dekka

He pictured himself at the lake, on a houseboat. Dekka would be there, and Brianna and Jack. He would have friends. He wouldn__ be alone.But he couldn__ stop himself from looking for her.She no longer had Little Pete to worry about. They could be together without all of that. But of course he knew Astrid, and knew that right now, wherever she was, she was eaten up inside with guilt.__he__ not coming, is she?_ Sam said to Dekka.But Dekka didn__ answer. She was somewhere else in her head. Sam saw her glance and look away as Brianna laid a light hand on Jack__ shoulder.Dahra was staying in the hospital, but a few more kids came. Groups of three or four at a time. The Siren and the kids she lived with came. John Terrafino came. Ellen. He waited. He would wait the full two hours. Not for her, he told himself, just to keep his word.Then Orc, with Howard.Sam groaned inwardly.__ou gotta be kidding me,_ Brianna said.__he deal was kids make a choice,_ Sam said. __ think Howard just realized how dangerous life can be for a criminal living in a place where the __ing_ can decide life or death.

Hunter__ entire body writhed and squirmed.The side of his head was partly gone. A creature, like some monstrous melding of insect and eel, protruded from Hunter__ shoulder and as they stood there rooted in horror it took a vicious bite of Hunter__ flesh.Taylor was suddenly gone.Dekka__ face was grim, her eyes wet.__ tried . . . ,_ Hunter said. He held up his hands, mimicked pressing them against his head. __t didn__ work.___ can do it,_ Sam said softly.____ scared,_ Hunter said.__ know.___t__ __ause I killed Harry. God has to punish me. I tried to be good but I__ bad.___o, Hunter,_ Sam said gently. __ou paid your dues. You fed the kids. You__e a good guy._____ a good hunter.___he best.___ don__ know what__ happening. What__ happening, Sam?___t__ just the FAYZ, Hunter,_ Sam said.__an the angels find me here so I can go to heaven?__am didn__ answer. It was Dekka who spoke. __o you still remember any prayers, Hunter?__he insectlike creature was almost completely emerged from Hunter__ shoulder. Legs were becoming visible. It had wings folded against its body. It looked like a gigantic ant, or wasp, but silver and brass and covered with a sheen of slime.It was emerging like a chicken breaking out of an egg. Being born. And as the creature was born, it fed on Hunter__ numbed body.Jerky movements beneath Hunter__ shirt testified to more of the larvae emerging.__o you remember __ow I lay me down to sleep_?_ Dekka asked.__ow I lay me down to sleep,_ Hunter said. __ pray the Lord my soul to keep.__am raised his hands, palms out.__f I should die___win beams of light hit Hunter__ chest and face. His shirt caught fire. Flesh melted. He was dead before he could feel anything.Sam played the light up and down Hunter__ body. The smell was sickening. Jack wanted to look away, but how could he?Sudden darkness as Sam terminated the light.Sam lowered his hands to his side.They stood there in the darkness. Jack breathed through his mouth, trying not to smell the burned flesh.Then they heard a sound. Many sounds.Sam raised his hands and pale light glowed.Hunter was all but gone.The things that had been inside him were still there.

Caine__ a guy who needs to win. He needs to win before he poofs. Or he needs to win before I poof. The point is, he__ not going to just accept us freeing all these kids from Coates and taking over Perdido Beach,_ Sam said. __o we need to be ready. And we need to be ready for something else, too: tomorrow is my birthday._ He made a wry face. __ot a birthday I__ exactly looking forward to. But, anyway, we need to decide who takes over for me if_when_I step outside.__everal of the kids made sympathetic or encouraging noises about how Sam maybe wasn__ going to blink out, or maybe it would be a good thing, an escape from the FAYZ. But Sam hushed them all.__ook, the good thing is, when I go, so does Caine. The bad thing is, that still leaves Drake and Diana and other bullies. Orc_well, we don__ exactly know what__ going on with him, but Howard__ not with him. And Lana_we don__ know what happened to her, whether she left or what.__he loss of Lana was a serious blow. Every one of the Coates refugees adored her for the way she had healed their hands. And it was reassuring to think that she could heal anyone who was injured.Astrid said, __ nominate Edilio to take over if_you know. Anyway, we need a number two, a vice president or vice mayor or whatever.__dilio did a double take, like Astrid must be talking about some other Edilio. Then he said, __o way. Astrid__ the smartest person here.___ have Little Pete to look after. Mary has to care for the prees and keep them out of harm__ way. Dahra has responsibility for treating anyone who gets hurt. Elwood has been so busy in the hospital with Dahra, he hasn__ dealt with Caine or Drake or any of the Coates faction. Edilio__ been up against Orc and Drake. And he__ always been brave and smart and able._ She winked at Edilio, acknowledging his discomfort.__ight,_ Sam said. __o unless someone has an objection, that__ the way it is. If I get hurt or I ditch, Edilio__ in charge.___espect to Edilio,_ Dekka said, __ut he doesn__ even have powers.___e has the power to earn trust and to come through when he has to,

Little Pete. He__ not exactly just Astrid__ autistic brother._ He explained briefly while Toto added a chorus of __am believes that__ true_ remarks.__ow do we get Little Pete to do anything?_ Dekka asked.__he last time Little Pete felt mortal danger he made the FAYZ,_ Sam said. __e needs to be in mortal danger again.__ack and Dekka exchanged a wary look, each wondering what the other had known or guessed about Little Pete.__ittle Pete?_ Jack asked. __hat little kid has that kind of power?___es,_ Sam said simply. __ext to Pete, me, Caine, all of us, we__e like . . . like popguns compared to a cannon. We don__ even know what the limits of his powers are,_ Sam said. __hat we do know is we can__ communicate with him very well. We can__ even guess what he__ thinking.___ittle Pete,_ Dekka muttered and shook her head. __ knew he was important, I got that a long time ago. But he can do that? He has that kind of power?_ She pondered for a moment, nodded, and said, __ see why you kept it secret. It__ like having a nuclear weapon in the hands of, well, a little autistic kid.

Astrid felt a towering wave of disgust. She was furious with Sam. Furious with Little Pete. Mad at the whole world around her. Sickened by everyone and everything.And mostly, she admitted, sick of herself.So desperately sick of being Astrid the Genius.__ome genius,_ she muttered. The town council, headed by that blond girl, what was her name? Oh right: Astrid. Astrid the Genius. Head of the town council that had let half the town burn to the ground.Down in the basement of town hall Dahra Baidoo handed out scarce ibuprofen and expired Tylenol to kids with burns, like that would pretty much fix anything, as they waited for Lana to go one by one, healing with her touch.Astrid could hear the cries of pain. There were several floors between her and the makeshift hospital. Not enough floors.Edilio staggered in. He was barely recognizable. He was black with soot, dirty, dusty, with ragged scratches and scrapes and clothing hanging in shreds.__ think we got it,_ he said, and lay straight down on the floor.Astrid knelt by his head. __ou have it contained?__ut Edilio was beyond answering. He was unconscious. Done in.Howard appeared next, in only slightly better shape. Some time during the night and morning he__ lost his smirk. He glanced at Edilio, nodded like it made perfect sense, and sank heavily into a chair.__ don__ know what you pay that boy, but it__ not enough,_ Howard said, jerking his chin at Edilio.__e doesn__ do it for pay,_ Astrid said.__eah, well, he__ the reason the whole town didn__ burn. Him and Dekka and Orc and Jack. And Ellen, it was her idea.

Sam. Brianna is dead.__e just stared at her. Then, in a soft, almost childlike voice, he said, __reeze?___he stopped Gaia. It looked like Brianna almost killed her. The second time she . . . But this time . . .__here were tears in Sam__ eyes. __y God. How is Dekka?___ike you__ expect. Destroyed. Roger__ dead, too, so Edilio . . . It__ been really bad, Sam. Really bad. It__ like we__e in a war.___e are.

About time,_ Brianna said.__ey, sorry, we were kind of busy,_ Quinn snapped. __nd I didn__ exactly realize I was on a schedule.___ don__ like what I have to do here,_ Brianna said. She handed Quinn the note.He read it. Read it again.__s this some kind of joke?_ he demanded.__lbert__ dead,_ Brianna said. __urdered.___hat?___e__ dead. Sam and Dekka are off in the wilderness somewhere. Edilio__ got the flu, he might die, a lot of kids have. A lot. And there are these, these monsters, these kind of bugs . . . no one knows what to call them . . . heading toward town._ Her face contorted in a mix of rage and sorrow and fear. She blurted, __nd I can__ stop them!__uinn stared at her. Then back at the note.He felt his contented little universe tilt and go sliding away.There were just two words on the paper: __et Caine.

Don__ jump to______ not,_ Dekka said. __ut if that__ what it is, if it__ those things, I__ going to ask you to take care of me.___e__e been over this,_ Sam said, pulling his hand away.__f I tell you it__ time, you do it, okay, Sam?__e couldn__ answer.____ not afraid to die,_ Dekka said.

No offense, Sam, but you__e going off the road. Off the road! Sam! You__e going off the road!___o, I__ not; shut up,_ Sam snapped as he guided the huge truck back onto the road, narrowly avoiding overturning in the ditch.__his is how I__ going to die,_ Jack said. __rammed in like this in a ditch.___h, please,_ Sam said. __ou__e strong enough to tear your way out even if we did crash.___o me a favor and rescue me, too,

Why do we have to do this in the middle of the night?_ Taylor asked.__ecause we don__ want the whole town knowing why we__e going and where we__e going.___ow can I tell anyone if I don__ even know myself?_ Taylor stuck out her lower lip.__ater. We__e going to look for water,_ Sam said.He could almost hear the wheels in Taylor__ head spinning. Then, __MG, we__e out of water?_ She bit her lip, took a couple of dramatic breaths, and wailed, __o you mean we__e all going to die?___hat would be a pretty good example of why we__e keeping this secret,_ Sam said dryly.__ just need to go____h-uh!_ Sam said. __o you don__, Taylor. You don__ bounce anywhere or talk to anyone without me agreeing. Are we clear?___ou know, Sam, you__e nice. And so very, very hot,_ Taylor said. __ut you__e not really much fun.___et__ get out of here while we can,_ Dekka said. __ brought a gun, by the way.___re we going to be in danger?_ Taylor cried.__he gun__ in case you get on my nerves, Taylor,_ Dekka warned.__h, so funny,_ Taylor said.

Have either of you seen Sam? Brianna can__ find him.__lbert sighed. __e__ out of town.__dilio felt the blood drain out of his face. __e__ what?__strid arrived, coldly furious. ____ not on the council anymore. You have no right____hut up, Astrid,_ Edilio said.Astrid, Albert, and Howard all stared. Edilio was as amazed as any of them. He considered apologizing__e had never spoken to Astrid that way. He__ never spoken to anyone that way.The truth was he was scared. Sam was out of town? With Drake running loose?__hat makes you think Sam is out of town?_ Edilio asked Albert.__ sent him,_ Albert said. __im and Dekka. Taylor and Jack, too. They__e looking for water.___hey__e what?___ooking for water.

When she came back down, Sam and Astrid had arrived.Sam hugged Dekka, and the two of them stayed that way for a long time, saying nothing. Both had loved Brianna.To Edilio, Sam said, ____ so sorry, man. I wish I__ . . . You know what I wish.__dilio fought back a fresh rush of tears, nodded, waited until he was sure he could speak, and said, ____ glad you__e back, boss.

Hunter__ dead,_ Taylor said without preamble. __t was these . . . these things. They came crawling up out of him and were eating him, oh God, I mean, it was like . . . I mean he was crying and Dekka prayed with him and he tried to fry his own brain just like he did with Harry only I guess it didn__ work, I guess he couldn__ do it, so Sam . . ._ She swallowed. __nyone have some water?___hat about Sam?_ Astrid demanded.__e did it for him. Sam. I mean, he . . . Hunter was, you know . . . so Sam._ She pantomimed raising her hands, like Sam, like he would do when using his power.Astrid closed her eyes and crossed herself.__est in peace,_ Edilio said and crossed himself as well.__am burned the boy?_ Howard asked. Then, bitterly sarcastic said, __eah, you all pray to Jesus. Because Jesus is really providing a lot of help here. Sounds to me like Sam was the one doing what had to be done.

We__e not going to give in. We__e going to fight.___ot that right,_ a voice cried out.__irst thing we need to have clear: there__ no line between freak and normal here. If you have the power, we__l need you. If you don__, we__l need you.__eads were nodding. Looks were being exchanged.__oates kids, Perdido Beach kids, we__e together now. We__e together. Maybe you did things to survive. Maybe you weren__ always brave. Maybe you gave up hope.__ girl sobbed suddenly.__ell, that__ all over now,_ Sam said gently. __t all starts fresh. Right here, right now. We__e brothers and sisters now. Doesn__ matter we don__ know each other__ names, we are brothers and sisters and we__e going to survive, and we__e going to win, and we__e going to find our way to some kind of happiness again.__here was a long, deep silence.__o,_ Sam said, __y name is Sam. I__ in this with you. All the way._ He turned to Astrid.____ Astrid, I__ in this with you, too.___y name is Edilio. What they said. Brothers and sisters. Hermanos.___huan Vong,_ said a thin boy with yet-unhealed hands like dead fish. ____ in.___ekka,_ said a strong, solidly built girl with cornrows and a nose ring. ____ in. And I have game.___e too,_ called a skinny girl with reddish pigtails. __y name__ Brianna. I_well, I can go real fast.__ne by one they declared their determination. The voices started out soft and gained strength. Each voice louder, firmer, more determined than the one before.Only Quinn remained silent. He hung his head, and tears rolled down his cheeks.__uinn,_ Sam called to him.Quinn didn__ respond, just looked down at the ground.__uinn,_ Sam said again. __t starts fresh right now. Nothing before counts. Nothing. Brothers, man?__uinn struggled with the lump in his throat. But then, in a low voice, he said, __eah. Brothers.

You need to think about all that, Sam,_ Dekka said. __ou__e the leader, after all.___ot anymore,_ he said.Dekka laughed. She stood up and stretched. __am: you__e still the leader. You__e always going to be the leader. It__ not something you choose: it__ something you are.

Why are we sneaking out in the night?_ Jack repeated.__ already explained,_ Sam snapped. __f you don__ listen___aylor jumped in to say, __ecause otherwise Astrid would find some way to stop him._ She mimicked Astrid__ voice, injecting it with steel and a tense, condescending tone. __am. I am the smartest, hottest girl in the world. So do what I tell you. Good boy. Down, boy. Down!__am remained silent, walking steadily just a few feet ahead.Taylor continued, __h, Sam, if only you could be as smart plus as totally goody-goody as I am. If only you could realize that you will never be good enough to have me, me, wonderful me, Astrid the Blond Genius.___am, can I shoot her now?_ Dekka asked. __r is it too soon?___ait until we__e over the ridge,_ Sam said. __t__l muffle the sound.___orry, Dekka,_ Taylor said. __ know you don__ like talking about boy-girl things.___aylor,_ Sam warned.__es, Sam?___ou might want to think about how hard it would be to walk if someone were to turn off gravity under your feet every now and then.___ wonder who would do that?_ Dekka said.Suddenly Taylor fell flat on her face.__ou tripped me!_ Taylor said, more shocked than angry.__e?_ Dekka spread her hands in a completely unconvincing gesture of innocence. __ey, I__ all the way over here._____ just saying: you can see where that could make a long walk just a lot longer,_ Sam said.__ou guys are so not fun,_ Taylor grumped. She bounced instantaneously to just behind Sam. She grabbed his butt, he yelled, __ey!_ and she bounced away innocently.__o answer your question, Jack,_ Sam said, __e are sneaking out at night so that everyone doesn__ know we__e gone and why. They__l figure it out soon enough, but Edilio will have to have more of his guys on the streets if I__ not there playing the big, bad wolf. More stress for everyone.___h,_ Jack said.__he big, bad wolf,_ Taylor said. She laughed. __o, when you play that fantasy in your head is Astrid Little Red Riding Hood or one of the Three Little Pigs?___ekka,_ Sam said.__ah! Too slow!

It__ time,_ Jack said.__reeze? Count the kids,_ Sam said.Brianna was back in twenty seconds. __ighty-two, boss.___bout a third,_ Jack observed. __ third of what__ left.___ait. Make that eighty-eight,_ Brianna said. __nd a dog.__ana, looking deeply irritated__ fairly usual expression for her__nd Sanjit, looking happy__ fairly usual expression for him__nd Sanjit__ siblings were trotting along to catch up.__ don__ know if we__e staying up there or not,_ Lana said without preamble. __ want to check it out. And my room smells like crap.__ust before the time was up, Sam heard a stir. Kids were making a lane for someone, murmuring. His heart leaped.__ey, Sam.__e swallowed the lump in his throat. __iana?___ot expecting me, huh?_ She made a wry face. __here__ blondie? I didn__ see her at the big pep rally.___re you coming with us?_ Brianna demanded, obviously not happy about it.__s Caine okay with this?_ Sam asked Diana. __t__ your choice, but I need to know if he__ going to come after us to take you back.___aine has what he wants,_ Diana said.__aybe I should call Toto over,_ Sam said. The truth teller was having a conversation with Spidey. __ could ask you whether you__e coming along to spy for Caine, and see what Toto has to say.__iana sighed. __am, I have bigger problems than Caine. And so do you, I guess. Because the FAYZ is going to do something it__ never done before: grow by one.___hat__ that mean?___ou are going to be an uncle.__am stared blankly. Brianna said a very rude word. And even Dekka looked up.__ou__e having a baby?_ Dekka asked.__et__ hope so,_ Diana said bleakly. __et__ hope that__ all it is.

Sam, I know you__e upset over what happened with you and Drake,_ Astrid began.__pset?_ Sam echoed the word with an ironic smirk.__ut that__ no excuse for you keeping secrets from us.___eah,_ Howard said, __on__ you know only Astrid is allowed to keep secrets?___hut up, Howard,_ Astrid snapped.__eah, we get to lie because we__e the smart ones,_ Howard said. __ot like all those idiots out there.__strid turned her attention back to Sam. __his is not okay, Sam. The council has the responsibility. Not you alone.__am looked like he could not care less about what she was saying. He looked almost beyond reach, indifferent to what was going on around him.__ey,_ Astrid said. __e__e talking to you.__hat did it. His jaw clenched. His head snapped up. His eyes blazed. __on__ push me. That wasn__ you with your skin whipped off and covered in blood. That was me. That was me who went down into that mine shaft to try to fight the gaiaphage.__strid blinked. __o one is minimizing what you__e done, Sam. You__e a hero. But at the same time___am was on his feet. __t the same time? At the same time you were here in town. Edilio had a bullet in his chest. Dekka was torn to pieces. I was trying not to scream from the_You and Albert and Howard, you weren__ there, were you?___ was busy standing up to Zil, trying to save Hunter__ life,_ Astrid yelled.__ut it wasn__ you and your big words, was it? It was Orc who stopped Zil. And he was there because I sent him to rescue you. Me!_ He stabbed a finger at his own chest, actually making what looked like painful impact. __e! Me and Brianna and Dekka and Edilio! And poor Duck.