Page 28 of The Bro Pact
Kyle hops out, standing on the side of the road with me and peering over my shoulder. “What’s wrong with it?”
“Don’t know yet, bro. Give me a minute.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kyle wandering around in the desert, kicking at small rocks. There’s nothing but orange dirt, red rock, and dying shrubs out here. I wouldn’t be surprised if I see an honest-to-God tumbleweed roll by. But it’s rattlesnake country, too, and we can’t afford for Kyle to get bitten when we don’t even have a working vehicle.
“Yo, Ky! Get back over here, dude!” I shout at him, and his blond head whips my way, brows creasing in confusion. I cup my hands around my mouth, yelling even louder, “Snakes!”
Kyle’s eyes bulge, and I swear he jumps a foot in the air before running back over as fast as he can. “Shit.I thought I saw something move out there,” he pants.
I chuckle, concentrating on the engine once again.
Kyle stands next to me, his thick arms folded across his chest as his eyes scan the desert next to us, as if daring any of the snakes to try and sneak up on me.
The sun beats down on my bare back as I continue to work through all the parts one by one, trying not to freak out about what’s wrong with Carmen.
I take a deep breath, attempting to settle the anxiousness bubbling up in the pit of my stomach. If I have to call Pops and ask him to drive the tow truck all the way out to Utah, he’ll never trust me with anything ever again.
When I get to the battery, I realize the positive connection isn’t clipped tightly anymore and has nearly come free.
Of course!
Should’ve checked it first.
I must have bumped it while I was wiping it down, and the vibrations from the engine eventually knocked it loose.
Luckily, the battery looks okay otherwise. I debated replacing it, but ultimately decided not to so I could save the shop some money.
I reclip the positive side and make sure the connection is secure, then slam the hood shut.
“Done?” Kyle asks hopefully.
“Yup. The battery connection came loose. It’s the best we could have hoped for,” I explain. “She should start just fine now.”
“Hell yeah,” he says with a grin.
We climb back in and I turn the engine over, holding my breath and crossing my fingers.
Carmen purrs to life effortlessly, and I can’t help but pump my fist into the air. “Fuckin’ yes!”
When I glance over, Kyle’s staring at me with a warm look. “You did it, Ren.” He holds a palm up, offering me a high five, and there’s no way I’m turning that down.
We make contact with a loud slap, but neither of us lets go, weaving our fingers together instead.
“Let’s go explore,” I whisper, earning myself a big smile.
It was a long road to get here, but we made it.
Ames, Utah.
The now-abandoned railway station was once thriving in the early nineteen hundreds. There was a popular saloon here, and trains would stop so that people could wet their whistles. But after the interstates came through, Ames became deserted.
“Whoa,” Kyle says in awe, looking around with his jaw slightly dropped. “What is this place?”
“A ghost town,” I whisper in an eerie voice. A slow smile curls my lips as I peer at him out of the corner of my eye, watching his reaction.
“No way.This is sick. So no one lives here?”
“I don’t think so,” I say, even though I’m not completely sure. The blog didn’t know either, stating that there’s known to be drifters and artists who pass through.
