Chapter 46 Again, on the Road

After we collected all the stuff that still has use for us including the tent which is thankfully still ok to use, we piled them all behind the car and wished that somehow, there will be a convenience store again where the goods are still ok for us to use or consume. Timothy had found some food and water that Mona carefully hid before the men raided the place and we praise her so much for it for being a lifesaver for all of us.
Jayson filled the gas tank of the car and took some empty bottles or any containers that he found in the convenience store and stored more gasoline in it in case there won"t be any gasoline station we find along the way to our next destination. Li is a little wary about it, having a highly combustible substance inside the car while driving in the middle of the hot road, scared that any time, the gasoline might blow us into chunks of meat.
I wonder if those military mobiles and the soldiers are still waiting on us. I have a hunch that they will because it"s a strong order for them to wait on us within five days. If we didn"t reach the place within that time, then they have to drive back to Zone four, considering the mission failed.
"Maybe you can tell us both now?" Li asks Jayson, who is driving in full concentration even when the road is empty. The surrounding area is dry, tumble weeds are everywhere making the place look like a wild wild west from the movies I used to watch on TV. There is nothing here but the hot road and the wild sun above the cloudless sky and all of us are almost bathing in our own sweat, making the inside of the car so uncomfortably hot like we are baking inside an oven.
Jayson looked at me like he's seeking help to explain the things that happened to us. I sigh, scrunching my nose to the heat because even the wind that is blowing against my cheek feels hot, feeling miserable about the small relief that my poor feminine skin is wishing just to be relieved from this scorching heat.
"It was all the people who were denied entry to the bunker, Li." I started explaining, glancing at them from the back of the passenger side, all three of them, Li, Mona and Timothy are huddling themselves inside the cramped three seaters. "They asked for information about how the bunkers work. How tight the security is, where the power source are located, and the kind of technology they have. I wonder how much they already know before we disclosed that information to them, though. But I'm quite sure they know things already which I am not sure yet."
"What I know is that they want to take revenge, Harriet. It's clear they're just like other rebels screaming for the injustice the New Arcanian Government is treating its people. We can't blame them for fighting what they think is right for them," Jayson commented while his eyes are on the road, his hands busy on the steering wheel, trying to navigate our way to the edge of the Zone twenty-three border.
"But how did you get your injury, Harriet? I can't remember that any of Melvin's men hit you or something." Timothy asked, and he's right. I can't remember much too, after they made us smell a chemical and all three of us went unconscious. I can't remember much about what happened but when I woke up, I just felt the searing pain on my head and then found out I was already bleeding.
"I can't remember much. I'm just relieved that we're finally away from that place though. It's not safe to stay in one place for too long. We can't trust people that would come to us." I answered Timothy in a sad tone, knowing that we have to be extra careful soon because the next time we meet people again, I can never be sure that all of us would be as lucky as we are after meeting Melvin and his people.
"It worries me that he's seeking information about the bunkers though. What if they'll raid one of those facilities? It would be our fault."
"We had no choice, Li. I don't think we'll go out of that place alive if we won't tell them. Well, we didn't exactly tell them everything though... only the obvious things, but not the technical ones. Like how the whole security in that place works." Jayson answered him.
"Well, that's a good thing then!" Li exclaimed, "I hope we'll see a nice convenience store again so we could resupply our needs. I am starting to get hungry and we're almost running out of clean water to drink."
"Yeah, pray that we're as lucky as the last time" I smiled at them and Mona smiled too, her cute, chinky eyes made things a little brighter for all of us. She's just so precious to look at, very gentle and vulnerable to look at, which I envy a little because I don't think I am that too feminine just like Mona.
Jayson glanced at me. "How is your head, by the way?"
"It's fine" I automatically touch the bandage that Mona wrapped around my head. "I will be ok. It just needed to always be cleaned so it could heal fast. Right Mona?"
Mona smiled with determination in her eyes and gave me a thumbs up.
"That's good then. It worries me it might affect you badly or something. We have to make sure there is nothing bad happening inside though, we have to be quick and seek doctors so they could check on it. Just to make sure nothing had gone wrong in your brain" Jayson kept on uttering the words with a worried tone which made me want to feel embarrassed in front of the three because he's already acting like a boyfriend to me.
"You know what? Sometimes, I want to convince myself that you two are already dating," Li commented and I wonder if my face could get any more red than how it looks now because of the heat. Me and Jayson suddenly stopped talking and an awkward silence fell upon us all, making me worried about Timothy and how he feels about me and Jayson.
I know he doesn't like it but we can't do anything about it since I've already confirmed with Jayson about what I truly feel about him. I just have to explain it well to Timothy to avoid any more misunderstanding between us three.
I sigh. I know this will never be easy.