Human Batteries

~~~~~Chapter 6~~~~~

~~~~~Chapter 6~~~~~
After buying some delicious, nutritious junk food at the gas stop, we begin our walk south. We walk along, uh- well I don't really know what road it is, but I assume Alex knows where he's going.
I glance at him, but I catch myself admiring his jaw. I quickly look away. I wonder what he meant when he said being a teen on the streets wasn't much different from before. What was his life like before? I stop myself, I barely know this guy. It's really none of my business, but I guess I'm just naturally curious. So I keep walking for what feels like forever. Then the sun starts setting in the west. Alex glances at me.
"Listen," he says. "I know you're not gonna like this, but just up this road is down town. And we need to make a few stops."
"Um, okay? What kind of stops do you have in mind?"
"I need to contact some one about an airplane, and we need to borrow a car. And I need you're help, you in?"
"I guess."
He smiles with relief. "Great."
Sure enough, right around the next curve in the road there are rows of stores along either side of the road. Alex starts walking faster, so I have to rush to keep up.
"Okay, this is how it's gonna go down," he says continuing to walk faster.
"We'll go into this car dealership up here. You distract, and I'll borrow some keys. Okay? Don't freak out. Be cool, and casual."
"Are you asking me to help you steal a car?!"
"Well, I always call it borrowing, but yeah. Pretty much."
I stop in my tracks. He turns to me, and tilts his head, which is pretty cute, but that's not going to help him.
"Are you serious?!"
"Please, Kat! Trust me." He stares straight at me, and I stare straight at him.
"Fine." And I begin walking again, at the same pace as before. He grins, and jogs to catch up.
"Just act natural. You'll do great."
"Yeah. This will be fun."

Once we're inside the small car dealership, we act like we don't know each other. My job is to get the lady at the front desk away from the front desk. I had a lot of good things to say, but there wasn't a way for me to slip out of it easily. But I do my best. I walk up to the front desk and say, "Hello, could you please show me your new cars?"
"Of course. I'll call some one in here to show you around," she says as she picks up the phone.
I glance at Alex, who is pretending to look at a magazine in the corner. He catches my eye, and shakes his head.
"Um, thank you," I say with a fake smile, then I walk over to a small sitting area and sit right behind Alex.
"New plan," he says without looking at me. "I'm going to make a car alarm go off, when she runs out there, you get back there and grab the keys for the 1998 Toyota Corolla in the back lot. Ready?" then he calmly walks out the front door.
After a few seconds I hear glass shatter, and two car alarms go off.
The lady at the front desk stands up to look out the door, then she makes her way out to the front lot. So far, so good. I rush behind the front desk to search for the right keys.
"Back lot, where are you," I mutter. "Gotcha!"
I slip the keys in my pocket, and exit through the side door.
I sprint to the back lot, Alex is waiting for me there.
"Hurry! Can you drive?" He asks.
"Well..."
"Give me the keys!" I toss him the keys, and jump in the passenger seat. He starts the engine, and rips out of the parking lot, then we speed down the street.
I grab the arm rest, and let out a loud laugh. I look over to my left to see that he is laughing, too.
"I thought you were too goody goody to steal a car," he shouts.
"You obviously don't know me then," I glance at him and wink, we both laugh again.

We ride to the outskirts of town, and park at an old farm and garden store.
Inside the old store, it smells like earth, and chicken seed. The wooden floors creak under our feet when we walk. It's nice in here. Not too crowded, and it's warm.
Alex goes to the back of the store to contact some one about the airport , while I wander over to the baby chicks. I've always loved animals. Ever since a young age, I would look forward to spending time with my mom at the animal hospital she worked at. I would sit in her office chair and watch her, until I was finally old enough to help her.
My thoughts are interrupted when a small built man brushes past me. Two other men follow him. They don't look like the farmer type.
Something's not right.
To keep an eye on them, I follow a few yards behind them.
Why are they going to the back of the store?
One of them glances back at me, I turn and casually look through envelopes of flower seeds.
My heart begins beating faster. I don't like this.
They keep glancing at me, so I know they're aware I'm behind them. I back off, and make my way back toward the front of the store.
I'm strolling through the garden decor, when I hear gun shots.
My heart jumps in my throat, and people start screaming.
It came from the back.
Alex.
I take off. The crowd is running the opposite way I need to, so I decide to go around the outside of the store. I sprint through a green house, keeping my eyes peeled for those freaks. I round the corner as fast as I can, but so was Alex.
We crash into one another, and fall back on the dusty, gravel.
"Get to the car!!! Go, go, go!!!" he shouts, helping me up and pushing me back the way I came.
We make it to the car just as three men appear from a side door.
They're covered in dark, fresh fertilizer, but they're angry. They shoot at us as we speed out of the gravel drive-way, and down the road.
"Do you know those guys?" I ask still panicked.
"No. But they know us," he says, checking over his shoulder for a spot on to merge onto the highway.
"They were Ants, weren't they?" I ask.
"Yes, and they're onto us. Thankfully, I got directions to a private airport just past the border of Montana, before they got back there-"
"Alex, what is wrong with you? Why are you sweating so bad?"
"I'm fine. We have to get to Idaho, and fast. They're probably right behind us," he says glancing in the rear view mirror.
"Dude, are you going to pass out or something? You're so pale," I say just as something catches my eye.
"OH MY GOD!!!!" I shout. "You've been shot!!! Holy crap! You're bleeding!! You- you got shot! With a freakin' gun!!!"
"No, really?"
"Pull over. Right now!" I demand.
"We can't. Those freaks could be right behind us."
"You have a bullet in your side, stupid!!! I'm not taking 'no' for an answer."
He curses under his breath, but he eases off the interstate.
When we stop, I pull his shirt up to look at the wound. It's not as bad as it could be, but it still needs attention.
"Well, looky there," he says in a weak voice as he looks at it.
"Shut up. You need a doctor. Switch seats with me, and we'll go to a hospital," I say before walking around to the driver's side.
I open his door. "Come on. Get out."
"First of all, you said you can't drive. And second, we can't just bust up in a hospital and say 'hey I just got shot. I can't tell you why or how, though. Oh, and where's the best gas prices to fill up the car we just stole?'" He says with a grunt of pain and frustration.
"I never said I couldn't drive, I was just freaking out when you asked me. And we have to do something about the bullet in your side. No one said we have to tell them the truth about what happened," I argue.
He glances around, then sighs.
"Fine, but please don't crash. I'm attached to this car," he says pulling himself out of the car with a grunt of pain. I roll my eyes.
"Here, let me help," I say trying to put my arm around him.
"I'm okay," he says with a grim smile. He trys to hide his limp, but he looks like he could pass out any second.
"Why do you have to be so annoying? Let me help."
"You can help me by not being so annoying yourself."

Once I find a hospital exit and park, I force him to let me help him inside.
Staying on his left side to make sure I don't hurt his bullet wound any more, we hobble to the emergency room.
They rush him away, and start asking me questions.
I tell them we were doing target practice, and when he was re-loading his gun it wasn't on safety. They seem to buy it, but who knows.

After sitting in the waiting area until I lost rack of time, a young nurse says it's okay to come to his room.
Before I walk in, I knock on the door even though it's already open.
Alex is sitting on the edge of his bed, with his hand on his side, talking to a doctor. Probably about gun safety of something. When the doctor leaves, I walk over ans sit beside him.
"Wow, you don't look half dead," I say. "That's good."
"Ah, this isn't the first time I've been shot," he says, shrugging. At first I think he's joking, but then I get curious.
"Wait, seriously?"
"Yeah, a few years ago. My arm," he says showing me a scar on his arm.
His arms are thin, but muscular at the same time.
"I remember it hurting a lot less, though." I look at him and scoff, but my cheeks grow warm because he was already looking at me, smiling.
"You'll have to tell me about that some time."
"Well, as nice as everyone here is, we need to move," he says looking around the room.
"Okay, I'll go get some extra gauze for you," I say standing up to leave.
"Way ahead of you," he says pulling some gauze out of his pockets.
I smile, "Well then," I say raising my eyebrows. "Let's go."