"I'm winnin' so shut up!" the old man yelled back.

"Why you even let Herbert come here is beyond me," the old woman spat at her husband. Nathan was glad someone else didn't like Herbert.

"He don't bite my head off," the old man said as Nathan finished grabbing his stuff.

"Keep that gun handy," Nathan told the old man.

"I will. It beats my old six shooter. You be safe out there and keep the young'uns safe," he said as Nathan walked outside with a wave.

He distributed the cans between their three packs. "Okay, let's go and set up camp. I want to hear what the moron in charge has to say," Nathan said as he started off down the road.

After a few miles, they walked a few hundred yards off the road till they were by a large pond, which had the kids freaking out. "Hey, we have to have water and I'm not in the mood to carry it," Nathan told them.

Nathan spread out his stuff and watched as Amanda moved her blankets beside his. Shaking his head, Nathan noticed John moving his sleeping bag closer.

"Amanda, you have first watch of four hours. John you have the last four hours. I'll take the middle called the s.h.i.t shift," Nathan told them. "Now we take wh.o.r.e baths every other day and a full bath on the others," he told them.

"What's a wh.o.r.e bath?" Amanda asked, confused.

"What you did last night, washing out of a cup of water," he said.

"Why's it called a wh.o.r.e bath?" she asked.

As he unpacked his pack, Nathan looked up. "In between customers that's how wh.o.r.es would wash," he said.

"What the h.e.l.l did their customers buy that stunk that bad?" Amanda asked and John fell over laughing.

"They-" Nathan froze as he looked at Amanda's inquisitive and innocent face. "I'll tell you some other time," he said, taking off his vest.

"That's not fair. John knows," she said, looking at John who was smiling at her. "Oh I guess you think it's funny you know and I don't?" she popped off.

"No," he said, still smiling.

"Then why are you smiling?" Amanda demanded with a very grumpy face.

"Y'all haven't made fun of me all day and have just been real nice to me, like friends," he said with an open-mouthed grin.

"Why would I make fun of you?" Amanda asked. "Momma told me I couldn't make fun of other people because it hurts their feelings. I know when some girls at school make fun of me because I'm so skinny and don't wear a bra it hurt my feelings."

Agreeing wholeheartedly, John nodded. "It does hurt my feelings, but y'all haven't done it."

Nathan leaned over. "And we won't," he told John. "If I say something bad to you it means we are getting ready to fight but I kinda like you so I don't see that happening. We are friends here," Nathan told John as he grabbed the radio.

"I ain't ever had a real friend," John said. "Except on X-Box and Facebook," he added.

"Those are just people," Amanda said, laying out Ares' blanket.

Nathan strung up the clothesline and hung up a sheet. Then he got the shower bag and hung it up behind the sheet. Walking over to his pack, he pulled out a five-gallon collapsible jug. "John, your duty every time we set up camp is to fill this jug and hang it where I've got the clothesline. Amanda, your job every morning is making sure all the water bottles are full," he said.

"Oh, I get the girl job," Amanda said, flipping her hand at Nathan.

"It weighs over forty pounds," he said.

"My pack weighs over thirty and I carry that," she said smartly.

"On your back," Nathan said. "John, get out your water pump today and alternate between everyone's every day. Today take Wonder Woman and see if she can carry the jug," Nathan told John, but he was looking at Amanda. Nathan pulled the stove out of John's pack, figuring it had enough fuel for tonight as he set up and started some water boiling. Then he set up his fuel tab stove and started more water boiling for a dozen eggs.

Looking up, he saw Amanda giving everything she had to toting the water, sitting it down every few feet and shaking her hands. Finally she stepped back and let John pick it up and carry it over. In her defense, even John's actions showed it was heavy. Nathan helped him hang the water up. Then, reaching into the bag from the store, he pulled out the clothes for John and tossed them over.

"Gee, thanks," John said, holding them up.

"We'll get you some more clothes in a few days," Nathan said. "You shower first then go to the lake and wash your clothes. Then you, Wonder Woman. I'll go last. I want to be done in an hour so we can hear the broadcast after we've eaten," he said as John stood up and took his shirt off. Nathan grabbed the shower bag and filled it with the cold lake water and dumped a pot of hot water in. Shaking the bag, he put his hand in to find it warm. "Hang it up," he said, holding the bag out to John. Nathan noticed the red areas on John's body were nowhere near as raw looking as they'd been last night.

While John was showering Amanda leaned over to Nathan. "John looks like he lost weight today," she said in a low voice.

"Oh I'm sure he did," Nathan said. "I wouldn't be surprised if he lost five pounds, maybe a little more," he added.

Raising her eyebrows, she said, "I thought you couldn't lose that much in a day."

"Under normal circ.u.mstances yes, but this isn't normal. I'm sure John was used to eating what you would eat in a week for one meal," Nathan said.

"You would die if you ate that much," she said, leaning back.

"No, you'd be surprised," Nathan said, taking his shirt off.

Amanda pulled her shirt up to her nose. "Wow I stink," she said, grabbing her shirt to pull it off. Nathan leaned over, grabbing her arms to stop her.

"You are a girl and don't have a bra on," he said, leaning back.

She looked at him in shock. "Last night you made a fuss when I talked about wearing panties and bras and today you complain I don't wear a bra," she said, letting her hands fall into her lap. "Make up your mind," she said.

"It's the same thing. You're a little girl," Nathan said, and Amanda didn't like the way he called her a little girl.'

Seeing John walking to the lake, she stood up and stomped off to the shower. Ares looked at Nathan. "Don't look at me, I don't know," he said to Ares. Not understanding, Ares laid his head down, staring at the bag of hamburgers that smelled real good. He was kind of hoping one of those might end up his.

Once Amanda finished, Nathan ran over and showered after filling the bag up again. Drying off, he looked for his dirty clothes and didn't see them. Putting on some clean ones he walked down to the lake to find Amanda scrubbing his clothes. "I could wash them," Nathan said.

She turned around and looked up at him, her hair wrapped in a towel. "I was washing mine so I just grabbed yours," she said then turned around and continued. He smiled and left her gently singing a song softly to herself. It was from that boy pop star. Shaking his head, he walked back to the camp as Ares headed over to Amanda.

"Oh, you'll go check on her but not me," Nathan said as Ares walked past. Ares never paid him any attention.

A few minutes later Amanda joined them and they ate the burgers, Ares getting his fair share. Then they sat and waited on the broadcast. The radio station suddenly came on and they all listened as a woman announced the President.

"My fellow Americans. We have been hit with something the likes of which mankind has never before faced. Let me a.s.sure you, America and her allies will survive. Power outages on the North American continent are reported at ninety-eight percent. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has a.s.sured me that steps are being taken to get the plants back on line. As many of you have heard, I have ordered Martial Law in all cities with a population over one hundred thousand. This is to maintain civil authority. I have signed an Executive Order limiting the Interstate travel of civilians.

"Travel within the state will be dictated by the local governments. I have urged the governors to declare martial law when and where needed. We cannot have people moving from city to city as we drop off food and supplies, taking away from those that live there. Food shipments started going out to every major city in America two days ago with the military transporting and dispensing the food. Now to make sure people only get what is allotted to them a national identification card is being issued to each person at time of the first pick up. You must bring proof of who you are and it will be checked with the Social Security Administration and the FBI.

"I must warn you not to try to falsify your ident.i.ty. The issuing people will have access to the information and anyone trying to falsify their ident.i.ty will be detained. All those that are detained will have to wait until this crisis has ended before they get their day in court. I have been told by several experts that it will take several months to do this.

"All those in the martial law zones will turn over all firearms effective immediately. We must remove the weapons so criminals cannot have access to them. In New York alone they have lost two hundred and seventeen officers since this event started. I'm told that the story is the same across the country. Any person that does not turn over firearms to the police when ordered can and will be detained. Resistance to the confiscation of firearms can be viewed as the need for deadly force. The ATF and Homeland Security are a.s.sisting in the removal of firearms from the martial law zones. Rest a.s.sured once the crisis is over the weapons will be returned to their owners."

Hearing that, Nathan scoffed as the President continued.

"I have signed another Executive Order suspending all mortgage and rent payments, but taxes are still due. Since this crisis has thrown so much confusion into our economy I'm postponing due date for taxes till June the first. You need to make arrangements to pay your part. If you cannot ascertain how much you made due to this event you are to use the prior year's taxes as your guide. Make arrangements with your local tax a.s.sessor's office. The IRS will be able to gain access to your account to help you make your payment. No refunds will be sent out for obvious reasons.

"Now, as many of you have heard, China and the Soviet states are at war with each other. I have sent diplomats to each side to see if we can get the war stopped in this time of global crisis. In the Middle East, Iran launched what was thought to be a nuclear warhead at Israel but it was shot down by their defense system. Israel retaliated with four nuclear strikes against Iran and has closed its borders. No other exchange from either has occurred and again we've sent envoys to pursue peace.

"Until this crisis is over I will be making weekly radio addresses, as will the heads of both parties. Every day at this time on the broadcast network, daily updates will be given. Let's stand together and unite to get America going again," the President finished up. Another man came on then and started going over firearm collection points in cities across the country.

The man was rattling off details, but Nathan didn't hear anything as he leaned back against his pack. Amanda looked at Nathan, "What's that mean?" she asked.

Not even looking at her, Nathan said, "We're f.u.c.ked."

Chapter 2.

Day 7 John was sitting up with his back against the tree, looking out across the lake. Every few minutes he would turn his head around and gaze back into the woods. When it was dark he used the cool NVG to see what was out there. He had seen a few deer and a racc.o.o.n by the lake, and had watched it catch a fish. He had never felt so good in his life. Nathan and Amanda were the coolest people he had ever met.

Nathan talked to him and not down at him. John loved learning about the woods and guns. Thinking about guns, he looked down in his lap at the Taurus lying there. Nathan had said if he played with it he would spank him and bite off his finger. Just to be sure holding it in your hand wasn't playing with it, John left it in his lap. If someone tried to get them in camp then he would use it.

John had thought about that last night and knew he would use the gun if someone tried to hurt any of them. He wasn't losing these two for anything. They had not once called him any names, and they included him in everything. Nathan even checked him every day to make sure he was doing good with his infection.

Though he would never admit it, John hated being fat. When people made fun of him he would come home and just eat and play on the computer. His mom would hug him and try to make him feel better but it never helped.

Thinking of his mom, John started crying softly. She was the only person before Nathan and Amanda who had never made fun of him. She made him laugh, and she'd listen to him talk about his games. His mother was the only thing he missed from the old world, and he hoped she was happy in heaven. He prayed she could see him now. At the store yesterday he had stepped on a scale beside the door after he took off his pack and he almost pa.s.sed out. He had lost almost thirty pounds since the power went off and now was less than three hundred pounds.

John noticed the sky was getting brighter and looked at his watch that Nathan had given him, seeing it was almost six. Carefully laying the pistol beside him, he crawled over and tapped Nathan on the shoulder and Nathan lifted his head up. "It's almost six, sir," John whispered to him.

Nathan sat up, rubbing his face. "Anything happen?" he asked John.

"Just some animals," John said. Making sure the safety was on, John picked up the pistol, ejecting the magazine and taking out the live round. Putting the bullet back in the clip John put the magazine back and handed the pistol to Nathan.

"Keep it, but still don't play with it," he told John, yawning.

"Thank you sir," John said, putting the pistol on his pack. Nathan looked over at John and grinned at the kid. He really liked him a lot. John was always eager to please and very attentive.

He leaned over and tapped Amanda, "It's time, so get up, sleepy head."

Amanda sat up, rubbing her eyes. "The sun's not even awake yet," she said grumpily, stretching.

"You're the one that wanted to stretch and exercise, so don't complain at me," Nathan said, standing up.

"Man you're crabby in the morning," Amanda said. He turned around and looked at her and started laughing. Her hair was puffed out like an afro that was ten inches tall. "What?" she said.

"Your hair is going everywhere," he said.

"It's not my fault. You said you were going to braid it again for me and then you fell asleep," she said, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry. I'll braid it before we leave," Nathan promised, making her happy.

Amanda jumped up and put on her socks over her bandages. Then she moved over to Nathan.

"Copy what I do," he said as he started stretching.

John watched them start stretching. "What are y'all doing?" he asked.

"Amanda wanted to stretch and exercise with me before we start," Nathan told John.

"Can I?" he asked hopefully.

"Not sitting down," Nathan said.

With a grin that filled his entire face, John jumped up and joined them. An hour later they were all sweating as they sat down and started fixing breakfast with real eggs. After they ate and cleaned up, Amanda filled all the water bottles and hydration bladders. Nathan drained the water out of the container and they packed up the camp. Nathan made Amanda lead them back to the road and then he led them out for the day.

Holding his hand, Amanda looked up at Nathan. "You said we could average about fifteen and sometimes twenty miles a day but we've only been doing around twelve," she pointed out.

"Yes, I want to get you conditioned for it. That's why I'm teaching you along the way and taking a lot of breaks. We will travel for four days and take one off to rest when we start moving. Not even I can just take off and go that far, even with food prepared along the way," Nathan said.

"We have food," she said.

"Not enough to make it. We will have to hunt, fish, gather plants, and live off the land. By then I expect we will be resting every third day to secure food."

"What will we hunt?" she asked.

"Birds, rabbits, squirrels and any game that crosses our path," Nathan said.

Feeling a little squeamish, she murmured, "Okay," more to herself than him.

Continuing the lessons, Nathan showed them edible plants and poisonous ones. Much to Amanda's delight, he didn't find any more snakes. He showed them animal tracks and told them what made them. When they rounded a corner a rabbit was sitting in the middle of the road. Nathan reached over his shoulder and pulled out his .22 and aimed at the rabbit's head twenty-five yards away. The suppressor m.u.f.fled the shot as he pulled the trigger, taking the rabbit's head off.

Putting the rifle on safe, Nathan slid it back in its scabbard on his pack. "How many suppressors do you have?" John asked as they walked to the rabbit.

"Nine all together," he said then remembered he had one more. "Make that ten now," he added. "I only brought the ones for the M-4 and 10/22. I had the one on the HK 23 delivered," he said.

"What?" John asked.

"He killed the guy that was carrying it," Amanda said in a very cheery voice.

"What was he doing to you?" John asked.

"He was going to kill us so Nathan killed him and his friend. The next day when the others came back he killed seventeen more," she said nonchalantly.

Looking up at Nathan as they walked, John asked, "Is she joking?"