The hiding place I had in mind would take the Home Guard months to find, if they ever found it at all. And it was a place where we could take all of the refugees who were in the silo. Maybe even more.

The problem was, I didn't know where it was. Not exactly.

I would have to ask my dad.

But most importantly, wherever we went, we would need a supply of antibiotics. Even the most secure refugee hideout in the world would be mostly useless if we didn't have a way to keep positives from progressing to the disease's later stages.

I stood up and faced Ian squarely.

"I need to borrow your gun."

"Wait, what?" He was confused. "Why?"

"I'm going back to the house," I said firmly. "I'm going to get the pharmacy access card from Jason."

"You can't be serious." Ian looked more frustrated now than I'd ever seen him. He was so upset it looked like he thought I'd betrayed him. "You're out of your mind! That plan's over now, Ashley! Forget it! They'll have warrants for our arrest. Shawn wasn't bluffing about that. They'll arrest you on the spot. They might even shoot you on the spot. There's no way you or I can go back to the house now. You're just being reckless! We have to be realistic."

"Ian, listen to me." I did my best to keep my cool and speak as reasonably and forcefully as possible. "You want me to be realistic? Here's realistic. There's no other way. If we need more antibiotics, we need that access card. And I'm the only one who has a chance of getting it from Jason."

Ian looked at me pleadingly. "I'm not letting you do this. Ashley, honestly, listen to me." He whispered, "I don't know what I would do if I lost you. Do you understand? I can't lose you."

Ian put his arms around my shoulders and drew me close, pressing my head against his chest. I felt like I might cry, but I forced myself not to.

I slipped my hands around his waist. For a moment I let myself hold onto him tightly.

Then I grabbed his gun from his belt and pulled away.

"You're not going to lose me," I said. "Ian, that's why I have to do this."

I ran out the door before he could stop me, then I sprinted up the riverbank toward my parents' house, clutching Ian's gun, careful to keep under the cover of the trees. . .

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