Chapter 31

"How many more of them are out there, huh? Thousands? Millions?"

Grace pretended to ignore her father's conversation with Doctor Glass on the other side of the curtain as she kept an eye on their new de-harnessed guest at the back of the bus. The girl was awake now. Still drowsy, but alert enough. Her dark brown eyes - the most human part of her - stared directly back at Grace as she earwigged the conversation.

"I mean, even if we cut their harnesses off, they're never gonna be normal kids again."

Grace sighed, watching fear brighten the girl's eyes. It wasn't her fault she was here, being treated like a prisoner. Her dad was right though. Were they going to treat all de-harnessed kids like this, forever? What were they going to do with them all?

Her thoughts returned to Ben. They got lucky with him - and she used the term 'lucky' loosely. He had been harnessed for a short enough time that the full effects had not robbed him of his human identity, but long enough that he still had enough connection with the aliens to help fight them. Wherever he was, she hoped he was safe.

She wondered how long this young girl had been harnessed. Judging by her vagrant-like and 'skittery' appearance, too long. But there was a humanity inside her too - in that youthful, scared expression that made Grace want to wrap her up and keep her safe. But she wasn't stupid. They were right to be cautious. They'd seen what happened when they weren't.

"W…where are we going?" the girl stammered, looking around the bus fearfully.

Probing for information, or a genuine question from a confused kid? Grace asked herself, hating that she was leaning more towards the former. Regardless, she decided not to answer.

"What's your name?" Grace asked her. Maybe some conversation would distract her from worrying.

"Jenny," the girl replied meekly.

"Jenny," Grace repeated. "I'm Grace. You hungry?"

Jenny nodded softly.

Grace eyed her carefully before stepping over to the cupboard and retrieving a can of pears. She cracked open the can, pouring the contents into a plastic cup before placing it in Jenny's bound hands.

"Thanks," she said quietly before raising the cup to her lips and swallowing a big mouthful, then another. Grace felt something warm inside of her when she saw how happy eating a can of old pears made Jenny - a big smile on her face as she gulped down another mouthful and gave a hearty belch.

Her smile twisted with embarrassment as they heard a giggle come from behind Grace.

"Matt, you're not supposed to be back here," Grace chastised, turning around to see her little brother with a smirk from ear to ear.

"Sorry, I just wanted to see if she was okay."

"I'm fine," Jenny smiled appreciatively. "Sorry. It's been so long since I've eaten anything."

"It's okay," Matt replied. "My brother, uh, got hungry again after they took his harness off. Yours is damaged, so maybe that's why."

Jenny's eyes widened. "Your…your brother was joined? Where is he?"

"That's enough," Grace interrupted. Of course, if Ben had run off to join the Skitter Rebellion, the first thing a spy would ask about was his whereabouts. She didn't want Matt getting manipulated like Karen manipulated her other brothers. "Let's give Jenny her rest. She's been through a lot."

"Ah! Son of a bitch!"

Grace's head snapped towards the sound of her father cursing in the centre of the bus. She could see through the open curtain that he was crouched below the water tank, a screwdriver in his hand whilst Anthony peered over him.

"You didn't hear that," she tapped Matt's nose as he giggled mischievously. "Everything okay back there?"

"Yeah," her father called back, getting back to his feet and shaking the pain from his hand. "Just some minor maintenance."

"The water tank's leaking," Casey called over whilst an unsettled Etta struggled in her arms. "Think they could use some help." She wandered over with the baby, bouncing her gently, and she nodded towards Jenny. "Want me to tag in?"

"If you don't mind? Thanks." She tapped Casey on the shoulder and whispered to her. "Keep an eye on Matt? I think he's looking to make a new friend."

She nodded, understanding, before taking Grace's place opposite Jenny.

Anthony and Tom had placed metal bowls underneath the tank to catch the dripping water and were now looking through drawers for containers to collect the remaining water.

"Water tank's about a third empty, and Anne's got a dehydrated patient," Tom explained as a man in the bed behind him coughed persistently. "Should have kept my eye on that. That was a stupid mistake."

Grace remembered seeing an empty bottle in the cupboard where she had grabbed the pears. She was just about to retrieve it when Lourdes snatched the screwdriver back from the sideboard where Tom had placed it.

"You finished with this?"

"Yeah," Tom replied, a little surprised by her bluntness.

Lourdes turned and set it back in the red toolbox on the table. Suddenly it made sense.

"Jamil's tools," Anthony muttered sadly, glancing at Tom before continuing their search.

Tom gave Grace a sympathetic look as she felt her heart sink. She wanted to say something to comfort Lourdes, but she doubted that would go down well. She remembered what Casey said about Lourdes needing time and decided against saying anything for now.

She felt the weight of Jimmy's compass in her jacket pocket and once again sensed the overwhelming desire to talk to him again. It seemed like her pool of friends were dwindling, and she would give anything to see that cheeky, amiable smile welcoming her in again.

Frowning, she turned to the back of the bus to retrieve that water bottle, when Casey almost bumped into her with Etta sniffling in her arms.

"Hey, we need to stop the bus."

"What?"

A worry line formed between the older woman's eyebrows. "I'm sorry. Me and Etta can't be here anymore. That girl's been saying some concerning things."

Grace looked beyond Casey, spotting Matt and Jenny now sitting side by side, chatting away and sharing squares of chocolate.

"Like what?"

"She thinks the Skitters are her guardians. At least that's what she called them. This Tyler boy - her 'brother' - is another harnessed kid who had the same guardian. Grace, you should have heard the way she talked about them. It reminded me of Rick when he first got the harness off. She called them her family, said she actually loves them! And she said some things about Etta that made me uncomfortable…I think she's hoping her brother will come back for her and that Etta will be their new sibling."

Grace's chest tightened, glancing at Etta's tearful face, as if the infant sensed what was being talked about.

"Casey, I'm sorry. I didn't know she was that bad."

"It's okay," Casey said, adjusting Etta on her hip. "But I want to take Etta off the bus. We can ride in one of the cars."

"Of course. I'll talk to Anne. Stay here." She called over to Anthony, who had now collected enough water bottles for Tom to start catching the leaking water from the tank, and asked him to keep an eye on Matt and Jenny. He nodded and headed to the back of the bus where Matt and Jenny were now looking at his notebook. It seemed innocent enough, but Grace didn't want to risk anything, especially with what Casey had told her.

Anne was taking the current driving shift, steadily following the convoy as the headlights illuminated Captain Weaver and Tector's truck up ahead. Grace seemed to startle her as she approached her about stopping the bus.

"Can it really not wait?" she asked hesitantly.

"Casey's pretty shaken up," Grace explained. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't urgent. She's concerned about Etta."

"Okay," Anne sighed. "I just need to-"

A loud thump and a scream from the other side of the bus interrupted them.

"Dad, help!" Matt cried.

Grace, Anthony and Tom grabbed their weapons and headed towards Matt, passing a frightened Casey and a sobbing Etta.

"What is it, Matt?"

"Don't shoot!" Jenny implored, glancing towards the window with panic.

It was then Grace saw the large, clawed hand crashing against the window outside, stunning everyone.

"Stop the bus!" Tom yelled.

Anne slammed the brakes and the bus came to a screeching halt as everyone held on to something, Grace's heart pumping hard.

She instinctively went to peer out of the window whilst Tom checked on Matt. She couldn't see anything but the shadows of the trees and the blinding lights from the cars behind them.

"Whatever it was, it's gone now," Tom announced later after a quick investigation around the area. Fighters were beginning to return to their vehicles after a fruitless search.

"I spoke to Jenny," Grace added, stepping off the bus. "She thinks it's her brother and he's just trying to get her back."

"We can't believe a single thing she says," Anthony muttered.

"She seemed genuine," Grace replied, but she was still unsure. Either way, how could they hand her back to a harnessed mutant being controlled by the skitters?

"In any case, we need to keep moving," Tom decided. "We don't have enough ammo to defend the convoy, I'm gonna go tell Weaver." He hadn't even finished his sentence before he started jogging towards the front of the convoy.

Anthony followed and Grace turned back to see Matt on the steps of the bus, watching.

"Did they find him?"

"No, Peanut. There's no sign of him. I'm not sure we want to find him."

Matt's eyes brightened with hope. "Does that mean Jenny can come with us to Charleston?"

She bit her lip. "I'm not sure." Was that the better option? To keep her in a cell in Charleston rather than have her rejoining the enemy? She came closer to Matt, putting a gloved hand on his shoulder. "You know, she's not your friend, Matt. We don't know where she's come from, or what she's capable of. She could do real harm."

"It's not her fault," Matt snapped. "She was harnessed, just like Ben! If you were made to do bad things, does that make you bad?"

He ran back inside the bus, leaving her speechless. He didn't understand yet, but he would. Sometimes she wished she could see the world through his eyes. See Jenny as just a kid, like him. A little different, but still a kid. Maybe she could be helped like Ben. Maybe she could even be an asset. But it was just too soon to tell.

Casey and Etta went to ride in one of the cars when they got moving again. Grace sat in the front of the bus with Anne whilst Tom and Anthony kept an eye on Matt and Jenny. Lourdes sat with her patients, ignoring everyone else. Grace looked ahead at the dark fuzziness of the road, hoping they would reach Hal and Maggie soon. She thought they would have come back by now with a safe route, but so far they were nowhere to be seen.

Her eyes began to droop as the road outside blurred in the dim headlights. Exhausted, she started drifting, until eventually, everything felt so far away and so quiet that she fell right to sleep.

She wasn't sure how much time she had lost when she woke up, but she immediately noticed that the convoy had stopped again.

"What's happening?" she asked Anne, wiping her eyes and stifling a yawn.

"Fork in the road," Anne explained, nodding her head towards the road where she could see a group of people gathered around the truck. "Captain Weaver's trying to decide which route to take."

"Didn't Hal and Maggie make it back?" she asked, getting to her feet and peering through the windscreen. She could see Weaver, her dad and Anthony, but no sign of her brother.

"Not yet," Anne said with a frown.

Grace rubbed the ache in her neck where she had slept at an angle. "How's our guest? No more unexpected visitors?"

"No, not a peep. Looks like she's coming with us to Charleston. Lourdes is watching her now."

Grace turned around to see Matt still chatting happily with his new friend whilst Lourdes half paid attention.

"They must have picked a route," Anne announced, as Grace turned back around to see the group ahead dispersing.

Grace smiled. "I'll tell them the good news." She walked towards the back of the bus. "Hey, we're on our way!"

Matt began to woop. "Charleston, here we come!"

Lourdes barely reacted, though she may have looked a little relieved. But Matt's expression made Grace's heart warm. He seemed so excited. Even more so to have a friend joining him. Jenny didn't look happy at all - in fact, she seemed distracted.

Grace's smile instantly vanished when she saw what loomed behind Jenny. A large silhouette appeared at the back window, clawing and scratching to get in. Tyler. He growled loudly, like an animal. Angry and desperate for his sister.

Lourdes backed away, in shock.

"Matt, come here now," Grace snapped.

"What?"

"Now!"

She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from Jenny as the girl started pulling at her bonds. "Don't worry," she said, getting to her feet. "It's okay. Matt - don't be scared."

Matt stepped back, his eyes widening as he saw the shadowy figure scraping against the window. Grace reached for the nearest rifle, aiming it at the figure but hesitant to pull the trigger. Jenny's harness began to glow through her cardigan, as she sensed her brother's presence, presumably connecting with him again.

"Stop!" Grace warned her. But Jenny ignored her, tearing through her bonds as easily as when the Overlord ripped off his chains. That unbelievable strength. It always took her breath away.

"No!" Matt cried, grabbing Jenny before Grace could stop him. Jenny pushed him aside with ease and as Grace reached for her trigger, Jenny rushed her, pushing her across the bus into Lourdes and Anne who hit the ground in a clump.

Grace wheezed, trying to scramble to her feet, but it was too late. Jenny was already off the bus, rushing past Tom and Anthony who watched, stunned, as she sped away into the darkness with her skitter brother.

Just like that, Jenny was gone. Maybe back to the skitters, or maybe to live in the wilderness with her brother. But Grace doubted Jenny would ever be free from them again. Maybe that cell in Charleston would have been the better scenario.

As Tom and Anthony ran back onto the bus to find out what had just happened, their attention was drawn to Matt who was still flat on the floor, out cold. Jenny had knocked him out in her haste, causing a graze above his right eye.

Some friend, Grace thought bitterly, as Anne patched up the graze and they laid the poor boy down on the back seats with a blanket over him. She tried to warn him. Clearly Jenny's alien roots meant more to her. These kids weren't normal kids anymore. They were unpredictable. Dangerous. And once again, one of her brothers had paid the price.