“I’m not much of a coffee drinker,” Steven said, “but that bakery had the best donuts in the world.”
“And now it’s all gone,” Bruce said, his expression morose.
Rogue stared at a section of the city that had been sheered off by the Shift. “And to think my dad might be somewhere out there, a million years in the future.”
“Best not to dwell on it,” Bear said. “We all lost someone. I lost my wife and daughter.”
Rogue stared at him. “You did? I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. They’re not here, and that’s something. Where they are, it’s safe, and my little girl can grow up, graduate, and live her life in peace.”
“Yeah, that’s something,” Rogue said with a touch of envy. But it was fleeting. She knew nothing about that life, after all. This was what she knew, and these people were her family now. “Come on, guys. Let’s hustle.”
Rogue cut through the city until they reached the river. From there, it was a straight shot to the boat. Along the way, they spotted a couple of herds by the riverbank. Thankfully, it turned out to be herbivores each time.
That didn’t stop Moran and the others from gawking like school kids. There were scores of Lambeosaurus, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, and several of the smaller species as well. Even after all the narrow escapes she’d had, Rogue had to admit the dinosaurs were an awe-inspiring sight.
“Are you guys doing okay?” she asked as the sun passed overhead.
“We’re good,” Moran replied with a grunt.
“Do you need to rest?”
“No, Rogue. We don’t need to rest. Stop babying us,” Moran said with a testy note in her voice. “We’ve already stopped twice today.”
“It was only for a couple of minutes,” Rogue protested.
“Long enough.”
Rogue pulled a face. “Excuse me for being worried about you bunch of oldsters.”
Bruce snorted. “I might be old, but that means I can still beat your ass if you give me any more lip.”
Rogue laughed, but she soon sobered. “Anyway, just keep a sharp eye out. This place is crawling with dinosaurs, and very few of them are friendly.”
“Got it,” Bruce replied.
“And I hope you’re up for a long hike. We’ve got many more miles to travel.”
“Just lead the way. Us oldsters will keep up,” Moran said.
Rogue shut her mouth and focused on putting one foot after the other. Truth be told, she was exhausted, and she guessed the others were too. But to keep going was probably the best option. They still had so far to go, and the thought of spending the night in the open filled her with terror. We have to get to the boat.
After another long slog up and down the riverbank, however, Rogue called a halt. “Come on, guys. Admit it. We need a break.”
Moran wheezed for air, her shirt soaked with sweat. “Maybe…maybe just a short one.”
They chose a spot among a bunch of rocks and sat down. Rogue groaned as her cramped thigh muscles got the chance to relax. It felt as if she were a blob of butter, melting into the ground.
Suddenly, her ears picked up the sound of a snapping twig. In an instant, she was on high alert, her machete in her hand. Her eyes peered into the forest, striving to find the source of the sound. “Something’s out there.”
The others immediately jumped up, each armed with their weapons of choice: Bear with his hammer, Moran with her hatchets, Bruce and his crossbow, Steven and his samurai sword. Together, they formed a formidable force, but that meant nothing if they faced a T-Rex or something similar.
With her heart banging in her chest, Rogue waited. Then her eyes picked out a shape emerging from the trees. Her fingers grew numb, and the machete clanged to the ground. “Seth? Is that you?”
Seth stepped out into the open, his expression mirroring her feelings of shock and amazement. “Rogue? I found you. I finally found you.”
“You did,” Rogue cried, sprinting toward him. She jumped the final distance, and he caught her mid-air. She forgot about everything else for several seconds as she rained down kisses upon his face and neck. “I’m so happy to see you. More than happy. Ecstatic.”
“I’ve been so worried,” Seth murmured in her ear. “I knew something was wrong the minute you disappeared.”
“How did you find me?” she asked, still amazed at her good fortune.
“Mostly by luck. I’ve been following your trail for days, but I lost it at times,” Seth said. “I was beginning to think I’d have to scale the walls of Prime to rescue you.”
Rogue laughed. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
“Er, excuse us,” Moran said, clearing her throat. “Aren’t you going to introduce us to your new boyfriend, Rogue?”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Rogue said, blushing to the roots of her hair. “Seth, this is Moran, Bruce, Steven, and Bear.”
Seth greeted them all in turn. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Moran. Rogue has told me a lot about you.”
“That’s funny because she’s hardly said a thing about you,” Moran said, quirking an eyebrow.
“Yes, well. I was going to,” Rogue said, still blushing. “Anyway, shouldn’t we get moving?”
“Where were you headed?” Seth asked.
“To your boat.”
“You’ve made good time,” Seth said. “It’s not that far now. Maybe a mile or two.”
“Excellent,” Moran said. “Enough time for us to get to know each other properly. Right, Rogue?”
Rogue sighed. “Right.”
***
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Seth pointed toward a spot in the distance. “There it is. We made it.”
Moran sagged with relief. “Thank goodness. I was beginning to think we never would.”
“Is it safe?” Bear asked.
Seth nodded. “The boat’s made from steel, and I secured the doors and windows with bars.”
“Good. I could use a good night’s sleep,” Bruce said with a pained grunt.
As they drew nearer to the boat, Rogue noticed a sudden silence. She paused, one hand tugging at Seth’s shirt. “Why is it so quiet?”
Seth froze, his head cocked to the side. Then he blanched. “When I say the word, you run. Got it?”
“What’s wrong?” Moran asked.
“Listen,” Seth
