55 55. Trusting them

She sighed and turned the car on and slowly approached them. Seeing the exhausted face of a man with a thick beard and woman that sat behind with few children hugging her in fear.

With astonishment, he realized that there was no more wind and stopped. Jenny opened her window and pointed at children.

''Are they hungry?''

The man just stood there with an open mouth and stared at the surrounding while the woman quickly opened the side window.

''They are hungry, but water. Water is more important.''

''Jacob. Kala. Lets go out.''

''Yes, mama!'' Actually they spoke about it before. It was better if she called her mother just in case some people get weird thoughts.

Looking at two clean children coming out with a portable gas burner and a bunch of water the man rushed and helped them put on the ground. There was no greed on his face so Jenny relaxed.

''May I ask?'' He was wondering about the bubble around them but Jacob just shook his head and he stopped asking. Everyone had their own secrets.

Jenny came out with full hands with bags that were filled with food and put on the floor.

''Where did you plan to go?'' She calmly took a big pot and started preparing noodles while Jacob was opening cans with tomato sauce.

''Nearest city where are still humans.''

''Sigh. Then come with us. We do not know when we will see next settlement but we will be looking for it.'' Suddenly a sound of ringing could be heard. ''Yes? Let me get a map.''

When the huge map was open she pointed at the map and sighed. ''Nearest city is W town. Can you tell us is there any living humans inside?''

''There is a smaller town nearby. You must pass the W town and go to CG town to the west. There is a bunch of survivors there. I just contacted them. They said they have many stones and will have it ready for you. I couldn't promise them help as they were too far away but I said I will try to send them someone who might be able to help them. Sorry.''

''Thank you for giving me needed information, Mr President. We will move right there. What about W city? Is no one alive? I can take more people with me.'' She was willing to help more of them.

''I am not sure. We tried to send messages on all radio stations about the CG town but no one answered. Or no one is alive or they can't use the radio. Sorry, I am not sure.'' His regretful voice was honest. More alive humans are better for him.

''I need to pass the city anyway. Will check if there are more survivors. Thank you for calling me.''

''Be careful. No matter what be careful.'' He bet all he could on her. If she dies, they are all dead...

Just as she finished the call the noodles were done and she threw away precious water on the floor and added the tomato sauce. Looking their expressions she sighed.

''Don't worry. I have enough water for everyone. Later I will give you some. Or you can buy from me.''

''But do money bills still work now?'' He was confused while his wife took her bag but saw Jenny shaking her head.

''Zombies and other creatures produce after their death a soul or power stone. As you wish to call it... Well, those stones are now used as money.''

A boy looked at his parents and took the whole bag of clinking stones.

''This?'' He shyly presented the stones.

She opened the bag and looked at the stones with a slight smile. These people are not that simple as they seem. But that is not her problem.

''The stones can be used to enhance power or to exchange for food. How many o these do you want to exchange?'' She looked straight at the little boy without even looking at the parents.

''Whole bag. What can we get for these stones and how much?'' the child calmly cleaned the table and turned over the bag. ''Inside are 347 stones.''

Jenny checked her inventory and started pricing.

''One package with three packs inside of Chinese noodles 1 power stone. Normal noodles one bag 1 stone. One can of any food 1 stone. One pack of six small bottles of water 2 stones...'' As she counted the most important things for a while a boy just wrote down. ''This is first time price. Next time, it will be three times the price as in the city I have no wish to change prices. Wanna have?''

''Then a hundred packages of Chinese noodles. Fifty packs of water. Various cans fifty cans. Thirty bags of rice. Dried meat for ten stones and for seven stones, do you have maybe another gas burner?'' He pointed at it.

Jenny patted his head. ''I will give you gas burner and ten containers. About food... I will give you double of everything after you find a house. Now you can't carry so many things. And it wouldn't be wise that everyone sees it. Hide the stones safely. After we find you a place to stay we will make the trade. Ok?''

He picked up the stones and pushed it into her arms. ''I have a feeling that you will not mess with us. You even saved us. Trust, you gained. I am going to sleep now. I'm full.'' He stood up and walked straight at the back of the car while his parents just shook their heads.

''Sorry. Since he was born he was a bit... different than other children. He might seem rude but he is actually a good boy.'' His mother sighed with a small smile on her lips.

''I know. Go rest a bit. I will do the same. In six hours we will start driving. You need to drive behind me as I can see more than you.'' She pointed at the high cabin and they had to admit that her spot had a better view.

They needed some rest and she planned anyway before. What their secrets are is not her business as long they don't try anything stupid, she won't do anything against them as well. So when she entered the vehicle she took a long bath and so did the children as well and they comfortably went to bed this time and slept like babies.

The alarm woke her up and she turned it off quickly. Jacob and Kala rubbed their eyes but she patted their heads.

''Go back to sleep. I'll prepare breakfast and then we can go.''

Seeing their sleepy faces she chuckled and took a basket full with food to the outside area where she turned on the gas burner and started cooking. This time rice with vegetables. It was premade rice so she just needed to put it inside the vegetables and cook a little bit.

Looking at a huge amount of food she prepared, the family in the car felt happy and ashamed at the same time. The man quickly picked up all the mess and put inside a bag and in the back of his car. She looked at him curiously.

''Plastic is bad but at the same time reusable. The rice containers we can reuse for something else. Who knows if we can find clean plates and glasses.'' He was a practical man. If there is no other thing he can always throw it away.

''Then take it out your car and put next to my vehicle. I have inside water and I will wash it. If it starts getting bad your children might as well get sick. Do not play around.''

He nodded and was about to put in on floor when he saw Jacob opening the door and taking the bag.

''Uncle, I will wash it. Go eat breakfast. Mom said we will start moving after that.''

''Yes.''

Jenny was about to put the rice into one of the bowls from her vehicle when the little boy came with a funny expression.

''I need to go to the bathroom. I can't hold it anymore.''

Jacob pointed at the dark spot behind the car. ''Go inside that.''

Not even asking another thing the boy went there and then everyone else as well. When they came back Jacob waited on them with water and tissues. One of the girls just took the tissues first and went to dark spot stunning him silly. But he quickly went out daze and just calmly waited until she came out.

Her cheeks had red taint on it when she came back and he just calmly poured water so she calmed down and went to eat as well. As they had only a few bowls first children ate their full then the grown-ups and rest Jenny packed into a plastic container and closed it.

''If someone gets hungry underway, snack on this. Let's go.'' She gave the gas burner to the man and went inside while he quickly put it in his car and rushed to sit down.

Of course, Jenny waited until everyone is save in car and when she saw him waving she turned her vehicle on and started moving.

''Father. She has a special power. We must be grateful to her. Without her, we would have turned into pieces of meat.'' He pointed at strange shadows that followed them behind.

''Zombies?'' The man pressed his lips. ''Kill them. We can't have them follow us to the city.''

Girl and boy turned around and suddenly spikes rose from the ground and turned them into mincemeat. With reluctance, they continued as they thought what they could buy with more of those stones while Jacob chuckled.

''That was nice.'' Kala looked trough back window and saw what happened to the following group of zombies.

''They will get some extra for doing this openly. That means they do not want to hide their powers anymore as they trust us now enough.'' Jenny smiled brightly and looked at her map.

The city is not that far but in the city...