Straight Into Darkness - Deserted Lands #2

Chapter Five [Final Beta]

~L~

AS ZACH CROSSED OVER INTO the collected streets, Lizzie stared out the window in silence. He punched the red button in the RAV, switching from motorcycle to landspeeder.

Graffiti and posters plastered the empty storefronts: The end is at hand and BoNZ were repeated. What the hell was Bonz? The latest pro-birth poster was old style, based on the Uncle Sam, I WANT YOU, recruiting call. Except they had replaced Uncle Sam with a lovely redhead, in patriotic garb, beckoning: DO IT FOR YOUR COUNTRY. He rather admired the art, but it was all unnecessary. His hormones did not need a poster to encourage him to start procreating. If they should be making posters for anyone, it should be for the women. Nev was still reluctant. Maybe it was her upbringing and she would come around once they were actually married.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lizzie holding a hand over her still flat belly.

"Guess we were ahead of the curve," he said, pointing at the poster and trying to get some sort of positive response from Lizzie.

She rolled her eyes.

He let the RAV glide to a stop and then turned off the engine. Lizzie sat, subdued beside him.

"Sorry." She tried to give him a smile.

"Yeah. I know." He was on duty in 20 minutes and he'd barely slept. He turned to her. "Lizzie?" She stared straight ahead. "I don't want you to promise not to do anything this time, if you do you'll be even more likely to do it. But, please think about letting us in on it. Think about the people who love you. None of us want to be your jailor—I know I don't. Hell—I'm starting to feel like my dad and you know I sure as shit don't want to turn into that bastard."

She shrugged.

"Look, I've got 20 minutes to check in with Nev and get to work."

"Call in sick."

"It's all a big game with you, isn't it?" Zach shook his head.

"Fuck you, Zach."

"Grow up," he growled. He reached across and shoved open her door.

"I thought we should talk about stuff." She stepped out onto the pavement. "But I guess that wasn't your plan. You just wanted to talk at me."

Zach slammed his fists on the dashboard. "Why does it always have to be this way with you, Lizzie? Maybe you're right, maybe we'd all be better off with you gone!"

Tears welled in her eyes.

"Shit, Lizzie. I didn't mean it." But it was too late. She ran from the car, across a snowy field to the women's dorms.

Zach sighed and let his head fall toward the steering wheel. He knew he should go after her, but he'd had enough of going after Lizzie for one day. His job—and fitting in here—was the only future he could see for himself, Lizzie, the baby—most importantly, Nev. He wanted to keep her safe.

"Shit," he said again, shoved the RAV into reverse and punched the accelerator. Work needed him; Nev needed him—he couldn't keep giving all of himself to Lizzie.

Lizzie glared as the white RAV slipped out of the parking lot and away, tossing more snow as it fishtailed. "Fuck you, Zach," she whispered. Her voice wavered and she realized she was shaking.

She took a moment to get herself back under control and pulled out her phone. "Rach? Yeah I'm back. I want to see Saj before daycare."

"Sure thing. How soon will you be here?"

"Long enough to walk from the parking lot." Hopefully, she hadn't already gotten Rachael in trouble for not getting to her job on time like Zach. Why did Lizzie have such a talent for complicating lives?