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“So, read the rest of the chapter, and make some notes on it, okay? We’ll pick the rest up tomorrow.” Ryder shut the history book, marked where he and Ben had been talking about the Dust Bowl and how it had prompted the largest migration in American history.
I remember learning about the 1920s from my school days, but not in detail, so it was interesting to hear it all again. I stuck to teaching the things I did know, and had to take over from Kayden’s other half, Beckett, with math. Even though I was an accountant, this school math was so convoluted, but at least trying to work out the new ways of adding two and two gave me time not to worry about Ethan.
Who was I kidding? I was so worried about him I could barely think. Even more so when Nik Valentinov arrived at the ranch a few days ago and sequestered himself in the comms room, which was accessible from the kitchen, and shut the door.
Back when we’d first met, he’d been easier to get along with than Kayden, but it was Kayden who was missing, and that was another thing to worry about. All Nik would say was that Kayden was somewhere out there, doing something that was probably brave and selfless, and had vanished off Sanctuary’s radar. Although when Nik had arrived he didn’t seem over-worried about Kayden, saying they knew this would happen. I’d asked about Ethan—they said they knew where he was, and I had to accept that was all they had to tell me.
It was shit. It was terrifying. My fears for Ethan’s safety invaded my thoughts whenever I didn’t fill my time, so filling every spare moment was what I was doing. Alongside cracking the how-to-teach-math code, I’d started creating a study area for the ranch, building shelves and desks, alongside badgering anyone who would listen to get books and stationery for the large space, and with some organization we had what looked like a classroom, complete with whiteboard and two computers.
They weren’t attached to a network, there was no access to internet or anything similar, but with books and an entire set of encyclopedias that arrived, we were managing fine.
One day maybe Ben would be back at school, and this would all be over, but for now it was still an adventure.
“Dad? Can I go and help in the kitchen? Billy said we could make cupcakes.”
Billy was a freaking godsend, making our meals, and showing Ben the elements of what I guess would constitute home ec.
“Sure, extra frosting on mine,” I said, and watched him leave, followed by Ryder who nodded to me as he passed. He was still walking stiffly, two ribs cracked, and the force of the bullet had thrown him awkwardly and dislocated his shoulder, but he was here, and he was alive. I wish I could tell Ethan. I could only hope he knew that his best friend was safe.
I was excited to unpack the latest box of books—all science-type tomes, from biology to astronomy, and I filed them in the space I’d made earlier, stepping back to examine the spines and have my moment of calm.
Only there was a knock, and Nik peered around the door. “I need your help,” he said without preamble.
I followed him out. “Is everything okay?”
Fuck. How many times had I asked that question since Ethan had gone? Ten? Thirty? A hundred?
“It’s Kayden, he’s here.”
“Thank goodness, is he hurt?”
We rounded the corner, and walked into chaos, a large van parked up, Kayden leaning against the hood, his right arm covered in blood, pale, but refusing medical help, and Nik jogging to the back of the van to help the people there.
No. Not people like adults.
Kids.
I rushed after him and slid to a halt in front of the children being helped out of the van, moving forward to assist one of the last ones. There were twenty-one children, filthy, exhausted, a couple of them swaying, one unconscious on the ground, but there were no tears, not a sound.
Lois tried to pick up the unconscious boy, but a girl stopped her with a flurry of Spanish, and she placated the girl, as I slid in and picked up the hurt kid, cradling him close.
I crossed the yard and into the far door to the medical center, and when I reached the door I realized every single child had followed me, along with Lois, Nik, some of the other Sanctuary staff, and of course Kayden who sat on the first bed he came to. I laid the kid with great care on the bed in the opposite corner. Lois pressed through the other kids to get to him, checking vitals, setting up a drip, all the while exchanging glances with Kayden.
“Dehydration, all of them, we need to get them on drips, get them checked out for… ”
She seemed overwhelmed for a millisecond, then shoulders back, she began to issue orders and the rest of us followed her lead. We moved mattresses into the medical room, in lines of four, pushing the hospital beds up so they were closer. There was a mattress for every two children, and we’d need to get more, but they all stayed huddled near the unconscious boy. Ryder and Ben arrived, Ben hovering by the door.
“What happened, Dad?” he asked.
The kids turned to stare at him. He shot them a smile. I didn’t want him to see this… then I did… I wanted him to know these things happened in an evil world.
I wanted to protect him from this.
I couldn’t. He had to know.
“Ben, go to the classroom, grab some stickers and a marker, and come back.”
“On it.” He left so fast he was a blur, and Ryder began to check Kayden out, rolling his eyes as Kayden shoved him away. It looked as if Ryder might need an extra set of hands and I was there in an instant.
