“What about Leo?” Lena asked. “We can’t leave until he gets back.”
“Two days.” Between drying the plates and putting the leftover pasta into a carton, Nonna had reconciled herself to this. “We give Leo two days.”
“And if Leo isn’t back in two days?” Anton asked.
Nonna forced herself to face her grandson. “If Leo isn’t back in another two days, there’s nothing any of us can do to help him. Our priority is getting Koz and the formula to Nellis.” Speaking those words was painful. It would have been easier to cut out her own heart.
“What if the Russians show up here in the next forty-eight hours?” Dal asked.
“We keep a twenty-four hour watch.” Nonna braced herself for what had to be said next. “And we rig the cabin with explosives. I have the supplies needed to make trip wires. If the Soviets attack, we hide in the woods and let them think they have the upper hand. When they try to take the cabin, they’ll be blown to pieces.”
“You—you want to blow up the cabin?” Lena’s eyes widened with disbelief.
Nonna ran her hand lovingly over the kitchen table. “I would rather see this place reduced to sawdust than let it fall into Soviet hands. Your grandfather built this with his own hands. It’s what he would want.”
She left the others, striding outside with a dishpan of hot water. Juli followed her out.
“Nonna, are you okay?” Juli followed her down the front steps.
“No reason to dump perfectly good hot water down the drain,” Nonna replied. “It’s a good weed killer. This was a trick my mother taught me.”
Marching across the clearing, she dumped the scalding water on a thick patch of milkweed growing near the road. She took her time, waiting for Juli to go back inside with the others.
She didn’t.
Nonna tipped the wash basin, slowing the flow of water to buy herself a few precious moments of privacy.
One grandson was missing. The other had lost his soul and his innocence in a Soviet torture chamber. There was a Russian in her home, and she had to chose between waiting for Leo and a mission to save the country.
It was easier to kill weeds.
The dishpan drained of the last of its water.
When she turned around, Juli seized her in a hug. “We’ll get through this, Nonna.”
Nonna patted Juli on the back, chest tight. The weight of the world was heavy, but she was not about to break.
Nonna Cecchino did not break.
She straightened her spine. “There’s work to be done. We need to gather supplies for our trip to Nellis. Do you still have your inventory sheet?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Grab it. I’ll meet you back here soon.”
“Where are you going?”
“To get Anton. We need to get that tank moved up here so we can finish packing it for our trip to Nevada.”
46
Weird
Amanda and Juli descended into the storage room, inventory sheet in hand. Nonna had reviewed the inventory and put a check mark next to everything they would take with them in the tank. Top of the list was every last ounce of dried beans and rice they had.
The room looked like a disaster zone. The old mare had done a number on it. She hadn’t returned to the cabin since the mutant battle.
Amanda made no comment on the mess. She had no interest in talking about zombie battle fallout. Not when she finally had Stephenson—Juli—alone.
She closed the door and rounded on her friend. “How long have you known you’re a girl?” Amanda demanded.
Juli flinched. “We have a lot of work to do—”
“No way. You’re not getting out of this conversation.”
Juli looked torn between wanting to bolt and wanting to hide underneath the machine guns that sat in a pile by her feet. Amanda saw the battle raging in her features, but she refused to back down.
Juli visibly gathered herself. “I’ve known since I was a kid.”
“What?” Amanda’s jaw dropped.
“I’ve always been . . . different.” Juli shrugged. “You know that.”
“I just thought you were nerdier than me and Cassie.”
“Well, that’s true. I am.” She ran a hand through her hair. Her shaggy, dirty blond hair actually looked feminine. “I’ve just never felt right in this body.”
“But . . .” Amanda searched for the right words. “How could you tell Nonna before telling me and Cassie?”
As soon as she spoke the words, she realized that’s what had been bothering her. Seeing Stephenson—Juli—in girl’s clothes hadn’t seemed all that weird. Not once she had a few minutes to get used to the idea. But why had she chosen to tell Nonna first?
“It’s a long story,” Juli said. “But Nonna already knew. I didn’t have to tell her. She gave me these clothes.” Her hands indicated the stylish clothes she now wore.
“How did Nonna know?” Amanda frowned. How could a little old lady from Italy know Stephenson was a girl in a boy’s body?
“You’ll have to ask her,” Juli said. It was clear she wasn’t going to say more. “Do you—do you think I’m weird?”
Amanda snorted. “Of course I think you’re weird. You’ve always been weird.”
“So are you,” Julia shot back.
“That’s why we’re friends,” Amanda said. “Friends forever, right? You, me, and Cassie. We’re the chess nerds. We’re as weird as they come.”
“Friends forever,” Juli agreed. Her brow wrinkled. “Are you really mad at me for keeping it a secret?”
“Not really. I’ve sort of kept a secret from you, too.”
Juli straightened, clearly intrigued. “What kind of secret?”
“Watch this.” Grinning, Amanda went over to a box of beans that sat on the floor. As Juli watched in wide-eyed surprise, Amanda squatted down and lifted the entire box in her arms.
Juli’s jaw sagged open. “Holy crap, Amanda! You’re like—you’re like a guy!”
“I’m super strong.” Amanda couldn’t stop grinning. “I can’t
