The fire crackled in the fireplace, its warmth barely touching the tension in the room. The freed prisoners huddled together, their eyes flickering between Claire and Evelyn’s group.  
Thomas sat with his back against the wall, his arm protectively around Leo. “What happens now?” he asked, his voice rough from exhaustion.  
Evelyn leaned against the doorway. “We rest. Then we figure out where to go next.”  
Thomas nodded slowly, but his gaze lingered on Claire. “And her?”  
Claire, who had been staring into the fire, exhaled sharply. “Say what you want to say.”  
Thomas straightened. “You worked for them. You scouted for them. How many people did you lead into chains?”  
The room fell silent. Even Leo looked away.  
Claire clenched her fists. “Too many.”  
Thomas scoffed. “And now you expect us to just forget?”  
Evelyn stepped between them. “She helped us take them down. She’s here now. That has to mean something.”  
Thomas shook his head. “Forgiveness isn’t that easy.”  
Claire stood abruptly. “I don’t need forgiveness. I just need to survive.”  
Before anyone could respond, the door creaked open, and Eli and Sarah stepped inside.  
Sarah dropped a bag on the table. “Water, canned food, some blankets. Not much, but it’ll hold us for now.”  
Eli wiped sweat from his forehead. “We should set watches. Just in case.”  
Evelyn nodded. “I’ll take first.”  
Claire grabbed a blanket and moved to the farthest corner of the room. She didn’t say another word.  
As the others settled in, Evelyn sat near the door, gripping her knife.  
The farmhouse was safe for now. But the cracks in the group were already forming.
Evelyn sat near the door, knife resting on her lap. The night outside was still, but her mind wasn’t.  
Claire lay in the corner, her back against the wall, staring at the ceiling. Thomas hadn’t stopped watching her. Even Leo, curled up beside him, kept glancing in her direction.  
Eli was on the couch, rifle across his chest, half-asleep but ready. Sarah had taken a spot near the fire, her expression unreadable.  
No one trusted each other.  
A rustling sound outside made Evelyn’s grip tighten. She held her breath.  
Silence.  
Probably just the wind. Or a rat.  
She exhaled, relaxing slightly, but the feeling in her gut remained. They couldn’t stay here long.  
Sarah finally spoke. “We need a plan.”  
Eli opened one eye. “Like what?”  
“Like where we go next,” Sarah said. “This place won’t hold forever.”  
Thomas scoffed. “And where exactly do we go? Nowhere is safe.”  
Evelyn straightened. “We head south. There are rumors of a safe zone near the old city. If we move at dawn, we can cover good ground before midday.”  
Thomas frowned. “And what if it’s just a rumor?”  
Evelyn hesitated. She didn’t have an answer.  
Claire shifted slightly. “It’s real.”  
Everyone turned to her.  
She met their gazes, her voice calm. “The slavers talked about it. They avoided the area because of strong defenses. If it’s still standing, it’s our best shot.”  
Thomas narrowed his eyes. “And we’re just supposed to take your word for it?”  
Claire didn’t flinch. “You don’t have to trust me. But you don’t have many options.”  
Silence settled over the room again.  
Evelyn stood. “We leave at dawn.”  
No one argued.  
But trust was still a long way off.
Dawn broke with a pale light creeping over the horizon. The farmhouse, once a place of temporary refuge, now felt like a distant memory.  
Evelyn stood at the door, watching the others gather their things. Sarah helped Thomas, who was still slow-moving, while Eli checked the rifles. Claire was already outside, standing by the edge of the yard, her gaze fixed on the road ahead.  
Leo tugged at Thomas’ sleeve. “Are we really going?”  
Thomas sighed. “We don’t have a choice, son.”  
The tension between Claire and the others hadn’t eased, but it was something they all had to bear. Claire had proven useful so far, but the memories of what she had done were hard to shake.  
Evelyn walked over to her. “You know the way?”  
Claire nodded. “I do.”  
Evelyn didn’t ask how she knew. She didn’t care. They needed to move, and Claire was the best chance they had.  
They set off, the group moving in a loose formation. Eli and Sarah led the way, scanning the path ahead. Claire brought up the rear, her steps measured, eyes always scanning the horizon.  
As the hours passed, the landscape around them grew more desolate. The roads, once busy with life, were now empty and cracked, overgrown with weeds and the remnants of old vehicles.  
At one point, they came across a dilapidated gas station. It had been ransacked long ago, but Eli suggested they search it anyway.  
“I’ll go check the pumps,” he said, heading toward the back.  
Sarah stayed close, keeping watch while Thomas, Claire, and Evelyn moved inside.  
The air inside was thick with dust and the smell of decay. Papers and empty cans littered the floor. But as Evelyn moved deeper into the building, something caught her eye. A flash of movement.  
Her hand instinctively went to her knife, and she turned toward the noise.  
A figure emerged from the shadows, a man, ragged and covered in dirt. His eyes were wide with fear.  
“Please,” he begged, holding up his hands. “I don’t want trouble. Just need food.”  
Evelyn kept her distance. “Who are you?”  
The man dropped to his knees. “Name’s Ben. I’ve been alone for weeks. Just need something to eat. Don’t… don’t hurt me.”  
Evelyn glanced at Sarah, who was already stepping forward. “We’re not here to hurt you.”  
Ben’s eyes darted between them. “Then… then you’ll help?”  
Evelyn hesitated. “What’s your story?”  
“I was with a group. We got attacked. I ran. I didn’t know where else to go.”  
Evelyn exchanged a glance with Sarah. The group was already stretched thin. They couldn’t afford to take in another person. But she saw the desperation in Ben’s eyes.  
“We don’t have much,” Evelyn said. “But we’ll share what we can.”  
Ben nodded eagerly, his eyes almost tearful with relief.  
Evelyn sighed, rubbing her temples. Another person. Another mouth to feed.  
But they didn’t have the luxury of turning him away.