No Way Back

Day 15 – The Road to Nowhere

Daniel Holt had spent years preparing for the end of the world.

But now, as he crouched behind a fallen tree, rifle tight in his grip, watching a group of armed men move through the valley below—

He realized that nothing had prepared him for this.

Erin had been right.

They weren’t just passing through.

They were setting up to stay.

The militia patrol moved with precision, their boots crunching softly over the damp ground.

Daniel counted eight men—not looters, not scavengers.

Soldiers.

They swept through the valley like they owned it.

Like they had already decided that this land belonged to them.

Daniel’s pulse remained steady.

But deep down, he knew the truth.

This wasn’t just about survival anymore.

This was a war in the making.

Erin crouched beside him, eyes locked on the patrol. "We need to go."

Daniel didn’t move.

Leaving tracks now meant leading them right to their position.

"We wait," he said. "They pass, we double back."

Erin clenched her jaw but nodded.

For the next five minutes, they stayed still, watching as the patrol disappeared into the trees.

Then—silence.

Daniel exhaled slowly. "Alright. Let’s—"

CRACK.

A branch snapped behind them.

Daniel’s muscles coiled.

Erin’s breath hitched.

Slowly, they turned.

And came face-to-face with a soldier.

The man was in military gear, his face partially covered by a faded black bandana.

A rifle was slung over his shoulder, his hand resting on the grip—not raised, but not relaxed either.

For a moment, nobody moved.

Then the soldier spoke.

"You shouldn’t be here."

Daniel didn’t blink. "Neither should you."

The man tilted his head, studying them. "You alone?"

Daniel didn’t answer.

The man’s fingers twitched toward his gun.

And that’s when Daniel knew—

This wasn’t a conversation.

This was a test.

And if he failed it, he wouldn’t walk away.

Erin was tense beside him, her hand hovering near her knife.

Daniel kept his eyes on the soldier, his mind calculating the odds.

He could reach his revolver first.

But if the man wasn’t alone?

If another patrol was close by?

Gunfire would bring the whole damn army down on them.

The soldier’s lips curled into something almost amused. "You’re smart. I can see it. So let me give you some advice."

He took a slow step forward.

"Turn around. Walk the other way. Because whatever you think this place is, it doesn’t belong to you anymore."

Daniel felt his stomach tighten.

It wasn’t just a patrol.

It was an occupation.

He and Erin weren’t hiding in the wilderness.

They were trapped behind enemy lines.

And if they didn’t get out now—

They never would.

The soldier took another step forward.

Too close.

Daniel’s instincts screamed.

He moved fast—too fast for the man to react.

His hand shot to his revolver, and before the soldier could raise his rifle—

BANG.

The gunshot echoed through the trees.

The soldier staggered backward, blood blooming across his chest—

Then collapsed.

Silence.

Then—

Shouting.

Voices, too many to count, calling out from somewhere nearby.

Daniel’s pulse spiked.

"Run," Erin hissed.

They ran.

Daniel moved like a ghost, his feet barely touching the ground as he wove through the trees.

Erin was just behind him, breathing hard, pushing to keep up.

The militia was coming.

Gunfire cracked through the air, kicking up dirt inches from Daniel’s boots.

They weren’t just chasing them.

They were hunting them.

Daniel ducked low, cutting through a dense patch of underbrush, trying to shake them.

He could hear them spreading out, flanking him.

Trapping him.

If he didn’t lose them now—

Erin’s voice cut through the chaos.

"There!"

Daniel looked up—

And saw the river ahead.

Daniel didn’t think.

Didn’t hesitate.

He sprinted forward, feet pounding against the earth, heart hammering.

The river was fast and cold, its surface churning with white water.

Erin glanced at him, breathless. "This is insane."

Daniel holstered his gun. "You want to live?"

Another burst of gunfire, closer this time.

They were seconds away from getting caught.

No time left.

Daniel grabbed Erin’s wrist—

And jumped.

The cold slammed into him like a punch to the chest.

The river swallowed them whole.

And just like that—

The wilderness was gone.