A Dangerous Road: (Post Apocalyptic Fiction) (Collision Course Book 4) Page 4

  “Yeah? Like when?” Lexa accused.

  “Like when Mom and Dad left camp and never came back!”

  Lexa stopped dead in her tracks and knew Ivie was right. When their parents left, she held Ivie every night while she cried and promised everything would be okay. Except they weren’t.

  “Hey, hey, hey,” Rocky said. “What’s going on here?”

  The sisters turned their backs on each other and crossed their arms over their bodies. Rocky pulled himself up, barely managing to stand without wobbling. His leg healed slowly, and he cursed the naked cannibal in his mind with every step he took.

  “Listen, you two, we can’t fight, okay? We’re all each other has right now. We gotta stick together,” Rocky pleaded.

  “She’s a liar!” Ivie cried.

  Lexa hung her head. Ivie wasn’t wrong; she did lie about their parents to her, but she had the best intentions. What was she supposed to say, that they may not come back? They could die out there? The truth hurts sometimes, and someone could want to protect another and hide that truth out of love.

  “I’m sorry,” Lexa whispered.

  Ivie pouted while Rocky hobbled closer to them. He frowned, clutched both their arms and turned them around. “You’re sisters. You love each other. Shit happens, and we can’t always control it. What we can control is how we treat each other.”

  Ivie stared at Lexa with narrowed eyes, but her expression softened a touch. Lexa stared at her feet and chomped on her cheek. Her entire life revolved around protecting her sister, and now she realized she’d failed her. She didn’t cushion the blow about her parents’ disappearance and death like she always thought she did.

  “Love you, Ivie,” Lexa said.

  Ivie groaned and threw her arms around her sister. “I forgive you.”

  Lexa looked up, smiled and hugged her sister back.

  “Phew, okay. That was a close one. It’s not easy being the only guy around here sometimes,” Rocky said.

  “Well, what now?” Lexa asked.

  “Now?” Rocky shrugged. “Now, let’s get our shit together and fight through the storm to the next two stepping stones.

  Ivie and Lexa nodded as they stared into the harsh rain and wind waiting for them just outside the circumference of the concrete. Lexa could nearly hear the storm sing to her, beckoning her closer and closer.

  9

  After a few light snacks, or rather a few weeds and berries ground up, Rocky, Ivie, and Lexa mentally prepared themselves to leave the safety of the first stepping stone. Once they left the stone, they’d be forced back into the treacherous storm and have to fight tooth and nail to reach the second stepping stone. They had no idea how much distance separated them from the next stone. It could be a few feet, or it could be a few miles. They didn’t have a map or a guide. The kids were on their own.

  As before, Rocky prepared to take the lead and shield the girls from as much of the oncoming wind as possible, though he could do nothing to protect them from the wind smacking them from all other directions. He stood with his tiptoes on the edge of the stepping stone, and the rain from the storm reached the tip of his nose. It was as though he were about to jump off a cliff, but much wetter.

  “Stay behind me, okay? If we get lost, do not move! I’ll find you,” Rocky said.

  Lexa nodded, but Ivie yelped. “Wait! I have an idea,” she said.

  “What’s that?” Lexa asked as she turned around to face her sister.

  Ivie ignored Lexa’s inquiry and pulled off her backpack. She rummaged inside the bag, tossed out a few pieces of trash and a rotten apple core. Rocky and Lexa looked to each other, confused, but then Ivie found what she’d been searching for. In her hand, Ivie held a five-feet-long rope.

  “Let’s all hold on to the rope, and then we won’t be separated,” she said.

  Lexa smiled and ruffled Ivie’s hair. “How’d you get so smart?

  “Not smart enough that she didn’t think of this before the first stepping stone,” Rocky said and winked.

  The trio grabbed on to the rope with their right hands and stood silently before the storm ahead.

  “On my count, we’re going to jump through the barrier. One, two, three!”

  Rocky leaped first, followed by Lexa and Ivie. No longer on the stepping stone, the storm-ravaged them, knocking them all over at once. The winds were stronger and the rain bit harder as it assaulted their bare skin. The rain felt like a handful of little bullets constantly pelting them. Lexa could cry the entire way, and they’d never realize it, for the rainfall was like a showerhead. Their clothes were soaked through again, and they all shivered to their very cores.

  Despite the gale winds, the rope idea seemed to work rather well. They clung to it with their right hands and used their left hands to try and keep their balance. The wind in this area of the storm seemed to have a stronger force pushing them forward. Lexa thought if they jumped into the air, maybe the wind would carry them to the next stepping stone.

  She didn’t jump, though; she kept hold of the rope as planned. This trek, while worse conditions, seemed a little easier. Maybe it was because they’d already done it once and knew what to expect. Within a half an hour, the sky cleared up ahead, and they reached the second stepping stone. They sprinted toward the light like a beacon in the dead of night. Rocky jumped onto the stone first and doubled over to catch his breath.

  Lexa and Ivie followed and started laughing at the sight of it. They were safe once more. The sun shone brightly above just like at the first stepping stone. Lexa and Ivie even noticed a few birds flying overhead, chirping and enjoying the daylight.

  “That wasn’t too bad,” Rocky said, still panting.

  “Yeah, better than the first one,” Lexa agreed.

  They all sat down beside one another and tried to catch their breaths. Even though the journey to the second stepping stone seemed easier, the trip to the third and final stone could be worse. After all, it was the last safe place before anyone could reach the City of Lightning.

  Ivie leaned her head on Lexa’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Lexa yawned, but Rocky rocked back and forth where he sat.

  “You okay?” Lexa asked.

  “Yeah. Just ready to get there.”

  “Me, too,” she agreed.

  Ivie tugged at her sister’s ripped jeans and pointed to the center of the stepping stone. In the middle of their concrete safe haven was a large red eye painted that stretched across the entire diameter of the stepping stone.

  “That’s weird,” Lexa said. “I wonder what it means?”

  Rocky scratched the paint then wrinkled his nose. “Holy shit!”

  “What?” Ivie and Lexa asked together.

  Rocky backed away so that no part of him touched the ominous symbol. “That’s not paint, you guys. That’s blood.”

  Lexa and Ivie looked to each other then touched the so-called paint themselves. Residue from the symbol rubbed off on their fingers. Lexa brought the reddish-brown substance to her nose, and it reeked of iron and death.

  The sisters leaped up and made their way to Rocky where he stood at the edge of the stepping stone. The wind slapped his back, but he didn’t even notice.

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Ivie said slowly.

  Lexa sighed. “We don’t have a choice. We have to keep going.”

  “Well, we better get going then,” Rocky said gruffly.

  Lexa studied the red eye a little longer and noticed a message written in the iris of the symbol. It read, “OBEY.”

  “Let’s go, guys,” Ivie said. She nibbled on her cheek and shuffled her feet.

  They didn’t want to waste any more time or rest. The last and final stepping stone waited for them just on the other side of this storm. In theory, after the third stepping stone, the City of Lightning would be within their sights.

  Once again, they held on to their shared rope and ventured into the storm. Above them, lightning flashed madly, lighting up the dark sky. Lexa took a f
ew moments to absorb their surrounds, something she hadn’t done before while they suffered through the conditions. The lightning revealed a vast arrangement of dead trees, swaying limply in the wind, naked of all leaves and vegetation. The eeriness of the scene sent shivers down Lexa’s spine, and she wondered if they’d made the right decision, after all, to come to the City of Lightning. Did Kiki imagine things in a deathbed euphoria? Did she hallucinate it all? But no, she couldn’t have. Lexa and Ivie’s parents knew of the city, too.

  They had to keep going. The chances of survival for those infected at the camp reduced every single minute they were away. They literally had the lives of their family in their hands.

  Thunder boomed overhead every few seconds. Rocky, Ivie, and Lexa struggled to stay standing. The wind in this part of the storm was much more sporadic and unpredictable. Again they were soaked through their clothes, all the way to their underwear.

  Lexa wondered if they’d make it to the next stepping stone, or if they’d die out from starvation or dehydration. While Lexa pondered their fate on the journey to the next stone, a lone tree branch soared through the air and struck Ivie in the head. Lexa’s little sister crumbled instantly, and her part of the rope went slack. Lexa turned around, letting go of the rope as well. Somehow, Rocky heard her shrieks over the wind and turned around.

  Ivie lay on the ground with a gash on her forehead. Blood rushed out of the wound and dripped down her cheeks. Lexa shook her sister, trying to wake her. Rocky pulled her off her sister’s lifeless body, squatted down and picked Ivie up. The veins in his forehead throbbed with the stress; Ivie was much heavier with sopping wet clothing. But he tossed her over his shoulder and beckoned Lexa to carry on and follow him. Lexa stuffed the rope in her own bag and carried Ivie’s, too.

  Lexa thought suffering was being hungry or thirsty, but in reality, it was so much worse. She watched as Rocky struggled to carry her baby sister while he limped, still dealing with his own injury.

  But light peeked through the clouds ahead, and the third stepping stone was within reach. Lexa screamed into the wind, which swallowed her victory cheer entirely. They were ten feet away, five feet away, two feet away, zero feet away.

  Rocky and Lexa stepped through the barrier and onto the third and final stepping stone. Unfortunately, they were not alone.

  10

  Ten men in all black stood before the teens on the third stepping stone. Each wore a black padded vest and sported heavy duty boots to match. They formed an arch surrounding another red eye symbol painted on the stone, presumably in blood, the same as before. Lexa stared wide-eyed at the men as they each grasped large revolvers in their hands.

  They also wore contraptions on their heads and near their ears. A few of them were whispering into the unknown devices. Lexa had never seen men like this before. Their faces were clean shaven, and their clothes pressed and perfectly neat on their muscular bodies.

  The tallest man stepped out of the arch and moved toward Lexa and Rocky, who still had Ivie draped around his shoulder. Both of them took a step back, and the wind and rain from just beyond the stone whipped at their backs and saturated their hair.

  “Who are you?” the tall one asked gruffly.

  Lexa and Rocky looked to each other, both unsure if they should lie or tell the truth. Lexa’s tongue went dry, and she wasn’t wholly sure she could speak if she tried.

  “We’re from the area,” Rocky said, his voice revealing a slight tremor.

  The tall one smiled wickedly. “The area, huh? Where?”

  On Rocky’s shoulder, Ivie stirred and moaned in discomfort.

  “What’s wrong with the kid?” the tall soldier asked, changing the subject.

  “She’s my baby sister,” Lexa said. “She got hurt before we reached this stepping stone.”

  The tall soldier nodded and covered his mouth while he spoke into the device on his head. He nodded then removed his hand.

  “You’re coming with us,” he announced, and the rest of the soldiers stepped forward, their weapons drawn.

  “We mean no harm!” Lexa cried. She wanted the men to go away so she could tend to her sister. She needed to make sure Ivie was okay and suffered no permanent damage from the journey to the third stone.

  “I’m afraid you don’t have a choice. The council wants to speak to you,” the tall one said.

  Panic rose within Lexa, and Rocky’s palms perspired profusely. In unison, the guards surrounded Lexa and Rocky, who still carried Ivie. Lexa clutched her bag, in fear one of the guards would take it or search it. And what kinds of guards were they, anyway? Were they just doing their due diligence to protect the city, or did they have more sinister plans in place?

  “How are you going to get us through the storm and to the city?” Lexa asked.

  The tall guard pinched his temples and scoffed. “Little girl, we are the City of Lightning Guard. We have our ways.”

  In the blink of an eye, two guards behind Lexa and Rocky put soft black bags over their heads despite their pleas and protests. Another guard took Ivie off Rocky’s shoulders, although he couldn’t see who’d taken her or what they did with her.

  “Don’t hurt her!” Rocky shouted.

  “What’s happening?” Lexa cried. “Where’s Ivie?”

  “Calm down,” the tall guard instructed crisply. “We can’t allow you to see how we are able to cross through the storm safely.”

  In the near distance, the roar of an engine revved and made itself known near the edge of the stepping stone. Lexa had never seen a car, let alone ridden in one. Were they going to drive from the last stepping stone to the city?

  “All right. We’re going to put you in our guard vehicle and take you to the city. No funny business, or we’ll have to keep your little sister as collateral.”

  Lexa wanted to thrash out of the bag on her head. She wanted to reach for the tall guard’s throat and squeeze her jagged nails into his jugular. How dare he take her little sister and threaten them all? Without her sight, though, Lexa’s other senses kicked into high gear, and she could hear and smell her surroundings with much more intensity than before. The tall guard stood close to her, and she could smell the soap and cologne on his body. Soap. Lexa couldn’t remember the last time she bathed in clean water with soap. Would she ever have the luxury again?

  The roar of the car or truck, or whatever it was, sounded even closer. The scent of rubber and what she assumed to be exhaust wafted into her nose. The guards behind Rocky and her nudged them forward and off the stepping stone. Lexa fell forward, but her assigned guard didn’t let her fall.

  “Easy there,” he sneered.

  “Maybe if I could see it would be a lot easier!” Lexa shot back.

  “Not a chance, girl,” her guard replied.

  Lexa sighed and allowed the guard to lead her into the vehicle, which required her to take a large step off the ground and inside the large hunk of metal. Inside the vehicle was warm and cozy, the complete opposite of the storm outside. Having never been in a vehicle before, she couldn’t imagine what the interior looked like. She squinted her eyes from under the cloth bag, but couldn’t see a thing. She never thought she’d ride in a car, let alone be a hostage in one. Rocky was forced into the vehicle too, and luckily, they sat him next to Lexa. They fumbled around until they felt each other’s hand. Rocky grasped Lexa’s hand with his and squeezed tightly.

  “Where’s my sister?” Lexa asked once a few more guards piled inside, and the doors slammed after them.

  “She’s in the other rover,” the tall guard said. By now, Lexa was able to pick out his voice anywhere. He sounded as old as her father would have been, but with a lot more arrogance to his tone.

  “Don’t hurt her,” Lexa warned.

  The guards guffawed and ignored her. What could a sixteen-year-old do to a group of well-trained armed guards? Lexa shut her mouth, knowing her attitude could save or hurt her sister. As much as it pained her to cooperate, it was her only shot at seeing her sister ag
ain, alive.

  Inside the vehicle, Lexa and Rocky bounced unceremoniously in the back seat but refused to let go of each other’s hand. The guards conversed in hushed whispers, but even with a heightened sense of hearing, she couldn’t make out their conversation.

  After a minute or so, the rain pounding against the windows minimized and the roaring wind diminished. The vehicle came to a jerking stop, and Lexa flew forward, hitting her head on the seat in front of her.

  The guards opened their doors and scooted out of the rover. The tall guard opened Lexa’s door and pulled her out of the back seat by her forearm, which he dug his fingers into much more forcefully than necessary. He whipped off the cloth from Lexa’s head and regally announced, “Welcome to the City of Lightning.”

  11

  Lexa and Rocky glanced back at the storm brewing behind them and to each side. Before them stood a regal city with sparkling sunshine overhead and not a single cloud in the sky. Aqueducts towered high above the entrance, and Lexa wondered if the stories were true. She wondered if the water inside the aqueducts was fit to drink without filters.

  The tall guard grabbed Lexa by the forearm again and pulled her through the archway leading into the City of Lightning, which Lexa now realized was a somewhat foolish name considering no actual thunder or lightning appeared inside the city’s walls. It was the perpetual eye of the storm. Once they passed under the ivory arches into the city itself, Lexa noticed a familiar symbol painted upon the walls, buildings, and architecture: the red eye. Only these symbols appeared to be created with paint and not blood. A mild improvement.

  All around the cobblestone streets within the city, disheveled people, young and old, milled about. Some carried baskets of food while others carried large jugs of water. Lexa’s stomach ached for a cold glass of clean water and an apple. She salivated at the very thought of fresh fruits, vegetables, and a beverage.

  But the guards continued to steer them deeper and deeper into the city. The farther inward they traveled, the more prosperous and ostentatious the citizens appeared. Their clothes were cleaner, their faces less dirty, and several of them wore sparkling diamonds in their ears,