Thursday, 5 February 2009 - 7:03 pm

The plan

We tried to talk about what we saw over dinner. That group had run off in the direction that we were heading. The fresh graffiti tags seemed to mean something. The groups are getting more and more organised: these ones had a uniform, and maybe they’ve marked their territory too.

I remembered the wolves then. I remembered them laughing when we told them where we were headed. I couldn’t help but wonder if this brutal violence was why. It was enough to make us assume that there are more of them than just those six, as if the whistles weren’t enough of a reason.

Sax’s daughter’s place is only two or three blocks away, inside this group’s territory if what we suspect is true. One way or another, we’re going to have to deal with them if we’re going to get there. Or we have to give up and hope for better conditions at the next map-dot.

No-one was brave enough to suggest that we give up. I’d like to think that no-one wants to give up on someone else’s family, but– maybe the past few days have jaded me too much. I know how selfish human nature is, but I don’t like it. Sax said that it was ‘his baby’, and that was enough to keep everyone’s natures silent.

We’ve decided to try going in a smaller group. Leave the kids and the weaker of us behind – by that, they mean Sally and Masterson, the ones who ‘can’t be trusted’ – while the stronger of us see if we can get through. Ben is staying behind to keep an eye on the kids (and the other two), and to act as protection in case anyone stumbles across them here.

So that leaves Thorpe, Sax and me. We’re heading off in the morning. I think we’re going to need luck for this one.

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