"The reason I called you all to this meeting is because we're having a growing problem." Amara paced the floor slightly, the others had scattered chairs around her. Most of her tribe was there, except for Lux. Amara hadn't seen the girl all day long. "I've been keeping a tight food inventory and I?ve noticed that every week at least six cans of food go missing. We're almost completely out of chocolate and dried fruit. Now, I'm not sure who has been doing it, so I?m asking if anyone knows something, please, fess up now.'

"You don't think that the one person who isn't here could be the person who's been doing it?" The voice was coming from Brady, sitting in the back of the crowd. Her arm was rested on one of the tables, her lace gloved hand sitting under her chin. Her black hair curtained her pale face, leaving the look of utter boredom in shadow. She was almost the spitting image of her mother, with the temper of a tiger. "We never see Lux. She leaves for days sometimes and comes back whenever she feels it's necessary or she can get a free meal out of it. Obvious red flag there…"

"You shouldn't point fingers." Niko blurted out from the other side of the cafe. "For all we know, it could be you."

"Why would I even bother?" Brady asked, feeling the rage building in her chest.

"Who knows what you do while you sit in your room all day, barely social, keeping the sunlight out." Niko spat back, her knuckles white with annoyance. Tristan slipped his hand over hers, trying to calm her down a bit. "How do we know what side you're on?"

"You know where my loyalties lie, Niko." Brady shouted. A red blush started to burn across her cheeks. "I've been in this mall longer than you have- longer than most of you!" For the longest time, Brady protested the fact that Amara was trying to take up role as leader, but Amara knew well that the girl could never handle such a position. Her temper could get them all killed, easily, as well as her emotions.

"That doesn't mean you have a right to point a finger at Lux." Tristan told her in a very calm voice. It was almost impossible to anger him.

"You can't even talk! Niko only brought you here because she felt sorry for you!" Brady shouted at him.

"Now, that's enough!" Bray yelled, but his voice was over powered by Niko's bought of screaming.

"Don't you dare! He has every right to be here. More of a right then you do, might I add. At least he DOES something around this mall! You just sit on your royal behind and cry over your dear ol' Mum." Niko knew she hit a soft spot and prepared herself for the storm that would be raging within seconds...

Brady's face contorted in rage. Amara could see the girl balling up her fist, ready to strike. She stood up, throwing the chair she was sitting on behind her so it made a loud clatter. "Stop it! We are a tribe! Why are we fighting like a bunch of Bulldogs?" Both girls looked down at their feet, ashamed at the fight they let break out. "This meeting is a matter of if we have enough food to fill our stomachs! We're going to have to cut down our food intake- three cans a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. No exceptions. And as for Lux..." Amara panned her glare at both of the girls.

"As for me, what."

Everyone turned to find Lux, standing in the lobby of the mall. She had mud caked in her hair and on her boots. Her eyes were wide with curiosity as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"We're missing food from the rations." Amara said as Lux began walking up the steps, into the cafe. She took a seat next to Bray. "A large amount of it has gone missing for the past couple of weeks. I was just telling everyone if they know where it has gone, they should tell me as soon as possible. I know Jack left this mall secure before he passed, so I can't imagine we have an outside thief on our hands."

"It can't be an outsider. I've been keeping up on security measures." Lux replied. Her heart tensed a bit, but she was well aware that she had to play it off. She couldn't let everyone know that she had traded almost all their rations for Zoot's goggles. "Maybe it's someone with some kind of problem?"

"A problem? HA." Brady blurted out. "The only problem that someone has is kleptomania. Or selfishness. Which one is it, Lux? Did you eat it all yourself, or is it just a thrill for you?"

"Enough, Brady!" Bray yelled, causing her to instantly get quiet. He knew she had the tongue of a snake. He grew up with her; she was closer to him than his half sister was. "We'll just have to do what Amara says if nobody is willing to fess up. Let's not argue. It gets us nowhere."

"Bray's right." Tristan said. "We'll follow the rules, nobody will get hurt. Negativity will lead us to a dead end and more fighting…" He noted, followed by a dramatic eyeroll from Brady.

"Meeting finished. You may all be dismissed." Amara announced to her own pleasure. Everybody stood up to go about their business, but as Lux stood up to go, Amara motioned her over. "Lux! Can I have a word?"

Lux walked over to her, tucking a strand of her blond, muddy hair behind her ear. "Yeah?"

"You're a bit… dirty. Where have you been?" Amara asked, touching Lux's sleeve where the mud began to harden.

"Looting- trying to find weapons for our storage, in case of Tribal warfare." Lux quickly pulled away- Amara's hands only a couple inches away from the wound on her arm. A stab wound. "It's crazy out there…"

"Yes, it is." Amara could sense that the girl wanted to change the subject. "I know we have surveillance cameras in the sewers and one outside the mall… I was wondering if we had any extra. I was thinking that maybe if I could catch the perpetrator in the act, I could sleep better at night."

"Yeah… I'm sure I have a couple more. I could set them up for you, as well as giving direct cable to one of Dad's old laptops. Constant feedback, Twenty-four hours a day, Seven days a week. Sound good?" Lux asked.

"Perfect. Can you accomplish this by tonight?"

"Sure. Let me just work out the kinks." Lux smiled at Amara, but on the inside she knew that without her offerings, she couldn't keep Fang on her side. The way to a man's heart is through is stomach, but maybe she could find her way around it. With this sudden flaw in her plan, maybe the direct route to the heart was the only way.