There were no dead bodies. It was the first thing Dan noticed: nothing dead to be seen.
There were no dead bodies. It was the first thing Dan noticed: nothing dead to be seen. The houses looked like houses, with someone living in every one of them. A few had sandbagged defenses, but there were many that had no signs of defenses at all. Strange, almost weird, that there should be a place where people felt safe enough to have glass windows without shutters.
And he saw two flocks of sheep, as well as horses and cattle. He saw signs of organized activity everywhere—newly cleared fields, some being plowed with teams of horses (no tractors that he could see), others still in the process of clearing with men working to carry boulders and pile them into stone walls. The men generally had weapons on their belts, but not all of them were armed. By the time they came to the large driveway up to the big stone house, it had sunk in: For a few minutes, possibly for as much as a whole day, Dan Forrester was safe. He could count on living until dawn.
It was a strange feeling.
There were men waiting for them on the porch. They waved Dan Forrester on into the house without speaking to him. George Christopher jerked his thumb at Harry. "They need you inside," he said.
"In a minute." Harry helped Hugo Beck get down from the truck, then lifted off Forrester's backpack. When he turned, George had his shotgun pointed at Hugo's midsection.
"I brought him," Harry said. "You must have heard that on the telegraph."
"We heard about Dr. Forrester. Not this creep. Beck, you were put on the road. I sent you out myself. Didn't I remember to say 'Don't come back'? I'm sure I did."
"He's with me," Harry repeated.
"Harry, have you lost your mind? This scummy little thief isn't worth—"
"George, if I have to start going around Christopher territory, the Senator will no doubt tell you any news he thinks you should hear."
"Don't push it," George said; but the shotgun moved slightly, so it wasn't pointed at anyone. "Why?"
"You can put him back on the road if you like," Harry said. "But I think you should listen to him first."
Christopher thought about it for a moment. Then he shrugged. "They're waiting inside. Let's go."
