"No."

Cully heaved a pretend sigh. "All righty, let me get you a Coke, then. But well have you cuttin it with that bourbon before the days over, wont we, boy?" He winked at Alex and headed into the kitchen again.

She stays silent.

There was the sound of the small fridge opening.

She ignores it.

A few moments passed. Glancing toward the kitchen, Alex suddenly realized that Cully had been gone for longer than he should have been. Then he hated himself for even having the thought. Not looking at the girl, he quietly pushed his chair back and went into the kitchen.

She stays seated.

"Hey, Cully, do you want any--?"

He broke off. Cully was leaning against the kitchen counter, looking down at his cell phone. "Just textin my mama," he said cheerfully, tucking the phone into his breast pocket. He gave Alex a grin. "Funny how the service out here improved once the CIA poked their nose in, isnt it?"

Alexs scalp prickled. In all the years hed known Cully, hed never known him to keep in touch with his family. Hiding his thoughts, he picked up the cold Coke from the counter as they headed back into the other room. "Yeah...remember how everyone used to ****** at Dad to move the camp?" He handed the Coke to the girl

She stares at the soda for a long moment. Then she takes a small sip from it.

Cully chuckled as he settled himself stiffly into a chair. "Boy, do I. Folks got a little tired of trying to call base and just getting static. Then here comes the CIA, and boom--we got service!" He poured splashes of bourbon into both the glasses; pushed one across the table to Alex. "So whats your news, boy? You gonna tell me whats going on?"

Stalling for time, Alex took a swig of the bourbon, tasting its smoky burn as it went down. He never drank much when he was on the road--you never knew when you were going to get a text sending you halfway across the country--but back before the Invasion, there had been countless poker games with Cully and a bottle of Jim Beam.