I thought about that. I supposed Hosea and the rest of this crew would check out all possible locations where the military might still be stationed and able to provide some answers if they had a way to look up locations. But as of now, they had to go off guesses and memory. “Life really sucks without Google and GPS.”

Tuck let out a small chuff of agreement.

We traveled in the back of a Jeep for the next six hours, the noise of the vehicle and the wind in our faces making it mostly impossible to talk without yelling. But I found it a good opportunity to come to terms with our new normal. It was just me and Tuck now, a duo where we’d once been an awkward threesome. But more than just a duo, I hoped we could find a way to settle into a partnership.

Both the driver and the gruff older man in the passenger seat carried weapons and though they were armed, I still felt exposed in the open vehicle as we passed by people on foot who waved their arms and attempted to get us to stop.

As we skirted around what I assumed were more populated areas, I could see the smoke rising in the sky. And when we moved more slowly around stalled cars, I heard distant wails that could have been dogs, but also might have been human and I began humming to block the sounds that sent shivers down my spine.

When we arrived at the army base, it was completely deserted. “Damn,” Tuck muttered as we stepped down from the Jeep.

“A dead fucking end,” the older man muttered.

“Thanks for the ride,” Tuck said to the two men in the front who looked as disappointed as I felt. I’d allowed myself some hope that when we arrived, there would be some official organization happening, or perhaps some information.

But at least we were a little bit closer to home.

Hosea had located a map for Tuck and so again, we followed along specific routes, walking out of rural Kansas and into Oklahoma, with New Mexico in our future.

“It’s pretty here,” I said, gazing off into the distance where farmhouses could barely be seen beyond spans of yellow fields, giant rolls of hay dotting the landscape. The cows would have plenty to eat anyway. I thought back to the folks Tuck guessed had been roasting a rat under the city overpass and didn’t let my thoughts wander to the possible fate of these cows. Instead, I hummed some more and occupied my mind with music. It had always been my sanctuary, and that was certainly true now.