Among the Free Read Online Free PDF

rally with her. She’d had no second sight, no special knowledge to protect her. She’d had onlyher own courage, and her own hope, and her own faith that freedom, when it came, would be worth the risk.
    Luke reached the edge of the woods and was surprised to find himself on the outskirts of Chiutza. He hung back in the shadowy trees, listening to slamming doors and then silence. Everyone must have gone inside. All the houses were shut up against the cold—he could see smoke rising from chimneys and occasional shapes passing before windows, but no sound escaped.
    Maybe if he waited until dark he could creep right up against one of the houses, press his ear against a wall and hear something . But after darkness fell he probably wouldn’t be able to find his way back to his cave. He’d have no shelter, no protection against the long icy night.
    Luke was still trying to decide what to do, when he saw a figure creep out of a shed behind one of the bigger houses. The figure was wearing a cloak, and it seemed to turn its head to peer directly at Luke out of the depths of the cloak’s hood. Luke jerked behind the nearest tree, his heart pounding and the panic coursing through his body yet again. But when he dared to peek out a moment later, the figure was gone.
    I’m safe, after all. He didn’t see me. False alarm, Luke thought in relief.
    And then a hand clamped over his mouth, and an arm clutched across his chest. Luke struggled to free himself, to scream, “Stop!” But a voice hissed in his ear, “Don’t! Don’t make a sound. Do you want to get us both killed?”

CHAPTER SEVEN
    T he hood of the cloak fell back and for the first time Luke could see the face of the person who’d attacked him.
    It was the boy who’d ridden out to Chiutza in the jeep with him, the one who’d stolen Luke’s cornbread and told him he stank.
    â€œWhat—” Luke tried to ask, but the boy still had his hand covering Luke’s mouth, his fingers holding Luke’s jaw shut.
    â€œThis is my territory now,” the boy said, still whispering into Luke’s ear. “There’s not room here for both of us. You go find some other place.”
    He shoved Luke away, and Luke sprawled in the dead leaves. He rolled over and looked up at the other boy.
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Luke asked. “What do you mean, ‘territory’?”
    Luke couldn’t understand why the boy had attacked him and then shoved him away. He couldn’t understandwhy the boy wasn’t grabbing at him and shouting, I found him! Here’s the deserter! Officer Houk—over here! Instead, the boy had said, “Do you want to get us both killed?” as if he were in as much trouble as Luke. Why?
    â€œShh,” the boy said, glancing around nervously.
    Understanding began to creep over Luke.
    â€œDid you desert too?” Luke whispered.
    The color drained from the boy’s face.
    â€œDon’t say that,” the boy hissed. “At least not if anyone from the Population Police comes back. They left me behind.” A crafty look slid over his face. “Of course, if someone from Chiutza asks, maybe I did desert. Just not in front of everyone like you did.”
    Luke scrambled back up to his feet. He was secretly pleased when the other boy took a step back, like he was afraid of Luke. Luke was taller than the other boy, and Luke had muscles from his months of shoveling horse manure.
    â€œSo they left you behind,” Luke repeated, trying to put it all together. He couldn’t remember seeing the boy after those first few moments in Chiutza. Where had he been when Luke carried the old woman out of her house? Or when Officer Houk handed the gun to Luke?
    â€œWell, yeah,” the boy said. “After the villagers killed Officer Houk, do you think the driver waited around to make sure I was all right?”
    Luke shook his head, not quite