اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
The stairwell door flies open just as the sun disappears over the horizon. I whip around, place the pistol I stole from Zombie at the head of Dumbo, who stops dead, eyes trained on the barrel.
"What the fuck is wrong with—" My words die in my throat. Poundcake comes lumbering behind Dumbo, big head coming into view first. "Holy shit, Cake--"
"Where the hell have you been, private?" Zombie limps down the hallway and claps the boy on the back-- the closest thing people can get to a hug anymore. Poundcake doesn't answer. "Ah, shit, man. Not even for your favourite sergeant?"
Poundcake shakes his head. I almost start laughing at the feeling spreading across my chest at the sight of the kid. Relief, anger, a little bit of guilt. I should've gone after him.
Dread settles into my stomach when I realize she isn't there. "She dead?"
"Ghost," Zombie hisses. "I'm sure she's fine. She caught up with Ringer or something." He turns to Dumbo. "Where the hell did you find him?"
"Just standing outside," Dumbo reveals.
Sam wrinkles his nose. "Was he peeing or something?"
"Why was that where your mind went?" I ask, staring at him. Sam shrugs.
Kids.
"He wasn't doing anything." Dumbo ignores Sam and I. "Just standing there."
Zombie shakes his head, laughing and telling Poundcake that they should go check on Cassie and Evan. Poundcake doesn't ask who he is, so I just assume he's heard Cassie mention him once or twice or a bazillion times.
Poundcake pushes open the door and steps into the room. Dumbo follows, then a limping Zombie and a tiny Sam, and finally me, broken face and tired eyes. Little army of misfit toys, Thomas. Remember them?
"How is he?" Zombie asks, looking at Evan. Now that Poundcake is back, he's going to want to get moving as fast as possible. Unfortunately, he this little problem where he can't leave anybody behind— which means Sullivan and Walker have to come, too.
"Burning up," Cassie informs us. "Delirious. He keeps talking about grace."
Zombie frowns. "Like 'Amazing Grace'?"
"Maybe saying grace, like before a meal," Dumbo suggests. "He's probably starving."
Poundcake walks over to the window to stare down at the parking lot. I wonder what happened to him while he was gone. Had he caught up with Teacup, found her corpse in the snow where Ringer was forced to leave her? We wouldn't ever know. Poundcake doesn't speak.
"What happened?" Cassie asks Zombie, wondering the same thing we all are. Except maybe Zombie. Zombie doesn't care as long as he has as many squad members safe as possible.
