“We don’t have any money.”

Lynell curses at the realization and opens the glove box to dig through. She finds some napkins, a user manual, and the insurance card for the car, but no money.

“Check the console,” Daniel says, tapping the compartment between their seats. Lynell opens it and pulls out a nearly empty bottle of lotion.

“No luck,” she says, dropping the bottle back into the console. “We could just steal it.” She hesitantly looks up at Daniel. “We have to get to Anna, and we can’t do that without a working car.”

Daniel flicks his eyes over to her and shrugs. “Desperate times, right?” He nods and scrunches his lips to the side as he thinks. “Okay. You go inside and try to snag some food and water. I’ll get the gas.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“I know how to siphon; I just need a tube and a gas can. Sometimes old cans are left out behind gas stations. If not, I’ll figure something out.”

“What?” She doesn’t mean to challenge him, but she needs to know the plan. Otherwise, she’ll freak out.

“I don’t know, come in and steal one from the store?”

“Stealing a gas can will be more difficult than a few protein bars,” Lynell points out.

“Duh!” Daniel seems exasperated, but then he winks and says, “I bet you could manage a distraction.”

They quickly come up with a plan as Daniel follows the signs to the closest gas station. There are three pumps and only two cars parked outside. Daniel parks the car and disappears around the corner of the building while Lynell heads inside.

The station is small, with only four aisles and a single bathroom at the back. A young cashier with pimples covering his neck and chin is working the register. Next to him is the only other customer, an older guy with a wiry gray beard studying a shelf of tobacco. Lynell turns on her heel, carefully breathing in and out each breath through her nose to try and keep the anxiety at bay.

The wall of tools, car materials, and supplies, including tubes and gas cans, is at the end of the aisle directly in front of the register. Lynell picks up a small canister and a tube and sets it on the floor closer to the door. The back of her neck tingles and she looks over her shoulder to see the cashier watching her. There are some cameras, but there’s no way to know if they’re on. If they are, what will they do, track them down? By the time they’re found, Lynell will probably be dead anyway.

Her heart stutters and she clears her throat, walking away from the tools and into the food aisle. When she can’t see the cashier anymore, she slips a packet of crackers, a package of beef jerky, and a few protein bars off the shelf and slides them into her pockets.

Lynell hears the bell ringing as the front door opens. She walks to the end of the aisle and sees Daniel walk in. He gives her a barely noticeable nod before turning and walking away from her as if they were strangers.