“I don’t know how to thank you…”
“You don’t need to. I’m just doing what any decent human being would,” she said. She glanced at Tex who was now still on the ground where he fell. The woman sighed. “I get the feeling you haven’t met many of those lately. Stay safe.”
With that, the woman turned her back on the scene and walked out of the house. Aby had to stop herself from begging her to come back. She didn’t want to be alone again. She wanted someone to protect her, someone to have her back…
But she was alone again.
She looked over at where Tex lay dead. She felt so much hate inside her that she had to resist the urge to spit on his body. He’d taken her to hell and back, but now it was time for her to get out. She had to take everything she could and make it back to Peaches’ house if she could.
She didn’t want to spend another second inside the house, but she forced herself to look around for useful supplies. Tex seemed to have a lot of food, plus his gun. It was difficult trying to transfer all of the supplies over to the car with her hand in so much agony, so she had to stop for a while and bandage it up. She found a first aid kit and was able to clean the wound, but she was worried about what would happen if it got infected. Her anxiety was through the roof and she kept expecting something else to go wrong, but for a while, she was safe.
By the time she’d made it back to Tex’s truck with everything she needed and his keys in her hand, she felt sick. She looked at the house where she’d spent the worst part of her life. She had wanted to take Peaches back with her to bury her somewhere, but she was too weak to carry her. She wiped tears from her eyes as she started up the engine and drove away from the place, silently saying sorry to Peaches for leaving her behind.
As she hit the road, she tried to concentrate on the route back to Peaches’ home. It seemed like the sensible place to go, knowing she had supplies there. Plus, it was closer to where she started out. She was more likely to find Megan and Jake there…
But Tex’s voice rang out in her head. Telling her she’d never find Jake again. Aby rubbed at her throbbing head, driving one handed because of her hurting hand. Tex had been right. He was inside her head now. He was dead, but he wasn’t gone. He lived within her.
So maybe Aby would never truly be alone again.
Twenty-Two
Jake
Jake was blind with pain. His eyes were wide open, but he couldn’t see a thing. All he knew was that his body was shutting down. He hurt in every possible way in every possible place. The beating he had received was so brutal that Jake was sure it was going to kill him. Or was he already dead? He couldn’t move, couldn’t see, could barely hear the world around him...it seemed like death to him.
Did he deserve it all? He was becoming reckless, becoming stupid. He’d got them into this situation. He’d assumed once again that he knew better. Now he was lying on the ground, clinging to consciousness and feeling the sticks whacking his ribs once again.
It’s okay. It’ll all be over soon, he told himself.
And then the beating stopped.
Jake couldn’t fathom why they’d stopped hitting him until he heard the gunshot. He half expected to feel the impact of a bullet ripping through him, but he felt nothing. His vision began to clear and he saw the sky above him. Slowly, he managed to turn his head, just as footsteps thudded past him.
He saw Megan holding a gun, facing off with the leader of the gang. The two of them were talking, but Jake’s hearing was muffled. He saw the look on Megan[‘s face and felt like he was looking at a stranger. Where was the sweet woman he’d met back in Pittsburgh? She’d been replaced by an unfeeling machine, ready to fight, ready to win. She was trembling a little, but holding her ground. She was the embodiment of bravery.
How the tables had turned. Megan had become everything Jake wanted to be. Strong, but sensitive. The heart of a human, but the fighting spirit of a robot. She was willing to do what it took to survive now. Even through the pain, even through the fear in Jake’s heart, he realized he was proud of her. He admired her, even. She was going to save them both. She was going to make it okay.
The gang leader began to run at Megan and Jake’s heart jolted in his chest. She aimed her gun and tried to shoot him down, but she missed, the gun recoiling and sending her stumbling backward. Then the man was raising his stick all too soon and whacking it across Megan’s face. Jake had to watch in horror as her face was crushed by the stick, blood flying from her mouth as she took the blow. She stumbled, trying to remain on her feet, but the man swiftly kicked her in the stomach, sending her sprawling onto her back. Jake could barely breathe. For a moment, it looked like she had the upper hand, but now things were looking bad.
Jake had to help. He didn’t know how when his body felt like it was broken into a million pieces, but he had to try and save her. She’d risked her life for him so many times now and stuck by him. If he died trying to help her one last time, he was okay
