silence,
had he done something wrong? As Sam’s smile faded she raised her hand to her
mouth and he could see her fingers shaking. But she wasn’t mad. Turning his
attention to Jack he could see that his older brother had gone momentarily
rigid too. Something else was wrong.
Turning away from the frightened faces of both Jack and Sam,
Will looked in the same direction as they were, and his breathing caught in his
chest. There, on the street below, raced a man in a long coat upon a horse in
the distance. Though he was miles away, it was obvious that they had been
spotted as the horse and rider charged directly towards them.
Chapter Ten
With a lump in his throat, Jack’s stomach twisted within
him. It was the same man on the horse. Even from this distance he knew it, and
the man had seen them. There was only one thing they could do. Turning, Jack
grabbed Will’s wrist as Sam’s panic-stricken face resolved and she turned to
follow his lead, as she took Will’s free hand. Together they turned east upon
the interstate and began running. Even from so far away, the rider would be
able to see which way they were going. He could move five times faster on the
horse than they could on foot. He would catch them in an hour, give or take. Jack
was counting on it.
Weaving in between fallen signs and destroyed cars, Will led
his siblings as fast as he could, guiding them on, looking over his left
shoulder again and again to mark the rider’s progress. Down the far slope of
the overpass they ran, scattering dust and glass as they went. When they
reached the divided lanes of the interstate only a hundred yards further he led
them into the grass of the median, before dragging them to a halt between the
two opposing lanes of traffic.
“Now you listen and listen good,” Jack said, the sternness
in his own voice sounding in his ears the same as his father had that last day.
“Follow the grass back towards the overpass. Stay off the glass and ash on the
road. Go under the overpass, but be careful he doesn’t see you. You’ll have to
be fast and hide up near the top, where the bridge crosses over. Hide and I’ll
come back.”
“You can’t just leave us,” Sam pleaded, tears already
beginning from her eyes. “Not like Dad.”
“I’m not, just trust me, there is no time. Now go!” Jack
shouted, shoving Sam and Will away from himself as he turned and began
sprinting away.
Measuring his every breath he stretched out his strides,
feeling the air pass over his face and through his hair. Running was freedom. Here
in this moment, he could get away from anything. In the past he had used it to get
away from Mom and Dad’s nagging about his grades or preparing for college. He
had even used it to get over his grandfather’s passing, but he couldn’t use it
now. Couldn’t enjoy it. Leaving Sam and Will behind felt like a betrayal, even
if he knew it was the only way. Glancing back, just once, he saw their fleeing
backs. They had done as he had told them.
Stretching each stride to the last inch he pushed his sore
muscles and veered off course, listening to his boots upon the pavement before
moving back into the grass. Ahead, maybe two miles, was a rise and then sight
ahead was lost. Two miles. Twelve minutes, maybe more if he was slower now than
he had been months ago. He had to keep up pace.
Again he swerved onto the concrete, leaving tracks in the
ash on its surface. They were probably useless, but if the rider had companions
who were following, they would follow the tracks. At least that’s what Jack
hoped. One mile down.
On and on he ran, feeling his pulse level out at its normal
running pace and he matched his breathing to the perfect clock of his heart. With
every beat he took a stride, and with every stride he watched the ground sweep
beneath his feet. Minutes slowed as the world seemed to stretch out to infinity
in front of him but on Jack raced, refusing to give up. Another half a mile
down.
Faster and faster he
had he done something wrong? As Sam’s smile faded she raised her hand to her
mouth and he could see her fingers shaking. But she wasn’t mad. Turning his
attention to Jack he could see that his older brother had gone momentarily
rigid too. Something else was wrong.
Turning away from the frightened faces of both Jack and Sam,
Will looked in the same direction as they were, and his breathing caught in his
chest. There, on the street below, raced a man in a long coat upon a horse in
the distance. Though he was miles away, it was obvious that they had been
spotted as the horse and rider charged directly towards them.
Chapter Ten
With a lump in his throat, Jack’s stomach twisted within
him. It was the same man on the horse. Even from this distance he knew it, and
the man had seen them. There was only one thing they could do. Turning, Jack
grabbed Will’s wrist as Sam’s panic-stricken face resolved and she turned to
follow his lead, as she took Will’s free hand. Together they turned east upon
the interstate and began running. Even from so far away, the rider would be
able to see which way they were going. He could move five times faster on the
horse than they could on foot. He would catch them in an hour, give or take. Jack
was counting on it.
Weaving in between fallen signs and destroyed cars, Will led
his siblings as fast as he could, guiding them on, looking over his left
shoulder again and again to mark the rider’s progress. Down the far slope of
the overpass they ran, scattering dust and glass as they went. When they
reached the divided lanes of the interstate only a hundred yards further he led
them into the grass of the median, before dragging them to a halt between the
two opposing lanes of traffic.
“Now you listen and listen good,” Jack said, the sternness
in his own voice sounding in his ears the same as his father had that last day.
“Follow the grass back towards the overpass. Stay off the glass and ash on the
road. Go under the overpass, but be careful he doesn’t see you. You’ll have to
be fast and hide up near the top, where the bridge crosses over. Hide and I’ll
come back.”
“You can’t just leave us,” Sam pleaded, tears already
beginning from her eyes. “Not like Dad.”
“I’m not, just trust me, there is no time. Now go!” Jack
shouted, shoving Sam and Will away from himself as he turned and began
sprinting away.
Measuring his every breath he stretched out his strides,
feeling the air pass over his face and through his hair. Running was freedom. Here
in this moment, he could get away from anything. In the past he had used it to get
away from Mom and Dad’s nagging about his grades or preparing for college. He
had even used it to get over his grandfather’s passing, but he couldn’t use it
now. Couldn’t enjoy it. Leaving Sam and Will behind felt like a betrayal, even
if he knew it was the only way. Glancing back, just once, he saw their fleeing
backs. They had done as he had told them.
Stretching each stride to the last inch he pushed his sore
muscles and veered off course, listening to his boots upon the pavement before
moving back into the grass. Ahead, maybe two miles, was a rise and then sight
ahead was lost. Two miles. Twelve minutes, maybe more if he was slower now than
he had been months ago. He had to keep up pace.
Again he swerved onto the concrete, leaving tracks in the
ash on its surface. They were probably useless, but if the rider had companions
who were following, they would follow the tracks. At least that’s what Jack
hoped. One mile down.
On and on he ran, feeling his pulse level out at its normal
running pace and he matched his breathing to the perfect clock of his heart. With
every beat he took a stride, and with every stride he watched the ground sweep
beneath his feet. Minutes slowed as the world seemed to stretch out to infinity
in front of him but on Jack raced, refusing to give up. Another half a mile
down.
Faster and faster he
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