24
Zoe didn’t return to the camp at all that day.
Luke had waited. After a couple of hours he’d gone looking for her, but the trail was cold. He didn’t have Zoe’s number because he’d never had occasion to call her. They’d been attached at the hip since the start of the mission, never beyond shouting distance apart.
He tried enrolling Nikita’s help, but she flatly refused. “You’re my commander, but she’s my friend.”
Even his offer to help Drake work on the car was turned down.
“Nothing personal, Luke,” Drake had assured him. “But Nikita warned me off—though I’ll tell you on the sly that I don’t know s**t. They’re close, those two. Anyway, Nikita said it was better if you stewed in your own juices than distracted yourself with work. Guess she wants you to think about things.”
Luke trie
