Read Online Children Of The Mountain (Book 2): The Devil You Know by R.A. Hakok - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: R.A. Hakok
Ads: Link
I look across the table.
‘How do you still have lights?’
Truck’s busy getting the wad of tobacco situated and for a while the question goes unanswered. I wait while he pokes at it with his tongue, until it finally looks like he’s got it in a good place.
‘Lights is it, Huckleberry?’
I nod.
‘Well, that was the Doc. Dare say you’ll meet her later.’
He looks at me and smiles, but somehow it’s not an expression that makes me feel like he’s warming to me again.
‘She’s a smart lady, alright. Right after we got here she had us go room to room and strip the bulbs, along with anything else she thought we might need that would have been affected by the burst. Afterwards we had to replace fuses, some of the wiring, but once we got it all hooked up again most things came back. ’Course we only run the genny on the emergency circuit now, to save fuel.’
There’s something troubling me about his answer: how could whoever the Doc is have known what Kane was planning to do? But before I can get on that question Mags asks another.
‘You said we were headed south like the others. You’ve had survivors come through here before?’
I notice Rudd shooting a sour glance over in her direction and for a moment he looks like he might be about to say something. But in the end he just goes back to spearing the last of the beans on his plate. Truck eyes him for a moment and then looks down the table at her.
‘Oh, sure. Whole bunch of ’em. When we first got here Doc had us hike out to the interstate, put signs up. For a while that brought us a steady stream. Nothing for a long time now, though. Until you, that is.’
He looks back at me as he says this, and it seems like the twinkle’s returned to his small, dark eyes. A half-smile bends his lips and he pokes the wad of tobacco around some more with his tongue.
‘What happened to them?’
Rudd looks up from his plate again and this time he looks like he might be about to say something. But just as he opens his mouth Truck spits a thick wad of tobacco into the container at his elbow. The plastic bottle tips over and dark juice splashes the sleeve of the older man’s fatigues. He stands up as though he’s just been scalded.
‘Dammit Truck.’
‘Aw, sorry, Pops. And all over your good Class A’s as well. Guess you’ll need to tend to that. Lickety-split now. Could be an inspection any minute.’
Rudd pushes back his chair and makes for the door, rubbing his sleeve and muttering under his breath. Truck’s gaze follows him across the room. It stays there until the door’s closed behind him. Then he looks back at me and winks.
‘That old coot’s been in the service since Jesus was a corporal and he’s still wound tighter than a duck’s asshole.’
The smile’s still playing across Truck’s lips but it’s gone again from his eyes.
‘And what happened to the survivors?’
‘Oh, they just moved on. I guess they never took to the place.’
Boots has been staring at Mags but as Truck says this he finds something interesting to look at on the table. Weasel just grins. I’m about to ask Truck if he knows where they went when behind me the door opens. I look over my shoulder and Hicks is standing there.
He says Doctor Gilbey will see us now.
*
W E GET UP FROM THE TABLE . I can see Jax already eyeing the franks and beans we’re leaving behind. I’m halfway to the door when from behind me I hear Truck’s lazy drawl.
‘Be seein’ ya, Huckleberry.’
I turn around and he winks at me from underneath those thick black eyebrows. Next to him Weasel’s still grinning. Boots is picking at the spot on his arm he was working over last night, like he’s making a point of not looking up.
Hicks heads back towards the entrance. Outside night has fallen and the temperature’s dropping; I can see our breath as we follow him down the hallway. But if the cold’s bothering him he isn’t showing it. He’s wearing his glove liners but
‘How do you still have lights?’
Truck’s busy getting the wad of tobacco situated and for a while the question goes unanswered. I wait while he pokes at it with his tongue, until it finally looks like he’s got it in a good place.
‘Lights is it, Huckleberry?’
I nod.
‘Well, that was the Doc. Dare say you’ll meet her later.’
He looks at me and smiles, but somehow it’s not an expression that makes me feel like he’s warming to me again.
‘She’s a smart lady, alright. Right after we got here she had us go room to room and strip the bulbs, along with anything else she thought we might need that would have been affected by the burst. Afterwards we had to replace fuses, some of the wiring, but once we got it all hooked up again most things came back. ’Course we only run the genny on the emergency circuit now, to save fuel.’
There’s something troubling me about his answer: how could whoever the Doc is have known what Kane was planning to do? But before I can get on that question Mags asks another.
‘You said we were headed south like the others. You’ve had survivors come through here before?’
I notice Rudd shooting a sour glance over in her direction and for a moment he looks like he might be about to say something. But in the end he just goes back to spearing the last of the beans on his plate. Truck eyes him for a moment and then looks down the table at her.
‘Oh, sure. Whole bunch of ’em. When we first got here Doc had us hike out to the interstate, put signs up. For a while that brought us a steady stream. Nothing for a long time now, though. Until you, that is.’
He looks back at me as he says this, and it seems like the twinkle’s returned to his small, dark eyes. A half-smile bends his lips and he pokes the wad of tobacco around some more with his tongue.
‘What happened to them?’
Rudd looks up from his plate again and this time he looks like he might be about to say something. But just as he opens his mouth Truck spits a thick wad of tobacco into the container at his elbow. The plastic bottle tips over and dark juice splashes the sleeve of the older man’s fatigues. He stands up as though he’s just been scalded.
‘Dammit Truck.’
‘Aw, sorry, Pops. And all over your good Class A’s as well. Guess you’ll need to tend to that. Lickety-split now. Could be an inspection any minute.’
Rudd pushes back his chair and makes for the door, rubbing his sleeve and muttering under his breath. Truck’s gaze follows him across the room. It stays there until the door’s closed behind him. Then he looks back at me and winks.
‘That old coot’s been in the service since Jesus was a corporal and he’s still wound tighter than a duck’s asshole.’
The smile’s still playing across Truck’s lips but it’s gone again from his eyes.
‘And what happened to the survivors?’
‘Oh, they just moved on. I guess they never took to the place.’
Boots has been staring at Mags but as Truck says this he finds something interesting to look at on the table. Weasel just grins. I’m about to ask Truck if he knows where they went when behind me the door opens. I look over my shoulder and Hicks is standing there.
He says Doctor Gilbey will see us now.
*
W E GET UP FROM THE TABLE . I can see Jax already eyeing the franks and beans we’re leaving behind. I’m halfway to the door when from behind me I hear Truck’s lazy drawl.
‘Be seein’ ya, Huckleberry.’
I turn around and he winks at me from underneath those thick black eyebrows. Next to him Weasel’s still grinning. Boots is picking at the spot on his arm he was working over last night, like he’s making a point of not looking up.
Hicks heads back towards the entrance. Outside night has fallen and the temperature’s dropping; I can see our breath as we follow him down the hallway. But if the cold’s bothering him he isn’t showing it. He’s wearing his glove liners but
Similar Books
