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they might be trying to block our path to open waters.”
    “What do you think?”
    “I don’t see the point. We’re special, yeah—the special-est in my very humble opinion—but we’re not worth committing this much manpower to capturing, especially with all the fun and games going on out here right now.”
    “Mercer…”
    “Well, I didn’t want to say his name, in case he’s like the Candyman or something.”
    “The what?”
    “The Candyman. Clive Barker? Tony Todd? One of the best slasher flicks of the 1990s?”
    “Is that like the bogeyman or something?”
    Danny sighed loudly through the radio. “You kids and your lack of respect for the classics of cinema...”
    She grinned. It wasn’t that she was that much younger than Danny, but every now and then it was fun to needle him. She remembered when she used to get the same kind of joy out of doing it to Will.
    “Anyway, back to our marvelous road trip,” Danny continued. “I figured we’ll chug on along south-like, find another part of the coastline to link up with you guys. It’s a big state, should be lots of empty beaches for the linking. I’ll radio back as soon as we locate one of them, and you can come over and pick us up. Easy as Mother and apple pie.”
    “Easy, huh?”
    “Hey, good things happen to those who think positively, or so I’ve been told.”
    “I’ll have to give that a try.”
    “Give it a swing,” Danny said. Then, “Carly tells me you guys are doing just fine without us.”
    “We’re getting by. Spend more time worrying about yourself.”
    “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
    “That’s my man,” Carly said.
    “Speaking of worrying about oneself, where’s Keo now?” Danny asked.
    “I don’t know, out there somewhere,” Lara said. “He and Jordan were headed back to one of the towns when I last saw them. T-something.”
    “They’re all T-somethings. Well, if I run across him out here, I’ll let you know.”
    “What about Mercer’s people? Any problems with them since Starch?”
    “Luckily we’ve been able to avoid them, too. They seem to be confining their operations further inland. Probably have more FOBs out there all set up and ready even before they launched this little adventure of theirs.”
    “FOBs?”
    “Forward Operating Bases. Places they’re using to launch their attacks.”
    “Like that airport outside of Larkin.”
    “Exactamundo.”
    “How many of those do you think they have?”
    “As few as one more, as many as a hundred.”
    “That’s…a big number, Danny.”
    “Mercer’s had a year to think this up. The guy’s… Well, momma always says not to say anything if you don’t have something nice to say.”
    “That’s never stopped you before.”
    “I’m learning, Lara, I’m learning…”
    She smiled. “Good to know. What about this Mason guy?”
    “What about him?”
    “How useful has he been?”
    “Got us around a couple of ambushes, so he’s not been a terrible investment in time and duct tape. But I’m thinking I might have to cut him loose real soon the closer we get to a new and less soldier-infested exfil point.”
    Lara didn’t press for details; she didn’t want to know. Images of Gage being tossed into the ocean while she slept flashed briefly across her mind. She only needed to know that Danny would do what he had to in order to come back just as she had on the Trident. Just as Will had before them…
    “How’re you guys for fuel?” Danny asked. “You’ve been doing a lot of running around out there. Did the tank finally get topped off?”
    She exchanged a brief look with Blaine standing behind the helm to her left. The fuel. How many times had they discussed the topic? How many times had she stood right here on the bridge and gone through all the scenarios with Carly and Maddie and Bonnie? Too often, and every single time the results were the same.
    But Danny didn’t need to hear that right now, so she said into the radio, “We’re fine,