She nods, looking older than just thirteen. As if she’s grown three years since the storm. Together, we make our way over to Daphne.
We’ve talked about leaving—going back to the cabin—so often, and in our fantasy it was so simple. But now that it isn’t a fantasy—nowthat we’re facing the actual journey itself—it’s clear it’s a massive undertaking with a bunch of moving parts. And those moving parts are big and dangerous.
Daphne and Kelly are harder to convince than I thought they’d be. Especially Kelly. But Cara tells them what living in Fort Caroline was like, how the power structure was set up and who benefited from it—and how it would absolutely never be anyone from the Keys. The kids deserve better than becoming cannon fodder for Fort Caroline, too.
Finally, after several hours of discussion, Daphne agrees. But Kelly is still on the fence. Jamie made it clear he still thought it was a bad idea for them to come with us, but it’s their decision now.
When Rocky Horror returns to camp, he comes right over to me, looking worried. “She told you, right?”
“Yes. We’re leaving tonight.”
He nods. “I’m coming with you.”
“Seriously?”
“What, like I’m going to stay here and wait for the queer-hating authoritarian losers to realize the person they traveled four hundred miles for is gone? And how long till they find out I’m the one who tipped him off? Hard no.”
I pull him into a tight hug. “Thank you. For telling us.”
“Of course. Now let me go pack my shit.”
I let him go, but ask if I can borrow the golf cart he pulled up in.
He looks up at the sky before handing me the key.
“Don’t be long. Once the sun is down you’ve only got enough battery for maybe ten miles.”
“Got it.”
I tell Jamie and Cara to stay with the kids while Daphne keeps working on trying to convince Kelly to come along. She doesn’thaveto, but I wouldn’t want to leave her here. Also, the more adults we have to help with the kids, the better.
I make it before sunset and park the golf cart in the last rays, hoping it will charge the battery a bit more to get me home. Especially since I’ll need to have the headlights on.
Our bedroom smells even more like mildew and mold than it did five days ago. Maybe there really is no salvaging these buildings.
I reach up onto the top shelf of the closet. My hands find only dust at first—the water must not have reached this high, which is a good thing.
Then my fingers touch the cold metal of the handgun. Not in a safe, no lock on the trigger, just loaded and out in the open. Well, on the top shelf of the closet. I take it down and tuck it into the waistband of my jeans—first checking that the safety is still on, of course.
Then I reach up with two hands and take down the rifle. The one we still don’t have bullets for, because we thought we wouldn’t need them.
Unfortunately, the guns are important. Because there are people out there looking for us. For Jamie. And there are more dangers on the road than people.
If we’re going to survive again, as much as I hate these things, we’ll need them.
Jamison
I WATCH AS DAPHNE, KELLY, AMY, ANDAndrew help the kids pull on their backpacks in the darkness. Andrew is making sure the Kid is all set, pulling the straps tight and asking if it’s too heavy. The Kid shakes his head.
“God, I hate this,” Kelly mumbles to me. I can’t help feeling guilty. They shouldn’t have to leave this place, but Andrew and the others are right. They can’t be around when Fort Caroline gets here.
Andrew, Daphne, and Amy have also carefully warned a few other trusted people. Telling them to leave if it looks like the Key Colony is having issues with supplies. But they’ve held back from telling them the whole story, hoping they’ll be able to connect the dots tomorrow morning when rumors start flying about our disappearance.
As long as we make it out unnoticed, that is.
“Hey.” Rocky Horror makes me jump as he appears from out of the shadows next to me. “Everyone ready?”
“Where have you been?” Andrew asks.
