“Call it a sense of preservation, then. Who knows what’s driving them, but we’ve mapped their paths, and all signs point to the herds moving south and picking up numbers along the way.”
“Which is exactly why the Lady is going to head further north to find safe ports and food,” Sorenson said. “Once they pass through, the pickings should be easy.”
What’s left of them, anyway, I thought to myself.
“What’s your plan when you come face to face with one of the herds?”
“Same plan as we have when we come across a herd of twenty. We’re safe as long as we are careful under bridges and keep plenty of water between them and us.”
“What will you do if one of these herds comes across the Lady Amore? What then? You think they’ll ignore you just because they can’t get to you?”
“No, they’re persistent bastards. We’ll head down river. If they’re migrating, then they’ll get the urge to keep moving. There are enough islands and turns in the river for us to break visual contact. You know zeds. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ and all that.”
Tyler looked dubious. “You’re assuming the urge to migrate is stronger than their urge to eat. I’m guessing these zeds are hungrier than ever since they’re moving.”
Sorenson leaned back and cracked his knuckles. “I’d worry more about what you’re going to do. You don’t have a boat. What’s to stop the zeds from walking right through the park? There ain’t nobody out there with enough firepower to cut down one of those herds.” A sly smile crossed his lips. “Then again, that’s why you’re here.”
After a moment, Tyler nodded. “We need your help. If we can come aboard this riverboat, just until the herds pass through—”
Sorenson lifted a hand. “I’ll stop you right now. The Lady Amore is at full capacity already. She can’t handle any more people. We can barely purify water fast enough the way it is. As for food…well, that’s all dependent on our next restock.”
My heart plummeted. I wanted to jump in to talk about how they wouldn’t have to feed us, but I didn’t dare speak. Tyler was our leader, and we had to show we were one hundred percent behind him. We needed Sorenson to believe that Camp Fox would make good passengers on the Lady Amore, but after seeing the riverboat, I’d already suspected Sorenson wouldn’t risk the good thing they had going by doubling his crew with strangers. We were desperate, and it pissed me off, but I couldn’t blame him. I had the exact same mindset when survivors passed through the park. Still, knowing that we’d be on our own devastated me.
I looked across the table at Jase and Griz. Both looked the same way I felt. Filled with utter despair.
“It would only be for a week or two. Once the herds pass through, we’d head back to the park,” Tyler said. “We’d bring enough food to cover all Fox personnel while on board. With more hands for boiling water—”
“You don’t understand. It’s not the manpower, it’s the facilities,” Sorenson interrupted. “We’re boiling water twenty-four hours a day as it stands. We’d have to turn on another bank of stoves, which would burn more fuel, and that’s our biggest concern. Fuel is our most precious commodity. It’s not easy finding safe ports to refuel. Hell, siphoning from crippled boats is nearly as dangerous.”
Tyler held up a hand. “I understand. I’m asking you for a favor I might never be able to repay. Believe me, if we had any other option I wouldn’t be here. But the only way we’ll all survive in this new world is by working together. If I put my people on the road, any direction we head except south, we’ll run into more herds. If we run south, we’ll just be staying one step ahead of the herds. Eventually, something would happen, and the herds would get us. We need your help, Captain.”
“Please,” I said softly, pulling my girl-card. But I wasn’t acting. I desperately hoped he would help us, and I wasn’t above begging.