Page 93 of Revenge Saints

The kid’s maybe five or six. Hazel eyes, dark brown hair. Her mom’s darker. Dad’s got blond hair, same eyes as the girl.

“Have you been here long?” Dante asks.

Knox pulls his pack around, and the three of them move back, but Knox doesn’t get closer. Instead, he pulls out a few cans and a water bottle, places them on the ground, then kicksthem forward gently.

They hesitate. Then Kaily gives us a small nod and picks them up.

“I’m sorry,” she says, with a shaken tone. “We’ve been on the run for so long.”

She kneels, opens the can, and the kid digs in fast, stuffing beans into her mouth like she hasn’t eaten in days.

Shit. I didn’t even think there were still kids alive.

“You all look tired,” Josh says, pointing to a small building nearby. “We have a place. Safer than this.”

It looks worse than anything around it. Which, yeah, smart. No one would think to search it.

We follow them in. Josh stops at the entrance and points down; a fishing line is stretched across the doorway, connected to a heavy log. One wrong step and you’re dead.

We step over and head up the broken stairs, copying their steps exactly.

At the door, Josh removes another trap, just a log leaning by the knob. Barely a deterrent. Placebo effect.

“Come in,” Kaily says.

The kid runs to a corner where I see a few stuffed animals, a broken doll, and some kids’ books.

Knox glances at me. This isn’t a place for a child.

We sit on the floor. Kaily brings fruit. We try to refuse, but she insists.

“How did,” Knox starts but stops, probably not wanting to sound rude, but we are all thinking it.

Josh chuckles.

“We didn’t plan it. Not after the world went to shit. We were in a community for a while after.”

He wraps an arm around Kaily. She leans into him.

“She couldn’t have kids,” he says softly.

He looks at Pauly, playing in the corner like the world hasn’t ended. And maybe, for her, it hasn’t. This is all she’s ever known.

“When she was born, some of the men in the community…” He trails off, fists clenching.

She leans into him, softly rubbing his arm.

So they ran.

Kaily’s arms are bruised. Her eyes are sunken, red, with deep purple shadows underneath.

Knox meets Dante’s eyes. Then mine.

“Maybe we can help each other,” Knox says, leaning back against the wall.

Josh and Kaily exchange a long look.

“We’re staying in a place right now. It would be safe for your family,” Knox says.