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the rest of the Lieutenants?”
    Elle replies, “Yes.” She tilts her head toward Chris. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
    Chris crosses his arms.
    “How old is your dog?” he asks.
    Elle shrugs. “I’m guessing three or four,” she answers.
    “Interesting that he’s taken a liking to you.” Chris stands up. At six feet, four inches, he is a giant compared to the tiny Elle. She stares at him. “Take care of your dog, and he’ll take care of you.”
    Chris nods at Uriah. “I’ll be back. Stay with the senator.”
    He exits the train car.
    “Sit down, Elle,” I say, pointing to the seat across from my table. “Tell me about yourself.”
    I briefly remove my gaze from the myriad of plans and rosters on the table in front of me, focusing on the young, dark haired girl. Elle slowly takes a seat, her dog alert and calm beside her.
    “Where are you from, Elle?”
    A girl this young should not be alone, working with the militia and the National Guard. But here she is. I don’t ask the obvious: Where is your family? She, like me, has probably lost hers.
    “Hollywood,” she replies.
    “Really? I’m from Culver City,” I answer. “I was just there a couple of weeks ago,” I reply.
    “In Hollywood?”
    “Well, downtown Los Angeles. Toluca Lake.” I look at Uriah. “We were both there. On a mission.”
    “Is there anything left?” Elle leans forward. She looks desperate. “Is the Klan still in control?”
    “The Klan?”
    “When I was living in Hollywood, after the EMP and the chemical weapons, most of Los Angeles was overrun by a gang called the Klan. They’re pretty brutal.” She pauses. “I was at a ranch in the Tehachapi Mountains. My Uncle’s place, after the EMP. I went back afterwards…it was empty. He was gone. Everything I thought I knew was changed. That fast.” Elle bites her lip, the ghost of bad memories dancing in her eyes.
    I know that look. I’ve been there.
    “Well, Mexico has been pushing Omega back in San Diego,” I say. “So maybe that’s helped get rid of the Klan. We didn’t see any sign of a gang that big when we were in Los Angeles.”
    “Good. I hope they’re all gone.” Elle scratches Bravo behind the ears. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Senator. You’re famous. So is Commander Young and the Freedom Fighters.” She smiles. “A lot of people like you. They look up to you. You give them hope.”
    Strong words from a young girl.
    “Hope is important,” she continues, meeting my gaze.
    Yes , I think. It is .
    Elle nods, as if deliberately imprinting her observation in my mind.
    “Uriah, I’m going into the next car,” I say.
    Uriah rises and follows me. It’s odd to be protected constantly. I’m used to leading men into battle, not hiding behind them. Not that I’m actually hiding , but I feel as if I’ve been taken out of my element.
    This is not what I’m used to.
    I leave Elle and Bravo behind, stepping through the connecting doors. Walking on the train is similarto walking on a ship. It throws my balance off just enough so that I have to watch where I’m stepping.
    Chris is standing in the center of the car, arms crossed over his broad chest. Andrew is there, as well, and so are Vera and Sophia.
    “What’s up?” I ask, approaching them.
    “We were just talking about Monterey,” Andrew replies. “When we get there, we’re going to try to keep you inside the Naval Academy as much as possible. It’s the safest location for you.”
    “What about everyone else?” I say.
    “We’ll be there with you,” Uriah replies, coming up behind me.
    “And what about the other representatives?”
    “They’ll be staying in the same place you are.”
    I contemplate this.
    “How far do we take the train?” I ask at last.
    “San Jose,” Andrew answers. “And then we’ll take the convoy to Monterey.”
    I nod. It sounds reasonable.
    It should take just a couple of hours for the train to reach San Jose. The convoy is what will take a long