Flesh-&-Bone(41)

Benny shifted position again, putting himself squarely between Nix and Riot.

“Sarah,” said the man with the shotgun, “is she hurt? Did they do anything to her?”

“I’m okay, Daddy,” began Eve, but the man growled at her.

“Hush, girl.”

The woman—Sarah—did a quick but thorough examination of her daughter, then pulled her into another hug. “She’s fine, Carter. They didn’t hurt her.”

“They didn’t have time,” sneered Riot. “I told you we’d find her.”

“Of course we didn’t hurt her,” snapped Nix. “We rescued her.”

“Oh yeah,” mocked Riot, “I’m sure.”

“What’s the truth of it, Evie?” said Carter. “None of your pretend stories now. Did these people hurt you? Did they touch you?”

Eve shook her head. Her eyes were wide and filled with doubt and confusion.

“It’s true, mister,” insisted Benny. “She was being chased by zoms, and we rescued her. She’s fine.”

Riot edged forward, tightening her aim at Nix. “Rescued, huh? Don’t buy that bullcrap, Carter. I’ll bet my dear ol’ mom sent them to grab Eve so they could sacrifice her. That’s just the kind of thing she’d like.”

“Sacrifice?” gasped Benny. “What are you, nuts or something? It was like I said. Eve was being chased and—”

“We know she was being chased,” cut in Riot. “How stupid do you think we are?”

“You really want an answer to that, baldy?” asked Nix coldly.

“Well, ain’t you got a smart mouth?” said Riot, grinning a nasty little grin. “I’d love to kick it off your face.”

“Try it. I don’t mind shooting girls, either.”

Riot’s grin flickered.

“She’s not joking,” Benny said, and pointed his sword at her. “Neither am I. Don’t try it.”

“Ooooh,” said Riot, “fierce.”

“Get stuffed,” said Nix. She focused her attention on Carter. “Eve’s fine because of us, mister. I don’t know who you think we are, but you’re wrong.”

“Reapers don’t open their mouths unless they plan to lie,” warned Riot. “Believe me, I know.”

“We’re not reapers, whatever they are,” said Nix angrily. “We’re travelers. We’re looking for something.”

“Looking for what? The darkness?” demanded Carter in a tone that was heavy with disgust. Riot gave a harsh laugh of agreement.

“Darkness?” echoed Benny, but Nix ignored him.

“We’re looking for an airplane,” she said. “A jet.”

Carter’s expression changed from open hostility to doubt. He shot a look at Sarah, who frowned.

“They saw it too,” she said. “Carter—they saw it too!”

“You saw it?” demanded Nix, her tone suddenly urgent. “When? Where?”

“Don’t say anything,” warned Riot, but Sarah ignored her.

“The last time we saw it, it was heading south.”

“Last time?” echoed Chong.

“You’ve seen it more than once?” Nix gasped.

“Sarah, hush,” said Carter. “This isn’t the time or place.”

“But, Carter—look at them. They don’t look like reapers. Look at their clothes. No wings. No tassels or anything. And they don’t have the mark.”

As Sarah said this, she touched her head, but Benny did not understand the reference. What mark?

“Enough!” growled Carter.

“Look, guys,” said Benny, “I think we should all chill out and talk about this. No one wants to hurt anyone here—”

“Speak for yourself,” said Riot with quiet menace.

“—and it sounds like we have a lot to talk about,” Benny concluded, pasting on his best “aw shucks, we’re all friends” smile. The kind that used to get him a bottle of pop at Lafferty’s General Store, even when he had no ration dollars.

Carter wasn’t impressed. “If you want to talk, then tell the young miss there to put her gun down.”

“The young miss says, ‘Bite me,’” replied Nix. “You put your gun down first and then we’ll see.”