"What? I'm just trying to keep morale up," she replied.

They all burst into laughter.

"What? I have a creepy smile?"

"It's beautiful, Ange," Cam replied.

"Smooth." Sebastian winked at Cam.

"Aye, that's what the ladies say."

Angela elbowed Cam in the stomach in jest, and he feigned a terrible injury, falling back and clutching his side. "Ahh! Yer got me good an' proper. Ah think ah need stitches."

Angela giggled and took his hand in hers, pulling him close to her.

"Right, that's enough larkin' about. We're leavin' nae." Ginge picked up the map, and rustled it with finality. "We follow this road fer five miles." She gestured to the long stretch of tarmac winding through green fields.

Angela internally groaned, but she knew there was no point complaining. She bent down and pulled up her socks. "We'd better get going then."

The group pulled on their backpacks and began to walk.

Angela enjoyed the walk a for the first few miles. It was nice to get out of the Compound, and see some wildlife for a change. She hadn't realised how cooped up she'd felt in the Compound.

Ginge chose a route missing out the Areas so as not to bump into any Enforcers. They'd walked deep into England, where Scottish Nomads wouldn't dare live outside GEM law. Even still, Ginge kept a tight grip on her rifle at all times, and Cam stayed close to Angela, protectively.

"Do you think there will be Enforcers out here?" Angela asked.

"Dad said that Enforcers patrolled between Areas, checking for escaped Blemished people, but most of the time they just focus on the borders," answered Sebastian. "They won't be searching for us anymore. We've been in the Compound for months."

The sun started to set, casting an orange glow over the fields in the distance.

"Ah think we should find a place te camp." Ginge gestured to a stile in the wall that led into a neighbouring field.

The group filed through, one by one, with Ginge first, and Cam last. Angela enjoyed the springy feel of the mossy grass beneath her feet. After hours of walking they'd made it to an area of moorland that would have once been called Yorkshire. According to Ginge's map, the moors stretched through the north of Yorkshire towards the larger cities. They had to go in between these cities before heading to Area 14.

Ginge led the group to a small, flat patch of moor grass near the entrance to a forest. "We'll get a bit o'shelter here an' we're away from the road." She dumped her rucksack on the ground with a relieved groan, stretching out her shoulders.

Angela removed the bag from her shoulders, and sighed with pleasure. She massaged the tight muscles between her neck and collarbone. It was only after removing the bag that she realised how much it'd hurt her. Cam dumped his bag down and headed to the forest.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"We need wood fer a fire," said Cam. "Ah'll only be gone a few minutes."

Angela nodded. She hated to see him leave. The last time they'd been apart was during the battle at the Compound, when she'd been stuck in the medical centre. A lump formed in her throat as she remembered what is was like to wonder if he was okay or out fighting for his life.

She sat down and took out her flask filled with water. They'd managed to re-fill them a few times during the day: once by a river, once in an old village shop, and once in a well. At times the water tasted dirty and dusty. Luckily, Ginge seemed to know everything about surviving in the wild. Including what they could and couldn't eat and drink. Without her they'd be lost. She sat cross legged on the mossy ground pouring over the map, her ginger hair covering almost all of her face. Angela watched her for a moment, wondering what she was thinking, or what she gleaned from the map that others could not.

"How long atil we reach Area 14?" asked Sebastian. He sat close to Ginge, his arm resting idly on her knee, and leaned over to examine the map.

"We've walked just o'er fourteen miles today," she said. "If we can walk fer ten hours a day then we should make it in another two days."

"That long?" Angela said. She removed her boots, and rubbed her aching feet. The thought of walking ten hours a day made her want to cry.

"Aye, that long."

Cam emerged from the forest with a handful of twigs. He stepped between Sebastian and Angela, so he could set them down a safe distance away. "Anyone got any paper we can burn?"

Angela rummaged in her bag, and found an old notepad she kept handy in case Daniel had a vision. She handed it to Cam. Their fingers touched a sending electricity up her arms. They hadn't talked about Angela's case of verbal diarrhoea, and he still hadn't said "I love you" back. Her cheeks warmed. She dropped her gaze. Cam busied himself with tearing the paper for the fire. He took a lighter from his pocket, and lit the fire before sitting back down next to Angela. With the fire lit, Angela felt a little flame of hope build in her chest.

"Shall we eat somethin' then?" Cam said. "Ah dunnae know about ye but ah'm bloody ravenous."

For some reason, hearing Cam say long words like ravenous in his thick Glaswegian accent made Angela laugh. Cam grinned at her in response.

"Well, I have a can of soup." Angela pulled it from her bag. "And a few apples."

"Perfect." Cam kissed her on the cheek.

The group shared the soup and apples, before lying back on the grass with satisfied stomachs, watching the stars twinkle above them. Ginge sang in Gaelic as the embers of the fire died out, and Angela fell asleep on Cam's chest. The next morning she woke to find Cam gone, and sat up in a panic. To her relief he was walking towards them after coming back from the woods with more firewood.

He gestured to Ginge and Sebastian asleep on the grass. "They'll sleep through anything, eh?"

Angela nodded. She rubbed her sleepy eyes. It felt strange for them to be alone. They hadn't properly been alone for days.

Cam laid out the sticks, and tore more paper for the fire. "Ah never got chance te say somethin' te ye. Ah hope ye know ah feel it too."

Angela's body tensed. Her stomach tingled with anticipation. What was he trying to say to her?

"Ye know... ye do know, right? That ah love ye?"

She shifted in the grass, and bit her top lip to stop a massive grin breaking out on her face. Her heart soared and a huge weight lifted from her shoulders. He loved her! She didn't have to worry about being an idiot and saying the words first. He loved her too. She couldn't speak because she didn't know what to say. She just nodded.

Cam lit the fire, and moved back so they could sit together. He kissed her slowly, pulling her half onto his lap. With her head resting on his shoulder, Angela felt so safe in his arms. He stroked her cheeks, up to where her headscarf met her temples. It was a harsh reminder that she hadn't been able to wash her hair for days, and she moved his hand away.

Sebastian stirred. "Oh great a you lovebirds at it again?"

"At what? Angela said. "Sitting next to each other?"

"Staring longingly into each other's eyes." He faked a retching noise.

"Oh, and you think you and Ginge aren't like that?" Angela's eyes flashed, but she smiled.

"I'll have you know that our relationship is built on maturity and respect." Sebastian said with pretend pomposity.

"Aye, an' the rest," Cam added.

Ginge rolled over, and let out a huge snore, causing the rest of the group to burst into a fit of laughter. Angela doubled over. Her stomach hurt she laughed so much. She couldn't remember the last time she laughed so hard. It felt good to let it all out. And then the thought of walking another forty miles didn't seem quite so bad. She didn't even notice Cam stop laughing and the smile fade from Sebastian's face a not until she heard an unfamiliar voice.

"And what do we have aere, then?"

13 * Daniel *

The van stopped to fill up with petrol at an old station Ali knew about from his many scavenging trips. It took them four attempts to find a pump with petrol left as supplies had dwindled over the years without a government. Enforcers used to drive from Area to Area, stealing fuel from the petrol station for London. Surely they had better things to do now a like fight the Resistance in London.

During the stop, the group decided to make hot food, and drove half a mile down the road away from the station. Daniel helped Jonathon set up the camp fire before leaning back in the grass to stare up at the sky. His mind wandered to thoughts of Mina, and what she was doing at that very moment. They all lived under the same sky. They all had that a no matter what. Then he thought of Angela. He felt so powerless. After years of living with Angela's family, he thought of her like a little sister and now, when she was in danger, all he could do was hope that Cam took care of her. They had no adults to guide them. What would they get up to? His mind swam.

Kitty prowled the area. She moved like a hunting cat. Every now and then her head tilted, and she stopped to make strange slapping noises with her mouth, as though mulling over the taste of a fine wine.

"They've been this way," she said. "And then they headed south-east." She pointed towards the long road.

"The motorway then," said Ali. He dropped down next to Daniel, to eat his beans from the can.

Jonathon and Matthew chatted away from the group, standing close to each other to speak quietly. They nodded to each other as though agreeing something. He wanted to know what they were talking about but moving from his spot would make it obvious.

"Weird family they've got, eh?" Ali said, nodding at the two Harts.

"Secretive," Daniel admitted. He sighed. "Even Mina keeps things to herself."

"Aye." Ali stirred his beans. "Sometimes she cannae face up te things so she runs. She's a kid though. Them two havenae got no excuses."

"You never mentioned Mina's Uncle. Why didn't you want us to know?" Daniel said.

Ali's expression darkened. "I thought he was dead. An' I s'pose I dunnae deal wi'grief too well." He laughed. "But mostly it's no one's business."

Daniel blushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Ali thumped him on the back. "I know, lad. I know. I guess when ye've been brought up a certain way and ye live with people who dunnae share ye views ye just get used te keepin' things te yerself. Then ye grow up an' realise it's all just petty. Ye should never try te be somethin' yer not, lad. I tried that once an' it didnae suit me."

Daniel rubbed his palms along his jeans and stared out at the dark, distant road ahead. "Yeah, I tried that once, too. I tried to ignore my visions. My mum didn't understand, she thought I was causing the bad things to happen. She thought I was a bad omen, or possessed, or something."

"If ma parents were alive I dunnae know if they'd approve of ma life." Ali shook his head. "But I'd give anythin' te see their faces one more time."

Daniel nodded. "Me too."

"Och, they'd have this Scottish accent outta me in seconds." He put on a thick Pakistani accent. "Speak your mother tongue, Ali Sheikh. You betray your culture. In Urdu!"

Daniel laughed along as Ali gestured wildly.

"What's so funny?" Mike glanced up from stirring the beans.

"Our parents would hate us!" Ali said with a flourish. He opened his arms out wide, and almost spilled his food.

Mike scrunched up his face in confusion but Hiro grinned.

"My parents didn't like me either," Hiro said. "They wanted me out of their heads."

"Is this a bad parent contest?" Mike raised an eyebrow. "Because if it is, there's a lot of entrants just on this damn road trip." He lowered his voice and glanced at Mina's dad. "And one contender for crappy parent of the year."

Hiro kicked Mike from the chair he sat on. "That's no way to talk about the Professor."

Ali roared with laughter. "Don't anger the wee lad. He'll have ye fer breakfast."

Hiro nodded. "That's right."

Daniel chuckled at the determined expression on Hiro's small face. It felt good to relax, even just for a moment. Jonathon and Matthew broke the laughter as they came back to the camping stove.

"We should go. We need to reach the checkpoint at midnight." The professor spoke with his mouth in a tight line.

Daniel thought many things about the Professor. He thought him selfish and stupid for not telling Mina about her mother. He even thought him a liar. Despite all that he couldn't deny one thing a the man cared deeply for his daughter. It killed Jonathon to think of her in danger, and that only frightened Daniel even more. What happened with Mina's mother to cause Jonathon's actions? There was something the Professor held back, and he needed to know before it was too late.

A few miles down the road they found the abandoned cart with the tyres slashed. The group recognised it immediately.

"They took the cart?" Daniel said. "Why would they need a cart when they have Anna's car?"

Jonathon rubbed the stubble on his chin. "I don't think Angela is with Mina. I think they left on the same night... separately."

Daniel raked his fingers through his hair. This couldn't be happening. All this time he'd thought his sister taken by Anna and now he knew the truth. She'd run off with her boyfriend and friends without even stopping to say goodbye. "I don't understand."

"Oh no," Matthew said. "Oh no, I think I know what happened. When I told Sebastian about his father in Area 14, he wanted to leave. The girl with red hair stopped him getting out of the hospital bed."

Daniel's stomach sank. They were heading back to Area 14; right into one of the most dangerous places in the country. "The Enforcers will be all over them." Daniel kicked the cart, ignoring the searing pain in his foot. How could she?

"I don't know," Matthew said. "Sebastian's father is the Commander there now."

"What?" Jonathon said. "But that's not right. Why would they put him in charge?"

Matthew shrugged.

"What was he like?" Daniel asked. Vincent Cole never struck him as the kind of man in control of his own temper, let alone an entire Area.

"He seemed a bit of an odd ball, but friendly enough. He had this second in command... Edward something... always hanging around with him," Matthew answered.

"I don't like it." Daniel shook his head.

"She has Cameron a a trained soldier a not to mention Ginge. They'll look after her," said the Professor. "Try not to worry. What I can't understand is why she went along with them in the first place. The girl always seemed so eager to leave Area 14."

"Mum," Daniel said. He remembered the moment he said goodbye to Theresa a his adoptive parent and the person who'd saved his life through kindness a and his heart ached for her. Along with his memories, came the sadness caused by watching her slowly lose her mind, like most Blemished women did after the Operation. It was the Professor who helped get the care she needed and arranged the nursing home.

"Ah," Jonathon said. "Of course."

They pressed on with their journey, the truck bouncing over the rough, pot-holed roads.

"Wait," Kitty said. "You need to stop. Something feels different."

Ali stopped the truck at a crossroads and the group piled out of the vehicle. Kitty paced up and down the road.

"Mina goes south with her mother." She pointed across the straight road. "Angela and the others move eastwards."