Nudge still couldn’t accept that Max and the others were dead. It was impossible- she couldn’t deal with it- so she forced herself to think other thoughts. 

    Nudge guessed it was kind of sad that, right now, this scraped-out shallow ledge in the middle of a desert cliff actually felt cozy and comfortable to her. She lay  on her back, feet up against the wall, bruised legs out straight, examining the strata of colors- cream, tan, pink, peach- in the solid rock overhead. The sun out there was hot, but it was cool in here, and breezy. 

    It just goes to show you, she thought, You think you need all your stuff, your favorite cup, your best blanket, soap, your parents- and then you realize that all you really need is to be where the Erasers can’t get you. 

    She couldn’t get over Ari. He’d been a little kid the last time she’d seen him. She remembered how he’d seemed to get on Max’s nerves, always following her around. Now he was a full-grown Eraser, the worst of them all. How could that have happened in only  four years? 

    Half an hour ago, she and Fang had heard the very distant chop-chop of a helicopter. THey’d pulled as far back into the cave as they could, flattening themselves against the cool back wall. After twenty minutes of silence, Fang had decided it was safe and gone to look for food. She hoped he came back soon. 

    Their house was burned to cinders. Everyone of her friends except Fang was dead. She and Fang were really on their own- maybe forever. 

    Fang flapped up the side of the cliff, landing almost silently on their ledge. Nudge felt a warm flow of relief. 

Ari snarled, leaping for Fang as he pushed off the ground. He grabbed Fang’s leg, and they both fell heavily. THen Air was sitting on Fang’s chest, punching him. Nudge gasped and put her hand over her mouth as she saw blood erupt from Fang’s nose. THe second Eraser kicked at Fang's chest, hard over and over, thunk, thunk. 

    Nudge was freaking- this was disaster. THe people in the trailer park were bound to notice her, hovering in front of the trees. Fang took another hit, his head jerking sideways, and then he spit a stream of bloody saliva right into Ari’s face. Ari roared and brought both hands down onto Fang’s chest with enough force to snap his ribs. Nudge heard Fang’s breath leave him with a whoosh. 

    What to do? If she went down to the ground she would be dead meat, and so would Fang. If only she could- 

    Then she remembered the cans of spray paint on the ground. Maybe they were empty. Maybe not. 

The Gasman nodded grimly. What a night. THey had gotten so much done- Max couldn’t have done better herself. He hoped Max had already rescued Angel by now. He hoped nothing had gone wrong. If the whitecoats had gotten hold of Ange. … For just an instant he saw her, white and lifeless, laid ona  cold steel slab while whitecoats lectured about her unusual bone structure. He swallowed and shook the dreadful image off. Once more, he glanced around, listening.