Through the Storm(19)

“That’s mine.” She pointed. “That old thing must be your bike.”

More shots and screams rent the night.

Conner retrieved his bike. “Let’s get out of here.”

They pedaled fast and hard from the panic and shooting along a path away from the park. The light faded as the sun rested behind the Cascade Mountains, but while it lasted, Conner used it to assess his new biking partner. She looked to be about his age, with dark hair to the middle of her back. A bag hung from one shoulder, or it might have been a large purse. Other than that she had no provisions.

When he had finished taking her in, he dropped his gaze to the girl’s bike. It looked lightweight, expensive, and, unlike Conner’s, just the right size for her. He knew nothing about bike racing, but because of the nice bike, and her strong pedaling, Conner guessed cycling had been a hobby.

When they finally stopped, Conner figured they were somewhere just west of Wenatchee. “I’m Conner Evans. Do you have a place to stay tonight?”

“Madison Croft.” She shook her head. “I hadn’t planned … no, why?”

“See that convenience store? We can stay in the brush and tall grass beside it for the night and not be seen.”

She stopped. “You go there. I’ll stay near the gas station.”

“Oh.” Conner’s face warmed with understanding. “I won’t hurt you. We’re both safer together.”

Her gaze shifted to the rifle on his shoulder. “I’ll stay here.”

“Okay.” He nodded and headed into the field. When he found a low spot where he could hide, Conner looked back at the station. Madison was gone.

“Please God, keep her safe.” He laid the bike to one side and then knelt, spread his tarp, and unrolled his sleeping bag onto it. With the bike on his left and rifle on the right, he ate an energy bar supper and prepared to sleep.

Tired but tense, sleep came grudgingly to Conner. Wakefulness would slip away only to return like a punch in the gut at some sound in the night. Several times he listened, edgy with worry, but heard only distant voices or the hoot of an owl. Gradually he would slip back to sleep, only to wake again with his heart pounding in fear.

Sometime during the night, Conner awoke to the sound of breaking glass. He slipped from his sleeping bag and peeked above the grass. Several men with flashlights broke out the large window of the convenience store and, with much laughter, entered the building.

A dark figured hurried from the far side of the building into the grass.

Madison?

Moving fast and staying low, the dark figure neared Conner’s campsite.

“Madison?” he called as loud as he dared.

The person turned and hurried toward him. Only when she crouched by his side could he see her well enough to know it was Madison.

“I’m glad you’re still here,” she whispered.

“I’m glad you’re safe.”

Together they watched as the men looted the store and disappeared into the darkness.

Conner slid low to the ground. “You can stay here if you want.”

Madison sat curled into a tight ball. “Yeah. I guess that’s a good idea.”

“Do you have a sleeping bag?” Conner knew she didn’t and she confirmed it with a shake of the head. “You can use mine. I’ve got a blanket I can use, but we’ll need to share the tarp.”

“Oh? Okay.”

He sensed her hesitancy and fingered the tarp. “It keeps away the moisture from the ground.” Conner looked back toward the station. “Did you leave your bike?”

“Yeah, we can get it in the morning.”

After she settled inside the sleeping bag, he lay next to her and pulled up the blanket. Through the materials, his left arm touched her right. “If we’re going to spend the night this close, I had a thought.”

He felt her tense.

“We should get to know each other a bit. You know, talk.”

“Okay.” She let out a deep breath. “Where were you when the CME struck?”

“I guess it hit when I saw the northern lights.” Conner explained about his hunting trip. “I only expected to be gone a couple of days. Now I feel awful about leaving my little brother, Drake, alone.”

“Yeah. I’m worried about my parents.”

“So, where were you when it hit?” Conner asked.

“I was headed to Pullman for my freshman year at WSU.”

“Washington State, that’s a good university.”

“Yes.” Madison turned toward him. “They have a good vet school. That’s what I wanted to study.” She sighed. “I’d been listening to an audiobook as I drove and only heard about the CME when I stopped for dinner Saturday evening.”

“Did you turn around?”

“Yeah.” Madison sighed. “I knew I didn’t have enough time to reach home—”

“Where’s home?”

“Olympia, but I wanted to get as close as I could.”

Conner nodded, but it was too dark for her to see it. “I would have done the same thing. I’m from Riverbank so we’re heading in the same direction. You’re welcome to keep riding with me.”

“I think that would be nice.”

The conversation under the stars continued until Conner drifted off to sleep.