"We aren't stopping anywhere else," Orson said, staring at the gas meter. "We can get to the cabin in a straight shot from here."
"Are you guys going to throw me out the side like you did Gerald?" Baz asked.
"Shut up," Nemo said.
"You should."
"I said shut up," Nemo growled. Baz pulled his mask off. His green hair fell down his back. There were dark bags under his eyes, strands of hair plastered to his sweating forehead, and his jaw was tense from pain. For the first time, he looked like shit.
"Then you better start counting the hours." Baz's pupils turned to serpentine slits as he looked at me. Then, suddenly, he passed out.
9
BONE APPLE TEA
BAZ
There were questionable stains on the bare mattress. Even more dubious was the van it was located in. The previous owner was a kidnapper. Something I only now realized. Maybe I shouldn’t assume, but as I woke up, my boot knocked over a bucket filled with zip ties, duct tape, and an extra pair of license plates. General world knowledge wasn’t something I excelled at, but I did know a hell of a lot about violent crimes. It was the great common denominator at the asylum.
I could hear Doreen’s voice from group therapy at Verfallen, asking the dead van owner questions in her southern drawl.Why did you kidnap people, Gerald? Mmm hmm. Right. And how do you think it made your victims feel when there was never any candy? They were probably disappointed. Go through all the trouble of being kidnapped and no Hershey's.
Although there were likely worse things about being kidnapped than not getting candy. At least the only people I held captive were dead.
Nemo, Bree, and Orson climbed out of the van, unaware I was doing anything beyond moving in my sleep. We musthave just arrived. Hard to believe we actually made it to our destination after all the trouble. I closed my eyes as they huddled outside the open slide door, mumbling.
“How many hours are left before the injection changes him?”
“Twenty.”
“Has he seemed off to you? Ever since?—”
“Leaving the asylum?”
“I was going to say since his sister wiped her memories of him.” I popped my eyes open and figured that was a good place to interrupt them.
“He’s going to try to run,” Nemo said. I slammed my eyes shut again and tried to even out my breathing.
“Run?” Bree asked. “What makes you think he’d do that?”
“Instincts. And I know him,” Nemo said. It was becoming harder to pretend I was asleep. I could sense them staring at me now as they kept discussing me. Every breath felt like a giveaway.
“Maybe it’s because he thinks he’s going to kill you both,” Orson added. It didn’t pass me by that he left himself off my worry list. Aww, did he think I wanted him dead?
“That’s ridiculous. We’re immune. We’ll stay immune,” Bree said.
“Maybe,” Orson responded. “Maybe not.”
“Don’t say that,” Bree whispered.
“You need to be prepared. Twenty hours may be all you have left to touch him.”
“Don’t let him out of our sight,” Nemo grumbled.
“Where’s he going to go?” Orson asked. “We’re in the middle of nowhere, and he doesn’t know how to survive outside Verfallen.” They didn’t say anything. I counted the seconds, timing my inhales and exhales as I waited for more.
“You can stop pretending to sleep,” Nemo said. “We can all hear your heartbeat.”
I opened my eyes. Going off their expressions, I looked the same way I felt. Which was to say, like shit. Bree was concerned, Nemo was angry, and Orson was vaguely disgusted. Before anyone could ask me about my feelings, I distracted them.
