come out when you hear the buggy leave,” I say.
Bea turns to Jazz. “You’re not as much of a brat as I thought you’d be,” she tells her, and laughs.
“Bye,” Jazz says. She chokes back her tears. And Bea doesn’t let herself cry either. She nods and backs away.
I watch her leave, then take Jazz out to the roadside where we sit shivering under the winking stars and sliver of a sickle moon. Her wounded leg is so bloated, I doubt they’ll be able to save it. Hopefully they’ll save her.
“Can you imagine what it must have been like to live out here before The Switch? So much space.” I am talking to myself more than to Jazz, who shuts her eyes. I hold her tighter. “People used to travel across the whole world. No one stayed in his own country. Now even Outlanders don’t get very far. We’re all trapped. Trapped in the pod or on this big island. Is there a difference?” Jazz reaches out, takes my thumb in her cold hand, and closes her eyes as the buggy trundles out of the shadows, its bright lights, like giant eyes, blinding.
I stand holding Jazz in my arms. The buggy slows and stops. Jude steps out and stands in front of the vehicle. With the lights behind him, he remains a silhouette in the darkness.
“Who’s that?” Jude growls. He is wearing loose-fitting trousers and an old sweater rather than his uniform and looks like a very ordinary man. A dad. “Where’s Quinn?”
“I haven’t seen him.” He wouldn’t have thought a RAT was worth the journey, so I lied when I radioed in: I told him I’d found Quinn.
“Then why the hell . . .” He stops, steps forward, and peers at Jazz. He sweeps her hair away from her face. “What am I meant to do with her?”
“She needs a doctor.”
“This wasn’t part of the deal.” He wheels around.
“I’m close to finding Quinn. And I want to take you up on your offer. I’ll become an auxiliary if it means I don’t have to kill anymore innocent people.”
Jude turns. “They weren’t all innocent,” he says, looking at Jazz, who he almost killed. “And anyway, why should I believe you?”
“I only lied about Quinn to help her. And I doubt I’ll find anyone else who needs saving,” I say, thinking of Bea.
He opens his arms. “Hand her over,” he says coolly, and without flinching, studies her leg.
“Is Niamh okay?” I ask.
“She’s still angry. Your sister has a good deal of your father in her,” he says. “You, though . . . you didn’t catch it.”
“Nope, and Quinn didn’t catch much of you either,” I say, in case he thinks that this spell of conscience and unexpected concern for his own son makes him some sort of hero. Jude stares, and Jazz squirms.
I step out of the glare of the headlights and into the shadows. “The drifters are vicious. Watch out for them,” Jude says on his way back to the buggy.
Carefully, he places Jazz in the rear seat and climbs behind the wheel. He reverses roughly over the rubble, and is off.
I return to the station. “Bea!” I call out. Within minutes she appears. She’s shivering. My heart lightens. I was worried she would have run off, and I don’t think I want to be alone out here anymore.
“Do you think she’ll live?” she asks.
“She has a chance,” I say.
The top buttons of her coat and shirt are open, exposing pointy collarbones and pale skin. I go to her, and she holds out her hand. “Thank you,” she says. I take her hand and shake it, and finally one corner of her mouth curls into a faint smile.
“I am glad you found us,” she says.
“Me, too,” I say.
UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
HarperCollins Publishers
..................................................................
20
ALINA
Vanya orders us to finish eating our dinners—the troopers have everything under control. “But what if it’s the Ministry? They nuked The Grove. They could do the same here,” I say. Is it possible that the chatter in the room is masking the sound of zips and
Bea turns to Jazz. “You’re not as much of a brat as I thought you’d be,” she tells her, and laughs.
“Bye,” Jazz says. She chokes back her tears. And Bea doesn’t let herself cry either. She nods and backs away.
I watch her leave, then take Jazz out to the roadside where we sit shivering under the winking stars and sliver of a sickle moon. Her wounded leg is so bloated, I doubt they’ll be able to save it. Hopefully they’ll save her.
“Can you imagine what it must have been like to live out here before The Switch? So much space.” I am talking to myself more than to Jazz, who shuts her eyes. I hold her tighter. “People used to travel across the whole world. No one stayed in his own country. Now even Outlanders don’t get very far. We’re all trapped. Trapped in the pod or on this big island. Is there a difference?” Jazz reaches out, takes my thumb in her cold hand, and closes her eyes as the buggy trundles out of the shadows, its bright lights, like giant eyes, blinding.
I stand holding Jazz in my arms. The buggy slows and stops. Jude steps out and stands in front of the vehicle. With the lights behind him, he remains a silhouette in the darkness.
“Who’s that?” Jude growls. He is wearing loose-fitting trousers and an old sweater rather than his uniform and looks like a very ordinary man. A dad. “Where’s Quinn?”
“I haven’t seen him.” He wouldn’t have thought a RAT was worth the journey, so I lied when I radioed in: I told him I’d found Quinn.
“Then why the hell . . .” He stops, steps forward, and peers at Jazz. He sweeps her hair away from her face. “What am I meant to do with her?”
“She needs a doctor.”
“This wasn’t part of the deal.” He wheels around.
“I’m close to finding Quinn. And I want to take you up on your offer. I’ll become an auxiliary if it means I don’t have to kill anymore innocent people.”
Jude turns. “They weren’t all innocent,” he says, looking at Jazz, who he almost killed. “And anyway, why should I believe you?”
“I only lied about Quinn to help her. And I doubt I’ll find anyone else who needs saving,” I say, thinking of Bea.
He opens his arms. “Hand her over,” he says coolly, and without flinching, studies her leg.
“Is Niamh okay?” I ask.
“She’s still angry. Your sister has a good deal of your father in her,” he says. “You, though . . . you didn’t catch it.”
“Nope, and Quinn didn’t catch much of you either,” I say, in case he thinks that this spell of conscience and unexpected concern for his own son makes him some sort of hero. Jude stares, and Jazz squirms.
I step out of the glare of the headlights and into the shadows. “The drifters are vicious. Watch out for them,” Jude says on his way back to the buggy.
Carefully, he places Jazz in the rear seat and climbs behind the wheel. He reverses roughly over the rubble, and is off.
I return to the station. “Bea!” I call out. Within minutes she appears. She’s shivering. My heart lightens. I was worried she would have run off, and I don’t think I want to be alone out here anymore.
“Do you think she’ll live?” she asks.
“She has a chance,” I say.
The top buttons of her coat and shirt are open, exposing pointy collarbones and pale skin. I go to her, and she holds out her hand. “Thank you,” she says. I take her hand and shake it, and finally one corner of her mouth curls into a faint smile.
“I am glad you found us,” she says.
“Me, too,” I say.
UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
HarperCollins Publishers
..................................................................
20
ALINA
Vanya orders us to finish eating our dinners—the troopers have everything under control. “But what if it’s the Ministry? They nuked The Grove. They could do the same here,” I say. Is it possible that the chatter in the room is masking the sound of zips and
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