The Broken Healer

Chapter 27: A Great Adventure

They all followed after Goose. He led them straight down the road. It was odd not hearing the wild screams and crashing as a constant noise. Her mind felt calmer, it still felt like mush and it felt jumpy, but it didn't feel so anxious and aggravated. Newt held her hand tightly. The two of them walked closer to the back of the group, she was definitely the slowest in the group, and she felt bad, but she was also the farthest gone. 

Her infected hand was clamped closed in a tight fist, the little scrap of paper with the note written on it. She had it clamped in her hand, the words swirling around her head. Could she do it? Could she hand the note to Newt when the time came? Could he do it? Maybe...maybe she would have Goose or Ruffio do it. End her miserable life before she went so far past the Gone she couldn't come back. What was the point anymore, She thought miserable. 

"I don't guess the Munies left any Launchers behind?" Keisha asked, snapping Evelyn out of her destructive thoughts. "That would've been downright peachy of them if they did." 

"Not a one, the bastards," Spider replied. 

"But we've got plenty of sharp objects." Jonsey grinned lifted his shirt to reveal a shard of glass tucked into his pants, half of which had been wrapped with black tape. "I'll try not to cut my hand this time."

Keisha eyed him up and down. "Better be careful or you might cut something worse. I wouldn't run too fast with that thing stuck in your pants."

This earned a respectable enough laugh from the group.

"I'll be super duper careful," Jonesy responded.

"Are you worried Keisha?" Goose asked from the front of the group, looking over his shoulder and raising an eyebrow at her. Evelyn glanced around her, they were surrounded by the biggest meanest looking cranks; she had never seen more tattoos, leather, chains and mean muggen' looks in one place. 

"Maybe. But...I guess you would have to be pretty far gone to try..."

 "Who'd mess with a bunch of dudes and ladies like us?" Ruffio chuckled, and gestured at the guys as if revealing a prized possession. And maybe he was. "We are the biggest meanest crank gang from Crank City to Denver, right Goose?" 

"Correct." 

"And we have our Princess." Ruffio gave her a wink, which earned a very small smile from Evelyn.

"Good that," Newt said, something he hadn't uttered in decades, or so it felt. "Let's get the hell out of this place."

"Who wants to carry the kid first?" Keisha asked.

Spider held his arms out for the kid. The closer they got the more anxious Evelyn felt, she refused to believe that each and every guard had left- at least she wouldn't until they'd put the wall a few miles behind them. 

"You think they all left?" Evelyn whispered to Newt. He shook his head, looking just as anxious as Evelyn felt. He let go of her hand and pulled the launcher out of his backpack and held it, charged and ready to "Jones" anyone who needed it. 

That's what Jonesy kept saying Evelyn had done to him, like it was a badge of honor. "Remember that time you Jonesed me?" he'd ask. "Oh yeah that was yesterday." Or, "I was Jonesed by a Maze-kid, by the Mafia Princess..."the godling totally Jonses me" ain't that a thing?" 

As they approached the gate through which they'd just entered less than a week prior, Evelyn saw that it was open, which was a good start. One of the doors had been knocked off a hinge, the big slab tilting toward them. There wasn't a single person in sight.

"Careful, now," Goose called out. "Everyone wrap around Kitten, Newt and his mom, his brother. Keep them in the middle."

"They're not..." He left it when Evelyn just half shrugged and shook her head. "I'm the one with the Launcher!"