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point, is about sixteen miles give or take for deviations as necessary. It basically follows the POW/MIA Memorial Highway to Broadway. We would then follow that to Central Avenue. We will take that west to Mott Avenue, where we will jog north to Channel Beach Drive. We will then take Channel Beach Drive down to Riis Landing. Once we get there, we can get off of the roads completely and follow the beach on down to the boat. This, of course, is all subject to change based on the conditions we find. I also figure we will need to handrail this route, for threat-avoidance reasons, when need be.”
    “Handrail?” Peggy said inquisitively.
    “Handrail is a tactical term for following a route parallel, but off to the side. If you don't want to get ambushed or detected, you don't just walk down the middle of the street,” replied Jason.
    “Oh, okay,” she said. “That makes sense.”
    Damon then finished by saying, “Well, that's the plan as I see it for now, but I'm sure it will change as soon as we start walking. Sixteen miles would take us six hours in a best case scenario, so we had better plan on all day.”
    At this point Evan said, “Okay guys, we are a team now, so let’s act like it from here on. Jason and I have rooms next to each other with an adjoining door. Let's all move into those rooms with the door open. That's four beds, and if last night was any preview, I expect it to get worse so being together only makes sense.”
    Everyone agreed and went to gather their things. They then went back up to the eleventh floor. As Peggy walked down the hall to her room to gather her things, a man approached her and said in a demanding and disrespectful voice, “Hey, how much food do you have?”
    “Just a little, why?” she replied nervously.
    “Give us what you have. We are collecting all of the food in the building. It will then be handed back out accordingly.”
    At that time, Evan heard what was going on and walked quickly towards Peggy's room. He looked at the man with a scowl and said, “She's not giving you anything. You've got no right to demand what others have, so just move along.”
    “Look, buddy,” he replied while pointing his finger at Evan in an aggressive manner. “This ain't over. I'm gonna tell the others, and you will give it up.”
    “You had better just keep way from us. It will be the biggest mistake you've ever made if you try to take anything against our will—that I promise you,” Evan replied as he squared off against the man.
    “Yeah, whatever, tough guy.  I won't be alone when I come back,” the man said, walking away, mumbling profanities under his breath.
    Peggy looked at Evan and said, “Can’t we just give them something so they leave us alone?”
    “No way!” replied Evan. “In an emergency situation like this, food is life. Chances are, the reason they are trying to take everyone's food is because they've already scouted around outside and found out there isn't any to be had. A city this size can't feed itself with its lack of production and extreme population density. They need constant resupply from the outside to keep food on the shelves. Give it a few more days, and people will be getting desperate for food and will do anything to get it. That's why we have to get moving and out of this urban nightmare.”
    A look of hopelessness came over Peggy's face and she responded with a defeated sounding sigh. This was all a lot for her to bear. She was one of those people who saw modern society with all of its abundance as always being there, and could never imagine a situation such as this.
    When Evan and Peggy got back to the adjoining rooms, they told the others what had happened. “Freakin great!” exclaimed Jason. “We're not even out of the hotel and we're already getting into it with people.”
    Just then, another series of thump, thump, thump could be heard off in the distance, followed by a loud boom that made the building shutter so that it sounded like it was