“We each must serve,” Brittney recited, like a lesson she’d learned a long time ago.

“And you think Jesus wants you to do this? This? Threaten a pregnant girl with a rock? That’s your religious theory? Jesus wants you to help a sadistic mental case to turn me over to a monster? I must have missed that part of the Bible. Is that part of the Sermon on the Mount?”

Brittney looked at her, very serious, and waited until Diana had run out of breath, if not scorn.

“That was the old God, Diana. That God was before. He doesn’t live in the FAYZ.”

Diana felt like choking the girl. And if it would do any good she would, and gladly. She wondered if she could stun Brittney long enough to get away. Surely a big rock would at least stun her.

But unfortunately everyone knew the story of what had happened when Brianna fought Drake. She had sliced him up like a butcher with a hog. And yet, he had survived. The same would be true of Brittney. And Diana didn’t have a machete.

“God is everywhere,” Diana said. “You were a church girl; you must know that.”

Brittney’s eyes were bright, eager, as she leaned forward. “No. No. I don’t have to follow an invisible god anymore. I can see him! I can touch him! I know where he lives, and what he looks like. No more little children’s stories. He wants you. That’s why we came for you.” She made a chiding face. “You should be excited.”

“You know what? I’m ready for Drake to come back. He’s evil, but at least he’s not an idiot.”

Diana stood up. So did Brittney.

“Justin,” Diana said.

“Yes?”

“See the place where the hills end? The lake is just past that. Start running.”

“Are you coming?” Justin cried.

“Right behind you. Now, run!”

Brittney didn’t come after Diana, although Diana swung on her again. Brittney ran after Justin.

She caught him easily. Diana tried to grab Brittney, but a pregnant girl running in the sand…

Brittney hugged Justin to her with one arm. In her free hand she held a sharp rock very close to Justin’s chattering, fearful mouth. It was a heartbreaking parody of maternal protectiveness.

Diana remembered again who Brittney had once been. The brave, decent girl who refused to disappoint Sam and Edilio.

It was Diana, along with Caine and Drake, who had made this Brittney. They and, of course, the Darkness. What a fatal little group they had proved to be. Look at the damage they had done, she and Caine and Drake. And the gaiaphage.

Now here they were on their way to a reunion. Diana, and Drake, and the gaiaphage. And Caine’s role would be played by his son or daughter.

She had wanted so badly to escape it all. For that briefest moment she believed she had changed Caine. And that was when they had created the baby inside her.

“Keep walking,” Brittney said, actually stroking Justin’s face with the stone. “Please.”

It was not Drake. The distant figure Brianna had seen was not Drake. It was Dekka. And Brianna had raced up within shouting distance with her machete out before she realized.

She skidded to a halt.

Dekka was covered in blood from hand to elbow, with sprays of it across her face.

“Where have you been?” Dekka demanded without so much as a hello.

Brianna sheathed her machete and decided against answering. “What’s with the blood?”

“It’s your boyfriend’s,” Dekka grated.

“My what?”

“Jack. He went after Drake by himself. Drake cut his throat.”

Brianna stared at her. “Are you nuts? Jack went after Drake? Jack doesn’t do things like that.”

“He does when there’s no other choice,” Dekka said.

Dekka kept looking past her. Brianna kept doing the same. The world was ending, Jack was hurt, maybe dying, maybe dead already, and they were being awkward.

“Drake has Diana and Justin. He’s heading toward the mine shaft, toward the gaiaphage.”

Brianna shook her head, feeling like she was missing something. “Who is Justin?”

“Where were you? You were supposed to be within earshot. Sam shot off some rounds and no Brianna.”

“I was looking for Drake,” Brianna said defensively.

Dekka glared pure fury at her. “You don’t love Jack. You don’t even care about him, do you? You haven’t even asked how he is.”

Brianna actually took a step back. “Why are you hating on me?”

Dekka’s jaw actually dropped. It would have been almost funny, if it wasn’t Dekka. “Are you that clueless? How do you not understand how irresponsible you are? Right now Orc is running back to the lake with his hands barely holding Jack’s blood in. And Drake is probably whipping Diana across the desert.”

Brianna shook her head violently. “That’s not my fault! That’s not on me! I was out looking for Drake.”

Suddenly Dekka’s bloody fist was flying straight for Brianna’s nose. Brianna easily sidestepped and Dekka stumbled forward.

Brianna was too astonished to hit back.

Dekka wasn’t finished. She actually kicked at Brianna. This unbalanced her completely and she fell heavily on her side.

Suddenly Brianna found herself in a column of floating sand. She tried to run but there was no solid ground beneath her. Gravity was suspended.

That did it. Brianna yanked out her sawed-off shotgun and leveled it at Dekka. “Put me down or I’ll shoot you!”