Page 7 of What Remains

"Supplies."

Jay's jaw tightened. "Ridgeview got us through winter, but that haul won't stretch long-term. We both know it."

Sawyer nodded grimly. "We're running low on everything we can't make ourselves. Flour's half gone. Sugar's even lower. "Coffee—" he pointed a finger at Jay "—we both know it's gonna be a true apocalypse when you run out."

Jay glared at him. "Don't even joke about that."

Sawyer's eyes softened, but only slightly, and his voice dropped. "And now... with the baby."

Seth's hands stilled on the stacked wood.

Sawyer pressed on, his voice low as he detailed his reasoning. "We're gonna need diapers. Blankets. Formula backups in case Addy has trouble feeding. Real medical supplies—not the scraps we've been rationing. Seeds, too. Actual spring garden seeds, not the picked-over crap left rotting on small-store shelves."

Jay shifted his weight, his chin dropping.

Seth's voice was quiet from beside the woodpile. "Yeah. A kid changes everything."

Sawyer nodded. "We can't depend on Ridgeview anymore. That run turned out to be a miracle as it is—too many unknowns now, too many people still out there doing desperate things to stay alive."

Jay rubbed the back of his neck, already dreading the answer. "So what are you saying?"

Sawyer swung the axe into the chopping block with a thunk and met his eyes.

"I think we need to hit a bigger city."

Jay swore under his breath, turning half away. "Damn it, Sawyer..."

"I know," Sawyer said, holding his ground. "Believe me, I know exactly how dangerous it is. But a large city? Even half-looted, there will be warehouses, super centers, medical suppliers, and tractor stores with seed vaults. Maybe even baby supplies if we get lucky. We make one huge run and we won't have to risk anything else hopefully for a long, long while."

Seth frowned, working through the implications. "Which city are we talking about?"

Sawyer glanced toward the tree line, as if measuring distances on an unseen map. "Depends. Somewhere clear of the old military evac routes. The places people fled away from—that's where the supplies will still be sitting. Hell, just a huge city at this point is an option."

Jay shook his head slowly, offering no argument, but his reluctance was clear in every line of his body.

"And we'll need a solid plan this time," Sawyer continued. "Not like Ridgeview, where everything went sideways the second we got distracted. A plan for entry, a plan for getting out. Fuel. Plan B routes. A meetup point if we get separated."

Jay met Sawyer's eyes across the chopping block. "So we go... just the three of us?"

Sawyer hesitated, the pause speaking volumes.

"No," he said, his voice final. "Cara's the quietest scout we've got, and we'll need her eyes out there. The way I see it, either you, me, and Seth go—or Cara goes with you and Seth instead." His voice hardened at the edges. "But I don't want Addy or the baby anywhere near danger. That part's not up for debate."

Jay blew out a long breath. "Christ. We're planning an expedition. My vote's Cara, me, and Seth—but we'll need to run all of this by the women before anything's decided."

Sawyer lifted the axe again, settling it over his shoulder. "We will. And we're not rushing any of it. We do this smart, or we don't do it at all."

Seth tossed another log onto the pile. "If it keeps that baby fed, I'm in."

Jay nodded, reluctant but resolved. "Same."

Sawyer gave a single approving nod, then raised the axe high.

"Spring," he said. "We leave in spring."

The axe came down hard.

The wood split clean.