Becoming Calder(94)

When we reached higher ground we both stood together catching our breath for a few minutes.

"Do you need to rest for a while?" I asked.

"No," he said and started walking again.

I looked around, getting my bearings. We were about a half-mile away from the main lodge now. I could see the glowing lights of the windows. It looked like every light in the place was on. I shivered slightly and leaned toward Calder. He put his arm not supporting Xander around me and pulled me into him, looking off in the same direction, lost in his own thoughts. Over his other shoulder, Xander snored.

"That way," Calder pointed. "It'll eventually bring us to the main road, but it looks like there's plenty of rock cover in case we see or hear a car coming." Calder gave me a quick squeeze and we started off again, walking as fast as we could.

"If we keep up this speed," Calder murmured, "we can make it to the city before daylight. That's the goal, okay?" He looked back at me walking behind him and I nodded.

We walked for hours, our path the one that provided the most cover, even if it meant walking in a sort of zigzag pattern now and again. Cover was more important than time, although time was important, too. We saw cars go by on the road twice, but had plenty of warning ahead of time because of the black desert night, and the noise of the engine. Each time we ducked safely behind rocks as the cars drove by slowly.

"I need water," I finally said hours later, parched and unable to keep silent about my need to quench my thirst. Calder stopped walking, looking as parched as me.

"I think I see lights from houses about half a mile away." He pointed and I squinted my eyes to see what he meant. I, too, saw a few very distant lights, but couldn't tell what they were.

I nodded. We started walking again. We didn't talk. The cloud cover was low, so the light from the stars was muted and dull, casting just enough light to see where we were going and what immediately surrounded us.

About ten minutes later, we were able to see that indeed, Calder had been correct. We came upon a few small houses, far apart, and set back off the road. I followed Calder as he walked quietly to the house, around the side. There was a hose there, rolled up against the house, connected to a faucet. I breathed out in relief, practically able to taste the wetness in my dry mouth and feel it on my chapped lips. Calder gazed around, looking edgy. I was too thirsty to be nervous.

I squatted down by the house and turned the faucet. It came on with a squeak and the hose filled as the water traveled through it, bursting out the end that I held up to my lips. I drank thirstily for a few seconds—the water sweet and delicious—and then handed it to Calder who lay Xander down gently, straightened his back, stretching, before taking the hose and drinking thirstily.

Once we'd had as much as we needed, Calder turned off the water and stood staring down at Xander again before he picked him back up, putting him over his shoulder. He had to be in pain. As we begun to walk to the front of the house again, something big and dark suddenly lunged at us and I screamed, stumbling backward against Calder.

"What the hell?" he burst out, stumbling backward, too.

A large dog started barking and lunged at us again. I screamed one more time, until I realized the dog was chained up and was only lunging toward us as far as he could go.

The front door of the small house burst open and the porch light came on, illuminating a man holding a shotgun. "Who's there?" he called. "Show yourself!"

"Run," Calder said, so low I almost didn't hear it. He yanked my hand and I lurched after him. A shotgun blast sounded behind us and I let out a small scream again and kept running, holding on to Calder's hand for dear life. I heard Xander slur loudly, "What the hell?" as we ran. When we had made it to a grove of trees, far enough away to know we weren't being followed, we stopped and I put my hands on my thighs, breathing heavily. Calder lay Xander down on the ground and Xander sat up slowly, rubbing a hand over his face and looking around confused.

"What the hell?" he asked again, under his breath.

"You okay, Eden?" Calder asked, gasping for breath, and running his hands down my arms.

I nodded. "I'm fine. My feet are torn up, but other than that . . . yes, I'm fine." I sucked in air, too, trying to get hold of my rapidly beating heart and burning lungs.

We both looked down at our feet. Our sandals were barely hanging on, the straps that crisscrossed over our feet in serious danger of snapping and the soles coming loose so each time we stepped, they slapped against the ground.

Calder looked behind me and pointed. I turned around and looked through a break in the trees. The city looked close. Hope rose up in my chest and I turned back around to Calder, grinning. "How far do you think?" I asked in a rush of words.