The Forsaken

scowls that come my way. “What’s the point of the test if you don’t think it works?”
    “It’s more complicated than that,” Veidman continues smoothly. “We’re hoping to get more information from him soon. One way or another.”
    “Did you ask him about the Cannibal Monk’s face?” a girl’s voice calls out.
    I’m not sure what she’s talking about. I glance at Gadya. She anticipates my question:
    “None of us have ever actually seen the Monk,” she whispers. “And none of the Monk’s drones we capture will tell us anything specific. Supposedly the Monk always wears a wooden mask. Always. Some drones wear metal ones to emulate him. And the Monk never walks. He’s carried everywhere by four drones.”
    “Who knows if he even exists,” Rika chimes in from my other side. “Some kids think he’s a mass delusion.”
    Gadya shakes her head. “I just think he’s smart enough to keep a low profile. But who knows? Maybe he’s dead, and his own people don’t know it yet. They just keep on fighting anyway.”
    Our whispers trail away as Meira appears from the trees. She alights on a rock near Veidman, like an exotic species of bird. Her clothes are so clean and white, I don’t know how she keeps them that way. Whenever I see her, I get embarrassed about how shabby I look. My sweaty clothes and underwear stick to my body, and the skin under my bra chafes. But of course most of these kids look more like me than like Meira. So maybe she’s the one who should feel out of place.
    Meira stands up, displaying the fluid grace of a UNA fashion model. She speaks where Veidman left off. “The good news is, we don’t think David knows about Operation Tiger Strike yet. This could mean the spy in our village hasn’t had a chance to share any recent intel with the Monk.”
    “Or maybe there is no spy, like a lot of us have been saying,” Edie adds.
    “Operation Tiger Strike?” I mouth at Gadya.
    “I’ll tell you about it,” a soft voice says in my ear, making me jump. It’s Liam. He has moved up behind us, silently and stealthily.
    Gadya tries to pretend he’s not there, but I glance back at him. He’s cleaned up nicely and put on fresh clothes—jeans and a faded blue V-neck.
    “It’s the code name for a secret expedition,” he whispers to me. “A small group of us hunters are going to look for another way into the gray zone, now that the tunnel’s gone. The whole zone’s surrounded by some kind of gigantic high-tech barrier, but if we can make an opening and get inside, we’re going to keep exploring the zone, find out where the aircrafts are, and hijack one of them.”
    “That sounds dangerous. . . . I mean, kind of—” I stutter.
    “Can you two be quiet?” Gadya hisses in annoyance. I fall silent, but Liam doesn’t.
    “Gadya agrees with me, even if she won’t admit it. Eventually we’re all gonna die in this village. Taken by the drones or the Suffering or the feelers. We can’t stay here forever, because forever isn’t very long on the wheel. We need to send an expedition party to find a way off. Then we’ll come back and get everyone else.”
    The thought of people leaving the village frightens me. And I don’t want Liam to go anywhere, not before I can talk to him more. I’m about to respond, when I realize Meira has stopped addressing the gathering. I look up and see that she’s staring at Gadya, Liam, and me. So is Veidman.
    “Liam, you got something to say?” Veidman asks.
    Liam shakes his head. “Nope.”
    “You were telling Alenna about Operation Tiger Strike, am I right?”
    Liam nods. “Yep.”
    Veidman turns his eyes to me. “Our village is divided. Some of the hunters want to form a group and head into the gray zone right away to find the aircrafts. But other villagers are afraid of—”
    “We’re not afraid!” a girl’s voice says vehemently right next to me, and I’m surprised to see that it’s Rika. “We just think it’s a stupid idea to split up the village and lose our best warriors. It puts everyone at risk!”
    Voices call out in support of her. Mostly female. But some of the hunters start pounding homemade spears against rocks, making a din.
    Assassin Elite holds up a spear excitedly. He looks ready to leave the village this instant and go on a rampage. “It’s stupid to stay here and wait for the next attack!” he yells. “All of us can’t go anyway. Too many people. So let the stupid people stay, and everyone else