DustRoad by Tom Huddleston

Author:Tom Huddleston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Published: 2020-09-01T16:00:00+00:00

13

Wildcat Rodeo

Once the flying machine was in the air, Joe found it quite a simple task to keep it there – all he had to do was hold the control bar steady and watch out for tall trees. By the time the sun was up he’d left both fort and forest far behind, keeping the light at his back and following the westward shadows. The fuel tanks were full and there was a spare canister tucked behind the seat, along with a bottle of water. His hands were still cuffed and he had no food; the few scraps they’d stashed last night had been in Nate’s pocket. But hopefully it wouldn’t be long before he reached the Mariners.

He tried to remember the last time he’d been separated from Kara for more than a day, but he couldn’t. She’d always been there, watching his back, keeping him out of trouble. Now he was alone in hostile territory, and she was back there facing The Five. The urge to turn around was so strong at first that he almost broke, but he just had to picture Nate’s face and remember his words – Someone needs to warn my people. It was all up to Joe.

Below him the dry brown country stretched to the horizon, utterly silent, utterly dead. Broken highways followed their ancient courses and in empty towns the shattered houses were arranged in vast grids, the streets piled with rubble and refuse. Vehicles lay strewn, the paint peeling back like skin to reveal the rusted carcasses beneath. Some had wheels, some wings, some sat on straight rails that ran for miles upon miles, like seams stitching the frayed land.

Birds drifted by, silver-black ravens and brown eagles, mirrored eyes fixed on the flying machine as it made its way through the hot, rising air. Herds of wild horses thundered over the plains, streaming like water through rocky canyons. And on the banks of a shallow river he saw a cluster of triangular tents, smoke drifting from a cookfire in the centre of the camp. People pointed and dogs barked furiously as Joe passed overhead, waving until they were out of sight behind him.

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