Revolution -Eric Coulter-

Chapter 56

There's a silence as Romit drives them towards the city. Riley tries to fight the nerves building inside her. By now, the pain medication had faded from her system. Her entire body ached in the most painful way imaginable. But at the same time. Her body survived a trauma. She was proud of herself. There may be long-term issues, but Riley was alive. That had to count for something.

Riley sits between Peter and Christina. She noticed Peter's odd behavior at the compound, but it's stranger now. He's rarely silent. She finds herself missing his voice. "No jokes from you, Peter?" Her voice is faint. "Starting to miss your crude comments."

Peter glanced at her. There's a trace of a smile, but it doesn't last long. "Give me a minute. It's hard to be clever on the spot."

She chuckles. They approach the city slowly. Riley feels her heart start to race in her chest. Tobias planned on wiping one of their parent's memories. She said it didn't bother her, but that was a lie.

It's snowing. A few flakes are falling from the sky. She had never been a fan of the cold. "I still can't believe we are going back," Peter mumbles. Riley couldn't believe it either, but she had missed the city. It felt more like home to her than the Bureau. Although, it still didn't really feel like home.

The vehicle is colder than Riley would like, but she seems to be the only person bothered by this. Romit leans over as he talks to Tobias, but she isn't listening. Riley's stuck inside her head. She's thankful she doesn't have to make the choice that Tobias does. Resetting one of their parents would mean that the person they were before would be gone.

They enter the city at a much faster speed. It feels weird to be back here. Riley stares at the buildings around her. "Romit," Christina speaks up. "I really needed to pee."

He glances back at her. "Right now?"

She crosses her arms. "Yes. Right now." Romit knows better to argue. He doesn't want to get into a discussion about the female anatomy. He pulls the truck over. "Stay here. No looking."

"I'll watch them, Chris." Christina isn't actually using the bathroom, but Romit doesn't know that. The short girl hops out of the truck and vanishes. The first part of their plan was slashing the tires. That had to split up from Romit, who didn't know about their plan. He was too dedicated to the Bureau to go against them. Still, Riley thought he was a good person.

A moment later, Christina gets back in the car. Romit starts driving again. Riley can feel a difference in the weight, but he doesn't. They sit in silence and wait. Luckily, they don't wait long. "No, no," Romit says as the back tires give out.

"I'll go look." Tobias volunteers himself for the job. He gets out quickly. Riley sits in the back of the car and waits. "Both tires are flat," he returns. "We will need to find a new truck."

"Shit," Romit yells. He's not happy about this. "There isn't time. We need to innoculate your families and friends before the serum."

"It's okay," Tobias comforts him. "I know where more vehicles are. Riley and I will go get one while you three continue on foot."

He smiles at him. "Great idea." Riley knows Tobias is lying but nods along.

"We have an hour, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good." Tobias puts a gun in his holster. "Find Uriah's family, but please don't tell them. I want to be the one to do it."

Romit smiles, "of course."

"Ready?" Tobias was speaking to Riley.

"Ready."

"I'm coming with you," Peter says.

"What?" That shocks Tobias. "Why?"

"You may need help. It is a big city."