We fly through the field as fast as we can, reaching the other side within a couple of minutes. We duck down at the sight of an Enforcer truck rocketing up the main road to the left of us, watching as they holler and yell, heading straight for the inferno that we caused.

Standing back up, we leg it into the trees, weaving our way through the woodland for as long as we can. 

Lyla slows to a walk first, breathing heavily, her hand on her chest as she peers back, wide-eyed, at the way we came.

I stop beside her, giving her a reassuring smile. "We're far enough away. We can walk."

"Are you sure?" Lyla murmurs.

Carl rounds on his heels and nods slowly at the scared brunette dressed in black. Rayden's widow.

Reaching out, I rest my hand against a tree, leaning against it and clutching my other hand to my side. "I think I have a stitch," I groan.

Carl chuckles. "Somehow, I think I ran through mine."

Lyla smiles at us. "We shouldn't have eaten before we came."

"I suppose," I murmur. "Although without it, I wouldn't even be functioning right now." Sliding down the trunk, I let my legs rest for a moment. Carl and Lyla follow suit. The sounds of our racing breaths ricochet around the trees.

My head drops between my thighs and I close my eyes, focusing on the cold December air that touches my bare cheeks. Reaching into the pocket of my coat, I pull out my black beanie hat and yank it over my blonde hair.

"Do you reckon they've made it through the wall yet?" Lyla asks after a minute.

I smile at the idea, the thought of Riley whooping and hollering his excitement if they have. "Hopefully," I answer softly, opening my eyes and looking at them both.

"Definitely," Carl counters. I can just about make out his reassuring grin in the moonlight.

"They did promise me that they'll be back, so..." I trail off with a smile. "I have full confidence in their plan."

Lyla nods, seemingly happy with my answer as she rests her head back against the trunk and closes her eyes.

I do the same, focusing on how my heart is beating uncontrollably, desperately urging it to slow down. Whether it's the amount of physical exercise, or the nerves that prickle my body at the idea of potentially being caught, I don't know... but it takes more than five minutes before I feel calm enough to open my eyes. 

Lowering my head, I can still make out Carl's silhouette in the darkness. "We should probably move soon," I murmur. "We don't want them coming out this way looking for us."

"I think Lyla's asleep," Carl replies.

I smile, a low chuckle leaving my lips. "I don't blame her. That shit was freaking exhausting."

He responds with a similar laugh.

Reaching behind me for the tree, I use it to stabilise myself and stand. I peer beyond the bark, back in the direction we came. An orange hue decorates the sky and I smile once more.

"They haven't got the fire under control yet," I report to Carl.

He hums before I hear him get up. "That means most of them will be tackling it, not out here looking for us."

I nod, staring at the warmth that fills the night sky. Behind me, Carl wakes Lyla up, telling her that we have to keep moving while we still can. Reluctantly, I turn away from the evidence of our destruction and dig my dim torch out of my pocket.

"Are we ready?" I ask softly. Murmurs of agreement are returned so I turn the torch on and step forward, weaving through the trees once more. The others do the same, following me in a fast walk as we head East through the trees.

I use the compass in my hand to help navigate, and once we reach the end of the treeline, we turn North instead, walking up until we hit the main road, sprinting across it, and stepping into the fields that follow.

According to my watch, it's over two hours after we set the fire before we reach our destination. 

The truck is hidden at the end of an overgrown track and I breathe a sigh of relief, falling towards it as exhaustion claws up my legs.

The door is gently pushed open, the occupant stepping out of the driver's seat and lifting a torch towards us.

"Right on time," the brunette Ryan comments. He's one of Riley's most trusted friends, according to the tattooed blonde himself.

Carl reaches him first, whacking his hand on his back in greeting.

"We made it," Lyla exhales. She doesn't even stop before hauling the back door open and climbing onto the seat.

"Did everything go well?" Ryan asks.

"Yeah," I confirm before following Lyla, sliding in beside her and slamming the door closed behind me.

Carl and Ryan talk outside for another few minutes before they get into the truck, Ryan switching it on before slowly inching out of the undergrowth and turning around, heading into the field on our right, driving through it to reach the road.

My eyes flutter shut. I can hear Lyla's quiet snores already as the boys chatter quietly between themselves.

Lifting my hands to my chest, they absentmindedly play with the metal tags around my neck, a small smile working its way onto my face before the hum of the engine lulls me to sleep.

*~*~*

I wake the minute we fall into a pothole and groan, sitting up straight and peering out the front windscreen just as we turn onto the driveway of the farm. We're back.

The small vehicle — small compared to my last truck anyway — rumbles to a stop inside the large barn doors before the engine is switched off. I close my eyes at the eerie silence that follows before Ryan shoves the door open and steps out of the driver's door. Lyla groans before following suit.

"Come on, Kayla," Carl's voice is soft and I open my eyes to find him standing beside the truck with his arm outstretched.

Smiling at him, I take his hand before jumping out and onto the dirty ground.

The barn is empty of everything bar the truck, everything returned to how it looked before we arrived. I nod my head, turning to look at Ryan as he brushes the sole of his shoes over the tyre tracks, disguising them.

"Everyone's inside the house?" I ask.

"Yeah." Ryan nods. "Pippa, Pete and a couple of their friends claimed the bedroom. The rest have filled up the other rooms."

"Good," I say with a smile. "And guarding the premises?"

Ryan reels off five names and I nod before frowning.

"Didn't we agree on six?"

Ryan nods before throwing a rucksack over his shoulder. "Want me to do it, boss?"

I fiercely shake my head at him. He smiles before ducking out of the barn. He's done enough for one night.

"Lyla, Carl, you should go and get some rest," I tell the other two. Lyla's grateful smile is enough to warm my heart before she leaves the barn, no doubt running into the warm house.

Carl stays where he is, one brow slanted downward. "And if I go and get some rest? What are you going to do?"

I step around him, picking the candlelit lantern up before leaving the barn. He follows, and together, we close the doors. 

"I'm going to join them on lookout," I tell him.

"No, you're not."

"Excuse me?"

Carl shakes his head at me. "Excuse my bluntness, Kayla, but I don't think that's a good idea."

"I'm the one in charge of everyone's safety here," I bat back.

"You have to be well rested to be a good leader," he argues.

I swallow the lump in my throat and shake my head. "I'm fine."

Carl hums under his breath. "Riley told me that you haven't been sleeping well. Nightmares—"

My eyes blaze at him. "He had no right to say that!" 

Carl lifts his hands in surrender. "Maybe not. But he did, so..." He trails off before pointing up towards the farmhouse. "Please, just listen to me for one night. You did good out there."

"I..." I trail off. The fight inside me is dwindling fast. I am exhausted...

"Tomorrow you're going to have to start thinking about the future. At least approach that with the best headspace possible," he says softly.

Shifting on my feet, I shove my hands into my pockets and finally give in. It makes sense. 

"I'll only take watch for an hour. Then I'll wake someone else," he promises me.

Accepting his words, I tell him to be careful, and not to stay on guard longer than he's told me he will before heading up towards the house. Stepping inside the warm building, I make my way into the bathroom and splash my face with water before doing my business.

I descend the stairs within five minutes, finding my rucksack in the corner of the kitchen and setting up camp in the right hand corner of the tiny living room. 

Surprisingly, I feel more peaceful than I have all week. Maybe it's the success of our plan. My driving. The fire. The group escaping South. Maybe it's Riley.

Whatever it is, there's a smile on my lips as I drift off to sleep.