“That doesn’t give us long,” Olga said.
“No.”
“Why can’t you wait a little longer?”
“Two reasons. One, this city is much busier in the daytime, so our chances of avoiding capture are seriously reduced.”
“And the second?” Dianna said.
“My community is well hidden. Even if we don’t get captured, I can’t risk exposing one of its entrances. Our strength lies in our camouflage. If either Fear or Fury find us, we’ll be overrun.”
“So you’re going to abandon us like I said you would?”
“How am I abandoning you? I’ve done everything within my power to lead you lot to my community. For some reason, William and Matilda decided they knew a better way. And Hawk wants to fight anything he can. They’re the ones who have screwed this up, not me.”
Olga balled her hands into fists. “Don’t you think there’s a reason why they stopped? Maybe they needed our help. But we just carried on, didn’t we?”
“And Hawk,” Gracie said, “are you saying he had a better reason? To me, it looked like he wanted to continue his one-man crusade to defeat every enemy on the planet. I won’t risk my life because of their mistakes. I told you I’d lead you here. I’ve done that. I can take Dianna back with me. Why don’t you come with us, too?”
“Have you and Dianna already decided she’s going with you?”
“I just assumed …” Gracie said.
Dianna cleared her throat. Her voice came out as a weak warble. Were it not pitch black, Olga might have swung for the pathetic bitch. “What use am I to you here? I can’t fight.”
Company. She’d give Olga company. But how could she say that? A free and independent spirit, could she really admit she needed a friend to stay with her? To hold her hand in the darkness.
“Come with us,” Dianna said.
“What about the others?”
A small red light blinked in the corner of the room.
“What’s that?” Olga said.
“A camera. It’s hooked up to my community.”
“What’s a camera?”
“It’s a way for us to see who’s waiting here. It’s some of the new technology I said you’d see.”
“Like the dogs and drones?”
“Sure,” Gracie said, “but it can’t harm you. It just helps us see if there’s someone who needs rescuing. Like when Hawk and the others finally get here. Or Matilda and William.”
“But it’s dark.”
“It sees in the dark.”
“And what if they need our help before they get this far? What then?”
“I’ve done enough, Olga. I’ll come and get them if they arrive, but they’re on their own now.”
Olga’s shoulders slumped. “You do what you need to do. I can’t leave this city without my friends. And, Dianna, you need to do what you think’s right.”
“It’s not what I think’s right,” Dianna said. “It’s what I think is best. I truly believe I will be a hindrance to you if I stay.”
“Right, best, whatever … If you think it’s best to go to Gracie’s community with her after all we’ve done for you, then you do that, love. Can I just remind you that Hawk and Max risked their lives for you.”
“We’ll be back for them,” Dianna said.
“You keep telling yourself that. As long as your conscience is clear, that’s all that matters, eh?”
“That’s unfair. What use will I be to you? Especially if you go back into the city?”
What use would Olga be in the city? She didn’t know the place. How the hell would she avoid the diseased, cannibals, and warring armies? Again, one word filled Olga’s mind. Company. She shook her head and sighed. “You go. You’re right, I’ll be better off on my own.”
A hand rested on Olga’s back. It came from Dianna’s direction. She twisted away from the girl’s touch.
“We’ll be watching,” Gracie said.
“And what if …” Olga took a moment. “What if we don’t all make it? What if they come here in stages? There’s no reason they’ll arrive together.”
“When you’re ready for me to come and get you,” Gracie said, “hold up four fingers on your right hand. I’ll see that and come. If I see all of you in here, I’ll also come.”
Olga jumped at the snap of the steel door’s handle. The hinges cackled again. Not that they had anything to laugh about. Gracie opened the door wide enough for Dianna to leave. “We’ll return, okay.”
Olga turned her back on them. “I’ll believe that when I see it.”
Dianna said, “G-goodbye, Olga. See you soon.”
The door closed with a click, throwing the small space back into complete darkness. After letting go of a hard sigh, Olga’s exhaustion caught up with her. She sat cross-legged on the floor, her head in her hands. In spite of herself, she began to cry.
Chapter 19
Since William had found the old apartment with Matilda, he’d sat in a corner and hadn’t moved. The aches running through his shins and legs had eased, turning into a low buzz of fatigue. They were far enough away from the window to avoid the broken glass on the floor. “How long do you think we’ve been here for?”
Matilda got to her feet again, squinting as she peered out at the city, searching one way and then the other. “Two hours?” She shrugged. “Maybe more.”
It had grown light outside, the grainy hue from the birth of a new day revealing their surroundings to them. Where the darkness hid all its imperfections, the sunlight scrutinised them. The cracks in the walls were putrid scars, the damp plaster inside having swollen and burst through their papery skin. The bare concrete floor, cold and damp, had turned William’s bottom numb, but at least it had given him a chance to rest. The previous night had damn near broken him.
His clothes were cold and damp with dew. Another shiver sent a violent spasm through his body.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m as okay as I need to be. It’s not like
