[OLD PREVIEW] The Zodiac Operation (#4)

Two

The chopper door slid open and for a heartbeat, the world moved slow. A gentle breeze carried the smell of the forest to Ivy, and the first thing her ears picked out was the rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds.

Then people were screaming her name. Ivy barely had time to process the flash of movement before one, two, three people had crashed into her, pulling her into a tight group hug.

"You're alive!" Spencer exclaimed as he pulled away. Ace was at his side, barking eagerly.

"We were afraid the detention center would be another dead end," Summer added.

Ivy smiled at them. "Yeah, I'm okay. And Claire!" she turned to the third figure. "You're awake!"

Claire nodded. "I woke up an hour or so after the ship went down."

Ash stepped out of the chopper behind Ivy. The others looked up, and Ivy tensed, wondering what had transpired between Ash and the Supers after her capture.

"Thanks for bringing her back, Ash," Summer said.

Spencer nodded and quickly turned his attention back to Ivy. "How much did he tell you?"

"Bits and pieces," Ivy replied. "I know everyone's divided up into groups."

"Yeah. We were able to gather together ninety-six Supers that made it off the ship. Plus Icarus, Arachne, and Raven. We figured with the authorities and Zodiac after us, it would be best to split up to avoid drawing attention. We hiked away from the beach and now we're spread out over a few miles of forest."

"Our group's got seventeen kids," Summer added. "Plus Dr. Williams and another scientist that made it off the ship."

"Did Dr. Newman...?" Ivy began.

Summer and Spencer shared a look that told Ivy all she needed to know.

Some part of her had known this would happen when she'd left him in the lab on the Fortuna. Ivy reached up and clutched the metal that he'd given her. They'd been in such a rush, but she still regretted not asking him what it was.

"I'm sorry," Ivy said. Tears stung her eyes. "I can't even imagine how hard this must be for guys. You knew him for years."

Spencer nodded and looked down at the ground. Summer sighed. "Yeah, it's... it's been rough. But the best thing we can do is finish what he started and end Zodiac."

"Right," Spencer said. He looked up. "Come on, let's show Ivy the camp."

Ivy followed them away from the chopper, and Ash stayed a few steps behind her. As they walked, she took in the area. The camp had been set up in a small clearing. A second jetchopper was parked opposite from where Ash had parked the first.

"Along with most of the Supers and scientists, about eighty-two crew members and other workers got off the ship," Spencer said. "They pretty much all went home, since there's no ship to run anymore. But they've been bringing us supplies when they can manage it."

"Did the captain make it off?" Ivy asked.

"We think he went down with the ship, although no one's been able to tell us for sure."

Ivy gave a grim nod. She hadn't known the captain very well at all, and couldn't even recall his name. She'd known some kids went to listen to him tell stories sometimes, but she'd never gone herself.

The camp wasn't very large. The group came to a stop in the center. "When the weather's bad, we sleep in the jetchoppers," Spencer said. "It's kinda crowded, but not terrible. Otherwise, we just sleep outside. We have a few extra sleeping bags and pillow, you can take your pick."