chapter VI
THE FOUR WALKED BACK up the road, right up the double-yellow, back the way they had come when he was driving. Michael wanted to leave as little obvious sign of their continued existence as possible. After about half a mile, at a curve in the road and a sign marked U.S. 97, they got off and took to the wilderness.
There were no fences. Just wide open high desert. The Cascades skimmed the moisture out of everything that came in off the Pacific, leaving their eastern side barren and dry, save for the fingers of green that crowded the draws—mountain streams and rivers that ran east, counter to the mighty Columbia.
That’s where they were headed: the Columbia River. A massive body of water, irresistible in its rush to the sea, wide, deep, cold, fast, dangerous. Right along the river, freight trains more than two hundred cars long snaked along, headed upriver and inland, probably every couple of hours as far as Michael knew. Once again, he had to rely on gut instinct to get by. He tried as hard as he could not to let his training affect him too much—all the demonic files of experience that now, he was thankful, could be turned inward against themselves, against all their past masters, in self-destruction.
He caught himself more and more crying out in his heart and mind to El. It was crazy. But somehow crazy made good sense, in a way unexplainable with words.
Michael walked close to Airel. He wanted to be near her, to see her face in the darkness, to feel her presence.
Ellie broke the silence. “You all should know…I was able to get my phone up and running. I texted a friend back there. He can get us a plane, but he’s at least a day away and we can’t meet him near any big cities.”
Kim looked confused. “Plane?”
“Yeah. You’ve packed your passports, I hope? My bloke can get us in but we’ll need a safe place to land; we’ve gotta figure that out on the fly. He’ll meet us in Arlington and we can take off from the Muni there.”
Kim laughed aloud but then choked it off, wide eyed. “I don’t have a passport.” She looked to Michael with a panicked look on her face.
“All the more reason to meet him away from an international airport, then. If we’re to hop a jet to South Africa, we’ll need to fly under the radar. Quite literally, maybe.”
“I don’t have a passport,” Kim said again.
“Michael,” Airel said. “What’s all this about South Africa?”
“Yeah, I meant to tell you.” He took a moment to try to explain to them why they had to go, why they had to take the fight to the enemy. “It may be safest for everyone involved.” He looked at Airel with a pained expression, hoping he wouldn’t have to say out loud that he was concerned for her family back home. Among a great many other things.
“I don’t want to go,” Kim said, trudging along. “I don’t want to go to Africa. Why Africa anyway?”
“Kim, I hate to say this…but you’re going to have to just trust me.” Michael said.
She huffed at him and stopped, forcing the rest of the group to stop as well. She crossed her arms.
“Kim…” Michael said.
“No. Just shut up! I’m sick of this. I’m sick of running, sick of walking, sick of crashing and freaking burning. I’m cold and wet. I need sleep and food—”
“Kim,” he interrupted, “we all feel the same. Trust me, I know what you need; we all need it. That’s why we’re headed this way. To the next train.” He gestured to the river, the freeway, the train tracks in the distance. “Things could be worse.”
Kim gawked at him. “How?!”
“You could be dead, for one. Kim, this is our last remaining option. And it’s a good one, considering where it’ll lead us. And you know what, you’re alive and you’re with friends.” He pointed to her bag. “And you found your stuff.”
“Are you serious? We’re hopping a train like a bunch of hobos?”
“Yep,” he smiled at her and then looked up at a clear sky, the Milky Way easily visible in the dark firmament from horizon to horizon. “Plus, it’s not raining, Kim. Come on.” He turned and began to walk. “We need to keep moving.”
Ellie followed him. Ariel stayed, her body half turned to go, half turned to Kim, a look of concern on her face. “I know it’s hard, Kim, but you’ve gotta keep going. I promise,” Airel said, touching her arm, “soon we’ll grab a hotel or something and try to rest. But for now we’ve got to keep going if we don’t want to…”
“What, die?” Kim asked.
Airel paused. “I guess so.”
Kim looked at her, the expression on her face complicated. “This sucks.”
Airel nodded and gently pulled on her to get her moving. They trailed along behind the other two.
Michael called back to them, “It’s not far now. Maybe another fifteen minutes of walking.”
“Oh, yeah. Well, I’m timing you, dude,” Kim said.
They sat under a bridge in the darkness, waiting near the tracks for the next train.
Ariel hugged herself and asked, “How far is—what, Arlington—from here?”
Ellie said, “Probably no more than fifty miles.”
“Yeah, and we’re jumping a freight train to get there?” Airel continued.
“Don’t worry,” Michael said, “they move pretty slowly on this slog of the railroad; it’s a long climb and they’re really heavy.”
Kim sat looking dazed, her hands playing in the dirt. The eastern horizon was threatening the sunrise.
“It had better hurry up and get here quick,” Airel said, “if we’re going to get away with jumping on board without being seen.”
Michael exhaled, releasing stress.
“Michael, are we safe now?” Airel asked.
He looked at her, considering things. “Yes.”
She studied his eyes. “You’re lying.”
“Airel—”
“No, I get it. It’s sweet. But you don’t need to protect me. I can take care of myself. If I haven’t proven that yet, I don’t know what I have to do.”
He wagged his head a little in acquiescence. “True. I guess you’re right.” He looked back at her. “Sorry. I’m not trying to keep anything from you. I want you to know that. I’m just thinking about lots of stuff, trying to process it all. I feel responsible for you. All of you.”
“Rubbish,” Ellie said. “You’re not responsible for me, demon boy.”
“Stop calling him that,” Airel said. “Don’t call him that ever again.”
“Have we got a problem, girlie?” Ellie said, bristling.
“You bet your pointy blue hair we do,” Airel said calmly, “if you keep insulting Michael like that.”
Ellie rolled her eyes and had a mocking expression that said, Wow, you’re ridiculous.
Airel moved very quickly, getting past Michael, who was seated between them, in an instant. There was a little plume of dust. In a crouch, she grabbed Ellie’s shirt front and pulled her face to within inches of her own. “Look,” Airel said, “I have had it with you, angel girl. Cut it out. You know what I mean, too.” Airel held her there for a moment.
Ellie turned her head away slowly, looking down and smirking. “Relax, doll. I don’t want your man-boy. Though he is pretty cute.”
Airel jerked her around. “Shut up.”
“No, really,” Ellie said, looking back up, meeting Airel’s threatening gaze. “I don’t. I’ll give you your little show of force this time round, girlie. But don’t do it again, ‘kay?” Ellie placed an index finger on Airel’s forehead. “Or you’ll regret it.” She pushed her lightly away.
Airel stood fully to her feet, releasing her. “Whatever.” She looked down the tracks and saw a faint light. “Hey…”
Michael stood up and joined her, looking down the tracks to the west. “Looks like our ride’s finally here.” His arm rested comfortably at her hip. He pulled her to him as they waited in the darkness under the bridge.