“No.”
“Yeah, didn’t think so.”
“Okay, so we’re all going?” I ask.
“Seems that way. Four is better than two,” Cole says.
“Five. You forgot Zeus.”
“Oh, praise the Lord, now we’re saved!” Bruno says with sarcasm, and Zeus looks up from the blanket he’s been tearing apart and growls at him. “What’s with him and shredding stuff?”
“Stress reliever,” Cole says. “Better the blanket than your leg.”
While they’re conversing about Zeus, my mind wanders, trying to think about others who might want to help us.
“We need to get help,” I say.
“Huh?” Bruno asks. He looks at Cole.
“I’m talking about the monitors. They were expecting to meet Sutton. If we tell them he’s been abducted, maybe then they’ll have even more reason to believe us.” My knuckles turn white as I clench my hands. “Sutton told us … we have to find them.”
“We don’t know anything about them other than that Sutton was going to meet with them,” Bruno says. “We don’t know where the meeting was or with who.”
“For heaven’s sake, Sutton didn’t tell you?” Grace asks in a high-pitched voice.
“I kinda got the impression he wanted to keep details to himself.” Bruno rubs his temples.
“You mean the entire time you guys were in the car he never mentioned it? You didn’t ask?” Cole shakes his head.
Bruno’s eyes brighten. “He did mention the monitors would get to High Society within the week. But from there, who the hell knows.”
“So then what?” Grace asks.
“Just depends on how aggressive the United Powers wants to be and if they can get enough backing from their members,” Bruno says. “If it’s bad enough, maybe they’ll intervene or something.”
“And when Sutton’s not there to greet them, they might become even more suspicious,” I say. Cole searches my eyes with his. “Hopefully they’ll head straight to the Hole.”
“That’s possible,” he says. “But if we find them first, we’ll tell them about Sutton and hope they’ll care enough to want to find him.”
“Exactly what I was thinking.” I nod at him.
“Well … we have a plan,” Bruno says. “Plans are good. If they work.”
“So let’s do this,” I say, jumping to my feet.
“Whoa, hold on there, hot pants,” Bruno says. “Preparation first. We need to grab all the food, water, and supplies we can and stuff it into our packs.”
When the realization settles in that we’re really going back to the Hole, I can’t move. The truth is, I’m scared out of my mind.
I sit on the doorstep with a fully loaded backpack and listen to the waves against the beach. Zeus nuzzles my hand, and I plant a kiss on his nose. Part of me wishes I could stay here forever. But I know it’s not realistic. I sigh.
My life has been a constant flow of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. And now, as I prepare for perhaps the biggest one I have ever had to face, I wonder if I have the strength to overcome. Before, we were just surviving from one day to the next. If we go back to the Hole, we will have to do more than just survive. We will have to triumph.
“We’re ready to go,” Cole says, squeezing through the door and letting it squeal closed behind him. Zeus is up and attentive at once.
I pull myself up, put my arm through the straps of my backpack, throw its weight behind me, and push my other arm through the second strap. Cole’s lips part slightly, and he leans closer to me.
“You all right?”
“Sure.” I bend over, wiping my palms on my jeans. I could never hide the truth from him.
“Then we’ve got a train to catch.” He picks up a pack and steps off the porch.
Bruno, Zeus, Grace, and I follow him as he treks down the winding driveway, along the cliff, and toward the main road. My stomach tightens into a fist the closer we get. I don’t need to guess how vulnerable we are out here. I already know it. And I feel naked. Stripped of everything but our hope.
It’s black out here. I mean, really black. But the darkness hides us, and the temperature drops. I cross my arms over my chest, silently thanking Sutton for giving me clean, dry clothes. Inevitably, sand fills my boots, my socks, and my hair. I lick my dry and cracking lips.