“Ah, Manny,” someone laughed. “He’s well-known, too. The crazy pilot.”
Elle suddenly stood up, whirling around. She walked to the table behind theirs and stared at the woman. She was middle-aged, with deep green eyes.
“You know Manny Costas?” Elle asked.
“Everybody knows who Manny—”
“Do you know where he is?”
The woman shook her head.
“How should I know?” she answered. “I haven’t seen him since he joined up with the National Guard. He could be anywhere.”
“But he was with the militias in the mountains.” Elle took a deep breath, her cheeks flushing. “He’s alive.”
The woman gave Elle a suspicious look.
“What are you… his grandchild or something?” she asked.
“Or something.” Elle placed her hands flat on the table. “Listen, where did you last see him?”
“Well…” The woman stopped to think, wrinkling her brow. “It was right before the Battle of the Grapevine, maybe a week ago? He was flying overwatch for the National Guard. I ended up wounded in the first round of the fight”—she held up her left arm, where in place of a hand, there was a bandaged stump—“so they sent me here to heal up.”
“So he’s still alive,” Elle said again.
“Don’t go looking for him,” the woman warned. “I can see it in your face. He’s a friend of yours, and you want to find him. But I’m telling you — don’t. The Battle of the Grapevine was hell, so I’m told. I didn’t see the aftermath but—”
“I’ve seen it,” Elle interrupted. “Dead bodies for miles and miles. But I didn’t see a biplane. Manny’s still alive.”
Elle’s heart filled with hope. Uncle was alive. He was close.
After finding Aunt and Uncle’s ranch abandoned in the Tehachapi Mountains, she had assumed that they were both dead. But now she knew for certain that Uncle had been alive just a week ago.
This was a silver lining.
This changed everything.
Elle hurried back to her own table and finished her stew, her mind working at the speed of light. Jay and Georgia stared at her, tried to pry her out of her thoughts, but Elle was focused.
“Hey, girl.”
The woman walked to Elle’s table. Elle met her steady gaze.
“The National Guard unit that was at the Battle of the Grapevine,” she continued, “the one Manny was a part of? They’ve pulled back to Sacramento, but the Mountain Rangers are based in Camp Freedom, in the mountains. That’s where Manny might be.” She nodded. “I hope you don’t do anything stupid with the information, but I felt like you needed to know.”
Elle blinked hard. Was she going to cry? No way.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The woman walked away.
“Who’s Manny?” Georgia asked. “Somebody you know?”
“He’s my uncle,” Elle replied.
“Are you going to find him?” Jay said.
“Yes,” Elle answered. “Of course.”
Flash suddenly looked up from his stew, his eyes red.
“I’m not coming with you,” he said. “I can’t go back out there. Not this time.”
Elle sighed.
“I’m not asking you to,” she replied. “Look. I hunted you down, I found you, I dragged your sorry butts across the desert”— she grinned —“and now you’re safe with the military. Our journey ends here. I’m taking Bravo and I’m going to find my uncle. You don’t have to come with me. Stay safe here. Your chances of survival are better.”
Flash bowed his head.
“Thank you, Elle,” he said.
“So you’re going to find your uncle alone?” Georgia asked. “We were supposed to go to Sacramento together!”
“That was before you got kidnapped by Slavers,” Elle pointed out. “And before we found Sector 27.”
“There’s nothing for us in Sacramento,” Georgia shrugged. “We’re as safe here as we’ll be there.” She looked at Jay. “Right?”
Jay stared at the table, the muscles in his arm tight.
“Right, Jay?” Georgia said again.
“I don’t care,” he replied. “We’re safe now. We’re alive.” He looked at Elle. “You need to do what you can to find your uncle. Family is important now more than ever.”
His eyes were dark, glinting with suppressed emotion. Sadness and anger and loneliness. Elle folded her hands on top of the table.
“I’m leaving tonight,” she said. “But first, I need to find Lieutenant Danes and tell him that I’m leaving.”
She stood up, and Bravo stood, too.
She smiled.
She would not be leaving this place alone.
Chapter Eleven
Elle stood on the outside of the chain link fence. Sector 27 was behind her. The mountains were before her. Bravo waited patiently at her side as she stared at Jay, Georgia and Flash. Lieutenant Danes hung back near the checkpoint, watching the scene with a curious expression on his face.
“I’m sorry,” Georgia said at last. “I would go with you, Elle, I really would… but I’m tired. Tired of walking, tired of fighting. Tired of getting kidnapped by maniacal sociopaths…” she cracked a wry smile. “I just want to be safe.”
“Behave yourself,” Elle advised. “No drug dealing, no cigarettes.”
“I’ll try,” Georgia laughed. “I’m going to miss you, shortstack.”
She crossed the distance between her and Elle, drawing her into a tight hug. She pulled away quickly, enough for Elle to see the tears in her eyes. Elle blinked — hard — and remained stoic.
“Goodbye, Elle,” Flash said. He nodded, reaching his hand out. He squeezed Elle’s fingers and bowed his head. “Thank you… for everything.”
“Don’t mention it,” Elle replied. “Seriously. Don’t.”
And then there was Jay. He stood there, his arms crossed over his broad chest, his dark skin glimmering against the early morning sun. He swallowed.
“Goodbye,” he said. He held out his hand.
Elle stared at it, her eyes darting back to his face, searching for some sign of humanity. For a sign of gratitude, maybe? For him to acknowledge that she had put everything on the line for this group’s survival — something that she had vowed never to do. It was a selfish desire. Elle knew this. But it didn’t change the fact. She wanted that simple validation before she left — from Jay more than anyone.
“It’s not goodbye,” Elle replied, shaking her head. “It’s just ‘see you later.’”
Jay lowered his hand, meeting her gaze.
“Yeah,” he said. “See you later.”
Elle shoved her thumbs against the straps of her backpack.
“Okay, then,” Elle said. “See you guys.”
“See you,” Flash answered.
“Yep.”
Jay suddenly took a step forward and folded Elle into a warm embrace. Georgia wrapped her arms around Elle from the side, and Flash joined in, too. It took Elle by surprise. She remained stiff for a moment, and then relaxed into the group hug. She felt a flood of warmth and happiness, of camaraderie and friendship. For the first time in her life, she felt loyalty.
The hug ended all too soon.
Georgia wiped her eyes, Flash sniffed, and Jay said:
“Thank you. None of us would be alive if you hadn’t been there for us. In Los Angeles. When the Slavers took us. You are the best friend any of us will ever have.”
Elle stared at him. She looked down, chewing on her lower lip, feeling dangerously close to crying. “Don’t just thank me,” she finally said. “Thank Bravo.”
“Bye, baby,” Georgia bawled, letting loose. She knelt down and hugged the dog, kissing his nose. “I’m going to miss you so much!”