(REWRITING) The Skylar Experiment : Coveting

Chapter Forty-Seven - NIO

RILEY

WE COASTED BY THE EDGE of Huntington, which was far more sizeable than Oakwood. The closer we got, the higher my anxiety escalated. We drove through the busy city center, passing along the Ohio River and cruising until the roads gave way to naked forest and bush.

Luc halted around the beginning of a large dirt trail, gauged as far as he could from the entrance, then quickly reeled back. 

"There's no fence," I said as he found a drugstore parking lot.

 "There might be private property later, and I don't want a camera catching our little happy faces or get locked in a tight spot."

"So we'll have to roam everywhere on foot," I concluded as he pressed the power button behind the wheel. Luc could have covered that surface in the space of an hour or two if he used his abilities, but because I hadn't figured out how to move that fast, it would slow us down.

"Gee, you think?" 

I pursed my lips. "It's just an observation, asshole."

Luc didn't pay heed. Instead, he lifted an expecting hand and the rifle jumbled out of the trunk to arrive at the car's front. It landed on my lap. He caught the uncertainty in my stare as I placed it between my legs. A half-smile tautened his expression. 

"Don't miss."

"I should have brought some wood for you to knock on," I whispered, wishing he hadn't said that out loud. The magazine was fully loaded inside, and I concealed the rest of the cartridges in my backpack with the entire device. I wasn't going to cross the parking lot in broad daylight carrying this jumbo barrel. 

I looked out as he was exiting the car. "What if there are more cameras the deeper we go?"

"I'll jam them all. You can still change your mind, you know? Wait for me in the car and let me have a look."

I reached for my handle and put one leg out. "Shut up, already."

He marched to my side, and we stared across the street. A nudge behind the elbow made me move first, and after passing through the traffic lights, we accessed the trail. I steered clear off the path once we were out of sight from the circulation, Luc snapping branches in my footsteps. 

Further from the entrance, I slung my backpack down my arm. With a silent nod, I slipped out the EMP gun, adjusting again to its heaviness and the mind-numbing fact that I was holding the most dangerous threat to my own life. I won't miss. 

"If we're in this for a while, I should have asked you to bring the sandwiches," I regretted as he took the lead. "I only have water."

"You're weird for not bringing them. Lucky for you, I got both. It's not starvation that's going to kill us."

"Stop," I hissed, and stabbed into his jacket. "We don't even know where we're going."

Luc pointed east. "Staying near the trail where the Spencers drive through, we'll eventually stumble on what they come to visit often."

We progressed through the barren woodland, occasionally scraping against offshoots and saplings. He often twisted back to open a path for my busy hands or to check the surroundings. A distant birdsong accompanied our hike when the noise of vehicles faded, and I thought I imagined it when Luc stiffened. 

"It's pretty quiet," I remarked. 

Luc hummed an approval, and rolled his shoulders. "It's going to be hard to sneak up on us if this place is dangerous." He glanced sideways and paused, then he hinted at a smile. "It's not easy for people to get their way with me. You're really an outlier."