“I hate going through towns,” Aiden says, biting the inside of his cheek. “It’s unpredictable. Keep an eye out for anything strange, okay?”
“Okay.” I dart my eyes back and forth, expecting something to spring out at any moment.
But the city is empty. Not a soul to be seen. As we drive along residential streets, the houses all appear abandoned, with smashed windows and overgrown yards. Some are burned down to the ground. Most of them have a largeXspray-painted on them, likely the tag of some looter who’s already cleaned out the house.
A couple of times, we drive up to a road blocked by cars, forcing us to double back. At one point, we have to motor over ten lawns to get past a pileup that stretched across the entire street. Despite all the cars around, Aiden doesn’t want us to stop and check any out. In the city, the risks of stopping outweigh the benefits.
We’re almost out of town when I spot a man in the middle of an intersection. Aiden is looking the other way and doesn’t see him approaching.
“Watch out!” I point toward the man, who’s now running straight at the car.
Aiden swerves, narrowly avoiding him. The car spins out and comes to a full stop on the other side of the intersection. The engine cuts out.
The man wears nothing but underwear. He’s got long, ratty hair and a big gray beard. The bulging veins in his neck mark him as one of the Infected. He’s screaming at the top of his lungs as he runs toward us.
“GO! GO!” I yell.
“Car’s dead!”
“Shit.” I reach for the ignition wires under the dash as Aiden frantically pushes all the manual door locks just before the man is on us.
He starts smashing his fists on the driver-side window. After several manic strikes, the window cracks but still holds. It won’t last for long though.
Sparks fly between the wires as I touch them together. “Give it some gas!”
The engine comes to life, and Aiden floors it. The man desperately attempts to grab the car but bounces off and lands hard on the ground. I keep my eye on him as we speed away.
Aiden was right to avoid towns. They aren’t safe. The world is a changed place.
I shake my head. “Let’s get the hell outta here.”
Chapter Seventeen
Ghosts of the Past
ZACH
We’re a few miles north of Missoula on a small, forested highway. The shadows are getting long, and soon, we’ll need the car headlights, so we search for a good place to stop for the night. Driving at night makes us an easy target. Better to only travel during the daylight.
We take a small dirt road that runs off the main highway. After about a mile, we’re in the foothills. Out of sight from the main road, we find a big clearing surrounded by woods. By the time we set up camp and eat a simple meal of warmed canned chili, the sun has set, and the sky has turned a deep purple.
I turn to Aiden. The flickers of the campfire illuminate his face. He’s so handsome, and again my mind goes to earlier with him pressed against me in the car.
“You’re staring again.” Aiden says, looking my way.
“Sorry. Just love the glow of the fire.” I’m glad he can’t see my blushing in the flickering light. “We made good time today.”
“Yeah, not bad. That car is fun to drive.”
“By tomorrow, we should be in Idaho. We might even pass Cedar Grove.”
Aiden looks at me questioningly. “What’s Cedar Grove?”
“You’ve never heard of Cedar Grove?” My mouth gapes open.
Aiden shakes his head.
“It’s only the best amusement park in the entire Northwest. Well, maybe the only one, actually.”
