she’d inhaled. Russell was whispering to Simone near the cash register, but hushed when he spotted me.
“Will you help me with dinner?” Pollard asked, appearing right behind me.
I frowned. “Uh.” I didn’t want to be rude, but I needed a breather.
Pollard got off on being the boss. I hadn’t had anyone in charge of me for a while, and I wasn’t looking for a new guardian.
“I want to show you how we do things,” Pollard added.
I wouldn’t mind more of the grand tour, just to see how other survivors handled the new challenges of a post-plague world. My dad hadn’t exactly left me with a lot of survival knowledge.
“Okay.”
The truck stop kitchen was big and full of modern appliances, now mostly useless. What good was an industrial-sized fryer when the electricity was off?
Pollard had gone caveman on the place and built a fire pit in the big sink and topped it with a rigged spit and a BBQ grill. Wood, newspaper, and lighter fluid were piled on the floor. Six fuzzy, ground squirrels slumped on the stainless steel counter.
I hadn’t seen fresh meat in so long my eyes popped. I was no hunter. A gatherer, for sure, but not once a hunter. “Where did you get these?”
“I caught them.”
“How?”
“I made snares.” He wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve. “I told you the woods are full of animals.”
He glanced once at my bad leg and pulled a chair over, gesturing for me to sit.
“Can you show me how?” I asked, sinking gratefully into the seat.
“Sure. In the morning?”
“No. Now.” I smiled at his look of confusion. “If it’s okay. I want to try to catch some by morning.”
Reds craved meat. Even Reds following my trail to save my skin from a hungry pack. If that Red ate an animal it might curb his appetite for larger prey. Namely, me.
“What about your knee?”
“It’s better,” I fibbed. If anything, it hurt worse, but I refused to let it stop me.
“If you’re sure.” He tossed a towel on top of the six skinny corpses. “I’ll fix these later. Let’s go now before it gets too late.”
I grinned in anticipation. I’d never learned any survival tricks beyond opening cans of tuna with a crank and rationing supplies. Not once had Dad mentioned what to do if I ventured out into the world in search of fresh meat or clean water.
“We’ll head into the forest,” Pollard said, quickly packing a bag. “I have traps not too far from here I can show you.”
On our way through the dining room I snapped my fingers at Hunny and then finger-spelled, “ B-e b-a-c-k s-o-o-n. ”
She rolled her eyes at me, but close to her belly she signed, “ O-K. ”
Pollard unlocked the front door, checked that the parking lot was clear, and then led the way outside into almost unbearable heat. I missed air conditioning. And swimming pools. And ice cream cones. I was sweating through my shirt by the time I’d hobbled through the automobile barrier.
Without saying a word, Pollard pulled me tight to his side, taking some of my weight and making it easier to walk. His proximity made me even hotter and stickier, though. I walked easier, but I wasn’t sure it was worth the increased body temp. Pressed up against him, I tried to ignore how tall and solid he was.
The forest loomed darkly ahead, and I got a bad feeling in my stomach. My instincts warned me to stay away from the woods. Dangerous animals lurked between the trees.
“Ever see any wild dogs out here?” I asked, checking over my shoulder. “Or other carnivores?”
“Every once in a while. But if I fire into the air they run away. So far, they’ve never bothered me.”
“It’s weird.” I was chattering, but couldn’t stop. “It doesn’t seem like 212R infected animals, but they’ve gone wild anyway. Same difference, I guess. They still want to kill us.”
Pollard frowned at me. “Did you have a bad experience with an animal?”
“Dogs chased us this morning. They didn’t actually bite us, but it was
“Will you help me with dinner?” Pollard asked, appearing right behind me.
I frowned. “Uh.” I didn’t want to be rude, but I needed a breather.
Pollard got off on being the boss. I hadn’t had anyone in charge of me for a while, and I wasn’t looking for a new guardian.
“I want to show you how we do things,” Pollard added.
I wouldn’t mind more of the grand tour, just to see how other survivors handled the new challenges of a post-plague world. My dad hadn’t exactly left me with a lot of survival knowledge.
“Okay.”
The truck stop kitchen was big and full of modern appliances, now mostly useless. What good was an industrial-sized fryer when the electricity was off?
Pollard had gone caveman on the place and built a fire pit in the big sink and topped it with a rigged spit and a BBQ grill. Wood, newspaper, and lighter fluid were piled on the floor. Six fuzzy, ground squirrels slumped on the stainless steel counter.
I hadn’t seen fresh meat in so long my eyes popped. I was no hunter. A gatherer, for sure, but not once a hunter. “Where did you get these?”
“I caught them.”
“How?”
“I made snares.” He wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve. “I told you the woods are full of animals.”
He glanced once at my bad leg and pulled a chair over, gesturing for me to sit.
“Can you show me how?” I asked, sinking gratefully into the seat.
“Sure. In the morning?”
“No. Now.” I smiled at his look of confusion. “If it’s okay. I want to try to catch some by morning.”
Reds craved meat. Even Reds following my trail to save my skin from a hungry pack. If that Red ate an animal it might curb his appetite for larger prey. Namely, me.
“What about your knee?”
“It’s better,” I fibbed. If anything, it hurt worse, but I refused to let it stop me.
“If you’re sure.” He tossed a towel on top of the six skinny corpses. “I’ll fix these later. Let’s go now before it gets too late.”
I grinned in anticipation. I’d never learned any survival tricks beyond opening cans of tuna with a crank and rationing supplies. Not once had Dad mentioned what to do if I ventured out into the world in search of fresh meat or clean water.
“We’ll head into the forest,” Pollard said, quickly packing a bag. “I have traps not too far from here I can show you.”
On our way through the dining room I snapped my fingers at Hunny and then finger-spelled, “ B-e b-a-c-k s-o-o-n. ”
She rolled her eyes at me, but close to her belly she signed, “ O-K. ”
Pollard unlocked the front door, checked that the parking lot was clear, and then led the way outside into almost unbearable heat. I missed air conditioning. And swimming pools. And ice cream cones. I was sweating through my shirt by the time I’d hobbled through the automobile barrier.
Without saying a word, Pollard pulled me tight to his side, taking some of my weight and making it easier to walk. His proximity made me even hotter and stickier, though. I walked easier, but I wasn’t sure it was worth the increased body temp. Pressed up against him, I tried to ignore how tall and solid he was.
The forest loomed darkly ahead, and I got a bad feeling in my stomach. My instincts warned me to stay away from the woods. Dangerous animals lurked between the trees.
“Ever see any wild dogs out here?” I asked, checking over my shoulder. “Or other carnivores?”
“Every once in a while. But if I fire into the air they run away. So far, they’ve never bothered me.”
“It’s weird.” I was chattering, but couldn’t stop. “It doesn’t seem like 212R infected animals, but they’ve gone wild anyway. Same difference, I guess. They still want to kill us.”
Pollard frowned at me. “Did you have a bad experience with an animal?”
“Dogs chased us this morning. They didn’t actually bite us, but it was
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