Page 24 (1/2)

"They’ve had your Chest for three years now," I say "So you think it’s possible for the dead?"

She shrugs "I don’t know Maybe? But I have this feeling that they got into mine and that when I touched that stone it somehow led the scouts to our house"

"Why send so few?" Sam asks between yawns "I ?"

"Maybe they got scared and panicked?" Six offers

"Maybe one of them wanted to be the hero," I say

Six rolls down herand listens When she’s satisfied, she says, "Regardless Next time there will be more of them Pikens and krauls and whatever else they can throw at us"

"You’re probably right," Sa This being on the run is really wearingit for eleven years," I say

"I think I’m a little homesick," he mumbles

I lean forward and see that in his lap he’s holding his father’s old glasses, the ones with the thick lenses he used to wear in Paradise

"It’s not too late to go back, Saoing back" It’s with far less conviction this time around than when he had first said it in the North Carolina motel "Not until I find my dad Or until I at least learn what happened to him"

His dad? Six mouths to me, confused

Later, I ure it out eventually" I turn back to Six "So, where do we head to?"

"Now that it seeuess we’ll see where the wind carries us It hasn’t let lances over at me "Did you know that if it wasn’t for the wind and ht before the attack in Paradise, I’d have never gotten there in ti about?" I ask

"I was drifting through the Midwest, sensing you guys were in Ohio or in West Virginia or Pennsylvania after I found soht was probably the handiwork of Mogs in Athens near that college; but after a feeeks of coured you guys had taken off for California or Canada by that point So there I was, standing in the parking lot of this strip ust of wind ripped past ht I would refuel and get back out there and figure so out, but in the corner of the shop was an open coe coffee and started searching the internet Sure enough, I found an article about the house on fire that you jumped out of"