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so she can think about what she’s done.”
    Jo looked at him. “Forget it, Tyler. She’s coming along.” She turned to Blake. “Anyway. Peck know about the girlfriend or not?”
    “Not,” Blake said. “I haven’t seen him. He here tonight or what?”
    “Warehouse. He’s preparing. Like you beggars are supposed to be.”
    Blake got up and stood face-to-face with Joanne for some time. She was taller than he was. Probably weighed more too. He hugged her. “It’s good to see you again. I didn’t think you’d be coming by.”
    “Wasn’t planning on it,” Jo said. “He asked me to. Wanted to get the final update before tonight.”
    “Well, you heard it,” Blake said. “We’re good except for the girl. Kid read the note. Saw me too, again, but . . . that shouldn’t matter at this point.”
    “Yeah,” Eddie said. “’Cause he’s not coming.”
    “He is coming, ya little skimp—forget the girl.”
    “What makes you so sure?”
    “’Cause I’m the one been watchin’ him the past six months!” Blake paused, shook his head.
    “Good work,” Jo said sincerely. “Now come on. Midnight approaches. There’s work to be done.”
    Blake, Joanne, Tyler, Eddie—they were a family. Not a real one, of course, but without a doubt the closest thing any of them had to it. Blake was fourteen, a runaway who’d left home nearly two years ago. Joanne was fifteen and had been on her own twice that long. Tyler and Eddie were thirteen, new to the life in the Dust. Then there was Meg . . . the newest addition to their group. All of them misfits, all of them Markless . . . all of them brought together by Peck.
    “So what’s your take on the kid?” Jo asked, meaning Logan. She led the three boys through the darkened Fulmart aisles as they talked.
    “You really want it?” Blake asked.
    “Yeah. I know what Peck thinks. But you’re the one who’s been watching him, so what’s the verdict?”
    Blake sighed. “He’s a good kid. I wish we didn’t have to do this to him.”
    “Oh, come on!” Eddie chimed in. “It’ll be fun!”
    “Yeah,” Tyler said. “We got some games for him.”
    Blake tried to ignore them. “Anyway, Peck’s right. He does need to go.”
    “And now’s the best time. You’re sure?” Jo asked.
    Blake shrugged. “That’s been the plan. Peck’s plan, anyway.”
    “But you agree?”
    “This new friend of his could be an issue. But yes. I think we need to pounce.”
    Tyler started punching him on the arm. “You gonna screw it up, like you did with Trenton? Huh? Huh? You gonna botch it? You gonna drop the ball?”
    Blake grabbed Tyler’s collar and threw him against the shelves so hard a couple of jars rolled off and crashed onto the floor. “You will never say anything about Trenton to me again! Do you hear me, Tyler, you crummy little beggar? As long as we’re in this thing together, you will never —”
    Jo put her hand on Blake’s shoulder, calmly. “Enough. Save it for midnight.”
    Eddie waited until they started walking again to say, “Tyler’s right, though. What if tonight doesn’t work out? What if this girl put enough ideas into Logan’s head that he doesn’t show?”
    “It’s a miracle they ever show,” Jo said.
    “It’s not a miracle.” Blake shook his head. “Peck just knows how to pick ’em. And when to move in. If it fails, I’m telling you right now—it’ll be the girl’s fault.”
    “Whatever,” Jo said. “I suppose if it comes to that, we could just bag ’im, take him here by force.”
    The boys all laughed. “You crazy?” Blake said. “It’d never work. He’s too suspicious now. We can’t get close to him if he doesn’t want us to. It wouldn’t be like it was with Meg.”
    Jo shrugged. “Logan’s always been suspicious. Been jumpy for years, right?”
    “He’s had reason to be,” Blake said. “We’ve made sure of that.”
    Jo nodded. “I haven’t eyed him in months, since you took over. Maybe more.” She paused. “Think he has any actual sense of how much danger he’s in?”
    “Jo. Come on. Do they ever?” Blake nodded in Meg’s general direction, over in the sports racks. The four of them stood now by the Fulmart’s back door, about to exit into the moonlit alleyway.
    Jo laughed. “Not so far.”
    “No,” Blake said. “Not so far.”
    And Tyler laughed too, and Eddie, but Blake didn’t crack a smile. He just stared at the three of them, very grim, until the whole Fulmart behind them was silent.