delicate burp. "I hope you're not going to be one of those obnoxious kids," she muttered.
In spite of the world's end, Hope hadn't seen many dead bodies. The ground had swallowed them up like the Earth was keeping itself tidy.
The dead guy must have been there for months. His flesh had either rotted away or been eaten by animals, leaving only some of his skeleton and remains of clothing behind. "Sorry about this, but you're dead and I'm not." She rifled through the pockets of his stained and tattered jeans. She found a wallet with five hundred pesos and an identification card so faded she couldn't read it except for the man's name. "Martin Laguia," she said aloud. "What were you doing here in the middle of nowhere?"
The only other thing in his pocket was a weathered, round piece of plastic that seemed familiar to her. Hope rubbed the accumulated grime off it and realized it was a poker chip or a token shaped like one. The paint in its center was bleached and dirty, but the logo was still legible.
Graceland Casino.
All the strength seemed to go out of Hope's legs and she staggered to the nearest tree to lean on it for support. Could it be that she'd found a clue to her final destination after all this time?
The main reason she'd delayed her plans to leave was not having a strong enough destination in mind. Undead Elvis had told her to go to Graceland, and if this wasn't a sign that it was time for her to go, she didn't know what else could be clearer.
Maybe he was there already, waiting for her.
She turned to regard the body by her feet. "I'm sorry, Mr. Laguia. I don't have a shovel to bury you, and I don't think I can convince Fidel to do it for me."
Hearing his name, Fidel barked.
"But I promise I'll remember you." Hope held up the token. "For this."
She paused, wondering what else she ought to say, but couldn't think of anything. She scratched Fidel's ears instead and told him he was a good dog.
The dog stiffened and his hackles raised. A low, rumbling growl issued from his throat. Hope looked around, frantic and afraid of what she knew she would find.
In a nearby tree, a black bird watched her with its beady little eyes aglow with interest. It squawked and Fidel's growl escalated into a furious and protective bark.
"No," whispered Hope. "No, no, no!"
The bird stretched its wings, ready to flap away. Fidel's throaty baying reached a fevered pitch. Hope couldn't let the bird escape, but she didn't have any weapon. She'd grown so comfortable living with Nur and Rae that she'd forgotten to carry the Shepherds' pistol with her. She bent down, mindful of the strain of her belly, and grabbed the first thing she touched: the unfortunate Martin Laguia's skull. It separated from his neck vertebrae without resistance and in one smooth motion, Hope hurled it at the bird.
Both the bird and the skull shattered like glass. Black and white shards rained down all around Hope and Fidel, whose barking had ceased the moment the bird went away.
Hope looked all around, checking to see if she could spot any other birds. She couldn't. Fidel must not have sensed any either, for he relaxed. Hope could tell he was vigilant, for he stayed right by her side instead of wandering off to investigate things on his own. She stepped out of the grove and turned her eyes to the west.
There, on the horizon, was a dark smudge of smoke.
As fast as she could waddle, Hope hurried back up the lane toward the shop.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Hope and the Gathering Storm
Gasping for breath, her belly on fire and her feet aching and swollen, Hope hurried to the tent where Nur and Rae were working. Fidel trotted along with her, tongue lolling out but his tail down out of concern. He'd circle around like a nervous, furry satellite, checking ahead and behind before returning to her side.
She burst in through the canvas flap that served as the entrance. Nur had The Way's hood up and was adjusting something while Rae stood beside him with the tools, rubbing her belly in a gentle and absent-minded way. Nur cracked his head on the hood as he jumped, surprised by Hope's sudden entrance.
"What is it? What's wrong?" cried Rae.
"They're coming. The people burning the world. They're coming this way. We have to leave!" Hope's knees wobbed and Nur helped her