Sudden Independents

Chase flipped his hand at the windshield. “Let’s keep moving. We have to hurry and meet Raven so we don’t lose our head start.”

“Who’s Raven?” Molly asked.

Kessie stomped on the gas. “She’s another chick that will kick your ass if you talk anymore of that trash.”

Molly braced herself for more bouncing and bruising as she tried to figure out her next move. Obviously Chase was in charge of wherever they were headed. She appreciated the fact that he busted her out of jail and the way he allowed Patrick to beat up Jimmy. Chase was a bad boy and he needed a bad girl like Molly, at least until she got bored. She’d have to wait until he kicked whatever illness made him so pale and sweaty.

Molly knew one thing: People around here better start giving her respect.

Kessie eventually stopped the truck in the middle of nowhere and they waited. Chase grew irritated after ten minutes of silence passed and instructed Kessie to go to the house. Kessie drove faster and faster with Chase constantly telling her to speed up. The trip was brutal.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled in next to another truck and a row of motorcycles at the rear of an old farmhouse. Chase reached a black leather glove across Molly, opened the door and shoved her out. Molly landed on the hard ground, jarring her back even worse. He stepped over her without a word.

Molly used the door for support, squirming to her feet, and brushed the dirt off her butt. “What’s your problem?”

Chase continued toward his destination. He threw the backdoor open with a bang. “Everyone outside now!”

Five boys tumbled out, drawing up to attention like they were in the military. Molly wondered why their eyes widened with fear. Chase was short and a little creepy, but hardly intimidating. Then she noticed Patrick leaning on his toes with his nostrils flaring. After the beating Jimmy received, Molly figured she’d be frightened to if she stood in that monster’s path.

While she found all of this entertaining, she was also starving. She realized she hadn’t eaten at all yesterday and hoped some food appeared soon or she would really get cranky.

“Where’s Raven?” Chase asked. “You were supposed to meet us on the road.”

Three boys pointed back to the house, the others stood there shivering without their coats. Two of them didn’t have shoes on; Molly smiled at how miserable and stupid they all looked.

Chase disappeared inside the house. The boys traded glances with each other and shrugged. They caught Patrick staring them down and dropped their gazes to the ground. Molly wondered if their shaking was related to the chilly temperature after all.

Chase reappeared. “Where are the hostages?”

They all turned toward the one kid who appeared to be the oldest, probably because he was the tallest. He performed a frantic search up and down the line for support. Finally, he resigned with a nervous eye-tick and stepped forward.

“They’re tied up in one of the bedrooms. We tied them up real good.”

“No, you didn’t. They’re gone. Didn’t you keep watch?”

The leader peeked back to four pairs of accusing eyes. He bowed his head. “We figured they couldn’t get out,” he mumbled.

Kessie inspected the motorcycles and then lifted the hood of the truck. “Somebody cut all the belts and hoses. They cut the wires on the motorcycles. They’re all useless.”

Patrick stalked over to survey the damage, and then kicked over a bike at one end of the line. The rest fell over like dominoes. “They fucking stole my bike!”

Molly finally understood what all the commotion was about. Hunter had escaped. Her feelings were torn between what she wanted. She wished she could have seen Hunter one more time, maybe find out what really went wrong with their relationship and why he acted like such an asshole. But she was also relieved he was gone, allowing her a clean break. Now she could start her new life without any distractions.

Patrick jumped into the leader’s face with spit flying as he yelled. “They jacked-up the truck and all the bikes! There’s no way we can get them running now! They even stole my bike and left me with this piece of shit!”

Molly recognized the bike, and smiled. Then she cursed herself, wishing she could get thoughts of Hunter out of her head.

Chase chuckled softly. The five boys took a jumbo step backward.

“Where’s Raven?” Kessie asked.

“Don’t know,” Chase said.

The leader spoke up quickly. “She knew the black kid. They went to the same school before the plague. Maybe she snuck back and untied them.”

Chase smiled. “She told me about him when I met with her last night. Nice try.” Chase scratched underneath his chin like he was contemplating murder. “Patrick.”

“Yeah?”

Chase pointed at the leader of the five. The boy’s legs wobbled as though he were a turkey standing in a bowl of Jell-o. Molly really missed Jell-o. Her stomach gurgled.

Patrick’s face stretched into an evil grin. He removed his gloves and pounded a fist into the palm of his other hand as he advanced on his victim.