“And they’re all in here?” I hold up the notebook.
“Should be.”
I sit on the loveseat and start paging through the notebook, still impressed by the level of detail. It’s the same kind of information someone would gather on a scouting mission in a warzone. There are hand-drawn maps with landmarks, names of the people in the group, and their relationships to each other. There’s information on what supplies they have on hand, what seems to be in surplus, and what they might be interested in obtaining.
There are several notes in the margins of the pages about a larger, hidden group somewhere on the west side of town. Many of the people Seth talked with alluded to its existence, but there’s nothing to indicate that he found it.
More than halfway through the book, a paragraph catches my eye.
It’s a small group—only five altogether—and one is a woman. She seems to know what she’s doing around a cooking fire. There’s a guy with her who I think is her husband. He’s got a wild red tip on the end of his beard. Passing this group up—they won’t be interested in trading.
Chuck.
It has to be.
I go back to the previous page and check Seth’s map of the area. If I’m right, and it is Chuck and Christine, they haven’t moved far from where we were originally. They may have some idea where Caesar and Brett have ended up.
They could know where Hannah is.
“I have to go.”
“You found something?”
“Yes.”
“Well, let’s go!”
“No.” I shake my head. “Stay here.”
“What?”
“You should stay here where it’s safe,” I tell her. “If people see you, there’s no telling what kind of fight I’ll have on my hands.”
“You really think I’m safer here alone than I am with you?”
“I know it’s more dangerous out in the open. They aren’t as frequent now, but I saw the ships in the sky just three days ago.”
“I can’t live out the rest of my life being sheltered away!” Katrina snaps.
Her words sound so much like something Hannah would say, I’m caught a little off-guard. My muscles tighten, and I’m torn between giving in—like I always did with Hannah—or insisting Katrina stay out of harm’s way.
What’s she going to do here?
If it is Chuck and Christine, and I’m almost certain it is, she might be better off staying with them. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them, but they were good people—I knew that from the day they joined us.
“I might not be able to protect you,” I tell her.
“I didn’t ask you to.” She stands with her hands on her hips.
“Fine.”
*****
Following Seth’s map, I find the location fairly easily. It is right next to Freedom Parkway and the Carter Center. There is a large stone wall separating the park from the road, and much of it is still intact, providing ideal protection. On the other side, one of the round buildings is still standing. There’s also lots of tree cover and a lake nearby for water.
Nestled between the building and the lake, there’s an area that looks almost identical to the common area shared by our original group. There’s a fire pit in the center, cooking pots all around it, a lean-to full of kitchen items and a tub for washing, and lawn chairs scattered about. Despite the familiarity of the scene, I hang back and out of sight.
“What’s wrong?” Katrina asks.