Elegy by Kate Wrath

Author:Kate Wrath [Wrath, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-11-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20: On the Road

We're taking this road at a limp, so if Bonzai's going to catch up, she's got the advantage. Of course, there are other directions out of Saint Louis. Since we blocked the exit on this side, she may indeed cut around through other cities and meet us somewhere along the way. I just have to keep thinking of it like that. Which direction will Bonzai take? versus Will she get out?

"Think of Oscar," Apollon tells me quietly, squeezing my arm, and it's enough to get me moving forward.

Oscar, I think, as I stand waiting in the road, carefully turned away from the truck where they're wiping off the goop and gore... not that it will do much, if a Sentry scans us. Others have flashlights out, making repairs to the trucks, trying to get things into better order for the rest of our journey, but we're going to have problems. We have a handful of wounded men, and one healer to tend to them. The aether truck is in bad shape, two of the back tires entirely shredded by the attack. It's leaving a trail of tire shred behind us, and pretty soon will be down to rims. We've no spare tires on any of the trucks we're left with. So the choices are pretty much abandon the truck or stop and wait. See if Bonzai catches up. But those chances are few, so it looks like this truck is going to have to go. I sigh, considering. I suppose we could drive it until the rims cave, but what's the point of that? It's almost empty of aether, so we may as well transfer over what we can to the other trucks.

That will leave us with three trucks— our impromptu medical center, a cargo truck, and the truck with the box, as well as a few essential supplies.

Someone tugs on my sleeve and I turn around to meet Ben’s serious gaze.

“Thank you,” he says. When my eyebrows go up, he adds, “For trusting me.”

I consider him, then admit, “I’m really not sure why I do. Do you want to fill me in?”

A small movement of his head, open mouth, no words, reveals vague surprise. But his mouth turns into a little smile— no reservations. He has nothing to hide. “Of course. You don’t remember.” We start walking together, slowly. “We go way back,” Ben says. “We were Freefall friends.”

My eyes dart to him, eyebrows climbing.

“Not that kind of Freefall friends,” he smirks. “We were always competing in the races when we were kids. You usually kicked my ass.”

We glance at each other and laugh.

As we continue walking, he says, “We used to play pirates at the docks. It was hella fun. We’d make everyone walk the plank. We were total terrors.”

I watch his face as he speaks— the light in his eyes, the broad smile that goes perfectly with the freckles sprinkled across his nose. I can almost see him as a kid. In a way, he reminds me of Oscar.

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