out at the small, deserted city. Wildlife had completely taken over, with vines and small trees growing in the middle of the street, and the mountains, as ever, looming above them. She didn’t like this place. Too quiet, and too many non-human species of animals. She thought of the mountain lion, sharing its prey, and seeming to accept her as a partner in killing. Here they would be just one among many species of killers. She hated the feeling that they were the monsters now.
But she didn’t really have much of a choice.
She looked at Declan.
“I thought we had forty miles left.”
Declan tried to shrug, but his midsection shifted and he grimaced.
“Maybe they drained the tank the same way they took the jugs of diesel,” said Trix.
“Maybe,” said Declan. “Jen, leave me behind. I can’t walk into town.”
“Fuck you, Munro,” Jenny said. “Wait here. We’ll find a way.”
Declan looked down at himself. He shook his head and looked at her. “Come on. I’ve held you back long enough.”
“Held me back from what?” Jenny said. “Just hang on. Trix, give him a knife.”
“Fuck you, what am I going to use?”
“Take his axe,” said Jenny. “He’s too weak to use it.”
Declan gritted his teeth.
“It’s not a commentary on your manhood,” Jenny said, irritated. “Just sit tight until we come back, okay? Do that for me?”
Declan finally nodded and Jenny, Trix and Benji got out of the car. Benji had taken a page out of Declan’s book and wrapped a piece of fabric around his neck, but couldn’t do much but paste a large bandage over his cheek.
“What are we supposed to do?” Benji said, his voice quiet, but clearly enunciated now. Jenny noticed that he didn’t like to move his jaw much. She suddenly felt guilty for complaining about her unwanted ability to regenerate. Benji was missing part of his face and neck. Forever.
“We can’t go to Expo,” said Trix.
“Why?” Benji said.
“We just can’t,” said Jenny.
“Time to find out where these fucking Colorado Dregs hang out,” said Trix.
“How do we do that?” said Jenny.
Trix pulled a pair of cracked and bent sunglasses out of her pocket and slipped them on. She smiled. “Just ask someone, cheerleader. You should know that by now.”
Jenny heard a motor and for a moment her heart sped up when the dune buggy came around the corner from the direction of the city. It kicked up a cloud of dust as the driver slammed on the brakes. Trix was smiling and walked toward him. The driver got out of the car, his hair a dirty, sad mohawk, his leathers old and torn. Jenny could smell him. Not just his blood, but his rankness, as someone who had given up on keeping clean.
“What the hell are you girls doing out here?” he said, smiling like a cat that had just found his dinner. He looked Trix up and down and licked his lips. She was still far enough away that he didn’t notice anything odd.
“Ran out of gas,” Jenny said.
“Can you help us out?” said Trix.
“Maybe,” he said, looking at Benji. His eyes flicked to the car, seeing Declan inside. “Just you girls, though. I’ll give you a lift.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Trix, walking coquettishly toward him. “I think you’re going to tell us what we want to know.”
“Listen, bitch, you don’t want to mess with me. You want a ride or not? There’s a price for everything.”
“That’s for sure,” said Trix. “Bitch.”
She was just inches away from him now. Too late, he reached for his knife, but Trix was already on top of him, knocking him to the ground. In a blur she had his knife in her hand and the man was gasping for breath.
“Fucking prick,” Trix said. “That was too easy.”
“What the fuck are you?” he said, gasping, the knife at his throat.
Trix took her sunglasses off and he saw her dead, white eyes.
“Hungry,” she said.
“Holy shit, it’s true. It’s fucking true. You’re real! You bitches are really,
But she didn’t really have much of a choice.
She looked at Declan.
“I thought we had forty miles left.”
Declan tried to shrug, but his midsection shifted and he grimaced.
“Maybe they drained the tank the same way they took the jugs of diesel,” said Trix.
“Maybe,” said Declan. “Jen, leave me behind. I can’t walk into town.”
“Fuck you, Munro,” Jenny said. “Wait here. We’ll find a way.”
Declan looked down at himself. He shook his head and looked at her. “Come on. I’ve held you back long enough.”
“Held me back from what?” Jenny said. “Just hang on. Trix, give him a knife.”
“Fuck you, what am I going to use?”
“Take his axe,” said Jenny. “He’s too weak to use it.”
Declan gritted his teeth.
“It’s not a commentary on your manhood,” Jenny said, irritated. “Just sit tight until we come back, okay? Do that for me?”
Declan finally nodded and Jenny, Trix and Benji got out of the car. Benji had taken a page out of Declan’s book and wrapped a piece of fabric around his neck, but couldn’t do much but paste a large bandage over his cheek.
“What are we supposed to do?” Benji said, his voice quiet, but clearly enunciated now. Jenny noticed that he didn’t like to move his jaw much. She suddenly felt guilty for complaining about her unwanted ability to regenerate. Benji was missing part of his face and neck. Forever.
“We can’t go to Expo,” said Trix.
“Why?” Benji said.
“We just can’t,” said Jenny.
“Time to find out where these fucking Colorado Dregs hang out,” said Trix.
“How do we do that?” said Jenny.
Trix pulled a pair of cracked and bent sunglasses out of her pocket and slipped them on. She smiled. “Just ask someone, cheerleader. You should know that by now.”
Jenny heard a motor and for a moment her heart sped up when the dune buggy came around the corner from the direction of the city. It kicked up a cloud of dust as the driver slammed on the brakes. Trix was smiling and walked toward him. The driver got out of the car, his hair a dirty, sad mohawk, his leathers old and torn. Jenny could smell him. Not just his blood, but his rankness, as someone who had given up on keeping clean.
“What the hell are you girls doing out here?” he said, smiling like a cat that had just found his dinner. He looked Trix up and down and licked his lips. She was still far enough away that he didn’t notice anything odd.
“Ran out of gas,” Jenny said.
“Can you help us out?” said Trix.
“Maybe,” he said, looking at Benji. His eyes flicked to the car, seeing Declan inside. “Just you girls, though. I’ll give you a lift.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” said Trix, walking coquettishly toward him. “I think you’re going to tell us what we want to know.”
“Listen, bitch, you don’t want to mess with me. You want a ride or not? There’s a price for everything.”
“That’s for sure,” said Trix. “Bitch.”
She was just inches away from him now. Too late, he reached for his knife, but Trix was already on top of him, knocking him to the ground. In a blur she had his knife in her hand and the man was gasping for breath.
“Fucking prick,” Trix said. “That was too easy.”
“What the fuck are you?” he said, gasping, the knife at his throat.
Trix took her sunglasses off and he saw her dead, white eyes.
“Hungry,” she said.
“Holy shit, it’s true. It’s fucking true. You’re real! You bitches are really,
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