Seth stared out the window as the hilly countryside sped past their unassuming Kia Forte at seventy miles per hour, the beams of the sun just starting to weave their way through the gaps between the verdant elevation. Here and there, extravagant houses topped hills, a small domain of prosperity advertising itself to the world. Forest grew ever more prominent the further north they drove, copses of trees sprouting between the hills like lichen in the cracks of an ancient statue. Still the three-lane highway stretched ever on, the blood-pumping vein of this state.

A cop moved past them, going closer to ninety than seventy, no lights on, but other than the lone state trooper, the roads remained empty and lonesome. Seth looked at the phone in his hand. A thin crack now ran down the side of the screen, but other than that, it was serviceable. Hadn’t stopped Nicole from destroying the SIM card and replacing it with a new one, though. Still, his voicemail was full of old messages, and he had yet to open the one from Emma.

“Just listen to it.”

Seth glanced over at Nicole. A Monster in her right, left on the top of the steering wheel, she stared down the road in the casually bored manner of one used to logging thousands of miles over the interstate. He sighed, and pressed play, holding the phone to his ear.

“Seth… What’s going on? I went by CFA. You weren’t there. Then I went by your house… You can call me, Seth. I’ll help. I want to help. I want to make sure you’re okay. I- I miss you and I’m worried.”

Second voicemail.

“Seth, please tell me you’re okay. You’re on the news, I saw the- the- the-” A sniffle. “Please, please, be okay. Please call me Seth.”

Seth swallowed and hazarded a second glance at Nicole.

“Don’t.”

“It’s just Emma.”

“You’re a target now, same as me. Don’t. When you move on, you can’t have contact with anyone from your last life.”

“I’m not moving on.”

“Didn’t peg you for suicidal.” Nicole took a long pull from the Monster.

“I’m not a target.”

“Please. You helped me kill one of them, and then killed two more yourself. I guarantee you they’ve already been to your house.”

For a moment, cold fear flooded Seth’s chest, but as it hit the walls of his heart, it vanished. He realized he cared a lot less about his father’s safety than maybe he should. Or perhaps he cared exactly as much as he should for the way his father treated him. The thought of kicking his father away from him still imprinted itself in his mind, a memory stored as clearly as any photograph. Seth looked back out the window.

The sun began to crest the peaks of the hills now, swimming its way through thick cloud banks and scattering warm daylight across the land. The forests covered everything here, pines and oaks and elms. The first touches of fall could be seen, with a scattering of faint orange, yellow, and brown here and there among the woods. The hills had become taller too, the start of proper foothills for a mountain range, and the highway had a slightly upwards cant to it.

Seth pressed call and moved the phone to his ear.

“Bloody hell,” growled Nicole. “Hang up right now.”

“Shut up,” said Seth in reply, with an assertion that surprised him. Nicole sank into a sullen silence.

“Hi, you’ve reached Emma. Leave a message!”

“Emma, it’s Seth. Can’t talk for long. I’m safe. I’ll tell you more when I can. I- I miss you.” Seth hung up.

“You’re a fucking plonker.” Nicole’s clipped UK accent came out in full force. She turned to face him, ignoring the empty road. “You’re right dead from the neck up, you know that? Stupid wanker.”

“No, I’m stupid for heading north with you towards a military base with god knows what kind of business in mind.”

“We’re not going to the base.” She returned her gaze to the road.

“What.”

“Our destination is further north.” Nicole didn’t bother covering up her accent again, nor did she cover up her fuming demeanor. “We’re meeting up with an old friend of mine.”

***

Seth looked out through the window of the lonely convenience store and gas station, watching Nicole. She stared at the pump with her arms crossed, leaning against the side of the car. He returned to his task of stocking up. Two gallon jugs of water, a few first aid items Nicole said she had run out of patching him up, another Monster for Nicole, and a bag of beef jerky. The elderly man behind the counter took in Seth’s bruised face.

“Rough night?”

Seth shrugged.

“Alright… That’ll be thirty-two seventy-nine.”

Seth set the cash Nicole had given him on the counter and received some bills and coins back. The elderly man stared at him one more time. “Boxer?”

Seth paused, curious. “Kickboxing.”

“You win?”

The image of Patrick sprawled in the dirt flashed through Seth’s mind. “Yeah. I did.”

“I’d hate to see the other guy then.” The man chuckled. “Stepped inside the ring a few times back in the day myself.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, not champion material though.” He shrugged. “If you are, hope you find your way to the wins you deserve.”

“Thanks,” said Seth. “Yeah, thanks.”

The man smiled as Seth grabbed the items and walked out to the car just as Nicole set the nozzle back in the pump. The two wordlessly got back in the car. The miles once again began to melt away before them, the air growing thinner as their altitude rose. A sign stuck out to Seth.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

“Is that it?”

“Yep. That’s where the bastards call home.”

“So who’s this friend?”

“You’ll see, Seth.”

And the road continued on.