Chapter 22:
By that afternoon Ruby had commandeered a truck from some of the Liberty locals and was on her way to the city with Lottie and the unconscious Techno in tow. Ruby drove like a woman possessed as she traversed the asphalt road that had long fell into disrepair. Finding Ram was her only concern.
Lottie sat in the back watching over the unconscious man. Ruby had tended his wounds and poured some kind of tonic down his throat, ensuring that he would be reasonably comfortable and unaware throughout the bumpy ride. As Lottie watched him sleep she thought of all that the Technos had done…all that they had destroyed. This one didn't look that dangerous. Of course, he was asleep, so she couldn't be sure, but he actually looked rather nice.
A very large pothole suddenly interrupted her thoughts and she clutched the side of the truck tightly to keep from falling out. A moan sounded from the man beside her and she looked down to find two wide, incredibly blue eyes staring up at her.
"Tracy…" He said softly, while raising his hand up to her face. Obviously he was still in a bit of a haze.
"No, it's Lottie," she said as his hand fell limply back down to his side. She noticed his eyes change a bit, as if his vision was clearing. A flash of pain showed on his face as they bounced over another large pothole.
"Where…?" He managed to mutter softly and with much effort.
"We're on our way to the city," Lottie explained, "Ruby borrowed a truck so that we could get there faster. She's trying to be brave, but I know she's terribly worried about Ram and Slade. They were on their way back to the Mall when they were attacked…" her words faded into silence as she thought about the part that this Techno had played in all of this. He had probably been there, had taken part in the attack. Ruby hadn't explained very much to her, but she had a feeling that the Techno had been beaten up by Slade and left for dead.
"Mall?" The Techno muttered the question a bit stronger than the other words he had managed to get out so far.
"Yes, we're going to the Mall," Lottie replied.
"No…" The Techno began to shake his head from side to side. Then to Lottie's horror he began to shift around to a sitting position. He was obviously in pain and this was not an easy task for him, but he seemed determined to get up. When he had pulled himself upright into a crouch, Lottie suddenly knew what he intended.
She banged on the window of the cab desperately and began shouting, "Ruby! Ruby!"
The truck screeched to a halt.
The Techno turned around to look at the shouting girl, she was staring at him with that look that the virts sometimes had, as if he was a devil about to take her soul. It was unsettling, to be so feared by others, when he felt just as normal and lost as they did. He couldn't bear it anymore. He couldn't look at her, she reminded him to much of his little sister, too much of Tracy. A wave of nausea overtook him and he turned back around, intent on stumbling from the truck and into the bushes to loose what was left of his breakfast.
Suddenly a fist connected with his nose sending him sprawling backwards into the truckbed.
His last thought before she landed the blow that knocked him senseless was that an angel was standing over him, blond hair flying in the wind, a halo of sunlight around her head, maybe she was here to save him, then again maybe not...