“My best guess,” Caesar says, “it that they’re here for you.”
I grasp my biceps with my hands and suck in a breath.
“Let go of me! What do you want?”
“We want you, baby. We’re here for you!”
“Hannah.” Falk’s voice is in my ear and his hand is on my leg. “Caesar’s speaking figuratively.”
“Wha-what?”
“I meant for women in general,” Caesar says. “And children, apparently. That’s what they took, so I assume that’s what they’re here for.”
“Not you specifically,” Falk says, clarifying.
“So, you both think that some green, bug-eyed monsters came down and took all the women? Am I supposed to believe that?” Ryan huffs a laugh out his nose and leans back to finish his drink.
“It makes sense.” Beck grabs the bottle of scotch. He fills one of the plastic cups and takes a big gulp. “But how come she’s still here, and are there any other women left?”
“It took a day just to find you three,” Falk says. “There are others out there, and some of them are bound to be women or children. Seems like being underground kept all of us safe. There have to have been others in similar shelters.”
“This is ridiculous,” I say softly.
“Which part of it?” Falk asks.
“All of it.”
“I’m still waiting for your better explanation.” He raises his eyebrows at me.
“I can’t talk about this.” I stand up and hold my hand out for Falk’s flashlight. “I’m going to sleep. You all can continue to talk nonsense if you want. Maybe we’ll find someone tomorrow—maybe a whole National Guard unit is right around the corner.”
Falk hands me the flashlight without another word, and I stomp to the tent.
Aliens. How fucking insane is that?
I kick my shoes off outside the tent and pull back the flap to duck inside. I use the flashlight to look around, seeing the two sleeping bags laid out side-by-side, a small cooler in the corner, and a battery powered lantern nearby. I turn the lantern on and switch off the flashlight.
I can still hear mumbled talking outside but try to ignore it as best I can. I pull off my sweats and socks and shove my legs into the sleeping bag. The sleeping bag feels cold against my bare skin, but the material is that funky fabric that’s supposed to hold your body heat, so I’m sure it will warm up soon.
I sit with my head in my hands, rubbing at my eyes. I know I told Falk I was going to keep it together, but I think I’m allowed a little bit of a private breakdown.
What if he’s right?
If it is an alien invasion, Washington, D.C. would certainly have been hit. Is there any point in going there now?
There’s a rustle near the door of the tent, and I almost expect to see a grey-green creature with big eyes and an egg-shaped head come through the flap, but it’s only Falk.
“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he says.
“You didn’t,” I lie. I pull the sleeping bag up a little farther.
Falk steps over me to sit on the sleeping bag at the back of the tent. He pulls off his socks and shirt before crawling inside, and I stare at the tent door to avoid looking at his chest. I’m very aware of how small the tent is and how close Falk’s body is to mine as he lies down beside me.
“Should I turn off the light?” I ask quietly.
“Yes. Don’t want to waste batteries.”
I nod and push the button that shuts off the lantern. I scoot farther into the sleeping bag and pull it up to my chin as I lie down. I can hear the fire crackling outside and my own breathing, but that’s it.