Truck Drivin’ Hero Page 11

  Hero laughed to himself. The whole way since Fairfield, Apple hadn’t given one indication that she had called anything over to them. And here he was, thinking he was so smart for sending them an S-O-S. “Huh. I’ll have to give her credit where credit’s due.”

  “What do you think about her?” Speedy cautiously asked while checking how the fueling was going.

  “Don't you two know her?” Hero asked.

  “Nope. We talked about it on the road. Neither of us spend much time with the scientists at any of the Resistance facilities,” Speedy said.

  Hero shrugged. “She’s an egghead, but she seems nice enough. Tight bod, pretty face, I mean the Resistance could do worse.”

  Speedy’s mouth dropped. “I can’t believe you’re checking her out!”

  “Yeah, aren’t we enough woman for you?” Sunshine crossed her arms and glared at him.

  “Oh, no. Don't get me wrong. You two are definitely too much for me,” Hero said. The gas pump clicked off, indicating that they were full on gas. His truck would take a little bit longer, but it was the perfect escape from the women's glares. “I’m gonna go move Alexandria to the back of the lot, and I’ll meet you inside.”

  He finished filling his own tank as he watched the two women move the Mustang to the parking area. They kept glancing back at him and whispering. He took a deep breath and shook his head. Women.

  He parked his truck and went inside. The first thing he noticed was that every TV in the place was nothing but static. The second thing he noticed was a waitress whispering to a man he figured was the manager. She pointed into the restaurant area, and the man disappeared into the kitchen. Then the waitress saw Hero and her eyes brightened, but she was clearly in a hurry. “I’ll be with you in just onnnne minute,” she said, holding a finger up.

  “Take your time, sweetheart,” Hero said. He stepped into the diner, looking where the waitress had been pointing. There, alone in a four-person booth, was Apple, reading the menu. It took Hero a moment to notice what was wrong. Finally, he saw what the waitress saw. Her shirt was riding up a little bit, clearly showing the holster and plasma pistol she had shown him earlier.

  Hero stormed over to her. “Hey!” Apple said. “They have like eighteen different kinds of pie here. I was thinking-”

  “I was thinking we need to get the hell out of here,” Hero said, trying not to yell and yet still convey his anger in whisper form. He grabbed her arm to pull her to her feet.

  “Hey! Get your hands off of me!” she yelled. Suddenly, every person in the diner was looking at them.

  Hero could feel the noose tightening around his neck. He leaned down, all the way until his lips were on her ear. “Apple, guns aren’t legal for private ownership in America anymore.”

  “I know that!” she yelled, loud enough that he backed away a little bit. “I wasn’t born yesterday. I-” Suddenly, she looked pale. Her hand slowly went down to the gun in her holster, and she slowly pulled her shirt back over it. “Oops.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t have worn your rocket science shirt today, kid,” he said.

  “Hero, can we get out of here?” she asked, suddenly aware that everyone was looking at her. The waitress was still whispering and pointing at her. They could see the manager in the back, talking on a wired telephone. Other than that, time seemed to be standing still. Apple got to her feet, seemingly a bit unsteady as they made their way to the door.

  Hero was suddenly very glad that they had paid cash for their fuel. There would be no shortage of witnesses to this, and any paper trail was bad news for them. Any cameras should be shorted out, too. The TVs were clearly on the fritz, anyway. Hopefully, they could get out of this without too much of a bounty on their heads.

  As they opened the door to the outside, he clearly heard a siren. Somehow, someone had gotten through to the local police, and the local police had sent a car. “We gotta go, quick,” he growled. He grabbed her hand and began to run toward the truck. They weren’t fast enough, though. An ancient police cruiser barreled into the parking lot, cutting off their exit route.

  Hero held Apple close as he began to walk. Maybe they could still make it. Maybe he could just hide her until they were able to make a getaway.

  “That’s her, Officer! That’s the girl with the gun!” came the shrill voice of what had to be the waitress from behind him.

  Hero froze. They had him, dead to rights. He almost laughed when he heard the response.

  “That’s Sheriff, ma’am,” came the soft voice from behind him.

  Hero turned and blinked, unable to believe his eyes even though the sun wasn’t actually affecting him. There was Sheriff Zorflox. Every exposed area of skin on his body was covered in a thick white cream.

  “Well, then, that’s her, Sheriff. Arrest her!” the shrill voice of the waitress continued.

  “I have it under control, ma’am. Please return inside,” the Grey said. The police officer blinked and pulled off his sunglasses for a moment, as if he couldn’t see with them on. Then he looked down, clearly in pain, and put the sunglasses back on.

  Hero slipped his hands under Apple’s shirt.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Just trust me,” he said. His hands searched around her belly button, bringing her in a little closer, until he found the belt clasp. He quickly loosened it and unbuckled it, then put it around his own body, hiding it underneath his own shirt.

  Sheriff Zorflox continued to stagger toward them. “Howdy, folks.” He paused, stared at Hero, and then asked. “Bill?”

  Hero knew that nothing good would come of this Grey recognizing them from this morning. He'd heard rumors the aliens were terrible at recognizing humans, and hoped it was true. “Naw mate,” he said. He made his voice higher in tone and more nasal than usual, and tried to remember every episode of Crocodile Hunter he could. “The name’s Ted.”

  Zorflox blinked a couple more times, clearly still disoriented, then continued. “Right. Got word that there was an unauthorized gun on you.”

  “Naw, mate. It must have been somebody else.”

  “I see. The waitress indicated that the female had the gun,” Zorflox said.

  Hero turned to Apple. “Baybee, you don’t got a gun, do you?”

  Apple coughed, then sputtered in an even worse Australian accent than him, “Oh, no. What would I need a gun for?”

  “I am required to search you,” Zorflox said. “Please put your hands on your head and face the wall.”

  Apple looked at Hero, then complied. Just then, Sunshine and Speedy walked out of the diner. They saw him immediately. Speedy put her hand on her mouth in shock, but Sunshine took control, whispering something in her ear. Speedy went off toward the back parking lot while Sunshine stood nearby, watching.

  Zorflox moved his hands down Apple’s sides. He cupped her breasts briefly before moving down. Hero knew that Zorflox got no sexual gratification from it, but he still wanted to punch him for it. He lifted the bottom of Apple’s shirt, clearly showing the spot where a belt had been just a moment before.

  “What’s this?” Zorflox asked.

  “Eh, baybee. Looks like that uncomfortable seat gave you more than you bargained for.”

  “Uncomfortable seat?” Zorflox asked.

  “Yeah, in the diner. The seat was old and torn up. She bruises so easily, like a shrimp on the barbay,” Hero said.

  “Like a shrimp on the… You’re from England, aren’t you?” Zorflox said.

  “Close. We’re from Australia.”

  “Australia. I have no desire to go there. Have you ever been to Texas?” he asked.

  What was this guy’s deal with Texas? Hero thought. “Naw, mate.” He needed to change the subject. “It looks like you spilled something on yourself.”

  “Yes. The sun was bothering me today. A pardner of mine suggested SPF 100, but I was only able to get SPF 80, so I put a lot of it on.” He ran one of his grey fingers over his hand, smearing it even more. “Zinc oxide. It
is helping to block the sun’s rays.”

  “Oi, that sun can be brutal. It seems brighter today than usual. You should get inside,” Hero said.

  “I will be happy to be on my way as soon as my investigation is complete,” Zorflox said.

  Apple shot a nervous look at Hero over her shoulder. “Can my girl put her arms down first?” Hero asked.

  “Of course. She can place them behind her back while I place handcuffs on her,” the Grey said.

  “Handcuffs?” Hero asked, his accent changing back to American for just a moment before going back to Australian. “Why the bloody handcuffs?”

  “Please, sir, do not impede me in my job, or I will be forced to detain you both.” He took a pair of handcuffs from his belt and put them on Apple. “Please have a seat while I check your identification. Then I will ask the witness to repeat her statement.”

  This was spiraling out of control way too fast. Suddenly, he saw smoke. “Uh, Sheriff, what is that?”

  The Sheriff looked over just as Sunshine came back around the corner. “Fire! Sheriff, there’s a big fire over there!”

  “Out of my way, citizen.” Zorflox looked back over at Hero and Apple. “Please do not leave until I return.” He ran over around the side of the building.

  “Come on, let’s go,” Hero said, grabbing Apple by the arm and guiding her around the side of the building. The robot that was shoved in the police cruiser saw them moving and made a plaintive chirping sound.

  Without wasting a moment, Hero opened Apple’s door and helped her up into the cab. He turned the truck on and drove out of there.

  “Buckle your seat belt, just in case,” Hero said.

  “I can’t.” Apple shifted uncomfortably around in the seat.

  “Oh, sorry. Well, just hold onto the seat belt or something, then.” Hero took the road directly back to I-80. As soon as he was on the highway, he grabbed the CB radio. “I’m all clear, Speedy. Pick up Sunshine and get out of there.”

  “10-4,” was all the response he got. Hero breathed a sigh of relief. He looked over at Apple, watching her squirm to get comfortable while wearing the handcuffs. Good, let her squirm a little longer, he thought.

  As soon as Zorflox heard there was a fire, he sprung into action. He ran around to the side of the building and saw that the entire dumpster was engulfed in flames. He ran to the entrance. “Fire!” he yelled as loudly as his soft voice would yell. “Everybody out!”

  He grabbed the fire extinguisher from the kitchen of the diner. He ran to the back door, getting as close as he could to the hot fire, which was still pretty far away. He let loose a stream of foam. Unfortunately, only about a quarter of the foam reached the dumpster.

  The manager came around with a hose and sprayed the dumpster from a distance. Still, after several minutes of spraying the fire, it still blazed. A fire truck showed up and put out the blaze in moments.

  Zorflox congratulated himself on a job well done, then went around to deal with the possible criminals out front. However, they were gone. He asked a few of the employees who were still there if they knew what the man and woman had been driving, and none knew. He asked JR as well, but he just said, “Gee, I don’t know, boss.”

  The Sheriff got back in his beat-up car. Things had gone from weird to weirder today. First had been the Texan, then the two females, and now this Australian couple. He wondered if the sun getting brighter was making everyone crazy. He still couldn't get in touch with his superiors to report anything.

  The sun was now directly overhead. He again was faced with two options. His body was warning him not to go west, that he would be driving into the sun, that his face and hands would burn. Drive east and file your report, or find a motel and wait until night-time. Still, something drove him forward. There was a mystery, and the only way he could solve it was by continuing to drive west.

  He flipped down the sun visor, gunned the engine of his dilapidated police cruiser, and drove west.

  13

  It was ten miles before Hero pulled off on another exit, making sure to go off the beaten path a little ways before pulling into a church parking lot. Apple had been silent for the entire trip, but Hero could tell that her discomfort was turning into pain, and he couldn’t let that continue.

  He turned off the engine and went back into his sleeper. He opened a drawer and pulled out a rolled up pack of tools. He looked them over and selected one of the shims.

  “Turn your hands toward me,” Hero said. He inspected the handcuffs. As he suspected, Sheriff Zorflox loved the classics too much. He had an old pair of Texas Ranger handcuffs, which were easy to open with today’s tools.

  Easy for a locksmith, but Hero was only an amateur. “Hold still,” he said as he tried to get the shim inside the handcuffs. She held perfectly still, but Hero still couldn’t get it. “You’re gonna think this is just a line, but I’m used to doing this on myself. I can’t get it from this angle. I need to be in front of you.”

  “How are you going to do it from in front of me?” she asked. “There’s no room.”

  He opened his door and walked around, opening her door for her. He carefully helped her to the step, then grabbed her sides and lifted, placing her down on the ground. She was so light, it was like lifting nothing at all. He walked her to the side of the truck, backing her up against it..

  “Try to move as little as possible,” he said. He leaned way into her personal space, wrapping his hands around her sides and trying to find where to place the shim in the handcuff. He was unable to see behind her, so he had to do it by sense of touch.

  He bent his knees a little, leaning further in and trying to look over her shoulder as he fumbled for the sweet spot. With his face right up next to her body, he could see just how big the bra was that her shirt was hiding from him. He breathed in the sweet scent of her. She smelled of flowers. And with his hands right next to her very nice ass, it was definitely a lot to take in. If he wasn't concentrating so hard on springing her loose, he might have got an erection.

  She stood there, her breath getting a little quicker with every passing moment. Hero wondered if she was getting turned on as well. She was doing a good job of hiding it if she was. She was completely still except for a slight quiver now and then, waiting for him to finish. “I’m sorry about all this,” she said.

  “Shhh. Don’t worry about it for now,” he said. Sweat beaded on his forehead and on his hands, but finally he found what he needed. He shoved the shim into the handcuff mechanism, tightened the handcuff a tiny bit, then released it. Her hand was free.

  Apple opened and closed her hand a few times to try to get feeling back into it. “Thank you,” she said.

  “No problem. Now for the other hand.”

  “Do you need me to put my hands back behind my back?” she asked, leaning back against the truck.

  “No,” he said with a chuckle. “I can do this one from a safe distance,” he said.

  “Maybe from behind?” she asked. She put her hands against the truck and stood up on her tip toes. She glanced back at him and a sliver of pink tongue stuck out from between her lips, making her look like a teenager.

  Hero stared. “You are having entirely too much fun with this. You know you almost got arrested, right?” Still, the sight of her up against the truck, her ass tightly hugged by those yoga pants, was enough to hitch his breath a little bit. He couldn't help but give that ass a little tap, playful more than sexual. “I wonder how much the aliens would like to probe this.”

  “I know, I just-” She breathed in a deep breath and grinned up at him. “Being that close to ruin and getting away, I just feel so alive! You know what I mean?”

  He grabbed her hand in the remaining handcuff, inspecting it. “I know exactly what you mean.” He didn’t turn her around, he just let her face the truck as he fumbled with the handcuff. “You don’t get that feeling too often in the lab, do you?”

  “Not if we’re doing things right,” she said.

  “Well,
you weren’t doing things right today,” he told her as he released the other handcuff. “What were you thinking bringing a gun in that diner?”

  She rubbed her hand and turned around. “I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”

  Hero sighed. “You know, for being some kind of genius egghead, you sure make some bonehead moves.”

  “You’re right,” she said softly. She looked down, her checks red.

  “Aw, hey. Chin up, Apple,” he said, putting his hand on her chin and lifting up. Her eyes closed and her lips parted. It was clear that she was expecting a kiss, but that would give her the wrong idea. Even though he would have enjoyed it, it wasn't the right time or place. Or person. Still, she could probably use a boost to her self-esteem. “You know, I was heading into that diner intending to say thanks.”

  Her eyes opened slowly. “You were?”

  “Yeah. You didn’t tell me that you called Speedy for help on the radio. We’re all quite impressed.”

  “Really?” she beamed. “Sunshine and Speedy, too?”

  “All of us. Well, we were. Until we had to set fire to a local diner to get you out of life in a re-education camp.”

  Apple’s smile faded, then a hint of it came back. “That means there’s hope for me yet, isn’t there?”

  “There’s hope for you yet, kid. Now get back in the truck. We’re still on the clock.”

  Speedy and Sunshine joined up with them several minutes later, and they all went to a different local diner nearby.

  “Make sure to leave it in the car this time,” Hero reminded Apple, making her cheeks go pink again.

  Speedy ate a salad, Sunshine had a cheeseburger, and Apple had a slice of apple pie with whipped cream on top. “Didn’t your mom ever tell you you had to eat some real food before you have dessert?” Hero asked.

  “I’m feeling like living dangerously today,” she said. “It could be my last day alive, or at least my last day of freedom.”