Neil saw Seth's tall, thin shadow go with Adrian, and the Arizona cop sent his gaze over the camp that already looked and felt better. He and Seth had hit it off, and he knew the redhead would cover Adrian's overloaded back.
Five minutes later, Kenn and Adrian were in the Mess, the camp a flurry of activity in the foggy morning. They'd had no serious damage, no injuries, and all but two people were accounted for.
Adrian finished his coffee with a grimace as the stench of rot wafted through the crowded, loud, Mess. About three miles southwest of their camp, a large herd of bison lay dead. John was testing the bodies for radiation since there was no obvious cause of death. The big ants (that Adrian sometimes thought might be following them) were also here, along with a burgeoning population of field mice that they had set out traps out for.
This area was all nature as far as they could see, no sign that mankind had ever been here, except for the corpses. Adrian dreaded dropping south into the Badlands, but knew he would if John said fallout had killed the bison. That strange, eerie landscape would be better than sickness, but the barren area had little they needed. South Dakota was the sunshine state no more.
They wouldn't stay long, only a couple of weeks total instead of the month they usually did, he decided. There wouldn't be any camp tours of Mount Rushmore or any of the Wild West sites that featured Annie Oakley and Wild Bill Hickok. That world was gone.
"Everyone accounted for?" Adrian asked a short time later, and Neil opened his book.
"Almost. We had five cars leave camp. All but one is on the way back, and we made contact with the supply team. Chris said he hasn't been able to reach the 5th yet."
"They were together?"
Neil continued his report, "Says he saw two people in her convertible. They'll probably show up at dawn."
Adrian's eyes spoke for him as he looked to his XO.
Kenn waved a hand for Kyle to join them from his post on the Mess. "Get your team and do a recon for Tonya and the Bitch. Half hour check-ins."
Kyle's eyes narrowed, but he swallowed his dislike, knowing the orders actually came from Adrian. Kenn didn't like the reporter, few of them did, and though he was screwing the redhead, the mobster didn't think he really cared for her. Women were possessions to the Marine, Kyle thought, calling in his relief early. He pitied the female who had shared Kenn's bed before the War, when there had been no Adrian to keep him in line.