“She shouldn’t be out here in the snow,” I whispered. The whole crew had stopped, and for a moment we stood in a circle around them, all of us stricken by the sight of the growing snow and our complete lack of energy.
“Just a little farther,” Mark finally said. “I see a valley between two rocky hills up ahead, and there are trees. We can camp there.”
“Dude, we can’t camp yet,” Tater said, pushing to his feet. “It’s hours until night.” He bent and pulled Remy to her feet. She leaned against him, tremoring.
“Maybe a longer rest is what we need,” Matt said.
“What we need is to fucking get there!”
Rylen put a hand on Tater’s shoulder, but he pulled away, saying, “Come on. Help her back up.”
“I can’t,” Remy said weakly. “I c-can’t hold on.”
Tater’s face was a mask of brutal frustration and distress. “You have to, Rem. Come on.”
Wind began to whip the snow sideways, throwing it at us in heaping scoops. I couldn’t feel my feet anymore. Rylen helped Remy onto Tater’s back and he held her legs tightly, leaning forward and grunting with the effort to tramp through the thickening snow.
I kept my head down to shield my face as we made our way farther into the blizzard. What would happen if it didn’t stop anytime soon? How deep would it get? I could barely lift my legs. What if a foot or more of snow came down?
Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic.
“Holy shit.” Mark’s voice made us all stop and look up. He was peering ahead through his binoculars. I squinted at the dark splotch between hills as he spoke low. “There’s a cabin in those trees.”
Excitement sprang to life inside of me, followed quickly by fright. What if someone was there? Someone unfriendly, or DRI?
“Guns out, y’all,” Tex said. “That cabin’s ours tonight. Let’s get Remy some shelter.”
Yes. I stuck my socked hands to the front waist of my jeans where I’d tucked Grandma’s pistol. As one, we moved ahead cautiously. I watched the guys ahead and took their hand signals about when to move to the side, when to crouch. Soon, we were in a patch of trees, looking at the cabin, which appeared deserted. My heart pounded as Tex and Devon skirted closer, then split off to go around the building and meet in the back. I blinked against the falling chunks of snow. The guys came back minutes later, both grinning.
“Empty, from what we can see through the windows. But keep your guns out. Let’s check the door.”
We moved quietly, all crouched, even Remy, who was breathing hard and shaking uncontrollably. All ten of us lined against the front of the log building while Tex stood beside the door, gun at his shoulder, and knocked. My heart pounded. He tried the door. Locked.
Then he shot the wood beside the doorknob and kicked it.
Remy and I both jumped as the noise echoed through the valley. Tex moved in sideways, gun out.
“This room’s clear,” he called.
One-by-one we filed in. I didn’t realize how biting the wind was until we were suddenly out of it. The room felt super warm. Tex flipped a light switch, but nothing came on. No power.
A single, plaid couch was against the wall. Tater led Remy to it, and lay her down as the others checked the bathroom and one bedroom.
“Blankets,” Sean said, looking through a small closet next to the kitchenette area. He tossed one to Tater, who opened it and lay it over Remy’s curled form. Her chattering teeth could be heard across the room.
“No food.” Matt scoured the empty pantry. It looked like it only had paper plates, napkins, and toothpicks scattering the shelves.
I shoved my gun back into my waist and took the socks off my hands, going to the sink. My hands were frozen and stiff as I tried the faucet. No water. But the two-burner stove was gas. I tried the knob, which clicked, and then flamed.
“Guys! They must be on propane!”
“Nice,” Rylen said.
I opened cabinets and drawers to find dishes and utensils.
“We’ve got some meds and vitamins in the bathroom cabinet,” Mark called.Ooh! I stood to see, when Devon’s steely, careful voice made us all freeze.
“Hold up.” He was standing in the corner crouched by a gas fireplace with fake logs, his hands outstretched. “It’s hot.”
