Botanicaust

later. For now, he had to get far away. Following the cut through the plains was probably not the best way to hide, but the storm still raged above and, until it died back, there was no way he could fight the scouring wind.
    Sunrise pierced the darkness and, as if on cue, the gale eased into an unsteady sigh. The air seemed cooler without the burning wind, like the welcome arrival of a rainstorm after a heat wave. But the sky remained hazy blue. Scrabbling up the side, he scanned the horizon, turning a full circle. He had no idea which direction the city lay in. Nor the direction of home, or the Fosselite scientists he sought. To the northwest, a bank of thunderclouds blackened the horizon.
    Should he go back into the ravine, or keep walking in hope of finding shelter? Topside, he would be exposed to the Blattvolk flying machines. Yet the gulch was a direct connection to the car. He fished a water bottle from the bundle at his shoulder and sipped while squinting into the sunrise.
    The longer he waited, the more likely he was to be spotted if the Blattvolk came looking for him. The air pressed sweat against his dust-caked skin. A few sparse, wind-tattered shrubs dotted the land, but nothing significant enough to give shelter. He worried about Tula. Would she be all right until her people found her? The thought of her going back to the malice of that Vitus fellow made his jaw tighten. His fist crushed the empty water bottle as regret engulfed him, then engulfed him again for ruining the bottle. He was supposed to offer salvation. Tula deserved to be saved.
    A gust of wind sent his crushed water bottle scurrying north and lodged it against the base of an amarantox. As he bent to retrieve it, the earth began to vibrate, and small drifts of silt sifted into the ravine. A sound like grinding rock rolled in from the west, and he leapt away from the edge of the cut as muddy water churned down the gully, a jumble of debris riding at the fore. The flood shot past his feet, filling the channel almost to the top, taking anything in its path for a ride. Within a few heartbeats, the front edge disappeared around a bend, headed straight toward Tula.

    Tula leaned into the dented skimmer and looked at the engine with despair. Why had she thought she might be able to nudge it into life? The only part she recognized was the battery, and it seemed fine.
    Coughing, she trudged to the passenger seat and picked up the half-used roll of gauze. Wrapping the makeshift mask around her face, she leaned back in the seat. The rescue team would find her soon. Levi was long gone. Why should she be in a hurry to face her punishment? Closing her eyes, she found herself on the verge of tears.
    Don ’ t cry. You have no water, and they may be hours away from finding you. She could only hope.
    The day dawned gray, and soon the heat and the ultraviolet would be unbearable. She was glad for the shade of the gully, but regretted not pulling the allelopathic suppression pills from the first aid kit before Levi left. How long before a duster found her? She wondered if Mo might be on the team to rescue her.
    As if thinking of him could conjure his voice, the com hissed to life and Mo ’ s voice crackled into the stillness. “ Coordinates verified. All Burn Operatives are ordered to flash on sight. Repeat , take no prisoners . All Burn Operatives are ordered to flash on sight. Dr. Macoby is considered armed and dangerous. ” The com clicked into silence.
    Tula sat straight in the seat, not daring to breathe. Were they talking about her? Was Mo talking about her? Her heart raced as if it could scramble out of the ravine without her. Flash on sight?
    This had to be a mistake. They only killed reversions, and then only if the reversion refused to comply. Did they think she ’ d reverted?
    She leapt out of the skimmer, legs trembling. She wouldn ’ t have a chance to explain herself. There would be no going to the mines for her. No working the protein production unit with Bats. Why did Mo broadcast Burn Ops directives to her com unit, if they intended to kill her and Levi on sight?
    Her chest tightened. He ’ d warned her. Or hoped to warn her. If they knew he ’ d transmitted to her, they ’ d punish him, too.
    She had to get away from here. Run .
    Without thinking, she tried to scramble up the side of the ravine, but only succeeded in pulling more dirt into the gully. Turning in the direction Levi had disappeared, she ran until she found a section