The Workmen

Chapter 15

The smoky scent of burning wood revived Keira from her induced slumber. She couldn't move just yet, though her bones had defrosted from the crisp night air of the desert long ago. Judging by the warmth radiating against her right side, there were flames close by. Three voices began filtering through the smog enveloping her mind. She was still too out of it to understand what was being said. The fierce crackling of the fire was what reminded her of the persistent wind, of the possibility of death growing near.

Somehow she found the strength to open her sandy, sleep crusted eyes. They were having trouble adjusting, and her head throbbed. The voices grew still, the owners suddenly aware of the abductee's cognizance. A small part of Keira wished the voices were a hallucination brought on by whatever she'd been pumped full of. Dwellers were dangerous enough, but half crazed humans willing to do whatever it takes to survive in a place like The Dunes came in a close second. A terrifying vision of Lewy being roasted over the open flames pushed what was left of the debilitating substance out of her system. She was beyond worried that they had fallen into the hands of rabid cannibals.

The idea of Lewy being dead was awful in ways she couldn't describe. There was no way she could make it on her own. Having one friend in a lonely, ruthless world was worth all the aggravating, smart aleck remarks he had so much trouble controlling. She owed Lewy her life. There was no way she was going to let him become an entrée in some freak show barbeque.

Keira inconspicuously turned her aching head toward the source of the orange glow in the night. Two strangers stared back at her with widespread smiles, but the only set of eyes she cared about was her friend's. He sat closer than the others, munching on a small slice of bread and reclining against his bag.

"This oversleeping is becoming a habit." She was never so happy to hear Lewy's sarcasm. "How do you feel?"

Keira tried to lift herself off of the ground, which she was surprised to discover wasn't sand but grass. Her side was nagging sore, another brilliant after effect of the two strangers' makeshift knock out darts. "Like I was knocked unconscious." She gave an accusing glance at their unwanted audience.

A truly happy laugh sprang from Lewy's bread filled mouth. He offered some to Keira, claiming it would make her feel better. She took the bread from him despite her upset stomach. It was light and soft with a fresh baked smell. She gave him a questioning look. Eating food from strangers (strangers that had attacked and kidnapped them at that) seemed a dead man's proposition. Lewy grinned before taking a swig from an aged canteen.

The taste was more divine than the smell. Keira had never tasted anything like it. Sweet, doughy bits of pastry exploded in her mouth. Her mother used to buy fresh bread from the bakery every other week, but none of them could hold a candle to the slice that was quickly disappearing from her hand.

Lewy handed his feasting friend the canteen. She took a gargantuan swig, feeling a hint of guilt for not trying to conserve their rations. Crisp, cool water cascaded down the inside of her chest.

"Isn't that the best you've ever tasted?" Lewy was glowing with amazement.

"Yes, Keira, how do you like our gifts?"

Keira looked across the fire at an incredibly tan man with curly black hair and a scar shaped like a fingernail on his upper lip. His bald friend sitting next to him, who was fiddling with a thick, hollow stick, was a couple of shades paler and about a foot shorter.

"She's speechless," the bald man said to his friend. "Either the food is delicious or she's trying not to hurt your feelings, Marren." He gave his friend a playful nudge.

"Something tells me that isn't the issue."

"Yes, perhaps it's your beautifully thick head of hair. Not everyone is blessed with such perfectly curled locks." The bald man ruffled Marren's hair. Keira was dumbfounded by their cavalier attitudes. When she looked to Lewy for an answer she felt twice as confused. He was laughing as if the four of them were good friends, unwinding after a long day of work. She said nothing, watching Lewy chuckle at their kidnappers' antics.