As soon as they got the car keys, Brian and Sarah didn't waste any time. They quickly left the reception office, grabbed a car remote from the metal box, and followed the "beep-beep" sound to locate the right vehicle.
Brian told Sarah to stay alert. Although it was odd that all the car keys were together, it seemed likely that whoever had left them might come back. They needed to act fast.
Brian opened the driver's door and plopped down into the seat, but no matter what he did, the car wouldn't start. Glancing at the dashboard, he saw that the fuel tank was empty.
"Damn it, the tank's dry!" he cursed. He quickly got out and tried the other keys, but every single car had an empty tank. It was frustrating.
No wonder the keys were all together—someone had drained the fuel. But why? There was a gas station right across the street. Why bother siphoning fuel from the cars?
Brian sighed in frustration, opened the car door, and said, "Sarah, I'm going to the gas station to get some fuel. You...."
But he didn't get to finish his sentence. Turning his head, he saw Sarah with her hands raised, and behind her stood a blonde girl, no older than ten, holding a shotgun pointed at her back.
Brian's heart skipped a beat, and he reached for his pistol, but a cold voice from behind stopped him.
"Kid, I wouldn't do that if I were you. You'll regret it."
Hearing the voice, Brian froze. He knew he had been careless. He didn't dare to move. Even though he wasn't sure if the person behind him was bluffing, the shotgun in the girl's hands was a clear indication that the person behind him probably had a gun too. In America, where guns were so easily accessible, it was a safe assumption.
Brian didn't want to risk his life. He raised his hands high and said, "We're just passing through. Please don't hurt us."
"Back up, slowly, to the open area over there, facing me," the voice behind him ordered.
Brian and Sarah exchanged a glance, then slowly backed up, hands still raised, until they reached an open spot in the parking lot.
The figure behind Brian finally stepped into view. It was a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing a cowboy hat and holding a shotgun. He turned to the blonde girl and said, "Kelly, search them."
"Okay," Kelly replied, slinging the shotgun over her back. She walked over to Brian and Sarah and patted them down, taking everything they had. She also checked for any bite marks.
When she saw the bandages on Brian's hands, she asked nervously, "What happened to your hands?"
Brian knew she was scared of infection, so he told the truth: "Glass shards. I got cut."
Relieved, Kelly peeked under the bandage to make sure, then walked back to the man and said, "They're clean. No bites."
The man, who introduced himself as Osborne, ran his hand through his daughter's hair and looked at Brian and Sarah apologetically. "Sorry, kids. We've been through a lot lately. You understand."
He put down his shotgun and introduced himself and his daughter. "I'm Osborne, and this is my daughter Kelly. We won't hurt you. Where are you from?"
Brian hesitated but decided to tell the truth. "I'm Brian, and this is Sarah. We escaped from Austin and are heading to Dallas. We stopped here because of car trouble."
"Escaped from Austin?" Osborne raised an eyebrow and glanced at the bullet-riddled car. "What about the bullet holes?"
Brian paused, then decided to tell the whole story. He explained about the military blockade, the gunfight, and the log sheet they found.
Osborne was skeptical at first, but when he saw the log sheet, his face changed. He knew that kind of document all too well. He couldn't believe the government would issue such an order.
He put the log sheet away and decided to keep the information to himself for now. He needed to tell his old Army buddies about this.
Turning back to Brian and Sarah, he handed back their weapons. "Sorry about that. We've been on edge lately."
"No problem," Brian replied, relieved to have his weapons back.
Osborne smiled and said, "Why don't you join us? We're heading to Dallas, too."
"Ah?" Brian was taken aback. But then he realized it wasn't a bad idea. They could use the help.
He nodded and said, "Sure, thanks."