The Undermountain Saga Boxed Set (The Complete YA Science Fiction Series) by Eric Edstrom

Author:Eric Edstrom
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Undermountain Books LLC
Published: 2014-07-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13:Testing a Theory

Breyona cast nervous glances at the rearview as she drove Em’s Jeep into Canada. She’d taken the wheel right before reaching the border so that she would be in a position to convince the border guard to let them through.

The hardest part had been coming up with a reason to touch the guy. He asked for their IDs, and she handed up a bit of random paper. The officer frowned at it, but at the slightest brush of their fingertips, she sent peace and trust into him.

He smiled, eyelids heavy. His mouth opened, but he didn’t say anything.

“I’m going to go now,” Breyona said.

He didn’t say anything, just nodded. The barrier arm lifted, and he waved her forward. Em blew out her breath. Bronson swore.

Three hours later, heavy snow fell from gray skies as Breyona turned Em’s jeep onto a logging road off route 59, somewhere near Banff National Park. Bronson snored loudly in the back seat. Em sat in the passenger seat, head against the window, also asleep.

Winter in Canada made Chicago’s seem mild by comparison. Breyona cranked the heater up another notch and glanced down at the GPS on Em’s phone. According to the coordinates Grizz had provided, they had only a few more miles to go up the logging road. After that, they’d have to get out and hike.

They didn’t have much in the way of supplies because Bronson hadn’t been willing to pay for anything other than a couple meals. He’d complained loudly about that and made it clear a debt had been incurred. Knowing Bronson, he didn’t want it paid back in cash.

Hopefully, once Bronson saw Undermountain, he’d forget all about the lousy twenty-five bucks he’d spent.

Breyona was thankful for the Jeep. Its high clearance and knobby tires easily pushed through the layer of snow on the road. Breyona couldn’t go fast, but she kept going forward, following the bends, twists, and steep climbs as they wound deeper and deeper into the mountains.

At the top of a rise, the road ran out. Em’s phone lost its signal a second later. The GPS app still worked, but it couldn’t download any more map data. From here on out, they were just a flashing blue dot on an endless field of gray.

“Okay, we’re here,” Breyona said.

Em’s eyes popped open, and she reached back to punch Bronson’s leg. “Wake up.”

He came to and swore. He pretty much swore in response to everything, which told Breyona a lot about Bronson’s mind.

They got out and collected the few things they had been able to buy along the way. They’d drained Breyona’s debit card to buy boots for herself and Em, a light backpack with a few granola bars, and some bottles of water.

“I don’t see a path,” Bronson said. “How do you know where we’re going?”

Breyona dug the compass out of her jacket pocket, a slight wave of guilt touching her conscience. They’d stolen it from the same outfitter where they’d purchased the other supplies.

“As long as we go due west from here,” Breyona said, “we should find the rock formation Grizz told us about.

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