Without Law 9, page 16
Tara looked better than she had earlier, somehow her under eye bags had disappeared and she looked bright eyed and bushy tailed. She had on black skinny jeans, hiking boots, and a green athletic sweater under her vest. She wore her hair down like Paige, the platinum blonde locks framing her face beautifully.
Bailey’s hair was down as usual, the honey blonde mane hitting just below her collar bones. She had on skinny jeans, hiking boots, and a long sleeve black shirt under her vest. Her cheeks were red from the morning air and she smiled as she walked over to us, flashing her pearly white teeth.
“Alright,” I said with a clap. “You all look ready to go.”
“Ready as ever,” Bailey said with a smile.
“Let’s do it,” Paige said.
“Okay,” I said. “Everyone double check the supplies attached to your bike and make sure that everything is there.”
The girls all looked in the attached duffle bags and called out when they were sure the supplies were correct.
“I think that’s it,” Anna said. “Are we ready?”
“Appears so,” I said.
“Aw,” Bailey said with a frown. “I hate to leave Winchester.”
“I know,” I said. “But we’ll be back soon, and Rolly and Betty will take good care of him.”
“You’re right,” Bailey said with a small smile. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Alright,” I laughed.
Paige led us through the woods and down to the road, which took at least an hour. By the time we got to the main highway the sun was high in the sky and the day had begun to warm up.
“Thank God,” Tara said. “We can actually ride now.”
“Sorry about that,” Paige said. “There wasn’t any other way to get us out of there.”
I did a quick scan of the area, then I hopped on my bike and pedaled away down the road.
“Hey!” Tara shouted. “Wait for us!”
“You mean wait for you!” Anna yelled back as she came up next to me.
I stopped for a minute to wait for the other girls.
“Aw.” Anna frowned. “We were winning.”
“You’ll win every time,” I chuckled.
“You’re right,” the redhead said with a smug smile. “It’s barely a competition.”
“Let’s focus on getting where we’re going first,” I said. “Then we can start the competition.”
“Deal,” Anna laughed.
“Whew,” Bailey said as she caught up with us.
“I shouldn’t have eaten so much cake last night,” Paige chuckled as she pulled up next to Bailey.
“Dear God,” Tara breathed as she finally caught up to everyone.
“Are you okay?” Paige asked with genuine concern.
“I’m fine,” the platinum blonde snapped between gasps.
“You’ll be okay,” I chuckled. “It’s probably just because you didn’t feel good this morning.”
“Yeah,” Tara agreed. “Sorry, Paige.”
“It’s okay,” Paige said with an amused smile.
“Is everyone ready?” I asked. “We’re going to go at a nice pace from here on out.”
“Ready,” Anna said with a grin.
“We all know you’re ready,” Tara said with narrowed eyes at the redhead.
“I’ll let that slide since you were dying this morning,” the redhead said with a raised brow.
“I am cranky as hell and I appreciate that,” Tara chuckled.
“Alright,” I said. “Let’s go.”
I took off at an even pace to make sure everyone could keep up and we rode along easily. The road was clear and I made sure to keep an eye on our surroundings as we rode.
After a while of riding I saw some figures up ahead sprawled out on the road, and I realized they were the people who had frozen to death over the winter.
“Heads up,” I said.
“I see it,” Anna said.
“Are they bodies?” Paige asked.
“Yeah,” I said.
I slowed down to maneuver through the bodies.
“Hey,” Bailey said, and I turned to see she had stopped.
“What is it?” I asked.
“They all look super peaceful,” the blond said.
“Just like Paige said,” Anna added.
I inspected the faces of the deceased to see that Bailey was right. They each had a sort of peaceful smile. Their eyes were closed and they looked relaxed. I had always felt it was cliche, but then I understood what people meant when they said that the dead looked like they could be asleep.
“As much as I'm enjoying this break,” Tara said. “Can we move away from the dead bodies?”
“Oh, right,” Bailey said, and she started to pedal once more.
Anna had been right, it was a beautiful day, and it only got more beautiful as we rode. It had been several hours, and I figured it was about time for a lunch break. My legs were slightly sore from the extent of our pedaling, but more than that I was hungry once more after burning what I was sure was several hundred calories. I pulled off to the side of the road and scanned the area to make sure nobody was around. The girls followed suit and pulled in next to me to park their bikes.
“Is it time for lunch?” Paige asked.
“It is,” I said with a smile.
“Thank God,” Tara groaned, and she sat down, then splayed out and laid on the ground.
“Dude,” Anna chuckled.
“What?” Tara said. “We just biked like two hundred miles.”
“It was closer to fifteen,” Paige said.
“Well it felt like a million,” the platinum blonde said.
“Make sure you drink plenty of water,” I said.
“On it,” Tara said, and she pulled a bottle from her pack.
“Have we really gone fifteen miles?” Anna asked Paige.
“Just about.” Paige nodded.
“How far is it to the harbor?” Bailey asked.
“Close to eighty,” the brunette said.
“Holy hell,” Tara groaned. “My legs are gonna fall off.”
“Let’s just focus on getting some food right now,” I chuckled.
Anna pulled out some rabbit jerky and biscuits for us and passed them around.
“Mmm,” I said. “The only thing that could make this better would be--”
“Hot sauce?” Anna asked, and she pulled out a small bottle from her backpack.
“Exactly,” I laughed.
“Here.” The redhead handed me the bottle after she dashed some on her own lunch.
“Can I try some, too?” Paige asked.
“Of course,” I said and I passed the bottle.
We ate in silence for a moment. I knew I was hungry after the long ride, and I knew the girls had to be hungry as well.
“This hot sauce is the shit,” Paige said.
“It’s my favorite,” I said. “Louisiana.”
“I always did like Sracha,” Bailey said.
“Of course you did,” Tara chuckled.
“What do you mean?” the blonde asked.
“You were a hipster,” Tara said matter-of-factly.
“I was?” Bailey asked with pinched eyebrows.
“Definitely,” Anna said.
“You guys didn’t even know me before this,” Bailey chuckled.
“Yeah, but we saw you around campus,” Tara said. “You were totally a hipster.”
“What qualifies as a hipster?” Bailey asked.
“Well, your peace sign shirts for one,” Tara said.
“That shirt was vintage,” Bailey said with narrowed eyes.
“Exactly,” the platinum blonde laughed.
“Also,” Anna said. “You were vegan. Definitely a hipster thing.”
“I wasn’t vegan because I was a hipster,” Bailey protested.
“Maybe not,” Paige said. “But the two are often mutually exclusive.”
“What is even happening here?” Bailey asked, and she looked around with wide eyes.
“We’re just telling you like it is,” Tara chuckled.
“Hipster or not,” I said. “I think you’re great.”
“Thanks,” Bailey said.
“Oh, you totally are great,” Tara said.
“Whatever,” Bailey said with narrowed eyes.
“Hey,” Tara said. “We didn’t mean to offend you.”
“Yeah,” Paige said. “You were a hipster, I was a nerd. So what?”
“I was a jock,” Anna said with a shrug.
“I was preppy as hell,” Tara added.
“We aren’t limited to those things,” Paige said. “They just were a part of us.”
“They still are,” I chuckled.
“I guess you’re right,” Bailey laughed. “I always hated hipsters though.”
“That’s literally just another sign that you’re a hipster,” Tara said with a shake of her head.
“You can’t be serious,” Bailey groaned as she cocked her head to the side.
“Sadly, she is,” Anna said. “Didn’t you ever talk to a hipster?”
“It’s like none of them knew they were hipsters,” Paige said. “So weird.”
“Alright, alright,” Bailey snickered. “Let’s get going. I’m tired of this hipster talk.”
“Everyone is always tired of hipster talk,” Tara laughed.
“Okay,” I said with a grin. “Let’s get going.”
I hopped on my bike and pushed off ahead of the girls.
The day was beautiful and blue and the road was clear. The world had begun to bloom with the spring and you could see where small patches of grass and flowers had popped up from the ground. It wasn’t a warm day by any means, but I was hot and sweaty from the length of our ride and my body was sore from staying in the same position for so long.
We rode for hours until the sun was low in the western sky, and then I decided it was time to pull off and make shelter. I kept an eye out for a good spot to camp for the evening, and when I finally spotted a wooded area up ahead that looked dense enough to cover us for the night I called out to the girls.
“We’re gonna pull off up ahead,” I yelled back with a point.
Just before I got to the trees a raindrop fell and splattered on my cheek, and then another and another until it had begun to pour in just a matter of seconds.
We were far from home, and it was still cold enough at night that if we got soaked from the rain, there was a real risk of getting hypothermia.
We needed to get to shelter, and soon.
Chapter 10
“Aw, come on!” Tara yelled, and she threw her arms down to her sides.
“Let’s get the tent set up,” I hollered as I jumped off my bike.
The wind had begun to blow like crazy and it pushed against Anna and I as we tried to get the tent out of its bag.
“Here!” Bailey shouted, and she ran over to try to hold down the pieces that tried to go flying.
Thunder sounded in the sky behind us. It had only been a minute since the rain had started but we were absolutely drenched from the downpour and the wind and thunder made it so loud we had to yell to be heard.
I slid the tent poles through their designated spots while the girls held the fabric in place, and soon we almost had a tent.
“Tav, hold it down!” Paige yelled as she hammered in the stakes.
“Make sure they’re deep in there,” I shouted. “The ground is loose from the rain.”
“On it!” the brunette hollered back.
Anna, Bailey, Tara, and I each held a corner of the tent as Paige went around and secured each side.
“Done!” the brunette shouted after a few moments.
“Grab the supplies from the bikes,” I yelled.
The girls all grabbed the duffle bags, but I pulled out a tarp from mine and used it and some rocks to cover our bikes from the rain. The last thing we needed were rusty chains, and though it was only one storm, I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary damage to our main source of transportation at that point.
“Hurry up!” Anna yelled from the tent.
“Yeah, get in here!” Tara added.
I placed the last rock on the tarp, then ran over to the tent, and hopped inside. Anna and Paige zipped up the small tent after I was out of the way, and though I could still hear the rain, wind, and thunder, it was much quieter in our little shelter.
The sun hadn’t set quite yet, but the sky was dark with the storm, so not much light came in and we were shrouded in a dark blue light.
“Wait,” Bailey said, and she dug through a bag.
“Oh, yeah,” Paige said. “The lantern.”
Bailey got the lamp lit and set it in the middle of the group.
“That’s great,” I said with a smile. “Thanks.”
“Oh, my god,” Tara pouted. “I’m soaked.”
“We’re all soaked,” Anna said as she wrung out her braid into her already wet sweater she had taken off.
“You’re going to get the tent all wet,” Tara said with a glare at the redhead.
“We’re all going to get the tent wet,” Paige chuckled.
“Let’s see about getting on some dry clothes,” I said.
“Good idea,” Bailey said with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll all feel better then.”
We each found some clothes, though we hadn’t packed many extras, and changed quickly. Paige also laid out the blankets and pillows for us so the tent felt much cozier.
Thunder sounded from outside, then the sky lit up with a flash of lightning and Bailey jumped slightly.
“We’re okay,” I said quietly. “We’ll be safe here.”
“I know,” Bailey breathed. “That just started me.”
“How about some dinner?” I asked.
“Yes, please,” Paige said with a grin.
“We won’t be able to cook anything,” I said.
“It’s alright,” Bailey said. “Paige and I tried to pack mostly stuff that was good to eat cold.”
“Good call on that,” I said. “Let’s see what we have here.”
“We have beans, corn, green beans, and plenty of smoked meat,” Paige said.
“Sounds good to me,” I said with a soft smile.
Paige and Bailey made plates for everyone while Anna finished drying her long hair, and Tara wrapped herself in blankets until she looked like a giant burrito.
“Thanks for making dinner,” Anna said as Paige passed her a plate.
“We didn’t really make anything,” the brunette chuckled.
“You know what I mean,” the redhead said with an eye roll.
“You’re welcome,” Bailey said.
Dinner was nothing special, and definitely not as good as the food we had become accustomed to eating, but it was sustenance and it was fine for the next couple of days.
I ate quickly and made sure to drink a good bit of water. It was dark outside, and the rain had yet to let up, so while the girls finished eating I listened to the sound of it patter against the tent.
I had always loved the sound of rain, and even chilled to the bone and stuck on the road, the rain had a way of soothing troubles away.
“I’m still cold,” Tara said from her blanket burrito.
“I’m sure if you give it a minute you’ll get warm,” I chuckled.
“I think I need skin to skin contact,” the platinum blonde said with a wicked grin.
“That would be the best way to warm up,” Paige said with a nod.
“Alright,” I laughed and took my shirt off. “Bring it in.”
“Mmm,” Tara said as she snuggled against me.
“Hey,” Paige said. “I want in there, too.”
“Me three,” Anna said.
“And me,” Bailey added.
Before long I was surrounded with the girls, each pressed up against my chest as best as they could. Their bodies warmed me up and I felt them all relax as they settled in next to me.
“I’m not tired yet,” Anna said after a while.
“But we’re so snuggly,” Tara said.
“And we rode almost fourty miles today,” Paige said.
“Yeah,” Bailey added. “How are you not tired?”
“I don’t know,” Anna chuckled.
“Well, why don’t we play a sleep game?” Bailey asked.
“What the hell is a sleep game?” Tara asked.
“We can play the alphabet game with celebrities,” Bailey said.
“Let’s play close our eyes and be quiet,” the platinum blonde retorted, and she snuggled closer to my chest.
“Alright,” Anna said. “Have it your way.”
“Thank you,” Tara mumbled.
I stared at the ceiling of the tent and listened to the rain come down around us. Before long the girls breaths were all even and slow and I knew they had succumbed to their exhaustion. It had been a long day riding and I couldn't blame them for being tired, I was tired myself. My body was sore as all hell from holding my riding position, so I stretched out each of my limbs until they felt a little looser than they had before.
I contemplated staying up on watch duty, but I knew we were in a safe place and hidden by the trees. Not to mention if anyone was out in the storm they’d probably end up with hypothermia by the end of it. The nights still grew incredibly cold, and if you were wet out in that chill you were bound to catch something.
Instead, I closed my eyes and listened to the rain.
The next morning I woke to the sound of birds above us.
“Hey,” I whispered as I sat up.
“Mmm,” Paige yawned and reached for her glasses. “Is it time to go?”
“We’ll eat some breakfast first,” I chuckled.
“Oh, good,” the brunette said with a grin.
Anna and Bailey sat up and stretched next.
“Good morning,” Bailey said.
“Did I hear something about breakfast?” Anna asked.
“Mhm,” Paige said. “Let me grab us something.”
“Tara,” I said and I shook the platinum blond’s elbow gently.
“Five more minutes,” she grumbled and turned away from me.
“Afraid not,” I chuckled. “It’s time to eat, then we’ll need to get on the road.”
“Fine,” the platinum blonde moaned, and she sat up and stretched, her perky breasts pushed toward the sky.
