Chapter 12
Veronica didn’t stop again until she needed fuel.
After gassing up, she was right back on the road.
Even as she traveled, though, she kept a close watch for another abandoned vehicle to siphon fuel out of.
The idea of running low, either on her bike or the fuel can she had strapped on the back, was terrifying to her.
After the amount of time and money she had put into the motorcycle, she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving it behind on the side of the road somewhere.
Just as she had anticipated, the sweltering sun assaulted her as soon as it took its position in the sky.
She could go for long stretches of time, but she desperately needed to find water.
When she saw an abandoned car a few miles ahead, her heart started to race once again.
It was the first one she had seen for miles and miles.
She always had the option to drink the beer she now had with her, but the idea of driving and drinking never sat well with her.
She would rather wait until she found something else.
Bringing the bike to a crawl as she approached the abandoned vehicle, Veronica kept her eyes glued on the car.
As far as she could tell, though, there was no movement.
Still, she didn’t want to take any risks, and as the bike came to a stop, she placed her hand on the butt of her weapon.
Part of her was extremely glad she had run across the abandoned vehicle.
There was also something inside of her that brought sadness since she knew the lives of people all around the country were going to be affected by the power outage.
As she climbed off the bike, Veronica instantly noticed some movement in the back seat of the car.
Without hesitation, she drew the pistol from her side and she moved slowly toward the vehicle.
Suddenly, a young girl’s head popped up over the back seat.
Though everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, the girl’s hands flew up in the air in a sign of surrender.
Veronica quickly pointed the gun in the direction of the car, but when she saw the girl in the back seat, she lowered it slowly.
Veronica didn’t lower the gun all the way, since she had no idea who the girl was or what she was capable of.
Her heart was racing faster than she had ever felt it before, and the fear that was gripping her was nearly uncontrollable.
She had watched enough movies and television shows to know she should be expecting the unexpected at all times.
She didn’t want to give the girl a chance to make any sudden moves, and there was no telling who else could be around.
Using the hand with the pistol in it, she motioned for the girl to get out of the car.
She watched as the young woman climbed out of the back seat, Veronica’s eyes darting around their surroundings, looking for any sign of an ambush.
She couldn’t have been older than sixteen and was thin as a rail.
Her thick, blond hair waved in curls all around her as she stepped out and grinned at Veronica.
There was something about the girl’s spirit—her complete lack of fear at the sight of a woman on a motorcycle pointing a gun at her—that intrigued Veronica.
It reminded Veronica of herself as a young girl, anxious to take on the world and anyone who stood in her way.
Veronica’s throat was so dry, though she couldn’t focus on much else.
She had seen a half dozen bottles of water in the back of the vehicle.
Without any way of knowing if they contained water or if they were empty, all she could do was ask the young woman in front of her for a drink and hope there was something left.
She wouldn’t demand that the girl help her, knowing she had to be frightened despite the strong face she was putting on.
The world they had stumbled into was a dangerous one, and Veronica couldn’t begrudge the girl for playing it safe.
“I’m definitely not here to cause any trouble, and I don’t want to hurt you,” Veronica said. “Are you all alone out here?”
The girl nodded. “I’ve been alone for most of my life. Just because the world went to shit doesn’t mean it’s going to change.”
Veronica chuckled and lowered her weapon. “I’m just passing through and trying to get to my family. Do you think there’s any chance I could get a bottle of that water?”
The girl looked in the direction of the motorcycle and the bags attached. “I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll let you have a bottle of this water if you’re willing to trade it for some food. I’m hungry as hell.”
“That sounds like a pretty even trade to me. I’ve got some prepacked and fresh food. Is there anything, in particular, you would like over the other?”
“Even before the power went out everywhere, I wasn’t really eating a lot of anything. I’ve practically been living off of gas station food for the last three weeks. I’d really prefer anything that is fresh if I have a choice in the matter.”
The comment was an intriguing one, making Veronica wonder what the girl’s story was.
She had been on the road alone for three weeks.
She barely seemed old enough to have her driver’s license, let alone be embarking on a road solo.
If the young girl chose to share her story with Veronica, she would be happy to listen but wasn’t going to press her for answers, either.
Watching her spin around and return to the vehicle to find water, Veronica removed her pack and fished out one of the sandwiches and a clear bag of carrots for the girl.
As an afterthought, she grabbed the apple she had found in the lunch boxes earlier as well.
When the girl emerged again with not one but two bottles of water, Veronica smiled.
She had made the right decision and opted to give the girl more food.
It wasn’t hard to tell a generous spirit when you came across one.
She hated to think she was depleting the girl’s resources but knew she would never make it to Colorado if she didn’t have water in her system.
Veronica handed the young girl the packages of food as she took the bottles of water and quickly drank half of one.
By the time she was finished, the girl had already consumed the sandwich and carrots and was starting on the apple.
“Are you from around here?” Veronica asked.
“Sort of, but not really. I’m actually on my way from California, and I’m heading to New York.
I was listening to the news on the side of the road last night when an alert came on that the country was being attacked.
Before I even got the chance to climb back into the driver’s seat and head back down the road, I saw a meteor shower and everything went dark. ”
“What you saw was no meteor shower. It was actually an EMP attack from some foreign nation. I don’t really get into watching the news, so I’m not entirely sure which country attacked us or who attacked first, but I know what struck us.”
“I’ve heard of an EMP, but I don’t know much about them. That does explain why nothing has any power.”
“It’s going to be a real mess for quite some time.”
“I take it that I’m not going to be able to get this car up and running anytime soon,” the girl said.
“A lot of the older vehicles might be able to be fixed if people replace quite a few parts. Other than that, I’d say anything with the computer is going to be completely wasted.”
“Damn. I was hoping to make it to New York.”
Veronica sighed. “If you don’t mind me asking, were you headed to New York to see your family, or are you running from them?”
“I’m not doing either one of those things.
I don’t have any family to run to, and there is nothing left for me in California.
I’ve been living in foster care for as long as I can remember, and I’m not going back into the system.
I just figured that I’m old enough to make my own decisions now, and I don’t need anyone who just wants a check trying to raise me. ”
At that moment, Veronica knew she couldn’t leave the girl behind to her own devices.
She was obviously strong and determined, but in the harsh new reality, those skills alone didn’t guarantee survival.
There were bad people out there, ones who now had free rein over anything they wanted.
Veronica couldn’t let the girl suffer. One way or another, she had to make sure the child was safe.