"I headed east-ish," I said quietly to Shane, walking with him over to the table I had seen him at earlier with Cassidy. I looped my arm around his waist, his arm resting comfortably across my shoulders and continued, "I came across some little dirt road. I don't even know if it'll be big enough to put on a map."

Nodding in the general direction I had taken, he asked, "You went that way through the woods?"

"Mm-hm," I hummed, smiling at the people who walked past us. I couldn't decide if it was funny or offensive when they looked shocked at my apparent friendliness, and wondered if I was actually drawing more attention by being anything less than hostile.

Which, admittedly, I'd been. Like Cam had so astutely observed: I wasn't very friendly. Not anymore.

 A bubbly personality didn't really have a place in this world. It always paid more to be suspicious... Or vicious. You can take your pick.

We got to the table, which had been jury-rigged from some sawhorses and a plank of three-quarter inch plywood. Not one, but three maps had been weighted down with small rocks. I took one look at the maps, which sported various levels of detail about the surrounding area, and couldn't help the small laugh that escaped.

Shane looked down at me, raising an eyebrow in question and I asked, "Are these your maps? Or Lauren's?"

Looking vaguely offended, Shane gestured at the maps and said, "All me, honey. Logistics is the killer of any decent operation."

I laughed again and shook my head, relinquishing my hold on him to lean over the maps. Shane pointed out the most detailed map, which was a mess of squiggly lines and numbers to me.

With a sigh, I sheepishly admitted, "Never was that great with maps."

Mumbling, Shane said, "Good thing there's not really anyone we can ask directions from then. Damn apocalypse saved me a few fights at least."

I raised my eyebrows at him, hand going to my hip. "What was that, honey?"

Shane smiled, looking at me with guileless eyes. "Nothin' babe. Just observing that it's great that we don't fight all that much."

"You are a terrible, terrible liar, Shane," I laughed. "Shut up for a minute and let me concentrate."

Shane snapped off a smart salute, making me laugh again, rolling my eyes before I leaned back over the maps. After a moment of intense silence, he leaned past me and tapped the paper. "We're right here."

"You wanna keep that finger?" I asked innocently, not looking at him and it was his turn to laugh. He came around to my side of the table and rested his chin on my shoulder, looking down at the maps as his arms went around my waist.

Starting at where Shane had indicated the settlement was, I traced what I thought might have been my route through the forest. To my enormous surprise, I found a thin, barely there black line, indicating a road. It even looked like it should be the right distance away from us.

"I think that's it," I said quietly and Shane nodded. With a frown, I said, "We don't really have the gas to wander around in the backwoods here. I'm only like... seventy percent sure that's it."

"Your seventy is better than most people's hundred," he said, his voice filled with confidence. I elbowed his ribs gently and he laughed again, his arms tightening around me.

We both stiffened when a voice said, "Doesn't look like you're working too hard."

We turned, with me grabbing one of Shane's wrists as he let me go, a snarl curling his lip up at the sight of Justin behind us. I glared at him—a look he returned—before we both started when Shane snorted.

With a chilly grin, he said, "Aw, don't you worry 'bout me. I got something pretty big goin'. Just needed to talk a few things over with Raleigh here."

I struggled to keep my face straight, watching Justin whose eyes lit with interest. Before he could open his mouth a second time though, Shane said, "We got enough people. No sense in puttin' anyone else on the line."

"Who do you have?" Justin asked, suspicion thick in his tone.

"My people mostly," Shane replied smoothly. "Figured we'd take a turn out there. Pull our own weight some."

Justin looked like he wanted to argue, but couldn't come up with anything legitimate. Instead, all he did was give me a nasty smile and say, "Careful out there. I hear it can get a little messy."

Leaning forward a little, he tapped at the side of his neck and said, "Missed a spot there, Riley."

"Raleigh," Shane and I snapped. Justin just shrugged before continuing on his way.

 After a moment, I looked up to find Shane watching Justin's retreating back with heavy-lidded, hunter eyes. Tugging slightly at his wrist, I asked, "What's goin' on up there?"

Shane took another moment watching Justin before he turned to me. I caught the flicker of something I couldn't quite name in his eyes before he smiled slightly and said, "I can't wait to see that prick's face." Nodding, he said, "Come on. We've got twenty minutes to go and meet the others."

I frowned as he pulled me to the main gate. Whispering, I asked, "Shouldn't we go through the pecan grove?"

"Nope."

I waited, but he didn't explain, making me sigh as we made our way outside the fences. I resisted the urge to turn back, the curious stares of what was probably several people burning into my back as we left.

After we were out of sight or earshot of the settlement, I finally asked the question I'd been holding my silence on for a while. "How's the leg?"

Shane's eyes closed for a moment in agitation. He couldn't even attempt to hide his limp today. Looking at me from the corner of his eye, he said, "It is what it is."

"No Shane. Sorry, not good enough. I'm playing doctor right now. Tell me like you would have told me before." I pulled him to a stop, forcing him to look at me.

With an irritated sigh, he asked, "What's the point, Raleigh? It hurts, okay? It has for a while. But what can you do about it? I've still got pieces of shrapnel somewhere around my hip, you know that. It's just been buggin' lately is all."

I paled slightly as he started walking again before jogging to catch him. 

Before I could say anything though, he said, "There's nothing you can do, Raleigh. And, baby, I get it. I get how much you hate hearin' somethin' like that. But what could you do to help the fact that the doctors left little bits of Afghan metal right next to a couple nerves?"

I shook my head. They'd left the pieces in because they'd been afraid of damaging the nerves trying to locate the smaller pieces of metal that had lodged into Shane when he'd been hit by that IED. I remembered telling him a long time ago that they would probably always cause him some discomfort.

Whispering, I said, "Shane, you need to be careful. If those things dislodge and... and..." I stopped and took a breath, trying to make this clinical. "They could cut away at a nerve. An artery, maybe into the bone. When it hurts, you gotta know when to stop. You cannot make it worse!"

Granted it was unlikely this would happen, but... still. A little caution never hurt anyone.

There's your life lesson.

Plus, it just... it hurt me to know that he was hurting, you know?

"I don't know that stopping's an option!"

We both inhaled deeply, realizing that we were starting to raise our voices. Shane rubbed a hand down his face and said, "I get that you're concerned and I love you for it, I swear I do. But I can't just sit around. And, you know what? I'll be damned before I let something so fucking stupid cash in my chips."

"So what happens when it hurts so bad you can't run? Or fight. Or do anything, huh?" I threw my hands toward the sky. "Then what, Shane? We... you have to be able to run."

Shane laughed, the sound exceptionally unamused. "What do you want from me, Raleigh? I won't promise that I'll take it easy, because I will not lie to you. And that would be a lie. A bad one. One I can't even pretend to mean."

Now I rubbed at my temple. "I married an idiot," I muttered. Raising my voice, I said, "Fine. I won't ask you to stop, but then you'll put up with taking some Advil and some trigger-point massages. Heat and I'm sure we can figure out something for ice. Needling if I can get my hands on them. Basically, you're going to let me manage the damn symptoms. Deal?"

I figured that maybe if I could take away even a little bit of the pain then I'd at least be doing something.

Something's always better than nothing, right?

"You're the devil, you know that?" Shane asked, looking at me over his shoulder before he stopped and waited until I was standing next to him. He put a finger under my chin, tilting my head up, and kissed me softly. "You're awful pretty for a devil."

"Flattery will not get you out of this." I smiled and kissed him back before we started walking again.

So far, Shane's been right. The shrapnel has yet to do anything nastier than give him a couple sleepless nights.

It was another fifteen minutes before we heard a short whistle and found Kyle standing near a thick screen of kudzu. Making our way over, we smiled at the rest of the group.

Shane admired the natural screen for a moment before he said, "Lauren, Raleigh says the road she went down should be about a half mile toward the east. You know of anything over that way?"

Lauren nodded. "Yeah. There's a little dirt road, heading back into the woods that way." She pointed in the direction I thought I had gone earlier. "Leads to some farms and stuff. They've mostly been burned out though. Overrun if someone had livestock around the place."

"Shane, what do we do if Justin and the guys with him decide to show up and things get... testy?" Kyle asked.

Shane shrugged. "I guess they'll get what's comin' to 'em."

I saw Danny and Cas exchange a look, but no one objected even though we weren't carrying very much firepower. Shane's .45, I'm sure Kyle had something and maybe Lauren did too. But the rest of us were set for zombies. Maybe something hand to hand and that was it.

"Let's load up," I suggested. "The sooner this gets done, the less likely it is Justin will try anything stupid." I paused, considering. "Well... more stupid."

We all climbed into a vehicle, Lauren driving lead and started off toward what I really hoped was the right road.

Sam had somehow ended up in Shane's truck with Shane and myself, and cast me a grateful look when I climbed into the middle.

He'd hit a growth spurt over these last few weeks and it would have been more than a slightly uncomfortable fit. Especially for him and Shane. We both watched out the window silently before Sam turned back to look at me.

He gave me a small, sweet smile and said, "I still don't really like it here."

I could feel the surprise from Shane and myself fill the cab in a palpable way as we both looked over at Sam.

I turned when Shane asked, "Wanna elaborate, Sammy?"

Sam just shrugged, having gone back to looking out the window. "I dunno. It just kinda feels like this place is waiting for something bad." Turning back, he gave me a sheepish grin and said, "I'm probably just being a lunatic though."

Both Shane and I laughed, and I said, "Sam, honey, if you're a lunatic, then that's probably bad news for the rest of us."

"Considering that you're probably the most even-keeled one here," Shane added. "I think you even beat Danny on that."

Sam's mocha skin darkened slightly with a blush and he muttered a 'thank you' before falling silent once more.

I could have just about danced with joy when we found the little dirt road and I started recognizing the area as we drove. I slapped Shane's shoulder lightly and said, "Yeah, this is right."

Then, remembering something, I said, "There should be another lane turning off. I went down that and it led me to the cabin." With a small yelp, I said, "Lauren just passed it!"

Shane hit the horn, sending out a small burst of sound and we immediately saw brake lights. He let the engine idle for a moment, but before he could get out, I turned to Sam. "Go run up there and let Lauren know that she'll have to back up. We've gotta head down that road."

Sam nodded and hopped out, jogging over to the passenger side window to talk to Kyle. I studiously ignored Shane's dirty look, watching as Kyle gave us a thumbs up and Sam came back to us.

Shane wheeled the truck to the right and started slowly down the lane, cursing and wincing at every pothole we hit. I assumed the rough road probably wasn't good for the truck. The others followed, Lauren and Kyle bringing up the rear now once she was able to back up and follow us.

I leaned forward eagerly, wanting to be the first to catch sight of the cabin.

When I did, I was not pleased with what I saw.

Zombies once again surrounded the place, milling around outside the fence, like some kind of dead moat.

I ran my hand through my hair, tying it back into a ponytail. Shane put the truck in park with a sigh, and I saw his lips move as he counted silently to himself.

We both jumped when there was a tap on the window and Shane opened the door.

"I count somewhere around twenty," Kyle offered, arms crossed.

Everyone got out and Shane looked around at our small group. With a small grin he said, "Nine to twenty isn't terrible odds."

Lauren rolled her eyes. Under her breath she muttered, "Marines."

Kyle elbowed her gently. "What's wrong, Army? Afraid you can't keep up?"

Lauren scoffed, grabbing an aluminum baseball bat out of the back of her truck. "You wish. Why don't you just try to keep up with me."

Kyle caught the crowbar she tossed him and grinned.

Danny sighed and looked to Cassidy. "They're like a bunch of kids."

Cassidy laughed, eyes trained on the zombies milling around the small field. "You gotta learn to have a little fun there, Spiers."

Danny rolled her eyes now and I grinned at her, tossing my machete lightly from hand to hand. Shane already had his knife in hand and looked down at me before turning to the others. "Okay, grab a buddy and let's get to it."

Unable to help myself as we started down the small incline I muttered, "Do you have your exit buddy?"

Shane paused, giving me a weird look. "Finding Nemo?"

"Is it worse that I quoted it, or that you recognized it?" I shot back, and Shane frowned as he considered that.

We got about halfway across the valley, long grass swishing against our pants, barely brushing under my knees when the zombies finally noticed us.

"Couple runners," Shane said as we fanned out, falling into natural groups.

Kyle and Lauren had ranged a little to our right with Danny and Cas farther to their right. The kids had bunched up together spread out to our left. I watched as one of the fresher zombies sprinted at Lauren.

She winked at Kyle before swinging the bat, twisting her hips in a beautiful follow-through. I winced a little at the sound. The zombie dropped like a rock, and Kyle looked down at the blood that had spattered his white shirt.

"One," Lauren teased. "Batter up, Navy."

Another of the zombies was coming at Kyle, its lunging motion awkward. I could just make out the glimmer of a broken ankle, the bone poking through the skin as I peered through the grass.

Kyle waited for the thing to come closer, looking almost lazy as he swung, the curved end of the crowbar lodging solidly into the side of the zombie's jaw. His eyes widened in disgust as the power of the swing carried the metal through the dead flesh, tearing the lower portion of the zombie's face away.

He gave the zombie a startled, horrified look as it continued to come after him, emaciated arms reaching toward his shoulder. Kyle flipped the crowbar around and used the flat end to spear the zombie through the eye.

It dropped down, its fingers dragging down his chest, leaving brownish red streaks down his front.

"Gross," I heard Vik shout. "Points off for sloppy performance, Ky!"

Lauren laughed, the bright, happy sound out of place as I beheaded a zombie, Shane nearby taking one to the ground before he stabbed it.

"I love her," I heard Lauren say as I sidestepped to avoid the slow grab of another zombie.

They were starting to close in on us a little.

"Only because she's taking your side," Kyle grumbled, and I caught the mock hurt look he threw Vik and the kiss she blew back at him.

I was distracted for half a second too long and cried out when rotted fingers dug into my shoulder from behind, foul, dead breath cold across the back of my neck.

I heard a shout from Shane and saw from the corner of my eye as he grabbed the zombie by the back of the neck, forcing its mouth away from my vulnerable skin.

The bone poking through at the ends of its fingers ripped open the skin of my bicep as I pulled away. I watched in revulsion as the skin of its neck slipped and slide under Shane's clenched fingers, and the zombie literally tore away from his grasp, coming at me again.

Shane's face twisted up as he slung the rotted flesh to the ground. The zombie growled at me, and I sent my machete through its face.

"That was disgusting," Shane said, coughing a little.

We continued on, fighting through the zombies, most of which weren't moving too fast. They were kinda like really drunk people. Unsteady, with spurts of quick movement, but mostly like they were just trying to stay upright

I had killed maybe about four or five more when I heard a strangled scream of pure agony.

Whirling around, I cried out when I saw Sacha on the ground, blood weeping from between his fingers where his hands were clutching at his leg.

I started to run toward him and the other two, watching as Sam and Vik struggled desperately to keep the six or so zombies around them from getting at Sacha.

I couldn't figure out why he wasn't getting up as I ran over.

I was barely twenty yards from them when a heavy weight crashed into my side, knocking me to the ground. Disoriented, I shook my head and looked up to find a zombie's crumbling teeth way too close to my face. With a harsh scream I brought my hands up, fingers digging into the soft throat, blood squishing out to run down my arms in viscous streams.

Trying to dislodge the zombie, I bucked my hips up before I slammed the heel of my hand into the thing's nose. There was a sound like rotten wood giving, and the zombie stopped struggling. Breathing raggedly, I scrambled out from under it and gagged as I realized I'd pushed the bone of the zombie's nose up into its brain.

But I didn't dwell on it when I heard Vik cry out desperately and saw Sacha yank a zombie down next to him before stabbing into its temple.

I started running again, ribs aching a little from the tackle and whacked the head off a zombie bearing down on Sam's unprotected back.

I saw from the corner of my eye as another zombie fell near Sacha, and he used his knife-free hand to drag himself sideways. The zombie bore down over the top of him and he dropped to a forearm.

I heard a strange metallic snapping and there was another scream from Sacha that stopped my heart, but I couldn't do anything about it.

Another zombie stumbled in to me, but I saw Vik running toward her brother and begged whatever power might be listening not to take one of my kids from me.

There were several more minutes of furious, blind fighting and then... that was it.

It was over.

Dead things lay strewn in pieces all around the field, and the only sound that broke the silence was our ragged breathing. I straightened from where I had thrown a zombie to the ground before killing it and didn't want to turn around.

I couldn't bear to think of what had caused the blood on Sacha's leg. Or what had caused the second scream as that other zombie had fallen on him.

I couldn't bear the responsibility of turning around and seeing the bite mark, and having to try and get Vik to understand there was nothing I could do.

Thankfully I didn't have to when Shane swept pass me, dropping to the ground next to Sacha.

He batted the kid's hands aside and froze, looking up at me, shock written across his face.

"What the fuck?" he asked, and curiosity finally got the better of me.

I came closer to find that what had bitten Sacha wasn't a zombie.

Shane held up the chain, the jaws of the trap still embedded firmly in Sacha's lower leg and I swallowed hard. There was another, smaller trap biting into his forearm.

"Is that a... a beaver trap?" Cassidy asked incredulously from beside me. I turned to find her covered in gore, much like the rest of us, and I think I nodded. She swore at the sharp teeth tearing into Sacha and said, "They modified it. They welded those teeth on."

Kyle shook his head. "What?"

"Sharp teeth like that—" she pointed at the sharp pieces of metal that were impaling Sacha "—they ruin the pelt. That trap's too small for bear. It's beaver, but it's been changed. Someone made it that way."

Numbly, I said, "Justin said there were trip wires. Small things so that he'd know if anyone came through here."

Suddenly, snapped back into reality, I realized that Sacha was bleeding badly. I hurried over and looked at the sharp spikes of metal trying to take a chunk out of Sacha's calf. I swallowed hard when I could make out the shiny white of his Achilles. In some places, the teeth had driven all the way through his leg.

Dropping to my knees, I smacked Shane's hands away and said, "Don't touch. You might cut his Achilles. He won't be able to walk."

"We have to get them off," Shane said, somber grey eyes meeting mine.

"I know, I know!" My eyes flicked up to Sacha, who was looking at me. His green eyes were so steadfast that it calmed me slightly. If he wasn't panicking, then I couldn't panic.

Taking a breath, I looked at the cabin and said, "Okay. Okay." I blew out another shaky breath trying to snap into cool, collected doctor mode.

I looked at the trap that had its teeth buried in his arm and sighed when I realized this one at least wasn't too bad. Not as many teeth had punched into the flesh so it could wait, but his leg wouldn't.

Looking up, I said, "Kyle, I need you to get me anything you can find from the cabin. I know I saw some medical in there. We're probably going to have to stitch this. And I'll need a way to try and stop the bleeding."

Kyle nodded and took off, sprinting full out across what remained of the yard, hurtling bodies, Lauren right behind him.

Looking up at Shane, I said, "You're going to help me get this thing off him."

"No!" Cas said, startling me. "I'll do it. I used to use these things hunting with my grandpa when I was a kid."

Vik gave her a weird look and Cas shrugged defensively. "Pelts bring money in. He didn't have a ton of other options going for him, plus he enjoyed hunting. I didn't really like trapping, but it also kept us fed."

Shane immediately made room for Cas, but I waved him back.

"You're going to have to hold him still. You too Danny." I looked at Sacha, whose eyes were getting glassy. I don't know how much he understood when I said, "Sacha. You cannot move. You need to stay still, otherwise it might severe your Achilles. Okay?"

He nodded drunkenly and Shane sat right behind him, with Sacha's back resting against his chest and wrapped his arms around Sacha tightly, laced over him like a seat belt to try and keep him still.

Danny held his leg down, hands pressing into his thigh, while I instructed Sam to try and immobilize his foot.

Cas muttered something under her breath before she looked at me. "Ready?"