Alex cleared out a suitable place for them to rest on an outcropping of jutting rocks. He used his machete to push the snow away, and suggested they start a small fire for warmth. The women were in agreement and Joelle used the last drops of oil in her flask and a pile of dry sticks Sarah collected to start a small fire. Once the flames were crackling, they huddled close together.

"So what do we have left to eat?" Joelle said.

Alex dug into his backpack and produced a can of pork and beans. He put it near the fire and they waited for the can to heat up.

"I can't believe she's dead," Sarah said, surprising everyone. "I was getting attached to her." She drew closer to Alex and Joelle, basking in their warmth. They put their arms around her. "We're not going to make it are we?"

Alex held her, giving her his strength. "You're always telling us to be strong, Sarah. When things get rough we can count on you to get us through it. We need you now more than ever. Please, don't fail us now," he begged.

Sarah buried her head into his chest. Joelle rubbed her back.

They rested by the fire for an hour, passing the can of beans between them until it was empty.

Afterwards, Alex stomped out the fire and covered it with snow. He then buried the can and scanned the area ahead with his rifle.

"I don't know how much farther I can walk," Joelle said.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Alex said. "We have company."

Far off in the distance they spotted a few shapes moving toward them.

"Shit, hide," Sarah advised and pulled Joelle with her behind a thick tree. She withdrew her gun. "Who are they?"

Alex leaned against a tree and remained still. He peered through his scope and snickered to himself. "Three men, all of them are armed with shotguns and looking around like they're lost. I can pick them off right now if you want me to." He flicked the safety off his sniping rifle.

"Are they Marauders?" Joelle asked, excited.

"No, I don't think so. Unless Marauders wear hunting jackets," he jeered. "They're getting closer. What should we do?"

Sarah sucked in her lips in thought. She peeled away from the tree and tucked her handgun back into its holster.

"Cover me," she grinned, and walked toward the strangers.

Alex tried to grab her but she was faster than he and darted out of his reach. "Dammit, get back here," he insisted. "Don't be a fool."

"Watch my ass," she said, and slapped her butt.

Alex shook his head and sighted down the men in the woods.

"I hope she knows what she's doing," he said to Joelle.

"She trusts your aim," Joelle offered, and pointed her firearm toward the group. "I don't though."

Alex snickered.

Once Sarah was halfway to the group she waved her arms and called to them.

The group paused for a moment and then waved back. They headed in her direction.

Sarah backed away slowly and made sure to stay close to the denser part of the forest.

"Stay where you are," one of the older gentlemen with a salt and pepper beard said.

Sarah paused and put her hands on her hips. "Who the hell are you people?"

The men chuckled and stopped about ten feet from her. The older one leaned his shotgun against a tree, while the other two, middle aged: one short and fat, the other tall and skinny, looked around the woods as though expecting more like her to show up.

"We saw the fire and came to investigate," the older one said. "My name is Jacob, this tall one here is Patrick, and the other is Earl."

The men exchanged a quick greeting with her and continued to look around.

"Is anyone injured?" Jacob asked.

"No, I'm fine," Sarah said.

"Then you're all alone out here?" Jacob pressed, taking a few steps closer.

"I had a husband. He died in the barn fire," Sarah lied, and walked backwards. Her left heel stepped on a snow covered log and she suddenly slipped onto the ground.

The men looked down at her and laughed.

"I call second," Patrick said.

"You always get to go second," Earl pouted. "I'm tried of being last. You always make a mess and they're all loose."

Sarah gasped from her position on the ground, lying on her back, spread eagled. Anger flashed through her as Jacob approached, unzipping his pants.

"I am going to enjoy this," he smiled, dropping his pants. "You can start to scream for help now."

But Sarah didn't have to scream as a single bullet crashed though Jacob's skull and out of the other side.

"What the fuck?" Patrick said, and pointed his shotgun into the woods and blindly fired.

A second later the top half of Patrick's skull was cleaved off. He toppled over beside Jacob, his blood staining the snow.

Earl, the short fat one, dropped his shotgun and put his hands into the air. "I surrender," he whimpered. "Call them off, pleeease."

During the brief firefight, Sarah had regained her footing and drawn her handgun. She directed the .357 to Earl's plump legs and placed two bullets into his right kneecap.

Earl went down screaming.

"Who else is with you?" Sarah demanded, as she hovered over him.

Earl continued to scream and gripped his leg in agonizing pain.

"Answer me!" Sarah said, and kicked him in the lower spine a few times.

"Stop, please. I didn't do anything wrong."

Sarah aimed for his other leg and squeezed the trigger. The bullet tore through flesh, muscle, and lodged itself into his femur.

"Ahhh, God dammit!" Earl cried.

Alex and Joelle appeared a moment later. Joelle began searching the dead men and Alex put his arms around Sarah.

"Did he touch you?" Alex asked. "I saw you fall . . ."

"I'm fine, thank you. Thanks for watching my ass," Sarah said, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She dug her pistol into Earl's gluttonous belly. "Where are the others?"

"The helicopter is a mile south. Nobody is in it except for the pilot. We're with the Survivors but we lost the battle and headed out on our own. The Marauders took us in. Please don't kill me," Earl sobbed.

"What battle?" Sarah ordered.

"The Marauders . . . they killed everyone, even their own. They were running out of food," Earl said and started to shake uncontrollably. He'd lost a lot of blood and was going into shock.

Sarah pressed her handgun to his head and pulled the trigger.

Alex frowned at her.

"What? He was dying anyway," she defended. "He would've come back as a zombie, and it was the least I could do for him."

Alex shook his head ruefully. "Remind me to stay on your good side."

"Hey," Joelle said, "I found a pack of cigarettes for you, Sarah." She tossed them to her and finished searching the dead men's pockets.

Sarah delightedly pawed open the pack of cigarettes. The flavorful aroma of tobacco made her head spin. She gave one to Alex and put one between her lips. Alex lit her cigarette for her and then his own.

"It's been a long time since I've had one of these. I was actually starting to forget what they tasted like," Sarah said after blowing out a cloud of smoke.

Alex leaned against her and sucked smoke from his cancer stick.

Joelle stared at the dead men. She laughed out loud and pried off Earl's winter coat.

"What are you laughing about down there?" Sarah asked.

"I have an idea," Joelle said, and let them in on her plan.

Sarah tucked her long brown hair into a hunter's hat and forced it onto her head. Joelle tried to do the same but her blond locks were much too long and she couldn't fit the hat onto her head.

"You need to take off a few inches," Alex said, and offered her the machete.

Joelle pulled her hair into a pony tail. "Will you do it for me?"

Alex looked toward Sarah for approval.

"Just don't cut her head off," Sarah said, as she put on Earl's heavy coat.

Alex lay the machete's sharp blade against Joelle's golden hair and sawed away half of it. He buried the hair in the snow, taking no chances of being tracked.

"Thanks," Joelle said. She tucked her hair into the hat and whimpered a little.

"Stop whining," Sarah told her. "It'll grow back soon. "This is your plan anyway, remember?"

"And it's a damn good one," Alex countered. He buried the men in the snow as best he could. To a casual onlooker, they looked like a giant clump of snow-covered earth in the middle of the forest.

"Thanks Alex. I think it's a good plan too," Joelle smiled, and then stuck her tongue out at Sarah.

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Let's not keep that helicopter waiting." She examined the snow covered bodies and shook her head. "I don't know why you did that, Alex. You know the dogs will just eat them anyway."

"I'm covering our trail, just in case," he said, and donned Patrick's hat, a large blood stain pasted on the front of it. "I hope this works."

"It will," Joelle said confidently.

The trio armed themselves with the men's shotguns and followed their footprints in the snow, tracking back the way they had come. They crested two hills, discovered a nearly frozen zombie who tried to chase after them but couldn't, and who made low groaning sounds as they passed. Sarah bashed its head in with her shotgun and they continued on.

Once they climbed a steep hill and hopped over a barbed wire fence, they found the helicopter sitting silently in a cornfield. The pilot inside wore dark goggles and stared at them as they approached.

"Stay cool everyone," Sarah said in a low voice, "we need this guy alive."

As they approached the helicopter the pilot started the engine. He had strong cheek bones, dark hair, and was somewhere in his early twenties.

Alex opened the side door and let the ladies inside first, and then he jumped in and slammed the door shut just as the helicopter's blades began to spin.

"How did it go?" The pilot asked. "I take it that you didn't find anyone."

Sarah pressed the shotgun's barrel into his rib cage. "That's not entirely true," she grinned.

"Oh shit," the pilot jerked his head around at the strangers.

"Hello," Joelle greeted and took the seat beside him. "I'm Joelle."

Sarah pushed the shotgun deeper. "The lady said hello, aren't you going to answer her?"

"Uh . . . hi, I'm-I'm Harvey."

"Harvey, huh?" Sarah replied. "Well Harvey, your friends are all dead and we need a lift out of here."

"They weren't my friends," Harvey said, shaking his hands and feet for emphasis: both were chained to the pilot's chair. He had enough range in his arms to reach the controls but that was about it.

Sarah lowered the shotgun. "I didn't know."

"Why don't you sit down," Alex said and yanked her by the waist. She fell onto his lap, and he put his arms around her.

Sarah pried herself from Alex and took the seat next to him.

"So, where would you like to go?" Harvey asked. "I'll fly you anywhere as long as you free me at the end."