Once he was partially clothed, Ryan opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. “Hey, Dean. Jak,” he said in greeting to the pair. “I’d let you in, but Krysty’s sleeping.”
“Okay, Ryan,” the albino said. “Come by too late? Wake up?”
“Nah, I was just resting. Been a triple-long day. What’s going on?”
“Well, Jak and me are bored listening to Doc. He’s started going off on something about the crazy-ass theories of some Dutch guy named Von Daniken and how we were all put here by aliens from another planet and he just won’t shut up about it,” Dean said, rolling his eyes.
“Yeah, I’ve been on the receiving end of Doc’s lectures before,” Ryan replied sympathetically. “He’ll fall asleep soon enough once he gets tired of listening to himself ramble on.”
“Until then, we wanted to go out and see the mall. Get away from him until he talks himself out or something,” Dean continued.
“Got a destination in mind?” Ryan asked.
“There’s a place for guys our age in here, Dad. Called a vid arcade. Supposed to have games and stuff. All kidsno oldies allowed.”
“I’ve heard of them. All the rage in the predark days.” Ryan grinned at Jak. “Surprised at you, Jak. Thought you didn’t like being called ‘kid.’ ”
“Don’t,” Jak said flatly. “Have to keep watch on Dean.”
“I read you,” Ryan said. “And I appreciate that.”
“If the vid arcade sucks, we can still look around. Me and Jak figured we could recce this mall, find out where the good times are for guys our age.”
“Find Dean hobby horse. Let him ride,” Jak teased.
“You’re not that much older than me, Jak,” Dean replied.
“I don’t care where you go, as long as you stay out of bars and gaudies. I don’t need you coming back here drunk or infected.”
“Oh, Dad. We just want to look.”
“Keep eye on him,” Jak said.
“You do that.”
“I can take care of myself, you know,” Dean protested, his face darkening at the thought of being too young or inexperienced to go out into the mall alone.
He turned to Jak. “You want to sit in the room and chat with Doc, you go right ahead. Bore your white ass into a coma triple quick.”
“Mebbe knock you both into coma,” Jak said. “Shut both up.”
Ryan mulled the proposed jaunt over in his mind. Other than the battle he’d entered into in the pita battle he’d gone into of his own free willhe’d seen no signs of trouble in Freedom. The mall was run tighter than most villes he’d been through, and people seemed to want to mind their own businessblue-light specials or not.
He’d never allow Dean to go out alone, but with Jak at his back, Ryan knew they’d be as safe as one could be in Deathlands.
“Be safe,” Ryan said.
“Count on it,” Dean replied.
Chapter Seventeen
“That big lit-up map directory says the vid arcade is supposed to be down at the end of this corridor past the fruit stand,” Dean mused as he and Jak turned a corner past a former men’s-clothing store that now served as a combination private residence and produce shop. A few scruffy apples and some dried-up broccoli were in a cart near the proprietor, who sat in a wooden rocking chair with a sleeping child and waited patiently for someone to buy, even at that late hour.
As they walked farther down the indicated corridor, both of them noticed increasing numbers of children and teenagers, varying from eight-year-olds to girls in their early twenties. A few openly gawked at the duo, their attention on Jak’s milky white skin and fine whiter hair. The albino, used to being stared at, hardly noticed the rude scrutiny.
“Whoa, whitey. Hold it. You, too, kid.” A tall, wide youth dressed in matching denim pants and jacket about Jak’s age stopped them at the arcade entrance. A .44 Magnum blaster was strapped to his right leg. “Don’t recognize either of you, and I don’t see proper ID. Visitors, I take it?”
“Right. What was your first clue?” Dean agreed, already bristling at the young guard’s arrogant tone of voice.