Everything went so smoothly for so long that we sort of tricked ourselves into thinking it was going to work. That we were just going to be able to take what we needed and slip away in the night like some kind of benevolent thief.

It wouldn't really hurt you, it would only help us.

We thought we'd gotten away with it.

I suppose we should have known better.

It was after the fifth scavenging mission. We almost had enough to get us to Colorado and provide a couple cushion weeks while we got settled there. Just one more night, we decided. We'd take a little bit more, then we'd get the hell out. We'd be out of here with the sun at our backs, not bothering to leave so much as a note.

They went the very next night. Aaron, Kyle and Viktoria. 

I could hear from my room as they quietly left the barracks. I silently counted in my head, estimating how long it would take them to get over the wall and into town. Shane was beside me on the small cot we shared, his arms keeping me pressed tight to his chest, his breath even and deep on my shoulder where he had his face buried in my hair. I closed my eyes, trying to sleep, but anxiety plucked a discordant tune along my nerves, keeping me wide awake.

The night slipped slowly past, something inside my chest winding tighter with every hour that crawled by.

When I couldn't bear it anymore, I rolled carefully off the cot, answering Shane's sleepy murmur of question with, "I'll be right back."

He was asleep again before I'd made it past the blanket passing for a makeshift door. I made my way outside, shivering in the chill as I looked up at the sky. It wasn't dawn quite yet. The darkness was just beginning to lighten, shifting from velvety black to softer charcoal, the stars beginning to dull. The sun would be up in another two hours.

Maybe longer.

The hours before dawn are always the longest, aren't they?

Folding my arms in an effort to preserve some body heat, I began walking. Movement's always helped me think. It's always helped to quiet the anxiety, giving me something tangible to focus on instead of just sitting and spinning my wheels. 

I wandered toward the gardens, then backtracked and began to head toward the infirmary, thinking I'd see if there was anything to do before I realized it would be locked. Jodie and Dad were the only ones who had keys.

A sigh seeped from my lungs and I turned back, then hesitated. I didn't really want to go back to my room, afraid my restlessness would wake Shane up. Going to the part of wall they'd be sneaking over to wait and watch for them wasn't a good idea, either. If anyone came by, I didn't want to risk drawing attention to the lax security on that portion of wall.

"You're up early."

The voice made me flinch violently before I whirled around to find Lisa watching me, a rifle slung over her shoulder and a frown on her face. Or at least I thought it was a frown. The night sky was just beginning to fade to dark grey, but it was still hard to see.

"Couldn't sleep," I eventually croaked. It was true enough, and thankfully Lisa didn't ask, so I didn't have to lie to her.

We stood in silence for a brief moment before Lisa nodded back toward where the kitchens were. With a small smile, she said, "Let me buy you a cup of coffee?"

A surprised laugh was startled out of me, immediately quelled by a shiver of unease that brushed its way down my spine. I looked over my shoulder toward the east, where they should be coming over the wall at any moment. Which meant it would be best if Lisa wasn't out here poking around.

"Thanks," I said, rubbing my hands together in an attempt to warm them up. "That would be great." 

We fell into step with each other, not speaking until we got to the kitchens. She struck a match and lit one of the lanterns, setting it on the large butcher-block table in the center of the room. I perched on a nearby stool, watching as she bustled around the kitchen, making coffee.

It was a little more of a process without a coffeemaker. The smell was the same though. Funny how such a little thing can bring so much comfort.

She put the kettle beside a small fire crackling in the hearth set into the brick wall to heat up, then took her own stool, laying her rifle on the table beside her. I met her gaze as steadily as I could, trying to pretend like I wasn't straining my ears for any whisper of movement from outside.

"Are you still planning on leaving?"

My heart shot into my throat, nearly choking me, then dropped just as quickly toward my stomach. A dizzying sense of vertigo gripped me and I gaped at Lisa, mind scrambling as I tried to figure out what this was really about.

Did she somehow know what we were...

But the calm, curious look on her face made me relax a little. I didn't think she'd be making me coffee this early in the morning if she knew we'd been stealing from that other group, possibly putting her people in danger. And she definitely wouldn't be so nice.

I shrugged carefully. "I don't know. We might."

Lisa got up and poured us each a cup of coffee. I took a moment to put a better poker face on, even managing to give her a smile as she set the cup down in front of me. I blew on it, soaking in the delicious scent before I finally took a sip.

I didn't even care when it burned my tongue a little. It was worth it.

"Do you not like it here?" Lisa asked, sounding genuinely curious as she blew on her own coffee, waiting for it to cool.

It took me a minute before I could come up with an answer that didn't give too much away. "It's not really that we don't like it. We just...had other plans."

"Plans can change," Lisa offered. When I looked up at her, she tucked a strand of silky black hair behind her ear and took a sip. I stared at her for a long time, trying to decide what had brought this on. She sat gracefully beneath my scrutiny, waiting for me to say something.

I gave her a dry look. "Sure." A moment of silence stretched between us before I let out a long sigh. "We're just a little gun-shy. The last place we had like this... Well, let's just say it didn't end so well."

Lisa opened her mouth, like she wanted to ask what had happened. Something on my face must have dissuaded her though and she just nodded before asking, "Was that place like this place?"

"In some ways," I said, staring down into the black depths of my coffee as I flinched away from the memories. "Both places had pretty good deals, considering that there are dead people walking around." 

"It hasn't always been a good deal." Lisa's voice had a distant sort of quality to it. Watching her, I saw as she flinched away from her own bad memories. Then her gaze shot to mine and she said, "But it is good here for the most part. Safe enough, as far as I'm concerned. It's a good place to stay."

A dim lightbulb began to flicker in the back of my head and I sat up a little straighter, eyeing her with a mix of interest and concern.

"Is this about Aaron?" I blurted, then winced, realizing I probably could have handled that with a little more tact.

A blush bloomed across Lisa's cheeks and she looked down into her coffee. She didn't say anything for a long, long time. "He's a good guy," she said finally, voice very soft, then rolled her eyes. "Which is more than I can say for a lot of people."

There was a certain bitter tinge to the statement that made me frown, wondering if there was anyone in particular she was talking about. I decided I was probably edging dangerously far into personal territory. Lisa had been more or less friendly after our first meeting, but that didn't mean she would like me prying into something so personal.

I wouldn't like me prying into something so personal.

"He is a good guy," I agreed, taking another sip of coffee, savoring the bitter flavor. I hesitated, then asked, "What would you do if we were leaving?"

It was kind of a dangerous question. But I suppose the romantic in me hadn't been able to ignore the fact that Aaron certainly seemed to enjoy talking to her, spending time with her. And bringing her with us was an idea I could stomach much better than the thought of Aaron staying behind.

Of course, all of that was just a bunch of assumption on my part. I knew he had talked to her a few times, and was definitely just jumping to conclusions. However, Lisa was an important member of your community and having her trust—no matter how minimal—could only help in the long run.

And it did. In its own way.

Lisa bit her lip, spinning her cup in her hands. I heard the dull thud of a door from across the compound, but didn't pay it much attention. 

Mornings come early in the apocalypse. 

"I don't know," she finally said. "Probably nothing."

I raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't really have anything to say. It was a reasonable enough response, considering we'd only been around for a couple weeks. The truth of the matter was that, even though Aaron is a good guy, she didn't have any reason to throw her lot in with us.

Deciding not to push the conversation any further in case I accidentally gave something away, I asked, "How did you meet my dad?"

A small small tugged at the corner of her mouth. It wasn't necessarily a very nice sort of smile, making me wonder if things had always been strained between Lisa and my dad, or if that was something our arrival had brought about.

"It was actually your sister who picked me up," Lisa said, swirling the dregs of her coffee around. "And it was your sister who convinced Noah to take me in."

Well, that was an interesting little tidbit. From what I'd seen, Lisa was tough as nails and twice as capable, not to mention reliable and quick-thinking. Why had my sister needed to do any convincing for someone like Lisa?

The question must have been written all over my face, because Lisa gave her coffee a vicious little frown. "Taking in new people is a tricky business around here."

"I know," I said, the words escaping before I could corral them. I winced internally before giving Lisa a nervous glance.

She was still staring down at the dregs of her coffee. Her hands were wrapped around the cup, knuckles white with tension. Her nails had been bitten down to the quick, making me think she wasn't as calm, cool and collected as she always appeared to be.

It made her seem a little more approachable.

I hesitated on the edge of asking her what the whole system was here—how they managed to split groups down the middle, how they could do it—but the door to the kitchen was flung open. We both jumped, Lisa nearly sending her cup flying as she lunged for her rifle.

It was just Shane.

He started a little in surprise when he saw the both of us sitting at the table. Immediately the tenseness in his jaw relaxed and the worried furrow between his brows smoothed away to a friendly smile. I bit at the inside of my cheek, but didn't say anything since we weren't alone.

Shane hadn't just been worried about where I was. The fact that he'd wiped that worry off his face so quickly meant something wasn't right. I started to get up, trying to keep my face blank. Shane waved a hand at me, eyes straying to the coffeepot. He nodded toward it, raising an eyebrow in question. "That for anyone?"

"Help yourself," Lisa said, sliding her empty cup toward the end of the table.

Shane picked it up, tossing the dregs into the fire before he poured himself a fresh cup and came around to stand next to me, leaning his hip against the table. Lisa raised an amused eyebrow when Shane took a sip, swearing as it burned his tongue.

I tried to make myself laugh. To act normal. But I don't know how convincing I was. Thankfully, most of Lisa's attention had shifted to Shane. He rested a hand on the back of my neck, gently massaging the tense muscles there and I made a concerted effort to relax.

The others hadn't come back. That was the only explanation for his behavior.

Lisa's mouth curled a little, either in a grimace or because she was trying not to smile. Her gaze flicked between the two of us and she stood up, reaching for her rifle. "I better get back to my rounds before anyone else wakes up," she said, giving us both a nod as she headed toward the door.

Shane's fingers tightened convulsively, making me wince. He immediately dropped his hand to my shoulder, squeezing it in apology. If Aaron, Kyle and Vik were still out there, they would need a clear path to get back over the wall.

Them coming back over that wall was the only possibility I would entertain in that moment.

"When are you plannin' on your next run?" Shane asked, making me start a little and Lisa turn to look at him, eyes narrowed.

She pursed her lips in thought, then shook her head. "Maybe soon. Why?"

Shane hesitated for the barest moment, but it was enough for Lisa's expression to go from thoughtful to suspicious. Once again, her gaze flicked between the two of us. Maybe she thought we were going to use the next supply run as an opportunity to slip away. Maybe she just thought Shane was poking his nose in where it didn't belong.

"I just noticed you guys were running a little low on .45 caliber rounds," Shane said, the perfect picture of helpful innocence. "A lot of your weapons are .45's. I just thought you'd want to fix that."

I began to wonder if Shane had always been such a good liar, or if it was a newly acquired skill. 

Lisa gave him another suspicious once-over but, like me, couldn't seem to find any chink in his armor. As the silence stretched, he gave her an odd sort of look. "Do you guys not bother to keep stocked on ammo?" 

It was a calculated thing to say. Lisa immediately bristled at the implication of incompetence. 

"I'll take it up with Noah," she muttered. She gave him another careful look, eyes scanning him from head to toe. "Why were you in the armory so early?"

"Oh, I noticed it the other day when I was working in there," Shane replied. "I mentioned it to Gabe. He said he'd talk to you about it." He smiled a little ruefully. "Guess he didn't get a chance to."

Lisa worried at her bottom lip with her teeth, looking lost in thought. "Guess not," she murmured. She turned to the door again, waving over her shoulder. "Noah should be awake by now. I'll talk to him."

Before either of us could so much as open our mouths, she was outside, the door swinging shut behind her. We stayed still and silent for a brief moment, the only sound the crackle of the small fire and the beginnings of birdsong from outside.

"They're not back yet," Shane said, his voice strained. He didn't look at me as he said it, keeping his attention on the door.

I just nodded, my hands turning into white-knuckled fists on the tabletop. I put them in my lap to try and hide them. From myself or Shane, I wasn't sure. Fear rose up in my throat before I clamped down on it, shoving it mercilessly into the smallest possible corner I could find.

Keeping my voice steady, I asked, "What do you want to do?" That fear jumped up my throat again. "What are we going to say to Sacha?"

Shane ran a hand through his hair, shoulder bunched up under his ears the only betrayal of his tension. He turned to me, the shadows under his eyes stark in his pale face. But his eyes were fiercely determined as he looked at me.

I relaxed slightly, waiting to hear how he was going to solve this, kind of hating that I didn't have anything to offer.

A thoughtful little divot appeared between his eyebrows and he paced back and forth along the table for a moment before he let out a long sigh.

"Do you think--"

The door flying back open cut him off, and we both froze in surprise when we saw Lisa again. Her black hair was messy and her eyes furious.

"Noah's not here."

I blinked, not understanding what she was saying at first. "What?"

"He's gone!" she ground out between clenched teeth. "But no one saw him leave."