I have to admit there are worse ways to travel. I’m officially sold on river travel. The barge moves slowly, and as we pass by some more urban areas, I’ll admit that I get nervous. I throw an energy ball into the river, just to be safe, and watch from the front of the barge as we pass by one abandoned waterfront after another.
Almost too soon, Mason and Jared call from the tugboat. It’s a shame we can’t risk taking the river down further. I pass Baby bear to Brie, and begin helping the guys lug the steel beams.
“Ready to switch, Mason?” Jared asks.
“Sounds good, I’m tired anyway.” He climbs into the back with me.
I feel him looking at me as we drive off again, rather than see him. I’m still trying to lose myself in the scenery, staring out the window, though it’s not really working.
Mason squeezes my hand gently. “How are you doing?” He asks.
I turn my attention to him, his concern causing his brow to furrow and a frown marring his handsome face. “I’m feeling better.” I tell him, trying to comfort him.
“I know that you’re feeling better,” he whispers, “and I also know that you’re stressing out over what happened back there.”
I stare at my hands. “Yeah, I am.” There’s no use in lying to him, apparently I’m not as good at hiding my emotions as I thought.
“You had no other choice, Kat.” He turns my face to his, so I have no choice but to look him in the eye. “You know that, right?”
“Most of me does.” I tell him.
He pulls me into him, wrapping his arms around me. It helps, as we continue driving and night starts to fall.
I’m not sure when I fell asleep. The sky is brightening, and when I look behind me I can see the soft light of dawn over the horizon. Mason and Brie are both still sleeping, Brie softly snoring and, I notice, covered with Jared’s jacket. I shift in my seat, adjusting Baby bear in my lap, and trying to get some blood flowing in my right leg, which is asleep.
I catch Jared’s eyes in the rearview mirror when I’m settled. “Any idea where we are?” I ask him quietly.
He shakes his head. “I was going to stop soon. I don’t want to go too far in the wrong direction.”
I see a hill in the distance. “Stop up there,” I tell him, “At the top.”
Jared pulls over and I dig out the map, and hand it to him, along with the compass, telling him I’ll be right back. I take advantage of a well-placed bush, before I make my way to the top of the hill to look around. All to the north and west of us seems clear, but I’m able to make out the metallic fog towards the south. I go back to the Jeep, to warn the other’s before I throw another sphere. No need to scare them by waking them up with the after-shock.
I clear my throat when I reach the Jeep. Brie is awake, she and Jared interlocked from mouth to thigh. They jump apart, Brie blushing and Jared grinning idiotically. I smile, happy for Brie and hoping I didn’t interrupt their first kiss. “Sorry.” I tell them.
“Not your fault,” Brie says. She glances at me and I wink at her. I don’t miss the huge smile she throws my way before she composes herself.
I wake up Mason. He bounces right up, a morning person, even after sleeping in a Jeep. We let Baby bear out to do his business. I wait for everyone to get back into the Jeep before I climb back to the top of the hill. I turn to the freaky metallic fog, focusing my energy. I try not to use quite as much as yesterday, just in case. Now that I know I can run out of energy, I need to be careful.
Since I’m getting used to the aftershock, I brace myself for it, and manage to remain on my feet. I crouch down, watching the effect the energy explosion has on the metallic fog. I see the edges of the fog left after the explosion retreat, waver and then disappear altogether. I’m not sure if this supports Brie’s theory, Jared’s, or neither.
Regardless, the fog is barely visible now, so it’s safe for us to continue on. Mason notices I look tired when I climb into the front seat next to him. Brie suggests we stop when we find some place with electricity. I don’t argue with her.
I make a big effort to improve my mood, or at least my outer appearance. Both Brie and Mason’s concern seems to be growing by the minute, and if they’re worrying about me, then they’re not paying as much attention to covering their asses as they should be.
We stop for lunch when we cross the border into Pennsylvania. I figure we’re about halfway to Columbus now. It’s hard to be certain though. And just because the first half of the trip was mostly uneventful, doesn’t mean we will bode as well for the rest of the trip. All things considered, we’ve been lucky so far. It makes me wonder when our luck is going to run out.
Baby bear eats most of my lunch. I’m not really hungry, and after forfeiting my sandwich I nibble on a blueberry muffin Mariette packed. Bless that woman and her kitchen.
“We’re going to have to make another gas-stop soon, or abandon the Jeep.” Jared breaks the bad news.
We all look at each other. We all remember too well the last time we stopped for gas. As I look at each of them, I realize that they are all looking at me. Oh. “I don’t know. What do you guys think?” I don’t want this to be my decision.
“We’re making great time with the Jeep. It’d be a shame to lose it.” Mason points out.
“But is it worth the risk?” Brie asks quietly.
“I don’t know.” I murmur. They’re all still looking at me. “I guess we can try, but the first sign of trouble and we’re out of there.” They nod. “And this time, we do it my way.” I can’t help but add.
Mason shoots me a look, but I hold firm. I get the overprotective boyfriend bit. Really, I do. However, if I’m the one who has to bear the brunt of my actions, I’d feel better if it’s my decisions that get us there. He must see something in my expression, because he doesn’t push it any further…for now, anyway.
I pull out the map, and try to figure out not only where we are, but also the safest possible town to stop in. “We need to find a place that’s not too big.” I say.
“What about this place?” Mason points to the map. “I don’t think that we’re too far from it.”
“It can’t be too big,” Brie pipes in. “It’s hardly a dot on the map.”
Jared shrugs, “Looks good to me.”
Just like that, it’s decided. First, I’m relieved that the decision was not left solely up to me. It doesn’t take very long for the anxiety to kick in though. By the time we reach the last crest in the dirt road before the town, my heart is pounding in my chest. “Pull over up here, Jared.” Even my voice betrays me, wavering as I speak.
Jared pulls over and we all get out. “Hey,” Mason pulls me aside. “We’ll do this your way. Forget about before. Tell us what to do.”
What I’d really like to tell him is to stay here with Brie, Jared and Baby bear, where it’s safe, and let me go check out the town, see if it’s there’s any trouble. I doubt Mason would agree to this. In fact, I’m pretty sure it would be a surefire way to piss him off. I pull him around the back of the Jeep, towards Brie and Jared. Baby bear stretches in the backseat before rolling over, not concerned with our stopping.
I look at all of them, already eyeing me expectantly. “Brie, Jared, you guys to stay here. We’re going to leave you the gun, and everything but the gas can to look after. Mason and I will go ahead and check things out.”
Nobody complains, or voices any objections to my plan.
“Jared, see if you can’t get the Jeep a little more out of sight, just in case.” He nods. I grab two bottles of water out of the back of the Jeep and toss one to Mason. From the look of the sky, it’s still early in the afternoon, and we should be able to get back before dark. “You ready?” I look at Mason.
“Let’s hit it.” He replies.
I figure that it’s maybe an hour long hike to the town from where we left the Jeep, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I double check the map and compass frequently, leading us through the dense forest towards the edge of the town.
As we finally see a break in the trees, I motion to Mason to be quiet and stay down. I see him readjust the tire iron he brought in his hands.
I peer from between the trees. It’s a typical one road small town, with all of the businesses lining the main drag. We have a good vantage point, something I tried to plan, though I can’t make out anyone on the street. “It looks clear.” I whisper to Mason. “Stay close, and try not to make any noise.”
He nods. We make a good team, Mason staying right behind me, matching me neurotic move for neurotic move. We make our way to the gas station without incident, but part of me still waits for someone to jump out, guns blazing.
“Where the hell is everybody?” Mason asks, when it’s very clear that we’re all alone.
“I’m not sure.” I tell him. This bothers me. And now that I really think about it, we haven’t come across anyone from an infected area. I thought maybe we’ve been lucky, sticking to back roads, but now I’m beginning to think it must be something more. “Let’s fill the can, get back to the Jeep. We can drive here and fill up, too. I’d like to be well past here when night falls.” This whole ghost town thing is getting creepier by the minute.
We move quickly. I can tell Mason is freaked out too, his eyes constantly looking around us for signs of trouble. By the time we reach the Jeep, I am deeply disturbed by the lack of survivors around. What good is my ability to push back the infection, if there’s no one left to save?
By the time darkness falls, we’ve left the ghost town far behind. I wish I could say the same about my concerns, though. And to make matters worse, something I’ve been trying very hard to keep to myself, I’m starting to feel kind of drained. Every time I start to feel a little better it’s time to throw another energy sphere. Not that I really have a perfect formula for it, and I much rather throw too many than too few, my own personal welfare be damned.
I’d rather not endanger everyone by admitting I need to stop again. And I really don’t want to worry Mason, because he insisted I recharge when we stopped for gas, and I’m sure he’ll notice how quickly that charge has run out. Add in traveling for the past however many hours and lack of a decent night’s sleep for a couple days, and I’m practically dead on my feet.
Mason is driving. Brie, Jared and Baby bear are all curled up in the backseat, snoring softly. We can’t get any stations to come through over the radio, but the Jeep came fully equipped with a 6 disc changer. I have to admit it’s an eclectic mix, though I settle on Mumford and Sons to quietly play as we drive through the night.
Eventually the music lulls me to sleep, sleep I desperately need. This sleep provides no rest, though. Instead, it’s filled with dreams from my subconscious that I refuse to process while I’m awake. Swirling images of fallen men and empty towns fill my mind, until I’m pulled out by someone shaking my shoulder.
“Kat, Kat, wake up.” Mason whispers. I open my eyes, and realize I have tears streaming down my face. “You’re having a nightmare.”
I wipe at my face, feeling my cheeks redden, happy it’s hard to see with just the dim lights on the dashboard. “Sorry.” I mutter sheepishly.
Mason glances at me quickly before returning his attention to the road. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Kat.” He says softly, soothingly. “You don’t always have to be tough, you know, especially with me. That’s kind of my job.”
I soften, and maybe it’s because I’m so sleep deprived, I can’t help but answer truthfully. “If I stop being tough, Mason, I think I may just fall apart.”
He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Well, I’ll be here to put you back together if you do.” He says this with so much ferocity that I have no choice but to believe him, and I do.
I smile my first real smile in days, and I’m rewarded with a smile from Mason, too. Was it really just such a short time ago that this was normal? Our horrific adventure has brought us closer, sure, but what I wouldn’t give for a carefree afternoon where the two of us had nothing better to do than sit around and laugh. Maybe one day we’ll be able to do that again. This thought gives me a tiny iota of hope as I drift back off to sleep.
The sound of hushed whispers from Mason, Brie and Jared wake me up. I stretch, and it takes me a moment to hear the anxiety in their tone. Mason pulls the Jeep over, tucking most of it into the brush, out of sight.
“What’s going on?” I ask, confused.
“People,” Mason answers softly, “The first people we’ve seen, since…”
“Oh,” I frown, seeing the dilemma. “What do you guys want to do?”
I see Brie’s eyes widen. Jared notices, too. “We can stay here.” He tells her reassuringly.
I nod. “That okay with you?” I ask Mason.
“Yeah,” Mason agrees. “Should we bring the gun this time?”
“No, leave it here. I don’t want to make it seem like we’re looking for trouble.”
Mason hands the gun to Jared, who climbs into the front seat with Brie as soon as we get out. Brie squeezes my hand before I walk away. “Be careful.” She whispers.
“Always,” I promise her.
“So, I take it we’re not going stealth this time?” Mason asks as we walk.
“I don’t know. I want to see what’s going on, but I don’t want to freak anybody out, you know, if things are normal here.”
“Let’s just walk up. If we have to get out of there, well, we’ll figure it out then.”
I nod, but I know what he means. If they are all nuts, then I have to zap them. I’m not crazy about this option, although I suppose it’s better than any alternatives. Is it too much to hope that maybe these could be nice, normal people?
Mason and I walk, hand in hand, down the dirt lane. We round the corner and I finally see them. For all intents and purposes, they appear to be perfectly normal. It looks like a family, an older couple and their teenage daughter. Their backs are to us, so they don’t notice us yet. I look at Mason and shrug.
“Hello?” I call out to them. They go from normal, to threatening in about one second, as they turn and we notice the father aiming a shotgun at us.
Mason and I raise our hands automatically. “We don’t mean any trouble. We’re just passing through.”
The father steps in front of his wife and daughter. “We haven’t seen any people come from that way in days. How do I know you’re not infected?”
“Well, sir, as I understand it, I’d have a nasty rash and high fever, neither of which we do.”
Mason seems to have this situation under control, so I keep my mouth shut. I focus on the wife and daughter.
“You could be looters.” I can hear in the father’s voice that he’s running out of accusations.
“We’re just trying to get to Columbus. We’ve been running ahead of the infection for days now.”
The man grunts. “What’s in Columbus?”
“We have to meet a scientist there, to give him information and samples so we can try to stop this.” I explain, glad to join in the conversation.
Finally, the man lowers his gun. We take a few cautious steps closer. I still have my eye on the mother and daughter, and the closer we get, the more I realize that the daughter doesn’t look very well.
“Is she alright?” I ask, trying to keep the fear from my voice.
“She’s fine.” The mom snaps, “Just fine.”
“Don’t mind her, she gets defensive easily.” The father says. “I’m John, this is Lisa and our daughter, Rachel.”
“I’m Mason, and this is Kat.” I see him look at me, and I know his silent question. I shake my head minutely. I don’t want to bring Brie or Jared into this yet.
“You might as well come along, I suppose, our house is just around the next bend.” John says.
“Thanks,” Mason takes my hand again, and we follow them down the lane.
We are almost to their front door, when Rachel’s hair shifts off of her neck, over her shoulder. I don’t say anything, as fear freezes my blood. Her neck is covered
in a rash. She’s in the first stages of infection.
I nudge Mason with my elbow. One look at his face tells me he’s seen, it too. We go inside, Lisa taking Rachel immediately upstairs. John motions for us to follow him into the kitchen.
“So like I said, you’re the first people we’ve seen come from the east. Hell, up until yesterday I thought we were going to have to evacuate ourselves, but then the fog started pushing back, just before it reached us. It was amazing to watch.” John settles in a chair.
I can’t help but notice that they have power at their house. It probably wouldn’t hurt to recharge while I have the chance. I ask to use the bathroom, in hopes that there’s an outlet I can use. John directs me down the hall.
It doesn’t take me long before I return to the kitchen. Lisa is back now, too. She’s visibly upset. I can’t imagine what she must be feeling. If only I could be sure of not hurting Rachel, I’d offer to try to help. But it’s also not exactly something I can come right out with. ‘Oh, hey, I happen to be able to zap the nanobots out of things. I can’t control it very well yet, but I could try to zap your daughter, and hopefully not kill her.’ Um, no.
I notice Lisa go down the hallway, and I follow her. Very softly, I ask, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
She seems to immediately understand the double meaning to my question. Her eyes tear up and she looks at the floor. “I doubt it, but thank you.”
I nod. Again, my mind toys with the idea. Do I dare? What choice could possibly be the right one? The more rational part of my brain is screaming at me to take Mason and run, before we can get infected. I take my internal debate back into the kitchen with me.
“We have a couple more people with us, and a Jeep. You’ll hear us drive by shortly after we leave.” Mason explains, “I don’t want you to get freaked out when you hear it.”
“Thanks for the warning.” John smiles, “I’d feel bad if I shot you for no reason. Listen, it seems kind of important that you get where you’re going. I have a can of gas out in the garage, if it will help your cause.”
Charged (Electric) Page 11
