Because you have no other home, a little voice in the back of my mind tells me. You don’t belong anywhere else.

Shut up, I tell it.

But if I had any chance of convincing Reid or Hunter or any of the others, I’ve lost it with that single word. A slip of the tongue and I’m no longer worth listening to. I see it in the way the boys turn from me, I feel it in the scornful gaze from Hunter. Reid spits on the floor in front of me.

“We’ll retreat and try to find our way around them,” Hunter continues, his voice rising in strength, as if I’d never spoken. “Find another route toward Sam’s Throne. We won’t go back to Hope.”

He locks eyes with Reid, a quiet demand for him to fall in line. But Reid doesn’t look down. I’m witnessing some kind of shift in power, because Hunter takes a step closer, and Reid straightens to meet him.

Reid slowly shakes his head. “No. We’re here now. We keep going.”

“It’s too dangerous, man,” Hunter says. He indicates the soldiers, who are still keeping a watchful guard.

Reid folds his arms. “It’s worth a try.”

“They’ll shoot you,” Hunter insists.

But it doesn’t seem to be a threat to Reid. “Then they’ll shoot me. I can’t go back.”

Hunter reaches out to him. “We won’t. I promise you, we won’t.”

Reid smiles bitterly, like he regrets what he has to say. It’s the same stunt I saw from Warden Davis on the regular. That “I’m not sad, I’m disappointed” frown. “You hesitated for so long. What’s to say you won’t change your mind when we turn back? What’s to say Miss Let’s Go Home won’t change it for you?”

I keep my mouth shut, because it’s the sensible thing to do. Our crowd is filled with whispers. Crew members who drift from Hunter to Reid and back. Everyone feels it now, and briefly, the soldiers don’t matter, because this is our world. This is our normal.

Hunter grabs Reid by the neck and pulls him close. “I won’t.” His voice is low and menacing, and it would be enough to pull me in line.

Reid reaches out and pats Hunter’s cheek. “I don’t trust you, friend.” He disentangles himself from Hunter’s grasp and checks him, casually pushing him aside. “We’re here. We keep going.”

His declaration is met with murmured agreements. People who hesitate between him and Hunter. Reid winces and turns to Hunter one last time. “We’re too close now,” he says. “Don’t you see? I can’t go back. I can’t. I can’t. I have to try.”

So he does.

Time slows down.

Reid rushes past us, because he hasn’t yet learned that the world isn’t made for people like us. He runs toward the soldiers. And with no hesitation whatsoever, one of them lifts his weapon.

Takes aim.

And fires.

Seven

Emerson

The sound of the shot echoes around us. It’s followed by shouting—and screams. The shouting comes from the soldiers. Two others have pointed their guns at us, and they’ll shoot. I know they’ll shoot. They’re scared and we’re scared, and I don’t know who’s screaming, but my throat feels raw.