We The Forlorn (Book #2) (Completed)

8. Leverage

(Author's Note: Next Friday I won't be able to post a new chapter. I have a big math test, as well as multiple other commitments that have deadlines in the upcoming week, so I just won't have time to write the new chapter. :( But, Nadia will be updated like normal next week, so, if you read both stories, you can read that as usual. Thanks for your patience on this!)

The sun had only just peeked over the horizon when Bo and Khan exited the base and headed toward where the hoppers were kept. The two riders were weighed down with provisions and weapons and the weight of a night with barely any sleep. Bo stretched her neck as she waited for Khan to get the hoppers ready and hand her the key to the one she'd be driving. She mounted the machine and cranked it on to check that everything was in working order. It had a full tank of gasoline, which shocked Bo. Even back at her town, they'd never had enough rations of gas to fill the hoppers up entirely. Apparently, though, the Forlorn had connections.

Khan motioned for Bo to follow him toward the exit, but while they were getting into position, Bo heard their names being called from the base. She cut the engine of her hopper and turned in her seat to look over her shoulder.

Helga walked toward them, a pack on her back and a rifle in one hand. She looked infuriatingly gorgeous even at this early hour. Her blonde hair ran down her back in a perfect braid, and her slim figure was flattered in a pair of pants and white tank top with a green jacket. 

Helga apparently didn't care that she was getting the cold shoulder by Khan and Bo, and instead pulled out a hopper and walked it over to where they waited.

"I decided Bo was right, after all," Helga said. "Adam is stupid, and he'll need our help."

Khan grinned. "Good. I was going to feel bad leaving you here while we had all the fun."

"Let's go before I start to turn to stone," Bo said.

The group exited from the base, and Khan led the way through the twisting streets toward the front of the city. Since the dust storms had settled down, people now were free to crowd in the streets and hawk their wares. This meant it was a slow process to edge their hoppers through the bodies and stalls, and Bo began to fidget on her hopper with the impatience that seemed to haunt her so much these past few weeks. She wanted to pull out her gun and shoot it into the air to get everyone to move out of her way. But in a city like this, she wouldn't be surprised if guns would be pointed at her in return if she did something like that. Not to mention, gunshots in a crowded market was just the sort of thing the militia would want to stick their noses in.

So, instead, Bo endured the crawl through the streets. She sighed loudly, rolled her eyes, and in all other ways tried to show the slow people around her that they were in her way, but no one cared about a woman on a hopper when she didn't have weapons or a gang behind her.

Finally, after what felt like centuries, they reached the part of the city that was mostly empty. It was near the limits, and mostly made up of homes that everyone had left for the day. Here, the Forlorn were able to pick up the speed. Bo reveled in the feel of hot wind on her face, and the way she had to squint even through her goggles as the dust whipped up around them. All this meant that she was getting to Adam as fast as she could...

Just as she thought this, she saw the red glow of Khan's brake light going on. She slammed on her own brakes, coming to such a hard stop that the hopper tipped forward and she only barely kept her feet on the ground to steady herself. She grimaced through the bandana over her mouth, and opened her mouth to shout at Khan for such a bone-headed move, but before she could get even a sound out, Helga's hand appeared from nowhere and slapped over her lips to keep her quiet.