Higher Ground by Becky Black (most read books of all time .txt) 📕

“What if the council sends another signal telling the outposts not to come?” a young woman with a small boy in her arms asked. It was an excellent question and one Zach couldn’t answer. Fortunately Visha could.

“A distress call takes precedence,” she said. “It has to be investigated. It doesn’t matter if they hear a message afterward saying ‘never mind’; they’re legally obliged to come and check it out.”

A palpable sense of relief washed over the group, which had been quiet and tense.

“And when they do come, we have our beacon,” Simon said. More relief, nods, and smiles.

“Thank you,” Zach said, smiling himself at the Franes. “And thank you again for whatever you did to keep the signal on for so long.”

“I wonder if they blew the comms center up after all?” Visha said, though she was grinning as she said it. She turned away to give Amina, half asleep at her side, some breakfast.

Zach looked down at the hills they’d climbed the day before and was quite impressed with their progress. He’d been too tired to check it the night before. But the place they’d started from was still just visible, pinpointed by the shapes of their abandoned vehicles. Arius was a dark smudge far in the distance across the flat basin floor. Even with good binoculars he wouldn’t be able to make out the largest buildings. But he might be able to see vehicles moving across the basin to the hills.

“Anything else happen during the night?” Adam asked.

“Nothing,” Torres said, coming over, a sandwich in one hand and a coffee mug in the other. “I checked with all the sentries, and none of them reported anything.”

“Good,” Zach said, and then wondered if he could call it good. Nothing to report meant no wandering animals or criminal activity, but no sign of problems with the island either. How long would people go on believing him with no physical evidence?

“Sentries.” Adam shook his head. “That’s a heavy sort of word.”

Zach decided he would definitely do sentry duty for a spell tonight. He glanced at Adam. With him? Or would that be a distraction? He didn’t think he’d be unable to stop himself flinging Adam to the ground and taking him there and then, but it would still be hard to pay attention to anything besides Adam’s eyes, his smile, his hair, the flicker of the firelight on his skin.

“Everyone fit and well?” Adam asked as Dr. Howie joined them.

“Fit enough,” he said. “Blisters are healing. People are a bit stiff, but they’ll feel better once we’re moving.”

Zach was pretty stiff himself. But as the sun rose higher, warming his back and shoulders, the aches eased. They were good. They were fine. He turned back to the others and found them looking at him again. What exactly did they want from him? They already knew the plan was to get away by seven. Did they need a reminder? Or simply a prompt?

“Okay,” he said. “Um, should we all get our breakfast finished? I think we should start to strike camp by six thirty.”

People started to move, heading back to their tents. Zach stared after them and roused only when Torres stopped beside him for a second and spoke briefly.

“Don’t ask them, tell them.” She moved on back to her tent, leaving him watching her go, mulling her small lesson. Adam appeared at his side.

“If you’re checking out her ass, then you’re even more complicated than I thought.”

Zach turned to him with a shake of the head. “Of course I’m not.”

“Good, because I think she has a boyfriend.”

Zach froze. “With us? Or back in town?”

“Back in…” Adam trailed off. “Shit.”

* * * *

“I’m going to take the first watch tonight,” Zach said as Adam finished erecting their tent and organized their gear inside.

“You mean we are,” Adam said, zipping together the sleeping bags as he had the night before. He’d enjoyed sharing the bag with Zach. They’d do the same tonight. And have a little more time to enjoy it. He’d been asleep almost before he came last night.

“I thought, maybe I should sit up with someone else.”

“What?” Adam stared. All day he’d been looking forward to snuggling under the stars with Zach, knowing Zach would volunteer for a watch tonight. Now Zach was standing there saying he didn’t want to?

“I just thought sitting with you I might be rather distracted.” He smiled weakly.

Adam chuckled and went on with setting up the tent. “Zach, we’re not on watch for a raid by enemy soldiers. It’s just in case there’s an emergency or something. A little distraction won’t hurt.”

“Okay. You’re right. I’m overthinking it.”

“I’ve noticed that about you.”

Zach sighed. “Always been a problem. You don’t mind staying up?”

“No. I slept like a dead man last night. Not quite as tired tonight.” A cup of coffee and teasing Zach would keep him awake. He couldn’t wait. “Let’s get some dinner.”

Nobody argued with them about taking first watch, and after dinner, the rest of the group began to settle for the night, leaving Zach and Adam sitting by the fire. Adam poured coffee and handed a mug to Zach.

“Thanks,” Zach said. He wore a worried expression, and Adam moved closer and spoke to him quietly.

“You okay?”

“Did you notice something at dinner tonight?”

“Mine could have used more salt.”

Zach gave him an impatient look. “Adam, please, I’m serious. I meant, there was no singing, like last night.”

Adam hadn’t noticed it at the time, but Zach was right. He shrugged. “People are more tired. We had a full day walking, not only a half.”

“Yes. They seemed more tired. And more tense.”

“I heard some grumbling. It’s to be expected.”

Zach scrubbed a hand through his hair, making it more unruly than ever. Adam reached over and smoothed it down, earning a smile from Zach.

“Do you think it’s only about being tired?” Zach asked.

“What else?”

“Nothing’s happened so far. No sign of trouble. What if people are starting to think I’m wrong?”

“You think they need…what, an earthquake to