"I don't know anything about vests, but I think I know who you're talking about. Follow me," he said. The trio nodded and made her way back to the fort. "Paara!" he called out when they made it. Ty rounded the corner first and grinned when he saw his old friends.
"Gavin!" he said excitedly. The men shared a hug, then Ty hugged Izzy as well.
"This is Ms. Beatrice Fitzpatrick. Her people are here," Gavin said softly. "Fatima Namazi and Devin Rountree."
"They're here. Paara is with them now, I'll go find them. Izzy, there's someone here who was hoping it was you coming through the light last night," Ty said softly. Izzy grinned and nodded.
"Is she in her hut?"
"I'm not sure. I haven't seen her since breakfast, but I assume so."
"Go ahead, kid. We won't leave without you," Gavin reassured her. Izzy nodded and ran towards Leyla and Ruth's hut.
"Leyla?" she called out. "Leyla?"
"Izzy?" Leyla asked, opening the curtain to the hut. The girls shared a quick hug and a soft kiss, then pulled apart.
"I'm only here for a little while. I wanted to find you and talk," she said softly.
"Izzy, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Leyla whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."
"I know, Leyla, but you betrayed me. You could have gotten my dad killed."
"I'm so sorry, Izzy, I really was just trying to get us out of here. I didn't realize what they were going to do with the information I gave them."
"That's the problem, Leyla, you didn't think."
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "Izzy, I just wanted to make things better for us."
"I know. You should have talked to me about it though, Leyla! I would have helped you, and we could have done it in a way that didn't almost get my family killed." Leyla was silent. She didn't know what to say. "I do appreciate you saving my life that day, though. I really liked you, Leyla," she whispered.
"I love you too, Izzy," Leyla whispered. "How long has it been for you? Since you've seen me?"
"About three years. We came from 2024," she whispered. Leyla nodded and closed her eyes.
"Paara? Fatima? Devin?" Ty asked, knocking on the door to the guest hut.
"Come in," Paara replied sweetly. He opened the door and stepped inside, then allowed Gavin and their guest to pile in as well.
"Hetty?"