“Why is it doing that?” I finally ask.
“The tracker doesn’t know he’s dead,” she says in shock.
“What are you talking about?” Leah asks.
“The tracker doesn’t stop when the body does, it keeps on working.” Cara raises her voice in a panic.
“Oh no! Get everyone over here.” Magi announces.
All the members of our group rally. Jake jumps down into the pit to take a closer look at the tracker that Cara has in her hands.
“We are still being tracked,” Cara announces.
“How do you know?” Jake asks.
“See this green light?” She points at the blinking light.
“Yes,” he answers.
“It is showing the tracker is still active. It won’t turn off until it has been de-connected from its serial number.” Cara grabs her knife and severs the nerve, breaking the box free. The green light turns yellow, letting out a low beep. Cara then stands up and stomps the box. The light instantly changes to red, and then fades to nothing. A small amount of smoke wafts into the air off the tiny box.
“Well that takes care of that,” Samantha says sarcastically.
“No, you see Samantha,” Cara talks to her in the same tone. “That does not take care of that! Robert’s serial number was active still until ten seconds ago even though he’s been dead an hour, meaning that the two dead men over there,” she points to the truck a blaze. “Their serial numbers are or at least were active too, putting all three of them in the same place for a really long time…active.”
“So,” Mar says, understanding the scenario. “If they have been paying attention, The Elected know where we are?”
“If they didn’t before,” I say. “They do now!”
Chapter Thirty
We all scramble to gather what things that hadn’t been put into the truck, and then we load inside. I am sure we will be nervous and on watch for a while now. Shawn and Leah stay perched, ready for action at the tailgate.
Magi is in the front, driving. Jake needs to try to get some rest, as do all of us. He put Zac in charge of the map, making him perhaps the happiest twelve-year old ever to live. He sits as happy as can be between Magi and Samantha, who is in the passenger’s seat.
“Why don’t you try to get some sleep?” Jake whispers to me as we fly down the road.
“I don’t think I can.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, Liz. I really am.”
“It isn’t a big deal,” I lie. “That’s not why I can’t rest,” I lie again.
“How can it not be a big deal?” He whispers the question. “I know you have to be hurting. It’s all right to be sad.”
“That’s the thing,” I say, “I’m not sad… I’m mad… at myself.”
“Why are you mad at yourself?” Jake pulls me closer to him. My back is resting against his chest with his arms strongly wrapped around me, his chin resting ever so slightly on the top of my head, Dia asleep on my lap.
“I am mad at myself because I shouldn’t have let myself get close to my mom again, and I think deep down, I was harboring some thoughts that maybe my dad did love us, and he wasn’t such a bad guy. I hate myself for allowing such a moment of weakness in at a time like this. That monster had no place in our lives, so why am I so upset?”
“Liz, you are the least weak person I know,” Shawn interjects. After all, it is hard to talk in such a small place without others hearing. “Think of it this way. We needed him, and we were only going to use him until he was of no use to us anymore anyway.”
“I don’t feel that way,” I say, ashamed.
“We all feel weak and vulnerable from time to time.” Leah frowns. “Look at me, I am the weak link in this group, and you still keep me around.”
Shawn squeezes her hand, and she smiles, but her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I, for one, am tired of getting shot at,” Mar laughs, “but, I couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone other than you guys.”
“Even me?” Leah laughs.
“Even you.”
As the conversations fill the air, and with Jake’s strong arms wrapped around me, I can’t help but allow myself to feel comfortable enough to close my eyes. The blurry haze of sleep tugs at me, calling me to its actuality.
“Sleep, love,” Jake whispers while kissing me on top of the head.
The sun was up when I fell asleep, now the stars are twinkling in the night sky. I sit up, realizing that Jake has fallen asleep too. I don’t know how long I have been out, but I notice that Samantha is driving now, meaning that at some point, her and Magi have traded places.
We are still traveling down some unfamiliar, broken road I hope leads to where we are going. Zac sits perched on the edge of his seat, looking out into the distance. He holds the map firmly in his hands as if it might disappear at any moment. It is a possibility with the way things have been going for us.
“You awake?” Mar whispers.
“Yeah,” I smile.
“I can’t sleep any longer,” she sits up. Dia is asleep on her lap now. At which time she moved to her, I don’t know. Mar strokes the top of her head, while smiling down at her.
“I’m awake too.” I push myself up a bit better. “Any idea where we are?”
“Nope, not a clue,” she chuckles.
“I hope we know what we are doing,” I laugh too.
“Do we ever?”
“No.”
“What about Dia?” she asks.
“What about Dia?” I ask back.
“She can’t fight this war
