Page 41 of Crimson Storm

I nodded. “Yes. I think you should ride up front with Kelly for a bit since we’re close to the Nebraska state border.”

Later tonight, we’d cross through Iowa and Illinois as well. The first few state line checkpoints had been no problem. The agents on duty had given the truck—and Kelly and Shane—bored once overs before waving them through. But during our training at the Bastion, our survival instructor Eudora had told us the checkpoints got more and more rigorous the farther east you went.

The two of them climbed into the front cab, and we set off.

Leaving the curtain between the compartments open, I watched the miles pass through the windshield. It was a calm night weather-wise, and the highway traffic was sparse.

It was an hour before dawn when we reached the Pennsylvania state line. Seeing the state welcome sign pinged my heart with an unexpected sense of nostalgia.

“Hey—Pennsylvania. Isn’t that where you’re from?” Heather asked.

I gave her a terse nod and didn’t elaborate. Instead, I asked Kelly, “Remember your lines?”

We all wore our colored contacts in the hopes of preventing temperature checks, but we’d rehearsed an explanation in case of one.

“Of course. But I won’t need them,” she said. “These guys don’t even care.”

“Don’t get cocky,” I warned.

Heather and I stayed in the back out of sight. I fastened the privacy curtain, leaving a tiny gap to peek through. I’d be able to hear every word, but I wanted to keep an eye on the situation as well.

The truck slowed as it approached the squat, brightly lit government building. A door on its side opened, and a uniformed agent stepped out. He was middle-aged with thinning blond and gray hair cut very short. He looked sleepy, as if we might have caught him dozing.

Kelly lowered the driver’s side window, offering the agent a cheery greeting.

“Hi. Slow night?”

He gave her a guilty grin. “Little bit, but this time of night is always slow. Making good time?”

“It’s been great. I’m so glad it’s not raining.”

The agent nodded to Shane. “Evening.”

“How’s it going?” Shane said then joked, “I’m glad it’s not raining too. She’s a hell of a driver, but when the rain kicks in she’s ready to get off the road and find a hotel.”

“Hey—you’re making me sound like a wimp.” She gave Shane’s arm a playful slap.

The guard chuckled but didn’t wave them through or raise the barrier arm in front of the truck.

“May I see your registration?”

“Sure.” Kelly kept her tone calm, but when she turned away from him toward Shane, her eyes were wide with panic. “Would you get that out of the glove box, sweetie?”

Shane opened it and dug around, finally producing the document. Kelly passed it to the agent who studied it with a frown.

“This says the truck is registered to a Curtis Gaynor. Says he’s a vampire.”

To her credit, Kelly stayed cool. She told the story we’d agreed upon at the beginning of our trip. “Yes. He’s my uncle. He’s retired and selling his truck to a human driver. He doesn’t have an interstate travel pass anymore, so Uncle Curtis asked me to deliver it to the buyer.”

The agent’s eyes narrowed. Did he doubt her story? “I see. And where is this buyer?”

“New York. My uncle really needs the money now that he’s not working. And the buyer really needs it so he can start driving.”

The agent seemed somewhat assuaged. He nodded, and his tone turned snarky. “Well, it’s good to see some humans getting back to work now that the vamps aren’t taking all the jobs.”

As far as I could tell, Kelly didn’t flinch. Neither did Shane. In fact, he nodded along with the man’s statement, pretending to agree. At least I assumed he was pretending.

The agent handed the registration back to Kelly, and her shoulders relaxed.

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