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smiled and felt warmth between her legs as she dreamt about the explosion and the effect it would have on the human body.
     

C HAPTER T EN
    “It will work out,” insisted Iliga, “We have safeguards enough.”
    “Let’s hope you are right,” said Dimitri. “If not, this underground shelter may become our own crypt and we will never leave.”
    “It is time to go,” Dimitri said.
    The three men and two girls stood in the driveway outside of the barn on the farm in Suffolk, Virginia. Dimitri had procured the farm and then rented out the land at a very affordable rate to cattle owners. This not only gave him a steady stream of income, but also a steady source of food in the blood from the cattle. It was a win-win scenario.
    They had finished feeding on the cattle that had been brought into the barn for the night, another arrangement that Dimitri had his hired help perform. Every evening, they would bring six cows into the barn, leaving the rest out in the field. This way the cattle were rotated every day, ensuring none were harmed.
    Dimitri turned toward the two girls. “Are you alright?” he asked. He did not direct the question due to concern over the feeding, but was referring rather to the conversation that Ishma had had with her younger sister, Crema, concerning their future.
    During the drive from Norfolk, Ishma explained to Crema what Dimitri had told her about her father and Josip and what their life would be like. The young girl had cried and wailed at the loss of her father. Yet Dimitri wasn’t sure if she really understood what her life would be like from this point on. Youth was pliable and could be shaped to change he hoped. She would probably adapt after a short period, however Dimitri was more concerned with Ishma. She was older which made her worldly enough to understand the possible satisfaction that could come from revenge and hatred rather than the peace of putting the past behind.
    “We’re…okay,” Ishma answered cautiously, “a little shaky but okay.” As she spoke, she pulled her younger sister closer to her, hugging her tightly. Something between an unsure smile and a frown was upon the lips of the younger girl.
    “We should go,” he said. “We have things to plan.”
    The five of them got into the van that was parked on the side of the barn. Andre drove as always, Dimitri sat in the passenger seat, and Iliga sat in the back with the girls. Nobody spoke as they drove down the dark and empty roads.
    This area of Suffolk was full of plenty of those. The people of the area were still trying to resist the pull of commercialism and development. In a small way it reminded Dimitri of the rural areas of Kosovo, although this land was flat as compared to the rough terrain of his own city. They passed a few deer, their eyes’ reflections caught by the headlights of the van as they passed. The animals were foraging in the fields for peanuts and corn as the van made its way back to the main road. Slowly the darkness gave way as they approached the more abundant streetlights of the main road. They turned onto the main highway, Benn’s Church, and headed toward Smithfield.
    Dimitri did not feel as exhilarated as he usually did after feeding. His thoughts were troubled because everything was changing so suddenly. They had acclimated to their new environment. They had begun to settle into a new routine. They had secured a safe food source, had studied the area and the society, and learned adaptive strategies. But then they’d learned of the girls and now he wondered what changes they would bring to the group.
    He felt the van turning left onto Route 17 and heading toward the James River Bridge. He could smell the brackish water of the river as they approached. He didn’t like the smell. For some reason he associated it with a rotting corpse of a dead animal and he tried to ignore it as he settled back into his thoughts.
    The three of them had already decided that it would be best to take the