Light wakes him, shining in his eyes. Reid opens them, looks out on the dawn. He is fuzzy headed, disoriented. Is he at Lucy’s new place? Did he dream that? No, he must be in one of the four foster homes he’s been shunted through, that’s why nothing feels familiar.
When the truth comes to him, he swallows the lump that rises in his throat, unable to move. He just lies there and watches the sunrise and tries to find that hazy place he woke in, the safe place where kids aren’t hunted by creatures that look like men and life and death aren’t his only concern.
He finally gets up and uses the bathroom. It feels so safe in the house, quiet and calm. But Reid knows better. This was a mistake, hanging around the town. He is a target here. And Reid has a job to do.
He stops long enough for more toast for breakfast, finishing off the loaf and the second one he digs out of the upright deep freeze. This one is home made and he savors every bite.
Reid finds a backpack in one of the bedrooms and fills it with necessities: a couple of bottles of water, clean underwear and socks, a fresh t-shirt. Soap. The toothbrush and toothpaste. Some snack bars he finds in the cupboard. Fruit cups and sleeves of crackers. He scoops the last of the peanut butter into a small Tupperware container along with a spoon. His folding knife goes into the pocket of his new jeans. All the rest of the food is too bulky or heavy and he has to leave it behind. All but the last of the loaf of bread. Reid stuffs it in and takes it with him.
He examines the kitchen knives, trying to decide what to do and finally walks away from them. He needs a distance weapon. A gun or a cross bow. His father showed him how to use both, though neither of them used weapons on anything but paper targets and skeet.
Reid emerges into the light and looks to his right. The gas station storefront glows in the light of morning. As much as it kills him to admit it, Reid knows he needs to somehow make amends. If they are going to survive, they have to stick together.
The door chimes softly as he enters. He is shocked to find the kids in piles around the store, sleeping like filthy animals on top of each other. Now that he is clean, he is distinctly aware of their odor.
Reid walks over two kids sprawled at the entrance, traces of food on their filthy faces. As he crosses the threshold, he is confronted by Alex and another boy whose name he can’t remember.
He really needs to pay closer attention. But he’s been a little busy.
“You can’t pass.” Alex looks grim but guilty, like he shouldn’t be saying such things to Reid.
“Says who?” Reid just stares the boy down, while the second kid makes a noise.
“Hey,” he whines, “you’re clean.”
Kids are waking up around them, drawn out of their weariness by the talking.
“I had a shower.” Reid shrugs. “Slept in a bed.” He looks around. “You spent the night here? Why?”
Reid is leaning heavily on his casual attitude and it works.
“He wouldn’t let us leave.” That from Milo, distinctly grumpy. “He said we had to stay together.”
“You could have done that in one of the houses.” Reid stretches and yawns, carefully watching them as he lets his arms fall and a grin touch his face. “I had the best sleep ever.”
They sway as one, looking out the doors at the street and the promise of showers after all.
“We can’t.” Since when did Alex become Marcus’s mouthpiece? “He said.”
“The water was really hot,” Reid went on. “Soap and everything.” He reaches in his backpack and throws the last of the homemade bread at Milo. “Even had peanut butter toast for breakfast.”
They break in a wave, gone out the doors while Alex yells at them. His companion abandons him, too and it is only Alex and Reid in the end.
“Go get cleaned up,” Reid says. “I’ll watch over this stuff.”
Alex is shaking he wants it so bad. Reid can see it all over his little face.
“Promise? He’ll get real mad.”
Reid grabs Alex by the shoulders and turns him toward the door, giving him a shove.
The boy doesn’t even look back.
Reid checks the place out. The shelves are mostly empty, which confuses him. Where did all the food go? As he prowls the aisles, he sees the whole place has been cleaned out.
When he reaches the staff room door he finally understands. Through the small glass window, Reid sees Marcus curled up on a cot in the back, food piled up around him.
Reid swings the door inward, disgust twisting his breakfast into a lump. Leila is curled up on the floor next to Marcus, Cole cuddled up beside her. Reid glares at the three of them, traitors all, and he almost walks away right then and there. But he has to try.
Reid makes his way around the two on the floor and stands over Marcus. He hooks the frame of the cot with one foot and gives a heave. The unstable thing flips over toward the wall, dumping Marcus out onto the floor. Reid is satisfied with the yell that comes out of the young man, backing up one step so he doesn’t get hit when the cot is flung aside and Marcus leaps to his feet.
Their eyes meet across the close space. Reid is still grinning. He can’t help himself. There’s no humor in it, not really. But there is a certain sense of rightness that forces his lips to curl into a smirk.
“Morning,” he says.
He hears Leila and Cole scramble to their feet behind him. Reid turns and walks away, out the door past them, ignoring them both.
Marcus catches him just outside the front door. It’s the first time he has had the courage to put his hands on Reid, so when he does, Reid spins around.
And ducks in time. Marcus’s fist flies over his shoulder as Reid dodges, planting his own blow low in Marcus’s stomach. All the air whooshes from his lungs as he topples sideways to the pavement.
“Reid, stop!” Leila is there.
But he won’t, not this time. He’s held back for too long. Reid is surprised but thrilled to find how strong he is feeling, with only the odd twinge of an ache and very little pain. It’s like one night’s sleep and some food and a shower has restored him to his old self.
Better. He feels stronger than ever. And he can tell Marcus is in no condition to challenge him again.
“Please.” Leila’s hand settles on Reid’s arm. “We’re all scared. Please.”
Reid pulls away but looks around, sees kids emerging from houses, looking terrified. Some of them are dripping, others have fresh food on their faces, but they are all staring and wondering.
“Why do you keep defending him?” Reid’s words come out in a snarl. He wants to shake Leila, to make her see what she’s doing isn’t helping. “Just last night you asked me to protect you all from him. Now you’re asking me to back off.” Reid shakes his head. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Leila is very pale naturally but he can still see the blood drain from her face. “I’m trying to keep us together.”
“Why?” Reid nudges at Marcus with the toe of his new sneaker. He moans and tries to stand. Leila automatically reaches out to help him but Reid holds her off. “Answer me. Why? He practically killed us I don’t know how many times.” Flickers of memory pass through his mind and from the stricken look on her face she’s seeing the same ones. “Why, Leila?”
“I don’t know, all right?” She backs away from him. “It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“Ever since Joel…” she trails off, hugging herself. “I can’t.”
“Joel was a monster.” She’s defending Marcus because she feels guilty?
“He was just a kid, Reid. Like us. We can’t leave anyone to die like that.” Her eyes are full of tears and beg him to understand. “For the hunters.”
“I won’t trust anyone who doesn’t have my back,” Reid says. “That includes Marcus. And you.”
Marcus is on his feet now, glaring, coughing, trying to get his air back. Reid ignores him, still focused on Leila.
“You’re telling me you’d rather trust him to betray us first chance he gets than let his ass fall behind? He’ll be the death of us. You know it.” Reid spins around, talking to everyone now. “You all know it. You’ve seen it. And I’m sick of it.”
“What are you going to do about it?” Marcus’s voice is hoarse and deep. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s what you think.” Reid is already moving when Leila steps in front of him. She is crying openly.
“I won’t let you,” she whispers. “I’m sorry. We all deserve to live.”
Reid steps back from her, his heart heavy. He glances around him at the other kids. No one will look at him. But when he raises his eyes to Marcus again, he is smirking.
“Guess that answers that, doesn’t it?”
Reid grinds his teeth together and spins on his heel, marching for the edge of town. Milo catches up with him.
“Where are you going?”
Reid stops at the edge of the trees and shrugs. “To have a look around.”
“You can’t leave,” Milo says. “That bastard…” The boy shudders, his own fury written across his face. “He’ll just ruin everything.”
There’s nothing Reid can do about it. Not now that Leila has cut his legs out and handed them to Marcus.
“Go get cleaned up,” Reid says, voice gruff from his anger, not wanting to be short with the kid but unable to hold it in very well.
Milo shakes his head and moves as if to join him but Reid holds him off.
“I’m doing this alone.” Reid hears the echo of his old self, the one who wanted to run off and leave three other kids behind seemingly so long ago. Leila’s parting shot still aches. He sees the recognition of it in Milo’s face, too, but there is no judgment, only sadness.
“But,” the boy protests immediately, “you’ll need someone. To watch your back.” He looks uncomfortable, then, like he’s remembering something of his own.
Reid has a good idea he knows what. Drew. No one was watching his back when he died. They all ran, including Milo.
“You need to let it go,” Reid says softly. “It’s not your fault. Or mine. Or anyone’s. Just the damned hunters, Milo.”
The boy nods, snuffles, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “It’s not fair,” he says. “None of it. Drew should be here.” His voice hitches in a sob. “He deserved to make it.”
“So do you.” Reid squeezes Milo’s shaking shoulders. “Listen, don’t worry about me, okay? I have a more important job for you than to tag along behind me.”
“Anything.” Milo finally meets Reid’s eyes and he knows the kid means it.
“I need you to watch him.” They both know who he means. “Can you do that?”
Milo nods, face grim. “I’ll do one better,” he says. “If he screws us over, I’ll kill his ass.”
Reid chokes out a laugh. “Just keep your eyes on him. And don’t let Leila stop you from acting if it means keeping the others safe.”
Milo hugs himself with his thin arms. “Are you coming back?”
“I just want to have a look around.” Reid isn’t sure if he really means it or if he intends to abandon them at last. He was mad enough when he left Leila behind but now that he’s talked to Milo, his heart isn’t sure it’s ready to cut ties all together.
“Okay.” Milo takes a step back before rushing forward and hugging Reid around the chest. “Promise.”
“Promise.” And Reid means it. He’s just not sure he’s willing to do much to help the rest of them. But, for Milo, he’ll come back. If only to report what he’s found.
He leaves Milo there, watching with the most mournful expression while Reid marches into the forest, blood still boiling over Marcus, leaving before he does something he’ll regret forever.
***