A huge copper conical-shaped dome that had been part of the roof of a building sat on top of it all, like a giant evil witch’s hat.
A fire had started in one block of buildings, and it had burned itself out, the block now just a gutted shell, while next to it a perfectly intact small white building shaped like an old-fashioned church offered the most romantic thirty-minute weddings in Vegas.
In front of the chapel, a yellow school bus lay on its roof, every window shattered.
There was a sudden grip on his wrist, and Sam looked down to see Vienna’s hand clutching his arm tightly. Her eyes were on the bus, and she did not seem to be aware of what she was doing.
He rested his other hand on top of hers and held it gently through the slick material of the hazmat suits.
After a moment she glanced down, snatched her arm away, and did not look at Sam for the rest of the trip.
They meandered through the streets, not really certain what it was they were looking for. Everywhere lay desolation. Everywhere lay dust.
Occasionally, Sam had the uncomfortable feeling that they were being watched, but he dismissed it as just a case of the jitters. Ursula could not see them. Not now. Not in here.
On impulse, Vienna turned through the partially open gates of a high chain-link fence, into a park of some kind, protected by a large earthen mound that ran along the fence line. A narrow road wound through richly foliated trees, still green despite the season. More than a park, it appeared to be a forest, full of pines, maples, willows, and other trees, ones Sam didn’t recognize. It was a strange oasis in the middle of a ruined city, in the heart of a desert.
In the forest, the dust thinned out quickly, then disappeared altogether; the trees seemed to act as a natural filter. As the dust disappeared, so did the clicking from the Geiger counter.
They passed creeks, small lakes, and even a waterfall amidst the gentle tree-covered slopes. It was not until Sam noticed a flag, little more than a torn and faded cloth rag, attached to a narrow pole in a clearing that he realized where they were.
“It’s a golf course,” he murmured. The fairways and greens were now overgrown shag piles of long grass and weeds but were still lusciously green, thanks to some built-in irrigation system.
They followed the road deep into the forest and up a small rise, eventually arriving at a large two-story house nestled in the trees and completely unscathed by the blast.
It was magnificent and opulent, although the encroaching forest had extended green feelers across the marbled entranceway and up the walls of the house, slowly reclaiming the land for itself.
The house seemed to have been built as a circle, although the circle was not closed. One segment had been left open to create the entranceway.
They entered a round courtyard, with a large dry fountain at its center, and stopped by the main doors of the house.
Sam looked around, nodding with approval. The very shape of the house would help protect it from any dust that did make its way through the surrounding forest.
“Mask up,” Sam said. “Just in case.”
They checked each other’s masks, including Tyler’s.
Dodge got out first, examining the surroundings with the Geiger counter, and only when he was satisfied did he wave the others out.
The doors and windows of the house were shut, and the front door was locked, but it was no match for Vienna and a tire iron.
The entrance hall was a large oval-shaped room with cream carpeting and a few dead plants in ornate pots. Artwork hanging in gold-edged frames seemed vaguely familiar—it was probably famous and incredibly expensive, Sam thought. At least six heavy wooden doors led off in a variety of directions.
A thin layer of dust lay on a semicircular table against one wall. Vienna crossed to it and wiped a line across the table with her gloved finger, holding it up for the others to see.
“Just house dust,” Sam said thickly through the rubber of the respirator mask. “It looks much finer than the stuff outside.”
Dodge quickly checked it and nodded his approval when the clicking of the Geiger counter did not change.
They moved through into a kitchen. Vienna tried one of the taps and was surprised to see running water.
Sam was less surprised. “The water supply in Las Vegas comes in from the east through underground pipes. That explains why everything here is so green. The golf course’s irrigation system must still be working.”
“Is it safe to drink?” Vienna asked.
“I don’t know,” Sam said. “Maybe we should run the tap for a few minutes to flush out any water in the pipes, then test it.”
Dodge moved around the house for a few minutes, testing different rooms, while the others waited nervously in the kitchen. It took less than ten minutes before he returned. He took off his mask, and the others followed, including, after a moment, Tyler.
“It’s pretty clean inside,” Dodge said. “Even lower than outside, but both are within safety levels. The water seems fine. This place seems perfect.”
He looked at Sam for approval. Sam looked at Vienna and realized that she was also waiting for his response.
“I agree,” Sam said. “We wait for things to calm down, then make a run for Cheyenne.”
“The hole’s getting deeper by the second,” Tyler said, “but you guys just keep digging.”
“Shut up, Tyler,” Vienna said.
“Just ignore him,” Sam said.
“Give up—it’s your only option,” Tyler said.
“Tyler, I’m getting sick of the sound of your voice,” Vienna said. “Any more out of you and I’m going to take you downtown and rip your mask off. You can tell it to the dust. Are we clear?”
There was no power on in the house, but Vienna found an emergency generator in a shed at the rear and coaxed it into life with a swift kick and a few strong words.
Sam took a long, slow shower in a bathroom adjoining one of the bedrooms, as much to wash away the stress as the grime and sweat of the last few days.
He yawned in the shower and yawned again, wide, gaping, uncontrollable, painful yawns that stopped only as he shut off the water and dried himself off.
The drawers in the bedroom were full of clothes. Not his taste and not his size, but they were at least clean. He selected a pair of sweatpants and a sweater that didn’t fit too badly and joined the others downstairs.
Dodge was rummaging through the cupboards, looking for food, while Tyler was handcuffed to a chair. He scowled at Sam as he entered.
Vienna was nowhere to be seen but appeared a little while later, wearing a luxurious white cotton dressing gown and drying her hair with a towel.
By that stage, Dodge had prepared an exquisite feast consisting of canned tomatoes and fruit.
“What an amazing place,” she said.
“Must have belonged to some millionaire,” Sam agreed.
“Who’s hungry?” Dodge asked, and from the sudden interest in their eyes, it was clear that they all were.
They freed one of Tyler’s hands so he could eat, cuffing the other to the table leg.
Sam looked up at Vienna between mouthfuls of cold, syrupy peaches and saw her looking thoughtfully at Tyler.
“I’ve been thinking about Tyler,” she said after a while.
Sam stopped eating and looked at her.
“Tyler really thinks he remembers you attacking Swamp Witch,” she said.
“The memory seems real to him,” Dodge agreed.
“It is real,” Tyler said tiredly. He was struggling a little, Sam thought. Desperate to maintain his sanity, the
