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But then Jobs appeared in the doorway. He was accompanied by a girl Mo Steel hadn't seen
before. Compared to the Marauders, she looked clean and civilized. An alpha, Mo Steel told
himself.
Jobs spotted Mo Steel and a look of immense relief crossed his face. The girl disappeared
down the hallway as Jobs stepped into the little room.
"Mo!" Jobs exclaimed, looking like he was about to hug Mo Steel.
"Hi, Duck," Mo Steel said and gave his buddy a quick hug and a slap on the back.
"You you look awful," Jobs said.
"Gee, Duck, you don't look so great yourself. Geez."
"No, Mo, seriously," Jobs persisted. "Are you okay? That storm was pretty strange. And I
think we were attacked in that hallway. Everything is so muddled...."
"I think my leg's infected," Mo Steel said casually.
"Have you seen Violet or Edward?" Jobs asked urgently. "D-Caf is okay. He's in the room
with me. They took our clothes. Then they suddenly brought mine back and told me to come
in here. I couldn't get any explanation. Do you know what's "
Jobs trailed off as Noyze and Olga came into the room together. They both looked tired and
worried, Mo Steel thought. Noyze had a big scabby scratch across her nose.
Olga immediately pulled Mo Steel into a tight hug. "Oh, honey, I'm so glad you're okay,"
she said, smoothing down his hair.
"Ow, Mom, I can't breathe "
Olga let him go and went to hug Jobs.
Noyze was standing a few steps away, smiling at Mo Steel shyly. Her eyes were bright with
tears. Mo Steel slipped his tough-looking sliced-and-diced hand into hers and flinched when
she squeezed.
"Listen, we got a big problem," he said to cover the awkward moment. As quickly as
possible, he explained about Hawk and the Marauders and how he was apparently their leader
now.
"If and I quote if I survive the Beasts," Mo Steel said.
"Who or what are the Beasts?" Olga asked, her face creased with worry.
"Dunno," Mo Steel admitted. "I I felt stupid asking."
Jobs had gone very pale, "You've got to say no," he said urgently. "I I have a bad feeling
about-this. Just tell the Marauders thanks, but no thanks."
Mo Steel trusted Jobs's opinion but bunny out? He didn't like the sound of that.
Olga was shaking her head. "Not so fast," she said uneasily. "We don't know how the
Marauders will react if Mo Steel refuses their little test."
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"Some of them seem ready to get rid of me now," Mo Steel admitted, thinking of the four
guys who'd watched him so suspiciously.
"You're the leader because you defeated their leader," Noyze said nervously. "That means
anyone who gets to you "
"Yeah," Mo Steel said. "I thought of that."
"Why don't we just get out of here?" Jobs said, full of edgy energy. "Mo Steel can order the
Marauders to let everyone out of their rooms, and then we can just take off."
"And go where?" Olga asked quietly.
"I I don't know," Jobs admitted. "We didn't find any water in the Dark Zone, but now we
know there must be some somewhere. Maybe we can I don't know. I need some time to
think."
"This is the Alphas' bunker," Olga said thoughtfully. "But the Alphas seem scared of the
Marauders. Mo asked them to let us out of our cells, and the Alphas obeyed."
Jobs nodded quickly. "I spoke to this Alpha girl. Her name is Echo, and she said the Alphas
were the Marauders' prisoners, too."
"So if Mo Steel became the Marauders' leader, he could order the Alphas to do whatever he
wanted with the bunker," Olga said.
"What do you have in mind?" Noyze asked. "Resting," Olga said with a profound sigh.
"Here?" Mo Steel demanded. Olga nodded wearily. "Granted, it ain't Miami Beach. It's old
and uh, fragrant, but think about it. This place is as safe as any we've seen since the Rock hit.
It sure beats Mother."
"You want to stay here?" Mo Steel couldn't quite keep the distaste out of his voice.
"Don't worry," Olga said with a laugh. "I'm not saying you should stay. But well, I think
this is as close as we're going to get to 'happily ever after.' I'd stay here. And I think it would
be a good place for Roger Dodger and Edward."
"I understand what you're saying," Jobs interrupted. He turned and gave Mo Steel a pleading
look. "It's just I have a bad feeling about these Beasts. I really don't think we should "
"Sorry, Duck, it's no use," Mo Steel said. "If Mom wants me to fight the Beasts end of
discussion." Jobs wished he could go back to his little cell and think things through. But that
wasn't happening.
"We'd better not leave the Marauders alone for too long," Mo Steel said. "They could be
planning to ambush us right now. You guys come back to their room with me. I'll send Aga
for the others."
"Hmm," Olga said as they ventured cautiously out of the little room and followed Mo Steel
down the hallway. "You're enjoying this, aren't you? You already sound comfortable giving
orders."
Noyze smiled shakily. "Yeah, what are we supposed to call you now? King Mo Steel ?"
"Mon Steel" Olga suggested.
"Mo'Majesty!" Noyze said, smiling.
"Your Greatness will do," Mo Steel said grandly. He indicated a door. "In here."
The Marauders stared as the four of them filed into the room. Jobs stared, too. These
people were nothing like Echo. He'd once visited a museum in North Dakota and the
Marauders reminded him of early photographs of the Plains Indians, taken before the
Europeans wiped them out. They were savage, wild-looking, noble, and completely foreign.
Jobs felt weak in the knees. Mo Steel was supposed to be in charge of these people?
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"Aga!" Mo Steel said, and a hunched old woman who was missing an ear scuttled forward.
"Please get the rest of our friends and bring them here."
Aga looked pinched and disapproving, but she moved off apparently to do what Mo Steel
said.
Meanwhile, Noyze and Olga began to do something Jobs would never have considered
they were moving through the crowd of Marauders, introducing themselves.
Jobs stuck close to Mo Steel. "Mo, I have a weird feeling that girl over there knocked me
silly," he said uneasily. "I remember her from my dream or whatever it was "
"Should I order her to kiss your feet or something?"
"No, no, that's okay," Jobs said, not laughing.
Noyze came back, and Mo Steel led her off to a corner for a private talk. Jobs felt nervous
and exposed. What if the Marauders attacked him? He was alone and unarmed. Then Edward
came in and hurried over to him.
"You okay?" Jobs demanded.
Edward nodded eagerly. "I told you I saw people!" he said excitedly. "They survived the
Rock, too! Isn't that neat?"
"Yeah," Jobs admitted. His eyes were on the door, waiting to see what kind of shape the
others were in.
Roger Dodger greeted them all matter-of-factly. A Marauder boy who looked about Roger
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