Swing Shift: Book 2 by William D. Arand

Author:William D. Arand [Arand, William D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: William D. Arand
Published: 2019-10-07T06:00:00+00:00

***

Stepping out of the prison and into the gloom of evening, Gus immediately felt cold in his thin stalker wear. He really hadn’t dressed for such a thing.

At least I’m not Janelle, naked as the day I was born.

Janelle began shivering uncontrollably against him. If possible, it felt like she pulled even tighter at him, as if to steal the warmth from him.

“Cold,” she grumbled in his ear. “Been trained for cold, but damn it’s cold.”

“Yeah, I know,” Gus said. Moving quickly, he started to lightly jog across the grass straight toward the gate. Any vehicle coming in or going out would have to go through that checkpoint. It was their best option for stealing a ride out of here.

The question is, how do I keep Janelle from becoming an Elf-sicle before something shows up?

Kinda glad she’s a bit of a commando. She’ll handle this better than most, I’d bet.

As he moved down the road, Gus couldn’t remember it taking this long on his way in. Then again, last time he’d been moving at full speed and couldn’t feel it. Before that had been in a car.

Breathing hard, Gus felt like his strength was rapidly fading. The fear that’d been sustaining him was moving further and further out of range.

He was carrying a full-grown Elf in very cold weather at a jog, and he’d been up for longer than twenty-four hours straight. Probably closer to forty-eight, if he didn’t miss his guess.

“Gonna need some rest,” Gus muttered even as he carried on.

“I’ll… take care… of you… if we… survive while… you sleep,” Janelle said through chattering teeth.

If we survive, we’re not going anywhere. We’re staying here to figure out what the hell is going on with that prison.

Need to get a hold of Mark and Mel. Get everyone up here.

Gus stumbled over his own feet and almost went tumbling.

Giving his head a shake, he gripped Janelle a bit tighter and refocused his mind. He needed to get out of here. Before he planned for or attempted anything else, that was his current objective and the only one that mattered.

No Mark to put me back together this time if I go down. Going to end up relying on Janelle.

I hope… hope to whatever deities are up there… that she doesn’t slit my throat just because of what I am.

Up ahead at the gate house, Gus could see a step-truck with its doors wide open. The interior was completely empty.

He couldn’t tell from here, but Gus would bet on it being a food delivery of some sort. With so many Paras of differing diets, there was probably a never-ending need for foodstuffs.

The truck was being scoured by the guards while the driver was off to one side. Except it looked like they were just finishing up. Like they’d already been working the driver over and checking everything from front to back and top to bottom for a while.

Damn. That’s our best option.

Running out of gas here, though.

I need… fuel.

Now.

“Janelle, I need you to be afraid,” Gus said in a gasp, trying to run as fast as he could.

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