Rex Pov
The woods were too quiet. I kept my back against a tree and waited for the wind to shift. Behind me, Toby and Mark were crouched in the tall, dead grass. They were breathing hard, and I could hear the whistle in Toby's lungs. We were all still too thin for this.
"See anything?" Toby whispered.
"Shh," I said.
I crawled forward a few inches and looked through the gap in the bushes. We were right on the edge of the East Valley. Down in the hollow, a small fire was burning. It was hidden well, but the smoke was a thin gray line against the trees. I saw shapes moving around the flames.
I pulled a pair of cracked binoculars from my jacket and looked again. I saw Viktor. He was sitting on a stump, eating a piece of meat that looked thick and juicy. My stomach gave a loud, painful growl. I ignored it. Then I saw the other group.
"Is that Silas?" Mark asked, leaning over my shoulder.
"Stay down," I said.
