Root: Part IV, Chapter 3

Hasta, Ivan and Juan flip Frida far along the highway on a dangerous scouting mission. But they don’t realize another traveler is lurking at her destination.

For more on this project, please see “This Year a Serial Takes Root.”

3.0 Hasta

Frida stood up straight, squaring her shoulders. Her hair was a splash of bright color, but otherwise she looked impossibly frail against the backdrop of fog.

Hasta took a deep breath to calm herself. She and Ivan and Juan stood three abreast, facing Frida like a firing squad f…