together. He was pleased his father had died when he did. Janey was better off without him; they all were. Jonas had left Janey once, but he wasn’t about to leave her anymore. Bishop was right. Once they were past Minneapolis, they should be fine. The population was more thinned out beyond the city, and as long as they could get through Duluth, there was a good chance he’d see Janey and his three nephews either tonight, or at worst, tomorrow.
“Bishop, what do you need us to do?” asked Jonas.
“I need you to keep moving, Hamsikker.” Bishop fixed his gaze on Jonas. “You’ve a pregnant wife beside you, and a sister who needs you. You don’t need to be a part of this. I’ve done what I can for you. I’ve got you where you need to be.”
“That’s just it, Bishop, you haven’t.” Jonas licked his lips. The sun was streaming in through the window, heating up the cab, and he could understand why Dakota felt sick. Even with the windows down, the air inside was stuffy, and his throat felt dry. He wasn’t about to give up on Bishop easily. “We need to get to the border. So until we do, we’re in your hands. And if you need to do something here, then we’re with you.”
“Jonas, I don’t know, I think we should keep going,” said Dakota. The thought of heading into another diseased town full of the dead was more than Dakota could take. She couldn’t do it anymore. Her whole body was telling her to rest, and now Jonas was going to drag her into another fight? “I can’t do it. I can’t…”
“I’m not asking you to,” said Jonas, taking Dakota’s hand in his. “You’re going to stay in the truck with Lukas, well out of it. I’m not putting you in harm’s way again. But if Bishop says someone in that town needs our help, then we can’t just leave. I can’t leave. Remember at my father’s funeral? Where would we be now if Erik had driven off? Where would we be now if Bishop had passed by? I have to do this.”
Dakota didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She knew it was important to Jonas and he never liked to leave anyone behind. If he could help Bishop, then perhaps Bishop would stick around it a bit longer. It was true that they needed all the help they could get, and the border was still a long way off.
“Go.”
She jumped out of the truck, letting Jonas out, and then got back up beside Lukas.
Jonas walked around to Bishop, thinking over in his head what they needed to do.
“Lukas, get my wife somewhere safe. I’m relying on you,” said Jonas as he jumped up behind Bishop onto Black Jack.
“The church,” said Bishop. “Park up out of sight at the rear of the church. We’ll find you there. If we’re not back in an hour, get going.”
“We’re not going anywhere without either of you,” said Dakota. “Jonas Hamsikker, you get your ass back in this truck in an hour, or so help me God, I’ll come looking for you.”
Jonas knew she meant it. “I promise, I’ll see you soon,” he said. “Love you.”
Lukas briefly nodded, and then Jonas watched the truck head on into the town. He trusted Lukas to stick to the plan, and he trusted Bishop when he said there was someone who needed help. But Jonas wasn’t sure he trusted his own promise to Dakota. He couldn’t afford to mess this up now and resolved to follow Bishop on this one. It was best if Bishop took the lead. Whoever Bishop had come across had better be worth saving. Jonas felt for the revolver Bishop had given him and wished it were an axe. He had always been better with an axe. They proceeded into Janesville, and Jonas steeled himself. He could sense it. He could feel it. There was a fight coming.
He was ready.
CHAPTER FIVE
As they passed the crash site where multiple vehicles had been mangled and abandoned, Jonas could see the convenient hole through which Lukas had driven. The church spire was visible in the distance, and he felt confident that Dakota was safe. Nothing had come crawling
“Bishop, what do you need us to do?” asked Jonas.
“I need you to keep moving, Hamsikker.” Bishop fixed his gaze on Jonas. “You’ve a pregnant wife beside you, and a sister who needs you. You don’t need to be a part of this. I’ve done what I can for you. I’ve got you where you need to be.”
“That’s just it, Bishop, you haven’t.” Jonas licked his lips. The sun was streaming in through the window, heating up the cab, and he could understand why Dakota felt sick. Even with the windows down, the air inside was stuffy, and his throat felt dry. He wasn’t about to give up on Bishop easily. “We need to get to the border. So until we do, we’re in your hands. And if you need to do something here, then we’re with you.”
“Jonas, I don’t know, I think we should keep going,” said Dakota. The thought of heading into another diseased town full of the dead was more than Dakota could take. She couldn’t do it anymore. Her whole body was telling her to rest, and now Jonas was going to drag her into another fight? “I can’t do it. I can’t…”
“I’m not asking you to,” said Jonas, taking Dakota’s hand in his. “You’re going to stay in the truck with Lukas, well out of it. I’m not putting you in harm’s way again. But if Bishop says someone in that town needs our help, then we can’t just leave. I can’t leave. Remember at my father’s funeral? Where would we be now if Erik had driven off? Where would we be now if Bishop had passed by? I have to do this.”
Dakota didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She knew it was important to Jonas and he never liked to leave anyone behind. If he could help Bishop, then perhaps Bishop would stick around it a bit longer. It was true that they needed all the help they could get, and the border was still a long way off.
“Go.”
She jumped out of the truck, letting Jonas out, and then got back up beside Lukas.
Jonas walked around to Bishop, thinking over in his head what they needed to do.
“Lukas, get my wife somewhere safe. I’m relying on you,” said Jonas as he jumped up behind Bishop onto Black Jack.
“The church,” said Bishop. “Park up out of sight at the rear of the church. We’ll find you there. If we’re not back in an hour, get going.”
“We’re not going anywhere without either of you,” said Dakota. “Jonas Hamsikker, you get your ass back in this truck in an hour, or so help me God, I’ll come looking for you.”
Jonas knew she meant it. “I promise, I’ll see you soon,” he said. “Love you.”
Lukas briefly nodded, and then Jonas watched the truck head on into the town. He trusted Lukas to stick to the plan, and he trusted Bishop when he said there was someone who needed help. But Jonas wasn’t sure he trusted his own promise to Dakota. He couldn’t afford to mess this up now and resolved to follow Bishop on this one. It was best if Bishop took the lead. Whoever Bishop had come across had better be worth saving. Jonas felt for the revolver Bishop had given him and wished it were an axe. He had always been better with an axe. They proceeded into Janesville, and Jonas steeled himself. He could sense it. He could feel it. There was a fight coming.
He was ready.
CHAPTER FIVE
As they passed the crash site where multiple vehicles had been mangled and abandoned, Jonas could see the convenient hole through which Lukas had driven. The church spire was visible in the distance, and he felt confident that Dakota was safe. Nothing had come crawling
Similar Books
