The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart

Author:Nicole Baart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 2023-06-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 13

SUNDAY–MONDAY

They speed down the highway, through a warren of gravel roads and two-track lanes that cut precariously close to the trees. Eva is stretched across the middle seat of the dark SUV, her leg wrapped in an old towel that the soldier commandeered from the house back in Little Moose. Of course, she doesn’t know if he’s actually a soldier, but because she also doesn’t know his name, she’s come to think of him as such. He’s wearing the uniform after all.

When the soldier looks over the passenger seat from time to time to check in on her, she makes sure to avoid his gaze. She’s not sure what he’s looking for. Is he afraid she’ll whip a weapon out of her ruined leggings? He’s already patted her down and confirmed that she’s not hiding so much as a tissue. Or maybe he’s worried about her jumping from the moving vehicle. Unfortunately, not only are the child locks engaged in the back doors (Eva quietly tested them), she’s completely incapacitated. Her shin is so swollen it bulges from between the folds of torn fabric when she dares to remove the blood-soaked towel to peek. She doubts she could put any pressure on her left leg at all right now, and the thought fills her with dread.

At least she’s alone with the two soldiers. The white-haired man and Zach are following the SUV at a short distance. The older man is behind the wheel of Zach’s truck, and her (former?) boyfriend slumps in the passenger seat. She can’t see them well, but the light of the dash creates a halo out of the old man’s snowy hair behind the steering wheel.

Eva has dozens of questions, but pain and fear prevent her from asking a single one. Instead, she tries to focus on mapping their route, clocking turns and looking for landmarks so that somehow she can find her way back to civilization when this is all over. They’re driving farther and farther into the wild, until Eva is sure that they have left the known world behind entirely. She worries that even if she manages to escape, she’ll never make it home.

When they finally stop in front of an old field gate, Eva feels dread splash through her like ice water. The soldier who carried her out of the woods hops out to swing the gate wide so they can drive through, but instead of getting back into the vehicle, he walks slowly in front as they crawl down a small ravine, over a shallow creek, and around a sharp bend. Almost immediately, Eva can see that there’s a second fence and another gate. This one is chain link, towers over the soldier’s head, and is topped with razor wire. A guard in matching camo fatigues stands holding an AR-15, which he swings behind him so he can shake the soldier’s hand.

“Welcome home,” the driver tells her, twisting around so he can grin at Eva. He hasn’t said a word to her, hasn’t even acknowledged her presence, and his declaration now sounds ominous.

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