But true.
It was on, and working, and four full bars shone in the corner—the thing actually had service!
“Do you know what this is?” I laughed, shaking it at Harry.
“Harry!” he squawked, responding to my excitement.
“Communication!”
I held it in my hand, my heart thudding, and then realized that none of the flock had phones. An intact phone with full service, found in a city completely destroyed by a nuclear bomb, and I had no one to call. I did not smirk at the irony.
But if I could get on the Internet…
I tapped the smartphone’s screen and a browser opened. I typed in the address of Fang’s blog.
Maybe he has logged in.
Maybe he’s tried to get a message to me.
Maybe there’s something he wants me to know.
Harry peered over my shoulder as I scrolled through the comments. I didn’t find a single post from FangMod, but a thread with the subject “DEAD FLOCK” made me stop cold. I clicked to expand, but the stupid thing took forever to load.
“Come on. Come onnn,” I muttered, jabbing my finger at the screen.
Flockfan23: Rumors here that some of the flock have been murdered. My cuz said Angel told her and was crying. Any1 else have info?
I pictured Angel’s tear-streaked face, her blonde eyebrows knitted in grief. I held my breath.
There were half a dozen responses. PAtunnelratt, the commenter we’d been communicating with before, was the first to answer.
PAtunnelratt: The story around here is Gasman got blown up and one of the H-men grabbed Iggy in the woods. Heard they were looking for my silo, so I’d feel mad guilty if it’s true.
I shook my head. Lies. They had to be.
Yeah, the boys had said they were headed to find some green in the US, but Gazzy was a genius with explosives, and Iggy couldn’t be caught. I scrolled down for the next comment.
ImMargaretA: Nudge was drowned in an underground cave on some Pacific island. The dog, too. Skewered with a speargun.
My mouth went dry and I reread the lines several times, chewing the inside of my cheek. How did she know about the island? How would anyone know where Nudge and Total were? Or that they were alone?
That I’d left them.
Other commenters had already challenged Margaret A.’s sources, but she was defiant.
ImMargaretA: I’m on the inside. Got it from the Remedy himself. They’re taking out the bird kids one by one. Army meeting Fang in Alaska. You’ll see.
My hand was so sweaty the phone almost slipped out.
Alaska.
Was that what had pulled me so urgently west? What had made me turn north? It couldn’t be true, could it?
TeeniBikeeni: No way, not my Fang. He’d never let himself be captured. Please nooo.
Flockfan23: What about Max? Has anybody heard anything about Max?
My eyes were blurring and all I saw was smoke pouring out of an underground hole, the spearguns the fish kids had used, an army of giants waiting in the snow…