He peeked up. The top of the car was totally blown off, the inside on fire. Maisie darted around the hood and did a quick double-take as Lennon sprang to his feet, pulling on the backpack.

“Come on.” She grabbed his hand, and then let it go as they began to run.

The squealing noise started again.

He looked up. Two metal drones flew overhead.

The bomb dropped at his feet.

He let out a yell, barely sidestepping it, and bolted forward.

The blast didn’t knock him off his feet this time, but the sudden, sharp pain in his shoulder made him grimace.

Another bomb dropped on the road.

“That way!” Maisie pointed to the trees to their left. They were a good quarter mile away.

They veered off the road. The bomb exploded behind them.

He pushed his legs faster, but quickly pulled ahead of Maisie. Surprise colored her features as he slowed a little.

The drone dropped another bomb, and another. Heat licked at Lennon’s heels as he ran, keeping pace with Maisie.

Finally, they were in the cover of trees. A bomb burst overhead, igniting one of them.

Maisie veered to the right, and they ran for several minutes, until they were deep into the trees and Lennon couldn’t hear the squealing noises anymore.

He slowed to a stop as Maisie did. His heart was pumping too fast, and he braced his arms against his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

“Christ…you’re fast,” Maisie said, sucking in air.

His breathing started to even out, and he straightened. “I run a lot.”

“Why?”

He laughed, his nerves beginning to subside. “Because I like it?” That was probably an understatement. Running was one of his favorite things. He loved how it felt impossible at first, and then it felt okay, and then it made his mind go blank. It was blissfully peaceful inside his brain, for several miles every day.

His shoulder burned suddenly, and he winced, twisting to try to see it. Something metal was poking out of his shoulder.

Maisie winced. “Ouch.”

Now that he could see that he had a giant piece of metal sticking out of his shoulder, it really hurt. “What is that?”

“Looks like a piece of one of the bombs. Sit down. No, wait.” She carefully lifted the straps of the backpack around the metal, pulling it off his back. She set it on the ground and unzipped it.

He sat with a wince.

“Really smart thinking, grabbing the backpack,” she said as she dug through it.

“I try.” He watched as she pulled out a small pouch. “Did Hadley pack a first aid kit?”

“She packed a lot more than a first aid kit.” She held up a pouch that was labeled For when you get shot.

Lennon barked out a laugh.

Maisie held up another one: For when you get stabbed. “I’m gonna save that one for later. I think we just need some basic wound-closer for that.” She grabbed the first aid kit and walked over to him, dropping to her knees.