"If he is alive, he probably thinks you're dead."

I shift in my seat as Lacy says the words. I knew that and I was afraid of what that could mean. I know Jinsen constantly stated that he couldn't make it in this world without me but somewhere deep inside I just knew he was still out there somewhere.

"He was pushed in a raging river. I don't want to say it, but we have to face hard cold facts too." Leo's lips were thin, his features looking grim. "He may already be dea-"

"I know that." I snap, not wanting him to finish that sentence.

"We went back to the hotel too." Lacy changes the subject sensing my rising anger at the topic of Jinsen.

Snapping my eyes to her I wait for her to finish. "The place was already gone. We wanted to stay and find who we could but..." She lets the sentence fall as her eyes teared up.

Lani silently begins to cry, pulling her legs close to her as she sat on the ground where we were all huddled together.

"Did you find any bodies?" I ask in a whisper, Kyle, who came back immediately after cleaning up, looked at each of us with worry.

"No. We didn't get a chance too honestly. The fire was still raging to where we couldn't even get inside and by the time it started dimming down it was getting too dark, so we had to leave."

"Jinsen and I found Rissa." My voice trembled as the images came back to me.

"I'm so sorry." Lacy whispers and we all go into silence.

"Y-Yeah well, we all knew deep down she wasn't going to make it anyways. It was more to appease Jinsen that we could save her, right?" I snap my mouth shut knowing that deep down I wanted to do anything to try and save her, hoping that I could.

Time just hadn't been on our side that day.

Leo leans over, grabbing my shoulder in a gentle squeeze with a dismal look on his face. Clearing my throat I ask the one question I have been dying to ask. "How long have you guys been here?"

"Just a couple weeks now. At first we were just going to stay a few days, but this place is safer than anywhere else right now." Lacy starts out, breathing out a sigh as if getting her bearings now that the hard part of the conversation was over.

"Yeah, it would almost be perfect if it wasn't for you know who." Lani mumbles under her breath, looking a bit pensive.

"Lani, hush!" Lacy grits out under her breath while carefully looking around to see if anyone heard us.

I frown at their reactions. "What's going on? Who are you talking about?" I whisper because something told me we shouldn't be talking about this.

No one says anything as they all cautiously look around again. Because they were doing it I couldn't help doing it myself. No one was paying us any attention as they went about their day doing whatever needed to be done to keep this place up and running. Lacy leans in even closer, making the rest of us do the same.

"Her name is Tiffany, goes by Tiff. According to everyone around here she's been alive in this place for over three months, the longest out of anyone here. She's their leader and she shows it too."

The bitterness in her tone had me frowning even more. Then I realize what she said. "They were shocked when I told them I've been here for over five months-"

"You told them how long you've been here?" Lacy interrupts, looking grim.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" I was afraid that it was. "But Lacy you've been here longer than m-"

She suddenly slaps her hand against my mouth to shut me up. My eyes widen from the unexpected action. She once again looks around, but there was still no one paying us any mind. Quickly removing her hand she fiercely whispers,

"I told them I've only been here less than a month when I first showed up."

My frown becomes even deeper. "Why, would you do that?"

"That's not important right now. What is important is to get you the hell out of here before she gets back. And thankfully..." She stands up, staring down at me. "We have a reason for you too."

I wasn't sure what she meant by that, and I didn't get a chance to ask as she suddenly walks off leaving me sitting there dumbfounded. I look to the other two but neither of them say anything.

"No point in packing when we just got back." Leo states to Lani, but then she too gets up with a furrow to her brows.

"If we're not coming back then I want to grab a few more items and nonperishables." With no further explanation she jets off in a different direction that Lacy had gone.

"What the fuck is going on, Leo?" I wanted answers because their reactions was really beginning to worry me.

At first it looked like he was going to answer but he seemed to think better of it and leans as close as he could get with me and Kyle leaning in further too.

"Tiffany thrives on being the oldest person alive in the place and anyone who comes bearing the higher title doesn't sit well with her. It means they outlived her and could potentially be wiser with these creatures."

"How is that fair when the other person showed up before she did?" Kyle asks, making me think the same thing.

"That doesn't matter to her because the way she sees it, anyone before her should already be dead."

That one sentence caused a deeper worry within me. "What happens if someone comes here living longer?"

His face turns grim, and his stare was intense. "We don't know what happens to them. All we do know is she'll take them out on a run and returns without them stating that they were ambushed, and they didn't make it."

I instantly understood his meaning. But my next question is, how did Lacy know not to reveal how long she's been here, or any of them for that matter? Leo and Lani have been here just as long as I have, Lani a bit longer.

"Lacy had a hunch that something was wrong when they asked us. It was the way they stated it. When she said she was here for only a few weeks we followed blindly without hesitation and we're glad that we did."

I didn't like where this was going but I wasn't opposed to leaving either. I don't know any of these people and even though this place was everything we needed to survive it wouldn't be if the leader was just going to get me killed anyways.

Lani gets back to us first, holding another packed bag with her, nearly slamming it to the ground for how heavy it was. "Ready." She huffs a breath of air.

"Okay, we got the green light to leave from Boggs. I told him that we were low on blankets with the newcomers and needed to make an errand." Lacy came rushing back as she says this, skirting her eyes around once again.

"I'm going with you." Kyle quickly states as he stands up with me.

I look down to him, his eyes wary and scared. "Wouldn't you want to stay with the others?" I ask, since he's been with them longer than he's been with me.

"I don't want to stay in a place that's dictated by a lunatic who believes they should outlive anyone else. That makes no sense and a total red flag."

He had a point there. "What about the others though?"

He gnaws on his lower lip, deep in thought. "I can convince Casey, but I'm not sure about Barnes and everyone else."

"Shit if you're set on going, then count me in."

We all snap our attention to behind me where I see Alex coming around from the tree he was hiding behind. I hear both Lacy and Leo curse under their breath, but I hold up my hand to stop them.

"You heard everything?" I ask, watching him.

He nods. "I agree with the kid. I'm not about to be stuck in a place that only hides behind a mirage of an oasis. I've been looking around closely and these people...they're not happy, not as happy as they should be with a safe bed and full belly. Like Kyle said, total red flags man."

I nod and look to Kyle, "Bring Casey over, but don't tell her anything. Just say I'm ready for her to look over my wound."

He quickly nods and jets off to wherever she went.

"Are you sure you can trust them?" Lacy asks, realizing we were starting to get a little attention from Peter and a few others.

"Let's break up for now. Meet me by the entrance in thirty."

With that we each go our separate ways in tiny groups, me and Alex heading to follow Kyle.