She removed her coat and slung it over a chair. “Come with me.” She beckoned.
Carrying the oil lamp, she led him into the supply chamber where he’d found the gun and a knife to cut the leg chains. Shelves filled the room with only enough space between them to squeeze through. Much of the stuff remained a mystery to him.
She found a backpack. “Will this work?”
“Work for what?”
“For you to carry stuff.”
He remembered she’d offered to give him a knapsack. She hadn’t wasted time finding one.She is eager to see me leave.“It’s fine,” he replied glumly.
“I’ll pick out the meatless meals. Power bars would be the easiest to pack, but I know you don’t like them.” She sorted through tubs, selecting a half dozen pouches. “You add water to these. If you can heat it up, it will be better, but I’m guessing you can eat it cold.” She deposited the pouches in the pack and then tossed in a half dozen power bars. “Better than nothing.” She handed him the pack.
In the main chamber, she put the jars into his pack and draped his laundered, wet pants over a rack. “These should be dry by morning.” Before stuffing them in a suitcase, she’d placed them in a plastic bag.
“You’re set to go!” she said brightly.
“Great.”I don’t want to leave.She didn’t feel the same, hastening his departure. He half wished he hadn’t freed himself, but if he hadn’t, she would be dead. “What will you do after I’m gone?” he asked. “Will you stay here?”
She shook her head. “I can’t live like a hermit for the rest of my life. I have to find other people—but cautiously. More cautiously than I would have before.”
“Caution is good,” he agreed. “Being armed is better.”
“Caution and I will be inseparable.” She patted the weapon on her hip.
That reassured him a little, but their parting still made him sad. Once she left, he would not know where to find her. He would never see her again.
He sent up a silent prayer to the Powerful One.Please, Zok, send me a reason to stay longer.
* * * *
He spent the night in his “own” bed like old times, except he was unrestrained and had his vaporizer under his headrest.
Laurel slept soundly across the room, her pistol under her pillow. He suspected hypervigilance would become the new normal. But she’d fallen asleep right away, and he liked to think her easy slumber was due, at least in part, to his presence.
If her heightened caution had been enforced by the violent assault by one of her own, other survivors all over Earth lived in unnecessary fear of the next attack. Until now, he’d never considered the toll on the survivors—the Progg ensured there were none. Rarely did they lose a battle. This was the first time in a hundred years.
The omnipotent force had met an invincible foe—a common virus. So steadfast their confidence in their military superiority, they’d failed to take precautions.
Nothing had gone the way it should. The only bright spot had been meeting Laurel. He wished he could undo the devastation to her world and bring back her family, but he couldn’t.
He couldn’t see her in the dark, but he heard her gentle breathing and smelled her enticing fragrance.Sleep well, Laurel.
At long last, he drifted off.
* * * *
He smelled the rain even before they pushed aside the heavy brush and peered outside. Thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed across the dark morning sky.
“It’s raining buckets!” Laurel exclaimed.
Indeed. If not for the protective overhang of rock, they would have gotten drenched in seconds.
“You’re going to have to spend another day,” she said. “You can’t go out in this.”
Thank you, Zok.Hiding his smile, he sent a silent prayer of gratitude to the Powerful One. He didn’t know if his god had sway over Earth, but it never hurt to credit him with any blessings received, whether he was responsible or not.
They returned inside for breakfast. They both ate a granular substance called oatmeal. He’d had it once before, but this time it contained sweet bits calledraisins, which he rather enjoyed.
