Chapter 66

All the Rust Belt sites were great like that. Nobody had any money, and they weren’t exactly five-star tourist attractions, so everything came cheap. Electricity, diesel, chemicals, and of course water cost almost nothing compared to popular destinations like New Orleans and northern Virginia. They intended to make the most of it.

Faint music emanated from the bathroom. Some local alternative rock station. Every now and then, Dakota could hear Terrell singing along.

About twenty-five minutes in, Terrell’s cellphone, which sat on the edge of the desk in their little office, began buzzing. Dakota tore his attention away from their shared laptop to have a look at it. The camp had free Wi-Fi, too. They might stay here for several days. Turning toward the bathroom, Dakota called, “Hey, baby? Your phone’s ringin’.”

“Can you answer it?” he replied from behind the closed door. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”