All Is Silence - Deserted Lands #1

Chapter 29 - Part II

Lizzie reached her hand to touch her shoulder. “We’ll be all right, Rachael.

“Not planning on dying today.” Duke hit a switch that turned off the headlights. The truck went dark, and so did the road. He took the next off-ramp.

“Don’t we need the lights?”

“Moon’s almost full.” The off-ramp ended under an overpass. The rigs were coming up the freeway. Duke braked and slid to the right and slammed to a stop through the overpass. He grabbed the rifle from Lizzie and jumped out of the truck. “Drive.”

“Okay,” Lizzie said. Where? She climbed into the driver’s seat, fastened her seatbelt and stepped on the gas enough to get around the corner, then she let it roll forward. Where was Duke?

She saw him jogging toward her, not too fast. She let the truck slow to a stop. Duke grabbed the door and jumped in the passenger seat. “Let’s go. They went past.”

“Uh, Duke. I don’t really drive.” The moonlight sparkled on the snow-covered road.

“You didn’t wreck it last time. Drive thataway. Can you see?”

“Yeah. Well enough.”

“All you need is well enough.” He lifted the rifle and put his eye to the scope. “Get us out away from the freeway. I’ll keep an eye out for them.”

Lizzie drove. Everything was surreal. She had almost made it to her father. And now everything had gone to shit. She pulled off onto a road where they had a clear view of the freeway, and shut off the engine. “What now?” She looked at Duke.

“Call your friend.” Duke handed her his phone.

“Good idea.” She hit redial.

A male voice answered, “May I help you?”

“Dad?”

“I don’t think so. Who is this?”

“Shit.” Lizzie hung up. She scrolled up to her dad’s number and pressed call. It rang.

“It’s still me,” the voice answered again, “Tell me who you are.”

“Let me talk to my dad.”

“This drunk spic? ‘Fraid he’s out cold. Drunken stupor.” There were sounds of laughter in the background. “But you have a friend who wants to talk to you.”

“Lizzie?” Jess choked off a sob. “Don’t come.”

“Jess?” Lizzie’s voice edged toward hysteria. “Where are you? Are you safe?”

The male voice was back. “We’re north of Salt Lake City. Mile marker 317. Come on down and hang out with your friends and family. In the morning we’ll take you all into the city. For safety.” The connection ended.

“Shit. Why’d all the assholes have to survive?”

“They’re too mean to die,” Duke said.

Lizzie dialed Glen, maybe he could help. “How are you?” she asked when he picked up.

“Starving.” Glen sighed, his voice was a little louder than the last time. “Not that I couldn’t lose a few pounds. These guys don’t give up easy.”

“I’m sorry. Look, Glen, I’ve got some more shit going down. Can you get access to Utah highway cameras too?”

“Yeah, I can get ‘em. Where are you? What’s up?”

“Bad guys. Things got worse instead of better.”

“Yeah, I hear you.” She could hear him breathing as a keyboard clacked. “Okay. I’m on the website. Exit number?”

“We took the exit north to Farmington. Don’t know the exit number.”

“322.” Duke said.

“Exit 322. I think my dad’s near mile marker 317 on Highway 15.”

“Camera at 316.84. There are a number of vehicles in the distance. People standing around. It only updates every five minutes.” His breathing stayed steady. “Nothing visible on the other cameras near there.”

“Thanks. Glen.” She sighed in disappointment.

“I’ll keep the windows open and call you if anything changes.”

“I owe you.”

“Yeah, you do.” He chuckled wryly. “I accept payment in Mountain Dew and information.”

“Right. I’ll pay when I can.” Lizzie laughed. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. Let me wake up and find out this is all a really, really bad dream. Her fingers traced the scars on her arms.

“Lizzie.” Duke’s voice was gentle.

“Fuck you,” she said, but only half-heartedly.

“Let’s switch back.” He scooted back toward the driver seat and Lizzie climbed over him numbly. “Those guys drove back south. Slower. One on each side of the highway. Spotlights.” He backed up. “Luckily, they’re lazy or incompetent or both. Let’s head south by the side roads. Maybe we’ll think of something on the way.”

                        *                *                *

A light flashed above Nev’s heart and her chest buzzed.

Zach’s eyes bulged. She had a phone concealed in her cleavage. He was impressed considering she only wore an A-cup.

“Two phones.” She grinned. Lizzie’s obsessive collecting of cell phones had finally paid off. The men had taken away one phone from each of them and hadn’t thought to look for a second.

Zach leaned toward her as she jerked his hand over so she could reach into her shirt. He kept watch to make sure none of the men were coming to check on them.

“It’s Lizzie,” Nev said. “She says hang tight.”

“She better not try anything crazy.”

“You know Lizzie.” Nev tucked the phone into her pants’ pocket.

Zach smiled, enjoying her devious skills, but then he sobered. None of this would have happened if they stayed in Bellingham. The end of the world had been going so well. “Still glad you came?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Nev held his hand to her face and kissed it. The cold of the hard cuffs connecting them bit into his wrist but he enjoyed the soft caress of her lips on his skin.

She examined the metal encircling her wrist. “I can get out of these, I think. Double jointed. ‘member?”

Zach grinned. “I love you, Nevaeh.”

Her lips formed a kiss and blew it. “Too bad our first experience with handcuffs wasn’t under more pleasant circumstances.”

A warm glow heated him more than the heater ever could.