Fugitive of Talionis: Talionis Series, #2

By C.J. Milacci

They kidnapped her. Trained her. And now they're hunting her. 

After narrowly escaping the clutches of Talionis, Bria Averton and her friends thought they were finally free. But the dangers they face are far from over.

Hunted by Commander Ark and his forces, Bria and her companions must navigate treacherous terrain and evade capture at every turn, desperate to reach possible allies in Eryndale. As they struggle to survive on the run, they soon realize that their former captors will stop at nothing to apprehend them and bring them back to the city.

With their lives constantly on the line, Bria fights to keep her friends safe while battling her own fears and doubts about who to trust in their fight for survival. The danger is palpable, and the stakes are higher than ever.

One reality becomes clear: there's a greater peril than being a recruit of Talionis. It's being a fugitive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Journey Perspective Publishing
• Release date: Oct 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9781958230046

Book preview

Chapter

One

DAY ONE OUT OF CAPTIVITY. 1800 HOURS

They kidnapped me, trained me, and now they’re hunting me.

I jump over a log, wishing I could as easily leap past my tormented thoughts.

Because they’re not just hunting me.

They’re hunting my friends, Cai, and Storm.

Bile rises in my throat at the thought of the little girl, and I swallow.

It’s been seven hours since we left Talionis. Pulled off an impossible escape. But they’re coming, and we all know it. Our only hope is that our sabotage created enough chaos to keep them busy for a while so we can get a head start.

Dusk is falling, and I have to jog to keep the pace Cai has set.

The exertion feels good, but I almost wish I wasn’t as fit. Ari and Nalani are choking in shallow breaths, and I can tell the journey is already wearing on them. After all, they weren’t Elite Recruits like me, Nika, Matthias, and Shane. Ari’s a tech genius, and I guess Nalani is too, since they’re friends, though I don’t know her well.

I envy them their exhaustion. Exhaustion makes it easier to not think. It makes it possible to forget the hard things going on at this moment. But I don’t get that luxury.

Talionis trained it right out of me.

I crest a rise, and then hurdle a log.

This feels like a break compared to what I experienced in my training, compared to the physical and mental pain they put me through.

Bria. Cai’s voice behind me pulls me to a stop.

I didn’t realize I’d passed him.

Yeah?

He’s waiting at the top of the rise as the shadows in the forest deepen, and I go back to join him. Despite his years of captivity in Talionis, he knows the region well, and I’m glad he’s able to navigate our way forward with confidence.

Let’s give everyone a moment to catch up. Cai’s dark eyes roam the forest, taking everything in. If possible, I want to get a few more miles in tonight before it’s dark.

Okay. I take a swig of water from my canteen.

Nika joins us. Her thick black curls and creamy brown skin still look flawless somehow, despite hours of travel. Water break?

Cai nods.

She rubs an arm over her forehead, but doesn’t seem tired. We’ve trained through much worse together, and she’s tougher than just about everyone I know.

I lean against a boulder, waiting for everyone else to arrive.

The moment I escaped, I thought everything would be different. Better. Fixed.

But I was wrong.

I feel as trapped now as I did behind the Wall. How could I not?

Storm is still there.

The reason I even considered escaping, the girl I would have given my life to save without thought, the one person Cade asked me to protect right before he gave his life for me.

And I failed.

I failed Storm and Cade. Who will it be next?

God, why? Why her? It should have been me instead.

The ache deep within my chest that I’ve been fighting for hours throbs. Raw emotion. Unshed tears. Frustration. Desperation. They all twist together and lodge under my breastbone, a pulsing pain. I press my fist against it, wishing I could press the throbbing ache aside. But it’s embedded there, like it’s found a permanent residence.

Ark is coming.

I should be afraid, nervous at least. But all I feel is the ache. And it’s been there since I heard Shane say he didn’t get Storm. Couldn’t. But if he really couldn’t get her and Damara out, how did he manage to get himself out?

The question eats at me, gnawing at me from the inside, insatiable for any answer other than Shane telling me outright that he failed.

I stare down at him as he guides Ari over a fallen tree, his closely shaved light-brown hair a stark reminder of the city we just left. His athletic build shows he’s an elite recruit, and he could outdistance everyone else with his training, but he’s busy helping Ari.

Yet he couldn’t help Storm when she needed him most.

I swallow back the bitterness threatening to choke me. He betrayed Talionis, just like the rest of us. One of their top recruits, gone rogue. That means something, right?

I pull my gaze away and take another drink from my canteen.

The only comforting thought is that Storm and Damara are in the Ruins. And, thanks to Cai, the soldiers are terrified of the Ruins and the threats within.

But how long until they notice those threats are gone? That it was all the ingenuity of one man who no longer prowls the mangled terrain, seeking to stop the evil of Talionis from leeching into the region?

What will happen to Storm then?

Matthias crests the rise, and comes and stands next to me, like he can sense I’m not okay. I don’t want to consider analyzing how comforted I feel by his presence. He’s proven to me over and over again that he’s different from his dad, Colonel Keenan Valarius, and the others in Talionis.

I’m glad he’s here.

Bryson, Nalani, Ari, and Shane get to us a few moments later.

Ari collapses on the ground, blond hair falling out of her ponytail and half-plastered to her face. On her slim frame, her pack looks huge, and I’m almost afraid she’ll roll back down the hill from its weight. Nalani doubles over, wheezing, and Bryson, Ari’s brother, leans against a tree, gulping down water.

This unlikely crew, forced together by circumstances beyond our control. And missing three people who should be with us. Cade. Storm. And Damara.

How many more will I lose?

Are we…stopping…for the night? Ari asks through gasps.

I’d like to get a little farther, Cai says. Just wanted to close the ranks a bit.

Oh. Ari seems to wilt, but she doesn’t argue.

Nalani removes her glasses and wipes her face with a small cloth, her straight black hair hanging limp to her shoulders and echoing her weariness.

Can you manage? Cai directs the question at Ari and Nalani.

At Cai’s words, Nalani’s almond-shaped eyes slide shut.

Before they can answer, Matthias steps forward. If you just want to go a few more miles, I can shoulder more weight. He reaches for Nalani’s pack where she dropped it on the ground.

The girl looks like she might cry in relief. Shane follows Matthias’s lead and picks up Ari’s pack.

Good, Cai says. Everyone, take another drink, then we’ll move. It’ll be dark in a couple hours, and we need to get a site set up before it’s too late.

I watch Matthias settle Nalani’s pack in front of himself, his blue eyes sparkling against his dark skin. He makes a joke, and she laughs, and I can’t help but be impressed by him. Shane is Ari’s boyfriend. I’m not surprised he’s taking her pack and doing everything he can to help her. But Matthias barely knows Nalani, yet he’s shouldering her burdens.

If you keep staring at the boy, everyone’s gonna notice, Nika mutters under her breath.

I whirl away from Matthias, face heating. I wasn’t staring at anyone.

Mmm hmm. Right. Girl, please. I’m not blind.

I was surprised he’s helping her. He doesn’t know her, and… My voice trails off.

Nika smirks. Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.

There’s no secret, I protest. He’s my friend. Nothing more.

Nika lifts an eyebrow. Seriously?

Let’s go, Cai says.

I hike after him, grateful to get away from Nika’s knowing looks. I don’t care about Matthias that way. He’s just my friend.

You can’t run away anytime someone starts a conversation you don’t like. Nika is next to me and I almost jump.

I’m not running away. Cai said it was time to move. I glance at the man who has been a mentor to me, hoping he doesn’t hear Nika. He seems to be enough ahead of us. He’s my friend. Even if I wanted something more — which I don’t — now is the worst possible time.

Plus, I’m not the best judge of character. The amount of times I’ve been betrayed proves that, but I keep the thought to myself.

Cai leads us onto what must have once been an old road. Patches of concrete dot the path, and it’s wider than any of the trails we’ve had to cut through the forest up till now.

You never know. Maybe now is a better time than you realize.

Better time for what? Matthias steps over a log, looking a little absurd with a pack on his back and on his front, and comes to my other side.

I inhale. I’m tempted to punch the guy, which may have more to do with the conversation Nika and I were just having than the fact that he startled me.

Why would you sneak up on us like that? I snap.

My face burns, and I hope the shadows of the forest are dark enough now to keep either of my friends from noticing.

As much as I know it’s foolish, a part of me wishes I was getting shot at, that I had to figure out a way through a Kill Zone, focus on something other than my nagging failures and Nika’s nonsensical suggestions.

Matthias inches away. I didn’t sneak up! You just didn’t hear me. I was loud. Promise.

"Yeah, he was loud. Nika leans forward to look past me at Matthias. I hope you can be quieter when necessary."

He gives me a sheepish smile. Don’t hurt me.

I roll my eyes. Please.

No, for real. I’ve seen you fight. My training was effective.

My steps falter. "Your training? I’m pretty sure the insanely vigorous trainings Sergeant Valarius and Cai put me through are more responsible for my abilities than you are."

His mouth drops open, as though he’s affronted, but the gleam in his eyes gives him away. Don’t you remember how helpless you were before I started training with you?

I do, Nika chimes in.

I glare at her. She’s one of the best friends I’ve ever had, but at the moment, I’m not thrilled with her.

The two of them swap stories of how inept I once was, and I want to be offended. But I can’t stop from laughing along with them.

It’s the lightest I’ve felt since I found out Storm didn’t make it out of the Ruins.

You two are ridiculous, I cut in.

Girl, I gave you so much good advice. Please. She turns to Matthias. She’s not very grateful, is she?

He shakes his head with an exaggerated frown. Unfortunately, no. She doesn’t seem to understand the great blessings she has in her life. He leans toward Nika. "Us," he says in a loud whisper.

I arch an eyebrow, but the grin spreading over my face negates it. Whatever.

You’re right, Nika says, directing her comment to Matthias and ignoring me. All she did whenever I gave her any of my nuggets of wisdom—

Nuggets of wisdom? Are you kidding? I say.

Nika presses on. Was change the subject or ignore me. She shakes her head, her thick curls bouncing. I think Cade was one of the only people she listened to. The smile she offers after the words is bittersweet, and we all fall quiet.

Cade.

I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him. And I miss him more than I expected to. He became a friend in a way I never would have guessed. His dark brown eyes were serious most of the time, but he always had a smile for Storm.

I miss him, Matthias says.

Nika and I both nod.

Me too, Nika says. He was solid, you know? Reliable. A loyal friend.

He always seemed to sense when things were off or about to happen, Matthias says. It was almost creepy.

A glimmer of a smile passes over my face. He did. When we first met, I thought he would tear me to pieces. All I did was try to sit at his table with Storm.

Nika laughs. He was a bear when he needed to be.

For Storm. Always for her. He would have done anything for that girl. My throat thickens, and I focus on the path at my feet.

He was a good guy. The best, Matthias says. He taught me more in his life, and in his death, than almost anyone else has.

All I can do is nod. But even that is hard with the thickness in my throat. I had no idea leaving Talionis would mean losing so much.

Nika clears her throat. He lived what he believed. I want to do that too. No matter the cost.

No matter the cost, I repeat, squeezing the words through my narrowed airway. I blink and then look at my friends. I’m new to all this stuff about God. But it seems like there’s always a cost when you stand up against evil in the way God says to.

There is, Matthias says, his face taking on a faraway look. But it’s worth it. And we don’t have to do it alone.

We all fall silent again, the crunch of the gravel beneath our feet loud. I can’t help but wonder what costs we’ll face before this journey is done…and what it might mean to not have to do it alone.

A buzzing noise rings in my ears. It’s distant, but the familiarity of it drives every other thought away. No. Not this soon. It’s not possible.

I scan the sky above that’s darkening as the sun prepares to set, and my toe catches on a rock. Matthias’s hand holds me up, but I hardly notice. I slow down. The buzzing is getting closer.

You okay?

Do you hear that? I ask.

Hear what? Matthias cocks his head, and then his eyes widen, confirming what I knew, but didn’t want to believe. Everybody down! Hide!

Chapter

Two

Other than Nika and Cai, the others are further behind us, but Matthias’s shout reaches them and they run toward us. Matthias and I both wave at them to drop, and he grabs my hand and pulls me to the ground. We scurry under a nearby bush and my heart pounds in my chest. Nika dives off the other side of the road. The blood pulsing in my ears drowns out almost every other noise.

Every noise except the one I fear the most.

This can’t be the end. We haven’t been gone a full day.

As much as I want to go back to Talionis and get Storm, I know now isn’t the time. I gaze up through the branches of the bush, eyes fixed on the sky above me.

Then it happens.

The bubble-like transport passes overhead, slowly, carefully, the trees reflecting off its surface. And I know without being told that every soldier within it is searching the ground for us. How did they get it working again so quickly?

The area darkens as the sun dips lower in the sky, and I can only hope that helps us.

I suck in a quick breath. The others. What if they didn’t drop and hide? What if they’re spotted?

Every inch of me is screaming to move, to check on them, to make sure they’re hidden. But I force myself to stay still. The transport drags out of sight, but it’s another full minute before we don’t hear it anymore. The fingers of my left hand are numb and I register that I’m clinging to Matthias’s hand, and he’s clinging back. I let go, and he releases my hand.

That was too close, he says, wiggling out from under the bush.

I follow him, desperate to make sure everyone else is okay.

Which is dumb.

After all, if the soldiers spotted anyone, they wouldn’t have passed over and continued on. Still, I sigh, some of my tension dissipating as I see my friends extricating themselves from their hiding places on the forest floor. We all gather, each of us brushing off leaves and debris from our clothing.

I pull a twig from my curls, my mind whirling. "How did they get a transport working this fast?"

They couldn’t have, Nika says. Cai and I made sure the explosives impacted every transport on the dock. There’s no way they could have repaired them within hours.

She’s right, Cai agrees.

I focus on the man who has been my mentor and trainer for months now. The man who is my uncle. That thought still throws me off a bit. It’s difficult to believe that my aunt, the woman who betrayed me, could be married to one of the people I trust most in the world.

Which means those transports weren’t in the Dock. Cai’s words settle around us. That was a cargo transport, and it was heading back toward Talionis. I’ve only seen them deploy cargo transports to the east when they sent them to Sitreea for supplies early in Talionis’s construction. Except for one other time. He pauses. When they sent them into the North American region, bringing them back filled with teens and young adults.

The transport was out for another extraction, Matthias says. That’s why it’s still usable. Ark must have called it back to search for us.

I pinch the bridge of my nose as a headache pulses behind my eyes. We needed at least a week’s head start, I repeat the words Cai hammered into us when we discussed our journey to Eryndale. I face him, my mind whirling with options, ways to keep everyone safe. It’s like a Warfare Scenario, but this is real. What are we going to do?

Do we have to travel faster? Ari asks, her voice filled with dread. Her entire body sags with exhaustion. She shakes her pack off her back and gently lowers it to the ground. I should have brought tech to help me move faster, she mutters, more to herself than the rest of us.

We’ll continue going forward as fast as we can, Cai says. But we’ll have to travel at night.

That will slow us down, I interject.

Cai’s dark gaze focuses on me. It’s too dangerous during the day. There’s at least one transport searching for us. Probably more.

Ari is digging through her pack, mumbling to herself. There’s more tech in her bag than I expected, but I don’t pay too much attention. At the moment, I’m more concerned with the sudden need to change our plans. Everything was mapped out, organized in a specific way.

But just like entering a scenario, the tactics of the enemy are changing our best laid plans.

We should have been over halfway to Eryndale before they got a transport working, but we’ve barely begun the journey.

What about once we hit more open terrain? Matthias asks. They’ll spot us wherever we’re resting during the day.

We all look at Cai. Matthias is right. The route Cai has us taking to Eryndale will bring us out of this forest within the next day or two. In the planning process, we discussed other route potentials that didn’t go through open areas, but every possibility added days to our journey. And time is of the essence — especially now.

Our route will have to change. And we’ll create mini-sites, like what I had in the Ruins. Camouflaged coverings that will keep us nearly invisible to anyone looking. And we’ll start now. Cai glances up at the sky again. I suspect they’ll do another pass over the area.

Why? Nika asks.

Because that’s what I would do.

If the transport was heading back toward Talionis, does that mean they have more teens? Or did our escape interrupt their plans? I push my questions aside and focus on Cai, waiting for him to help me figure out what to do next.

Sites are all about concealment. Cai’s eyes roam the area as he talks. There’s no limit to the ways you can achieve concealment, other than the ways you limit yourself.

He hikes toward a thick grouping of trees, and we follow him, Ari carrying her pack in her arms like it’s a baby.

Gather anything you can that will help us create a negative space, Cai says. We want this to become an area the eye naturally overlooks.

We work quickly, drawing from Cai’s sense of urgency, and bringing him anything and everything we find. After all, he’s right. If I was in a warfare scenario hunting for fugitives, I would double check each area.

Ari helps for a moment, then digs through her pack again. I know I have it here somewhere, she mutters.

I shake my head and bring Cai a flat piece of metal I found. He props it up, then tucks vines around it. His skills in this area astound me. In the Ruins he had sites everywhere, and most of them I would never have realized existed, even if I was three feet away.

Matthias comes over with an armload of old boards.

Good, Cai says. Set them up on the other side. Be quick about it.

Matthias immediately gets to work and I move to help him.

This is great and all, but what about thermal imaging? Matthias asks. The cargo transports may not be fitted with it, but you know they’ll get a stealth transport up and running as soon as they can, and those always use TI.

Ari and I added a cloaking chip to everyone’s clothes, Bryson says as he helps Cai with the side of the site. Hides your thermal imprint.

Found it! Ari exclaims before Matthias can respond to Bryson.

She has three packs open in front of her, and I’m almost positive the one she’s pulling an item out of isn’t her pack. She jumps to her feet and, with the flick of her wrists, unfurls a mesh-like blanket.

Put this over the top, she says in her I-know-tech voice.

Girl, what is that? Nika asks.

The buzzing sound catches in my ears. They’re coming back!

Quick, put it on, Ari insists.

Together, we toss the blanket over the site. It’s bigger than I expected and easily covers the entire thing. As soon as it’s overtop, the site almost disappears from view. Ari pushes a button on a small device in her hand and the blanket tightens, compressing around the materials and making the site practically invisible.

The buzzing grows louder, leaving me no time to be impressed with whatever piece of tech Ari just produced.

Everyone in, Cai says.

We grab our packs and scurry inside through the opening, Cai coming in last. He zips the opening closed.

Seconds later, the surrounding air electrifies. Wind whips the treetops. The transport is closer than it was on its first pass. Nika catches my eye, her forehead wrinkled. The tension is palpable, like it’s wrapping its arms around us and squeezing.

A strange urge to spring out of the site and just sprint away latches onto me. I don’t want to be still. Don’t want to wait. But leaving would be foolish. I grip my hands into fists, my nails digging into my palms. The transport hovers overhead, lights sweeping the forest, but never resting on us. Every second that passes feels like an eternity, its dark shadow looming like a monster. Then it continues on, back toward Talionis.

I release a slow breath.

Looks like we’re good for now, Ari says.

My lungs seize again. Why do you have a screen?

Ari doesn’t look up from the device as she pokes and studies it. It’s fine. I disabled all the tracking capabilities, installed a new firewall system I created, and reconfigured the screen to sync with a traveling cyber-tech unit so we could maintain some semblance of intel from Talionis. She lowers the device and glances up with a grin, looking more awake now than she has in the past few hours. She points up at the blanket. The ULCNS is pretty cool, right?

Nika leans toward me. I thought we’d be getting a break from not understanding half of what she says once we got her away from Talionis tech, she whispers in my ear.

I give her a half-smile, but my nerves are working on overdrive.

What is ULCNS? Shane asks.

Ultra-light camouflage netting system, Ari rattles off. It’s like the tech they use for the Net, but easier to transport than a projection system like the Net employs.

Most of the soldiers call them travel nets, Matthias chimes in. They use them a lot on missions. Some of the travel nets are big enough to hide entire transports.

How much tech did you bring? I ask. It doesn’t seem safe to have ways for Talionis to track it.

Ari rolls her eyes in a way that’s so much like Nika that my jaw almost drops. I told you. I disabled all tracking capabilities and installed a new firewall system I created.

It’ll be fine, Bryson reassures me. His blond hair and slim build are so similar to his sister, it’s almost shocking. But he’s several inches taller and has the strength of a runner. I double checked her code and the new firewall.

Ari gives a snort of derision, and something cracks over our group. Nika is the first to chuckle, then it spreads to Nalani. Then all of us are laughing.

It takes a few moments for the laughter to die down, and, though Cai has a small smile on his lips, his eyes are serious, which sobers me.

Once everyone has quieted, Cai clears his throat. Ari, your forward thinking will save time in creating sites over these next days, he says, gesturing above us at the travel net.

I’m amazed when I discover I can see right through the material and outside to the branches and different items we used to make the site.

Yeah, good job, tech-head, Shane says with a warm smile at Ari.

She flushes red, but the smile splitting her face is enough to show her pleasure. Thanks. It really is fascinating how it works—

Nika holds up a hand. Girl, no one wants a tech lesson right now.

Oh. Later?

As long as I’m not around. Nika rolls her eyes.

Well, I brought some other really cool things too, Ari says, unaffected by Nika’s demeanor. She flashes her a grin. You’re gonna love them.

I’m sure we all will. Cai leans forward so that his elbows rest on his knees. But right now, you all need to get some rest. We’ll camp for four hours, but I do want to get some more distance between us and the city while it’s dark.

Nalani and Ari each release a soft groan. Even Shane’s shoulders sag a little. I don’t blame them. My body feels more exhausted as the adrenaline seeps away, and I don’t want to think about what it will look like to travel without more than a few hours of sleep.

How could this be happening? Nothing is going like it should. Storm and Damara aren’t here with us. Talionis has at least one transport still viable for their nefarious affairs. And they were actively kidnapping more teens. Did they take more children as well?

The thought latches onto me like a living nightmare.

There’s some rustling through the site as everyone squirms around to find a way to lie down. Ari is the first to get herself situated, and she appears to fall asleep almost instantly. Shane’s face softens into a tender smile as he covers her with a blanket.

Maybe he’s not as bad of a guy as I want him to be. Despite that, I don’t know how to be okay with the fact that he left Storm behind.

One by one, the others lay down. Matthias tells Cai he’ll take the second watch so that Cai can get some rest before we leave again, and Cai agrees. Soon, the sounds of sleep fill the hideout. But I’m unable to move from my seated position.

Get some rest, Cai whispers to me.

I ignore him, and pick my way over Nalani and Nika until I’m closer to Cai. Traveling at night will take longer. Stating the obvious is less than helpful, but I need to say it out loud.

It will, Cai says.

The weight of all that means settles on me. I stare unseeing past Cai and out into the woods. Darkness keeps me from seeing much beyond the silhouettes of nearby trees. How was it less than twenty-four hours ago that I felt such a sense of relief and peace? Elation at getting outside of my prison, the place where I discovered a depth of nightmares I had never before imagined?

And now I hate the silence. It’s worse than being shot at, or the clamor of soldiers and recruits marching through the streets of Talionis.

Cai’s hand rests gently on my shoulder, and I drag my gaze to him. Rest, Bria. We’ll sort through everything later.

I want to argue, to tell him rest isn’t what’s important right now. There’s too much to think about. Too much at risk with each passing moment. But I find myself nodding and turning to obey him. Maybe it’s the hours of training I’ve had under Cai’s watchful eye, or that tone in his voice that I know means there’s no use arguing.

Or maybe it’s just because I trust him.

My eyes drift shut, and weariness steals its way into my bones. We haven’t had much rest over the past few days as we prepared to escape. Adrenaline kept that from mattering, but it’s slowly leaking away. As sleep washes over me, I whisper a prayer of thanks to God that He gave me Cai and that I don’t have to be the one to figure it all out.

Chapter

Three

Ahand shaking my arm drags me from sleep, like I’m being pulled out of a pit of mud. Weariness drips from my brain, sticky and unyielding.

Bria, time to go, Cai says.

My eyes fly open, and with a jolt, reality crashes in. It’s still dark out. The sound of others waking up and packing their things rustles through the night. I sit up and scrub a hand over my face. Then I roll up my blanket and pack my things along with everyone else.

Ari takes Bryson’s pack and sets it in front of her.

What are you doing? he mumbles, sleepiness deepening his words.

I need your pack, she says, sounding far more alert than she should after only a few hours of sleep.

I guess one of us slept well.

Traveling at night was a possibility I considered when packing for this trip, Ari says.

Girl, everyone is still waking up, Nika says. "Why you gotta be so awake? No one cares what you packed or thought about."

"And why did you pack stuff in my bag?" Bryson asks, reaching for his pack.

Ari swats his hand away, and he glares at her, but she isn’t at all phased. Well, I couldn’t fit everything I needed in my pack. She opens her brother’s pack and begins digging through it. I know I put them in here…unless they’re in Shane’s, she mumbles to herself.

What’s in mine? Shane asks, pausing as he shrugs his pack into place.

Oh, nope! I was right. They’re here. Ari smiles triumphantly as she produces a black case from Bryson’s bag.

Some of Bryson’s clothes and a few other pieces of tech surround her, and I wonder again at how much she brought. And how she fit it all. Between food reserves, water purification cylinders, and changes of clothes, there’s no room left in my pack. And everyone’s packs hold the same amount of supplies as mine. The goal is to only enter towns in order to gain intel, not need to go in for supplies.

I shake my head to clear the thoughts. Ari’s love of tech probably inspired her to cram way more in than anyone thought possible. But, as long as it’s not traceable, like she claims, I guess it shouldn’t cause a problem.

What is that? Nika asks.

NiVACs! Ari exclaims.

Whoa, Nalani whispers.

How did you get an entire case of NiVACs? Matthias asks.

Wait. Nika holds up her hand. What are NiVACs?

Night Vision Accelerator Contacts, Ari says. She opens up the black case, revealing two rows of seven little cases. She removes one case and carefully opens it. Two tiny, shimmering half-orbs rest inside. You put them in your eyes, and they allow you to see at night.

With that, she places one orb on her finger, drips lubricant on it, then sticks it in her eye, before doing the same with the other one.

Shane shudders. I don’t want to put anything in my eyes.

It’ll be fine, Ari says, blinking rapidly. She stops and swivels her head around. "These are amazing! I can see everything. And you know what’s fascinating is that in order to make these, they had to use —"

Again, no. Tech. Lessons. Nika enunciates each word, and Ari sighs but stops talking.

A few minutes later, most of us have the NiVACs in. Matthias, Shane, and Nalani all have trouble with theirs.

I’m impressed. Ari was right. Everyone’s face is as clear as if it was daylight, except for the slight greenish hue on everything. And the NiVACs are far more comfortable than I expected.

You three will have to wait and try to put them in later, Cai says. "We need to get moving. We’ll head to an old road so we