“We start out as a group,” Harry added. “If we need to split up, we do so, and we make our own way to the beach. Here are your maps.”

Cate took the one he passed her, pulse racing as she studied the markers for where they were to go. Alone, in the dark, she doubted how successful she’d be, but she would do her best.

“If we’re separated, it’s each man, or woman, for themselves,” Harry said. “No one goes back for anyone else, we don’t slow down for anyone. You just get to the beach.”

Cate sucked back a breath as Jack looked at her. She knew in her heart of hearts that Jack wouldn’t go on without her, no matter what Harry said.

“I think we should wait a little bit longer,” Cate said, the words spilling from her before she had time to stop them. “Until it’s almost completely dark.”

All three sets of eyes turned to her.

“That’s not what we agreed,” Harry said.

“I actually think she’s right, I’d rather have to go much faster under the cover of complete darkness,” Jack said. “But what if something has happened to Addy and she’s told him about us? With that in mind, I think we have to take our chances out there in the open rather than be sitting ducks, and we already have less time than we wanted to get there. We’re going to be pushed to make it at all.”

Elise didn’t contribute to the conversation, but she did turn and leave them for a few seconds before returning holding a pistol. She loaded it in front of them and passed it to Harry.

“Here,” she said. “You can take this, keep it under your jacket. At least it might give us a fighting chance against one or two soldiers.”

Cate hated the sight of the gun; after all the wounds she’d nursed, all the men she’d held who’d cried in pain from bullets that had ripped through their skin, she didn’t want to see one ever again. But if Harry had it, at least he could protect them.

Jack looked perturbed, probably because he would have preferred to have one too, but his injury wasn’t healed, which made Harry the logical choice.

When Elise swung open the front door, Cate’s heart nearly pounded clean from her chest, but she forced herself to follow the others outside. She expected instant gunfire or shouts to erupt around them, but instead they were greeted by silence.