The Nightworld by Jack Blaine

me and then turns his attention back to the road. “We weren’t in love or anything like that, Nick. But she took good care of Nadine, and she probably would have said yes. I mean, she didn’t seem to mind me, and I’m filthy rich.”
    “Why would she mind you?”
    “I’m hideous, Nick, in case you hadn’t noticed. And most women don’t do hideous, not even rich hideous.”
    “You’re not hideous.” I feel bad. The first thing I thought when I saw him was ugly . How many other people not only thought it, but said it? Must have been quite a few for him to think of himself that way.
    “Right.” He doesn’t bother looking at me. “Anyway, Tessa’s dead. Just like a lot of people are dead. And nobody can do anything about it.”

Chapter 18
    We don’t talk for the next few miles, each of us lost in our thoughts. The freeway is deserted for the first few minutes, but pretty soon it starts to look more like the clips of freeways they showed on the news. There are cars abandoned on the side of the road, and some right in the middle. Morton slows down some so that he can maneuver through them. It seems like we won’t be able to make it through at times, but I guess enough people have been here ahead of us that there’s a path cleared. You can tell that some of the cars have just been pushed out of the way by people trying to get through.
    “Let’s hope it’s this easy all the way south.” Morton checks the backseat quickly. I think Nadine must be asleep, because she’s not yowling or anything.
    “I’m only going to the city,” I remind him.
    “Seriously? Still?” Morton frowns at me. “Can’t I talk you out of it, Nick? It’s really bad in places. I was there—I know.”
    I think about that, but I know I have to see if Lara is okay. It’s not like I know where she is for sure, so I can’t very well ask Morton to hang around while I go grab her. For all I know, I won’t ever find her. “I bet you couldn’t have been talked out of checking on Nadine, right?”
    Morton nods. “Actually, I went back for Tessa.” He taps his fingers against the steering wheel as he drives. “I know I sounded like an asshole earlier. I mean, I do love Nadine, but I’m not an idiot. I don’t know that I would have risked going back for her. But for her and Tessa? No question.” He glances at the backseat. “Let’s hope she’s asleep and didn’t hear that.”
    “I’m sorry. About Tessa.”
    Morton nods and grits his teeth. I can see his jaw tightening. I get the feeling if he speaks he’ll lose it, so I let the moment go by. The city is in view below us. There are still lights twinkling and it looks almost like any other time I’ve come into the city at night. Almost. Except there are plumes of black smoke rising up to the sky in places, and some of the skyscrapers are dark. And it’s eleven in the morning, according to my vintage Timex.
    “Almost there.” Morton sounds doubtful. “You sure?”
    “Yep. If you just drop me at the city center exit, I should be fine.”
    “Where are you trying to get to?”
    I tell him Lara’s address. I still have it written down, but I don’t even need to look at the paper. I’ve had it memorized ever since she gave me the note about the party. I can still see her handwriting on the pink paper.
    “Well, la-di-da, boy. That’s almost as hoity-toity as my building.” Morton glances over. “Is it about a girl?”
    I nod. “Yep. Lara.” Saying her name makes it seem like she might still exist. I hope she does still exist.
    “All right. I think I can get you closer if I take the James Street exit and head in the back way.”
    “I don’t know—what’s it like on the surface streets? Wouldn’t it be pretty easy to get stuck?” Some of the reports were saying that gangs were constructing traps for unwitting drivers. They would block off the end of a street and let someone drive their car in, then pull a truck or two out to block any exit. They weren’t just