Forbidden Trespass by James Axler

Author:James Axler
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Worldwide Library
Published: 2015-03-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

“On three,” Ryan said. “One, two—three!”

He and J.B. straightened simultaneously. The rope harness they’d rigged around their shoulders cut into Ryan’s.

In between the cannie lay, wrapped in a blanket too old and smelly for even them to continue to use any longer. Plus it was starting to be more hole than cloth. Wrapped around the chill a couple times, though, it would be strong enough to hold.

It wasn’t that long a trip to Stenson’s Creek, anyway, and they could use the Mother Road most of the way.

“Ready, partner?” Ryan asked. He and the Armorer had decided that, as first and second in command, they should lead by being first to tote the dead cannie, which was in pretty good shape, considering, having been taken out by two rounds from Ryan’s 9 mm blaster right through the breastbone and the cold, black heart beneath. They might not even need to hand off the macabre burden, although neither of them would hesitate to do so if he felt the need. Being tough was one thing; tiring themselves out enough to slow their reflexes if it came to a fight was begging to join the supposed “coamer” in death.

J.B. nodded. Jak did too. He turned and started up the loose-dirt slope of the cave-in.

“Does Jak even need to scout ahead?” Mildred asked. “The cannies don’t do much by daylight, and if any of that crazy chick’s mob of peasants with pitchforks find us, the dude there should show them we’re not who they’re looking for.”

“How were you planning on stopping him, Mildred?” J.B. asked mildly.

“Cannies didn’t attack us outright, either,” Ryan said, grunting as he adjusted his grip on the load. It wasn’t heavy—the cannies weren’t big, though they were wiry. “Until they did. When did we start taking our safety for granted, Mildred?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Truth to tell, I did, last night. I reckoned they’d only do the usual, snipe at us with rocks and sticks, and mebbe give us a chance to chill one and claim the body. And so when they hit us for real they near as rad death overran us. If it wasn’t for Jak making a big show of attacking them from behind, we’d be on the last train west right now. Or inside their bellies, more like.”

Krysty placed a hand on his arm. “That’s in the past, lover,” she said. “We need to do what we always do—walk on.”

“Literally,” he said with a grin. “Right. Time to shake the dust of this place off our heels and go clear our names!”

* * *

“IT WAS LAST NIGHT, ’long about sunset,” Aggie Coal said. She had a mop of tangled brown hair that currently had a bunch of grass and leaves stuck in it from sneaking through the brambles. “Just as it started to come down dark for real. Donny saw a light, off to east of us. Pa came out and we heard blasterfire.”

Wymie had led the group a couple hundred yards up the road that led from the Sumz location to join with the Mother Road, a mile or so away.

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