Cruel World (The Tribe Book 1)

14. Cloe's Missing

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"No sign of her?" Amber asks Zandra and Ryan as they come down the stairs, asking about Cloe. The young girl had gone missing, and everyone's worries were growing, there was a raging storm outside and we needed to find her.

"Not in the mall," Ryan says.

"Or the carpark," Zandra continues.

"She's not in any of the storage areas, the loading docks or the centre management area," I tell her as Martin and I walk up to the trio.

"She's gotta stop this," Amber mutters, as Trudy and Brady join us by the fountain.

"Right, could put us all in danger if one of the other tribes follows her back her," Lex says. The others are quick to dismiss the thought.

"He's right," I begrudgingly acknowledge, "There's lots of tribes out there I have no alliances or contacts with."

Everyone thinks about what I've said, reality sinking in.

"Aw, look who's back! It's your Uncle Bray," Trudy coos at Brady, the rest of us rolling our eyes in slight disdain.

"We have to look outside for her," He tells us.

"Bray there's no way we can find her right now. The storm is too heavy to see through, the rain will have washed away any tracks she might have left and she could be miles away by now, we have no idea when she went missing, and its getting dark," I tell him glumly, not happy but having to be realistic.

"You can't leave her out there just to get one up on me," Bray says, infuriating some of us.

"It's got nothing to do with you, stop being self centred! She's being realistic Bray, she has to. She is our leader, and she is right, there's no way we'd find her, but hopefully none of the other tribes are dumb enough to be outside right now. Alleia has to think about all of us, not just one of us, as bad as the situation is right now," Martin tells him, pushing Bray back before he can get near me.

"You're pathetic if you think I'd do that!" I scold Bray.

"But she's only little, out there on her own," Zandra tries to input.

"Zan it'll be pitch black in half an hour," I tell her.

"Besides, you don't have to be big to be an idiot," Lex digs at Bray, making him back off.

"They're right Bray. Besides, Lex is head of security, and Alleia is tribe leader. Right now, we really need to listen to them," Amber says, "It's too dangerous to go out now."

"Thanks Amber. At least someone realises I ain't head of security for nothing. And dumb move going against the leader Bray, as if you weren't already in her bad books," Lex says, rubbing it in Bray's face.

"If she's not back, we'll go out in the morning in groups to look for her, as soon as everyone is ready. Until then, there's nothing we can do but wait it out and sleep," I announce to everyone, telling them with the tone of my voice not to argue with me.

"What am I gonna tell Patsy and Paul? They're really upset about Cloe," Salene asks, coming down the stairs to stand by Amber.

"You'd never do something as stupid as that, would you Brady? No, we look after you don't we," Trudy interrupts, unhelpfully.

"Trudy, now is not the time for this," I tell her, giving her a look to shush and back off.

"What are you trying to say, Trudy?" Salene prods, and I pinch the bridge of my nose, sick of the pointless argument that hasn't even begun. Martin moves over and wraps his arms around me to keep me sane.