One Perfect Couple

Lyla wakes, coughing up water, and sees a worried Zana bending over her. Zana tells her that the others are safe and that Angel is caring for Santana’s head wound. Zana thanks Lyla for rescuing her, but Lyla thinks, “I hadn’t saved her. She had saved herself. She had saved all of us” (339). The survivors regroup at the cabana, and Lyla notes that Zana seems detached, as if she is still processing the trauma of Conor’s death. She and the other women discuss Zana’s mental state, and Lyla observes that Conor’s abuse “doesn’t change the weight of what happened” (341). Angel insists that their actions are entirely justified, but Lyla worries about what to tell any police officials after a rescue. Angel recently found Joel, who has died by hanging.

They turn to the topic of restoring the radio battery. Angel explains that there may be a way to repair the lead battery to restore the chemical reaction that charges it. She explains that the radio battery is similar to a car battery. Lyla tells her that she is likely the key to their rescue.