Earthseed

There was a way out, a small chance, a way to help her friends. She hoped it would work. She would not let this chance slip away; she could afford no more mistakes.
    She rowed more swiftly toward the island; she was already a bit late. Ho would wait. He would have to wait.

    The island’s shore was rocky, but on the mound above it, tall evergreens and slender birches grew. She rowed around it until she sighted a small cove; as she drifted near, she noticed that two large bushes near the sand below the rocks were actually heaps of branches hiding other boats. She got out and waded in, pulling the boat up and tying it to a young tree, then yanking the rope to make sure the knot would hold.
    “So you got here at last.”
    She looked up. Ho stood above her, arms folded. “I don’t see any supplies.” He came down the slope until he stood near her. “Hands up. No weapon, I see. What happened to your clothes?”
    “I’ve got something to tell you, something important.”
    He grabbed her arm, almost making her fall. “It’s a trick,” he said angrily. “It’s a trick, isn’t it?”
    “If I were going to trick you, I wouldn’t have come here like this.”
    “How do I know that?”
    “You don’t—you’ll just have to trust me. I almost got killed yesterday. Bonnie’s probably dead.”
    Manuel was walking along the rocks toward them. “Did you hear that?” she shouted. “Bonnie’s probably dead. Don’t you want to know why?”
    Manuel came to her side; he seemed stunned. “Let her talk, Ho.” They perched on the rocks.
    “I want to know if the others are all right first.”
    Ho leaned toward her. “You’re in no position to bargain.”
    “Oh, yes, I am. If I don’t tell you what I know, you’re going to have more trouble than you can imagine. Where are they?”
    “They’re here,” Manuel said. “Ho didn’t want them to know where our base is. They’re all right.”
    “Have they been fed?”
    “We gave them water.”
    “I want to see them, and then I want them fed before I tell you anything.”
    Ho slapped her hard. She jumped to her feet, rubbing her cheek. “Don’t do that again,” she shouted. “I’ve got nothing to lose now, but you do. You’d better listen.” Her voice echoed across the lake.
    Ho stood up. He and Manuel went to the boat, untied it, and pulled it up, concealing it with the others. “Come on.”
    She followed him over the rocks, Manuel trailing them. He led her through the trees to a small clearing.
    The others were there, sitting on the ground, still tied together. They looked dirty, tired, and sick. Dmitri looked at her with weary eyes. Owen pointed at her bare legs and began to laugh until a sharp look from Ho stopped him. Vittorio was the only other member of Ho’s band present.
    Zoheret marched toward the captives and sat down next to Dmitri. “Feed them,” she said. “Give me food, too.” Ho hesitated. “Right now.”
    “I could force it out of you.”
    “Just try.” She stared at him until he looked away.
    Ho dug around in the packs and threw them each a large meat dumpling. Zoheret tore at the wrapping and ate while Ho and his companions murmured among themselves. Owen gestured wildly, shaking his head.
    “What happened?” Dmitri asked between bites. “Where are your clothes? Did you get the supplies?”
    She shook her head. “You’ll hear soon enough.”
    Ho walked over to them again, followed by his friends. “All right, you had your food.” The four sat down. “Now talk.”
    Zoheret took a breath. “There are people in the settlement—strangers.” Tonio grunted and Zoheret glanced at him, warning him with her eyes to be silent. “They’re running things there now.”

    Ho was scowling by the time she finished her tale, but he had not interrupted her. Owen was shaking his head. “It’s a trick.”
    “How could I make up a story like that? If it weren’t for Bonnie, I might not even be here. Well, I’ve told you. You can’t use hostages now, and when those people start looking for you, I don’t think you’ll get away.”
    “We could go to the settlement,” Manuel said. “We could give ourselves up.” Ho glared at him.
    “One of those people shot Bonnie,” Zoheret said. “She didn’t try to help her, or pull her out—she shot her. And she tried to shoot me. That’s what convinced me Bonnie was right about them. If you go there, you’d better make up your mind to do what they say, and you might not like