The convoy had been traveling east for hours, passing through the desolate remains of countless small towns. Each one they passed had the same eerie stillness, a reminder of the world that had once thrived but was now hollowed out by the apocalypse. The quiet weighed heavily on everyone, especially George, who rode at the front of the convoy with Raven, Lucy, and Jackie.
"Look," Raven said, pointing ahead as they crested a hill. "There's something different about this place."
George squinted into the distance and saw it: a small town, but unlike the others, this one wasn't completely abandoned. There were signs of life. Smoke rose from chimneys, and even from a distance, they could see people moving along the streets, going about their business.
"They've got a perimeter," Jackie said, lowering the binoculars. "Armed guards at the entrance."
