“Makara…”
“No. It’s fine. You’re our fearless leader. We’ll follow you to Bunker One, even if it means you’ll probably kill yourself in the process. I just hope those Files are worth the price.”
“They will be,” Samuel said. “I’m sure of it.” His eyes turned to Lisa. “Are you sure about this? There’s a good chance we won’t make it back. We could sure use someone like you, but no one’s forcing you to do this.”
“When Makara told me about what you guys were doing, I wanted to help. I’ve been cooped up in that bar too long, and I’ve never been one to ignore the call to adventure. That’s why I became a Raider in the first place.”
“We have a mission to accomplish,” Samuel said. “As long as you know how serious this is, we’ll all get along fine.”
“I’ve been nothing but serious my whole life. I’m ready for this.”
Samuel’s and Lisa’s eyes met and locked for a moment. I wanted to smile. It was clear that they each liked what they saw. Turning away, Samuel cleared his throat.
“Anyway, we’ll head out tomorrow morning, before sunrise. I want to make it at least to the Boundless by tomorrow night, which shouldn’t be a problem, barring difficulties.”
“Great,” Lisa said. “I’ll get my stuff ready.”
Char shook his head. “I don’t like this, but I won’t be stopping you. You make some good points, Samuel, but it is my medical opinion that you should give the wound another week to heal. Another week and the chance of infection will go way down. You’re asking for trouble if you head out tomorrow.”
Samuel listened. I could tell that Char’s words carried a lot of weight, but Samuel remained resolute. “No. It’s now or never. I can feel it in my bones. I wish I could wait that long. But I can’t.”
Char nodded. “So be it.”
Anna, who had been quiet the whole time, looked between Char and Samuel. I wondered what she was thinking. If only she could come with us…I almost wanted to suggest it, only I knew Char would want to keep her in Raider Bluff. Besides, she and Makara had gotten off on the wrong foot.
“If there is anything you can’t find in the stores, come see me and I will supply it myself.”
With a nod, Char left the room, Anna in tow.
“I’ve already mapped our journey,” Samuel said. “I don’t know how long it will take, but I expect plenty of roadblocks along the way, especially once we make it to the Great Blight. You guys can spend the rest of the day figuring out what we need. Alex has all the batts to buy supplies– we just need plenty of cold weather gear, as well as ammunition. Maybe some spare guns, just in case. Makara, you’re good at that kind of thing, so you’re in charge. Take the batts and make sure we’re stocked for the journey. I’ll check on you guys later.”
“Lisa and I will take care of it,” she said.
“What can I do?” I asked.
“Get the Recon prepped. Have someone who knows what they’re doing take a look at it to make sure it won’t break down on us. Extra water might be good in case we can’t refill somewhere in the desert.”
“How much water?”
Samuel paused. “As much as you can fit in the back. Once you’re done with that, help out where you can.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “I’ll get started.”
“Take care out there,” Samuel said.
That was it. We were leaving tomorrow.
The next morning hadn’t even dawned, but we all stood in the courtyard in the dry cold, making last-minute preparations on the Recon. I stood bleary-eyed, grumpy, cold, and hungry, every bone and muscle aching in my body. It was a bad combination. I had spent half the night making sure Khloe was working fine, as well as helping Makara and Lisa pack everything away. After that, we triple-checked that we had everything we needed. We weren’t coming back for anything.
After asking around a bit, I had found a guy named Tony, the Alpha Compound’s garage head. He checked the hydrogen fuel cell and pressure tank, the thick all-terrain tires, the engine — everything that could be checked in the limited time we had. He didn’t mind staying up late; he was just glad to get the chance to peek under the hood of a vehicle he had only heard of, and never seen. Tony made recommendations for spare parts and, once Makara returned from shopping, showed her how to replace these parts in case they broke down.
Besides the Recon, we had stocked food for a month, 250 gallons of water (mostly for refueling), cold weather gear including snow boots and thick clothing, face masks, medicine and bandages, cooking equipment, a few extra rifles, and plenty of ammunition. We had spent every last batt to get all these things. Makara had been right, out in the Wasteland. A few batts could go a long way.
Fifteen minutes after reconvening, we had crossed out everything on the checklist. We were ready to leave.
We had been in Raider Bluff only a few days, yet so much had happened in that time. I looked for Anna among the small group of Raiders gathered to see us off. I was a little disappointed that she wasn’t there.
Char stood before Makara. At first, they grabbed each other’s forearms with both hands — a typical Raider gesture, I guess. Char broke and hugged Makara tightly.
“Be safe out there, kid,” he said. “Come back in one piece.”
“I’ll try, Char. Believe me.”
Char pulled back, and we got in the Recon. Makara settled behind the wheel, already turning the key.
The engine roared to life and the needle on the dash climbed as pressure built in the hydrogen tank. For some reason, that familiar hum that came from the cargo bay was comforting.
The wheels moved, and we drove to the gates of the compound. We were finally off.
No one said anything as we navigated the city’s dirt roads. In a matter of weeks, maybe days, we would be in Bunker One — assuming we didn’t die before that. I couldn’t think about that, though. Not now.
We had brought antibiotics in case Samuel’s wound acted up. So far he had given no signs of distress. I didn’t know if it was because he was truly okay, or because he was hiding the pain. Probably the second one. His left arm would be in that sling for a while, but his right hand could still aim and shoot.
We were on the bottom level of Bluff. The streets were mostly empty.
“Oh no,” Makara said.
“What?” I asked.
“It’s… her!”
I looked out the windshield. It was Anna, standing in front of the city gates with her katana drawn.
Chapter 8
Makara stepped on the accelerator.
“Makara, what are you doing?” I asked.
“She is not coming with us.”
“Well, she definitely won’t if you kill her.”
“Makara, stop!” Samuel said.
The words went unheeded. Anna stood her ground, staring defiantly at the oncoming Recon. Makara was not slowing down. In fact, she sped for the open gates.
At the last moment, when it looked as if Anna was going to get run over, Makara slammed on the brakes. Still, Anna stood firm.
The vehicle skidded to the right, nearing the cliff edge. Finally, at the last possible moment, Anna jumped out of the way. The Recon was about to fall off the cliff and into the desert below.
Makara regained control, flooring it. The gates of Raider Bluff were left behind as we sped down the narrow road.
“Slow down, Makara!” Samuel said. “You’re going to kill us all!”
“Thought she could stop us,” Makara said. “I guess I proved her wrong.”
“Makara, that’s enough,” Samuel said.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “It’s done.”
“You really don’t like her, huh?” I asked.
My question went unanswered when I heard the roar of an engine behind us. A single headlight materialized in the dawn darkness.