The travelling librarian

Chapter 2: Roaming Angels

"So...what is your name?" Agatha ventured. 

"Bill." He replied as he stuck a bit of tobacco into his mouth and continued to stare off at the boundless road before them. The stale air in the cabin seemed to press in and slow time, she could have sworn that she had already been in that semi for hours, however, in truth, it had only been about 15 minutes.  Though she knew that her phone was dead she kept looking down at it and pressing the home button, hoping that by some magic it would resuscitate. Finally, she reached into the bag that she had grabbed from her car and pulled out one of the many books that had been crammed in and opened to a random page just to look busy.  

"'I am not an angel,' I asserted; 'and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself. Mr. Rochester, you must neither expect nor exact anything celestial of me–for you will not get it, any more than I shall get it of you: which I do not at all anticipate.'"

Jane Eyre, not the most cheerful book, but it would do. Soon the sun was completely gone and she could no longer see the words on her page, 

"Can I turn on a light in here?" She asked timidly. 

"Well the cabin light makes it hard to see a road but mebee a flashlight would do."  She rustled around in the glove box through various items such as lighters, a pack of cigarettes, until she felt something hard and pulled it out. She ran her finger along the edges of it trying to see what it was until the headlights of an oncoming car made her realize that it was,

"A GUN!" she screamed and dropped it on the floor. Bill swerved onto the side of the road and  the entire cabin of the semi shook as they rolled to a stop and followed by a terrible,

BANG! 

Agatha thought for sure that she had shot something and covered her eyes as she shook with mortal terror.

"Now what are you goin around throwin guns for!" Bill exlaimed, "You damn near scared me out of my skin and now my tire's flat." 

"Did it...What did I shoot?" 

"You didn't shoot nothin! That there was the sound of my back tire popping. You should be less scared of that gun, which has the safety setting on mind you," he demonstrated clicking the safety on and off of his gun as he said this, "and more scared of screaming like a banshee while a man tries to drive. We could have crashed!" He put the gun back into the glove box and jumped out of the truck to survey the damage, Agatha cautiously climbed out after him. He pulled out a spare tire and started to remove the old. The work was a bit tedious so Agatha employed herself by holding the flashlight for Bill. As he was struggled the single headlight of a motorcycle approached from the opposite side of the road, made a u-turn, and pulled up behind them. A man stepped off of the motorcycle and walked to where they were. 

"Ya'll look like you are in a bit of trouble, need any help?" the motorcyclist pulled off his helmet to reveal a head of long, shiny black hair that cascaded down to his waist.  He had a tawny brown face and his light grey eyes shone in what little light could be had. Bill surveyed the man and then stood up to his full height (he was quite tall) putting himself between him and Agatha.

"Now see here," he said threateningly, "we ain't looking for no trouble." 

"That's something we have in common then," he held out his hand, "my name is Al, I'm a member of the Roaming Angels." Bill's face softened a bit. 

"I see. Well, as a matter of fact I could use a bit of help."  He stepped back and let Al put on the tire. When his back was turned to them, Agatha noticed that on the back of his jacket was the image of a shield with a torch on it and two angel wings on either side. The desert night left her shivering and rubbing her arms to stay warm. Bill saw this and gave her his own, it was huge and stunk of tobacco and gasoline but she accepted it graciously. She was mystified by this new man and at this interaction that passed between he and Bill, it was as if there was some secret language between them that she couldn't understand. After Al finished he stepped back and shook Bill's hand once more.