When they got back, Rapt stood at the front of the cave and the light fell on his face. It was black and purple, like a rotten fruit.

Arc and Caroni leaned against the flat rock together and their faces were grave. “You all know the situation. We’ll die from starvation if we don’t do something,” Arc said. “We have to try to take the camp. Maybe we have the numbers to do it now.”

“But there’s no time to lose,” Caroni added. “There’s a dust cloud approaching – two days away at most. After it gets here, we may not be able to travel for a while. We told you about the satellites being disabled – soon we’ll lose that opportunity as well.”

“We have to attack the Toplanders at Cibao, and defeat them this time,” Arc said.

Attack, Sorrel thought, and the word nested inside her fear. She had never attacked another person. She would defend herself, certainly, but… She shivered and saw Rapt turn to stare at her.

“Kes and the recce group will go out this afternoon,” Arc said. “They’ll make sure we can get to where Cibao’s wall is crumbling easily. Sometimes the gully gets washed out in the rain and has to be cleared. We don’t want to have to dig our way to Cibao.”

“Fine. But we can’t just pour over a guarded wall together,” Caroni said. “We need some kind of diversion.”

“Agreed. What do you suggest?”

“Sorrel should use the rest of today to find out exactly what we’re facing – how many buildings, people, any weak areas, where the weapons and ammunition might be held,” Caroni said. “This meeting is premature. Let the recce group go out and come back and report. Sorrel should do her work and we meet again at dusk.”

Arc looked tense. “I’ll have my men count our guns and weapons. Ammunition too.”

“I’ll help,” Rashelope said. “You have more things that could be made into weapons in the lean-tos.”

“We don’t have time for that,” Caroni said.

“I could make a start,” Pia said. “I’m good with tools. I can make a blade from an old shovel in an hour, less if I have a good hammer.”

“I’ll go with the recce,” Emrallie said.

“I can start putting together supplies,” Journey said.

“My mother is in that camp,” Sorrel said, and everyone turned to look at her. “She was taken by the Toplanders. I don’t want her to be killed. Nor the others they enslaved.”

“Now is not the time –” Caroni began.

“How old is your mother?” Rapt sneered. “What good is she to anyone?”

Sorrel jumped to her feet and faced him. “She raised me. Didn’t you have a mother?”