Highway To Armageddon (26 page)

Chapter Ten:
Boom Boom

           
We stop to set up camp just before sunset. The ground is damp from a recent
thunderstorm, so it’s not exactly the most ideal spot. It is in a meadow,
however, and there’s a stream nearby, so it will have to do.

           
As soon as we land we check the Moon Cruiser for tracking devices. We spend a
good 15 minutes looking all over the place: under the seats, in the upholstery,
in the glove box, inside the engine and trunk. Arrow even crawls
under
the car to see if any bugs are attached to the underbody, but he comes up
empty.

           
After that we check our weapons and clothes, but as far as we can tell we’re
all bug-free. I’m unnerved by the fact that we don’t find anything. If Pitbull
was able to find us twice before, he can certainly do so again. I just hope
that he’s in so much pain from his injuries that he decides it’s best to leave
us alone.

           
Pretty soon the sun sets and the moon and stars come out. Machete starts a fire
so we don’t freeze. The air is cooler than usual, signifying the
quickly-approaching winter. Shortly after that we bury Sally.

           
It’s a traumatic ordeal. I do my best not to cry as Arrow digs a shallow grave
with a shovel from Machete’s trunk. My best isn’t good enough, though,
especially when Dorothy begins to sob. Soon a waterfall of tears stream down my
cheeks.

           
Once the grave is deep enough, Lance picks up Sally’s body and gently lays her
in the dirt. Arrow begins to fill the grave back in when Krystal blurts, “Wait!
We should say a few words.”

           
“Krystal’s right,” Dorothy says in a cracking voice. “We can’t just bury Sally
without saying something.”

           
“That’s a good idea,” I say. “Did you want to go first?”

           
Dorothy nods and opens her trembling mouth. All that comes out, however, is a
choked sob. She buries her head in my arms and says, “I’m sorry, I can’t do
it.”

           
I rub her back. ” Shhh, it’s okay.”

           
Dorothy’s sobs become muffled as she presses her face against my chest.

           
I’m about to call the whole thing off when Lance steps up to the plate.

           
“I’d like to say something.”

           
We all look at Lance in awe. I’ve seen Lance wage war against dozens of
criminals, but this may very well be the bravest thing he’s ever done. Everyone
falls eerily silent as Lance begins his eulogy.

           
“I haven’t known Sally a long time, which is a tragedy. She seemed like a
wonderful, loving person. That’s all the more amazing considering she suffered
a horrific life full of abuse, suppression, hatred, and neglect. But that’s not
what I’m going to remember about Sally. From now on when I think of her, I’ll
always think back to how she ended her life. She ended it doing something far
too many people are afraid to do. She died
fighting
. She died fighting
back against the very worst among us. Sally decided to rise up against those
that would prey on the weak and defenseless. Because of this, Sally is, and
always will be… my hero.”

           
Lance’s voice cracks near the end. It’s enough to shatter my already broken
heart.

           
Lance sniffles and continues. “I hope Sally has finally found the peace that
eluded her in life.”

           
Lance wipes his eyes and turns his head. He hates when people see him cry. He
thinks it makes him look weak. I beg to differ. To me it’s a sign that he’s a
person of great sympathy and passion… and a huge heart.

           
Dorothy completely breaks down as a result of Lance’s beautiful eulogy. Krystal
blows her nose on some leaves and sobs, “Aw great, now my mascara’s running.”

           
Arrow turns so no one can see his tears. I’m shocked beyond words, though, to
see Machete sniffing and wiping her moist left eye.

           
Arrow stares at Machete in shock. “Mom, are you… are you crying?”

           
“No!” Machete snaps, turning her head and lighting a cigar. “It’s just my
allergies.”

           
“But you don’t have…”

           
Arrow trails off when he sees me placing my finger against my nose. Machete
should be allowed to grieve without everyone gawking at her.

           
I go over to Lance and give him a hug. We embrace for a long time. By the time
we break apart, Arrow has already buried Sally under a thin layer of dirt. Even
though none of us are super religious people, Krystal concocts a makeshift
cross out of branches and sticks it into the mud. It’s a sweet, moving gesture.

           
Machete grabs some towels and rags out of her trunk and tosses them to us.
“Alright, let’s go down to the river and wash up. You all smell like rotten
cheese mixed with dog crap.”

           
Arrow shakes his head. “Oh Mom, you have such a way with words.”

           
We make our way down to the river bank and strip out of our dirty, blood-caked
clothes. During times like this you can’t be coy or embarrassed about getting
naked in front of other people (despite how much I hate doing so). Still, as
soon as I’m nude I step into the river and submerge myself.

           
The water is a lot cooler than I thought it’d be; shivers cascade down my
spine. I clear my mind and wait for my body to get used to the low temperature.
Once I’m comfortable I use the small bottle of shampoo Machete brought along
and dump a bunch of it in my hair and all over my body. I then use my rag to
scrub away all the dirt and grime clinging to my skin. It’s the most refreshed
I’ve felt in days.

           
By now most of the others have disrobed and stepped into the river. Machete is
a-ways downstream, probably because she doesn’t want to be bothered by us.
Lance and Dorothy are near the bank, chuckling as they splash each other. I act
like I’m not bothered to see them together, but it does bother me… a lot.

           
Something suddenly touches my back. I shriek and spin around, slapping my
attacker in the face.

           
It’s Arrow.

           
Arrow holds his right eye. “Whoa, calm down, Red. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

           
“Omigosh, I’m so sorry!”

           
I press my hand against Arrow’s bare chest. It’s like I’m touching marble. My
eyes dart down to his chiseled abs. A small trail of hair leads down to… dang,
the water comes up to his waist. Bummer.

           
Arrow clears his throat. I look up to find him grinning.

           
“My eyes are up here, Red.”

           
 Arrow’s eyes deviate from mine and gaze down.

           
I lower into the water until it comes up to my neck. “So are mine,” I say,
splashing him in the face.

           
Arrow grabs my shampoo and pours it on his head. Some of the soapy lather
trickles over his lean shoulders and down his chest, leaving a clean trail in
its wake. Arrow’s almost as dirty as I am.

           
“Oh wow, this feels so good,” he says, rubbing the shampoo into his hair.

           
He grins at me and mischievously says, “Would you mind getting my back? I can’t
reach that far.”

           
“S… sure,” I stammer. I use my rag to wipe away all the grime on his neck and
backside. Pretty soon his back is smooth and fresh, save for a few scars and
bruises.

           
Once Arrow finishes washing up, he turns to me. “Your turn.”

           
Arrow moves behind me and runs his fingers through my hair, thoroughly washing
it free of dirt and blood. His fingers dig deep into my scalp, gently massaging
it.

           
“Oh Arrow, that feels amazing,” I moan.

           
“What can I say, I have magic fingers.”

           
“Yes you do.”

           
Arrow’s ‘magic fingers’ move down my neck. He digs in deep, loosening all my
knots. My moaning intensifies. A cool breeze blows through, intensifying the
pleasure. Small waves crash into our bodies. It’s an awesome sensation.

           
Arrow moves down to my shoulders. I arc my back. “I haven’t had a massage like
this in… ever!”

           
Arrow leans in so close his breath tickles my neck. “You are insanely
beautiful, Red. You make the models in Sanctuary 41 look like white trash.”

           
A giggle escapes my lips, surprising and embarrassing me. I certainly didn’t
intend to do it. I’m behaving like a giddy school girl. But Arrow knows how to
woo a lady, that’s for sure. The Sanctuary 41 models are some of the most beautiful
women in the world. To be compared to them would elicit a giggle from any girl.

           
Arrow’s hands move lower, working out the knots on my lower back. My knees
buckle. Owls hoot off in the distance, and crickets… well, cricket. It’s the
perfect natural soundtrack to complement the perfect massage.

           
After what seems like forever, I crack open my eyes and scowl at the sight of
Lance giving Dorothy a massage. She seems to be enjoying hers even more than
I’m enjoying mine. Lance flicks his tongue at me before turning his attention
back to Dorothy. He’s just trying to make me jealous.

           
And it works.

           
I move away from Arrow and head back to shore.

           
“Red, where you going?” Arrow calls after me. “I wasn’t finished!”

           
“I’m sorry, Arrow,” I say, wringing out my hair. “I’m just really tired. I’m
going to go lay down.”

           
I emerge from the river and grab a towel. Krystal barges past me, buck naked,
and screams, “Cannonball!”

           
I watch in mild amusement as she leaps into the river, sending a small tsunami
crashing into Lance and Dorothy. She’s a 10-year old trapped inside an 18-year
old’s body.

           
I dry off and wrap my towel around my chest. I then scoop my clothes off the
river bank and head back to camp.

           
I stand near the fire to dry off. I gasp when two glowing eyes materialize in
the nearby brush. I think it’s a wolf. I grab my taser and zap the air. The
bright blue light and zapping sound causes the eyes to disappear. I’ll need to
remember that even out in the wilderness we’re not safe from danger. Vigilance
will be the key to our survival.

           
I’m about to put my clothes back on when I detect a pungent odor. It takes me a
few seconds to realize it’s coming from my clothes. I really wish I had thought
to bring at least another pair of underwear. I hold my breath as I put my
nasty, sweaty, dirty clothes and body armor back on. My clean body is now once
again covered in sweat and grime. I probably would have been better off not
even washing up. At least then I wouldn’t have noticed the stark contrast of
being squeaky clean and completely filthy.

           
I really was going to go straight to sleep, but now I’m hungry. I rummage
around in the trunk until I find Machete’s sack of food. I pull out a bag of
dried fruit and trail mix and sit on a log near the fire. I make sure not to
eat too much as I notice our supplies are running low.

           
I glance around the campsite, keeping my eye out for danger. I slide on my
goggles so I can see in infra-red. A few nocturnal animals scurry around in the
forest, like raccoons and opossums. The wolf I saw moments before is now deep
in the forest. He won’t be back to bother us again, not unless he wants to get
tased.

           
My gaze eventually falls on Sally’s makeshift grave. I quickly look away so I
don’t break down in sobs.

           
Pretty soon the others return from their bath. Arrow arrives first. He asks if
I’m okay. I tell him yes, that I loved his massage and I hope we can give me
another one sometime soon. Arrow smiles and says he’s looking forward to it.

           
Krystal and Machete are the next ones to show up, followed by Lance and
Dorothy. Lance sits on a log next to me, and Dorothy snuggles up against to
him. I do my best not to appear annoyed, although I don’t think I’m entirely
successful.

           
I keep my goggles on and check out the news. Arrow does the same thing. Krystal
starts watching one of her trashy reality shows. I can tell just by how she
cracks up laughing. Machete sits on the hood of her car while chugging on a
cigar. Dorothy continues clinging to Lance as they talk quietly amongst
themselves. I increase the volume on my goggles and focus on the news.

           
The first thing the reporter talks about is the destruction of the Wild West
Settlement. Footage is shown of the still-raging fire, which has yet to be
contained. According to the reporter the blaze has scorched 30% of the entire
town. All tourists and residents have been evacuated.

           
The reporter then shows footage of us having a shootout with the cowboys.