Chapter 754: Looking for People
Chapter 754: Chapter 754: Looking for People
Tears streamed down her cheeks. Evelyn bit her lip, whimpering softly. She blamed herself for not taking everyone with her when she had left. She blamed herself for making them leave the space because she had been afraid of the trouble. Overwhelmed by endless regret and self-reproach, her hands, still holding the wood, began to tremble.
The night passed, and two new coffins now stood in the space. Evelyn paid no mind to the blisters and calluses on her hands. She placed washed fruit on the offering table, then lit three incense sticks and set them in the censer.
Once the coffin lids were closed, Evelyn leaned against one for a while. She composed herself, washed her face in a basin of water, and pressed a hot compress to her swollen eyes.
"I’m heading out now. I have to find the others today, and I swear I’ll find them. That includes Roy Henderson and Owen Chapman—I’ll find them too. Wyatt Vaughn, Quincy isn’t doing very well. Please, give him the courage to get back on his feet. Mr. Vance, you don’t have to worry about us anymore. Leave everything to me. As long as I’m alive, I will take care of everyone. You’ve worked hard your entire life. Rest well now. Don’t worry about us anymore."
Evelyn took a small flag from her pocket. She had found it in Taylor Vance’s room when she went back to the cabin a moment ago.
Evelyn planted the flag in front of his coffin. Gazing at the three silent coffins, she took a deep breath, steeled her emotions, and then left the space.
The downstream area was chaotic in the early morning. People scrambled to fetch water, carrying every container they could find. Evelyn returned to the tent. Wendy and the others were not yet awake. She changed into a worn-out black windbreaker, unzipped the tent flap, and quietly left.
Officer Graham and Ronan Kendrick were back with some wood for the fire. Seeing Evelyn, Ronan strode over quickly.
"Your eyes are swollen."
Evelyn shook her head. "It’s nothing. Why are you two up so early?"
"It’s too noisy. Couldn’t sleep."
In truth, it wasn’t the noise that had kept Ronan from sleeping. It was Evelyn’s absence; he hadn’t slept all night. He had just started to feel a bit drowsy in the morning when Officer Graham needed to use the latrine. The downstream area was crowded, so Ronan went along just in case. On their way back, they took a look at the water collection point. It was packed with people today, and a fight had broken out over the water.
"There’s no more wood to gather, either. The forest outside the base seems to have been completely burned down. I heard some people saying they’re going to start digging up soil, probably to find Famine Clay Soil."
Officer Graham placed the few sticks he was holding on the ground. Only then did Evelyn notice that his hunchback had gotten much worse and his hair had turned almost completely white. Evelyn quickly looked away, not daring to meet Officer Graham’s gaze, which was still as resilient and gentle as ever. She looked at the distant crowd. ’Humans really are the most resilient creatures in the world. Even with Azure destroyed like this, people are still struggling, fighting to survive.’
"Mr. Graham, let’s make some breakfast first. We can do it in your tent. Let Wendy and the others sleep in a little longer. I’ll give you a portable stove and a gas canister. The stove is easy to use."
Officer Graham nodded. "Alright. What are we having for breakfast?"
"Let’s have some noodles. We should eat something light for the next few days."
Officer Graham woke Peter Owens, Miles Vaughn, and the others. Evelyn and Ronan stood guard outside, ready to hide everything quickly if someone approached.
Half an hour later, the aroma of tomato and egg noodles wafted from the tent. Evelyn woke Wendy and the others. Everyone squeezed into the adjacent tent, each with a large bowl, and began to enjoy their breakfast.
Micah Manning was inwardly shocked to be eating such fresh food, but she didn’t let it show. Ethan Dawson had told her before that Evelyn and Ronan were not ordinary people, but that they wouldn’t hurt anyone. If she noticed anything different about them, she shouldn’t be nervous or afraid, but she must not tell anyone what she saw.
Micah was grateful for everyone’s care, and Ethan Dawson treated her better than she could ever ask. She wasn’t a heartless person, so of course she wouldn’t say anything rash. In fact, she had already noticed something odd when she was washing up the night before. Evelyn had carried her all the way from the small courtyard to the downstream camp yesterday. She would remember that act of kindness for the rest of her life.
Besides, in such difficult times, no one had treated her as a burden. Evelyn had tended to her the moment she got back yesterday. At the thought, Micah’s eyes welled up.
"After breakfast, you all stay here and rest. The tents are shabby, but there’s no guarantee someone won’t try to rob us. Ethan Dawson, Peter Owens, you two are on watch. Keep an eye on our surroundings. Everyone else, especially the women, stay inside the tents. Don’t come out. If you need to go to the latrine, you must have a man accompany you. Ronan and I are heading out to look for people soon. Mr. Graham, I’ll leave a watch with you. We’ll probably be back around six or seven this evening. Don’t wait for us for dinner."
After giving her instructions, Evelyn distributed weapons and flashlights to everyone. Seeing the combat knife and gun handed to her, Micah froze for a second, but she reacted quickly, taking the weapons and immediately tucking them away.
"We’re leaving. Stay safe."
Evelyn found a tattered knit cap and put it on. She was only satisfied once she was dressed from head to toe like a refugee. The pair left the tent and headed toward the crowds camped downstream. Watching their retreating figures, Officer Graham glanced at the others and spoke calmly.
"Evelyn and Ronan don’t owe any of us a thing, but you all know how much they’ve sacrificed for us. We can’t help them, so the least we can do is not be a burden. The only way to repay them—to repay Mr. Vance and Wyatt Vaughn, who paid with their lives for us—is to live on."
Officer Graham’s words hit everyone hard. As long as they were alive, they had to do everything in their power to live well, not remain mired in grief, unable to escape.
Officer Graham’s words were also meant for Quincy, Miles Vaughn, and for Ethan Dawson and his wife.
All four of them had lost family. The pain they endured was several times greater than anyone else’s. To give up would be easy; to live on was hard. But no matter how hard it was, they had to live. Only in living was there hope.
—
Entering the survivors’ temporary settlement, Evelyn was hit by waves of a stench so foul she felt her soul might leave her body.
The ground was not only filthy and cluttered but also covered in feces and urine. There were people lying on the ground in agony. Evelyn glanced over and couldn’t help but frown when she saw the burns on one person’s body.
"There are still a few buildings in the base that haven’t collapsed. We should check them out later. With Rhys Chase’s intelligence, if he’s still alive, he’d definitely be hiding in a relatively safe place."
Evelyn looked at Ronan. "Okay. Let’s search this area first."
The two of them didn’t dare separate, fearing they’d get split up. Evelyn wore night-vision goggles. Because many people were wearing homemade masks to block out the stench, finding anyone was no easy task. But Evelyn had a sensitive nose. She could identify people by their scent, as long as she got close enough.
"I remember the base has an underground warehouse. Ronan, do you think Rhys Chase and the others might be hiding there?"
Ronan Kendrick grabbed Evelyn’s hand. "Then let’s go check the underground warehouse first."
"Wrong way. This way." Seeing him go in the wrong direction, Evelyn held back a laugh and pulled him back.