Before the apocalypse, the Rocksea No-Man’s-Land was a forbidden zone. There were many legends about the Rocksea Forbidden Zone, and Evelyn Ford had heard some of them. Some news reports said a Savage Tribe lived here, while others claimed it was home to the world’s last matriarchal society.
No one knew if any of it was true.
Although the ground was covered in rocks and far from level, Evelyn Ford and Ronan Kendrick discussed it and decided to drive. The temperature in the forbidden zone was just too low, making travel by horseback too difficult.
Evelyn Ford jumped off her horse and pulled out a pocket watch to check the time. "Everyone, spread out and look for footprints. Let’s find the others."
"Evelyn, you mean Miles Vaughn and the others might have already made it out?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Ronan and I don’t have the best sense of direction. We spent hours going in circles in the woods yesterday, which delayed us. If the others found a shortcut, they could have been out for a while now."
Evelyn Ford pointed to either side. "Search along the edge of the woods. Don’t go too far."
It was 11:15 AM. They would head into the Rocksea Forbidden Zone at 1:00 PM.
Evelyn Ford set Zoe down. Her cold had improved a little, and she seemed to be in decent spirits.
Everyone except for Taylor Vance, Zion Lowell, and Peter Owens went to search for Miles Vaughn’s group.
Not minding that the three men were watching, Evelyn Ford directly stored all the horses in her dimensional space and then brought out two RVs.
Seeing the brand-new Unimog, Evelyn Ford opened the door and climbed inside, still holding Zoe.
At two and a half years old, it was the first time Zoe had ever seen such a vehicle. She was absolutely stunned.
Zoe wasn’t the only one who was stunned. Zion Lowell and Peter Owens both thought they were hallucinating and rubbed their eyes in perfect sync.
Ronan Kendrick went to inspect the other RV. The gas tank was full, and the key had been left in the door. This one had belonged to Mr. Holloway. Evelyn Ford had already cleaned it, and a small potted cactus sat on the table.
The Unimog was an all-terrain camper. It had a very high chassis, and its entire outer shell was made of bulletproof material. The black exterior looked incredibly cool. Inside, it was furnished with a sofa, a table, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a bathroom, and even three beds.
Evelyn Ford stored the refrigerator and washing machine in her dimensional space to free up some room.
After a quick look around, Evelyn Ford climbed back down with Zoe in her arms.
"Mr. Vance, Mr. Lowell, Peter Owens, why don’t you get inside the vehicle first."
Taylor Vance was still unable to speak, but his expression was solemn. He pointed at the RV, then shook his head and waved his hands in refusal.
Evelyn Ford smiled. "I trust you all. The heat is on inside, so get in. It’s too cold out here."
Peter Owens and Zion Lowell still looked completely bewildered. The two limped after Taylor Vance into the second RV. It was incredibly warm inside, and there were clean quilts on the beds. The three men were at a loss for what to do. Ronan Kendrick brought them fresh clothes and shoes, telling them the water heater was on in the bathroom, so they could shower and change.
When the search party returned, they saw the two RVs and thought they were hallucinating.
"What’s going on?"
"Did you find Miles Vaughn and the others?" Evelyn Ford asked as she stepped down from the RV. When Quincy saw her, he raised his hand and slapped himself across the face a couple of times.
"Nope, not a dream."
Seeing Quincy standing dazed by the RV with someone on his back, Evelyn Ford walked over.
"Where did you find them?"
Ethan Dawson suppressed the shock in his eyes and walked forward with Miles Vaughn on his back. "About a kilometer from here. All three of them were together."
Evelyn Ford checked their conditions. Wyatt Vaughn and Joelle Finch were in bad shape; besides injuries from a fall, they were also suffering from hypothermia. Miles Vaughn was just unconscious and otherwise fine.
When Zoe saw Wyatt Vaughn, she got incredibly excited, lunging forward and clinging to her while shouting, "Mama! Mama!"
Evelyn Ford took some potent medicine from her bag and gave it to them, then turned to the others.
"There are twelve of us, so six to a vehicle. Everybody, get on board."
Wendy immediately stood behind Evelyn Ford. Not to be outdone, Quincy came over with Wyatt Vaughn on his back. With Officer Graham and Zoe, their group now had seven people.
The other group had Ethan Dawson, Taylor Vance, Zion Lowell, Peter Owens, Miles Vaughn, and Joelle Finch.
The groups seemed reasonable enough. Evelyn Ford climbed back into the RV with Zoe in her arms, and the others followed her in.
"Evelyn, is this our car?"
Evelyn Ford nodded. "It is. Everyone have some hot water to warm up. Quincy, put Wyatt Vaughn on the bed, turn on the electric blanket, and get her into some dry clothes."
"Should we keep looking for the others?" Officer Graham asked.
"No, we’re leaving now."
The ones still missing were Chet Lawrence, Nathan Xavier, Drako, and Ian Yates.
’If those four are together, survival shouldn’t be a problem.’
The RV was equipped with kitchen supplies. Evelyn Ford boiled some water and opened a case of instant noodles, deciding they should all get something in their stomachs.
Quincy came out after getting Wyatt Vaughn settled. Seeing the familiar pickled vegetable-flavored instant noodles, he looked like he was about to cry.
"Something’s not right," he said. "This was made before the apocalypse. Look at the expiration date."
Officer Graham shot him a look. "Eat your food and keep your mouth shut."
"I just have one last question. How much did this RV cost?"
Evelyn Ford thought for a moment. "I think it was just under four million."
"You bought it?" Quincy’s voice shot up an octave.
Evelyn Ford nodded. "Yep. Good eye, right?"
Quincy looked utterly floored. "But you said you were poor!"
"I was poor," she said. "After I bought this RV, I didn’t have a single penny to my name."
Quincy felt he could no longer comprehend the meaning of the word "poor." He looked over at Officer Graham, who cleared his throat. "Evelyn’s parents were brilliant surgeons. I heard you had to book an appointment with them six months in advance. They’re about my parents’ age, and since they never bought a house, they must have had a lot of savings."
Quincy pouted. "So I’m the only one who’s actually poor."
They cooked two large pots of instant noodles. Quincy took one over to Ethan Dawson’s group, and after Evelyn Ford finished eating, she took a seat behind the wheel.
It was warm in the RV, and she had already taken off her jacket. Zoe and Wendy stood behind her, staring in amazement at the steering wheel.
Evelyn Ford looked back at them. "Wendy, when you get the chance, I’ll teach you how to drive."
Wendy nodded eagerly. "I promise I’ll learn it well."
Zoe raised her hand too. "What about me? Auntie, I want to learn too!"
Evelyn Ford patted her on the head. "You’re too little. You’ll have to wait another fifteen years."
Just then, Ethan Dawson came over.
"What time are we leaving?"
"One o’clock sharp. How are Miles Vaughn and Joelle Finch?"
"They’re not awake yet."
Evelyn Ford nodded. "For now, there’s no one in your vehicle to switch off with you on driving. When we get to the next stop, have Quincy or Mr. Graham take a turn."
Ethan Dawson nodded. "Alright. By the way, I came over to say thank you."
Evelyn Ford looked a little surprised. "What for?"
"Thank you for taking me in and letting me be part of your team. I won’t let you down."
Evelyn Ford just smiled, not saying anything.
Ethan Dawson glanced around the Unimog’s interior. It had probably been years since he’d seen such a nice vehicle, and his expression was tinged with envy.
"This is a really nice ride."
"You think?" Evelyn said, a little smugly. She glanced at the time and shooed him away.
"It’s one. Time to go."