But if Connie Temple was cooking ribs then there were only two places she could buy them. Fortunately the Vons grocery and the Fat N’ Greezy rib stand were in the same strip center.

Darius stuck his phone in his pocket. He stopped by a buddy’s room on the way out, said he was going to drive down to Vons for some munchies and beer. His buddy told him to pick up some Cheetos. The spicy ones.

It was a twenty-minute drive to Vons. And since it was a straight shot down the highway he was pretty sure he wasn’t being followed. They had no reason to suspect him, anyway, and they had lots of other people to watch.

He passed Connie’s trailer on the way. Her silver Kia was not in its usual spot.

Unfortunately it was also not in the Vons parking lot.

Darius killed some time filling his tank at the Chevron. He had a good view of the parking lot.

He drove through McDonald’s for a coffee.

After that all he could do was wait. An hour he could explain. Two hours? That would be pushing it.

Then he spotted the solution: the movie theaters. Three movies showing, all of them crap, but he’d seen one of them. Perfect. He went to the theater and bought a ticket using a credit card. He went inside and bought fifteen dollars’ worth worth of popcorn and candy.

As soon as the previews started he ditched the junk food and let himself out through one of the side exits. He was careful to keep his ticket stub.

Outside he almost instantly spotted the silver Kia.

There would be security cameras inside Vons, which was where Connie went. So he moved his own car until it was parked beside Connie’s. And waited.

She came out with a cart half-full of plastic bags. She didn’t notice him sitting there until she was behind the wheel of her car. Then he rolled down the window.

She did the same.

He looked at her. “I’m putting my life in your hands, Con,” he said.

“What are you talking about?”

“Life in prison if I get caught and convicted.”

Her brow furrowed. It made her look older. Which was fine with him; he liked a woman who looked like a woman.

“What is it, Darius?”

“They’re going to nuke the dome.”

TWENTY-SIX

11 HOURS, 28 MINUTES

THE ARTFUL ROGER shouted from the deck of the sailboat. Edilio heard and knew instantly that something had gone terribly wrong.

Roger was waving furiously, directing Edilio to look toward the shore.

Edilio felt his heart drop into his stomach. A rowboat moved quickly toward the land. Edilio raced downstairs, grabbed Sam’s binoculars, and raced back up with Sam and Dekka breathless in his wake.

Edilio jabbed the binoculars into his eye sockets. The boat was inches from shore, scraping along the gravel. There was no mistaking the tentacle arm that jerked Diana rudely up and tossed her onto the ground.

“It’s Drake,” Edilio said. “He’s got Diana. And Justin.”

Drake, as if magically hearing his name, turned toward him, raised one of the oars, and waved at Edilio.

Then he smashed the oar down, breaking it in half. Now he had the jagged wooden stump of it in his tentacle. He pointed it at Justin’s throat. The little boy was crying. Edilio could see the tears streaming down his face.

With his hand Drake made a mocking come and get me move.

The message was clear. And Edilio had no doubt Drake would do it.

“Where is Breeze?” Sam raged. “Edilio. Fire a round!”

Edilio didn’t hear or at least didn’t connect those words with any action. He swiveled to look at Roger. Roger looked like he’d been gutted.

Edilio raised one hand in a fist for Roger to see. So that Roger would know that Edilio understood and had not lost hope.

Sam pulled Edilio’s pistol out and fired three rounds into the air.

If Brianna were anywhere close, she would hear and know what it meant.

Drake hurried up the bluff with Diana stumbling ahead and Justin trying pitifully to help her. In seconds they would be out of sight.

Sam cursed Brianna for a reckless, irresponsible idiot. Dekka was already running down the dock. But there was zero chance of her catching Drake, not at this distance.

Sam spun to race after her. He might not catch up, either, but Edilio knew he couldn’t just stand there.

“Sam, no!” Edilio snapped.

Sam missed a step, then stopped. He looked at Edilio, puzzled.

“We’re scattered. And we can’t risk you. You die and the light dies with you.”

“Are you out of your mind? You think I’m going to let Drake come in here and take Diana?”

“Not you, Sam. Dekka, yes. Orc, yes. He’s out there, too. And send Jack as well. Anyone but you.”

Sam looked like he’d been punched. Like someone had knocked the wind out of him. He blinked and started to say something and stopped.

“You aren’t replaceable, Sam. Figure it out, okay? It’s going dark and you make light. So this isn’t going to be your battle. Not now. It’s on the rest of us to step up.”

Edilio licked his lips and looked miserable. “Me, too. My place is here. I can’t take Drake on. I’d just be another victim.” He glanced back at Roger, who held out his hands in a gesture of incomprehension that Edilio interpreted easily.

Why aren’t you going after Justin?

Why are you and Sam standing there doing nothing?

Edilio could see that the whole population was up on deck on the various scattered boats. They’d all heard the shots. They all stared hard at their leaders now, at Sam and Edilio. Some noticed Dekka laboring along the shoreline, trying to reach the place where Drake had come ashore. They pointed at her and then looked back, frowning at Sam and Edilio.