In Search Of The Neon City

3 - Jonna

I pull the heavy fabric away from the entrance and sneeze straight out from the dust that hits me straight in the face.

With annoying grains of sand stinging my eyes, I step into a much more pleasant darkness.
The sun had not yet warmed the air to its unbearable level, but months of heat still made it stink of sweat and engine oil in the cramped, makeshift room..

"Sofia?"  I scanned the room until I discovered a dark slender arm and blue curls in a pile of assorted textiles "you said you would mount the new blocker."  I said with my friendliest tone, I tried not to sound as annoyed as I felt, playing on guilt always worked better, but who was I really trying to fool?  I had never been good at upholding a mask. 
So after half a minute of waiting, I kicked an old rusty tin can that lay at my restless feet, straight to the sleeping corner and roared "TODAY!"

A pair of dizzy dark eyes peered up at me from the mountain of blankets in the cluttered corner, but she made no attempt to get up.

"Throw my clothes here," she muttered with sleep filled eyes after I stared at her long enough, with my arms crossed and pursed lips.

I shook my head and waited as patiently as I could, until she was happy to sit up.  The movement made the blanket slide down and Amanda's happy face appeared among all the rubble.

"You too girl!"  I exclaimed in frustration with my arms "is it just me who's worried, or? Hannes and Lo have been gone for days!"

"Calm down mom" Sofia teased and put on a pair of oil-stained denim shorts, a tank top and an oversized shirt that she tied around her waist "I'll fix it in an hour."

"Sure" I muttered annoyed and grabbed a water bottle from one of the many scrap heaps scattered all over our home "Amanda you are preparing the barrels, Carl believes it will rain tonight."

"He always thinks it's gonna rain," she giggled, tearing off the blanket, completely unashamedly showing off her naked body, "and he's always wrong."

"Order is order" I replied with a shrug and left the girls so they could dress.

The sound of the motorcycle made me smile, he was finally back. I really hated when we were scattered in different places, we would always be safer in groups.

I raised my hand to my forehead and protected my eyes as soon as I stepped out into the sunlight.
The strong daylight could make anyone blind and I was not eager to get rid of another body part, and eyes were extra hard to come by.

"Where the hell is everyone?"  muttered the slightly hoarse male voice.

I turned my head towards the rusty old motorcycle, the one that had been rebuilt so many times that it looked more like a tank than a Ducati, and nodded to Carl, who had just turned the key and turned off the rattling engine.

"I just woke them up," I replied with a smile.

"You are too kind to them Jo" he muttered but the smile showed a completely different feeling, a relief that everything was as it should, and nothing bad had happened while he was away.

"Welcome home Carl" I replied with a similar smile and let my eyes slide over him as he got off the bike and came forward to give me a kiss on the cheek.

He looked unharmed, a little dirtier perhaps, but otherwise as usual.  Wearing the riveted leather jacket he loved most of all, the classic dirty, once white T-shirt, trousers with various stains, prints and sewn-on pockets containing everything he needed to take with him.  But the most distinctive feature was probably his chalk-white hair in contrast to the tan and the always well-trimmed white beard.

"Thirsty?"  I asked, offering him the water bottle.

"Always" he grunted but ignored the water, instead he bent down and untied a saddlebag which he threw towards Sofia who had just stepped out of the tent "For the generator" he said and walked past us to Amanda.

"Is he in a good mood, or?" the young, blue haired girl asked with a frown.

I shrugged "could have been worse."

"We are all worried Jo" she said and put a hand on my shoulder.

"So why are you still staying here? Go and do your job" I hissed annoyed.

"You should try to sleep at night, old lady," she shouted over her shoulder and walked towards the kitchen, "we won't miss your pissed-off morning mood."

"And who the hell is going to keep watch when you sleep?"  I hissed back and sipped on the lukewarm, light brown water.

"Are you coming?"  Carl shouted annoyed from the tent "we have to talk."

I rolled my eyes and readied myself for an insult.  Hell, everyone was in such a bad mood since the boys had disappeared. We needed some good news, but I couldn't afford to feel hope.

I dragged my feet there, but this time I remembered to close my eyes and hold my breath as I pulled the cloth makeshift door, while I almost collided with Amanda who was on her way out.

"He's grumpier then usual," she giggled, correcting the souvenir Minnie ears, which she insisted on always wearing.

I stepped inside, with a defeated sigh on my lips as I saw him resting on a large pillow, with his boots resting on a rusty barrel, as usual he was sharpening his knives. As if he had never even been away.

"It's breakfast time" I stated.

"It's important," he replied shortly, pointing to a stool.

"So you found what you were looking for?" I asked curiously.

"More."

I sat down on the stool and rested my forearms against my  thighs to strain my eyes at him "multi-word sentences, thank you."

He frowned and put the knives aside next to him to stare back "Skip the attitude, woman."

"Where are they?"

"On their way home, but the Harrows were in my way."

"So you left them" I sighed and leaned back against a tent pole.

"They'll be home in two or three days." He confirmed with a deep frown.

I nodded a few times, sure, I was glad he was careful.  The Harrows were not to be played with, but Lo and Hannes had been so close.  It was frustrating as hell.

"I have got new info" he continued "there is a person called Twelve."

"Twelve?"

He nodded and began to lace up his brown, dirt stained boots "it is said that they knows how to get into Vegas."

"And where is this Twelve?"

He sighed contentedly as he kicked off his boots, leaned back with his hands behind his head and closed his eyes "on the slave market."

"Hell Carl!"  I hissed "do you want to send us out on a fucking suicide mission?!"

He opened his eyes slowly and looked me straight in the eye "is not it worth it? A life in Vegas, without sand, burnt skin and with all the water you could wish for?"

I moaned in defeat and hid my face behind my hands.  I had to think, it was a really big decision to make "Do you trust the source?"

"Jonna," he said in his calmest, most serious voice, "I would never send you on such a mission if I wasn't sure of my case."

I nodded but rubbed my forehead "we can have a family meeting when the boys are home."

"Go and eat breakfast" he grinned and pulled a blanket over himself "wake me up in an hour?"

I got up and walked towards the exit "it's nice to have you home Carl."

"Don't be so fucking clingy Jo" he teased but the smile clearly showed that his heart was melting.