“All right, Matt,” Phelan said through tears of laughter. “We’ll leave it at that, then.”
Matt cast a hooded look at him and nodded slightly. “That’s where we’ll leave it.”
Thom arched a brow slightly at their silent accord, then shrugged and looked to Cameron. “I guess all we have to decide now is when we’re leaving.”
“Just like that?” There was a hint of wonder and disbelief in Cameron’s voice. “Just like that, we up and go.”
“Just like that,” Thom answered. “We’ll need to inventory what we’ll be able to take with us for trade on the first run, too. That’ll take a few days of sorting through.”
“Nails. Axes.” Matt glanced up from the anvil. “Not sure if you want to take any real weapons.”
“I’m pretty sure there’s not that many people out there that would be able to figure out how to use one of the swords,” Thom said, brows knitting. “Though you never know. You’re right, though. I don’t think we want to take any weapons for trade—not this time, not until we know what’s out there, who’s out there.”
“That’s a healthy level of paranoia,” Phelan said, crossing his arms. “The community down where Holland used to be seemed fairly…welcoming, I’d have to say. I didn’t really stay there, but they fed me.”
Thom snorted and shook his head. “Well, that says something, I guess.”
“Yeah, that we’ll start there,” Cameron muttered. He scrubbed a hand over his face. “How far?”
“What’s left of St. Joe or Benton Harbor, maybe,” Thom said. “Don’t want to go as far as the city.” He caught Phelan’s flinch out of the corner of his eye and grimaced. “Phelan said there wasn’t much to see.”
“No,” Phelan agreed quietly. “There wasn’t. Maybe something—someone—survived on the outskirts, or the ‘burbs, but the city itself…” His voice trailed away and his eyes grew distant, pain lurking there, pain he so often kept hidden. Thom patted his shoulder.
“That’s a trip for another time,” he said. “We’ll network with the folks that are closer first. Then we’ll go from there.”
“It’s a good plan,” Matt said.
“I like to think so.” Thom set aside the whetstone and leaned back. Hope I’m right, because if I’m not, everyone may end up paying the price.
