Gone (Gone 1)

“Yeah, that changes everything,” Sam said sarcastically.

“What do you want me to do?” Astrid asked. “You haven’t given me a job.”

“I want you to find a safe place and hide there till it’s all over. That’s what I want.”

“But—”

“But…as of tomorrow afternoon, I need you up there.” He pointed upward.

“In heaven?” Astrid asked with a grin.

“Follow me.” He led Astrid and her brother to the steeple. The lattice panels were still knocked out, just as Drake had left them. The lights of Perdido Beach looked eerily normal from up here. Many houses still had lights on. The sparse streetlights were lit. The yellow McDonald’s sign was brilliant. A breeze stirred carrying the smell of French fries and pine needles, salt spray and seaweed.

Two sleeping bags had been laid out in the snug enclosure. A pair of binoculars and a kid’s walkie-talkie lay next to a paper grocery bag.

“I packed you some food and batteries for L. P.’s game in that bag. I don’t think the walkie-talkie works very well, but I have the other one. You can see almost everything from up here.”

It was a tight space. Little Pete immediately sat down in a dusty corner. Astrid and Sam stood awkwardly close together, crowded by the bell.

“Did you leave me a gun?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“You’re asking everyone else to do terrible things. You’re just asking me to watch.”

“There’s a difference.”

“Is there? What?”

“Well…I need you for your brains. I need you to observe.”

“That’s lame,” she said.

He nodded. “Yeah. Well. You haven’t been trained to shoot. You’d probably end up shooting yourself in the foot.”

“Ah,” she said, not convinced.

“Listen, I know this is crazy, but maybe you should think about Quinn’s idea, you know, of getting L. P. to zap you to Hawaii. Or whatever. He has the power. In case things don’t work out…”

“I don’t want him to zap me away somewhere,” Astrid said. “I don’t really think it would work, for one. And for two…”

“Yeah?”

“And for two, I don’t want to leave you.”

He laid his palm gently against her cheek, and she closed her eyes and leaned into him. “Astrid, I’m the one who’s going to be leaving. You know that.”

“No. I don’t know that. I’ve prayed for it not to happen. I’ve asked Mary to intercede.”

“Mary Terrafino?”

“No, duh.” Astrid laughed. “You are such a heathen. Mary. The Virgin Mary.”

“Oh. Her.”

“I know you don’t really believe in God much, but I do. I think He knows we’re here. I think He hears our prayers.”

“You think this is all some master plan of God’s? The FAYZ and all?”