Chapter 14

　　Alpha Maximus

　　Struggling to sleep after losing my best friend, my sweet little Hope screams, dreaming of the explosion and Nathan dying. I wake her, and she bursts into tears.

　　‘Nathan didn't do anything wrong. He didn't deserve to die,’ she says.

　　I wish I could have prevented her from seeing it, from being there; Nathan's death, the explosion; all of it.

　　My mind replays the moment the white car’s window wound down, revealing a gun, pointed at the petrol tanker; knowing straight away, if a bullet hit the target, the whole place would explode. I prayed to the Moon Goddess we would outrun the explosion in time.

　　Wanting to forget it, I nuzzle my face into Hope's neck, while my tears drip down her neck. I listen to her heartbeat as she sleeps.

　　Waking up, Hope gently strokes my face on her lap, while we stare into each other's eyes; we have to keep moving.

　　We crawl out of the makeshift shelter.

　　‘Where are we?’ She asks.