Winds of Ares: An Apocalypse Thriller Druga, Jacqueline (top 5 ebook reader .TXT) 📖

back in Princeton. He shook the one and replaced it. “What’s our mile count, Jana?” he asked.

I looked at Lane. “Bowling Green was our get off the interstate point. How far were we from there?”

“Fifteen miles.”

I glanced back at Skip. “About four seventy-five.” I looked down to my watch. “A little over fifteen hours.”

“That’s doable. Time wise.” Skip wiped his hand on the side of his pants. “I’m worried about the gas. We have enough for maybe another fill up of one vehicle and half for another. Where are you sitting gas wise?”

Lane answered. “We have a half tank.”

“Rick?” Skip asked.

“Truck has a little above a quarter,” Rick replied.

“Then let’s add ten gallons to the truck,” Skip said. “We have to watch. We may need to ditch the truck, hitch the trailer to the RV and pack us all in there.”

“This,” Liza spoke up. “Is totally fucking insane.”

“Whoa, hey, now,” Skip said. “Language. We have five kids here.”

I assumed, probably like everyone else, Liza was talking about the weather. She was pretty good natured the whole trip, supplying food and things from the diner. Why would she be talking about anything else?

“Yeah,” I said. “It is pretty crazy. I’ve never seen hail like this.”

“You really are in your own world.” Liza turned and faced me.

“I’m sorry. Excuse me?” I thought she was making a sarcastic joke I wasn’t getting.

“You just have no clue,” said Liza. “You just keep leading us to nowhere. How many more people have to die because of this crazy idea?”

Lane stepped forward. “That is not fair.”

“Wow.” I was kind of shocked over her saying that. I wasn’t expecting it, not at all. “Liza, why didn’t you go with Alice, then? She left. She asked if anyone wanted to go. Why didn’t you leave with her?”

“I don’t know. I just … I just didn’t think about it until that mud took so many.”

“That mud is not my fault.”

“This whole road trip is your fault.”

I shook my head, staying calm. “No, it’s not. It’s not fair of you to blame this on me. There are only two people here who didn’t have a choice to be here, that’s Carlie and Reese. Everyone else is here by choice. Everyone. And everyone has the choice to leave. Excuse me.” I turned slightly, opening the RV door and stepping inside.

The second I walked into the sanctity of my RV, I stood in the center of the living area, arms folded tight. I could feel my insides shake some. My response to Liza was calm but defensive, but it didn’t really hit me until I walked away, what was said by her.

I sighed out, peering around the RV, the dirt that remained from the mud, even though everyone tried to clean while on the road.

I didn’t hear the door close, probably because Lane followed me in. I really didn’t know he had been standing there until he spoke.

“I know you, you know,” he said.

I released a single airy laugh. “I should hope so.”

“I know you and I know that bothered you. I’m sorry she said those things.”

“Me, too.” I faced him.

“Although … you told her everyone has the choice to leave …” he smiled. “You didn’t say how. But, through all this, one person speaking out because they’re scared isn’t bad. Don’t hold that against her. I really don’t think she meant it.”

I shrugged. “Who knows? I feel horrible enough about those we lost, I do. I guess I don’t show it.”

“You show it differently. You are focused on the kids and me. Well, I hope you’re focusing on me. How are you feeling?”

“What? Why are you asking me that?”

“Because it wasn’t long ago you got carried away by a tornado. After you saved that baby. I think Liza may have forgotten that.”

“I’m okay. Sore, but nothing I can’t handle.”

“I have something for you.” He lifted his finger to tell me to wait and then he went to the back of the RV. He returned with his hand behind his back,

“What are you doing?”

“Well, I had some help from the reverend getting this. He knew exactly where I could get it. And low and behold, look at the brand.” Lane pulled a bottle of bourbon out from behind his back. The label read, Ten High, and it made me laugh.

Ten High it was our booze of choice when we were first married, and it was all we could afford.

He moved closer, opening it as he did. “I figured you could use a drink of something other than that crappy expensive stuff.”

“Oh, you bet.” I took the bottle as Lane reached into the cupboard for one of the plastic cups. I poured some in as soon as he handed it to me, taking a sip. “Oh, yeah, this is much better.” I gave him the cup.

He waved his hand. “I’m driving. You drink.”

“I’ll keep it in my bag. We should do a taste test with Martin.”

“That … is a great idea.”

I brought the cup to my lips, staring over the rim to my husband. “You’re the best.”

“I love you, Jana, you know that, right?”

“Of course. I love you.”

“Even though you thought I was having an affair with my horse ...”

“That was funny.”

“Yeah, it was. Listen. Things are tough. We don’t know what’s ahead or behind us,” Lane said. “I can say for certain, none of this is your fault. You got that?”

I nodded.

“You were wrong on one thing.”

“What was that?” I asked.

“You said only Carlie and Reese didn’t have a choice. That’s not true. I didn’t have a choice. I always said I’d follow you to the end of the world. Well, here we are,” Lane said with so much sincerity. “And I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

EIGHTEEN – THE CALM BEFORE

The reality of how bad things had gotten and how fortunate we were hit me when we drove around Bowling Green.

The hailstorm spread far and wide, the smoke rose high in the sky from Bowling Green, joining the