Chapter 99

As Steve hurried through the forest, dodging hanging branches and stumbling over protruding roots, he heard the sound of someone else crashing through the underbrush. He stopped short.

It's funny, the way the mind works. Time slowed down, and part of Steve's mind noticed that he was back on the bomb shelter. The place where he and Jennipher had seen their future. Another part of his mind knew with certainty that it was Jen crashing through the forest. And a third part of his mind was certain it was something that would kill him. And finally, a small part of his mind had dropped into his gut and was screaming for him to run and never look back.

Steve stood his ground, waiting for whatever (It must be Jen) was coming to kill (or be saved by) him. The trees cut off most of the moonlight, and the ground was darker than the lowest level of hell. The only light, feeble in the overwhelming darkness, was Steve's flashlight. He raised it and saw Jen, panting, come into the clearing.

"Steve! We've got to run!"

"What's going on, Jen?"

"The Colonel! He's after me!"

"Who's the Colonel?"

"We've got to go!"

"No! Not that way! That's to Liz's house!"

"Where do we go?"

They paused, staring at each other. If this was their destiny, it was a lousy destiny.