pointed both ways.
His quads and calves flexed as they rolled the wreck clear of the road. They all
stretched, looking back at the now-open road. The sun dropped into evening and the
streetlights flickered on. Clearing the road had cost them a day. The time table
Kade had hoped for was long gone.
X flipped water from the brim of his hat. “Let’s go get some dry clothes on.”
The sore group shuffled toward the Sheetz like a moaning horde of zombies.
Will jogged to Kade. “Have you decided yet?”
Kade shook his head.
Will nodded and went back with the group. Tiny grabbed Kade’s wrist, allowing the
others to move out of earshot.
“What did you decide?” Tiny asked, her black Under Armour wicking the drops of rain
off her body.
“Open to ideas,” he replied, tapping his fingers off his thumb.
She spiked his wet hair with an amused smile on her face. “Let them join us, or kill
them.”
He found the casual nature of her toying with his hair, something she had done hundreds
of times before, compounded with the weight of her suggestion, to be unnerving.
He had to remind himself this wasn’t the first time she had faced such dire circumstances,
and he was grateful to have her guidance.
“Kill?”
“They’re armed, and they know where we’re going. The last thing we want is a militia
arriving on our doorstep.”
Kade hated that Tiny was right.
C HAPTER V
H IGHWAY T O …
___________
Lucas was unsure what to make of the teenager sitting beside him. Sure he understood
why
she had ended up in his SUV, but he still didn’t like it. They were over stuffed
in the Wilson’s van, and Grace was the one they wanted gone. He didn’t know her,
and he didn’t trust her. Every move she made caught his attention like he was waiting
for her to sabotage him.
“Is this your car?” Grace asked.
“Yeah,” Lucas replied.
Grace ran her hands over the leather seats. “No offense, but you don’t look like
the premium package type.”
“Because of this?” Lucas asked, stroking his mountain man beard.
“Yeah, you look a bit like you should be walking on water and living the life of
poverty.”
“News for you girl, there is nothing glorious in being hungry. I have—had—a small
company that specialized in green energy.” Lucas opened up the glove box and handed
her a business card. “Looking like Hippy Jesus boosted sales over 20 percent.”
“I wouldn’t have ever guessed you were a businessman,” she replied.
“And what do you do?”
“I’m a senior in high school, but I work for my brothers and before them my father.
Very few things I can’t build, install, or fix.”
“So, I can count on you to give me a hand installing solar panels when we get there?”
“Of course. That is if you don’t mind taking orders from a younger woman.”
Lucas laughed. “I said you could help, not be my boss.”
“I have found most bosses to be incompetent. So, I repeat, as long as you don’t
mind taking orders from a younger woman.”
“I think I will have to speak with your union representative before I can allow
you on the project.”
Grace leaned back in her seat and put her boots on the dashboard. “You just wait.
You’ll be begging for my help.”
Lucas shoved her feet off of the dash. “I’m not the begging type.”
Grace flashed him a smile. “That’s what they all say.”
* * *
They rode in the dark, accompanied by the hypnotic squeal of the wiper blades against
the glass. Kade sat with his back to the wall of the bus, his legs extending into
the aisle, resting on top of Argos. Tiny, behind the wheel, kept the bus focused
on the taillights ahead.
The sports car scouted in front of the convoy. The lead car was the SUV, driven by
Lucas with Grace as his copilot. Old Yeller was next in line, where Kade enjoyed
his chocolate milk, a last luxury of the Old World. Behind them was Victoria, driving
the ambulance; Mick followed in the cop car with the Wilson Brothers in the rear.
Kade
His quads and calves flexed as they rolled the wreck clear of the road. They all
stretched, looking back at the now-open road. The sun dropped into evening and the
streetlights flickered on. Clearing the road had cost them a day. The time table
Kade had hoped for was long gone.
X flipped water from the brim of his hat. “Let’s go get some dry clothes on.”
The sore group shuffled toward the Sheetz like a moaning horde of zombies.
Will jogged to Kade. “Have you decided yet?”
Kade shook his head.
Will nodded and went back with the group. Tiny grabbed Kade’s wrist, allowing the
others to move out of earshot.
“What did you decide?” Tiny asked, her black Under Armour wicking the drops of rain
off her body.
“Open to ideas,” he replied, tapping his fingers off his thumb.
She spiked his wet hair with an amused smile on her face. “Let them join us, or kill
them.”
He found the casual nature of her toying with his hair, something she had done hundreds
of times before, compounded with the weight of her suggestion, to be unnerving.
He had to remind himself this wasn’t the first time she had faced such dire circumstances,
and he was grateful to have her guidance.
“Kill?”
“They’re armed, and they know where we’re going. The last thing we want is a militia
arriving on our doorstep.”
Kade hated that Tiny was right.
C HAPTER V
H IGHWAY T O …
___________
Lucas was unsure what to make of the teenager sitting beside him. Sure he understood
why
she had ended up in his SUV, but he still didn’t like it. They were over stuffed
in the Wilson’s van, and Grace was the one they wanted gone. He didn’t know her,
and he didn’t trust her. Every move she made caught his attention like he was waiting
for her to sabotage him.
“Is this your car?” Grace asked.
“Yeah,” Lucas replied.
Grace ran her hands over the leather seats. “No offense, but you don’t look like
the premium package type.”
“Because of this?” Lucas asked, stroking his mountain man beard.
“Yeah, you look a bit like you should be walking on water and living the life of
poverty.”
“News for you girl, there is nothing glorious in being hungry. I have—had—a small
company that specialized in green energy.” Lucas opened up the glove box and handed
her a business card. “Looking like Hippy Jesus boosted sales over 20 percent.”
“I wouldn’t have ever guessed you were a businessman,” she replied.
“And what do you do?”
“I’m a senior in high school, but I work for my brothers and before them my father.
Very few things I can’t build, install, or fix.”
“So, I can count on you to give me a hand installing solar panels when we get there?”
“Of course. That is if you don’t mind taking orders from a younger woman.”
Lucas laughed. “I said you could help, not be my boss.”
“I have found most bosses to be incompetent. So, I repeat, as long as you don’t
mind taking orders from a younger woman.”
“I think I will have to speak with your union representative before I can allow
you on the project.”
Grace leaned back in her seat and put her boots on the dashboard. “You just wait.
You’ll be begging for my help.”
Lucas shoved her feet off of the dash. “I’m not the begging type.”
Grace flashed him a smile. “That’s what they all say.”
* * *
They rode in the dark, accompanied by the hypnotic squeal of the wiper blades against
the glass. Kade sat with his back to the wall of the bus, his legs extending into
the aisle, resting on top of Argos. Tiny, behind the wheel, kept the bus focused
on the taillights ahead.
The sports car scouted in front of the convoy. The lead car was the SUV, driven by
Lucas with Grace as his copilot. Old Yeller was next in line, where Kade enjoyed
his chocolate milk, a last luxury of the Old World. Behind them was Victoria, driving
the ambulance; Mick followed in the cop car with the Wilson Brothers in the rear.
Kade
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