The Rising Tide by Kyra Anderson

Author:Kyra Anderson [Anderson, Kyra]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-11-26T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

There were still things to be done when K finally climbed out of the van with all the information he could gleam from the computer in the Commission van. The bodies of the six men were spread on the side of the road, their arms crossed over their chests and their helmets removed so their faces could be seen. While Talia and Ayah were placing the men respectfully in the dried grass, M and I were tasked with going through the contents of the van for anything that could be useful, such as ammunition and weapons.

Once K had finished his tasks, everything in the front of the van was destroyed and a large, upside down crown was spray painted on the side, the yellow paint contrasting sharply with the black vehicle.

My parents had cleared out our old vehicle, being sure to put our backpacks in the bed of the pickup truck and clear out any personal effects that might lead the authorities to the safe house in Caborca.

With the site properly set, we were forced to pile into the large cab of the truck—unable to buckle seat belts as there were four more people in the cab than the vehicle was meant to contain.

Despite how uncomfortable the tight cab was, I was able to fall asleep, overwhelmed from what we had endured. Half sitting atop M and with my mother pressed tightly to my back, also sleeping on my father’s shoulder, I slipped into unconsciousness, the light breeze from the cracked truck windows keeping the cab just cool enough to stave off the stifling body heat.

When I woke, the sun was rising, the light obstructed by the heavily-tinted windows. I groaned, stiff and uncomfortable, trying to shift without waking anyone else in the back seat.

I looked over my shoulder, seeing my mother still asleep on my father’s shoulder, my little sister curled up against the door of the truck, her legs tucked under her as she slept soundly. K was wedged on the floor of the backseat, his knees tucked to his chest as his head rested against the passenger’s seat. Ayah and Talia were sharing the passenger’s seat, both asleep, and Annie continued the drive through the farmlands toward Monterrey.

I desperately wished I could go back to sleep, but the pain in my back and neck could not be ignored, so I continued to shift, trying to find a more comfortable position. Finally, I leaned forward, awkwardly shuffling to sit in a similar position to K, though I woke M and startled Annie.

“Sorry,” I whispered, “just changing positions.”

My mother stirred long enough to readjust, and M tucked her legs under her, allowing me more room on the floor.

She smiled sleepily at me as I pulled my knees up and rested my head back on the side of the vehicle.

“You okay?” she whispered.

I nodded, taking her hand.

The rumbling of the truck lulled me to sleep again. I woke when everyone else seemed to be stirring. Talia turned to look over her seat at the rest of us, smiling brilliantly.

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