Page 17 of Outbreak (Revolution X #1)

CHAPTER 16

Ghost

W hen we get back to the truck, I decide to keep going on the same route I’ve been on. If we run into danger, then I’ll recalculate. I don’t know where that man came from, and adding unnecessary miles to our trip when gas might be a problem soon is not the best idea.

A ‘Welcome to Mississippi’ sign looms up ahead, and Rue doesn’t miss it. I could blindfold her if I really didn’t want her to know anything, but after what we just witnessed, I don’t want to do anything that could put her in danger. I want to punish her, not get her killed.

“So. Mississippi?” She asks nonchalantly, digging in her gummy worm bag and popping another one in her mouth.

“You don’t miss a thing, do you?”

“Nope. So what’s in Mississippi? Is this where we’re going? What’s the plan here?” She’s like a little child asking their parents, ‘are we there yet?’ a thousand times.

“The plan is—” I say, snatching the worm dangling from her fingers before she can inhale it. “—to get to where we’re going without strangling the life out of you for asking the same damn questions over and over again.”

“Or you could just answer my fucking questions,” she mutters as I toss the stolen worm in my mouth. She pulls her legs up into her seat and criss-crosses them in front of her. “Fine. But I need some real food soon. If you’re going to keep a bitch hostage, you could at least feed her.”

My stomach chooses this moment to rumble its own discomfort. She’s right. We aren’t going to make it on the little supplies I packed, sour candy, and energy drinks. We’re going to have to stop for actual supplies here soon and stock up on enough to make the trip to Georgia.

“We’ll stop in the next town.” If it’s still standing, I want to add, but I keep that to myself. She hasn’t seen everything I’ve seen. There’s no point in trying to explain it to her. She won’t believe me unless she sees it for herself. That’s why I made her get out and look at the guy we hit. This—whatever it is—isn't something you just blindly believe. You’ve got to experience it firsthand to even start to process what is actually going on.

A headache is already forming behind my eyes at the thought of taking her out in public. Not only do I have to worry about the virus, but I’ve got to keep her from running off and getting herself killed trying to escape. Though now that she has an idea of what we’re dealing with, I can’t help but wonder if it makes her want to stick with me. The idea of being needed by her does funny things to my chest that I’m too proud to admit to her.

The sting of her betrayal still lingers in the forefront of my mind. And while I haven’t even fully gotten started with her punishment, I’ve let it slip to the back burner in light of recent developments. Punishing her is not as important right now when our lives are on the line.

All I’ve ever wanted was her. Since the first time I laid eyes on the short little pixie dressed in black, standing across the fence next door. I stayed away for too long already. I should have come back when she turned eighteen and taken her away with me, whether she liked it or not.

I’m not going to risk losing her now. I just got her back. And maybe that makes me delusional. Maybe she won’t want anything to do with me when I take this mask off and show her I know exactly who she is. She lied back then for a reason. Maybe she never wanted me at all. Too bad I’m not going to give her a choice anymore.

She can love me or she can hate me; she just can’t leave me.

The next town we come to sits next to the Mississippi River. It's so small, I’ve never even heard of it before. There’s not much to it. The best part is it doesn’t seem to be affected by the virus. There’s a small diner next to the water that has my stomach roaring to life and demanding attention. In all my travels for work, there’s something to be said about little hole-in-the-wall food joints.

The problem is… I’m wearing a mask, and my girl can’t be unleashed in public just yet. We’re in the Bible Belt. I might as well come riding in with the devil.

Fuck it. I’m hungry, and the bible-thumping rednecks can eat a dick.

Rue sits up in her seat, putting her feet back where they belong when I pull into the parking lot. Food has always been her comfort. She told me once it’s because hunger was all she knew for a long time. I hated that I knew exactly what she meant. I still hate it.

Luckily, there aren’t many people dining in at this time. Only a few cars sit in the parking lot surrounding the old-school retro diner. The old red neon sign hanging outside flickers in the bright sunlight.

Mama’s Place .

“Are we… going in there?” She asks tentatively, chewing at the black paint flaking off her long nails. I mentally high-five myself for grabbing her polish from her dorm when I packed her stuff. It will be a nice reward if she behaves.

“Can you behave if we do?” I ask, raising an eyebrow beneath my mask.

“I’m fucking starving, dude. I’ll crawl in there naked and bark at them if you will just fucking feed me!”

“That won’t be necessary,” I say, pulling in front near the door and throwing the truck into park. “You’ll walk in with your head held high, proudly wearing your leash.”