Page 140 of His to Burn

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“You good?” he asked, studying me like he dared me to lie.

“Yes, Jackson. Let’s go,” I said.

He nodded curtly, and I turned, staring at the road stretched ahead, long and uncertain.

But when Jack’s fingers brushed mine as he walked by, I smiled.

Because I wouldn’t have to walk it alone.

THIRTY-THREE

Asia

“We’ll beat your uncle’s soon, right?” Miles said.

“We will,” I said, smiling at the boy, trying to hide the nerves that were growing.

Based on the maps, we had maybe fifteen miles to Uncle Levi’s.

And with every step, I got more afraid.

It was the first place that had ever truly felt like home to me and thought of being turned away—the thought of it being gone—filled me with a dread that I didn’t even want to acknowledge.

So I didn’t.

Just kept walking.

And hoping.

“That bruise looks a lot better,” Lourdes said.

“Yeah. Feels better, too,” I said.

I didn’t tell Jack, but I had headaches for a couple of days. But they were getting fewer and further between.

“It does,” I said simply.

Lourdes smiled, and we continued to walk.

We still stayed off the main roads, but were getting closer to something like civilization. There were farms out here, and the unharvested produce that hung heavy on the trees were a welcome respite from the canned goods.

“I wonder what this is?” Elliot said.

We walked through a field, exposed but willing to take the risk since we were close.

I studied the scene in front of me and realized it was the scene of an accident.

A bad one.

About thirteen vehicles of various shapes and sizes all twisted up together in the middle of a field.

“Maybe they tried to get off the main road and got stuck here,” Jack said.

We walked around the wreckage, and without prompting, Lourdes and Miles pulled out their weapons and started to search.

Caitlin, Bridget, and Elliot did the same while Jack and I stood next to an overturned box truck.

“Why did they try to go through here?” I said.

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