quick clean-up to start the day. An odd mixture of emotions mixed in my stomach: the lingering awkwardness of the whole situation, the uncertainty of Derrick’s real character, and a growing feeling of relief—relief that at least there was one person on this island who seemed to believe me. He was hardly Officer Reynolds or anyone of real importance, but at least there was someone. I was glad he was in my troop. I’d take as many allies as I could get once combat began.
Travis wasn’t much for talking while he worked, which was all right with me. I was too anxious. It’d been two days already. Is he still alive? Where could he be? Those questions and a hundred others filled my mind until I thought I would burst. Travis seemed to sense my growing unease, so he tried to talk about school and stuff from back before the scarb. I didn’t really pay attention to it. Finally, he found something that got my mind off Ray.
“You know, word is the scouts are coming back tonight?”
I nearly dropped the socket wrench I was holding. “What?” I ducked down under the engine to see his face better. “For real? I thought they weren’t expected back until the end of the week!”
He smiled. “For real. Your brother should be home before midnight tonight.”
My heart nearly flew up into the tree tops. Nathan will be coming home tonight!
It proved to be even better than that. Just as I was helping put the last of Travis’s tools back into his tool box, when I heard a call, “The scouts are back!”
I looked at Travis. He smiled and took the tools out of my hand. “Go.” Sprinting out of the fuel yard, I came onto the main street and scanned the air for a sign of my brother. But it was so filled with dust from all the people walking, I couldn’t see much.
“There they are!” another woman cried. I shielded my eyes with my hands. Eight dirt-crusted men and two women came up the road. I ran toward them. They were so covered in grime it was hard to distinguish one from the others. But at the back I saw two bright green eyes.
“Nathan!”
He looked like he’d gotten even taller and maybe added another pound to his scrawny frame since the last time I’d seen him. Is it possible for a fifteen-year-old to grow so much in six weeks? His face had a thick shadow of dirt on it, making his skin blend in with his light brown hair and the whites of his green eyes stand out more. His lips cracked into a crusty smile when he saw me.
“Cat,” he called, and we ran into a tight embrace. He squeezed my shoulders so hard I could barely breathe. All my emotions came rushing to me: relief to see him, fear about what I had to tell him.
Nathan’s face fell when he saw mine. “What’s wrong, Cat?”
“Ray’s gone,” I said slowly. “The scarb got him, but I don’t think he’s dead. I think they captured him.”
“What? How?”
I explained what happened that morning and how the scarb may have taken Ray to the eastern colony. When I told Nathan of our plan to attack as soon as the trucks were running, a fierce look came across his face.
“We’ve got to get him back,” he said.
“I know.”
We turned away from town toward our tent, but he stopped and frowned. “You said you thought that red-haired scarb spoke to you?”
“Well, it seemed like she mouthed something, but she might have just been moving her lips. I might have just imagined hearing her voice in my mind.”
Nathan’s lips twisted to the left. “I’m not so sure.”
Great, now I’ve gotten him even more worried. “It’s nothing, really.” The last thing I needed was for him to think I was losing my mind.
“It’s not just that, though,” he rubbed his finger against his top lip. “Why did they take Ray instead of just killing him?”
I took Nathan’s arm and started walking us through the tall grass again. “I don’t know. Maybe the queens have developed a taste for fresh human meat?” But that didn’t seem very probable, either. Scarb
Travis wasn’t much for talking while he worked, which was all right with me. I was too anxious. It’d been two days already. Is he still alive? Where could he be? Those questions and a hundred others filled my mind until I thought I would burst. Travis seemed to sense my growing unease, so he tried to talk about school and stuff from back before the scarb. I didn’t really pay attention to it. Finally, he found something that got my mind off Ray.
“You know, word is the scouts are coming back tonight?”
I nearly dropped the socket wrench I was holding. “What?” I ducked down under the engine to see his face better. “For real? I thought they weren’t expected back until the end of the week!”
He smiled. “For real. Your brother should be home before midnight tonight.”
My heart nearly flew up into the tree tops. Nathan will be coming home tonight!
It proved to be even better than that. Just as I was helping put the last of Travis’s tools back into his tool box, when I heard a call, “The scouts are back!”
I looked at Travis. He smiled and took the tools out of my hand. “Go.” Sprinting out of the fuel yard, I came onto the main street and scanned the air for a sign of my brother. But it was so filled with dust from all the people walking, I couldn’t see much.
“There they are!” another woman cried. I shielded my eyes with my hands. Eight dirt-crusted men and two women came up the road. I ran toward them. They were so covered in grime it was hard to distinguish one from the others. But at the back I saw two bright green eyes.
“Nathan!”
He looked like he’d gotten even taller and maybe added another pound to his scrawny frame since the last time I’d seen him. Is it possible for a fifteen-year-old to grow so much in six weeks? His face had a thick shadow of dirt on it, making his skin blend in with his light brown hair and the whites of his green eyes stand out more. His lips cracked into a crusty smile when he saw me.
“Cat,” he called, and we ran into a tight embrace. He squeezed my shoulders so hard I could barely breathe. All my emotions came rushing to me: relief to see him, fear about what I had to tell him.
Nathan’s face fell when he saw mine. “What’s wrong, Cat?”
“Ray’s gone,” I said slowly. “The scarb got him, but I don’t think he’s dead. I think they captured him.”
“What? How?”
I explained what happened that morning and how the scarb may have taken Ray to the eastern colony. When I told Nathan of our plan to attack as soon as the trucks were running, a fierce look came across his face.
“We’ve got to get him back,” he said.
“I know.”
We turned away from town toward our tent, but he stopped and frowned. “You said you thought that red-haired scarb spoke to you?”
“Well, it seemed like she mouthed something, but she might have just been moving her lips. I might have just imagined hearing her voice in my mind.”
Nathan’s lips twisted to the left. “I’m not so sure.”
Great, now I’ve gotten him even more worried. “It’s nothing, really.” The last thing I needed was for him to think I was losing my mind.
“It’s not just that, though,” he rubbed his finger against his top lip. “Why did they take Ray instead of just killing him?”
I took Nathan’s arm and started walking us through the tall grass again. “I don’t know. Maybe the queens have developed a taste for fresh human meat?” But that didn’t seem very probable, either. Scarb
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