“Okay,” she announced, pushing herself to her feet just as Lois returned to the front room. “I’m not going to let Jorge stop us. I’m walking to Houston, and I’d be honored if you all would join me.”
The three boys erupted into a cheer that made Mia smile, believing fully that they could actually make it to Houston. They weren’t that far from the border of Texas, Lois’s house nestled just south of the border between Colorado and New Mexico. So much ground had already been covered since Yellowstone first erupted, and now that they were less than a thousand miles away, Mia wasn’t going to give up hope of reaching home.
“Who has a map?” Mia asked, an idea popping into her head. She had said before that cars which had been left outside since the eruption would be useless, but she hadn’t considered those that had been sorted safely in warehouses and showrooms. “Where is the nearest car showroom?”
“Yes, Mia!” Marcus celebrated, encouraged by Mia’s idea and grabbing a map that he had left on the side the evening before. “Great idea.”
Together the two of them poured over it, Lois leaning over and pointing to areas where she thought they might be able to find a car that would still work. Mia knew realistically that the only way she could guarantee to make it to Houston within the week was if they drove. She was sure that car dealerships and showrooms would’ve been targeted a great deal in the days immediately after the eruption, so it was likely they’d have to visit a few. But she also knew it was the only option they had. A car simply kept in someone’s garage wouldn’t be guaranteed to start or run properly, only one that had been kept in display condition would have been given the protection necessary to survive the eruption. Providing the whole building hadn’t collapsed.
“What about you, Lois?” Mia asked after several minutes of reviewing the map and circling possible locations where they could find another vehicle. “Do you want to come with us?”
“I can’t,” Lois shook her head. “I’ve got Isabelle to look after. She can’t go outside in this. Besides, I don’t want to leave the house in case Danny and the others do eventually come back.”
Mia nodded. She could understand that desperation. The feeling where she was reluctant to do anything other than the first idea that had occurred to her in case her family returned to the house and found that she was gone. Mia had almost forgotten about Lois’s daughter as well. Isabelle kept to herself upstairs almost all of the time, frightened by the new people in her house and likely scared about what was happening and where the rest of her family were. Mia felt bad that they had come into Lois’s house and disrupted her life so much, barely even sparing a thought for the issues she was already dealing with.
“I understand,” she replied, feeling guilty about the way she had acted toward the woman. Earlier that morning she’d told her she’d search for her family even though she’d known she didn’t really have any intention of doing so. Now—even though little had changed—Mia felt like she owed it to Lois to actually do that. Their journey to find a car would take them past where Lois had said her family had gone camping. Looking for the four lost men was the very least Mia could do now.
“When do you want to go?” Jadon asked, looking outside at the weather. Technically it didn’t make a great deal of difference what time of day it was anymore, though it was slightly warmer through the day. Daylight was limited at all hours, the thick mass of clouds that hung low in the sky blocking out all sunlight and warmth. It made the air frigid and hazy, a constant dusk that never thinned and made them feel like they were constantly fighting their way through fog.
“As soon as possible,” Mia replied. “We should figure out what gear we still have here and what we’ve lost with the car. I want to leave as soon as we can after that.”
Everyone nodded, understanding that time was now of the essence. If they were going to be outside, then they needed to be prepared and they needed to get out before it was too late. Things were only going to continue to get worse and none of them wanted to doom themselves by staying in a comfortable and safe house longer than they absolutely needed to. It was nice to have luxuries, but they were all aware those would have to wait.
Watching everyone move off to go and review the gear they’d each brought into the house with them, Mia found herself gazing out of the window and down the highway once more. She imagined seeing the little Mazda driving back toward them, Jorge behind the wheel with an apology already prepared on his lips. The thought made her smile, but she knew it would never come to pass. Jorge was gone, and Mia would likely never see him again. Good riddance. She had bigger fish to fry now, and finally, the Spaniard wasn’t going to slow her down anymore.
Chapter 20
“Ready?” Mia couldn’t help getting flashbacks to leaving Helena Regional Airport many days ago as she stood by the front door of Lois’s house, Jadon, Marcus, and Jesse behind her as they prepared to leave. While the group she was departing with was considerably smaller, the purpose of it was exactly the same. Escape the devastation of Yellowstone and find a way back home.
“Let’s do this,” Marcus replied, Jesse and Jadon both nodding beside him.
“Good luck,” Lois encouraged. “I hope you make it home.”
Mia didn’t turn to thank Lois; she had already said everything she wanted to the woman. There was nothing more left to do at the house except leave. Thankfully they all still had the high-quality breathing masks they’d found at the fracking site and so, in unison, the four of them pulled them up over their faces. Then with a smooth motion, Mia reached forward and pulled open the door, exposing them all to the outside world and the horrors that it brought with it.
It had been a long time since the four of them had been walking outside for extended periods of time. They’d found vehicles shortly after leaving the village beneath the airport, covering a vast distance in them that would’ve been impossible on foot. It felt strange that they were their only method of transport now, the four of them fighting against the elements on a quest to reach Mia’s family.
Thinking back through everywhere they’d traveled so far, Mia wondered about everyone who they had left behind. First it had been Michael and Angelica, both refusing to leave their village because of their dying mother. Mia was certain that their mother had passed away by now and sadly she believed the same was probably true for Michael, Angelica, and everyone else who had stayed there as well. Not only was the air incredibly toxic that close to Yellowstone, but they had no supply of clean water and the lahars had all but destroyed all their homes. To stay behind had effectively been a death wish; Mia was disappointed that she hadn’t managed to convince more of the residents to join her.
After that, the next separation point had been Tanner. Their group had lost so many in that town, Patrick and Allie wanting to find their way back home to Seattle, while Stuart, Deb, Ethan, Miles, and Billy tried to make the town their home. Mia wasn’t even sure whether Patrick and Allie had left in the end, their decision not yet certain as their friends who lived there were slowly dying. Mia wondered what had become of Tanner by now; there was little chance its original residents were still alive, their lungs going the same way as their larynxes had. Still, there was hope that the others might still be living there and surviving. Mia liked to think that she had helped to save at least a small percentage of the people she had met.
Jorge was obviously the last member to leave her group, the key difference between now and when Mia had walked away from the airport all those days ago. She tried not to focus on that fact though, thankful for the three young men that surrounded her. They were worth more to her than anyone else now and she knew they would stop at nothing to help her get home.
However, as much as Mia tried not to think about it, it was difficult not to get lost in her thoughts as she walked. The weather around her was like white noise. The wind howled in her ears like a pack of angry dogs, all yapping and growling and fighting for attention. Ash spun in the air like a dancer on the stage, limbs flying in diff
erent directions and drawing the eye around with it. There were particles of dirt and dust constantly thrown against her body, along with larger pieces of gravel, broken twigs and branches, and other things that Mia couldn’t even identify. It was too dark to see everything clearly, leaving Mia only able to guess what was ahead of her and hoping that they were going the right way.
The four of them walked like shadows, each of them nothing more than a blur in the cloud. Mia and Jadon walked slightly ahead of the other two, their group walking in a perfect square to make sure they didn’t lose sight of anyone in the mist. They all knew that it would only take a few steps in the wrong direction for them to become completely lost, with no way of finding their way back to the others. Their flashlights did little but bounce back off of the fog and blind them, useless unless there was a solid object they were focused on. Their voices were immediately lost in the wind as well, leaving them stripped completely bare and left vulnerable.
It was a very strange sensation, being forced to navigate without the use of your senses. Mia could hardly see, she couldn’t hear anything over the wind, her nostrils were constantly accosted by the smell of burnt ash, and when it came to taste and touch, there was nothing she could do to aid her.
Pulling the map from her pocket, already folded to the specific page she needed, she clicked the button on her flashlight and stopped to read the page, Jadon and the others stopping with her. Assuming that they had been walking in a straight line—which Mia was sure they had because of the road to guide them—and taken the correct turnings—which, again, she was confident about—then they should already be in the vicinity of the first car dealership that Lois had identified. She showed the map to the boys and hoped they read it properly, a nod from Marcus showing that he too believed they had made it to their first destination. Now all they had to do was find it.
“Which way do you think?” Mia shouted over the wind, hoping the three boys could hear her as it felt like her voice just got thrown back in her face.
“We should go to the side of the road and try to find a turn,” Marcus yelled back at her. “If we can find a sign that should help us locate exactly where we are!”
Mia nodded, Jadon and Jesse also agreeing with their friend’s suggestion. Together, with everyone holding on to the person ahead of them in some way, they started to shuffle over to the side of the road, Marcus leading as he searched for any identifier that might tell them where they were. It was a horrible task walking blind into a blizzard, the weather getting worse seemingly by the second as they walked through it. Mia willed them to find the car dealership; too much longer outside and she was going to start worrying about their health. She decided there and then in her head that even if they couldn’t find a working car where they were, they would have to stay inside for a few hours anyway. She had never seen a storm rage like this and she knew it was too dangerous to be outside in it for very long. She wanted to get back home, but she knew she shouldn’t risk her life unnecessarily to get there.
“Watch it!” Marcus called from ahead of her, suddenly bringing their procession to a halt. “The ground is slippery here.”
Mia passed the message back to Jadon behind her, the group forced to communicate like a game of telephone due to how loud the wind was around them. Mia felt her boot slip on something and looked down, trying to determine what it was. The ground all looked the same: dirty, gray, cloaked in dirt, dust, and ash. There was no way she could ascertain what was down there, the thought causing her to shudder.
“Yes!” Marcus shouted, lurching forward and pulling everyone with him. They had no choice except to follow, though peering through the darkness Mia could see the faint outline of a sign ahead. Letting go of Marcus, she withdrew the flashlight from her pocket and angled it toward the solid structure, slowly seeing the printed letters illuminate.
“Crowne Point Auto Center,” Mia mumbled under her breath, reading what was printed on the metal sign in front of them. “This is it!” she shouted, turning to look back at Jadon and Jesse behind her and smiling. “We’ve made it!”
Despite their elation, as a group they knew it wasn’t yet time to celebrate. Visibility had reduced to an all-time low and as they shuffled down the street and into the parking lot of the auto center, all four of them had to remain in contact with each other to ensure they didn’t get lost. The wind died very slightly once they made it into the parking lot, the walls of the buildings that surrounded it sheltering them somewhat, but not providing any help in terms of lighting the way.
“We need to find a way inside!” Jesse shouted, stating the obvious as the four of them stumbled into the side of an old Chevy Blazer. The car was only a year old, but it looked like it had been left out in the dark for closer to ten. The paint was scratched and scuffed, the once-white color now coated in gray dust and peeling away above the wheels and around the windows. Before the eruption, everyone knew it would’ve sold for a considerable amount. Now the car probably wouldn’t even start up.
“What’s that?” Marcus pointed into the distance, causing everyone to peer through the darkness. Mia couldn’t see anything, shaking her head in confusion as Jesse and Jadon did the same. “Come on,” Marcus urged them forward. “I think there might be a way in.”
Following blindly once again, Mia decided that Marcus must have the best eyesight out of the four of them, the young man somehow able to see things the other three couldn’t. They walked entirely at his word, sidestepping around the back of abandoned and ruined cars that filled the lot as they made a beeline for the invisible door that Marcus was leading them toward.
“Oh yeah!” Jadon suddenly cried from behind Mia. “There it is!”
Squinting into the darkness, Mia still struggled to see what was apparently just ahead of her. She didn’t need to though; she trusted the boys and allowed the pace of their group to increase as they finally reached one side of the building and came to a halt outside of a fire exit.
“How do we get in?”
“Stand back,” Marcus said, squaring his shoulders and preparing to slam into the door. The loud thud that his body made as it slammed into the metal was thrown backwards to the rest of them with the wind, somehow seeming to echo and reverberate through Mia’s head more than once. The door didn’t budge, so Marcus stepped back and righted himself once again, charging into the door with his shoulder in an attempt to knock it off its hinges.
“It definitely moved a little there!” Jesse said with an excited tone. “Here, let me try.”
Feeling thankful once again for the three strong boys—each of them impressive stars on their college football team—Mia stood by as they took turns trying to break the door down. She could see it loosening at the hinges, the metal warping from the force combined with the bashing it had likely already received from the weather. When the final blow was struck by Jesse and the door gave way, everyone cheered, excited and desperate to get inside. Although the wind might have died down somewhat, dirt and dust still whipped past their faces constantly, leaving them all feeling uncomfortable and unclean.
The hallway that they entered was dark and unlit, so Mia and Jadon both had their flashlights ready, lighting the corridor up and leading the way. Marcus made sure the fire exit was closed behind them as best he could, stopping the storm from following them inside. Then they ran. None of them knew why, but they felt the need to break into a jog as they weaved through the corridors of the auto center, finally stopping in the main showroom lobby where—even in the darkness—they were able to see the outlines of cars that had been kept inside.
“We made it,” Mia panted, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees as she allowed herself to catch her breath. The three boys did the same, each of them removing the filtration masks from their faces and gulping down the clean, indoor air.
“Do you think we’ll be able to find a car in here?”
“Yeah—there are loads. Do you reckon they’ll work, Mia?”
“I hope so,” Mia repli
ed once she had gotten her breath back, the walk through the storm taking a lot more out of her than she liked to admit. Even though she was a fit woman, she knew her body had been running on empty for the last few days. Water levels were low and food rations were nothing like she was used to. It was extremely tiring work not only being out in the storm, but constantly being forced to think about what the best next step was and how they were going to survive just to the end of each day, not to mention all the way back to Houston. She was mentally and physically worn out, yet Mia knew she had to keep going just a little bit longer.
“We’ll check them out in a bit,” she continued, walking over to what looked like a waiting area and sitting down. “We can’t go out in this weather anyway.”
“True,” Jadon commented, following Mia over to the waiting area. “And the cars aren’t going anywhere.”
“Exactly,” Mia replied with a smile. “I think we could all benefit from a minute of quiet.” Tilting her head back so it rested against the seat, Mia closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. She knew she needed to keep going and get back to her family, except she was running on empty and couldn’t do it without refueling her tanks. She told herself that her family wasn’t going anywhere—that they were safe and sound in the farmhouse and there was nothing to worry about. She told herself that, and for once, it actually worked. Mia felt relaxed and at ease, not worried about the storm that had forced them inside or how Yellowstone was slowly destroying the world a little bit more every day. She pushed all those negative thoughts to the back of her mind and just zoned out for the first time since everything began. She would continue on her journey, and before she could save anyone else, she needed to look after herself.
Escaping Darkness (Book 4): The Fallout Page 14