“We’re heading to the store,” Caesar says. “Ryan’s going to stick around and help find a good place to set up camp for the night. We can talk about what to do tomorrow when we get back.”
“All right,” Falk says without looking up. “Check the cars in the area. Look for something new enough and sporty enough to have a lithium battery. We’re going to need transportation options.”
Beck’s jaw tenses and he glares at Falk. Caesar reaches out and pushes against Beck’s arm before he says anything.
“I can do that,” he says as he pulls Beck away.
Falk watches them walk off. Caesar puts his arm around Beck’s shoulders, and I think he’s speaking into his ear. Beck glances over his shoulder a couple of times before they move around a corner and out of sight.
“What is it?” I ask quietly.
Falk’s eyes stay on the men as they walk off. His expression is still dark and tense.
“Just a feeling,” he finally says.
“Do you trust them?” I look to Ryan, but he’s sifting through rubble near Beck’s house and not paying attention to us.
“No, Hannah. I don’t.”
Chapter 5
“Should have just taken you back to my place,” Falk mumbles.
He has set up a campsite away from the buildings, saying it’s safer in case there is more collapse, but he doesn’t seem to like the location. I can’t tell if I’m supposed to respond to his mutterings or not, so I say nothing.
I think I’m still in shock.
Caesar and Beck return with a load of supplies pilfered from the local supermarket, loaded into a large garden cart. They’ve got sleeping bags and tents, food, and a couple of camp stoves. Falk sets up one of the tents before coming over to me.
“This is awkward, so I’m just going to come out with it,” he says. “I want you in the same tent with me. I don’t trust these guys, and I don’t want you alone. I hope that’s all right with you.”
“It’s all right,” I say. If I am being honest with myself, I don’t want to be alone, and I know Falk better than anyone else here. “But you have to explain to me why you don’t trust them.”
He looks into my eyes for a long moment, and his face finally relaxes a little.
“I will,” he says, “after they go to sleep.”
“Deal.” I smile at him, but it’s not returned.
Falk goes to the cart to get some of the supplies for the tent, refusing my offers to help him, so I go and sit down near a small fire Ryan has going. I’m not cold at all—the sweatshirt Falk found for me is quite warm—but the fire is still nice.
“So, how long you two been together?” Ryan asks.
“What?” It takes me a moment to realize what he’s assumed, and I quickly shake my head. “We’re not together like that. We were just…traveling together. Our flight was cancelled, and we ended up in the city an extra night.”
I glance in Falk’s direction, but the sun has set, and all I can see is the flicker of his flashlight. He never did explain why he didn’t want me talking to anyone, but I can hardly avoid it now. Besides, Ryan seems harmless enough.
“Damn.” Ryan whistles. He shuffles a couple of rocks around the edge of the fire to keep it enclosed. “Maybe you could have avoided all this if you had gotten out in time.”
“It’s not just here.” Caesar joins us and tosses more wood on the fire, sending sparks flying.
“How do you know that?” Ryan asks.
“If it was limited to the Atlanta area, someone would have come by now,” he explains. “State authorities, the National Guard—someone. We’d see planes overhead, but there haven’t been any. Not a single jet trail.”
I look up at the sky, and there isn’t a single blinking light up there. No signs of life at all. I curl my legs underneath me and bite at the edge of my thumb.
“That makes sense,” Ryan says with a nod. “So how widespread do you think it is?”