'Jeopardy. Remember the game show with Art Fleming? Used to watch it all the time. Picked up a lot of junk. I was in love with Art's politeness.'
Eric bent over his pack and started fastening the straps. 'Often there are some water pools in these mines. Bring Tag and Season's canteens, we'll fill them up there.'
Rydell walked over to Season's pack, rustled through for the canteen. Suddenly he straightened up. 'Listen!'
'What?' Molly said.
'Did you hear that? A noise. Like someone moving.' He grabbed his bow from the ground, fixed an arrow in the string.
'Relax,' Eric said, not even turning around.
'No, I really heard it. There it is again.'
'Yeah,' Molly whispered breathlessly. 'I heard it that time. Maybe I should go warn Tag and Season.'
Eric continued fastening straps. 'Just calm down. No need to worry.' He made no move toward his crossbow.
'Hello,' a familiar voice called to them. 'Don't shoot, okay?'
She staggered out from behind a giant boulder, her face blistered from the sun, her tongue swollen with thirst. The heavy backpack threatened to tilt her backwards. She was wearing khaki shirt and shorts, torn here and there at embarrassing locations. One knee was bruised and an angry red knob stuck out on her shin.
Eric still didn't turn around.
'Jesus, Tracy!' Molly gasped and ran toward her. Rydell dropped his bow arid joined Molly, each grabbing Tracy under one arm and half-carrying her to the camp.
Tag and Season started to run over.
'Keep digging!' Eric ordered. They hesitated, but returned to their work.
Tracy Ammes nodded thanks as she shook off her backpack and flopped to the ground. 'I had a couple of clever entrance lines,' she said, 'but all I can think of right now is water.'
Rydell handed her his canteen. 'Go ahead and finish it off. We're on our way to get more.'
She swallowed the few ounces greedily, tilting the canteen higher and higher even after the last drop was gone. 'Thanks. I tried to ration myself, but I guess I figured it wrong.'
Eric was still fussing with his pack, his back to Tracy, 'Military studies show that rationing doesn't have any physical benefits. It's just as sound to drink all the water at once.'
Tracy looked at Molly and Rydell, raised her eye-brows in question. They both shrugged back and shook their heads.
'How long have you been out there?' Molly asked.
Eric answered for her. 'Since we left camp. She started following us right away, been on our tails ever since. Just far enough to stay out of sight, but close enough not to lose us. Right?'
'Right.' Her voice was morose, like a child caught stealing.
'That's crazy, Tracy,' Rydell said. 'Why didn't you just join us at the start?'
'Because she knew I wouldn't take her,' Eric said, turning now to face them. 'Right again?'
She nodded. 'I wanted to come, though I'm not sure why. Maybe I just knew it wouldn't be the same there anymore, not after what happened. It didn't feel as comfortable, not with Annie and the kids gone. And it didn't feel as safe, not with Eric and the rest of you gone. It had a sinking ship feel to it, a lot of people putting on cheerful faces to mask their fear and dread.' She shrugged, looked at Eric. 'I guess you and Annie and the kids were really my only friends.'
'That's not a very logical reason to leave,' he said coldly.
'Maybe not. But it was enough for me.' Her eyes were red and she blinked rapidly as if flushing tears, but there wasn't enough moisture in her body for tears. She hadn't expected Eric to understand, not Eric who wielded logic like a saber, more so each day since the earthquakes. Annie had often discussed it with her, fearful that Eric's hate for Fallows and fear for his family would consume him.
Tracy had always soothed Annie's fears, careful not to let any of her own jealousy peek through. But Annie had known, Tracy was sure of that. Yet she had never made any accusations, in fact had done everything to make her feel more comfortable. And Tracy had for the most part managed to bury her jealousy, learning to enjoy the Ravensmith family as if it were her own. Tried to look at other men with the same passion Annie looked at Eric. She and Annie were like sisters, and she missed Annie now. As for Eric, those buried feelings had worked their way closer to the surface in the past few days, but guiltily she did everything to force them back down. Annie and Timmy's safety was all that mattered now. And during the past three days and nights of traveling alone, hidden in the shadows from Eric and the others, Tracy had decided she would gladly give her life toward that end.
Across the camp, Eric stared at Tracy. He had known since the first half hour of leaving University Camp that she was following. Had given her a day at most to surrender and finally show herself. He'd been surprised when she hadn't, but had been certain she would by that night, especially considering some of the wretched sights they had passed so far. A pack of dogs fighting over the half-eaten carcass of an old man. Hastily butchered cats chewed to the bone near old campfire sites. But Tracy had not shown herself, had not asked for refuge. For a moment he'd become worried, thought about going back for her. But then he remembered Annie's speech that night, placing Tracy in nomination as her replacement should anything happen. It flooded him with guilt and rage, and he cursed them both. The third day he knew she was still there and was angered at the rush of relief he felt. That was the old Eric.
Finally she'd joined them, holding out until she was certain they couldn't take her back and wouldn't send her on her own.
'Now what?' Tracy asked, withering under his intense stare.
'Now we get water,' Eric replied, plucking her empty canteen from her side.
'That's awfully small,' Molly said nervously.
'They didn't need it much bigger.' Eric ducked through the entrance of the cave. He switched on the flashlight, motioned for Rydell and Molly to follow. Tracy had been left at camp to rest.
'Did I mention my fear of spiders yet?' Molly asked.
Rydell laughed. 'You too?'
'Some comfort you are.'
'Stay close,' Eric warned. The batteries were fresh, taken from the University Camp supplies still wrapped in their Eveready black-and-yellow package, a price tag from Safeway still half-attached. The beam knifed through the thick darkness as Eric checked for loose stones indicating a weak wall. Not that there was any way to be sure.
'Wouldn't it have been safer to just look for a stream somewhere?' Molly whispered, having seen enough TV cave-ins to be aware of the danger of sound. 'Maybe we could find one nearby.'
'I did find one,' Eric said, inching ahead.
'What?' Rydell and Molly chorused.
'Yeah, when I scouted ahead a few hours ago. There's one about a quarter of a mile from camp.'
'Then what are we doing here?' Rydell asked. 'Did we miss our daily quota of breathing dust?'
'The water wasn't any good. No vegetation around it, some dried animal bones nearby. Bad signs.'
Rydell sighed. 'Some of these desert pools have dissolved arsenic in them.'
'You mean someone poisoned them?' Molly said.
'No, it's natural.'
'Like Perrier, huh?'
He swatted her bottom with a canteen and she giggled.
'There,' Eric said, holding the flashlight beam steady. A pool of black water, still and silent.
'Christ,' Molly complained. 'I should've worn a sweater. This place is cold.'
'Don't complain,' Eric said. 'That cold is why we have water now. Works just like our still down there. If we went any deeper we might even find ice.'
They kneeled around the pool, staring. Eric handed the flashlight to Rydell. 'Keep it steady.'
Molly twisted the cap off her canteen and reached toward the pool to fill it. Eric's hand grabbed her wrist with a power that stung. 'What's wrong?'
'See that film on top of the water? That's lead. It's poisonous.' He ran his finger along the inside of his ear,
