Flight Plan by Eric Walters

Author:Eric Walters [Walters, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2023-09-12T20:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Three

The safest thing was to avoid the barricade entirely, but the maps showed that the closest alternate route would mean heading back almost fifteen miles. Even then, the other route passed close to a town, and there were no guarantees the road there wouldn’t be blocked as well. The only choice was to move forward and deal with the people at the barricade. Probably all they wanted was a “toll” to pass through. Probably. We hoped.

“Okay, is everybody clear on their role?” Captain Daley asked.

There were a lot of nods and words of agreement.

“Let’s go,” Richard said.

Phillip, Richard and Sara needed to leave first, because they had the farthest to go. They were going to take a wide walk through the fields and around the forest, coming at the barricade either from the trees or from the other direction. Phillip and Richard were armed with a rifle and a pistol, and Sara with her bow and arrows. We hoped things would go well in negotiating with the people at the barricade. If they didn’t, those three were our plan B.

“All finished,” Calvin said. “New batteries in place.”

“She’s sounding a little off today,” Captain Daley said.

We’d all noticed there was a change in the “whining” of the stair car.

“This thing wasn’t meant to run for this long and travel on such rough roads,” Calvin said. “When we have a safe place to stop next, Richard and I’ll have a look at it.”

They had made some changes to the vehicle a week earlier. They’d used some pieces of metal we’d found along the road to build a little “fort” around the driver’s compartment. If somebody was going to try to stop the stair car, the easiest way was to shoot the driver. Now, hidden behind the metal, the driver had the safest spot.

The supplies on the trolley had been rearranged too. Things we might want to trade for our passage had been brought closer to the edge while more important things had been buried or hidden inside backpacks. Plus, our bikes had all been tied down on top.

“It’s time,” Captain Daley said.

Everybody climbed onto the stairs except Tom, Noah and me. Godzilla was on a leash tied to the bottom of the stairs. He wasn’t coming with me, and this was probably the only way to stop him from trying to—assuming he didn’t drag the whole vehicle along with him.

“Jamie, you know you can stay with us,” Captain Daley said. “It would probably make Godzilla happy.”

“I’m okay.”

“You’re better than okay,” Captain Daley said. He took one last look around at us, then clapped his hands together decisively. “Well, I think it’s time, folks.”

He climbed up the stairs to the platform on top. He had the shotgun.

Tom, Noah and I started moving. Godzilla started whining and barking.

“It’s okay, boy, I’ll be back,” I yelled over my shoulder.

Noah had his bow and arrows on his lap and a pistol hidden underneath him. Tom had said that by having that weapon in plain sight, it would distract the people from looking too hard for another one.

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