Morningside Fall(99)

“Why don’t you go ahead and get started?” Gamble said to Lil. “No reason for you to get caught out in the open on our account.”

“We’ll help you look,” Lil answered, but Gamble waved her off.

“No, ma’am,” she said. “If we all get scattered, we’ll lose even more time trying to get everybody back together. Get underway. We’ll catch up.”

“But you don’t know the way,” said Lil.

“I’ll stay with them,” Elan said. Lil gave him a concerned look, but he just nodded. “Go ahead. We’ll be fine.”

“I hate to leave you,” Lil said. She was looking at Elan when she said it, but then she scanned Cass and Wren and the rest of them, too.

“We’ll just be a few minutes behind,” Cass said. The rain started to pick up enough that those with hoods started pulling them up. Lil wavered a moment more, and then nodded.

“Elan can pim me if you need us to come back.”

“Thanks,” Gamble said. “See you in a few.”

Lil nodded and then motioned to her people, who started off towards the west from where they’d first appeared. Gamble immediately rattled off orders: “Swoop, Able, Sky, start searching. I’ll help in a second.” The three men dropped their packs at their feet and fanned out in different directions. “Finn, see if you can sniff out a signal, let me know if you get any hits.”

“Will do.”

“Mouse, mind the cargo, and you,” Gamble said as she waved a hand over Cass and Wren, “wait right here.” Then she looked up slightly and said, “Wick, we’ve got a delay. Lil and her people are moving out, we’ll have to catch up… Painter’s missing… No, sit tight. I’ll update you in a few.”

Cass almost offered to help look, but she remembered her earlier conversation with Gamble and decided to keep her mouth shut. Gamble had it under control. Cass just nodded. Gamble gave Mouse a quick nod and then went to join the others in the search. Finn sat down on the ground cross-legged, and his eyes went unfocused.

“I’m sorry,” Cass said. “I shouldn’t have let him wander off alone.”

“It’s not your fault,” Mouse said. “He’s old enough to know better.”

The voices of the other team members echoed through the ruined village as they called Painter’s name. But there was never an answer.

“I hope he’s OK,” said Wren.

Mouse got down on one knee in front of Wren, and was still about six inches taller. “I’m sure he’s fine, buddy,” he answered. “Just rattled, probably.”

“He doesn’t seem like himself,” Wren said.

Mouse nodded. “It’s been hard going. Not everyone’s as tough as you and your mom.”

Wren dropped his gaze to the ground, always embarrassed by praise. Mouse smiled and clapped him gently on the shoulder, and then got back to his feet.

“I don’t think you’d remember me,” Elan said. “But I remember you.” Wren looked up at him. “You played with my son, Ephraim.”

Wren nodded, and he opened his mouth to ask a question, but then closed it again, uncertain. Elan anticipated the question anyway.

“He’s safe, at the refuge. I was fortunate.” He smiled, but tears welled up in his eyes. After a moment he inhaled quickly and cleared his throat. “You’ve been in Morningside?” Elan asked.

Wren nodded.

“That’s a long way to travel just for a visit.”

Wren looked up at Cass then.

“We haven’t always been cityfolk,” she answered. “It can get overwhelming.”

Elan held her gaze for a moment and then nodded. Whether he suspected there was more to the story or not, he didn’t push, and for that she was thankful. “And the man you were with… um. I’m sorry I’ve forgotten his name.”

“Three,” Wren said. “He died.” He said it so bluntly that it was almost shocking. Somehow it seemed even more dreadful to hear coming out of the mouth of a child.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. He was a good man.”

Wren nodded again, and after that they all stood without speaking for a while. In the background, they could still hear the occasional call for Painter, though by this time none of them expected a response. Even with Mouse’s reassurances, Cass felt increasingly foolish for having let Painter out of her sight. When they found him, it wasn’t a mistake she would repeat. If they found him. It seemed all too apparent that Painter wasn’t helping himself be found.

And then it occurred to her that they might have to make a tough decision if they didn’t locate him soon. How long could they risk everyone’s lives for the sake of one? And who would that be on, then? Would Cass make the call? Or would Gamble? Cass knew it’d be unfair to leave that decision to Gamble, after the fuss she’d made earlier.