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

from their packs—dressed hastily, and headed back to camp.

It wasn’t in chaos, but people were shaken up and frightened again. For the next hour, Zach and Adam helped people put up tents and get out of the rain. Zach hoped there’d be no more quakes tonight. His people needed rest. At last he and Adam retired to their tent, put on dry clothes and settled into their sleeping bag.

“Adam,” Zach said, as Adam turned off the lantern. “I love you.”

Adam chuckled in the darkness. “Yes, you mentioned it.”

“I just didn’t want you to think I’d only say it during sex or an earthquake.”

“Good, because it would be rather tricky if that was the case. We’d either have to have a lot of sex or move some place seismically unstable.” He stroked Zach’s still-damp hair. “I love you too, Zach. I don’t need an earthquake either. Though I have no objection to having lots of sex.”

“What now?”

“Like we said. See what happens once we get out of this.”

“Okay.”

It was the only answer he could expect in the circumstances. They couldn’t decide where they went next with this. Right now they had only one destination—the top of this mountain. Tomorrow they’d climb again. Every step would bring them closer to deciding what they did do next.

Chapter Nineteen

Adam walked up to Zach, who was looking down into the flooded basin with binoculars. He didn’t know why Zach had to look down at that. What did he hope to see?

“Zach, there’s a problem.”

“Hang on.” Zach didn’t lower the binoculars.

“There’s nothing to see,” Adam said quietly. Did he hope someone had got themselves into a boat? There were—or had been—a few boats down there, little ones for messing around in the rivers. Nothing that could have survived the flood.

“I’m watching Barbara’s group.”

Okay, that was more constructive. Adam nodded. “How are they doing?”

“They’re still moving. About a day and a half behind us, I think. I hope they’re okay.”

“We were right not to wait. Don’t feel bad about it.”

Zach lowered the binoculars and smiled weakly at Adam, then frowned. “A problem? You said there’s a problem.”

“Yeah, we’re lost.”

“What? How can we be lost? We’re following the stream.”

“We were. I don’t know if the quakes have diverted that, or we’re in the wrong place, but there’s no stream.”

“Damn. How much water do we have left?”

“Hard to say. A day and half maybe. More if it rains again.” He took Zach’s arm and steered him back to where the group’s little leadership team stood around looking tense. They stood away from the rest of the crowd, not wanting anyone overhearing them. Only Amina, oblivious, sitting on a backpack at her father’s feet, smiled as Adam and Zach approached.

“So, what do we do?” Visha asked.

“Find the stream,” Adam said. “I know this area, and I think I’ve got a good idea of where it is. I’ll go find it and contact you all to follow me when I do.”

“What?” Zach stared at him. “You—you want to leave, go off on your own?”

“You can’t go on your own,” Howie said. “It’s too dangerous.”

“Right.” Zach nodded in vigorous agreement. “I’ll go with you.”

“You can’t go at all,” Howie said.

“He’s right,” Korrie agreed. “Not now, not after what happened. Not now that we don’t have Barbara either.”

“You’re the leader,” Adam said, taking Zach’s arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You have to stay with the group.” Zach groaned, his face a picture of torn feelings that made Adam want to hug him and tell him it would be okay, he’d never leave Zach’s side again.

But he couldn’t indulge in such things. The group needed him to do a job.

“Then it has to be me,” Simon said. Visha looked at him with the same agony Adam had just seen on Zach’s face.

“There’s plenty of people in the group who could come with me,” Adam protested, not wanting to split up the family.

“No, we’ll move faster with just the two of us. And if we start explaining and choosing volunteers, we’ll still be arguing about it by sunset. Better if you and I just go now.”

Adam couldn’t argue with the logic. “You’re right. So that’s agreed. Let’s go.”

“Agreed?” Zach protested. “Who says? We never—”

“Best lighten our packs. Simon, leave your tent but bring your bedroll.”

“Do you think we’ll be away overnight?”

“Look, just slow down,” Zach said, a pleading tone in his voice. Adam turned to him and spoke quietly.

“Zach, we have to do this, and there’s no sense in waiting around. I don’t want to leave you any more than you want me to go, but this is for the group.”

“But, Adam.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “What the hell will I do without you?”

“You’ll be amazing, that’s what you’ll do. And Ann and the doc and Visha, they’re all here too, all helping you.” He leaned in to kiss Zach quickly. “Butch up, Benesh. You’ll be fine.”

He turned back to the group and found with some alarm that they were going through his and Simon’s packs, lightening them as much as possible, making sure they weren’t both carrying anything they only needed one of. He quickly stepped up and almost grabbed his pack from Korrie when she started opening pockets.

“I’ve got it.”

“Your walkie-talkie still holding up?” Simon asked as Adam knelt by him on the ground and started rummaging in the pack. “Battery not flat?”

“It’s fine. Will we still be able to contact the group?”

“Range can be several kilometers as long as we have line of sight. Since we’re going higher, we generally should. And I’m taking one of the radio beacons, so Visha will be able to track us down if we get lost.”

Adam sighed with some relief. “Okay, that’s good.” He could feel Zach’s gaze boring into his back. But he couldn’t weaken. This had to be done. When they had the packs sorted out, he stood.

“We’ll check in hourly so you know we’re okay.” He smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile at