Imprisoned (Parallel Series, Book 2) (Parallel Trilogy), page 28
At one long rest where we depleted our supply of power bars and water bottles to the point where I began to get worried that we wouldn’t have enough, we sat on the weed-covered ground in the shade of a tree. “Well, are you ready to go?” I asked, pushing myself to a standing position.
Billy didn’t move. “Where are we going, Morgan?”
I glanced down at him and feared what he was really asking. “To meet Fred.”
Billy stared out over the meadow across the road from us—there were no houses in sight—then looked up at me. “First of all, who is this guy? Second, where is it that you want him to take us?”
I sank to the ground next to him and looked back the way we had come. The road stretched on and on, with no cars in view. I turned to Billy. “I can’t really explain right now, but I can tell you that there’s a safe place there. In Fox Run.”
He sighed.
“You don’t have to go with me if you don’t want to.” I fervently hoped he would stay with me though. “But that’s where I’m going. One way or another.”
He looked away and shook his head, then looked back at me. “I’ll stay with you. For now.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
He smiled in return and stood. “Well, we’d better get going.”
“Yes.”
He held out his hand and I grasped it, letting him pull me up. We climbed on our bikes and headed down the road, but ten minutes later Billy called out to me to stop. He was behind me and I rolled to a stop, then turned to see what was going on. He was leaning over his bike, his hand on the back tire. It was immediately obvious that he had a flat.
I laid my bike on its side and went over to him.
He looked at me, frowning. “This might slow us down.”
Standing with my hands on my hips, I glanced at his bike and then at mine. “Well, we could try riding double.”
“Good idea.” He walked away from his bike and toward mine, lifting it from the ground. “Maybe I could drive and you could sit on the handle bars?”
Regretting my suggestion, I looked at the bike. “Uh, I guess we could try that.”
“Or we can just walk.”
I grimaced. “We still have, like, twenty miles to go.”
“Just saying it’s an option.”
I took the backpack off of my shoulders and handed it to him. “It might be better if you’re wearing this.”
“Yeah.” He put it on, then straddled the bike. “Okay. Let’s give this a try.”
I had to admit, I was a little nervous. But the other option—walking twenty miles when my legs already felt like rubber—didn’t appeal to me either. He held the handlebars steady and I backed up over the front wheel, then using the handlebars as leverage, I lifted myself up enough to sit onto the handlebars. Though it was awkward, I kept my balance.
“Okay,” Billy said. “Here we go.”
Off we went. After a short time the seating arrangement became uncomfortable, but I didn’t complain and kept my mind on the tunnel that we were sure to reach soon.
“Too bad this isn’t a motorcycle,” Billy murmured right behind me.
“Do you have a motorcycle?”
“I used to. A dirt bike.”
“What happened to it?”
He was quiet for a moment. “We sold it.”
“Who sold it?”
He was silent for even longer. “My family.”
“Oh.” I was curious about his story, but reluctant to dig when he seemed so uncomfortable talking about his family. We rode in silence and I watched the scenery as we went by—orchards, fields growing some type of produce, an occasional house. Suddenly, there in front of us, was a dead animal. “Look out,” I shouted, but Billy hardly had time to react.
He swerved to avoid it, but that caused me to lose my balance, and as I began falling, I gripped the handlebars as if that would keep me from falling. The only problem was, that made the whole bike tilt sideways. Though Billy held on, the front wheel turned sharply to the right and we fell over in a heap.
When I hit the ground, I felt the skin on my arm scrape the pavement, then my shoulder hit the ground, jolting me. I let out a scream, then looked at the damage. My right arm was scratched and bleeding, but other than that and a sore shoulder, I was okay. I looked at Billy and he seemed all right too. The bike was a different story. The front rim was bent and some of the spokes had popped loose.
“Are you okay?” Billy asked as he crouched next to me on the ground and looked at my arm.
“I’ll live.”
He pulled off the backpack and found the first-aid kit we’d taken from my house, then cleaned up my arm. “That should help.”
My arm looked a lot better. “Thanks.”
“We should probably change the bandages on our arms while we’re at it.”
I looked at the place on my arm where we’d sliced out the chip and saw that the bandage was pretty dirty. Billy changed the bandage on my arm, and then I changed the one on his, then we drank some water.
“Well, now I guess we have to walk.” He smiled half-heartedly as he stood.
I took the GPS out and turned it on. “Looks like we have fifteen miles left.”
“That’s not too bad. And it’s only noon. We should be able to make it.”
I was going on thirty-one hours with no sleep, my legs were sore, and I was on edge, waiting for the Enforcers to roar up to us in their car at any moment. Too tired to complain, I just nodded. “Yeah.”
He rolled the bike off of the road as best he could and laid it on the ground, then walked back to me. “Let’s go.”
I pushed myself off of the ground and stood next to him, the backpack in my hands.
“I’ll carry that,” he offered, taking it from me.
I was happy to hand it over, and once he put it on we began walking. We stayed on the edge of the road as we walked—far enough to avoid getting hit by the rare cars that drove by, but close enough to walk on even ground.
We trudged along for at least two miles before a house came into view. It was set well off the road, surrounded by trees, with a long dirt road leading to the front. A moment later I heard the sound of a distant car approaching. We hadn’t seen a car in the last half hour, but every time one passed, my heart pounded with fear.
I looked over my shoulder at the one that was still quite a ways away, but did a double-take when I thought I saw a light bar on the roof. “Are those Enforcers?”
Billy looked over his shoulder, then grabbed my arm and urged me forward. “Yeah, I think so.” His gaze frantically searched the area. “Over there. Behind those trees.”
Though my legs were like lead weights, the rush of adrenaline gave me sudden energy and we sprinted toward the thick trees that concealed the house, and hid behind the closest one. A moment later the car drove by, and sure enough, it carried a pair of Enforcers. Nausea welled up inside me and I felt a sudden dull ache push against my skull.
“That was close,” Billy whispered. “Too close.”
I nodded, too scared and worn out to speak. Hansen’s promise to kill me—for that’s how I thought of it—kept playing through my mind. If they caught me and brought me back to Camp Willowmoss, I had no doubt that not only would Hansen make my life a living hell—before he actually did kill me in some horrific manner—but all of his buddies would too. I simply could not get caught.
“What are you kids doing?” an older female voice called out to us.
I spun around, startled, and saw a woman with deep wrinkles in her face and a puff of gray hair. She wore an apron and stood on the porch of the small house, the door hanging open behind her.
“Come over here, now.” She motioned for us to approach.
I looked at Billy and he glanced at the woman, then he shrugged. The two of us walked side by side to the porch, stopping at the foot of the three steps that led upward. Maybe it was the warm smile on her face or the apron she wore, but she reminded me of my grandmother, a woman who was fiercely independent but loved her family more than anything.
“What are you doing in my yard?” she asked, waving her arm around to encompass the tree-filled space.
I glanced in the doorway behind her, afraid someone else was inside, someone who might be calling the Enforcers to come pick us up. Maybe her job was to stall us long enough for them to show up—then she could get the reward money.
“Well?”
Billy smiled. “I’m sorry we bothered you, ma’am. We’ll be on our way.”
She smiled back. “There’s no hurry, son. I don’t get many visitors out here. Why don’t you come in and rest for a spell? You look plum worn out.”
She was right about that, but I still didn’t trust that she wasn’t just trying to stall us. “We should go,” I whispered to Billy.
“What’s that, dear?” she asked me.
“I, uh, I said we should get going.”
“Oh.” She looked genuinely disappointed. Whether it was because she saw her chance at the reward money about to walk away, or because she really wanted company, I wasn’t sure. “I just made lunch. Heated up some leftovers from dinner.” She leaned toward us conspiratorially. “Hamburger with real beef.” She winked. “I also made fresh apple pie.”
My stomach rumbled at the suggestion. Even though we’d eaten two power bars each, and even though I’d gotten used to feeling hungry, the mention of fresh apple pie made my mouth water. Was she trying to entice us with food because she knew we were escapees from the F.A.T. center, or was I just being paranoid?
“Maybe we can come in for just a minute,” Billy said, making the decision for us.
She clapped her hands together once. “Good. I love to have guests.” Then she turned and walked inside.
We mounted the porch steps, but when we reached the doorway I peeked inside before going in—a tidy room with wood floors, and furniture like my grandmother had in her house. And only the old woman.
“Come in, come in,” she said eagerly as she walked into an adjoining room.
Billy gave me a gentle shove and I stepped over the threshold, and the aroma of freshly baked pie filled my nose. I relaxed. She was telling the truth.
We walked toward the room where she’d gone—the kitchen—and Billy whispered, “Do you notice she doesn’t have a TV?”
I immediately caught on to what he was telling me. No TV meant she didn’t know who we were. My fears began to ease. When we walked into the kitchen, she was setting two placemats on a small round table, to join the one she’d already laid out.
“Sit down, sit down.” She smiled as she bustled around.
Billy took the backpack off of his shoulder and set it on the floor.
“Do you have a bathroom I could use?” I asked.
“Oh yes. It’s down the hall and to the right.”
“Thank you.” Not only did I want to freshen up, I wanted an excuse to check the place out and make sure my trust wasn’t misplaced. I walked back through the living room and into a hallway. There were three rooms off of the hallway—two bedrooms and a bathroom. I went into the first bedroom and looked around. A neatly made bed and a tidy dresser nearly filled the small space. I peeked in the closet for good measure, but the only thing I found were a few dresses hanging from the bar and some boxes stacked in a corner.
I went to the other bedroom, which appeared to be the room the woman used. This bed was neatly made as well, but on her dresser I saw several photos of a young family with two small boys. I wondered if these were her grandchildren and if they lived nearby.
I looked in her closet too, just to be safe, but no one was lurking. Next I went into the bathroom, and when I looked in the mirror I hardly recognized myself. My hair was a mess and the worry in my eyes was unmistakable. I freshened up, then opened the medicine cabinet, curious what I might find.
There were a few medications, but nothing that looked like an antibiotic—not that I planned to steal from this woman—so I closed the door and went back to the kitchen.
“Everything okay?” Billy asked.
I nodded. “Everything’s great.”
He smiled. “Mrs. Duncan said she has enough food for us to split a hamburger.”
I looked at Mrs. Duncan, who was mixing a pitcher of liquid, her back to us. At Billy’s words, she turned and nodded, then went back to her task.
Billy leaned toward me and whispered, “I’m Brian and you’re Michelle.”
I nodded. “Thank you for inviting us to lunch, Mrs. Duncan.”
She set the spoon in the sink and carried the pitcher to the table. “You’re very welcome, dear.” She pointed to the pitcher. “Help yourself to the lemonade.” With a twinkle in her eye, she said, “It’s made with real sugar.”
“Did you make your pie with real sugar too?” I asked.
“Oh yes. There’s really no other way to make it taste right.”
“But isn’t that expensive?”
“Well, it’s kind of a treat. But I’ve been around a lot of years and I’m not going to change the way I cook just because a bunch of . . .” She stopped suddenly. “Please, have some lemonade.” Then she turned her back and began working at the counter.
I looked at Billy, my eyebrows raised.
He smiled and shrugged.
A few minutes later Mrs. Duncan set half a hamburger on each of our plates, including her own. “I’m sorry they’re not whole, but that’s all I had.”
“No, that’s fine,” I said. “They smell heavenly.”
She placed a plate of fresh vegetables on the table as well, then sat down. “Help yourselves.”
I took a bite of the hamburger and my taste buds rejoiced. “This is wonderful. I haven’t had a real hamburger in ages.” In fact, I hadn’t had one since I’d stepped foot in this world. Only the veggie burgers that seemed so popular.
“Thank you.”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever had a hamburger made with real beef,” Billy said. “Is it difficult to get?”
She suddenly seemed nervous. “Where are you two headed?”
“East,” Billy said before I had a chance to respond.
Her gaze went to the bandage on Billy’s arm, then to mine. “What happened to you?”
I’d only eaten half of my hamburger, but my appetite disappeared under her questioning. “Uh, I fell.”
She nodded. “And you, Brian?”
I had to suppress a grin when she called him by his alias.
“Yeah, I fell too.”
“That’s very strange. You both falling and getting hurt at the same exact place.”
Billy stood suddenly. “Thanks again for lunch, but we should be going.”
Taking my cue from Billy, I stood as well.
Mrs. Duncan chuckled. “Sit down now. Both of you.”
I glanced at Billy and he looked at me, neither one of us moving.
“Please.”
Slowly, we sat back down.
“You’re those two kids who ran off from that Federally Assisted Thinning center, aren’t you?”
“No TV, huh,” I said under my breath, my anxiety notching up.
“No, I don’t have a television,” Mrs. Duncan said. “But I do have a radio. And of course, Internet.”
I sighed. “You didn’t call the Enforcers, did you?”
“Of course not. I don’t take kindly to what our government has done. I well remember the way it used to be and I don’t approve of the control they want to have now.”
My tension loosened a bit at her words. Unless she was just pretending. But if she’d called the Enforcers, surely they would have come by now.
“Now, what are your real names? I can’t remember what they said on the news.”
“Billy and Morgan, ma’am,” Billy said.
“Oh yes. Well, welcome to my home, both of you.”
“Thank you,” I said, as my appetite returned. “Would you mind if I charge up my GPS device?”
“No, you go right ahead.”
I plugged it in, noticing it was down to fifteen percent, then went back to the table.
When we’d finished our hamburgers and vegetables, Mrs. Duncan brought out her apple pie. My mouth watered as I imagined the sweet flavor. She gave each of us a generous slice and I enjoyed every bite.
“We really do appreciate the meal,” Billy said. “But we have to get going.”
“I understand.”
“Would you mind if we filled our water bottles before we left?” Billy asked.
“Of course not. You help yourself.”
I helped Billy fill the six water bottles, then we put them in the pack, along with the charged up GPS device.
“Morgan?” Billy said quietly as I zipped the backpack closed. “Maybe we should call this guy we’re meeting and see if he’ll meet us outside of Walland. That way we won’t have to go right into the middle of town.”
“Good idea.” I turned to Mrs. Duncan. “Do you mind if I use your phone?”
“That’s fine, dear.” She pointed to a wall-mounted phone, one with a long cord attached to it.
I took Fred’s phone number out of my pocket and punched it in. He answered right away. “Hi, it’s me, Morgan.”
“I’m glad you called.”
“You are? Why?”
“I’m really sorry, but I’m not going to be able to help you out.”
My heart pounded at this new wrinkle. “Why not? Just a few hours ago you said you would.”
“I know. But that was before I knew you was a fugitive. I can’t afford any more trouble with the gov’ment. I’m really sorry. Good luck.” Then he hung up.
I stared at the phone, now dead in my hand. A moment later a dial tone sounded and I hung the phone back in its cradle. When I turned to look at Billy, he and Mrs. Duncan were both watching me. I looked directly at Billy. “We have a problem.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“What’s wrong?”
“Will you excuse us a minute, Mrs. Duncan?” I asked.
“Sure, honey.”
I pulled Billy into the living room. “Fred bailed on us.”
“What? Why?”
“He found out the Enforcers are after us and he doesn’t want to get involved.” I frowned. “I can’t say that I blame him.”
