In the After

Did her brother abandon her or was she just a spy all along?
    I run back down to Baby, taking two stairs at a time. Seizing her arm, I yank her to her feet.
    We have to leave, now , I sign furiously. I take her hand and drag her to the back door.
    For how long? she signs into my hand.
    Forever , I tell her. I feel her stop, her weight dead against my pull.
    I turn and look into her eyes. She stares at me. She understands why we have to leave, but this is the only home she’s ever known. I grasp her shoulder.
    It’s not safe here . I am telling her what she already knows, but she doesn’t want to believe. Those men, they are going to get inside. If we stay, they’ll hurt us .
    You don’t know that . She tries to convince me, convince herself. They could be good. Like Amber .
    I close my eyes as my fingers dig into Baby’s shoulder. I tried to protect her, but led these horrible people right to our doorstep. I’ve failed her. I open my eyes to see Baby’s face twisted in pain. I let go of her shoulder.
    If we’re still here when those men break through the gate, they’re going to do very bad things to us .
    Baby nods, finally admitting that she understands. I hug her for a second, kissing her forehead roughly. When I let her go, she moves to the back door without direction and picks up her bag of supplies.
    I take my own bag and sling it over my shoulder, double-checking to make sure the gun is still at my side. On the way out the back door, I remember that I haven’t packed a picture of my mom and dad. I run back into the living room and snatch the one of them on their honeymoon in Hawaii. My mom is wearing a long, flowing dress with bright purple flowers in her hair. My dad stares at her and grins like an idiot. I shove the picture in my pack.
    We creep out the back door and edge along the wall, inching toward the back gate. There might be a man back here , I sign to Baby. If they planned the whole thing out, then Amber will have told them about the back gate.
    Amy, careful. I see someone . Baby motions with her hand.
    I look to where her finger points. Where the moonlight shines against the gate, a shadow moves back and forth, pacing.
    I have an idea , I tell her. Give me the key and be ready to follow . Baby digs in her pocket and hands me the key. She steps behind me and I pull out the gun and hold it tightly in my right hand. I stalk toward the back gate, my feet barely making a sound on the soft ground. In one motion, I put the key in the lock, turn it, and pull with all my might.
    I jump through the opening into the alley, aiming the gun at the figure. I’m lucky. He’s only a few feet from the entrance. I move as fast as I can and place the barrel to the man’s temple.
    He sucks in a breath. “Please. Don’t,” he whimpers.
    He isn’t a man. He’s a boy, fourteen or fifteen at the most. I almost feel bad for him, but then my anger flares up. These men are taking away our home.
    The boy holds a handgun limply in his hand. I grab it from him and shove it toward Baby. Baby cradles it to her chest and watches us. Pushing the boy down to his knees, I press the barrel of my gun right up against the back of his head.
    I could kill him. I have the silencer. The creatures might sniff out his body before his friends break through the fence. They might never know we’ve killed him, assuming instead he is a victim of Them.
    Baby’s hand on my back brings me back to my senses. The boy is blubbering and he smells like urine. He’s pissed himself. I can’t kill him, but I can’t leave him to run back to his friends and tell on us. We need a head start.
    I raise my arm and hit the boy as hard as I can with the butt of the gun. He falls over and slumps against the gate.
    Baby backs away from me, horrified. Did you kill him?
    No. He’s just asleep , I assure her.
    She looks at me doubtfully. She steps forward to inspect him. She moves his arm with her foot. The boy moans and his head jerks slightly.
    She steps back, satisfied.
    He won’t be asleep for long , I warn her. Where’s the gun I gave you?
    Put it in my pack .
    Good. We have to go .
    Baby runs toward me, her hand outstretched. I grab it and lead her away from our house, through a neighbor’s yard, out onto the street.
    Where are we going? she asks.
    I don’t answer. I have a few houses in mind, none very secure. Night is only just beginning. We have plenty of time to find somewhere to hide before daylight. Baby is safe for now; that is