“Because” said the girl, glancing at Cooper, “if you let yourself believe I could hurt people, then so could he?”

Peter clenched his fist, feeling the burn of her words in the back of his throat. “I need you to trust us when I tell you that there’s a place not far from here where you’ll be safe and where no one will look upon you with fear. We’ve got two horses and a spare tent for our travels but we have to act fast.”

The girl glanced at her pistol and said nothing. Peter held out his hand.

“Please,” he said. “I’m Peter and this is my boyfriend, Cooper.”

“You always do the talkin’ and him the moody stuff?”

“Not always,” said Cooper, butting in before Peter could answer. “I asked him out first. Sluiced out a bunch of guts from inside my canoe and put on a clean pair of undershorts and everythin’.”

Peter smiled. “Well, they were kind of clean. But yes, he did, too.”

“Told him I loved him first, too.”

“Yeah. Well, I’m working on being better at that.”

The girl narrowed her eyes and seemed to come to a decision about them. “Don’t think I’m joining you. Cos I ain’t. I’ve got some daddy issues to work through on the other side of that there ridge. But let’s get this show on the road.”

Peter didn’t much like the idea of leaving her behind. The fifteen or so notches scored into the side of Snowball’s saddle were evidence enough of just how successful their mission to offer sanctuary to as many Returnees in the region had been. But Cooper gave a reluctant nod and besides, the girl was clearly more than capable of taking care of herself.

Peter nodded and something heavy landed on the cabin roof. Footsteps scrambled and a clump of snow dropped down the chimney, smothering what was left of the dying embers.

“The chimney!” said the girl. “There’s no time to light the fire if they plan on getting in that way.”

Cooper shut the front door and Peter scanned the ceiling. But it went quiet. He could practically hear whoever was up there thinking what their next move should be. Then someone knocked on the door.

“Sweetheart?” came a woman’s voice outside. “It’s just me. Pat. I was out tracking deer this way and wondered if you might have time for a brew.”

Peter held his hand up to make sure the girl kept quiet and the knock sounded again. Someone crossed the roof in a single stride and dropped past the window. Cooper edged further back inside the cabin, aiming the rifle towards the door. But somebody else popped a shot before he even had a chance to.