Free The Sudden Star by Pamela Sargent Page B

had told him not to listen. Aisha had said Ortega would settle things in New York and then send someone to kill them all. Ortega had to, Aisha had argued, because René would still control much of their food supply, and the business it involved, with the farm. He had to believe Ildy when she said not to worry, because there was nothing else he could do. He hated her for convincing him. Without Ildy, he would have been in the streets now instead of in a truck, ready to vomit. The ride would kill him before Ortega could.
    They had driven up the West Side of the city, stopping only to have their papers checked. They had been stopped one last time before leaving the Bronx. Ernie had paid the sergeant who stopped them, let him search the trucks, and then they were off, heading toward the Tappan Zee Bridge. A helicopter would have been faster, but René wouldn't set foot in one, so they were traveling in a convoy, three trucks loaded with bodyguards and provisions. Juan decided he hated René too. They had crossed the Hudson, passing several estates the army had confiscated, then had driven north for a while, and then turned west. The roads were filled with potholes, which meant Ernie had to drive carefully.
    They bounced and Juan moaned. He opened his eyes; it was getting dark. He leaned against Ildico. "I feel awful," he whined.
    "Slam it shut," Ernie said. "You get sick in this truck, and I'll be giving you something else to be sick about."
    "Don't worry," Ildico whispered. "We'll have to stop soon, put in more gas, get some rest."
    That didn't make him feel any better. The trees loomed above them on the side of the road; he thought of wild animals, lions, bears, tearing them apart in the night. He'd rather take his chances with robbers. He held on to Ildy. They bounced again and a sour taste filled his mouth.
    Ernie suddenly turned, driving off the highway onto a bypass, then onto a dirt road. The road climbed a hill overlooking the highway. The truck, groaning and creaking, trundled up the road while Juan hugged his stomach and Ildy stroked his head. I'll never get in a truck again, Juan swore silently.
    The truck stopped in a clearing. Ernie got out. Juan lay against Ildico. "Come on, get out," the blond girl said. "You'll be all right in a minute."
    She lifted him, dragging him out, and dropped him on the grass. He sat there, waiting for everything to come out of his guts. Aisha, he noticed dimly, was climbing out of the second truck; she didn't look too steady. He took a few breaths, then realized he wouldn't be sick.
    He looked around the clearing, seeing now why Ernie had stopped here. They could see the highway and had a clear view of the dirt road, which ended at the clearing. Beneath them, on the other side of the hill, was a wooded area. Someone could hide there, but could not approach the trucks without crossing an open area. Not that anyone would be stupid enough to do that, he thought, gazing at the guards. René had brought twelve guards, two machine guns, and several rifles.
    Aisha wandered over to him on shaky legs and sat down abruptly; her head was hanging between her shoulders. Ildy was stretching. She put her arms over her head, then leaned over to touch her toes. Ernie came around the truck and stopped in front of Juan.
    "Now you kids listen," the big man said. Juan stared at Ernie's black boots. "No lights after dark except if you're inside a truck. No wandering outside this area without you tell somebody where you're going, and no going where you can't see the trucks. You can piss behind that bush over there. Get some sleep because we leave at dawn." The booted feet walked away; Juan saw a hole in the right sole.
    He was beginning to feel hungry now that he was feeling less sick. He hoped the guards would pass out food before long. "We should have run for it when we could have," Aisha said softly.
    "Ildy said it would be—"
    "Well, she's wrong."
    "Look," Juan said, "when we get to the farm, we can figure