Leo tossed and turned all night. He’d barely get into a light sleep before he’d think he heard something—Visitors or looters alike—outside. They didn’t have any sort of alarm set, but all three managed to wake up around sunrise.
They each grabbed a box of cereal from Sigrid’s pantry. They didn’t trust the milk in the fridge, so they ate it dry. When they were finished, they quietly crept around the house, grabbing their bags and any other last-minute supplies they could think of. James and Leo found Sigrid in the driveway, attaching the trailer to her bike.
After she helped Sandy into the trailer and hooked a helmet on her head, Sigrid turned to them. “Ready?”
Leo nodded, trying to give a brave face.
James just snorted. “No, but I’d rather try our luck out there than stay around here.” He kicked off and started pedaling. “Let’s do this.”
The morning air was damp and cold as they set out. Leo knew it would be a long day, but he figured they would get to the base before dark, even while towing a dog. Sigrid had left the trailer’s window flap open and Sandy’s snout poked out, sniffing the air.
They reached the edge of town in a few minutes. James—riding in front of the group—skidded to a halt. “Oh no.”
Leo caught up and saw what he meant. Down the road was a row of barricades dragged into the middle of the highway. A couple men stood there as if they were guarding it.
“Maybe they’re police or army officers,” Leo said. “We could turn ourselves in.”
“Turn ourselves in? We’re not criminals,” said James.
“You know what I mean,” said Leo. “We could tell them we were left behind and they would get us to that Air Force base.”
“We don’t know who they are though,” Sigrid pointed out. “They’re not wearing any uniforms. They could be looters too. What if the only people left are the bad ones?”
“We’re still here, aren’t we?” Leo said. Sigrid opened her mouth and he knew she was about to tell him that was different. “We could at least go closer and see,” he added.
James shook his head. “I don’t know. Sigrid is right—we don’t know who those guys are. Once they see us we can’t back out.”
“I’d rather go it alone for a while,” said Sigrid. “Unless we find someone wearing a uniform.”
“Fine,” said Leo. “But we’ll have to go off-road if we want to avoid people.” He turned his bike and started doubling back. “I know where we can get on a trail. It ends just out of town, but will get us past the barricade.”
They rode easily on the paved trail, but it ended in a mess of thick bushes and rocky ground. Leo’s bike was designed for hard riding, but both James and Sigrid had trouble riding over the uneven and rocky ground with their street bikes. Sigrid had it the worst with the dog trailer dragging behind her.
As they neared the barricade, only a few rows of trees and brush between them and the other group, Leo waved his hand for everybody to be silent. They got past the barricade, and Leo let out his breath.
They rode a half mile or so further, afraid to come out where they might be seen. Leo turned to say something to the others when he noticed rustling in the trees in front of them.
They froze. A group of men stepped out. They didn’t look like police officers, and they didn’t look like they were offering help. Sandy rumbled a low growl from the trailer.
“What are you kids doing out here?” one asked.
“We live in town,” Leo said, gesturing behind him to where they’d come from. “We got left behind in the evacuation. We’re just trying to catch up with everyone—we don’t want any trouble.”
The man raised his eyebrows at the word trouble.
“We’re setting up camp over near the lake,” he said. “We’re going to wait out this thing.” Leo noticed there was still a tag dangling from his knife case. In fact, all of their shirts and hats looked new too. He wondered if these guys had let themselves into a sporting goods store and loaded up on gear.
One of the men was eyeing the backpacks the three were wearing. Leo knew if they gave up their supplies, they’d have a much harder time of getting to the Air Force base.
“What’s in the bags?”
“Just some food,” said Sigrid. “Nothing valuable.”
“Well, if you share your food, we’ll share our site. How about that?” the man said.
“We’re passing through,” Leo said. “That’s all.”
“Well, share a little breakfast with us, then you can be on your way.”
“We need it,” Sigrid said, her voice firm. “We don’t have much.”
“Unloading some of that food and water might lighten up your packs, make your ride a little easier,” another guy said. He took a step toward them, and Sandy’s growls rose in volume.
“We said no,” Sigrid continued.
The man lurched toward her. “Now, you listen—”
There was a ripping sound as Sandy plunged through the window of the tent, tearing through the Velcro. She leaped in front of Sigrid and bared her teeth as she growled.
The men hesitated, looking at one another. It gave the opportunity Leo was waiting for. “Run!” he shouted to his friends.
He and James took off, dragging their bikes beside them until they were able to hop on. Leo noticed Sigrid still stood beside her bike, watching Sandy. “Sigrid, come on!” he hissed.
She looked back at Sandy, who was still growling at the men, one more time before climbing onto her bike and following after Leo and James. They pedaled through the trees as quickly as they could. Behind them, Leo could hear Sandy’s growls turning into deep barks. He hoped she would keep the men at bay in time for them to get some distance.
But as they reached the highway and Leo hopped onto his bike, the devastated look on Sigrid’s face made his stomach twist with guilt.