“Show me who you are!”
She forced herself to slow—not much point in getting shot by her rescuers—and waited until the boy recognized her. She did not recognize him, but she’d never made a lot of friends at the lake.
“Listen, kid, do you have some way to sound an alarm?”
“What?”
“Don’t ‘what’ me!” she snapped. “Do you have a way to sound an alarm?”
“I’m supposed to fire in the air.”
“No, she’ll hear that. Come on, let’s run! Run!”
Her fear was contagious, and the nameless boy set off after her, his automatic rifle banging against his back. Ahead were the lights of the lake, just a few pitiful candles, a few faintly illuminated trailer windows and boat portholes.
“What’s happening?” the boy asked, breathless behind her.
“The devil’s on her way,” Diana said. She glanced back: still no pursuit. Of course when Gaia came she’d be a whirlwind with Brianna’s speed. Diana wouldn’t even have a warning.
She pelted into the settlement, which was a dozen or so trailers and motor homes, some bedraggled tents, a few boats at the dock, and a few more boats anchored out in the water.
Diana had lived here for a while; she knew her way around. She ran onto the houseboat and yelled, “Sam! Sam!”
Silence.
“Sam’s gone,” the out-of-breath guard said.
“What?”
“He’s gone to Perdido Beach.”
Diana felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach. Without Sam there was zero chance of beating Gaia.
Ah, hope: you tricked me again.
Dekka came running down the dock. “What’s going on?”
“Dekka! Thank God. Gaia is just over the hill. Listen to me: she’s going to kill everyone.”
Dekka stared. Diana thought it was as close as she’d ever come to looking truly frightened. Then to the guard, Dekka said, “Get Jack. Right now!”
“Who else is here?” Diana demanded.
“That can do any damage in a fight? Me and Jack. Breeze may have come back. Breeze! Breeze! If you’re down there, wake up!” Nothing. “She may be asleep down below, but she went out on patrol earlier, I think. Breeze!”
Someone very large was climbing up from below, and Diana was relieved to see the mudslide that was Orc’s head.
“Orc!” Dekka said. “Thank God you’re here! Is Breeze down there?”
Orc shook his head. “But I am because the Lord sent me.”
“Glad to have you however you got here.” Dekka grabbed Diana’s arm. “What powers does she have? What can Gaia do?”
“She says she has everyone’s powers. But if you die, she loses that power. That’s why she didn’t take on Sam and Caine. She’ll kill the moofs last.”
“Why is she . . . Everyone? Never mind. Where is Astrid?”
“She was in the outhouse. Here she comes,” Orc said.
Astrid and Jack were running toward the boat with the guard leading the way. “Gaia may be here any second,” Dekka explained quickly. She repeated what Diana had told her.
“We have to evacuate into the boats,” Astrid said.
“We can fight!” Dekka said. “Me, Jack, Orc, we can take her on!”
“Fine, but the rest have to get on the water. That’s the plan,” Astrid said coolly.
Dekka nodded and ordered the guard to run and ring the alarm bell.
“No!” Diana cried. “Quietly! If she hears anything . . .”
“You’re right.”
Into the boats, out into the water. Once, they had defeated a determined attack by Drake using that simple tactic. The water was their defense.
“Dahra’s downstairs, injured,” Astrid said. “She can’t run. Dekka?”
“The three of us, Jack and Orc and I, need to get between Gaia and the lake. If we head up onto the ridge, top of the bluff there—”
“Agreed,” Astrid said, cutting her off.
“I wish Sam was here,” Diana muttered.
“We all do,” Astrid snapped, “but this is what we’ve got. Dekka, Jack, Orc. That’s a start.”
“No,” Jack said.
“No what?” Dekka asked, honestly confused.
“I’m not fighting. Don’t you know what happened to me the last time? I nearly died!”
“You’ll die for sure if you don’t fight,” Diana said. “Listen to me: This is the gaiaphage. It’s going to kill anything with a human body that might act as a host for Little Pete.”
Astrid’s eyebrow shot up. “Interesting.”
“Really, Mrs. Spock? Not fascinating?” Diana made a strangled noise of frustration. “Does anyone have any food? If I’m going to die, I’d like to eat first.”
“I’m not fighting,” Jack said stubbornly. “Just because I’m strong doesn’t mean I’m a fighter.”
“You’ll fight or die, most likely both,” Diana said. “Do you not get what you’re dealing with here?”
But Jack shook his head. So much for the resilience of youth, Diana thought. He’s as broken as Alex.
“Let’s get the houseboat started up and cast off,” Astrid said. “Dekka? Orc? Good luck. Jack, you can at least help people get to the boats.”
Diana felt Astrid’s fingers wrapped around her bicep and realized she was being pulled away. Everyone else was running to their assigned tasks, but Astrid led Diana to the railing and looked hard into her eyes. “Keep your mouth shut about the powers. And about Petey.”