by Gary Paulsen
On one wall, on shelves, there were smaller charges of plastic explosive and he found a timer and detonator where Rico had pointed them out. He put the small charge on top of the bomb and set the timer for fifteen minutes.
He ran out the door and hopped into the sand buggy. “Come on, Mike. We better make tracks before that timer runs out.”
The heeler jumped into the front seat and Cody started the motor and roared out the gate. He stayed on the pavement until he came to the first dirt road. It led to a fork and he decided to take the less traveled way.
The sand buggy was four miles away, moving fast on a back road, when the ground shook and there was a deafening explosion. Cody hit the brakes, pulled off and looked back.
A flat-topped mushroomlike cloud took over the sky. First it was white and then it changed to dark gray and he sat for a long time, the dog panting softly next to him, and thought of all that had ended there under that cloud.
CHAPTER 14
Mike barked. Cody opened his heavy eyelids and swerved around a boulder in the road, barely missing it. He wiped his eyes, realizing that he had fallen asleep at the wheel. “Whew! Time to stop, boy, before I kill us both.”
It was late evening. He had driven the back roads all through the night and most of the next day without stopping for food or rest.
To his right was a piece of a gate with a sign that read DOUBLE B HORSE FARM. Cody pushed the gate open with his bumper and drove into a pretty meadow surrounded by broken-down white wooden fences. He stopped the buggy at the top of a grassy knoll and turned off the motor.
Reaching into his supplies, he pulled out a pair of binoculars. The CCR had leveled the ranch house but an old barn with part of its roof missing was still standing.
“Looks like that’s our motel for the night, boy.”
He drove up to the barn and hastily got out to open the large wooden doors, then drove inside and parked.
Mike leaped down and ran outside to explore. Cody looked around warily. The barn had a high ceiling with a loft above. A few bales of rotting hay were stacked in one corner next to some old tractor parts. It looked sturdy enough.
Cody yawned as the heeler trotted in. “I could sleep for a year but I guess I better feed us first.” He reached into his pack for a couple of cans of stew. “Here, boy. Come and get it.”
Mike wagged his tail. He sat down and waited patiently for Cody to open one of the cans.
From somewhere above them, a few wisps of hay trickled down between the slats of the loft. Mike’s hair bristled and he let out a low growl. The dog started for the ladder but stopped when Cody called him back.
“It’s okay, boy,” Cody said in a loud voice. “There’s no one here but you and me. Come back and eat your supper.”
Reluctantly Mike moved away from the ladder and back to Cody’s side.
“Stay,” Cody commanded. He took his gun, edged to the ladder and slowly climbed it.
The instant his head cleared the top of the loft something heavy hit him full in the face and knocked him backward off the ladder.
CHAPTER 15
“Call your dog off.”
Cody’s hand went to the back of his aching head. He gasped for air and strained against the pain to pull himself to a sitting position. The wind had been knocked out of him and the back of his head stung as if it were on fire.
The voice came from above. He opened one eye and tried to concentrate.
“Call your dog off, kid, so I can see how bad you’re hurt.”
Cody focused on the voice. A girl about his age was standing on the ladder. She was dressed in tattered blue jeans and a grimy T-shirt. Her dark hair was pulled back in a tangled ponytail. Mike had her trapped and wasn’t about to let her get down. Every time she moved he bared his teeth.
“Leave her alone, Mike.”
The dog backed away a few feet but watched the girl suspiciously.
She climbed down and brushed the hay off her jeans. “Thanks. Sorry about hitting you with that sack of feed. These days you just can’t be too careful, you know. When I first saw you in those army clothes with that gun I got worried. I didn’t know you were just a kid. Want me to take a look at your head?”
Cody tried to speak but suddenly everything went black.
The next time he opened his eyes it was morning. The sun was shining brightly through the hole in the barn roof. He touched his head. It still ached but it had been bandaged and a piece of gauze was wrapped around his forehead to hold the bandage in place.
He heard a noise and turned toward it. The girl had most of his equipment out on the barn floor and was rummaging through it.
“Hey. What do you think you’re doing?”
She whirled around. “So, you came back to the living. For a while there, I wasn’t too sure which way it would go.”
“Get out of my stuff.”
The girl put her hands on her hips. “Well, that’s gratitude for you. I fix your bleeding skull and you want me to stay out of your stuff.”
Cody managed to sit up. “My head wouldn’t be bleeding if it weren’t for you.”
“And I couldn’t have found the bandages in your first-aid kit if I hadn’t gone through your things.”
“Where’s Mike? We gotta get out of here.”
“Mike? Oh, your dog. I fed him his breakfast and he went out for a nature walk.”
“Put all that stuff back in the buggy. I have to leave right away.”
“Why? The CCR hot on your trail?”
Cody frowned. “What makes you think that?”
“Just a wild guess. Most people don’t carry around a small arsenal with them when they travel. I figure you probably borrowed it from them.”
Cody grabbed a ladder rail and pulled himself to his feet. The building threatened to spin away from him.
“You better take it easy for a while. You have a nasty cut on your head.”
“Hummpphh.” Cody glared at her and took a faltering step toward the sand buggy.
“Some people …” The girl moved to his side. “Let me help you.” She took his arm and led him to the front of the buggy. “Now what?”
Cody shook her off. “Now I’m going to load my stuff and get outta here.”
“Sure you are. Look, I never said I wouldn’t put it back. I just wanted to see what was in it. You wait here and I’ll load it for you. Then we can leave.”
“We? You’re not coming with me.”
“Of course I am. You can hardly see, much less drive. And I can’t stay here anymore. The CCR is crawling all over the area.”
“Listen, whatever your name is …”
“It’s Rachel. Rachel Vega. We used to live not too far from here. One day the CCR flew over and bombed our place. I was out riding at the time. I think I’m the only survivor in this whole valley.”
“I’m sorry, Rachel. But I’m going to a very hard place—there’s a chance I’m not coming back.”
“I assume you’re going to use this stuff against the CCR, right?”
Cody nodded.
“Then I’m coming with you. So far all I’ve done since they killed my family is scrounge for food and hide from them. If I go with you maybe I can change that. Maybe I can help—get back at them.”
Cody thought about the way he had felt when Colonel Wyman told him he was too young to do anything and wanted to send him to a safe house in the mountains. Cody studied Rachel. It was against his better judgment but she had a determined look on her face.
“Well, hurry it up, then. We gotta get these supplies loaded or we’ll never get out of here.”
CHAPTER 16
Rachel sat on the driver’s side. Mike was between them, still panting from his run. Cody looked across the dog’s back. Rachel was studying the dash and gears.
“Have you ever driven before?”
She turned the key. “Sure … plenty.” The sand buggy jerked forward and stopped. “Only before it’s always been on my dad’s tractor. But don’t worry. I’
ll get the hang of it.”
“Reverse is over here.” Cody pointed to the floor.
“Right.” Rachel shoved it into reverse and let out the clutch and they flew backward out of the barn.
“Not so fast. Take it easy.”
The transmission made a grinding noise as she found the right gear and turned the buggy around. “There. I told you I’d get the hang of it. Which way are we going?”
“Take a right when we get to the gate. First chance we get we need to cut across open country. We’re headed for the middle of nowhere, Rachel, to visit a nice little prison camp I used to call home.” He put his head back and closed his eyes.
“I knew it. You’re him, aren’t you? The White Fox. I saw a poster on you in town. Did you really do all those things they say you did?”
Cody didn’t open his eyes. “My name is Cody Pierce. And you shouldn’t believe everything you read. Especially if it’s written by the CCR.”
“Why do they call you that? You don’t look much like a fox.” She glanced over at him. “Maybe it’s your hair. If you washed it …” The sand buggy hit a rock in the road and bounced off.
“Pay attention to your driving.” Cody opened one eye. “In fact, why don’t you turn off here? They won’t be as likely to find us if we stay off the roads.”
The sand buggy was built for rough terrain and bounced up an incline and over a sloping hill. Rachel jammed on the brakes. “Do you know how to use the guns and stuff in the backseat?”
“Yeah. Why?” Cody sat up. In front of them was a CCR patrol. And it was headed straight for them.
CHAPTER 17
“Do you think they’ve seen us?” Rachel asked nervously.
Bullets sprayed the ground in front of them.
“I think they’ve seen us. Get this thing turned around.”
Rachel put it in gear and the buggy jumped forward.
“Reverse, Rachel. Put it in reverse.”
“I’m trying.” Suddenly the buggy lurched backward at full speed. They withdrew down the same incline they’d just come up. When they reached the road, Rachel slammed the buggy into a forward gear and tore off with the gas pedal to the floor.
“We’ll never be able to outrun them,” Cody shouted. “Pull off into that bunch of trees.”
“Are you crazy?” Rachel yelled. “They’ll capture us for sure if we stop.”
“Do it,” Cody commanded. He was already turned around and reaching into one of the boxes he’d packed especially for such an occasion.
Rachel whipped behind the trees. “What’s that thing?”
“It’s one of the only high-tech weapons that ever came through the warehouse. It fires laser bolts.” Cody lifted a strange, shiny metal gun from the back and stepped out of the buggy. His head started pounding and it was all he could do to keep from falling.
“I’ll help. Tell me what to do.” Rachel took the long-barreled gun. “Do I load it with something?”
Cody held out his hand. “These go in the top.”
Rachel quickly grabbed two hard black objects that resembled pieces of coal and stuffed them into the gun. “Now what?”
Cody leaned on the buggy for support. He gently took the big gun and aimed it at the road. “Here.” He handed her his submachine gun. “Take this. Get behind that tree, point it at anything that moves and just pull the trigger.”
Almost before he got the words out, the patrol trucks stormed over the incline. Cody aimed his weapon and fired.
Something resembling a blue lightning bolt hit the patrol and took out the first two trucks, incinerating them. A few of the soldiers from the last truck jumped clear just as Cody fired again, leaving it a smoking pile of ashes.
To his right he could hear Rachel firing at the soldiers who were running for cover.
What was left of the patrol started shooting back. Cody aimed at a stand of trees. When the laser hit them, they boiled into flame.
“Get in the buggy, Rachel. It’s time to leave.”
Cody carefully laid the laser gun in the back and crawled in beside Mike. Rachel turned the key and tore down the hill.
“We did it, Cody,” Rachel said, beaming. “Nobody ever beats the CCR but we did it. Cody? What’s the matter?”
He didn’t answer. Rachel glanced over at him. The front of his shirt was wet with blood.
CHAPTER 18
Cody was dreaming. A Blackhawk III chopper with a medevac team was landing near them. The pilot smiled warmly at him. It was Toni. She told him not to worry and then she put a cold compress on his burning forehead.
The medics were attempting to put him on a stretcher but his shoulder was so sore that the slightest movement sent pain jolting through his body.
Something wet and slimy licked his chin. His eyes fluttered open and he saw Mike’s big, furry, concerned face.
The dog barked and Rachel ran to his side. “How are you feeling?”
“I … think I’ve felt better. My mouth tastes like cotton. Could I have some water?”
“Water is one thing we have plenty of—we’re camped beside a river. Be right back.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Cody couldn’t remember when he’d felt so awful, unless it was the time Sidoron had burned him with his cigar and then beaten him senseless.
Rachel brought a canteen and held it to his lips. “Here you go. Take it easy.” She tipped it up and waited for him to swallow. “You talk in your sleep. Did you know that?”
Cody moved his head. “Thanks for the water.”
“No problem. Who’s Toni? Your girlfriend?”
“She’s a friend. Where did you say we were?”
“I’ve hidden the buggy in some trees. It’s out of fuel. If my geography serves me right, we’re camped by the Gila River.”
Cody tried to sit up but he was too weak.
“You shouldn’t move. You took a bullet in the shoulder. I washed it and did the best I could with it, but frankly it looks pretty bad.”
“Thanks for the encouraging words.”
“I’m just trying to be honest. By the way, I’m sorry about your friends at the warehouse. It sounded awful.”
“Is there anything I didn’t talk about while I was out?”
“Nope, I think you about covered everything.”
“How long have we been here?”
“A night and a day. I found this place just before dark yesterday.”
“Get me up, Rachel. We can’t stay here. After that bit with the laser gun, the CCR isn’t just going to forget about us.”
“You’re staying right where you are. Do you know how long it took me to stop the bleeding in your shoulder? Besides, if you’re bent on killing yourself anyway, why not do it here?”
Cody moaned in agony. “Help me, Rachel. I can’t do it by myself.”
Rachel put a restraining hand on his arm. “I know you’re a big tough guy but …”
He had half risen but he was too weak and fell back, his eyes only half-open, and Rachel smiled as she watched him drift back to sleep.
CHAPTER 19
Rachel felt Cody stir beside her. She and Mike were lying close to him to keep him warm. In the night he’d gotten chills and his fever seemed higher. She’d emptied the packs but couldn’t find any blankets, so she’d piled the canvas bags on him and ordered Mike to lie down next to him.
Cody moaned deliriously and threatened a guy named Sidoron and then rambled wildly about someone hanging from a flagpole.
A twig snapped behind her.
Mike raised his head. Rachel felt for Cody’s gun. She’d deliberately laid it beside her before going to sleep but it was too late. They were suddenly surrounded by a circle of men, dressed in animal skins and holding torches.
Rachel pulled the gun around and pointed it at the man in front. “What do you want here?”
The man moved forward. He was dressed only in a tanned hide tied loosely around his waist. Mike growled but didn’t attack. He allowed the man to kneel by Cody a
nd examine his wound.
“This boy is dying. We can help.” The man signaled for two of his men. They lifted Cody gently and carried him to the edge of the circle.
“Wait. Why should we trust you?”
The man turned. “Do you want him to live?”
Rachel hesitated. “What about our things?” The man inclined his head and the others started gathering Cody’s belongings. Rachel double-checked to make sure nothing was left; then she and Mike followed them along the river and up a steep hill.
The sun came out and the hill turned into a mountain. Now they were in the middle of a wilderness. The grass was green and the trees were tall. Above them were high red bluffs practically hidden by the wild overgrowth.
The group stopped at the foot of the cliffs and Rachel sat down to catch her breath. No one spoke to her. They went about their business as if she weren’t there.
At last the largest man in the group put down his spear and stood still while the others placed Cody on his back, tying the boy’s hands and feet securely together.
Two men moved some branches and exposed a homemade wooden ladder next to the cliff. The big man started up it.
Rachel put her hand over her eyes to block the sun’s rays and looked up. There were several ladders going all the way to the top of the cliffs.
One of the men indicated that it was her turn to climb. She held on to Mike. “What about our dog? He can’t go up there.”
“The dog will stay. We have hidden your supplies in the woods near our horses. He can guard them until your friend is better. Don’t worry. Our hunting parties will bring him food from time to time.” The man took the gun from around her neck. She started to protest but he interrupted. “Too heavy. I’ll carry it.”
Rachel nodded wearily and started climbing. Halfway up she looked at the ground and started feeling dizzy.
“Look up only,” the man behind her ordered.
