“Your rules leave these people defenseless. They leave me defenseless.”

“They aren’t my rules,” Gabe says. “I can no more change them than you can.”

I turn away from him and walk back to the bench, but I don’t sit.

“That’s why you want to be a soldier, isn’t it?” he asks.

I don’t answer him. The answer is obvious.

“I had no idea, Remi, I’m sorry.”

“You shouldn’t be,” I say. I turn back to face him, but I don’t look up. “The gun was there, so I took it. I can’t explain it to you, but it’s just instinct now. And instinct tells me to keep it.”

“If you’re caught with that thing, Paxton will kick you out,” Gabe says.

“I know.”

“Your best bet is to get rid of it.”

“You clearly don’t understand,” I say.

“I do,” he says. “Get rid of it and be a soldier here.”

My eyes light up at his words. “Do you mean that?”

“Well, you have to hold up your end of the bargain,” he says with a smile. “But yeah.”

“You’re going to be disappointed with my end of the bargain,” I say. “Or relieved, I’m not sure what you’re looking for exactly.”

Gabe shrugs and moves closer to me. I hate it that my heart beats harder when he is near me.

“Shadowface is just a supplier,” I tell him. “The journal says nothing about who he is or where he comes from. It’s nothing more than a book of minutes that Paxton keeps locked in the desk. Anyway, Shadowface came up less than a year ago, and throughout the journal he is only mentioned when the elders need something.”

Gabe nods as he takes the words in.

“It doesn’t sound that strange to me,” I say. “In fact, it sounds like a good idea. Though, I’m a little surprised that you don’t know about it, being the lead scout and all. Don’t you go for supply runs? Don’t you see shipments that Shadowface brings in?”

“I go for supply runs, but I rarely bring anything good back,” he says. “In fact, the only times we’ve ever scored decent supplies is when Paxton and an elder go out themselves.”

“They go on supply runs?” I ask.

“They go every so often,” Gabe says. “Apparently their runs aren’t like ours. Looks like they’re meeting with their buddy, Shadowface.”

“What does Paxton have to trade Shadowface for all the ammo and extra supplies?”

Gabe shakes his head. “No idea. It’s odd to tell you the truth.”

“You going to do more digging?” I ask.