"We have a slight problem."

I turn to see Lacy walking up to us near the front double doors of the building we first came in. Casey was standing in the middle of Kyle and Alex as we waited for the others to arrive.

"What's wrong?" I ask, looking around the pillar for any bystanders looking our way.

"There's too many of us. It'll look suspicious if we all go just for an errand. Normally it's just two or three people but there's eight of us." She was on her own, both Leo and Lani not yet arriving.

Kyle frowns. "Eight, I thought there was seven of us. Is someone else joining?"

"Leo's cousin Christina is here too."

I was actually glad to hear that. But strange that I haven't seen her since we've been here. Looking around I wonder where she had been this entire time. Noticing my reaction Lacy sighs.

"Ever since we got spilt up with the rest of you she hasn't spoken a word. Once we got here she's been holed up in the room stationed to us. She refuses to leave. Leo doesn't know what to do with her." She whispers.

Nodding I guess it makes sense. She lost pretty much everyone she was close too. Sure she had Leo, but all her friends were either missing or dead. I get it too. If it hadn't been for Jinsen being with me those two months I would have lost the will to live as well.

Another few minutes and both Leo and Lani saunters over to us like it was the most causal thing to do. Lacy and I both frown.

"Where's your cousin?" She asks before I could.

He starts shaking his head, face looking grim and pissed at the same time. "I tried to convince her to come with us, but she isn't budging. I even told her Zared was here but nothing." He shrugs.

"I came to let you all know that we'll be staying. I can't leave her behind if she isn't going to move."

"Okay new plan. Leo, try to keep convincing her. Once you get her to tag along get the hell out of here and meet us at our old hideout. If you're not there in two days we'll be moving on. I'll make sure to leave you a clue on where to head next."

He nods his understanding with a displeased look.

"As for the rest of us-"

"I can sneak out of here on my own. Just tell me where this hideout is." Alex interrupts quickly, looking all serious as usual.

She looks to me and I nod in agreement. "It's true. He'll have no trouble with that." I tell her.

"Okay that's three. We're still too many on just a run so, Lani..." She turns to the girl. "Stay with Leo and join them when they leave."

Lani just nods and heads off like it was any normal day. Leo and Alex following suit but in different directions.

"Okay, I think we're good on just us four for now. Come on."

We follow her to the double doors where we first came in. A big guy was standing near like a bodyguard, looking a bit bored. As soon as he sees us coming, he frowns and holds up a hand.

"What's going on?" he asks in a deep voice.

"We need to make a run. We're short on blankets and I figure the newbies can join me since it's for them anyways." She didn't miss a beat.

He looks at each of us, staring at me the longest before he nods. "Parker will be back soon. Make sure you get back before she does."

"You got it." She slaps him on the shoulder as she walks pass him through the doors, acting like this was the norm.

I try my best to keep from wincing as pain shot through my side, afraid he'll stop me because I wasn't fit to help. But I held off pretty well and we walk through the same dark hall until we make it back outside on the other side.

"Alright. They'll be watching us until the check point. After that we're on our own. But we want that." She whispers closely.

The check point? Was she talking about those weird, twisted towers? So, they were manmade after all? I avoid any eye contact with the people who was out guarding the building and follow Lacy to wherever she was taking us. The sun was bright in the sky and the heat was starting to wane down as half the day was nearly gone already.

I was surprised that she didn't want to wait until the next day to head out but maybe it was because she didn't want Parker meeting me in case she came back from her lookout. And I guessed right as she says,

"It's best that you and Parker don't meet. If she came back before me this would be a lot harder to do than it is right now."

"Why would that be?" Kyle asks, walking right behind me.

"Because she's one stubborn chick that loves to give orders around this place. She'll want to keep a close eye on you guys and that would have made things more difficult. It's best to get out of here now, while she's gone."

We walk another twenty minutes before Lacy suddenly veers to the left in an ally. Frowning we follow without hesitation. She stops behind a large, planted tree against the building.

"Okay. Up ahead is the checkpoint, but there will be guards stationed around it. If they spot us they'll know something is up since we typically do errands within the town, not outside it. The only time its allowed is if you're with Parker."

"Wait, seriously?" Casey asks incredulously.

Lacy rolls her eyes. "Yeah. She's seriously in control of this place. So, we'll have to sneak out through the canal that is dried out and overgrown with foliage and debris. We'll be able to travel in that and well out of the city."

After she states that it's exactly what we do. Getting down into it looked way easier than it actually was, especially with all the dried overgrown weeds, abandoned crates, shopping carts, trash, a broken bicycle and even a burnt and rusted car that was missing its doors and all its windows. The ground was littered with trash and shards of glass everywhere.

When we come to a bridge we silently and carefully hid ourselves as best we could to bypass the single guard that walked back and forth across it, not minding to look down once for inspection. Maybe it was because daylight was still here so they didn't think anything, or anyone would be lurking in the smelly, disgusted canal.

Once we were safe enough away we all relaxed a little.

"There's an abandoned storefront on the highway that we had taken refuge in before we came here. It's a bit small, used to be a liquor store but its enough to keep us safe. That's where the others will meet up with us." Lacy starts walking a bit faster, noticing that the sun was beginning to go down in the sky.

My side was throbbing, and I was getting seriously tired, wanting to rest. I couldn't help but think of Jinsen and what he could be doing right now, where he could be at and how far away from each other we were. All I wanted to do at this point was look for him.

And I was done waiting to do it too.

After another thirty minutes passes as we climb out of the canal, hit the long strip of highway and watching the small town fade behind us we finally come across the small store that she mentioned. None of us spoke a word as we treaded along. Kyle was quiet and Casey kept looking at the both of us with a slight frown to her face.

My guess she was worried about the two of us. Kyle with his traumatic experience and me with my wound that she still hadn't been able to get a look at. Right now wasn't the time for all that though. Not if we wanted to make it by nightfall. Which got me to asking,

"Is it safe for them to travel when night is almost here?"

Lacy reaches the front door and bangs on it as usual, waiting for anything to come out. When nothing does she opens the door as it creaks loudly from misuse. "More than likely they'll wait until morning. Leo and Lani snuck out plenty of times and can judge the distance and how much light is available to reach a safe spot."

She heads inside and after a few moments comes back out. "It's clear. We'll wait here for the others before we head out to find Jinsen."

I perk up at that. I wasn't sure if that was her plan or not. But it makes sense when she stated I had a reason to go out looking. I knew I could count on her to immediately go find him. She was hard press about leaving on a suicide mission when we first met, but now that circumstances forced her hand to venture outside she wasn't one to hold back.

I felt immense relief flood through me at her words.

We all file in after her. The place was dimmed with all the shelves nearly empty and ransacked of anything worth taking. Heading to the back area we find a makeshift bedding and where people used to stay at. This must have been theirs before they joined that place.

Lacy sits on an overturned crate and sighs. "Now, we wait."