Free Conquest ~ Indian Hill 3 ~ A Michael Talbot Adventure by Mark Tufo Page A

they were doing much better than she had been, if not for them her ticket would have already been punched.
    “Come with me , ” s he answered.
    “I can’t leave the little ones, who would take care of them?” Max’ s lip tr emb led, he was done being grown- up, he wanted more than anything to have all of his responsibilities stripped away.
    “No, all of you ,” Beth said .
    Max’ s eyes lit up and then went out. “How? We’d never all fit in the car or even the pickup truck if you drove it. ”
    Beth’s heart was sinking. “What about the semi that you used to haul the liquor here?”
    “We had to ditch that a few m iles up the road in a rest stop . I t was just too big to hide.”
    “Is it still there ?” she asked hoping beyond hope.
    “It’s still there , but somebody torched it about two weeks ago.”
    “Max , I’ve got to go . I f you can’t all come with me I will get transportation for you when I get to where I’m going ,” Beth said .
    Max didn’t answer . H e didn’t so much as say a word . Beth figured that her words were ringing hollow.
    “Max , if you don’t let me catch a ride, I’ll just go back out and start walking.”
    Now Max did look up, but his words shocked her. “I can’t let you do that.”

“What? Are you telling me I can’t leave? Am I a prisoner?”
    “Whoa, wait , L ady.”
    “And stop calling me ‘ lady ’ , my name is Beth.” She spat.
    “Okay - okay, Beth ,” he said tentatively. “I can’t let you walk, you-know- who is still out there.”
    Beth’s anger evaporated .  S he knew who Max was referring to .
    “Are you sure?” s he said softly , con vinced if she talked too loudly he would somehow hear her and finish the job he had set out to do.
    “Yeah, Johnny and a couple of the others have been keeping an eye on him. He keeps going back to the place where I found you, trying to pick up your trail , I guess.”
    Beth shivered . “Why doesn’t he just go home?” Beth more said to herself.
    “So you see , I can’t let you walk and if you’re that determined to leave , ” Max said scornfully , “ t hen you can get a ride. But only to Worcester — Sammie doesn’t like driving any farther than that.”
    “Oh , thank you , Max ,” Beth said as she kissed his cheek . Max blushed.
    “Lad… I mean Beth, Worcester isn’t any better than the rest of the world right now.”
    And without going any further , Beth knew what he meant. “Just have him get me to the city limits and I’ll stay to the tree line on the highway.”
    “Are you sure , Beth? It’s been kinda nice havin g you around here , ” Max said , hopefully.
    “Max , it has been great to be here and I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for what you’ve done for me, but this is something important, something I shou ld have taken care of a life time ago. And I will send help as soon as I get there.”
    “If you get there , ” Max mumbled, hoping she didn’t see the tear that was once again beginning to well up.
     

    CHAPTER EIGH T EEN
     
    “We should have just left him to die after the Durgan fight , ” the interim Supreme Commander sneered.
    His second-in- command did his best to hide his contempt for the commander, but barely. “It seems that your plan to show the hu - mans how weak and pathetic they are has backfired, your supremeness .” H e bowed.
    But the Interim S upreme C ommander was far too angry at Talbot to even begin to notice the insolence that had dripped from his second-in- command ’ s words.
    “ Sub- Commander , I want you to launch everything that we have! Now !” he shouted .
    “As you wish , ” t he sub-c ommander stated as he bowed again and turned to leave. H e couldn’t wait to get back to his quarters to note in his officers log, this latest slip up f rom the I nterim S upreme Commander. Once he showed this to the Council of Wisdom, the Interim Commander would be tried and executed and he would become a Supreme Commander himself and not of