“Aren’t you going to tell me?” Lexi asked.
“About what you said?”
“Yup. I want to know.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Okay. You said I have kissable lips.” Joe met Lexi’s eyes and waited for her response.
“Oh.”
Lexi was the first to break eye contact. She couldn’t think of anything else to say, although the rosy flushing of her cheeks said more than words could, a fact not lost on Joe. She didn’t ask any further questions, afraid of what Joe might tell her. The exhaustion, the pain, the entire ordeal had broken through her defenses, leaving her to voice her feelings. She admitted she had been thinking about Joe, waking up at night wondering about him and his former life which she knew nothing about. They had been so busy staying alive and searching for food, she was in the dark about his life. Or former life, or whatever life he had. An abscessed tooth, rotting bodies, and an upside-down world just wouldn’t set the stage right. The goodness and tenderness he displayed was unmistakable, qualities she found attractive in a man.
Joe noticed her flushing alright, but chose not to tease her about it. She had shown great bravery and the will to live, and Joe doubted he could withstand a tooth being pulled without any anesthesia. She was a strong woman. And talented. It took guts to get up in front of millions of people to sing the National Anthem.
One thing was for sure. She had kissable lips too.
Chapter 27
The ragged group of survivors welcomed Joe and Lexi back.
Oscar’s tail thumped against his dark fur, and his entire demeanor brightened when Joe returned. The dog sensed Joe had saved him, and they were now bonded. Oscar licked Joe’s hand and barked a high-pitched vociferous bark, signaling his relief at Joe’s return.
Joe knelt and took Oscar’s face in his hands, saying, “We’ve got a long way to go, boy. You ready?”
Oscar cocked his head, studying Joe and the meaning of his words. Though the words were a jumble of sounds, Oscar understood the tone was one indicating a change was about to happen, and a journey would begin soon. Oscar had sensed the change was coming, as indicative of the group’s increased energy and gathering of food and other supplies. It reminded him of when his handler would get ready for a camping trip or another type of journey.
Oscar would do his part, using his superior eyesight and hearing to guide his new group as best he could. If they were in danger, he’d growl or point his nose in the direction. If bodily harm was imminent, he’d protect his group with his life. That was his purpose. That was the kind of dog he was.
“You ready?” Joe repeated.
Oscar jumped and barked, his eyes blazing. Yes, he was ready.
The darkening sky, the rush of cold air, and a sprinkling of rain spoke of the incoming blue norther, a cold front with the propensity to drop the current balmy temperature by forty degrees.
Hannah crossed her arms over her chest, rubbing the sides of her arms to provide warmth. Joe noted her clothes weren’t suitable for cold weather. His weren’t either, but since men could withstand colder temperatures than women, he’d be okay. Lexi and Becca weren’t dressed properly either, a fact that could cause trouble and slow everyone down.
The short walk from the inside of the stadium to the parking garage affected Becca the most. She rubbed her leg and grimaced as she put her weight on it. Joe surmised her leg hurt worse than she was letting on.
If hypothermia set in, they’d all be in trouble. The route they planned to take offered no form of shelter, and instead the opposite considering the elevated level of the tollway connecting the inner city to the suburbs to the west.
Forty miles of travel with no protection from the wind or rain would make for a hard trip.
The time to leave was now considering the worsening conditions at the stadium. They all looked to Joe for leadership and decisions. If Ethan didn’t agree with him, he’d speak up to voice his opinion, and since Ethan hadn’t challenged him on any decisions, Joe was making smart moves.
“Alright.” Joe took a deep breath. “Is everyone ready?”
“We are,” Ethan said.
Joe took a head count before setting off. He was one short. “Where’s Tyler?”
“Right here!” Tyler yelled, running up to the group. “I got extra coats.”
Joe grinned. “Good thinking.”
Tyler passed the coats out.
Kinsey held a coat in front of her. Sniffing it, she made a face. “I’m afraid to ask where you got this.”
“You don’t want to know,” Tyler replied.
“I can only imagine.” Kinsey shuddered at the thought Tyler had removed the coats from corpses. The stink of death permeated the jackets. Fortunately, Kinsey had kept her scarf. She folded it into several layers then tied it around her head, covering her nose and mouth.
“Can I catch anything from this?” Kinsey asked, holding the coat at arm’s length.
“You can catch your death from the cold,” Joe said. “I suggest you put it on regardless of where it came from or how it smells.”
Kinsey mumbled something under her breath.
“Put it on,” Becca said. “It’s better than freezing.”
“Listen up, everyone. Myself, Lexi, and Hannah will take the lead. Ethan, you, Becca, Kinsey, and Tyler follow us. We need to stay together and stay alert. That means everyone. Understood?”
The group agreed.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. And if our ancestors could endure hardships of travel by foot in all
