I try not to look at them, and instead, I turn to Stephen. “What do you want with me?” I ask. “Why are you showing me these people?”

There is someone I would like you to meet,” he says.

We walk across the parking lot, with all eyes seemingly on me as we cross. He leads me to another building and opens the door for me. We walk down a hallway until we reach a room. Inside there is a woman sitting at a desk. She wears a headset connected to a radio transceiver. Every couple of seconds she relays a call.

“Red Falcon this is Home Base, do you copy? Red Falcon, please respond.” She looks up at us and smiles, but then her face turns suddenly serious.

“Still unable to reach them?” Stephen asks.

She nods. “I don’t know what could have happened.” I can sense the fear in her voice.

“I want you to keep trying,” Stephen says.

“I didn’t plan on stopping,” she says. She looks at me for a moment. “Who is this?”

“I wanted to introduce to you our newest friend,” Stephen says looking at me, his eyes warning me not to contradict him.

“Her name is Remi.” He turns to me. “Remi, this is Lydia.”

“Pleased to meet you,” I say slowly. I start to reach out my hand but think better of it.

“We found her at the hospital,” he continues. “She was looking for an old friend named Jessi Paxton.”

Lydia’s face goes from narrowed eyes to wide eyes, her mouth gaping open. Then without warning, her mouth closes and she seems to be snarling at me. “You aren’t going to take her. I won’t let you!”

“Calm down, calm down,” Stephen says, holding up his hands. “She’s not taking anybody. I just wanted her to meet you.”

“Why are you looking for Jessi Paxton?” she asks.

I look at Stephen and he just nods for me to tell her. “Her father sent me to look for her. That’s when I came across Stephen and some of your friends. One of them’s a real jerk," I say, rubbing the back of my head.

“So, you’re wanting to take her from me?” Lydia asks, tears filling her eyes.

“What are you talking about?” I ask. “Jessi is here? She’s alive?”

“Auntie!” The voice behind me is so sweet sounding, so innocent, like something that could have never been born of this world. “Can I go outside?” I turn to see a tiny little girl, barely reaching a height above my knee. She’s wearing a ruffled dress and her bright, blonde hair is pinned back into little pigtails.

“Not right now, Evie,” Lydia says.

“Evie?” I say. I squat down to look at the little girl in front of me.

Her blue eyes study mine and she smiles. “Who are you?” she asks.