"We'll plan better. This will be our headquarters for now, and we'll only go out in small spurts, and--" I tried to wrap my head around everything, but it was all useless. We'd be lucky if we survived these three days. I dropped to my knees and crawled to her. Her face was puffy and red, her hair wild, and her dress in tatters. I ran my thumb across her scraped knee, smearing the blood. She winced but didn't push me away.
"Daddy," she started.
"Yes, Eleanor?" I looked up at her. She'd stopped crying. Her face was completely devoid of emotion. It was as if she'd come to realize something far beyond my scope. She shook her head.
"Even if we do survive the next three days, there's only one set of stairs per floor. How do we get back up to the surface?"
Chapter 26 - Riot
Don’t be like Milton.
"Come on, queer boy, untie me. Maybe I'll show you a good time."
I kicked the leg of the chair Milton was tied to and it fell back, causing his head to hit the wooden floorboards with a sickening smack! He was momentarily stunned before laughing it off.
"Oh come on, you know I'm just joshing you. I wouldn't suck your dick if it was the only thing saving me from this life or the next. Let me up, I'll stop."
I pressed my boot on the edge of the table, rocking my chair back and forth. We'd had the fucker for three days and he hadn't shut up at all. We tied him to Soda's bike and took him back to Heathen Heights, hoping to learn more about the bunkers, but so far all I'd learned is that he liked to complain, smoke, and drink.
"You think talking to me like that's gonna get you anywhere?" I raised an eyebrow, then turned to the rest of the table. "I don't know about you Boone, but I could leave this little bunker boy here all night and not bat an eye. You want to go to Scissors tonight?"
"I could go for a drink," he agreed. Soda was kind enough to stand and right Milton's chair.
Milton frowned. The only time he'd been let up was at night, and on a leash. Soda would take him for a stretch around the junkyard and Boone took him to the can. Anything he was fed was mostly soup, and Cherry had taken to that.
"Come on, fellas. I was just teasing. I don't care about you two being fa--" Milton stopped short when I drew my gun and cocked it two inches from his face.
"Say that word and I don't think I'll care too much about what information you have."
The soldier from the bunker gulped then nodded. "Understood."
I stood and slid my gun back into its holster. "I need a break from this house. Come on, boys. Let's go dancin'."
We left Heathen Heights on bikes, leaving Milton at the mercy of Cherry and Bonnie. Cherry was trying out new ingredients in her soap, and I'd encouraged her to use Milton as a test subject. So far he'd developed a red sore on the back of his hand that he claimed hurt like a motherfucker.Oh well.
We strolled into Scissors bar like we owned the place. We were greeted like we'd just come back home from war -- with cheers and pats on the backs. I even had a drink bought for me, however, I politely declined when I scanned the bar and saw it was Blossom, an old fling that never got the hint, who'd purchased it.
"Well, if you don't drink it, I will. In more than one way," Boone winked at me as he took the drink and slammed it down his throat.
"Fine by me. You and Bonnie will have fun with that one." I patted his shoulder and disappeared into the crowd, losing him until the end of the night, when Soda found me outside, smoking a cigarette and talking to some of the older patrons.
"Thanks for the tip, Carol, I'll be sure to try that tomorrow."
I stood and wobbled to my bike. Soda swore. I couldn't get on my motorcycle in my condition. "Looks like we're staying a while." I laughed and returned to the old men.
Soda and Boone joined me until we were all sober enough not to kill ourselves on the bikes in the dead of night, and then, we rode on home. The sun was just coming up as we rounded the house.
We found Milton in the kitchen, head slumped and the rest of him still tied up in the chair we'd left him in. Cherry and Bonnie had long since gone to bed.
I passed by my sister's room on my way up to my own. She must have been waking up for the day, because she came to her door and ground the sleep from her eyes.
"Riot?"
"Just coming in," I chuckled. "I'm taking the day off."
"Good, you deserve it. Uh, before you go to bed, you should know something."
I paused and slowly turned. "What's that? Did something happen last night? Did Milton hurt you?"
