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CHAPTER
28
“THERE IT IS! Take a left onto that gravel road.” Oxford sat in the center of the cab, his long legs stretched in front of Mercury, who sat nearest to the passenger window. He pointed at a narrow, rocky area off the side of 26 that looked more like a mistake than an actual road. As Stella braked and turned, he added. “You’ll need those wire cutters pretty soon.”
“Yep,” said Stella as she eased the old truck onto the gravelly path and then pointed to the floorboard. “I got ’em out while Mercury’s hands were being doctored. They’re right down there.”
“Oh crap. That’s more rain.” Mercury craned her head back and looked up at the slate sky that had started to spit drizzle again. “Are we going to get stuck?”
“Shouldn’t,” said Ford. “The land is dry out here and soaks up rain pretty fast. The access roads I’ve been following didn’t look too waterlogged, and you do have those chains. They’ll help.” He sat up a little straighter. “Okay, here’s the first gate. Mercury, I wish I was steadier on my feet, but I have one hellacious headache. I’m afraid if I go out there, I’ll cause more problems than be helpful, but if you do need more muscle, I’ll try.”
“Gemma wouldn’t stand for it,” said Mercury. “And no big deal. I’m used to being what my dad liked to call ‘Gate Girl.’ I’ll jump out and see if I can open the gate. If not, I’ll just cut it open.” She peered through the rain. “It doesn’t look too sturdy.”
“She’s not going to have any problem with the gates. Any of them,” Stella said as she braked.
“That’s right.” Ford nodded. “For a sec I forgot about the bridge.”
Mercury wasn’t sure what she should say. Her feelings were at odds about her newly discovered strength. It seemed like a good thing, but it also made her stomach a little sick. Mercury held out her hand like a surgeon asking for a scalpel. “Wire cutters!”
“Here ya go.” Stella handed her the tool. “Don’t think I don’t recognize your Meredith Grey voice. You go out there and perform fence surgery, Acorn.”
“Acorn?”
Ford’s voice followed her out of the open door to the truck as she hurried through the rain to the gate. It was a simple barrier of aluminum attached to a wooden post with a chain and a padlock. Mercury sighed. The damn chain was thick and rust-free. It was going to take some major strength to cut it. She opened the mouth of the wire cutters as wide as possible and managed to slide a link of the chain inside the sharpened edges. Then she gritted her teeth, gripped the two arms of the tool, and pressed them together—hard—and cut through the link like it was a wet spaghetti noodle.
“Super strength definitely comes in handy,” she murmured as she shook out the chain, opened the gate, and then jogged back to the truck.
“Do you think I should get out and close it?” she asked as Stella drove through.
Ford shook his head. “I hate to say it, but from what I’ve seen traveling by these little roads for the past day or so, I don’t think there’re enough people left alive out here to worry about it. There are a bunch of goats, some cattle, a few horses and—believe it or not—a herd of alpacas that would probably appreciate being able to roam free for food and water.”
“Alpacas? That’s weird,” said Mercury as she wiped her face dry with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
“Yeah, kinda,” Ford said.
“How’re your hands holding up?” Stella asked as she navigated around a big hole in the dirt road.
Mercury studied her hands. Gemma had removed the splinters and cleaned the cuts before wrapping them in gauze. “I think they’re fine. They don’t hurt at all.” She unwound the gaze and grinned. “They’re perfect, actually.”
Ford’s gaze went from her healed hands to meet her eyes. “That’s weirder than the alpacas.”
Mercury shrugged and said, “Yeah. I heal fast.”
“Did you heal this fast before the green stuff got you?” Ford asked.
Mercury only hesitated a second. “Nope.”
He cleared he throat. “Well, speaking of weird—you’re strong.”
Mercury nodded.
Ford looked from Mercury to Stella. “I gave you my word I wouldn’t tell anyone your secrets. You don’t know me yet, but I always keep my word.”
“The green fog changes some women,” said Stella. She was driving two-handed again and kept her gaze on the dirt and gravel road, steering carefully around potholes and newly formed cracks in the land.
“But you’re not all strong like Mercury,” said Ford.
“So far that’s just me,” said Mercury reluctantly.
