“That’s incredible, Alex,” I said. “That’s such a great idea. They’re going to love it.”

He went off to show it to Niko and Mr. Appleton.

I sat down to write my letter to our parents.

I tried to tell them what had happened to us. I wrote that Alex and I were taking care of each other and that I’d make sure to keep him safe, no matter what.

I had to do a better job of that.

But it’s hard to take care of someone who doesn’t want or really even need your help.

Mr. Appleton and Robbie came to the Kitchen with Niko and Alex a little while later.

I had seen the four of them in the bicycle aisle. They had picked out two sturdy high-end mountain bikes. Now that their success was linked to our dreams of finding our parents, we wanted them to have everything they wanted. They could take the whole store, if they wanted. Just get us our parents back.

“Dean,” Niko said. “Have you given some thought to the food we can send with these guys?”

I had.

I had a plastic storage bin filled with stuff:

2 boxes of granola bars

1 box protein bars

2 bags trail mix

4 cans RavioliOs

4 cans of beans

1 bag of dried beans

1 bag of rice

1 box instant oatmeal

2 jars of instant coffee

1 box powdered milk

I had also set out four gallon bottles of water and six liter bottles of Gatorade. I don’t know, that seemed like the most they’d be able to carry.

“You guys can take as much dog food as you want,” I offered.

Robbie shrugged.

“Luna does pretty well for herself,” he said. He seemed down. He was looking at the floor.

He didn’t want to leave. That was clear.

Mr. Appleton started rummaging through the plastic box.

I went over to Alex.

“Are they going to take the walkie-talkies?” I asked him.

“Yeah! They thought it was a great idea. Mr. Appleton said I am very ingenious.”

His serious face looked proud.

I put my arm around his shoulder and kind of gave him a hug. He shrugged it off and went to stand next to Niko.

They were best buds again, I guess.

I tried not to care.

Mr. Appleton lifted the tub, and seemed okay with the weight. Going through it, though, he discarded the RavioliOs.

“Do you have any beef jerky?” he asked me.

“Sure,” I said. And I turned to go get it for them.

“I’ll go with him,” Robbie said.

Robbie and I went back toward the snack food aisle.

“I feel like I can trust you,” Robbie said to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I’m in a bind and I don’t know what to do.”

“What’s wrong?” I said.

“Craig wants to leave right away. But I don’t think he’s well enough to go.”

“I know that Niko had said you guys could stay at least another day,” I said.

“Yeah! And now Craig wants to go today. He wants to go right now and I’m just not sure he’s up to it.”

We had reached the jerky and he skimmed his hand over some packs.

“I think he’s afraid he’s gonna die. He wants to try to get to Denver before he dies.”

Robbie turned to me.

“I think the longer we stay, the better. I mean, I want to get your letters to your folks. I do. But I don’t know what kind of chance we have with him the way he is.”

I had to agree.

“I feel really bad, Robbie,” I said. “But I don’t know what to do. Truthfully, I think before we all knew about Denver, most of us would have wanted you to just stay. Like forever.”

Maybe it was too much to say that. Maybe I had crossed a line, but I felt bad. To have to go back out there after everything he’d been through, when it was safe in the store and we all wanted him to stay. It was rough.

“But I also have to say”—and this was the truth in every way—“if you can go to Alaska and find our parents, you would be our hero forever and ever.”

Robbie sighed.

“That’s true,” he said. “I would like to help you kids.”

When we got back, Niko was helping Mr. Appleton pack up two large-frame backpacks and two bicycle saddlebags. I saw on the ground two small camping stoves—the kind that are just a can of fuel and a metal thing that goes on top. Also two thermal sleeping bags—the very thin space-blanket kind. And a bunch of matches and some Ziploc bags. Ponchos, flares, camping stuff from the Sports Department. Alex’s video gear was in a heap next to the clothing. Most key: a Ziploc bag containing a list of our names and our letters.

Niko and Mr. Appleton were methodically packing the stuff up.

“Mr. Appleton, I was just wondering.” I had to try, on Robbie’s behalf. “I mean, it’s fine with us for you to spend some more time here. We all want you to make it to Denver with our messages, why don’t you just wait until you feel a little better?”

“I have already discussed this with Niko,” he said stiffly.

“We don’t know when the evacuation began,” Niko said. “So if they wait too long, they might miss it.”

“Besides, we’ve hit on the right antibiotics and I’m already starting to feel better,” Mr. Appleton added.

Okay. Those were sound arguments, but why wouldn’t he meet my eyes?

“We’ll have dinner with you and then we’ll go,” he said.

Robbie was staring at Mr. Appleton with irritation and maybe anger on his face. When Robbie saw me looking at him, he gave me a weak smile.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

THE BIG SEND-OFF

Batiste and I really went to town for the farewell dinner.

After the men left, I was going to ask Niko if Batiste could just become my permanent helper. He really had a way with food and I think everyone was getting tired of the ridiculous meals my other helpers picked (for one lunch Ulysses had picked only foods with cherries in them—Cherry Pop-Tarts, cherry pie, black cherry ice cream, etc.)

Batiste and I oven-roasted the last of the fresh-frozen chicken. He made a corn soufflé using Egg Beaters and frozen corn, with some other stuff. For dessert we made three cakes: yellow with chocolate frosting, devil’s food with marshmallow icing, and a pink cake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles, for novelty effect.

It was a really good meal. Everyone said so, except for Jake, who took a plate and slunk away to eat by himself, and Astrid, who was still MIA.

Mr. Appleton and Niko had joined forces, clearly. They sat together, discussing the trip. Alex sat with them, listening in, and happy, I imagine, at being allowed in on this important conversation.

After dinner Mr. Appleton gave a speech.

He stood up and dabbed his forehead with a napkin.

“I want to thank you all for taking us in and taking such good care of us,” he said. “You are some of the brightest and most determined children I have had the pleasure of knowing. I am proud that you are in my school district.”

He swabbed his head again. Why was he sweating so much? It wasn’t warm in the kitchen. It was chilly, like the rest of the store.

“Robbie and I will make it our mission to find your parents and tell them you are here.”

The kids cheered.

“Can you please ask my mom to tell Mr. Mittens that I miss him?” little Caroline asked Mr. Appleton.

“Sure,” he said. Then he closed his eyes. He put a hand out so he could lean on the tabletop.

Niko stood up. At his signal, Alex handed out plastic flutes filled with sparkling apple juice.

“And, Mr. Appleton and Robbie, we are very glad you came. It has been our honor to prepare you for the journey ahead and we thank you very much for taking our letters to our parents. To Mr. Appleton and Robbie!”

We toasted with our faux champagne.

“Okay,” Mr. Appleton said. “I think it’s time we headed out.”

The kids groaned.

“I don’t get it.” Chloe pouted. “At least wait until the morning. Nobody travels at night.”

“It doesn’t really matter,” Mr. Appleton said. “It’s night all the time out there.”

“And less people are out at night. So there’s less of a chance we’ll run into dangerous people,” Robbie added.

Chloe shivered.

Ulysses was sitting on Robbie’s lap. Robbie kissed him on the top of the head. Ulysses snuggled into him and wrapped his arms around Robbie’s neck.

This was going to suck for Ulysses, their leaving.

“Come on, Robbie,” Mr. Appleton said. “It’s time.”

Mr. Appleton stood up.

“Thank you again,” Niko said.

“It’s our duty and our pleasure,” Mr. Appleton said. His color was not good.

He seemed to squint at Niko, reaching out to shake his hand. But he couldn’t find it.

Mr. Appleton put a hand out to steady himself against the tabletop, but the hand missed.

Slowly, sideways, Mr. Appleton crumpled to the ground.

Niko, Robbie, Brayden, and I carried him back to their sleeping area.

“I knew he wasn’t feeling up to it,” Robbie said. “He has this sense of duty toward you kids. Wanted to get those letters to your parents.”

They set Mr. Appleton down. His head lolled back. He was out.

“Do you think he’s okay?” I asked.

“Someone go get smelling salts,” Niko ordered.

“I’ll go,” Brayden volunteered. He took off for the Pharmacy.

“We need to get him to the hospital,” Niko said. He turned to Mr. Appleton. “Do you think you could get him there, if we made some kind of sled for you? It’s not too far…”

“No, no, no,” Robbie protested. “The hospital’s closed. It was one of the first things to go. There were like hundreds of people trying to get in. It was mobbed.”

Niko thought about that. I saw him look to Robbie. He didn’t trust him.