Enormous structures like temples are dotted around, made of huge stone bricks. Some stones stand several feet high, while others have intricate patterns, statues and columns carved into them. It reminds me of pictures of Ancient Egypt that I learned about in school. The slavers are building a new city in the crater where another city once stood. It’s like being in a valley, only this one was man-made, created by bombs, bombs that were far more destructive than anything I saw in the north. These bombs have created a wasteland, a brutal landscape of desert. There’s not a tree or body of water as far as the eye can see.

“Welcome,” the robed man says in his fake cheery voice, “to Memphis, Tennessee.”

*

We trudge along, me leading the way, following the robed man. The whole time, my eyes are darting around me, taking in everything, seeking a way to break out of this nightmare. We’re so close to reaching Texas, there’s no way I’m giving up now. I’ll do whatever it takes to get out of this place.

My heart soars when I catch sight of bright ginger hair. I look over. Molly is in another chain of prisoners, being led the same direction as us. She’s gritting her teeth and limping. I let out the breath I’d been holding as I see that a few people behind her stands Ben. I’m relieved to discover that he’s completely unscathed from the crash, though there’s blood on his clothes. I scan the rest of the line but Stephan and Zeke are nowhere to be seen. I can’t help but fear the worst.

We’re led past a stack of cages filled with animals. I see that crammed inside one of the cages are Penelope and Jack. They look terrified, huddled together, shaking. My only comfort is that they have each other.

As we trudge through the wasteland, I manage to catch Molly’s eye. Silently, we try to communicate with one another. She’s looking at the bikes, same as me. We’re both thinking that they’re our only chance of escape. If we want to live to see tomorrow, we’re going to have to steal them somehow.

I gesture to the chains around my wrists. The way that we’re all connected together means that if I yank hard enough, I could get the whole line to fall. Then, in the confusion, we might be able to find a way to break free.