The Collective

Chapter Twelve

"Sarah, why don't you let me drive?" Max asked, as Sarah drifted onto the shoulder for the thousandth time.

She jerked the wheel, the whole car swinging back onto the road. She glared at him in the mirror. "I would rather die than let you drive."

I silently agreed. I hated Max's driving with a passion. Although, Sarah really didn't look that great. She was pale, and her hands shook, even as she held the steering wheel.

I gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "Sarah, can I drive? I'll drive."

"Sarah," Max started.

Sarah silenced him with a look. She pulled into a field, devoid of any fences, or plants, or people. It was a big, empty, dirt lot. She shoved the keys into her boot. "We'll rest here for a few hours."

"Sarah! We really don't have time for this." Max stumbled out of the car groaning. "My legs... Oh, my legs..."

Sarah tore her door open. She stomped towards him. "My friends' house just got shot up, and now I can't find them. We're stopping. And, I don't care what you want. We are stopping here. Annie?" She stalked towards the horizon, melting into the darkness.

I glanced between her and Max. Max shook out his legs, moving in circles. I headed towards Sarah. She knelt behind a rock, digging underneath it. She pulled two backpacks out of the ground. She stood up, tossing the keys into the dark. She shoved a backpack towards me.

"There's boots in there. Try them on." Her voice cracked.

"Sarah?" I put the backpack down. I reached for her.

Sarah jerked out of my reach. "No." She swiped at her eyes. "We have to go. Stop asking me if I'm okay. Stop arguing with me. Put the boots on and let's go."

I dragged the boots on. I didn't stop to see what else was in the bag before swinging it over my shoulder. I hurried after Sarah. I didn't comment when she started crying. I couldn't bring myself to ask what happened.

My legs started shaking within the first hour. I stopped hiking as soon as Ethan left. It's not that I wanted to. Ethan fostered a love of the woods I didn't know I had in me, but the first time I ventured out on my own, I went too far. My phone stopped working, which apparently was a cardinal sin. All the agents in the area, along with a helicopter and reinforcements from the local police department, rained down on my location. They dragged me back and made me move, again. I hadn't been near the woods since.

My chest tightened. The rib I'd popped out throbbed in time with my head. Sarah seemed to be getting stronger and stronger the longer we moved. Her shoulders straightened out. Her gait got all nice and even. She didn't even seem to notice the cold. It was infuriating.

I grabbed my water out of my bag. I took small sips before shoving it back in. I ignored the urge to drink it all. From the first time I met Ethan, he told me to take small sips. He always said that when you were going to be out a long time, drinking a little bit over a long period of time was easier on your body than drinking it all at once. It was nice, when you got used to it. It sucked when you weren't.

"Annie?" Sarah called, standing about 100 feet away.

"Where are we going?" I dragged myself towards her.

"Away," Sarah said softly. She held out a gel-pack.

"Why?" I took it. I hated these things, but it'd keep me moving for the next four hours, give or take.

Sarah led me towards a dirt trail. "How much do you know about Max?"

"He worked with Ethan and his name might be Tatum?" I shoved the sticky pack into an empty pocket. The throbbing in my chest eased up the slight bit.