“But it is surrounded by cities,” I observed as I read the names around the textured green space Avian had his finger on.
Avian nodded his head. “But it is less than sixty miles from where these other people are supposedly hiding out. We could go to this new location, even if it is only temporary, hide out and send a scouting party to check things out.”
“This is suicide, Avian,” I said as I shook my head. “A city that size? We don’t have a chance of even getting to the outskirts.”
“But if there are people there…” Avian said again. “Eve, we’ve already lost so many people this last year. As far as we knew, we were the only ones left. But if there are more of them out there… We have to stick together, to keep humanity alive.”
I looked up at Avian, searching his eyes. There was hope burning there, but I was surprised at another thing I felt coming from him. A total lack of fear. I realized then just how much we had all underestimated Avian.
“This isn’t just our decision,” I said quietly. “This affects all of them too,” I said as I indicated those waiting on the trailer for us. “We have to let them decide as well.”
Avian and West looked up to those who were watching us silently. Their faces were anxious looking, mixes of hope and fear on their faces. They could read what was written on the sign as well as I could.
“What do all of you think?” Avian said as he took a few steps toward them. “I assume you heard everything we said.”
No one spoke up at first and I sensed they were afraid to voice their opinions.
“Tuck,” I called on him. He jumped slightly at being directly addressed. “What do you think?”
“I…” he stuttered. “It is dangerous, but if there really are people there I think we have to go.”
“No, we don’t,” Tess, the newcomer, spoke up loudly. “Like Eve said, this is suicide! Have any of you ever been to a city? We have, and it’s been years. It’s bound to have gotten worse.”
“Eli?” I asked when Tess was finished.
He glanced at Morgan where she stood at his side. “I’m not willing to risk putting my family in danger, but if there are some willing to go into the city on scout, I’m willing to change course. It could only be temporary. I trust the three of you to keep us safe.”
The majority of the heads in our group nodded, much to my surprise. Maybe they did still trust me with their lives, even if they knew what I was now.
“Let’s put it to a vote then,” Avian said, putting his hands on his hips. “All those in favor of changing course and hiding out while some of us scout the area, raise your hand.”
Every hand but mine, Tess and Van’s went up.
“That’s the majority,” Avian said with a nod. He turned his intense blue eyes on me, his brow furrowed with mixed emotions. “Are you going to be with us Eve, if we change course? Would you go with the scouting party?”
I glared at him. Where had my cautious Avian gone to? Who was this daring risk taker?
“Of course I will go with you,” I said, my jaw tight. “If anyone is going into the city I have to go with them. There’s no other option. I’m the only one that can’t get infected.”
The smallest of a smile formed in the corner of his mouth but I didn’t miss it. I almost returned it.
“Alright,” Avian said, clapping his hands together. “Everyone get ready to go. We’ll get our new destination mapped out and get going as soon as we can. We’ve still got a few hours of darkness left.”
Avian’s instructions were unneeded as no one but the three of us had anything to prep. They were already set to go.
“Crazy idiot,” I muttered under my breath as we turned back to the map. Avian just gave me a smug smile as he started drawing on the map.
A few minutes later we all loaded up, heading out west on the crumbled highway.
“We’ll find somewhere safe to hide everyone for a few days at least,” Avian said as he squinted against the wind that blew in his face. “If everything goes smooth, we’ll get everyone settled in the morning, get some sleep, and then the three of us will head into the city tomorrow night.”
“I’d like to come too, sir, if that’s alright with you,” Tuck said from the driver’s seat.
West chuckled and Avian couldn’t seem to help himself as he cracked a smile. I wondered if anyone had ever called Avian “sir”. “That’s up to you. You seem competent enough with a gun. If you’re willing to take the risk you’re welcome to come.”
Tuck just nodded.
“But what if they need you?” I asked as I glanced at those who were resting around me. “A lot could go wrong.”
Avian’s eyes swept over them and I saw that he had already been having this argument with himself. “I have to go where I think I am most needed. In twenty-four hours that will be in the city. Right now I’m most valuable as a scout, not an ill-trained doctor.”
I held his eyes for a while, wanting to argue with him but knowing I didn’t have any ground to stand on. As much as I didn’t like it, he was right. The likelihood that something would happen just as soon as Avian was unavailable was not very high. It was still too possible though.
“I’m assuming you will be coming with us?” I asked West, who had been unnaturally quiet the last few hours.
“Of course,” he said, his voice almost sounding insulted. “I’m not going to let you and Avian have all the fun.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth he looked like he wished he could take them back. “I mean… uh…”
“We knew what you meant,” I cut him off before this moment could grow any more awkward.
Excitement was tangible in the air as we drove but the uncertainty was thick enough to cut through with a knife.
An hour and a half later, a few looming figures to the south of us drew my attention. They almost looked like… giant birds. “Avian, what are those?”
He squinted in the direction I pointed then he raised his rifle to his eye level to look through the night-vision scope. “They’re planes,” he said as he glanced down at the map in his lap. “This is an old Air Force base. Tuck, pull over.”
“Military?” I asked, my attention perking. “They would have weapons inside somewhere?”
Avian shook his head and shrugged. “Maybe. The base I was stationed at was just abandoned when things started falling apart. Who knows what we’d find in there.”
“Would we have time to go take a look around?” West asked.
Avian looked at the map again. “We’re making good time. We should have about an hour of extra time pretty safe. You really want to go inside? There could be dozens of them in there.”
“It’s really deserty around here,” West said as he looked around us. He was right. There wasn’t even sagebrush growing in the cracked earth. “It looks like there are only a few buildings for there to even be anything in. I doubt this small base attracted them.”
“I think West is right,” I said as I scanned the area. “It doesn’t seem like a likely place for Fallen.”
“Alright,” Avian said as he nodded. “Eve, obviously it’s best if you go in. We’ll stay here and keep an eye out for if anything happens.”
“No way,” West said as he shook his head. “I’m not letting her go in there by herself.”