“Well, let’s try it. I’ll drive the limit and you keep your sensors peeled. If we see you’re right time and again, we’ll know we can trust it, and then I’ll just floor it to Kentucky.”
“You do realize there’s no room for error. If I mess this up, we’ll be pulled over with a butt-load of weapons in the back. We won’t do anyone any good stuck in jail.”
“That’s why we’re going to test it first,” Farrow said logically.
“Okay, let’s go—we’ve got a long drive ahead of us.” Alik was reading from the map on his phone and committing it to memory without even trying. He held the phone out to Farrow who was stopped at a red light. “We’ve got to take I30 East to Arkansas.”
“Got it,” she said, following the signs. Within minutes, they were headed in the right direction. Farrow had the cruise control set up exactly at the speed limit. “Okay, Alik. Anytime you’re ready.”
“Give me some time. I’m not even sure how to separate all the retro images I’m getting so I only register the law enforcement.”
Alik’s indigo eyes glowed. Farrow wondered if they would actually glow in the dark. A little smirk on her lips was all that would give away her thoughts of learning if Alik’s eyes would glow in the dark.
Focus, Farrow, she reproached herself. We are on a mission of life-and-death proportions. Stop being so lovesick!
She risked a glance at his eyes once more before thinking how grateful she was that Alik’s gift had nothing to do with reading her emotions. Poor Creed, Farrow realized for the first time how exposed that guy’s feelings were to Meg. He couldn’t save any face even if his life depended on it.
All you have to worry about is doing something he’ll be able to retro-cog later, she told herself. The more she thought about it, the more it hurt her brain.
So if he can see something you’ve done, she reasoned to herself, then he could predict what you were going to do next and prevent it from happening. So, essentially, he could control future events by…
“See that big red building ahead on the right? There’s a patrol car pulled behind it waiting for a speeder.” Alik sounded excited about the cop being there.
“Let’s see if you’re right.”
As they passed the spot, both looked to see a black-and-white highway patrol car and the officer holding a radar gun right at them.
“Wow, excellent. That’s one for one. Let’s see if you can find three in a row before I start breaking the law,” Farrow suggested.
She watched Alik nod, still concentrating deeply on the world that only his violet eyes could see.
Thirty minutes passed in silence before Alik spoke up again. “Unmarked ahead. He’s running a speed trap with motorcycle cops being the ones to zap us.”
Sure enough, they passed regular-looking American-made car, but in the driver’s seat was a uniformed cop holding up a radar gun.
A half mile ahead they passed two motorcycle cops that had two vehicles pulled over.
“Two for two. So far, so good.”
Only about five minutes passed when Alik said, there’s a cop in her patrol car pacing drivers in this strip of highway. Farrow was amazed, but unsure how to test this prediction. “She’s pacing the red SUV seven cars ahead of us,” Alik said and pointed at the vehicle driving right behind the SUV.
“That’s amazing. I didn’t even know they could do that.”
“Cops can do a lot more than we know in their efforts to serve and protect. Did you know even an aircraft can report speeders?”
“No way,”
“Way. I’ll have to keep my eyes up sometimes, too.”
“Too bad Meg isn’t here. She’d be able to use her influence to stop a cop from looking in our trunk, or even giving us a ticket.”
Alik sighed sadly making Farrow regret mentioning his missing sister.
“I think we’re safe to speed up, don’t you?”
“Just give me a few minutes. It’s a lot more tiring than it looks.”
“Using your gift?”
“Yeah. Now I understand a little of what Meg goes through when she uses hers. I don’t think mine makes me nearly so weak though. Just a little,” Alik yawned widely, “used up.”
“I packed some food. Would a protein bar help?”
“Oh my little sparrow, haven’t you learned I can always eat!” Alik teased and reached back into the bag that held their food and clothing. “Can I get you something?”
“I’d love a drink, thanks.”
Alik opened the sports drink container and handed the bottle to her. She took a long swig and sighed deeply feeling the still cool liquid splash into her empty stomach. She was hungry, but it was more important for Alik to eat than her. All she had to do was drive, not expend excess energy reading the past.
“Do you mind if we share it?”
“Sure,” Farrow passed the bottle back to Alik and glanced at him as he took a big swig himself. She watched his Adam’s apple move up and down with each swallow. Ripping her eyes away from him, she forced herself to focus on the road ahead.
Alik munched hungrily on the bar before stopping suddenly and looking over at Farrow with a raised brow.