The old service station in Artesia’s big sign read: “Last Chance for Gas.” Corey pulled in.

  “Thirty bucks a gallon?” he said.

  The station owner grinned. “A man’s got to make a living. You’re lucky I’ve got a few gallons to spare. Nobody else does.”

  Several men lounged outside the station, all armed to the teeth. One was wearing a hat with a New Frontier flag on it.

  “Don’t guess I have much choice,” Corey said.

  “Nope,” said a burly man holding a shotgun.

  Corey counted out a stack of bills. The men eyed him like vultures as he pumped the gas.

  “Pleasure doing business with you,” the owner said.

  “Well, we’re broke now,” Corey said as they drove away. “I’m surprised they didn’t rob us.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  “They were planning to,” Teri said.

  “Let me guess,” Xeke said. “It popped into their heads that it would be a bad idea.”

  Teri blushed.

  Corey looked at the fuel gauge. “I notice we got a lot more than gas than we paid for, too. I don’t usually like using powers to cheat people - but in this case, I don’t mind. I hope they don’t come after us.”

  “They won’t,” she said. “They’ve already forgotten about us.”

  Corey smiled. Finally, a win, he thought.

  They could use a few more wins. They were a long way from any major population areas, which meant not many people—but those who did live here were suspicious of strangers. They were also well-armed and loyal to New Frontier. The only reason they hadn’t had more trouble so far was that most of the radical separatists were gathering farther east, getting ready for war.

  They stopped at a farm on the side of the road with a sign advertising clothes for sale, but the only useful thing they found was an old pink blanket with cartoon horses on it. They needed more supplies for the mountains but every stop slowed them down even more. And to top it off, Corey had no clue what was going on between his three wards.

  If they could make it to Albuquerque they’d be home free. He had friends there—friends with connections who could help get them the rest of the way to California.

  First they had to get through the mountains, and lose any pursuers in the process. But even if everything else went right, Teri could snap at any second.

  He didn’t want to think about what he might have to do if that happened. She might hear him.