by Harley Tate
It hadn’t been driven in weeks, maybe months. A thin layer of dust and grime covered every inch. Dani wiped the crud off the dashboard with her sleeve. All dials, no computers. Had to be way older than her. Maybe older than Colt. She slid over and poked around the driver’s seat. No seatbelt.
No keys.
It didn’t matter. Lack of keys wasn’t much of an obstacle. She had to get the thing started. No way was she leaving it here for someone else to find while she ran back to get Colt or Larkin. She clambered out and glanced around the garage. Please be here, please.
All she needed was a tool chest. Dodging cardboard boxes and piles of frayed towels, she found a cabinet in the back and tugged it open.
She dug through the tools inside, shoving aside pliers and hammers until she found what she needed: a flat-head screwdriver. Dani almost whooped, but managed to keep quiet. She rushed back to the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat.
With a good dose of brute force, Dani shoved the edge of the screwdriver under the plastic housing around the ignition and worked it back and forth. The housing popped off, exposing the inner gears. She jabbed the screwdriver into the hole in the center and twisted with all her might.
Come on, come on. The truck turned over but wouldn’t start. She pumped the gas and tried again. Yes! It coughed and sputtered as it rumbled to life. Dani put the truck in drive and eased out of the garage.
Screw waiting for Colt and Larkin. She could get them a car all on her own. With a grin on her face, Dani pulled out onto the road. She wasn’t the most talented driver, but she’d been behind the wheel more times than she could count thanks to her mom’s benders. The car theft came courtesy of one boy who thought they could bond over a life of crime.
Never had she thought it would come in handy until now. Dani hit the gas and the truck rumbled down the block, across the street, and into the parking lot at Chili’s.
Meandering over the speed bumps, she pulled the truck in at an angle next to the Humvee and killed the engine. Colt lowered his rifle as she opened the driver’s-side door.
Dani’s smile faltered as she hopped out. “What’s wrong?”
“I almost shot you.”
“I found us a vehicle.”
Colt’s frown deepened. “You aren’t old enough to drive.”
“Pfft. Says who? I’ve been driving since I was thirteen.”
“Parking skills need some work.” Larkin walked around the truck from the other side. “But good job, kid. Where’d you find it?”
“In a garage a few blocks from here. It was the only vehicle around.”
Colt brushed past her and climbed halfway inside. “Where are the keys?”
Dani shrugged. “I don’t know. I just popped the ignition. Works in beaters like this all the time.”
Larkin raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Colt poked around the seats before climbing back down. “You should have stuck to the plan and waited for us.”
“I didn’t want to take the time. Besides, I never would have gotten the garage door back down. Someone else could have stolen it. It was the right call.” Dani didn’t know why Colt was acting like this. She thought he’d be happy. Proud, even.
At last, he exhaled. “All right. Let’s pack up. We need to hit the road.”
Chapter Fifteen
DANI
Highway 58
Northwest California
4:00 p.m.
At fifteen years old, Dani had finally left the state of Oregon. So far, California looked a heck of a lot like her home state. Tons of trees, mountains that swooped and swelled, curvy two-lane roads. It wasn’t the glamorous escape she saw on TV.
It wouldn’t ever be that again. According to Larkin, the cities were in chaos. Sacramento had been barricaded and left to burn, San Francisco was worse. There would be nothing left of Hollywood.
She leaned forward in the Humvee and squinted. Colt drove the pickup in front, with Harvey, Gloria, and Will crammed in the bench seat beside him. Dani sat in the front of the Humvee with Larkin behind the wheel and Melody, Doug, and Lottie crammed in the back along with a couple jerry cans for fuel and all the weapons.
Thanks to the pickup bed, they were able to bring the salvageable restaurant food and water along with a ton of other useful items. Everything from dish towels to silverware.
The only problem was the Humvee’s filters. Thanks to the vegetable oil, the vehicle clunked and sputtered and the gap between them and Colt widened throughout the afternoon. Now Colt cruised about a half a mile ahead. They caught glimpses of him now and then, but the gap made Dani uneasy. Larkin didn’t seem to mind.
She stared at the trees ahead. “How far are we from Tahoe?”
“About a hundred and fifty miles. We should be coming up on Lake Almanor soon.”
Dani glanced at Larkin. “Will we make it?”
He sat up in his seat and examined the dashboard. “Maybe.”
“Should we stop and let the Humvee cool down?”
“No. I’m afraid if we kill the engine it won’t start up again. We’ll have to drive until it gives out.”
Great. Dani turned back to the window. Were road trips always like this? Miles and miles of never-ending forest with nothing to do but stare out the window? She propped her chin in her hand and her gaze wandered.
She blinked. The first time she only caught a glimpse and figured she must be imagining things. The second time, she bolted upright and squinted into the trees. “There’s another road! Just through the trees!”
Larkin shrugged. “Probably a logging road.”
“I don’t think so. There’s a car on it. It’s keeping up with us.”
“You’re seeing things. Probably just a reflection off the mirror.”
Dani shook her head. “I know what I saw. There’s a car over there. Silver or gray. It’s tailing us, Larkin.”
He glanced over, but didn’t take his eyes off the road long enough to confirm her suspicions. “Keep watching. Tell me what type of car and what they’re doing.”
She spun on him. “I can’t see anything but a blur. We need to warn Colt.”
Larkin’s lips thinned into a line. “If someone’s tailing us, then it’s too late. Anything I do will put whoever’s over there on notice.”
“So?”
“Right now they’re just watching. If they know we’re onto them, it could escalate fast.”
Dani slumped back in the seat. “So you’re going to do nothing? Colt’s in a beat-up old truck. At least we’re protected.”
Larkin snorted. “No we’re not. This isn’t an up-armored Humvee, Dani. It’s regular issue.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a metal can on wheels. We have no protection.”
Dani swallowed. All this time she thought they were basically driving a tank that could go through anything. Bullets. Fire. A throng of angry people. Turned out she was wrong.
Melody scooted forward and popped her head between the front seats. “Why does the army drive this thing if it isn’t protected?”
Larkin puffed out his cheeks as he exhaled. “A million reasons. Budget, mostly. But time to produce, weight to transport, ease of use, too. Long story short, we’re no better off than Colt and Harvey up there. Maybe a fair bit worse.”
Melody retreated into the back and Dani turned her attention to the tree line. The false sense of security she’d held onto for the entire drive disappeared. Unease and fear took its place. She squinted, hoping to catch a glimpse of the foreign car.
Nothing.
Settling into a scrunched-up ball with her knees on the seat, she kept her face an inch from the window. After another thirty miles of nothing, she gave up. “Whoever I saw is gone. Either the road curved away from the highway or they left.”
“Good. Because I’ve got to take a leak.” Larkin hit the horn three times and slowed the Humvee. He pulled it over into the grassy shoulder and put it in park. “Keep it running, will you?”
Dani nodded as Larkin hopped out.
“I’ve got to stretch my legs.” Doug clambered out onto the edge of road.
“Lottie needs to go, too.” Melody thrust the little dog out the open door and Doug took her before helping his sister.
Dani stayed inside. She focused on the road up ahead. Colt should be turning around. He had to hear the horn. He wouldn’t leave them behind.
“Come on, Lottie. I know you need to go.” Melody’s voice carried through the open doors, but Dani tuned her out.
Where is Colt? She stood up and leaned across the driver’s seat. “Can any of you see the pickup?”
Larkin traipsed out of the tree line and batted at the overgrown weeds. He stopped on the edge of the road. “Not yet. But I hear it, don’t you?”
Dani couldn’t hear anything over the rumbling, choking engine of the Humvee. “Is he coming?” Something about the entire situation put Dani on edge. She needed to see Colt, alive and well, driving the pickup truck right back their way. “Anything?”
Larkin stepped closer to the road. “Not yet.” He motioned to the others. “Get back in. We need to hurry in case he didn’t hear us.”
As Melody hoisted herself up into the back, the first glint of sunshine on paint caught Dani’s eye. The pickup truck bounced into sight, four heads illuminated by the afternoon sun. She exhaled in relief. They were okay. They were coming back.
Larkin waved once to let them know they were safe and heading out. Colt slowed the pickup. He waved in response and swung in a wide arc, turning the truck around.
As Doug eased into the back, Larkin swung the driver’s-side door shut. He fell inside with a smile. “Let’s see if we can keep up this time, shall we?”
He punched the gas pedal and the Humvee lurched forward. They trailed Colt’s pickup by about a hundred yards. As the truck rounded the corner in front of them, it disappeared behind the trees. Larkin cranked the wheel, following Colt as best he could.
Dani eased forward in the seat, the momentary reprieve of seeing Colt now gone. The Humvee grumbled around the corner and the trees thinned. Two hundred yards ahead, another road crossed the highway. Colt barreled along toward it, the pickup chugging along despite the four passengers and gear in the back.
Larkin cursed under his breath and pumped the gas pedal. They slipped further behind. “Can’t you make it go any faster?”
“Nope. This is it and we’re getting slower.”
He focused on the dash as Dani turned back to the road just as the sun hit chrome. “Larkin!” She jabbed a finger toward the trees. “The other car. It’s back!”
“Where?”
“The cross street and coming fast.”
Larkin hit the horn. Beep. Beep, beep, bbbbbeeeeeeepppppp. Colt’s brake lights lit up.
Dani shook her head. “He can’t stop in the intersection! He’s got to stop now!”
Larkin pressed down on the horn again, holding it on as he pushed the Humvee to catch up. It wasn’t enough.
The silver car that had tailed them for miles burst into the clearing. Everything slowed. The breeze. The tires chewing up asphalt. The sleek silver muscle car as it headed straight for the pickup.
Colt cranked the wheel. The muscle car screeched.
Too little, too late.
The car entered the intersection from the right while Colt banked hard to the left. The front fender of the car hit the truck smack in the middle. Metal crumpled. Backpacks and water bottles flew into the air. The truck’s tires came off the ground, but the car didn’t stop.
It drove on like a battering ram, upending the pickup and sending it rolling and flipping over the ground again and again. Every time the wheels hit, the truck bounced, up and over, flip after flip.
Dani stared in horror.
Crumpled hunks of metal and food flew off in every direction. A jug of water. A can of apples. The tailgate.
The trees finally stopped the truck’s relentless roll. It slammed into a stand of evergreens with a sickening crunch and dropped to the ground.
Dust plumed around it.
The car sat in the middle of the intersection, hood crumpled, but otherwise intact. Dani couldn’t breathe. Could anyone survive a crash like that?
Larkin threw the Humvee in park and jumped out, rifle in his hands. “Check the truck. I’m searching the road.”
Dani ran after him, her heart hammering like a death toll in her head.
Chapter Sixteen
COLT
Highway 58
Northwest California
5:00 p.m.
“How much longer?” Will leaned over his grandfather’s lap to look out the window. “We’ve been driving in trees for hours.”
Harvey smiled. “We’re in California, so probably another three or four.”
Gloria twisted around in the seat next to Colt. “Will the Humvee make it? They keep falling behind.”
Colt glanced up in the rearview mirror. “I hope so.” The last time Larkin pulled over, Colt almost hadn’t heard the horn. If they drifted too far apart, he might not know when the Humvee stalled. He eased his foot off the gas and let Larkin catch up.
“There’s got to be a place near here for gas. We’re coming up on some towns, aren’t we?”
Harvey nodded. “Should be soon. We’re on the downward slope toward Lake Almanor now. There’s a small town there. Tourist-type place.”
“We haven’t been there in twenty years. Who knows what it’s like now.”
Colt glanced at Gloria. If that was true, they might as well be heading into the area blind. Twenty years was a long time in Northern California. Whole towns could transform from sleepy little hideouts to destination spots. Colt had lived in Sacramento long enough to see it happen to nearby places like Solvang and Auburn. There was no telling what Lake Almanor and the towns around it were like now.
They needed to be cautious. He glanced at the fuel gauge. It had been stuck on a quarter tank for way too long. Pretty soon it wouldn’t matter what kind of town they came across. He would need to siphon some gas.
Colt puffed up his chest and stretched. Riding four across a bench seat didn’t give much room for comfort. Gloria almost sat in his lap and poor Will perched on the front of the seat like a bird on a wire. It didn’t even have seatbelts.
“As soon as we see some signs of life, we’ll need to keep an eye out for gas. Think abandoned cars, farm equipment, motorcycles. Anything with a gas tank that we can siphon.”
“What about the Humvee?”
“If it’s still running, then diesel or vegetable oil.” Colt rubbed at his face and fought off the exhaustion. After his run-in with the punks the night before, he’d barely slept.
“If you need me to drive, I can take a shift.”
Colt turned to thank Harvey when the horn from the Humvee made him pause. The horn sounded again and a burst of chrome and speed flew from the tree line like a silver bullet. Shit! Colt cranked the wheel as he slammed on the brakes and Will slid off the seat. The kid’s shoulder slammed into the dash as the truck fishtailed.
“Everyone hold on!” Colt screamed and braced for impact. Gloria scrambled for Will. Harvey tried to shield them both.
The pickup didn’t stand a chance.
Four thousand pounds slammed into the side of the truck. The bed crushed and crunched and a roll of linens and water jugs flew over the windshield.
The car didn’t stop. It kept coming like a beast dredged up from the depths of hell, chewing up asphalt and truck parts as it forced the pickup off the side of the road. The tires hit the dirt, the rubber dug into the weeds, and the world turned on its ear.
Colt fell against the driver’s-side door and Gloria landed on top of him. Glass shattered and flew in all directions. Metal buckled all around them but the truck didn’t slow down.
It flipped again and Colt slammed into the roof. Pain lanced his shoulder. Glass pelted his face and arms. As the truck rolled down the slope of weeds and dirt, it p
icked up speed, tossing them about like balls in a bingo machine. Someone’s hand smacked him in the face. A foot kicked him in the groin.
They wouldn’t survive the crash.
He was going to die right there on some no-name road in the woods of California. Not because someone put a bullet in his head or he’d fought to the end and lost. No. A damn car accident. He survived the apocalypse only to be taken out like it was any other day of the week.
As the truck rolled, it caught air, sailing up off the ground. Colt hit what used to be the windshield and kept going. He was free. Flying or falling he couldn’t tell which. Air hit him in the face with an accusatory slap. Trees and sky and the promise of the future blurred past him, saying goodbye.
This was the end. He knew it.
Gravity wrenched his body back to earth and he hit the ground so hard, he bounced. When he slammed into the dirt a second time, the world snapped to black.
Chapter Seventeen
DANI
Highway 58
Northwest California
5:15 p.m.
The truck came to rest on one side in a thicket of young saplings no more than five feet tall. Tree branches stuck through the gaping holes in the frame and the windshield. Smoke billowed from the engine.
Broken bottles and sacks of smashed food littered the scene. Hunks of metal and scraps of plastic dotted the ground. A wet stain coated a shopping bag. Is that blood?
Dani scrabbled down the embankment, slipping and sliding on loose rocks and shale as she rushed to the truck. Be alive. Please, be alive. She stumbled to a stop a foot from what remained of the truck bed. The tires were shredded. The tailgate had been sheered clean off. A dribble of gasoline leaked from the punctured tank.
She swallowed and stepped closer.
“Let me go first, Dani. It looks like the truck might catch fire.” Doug’s voice stopped Dani still. In her rush to reach the accident, she’d forgotten he dealt with scenes like this every day.
