Plague

away.”
    But he also saw the wheels spin in Jamal’s head as the boy worked it through to the inevitable conclusion.
    He saw Jamal’s resistance evaporate.
    “Smart boy,” Drake said. “Now, here’s what you do.”

Chapter Ten
52 HOURS, 37 MINUTES

    “WHY DID WE have to sneak out of town in the nighttime?” Jack grumbled. “I’m tripping over everything.”
    Jack, Sam, Dekka, and Taylor were across the highway, past the gas station, and climbing uphill. Moonlight touched the tall, dry grass with silver. But it didn’t reveal the smaller rocks that poked up through the dust-dry ground and stubbed toes or tripped you so you landed on your hands and knees and looked like an idiot.
    Jack was not interested in going on some long, dangerous walk. Especially at night. Or in the daytime, for that matter. What he wanted to do was just lie in his bed. Just lie in his bed and read.
    He had a pile of books. They were the only thing to do. No internet. No computers. Not even electricity.
    Of course that was his fault. His fault for being tricked by Caine and especially that witch, Diana.
    He had a hard time saying no to girls. Especially Brianna, who seemed to be able to get him to do anything she wanted.
    Brianna kind of lived with him. They were kind of going together, he guessed. Although they didn’t actually do anything. Like make out or anything. That didn’t happen.
    Jack had thought seriously about asking Brianna if she would make out with him. She was cute. He liked her. He guessed she liked him. They had taken care of each other when the flu was going around.
    But . . . It occurred to Jack that Sam had not answered.
    “Why are we sneaking out in the night?” Jack repeated.
    “I already explained,” Sam snapped. “If you don’t listen—”
    Taylor jumped in to say, “Because otherwise Astrid would find some way to stop him.” She mimicked Astrid’s voice, injecting it with steel and a tense, condescending tone. “Sam. I am the smartest, hottest girl in the world. So do what I tell you. Good boy. Down, boy. Down!”
    Sam remained silent, walking steadily just a few feet ahead.
    Taylor continued, “Oh, Sam, if only you could be as smart plus as totally goody-goody as I am. If only you could realize that you will never be good enough to have me, me, wonderful me, Astrid the Blond Genius.”
    “Sam, can I shoot her now?” Dekka asked. “Or is it too soon?”
    “Wait until we’re over the ridge,” Sam said. “It’ll muffle the sound.”
    “Sorry, Dekka,” Taylor said. “I know you don’t like talking about boy-girl things.”
    “Taylor,” Sam warned.
    “Yes, Sam?”
    “You might want to think about how hard it would be to walk if someone were to turn off gravity under your feet every now and then.”
    “I wonder who would do that?” Dekka said.
    Suddenly Taylor fell flat on her face.
    “You tripped me!” Taylor said, more shocked than angry.
    “Me?” Dekka spread her hands in a completely unconvincing gesture of innocence. “Hey, I’m all the way over here.”
    “I’m just saying: you can see where that could make a long walk just a lot longer,” Sam said.
    “You guys are so not fun,” Taylor grumped. She bounced instantaneously to just behind Sam. She grabbed his butt, he yelled, “Hey!” and she bounced away innocently.
    “To answer your question, Jack,” Sam said, “we are sneaking out at night so that everyone doesn’t know we’re gone and why. They’ll figure it out soon enough, but Edilio will have to have more of his guys on the streets if I’m not there playing the big, bad wolf. More stress for everyone.”
    “Oh,” Jack said.
    “The big, bad wolf,” Taylor said. She laughed. “So, when you play that fantasy in your head is Astrid Little Red Riding Hood or one of the Three Little Pigs?”
    “Dekka,” Sam said.
    “Hah! Too slow!” Taylor said. She was suddenly twenty feet away and behind Dekka.
    They had reached the ridge. The trees started in the valley beyond and spread up the next hill. The small valley tended to capture damp breezes off the ocean—back when there were breezes. And a small stream—now almost dry since it was cut off from the high, snow-capped peaks beyond the barrier—ran along the floor of the valley.
    “Try not to make too much noise, huh, guys? Hunter may be out hunting. We don’t want to stomp around and scare off his prey.”
    “So no more falling on your face, Jack,” Taylor teased.
    A sound, a wail, rose from