Blackout by Robison Wells Read Free Book Online Page B

terrible. She slipped it off and tossed it in a pile in the corner.
    First dance, over.
    She wondered where she was going, what clothes she should wear. Her wardrobe was extensive now—all stolen from the mall in the city—but most of what Nicole had talked Aubrey into getting was too delicate for the uncertainty that lay ahead. The expensive jeans, the loose, thin tops, the cute sandals. Aubrey didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she’d be on her own, and that the few times she’d be around people she’d be invisible.
    She picked a pair of jeans that, while still expensive, seemed durable, like they could handle the outdoors. She layered her tops—a T-shirt, a long-sleeve button-up plaid, and a sweater. She didn’t have nice hiking boots, so she pulled on a recently acquired pair of cross trainers.
    She looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn’t the old worn-out Aubrey she used to be, but she wasn’t the stylish popular girl Nicole had helped her become, either. She was half and half. She wasn’t anyone.
    Aubrey plopped down on the bed and put her head in her hands. What was she going to do? She could take her .22 with her, but she couldn’t live off the land, not forever. And going into the city wouldn’t help: sure, she’d have access to food and clothes that she could steal on a whim, but she’d be homeless. She couldn’t stay invisible forever.
    She wanted to cry, but stopped herself. It wouldn’t help anything, and she had cried enough that night.
     
    Jack was on the edge of his seat, staring at the TV when Aubrey came back out of her room. He didn’t look up.
    “What’s the news?” she asked, sitting on the arm of the couch.
    “Roundups,” he said. “It’s not just here.”
    Aubrey’s stomach turned, and she slid down onto the seat next to him.
    “Apparently it started a couple days ago,” he said, giving her a quick glance. “They’ve been keeping it quiet. It’s mostly rumors at this point, but it’s happening all over the place. The official word is that it’s for protection, but others say it’s for some kind of testing. The National Guard has been going door to door.”
    “Testing,” she repeated. Her chest felt hollow, as if she were collapsing in on herself.
    “Maybe the terrorists spread poison or something,” Jack said.
    Aubrey nodded, though she knew he was wrong. She didn’t know what her invisibility had to do with terrorists, but she knew—she just knew—they were after her.
    Jack met her gaze. “We should turn ourselves in.”
    She was suddenly panicked. “What? No.”
    “What if we’ve been poisoned? If they’re testing for something, what if we have it?”
    “We don’t,” she said, standing up. She nervously ran a hand through her hair. Everything was falling apart.
    “Here, look.” Jack pointed to the TV. “This is up by Salt Lake.”
    It was a helicopter view of a dark road. Below them was a long convoy of vehicles. The news anchors were speculating about the destination of the convoy, listing half a dozen military installations in Utah and Idaho. They weren’t explaining anything about who was in the buses or why.
    “Why would they be testing people somewhere else?” Aubrey asked, trying to breathe calmly. “Why not just do it here, in the high school gym or something?”
    “Maybe we’re contagious?”
    “No,” she said.
    “I really think we need to turn ourselves in,” he said. “What if we’re making your dad sick?”
    “No,” Aubrey repeated, and suddenly realized that her dad was gone. “Where did he go?”
    Jack’s eyes didn’t leave the screen. “He said he was going outside for a smoke.”
    “Great.” Her voice was quiet and angry.
    “Listen,” Jack said, muting the TV and turning to face her. His voice was even, but nervous. “I know that tonight was crazy. I know you and Nate were close.”
    “We weren’t close,” she snapped, pacing into the kitchen.
    “Okay,” he said. “Whatever. This sucks, but