“Nerio,” he said with an even tone.
“Oh, I’m so happy you remember my name. I’m sure you’ve told your new chums all about me. But I wonder if I should tell them all about you?”
Misha cocked his head, looking at them both. “Everything this woman says is lie.”
The lady’s voice spoke clearly. “I was the one who helped Misha break out of his jail cell. Did he mention it?”
Grace met Misha’s cool blue eyes.
The hitman sighed. “That part is, unfortunately, true.”
Miami, MO
“We’ve got decisions to make about how to plan for the next bridge.” Ezra had the map out so Butch and Haley could see where they were. His dirty fingernail pointed near the town of Miami, but more specifically to the upside-down U-shaped bend in the river a couple of miles short of it. “We’re here, at the start of this turn. Maybe eight miles on the water to Miami. We can be sure these guys chasing us are going to be waiting there. The place barely looks like a town on this map, so there aren’t going to be cops we can call. How we approach the bridge, and survive, is entirely up to us.”
Butch looked up. “Remember our plan back at Kentucky Lake, before we were swept up by the draining waters?”
“How could I forget?” he chuckled.
“We were going to help those ladies get past the roadblock by coming at the men from behind their position. A sneak attack.”
Haley held up her hand. “Wait a second. How many women have you helped on your journey? Is this a regular thing with you guys?” There was underlying sarcasm she didn’t try to hide.
Ezra didn’t miss a beat. “Lots. Maybe a dozen. I drive the boat, but Butch brings ’em on board like nobody’s business.” He kept his expression focused and serious. As he expected, Butch was mortified.
“No, wait a second. It wasn’t how it happened at all. Those women were married.”
“Married women?” Haley scoffed, sliding back from the map. “Is that really your game?”
Ezra cracked a smile.
Butch went on, looking only at Haley. “We were helping them, yes, and they were married, but—”
Ezra bellowed with laughter.
“What?” Butch asked in surprise.
He winked at Haley. Butch caught him doing it.
“Oh, I get it. You two are joking with me.”
Haley came back to the map. “Of course we are. I told you I was going to have fun with you. Do you honestly think I would believe this is some kind of post-apocalyptic booze cruise, full of fun, frolic, and married women?”
“No, not when you put it like that.” Butch shook his head, but was smiling, too.
“I really needed a laugh.” Haley oriented on Ezra. “Thank you for playing along.”
He’d been happy to oblige. The next few minutes were decidedly unfunny as they looked at the map and tried to figure out what they were going to do to protect themselves on the passage underneath the bridge. They discussed building defensive measures, such as using driftwood to construct a shelter. They also considered finding an iron sewer lid, which would make a bulletproof shield, but they were far from any town where they could steal one. Neither method was foolproof. Both were defensive, which was their biggest drawbacks.
“It’s about five miles from here to here,” Ezra pointed at the near side of the U-shaped bend and then at the town of Miami on the far side. “Like Butch said before we had a laugh, our plan in Kentucky would work here. What if we walked along the bank and then snuck onto the bridge? We could shoot the men while they’re waiting for us.”
Butch snapped his fingers. “One of us could go up each bank. We could pinch them from two directions.”
Haley became excited. “I could drive the boat up the middle. Distract them.”
“Absolutely not,” Butch said immediately.
“Why?”
He seemed to think on it. “Because we’re going to drop E-Z off here. Then you and I are going to park the boat on the other shore and go together.”
“Don’t you think she should watch the boat?” Ezra suggested.
She glared at him. “Don’t try to pawn me off as nonessential. I made the decision to travel with you two. I want to contribute. I can’t learn how to do it if I’m watching paint dry on the boat.”
Ezra wanted to argue it was important to keep the boat from falling into the hands of passersby, but he didn’t think anything would change her mind. There was also the risk of backing himself into the corner of guarding the boat, which he didn’t want to do himself. It couldn’t be Butch, either. He was the tip of the spear.
If Butch wanted to take Haley, he thought it was a good compromise. “You’re right. Butch will keep an eye on you. And, yes, I think getting the pinch on these guys is the only way we’ll ever be free of them. There’s likely to be more TKM people closer to Kansas City. We don’t need them getting reinforcements there.”
Everything came together in the next few minutes. They each took a rifle and extra ammo. Only Haley’s rifle had a spare mag, so they needed to lug boxes of rounds in their new backpacks. The major item he changed in Butch’s plan was electing himself the one to drive the boat around the U-shaped bend. It would be his responsibility to park and hide it.
“Good luck, you two,” he said, waving at them as he backed the boat away from shore. As he spun the wheel and adjusted the direction, he imagined the blonde girl was Grace instead of Haley. He sincerely wished his daughter was part of the expedition. Of course, having her with him would negate the reason for the
