Page 69 of Waves of Fury

As he dozes off, my mind decides to start racing. If Stovepipe Wells is another dead end, what do we do then? Should I try to head toward Texas to look for Knox? What happens to everyone else?

I do know we’re safer as a group. We’ve had to rely on each other to get ourselves out of a few precarious situations. I’m not sure I could have made it all on my own. The thought of not having Tyler by my side makes me queasy.

Or it could be the burgers…

My stomach grumbles, this time in pain. I haven’t taken a proper shit, unlike Gerry, in days. I sure hope my stomach doesn’t decide to unleash its demons while I’m cooped up in a hotel room with the guy I like and no running water.

Another twist of pain has me breaking out in a sweat.

For fuck’s sake.

We’ve been walking all damn day and my legs are shaking. Last night, I indeed got sick to my stomach much to my horror. Tyler, bless him, didn’t mention the rotten stench coming from the bathroom, but he seemed pretty damn eager to get on the road today. Apparently, a few of us got sick last night, including Hailey, Jesse, and Dan. Everyone abstained from the meat this morning and ate the rest of the buns, chips, and green beans.

“You need to drink more water,” Tyler says, handing me another bottle of water. “You’re dehydrated.”

I groan inwardly. “Yeah, thanks.”

Dan thinks some of the burgers had already thawed some past the safe temperatures and we were the lucky ones to have gotten them. I’d give anything right about now for some Immodium.

A shower sounds almost as enticing.

“We’re close,” Aaron says when we come to a stop to rest. “Another mile or two maybe?”

He and Hope look over the map in her hands, both of them nodding in agreement. I’m grateful that our journey is coming to an end. I don’t know that I can take much more walking.

“I think I see a car,” Gerry says, pointing up the road into the muted dark. “Right there.”

I squint, unable to see much with all the cloud cover. The wind has been whipping at us from behind, chilly and unrelenting. I’m damn tired of this cold. It’s summer, for fuck’s sake.

Gerry, clearly convinced he sees a car, sets off walking at a brisk pace. Despite feeling like death warmed over, I trot after him.

“Wait up,” I grunt. “Don’t go alone.”

Gerry gives me a nod of thanks and together, we make our way toward the car. As we get closer, I recognize it.

“It’s those girls’ car,” Gerry grits out. “When I see Kyle, I’m going to kick him in the balls.”

Gerry, a usually jovial man, is about as happy with Kyle as I am. Not that it would’ve mattered. Elise was too far gone anyway. It’s the fact of the matter, though. He abandoned the group the first chance he got. I knew he was a dick, but come on.

As we approach, I get an uneasy feeling. The hairs on my arms stand up on end, this time not from the never-ending biting cold. Thunder rumbles in the distance, making the ground shake mildly.

“Hey,” I call out when we’re about hundred feet away. “Kyle?”

Nothing.

Just the sound of whistling wind and distant thunder.

“Let’s go check it out,” I grunt, cautiously making my way toward the vehicle.

“Someone’s lying on the ground,” Gerry whispers. “You think they’re asleep?”

Outside? Doubtful. I certainly don’t voice that. Shrugging, I creep toward the prone form on the ground.

One of the women—I can’t tell which—lies face down, naked from the ass up. Her pajama pants have been wrenched down to her ankles and she lies in a pool of blood.

Fuck.

This doesn’t look good.

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