Green Desert - Chapter 4.6.2 - Umo

Three police cars, a tan sedan, a white minivan, a blue pickup truck, and now the news van turning up the gravel driveway. I didn’t see a house number or a mailbox, but this had to be the place. I pulled off the road and parked behind the sedan. The news van stopped behind two of the cop cars, blocking them nicely.

“Act curious,” I told Lango as we got out.

A family car heading into Tuhanı slowed as it passed us, everyone inside gawking toward the house and the Channel 6 van. I crossed the road slowly, hands in my pockets, head cocked to the side, a slight smile on my face. Lango looked his normal self, which would have to do.

Way up by the house, a state patrolman strode briskly to his cruiser. The Channel Six crew set up beside their van, cameraman fussing and newsgirl primping. Two men raised the tall antenna.
The patrolman got in his car. I hoped he didn’t think he could leave––not unless he could navigate through the brush and boulders. His car was closest to the house.

The newsgirl saw me and Lango first, when we were twenty yards away. Her shoulders slumped.

As we kept walking, I called out, “Hello!” and waved. “What’s going on?”

She gestured to the cameraman and turned away. The skinny man with the big video camera looked at us. “We’re about to start filming, guys, so can you just stand back and be quiet.” It wasn’t a question.

“Why do we have to be quiet?” asked Lango.

I hissed, “I said to act curious, not stupid.”