Chapter 312: On the Road 5

Evelyn Ford picked up the shotgun and checked it—still loaded. The long knife was also razor-sharp. ’They came prepared.’

"How many of them were there?"

"Five. And they had this."

Ronan Kendrick pulled a few bamboo tubes from his pocket. When Evelyn Ford smelled what was inside, her expression darkened.

"It’s a knockout agent. Looks like these bandits are seasoned criminals; this isn’t their first time."

"I’ve dealt with them," Ronan Kendrick said, wiping his dagger clean. "Wake everyone up. We should leave now. There are probably more bandits in these mountains." He glanced at the sky outside. Snow was still falling, and blasts of cold air swept in.

Evelyn Ford stepped out of the wagon and woke Quincy and the others.

"What’s going on?"

Evelyn didn’t explain. "Light the torches. We leave in ten minutes."

Seeing her serious expression, the others didn’t ask any more questions. They immediately got up and packed. The group was ready to move in just five minutes.

Though they were quiet, their movements still woke the group traveling behind them. Those people stared in stunned silence for a long time as they watched them leave.

"What’s going on? Why are they leaving?"

"We should go too. It’ll be safer if we follow them. I’ve heard this road is crawling with bandits."

"I think we should keep our distance. Did you already forget that whole spectacle from today?"

"Enough talk. Let’s follow them. There’s blood on the ground up ahead."

...

Worried about an ambush, Evelyn Ford stood on the front plank of the wagon, scanning the area with night-vision goggles. Ronan Kendrick released Lola and Red Bird to scout the path ahead.

"Will they be okay?"

Ronan Kendrick smiled. "Don’t underestimate their abilities. Birds are very perceptive creatures."

After the two birds flew off, Evelyn could only continue to watch the road ahead and the woods on either side. Ronan Kendrick handed her the Water Cup. She took a sip of hot water, and the warmth soothed her stomach.

"That group behind us is catching up."

Ronan Kendrick nodded. "They probably saw the blood in the snow."

Perhaps she had acclimated to the frigid temperature, but Evelyn didn’t even feel cold anymore. She pulled down her mask to breathe, and when she exhaled, her breath instantly turned into a thick white cloud. Ronan Kendrick stood beside her, watching her childlike display.

"Hold my hand." Evelyn held out her hand. Ronan Kendrick smiled, took her right hand, and tucked it into his pocket.

Half an hour later, Red Bird and Lola returned, circling in front of them and chirping away, though it was unclear what they were trying to say.

"They must have spotted danger," Ronan said. "Don’t worry. They’ll alert us when we get there."

Evelyn stroked Lola’s tail. "Go rest for a bit. When we get to the trap, make sure you let us know, okay?"

The two little creatures landed on Evelyn’s shoulder and head. The group continued on through the night at a steady, unhurried pace.

Half an hour later, the group reached a bend in the mountain road. Lola suddenly squawked. Evelyn and Ronan Kendrick exchanged a look, immediately hopped off the wagon, and began inspecting the road ahead with their torches.

"Careful. There are thumbtacks and long nails scattered here. The ground ahead looks like it’s been disturbed. There’s probably a pit."

After Ronan spoke, he had the others dismount to pick up the tacks before dealing with the pit up ahead.

"So it really was a trap. The pit isn’t deep, but it’s long. There are dozens of thumbtacks and even more nails, and they’re scattered all over. They’re trying to cripple all the livestock in our group."

Miles Vaughn’s face was grim as he let out a string of curses.

"Those sons of bitches. If I ever get my hands on them, I’ll kill them."

"Good thing you two found it in time. If the horses and sheep had gotten hurt, our journey would’ve been delayed again," Wyatt Vaughn said, a look of lingering fear on his face.

"We have these two little treasures to thank this time. They’re the ones who found the trap."

"These birds are practically magical," Wendy said, patting Lola’s head.

"Let’s go after them. It’s infuriating to just let this go."

"Let’s just leave for now. We can talk once we’re out of this mountain range," Ronan Kendrick said, gathering all the nails into a bag and tossing it into the wagon.

The group behind them continued to follow at a distance, and Evelyn had no intention of driving them away.

By the time they emerged from the mountain range, dawn was breaking. They found a dilapidated house and decided to rest there for a few hours.

Evelyn was exhausted after standing guard all night and had no appetite for breakfast. She just rolled over, pulled her blankets tighter, and went back to sleep.

At noon, the snow stopped and the sun came out. After a few hours of rest, the group set off once more.

Traveling like this, in fits and starts, the group finally left Varden nine days later.

"We’re only fifty kilometers from Fairgate now. We should arrive by tomorrow afternoon. There are more and more villages around here, so everyone stay alert."

Taylor Vance passed the map around for everyone to see. They were about to reach the border where three provinces met. The area was known to be chaotic, so they would have to bypass it if possible.

"Those people are still following us. What’s their deal? Are they planning to follow us all the way to Fairgate?"

Zion Lowell smiled. "From the way they act, they’re even more cautious than we are. They’re probably not bad people."

At the tri-province border, service stations, gas stations, and a fair number of restaurants had popped up. The place looked no different from before the apocalypse; it was brightly lit, and a radio was even playing pop music.

"Care for a bite to eat, folks?"

"What are your prices?"

"Got any sheepskins or cowhides?" the proprietress asked, eyeing their livestock.

"No."

"What do you have on the menu?"

"Steamed kudzu root, stewed yam, and coarse-flour buns."

Taylor Vance waved his hand dismissively. "We can’t afford such fine dining. Sorry to bother you."

"Oh, it’s not expensive! Trade me one of those sheep, and the ten of you can eat here for five days."

Taylor Vance kept waving his hand. "Too expensive. These sheep have to be delivered for our superiors. We can’t touch them."

Hearing this, the proprietress scoffed.

"So you’re just a bunch of poor couriers. And here I thought you were big-shot ranchers. Scram, scram! Don’t get in the way of my business."

Taylor Vance led the group away in disgrace. Once they were clear of the border crossing, Quincy couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

"That’s the first time I’ve ever seen Mr. Vance look so flustered. Getting called a poor courier right to his face."

"I got a quick look," Taylor Vance said. "The kudzu was the oldest, toughest part of the root, and that ’yam’ was just a tree root. Those coarse-flour buns were so dark and hard you could kill someone with them. That place is a total scam."

Evelyn nodded. "It’s true. I got a look too. That definitely wasn’t yam, just tree roots."

"A crooked inn, ripping people off. Ptooey!" Quincy spat on the ground behind him. Seeing the other group of travelers who had caught up, he sighed.

"They’re really persistent."

"Let’s get moving. Let’s try to reach Fairgate in one last push."

The wagon wheels began to creak, and the bustling tri-province border was left far behind. At three o’clock the next afternoon, the group arrived in Fairgate.

The county town, now a ruin, was exceptionally silent under the setting sun. A red good-luck cord was still tied around a bleached bone protruding from a pile of rubble.

"We’re heading to Immeasurable Mountain, behind Fairgate. There’s a twenty-mu plot of flat land there."