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|| Amelia ||

Last night's events are buzzing around in my head. I think Josh's absence makes me latch onto the only recent thing of him that I have left

The things I know: the detonator, the prisons, the code to get inside— it's too much to keep inside.

I can't find Angie anywhere—she's probably on the farm working—so my next option is Zach. I'm almost out of the barn when a figure steps from the side room, and my stomach tightens in unease.

"Amelia!" calls a voice. I turn, and she's standing by the doorway, hair looking mussed. It's strange seeing her like that, with bedhead hair.

"What?" I say nervously.

She catches up to me, eyeing my hand on the latch. I assume she knows just how much I want this conversation over with if nothing at all.

"I'm here just to check," she begins, "that everything's okay."

I have to force myself to remain calm. "Everything's fine, why?"

She cocks her head to the side, blue eyes boring into mine. "Well, you know with Josh leaving and all."

Right then, I have this urge to swing myself at her, to feel my knuckle against her cheekbone, but the opening of the barn door stops me. Zach skids to a halt, head swinging between Sarah and me.

"Everything all right here, ladies?" he asks.

"Yes," I find myself saying, shooting a daggers look at Sarah. "Everything's perfectly normal. Oh, and Zach"—I pull on his sleeve, wanting to get us both out of here away from this woman—"I need to talk to you."

* * *

It all comes out from my mouth like a waterfall of words, cascading, rushing along until none of it seems to make sense anymore.

By the end, he's nodding. We discuss things further, and we've come up with a plan. Until he starts telling me of something else.

By the time he's finished, tears are running down my cheeks and I'm clinging to his shirt, begging him no, telling him to think about himself, his family.

He's joking. He must be.

Angie stumbles upon us, smile turning to a worried frown.

"Angie," Zach says in surprise. I release myself from him, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. "We've got so much to tell you."

He fills her in on the plan, and the plan only. She nods twice before we all go our separate ways. Zach towards the farmhouse, Angie and me towards the barn.

"You'll never guess what happened," my friend says excitedly, hooking my arm through hers.

"What?"

"I was in the field," she begins, "and then suddenly Zoe comes along."

"Yes?"

"She said I have nice eyes and that she likes my ribbons."

I try to stifle a smile. "Seems like Zoe's got an eye on someone."

She shoves me hard, but there's a gleam in her eyes. "You think so?"

"She's been looking at mainly you most of the time she's been around."

"But that surely can't mean anything," Angie babbles. "I haven't liked anyone since Year Three. Heck, I don't even know if I like girls."

We keep up the chatter until we're marching into the straw again, arm in arm. It feels like the olden days when we would go to each other's houses and sit on whatever was available to gossip and gossip.

Then I begin to stuff things back into my rucksack. Items of clothing, food packets that are strewn around, lonely socks with no partners.

I slip the detonator in between the sandwich of things, checking round to see if Sarah is anywhere nearby.

I stumble over something in the rucksack. A small book; the poetry book by T.S. Elliot. Josh must have slipped it in when he surrounded the place with lavender shoots.

Surprisingly, it calms me, as well as making the thoughts of Josh flood back.

Zach returns a few minutes later, confirming what we'd hoped for.

"Jim can drive us," he says in a lowered tone, lest Sarah hears. "He's getting the truck ready."

I hoist my rucksack on. "Have you checked that Sarah's gone?"

He nods. "She's not in the side room, but that doesn't mean we have long."

A ripple of excitement flows through me as we sneak out of the barn. Hopefully, it'll be the last time I sleep on that lumpy straw again.

We're halfway down the path when a shout comes our way. Alarmed, we all hurry down the road towards the truck. But I turn round as soon as I recognise the voice.

"Meelie? Where are you going?"

My father's face is full of confusion as he bustles down the muddy lane after us. He stops, short of breath.

I look at the other two, wondering what I'm going to tell him. I'd been so ready to make plans that I'd completely forgotten my own father in the process.

"We're leaving," is all I can say.

"You're leaving?" he repeats, voice pained. "What?"

Another figure turns up beside him. Zoe.

"Take me with you," my Dad is pleading. "I can't afford to lose you again."

Zoe rests a hand on his shoulder. "You made a promise, Jack. You can't go back on it now."

His shoulders slump. "First your mother, then Maisie, now you."

"Dad, no," I whisper.

"I'll keep him safe," Zoe says softly. Her eyes are filled with understanding. "I swear to you I will." She swallows hard. "He's like the dad I never had, Amelia. I swear he'll be here when you come back."

Maybe that explains her bitterness. Jack and... his daughter. Come in. Perhaps she'd been so wracked in jealousy that I hadn't seen it.

"Okay," I find myself saying. "Okay."

Someone striding down the path. One look at the blonde head and the cold, blue eyes tells me more than enough.

Zach swears under his breath. Zoe's eyes go wide.

"Go!" she snaps. "Go!"

Hearts racing, we pelt it down the muddy lane and bundle into the waiting truck. The Scottish man is the driver's seat, fingers tapping the wheel.

"Drive!" Zach screeches.

We're on the hunt to find my sister. Find Josh first, and Maisie will be lurking in the shadows.

But that's not all. We have a bit of blowing up to do first.

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