​FOUR|
There was a riot at town hall. Sam had just told them of the plan. The crowd had broken out into cries of fear, rage, and sorrow.
"What about the little ones?" asked "Mother" Mary Terrafino. She and her younger brother along with a few others cared for the littles in the day care center. She helped them survive.
"This will help them too. There will be decent medicine, diapers, bottles, and some new toys for them if we get there. Computer Jack says that if we can reach them by phone, we should be able to get there. Isn't that true, Jack?" Sam said confidently.
"Yeah. That should be true."
There was a murmur through the crowd. Sam, without even hearing a word knew what they were talking about. Was it safe? Was it true? Can we trust them?
The next person to speak up was Orc. What came out of his mouth was predictable. "They got beer?"
"Probably. They were about an hour away from a Budweiser factory. They're in the middle of wine country. My mom and my Cousin Morgan's mom did the wine trail the last time I went there. Guys, this community is a prime location for farming and fishing. They have food there. Something everyone needs. If we send a small search party, we'd all be working towards life."
Quinn, one of Sam's former friends, now on the verge of becoming his friend again, immediately volunteered to lead the search party. "You can't leave Sam. People here need you more than anyone else."
Sam took a breath. "You, Orc, Edilio, Dekka, and Brianna can go if they feel up to the challenge. Are you guys?"
"Yes," Quinn said confidently.
"Sure," Orc agreed. "So long as I get my booze."
"And he will get his booze," said his right hand man, Howard.
"I'm in," Edilio piped in.
"Yeah, what the hell. I'll go," Dekka shrugged.
"Me too," Brianna agreed.
"You'll start in the morning. You'll take a Jeep- no running, Brianna." She pouted as soon as Sam said that.
Sam ignored her. "Alright. Go and gather your things, only what you need. Have Albert give you some food. You won't have much, so eat sparingly."
The five who were leaving to find a portal left the meeting and went to their respective houses. For Orc, it was his beer. Quinn had his necklace and sunglasses. Edilio had some charms from Honduras. Dekka and Brianna were Coates kids, so they didn't have all that much that they carried with them. They took sunglasses and hats.
The next morning, the five teens left for the desert to look for the portal or any sign of one. They knew it wasn't going to be easy. It was possibly the toughest thing that any of them had ever done. They knew there was a chance of death and an even higher chance of insanity. But there was a high chance of insanity just being in the FAYZ.
Just before the volunteers' departure, Sam pulled Quinn aside. "Try to find a way to survive, brah," he said.
"I'll try, brah. I'll try." The two boys did something that they had not done in a long time. They hugged and cried, just as they used to.
"Come on, Quinn!" Orc yelled. "We ain't got all fucking day!"
"You gotta go now. Be careful," Sam said, regaining his composure. "Bye, brah." With that, Quinn left to join the others in the Jeep. As soon as the door closed, they took off, leaving a trail of dirt behind them. Astrid walked up in that exact moment.
"They'll be all right, Sam. They'll be okay." She gave him a hug in an effort to make him feel better, as a girlfriend would. "Edilio will keep them in line. And Quinn's still a good guy."
"I know," Sam sighed. "But it's not them I'm worried about. It's Orc."
"Worried he'll run out of booze, or that it will make him crazy?"
"Both."
"I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
"We've never been to Kansas, Astrid."
"I know. For some reason I've been saying that when things are changing. Like in The Wizard of Oz."
"Changing for better or worse?"
"I don't know. I have a feeling it's both."
