Apocalypsis 03 - Exodus

didn’t see the point. But now I do. Come on, let’s go get the bikes.”
    We followed Rob single file into the trees, none of us looking back.

CHAPTER FIVE

    I WAS HAPPY TO GET the bike with the big-butt seat for the trip. It had our old trailer attached and was covered in pine needles and other grosser things I didn’t want to think about. I brushed the seat off and got on, waiting for my backpack to balance out and stop sliding around so its momentum wouldn’t throw me off. Peter deposited Buster into the basket on the front, and tied his leash to the handles.
    “Now stay put, Buster,” he said. “We have a long way to go and you need to shut your yap the entire time.”
    “Wishful thinking,” said Winky, riding by on a ten-speed that also looked like it had seen better days.
    Fohi was next, pumping his legs like mad on a BMX bike that looked better-suited to an eight-year-old. I smothered a laugh and focused instead on Rob, Peter, and the twins bringing up the rear. I held my hand out so Rob would wait for me, launching my bike forward to ride next to him. We were the last in line.
    “I need to go find Bodo before we go to the prison.”
    “Yeah, I know. What’s up with this prison thing, though? LaShay said something about it. She told everyone at the pool tonight.”
    “There’s an abandoned prison south of here. Not far. At least that’s what Ronald and Jamal said. They were thinking it might be a good place to set up a new home, and it sounded good to me.”
    Rob nodded his head as we rode over the bumpy path. “That could work. So long as it’s still abandoned and not full of canners.”
    “I’m trying not to think about that possibility. Hopefully, it’s too far out of the way from their food supply to work for them. They’re better off in neighborhoods.”
    “Yeah. Let’s hope.”
    He pulled ahead to ride next to Winky in front. Together, they led the way out onto the main road and pointed us in the direction of Celia’s shell shop.
    Buster stood with his front paws on the edge of the basket, his tongue hanging out and the bits of fuzz on his head blowing in the breeze. He looked back at me once in a while, and I swear he was smiling. The sound of Fohi’s tire treads on the ground were the only things competing with the buzzing of the cicadas, busy humming in the night, sounding like they were piled by the thousands in the groups of trees we were riding by on our way into town. It was both comforting in its familiarity and discomforting in what it meant. We were riding at a time when the canners were most likely to be awake, and we were heading directly into their territory.
    The thought made me pull up short, as Celia’s shell shop appeared like a white beacon in front of us.
    “Stop, guys. Just wait a second.” The guys nearest me put on their brakes and walked their bikes back; Rob and Winky made u-turns and rode over to join us in a circle.
    “What’s up?” asked Fohi, breathing hard and resting his foot up on the v-shaped crossbar of his bike, wiping his brow with the back of his forearm.
    “We need a plan. I don’t want to go riding in there with all our stuff, making a big announcement that we’re there to kick ass.”
    Jamal nodded. “Please … yes … let’s not do that.”
    “Yeah. We stay alive by staying under the radar,” added Ronald, looking over at his brother.
    I looked at each of them in turn. “None of you needs to do this thing with me. I have to go in and try to find Bodo before I got to the prison. You can either wait here or go ahead without me and I’ll catch up.”
    “I’m with Bryn,” said Peter without hesitation.
    “I’d rather you stayed back with Buster,” I said, sighing. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings but Buster would blow my cover in a second, and Peter would likely get captured, just like before.
    “But I can help,” he said, pouting a little.
    “I know you can. And I appreciate your help, you know I do. But right now, being with Buster is huge for me. Please? I can’t go in there and risk having him bark like he does.”
    “Fine,” he sighed. “But I’m not going ahead without you. I’ll stay in Celia’s shop.” He took off on his bike without waiting for my response, riding towards the building.
    I looked at the rest of them. “You guys can stay or go to the prison. It’s no big deal to me at all. Everyone needs to stay safe, and I totally get that.”
    “I’m with you, Bryn,” said Winky. “No