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“Stay away from Dean,” Saff hissed, her voice more strained and gravelly than it ever had been before.
“What happened?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Saff murmured. “Just stay away. There’s something off with him.”
“Okay.” Maddie nodded slowly. “Well, what did Sylvia say? When are they going to let you out?”
Saff was quiet, and Maddie’s heart rate increased with every passing moment of silence.
“The only way they’ll let me out is if I agree to stay here. Permanently.”
Relief flooded every inch of her body. This was even better than she’d imagined.
“Oh thank god,” she breathed, a wide smile filling her face. “I was so worried.” Her shoulders finally relaxed for the first time in hours. “So everything is fine, then? Is someone coming down now to let you out?”
She waited to hear Saff’s voice. Then she waited some more as a silence settled between them.
Then the silence extended until an uneasy feeling re-entered her stomach.
“Are they—“
“I’m not staying.”
Maddie blinked.
She moved her hand to the next metal bar.
“What—what do you mean?”
Silence again.
“I’m leaving.”
Maddie swallowed, a sudden dryness creeping down her throat.
“I don’t understand,” she said, shaking her head. “But they said—“
“I can’t—I won’t—“ Saff’s voice dripped with a bitter frustration. “This isn’t for me.”
Every ounce of relief she’d felt just moments before had vanished.
“But what about—“ Her voice cracked, and she closed her mouth, unable to finish the sentence.
What abouther? What aboutthem?
Silence.
That all-consuming, sickening silence.
Saff cleared her throat, her voice suddenly serious and more clear than before. “I need you to listen to me. Josh is right. This place isn’t safe. It’s not going to survive if raiders attack and make it through the wall. And they will eventually make it through.”
Maddie blinked, barely processing what was being said.
“You guys need to leave,” Saff continued, pausing only to cough. “You need to leave and go somewhere else. Somewhere far away from any other people. Okay?”
Maddie just stood there, too stunned to speak.
“Okay?” Saff repeated.
