U.G.L.Y (17 page)

I
rushed
to
put
the
gas
nozzle
back
in
the
pump
and
ran
around
the
car,
p
ulling
the
keys
out
as
I moved
.
I
jumped
in
the
drivers
seat
and
started
the
engine. The two vehicles
were
getting
very
close
now and
couldn't
have been
more
than
a
block
away.

I
threw
the
gear
selector
into
drive
and
pushed
my
foot
to
the
floor.
Just
as
I
cleared
the
curb
and
started
onto
the
street
the
vehicles
came into the parking lot of the gas station. They must have been
within
100
yards
of
me
and
I
could
see
the drivers and passengers clearly.

The
men
in
the
first
car
were
prisoners dressed in orange
jumpsuits.
The
passenger
in the second car
was
leaning
out
of
the
window
and
firing
a
shotgun
repeatedly
at
the
first
car.
  A
s
the
two
vehicles
entered the parking lot of
the
gas
station,
a
shot
hit
the
right rear
tire
of
the
first car.
The tire exploded and the car began to roll. The rolling car
smashed
straight
into
the
gas
station
store
front.

I
could
see
the
surprised
faces
of
the
patrons
that
were
huddled
inside
as
the
car
rolled
over
and
over.
It careened
through
the
glass
and
burst
into
flames.
The
police
vehicle
following,
tried
to
stop
but was moving too fast and
lost
control.
The car hit the fuel pumps
,
instantly
igniting
them.

I
pushed
harder
on
the
gas
peddle
and
tried
to
get
some
distance
between
me
and
the
blast.
The
desert
lit
up
with
the
light
from
the
fireball.
I
t
was
so bright it was
almost
like
daylight.

     I
drove
N
orth as fast as the car would go.
A
fter
a
few
m
inutes
the
light
from
the
explosion
dissipated
and
withdrew
into
a
faint
orange
glow
behind
me
.
I shook my head trying to get
the
image
of
the
shocked
faces
behind
the
store
window
out
of
my
mind.
Just
ahead
on
the
hill
I
could
see
the
prison
more clearly than before. I
t
was
on fire
.
All I
had
seen
since
this
nightmare
started
was
buildings
burning.
I
passed
the
access
road
to
the
prison
and
I
could
make
out
the
silhouette
of
people
running
along
the
road.
I
t
was
difficult
to
tell
if
they
were
prisoners
or
guards. As I drove past I could hear the screech of the infected.
I focused my eyes on the road ahead as a shudder went through me.

14
.

-Miles to Go-

    
The
drive
went
on
forever
it
seemed.
I
drove
through
the
night,
stopping
when
I
could
for
gas
or
to
get
coffee.
There
were
a
number
of
small
towns,
isolated
gas
stops
along
the
road.
The
people
at these stops
were
half
asleep
retirees
or
high
school
kids
barely
awake
enough
to
notice
I
was
there.

As
the
night
wore
on
I
was
getting
anxious
again.
I
couldn't
stop
imagining
the
horrible
state
the
kids
could
be
in.
I
was
sure
Amanda had
made
a
bad
call
and
left
them
with
some
“
friend
”
which
she
tended
to
do.

I
started
to
remember
how
bad
the
divorce
was
and
how
many
times
she
had
tried
to
take
the
kids
away
from
me. I thought she did it to
get
more
money.
I was
flushed
and
could
feel
anger
start
welling
up
inside
me at the thought.

T
he
first
light
of
dawn was
beginning
to
appear
in
the
east.
As
the
sun
rose
I
could
see
mountains
ahead
and
I
began
the
long
climb
towards
lake
Tahoe. I
followed
the
windy
road
through
the
foot
hills,
then
into
the
mountains
and
reached
a
turnout
that
overlooked
the
lake just as the sun cleared the horizon and daylight filled the sky.

     I
stopped
the
car
to
stretch
my
legs.
I
walked
to
the
edge
of
the
look
out
and
pulled
my
ball
cap
down
over
my
brow.
In the valley below was Lake Tahoe and if I squinted I could see
Lake
Tahoe
City
.
T
hat
’
s
where
I
needed
to
go
to
find
the
kids.
I
thought
again
about
whether
it
was
a
good
idea
to
come
here.
I
f
this
was
where
she
really
was.

She
could
have
been
anywhere,
she
had
friends
and
boyfriends
all
over
the
mountains and I didn't know if she would take refuge with family or friends first.
She didn't trust her family so she found friends to help her.
Anywhere
there
was
a
ski
resort
she
had
visited
there
would
be
a
group
of
ski
bums
she
hung
out
with.

I
wondered
if
the
information
her
boyfriend gave me was right. It was too late if he was wrong. I was sure he was dead or infected by now.
  I
decided
that
he
didn't
have
any
reason
to
lie
to
me
and
at
this
point
it
didn't
matter.
I
was
here
now
and
I
was
going
to
look
regardless.