Read Online Canyon: A Post Apocalyptic/Dystopian Adventure (The Traveler Book 2) by Tom Abrahams - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tom Abrahams
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yard. And there was no steep incline opposite him. Instead there was a long slope leading into the darkness. Battle nodded and pumped his fist.
He slipped back into the wagon and marched through it to the eighth, seventh, sixth, and fifth empty wagons. He was moving swiftly, anxious to get back to Buck and help him retrace the path to the end of the train yard.
When he opened the door to the fourth wagon and stepped inside, he wasn’t alone. He stopped short and raised his hands above his head. There were two armed men standing shoulder to shoulder in the center of the empty cargo hold. In the slivers of orange light, Battle could see their rifles were pointed straight at him.
CHAPTER 12
OCTOBER 15, 2037, 7:28 AM
SCOURGE + 5 YEARS
ABILENE, TEXAS
“We should split up,” Pico said, adjusting the pack on his back. “You and Lola go one way. I’ll go another.”
Battle shot a glance at Lola. She was on his right, walking faster to keep pace with the men, her cheeks puffed with air.
“I’m just sayin’ they don’t know I’m with you,” Pico said. “They got no idea about what happened with Queho. I could roll up on ’em and find out where they’re keeping the boy while you and Lola go do whatever it is you gotta do.”
Lola skipped ahead a couple of steps and walked backwards to face them. “I like that idea.”
Battle nodded. “It’s a good idea,” he said. “Where would you go to find out?”
“I think I go to the HQ,” Pico said. “If that’s where you think everybody is. I mean, I won’t come out and ask where the kid is. I’ll hint around.”
“You need to lose the pack, then,” Battle said. “You’re gonna have a tough time convincing them to trust you anyway, but it’ll be impossible if you have that pack loaded with my gear.”
Pico nodded and stroked his mustache with his fingers. “True enough. Where are you gonna be?”
“We’re going around the backside of the post office,” Battle said. “No need to put ourselves in harm’s way any more than necessary. We’ll do some recon there. Maybe get some additional artillery or destroy some. Depends on what we find.”
“Where do we meet up?” Lola asked, still doing her best to maintain a pace while jogging backward. “When we’re done. Where do we go? Where does Pico go?”
“Pico?” Battle asked. “This is your plan. Thoughts?”
“My house,” Pico said. “Seventh and Plum near the old Baptist Church.”
“How far is that from the post office?” asked Lola, turning around to walk forward again, a limp returning to her gait.
“Four blocks north and four blocks east.”
“Okay,” said Battle. “Let’s do it.” Battle stopped walking. “Give me your pack.”
Pico shrugged the pack off his shoulders and swung it over to Battle. “See you on the other side,” he said. “Seventh and Plum. If I ain’t there by sundown, I ain’t comin’.”
“Don’t say that,” Lola said. “We’ll see you there.”
Pico tried smiling. “I’m gonna run east a bit. I don’t want ’em seeing me coming from this direction.”
“Good idea,” Battle said, “and good luck.”
Pico waved and jogged ahead. Battle opened up the pack and pulled out some of his food, some additional ammo, a handgun, and a canteen. He pulled off his own pack and set it on the ground, unzipped it, and stuffed it full with Pico’s belongings. He rolled up Pico’s pack and added it to the mix.
Lola frowned. “What are you doing?”
“I can’t carry both bags,” Battle said. “I’m bringing what he’ll need when we meet up with him. I’ll carry it for him.”
“Oh.”
“What?” Battle cocked his head to the side. “Did you think I was writing him off?”
“I didn’t know.”
“I’m not that pessimistic, Lola.”
“I didn’t know.”
“We’ll do this,” he said softly. “We’ll find your son. We’ll get out of here alive.” Battle reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her eyes
He slipped back into the wagon and marched through it to the eighth, seventh, sixth, and fifth empty wagons. He was moving swiftly, anxious to get back to Buck and help him retrace the path to the end of the train yard.
When he opened the door to the fourth wagon and stepped inside, he wasn’t alone. He stopped short and raised his hands above his head. There were two armed men standing shoulder to shoulder in the center of the empty cargo hold. In the slivers of orange light, Battle could see their rifles were pointed straight at him.
CHAPTER 12
OCTOBER 15, 2037, 7:28 AM
SCOURGE + 5 YEARS
ABILENE, TEXAS
“We should split up,” Pico said, adjusting the pack on his back. “You and Lola go one way. I’ll go another.”
Battle shot a glance at Lola. She was on his right, walking faster to keep pace with the men, her cheeks puffed with air.
“I’m just sayin’ they don’t know I’m with you,” Pico said. “They got no idea about what happened with Queho. I could roll up on ’em and find out where they’re keeping the boy while you and Lola go do whatever it is you gotta do.”
Lola skipped ahead a couple of steps and walked backwards to face them. “I like that idea.”
Battle nodded. “It’s a good idea,” he said. “Where would you go to find out?”
“I think I go to the HQ,” Pico said. “If that’s where you think everybody is. I mean, I won’t come out and ask where the kid is. I’ll hint around.”
“You need to lose the pack, then,” Battle said. “You’re gonna have a tough time convincing them to trust you anyway, but it’ll be impossible if you have that pack loaded with my gear.”
Pico nodded and stroked his mustache with his fingers. “True enough. Where are you gonna be?”
“We’re going around the backside of the post office,” Battle said. “No need to put ourselves in harm’s way any more than necessary. We’ll do some recon there. Maybe get some additional artillery or destroy some. Depends on what we find.”
“Where do we meet up?” Lola asked, still doing her best to maintain a pace while jogging backward. “When we’re done. Where do we go? Where does Pico go?”
“Pico?” Battle asked. “This is your plan. Thoughts?”
“My house,” Pico said. “Seventh and Plum near the old Baptist Church.”
“How far is that from the post office?” asked Lola, turning around to walk forward again, a limp returning to her gait.
“Four blocks north and four blocks east.”
“Okay,” said Battle. “Let’s do it.” Battle stopped walking. “Give me your pack.”
Pico shrugged the pack off his shoulders and swung it over to Battle. “See you on the other side,” he said. “Seventh and Plum. If I ain’t there by sundown, I ain’t comin’.”
“Don’t say that,” Lola said. “We’ll see you there.”
Pico tried smiling. “I’m gonna run east a bit. I don’t want ’em seeing me coming from this direction.”
“Good idea,” Battle said, “and good luck.”
Pico waved and jogged ahead. Battle opened up the pack and pulled out some of his food, some additional ammo, a handgun, and a canteen. He pulled off his own pack and set it on the ground, unzipped it, and stuffed it full with Pico’s belongings. He rolled up Pico’s pack and added it to the mix.
Lola frowned. “What are you doing?”
“I can’t carry both bags,” Battle said. “I’m bringing what he’ll need when we meet up with him. I’ll carry it for him.”
“Oh.”
“What?” Battle cocked his head to the side. “Did you think I was writing him off?”
“I didn’t know.”
“I’m not that pessimistic, Lola.”
“I didn’t know.”
“We’ll do this,” he said softly. “We’ll find your son. We’ll get out of here alive.” Battle reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her eyes
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