Page 129 of Into the Mist

“Me, too,” said Karen as she held her cardigan over her head to try to keep the rain from her.

“You look terrible, though. All pale and bloody and very zombie-like,” said Stella.

Cayden gasped.

“Stella’s just kidding,” Mercury assured him hastily. “Aren’t you?”

“Yeah, totally. Mercury is fine.”

“Hey, uh, I just realized I need to pee. Really badly,” said Mercury.

“It’s dumping rain. Think you can wait until we find shelter?” Stella asked.

“Not a chance, and I need to take off these bloody clothes. Stella, if you help me outta here I think I can kill two birds with one stone.”

“If you hurt yourself again I’m going to be really pissed.” Gemma’s voice had everyone grinning at her.

“My hero!” Mercury leaned over and kissed the teenager loudly in the middle of her furrowed forehead.

Gemma sat and studied Mercury’s scars. “No blood. No nothing except raised, pink flesh. It’s crazy. How do you feel?”

“Now that I’ve had some water and food—great.” Mercury met her gaze and took the girl’s hand in hers. “Thank you for saving my life.”

Gemma’s pale cheeks flushed pink. “No problem. But it hurt real bad, so try not to get almost dead again.”

“I’ll do my best,” said Mercury. Then she crawled to the open tailgate and peered out. “Yep, it’s really raining. And cold. And where the hell are we?”

“Just west of the John Day Fossil Beds and the Painted Hills,” said Ford, who hadn’t stopped smiling since Mercury had started speaking.

“Here, give me a hand.” Mercury reached forward. Stella and Ford each took an arm and steadied her as she climbed from the bed of the truck.

From behind her Imani said, “Sis, are you sure you wanna get out now?”

“Totally,” said Mercury. “But would you get into my backpack and grab me some dry clothes? And isn’t there a towel or two back there somewhere?”

“What are you thinking?” Stella asked as she, Ford, and Karen stared through the rain at her.

“I’m thinking y’all should get back in the truck. I’m going to go over there somewhere”—she jerked her chin in the direction of a small grove of junipers off the side of the mud road they’d been following—“to pee, and then I’m gonna strip and let the rain wash this blood off of me. I mean, my hair’s even crusted with it.” She lifted a stiff strand of hair from the side of her face that was already tracking pink water down her skin.

“Fine, but I’m coming with you,” said Stella.

“So am I,” said Gemma, who climbed out of the truck after Mercury. She held up her hands to show that she, too, was bloodstained past her elbows. “You bled. A lot.”

Ford was suddenly in front of Mercury, blocking the rain as he pulled her into a gentle hug. “You scared me, Bellota.”

“I scared myself,” she said against his chest.

He reluctantly let her loose and then smiled at Stella. “While you ladies are using the vast but primitive facilities, I’ll fill the tank with the rest of the gas we siphoned into that container.”

“Thanks, Ford,” said Stella.

“Mercury, do you want to change places with me in the cab, or do you need to lie down again?” Karen asked as she cringed from the rain under her soaked cardigan.

“I can sit just fine. As long as Gemma gives me the green light, I’ll trade with you,” said Mercury.

“You can trade with her,” said Gemma. “But I’m gonna need more sleep.”

“I’ll help Imani find dry clothes for you,” said Karen as she crawled into the bed of the truck. “Mercury?”