by Emily Garnet
Briefly, she considered making her way back to the Haskins apartment and taking the other few that had been in the safe, but then she remembered Jolene had closed and locked it with her fingerprint, so it wouldn’t do any good to go back and retrace their steps even if the building had somehow managed to survive the fire—which seemed highly unlikely.
Once again, they were stranded, on foot, and only slightly better off. At least they had one weapon between them.
Chapter Eleven
Matt’s progress was much slower now, but Ivy didn’t spur him to hurry up. There was no point in making him push himself. It would just leave him more incapacitated later. One advantage to his slower pace was it made it easier for her as well. She didn’t feel quite the need to stop and rest as she had during some of their more frantic moments of flight throughout the evening. She was positive she could maintain this pace for hours, as long as Matt could as well.
They emerged into a different neighborhood after what felt like forever. There were a mix of businesses and some homes around. She knew they must be in North Las Vegas, and she thought she could see a sign offering directions to Nellis Air Force Base ahead but wasn’t close enough to read it just yet.
As they were walking, she caught sight of a souvenir stand nearby. She was surprised to see it was open. The guy sitting on a small backless stool seemed nonchalant. She gestured in his direction with her head after locking gazes with Matt, and they detoured his way. He was a big, black guy, with a gleaming bald head, and he looked slightly intimidating. She could see why he was confident in keeping his stand open even amid some of the chaos. “I’m surprised you’re not closed up.”
He shrugged. “I already had all my stuff out. It’s not the first time I’ve seen people act like idiots in Vegas.”
She frowned, debating about whether to mention it could be something more long-term. She was distracted when her gaze fell on a bottle of water, and she remembered how parched she was. “How much for the water?”
“Ten dollars each.”
She blinked. “Ten dollars? You can get more than one case for ten dollars at the store.”
He smirked at her. “Then you should go do that.”
Muttering, she reached into her wallet to remove her credit card. She held it out to him, and he just snorted. “I can’t take that. No power.”
“I have six bucks,” said Matt.
“Then you just need four more,” said the guy.
Ivy let out an exasperated sigh. She hated to do it, but it had worked with the hospital staff. “Do you know who I am?”
He looked at her for a moment and didn’t blink. Then he said, “You’re in that one group. I don’t know your name, but your music is shit.”
“Wow.” So much for that idea. She wasn’t even going to bother to flirt with him.
“Come on, guy. Can’t you give us just one bottle of water for six bucks?” asked Matt. He was his usual charming self.
After a minute, the guy nodded once. “One bottle of water and a couple of T-shirts for six bucks. I also want your autograph, Mr. Cromwell.”
Ivy didn’t know whether to be amused or offended. The guy recognized Matt and knew his name, where she herself had barely been a blip on his radar. It was definitely something new. She wondered if Matt would remind her about it in the future and tease her about the time she had been the disregarded bandmate.
Ivy’s eyes widened when the guy lifted his shirt, indicating Matt should sign his abs. Seeing the way he shuddered with pleasure as Matt accidentally touched his stomach, she suddenly realized why he knew Matt’s name and not hers. Matt was much more his type. Whatever worked.
After exchanging his autograph and six bucks for the bottle of water and two T-shirts, he nodded to the guy, as did Ivy. He didn’t even look in Ivy’s direction, but his gaze didn’t leave Matt for a few seconds as they started walking again. Once they were out of his hearing, she laughed. “Someone has a crush on you.”
Matt shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time. At least it got us water and shirts.”
She looked down at the shirt she’d taken when Matt handed it to her. “I wonder why he gave us these?”
“Uh, probably because we’re covered with blood.”
She looked down, abruptly realizing blood from the Haskins family, and possibly some from Matt, decorated her shirt. There was no one in the immediate vicinity, so she turned to face the closest building and peeled off the sequin top she’d worn for the performance before slipping on the red T-shirt that assured her what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas.
Matt changed too, and they’d just started walking again when they heard the sound of a car backfiring behind them. Ivy and Matt froze, turning slowly as the big, old car crept down the street. She should be excited to see a working vehicle, but it raised her hackles, especially since it might be the same car that had been hijacked from the older couple who tried to help Bryce and Keiko. Matt had relayed the story to her on the drive to the hospital, so it was third-hand information, but that’s where her mind umped.
She froze, hand on her empty holster, as the car stopped in front of them, and the front passenger-side window went down. A greasy-looking guy stuck his head out the window. “Hey, baby. Want a ride?”
“No, thanks.”
He frowned. “Don’t worry. Your friend can come too.”
He was saying the right things, but her instincts were screaming at her to stay away from the vehicle. She shook her head. “No, thanks.”
After trying to persuade her and Matt for another minute, the guy rolled up his window with a muttered curse, and the car sped off.
“I’m surprised you didn’t accept the ride. We would have made better time.” Matt shifted, perhaps unconsciously, and it reminded her of his leg injury.
“I’m sorry we’re going to keep walking, but my instincts were screaming at me not to get in that car. What if it was the same group of people who hijacked that older couple trying to help Bryce and Keiko?”
Matt looked skeptical. “It could be, but they also ran over that poor old fellow, and I didn’t see any damage to the front of the vehicle. I think it would’ve been just fine.”
She shrugged. “Maybe they’ll make a trip around the block, and you can flag them down. I wouldn’t get in that car if you paid me though.” It was a strong visceral reaction, and she couldn’t explain it any better than that.
“It’s fine. I love walking.”
She couldn’t tell if Matt was being slightly sarcastic or serious. She knew when there were times free in various cities, he liked to wander around for hours, but that was without the pressing need to reach his family or a deep wound on his leg.
“I’m sorry I made the decision for both of us,” she said after they started walking again. “My dad always said to trust your instincts, and they were telling me not to get in the vehicle. Still, you could’ve decided to go with them if you wanted.”
Matt stopped for a minute, turning to glare at her. “We’re in this together. I’m not going to leave you just for a ride. It’d have to be a ride and a steak dinner, and maybe a night in a four-star hotel.”
“Jerk.” She punched him lightly in the shoulder as she insulted him, and they started walking again. Everything felt fine between them now, so she suggested, “Let’s cut over at this block and go a slightly different way.” She didn’t have to say she didn’t want to be on the same route those men had taken, just in case they were setting up a trap. Matt seemed to understand, and he turned to the right without complaint.
Their detour proved to be useful as they saw a Walgreens a few minutes later. It was actually still open, and they approached cautiously. There was a security guard armed with a pistol standing outside. He nodded to them as they approached. “Evening, folks.”
“Hi,” said Matt. “Are you taking credit cards?”
The guard nodded. “Yes, they are. There are rules though. No crazy antics and no theft. We’re dealing harshly with that
sort of thing right now, since the police aren’t responding. I need to ask you to be orderly and calm while shopping. We’ve had some shoppers that try the patience tonight.”
“We definitely won’t be among them,” said Ivy, flashing him a grin.
“All right, then go on in.” He waved them forward.
Ivy and Matt both nodded, and she wondered if he meant he was going to shoot thieves on sight. Society hadn’t broken down that far yet, and that would be quite a gamble on the security guard’s part to assume he could get away with shooting someone. Maybe he just intended to rough them up and toss them out. Either way, it didn’t apply to her, and she hoped they didn’t run into any trouble while they were in the store.
She turned to Matt as they passed through the opened door. “If they’re taking credit cards, we’re good.” She could barely hide her excitement. When was the last time the idea of shopping for herself, especially at Walgreens, held so much appeal?
As they passed the checkout stand, they heard the manager arguing with two employees. The employees were wanting to shut down the store and leave, but the manager was insisting they stay. He didn’t want to have to answer to Corporate about why the store had closed when it was supposed to be open three hundred sixty-five days per year. She shook her head at that, but she was glad the manager was obtuse. It meant they were still open, and they had a chance to get some things they needed.
They went first to the backpacks, finding a small selection. They were all standard backpacks, so they wouldn’t hold nearly as much as the packs they’d had from Kenny’s store, but they would have to do for now. They loaded food and supplies straight into the packs before moving on to the shoes.
Ivy was so happy to shed the high-heeled boots that she could have wept as she slipped on a pair of thick socks before donning a cheap pair of black sneakers. Matt already wore more expensive sneakers, so he didn’t need to change footwear. He did take some extra socks at her urging though.
As they left that aisle and headed up front, she noticed a little display set up, pitching hiking at Red Rock Canyon. The display included a couple of sleeping bags, and she and Matt grabbed them and tied them to their backpacks using a bungee cord they found on the household aisle.
When they went to the check stand, the manager was there, standing behind the one employee behind the counter. The other one was out of sight. She wondered if the woman had walked out. They set down their bags so the clerk could scan them.
The manager eyed the sleeping bags and shook his head. “Those aren’t for sale. They’re just part of the display, so I can’t sell them to you.”
“I’ll give you five hundred for each one,” said Ivy.
He frowned, looking around. “I’m not supposed to…” His voice sounded weak though.
She put her black AmEx down. “Six hundred each.”
After a brief hesitation, he nodded at his cashier, and the sullen younger man manually rang in purchases for six hundred for each sleeping bag.
“Oh, wait.” Matt reached over and pillaged the gum and candy rack, adding several more things.
She eyed them with surprise. “Are you going to be able to put those in your backpack? I thought it was full.”
“I have an idea.” With those words, he ran over to the small display of clothes Walgreens offered for sale. He returned with two light windbreakers, handing one to her. It was a medium, so it should fit just fine. She slipped it on and filled the pockets with more gum and candy as the cashier scanned them.
When the clerk finished scanning their items, Ivy happily passed over her credit card. She would’ve paid eight times as much for the supplies, since she didn’t ever expect to get the bill. She nodded at both of them, and they put on their backpacks again. Matt had to take off his rifle for a moment, and the kid gasped. Apparently, he hadn’t seen it before. The manager looked nervous as well.
“Relax. It’s not for you.” Ivy grinned at both of them, adding a little bit of batting of her eyelashes to soften them so they didn’t shout for the security guard. She was surprised the security guard hadn’t noticed the rifle before either, but she hadn’t been about to point it out to him.
After they donned their backpacks over the jackets, and Matt had re-secured his rifle, they headed out of Walgreens. When the security guard saw Matt’s rifle, he blanched, but he made no comment as they lifted their hands and told him good night. They walked a little bit before Matt asked, “Do you think we should warn them?”
She shook her head. “No. We can’t warn everyone. Most people aren’t going to believe us anyway.” She wasn’t even entirely sure that Matt really believed her, but surely he’d seen enough crazy stuff this evening to realize this wasn’t normal. He seemed to be processing the idea that it might last a while, and that’s all she could do right now. She couldn’t force him to accept the situation.
Part of her still clung to the hope that she was wrong anyway, but she didn’t believe it. Not because she was incredibly arrogant, but because everything was playing out exactly as she’d learned it would in the classes her father insisted she and Lacey take instead of something she had considered useful at the time, like math.
Now, she was grateful for the knowledge her father had imparted, though she still resented his methods. They walked for a few blocks, gradually making their way back toward North Carey Boulevard so they could take it out of town. As they neared an intersection ahead, they saw two bodies on the ground.
When they got closer, she recognized the one who had stuck his head out the car window to talk to them, even with a bullet wound straight through his forehead. Someone had carjacked them and left the two for dead. There was no need to check to see if they had survived it somehow. There wasn’t enough of the other one’s face left to even bother, and the one who had spoken to her was clearly dead.
“Are those the same guys…?”
She nodded at Matt. “I think so.” She knew for sure the one man had been in that car.
“You knew this was going to happen.” Matt sounded awed…or maybe frightened.
Ivy laughed uncomfortably. “I didn’t know this was going to happen. I was just listening to my instincts. Maybe these guys meant us no harm, and maybe they weren’t the carjackers who stole the car of that couple. Either way, if we’d been with them, we would’ve been shot in the head too. I’m glad we didn’t get in their car.”
“Me too,” said Matt, still sounding impressed. “Remind me not to distrust your gut again.”
She laughed. “That’s not how it works. You need to learn how to trust your own gut, Matt. What if your gut is telling you something completely different than my gut tells me?”
“I’m going to listen to your gut.”
She shook her head, hoping he’d realized what she meant eventually. She appreciated the vote of confidence, but Matt needed to learn to listen to himself to stay alive too. They might not end their journey together, since there was no telling what could happen on the road. She wanted to make sure her best friend could take care of himself if the need arose.
Chapter Twelve
His leg was starting to hurt pretty badly with each step, and he knew he was going to have to tell Ivy he needed a break soon. Even with his injury, he thought they’d made pretty good progress, and he expected them to clear the outer areas of Vegas sometime by midmorning. The sun hadn’t started to rise yet, but the night sky was lightening as it prepared to fade to day. He slowed down for a minute, leaning against the wall of the nearest building as his leg throbbed. As he did so, he glanced across the road, and his heart skipped a beat. “Ivy.”
She paused and then turned around. “Do you need a rest?”
He shrugged. “I could use one, but I have an idea first. Let’s check out the delivery store over there.”
She frowned. “What for?”
“It says they offer bike and car delivery. They might have bikes or a scooter. I’d even take a wagon at this point.”
She huffed. �
�Not if you expect me to pull it.”
Matt grinned at her as they fell into step, crossing the street. This was a relatively quiet neighborhood, and he couldn’t help wondering if everybody had gone to bed without realizing what was going on, or if they’d already fled. There was definitely the smell of smoke in the air, but it didn’t seem to be accompanied by an intense fire. This area appeared to have mostly escaped the fire damage.
When they reached the courier store, he wasn’t at all surprised to find the front door locked. He looked around, feeling like a naughty child, when he said, “Let’s see if there’s a back entrance.”
Ivy didn’t bat an eye. She undoubtedly understood what he had in mind but clearly had no objection. They went around back with her in the lead and found another locked door, but this one was wooden with a large window beside it.
He was eyeing the door, trying to figure out how to get past the lock, when Ivy lifted a rock nearby and threw it through the window. He braced himself for alarms before remembering they wouldn’t go off. Then he glared at her. “Not exactly subtle.”
She shrugged. “Do you know how to pick a lock?” When Matt shook his head, she shrugged again. “Neither do I.” She reached in through the broken glass to open the lock, and the doorknob turned a moment later. She pulled her hand out of the way before pushing the door fully open so Matt could enter first.
He shook his head but didn’t argue. Instead, he took the rifle and moved it to a defensive position. It was a little ironic to consider defending himself against the owner of the shop he’d broken into, but it seemed foolish not to have the rifle available should he need it.
A quick search of the building revealed it was deserted. There was no upper-level where someone could live, and they had the place to themselves. All the bikes were stored in the front of the store, and each one had three wheels and a large box-like attachment on the front. He pried the lid off one and eyed the depths. It would probably work.
