ostentatiously； perhaps rubbing it in the way he had with the pillow that first night。
Once； Jared slowly ripped open a bag of Cheetos—showy about it as usual—and the rich smell of fake
powdered cheese rolled through my cave… delicious； irresistible。 He ate one slowly； letting me hear each
distinct crunch。
My stomach growled loudly； and I laughed at myself。 I hadn’t laughed in so long； I tried to remember the
last time and couldn’t—just that strange bout of macabre hysteria in the desert； which really didn’t count
But this seemed hilarious to me for some reason—my stomach yearning after that one small
Cheeto—and I laughed again。 A sign of madness； surely。
I didn’t know how my reaction offended him； but he got up and disappeared。 After a long moment； I
could hear him eating the Cheetos again； but from farther away。 I peeked out of the hole to see that he
was sitting in the shadows at the end of the corridor； his back to me。 I pulled my head inside； afraid he
might turn and catch me watching。 From then on； he stayed down at that end of the hall as much as
possible。 Only at night did he stretch out in front of my prison。
Twice a day—or rather twice a night； as he never took me when the others were about—I got to walk
to the room with the rivers； it was a highlight； despite the terror； as it was the only time I was not hunched
into the unnatural shapes my small cave forced on me。 Each time I had to crawl back inside was harder
than the last。
Three times that week； always during the sleeping hours； someone came to check on us。
The first time it was Kyle。
Jared’s sudden lunge to his feet woke me。 “Get out of here；” he warned； holding the gun ready。
“Just checking；” Kyle said。 His voice was far away but loud and rough enough that I was sure it was not
his brother。 “Someday you might not be here。 Someday you might sleep too soundly。”
Jared’s only answer was to cock the gun。
I heard Kyle’s laughter trailing behind him as he left。
The other two times I didn’t know who it was。 Kyle again； or maybe Ian； or maybe someone whose
name I hadn’t learned。 All I knew was that twice more I was woken by Jared jumping to his feet with the
gun pointed at the intruder。 No more words were spoken。 Whoever wasjust checking didn’t bother to
make conversation。 When they were gone； Jared went back to sleep quickly。 It took me longer to quiet
my heart。
The fourth time was something new。
I was not quite asleep when Jared started awake； rolling to his knees in a swift movement。 He came up
with the gun in his hands and a curse on his lips。
“Easy；” a voice murmured from the distance。 “I e in peace。”
“Whatever you’re selling； I’m not buying；” Jared growled。
“I just want to talk。” The voice came closer。 “You’re buried down here； missing the important
discussions。… We miss your take on things。”
“I’m sure；” Jared said sarcastically。
“Oh； put the gun down。 If I was planning to fight you； I would have e with four guys this time。”
My neck ached； seeming to prehend that the hands that had crushed and bruised it were very close
by。
“He’s still fuming about his nose；” Ian said。 “Oh； well—it’s not the first time it’s been broken。 I’ll tell him
you said you were sorry。”
“I’m not。”
“I know。 No one is ever sorry for hitting Kyle。”
They laughed quietly together； there was a sense of camaraderie in their amusement that seemed wildly
out of place while Jared held a gun loosely pointed in Ian’s direction。 But then； the bonds that were
forged in this desperate place must have been very strong。 Thicker than blood。
Ian sat down on the mat next to Jared。 I could see his profile in silhouette； a black shape against the blue
light。 I noticed that his nose was perfect—straight； aquiline； the kind of nose that I’d seen in pictures of
famous sculptures。 Did that mean that others found him more bearable than the brother whose nose was
often broken？ Or that he was better at ducking？
“So what do you want； Ian？ Not just an apology for Kyle； I imagine。”
“Did Jeb tell you？”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about。”
“They’ve given up the search。 Even the Seekers。”
Jared didn’t ment； but I could feel the sudden tension in the air around him。
“We’ve been keeping a close watch for some change； but they never seemed overly anxious。 The search
never strayed from the area where we abandoned the car； and for the past few days they were clearly
looking for a body rather than a survivor。 Then two nights ago we caught a lucky break—the search
party left some trash in the open； and a pack of coyotes raided their base camp。 One ofthem was
ing back late and surprised the animals。 The coyotes attacked and dragged the Seeker a good
hundred yards into the desert before the rest of them heard its screams and came to the rescue。 The
other Seekers were armed； of course。 They scared the coyotes off easily； and the victim wasn’t seriously
hurt； but the event seems to have answered any questions they might have had about what happened to
our guest here。”
I wondered how they were able to spy on the Seekers who searched for me—to see so much。 I felt
strangely exposed by the idea。 I didn’t like the picture in my head： the humans invisible； watching the
souls they hated。 The thought made the skin on the back of my neck prickle。
“So they packed up and left。 The Seekers gave up the search。 All the volunteers went home。 No one is
looking for it。” His profile turned toward me； and I hunched down； hoping it was too dark to see me in
here—that； like his face； I would appear as only a black shape。 “I imagine it’s been declared officially
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
e
who’ll stand still long enough to hear it。”
Jared grumbled something incoherent； I could only pick out Jeb’s name。 Then he inhaled a sharp breath；
blew it out； and said； “All right； then。 I guess that’s the end of it。”
“That’s what it looks like。” Ian hesitated for a moment and then added； “Except… Well； it’s probably
nothing at all。”
Jared tensed again； he didn’t like having his intelligence edited。 “Go on。”
“No one but Kyle thinks much of it； and you know how Kyle is。”
Jared grunted his assent to that。
“You’ve got the best instincts for this kind of thing； I wanted your opinion。 That’s why I’m here； taking
my life into my hands to infiltrate the restricted area；” Ian said dryly； and then his voice was utterly serious
again。 “You see； there’s this one… a Seeker； no doubt about that—it packs a Glock。”
It took me a second to understand the word he used。 It wasn’t a familiar part of Melanie’s vocabulary。
When I understood that he was talking about a kind of gun； the wistful； envious tone in his voice made
me feel slightly ill。
“Kyle was the first to notice how this one stood out。 It didn’t seem important to the rest—certainly not
part of the decision…making process。 Oh； it had suggestions enough； from what we could see； but no one
seemed to listen to it。 Wish we could’ve heard what it was saying。…”
My skin prickled anxiously again。
“Anyway；” Ian continued； “when they called off the search； this one wasn’t happy with the decision。 You
know how the parasites are always so… verypleasant？ This was weird—it’s the closest I’ve ever seen
them e to an argument。 Not a real argument； because none of the others argued back； but the
unhappy one sure looked like it was arguing withthem。 The core group of Seekers disregarded
it—they’re all gone。”
“But the unhappy one？” Jared asked。
“It got in a car and drove halfway to Phoenix。 Then it drove back to Tucson。 Then it drove west again。”
“Still searching。”
“Or very confused。 It stopped at that convenience store by the peak。 Talked to the parasite that worked
there； though that one had already been questioned。”
“Huh；” Jared grunted。 He was interested now； concentrating on the puzzle。
“Then it went for a hike up the peak—stupid little thing。 Had to be burning alive； wearing black from
head to toe。”
A spasm rocked through my body； I found myself off the floor； cringing against the back wall of my cell。
My hands flew up instinctively to protect my face。 I heard a hiss echo through the small space； and only
“What wasthat？ ” Ian asked； his voice shocked。
I peeked through my fingers to see both of their faces leaning through the hole toward me。 Ian’s was
black； but part of Jared’s was lit； his features hard as stone。
I wanted to be still； invisible； but tremors I couldn’t control were shaking violently down my spine。
Jared leaned away and came back with the lamp in his hands。
“Look at its eyes；” Ian muttered。 “It’s frightened。”
I could see both their expressions now； but I looked only at Jared。 His gaze was tightly focused on me；
calculating。 I guessed he was thinking through what Ian had said； looking for the trigger to my behavior。
My body wouldn’t stop shaking。
She’ll never give up；Melanie mo