Cami stood, followed by Amber and then Mitch, who hefted the crossbow and awkwardly slung it over one shoulder.
"I expect you to practice with that crossbow, young man," Marty said. "We might be relying on you to bring home some meat sooner than we’d like."
"Yes sir," Mitch said. "Thank you, sir."
"You're all right, son." Marty nodded again and patted Mitch on the shoulder. “Alright, best y’all cleared on out. Time for my afternoon nap."
They said their goodbyes, and Cami led Amber and Mitch back across the side yard. "Well, looks like we got our marching orders," Cami said to the others as they walked up the back steps.
"He sure sounds paranoid to me," Amber observed. "I mean, we’re the ones that got mugged, and I don't feel the sense of urgency that he has."
"He might be paranoid, but a lot of what he says makes sense," Mitch countered.
"You're just saying that because he gave you a new toy," Amber quipped.
"I'm with Mitch,” Cami added. “Sometimes he sounds a little crazy, but you guys didn't see how squirrely Harriet was acting this morning. It was really weird—it was like she was fishing for information, the whole time trying to see over my shoulder and take a good look at the garden. It felt like she was…well, to quote Marty, I felt like she was scoping out the joint." Cami shrugged and held the back door open for everyone. "I can't explain it. I just know I don't like the way she was looking around. And why ask about empty houses?"
"It doesn't make sense," Amber agreed as she picked up her pistol and holster from the kitchen table. "Unless Harriet and the HOA are looking for empty houses to rob."
Mitch and Cami shared a look, then both looked at Amber. She paused, the holster not quite attached to her waist yet. "No…” she said slowly. "You don't think…it was just a suggestion," she added quickly. "I don't really think…I mean, really?"
"I don't know," Cami sighed. “I suppose it's a possibility, but I just can't see it. I mean, she lives here. She knows everybody in this neighborhood. How could she look at us in the face if we found out she was responsible for people breaking into empty houses? And if they break and enter empty houses to take whatever's inside, what's to stop them from breaking into houses with people in them?"
"Well, that escalated quickly," Mitch muttered as he laid the crossbow on the table.
Cami crossed her arms. "Agreed. There’s nothing we can do about it right now, anyway," she said with a sigh. "Let's all grab some packs and get ready for tomorrow. I want to turn in early tonight, get a good night’s rest, and get started before dawn. If we can get out into the forest preserve around first light, there's less of a chance anyone will know we’re gone."
Amber grinned. “Now who sounds paranoid?"
Chapter 6
Liberty, Maine
The brief respite in Belfast did more for their endurance than Reese realized. They made excellent time, and not only reached the town of Liberty, Maine, before nightfall, but they reached it before dinner. Just like in Belfast, a barricade across the main road into town greeted them when they drew closer.
Unlike in Belfast, however, the citizens of Liberty didn't invite them closer for a parlay. A man stood behind the impressive wall of shipping pallets and cars, raised the bullhorn to his lips, and spoke. "You there, stop right where you are.”
Reese and Jo stopped and looked at each other.
"Whatever your story is, we’re not interested. We don't have any extra food or water to give you, and we certainly don't have any space for strangers to spend the night. It's best you just keep on moving. You can take the side road in front of the barricade—it'll lead you around the south end of town. Good luck."
"We have money," Reese called out.
After a brief conversation with the others behind the barricade, the spokesman stood again. "Not interested. Keep moving, or we’ll open fire. I'm serious."
Reese and Jo trudged forward, then Jo grabbed his arm. Look," she said. "Right side of the road, just in front of the barricade.”
"Those are graves," Reese whispered. "Fresh ones, by the look of them.”
"I take back every negative thing I said about Belfast. It was a friendly little town," Jo said, “compared to this.”
"Come on,” Reese urged, “there's the bypass he mentioned. Looks like we’re going to be spending the night in the tent again."
"What I wouldn't give for a hotel or bed-and-breakfast right about now,” Jo muttered.
"You don't strike me as a bed-and-breakfast kind of girl," Reese observed as they rounded the corner and left the barricade behind them on the main road.
Jo snorted. “I’m not. But I am an appreciates-a-roof-over-her-head kind of girl."
"Don't look," Reese said as casually as possible, "but they're keeping track of us."
"I expected they would, after they threatened to shoot us and then showed us the bodies of people they've already killed," Jo muttered. “I tell you what, them boys got religion."
They trudged along the bypass road, which took a circular route around the south end of town until they came to another checkpoint. This one wasn't nearly as impressive as the first one, and they quickly discovered it was manned by teenagers. "Stay cool, I don’t like the way these kids are laughing,” Reese warned.
"They’re just kids, look at ‘em,” observed Jo. “What's wrong with their laughter?"
"It's like hyenas circling their prey,” Reese said. "That skinny one there with the big ears—he’s trying to screw his courage up to come over here. Just stay by me and keep cool."
"Sure know a lot about troublemaker teenagers," Jo muttered. "That because of your daughter?"
Reese snorted. “Not at
