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gotta stay up with that concussion of yours, at least watch will give you something to do.”
    The men nodded their agreement. “There are vending machines on the other side of the building. The rest of you can clear them out before you go to sleep.”
    He turned and walked to the trail that a sign proclaimed led to the observation deck, Janet following behind him after Ana agreed to watch over her children, fast asleep in the van. They were soon swallowed up in the shadows of the trees and Kim shifted her attention to the others. The Wakefield brothers disappeared behind the building while Ana clucked over the bruises and scrapes Jenny had gotten from her fall on the highway.
    She joined Tray and Jose hauling the table by the building over to the vehicles just in time for Alan and Travis to return with armfuls of processed foods and bottles of water and soda.
    It wasn’t the healthiest meal but it was something to fill their bellies and the way her stomach grumbled at the sight of a Twinkie, she knew she needed it.
    Everyone tore into the food and Kim made sure to put aside several packets of peanut butter and crackers for the kids when they woke up. She also selected some oatmeal cookies and water, figuring that the least she could do was bring Malcolm and Janet something while they stood watch over them.
    “Trey, I’m going to run some food to Janet and Malcolm,” she told him. “Stay with Jose and Ana.”
    He rolled his eyes. “I’m not going to wander off and get lost, Mom.”
    “Watch it,” she said, giving him what he called The Look. “You aren’t too old to put over my knee.”
    “Yes, ma’am,” he replied, looking contrite and she knew he had gotten her point. It may be the end of the world but he still had to show some respect.
    She headed off down the trail, carefully picking her way down the slope in the dark. As she got closer to the observation deck she heard voices drifting through the trees.
    “But what if he’s wrong?”
    She recognized Janet’s voice and the low, gravely voice that followed was clearly Malcolm.
    “He’s never wrong. Sheppard wouldn’t put Omega into effect unless there was no other option.”
    Her feet came to a standstill as she wondered who they could be talking about. It wasn’t anyone in their group. She hadn’t heard any of them mention the word omega, even in passing. She held herself still, straining to hear the conversation.
    “Fine but what happens when we get there? I’m sure me and the kids weren’t part of the arrangement he made with you. What happens when you show up with us tagging along?”
    “He’ll accept you.”
    “How can you be so sure? You had to hide your job from us at that man’s orders.”
    Ah, so the man had to be someone in the CIA.
    “That was part of the job, he had no control over that. Janet, he wasn’t just my boss, he’s my friend. He is a good man, he would never turn away children, no matter who they belonged to.”
    “And what about the others? I can’t just leave behind Jose and Ana or Kim and Trey. Even Alan doesn’t deserve to be left behind.”
    Kim held her breath at the mention of their names, ears straining to catch every word.
    “We’ll give them a choice, of course,” Malcolm told her. “They can come or they can stay. Not only is Sheppard a good man, he’s a smart man. He knows that he can’t do this alone and even with all his recruits, it will be difficult. The more people he has on his side, the stronger we will be. He won’t turn away good, honest people.”
    “I don’t know…it’s a lot to swallow. You’ve earned some trust after what went down at the highway but you’re asking them to go that far on just your word.”
    Where did he want them to go?  
    Kim crept further down the trail and her foot landed on a twig, the snap of it as loud as the crack of a whip.
    “You can come out,” Malcolm said, his voice sounding almost amused instead of angry.
    Well, there’s her cover blown. She