Beyond the Horizon

22. Bleed

Nezumi drove nonstop all throughout the morning, hardly knowing where he was going. The only impetus was to put distance between him and the carnage they'd left behind. He felt like a man possessed, dogged by an evil that would catch up and sink its teeth into his sanity if he slowed for even a second. As long as he kept driving and not thinking past the next light, the next turn, he would be safe.

          Reality didn't exist in the shadowed interior of the sedan. There was only the rumble of the tires over asphalt, the heat's hiss from the vents, and Shion's silent, prone form draped over the back seat. Nezumi checked on him occasionally, but he couldn't look too long, and he had a sinking awareness that he might not have been able to look even that much if the glances weren't snatched through the secrecy of the rearview mirror.

          He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think at all. Nezumi kept his foot jammed down on the accelerator and used the brakes sparingly. He was fortunate that they didn't get stopped by any police, because Nezumi was going well over the speed limit for far too much of the drive and he didn't have a license.

          Eventually, though, the arrow on the gas gauge inched its way into the red and Nezumi knew he would have to face reality again. Nezumi's breaths came in shallow as he eased to the side of the road on the outskirts of a sleepy town and pulled into the dingy little gas station there.

          By then, the sun had sunk low into the frothy clouds like a freshly sprung yolk, and the shadows stretched wraithlike over the ground. Nezumi pulled up next to a pump and sat for a moment with the engine running. He checked the rearview mirror. Shion had turned over at some point, and all Nezumi could see was the back of his head, his dark hair snarled from brushing against the pillow over and over again.

          Turn the engine off. Get the gas, Nezumi told himself. He wished his powers worked on his own mind. Get the gas, and then get going again.

          The Lab had never felt as close as this before. Nezumi had always been paranoid—he never stopped being on edge—but he could usually find his peace of mind when he was on the run. He was always ready, but never rushed.

          But his heart would not stop skittering now. It made his bones feel like they were vibrating. Every beat sent a jolt of fear down his spine, and he had to check the view from every window several times to reassure himself that there were no sleek cruisers, and no black-suited figures waiting to spring from the shadows. The only persons he saw were a thirty-something woman filling up two pumps away and a single shop attendant inside the gas station convenience store.

          Nezumi finally convinced himself to exit the car and cram the gas nozzle into the fuel filler. The young woman looked over at him and did a double take. Nezumi's heart leapt into his throat.

          Why? What was she looking at? Was she one of them?

          The woman blinked rapidly, confusion and concern clouding her face. Nezumi stared her down hard, probing her for a scrambler or ill intent, but neither could be detected. The woman's expression crumpled and she averted her gaze and focused on her gas pump, which had just clicked to signal it was finished.

          Nezumi dropped his leer and focused on his own nozzle. She didn't seem to be a part of Horizon Labs. But then, staying at the Yoshidas didn't seem like a threat, and look at what happened. Nezumi swallowed and swallowed, but the lump building in his throat was not going away.

          His nozzle clicked and he shoved it back into place on the pump. The station was the sort that required one to go inside to pay. Nezumi took his slip and went into the convenience store without alerting Shion. He didn't want to bother him, as he appeared to be sleeping. He would only be a minute or two paying, and even if the Lab did show up, Shion had proven he could more than take care of himself....