Sneak (Swipe Series)

though this is Logan’s sister we’re talking about here.”
    Peck looked at Eddie sideways. “You got a problem with that?”
    “ I do,” Jo said. “You gonna use your little power trip on me too?”
    “I’m not using a power trip on anyone, Joanne. This isn’t up to me anymore.”
    “Well, then who’s it up to, huh?”
    “No one! Think it through, Joanne. Where else can we go? The Row is out of the picture. New Chicago’s swarming with DOME, all of whom are looking for us. And the farm’s been discovered.
    What else do you expect us to do? Beacon’s our last safe bet.”
    Blake had been lying back on the raft, hands behind his head, looking up at the treetops and the sky passing overhead. But he sat up now, a strange look in his eyes. “You knew, didn’t you?”
    Peck turned to him. “What are you talking about?”
    “You knew they would come for him. For Logan. You knew that he’d lead them right to us. That as long as Logan was a part of the Dust, DOME would always be just one step behind. . . . You wanted it . . .”
    “Why would I want that, Blake? Why?”
    “To drive us off the farm! To take away our safe house. To keep us on our toes—always on our toes! Because you knew we wouldn’t follow you any other way!”
    All of the Dust was looking on now, in a sort of stunned silence.
    “And what if you’re right?” Peck asked.
    “Dock the raft. I’m getting off.”
    “You can’t , Blake. DOME’s out there. They’ll find you and kill you.”
    “You’re using us!”
    Suddenly Peck drove his stick very hard into the streambed, and the raft veered dangerously to the right. It swerved and crashed hard against the bank, jostling everyone and throwing Blake to the dirt.
    “We are in this, Blake. Together . You knew what you’d signed up for with the Dust. You knew it was the hard road. Since when have I ever promised it would be easy to bend history toward justice?” Peck shook his head. “I’m ashamed of you right now.”
    And now Peck spoke to the group of them, to everyone on the raft.
    “There is a place in Beacon where kids are sent to suffer for crimes they may or may not ever commit. Now, I don’t know about any of you, but when I hear that, it makes my blood boil. So I am going to Beacon to do something about it. Do I need you kids to come with me? No. I don’t. So any of you who wants out, now’s your chance. Here we are. Final stop. But you’d better make it quick. Because DOME is on our trail. And because I’ve got work to do.
    “Why do I want you with me on this? Because we’re a family.
    Because I love each of you. Like brothers. Like sisters. The same way I love Logan. And Dane. And Hailey. And Lily.
    “But we’re out of time, Blake. So if you—if any of you—feel differently about me—about any of this—then leave now and don’t look back.”
    Overhead, a soft wind whistled in the empty tree branches.
    A few lost birds chirped in the distance. The rushing water of the stream lay a blanket of comforting sound around them. And the sky was blue and inviting.
    Blake stood up at the spot where he’d fallen off the raft. The Dust looked around at one another. Jo. Tyler and Eddie. Meg. Rusty.
    And Blake stepped back onto the raft. “Push off,” he told Peck, defeated. Not looking him in the eyes. Not looking anyone in the eyes. “Come on, already, will you? Let’s go.” And he leaned over and shoved the ground hard, sending the raft back onto its journey himself.
    8
    Logan’s grandmother tiptoed up the spiraling staircase outside the Langlys’ home, still in shock over everything Mrs. Phoenix had said.
    Kids taken by DOME. Imprisoned for signs of doubt in Cylis.
    For dangerous thoughts they didn’t know they had.
    And at the same time, Grandma felt large. Larger-than-life.
    Ballooned up with a level of pride she’d never before imagined.
    Her grandson. Logan. Throwing everything away to stand up against it.
    As she changed into dry clothes and ran a towel through her hair, Grandma thought very hard about ways she could help. There had to be something. She would find it.
    But the Langlys couldn’t know. David, Charlotte . . . they’d never allow it. Would they even believe it? They’d never listened to her before . . .
    Grandma sat on the bed for a long time, holding the charm on her necklace and praying that she might find some way to help her grandchildren soon. Praying for something, for any little thing to point her in the right direction. She