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afraid not.”
    “Are we ever going to go home?”
    “I don’t know,” she replied honestly, reaching out to take his hand in her own. “But I do know that no matter what, you and me, we’re together. We may not have a home but we do have a family. And I will do everything to make sure you are safe.”
    “And I promise to look out for you too, keep you safe.”
    He looked at her with his deep brown eyes ringed with long, thick lashes, the same eyes that had stared up at her the first time she held him when he was born. Her baby boy was on the brink of manhood, forced to grow up even faster than he was already. It brought tears to her eyes.
    “Oh damn, Mom, don’t start crying,” he groaned and she was reminded that he was still very much a teenage boy.
    “I can’t help it. I just love you so much,” she said, pulling him into a hug and despite his groan, he hugged her back. “And I’m so proud of the man you are becoming.”
    “Mom, it’s not that big of a deal. You know I always got your back,” he said, looking at her with a lopsided grin.
    “I do,” she said with a laugh and the tension that had been coiled tight in her belly eased. It was only by a fraction but it was enough for her. She had to remember that they were still able to laugh and that had to count for something.
    The truck turned to the left and she looked to see the van had turned onto a side road, a sign indicating that they were heading towards Barnaby Outlook. They drove down the narrow road for a bit before the trees broke and a large parking lot appeared before them. There was a stout brick building next to the lot, with a sign that read Information Centre and Restrooms  perched on the roof.
    The truck came to a stop next to the van and Malcolm got out of the van. He made a beeline for the building, gun in hand as he stopped to check the entrance and then disappeared around the corner of the building. The others stayed in the vehicles, silent as they waited on Malcolm.
    Whether conscious or not, they had all fallen into line behind Malcolm’s leadership. He had proven himself after the highway and even Alan, his biggest opponent, was willing to wait on his orders.
    It didn’t take long before Malcolm appeared from behind the building, holstering his gun as he walked back to join them, obviously satisfied that no one was lurking in the shadows.
    “We’ll camp here tonight. It should be safe. There’s only one road in and hiking trails that lead out. I’d like to keep someone on watch throughout the night down on the outlook. We’re far enough out that I don’t think the soldiers will sweep through here tonight but we have no idea if anyone else is going to pass by. The outlook will give us a good vantage point to spot anyone coming up the road. Who knows how to handle a gun?”
    Kim raised her hand and saw that Jose, Janet and all the Wakefields did the same.
    “Great.”
    He went to the back of the van, popping up the hatch and unzipping the duffel he had brought with him. He produced several Glock 22s, handing them out to those who had raised their hands.
    Kim took the one he offered her, the heavy weight of it reassuring in her hand. There was something to be said for the power you felt with a gun in your hand.
    “Be careful with them,” he advised. “Keep the safeties on when you aren’t on watch and make sure you don’t go shooting off at the first bump in the night. If you’re going to pull the trigger, be sure of your target. Last thing we need is someone getting shot coming back from taking a leak.”
    Kim checked over the Glock, ensuring the safety was firmly in place. She had kept a gun for protection, worried about herself and her son living on their own. It had been a while since she had fired it, but if push came to shove, she remembered enough to use it to defend her son.
    “I’ll take the first watch shift with Janet,” Malcolm said. “Travis, Alan, you mind relieving us in three hours? Figure you