I shoved off the tarp. The crate had been pried open before, and its lid came loose with a sharp tug. I aimed the light inside.
A low whistle escaped my lips.
I was staring into a half-empty box of explosives.
5
MIN
I pressed an ice pack to Noah’s forehead.
He’d tried to stop me from using one, grumbling that we didn’t have many left to spare, but the ugly knot above his temple needed treatment. Plus, it gave me something to do. Something to think about other than the catastrophe Noah had discovered at the bottom of that gully, and how it might connect to Sarah’s warning.
“How many crates were there?” I asked, applying pressure to the bump. Purple splotches were already forming around its center. It’d be one hell of a bruise.
Noah winced, craning his head away like a little boy. “Seven big boxes. All from the ordinance alcove. Even worse, five of them were empty.”
“I think I know why.”
Noah looked up at me, and his expression wasn’t fully surprised. But before I could say more, the door to the medical cabin opened and Sarah walked in out of the night, followed by Sam and Derrick. Our fractured little emergency government, although only Noah, Derrick, and I had been elected. Ethan was still a no-show, and the Outpost remained offline. Whatever hard decisions had to be made, the people in this room would make them. That’s how quickly democracy can break down.
Derrick slumped into a folding chair and propped his head with an elbow on one knee. He released a weary sigh. Noah leaned back on the examination bench. I sat down next to him, then kicked myself for giving up the high ground.
“Let’s get to the point,” Sarah said, hands on her hips. “Someone—and that person might be in this cabin right now—has been stealing from the group. And not chocolate bars or rain tarps. They took explosives to use against the rest of us.”
My blood pressure spiked. Sarah had laid it out so bluntly, I was taken aback. I opted for a less aggressive stance. “Someone took things they shouldn’t have, yes. And that’s very disturbing. But we don’t know why, so I don’t think we should jump to the worst-case scenario right away.”
Sarah sneered at me, and my eyes dropped. She could be as disgusted as she wanted, but she had no proof. She took a seat next to Derrick and closed her eyes briefly, then gave me a look just short of contempt. “Always plan for the worst-case scenario, Melinda. That way you’ll never be surprised.”
“Can we focus on the problem?” Derrick said irritably. “Someone stole a whole bunch of C4, and we don’t know why. But I do know that the stuff missing from those crates isn’t anywhere in Home Town. Akio and I checked every tent and building left standing. The explosives aren’t here. Whoever took the gear stashed it somewhere else on the island.”
Sam had remained standing with his arms crossed. “If you have something to say, say it.”
Derrick rose to his full towering height. Sam could intimidate a lot of people, but Derrick wasn’t one of them. “Whatcha got up there at Ridgeline, Oatman? Only Noah ever visits, and he’s no snoop. Your people’s tents were closest to that gully, and you were leaving in a hurry just now.”
Sam didn’t blink. “If you have something to say, say it.”
“Did you guys steal that stuff or not?” Derrick demanded.
“No.”
Derrick held Sam’s eye a moment longer, then shrugged. “Okay, then. And shit. Because if you didn’t take it, we’ve got bigger problems.”
I shifted in my seat, surprised Derrick had folded so quickly. I glanced at Noah, but he was nodding to himself. He noticed my attention and I flared an eyebrow, flicking my gaze to Sam, whom I abruptly realized was watching me.
Noah spoke aloud. “If Sam says he didn’t take it, I believe him. He’s not a liar.”
I chewed the inside of my cheek, then exhaled through my nose. Nodded slowly. I couldn’t remember Sam ever lying to me about anything, and we’d been through some hard times. But I also agreed wholeheartedly with Derrick—if Ridgeline didn’t steal the explosives, then there were no obvious culprits. Which meant a plot. Which meant serious trouble.
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah. Right again.
Sam seemed to relax a fraction. A bit of thaw crept into his voice. “I promise you guys it wasn’t anyone in my camp. We’re close. We decide everything together, as a group. No secrets. No factions.”
Sarah rocketed forward in her seat, a hand flying up in frustration. “Of course they didn’t steal it! Why would they leave the evidence in a gully five minutes from here rather than taking it all home? Honestly, sometimes I can’t believe you guys survived the Program.”
Derrick fired a false grin in her direction. “Sarah, do shut up. Or rather, say something useful instead of insulting us.”
Sarah snorted. “FINE. Here’s a news flash, team: the missing explosives aren’t in those crates because they’re gone. As in, they were exploded.”
Derrick shot to his feet again. Sam let out an astonished grunt.
My pulse skyrocketed. Sarah was going there. “You don’t know that,” I said quickly.
She cocked her head, a cruel smile curling her lips. “Having trouble with the ugly truth?”
Noah dropped the ice pack on the bench beside him, his entire body rigid. “Let’s just put all the cards out there. You think the silo was bombed during the storm. But how could that possibly happen?”
I glanced at Noah in surprise. Had Sarah spoken to him? Why hadn’t he said anything? I felt a spark of anger that he’d kept a secret from me, though admittedly that was unfair, since I hadn’t shared with him yet either. He noticed me looking and blushed, then mouthed the word later. I gritted my teeth but nodded.
Sarah gave the room a slow, mocking clap. “Way to catch up, everyone. The silo was attacked. And not only the roof collapse—the back tunnel got hit too, I’m sure of it.” She glanced at Noah. “You were there. Did that feel like a natural cave-in?”
“Just hold up!” Derrick glowered down at Sarah from all of his six-plus feet. “You’re saying someone deliberately caved in our supply warehouse, then sealed off every possible way inside? That’s . . . nuts! That’s stupid. Why would anyone implode their own pantry?”
“Don’t miss the point!” Sarah rose herself, and somehow seemed to loom over him. “Whoever did this murdered five people.” Her voice quivered with fury. “They must’ve planned it for weeks, waiting for the perfect cover. They knew the silo well enough to put the charges in the right places, and they were able to set them off remotely when the storm hit. As a final move, they sealed the back door. Who knows, maybe they even cracked the lake, too.”
My head wagged slowly, unnerved by her cold logic. “Who would do something like that? Who would kill five classmates and wipe out their own safety net? Now we’re stuck on a prehistoric planet with almost nothing to help us survive. No matter what grudges people might hold, that makes zero sense. It’s like cutting your own throat.”
“Min’s right,” Sam said. “I don’t buy it. No one’s that suicidal.”
Sarah sat down again in her chair. Her head flopped back, and she stared at the ceiling, as if considering. Finally, she leaned forward. “You guys are only thinking about people living on this island.”
Noah started. I felt an icy tingle slither along my spine. “Who, Toby?” I said. “You think the Lost Boys did this? After all this time missing, and for what? Pure spite?”
Sarah shrugged. “We don’t share with them, and they didn’t leave happy.”
That quieted the room. Toby and his friends had ghosted right after we lost Carl’s scout team. Out of everyone in the class, they’d struggled most with life on New Earth. People hadn’t forgotten how savage Toby had been inside the Program, or who’d backed his power trip. They’d mostly kept to themselves around camp, doing the bare minimum. I hadn’t bee
n all that surprised when they cut out—frankly, I’d expected them to cause trouble instead. Their disappearance was creepy, but at least they hadn’t attempted something worse.
Of course, here was Sarah saying they’d done exactly that.
Derrick rubbed a hand over his long face. “Okay. Let’s play it out. I get why they might steal stuff, and I could even see them attacking the silo to take it over—me and Noah have had a plan for that since they bailed. But why would those guys want to destroy it?”
“Maybe what they want isn’t destroyed.” Noah was squinting at nothing, as if testing a theory in his head. “The alcoves are underwater, but we don’t know what happened to the lab complex. It’s built to withstand almost anything, and most of our ready food is stored in there. Maybe they just want to deny it to us, in hopes they can get it later? Also, whoever did this might not have actually wanted to kill people. They could’ve assumed the living quarters were safe during the first blasts, and the back tunnel didn’t collapse until after the evacuation.”
Sarah pursed her lips. “That’s . . . interesting.”
Sam coughed, drawing everyone’s attention. “This is crazy. No one’s seen those guys since they stole a boat. Personally, I think they’re all dead. The storms never stop coming, and I swear there’s more than just fish in the deeper water. Plus, there’s nothing else out there, and they’ve been gone for months. Why should we suddenly believe that Toby and his team of losers not only survived, but were also able to infiltrate the silo, rob it, and then blow it up unseen? It’s too much.”
“Toby’s alive.”
My head whipped to Sarah. “What? How do you know?”
Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t avoid my gaze. “Because I spoke to him.”
The chill in my spine converted to fire. Before I knew it, I was on my feet. Noah rose beside me, and soon everyone was standing but her.
“What the hell, Sarah?” Derrick took a deep breath, squeezing the bridge of his nose. “Tell me that was a joke.”
Sarah didn’t even look abashed. She gave a full-bodied shrug. “He confronted me two weeks ago. I wanted to think about it some before sharing.”
“You liked having this over us, you mean,” Derrick spat. “Something you knew that we didn’t. Well congrats. If you’re right, you got five people killed so you could feel superior.”
Sarah’s cheeks flushed scarlet. “There wasn’t much to tell. He showed up in the lab complex one day while everyone else was topside. I was stunned to see him, but he didn’t say anything interesting.”
“Toby being alive is interesting,” Sam growled.
I finally found my voice. “What happened to those guys has been preying on everyone’s mind since the moment they disappeared. Yet you knew Toby was not only alive, but actively roaming the island, and said nothing?”
Sarah looked away, seemed troubled for the first time. “It happened fast, okay? He was there and then gone. I didn’t even see which way he left.” Her voice dropped. “We only spoke for like two minutes. He wanted to know who all was living down there.”
“Why would he care about that?” Noah asked.
“I don’t know,” Sarah said. “That’s why I’m suspicious now. The cave-ins demolished every way into or out of the silo, and the flood sealed the shaft. But the lab complex—the place Toby was curious about—is probably undamaged. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”
“We need to find them.” Derrick began pacing the cabin, his long stride making for very short circuits. “There aren’t many places six jackasses with poor self-discipline can hide on this rock. Now that we know they’re here, we should be—”
“They’re not here,” Sarah interrupted. Derrick paused, then just looked at her. “I can’t explain it better than this,” she continued, “but I got the impression Toby wasn’t hiding around the corner. I think they have a base somewhere else. Which is interesting all by itself.”
Someone squeezed my shoulder. Noah. The Outpost, he mouthed.
My eyes widened. The silence coming from there became considerably more ominous.
Tack. He doesn’t know any of this.
Sam was still watching Sarah. “You know an awful lot about what Toby might be doing.”
Sarah met his gaze squarely. “Toby hates me as much as any of you.” She smirked. “Except maybe Min. You want the truth, Sam? From the moment he showed up until the moment he left, I was terrified. I was alone down there. If I could push a button and flush him into a toilet, I would. All of them. Wild dogs have to be put down.”
Sam held her eye, and an electric tension filled the room. “So what do we do?” he said finally.
I knew immediately. “We contact the Outpost. We haven’t heard anything since the storm, and if Toby’s team really did hit us, then—”
“—he might do the same to them,” Noah finished. “Maybe already did.” He straightened as if he’d made a decision. “I’m going to check on those guys. It’s been too long since I went anyway, and we need to find out about their stores.”
My heart leapt into my throat. “Noah, no. We’ll get the radio working.”
He flashed the private smile he reserved for me, but I knew I wouldn’t like his next words. “Our radio is working, Min. It’s the other end that isn’t picking up. Going in person is the only way to be sure.”
Derrick sat back and tugged his pants. “You could be doing exactly what Toby wants. Sending people away to get picked off, or whatever.”
Noah shrugged. “I’ll go alone.”
“The hell.” Derrick waved off Noah’s statement like a pesky fly. “I’ll go with you.”
“Me too.” The words slipped out before I could consider them.
Surprisingly, Sam objected. “You can’t go, Min. You’re in charge here. You have to help rehab the village. Derrick, you should stay, too—people trust you. Noah can take some others with him. Whoever he wants, just not the whole leadership structure.”
Noah was nodding. “He’s right. I’ll keep the group small. You guys should stay here and get this place back on its feet.” He reached out and squeezed my hand. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Derrick grunted sourly. “Take Akio at least, so you have someone with sense.”
Noah laughed. “Done.”
He looked back at me, and I felt empty inside. We’d be separated again. There was no way around it.
“Be careful,” I whispered.
He flashed a rueful grin. “I always am, remember?”
6
NOAH
I got up before dawn.
We buried our dead an hour later.
The whole community turned out, wrapped in blankets to ward off the early morning chill. It didn’t take an empath to sense that everyone was shaken.
The mood was somber, but with a frenzied edge. Last night Min and Derrick had informed the group about the theft and presented our plan to check in on the Outpost. Everyone had agreed, but I could feel anxiety on the wind.
It wasn’t just our losses, although those were terrible enough. Someone had stolen from the group, which had previously been unthinkable. More than one nervous glance shot to the silo, our sanctuary and supply fortress now hopelessly out of reach. The sabotage rumors were spreading like wildfire.
Things were precariously balanced. I didn’t envy the work Derrick and Min had to do.
Hector said a benediction, then we lowered the fallen into a line of hillside graves, dug beside the stone marker set as a memorial for the scout team lost months earlier. Those bodies had never been recovered.
Finally, it was time to go.
Leaving Min was hard, but I was the glue that connected the camps. It’d been that way since the accident. Someone really did have to go to the Outpost—we needed to know if the problem was bigger than just the silo. Who else was going to do it?
/> We’d had a last night together, wrapped in each other’s arms, plotting scenarios and responses depending on what might happen to either of us. I’d held Min tightly, drowning myself in her presence. Her warmth. I didn’t know how long I’d be gone, but I had this horrible sensation that important things were changing, and that we might not get another moment like this for a long time. I’d wanted to burrow into our blankets and never leave.
There was plenty to stress about. With Toby alive and on the loose, a boogeyman haunted the village. And though Min wouldn’t say it, she was desperately worried about Tack. They might not speak anymore, but Min still cared for the trailer-park boy who’d been her only friend. She felt responsible for him being out there. Tack had left because he didn’t want to watch Min and me be together. If something happened to him because of it, she’d never forgive herself.
Akio had agreed to join my expedition immediately and suggested we bring Richie. After Jamie Cruz died in the fire, he’d become a zombie around camp. Those two had been together since inside the Program, just like Vonda and Finn. Akio thought getting Richie active might help him snap out of it. I wasn’t so sure, but three was better than two, especially if we had to send someone back with a message. We’d just have to keep an eye on him.
It took less than an hour to pack, check the horizon to the east, and start down the path leading toward the caves. The Ocean Road, as we jokingly called it, ran west from Home Town before knifing south through a crack in the mountain ring, connecting with a series of switchbacks that descended to the hollows just above the waterline.
Ethan lived in the caves full-time. I had no idea why.
Thinking of Ethan made the knot in my stomach twist. He was difficult in the best of times, and I had no idea what he’d be like when we arrived. Sarah secretly chatting with Toby had me nervous about everyone. Had Toby reached out to Ethan, too? How many of my former adversaries were talking behind our backs?
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