“There will be ways once things settle down,” Leon said. “There are already teens here in the city who are delivering messages on bikes for a few scraps of food and some water. If there’s a service that will help keep them and their family alive, humans will find it. There will be a way to contact your parents sooner than you think. Especially if you’re in a location with currency, which you will be if you come with us. You’d be shocked at what people do these days for a loaf of bread.”

Emily’s brow creased at what he’d said, but then she gave a distracted nod. Leon hugged Emily again, and then he and Layne got out some food and laid out a little picnic as we all talked about the things we’d seen and the places we’d been, at least most of it. It was difficult to sum it all up, and I was distracted and hurting because I could tell by the way Emily’s eyes kept drifting to the wall as she obviously considered something or another, that she was thinking about taking them up on their offer.

I’d thought I had at least the last short leg of this journey with her to her parents’ house, but that might not be the case. And I couldn’t decide if I should try to talk her out of this or encourage her to take these two people she obviously trusted up on their offer of a safe haven.

Because we didn’t know exactly what was happening in the San Fernando Valley, and this might be an opportunity too good to pass up. Both for her and her parents, given they were alive and at least mostly well.

We finally closed the curtain on one of the small recording studios that still contained a few pieces of equipment. Leon was going to take the first watch, and then wake me for the second. Emily had said good-night to both Layne and Leon and let them know she’d decide before morning whether to go with them or continue on to her parents’.

We lay down on our sleeping bags on the floor, one of the small battery-operated lamps we’d turned on in the corner casting the barest glow. I could see the slope of her cheekbone, and I let my gaze run along it, feeling an ache so sharp that I swore it pierced something inside. Some vital organ that I could live without, but only barely. And I decided to make it easier on her.

“I think you should go with them,” I said softly, my lungs deflating under the weight of my words. “I’ll continue on to your parents, and if they’re in need of a safe zone too, I’ll bring them to you.”