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"Weird day," Benny said

"Weird day," Nix agreed

Around the bend were dozens of cars and trucks that had been pushed to the side of the main road, which left a clear path down the center Soe ditch that ran along one side Others were sether There were skeletons in a few of the

"Probably a tank," said Tom "Or a bulldozer Before they nuked the cities, back when they thought this was a winnable war" He gestured to the line of broken cars, many of them nearly invisible behind clumps of shrubbery "This is a well-traveled route Traders and other people out here All these cars have been checked for zoave Tom a sly smile "Which doesn’t mean they’re safe We have to check the nod "That’s the kind of thinking--"

"--that’s going to keep us alive," finished Benny irritably "Yeah, we pretty et that"

To Tom, Nix said, "He’s cranky because he didn’t think of it first"

"Yes, I did," Benny lied

Theytoward the western tree line, they crested a hill and looked down a long dirt side road to where an old gas station sat beneath a weeping

"Take a closer look," suggested Toh-power binoculars

Benny focused the lenses and studied the scene The surrounding vegetation was dense with overgrowth, but there was a broad concrete pad around the cluster of sainst the wall of trees It had long ago been ashed, and someone had written hundreds of lines of scripture on it Rain had faded the words so that only a feere readable

"This is Brother David’s place?" asked Chong in a leaden voice Between the catastrophe with the rhino and finding the deadseemed to have lost his humor and virtually all trace of emotion He barely spoke, and when he did his voice lacked inflection It was like listening to a sleepwalker

Toht the sound and cut a look at Benny, who nodded

Tom ain

"Yup," said Benny "He was the first irls Sister Sarah and Sister Shanti"

"And Old Roger," added Nix

"Who?" Chong asked

"He’s a zo nodded but didn’t co a path that ran beside a lacier A thin stream of water trickled between the rocks, but it was so sed behind the rest, and Benny slowed to keep pace with hi’s face, he almost ’s dark eyes

"Hey, dude What’s--?"

Chong touched Benny’s arm "I’m really sorry, man"

Benny shook his head and started to protest

"No," Chong interrupted, "I should never have couys are better off without h his voice lacked total conviction "Besides, this way you get to spend a couple of days with Lilah--"

Chong dis, I’ crap to her"

"C’mon, dude, she’s like that with everyone Ito quiet"

"No way Don’t even go there"

"I’ insisted, but this ti encouraging to say when Tom stopped them all with a raised fist

He scanned the terrain for aokay?" Benny asked

"Let’s find out," Touardedly

Tom headed down the slope and the others followed For Benny this was the first ht Brother David was halfway to being crazy, but he was one of the nicest people Benny had ever irls with hiood cooks, too, and even after everything he’d seen, Benny was sure he could eat a full-size rhinoceros

They caas pureat rusted tombstone to a dead culture To The echoes bounced off the hills and ca into silence

There was no response Tom narrowed his eyes "Stay here" He walked carefully to the front door of the station and knocked Nothing "Brother David?" he called

Absolutely nothing

Scowling, Toreat caution, their weapons in their hands

"Be ready," Tom said as he reached for the door handle It turned easily, and the door swung inward Tom drew his pistol and moved silently inside The others crept after hiht Benny slipped in next, with Nix at his back, and they shifted to Tom’s left

However, there was no need of caution

"Where is everyone?" whispered Nix

Tom shook his head and took a few tentative steps into the room

Most of the front part of the station was set up for trading and an atte chairs, a wood-stove, and a table for meals Benny, Tom, and Nix had stayed here several times and eaten the modest but well-cooked food offered by the Children of God; and Toifts

The rest of the way station had been converted into living quarters for the monk and the two female disciples There were bedrolls and plastic ht tables Sheets were strung on clothesline to providefroain

"Lilah," Tom said, "check the sheds"

She nodded and slipped out the door without a word It annoyed Benny a bit that To like that, but this wasn’t the tiument

Nix crossed to the stove and looked into the pots, then held her hand above the burners "It’s cold, but there’s food in the pots Hasn’t gone bad yet"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>