“… shelters are equipped with food, water, military protection, and first aid. Please exercise extreme caution while traveling and avoid heavily populated areas. If you encounter anyone you suspect to be infected, do not attempt to assist them…”

There is a collective exhalation as Tina T’s voice fills the room.

I’m so disappointed.

“You’ve got magic hands, Sloane,” Rhys says.

Trace coughs. “I’m sure you think so.”

I pretend he didn’t say it. I almost turn the radio off but Cary holds up his hand and then I remember why we turned it on in the first place. We listen for the locations and the closest is still Rayford.

“You’ve got a couple of days to think it over,” Cary says. “And then I’m gone.”

He leaves the room. Rhys goes after him.

Trace, Harrison, and Grace are silent.

“Megan’s in Rayford,” Grace says after a minute. “Maybe she made it.”

“Who’s Megan?” Harrison asks.

“Our cousin.”

“I don’t want to go with Chen and Moreno,” Trace says. “Moreno will stick his neck out for Chen before he does it for us. You’ve seen it yourself. Those two are one and the same and I don’t trust either of them.”

“But it’s safer as a group,” Grace says. “You can’t deny that. Once we get to Rayford we never have to speak to either of them again…”

Trace laughs and stares at the table. “That’d be nice.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

That’s what they’ll do. I don’t know what I’ll do. I leave the room and no one stops me. When I reach the hall, I try to guess which direction Cary and Rhys went in and then choose the opposite.

“Sloane.”

Grace. I turn.

“Are you going to leave with him?” she asks. “Cary?”

“Yes,” I say. I know I have to do that much, if they’re all going.

“When we get to Rayford, are you going to stay with us?”

“What?”

“Cary and Rhys will go together. I’m with Trace and Harrison will go with Trace. And you … is it serious with Rhys?”

This is very, very awkward.

“Grace—”

“Because if it’s serious, you’d stay with him, right? That’s okay, I’m just wondering.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I say. “I don’t want to think that far ahead, you know? Who knows if we’ll even make it…”

“We’ll make it,” she says. “We will. And then when we get to Rayford we’re going to find my cousin Megan and then we’re just going to relax and…” She gives me a weak smile. “It’ll be good. It won’t be perfect but it will be good.”

“I’m sure it will be,” I say.

“I want to put in a bid for you.”

I blink. “You want to put in a bid for me?”

“Yeah.” Her eyes are so sincere. I think you have to be a good person to the core of your soul to come across so sincerely. “When we split up in Rayford, I want you to come with us.”