Page 16 of Hell Breaks Loose

An old cabin on the edge of town where I keep a stash of disguises, a car, and medicine. I passed out on the floor there for almost an entire day.

Once I was back on my feet, or at least not face down on the ground, I patched up some of my cuts and took off after them. Hacking what few systems were left with power after the flood gave me a good enough idea of which direction they took out of town.

So I headed south.

The route along the old highway eventually takes me to the interstate, out into less mountainous landscape. Another ping on a camera nearby gets me a snapshot of the line of SUVs that I hope still contains my lover a few hours later.

A few more towns and a lot of grueling computer work later at a small, local library, I find the trail, the last leg of which leads out toward the coast again to a single drive.

Private.

Secluded.

And leading to a massive mansion, fully walled, and likely bristling with a shit ton of security.

Great.

That’s when the first wave of nausea and faintness washes over me, nearly bowling me over the wheel. Darkness blurs at the edge of my vision.

Can’t stay here. Need to get to safety…

So I turn back, heading back down the state highway, looking for someplace to hole up for the night, to get food.

I make it a half hour before I pass out at the wheel and hit a light post.

When I wake up, I am in bed. Clean. Bandaged.

For a few minutes, I just lie there, staring up at the ceiling, one eye swollen shut.

“You look like death took a dump on you.” A voice pulls me out of the near-doze of a haze I'm in.

“He actually didn’t want me. Threw me back. Catch and release.”

“Almost didn’t have a choice but to take you back if I hadn’t found you in time.”

“How did you find me, Nurse Norris?”

“Cute. I felt a disturbance nearby. That feeling that everything is about to go to shit that I always get whenever you show up in my life.”

“Ha. Still holding a grudge.”

“You almost got me kicked out of the nursing program.”

“I almost got both of us killed, actually. But I see your priorities haven’t changed.”

“And I see that you’re still fucking around with dangerous people.”

“Who says? Maybe I did this to myself?”

“Ah, so your various personalities have finally started fighting?”

“Nah. It was a mobster.”

“Good God, Tyler.” Norris sighs, moving to check my pupils with a little flashlight.

“It’s Tell.”

Norris grimaces, looking over a couple of stitches before responding. “It is, isn’t it?”

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