Dead Horse Rising - 64

"Are you really sure about this? I mean, this car belongs to someone."

"I know," John said, trying to break away the irritatingly flexible and resilient plastic casing around the steering column. "I feel the same way about it, but look at our situation. The rental place isn't going to open, the buses are all stopped, and there's no way we're going to get a taxi, but we can't be expected to stay in this town if we can help it. We need a ride."

He wedged the crowbar further in, trying to get better leverage. The plastic around the small opening he had made stretched with great effort, but it didn't break.

"I guess so. It just doesn't feel right. There's somebody's stuff in here and everything." Stephen leaned down near where John was working, peering into the back seat of the car. A child's car seat, fast food wrappers and various minor odds and ends were strewn about, covering the seats in that way that always seemed to happen when you got a ride from someone else, but which you never really noticed in your own car.

"I know," John said, gritting his teeth as he pried at the steering column's casing, "but that somebody is probably sick or evacuated by now. I don't think they'll miss it, and I'm pretty sure these are extenuating circumstances that. . ." He strained again, making only negligible progress. "Well, I don't think we can really be arrested for this, can we?"

Stephen didn't completely satisfied by this, and he continued to watch John silently for several minutes.

"Are you sure you know how to hotwire a car?" he asked.