Chương 89

Louis sat on the floor of the cargo compartment with his back against the forward wall. The truck moved before everyone had settled, forcing him to brace himself with one hand against the floor.

"Is anyone hurt?" Louis asked quietly. Across from him, Willa looked down at her arms. Her backpack rested on her lap.

"I don't think so." Angelique shook her head beside him. Donya did the same, one hand pressed to her stomach. Gladice flexed her shoulder.

"I'm fine." She looked at Louis.

"You?"

"Alive."

"Good enough for now." Savannah sat near the damaged side panel, looking through one of the bullet holes.

"Jacob's dead," she said. Gladice watched her.

"I'm sorry, Savannah." Savannah turned away from the hole.

"He was with my father since I was a kid." She let out a short laugh.

"Dad always said Jacob'd outlive all of us."

"None of us are outliving anything today," Willa said.

"We just need to get through it."

"I don't think we will." Donya's voice shook.

"This country is insane. They are killing people for their houses. For being who they are."

"It's always been like that," Savannah said.

"The war just made it louder."

"They will not stop." Donya pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Allah help us."

"Allah doesn't live here," Willa said.

"We're on our own."

"What will happen to your family?" Angelique asked.

"Marcus knows how to survive." Savannah's voice remained level.

"He'll make it. Mama and Micah will too. This block been through worse than this."

"What's worse than this?" Donya asked.

"Night raids. Lynchings. Arson. Poisoning the water towers." Savannah looked toward the bullet holes in the side panel.

"The Klan and the churches been trying to run us out of this city since I was born. This is just the latest wave." Angelique looked at her.

"You've been living in a war zone your whole life."

"Some of us have." Savannah met her eyes.

"You just visiting." Louis rested his head against the cold wall of the truck. A siren wailed somewhere behind them, followed by another. The truck turned sharply, pushing everyone toward one side of the cargo compartment. Louis leaned toward one of the larger bullet holes. A concrete barrier passed close beside them. The wheels of a sedan appeared for a moment, followed by part of a green highway sign. The truck accelerated, then settled into a steadier speed.

"We're on the highway," Louis turned away and sat back. Savannah shifted closer to the damaged panel.

"Reese knows where he's going."

"What if they stop him?" Angelique asked.

"With the county starting another war inside the city?" Savannah said.

"The roads are chaos. Half the checkpoints are probably short-handed. The rest are looking for armed men, not some delivery truck."

"Let's hope so," Gladice said. She moved to Louis's side and rested her head against his shoulder. He put an arm around her.

"How's the knee?" she asked.

"Still attached." Gladice laughed.

"I thought you were going to get us all killed back there."

"I thought the same."

"Good we're still alive then." Angelique moved closer on his other side, her arm brushing against his. He put an arm around her too, and she rested her head on the other shoulder.

"Why'd you help us?" Savannah asked.

"Y'all could've stayed in the basement till it was over. You're the ones they hunting." Louis considered the question before answering.

"Because I wanted to shoot some Dixies." Savannah let out a surprised laugh. Gladice lifted her head.

"He's not kidding." Savannah shook her head slowly, a faint smile remaining.

"You're something else, Louis Collins."

"I never asked for this," he said.

"But now that I'm here, I'm going to fight back."

"You should consider joining the army," Gladice said dryly.

"If we ever get out of here."

"I think beach life is more my style," Louis said.

"I bet you would look good on a surfboard," Angelique said, her breath warm against his neck. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"And you would look better beside me." Savannah watched them for a moment.

"So you're both his girlfriends or something?"

"Something like that," Gladice said. Willa spoke from the opposite corner of the cargo compartment.

"He's their emotional support rich boy." Donya giggled, then covered her mouth. Angelique looked at Willa.

"And you're our cynical tech support."

"Works for me," Willa said. Donya looked from one to another.

"I don't know what I am."

"You're our friendly neighborhood Muslim," Willa said.

"Who is currently having a crisis of faith."

"I am not having a crisis of faith!" Donya said.

"I just think this is all a test from Allah."

"Right." Willa looked away.

"A test in a country full of fanatics who want to kill you for being alive."

"Maybe Allah is testing my patience." Donya looked down.

"I need to pray."

"Again? You just prayed this morning," Willa said. Donya lowered her gaze to her hands.

"I was never in a firefight this morning." Willa rolled her eyes.

"Let her be," Gladice said. Donya turned toward the front wall of the cargo compartment, lowered her head, and whispered a prayer under her breath. Savannah watched her for a moment, then turned to Louis.

"You got an interesting crew."

"I only met Willa and Donya yesterday." Louis adjusted his position to ease the pressure on his knee.

"Really?" Savannah raised an eyebrow.

"And you trust them already?"

"I do. We're in this together." He glanced at Willa.

"Aren't we?" Willa looked up and met his gaze.

"You saved my life. So yes." Donya looked up from her prayer.

"Me too."

"Okay." Savannah leaned back against the wall.

"That's something, I guess." Louis took a deep breath.

"Enough with the therapy session." Gladice shifted her weight.

"Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" Angelique asked.

"Like what you'll do when you get out of this shithole?" Gladice looked at everyone.

"I already told you," Louis said.

"Vacation in Hawaii. And I think you and Angi will come with me."

"Definitely," Angelique said.

"And after that?"

"I'll think about it after my vacation," Louis said.

"I want to become a race-car driver after this," Gladice said.

"I think I would be good at it, especially if the Collins family sponsors me."

"You can drive my cars," Louis said.

"I have a collection of them back home."

"Nice." Gladice winked.

"So I will have a job and a boyfriend with a lot of money. I like this plan." Angelique laughed.

"You never told me you wanted to be a race-car driver, Glads."

"Never had the chance to think about it before." Gladice shrugged.

"But I think the past few days have given me some ideas. I already have a cool name for myself: the Hurricane Queen."

"Good name." Louis smiled. Angelique shook her head.

"You are ridiculous."

"I know." Gladice grinned.

"What about you, Angi?" Louis asked.

"Honestly? I think I want to become a marine biologist," Angelique said.

"I've always loved the ocean. I would like to study marine life, especially dolphins." Louis opened his mouth to answer, then stopped. Angelique's smile faded at the same moment. Their eyes met. He knew she had thought of Jennifer too. Louis looked away first.

"Dolphins are cool," he said after a moment.

"They are," Angelique said quietly.

"I'll buy you a research boat." Louis squeezed her shoulder.

"A big one with a lab on it."

"You don't have to buy me anything." Angelique smiled again.

"I want to. I want to give you everything."

"Alright, then." Angelique leaned against him.

"I will let you." Willa snorted.

"Of course. The Collins family always buys its way into people's hearts."

"You're just jealous, Willa." Gladice laughed.

"Of what? Getting a boat? A vacation? A boyfriend who is also a walking target?" Willa said.

"I don't know. Maybe you are jealous of Angel and me because you don't have anyone who loves you," Gladice said.

"I don't need anyone to love me," Willa looked away.

"Love is a liability. Especially in a world like this."

"It doesn't have to be," Angelique said.

"Yes, it does," Willa said.

"It always is." Donya looked from one to another.

"I think love is beautiful. Allah loves us, and we should love each other."

"Sure. Tell that to the men who killed Jacob," Willa said.

"Jacob died to protect us." Donya looked at Savannah.

"He was a hero." Savannah looked at her for a long moment.

"Yes. He was." A silence fell over the cargo compartment. The only sounds were the rumble of the truck and the hum of the tires. Willa finally broke the silence.

"I want to go back to MIT and finish my degree. And then I will leave this continent for good and start a new life in Europe."

"That sounds like a good plan," Angelique said. Willa's face softened for a second.

"Yeah. I think so too."

"Which place in Europe are you thinking about?" Gladice asked.

"Munich."

"Why Munich?"

"Because I like it there," Willa said.

"I was there on an exchange program last year. Good weather, good beer, and a lot of cute guys."

"I spent some years in Germany too," Louis said.

"In Hamburg. With my mom's family."

"I know. I read it in a magazine once," Willa said.

"What magazine?" Louis asked.

"I don't remember. Something about the richest kids in the world," Willa said.

"I hate those magazines." Louis sighed.

"I can imagine." Willa chuckled.

"Having your face on every cover must be annoying."

"It is."

"I would be annoyed too." Willa looked away.

"Good thing I don't have that problem."

"You could be on a magazine cover too," Donya said.

"If they had a magazine for smart girls." Willa looked at her.

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"I mean it." Donya smiled.

"What about you, Donya?" Louis asked. Donya looked down at her hands.

"I want to go home. I want to see my family and finish my degree at Northwestern."

"You will," Louis said.

"I hope so." Donya looked out the bullet hole.

"But I think Allah has a different plan for me."

"Stop saying that," Willa said.

"Allah doesn't have a plan for you. You have a plan for yourself."

"That's not how it works." Donya shook her head.

"Everything is written."

"Why are we even having this conversation?" Willa rolled her eyes.

"Because we might die soon," Gladice said.

"So we might as well talk about our dreams."

"We ain't gonna die," Savannah said.

"Not if I got anything to say about it." Louis looked at her.

"What's your dream, Savannah, besides getting rich and left alone?" Savannah was quiet for a moment.

"I wanna be a gaming influencer," she said.

"I had an old PC in my room. Probably been shot up by now. Couldn't run most modern games anyway. Marcus let me use the internet when it was safe, when the state wasn't watching the signals. Every year, folks get arrested for owning illegal PC or console down here. My father always made sure I wasn't one of 'em."

"You're lucky he's your father," Angelique said.

"I know." Savannah looked down.

"But still, I wanna play whatever I want, whenever I want."

"I can build you a powerful gaming PC when we get to the Dominion," Louis said.

"Really?" Savannah's eyes lit up for a second, then dimmed.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I can," Louis said.

"And I want to." Savannah studied his face.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch," Louis said.

"A gift from a fellow gamer."

"I didn't know you were a gamer."

"I am."

"Nice," Savannah said.

"But I can't accept a gift like that."

"Why not?" Louis asked.

"You already have a deal with my father for citizenship, housing, and introductions. This is just a bonus." Savannah looked away for a long moment.

"My dad always said there's always a catch," she said.

"Ain't nobody giving you something for free."

"I'm not nobody." Louis held her gaze. Savannah laughed.

"Alright, then. I will hold you to that, rich boy."

"Good." Louis smiled. The truck slowed. They came to a stop, and the engine idled. Everyone looked toward the front of the cargo compartment.

"Checkpoint?" Angelique asked.

"Maybe." Savannah moved closer to the bullet hole.

"Reese knows how to handle it. We stay quiet." A muffled exchange came from the cab. A man's voice came through a loudspeaker. Reese's voice answered, calm and practiced. A few seconds later, the truck rolled forward again. When it reached highway speed, they all exhaled.

"That was close," Donya said.

"We just entered South Carolina," Savannah said.

"Great. Another state full of fanatics," Willa said.

"At least we're moving," Gladice said. The truck rolled on. Louis rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. The others talked in low voices, their words blending into the hum of the tires and the rattle of the cargo box.