Intervention | NaNoWriMo 2018

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The following chapter is the non-edited draft of what was written during NaNoWriMo 2018. My apologies in advance for plot holes and other inconsistencies. I know they're there.

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"They're coming," Lincoln said between breaths as he leaned up against the passenger door after running down from the top of the stadium. Marie sat in the passenger seat, maps in her lap.

"Are you sure?"

Lincoln nodded. "I'm sure. It's the same dust cloud as before, just visible to the south."

"Do you think they're still tracking us?"

"Not by satellite they're not but I have no doubt they have skilled trackers that can pick up on the way we went, one way or another."

"What do we do? Run?"

Lincoln shook his head. "The wind has picked up. Not a lot but enough that whatever tracks we may have left behind will be destroyed. They may end up in this city, just like we did, but unless they search each building, they're not going to find us."

"They'll search this one," Marie said without hesitation.

"I think you're right. It's the one structure in this city that seems to have held up the best. It's the logical place for someone to seek refuge. If we move now, any sign of our movement will be wiped out before they get here."

"So we hide somewhere else and wait them out?" Marie said, eyebrows raised.

"Exactly. I spotted a few buildings a couple of blocks over. They look like they may have been mechanic shops or gas stations. We can pull the truck in and lay low until they're gone. With any luck, they'll keep heading north."

Marie pondered Lincoln's suggestion for a moment then nodded. "Let's do it."

Moments later, they left the stadium behind. Lincoln drove the next few blocks slower than he typically would to avoid creating any obvious signs that they had been there. With the window down, the wind whipped through his open window, to him a sure sign that the plan he had hatched would work. Get away from the obvious places, wait out Hastings and his crew and hope that was enough.

What he hadn't told Marie was that he had a secondary reason for not just running. They were getting low on fuel. Although he had discovered that it also had an electrical component and could run on solar power, it wasn't ideal for longer treks. In fact, he intended to take full advantage of the battery power but that times wasn't now. He was gambling that Colonel Hastings brought fuel with him and with any luck, they'd be able to siphon some from their fuel carrier.

He turned a corner and found himself in front of the rusted remains of a metal door. He sighed and felt doubt creep into his mind. Had he seen it wrong? Was this not usable, after all.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Marie said. Lincoln saw the same worry in her face that he felt himself.

"This is what I saw from the stadium. I just didn't look this worn down."

Marie sighed and shook her head. "So now what? We're out in the open."

"Relax, Marie, relax. Let's check out the side."

Lincoln drove around to the side of the building and then around back. A tall and wide opening in the back wall revealed a cavernous garage. Roof beams had collapsed and with them, the roof, but there was enough space up against a wall and back from the opening to park the truck. It would also give them visibility through the front, with a clear view down the street towards the stadium.