Dark Sky

28 - Abandoned

Chapter Twenty Eight

The air blowing in through the busted windows was cold, almost freezing and Joe knew they were going to have to find a new vehicle soon as he looked out into the expanse of night time. There was an un-natural absence of light cast upon the post nuclear countryside that was nothing more than wasteland now.

Joe put his arm around Leila and pulled her in close as he noticed her visibly shivering. She willingly snuggled into him and closed her eyes, feeling the exhaustion. However she knew there was no way any of them were getting any rest, not for a while anyway.

They drove in silence as the car bounced and groaned over every bump and there was a lot of them. The road was barely a road anymore, the tar melted and bubbled from the intense heat wave of the bombs.

It seemed like an eternity since that day. So much had happened since then and none of it good. Well, one good thing had happened, Joe thought to himself squeezing Leila in a bit closer. She was the one thing left in this nightmare world that made him thankful he had survived. Survived the bombs, survived Travis and everything else in between. He just hoped that the safety camps they had heard about on the radio were what they prayed they would be.

"So I guess we are heading straight for the bunkers?" Joe finally broke the silence that had dropped on them some miles back.

Ryan snapped out of his trance instantly. He had been driving on autopilot since they had escaped the woods, his mind still active with horrible images of Carl dying horrifically. It hadn't really hit him fully yet and it all felt like a really bad dream that he couldn't wake up from. Except the shattered windows and the bullet ridden car reminded him it was no dream and that it was as real as it gets.

Then he heard Joe's voice and the rage welled up inside him like a tidal wave of pure hatred. Carls killers had been there for him, this man that Leila had warned them to stay away from. Now her fears had proven to be real, she and Joe were inseparable and that only angered him more.

Without warning he pulled the car to a halt.

"Get out." He told Joe calmly, suppressing the urge to shout.

For a moment everyone stared blankly a little stunned at the sudden command.

"You heard me Joe." His voice remained cool. "Get the fuck out."

Leila sat up hardly believing what she was hearing. "Ryan?"

"You too Leila." Ryan's voice starting to sound a little agitated now. "Both of you out! Now!"

"Come on Ryan no ones getting out." Floyd told him his face cold and stern.

"This is my car!" Ryan began to shout. "Me and Carl got this car and if I say get out, then get out!"

Floyd turned in his seat to face him directly. "You can't dump them in the middle of nowhere. Incase you forgotten we left in a bit of a hurry with no supplies."

"And?" Ryan's tone was cold.

"They won't last very long out here with no food and water." Floyd tried to rationalise. "Not to mention warm clothes. It's cold enough in this car."

Ryan took a deep breath trying hard to keep control of his own temper.

"If you don't like it Floyd, you can join them." He scowled. "Either way they are getting out now."

"Ryan. Please." Leila began to plead but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder from Joe.

"It's ok Leila." Joe smiled. "We'll be fine as long as we can find another car."