Bryce stayed with me at Morgan's side all morning. He pulled his car behind the barn where it wasn't visible from the house or the driveway, and he sat with me in the loose hay.

I didn't want him to leave. I was scared of taking care of Morgan all alone. I was also scared of being stuck with nothing else to do but worry about Ian and Shawn. But I didn't want to push my luck and hope for too much from Bryce. He hardly knew me.

"My family's going to start worrying about me," I said. "I'd better go check in with them. They don't really know what's going on."

Bryce nodded. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on her while you're gone. I don't mind."

"You sure you don't mind? You don't even know her. You don't need to stay. Really. I'm sure you want to get out of here. You've done so much already."

He shrugged and smiled shyly. "What else am I going to do while I'm stuck in Muldoon?"

I thanked him again and told him I'd be back in fifteen minutes.

At the house everything had changed.

Bacon and eggs lay cold and half-cooked on the stove. My Mom sat with Danielle and the kids at the kitchen table. They'd given up on breakfast. They'd obviously learned that Ian and Shawn were missing. Danielle was holding her crayon-scrawled note from Ian. My dad was on the phone. Ian must have told him the night before that Mr. Hershel had died, because he was busying himself by planning a funeral.

"Tomorrow morning," he was saying somberly into the phone. "Yes. At their place. Make it if you can, Connie. We all understand."

Everyone glared at me like I was some kind of traitor when I stepped into the kitchen. Once again, I'd returned from an inexplicable absence.

"Ashley, what is going on?" My mom demanded, standing as soon as she saw me. "Where have you been? Please, please tell me you know where Ian and Shawn are. . ."

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