Chapter Sixteen

Back at the task ground, Tom marks out a 100‑meter course. All four—Lily, Tom, Becca, and a delirious Andrew—line up, barely able to stand. At the start, Andrew staggers; Becca limps and bleeds; Tom and Lily surge ahead. Distracted by Becca’s cry, Tom briefly slows and Lily touches the finish first, with Tom a heartbeat later. Andrew abandons Becca in the final stretch to finish before her; Becca walks in last, dignified despite pain. The irrigation system activates, sending water arcing across the parched compound.

They support each other back inside. Following Tom’s decree, Lily drinks first at the sink, then the others drink and fill bottles. Becca, battered and bleeding, insists on leaving before sunrise but takes a shower first. The group collapses into uneasy sleep; Tom snores, Andrew’s breathing is labored, and Lily fears for his life.

In the night, Becca silently loops Lily’s robe belt around Tom’s neck and chokes him awake. As he flails, a car screeches to a stop outside, freezing everyone. The belt snaps; Tom gasps, then violently seizes Becca, throttling her until Lily shouts that “they” are downstairs. Tom releases her and immediately declares Becca banished, forcing her into the desert. He allows Lily to fetch warmth for Becca, then escorts her out.

Alone with an ailing Andrew, Lily questions her vulnerability to the men’s brute force, then tends Andrew’s fever with water and ibuprofen, repeatedly rousing him to drink. Tom returns, confirms Becca is gone, and notes they have reached the final three. Lily continues nursing Andrew through the night.

At dawn, a house voice announces Andrew’s temporary removal for medical treatment, not banishment. Lily wakes to find Andrew’s bed empty and Tom awake under the skylight, leaving Lily and Tom alone while production holds Andrew offsite.