Then I heard it, a sound so small there was no way I would have heard it if I had not been waiting for it. There was a shuffling of feet, more than one pair, coming our way. They seemed to be moving at a decent pace, but there was no indication whether they were human or something more sinister. Every instinct in my body was telling me to run, to turn on my heel and go sprinting for the relatively safety of the car. I held my ground though, lifting my gun and aiming toward the darkness of the trees, where the footsteps seemed to be coming from.
After what felt like an eternity, people came out into the clearing, looking worse for the wear. They were carrying heavy backpacks on their backs and looked exhausted but alert. They stopped almost the moment that they saw us, hands out, and empty of weapons. While they held no weapons, I spotted a knife hilt protruding from a pocket and a rifle slung over a shoulder.
There were three of them, an older man and woman, and a younger man. The older man had to be in his late fifties, just a touch of gray touching his otherwise dark hair. He was bulky and wide but fit. He stood a couple feet in front of his companions, causing me to believe that he was in charge of the small group. The woman was around the same age as him. Though her hair was free of gray, her eyes showed wrinkles in the corners. The last man was not too much older than Ash and I, maybe in his early to mid-twenties. He looked very similar to the older man, despite his light hair, so perhaps he was his son. They didn’t look dangerous, but looks could be deceiving.
“Evening,” my dad said, his voice casual but his grip on the gun still tight and aimed at the newcomers. “What can we do for you folks?”
“We were passing through on a trail not too far from here when we heard someone screaming. We decided to check it out. We wanted to see if there was anyone out here who needed help.”
My arms wavered a little, and I fought to keep them steady.
“That was my daughter,” Dad explained. “We appreciate your concern, but she is okay. You folks can pass on now.”
The three of them stood there, uneasy in the aim of three guns. The older man whispered something over his shoulder to the woman, presumably his wife, and she nodded. “Would you be so kind to share your fire tonight? We’ve been traveling a long way, and we have food we’d be more than willing to share.”
Ash and I exchanged sideways glances before focusing on my dad. He studied them for a long moment. “I’m not sure that would be wise. I have two under my care; I’m sure you can understand my concern.”
The man nodded. “I do. I have my own two to look after. The name’s Garrity. Memphis Garrity. This here is my life, Julia, and our son, Liam.”
He whispered over his shoulder again, while grabbing the shotgun that was strung across his back. I tensed, my grip tighter, my finger poised over the trigger. He smiled slightly and tossed the gun in front of him, so that it landed a few feet in front of us, much closer to us than them. It was followed by a couple of knives and a lone handgun.
“There. Now you’re armed, and we’re not,” Memphis said, his voice calm. “We are travelers, just like you. We came from down South, in Atlanta.”
“Did they bomb there too?” I asked, quietly.
Three pairs of eyes met mine in understanding and I felt a fresh wave of sorrow and regret and pain rush through me. This time it was the young man, Liam, who spoke up. “We were camping, ironically, when my fiancée called and told us about the Awakened. It was right before the phones went out. She told us to turn around and to not come back.” His voice shook a little and I could see the red rims of his eyes, eyes that hadn’t finished crying, not yet. “We’ve been headed away from there, ever since. We lost our car earlier.”
I looked over at my dad again, who lowered his gun slightly. “Come share our fire. You’ll understand if I keep your weapons.”
“Of course,” Memphis nodded. “We are very grateful.”
Ash and I lowered our own weapons and walked back over to the fire, scooting over to make room for the three of them. My dad scooped up their weapons and stored them in the car, before locking it shut.
“That’s a nice vehicle you got there,” Memphis said, indicating toward the looming black SUV.
“I am…I was an officer for the NYPD,” my dad explained, seeming more relaxed around the newcomers. He had a good read on people, and it seemed that, for the moment, he was choosing to trust them. However, he wasn’t taking chances. He had Ash positioned next to Liam, who was much smaller than Ash, and he was next to Memphis. I was protected on either side.
“You’re lucky then,” Liam spoke up, his hands held out toward the fire. Now that they were closer, I could see how cold they were. They were basking in the warmth of the fire, as it was the best thing they’d seen in days. “We had a few things with us, but you’re probably way more equipped than we are.”
“We’ve been making it,” my dad, casually. “Have you seen any Awakened on your journey?”