Ride On by Gwen Cole

Author:Gwen Cole [Cole, Gwen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2018-04-25T04:00:00+00:00

For the first mile, we ride at a steady gallop. Within the ruins—some of them pressing in close—it feels like we’re flying down the roads with only the dust following us. After a little while, I realize Cade is navigating us with Seph watching everything else. The reins are loose in his hand, the gun tight in the other. His goggles and bandana bounce up and down around his throat.

I’m glad to have him here, even if I don’t want to admit it. If Mom ever found out I’m riding along with an outlaw from the Wild, she’d grow red in the face and get that look in her eyes. But Seph isn’t like the few people I’ve met from the Wild.

As we ride through, I try to find signs of people living here, I don’t see any. The buildings are motionless, the roofs bare. When old buildings are occupied, the windows are usually boarded up to ward off the elements, so if there are people here, they don’t care about that.

With a glance back, I notice someone quickly ducking out of sight and behind a wall. It’s so fast, I might’ve imagined it.

We turn the next corner, and the road up ahead is blocked by a long metal frame—something I have no name for. Seph pulls Cade to a stop and swings around, not even pausing to think. Jack comes up on his hind legs for a moment and takes off after them, his ears flicking behind us.

The next road leading south is blocked, too, by odd pieces of furniture and broken doors, and we are forced to keep going east, causing an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

After three more roadblocks, I yell out to Seph.

He pulls to a stop, his eyes still looking everywhere at once. “What is it? Did you see something?”

“No, but I don’t think these roadblocks are accidental.”

He looks both ways down the road, nodding. “I was thinking the same but hoping I was wrong. We should go back, find a way through one of them. We don’t want to find out what’s at the end of this road.”

Somewhere ahead of us, there’s a shout. Seph clicks his tongue to gain Cade’s attention and says, “Come on, Cade, find us a way out of here.”

I turn Jack to follow them, forcing myself not to look behind. That shout was too close for comfort.

We don’t even go a block before we see riders following our trail. They ride toward us quickly and Seph drops the reins, bringing the rifle to his shoulder as Cade comes to a halting stop. He pulls the trigger and one of the riders grabs their shoulder and falls from their horse. I know my own gun is still next to me, and yet my hands shake too much to grab for it.

“Avery, this way!” His voice brings me back.

We turn south, down the road with the broken furniture where it might be low enough for the horses to clear. The riders chase us, but don’t take shots, obviously wanting us alive.

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