Grubbs assumed a pensive pose, one foot forward, his fist to his chin. “That’s really very interesting.” Then he shouted, “I don’t believe you!”

Caleb jumped backward, got tangled in his feet and fell.

Grubbs strode forward and stared down at him. “I think you’re a lying piece of shit. I think you and your friends came all the way up here to murder us all. If we hadn’ta walked away for a little while, we’d all be dead, too.”

Grubbs stepped back and looked back to Brandon-Lee May, who hadn’t moved very far from where he’d been standing initially. “Brandon-Lee,” Grubbs said, “I imagine you and Mr. Caleb have some business to settle. Do what you will. Just don’t kill him and don’t do sick, twisted shit.”

“Glad to,” Brandon-Lee said. “On your feet, shithead.” He looked anxious to get started.

“Oh, God,” Caleb said, trying to find his feet to run. “Shit, shit, shit. I–I only hit you once.”

“Yeah, well, I’m gonna do more than that.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

“A IN’T THAT YOUR BOY LUKE ABOUT TO COLLAPSE OUT THERE?”

Victoria was meeting with Paul Copley and Ty Rowley about keeping up with the supply of lumber needed to build cabins for the stream of newcomers. Twenty-five refugees arrived just yesterday, bringing the total number to 112 since the war.

Victoria followed Ty’s finger, and, sure enough, Luke was staggering down the road, his face flushed and glistening with sweat. He looked like he had less than nothing left in his tank.

“We’ll get back to this,” Victoria said, and she hurried out to intercept him. Copley followed.

“Luke! Luke, I’m over here.”

The instant he saw her, his knees buckled. He collapsed to the pavement and started to sob.

She rushed to his side, kneeled next to him. “Oh, my God, Luke. What’s wrong? Where’s Caleb?”

Luke was exhausted. He’d been running for God knew how long. “They got him,” he said through gasps for breath.

“Who got who?”

“Caleb,” Luke said. “The gang. The one with Brandon-Lee May. They got Caleb.”

Victoria shot to her feet, both hands to her mouth. “Oh, my God. OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod. Where? When?”

Luke stood, though he still struggled for air. “We were rabbit hunting up on the mountain.” He pointed in the direction he’d just come from. “We split up, and they just came out of nowhere. They hit him really hard. I think they’re gonna kill him.”

Well, that’s what Brandon-Lee said he was going to do, wasn’t it? “How far from here?”

“I don’t know.”

“How long have you been running?”

“I don’t know. How would I know?”

He made a good point. “Can you lead me back there?”