Higher Ground by Becky Black (notion reading list txt) 📗

people leaving, and he’d politely asked her to suggest how. When she had no answer, he’d turned away to talk to Barbara Torres. Some last-minute instructions, no doubt.

Zach hoped she’d be useful. Adam had said he’d been on hikes and potholing expeditions with her in the group, and, while not the most lighthearted of companions, she was always calm and reliable. At last Zach ran to Adam’s truck and jumped in.

“Wagons roll?” Adam said.

“I’m sorry?” Zach said, baffled. Korrie giggled.

“Ready to go?” Adam said.

“Oh. Yes. Everyone is ready.”

Adam drove off. Behind them, a long line of vehicles formed up and followed.

“Wow, I never led a parade before,” Adam said. In a few minutes, they passed the Institute, the test fields where Zach had first seen Adam. Adam sighed, and Zach looked at him, then at the fields.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “About your experiments. All your work for your doctorate.”

“I’m just worried my parents will accuse me of making up this whole island-sinking-into-the-ocean thing to get them to subsidize me for another year.”

The long road across the basin to the Shusara region lay ahead, and Zach settled in for the drive, falling asleep inside two minutes, his head on Korrie’s shoulder and her arm around him.

* * * *

Korrie woke Zach as the convoy approached the end of the road. He looked out of the windshield at the mountains looming ahead. They appeared steeper and more forbidding than he expected.

“Don’t worry,” Adam said. “Shusara’s a doddle. I’ve been to the top a couple of times. It’s not so hard.”

Not for a fit youngster like him, Zach thought. But old people, children, and pets… Well, that might be more of a challenge. He could hope they wouldn’t have to climb all the way up. Rescue might arrive before then. Adam stopped the truck as they reached the last of the road. That broke the mountain’s spell, and Zach turned to him with a smile.

“Time to eat before we start?” Adam asked.

“Okay.” They jumped out and started to pass the word back down the line as the rest of the vehicles caught up and parked, some in neat lines, probably out of habit, some more haphazardly, thinking they’d never see their vehicles again anyway. People got out, stretched, and started organizing food. Kids and dogs began running around. Zach watched them nervously, worried about the air of chaos which quickly descended.

“Don’t worry,” Adam said. “We’ll round them all back up quick enough.”

“Right.”

“Let’s eat.”

Zach made himself eat more than usual, fueling up for the climb. But he had little appetite. All these people. And all here because of him. He kept looking back toward Arius, hoping to see another convoy of vehicles heading for them, the rest of the town. Yet the thought of even more people following frightened him too. While he ate, people kept coming over. They asked him questions. They wanted him to make decisions. They wanted leadership from him.

Surely someone older or with more of a position of authority would be better? But they came to him because he made the prediction. Somehow that meant he had to be the leader too. No wonder he could hardly eat. How the hell could he lead three hundred people fleeing for their lives?

The answer came to him after they cleared away lunch and began to prepare to leave. It came to him as he watched Adam moving around among people, helping them get ready for departure, going through backpacks to find anything that could be dumped. Barbara Torres did the same. Dr. Howie was speaking to people, older ones, or those with babies and young children. Listening to their fears, perhaps. Offering reassurances.

Zach breathed a little easier. If he did have to lead these people, he had companions he could look to for help and support. Adam, of course. Adam might not be certain anything was going to happen, but he’d support Zach anyway. And with Adam at his side, Zach could lead an army. He smiled, felt himself blush at the foolish notion. Torres? She’d help in a practical way, but would she support his leadership or undermine it? Had she been sent here to persuade people to turn back? Korrie would support him, and as a founder, her authority would be invaluable. Dr. Howie he knew less about, but as a founder and a doctor, he commanded respect. People clearly trusted him.

Two more people he knew he could rely on came over then. The Franes, their backpacks on, ready for the journey. Amina walked holding her mother’s hand.

“Hello, Zach.” Amina greeted him before her parents did, smiling as if this whole trip was a holiday. She carried the rag doll with the long legs. Leggy Peggy, he recalled.

“Hello, Amina. Hello, Peggy,” he said in a serious tone, making her giggle at him.

“The distress signal is still sending,” Simon said. He held up the small but powerful radio they’d brought. “Loud and clear.”

“What exactly did you do to hide it?” Zach asked, impressed.

“Trade secret,” Visha said. “But they might well have to blow up the comms center to get it to stop.”

“You’re going to be able to receive any signals from rescue ships when they arrive?”

“No problem. Also brought along a couple of radio beacons to help them locate us. And these.” He held up a pocket-size device in each hand. “Walkie-talkies. Half a dozen of them. Practically toys, really. But they don’t need a network, so as long as their batteries last we can use them to communicate within the group once we’re out of range of the Link network.”

“Oh, good idea. Give one to Doctor Howie so we can always contact him fast.”

“Already done. And I gave one to Barbara. Visha and I have one each, and you and Adam get the last ones.” Simon handed the two over to Zach.

“Thanks.” Zach finished adjusting the contents of his pack as he saw Adam heading his way too. “Stand by. We’ll be going soon.”

The family moved off, greeting Adam as