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“And you think you can do that by constantly moving?” Tree Man asked.
“Yes.” A few hours ago, Tree Man would have agreed with him. Now it seemed like he didn’t want to move.
“Fine. You’re right. You’re right. Stupid. So stupid. Of course we need to leave. We need to move and not do anything else. Just keep walking. Trying to make it home. Trying to get us all safe and sound with no problems. Got it.”
“You okay?” Malachi asked. “You seem to be ranting a little more than normal.”
“No. No. I’m fine. All the walking makes me ache. It irritates me.” Tree Man lifted his foot and moaned. “See? Aching feet.”
“Aching feet, I get it.”
He laughed. Heading into the dentist office, he went to where Sasha and Lucy were already waiting.
“Is it safe?”
“It’s as safe as we’re going to get for now.”
“So not safe at all?” she asked.
“We’ve got to move.” He didn’t want to but it would seem that was all he was going to be able to do.
“Okay,” Sasha said. “I figured as much and we got ready.”
“Good.” He ran his fingers through his hair.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I didn’t mean for tonight to end up this fucked up.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s really not.” He groaned, reaching out to touch her arm. “Please forgive me.”
She chuckled. “You need to stop thinking everything is your fault when it really isn’t. We can’t help that this world is messing with us. We have to leave, we’ve got to. I know that where there are a bunch of men, there’s also a risk of more coming. I get it. You don’t have to keep apologizing for it.” She cupped his cheek. “I get it.”
Reluctantly, Malachi pulled away as Lucy came out of her room. She looked tired.
“You okay, Malachi?” she asked.
“Yeah, kid. I’m fine.”
She smiled at him even as she looked tired.
They had to keep on moving and now they didn’t have a car.
Grabbing his supply kit, and making sure to take a first aid one with him, they all made their way out into the night.
He’d not gotten any sleep and it wouldn’t be long before it caught up with him. Running a hand down his face, he took the lead with Sasha and Lucy in the middle, and Tree Man taking up the rear.
He could do this.
One foot in front of the other.
Scanning the darkness.
Waiting for something to come out. The dog came toward his side. He wondered where it had been during the attack. Knowing his luck and the way his life was going, he probably had a coward for a dog, and that wouldn’t do him any good.
His muscles ached.
Deep in his gut, he felt a twisting sensation as if something bad was going to happen. This shouldn’t be how his life went.
Sasha and Lucy were making him soft. They were making him care.
Taking a deep breath, he held his weapon more firmly.
Until he got them all to safety, he couldn’t allow himself to be fooled into a false sense of security.
What would be would be.
He had only one mission, to get them north.
Once that was over, he’d deal with his feelings for Sasha. He’d promised to always take care of them, and that was exactly what he was going to do. No matter what it cost him.
One foot in front of the other.
Looking left and right.
Not thinking about Sasha or what he felt.
He had to keep his focus.
He kept on repeating the mantra inside his head in the vain hope he’d finally focus on what was important, staying alive.
Chapter Forty-Four
Let’s just deviate from the plan
They’d been walking for hours, long, tiring hours. Lucy was all but dragging her feet, and every part of Sasha ached.
“Malachi, please, just a little break.”
He looked over his shoulder at her, then glanced at Lucy. Although he probably wanted to keep going, he nodded once and gestured over to a large fallen log off to the side.
The sound of the creek they’d been following was clear, and after Sasha set her bag down, she grabbed Lucy’s hand and walked her the few feet toward the rushing water.
Sasha crouched in front of the water and scooped some up, washing her face and neck off, and just letting the droplets cool her. Despite being in the mountains and surrounded by the trees and shade, September was a hot month, and she was feeling it. All the walking, the lack of cold water, and her nerves made for one awful experience.
She glanced over her shoulder at where Malachi was. He sat on the fallen log cleaning his gun.
“This heat is making me cranky, Sasha.”
She looked back at Lucy and gave her an empathetic smile. “I know. I’m feeling it too.” She scooped some water up and dabbed her wet hand over her neck, letting the droplets move along her throat and down her shirt.
