The Devil's Trail

17. Key to the door

"Settle down class, I won't tell you again!" The teacher shouts with a hard glare at the more hyperactive kids near the back.

I frown, gripping the desk, wanting to learn. I have to learn, I have to get this right!

"Children!"

The room falls deadly silent, so quick that I look up to find an officer at the door. Hat held against his chest, whispering to the teacher. The exchange is quick, but before the teacher can turn around, I know it's for me.

So when the teacher looks directly at me, I take a breath and get up taking my bag along with me.

"This is Officer Bales, you need to go with him.." The teacher explains before handing me over to the officer where we both head out the classroom, corridor and eventually school.

Officer Bales didn't speak much, he didn't say why he was here or why he was taking me out of school. But he was...

*~*

I jolted out of my sleep, staring at the same window as I had since the journey began.

"How often do you have nightmares?"

I snapped my head back to see Zak led with his back to me and a pillow between us. The bright light causes me to push my sunshades on over my eyes giving me a break from the contacts.

"What -?" I ask sitting up ready to ask what the hell he was doing in here when he continues.

"Don't get the moral high ground. My balls are practically blue right now from bruising and I feel sick as fuck. Don't like me being here? Tough."

I bit my lip in guilt. "You provoked me.."

I heard him muttering before he asks again "How often do you have nightmares?"

I shrug "It varies."

"Between?"

"Between if I'm put in a position that leads to fear. If I'm provoked, if I get stressed or–"

"So most of the time then. Women tend to stress about everything."

I cock my head to see his face, twisted in pain slightly. "I'm sorry, for...."

"For kneeing my balls into my throat?" He asks looking at me. I nod and lower my head. "Just for the record, I would have never dropped it."

"Then why do that? Why goad me?"

"Because I want an in. You're... Forget it."

I look up to see him cupping his crotch with a pained look still across his face, even with his eyes closed.

Sliding off the bed, I enter the main part of the RV to see Bacon sat playing on his phone.

"What's up?" I ask sitting down opposite him in the leather seat.

"Not much, can we talk though?" He asks setting his phone aside. I nod and wait for him to start. "I wanna talk about what happened earlier? Between you and Zak."

I tilt my chin up slightly, knowing that would come up eventually. Rather it was now than later.

"Okay." I reply coolly.