Among their number, I saw Zachary Bigwater but neither of the elder Bigwaters, nor his sister, Justine. The kid looked older than he had a few days before when he’d begged to come with us because he was sweet on Tegan. In a heartbeat, everything could change. He wore despair like a necktie; it slumped his shoulders and kept his head low. For some reason, he couldn’t meet anybody’s gaze. Tegan tried to talk to him, but he turned away without speaking.
“He’s carrying a pretty big burden,” I said softly.
“Losing everything isn’t easy.”
Fade knew that better than anyone. Once, he had a sire and dam who loved him. First she got sick, then his sire did, ultimately leaving him alone. A lesser boy would’ve wound up in the gangs and let them take away everything his parents taught him. Instead he fled to the dangers and darkness down below, determined to hold fast to the person they’d taught him to be. Even down below, the elders hadn’t touched the inner core that made him special. I admired him for that.
I loved him for everything.
Studying the refugees, I shook my head in perplexity. It was preposterous to imagine that we could herd such a large group to Soldier’s Pond while escaping detection, but failure was unthinkable. Somehow we had to deliver them to safety; otherwise everything about Salvation would be lost. I understood that intuitively, seeing echoes of the ruins. All the people who lived and loved in Gotham had been decimated. I didn’t want to see that happen to the people who had been kind enough to take us in.
“They have no chance without us,” I whispered.
“It’ll come down to avoiding enemy scouting parties,” Stalker said, joining us.
“Do you have some ideas in that regard?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Let’s hear them.”
“We could split into smaller groups, trying to lead them away from the refugees.”
I shook my head. “That would leave them defenseless if the strategy failed.”
“If it comes down to a straight-up fight, we’ve already lost,” Stalker said flatly.
Fade prickled to life. “With that attitude, what’re you doing here? Shouldn’t you be saving your own skin? You excel at that, as I recall.”
At the veiled reference to how he’d abandoned his cubs at the first sign of trouble in the ruins and threw his lot in with us because we knew how to fight the Freaks, Stalker narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. While I didn’t want them arguing, I was glad to see Fade getting angry about anything, even strategy.
Still, I stepped between them and shook my head. “We should talk to Morgan. Presumably he’s been fighting the Freaks longer than we have.” He was older anyway, though that didn’t always mean what I thought it should in terms of experience. “Come on.”
The boys flanking me, I joined the guardsman. “Do you have any thoughts on how we can keep these people alive?”
“Pray to all your saints.”
I had no idea what that meant or what a saint might be. This didn’t seem like the time to ask. “Are you being serious?”
“Half,” Morgan said. “But it’s not the most practical approach. A group as large as ours will certainly attract attention. I propose we send scouts ahead to make sure the way is clear and keep sentries moving on the perimeters at all times. I’ll also need a squad to guard our rear flank. That’s the group most likely to see combat.”
“I’ll fight,” I said.
“Me too.” Fade spoke almost as quickly as I did.
Stalker didn’t react to that quiet resurgence of our old dynamic; at least we weren’t broken as a fighting team. “If I’m welcome, I’ll volunteer as a forward scout.”
Morgan glanced my way, probably for confirmation this was a good idea. So I said, “He’s the best Salvation has.”
“Then welcome aboard. Go see Calhoun for your assignment.” Stalker didn’t look at me again, merely went off to the fellow Morgan indicated. That told me he was annoyed that I hadn’t let him hit Fade. To me, the guard added, “I’ll leave my best fighting men with you.”
“You’re marching with the main group?” I asked.
Morgan nodded. “I’m not the best soldier, only the man the colonel trusts the most.”
I could see why. He had a steady air and he gave the impression that he could handle himself in a crisis. That didn’t always equate to raw battle prowess. “Tegan will be staying with you as well. She’s the closest thing Salvation has to a doctor since Doc Tuttle didn’t make it out.”
“She’ll be welcome. And I’ll look out for her personally.”
“Her leg bothers her sometimes,” Fade added.
I frowned at him because she didn’t like people treating her like she was crippled, but in a situation like this, Morgan needed to know. She’d already taxed her thigh getting from Salvation to Soldier’s Pond and back again. Tegan must be hurting but she was more concerned with those who needed her than with her own physical limitations. There was only one thing left to do, so I wove through the milling crowd to check on my family.
Edmund was thin and hollow-eyed from the stress of the situation. As I approached, he put an arm around Momma Oaks, then reached for me with his other one. Up close he smelled of wood smoke and leather, though I couldn’t forget the why of the former. Rex stood slightly apart, wearing the dull, shocked expression of someone who couldn’t credit the sudden loss. I stepped into their embrace, quietly grateful that my family was intact when so many others weren’t.
Momma Oaks kissed my cheek, her hand gentle on my hair. “There were just too many. You mustn’t blame yourself. We didn’t have the ammunition or the manpower to hold the walls.” She must’ve been so frightened, but there was little evidence of it at the moment.
“And then they figured out how to use the torches.”
Edmund nodded, squeezing my shoulder with one arm. “But I told everyone you’d be back with help … and here you are.”
“It’s not enough,” I said softly.
Rex started at that. When he spoke, his tone was incredulous. “It’s more than anyone thought you’d manage. When Elder Bigwater said he’d sent the four of you on a rescue mission, most didn’t think you’d come back. We didn’t expect you to save the whole town, Deuce.”