"I trust him," Asia answered with a squeeze to Denver's hand. Keller took in a breath like he'd been without oxygen for minutes.

     Denver slightly nodded closing his eyes, "Okay. Do it." This time he squeezed Asia's hand and placed it over his heart.

      "First, it's going to hurt like hell." Keller sat up on his hunches getting closer to Denver. "Because it's swollen." He grimaced as he pulled the t-shirt sleeve over Denver's dislodged shoulder.

      Denver opened his left eye while keeping the other one closed, "Are you trying to freak me out?" He grunted when Keller picked up his left arm.

      "Being real," Keller told holding Denver's hand firmly. "Hold him down." He instructed Asia once again.

      This time she followed his directions. Denver lied back on the sand willingly. Asia sat her hands on Denver's chest resting all of her body weight on him. Denver clung to the back of Asia's overalls.

      Keller unfolded his leg and wedged it between Denver's armpit, "1..." He began counting.

      Denver heaved with a trembled to his leg. "Where did you find this guy?" He asked Asia through clenched teeth.

      "Just close your eyes." She ordered reading the agony painted on his face, wrinkled eyebrows and a haze of perspiration over his face. "You got this." She told him and he closed his eyes.

       "Like hell!" Denver's voice escalated into a scream as his arm was pulled and his joint popped back into its socket.

     "Done." Keller dropped Denver's hand and rose to his feet.

       "You jackass!" Denver fragilely inspected his shoulder. "You didn't finish counting!"

      Keller swiped the sand off his cargo pants, "You were too busy talking to her to hear me." He jerked his backpack back on. "We need to go." He situated his eyes on Asia, who was still sitting on the ground. "His scream is going to bring the Hunters."

      "The Hunters." Denver frantically looked from Keller to Asia. "Is that what you call them?"

      "That's what he calls them." Asia's voice was muffled as she laced the dead man's boots back on. She huffed as she rose back up, "So, where are we going, G.I Joe."

      "We follow the river." Keller began walking. "North. Until we get to Dallas."

      Denver grabbed Asia's arm's halting her steps, "Dallas." He watched Keller as he kept walking ahead. "He's crazy if he thinks we're walking all the way to Dallas."

       Asia opened her mouth but Keller spoke, "Dallas marks the end of Tranquility Woods." He slowly turned around. "Once we're out the woods, they'll have a hard time hunting us."

      Denver pulled Asia closer to him drawing her attention away from Keller, "We need to go back." He glanced back to the dense trees. "Find everyone else."

      "If you go back you'll get caught." Keller stabbed his finger in Denver's direction. "They'll take you. Reprogram you and your life is over." Keller invaded their huddle. "You no longer belong to you."

      Denver pulled Asia away, again. "I told you, he's crazy. Reprogram?"

      "He's not crazy, Den." Asia pulled her arm away from him. "You don't know what's going on."

       "Wolf DNA. Test tube babies. OXRO." Denver used his fingers to list the things he learned along the way. "I know. The Hunters told us." He spat out the word hunters like it was drenched in lemon juice.

     "Us?" The word caused Asia's eyebrows to rise.

     Denver dropped his head and then wiped his eyes before looking back at Asia. "Leslee and I..." He breathed deeply trying to push back his emotions. "There was a wreck and when I came too...she was gone."

      Asia held her mouth as her eyes began to water. "She's dead." Her voice was but a whisper.

     "I don't know." Denver combed his right hand through his ruffled hair. "I checked the grave...no body. I checked the house and it was empty."

      "They took her." Keller clung to the backpack straps. "And if we...." His voice cut off and his hand flew to his neck.

        "Keller!" Asia called as her eyes traveled to the area his hand grasped at. He dropped to his knees as his body began to vibrate. She followed his descent to the ground pulling his hand away. A two-inch glass cylinder protruded from his neck. She pulled the tube out displaying a needle. Asia called his name once more and he looked at her with pupils the size of dimes. Then he killed over as his body convulsed like a fish out of water.

       "Asia!" Denver yelled.

       She shifted her head towards Denver but before she could focus her eyes on him, she felt the sting of a thousand bees penetrated the side of her neck. She collided to the ground as the cool river water washed her hand. Her hearing was the first to go, then her sight. For a few seconds, her consciousness was her only friend. She replayed the last day over in her mind, remembering the eerie feeling she got when they traveled past the time. She wished she would have paid attention to it, turned back and went home. Now, it was too late. Her body was limp and her mind went to sleep.