I was too lost in my thoughts to protest. The wine made me feel both relaxed and sleepy, and while it was pleasant, there was a faint warning bell ringing in my head. It'd been like that at the summer fete and I'd ignored it. The morning after I'd woken up swearing to never drink ever again a ever.

Then I remembered how Daniel hated alcohol. Growing up with an alcoholic mother it was no wonder. My muscles unclenched as I realised that was probably the reason why he'd left.

"Maybe I should go and see if Daniel is okay," I said, pushing back my chair to rise.

Mum placed a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down. "No, sweetheart. I think you should stay here. It's rude to leave your guests."

"Oh, sorry," I said.

"Ye all right, love. If ye want te leaveaa"

"Thank you, Mary. I'm her mother, though. So I'm sure I can handle this." Mum tapped her fingers on the table cloth as she spoke. "Young love. It's so consuming when you're still a teenager. You know, I wasn't that much older than you when I first met your father. Did you know that he wasn't a Professor at all? He had his doctorate, sure, and taught a few classes, but he certainly wasn't a Professor."

"More lies," I muttered.

"Yes, well. That's my point, Mina. You need to be careful. Young love is exciting and passionate.... but it fizzles out as quickly as it begins. I'm sure this tryst with Daniel feels terrifically exciting at the moment; you just need to think about what you want in the long term. Daniel is a lovely boy. You have to decide if he's right for you. Does he challenge you, intellectually?"

"He's not stupid!" I said. "We talk about... lots of things." What did we talk about? It was a miracle if we had time for a conversation in the world we lived in. We talked about our powers at first. What else? Forthcoming war?

"Daniel is a great lad," Mary said. "An' ah'm sure Mina knows what she's doin'. She's got her head screwed on right, that lass."

"Thanks, Mary," I blushed again. Or was it the wine? It did spread something warm and fuzzy around my body. I yawned.

"Och! Dinnae set me off, lass." Mary yawned and stretched. "Must be a while since ah had a proper drink. This wine is sendin' me off te sleep."

"I think I'll just set my head down here," Kitty said, pressing her cheek to the table cloth. Her eyes closed, and the soft sound of her snoring sent the table into a fit of giggles.

"I'm going to join my lovely girlfriend," Mike said, his words slurring. He put his head down on the table and dozed off.

"Well, this is my cue to leave," Mary said, trying to stand. Dave the soldier tried to help her up and they both collapsed to the floor, snickering. I laughed so hard tears ran down my cheeks.

"Not yet, Mary. I have some things to give you from the car," Mum said.

"What things. Can't they wait atil morning, eh? Ah need te get up from this damn floor." She managed to prop up one leg and then collapsed again.

Ali laughed. "Yer pissed, Mary, ye old fart. Ye cannae hold yer drink." His chair scraped as he got to his feet. Matthew joined him. "I think it's time for us to retire." Ali put on a fake posh voice that made Matthew laugh. "I thank you kindly for your hospitality."

"Come on, Al. Let's go before you embarrass yourself."

It made me chuckle to watch them stagger out of the house arm in arm. A warm glow spread across my chest. My mum and my uncle a both safe and happy. If only things could work out with my dad. I shook my head. Not after the way he'd lied to me.

Dave staggered on to his feet. "I'll be escorting you if you want to get the stuff from the car." His words slurred a just like Mike's.

I hiccupped. "I think I've had too much wine. I'm sleepy."

"Come on, Mina. You need to help me. The fresh air will do you good. Come on." She stood and held out a hand to me.

I took it. "Oh, all right. If you think it will help."

We stepped out into the summer night. A warm breeze caressed my neck and cooled my forehead. It was almost pitch dark and Dave flicked the switch on his torch, lighting the way. He sang a song in a surprisingly mellow and smooth voice. Unfortunately, he sang about girls in a club "shaking their booty" a whatever that meant. Maybe it was by one of those awful GEM pop groups.

"What are we getting for Mary?" I asked.

"Just some food for the Compounders," she answered, slipping her arm inside mine as though we were conspirators. "I thought it would be nice for them to have a little something extra for breakfast."

"That's so thoughtful." How could anyone think her evil?

Because she works for the GEM and the GEM are evil.

No, I wouldn't think like that. I couldn't a it would drive me insane. I had to get to know her first, putting all those thoughts aside, and then make my decision. If she left the GEM then maybe things would be better. Daniel could get to know her, and everything would be all right.

"Mum," I asked.

"Yes darling."

We approached the car. "Do you like Daniel? I know you said about how young love is fleeting and everything... I just want to know if you like him. It's important to me."

"Of course I do. He's a lovely boy. He's just..." she trailed off.

"What is it?" We stopped next to the car, and she let go of my arm.

"It's just that he's very intense, sweetheart. The way he left the table came across as very dramatic. I love you so much. I don't want to have to worry about you getting involved with someone whose emotions run so high."

"He's not always like that," I said. I wanted to tell her about all the good things about Daniel: like how shyly he showcased his carpentry, or how he let me make my own decisions; his generosity. My hand rose to my throat where the necklace lay against my skin.

"Well, what do I know?" she said. "I don't know the boy. All I know is that you're both terribly young." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a key fob. The car made a clunk sound as the doors unlocked. She opened the trunk of the car and began lifting boxes for Dave to hold. He carried on singing about girls with "junk and jelly" as she piled the boxes high. "Thank you very much, Dave. Now, I think you should have a little rest. That would serve you exceedingly well." Mum rummaged in the trunk for something. Then, moving quickly, she approached Dave and patted him on the arm with her left hand. But in her right hand I noticed something small and tube-like. She moved quick, jabbing him in the side with whatever that tube was. He fell backwards with the boxes tumbling from his hands and landed on the soft gravel with a crunch.

"What happened?" I said. My mouth hung open in surprise. "What did you do to him?"

"He's had too much to drink. Get in the car."

"Why, where are we going?" I asked. The warm feeling from the wine disappeared; replaced with something cold running through my veins. My head still felt fogged from the wine, and I had to force myself to think clearly. "Did you do something to him?"

"We're going home, and no, I didn't. He drank too much wine. That's all. Now, I won't tell you again. Get in the car." She slammed the door to the boot.

"No," I said, backing away. My foot caught on a stone and I stumbled. She was too quick for me. As I tried to straighten up, I felt a short sharp pain in my arm. The world blurred into nothing and I fell backwards.

9 * Angela *

Angela opened her eyes with a start and rolled over to find Cam sitting up in his sleeping bag. Aside from the usual noises in the barn, she'd heard something.

"What was that?" she whispered. She had to blink the sleep out of her eyes and strain through the pitch black of the barn to see his face.

"Aye, ah think ah saw Sebastian sneaking out," he replied in a hushed tone.

Angela scrambled into an upright position. "You don't think he's trying to escape?"

"We'd better find out, eh?"

Cam stood and helped Angela to her feet. They picked their way through the sleeping bodies until they were in the open air and under the stars. Only one spotlight remained from the Compound's old lighting system, and it flashed on and off every ten minutes to save electricity.

"Look!" Angela pointed to a slow figure moving along the gravel path carrying a backpack.

They rushed forward and Angela spun him around by his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she said. "It's the middle of the night! You're not seriously thinking of leaving to go to Area 14 now are you?"

Sebastian straightened his back to full height, and the spotlight fell on his face to show half narrowed eyes. "It's my decision. I'm old enough to go if I want to."

"You're not well enough, though," Angela pointed out.

"She's right, pal. Yer not well. Yer not even movin' fast. It'll take yer months te get te Area 14 at this rate." Cam placed a hand on Sebastian's arm. "Come back te the barn an' we'll figure it out tomorrow, ey?"

Sebastian shook him off. "I need to go tonight. I just need to see him. You don't understand what it's like not knowing if my family are okay."

Angela felt Cam tense next to her. She tried to examine his expression, but the darkness cloaked it from her gaze.

"Ah know exactly what that feels like, mate. An' ah've seen ma dad die right in front o'ma eyes. If ye want a pity party, ye'll no' get one from me. If ye want te be sensible an' make a plan, then ye'll get all the time ye need."

Sebastian hung his head. "I didn't know where they were, and that was okay, you know. I could ignore it; pretend they were just living on the farm in Area 14 without anything bad happening to them. Now I know where my dad is, and it's killing me. I just want to make sure my mum's alive. I need to know." He let out a sob and Angela realised he was crying. She rushed forwards and pulled him into a hug.

"What's goin' on?"

Angela moved back and spun around. Ginge approached, her mass of red hair poking out at all angles.

"Are ye leavin' us?" she demanded. "Ye goin' without sayin' goodbye, eh?"

"I left you a note," Sebastian said in a quiet voice. "I just wanted to slip away so I could find my parents."

"After everythin' we said? Ye've barely recoveredaa"

"I'm all right." He seized her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes. "I need to do this."

"Then ah'm comin' with ye," said Ginge. "There's nae way ye goin' without me." Sebastian tried to speak. "Ah said, nae way."

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Aye, serious as bloody cancer."

"It could be dangerous."

"Nae more than the Scavenger runs. Ah can take care of meself," she said. "Ye know that."

Sebastian kissed her. When the kiss went on for too long Angela's cheeks warmed, and Cam cleared his throat.

"Even with the both of yer, it's gunnae take too long on foot. Ye need a car," said Cam.

Ginge and Sebastian came out of their clinch.

"You mean... steal one from the Compound?" asked Sebastian.

"That's pretty bad," Ginge said. "Ah dunnae know if we should."

"It's over a hundred miles te Area 14, days by foot, an' a few hours in a car."

Sebastian rubbed his chin and glanced from Ginge to Cam. "He's right. If you're coming with me, I need you to be safe, and the safest way is to steal a car. It's not really stealing anyway; we'll bring it back when I've seen my parents."

"Then why not wait atil the morning and ask Mary if we can take a car," said Angela. "That way you can leave with some supplies."

"Och, she'll never agree te that." Ginge shook her head. "Nae chance in hell, lass. Mary wouldnae let him travel when Nurse Susan wants him in bed." She jabbed her thumb at Sebastian. "It's probably best te go nae if we're gonnae. Come on a ah know where the soldiers keep their keys fer the trucks."

They changed course towards the ruins of the castle. Angela's fists clenched at her sides watching them go. A desperate feeling crept up from her stomach. This was her one chance. She had to do something.

"Wait," she called after them. "I want to come too. I want to see if my mum is okay in the nursing home I sent her." She faced Cam and his mouth gaped open in shock. "All this talk has made me realise something. I have a mother and I've been pretending I haven't. When Sebastian said he needed to see his family it made me realise that I need to see mine too. I'm so sorry about what happened to your dad, and I'm sorry if this seems selfish. I just really want to see her. You know? And... well, I was wondering if you wanted to come to."

Angela pulled at a loose thread in her jumper as she waited for Cam to answer. His face remained an unreadable mask in the darkness.

"Ah'm so glad ye said that. Because all ah see when in the place that's been ma home fer years, is the look on ma da's face as he died. Ah need te get out o' here an' ah need to do it nae." He stepped forward and put his arms around Angela, pulling her into an embrace. "Besides, ah'd go anywhere with ye. Ah'd follow yer te Land's End an' back if ye wanted. Yer ma girl, Ange."

Tears pricked at her eyes and she held him tight, balling the back of his shirt into her fists. Her emotions ran so high she opened her mouth to speak but couldn't form the words and instead made little more than a croaking sound in her throat. She nestled into his neck, inhaling his scent a musky and earthy from the long days working on the Compound. He was so warm and soft that she wanted to be in his arms forever.

Cam pushed his nose towards hers, reaching her lips. They'd kissed before; small pecks and awkward, bumpy kisses. This was different. This had some deeper meaning that she'd never experienced before. A warm feeling ran through her body, sending little electric pulses to her fingers as they traced the nape of his neck. Something grew in that moment, forming a new connection between the two of them. His soft lips moved against hers, quickening as the urgency increased.

When he broke away, her eyes remained on his. She couldn't look away.

"I love you," she whispered. The words just slipped out, and she clamped her hand over her mouth.

Cam's eyes widened, and his mouth opened to speakaa "Would you two stop mooning at each other and get a move on?" Sebastian said in a loud whisper. "We have to leave."

The spell was broken. Cam blushed and followed Ginge. Angela's palms sweated, and she brushed them against her trousers. Her muscles tingled with nervous energy, yet there was a heavy, sinking feeling in her stomach. She'd said it first. What an idiot! What if he didn't love her back? Oh, why did she have to blurt it out like that?

Ginge pointed to a small metal box with a padlock. "The keys te the trucks are in here."

They'd crept past the barn and behind the ruins of the castle where the trucks were stored by the army. Most of the storage barns had been obliterated by the bombs, and many of the trucks were out of use. Ginge said she knew which would work. She'd been helping the soldiers by tinkering with engines.

"That's great and everything, but how are we going to get in the box?" Sebastian said, folding his arms.

Ginge glared at him and walked off.

"Did you have to sound so obnoxious?" Angela pointed at Sebastian. "You've scared her off now."

"No, I haven't," he argued. "She does this sort of thing all the time."

Sure enough Ginge strolled back a few minutes later with a rucksack, her rifle and a large pair of pliers. She lined them up to the padlock and snapped the metal. The hinge squeaked as Ginge opened the box lid, and Angela held her breath, half expecting Mary to bustle around the corner. No one came. Ginge picked a key from those lined up on little hooks inside the lid.

"Ah feel funny about this," Cam said. "It's wrong te steal."