“So, you’re saying all kinds of undiscovered dinosaurs could be out here,” Jessica said.
“That’s right,” Rogue said.
“I’ve seen some weird things out in the forest,” Seth said. “Things I’ve never seen on the pages of a book.”
“I’m sure you have,” Rogue agreed. “You lived out there on your own for a long time.”
“You did?” Jessica asked with surprise. “I’d like to hear about that someday.”
“We’ll see,” Seth said, waving her off.
Rogue grinned. He hated talking about himself, and Jessica stood zero chance of learning anything about his time in the forest alone. Even I didn’t know all of it, just bits and pieces.
Soon, they left the center behind and entered the suburbs. The abandoned houses were even worse than the looted city district. Faded picket fences peeked out of the waist-high grass and rusted mailboxes listed on the sidewalk.
It was a lonely sight, and she could imagine what it must’ve been like once: Children playing in the yards with anxious moms watching their every move, dads laboring over a barbeque fire, dogs barking, and cars rolling past on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
It was the kind of life she would’ve had without the Shift. She’d most likely have gone to college, had a career, met a nice guy, and settled down with a couple of kids. But that wasn’t her life and it never would be. I’ve got everything I need right here.
With Kalama in the rear-view mirror, they took the freeway north to Vancouver. After more than twenty years, there was little left of the road. Ditches, potholes, patches of slippery moss, gravel, and tussocks of brush marred the way. At times, the path disappeared completely or veered off a cliff.
Those times were the worst. They had to navigate the raw terrain as best they could, bushwhacking it all the way. Rogue clung to the bars of the Jeep like a monkey, bracing her legs against the jolt of the vehicle.
It didn’t take long for the shine of adventure to wear off. In its place was pain. Sore joints, stiff muscles, neck spasms, and a pervasive headache. She clenched her jaws so tightly, she was worried her teeth would crack.
When they stopped for a break around noon, Rogue almost fell out of the Jeep. Her legs wobbled, and she leaned against the nearest tree. A few sips of water was all she could manage. Food would only make her sick, and she didn’t want to chuck in the backseat.
Jessica joined her, rubbing her lower back. “Having fun yet?”
“Oodles and oodles,” Rogue replied, closing her eyes against the stabbing headache in her brain.
“Hey, guys. Hungry?” Imogen said, offering them strips of salted meat.
“No thanks,” Rogue said, eyeing her smiling face. “Why are you so chirpy? I think I lost my guts somewhere back there.”
“Uh-huh, the road is awful,” Jessica agreed with a grimace.
“It’s not so bad in the van,” Imogen said. “I piled my seat high with blankets and pillows.”
“Lucky duck,” Rogue grumbled.
“We can swap,” Imogen suggested.
“No, it’s okay. I just hope we get to Vancouver in one piece,” Rogue said.
“We will. I just know it,” Imogen said, her voice cheerful.
When she walked back toward the van, Rogue asked. “Is she always like that?”
“Worse,” Jessica confirmed. “She’s a glass-half-full kind of gal.”
“Must be nice. I’m a who-the-hell-drank-my-water kind of girl.”
Jessica laughed. “Me too, and whoever it was, had better watch out.”
They got back into the Jeep and the bone-jarring journey resumed. Rogue tried her best to suffer in silence and even dozed off at one point. She suffered a rude awakening, however, when Bear slammed on the brakes. They slid to a halt in a cloud of dust, and she jerked upright. “What the hell?”
“Sh,” Jessica said, pointing ahead.
A herd of Zuniceratops was crossing the road. There were at least fifty of them, and Rogue watched with bated breath as they huffed past the vehicle. As ever, the beasts reminded her of miniature Triceratops, only a lot meaner.
The last one in the group paused in the middle of the road. It eyed the Jeep with beady eyes before it charged for no apparent reason. It rammed into the metal grill, shoving them a few yards back.
Rogue cried out and clung to her seat. The Zuni snorted and pawed at the ground. Before it could charge again, Seth pulled out his gun and fired a warning shot. It hit the ground, sending up a shower of earth between them and the beast.
The Zuni squealed in anger and shook its head. It looked ready to attack again, but a second shot dissuaded it. Instead, it stormed after its mates and disappeared into the undergrowth.
With a sigh of relief, Seth tucked the gun back into its holster. “That seems to be that.”
Bear started the Jeep’s engine, and they continued on their way. Luckily, the metal grill had prevented serious damage to the radiator.
Rogue sighed, glad for the narrow escape. “Damn Zunis.”
“They’re nasty creatures,” Jessica agreed.
“Yup, but they taste pretty good,” Rogue said with a satisfied smile.
“Yeah? You’ve eaten Zuni?” Jessica asked.
“The Exiles used to breed with them while they lived at the Zoo,” Rogue explained.
“The Zoo?”
“It’s a long story.”
“And we’ve got nothing but time,” Jessica asserted.
“If you insist,” Rogue said with a shrug.
“Start from the beginning, while you’re at it,” Jessica suggested.
“The beginning it is.” Rogue told Jessica about her life before and after the Shift, growing up in Prime, the fatal attack by the Quetzalcoatlus, her sentencing, going over the wall, the trials she’d faced, and being rescued by Seth.
“That’s quite the story,” Jessica said with a low whistle. “You’ve been through a lot.”
“I suppose,” Rogue said with a shrug.
“But what about the Zoo? I still want to hear all about that,” Jessica said.
“It’ll have to wait,” Seth said, glancing at them over his shoulder. “We need to find a safe place to stay for the night.”
“Is it that late
