“Give us a minute,” Darla said as she sat down in the snow beside me.
Uncle Paul nodded. “I’m going to help Rebecca and Anna replant the kale those bastards pulled up,” he mumbled as he shuffled off.
Darla turned to me. “You okay?”
“What does it mean? Is Dad dead? Why else would this guy have his shotgun?” I punched at a clump of snow.
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe Dad sold it. Or traded it for something. He could be alive, right?”
“Yeah, he could.”
We sat in silence.
After a while, Darla asked, “Why’d you stand up in front of those guys?”
“I was trying to talk to them. To delay them.” In the rush to take care of Max and get Dr. McCarthy, I hadn’t really thought about the fight. “You saved my life again.”
“Yeah, what’s that now, forty-seven times?” Darla shrugged.
“About.”
“You have a serious talent for needing to be saved.”
“I guess. Thanks.”
“Trying to talk to those guys was stupid. I wasn’t ready to shoot yet.”
“I couldn’t let them walk off with the kids. And you got ready in time.”
Darla grabbed my collar, pulling me closer and yelling in my face. “Yeah, but Christ, you scared me! What if I’d missed? You do anything that idiotic again and I’ll shoot you myself to save the heartache of watching someone else do it.”
“Sorry.” I really hadn’t been thinking too clearly. Obviously. But still. .
“And I still don’t get why the guy with the machine pistol didn’t perforate your sad hide.”
“He was unnerved by my crazy taekwondo charge?” I forced a smile.
Darla glared. “You have a death wish or something?”
“No. Crappy as this world is, I don’t want to leave it.” I reached out and squeezed her hand. “Don’t want to leave you.”
Suddenly she rolled on top of me, yanking our scarves out of the way and kissing me. Darla pressed her body into mine, burying me in the snow. Her weight, slight though it was, hurt my side. I ignored the pain, wrapping my arms around her and trying to keep up. The kiss lasted for a dizzying minute. When she came up for air, she said, “Don’t you ever do something like that again.”
“If it means I get another kiss like that, I might.”
Darla slugged my shoulder, hard enough to bruise.
“Got it,” I said. “Shouldn’t we be helping Uncle Paul?”
Darla stood, offered me her hand, and pulled me up. We made our way through the two plastic doors that formed an airlock for the greenhouse. It was relatively warm in there, which was good-I was freezing after being half-buried in snow by Darla.
Most of the kale had come out of the soft, moist greenhouse soil with its roots intact, so we could replant it. When we found a plant with badly damaged roots, we harvested the leaves, saving the stems and roots for the goats.
“Will the kale regrow?” I asked Uncle Paul as the five of us walked back toward the house.
“I think most of it will be okay.” He laid a hand on my shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.” I thought for a moment, picking my next words carefully. “I’m going to leave. To look for Mom and Dad.” I glanced at Darla and was relieved to see her nod.
“How will you find them?” Uncle Paul asked.
“I’ll track down the two bandits who got away.”
“They aren’t going to volunteer the info you want just because you ask them to,” Uncle Paul said.
“We’ll bring guns,” Darla replied dryly. “Those are pretty convincing.”
There was a long pause in the conversation as we approached the house. Eventually Uncle Paul nodded. “I’ll start sorting out supplies for you. You’ll want to get moving at first light so they don’t get too far ahead.”
I held the storm door for my uncle and Darla. “Maybe we should leave now?”
“Better if you get a good night’s sleep. They won’t be traveling tonight either-their torches are still on the toboggan.”
The scene inside the house was positively tranquil after all the craziness of that day. Dr. McCarthy was gone. Aunt Caroline was sitting on the floor beside Max, holding a cup of water to his lips while Rebecca stirred a bowl of corn porridge.
“What’s this about traveling?” Aunt Caroline said to Uncle Paul.
“How’s Max?” Uncle Paul asked.
“He’s fine. Tell me what you’re talking about.”
“Alex and Darla are leaving in the morning.” Uncle Paul frowned. “One of those bandits had Blue Betsy.”
“What? No.” Aunt Caroline sloshed water across Max’s face, and he spluttered. “There’s no way we can keep up with all the work without Alex and Darla. And what if we get attacked again? What if they attack the house next time?”
“We’ll have to manage,” Uncle Paul replied. “We can board up all the windows on the ground floor, put bars on the doors, too.”
“Your leg isn’t completely healed from the fall and-”
“I’ve been off the crutches for more than a month, hon,” Uncle Paul said, clearly exasperated.
“I know, but you’re still limping.”
“Not much. The muscles are weak, that’s all. It’s getting better.”
“They’re still kids. We can’t let them go running around in this mess-they’ll get killed.”
“I’m eighteen.” Darla folded her arms over her chest. “And Alex isn’t a kid anymore, whatever his age.”
“Why do you guys keep talking about Alex and Darla?” Rebecca said. “I’m going, too.” She folded her arms, mimicking Darla so closely that it might have been funny except for her grim expression.
“Rebecca, no.” I said, as gently as I could manage.
She turned on me. “You think it was fun, waiting for you last year? Thinking you were dead? And then Mom and Dad left, and I thought I’d lost everyone, my whole family, gone. I’m not going through that again.”
“I know it’s hard,” I said, “but Aunt Caroline is right-she and Uncle Paul need help. Darla and I wouldn’t be leaving now except for that shotgun.”
“Darla can stay. They’re not her parents.”
“I’m going,” Darla said flatly.
“Then I am, too,” Rebecca said, although she sounded far less certain than Darla.
I shook my head, scowling. I understood how she felt-I didn’t like being treated like a kid, and really, none of us were kids anymore. We spent our time struggling to survive, not going to school or playing games. But if she got hurt-or God forbid, killed-looking for our parents, I’d never forgive myself.
Rebecca looked down and whispered, “I. . don’t want to be alone again.”
“I know.” I pulled her into a hug. “But you won’t be alone. You’ll take care of Max and Anna. And help your aunt and uncle.”
“Yeah,” she murmured, holding onto me. “But you better come back.”
“You and Darla had best get some sleep,” Uncle Paul said. “Caroline and I will get your packs ready. I’ll wake you before dawn.”
I let go of Rebecca, and Darla took my hand, pulling me toward the kitchen. “Let’s get washed up.”
That night, I lay awake in bed for more than an hour. Darla was on one side of me; Rebecca, Max, and Anna on the other. My aunt and uncle still hadn’t come to bed. The kids called out or moaned occasionally in their sleep- nightmares, I assumed.
From her breathing, I could tell Darla wasn’t sleeping, either. I put an arm over her shoulder and hugged her closer. “You okay?” I whispered.
Her body heaved and she choked back a sob.
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “Shh. You don’t have to be tough all the time.”
