Motorized vehicles echoed through the large dark building. Tom's eyes opened. He saw faint rays of sunlight illuminating trails of dust through the cracks in the concrete building. His back was tight and stiff from leaning up against the wall. Ellie stirred in his lap and Brooke lifted her head."I thought you were going to wake me!" Brooke whispered."I fell asleep," he whispered back."Good M," Ellie started. Tom covered her mouth as the vehicle noises grew louder. Their echo through the building turned into a roar."What do we do?" Brooke asked."Wait them out. Gather your things, but stay low. If they stop, we'll make a run for it."Brooke nodded. All three of them gathered their belongings as the motors rumbled up and down the streets near them.The motors stopped. A faint conversation drifted through the room, but it was too far away to make out. Tom pointed towards the light coming from the back of the building and they followed him.They reached the sunlight. Tom chose
Tom woke to a pleasant sensation of fingers gripping him. He opened his eyes and saw Ellie watching him intently. Heat rushed to his face. Behind Ellie, Brooke murmured something that sounded like a pleasant sigh in her sleep."Easy there," he grumbled and pulled her hand away. "You don't know what you're starting.""Yes, I do," she whispered back.Tom's mind raced as he figured his way out of this. "See, you don't go right for it. You got to build up to it. It makes it more exciting."Ellie's brow furrowed with distrust."Seriously. Here, roll over and practice on Brooke. She's much more fun to play with."Ellie twisted her lips to the side and gave him a hard look, then gave up and turned over. Tom propped his left arm up under his head and laid his hand over hers. He guided her fingertips over Brooke's stomach, then carried her hand lightly so just the tips of her fingertips brushed the skin. They ran a path up over the T-shirt and traced a small circle around one breast until
Brooke closed the distance between them. Her face was just centimeters away now. She reached up and held his chin with her thumb and index finger. "Next time, stay." She stepped out of the tub and left the room, leaving him standing there in wet boxers and a towel.He stood dumbfounded. She wanted it. He shook his head to clear the thoughts away and finished drying. He donned fresh clothing before stepping out of the bathroom. Both women sat at the table eating their oatmeal and chatting."I'm just saying that they could at least have packed another flavor," Brooke said. "Well, there wasn't much to choose from. Just be happy you're not eating it for every meal. We were lucky enough to get several different lunch and dinner options. You'll just have to deal," Ellie said and scooped a bunch of oatmeal into her mouth."I don't know how I'll live on this stuff for six months," Brooke said."I'm just happy that we have a safe place to stay for the night with food. I'm glad you were ab
The next morning, Tom woke up first and snuck out of the bed before the women. Most men would be in heaven with this Link connection, but he just wasn't ready. There were too many feelings to get hurt in this situation and he wasn't going to be the instigator. He showered, dressed, and started making breakfast before both the girls rolled out of bed.Ellie stumbled sleepily to the bathroom and Brooke sat on the bed watching him."No games this morning?" She asked.Tom handed her a bowl of oatmeal. "We don't have time. Looks like this next trip is fifteen hours and there's a bridge.""That's a long time out on the Surface," she said."We're also nearing a big city," Tom said and tapped the map on the table."Is there any way we can avoid it? The last time we were in a city it didn't go so well for you.""You'd have to ask Ellie. She's in charge of the route planning," Tom said and continued eating his breakfast.Ellie stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed. She plopped down a
A loud motor vehicle startled Tom awake. Ellie jumped, too. They both sat up and peered into the darkness in the direction of the noise as it made its way from close by and zipped further away. Tom reached for his gun under his bag and gripped it tightly."It's going northeast," Ellie whispered.Tom looked around. "Where's Brooke? She should have come running after hearing something like that. Where is she?" Tom jumped to his feet. Panic surged through him. They had her. Whoever was on that thing had her."They have her," Ellie echoed his thoughts."How do you know?""It's a feeling. Like, if I close my eyes I can feel the vibration from the motorcycle.""A motorcycle? Is that what it was?"Ellie nodded. The moonlight cast dark shadows from her hair across her face.Tom handed her the automatic rifle. "Carry this. I'll get her bag. Let's get moving. They went northeast, right? If I have to chase them for a thousand kilometers, I will. We will find her."Ellie laid a hand on hi
They crossed the bridge and raced onwards. Tom managed to hit two more men, not just bikes this time before the van gave out. The tire burst with a sharp explosion and the whole van swerved. Tom braced with his hands and legs as Ellie turned into the corner to keep it from rolling. The motorcycles came at them with guns blazing.Ellie turned in her seat. "Duck!"Tom flattened himself to the floor and the automatic rifle showered the motorcycles with bullets. Screams and crashes came from outside. Ellie stopped firing and turned forward, then shot out her window. Tom sat up. One man was recovering from his fallen bike. He started running away. Tom shot him in the back with the sniper rifle.Things quieted down. Tom swung the rifle to his back and held the pistols at the ready again. He scooted out of the van and walked around the side. Fallen bikes and dead men littered the ground. He turned towards the front of the van on Brooke's side. A man held up his gun and pointed it at Tom. T
Ellie shook Tom awake. "It's getting close to the time you wanted to wake up." The orange shadows from the nearby flares lit up her face as she loomed over him.Tom grumbled. His back hurt from sleeping on the hard ground. Brooke lay curled up in front of him with her back to him and was using his arm as a pillow. He felt like he'd been asleep only a few minutes, but the darkness outside told him otherwise. With his free arm, he pulled Brooke against him."Time to get going," he whispered in her ear."I was already awake for a few hours. I took some pain medication." She turned to look back at him. "You just looked so lonely. I had to come to keep you company.""Well thanks, but I don't think you're going to like what I have in mind for you next." He pulled away from her and stood up. He grabbed one of the splints off the desk and held it up. "You're the doctor, but I am pretty sure we need to splint you up to make sure you heal correctly."Brooke, who now sat in the middle of the
Tom knelt down behind his own tower and looked through the scope of the hunting rifle. The sun and heat made it hard to aim, but he could count maybe fifteen or so motorcycles coming down the highway towards them. "Looks like our friends are back to finish us off."Tom took aim but waited. With any luck, they would drive by them.A few moments later, a spray of bullets showered their little area.Brooke pressed her back tightly to the solar tower as bits and pieces of the glass flew from impacts. "How'd they see us?""Shadows," Ellie said and hugged the tower tightly. "Look down. Our shadows make the towers look thicker."Tom found a clear shot to one man's chest and took it. He went down and his motorcycle turned into another one. "We're going to have to run.""We can't outrun them," Brooke huffed."We'll take our chances. Run towards the train. Go now!" Tom commanded and shot at another man but missed. Damn the heat and water vapor.Ellie and Brooke took off running next to t