“You worried about Marcus?”
“I’m trying to keep my mind busy with other things, but yes.”
“Ain’t love grand?”
Her wry question makes me laugh. I think it’s my first laugh of the day.
“So the Tiders are guarding our camp at night,” she says. “Never thought that sentence would come out of my mouth.”
“The supply building is made of reinforced concrete and the locks are solid. All our weapons are in the Sub.”
“I’m not questioning you,” she says. “I think it’s a good idea. Our people need to sleep.”
“Let’s just hope Marcus doesn’t get back at night.”
She scoffs. “We’d better leave a note for him in that grotto, or we could wake up to a mess.”
“I will.”
We’ve reached the center of camp. She looks around at the mixture of our people and the Tiders, most of them sticking by their own people, but a few talking to each other. The sun is starting its descent and the laundry bike riders are beginning their camp rounds.
“Don’t say it,” I warn. “It’s too soon to say this was a good idea.”
“I wasn’t going to say that. I was going to say I’m glad you and Marcus worked things out. He needs you.”
She turns toward the Hub, leaving me thinking about Marcus and wondering where he is right now. And more importantly,howhe is.
27
“We’re all scared out of our minds. There’s no help coming. The monsters we created have taken over. Now it’s only a matter of time.” – Excerpt from the journal of Island One leader Sybil Macleod
Briar
“Wake up, Briar.”
Nova’s voice launches me out of a deep sleep. Amira and I are sleeping on the floor of an empty office because there aren’t enough cots for all of us in the Sub.
I scramble to my feet, running my hands over my wild hair in an effort to tame it.
Nova steps into the room and closes the door behind her, her expression grim.
“Theron’s gone,” she says.
My stomach drops to the floor. “Gone?”
“The cell door was ripped out of the rock. We shouldn’t have left the Tiders alone in camp last night.”
“Shit.” I scrub a hand down my face, still groggy. “So he’s gone, but the rest of them are still here?”
“Seems like it. Stella and Breck are doing a count.”
“What should we do?”
“Tighten security. Take away their spears. See if Pax knows anything.”
This is my fault. Theron is a beast of a man, and I should have been more cautious. Now that he’s on the loose, he could pick off our people one at a time while hiding in the jungle. Or join the other Rising Tide exiles and attack. Set our camp on fire. Steal our remaining supplies, which we can’t afford to lose.
“Action and reaction, Briar,” Nova says. “Guilt isn’t a reaction. Get yourself together and let’s deal with this.”
