I looked up. He was standing over me. His face was expressionless, the blank facade that meant he was in the grip of some strong emotion. His poker face.

“The boys want to know if you have any questions for the Seeker.”

I put one hand to my forehead, trying to block the images there. “If I don’t?”

“They’re ready to be done with guard duty. It’s a hard time. They’d rather be with their friends right now.”

I nodded. “Okay. I guess I’d better… go and see her at once, then.” I shoved myself away from the wall and to my feet. My hands were shaking, so I clenched them into fists.

You don’t have any questions.

I’ll think of some.

Why prolong the inevitable?

I have no idea.

You’re trying to save her, Melanie accused, full of outrage.

There’s no way to do that.

No. There isn’t. And you want her dead anyway. So let them shoot her.

I cringed.

“You okay?” Jamie asked.

I nodded, not trusting my voice enough to speak.

“You don’t have to,” Jeb told me, his eyes sharp on my face.

“It’s okay,” I whispered.

Jamie’s hand wrapped around mine, but I shook it off. “Stay here, Jamie.”

“I’ll come with you.”

My voice was stronger now. “Oh, no, you will not.”

We stared at each other for a moment, and for once I won the argument. He stuck his chin out stubbornly but slouched back against the wall.

Ian, too, seemed inclined to follow me out of the kitchen, but I stopped him in his tracks with a single look. Jared watched me go with an unfathomable expression.

“She’s a complainer,” Jeb told me in a low voice as we walked back toward the hole. “Not quiet like you were. Always asking for more—food, water, pillows… She threatens a lot, too. ‘The Seekers will get you all!’ That kinda thing. It’s been hard on Brandt especially. She’s pushed his temper right to the edge.”

I nodded. This did not surprise me one bit.

“She hasn’t tried to escape, though. A lot of talk and no action. Once the guns come up, she backs right down.”

I recoiled.

“My guess is, she wants to live pretty dang bad,” Jeb murmured to himself.

“Are you sure this is the… safest place to keep her?” I asked as we started down the black, twisting tunnel.

Jeb chuckled. “You didn’t find your way out,” he reminded me. “Sometimes the best hiding place is the one that’s in plain sight.”

My answer was flat. “She’s more motivated than I was.”

“The boys’re keepin’ a sharp eye on her. Nothin’ to worry about.”

We were almost there. The tunnel turned back on itself in a sharp V.