Across the Wildlands (Book One: The Wildlands)

Episode Twenty-Six - The Ambush

The two groups parted ways more easily than they had met. Vida and her people continued on down another street as Alex and the others headed back to the vehicles.

 "You guys date or something?" Ace couldn't even wait a few minutes before sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

Alex groaned, knowing that kind of question was best kept silent. Like she had.

 "You hit your head a lot as a kid or something?" Edric turned his head to Rollo. "He did, didn't he?"

Rollo nodded and shrugged her bag onto her shoulder. "I feel like at this point I shouldn't even apologize for his behavior. I know I've told him before to mind his own business."

 "I was just asking," Ace continued to dig his own grave, "I mean, she's cute. You guys have the same hard-ass vibe going on."

 "I'm regretting this decision to let you guys come along on this road trip," Edric muttered. He shifted his grip on the crate. It looked like it might have weighed over fifty pounds, but he didn't show any form of struggle. 

"That chip was quick thinking," Edric changed subjects, addressing his comment to Rollo.

"I suppose I should have thought about her wiping it or not before handing it over," Rollo said. She dragged her thumb across her chin and sighed. "I hope your girlfriend does right by us."

"It helped us for the moment, at least," Edric assured.

 Alex looked back over her shoulder, uneasy that a group of armed Avoiders was somewhere behind them. At least it seemed they could trust Vida. If that was even worth much nowadays.

They only had Edric's word to go by that she wouldn't try to kill them before they left the city. 

***

 The group loaded up the crates in the back of the truck, and everyone entered their respective vehicles to take to the desert once again.

Alex was glad to leave the Avoiders behind, but she was also curious to get more information. The woman, Vida, had called the desert the Wildlands; confirming once more that they must be real.

Brin was right; she needed to talk to Cicero. Once they managed their way back to the bunker, she would do just that. If only she could get over the unease of causing any confrontation between them.

Alex looked over at Cicero, imagining him being hurt at her for calling him a liar. Being mad at him was one thing, but calling him out for being untruthful was another. She could just picture the look of betrayal on his face, and it made her stomach feel heavy.

The trip back to the bunker felt longer than it was to the city. Every emotion she had expelled on their way there found its way back into her mind. If only she could scream again and let it all out, but that seemed redundant and less exciting.

Instead, she mulled over the inevitable discussion she was going to have with Cicero.

"You're quiet," Cicero said.

Somehow, she had forgotten he was sitting right next to her. Alex forced a smile onto her face and turned her head.

"I'm just thinking about those Avoiders."

"You're a terrible liar," he stated. "You've been distracted by something for awhile now, and you won't tell me. I thought we didn't keep secrets."

"I thought so, too," Alex mumbled, twirling the end of her braid between her fingers.

"What does that mean?" Cicero nearly cracked his neck turning to look at her. It was a wonder how he didn't crash into any of the surrounding cars.

"The dreams I've told you about for years now, about the Wildlands. How do I know about the Wildlands? You told me they weren't real, but I've heard two people talk about them. I've been out here before, haven't I?"