The vortex reached Stella and she faded, her last instruction lost in a rush of wings.
John, not completely engulfed in the butterflies was making progress.The swarm was so thick now she couldn’t see anything else.
She fixed the last connection and closed up the back, then turned it over and opened the top.
The center swirled and twisted with multiple colors.
Now the vortex was closing on her.She looked up and all she could see was John’s face—snarled and angry—and his arms reaching out to grab her.
She rose, clutching the device.What if he did manage to reach the eye?Would he be able to act?Why had the swarm let him push through and stopped Stella and Alastor?
She took a half step back and a rope with a loop at the end dropped down in front of her.
“Rita?”
She looked up and saw Con leaning out of the cockpit of theRay.The rope dangled down from it.
So far, the ship was dead center of the vortex, which was still wider as it rose into the sky.
She grabbed the rope, put her foot into the loop and hung on, rising from the ground just as John fell into the eye.
He rolled over and tried to rise, but the vortex closed in around his feet.
The engine sounds of theRaydrowned out his shouted words.
TheRayrose straight up until she was clear of the vortex, then angled away into the desert.As she flew, the air against her cheeks began to cool and color began to appear below her.
And there below, parked to one side of the narrow highway was a camper.
Jack signaled Con when Rita was safely on the ground.He brought theRaydown on the road.There’d been no sign of anyone for miles.
It was a shock to step out and feel the cooling air as the sun began to sink below the horizon in the west.
Two strides brought Con to Rita, his arms clutching her against his chest.
“I thought I lost you,” he muttered into her ear.
She clung tighter for several seconds, then lifted her head and looked at Alice.
“She helped me.She didn’t lie or anything.”
Alice’s expression was complicated, far beyond Con’s ability to parse.Ty looped an arm around her waist and hugged her close.
It was what guys did when they didn’t know what to do.
“Where’s Ness?”Rita asked.
“She’s laying down in the camper.”
Crying, Con didn’t add.At least, she’d been crying when she left theRay.
“So here’s the plan,” Jack said.“Mel and I are going to take theRayand recon the silo area.The rest of you are taking the long way there.”
It was fair.Con didn’t like it but it was fair.TheRaybelonged to Jack, as did the silo.
“Tracking seems to be working again,” Mel said, “so we’ll be able to find you if, well, if.”
The silo was still gone, Con assumed she meant.None of them wanted to say it.
