The following morning, after their brief respite by the diner, the convoy set off once again. The landscape seemed to grow more desolate with every mile they covered, and a tense silence fell over the group. Even Lucy's usual banter had faded, replaced by a watchful quiet as they scanned the skies and the horizon for any signs of danger.
As they drove, Jackie, who had taken her usual position in one of the rear vehicles, suddenly noticed something far in the distance. At first, it looked like a bird, just a speck in the sky, circling in the distance. But as it grew larger and began moving toward them, a sense of dread filled her gut.
"George," she said through the radio, her voice tense. "You need to see this. We've got something coming our way, and it's big."
George grabbed the radio in his vehicle and pressed the button. "What do you mean, big? What's coming?"
"It's not a bird," Jackie replied. "It's something worse. A lot worse."
