Chapter 25

Britt looked blankly at Christy for a few seconds, then rushed down the side of the ground floor and round the corner. When she reached the far corner and turned to look down the walkway to the door, she stopped. Before her, she saw Steve, standing at the door with Say, saying goodbye. As he turned to leave, without looking back, Britt raced down the walkway and caught Say just as she closed the door.

"I have to go after him!" Britt cried as Say turned to face her.

"Britt, it's too dangerous!" Say replied.

"Then let me out now before he gets too far away!"

"But..."

"Just do it!"

Shrugging, Say reluctantly opened the mall doors one more time and Britt raced out into the street. Madly looking from side to side, she caught a glimpse of a black leather jacket walking uphill.

"STEVE!" Britt yelled.

The figure stopped. He turned round. Britt raced to his side.

"You can't go now!" she cried as she reached him.

"He's my brother: I can't very well leave him to wander the streets on his own!"

"But you don't know where he's gone!"

"I have a few ideas," Steve shrugged, "plus, I know my brother: I've lived with him long enough!"

"But what if you don't find him! What if you run into Sophia!"

"If I haven't found him after a week, I'll come back: I'll need to get stuff from the stores here anyway. I won't run into Sophia: I know she's out there now so I'll be careful."

"Because careful guys always walk right up the middle of the road!"

"Yeah, well, you had to be able to spot me didn't you?"

"You!" Britt shrieked in fury, pushing Steve's shoulder and turning to storm off back to the mall.

She had hardly gone more than a few paces before she felt a hand on her arm, pulling her around. As she spun to face him, Steve met her lips with his own and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. They stayed that way for what seemed an eternity, but to Britt was barely a moment.

"Come back to me," she whispered as they pulled apart.

"I will," Steve replied, kissing her once more then turning and walking away.

***********************

Gary moved the last piece of rubble out of the way. Finally, the door before him was clear. He was standing in front of the entrance to a small bar that had, in its time, served food as well as alcohol. It was not only hidden down one of the larger back streets, but was also at basement level, with a stone stairway leading down from the street above. Gary knew the place well, but not well enough to find a back entrance so he had spent the past hour carefully removing the junk that had been tossed down from the street, obscuring the doorway.

He had taken care not to make too much noise, and thus taken much longer than was strictly necessary, but now he found that the door before him was either locked or blocked on the inside too. He peered through the ruby tinted glass and saw a clear hallway inside. There was nothing for it but to either risk the noise of breaking the door down, or spend however many hours trying to find another way in, or another hideout. Glancing over his shoulder at the street above, Gary stepped back and rushed against the door, putting his full weight behind his shoulder. He bounced off the door and staggered back. The door remained unbroken.

"Ow!" Gary muttered, rubbing his shoulder.

"I'm not surprised," said a female voice behind him, "That door is reinforced with steel! You won't get through it that way."

Gary spun round, his good eye searching the street above him. Over to one side, his blind side when he was facing the door, stood a girl a few years younger than himself, pointing a crossbow at him. Her vivid purple hair blew out behind her and the pale, autumn daylight sparkled off a turquoise gem in her belly button that matched the turquoise trim on her black, one-shoulder top and wrist bands and the turquoise dragon and studs on her black, baggy trousers.

"What are you doing here?" the girl patiently asked Gary as he gaped up at her.

"I need somewhere to stay for a while," Gary replied, "I figured this place would be quiet and out of the way."

"And secure," the girl added, "as you've just found out. What's your name?"

"Gary."

"And what tribe are you from?"

"I don't have a tribe. Not any more."

"Then what tribe were you from?"

"I had my own in the Counting House, but while I was out, they were attacked and most were captured or killed. Those who were with me, and the few left from the attack, joined the girls in the Feathers Mall."

"Rather careless for a leader to leave his tribe?"

"I was looking for my brother."

"And did you find him?"

"Yes."

"So what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be celebrating with your brother?"

"We had a fight. I left."

"And now you're here."

"Yes."

The girl watched him for a moment, thinking.

"Did your brother give you that?" she asked, indicating the nasty scar running through Gary's right eye.

"No, that was another fight."

"You seem to be good at getting into fights."

"And getting out of them."

"Hmm."

The girl raised her crossbow.

"Well, I guess you can stay for a while," she said, "if the other girls agree."

"Other girls?"

"Anne Marie and Di. The three of us live here. We're the Misfits."

"Ah," Gary nodded, "And you are?"

"Sarah. Now put that rubble back and follow me."