Jessica

"We're going to take 64." Click.

"Not 66?" Click.

"No. 64 will lead us straight to Grand Canyon Village. That's where you said your rendezvous with that old man is going to take place, isn't it?" Click.

"Yeah. So 64 it is, then." Click.

"Yup. It's going to take a while." Click.

"Aye. I'll lead the way from now on." Click.

"Roger that, Sica." Click.

The short exchange of words via frequentel ended with Josiah's cheery remark. I did as I proclaimed and sped forward, passing their trailer to take the front. Pressing the accelerator always sparked up some kind of outlandish energy within me. Maybe it was the exhilaration; the ecstasy of taking control over a machine that could take me further and faster than my two legs could ever carry me. I always had a thing for traveling and controlling. I was born an explorer abound in wanderlust.

"How's your shoulder, now, hon?" I asked, flicking the cigarette stub out the window. I knew all too well that Erik despised my inclination to revel in smoking, but I could not let go of my habit and way of handling stress just like that.

"It's been twelve days. I'm fine now," Erik replied. He opened the window a little bit to inhale a huff of the fresh-ish air. As I could see it, his face was displaying blatant disgust at my tendency of smoking indoors. Sorry, not sorry.

"We'll have to seal all doors soon. And get on Jos and Soe's trailer." I changed the subject.

"Radiation?"

"No shit," I nodded. Grand Canyon was not a subject of direct bombing, but the miasmal air had traveled through the atmosphere and pervaded the entire region as the deep valley provided the best of the conditions for it to be trapped. It was not as bad on top of the highest points, but the lower we went, chances were we were likely to get exposed to a denser level of radiation. Thankfully, the meeting point was the Grand Canyon Village, an area overlooking the vast gorge below. We were to take a more prosaic route on our way. As far as we could get from unexpected adventure or in other words; hazard.

"Why does he want to meet you at such a dangerous place?" Erik grumbled. Then he abruptly turned his entire torso around. "What's his name anyway?"

"His name is Leroy Dawson. A literal millionaire abandoned by the paradise. About the meeting point, he just told me it's the best way to get to Elysia secretly."

"By running straight across one of the most environmentally dangerous regions?" He frowned in skepticism.

"That's exactly why it's effective for secrecy, you idiot. Not many people would suspect levelheaded people to cross the Canyon." I snapped back. "Rumors have it that Elysia has spies out in the Wasteworld to stop people like us from getting in."

"How do you know that Dawson isn't one of them, then?"

"I'm a rather thorough girl," I slyly sent a smile. "I thought you would have figured that out on your own the night I met you."

"Pardon?" Erik's face was a blend of alarm, confusion, and agitation. Was it a sight.

"I stole your wallet and checked the insides when you were inebriated with beer. Or were you too wasted then to recall that?" I rolled my eyes and took my hands off the wheel for a brief moment. The car swerved from side to side before I caught the steering wheel again. Erik seemed even more incensed then a second ago. He grabbed the wheel, his hand overlapping mine.

"Hey, drive safely. Don't hurt my car."

"Ugh. Why don't you marry your car already, bastard?" I complained, jerking my hand away from under his soft one.

"Whatever." He put his hand back on his lap. "But pickpocketing is not a very ethical way to get to know people, or investigate them." Erik looked out the window and picked at his own hair. I couldn't help my thoughts traveling back to that time I sifted through his jacket pocket and found the peculiar photo of a girl. It was still left an unsolved riddle to this day.

"I told you this world doesn't function on morality anymore. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive," I repeated what I had said many nights ago. True. My way was not exactly the noblest way when considering the laws and standards of the past, but now that everything was falling apart, it hardly mattered anymore. And there were loads of more corrupted, tainted souls out there that far exceeded my list of naughty deeds. Erik still didn't seem to get that. It was one huge difference between us. I could not hide my astonishment when he actually expressed his 'guilt' for leaving the injured raiders back in California like he had not taken an arrow to his shoulder unleashed by one of them. He had lashed out his pure rage on them after, which was a critical part that led to our victory, but that all dwindled to nothing in his mind later on. He could not take in the fact that we had left them to die bleeding all too easily. Wherever he came from, the boy had not seen enough of the world yet. In some cases, he was worse than Nikole. Those two were in dire need of reality training now that they got along pretty well.

"You know," Erik began, "At first, you were intimidating."

"'At first'?" I emphasized. I wanted to be intimidating all the time. The undertone that my presence was not as threatening anymore somehow marred my self-esteem.

"Yeah. I thought you were a straight up psychopath with a gun. The gun wasn't all of it, though. You genuinely scared me sometimes."

"Yet you got laid by that psychopath the day you met her," I cackled.

"Alright listen, I don't know what got into me that night. I blame the alcohol." Erik threw his hands in the air and letting them fall, slapped his thigh. I briefly glanced at his face---pink. Pink again.

"Would you do it again?" I sounded him out.

"You-" He gave up immediately. "What are we? Partners for the journey or sex?"

"Can do both," I hummed. His reactions were so entertaining.

"Suit yourself."

"That a yes?"

Erik sighed very loudly for me to register and remained silent for the next minute. The wind was still blowing in through the half-open window, tousling his golden locks in a careless manner. I leaned my head on my left hand and drove with the other. It was 11 am; the sun was scorching yet the air arid and chilly. I had my fur jacket on along with a black tank top and tattered white skinny jeans. My black high heels were tucked away in the trunk and a pair of discolored converse took their place instead. The Canyon, as far as I knew, was not a high heel-friendly region. I would also have to put on a special suit later.

"Stopping by for a break and preparation." Click.

Josiah's voice shattered the momentary silence.

"'Kay," I answered with a click on my red freq.

We pulled up in the middle of the road; four vehicles aligned sloppily along the fields devoid of life and color. In some places, it was overgrown with weeds that gave off a somewhat unnatural air. In my guess, it was the starting sign of the radioactivity prevalent in the area ahead. I stepped out of the car, pulling my jacket tighter to myself and swiftly getting on Josiah and Soeun's trailer. Erik and the doctor's party joined in.

"How's the trip so far, Jess? Erik trouble you much?" Soeun greeted me lazily on the sofa, putting away the book that was covering his face by tossing it on the shelf next to him. I looked over my shoulder at Erik to study his response. As expected, he was pissed.

"I trouble Jessica?"

"He's this close---," I showed Soeun my two fingers an inch apart from each other, "to permanently annoying me."

"It's the other way around!" Erik exclaimed.

"Chill out, darling. We're just messing with you." I laughed. "You take things way too seriously," I whispered and then giggled in his ear, giving him a quick rub in the cheek once to assuage his frustration. Erik sulked-yes, sulked---and found himself a spot to sit down on.

"Soe, behave yourself," Josiah gently reproached his lover. He came to Erik's rescue just in time.

"Don't talk to me like I'm your dog," the black-haired boy barked.

"I love you, too," Josiah dismissed his acerbic comment by planting an affectionate kiss on the boy's forehead. Soeun shrugged and reciprocated that kiss with a faint smile which was clearly an unintentional action. Although Soeun liked to immerse himself in this bitter, snooty persona, the love he had inside of him was big enough for it to show every once in a while. It was probably worse when the two of them were alone with each other. This couple had the largest potential to create the most dissonant harmony to ever exist on earth but in reality, they were the most congenial I've come across. I was happy to have been the mediator between them.

"Um, we're out of gas," Nikole intervened emotionlessly. She sat on a chair, refusing Mikhailov's offer to help her out. The doctor tucked away his awkward hand behind his back and plopped down on the floor next to her.

"Will fill you guys up before we get going," Josiah answered.

"Can I have some water, please?" Erik asked.

"Just a sec," the burly man disappeared into the kitchen and then brought out a tray of water and snacks. I marveled, honestly, at the fact that Josiah could stand this capricious weather with just a white muscle shirt on him.

"Thanks," Erik and I replied simultaneously as we each grabbed a cup. His eyes flickered up to mine. What?

"So we're just a few miles away," Mikhailov said. He was nibbling on a nutrition bar which was pretty much no different from a log cut down to bite size. He scowled in disgust at the first bite and then wrapped it back up. It was Soeun's ultimate weakness; the incapability to spawn delectable nutrition bars. I've been knowing this since the first day he tried to feed me one.

"Right. Meaning we'll have to either move as one in our trailers or have everyone strictly stay inside the car except for Sica and Erik."

"Have you gotten in touch with...with..."

"Leroy Dawson, yes," I completed and answered Nikole's question. "He's already waiting inside a vacant lodge at the village. He's been there for a day already."

"Is he that dedicated to sending you in, or did he just confuse the date?" Soeun dropped his own nutrition bar back on the tray. "Fucking failure, again," he murmured to himself though it was audible to everyone.

"I'm hopin' it's not the latter, but does it matter?" I gulped down the entirety of the water in the cup.

"That rhymed," Erik muttered.

"Very flattered," I sneered.

No one else took this conversation into account, thankfully.

"Anyway, once we arrive, I will put on the suit and get out there with Erik. We'll have a nice little chat and then I'll be able to convince him," I stated.

"If you don't, if this was all in vain---"

"It won't be," I snapped back at the doctor's words. I was determined. And was in no way going to let go of this opportunity. Mikhailov stared at me for a while, seemingly inspecting my soul and sincerity, then slowly nodded in approval. I smiled to myself.

"That's settled," Josiah cleared his throat. "So. Together or not?"

"Together."

"Not."

The answers resounded at the same time. Erik and I chose together while Mikhailov and Nikole said the opposite. Josiah's gaze shifted between us and them like he couldn't find himself in a more perplexing situation. Soeun puffed out a laugh beside him.

"Wow. We're so cohesive, aren't we," he remarked. Sarcasm dripped from his tone.

What a team indeed.

"You know what? I do think we need to divide the team," Erik suggested.

"Why's that?" I asked.

"That Dawson guy would be expecting just the two of us. Seeing a whole trailer approach could alarm him. If I were that guy, I would be alarmed."

"Really good point," Nikole chimed in. "There's no need to scare him off or make him doubt before any negotiation takes place." Since when were these two this supportive of each other? I raised my eyebrow and shrugged.

"Okay. Then we go in first in our Cadillac."

"In my Cadillac," Erik stressed.

"Whatever, jackass." Him and his car.

"Well, that's settled, too, now, huh?" Josiah clarified in a loud voice to clear things up once and for all. I gave him an 'ok' sign. "Great. You guys need to suit up here, then. We won't be stopping anymore."

"Got it," I answered, tapping my fingernails on the porcelain mug.

But oh, how fate torments me so.

Just when I was about to get to my feet, a single bullet sailed through the air and punctured the wall right next to where Mikhailov's head was. The doctor grappled the cabinet next to him and Nikole yelled out of surprise as a chaotic air soon swarmed in the trailer. A bullet. Equals gun. With a silencer. Meaning ambush. This was insane.

"Get down!" I shouted, striving to control the commotion to save everyone's ass. Fortunately, they all followed my instruction and lied as flat as they could on the ground as one, two, more bullets left holes on the side of the trailer. I desperately tried to muse every possibility of the meaning behind the bullets and the ambush. Raiders with guns were not as common. Random traveling groups had a lower chance of wielding firearms. Despite my desperate attempts to disagree with myself, all the thoughts led to one path, one answer.

"JESSICA!"

The voice was not new. And I was expecting it.

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," I cursed under my breath.

"Who is that?" Mikhailov, shielding Nikole's fragile body with his, whisper-shouted from across the trailer.

"That's my fucking tail." My tone was filled with contempt and guilt. "Let me deal with him."

"No way," Erik objected.

All of a sudden, the low vibration of motorcycles' roars rang out all around us. Motorcycles? They were the typical vehicles of raiders. Could this mean that...

"I see that you've won yourself even more enemies."

Shit. Brie's voice confirmed my suspicions.

We were surrounded by acquainted raiders, and Jerome King was on their side.

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Hello, my lovely readers! The second part of E:TW has officially started! We had a little time jump of two weeks. How did you like this chapter? Please leave in the comments below<3