When the camp was packed Nathan checked everyone. "Nathan, how come you sometimes have your weapon off safe?" John asked.

"What's your primary safety?" Nathan asked.

John held up his trigger finger. "This not on the trigger till I'm ready to shoot."

"That's right," Nathan said. "Because we have little Emma, a.k.a. I have to touch everything, when I have her I put it on safe. So far she doesn't like guns," Nathan said.

"s.h.i.t who could blame her? You made her stand beside you as you shot that water jug with a twelve gauge," Jasmine said.

"Sure did and it showed her it can hurt her," Nathan replied.

"You could've let her wear better ear m.u.f.fs," Jasmine shot back.

Nathan looked over at her, "I'll be sure to stop at the next store and pick some up."

John stepped over and grabbed Nathan's arm seeing where this conversation was heading, he needed answers. "Nathan, I mean what's the point? We carry ours on safe," John asked.

"And will continue to carry them like that until I tell you different. You will follow the five safety rules," Nathan said picking Emma's sling.'

"The why don't you?" John asked.

Nathan grabbed John's shoulder. "John, when it happens, it happens fast. Usually the first thing you notice is someone shooting at you. That split second could save me, since I will be the first target. You will get to take your safety off." Nathan told him letting John's shoulder go and catching Emma who was chasing Ares.

John looked shocked and Jasmine rea.s.sured him. "It's okay, John, no one's going to shoot Nathan."

"He thinks they are," John said, a little scared.

"Then that's their problem," Jasmine said. "Remember he said most people don't know how to shoot so they'll miss. You can fill in the blanks of what Nathan will do to them," she told him walking to her horse.

Feeling a little better, John's customary smile returned but uneasiness settled in him as he walked over and climbed on his horse. They stopped and let Tom take down the fence and put it back up so no one would be the wiser that they had stayed there. Jasmine was just happy the cows weren't able to get out.

They were only on the road a few minutes before darkness fell. Clouds had rolled in through the day and Nathan was praying it didn't rain. Everyone turned on their NVGs and followed Nathan. The new group was catching on fast. Casey was having trouble reading the map but was getting it. Natalie love the idea of learning martial arts and the morning routine was her favorite part of the day. Tom idolized John and this made John ecstatic. They were becoming best friends, as were Amanda and Casey, even though Casey was three years younger. Not to say Natalie wasn't friends with Amanda but a bond was developed between Amanda and Casey. Natalie, strangely, was bonding with Jasmine.

Sitting straight up in his saddle, Nathan was thinking of his group as they trotted down the road and turned onto a county road. Unconsciously, he reached down and patted a sleeping Emma as he looked around not seeing or hearing anything Nathan led them to the shoulder almost in the ditch. In an hour he stopped and let everyone catch up to him.

"I-55 is up ahead. It should be empty but we are staying close together. What's the rally point?" Nathan asked.

"Small church two miles south of Route 6 on Highway 35," they said in unison but quietly.

"Ares, lead," Nathan said, kicking Smoke. A mile up the road a dog started barking from a house off the road, but thankfully didn't come out to the road. Slowly but steadily the area in front of them began to get brighter, then Nathan started seeing the glow of fires with the NVGs. The road they were on crossed over the interstate but had no connection to it; it wasn't even paved. It was just a farming road over the interstate.

From half a mile away Nathan stopped trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He could see dozens of fires along the interstate. Reaching down he turned on the thermal scope and waited for it to heat up. Lifting up his rifle he looked through the scope. "Holy s.h.i.t," he said out loud.

There were thousands of people camping in the median. Then he looked in the fields beside the interstate and saw the white heat of bodies lying in small groups. Every so often he would spot a human shape that was cold. Focusing on the bridge he could see a few people sleeping on the shoulder next to the railings and in the center of the bridge was a barrel with a fire in it.

"What the h.e.l.l do you see?" Amanda asked.

"A s.h.i.t load of people," Nathan said. "There are some on the bridge."

"Well let's just cross the road," Jasmine offered.

"There are thousands down there stretched out on all the road I can see," Nathan told her.

"What the h.e.l.l are they doing here out in the middle of nowhere?" she asked, offended people were in their way.

Nathan lowered his rifle. "I'll go and ask one and find out."

"Smart a.s.s, you know what I mean," she snapped.

Bringing his rifle up he continued to scan the area. "I'm pretty sure they are using the interstate to travel where they heard it's safe. Remember we are only fifty miles from Memphis."

"Let's get the h.e.l.l out of here," Casey said, gripping her rifle tightly.

Never taking his eye off the scope, Nathan popped off, "Amanda, quit teaching Casey your language."

"Screw that! Let's do what she said and get the h.e.l.l out of here. Something is wrong, I can feel it," Amanda said in a low voice.

"Yes there is something wrong but remember, never rush, that's when mistakes are made," Nathan said, lowering his rifle.

Amanda sat up in her saddle. "We waited. Let's get our a.s.ses on the other side of that road," she politely told him.

"If you see me kick Smoke into a run you do the same but stay close," Nathan told them, kicking smoke in the sides. As he got closer he didn't notice anyone moving on the bridge. All the bodies looked like they were asleep or hiding. "Move up closer to me and don't look into the fires long with your NVGs, it could damage them, over," Nathan said quietly over the radio.

The closer they got to the bridge the more Nathan just wanted to start shooting and clear a path through. When they were thirty yards away Nathan saw on the side of the road a man, woman, and three kids. They looked like they had escaped a concentration camp. They were all lying on their backs with swollen bellies poking out. Nathan thought they were dead till one of the kids lifted his head and looked at them. Seeing the hopelessness on the kid's face, Nathan knew they were dead already, they just hadn't quit breathing yet.

On the bridge they saw more people lying on the ground sleeping. Looking off the bridge they all caught their breath. As far as they could see both ways along the interstate, campfires burned. Suddenly a man stood up in front of them and ran toward them.

"Food, please!" he yelled, running at them. Ares launched at the man, grabbing his arm and dragging him to the ground. Bloodcurdling screams from the man woke those around him and they jumped up. Seeing the group, they charged screaming for food.

"Let's get the f.u.c.k out of here!" Nathan yelled, kicking Smoke hard. Smoke could see what was in those people's eyes. She wasn't a horse to them but a meal. Launching forward Smoke was at a full run in two strides followed by the others.

"Ares, Come!" Nathan screamed. Looking forward, Nathan saw a dozen people run out of the abutment on the other side blocking off the end of bridge with their bodies. Raising his rifle, he flipped to auto. Putting the crosshairs chest high on the group, he pressed the trigger waving it back and forth over a twenty foot area till his bolt locked back.

Seeing bodies fall down and hearing cries of pain, the group moved to the sides of the bridge but still advanced. Reaching over Emma, who was screaming, Nathan slapped in a new magazine and shot the ones on the left that were again running towards them till his magazine locked back. Letting the M-4 go, Nathan reached for his pistol on his thigh and was turning to those on the right when he saw bullets. .h.i.t the bodies and infrared lasers dance around on the people charging them. Pulling his pistol out, Nathan's arm got tangled up in the sling of his rifle that was hanging over his chest.

Freeing his arm he looked back to the left and seen UV lasers dancing across bodies in his NVGS and bullets riddle the bodies. Turning his eyes back to the end of the bridge, Nathan saw a man stand up and run at him. Raising the pistol, Nathan closed his left eye with the NVGS, lined up the XD, and pulled the trigger. The unsuppressed pistol shot sounded like a cannon among the screams for food and moans of pain. The .45 slammed into the man's chest, making him stagger. The two rounds that followed put him down.

Smoke jumped over a pile of the dead and dying and ran down the road. Nathan turned to make sure everyone was still with them and caught John clearing the pile of bodies. Starting with John, Nathan started counting and counted ten horses but noticed an empty saddle. He pulled hard on the reins and Smoke slowed. As Nathan looked at the horse to see who was missing he saw a little head poke over the saddle and an arm reach up, trying to pull up the body as the horse ran past him. Nathan knew who it was.

Kicking Smoke hard, Nathan took off after Casey. He could see her one leg was still in the stirrup and she was trying to climb on but the shaking horse was making it impossible. Nathan could tell she was getting tired from her efforts as he neared her. Reaching forward, Nathan grabbed the harness and pulled back, almost pulling him and Emma out of his saddle when Casey's horse sped up.

Nathan yanked back hard and kicked Smoke in case the d.a.m.n thing did that again. Nathan felt the horse slow down. Letting go of the hackamore, Nathan grabbed the reins, pulled back, and wrapped the reins around his saddle horn. Then he lifted up Casey, who let go of the saddle in exhausted relief. Emma was screaming and Nathan couldn't figure out what to do with Casey as he turned around to see the others pull their horses to a stop around him.

Lifting his gaze, Nathan could see a pa.s.sel of people running down the road at them about half a mile away. "Jasmine, take her! We have to go!" Nathan yelled, holding Casey out. Jasmine pulled Casey over as a shot rang out behind them. Nathan looked around making sure everyone was okay then fear gripped his heart. "Ares!" he yelled.

"He's with Athena in front of us!" Amanda screamed.

Nathan turned and saw the dogs in his NVGS as he kicked Smoke in the sides. Smoke took off running with Casey's horse beside them. Looking over his shoulder Nathan saw the group falling behind rapidly and could tell they weren't even running anymore. "Pulling back into a canter, over," Nathan called out over the radio as he slowed Smoke.

Smoke complied, easing into a canter and Nathan saw Ares and Athena slow down. "Jasmine, is Casey hurt? Over," Nathan radioed.

After a few seconds, Jasmine replied, "She's says she's fine, only tired, over."

"Feel over her and check, over," Nathan called back.

What seemed like a lifetime but was just a few seconds later, Jasmine called back, "She's okay and everything is where is should be. Over."

"John, how are you? Over," Nathan asked.

"I need new shorts, over," John said.

Nathan turned off the dirt road they were on heading down another one, calling out, "Amanda, how are you? Over."

"I'm awake, it don't think I'll sleep for a year, over." She answered.

"Tom, how about you? Over."

"I'm good, over," he answered in a quivering voice.

"Natalie, over" Nathan called.

"We don't have to stop for me to pee, over," she said, factually.

"There's a creek five miles up ahead where we will stop and rest, over." Nathan said. Emma was still screaming.

"Bulls.h.i.t! We aren't stopping until the sun comes up! Over!" Amanda shouted over the radio.

"Amanda, the horses need water or we are walking, over," Nathan said. "Hey doodle bug did that scare you?" Nathan asked picking her up so she could wrap her arms around his neck. "I know that scared the s.h.i.t out of me."

When her arms wrapped around his neck, Emma quit screaming and was crying softly as Nathan slowed Smoke into a trot. Pulling Emma back, Nathan looked into her face. "Hey doodle bug," he said, smiling, and Emma smiled back and wrapped her arms around him, hugging his neck.

When they reached the bridge they all rode the horses down to the water and circled around Nathan. The clouds had parted, letting star and moon light pour around them. Nathan turned off his NVGS and flipped them up, seeing that the others followed. "I told you guys it would get bad," he said. "We have another five miles to make camp." John held up his hand. "What, John? You don't have to raise your hand," Nathan said.

"How far are we from the interstate?" John asked.

"You don't know?" Nathan asked.

"I'm not sure but I thing eight miles," John said uncertain.

"About that," Nathan replied as John blew out a breath of air, relaxing. Nathan took a bottle of water out and helped Emma get a drink. "Who all shot?" Nathan asked looking around and everyone raised their hands. "We'll talk about this when we make camp," Nathan said, leading Smoke out of the creek. Ares and Athena bounced around, splashing water everywhere.

The whole group smiled, watching the dogs play, as they rode back up to the road. As Nathan led them to the campsite he replayed the events at the bridge. Try as he might, he couldn't see anything that would've changed the outcome. A soaking Ares and Athena running past him broke his trance.

Shaking his head trying to try to clear it, "I need to worry about the here and now, not the was," Nathan said out loud, scanning the road. Emma pointed at the moon, babbling. "Yes, moon, Emma," Nathan said quietly, patting her head.

As they neared the campsite, thunder ripped across the sky. Nathan wanted to start screaming as lighting flashed to the west, followed by another crash of thunder. Nathan keyed his radio. "When we get to the camp I want Tom and John to get the Alaskan tent and set it up. Everyone else get the horses settled in. I'm going to get the ropes set up to keep the saddles off the ground, over."

"Why don't we put up the other big tent for the saddles and backpacks? Over," Jasmine asked.

Nathan thought about it, but he just didn't want to take the time putting up two tents. After thinking and looking at the sky, he sighed keying his microphone, "I'll set up the other tent, with Natalie, over." Dropping his hand the first drops of rain started falling.

Now Nathan was thankful he had decided to bring the tents. He had fought about the decision for a day. One tent was an Alaskan expedition tent that could have a stove in it, even though they didn't have one. It weighed sixty pounds but was thick-walled, well-made, and, in regular times, very expensive. For the life of him he couldn't see why a hunting store in Alabama would even have one.

The other was a lightweight eight-man expedition tent. It weighed only twenty pounds, and Nathan knew it would hold back rain and wind but not cold. The other tent they carried was a two-man backpacking tent. It was brought in case they were left without the horses.

All the food was packed in water-tight bags and all the backpacks were waterproof, but it paid keeping the outside dry when you could. All of the saddles were lightweight except Casey's and Amanda's. They had the real saddles, full leather and wood, and heavy. Nathan's was the biggest but also one of the lightest, without the saddle bags. On the outside it looked like a regular saddle but was made of formed carbon fiber with gel pads and wrapped in leather. In regular times Nathan could've bought an a.s.sault rifle for the cost to the saddle. But it was the only one at the co-op that fit Smoke, who was a big horse. The fact that his saddle only weighed twenty pounds was a G.o.dsend.

Though he would never admit it, Nathan loved those gel pads in the seat of his saddle. He used to think off those being very sissified. Now that his b.u.t.t wasn't numb at the end of the day, he secretly hoped he could do the same for his other saddles.

The land around them was getting flatter the closer they got to the Mississippi River. On each side of the dirt road, fields stretched out. This area really limited the choice of campsites. Nathan eased off the road, leading them into a field of alfalfa. Everyone had put on ponchos to stay dry but the rain was coming down hard now.

At the back of the field was a ribbon of trees that followed a creek. Stopping at a large cl.u.s.ter of trees, Nathan climbed off his horse. He pointed out the areas he wanted everything, and they got to work. Nathan had the most trouble even though he normally could set up a tent in a few minutes. With the Emma sling' on and occupied, Nathan started developing a respect for mothers everywhere.

With his tent done, Nathan found that everyone else was finished with their tasks and watching him. The reason they didn't come over to help was Nathan was cussing up a storm as he worked on the tent. "I want everyone to go in the big tent. No talking about what happened. Write down what you saw and did. I'll take care of the rest of this."

Leaving Emma on his woobie in the tent, Nathan grabbed a lantern and lit it, so the others could write. He put everyone's saddles on their packs, then rigged up a rope line, after cutting two small holes in the tent. He hung the blankets and tack up, then covered the trail saddles.

Grabbing feeder bags he went over strapping one on each horse and donkey. When he was finished, the level of light was still the same. He could see without his NVGs but not very well. Nathan finished up and headed into the tent to find the group just sitting around. Some were looking around and others were reading what they had written.

Dropping his gear at the door, Nathan pulled a towel out of his messenger bag and dried off his hands and sat down. "Give me what you wrote and eat. Jasmine, I want you and John to keep an eye out," Nathan told them.

Glancing over the papers Nathan noticed Natalie wrote the least, while Jasmine wrote a partial book. Taking his time, Nathan read over the dissertations. He was very proud of his group. Everyone was still awake when he was finished. "Amanda, get Jasmine and John," Nathan said. Amanda left to get them as Nathan pulled out a pack of scrambled eggs with bacon. Pouring in some water and cracking a heat pack, Nathan slid it into the warming pouch. Nathan was sure somewhere in the universe he was committing a crime, pouring water to reconst.i.tute eggs.

When everyone was inside Nathan looked around at them. "Guys, I'm very proud of you. Each of you watched the area you were supposed to. Every one of you checked where your team was before opening fire. I'm going to be honest with you, I thought we were going to shoot each other on that bridge. But we didn't, each of you kept track of each other," Nathan told them getting some smiles.

Turning to Jasmine, "Jasmine, that was fast thinking turning on your IR laser when you couldn't see through your scope. That reminded the others," Nathan praised her. Jasmine just gave him half a smile and looked down.

"John, I can't tell you how proud I am of you," Nathan said, and John's face broke into a wide smile as he sat up straighter. "You kept our back clear so we could escape."

Nathan called on each and praised them. When he was finished, most were smiling. "I want everyone to listen," Nathan said in a serious voice and a flat expression. "Let it go." He enunciated every word. "The only thing you could've done differently was die and get the rest of us killed. I can a.s.sure you, our deaths wouldn't have been fast or pretty," Nathan told them making sure they understood.

"They just wanted food," Jasmine whispered.

"What we had wouldn't have done them any good and we would've starved, if we were lucky," Nathan told her. "Even if we'd have given them what we had, they would've taken the horses, dogs, guns, and everything else. I'm pretty sure every girl here would've been raped by now. They would've kept you together so each of you could watch the other get violated. Your screams wouldn't mean anything, and begging wouldn't work." Nathan raised his voice. "You couldn't have fought them off with your hands. You had one choice, kill them or die. For the girls, the dying would come later," Nathan snapped as he stood up feeling p.i.s.sed off.

"I know!" Jasmine shouted. "I still don't feel good about it!"

"Jasmine, don't feel anything about it. You're alive, we are alive, mission accomplished. Accept it and leave it," Nathan barked.

"It's not that simple!" Jasmine snapped.

Nathan closed his eyes, controlling his temper then sat down. "Jasmine, did you ever lock yourself out of your house?"

Jasmine jerked, hearing the question. "Yes," she answered.

"Did you worry about it when you got inside?" Nathan asked.

"No," Jasmine said, caught off guard.