"We need a burner phone. We should come to a town soon."
"Where exactly are we going, Sephiroth?" All Zack knew was that they were heading southeast, inland from the Junon Area to...wherever. He clutched the steering wheel as their nondescript, battered truck bounced along roads that probably hadn't been maintained in years. The asphalt was so broken and full of potholes that sometimes it gave way to bare dirt and rock.
The truck rumbled onto a gravely stretch, vibrating like it might fall apart. Sephiroth grunted and set a hand on Angeal's container. It rested on the seat between the two of them. The liquid within sloshed with every jolt and Angeal's unconscious head was bobbing and thudding against the curved, transparent wall. Zack winced, focused his attention on driving, and tried not to think about it. Sephiroth wordlessly clamped his hand down tighter on the container to steady it, as he'd done on the entire trip so far.
Zack wished Sephiroth would cover the thing with a blanket again, as he'd done when he had first rejoined Zack after the lab raid. It would be easier if that shock of black hair, drifting in liquid, didn't keep encroaching on his peripheral vision. Zack firmly kept his direct line of sight off the container.
Sephiroth scratched at the faded navy sweatshirt he wore and said, "Just keep following this road. We're looking for a town or village where we can pick up some old model electronics. As I recall, there are several along the way."
"What do you want electronics for?" The back of the truck was loaded with all the supplies two fugitives could desire, everything from camping gear to food and water to most of their savings in cash. Not to mention Sephiroth's stolen motorcycle, secured firmly to the bed with ropes. Everything was covered with a ratty tarp that fluttered in the breeze despite being tied down. Both men wore shabby civilian garb, their uniforms having been long abandoned and their very recognizable weapons stowed in the back.
"For one thing, we need a burner phone. We should come to a town soon."
Zack's lips compressed into a fine line, but he didn't argue. They needed to keep up with the latest news, but they'd ditched their very traceable company PHSs before they'd embarked on their self-imposed mission to "rescue" Angeal. Sephiroth was right; they needed a phone tied to a fake identity that they could throw away at any time.
Had Shin-Ra declared them MIA or dead? Were there signs of troops being deployed and massing in odd areas? That might mean Shin-Ra was searching for them. They needed to know. The radio in the cab was entirely too unreliable. Stations out here were low powered and staticky, fading in and out, usually losing the signal when some interesting tidbit of news came on so that they never heard the whole thing or even the meat of the matter. A burner phone would allow them to access news online while maintaining anonymity.
The truck lurched as it jerked back onto semi-decent pavement. Zack stole a quick glance at his traveling companion—the one that had a body, actually, since technically he had two companions. He supposed.
Sephiroth looked terrible. His eyes were reddened, and beneath them dark hollows sank deeply. His skin, abnormally pale on a good day, had a grayish undertone. But his posture remained alert, strung tight and ready for action, and his gaze burned with intensity. He couldn't seem to relax, and kept a hand on the top of the specimen container that held Angeal's head. His fingers kept spasmodically clenching on it then relaxing again.
"Why don't you try to catch a nap?" Zack suggested. "I'll pull off at the first town we find and wake you. Promise."
Sephiroth only aimed a glare at him before returning his attention to the open road.
Okay, so much for that idea. Zack had hoped some rest might help Sephiroth's mental state, but the man was determined to stay awake forever. He feared Sephiroth was teetering on the edge of a breakdown, and that would be disastrous. Even Angeal and Genesis at their best couldn't take him down. Zack knew he had little chance should Sephiroth decide to go on a rampage. He only hoped that Sephiroth would collapse into unconsciousness soon. It would be rest, of a sort. Even that might help.
They drove on in silence.
After another very uncomfortable hour, a sign proclaiming "Food, Inn, Fuel, Ten Kilometers" flashed by.
Sephiroth reached over and turned on the radio.
"Think we'll get anything?" Zack asked. Maybe near a town the radio would be more reliable than it had been out in the empty countryside.
"I spotted a tower in the distance."
Sure enough, the radio crackled to life. Sephiroth turned the dials through twangy local music and endless advertising until he landed on an announcer speaking. It sounded like news, but it also could have just been some talking head who liked to pontificate. Either way, Zack thought it a nice break from Sephiroth's sullen silence.
It was a newscast. Both men listened intently to the man's monologue about local news and weather. He uttered not one word about escaped fugitives from Shin-Ra, nor even of any dissent in the ranks of SOLDIER. However, both Zack and Sephiroth were surprised to hear "the mighty hero Sephiroth, SOLDIER First Class" being lauded for singlehandedly apprehending the terrorists who had bombed the Shin-Ra Headquarters in Midgar a few weeks ago. Amazingly, he'd accomplished this feat just the other day.
"I see the Propaganda Department is operating with its usual efficiency," Sephiroth commented, his tone dry as a desert. He turned the radio off again. "It stands to reason that Shin-Ra isn't admitting the truth about anything that has happened, and is covering up our involvement and decampment."
"Since no one outside Shin-Ra knows we've deserted," Zack said, "how long do you suppose they'll keep up the act?"
"Until they apprehend or kill us, probably."
Zack shivered at the matter-of-fact words. "They didn't wait for actual deaths to declare Angeal and Genesis KIA."
Sephiroth was silent for a long moment. "It was a good way for Shin-Ra to cover up the true events, and allow them to capture Angeal and Genesis without public knowledge. We saw what happened to Angeal even with outside knowledge of his capture."
"They got away with it because they declared him a traitor, and no one cares about what happens to a traitor. They didn't even need to hold a show trial. Most of the public probably wanted him executed."
"Yes. In our case, I imagine Shin-Ra's leaders are working out some story about me dying heroically so as to avoid tarnishing the company's reputation. Then, should we be captured, we will probably find ourselves suffering a similar fate as Angeal at Hojo's hands."
Zack swallowed. "I'd rather die."
"I, as well." Sephiroth patted the top of specimen container between them. Neither man admitted that they both were denying Angeal that particular option. "We should make plans to ensure we are not captured." He looked ahead on the road. "We still need more information. The burner phone is essential. We must attempt to obtain one at the next town."
Zack didn't disagree.
Not ten minutes later, a run-down town came into view. Wooden buildings straddled both sides of the road, which now served as the main drag through the place. At what passed as its entry point was another sign, large and printed in vibrant red letters, informing the travelers that they had arrived at Jerome, Pop. 456. The final digits, "56," had been painted over. Zack assumed they'd originally been larger numbers. The town's younger residents probably left in droves. He knew he'd want to get out of a place like this and head for greener pastures.
Heck, that was exactly what he'd done. And look at him now. He let out a self-deprecating huff.
"Tiny place," he muttered. "Even Gongaga's bigger." He looked to Sephiroth, careful to keep his eyes up and away from Angeal's container. "Want to try our luck here?"
"Drive around and find a decent shopping area."