When All is Lost

Chapter 47

The morning didn't go as I had hoped or imagined. I hadn't been prepared for all of the small setbacks that seemed to keep popping up one after another. Ray ripped his glove. Carlos had a stomach ache. Jamie insisted we couldn't leave without saying goodbye to Big Al. Every time I addressed one issue, someone would bring a new one to my attention.

The sun was already high in the sky before I could tell our guard that we were ready to head out. There were only three things left to check off.

Get our stuff back.

Receive my payment for the scarves I'd made.

Meet the teens.

I'd been able to hear the teens whispering all morning on the other side of the wall. After I'd made sure that they'd gotten breakfast from our supplies, the elder girl had said her thanks, but, beyond that, they didn't try to speak with us at all.

I didn't think too much of it – not until their guard brought them in to join us in our stall. My group all stood to greet them as they shuffled in through the doorway. I moved to welcome them but paused when I saw their expressions.

Outwardly, they had their faces painted with nervous smiles. Their eyes, the corners of their lips, the tension in their brows – they all told a different story. They weren't nervous, they were reluctant, weary, and resigned.

They wanted me to see them as being happy to join us when that clearly wasn't the case. I was sure if I peeled off a layer of their masks I'd find condemnation.

You killed their friend.

I began to wonder if bringing them along was a good idea after all. "Hi," I said to them through a tight smile. "I'm Kate. What are your names?"

The elder girl studied me for a moment and my stomach swooped. Something about her demeanor and the way she seemed to be subtly trying to examine the space and people around me almost reminded me of Abby.

"Nevaeh," she said, widening her smile in an attempt to make it look more relaxed. "The is my sister, Ollie-"

"Oliva," the younger girl hissed almost inaudibly.

Neveah ignored her. "My brother, Carter." She elbowed the tall boy in the ribs to get him to give me a wave. I had been right with my first assumption. When I had first caught a glimpse of the teens on the lawn, she had been too protective over the boy to not have been related to him. His greeting was by far the most tentative.

"And this is our friend, Hayden."

The last teen was the one I hadn't gotten a good look at before. He was thin and lanky, looking almost as though he was stretched too thin despite his average height. His wide green eyes lit up his otherwise blotchy and hollow-cheeked face. He tucked strands of his long dark hair behind his ears as he greeted me with a nod.

All of the teens looked worse than I'd expected up close, but Hayden had clearly been starving for some time. It made me wonder just how long they had all been grouped together.

You can still give them some supplies and send them on their way.

The longer I took in their images, the more I felt their desperation. They were hanging on by a thread.

"Nice to meet you all," I answered trying to sound less apprehensive than I felt. The best I could do for them was find a safe place and give them the option to either stick with us or let them go their own way with some basic supplies.

My group started to introduce themselves as I tried to take note of how much clothing we would need to give the teens. With their addition, we'd need more of just about everything. Food, clothing, weapons, and bags, would all have to be gathered in the following days. And I knew what that meant.