Ruddy woke up with the sun glaring into his face through the Jeep’s window. He looked at his watch. It was 11:30. Teri and Xeke were asleep, and he was alone in his head.

  It wasn’t long ago that their presence in his mind had been an intrusion. Now their absence was strange.

  “Hungry?” Corey said. “Grab a granola bar from the back.”

  Ruddy couldn’t turn all the way around because Teri was using him as a pillow, so he reached behind him and started rummaging through boxes. He grabbed the first bar he found and peeled off the wrapper. He took a bite and chewed … and chewed. And chewed some more.

  “Ugh, peanut butter. Please tell me we have toothpaste.”

  Corey shook his head. “No, but we do have gum.”

  “Oh, thank god. What did they do before toothpaste?”

  “Sticks,” Corey said. “You chew up the end of one until it’s sort of brushy, then clean your teeth with it.”

  Ruddy made a face. “Oh. What’s the plan today? Other than drive west.”

  “That’s the entire plan,” Corey said. “That and look for gas, or we may be walking soon. I put the last of our spare cans in the tank when we stopped.”

  Xeke’s head wobbled and he started snoring.

  “If he’s going to sleep the whole way, he should let me sit up front," Ruddy said. “I feel like a sardine back here. It’s not fair.”

  “It’s not about fair,” Corey said. “We need him up front. Tekes need to be able to see what they’re doing in a fight.”

  “Fine.”

  Corey glanced at Ruddy in the mirror. “I get the impression that you aren’t exactly Xeke’s biggest fan right now. Did something happen?”

  “I don’t know. I feel like he thinks he’s better than me. He doesn’t even like me that much.”

  “Did he tell you that?” Corey said.

  “No. I guess not. I just … I dunno. I guess it’s the way he talks down to me … it’s hard to explain.”

  “Does it have anything to do with Teri?” Corey said.

  Ruddy frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you and Teri are close ...”

  “Yeah, we are. She saved my life, more than once.”

  “... and she and Xeke seem to be getting along really well.”

  “Yeah. So?”

  “Well, I can tell you’re fond of her,” Corey said. “How old is she? Fifteen?”

  “Sixteen. She’s amazing, isn’t she?” He looked up and caught Corey watching him in the mirror. “What? Oh … you don’t think I’m jealous … that I …” He laughed. “Oh, that’s just ... no way. She’s just a kid.”

  Corey studied him, then nodded. “All right. Just making sure. Sometimes when people go through tough times together, they develop attachments that can become unhealthy.”

  “Well, I don’t think of her that way,” Ruddy said. “And neither does Xeke.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Corey said. “But you know most people out here are going to assume she’s with one of you, and as young as she is, that won’t always be a good thing. Be prepared for that.”

  “I don’t care what people think.”

  “You should. It’s the wild west out here. Some people are going to do more than judge you; they might try to do something about it.”

  “Hmph,” Ruddy said.

  “And think about this. You’re a lot older than she is, and someone with the emotional scars she has might find unhealthy ways to…”

  Something exploded underneath the jeep. It swerved and flipped.

  Ruddy’s ears rang. His head slammed into the side window over and over as the whole world somersaulted. He hugged Teri against him and curled up around her as best he could.

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  The spinning stopped. He was hanging upside down by his seatbelt with his head smashed into the crumpled ceiling.

  Teri was limp in his arms. Her nose was bent at an odd angle and her face was purple and swelling. Blood dripped from her mouth and chin, but she was breathing.

  “Oh, God! Teri!” Ruddy reached for the seat belt release but couldn’t find it. “Corey! Teri’s hurt!”

  He couldn’t see into the front because the roof underneath him was crushed into the headrests. Blood pooled on the ceiling behind Xeke’s seat.

  “Shit!” His hands were shaking so much he could barely control them, and he couldn’t find the damned seat belt release.

  Pull it together. Teri needs you. They all need you.

  Ruddy took a deep breath and let it out. He turned his finger into a blade and cut the seatbelt away.

  More fumbling. There was no room to move. He shoved at the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

  They’re all going to die, he thought. You’re going to kill them if you don’t get out of here. For once in your life, do something right. Think!

  Ruddy braced his hands against the opposite door. He drew his feet back and focused, turning his skeleton to metal and strengthening his muscles.

  He jackhammered his feet into the door. It exploded off its hinges and sailed out of sight. His mouth fell open.

  A moan from the front seat brought his attention back to the situation. He hadn’t realized how smoky it was in the Jeep until the air began to clear. Something dripped onto his face.

  Gas. Oh shit oh shit oh shit. Gotta hurry. Ruddy backed out of the jeep and pulled Teri after him. He carried her to the edge of the road and put his ear to her face. Still breathing.

  He turned and looked back at the crumpled mass of metal. Corey and Xeke had to be dead. No one could survive that.

  Tears threatened. Then he heard another moan.

  The Jeep was so flattened he couldn’t see through the windows. “Sorry, guys, this is going to hurt.” He grabbed the tire and turned the jeep back over.

  “Easy, easy,” he said as he lowered it down.

  He heard another moan. It sounded like Corey.

  There was no way he was going to get the doors open, so he peeled the roof back. When he saw Xeke, he almost threw up. A bone was protruding from his shoulder and his face was caved in. Blood gurgled from his mouth and nose with every breath and part of his scalp had been torn off. Ruddy wondered if he shouldn’t put him out of his misery.

  He leaned into the jeep and almost jumped out of his skin when Corey’s eyes opened.

  “Help me, Corey,” Ruddy said. “Xeke’s hurt, I think he might die, I don’t know what to do.”

  “I need to touch him,” Corey rasped.

  Ruddy took Corey’s hand and put it on Xeke’s arm. A blue glow spread out, brighter than Ruddy had ever seen. The protruding bone moved back into the torn skin. Wet noises and cracks sounded as Xeke’s crumpled face unfolded back to its normal shape and the skin on the top of his head reattached itself. His breathing steadied.

  “Holy shit,” Ruddy whispered.

  Corey’s hand dropped away and his eyes closed.

  Ruddy shook his head. “OK. Step one, get everyone out of the jeep before it blows up. Step two…”

  A van screeched to a halt nearby.

  Ruddy waved his arms around. “Hey! We need help!”

  The doors flew open and three armed men jumped out. A man in a red flannel shirt pointed at Ruddy. “One of ’em’s alive!”

  His companion, who was wearing a stained Dallas Cowboys T-shirt, laughed. “Not for long.” He raised his rifle and fired.

  A gunshot cracked and Ruddy staggered sideways from the impact. The ricochet pinged off the wreckage.

  “Fuck!” Ruddy shouted. “You’re supposed to help people when there’s a wreck, not shoot them!”

  Three more shots rang out. “They’re bouncing right off him!” Redshirt said. “He’s one of those freaks!”

  “You couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn.” Cowboy aimed his rifle from the shoulder and fired. It hit Ruddy’s forehead and bounced off.

  “Dammit!” Ruddy yelled. “Stop shooting me!”

  Redshirt turned to leave. “Fuck this. I didn’t sign up to fight no afflicted.”

  The third man, dressed in desert camo fatigues, grabbed him by the shoulder. “Hold up. Amelia’s gonna want to talk to him.”

  “Fuck you, Jeff. Do you see the size of that fucker?”

  “I’d rather deal with him than Amelia,” Jeff said.

  Redshirt swallowed. “All right. Well, how do we make him come with us?”

  “Hello!” Ruddy said. “I’m standing right here.”

  Jeff plastered a fake grin on his face. “Why don’t you come with us, son? We can get you some food and a place to sleep.”

  “I’m not going anywhere until my friends get some help.”

  Jeff glanced at Teri’s motionless form on the ground. “Friends, eh? Lenny. If he tries anything, put a bullet in her.”

  Cowboy Lenny raised his rifle again.

  “No!” Ruddy charged.

  Lenny turned, but he was too slow. Ruddy grabbed him by his shirt and shook him.

  “Leave her alone, or I’ll kill every one of you!” he yelled.

  Lenny struggled and screamed.

  “Put him down, asshole!” Redshirt said. He pressed a pistol against Ruddy’s temple and fired.

  Ruddy’s skin flashed silver and the gun rebounded into Redshirt’s face.

  “Glaagh!” Redshirt screamed. He fell to his knees, spitting blood and teeth onto the road. “By dose is boken!”

  “Hey! Asshole!” Jeff called from nearby.

  Ruddy turned. Jeff was kneeling next to Teri, his gun at her head.

  “Put him down, or your girlfriend’s brains are gonna be splattered all over the road.”

  “Hurt her and I’ll rip your head off your shoulders,” Ruddy said.

  They glared at each other.

  Enough. It was a woman’s voice in his mind, and it wasn’t Teri. As entertaining as this whole display of testosterone has been, you idiots have wasted enough time.

  Ruddy’s vision blurred. He hadn’t realized how tired he was. He dropped Lenny.

  Reginald Unglesby. He felt a presence moving deeper into his mind. He raised a mental shield, but it crumbled before he’d finished it. And … Ezekiel Daniels. I can see why the government has been looking for you two.

  “Wh-what?”

  And this must be ... Teri Darby! Boy, did she kick the DSSA ant bed. I’d almost like to shake her hand—but I don’t think I’m going to let her wake her up just yet.

  “Wait …” Ruddy’s words slurred. “How do you know … who we are? Who are you?”

  I’m Amelia Franklin, and you just joined the New Frontier revolution. Welcome aboard.

  Ruddy’s eyelids grew heavy and the world went black.