Cruel World(92)

Ty edged closer to him, and he put an arm around the boy who rested his head on his chest and drifted off within seconds. Quinn fought sleep’s advances for as long as he could but succumbed sometime in the middle of the night, his rescuers breathing quietly on either side.





Chapter 20



Lost



He woke to bitter cold and the sound of wind pushing through treetops.

Quinn sat up, muscles a choir of agony. His face stung, and when he put his fingers to his cheek, the skin was crusted and drawn. Ty and Alice still slept. She had rolled over in the night and was much closer to him, one arm draped across his stomach. He ignored the rush of heat where her arm lay and moved it back to her side. When he managed to stand, he pushed through the double layer of evergreens and stepped out into the open.

Dew shone like sprinkled diamonds on every tree branch and blade of grass. The sun was barely up and his breath plumed out before him. The wind shoved rankled clouds across the sky, and on the opposite side of a narrow clearing, a doe watched him with unblinking eyes.

“Good morning,” he said. The deer flicked her tail once and then was gone in two bounds, not a sound accompanying her flight.

Though his body protested, he tried to imitate her stealth as he climbed the hill they’d fled down the night before. And in the morning light, he saw how formidable it truly was. Along with the daunting height, several holes, large enough for a person to drop into, dotted its side. They could’ve fallen into any of them the night before, most likely breaking a bone as a consequence. He moved to the top of the rise and stopped, ready to flee at the slightest hint of danger.

The opposite side was empty. Nothing moved between the tree trunks. Off to the right, the trail lining the cult’s wall ended in a tangle of brush. Four-wheeler tracks ran out from the path and came as high as where he stood but then retreated and shot off to the west.

He listened. Nothing.

When he made it back to their hiding place, Ty was awake, sitting beside his mother and holding her hand.

“Hey Ty, you okay?”

“Yeah. Mom’s awake.”

Quinn ducked under the branches and knelt beside Alice who looked up at him through slitted eyelids.

“No breakfast in bed?” she asked in a weak voice.

“I rang for room service but no one answered,” Quinn said. She smiled.

“I knew you were more trouble than you’re worth.”

“Believe me, I owe you breakfast forever since I didn’t burn to death last night.” Alice opened her eyes a little wider and took in his appearance.

“God, your face is burned.”

“It doesn’t matter. Just as long as my hair looks okay.”

She laughed and then winced, looking down the length of her body to her calf.

“How bad is it?”

“Not too bad. Looks like the bullet went straight through. It quit bleeding last night. Does it hurt a lot?”

“I got shot,” Alice said, slowly sitting up. “Yes, it hurts a lot.” She placed a hand against her temple. “Oh wow, that’s not good.”

“Sick to your stomach?”

“Yeah. But I’m really thirsty.”

“I’ll go find some water. You rest.”

“Are we okay here or do we need to move?”

“We’re alright for now, but we should put some distance between us and the compound before too long. Do you think you’ll be able to walk?”

“As soon as my stomach calms down, I’ll be good.”

“Ginger ale, mom, that’s what you need,” Ty said.

“You’re right, honey. Soon as we get to town I’m having a giant ginger ale and Jack.”

“Jack?” Ty asked, tilting his head.

“Never mind,” Alice said, shooting a look at Quinn.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t get lost.”

“I’ll try not to.”

He left them beneath the cover of pines and moved in the direction he’d heard the frogs earlier. They were quiet now, but he found their shallow pond not far away concealed by a ring of budding blackberry bushes. A green scum covered the water, but he noticed some movement a dozen yards away. When he made it to the far end, he saw that a trickling stream fed the pond, dropping over polished rocks in silver drizzles. At the sight of the running water, his own thirst burned in his throat, and he laid down, pressing his face into its icy embrace. His scorched skin flared with pain and then eased, and he let out a sigh before drinking for a solid minute. He rose, searching for a suitable container to bring the water back to Alice, but there was nothing.