“One sec.” Zane looked at his text.
Stay on Jervois Quay,he’d typed.It would be a bit out of their way, but how would she see where to turn in the dark if he gave her any other instruction? And with a dying mobile? No. She needed to stay put.
Oh. He added,West side of the road. Side away from the water. Find a doorway and stop under it. Wait for me. I’ll find you.And hit the button.
“Let’s run,” he told Marko.
The relief when she got that text … she didn’t have words.
Oh. She needed words. She told the kids, fighting the quaver in her voice, “I heard from your dad. He’s going to come meet us. Right here on this street. Very soon.”
Scarlett’s voice, from the dark. “Is he OK?”
“He’s fine.” She made that firm, because she was somehow sure that hewasfine. That he would come, he would find them, and they’d all be fine.
The relief of not being the only one. Therelief.
“We need to …” Her voice was shaking now as it hadn’t all this time. “We need to find a good solid doorway and stop there.”
“Why?” Duncan asked. “If Dad’s coming, shouldn’t we walk up to meet him?”
“No. The doorway is better. The little kids are tired.” She didn’t say,And there could be another aftershock at any minute.There’d already been one, and she’d told the kids, “Hug the building! Hug it!” She’d stood behind them, stretched her arms wide, braced against the shaking, heard breaking glass and falling rubble around them, and prayed.
She really didn’t want to have to do that again.
“OK,” Duncan said. “I’ll walk on this side and feel for one.”
“I’ll help,” Finlay said. Almost the first thing hehadsaid, because he’d gone nearly silent some time back. Now, though, he had a job, and a job was good.
When she had them all shoved into a deep doorway beside a shop, though, she hesitated. They couldn’t sit—too much broken glass—but they were warmer here, sheltered from the wind, and that was better. But they were also hidden. The occasional person hurried by, and once, a group of them, but the pavement was so broad, and it was so dark out here.
She looked at her phone.
Battery 3%.
“Scarlett,” she said, “come with me.”
Scarlett didn’t argue. She just stood up.
“Finlay,” Skylar said, “you’re in charge of keeping all the kids there. Don’t let anyone leave the doorway until I tell you.”
“I have to go to the toilet,” Georgia said. “I have to go really bad.”
“Olive,” Skylar said, “please take Georgia over to the next doorway and help her go.”
Battery 2%.
“You mean on thestreet?”Olive said.
“Where else is she going to go?” That was Scarlett. “This isn’t normal times. This is like war times. Just take her and let her wee. Or I will.”
“No,” Skylar said firmly. “Olive will. Not far, Olive. A few steps over, and you help her wee and get right back. Touch the wall as you go. You and I, Scarlett, are going to stand here about a meter apart, and we’re going to watch for your dad. We’re going to watch every single person walking down the road. We’re going to find him when he comes.”
Zane was still running. Marko had gone into a hotel some way back. Still standing, thank God, and with some dim lighting showing. Emergency generator, that would be. Nyree was on the eleventh floor, he’d said. His tone had been grim, his face set. Trying not to think the worst, and thinking it anyway.
Zane had put a hand on his shoulder and gripped it hard. “She’ll be up there,” he’d said. “Bound to be. That woman’s no weakling.” He hadn’t met her often, but you didn’t have to dig too deep to see the fire there. “Text me when you find her, though. Let me know.”
“Right,” Marko’d said, and gone inside. Zane had jogged on, his gaze sweeping left and right and finding nobody. Andhe was still doing it. Had he missed them back there? He was nearly to the end of the road. Or were they on the other side after all? Panic could keep you from thinking clearly.
