Chapter 46: Leader

Reid retreats at last, unable to watch any longer. But as he turns to go, Cole grabs his arm.

"We have to at least save some of the supplies."

Reid's eyes flicker to the station. "You do that," he says.

Cole makes a face. "We hid caches around town," he says. "Just in case."

At least they did a few smart things while he was gone.

"Where and how much?" He feels his excitement rise. Food, water. Having a source on hand will go a long way to keep them

from falling apart. He knows the contents of his backpack won't last forever. It will be nice to have supplies to take

with them.

Them. He's here at this place again, as a leader, while they look to him for guidance and approval. While Reid is sure

he'll never get used to it, he accepts it for what it is at last. They do need him. And he needs them, too.

Cole crouches on the path, using a twig to sketch out the town in the hard dirt. "In this garage," he indicates one of