Zac laughed. “You don’t have to tell me. Not after an encounter with those paranormal birds. I’m a master of deception.” He cocked a brow playfully. It was good for a cheap laugh. But they had work to do. “How long do you think we have?” he asked Scarlett.
“A couple of hours. Maybe—” Scarlett’s words seemed to disappear from existence. As if, time eroded around them.
“There’s a shitload of tools in those boxcars,” Luther said. “I’ll hustle them down.”
“Thanks.” Zac mentally sorted through the pile of shit. This was beyond crazy. And yet, they were so close.
“What can I do?” Scarlett asked with her beautiful, all-seeing eyes. Just being in her presence elevated his mood.
“See those arch contraptions?” Zac pointed to an axle-less wagon. “Bows. Collect as many as you can.” He’d sort through them later. They would forgo the wagon’s covering if they ran out of time. “And see these? Bow clips.” He happened on one next to his foot. “We’ll need these as well, providing we find a canvas large enough to strap over the top of the wagon.” He wiped the bow clip on his jeans before handing her it.
Scarlett’s smile vanished. He sensed her growing apprehension. Even the stallion and packhorse pranced about flicking their ears and shaking their heads toward the east with knowing eyes. The countdown was on.
***
Zac Padilla had just finished securing the wagon’s driver seat when Twila ran screaming toward them. Ella and Mindy ran behind her, hauling backpacks. Justin jumped down from the caboose and followed.
Scarlett reached the child first. “Twila—”
“They see us,” Twila yelled furiously.
“No sign of a horde,” Dean said through binoculars.
“No, they see us.” Twila sobbed between breaths. “In their minds. None of you are trying hard enough!”
Zac’s flesh crawled. Twila knew things. The wagon will just have to do as is.
Dean went back to brushing down the horses. “Zac, you mind checking my handiwork. It’s been a while since I hitched a rig.”
Zac nodded. That reminded him. Seeing Dean without a cowboy hat was disconcerting. His sunburned face screamed I need a hat. He scoured through his rucksack for the maintenance cap. “Looks like you need this more than me.”
“Why, don’t mind if I do.” Dean slipped it on. “Thanks. The sun gets brutal in these parts.”
Justin reached them out of breath. “Dude, no way. My son’s not riding in that piece of—”
“Shush,” Ella snapped. “It’s our only hope.”
“We don’t have a chance.” Mindy rocked her baby next to her chest. “They’re coming!”
“We can trick them!” Twila fiercely brushed the tears from her face. “Huh, Mommy. Remember?”
Scarlett nodded. “Collective consciousness is a powerful tool.”
Zac double-checked Dean’s work. “Run that by me again.”
“We all think the same place in our mind,” Twila said simply. “Make them think we’re in a different place. Not here.”
Twila’s ideas were often way out there, as in spacey.
“It has worked in the past. For a short time,” Scarlett confirmed. “It needs to be a place we all know.”
“Preferably in the other direction,” Dean added.
“Why not Boom Town?” Luther suggested.
“Duh, it was totally blown-up,” Justin snarked.
“Perfect!” Scarlett exclaimed. “In their lust for food, I doubt the X-strains will realize that. Until they get there. So, let’s take a few seconds to visualize—”
“Eating ice cream at that fun cowboy place,” Twila finished.
“The saloon-style restaurant,” Scarlett quickly clarified.
“Works for me,” Zac seconded.
“You must do exactly what I say.” Twila looked pointedly at Justin. “Stand in a circle. Okay, now hold hands.” She held out her hands and wiggled them impatiently. A reluctant Justin joined the circle. “Good. Now think really, really hard that you are eating ice cream in the cowboy saloon. So hard—your brain hurts.”
Zac didn’t exactly like wasting valuable time. But he knew better than to blow off Twila’s intuition. After all, she had been six when the Nano Com-trail flu hit, surviving on her own until he found her.
Zac found himself lost in the Boom Town’s eatery, craving one of those bacon burgers.
Twila nudged him. “Ice cream.”
“Right. Ice cream. Do we have to meditate on the same flavor?” Zac smiled inwardly.
Twila kicked his shoe in response.
The snorting of horses brought them out of their meditation, which had set them back five minutes.
“Ooh,” Twila trilled with delight. “They are turning around!”
Dean secured the brush back in the saddle. “How’s ’bout we test drive the wagon to the caboose? We need to fetch our packs.”
Zac tossed the bow clips in the back of the wagon. “Did anyone happen to notice any canvas in the boxcars?”
“Ye-ah, there’s tons of it in the first boxcar.” Justin took off for the train.
Dean led the rigged horses to the caboose while Zac walked around the wagon and checked for problems.
“You really think the wagon can carry all of us?” Scarlett’s voice was laced with uncertainty.
“Sure, it will,” Dean answered before Zac could respond.
Zac kept his opinion to himself. He didn’t like the wobbly wheels and, the flimsy wagon had seen better days. As in a century ago.
“Mommy!” Twila screeched!
“Citizens! Drop your weapons and—”
Without hesitation, Scarlett spun around and aimed her M4. Blasting the drone that had snuck up behind them. However, the damage had been done. The drone operator had probably reported them, which meant the A.I. had initiated an ID scan of the live feed. Not to mention, their coordinates had been compromised. They were screwed.
Zac understood only too well. Last State no longer gave a rat’s ass about him. They needed child-bearing women to rebuild their crumbling empire. He must have inadvertently led officials to his friends. Or that evil SOB, Ren Cremmonty, had pried it from his mind
