“I’m going to make a Starbucks stop before we hit the road,” I said as I started the car.
Kyle beamed at me. “Sounds good.”
I already liked this kid.
“Kiaya?” I said when she didn’t say anything. “You want some coffee?”
“I’m good,” was her only reply.
I bit back a sigh.
Before the coffee heaven came into view, I was worried it might be closed like a lot of the other businesses in the area, but it wasn’t. As if nothing had changed, a line of cars was already sitting in the drive-thru when I pulled in. It moved fast, though, and soon I had a steaming cup of energy in my hand. As I pulled away, a surge of gratitude that Americans thought coffee was a necessity shot through me, and the feeling doubled once I’d taken that first big sip of caramel deliciousness.
At my side, Kyle seemed just as thrilled with his drink, while in the back Kiaya once again had her book out and was poring over the contents like she thought the words were the only thing that could save her from the virus. She was the most dedicated student I’d ever seen, and while I was sure she had her reasons, I just couldn’t fathom why it mattered at this point in life. There were other things to focus on right now. Bigger things.
Kyle and I chatted while she studied. He probably wasn’t anyone I normally would have hung out with, but I was thankful for the conversation. What was more, I liked the kid. He was open and friendly, and even a little funny—in a dry kind of way. Plus, he was super grateful for the ride.
“My parents have been going crazy,” he said as I drove, following the signs for approved routes out of the city. “I’m the oldest of six, and they wanted me home a month ago, but of course by then air travel had been canceled. I thought I had a ride two weeks ago, but it fell through.” He frowned at the memory.
“What happened?” I asked.
“The guy actually took a bunch of cash from me so he could fill the car up and get an oil change before we started out, then never showed to pick me up.”
“Seriously?” I looked his way out of the corner of my eye while keeping most of my focus on the deserted road in front of me. People were really taking the government’s warnings seriously and staying indoors. Which I was hoping would make the drive an easy one.
Kyle’s head bobbed. “Yeah. My parents had to send more money, which wasn’t easy. They’re pretty strapped for cash right now since both their companies closed weeks ago and haven’t reopened.”
That was something that had never occurred to me before now, and Kyle’s family couldn’t have been the only ones in that situation. My mom was a retired teacher and had her pension, but my dad was a doctor. His job was a little bit of a necessity these days.
“What do they do?” I asked Kyle.
“My mom is a legal secretary for a big firm, and my dad works for an HVAC company in the area.” He shrugged. “Neither one is exactly necessary with the way things are right now.”
“Yeah,” I said, thinking of my dad working at the hospital and what he might be exposed to. To try to distract myself I asked, “So, five brothers and sisters? I’m an only child, so I can’t even imagine.”
“It can be a lot,” he said, laughing, “but fun, too. Sometimes.”
“Brothers or sisters?” I prompted.
“Three brothers, two sisters,” Kyle replied. “The girls are the youngest.”
“Four older brothers?” I shook my head and grimaced. “Your poor sisters.”
He laughed. “You have no idea. Tess turned ten over the summer, and this boy started calling her. But we don’t have a home phone, so she had to give him someone’s cell number. She gave him mine.” He pounded his fist against his hand. “I gave him a nice talking to.”
I snorted out a laugh. “Your poor sister. Did you scare him off?”
“You bet I did,” Kyle said. “But if he isn’t willing to fight for her, he isn’t worth it. That’s what I told her, anyway.”
“I’m sure that made her feel better,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Kyle just laughed again.
We reached Route 66 in what seemed like no time, and I had to slow the car as the first checkpoint came into view. I had all the proper documents—and the others had assured me they did as well—but the sight of the armed soldiers had my heart beating faster. I clenched the steering wheel, watching as one of them approached the SUV in front of me, and held my breath. He had an automatic weapon slung over his shoulder, but the three men blocking the road had their guns at the ready, and the knowledge that they would very soon be pointed at my car made me sweat.
“You guys have your papers?” I asked, and it suddenly occurred to me that I should have verified their stories before we left. What if they didn’t actually have permission to travel? Would the soldiers think I was trying to smuggle them out of Arizona and detain me with them?
I held my breath, waiting for the others to produce their papers. Kyle had his out first, passing me the slightly crumpled documents with a shaky hand, and a second later Kiaya had thrust hers out as well. Her hand was amazingly steady.
“Thanks,” I said, taking them.
In front of us, the soldier handed the travel papers back to the driver of the SUV and waved to the men blocking the road. They stepped aside but didn’t lower their weapons. Instead, they aimed them at us.
“Holy shit,” Kyle muttered just under his breath.
I couldn’t disagree.
The car in front of me drove off, and the soldiers moved back into position, once again blocking the road, while the man in charge of checking papers waved for me to drive forward.
I did as instructed, slowing to a stop beside him and rolling the window down. He did a quick survey of the car, his gaze sweeping first over me before moving to Kyle, then back to Kiaya.
Once he’d looked everyone over, he focused on me again, barking out, “Papers.”
“Here you go.” I held them out with a trembling hand.
The man looked them over, reading the details carefully before his gaze was once again on me. “Why are you traveling today?”
The papers should have told him everything he needed to know, but I answered anyway. “We’re college students trying to get home.”
“Three different places?” His eyebrows lifted, emphasizing the importance of my answer.
“I was the only one with a car, but I didn’t want to drive alone. I’ll drop them off on my way to Ohio.”
He nodded as he refolded the papers. “You will stay on this route all the way to St. Louis. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I said.
He held the papers out, his gaze locked with mine, and I took them. “There will be no second warning. If you’re found on a different route, you will be arrested immediately.”
“I understand,” I said.
“Good.” He nodded and stepped back, not looking away from me as he waved to the men in the street. “Drive safely.”
“Thanks,” I said.
I took off the second the road was clear, probably driving a little faster than necessary, and didn’t bother rolling my window up until the checkpoint was a good distance behind me. By then, some of my hair had broken out of the intricate braid I’d put it in before leaving the dorm, and the blonde tendrils tickled my face. I brushed them aside and shook my head, trying to shake off the fear that had settled over me at the sight of the armed soldiers.
“Man, that was intense,” Kyle said, breaking the silence.
“I know.” I let out a strained laugh. “I really hate guns.”
“Yeah.” He frowned and nodded. “Although I’ve never really been around them. We don’t own any.”
“Same here.” My gaze moved to the rearview mirror as I tried to catch Kiaya’s eye. “What about you, Kiaya?”
Her head snapped up. “What about me?”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I seemed to have to do that a lot with her. “Does your family own any guns?”
“No.�
�� The response was quick and short, like she didn’t want to have to answer and wanted to let me know I shouldn’t ask anything else.
“Okay,” I said under my breath.
She was the most closed-off person I’d ever met.
3
The turn lane for McDonald’s was about ten cars long, and by the time I finally made it into the parking lot, I was afraid we wouldn’t find a spot. If I didn’t have to pee, I would have just gone through the drive-thru—even though it, too, was about ten cars long—but my bladder had reached the point of near bursting.
“I have to pee,” I said as I circled the building in search of a parking place. “But other than that, I want to get in and out of here as fast as possible.” I eyed Kiaya in the rearview mirror. “Okay?”
She shrugged and said nothing, but I took it as a yes.
“No problem,” Kyle said, shooting me a grin. “I can take the next leg of driving if you want.”
I hit the brakes a little too hard when a parked car’s reverse lights lit up, and he lurched forward, but his smile didn’t fade.
“Thanks, Kyle,” I said and flipped my turn signal on.
Kiaya’s company may have been a bust, but I liked this kid. He was easy to talk to, nice, and eager to show his appreciation for the ride. Unlike Kiaya, who hadn’t uttered more than ten words since we left school.
“Sure thing.” Kyle’s grin stretched wider.
I tapped my chipped nail against the steering wheel as I waited for the car to back out of the spot and found myself wondering if the nail salons in Troy were still open. A manicure was a must. Mom and I could make a girls’ day out of it, even. A visit to the salon to get a mani-pedi, followed by dinner at The Caroline—our favorite place.
I couldn’t wait.
A honk sounded behind me, jolting me from my thoughts of home, and I glanced in the rearview mirror. The cars were lined up, and there were even more in the road waiting to turn into the parking lot. It was a madhouse, bringing to mind the warnings on the news and completely popping the little bubble of joy I’d created in my head. Mom and I wouldn’t be able to go out. We were supposed to avoid crowds. I was supposed to avoid crowds. I’d promised her. But what could I do? I had to pee, and pretty much every place we could stop on this route was going to be crowded. We weren’t the only ones trying to get somewhere, and in direct contrast to their explicit instructions, the government had corralled all travelers into the same area. Which was something I hadn’t thought about before now. Why did they do that? It made no sense if they wanted to stop this thing from spreading…
The car I’d been waiting on pulled out of the spot, and I took its place. Even for my little Civic, it was a tight fit, but I wasn’t thinking about that as I turned the car off and we all piled out. I was thinking about the people around me, about where they’d come from and what they might have been exposed to. What we might get exposed to by being here.
The sooner we got back on the road, the better.
Kiaya seemed to purposefully keep her distance as we headed for the restaurant, but Kyle walked alongside me, chatting about nothing in particular. Which was a good distraction. Inside, I wasn’t surprised to find a line for the women’s restroom, but it still made me groan. I felt like I was five again, practically dancing to keep my bladder from releasing.
“I can order while you wait,” Kyle said, as eager to please as usual.
“Thanks.” I shot him a smile even as I shifted my feet.
Kiaya was already in line. Figured.
Once I’d told him what I wanted, Kyle hurried off, and I watched him get at the back of the line—three people behind our other traveling companion. More people were stumbling into the already crowded restaurant by the second, looking worn and travel-weary, and several even looked like they hadn’t slept in days. It was the woman who got in line behind Kyle that really drew my attention, though. She was hugging herself, a thick sweater wrapped around her body that looked way too warm for the hot, New Mexico day. Her red-rimmed eyes were bloodshot and appeared almost hazy, and there was a fine sheen of sweat on her face that shimmered under the bright fluorescent lights.
She was sick, I realized with a start. Not just a little sick either. It was obvious by the way she kept trying to pull the sweater tighter around her body, by the way she shivered despite the moisture beaded on her face. This woman had a raging fever.
She swayed and reached out, catching her balance by grabbing hold of Kyle. He turned to face her, and while less friendly people would have shied away from or even scowled at the unwanted contact, he didn’t. Instead, he gave her a sympathetic smile and said something I couldn’t make out but instinctively knew was nice. Probably he asked if she was okay, or even if he could do anything to help. Whatever he said, the only response the woman could give was a nod.
One head bob was all she got out before her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.
The room exploded in panicked shouts and cries. Kyle knelt beside the woman and pressed two fingers to her neck, while a few other people also rushed to see if they could help. Even more people, however, ran away from the unconscious woman. Out the door, grabbing loved ones as they hurried off, their expressions filled with terror and worry. Kiaya hadn’t moved, and she watched from her place in line—which now wasn’t even a line—as Kyle and a few other people tried to get the woman to wake up. Like Kiaya, I was frozen, my full bladder forgotten as I watched Kyle press his ear against the woman’s chest, his face turned toward hers as she let out a ragged breath.
I could almost see the virus jumping from her mouth to Kyle.
As if reading my mind, Kiaya turned her head in my direction, her eyes wide, and her gaze trapped mine. We might not have talked much and we didn’t know one another at all, but in that moment it didn’t matter. We were both thinking the same thing. Kyle had just exposed himself to this virus.
What the hell were we going to do now?
Without even knowing why I did it, I waved for her to come over to me. Her eyebrows jumped in surprise, but she ducked out of line without hesitating and hurried my way, darting a look toward Kyle as she passed him. The line for the bathroom, like the line for food, had vanished during the commotion, and when Kiaya reached me, I grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.
We nearly slammed into a woman who was drying her hands, and she let out a yelp of surprise before glaring at us. All I could do was look her over, silently praying she wasn’t sick like the woman in the lobby because I didn’t want to get exposed to the virus.
Then again, now that Kyle was exposed, I was pretty much screwed, wasn’t I?
If he got back in the car. If he didn’t, though, I might still be okay.
“What’s wrong?” Kiaya asked, ignoring the woman we’d almost run into as she huffed and tossed her used paper towel into the trashcan.
“What do you mean?” I asked, totally confused by what she was asking. “You saw what happened, and you saw how close Kyle was to that woman. There’s no way he isn’t covered in germs.”
I couldn’t make myself voice what I was thinking, so I left it at that, hoping she’d get the point so I didn’t have to say more.
Kiaya’s eyes held mine, expressionless and blank.
When I realized she still didn’t understand what I meant, I said, “We can’t let him back in the car.”
She blinked six times like she couldn’t wrap her head around what I was saying. “You want to leave him behind?”
My insides twisted with guilt, but I couldn’t take it back. It was self-preservation, not selfishness. Kiaya had to know that. Then again, this was the girl who’d offered a stranger a ride without a second thought, who’d searched Facebook to make sure there wasn’t anyone else around who might need help. Maybe she couldn’t understand.
“Yes.” The word hissed from my mouth like a snake. I felt like a snake, too. Like a slimy, venomous snake, and it made me sick.
“We can’t just abandon him in the middle
of nowhere,” Kiaya said. “Not only is it wrong, but we also don’t even know if that woman has the same virus. She could be sick with anything.”
I rolled my eyes. She had to be joking. “Do you seriously believe that?”
Either she did, or she just didn’t want to admit the truth—even to herself—because she said nothing.
“Look,” I told her, “there’s a killer virus sweeping the country, and Kyle has been exposed. There’s no other way to look at it. We can’t just act like that didn’t happen.”
“So, your suggestion is to ditch him even though we know nothing?”
“Are you willing to chance it and risk your life?” I snapped.
I’d hoped putting it that way would make it almost impossible to argue with. Almost because deep down I knew how horribly wrong what I was suggesting was. I needed Kiaya to agree with me or I wouldn’t be able to go through with it. Needed someone to justify the survival instinct that had made me say these things. I still had my humanity, and what was more, I liked Kyle. Leaving him at this shitty fast food restaurant in the middle of nowhere would haunt me forever either way, but if I could get someone to agree that this was the best option, at least I’d be able to tell myself I hadn’t been alone in the decision.
“I won’t leave him, so you’ll have to leave us both,” Kiaya said, lifting her chin and glaring down at me. “Besides, we’ve probably already been exposed just by being in the same building with that woman.”
The blood drained from my face as the realization that she was right sank in, and deep inside me, the dread that had been building for weeks grew and spread until it seemed like it had wormed its way through every inch of my body. If what she was saying were true, this could be it for me. I’d disobeyed my mom and gone on this stupid trip, and now I might pay with my life.
It also meant there was no point in leaving Kyle behind.
Far Series (Book 1): Far From Home Page 3