A few heads around the table nodded.

Michael agreed with Ramon.  “Yeah.  If it was just adults, I might feel differently.  Maybe wait and talk to them some more.  Or make them figure out how to get to us.  But with kids… we have to try.”

All eyes turned to Sam, who’d voiced the only objection so far.  He shrugged.  “I think it’s a risk.  But every time we go outside these days, it’s a risk.  I’ll want to be very sure of what kind of people they are before we bring them back here.”

Everyone agreed with that point without hesitation.

“Just as a formality, show of hands in favor of a road trip?”  Allistor raised his hand.  So did everyone else.

“Fine.  We’re going.  I say three of us should go.  Myself, Meg, and Sam the skeptic.” He winked at Sam.

“That’s not many if they turn out to be trouble,” Michael said.

“I’m going too.” Amanda slapped a hand on the table.  “If there are malnourished kids and seniors there, they might need some medical attention.”

With that settled, Sam went to go tell Meg, who was back at the kiosk.  The others got to work planning the trip.

The next morning, they were ready to go.  The group was taking the box truck, a pickup, and two ATVs.  The idea being if the trucks got bogged down somehow, or they got attacked and damaged, they could escape on the ATVs and find shelter.

They loaded tents, crates of food, medical supplies, extra gas, and some weapons into both trucks.  Once they reached the other survivors, they could either load them into the box truck or find more vehicles to bring them back in.  And they could use the box truck to haul anything cool they scavenged.

Meg had gotten more specifics on their location.  Their town was just over two hundred miles away, up on a mountain.  On old Earth, that was a trip of three or four hours one way.  But if the main roads were blocked or damaged, it might take a full day or more to get that far.

Sam and Meg climbed into the pickup and took the lead.  Allistor and Amanda followed in the box truck.  They drove up and out of the Warren and were on their way.  The group had done a little clearing of Main Street, a bit here and there, so it took them less than ten minutes to get out of town.  Sam led the way to the interstate, picking up speed to 30mph.  They’d agreed not to go faster on back roads where something might jump out of the woods.