He thanked her and ate them both while she did the same, then they chased them down with pouches of water from his emergency supply. They each drained a pouch completely. The water was so cold it made his molars ache, but he relished every drop.
She closed her eyes and sagged against the seat. “I stand corrected. I’ve been a PB and J fan all my life, but marshmallow and peanut butter really is the world’s best combination.”
Exactly the reason he gravitated to the wilderness—it concentrated blessings down to a strength that could not be ignored. The simple provision of food, water, warmth, companionship. He silently thanked God for it all.
He laughed. “Nice to know I’m right about that at least.” He wondered if he should seize the moment to suggest she change her mind about the airstrip, but he remembered how she recoiled at the fire tower when he’d last brought it up. At least their route was getting them farther away from the prying eyes of any townspeople whose loyalty Bullseye had bought and paid for. A small consolation, since they could be walking right into a lethal snare.
Don’t let yourself relax, Gid.
You’re not out of the woods yet.
Not even close.
****
Mackenzie licked a bit of sticky marshmallow from her finger as she steadied herself against the bumps. The trail grew fouler as it dipped lower, water turning it into a quagmire. At its lowest reaches, the makeshift road forked into two choices—a soggy path that would undoubtedly get them mired in filth or the paved road.
“No choice,” Gideon said.
She didn’t reply. The route would take them directly past the western turnoff to town, a main frontage road that would be busy with the remaining evacuees. And plenty of prying eyes. No getting around it.
When they passed a string of vehicles packed to the brim with belongings and people, Mackenzie scrunched down in the seat. Gideon kept his eyes on the road until they came to a tiny corner gas station, the only business that appeared to still be operational.
“Your tank’s full. Why are we stopping?”
He pointed to the pay phone. “I have to call Sergeant Rodriquez.”
“Why?”
“Because he needs to know what’s gone down, more or less.”
She skewered him with a look. “More or less?”
“I’m not giving you up, Mackenzie, but there has to be a record of what Bullseye’s done. If things go badly ...”
Then the two of them would disappear into the maw of the floodwaters and no one would ever be the wiser. He was right. The police could carry on the work against Bullseye even if she couldn’t.
She looked longingly at the shop. “All right. If we’re risking a stop, I’m using the facilities.”
“Mind the cameras. I’ll keep my head on a swivel until you’re done.”
Head ducked low, she hurried into the convenience store and beelined to the restrooms. A quick check of her phone revealed there was no service in the mini-mart either. The sheer triumph of indoor plumbing infused her body with happiness. Washing her hands after, she was again struck at the reflection in the mirror. She looked exhausted, vulnerable, hunted. Intentionally she wiped her face with a paper towel, cleaned off a stain from her jacket, and even applied a slick of ChapStick from a tube she’d found in the Jeep and stuck in her back pocket.
Better. She nodded at herself. Still on the ragged edge but slightly more civilized.
Since there were undoubtedly cameras near the register as Gideon had noted, she didn’t stop to see if there was anything left on the ravaged store shelves worth buying. It was a herculean effort only made possible by the fact that she’d eaten two of Gideon’s Fluffernutter cracker specials.
She’d almost cleared the door when the mouthwatering aroma of coffee hit her nostrils. A percolator was set up on a card table by the exit with a hand-lettered “Free” sign and a few remaining Styrofoam cups. She’d been in such a hurry on the way in, she hadn’t noticed.
“Help yourself,” the cashier called out. “Trying to keep people warm as they head out of town. You evacuating too?”
“Uh-huh.” Keeping her head turned, she waved a grateful hand and filled two cups to the brim. She wasn’tgoing to dilute this precious bitter brew with any sugar or creams.
“Best not dillydally.”
“Airstrip’s still open?”
“Yeah, but not for long.”
