The punishment for a seventh-grade dropout runaway is probably pretty harsh, but Ash Barker doesn't care. She can’t waste time or emotions on anyone but her brother, Matt. They were placed in separate foster homes, so Ash runs away to find him. If she fails, she’s headed back to juvenile detention. Everything is going right on schedule until two kids, Dayna and Kevin, barge into her hideout -- which just happens to be in their house. She ditches the pair fast, but can’t stop thinking about those bruised, skinny kids. Dayna and Kevin live with abusive parents who force them to stay in their room most of the time. If they go to the authorities for help, they’ll be split up, too. Ash knows how that feels, and she goes back to help, taking the two with her. With any luck, they’ll all help each other along the way. Meanwhile, as Matt waits for Ash, he can’t resist telling his foster brother and best friend, Jon-Allen, about the plans. They stash food, earn money, and keep watch for the night Ash appears at their bedroom window. Ash is so happy to be reunited with Matt and to discover she’s falling in love with Dayna that, at first, she doesn’t worry about what they’ll do next. But life on the road begins to take its toll -- they have to resort to shoplifting and scavenging to survive. Ash feels a growing sense of guilt at the disaster she’s made of everyone’s lives. Can she somehow keep her newfound “family” together despite hunger and sickness? Or will she be able to find the strength to reach out for help?

No Turning Back

Dayna suppressed a laugh as she joined them.


Ash pulled a necklace with a key attached from under her shirt collar, took her notebook out of a metal lock box inside her bag, and began scribbling notes.


Dayna lay down on the other side of Kevin, feeling her muscles relax. Birds sang overhead, a squirrel chattered, and the weather was perfect. No one would ever find them here.  7: Night


At 5:30 P.M., Ash closed her notebook and looked over at Dayna and Kevin. They were both asleep. They had done very well at keeping up with her. Since Ash had only been on the run for a couple of days when she’d found them, she was worn out from walking, too. She put her pad of paper away and dug out her flashlight, even though darkness was still hours away.


Chapter 102