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N8 kept an
attentive eye on the young woman behind the wheel. He could tell she
was flagging. Between already putting in a full day at work, then
adding the stress of these past few hours, she was on the verge of
falling apart. He stared at
the long road ahead of them. The car’s headlights only illuminated a
short distance in front of them. Every so often, they met another
car coming toward them, but those vehicles stayed to the left. The
few vehicles that caught up with them went around them when the way
was clear. They passed a
speed limit sign that read 65. He checked the speedometer. She was
keeping it right on target. Cydney yawned
and ran a hand over her face. “Hey, guys? Someone in the back? Can
you pass me a bottle of water, please?” A bottle was
sent forward, and she unscrewed the top to take several large gulps. “How long
will it take to reach the next town?” he asked. “At least
another hour or so. We’ll pass through a few smaller towns along the
way before then.” Leaning over
the center console, he murmured, “I can tell you’re exhausted.” “What do you
suggest?” she queried with a touch of bitterness. “None of you know
how to drive. And we damn sure can’t risk being pulled over when
there could be an APB already out on us.” “APB?” “All Points Bulletin. It’s police speak for be on the lookout.” N8 grimaced.
“You’re not making sense. I’m sorry.” “No,
I’m
sorry.” Taking a deep breath, she checked the mirror again.
“Everyone’s asleep.” He looked behind them and noticed the others did appear to be dozing. He was on the verge of nodding off himself. Without asking, he took the bottle of water from the holder in the center console, twisted off the cap, and took a long drink. “Help keep me
awake at least for the next hour. Please,” she softly begged. “We’ll
stop at a motel. Something small and cheap, and off the main road.” A soft
jangling interrupted her. Fear covered her face. “What is
that?” N8 whispered. “My cell
phone. Oh, shit! I forgot my cell phone!” She fumbled
under the seat until she found her handbag. Pulling it out, she
dropped it into her lap and searched for the object. Lifting it up
where she could see it, she repeatedly glanced at the screen. She
pressed a button on it, silencing it, and dropped it back in her
lap, but the mask of fear had turned into devastation. He watched as
she resumed driving. “That flat, palm-sized thing, that’s a
telephone?” “Yeah.
Nowadays, everyone has one. Landlines are a thing of the past.” “That seems
to be very convenient. Why is you still having your telephone
important?” “Because they
now have my location.” N8 knitted
his brows. “How? F8 found the tracking device.” “Yes, but she
doesn’t know about cell phones. And it doesn’t track constantly,
like that device did. They had to call me first. That activated the
cell tower closest to me. That’s what they can track. It’s not an
exact location, but it’ll give them a general location.” She slapped
the steering wheel as a tear left a glistening trail down her cheek.
“Now they’ll know we’re heading north.” He started to
reply when she caught sight of something. Double-checking the
mirror, she pulled over and stopped the car. He saw they’d parked in
front of a small bridge. A sign a few feet away read Frazier Creek. Cydney walked
up to the barrier that had been erected on the roadside and threw
what had to be the phone into it. After a moment, she came back to
the vehicle, when she paused and buried her hands in her face. He
saw her shoulders shake, and she leaned against the hood as her
weariness and emotions got the best of her. He quickly
got out of the car and went over to pull her into his arms. She
clung to him as she sobbed, unable to stop. N8 kissed her hair and
stroked her back, letting her vent. Turning slightly, he pressed his
backside to the vehicle and enveloped her tighter. “I…hate...what
they’re doing to you. What they’re forcing you to d-do, because you
don’t kn-know any better,” she croaked. “I
hate
them! Damn them! Damn all of them!” He tried to console her. “We’re grateful you had the courage to face up to them. We wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for you.” She shook her head. “I’ve only made
it worse. Don’t you see?” she said. Lifting her wet face, she looked
deep into his eyes. “I thought I w-was helping. But now they know. I
made a stupid mi-mistake, and...and…” She burst into fresh tears and
buried her face against his chest, clutching his t-shirt in both
fists. A car passed them but didn’t slow. N8
watched as the red taillights faded into the distance. He nuzzled the soft hairs along her
temple. “Why can’t we take off in another direction?” “And go wh-where?” she hiccupped.
He chuckled. “Hell, I don’t know. You
know this world better than I do. But think about it. They thought
you were going to your apartment, and they can’t figure out why the
tracking devices aren’t giving them any useful information. Let’s
say they assumed you backtracked and headed west, but then someone
got the idea to call your phone and found out you were going north
instead. These people are cunning, but so far you’ve managed to stay
a step ahead of them.” He felt her lean back and wipe her
eyes and nose on the tail of her t-shirt. When she looked up at him
again, he saw a spark of hope in her expression. “Why don’t we head east again? Is
there a town east of here?” “Umm, I think Yaegerton’s about
twenty, maybe thirty miles away. It’s a bigger city. But we’ve
already passed the cutoff.” “Then we’ll have to backtrack and
take the cutoff. That’s another thing they won’t expect. If they
catch another signal from your telephone, hopefully they’ll think we
kept going. They won’t expect us to go back the way we came to go a
different route.” She took a deep breath that shuddered
through her. N8 cupped the side of her face as he stared down at
her. Without thinking, without hesitation, he bent his head to kiss
her. Her reaction was instantaneous.
Releasing his shirt, she slid her arms around his neck and kissed
him back, pressing her body against his as the kiss deepened. He did his best to keep up with her.
He worried his lack of experience would bother her. It was a
needless worry. Releasing his mouth, she chuckled.
Her breath was warm against his lips. “Am I the first woman you’ve
ever kissed?” she lightly teased. “You’re the first one I’ve ever
kissed that wasn’t meant as a brief hello, goodbye, or thank you,”
he admitted.
She gave him a surprised look. “I’ve
never heard it explained that way before.” He pulled her closer. “Then let me
put it this way. You’re the first woman I’ve ever kissed who’s
turned my world upside-down. Who’s given me hope for a future. And
who’s made me feel as if I’m the most important person in her life.”
He peered deeper into her eyes. “Tell me I’m wrong.” “Never in a million years,” she
promised, and lifted her lips for more of his. |