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“But only you and me. As a group, we’d be too slow.”
    Sam nodded. “We’d better tell them.”
    I called to the others, and they poked their heads out of their tents with irritation on their faces—most of them had been nearly asleep, I guessed. They threw on some clothes and came to the fire, shivering in the cold and demanding an explanation. When I told them what had happened, the fatigue in their eyes turned to horror.
    “
What?
” Miranda screeched. “You mean we’re
alone out here
?” Immediately she whipped out a smartphone. “I’m calling nine one one. There’s
got
to be some kind of coverage out here.” She stood up and began pacing around the camp, holding up her phone in what I already knew was a completely futile search for a signal.
    “I want a straight answer,” said Kase. “Are we in danger?”
    I paused, weighing my words. “There’s always danger in the wild. So . . . yes. But if we stay calm and—”
    “Why am I even talking to you?” he said. “You’re not an authority here. Let
me
talk to your dad.”
    “I can’t even reach him!” I said. “Look, I don’t want to be in this position any more than you, and believe me, I wish my dad were here to call the shots. But right now, I’m all you’ve got.”
    “How do you know your dad will be there when you go looking for him?” asked Avani. “What if he was taken hostage?”
    “I don’t know,” I confessed. Secretly, I hoped he
was
a hostage—it was better than the alternative. “All I know is that I need to find out what happened. He and Theo could be hurt.”
    “You said yourself that you could barely hear what he was saying. Maybe you’re wrong. Maybe everything is fine.” Avani said it as if she were trying to convince herself more than me.
    I didn’t tell her that that was exactly what I was counting on, that somehow the situation wasn’t as dire as it seemed and that any moment, Dad would radio again to explain it was all a mistake.
    “I was there when her dad called,” said Sam. “She’s right. He’s in trouble.”
    “Look,” I said, “I can go and be back the day after tomorrow at the latest. I’ll go after my dad and find out what happened.”
    “Isn’t that dangerous?” asked Avani.
    “I know the bush,” I replied, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt. “Anyway, I can’t sit here waiting without knowing what happened. You don’t understand. I just—I can’t.” Because the last time this had happened, the last time someone went missing out there, I did wait. I told myself everything was fine, that she’d be back, that it was all just a misunderstanding. Only she didn’t come back, and if I hadn’t waited, if only I had
gone looking
, maybe she’d still be alive.
    I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Dad would understand. Dad would
have
to understand. He had been the one to assure me Mom would be fine, that she could handle herself out there, when I began to get nervous about her prolonged absence. I knew that deep down, I still blamed Dad for her death. If he had let us go looking for her earlier . . . Well. He’d been wrong then, and maybe he’d been wrong to go after these poachers. Once I’d have believed unwaveringly in my dad’s judgment. But after Mom, he seemed to shrink in my eyes. Maybe I didn’t trust him like I used to, but I still loved him. He was all I had, and I wouldn’t sit idle while he was in trouble.
    “I have to look for him,” I said. “Sam’s coming with me. Avani, you can be in charge till I get back.”
    “Uh-uh,” said Avani. “You are
not
leaving me in charge of the prom queen or
that
one.” She tossed a sour look at both Miranda and Joey. “I’m coming with you.”
    “Me too,” said Joey.
    “We should all go,” said Avani. “Separating now will just be worse. We’re safer together.”
    “Babes, no!” said Miranda, pressing herself against Kase. “Tell her I want to go home!”
    “This is ridiculous!” said Kase,