The Brink of War by Gregory Mone

Author:Gregory Mone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Abrams
Published: 2022-04-26T00:00:00+00:00

11

THE SURVIVOR

Kaya wanted to scream. How had they lost him? The three of them had sprinted back and searched every floor of the office building. Lewis was gone. Hanna was nervously wringing her hands. Thinking, Kaya guessed. Rian kept glancing back over his shoulder and past her down the hall. This was all his fault. Kaya jabbed a finger in his direction. “You shouldn’t have raced ahead like that,” she said.

Rian heard her but didn’t reply. He pushed his hand through his short hair and stared back at her. Kaya was immediately annoyed with herself. Why was she blaming him? This wasn’t his doing. Kaya had agreed to let the two Sun People return to Atlantis with her. She was the one who’d decided not to drop them in the ocean near the shore. So she should have been looking out for them. Especially Lewis. Why hadn’t she swum behind him?

She apologized to Rian.

He accepted silently.

“This isn’t your fault either, Kaya,” Hanna said. “We’re all responsible. The important thing now is that we find him.”

“Where did you leave the warship?” Rian asked. “Would he go back there?”

“Maybe,” Hanna guessed. “But he’s a pretty good swimmer. He should have been able to keep pace with me. My guess is that his breather broke, and if that happened . . .”

“There’s no way he’d make it up to the ship,” Rian said.

Again, Kaya blamed herself. She should have suggested buying new breathers at the store, not relying on borrowed gadgets.

Rian lowered his voice. “The longer we stay here looking for him, the greater the chance of bumping into the Erasers. We need to regroup. I say we go to your dad, Kaya.”

Kaya swallowed. “He’s close?”

“Very,” Rian answered.

Hanna shook her head. “You two go, and I’ll find Lewis.”

“No,” Rian replied.

The certainty in his voice surprised Kaya.

Annoyed, Hanna sneered. “I’ll make my own decisions,” she said.

Rian shrugged. “Look, I’m not suggesting we leave him here for good. But the vote is tomorrow, and if anyone has to be in Ridge City by then, it’s you, Hanna.”

Kaya eyed him. Why Hanna?

The Sun Person pointed her thumb at the center of her chest. “Me?”

“Yes,” Rian said. “The warship is the first piece of evidence. Your dad said you need to be there, too, Kaya. They’ll want to hear from one of our own people. But he explained that he really needs a Sun Person, and the professor, well . . . I gather he’s a peaceful man. He told us some story about how he’d only been in one fight his entire life, when he was twelve years old, and he lost to a kid who had a broken arm.”

Hanna chuckled. “He loves that story.”

“Yes, but as your dad pointed out, Kaya, the professor is huge. He’s intimidating. I’m guessing that seeing you, Hanna, will be far more convincing.”

“Why?” Hanna pressed.

“You’re too young to be a soldier,” he explained. “Kaya’s dad, Heron, thinks that if the High Council meets you or Lewis, they’ll know the invasion story is a lie.

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