putting up with your children — who, let’s be honest, are pretty big disappointments — you send them off into the wilderness with an army of Secret Service types.”
“But if you’re all so safe here,” Nat said, “then why are you going to New York?”
“Because we’re sick of each other!” Christos hollered from the kitchen.
“And we’re bored!” Reese said.
“
“But there’s still a draft,” Nat said. “Last I heard, the age was eighteen, so I’m guessing most of you should be eligible.”
Alec glanced at Christos. “I suppose it was decided that our talents would be better used elsewhere.”
“By whom?”
“Nat.” I put my hand on her shoulder, but she batted it away.
“No, I want to know who decided!”
“Who decided what?” Alec snapped.
“That you deserve all of this.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with deserving things,” Christos said.
“Our parents made choices, hard choices, years ago,” Alec said in the patient lilt of a grade school teacher. “And because of their sacrifices—”
“Their sacrifices!”
“Nat,” I said. “Come on, let’s just—”
“My mother was an Army ranger,” Natalie said, a red fury burning her cheeks. “My dad just—” Nat dug her balled-up fist into the table. “My friends are all dead and you people sit here—”
“I’m sorry, Nat—”
“Oh, you’re sorry.”
“—but that doesn’t have anything to do with us,” Alec said.
“Your security guards should be in the Army,” Nat said, standing up now. “They should be fighting the Path!”
“Yes,” Alec said. “Absolutely. Because I’m sure this whole war would be over tomorrow if they were.”
“Alec,” Kate said.
“No, Kate.” Alec shot up from the table. “I’m sorry you got dealt a bad card, Nat, but I’m not going to be blamed for it. It’s the way things are and it’s not my fault.”
“Wait,” Diane said. “It doesn’t have to be like—”
“No, we gave them a place to stay and food to eat and now she wants to — Look, if you and Kate feel so strongly about this, then you two can stay and join up with the Feds too. I’m not making anyone do anything.”
Alec turned back to Nat.
“And I am sorry if my dad’s hard work allowed me to live like you wish you could. Honestly, I weep with guilt. But if you’re telling me that you’d throw it all away if you were me, then you’re either crazy or a liar.”
Alec and Nat glared at each other across the table. Nat didn’t say another word. She shot her chair away from the table and fled the room. Bear barked and ran after her. I looked back at the others, all of whom were glowering at Nat’s back, except for Kate, who was staring at me.
“Guys, listen, I’m sorry, she’s just… let me talk to her.”
I left the table and caught up to Nat at the far edge of the living room. She spun around when I took her shoulder. Her face was seething red and there were tears in her eyes.
“Nat—”
“How can you want to go anywhere with these people?”
I turned to see the group was breaking up and moving toward the living room. I took Nat’s hand and led her down the hall, away from the others.
“We’re using them for a ride,” I said in a hush. “That’s all.”
“We don’t need them,” she said. “We can’t be that far from Rapid City. We’ll get ourselves there and find a recruiting station.”
“I told you. They won’t—”
“We can talk our way in,” she said. “I know it. And even if we can’t, we can go back to Waylon and hook back up with Carlos and the others and enlist there.”
I flinched at the sound of a TV snapping on in the living room behind us. Kate and Reese had moved into the room and were being joined by the others. There was a rush of static followed by loud, hurried voices.
“Cal?”
Nat’s shoulders were squared, that aura of command pulsating off of her. I felt myself wilt beneath it.
“Listen, Nat, I…”
“Hey! Turn this up!”
I looked up at the edge of panic in Kate’s voice. Christos grabbed the TV remote and keyed the volume higher. A harried-looking man was on the screen. He had his finger to a monitor in his ear and was writing notes furiously.
“Reports are coming in now,” he said. “Some confirmed, some awaiting confirmation, but we’ll tell you what we know for sure right now. After months of stalemate, major elements of the Army of the Glorious Path are pouring over the border into California.”
“Oh God,” Nat said. Her hand moved to take mine.
A map of the country popped up onto the screen with Path states in gold and Fed in blue. The map quickly zeroed in on California, a mass of blue with four sets of golden arrows pointing into it, two coming in from the east and two from the sea.
“Four A.M. Pacific time saw an end to a brutal series of aerial bombardments that began in major strategic areas in the north and south. Following these assaults, mechanized elements pushed into Southern California from Path-controlled Arizona, while in the north an amphibious assault began on Northern California of a magnitude not seen since D-day in World War Two.
“U.S. forces were quickly overwhelmed and we understand that by eleven A.M., regional military commanders and the California governor met with Path general Jonathan Moreland, where they officially surrendered their state.”
On the map behind him, the blue of California switched to Path gold, linking up with other states to completely surround Nevada and Oregon.
“For more on what this means, we go to our senior military analyst, retired general Stanley—”
“Come on,” Nat said. “No way the Army says no to us now.”
She grabbed my hand but I pulled it back. “Nat, wait.”
“What?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but it was like there was a hand around my throat.
“Cal, what’s…”
I met her eyes and saw the realization hit her.
“You were never going to enlist with us,” she said. “Were you?”
I swallowed back a cold lump in my throat. “The MPs were coming for me. You said you wouldn’t help me unless I went with you.”
“I never said that!”
“Nat, two people signing up right now isn’t going to make any difference. You know that!”
“And what will make a difference? Running away to New York and joining their little
“Please,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “I know what happens to people who try to fight them.”
Nat’s glare hardened. “So do I.”
“Wait.” I reached out for Nat as she turned to go, but she jerked away from me.
“No,” she said, glancing into the living room where Alec and the rest of them milled about the blank TV screen. “Maybe you do belong with them.”
Nat turned her back on me and strode toward the door. Bear heard her footsteps and scurried out of the
