Allie's War Episodes 1-4(39)

Earl didn’t notice.






 
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9
MORTAL PERIL

 
My eyelids drooped.
I jerked up my head, then shook it violently, overwhelmed by my own exhaustion, irritated by its suddenness...but more than anything, scared by it. The intensity of my sudden desire to sleep struck me as more than a little strange. It was weird enough, in fact, that it made me wonder if I’d been drugged. I couldn’t imagine when, or how, so my mind drifted to shock, to wondering if I was having some kind of psychological reaction.
Was this how people went into shock?
But I wasn’t really that kind of person, either.
Generally, when the shit hit the fan, I got more alert, not less. I’d never been one of those people to fall apart in a crisis, to go catatonic or start flipping out. Never.
And yeah, okay, granted this might be more of a crisis than I’d ever dealt with before, but I’d been in life or death situations before today, sure. Hell, I’d been in life or death situations a few times in that prison cell, only a few months before.
I didn’t go into shock. I didn’t panic. Not like that, anyway.
My mind usually got really damned clear in those situations, in fact.
Usually, I was the one to keep my head straight when stuff got rough, like when Cass had that asthma attack at the bar in college and nearly died, and when my friend, Frankie, got stabbed by that crazy biker chick outside the No One Club.
I hadn’t freaked out. I was scared, sure...but I dealt with it.
The GTX had been weaving up the road, avoiding cars, for what felt like hours now, although I knew realistically it couldn’t be more than twenty or so minutes. I still crouched low on the passenger seat, watching Revik’s eyes dart between side and rearview mirrors as he wove from lane to lane, evading our pursuers. Crouching there, I struggled to stay awake, watching trees and land flash by through the windshield and side window, even pinching my arms to keep my eyes open. Most cars on the road, seeing the black and whites, just got out of the way.
I nodded off, thinking about this...
There was a crash, metal grating on metal.
I jerked in my seat violently and opened my eyes, saw Revik slamming the GTX into a Ford Ranger with banged up fenders, forcing it into the next lane. I saw the driver of the Ford yell at Revik, eyes wide, tinged with more fear than anger.
When I looked over, Revik was staring at me. His narrow lips curled into a frown.
“What do we do now?” I said, loud above the wind from the holes shot in the back windows.
His eyes returned to the road.
I glanced back at the passenger side window and flinched back, seeing a truck driver staring down at me, a shotgun resting in the crook of his arm. His eyes looked manic, not quite at home, and I sensed more than saw the silver flicker of light that lived there.
Paralyzed for the barest breath, I only stared up at him, at his too-blue eyes and dirty brown hair. I took in the blue flannel shirt and reddish nose and mutton chop sideburns and realized I recognized him. It was the same man who’d yelled at us on the street, who yelled at Revik to get me out of the road. He didn’t look like he wanted to help me now, though.
He aimed the gun down at the hood of the GTX.
Before I could make a sound, Revik hit the brakes, slamming into the car behind us. He created enough space to slide the GTX behind the bigger rig, pulling us out of range of the crazy guy with the shotgun. Then he jammed his foot back on the accelerator, passing on the truck’s blind side, in the far right lane.
A few car lengths later, he found a clear patch of road. The driving smoothed, even as he jammed his foot down on the accelerator. I watched the blur of trees go by faster.
The GTX’s V-8 engine thrummed a soothing, low sound...
I snapped awake, panting.
Revik gripped the front of my uniform shirt in his fist. His other hand gripped the steering wheel even as he leaned over where I lay.
I was still frozen there, panting, when he slammed my back into the seat.
“What the—”
“You cannot sleep!” He barked the words, his accent thick. “You cannot sleep!”
His face flashed into the negative...
...and gold lines make up the bones, muscles and blood of his jaw. His eyes shine white, filled with clouds, darkly twisting movies. Shadows dart as Rooks rope him with silver threads. One throws a ball of spinning silver light.#p#分页标题#e#
...a complex gold and orange geometry explodes over his head in a shower of sparks.
Revik's light body flickers, dims.
I see him draw his light arm back. Then he completes the rest of the motion...
And suddenly, I am wide, wide awake.