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Lenna glances at Rhiannon’s name on the placard on the bedroom door. “I needed something for Teddy in here,” she lies. She takes Jacob back. She wants to hold him forever, never let him go. “Was he okay? Did he cry?”
Amy waves a hand. “He was fine. Was just grabbing something from my room.” She brushes past them but gives Lenna a lingeringlook. Then Rhiannon’s room. Finally, she moves on. When she’s turned, Lenna and Sarah exchange a doomed glance.
The corridor is dark and cool as they head toward the front door. Lenna’s head pounds with a mixture of dehydration and fear.Why are our Google searches blocked?Is it so they don’t learn the truth about each other? Maybe it’s just because of what’s in Rhiannon’s past, but Lenna doesn’t understand why someone would block information onallof them. Maybe it’s just a Halcyon policy, an extra layer of protection along with not talking about people behind their backs?
But what if it’s something more sinister?
“Who’s good with tech stuff?” Lenna whispers to Sarah as they tiptoe down the hall, hefting Jacob higher onto her chest.
“I have no idea,” Sarah admits. “The only people I really see on computers are the kids.”
Surely someone set up the Wi-Fi, though. Gia has her own computer, in that little office. And if she really is the community’s accountant, she creates spreadsheets.
Suddenly, Sarah stops short in front of her just before the front door. “Oh,” Lenna hears her say. “Hey, Coral. Matilda.”
The two girls are parked in front of the door in folding chairs, playing cards.
“Hey, guys,” Coral says. “How were your appointments, Sarah? How’s the baby?”
“Baby’s fine. Can we get past?” Sarah says impatiently. “We need to talk to Marjorie. She’s outside, right?”
Coral’s gaze dances from Sarah’s face to Lenna’s and back again. “There’s a dust storm coming. We’re rounding everyone up.”
Sarah stiffens. “A dust storm? Yeah, right.”
“What about Rhiannon?” Lenna says at the same time. “She’s still out there, somewhere.”
Matilda looks worried. “I know.”
“Did someone put you up to this?” Sarah growls. “Are we beingforcedto stay inside?”
Coral shifts awkwardly. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt.” She turns to Lenna and Jacob. “You donotwant to be out in a dust storm. It’s like…the apocalypse. Stuff flies everywhere. The dust is bad for kids’ lungs…”
Red creeps into Sarah’s cheeks. When she wheels around, cords stand out in her neck. “Come on,” she says through clenched teeth to Lenna, stomping back down the hall.
She leads Lenna into her bedroom and slams the door. It’s the first time Lenna’s been in Sarah’s room, and she looks around warily. Her bed is the same as Lenna’s, down to the quilted comforter. There’s an old dresser with a broken drawer in the corner.
“This is bullshit,” Sarah whispers, pacing around angrily.
“You don’t think there’s really a dust storm?”
“Look at the sky!” She points to the window. She’s right. The sky is clear. Cloudless.
“So Coral’s lying?” Lenna asks. “Matilda? They’re probably just doing what they’re told.”
“What Marjorie wants them to do, you mean. No one wants to cross her. Oh, it mightseemlike this place is egalitarian, but Marjorie is the leader, full stop.”
“So…Marjoriedoesn’t want us to leave?” She looks at Sarah skeptically. “You think…she’sthe person who’s behind all of this?” A chill runs down her spine. She thinks of Daniel back in California, waiting for her. She looks down at Jacob in her arms, and her heart twists.
“Maybe we need to call the police,” Lenna decides. “This has gone far enough. Rhiannon’s missing. And if there trulyisa dust storm, that’s really dangerous.”
“No.”Sarah steps back. “We can’t.”
Sarah curls her fingers over the window sash. Lenna can see the knobs of her spine through her T-shirt.
“I get how much you want to protect your baby. But you might be in more danger staying here than you would with the police. Something is wrong here. We both have children to protect.”
Sarah has her eyes squeezed shut. But after a moment, she nods. “Fine. But you talk. I can’t do it.”
