“I already know that she was taking them to Sanctuary,” said Mother Rose with a sigh. “Is that all you know?”

The big Hawaiian man shook his head. “There were four of us. Carter, his wife, Riot, and me. Two nights ago, Riot drew a map in the dirt to show us the best routes in case we ran into trouble. In case we got separated from her.”

Mother Rose waited, holding her breath.

“I know how to find Sanctuary,” said Mako. “I can take you there.”

FROM NIX’S JOURNAL

When we left town, no one came to see us off.

No one.

How screwed up is that?

Chapter 73

73

THEY GATHERED UP AS MANY OF THE PAPERS AND MAPS AS THEY COULD and shoved them into the largest pockets of their canvas vests. Maybe Chong could make sense of the science stuff, and perhaps they’d eventually find someone who needed to have this information.

Someone from the American Nation, perhaps.

The door to the cargo bay was heavier than the cockpit door, but there was the same kind of unbroken wax seal over the lever-style metal handle.

Above it, the word DEATH seemed to glare at Benny.

“So encouraging,” he said.

He placed his fingers lightly on the handle and arched an inquiring eyebrow at Nix.

“We have to,” she said.

“I guess we do.”

He gripped the handle, took a breath, and turned it. The wax snapped and fell away. The big lock went clunk, and then the door shifted in his hand. Nix rested her hand on her pistol, and Benny drew his sword. It was too big a weapon for practical indoor use, but he’d rather have a clumsy weapon than none at all when going through any doorway marked DEATH.

I’m crazy, he told himself, but not that crazy.

Benny nudged the door open with his foot. “I’ll go first,” he said.

In truth he’d rather go first out of the hatchway and down to the desert floor. Then all the way back to Mountainside. Hopefully no one would be living in his old house yet. Maybe his bed would even still be there.

“Okay,” said Nix. No argument, no tussle over who was pack leader.

Nix’s quick agreement did absolutely nothing to bolster Benny’s confidence as he stared into the ominous darkness of the big plane’s cargo bay.