yards from where he stood. Taking a deep breath, Katie shifted into park and opened her door, careful to stay behind it as she stepped down from the cab. When the man made no threatening move she moved out into the open, seeing him visibly relax and let the muzzle drop a few inches when he realized she was a woman.
“Not a fighter,” she said to herself, knowing anyone with any degree of combat experience would never relax just because it was a woman that stepped out of the truck.
“I came back to help you,” Katie shouted, still staying close enough to dive into the truck if need be. She had her own rifle ready to go if she had to defend herself. After a few moments he glanced over his shoulder then began walking towards her.
She knew there wasn’t anyone else in the area. Steve had been keeping an eye on them while she drove, and it was just the two men with their wives and children. The man approached slowly, eyes focused on Katie. He wasn’t expecting problems and never bothered to check the surrounding area. She was mildly surprised he’d made it this far.
“How did you know we had a problem?” He had stopped ten yards in front of the truck.
“I was watching from the top of the next ridge,” Katie lied. She wasn’t ready to advertise the advantage she had with Steve keeping an eye on her from above. “Was anyone hurt?”
“No, they made it out OK. But the Jeep’s a total loss. I’m Brian Childress, by the way.”
Katie stood staring at him for a long moment, getting the measure of the man. Finally satisfied that he was what he appeared to be, a man trying to protect his family and get them to safety, she stepped around the open door and held her hand out.
“Katie Chase.” She introduced herself.
Brian waved the rest of his group forward and made the introductions. His wife Cathy was a small woman, and it was immediately obvious that she made the decisions for the family. They were the ones driving the Jeep that had made it across the stream. Their vehicle had been lifted and outfitted properly for the rugged terrain. The second Jeep, when she got a better look at it, was a cheaper model that wasn’t good for much other than driving on slippery pavement. She refrained from asking them how they thought it would cross the stream.
The group was also heading for Payson where Cathy’s sister lived on a small ranch just outside of town. They didn’t know if she was OK or not, but they all thought the small town was far enough away from Phoenix that it had to be preferable to the chaos sweeping through the large city’s streets. From what Steve had told her about the conditions in Payson, Katie was worried about being able to stay there and wait for John to find her. She had no idea where else she could go, other than away from Phoenix.
They spent a few minutes talking, then Katie shuffled supplies around in the Ford to make room for the family that had lost the Jeep. Everyone had lots of questions for her, all of them amazed that she was out here on her own, but she put them off as they busied themselves moving supplies from the disabled Jeep into her truck. The sun was heading for the horizon and she wanted to get to the top of the next ridge before dark.
The parents were Ken and Patty, their kids John and Samantha. Once everyone was loaded, Katie got the truck turned around and rolling, concentrating on her driving. Brian followed with his family in their Jeep, staying close enough to keep her in sight but far enough back to leave room for maneuvering if anything unexpected happened.
“Do you know Cathy’s sister?” Katie asked as the truck lurched over a large rock.
“We do. We’re all school teachers.” Patty answered from the back seat. “We used to all work together in Gilbert but Trish, Cathy’s sister, got divorced and wanted to get away from the city so she took a job with the school district up in Payson.”
Katie nodded her head, happy with the answer. Other than her it wouldn’t be a bunch of strangers showing up asking for a place to stay.
The sun was almost touching the horizon when they crested the ridge. Katie drove a couple of hundred yards until she found a mostly