Victoria and McCrea arrived at his side simultaneously. McCrea took one look, then spun around with his M4 against his shoulder at low ready.

Victoria pulled Caleb away, then shouldered her own rifle. “Guns up, boys,” she said. They knew exactly what to do. To McCrea, she said, “Murder or suicide?”

“I didn’t see a gun,” McCrea said. “The blood isn’t dry yet. That means his killer is still nearby.”

“We need to not be here,” Victoria said.

“I one hundred percent agree,” McCrea said. “Let’s move on.”

“Heads up, Major,” Copley said. He’d locked his eyes on a sight in the woods down the hill and over to the left.

A bearded man stood in the shadow of the trees, his dark hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. He looked like he’d been trying to remain invisible, but once he was made, he took a step forward. His belt was weighted with a large revolver, and a shortened pump shotgun lay slung across his chest.

“Mornin’,” he said.

Victoria pulled her kids closer, but Caleb pulled away. He fingered the safety off his Ruger. Victoria felt a swell of pride. Her safety had been off for some time now.

“We don’t want any trouble,” McCrea said.

“That works out good,” the stranger said. “’Cause me and my friends don’t want no trouble, either.” His voice had a distinct mountain twang to it.

Four more people materialized from the shadows. Another man and two women. All of them were armed and looked mean as hell. The ground around them was littered with a wide variety of foodstuffs and clothing. It was too far away to make out the packaging, but they clearly were trying to hide it from view.

“Somebody sure made a mess out here,” the stranger said.

“Vicky,” McCrea said softly, “take your boys on down the hill. First Sergeant Copley and I will join you in a few minutes.”

“I think we’ll stay right here,” Victoria replied. “Firepower is firepower.”

“My name’s Grubbs,” the stranger said. “Jeffrey Grubbs. Are we at war, General?”

“Major,” McCrea said. “We were, but I’m not sure if we still are. We’re as displaced and confused as anybody else. We’re just trying to get to civilization.”

“You’re in the wrong part of the world for that,” Grubbs said. “But there’s a town down that hill about four or five mile.”

“Is that where you’re going?” McCrea asked.

“Nah, that’s where we’re coming from. We thought we’d try livin’ in the wild.”

“Do you know what happened here?” Caleb asked.

Grubbs cocked his head at the question and started walking toward them.

McCrea and Copley changed their stances, widening their feet and angling their bodies. “I’ll thank you to keep your distance,” McCrea said.

“Safety off, Luke,” Victoria said.