Miles of Death-8

I have been on my own two weeks, every night I stop and stay in the car. I no longer go looking in houses unless I am looking for supplies. Its too much of a risk with their teams out looking for me. I learned the hard way that there were more people alive then I had known. I don't see them all the time but I have come across groups of people traveling together. I keep my distance and stay out of their sights, but I observe them, watch what their doing, what direction they are going in. I still had a lot of questions and I didn't know if all the people I saw were working for Ben and Sarah. They could just be people traveling together to stay alive. The one thing I have learned is that what you think you know, its not at all what the reality is. All I knew was, people can still be sick and die except for me, if that is even true. I had been thinking a lot about things. I remembered Raya never wanting to touch any of the bodies, never wanted anything to do with the areas they were in either. But, we did go into a city full of them and those people were living in a city full of them. It must be passed by physically touching them or by getting their fluids on you or something. I cant believe I fell for her act, she was good, I'll give her that. No wonder she knew how to hunt and fish, she was a freaking spy. I thought I was a good judge of character, but apparently im not at all. I even fell for Logan and his story about some wife, he probably never had a wife at all and if he did she probably died just like everyone else. And who was this Ben guy, all he did was shovel cow poop and pour drinks for people. What was he doing that was so important that he was trying to save lives. I didn't see one piece of medical equipment or lab equipment. Unless they had a secrete room somewhere I just don't see how those two people could be in the CDC, let alone be giving orders. However, there were no pictures of them in the house, and they did spend a lot of time in the barn. I was trying to make sense of a lot of things that happened or things they said. I thought about all the times Raya and I were out there on the open road, when she could have told me the truth. Maybe she could have started out doing a job but how can you get to know a person and continue to lead them to their death like their nothing. Maybe she hated me because I supposedly cant get the virus and she can. I am the most angry with her and I promised myself that If I ever saw her again I would make sure she paid for what she had done. I never would have gone to that farm had it not been for her. I may have been put in certain areas but I was okay on my own, why couldn't they just leave me alone. I'm not a science project.

 As the sun sets I pull into a drive way to someone's house. I wasn't going inside but, I could park behind the house and no one would see me from the road. I was okay on fuel and supplies for a few more days and I no longer feel like stocking an abundance. Too much risk of exposure going in places or near places. It was getting colder as it was now October and winter would be hitting soon. I wondered what I was going to do for the winter. I wouldn't be able to keep driving around with no plows out to clear any roads. I had yet to find a place that seemed out of the way or secluded enough. I needed to do that and then work on getting some supplies to see me through until I can figure out how to grow some food. I wasn't planning any more but I still needed to be realistic. They would know winter is coming as well and they will assume im going to settle some where. So I have to make sure that where I stay I can not only see what is coming before they arrive, but they wont know to look anywhere close to me because there is nothing around. It was going to be work finding a place like that and I hope I did it before the first snow fall hit. I have headed North towards Canada. That's where im aiming from. I wonder if there will still be a border, or anyone patrolling it. Was this just something that was in the states? I'm not so sure what I will find but I assumed that if it was this bad here its probably this bad everywhere. How could Canada be any more prepared for this then we were or Europe for that matter.

Half way into the night I wake with an uneasy feeling. Trusting it, I turn the car on and decide to get out of there. I drive until dawn, not stopping for anything. I couldn't get rid of that sinking feeling of someone breathing down my neck. Like someone was right behind me and I was just out of arms reach. I didn't know if it was my own paranoia or if it was a true feeling of warning. I didn't really care, I would just drive until I felt a little safer.
After a long night of driving, I pull over on the side of the road under some trees and make something to eat. I refueled with the last of my gas supply. It was getting exhausting trying to find things I needed. With more people out here salvaging, supplies were not so easy to get your hands on. I was managing, it wouldn't last in the winter this way but for now it was and I was thankful for that.

After I finish my meal I get back on the road and according to the map I only had a few more days of driving before I hit the border. If I could find a good gas supply and a good food supply I can just focus on the trip. I decided to make that the days mission. I would drive and If I saw a place where fuel or food might be I'm stopping, fast and sneaky. I didn't want anyone to see me. It was a risk to drive during the day. Although I switched cars a few times since Dallas I still didn't know if they were tracking me or knew what I drove. I didn't know if anything I was doing was working but they were not here and they hadn't caught me yet.
I see a little shopping plaza and take the delivery road to the back. There were a few trucks parked at the loading dock, a few cars in the lot. The trucks were full of fuel and I tapped the tank off and filled several gas cans, it was a good get, I had enough to get me a good distance closer to Canada. I searched the trucks and found some food and water, even some warm clothing and boots a bunch of blankets, mattress topper and pillows, those were like a gift from heaven sleeping in this car. I could make a bed in the back seat, and I certainty had the clothing I needed to get me through a winter in Canada. I hit the mother load of winter supply's. I even got a sled and a pair of ski's that I tied to the roof. I didn't go inside. I limit my stops to twenty minutes max and I had reached my limit. I drive off making sure no one is following me or walking around. I seem to be the only one around. I haven't seen people in awhile, which worried me. Was I in one of their zones again. I hoped not. When I saw people, although it made me nervous, it at least let me know I was still out in the open where they hadn't trapped me. Maybe people started to leave knowing winter would be coming? Was this a smart move to be headed into a place where it was going to take everything to survive in the winter conditions? I wasn't sure about any of it but at least it would be harder to find me.

Another day on the road, another night hidden in the trees. I was sleeping a lot better now that I was comfy and warm. I had stopped a few more places along the way. I had enough fuel in the van I upgraded to from the car. It would take more fuel but I had some room for supply's and for fuel and for living. I removed the front and middle seats in the back and made a bed. I found a mattress in a house and no dead had been in it. I had a tote with all my clothing and outdoor gear, a tote for all my cooking supplies and dishes and living items, a tote for fishing and hunting and medical, personal hygiene and emergency equipment. I had three totes of food, and three totes of drinks. I even found a outdoor travel toilet. It was weird but, at least I didn't have to squat, and with the bags I didn't have to leave the fan and freeze my ass off, which was a definite upgrade for me. I had turned this little van into a portable home. I would keep it until I reached Canada, unless I found a Rv. That is something im aiming for, I could literally live in it and just find a place to stay all winter in that but with more survivors then I thought, stumbling across one of those was not going to be easy. If I got lucky I will be happy, if not its on to another place to live through the winter.

After a long day of driving, I pull over into a camp ground. I have to get out and open the fence. After I drive in I shut it and use a chain and a lock I took from a store. At least no one could drive in after me. I pull up to the little main cabin. I go inside to find a little visitor center and office. To my surprise there is no dead in it but the lights work and its warm. I go out side and look around, the roof is lined with solar panels. This little cabin had power. I was definitely sleeping inside to night.
I take the van and drive up the road, there are several tiny cabin cottages that they must have rented out, there are rows of little lanes, cabins spread out on three levels of the mountain. I checked a few and they to had solar power roofs but everything was shut down and off. The next areas were their tent sights, with a little fishing river and pond, a playground, a little general store that looked to be fully stocked, also solar powered. I found this place had its own water system, its own plumbing system. It was completely self reliant.
I drove on to the last area where they had their Rv sights. There were no RV's but there were solar powered electricity boxes at each sight, so they could have power still. I found a little laundry mat, a few bathroom and shower houses, a arcade and rec center. This place had everything and it was completely empty with no dead inside. It must have been closed during the outbreak. On my last road back to the main cabin I find a restaurant cabin, fully stocked with food, the freezers and coolers still working. It looked like they were prepared for the opening of their season. There was so much to use here. My mind told me that I could pick one of the cabins on the top of the mountain where I could watch for anyone coming, I could stay here hidden all winter. I wanted to, I felt like I had a shot here. But it was right off the high way, and there were signs on the road advertising it. Someone will come here eventually especially if they knew it was self sufficient.
I decide to take some food from the freezer and the pantry and drive up to the cabins,on the top of the mountain. I needed to see if there was a cabin with a good view and was hidden enough. I make my way carefully, the roads tiny and narrow and occasionally I had to get out to clear some branches from the storms that hit. Nothing major as far as damage but just needed some tending from lack of care. At the very top was a cabin slightly larger than the others. It had a deck on it all the way around unlike the others. This must have been their best cabin. I pull the van into the trees to hide it and walk to the cabin. I walk around the deck and notice I have a clear view of the high way, the country side for  miles and miles. I can literally see for miles up here. The air was more chilly and I pulled my coat tighter around me. The front door is unlocked so I go inside and turn on the lights. They come on. Its warm inside and I notice that the this cabin had not turned off. My stomach dropped, there was probably the dead in here, although I didn't smell the familiar stench. I walk the common area, its all open to the views and there is a tiny dinning table and little kitchen, a living room area. A bathroom off the living room. A tiny hallway with a closed door. I turn the light on in the hall and take a calming breath. I open the door slowly and turn on the light. There is a bed and a closet and a sliding door out to a deck, but no dead. I finally smile. Now this was living. It had everything I needed and it was warm, had a good view. But I couldn't get over the risk of it being so public. It wouldn't be smart to stay here, but for the night I was going to enjoy it.

I made a hamburger for dinner with real meat from the freezer. I ate slow bites and savored the taste as if it were my last meal. It just might be the last hamburger I ever eat. I wouldn't come across something like this again. You don't get this lucky out there. After my meal I took a hot shower until the water went cold. It felt so good to be clean and the warm water was heaven on my skin. I changed into some clean clothing and decided to drive down to the little laundry mat and wash what was dirty, who knew when I would be able to do that again. While my laundry was washing, I explored the little shed and found some hunting items they must have stored for campers to rent. Since my paranoia was thick these days, I decide to drive to the main gate and hang camouflage nets all the way across the main gate. The Wooded entrance was thick and from the road it just looked like thick brush, at least it would throw them off a little bit. I use the axe from my van and chop down the two signs at the road. There were now no markers at the source. I toss the signs in the woods. At least I would sleep a little better at night. As long as no one had a working GPS, I should be good. In the morning I could go take down the signs that I had seen, maybe stay a few days and try it out. I knew what I had found, and I knew the likely hood of finding a place like this in Canada. It was worth a trial period.
That night I slept in the bed after locking up tight and making sure all the lights were off, even the main cabin. I didn't want anyone seeing any light from the road. I slept like a baby and slept late into the morning for the first time. My body needed it and I hadn't felt that safe in a long time. If I could make this work, I had a pretty damn good chance, and life wasn't going to be as hard as I thought. Everything I needed was right here. All I had to do was secure it. But one thing at a time. I cant waste time on a place that isn't safe either.