“Let’s go this way,” Quinn said, motioning to the east side of the barriers.
They crossed over a collapsed portion of concrete and walked between the two perimeters. The ground was covered with spent ammunition. Here and there were dried mats of blood turned black with time. Similar stains splashed the higher concrete walls as well. Flies carried on a continuous humming all around them.
The barriers curved and then straightened in a corridor that stretched away and over a short rise. The piles of shells continued out of sight. They stopped near a toppled section as the first drops of rain began to fall. Quinn glanced at Alice who stared back at him, her mouth a pale gash.
“They’re not here, are they?” Ty said. Denver sat on his haunches, his eyes watching the top of the nearest barricade. Alice knelt beside Ty, still holding his hand. She brushed his hair away from his brow and opened her mouth to reply when Denver began to growl.
“Put your hands in the air! Do it, now!” A deep voice yelled from somewhere nearby.
Quinn flinched and instinctually brought his rifle up as he ducked. A shot ricocheted off the pillar next to him.
“I will not ask again! Put your hands up!”
Quinn let the rifle hang from the strap draped around his shoulders and slowly brought his hands over his head. Alice and Ty did the same beside him. There was a scraping rasp and a door painted the exact same color as the concrete, opened in the barricade fifty yards away. A soldier dressed in full military fatigues and boots sidled into the channel, a short-barreled rifle centered on them. Another soldier emerged behind him, his weapon sweeping the area around the barriers and then back to their position. Quinn eased himself around and stood to his full height.
“Don’t fucking move!” the closest soldier said. The man was near enough now Quinn could see hard, green eyes beneath the helmet he wore. A rash of brown stubble covered a handsome face, and when he moved, it was with practiced fluidity and confidence.
“Thomas, got anything in the area?” the nearest soldier said, never turning his head away from them. The voice from above called out a moment later.
“Negative. All clear.”
“Is there anyone else with you?” the soldier asked.
“No, it’s just us,” Alice said.
The soldier scanned them all again, his eyes flitting to Quinn’s face and holding there for a long time before looking down at Ty and Denver who’s fangs were bared white beneath peeled lips.
“Put your weapons on the ground and step away from them.”
Quinn glanced at Alice who looked back at him, a thousand unsaid words in a single gaze. He nodded, and they stripped their rifles free, along with the revolver and Roman’s pack, laying them on the piled shells.
“I’m going to search you. If any of you move in a way that displeases the soldier above you, you will be shot. Do you understand?”
They all nodded, and Quinn heard Ty draw in a shuddering breath. The soldier moved forward and patted them down while the man behind him kept a bead on them, his gaze locked on Quinn’s face.
“They’re clean,” the first soldier said, stepping back. He lowered his weapon but kept his finger on the trigger. “Where the hell did you folks come from?”
“Maine,” Alice answered. “Can we put our fucking hands down now?”
The soldier’s eyebrows rose and he nodded. “Yes, go ahead.”
They lowered their hands, and Ty stroked Denver’s head and back, smoothing his hackles that stood upright, until the big dog licked his chops and sat down near the boy’s feet.
“Maine?” the second soldier repeated.
“Yes, Maine. We heard about the safe zone before everything went to shit and drove here,” Alice said, bringing Ty close to her side. The soldier turned to his companion and shrugged.
“Unbelievable you got here unscathed,” he said after a pause.
“We didn’t get here unscathed,” Quinn said. “There was plenty of scathing.”