Page 30 of N8
“It’s not yet check-out time.”
F8 straightened. “Do we have anything still inside the rooms that we absolutely need?”
“Just our toothbrushes,” K8 told them.
“Leave them,” G8 stated.
No one argued with him, and they climbed into the car. Along the way, they scarfed down donuts and slices of cake. Cydney stopped at a drive-through and bought everyone coffee. They didn’t want to take any chances by using valuable time to have a sit-down breakfast and possibly be discovered, although they figured chances were slim at the moment.
They neared something that looked like a bridge arching over the road ahead of them. Cydney called back, “Should I take the highway, or stay on the backroads?”
“Where are we going?” T8 asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know!” Panic and frustration colored her words, and N8 reached out to clasp her arm.
“Stay on the backroads,” he calmly told her.
“He’s right,” K8 acknowledged. “If we get on the highway, it’ll be easier for the police or highway patrol to spot us. They could be looking for this car.”
Cydney sniffed, chuckled, and backhanded the tears from her eyes. “Let me guess. You know that because of all the cop shows you’ve watched.”
“They’re very educational,” N8 blithely quipped, and sipped his coffee. He kept a wary eye on her. She was at the point of breaking. Yes, his life and those of his life-long friends had been completely turned upside-down these past few hours, but what she had sacrificed for them was far worse, and far more devastating. She’d given up everything for them, but there was only so much more she could take emotionally and physically. The woman he loved was on the brink of falling apart, and he knew he was the only one who could help her keep it together.
G8 loudly cleared his throat to get their attention. “Okay. So we’re heading for nowhere in particular, with no plan of action.”
“Other than trying to keep our butts alive,” T8 muttered. When everyone stared at him, he stared right back. “Oh, come on. You know as well as I do that they’re going to make our lives hell if they ever manage to get their hands on us again. And that includes more of those fucking tests.”
“I think T8’s suggestion yesterday is the only choice we have,” F8 noted. “We have to separate. Go our own way.”
“Those people are expecting us to remain together,” K8 continued. “I vote we split up.”
“But you have no idea what kind of world this is,” Cydney argued. “You don’t have the foggiest notion what you need to do to survive. You don’t have jobs, or any job skills. Hell, you can’t even drive a car, much less have a driver’s license or any other identification.”
“We know how to work on computers,” N8 reminded her.
Cydney gave a derisive bark of laughter. “You guys have no idea how outdated those computers were you were using. The software alone is obsolete.”
“There has to be other jobs we can take,” P8 insisted. “We’re quick learners.”
Cydney glanced back at them. “Unless you can find a job that’ll teach you on the go, you’re probably going to have to be satisfied doing menial labor.”
“It won’t be the first time,” G8 mumbled.
“We can manage,” N8 stated, trying to sound positive. At first, he was confused by the look she cast him. Then it hit him. She believed he meant to go his own way, just like the others. He leaned over to tell her he was sticking with her, no matter what, when T8 interceded.
“If we’re going to do it, we need to do it soon. The longer we stay together as a group, the better the odds they’ll find us again. One way or another.”
“And you need to get rid of this car,” P8 suggested. “I’m betting the company knows this vehicle, right down to its license plate number. That’s what the cops will be looking for first. They’ll be watching for any car matching its description.”
Cydney frowned. “Damn. And I was just three payments away from paying it off.”
They passed underneath the bridge and kept going. Traffic remained light, even though they saw more cars and trucks, and at one point, a bus.
A bus.
Up ahead, N8 spotted a sign.Heathfield 8
“Hey, guys? What about a bus?”
