Hank and Nina were deep in discussion as the clouds finally broke apart.

"It's two o'clock," Hank said. "We can probably get halfway to Ironwind if we leave now."

"The clouds haven't completely passed over, so it might be better to wait another hour in case it rains again. Even then, we'll be hoping we find somewhere safe to camp overnight."

"True... Should we put it up to a vote? It's the people in the back who are out in the weather."

"That sounds like a plan." She raised her voice to ensure she had everyone's attention. "Alright. We have three options. One, leave now and possibly get rained on. Two, wait an hour to see if the clouds continue to break up and then decide. Or three, wait until tomorrow since it's already two o'clock. How many for option one?"

It came as no surprise that no hands were raised, although I didn't plan on voting since I wasn't the one gambling with my health.

"Option two?"

Eight hands were lifted.

"Option three?"

Two hands were raised.

The majority was clear. Everyone else must be just as tired of waiting here in boredom as I was. They scattered as they began packing.

~

       Even though we had only been driving a couple of hours, Daniel and I were the only ones who weren't huddled up against the damp, cold air swirling around the back of the truck. The occasional rays of the sun weren't doing much to warm things up for our companions. To make things worse, the clouds were closing back in.

The lack of buildings or any other potential shelter was also worrying them. We didn't want to go down any of the side roads since the three we checked turned out to be dead ends. We hadn't even seen a gas station for the last hour. If there were houses nearby, they were well off the road. My map was, once again, useless. No one even asked to see it.

Suddenly, the truck jolted as a boom resounded under us, followed by the sound of rubber slapping against the highway. The truck seemed to drag more.

Daniel leaned over the side, then knocked on the cab window. "We have a flat tire."

Hank slowed down as I sighed at the latest turn of fate.

"Probably some metal or something," Ben said. "It happened right as we passed that dented bumper."

"There's a few pieces of metal and plastic on the road there, so it's possible," Daniel said, glancing back at the bumper. There wasn't a vehicle there, just the twisted piece of metal, as if someone had hit a zombie and kept going, leaving the bumper and any other debris behind.

As soon as the truck stopped, Daniel and Ben both hopped out to investigate. Hank got out but barely even glanced at the tire. He went straight to the back of the truck and peered underneath.

"There's a full-size spare tire, but no way to tell how much air is in it until we get it down," Hank said as he stood back up. "Tom, is there a tool kit in the truck, or any tools?"

Tom opened the passenger door and let Chloe out as he and Marissa checked inside the cab. "Just this."

"Was there another tool near it?" Ben asked, going over to take the tool. "There should have been something to lower the spare tire."

"Not that I see. No jack either."

"I can get it down," Daniel said as he slid under the truck.

Seconds later, there was a clunk of a piece of metal hitting the pavement, then the spare tire was pushed out from underneath.

Hank took the socket wrench from Ben as Daniel got to his feet. With the speed that came from years of practice, Hank quickly removed the lug nuts on the flat tire. If any of them had been stuck or resisted the burly man's efforts, I wasn't able to tell.

Daniel dusted his pants off. "Once those are loose, I can lift the truck if you want to swap the tires around."

"Thanks. I was hoping you'd offer."

Since Hank already had most of the lug nuts loose, Daniel walked up to the tailgate. The five men from the Jeep scrambled out of the truck, and the rest of us followed suit, although I suspected our weight wouldn't have mattered much to him.

Chloe happily investigated the nearby trees as Daniel waited for Hank, then lifted the back of the truck until the tires cleared the ground. Ben rolled the flat into the ditch while Hank lifted the replacement tire like it was a paperweight.

Once the lug nuts were lightly secured, Hank told Daniel, "They're on."

The truck was lowered back to the ground, and Hank finished tightening the lug nuts. When he finished, he gave the tire a kick. "It might be a bit low, but it'll work."

"We'll have to look for a pump at our next stop," Ben said. "Even a bicycle pump will work, but-" he glanced up at the gathering clouds, "we better get moving before we get wet."

As if to emphasize his words, a cool breeze came up, making a few people shiver as they scrambled to get back into the truck so we could continue.

Half an hour later, Ben muttered, "I wish there was a way to tell if there were any houses down these side roads."

"Remember the last three roads we checked?" Nicky asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ben sighed. "Yeah, they were all dead ends."

"Exactly," Nicky said firmly. "So unless one of our zombie compatriots knows something we don't, I say no more side trips."

With a faint sigh, I lifted my nose to the air and closed my eyes in concentration. If there were any houses around, I'd probably have a better chance of smelling them than Daniel. The faintest odor of old manure and soaked barn wood made me open my eyes and knock on the back window of the truck to gain their attention.

"Hank, stop the truck for a moment. Ben, check if my map actually shows any of the nearby side roads."

The truck rolled to a stop as Ben scowled at the map I'd tossed at him. I stood up and tested the air again. Detecting direction was nearly impossible in a moving vehicle with the way the air swirled around, but now I had my bearings.

I glanced at Ben and pointed toward the east. "There is a farm and some sort of building in that direction. Probably a good fifteen-minute run for me on foot, if I had to guess distance-wise."

"This map isn't showing any of the side roads we passed. As far as it's concerned, there's nothing until we reach the next highway junction."

Daniel stood up and peered down the road with narrowed eyes. I blinked when I saw his pupils shrink from their normal size to mere pinpoints. His eyes reminded me of an eagle's the way they were focusing.

"There is an intersection in the distance where a side road heads east, and past that, there's some power lines also going the same way, so there's possibly something down that road," he said. "It's the only turnoff I can see."

Daniel and I sat back down as the truck started moving. Hank turned onto the side road as I gazed down the highway, wondering where these power lines were that Daniel saw. The road was heading in the right direction, so I kept silent while trying to spot anything that resembled power lines.

Minutes later, the rutty mud road came to an intersection. I still didn't see any bloody power lines.

The truck came to a stop. "Trinity, can you give me a direction?"

I tested the air again. "Hang a right. I don't think it's far, so keep your eyes open."

Almost an entire minute of driving later, I finally spotted the power lines in the distance. Shit, remind me to never play I Spy with that guy in the daylight.

Daniel rose to his knees and peered over the cab. "It looks like there's a driveway not that far ahead. A cable comes off the power line and heads in that direction as well."

Two minutes later, we turned onto a driveway with a small house and an old wooden barn. Hank stopped the truck in front of the house, and everyone got out of the truck as they looked around.

"Anything around we should worry about?" Nicky asked.

I took a deep breath and tried to ignore the burning along the back of my throat from the proximity of so many humans. It was worse now that we stopped – the wind no longer carried their scent away from me.

"No zombies or humans. Watch out for snakes though."

She nodded and started grabbing bags of supplies. Daniel was already heading to the house to ensure it was safe. In an attempt to avoid the zombies and being put to work, Kal and Frank headed for the barn. Apparently, a day spent in timeout gave them a chance to mend their friendship. Or if nothing else, realize that their desire to avoid zombies gave them something in common.

I piled the rain-sensitive supplies on the ground for the others to haul in. Things like the jerrycans could remain where they were. Joel pulled a big tarp out of our supplies and began unfolding it. Nicky and I helped him drape the tarp over the truck to protect the mattress and the rest of the supplies from the approaching rain.

In the distance, Frank started whooping in joy. "We hit the jackpot!"

I glanced at Joel, who was putting rocks on the corners of the tarp, and asked, "What would he classify as a jackpot?"

The young man shrugged, still nervous in my presence, although I noticed the other two from his group were running in that direction to see what had Frank so excited. I continued securing the tarp and heard a motor sputter to life. They must have found another working vehicle. That did count as a jackpot – for me and everyone else.

A rusty cargo van drove out from behind the barn and parked nearby. The men left it running as they got out and gestured excitedly back at the building.

"There are big fuel tanks behind the barn with both diesel and gasoline," Frank told Ben. "And both are full! No offense, but our group is going to keep driving. I got the directions from Nina, and we filled two five-gallon water jugs with fuel, so once we cook a good meal over the fire, we're going to grab some supplies and head off. We'll take turns behind the wheel."

Without looking up, I moved a rock onto the edge of the tarp while subtly sliding the bag of food underneath, not quite trusting those two men to not get greedy when packing "their supplies" up.

Joel made a face and quietly asked Nicky and me, "Is it possible for me to travel with you guys instead?"

I thought about it for a second. "As long as you don't become more annoying than Ben, you won't be at the top of my hit list." I didn't bother mentioning he was the only one in that group who I wouldn't forcefully shove into the van before it pulled away.

"Thanks." His shoulders relaxed, and his voice was relieved. Nervousness and unease still wafted off him, but apparently, his dislike for his former companions was greater than his fear of zombies.

The men started a fire as Daniel brought some wood to the backyard firepit. I went to check what was left in the barn. The door creaked as I pulled it open. At first glance, everything inside was just as old and rusty as the hinges. Except for anything made with wood, which was severely weathered and in dire need of a sanding and a fresh coat of paint.

Shaking my head at the ancient contents, I went outside and walked around to the back. The lean-to shelter was just as aged as the barn, and an open spot showed where the van had been parked. The raised fuel tanks stood on stilts. I knocked on the one marked diesel – it was almost full.

Some empty five-gallon water jugs were piled in a corner of the lean-to, so I grabbed two. They had once held water for a water cooler in a house or office, but they could never be used to hold water after what I was about to do to them.

I filled them with diesel and carried them back to the truck. It was overkill, but I had no desire to end up walking if my map was even more wrong than I thought possible. On my trip back, I saw the men and Marissa cooking their separate meals by the fire.

The bag by Marissa's chair was the one I'd hidden near the truck, and it looked like the men had found some stuff in the house. From how Joel now sat by Tom, he had made his defection to the zombie group public knowledge.

The four men finished their hastily-heated meal before Marissa's soup was even warm. True to their word, they piled into the van and began driving away. I noticed I wasn't the only one who relaxed as they drove out of sight.

"I gave them directions to a Stronghold north of Ironwind," Nina quietly reassured us. "They'll be using the same road until we're much closer, but I'm hoping that we won't cross paths with them again."

"I'm surprised they wanted to drive all night," Ben commented. "It's dangerous. Half the people who try it never arrive at their destination."

Marissa and Tom exchanged a look at this new piece of information, making me wonder if they had also driven all night without realizing the dangers.

Daniel shrugged. "It's their choice. Unless we see their vehicle on the road, we'll have to assume they made it."

There wasn't much more anyone could say – and no one really wanted them hanging around anyway.

"The soup is done," Marissa finally proclaimed as she handed the first bowl to Liz, who promptly ferried it over to Daniel.

I eyed up the cans beside the fire dubiously. Mushroom soup, beef stew, and a few other mismatched types had all been combined together. Was she cooking soup or pretending the bubbling pot was a witch's cauldron? Perhaps it was a good thing that zombies were immune to poison.

Liz started to bring a bowl to me, but Marissa noticed where she was going.

"Liz, please take that bowl to Ben. Trinity has some scratches on her arm, so I'll take some soup to her."

I glanced down at the dark scabs over each finger-long scratch. When she brought me a bowl, she held it out gingerly, as if a mere touch was infectious.

"Scabs aren't dangerous once they've set and dried," I quietly told her.

"I'll take your word for it, but I'd rather not take any chances."

Fair enough. It was her life on the line if I was wrong. I took the bowl but seriously hoped it tasted better than it smelled. Considering that Ben was eating slowly, it wasn't a good sign. After regarding the brownish slop, I finally stuck a spoonful in my mouth. It was tolerable, but that was the best I could say about it.

The wind picked up slightly, and right on cue, a few fat droplets heralded the arrival of the rain. The humans took their bowls and scurried over to the porch. Ben carried the pot with him. Daniel and I took up the rear as we let the others race to get under the overhang and shuffle inside.

I peered through the doorway of the small house and decided the rocking chair on the porch was a preferable seat. It wasn't long before Daniel came out of the house and sat on the bench by the door.

The rain pattered against the overhang and dripped onto the grass as we finished eating. Chloe didn't even come outside to lick my bowl, so I stuck it into the rain to get a rinse.

Within an hour, the shower stopped, although the humans didn't emerge from the house. I slowly rocked in the chair, which became very boring.

I stood up and stretched. "I'll be back in a bit."

Daniel nodded without concern, likely guessing that I was heading out to hunt. He hadn't left the group unguarded today; considering that I used to go a couple of days without hunting, it stood to reason that he could as well. Perhaps more with his level of control.

The air was brisk and damp as I disappeared into the forest behind the house. My instincts came forward as I loosened my control slightly to check if there was anything out of place, but nothing triggered them. I didn't even smell any big predators around.

On my way back from my hunt, I headed back and realized that nothing bad had happened so far today. We had even lost our four annoyances, whom I'd likely – and thankfully – never see again. Perhaps wishing upon that star had helped. I'm still not holding my breath until the sun rises, I thought pessimistically.

The sun was setting as I returned to the rocking chair. This time, I sat still since I didn't want Daniel to know when I was napping. He watched me sit down, although he didn't say anything. He seemed content to remain where he was, more relaxed tonight than before, possibly because of the wall protecting his back with the coming darkness.

Like last night, we acted the part of silent sentries who guarded the slumbering humans. Admittedly, I dozed on and off most of the time, which was more sleep than I'd gotten in weeks.

I watched the horizon start to brighten. Huh, that shooting star must have helped. I haven't seen a night that quiet in a long time.

As the cloudless sky got lighter, I started the fire for breakfast. Food had helped Nicky the last two mornings, so I was sure that cooking one more meal wouldn't kill or even inconvenience me. Not when the potential benefit was so great.

After the fire was burning nicely, I pulled the tarp off the truck and rummaged through the supplies in a corner until I located the box of rice I'd stuffed there yesterday. After measuring the water and rice, I put the pot to the side of the growing fire. While waiting, I folded the tarp and organized the remaining supplies in the back of the truck.

Daniel didn't comment on my restlessness. Then again, the sun hadn't even peeked above the horizon yet, so he might assume it was my nighttime instincts acting up. In reality, I was tired of sitting and doing nothing besides trying to tolerate those around me. I wanted this journey to be over and done with. As soon as we reached this Stronghold, this road trip would finally be over.

The rice was done before the sun rose, let alone before anyone woke up. Perhaps I was being a bit too impatient. With a sigh, I headed back into the forest for wood and to retrieve last night's rabbit carcass for Chloe.