Dedicated to @meritamustafa333

James turned the truck around and hesitated, thinking better of the direction be would take. He turned around again pulling up next to Macallan's window.

Macallan watched from his truck lifting his hands up in frustration. "Damn which way you gonna go!" He shouted out loud.

"Sorry man," James went on unaffected by Macallan's outburst. "Look do you know that little store that sits next to the deer processing plant? That's where I wanna go. We'll go further up to Petty Rd and circle back to it on Mcgougin Rd . The more we stay to these back roads the better."

Macallan nodded.

James put the truck in drive, backed out and headed north with Macallan hot on his heels.

They reached Petty turnoff, a country road that circled through forested terrain east of the community of Appleton and took them several miles north before they would take the Silver Road cutoff to Mcgougin road and get to the convenience store. James wanted to avoid those more travelled interstates. He decided once they gassed up they could head back north and take the back roads up to his cabin in Mentone, a place far enough in the woods to give them cover until something else could be planned. They were all exhausted and needed water and something to eat. He just hoped that what they needed would still be available in the store most namely the gas. Then he would break the news about where they were going.

As he drove the girls whispered quietly among themselves and he continued to plan but an abrupt question from Lacy interrupted his mental ruminations.

"James? What do you think happened to my dad?"

For a moment James sat in shocked silence. It wasn't so much the question she asked because it would be a normal process considering the circumstances. No, he was shocked because she asked him. She didn't know him well for one thing and he admitted to himself he hadn't been particularly nice to her for another. He gathered his wits because he could see she was watching him intently. Waiting patiently which for her was an anomaly all to itself.

He would have to choose his words carefully.

"Mmm. Well," he stuttered. He cringed because those weren't exactly wise words . Ugh.

Her foot began to tap on the floor board of the truck and James noticed that now the girl with her, her cousin, was now staring at him as well. Double ugh.

Dammit James what's wrong with you? A frustrated sigh escaped his lips but he concentrated on the road ahead of them.

"So what do you think," she asked again.

"Alright," he started gruffly. "I'm honestly not sure. But think about how Jonnie acted back at the bar. It was like she had almost super human strength. She wasn't herself. And she seemed fixated on getting you alone with her, but, for now I don't want you to worry. Once we get to a safe place we'll work on figuring it all out. It's not like any of us could know what's going on. Yet. I have a cabin of sorts in a neighboring town and that's where we'll go. There's a ham radio system in it. I can contact my boys from my old unit and hopefully get ahead of this thing. Until then, anything can happen so I need you girls to keep frosty, and let's all work together. And that means no more arguing with your boyfriend. I'm going to need his help. I will also reiterate to both of you, don't. trust. anyone. Its just too dangerous right now."

James felt her stiffen up next to him and grit his teeth.

"Look. James. Macallan Crete is not my boyfriend. He hates my guts. And I'm not really too fond of him either. He was the last person on the list of people I tried to get help from when this all started! So drop the boyfriend analogy because I can't stand him and he can't stand me. As for trust, I wouldn't trust Macallan Crete with my dog, if I had one that is. So if this is about trust, he's the last person on earth-"

"Holy shit!" James interrupted her little tirade and she looked out the windshield and sucked in a breath of amazement, and looked at Krisslyn with her eyes wide. Krisslyn's mouth fell open too, at the sight stretched out before them.

"What on earth," Krisslyn whispered.

"What the holy hell," James blurted. "Do not get out of the truck girls. You hear me? Not until I say its safe. Y'all hear me? I said, do y'all-"

"Yesssss," both Lacy and Krisslyn breathed barely above a whisper.

James nodded resolutely as he pulled off the road near to the convenience store where he had hoped to find gas and snacks and instead found a massive group of towns people gathered. In the rear view mirror he watched as Macallan and Dylan also pulled behind him both of them jumping eagerly out of Macallan's truck, they approached James' window.

The expressions on their faces mirrored his. Shock and awe.

Macallan was the first to find his voice.

"Holy crap the whole town must be here!"
He bent down to look into the truck. "Is Kriz doing okay," he asked Lacy.

Both Lacy and Krisslyn nodded in unison both too speechless to say much.

An event not lost on James as just moments before Lacy was anything but quiet.

"C'mon James," Macallan nodded in the direction of the crowd, "let's go see what's happening."

James pushed open the truck door giving Lacy a stern look to remind her that he wanted them to stay put and eased his tall muscular frame to stand on the road and take in the surroundings.

Macallan peered back in giving Lacy a look. "C'mon Lacy are you coming?"

Both she and Krisslyn shook their heads but saying nothing. Macallan frowned but shrugged. "Okay, suit yourself."

James turned to him. "I suggested they wait here for now Mac, because hell we don't know what we're walking into here yet and your all gungho. Let's just hang back a minute."

Macallan smirked at James' cautiousness but Dylan was nodding in agreement.

So the three of them stood there just looking at the chaos, while James tried to catch a hint of conversations going on around them.

There were only four other vehicles counting James and Macallan's trucks and closer to the store an older model military panel truck covered with a faded OD green tarp. Did all these people just walk here, he wondered.

He took particular interest in the military vehicle and tried to get a look at the men standing around it, when a shout rang out as a few people recognizing Macallan and Dylan came trotting hurriedly toward them. They all started talking at once, a confusing babble of fear and fatigue but as the crowd slightly shifted James got a clear look at the three men he had been trying to see. And one of them looked right at him.

"Well I'll be damned," he whispered mostly to himself. He looked back at the girls still sitting tight, thankfully. "I'm going to speak with the men that have that truck," he pointed out. "I'll be right back."

Lacy nodded mutely and James strode off into the crowd.

Macallan watched him leave and bent down to the window to see Lacy.

"Where's he going?"

Lacy shrugged. "I don't know Macallan. Why don't you go ask him," she retorted sharply.

Krisslyn shot straight up. "He wants to go talk to those army dudes," she supplied much to Lacy's irritation.

"Ohh, I see," Macallan replied drily giving Lacy a scowl. "What's wrong with you Lacy?" He demanded.

"Oh go to hell Mac. It's none of your business anyway what's wrong with me, I mean you only tried to shoot my dad, so yeah I'm sure everything is A-ok." She sniped back.

"Wow really?" He glared at her jutted chin.

His face scrunched up and his eyes narrowed and Lacy almost laughed at him but held her stubborn position.

"Yeah really! Go away Macallan. Why don't you go try to find out what's going on here and don't worry about me. I am fine and I don't need your help." She crossed her arms across her chest in a huff and Krisslyn giggled. Lacy shot her a glare too.

Macallan's jaw clenched. He shook his head with disgust. "Fine. The next time someone aims a gun at your head I'll make sure I look the other way," he said and strolled off.

"Screw you Macallan Crete!" Lacy yelled.

But he didn't even seem to hear her as he grabbed Dylan and the two of them headed for the little store.

Lacy's lips pursed into an angry pucker and she looked at Krisslyn accusingly.

"Do me a favor cuz, and don't give Macallan Crete any excuses to irritate me please."

"Sorr-eeeee, Lacy. But you don't have to be so mean to him gosh, he's only trying to help and I haven't seen him being an asshole." Krisslyn replied flippantly.

"Really Kriz? Oh? Let's see. He only left me hanging at the farm for almost the whole night, in the barn no less because he wouldn't answer his phone then he just showed up at the Jug like he was out on some kind of a field trip. Ugh. He hates me Kriz. When you gonna see that?"

"He doesn't hate you Lacy."

"Well you coulda fooled me! I'm done talking about it now anyway he isn't worth the breath. Now, let's go find James."

"Oh noooo, he said for us to wait here and we're gonna," Krisslyn sassed resolutely.

"Fine then, be my guest but I want some answers and I'm not waiting here like a good puppy," Lacy huffed bouncing over to the door. She got out and stalked off in the direction of the military truck James had pointed out earlier.