Chapter 16
They moved silently. It was strange to be out on the road at night with nothing else in sight.
In the pack, they had a dozen candles and MREs, but she didn’t want to use them until it was absolutely necessary.
As long as the moon stayed above them without clouds, they could see the road in front of them.
It would take them as far as town. They could cross through the small city without problems and hopefully unnoticed under the cover of night.
Once the road split, it was only a few miles to the coast where they could start moving north.
She knew most of the terrain well. With only the compass to guide them, they needed to be careful with their supplies.
If they got off track, they could be stranded, and with a limited amount of food, it could get dangerous.
They would catch their dinner off the coast for as long as possible when the tide and weather permitted.
They didn’t stop or speak until she could see the outline of the village in the moonlight ahead of them.
Given their proximity to the prison, she knew they should be prepared for the worst.
Hopefully, the influx of prisoners into the area hadn’t disrupted their lives too much.
Everyone they released was low risk, but that didn’t mean much, given the circumstances.
People could change on a dime. It was too much to risk going down the main road.
The map she’d taken from the crow’s nest showed her a small ravine that ran along the edge of the community.
It would cover their tracks and keep them away from the main population.
Suddenly, a figure emerged near the edge of the town.
Sarah grabbed Adam and pulled him into the trees and brush along the road before they were spotted.
“What is it, Sarah? What do you see?” Adam asked.
“The man has a shotgun.”
“You can tell that from this distance? Where?”
“It’s propped up against his shoulder. I can see the form in the shadow. From what I can see, it’s definitely a shotgun, and I’d rather not find out what model it is.”
“What are we going to do now? Is there another way to go around, or would it be better to just wait him out?”
Sarah sighed as she thought about what to do next.
While she had planned on running into people with weapons, she had no idea what kind of man was ahead of them.
She quickly glanced around the area between them and the man with the gun.
Trying to find any way to move around him without being noticed.
When she saw that the ravine beside them seemed to move in the direction of the town, she knew they needed to take the low road.
“I think our best shot of moving around unnoticed is to head down that ravine. We’ll cross through that way,” Sarah said.
“I barely even noticed that thing in the dark,” Adam said. “Say, how do you know all this stuff?”
Sarah chuckled quietly. “Well, my parents taught me a bunch of things while I was growing up. They wanted me to be prepared for anything.”
“So, they taught you how to spot a gun in the dead of night, along with what directions to take?”
“They taught me a lot of different things. I could live off the land for months without ever needing anyone else.”
“They sound nice, but I think you must have had those doomsday-prepper kind of parents.”
“That’s putting it lightly, but it’s coming in handy now.”
“I can attest to that.” Adam chuckled. “Should we go now?”
“No, I’ll tell you when to move.”
When the guard was no longer visible, Sarah moved quietly through the brush to where the map showed the small stream of water moving beyond the town.
She climbed down despite the darkness shrouding them, thanks to the trees.
It was too much of a risk to use their candles to light the way.
All she could do was listen for the water beneath her waterproof boots.
Thankfully, they had an extra pair of boots in the storeroom, so she knew Adam’s feet were staying dry as well.
They were making good time considering their pace.
They followed the water to where it crossed beneath a fork in the road.
It took them a little under an hour to make the five-mile trek to the fork.
Climbing back out of the water, she stomped her feet on the rocks before heading down the road that would take them to the ocean.
She could hear it in the distance, something that normally wouldn’t happen.
Without the constant buzz of mankind’s evolution over the land, there was so much more to hear.
She couldn’t wait to reach the water, but Adam was starting to fall behind.
It was understandable after ten years of incarceration.
No matter how much exercise you got, fresh air and the constantly changing terrain of Mother Nature were challenging on an inmate’s body.
Plus, she was accustomed to being active all night.
It had to be yet another shock to Adam’s system.
They needed to reach the water and get a few miles up the coast before the sun came up.
Still, Sarah slowed her pace until Adam was at her side again.
He breathlessly smiled at her and shook his head in dismay.
“So, how are you holding up so far?” Sarah asked.
“It’s intense, but I’m doing okay. I haven’t had to move around like this in quite a while, but I’ll manage.”
“We only have a few more hours of night left. We’re going to have to move quickly if we want to be across state lines when the sun comes up again.”
“Is that what you’re thinking we need to do?” Adam asked. “Cross over before the day starts?”
“For sure. If we want to get through this in one piece and stay out of danger, we need to move at a pretty high pace. It’s not the best plan, I know, but it’s the only way to get through all the people who will be out and about during the day.”
“Well, you lead the way. Whatever pace you want us to keep, I’ll keep up with you.”
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle that kind of exertion?” Sarah chuckled.
Adam laughed. “Are you trying to bet me that I can’t keep up with you?”
“Maybe not a bet, but it’s definitely going to be a challenge. This isn’t the terrain you’ve been accustomed to in prison.”
“That’s true, but it’s not like I haven’t kept myself in some kind of shape while I was there.”
“You’re hour of rec time is making you feel pretty confident.”
“I bet I’ll be able to keep up with you. Just lead the way.”
“You said I was making challenges. Look who’s laying down the bets now.”
Adam winked at her. “Don’t go worrying about me. I won’t fall too far back. Besides, there’s nothing more I want than to follow you.”
Sarah laughed as she picked up her pace.
If he wanted to play that game, she was happy to do so.
Knowing her parents were waiting for them was a huge motivator.
They moved quickly in the direction of the beach until she felt the sand beneath her boots and saw the waves moving beneath the moonlight.
It was a huge relief, but they still had a ways to go.
Moving along the coast had its advantages.
Their obstacles would be limited, but the sand still took some time to adjust to walking on.
Adam was still breathing heavily behind her, but to his credit, his pace hadn’t slowed.
It wasn’t that she was trying to break him, but she had to start conditioning him for the long path ahead.
Every day they’d need to push themselves a little harder if they were going to make it to Maine in good time.
The minutes turned into hours as the sun started to peek above the water.
As soon as the sky started to change, a lifeguard station came into view, and Sarah headed in its direction.
As she’d suspected, there was no one in sight.
The door was unlocked, and the shades had all been drawn.
If it hadn’t been for her parents, it would make a perfectly secluded spot to set up shop for the months ahead.
As it was, it would give them shelter for the day while they slept.
When they finally collapsed on the floor, she couldn’t believe just how exhausted she was.
They had to talk about the next leg of the journey, but she was too tired to think.
Watching Adam lock the door before lying back down on the floor, Sarah closed her eyes.
Everything else could wait. At that moment, they both needed sleep.