“Zeke!” called another voice, Ruth’s this time, echoing shrilly over the campground. “Did you tell Darren he could have your share of the jerky?”
“What? No!” Zeke whirled around as Darren jogged away, laughing. As Zeke took off after him, Darren shouting he’d better catch up before he ate his share of the meal, I bent to the passage Zeke pointed out.
“‘Yea,’” I muttered, stumbling over the archaic word, “‘though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me.’”
A nice thought, I mused, watching the boys chase each other around the campground. But I knew better. Jeb was right; there was no one watching out for us. And the sooner Zeke came to realize that, the longer he would survive this hell.
*
THE FOLLOWING EVENING, I crawled out of my tent to find Zeke and Darren crouched near the edge of camp, talking in low voices. Both looked as if they were trying to avoid attention, which of course piqued my curiosity. Brushing dirt from my sleeves, I ambled toward them.
“I knew this would happen,” Darren muttered in a low voice as I approached. “We should’ve stocked up when we had the chance. Who knows when we’ll come to another town?”
“What’s going on?” I asked, squatting beside them. Zeke looked at me and sighed.
“Supplies are running low,” he confessed. “At this rate, we’ll run out of food in a couple days, even if we cut back the rations.” He stabbed a hand through his hair, raking it back. “Darren and I are thinking of going hunting, but Jeb doesn’t like the group to separate. Not when there’s a chance we could run into rabids. Plus, we’re using these,” he added and held up a bow and a quiver of arrows. “Which makes it even harder. It’s almost impossible to sneak up on deer in the open, but dusk is the best time to try to bring one down.”
Across from Zeke, Darren gave me a brief, sudden smile. I blinked and returned it. At least the two boys didn’t seem to care about a certain person’s gossip-mongering, though I’d never heard Ruth talking about me to Zeke or Jebbadiah. “Why not use guns?” I asked, remembering Zeke’s handgun, and the sawed-off shotgun Jeb carried around. Zeke shook his head.
“We’re pretty low on ammo,” he replied. “The only time we use firearms is for defense, or if it’s an emergency. And since we’re not quite there yet, it’s bows and scavenged arrows for hunting.”
I looked down. There was an extra bow lying on the ground, unstrung and poking out from the square of oiled cloth it was wrapped in. Zeke followed my look and sighed. “Jake usually comes with us,” he explained. “But lately, his shoulder’s been bothering him and he doesn’t have the strength to pull the cord back effectively.”
“I’ll come with you.”
The boys exchanged a look. “I’m a fast learner,” I added, ignoring Darren’s raised eyebrow. “I’m quiet, and I’m stronger than you think. I’m sure I can get the hang of it.”
“It’s not that,” Zeke said hesitantly. “It’s just…I don’t want to get you in trouble with Jeb, make him question his decision to let you stay with us.” He jerked his thumb at the other boy. “Dare just follows me around like a lost puppy, so it’s expected of him—” he dodged the dirt clump lobbed at his face “—but you’re new and he won’t like it if you wander away from the group. It’s probably better if you stay here for now. I’m sorry.”
Annoyed, I frowned at them both, vampire pride stinging. If you only knew. I could bring down a full-grown stag before the pair of you realized it was there. But I kept my opinions to myself and shrugged. “If you say so.”
“Maybe next time, okay?” Darren offered, giving me a wink. “I’ll show you how it’s done.” I bristled, but Zeke grabbed his bow and pushed himself to his feet.
“Let’s get moving,” he said with a stretch. “Jeb won’t leave without me—I hope—so this is on my head if he wants to punish anyone. People have to eat, whether he likes it or not. Allison,” he added as I rose as well, “will you let Jeb know what we’re doing?” He grinned at me. “After we’re a good distance away, of course. Ready, Dare?”
“Sure.” Darren sighed, slinging bow and quiver over his shoulder. “Let the exercise in futility begin.”
Zeke rolled his eyes and gave the other boy a halfhearted shove as he turned away. Darren swung at him in return, overbalanced as the other dodged, and strode after him as Zeke jogged backward, grinning. I watched their lean forms fade into the darkness, getting smaller and smaller, until they vanished over the rolling hills.
Then I swooped down, grabbed the extra bow and quiver and turned in the other direction.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I sighed and looked over to where Ruth stood, two bowls of the night’s dinner steaming in her hands, disapproving scowl firmly in place.