Dean stewed over the guilt of leaving Mindy and her baby behind at Zac’s hunting lodge. If only Mindy had joined them instead of going off on her own. The cold-hearted facts were what they were. They could not save everyone. As for himself, he didn’t know how he had outwitted the Super Summer flu’s un-deadly aftermath. Someone in high places must be watching after him.
Luther eyed Dean questionably. “It’s going on two hours since the hit squad rolled out of here.”
“The Blue Suits are almost done,” Justin said. “They’re loading the body bags in the HAZMAT van.”
Body bags. Dean balked. What a heartless task that must be. “Think it’s time I talk Mr. Stanwyck into some petrol.” Dean was suddenly curious to know if the RedDead Alert had been called off. They needed intel before traipsing off to the Forbidden Zone. “Luther, you mind giving me some of that gold. Enough for a tank of gas.”
Luther pulled out the leather bag. “Never saw no gold like this.” Luther grunted, holding up a sheet of gold. “It looks like a credit card made of punch-out tabs of gold.”
Dean was familiar with CombiBars, a convenient way for smalltime investors to buy gold. “Say, Justin, how many grams of gold does a tank of gas go for nowadays?”
“Meh, just a gram. Two, if they’re greedy?” Justin added.
Luther punched out two mini-bars. “Don’t say I never gave you nothing,” Luther zinged.
Dean recognized the distinctive five-pointed star imprinted on each gram. “Looks like Texas got the Lone Star State motto right from the get-go,” he theorized aloud, referring to the fact that Texas, dubiously renamed as Last State, was all that remained of the once almighty United States.
“Remember,” Justin said, “gold’s totally illegal—unless you’re an Elite.”
“I used Zhetto coins at the Zhetto Market. Just be discreet,” Scarlett chipped in. “People covet it too much to turn you in.”
“Alrighty then.” Dean zipped the gold inside his hunting vest pocket for safekeeping.
“You want me to come with?” Luther asked.
“Better stay here and keep an eye on things,” Dean decided. “Unless Scarlett thinks otherwise.” They should take advantage of everyone’s skill set, even if it bordered on paranormal. “Got any warnings for me?”
“I’m not getting any messages. But”—she paused—“Twila’s right. It’s not safe here.”
“And you?” Dean turned to Twila who was unusually taciturn. “Do you have any specific warnings for me?”
“Ye-ah, like is a hella-horde coming for us?” Justin jabbered on.
Ella scowled at Justin from the edge of the bunk and clutched her newborn closer to her chest.
Twila kicked the wall in a bout of fury. “A dark and heavy energy is blocking me.” She looked at the ceiling and held her hands to her head. “Oh no! The bad-d-d ones are sneaking closer. They’re trying to trick us! I can’t see them. But I feel their yucky energies.”
Questioning eyes awaited Dean’s response. He thought about it long and hard, asking for the most reasonable course of action to come to mind. One wrong decision and his friends, whom he had grown to love as his own flesh and blood . . . wouldn’t survive. He refused to think about the fate of all humankind; Scarlett carried that colossal burden. He just wanted to get them through another day.
“Say, Twila, how’s ’bout you focus on that shield of protection?” Dean said encouragingly, if only to relieve the fear emanating from Ella’s eyes.
“My Merkaba is up. But I think the bad ones are learning to see into our bubble of protection.” Twila’s haunted tone resonated deep within his core.
Bona fide fear seemed to take over the room. The baby’s silly gurgling reminded him what was at stake. By God, he had to think of something if the newborn were to have a chance. “Obviously, we can’t stay here.” An image of the crying baby alerting passersby interrupted his train of thought.
Luther cleared his throat awkwardly and cut in. “Where is it safe?”
“No place,” Twila said glumly.
“Twila—” Scarlett frowned.
“Mommy, you told me not to lie.”
“There’s a difference between lying and being tactful,” Scarlett gently scolded.
Dean wanted to laugh. Diplomacy wasn’t in Twila’s nature. His son had always been brutal with the truth. Dean supposed Kyle had inherited that trait from him. After years of marriage and many senseless arguments, Dean had learned to perfect the skill when he had a mind to do so. When I’m not busy being a curmudgeon, that is.
“I’d better get to the Stanwyck’s.” He didn’t want to be out there alone on the plains once the sun dipped below the horizon.
“Take the truck,” Luther suggested.
He rubbed his chin. “Not a bad idea.” If it ran out of gas on the way, he would walk. “You mind unloading the pickup’s camper for a quick inventory?” They hadn’t had time to salvage much from the lodge, but Zac and Luther had a slew of weaponry and supplies leftover from Scarlett’s rescue mission.
On the upside, Justin had thought to grab the pack with Ella’s special healing tea before bailing out the lodge’s third-story window when escaping the X-strain horde. Realistically, how long would the tea last? One problem at a time. First, they had to get out of this mess.
Luther retrieved the army-green duffles from the back of the camper. “You sure you don’t want me to ride shotgun?”
A churning sensation gnawed away at Dean’s gut. “Naw, you’re needed here. Scarlett and Justin aren’t up to snuff yet.” He had a feeling he better return with that petrol on the double.
Luther wrinkled
