And scatter the ashes over a mile of sea and land.
Kill him. Destroy him. Destroy the remains of the remains of the remains.
Let him come back from that.
“If I get Orc up, it will cost you,” Howard said. “He’s fought Drake before.”
“I’ll burn him down,” Sam muttered to himself. “I’ll kill him myself.”
Howard seemed to think this was directed at either Orc or him, and scuttled off as quickly as he could without another word.
It wasn’t far to the gas station. Just a few blocks.
Sam walked down the middle of the street. No lights. Silence. His footsteps echoed.
He walked on legs stiff with fear.
He had forgotten to tell Taylor to get Lana. Lana would be needed. Taylor would figure it out, though. Smart girl, Taylor.
He remembered Lana’s healing touch that day as the last effects of the morphine wore off and the pain, like a tidal wave of fire, consumed him. Her touch, and the wave had slowly receded.
He had screamed. He was sure of that.
He had screamed until his throat was raw. And in nightmares since that day.
“Ashes,” Sam said.
Alone on the dark street. Walking toward the thing he feared most in the world.
Astrid was shaking. Every type of emotion. Fear. Fury. Even hate.
And love.
“Albert, I don’t know how long we can keep Sam involved at all,” she said.
“You’re upset,” Albert replied.
“Yes, I’m upset. But that’s not the point. Sam is out of control. If we’re ever going to have a working system we may have to find someone else to play the role of savior.”
Albert sighed. “Astrid, we don’t know what’s out there in the night. And maybe you’re right that Sam is out of control. But me? I’m really glad it’s him out there getting ready to face whatever it is.”
Albert picked up his omnipresent notebook and left.
To a now empty, silent room, Astrid said, “Don’t die, Sam. Don’t die.”
Taylor found Edilio already en route to the gas station. He had just one soldier with him, a girl named Elizabeth. Both were carrying machine pistols, part of the armory they’d found long ago at the power plant.
Elizabeth spun and almost sprayed Taylor when she popped in.
“Whoa!” Taylor yelled.
“Sorry. I thought…We heard gunfire.”
“Gas station. Sam’s on his way, told me to get you going in that direction.”
Edilio nodded. “Yeah, we’re on our way.”
Taylor grabbed him and pulled him aside so Elizabeth wouldn’t overhear. “Sam is fighting with Astrid.”
“Great. That’s just what we need: the two of them at each other.” Edilio ran his hand back over his brush-cut hair. He still kept it short unlike most kids, who had given up on personal grooming. “I haven’t heard anyone shooting in the last few minutes. Probably just some drunk fool got hold of a gun.”
“That’s not what your guy said,” Taylor corrected him, talking fast. “He said the station was being attacked.”
“Caine?” Edilio mused.
“Or Drake. Or Caine and Drake.”
“Drake’s dead,” Edilio said flatly. Then he made the sign of the cross over his chest. “At least I sure hope so. Where is Brianna? Where’s Dekka?”
“Next on my list,” Taylor said and bounced to the house where Dekka was staying. The house was dark but for a Sammy Sun burning grimly in the living room.
“Dekka?” Taylor yelled.
She heard a stirring coming from upstairs. Taylor bounced to the bedroom to find Dekka sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
“Sam sent me. Said you should haul butt to the gas station. Someone’s shooting the place up.”
Dekka coughed. Covered her mouth and coughed again. “Sorry. I guess I have a—” She coughed again, more violently. “I’m okay,” she managed to say.
“Whatever you’ve got, don’t give it to me,” Taylor said, backing away. “Hey, do you know where Brianna is?”
Dekka’s already gloomy expression darkened further. “She’s at her place. With Jack, in case you’re looking for him, too.”
“Jack?” Taylor said, momentarily distracted by the possibility of good gossip. “She’s with Computer Jack?”
“Yeah, Computer Jack. Nerdy kid, glasses, does stupid things like turn off the power plant? That Jack. He’s sick and she’s taking care of him.”
“Okay. Bouncing…Wait. I forgot. You might want to keep an eye out for Drake.”
Dekka’s eyebrows shot up. “Say what?”
“Welcome to the FAYZ,” Taylor said, and changed the channel. Dekka’s dark bedroom became Brianna’s.
Jack had set up a cot in the corner of Brianna’s bedroom, but he wasn’t lying on it. Jack was in a big office chair, feet up on a side table with a blanket wrapped around him. He was snoring. His glasses were on the floor. Brianna was in her bed.
“Wake up!” Taylor yelled.
Jack didn’t stir. But Brianna was up and off of the cot in less time than it took for Taylor’s shout to echo.
Brianna said, “What are you—” and then she started coughing.
It was a strange thing to witness because Brianna coughed fast. She did everything fast. It used to be it was only when she ran—something she could do at about the speed of sound. But more and more lately that speed had translated to the rest of her movements, too. So now she coughed much faster than a normal person would cough.