Minutes before we headed out the following morning, I faced a recurring debate with Jase.
"Fox Park is hidden," Jase said, his eyes pleading with me. "All anyone can see from the road is miles and miles of wilderness. I know it'll be hard, but we can make it work."
I put a hand on Jase's shoulder. "We'll make it back there. I promise. Just be patient a little longer, okay?"
Jase muttered something under his breath and went back to cramming his sleeping bag into his stuff sack.
I wanted to go back to Fox Park, too. More than anything, I wanted to return to something I knew. I also craved to be enveloped in the easy safety of New Eden. A familiar home versus trusting a man I'd known for barely a week. It was a tough choice. And I worried that we weren't making the right one.
My mood became monotone after that. We drove for hours, stopping only to refuel from the gas cans we carried onboard. Every gas station we came to had been drained, with the exception of one that looked like it had gone up in a massive explosion.
As we covered miles on the westbound I-80, I stared out the window at the landscape. Leaves had long since turned color. What few crops were planted before the outbreak were now brown and well past ready for harvesting, and I wondered if we could use it for food or seed in the spring. Most of the fields remained unplanted and were already returning to their natural state of prairie grasses and weeds.
However, the biggest difference in the landscape from that of a month ago was the distinct lack of zeds. Before the massive migrations, zeds dotted the landscape, with herds grouping around towns. These days, I saw the rare corpse, recognizable as once human only by the tattered remnants of clothing draping it. The landscape was devoid of life, with most animals being taken down by zeds or wild wolves and dogs. Before the outbreak, I'd imagined hell as a desert-like environment, full of fire and brimstone. Now, I knew exactly what hell looked like. It looked like wherever I was.
Jase and Hali were sound asleep in the front seat next to Griz, who was behind the wheel. "Do you think we're over the hump?" I asked Clutch, who sat across from me in the backseat. "That maybe we don't have to worry about the zeds coming back?"
"I think that's wishful thinking," he replied before adding, "But it'd be nice."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." I continued to watch the landscape passing by outside. I looked back inside to find Clutch watching me with concern.
"It's only natural to worry," he said, as though reading my mind. "It means you're human. Just don't let it screw with your head out there."
My brow rose. "You're telling me that you worry?"
"Of course. I'm only human."
I watched him for a moment before giving him an almost-smile. We were the lucky ones. We were part of a small world of survivors, who were still capable of thought. That was, if my prior assumption about zeds still held any weight. "Henry really came out of left field," I said.
Clutch nodded slowly. "Yeah. I didn't see that one coming. But it doesn't change anything."
"Doesn't it?" I asked.
"Believe me, if I could change the past, there'd be plenty I'd do differently." He shrugged. "But, I can't, and you can't either. We have to accept things as we see them and keep on living."
"Yeah, but what if there are a lot more zeds like Henry who can think and feel. What kind of hell must they be going through? Or, even worse, what if all the other zeds can think and feel, but can't control their urges?"
He considered for a moment. "I think if zeds had control of their senses, they wouldn't give into violence. So, no, I don't think zeds know what they're doing. I don't even think there was anything going on in Henry's head. If there was, I'd think he'd want to be put out of his misery."
I cocked my head while I considered his words. "Who are you trying to convince: you or me?"
He shrugged. "Things aren't so bad. We're alive. We've got food, and we've got a place to go." Even though he was a pessimist, Clutch always seemed to have more faith than I could muster. He reached over and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
Then he did something he'd never done before. He didn't let go.
I sighed, my stress dissipating as I held his hand, and realized he was right. Even in this shitty world, things weren't so bad.
"We're less than twenty miles out," Marco's voice alerted us through the radio.
Clutch let go of my hand and leaned forward in between the two front seats to talk to Griz. "Do you see any good place to stop?"
After a pause, Griz pointed. "How about that machine shed on the farm over there?"
"It's worth a shot," Clutch replied.
I looked out the window and saw a small farmhouse with a couple small outbuildings, including a decently sized white tin shed.
Clutch picked up the radio. "Take the next road to your left. We'll stop at the first farmhouse."
"Copy that, but I still don't think this is necessary," Marco replied as they led us to the farm.
Clutch didn't respond.
We parked and approached the shed. The doors were all still closed, and it took us less than ten minutes to verify that the building was devoid of any life, except for a cantankerous family of raccoons. A combine harvester, a couple tractors, and three wagons filled most of the interior, but there was still room for one Humvee with the trailer. We emptied everything from the remaining Humvee, leaving only enough food and supplies to keep us fed, warm, and protected for a couple days.
Humvees were taller than most residential garage doors, making it a bit more challenging than a car to hide. When Griz and Jase pulled the metal door closed, we all looked at each other. From everyone's faces, they were as uncomfortable as I was about leaving behind over eighty percent of our "stuff." But, the alternative was too risky. If New Eden reappropriated our food and supplies when we arrived, we could be in far worse shape than not having it at all.
Everyone except for Marco had agreed we needed to play it safe until we knew if we'd be staying at New Eden. If it became our permanent home, we'd share our food and supplies. Until then, we all felt safer with a cache.
As we piled ten of us into a single Humvee, Clutch stepped in front of Marco. "I need your word that you will not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about this."
Marco scowled. "I already gave you my word. I won't tell anyone. I get it. Hell, I'd probably do the same thing if I were in your shoes."
Clutch grunted, and Jase tacked on a "we'll see."
Griz didn't have anything to say because he was busy claiming the driver's seat. Marco took the passenger seat, and Benji sat on the floor between his legs.
Somehow, we squeezed five of us into the back bucket seats, with Clutch and me on one seat, Deb and Hali sharing the other seat, and Jase on the incredibly uncomfortable hump. Behind us, in the unheated part of the Humvee, Frost sat with Diesel, and Vicki leaned into the pair for warmth...or probably because there was no other space due to all our food, gear, and weapons stacked around them.
Marco continued to try to reach New Eden on the radio, but with no success. We were still a few miles out from New Eden when movement caught my eye before the engine noise registered in my ears.
Three SUVs approached us from the west.
Marco leaned forward. "That's the New Eden flag. They must've seen us coming," his excited voice echoed through the vehicle.
The incoming SUVs flew American flags with an eagle stitched over the center.
Griz squinted in the bright sunlight. "Can you confirm? It could be a setup."
"I recognize them. It's New Eden!"
"We need to wait until we get close enough for you to verify their faces," Griz said.
Equal parts of fear and excitement fluttered through me, and I leaned forward to watch the SUVs come to a stop and form a roadblock in front of us. People with rifles jumped out and stepped behind the SUVs, using the vehicles for cover while leveling their sights upon us.
"They could be playing it safe," Clutch mused. "But I'd still make sure we can make a hasty retreat if this turns to shit."
"Already thinking the same thing," Griz said as he stopped our Humvee at least a hundred yards back in a diagonal position on the highway.
I sucked in a deep breath. "Here's hoping they recognize Marco."
Marco chuckled. "They'll recognize me. It's not that big a town."
Hali came awake with a stretch. "Are we there yet?" she asked.
"Almost. Assuming we don't get shot first," Griz replied bluntly.
"Not funny," the girl replied.
"I wasn't joking," he replied.
As soon as we stopped, Marco stepped out of the Humvee.
"Be careful," Clutch said as he climbed out and stood by the open door with his rifle.
"I will," Marco said. He waved his arms in the air as he approached the newcomers. A man emerged from a white SUV and met him halfway. When they embraced, I think we let out a collective sigh. Marco motioned for all of us to come out.
"Hot dog," Griz said. "Looks like they're friendlies."
Energy tightened my muscles. "We really made it, didn't we?" I said to no one in particular as I opened my door.
"It looks like it," Clutch replied, sounding just as surprised as I felt.
Our group of nine approached the SUVs. Jase looked at me and smiled. Hope flared and my lips widened into a broad smile. Likewise, I turned to Clutch, and he grinned. He embraced me and I nearly squealed. We were safe.
Marco was grinning from ear to ear when we approached. "We did it, guys. We're almost home."
"Welcome to New Eden." The man next to Marco said. "Now, surrender your weapons."
****