Run (The Hunted) (21 page)

Smart thinking. From the sighs and smiles around him, the other kids are relieved to have such a concrete goal. Reid doesn’t want to get sucked into their plans but this kid stands out. He immediately smothers his ability to care about anyone new. No way is he going there again.

Marcus must have sensed the shift away from him and does his best to ruin it. “Of course,” he says like the kid is stupid or something. “Kind of obvious.”

Hope dies along with free will. Everyone else shuffles their feet and acts like they aren’t there. This must be how Joel controlled them. Bullying and belittling. Reid’s dislike of the Hispanic guy climbs another mountain. He’s as much a waste of humanity as Joel was.

Reid meets Leila’s eyes. She is troubled, he can tell, but she looks away as quickly as he does and he chalks it up to her hating him.

Has to be that. He hates himself so why would she feel any different?

It’s not long before Milo and his three trailing companions return.

“There’s no way out.” Milo says like it’s a death sentence. As far as they all know it could be. Everyone falls so silent Reid can hear the buzzing of the light bulb as it flickers its life away.

“You heard him,” Marcus says. “Time to move on. You,” he points at Cole and the boy perks, “keep an eye on that line.” He jerks his thumb at the electric cable. Like it’s going anywhere. Again laughter bubbles up in Reid’s chest but he manages to hold it back.

Somehow he doesn’t think Marcus would appreciate it. And not that Reid really cares but he’s too tired and wrung out to do anything about it if the other guy finally decides to challenge him.

When Marcus leads off, the troop of tired and filthy kids trails after him. Leila glances over her shoulder at Reid from where she walks beside Marcus. Milo refuses to meet his eyes at all.

Reid watches them go and waits until they are almost out of sight before he follows.