“Well, you can’t say this hasn’t been fun at least,” Acharya said smiling to Aiman. The Muslim Enforcer glanced over at his pack Alpha with a stoic look. There was nothing fun about ducking incoming machine gun fire, running through mine fields, or trying to avoid incoming mortar rounds as they tried to cross the Chad Sudan border. The civil war was raging day and night and the pack couldn’t seem to walk a mile before they ran into some sort of reconnaissance group, or raiding platoon, or mobile command post, or just some jerks with guns and grenades who thought they were great downtrodden freedom fighters, fighting for independence. Aiman’s response was a pursing of his lips and a dark look.

  Asclepius whined low in his throat as he yawned and laid his chin on his paws. The packs only wolf born shapeshifter had been instrumental in getting them as far as they had in one piece. But even the senses of a wolf in this country could only get them so far. It was a wonder that any of them were still alive, much less all of them.

  They had been traveling generally east for about a week now. The maps of the backwater regions were next to useless. Some showed roads that weren’t there, others had no roads labeled at all. The civil war was tearing up the countryside and with it, all the basic quality of life functions of society had been put on hold. So, with a compass and the sun they had continued on their journey as best they could.

  The biggest problem for them had been water. Since they had left Lake Chad, there hadn’t been any large sources of water around. At night they shifted into werewolf form and were able to hunt a little and follow animals to various watering holes. The animals in this country had become remarkably adaptive to the lack of water. They however, didn’t have generations to acclimate to the lack of the life-giving element. So, they took it where they could find it and boiled and sanitized the water as best they could, when they could.

  They had avoided all towns and provinces. The last thing they needed was to be captured and enslaved to one of the roving bands of fighters. They didn’t have a lot of money anyway, and it didn’t seem like any amount of money was going to help them. With the civil war going on, once they moved from the city, even the hunting started to become scarce. They may be in Sudan already. But judging by the platoon of very angry grenadiers that they had just gotten away from, there wasn’t a member among them who thought they were anywhere near safety.

  “I just want to be done with all this fighting and gunfights and rockets exploding and the whole mess of it! I wish these people would just talk instead of killing each other over what they’re turning into a blasted wasteland!” Mary practically yelled into her arms. Her eyes were shut tight and she had her head propped up on her knees.

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  “Talking has never eased the pain of the suffering, nor has it ever quenched the desires of the ambitious,” Tara said, sounding like she may have been quoting something. “My people learned that lesson the hard way.”

  “That was a long time ago!” Mary snapped back with hatred in her eyes. Her eyes softened quickly, as if suddenly realizing who it was she was talking to. “I’m sorry Tara, please I, I didn’t mean that.”

  “Yes, you did,” the brown woman replied softly. “But I accept your apology,” her brown eyes gazing intently at the black woman sitting across from her. “So, we sit here in this ditch till nightfall again? Maybe see if we can hunt?”

  Acharya nodded wearily. “Yes, it’s our best option. These assholes aren’t very well equipped, but a jeep and an AK could kill anyone of us pretty easily. We just have to keep going.”

  He wished he believed those words. He put on a smile and nodded to his pack mates. He had no doubt that they would get through this but even he was starting to feel the strain of their journey. They could only really move at night, but they couldn’t exactly just hole up and sleep during the day either. They had gotten very good at making camouflaged tactical shelters with two people on guard during the day.

  But it was during the day, the hot African day, with no wind, in a tight groove that they had been able to dig out of the hard soil and lay dirt, or maybe some branches and foliage over themselves. It was like sleeping under a blanket in an oven. None of them had been getting much rest. If Mary’s outburst was anything to judge, the stress was definitely getting to them.

  “Everybody, get some sleep,” Acharya commented. “I’ll stay up and keep watch.”

  “There should be two at all times,” Aiman commented. “I’ll stay up with you.”

  “No,” Aiman countermanded. “Look, Aiman you’re just as tired as everyone else,”

  “As are you,” Aiman responded.

  “Look, this is not up for debate,” he said a little harder than he wanted to. “You guys get some sleep. We move at dusk.”

  Aiman looked sideways at their Alpha, but didn’t offer any further argument. Mary had already closed her eyes and Tara lay down next to Asclepius and closed her eyes. Malikah had been asleep already. She hadn’t needed permission. As soon as they were in the shade of the gorge that they now hid in, she had rested her head against the soft cool dirt and went to sleep immediately. How she had been able to sleep, knowing what they had just gotten away from was a marvel to Acharya.

  The pack Alpha slowly got up and crouching low, crawled up to the ridge of the gorge and looked out over the African landscape. There was a wild beauty to the place even here. Of course, the scars of war, various craters, dirt paths, built up mounds, or holes in the ground from some not-too-distant battle, were present everywhere. It had been a long time since they hadn’t encountered ground like this every so often.