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They were in an area of low, rolling hills. Boulders jabbed up out of the hard dirt. Desiccated grass edged up to small stands of nearly dead, stunted trees. Diana knew the area: Sinder’s garden was just over the hill. The lake was not a quarter mile away.
As soon as she was out of sight she started to run. The moon—the actual moon, not the simulation they’d seen back in the old days—had just risen, and its light was faint. She stumbled, tripped, but kept running. It hurt each time she fell, but Diana had endured worse, far worse. And she ran now hoping, believing, that Sam and Dekka and Brianna and maybe enough force to fight off Gaia were just over the next hill.
Sam liked her; he’d been kind to her; he could save her. She had to believe that. Absent Caine to play knight in shining armor, Sam could save her.
She heard her own feet on sand. She heard her own gasping breath. She felt the heart pou
nding in her chest. Running brought hope, and hope was a cruel trick, but she ran anyway.
She spotted a human silhouette and ran to it.
“Hey, who’s there?” a young voice cried out.
“It’s Diana,” she said, not yelling, but urgent. “Keep it down!”
“Show me who you are!”
She forced herself to slow—not much point in getting shot by her rescuers—and waited until the boy recognized her. She did not recognize him, but she’d never made a lot of friends at the lake.
“Listen, kid, do you have some way to sound an alarm?”
“What?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me!” she snapped. “Do you have a way to sound an alarm?”
“I’m supposed to fire in the air.”
“No, she’ll hear that. Come on, let’s run! Run!”
Her fear was contagious, and the nameless boy set off after her, his automatic rifle banging against his back. Ahead were the lights of the lake, just a few pitiful candles, a few faintly illuminated trailer windows and boat portholes.
“What’s happening?” the boy asked, breathless behind her.
“The devil’s on her way,” Diana said. She glanced back: still no pursuit. Of course when Gaia came she’d be a whirlwind with Brianna’s speed. Diana wouldn’t even have a warning.
She pelted into the settlement, which was a dozen or so trailers and motor homes, some bedraggled tents, a few boats at the dock, and a few more boats anchored out in the water.
Diana had lived here for a while; she knew her way around. She ran onto the houseboat and yelled, “Sam! Sam!”
Silence.
“Sam’s gone,” the out-of-breath guard said.
“What?”
“He’s gone to Perdido Beach.”
Diana felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach. Without Sam there was zero chance of beating Gaia.
Ah, hope: you tricked me again.
Dekka came running down the dock. “What’s going on?”
“Dekka! Thank God. Gaia is just over the hill. Listen to me: she’s going to kill everyone.”
Dekka stared. Diana thought it was as close as she’d ever come to looking truly frightened. Then to the guard, Dekka said, “Get Jack. Right now!”
“Who else is here?” Diana demanded.
