I yelped and scrambled backward, shoulders thumping the wall behind me. The papers slipped from my hands and fluttered to the floor just as Rekkan stalked into the room. His rifle was raised, and his eyes burned with ruthless contempt.

He swung the rifle around the room, pointing it everywhere except at me. I remained glued to the wall, heart in my throat, unable to speak or even breathe.

He lowered the rifle and dug a shiny metal object out of his pocket—the key to his fortress. "Looking for this?"

I blinked at the key for several seconds before managing to croak an unconvincing, "No."

His lips hooked in a sneer. "Where's the rest of your crew?"

"My... crew?"

"Just never thought the Cutthroat Crew would use a Southie." Bitter amusement poisoned his voice. "An excellent scheme, really."

"Rekkan, no one else is here." My voice shook so badly that I barely believed myself.

"Fuck, I should have seen it." He shook his head and hacked a humorless laugh. "How could I believe you actually wanted to live with me? That you brought your switchblade to the gym yesterday to protect me? You thought your crew had arrived, and you were prepared to help them. And I just ate up all your lies."

"I'm not lying!" My voice cracked, and tears pricked my eyes.

Fuck, I sounded just the way I had when trying to avoid a beating as a child. How pathetic to die at the hands of someone I had started to care for. Someone who had clothed and fed me. Someone I had thought might help me save the world.

The gun sagged to point at the ground beside his feet, and his voice softened. "Hey, I don't want to hurt you, Southie. I just want the truth. Did they threaten you? Offer you food or safety? Or, I don't know, maybe you're in love with one of them."

"I told you already, but you clearly don't believe me. Guess you should add me to the pile of bodies in the woods."

He released a quiet sigh. When he shifted the gun, I shut my eyes and flinched back hard enough my head knocked against the wall.

Metal touched my hands.

I peeled my eyes open and struggled to process what I saw. "I'm holding your gun."

"Agreed," said Rekkan. He now stood five feet away, jaw clenched, shoulders back, and gloved thumbs hitched in his pockets. Just watching. Waiting.

I licked my lips and swallowed, the rifle cold and heavy in my grip. "I don't understand. Why... what are you..."

"I told you I don't want to hurt you, Zafaru. So if you want to take over the fortress, now's your chance. Don't miss."

The air drained from my lungs. He survived eight years by habit, not by handing loaded guns to possible enemies. Why would he risk his own life instead of taking mine?

"Rekkan, I'm not part of the Cutthroat Crew, and I'm not trying to steal your fortress." I lifted the weapon in shaking hands. "Please take this back."

His shoulders deflated with a long exhale. A few seconds passed before he stepped forward and accepted the rifle. Then he clicked on the safety and strapped it over his back. When he spoke again, only a slight strain to his voice betraying the risk he had just taken.

"Alright. Then why were you digging through my possessions?"

I hesitated. "I was just... curious."

"Curious?"

I racked my brain for an appropriate excuse. I needed to diffuse his anger without letting him know what I had seen. Then I could gradually draw out the truth with subtle, unobtrusive questions like...

"Are you Infected?"

Shit, I'm fucked.

His eyes dropped to the papers by my feet, and he breathed a sigh. "I take it you read the invitation."

"Is that a yes?"

"I don't know."

I expelled a shaky laugh. "What do you mean, you don't know? Do you feel a desire to devour me right now?"

He raised an eyebrow.

Heat spread over my cheeks, and I changed my question. "Did an Infected bite you?"

"No, but no one knows if that's even how it spreads. The scientist who came here thought it could spread through water or contaminated meat or something."

This was the first hint of information I had found about the Infection in eight years. Excitement overcame the remainder of my fear. "And the scientists think your genes could be the cure?"

"She said studying me might give them valuable information. Apparently they can't analyze the Infected since their brains explode when they are captured or killed."

My chest burned with breathless anticipation. "And how did you respond?"

He shrugged. "Well, I said something like, 'Get the fuck off my property before I blow your brains out.'"

I winced. Based on the carnage from the day before, that was not an empty threat. The demise of humanity suited Rekkan just fine.

But even if he didn't care, I did.

"I asked you if you knew about any research bases," I said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "Forget about it, Zaf. It's probably overrun by Infected now. The scientist came a month ago, and she thought they wouldn't last much longer."

"So time is running out." I squatted to snatch the letter again. "I passed this factory before. It's less than a day's walk from here. If I leave now, I can—"

"No."

I glanced at him. "What?"

His hand slipped away from his face, and his eyes opened to meet mine. "No, you can't leave."

"Oh, I can't? Are you going to shoot me and tie me up again?"

He clucked his tongue. "Think about it, Zaf. This world has given you nothing, and you owe it nothing. And if you chase this lead, you'll probably end up dead."

"Well, not everyone can just sip whiskey and watch the world burn."

For a moment, he looked vaguely troubled, and I felt a sliver of regret at the sharp attack. But then his eyes grew steely. "This is about her, isn't it? About proving her innocent."

My brow furrowed. "Proving who innocent?"

"Your mother. Looney Lazora."

Dread tightened over my chest, collapsing my lungs. When I found my breath, I whispered, "How... how did you know she's my mother?"

He shrugged. "Put it together from what you told me about your mother and from your notes in the science book. She might have been a genius, Zaf, but she was fucking crazy. Why do you think she only visited you once a month? What do you think she was doing?"

I shook my head. "She—she was trying to stop whoever was making the virus. She had it all figured out."

"Oh, yeah? And how did that go for her? She was one of the first Infected, right?"

Suppressed flashbacks flitted through my mind of the last time I'd see my mother. I remembered how she kept repeating 'Even Ether will fall in the third phase' without even looking at me. How she launched herself at my father. How his blood soaked through the carpet and spilled down the stairs.

And how I ran.

Rekkan stepped forward and grazed a thumb over my wet cheek. "Hey, that's over now. Just stay, Zaf. Stay here, and I'll keep you safe."

Ether, it was hard to reject his soft plea—and harder still to push away his gentle hand. But by the time I swallowed the mucus in my throat, an unexpected strength carried my voice.

"I'm leaving, Rekkan. I'll find the research base, and I'll stop the Infection. So if you want to keep me safe, you'll have to come with me."

His breath left in a gust, and his eyes hardened once more. "You really think I'd leave my fortress for you? Don't be a fucking idiot. If you think you can save the world, then you're as crazy as your mother. And you'll end up the same way."

Every word struck an arrow into my chest, but every arrow only made me more determined. "Maybe, but I'd rather die trying than live only out of habit."

His jaw worked. "At least wait a few weeks. Wait until the snow melts, so you don't need to worry about freezing to death on top of everything else."

"You said the base won't hold out much longer. Sounds like I better go now."

He stared at me for a few seconds, motionless but for the storm of thoughts raging in his eyes. Then he took one step back and threw his hands up in a shrug. "Fine, what do I care? Let's see how long it takes before you come crawling back to me. You'd better pray I still let you in."

"Don't think I'll be praying. If I do come back, I'll come as an Infected."