Free Rise & Walk (Book 2): Pathogen by Gregory Solis Page B

its lights and drive off towards the hills.
    “See I told you it was Mason.” Gabe Duffy said, leaning on the small wall that bordered the perimeter of the roof.
    “Who’re you talking about?” A young woman with bright pink hair asked while emerging from the hatch to the attic.  She set down a cardboard file-box used to hold documents.  Her eyes were bloodshot and tired.  She pushed the box to the side next to three other boxes and exited the hatch.  The hard rubber soles of her bowling shoes made crunching sounds as she walked on the gravel covered roof.
    “Guys from our paintball team.”  Billy said, “They made it back to town.”
    “It figures they’d make it.” Gabe said smiling.  He thumped a fist on the wall, happy to see his friends then realized that Billy wasn’t smiling.
    “Sorry man.” He said to Billy.
    Billy turned away without comment.  Gabe watched the Chevy’s lights dim in the distance.
    “Where does that go?” Gabe asked the girl. 
    “Back into the hills, or towards some private property and the Dam.”  She said lifting a cardboard box.  She looked around the roof and chose an area next to the wall towards the back of the building.  She set down the box and licked her finger.  She lifted her wet finger to check the prevailing wind.  Billy picked up a box and brought it to her.
    “Jinx right?  You said your name was Jinx?”  He said setting down the file box near her.  She looked annoyed.
    “Jinxy. My name is Jinxy.” She corrected as she opened a file box and placed the cardboard lid down to kneel on.  She began to remove documents and receipts and spread them out on the roof.
    “What are ya doing?” Gabe asked as he approached.
    “I’m gonna sleep up here.” She said while continuing to pile the papers in a small area as protection from the rough surface of the roof.
    “Up here?”
    “Yup.  With that lid closed.” She said with a slight twang as she pointed a finger to the hatch.
    “You don’t have to do that.” Gabe said, “They can’t get into the bathroom, so they sure as hell can’t get up into the attic.”
    Billy became very quiet and moved towards the hatch, disappearing within.
    “Don’t care.” She said firmly, “I ain’t staying in there.”
    “It’s gonna get cold out here.” Gabe said.  Jinxy threw back her short bobbed hair with a laugh.
    “You don’t know cold.  I’ll be fine.” She said as she slid the other box around and placed where she wanted.
    Another file box appeared at the hatch to the roof.  Billy emerged and brought the box to an area about ten feet away from Jinxy’s.
    “I’m gonna sleep up here too.”  He said passing Gabe, “It’s just too weird with Travis down there.”
    Jinxy brought another box to her area.  She gestured with the box.
    “There’s probably twenty five years of records in there: plenty for all of us.”  Jinxy said.  “I’m gonna make a wall to keep out the wind.”
    Gabe shrugged.  He knew it would get colder as the night wore into morning but thought it best that they all stayed together.
    “We’ll I’m not staying in there alone.” He said and started towards the hatch mumbling, “What the hell kind of a name is Jinxy anyways?”
     
    Landa May Rinks had gone by the name Jinxy since the age of thirteen.  As far back as she could remember she hated her real name.  It sounded to her like a great place to go Ice Skating, ‘Landa-Rinks,’ but not a proper name for a human being.  When her mom remarried a beer-bellied, unkempt man named Duane June, the owner of the local bowling alley, the thirteen-year old almost ran away from home.  She feared that she would have to also take his name and be known forever as Landa May June; not a shame she could live with.  Landa hated a lot of things before her mom married Duane. She hated that she never knew her father.  She hated that her drunken mother had no idea who her father was.  She hated growing up under a leaky roof