Arid

  “Me too.”

  “Where is Paola?” asked Skylar.

  “She’s with our friend, Rowan. She’s meeting us by the abandoned gas station,” Maria said.

  “Actually there’s been a change in plans. Rowan texted Jethro and said she put Paola in a vacant house nearby,” Julio replied.

  “What? When did she say that?” Maria said.

  “Jethro got the text when we were in the infirmary, I think.”

  “When the hell were you going to tell me?”

  “I’m telling you now!” Julio replied.

  “Rowan was supposed to stay with her!” Maria slammed her hand on the steering wheel.

  “Marcus needs her help right now.”

  “She still shouldn’t have been left alone. Where is this damn place?”

  “It’s on the corner of Denby and Montenegro.”

  “We’ve got a map.” Joshua reached into the passenger side glove box and pulled it out.

  “I’m glad those old school maps haven’t become obsolete,” Blane said.

  “They come in handy when you don’t want to be traced,” Joshua said. “Take a right. It should be up here on the right.”

  “I don’t see anything.” Maria looked around.

  “We probably won’t see it for another mile or so.”

  “She’s that far away?” Maria gasped.

  “Settle down, will you? I’m sure she’s safe,” Julio said.

  Maria slammed her foot on the gas pedal, jolting everyone around in the backseat. “Could you please not drive like a maniac?” Julio called.

  Skylar and Blane wrapped their arms around each other, her head resting on his shoulder. “What is that stain on your shirt?” She raised her head.

  “What?”

  “Blane honey, you’re bleeding!” Skylar lifted his shirt and in the mirror, Maria could see blood oozing from a wound on the left side of his chest.

  “You’ve been shot!” Julio said.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t feel it.” Blane stared at the gaping hole.

  “Adrenaline does strange things to the body.” Julio pulled off his undershirt and handed it to Blane. “You’ve got to keep pressure on it.”

  “Are you all right, Blane?” Maria said.

  “I filled a thermos full of water before we left. It’s behind the back seat. Make sure you keep your fluid levels up.” Joshua turned to face him.

  “I appreciate everyone’s concern, but I’m fine.”

  “You’d better be fine. I’m not about to lose you again.” Skylar stroked his hair. “You’re going to the hospital as soon as we get to Mexico.”

  “Of course, I’ll go to the hospital. There’s nothing to worry about.” Blane took her hand.

  “Just listen to Josh and Julio, will you?”

  Maria saw him nod but she wondered if it really was as minor as Blane was making out. It looked pretty serious from what she could see, but it was hard to tell for sure. She sighed.

  “This is it!” Maria stopped in front of a small, decaying brown house.

  “You guys stay here and keep watch. We’ll find Paola.” Joshua got out of the van. He and Maria ran through the tall weeds in the yard calling her name. They tried the front door and it creaked open.

  “Paola?” He stepped inside and Maria followed closely.

  “Someone’s been here recently. There’s fresh dirt on the floor,” Joshua said.

  “You check the kitchen. I’ll look in the bedroom,” Maria whispered.

  Joshua headed for the kitchen and Maria tiptoed to the bedroom. A hand reached out, gripped her arm, and she screamed. A stout, bald man with prison tattoos stood in front of her. He wrapped his arm tight around her neck and pulled her in front of him, locking her in a choke hold. He grabbed a crowbar from an end table and held it high above her head. She kicked at him and struggled to break free.

  “Take your hands off her and step away.” Joshua pointed the gun at the man’s face.

  “I aint going back!” the man yelled.

  “What?”

  “I’m not going back to prison.” He glanced out the window at the van.

  “No one’s trying to send you to prison, but I’ll send you to hell if you don’t let her go.”

  The man looked around suspiciously.

  “Come on, do I look like a CO? I’m in a waste management uniform!” Joshua shouted.

  The convict released his grip on Maria and pushed her forward. She stumbled, caught her breath, and spun around. “Where the hell is Paola?” She socked him in the throat.

  The man fell on his back and flopped on the floor. “You made me hit my head,” he choked.

  “Where is she?” Joshua stood over him.

  “Who the hell is Paola?’

  “She’s my eight-year-old daughter. What have you done with her?”

  “I’m not interested in little kids, lady. I beat the shit out of some pedophiles in the pen.” He sat up.

  “She was supposed to be here.” Maria’s voice cracked.

  “I haven’t seen any kids.”

  “Did anyone else come here with you?” Joshua said.

  He shook his head.

  “This has to be the right house. We need to find a phone and call Rowan. Maybe Rowan hid her somewhere.” She turned to Joshua.

  “Did you check the cellar?” the convict suggested.

  “Where’s the cellar?” asked Joshua.

  “It’s behind the house.”

  They ran to the backyard and Joshua flung open the cellar door. Maria gasped. Paola lay curled up on the floor. “Paola, what are you doing down there?” Joshua called.

  “I saw some scary man walking toward the house, so I ran and hid.”

  “That was smart thinking.” Joshua smiled.

  She climbed the steps and Maria pulled her in to hold her close. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” she whispered and kissed the top of Paola’s head. Paola held both of their hands as they all walked to the van.

  “Blane! Skylar!” Paola leapt into the van.

  “I’m so happy to see you.” Skylar squeezed her shoulders.

  “Blane, you’re bleeding.” She touched the sopping rag on his chest.

  “I got shot, but I’ll be okay.”

  “What’s the fastest way out of town?” Maria climbed into the van.

  “We need to turn around and head toward the old museum. There’s an exit about a mile from there we can take. Once we’re out of Sierra, we can get off the highway.” Joshua studied the map.

  “Hang on a minute. Are you suggesting we go through the wastelands again?” Julio said, his eyes wide.

  “It’ll be easier for us to disappear unnoticed. There will be too many Purifier trucks on the main roads.”

  “If we take that exit, we’ll have to pass another checkpoint. We won’t be able to fool them this time,” Maria said.

  “I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. Security’s much more lax going out of the city,” Skylar said.

  “They might have increased security since they know we’re here,” Blane grunted, his pain obvious in his voice.

  “I doubt it. They’ve got a situation downtown. They don’t have the extra manpower to spare,” Julio replied.

  “We’re in agreement about this?” asked Joshua.

  Everyone nodded. Maria turned the vehicle around and stomped her foot on the gas pedal.

  “All right, everybody, it’s coming up soon. Be prepared,” Joshua called.

  Julio, Blane, and Skylar each grabbed a firearm and set them in their laps while Paola lay on the floor. The shiny green sign to their right read “EXIT 15 ½ mile.”

  Maria’s throat felt tight and her forehead began to sweat. She wiped her face with her sleeve. Several terrifying scenarios flashed through her mind. Joshua’s hand on her thigh brought her back to reality.

  “It’s going to be okay. The worst is behind us.” He gave her a reassuring glance.

  She smiled and held his hand. He always
knew when she was upset and how to comfort her. She realized she wouldn’t fear the devil himself as long as Joshua was by her side. She couldn’t even imagine a future without him and she hoped she’d never have to.

  Another green sign said “EXIT 15.”

  “Here we go.” Maria took the exit and headed for the checkpoint.

  ***

  None of the horrid scenarios Maria envisioned could have prepared her for what lay ahead. “Holy shit!” Julio readied his weapon.

  “What’s going on?” Paola asked.

  “Be quiet,” Blane hissed.

  A pickup truck was overturned in the middle of the road and on fire. Broken glass covered the ground. A man was slumped over his steering wheel on the side of the road. They couldn’t see his face, but they were convinced he was dead.

  Two Purifiers’ lifeless bodies lay beside the guard station. A group of about fifteen men surrounded a vehicle up the road. Several of them pounded the windows with baseball bats while two others drug a screaming woman out. The frightened woman latched onto the seatbelt, but they yanked her away and tossed her on the ground.

  “How’s it going, sweetheart?” A stocky blond smiled.

  She jumped up and took off running. She sprinted a few feet before the blond grabbed her jacket and slammed her against the side of the car. “I didn’t say you could go anywhere, did I?” A cold, evil grin came across his face.

  “What should we do?” Maria whispered.

  “I say we back this van up and get the hell out of here,” Skylar replied.

  “How will we get out of Sierra?” asked Julio.

  “We’ll figure it out!”

  “We don’t need to run scared from these punks. We’re armed; we can handle them!” Joshua spun around.

  “He’s right, Skylar. They’ll be no match for all of our firearms,” Blane agreed.

  “I’m sure they have guns of their own. Those Purifiers were armed,” Skylar retorted.

  “Guys…” Maria pointed at the road.

  A short, dark man gave them an icy stare. He tapped the blond man on the shoulder and marched towards the van. Blondie threw the woman down; he and the rest of the group followed the dark-skinned man. The ones with the baseball bats tapped them against their palms. The lady picked herself up and ran down the highway.

  “Do you want some of this, motherfuckers?” Their leader pulled a handgun from his pocket.

  “How about some of this?” Julio leaned out the window and squeezed the rifle’s trigger.

  “Shit,” one of them screamed. A thick, gray-haired man fell down, clutching his chest. A boy who looked no older than fifteen was struck in the forehead. He was dead before he hit the pavement. Another thug ran away holding his arm with two of his friends alongside him. Blondie jumped behind the smoldering truck. The boys with baseball bats took cover behind the dead man’s car. The leader returned fire, shattering the side mirror and narrowly missing Julio.

  Joshua poked his gun out the window and riddled the leader’s torso with bullets. He fell to his knees, holding his stomach. “Kumar, take my hand!” Blondie reached around the truck.

  “Take it.” Kumar dropped the gun and fell over. Blondie snatched it from the ground and disappeared behind the truck.

  “Don’t be a moron!” Julio shouted. “This is a fight you can’t win. Put down the gun. All we want is to pass through.”

  Blondie sat for a moment in contemplation. He looked around and lowered the handgun. Maria watched his reflection in the charred vehicle’s mirror. “That’s it. Slide it this way,” she urged.

  He shifted his gaze from his dead friend to the van and his expression changed. “Look out!” Maria ducked. Blane grabbed Skylar and threw himself on the floor beside Paola.

  Blondie whirled around and aimed for Joshua. He hit the side of the windshield, cracking it like a spider’s web. Paola screamed. Skylar held her close and covered her ears. Julio’s bullet passed through Blondie’s wind pipe. He collapsed in the middle of the road, hacking up blood before he took his last breath. “Does anyone else have a death wish?” Julio called.

  None of them moved. Maria peeled off and flew past them, running over Blondie’s corpse. She drove so fast that she fishtailed and knocked down a road sign that said “Leaving Sierra Vista. Thanks for visiting.”

  “That was insane,” Skylar gasped.

  “The whole world is becoming a giant wasteland,” Julio said.

  “I thought the riots were happening because people wanted things to change.” Paola took a seat next to Skylar.

  “Mutiny will bring all types of people out of the woodwork. Some of them want to make things better. Others just want to take advantage of the chaos. It gives them an opportunity to do bad things,” Blane explained.

  “How do I get off the highway?” Maria said.

  Joshua pulled the map back out. “Take the next exit, turn right, and drive down the hill. Take the first dirt road you see. That should take us straight through No Man’s Land.”

  “I can’t wait to see that dump again,” Skylar groaned.

  “It’s probably better than staying in town,” Paola replied.

  Joshua leaned back and took a deep breath. Maria glanced at him, and saw his eyelids close and his breathing slow. She smiled to herself. He must be exhausted to fall asleep like that. She rolled her shoulders to relieve the tension and turned her attention back to the road ahead.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Josh, wake up! I don’t know where we are.” Maria nudged him.

  “What are you talking about?” He yawned and looked down. The map was still in his hands. “How long was I out?”

  “An hour or so. I told her we’re going the right way, but she won’t listen,” Julio said.

  “Where’s the train station you keep talking about? I just want somebody to check the map. I think we should’ve seen it by now,” Maria said.

  “We’re lost?” Paola said.

  “No, we’re not. Everything’s fine.” Blane held out his hand. “Give me the map, Josh. You can go back to sleep.”

  Joshua gave Blane the map and rolled on his side. Skylar was napping with her head on Blane’s shoulder.

  “We’ll reach the train station before nightfall, won’t we?’ Maria said.

  “Yes, it’s about a mile away. We’ll see it very soon.” Blane studied the map.

  “They did a terrible job labeling these wasteland roads. It’s like they don’t want you to find your destination,” Paola said.

  “They made them like that so indigents wouldn’t find their way back to town,” Julio replied.

  “If you can make it out of this place without dying, you deserve to live in the city! We deserve to live in the city anyway. It’s clean and nice and there’s always food nearby. The water barons are such assholes!” Paola folded her arms.

  “Paola, watch your language!” Maria said.

  “Sorry.” She shrank back in her seat.

  “We’ll be living in town very soon. It won’t be as glamorous as Sierra, but it’s much better than what we’re used to,” Julio said.

  “Do you hear that?” Blane pointed upwards.

  “Yeah… I do.” Julio listened to the buzzing noise.

  “What is it?”

  Julio got up and looked out the window. “Son of a bitch!”

  “No wonder Paola’s started swearing.” Maria glared at him.

  “There’s a crop duster in the sky!” Julio pointed to the airplane looming above them.

  “Skylar, Josh, wake up!” Blane shouted.

  “Don’t tell me we’re ‘lost’ again.” Joshua stretched then sat up and looked around.

  “No, there’s a plane about to bomb us with Red Dragon Breath!”

  “What’s that?” asked Skylar.

  “It’s a new chemical gas that’s supposed to be used in warfare. It can burn you from the inside out. That’s what they’re using nowadays,” Blane said.

  “How do you know so much about it?
” Joshua said.

  “I overheard the Purifiers talking about it when I was in prison.” Blane picked up a rifle and handed one to Joshua.

  “Are you going to shoot down the plane?” asked Paola.

  “That’s the objective.” Joshua readied his weapon.

  “What should I do?” Maria said.

  “Find a good spot and pull over. I’m going to have to get out and take a shot at it,” Joshua replied.

  Gunfire rained down on the van. The vehicle swerved across the road before Maria regained control. Joshua ducked behind the passenger seat. Skylar and Paola threw themselves on the floor. Blane flopped down on the backseat. Julio lost his balance and fell.

  The gunshots ceased. Joshua turned to see Blane, Skylar, and Paola raise their heads and glance at each other.

  “Is it safe to get up?” Paola asked

  “I don’t know.” Julio knelt in front of the back window.

  “Oh, that’s a big problem.” Skylar rose to her knees and stared at the van. Large holes lined the side panel and roof.

  “Do you want me to take the shot or not?” Joshua called. “I might as well before they start firing again.”

  “They’re not going to shoot. Look!” Blane pointed. A thick cloud of red smoke seeped from the back of the plane. “They’re releasing the poison! We’ve got to plug these holes.” Blane grabbed the bloody undershirt and shoved it into one of them.

  “Here!” Julio tossed him a roll of duct tape.

  Joshua and Skylar jumped to their feet, pulled off their over shirts, and tore them into several pieces. They covered the holes with the clothing while Blane sealed it with duct tape. “You’d better seal these cracks in the windshield,” Maria called.

  “I’m on it.” Julio grabbed the duct tape and sat in the passenger’s seat.

  Maria pushed the gas pedal to the floor. “We can’t outrun this thing. There’s no use in trying,” Julio said.

  The plane circled and hovered over than van. A cloud of dense, red smoke surrounded them. “It’s hard to see where I’m going! This is the fog from hell!” Maria cried.

  “How will we get on the train if the air’s full of poison?” Paola said.

  “The gas doesn’t linger in the air very long. Once the cloud is gone, the toxins dissipate,” Blane replied.