Page 15 of The Pale Rider
“He’s the one who specializes in diseases?”
“Yes. I know you think I’m insane, but he can show you his research and prove to you we are on the right path. Hopefully, you will have gotten back more of your memories by then.”
“Why am I so claustrophobic?”
“Let’s not talk about unpleasantness tonight, Ariel. Come on, nachos!”
I didn’t learn why I had such a problem with small spaces, but I did learn one thing about myself right then and there. I could be bribed with melty, fake orange cheese.
Chapter 9
N
achos are a million times sweeter when you know there’s no chance in Hell you will ever eat them again, and they trigger a memory. My softball team was called The Amazing Flying Bitches, and we ate them after every game. That was our thing. After the game, we’d hit up the concession stand for nachos and beer. What were the chances of finding beer at the end of the world? I mean, we found plastic cheese and made nachos. It could happen, right?
Aeron was pleasant over dinner. He was so happy about our haul, and he forgot to be a dick. He even cracked a few jokes. If he kept this up, I might even start to like him a little. We kept the conversation away from his past. I didn’t press because I knew it was a touchy subject.
We were cramming nachos in our faces, and I was way past the point of being full, but I would not stop eating because I might never get this again.
“What do you think happened to my softball team? When I got that flash after the softball game, we all seemed close. When I was looking through my clothes, I got a flash at a concert with a girl from my team everyone called Pokey.”
“We can check. I was planning on bringing you to your old apartment on the way to Mexico. There might be things you want to take, and it’ll probably jog some memories loose. Isaiah is the President of the United States, but not everyone follows him. A lot of the gangs have established themselves as either governors or kings. Some governors cooperate with him, and the kings do whatever the fuck they want. Scooter fancies himself the King of Washington, but there’s already a governor in one of the larger cities, and he answers to Isaiah. There’s just not enough military to crush people like Scooter.”
“Do you have any proof Isaiah is responsible for all of this other than the fact that he was the majority shareholder in that company? What does he get out of turning the world into this? He’s president of one country, and he doesn’t even have a military behind him. It sounds like a lot of the country doesn’t even recognize him as president. What’s the point?”
“Does anyone need a reason to cause the end of the world?”
“Well, yeah. There’s no way to do it without dying along with everyone else. Even if he locks himself in the White House, he will die a horrible death with everyone else.”
Aeron just shrugged.
“Why do serial killers kill people and dictators commit mass genocide? They eventually get caught and pay for their crimes. People do what they are programmed to do. Isaiah was programmed to do this.”
I scoffed.
“I don’t believe that. He probably has mommy issues.”
Aeron started laughing.
“Close. Daddy issues. As I said, there are things deeply ingrained in all of us. I was programmed to end this, just like Leif is programmed to be good with diseases, Dice is good at justice and conquest, and Asher is good at war strategy. We were put together for a reason.”
“What am I programmed for?” I asked.
“You’re a wild card, Ariel. You could help us end this.”
“How? I’m just a girl from Los Angeles.”
“You’re so much more than that, Ariel, and I wish I could tell you why without totally breaking your mind. I was hoping you’d have your memories if I ever found you. You should get to bed. We have to start out early in the morning to avoid any gangs on our way out of Washington.”
Fuck. I thought I was getting somewhere I might find out something. I had no idea what Aeron meant about people being programmed and me being a wildcard. What did that even mean? I was so frustrated because I knew I would not find out for a long time. My memories would have to come back for Aeron to tell me certain things, and they were only coming in bits and pieces.
I knew this conversation was over, so I left and went to my bedroom. I changed back into my yoga pants and slipped under the covers. I rested Smurfette on the pillow next to me. I already knew there was no way I could sleep unless she were next to me.
I got a memory back when I was sleeping before. Maybe I’d get one again. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be a nightmare this time.
Chapter 10
I
