I’d say I got hurt hiking or something… and then I’d find a way to be alone and I’d take as much as I
could hide。 Think of it！ I could get enough to heal everyone here。 To last for years。 And Jamie would be
fine！ Why didn’t I think of this before？ Maybe it wouldn’t have been too late even for Walter。”
I looked up then； with shining eyes。 It was just so perfect！
So perfect； so absolutely right； so obvious to me； that it took me forever to understand the expressions
on their faces。 If Kyle’s had not been so explicit； it might have taken me longer。
Hatred。 Suspicion。 Fear。
Even Jeb’s poker face was not enough。 His eyes were tight with mistrust。
Every face saidno。
Are they insane？ Can’t they see how this would help us all？
They don’t believe me。 They think I’ll hurt them； hurt Jamie！
“Please；” I whispered。 “It’s the only way to save him。”
“Patient； isn’t it？” Kyle spit。 “Bided its time well； don’t you think？”
I fought the desire to choke him again。
“Doc？” I begged。
He didn’t meet my eyes。 “Even if there was any way we could let you outside； Wanda… I just couldn’t
trust drugs I don’t understand。 Jamie’s a tough kid。 His system will fight this off。”
“We’ll go out again； Wanda；” Ian murmured。 “We’ll find something。 We won’t e back until we do。”
“That’s not good enough。” The tears were pooling in my eyes。 I looked to the one person who might
possibly be in as much pain as I was。 “Jared。 You know。 Youknow I would never let anything hurt
Jamie。 You know I can do this。 Please。”
“No； Wanda；” he said quietly。 “No。”
A sigh of relief from the rest。
My knees buckled。 I fell forward and yanked free of Ian’s hands when he tried to pull me back up。 I
crawled to Jamie and pushed Trudy aside with my elbow。 The silent room watched。 I took the press
from his head and refilled the melted ice。 I didn’t meet the stares I could feel on my skin。 I couldn’t see
anyway。 The tears swam in front of my eyes。
“Jamie； Jamie； Jamie；” I crooned。 “Jamie； Jamie； Jamie。”
I couldn’t seem to do anything but sob out his name and touch the packets of ice over and over； waiting
for the moment they would need changing。
I heard them leave； a few at a time。 I heard their voices； mostly angry； fade away down the halls。 I
couldn’t make sense of the words； though。
Jamie； Jamie； Jamie…
“Jamie； Jamie； Jamie…”
Ian knelt beside me when the room was almost empty。
“I know you wouldn’t… but Wanda； they’ll kill you if you try；” he whispered。 “After what happened…
in the hospital。 They’re afraid you have good reason to destroy us。… Anyway； he’ll be all right。 You
have to trust that。”
I turned my face from him； and he went away。
“Sorry； kid；” Jeb mumbled when he left。
Jared left。 I didn’t hear him go； but I knew when he was gone。 That seemed right to me。 He didn’t love
Jamie the way we did。 He had proved that。 Heshould go。
Doc stayed； watching helplessly。 I didn’t look at him。
The daylight faded slowly； turned orange and then gray。 The ice melted and was gone。 Jamie started to
burn alive under my hands。
“Jamie； Jamie； Jamie…” My voice was cracked and hoarse now； but I couldn’t stop。 “Jamie； Jamie；
Jamie…”
The room turned black。 I couldn’t see Jamie’s face。 Would he leave in the night？ Had I already seen his
face； his living face； for the last time？
I wiped the tepid cloth across his body without ceasing。 As the water dried； it cooled him a little。 The
burn lessened。 I began to believe that he wouldn’t die tonight。 But I wouldn’t be able to hold him here
forever。 He would slip away from me。 Tomorrow。 The next day。 And then I would die； too。 I would not
live without Jamie。
Jamie； Jamie； Jamie…Melanie groaned。
Jared didn’t believe us。The lament was both of ours。 We thought it at the same time。
It was still silent。 I didn’t hear anything。 Nothing alerted me。
Then； suddenly； Doc cried out。 The sound was oddly muffled； like he was shouting into a pillow。
My eyes couldn’t make sense of the shapes in the darkness at first。 Doc was jerking strangely。 And he
seemed too big—like he had too many arms。 It was terrifying。 I leaned over Jamie’s inert form； to
protect him from whatever was happening。 I could not flee while he lay helpless。 My heart pounded
against my ribs。
Then the flailing arms were still。 Doc’s snore started up again； louder and thicker than before。 He
slumped to the ground； and the shape separated。 A second figure pulled itself away from his and stood in
the darkness。
“Let’s go；” Jared whispered。 “We don’t have time to waste。”
My heart nearly exploded。
He believes。
I jumped to my feet； forcing my stiff knees to unbend。 “What did you do to Doc？”
“Chloroform。 It won’t last long。”
I turned quickly and poured the warm water over Jamie； soaking his clothes and the mattress。 He didn’t
stir。 Perhaps that would keep him cool until Doc woke up。
“Follow me。”
I was on his heels。 We moved silently； almost touching； almost running but not quite。 Jared hugged the
walls； and I did the same。
He stopped when we reached the light of the moon…bright garden room。 It was deserted and still。
I could see Jared clearly for the first time。 He had the gun slung behind his back and a knife sheathed at
his waist。 He held out his hands； and there was a length of dark fabric in them。 I understood at once。
The whispered words raced out of my mouth。 “Yes； blindfold me。”
He nodded； and I closed my eyes while he tied the cloth over them。 I would keep them closed anyway。
His hands stopped me。 “That’s okay；” he said。 And then he gripped me harder and lifted me off the
ground。 I gasped in surprise as he threw me against his shoulder。 I folded there； my head and chest
hanging over his back； beside the gun。 His arms held my legs against his chest； and he was already
moving。 I bounced as he jogged； my face brushing against his shirt with each stride。
I had no sense of which way we were going； I didn’t try to guess or think or feel。 I concentrated only on
the bouncing of his gait； counting steps。 Twenty； twenty…one； twenty…two； twenty…three…
I could feel him lean as the path took him down and then up。 I tried not to think about it。
Four hundred twelve； four hundred thirteen； four hundred fourteen…
I knew when we were out。 I smelled the dry； clean breeze of the desert。 The air was hot； though it had
to be close to midnight。
He pulled me down and set me on my feet。
“The ground is flat。 Do you think you can run blindfolded？”
“Yes。”
He grabbed my elbow tightly in his hand and took off； setting a rigorous pace。 It wasn’t easy。 He caught
me time and time again before I could fall。 I started to get used to it after a while； and I kept my balance
better over the tiny pits and rises。 We ran until we were both gasping。
“If… we can get… to the jeep… we’ll be in… the clear。”
The jeep？ I felt a strange wave of nostalgia。 Mel hadn’t seen the jeep since the first leg of that disastrous
trip to Chicago； hadn’t known it had survived。
“If we… can’t？” I asked。
“They catch us… they’ll kill you。 Ian’s… right about… that part。”
I tried to run faster。 Not to save my life； but because I was the only one who could save Jamie’s。 I
stumbled again。
“Going to… take off the blindfold。 You’ll be… faster。”
“You sure？”
“Don’t… look around。 ’Kay？”
“Promise。”
He yanked at the knots behind my head。 As the fabric fell away from my eyes； I focused them only on
the ground at my feet。
It made a world of difference。 The moonlight was bright； and the sand was very smooth and pale。 Jared
“You hear… anything？” he asked。
I listened。 Just two sets of running feet on the sand。
“No。”
He grunted in approval。
I guessed this was the reason he’d stolen the gun。 They couldn’t stop us from a distance without it。
It took about an hour more。 I was slowing then； and so was he。 My mouth burned for water。
I’d never looked up from the ground； so it startled me when he put his hand over my eyes。 I faltered；
and he pulled us to a walk。
“We’re okay now。 Just ahead…”
He left his hand over my eyes and tugged me forward。 I heard our footsteps echo off something。 The
desert wasn’t as flat here。
“Get in。”
His hand disappeared。
It was nearly as dark as it was with him covering my eyes。 Another cave。 Not a deep one。 If I turned
around； I would be able to see out of it。 I didn’t turn。
The jeep faced into the darkness。 It looked just the same as I remembered it； this vehicle I had never
seen。 I swung myself over the door into the seat。
Jared was in his seat already。 He leaned over and tied the blindfold over my eyes again。 I held still to
make it easier。
The noise of the engine scared me。 It seemed too dangerous。 There were so many people who shouldn’t
find us now。
We moved in reverse briefly； and then the wind was blasting my face。 There was a funny sound behind
the jeep； something that didn’t fit Melanie’s memories。
“We’re going to Tucson；” he told me。 “We never raid there—it’s too close。 But we don’t have time for
anything else。 I know where a small hospital is； not too deep into town。”
“Not Saint Mary’s？”
He heard the alarm in my voice。 “No； why？”
“I know someone there。”
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter； processtext/abclit。html
”
“No。 No one will know my face。 We don’t have… wanted people。 Not like you did。”
“Okay。”
But he had me thinking now； thinking about my appearance。 Before I could voice my concerns； he took
my hand and folded it around something very small。
“Keep that close to you。”
“What is it？”
“If they guess that you’re… with us； if they’re going to… put someone else in Mel’s body； you put that
in your mouth and bite down on it hard。”
“Poison？”
“Yes。”
I thought about that for a moment。 And then I laughed； I couldn’t help it。 My nerves were frayed with
worry。
“It’s not a joke； Wa