Panther grinned wickedly and sprinted ahead, as if looking for an excuse. Catalya went after him, giving Hawk a look of disgust as she went by. For him or for Panther, he couldn’t tell. Bear was lumbering just behind, and the AV was lurching through the fields, bouncing wildly across the rough spots.
He heard shots then, somewhere off to his right where they had first spied the militia scouts. The shots were sporadic and didn’t seem directed at anything in particular. Meant to scare them, he thought. He glanced around as he ran, trying to count heads. All he could see was Bear. The murkiness was growing thicker and heavier, more difficult to penetrate. Already the AV was gone, although he could still hear it. They were in danger of becoming separated, he realized. He peered ahead for Panther and Catalya, but he couldn’t see them.
“Bear!” he shouted. “Stay close!”
But Bear was swallowed in the haze. He couldn’t see Cheney, either.
He couldn’t see anyone.
INSIDE THE LIGHTNING S-150 AV, there was complete chaos. Everyone was yelling at once, mostly at Fixit because he was the one driving. They were shouting at him not to lose sight of the others, not to turn this way or that, not to run over anyone, not to hit any big holes, you name it. Even Owl couldn’t make herself heard above the shouting. Fixit was doing his best to stay focused on the task at hand, regardless of the wildness of the other kids, but he was having a hard time of it. He couldn’t see any of the Ghosts outside the vehicle; he could barely see to drive, the mist a thick blanket surrounding them on all sides. He could hear gunfire somewhere off in the distance, but he had no idea which direction it was coming from.
Chalk grabbed his arm, nearly causing him to lose control. “What’s happened to everyone?” the other boy yelled.
“Let go of me!” Fixit yelled back, jerking his arm free.
The wheel spun through his fingers, and he grabbed hard to steady it, but the AV skidded sideways, bounced, and then lurched ahead once more. By now Fixit had no idea where he was, let alone where the others were or the people firing weapons. He reached down hurriedly and switched on the loran. The landscape came into sharp focus, the AV a green dot against the flat, empty background, and he had his direction back again.
“Shut up!” he shouted at everyone yelling around him.
To his surprise, they quieted down instantly. He glanced angrily at them as he drove, eyes searching. “If you want to do something helpful, look for the others,” he ordered. “See if you can spot anyone in this muck!”
He slowed the vehicle, crawling ahead cautiously, and they all began searching the haze. Fixit rolled down their windows so they could hear better, maybe catch a hint of what was happening outside. Nothing. No weapons fire, no shouts, no sounds at all. Just the low rumble of the AV. He tried to think what else he could do.
“Over there,” River said suddenly, pointing left.
Fixit saw two shadowy figures making their way through the haze at a rapid pace, not quite running, but almost. They were slight of build, kids like himself. He swung the AV toward them, reaching down to snap the safety off the stun charges. He wanted to be ready, just in case.
“That’s Panther,” Owl said quickly.
The two figures heard them coming and stopped to wait. It was indeed Panther and, with him, Catalya. They were breathing hard as the AV rolled up to them, and they came over to peer inside.
“What’s happened to the others?” Panther demanded. “Where’s Bird-Man and Bear and Cheney?”
Fixit shook his head. “We got lost. We don’t know where they are. We were lucky to find you!”
“Well, you have to find them, too. Stump-head militia’s looking for them, somewhere back there.” He pointed in the direction from which they had come. His dark face glowered. “Don’t know where, exactly. Can’t see anything in this stuff.”
Catalya looked worried, unusual for her. “I thought I saw something else back there. Something big.”
The others stared at her. “Something big?” Panther repeated. “I didn’t see nuthin’.”
“If they’re behind us, maybe they can catch up if we just wait,” River suggested.
“Don’t think waiting around is a good idea,” Panther said at once. He glanced in at the control panel. “Hey, Fixit, you got a way of tracking movement on that thing? You know, finding anything else that’s moving around out there?”
Fixit frowned. “I don’t know. That wasn’t something Logan Tom taught me to do. He didn’t trust the loran. So I just use it to find directions. I haven’t tried using it to track anyone.”
“Well, try now.”
Fixit bent to the loran, fiddling with the switches and buttons, attempting to decipher what they would do. There were menus and choices of all sorts, and many of the words were unfamiliar to the boy.
“Wait,” Owl said suddenly from the backseat. “Ask Sparrow if she’s seen anything!”
“Sparrow?” Panther asked in confusion.
“She’s on the roof,” Owl explained, thinking even as she said so, Why is she so quiet? “Sparrow!” she called.