Page 59 of North

“Gus—”

He squeezed my hand. “Thanks, North. I didn’t want to be alone in the dark.”

I squeezed back and felt him take his last breath.

Be at peace, Gus.A mix of emotions rioted through me.

I couldn’t save him, but I was glad that he’d found peace. The old memories reared up, threatening to choke me.

Then a hand touched my shoulder.

“You’re not alone in the dark either,” Jess murmured. “Good job giving him what he needed.”

I managed a nod, then touched my ear. “Colbie, cancel the evac.”

“Sorry, North,” the pilot murmured.

A moment later, Jameson and the others appeared. Jameson looked at Gus and his jaw tightened.

“I’ll help you bag his body,” Kai said.

“Then we continue on.” I rose. “The others were carried away and could still be alive.”

And I had promised Gus that I’d bring them home.

Jess

We reachedthe edge of the orchard.

Apple trees stretched away into the darkness, as far as we could see. The neatly planted rows cast deep shadows, offering perfect places to hide.

In the distance, lay the dark bulk of a large warehouse building. It was where they’d made the cider. Sasha said that it had once had a restaurant and cellar.

It was easy to imagine families escaping from the city on the weekend, eating at the restaurant and sipping cider, while their kids ran through the trees.

Before. Before the aliens and before the monsters.

I glanced at North beside me.

He’d been quiet since we’d loaded Gus’ body onto the Talon.

God, how hard was it to treat people and still lose them? Just being there had been tough for me, and I knew it was worse for North because he felt it was his job to save his patients.

And I knew he’d be thinking of Drew.

I nudged him. “Okay?”

He looked down at me. “Yeah. Gus was badly hurt. He would’ve lost his legs and… I was glad we were there.”

“He was too.”

North straightened. “Now, let’s find his friends and bring them home.”

“We will.”

Jameson waved a hand and we crept quietly through the orchard, nerves tight and everyone on full alert.

“There are no heat signatures showing in the trees,” Sasha said. “But there are several in the shed.”

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