The Sphinx Project by Kate Hawkings Read Free Book Online

by the barbed wire.

Chapter Seven
    We drove for several hours. The narrow lanes of the countryside wound curling paths over hills and between fields. We turned the radio on to drown out the awkward silence that settled over the car, but there only seemed to be bad news.
    Eventually we reached a town large enough to have a hospital, far enough away from the chaos of the labs for us to be comfortable stopping for a short time.
    We left Guy at the hospital on his own. I wanted to stay with him, but he said it would raise suspicion if the doctors saw us covered in blood. He gave us a map and pointed out where we could find some clothes and food, naming some stores we should keep an eye out for.
    He tossed his wallet to Mouse, telling us to get what we needed, before pushing himself to his feet and walking into the building.
    Mouse unfolded the brown leather to find half a dozen plastic cards, each with a series of numbers written on a little yellow piece of paper taped to it.
    "What are these?" she asked, lifting one free from the material that had softened with age.
    "Pass it here." I examined it, turning it over between my hands. It was metallic blue with a row of numbers punched into it, a square holographic sticker and Guy's name printed below. "It's a credit card. Mom used to have a couple. You can put them into those machines and they give you money."
    "Oh."
    We ignored the cards, not entirely sure how they worked. Opening another compartment, she found a stash of paper notes. Pulling one from the pocket, she held it to the light and examined it, turning it over and over in her hands before passing it between us. We knew what money was and how to use it, but we'd never actually held any before.
    "How long do you think he's going to be?" Briana asked.
    "I don't know, but we should get a move on, to make sure we're here when he gets back." I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. Nicole climbed through the middle to take the passenger side and began reading instructions from a map.
    The streets were busy; women pushed strollers with squalling toddlers in tow. Old ladies walked side by side, their tightly curled heads close together as they gossiped. Shopkeepers went about their business.
    "Check that out!" Mouse squealed. A teenage boy sped past atop a skateboard as we were stopped at a set of traffic lights. I'd only ever seen one on television before. I watched until it was out of sight, adding that to the list of things I planned on doing, now that I could.
    Beep!
    I had been so distracted by the skateboard that I hadn't noticed the lights change. I lifted the hand brake, put the car into gear and accelerated smoothly; driving was one of our easier lessons.
    "Here it is," Nicole announced.
    There was a parking lot, surrounded by huge buildings with colorful window displays. It was just like they'd shown us in the training videos. We couldn't experience it firsthand, so they'd hired actors to roleplay what were supposed to be everyday scenarios.
    I pulled into the driveway and circled the lines of parked cars until I found an empty space. I stopped the car and opened my door, stepping into the cool sunlight. A breeze swept between the cars, causing the fabric of my pants to flap around my legs. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was like light exploding in my chest.
    Freedom.
    We weren't totally out of the woods yet… Guy was hurt, and they'd begin chasing us once they'd dealt with the more immediate threat posed by the other creatures, but that couldn't restrain the excitement growing inside me.
    I turned, propping my elbows on the top of the car. A smile played around Nicole's mouth. Mouse looked a little nervous but excited. Briana seemed just as surly as ever.
    "What do we need?" Mouse asked.
    "A change of clothes for each of us and some food. That's all for now." Nicole's voice was firm as she took charge. "You two," she said, pointing at Mouse and I, "can go and find the clothes. We'll get the