Broken Lives: A Tale of Survival in a Powerless World (Broken Lines Book 4) Read Free Page A

as it was going to get. The only test now was to see if it’d run.
     
    It had been a lot of trial and error over the past week, trying to figure out which parts were working and which weren’t. Sam grabbed the keys, hopped into the driver’s seat, and put the key in the ignition. He waited a few moments before finally turning the engine over.
     
    The Jeep cranked to life and Sam leaned back and smiled. He threw the shifter in reverse to take it for a spin.
     
    Sam pulled onto the road and shifted the Jeep into second gear. The clutch was a little touchy, but everything seemed to be working fine. He did a few laps up and down Main Street.
     
    The sound of the engine caused Fay to come out of her motel room. Sam gave her a wave when he saw her and she threw her hands up in the air and started clapping. Sam parked in one of the motel’s spaces and she came out to greet him.
     
    “Feel like going for a ride?” Sam asked.
     
    “Only if you can take me to a place with a shower.”
     
    “I hear Cincinnati is nice this time of year.”
     
    Fay’s smile faded.
     
    “You haven’t talked to Mike about it, have you?” Sam said.
     
    “He hasn’t been in the talking mood lately.”
     
    “Well, he’s on his way down this morning. You’ll get your chance.”
     
    “Yeah.”
     
    Sam patted the seat and Fay’s smile came back. She hopped up in the passenger’s side and Sam tore off.
     
    The two of them rode through the fields. Sam spun the tires and did a few donuts. Fay screamed and held on tight to the roll bar as the dirt and dust flew up around them. Sam finally brought the Jeep to a stop and the two of them started to laugh.
     
    “I think she’ll run just fine,” Sam said.
     
    When Sam came back into town from the fields he could see Mike, Nelson, and Kalen walking down Main Street toward the garage. Nelson and Kalen spun around and sprinted toward him when they heard the Jeep’s engine.
     
    “You got it running!” Nelson shouted.
     
    “You say that like it’s a surprise,” Sam said.
     
    “Good work, Sam,” Mike said. “How’s the fuel situation looking?”
     
    “We should be okay. The garage had enough fuel left in spare tanks to fill up the bikes and the Jeep.”
     
    “We should be able to fit the girls in the Jeep along with Sean and Freddy. The rest of us will have to ride the bikes. Nelson, I suggest you start practicing now.”
     
    “Right,” Nelson said.
     
    “C’mon, I’ll give you a few pointers,” Sam said.
     
    Nelson and Sam headed off to one of the old Harleys at the end of the row. Kalen followed.
     
    “Where are you going?” Mike asked.
     
    “If I ride there’ll be more room for supplies in the Jeep,” Kalen said.
     
    Mike and Fay were left alone.
     
    “How are you healing up?” Fay asked.
     
    “I’m good.”
     
    Mike answered quickly. His tone came out harsher than he intended it to be. He knew Fay’s heart was in the right place staying with Jung, but that wasn’t going to change what happened.
     
    “You should come with us,” Mike said.
     
    “What about Jung?”
     
    “What about him?”
     
    “He’s not doing very well.”
     
    “He’s not my responsibility.”
     
    “The man I met at the airport wouldn’t have thought that. If he had the ability to save someone, he did.”
     
    “I don’t want that anymore.”
     
    Mike joined Sam, Nelson, and Kalen by the Harleys, leaving Fay alone.
     
     

 
    ***
     
    The shades were barely cracked, letting in a few rays of light. Jung sat on the edge of the bed, staring into the corner. His kids were still asleep.
     
    He liked it when they slept. He didn’t have to think about them, or worry about them needing anything. They were so still. A part of him wished they could sleep forever. He didn’t want them to see the world they lived in anymore.
     
    Jung reached into his pocket, pulling out his prayer beads. He rolled them between his fingertips, feeling the smooth wood on his skin. He