"I'm sorry, I'm doing what?"

Lexi stares blankly at me, a ring of fire around her face in the setting sunlight.

"You're going to go to where Jaelyn's people are camped and find Patel," I repeat, sighing, "It's not that complicated, Lex."

"No, it's simple!" she says, rolling her eyes, "I just need to walk into enemy territory and demand to see one of the most important scientists on the planet." She stands up, flipping her hair over her shoulder and pasting a fake smile on her face. "Hello, my name is Alexis Collins. May I please speak with Sai Patel? It's super important. You see, my friend Quinn is trying to stop a massacre."

I glare up at her, shaking my head.

"They aren't going to hurt you," I mumble.

"Why wouldn't they?" she asks, voice raised. "I'm from Compound 5! I destroyed their people, Quinn. Not you. Not Kovach. I did. I took my gun and shot countless unarmed people."

"They don't know that."

"No, but I do," she says, beginning to pace.

"Tell them you got kicked out because you were a rebel. That's what they are. Maybe they'll sympathize with you."

Lexi gapes at me.

"You're kidding, right?"

My blank stare serves as her answer.

"Oh my Lord," she whispers, running a hand through her hair, "You're sending me to the lion's den with nothing but a lie on my side."

I bite my lip, looking out at the ocean.

"While you're there, I'll be meeting with Jaelyn. I have to bring her back to Kovach. I figured if I got Jaelyn out of the way, it would be easier for your to work your charm and find Patel."

She sits down beside me with a groan.

"What do I tell him again?"

I smile at her, grabbing her arm.

"Thank you, Lex," I whisper, giving her a gentle squeeze, "Tell him that I need the cure. I'll give him whatever he needs to recreate it. Lab space, restricted documents. Whatever. I'll make it happen."

I dig through my bag, taking my tablet out. I've set it to unlock on a code instead of with my fingerprint. When I tap the front screen, a little keyboard appears, and I type in the code where Lexi can see it: A18Q.

"And if he says no?" she asks, taking the tablet from me.

"Tell him that there's no way for them to win," I say, "With what we have hidden, they don't stand a chance. This is bigger than our feud. This is a new wave of the virus."

Lexi takes a long breath, letting it out in an even longer sigh. I watch her face, the concern painted in the bags under her eyes, the fear reflected in her eyes.

"Okay," she finally says, nodding, "I'll do it. When?"

"Kovach set up a meeting between me and Jaelyn for tomorrow morning, sunrise."
"I'll go earlier then," she says, scratching her chin, "So the moment she leaves, I can swoop in."

I push myself up, heading towards the shore line.

"Quinn?" she calls from where she hasn't moved.

"Yeah?"

"Please, be safe," she says, biting her lip, "If something happens to you, no one wins."
I nod, stepping out into the water.

I intend to play this out with brains, not brawn. I need to be smarter than Jaelyn, plot out every part of our conversation, win her trust only to tear it down again.

By the time I make it back to the bunks, I'm dried out, and the sun is finally set. People are settling into bed. Unzipping my uniform as I walk, I try to ignore their stares. There's something different in their looks, tonight. They seem almost... curious?

"Well, hello, Lieutenant."

I stop, mid-step, jerking my head up. Toby and two of his friends are standing in the space between Naomi's and my bed. The vein on his forehead bulges, thumping rhythmically along with the twitch in his eye.

"What do you want, Toby?" I whisper, slipping past him to toss my bag onto the bed. Naomi's empty mattress is wrinkled, which infuriates me.

"I got called into a meeting with President Kovach today," he says, breathing down my neck. I tense up, goosebumps spreading over my arms.

"Oh? Did you get in trouble for harassing women again?" I ask, quietly, turning around to face him. He is centimeters away from me, maybe six inches taller. The pupils of his eyes dilate as he stares back at me; his chest rises and falls, pulling his uniform shirt tight against the buttons.

"No," he growls, deep, "I was told I'll be going with you outside the wall in the morning. Told that you had selected me to go along."

I nod, shrugging.

"I just thought you might need some fresh air."

"I swear, Austin," he says, jabbing a finger into my chest. The force knocks me back, but I recoil like a punching bag, now closer to him than I was before. "I don't know why you would ask for me, and I don't care."

"Why are you here then?" I ask, breathless, "Are you that scared?"

The bravery in my chest rises, fueled by the two empty beds around me. No one is here to stand up for me, and I am absolutely sick of being pushed around. My knuckles are still sore from punching Lexi, but I'm sure they work the same way.

"I'm here to warn you," he hisses, "Collins is gone. There's no one here to fight for you. Outside, there's no guards either. You're vulnerable, and if you try anything, I will destroy you."

Clenching my fists at my side, I take a shaky breath. My face burns in anger. My heartbeat drums in my ears.

"Get out of my bunk," I whisper, standing up straighter. My face nearly lines up with his. His nose could touch the space between my eyes. I smell broccoli on his breath from dinner, see the specks of green in his teeth.

"Why don't you make me?" he whispers back.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see that people have gathered around the bunks. Their excited, curious faces are framed by the black metal bars. I am not a freak show; this isn't a circus.

I reach out with both hands, shoving him away from me. The look that crosses his face is surprise, but he bounces back quickly, tackling me around the waist and throwing me to the ground. The impact knocks the air out of my lungs, and for a moment, I am paralyzed as he holds me down, spiderweb strings of spit on his lips.

"You really think you have a chance against me?" he asks, putting a knee into my chest. The impact pushes what little air is left out of my chest, until my lungs are filled with fire. I can't find words among the flames.

"Toby, man, don't kill him," one of his friends says, placing a hand on his shoulder. Toby huffs, applying one last push before he gets off me. I suck in air, rolling over onto my hands and knees.

"You don't deserve to be in charge," he says, spitting on the ground beside me. I stare at the spot, heaving breaths. As his friends turn and leave, I close my eyes, broken shards of red dancing in and out of my sight.

"Yes," I say, breathless, "I do."

I push myself up onto my knees, staring up at him. His mouth is half turned upwards in a smirk. There is a little spit on his scraggly beard. I stand up, following his eyes as I rise.

"Being in charge is about more than beating people up," I say, cheeks burning, "It's more than being smart and in shape. It's about character and integrity, honesty and compassion. It's doing what's right, Toby, even when it's not easy."

Toby makes a face at me, grabbing a handful of my t-shirt and pulling me close to him.

"Don't make me punch you, kid," he whispers, hot breath running like waves over my face.

"Hit me," I say, "Do whatever you want to me. I don't care."

A flurry of emotion passes over his face, but the final score is anger. He shoves me away from him onto my bed, stomping out of my bunk area without another word. I stand on shaky feet, hugging myself with both arms. My body quivers, teeth chatter. The energy pulsating through my veins echoes in my chest.

A leaf attached to the limb of a tree in a storm, I remain standing until the lights click off several minutes later. My mind is wide awake, though, even as I climb up into Lexi's bed, laying down with my hands propped up behind my head.

Tomorrow morning will come, and I will have to face Toby again.

Alone.

Outside the wall.

I take a deep breath and make myself close my eyes, still shaking.

Discussion Question: Do you think both Quinn and Lexi will be successful?