Traveling is already starting to feel routine. Cassie focuses on the radio, Ivy does what she does best, and Corax checks in every hour for a battery top off. For the most part I spend the hours reading.

  I am beginning to notice Vince is fidgeting just a little more with every passing minute, although it’s impossible to guess what he’s the most worried about right now. If I can notice, then I’m sure Ivy and Cassie did long ago. If they’re not going to bring it up, I shouldn’t either.

  It’s not long before we can see the mountains. Giants of barren stone dominate the horizon. I can just see where they disappear beneath the sand, I assume that’s where we’re going.

  “Cassie, can you hit the radio?” Vince asks, and then continues to speak a moment ter. “This is Vince. Who’s driving?”

  “Liam is.” Lauren’s voice responds.

  “Alright. We’ll be heading into the pass in just a few hours. Once we arrive, it’ll be about four hours until we’re through. Keep your radio on.”

  “Will do.”

  The sun is close to setting when we finally arrive at the mountains. There’s a small ravine that’s been carved through the mountain. It’s barely 100 feet wide, with sheer walls on either side. We keep driving right past it.

  “Wait, isn’t that where we’re going?” I ask.

  “Depends.” Ivy responds, taking a closer look at the pass. “Do you think we can deal with at least seven snipers on the ridge?”

  “I thought you said I should stop doubting you?”

  That gets a ugh out of both Ivy and Cassie. Even Vince, in spite of his anxiety, lets out a small chuckle.

  “You heard her. Take us in.” Cassie prods Vince.

  Vince only rolls his eyes and gives me a real expnation.

  “That’s 50 miles of the best ambushes raiders could ask for. No, we’re taking a slightly longer way around.”

  “Have you ever been in there?” I ask.

  “Yeah. I have.” Vince says in a way that makes it clear he doesn’t want to expin.

  “Ok. Sorry.” Why did I even ask that?

  “It’s alright Little Blue.”

  I signal out the window to call Corax back. He nds on the windowsill only a few seconds ter. I rey the pn to him.

  “Good. Dangerous.” Corax says before flying off once again.

  It takes two more hours of skirting around the mountain until we finally turn west. A rge, ft expanse of desert ys out in front of us. Steep hills can be seen in the distance to either side. Everyone is on high alert.

  Ivy rolls down her window and pulls herself into a sitting position on the lip. Her entire torso is outside the car, and her gun is perched on the roof, giving her an unobstructed view in every direction. Cool night air streams in the open window.

  Cassie rapidly checks every channel she can find, before switching back to her starting channel and waiting a few moments. Soon enough, Lauren’s voice comes through during her pause.

  “Is this it?”

  “It is.” Vince answers. “If you want to do the battery swap now and head back home that’s fine. We can just y out the sor panels tomorrow and should be able to make it before the next storm.”

  The radio goes dead for a minute, while they discuss.

  “No, we’ve got a job to do. We’ll follow you in.” Lauren sounds determined.

  “Sounds good.”

  It’s not long before Corax nds on Ivy’s head, and she dutifully puts him back inside.

  “Two cars. South.” He reports.

  “Are they heading this way?” Vince’s anxiety leaves, repced by a cold seriousness.

  “No.”

  “Ok.” Vince lets out a rge sigh. “Keep me updated please.”

  Corax waits before returning to the skies, his eyes on me. I pull out his harness and he excitedly jumps in. It only takes a few moments to get it seated and for him to glide back into the night sky. At least he’s nearly invisible in the dark.

  Corax returns to report more vehicles a few times. Everything from rge caravans to single cars. Despite the other cars seeming to be not actively hostile, Vince keeps as much distance from them as possible.

  “Stopping cars.” Corax informs us.

  “I’m sorry?” Vince asks. “Who’s stopping cars?”

  Corax doesn’t respond. I’m not sure how Vince expects him to know.

  Vince turns the car to the north, climbing up a nearby rge dune where he turns off the car and steps out. The smallest hint of light can be seen from a few miles away.

  Ivy climbs onto the car, standing on the roof.

  “What’s going on?” Lauren asks as she steps out of her car.

  “Looks like Rangers.” Ivy answers. “They’ve set up a checkpoint.”

  “What? How? Why?” Cassie asks.

  “Looks like they’re searching for something. Pretty thoroughly too.”

  “Must be important. I’ve never heard of something like this.” Lauren climbs up next to Ivy to try to get a view of her own.

  “Pretty sure I still have some warrants open.” Vince says sadly. “Would you guys mind heading through first? Find out if it’s me they’re looking for.”

  “How would they even know you’re heading this way?” Lucas asks.

  “No idea. I doubt it’s me, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

  “Alright. We’ll radio back.” Lucas says.

  “Alright. And Lucas? Stay safe.” Vince gives him a quick hug.

  “Ay-ay.” He responds into Vince’s chest before breaking away. “I've never even broken the w.”

  Except for me of course.

  “A lot could happen between here and there, you never know.” Ivy tells him.

  “If I get a bounty in the next few minutes, I’ll be sure to turn around!” He jumps into the driver's seat and the others follow. Their car slowly crawls towards the distant light.

  “It’s weird. They’re barely even looking at the people.” Ivy says, half to herself. “And unless something’s changed, they don’t care about drugs this much.”

  “Are they looking for me?” I can’t think of anything else that would fit.

  “How would they know?” Cassie asks. “We snuck you out of the city, what? 15 hours ago?”

  “It’s three hours to Albuquerque from here. If they set up a rge outpost there I guess it’s possible. If Silver’s pn failed, they might have had to improvise.”

  “By selling us out?” Anger firs inside Cassie.

  “Come on Cassie, you know Silver better than that.” Vince puts his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. “They might have had to give us a problem they know we can solve.”

  “I guess.” Cassie lets the conversation die there.

  “They’re arriving.” Ivy interrupts the silence only a few minutes ter. “They’re getting out of the car, and the rangers are checking every possible crevice.”

  “We should have called Lucas back.” I say. There’s no way Vince could ever forgive himself if something happens.

  “No, he’s fine.” Ivy says. “Just like everyone else, they’re barely paying attention to him. Only one they’re talking to is Lauren.”

  “Can you tell what they’re saying?”

  “No.”

  We wait a few tense minutes in silence. Vince checks his rifle a few times, just in case.

  “They’re done.” Ivy hops down from the car. “Easy as that.”

  Only a few seconds ter the radio crackles to life.

  “Hey Johnson,” Lauren’s voice fills the night air. “I need you to solve an argument. What’s that book you were telling us about called?”

  Vince hits a button to transmit on the radio.

  “Which one?” He asks in a clearly practiced fake voice.

  “That one with the Bluebird.”

  Fuck. I know what that means. I’m ok. Keep the panic under control. Just until the radio is turned off. Corax is on my shoulder. He’s not going to let me slip.

  “Actually, I think it’s way funnier if you don’t know.” Vince responds. “We’re going to be out of radio range soon. Good luck remembering it.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Alright.” Vince takes a step back out of the car. He takes a quick look at my face. “I take it you got that Little Blue?”

  All I can do is give a small nod. They’re looking for Blue and a Bird.

  “It’s alright.” Ivy gently guides me back to the car. I let her y me down across the back seat and slide her p beneath my head.

  “Is Silver in danger?” I need an answer.

  “I don’t think so.” Vince reaches back from the driver's seat. When did he get there? “The only reason Silver would tell anyone, is to keep everyone safe. They’re going to be fine.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve never seen Silver in a situation with less than four backup pns. They’re fine, alright?” His voice is firm, but gentle.

  “Ok.” I can either believe his lies or fall apart. Not much of a choice.

  “Alright.” He gives me a comforting pat on my arm and then speaks to everyone. “We’re going to meet up with everyone about two hours south of here. From there I’m sending Lucas home, and we’ll continue on to a small range with way more paths than they can cover. It’s a small dey, but we should have plenty of time. Does that sound alright?”

  How does he know that? Keywords woven into their conversation? Or maybe they pre-pnned this backup pn? Those are the only things I can think of.

  “Can’t we just sneak her through?” Cassie asks.

  “I could remove my skin. Or partially deconstruct my limbs and look dead.”

  “Would you be able to handle that?” Vince asks. I don’t respond. “Besides, they probably have a diver to check.”

  “No compints here.” Ivy says.

  Vince gnces at Cassie, who instead of responding, returns to her radio. I guess Vince takes that as an agreement, because he turns the car around.

  “Corax? I need to keep a lookout. Can you watch over her?” Ivy asks.

  Corax climbs from my shoulder to my chest. Once again I hold him tight.

  Instead of sitting on the windowsill, Ivy climbs fully onto the roof and stays up there. Is she trying to give me space? Or trying to avoid me?

  “Am I going to be able to return to the city?” I ask into the silent car.

  “I wish I could tell you Little Blue.” Vince reaches back to y a firm hand on my arm without taking his eyes off the desert as he drives. “We’ll have to wait for Silver to get a message to us.”

  “How are they going to do that?”

  “Well, there’s a few ways. If we haven’t heard anything before we’re done with Mara, we’ll head back to Denver. Bckwell can keep us hidden while we wait for news. And if we can’t return? We’ll find somewhere else to call home while we figure something out.”

  “You don’t have to do that.” I don’t want to be the one who rips them away from their friends. They have so many people they’d be giving up for me.

  “I know. That’s just pn B. We’ll make a better one when we know more.”

  “Ok.” Whatever happens, I’m going to make sure they can go home. “Is Vegas going to be safe?”

  “Vegas might just be the least safe city on earth. But if you’re worried about the rangers, st I checked they weren’t allowed to do anything but gamble.”

  “Ok.”

  A series of taps comes from the roof, and Vince turns the car a little further south.

  With Ivy guiding us it doesn’t take too long to get out of the southern pass. Once we’re free, Ivy climbs back into the cab and returns her attention to my hair.

  “Remind me to give you a brush when we get home.” Ivy’s voice comes from the window.

  When you get home. I have no idea if I’ll be there too. There’s no need to say that out loud though, I’m sure she already knows.

  The rest of the drive proceeds mostly in silence. Vince and Cassie occasionally say something to each other, but I don’t even bother processing their words. Every thought has the potential to lead me towards the edge. It’s much safer to do nothing.

  It’s all I can do to keep existing and wait.

  JanePtinum