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hopefully inside one of those shelters—he had to be.
    The village clearing was set in a small valley, with a great deal of tree cover overhanging the high ground. It was a smart spot, Nick realized. Difficult to see much more than foliage from up above, and the valley squeezed into a tight neck at the entrance, which would be easy to guard.
    Two men stepped out of a shelter set at the edge of the Freepost and raised their weapons. One held an actual sword, something Nick had never seen outside of one of his mother’s history books. Still, he knew that the blade, as medieval as it might be, would kill him just as dead as any lase. The man held it with a casual athletic elegance that made it clear he knew how to use it. The other man held a stunbolt, similar to the one Nick had in his pack. It wouldn’t kill him, but it would put him down . . . and then that sword would have no trouble finishing the job. Behind the men, Nick could see a few Freeposters walking past, watching him.
    “Erica the wanderer,” said the man with the sword. He was short and tan, with a thin black beard. His forearms were huge, the muscles flexing as he gripped his sword. “What has it been, a month?” He pointed the tip of his blade at Nick. “Who’s your friend?”
    “Hello, Lucas,” said Erica.
    “I’m looking for my brother,” Nick said. “He’s almost fourteen. His name’s Kevin. Is he here?”
    “Haven’t seen him,” said the other man, his stunbolt aimed squarely at Nick’s heart.
    Nick felt like he had been kicked in the chest. “I was hoping maybe he had wandered in here on his own, or maybe the rebels dropped him off. . . .”
    “No,” said the man with the stunbolt.
    “Well, maybe he came in at night, someone else maybe took him in . . . Maybe he’s hurt. . . .”
    “I said no,” the man said again, with a hint of warning in his voice.
    “Son, Aram’s right. We would know if anyone from outside was here,” said Lucas, in a kinder tone than the other man. “I’m sorry.”
    Nick felt desperate. What would he do now, if this was a dead end? Go back to where he had lost Kevin and wander aimlessly around the woods some more, until the bots eventually came back for him? “Maybe someone knows something,” he said. “I’d like to ask around.”
    “We don’t need a stranger wandering around our Freepost knocking on doors,” said Aram, his stunbolt still leveled at Nick.
    Nick clenched his fists in frustration. “Look, I won’t hassle anyone, I just need to talk. . . .”
    Aram holstered his stunbolt and took a step toward Nick, scowling. Erica stepped forward, holding up her hands in a peacekeeping gesture. “Take it easy, Aram,” she said.
    Nick braced himself. The man was big, as tall as Nick but much broader, and Nick knew he’d probably get pummeled by him, but there was no way Nick was going back into the woods without going into the Freepost first. . . . At least the man planned to use his fists, instead of his stunbolt. . . .
    “Aram, wait!” said a woman’s stern voice. Aram paused and turned to face the woman walking quickly up the path toward them. She had long gray hair, tied back in a ponytail. She wore a blue blouse tucked into a pair of khakis, and brown work boots. With her gray hair, and the crow’s-feet around her eyes, Nick guessed she was in her late fifties, although her long, confident stride made her seem younger.
    “This one was being difficult,” said Aram.
    “Don’t be an idiot,” said the woman. Aram reluctantly unclenched his fists and stepped back, still scowling.
    She walked up to Nick and stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. “You coming from the City?” she asked. “A brother and a sister with you?”
    “Yes,” said Nick, flustered. “I mean, no, my brother’s missing and my sister’s captured . . . but how . . . I mean . . .”
    “Pigeon from the City, telling me to expect two brothers and a sister on the run,” she said. “First time I hear from