“Lighten up, grump,” Space said.
“Excuse me?”
“I’m with Ben. The guy who wouldn’t tell those butt wipes that Thor just smacked down how to get into your stupid van.
Ben nearly died for you and still might if you don’t get your head out of your ass and help him, and I mean right now.”
Slayne did a double take. He couldn’t recall the last time anyone had talked to him like that. “Little lady—” He started to give her a verbal blistering, and then he looked at Ben Thomas, really looked at him, and his anger evaporated.
“What? Don’t stand there like a lump. Help him, damn it. He needs water. He needs food. He needs a doctor.” Space swallowed and coughed, and said, “Damn. Don’t die, Ben.”
Montoya said, “You care for him, pretty one.” “He’s my friend.
My only friend. Wait. Did you just call me pretty?”
Slayne came to a decision. “Thor, help her get him to the truck. Ricco, can you manage with that leg? Cover us while I revive him and then I’ll tend to you.”
It took half a canteen, but Ben Thomas came around and squinted at them through the eye that wasn’t swollen shut. “Kurt Carpenter sent you, you say? I figured he gave up on me.”
Quickly, Slayne explained the situation, ending with, “The important thing now is for us to get out of here before they reorganize or help arrives from other towns. Where are the keys to your truck?”
Ben explained that a spare key was stuck to the bottom of the brake pedal. “I used that new epoxy paste so it will pry right off.”
A Klaxon was sounding somewhere in Smelterville when Slayne triumphantly held up the key. “Bingo. Everyone in. I’ll drive.”
“The hell you will. No one drives my rig but me.” Ben straightened and stepped cleat of Space. “Hand them over.”
Space grabbed his arm. “What do you think you’re doing?
Look at you. You can hardly stand up. Let Grumpy do it.”
“How much experience do you have?” Ben asked Slayne.
“With a truck this size? None. But it shouldn’t be hard. I drove a few convoy trucks when I was in the service.”
Ben wriggled his fingers. “Gimme.” They boosted him in and he inserted the key. With a silent prayer he turned it. The engine coughed and belched smoke, then died. Ben tried again with the same result.
“Maybe the battery is dead,” Space said.
The third time, Semper Fi rumbled and shook and Ben kissed the steering wheel. It hurt his lips, but he didn’t care. “Pile in, people. Space, you crawl up in the bunk and leave the seat for us men.”
There was a short delay while Slayne examined Montoya’s wound. The slug had missed the bone and gone through. Slayne cleaned it with peroxide and applied a Quick Aid bandage.
They climbed in. Thor took up so much space that Slayne and Montoya had to sit sideways. Ben noticed their expressions, and for the first time in many a day, he laughed. Then he thrust his hand out at the big man with the big hammer.
“I understand I owe my life to you. Thanks.”
“You are most welcome. But you should thank Mjolnir.”
Ben quirked an eyebrow, and even that hurt. “All right, gents and lady. Let’s get this show on the road.
Thor sat on the edge of the seat, his legs wide, and pressed Mjolnir’s handle to the clamp in the center of the power belt.
“What are you doing?” Space asked.
“Recharging.” Thor pressed a stud and the belt made a noise like a thousand bees. “I might have need of Mjolnir again before we are out of this.”
No one tried to stop them on their way out of Smelterville.
In four miles they came to Kellogg and were confronted by a hastily arranged barrier of cars and a tractor.
Ben Thomas never slowed. He told everyone to get down and Space to curl into a ball up in the bunk. Semper Fi was doing eighty when Ben wheeled onto the left shoulder and the tires churned gravel. Lead whanged off the hood and pinged the grille. The windshield was hit several times, but the shots were high. With the roar of some mammoth beast, Semper Fi swept around the barrier.
Next was Osburn, but they had no trouble. They made it past Wallace, too. Last was the barricade east of Wallace. Unlike the other barrier, this one stretched the width of the highway and then some.
Ben braked well out of rifle range. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“Let us out,” Slayne said. “We’ll deal with them and when it’s safe you bring your rig.”
“There are an awful lot of them,” Space said.
Thor checked a meter on the power belt. He turned the belt off and opened his door. “I’ll handle this.”
“What?” Slayne tried to grab him but Montoya was between them. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Making up for leaving you two alone back at the factory.”
Thor slammed the door. He made no attempt to seek cover but walked down the center of the highway toward the barricade.
Slayne was practically beside himself. “He’s going to get himself killed!” He went to slide past Montoya but Montoya grabbed his arm.
“Wait. They’re not shooting. They’re as puzzled as we r>
are.
It was true. The Aryans were pointing and talking but not firing. One of their number climbed up onto the bed of a pickup and cupped his hands to his mouth. “Halt or we’ll cut you down!”
Thor smiled and raised Mjolnir over his head. “In Odin’s name I greet you!”
Ben had his head out his window and heard every word.
“That man is stone cold crazy.”
Thor continued
