Under Shadow

Chapter 13

Despite his objections, Shane was able to find sleep in the passenger seat as Najia took her turn driving through the night. She was willing to give up a night on the hard ground, giving Shane a little peace of mind. They had stocked up on gas earlier in the day, which meant she could save the fire wood and take advantage of the heat the car provided them in the dark desert. Najia cracked the window just enough to give her fresh air. Music played softly as she hummed to herself. She licked her lips at the thought of fresh coffee; she would have given anything for just a small cup to get her through the night.

Except for Shane's occasional snoring, the night proved to be uneventful, and for that Najia was relieved. It was just after six in the morning when her stomach began to growl, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in several hours. Najia imagined the sun would have been rising over the distant horizon. She missed the feeling of its warm rays on her face.

Shane shifted and groaned beside her. He turned over groggily and his eyes opened. He peered at Najia for a moment before letting out a yawn and letting his seat lurch into it's upright position. He rubbed his face with his palms and sighed.

"Good," Najia said cheerfully. "Get some food. I'm starving."

Shane nodded quietly, yawning once more before turning to face the back seat. He fished through their bags until he pulled out two prepackaged bags of pretzels.

Najia tore into her bag eagerly. The salt stung slightly at her chapped lips, but the stale pretzels could not have tasted better in that moment.

"Breakfast of champions," she muttered between handfuls.

"Bar," Shane said suddenly. And then, as the excitement grew, he pointed out the window. "Bar! Pull over!"

"Huh?" Najia said with her mouthful of food. She followed his gaze to the side of the road where their headlights illuminated an old, wooden sign. "Route 99 Bar and Grill," it read. She pulled over and parked in front of the door, peering through the dirtied windows.

"Jackpot," Shane muttered as he hurried out of the car. The door to the bar was unlocked and Shane made his way inside like a kid in the candy store.

Najia quickly finished off her pretzels as she followed behind him. Her flashlight swung around the room until it found Shane behind the bar.

"There's still beer!" he shouted enthusiastically.

"It's not even seven in the morning," Najia said.

Shane stared at her blankly. "You're kidding, right?"

Najia shrugged. "I guess you're right," she said. She sat on one of the stools as Shane helped himself to the tap, filling the largest glass he could find to the brim. He leaned against the counter and sighed into the glass as the beer trickled down his throat.

"I don't think shitty beer has ever tasted so good," he said with a smile.

Najia tapped on the counter. "Let's go, barkeep. Don't keep me waiting."

Shane finished his glass quickly and grabbed another off the shelf. He filled both glasses until they flowed over and together, he and Najia drank.

"Oh yeah," Shane said. He set his empty glass on the counter with a loud clang. "That's what the doctor called for."

"I can't remember the last time I had a drink," Najia said.

Shane shook his head. "Me neither."

Najia lifted her glass. "To us," she said. "The last two survivors."

Shane filled his glass once more and lifted it to hers. "We're taking all of this."

"We are?"

"If I'm dying any time soon, I'm doing it drunk as fuck."