The ankle brace. Ohmygosh. Of course they put a tracker in it!

The search party slowly moves away and after what feels like days of siting in the same positions, getting stiffer and stiffer, we decide it's safe to move around and talk.

"No fire guys," Jay says. "We can't take the risk."

Greyson nods. "I made a plan while we were sitting."

Kendra eagerly urges him on. "We sure need one. Tell us."

"We should rest for a while and get ready. I want to take a look at the brace and see if we can remove the tracker. Then I'll take the tracker, or the whole brace and ditch it somewhere."

"You're going alone?" I ask.

"Yeah. It's safer."

What if they catch him? I only just found him, I can't bear to loose my big brother again.

"Are you sure?" Kendra asks, her tone reflecting my concern.

"As much as I hate to say it, he's right," Jay says and Mitch nods in agreement. The decision is made. Greyson will go alone.

"It'll be okay Amber," Tristan whispers in my ear. "You know how he is. He'll stay safe."

I nod, blinking back tears and trying to believe Tristan's words.

I need my big brother.

"Hey Amber? Can you pass us your brace?"

"Yep."

I undo the Velcro and toss it to the guys. My ankle is really stiff from staying still for so long, but I think it is feeling a bit better.

"It's less swollen," Tristan comments.

"Yeah. It's really stiff though."

"That's cause we crammed into the back of a cave together. I'm stiff too."

"Good. I'm glad I'm not the only one suffering."

"Your level of empathy never ceases to amaze me," he says with a laugh.

I smack him in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"Oh hush, you big baby."

"Yeah well, you're stuck with me." He puts his arm around me in a peace offering.

Or so I thought.

Tristan starts tickling me. I try my hardest not to scream. I squirm around on the floor.

"Stop," I plead. "Truce!"

"Say Tristan is the greatest."

"Tristan is the greatest!"

He lets me go. "Why thank you Amber. I'm glad you think I'm the greatest."

"Hey lovebirds!" Mitch calls, causing me to cringe. "Wanna come over here for a sec?"

"Okay."

"So we've looks at the brace, and there's no evidence of a tracker in it. So I'm going to have to take the whole brace with me," Greyson explains.

I nod. I still don't want him to go.

"We can use part of a blanket to wrap up your ankle Amber," Kendra tells me. "You need something to support it."

I nod again. "Greyson? Are you sure it's safe for you to go alone?"

"Amber, I promise you I will be super careful. It's safer for me to go by myself. Okay?"

His words are reassuring, but I'm still worried.

+++

The sun is going down, and it's time for Greyson to head out.

"Pack up everything while I'm gone. I think we should go somewhere else once I'm back."

Yes! Let's get far away from the ADCCG lieutenant.

Greyson stands up with the brace, whispers something to Tristan, and crawls through the entrance to the cave.

"Stay safe big brother."

"See you guys soon."

With Greyson gone, we aren't really sure what to do. We just sit around quietly until Kendra breaks the silence.

"Okay guys. We need to do something. Amber, come here. We'll make you a brace. Guys, start packing stuff up."

After a few attempts and some help from Mitch, Kendra has a strip of blanket ripped off. She carefully wraps it around my ankle in the same way the tensor bandage was wrapped in the ADCCG infirmary.

Then we go join Tristan, Jay and Mitch in packing up, and we finish pretty quickly.

+++

Passing time is scary. It gives me time alone with the worry that is consuming me, the thoughts and memories that haunt me. What if Greyson gets caught? Or we all get caught?

"Why am I so tired?" Kendra asks frustratedly. "All we've don is sit in this stupid cave!"

I know exactly what she means though. I've been fighting off this drowsy feeling for a while. But we haven't done anything to make us tired lately. Greyson is the one doing that.

"We may as well get some rest now," Jay says. "If we're gonna leave this place, we might as well be ready. Plus, we already packed up all our stuff.

"That sounds like a great idea," Kendra says.

"I'll keep watch for now," Mitch volunteers. "I'm not tired."

Jay nods and says, "If you want to keep watch then go ahead. I'd much rather sleep."

Mitch laughs and we pass around some blankets. I wrap myself in the blanket and get comfortable. It doesn't take long to fall asleep.

+++

"Amber."

"Amber, wake up."

Tristan wakes me up nicely. He doesn't jump on me like Ty would've, or pour water on me like Mitch once did to Tasha and I.

"Greyson has news," Tristan informs me.

I sit up abruptly. Greyson's back?

"What's the news?" I ask hurriedly.

"Just a minute. I'll tell you once Kendra's awake," Greyson tells me.

"You mean I'm not the last one to wake up?"

Greyson laughs. "For once!"

I go to my brother and hug him. "I was worried," I whisper.

"No need, baby sis. I'm safe."

"So Grey, how'd it go?" Kendra asks.

"Well," he starts, keeping us in suspense.

"Dude! Just tell us!" Jay protests.

"Okay, okay. I got rid of the ankle brace. Mission accomplished." We all interrupt him with soft applause. "But there's more."

"Did you find a million dollars?" Mitch asks.

"Or maybe our location?" Kendra says, slapping Mitch upside the head. "Cause six lost teenagers with a million dollars wouldn't look suspicious at all."

"Neither," Greyson tells us.

"Then what did you find?" Tristan asks.

"I'll tell you. I was walking in the direction we came, with the ADCCG behind me. South. I wanted to go really far away, but still make it look like we were on the run. But then I found a town-"

"A town?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah. So I went way east of the town and left the tracker and then came back here."

"So there's a town," Kendra speculates. "We're close to people."

+++