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standing on Sierra’s right. Something about the way they look at each other tells me there’s something more about them than I know.
       Sierra’s eyes light up at our approach. “Echo and Finn just returned with word about the column. I thought you’d want to know.”
       I wrap my arms around Sierra as a greeting. “Sister,” I whisper in her ear. Then I study her face to see if anything of the Sierra I knew remains. The slight smile of remembrance on the edge of her lips is all I need to see to have hope.
       I reach out to Dakota and try to explain. “It wasn’t you.”
       Dakota shrugs. “I’m used to it.”
       “How many?” Luke asks, his eyes studying the streets and paths.
       Stringy Echo looks to Sierra before she speaks. “Two quads, a few mechs, four pairs of wisps.”
       “Quads?” I ask.
       “Remnants move in groups of sixty-four,” Dakota says. “We call them quads. Sometimes, half quad if thirty-two.”
       “The machines call a group of eight an octet. Eight octets is a sixty-four,” I say. “Remnants are humans? And mechs? Wisps?”
       “Remnants are the ones who are like we were before,” Sierra says. “Before we awoke.”
       Finn leans around Echo. “Mechanicals are like trucks and floaters. They’re not like other machines. They don’t have smarts or at least they don’t seem to. Wisps are flyers with big guns.”
       “You’re right, I don’t think the mechanicals—mechs—do. There were many in the city. Vertical wings are what the machines call wisps, if we’re talking about the same thing.”
       Sierra draws one in the dirt, its twin chain guns in profile. “From the rooftop.”
       “Yes, a wing,” I say. “Wings patrol and watch the city. They’re on the sky ships too.”
       “You have to tell us more about sky ships and cities,” Sierra says, “but later. For now, we must focus on the column.” She draws an X at an intersection. “We’ll strike the column here. Just as the final four pass.”
       I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “You’re going to attack the column?”
       Sierra ignores me, points with her stick. “Ovid, Peyton”—she pauses, looks to Dakota, who nods meaningfully, before continuing—“Skye, take positions here.” To three others, she says, “Cali, Vesta, Luka, you’ll be here.”
       From the map, it looks like the machines are coming up from the south along Park. I hear her say Luka, but all I can think is that she said Luke. “Luke and I aren’t—”
       “You’re here with me,” Sierra says, drawing a circle half a block away. “We’ll watch and provide support if needed.”
       To the others, she says, “You know what you must do. Same as last time. The only change is we’re taking all four.”
       Finn and Echo’s wide-eyed stares tell me something’s unusual about this. If there are any misgivings though, they aren’t voiced by anyone.
       When Dakota’s eyes flash to Sierra’s and they exchange things unsaid, I know I’m right about there being something stronger than meets the eye between them. “It’ll be okay. Same as last time.” He claps his hands. “Go, prepare yourselves. Weapons check. Those who haven’t eaten see Austin for rations.”
       The rumbling of my stomach remind me Luke and I haven’t eaten either.
       Sierra calls out, “River, Echo, Hunter, you have trail watch. Any without assignment are to remain here.”
       I stalk after Sierra as the others prepare to leave. “You’re attacking a column? Do you think that’s the best thing to do? You and I need to talk. There’s so much you don’t understand. The machines are here to—”
       “Not here,” she says pushing me into a side hallway. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything close to anger reflected in her expression. “Don’t challenge me in front of the others.”
       I sense immediately this is a sensitive subject.