We thought we were saved, but it was a lie. It was the Slavers. They took us in a truck. There were some other people, some kids. We went for a long drive, then they dumped us in the mountains in a barbed-wire cage.” Georgia spread her arms. “It’s kind of simple, actually.”

“Okay, but here’s my question,” Elle said. “What are the Slavers actually using their prisoners for? Hard labor? What?”

“We couldn’t figure it out either,” Jay replied. “At least for the first couple of days. The guards up above on the cliff – the ones with the hoods. They’re mercenaries, hired by the Slavers. The Slavers take their prisoners and hold them before selling them to Omega to do hard labor.”

“Wow, supply and demand,” Elle remarked, disgusted. “Omega is actually purchasing slaves?”

“That’s the conclusion we came to,” Georgia confirmed.

“But if the Slavers and Omega are in this together… why would they kill the troops who shot Pix?” Elle asked.

At the mention of his dead sister’s name, Flash flinched.

“I don’t know,” Jay admitted. “Maybe because Omega was going to kill us, and the Slavers wanted the chance to sell us back to Omega. The Slavers have no rules. They’re organized, but they’re barbaric. Some of the crap we saw in San Jacinto was pretty harsh.”

Elle didn’t doubt it.

“Well, it’s about time we got our butts to Sacramento,” Elle stated. “I’m sick of running around the state, rescuing you guys.” She cracked a dry smile.

“We don’t know that’s what’s in Sacramento for sure,” Jay pointed out.

“It’s our best shot.”

He didn’t argue with that.

They faced the desert. Elle looked at Bravo. She felt a twinge of disappointment… of hurt. She had expected one of them to at least say thank you for braving the desert, for nearly getting killed by the Slavers, for everything she had done to extract them from the confines of imprisonment.

But they had said nothing.

Elle shook herself. This wasn’t about getting glory. This was about doing the right thing. She had done it. It was over now. She could get back to business. Her mind would rest easy – she hadn’t left them to die. She had saved their lives, and she could live with herself now.

Jay looked at Elle for a long moment.

“Elle…?” he said.

He opened his mouth and closed it. Elle walked a little faster.

She didn’t want him to see the bitter disappointment in her face.

The wind swept across the barren desert.

“Are we kidding ourselves?” Jay said. His lips were chapped. Dust stuck to every inch of his body, making him look like a pale ghost. “We can’t make it across this thing. It’s too far. We don’t have any water. We don’t have any food.”

“We’re all going to die,” Georgia replied dramatically. Her curly hair was matted. Her long, tall frame had become bony. The sparkle of her big, green eyes had been dulled. “Might as well find a nice place to lie down and call our grave.”

Flash said nothing. He only stood in one spot, staring at the desert with a baleful expression on his face. The horizon was marred by the dust storm. A blanket of dirt covered the sky, giving everything a brownish hue.

“We’re not going to go grave-shopping,” Elle answered. “Pull yourselves together, will you? Let’s focus on one thing at a time.”

“Like what?” Jay demanded. He spread his arms wide. “We’re in the middle of nowhere! There’s no food, no water. The Slavers are behind us. The desert is in front of us. We’re screwed.”

There was a wild light in his eyes.

“Fine. Stay here and die,” Elle snapped. “Don’t expect me to come back and bury your bodies.”

Her words were harsh and cold. Elle felt a stab of guilt and turned on her heel, walking against the wind. There was a moment of silence before she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. They were following her.

Well, of course they are, Elle thought. They can’t just give up and die.

They trudged across the wide, open space for hours. Elle had only a small amount of water in her backpack; enough to last a day or two if they were careful, but that was all.

They stopped to rest under the shade of a lone, ugly tree weathered by years of desert wind. Elle knelt to give Bravo a small handful of water. He drank it up with one swipe of his tongue, panting.

“You’re giving him our water,” Jay said, sounding surprised.

“He needs hydration as much as we do,” Elle replied.

“But we’re the ones dying.”

“Bravo is a part of our group. He’s helped keep us alive.”

“Bravo is a dog.”

Elle slowly stood up, glaring at Jay.

“Bravo is my friend,” she said.

“And what are we?” Georgia interjected. “We’re people and you’re wasting supplies on an animal. Elle, think of us.”

“I am thinking of you,” Elle answered, terse. “Bravo and I came all the way across the desert and risked our lives to save you from the Slavers. I think the least we can do is share our water with him.”

“But we need it more,” Jay pleaded. “We’ve got half of a bottle left. Don’t waste it on the dog.”

“His name is Bravo,” Elle hissed, slamming the lid on the water bottle. She shoved it into her backpack, licking her dry, cracked lips. “If you don’t want to share with him, then I don’t want to share with you.”

She zipped her pack shut and swung it across her shoulders, stalking off, Bravo beside her. She heard footsteps, turned, and caught a glimpse of Jay’s face. He grabbed the back of her pack and ripped it off her shoulders. Elle felt a shock of pain in her right arm. Jay yanked the pack away and Elle skidded across the dirt, tumbling in a heap.

“I’m taking charge of this,” Jay said.

Elle stared at him, dirt in her mouth, pain in her arm.

“You’re not thinking straight,” Elle replied, heart racing. “You’re panicking. Don’t do that, Jay. Trust me. I got across this desert to come for you guys, and I can get us back across it.”

“There is no back,” Jay laughed. It was a mean, guttural sound. “Back to what?” His crazed smile faded. “But we’re not sacrificing our lives because you’re giving all our supplies away to a freaking mutt.”

Elle looked at Bravo. He was tense. He could sense the arguing; he could smell the discord in the air. She placed one hand on his collar, kneeling on the ground. Georgia was frozen. She looked scared. Flash watched the whole thing with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face.

“That’s my pack,” Elle said slowly. “And I would appreciate it if you’d give it back.”

Jay’s glare was piercing. He slid his arms through the straps, shaking his head.

“Sorry, Elle,” he said. “But this is the way it has to be.”

Elle was infuriated. Her hands shook.

She had come all this way. She’d suffered through the brutality of the desert and risked her life in Slaver territory for this? For selfish, short-sighted children who were staging a mutiny?

Jay walked forward, taking his gaze off Elle. Georgia and Flash glanced at Elle, then at Jay. And they started walking, leaving Elle in the dirt.

Elle tightened her grip around Bravo’s collar.

Tell me this isn’t happening, Elle thought.

“Jay!” Elle stood up. “You will not do this to me!”

He kept walking. Georgia cast a guilty glance at Elle, but she didn’t stop walking. Anger rushed through Elle’s veins.

How dare they do this. After everything.

Elle got to her feet and sprinted across the open space between her and Jay. She slammed into him from behind and they fell to the ground in a tumbled heap. Elle jammed the heel of her shoe into his chin. Jay swore and grabbed Elle’s arm, twisting it backward. Elle cried out and sunk her teeth into his hand, biting as hard as she could. She tasted blood. Jay screamed and let go. Elle rolled to her feet and kicked him.

“After everything we’ve done for you,” Elle yelled, “you’re going to steal my stuff and leave me behind to die? Is that your brilliant plan, Jay?” She kicked him again. He grabbed her foot, slammed her against the ground.

“STOP IT!” Georgia begged. “PLEASE!”

Elle ignored her, her head spinning from hitting the dirt. She rolled sideways and grabbed a handful of Jay’s hair. She yanked on it, pulling out a big chunk. Blood stuck to her hands. Jay screamed again and attacked Elle with a maniacal energy, cursing and spitting as they rolled around in the dirt. Georgia tried to intervene, pulling on Jay, attempting to haul him out of the fight. Jay shoved her away. Flash just sat on the ground.

“Please don’t do this!” Georgia begged, tears running down her face.

Elle tuned her out. This wasn’t about doing what was right anymore. This was about survival. Bravo was watching the whole thing from the sidelines, his ears pricking forward. He paced, barking loudly.

He hardly ever barked.

Elle rolled to the side, avoiding another heavy blow from Jay. She tried to stand up but Jay grabbed her ankles and pulled her back down. Her face slapped the rocky soil and she saw stars.

Don’t hold back because he’s your friend, a little voice said. He’s trying to kill you. You need to defend yourself.

Elle’s natural survival instincts were coming out. Hadn’t she known from the beginning not to trust anyone? Hadn’t she violated her most important rule by teaming up with these idiots? And then she had gotten emotionally attached to them, finding herself on a half-baked rescue mission to save them from enslavement in the desert.

And this is how they thanked her.

Trust nobody, Elle thought. It’s me against the world.

Jay nailed Elle, pinning her against the ground, one knee on her chest. Elle coughed, struggling for breath. Bravo barked again, and this time he was on Jay, barreling into him at a full charge. Jay fell sideways as the dog attacked. Bravo dug his teeth into Jay’s arm. Jay cried out in agonizing pain. Elle struggled to her feet, coughing, dizzy. She drew her Smith and Wesson out of her jacket and held it directly in front of her, pointing the muzzle of the gun at Jay’s head.

Her hands shook.

“Bravo,” Elle said. Her voice was low but firm. Bravo released Jay’s arm and circled him, growling and flashing his teeth. Tears of pain ran down Jay’s face. Blood ran down his arm, pooling in the dirt. “Take off the backpack,” Elle commanded. “Now.”

Jay slowly slid his arms out of the straps and kicked the backpack toward Elle. She knelt down and slung one strap over her shoulder, still aching with pain and burning with adrenaline and anger.

“Let’s get one thing straight, city boy,” Elle said. “I’m in charge. I make the rules, and I decide how we ration the food. You lost the right to vote in this little democracy when you tried to break my arm about five seconds ago.” She took a step closer. “And if you try anything again, I’ll kill you.” She glanced at Bravo. “And if I don’t kill you, the dog will.”

She looked at Georgia.

“I don’t think Jay was thinking straight—” the girl started to say.

“None of us are thinking straight,” Elle replied. “It’s no excuse.”

Georgia hung her head.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, tough guy?” Elle demanded.

Jay nodded weakly, blood dribbling down his chin.

“It’s hard to believe you survived on the streets with fighting skills like that,” Elle muttered.