that boat?” I asked.
Lux crossed her arms in front of her.
“Out to the middle of the lake. Harvesters don't seem to be interested in coming out that way yet. We'll be safer.”
I remembered the last time I got on a boat. That ride didn't end too well with Jackson melting the hull and sinking it. But, I couldn't argue that Lux's plan wasn't brilliant. All we had to do was float down the canal and out onto Lake Ontario. The Harvesters were so busy on the mainland it would probably take them a while to even think to search the lake.
I walked down the dock and followed Lux onto the stern of the boat. Written on the back of it was the world Sundancer . The cockpit was furnished with an outdoor leather sitting area covered by a tan canvas awning. Lux walked through an enclosure where the helm station was located and threw her backpack, bow and quiver onto a table bolted to the floor situated in front of a wraparound white leather couch. She plopped down into the chair in front of the steering wheel and did something I couldn't see to switch the engine of the boat on.
“You might want to take a seat,” she told me, not bothering to look back at us but studying some illuminated monitors on the dashboard above the wheel.
I sat down and placed Rose on the table in front of me, holding her in place with my arms on either side of her small body. She gurgled for my attention.
When I looked down at her, her bright blue eyes danced as if she were excited about being on the boat. I just shook my head at her. Apparently she didn't remember the last boat ride we took together. If she did, I felt sure she would be crying instead.
Lux backed the boat away from the dock and out of the marina, setting us on our way up the canal. The sun was high in the sky and shone down through the two retractable sunroofs covering the deck.
“So, where did you learn how to drive a boat?” I asked Lux.
“This used to be my parents boat,” she told me. “I practically grew up on it.”
I looked over at the bow and arrows sitting on the table.
“How is it you’re able to shoot like that? I doubt many people could have shot two arrows at one time and hit their mark.
“I was training to go to the Olympics in archery before the war started,” she told me, turning her seat around to look at us. “Of course, that all got shot to hell pretty quick when the Harvesters found out they needed our organs to survive.”
“So, I guess you were rich?” I asked, glancing around the boat, knowing it had to have cost a pretty penny in this time period.
“My parents were. I guess it really didn’t do them any good in the end though.”
“Why? Where are they?”
“Dead.”
She said it so matter-of-factly it took a minute for it to register.
“Mind me asking what happened?”
Lux shrugged. “Not much to tell really. They were in New York when the bombs fell.”
New York was the first major American city nuked in hopes of annihilating as many Harvesters as possible. I knew from history that the government believed the queen was there leading her war against humanity from somewhere within the city. Unfortunately, they were misinformed. She was nowhere near New York City when it was basically wiped off the map.
“I'm sorry,” I told her.
Lux shrugged. “Nothing to be sorry about. Shit happens.”
Lux stared at me and I could tell she wanted to ask me a question.
“What?” I asked, feeling uncomfortable underneath her scrutinizing gaze.
“What are you? You have to be more than human to take out five Harvesters alone. I thought you were a Harvester until I saw the way you looked at that baby. You look at her like you care about her, not like she's a future bag of organs. So, what are you?”
“You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” I said.
“Try me.”
I didn't trust Lux enough to tell her the whole truth. Besides, she probably wouldn't believe me anyway. Who in their right mind would believe the story of my life?
“I'm
Lux crossed her arms in front of her.
“Out to the middle of the lake. Harvesters don't seem to be interested in coming out that way yet. We'll be safer.”
I remembered the last time I got on a boat. That ride didn't end too well with Jackson melting the hull and sinking it. But, I couldn't argue that Lux's plan wasn't brilliant. All we had to do was float down the canal and out onto Lake Ontario. The Harvesters were so busy on the mainland it would probably take them a while to even think to search the lake.
I walked down the dock and followed Lux onto the stern of the boat. Written on the back of it was the world Sundancer . The cockpit was furnished with an outdoor leather sitting area covered by a tan canvas awning. Lux walked through an enclosure where the helm station was located and threw her backpack, bow and quiver onto a table bolted to the floor situated in front of a wraparound white leather couch. She plopped down into the chair in front of the steering wheel and did something I couldn't see to switch the engine of the boat on.
“You might want to take a seat,” she told me, not bothering to look back at us but studying some illuminated monitors on the dashboard above the wheel.
I sat down and placed Rose on the table in front of me, holding her in place with my arms on either side of her small body. She gurgled for my attention.
When I looked down at her, her bright blue eyes danced as if she were excited about being on the boat. I just shook my head at her. Apparently she didn't remember the last boat ride we took together. If she did, I felt sure she would be crying instead.
Lux backed the boat away from the dock and out of the marina, setting us on our way up the canal. The sun was high in the sky and shone down through the two retractable sunroofs covering the deck.
“So, where did you learn how to drive a boat?” I asked Lux.
“This used to be my parents boat,” she told me. “I practically grew up on it.”
I looked over at the bow and arrows sitting on the table.
“How is it you’re able to shoot like that? I doubt many people could have shot two arrows at one time and hit their mark.
“I was training to go to the Olympics in archery before the war started,” she told me, turning her seat around to look at us. “Of course, that all got shot to hell pretty quick when the Harvesters found out they needed our organs to survive.”
“So, I guess you were rich?” I asked, glancing around the boat, knowing it had to have cost a pretty penny in this time period.
“My parents were. I guess it really didn’t do them any good in the end though.”
“Why? Where are they?”
“Dead.”
She said it so matter-of-factly it took a minute for it to register.
“Mind me asking what happened?”
Lux shrugged. “Not much to tell really. They were in New York when the bombs fell.”
New York was the first major American city nuked in hopes of annihilating as many Harvesters as possible. I knew from history that the government believed the queen was there leading her war against humanity from somewhere within the city. Unfortunately, they were misinformed. She was nowhere near New York City when it was basically wiped off the map.
“I'm sorry,” I told her.
Lux shrugged. “Nothing to be sorry about. Shit happens.”
Lux stared at me and I could tell she wanted to ask me a question.
“What?” I asked, feeling uncomfortable underneath her scrutinizing gaze.
“What are you? You have to be more than human to take out five Harvesters alone. I thought you were a Harvester until I saw the way you looked at that baby. You look at her like you care about her, not like she's a future bag of organs. So, what are you?”
“You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” I said.
“Try me.”
I didn't trust Lux enough to tell her the whole truth. Besides, she probably wouldn't believe me anyway. Who in their right mind would believe the story of my life?
“I'm
Similar Books
