Elle frowned.
“Then what?”
“The militia came,” Georgia picked up. “At least, we thought it was the militia. They killed the troopers. We thought we were saved, but it was a lie. It was the Slavers. They took us in a truck. There were some other people, some kids. We went for a long drive, then they dumped us in the mountains in a barbed-wire cage.” Georgia spread her arms. “It’s kind of simple, actually.”
“Okay, but here’s my question,” Elle said. “What are the Slavers actually using their prisoners for? Hard labor? What?”
“We couldn’t figure it out either,” Jay replied. “At least for the first couple of days. The guards up above on the cliff — the ones with the hoods. They’re mercenaries, hired by the Slavers. The Slavers take their prisoners and hold them before selling them to Omega to do hard labor.”
“Wow, supply and demand,” Elle remarked, disgusted. “Omega is actually purchasing slaves?”
“That’s the conclusion we came to,” Georgia confirmed.
“But if the Slavers and Omega are in this together… why would they kill the troops who shot Pix?” Elle asked.
At the mention of his dead sister’s name, Flash flinched.
“I don’t know,” Jay admitted. “Maybe because Omega was going to kill us, and the Slavers wanted the chance to sell us back to Omega. The Slavers have no rules. They’re organized, but they’re barbaric. Some of the crap we saw in San Jacinto was pretty harsh.”
Elle didn’t doubt it.
“Well, it’s about time we got our butts to Sacramento,” Elle stated. “I’m sick of running around the state, rescuing you guys.” She cracked a dry smile.
“We don’t know that’s what’s in Sacramento for sure,” Jay pointed out.
“It’s our best shot.”
He didn’t argue with that.
They faced the desert. Elle looked at Bravo. She felt a twinge of disappointment… of hurt. She had expected one of them to at least say thank you for braving the desert, for nearly getting killed by the Slavers, for everything she had done to extract them from the confines of imprisonment.
But they had said nothing.
Elle shook herself. This wasn’t about getting glory. This was about doing the right thing. She had done it. It was over now. She could get back to business. Her mind would rest easy — she hadn’t left them to die. She had saved their lives, and she could live with herself now.
Jay looked at Elle for a long moment.
“Elle…?” he said.
He opened his mouth and closed it. Elle walked a little faster.
She didn’t want him to see the bitter disappointment in her face.
The wind swept across the barren desert.
“Are we kidding ourselves?” Jay said. His lips were chapped. Dust stuck to every inch of his body, making him look like a pale ghost. “We can’t make it across this thing. It’s too far. We don’t have any water. We don’t have any food.”
“We’re all going to die,” Georgia replied dramatically. Her curly hair was matted. Her long, tall frame had become bony. The sparkle of her big, green eyes had been dulled. “Might as well find a nice place to lie down and call our grave.”
Flash said nothing. He only stood in one spot, staring at the desert with a baleful expression on his face. The horizon was marred by the dust storm. A blanket of dirt covered the sky, giving everything a brownish hue.
“We’re not going to go grave-shopping,” Elle answered. “Pull yourselves together, will you? Let’s focus on one thing at a time.”
“Like what?” Jay demanded. He spread his arms wide. “We’re in the middle of nowhere! There’s no food, no water. The Slavers are behind us. The desert is in front of us. We’re screwed.”
There was a wild light in his eyes.
“Fine. Stay here and die,” Elle snapped. “Don’t expect me to come back and bury your bodies.”
Her words were harsh and cold. Elle felt a stab of guilt and turned on her heel, walking against the wind. There was a moment of silence before she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. They were following her.
Well, of course they are, Elle thought. They can’t just give up and die.
They trudged across the wide, open space for hours. Elle had only a small amount of water in her backpack; enough to last a day or two if they were careful, but that was all.
They stopped to rest under the shade of a lone, ugly tree weathered by years of desert wind. Elle knelt to give Bravo a small handful of water. He drank it up with one swipe of his tongue, panting.
“You’re giving him our water,” Jay said, sounding surprised.
“He needs hydration as much as we do,” Elle replied.
“But we’re the ones dying.”
“Bravo is a part of our group. He’s helped keep us alive.”
“Bravo is a dog.”
Elle slowly stood up, glaring at Jay.
“Bravo is my friend,” she said.
“And what are we?” Georgia interjected. “We’re people and you’re wasting supplies on an animal. Elle, think of us.”
“I am thinking of you,” Elle answered, terse. “Bravo and I came all the way across the desert and risked our lives to save you from the Slavers. I think the least we can do is share our water with him.”
“But we need it more,” Jay pleaded. “We’ve got half of a bottle left. Don’t waste it on the dog.”
“His name is Bravo,” Elle hissed, slamming the lid on the water bottle. She shoved it into her backpack, licking her dry, cracked lips. “If you don’t want to share with him, then I don’t want to share with you.”
She zipped her pack shut and swung it across her shoulders, stalking off, Bravo beside her. She heard footsteps, turned, and caught a glimpse of Jay’s face. He grabbed the back of her pack and ripped it off her shoulders. Elle felt a shock of pain in her right arm. Jay yanked the pack away and Elle skidded across the dirt, tumbling in a heap.
“I’m taking charge of this,” Jay said.
Elle stared at him, dirt in her mouth, pain in her arm.
“You’re not thinking straight,” Elle replied, heart racing. “You’re panicking. Don’t do that, Jay. Trust me. I got across this desert to come for you guys, and I can get us back across it.”
“There is no back,” Jay laughed. It was a mean, guttural sound. “Back to what?” His crazed smile faded. “But we’re not sacrificing our lives because you’re giving all our supplies away to a freaking mutt.”
Elle looked at Bravo. He was tense. He could sense the arguing; he could smell the discord in the air. She placed one hand on his collar, kneeling on the ground. Georgia was frozen. She looked scared. Flash watched the whole thing with a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face.
“That’s my pack,” Elle said slowly. “And I would appreciate it if you’d give it back.”
Jay’s glare was piercing. He slid his arms through the straps, shaking his head.
“Sorry, Elle,” he said. “But this is the way it has to be.”
Elle was infuriated. Her hands shook.
She had come all this way. She’d suffered through the brutality of the desert and risked her life in Slaver territory for this? For selfish, short-sighted children who were staging a mutiny?