I hadn’t decided if I wanted to talk to her。 At least； that was what I’d told Jeb。
Without a doubt； I didnot want to talk to her。 I was terrified to ever see her face again—a face that； no
matter how I tried； I could not imagine looking frightened。
But if I told them I had no desire for conversation； Aaron would shoot her。 It would be like I’d given him
the order to fire。 Like I’d pulled the trigger。
Or worse； Doc would try to cut her out of the human body。 I flinched away from the memory of the
silver blood smeared all over the hands of my friend。
Wanda？ They’re just going to shoot her。 Don’t panic。
Should this fort me？ I couldn’t avoid the imagined tableau。 Aaron； the Seeker’s gun in his hand； the
Seeker’s body slowly crumpling to the stone floor； the red blood pooling around her…
You don’t have to watch。
That wouldn’t stop it from happening。
Melanie’s thoughts became a little frantic。But we want her to die。 Right？ She killed Wes！ Besides； she
can’t stay alive。 No matter what。
She was right about everything； of course。 It was true that there was no way the Seeker could stay alive。
Imprisoned； she would work doggedly to escape。 Freed； she would quickly be the death of all my family。
It was true she had killed Wes。 He was so young and so loved。 His death left a burning agony in its
wake。 I understood the claim of human justice that demanded her life in return。
It was also true that I wanted her to die。
“Wanda？ Wanda？”
Jamie shook my arm。 It took me a moment to realize that someone had called my name。 Perhaps many
times already。
“Wanda？” Jeb’s voice asked again。
I looked up。 He was standing over me。 His face was expressionless； the blank facade that meant he was
in the grip of some strong emotion。 His poker face。
“The boys want to know if you have any questions for the Seeker。”
I put one hand to my forehead； trying to block the images there。 “If I don’t？”
“They’re ready to be done with guard duty。 It’s a hard time。 They’d rather be with their friends right
now。”
I nodded。 “Okay。 I guess I’d better… go and see her at once； then。” I shoved myself away from the
wall and to my feet。 My hands were shaking； so I clenched them into fists。
You don’t have any questions。
I’ll think of some。
Why prolong the inevitable？
I have no idea。
You’re trying to save her；Melanie accused； full of outrage。
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
。
No。 There isn’t。 And you want her dead anyway。 So let them shoot her。
I cringed。
“You okay？” Jamie asked。
I nodded； not trusting my voice enough to speak。
“You don’t have to；” Jeb told me； his eyes sharp on my face。
“It’s okay；” I whispered。
Jamie’s hand wrapped around mine； but I shook it off。 “Stay here； Jamie。”
“I’ll e with you。”
My voice was stronger now。 “Oh； no； you willnot。 ”
We stared at each other for a moment； and for once I won the argument。 He stuck his chin out
stubbornly but slouched back against the wall。
Ian； too； seemed inclined to follow me out of the kitchen； but I stopped him in his tracks with a single
look。 Jared watched me go with an unfathomable expression。
“She’s a plainer；” Jeb told me in a low voice as we walked back toward the hole。 “Not quiet like
you were。 Always asking for more—food； water； pillows… She threatens a lot； too。 ‘The Seekers will
get you all！’ That kinda thing。 It’s been hard on Brandt especially。 She’s pushed his temper right to the
edge。”
I nodded。 This did not surprise me one bit。
“She hasn’t tried to escape； though。 A lot of talk and no action。 Once the guns e up； she backs right
down。”
I recoiled。
“My guess is； she wants to live pretty dang bad；” Jeb murmured to himself。
“Are you sure this is the… safest place to keep her？” I asked as we started down the black； twisting
tunnel。
Jeb chuckled。 “You didn’t find your way out；” he reminded me。 “Sometimes the best hiding place is the
one that’s in plain sight。”
My answer was flat。 “She’s more motivated than I was。”
“The boys’re keepin’ a sharp eye on her。 Nothin’ to worry about。”
How many times had I rounded this corner； my hand tracing along the inside of the pointed switchback；
just like this？ I’d never traced along the outside wall。 It was uneven； with jutting rocks that would leave
bruises and cause me to trip。 Staying on the inside was a shorter walk anyway。
When they’d first showed me that the V was not a V but a Y—two branches forking off from another
tunnel；the tunnel—I’d felt pretty stupid。 Like Jeb said； hiding things in plain sight was sometimes the
cleverest route。 The times I’d been desperate enough to even consider escaping the caves； my mind had
skipped right over this place in my speculations。 This was the hole； the prison。 In my head； it was the
darkest； deepest well in the caves。 This was where they’d buried me。
Even Mel； sneakier than I was； had never dreamed that they’d held me captive just a few paces from the
exit。
It wasn’t even the only exit。 But the other was small and tight； a crawl space。 I hadn’t found that one
because I’d walked into these caves standing upright。 I hadn’t been looking forthat kind of tunnel。
Besides； I’d never explored the edges of Doc’s hospital； I’d avoided it from the beginning。
The voice； familiar even though it seemed part of another life； interrupted my thoughts。
“I wonder how you’re still alive； eating like this。 Ugh！”
Something plastic clattered against the rocks。
I could see the blue light as we rounded the last corner。
“I didn’t know humans had the patience to starve someone to death。 That seems like too plex a plan
for you shortsighted creatures to grasp。”
Jeb chuckled。 “Gotta say； I’m impressed with those boys。 Surprised they held up this long。”
We turned into the lit dead…end tunnel。 Brandt and Aaron； both sitting as far as possible from the end of
the tunnel where the Seeker paced； both with guns in their hands； sighed with relief when they saw us
approaching。
“Finally；” Brandt muttered。 His face was etched in hard lines of grief。
The Seeker halted in her pacing。
I was surprised to see the conditions she was kept in。
She was not stuffed into the tiny cramped hole； but paratively free； stomping to and fro across the
short width of the tunnel。 On the floor； against the flat end of the tunnel； were a mat and a pillow。 A
plastic tray was tilted at an angle against the wall at about the midpoint of the cave； a few jicama roots lay
scattered near it with a soup bowl。 A little soup was splattered out from where that lay。 This explained
the clatter I’d just heard—she’d thrown her food。 It looked as though she’d eaten most of it first； though。
I stared at this relatively humane setup and felt an odd pain in my stomach。
Who didwekill？Melanie muttered sullenly。 This stung her； too。
“Yes；” I whispered。
“Careful；” Aaron cautioned。 “She’s an angry little thing。”
I nodded。
The others stayed where they were。 I walked down the tunnel alone。
It was hard to lift my eyes； to meet the gaze that I could feel like cold fingers pressing against my face。
The Seeker was glaring at me； a harsh sneer twisting her features。 I’d never seen a soul use that
expression before。
“Well； hello there；Melanie； ” she mocked me。 “What took you so long to e visit？”
I didn’t answer。 I walked toward her slowly； trying hard to believe that the hate coursing through my
body really did not belong to me。
“Did your little friends think I would talk to you？ Spill all my secrets because you carry a gagged and
lobotomized soul around in your head； reflecting through your eyes？” She laughed abrasively。
I stopped two long strides away from her； my body tensed to run。 She made no aggressive move
toward me； but I could not relax my muscles。 This was not like meeting the Seeker on the highway—I
didn’t have the usual sensation of safety that I felt around the gentle others of my kind。 Again； the strange
conviction that she would live long after I was gone swept through me。
Don’t be ridiculous。 Ask her your questions。 Have you e up with any？
“So； what do you want？ Did you request permission to kill me personally； Melanie？” the Seeker hissed。
“They call me Wanda here；” I said。
She flinched slightly when I opened my lips to speak； as if expecting me to shout。 My low； even voice
seemed to upset her more than the scream she anticipated。
I examined her face while she glared at me with her bulging eyes。 It was dirty； stained with purple dust
and dried sweat。 Other than that； there wasn’t a mark on it。 Again； this gave me an odd ache。
“Wanda；” she repeated in a flat voice。 “Well； what are you waiting for？ Didn’t they give you the okay？
Were you planning to use your bare hands or my gun？”
“I’m not here to kill you。”
She smiled sourly。 “To interrogate me； then？ Where are your instruments of torture； human？”
I cringed。 “I won’t hurt you。”
“No。 They just… they didn’t want to kill you until they had… consulted me。 In case I wanted to talk to
you first。”
Her lids lowered； narrowing her protruding eyes。 “Do you have something to say？”
I swallowed。 “I was wondering…” I only had the same question I’d been unable to answer for myself。
“Why？ Why couldn’t you let me be dead； like the rest of them？ Why were you so determined to hunt me
down？ I didn’t want to hurt anyone。 I just wanted… to go my own way。”
She leaped up onto her toes； shoving her face toward mine。 Someone moved behind me； but I couldn’t
hear more than that—she was shouting in my face。
“Because I wasright！ ” she shrieked。 “More than right！Look at them all！ A vile nest of killers； lurking in
wait！ Just like I thought； only so muchworse！ Iknew you were out here with them！One of them！ Itold
them there was danger！ Itold them！”
She stopped； panting； and took a step back from me； staring over my shoulder。 I didn’t look away to
see what had made her retreat。 I assumed it had something to do with what Jeb had just told me—once
the guns e up； she backs right down。I analyzed her expression for a moment as her heavy
breathing slowed。
“But they didn’t listen to you。 So you came for us alone。”
The Seeker didn’t answer。 She took another step back from me； doubt twisting her expression。 She
looked oddly vulnerable for a second； as if my words had stripped away the shield she’d been hiding
behind。
“They’ll look for you； but in the end； they never believed you at all； did they？” I said； watching as each
word was confirmed in her desperate eyes。 It made me very sure。 “So they won’t take the search further
than that。 When they don’t find you； their interest will fade。 We’ll be careful； as usual。 They won’t find
us。”
Now I could see true fear in her eyes for the first time。 The terrible—to her—knowledge that I was
right。 And I felt better for my nest of humans； my little family。 Iwas right。 They would be safe。 Yet；
incongruously； I di