Zommunist Invasion by Picott, Camille (ebook reader ink TXT) 📗

Then we stop for the night.” Lena looked down at the small spring. “What I wouldn’t give for a few water bottles.”

“Drink up,” Dal said. “This might be our last chance. This late in the season, there won’t be a lot of water out there. We got lucky with this one.”

They spent another few minutes at the spring. Amanda drank water until her belly ached with it.“I really hope none of us gets sick.”

The other two looked at her. Since there was nothing anyone could do about it, they kept drinking.

When they set out again, Amanda’s stomach sloshed with water. She took comfort from that. It wouldn’t last forever, but she wouldn’t be keeling over from dehydration anytime soon.

They hiked until dusk, daring to travel through a wide expanse of grassland only when the sky dimmed to a murky gray. By the time they reached the trees on the other side, stars were coming out.

It was thick as pitch beneath the trees. Dal had been right. There was no way to keep hiking safely in the dark.

“Have you ever been camping before?” Lena asked her.

Amanda’s one and only experience of being stuck outside was the time her mom lost the house keys at the grocery store. They’d been forced to call a locksmith, which her mom insisted was cheaper than breaking a window. Amanda had been stuck outside with her mom for nearly two hours while they waited for the guy to come.

Before the invasion, that had been on Amanda’s top ten list of crappy days. She’d accidentally stepped in a big puddle in the grocery parking lot and been forced to sit, shivering, in the car the whole time. Her mom hadn’t wanted to “waste gas,” and had refused to turn on the engine to warm her up.

The scenario was laughable now. Especially compared to the prospect of sleeping outside without a tent or a sleeping bag. God, their lives had been so cush. She’d taken it all for granted.

“No, I’ve never been camping before. We weren’t really a camping family.” She was acutely aware of the fact that Dal and Lena were most definitely outdoorsy types, as evidenced by their hunting cabin and their high level of comfort with hunting weapons.

“It’s better when you have a tent,” Dal said, “but it will be okay. It’s just for one night.”

“Okay.” Amanda was determined not to be a wuss. She was an amazon. She had lifted a big ass tree off Lena. Sleeping outside should be a cake walk compared to that. Right?

Wrong. Dal found a small clearing beneath some oak trees. Amanda knew she was in for a hard night when she blundered right into a spider web. Sticky bits of it stuck to her hands and face as she tried to pull it away.

Dal and Lena at least had each other for warmth. They curled up together on the ground, spooning. Amanda felt exposed and alone under the tree.

She tried not to think about all the bugs that might be buzzing around in the night air. It was impossible not to think about all the creepy crawly things on the ground. If she never saw another ant again, it would be too soon.

The forest floor was cold, lumpy, and wet. Sticks poked her. As she struggled to find a comfortable position, she realized she was exhausted. And hungry.

“How far do you think we went today?” she asked.

“I’d say seven miles at least, maybe eight,” Dal replied. “We’ll make it back to the cabin tomorrow.”

“I’m glad you know the way. If I was out here by myself, I’d never make it back. I’d probably spend days walking in circles.” She heard that happened to people when they were lost in the woods. They literally walked in circles.

Dal chuckled softly. “I grew up out here hunting with Leo and Mr. Cecchino. You develop a good sense of direction when you spend a lot of time outside.”

Well, that explained why she had no idea where she was. She didn’t hunt or spend time outside.

As the night deepened, Amanda got colder and colder. The ground got more uncomfortable with every passing second. She looked enviously at Dal and Lena, cocooned together. They dozed in each other’s arms, the perfect couple.

She wished Stephenson or Cassie was with her. Then she’d have someone to spoon with. In that moment, she desperately missed her two best friends.

What were they doing right now? Stephenson and Nonna were no doubt worried sick about them. Were they waiting up for them? If it was up to Nonna, she’d probably have Stephenson working in the kitchen until late at night. She did that even when everyone was home.

Cassie and Leo would probably be at the bridge by now. Amanda imagined the two of them exchanging a kiss before heading off to plant bombs on the Luma Bridge. The thought made her sigh wistfully.

Would she ever have a boyfriend? It seemed impossible. Then again, less than twenty-four hours ago, she hadn’t even been aware of her own strength. If she could move boulders, who was to say she couldn’t get a boyfriend?

It was this thought that finally sent her into a restless sleep.

23

Possibility

Amanda awoke to the sound of engines.

Alarm had her bolting upright, heart pounding in her chest. She was so cold, she half expected to find her body covered with frost. Except West County never had frost this time of year.

Dal and Lena were already awake. Dal was up in a tree, scouting the land around them.

Amanda studied the sound. It wasn’t the helicopter. It wasn’t loud enough to be the helicopter. But it wasn’t a car, either. The engine—engines—weren’t loud enough to be cars. What the heck was it.?

Dal jumped down after a few minutes, an expression of alarm pinching his face. “They sent in another team to search for us. They’re on ATVs. Four of them, two Soviets on each ATV. One’s coming our way. We have to get out of here.”

Amanda tried to remember