Page 77 of Challenged

“So?” Molly, the youngest of the crash survivors, says. “She murdered all the raskarrans. She deserves it.”

I sigh, hating that I have to be the one to stick up for Dawes.

“She didn’t do it. She made the virus. That was always the plan. But she didn’t release it into the wild. Farrow did, and he’s long gone. I’m not saying she’s good - she’s cold and calculating. That’s how science tier people are raised to be. But they’re also raised to be careful and thorough. She didn’t release the virus into the general population because that just wasn’t good science.”

“She would have done eventually, though?” Grace says.

“Sure, once she’d worked her way through a few captive raskarrans testing it. Like I said, she’s not the good guy in all this. She’s just not the worst.”

“The decision is mine,” Liv says, her tone firm, final. “And I’m not getting her blood on my hands.”

Those with appetite eat their evening meal. I pick at mine. Manage a few mouthfuls.

“Am I making the right decision about Dawes?” Liv says, appearing beside me.

“You’re asking me? The person with an outrageous anger problem?”

Liv huffs, the sound almost a laugh. “I’m asking you, the person who understands best everything that happened here.”

I shake my head. “I already stuck up for her in front of the others. I think you know what my answer is.”

“I’d like to hear it said,” Liv says. “For my sanity.”

I look her dead in the eye. “I think you’re making the right decision. Even if it really fucking sucks.”

She half laughs, then the sob overtakes it, the tears she’s been holding in all day finally falling.

“It really does fucking suck,” she says.

My eyes burn. I blink.

Then a voice calls from the forest behind me. The first cheerful voice I’ve heard all day.

“Nhi Angie!”

I turn. Watch Rardek’s smiling face fall as he sees the tears running down my cheeks.

EPILOGUE

Rardek

They wake the rest of the females quickly. There are eight remaining and all are woken one after the other, a stream of shocked and frightened looking females emerging from the Mercenia hut. With the others, we have tried to be reassuring, kind. These unfortunate females only have Liv and the others’ word that we are good people. None of us are in any shape to show it.

All I want to do is sit with my linasha, to hold her close to me and let her presence soothe my heartspace, but there is work to be done if we are to leave the Mercenia hut behind this day - something we now wish to do all the more urgently. Being here will not help our spirits to heal, and delaying the pain and grief we must bring to the others at home will not soften it any.

Once the females are all awake, Grace and Rachel see to their care - making sure they are fed, clothed and ready to leave. Brooks and Liv pack up the things inside the Mercenia hutthat might be useful to us. Sharpmetalblades that cut through foliage easily. Other tools we might find a use for.

There is also a crate of the deadly weapons that can cut down a raskarran in one shot.

“Justincayse,” Brooks says, grimacing as she adds the box to the pile of things we must take back with us.

My Angie is absent, and I know where she must be. Themachinethat belonged to Farrow. There is some last thing that she must find.

When she emerges, she talks to Liv. Liv waves me over.

“You have logs prepared. For the burn, yes?” she says.

“Yes.”

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